Author's Note: Guest - the chapter length depends on what's happening, and mostly that works out to about two thousand words. Less is unlikely, but you'll occasionally get more. But while I could pad them out, I'm not really willing to add words just for the sake of making a chapter longer. Also, I'm not a very fast writer, so posting frequency would be cut back.

Chapter 13 - Celebration II

11 Rain's Hand 5E 3, Morning, Riften

The next morning, they'd barely ordered breakfast when Madesi entered the Bee and Barb, approaching Imiril and handing him a carefully and attractively wrapped package. "Best of luck in your quest, landstrider."

"Thank you." Imiril smiled, putting the package in his lap before he turned to Brynjolf, who'd joined them. "What celebrations are planned? I mean, this is the first anniversary of the day Dovahkiin defeated Alduiin, so it should be rather spectacular."

The Guild-Second snorted. "Not if it were up to Maven. She's ... um, never mind. But Mjoll took over preparations, with the Guild providing funding, and it should be pretty nice. Free food and booze all day, which is how Nords like to party."

Andreius couldn't hide his astonishment. "Mjoll and the Guild, working together on anything? That's damn near impossible to believe."

"Actually, she's not as down on us, since the Impies garrisoning the city and Hold appreciate our help keeping the free-lancers under control. I think she's finally realized that we think of Riften as our home, too, and prefer to do most of our jobs in other holds. So when she started setting up the celebration, and we knew she couldn't afford to finance it, I offered, and she accepted."

"And I heard someone in Guild armor and a mask returned Grimsever," Andreius said. "That must've helped her opinion of you."

"Yeah. If I ever find out who did it, he gets a bonus. A big bonus."

Sorcalin hid a chuckle. He and Andreius had offered to take on some of Yssha's uncompleted tasks while she was in Thalmor captivity and they were waiting for "the sign" - that one, involving the Dwemer ruin of Mzinchaleft, had been a challenge, but they'd recovered both Grimsever and Mjoll's shield, coming out with quite a bit of loot, as well. Marcurio had sent his porters in to retrieve the heavy stuff, which had helped make it one of their more profitable expeditions.

Why Andreius had stolen a set of Guild armor to return Mjoll's property, Sorcalin didn't know, and thought it the better part of discretion not to ask. Oblivion, for all he knew, it had been Azura's idea the whole time, or something her sister Nocturnal asked as a favor. Supposedly the two didn't usually get along, but on the other hand ... sisters.

"So when is this celebration to start?" Arenim asked.

"As soon as the morning watch takes over for the night shift," Brynjolf said. "Shouldn't be long now. Is that the closest to party clothes you have with you?"

"I'm afraid so," Imiril said. "Well, with one exception ... " He gave Arenim the package he'd been holding. "A beautiful young lady needs at least one piece of jewelry for a party, wouldn't you agree? It doesn't really go with scaled armor, but for a party - "

Arenim flushed, but accepted the package as the men agreed. She undid the ties, then gasped when the circlet Imiril had commissioned was revealed. "It's beautiful!"

"It is indeed," Imiril agreed. He'd expected a simple piece, rather like a Jarl's circlet, especially given the limited time, but Madesi must have spent all night on this! Yes, the shape was basic, and the circlet held only the one gem, but there were engravings all around it, including a dragon curled around the ruby, more stylized designs elsewhere. "Try it on, please - does anyone have a mirror?"

Keerava rummaged behind her bar, then approached and handed Arenim a hand-mirror. "Hold still a moment, child ... let me arrange your hair a bit."

Arenim wanted to protest that she wasn't a child, but ... well, she didn't know. She'd only been Restored less than a year, so while she wasn't physically a child, she could still be young enough for an adult to call her that.

When Keerava was satisfied with Arenim's hair, she took the circlet and arranged it so the Odmer's silvery hair held the gold circlet in place. "Take a look, my dear."

Arenim caught her breath. "That ... that can't be me - ?"

The men at her table grinned at each other, then smiled at her. Imiril was too stunned to speak, so he just nodded when Andreius said, "It is you, Arenim. Even in drab armor, with your hair nicely arranged and a bit of jewelry, you're beautiful. Give you a gown matched to your coloring, and a bit of makeup, and you'll have men panting."

The watch-change horn sounded, and they rose, going outside. Jarl Maven was nowhere to be seen, but Mjoll had climbed onto the wall surrounding the Grand Plaza, and was gesturing at the tables of food and drink laid out in and around it.

"Welcome to Riften's first celebration of the Dragonborn's victory over Alduin! Much as it pains me to say it, the festivities have been provided by the Thieves Guild, rather than our Jarl - but enjoy yourselves anyway, and sing the praises of Ysmir Dovahsebrom!"

The crowds cheered, and the volume increased as dragons passed over, the well-known Odahviing landing just outside the gate so his riders could dismount. As soon as the four were inside the walls, four bards began singing "Battle in Sovngard," and Yssha winced. They weren't bad - rather good, in fact - but it had become almost as wearing on her nerves as "The Dragonborn Comes."

Then she spotted Imiril, with Arenim, Sorcalin, and Andreius, and began making her way to them, her team following.

As she got closer, she saw Arenim's circlet, and smiled. Her uncles wouldn't intrude on even a possible courtship, so that had to be from Imiril. When she got within speaking distance - quite close, in the noisy crowd - she smiled again. "Courting, my friends?"

Imiril nodded firmly. "I've been told Altmer courting ages are ... displeasing to Mara, putting off marriage and children to where they almost have to be illegitimate if natural urges are followed. It still seems too early to me, the way I was raised, but ... "

"But she is beautiful, and you are a young man." Yssha smiled sympathetically. "Would it ease your conscience if one of your sovereigns were to assure you marriage at your age is quite normal by Imperial custom, and delaying it as Altmer do is seen as unnatural?"

Imiril swallowed hard, looking at Arenim. Seeing her expression, he nodded. "Yes, Majesty, it would. But ... now what?"

"Do either of you have Amulets of Mara?"

When both shook their heads, she chuckled. ""That is easy enough to remedy. I will be back shortly." A quick trip to the Temple of Mara later, she returned with two amulets, and gave one to each of them. "You wear these when you are ready to marry, then visit the Temple and talk to Brother Maramar or Priestess Dinya Balu. You will have to wait a day to be sure it is what you really wish, but then you may be wed."

Arenim and Imiril exchanged glances, then Arenim bowed her head briefly. "Could you not do it? As Favored of Auri-El, you must be the equivalent of a priestess."

"I do not know," Yssha said dubiously. "I can only stay briefly before I must visit the other holds, though if you will be here, I can return tomorrow."

Nevan broke in, frowning. "If I may, thuri?"

"What is it?"

"Just a hunch that if you're going to do it, best to do it now."

"And we learned at Ancestor Glade that on the rare occasions that you have a hunch, it is wise to follow it. Though that would remove their opportunity to reconsider."

"I wonder how many actually change their minds in that brief time," Marcurio said thoughtfully. "We certainly didn't."

"Knowing both of them," Andreius said, "once they've decided, they'll hold to their decisions." He grinned. "And like you two, they've fought through a barrow together, though not alone; Sorcalin and I went through Geirmund's Hall with them."

Yssha nodded. "You would have been most welcome when we went through Bleak Falls Barrow, I assure you! Geirmund's Hall is one of the places Marcurio and I were putting off exploring until we had a full team again, along with Folgunthur, searching for the other two fragments of the Gauldurson Amulet to go with the one we found in Saarthal."

Andreius grinned and handed her the amulet fragment. "Looks like we saved you the trouble."

She accepted it and thanked him, then turned to see Imiril and Arenim holding hands. "You are decided on this?"

Both of them nodded, and she smiled. "So be it, then." She raised her arms, and went through what she could remember of the wedding ceremony - not too badly, she thought, until she got to the gifting of rings part, and had no rings to give. She didn't feel any nudges, so she said, "May Mara and the rest of the Nine witness and bless this marriage. This I ask in Their names, and may your union be happy and fruitful."

Her hands blazed gold, and rings appeared on Imiril's and Arendim's fingers.

Yssha knelt, her head bowed. "Thank you, Lords," she breathed. Their blessing on the marriage was unmistakable, despite her own shortcomings, and she was grateful. "Grant them Your grace and blessings, I pray, that they help hold the Empire together."

When she rose, she went to Arenim and licked the tip of her ear. "When your tour is over, I would be honored to be at your wedding announcement. Assuming it does not reach Alinor long before we do!"

Arenim giggled, touching her circlet. "I fear it will, Majesty. At least that there was a rather unusual wedding ceremony in Riften for an Odmer woman and an Altmer man traveling with the well-known Andreius Hargan and Master Sorcalin."

Yssha chuckle-purred, then joined Mjoll on the low wall of the Great Plaza. "Please, all, enjoy the holiday, and help this young couple enjoy their wedding day!"

That got a good-natured laugh and assurance they would, so she jumped off the wall. So did Mjoll, but the Nord ex-adventurer turned to Serana, looking sympathetic. "May I ask how you lost your leg?"

Serana chuckled. "Enchanted Thalmor battle-axe, in the assault on the Alinor palace. It's clumsy using a crutch, and I miss being able to use Dawnbreaker, but that won't last long."

"How so?" Mjoll asked curiously.

Nevan answered that. "Because our researches into Dwemer technology are going well. I'm confident that unless we run into a major snag, we'll have her on a Centurion-style artificial leg in a month or so."

Mjoll nodded. "That's good - and she isn't the only one that sort of thing will help, you know."

"Indeed we do. There are a lot of former Thalmor prisoners the healers couldn't help, but that our technological discoveries may be able to. I hope so, at least."

Yssha was in a pleasant mood as they took off for Windhelm. It had definitely been an unusual wedding, but one that Mara obviously approved of, since She'd provided the rings Herself. Though, she reminded herself, she couldn't say Mara didn't provide all wedding rings. She had no idea of the origins of hers and Marcurio's, just that they had come from Maramal and been blessed by Mara's divine grace.

She'd never thought of herself as a priestess, but since the Divines had obviously approved of her performing a distinctly priestly function, perhaps she would have to. A chat with Danica at her next check-up might be in order.

Everything went smoothly for most of their tour. The Jarls made speeches, she did so as well afterward, and then opened the festivities. In Solitude, it seemed like half the Skyguard from Headquarters and Northwatch Keep were visiting; the dragon towers were mostly occupied by two, the ramparts of Castle Dour were decorated with more dovah, and the streets were more crowded than she'd ever seen. Even Odahviing's usual landing spot outside the walls had to be cleared by guards before he could set down, even in a near-hover.

She laughed as he grumped while she dismounted. "Only three more after this, fahdoni. Morthal and Falkreath are small enough to give us no problems, and Jarl Igmund has given the Reach over to Legion administration, for the most part. So we should have no problems in Markarth, either. But you will have to share space, here, as will I."

She strongly disliked the crowds, but did her best to be polite. Marcurio and Nevan teamed up to protect Serana from jostling, though once people saw her missing leg, they made way for her.

Other than the crowds, though, their Solitude visit went smoothly enough, and Morthal was quiet, as expected, though Jarl Idgrod seemed uneasy.

Yssha began sharing that unease as they neared Markarth. She had no idea why, but something felt wrong. As soon as she entered the city, it got worse. Despite the clear sky, it suddenly felt like a massive storm was about to strike. She hid a shudder and had to resist an urge to draw her mace.

She forced herself to act like this was the holiday it was supposed to be, with the speeches and mingling and smiles, but she did take a brief opportunity to draw Legate Emmanuel Admand aside. "I hesitate to say this, but I have a feeling something very bad is going to happen here, probably fairly soon."

He nodded sharply. "I'll see to increasing patrols in the city, then. Thanks for the warning, Legate."

She smiled briefly, glad that the Legion was still respecting her desire to be addressed by her Legion rank. "It is just a feeling, and may mean nothing, but I appreciate that."

"From you, I take it seriously. I'd be stupid to do otherwise, and no one's ever called me that."

Yssha managed a brief chuckle, then she had to rejoin the festivities. She didn't particularly enjoy them, and liked even less that she had to pretend to, so it was a real relief to leave the city and mount Odahviing. Falkreath briefly, then home ... it would be good to see Rayya and Freyr again.