The Light and the Shadows Pt. 2: Imperial City

"Easy now, fair one. I told you I'd find you when the time was right" Karis whispered before gently releasing the shocked Elisif from her grasp.

"You want to meet here? Now?" Elisif gasped in further surprise, trying to compose herself and keep her voice to a whisper.

"No one would expect an important meeting to be taking place in the middle of all...this" Karis shrugged, indicating the noises coming from the main hall and a few far off noises in the Gardens.

Elisif took a few moments to gauge the woman who always seemed to create more questions than answers.

Karis Hassuldor again wore nothing regal or fancy. She wore a dark blue mage robe with a black cloak and a hood drawn over her head, a few red curls poking out as she stared at Elisif with those intent, green eyes.

"Will we be safe?" worried Elisif.

"Of course, darling. Follow me" Karis replied with such an ease of manner, that Elisif thought she must do this all the time.

As Elisif followed Karis deeper into the Gardens, winding through turn after turn, she wondered what it was about the woman that made her feel at ease all of the sudden. She spoke so pleasantly, but there was an edge about her. As if...she was deliberately pleasant to offset something far more terrible.

Elisif thought she should be more afraid, should probably not even be out here, following this woman into the depths of someone else's maze, but she knew Karis wanted her as an ally, and if Karis was a mage to be feared, then perhaps Elisif was in the safest place she could be.

At length, they found themselves in the center of the maze, a large fountain surrounded by ceramic benches with potted ivy plants that wreathed up and over lattices to form a man made bower of sorts.

"This is the middle of everything. Someone will surely find us here" Elisif hissed, glancing around.

"No, they won't" Karis muttered before casting a spell that seemed to create walls of hedges in both openings into the center.

"But-"

"Not yet. In here" Karis interrupted her, motioning her under the bower.

Once they were both under it, Karis cast another spell over the bower, but Elisif saw no effect.

"A spell of silence around the bower, no one will hear anything that we say while we are under here" Karis replied to Elisif's puzzled look before she sat down on one of the benches and crossed her arms.

"I...didn't know you were at the party" Elisif muttered by way of opening.

"None of them do, and I prefer it stay that way" replied Karis before crossing a dark clad leg over another and eyeing Elisif intently for a moment "You've been rather busy this week. I'm surprised to find you at a party like this"

"I..uh...didn't know it would be...this kind of party" Elisif blushed.

"Most of the parties have a dark hour at the end, allows the nobles to indulge themselves for a bit without being seen doing so brazenly" Hassuldor shrugged as if it was nothing new.

"But it's so..." Elisif gasped, searching for the right word.

"Barbaric? Chaotic? Disgusting? Of course it is. Normal things don't excite nobles" Karis replied with a slight smirk.

"Are all the parties THIS bad?" Elisif continued, hugging herself to placate the feeling of aloneness that suddenly felt evident.

"I've not inspected the proceedings inside, but from what I've seen in the garden, it's about normal. Some are better. Some are worse. If you stay in the Imperial City long enough, you'll get a sense for the people who throw the 'safe' parties and those who...don't" Karis finished with an ominous grim line forming on her lips.

"I can't believe nobles would be this...decadent while the Empire struggles to hold its borders and provide for its own people. Skyrim is in a full on Civil War!" Elisif snapped louder than she meant to, growing indignant at the thoughtlessness of it all.

"You assume they would care for any far off lands or people. Some of these nobles spend their entire lives in the Imperial City" Karis replied indifferently.

"Do they not realize if the Empire fractures that all this reveling will end since there will be no more rich nobles!" Elisif continued.

"To many of them, the Empire is much like the horse that draws their carriages from one place to another. It is not thought much of or at all until it grows ill and cannot work, and yet, you and I both know that like the horse, the Empire is a living, breathing beast in need of food, housing, and protection" Karis declared, looking off at the feast hall up on the hill.

"Surely there are more on the Council interested in the well being of the Empire" reasoned Elisif, going over the different Councilors in her head and weighing the devotion she perceived from them.

Karis actually laughed a little at that.

"Ah, you have much to learn of politics, fair one" she chuckled.

"So everyone keeps telling me" huffed Elisif, unable to mask the annoyance at having yet another 'ally' belittle her lack of experience.

"Oh? Is that what Magnus Olaren told you this afternoon?" Hassuldor queried with a raised eyebrow and small smirk.

"How did you-" Elisif started to protest before Karis cut her off.

"We'll get a lot more accomplished a lot quicker if you don't question how I know or can do things. Just accept that I've spent...a long time cultivating...sources of information" Karis replied, rising to her feet and pacing away from Elisif.

"Well...Olaren didn't say precisely that I didn't know what I was doing, but he had no qualms about laying out his plans to put Balgruuf on Skyrim's throne once the War is over" Elisif declared after a short silence contemplating whether to continue or not.

"A bold move" muttered Karis, still facing away from Elisif.

"I couldn't believe they would plan such a thing either" exclaimed Elisif.

"You mistake my words. It's not a bold move to put Balgruuf on the throne. What was bold was that he told you about it" Karis continued to look away.

"You mean they've been planning this all along?" Elisif was disbelieving at first, but then all the actions of Tullius and Olaren seemed to click perfectly to fit that picture.

"If they've planned this from the start, why tell me now? Why not just keep me in the dark until the time was right?" Elisif reasoned aloud.

"Well, the war has not gone according to plan, and Balgruuf wasn't supposed to still be neutral. However, I don't think either of those are the real reason" Hassuldor muttered, spinning to fix Elisif with a contemplative stare.

"Then why?"

"Simple, it's a challenge"

"A challenge to what?"

"To see if you can indeed rule, or at least rule like they want"

"I can indeed rule. The question is, are there more "they" besides Olaren and Tullius, and what do they have planned for Skyrim after the War?" Elisif declared, feeling as if Karis was also testing her in some way.

"Now you're getting somewhere" Karis smiled slightly before continuing "I'm willing to aid you to an extent. I'll give you some names, but I'm not doing everything for you. Some things you must find out for yourself. I also expect compensation for my aid" Hassuldor's smile faded as she became stern in her demands.

"And here I thought you cared about the well being of the Empire" sighed Elisif cynically.

"Don't delude yourself. No one acts for the Empire with such great altruism. Even you...would you care so much about the Empire's...well being...if it didn't concern getting Skyrim aid?"

Elisif felt a pang of guilt as she looked down, not wanting to admit aloud the truth of Hassuldor's query.

"This is a transaction, plain and simple. The fact that I'm willing to trade with you and do so honestly should show that I'm an ally" Karis continued after Elisif's silence.

"What is it that you want in exchange for your help?" Elisif asked after a contemplative silence.

"I want to know about this Dragonborn, Arnsmyth Bulgoar."

"What do you wish to know?" Elisif sighed, taking a seat on the ceramic bench and staring at the water fountain, memories coming back to her at the mention of his name.

"Everything" smiled Karis Hassuldor.

Elisif took her time, relating all the events that had transpired from the time Arn arrived in Solitude to his departure, only leaving out their tryst in the pool in the secret passages of the Blue Palace.

Karis spent most of the account pacing, stopping only to ask a few questions about the Potema incident before allowing Elisif to resume.

Upon finishing, Elisif watched as Karis paced quietly for a few moments before turning on her.

"Is that all?"

"Well, the Thalmor are trying to frame him for murder" Elisif spat, thinking she finally had something the elusive Countess of Skingrad didn't know.

"Of course" Karis replied, as if everyone knew.

"Well?"

"They plan on forcing his arrest" Elisif retorted, wondering why Karis was so casual about it.

Hassuldor actually laughed a little at that, which irked Elisif even more.

"They've already tried arresting him once. It didn't go well for them" Karis chuckled.

"But if they make it official, they can cut his ties to nearly every hold" Elisif reasoned.

"Then, don't let them make it official" Karis retorted, as if the solution were well within her grasp.

Elisif only sighed in annoyance, realizing that asking more questions would just make her look that much more incompetent.

"That's everything then?" Karis snapped, obviously expecting more.

"Yes" Elisif replied, hoping the flush of embarrassment she felt hadn't shown up in a blush.

"Everything?" Karis again questioned, this time squinting her eyes slightly in the moonlight and cocking her head to one side slightly as Elisif squirmed under her scrutiny.

"Everything...that's relevant" Elisif mumbled out, not wanting to outright lie to her newest potential ally, but not feeling like divulging the truth either.

"I asked for EVERYTHING, not what you thought relevant" snapped Hassuldor in a fierce tone that made Elisif jump slightly.

"It's of...a personal nature" Elisif crossed her arms and hunched down, refusing to be intimidated any further.

"How personal?" Karis returned to the smooth questioner of before, still eyeing her critically.

"Very personal" Elisif huffed.

"Ah...I see" Karis replied after a short silence, a small smirk growing on her features before she turned and paced away from Elisif again "Tell me, then. Did he display any...particular qualities as a lover that were...different"

"Not really, other than having...a lot of stamina" Elisif blushed furiously, thankful Karis had her back turned and annoyed that people seemed to see right through her to what she thought was secret.

"Well, satisfied?" Elisif couldn't help but grouch at the silent form of Hassuldor after she didn't say anything for some time.

"I wish there was more, but I trust you've shared all you can" Karis replied as she whirled and walked back to Elisif.

"You have the list, then?" Elisif retorted faster than she meant, eager to hold Karis to her end of the bargain and get the subject changed off of her own personal matters.

Karis wordlessly reached into an inner pocket of her mage robe, withdrew a small parchment rolled up and tied with a small cord, and handed it to Elisif.

Practically tearing the tie off, Elisif spread the piece of paper open to read the names listed there.

"Is there a reason there are two different columns?" Elisif asked without looking at Karis while reading the names.

"That is for you to discover" Karis replied with disinterest.

There were about twelve names on the one side and six on the other:

Scolina Jorvan

Bagdul Gor'Obbak Magnus Olaren

Lothiel Indarys

Solanus Olaren General Garven Tullius

Amaund Motierre

Dorian Lerus Legate Forius Moldak

Jorcan Caro

Kanarid Ilven Gaius Maro

Janora Umbranox

Waldeena the Far Reaching Legate Constantius Tituleius

Faraste the Unclean Legate Adventus Caessenius

Elisif had quickly glanced over the list, taking in the names, before her eyes fell on one name in particular that made her freeze: Janora Umbranox.

She read it repeatedly to make sure she had not imagined it before snapping her head up to glare at Karis, who was leaning against a bower support, eyeing her in that usual dispassionate gaze.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed at Hassuldor, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"You must surely know that Janora and I have been good friends for years!" Elisif practically spat.

"So?" Karis shrugged as if it was nothing.

"How is it possible she has intentions in Skyrim?" Elisif tried to keep her voice down, beginning to wonder if it was even real or if it was really Hassuldor trying to manipulate her.

"A friendship with you doesn't mean she doesn't have other motives" Karis muttered, looking off in one direction before turning back to her.

"But..." Elisif tried to reason before Karis cut her off, stepping forward and her eyes blazing with a brief flash of anger.

"If you can indeed rule, you will need to learn some things, and learn them fast, or both you and the people you seem to desperately care about will suffer a heavy price for your failure!" she snapped before bundling her cloak about her and waving her hands, causing the spells of silence and the illusion of hedges to fade away.

"Come, since you will clearly not believe unless I show you" hissed Hassuldor with a motion of her hand before she was quickly heading out the other side of the center of the maze.

Elisif struggled to keep up without her fancy shoes clacking on the stones periodically placed on the path, prompting Karis to turn and glare at her. Eventually, Hassuldor grew fed up and forcefully handled Elisif's feet this way and that as she plucked them off and handed them to the surprised Elisif.

Moving further down into another corner of the maze, Elisif's heart began to fill with dread. What was it she was going to be shown? Janora couldn't possibly have plans to do with Skyrim that she wouldn't tell Elisif about, would she?

Even as these thoughts crossed her mind, Karis suddenly grabbed her and pulled them to the side, casting some sort of spell that Elisif couldn't see any effect of.

Elisif gasped into Karis' hand as she looked out into the alcove in the garden maze to see several figures she recognized, illuminated by the torch burning in the alcove corner.

The tall, hulking man among the shorter figures was clearly Bolgeir Bearclaw, Elisif's own housecarl, who should have been dutifully standing watch by the entrance to the estate.

Lysi, one of Elisif's maids, was there as well, but clearly against her will as she was held by two figures cloaked in hoods that prevented Elisif from seeing them.

Janora was there also, apparently presiding over this...secret meeting of sorts. She stood off to one side in her black, saucy evening gown, the neckline pulled down even farther than it had before. Hands on her hips, she was hissing questions at the bewildered Lysi, who tried to shrink away, but was jerked forward by the robed figures.

Elisif couldn't hear what they were talking about, but, determined to put an end to this nonsense, she made to step out before Karis grabbed her around the midsection and yanked her back against her, covering her mouth again.

"You won't find out anything like that..." she hissed the quietest of whispers in her ear.

She could see Lysi was crying, blubbering on about something, her little shoulders shaking as the two robed figures yanked her forward to Janora again, who got in her face to make what appeared to be a threat before motioning Lysi away.

At that point, Bolgeir stepped up and latched onto the collar of Lysi's frock, practically dragging her off her feet as he ushered her off into the maze toward the house on the hill again.

The two robed figures talked quietly with Janora for a short bit before one of them seemed to sense something and turned quickly, eyeing the area around, making a silencing hand motion to the others.

Just as quickly, Elisif felt herself effortlessly thrown over Karis' shoulder as she cast another spell and rather rapidly slunk away from the alcove back towards the middle of the garden maze.

When Elisif had been set back down again, she let out a huge sigh of relief, unaware that she'd been holding her breath for some time.

"How...can you be so strong?" she queried before receiving a glare of annoyance from Karis, remembering not to ask 'how' questions from earlier.

After that, she was quiet, staring down at the ground with confusion, betrayal, and fear all warring in her heart over what she'd seen.

Taking pity on her perhaps, Karis stepped in close and tipped her chin up.

"Ah fair one, you have many puzzles to solve in a short amount of time. Memorize the names on that list. Then burn it. It is likely your correspondence is being watched as well. Life will never be so simple as it used to be for you. You must learn to curtail those emotions of yours. A strong ruler must always be using this" she pointed to the side of Elisif's head "And every once in awhile, some of this" she dropped her finger to point at her heart.

"But..." Elisif tried to argue, unable to come up with anything to say in her defense of either herself or Janora.

"Enough...by now Janora will be looking for you" Karis muttered, glancing quickly over her shoulder before reaching up and unpinning Elisif's braids and beginning to ruffle and shift her frock as Elisif tried to push her hands away.

"What are you doing?!" she hissed at Hassuldor, who only smirked before spinning her around and undoing several of the ties in the back sloppily and sprinkling some leaves in Elisif's hair before spinning her back around again and gazing at her head to toe as Elisif sputtered and tried to get her outfit back in shape.

"You've been gone from the party for awhile. They will expect you to have a good reason for doing so" Karis muttered before glancing around again.

"No one saw me leave and I made sure not to be followed" Elisif protested, trying to get the leaves out of her hair.

"One so beautiful as you will always have eyes following them, even if you don't think so" Karis returned before batting Elisif's hands away from her hair and replacing the pin deliberately in the wrong place, leaving the braids hanging off to one side and an occasional leaf or bit of grass showing.

"I don't think I like where this is going" Elisif muttered, aware of what Karis was getting at.

"Janora brought you here to find a man. Make her think you have. The nobles will begin to get very uncomfortable if they begin to think you're not like them" Karis reasoned before holding out a small phial of creamy colored liquid.

"Gods! Please tell me that isn't what I think it is" Elisif hissed, shrinking from the phial.

Karis simply cocked her head slightly and gave her the type of scolding look Elisif remembered getting from her tutor when she was just a girl.

With shaking hands, she carefully reached out before snatching the phial away.

Stepping up to Elisif, Karis fixed her with those brilliant green orbs again.

"You are confused, afraid, upset, and still feeling guilty about a good many things I suspect. Use the fact that others have seen this to your advantage, and in all your dealings, remember that behind every light is a shadow" Karis declared before whirling to depart.

"What if I need to speak to you again?" Elisif stuttered out at the departing form of Hassuldor.

"Then I will probably know about it before you can reach me" Karis turned and grinned almost evilly at her before gliding off into the darkness of the maze.

After a few moments of being left alone and various thoughts running through her head, Elisif sighed before staring at the contents of the phial and looked back up to the Hall up on the hill.

Resignedly, she sat down on one of the benches, glancing around quickly before hiking up her dress and dribbling the contents of the phial on the inside of her dress before pitching the phial off in disgust. She wrinkled her nose at the brief scent of seed that assailed her nostrils as she tried to straighten herself up a bit more.

Steeling her resolve, she stood and sloppily pitched the folds of her dress down and slipped the edge of her frock's hemline off one of her shoulders before setting off for the main hall again, somewhat ready for whatever awaited there.

To her relief, she could see the lights had been re-lit in the main hall, though lower than before, and as she ascended the steps to the back, immediately spotted Janora just inside the doorway standing on her tip toes looking this way and that in the main hall to find Elisif.

"J-janora" Elisif tried to greet her, though it came out subdued and her voice nearly cracked.

Turning quickly to see Elisif on the porch, Janora's look went from one of surprise to relief to a sly grin as she began to note the state of Elisif's dress.

"I see you took my advice. See? not so hard...or was it?" she teased Elisif suggestively as she stepped out onto the porch.

"Now...now, a noblewoman doesn't...uh...kiss and tell" Elisif whispered, remembering Karis' words as she let her own flustered state and confusion play to her favor.

"Oh...I see. I trust you found your rendezvous to be...satisfactory?" Janora quipped slyly, not letting up.

"Of course" Elisif shyly replied, only slightly relieved when Janora took her by the arm and they both headed off towards the entrance to the main hall.

"Good enough to have...another meeting?" continued Janora as they passed a group of servants cleaning up a large spilling of wine on the floor.

"Perhaps" Elisif added, refusing to let her worry show as they finally made it to the entrance and she saw Bolgeir standing at the ready while Erdi and Lysi sat in the Carriage.

"Then I can assume we will see you in the Imperial City more often?" Janora asked as they descended the steps toward the waiting Carriages.

"If things in Skyrim permit, then yes. However, I have a feeling there will be a pile of things for me to attend to when I get back" Elisif sighed letting the sadness of it show as fatigue as she climbed into the Carriage and took a quick glance at Lysi, who was looking down in reverence.

"Be sure to write, then. I'm sure we'll find plenty to talk about" slyly added Janora as Elisif stepped up into her Carriage.

"I'm sure we will" muttered Elisif back as she waved for the driver to start moving, waving good bye to the darkening form of Janora as they pulled away.


Author's notes: edited to fix a timeline issue and to fix the format of the list, which didn't transfer correctly.