It was him. It was all him. Sanguine told the Vigilants of Stendarr about our home in Cheydinhall. Sanguine brought death upon our family. Sanguine had brought me to Skyrim. Sanguine had let me rot in that orphanage for six miserable years. Sanguine had took me, tortured me, trained me, tormented me, until I broke over and over again. He killed my family and forced me into servitude. And for what? Morality? He would pay. For my mother and father, for all of Cheydinhall, for Falkreath, for Cicero, for me. He would pay. But there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"What is it? I said I didn't wish to be disturbed," Amaund said, not peering up from his book to check on who his unexpected guest was. He was clearly frustrated, probably assuming that the Dark Brotherhood had taken his money, botched the contract, and perished.

"Sithis is due a soul. Wouldn't you agree?" I sat in the chair opposite him. He had taken solace in the back room of the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. A quaint place, perfect for discussing the newest plan for murdering the Emperor.

"By the gods, you're alive. But I had heard your Sanctuary… Please! You mustn't think I had anything to do with that! I wanted the Emperor dead! The true Emperor! I still do! It was Maro. He..." I cut him off with a hand to the mouth. Even if the tavern was small, this was not a conversation to have at the volume he was speaking.

"The Emperor. The real Emperor. Where is he?" I slowly let my hand leave his face, his eyes full of realization and, dare I say, hope.

"You mean, after all that's transpired, the Dark Brotherhood will still...honor the contract? Why, this is astounding news. Wonderful news! The Emperor is still in Skyrim, but not for long. He's onboard his ship, the Katariah, moored offshore in the Solitude Inlet. But you must hurry! If you can get onboard that ship, and kill Titus Mede II as contracted I will reveal the location of the dead drop that holds your payment."

"Commander Maro," I still had a bone to pick with him as well. "Where is he?"

"Ah, yes, I can imagine you'd want to settle that score. Last I heard, he was at the Solitude docks, conducting the Emperor's departure."

"What kind of security should I expect?"

"Surely you're joking? This is the true Emperor, not some half-Septim lookalike. He'll be surrounded by elite bodyguards, I'm sure. You'll have your work cut out for you," Even sitting mere feet from a trained assassin, he still had snark to spare. I rolled my eyes, conveying my distaste for his distrust. "Still everyone assumes the Dark Brotherhood has been completely destroyed. They may be a bit more lax than usual."

"This ship, the Katariah. How will I get onboard?"

"Well, I don't know!" He was clearly frustrated by my persisting questions, but I didn't care. This was going to happen, and it was going to happen without any more delays or mishaps. I needed to be prepared. The emperor would die by my blade. He would perish in the name of the Brotherhood. "It's in the Solitude Inlet - that's the channel just north of the docks. I suppose you should go to the docks and swim. Please, make haste. The Emperor's ship won't stay moored forever. We won't get a chance like this again."

…

I marched down the boardwalk to where Commander Maro stood. My small, broken family followed in suite, taking no prisoners from the ever-present populace of security. We moved and killed as one. Nazir's blades moved through chests like butter, Babette's fangs sunk into necks like they were made of air, and Cicero took the heads off of enemy's like he hadn't had a ten-year killing drought. My daggers had no yet seen blood. I was saving all my strength for the Emperor. We approached Maro with no attempt at sneaking. His hands were planted on his hips as he watched the Katariah in the harbor, anticipating departure. When he realized he was being approached, he turned and immediately drew his sword.

"By the gods! You. But it can't be. You're dead. You—" Cicero's dagger went into his throat and out the other side before Maro could say another word. We did not celebrate the victory of our deceased enemy. We had to push on. As one, we lowered ourselves into the water. Although it was frigid, the icy waves felt nice against my heated skin. We stroked to where the anchor was planted and together climbed into the vessel that held our target. Our destiny.

I lowered myself into a crevice between barrels, watching the backs of my friends as they followed my lead. Two men were close by, their muted voices not more than a room away.

"And that's the last one. All right, enough of this. Come on, let's get something to eat," one of the men groaned.

"Gods, I'll be glad to see the last of Skyrim. Dragons, murder, rebellion...and we sail right into the middle of it with the Emperor on board." Nazir stifled a chuckle and took the lead, slaughtering the sailor in silence. The other responded to his deceased friend, completely unaware of the assassian about to plant his blade in his chest.

"I think we'll all feel better once we're back out at sea. Won't be long now—" The slump of his carcass against the floorboards let us know it was safe to move forward. Many more sailors, Penitus Oculatus agents, and other ship passengers were slaughted in our wake. There was not stopping this force of destruction. Our movements were silenced by the Night Mothers blessing and our blades were fueled by unbridled rage. The bloodletting did not cease until we came to the door of the Emperor's chambers. I motioned for my brothers to patrol the ship. Nazir and Babette nodded and slunk into the shadows. Cicero frowned but nodded in acceptance. I kissed my lips once and departed.

"And, once more, I prove Commander Maro the fool. I told him you can't stop the Dark Brotherhood. Never could," the Emperor sat at his desk, waiting patiently for me to open the door. "Come now, don't be shy. You haven't come this far just to stand there gawking."

"You were expecting me?"

"But of course. You and I have a date with destiny. But so, it is with assassins and emperors, hmm?" He chuckled to himself and gazed out the window, admiring the sea. But I wonder... would you suffer an old man a few more words before the deed is done?" He motioned towards the chair opposite him. I sat because surprises weren't likely at this point.

"I thank you for your courtesy." He leaned back in his chair and looked me in the eye. I fought the urge to look away, the urge that Sanguine had instilled. "You will kill me, and I have accepted that fate. But regardless of your path through life, I sense in you a certain ambition. So, I ask of you a favor. An old man's dying wish. While there are many who would see me dead, there is one who set the machine in motion. This person, whomever he or she may be, must be punished for their treachery. Once you have been rewarded for my assassination, I want you to kill the very person who ordered it. Would you do me this kindness, Dragonborn's Apprentice?" I tensed, he recognized me.

"I'll," I swallowed the lump in my throat after hearing how gravelly my voice had become, "consider your request."

"Thank you," He smiled, leaving his seat. "Now, onto the business at hand I suppose, hmm?" He strode over to the open window once more and looked out to the sea. His eyes were closed as he breathed in the ocean air. I watched him meticulously. This was it. All my training and hardships had come down to this. The blood of this man would pave the way for the future of the brotherhood. The Emperor looked back at me momentarily, then again to the sea. "Well? I won't fight you, so we may as well get this over with." I took a few steps towards the man and placed my hand on his shoulder. He did not flinch but placed his on top of mine and sighed. Very quickly, my blade met his skin and he met a quick and silent end.

I gathered my brothers, who had successfully cleared the ship of bystanders. They grinned at me, their eyes full of inquisition. I nodded in confirmation and the tears that could finally be shed flowed freely down our faces. We sat together on the blood-stained floor of the Katariah and wept. We wept in celebration, in grief, in love, and in hope. We wept for our losses, our victories, our pasts, and our future. Once there were no more tears left to cry, we stood and embraced each other. It was over. My friends made their way towards the deck, but I stayed to savor the peaceful moment. They smiled at me and let me have my solitude. Cicero stayed, as I wished he would, and held me from behind. We had been through so much, both together and apart. It was nice to be able to look towards the future with hope. A held his hands in mine for a moment before they were ripped away. I turned and watch his body fall to the bloodied floorboards. A strong, dripping hand pushed against my mouth, trapping me between a rock and a hard place. The anger behind his sharp blue eyes was palpable. Sanguine brought the tip of his sword to my chest.

"Nahlot," he whispered against the flesh of my temple. Silence. I wouldn't. Never again would I take an order from him. I screamed against his fingers. Sanguine brought the handle of his blade down to my skull and darkness followed.