Location: Palace of the Kings
22th of Rain's Hand
9:02pm

"Move."

"You don't have to push!"

"SHUT IT!" Kayleigh demanded as her grip on her Mace of Molag Bal tightened.

All this commotion promoted Ulfric Stormcloak and his second-in-command, Galmar Stone-Fist to exit the war room and into the main hall. "What's going on?" Ulfric asked, seeing the Dragonborn pushing an Imperial, whose hands were bound, to Ulfric's direction.

"Here's your Windhelm murderer," She stated. "He was the one killing all those innocent women and performing Necromantic Rituals!"

"She's lying! She's making a huge mistake!" The Imperial, Calixto Corrium, attempted to defend himself.

"Calixto, wasn't it? You don't talk RIGHT NOW, I will send your damned soul to Oblivion!" She raised the mace.

"Dragonborn! That's enough! Control yourself!" Ulfric raised a hand and demanded her to stop.

Kayleigh obeyed and lowered her armed hand. "I was patrolling the area. He tried to assassinate me from behind. Thank the Gods Vigilance saved me in time," She acknowledged her beloved pup. "Calixto, we know you were trying to resurrect someone. Just who were you trying to resurrect?!"

He looked away, completely annoyed. "My Lucilla."

"Was she your wife?" Galmar asked.

He shook his head. "Sister."

Ulfric, Galmar and Kayleigh all took turns to look at each other.

"She was taken away from me, my sweet Lucilla. All I wanted was to get her back," Calixto looked at them. "And I will. Eventually."

The 3 Nords exchanged looks with each other once more, until Ulfric broke the silence. "Take him to the Bloodworks, Galmar. I'll deal with him later."

"Aye," Galmar unsheathed his Iron Battleaxe from his back. "Let's go, milk-drinker. Nice and easy."

Kayleigh, however, was not done. She wanted answers. She tried to control herself in front of the Jarl, but just as they were about to open the doors to the dungeon, she had lost her cool. "Just how does a man take the lives of other innocent women like that? You might think you have a justifiable answer, but I find that to be utter garbage!"

"You don't understand, Nord! You'll never understand! I lost Lucilla! I LOST MY SISTER! I wanted her back and I was doing to do whatever it took!" Calixto argued back.

"By using Necromancy? Really? You'd rather take other peoples' lives instead of trying to let go?' She questioned. "You used my home! Hjerim! The house that I was born in and the house that I grew up in! And you turned it into a house of horror! Which is why I'm SO tempted to send your soul to Oblivion!"

"I will get her back… I will…"

Kayleigh did not know what to say anymore. The man had lost it.

"Just take him, Galmar," Ulfric waved his hand. "The man's delusional."

Ulfric turned his attention to the enraged Dragonborn, who kept her killer gaze on Calixto until he entered through the door of the Bloodworks. Once he was gone, Kayleigh sighed heavily and tried to refrain from tearing up.

"Dragonborn," Ulfric called out for her. "Would you mind coming with me for a short while?"

Location: Upstairs, Palace of the Kings
9:11pm

He led her upstairs and to one of the many rooms throughout the palace. He told her to open the door of one particular room, to which she did.

"Go ahead." He said.

Kayleigh looked at him with a confused look on her face, but did as she was told. With little force, she opened the wooden door and was rendered speechless, unable to utter a single word.

Ulfric stood behind her and watched her reaction. "Go on in." He told her.

She took slow steps inside, trying to comprehend what she was actually seeing. The room had a collection of items: several wardrobes, an Arcane Enchanter, a mannequin with a Windhelm officer's outfit on it, a weapon's rack with several weapons on them already… but what had made her wordless in the first place, was a black hooded cloak that was resting upon a second mannequin's head.

She knew exactly who it belonged too. Her fingers ran past the soft and silky apparel.

"My father once told me to make sure that this place would be kept clean always, not matter how long it would be kept untouched." Ulfric spoke from behind her, folding his arms across his chest. "And I never asked why because it wasn't in my place. But I think I will now."

She stopped feeling the softness of the hooded cloak and turned to look at him.

"And I want every detail… Miss Bennett."

No…

"You shouldn't have run off like that." He added.

It's over.

He walked into the room. "I had Jorleif do some research. A man named Daren Clarke was found dead in Hjerim 12 years ago. You, however, were nowhere to be found." He said. "Who is Daren Clarke, what is your relationship with him, what happened that night… I want answers for all of that. Most importantly, I want to know who you really are. You may be the Dragonborn, but I will not hesitate to arrest you for murder."

She gulped, swallowing a painful lump in her throat. She looked away as the tears formed in her delicate green eyes, and prepared to open up old wounds. Taking a deep breath, she began to explain. "My name is Kayleigh Leanne Bennett. I am the daughter of William Bennett, your father's second-in-command, and Felicia Bennett, a Master Wizard at the College of Winterhold. My father died after clearing a cave full of bandits. His injures were so severe that he only lasted a few days. There were a lot more bandits that he or any of his comrades had anticipated." She struggled to keep to tears from flowing down her cheeks.

But she continued on. "My mother married Daren Clarke a few years later. He was nice at first, but then we witnessed his true colors: he drank, he gambled… and he would hit my mother almost every night. She lived in fear. I lived in fear." Her eyes glinted rage and anger.

And Ulfric could see it clearly in those big eyes of hers. "You decided to do something about it, then?"

"No…" She calmed down. "No, not then. At that time, I hadn't thought of it… but I wish I did, though. Maybe I could've prevented it."

"Prevented what?" He asked.

She looked at him. "I was 16 at time. He was tossing her around the house like some insubstantial doll! Things changed when… when he threw her down the staircase of our house…"

Ulfric's eyes widened.

"I was there, hiding in the corner and I saw the whole thing. He murdered her, in cold blood!"

"Dragonborn… according to the reports, Daren told the guards that she fell down by accident, and that the past bruises on her body were as a result of her clumsiness." Ulfric relayed what he had read.

She sighed. "He was just covering his own ass… He pointed a dagger at my neck and told me to say the same thing, or I'll end up like my mother," She felt ashamed to say anything further. "I was so scared… I should've spoken the truth but…" She hung her head.

"You were defenseless, Dragonborn," He walked up to her and placed one hand on her shoulder after careful consideration. "You couldn't have done anything."

"I wish I did…"

"Was that… was that when you…?"

"No… no, not immediately. I cried for a few days. Then I realized that he had to pay for what he had done. So I crafted an Iron Dagger for myself and while he was asleep…" She paused. "So yes, Jarl Ulfric. To answer what you wanted to know, yes. I. Murdered. Daren Clarke." She stated.

Finally, he knew the story of Daren Clarke's murder, but he also knew how damaged the Dragonborn was. No young woman should have gone through what Kayleigh went through. No one should be carrying guilt and pain that huge for 12 years. But Kayleigh did and she had no choice but to let it all go.

She took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. "I've confessed my crime to you, Jarl Ulfric. I'm ready to face he punishment for it." She lifted her hands in a position where she could be handcuffed.

But much to her surprise, Ulfric took her hands and lowered them. "Daren Clarke's murder is still unsolved. And it will remain like that."

She looked at him, with tears still in her eyes, but was in utter confusion. "Wha-?"

"Hjerim is now your property once again. I'll have Jorleif make all the necessary arrangements for you. By tomorrow afternoon, all of these items will be reinstated in your home. Just like before."

She continued to stare at him in utter puzzlement. "You're... you're serious?"

"But for tonight, you are welcome to stay in one of our rooms. Breakfast comes in the morning. Do join us."

"Uh-I... I thank you, my Jarl," She managed a smile. "I... I won't forget this kindness."

Ulfric was glad to see that smile on her face, and he hoped that it would stay on her lips for a long, long time.

A/N: Hello! Just to inform that updates will happen every weekends! Look for the Peace Council, meeting Odahviing, and finally, defeating Alduin in Sovngarde! :D