"With the Emperor's arrival in Skyrim now a certainty, his security service, the Penitus Oculatus, will need to begin its preparations immediately." Gabriella was diligently stuffing items into a bag for me. Papers. Weapons. Poison. There was never a shortage of murder tools in this place. "Security is being handled by a Commander Maro. Astrid and I have devised a plan to break the man, and in doing so, cripple the Emperor's protection. You are to slay the commander's son, Gaius Maro, and once he is dead, plant false evidence on him, implicating him in a plot to kill the Emperor.
"Killing Commander Maro would do no good. Someone would merely replace him. No, we need him to remain in charge, but distracted. Weakened. Implicate and kill his son Gaius, and the commander will be grief-stricken and humiliated, his family name ruined. The security plan will then fail. Best yet, the Emperor will be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking an assassination plot had already been discovered and foiled.
"He is set to leave the Penitus Oculatus outpost at Dragon Bridge and inspect the security of each city in Skyrim. Go there now. Observe Gaius Maro's departure and follow him. Waylay him in one of the cities and send his soul to Sithis. Once he's dead, plant the incriminating letter on his body, and let fate take care of the rest. Oh, and one final thing; Do not kill Gaius Maro in Dragon Bridge, or on the road. Kill him in one of the other major cities he'll be visiting. There, the body will be discovered quickly, as will the letter implicating Gaius Maro in the plot to assassinate the Emperor." Gabriella smiled as if she knew something that the rest of us did not.
Conversation was scarce on our way to Dragonbridge, although I should have assumed that it would be. Cicero wouldn't let me travel alone now that Sanguine was aware of the situation and out for blood. I complacently agreed, partly because I didn't feel like arguing with the fool and partly because I knew he was right. Cicero and I made our way inside of the inn and had a seat at the bar. As I was about to ask the inn keeper if she'd heard any news about Gauis, a smile tore across the young woman's face and she ran out to greet the men who had just walked in.
"Gauis!" She shrieked, scooping the younger of the two men entering the inn into her arms. The older man turned, and I saw his face. Commander Maro. After a few moments of kissing and coddling from the couple, the men resumed their conversation.
"Father, you worry too much." Cicero sipped his drink loudly and I hushed him. "I'll be fine."
"I know you will," spoke Commander Maro. I had met him a number of times traveling with Sanguine, and his voice was about the most noticeable thing about him. Rough, deep, and everything you'd expect a six foot something Imperial commander to sound like. "But all the same, remember everything I said. Stay alert, and when you get to the cities, make your observations and move on."
"I understand," the younger man said, his words muffled as the inn keeper kissed his cheeks repeatedly. That must've been his son. That must've been my target. "But you're being paranoid. I'm inspecting security, not charging off into battle. There's not a lot that can go wrong." Cicero snickered behind me and I jabbed him with my elbow.
"Son, when the Emperor's safety is concerned, anything could go wrong. Off with you, now. And good travels."
"Farewell, father. I'll return as soon as I'm able."
"Well, this is it, then," the woman said, finally pulling away. "Look after yourself, Gaius. You're doing your duty, and I'm proud of you. But you'd better come back to me. You hear?"
"Oh, Faida. I may travel alone, but you know I carry you always in my heart. I'll see you after I come home from Windhelm." They kissed once more and then parted ways.
"Yes, I'm sorry," Faida, the innkeeper, said blotting her eyes with her blouse. "What may I do for you?"
"Oh, nothing," I smiled at her politely. "I already have everything I need."
...
"You know," Cicero whispered as I lined up my shot. The streets of Windhelm were packed with people. With witnesses ready to find his body in a gutter within minutes. "That could be us."
"What are you talking about?" I wondered if he was referring to a previous event or if I had just missed a few words that he said.
"I'm talking about Gauis and his little inn keeper."
"What about them?" My arrowhead followed his body down a set of stairs but not around the corner of a building. I sighed.
"Their love. Their passion." I looked over as he smirked.
"Yeah, too bad that you," I leaned in spoke against his lips, tantalizing him, "don't really know who I am." I pulled away and slunk into the next alleyway. "You seem not to, that it. Or else you'd surely tell me."
"Oh, I know who you are alright," his breathing was heavy. "You're a minx."
"And?"
"And you're Innocence."
"Good." I smiled, accepting the small victory that was him using my name. He smiled back and I took the opportunity to prod for more. "Now we're getting somewhere. And what does Cicero know about Innocence's parents?" We scaled a roof near the ally where Gauis had turned.
"Cicero knows that they were very lovely people."
"So, you knew them?" I asked, retracting my arrow. Cicero shushed me and pointed. Gauis was slumped against the ally wall tangled with a bodacious blond. They roughly necked for another few moments before he handed her a satchel full of coins.
"Meet me inside, love," she spoke, taking the coins and tucking them into her breast. The woman turned the corner and entered the inn. Before he could follow, my arrow imbedded itself in his...
"Oh! Right in the giant's toe!" Cicero winced, grabbing his own nether region. "You finish up here, Cicero does not know if he can look for much longer."
I took out the letter and tucked it angrily into his pocket, not caring too much if it was crumpling.
"Still want to be them?" I asked Cicero.
"Why would I want to be them when I can be us?"