Turdas 29 First Seed 202 4E 4:00 PM
"That woman's servant has been staying at the Candlehearth Inn for two weeks now," Galmar growled.
Ulfric didn't need to ask who "that woman" was. Galmar hated the Dragonborn with a passion and refused to use her name whenever possible. He didn't even like to use her title and avoided it also. She constantly had questioned his presence and had talked down to the housecarl constantly. There had been no love lost between those two when she had rejected Ulfric's offer to join the Stormcloak army. Galmar had been particularly pleased when she had been ejected from the Palace of the Kings on her last visit and subsequently banished from the city for her alliance to Whiterun.
"Has there been any sign of the Dragonborn?" Ulfric asked. He was surprised at the news. Surely he had wounded the Dragonborn's pride enough that she wouldn't dare to show her face here again. Maybe when the war was over she would return, but not a day before then.
"None," Galmar admitted gruffly. "It worries me. Those two are practically joined at the hip. Despite her heritage as an Imperial, she rarely allowed her housecarl out of her sight, unless she had wanted to be alone with you." Galmar smirked at the memory. Ulfric had done an outstanding job of appealing to that woman's ego. She had really believed that the Bear of Eastmarch had wanted to bed her simply because of her personality and not because of her political usefulness. "Even then she has usually just assigned her housecarl to wait outside the door. I don't like not knowing where that Imperial might be. Who knows what she is planning."
"What has Lydia been doing since she's arrived?" Ulfric asked as he turned away from the large table that held a map of Skyrim and the strategic outposts of his troops. Galmar was right in that it was a concern not knowing where Diana was.
Not only did she tend to go places she wasn't supposed to – Ulfric had not forgotten the time she had skulked around Windhelm disguised as a priestess of Talos – but now she had a personal vendetta against him. Before she had been playful in trying to get his attention, but now she was likely to be vengeful. Not only had she been publically ridiculed, but she had found out that Ulfric had only befriended her for her status as the Dragonborn. A woman scorned was a woman to be feared.
"That's the weird part," Galmar snorted. "She's been down at the market, roaming around most of the day before returning to Candlehearth Inn. She then spends most of her evenings in the loft, rarely drinking, but often talking and befriending the locals. Rolff likes her. Probably because of all the mead she's provided him."
Rolff Stone-Fist was the local drunk, a burden and shame to Galmar since they were brothers. He claimed that he was unable to join the war effort given some old battle injuries, but it never stopped him from wandering into the Gray Quarter and harassing the residents. Most of the time the guards were able to turn a blind eye, but occasionally Rolff went over the line and discipline had to be meted out.
One time had been when he had unknowingly assaulted the Dragonborn during her first visit to Windhelm. Ulfric had been able to put a spin on it and threw Rolff with his faithful sidekick Angrenor Once-Honored into a jail cell for the night so they could sleep off their drunkenness. The Dragonborn had been very grateful at his assistance against those who had assaulted her. Despite the initial panic, Rolff's foolish behavior had been very profitable for Ulfric since it had given him the perfect opportunity to befriend the Imperial.
Given her training as a bodyguard, Lydia would have remembered the man, which made it even more bizarre that she had apparently befriended him. "Get Rolff and bring him here. I want to know what she's been saying," Ulfric commanded.
"I thought you would say that," Galmar grinned. "He's waiting in the great hall."
"I don't know what I would do without you, Galmar," Ulfric chuckled as he patted his friend on the back. The two men walked out to the great hall where Rolff was sitting at the grand dining table. Unsurprisingly, he was downing a mug of mead.
"Jarl Ulfric," Rolff said when he noticed the Bear of Eastmarch approaching. He scrambled to his feet and attempted a sloppy salute and mostly failing. Ulfric deigned to ignore it rather than allowing him to try again.
"At ease, Rolff," Ulfric said, making his tone as casual as possible. "I hear you have vital information for us."
"Um," Rolff stammered, looking at his brother for support.
"The jarl wants to know what Lydia of Whiterun has been talking to you about," Galmar snapped. There were days he wished he was an only child.
"Oh, yes, yes. Of course," Rolff answered, laughing a little too loudly. "She doesn't talk to me personally much. Mostly buys me drinks. Never the cheap stuff either. I've heard her talking to the Dunmer bard though. Asking if she's seen some woman named Diana. I've also seen her talking to the local beggars the same thing. Silda, the plainest face the Divines ever decided to chisel, frequently pockets coin from Lydia."
"Diana is missing?" Ulfric murmured as he rubbed his chin in thought. That was an interesting development. He had worried about her turning around and officially joining the Imperial Legion and the havoc it would have spread amongst his ranks after their falling out. He had been prepared to boost the men's morale with rousing speeches regarding why supporting him was more important than following the Dragonborn's lead.
Few would feel comfortable fighting against someone else who could command the thu'um. Ulfric's ability to Shout had always been one of his strongest attributes, so to have someone oppose them who could not only Shout, but learn it much faster than anyone alive was daunting.
It galled the jarl that he only knew the Way of the Voice and it would take years of isolation and mediation to learn only one word of a given Shout, especially since there were records from the Merethic Era that stated that the ancient Tongues could learn much faster. There had been entire armies composed of people who had master the thu'um. Ulfric didn't want to share the knowledge of the thu'um, but to be able to master that technique personally would have made him a one man army.
Just like how the Dragonborn could be a one man army.
"Rolff, what does the Dragonborn look like?" Ulfric asked suddenly. A plan was forming. It could be dangerous because if there as any backlash, his reputation would be damaged. But the plans with the greatest payoff usually had the greatest risk.
"Um," Rolff struggled to remember in his drunken haze. "She's got some really pretty armor. It glitters a bunch of different colors in the sun. Supposedly is made of dragon scale, but I think that's just a rumor."
"But what does she look like?" Ulfric pressed.
"I'm not good with faces," Rolff grumbled.
"Oh, for Talos' sake," Galmar shouted. "Just admit you don't remember or don't know. Ulfric won't get pissed at you for not knowing, but the jarl doesn't have time for your bullshitting."
"Okay, okay," Rolff flinched away from his brother just in case the other man decided to hit him. "I don't remember. I never really saw her that much and when she was around she was always wearing her armor. She's a Nord, right? Surely the Dragonborn is a Nord. After all Talos was a Nord and he was Dragonborn."
It was good enough for Ulfric. Granted, Rolff wasn't the sharpest axe on the rack, but as far as the lowest common denominator went, he was a good measuring stick. People hadn't remembered Diana, but they had remembered her armor.
"Rolff, thank you for your time. You've been a tremendous help," Ulfric said. The drunk broke into a huge grin at his jarl's praise. "Galmar, I need you to find Lydia and bring her here. She is to be treated as an honored guest. Do not, and I repeat do not, do anything that will make her skittish or scared. We want her to feel wanted and welcome here."
"What are you up to, Ulfric?" Galmar asked as he followed Ulfric from the great hall, leaving Rolff behind and forgotten. "I'm not sure I like that gleam in your eye."
"Only the greatest coup that Skyrim will never know happened," Ulfric crowed.
Turdas 29 First Seed 202 4E 5:00 PM
Lydia stood on the cold stone of the bridge that led to Windhelm City with her arms folded on the ledge. The White River churned with the spring runoff below her. Part of her mind wondered if Diana's body was hidden somewhere in the dark waters below. As always different scenarios ran through her head.
Her thane managed to escape her kidnapper, but was unable to make it back into the city with the safety of the guards. As she ran, she slipped on the ever present ice and fell into the cold waters below. No, surely her body would have surfaced by now if that had been the case.
Diana, killed after giving up whatever information the assassin had wanted, was weighed down with stones and tossed into the water. Her body still down there as slaughterfish nibbled on her flesh, or what remained of it. Possible, much too possible.
Lydia had waited in Whiterun for an entire month. During that time she barely left the house just in case her thane returned. Lydia didn't want to risk being out for a mug of ale or buying some vegetables and miss her. She could have left a note, but Diana sometimes got so wrapped up in her own thoughts, it was possible that she would just run past whatever parchment Lydia left out, grab whatever item she wanted, and take off again. Lydia didn't think it was likely, but she had never thought Diana would be snatched to begin with.
The days had dragged. Lydia had spent the first week cleaning the small house. It didn't really need it since they rarely were there, but it never hurt to dust everything off, make sure everything was organized (a feat Diana never managed to master), and resupply their pantry.
There had been a particularly bad moment when Lydia had opened the chest next to her thane's bed. Diana always threw the most random assortment of things in there. She claimed that she had a system and generally remembered what was in there, but she never could recall exactly what if pressed.
Inside was the sleeping gown she had worn their last night in Breezehome, cut neatly in half down the front. Diana had never explained exactly how that had happened, but given that they had offered shelter to a mad man, Lydia didn't need many details to know it had been that Cicero who had done it.
She had started shaking looking at that ruined cloth. There were times the Dark Brotherhood note had been a blessing. It didn't answer anything other than who had taken Diana, but at least it prevented too many other dark possibilities to enter her mind. She didn't have to wonder if Cicero had come looking for her to finish whatever sick, twisted game he had started. Like he had done with Loreius and his wife.
Diana might have half convinced herself that Cicero hadn't killed those people, but Lydia didn't believe in coincidences. They had been alive when she had left them and dead the next day while a spurned jester had waited for relief to arrive. Of course he had murdered them! And rather sadistically too.
But her thane always wanted to believe in the best in people. Lydia still told the tale of how they had tried to peacefully ask bandits to leave their lair the first time they had gone out on a mission together. It had been ridiculous to even try, but Diana had been insistent. That was how her thane was, always trying to find the least bloody path to success.
Of course, the bandits had refused, and one of them had the gall to urinate on the Imperial. Instead of slinking home in defeat, Diana had turned around and with Lydia's help slaughtered them to a man.
After an entire month, Lydia had to admit that Diana wasn't coming back. Her thane may have been flighty and careless in many ways, but she would have returned to Breezehome by then. She and Lydia always traveled together, side by side watching each other's back. No matter what had happened, she should have returned and told Lydia what had occurred so they could go kick someone's ass together.
Skyrim was a huge country. It was made of the tallest mountains, the deepest rivers, the widest lakes and endless plains. The odds of finding one person in the midst of all that were phenomenally impossible, but Lydia had to try. Because that's what you did; you brought the fallen home so they could be sent on to whatever afterlife their soul was destined for.
A small part of Lydia hoped that her thane was still alive. She didn't really believe it, not now, but without proof or a body all she had was hope.
The housecarl packed up her things, assuming she would never return. Without Diana here, there was no reason for Lydia to remain. This had always been their home together and without her charge it was only four walls. She stood for a moment to memorize the place before closing the door and locking it.
She had returned to Windhelm, unable to think of any other place to look. It was a terrible idea to think Diana might still be here; she had stated that she hated the city with a passion. But given no one had seen her leave and it was the last place she had been spotted, it was all Lydia had to go on.
A cold wind blew across the water. It stung bitterly on Lydia's face as she wiped the tears away. She was dishonored. Lost her one responsibility, not even able to find her corpse, and unable to extract revenge. The Dark Brotherhood was a whisper, a child's story to make the little ones behave. You couldn't kill an idea and that's all the murder cult was.
As she brushed her hair back, Lydia contemplated throwing herself into the cold waters below. What did she have left? She couldn't return to Whiterun. What could Balgruuf do with someone like her? She could never regain her honor, so Sovngarde was denied to her anyway. May as well go for Oblivion and hope that she found her thane at the bottom of the lake.
"You, girl," a deep voice growled.
Lydia turned and saw Galmar Stone-Fist approaching her. A squad of Stormcloaks followed him. He looked angry, but that was typical for the second-in-command. The two housecarls had spent a significant amount of time together when their masters had been on better terms and Lydia like to think she had gotten to know the man pretty well despite the fact she couldn't recall ever seeing him smile.
"Galmar," she answered politely, "what can I do for you?"
"You need to come to the Palace of the Kings with me immediately," he snapped. "Jarl Ulfric has requested an audience with you. Refusal is not an option."
"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Lydia asked, feeling very nervous. The last time she had seen Galmar, he had proclaimed that Diana was banished from Windhelm. That didn't strictly apply to her, but what if Ulfric had decided it should? What would she do then?
"No, no trouble," Galmar grimaced. Lydia suspected that he was trying to smile and failing badly. "My jarl simply wishes to discuss something with you privately. He has not deigned to let me know. Will you accompany me?" He gestured back towards the city.
"Of course," Lydia said as she fell into step behind Galmar. The Stormcloaks circled her, making her feel like a prisoner going to the block.
Turdas 29 First Seed 202 4E 5:30 PM
"Thank you for accepting my invitation," Ulfric Stormcloak said cheerfully as he embraced Lydia. Her heartbeat slowed a bit to see that he wasn't mad. The Bear of Eastmarch was infamous for his temper. "I hope Galmar didn't give you the impression that this was an interrogation or something similar? You looked a bit frayed when you came in."
"I won't deny I was nervous," Lydia said weakly.
Ulfric and Lydia were alone in the war room. Galmar had been dismissed after announcing her. Oddly enough he didn't look as sour as he had whenever he had been dismissed to allow Diana time alone with his jarl.
"Ah, Galmar is a good man and a damn fine soldier," Ulfric chuckled as he poured some mead. He offered a cup to Lydia who accepted it. It was common practice to offer food or drink to one's guest and for the guest to accept. It created a bond of hospitality and an unspoken promise of no aggression. "Unfortunately, he's terrible with people. He'll never make a decent diplomat."
"Thankfully that is a trait we housecarls don't need for our jobs," Lydia said with a ghost of a smile. "Irileth…"
"Yes?" Ulfric asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, I," Lydia stammered, not sure how to continue. Irileth was the Dunmer housecarl of Balgruuf and Ulfric had a bit of a reputation of not liking elves. There was some controversy of the so-called Gray Quarters in his city where the Dark Elves lived.
"No need to feel shy," Ulfric chuckled as he drank from his mug. "I remember Irileth from when I was younger and visited Balgruuf. She was always scowling. I don't think I ever saw the woman smile."
Lydia giggled so hard that she snorted. She couldn't believe that Ulfric had echoed her own thoughts about Galmar when talking about Balgruuf's cranky housecarl.
"Ah, that's refreshing," Ulfric said. "I get so tired of seeing dour faces around me every day." His expression turned grim. "Unfortunately, I must ask you a rather dark question. Where is your mistress?"
Lydia stiffened at the query, not sure how to answer.
"If you are worried about the last time we met, don't be," Ulfric said, waving his hand dismissively. "I can't say I blame her for returning. If I had lost it, I would have come for it too. I just want to avoid any incidents of Diana trying to sneak in here and my guards attacking her over it."
"What are you talking about?" Lydia asked, bewildered.
"The Dragonborn's dragon scale armor," Ulfric said mildly. He walked over to a corner and pulled off a cloth to reveal a mannequin wearing the unique suit. "I thought you had returned to Windhelm to retrieve it. I assure you that there was no ill intent in my obtaining it. Some of my soldiers found it in the Pale about a month ago scattered on the roadside. I had them bring it here for safe keeping. I thought sooner or later that the Dragonborn would show up demanding it, but there's been no sign of her."
"Oh gods," Lydia gasped. The Pale? How had it gotten there?
"You seem surprised," Ulfric said carefully. "You weren't aware?"
"No," Lydia admitted, tears threatening to fall. "I don't know how it got there."
She couldn't stop thinking of the rumors of dragon attacks along Dawnstar. The port city was small enough and without walls that it would be a tempting target for the beasts. It was all too easy to imagine Diana charging off to deal with them on her own. She had always been reckless.
Lydia realized that she had thought of Diana in the past tense. She had been. Not she was. "Oh gods," she repeated before fainting.
Turdas 29 First Seed 202 4E 8:30 PM
When Lydia awoke, it was in a large, unfamiliar bed and it was dark. When she moved to pull the blanket away, a large hand clasped hers. "You should stay still. You've been out for several hours. I don't want you to collapse again."
The moonlight streaming into the room allowed Lydia to see Ulfric sitting next to the bed. The jarl looked concerned as he pulled the blanket back into place. "Diana is dead, isn't she?" he asked simply.
"Yes," Lydia admitted. She burst into tears with the confession. Huge sobs broke from her as she tried to cover her face.
Diana would never have abandoned her armor. It was her most prized possession. She hated for anyone else to touch it and had steadfastly refused to share the design with Adrianne despite being good friends with the blacksmith. She would spend hours on fixing small kinks or tears in the armor. She had to be dead for it to be abandoned like that.
Ulfric leaned forward and engulfed Lydia in a hug as she wept. He didn't say anything; he just held her and let her bury her face in his wolf cloak. When her crying jag passed, the material was soaked with her tears.
"What do you think happened?" Ulfric asked.
"A dragon," Lydia rasped, her voice raw from crying. "It had to have been a dragon. I had heard that Dawnstar has been suffering from attacks lately, but we had never had a chance to go because we were dealing with the Alduin threat."
"Balgruuf will need to be told," Ulfric said. "I'll make arrangements for the fastest carriage to take you back to Whiterun."
"No!" Lydia cried. "I can't go back. It's my fault. I lost track of her. If I hadn't, then she wouldn't be…" Even after finally admitting it, Lydia still couldn't say the words.
"I hardly doubt Balgruuf will blame you for the Dragonborn disappearing," Ulfric snorted. "He's shrewd enough to recognize the true nature of his thanes. It wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't the first time she had disappeared."
"But it was the first time the Dark Brotherhood was involved," Lydia confessed. She figured that she might as well admit to everything now that she had been caught. "After Diana left the Palace of the Kings, we went to the Candlehearth Inn to spend the night. When I woke up, there was only Nightshade and a note with the Brotherhood's trademark."
"The Dark Brotherhood? In my city?" Ulfric shouted. His voice caused the bed to rattle. "How dare they? As if I don't have enough troubles with a serial killer, civil unrest, and a war on my hands. Now I must worry about filthy assassins in the night?"
Lydia flinched at the jarl's reaction. She had seen Diana do the same thing on occasion when her temper flared. Things shuddered and shook at the power of the Voice. Ulfric noticed her response to his thu'um. "I'm not mad at you," he said gently. "Sometimes the burden of my responsibilities is a bit much. Please forgive me."
"There's nothing to forgive," Lydia said, shocked at his admission.
"If you do not wish to return to Whiterun, I will not make you," Ulfric said, changing the topic. He stood up. "If you wish, you are more than welcome to stay here. Maybe we can find some trace of those sick bastards and make them pay. Although we had not gotten along very well towards the end, I did consider the Dragonborn a friend and would not have her memory sullied by such a disgraceful death."
"Oh, I couldn't impose," Lydia said, but in truth she didn't really have anywhere else to go. She still had some coin, but how much longer would it last? She had spent a large amount of what she had when she came here and had to pay for drinks and bribes in addition to her own cost of living. How much longer could she make that stretch before being reduced to becoming a sellsword of some sort?
"I insist," Ulfric said firmly. "You never would have been in that situation if I had been willing to be a little more patient with Diana. She tried, but she never truly knew our ways. Maybe if I had given her a bit more time or understanding, then we never would have argued." He patted Lydia on the shoulder. "Whatever guilt you feel, I feel twice as much. Stay, please. It's the least I can do. One room out of the palace is nothing to me. Tonight you'll rest in my room and in the morning we'll have Jorleif set up a guest bedroom for you."
"Your room?" Lydia stammered. As she looked around the dim room, she could make out how finely made the large bed was and the personal effects of the jarl. "Oh Talos, I can't possibly stay here."
"I insist," Ulfric said curtly. "You've had a hard time lately and I don't want you collapsing or risking permanent injury because of this." He smiled wickedly. "Don't worry. I won't sully your virtue. I can easily sleep in another bed. I know I've passed out on a cot in the war room more times than I care to count."
"Thank you, Jarl Ulfric," Lydia said humbly as the man left. She bowed her head, not certain if the feelings of relief were stronger than her feeling of shame. It had felt so good to finally unburden herself to someone else.
Ulfric allowed himself to smile as he closed the door behind him. Diana dead and no longer a factor in the war! Lydia, too ashamed to return to Whiterun, accepted his offer to stay. He could make good use of her knowledge of the hold and its jarl's court. It was as if Talos had answered his prayers.
Praise Talos!
A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review. Sorry this one was so slow. I haven't had time to write lately and this last weekend I was dragged off into the woods. I hope to write the next one faster. I know Lydia isn't the most popular character, especially in regards to this storyline, but I like to think that the wait and backstory will be worth it. There is going to be a reveal and I think it will be a doozy.