Miraak placed his hand over Avari's, smiling down at the Nord when she looked up at him, her dark hair which was braided against her head and in to a tight bun on the back. A golden necklace hung from her neck, a gift from the Count when he had seen her take a liking to it, a satin dress cut just below her knees was clinging to her dampened skin. She looked like a different person with the way the new women that the Imperials had tending to her had dressed her, he would have preferred her in the usual clothing she wore. He also preferred his robes, but both were much too thick for the type of weather they now were in. They stood at the gates just outside the city, waiting on the escort that had been sent from the Imperial City to accompany the group on their way to the tower. He looked back towards the road when the men called attention and Edgster nudged him slightly. The three stepped forward as a man dismounted in front of them, his eyes going wide and looking to the Nord that stood next to the priest. The stranger quickly shook his head and tried to cover up his surprise, but Miraak could see his eyes jumping to Avari as he they moved closer. The Breton man was a bit shorter than himself, leaving the man to look up at Miraak as he approached.
"This is my lord, The Dragon Priest Miraak and my lady, The Dragonborn and Slayer of Alduin Avari." Edgster announced, motioning towards the two Nords.
The man nodded with a smile to the two, lingering on Avari before clearing his throat. "I am Amaund Motierre, I apologize, but our Emperor as been killed while visiting Skyrim."
Miraak's eyebrows came together when the man's eyes moved to Avari again.
"The Elder Council is ruling until a proper heir can be found, but we welcome you and are pleased to hear that you have come to us." Amaund motioned towards one of his guards who hurried forward with two large horses in tow. "A gift." He smiled as the reins were handed to the two Nords.
"Thank you." Miraak growled under his breath, the Breton's smile quickly fading in to worry before Edgster gave the priest a quick glare.
Avari looked between the old man and the priest before quickly turning to a worried Amaund and smiling widely. "Your horses are much more different than ours in Skyrim, my lord." She smiled when his attention moved from Miraak to herself. "They are more slender and their height differs quite a bit."
"I imagine it is the weather difference, my lady."
She laughed softly and looked up at the horse, petting it's face softly. "I would imagine that they would be some what uncomfortable without all that snow." She turned to Miraak as he moved to help her in to the saddle.
A small group of men walked behind them, Teldryn at the head of the pack. Amaund had made the attempts at talking with Miraak, but the man barely spoke a word and simply glared at the Breton before falling back to ride next to Avari. He waited till the man rode up with the Imperials in front of them before he spoke.
"Did you kill the Emperor?"
Avari laughed loudly causing the men in front of them to look over their shoulders in curiosity. "How did you know?"
"He is not well at hiding his secrets when they are set in front of him." He sighed, shifting slightly in his saddle. "Why were you not punished? It is clear that he knows of the deed."
"Because he ordered it done. I was only doing what I was being paid for and Amaund should feel lucky that I did not grant the dying man's last wish. I thought it would be better to hold such a secret over such a powerful man, I thought that when the time came he would be our key to securing Skyrim's independence from the Thalmor."
"That is why he is so nervous." Miraak remarked, looking to the man who was watching. His brow came together as Amaund quickly looked away.
"I suppose that he thinks that you know of the deed as well, you may play it to your favor." Avari smiled at Miraak before looking up the path they were walking towards a small city.
He turned to where she looked. "Kvatch." He answered her unspoken question. "Do you know the history?"
"A bit, it was the first to be hit by the Oblivion gates."
"And was destroyed because of it, it is also where the Emperor's son had been living. It was rebuilt when the crisis had ended and the Imperial city had been restored, it was a very popular place for quite some time, the gate is still with the city." He nodded at the ruined black gate, barely recognizable from what it had once been.
The party soon stopped and they made their way out of their saddles, a young man running forward and bowing slightly before taking the animals and leading them to a large stable. They walked towards the large gates and made their way in to the city, the streets filled with the calls of merchants and children. A beggar reached towards Avari with his hands open, his face covered in dirt. She bent down as Miraak stepped behind her and offered his coin pouch to her. He motioned at Teldryn who hurried forward and offered food to the man as Avari hurried to fetch a cloak from Edgster. The weather may be hot to the Skyrim natives, but the nights were cold to those whose home they now visited. Thanks and blessings were given while the beggar smiled widely and took the offered items, telling his story of the war against the Elves. Avari took his hands and held them tightly, it was not the first time she had heard about the war, or the distaste for the treaty.
"Tiber Septim was kin to Akatosh, only his blood should sit upon that throne. No other will bring us peace like those with the dragon blood." The beggar spoke softly, looking down at the gifts.
"Well you're in luck old man!" Teldryn smiled widely and looked towards the two Nords. "We got two Dragonborns right here!"
The old man quickly looked up at the two in shock, his mouth hung open and his eyes were wide. "It is true? What has been happening in Skyrim? The dragons have returned and the dragon blood lives on?"
Avari looked up at Miraak, the priest kneeling down next to her. He placed his hand on his shoulder, glancing over at Avari for a moment before he spoke. "In time everything will be set the way it should be, do not lose faith."
Edgster had been close to Miraak through the weeks they traveled, reminding him of the words spoken by the man in Kvatch. The old man had been persistent about the blood within the two Nords and admitted to his motive of pushing for the seat inside the tower. The priest had lost his patience with the man more than once and would receive shocked looks on the faces of the others when he would yell out at his adviser. The event of his anger came every day and the closer they came to the city the more times Edgster seemed to push the issue on to him. Miraak found himself dreading the moment he could see the old man moving towards him, anger already building in his chest and tearing at his palms as he clutched his hands in to fists. Then it would be released in to harsh, loud words that echoed in the air and within moments, before he could ever finish, Avari would rush to his side and pull him away. Whispering and smiling at him from behind the dark blue eyes until he relaxed and became content to have her stay close to him.
They stepped through the large gates and in to the Imperial City, having just dealt with another of Edgster's lectures, Avari walked slowly with the priest as he led her along behind the armored guards. She had never seen a city quite as this, Riften and Solitude had been places she had enjoyed visiting for they bustled with children and people, but the Imperial City held more people than she had ever seen. Orcs dressed in fine satins passed and she had to stop herself from staring at them, they were not the battled harden tribes of Skyrim that she had become so close to. The Elves came in numbers that were unseen in Skyrim, even the Kahjit walked with authority. Her eyebrows came together when she caught sight of the two hooded figures who stood under a blanket of dark shadow, eyes catching the sun and shining from underneath the dark hoods. She would know the armor anywhere, even though the colors changed and the style did not match the set that she had worn, she knew her own guild from anywhere. They watched and moved with the group, never leaving the cover of the shadows until the vanished behind a large building as Miraak directed her towards the large doors leading in to the Gardens.
"I recognize you." An elven woman stepped forward, her brow coming together.
"As I you. I hope all has been decent with you, Elenwen. Curious that you are here and not in Skyrim." Avari forced a sarcastic smile. "I am sure you are dearly missed by everyone at the Embassy."
"I received word that you would be arriving here in our beautiful city, I thought it only right that I would come as I have witnessed your deeds first hand." She stopped in front of Miraak, her hands coming behind her back as she stood as tall as he. "I also wished to see this fabled priest your kinsmen have been gossiping about."
"Your lordship, this is Elenwen." Edgster moved quickly to the man's side. "First Emissary to the Thalmor in Skyrim."
"Lordship?" She turned to look at the elder man. "I had thought this meeting to be of request of titles, had I known that..."
"He is the Lord of our house, my lady, out of respect for what he has done for us all he will be given the respect of importance and leadership."
"Is it respect or fear that earns him your loyalty?" She glared at Avari. "It seems that these Dragonborn operate on their intimidation of others rather than their deeds."
"Avari has done more than any of us have for Skyrim, to judge her as you are is unnecessary, Elenwen." Tullius defended the Nord. "You're presence here is not even needed, nothing that is about to be discussed has anything to do with the Contract."
"I am to attend all matters that may threaten the agreement, this most certainly just may. If I am not mistaken you are still having issues in Skyrim. I merely wish to see where this 'Dragon Priest' lays his loyalties. He knows nothing of the matters that plague us now."
"My lord knows all that has happened." Edgster corrected.
"He knows the words of traitors.'' The elf spat at him, her hands coming to her hips.
"Do not speak of me as if I am not present." Miraak's sudden words caused the woman's head to jerk towards him and her arms quickly dropped to her sides. "I know more than you would ever want me to know, there are many secrets that can be learned when someone is left with endless time and the tools to discover them." He gave Avari's hand to Edgster and nodded towards the old man to lead her in to the tower. "You would be wise to remember that leash you think you hold is now tied to no one, lest you forget your place." He lowered his voice as he stepped closer to her. "Speak of Avari again with such disrespect and we shall see how sharp you are without that tongue to wield as a weapon."
Avari pushed the meat with her fork, her head tilting to the side as she studied it. The conversation at the large table that was packed with important people, few she even recognized, had bored after only s few minutes. Miraak seemed irritated by the constant questioning on top of the assumptions of his nature. They seemed to be shocked he was no barbarian, unaccustomed to eating with utensils. Edgster had begun to answer a lot of the questions when the man had made his annoyance clear. She jumped a bit when he pushed his chair back and excused her and himself from the table. Holding out his hand to the Nord, which she took a little to eagerly. The sooner they could escape this room the better for them both.
Teldryn followed behind them, like a good 'body guard' should, relaxing his shoulders when the door was pulled shut behind the trio. "I am off to find something to drink." He gave Avari a pat on the back as he passed, pulling off pieces of his heavy armor as he went.
The two made their way through the large hallways until they came to their room, Avari quickly kicking off her shoes and falling face first in to the bed with a sigh before she began to laugh. Miraak looked down at her, pulling his coat from his shoulders. She looked up at him, the white sheets making their dark blue eyes stand out more than anything. "They treated you like you were just newly introduced in to civilization. Like a wild animal who had just been taught to converse as if it were a person. I think one of the ladies was even speaking slower and with greater volume, as if you could not understand what she spoke."
He groaned and shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. "I am finding it harder to keep myself contained the longer I am forced to be paraded in front of such ignorance. Does no one know of my time here?"
"Dragon Priests were more of a Skyrim thing, my love." She smiled as she crawled across the bed and brought her hands to his shoulders. She kissed his stubbled check while her hands moved to the scar that marked where an arrow had almost ended his life not months before.
"I am not looking forward to this council, if tonight is any indication of what we are to expect, I fear that it will not be going as well as I had thought it would."
"There will be a lot of people you will have to convince." She sighed as she slid off the bed.