A/N: WARNING! This chapter contains quite a bit of lore components as well as the beginning lore being tweaked slightly to include some situations. But, the lore starting from where TES lore starts would not be changed. 1.2k views! Thank you viewers! I have not gotten anything more than that before, it really is an achievement.
All characters, place settings and other items belong to their respective copyright holders, Bethesda Games Studios/Bethesda Softworks LLC./ZeniMax Media Inc., Game Freak/The Pokémon Company/Creatures Inc./Nintendo. Characters that does not appear in the original content of The Elder Scrolls and/or Pokémon (OC, or original character) that bears a name similar to other popular story character names and/or character behaviour and attitude are purely coincidental.
Chapter 9: A meeting with the divines
[Somewhere in Aetherius, Janice first-person POV]
"Wake up," A voice echoed from somewhere.
Opening my eyes slowly, I noticed that I was lying flat on my stomach. Looking directly in front of me, I saw a swirl of colourful nabulas orbiting me. I tried to get up, but I immediately flopped back down with a very loud thud, something that could not have happen if I had fallen the same way in either my normal or dragon form for they were lighter, much lighter. Moving what might be my arms, I found that they had taken on a characteristic of dragon wings. Thinking that I might be a dragon this time, I got up again using a more draconian way.
Something was very off about the amount of strength I needed to exert when I got up. Whipping my head around to the side, ignoring the fact that I had to use my strength to get up, I saw Derkeethus and Alduin still unconscious on the force-field like ground. For some reason, they seem to be smaller than I remembered, much smaller. Finally wanting to get some immediate answers to my current form, I turned my head even more to look at my back. What I saw shocked me.
I see that I have the body of Alduin's, down to the very spike. But for some reason, instead of black or black and red like my regular dragon form, I am coloured pure white. Wanting more answers, though I probably have guessed that I was somewhere in Aetherius, I called out, "Anyone here? Akatosh, Mara, Dibella, Stendarr, Talos?"
"Did someone call me?" A deep nordic voice echoed out from the swirling colours.
"You aren't due yet!" A draconic voice shouted back.
"Fine, have it your way Akatosh." The nordic voice retorted.
Suddenly, a flaming orange dragon that looked like the Avatar of Akatosh I had seen on some pictures from the Oblivion Crisis appeared from nowhere.
"Akatosh?" I asked carefully.
"Yes, my child." Akatosh replied.
"So, you were the one who sent me the amulet? I should have expected that much, nobody crafts an imitation of the Amulet of the Kings to just give it to a person of high status. Especially since the crafting that went into it seems to be the work of an incredible metal worker." I said to the flaming dragon.
"Great, what else did you already divine from this experience?" Akatosh replied as my husband and Alduin slowly stirred.
"I know that you probably want to congratulate me, tell me how I was the Chosen One to fix the mistake that you made," I pointed my wing at Alduin at the last part, Akatosh just looked on with some small hint of guiltiness on his draconic face. "Tell me to continue to do good things, probably tell me to stop helping the Daedric Lords, tell me how to control my dragon form's power even though I have quite a good control over it, tell me how fate had led me to do most of the things I did and then tell me that you manipulate it to your liking, talk to your child and tell me why I am a white coloured version of Alduin." I listed, the god's face becoming more shocked by the second.
"The Greybeard's human leader had the same expression as you, I can wait for you to recover, I mean, after all, two of us here are immortals, not including you." I spoke to break the silence as Derkeethus just kept gaping at his surroundings and me while Alduin seems to be trying to recall something, staring at me absentmindedly.
"Right," Akatosh finally said after 5 minutes, 29 seconds and 53 milliseconds (I was told of the duration afterwards by the God of Time himself). "I think you already know what I am going to say, so I am just going to tell you why you are a white coloured version of my daughter."
"The form you are now in was what the form of your dragonsoul would have taken if you were born as a dragon naturally." Akatosh continued.
"Okay then. On further thought, was that nord voice Talos?" I asked as I thought back.
"Yes," Akatosh said slowly as heavy metal boots clanged from somewhere.
"Hello, my great-grandchild." The man who looked like the statutes of Talos in Skyrim said as he pat my white snout.
"My ancestor! How are you Tiber Septim?" I exclaimed in slight shock seeing my great-grandfather here even though the blasted Altmers think that he doesn't exist.
"Busy being dead." Talos huffed, "You living people have all the fun while I, being a god, had to deal with all sorts of problems, some are not even about Nirn! And I also have to talk with other gods not from this univer-" Talos said but was cut off by Akatosh with a swipe of his fiery wing.
"What was that about?" I asked the dragon God of Time.
"Nothing… Nothing," Akatosh said defensively.
"So, are we done here? I am not exactly sure why you bother bring Derkeethus here since he technically has no real connection to the divines." I asked the orange flaming dragon.
"Not quite. I want to bestow a gift to your husband that should help him in helping you. I also want to talk to my, daughter, for a while as well as tell you two something important." Akatosh said to me.
"Go on then, I'm listening." I said.
"First, Derkeethus!" Akatosh bellowed to my lizard husband who looks a little faint due to the shock. "Show me your bow."
"Ye… Yes, don't eat me!" Derkeethus cried in fear as he held out the Dragonbone bow I crafted for him.
"Calm down, Derkeethus!" I called out as I tried to hug him, nearly crushing him with my wing instead.
"Wahh!" Derkeethus cried as he saw me looking down at him. He faints from fright soon afterwards.
"Do you have to do that? You could have killed your husband due to your size you know." Akatosh said as he looked at the bow that had fallen on the ground as I tried to hug Derkeethus.
"I guess not, though I don't need this enormous size to kill him." I said as I got off Derkeethus. "How can he die here, though? I thought we are all just souls here, no real bodies."
"He can die from injuries, the pain inflicted here goes directly to the soul. If the soul can't take it, it dies. Also another thing, why do you craft your husband's bow from the remains of your kin?" Akatosh asked me.
"What do you mean 'my kin'?" I shot back in slight surprise.
"I guess it is time," Akatosh said as he finished his enchantment on Derkeethus' bow. "I should explain that soul of yours."
"What are you getting on about?" I asked the god.
"Come here Alduin." Akatosh beckoned to the mini black dragon. As she got closer, Akatosh levitated her to the top of my head.
Now I kind of get what Shadowmere was talking about, I thought as I balanced the black dragon on my head. "How sweet, two sisters back together at last." A form said that I immediately identify as Dibella stepped out from a portal.
"Sisters? What are you going on about?" I asked the goddess.
"You shouldn't delay any longer," A muscular sounding voice (A/N: I imagine it sound like Thor since I never heard Stendarr talking, I only played Oblivion and Skyrim to tell the real truth. I am gathering the other things written as lore from the UESP) sounded as a muscular figure with a lion's mane stepped out from another portal. From the portraits of the divines I found on some of the walls in the palace, this new person look like Stendarr.
"Right! If there are no more interruptions, I can get started!" Akatosh snapped in anger, nearly knocking the nordic man-god standing near his jaws over again.
"As you know, your dragonsoul is unique since no other dragon had the same look as Alduin, not even Paarthurnax, Alduin's closest brother." Akatosh continued after calming down. "The fact is, and I don't know how to break it gently enough, your soul was of the dragon I had created as a pair millions of years ago. You and Alduin were twin sisters, one white, the other black, like how good and evil balanced each other out. Yin and Yang as one of my other counterparts in another universe so put it, in fact, that very god had his own black and white dragon (A/N: a reference to Zekrom and Reshiram from Pokemon, only going to be one though, so don't worry, this is not crossover time) Though, I see that something is wrong with your form, your eyes were used to be pure white with red pupils, now they are… of a vampire?! Why?" Akatosh exclaimed as I felt a tiny impact on my head as both of my and my apparent sister's lower jaw fell in shock.
"Yes, I thought I am going to be like the rest of the mortals and I had wanted to live longer." I confessed as I recover quickly, already used to surprises I had been getting considering myself. "So, what happened? Why am I a Khajiit?"
"You had an argument with your sister over certain matters, like who gets to take care of the young Paarthurnax and Odahviing among the others that I know you hadn't talked to. You got killed when a dragon teamed up with Alduin. Also, it is true that you would die like the rest, but you would be reincarnated in your true form." Akatosh, or my real father now, said in sadness over the memory.
"Seeing that she had killed you over trivial matters, Alduin couldn't bear the thought that she was responsible and turned herself into a male. After that, with you gone, there wasn't anybody to stop her from committing the atrocious acts she had committed in the past." Akatosh continued.
"So, she isn't my great-grandchild?" Talos asked the orange flaming dragon.
"Shut up, mortal fool!" Stendarr shouted at the mortal turned god.
"Wahh? What is happening?!" Derkeethus shouted as he recovered, before promptly blacking out again after noticing the other gods in the micro-dimension.
"Anyway, I decided to keep your soul in a suspended state of animation until now. I wanted to wait to the time where Alduin would reappear again to send you back down to Nirn to fight her." Akatosh said as I stared on.
"So… So why didn't I have my memories with Alduin?" I finally stammered.
"Memories don't travel with souls, besides, I don't want you to suffer with the knowledge of you being a dragon before." Akatosh answered.
"What about the other Dragonborns?" I asked.
"They have generic souls, like Talos here." Akatosh said as he pointed to the Nord with his snout. "He had it lucky and was born with a legendary class dragonsoul."
"I see, that would explain why I am so powerful. So what now… father?" I asked Akatosh.
"Nothing really, I have enchanted your husband's bow so that any arrow will always seeks out the target. It also have the added benefit of only being usable by him. Go on now, somebody's waiting for you." My father said as he opened a portal.
"Not so fast," a feminine voice sounded.
"What is it now, Mara?" Akatosh said as I spot a portal opening and a woman I identified as Mara stepped out.
"Why did you marry an Argonian? Wasn't a Khajiit good enough for you, hmm?" Mara said in a scolding manner, jabbing a finger at my retreating head. Alduin had already made for the exit.
"Umm, now that I am a real dragon, isn't it kind of okay to marry a reptile?" I tried to joke.
"THAT IS NO EXCUSE!" Mara shouted as she levitated higher in an attempt to intimidate me.
"It isn't my fault that your amulets don't attract any Khajiits in Skyrim!" I retorted.
"Oh fine! Have it your way!" Mara said as she opened a portal and leaves.
"What's with her?" I said to no one in particular.
"She is a bit sensitive with cross racial marriages, especially those that goes cross species, like Khajiit and Argonian." Akatosh explained. "Go on now, your people need you."
Without another word, I stashed Derkeethus' bow in his pocket gingerly and pushed him into the portal. Stepping into the portal, everything suddenly went black again.
[Cocceius, first-person POV]
What is going on? They were fine when they entered the ruins! When Her Majesty put on the blasted amulet, she as well as the Emperor and that pet dragon fell unconscious! I thought as a paced behind their bodies in worry.
Suddenly, a glow emanated from Alice, after the glow had settled, the dragon woke up. "Alice! Would you care to explain what had happened?" I asked the small dragoness.
Not saying a word, she just stared at Her Majesty in concern. I don't know what is going on here!
Pacing around some more, I soon saw His Majesty's body glow, though he was still unconscious. Soon after that, however, Her Majesty's body glowed, but something was off.
Her Majesty begun to grow in size, quickly becoming as big as Alduin had been in the legends. As the glow fades, I saw a big white dragon which look like Alduin himself!
[Janice first-person POV]
Opening my eyes again as I regained consciousness, I saw that I had my wing pinned under me and that I was on my side, apparently in the position I had been in when I fainted.
Going upright, I saw a small piece of jewellery that was under my neck. Upon further examination, I recognised it as the fake Amulet of the Kings, now shattered into a few pieces.
"Yo… Your Majesty?" A familiar voice sounded behind me.
Turning around, I saw Cocceius trembling from where he stood. "Yes… That is me, Cocceius." I calmly said before using the Dragon Aspect shout.
Looking down, I saw that my armour had changed colour, the once black portions of the Daedric armour was now as white as my scales had been. Taking out the helmet of the set, it had also been coloured white.
"How…?" Cocceius asked.
"Akatosh spoke to me, apparently my dragonsoul was the same one that was Alduin's sister. Now I know what you are thinking, this all happened before Nirn was attacked by Alduin, so all history books would have said that Alduin was the only dragon from Akatosh and that she was a male." I explained.
"I am not worthy to stand in your presence, great one!" Cocceius started bowing in a worshipping fashion.
"Rise Cocceius, you don't have to fear me. I was the demigod for good moral beliefs, I won't harm anyone who is good." I said as I helped the man up. "It has been a long day, why don't we go back to the palace?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cocceius said as he got up slowly.
[Imperial Palace Throne Room, 3 p.m.]
I was in my dragon form, looking at Derkeethus' crumpled body on the throne in concern. Cocceius had summoned an artist to draw me so that the people of the Empire may recognize my new dragon form.
I think I better make him a vampire1, he isn't going to last long if this keeps going. After all the surprises, I am really worried about him getting a heart attack sooner or later. I thought as the artist finished up. Alduin was still in a daze next to Derkeethus and hadn't talked much. Transforming, I handed the artist his fee and examined the art piece.
The artist seemed to have captured every last detail of my form, down to the tiny spike on the end of my tail. Satisfied, I called out to Cocceius to take it away for it to be copied into newspapers.
Seeing no one else was in the room, I went over to Derkeethus' unconscious form and bit into his neck, giving him the same power Harkon had given me when I returned with his daughter and Elder Scroll. Alduin just stared at the act, not really sure what to say.
Finishing, I finally spoke after these long hours of silence, "so, I guess we were closer than we thought." I spoke to Alduin.
"I guess so, but we had always fought, not exactly sure how to do our jobs. You were supposed to keep me in check, that I only destroy worlds that was due. I guess when I killed you, I went away from the path, whether out of sadness or despair, I would never know." Alduin said sadly, recollecting the memories.
Bringing her up and settling her on my lap as I sat down on my throne, I said, "That is in the past now. I don't have my memories, so I guess that doesn't matter." I hugged my sister tightly to comfort her. "Come on, let us go visit Paarthurnax, Derkeethus needs to rest for quite sometime."
"Our brother, remember that." Alduin said softly from where her head was buried in my chest.
"Right, anyway, you ready?" I asked Alduin.
"I guess so," Alduin said, lifting her head to face me, tears still running freely.
"I think I better take Shadowmere with me, the populace might not know of my new form yet." I said as I got up and place the dragoness on my shoulder. "Cocceius! You are in charge until Derkeethus wakes up or when I come back, I am travelling." I called out to the politician who had just returned from the press room.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Would you like a convoy to escort you?" Cocceius asked me.
"That would not be necessary, tell the servants to get Shade ready. I will be down in five minutes." I told Cocceius as I fished out a pencil and a piece of paper.
"Right away, Your Majesty!" Cocceius said as he leaves.
"Right, now what do I write to tell him about his new powers?" I mumbled.
"Oh, I know! Tell him that you turn him into a vampire lord because you were concerned for his health." Alduin suggested.
"And that is one way to get myself kicked out of the palace." I shot back. "I need a better reason, something along the lines of 'if you feel something is trying to come out, just go to our room and lock the door before it happens. I will explain everything when I get back.'" I said as I scribbled it down and put it in Derkeethus' hands.
"That is good," my sister said as we head to the royal stables in the courtyard.
[Line break]
As I arrived in the stables, the servants helped me pull off the red cloak and showed me where Shadowmere was being housed. His royal red shed was quite large, about three to four times his size and was decorated with paintings of green scenery on the inside. On the edges of the shed were gold trimmings, fit for the horse that was chosen by the ruler him/herself. I spotted Shadowmere in the corner looking at his trough of horse feed.
Shadowmere's horse saddle had been replaced with a red velvet coat that has a brown leather horse saddle on it trimmed with gold trimming. The coat sported the usual symbols for the Empire, indicating that this was the horse of the Empress/Emperor.
"He is ready, Your Majesty." A servant said invitingly.
I said nothing as I mounted the horse, Alduin fluttering down in front of me to land on the saddle's front edge. "Come on, Shade!" I called out to snap Shadowmere out of his daydream.
"I never thought you would come back so soon. And why is your armour white now?" Shadowmere telepathed as he trotted out the shed and towards the northern gate of the city.
"I will talk to you later," I whispered carefully, not wanting the onlookers to know that I, their Empress, is talking to a horse.
[30 mins later, outside the Imperial City, going through some woods]
"Alright Shadowmere, you can stop now." I said to the horse who had been galloping non-stop for the past thirty minutes since we left the city.
Panting, Shadowmere telepathed, "So, are you going to explain what is going on?"
"Yeah, though you might want to catch your breath first." I said to the horse as I dismounted.
Hearing his breathing slow down to normal (A/N: do undead horses even breathe?), I said "You might want to brace yourself." I transformed right afterwards.
"Wha… What happened to your old one? And why do you look like Alduin, except you're white?" Shadowmere exclaimed in surprise as I lowered my giant head to the slightly smaller horse in perspective.
"Akatosh summoned me to Aetherius for a talk. He revealed that the dragonsoul I possess was that of Alduin's sister and was the main reason why my magic is so potent and that I am more powerful than any supernatural creatures I had met in my time." I said to the slightly stunned horse. "I was supposed to be the representation of good morals, though I guess I didn't know when I joined the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. I was killed when I got into an argument with Alduin here."
Hopping onto my head, Alduin said, "this was before I came to Nirn, I was distraught then. My sister's representation of good morals was keeping me from getting out of line. When I killed her, my ambition of controlling a populace through absolute rule and fear had caused me to become what I was not to be."
"Right, so where are we going?" Shadowmere asked me.
"You recovered fast, anyway, we are going to the Throat of the World. I umm… need to talk with my brother." I said to the horse.
"Are you going to ride me like last time then? I can't possibly transport you all the way there considering your weight! You might crush me with your size!" Shadowmere exclaimed telepathically.
"I… I thought you might enjoy riding me for a change…" I said dejectedly, not liking the fact that I am giving my horse a ride.
"Definitely, hehe!" Shadowmere telepathed cunningly, smirking as he got onboard.
"You two might want to hold on tight!" I shouted to the passengers as I took off, Shadowmere chomping down on one of my horns as I lift off. "Ow!"
"Sorry about that." He telepathed. "I don't have hands you know."
"You two might really want to hold on tight this time." I announced as I leveled off above the clouds, seeing that no one is going to see me.
"You better, she goes really fast." Alduin said to Shadowmere as she gripped my other horn tighter.
Speeding up, I quickly went to my usual speed when going across Skyrim that night to reveal that I am the Empress.
[One ear shattering sonic boom over Bruma and Whiterun later]
"Alright! we are close now!" I announced as I slowed down, the destination still a kilometre away. "Umm… Guys? Hello?"
Worrying, I quickly landed in the forests surrounding the mountain. As soon as I landed, two thuds were heard on my left. Whipping my long neck around, I saw Alduin and Shadowmere on their sides, looking incredibly pale. Shadowmere's face was a deep green, slightly unoticeable due to his dark pelt. "Are you two okay?" I asked the trembling figures.
"Please don't do that again, sis!" Alduin said, being the first to recover. "I would prefer to fly back alone this time."
"Umm… What about you Shadowmere?" I said as Shadowmere got up wobbly.
Before any of us could react, Shadowmere threw up his lunch and what seems to be his breakfast as he emptied his stomach. "What… she… said." Shadowmere managed to telepath before fainting.
"Should we pick him up?" Alduin said as she proceeded to prod my horse with her wings.
"I guess so," I said as I gingerly picked Shadowmere up with my jaws, carefully avoiding the black goo that was his meals. The taste of horse in my mouth tasted good, but I tried to resist any urge to swallow as Alduin and I made our way up the mountain.
Leveling off at the altitude of the summit of the Throat of the World, we proceed to fly towards it. Odahviing was doing his normal rounds around the summit with Paarthurnax following his every action with his head. Good to know he had recovered fast, I thought. As I got closer, Paarthurnax seemed to noticed us and flew towards us.
"Haassotkul? What are you doing here? I thought you were dead." Paarthurnax exclaimed. "And why would Alduin be here? I thought you two hated each other. And how come you have the Dragonborn's horse in your jaws?"
"Who is Haassotkul?" I mumbled with the horse in my mouth.
"That was your name. I failed to mention it for it brings about painful memories for me, back when we were younger. We were very close then." Alduin whispered, sadness welling up in her tone.
"Can we go to your place, Paarthurnax? I can't speak with this horse in my mouth." I managed to mumbled.
"It is this way," Paarthurnax pointed with his snout.
"how do you know I live here anyway?" Paarthurnax asked me as we landed. Odahviing had also landed on Paarthurnax's favourite spot, looking at me with wide eyes.
Dropping Shadowmere's unconscious form, I said, "Simple, I am the Dragonborn."
"What?!" Paarthurnax and Odahviing exclaimed.
"The soul I have as the Dragonborn was apparently our sister's." I explained as I transformed. "See? I am really the Dragonborn. Our father, Akatosh, had put me in suspended animation to await the time when the prophecy of the last Dragonborn to fight Alduin was on hand." I said as I picked up Alduin and hugged her as one would do to a younger sibling.
"I don't remember anything from the past though, what was it that you call me? Haassotkul? I can't even remember my own name. Care to fill me in?" I asked the green dragon.
"Well, I don't know anything that had happened before I was born. By then, you and Alduin were already adults. You were always looking out for us, taking care of us when we got ourselves injured. Your healing abilities were as great as Alduin's ability to cause damage. When Alduin wanted to do something that causes damage and destruction, you know, anything villainy style, you would always stop her. When me and the other dragons were just adolescents, you had an argument with Alduin and she won with the help of another dragon, killing you in the process." Paarthurnax explained. "Perhaps it was because it was this same soul that made your Thu'um more powerful than any dragon's."
"I see, so what made you betray Alduin?" I asked as a certain black bundle shifted uncomfortably in my arms.
"I remembered your dedication to stopping Alduin from doing undue destruction. With the help of Kaan (A/N: I dug around, Kaan was the name the dragons gave Kyne), I was able to protect those rebels from Alduin's dragons." Paarthurnax said. "Like you had said once, 'I like this world, I don't want it to end'."
"So, you were inspired by my once dead sister to betray me?! I hate the both of you right now!" Alduin spat as she wiggled free from my grasp. "And you! Even if you weren't my sister, do you really think killing our kin was okay? They were acting on my order to kill you! You could have just sought me out!"
"I… I guess you are right. Sorry about that." I stammered.
"So, what now?" I asked Paarthurnax after a few minutes of silence.
"Well, sister, if you want, you could go tell the Greybeards." Paarthurnax said, eyeing Odahviing as he took off to circle the summit again.
"Could I at least hug my brother before I go?" I asked as I transformed.
"Umm… That would… not be necessary…" Paarthurnax mumbled as I wrapped my wings around him in a tight hug.
"One last thing, what about Durnehviir?" I asked as I let go of the green dragon.
Opening his eyes wide in surprise, Paarthurnax quickly said, "Don't mention his name! He is cursed! He wanted as much power as Alduin had and had turned to the forbidden art of necromancy that we dragons should never take part in! He had the right to be cursed! When I was patrolling my territory of what is now Whiterun Hold and this mountain, he attacked me with his undead hordes! I was almost dead when Kaan found me hiding up here and granted me strength in return for betraying Alduin. I was glad that he had disappeared after the Dragon War. Where did you find him?"
"He was serving the Ideal Masters of the Soul Carin when I went to collect an Elder Scroll from Harkon's ex-wife. I easily defeated him in battle and he called me Qahnaarin. He also gave me a shout to summon him, you want me to summon him?" I asked the green dragon who is going pale by the second. Alduin had saw it fit to ride my head again.
"NO! NO THANK YOU!" Paarthurnax shouted as he flew off faster than what I would expect an old dragon like him could fly.
"So, why is it you like to hang out on my head, sis?" I asked the black dragoness.
"You always liked carrying the little juveniles on your head when you play with them. I wanted to see what the fun is." Alduin replied, putting her tiny head in front of my right eye.
"Right…" I said as I scoop up the unconscious horse in my jaws and flew down the mountain to the monastery.
Landing in the backyard, Arngeir was out first. "Hello Arngeir!" I shouted to him as I dropped Shadowmere.
Seeing his lower jaw hanging slack, I explained my transformation to him, with Alduin helping me.
"I see…" Arngeir finally said. "I guess this flips the lore over on its head. I should see to it that the books get rewritten, Your Majesty."
"Right, I don't care though, the less people know about me, the better. Something tells me that the dragon who sided with Alduin to kill me is still lurking somewhere in this continent." I said before I heard a voice calling out.
"Important news! Straight from the Imperial Palace! Her Majesty is one of the First Born of Akatosh! History books are getting rewritten!" A courier shouted from the front of the monastery.
"Great!" I said as I slapped my snout with a wing, nearly knocking Alduin off.
"Well, I better get going, there is more things I want to do!" I said as I depart, Shadowmere having already recovered and hanging on to me.
"See you, Your Majesty!" Arngeir shouted to me.
"If you set me down near the rivers in Whiterun, I think I can teleport myself back to the lake surrounding the city." Shadowmere said to me.
"Sure, I will meet you outside the northern gates." I whispered as I lowered my head for the horse to get off on the river bank, ignoring the looks of the patrolling guards.
"What is it?" I asked the guards.
"I would never have imagined that I went to kill a dragon with one of the daughters of Akatosh that night!" One of the exclaimed excitedly. "May I get your autograph, Your Majesty?" Another asked.
"Which name?" I said as I transformed, taking the pencil and paper from the guard.
"Umm… Both?" The guard clumsily asked.
"Alright, 'I wish you a safe passage through life, signed Janice Septim, Haassotkul.'" I mumbled as I signed the paper.
"We really got to go, it is getting late." Alduin said from my shoulder as more guards and people swarmed me for an autograph.
"Was it hard to kill your sister as the Dragonborn?" One of them asked.
"I didn't know it then!" I shouted back.
"I really think I should go now, sorry folks!" I shouted as I transform, having made sure a wide berth had been made for me.
[Imperial Palace Emperor and Empress room, 5.30 p.m.. Janice third-person POV]
Janice had finally reached the top of the stairs, really wishing that the balcony outside the corridor's window was big enough for her dragon form. For some reason, while she was enjoying the fact that she was bigger than anyone else, she sort of miss being small at certain times, this being one of them. She could have easily flown all the way up the stairs if she still had her black and red dragon form like Alduin could, not like she was really tired of going up stairs anyway. Sighing, she tried to open the door, but found it locked.
"It's me, Derkeethus! It's Janice!" She shouted to the only occupant that she know that was in there.
"Couldn't you have done it later?" Alduin asked her sister.
"These things works best if the subject is not strong enough to take it head on while conscious." Janice explained to the dragoness.
"So you are saying your husband is weak?" Alduin shot back.
"Pretty much," Janice said with a false smile.
"You are very bad at increasing morale." Alduin replied.
Suddenly, the haunting and cold voice of the lizard turned vampire lord sounded from behind the door. "Janice?! You turned me into one of your vampires didn't you?!"
"Just open the door already!" Janice shouted back as Alduin hid under her sister's red cloak.
"Fine! Just tell me how to control my powers and give me a reason for the change!" The vampire lord named Derkeethus said as he opened the door.
Not frighten one bit, Janice stepped into the room and shut the door. "Okay, first, focus on your normal form," Janice instructed. "Let it overtake your current form and you should change back into that green lizard I know."
After changing back, Janice taught Derkeethus how to control his vampire form and powers. "So why do you want to turn me?" Derkeethus asked Janice.
Not so frightened anymore, Alduin stepped out from under the cloak and said, "because she was concerned that you would die too soon!"
"Really?! I thought you never really loved me." Derkeethus said to the blushing Khajiit.
"Come here you!" Janice said as she cuddled with Derkeethus and kissed him.
Seeing this, Alduin felt a strange feeling of jealousy, jealousy that could only come from loving the same subject that was another's affection. Knocking it off as spurred emotions, she went to her bed.
"So what happened at the temple?" Derkeethus finally asked as they separated.
"Oh, where do I begin." Janice said as she sat down at the table, beckoning Derkeethus to do the same.
After a long explanation, Derkeethus finally snapped from his daze and started to regard his wife like a god, which, technically, Janice was.
"So, your real name is Haassotkul?" Derkeethus asked.
"Well, technically, yes." Janice answered.
"So what does that make me? I am just a powerless mortal with some vampiric powers!" Derkeethus exclaimed.
"Aw, don't be sad, there are like a billion other people who were like you and don't have any powers at all." Janice assured her husband.
"Like I said, you aren't a good motivator." Alduin said as she crawled out of her bed.
"Oh shut up, like you know how to motivate." Janice retorted.
"Sibling rivalry it seems," Derkeethus whispered to himself as the two sisters started to argue.
[The next day, 9 a.m. after breakfast.]
"So, you want me to sign the White-Gold Concordat again?" Janice asked High Chancellor Nirrne from her Throne.
"Well, technically it is the second reiteration of it." Nirrne told Janice using a proud tone of voice.
"Let's see here," Janice begun as she opened the agreement. "'The terms of this treaty are as follows: 1. Neither side would attack or be attacked as long as none of the terms are broken. 2. Talos is not to be worshipped. 3. The Empress is not to meddle in the Thalmor's affairs.'" Janice read the agreement aloud.
"What is the last one supposed to mean?" Janice asked the High Elf.
"It means you are not to be caught spying, stealing or doing anything that impedes our progress, you little spy!" Nirrne exclaimed in anger. "I know what you did at Elenwen's little party. But since it helped stopped the dragons, I am willing to let it slide."
"Fine, but I want to be assured that the citizens of both empires would be safe." Janice said calmly as she prepared to sign the treaty.
"Oh, they will, don't you worry." Nirrne assured the Dragonborn. "Don't you lose the colour in your scales over it, Your Godliness."
Janice, having becoming more in tuned with her senses, could see the malice rolling off the High Chancellor at that last declaration. Hiding the emotion of anger at such a false declaration and the intent of hurting the innocents, she quickly signed the treaty and let the High Elf go.
"Are you sure that is a good thing?" Alduin asked her sister when she talked about the feelings she had during the encounter.
"We will wait and see, for now, I need something to distract me." Janice said as she summoned her steward for Cocceius was busy with other matters.
"Send out an invitation to all the chefs in the Empire, tell them that they have a week to travel here and prepare a sample of venison stew. Include Jack from Cocceius' notes as well." Janice ordered the steward.
"Right away, Your Majesty." The steward bowed and leave for the press room.
"Right, in the mean time, I want to challenge the Arena." Janice said as she prepares to put on her armour, changing out of her formal clothing as she went along.
"This would be fun!" Alduin exclaimed as she followed her sister, not caring about Derkeethus' worried looks over the feelings Janice had spoken of.
A/N: Alright, so Janice is now formally a demigod, that I didn't expect. Anyway, the arena battles are coming up. I know that the lore here is a bit bent, but since it happens before Alduin invaded Nirn, I guess it should be fine that the TES lore still holds water. If you are going to worry about balancing, don't be. The arena and future battles will have much stronger opponents, opponents that are of the demigod level.
1. I know Derkeethus can't be made a vampire in the game if he is married to the Dragonborn, but I am going to ignore that fact.