bopdog111: Noel, and Potema had tied the knot at long last.
Ulrich362: True, they did.
bopdog111: Now that Noel, and Potema are married with much of the Empire still needs work what's gonna happen on now?
Ulrich362: That's a very good question, let's find out. Enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: We don't own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but we own the OCs!
It had now been a few hours since Potema, and Noel had there business together in Riften for there marriage officially making him a member of the Septim Family, and after arriving back at Markarth they had duties to attend to involving making sure the Empire is steady for the future that they both had in mind to destroy the Thalmor, and take Tamirel back from them. It isn't gonna be easy but they sure are ready for the things that are ahead.
In fact they both have something to look forward too every night; each other. After Atub went back to Largashbur to discuss things with Gularzob they both decided to aid the Empire with there Ebony Supply. But that was a later time cause now it's late, and Noel was more then ready to head back to his chambers.
After finishing writing a policy he stretched yawning loud, "Whoa man... I don't think, I done paperwork like this..." A Forsworn Soldier walked over to retrieve the paperwork to hand to the Inner Council which is small at the moment but Noel turned over to him, "Trust me rookie this is only the beginning. Things will be tougher as we keep on like this."
"Maybe, but everyone is willing to follow you." the soldier mentioned nodding before walking out of the room.
"Finally done..." Noel yawned before getting up walking off.
He walked on up the Understone Keep over to a room, and walked in where Potema is.
"You knew being an emperor wasn't going to be easy." she mentioned to him calmly.
"Yeah, I know." Noel admitted stretching before smiling, "But I'm glad this isn't easy. Let's you know it will be hard work."
"True, and you've done quite a bit for our empire already." Potema nodded. "So, what are you planning on doing next? I have a few thoughts for how to strengthen our empire but I'm curious what you have in mind."
Noel walked over sitting beside her on the bed, "Well... it be a while before we head to Solstheim, and we need to be stronger before we head to Castle Volkihar. I already made a message to Cicero, and we haven't found a Stone of Barenziah yet so the Crown is still out of our reaches." He then smiled to her, "But perhaps we should try getting the Aetherial Crown now that your here. After all Empress' like you do need something to symbolize your office."
"I see, that would be rather fitting." she chuckled before pausing. "I assume you know how to locate the crown due to your avatar's experiences in this world then?"
"Well no... It doesn't exist yet." Noel admitted with a shrug, "In fact I do know how to create it but we need to find the four pieces of Aetherium to make the key for the forge."
"That's what I meant, you do recall how we met in the first place don't you?" Potema questioned before stretching. "So, tomorrow you and a small group will go to retrieve the Aetherium then?"
Noel nodded before smiling, "Well right now... time to consummate right?"
Potema turned to him at that with a smile. "Yes it is."
With that Noel stood up in front of Potema before starting to shed his clothes. Chuckling softly she stood up and began to undress herself. Once finished Noel was like he was at Coldharbour with several battle scars, and more toned muscles from fighting.
"Very impressive." she chuckled seeing that as she traced one of his scars. "You've more than made Skyrim your home."
Noel smiled more from that, "Well it was a bit of stress but it was worth it. Even with someone like you to relieve it with me."
"True." Potema smiled walking over and kissing him.
Noel kissed her back as they laid down on the bed together, and Noel smiled to her, "I love you my Wolf Queen."
She smiled at that. "Wolf Empress you mean."
Noel only chuckled kissing her cheek before she felt something hard poking her. Glancing down she chuckled softly. Noel blushed a little from this, "It's not weird looking is it?"
"Not at all, it's actually perfectly fit for an emperor." Potema smiled.
Noel smiled more before he starts to suck on her left breast while snuggling close to her body while the thing rubs against her. She shivered at that before pulling up the blanket and pulling it over them as she gently kissed Noel's head. Noel looks up at her with his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Potema inquired softly.
He pulled back saying, "Well..." He blushed more before under the blanket she feels him reaching for her hand.
Smiling she gently let him take her hand. Gently taking her wrist he guided it down where she feels against the hard thing she felt while he flinched a little. Gently gripping it she started rubbing him slowly. Noel shuddered before starting to suck her breast again. Potema softly wrapped her other arm around him feeling that. While Noel sucks her softly she relieves him by rubbing where it's hard which is Noel's arousal towards her on there duty to consummate now that there wedded husband, and wife. Noel on his part hardly believes Potema herself is relieving him of this feeling while he's really doing what he wanted to do to her for a while. If he was 12 or something then that would be a major problem but he's older then that so it should be okay here.
While sucking he reached his other hand rubbing her other breast. She let out a soft sigh feeling that. Pulling back for a second while softly moaning from her administration on him, Noel looked up before leaning up kissing her. She kissed him back. They kept kissing for a while before she starts to feel him shuddering against her.
"Is something wrong?" she teased playfully.
Noel only looked at her pleasured, "W-Well... something is gonna happen..."
"Let it happen then." she told him before capturing his lips in another kiss.
Noel kissed her back before after a few seconds he let out a moan in kiss as she felt something hot, and wet. She smiled into the kiss before pulling back. "Feel better?"
"Y-Yeah..." Noel breathed before looking down, "But... I dirtied your hand."
"It's alright." she chuckled looking at her hand before slowly licking it clean while looking at him seductively.
Noel blushed while seeing that. She couldn't help but chuckle seeing that. "Well, good night."
"H-Hey, hey..." Noel said from that before smiling, "It's... not fair only I got that feeling right?"
"Oh, were you going to do something then?" she asked as he noticed a playful teasing tone in her voice.
Noel smiled before crawling under the blanket.
"Oh?" she asked seeing that.
Then she felt a lick down there.
"Aahhhh!" she cried out before blushing. "Na... naughty boy."
He smiled as he continued down what he's doing under the blanket. Potema shuddered and squirmed feeling that. Noel kept doing this with a smile pleasuring his wife while holding her hips.
"Wa... wait... slow down." she shuddered. "I'm... I'm..."
Potema suddenly cried out. Feeling something Noel licked before crawling up exiting with his mouth wet. Potema was blushing and looked flushed before embracing him and kissing him again. He kissed her back while holding her close to him.
"Are you ready for the last step?" she whispered.
He nodded whispering back, "You bet I am..."
"Then go ahead." she smiled.
Noel moved above her readying before looking at her. She nodded softly. With that he moved in her shuddering.
"Just relax, take your time." Potema whispered gently.
When he's done pushing he leaned down kissing her. She shuddered but kissed him back. As they kissed they made love a plenty to signify there relationship, and status. After several minutes of this Noel was peacefully asleep beside Potema now relaxed from there night. Potema was gently holding him as he slept only to softly close her own eyes as her thoughts drifted off.
The next day...
Potema slowly awoken to Noel already awake was dressing up in causal clothing.
"I assume you're heading to get the Aetherial Crown then?" she asked.
Noel turned to her with a smile, "Before then we need to fuel our energy. And we should also check on Rhiadia. Now that Thonar is gone, she's gonna need a new place to make money to support herself, and her baby without Eltrys."
"That's true, give me a moment and I'll be ready." she mentioned getting up before walking to get something to wear.
With that they walked together around Markarth to see how the city is doing with them around. They see the citizens are doing well with the Forsworn as guards, and on standby in case an attack happens. They soon arrived at the Treasury House they entered, and see a depressed Rhiadia was at the counter as usual which they walked over, and Noel greeted, "Glad to see you Rhiadia."
"Oh, it's you." she mentioned quietly seeing him.
Noel frowned, "You look terrible Rhiadia... Had you been taking care of yourself?"
"I've been... trying." she admitted.
"Well Rhiadia... we came here to tell you something your gonna like." Noel softly smiled to her, "For one part you no longer have to work at this crummy place since the Silver-Bloods don't have the power there abusing anymore."
Her eyes widened slightly hearing that.
"And if you like, you can come be with us. You can be one of Potema's most important people to help her out, and in exchange we will be sure you, and your baby will live a wonderful life." Noel offered her with a smile, "I'm sure Eltrys would want you two to be safe."
"That... I don't know what to say, thank you." she whispered.
Noel nodded with a smile before saying, "Well come on, we will get you set up right now."
She slowly nodded before following the two of them. Arriving at Understone Keep they walked arriving at a room where it's closet to there own, and opened the door allowing Rhiadia to see it's a big luxury room looking around. Her eyes widened in awe seeing it. "This... this is amazing."
"If you have anything to bring up just ask one of the guards or us." Noel said to her with a smile.
"Right, thank you again." Rhiadia nodded.
"Now we should get some breakfast. You want to join us?" Noel offered her.
"Oh... thank you." she nodded.
They walked down entering the room where Madanach, Borkul, Atub, Silus, Uthgerd, even Kesh were there waiting for them.
"So, which Daedra do we go deal with today?" Borkul questioned.
"Well before that we should get probably the most important symbol of the Empire with us. A Dwarven Medal crown with the ancient jewelry of the Dwarves known as Aetherium engraved in it." Noel said as he, and Potema sat down while Rhiadia sits beside Madanach, "But we should fuel up with breakfast first."
"That sounds like a wise idea, and actually I think I've heard of Aetherium... there was a book on it if memory serves." Silus recalled. "The Aetherium Wars if memory serves."
"Yeah that's right." Noel nodded to Silus with a smile, "It said about something about a forge for Aetherium, and that got me thinking we should use it to create something to serve as the most important symbol of an Emperor or Empress of this Empire."
"Do you have this book with you Silus?" Madanach inquired.
"No, I don't have it with me unfortunately." Silus answered.
"I do actually." Uthgerd brought up before admitting, "I had been thinking of using this forge myself, and kept a copy for it's location but never thought it would come in handy here." She reached in her bag pulling a book out.
"What does it say?" Kesh asked.
Uthgerd started to read the book.
The Aetherium Wars
The end, when it came, was swift. In the span of three short years, the great dwarven cities of Skyrim, from Markarth to the Velothi Mountains, fell before the armies of the High King. Cities that had held fast against the Nords for over a hundred years crumbled abruptly and without warning.
For centuries, scholars have marveled at the sudden collapse of the Dwemer city-states. Even the Nords seem to have been taken by surprise, though their chroniclers were quick to ascribe their success to King Gellir's inspired tactics and the blessings of Shor.
My research suggests a much different cause, however. In the decades preceding their fall, the dwarven cities of Skyrim had been decimated by internal disputes and infighting over a most surprising cause: Aetherium.
Modern scholars know Aetherium as a rare, luminescent blue crystal found in some Dwemer ruins. Most consider it little more than a curiosity, as it has proven all but impossible to work with: while it has a strong magical aura, it is alchemically inert, and no known process can enchant, smelt, mold, bind, or break it.
To the dwarves, of course, such problems were merely a challenge. In the years following King Harald's reign, the Dwemer discovered a considerable source of Aetherium in their deepest delvings. An alliance of four cities, led by Arkngthamz, the great research center in the southern Reach, was formed to oversee its extraction, processing, and study, and a new 'Aetherium Forge' constructed to smelt it under precisely controlled conditions.
If the inscriptions I discovered are to be believed, the results were nothing short of spectacular: the items produced by the Forge were artifacts of immense power, imbued from the moment of their creation with powerful enchantments. The dwarven alliance shattered almost immediately, as the four city-states and their rivals attempted to claim the Forge.
We can only speculate that none were successful. Decades of conflict merely weakened them all, allowing for King Gellir's subsequent conquests. And though the Dwemer reclaimed most of their lands a century later, there is no evidence that they ever resumed their research on Aetherium. Perhaps the costs had just been too great.
But nothing like the Aetherium Forge described in the inscriptions has ever been found within the borders of Skyrim. It may have been destroyed long ago, by the Nord invaders or the Dwemer themselves. Or perhaps it, like the secrets of Aetherium itself, still remains to be discovered.
"Sounds like a myth to me, this Aetherium Forge likely doesn't even exist." Borkul frowned.
"I wouldn't suggest we get the crown otherwise." Noel had a different opinion, "Dragons were a myth before one came up. If Dragons are still alive after this long then this forge must be real too. Our best bet is too look into it."
"He makes a good point, so then we should head to Arkngthamz then?" Madanach inquired.
Noel nodded before chefs walked in, "Come on let's build our energy for the ride."
The group all nodded at that. After eating they all went to take a carriage. But Madanach, and Borkul see something a bit odd that the carriage there riding in looks different seeing men working on building a different one. Noticing that Madanach frowned turning to the carriage driver. "Do you know what's going on?"
The driver looked over, "His majesty started an order where carriages here will be given upgrades to protect against weather, and be comfortable inside."
"That's actually a good idea." Silus nodded.
Soon two carriages are complete where Potema said to them, "Ones that aren't fighting take the left one. The ones who can take the right."
Nodding at that they got into the two carriages. The riders whipped the railings where the two horses started to take off with the carriages following. Noel in his carriage smiled towards Madanach, and Borkul, "Sure we can take a regular carriage but we don't want getting sick before then in case it rains or something."
"True, very true." Madanach nodded calmly.
"While we wait do you two have any opinions about this next mission?" Noel asked the two.
"Your point about dragons was fair enough, but even assuming this Aetherium Forge exists how do you plan on using it? Aetherium is rare according to that book." Borkul pointed out. "How do we even know there's enough left to forge anything?"
"The key to the Aetherium Forge is made of Aetherium." Noel answered.
"So in other words, we can use the forge just one time... and you plan on creating a crown?" Madanach asked him.
"Of course. It's power is the reason why. Have you two heard of the Standing Stones?" Noel asked them.
"Of course, they're dotted all over Skyrim." Borkul nodded.
"Well this Crown allows you to have 1 of the Standing Stone's power into it along with one other power so you can have two at once." Noel explained with a smile, "For a tradition I think to secure your place as the Emperor, you have to select which power you want to imbue the crown with."
"Two at once, that has quite a number of potential uses." Madanach admitted.
"And as such that kind of potential should be used by the Emperors of the Empire." Noel agreed with a nod.
"You make a good point." Borkul nodded.
"Well I don't need to tell you all this is gonna be dangerous. This is Dwarven History we're talking about so you better be on guard against one of these machines." Noel said to them.
The two of them nodded at that. Soon they stopped where after they exit they see a ruined Dwarven entrance was at.
"So this is Arkngthamz?" Borkul inquired.
They nodded at this before Kesh admitted, "Kesh thinks this ruin had collapsed sometime before we came."
"Well whatever the case we should keep our guard up." Atub suggested which they nodded walking in.
Checking they see ruins around that looks like something destroyed the city.
"Whatever happened here, the city was destroyed a long time ago." Madanach noted looking around.
"Please, turn back... before it's too late..."
"Who's there?" Borkul asked drawing his weapons looking around before suddenly a tremor shook the place.
"We should keep moving, it might be a bandit trying to persuade us to leave." Kesh suggested.
"Perhaps, but still we should be on our guard... based on those tremors bandits aren't the only thing we need to be concerned with." Madanach mentioned.
Ulrich362: Apologies for the short chapter, but there's quite the extensive quest coming up and it definitely deserves its own chapter.
bopdog111: Lost to the Ages, quite the quest indeed, and one of the things that are the reasons why this fic came to be.
Ulrich362: One of a few things, but not the only one. See you in the next chapter.
bopdog111: Be sure to review!