Chapter 37: Exposition and Etiquette

The Countess hadn't arrived at her decision the day after the dinner party, but Caroline and I agreed to wait until she had made it, as guests of Castle Anvil.

After spending two days in Anvil as the Countess, Count and the Captain of their guard determined how many soldiers they could forward to Bruma, I felt more refreshed and well-rested than I had felt in a while, but was desperate to be on our way again.

Caroline and I had ventured into Anvil several times during our stay, to sell some of the items she had collected in Oblivion that we didn't need, and to purchase a few pieces of armour to add to my ensemble. While we had both been frustrated by the delay, a part of me was grateful for it. Anvil was beautiful, the Countess was courteous; more like the aunt Milly that I remembered from childhood; and the time wasn't entirely wasted. In the mornings, Caroline trained me, and as she had promised in Kvatch, I was finally allowed to use a sword during our sessions. I wrote and arranged a courier for another letter to Martin, and though there was little to tell him since we had not yet obtained a final commitment from the Countess, the letter was longer than the others I had written him. I took even more care with my words, in an attempt to detangle the web of confusion I felt that I had constructed in my previous letters to him.

There were no shortage of visitors to the apartment. The majority of the guests who had been at the Countess' dinner party called on me during our stay, including a bashful, uncomfortable-looking Lord Benirus, whose swift, uncertain glances at a glaring Caroline and then the door made me wonder why he had even come. Caroline insisted that it had been because he wanted to try to sell me his family's manor house, ghost and all.

On the third night of our stay, at dinner, the Countess finally gave us what we had waited for, and it was entirely worth it. She promised half of her entire guard to journey to Bruma; a staggering twenty legions. I could not express thanks enough to her. Even Caroline, who usually left talk amongst nobles between nobles, broke her silence to offer her gratitude.

Such a number did warrant a warning to be given to Countess Carvain and Captain Burd, to ensure they could prepare for such an arrival. So, after we had retired to the apartment for the night, I penned a quick note and called for one of the stewards to fetch a courier for it immediately. Afterwards, Caroline and I arranged our travel belongings for an immediate departure the following morning.

The days following our departure from Anvil blurred somewhat. When Caroline and I weren't riding along the main roads of Cyrodiil, we were ploughing through Oblivion, or preparing for another audience.

Closure of an Oblivion gate in Chorrol secured Bruma another three legions of soldiers. I had been grateful with whatever the Countess could spare, and we had pushed on to the Imperial City.

Unfortunately, the status and availability of the Imperial Legion was as I had anticipated it would be, and we secured no promise of assistance. Ocato had been frustratingly rigid on the matter of recalling any of the Legion at our meeting. He had seemed extremely strained, and I had wondered if it was owing to the high demands of the role that had been thrust upon him in the absence of a Septim on the throne, or if it was more personal, and he was offended by the manner in which I had left his care those weeks prior. Whether what troubled him was personal or not, he insisted that the removal of the Legion from any of Tamriel's provinces would not only cause irreversible offence to said regions, but also put more lives at risk than it might save.

As though my failure to secure any of the Imperial Legion for Bruma's armies was an omen, our journey south to Bravil was just as, if not more, frustrating than our audience with the High Chancellor.

Count Terentius had wanted to discuss the request for allies several times, in long, tedious audiences with various members of his court, who indulged him and his arrogance in a manner which sickened me. Only our need, and a hope that if I appeased his ego, we would secure a large number of soldiers, kept me compliant and polite. I had known of the Count's arrogance, from my lessons about the aristocracy while I'd lived at the White-Gold Tower, but having never talked with the man before, I was quite shocked with just how disagreeable I found him to be.

Caroline bore the time in Bravil as expected. In private, she would curse and grind her teeth in anger at the pointless delays and the Count and his loathsome son's manners, but as ever, she maintained her duty with all the polite servitude she had always exhibited in public.

We entered into our fourth day in Bravil. It passed slowly and with no word from the Count regarding his decision. Rather than discuss our business with him and try impress our urgency on him yet again, Caroline and I had spent the entire day training in the courtyard. This was much to the amusement of the lecherous Gellius Terentius, the Count's son, who for at least an hour took it upon himself to lean lazily against the castle wall with a bottle of drink in his hand, and ogle Caroline and I as though we were performing for him. We had ignored him while he had stood there, but it was impossible to not be offended by his actions.

As a result of this insult, on top of the delay, Caroline's rage was at tipping point by the time we were preparing for another formal dinner, later that evening.

"How is it that we haven't been given an answer yet?" Caroline thundered from our guest room, raking a comb through my hair and then twisting it into a tight, homely bun at the back of my neck. "Do the words 'pressing urgency' and 'fate of all Tamriel', or 'thousands of civilian deaths' mean nothing to him?"

I glanced up at her in the mirror, raising an eyebrow at the hairstyle. It had not been lost on me how she had been deliberately dressing me, while we had been in Bravil, in a manner that neither suited nor favoured me. I wished that she wouldn't, and there was only one reason that would make her do such a thing. But if she sought to make me undesirable to the men amongst the Count's courtiers, she was forgetting that if any thought to pursue me, they would be seeking my fortune, and it wouldn't matter to them if I looked like myself or the back side of a horse.

But, as I had always done, I simply needed to leave Caroline to her ministrations, and get over myself.

"You know what the Count is like," I replied dryly to Caroline, as she finished dressing my hair with a startlingly white coif, which was offset by a fillet made from woven red ribbons. The white coif covered all of my hair and the crown of ribbon secured the headpiece in place.

I gave her a look at this final addition; the overall effect was too prim, too demure; but she pretended that she hadn't noticed me.

"I know that the Count is in love with talking," Caroline muttered, standing back a little to assess what she'd done. "There, very proper," she said, motioning for me to rise. I supposed this meant she was at least satisfied.

We walked to the bed where a long, straight, red gown was laid out for me. She helped me into it then adjusted the ribbons at the sides, tight enough so that the dress wouldn't slip, but not tight enough to fit or flatter my figure.

She continued on her tirade while she adjusted the dress; muttering and cursing the Count's lack of empathy for a plight that didn't directly effect him, and pointing out that, if the immediate risk the Dawn posed were to Bravil and not Bruma, he would be demanding that all of Tamriel come to his assistance.

I glanced down at the boring dress and sighed, coming to a decision, weary of both the Count's procrastination, and Caroline's ranting. "You are right, Caroline," I told her. "He has kept us waiting long enough. We will leave tomorrow morning, whether the Count has given us his answer or not."

Caroline shook her head, the frustration still evident as ever. "But if he has not, all of this time spent in Bravil will have been in vain."

"If we say we will remain at the castle until the Count has made his decision, he may never make one," I pressed on quickly. "You know that it's true. I, and my request, are too interesting for him to let go of so easily," I added, squaring her with an unimpressed look, "no matter how I am dressed."

Caroline turned away immediately; confirming my assumption that she was dressing me down, without her needing to say it. To cover the action, she located and put on her boots. "Perhaps tonight you could press him, just a little more? We may still have to venture out into the wilds, close an Oblivion gate, and return again, before we can be on our way to Leyawiin."

I remembered, and closed my eyes as I wondered how many more days we might have to spend in county Bravil. "I will try," I told her, though both of us knew that attempting to force anything out of the snooty man would likely make him all the more obstinate.

Caroline tried to smile, though she was still clearly very frustrated when she faced me again, and said that we should head to dinner. As we left the room, she whispered to me, "Promise me, my Lady, that when you are Empress, you will have him replaced. I will consider it a personal favour."

I flashed her a shocked look as a nervous laugh escaped me. "Caroline!"

She smiled properly now, enjoying her own joke it seemed, as she closed the door behind us and motioned that we carry on. Now that we were in a more public area, she chose not to reply, or add to her startling notion, though I knew that she couldn't be serious.

As we walked the grey stone hallways of Castle Bravil and made our way to the dining hall, I noticed that the laughter, despite being out of surprise, had made me feel a little more positive about the obstacles ahead of us, and a little less disappointed about the possibility that we would be leaving Bravil on the morrow, with no additional allies secured for Bruma. We had gained so many already, thanks to the generosity of Skingrad, Anvil and Chorrol, that I reasoned that it wouldn't matter if we left Bravil with nothing, as long as we could secure soldiers in both Leyawiin and Cheydinhal.

Once in the dining hall, I was placed, as I had been during all other meals, to the right of the Count. I had realised, after our first meal, that he hadn't put me beside him to talk with me, but rather at me.

The Count held his hand out to indicate me, more than greet me, as I curtsied the appropriate greeting to him. "Ah, Sarina, you join us at last," he addressed, which gave me leave to rise and take my seat.

"I apologise for my lateness, Count Terentius," I said evenly, as Caroline shifted my chair in underneath me when I sat. I could feel my frustration rising already at the necessity to be civil, let alone obsequious to him. We had not arrived late; the Count merely thought that any who arrived after him, despite the hour, was late.

Glazed as his expression was, the Count's son, Gellius, chose to notice our arrival and welcome me in his own way. "You look well enough, Sarina," he smirked from his place opposite me, on his father's left. "Though I did rather more enjoy the sight of your little play-fight today with your handmaiden, as though you were common guards."

It had been meant as a slight, but I treated it as a compliment, to keep matters polite, while I silently wished for him to be handed a sword and play-fight with Caroline at that instant. "I am pleased that you were so interested in my efforts, Gellius," I nodded my head to him cordially. "Caroline and I labour to be of what use we can be to the realm, and to the Emperor."

"And very nobly done," the Count said haughtily, almost automatically, as though he hadn't really heard what I had said. "I have been an ardent supporter of this Septim lad -" it took all my effort to keep my expression neutral - "but I only wish that he would hurry up and bring himself to the Imperial City, before the High Chancellor convinces the rest of the Council to appoint him Emperor," he added, with some frustration.

The topic was a favourite of the Count's, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I had attempted, once, to assure him that Ocato entertained no such notion, having recently met with him personally, and that his manner had indicated to me that he would rather be done with the temporary position altogether. It had resulted in a maddening discussion about how the Count's instincts were always proven correct on matters concerning the Council, while thinly-veiled insults were sent my way, insisting that I was blinded by a woman's kindness if I had been unable to see the High Chancellor's aspirations for myself.

I was not going to make the mistake of trying to reason with Count Terentius again.

Deciding not to provoke the matter by mentioning the necessity of the Amulet of Kings, or continuing the conversation down the path the Count wanted to lead it by agreeing with him, I hesitated in my reply, as the first course of our dinner arrived. As it was only myself, the Count, and his son at dinner tonight, I would have nobody to turn to if I wanted to exclude myself from his discussion, so I had to try and keep some measure of control over the turns it took, if I could.

"It is all of Tamriel's wish that the Emperor's position be solemnised," I said finally, as the servants withdrew. "But while his life is under such a threat from the Mythic Dawn, the Blades are charged with keeping him hidden from view."

"Oh, yes, we're all well aware of the Blades part in all of this," the Count dismissed. "Take a care not to fret, Sarina," he waggled a finger at me, and I stared at it, wondering how he'd taken my words as a sign of fretting. "It does not become you, or any young lady, I find."

I all but sighed my apology, and the conversation moved on to what the Count and Gellius considered to be appropriate behaviour for a high-born woman to present, and when it might be acceptable to fret.

Having no opportunity to dissuade them from this topic, I resorted to playing my part, and merely nodded and agreed with them when it seemed like I should. I yearned for the dinner to be over, and for morning to come, so we could leave. I could feel Caroline's rage building, from where she stood behind me, and wondered that they had the gall to persist with such misogyny in our company. Had any of their equals been present, they would have put a stop to it. Technically, I could have attempted it, if I had felt like taking the argument upon myself, but I had told myself many times already to be what the Count expected of me and nothing more, for Bruma, and Martin's, sakes. My duty, in this quest for allies, was to appeal to the aristocracy in the way that would yield us the best results. There would be no ground gained attempting to change the opinions of men who thought they knew better, and truly, it did not matter what they thought of me, as long as the Count, in the end, gave me what I had come for.

Eventually, the Count did venture toward the topic of assistance for Bruma, and I began to listen in to the conversation properly again.

I raised my eyes from my meal, and met his. "I thank you for your eager consideration, Count," I was pleased that he had brought it up, so I could make our plans known. "But I am afraid that my time in Bravil has reached it's end. I must continue on my journey around Cyrodiil tomorrow morning, and am expected in Leyawiin tomorrow night," I bent the truth, so I could leave him no possibility of extending our stay even further.

The Count had been taking some of his dinner, but paused and turned his head slowly to regard me. Across from me, Gellius snorted into his tankard.

"You'll fit right in with that frigid lot," Gellius grunted disdainfully, the man's beady little eyes watery from inebriation. "No wonder you're eager to go."

I ignored his muttering, as I had been doing for three out of the four days we had been in Bravil. In hearing him stab at the Count and Countess Caro's dispositions, I was suddenly grateful that Caroline had been dressing me prudishly in this lout's presence, lest he take an interest in me, which would have made it difficult to leave as we chose. My memories from the Tower days, of the Count and his son's relationship, reminded me that the son usually got what he wanted.

I focused instead on the Count, ensuring that my expression was yet again, one of measured politeness.

"I see," the Count seemed a little disgruntled, though obviously some sort of breeding prevented him from being as openly rude as his son. "You must of course do what you are promised to do," he sighed, placing his knife and fork down on the sides of his plate. "But I will be very sorry to see you leave, Sarina," he looked at me fondly, for the first time since I had been I his presence, though I felt the falseness in his manner immediately. "It is not often that we have the privilege of entertaining ladies of any refinement in Castle Bravil."

Little wonder, my thoughts interjected, in a somewhat Caroline-ish tone.

The Count continued. "And I suppose, if you are determined to quit Bravil tomorrow, I am obliged to give you an answer regarding the request you delivered to me," he sighed.

"That would be most considerate of you, Count," I responded in a measured tone. Perhaps we wouldn't be leaving without securing assistance from Bravil? I dared to hope.

The Count adopted a sombre expression. "Yes. I am nothing, if not considerate. Particularly in light of the grave nature of your request, involving your suggestion of closing Oblivion gates," he waved his hand somewhat dismissively at me.

"I was having difficulty in deciding on the appropriate number of my guard to send to assist my dear friend Narina," he shook his head in pity, and I wished that Countess Carvain had been there, to snap at him. "But I am now decided," he announced, sitting back and raising his chin, as though he was about to proclaim something worthy and great to the lands.

"I think it only fair and reasonable that I commit resources on a per-gate basis. Should you close a gate in my region, Sarina, I shall commit you a legion of my force. Close two, and you shall secure two legions, and so on and so forth," he moved his hand in a rolling motion, then smiled, a look of pondering crossing his face. "You would have to close a great many gates to secure the entire Bravil Guard, but should you manage it, I will stand by my word, of course."

I heard Caroline draw a hiss of a breath behind me, and I held my own breath to keep from gasping, or cursing, at the Count. His proposal was a disaster. We had little enough time as it was, and the Count expected Caroline and I to close multiple gates, for ten soldiers apiece? He had to be joking; security of such a small number was not worth our efforts.

I blinked, quickly, as I took in the decision, making every effort to keep my own chin raised, though for the moment I couldn't meet the Count's eyes. I nodded, wondering if there was any room for negotiation.

Had any of the other Counts or Countesses proposed such an outrageous, time-consuming idea, I would have attempted to change their mind, but four days in Bravil had taught me enough about Count Terentius to know that to dispute his decision would result in potentially days of further delays, and likely no different a conclusion.

"See, father? She is shocked into silence by your generosity," Gellius spoke up. "None of the other Counts or Countesses have thought of it in the way you have."

I flashed him a hard glance at his words, but it had no effect on him. He had clearly known what the Count intended to offer us, which only angered me further. If he had come to his decision, why had he failed to tell us of it immediately?

"That certainly seems to be the case," the Count droned, peering at me. "What say you to my scheme, Sarina? Do we have an accord?"

I turned back to face the Count, telling myself to start breathing again. To think of all the time I had wasted, pandering his ego! I had been a fool to think that the Count, whose nature I had known of prior to venturing into Bravil, would be charitable; that he would rise to the cause as the other nobles had; a fool, to believe that I would have an effect on him.

I couldn't bare to be in the dining room a moment longer, and I saw no way to exit gracefully. At this point, I was too shocked and angry to worry about offending the Count.

I placed my cutlery to indicate that I was done with my meal, and rose, dipping my head to the Count, so that I wouldn't have to look at him. "I am pleased for you; that you were able to arrive at a decision you felt you could live with," I told him, a waver in my tone. "As I have made clear to you, I am expected in Leyawiin tomorrow night. However should I find the time to close any Oblivion gates in your region on the morrow, I will send a courier to alert you and collect the promised legions," I told him. Before he could respond, I added. "I am sorry, but you must excuse me. I must prepare for my departure," I turned to leave.

"But – what about dessert?" Gellius called out to me in a whining voice.

I strode from the dining hall with Caroline on my heels, and the call to return didn't come. I heard the Count say something, but couldn't make out the words. I had the snide thought that, given how self-absorbed the Count had been during the majority of our discussions, he had likely just made some excuse for me about women's business and resumed his dinner.

It was that he failed to realise how disrespectful his proposal was; completely, utterly failed to notice; that angered me so much. The moment the dining hall door was closed behind us, I turned to Caroline and hissed, "We leave at once. We'll stay at an Inn outside of Bravil, if we have to."

Caroline nodded but said nothing. Her face was expressionless and set like a stone, but there were spots of red, high on her cheeks, indicating that the level of her fury was extremely high. The sight of her only fuelled my own outrage.

We returned to the apartment we'd been staying in, and while I changed into my armour, Caroline paid a steward to go directly to the stables and ensure the horses were made ready for our immediate departure.

I raked the coif off my head, throwing it down on the bed, trying to console and calm myself by insisting that I be thankful that we had lost only four days here, in the end. A part of me wondered if the Count had dreamed up his offering knowing that I couldn't possibly make great use of it or secure many of his guard, but I reconsidered, remembering his smarmy attitude when he had announced it. He had genuinely thought he was being charitable.

At once, I wished that I had the time to close all of the gates in his region, the moment they appeared, so that I would force him to keep his word, and send his entire guard to Bruma. But of course that was simply impossible.

Martin will hear of this, I thought furiously as I shook my hair out of the bun and left it loose, then moved to where my weapons and boots were stored. Caroline was there ahead of me, fastening her sword belt, and passed mine to me when I reached her. I buckled it hastily, wondering if I could have Martin depose Count Terantius over this? It wasn't very likely.

I sighed as I shouldered my quiver, realising that it would do no good to mention what had passed to Martin. He would have enough to do once the dragonfires were relit; he didn't need to be immediately cast into the petty squabbles of the nobles.

But I would certainly never forget how little the Count had done to assist us.

A knock at the door roused both Caroline and I from the silence of our thoughts, and we turned to it in unison, then to each other, as though one of us might know who it was that was calling on us at such an hour.

Caroline strode to the door, muttering something about the horses. I frowned, watching her, telling myself that it couldn't possibly be the Count. Regardless of whether he might have noticed the manner in which I exited his dining hall, I doubted that he would see the need to knock anywhere in his own castle.

The door opened inward, and I heard Caroline address the Captain of the Bravil Guard.

"Captain Lerus," Caroline was tight-lipped, and moved back into the room, leaving the door open to admit the woman. "You will have to excuse us; we are preparing to leave."

"I know, I heard," she rushed. The brunette Captain stepped into view, looking somewhat just as frustrated as we did. I glared at the yellow stag of Bravil, emblazoned on her cuirass.

I left Caroline to talk with the Captain, and returned to the bed, where my pack was laid out, to check that I had everything.

"Then you will have also heard that the Count does not mean to assist Bruma," Caroline said pointedly. "We certainly cannot hope to meet his requirements in the time that we have available to us."

"Yes yes, I heard it all," the Captain confirmed, and I wondered how news could have travelled so fast? Perhaps the Captain had been in the dining hall, and I had failed to see her.

"I'm here to attempt to undo the damage he has done," she added.

I turned to her now, shouldering my pack, unable to leave this between Caroline and her. "You would go against the will of your Count, and assist Bruma?" I asked skeptically.

"When it is required in order to meet the will of the Emperor, or for the greater good of the people of Bravil, there are many things I would do," she squared me with a look of determination, and I had the feeling from that look that she had been required to cover for the Count's indiscretions several times in her career.

There was a silence between us as we regarded one another, and I tried to gain a sense of the Captain who I had met only once, in passing, during our stay. She didn't seem to be joking; everything about her stature spoke of steadfastness. Yet here she was, eluding to what amounted within a county to treason.

"What do you propose to do?" Caroline asked cooly.

I shook my head, not wanting to entangle us in what, at best, would end up being a political battle amongst the Castle Bravil inhabitants and their Guard. "No. I am sorry, but there is no time for this. I'm ready," I turned to Caroline at the last, then started for the door.

Caroline was next to me in an instant. As we passed the Captain, the tall woman turned and followed us.

"I will escort you as far as the gates," she told us, falling into step beside us. "Perhaps we can talk on the way."

We said nothing, but as Caroline didn't immediately ask her to leave, I didn't protest.

After a moment of walking the halls of Castle Bravil, the Captain spoke up in a strained, quiet voice. "You must understand, my Lady," she was all but whispering. "The Count – he was once a great man. The Countess -"

She cut her talk short, as we neared a corner in the hallway.

"The Countess softened him, and when she passed, he despaired..." she told me, only resuming talking once it was assured that the walkway we entered was clear.

"I don't see how this is relevant," I hissed, somewhat through clenched teeth. "The Count may have once been a different sort of man, but that does not change who he is now, or what he will or will not do to assist the Empire," I said in a rush.

Caroline put a hand on my arm in warning, as I realised that regardless of what we had endured from the Count, the Captain did not deserve my anger. I checked myself and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I am sorry," I said to Captain Lerus when I opened my eyes, and motioned that we should continue on. "Please, tell us what you would have us know."

The Captain seemed to understand my outburst; she didn't even seem fazed by it. "It would be best left until we are at the gates now, my Lady."

I nodded, and we continued on, leaving the castle in silence and entering the courtyard. Our boots made little noise as we crossed the cobbles that lead to the small bridge that would take us from the island that the Castle had been built on.

Captain Lerus began talking again, faster now, since we were nearing the place where we would say goodbye. "Please, do not be too hard in your judgement of what has passed. The Count has been spoiled in his idleness. But it has been many years since the Count has taken any particular interest in my soldier's whereabouts," she added, with a grim tilt to the corner of her mouth.

We reached the gate, and I turned to face the Captain, a tiny flicker of hope buffeting against my fury. "You would send a portion of those under your command to Bruma?" I asked outright, since there was not much more time for talk.

The Captain shrugged, and offered me a small smile. "I didn't say that, and you'll here no such words pass my lips," she bowed to me, in farewell.

I smiled now, turning to Caroline in victory. She was also smiling too – though really, it was more of a smirk. When the Captain rose, Caroline held her hand out to the woman.

"Thank you for escorting us this far, Captain," Caroline said in a more cordial voice, as Captain Lerus clasped her hand.

The Captain maintained her smile as she shook Caroline's hand. "It was my honour. Safe travels to you both."

With that, we left Castle Bravil, feeling happier than I had believed would be possible, despite not securing anything official from Captain Lerus. It warmed me to know that even if the Count didn't want to understand what was going on in Cyrodiil, it was clear that his Captain did, and I was confident that she would find some way to send a delegation to Bruma, right under the Count's nose.

My joy doubled at the thought.

A/n: Thanks to those who've reviewed and sent PMs regarding their enjoyment of this story! I have to apologise for the exposition at the start of this chapter - but I wanted to move forward with the story, rather than deliver more endless discussions with characters we've already met in previous chapters.
CommandoDude - there's been hints of quests other than the main, but for the majority of them I felt it wouldn't make much sense from a narrative point of view for Sarina to fulfil them - at this point in her journey ;)