A/N- Okay so I finally got this present day chapter completed and I'm satisfied with it. I think I found all the spelling errors, but I might have missed one or two regardless of days of proofreading. I feel like this chapter was a little slow, however I still think it needed to happen. I have the next chapter near-completion, but I need some time to walk away from it and come back with fresh eyes in order to catch any spelling or sentence errors. So I'll be working on another story for a few days and then I'll come back to chapter 53 sometime next week to re-read one more time before posting it.
With that said, everyone enjoy! And I once again thank everyone still reading!
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Settling into Cloud Ruler Temple was no big deal. The Blades had no trouble grabbing Tala's sacks full of belongings while Tala helped Eyja with hers. She insisted that Eyja's bed was to be set up in her chambers rather than down with the Blades, so they moved the desk out of the lower left hand corner of the room to set up the bed against the wall. Tala had offered to let her share a drawer or two in her dresser, but Eyja decided to lay claim to the empty desk and spare chest to store her personal belongings in. Tala was glad to have her close by. She needed her friend, and she didn't want to be left alone in the Emperor's Chambers. Even though she did sleep there on her own prior to the permanent move, Tala still had difficulty with the fact that this used to be Martin's quarters, and having Eyja there would be a much-needed distraction.
The only trouble they had with the move was trying to carry her chest full of gold. Jena insisted on getting a group of men to carry it and made Tala stay back. Oh, the groaning and moaning of Cyrus, Baragon, and Fortis as they had to haul that heavy thing up the stairs of the courtyard. The guards at Skingrad made less noise. When they eventually got it into the Great Hall, all three quickly feigned injury and made Baurus, Belisarius, and Caroline carry it up the rest of the way. That trio was quieter about it, but they still made comments on the weight. Tala knew they would never let her live this down. Perhaps if she spread the wealth a little and restocked the wine cellar, they could forget how heavy it was in no time.
Jena and Eyja had let Tala be the night of their return, but the following morning, the both of them made a point to catch her alone in her chambers while she took some time to organize her belongings. The cerulean-haired Breton had been eerily quiet during the entire trip, and they knew it was because of whatever Guilbert said to her before they left. They wanted to know what it was.
"So tell us what he said." Eyja bluntly started.
Tala merely glanced at her for a second before sitting down on the bed and unpacking all her little artifacts. When she continued to say nothing, the other two women got more even more curious.
"Whatever's running around that mind of yours is clearly bothering you." Jena added. "Otherwise, you would have told us already. We could help you make sense of it, you know."
Tala frustratingly shook her head as she tried to decide what to do. She did promise to tell them, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt unsure. She remained silent as she unraveled an aqua green robe that was used to hold her jewelry and started placing them in the jewelry box on the shelf beside the bed. She still had the Ring of Eidolon's Edge that Rosentia gave her, the Ring of the Vipereye for helping the Countess of Bruma, and a pair of amulets that once belonged to Arnora Auria, an Imperial spellsword Tala tried to help out during her first visit to Bruma. Her mission had fallen short when a greedy guard killed her. Upon finding Arnora's body, Tala took both amulets due to their uniqueness. And when Jena noticed the pair of amulets as Tala stood up and proceeded to bring them to the jewelry box, her shock was just as great as Tala's upon first seeing them.
"Those... look like replicas of the Amulet of Kings." Jena slowly said. "Where did you get them?"
"From a woman. I was trying to help her when she... died." Tala said in summary. "I took her amulets because of that very observation. A part of me did... and still does... want to know just what kind of family Arnora belonged to that her family heirloom looks like it was meant for royalty. And you want to know another strange observation I made?" Tala then held out the amulets for the girls to see, with one in each hand. "She told me this red amulet was her real heirloom, and yet it's simply the largest flawless ruby I'd ever seen. This blue 'fake' is actually cut out of a grand soul gem. They both are very old I can tell... but wherever and whoever fastened them, I'll never know." Tala then put the blue amulet in the jewelry box, but took a minute to stare at the red one. "In looking back at it, I really wish I had given this to Jauffre to use as a decoy. Maybe then we could've saved ourselves weeks of frustration in the attempt to get the real Amulet of Kings back from the Mythic Dawn."
While Eyja remained silent in her uncertainty over a response, Jena spoke up. "Yes, but if you didn't, you wouldn't have had all that time to know Martin and fall in love with him."
Tala was touched by Jena's comforting words, but her doubts still lingered. "But maybe if I had given Jauffre the decoy, Martin could've been crowned sooner, and he'd still be alive." When there was silence from both of them, the Breton breathed a sad sigh. "So many 'maybes' that mean nothing now."
As Tala put the amulet away and went to dig through another bag, Jena and Eyja continued to stand there and stare at each other. They could tell that Tala didn't want to say anything at that moment, but they refused to leave; they would wait until she finally told them what was bothering her.
Tala pulled out her small handful of books and put them on the bookshelf next to the ones Martin left behind. After that, she filled the empty spaces on the shelf with her little miscellaneous treasures, such as her expensive wine and the Varla stone that she picked up from Miscarcand. When she unwrapped an hourglass full of gems and placed it on the bookshelf, Eyja found herself being more fascinated by that than anything else Tala had in her possession.
"Why are there flawless gems and a ring inside?" She asked as she stepped closer to inspect.
"They were placed there by a man named Daravyn. It was a toy he and his childhood love played with, according to a note I found tucked away above my chamber door at Rosethorn Hall. Can you believe this thing remained hidden in the manor for almost two hundred years and none of its previous owners ever discovered it? Hell, if I didn't find that old note, I don't think I would've gone looking for it either. I found it wedged in a beam in the basement." Tala also stared at the hourglass for a moment before she softly added, "I didn't want to destroy it by disassembling and selling off the gems. I thought that if it survived intact for this long, it deserved to remain that way. I just hope that in keeping it safe, I'm honoring Daravyn and his love."
"That's very admirable." Eyja commented.
Tala's eyes fell downcast to the floor. "Admirable... That's kind of you to think of me as admirable for something so silly as holding onto a two-hundred-year-old hourglass." She then walked over to the edge of the bed to sit down and let out a heavy sigh. "I know I'm avoiding the question. You want to know what Guilbert said to me. I... just don't know what to do about it."
"What is it that he said to you?" Jena asked with curiosity thick in her tone.
Tala then looked up at Jena's hazel eyes and replied, "He offered his name. He... wants to play the role of my husband... and help me raise my baby."
Now both women stared at her with wide eyes and slaw jaws. "HE WHAT?" Jena shouted.
Tala quickly stood up to hush the Imperial. "Not so loud!" She whispered. "I don't want this getting out to the other Blades."
"That's amazing!" Eyja astonishingly said, completely ignoring Tala's request to remain quieter. "I could see that he wanted to help you in keeping your secret, but I never would have thought that that would be his solution! A strapping man in the prime of his youth... you'd think he'd actually want his own wife and children..."
"He can't have children." Tala replied. "That's what he told me before we left. So for him to help me raise my baby, in a way he would benefit from it as much as I would. He'd be playing a role he's wanted more than anything and thought he'd never be able to have, while helping me live a quiet life away from the eyes of the public." She sat down on the edge of the bed again and started fidgeting with the green skirt underneath her russet dress. "It's the most admirable thing I've ever heard. But... I'm not sure what to say to him. Honestly, he's the better candidate over any of my Knight Brothers. I don't feel comfortable choosing any of them, but I think I could feel comfortable with him. That being said, it would make more sense to choose him..."
Jena then raised an eyebrow. "But...?"
"But... I shouldn't choose him."
"Why not?"
Tala stopped fussing with the material, looked back up at Jena, and frustratingly sighed. "Do you really think Jauffre's going to accept this? That I made the Blades swear not to tell a soul, and yet I've shared this secret to strangers? And why exactly did I decide to tell the Jemane brothers, you may ask? Well, because I considered them my friends and they wanted to know. And since Guilbert already figured out I was with child because I let a clue slip from my tongue, I might as well tell them. Plus, my mother's wisdom and the foretelling of a Bosmer mage guided my sense of judgment the whole time. I sincerely doubt Jauffre is going to be accepting of that answer if I tell him."
Silence again from her two friends; she wasn't surprised by it, but it also wasn't helpful. After a long pause, Jena turned to look at the hourglass sitting on the bookshelf before picking it up. She periodically turned it over to watch the sand fall through and inspect the treasures buried within. And after another long minute of fixating on the item, her attention suddenly focused on the door.
"What's wrong?" Eyja asked.
Rather than verbally respond, Jena opened the door and walked out, taking the hourglass with her and leaving the other two in befuddlement as they watched her shut the door.
Eyja then turned to look at Tala and curiously asked, "What is she doing?"
Tala stood up from the bed to follow her. But when she reached for the door, she heard Jena's voice on the other side. "How long have you been listening?" She heard the Blade say.
"Long enough." Came the muffled sound of Jauffre's voice.
Tala stilled every muscle in her body, including her lungs. He was in his chambers the whole time? She panicked. Jena must've heard him when she was standing there.
"So now that you know about Tala's situation, what say you?" She heard Jena respond.
Tala slowly opened the door just enough to be able to see. The only thing she saw was Jena standing in the doorway, meaning Jauffre had to be sitting at his desk in his chambers. So if anything, she could hear Jauffre better without the door acting as a sound barrier.
There was a brief pause before she eventually heard the Grandmaster let out a sigh. "It is Tala's choice to reveal her secret to whomever she wants." He said almost defeatedly. "It is my duty to honor her wishes, no matter how complicated they may seem. However, it is also my responsibility to watch over her and her child, as well as act as an advisor. I do not wish to see her putting trust in the wrong people, and I am leery of someone outside of the Blades coming in and helping us in this scheme."
"She is careful... at least she tries to be." Jena said. "She knows the risks she's taking in keeping her role in the Empire hidden, and so far her trust has been placed with very loyal people who are willing to help her... and I thank Talos for sending her those people. Which is why I think we should consider the offer she's received from one of her friends."
"Tala may trust him, but can we?" Jauffre sternly retorted.
"I trust him... and his brother."
There was another heavy sigh from the old Breton. "How many other people besides the Blades know about Tala's marriage to Martin?"
"Four. Eyja- which you've met, Sinderion- an alchemist friend of hers, and recently two brothers named Guilbert and Reynald. Apparently, the latter knows you from his past. He said you and the other monks raised him when he was orphaned as a child."
There was another pause to recollect before Jauffre finally spoke up. "Ah, of course. I remember Reynald. Smart boy, good with a blade. A little mischievous at times, but kind hearted... sometimes to a fault. However, the last I heard of him, he was a drunkard on the streets of Chorrol and perpetually causing a ruckus."
"Not when I met him. Apparently Tala helped get him sober."
"Is that so?" Tala watched Jena nod her head. "So it's Reynald that has offered his name to Tala?"
"No. His brother Guilbert is the one."
"His brother is alive? I thought his family was killed by ogres."
"I guess the brother survived. And because of Tala, they were reunited and started rebuilding their home. They seem indebted to her for everything she's done for them, which is why I think Guilbert wants to return the favor."
"While that's a very kind gesture, there has to be a greater reason for him choosing to help Tala. He's not in love with her, is he?"
Jena's flicked her eyes to the door for a short moment and noticed one sapphire eye staring back at her through the small opening. She then returned her gaze to Jauffre as she held the hourglass up for him to see. "Did you hear how Tala came to acquire this?" She asked. There was no verbal response, but Tala guessed that he nodded, for she continued as if he did. "Anyone else would have exposed this hourglass for its treasures inside. They would have sold off the gems for money and seen if the ring was enchanted to use for their own gain, or sell it off right along with everything else before throwing away the sandglass shell. Tala saw it in its entirety as something genuinely valuable. It was an expression of someone's love for another, and it was hidden safely away for only his lover to find. Tala held onto it so as to honor their memory. She honored the memory of someone she never knew who lived long before her time. She didn't have to, but she chose to. It's a very admirable gesture. I think that's what Guilbert is doing for her. He sees her the same way she sees this hourglass. He knows she has a valuable gem inside of her, and rather than take that knowledge to the Elder Council, he's offered to take on the responsibility to protect them both. And in a way, he gets something in return for his offer... he gets a family to call his own. Doing this good deed for a friend is like a treasure he can admire with pride in the years to come... just as Tala will do with this hourglass."
While there was an awkward silence as Jauffre contemplated Jena's words, Tala leaned up against the door to do the same. It was a good analogy, and if Jena was guessing right, that only made Guilbert's offer more meritorious. Her shimmering blue gaze slowly focused over to Eyja, whom had been leaning up against the bookshelf to listen in; she merely looked back at Tala and smiled.
"If you are correct," They heard Jauffre begin, "Then I commend this young man for looking out for Tala. She needs to be protected, and she needs allies in her corner if she's choosing to live her life and raise her child in a low-key setting. It makes him a good candidate. I... just hope you're right about him... I hope Tala is right about him."
Jena softly smiled. "You'll have to tell her that yourself, Grandmaster."
Tala then opened the door to make her presence known, though she figured they both knew she was listening in on the conversation the entire time. When she approached the open doorway, she nervously stared at Jauffre as he sat sideways in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed calm, but she could tell that he was weary, and would be until she got her act together, put forth her prevaricatory story for Isa Raman, and made sure she and her baby were perfectly safe. A lot was riding on her to made sure the last of the Septim line survived, and she knew it very well. Which was all the more reason why she had to go forth with her decision to lay low.
"Is this friend of yours your official choice?" Jauffre asked her.
Tala gave it a little more thought, taking the time to really let Jena's words in Guilbert's defense really sink in. Then she very slowly nodded her head. "Yes. He's my choice."
Jauffre turned his head to look away from her and focused on a shelf in his desk. Inside that shelf was the leather pouch Tala gave him, and she knew her two valuable items were inside it. She knew he'd never let that little purse out of his sight, and she was thankful to have someone safely guarding it.
"You need to have him summoned here as soon as possible." Jauffre monotonously said. "We need time to prepare your story. You do not need to seek out Isa with holes in the plot. We'll spend time creating details and make sure you both answer any questions similarly. That's the only way this will work."
Tala nodded. "I will write him. Thank you, Jauffre. I... know this has been just as difficult for you as it has for me. I appreciate everything you and the Blades have done for me recently... especially after everything that has transpired in the last five months."
Jauffre turned his head slightly to look at her for the briefest of moments before his eyes shifted back to their center and his head slightly nodded. "You may not officially be Empress, but you are still our Lady. It is you we serve now, and future Blades will serve your child and their descendants so long as they live. I may have my disagreements on your choices, but at the end of the day, you will make your decisions and we will obey the commands. So long as you are alive and well, that's all that matters in the end."
Tala closed her eyes and politely bowed. "You have no idea how grateful I am to have your support." She then turned to walk back to her chambers and resume unpacking her things.
Jena and Eyja decided to leave her alone after that and headed for the Great Hall to grab something to eat. Tala would join them shortly; she only had a few things left to sort out: her Imperial Dragon Armor, her clothes, and her alchemy items. Rather than display the armor in a case like she did back in Skingrad, Tala simply took the bag she stuffed it in and tucked it underneath the bed. She really didn't want to look at it anymore. The armor was supposed to be a reward in recognition for her heroism, but all it was to her was a sad reminder of that horrible day. And now that it wasn't serving as a safe hiding place for her small leather pouch containing genuine valuables, the armor meant nothing to her now.
All she had in terms of ingredients were the ones needed to make her calming elixirs; the rest she left behind for Sinderion. In the midst of rummaging through her bags to put away her herbs and extra potions in the bottom dresser, she grabbed a hold of a special elixir: the vial full of tar-black liquid that the master alchemist had given her to permanently change the color of hair. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he gave her this bottle, though in actuality it was only a few months. Tala stopped for a moment to stare at it and admire the symbolism behind it. She doubted it would ever be of any use to her since she had no plans to change her hair, but it was a thoughtful gift from a wonderful friend, and that was all that mattered. Rather than tuck the elixir in the drawer with her other alchemy things, she decided to place it on top of her dresser for display, just to remind herself of Sinderion and the kindness he demonstrated when she needed it the most.
Lastly, Tala unloaded some mages robes in a middle drawer. She had at least three of them, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before she'd be wearing them instead of her russet felt dress. She was twenty-three weeks along and so far the attire was an okay fit, but she knew it wouldn't be for very long. Robes were comfy and unrestricting so long as she didn't wear the belt. She was just glad she bought two for fun and kept her apprentice robes when she entered the Arcane University.
And with all her items organized and her chest full of gold placed at the foot of the bed, she was officially moved into Cloud Ruler Temple.
After her midday meal, Tala returned to her chambers to grab some parchment and ink to compose her note. She then sealed up her letter and handed it to Eyja, who offered to take it down to Bruma and send the message with a courier, as well as head to Olav's Tap and Tack with a coinpurse full of Tala's septims in order to restock the food and spirits. It was a simple task and also a simple gesture as a way of apologizing to six people in particular for having to break their backs to haul her chest full of coin. Eyja was happy to do it without hesitation, though she made a point to tease Jena as she went out the door, asking the Blade if she wanted to write a letter for Reynald to send with Tala's. All the blonde Imperial did was roll her eyes and shake her head before shooing the brunette Nord away from her post.
All Tala had written in her letter was a few very simple lines:
Guilbert,
My answer is Yes. Please come to Cloud Ruler Temple as soon as you can.
Tala
