Author's note:
My dear readers, with last chapter I wanted to wish a belated Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it; with this chapter instead I want to wish all of you a Marvellous New Year.
First of all, let me thank each and everyone of you for your support. The special mentions of the day go to Valtieri, ShpperofTrashyShips, Elspeth, MeanE and Praetor Sylvor; As for Valtieri, don't worry if you're late with reading my story: the important thing to me is to know that you haven't given up on my writing and that you're enjoying what I publish. As Praetor Sylvor pointed out, I might have exaggerated with feelings in the last few chapters - yet, I think Agds and Stein deserved some peace before beginning to argue again about everything. Like MeanE underlined, the two of them still are the most stubborn people of Skyrim - and in this chapter this will cause another heated discussion. And yes, Elspeth is right: Stein can be rather silly in thinking that Agda will sit by and do nothing when a dragon comes to eat him...
Speaking of the current instalment, I must say that it is rather short and that it is not so exciting; yet, it sets the premises for the next part of this story arc. Remember the long lists of "political chapters" I wrote after Agda defeated Ancano? Well, they will be rather useful to understand what happens in this instalment and in the next one...
Enjoy!
2nd of Sun's Height, 4E 202
Whiterun suddenly felt like a different place, Agda thought as she anxiously climbed the steps that led to Dragonsreach. The young Nord had learned to consider that city as a place of peace and tranquility, but now that she was forced into her Archmage robes once again, the magic surrounding Steinarius' adoptive town had seemed to vanish.
Agda had first felt that change a few hours earlier, after she and Steinarius had got to Breezehome after their long journey back from the Greybeards. Although the Dragonborn had used a Shout to travel from High Hrotghar to Ivarstead, he and the mage had been forced to ride to Whiterun from there - and upon reaching their destination, they'd both felt nervous and tired.
As a consequence of her concussion, Agda had insisted on resting in Breezehome for a couple of hours. Since they had been travelling all night and the sun had just risen, the mage had expected her man to lay down next to her and cuddle her as usual; nonetheless, Steinarius had surprised her by claiming that he needed to fix his armor as soon as possible.
After the Imperial had left her alone in his house, Agda had slipped into an uncomfortable doze. The mage had been awoken a couple of hours later by the loud sound of drawers being repeatedly opened and closed.
I'm looking for my best clothes, Steinarius had told the mage when confronted with her questioning gaze. I cannot visit the Jarl if I'm dressed like a beggar.
Agda had frowned at that, then she had decided to accompany the Imperial to Dragonsreach. Steinarius had welcomed her decision with a smile, but he had also pointed out that she couldn't turn up in the palace without mentioning her title of Archmage of Winterhold. For that reason Agda was now wearing the baggy blue robes Faralda had sent her with a courier less than a week earlier. Also, the girl had tried to use a spell to make her eyes look brighter and her hair shinier.
As she approached the main hall of Dragonsreach, Agda frowned. That wooden building was extremely majestic and imposing and the mage couldn't help but feel intimidated by it. Sensing her fear, Steinarius squeezed her hand in encouragement. That morning the Imperial was truly stunning, Agda thought as she briefly locked eyes with him. The Dragonborn had managed to comb his usually tousled hair and was wearing elegant dark clothes. He had an expensive golden amulet around his neck and carried his best ebony sword by his side. That weapon was only for display, Agda knew that, but Steinarius had chosen it because he wanted to come across for what he actually was: a wealthy man, a deadly warrior and the newest appointed Thane of Whiterun.
Hopefully this combination of richness, martial talent and political power will help Balgruuf take the right decision, Agda thought as she took her first step inside Dragonsreach.
The interior of that legendary palace was very different from what the girl had imagined. It was tall and imposing, sure, but the wood gave it a certain feeling of warmth and familiarity. Also, the windows at the top of the building allowed the sun to cast its light all over the place. In comparison to the Palace of Kings in Windhelm, Dragonsreach looked much bigger and welcoming.
Agda was very surprised when the guards let Steinarius in without even asking him who he was - and she was even more surprised when her man confidently strode towards the throne of the local Jarl. She'd never considered Steinarius a politician; yet, she had to admit that the Imperial seemed born to roam the halls of powers without even flinching.
As the Dragonborn and her companion made to approach the local ruler, a Dark Elf suddenly grabbed Agda by the elbow and made to unsheath her sword. Surprised by that display of adversity, the mage stopped dead in her tracks; Steinarius, instead, was quick to intervene.
"Irileth, Agda is with me", he said, his voice calm and perfectly firm. "She's the Archmage of Winterhold. We would like to meet Balgruuf, as I told you earlier this morning".
The Dark Elf nodded and murmured an apology, then left to inform the Jarl of Steinarius' visit. As he noticed how shocked Agda still looked, Steinarius gently laid a hand of her forearm.
"Irileth is Balgruuf's huskarl", he explained her. "She's aggressive towards all the people she doesn't know".
Agda scoffed and made to reply, but she fell silent as soon as Irileth gestured for her and Steinarius to get closer to the throne. A man had just sat upon it and was looking at them with a mixture of worry and curiosity.
Jarl Balgruuf the Greater was a middle-aged man with an incredible charisma, a very fit physique and a mane of blonde hair that were slowly becoming grey; in his piercing blue eyes, Agda could see that he had suffered a lot during his life; nonetheless, that brave and proud man was ready to do everything he could to protect his land, his people, his family.
Much to Agda' surprise, the Jarl of Whiterun was very kind to her and Steinarius. The girl felt flattered when the Dragonborn introduced her as "a true daughter of Skyrim, the best healer of the land, the Archmage of Winterhold and, last but not least, my life companion" - and she was even more flattered when Balgruuf said that he'd heard a lot of good things about the new master of the only magical school of Skyrim. Unfortunately, the pride Agda felt at the two men's words faded as soon as Steinarius mentioned the reason for his visit.
"I have defeated Alduin on the Throat of the World, but my enemy escaped from me before I could strike the killing blow", he said, his eyes full of determination and his voice firm and stern. "For this reason I am bound to ask for your help, Jarl Balgruuf, in order to face Alduin again and rid the world of his threat".
There was a poignant break as Steinarius held Balgruuf's gaze for what felt like an eternity.
"What do you want me to do, Dragonborn?", the Jarl asked, a hint of skepticism hidden behind his roaring voice.
"Alduin is at his weakest now and I may not have another chance to defeat him", Steinarius replied. He looked perfectly calm and Agda couldn't help but think that in those critical moments the clumsy man she loved seemed to turn into an experienced warrior who was unable to feel terror or fear. "To defeat Alduin, however, I need to find his hiding place; and to find his hiding place, I need to question his lieutenant, an ancient dragon called Odahviing; to question Odahviing, however, I need to trap him somewhere. Unfortunately, in the whole of Skyrim there is only one place that was built with the purpose of holding a dragon captive - and that place is Dragonsreach, my Jarl".
There was a moment of astonished silence during which Agda feared that Balgruuf would throw Steinarius in jail for coming up with such a ridicolous idea; then, everyone started speaking. Proventus Avenicci cried that the Dragonborn was suggesting something impossible, Irileth underlined the risks for the people of Whiterun, Hrongar muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "you must be drunk". Balgruuf, however, remained perfectly silent for the whole time, his blue eyes fixed on Steinarius and his expression completely unreadable.
"I suppose there is no alternative, Dragonborn", he said once his advisors finally stopped talking.
Scared by the cold tone of the Jarl, Agda gave Steinarius a worried look. Her man, however, betrayed no hesitation or fear.
"I'm afraid there is not, my Lord", Steinarius said, his voice firm. "I wish there was, but there isn't - otherwise, I wouldn't be here. If I am to save the world, my Jarl, I'll need your help".
Frowning, Balgruuf turned his gaze to his advisors; then, his blue eyes unexpectedly returned to the Dragonborn's face.
"So be it", he sighed. "I will allow you to imprison Odahviing in my palace, Dragonborn. First, however, you must swear on everything you hold dear that you will do your best to keep the population safe; also, you must promise me something else: since I cannot allow you to use my palace as long as Whiterun is under threat of an attack, you will have to stipulate a peace treaty between the Stormcloaks and the Legion. If the two parties do not reach an agreement, you will have to find another place to imprison your dragon".
Confronted with those words, Agda felt the need to protest. The mage knew that her man was clever and honest and respected by both sides of the Civil War; yet, she couldn't imagine him and Ulfric Stormcloak sitting at the same table to discuss the possibility of a peace treaty.
"The Stormcloaks will never...", the girl began - and she was almost shocked when Steinarius abruptly grabbed her by the elbow and forced her to trail off.
"I accept your conditions, Jarl Balgruuf, and I promise you I will do my best to reach a peace treaty between the two sides of the Civil War", he solemnly swore. "In the meanwhile, I ask you to prepare your city for hosting a dragon".
When she woke up and noticed that her bed was still empty, Agda cursed.
After meeting Balgruuf, she and Steinarius had returned to Breezehome. The mage had wanted to tell her man off for making that absurd promise to the Jarl, but she hadn't had the time: uponapproaching his house, Steinarius had said he had some unspecified matters to discuss with the Battleborn family, then he had disappeared amidst the crowd of the marketplace. Alone with her rage, Agda had spent the rest of the day at Breezehome, waiting for her man to return and thinking about his absurd promise. The Stormcloaks and the Legion had been fighting each other for years; how could a former Imperial officier like Steinarius hope he could change things?
Tormented by that thought, Agda walked out of her bed and headed for the door. It was well past midnight and Steinarius still hadn't got home; annoyed by his behavior, the girl wished she could track him down and tell him what she thought of his promise to Balgruuf.
When Lydia asked her where she was going, Agda pretended she hadn't heard her and began roaming through the deserted streets of Whiterun. The city was stunning at that time of the night, but the mage was unable to appreciate its beauty.
Worried and angry, the girl walked through the narrow streets of the city for what felt like years; at last, when she caught a glimpse of a dark figure sitting on the benches near the Temple of Kynareth, she stopped in her tracks. Steinarius was on his own and looked tired and worried.
"I knew you would start looking for me", he said without turning to look at Agda. The Imperial was still wearing his clothes from that morning and sounded exhausted and depressed.
"This morning, rather than escaping like you did, you could have told me that you wanted some time alone, Stein", Agda bitterly replied. "I felt rather stupid, waiting for you in Breezehome all day".
Confronted with that remark, Steinarius sighed.
"I'm sorry Agds, but I needed to arrange quite a lot of things. I talked to the Battleborn family because I needed their help to organize a meeting with Jarl Elisif and General Tullius, then I talked to the Greymanes to arrange an encounter with Ulfric. Last but not least, I had to ask for a meeting with Kodlak Whiteman, the leader of the Companions".
"The Companions?", Agda asked, shock well evident in her voice.
Ignoring her surprise, Steinarius nodded.
"If I imprison a dragon in Whiterun, I'll have to make sure the city is well protected - and the Companions are the only ones who can help me keep the inhabitants safe. Unfortunately, it took me quite a lot to write a letter to their leader, as I still haven't got over my past problems with them".
When Steinarius sighed, Agda got a step closer to him and gently laid a hand on his elbow.
"I'm sorry you have to do this", she whispered.
Steinarius humorlessly chuckled, then he draped an arm around her waist.
"And I'm sorry you didn't get to tell me off this morning, Agds. I did notice your expression after I made that promise to Balgruuf - and I must admit it was one of the reasons why I was wasting my time here rather than going back to Breezehome".
Agda shook her head in disbelief: Steinarius really knew her better than anyone else.
"If you think these words will cause me to forgive you, Stein, you are..."
"Damn wrong, honey, I know", Steinarius smiled. "Yet, you can't blame for trying".
There was a moment of silence during which the Dragonborn pulled Agda closer.
"I am travelling to Solitude in three days time", he announced as he gently began stroking her hair. All of a sudden, the man's voice had become sad and tired. "And once there, Tullius and Elisif will ask me to resume my role in the Legion".
"That's not a problem", Agda shrugged. "You already have a dragon to defeat and a world to save, Stein; I don't think you should add the civil war to your list of worries".
"I know, Agds", the Imperial sighed. "Unfortunately, after Thorygg's death I swore I would do everything in my power to prevent Ulfric Stormcloak from taking the throne. Elisif knows about that promise and she will do her best to remind me of it".
"I thought Elisif was the weakest ruler in all of Skyrim. Are you afraid of her?"
There was a moment of silence, during which Steinarius heavily sighed.
"Agds, I'm not one to break promises. Elisif was Thorygg's wife, I was his best friend: if I don't fight to defend his memory, who..."
Those words suddenly caused Agda to free herself from Steinarius' arms. Was her man really planning to fight in the civil war after killing Alduin? If so, he was even crazier than she thought.
"If you don't fight to defend his memory, thousands of others will, just like thousands of others have done until now", the girl abruptly broke Steinarius off. On her face the Dragonborn could read disbelief, anger and worry. "Stein, this war has been tormenting this country for more than three years now. Do you really think you can change its course? Because I think that if you take part in the war, you will risk your life for nothing! And if you die in order to fulfill some crazy promise you made to a dead man, I will personally come to the Hunting Grounds and kick you in the nethers until the end of time! You don't even know if you will survive Alduin or not, yet you are already plotting your next epic battle. Why can't you just slay Alduin and be happy with it? Why do you have to pursue death every moment of your life? Why do I mean so little to you?"
That last question caused Steinarius to feel as though he'd just been stabbed.
"Agds, this is not about you", he said while trying to calm the young mage. "This is about the death of my best friend and my desire to avenge him. Your happiness isn't at stake, honey".
"Vigdis' happiness wasn't at stake either when you complained that you couldn't join the Legion because of her, was it? You've already lost one woman because of the civil war, Steinarius; do you want to lose me too?"
As soon as the words escaped her lips, Agda felt as though she'd just made a huge mistake. Mentioning Vigdis during an argument with Steinarius was a low blow, that much she knew; yet, implying that she could dump him just like the other woman had already done was a hundred time worse.
Just like Agda had predicted, her question caused Steinarius' eyes to become golden; yet, rather than turning into a werewolf and attacking her, the man surprised her by hiding his face in his hands.
"I shouldn't have brought it up", he said, his voice no louder than a whisper. "As you say, I don't even know whether I'll survive Alduin, so it is useless to make plans for the future. It wasn't useless a few nights ago, though, when we were talking about children and goats".
Much to her shock, this time it was Agda's turn to feel as though she'd just been stabbed. Nonetheless, the girl knew that Steinarius was trying to hurt her and had no intention of falling into his trap.
"You cannot compare the two things", she calmly murmured. A moment later, the girl sighed. "Is it so wrong of me to desire a quiet life with you, Stein? Is it so evil of me to desire a family with the man I love? Is it so wrong to wish my man didn't risk his life in the war after sacrificing so much to the safety of this country?"
There was a long moment of silence, then Steinarius shook his head.
"It is not wrong, Agda. Let's just forget about the war, shall we? As you say, I don't even know whether I'll survive Alduin. We'll think of our future once that horrible black lizard is dead".
Agda sighed. She knew that the argument related to the civil war had not been solved; yet, she was glad she and her man had enough maturity to agree about discussing that matter in another time.
"Speaking of promises... We still need to organize the peace treaty", Steinarius said when the silence between him and Agda became untolerable. "As I mentioned, I'm talking to Elisif and Tullius myself. As for Windhelm, instead, I think I will need your help".
Frowning, Agda gave her man a suspicious look.
"You are a Nord and you have already talked to Ulfric once", Steinarius said despite the murderous look on the face of the young mage. "I would be very glad if you could speak to him once again".
Scoffing, Agda immediately shook her head. Her first and only encounter with Ulfric had been a disaster and she had no wish to meet him again. There was something dangerous about that man - and as she thought of the kiss they'd exchanged on that weird night in Windhelm, Agda felt overwhelmed by embarrassement and disgust.
"No way", she stated, her voice firm and unmovable. "Ulfric almost tricked me into believing him once; I will not make that mistake again".
"Which is why you're the perfect person for talking to him", Steinarius surprisingly told Agda. The girl had the feeling her man had predicted her disdainful reply and had already thought of a way to get over her protests. "He tried his spell on you in the past, but you didn't fall into his trap. He respects you for that and I'm sure you will manage to knock some sense in that stubborn head of his. That's why this morning I made that promise to Balgruuf: because I know that I can count on you, Agds - and only with your help I will be able to keep my promise to the Jarl and to give Skyrim a well deserved break from this damned war".
For a moment, Agda felt the wish to start arguing once again with Steinarius. The man had taken her help for granted, but she really had no wish to meet Ulfric again.
"Stein, the last time I met Ulfric... it didn't go that well", she said, her face red from embarrassement. "Actually, it went so bad that I think Ulfric won't be happy to see me at all".
Agda wasn't surprised when she noticed the flicker of curiosity and suspicion in Steinarius' eyes. A moment later, when the man laid a hand on her cheek, she felt her face become even redder.
"Is there a reason why you're blushing?", the Imperial asked her, his voice soft and doubtful.
Agda shook her head, then sighed.
"No, there isn't - or maybe yes, there is. When I met Ulfric, he... We... We kissed, Stein. On the lips. Hard. And had the circumstances been different, we would have probably ended up in the same bed; luckily enough, I had just been tortured by Ancano and I still felt unease with my body and scars, so I refused Ulfric's advances and left Windhelm as fast as I could. In doing so, I might have used a spell on him or something similar".
There was a moment of silence and Agda felt the need to justify herself in front of Steinarius.
"I'm not telling you because I want you to get angry", she said without daring to look her man in the eyes. "I just wanted you to know, so that you can understand why I don't want to meet Ulfric. I didn't mean to imply that he's good-looking, or that I like him, or that..."
Much to Agda's shock, at that point Steinarius chuckled. A little, amused chuckle that caused the man's eyes to return to their usual grey color.
"Agds, we weren't together back then. You could have gone all the way with Ulfric and I would have no right to complain. You don't need to worry for the things you did while I was away".
Agda was shocked by her man's lighthearted tone.
"So you're not jealous?", she asked while raising an eyebrow.
"You can damn bet that I am jealous, Agds!", Steinarius chuckled. "Which is why I'd like you to travel to Windhelm with Lydia. Yet, I don't think Ulfric will try to touch you again. Actually, I think his respect for you might have doubled after you refused him".
"And what if you're wrong and he's still mad at me?"
Steinarius shook his head.
"Agds, Ulfric is a Nord at heart - and Nords are weird moody creatures who value braveness above everything else in the world. It took you quite a lot of courage to turn down Ulfric Stormcloak - and I'm sure his respect for you doubled after that small episode. If you don't feel like visiting Windhelm, however, don't worry: I'll go there myself".
As Steinarius spoke, Agda tried to imagine him in the Palace of Kings, alone in a crowd of rebels and haters of the Legion - and as she thought about her man's indelicacy at dealing with people, she immediately realized that he had no chance to talk Ulfric into signing a peace treaty with the Empire.
There was no other choice: if she wanted the Dragonborn to defeat Alduin, Agda needed to meet the leader of the Stormcloaks once again.