A/N: Due to unforeseen circumstances, this will not be the last chapter as I thought it would. I blame Cicero.
Sundas 15 First Seed 205 4E 7:00 PM
Cicero was finalizing his preparation for the weekly oiling of the Night Mother. Her shrine had been moved down to the catacombs under the Sanctuary about six months ago to prevent future incidents with initiates. Only Cicero and I knew where the Night Mother rested now. In retrospect, it was probably what we should have done from the beginning instead of leaving her shrine out in the open. I suppose using the loft had been a leftover from when Cicero lived here alone with the Night Mother when he first came to Skyrim.
Now the Night Mother was surrounded by shadows, the quiet, and the remains of her faithful children, similar to what her crypt in Bravil had been like. The Keeper reveled in knowing that his Mother was safely tucked away from the sight and touch of the unworthy. Only he and I would be in her presence.
"I'm worried," I said. I was sitting on a pew with my arms wrapped around my knees. I wasn't sure why Cicero had insisted on setting up several pews down here other than to make the shrine feel more like a small church for the Night Mother. "You'll be taking the biggest risk with this operation."
"Hardly," Cicero sniffed. He was organizing the last of his oils and cleaning tools on his working table. The fine silk of his Keeper's robes whispered as he moved. "Cicero is much more worried about the Listener."
"I'll be fine," I said as I rocked back and forth trying to work off my nervous energy. "Ulfric honors the old ways." I stood suddenly. "I should get moving. It's important I get into position before you."
"Before you go, there is something I wanted to give you," Cicero smiled broadly as he walked over to me. From the wide sleeves of his Keeper robes, Cicero produced a small box. When he opened it, I saw a silver ring with amethyst setting. Even in the dim shadowy candlelight I could make out the glow of enchantment.
"Cicero, it's lovely," I exclaimed as I picked up the ring. The band had a delicate, intricate design of roses and moons. "You shouldn't have. This must have cost you a fortune."
"It does have the strongest protective enchantments," Cicero bragged. "So, you'll wear it?"
"Of course," I smiled. Cicero was always watching out for me. "Did you get one for yourself?"
Cicero shrugged. "Alas, Cicero is ringless."
"You should have gotten one for yourself too," I scowled. "If you had told me, I could have arranged something."
"It would have ruined the surprise," Cicero murmured as he leaned forward to kiss me. I was surprised; he never showed affection in front of the Night Mother. "Maybe next time you're in Dawnstar."
"Maybe," I said suspiciously. I started to put the ring on my finger, but Cicero deftly plucked it away.
"Allow me," he said as he dropped to one knee. He took my left hand and placed the ring on my fourth finger. "Will you promise to wear this always?"
"Until you get me a better one," I said laughing nervously. Cicero was acting stranger than normal.
"Then consider this band a token of my affection and devotion," Cicero said kissing the ring before releasing my hand. The Keeper stood and dusted off his robes. "You should go. I need to start Mother's oiling."
"I'll see you soon," I whispered before I left. Cicero looked so happy and serene as I left. I felt like something had just happened and I missed what it was.
Sundas 15 First Seed 205 4E 7:15 PM
"You seem distracted," Babette commented. I was in the kitchen grabbing a late dinner before leaving. I sat next to the vampire child with my bowl of food. Nazir and Meena were nearby finishing their own dinners.
"I am," I admitted. "Something just happened and I'm not sure what." I hated feeling like this. My heart was thudding so hard in my throat, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to eat.
"It's a bad idea to not have your mind on your target," Nazir warned.
"Don't worry, Nazir," I said, "I'll be focused when the time comes."
"Oh, so shiny!" Meena exclaimed. She slid over on the bench until she was next to me. She grabbed my left hand to examine the ring Cicero had given me. "If the Listener dies, can Meena have this?"
"No!" I snapped as I jerked my hand away. Meena might have been more loyal since our duel, but she seemed awfully hopeful of me dying at any moment.
"That's new," Babette said. "When did you get it?"
"Cicero just gave it to me," I said. I held my hand up so I could see the ring clearly. My right hand traced the band. Moons, my symbol, and mountain roses, Cicero's, intertwined forever in a circle. "He dropped to one knee right in front of the Night Mother while declaring his devotion."
"You just got married!" Babette exclaimed. "You should have invited me. I could have been your flower girl," she teased.
"We did not just get married!" I yelled blushing furiously.
"Oh, please," Babette smirked as she propped her chin in her hands. "What is marriage but two people declaring their love in front of their god? Is not the Night Mother your goddess?"
"We did not declare our love," I growled.
"So you did not give him a ring in return?" Babette asked.
"No!" I paused. I placed my face in my hand. "Oh gods, but I did tell him I would give him one the next chance I got. He tricked me!" I was furious. Cicero had intentionally done this right before he oiled the Night Mother so if I figured it out, I couldn't go yell at him. I couldn't interrupt the ceremony without disrespecting the Night Mother.
"I don't see what the fuss is all about," Nazir said. He looked bored and slightly uncomfortable with all of this. "The two of you are as thick as thieves anyway. As Listener and Keeper, it's not like you're not going to be together the rest of your lives anyway. You're practically married already."
"I'm not married! I'm not going to be married! I don't want to be married!" I yelled. I jumped to my feet and ran to my room to pack. I wiped away tears of frustration as I stalked away.
Why couldn't Cicero ever just be forthright with me? Why did he feel like he had to trick me? Because he knew that I would say no and that was not acceptable to the Fool of Hearts. Cicero had never done well with being denied and would do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Look at how he had dealt with finding the Listener for the Night Mother. When one wasn't presented on her own, Cicero tried to become the Listener himself.
I wanted to rip the ring off my finger and throw it away into the darkness. If I hadn't given a promise, I would have. My word has always been important to me, a trait I shared with Cicero. This must have been how Tsun felt when I rejected his offer for me to join Sovngarde in the afterlife. Even if I regretted my words, I was still bound by them.
Assuming somehow the two of us beat the odds of not dying while on contract, which was better than most assassins since we were technically were not supposed to take jobs, I would outlive Cicero. Not just by five, ten, or even twenty years. I was looking at centuries of missing one Fool.
I clenched my fist and thought of the Grieving Widow, our most recent petitioner. She had lost her husband four years ago and her pain was almost overwhelming. How would I manage so much longer?
Morndas 2 First Seed 205 4E 9:00 PM
"Cicero is bored," the jester complained. He did a handstand and started to walk around on his palms. "How much longer must we wait?"
"Until our petitioner makes herself known," I said as I leaned back against the Shrine of Talos. We were in White River Valley located a few hours northeast of Whiterun. The great stone statue of the Nordic god was old, old enough that moss graced the base of the statue and the stone was discolored and rubbed smooth in places. At its feet were small tokens of devotion; coins, flowers, weapons, and armor. Cicero had riffled through the collection at least three times already.
When I received the Night Mother's summon this morning, the Lady had specifically ordered for me to take this petition instead of sending Nazir. As Speaker, his main duty was to talk to the people who had performed the Black Sacrament and find out the details of our targets.
I could only assume that meant either our petitioner or target was someone of great import. Sithis may take any soul delivered by his children, but he craved people of power and influence. To send such a life to the Dread Lord was to garner his favor.
What I found out of place was that our petitioner was nowhere in sight. Usually when we went to the place directed, the petitioner was already waiting for us. Yet, Cicero and I had promptly come to this lonely place and found no sign of anyone within miles. Cicero and I had waited long enough that we got to watch the sun drop below the mountains.
I had a sinking suspicion who our petitioner was. I played with the war horn, a hollowed out tusk with steel markings, which I had found at the feet of the statue. Many years ago I had placed this very horn here as a favor for Elisif the Fair, High King Torygg's widow.
Thus it was no surprise when I saw two women walking towards the shrine. One of them was in fact, Elisif, walking stiffly and properly. I don't think I have ever seen the woman relax despite the fact she was only in her late twenties. Behind her walked her court wizard, Sybille Stentor. Sybille had been part of the Solitude court for a long time; she had been a mentor for Torygg in his youth over twenty years ago. Odd considering the Breton did not look older than her thirties.
"Greetings, Lady Elisif," I nodded. "Sybille."
"One normally stands in the presence of royalty," Sybille said disdainfully.
"One also normally does not make an assassin wait," I retorted as I hopped off the shrine. "So it seems we both have been rather rude, which is a terrible way to start a business negotiation."
Cicero moved so he was standing behind me. "The wizard is a vampire," he whispered in my ear. I nodded my understanding. Cicero's power of observation never ceased to amaze me. I had known there was something different about Sybille; I just had never known what. It made some of the rumors regarding her in the prisons make more sense. I had just assumed she had some bloodthirsty streak to cause prisoners to die; I just didn't think so literally.
I remembered during my time as the Dragonborn how Sybille had sent me to clear out a nest of vampires near Solitude. Apparently there was no love lost between her and the rest of her kind. In all honesty, Sybille didn't act or look like other vampires. While most of them were little more than feral animals, Sybille had always struck me as a no-nonsense, refined woman. The Breton hated to have her time wasted with frivolous matters and had a reputation of being one of the best destruction casters known. No doubt she was a valuable asset to Elisif for her court.
"I suppose you had good reason to delay meeting us considering your condition," I said lightly. I placed the war horn back at the base of the statue. "Been sleeping in some cave until the sun went down?"
"Not willingly," Sybille said stiffly, "but you have to take what accommodations you can find." Vampire nests were commonly found in the dankest caves. It must have galled Sybille to have to use one no matter for how short of a time period.
"I suppose you used Torygg's skeleton for the ritual?" I asked turning my attention to Elisif. As all too often, the woman's face was set in a stern, flat expression. The few times I had seen her smile had always been pained. Even when I had told her of meeting Torygg in Sovngarde, her joy had been guarded and brief.
"I did." Elisif nodded curtly. "Your companion looks familiar. Have we met before?"
I was grateful that my mask and cowl hid my blush. Thankfully Elisif had never met Cicero in his jester's garb. They had met almost three years ago when Cicero and I had stopped in Solitude to scout for Vittoria Vici's wedding. If she recognized him now, she might connect the jester to me.
"Does the Lady Elisif frequently associate with assassins? We thought this would be your first time," Cicero teased. "Maybe it's my motley. The High King's court needs a jester, but not me, noooo, not Cicero. The Fool of Hearts is busy enough, thank you very much!"
"Thank you, Cicero," I said enjoying the flush on Elisif's face from Cicero's sharp barb. I turned back to the jarl. "We are all friends here, Lady Elisif. Tell us who you wish to be our Black Sacrament."
"Ulfric Stormcloak," Elisif said, regaining her confidence. "I will not have the man who murdered my husband steal his throne. I had believed in the Empire and trusted that they would set things correct. But now I see the Stormcloak rebellion practically camping on my doorstep and realize I must be the one who takes control of the situation. I will not stand idly by while Ulfric claims Skyrim or me for his own."
In tradition of the old ways, it would be likely that Ulfric would wed Elisif if he was named High King. It would keep a continuity of the old line and lend legitimacy to his rule. I doubt Ulfric would force Elisif directly, but there was always some way to coerce the woman to submit willingly.
"What price is a man's life worth to you?" I asked.
"It is my understanding that you take a thousand gold?" Elisif said uncertainly.
"For a bandit or other common thug," I laughed. "Surely the Bear of Eastmarch and future High King is worth a bit more."
"Excuse me for not being versed in such transactions," Elisif said offended. "I rarely find it necessary to barter."
"It's not a matter of money," I said. "The payment is also tribute to Sithis. What are you willing to part with to appeal to the Dread Lord? For example, we received thirty-five thousand septims for Emperor Titus Mede II." Elisif flinched at the amount. That was a lot of money, especially for the losing side of a war. It would go a long way to helping rebuild homes and farms destroyed from the fighting, give reparations to widows and orphans, and starting trade deals for long term prosperity.
"I've always found gold to be simple at best and crass at worst," I said as I walked closer to Elisif until I was from arm's reach. I paced around her in a circle. "Personally, I've always preferred favors. Admittedly the last time the Brotherhood made a deal with someone from the Empire, it turned out poorly for us. But, it is all a matter of who you're working with. That man had nothing but vengeance in mind when our former leader approached him. You, my lovely Lady Elisif, are fair. Not just in face, but also in honor. If you make a promise to me, I trust you to keep it not only in word but in spirit."
"What do you want?" Elisif asked cautiously.
"I want you to sanction the Dark Brotherhood," I said. I almost laughed when I heard the women gasp. "Not officially, of course. I wouldn't expect you to openly sponsor us. You could put us on retainer. Let us be your daggers in the dark for men and women too important and powerful to deal with directly and openly, just like you've done for Ulfric. We would still need monetary payment, but we would give you a generous discount. In return, you would make sure the guards don't give us too much hassle for our other contracts and protect us when you can."
"You would have me be your bedfellow?" Elisif gasped.
"Better us than Ulfric," Cicero laughed.
"Let me talk this over with my advisor," Elisif said. I nodded and the two women walked off a bit to talk privately.
"Cunning, clever, crafty Listener," Cicero crooned in my ear. "So much more careful than poor, dead Astrid."
As Elisif and Sybille talked, I was already forming a plan on how to get to Ulfric. He was currently stationed in Windhelm surrounded by all of his generals, stewards, and soldiers. The Palace of Kings was heavily fortified, practically a fortress itself. It would be almost impossible to get close to the man. I had no doubt Elisif would accept my offer. She had not come this far to stop now. It would be easy to rationalize her choice. It wasn't as if she had to use our services in the future and if someone needed to use the Black Sacrament then Elisif could understand their plight. It was a win-win situation.
"I accept the terms of your deal," Elisif said when they returned. I smiled smugly behind my mask.
"You won't regret it," I promised. I whistled for Shadowmere to come to me.
"Before you go," Sybille said, "please give my regards to my prodigy. I believe you know her, a small Breton girl who looks about ten years old. I do not know what name she goes by these days."
"Perhaps," I said carefully. So, this was Babette's sire. Why was I not surprised?
Cicero and I mounted on Shadowmere and rode off. "What will we do now, my Listener?" Cicero asked.
"I'm going to need my dragon scale armor," I said.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"I think I'll just walk right up to Lydia and ask," I said.
Morndas 16 First Seed 205 4E 12:15 AM
This was a familiar scene. I was sitting in an enclosed space in the dark while Cicero hummed to himself unaware there was an intruder in the room. Given his hyperawareness, it usually amused me when Cicero was the oblivious one for a change, but right now I was still too angry.
When the wardrobe doors open, Cicero was shocked to find me sitting in it. "Listener?" he managed to say before I leapt out and tackled the Keeper. Cicero landed heavily on the ground with me on top of him. I managed to refrain from wrapping my hands around his throat and choking him to death.
"Cicero thought you had left," he grunted. It was hard to talk with me sitting on his diaphragm. My feet were pressed on his forearms to keep him from moving.
"And miss my wedding night?" I said sarcastically. "Void forbid."
"Heh, heh, where did the Listener get such an idea?" Cicero hedged.
"Babette," I said. "You know how she's full of theories." I shifted so I was only sitting with my legs around Cicero's waist instead of leaning on his chest. My voice had gone soft and deadly, "Tell me truthfully, Keeper. I know you won't lie to one of your family members, especially me. Tell me how accurate Babette's theory is that you married me in front of the Night Mother without my knowledge."
"Cicero is tired," Cicero said changing the subject. He looked so vulnerable in the large hood of his Keeper robes.
"I don't doubt it. You always are after you oil the Night Mother, but I am not going to let this go. You knew what an important contract we had and then you pulled this little stunt. Did it occur to you that it could distract me at a crucial moment? That because of this, I could have died?"
"The Listener didn't have to know," Cicero said softly. There was no fight in his stance. I could beat him bloody and he would take it without fighting back. "It was just for Cicero. Mother would know of course, but she would never tell." He laughed nervously.
"Stupid, selfish, silly Fool," I said softly. I pulled on Cicero's robe so he sat up and was facing me. I leaned forward and kissed him. "Don't you know by now that I hate when someone has me do something without telling me everything?" I bit on his lip to put some sting to my words to let Cicero know he wasn't completely forgiven.
Instead of flinching away, Cicero leaned into the kiss, deepening it. His tongue pushed persistently against mine. I found my hands undoing his silken robes so I could feel his hot flesh against my hand. "We're on contract," I reminded him with a moan.
"That didn't stop Hecate last night in the torture room," Cicero snickered. His deft hands were undoing the buckles on my armor. "Or the night before that in the field after the dragon left."
"Those didn't count," I breathed as I pushed the hood of Cicero's head so I could sink my hands in his red hair. "You had to be punished for escaping on your own and we had to pass the time somehow until the others caught up to us."
"Oh yes," Cicero kissed my bare collarbone. "We barely finished before Meena showed up. She kept grinning at us and sniffing you."
"Stupid cat," I agreed as I ran my teeth down Cicero's neck. I paused. I sat up and slapped Cicero's shoulder. "Oh, you're distracting me! I am angry at you!"
"Of course, we were fighting," Cicero said as he pulled the rest of my armor off my chest. He leaned forward and suckled on my breast. I stifled a groan as my hips arched forward when Cicero wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I'm not going to let you seduce me," I growled. "If you think I'm just going to forget about this whole thing, then you're wrong."
"As the Listener commands," Cicero murmured as he stood up and carried me to his bed. He moved to give proper attention to my other breast. "Simply say 'stop' and Cicero will obey."
"Just tell me that it didn't count," I said as I wrapped my hands in Cicero's hair again. "Tell me that your little ceremony didn't count."
"There were no witnesses and no priest," Cicero said as his mouth traveled down my stomach. Even through the thick leather, the light touch of his fingers on my crotch flooded me with heat. "Really, not legally binding in the slightest."
"I really hate you," I mumbled as Cicero's lips rested against my hips.
"I know," Cicero said. I could feel his smile against me. As he pulled off my pants to continue his journey downwards, I sighed. I had lost again to the Fool of Hearts.