CHAPTER SEVEN
Elisif's tutor was a wiry man named Caelinus, and he had a nose so long and beak-like that she felt like he was always glancing down at her like a hawk eyeing a rabbit. He had been a private tutor for many noble children over the years, and her father had retained him for their personal use when she was seven.
Elisif didn't like Caelinus. He always carried a thin cane, and although he had yet to use it on her, she kept an eye on it and always kept her hands out of swinging distance when he was displeased with her performance.
As he rambled on about the history of Cyrodiil, Elisif looked out the library window, bored. She could hear the tinkling laughter of her friends down below, likely sitting out in the garden and working on their needlework. She longed to be out there with them. It was too beautiful a day for lessons, and she longed to be sewing amongst the flowers with her friends rather than listening to Caelinus crow on and on about the Empire so much like a bird chattering from his perch.
She was startled out of her thoughts when that thin cane smacked hard on the wood of her desk and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Young lady," Caelinus reprimanded, "Are you listening, or is your father paying me to talk to myself?"
Elisif lowered her eyes to her table demurely, humbled. "No, Master Caelinus. I apologize."
Caelinus huffed. "Fine. Since it seems that you have no interest in the history of this great Empire, perhaps we can speak of a topic that will hold your very fickle attention. Your governess tells me that you are a devoted student of the Divines."
Elisif perked up, despite herself. "Yes, Master Caelinus. I love the teachings of Mara and Kynareth."
"Very well. What do you know of our god Zenithar?"
"He is… he is one of the patron deities of the Empire… right?" she asked weakly.
"Indeed he is. Do you know anything about him?"
Elisif quickly tucked her knuckles into her sleeves before answering, just in case. "No, Master. I haven't gotten that far in my studies."
"That is all right, child. You will learn. Zenithar," he continued, and his grip loosened on the cane, which released a sigh of relief from Elisif, "is the god of labor, wealth, and commerce. Because of the Empire's great success in trade, many do consider him one of the patron Divines of Cyrodiil, and that it is with his blessing that we prosper. However, he does not believe in money acquired through theft, deceit, or bloodshed of war: instead, he demands integrity and strength from his followers to work hard and labor honestly in order to find life's material and spiritual rewards."
Elisif listened quietly for a moment, before hesitantly responding, "I heard some men in the city talking about how the war was good for business."
Caelinus scowled. "Yes, child, some men find profit in war, but whatever money is made there is covered in the blood of those who died."
"So it is blasphemy to gain riches during war or through conflict," Elisif surmised.
"To Zenithar, yes. True rewards come to the practitioner through honest work. Those are the key to long-term peace and prosperity."
First Seed had finally come to a close, bringing in the first day of Rain's Hand. The chill of spring's opening weeks had finally abated, and Elisif kept the windows next to her private study open, bringing in the scent of salt from the Sea of Ghosts and the gentle warmth of the morning sun. The previous month the farmers had planted their crops, and with the seasonal rains, they had begun to sprout, heralding a new season of growth and renewal.
All across Tamriel, the common folk celebrated the seventh day of First Seed as the day of First Planting, rejoicing in the proper first month of spring. In Solitude, however, the farmers also exulted in the second month of spring when the fruits of their labor began to appear as the seeds were brought to sprout, bright and fresh, from the mountain soil. The Nords labored hard to grow anything in Skyrim's soil, and they took each blessing as it came. Through the open window, she could hear the chatter of the people far below on the avenue and the music of the bards.
Elisif paused in her work, and listened to the sounds of her people outside. Today, the people of Haafingar travelled to Solitude to celebrate. Her court was closed for the day, and the Bards College was organizing another Burning of King Olaf, which would leave the town feasting, drinking, and dancing for a day and a night. Ever since Elisif had given Viarmo her blessing, the Bards College organized the event more and more frequently to distract her people from the current troubles. Were she not so entrenched in her own affairs, having a rare break from holding court, she might visit the Festival herself.
Erdi offered her a glass of weak wine, but Elisif politely turned her down.
"No thank you, Erdi. I have to keep my wits. Please, feel free to take the day off with the rest of Haafingar. You deserve a break from your duties. Go celebrate with the rest of the city. Tell Una the same."
Erdi's innocent face brightened. "Truly, Jarl Elisif? Thank you, my Lady, thank you!"
Elisif smiled after her servant as she set aside her pitcher and bowed her way out of the room, before turning her attention back to the many papers in front of her.
Igmund's map was as much a true work of art as it was a shining example of experienced cartography. Each Hold's major city was marked by the crest of the throne: in Haafingar, Solitude was marked by the sigil of the wolf, and Markarth was the image of a ram, hidden deep in the mountains. Each Hold's boundaries were delineated perfectly, with mountain ranges and rivers and lakes down to every last tributary and detail.
Elisif traced the Hold boundaries softly with a finger, before lingering on the mountains.
Elisif took in a sharp breath. The mountains, of course!
Elisif leaned in closer to the map, eyeing the southern border of her Hold that she shared with Markarth. Igmund's words came back to her from the night before: "The Silver-Bloods are wealthy, but they have very little vision past their silver and gold mines."
The past weeks, Elisif had begun learning about every major source of business in each Hold, as well as their types of resources. Markarth was known most obviously for its well-established silver mines, although they were blessed with gold and other ore mines as well. The veins of silver were so lucrative, they had little interest in other avenues of profit. It was rumored that they also made money through corruption, but their legitimate business lay exactly in their name.
Elisif's tapped the southern border of Haafingar, noting that she shared some of those mountains with Markarth.
"Haafingar and the Reach share a mountain range," she murmured, and immediately fumbled for some of the good parchment in her desk.
The Silver-Bloods certainly had a narrow field of vision, but it wasn't until just now that Elisif realized she suffered from the same. The wealth that filled her coffers from the Empire kept her and the people of Solitude satisfied, and their economy had no diversity - now, she could no longer rely on trade to keep the city afloat.
Much of Haafingar was untamed land, save for the immediate areas around the city, where there were farms and lumber mills. Along the north to southwest was a wide swath of unsettled land, mostly mountains, that were only touched by old roads cobbled by her predecessors.
The Silver-Bloods were so preoccupied with their Inn and mines that they had no stone quarries, but the mountains had more wealth in them than just ore: particularly now, when Skyrim was ravaged by the war was in dire need of stone for rebuilding walls and forts. The Holds that stood loyal to the Empire had sustained serious damage as Ulfric's army tore through them, and many of the forts and Holds were dire need of good stone from reliable quarries to rebuild their garrisons and the walls of their cities.
Of course, to get to the mountains, the trees would have to be cleared first. As much as stone was in demand for rebuilding, lumber was an even more important necessity, and nearly every Hold in Skyrim was calling on the existing lumber mills to fill their orders. The mills were growing rich with the business, but they could not service every order at once, and many lagged behind in shipments. There was too great a need, and not enough hands or time to satisfy such demand. The Solitude Sawmill was already busy at work along the Karth river, but the war had left many of her former soldiers and citizens destitute - she had no doubt that many of the unemployed men and women in the Hold would jump at the opportunity to not only become landowners, but also become gainfully employed with the blessing of the throne of Haafingar, should she endorse the opening of quarries and mills.
"Two birds with one stone indeed, Igmund," she flushed, feeling a thrill of inspiration run through her.
Logging and mining: two things she had never considered before.
These things would not come easily: the people did not have the money to begin their own businesses, so Elisif would have to scrape what she could from the treasury to supply housing, the framework for a mill to clear away the pine trees, and surveyors to find the best locations to dig for stone, but she trusted that lumbering and stonework were such lucrative businesses that they would pay her back tenfold, if she could find the coin for the initial money might be enough to help her rebuild her Hold, and in time, if it proved profitable, a portion of the income taxed could be used to chip into the vast sum of war reparations.
This will not be easy, Elisif thought, but Zenithar help me, I believe this is the best move I can make.
She would have to speak with Falk about the logistics of opening new businesses in an uninhabited region of her Hold, so she would save the necessary paperwork for an established meeting.
In the meantime, however, she took some of her parchment and began writing up the charters necessary to establish a lumber mill and a quarrying zone. Conferring with the map Igmund had given her, she decided on a patch of land that was nearby the major road system for easy access to ship materials to the new lumber mill and allow for easy transportation of the logging shipments to their buyers. Although she knew her Hold well, she would need to send one of her surveyors to find suitable stone deposits for her quarry before staking out a territory officially. She signed the charters, and all they lacked were the names of those who would buy them, and she was certain that Falk would have an idea who would be trustworthy and hardworking enough in the Hold to answer the call for this duty.
Dipping a fresh quill into her ink pot, she then penned a formal letter to Jarl Thongvor of the Reach, and an identical one to his younger brother, Thonar. Although she knew that they would be desperate for good stone, she crafted the letter with utmost care and courtesy, informing them that she would be establishing businesses along their border, but would never insult them by straying too close to Reach lands; at the end, she added her eagerness to assist them in this age of rebuilding, and would be willing to offer an initial shipment free of charge as a sign of good faith, then later open a line of trade for stone in exchange for silver.
Satisfied, she sprinkled the parchment with sand to set the ink, and gently blew it away. With that done, she poured the heated wax over the fold of the letter, and pressed her ring into the hardening wax to seal it with the wolf's head of Solitude.
She had high hopes for Markarth's response, but she left her fortunes to the Divines, for it was in their hands now.
She set aside the letter, and drafted a similar one to the new Jarl, Sorli the Builder, in Hjaalmarch, who had very little resources save for a few mines and a single lumber mill. She might not get much back in the way of repayment, but her advisors advocated for building relations with her neighbors; Hjaalmarch was in her backyard, and there was no natural boundary between the two save for a river. Gaining rapport with both was essential, and if offering charity to her new neighbor could accomplish that, Elisif was willing to provide, her own debts notwithstanding.
With those done, she set them aside, and would call for a courier to deliver them in the morning.
Leaning back into her chair and stretching her shoulders, which had grown stiff, Elisif felt oddly rejuvenated. She beamed, thinking she had found answers to the problems her advisors left for her to figure out on her own. The noise from the avenue reached her ears again, and her smiled widened.
"Oh, even a Jarl can spare a moment to celebrate," she said to herself, and got to her feet.
Perhaps it was mildly inappropriate - childish, even - to want to meet with her advisors and let them know what she discovered, but she desperately wanted to see them. She respected their opinions, and craved their support. Igmund would be pleased, Idgrod would be satisfied, and Elisif flushed when she thought of that look of pride that she had seen in Balgruuf's eyes the previous night.
Gathering her dress, she hastened for the doorway, but when she flung open the doors she nearly bumped face-first into her Steward, Falk.
"Oh, goodness, you gave me a fright!" she jumped back, her hand fluttering over her heart.
Falk looked just as surprised as she, and was quick to apologize. "Forgive me, Jarl, I should have knocked. Are you all right?"
Elisif laughed as her pulse slowed again. "No forgiveness is necessary. It was I who was in a hurry. I was on my way to—"
She glanced up, and noted six or so Stormcloak soldiers behind him, and froze.
"Have no fear, Jarl Elisif," he assured her. "Look closely."
Elisif did, and found that she knew each of their faces. They wore the armor of their new General, but they were men that had served under Aldis in his time. They were carrying boxes in their arms. She breathed a sigh of relief. These were only soldiers in the city she could trust.
"We did as you requested this morning, Jarl Elisif," Falk said. "We went to Erikur's home and found that he was not there. We retrieved all of his ledgers, accounts, and any other relevant information we could find. Most were in the open, but some were hidden in drawers and secret compartments, as you suggested."
Elisif straightened. "Good. I would like to review what you've found at once. Men, if you please…." she gestured to the long table for where to place their burdens, then dismissed them with their thanks. A small part of her was disappointed that she hadn't the moment to visit her advisors, especially Balgruuf. "Falk, if you wouldn't mind, I would like for you to stay and look at these with me."
Falk's face was set carefully free of expression. "If that is what you wish."
Once they were seated at the table, Elisif took note of Falk's expression. He seemed uncomfortable to be there. She reached a hand across the table to cover one of his.
"Falk?"
Startled, he met her warm eyes. "Jarl?"
"What's on your mind? I can see something is troubling you."
Falk shifted uncomfortably, but she gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. He sighed, and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I am worried, my Jarl," he confessed. These past few weeks you have grown tremendously, but I am always fear at what cost. I fear that any day Istar and his Stormcloaks will break down the doors in a rage, what with you becoming so close to our guests. Ulfric had little cause to worry when they were merely refugees under your protection, but now they are nearly part of the court with how often you see them…"
"Falk." His hand slid off his face and her voice commanded him to find her eyes again. "There is always risk, whether I take action or inaction. I would rather be punished for trying to improve my people's lives than be constantly harassed by Stormcloaks by showing weakness. I appreciate your concern, but I need what these former Jarls are giving me."
Falk let out a deep breath, but his jaw was still tight. "I know, my Jarl, I know… and you are doing very well."
Elisif gave him a small smile. "Are you jealous that they take away so much of my attention?"
Finally, Falk laughed at the ridiculousness of such a thing. "I do miss you coming to me for advice, but I always want whatever is best for you, Elisif."
"Well, I ask for your advice now. Tell me, how did it go?"
"It went very well. Neither Erikur nor his sister were home, so it was easy to retrieve what we needed without interference. I brought the soldiers with me just in case, but they were not needed."
"Hmmm. Yes, Erikur did say that he would be away on business today, and his sister often visits the properties he owns throughout the day."
Falk's eyebrows raised in surprise. "When did he tell you this?"
"Late last night."
"He visited your quarters late last night?"
"Yes, although I hope it does not become a regular occurrence. He wanted to inform me of his absence and pass on his congratulations from the Thanes that my leadership skills are growing due to his advice." Elisif rolled her eyes, something she rarely ever did even in private, due to the terrible decorum. "Even his compliments seem backhanded."
"I would expect nothing less. But we should look over these accounts before he returns. He will be impossible to deal with when he finds out."
Elisif smiled. "Oh, my dear Steward. My hope is that what we find here will make him easier to deal with."
Falk's eyes alighted with interest. "What are we looking for in particular, Jarl Elisif?"
"Anything. Anything out of place."
"As you wish, my Lady."
The two began to work in silence, removing ledgers and papers from the boxes that the soldiers had left. It was mostly dry work, going over his accounts and numbers, but Elisif was learning how to keep a clearer head with numbers, thanks to the time spent with her advisors. If she wanted to remain the head of the Hold treasury, she would have to interpret them and make them work for her.
From what she could see, Erikur was rich - richer than the throne itself, as it currently stood. A part of her had always wondered if his rise to a court position was due to money rather than merit, but it was clear he was a calculated, meticulous businessman, and his notes and accounts were impeccable.
Half an hour into their silent dissection of Erikur's business life, Falk snorted in disgust. "Unbelievable. He's managed to dodge every taxation on his shipping business, and divert them to greater taxes on the farmers and merchants instead. No wonder it's hard for us to refill our coffers and have our farmers make ends meet. If he keeps this up, they won't be able to afford the burden of taxation and we'll lose them."
Elisif's brow furrowed. "He should not have the authority to do that."
Falk scrutinized the papers in his hands more carefully. "He does technically own most of the shops in the Wells District, and is able to raise their taxes as he pleases… however, it should have gone through your approval before any changes were made. He must have slipped it in sometime during the war, when we were all occupied."
"Those people work hard for what money they do make," Elisif muttered bitterly. "The gods frown on those who exploit other for their riches. What is it about his shipping ventures that he doesn't want touched?"
Falk sifted through box after box, until he found the one he was looking for, and set it beside her. "See for yourself. This should contain everything about his involvement in his shipping businesses."
Setting aside the papers in her hands, Elisif delved into the box, and found a new set of ledgers, invoices, and shipping manifests. His ships came into contact with all the major ports along Skyrim, from Windhelm to Dawnstar to Solitude, where he generally made the most profit. She could only think of the Shatter-Shields in Windhelm as possibly being his sole business competitor.
Erikur appeared to trade in anything he could get his hands on: luxury items, food transportation, ores, barrels, lumber… whatever he could make money from, he shipped and sold it. He made an exorbitant profit from it as well, and Elisif thought that no one man should ever need this much money.
How strange, Elisif thought. Most of these manifests show exactly what you would expect for merchant ships, but there are a few outliers here…
"I didn't realize that Erikur was in business with the Stormcloaks," Elisif murmured, and Falk looked up from his own papers to frown at her.
"What do you mean, my Jarl?"
"Take a look at this."
Elisif slid the page manifest towards him, and pointed out a few lines.
"This was from a merchant ship several weeks ago that he does business with. I didn't realize that Erikur was now supplying the Stormcloaks here in the city. It's a small amount of supplies, only enough for a handful of men, but do you see the invoice for Stormcloak armor and weaponry? Isn't that odd?"
Falk scoffed. "I'm not surprised. He suppled some of our Legionnaires during the war, and I always suspected him of selling high-quality weaponry to the highest bidder during the war - even if that bidder did happen to be the Stormcloaks. I never had any proof, so I couldn't confront him about it. His experience in business has taught him to cover his tracks, but it doesn't surprise me that he is now treating with our new ruler in the name of coin."
Elisif cursed inwardly, pursing her lips to prevent them from flowing out. "I shouldn't be surprised," she said tightly, but anger seethed from her clenched teeth. "But I am disgusted."
Elisif looked over the invoice again, pursing her lips thoughtfully. Then she looked at the next, and the next, and the next. Although she was no master of business, something didn't add up.
"Falk?" she asked. "Can I see Erikur's annual statements from over the years? Did you bring them with you?"
"Of course, my Lady."
Elisif compared them. "Odd. The ship invoices upon pickup of goods in Windhelm say one thing, and his statement of good upon arrival at Solitude match, but if you look here in his personal ledgers," Elisif pointed, "They indicate a much larger haul. But how could that be? If he picked up extra cargo from Dawnstar along the way, we would have paperwork for that, and it would still show up on a statement of declaration when his captains made port here at the Solitude Docks. How could this extra cargo simply materialize after the ships dock?"
Falk rose from his chair and sidled up to where Elisif worked, and he glanced at the papers she was scrutinized. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes were sharp, focused intently for a few moments before cursing.
"Empty barrels!" he yelled.
"What?"
"Look here!" Falk gestured. "In every manifest he always commissions a shipment of empty barrels! When he arrives, the master of the docks merely looks at the invoice and assumes they're empty. Erikur likely fills them with the excess goods, lets the dockworkers unload them, and that's how he sneaks his extra wealth into the city."
Elisif let a curse fly this time, but Falk was too angry to be startled by his lady's infrequent use of swearing.
"Idgrod was right," she said stiffly, trying to keep from shaking with anger, "he has been stealing from the treasury. He has been keeping extra goods for himself, tax-free, and reaping the profits of selling them. He has even more wealth than he reports to the court, and he keeps it for himself. It appears he's been doing this for years, even during my husband's reign. Torygg rewarded him with a position in court, and Erikur repaid him with—"
Overcome, Elisif squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists, trying to calm herself down enough to think rationally again.
"My Jarl," Falk called to her in a hushed tone, "you have enough evidence here to bring him up on suspicion of charges, if you would like."
Elisif's eyes snapped open. "No, not yet. We still do not have any inclination as to how he gets these extra goods and coin while the ships are on route to Solitude. Without that, he can simply say that it was all a misunderstanding or a mistake with the paperwork. If we confront him prematurely before we have all the answers, he find a way out of his situation, and the next time he will merely cover his tracks better. We can't afford to let that happen, not if we finally plan on bringing Erikur to heel. And I would much rahter rather have a tamed dog than a dead one."
"I would have his head on a spike, or have him rotting away in a dungeon without all of his comforts," Falk grumbled, "but you are right, my Jarl."
Elisif glanced sidelong at the last box on the table. "Is that the box your men managed to find in hidden compartments?"
"Yes, my Jarl."
"Good. It may have the answers we are looking for."
—
Elisif sat atop the throne of Solitude. She sat with her usual poise and posture, as always, but this time she sat a little taller with confidence. It was as silent as the grave in her courtroom, but that was to be expected; even the servants and the members of the court were attending the Burning of King Olaf Festival, and the room was beautiful and peaceful with the unusual quiet. By now, the starlight filtered through the windows, and she was certain that the effigy of Olaf was on fire, and the people of Solitude were rejoicing in their spiced wine and festival sweets.
Bolgeir stood silently by her side, the only other soul in the room.
Elisif kept her chin high, and closed her eyes. She could see the effigy burning before her, could smell the sweet smoke of a wood fire, and taste the spiced wine. All of these things were sweet to her, but she sat on her throne and waited for something sweeter.
Elisif opened her eyes again, and stared forward again, unmoving.
The two waiting into the night in utter silence, until she heard the palace doors from the lower floor explode open, and she had to fight the small smile that wanted to creep into the corners of her mouth. She tamed her own feelings, and kept her face impassive.
Erikur stormed up the stairs with fisted hands, his face red and his teeth clenched so tightly that the muscles in his jaw spasmed.
"You!" he thundered. "How dare you send the Steward and his pack of thugs to my home and go through my things—"
"Down!" Bolgeir roared back, jumping from the platform and giving Erikur a harsh one-handed shove to the chest to prevent him from coming nose-to-nose with his Jarl.
Erikur wasn't dissuaded, and jabbed a finger at the housecarl's chest, smudging his clean plate with a single angry fingerprint. Bolgeir was the only one standing between him and Elisif, and he towered over the Thane who appeared to have lost all of his senses by daring to approach her at the platform.
"How dare you touch me with your filthy hands, you pumped-up side of beef!" Erikur snarled. "My clothes alone are worth more than your life! If you ever think to lay a hand on me again, lapdog, I will have my wizard set fire to you and have you roasted like a pig on a spit!"
"I would like to see you try, Erikur," Bolgeir threatened, his hand falling to the pommel of his sword. "Then I will be the one to have the honor of taking your head. A duty many would envy me, no doubt. If you get within an arm's length of my Jarl's person in anger again, I will ensure that task carried out."
Elisif cleared her throat, and although the action was not overt, it brought a silence to the room and both sets of eyes turned to her.
"Erikur," she said pleasantly, unperturbed by the scene in front of her, "I have been expecting you."
Her Thane looked ready to explode once more, but her voice - although soft as a feather - cut like steel.
"Sit."
Bolgeir kicked a bench and a small table out in front of Elisif's throne, and Erikur had little recourse other than to sit down, although he did so with a growl.
"What is the meaning of this?" Erikur demanded, glaring up at Elisif, who sat many heads taller than he, a fact which obviously rankled him deeply.
"You have served me well, when serving was convenient," Elisif said. "But I have always had my doubts about you, and today those seeds of doubt have bore fruit. You, a Thane of my court, meant to embody the law and inspire the citizenry with the deeds that landed you a position in the Blue Palace, have been stealing from my treasury."
"Ridiculous!" Erikur retorted, face dark with anger. "Gossip and slander!"
"I have grown tired of your silver tongue, Erikur," Elisif stated plainly. "My Steward and his 'thugs' have already seized all of your records. I have gone over them with Falk this morning. And do you know what we found?"
Erikur glared. "I don't think what you think you found, Jarl—"
Elisif shook her head, and Bolgeir menaced him from her side. "You see, Erikur, it's not what I think I found that will bring you down - it's what I know. I know that you have failed to report your true earnings for years, even before I assumed the throne of Jarl, and have therefore been stealing from the treasury through tax evasion. You have been very clever by hiding your wealth in your invoices, but unfortunately for you, your meticulous attention to detail in your own private records - yes, we found them as well - are what will be your undoing. You've been lying to me, my husband, and defrauding us for years. This is especially repugnant considering the recent war, and Haafingar's struggle to rebuild. You take as much as you can from the people, and give nothing back. It's time you answer for that, Erikur."
"May I remind you, Jarl Elisif—"
"—that my Thanes paid for the war?" Elisif snorted delicately. "Yes, I have heard that one before. My Steward says that have dangled that in front of his face many times. I and the late General Tullius appreciated your contribution to the war effort, as you well know; however, I am going to take this time to remind you that I am your Jarl, and so long as you serve in my court you are answerable to me. It is only fair that if you can pay for war, then you can pay for the rebuilding of our city."
"You would lay the ruins of your mislaid claim to High Queen at my feet?" Erikur spat. "You expect one many to rebuild the entire city?"
This time, Elisif did smile, and it was accompanied by a laugh. "Oh no, Erikur. Not the entire city. But a man of such great wealth as yourself sure can find the funds to assist the throne. You have more money than anyone else in this Hold, so I am sure you can afford it."
"Jarl Elisif," he pleaded, switching tactics, "I am a simple businessman. I rent properties to the merchants and the money I make comes from them. The shipping business I have is only a small portion of my wealth that goes toward my own household!"
"I do believe that it goes toward your own household, but it is anything but small, Erikur." Elisif leaned forward in her throne, catching his gaze and holding it to hers. She lowered her voice, whispering softly, "I know about the Red Wave, Erikur. And the Dainty Sload. And the other ships that work for you under the table, pirating along the coast and giving you a cut of their blood money. That's where your surplus income comes from, other than the ridiculous taxes you raise on my citizens."
Erikur's face instantly colored and he jumped from the bench, ready to hurl defenses, insults, and anything else he could think of before Bolgeir roughly pushed him back into his seat. Elisif continued, uninterrupted, as if she was unaware of Erikur's response to her words.
"I have enough evidence against them that I can have them all hanged on dozens of counts of piracy. I also have enough to dismiss you from my court as Thane and as a citizen of Haafingar."
Erikur laughed at her spitefully, his eyes gleaming.
"I would not overplay your hand if I were you, Elisif. May I remind you - as you have said yourself - that I hold most of the money and power in this city. You do not have the authority to do that to me. You could try, but you would find that your influence is a whisper in the wind compared to mine."
Elisif narrowed her eyes, and her voice was steely again as she reprimanded, "And I will remind you that I am Jarl Elisif to you."
"Even so, Jarl Elisif," Erikur mocked, "I know you. You are a woman, kind and soft, and do not favor execution as a means of punishment. And without me, you would not be making any money at all in this court. You cannot afford to lose me, whether you think I have committed crimes or not."
Elisif shrugged. "That is certainly true, Thane. I find execution barbaric and distasteful. However," Elisif pushed a piece of formal parchment across the table toward her Thane, as well as a wet quill. "as Jarl, it is my duty to uphold the law of my Hold, whether I find it distasteful or not. And in Haafingar, the penalty for piracy is death."
Erikur held up the parchment, his face settling into a hard frown. "What is this?"
"That is a warrant for the execution of every known pirate that serves under you. All it lacks is my signature to make it official."
Erikur's face went red, then purple, and he glared at her in disbelief, before the anger slowly dissipated from his face and he skin was pale. "If you meant for them to die, it would already be signed," he said flatly, meeting her gaze. "You have something in mind. What is it that you want?"
Elisif felt her cinching her victory, but she was careful to school her expression. She steepled her fingers in front of her face, leaning forward on her elbows on her throne toward the the table.
"I do," she affirmed. "I find pirates distasteful, and your use of them in this time of need where my citizens come into my courtroom every day complaining of pirate attacks while remaining mute is insulting, selfish, and despicable; however, your ability to make money is still valuable to me in my court, I can sign that warrant for their execution and watch your profits plummet, or you can carefully listen to my proposal and perhaps still aspire to make money for me and my people."
"Given the choice, there is little I can do other than to consider your proposal."
"Very good," Elisif nodded. "You know very well that piracy is on the rise thanks to the departure of the East Empire Trading Company and their Imperial battleships. Unescorted, individual merchant ships are easy targets for pirates, and this is becoming a major problem and complaint for every Hold with a major port. Now, I cannot penalize you as the cause of piracy itself. Piracy is an unfortunate - but not entirely unexpected - consequence to the current political situation in Skyrim; my belief is that you merely used this as an opportunity to blend in with the rest of the crime to create greater wealth for yourself, even more so than you have in the years of peace. Despicable as your actions are, executing your crews will only have a fractional impact on crime. Instead, I can let you keep your pirates as pets, but they will take direction from me now. They will be allowed to keep living and pirating, but instead of raiding merchant ships, they will raid and sink the other pirate ships flagrantly defying the law, killing those aboard. In effect, we will use their kind against one another. I hear that your favorite crew, the Red Wave, is a very successful pirate ship, and the most cutthroat of their kind. They should be successful in eliminating their competition, and people of their caliber will likely even enjoy it. Perhaps if they eliminate the piracy problem and are the sole crew to remain standing, I might pardon them officially and allow them to live out the rest of their lives on land with their accumulated fortune. They will keep twenty percent of their plunder for themselves, you will receive ten percent, and the other seventy will go toward rebuilding this Hold."
Outraged, Erikur stammered, "Ten per—"
"That or nothing." Elisif nudged the wet quill in his direction. "That quill is yours now. Make your choice. If you accept my offer, you can keep it, and in doing so we have an accord; if you refuse my offer, return the quill to me and I will sign the warrant, have Istar send for the executioner tomorrow, and you will be brought up on charges. Consider your move carefully."
Erikur blustered for a moment, looking for a way out of the situation, before settling his eyes on Elisif with a newfound sense of reproach and wariness. It was a look of surrender, and Elisif recognized it with triumph. He crumpled the warrant in his hands, and snapped the quill between his fingers.
"As you will, my Jarl," he said lowly, his jaw tight. "We have an agreement."
Finally, Elisif allowed herself a small smile, and settled back into her throne. "Very good, my Thane."
—
A/N: I am immensely proud of this chapter. I hope that you all enjoy it. I think I speak for just about everyone who has played Skyrim that it is good to see Erikur finally step in something he can't scrape off his expensive boots.
As always, let me know what you think! Do you think Elisif's handling of Erikur was clever, or do you think that such methods are too much unlike her? How do you think this will change the story? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!
