Raminus watched with exasperation as the arch-mage, his "dear" friend, bustled about her room, tossing all manner of potions, food, coin, and other sundries on the plush bed. A servant entered bearing a pitcher of water and pouring it into a washbasin. She left just as quickly, and Elisif started stripping off the ragged top, leaving her breastband in place for her blushing companion's sake.
"Raminus, why haven't you healed that black eye already?" she asked while scrubbing the grime of the dungeons from her face.
"To remind me not to go out gambling with a sore loser." he answered, "Elli, what happened? You weren't due out for another week, at least."
"Oh, you know. They let me out early on good behavior." she joked, now swabbing at the dirt that covered her chest and shoulders. Her lighthearted answer did not seem to satisfy him.
"Very funny, Elli! They'd have at least given your shoes back." he gestured to her mudcaked feet.
Elisif shrugged and paid her friend no mind, her own thoughts troubling and not good for company of any kind. As she scrubbed her arms and under her grimy nails, the events of the night previous played through her head. The Emperor, dead on her watch? How could she tell anyone that she had been unable to stop a lunatic from assassinating the emperor of all Tamriel? Sure, she had killed the bastard afterwards, but his blood did nothing to revive the fallen Septim, last of his line. Or very nearly.
He had spoken to her as though she were important. Sure, she had money and influence, but not in the Bastion, and not to the extent that the ruler of all the provinces would notice.
"'Close shut the marble jaws of Oblivion.'" Elisif murmured, her frantic scrubbing coming to a stop.
"What's that?" Raminus replied, and she held up the sponge to him.
"Scrub my back?" she asked, and the wizard groaned but did it all the same, cleansing her scarred flesh delicately. "Thank you, Raminus. You must know that I didn't intend for things to go the way they did at the Arena. I apologize for that." she turned and lifted a hand, placing it over his blackened eye and soothing the bruise away with her restoration magick. Healing was no forte of hers by any means, but he was well enough after that.
It was after her feet were knocked clean of mud that she reached into her pocket and showed him the Amulet of Kings. If she had pulled out a poisonous snake and flung it around his neck, she doubted that he could have looked any more surprised. With shock in his face he bolted the door and pulled her close.
"Elli?! What have you done? Our Emperor lies dead this very day; he's barely cold yet. I-...no, I don't want to know how you got it. Just...what are you going to do with it?" his voice was barely a whisper, but she heard his disbelief and fear just fine.
"I'm taking it to the Blades. And I didn't steal it Raminus, if that's what you're thinking." She then proceeded to tell him of the night previous. It took far longer than expected, and by that time she was fully armored and packed, silvered dagger at her side and magicka potions on her belt. Raminus sat on the bed looking stunned.
"Elli, what is it you intend to do? Where are you going?"
"Apparently I'm going to close shut the marble jaws of Oblivion." She answered brightly, then grinned. "Right. Gotta find myself a royal bastard and save the world. Take care of things while I'm gone?"