Chapter 24: Home is where you hang your enemies head.
I walked towards the main hall and tried to get Sash's attention by making hand gestures. She looked at me and i motioned her to come to me. When she was close i kneeled in front of her. "Come Sasha i will show you where you sleep, then you tell me what you think of the nobles and how you will deal with them." I stood up and motioned her to follow me.
"Papa, why didn't you tell me you where of noble blood?" she asked inquisitively.
"That child will be explained when we get back to Skyrim, all you need to know now is that nothing is at it seems." I felt my heart sinking i thought that she wouldn't ask that now but later when we got back. "Now you will share a room with me but it is spacious enough for both of us." I let her around a corner and saw her looking at a painting.
"Who is that papa?" she asked pointing to a painting of my father, he stood there proud in his Thalmor robes with my mother at his side and me in her arms.
"That my child is my father, he is... He was a great man firm believer in our race and wanted the best for the dominion." I laid my hand on her shoulder. "He would love you if he knew you." I smiled when i thought of my father. My father was the reason my mother wanted to change Alinor and the dominion in general.
"How did he pass away?" she looked up towards me with a spark in her eyes. She put her little hand over mine and patted it. "Unless you don't want to talk about it, i can understand that."
"No it is alright. He was a great man it would be an honor to talk about him." I let out a small sigh before continuing. "He fought in the first great war against the imperial forces and after wards in Hammerfell. He leaded from the frontlines loved by his soldiers and praised for his valor in the war. But after Second Treaty of Stros M'Kai he returned home where several weeks later he passed in the night, some say of a wound he got in the war others say poison. But none knows the truth."
"I am sorry papa, it must be hard for you to talk about him?" she said looking apologetic to me.
"No my child, i wasn't even five when he passed i learned everything from the dominion archives and story told by the soldiers and my mother. Who doesn't really wish to talk about him anymore since a few years ago, Shall we continue on?" I said stretching my arm to the hallway. She nodded and i lead her to our room. After she looked around and put her books on a desk i sat down on her bed which was placed not so long ago. "Now tell me what do you think of how my mother dealt with the nobles?"
"She dealt with them politely and handled everything fair and really listens when she doesn't understand someone's problem she asks question to know what she needs to know before giving her answer." She said fidgeting with her thumbs like she would be punished for not answering correctly.
"Sasha you do know there is no right answers?" i gave her a warm smile. "Speak freely this will stay between us."
"Some of the nobles had petty problems like my servant threw my antique collection of service away and the person who found it won't return them." She said in a mock noble voice. I laughed. "And the queen simply said, pay a fraction of the worth to the man and let your servant know on a normal tone what is expected of her and nothing more." She said imitating my mother precisely.
"How would you have dealt that problem? The same or differently?" I said taking one of her books in my hand i read the title. Destruction of the unfaithful by brother Felssmer. A rather unique last name i thought and put the book back.
"Well first of i would tell him it was trivial and that he should have instructed his servant better, then i would have said he should deal with it." She said quickly and fast but still understandable. I let out a hard laughter and gave her a smile. "Come let us train you on some swordplay and then we eat." She jumped of her bed and let out a loud yippy before running away towards the courtyard.
We sat in the dining hall, my mother at the head of the table me on her right side and Sasha on her left. The food was classic Atlmeri fashion. I took a sip of my drink and looked at my mother. "So mother pray tell me this feast in two days what is that about?" i asked her casually.
"It will be the beginning of the end if everything works out the way it should." She replied as casually.
I raised my glass. "I toast to that, may everything go our way." My mother and Sasha did the same and said almost simultaneously. "Cheers!"
The rest of the dinner was uneventful mother and Sasha talked about Alinor and skyrim i didn't really listen my head kept drifting towards Arundil. Suddenly i looked towards mother. "Mother excuse me but i need to keep a promise." She nodded and i left the table and walked outside. When i was outside i took in a deep breath. 'Time to keep my promise to Arundil, better today so the priest can help him sooner.' i thought to myself as i made my way towards the chapel close to the palace. The night air was pleasant not to cold but not to warm as well i saw several nobles conversing with each other while there servants stood behind them waiting at their beck and call. Several dominion guards saluted me when i passed them and i gave them a curt nod and continued on my way.
"We are the red legion our enemies fall before our wrath as we march towards our objective, no men can stand against our goal we are the wrath of the dominion. Choose your path, walk it well there is no return. Stand up and take our lands back, glory to the Aldmeri dominion." I began to sing. "And as the world starts to burn, our blades run red with the blood of our fallen enemies. But we won't fight this war alone my soldiers, the dominion stands behind us." I finished the chorus when i reached the chapel and opened the door and walked in.
"Greetings my child, can i mean something for you?" a female priest said who stood behind a counter which was next to the door.
"Greetings priest, yes i heard that one of my soldiers wanted to let her father treated here but was denied. The reason was funds." I said while stepping in front of her.
"May i know the name of your soldier sir?" the priest said while taking a book from under the counter.
"Yes Arundil of the red legion." I said friendly.
She looked through the book before letting out a happy sigh. "Yes here it is, let me see." She read something before looking at me. "Yes it states here that we can't accept her father because the operation needed may not succeed and she can't access his money and this is no charity." The female priest said.
I looked her over and she was dressed as all Aldmeri priest in a golden colored robe with her hood on so i couldn't see her face much. "I heard but do you think the red legion doesn't pay their debts, that we expect you to do something and not get what is due because of maybe failures?" i said getting slightly angered.
"No off course not but we didn't know you would... the lady never mentioned she would pay with the red legion coffers if it failed." The priest said with an apologetic tone in her voice.
"It is alright priest, if you treat her father and fail the red legion will pay for services rendered otherwise he will pay it himself. Is that acceptable?" I said slightly calmer.
"I need to discuss this with the head priest, if you have4 a moment i will be back shortly." She said while motioning me to sit on a bench near the far wall. I nodded and walked towards the bench and sat down. I looked around the chapel hallway and saw paintings of fields and deities like, Syrabane the god-ancestor of magic also known as the warlock's god, Mara goddess of love and compassion and Magnus god of magic and Phynaster the god who taught us how to live longer than a hundred years. I heard a cough and saw the female priest with a male one who had no hood on and he was average build with short golden hair. I stood up and walked towards them.
"Welcome prince Thorein, we discussed your case and we will begin immediately with your blessing." The male said with a slight bow.
"You have my blessing and after everything is done you can receive a good donation for your aid." The male tipped his again. "O and when you get him tonight tell her everything has been arranged and she shouldn't worry."
"Understood my lord, may the Aedra watch over you." The male said still with his head tipped and i walked out of the chapel.