The Unlikeliest Love of All
Fandom: Elder Scroll Series (Skyrim with DLCs)
Author: Ahsoka1248
Rating: M
Genres: Romance, Adventure
POV: Third Person Karlis Shadow-Blade
Karlis drew back the string of her Nightingale bow, exhaling softly, as she crouched, ebony arrow to her bowstring, above the courtyard where Vittoria Vici was getting married. She fired, her arrow cleanly piercing the woman's heart and killing her instantly.
"Guards! Find that archer!"
Still crouching, Karlis slung her bow away, and summoned up the Thu'um, planning to distract the guards.
"ZUL MEY GUT!"
The guards turned to where she had shouted, and she scrambled along the wall, peering over where she knew there was a rope waiting. The guards were running into the city, swords drawn, the news having traveled fast that the young woman had been murdered. But before she could descend, a sudden wave of nausea swept over her, and she vomited over the wall.
"Seriously? Bad time to be sick, Karlis," she chided herself as she wiped the vomit away from her mouth and shook her head to clear the headache that had accompanied her nausea.
"I need to talk to Karliah when I get back to Nightingale Hall. I wonder if a hermaphrodite can impregnate a woman..."
She grabbed the rope, and quickly climbed down the wall. She drew her Nightingale blade and ran away from the city.
"By order of the Jarl, stop right there," a guard said, aiming his bow at her.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong."
"All passage in and out of the city has been halted due to the assassination of Vittoria Vici, the emperor's cousin. And then you, you come running out of nowhere, sword drawn. I find it hard to believe you didn't do anything wrong," the guard said.
"Sorry, guard. It's nothing personal. FUS RO DAH!"
The guard went flying, snapping his neck when he slammed into the ground a short distance away. She continued her flight, an arrow flying through the space where she had been standing only seconds before. When she felt she could Shout again, she did.
"ODAHVIING!"
The dragon descended, landing.
"I need to ride you, Odahviing. We have to get out of here."
Karlis jumped on the dragon's back, and they flew off. When she climbed off Odahviing back at Nightingale Hall, having stopped at the Falkreath Sanctuary to report her success, she immediately collapsed and began vomiting onto the ground, her head hurting.
"Dovahkiin, los hi...bek? Are you alright?"
The dragon's growl did not help.
"Yes, yes I'm fine, but please, be quiet. Your growl is not helping. Actually, I don't need your help right now."
Odahviing flew off, and Karlis wiped her face before entering. Karliah could probably tell something was wrong, because she blanched when she saw Karlis.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Karliah, we need to talk."
"Sure. Let's get you seated...you don't look too good."
Karlis sat down.
"Can hermaphrodites reproduce?"
"Yes, why?"
"I think I might be with child."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I am confident that I am correct in thinking that I am with child."
"Congratulations, Karlis. Are you saying this child is mine?"
"Yes. I believe it is. I haven't been with a man that way in years, and then considering our activities a couple weeks ago, back in the Sepulcher..."
"Yes, I can see why you think so."
Karlis's Dunmer lover drew closer, wrapping her arms gently around the Nord, and then put her hand on her lover's stomach before kissing her gently on the mouth. When she broke the kiss, she spoke.
"When did you start thinking so?"
"Well, you know I'm affiliated with the Dark Brotherhood, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, I was on a job, in Solitude. A rather big contract, actually, I was assassinating the Emperor's cousin at her wedding. Anyway, I sniped her with my Nightingale bow. No one saw me shoot, and the only reason they affiliated me with the job, was because I climbed over the wall, drew my sword, and ran down the road. A guard saw me, and assumed I was the assassin. But before I climbed down the wall, I was nauseous, and I couldn't think of any other reasons except poison, but guards don't use poison, so I knew it wasn't poison."
"Well, I have to say I never expected to have a child."
"Congratulations," another familiar voice said, belonging to Karlis's Daedric lover, Nocturnal.
Nocturnal wrapped her arms around both Nightingales.
"I'm happy for the both of you. Now, even though Karliah impregnated you, and you're carrying it, I would like to be considered a parent as well, even though that'll be odd for the child."
"I think we could work something out about that, don't you, Karliah?"
Both of Karlis's lovers knew about the other, and didn't object.
"Yes, I think we could work something out."
Nocturnal kissed Karlis gently on the lips, sending a very fleeting pang of jealousy down Karliah's spine, but it was very fleeting.
