The day of the party at the Embassy had finally arrived. Elisif had told Kuja with much glee of the splendour and elegance of a Thalmor party and he was intrigued to see if it turned out to be similar to what she described. He hoped that Elisif was right, he wanted to enjoy the party before everyone dropped dead. He stood beside the green haired woman and helped her put the poison made from Sephiroth's feathers into the bottles before the cork was replaced. Kuja handed the bottles to Sephiroth who placed them into a crate one after the other. Cosmos sat on the bench next to the alchemy laboratory where the two mages worked. She could smell the spirits from where she sat and she pulled a displeased expression.
"It doesn't smell that bad." Terra said with a smile.
"It's so strong... and pungent." She replied as she screwed up her nose.
"That smell is the poison. I can't believe something as small as one feather can create something so... disgusting." Kuja said.
"And lots of it. It's like the feather just keeps on producing that darkish toxin. I don't even know what it does, but I'm eager to find out." Terra said excitedly. Kuja was happy to see that he wasn't the only one who was intrigued by what was going to happen that evening.
"I can tell you now, if you want to know." Sephiroth replied with a smirk.
"I'm afraid I do not want to know." Cosmos blatantly announced and crossed her legs before folded her hands in her lap.
"I do." Terra said and Kuja nodded, Sephiroth knew that the two mages would be interested.
"Originally, I used them to create a contagious disease which I called the Geostigma. What the disease does is it enters the victim's bloodstream and pollutes it. It courses through the body and takes over all of the organs. It then poisons the body enough that it has no choice but to regurgitate some of the invading toxins. The Geostigma took at least three days to kill the person." Sephiroth explained. Cosmos almost looked like she was about to be sick, Terra looked positively frightened and Kuja was both impressed and disgusted at the same time. Their expressions pleased Sephiroth as he continued informing them of the toxic properties that his feathers contained.
"Babette has experimented with the feathers and found that hagraven's blood created a lethal poison. She said it killed him almost instantly... Well, after he threw up some of it. Since you made a concentrate of the toxins, it should work just as quickly but it might be a little more messy." Sephiroth finished and crossed his arms with a grin.
"I hope that's everything about it, because I feel sick." Cosmos complained and hugged her stomach. She was considering going along with them to the party, but after hearing Sephiroth talk about vomiting, she didn't want to be around a group of people spewing up dark goo and then dying in front of her very eyes.
"That's perfectly devious and vile. I'm glad you're with us. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that poison." Kuja replied as he placed the cork back in the bottle and handed it to Sephiroth. The mage had a feeling that he needed to keep Lightning away from those who would be throwing up the disgusting black liquid that Sephiroth described.
"I agree." Terra added as she poured another little bit of the dark liquid into a bottle.
"Well I won't feel the effects of it at all." Sephiroth said with a smirk.
"Are you sure about that?" Kuja questioned.
"Positive." He answered with a nod.
"How many bottles are left?" Cosmos questioned.
"Three left and then we're done!" Terra answered with a cheerful smile.
"Let's get this over with." Cosmos said as the three of them continued to bottle the poison and spirit concoction.
Lightning and Rikke were giving orders to the soldiers working together to get barrels of gunpowder onto two carriages. Rikke was excited to get out of Castle Dour for a while and get back into the action and Lightning was glad that the two sides were finally getting along. The Stormcloaks and the Legionnaires were finally quite happy to work together, especially after the extremely tense period following the Battle at Windhelm where the enemies had to learn to get along. The soldiers had found a mutual love; hating the Thalmor. The Justiciars never went into the abandoned Thalmor headquarters, but Stormcloak and Legionnaire alike enjoyed teaming up and sneaking into the tower to set up practical jokes all the same. Lightning and Rikke had told them that once the Embassy was no more, the survivors will move back into the headquarters. This gave them even more reason to sneak in and set up their pranks. They'd balance buckets of water on top of the doors so that the person underneath would be soaked, hide meat and fish in-between the clothes that populated the dressers, leaving skeever tails in the beds and do other things like that. Both the Legate and the l'Cie allowed them to continue their mischievous pranks because of how well the two sides were getting along because of it, and well, it was just an empty building. The two of them stood side by side with their arms folded, observing the men haul the last barrels onto the carts.
"I don't know about you, but I'm rather excited about tonight. It's been a while since I've been to a social affair." Rikke said.
"It should be an interesting night." Lightning replied.
"The barrels are up! We're ready to depart!" A soldier exclaimed with a nod.
"Good, you need to take these carriages and hide it in the forest outside the Embassy. Wait for at least an hour before moving towards the embassy from that spot." Lightning instructed.
"Yes ma'am." He replied and he along with a few other soldiers clambered onto the carts. Rikke sighed with relief, that was another thing that the both of them didn't need to worry about anymore.
"I think that's the last of Kuja's extensive to-do list." Rikke said.
"I just have to pick up the dress and that's it." Lightning replied.
"Good. I can't wait to see what happens as a result of this poison. I can't wait to see the look on Elenwen's smug face when her precious little workers die before her very eyes." Rikke said as a grin spread over her face.
"I think you've been spending too much time with Kuja." Lightning replied and Rikke laughed.
"Come on, we better go check in with the others." Rikke said
"I'll see you there, I have to go get this dress." Lightning replied and they both went their separate ways.
Hadvar walked around Solitude, eager to pass the time. He stood back and let the children run through the streets as their laughter echoed through the city. A smile touched his face as he remembered what it was like when he was young. He recalled the various games he and the other children used to play in the streets. He also remembered how he and Ralof used to help his aunt bake sweetrolls, helped his uncle with the forge and helped Ralof's family with the mill. He was lost in his nostalgia until someone shouted his name from across the courtyard. There was a figure in black waving at him and he was confused by this, he didn't know anybody who wore black armour, especially one with a cape and a face mask.
"Hadvar! Good to see you." The figure in black said cheerfully as he approached. Hadvar recognised the figure's voice, but he couldn't remember where. The man pulled the hood down and removed his mask.
"Ralof, it's good to see you too. Welcome back. What's the Thieves' Guild like?" The brunette questioned.
"They're nice enough. Vex taught me how to break into pretty much anything with a lock, I can forge entries in almost any ledger thanks to Delvin and I've been learning how to pick pockets from Sapphire. Brynjolf and Karliah are now running the Guild and things seem to be picking up down there." Ralof answered.
"I've never seen armour like that before." Hadvar said.
"Only Nightingales can wear them."
"What is a Nightingale anyways?"
"They are a servant of Nocturnal. I'm bound to protect the Twilight Sepulchre for all of eternity."
"That's a long time."
"Well, at least the armour is comfortable and practical." Ralof replied Hadvar laughed, it was good to catch up with his old friend again. As much as Ralof was beginning to like being with the Thieves' Guild, he was grateful to be able to see his friend again, especially on the day when they would be taking out the Thalmor Embassy.
"Shall we go report to Light and Rikke?" Ralof asked and Hadvar nodded.
"I don't know about you, but I think tonight will be a lot of fun." Hadvar commented as the two of them made their way towards Castle Dour.
"I don't know what will be more fun, blowing the place up or poisoning the Thalmor." Ralof said and Hadvar nodded in agreement.
"How are the others holding up without me?" The blonde inquired.
"I think they've been handling themselves well. The Legion and the Stormcloaks are getting along well, which is incredibly surprising. They seem to be bonding by leaving traps for the Thalmor in their spare headquarters next door." The brunette responded and Ralof smiled. He never thought he'd hear that the once enemy militias would become friends, especially by preparing traps for their mutual enemy.
"Those damn elves are going to get a surprise when they move back into that place." Ralof replied with a silent chuckle.
"They sure will." Hadvar added with a smile.
They pushed open the doors to find two soldiers on either side picking up the crate of spirits. The two friends held the doors open so that their comrades could haul the crate out and take it to the other carriage that would carry the group to the Embassy. Terra's eyes lit up as she spotted Ralof standing in the doorway.
"Look who I found in the streets today." Hadvar announced with a grin.
"Ralof!" She exclaimed. The green haired mage bolted towards the Nightingale and wrapped her arms around him.
"It's good to see you too, Terra." He said and returned the hug. Hadvar noticed that Lightning was not present in the room and figured that she had gone off to pick up the dress from Taarie and Endarie. The esperkin released the ex-Stormcloak and he wandered into the room as the doors closed behind them.
"It's good that you've come. I think Lightning, Terra and Hadvar need you here with us." Rikke said.
"Even Nocturnal herself couldn't stop me from coming with you tonight." Ralof replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear!" Terra exclaimed.
"Well, the more the merrier. Just be sure you don't drink any of the spirits whilst we're over there." Kuja said with amusement. Even though even though he was joking, he didn't want any of the others getting themselves poisoned. Cosmos smoothed the material of her dress and folded her hands before gently placing them on her lap.
"How are Delvin, Brynjolf and Karliah doing?" Sephiroth questioned.
"They're well. Delvin's being his usual self, he's fine. Brynjolf and Karliah now run the Guild, she wanted to stay in the Nightingale Hall but Brynjolf and I talked her into staying with us. She's the second and he's the new Guildmaster. Brynjolf's... well, Brynjolf. Karliah's happy to be around the others again, which is good. Everyone's pretty much alright now that the Nocturnal looks on us favourably again." Ralof answered.
"That's good. I'm glad that things have settled a little." Sephiroth replied.
"Is everything set for tonight?" Hadvar asked.
"Well, of course." Kuja replied with a confident smirk.
"Where's Lightning?" Ralof questioned.
"She's out doing a final errand. She'll be back soon." Rikke answered.
"Will you be coming with us Cosmos?" Terra asked the goddess of harmony.
"After hearing Sephiroth's grizzly explanation of the poison that we will be using, I think not." Cosmos replied and the two Chaos warriors laughed.
"That's understandable." Sephiroth said as he leant up against the wall and crossed his arms.
"Besides, I'd prefer to be there when you stop Garland rather than blow up a building. In the event that Garland does summon Chaos, I need to make sure that we're ready to stop them." Cosmos added and Kuja nodded in understanding.
"I can see where you're coming from and I agree with your point. If you figure out if you need anything at all, let us know. After all, we're all in this together." Kuja announced and Cosmos smiled with appreciation. She never expected anything like that to come out of the arrogant and vain mage's mouth. Hadvar and Rikke weren't expecting it either.
"Where did that come from?" Hadvar inquired.
"I think that working with Falk for a couple of days changed our lovely, bratty princess Kuja into a wise and thoughtful advisor. Tullius was right to send you to learn the steward's game." Rikke responded and Kuja smiled.
"Thank you Rikke, that's possibly the nicest thing you've ever said about me." He replied.
"Don't you go soft on us." Terra said and Kuja shook his head with a laugh.
"Trust me, I won't." He replied.
The door opened and Cosmos smiled as she saw Sephiroth's bright eyes light up. Lightning moved her fringe away from her eyes as she cleared her throat. The rest of the group looked towards her. She was happy to see that Ralof was able to make it, but she knew that he wouldn't miss sticking it to the Thalmor. Kuja glanced at the armoured dress and nodded in approval. Even though he had no doubt that Beirand, Taarie and Endarie could put together the dress, the thing he had his doubts with was the idea in Lightning's head for it. He wasn't sure if the steel, malachite and gold was going to work together, but much like the S-shaped blade the rose haired woman wielded, it worked. He noted that the silk was silver instead of the agreed upon white, but he felt like it suited the dress more. Sephiroth stood away from the wall and wandered over to his wife's side.
"You look beautiful." He whispered and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks." She replied with a small smile.
"It's good to see you again, Light." Ralof said.
"Good to see you too. I'm glad you're with us." Lightning replied.
"Does this mean that we're ready to head off?" Rikke asked the lavender haired mage.
"I guess it does. Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Cosmos?" Kuja questioned. Cosmos smiled and shook her head as she said; "I'm sure. I'll be in the Temple of the Divines if I'm needed."
"Very well then. Well, off we go." Kuja announced.
"Hadvar, Ralof and I will go with the gunpowder cart and meet you there." Terra said and the group said goodbye to the goddess before they got onto their respective carriages and made their way to the Thalmor Embassy.
The sky was slowly transitioning into the night's heralding purple light. Orange, red, pink and yellow streaked across the heavens as the sun gradually hid itself behind the horizon line. The horse stopped before the iron gates and two Thalmor soldiers approached the carriage.
"You must be the guests that the Ambassador invited for tonight's event. This way please." A soldier said and gestured to the gate.
"What should be we about our gift?" Kuja asked as he brushed the feather in his hair away from his eyes and fluffed it.
"I beg your pardon?" The soldier questioned in reply.
"We have a crate of rare spirits that we wish to present Elenwen with as a token of our new friendship." Kuja answered.
"How rare are said spirits?" The soldier asked in curiosity.
"Let's just say that we had to endure cheese and salmon falling from the ceiling to get it." Kuja replied, unwilling to let the elven soldier know that they had to find two Daedric Princes to get it. The elf raised an eyebrow and looked to his comrade for a decision, he found it extremely odd that cheese and fish could rain down from the sky, let alone that it occurred indoors.
"Very well, we'll bring it in." The soldier said and gestured for his accomplice to open the gates for their guests.
"Thank you." Kuja replied with a nod and the group followed Kuja into the Embassy's grounds. Rikke knew that Kuja was going to get on everyone's nerves before they even entered the building, because he had stayed quiet the entire carriage ride. She knew that he was going to be giving everybody directions and not everyone was going to like it. He motioned for Lightning to walk next to him and she quickened her pace in order to do as he asked.
"Remember now that we're here, you need to act like a queen. Keep your shoulders back, keep your head up, do not scowl, be polite and most of all, please do not use military colloquialisms in a conversation with anyone inside. Are you listening?" Kuja questioned as Lightning scooped up her skirts in order to walk without tripping over the hem.
"Yeah, I'm listening." Lightning muttered and Kuja shook his head.
"And don't pick up the dress, it crumples the material." He snapped. She rolled her eyes and unceremoniously dropped the fabric as they continued walking towards the entrance.
"Are you done?" She questioned. Rikke was right, he was going to get on everyone's nerves.
"With you, yes. Sephiroth, I need you to walk in with Lightning, as she is your wife. Please try and stay with her at all times and please make sure that nothing gets on that dress." Kuja instructed and let the assassin walk by her side. He held his arm out and she wrapped her hand around the crook of his elbow.
"Rikke, I'd like for you to stay with me throughout the evening." Kuja said and the Legate nodded in understanding.
"This should be interesting." Lightning said.
"That it will." Rikke replied as they approached the soldier standing at the foot of the stairs. Kuja looked behind his shoulder and smiled when he saw the two Thalmor soldiers haul the crate in behind them.
"Welcome to the Embassy. Please go inside." He said. Lightning gave him a polite nod as she picked up her skirts in one hand to avoid tripping over the hem whilst ascending the stairs.
"Lightning, what did I say about the dress?" Kuja questioned in annoyance.
"Would you like me to fall?" She asked in reply. The mage rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Very well. But just for the stairs." He replied. The Thalmor soldier at the bottom of the stairs tried not to smile. His amusement at the group was short lived, as he noticed that his comrades were struggling to get the crate up the stairs.
"What's this for?"
"Apparently, it's a gift." One of the other elves replied and the soldier helped them carry the crate of bottles up the stairs. Sephiroth opened the door for his wife and she gave him a small smile as she let go of the silver fabric and walked through. He held the door open for Rikke, Kuja and the three soldiers carrying in the crate before closing it and returning to Lightning's side.
Elenwen saw them come in and placed her goblet on the bar before walking over to them.
"Good evening, I'm glad you could make it. Is this the new contender you were telling me about, Kuja?" She asked the mage as she inspected the rose haired warrior.
"Thank you for insisting that this event be hosted here, it is a lovely building. And yes, this is Claire Farron, the new contender for High Queen, and her husband Sephiroth." Kuja replied as both Lightning and Sephiroth gave her a small nod before Kuja continued; "And I hope you don't mind, but we brought along a special gift to thank you for your hospitality." He gestured down towards the crate.
"How thoughtful. Thank you." Elenwen replied and she wandered towards the wooden structure and pulled a bottle out to study it. She tried to decipher the text on the label, but knew that she as going to need someone to translate it for her.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is it?" The Thalmor Ambassador questioned as she swirled the liquid around in the bottle.
"That is a whole case of Daedric Spirits. They were rather difficult to get." Kuja answered and Elenwen smiled as she put the bottle back in its place.
"Thank you, we shall indulge in them later tonight. For now, please enjoy the party." The elven woman said and wandered towards the bar. She picked up her goblet and joined her fellow Altmer for a drink.
"You heard her. You two go mingle with the other guests. Rikke and I will do some mingling of our own." Kuja instructed and Rikke smiled.
"I hope you don't mind but I'm going to get a drink. Apparently, Colovian Brandy is to die for and I'm not leaving here without trying any." The Legate said.
"Then let's get you some brandy." The mage replied and led her towards the bar. The bosmer behind the bar finished polishing a silvery goblet and placed it down on the counter before giving it a wipe down.
"Good evenin'. What can I do for ya?" He inquired as he bent down to grab a few bottles of brandy and placed them on the counter.
"Two goblets of brandy, please." Rikke responded. The wood elf smirked and placed two goblets on the counter before uncorking a bottle of Colovian Brandy and pouring generous amounts of the alcohol into the cups. He placed the bottle down and nodded to the two of them as he began to resume his duties, happily chirping; "Drink up." They picked up a goblet each and they stepped off to the side. Kuja raised his goblet and gave Rikke a small smile.
"Cheers?" He asked.
"Cheers." She replied with a nod and they tapped the cups together before they drank its contents.
"That's really nice. I like it." Rikke commented.
"I do too, it's quite an enjoyable flavour. I believe we should get some imported, for special occasions." Kuja said.
"Either way, I'll be getting another goblet." Rikke replied and Kuja chuckled with a shake of his head. He wondered if the other carriage stocked with gunpowder was already in place. He let the thought slip from his mind as he drank some more of his brandy.
Terra's body shivered and her teeth chattered as petite snowflakes drifted down from the cloudy heavens to settle on the carriages and the soldiers in it. Hadvar slowed the horse down as the large stone buildings could be seen. The green haired mage could feel the cold seeping through her skin and coating her bones, whereas the two nords next to her barely felt the effects of the freezing environment around them. Ralof took a deep breath and exhaled happily when the strong perfume of pine travelled up his nostrils; it was good to be inhaling air that wasn't filled with the stenches of rotting skeever carcasses, mould and moist leather. The newly appointed Nightingale laughed as the shivering esperkin grabbed hold of his arm and held onto it, appreciative for the nord's warmth.
"What? Are you cold?" The blonde laughed. Terra weakly nodded, her ringlets bouncing as she moved her head.
"Don't worry, we're almost there. Whoa!" Hadvar said as he gently tugged on the reigns, urging the hose to stop.
"How long were we meant to stay here before moving down?" A Stormcloak asked.
"We left late, so I guess we have to wait a little under an hour before advancing." Hadvar replied. The soldiers in the cart all groaned.
"The waiting, I hate the bloody waiting." A legionnaire muttered with a shake of his head.
"Nothing's changed has it?" Ralof questioned with a chuckle. Despite huddling close to the warm blonde, Terra was still violently shivering. Hadvar shifted towards Terra and draped a bear's pelt over her shoulders.
"Thanks." She said and smiled as she pulled both men closer, eager to take advantage of their heat in order to thaw herself out a little bit. They weren't exactly sure how they were going to measure time, but they knew that the time would trickle by slowly. It was going to seem like a long wait.
Sephiroth noticed that Lightning seemed to be a little nervous. Even though this wasn't technically her first event as a contender for the throne, she felt that she was quite out of her comfort zone at this soiree. He placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him and gave him an unsure smile.
"Are you alright?" He questioned.
"Yes, I'm fine. I think I'm just a little overwhelmed." She answered.
"You'll be fine, you have me," Sephiroth said with a smirk, "I'll help you. I still remember a thing or two about social gatherings, even if I always tried to avoid them." She chuckled a little before the unsure smile fell off of her lips. Sephiroth looked around the room and found that the four of them were completely surrounded by Thalmor soldiers and justiciars. Even though it was just the most respectable members of the Thalmor and the group of four attending the gathering, it seemed like Elenwen treated the event as if it was one of her usual parties. A waitress stood in the corner of the room with a plate of sweetrolls as the bard on the other side of the room played the flute. Platters sat around the room, filled with sweet delicacies made by the finest bakers in Skyrim. The bar was stocked with the finest wines and brandies available in the wintry province. It was probably the thing that unnerved her the most about being there. Although they were there to execute their scheme to destroy the Embassy, Kuja and Rikke felt it was crucial for Lightning to develop adequate social skills in conversing and dealing with nobility. Of course Sephiroth knew that she had no idea how to talk to nobility about anything other than military strategy and he had to help her develop these skills. Before he knew it, Lightning had let go of his elbow and was wandering over towards the Thalmor Ambassador. He wasn't quite sure what possessed her to decide to talk to Elenwen, but he followed her over anyways.
"Hello Claire, Sephiroth. I hope that you two are enjoying the party." The high elf drawled as she swirled the brandy in her goblet around.
"Please, call me Lightning. And it looks like you spared no expense in planning this party." Lightning commented. Elenwen smiled and took a sip of her brandy. She swallowed and stepped closer towards the other woman. Sephiroth had a feeling that Elenwen had an agenda of her own; finding out everything she could about the rose haired contender.
"Why of course, it's a chance to impress a potential ally. Why would I pass it up?" She replied and clicked her fingers as she ordered the bosmer in the corner over.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Would you care for some brandy?" Elenwen asked her guests. The waitress held the platter out and the warrior and the assassin picked up a goblet each before giving the server a nod and the elf retreated back into the corner of the room.
"Your outfit is exquisite. Where did you get it?" Elenwen questioned.
"I had it made just for the occasion." Lightning answered.
"It suits you." The high elf said.
"Thank you." The warrior replied. Elenwen studied Sephrioth's eyes and crossed her arms before questioning, "Your eyes are very striking, Sephiroth. Are you part khajiit?"
"I've been asked that before, no I am not." He answered.
"So Lightning, which side of the war did you participate in before both sides collapsed in Windhelm?" Elenwen questioned as Sephiroth drank some of his beverage.
"Although I saw through Ulfric's showmanship, I served the Stormcloaks." She answered.
"Interesting... And Sephiroth, what is it that you do?" The high elf inquired.
"I'm the Listener for the Dark Brotherhood." Sephiroth responded. The ambassador was rather intrigued and impressed with the silver haired man.
"I heard that the brotherhood was destroyed by the Empire." She said.
"No, a few of us survived and thanks to the completion of my latest contract we've become a force to be both feared and reckoned with." Sephiroth replied. Elenwen smirked at his answer and Lightning looked at her with suspicion.
"Yes, I heard about the death of the emperor. Very tragic and well... surprising. You must be proud to have someone like him as your spouse." Elenwen commented. Lightning possessively held onto his bicep and Sephiroth looked down to find her trying not to scowl. He noticed that she slightly narrowed her eyes and straightened up a little.
"Yes, I am. I look forward to leading armies with him by my side." She replied and Sephiroth tried to contain a chuckle. He found Lightning's sudden shift in mood quite amusing; it had never crossed his mind that she could be possessive of him, even if he knew that the high elf was using this momentary tactic to try and figure the two of them out. The Thalmor Ambassador was quite intrigued by the couple and knew that if she wanted the Thalmor to have fairly powerful allies, she had to befriend the Listener and the warrior.
"I suppose you'd be looking forward to ruling with him too?" Elenwen inquired.
"I'm actually quite content to run the Dark Brotherhood." Sephiroth responded.
"We've talked about it and Sephiroth really wants to continue leading the Dark Brotherhood instead of ruling with me. Ultimately, it was his choice." Lightning added as Sephiroth drank a little of his brandy.
"Interesting. You two won't be the traditional royal couple, will you?" The elf asked and raised her eyebrow.
"We're anything but traditional." Lightning said and Sephiroth gently nudged the top of her head with the tip of his nose. She smiled and tried to hold back a chuckle, his nose was feeling a little ticklish against her head.
"And I like it that way." Sephiroth replied and bent down to kiss her brow. She relaxed her grip on his bicep and gently caressed his arm with her hand.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but indulge me. How did you get those spirits?" Elenwen inquired.
"Let's just say that Kuja and I have our connections." Lightning responded.
"What kind of connections?" The ambassador asked.
"Daedric connections." Sephiroth replied. Elenwen's eyes widened and a smile touched her lips as Lightning shook her head at her husband, who smirked at her with satisfaction.
"Oh, very interesting. Which Princes are you affiliated with?" She asked as she crossed her arms.
"I'm Sanguine's Champion and Kuja is Sheogorath's Champion." Lightning replied.
"That's... surprising." Elenwen said.
"It wasn't like we planned for it to happen, it was an accident." Lightning replied. She went to drink from her goblet, but Sephiroth put his cup down before taking hers out of her hand and placing it down next to his.
"You can't drink too much. We don't want a repeat of last time." Sephiroth said and Lightning sighed.
"What happened last time?"
"Trust me, Elenwen. You don't want to know." Lightning replied and Sephiroth laughed.
"I think Lightning's getting the hang of mingling. Don't you?" Rikke asked the graceful glider beside her. They had been watching both Lightning and Sephiroth's interaction with the Thalmor Ambassador closely.
"She doesn't seem to be doing too badly..." Kuja replied with an unsure shrug. Suddenly, Elenwen erupted into laughter and Lightning scowled at Sephiroth.
"I can't believe you told her that!" Lightning exclaimed and the Legate looked at the lavender haired mage with confusion. Both Sephiroth and Elenwen laughed as Lightning huffed in annoyance. Curiosity got the better of them and they wandered over to see what was going on.
"What's so funny?" Kuja asked as he smoothed a few stray hairs back into place.
"Sephiroth was just telling me about how Lightning became Sanguine's Champion. It's quite hilarious. I've never heard of anybody doing such wild things whilst intoxicated!" The high elf exclaimed with an unceremonious chuckle.
"It was the Daedric Spirits, I only had three tankards of it and all that happened." Lightning said in her own defence.
"Well, I wonder what would happen if I had a few." Elenwen joked and Lightning's scowl slowly turned into a smile.
"Fine, just don't say I didn't warn you. If you come back engaged to a hagraven I am going to tell you that I told you so." Lightning replied. Sephiroth wrapped his arm around her waist and grinned. Rikke and Kuja looked at each other with concern.
"Well, she's not the only one to have done regrettable things whilst drunk. Especially whilst in Kefka's company." Sephiroth added and both the mage and the Legate looked at him with a disturbed curiosity.
"Why would you subject yourself to that idiot's babbling?" Kuja asked the assassin.
"I tried to get rid of him... But like a curse, that nuisance kept coming back." Sephiroth sighed with a shake of his head.
"I don't know if I've met this Kefka you speak of, is he an ally of yours?" Elenwen asked.
"He was to both Sephiroth and myself, but now he spends his time with Garland's group." Kuja replied.
"Trust me, you don't want to meet him." Rikke said as the high elf swirled her drink around in her goblet again.
"I'm intrigued to try these fabled Daedric Spirits you brought in." Elenwen said and drank the rest of her brandy. She clicked her fingers and the server who tucked herself into the corner emerged from the darkness.
"Uncork the spirits." She commanded and the wood elf nodded before placing the platter in her hands down and wandering over to the crate. She picked up a few bottles and brought them over to the bar, which the tender began to uncork and pour into the polished silver goblets. The high elf placed her goblet down and wandered over towards the bar with her four guests in tow.
"Everyone, pick up a goblet, I'd like to propose a toast." Elenwen said and picked up a goblet containing the poisoned spirits. The bosmer servants all placed the goblets onto a platter and took them around the room. Each of the attendees picked up a goblet and raised them as Elenwen walked over to the group and pulled Lightning into the centre of the room with Sephiroth following behind her. He placed his arm around her waist and she gave him a small smile. The Thalmor Ambassador raised her goblet and the rest of the room mimicked her seconds afterwards.
"Today, we have gathered here to get to know one of the contenders for the throne. On behalf of the Thalmor, I'd like to wish you luck in your campaign and I hope that we get to work together in the future. To Claire and her associates." Elenwen announced.
"Claire and her associates." The group reverberated and everyone, apart from Lightning, Kuja and Rikke drank from their cups. Lightning looked up at Sephiroth with concern and he held her closer and let a smile curve at the corner of his lips as a silent way to let her know that he would be fine.
Quiescence quickly flooded through the room as the cups left the high elven lips around them. Sephiroth licked his lips and smirked; he thought to himself that the best was yet to come, all it needed was a little patience. It seemed that the members of the Thalmor didn't quite know what to say, which caused the silence in the stone room to become almost like an omen to the slumbering volcano of poison which was preparing to awaken.
"Well, it definitely has an interesting flavour." Elenwen said as she broke the silence, her face twisting almost as if she had consumed a pinch of salt and a lemon.
"Don't worry, if you had another two cups you wouldn't even notice the flavour." Lightning replied calmly and Elenwen laughed. Her laughter slowly trailed off as she began to look a little pale and she swayed slightly on the spot.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" A servant asked the ambassador as she clasped her forehead with her hand. Some of the Thalmor around the room began to groan. Kuja slowly pulled Rikke back towards the door, when the guests began to die he didn't want his white clothes to be soiled by the black liquid Sephiroth described earlier that day. Elenwen clutched her stomach and looked as if she was going to be sick. She closed her eyes and groaned in pain. Her hands twitched and she grimaced as her chest began to tighten. Kuja and Rikke looked quite surprised and fearful. When Sephiroth described the effects of the poison, he mentioned that it was going to be messy, but not that it was incredibly horrifying to watch. He felt sorry for the poor servants who could do nothing but sit and watch their masters writhe as poison coursed through their bodies. Elenwen began to cough and a few drops of darkish liquid fell onto the stone floors.
"Wha-what was in that?" Elenwen questioned as her breaths became short and shallow. Dark blotches appeared on her skin as the twitching got worse. Sephiroth placed the goblet down and pulled Lightning away from the elf as thick, black liquid spurted out. Her body violently shook as more of the putrid goo was expelled from her mouth. The high elves around the ambassador all watched in horror before they began to feel the same dizziness that Elenwen did. She threw up some more of the foul substance as Lightning stepped back in disgust. Sephiroth chuckled as Elenwen fell to her knees, weak from the effects of the poisoned alcohol.
"A deadly disease refined into a deadly poison. Why? Do you think you can stop it from killing you? From killing all of you?" The assassin sneered. A few of the other Justiciars began to vomit up the same black liquid that their leader did.
"If you think you can save yourselves, do I have news for you... I think Sithis will enjoy new souls entering the Void." He chuckled and led Lightning towards the door where Kuja and Rikke watched the poor Thalmor wretches cough up the invading poison.
"I'm glad Cosmos isn't here to see this." Kuja muttered and the females of the group nodded. The servants retreated into the kitchen as the Thalmor Ambassador looked up at the group, her chest heaving after vomiting again.
"You... You won't get away with this! The Thalmor w-will destroy you!" She hissed. The one-winged angel knelt down to her level and smirked as he heard the other members of the Thalmor throw up quite violently around him. His glowing green eyes glittered with glee as his gaze sent shivers down Elenwen's spine. She watched his cat-like pupils study her own and he left out a satisfied hum.
"I'm sure that you'll find that we already have." He announced smugly as his eyes focused on the sickly Justiciars that were forced to their knees due to their quickly increasing weakness. Elenwen coughed a few droplets onto his face before he picked up her arm and wiped it off of his face and stood up. The black liquid dripped down her chin as her body violently twitched and she collapsed onto the stone, her dying eyes glaring at the foul, sticky substance that her body tirelessly and futilely tried to expel. He picked up the remaining bottles of alcohol and poured them onto the ground, meticulously covering anything remotely flammable. He tossed the bottles into the kitchen and what was left of the beverages covered the stone floor inside.
"Come on, let's go." Rikke said and the group left the Thalmor to die in the room.
They went outside to find the Thalmor soldiers face down in the snow with arrows protruding from their backs. The crisp, clean white snow was stained with crimson altmeri blood. Ralof put his Nightingale Bow away and grinned as he removed the mask.
"That was brilliant!" Terra exclaimed with a clap.
"Is that what you learnt with the Guild?" Hadvar asked with a smile and crossed his arms. Ralof nodded, the smile still painting his face. The soldiers had begun to roll the barrels of gunpowder into place by the embassy's stone exterior and managed to hoist them over the stone fence to make sure that some of the barrels went to the other building too.
"I can't believe you drank it." Lightning said to Sephiroth, shaking her head at him.
"I'm fine. It doesn't affect me at all. If at least one of us didn't drink it, it would've looked suspicious." He retorted. Lightning crossed her arms and huffed.
"Alright then." She replied and he wrapped his arms around her before kissing the back of her head and pulling her close.
"What did the poison do? Did it work well?" Terra questioned in curiosity.
"Go inside, a few of them should be still dying." Sephiroth answered.
"Don't... It's disturbing." Rikke warned. Terra shrugged off her warning and wandered inside. Her eyes widened and she gasped with disgust.
"I warned you." Rikke said.
"It can't be that bad." Ralof commented and led Hadvar up to the door. The three of them stood with their mouths agape, absolutely horrified at the sight of the poison's effects. They managed to tear their eyes away and closed the door before placing a barrel in front of the door.
"Why didn't you tell us it was that bad?!" Terra exclaimed.
"Cosmos looked ill, I didn't want her to be sick." Sephiroth replied.
"I have never been more terrified in my life. How did Cloud ever survive you?" Kuja inquired and Sephiroth shrugged.
"I have no idea myself." He responded.
Rikke, Hadvar and Ralof helped the other two soldiers put the barrels in place. Sephiroth let go of his wife's petite frame and went to go assist the others. Lightning went to pick up her skirts and Kuja batted her hands away from the still pristine silvery material.
"What was that for?" She asked.
"There is no way you are getting gunpowder on that dress. Nor are you ripping it. You will stay here and watch." He replied sternly and she rolled her eyes. The soldiers who climbed the wall used a barrel to climb back over to where the rest of the barrels were being placed. Within minutes, the barrels were all unloaded and in position, ready for detonation.
"Who's going to do the honours?" Kuja questioned.
"I want to." Lightning volunteered. He sighed and shook his head.
"Very well, just don't ruin the dress." The lavender haired mage replied.
"I'll make sure she doesn't." Sephiroth said and Kuja nodded. The assassin walked over to one of the barrels and lifted the lid off of the barrel and created a long trail of gunpowder that led towards the end of the carriage and stopped at Lightning's feet. Sephiroth placed his hands on her upper arms kissed her ear.
"Come on you two. You're meant to be blowing up the embassy, not kissing under the moonlight." Ralof teased and Hadvar laughed. Lightning reddened as Sephiroth brushed his lips up against her cheek.
"Alright, alright. Break it up." Kuja said with an amused grin.
"You go back to Castle Dour. I'll take Lightning back to the sanctuary for the night." Sephiroth said and Lightning smiled.
"We'll see you tomorrow morning then." Rikke replied as she helped Terra onto the carriage.
"Be careful." Terra called as Hadvar flicked the reigns to urge the horse forwards. The carriage began to slowly move off down the mountain, allowing for the horse to warm up its muscles before the legionnaire would urge the horse to increase its speed. They watched the carriage move swiftly down the mountain as they waited for it to get far enough to receive as minimal of an impact from the explosion as possible. The carriage rumbled out of their line of sight and Lightning took a step towards the trail.
"Go on, set it on fire." He said and wrapped his arm around her waist. She looked down at her hand and glittering red flames flickered up her fingertips from her palm. She turned her palm downwards and sprayed the flames onto the trail of the fine dark powder. It caught fire and Sephiroth teleported them to the safety of the Dawnstar Sanctuary. The trail quickly caught alight as it blazed through its path to the barrels. It took merely seconds for the flames to consume the barrels and they exploded. A massive eruption shook the snowy ground and blew the walls of the buildings apart. The flames crept up the charring ruins as the smoke reached high into the air. The soldiers on the carriages looked back to find the plumes of smoke and tendrils of flame swirl around what used to be the Thalmor Embassy.
"Gone, just like that." Terra said with a bewildered sigh.
"If we think that our problems went out with a bang just like that embassy, we're dead wrong. They're probably just getting started." Rikke added.
"I wish it was going to get easier to fight them from here. All Oblivion will break loose when they find out." Hadvar commented with a worried glance at Kuja.
"We all knew this was risky, but we'll be able to handle it." He replied as the carriages continued to head back towards Solitude.