p class="MsoNoSpacing"emspan style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"30supth/sup of Hearthfire./span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"emVittoria Vici's house/em/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Alexia had just arrived and was heading into the dining hall for breakfast. "Wear your best smile," Vittoria whispered as she leaned in over her husband's shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Stop ordering me around, I know," he hissed. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The trio took their seats and Alexia threw a characteristically disapproving look at her son-in-law. Vittoria had prepared for that meeting since the previous evening as it was not something she found pleasant. Her mother had been difficult to convince that Asgeir was a suitable match for her daughter, and she made it very evident that she detested everything the man stood for. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"With a sudden knock, the door flung open. Vittoria turned her head and saw how Orgir entered in a hurry. She immediately understood that something was terribly wrong./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Lady Vici," he said. "There's an inquisition going on at the headquarters!"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""What?" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""The Jarl ordered to check the bookkeeping."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;""Gather the /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"mercenaries/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;"!" Vittoria ordered, already half way to the door before turning around yet again. "I'm sorry, mama, but I have to take care of this."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Do you ever get time to unwind?" she asked, frowning, and in a high-pitched tone./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I have to go, mama, see you in the afternoon," Vittoria said, almost as if she was subordinate to Alexia./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria and Orgir did not run for the city gates, though. Instead, they set off toward the wall dividing Solitude in half. The pair quickly arrived at the guard tower. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Open the door!" she ordered the guard. He obeyed quickly./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The woman sat off down the stairs, holding her skirt up while taking the steep steps down and boiling inside. That bitch. That stupid bitch who thought she had Jarldom in her – she was waging war against the most powerful woman in Skyrim. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Having reached the bottom of the stairs, she put one of her keys in the door, opened it and entered the room on the other side./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Five men were standing there, four ordinary Hold guards and an officer. They all looked nervous and slightly uncomfortable performing the task they have obviously been ordered to perform. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""What on Nirn is this?" she asked. "Explain yourselves!"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"All of them remained quiet for a few seconds. Then the officer, having probably realised that he was the one who was expected to do the talking, opened his mouth and began to mumble something. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I can't her you, speak up!" Vittoria ordered./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""We have an order to inspect the base forming the tax rate…" he began./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Paragraph two in Decree number fifty-four, signed by the late Jarl Torygg's father, clearly states that only the property owner can grant access to a third party, and that the property owner has a right to defent this right with sword."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"Vittoria crossed her arms on her chest and could hear the sound of metal being pulled out. Orgir had probably /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"drawn/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" his sword./span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Do you want 'em dead or alive, Lady Vici?" his brutal voice was heard./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria looked triumphantly at the guard as he mumbled something before turning around and almost running thought the door, with his subordinates quickly following. Vittoria waited for a few moments as her employees began to arrive in her office./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""What is the black bookkeeping doing here?" she asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Milady! They ordered us to present it…" a man said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""And for what purpose do we keep a fake one if not to present it for the authorities?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Milady," another man said. "They knew it was fake. You saw how many they were – we had no other option."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria looked at the man. "How much time did they have to read the real one?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Maybe a quarter of an hour."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Good grief," she sighed and put arms on her waist./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She could hear steps coming closer from the secret passage she had arrived from some five minutes prior. Her husband had made his way to the office and threw his arms out almost as soon as he put his foot through the door. "What is going on?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria turned to face him. "That… that bitch sent her men to have a look at the bookkeeping!"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Well, what can she do, even if she knows you haven't been presenting her the right numbers? You can simply refuse to pay more tax. It's not as if she has a hold of you," he stated calmly. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"Vittoria looked at him. "You're right. But she has more to her than I first believed. She doesn't seem to be an idiot, placed by Ulfric on the Haafingar throne simply to be loyal to him. She takes her own initiatives, and I'm sure it isn't that /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"emamateur/em/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" of a Stewardess who ordered this."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"*/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"emspan style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Blue Palace/span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora had spent all morning discussing the results from the raid with a very agitated Nilsine. Neither of the women knew what to do in the situation and it felt to Aurora as if their conversation only went around in circles./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Can we call for Ratibor?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Gods, no, Aurora!" Nilsine exclaimed. "This is em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"extremely /emsensitive information."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I trust him."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""He is an Imperial, representing an imperial county as the future Count. He might have connections to the East Empire Trading Company."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""But Ratibor doesn't…"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Aurora," Nilsine said. "I really advise you against involving Ratibor in this."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She looked at her Stewardess. She was not bending an inch. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Fine," Aurora said. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Just… let's just send the letter to the High King," Nilsine said. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The numbers Vittoria presented were obviously fake based on the secret bookkepping found at Vittoria's office. The guards could not bring the parchment rolls with them, and only managed to look through some of them and compare them to the official figures, so Aurora had no exact numbers she could report to Ulfric. Nonetheless, she had written a letter almost immediately as she realised the High King needed to know about this. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""We still need a number," Aurora said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;""One hundred and forty two /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"thousand/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;"," Nilsine shouted./span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""It just sounds like we made that number up."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""But, my Jarl, we em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"did /emjust make it up."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'll write 'four hundred and twenty one' or something – it sounds more like we made an effort counting."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora quickly scribbled the numbers down and rolled the parchment. She was just about to seal it with stearine as the door was thrown open. Aurora had anticipated Vittoria, so she quickly threw the parchment to Nilsine, who caught it and nimbly jumped to the side as the angry Imperial entered. With Vittoria barely noticing, Nilsine snuck out of the cabinet./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I guess you know why I am here," Vittoria said. "Early this morning, guards of Haafingar em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"illegally /ementered the premises of the East Empire Trading Company."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora sat by her table. She was not afraid of Vittoria, however, the situation was definitely not a particularly comfortable one for her. "Yes, and now I know you can pay the taxes," Aurora said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I am not going to."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Then I will be forced to confiscate your goods," Aurora spoke with slight anger./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Then I will have to defend them with swords."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora thought it had gone too far. Open war on Solitude's streets was not desirable for either one of them. Through Vittoria's anger, it was also evident she felt the same./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;""Are you threatening me with your /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"mercenaries/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;"? I have an army!"/span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria remained silent for a few seconds. "The Emperor will hear this!" she hissed./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""The High King will hear it too!" Aurora said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vittoria turned her heel and walked away. Aurora buried her head in her hands, placing her elbows on the table. What a headache. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Vittoria will not let this pass. She will take revenge," Aurora could suddenly hear Nilsine's voice. Aurora looked up and saw her Stewardess lean through the door opening. "What shall we do?" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She looked genuinely lost for ideas./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""We need to post the letter. Get me a courtier and get me Ratibor."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""But…"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Get me Ratibor."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Nilsine realised it was pointless to push it further and turned around, pushing the door closed. Before it had time to shut, Olfina's face appeared. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Aurora, how about we do some sword training?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Olfina, stop nagging!" Aurora hissed. "I don't have time. Leave me alone!"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"*/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"emspan style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Proudspire Manor/span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"emspan style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ratibor was lying in the living room sofa with his head against the armrest, holding a green apple in his right hand. Bogdan had taken the seat on the far end of the sofa and was sitting with his brother's feet in his lap. The younger Goldwine played with a painting brush he had previously found on the top of a cupboard. Egor and Vecheslav were sitting in chairs on each side of the sofa, each seemingly unoccupied. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Why can't you just be tasty?" Ratibor suddenly spoke as he looked at the apple, causing Egor to laugh. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Just have breakfast, Ratibor," Vecheslav said in an annoyed tone. "I can't stand you complaining over not eating bread. You make it difficult to focus on my work with your grumpiness."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The older Goldwine brother turned his head to the side and looked at Vecheslav. "I am trying to lose weight."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Well, all of us don't need to know about your dietary preferences," Vecheslav grinned. "I'm off to the Winking Skeever," he continued as he got up. He went toward the large cupboard which was placed close to the dining table, and began to gather some ink and parchment rolls./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Hey Bogdan, I need to find myself a good alchemist," Egor said. "The colours I got from the apothecary over here were simply awful, and I have about a fortnight to finish my last painting before the exhibition which I managed to convince the Bards College to host."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Bogdan drew circles on his left palm with the brush while looking down. "I don't know any alchemists."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You're friends with that... that Riften girl."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Whom?" Bogdan asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You know... the odd one. The court alchemist."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Uh um," Bogdan uttered and shook his head. "I don't know her."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""But she's noble," Egor began, but stopped as he saw Bogdan's gaze turn towards him. "Wrong brother, sorry. I'll speak to Ratibor."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He got up from his char and took two steps toward the sofa, pushed Ratibor's feet to the ground and squeezed in between the two Goldwine brothers, who were now both sitting up./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""For Gods' sake, just walk up to her if you want her to help you with your stupid colours," Bogdan said in an annoyed, albeit calm tone. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""She's noble."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Sometimes I wonder why the Oblivion I'm friends with you," Bogdan moaned before looking down into his left palm again./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor looked at him with a playfully teasing expression. "You're rude."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Bogdan grinned and put his left arm around Egor's neck, still holding onto the brush, which he flung up and down with his fingers./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Just talk to her," Ratibor said, taking the brush from his brother while looking at Egor. "Her name is Ingun Black-Briar."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Will you introduce us?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I don't know her either, and frankly, I do not care to change that," Ratibor said. "Even Nilsine says she is bonkers," he said, breathing out./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Hm..." Egor thought. "Do you think Aurora will help me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""How should I know?" Ratibor asked. "Ask her yourself."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You seem to be close," Egor said with his eyes half-closed, having raised his chin and looking at Ratibor. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I like her," Ratibor stated neutrally. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""So I've noticed," Egor grinned, but two seconds later, he became disappointed over the fact that Ratibor did not react. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Suddenly, noise was heard from the stairs. It was Aifur Blue-Quill, the old historian who was living in the cellar next to Egor's room, who was emerging from downstairs./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor turned to the younger brother. "Hey, Bogdan, do you think there's any chance we can get rid off oldie over there?" he asked, looking at the historian who had gone into the kitchen. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The old man could barely hear anything and did not bother Bogdan the slightest. He just shrugged his shoulders in reply. Egor lit a smoking stick over the candle on the table and gave it to the younger Goldwine./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Once again, a sound was heard, but the trio did not bother as they assumed it was Aifur preparing something in the kitchen. However, it was in fact Vecheslav who entered the living room again. "There is an Illdi asking for you, Ratibor," he said. "She's from the Bards College and says you met at the festival."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ratibor sighed. "Tell her I'm not here."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Vecheslav, still holding on to three parchment rolls, went outside again./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I've come up with a new poem we can perform with," Bogdan said and looked at his brother./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Let me see," Ratibor said, reaching over Egor to take the parchment./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I think Vittoria is pretty," Egor said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The brothers looked at him, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?" Ratibor asked, wrinkling his eyebrows before looking down at the piece of paper his brother had given him./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""No, I just... for Gods' sake, are you men or what?" Egor sighed. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I don't like her," Ratibor said, reading the poem./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Because she's annoying."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You know her?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I've met her at a ball in the Imperial City many years ago, and she hasn't changed a bit," Ratibor said. "She's ambitious to the verge of viciousness."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""But she is pretty," Egor added with an insinuating tone./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Bogdan was looking at the ceiling, smoking./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""So are your paintings, and what?" Ratibor asked, looking up at Egor./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Well, you can't say that you haven't considered how it would… be with the different ladies of Solitude?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""That would be a lie, however, I have found no one of interest," Ratibor said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Liar," Egor laughed. "Come on! Bogdan only has substances and amateur poems on his mind, but you are a bachelor in your prime years..." /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I don't like anyone of them enough to marry."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Not even Aurora?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ratibor turned towards him. "Have you been speaking to Umbranox?" he asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Maybe a little," Egor chuckled. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I have absolutely no interest in Aurora!" Ratibor exclaimed. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Why?" Egor interrupted him. "Vecheslav is right – the two of you could form the most powerful family in all of the former Empire, and being the man of duty that you are..."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""That is taking it a step too far," Ratibor protested. "I am not going to marry out of duty, and besides, there is no chance in Oblivion that Aurora would want to marry me."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Why? She seems to like you. You seem to spend time together." /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Aurora is…" he did not want to explain the reason for his visits to the Palce./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Yes?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""She's a good drinking partner. Not many can keep up with me the way she does."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""So a week ago when you spent the em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"entire /emday at the palace, you were drinking?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Once again, they heard a sound which, this time, resembled a knock on the door. The men looked at one another. Egor then sighed and got up. "Guess Illdi didn't buy into the explanation that you aren't here," Egor chuckled as he went to open the door. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ratibor had considered it, but concluded that the rest of the Counts would not accept their oldest child take over both Haafingar and Kvatch. Therefore, he had quickly abandoned that idea. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Have you read the poem?" Bogdan asked, almost annoyed./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""No, Egor has been a disturbing factor, I'll read it now," Ratibor hissed./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""It's for you," Egor said, entering the living room with Nilsine in tow./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Lord Goldwine, the Jarl wants to see you at the Blue Palace. Now."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ratibor rolled his eyes at Egor's insinuating gazes and dropped the piece of parchment on the table to Bogdan's great annoyance. He bowed very hastily toward Nilsine, who equally carlessly made a curtsay. They had seen so much of one another that they no longer cared for formalities. Ratibor went towards the door, but suddenly stopped./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Fuck, Illdi is outside, speaking to Vecheslav," he said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""And?" Nilsine asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I told him to tell her I'm not here. We'll have to take the cellar door," the man said and swooshed Nilsine toward the cellar stairs./span/p