A/N: LAST CHAPTER! We've got Harkon and the final battle, wrapping up the loose ends, a bit of celebration, and an epilogue involving the birth of the twins. It's a little bittersweet at the end but that's because I'm plotting a Dragon Age crossover involving this lot. Which may end up being posted sooner than you might think! But for now, enjoy the end of the Fearless Vampire Hunters.
Summary: The High Queen of Skyrim is a far cry from the helpless young woman she once was, and she's got plenty of resources at her disposal for the siege on Castle Volkihar. But when the final confrontation happens, it's our heroes facing down Harkon himself. And Harkon's fate isn't the only one in the balance...
Broad daylight, with the clouds shouted away, because Elisif didn't believe in making it easy for any fleeing vampires. Legion ships and boats requisitioned off the East Empire Company (because apparently the Imperial Heir could do that) all lined up to form a pontoon bridge over the Sea of Ghosts. Odahviing taking up a position on top of the watchtower just outside Castle Volkihar, ensuring a swift and fiery end for anyone attempting to leave the castle.
Elisif hadn't exactly approved of Cicero having Auriel's Bow, but she had to admit he was one of the best marksmen they had, and taking it off him to give to someone who'd not been on the mission was just asking for trouble. So she'd relented, despite Madanach pointing out this was a terrible idea, and Isran being even less pleased. Weirdly, Kaie had taken Cicero's side, patting him on the back and saying he'd earned it. Elisif hadn't even thought Kaie had liked Cicero. Clearly travelling with him had won her over a bit.
"Just remember you're one of the few with elven arrows," Elisif had warned him. "I don't want to find any of them in the back of any of our people, all right? Even Isran."
Pouting from Cicero, and Elisif had folded her arms and resisted, parental skills apparently helping greatly with dealing with Cicero.
"No," Elisif said firmly. "I will deal with Isran after the battle. You leave him to me and concentrate on the vampires."
Cicero had kept pouting but given in. He did have to admit he'd likely be too busy shooting and stabbing vampires to target Isran.
And so the advance guard had started making their way over the bridge, Imperial battering ram at the ready, and while Elisif had asked for the castle to be mostly left intact, it wasn't like it couldn't be rebuilt.
Then a lone raven fluttered over the channel, landing next to Odahviing, and a few minutes later, Matriarch Keirine made her way out of the tower, illusions on – until several of the ReachGuard advance party, including three Briarheart mages, gathered round her and cast their own illusions, enabling Keirine to drop her own and free her magicka. Then the knives came out, blood flowed, and several Forsworn linked their magicka pools to their Matriarch's.
The resulting ice storm was enough to cover the entire portcullis, and one swing from the ram shattered it into pieces. And then the ram turned on the wooden doors.
Two thuds and then assistance from above. Odahviing landed on the ram, directed his head in and promptly shouted the doors in.
"FUS RO DAH!"
The Shout that could send humans flying and that had once killed a High King smashed the doors in, sending them exploding inwards, and as Odahviing retreated with the ram carriers, the vanguard swept in, ReachGuard with wards up and Legionnaires with their long shields locked in formation.
And behind them was the High Queen of Skyrim and her Reach-King husband, along with her special agents, a few Companions hired for the occasion… and Isran with his Dawnguard.
"Get in there and kill them all!" Isran roared, ordering his people in, Aedric shield gleaming around him as he raced into battle, warhammer connecting with a vampire's head. Elisif nodded and let him get on with it, choosing to stay with Serana instead.
"Serana. Where might your father be?" Elisif asked, not seeing anyone around here who looked like a leader, in fact most of the vampires were fighting and dying and the only one who looked in charge was a Dunmer presently being swarmed by Isran, some of the Dawnguard and a couple of Briarhearts.
"Not sure," Serana said, eyes scanning the room. "Unless… wait, I think he's in the shrine. It's the source of our power, where the initiations happened, he'd feel safe there."
"Instead of fighting and dying with his people," Elisif said grimly, her expression making it clear what she thought about that. "Well, let's find him."
And so they fought their way towards the cathedral area, Serana leading the way, with Athis on one side, Elisif on the other, their swords making short work of any vampire foolish enough to get in their way. Cicero followed behind, flitting from shadow to shadow then striking at anyone in range, and Madanach's magic was also there, sending vampires running screaming as they tried to beat the flames out.
When they found the cathedral gate, the area was mercifully quiet, most of the action taking place in the great hall or the side corridors. But the room was sealed up and Serana was sure he was in there.
"I know how to get that open," Serana said quietly. "I think he's planned it this way. Me and him, one on one. He wants to talk to me."
"Sounds like a trap," Elisif said, frowning. "Well, don't you worry, Serana, I can take care of him for you. Just get the door open."
"No!" Serana gasped, before remembering she was talking to the High Queen and recollecting herself. "I mean... no. I can do this. Please. Let me talk to him."
"On your own?" Elisif said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think that's a good idea!"
"It isn't," Athis said. "Cicero and I are joining you. You're not doing this alone."
The relief in Serana's eyes said it all as she squeezed Athis's hand then gave Cicero a hug.
"All right," Serana whispered. "Let's do this."
So she went to unseal the door, Cicero with her, and Athis made to follow… until Elisif stopped him.
"Athis," she said quietly. "Before you go in there. Take this."
Elisif was unbuckling Dawnbreaker's scabbard and then handed it over. Dawnbreaker, the gleaming golden sword of fire that had been a gift of Meridia, Daedra of Life. It had already claimed a few undead souls tonight.
"High Queen?" Athis said, trying to work out if she was truly serious about this. "You're giving me your sword? Dawnbreaker itself?"
"I'm lending it to you," Elisif told him, holding it out to him. "If I can't be there… look, you're one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom, so I'm told. This bites extra hard against undead. I don't know how Meridia will feel about a vampire wielding it, but I don't think she'll mind it being wielded against other vampires. Your intentions are honourable. That's the main thing. And you'll need all the help you can get."
Athis took the sword, fastening it around his waist, feeling a bit choked up at the mere idea of getting to wield the famous Dawnbreaker of all things. The same sword that had killed Ulfric Stormcloak, and now he got to borrow it.
"Thank you, High Queen," he managed to say and Elisif nodded, smiling gently and indicating for him to chase after Cicero and Serana.
"Give him a few kicks from me, won't you," Elisif told him, reaching for Dragonbane instead. "We'll keep any reinforcements from getting in. And if you're not out within an hour, we're coming in after you regardless."
Sounded like a plan. Athis made a mental note to tell Cicero to flee if it looked like they were losing and get help from the High Queen and Reach-King, because after seeing Kaie successfully use blood magic on Vyrthur, Athis was absolutely sure Madanach and Keirine could do something similar to Harkon.
By this point, Serana had the door unsealed and ready to go.
"Are you ready?" Serana whispered, looking haunted by the task ahead of her.
"Are you?" Athis said, not envying her at all.
"Pretty Serana does not have to do this," Cicero told her, patting her hand. "Cicero is happy to do the vitally necessary stabbing for her. It has been Cicero's job to resolve family feuds without kin needing to get their hands bloody for many years, after all."
Which left Athis wondering what sort of mercenary company specialised in murdering people on behalf of vengeful family members, and was that even legal in Cyrodiil, and then it occurred to him Cicero had mentioned nothing about operating within the law, and then certain things started clicking together as Athis suddenly noticed the barely-visible hand outline on the back of Cicero's belt and realised just how Elisif must have escaped the feared Dark Brotherhood. She'd had inside help. Bloody fucking hell. Who else knew? Did Eola? Madanach? Kaie? Eola had said it was Cicero's story to tell, not hers, which meant she must know, and that meant her kin probably knew as well, because if Eola was going to risk getting romantically involved with a dangerous assassin, she'd want insurance in the event of her mysterious and sudden demise or disappearance.
Jorrvaskr had a Dark Brotherhood assassin under its roof, and the Harbinger condoned it. Athis shook his head, thinking Kodlak must be turning in his grave, which begged the thought – had Kodlak known about his son's past? Athis suspected not. But Cicero had also turned his order in to Elisif, although Athis was also sure it had not been because Cicero had had a change of heart about being a professional murderer. Still, Athis also had to admit Cicero wasn't completely beyond redemption either. He'd been nothing short of supportive to Serana, and his loyalty to his Shield-Siblings was undoubted. Athis decided that Cicero's past could stay that way as far he was concerned, at least unless he found Cicero had started killing innocent people again. Given the state of Skyrim's roads, Cicero would have some way to go before he ran out of criminals to stab.
And right now, they had more things to worry about than Cicero's misspent youth. Serana was shaking her head, smiling at Cicero.
"Thank you, but it needs to be me," Serana told him. "I want to see it through. But you'll help, right?"
"Absolutely," Athis promised, at the same time as Cicero squealed and promised he was happy to, Serana knew that!
And so the door swung open, and the three of them entered the cathedral of the Lord of Domination.
Harkon was waiting for them in his Vampire Lord form, gliding out of the shadows of the darkened Gothic chamber that arched above them, dominated by the shrine to Molag Bal at the back of the room.
"So, daughter. You return, with your… pets. I knew it was only a matter of time before you returned with hatred in your heart."
"It's not hatred," Serana said softly. "But I can't let you put the sun out. Stand down. It's over."
"Over?" Harkon murmured. "Oh, of course, you may claim victory now, with the mortal queen's forces ransacking my court. But when the dust settles, and she claims the bow for her own, what do you think will happen? Do you think she will reward you? Or do you think she will cleanse you next? Or Valerica perhaps? Her type has no truck with anything less than wholesome. I know her kind all too well."
Athis thought of Elisif's reaction to his own vampirism. Of Elisif recruiting a dissatisfied Dark Brother and persuading him to turn his erstwhile siblings in, and continuing to protect him. Of marrying the Reach-King and allowing the Daedra-worshipping, blood mage Forsworn to run their own country. Elisif might be a heroic idealist but she was no zealot.
"You don't know the first thing about her," Athis heard himself say, and Harkon's head whipped round to face him.
"So. You turned down my gift and then acquired it from another source. My daughter? Or did you get yourself infected? No matter. You're still no true vampire. The pair of you are pathetic whelps who I will gladly rip apart for turning my daughter against me."
Cicero's smile had barely flickered, and trust an assassin to be able to fake virtually any emotional reaction to lull their prey into a false sense of security.
"You can try," Athis said, shrugging. "But as for turning Serana against you, we left her here barely knowing her. Not our fault she took one look and decided running after a pair of friendly strangers was preferable to living with you."
Harkon hissed viciously at him but did not say anything further. Serana had stepped in front of Athis before he got the chance.
"No," Serana snapped. "You will not hurt them."
Harkon actually blinked, before backing off, eyes narrowing at Serana.
"Has it truly come to this, daughter?" Harkon said grimly, a small flicker of something that might even be regret in his eyes. "You'd take everything I provided for you and throw it away for… for these pathetic creatures?"
"Provided for me?" Serana cried. "Are you insane? You've destroyed our family! Murdered other vampires! All over some prophecy we barely understood, that only got invented because an ancient vampire wanted revenge on a god! No more! We're done!"
"This dragon has fangs," Harkon noted. "Your words drip with your mother's influence. How alike you've become."
"Maybe," Serana said bitterly. "But unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not any more."
Harkon shook his head and turned away, clearly getting irritated.
"So be it. My daughter is lost to me. No vampire can ever truly be friends with a mortal. No bond lasts forever. They all fade in time. No matter. I will be merciful and give you one chance to hand over the bow and leave. I won't ask agai- argh!"
Cicero had rolled his eyes, sighed heavily, raised Not Auriel's Bow Any More, nocked an arrow and shot Harkon in the back while he was busy grandstanding.
"The contract is for Harkon's head," Cicero said calmly. "Pretty Elisif is offering a lot of money for this. Cicero is… not sorry actually, Cicero is looking forward to it greatly. Say goodbye!"
Harkon snarled at Cicero and turned on his blood magic, and only quick reflexes saved him from injury. Athis drew Dawnbreaker in one hand and his Skyforge blade in the other, while Serana summoned fire into her hands, and the battle was on.
When telling the story later, Athis would be sure to recall that it had been one of the more frustrating fights of his career. First chasing after Harkon, who kept bloody moving! Then the skeletons and gargoyles the man kept summoning, forcing Serana to divert her magic to dealing with them. Maybe it was an excuse not to have to fight her father, but if it was, Athis couldn't begrudge her that. Cicero was still firing, weaving in and out of the shadows, stabbing the odd summons if it got near, but mostly keeping up a steady rate of fire with No Longer Auriel's Bow. Which proved useful when, just as Athis swore he had Harkon cornered, Harkon fled to the altar in the form of a cloud of bats and summoned a blood magic spell of some sort, restoring his health.
Athis swore in an entirely different manner, but Cicero raised his bow, smiling.
"Do not worry, brother, Cicero has this one!" Cicero cooed, and seconds later a Sunhallowed arrow slammed into the shield, which exploded in a shower of golden light.
"Isn't it pretty, brother?" Cicero squealed, and Athis didn't rightly disagree but cooing over the pretty lights was lower down the priority list than dealing with a still dangerous Harkon.
And so the battle wore on, Athis feeling himself grow weary, and even Drain Life wasn't helping that much, but they were getting there, he was sure of it, and Harkon wasn't summoning as many things as he had been… but nor was Serana, and even Cicero wasn't smiling any more.
"You will not beat me, elf," Harkon snapped at him, sending another Drain Life blast at Athis, who downed a health potion before realising that had been his last one. Fuck.
"Kill me, I will be avenged," Athis promised. Jorrvaskr alone would want revenge, and they'd not be the only ones in line.
"You will still be dead," Harkon gloated, raising his hand for another strike. Athis glanced at Serana, who was still fending off a gargoyle, and Cicero, who'd seen his plight but looked exhausted, pouting as he tried to raise his bow, nothing like as fast as he'd been earlier. Was this it? Was this really how he'd die? He hoped they'd make it sound heroic when they wrote home to his kin.
Athis had just about resigned himself to the inevitable when he became aware of noise outside the door, which had been getting louder for the last few minutes, and Athis swore he recognised Madanach's voice chanting… something.
And then the doors exploded inwards, and the High Queen of Skyrim strode in, Isran on one side, Madanach on the other.
"By order of the High Queen, stand down!" Elisif shouted, and Athis mentally sighed, wishing she'd shouted with the Thu'um rather than words, but that was Elisif all over. She'd do this lawfully or not at all. Harkon turned on her, claws raised to cast Drain Life at her instead, and Madanach and Isran both moved forward, one to slaughter the enemy and the other to rain merry hell on the one who'd dare hurt his wife.
But if Elisif was law and order at its finest, there was one other in the room who operated by very different rules. A born killer with a job to do, and if his arms were too tired to fire any more, his voice was still in fine form.
"YOL TOOR SHUL!"
The fireball engulfed Harkon, who fell back screaming in agony, and Serana actually gasped, horrified. Athis didn't exactly blame her, and he wasn't one to enjoy pain for pain's sake. Not even Harkon's. A strike from Dawnbreaker later and Harkon was dead.
"Good," Isran growled. "One less bloodsucker in the world." His eyes swept over Athis and Serana, clearly seeing two more he could wish out of it.
Athis looked at Serana, staring down at Harkon's charred remains with a hand to her mouth, and he went over to her, taking her in his arms and shielding her from having to look.
"Are you all right?" Athis said softly, and Serana shook her head.
"Not really," Serana admitted. "I mean, I know he had it coming, and if I'm honest, my father really died a long time ago. But that… that was..."
Cicero had sidled over, glee at triumph fading on seeing Serana's face.
"Pretty Serana?" Cicero whispered. "Cicero is sorry… but he was very tired and did not wish to die..."
"It's OK," Serana said softly, putting an arm round Cicero. "Can we just get out of here?"
Both men agreed and helped her out of the cathedral… only to find a stony-faced High Queen and Reach-King standing in their way, and both of them were glaring at Cicero.
"When the fuck did you learn to breathe fire," Madanach said dangerously.
"You're not an actual Dragonborn!" Elisif said, her voice accusing and Athis recollected that dragons were known for a dislike of rivals. "Who taught you that? Wait… was that your price for ferrying a dragon soul to safety?"
Cicero blushed as he admitted this was indeed the case. Elisif and Madanach's furious looks did not abate in the slightest.
"New Reach law," Madanach intoned. "No one allowed to breathe fire in the Reach without prior authorisation from the Mournful Throne. Elisif cariad, you're authorised."
Elisif inclined her head with a smile before turning to Cicero, who was already starting to pout.
"No one not a Jarl of Skyrim allowed to breathe fire in inhabited areas without the Jarl's permission," Elisif announced. "Be sure I'll be writing to the other Jarls without delay to inform them of this."
"And be very sure they'll write that into their own legal codes the minute they see the note attached to the declaration informing them you learnt how to breathe fire," Madanach added. "Also note that every jenever distillery in Skyrim or the Reach has local by-laws banning naked flames anywhere within a hundred feet of the premises."
Even Cicero understood the logic behind that one, and subsided, although the pout didn't leave his face.
"Never mind, Cicero," Athis soothed him. "We'll find you a bandit camp to play with soon enough."
Which cheered the little jester up a little. And with the matter of fire-breathing dealt with, Isran stepped forward.
"Still got two vampires breathing," Isran noted. "High Queen, I warned you before, you can't trust them."
"So you said," Elisif said coldly. "But I believe I know who I can and can't trust. I know who brought me news of where Harkon was and what he was planning. Who retrieved a long-lost artefact of Auriel. Who was of more use to me this whole time than your people were."
"What?" Isran gasped, eyes shooting to the three vampire hunters. "You mean… you're planning to reward these three?"
"Argis is sorting out the coin as we speak, it'll be on its way to Jorrvaskr shortly," Elisif said cheerfully. "And then there's the little matter of clearing out and refitting this place. I could do with another port in my Hold. I'm told there's even a harbour on the west side. You can be sure I'll be making use of that. But that requires coin, and that requires taxes. With the present emergency over, I think any vampires remaining will think twice before attacking innocents. Which means I see no further need for the Dawnguard to benefit from the public purse at taxpayers' expense… and speaking of taxpayers, I think the Dawnguard can have that status restored to it now."
"You – you!" Isran roared, one hand reflexively going to his weapon… and then he realised it was five on one, and not a one of the others was unskilled. Not to mention that Elisif was, at the end of the day, Queen of Skyrim.
"High Queen," Isran growled, before accepting the inevitable and stalking out.
"Is he going to pose a problem?" Madanach said, narrowing his eyes at the man's back. Elisif shrugged.
"Perhaps. But political power in Skyrim comes from the ground up – the people choose their Jarl, the Jarls choose the High King or Queen, and the High Queen or King decides if we stay in the Empire or not. And the common people have, the way I hear it, been getting rather sick of Dawnguard soldiers killing maybe-vampires. It's about time the rule of law reasserted itself, and that means Jarls dispensing justice on the basis of evidence, not vigilantes deciding who's guilty."
"Although if Isran turns up dead, the Mournful Throne will be extremely happy," Madanach put in cheerfully, Elisif's pointed glare not fazing him even slightly. "Just, er, maybe wait until Maven's taxed the Dawnguard until it falls apart and Isran's sunny personality does the rest, eh?"
"Madanach!" Elisif hissed, smacking him on the arm, before turning to Serana, official Queen persona fading and the more motherly one asserting itself.
"How are you feeling?" Elisif said gently. "You don't look so good. I know it wasn't easy for you, but you have my thanks. I know I talked about turning this place into a port of my Hold, but with your father gone, this place is rightfully yours. Did you want to be Thane of Port Volkihar?"
Serana's eyes widened at the mere idea, but she didn't look happy.
"I – I don't know," Serana admitted. "I'm not sure I want to live here again. Too many memories. But… there's my mother. She's still alive and in the Soul Cairn. I think she'd like to live here."
"Hmm," Elisif said, frowning. "I don't know her, and nor do the Hold. But there's no law against a Thane appointing a steward of their choice to look after their holding. Do you think she'd agree to that? She'll need to abide by Skyrim's laws, which means no human sacrifices, and that thing in there has to go."
"Take it," Serana said, shuddering, and Madanach promptly detached himself to find Keirine and tell her they'd just acquired a shrine to Molag Bal and to start transporting it back to the Reach, and then Keirine heard about the Soul Cairn portal, practically squealed and immediately dispatched two Briarhearts to find it and retrieve Valerica.
"Well, that's that taken care of," Elisif sighed. "Thank the Eight for the Reachmen, they really don't flinch at anything, do they?" She turned back to Serana, still looking thoughtful. "You're a mage yourself, aren't you? Your mother trained you, above and beyond any vampiric powers you might have, so I'm told."
"That's right," Serana said, wondering where this was going. "Mother was the mage in the family. Father may have worshipped Molag Bal, but he never had much to do with the arcane until he realised he was dying. He was always a warrior and king, first and foremost. He left the magic to us."
"Interesting," Elisif mused. "Well, Serana, if you won't be living here, I have an alternative offer. Harkon's people murdered my court mage, and so I need a replacement. I can't ask Madanach for one, and half my people think I'm overly influenced by the Reachmen anyway. So before I send to Winterhold or start advertising, I'm offering it to you. What do you say? A generous personal salary, bed and board at the Blue Palace, access to all your predecessor's resources, a generous research allowance, access to the Bards' College library and permission to requisition anything you like from another court mage or the College of Winterhold's library, although they can also send requests to you and requisitions are temporary unless you actually buy the item – look, there's a whole agreement all the court mages sign, Argis has a copy, come to Solitude and we'll go over it. What do you say?"
"But I'm a vampire," Serana breathed, never having expected this in a million years. Court mage was a place of respectability, security. It wouldn't last forever, but it was a fresh start, a chance to start over… and hadn't she always wanted to live in Solitude? She couldn't believe Elisif was truly serious.
"So was my last one, it turns out," Elisif said ruefully. "It was why Harkon targeted her – an attack at my court, intended to remove a rival vampire and a key source of knowledge about vampirism. Apparently she used to feed on prisoners in Castle Dour dungeons. It's not exactly a practice I condone – but there's often someone in there who deserves it. Also, there's bandit haunts and smugglers all along the coast. You hunt where you like among them."
"Really?" Serana whispered, overjoyed. Elisif nodded, smiling. So Serana accepted, and with Cicero and Athis as witnesses, Elisif made Serana Thane of Castle Volkihar and Court Mage of Solitude, and Serana tearfully accepted before hugging the High Queen and promising she wouldn't let her down.
It only left the clear up to start, but Elisif's soldiers could get on with that, so the three adventurers made to go home… only to get as far as the great hall to find Eola of all people there, pouting sadly at all the bloodied body parts being carted out in front of her… and being told off by Kaie.
"Are you well enough to be here?" Kaie snapped. "You were shot by the Dawnguard barely two weeks ago, not even that. Da sees you here, he'll have a fit."
"I'm sure he's very busy," Eola sighed. "Look, I just came to see what had happened and make sure everyone was all right! What about Athis and Cicero and Serana, are they…?"
"PRETTY EOLAAAAAAA!"
Eola just about managed to stay upright as Cicero pounced, apparently feeling energetic enough to cuddle his wife, as always.
"Cicero!" Eola gasped, hugging him and then Athis, and then she greeted Serana with a smile. "So, you did it then?"
Serana nodded, trying not to think of her father's burnt husk of a corpse.
"Harkon's gone," Serana said firmly. "We… well, Cicero and Athis really, killed him."
"It was nothing," Cicero said modestly, at the same time as Athis pointed out that without Serana dealing with all the various things Harkon had been summoning, they'd have had a harder time wearing Harkon down, and then everyone agreed Elisif storming the cathedral chamber had been the key distraction that had let them finally kill him.
"That sounds like her," Eola grinned. "Big hero riding to the rescue. Also, did I see Isran storming out with a whole troop of Dawnguard just now?"
"Yes," Kaie put in, grinning a bit at this. "Our stepmother has decided his tax-free status is at an end, along with his government funding. I think she will also be sending the Jarls a gentle reminder that vigilanteism is not actually legal and that suspected vampires must be brought before a Jarl for trial unless you actually catch them in the act of lawbreaking and they attack you. The Reach is already offering a discount for court mages on the Litany of Griselda."
"That's the anti-blood magic and mind control chant," Eola told Serana. "You can have it for free if you like, most Reach mages of any stature know it. I memorised it by the time I was twelve. Didn't trust Ma."
Kaie rolled her eyes but Serana thanked her.
"I'm going to be a court mage myself," Serana admitted. "Elisif made me her new court mage, seeing as Harkon had the last one killed. I'm moving to Solitude!"
"But that's amazing!" Eola whispered, wiping her eyes. "That's… that's really great, I'm so proud! Wait, why am I crying?"
There followed a horrified stare from Kaie as Eola started crying and Athis went to comfort her, while Serana looked horribly guilty and Cicero just giggled nervously.
"Eola doesn't cry," Kaie whispered. "Eola never cries! Ma used to beat us for crying, we both sort of stopped – mother of Kyne, what's wrong with her?"
"It wasn't my fault, was it?" Serana said, cringing a little. Cicero shook his head.
"No. Yes. Sort of. Cicero thinks Eola will miss you, and it will be only a few months before travelling becomes harder if not impossible for her, and that is part of it, but the rest is likely just hormones. We have anything up to seven months of this ahead, isn't it marvellous!"
"Seven months… wait, hormones… hang on," Kaie said, working out what no one in her family had got around to telling her yet. "Do you mean to tell me Eola's pregnant?"
"Um," Eola admitted, nodding her head, at the same time as Cicero squealed "Yes! Cicero is going to be a papa! And Athis too! We're having twins!"
"Twins?" Kaie gasped. "Are you serious? Does Da know yet?"
"Yeah," Eola admitted. "I thought he'd told you, I'm sorry. Er. Yeah. You're gonna be an auntie. And… they're in line to take over one day if you don't have kids. You should probably get working on that, you know..."
"Working on it?" Kaie cried. "What, with you pregnant with the next generation? Are you having a laugh, Eola? I'm fine with it. Never liked the idea of being pregnant anyway. I've heard too many stories from Auntie Keirine. But don't worry, she's never lost a mother yet. Sithis, I'm going to be an auntie! And… and I don't need to have kids. I don't need a husband. I don't… Borgakh!"
Borgakh the Steel Heart turned from where she was supervising the first of the vampire cattle being brought out of the cells for the healers to look at, even as Elisif and Madanach were looking grimly on at the sight of terrified human beings flinching away, too afraid to trust they were really safe at last.
"What is it?" Borgakh asked, surprised to see Kaie looking so emotional, and even more so when Kaie hugged her.
"I don't have to get married!" Kaie cried. "Eola's pregnant, I don't need heirs! I can leave the Mournful Throne to one of them!"
"That… what, really?" Borgakh said, surprised, and then everyone got a shock as Borgakh's face softened. "So… no husband for you?"
"No!" Kaie laughed. "I can have whoever I want!"
"And whoever you want would be allowed to beat down rivals if they had to," Borgakh said shrewdly.
"I think whoever I want wouldn't have very many rivals once the news got out she'd be the one they needed to challenge," Kaie said, stepping forward and taking Borgakh's hands… before dropping to her knees, and if Eola crying was near-unheard of, this was even rarer, Kaie showing submission to anyone.
"I love you, Lady Steel-Heart," Kaie said, voice trembling a little. "Will you… will you marry me?"
Borgakh looked shocked to even have the question be asked.
"What, seriously?" she demanded. "You want to marry me?"
"Yes, or I wouldn't be asking in front of an entire castle of my father and stepmother's troops," Kaie sighed. "Come on, what do you say? I love you, you love me, what else is there?"
"You don't even care about bride-price or dowries or your father's opinion or anything, do you?" Borgakh said in wonder.
"I won't lie, it'll be a cheap wedding with about five people in attendance if he disapproves," Kaie admitted. "But I have high hopes Elisif and Keirine will talk him round."
Borgakh stared at her, and if Eola being emotional and Kaie being submissive were strange sights, a tearful Orc was something else.
"You mean it, don't you," Borgakh whispered and Kaie nodded.
"Of course! You gonna give me an answer or what, my knees are starting to hurt – eek!"
Borgakh reached down, hauled Kaie to her feet in one go and pulled her to her chest, kissing her. When she finally put Kaie down, there were tears in her eyes and both women looked flushed.
"Course I'll marry you," Borgakh said gruffly. "No one I'd rather have more."
That was the point Kaie did actually start crying as she cuddled her lover again and led her away to tell her father… and Borgakh's brother, who'd have a few opinions of his own on the matter… but mostly both men were pleased to see their kin happy.
The four vampire hunters stood back, gathered in a little group, looking on as Madanach hugged Kaie and then Borgakh, and then Borkul was patting Kaie on the back, no doubt passing on jovial threats as to what would happen if Borgakh was unhappy in her marriage, and all in all everything looked set for a very fancy Forsworn wedding in a few months' time.
"At which I will be too fat to party, and also unable to drink," Eola sighed. "Fucking marvellous."
"Cicero will still love you," Cicero cooed, snuggling Eola. "Who knows, maybe Madanach will need to save up for it, delaying it until after the children are born."
Which would not help as much as Eola liked, as then she'd have to spend all day tending to babies, but at least there might be alcohol available later on. It was something. Maybe she could find babysitters.
"Did I just hear right?" a commanding female voice demanded, and all four looked up to see the Companions gathering round – Aela the Huntress, Ria, Vilkas, Torvar, and Farkas up from Solitude because no one started fights without him if he had any say in the matter.
"Did you say something about children?" Aela said firmly. "Eola, are you pregnant?"
"Er. Yeah," Eola admitted. "And I'm raising them at Jorrvaskr. Hope this isn't going to be a problem for anyone."
"We will try and ensure they do not bother you!" Cicero chirped hopefully.
"It's twins," Athis added. "Sorry about that."
It was hard to describe the reaction as enthusiasm exactly, but Companions were men and women of honour and would not kick their Harbinger out just because she'd got pregnant.
"Is a mead hall any place for kids?" Torvar queried uncertainly. "There's a lot of swearin' an' fightin' in a mead hall..."
"We grew up there, we turned out all right," Vilkas said with a shrug. "But, er, you might want to keep the language down around them."
"I was actually born in Jorrvaskr," Aela admitted. "Yours won't be the first. So, does your father know?"
"Yeah," Eola sighed. "We can expect half the ReachGuard to descend on Jorrvaskr for security reasons. Da takes the safety of his heirs very seriously."
"Jarl Balgruuf will love that," Aela commented. "But if they pull their weight and help out with jobs, I've no objection."
"Kodlak would have loved that, a mead hall full of the Forsworn," Vilkas sighed. "But… we do have spare beds for a few of them, and if there's healers and servants, not just warriors, Tilma could do with the help."
The distinction between warrior and domestic servant wasn't as clear-cut amongst tribal Reachmen, most of whom cleaned up after themselves and normally organised a laundry rota, and could almost all cook. But Eola decided that could wait until they all arrived. And then Cicero spoke up.
"Kodlak would – would have accepted it," Cicero snapped. "Kodlak would be pleased. Kodlak would have accepted the need to protect the little ones. Kodlak… here! Read! They are not just heirs of the Reach and children of the present Harbinger! They are Kodlak's grandchildren! Cicero is… is Kodlak's child. He believed so, anyway. See, see!"
"Give me that," Vilkas snapped, scanning the text while Aela and Ria read over his shoulder, and when he got to the bit where Kodlak named Cicero as his, he read out loud for Farkas's benefit. All the Companions stared and looked up at a man who admittedly did not look a lot like Kodlak… but Kodlak had believed, and they'd never doubted their former Harbinger yet.
"You're Kodlak's son?" Farkas whispered, awed. Cicero nodded, suddenly looking a bit nervous.
"Er. Yes. Brother? What is it – eeeeeee!"
Farkas swept Cicero up into his arms, squeezing him tight as Cicero squealed and put up a token resistance, although it got a little bit less token as Cicero's air supply began to run out..
"I'm gonna be an uncle!" Farkas gasped, letting Cicero go. Cicero, still a little dazed, nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! Uncle Farkas and Uncle Vilkas and Auntie Aela! Born to Jorrvaskr and able to tell stories of their grandfather to the little ones!"
"Aye," Vilkas said, wiping a tear from his own eye. "Kodlak's grandchildren. It'll be a privilege to help rear them."
Eola would see how this played out when the reality of two demanding babies hit them all, but Vilkas was a twin himself. He'd understand, she was sure. There was just one last thing she needed to talk to Athis about, so she took him to one side as everyone prepared to leave.
"So Athis, I was talking with Auntie Keirine, and she's been in correspondence with this summoner out in Morthal, Falion."
Athis had heard of Falion. A Redguard mage, mistrusted by the locals initially, but they'd learned to at least put up with him. He'd heard lots of things about Falion's experiments, but no one had ever found him doing anything unethical or illegal, so the matter was usually dropped.
"What of him, Eola?" Athis said, guarded. He'd be willing to work with a mage, but he had his limits. The Reachmen tended… not to.
"He says he can cure vampirism," Eola said in a rush. "There's a price, but I'd help, and you wouldn't… I mean, you never wanted to in the first place, did you? You'd be back how you were."
Athis barely remembered how he had been. But he remembered being fine with sunlight, loving the warmth in fact. It might be nice to have that back. It would certainly be nice to no longer have the hunger, no longer being able to smell blood. But the potions kept it manageable, and the night sky these days was beautiful.
"What's the price?" Athis asked.
"One black soul gem," Eola said, sounding a little hesitant. "A filled black soul gem. But don't worry! Cicero and I can get one for you, it's not a problem!"
Athis thought of the Soul Cairn, where the trapped soul would end up. A featureless barren wasteland, trapped there eternally until the Ideal Masters needed you for something and destroyed you. Azura have mercy, no one deserved that fate.
"No," said Athis vehemently. "No, Eola, I'm not doing it. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to that place. I'd rather live with the vampirism."
Eola said nothing, just staring at him, and then she took his hand, all the while shaking her head.
"That sounds so like you," Eola sighed. "Too damn principled, that's your trouble. Well, if you change your mind, let me know. And if I can track down someone who does deserve it, will you consider it then?"
"If you can find someone so lost to principle that the world is truly better off without them, I will think about it," Athis promised, and Eola did smile at that.
"Don't worry. Someone will turn up," Eola promised. "These types always do. Dammit, should have got Cicero to try and trap Harkon..."
Athis couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. But he did know that Eola might have a point. Someone might turn up one day who truly deserved the Soul Cairn. All the same, he wasn't pinning his hopes on it. He'd have to see what life drove him to. For now though, he could live with himself as he was, vampire or no.
And so, with the world safe, the fearless vampire hunters went home. In time, Serana would take up her post as Solitude's court mage, and Valerica would return from the Soul Cairn, become Castle Volkihar's steward and set about turning the place into a major trading hub, not to mention striking up a fruitful research partnership with Matriarch Keirine, her nearest neighbour at Hag's End. Peace returned to Skyrim, and the Reach. Kaie married Borgakh in an open-air Forsworn ceremony in Last Seed. Eola brought the whole of Jorrvaskr along to keep her company, and Serana came along with the Solitude court as well.
And towards the end of Sun's Dusk, half the Reach descended on Whiterun, as Eola neared the end of her pregnancy and the Reach's most skilled midwives and healers arrived. Jarl Balgruuf was not exactly keen, but there'd been talks and money changing hands, and there'd not been too much trouble with the locals. And so, after a gruelling twelve-hour labour, Eola was delivered of two tiny twin girls.
Needless to say, their grandfather had arrived as soon as the labour pains had started, bringing the High Queen with him, and said Dragonborn High Queen had barely taken her eyes off the babies from the moment she first laid eyes on them.
Trepidation. Worry. Anxiety at the appearance of two new Dragonborns, and the reincarnation of Miraak at that. But Elisif spoke to no one but Madanach of this, and when she peered into their cradle, all of that vanished out of her head.
"But… they're just babies," Elisif whispered.
"Course they're babies, what were you expecting?" Eola said sleepily from the bed. Tired, exhausted, still sore and generally not the most maternal of people anyway, Eola had glanced at her kids, smiled at them then collapsed back onto the pillows and let their fathers coo over them. One had conspicuously been doing that rather more than the other.
"They are lovely, aren't they?" Cicero whispered, and he'd barely stopped staring at them since Keirine had placed them in his arms. "They're so tiny! So small! Look at their little feet!"
"I know!" Elisif had whispered. "Goodness, look at them. I was expecting… I don't know. Something… something impressive or terrifying. But they're just babies."
"They are!" Cicero cooed, a man enthralled. "Do you think… do you think we could cuddle them? One each?"
"I think so," Elisif said with a smile. "If Eola doesn't mind?"
Eola vaguely waved in her general direction, and lying next to her, Athis stroked her hair and grinned.
"Cicero. They're your kids. You're allowed to cuddle and play with them. I think it damages them if you don't."
Cicero squeaked and picked a twin up. She had a label dangling from her wrist with a number 2 on it.
"Wait, you labelled the twins?" Elisif said, scooping up number one in her arms. Cicero rolled his eyes as if she was a bit stupid.
"They are identical babies," Cicero sighed. "We need some way of telling one from the other! They do not answer to their names yet. They don't officially have names yet. Although we think that one might end up as Amalia Kodlina, and this little one may well end up as Stelmaria Madania."
After their grandparents and Eola's dead sister. Elisif found it hard to disapprove of that. So she held unofficially-Amalia in her arms and found it hard to hold anything against either child.
A baby, a baby, I want another baby. They were just so tiny and cute and Elisif honestly never got tired of cuddling babies. Then the door opened and Granda Madanach arrived, holding hands with an eighteen month old toddler who was concentrating very hard on putting one foot in front of the other. Maia Jordis Eithne Elisifsdottir ap Madanach, Princess of Skyrim and the Reach, wasn't very good at walking yet, but could certainly manage it for a bit at a time before falling over or getting tired, and more to the point, was very insistent on trying.
"Look, little one, your sister's had the babies now!" Madanach murmured. "There they are!"
"Mama!" Maia cried, beaming up at Elisif then frowning at the baby in her arms. "Mama?"
Elisif knelt down, managing to hold not-yet-Amalia in one arm while holding a hand out to her daughter, who let go of Madanach and slowly picked her way over, frowning a bit.
"Mama?" Maia whispered, cuddling up to Elisif and staring at the baby. "Who dat?"
"This is a baby. She doesn't have a name yet," Elisif explained. "She's Eola and Cicero and Athis's baby. Cicero's cuddling the other one. There's two of them. They're cute, aren't they?"
Maia wrinkled her nose and stared at the baby, still frowning.
"Baby," Maia repeated. "Ola 'n Sisro 'n Athis baby."
"Yes, that's right," Elisif said, ruffling Maia's hair. "Eola and Athis and Cicero's baby."
Maia seemed to cheer up at that and cuddled her, smiling.
"Not Mama baby," Maia said firmly. "I Mama baby!"
"Yes you are," Elisif promised, realising that had been the problem, Maia had seen another baby in her arms and immediately worried Elisif wouldn't want her any more. Which… probably meant waiting a year or two before having another, didn't it? Maybe talking to Maia first too.
Elisif kissed Maia and went to put Amalia back in the cradle, noticing Madanach already taking going-to-be Stelmaria off Cicero and crooning over her. Then she heard her husband make a strange little noise in his throat and cry out.
"Cicero, look at that. Look at the ears. Are those… points?"
Quiet and then Cicero squealed.
"Ooooohhhh! She does, she does! Athis, Athis! They've got your ears!"
"Inheritance doesn't work like that!" Athis sighed wearily. "They're not elves! Or half-elves."
Elisif looked closer at soon-to-be Amalia and realised that sure enough, the tips of her ears weren't rounded but delicate little points. Not as obviously pointy as an elf's… but pointed in a way hers weren't.
"But… how did they get pointy ears if they're not Athis's?" Elisif said, confused.
"We were Aldmeri slaves once, a lot of high elf blood made its way into ours," Madanach said gruffly. "Ear-points sometimes still crop up – they say my mother had them. It's considered a sign of good fortune… and attractiveness."
Another delighted squeal from Cicero, and the baby in Madanach's arms started to fuss. Cicero immediately lowered his voice and whispered softly to his little one.
"Little one, do not be sad! You and your sister are pretty!" Then his voice hardened as he whispered to Madanach.
"Madanach. We will need to be careful. There will be… suitors. We will need to deal with them."
Madanach nodded sagely and patted Cicero with his free hand.
"I'll have the ReachGuard on alert. You keep an eye on the ReachGuard. It's often the bodyguards they elope with, just look at Kaie."
"Agreed!" Cicero growled, shaking hands with his father-in-law and grinning demonically, and Elisif made a mental note to keep an eye on those two, neither girl would ever have any freedom if Cicero and Madanach had their way. Nordic fairytales had many young ladies trapped in towers by overprotective kin and they always ended up eloping with the handsome prince anyway. Of course, Eola had also told her the Reach equivalents which had the princess being cared for by a witch who'd trained her, and when the prince turned up, the princess had not infrequently lured him in, slept with him anyway, killed and eaten him, and then the witch and princess had raised the resulting child as the next generation. Which was no comfort at all.
All the same, the babies would need someone to listen. Elisif put the one she was holding back in the cradle and went to tend to her own. Who was standing there fingering her ears and looking confused.
"Mama?" Maia asked, worried. "I point-ears?"
Elisif knelt down and cuddled her, stroking Maia's ear.
"No, darling, you don't have pointed ears," Elisif soothed her. If anything, Maia looked a bit disappointed.
"Oh," Maia whispered, sadness in her eyes. "Mama, 'm I pretty?"
What a bizarre question – but it also occurred to Elisif Maia must have heard pointed ears described as pretty, realised she didn't have them and was now worrying.
"I think you're adorable," Elisif told her, pulling Maia into her arms. "You're my brave, cute, lovely Maia!"
Maia beamed and cuddled her, and while Maia's speech really wasn't very good yet, she understood a lot more than anyone gave her credit for. But Elisif saw and Elisif always made an effort to listen and to talk to Maia and try and include her in conversations. It seemed to be paying off. Maia seemed to appreciate the attention anyway.
And so the evening wore on and eventually Maia got tired and her father was flagging a bit too, and Elisif decided enough was enough and took them both back to their room at Dragonsreach.
Of course, it wasn't exactly warm at this time of year, and the coughing fit that took Madanach on the way up the steps was not encouraging.
"Are you alright?" Elisif whispered as Madanach sat on a step, wheezing and getting his breath back.
"It's a cold. It's nothing," Madanach growled.
It was not nothing, and they both knew it.
"I'll get you back to the room and get your chest-rub and elixirs," Elisif promised. It would take more than chest-rub and elixirs to fix Madanach's wrecked lungs and they both knew that too.
"Elisif," Madanach said softly as she helped him up. "If… if I don't live to see them reach adulthood… you need to make sure my girls are all right. For Mara's sake, please, look after my grandkids. And Maia. Argis will help, I swear it."
That Madanach had clearly already had this conversation with Argis was something Elisif wasn't pleased about, but that it was necessary at all was worse.
"You're not going to die," Elisif whispered. "You'll live til you're a hundred and see your great-grandkids born."
Madanach's face twisted into an unconvincing smile and he shook his head.
"Not without divine intervention, and I don't think the gods are that fond of me, cariad," Madanach said softly. "Whatever happens, never forget I love you and always will, until the day I die."
And that day could be sooner than any of them might wish, and the thought broke Elisif's heart. And not just hers.
"Daddy?" Maia didn't often sound that plaintive, and Madanach turned round to put an arm round her and cuddle her.
"Daddy ill?" Maia whispered. "Daddy get better soon?"
"Daddy get better soon," Madanach promised, a promise he could never keep, but Maia didn't need to know that. Not yet. And so Maia cheered up and toddled after them, and between a father who was falling apart and a little girl who was only just getting the hang of this walking thing, it took them a while to find their way back to their quarters. But they were her family, and Elisif wouldn't trade them for anything. She'd do anything to keep them safe. Absolutely anything, and one day, that might just turn all their lives upside down. But for now, Elisif would sleep in her husband's arms, with Maia tucked up in her own little bed, and feel grateful for everything life had given her.
A/N: That's it! I hope you enjoyed it. If you are at all familiar with Dragon Age, there will be a crossover with that universe involving Elisif as Inquisitor and Herald of Andraste, and Madanach as the scandalous apostate blood mage husband who everyone thinks is up to something. If you're not... up to you if you read it, but if you do, just think of it as lots of new OCs (except they're not my OCs but they're still awesome).
In the meantime, thanks for all the nice reviews!