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Chapter 30 - Imperial Visit

15 Sun's Height, 5E 3, Monahven

The first thing Yssha did the day after she'd met her self-imposed requirement of not falling on her nose every time she tried to move was call Grams, then she, Grams, Nevan, and Serana flew to Monahven and greeted Paarthurnax. Once Yssha had impressed the need for secrecy on all of them - not hard to do - she explained what she'd learned from Andreius and Sorcalin several days before.

Grams nodded. "With that background, I'm pretty sure you're going to make it. And I'm not sure whether to congratulate you when it happens, or commiserate with you."

Yssha frowned. "What do you mean? Am I missing something?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm making a connection that isn't really there." Grams sighed. "But think of what you just told us, and remember the last line of the Last Dragonborn prophecy."

"The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn," Yssha murmured. "Yes ... if the Wheel in that line is the Aurbis ... It could mean my success. I shall have to consider that. But that is only the secondary reason I wished to bring you here. I have already achieved something else, something my vahriinne have been wishing."

Paarthurnax gave her a slow gape-grin. "You can now become dovah in form, as well as spirit," he said. "Am I correct, Dovahkiin?"

"You are," she replied, bowing to him. "I am here to demonstrate that fact to the rest of those closest to me. Though I fear it will take me a great deal of practice to be able to make actual use of my new form! So if the rest of you would join Paarthurnax, please?"

When they'd done so, she moved a bit further away, and willed the change. She'd been through it a few times before, so she was able to hold back her scream, but she still had to support herself on all four limbs.

Paarthurnax cocked his head. "Brit, ko vazah," [beautiful, truly] he said admiringly. "And a bit larger than Alduin, as well." He smiled at her. "I may be as celibate as the rest of the Greybeards, but none of us has lost appreciation for the female form."

Nevan chuckled. "I'm not sure that's even possible for a male," he said.

"I sincerely hope not," Serana said, grinning.

Yssha hid a grin. Those two were as bad as she and Marcurio had ever been! "Well, with this demonstration over, we should leave. His Majesty will be docking in Solitude soon, and I must change into something more suitable for a royal greeting."

She shifted back, downed both a healing and a stamina potion, and they left.

Solitude

Yssha and Balgruuf were in the forefront as the Katariah sailed slowly away from its escort of four warships and toward the Solitude docks. She was clearly pregnant, and equally clearly happy about it, which had other spectators smiling. But she wasn't thinking about that as she watched the Emperor's ship. She was more concerned about whether to tell him about her new status. Balgruuf, as her oldest friend in Skyrim, she'd tell as soon as she was able to start actually flying, but beyond that, she didn't really want to mention it until she was competent in the air.

Which would take quite a bit more practice. Dragons might fly by magic, but they controlled that flight by physical means - wings, head and tail positions, and how the body moved. In those, she was still at the "baby steps" stage - gliding and learning to land without banging her muzzle on the ground. Part of the problem with her progress, which was slower than she liked, was that it was so hard to find a private place for her practice. Skyrim seemed huge when you were traveling it by foot or horse, but when you were a large gold dragon bumbling around trying to learn to fly properly, it seemed a great deal smaller. At least Sorcalin was right, that the shift remained painful, but was becoming more bearable. Especially with stamina potions for the shift back to Khajiit, and a nice healing spell. Not that there was any physical damage, but it soothed her nerve endings.

She brought herself back to the present as the Katariah approached the dock and was moored, the gangplank extending and Penitus Oculatus agents descending first. Emperor and Empress followed, with Grams behind them, giving Yssha a quick grin before the Emperor greeted her. "It's good to see you, Stormcrown. You're doing well, I hope."

"Very well, Your Majesty." Yssha smiled. "I find pregnancy agrees with me. And yourself?"

"We're well, also," he replied. "You and Thane Marcurio will join Us for refreshments after the formalities are over?"

"Gladly."

Two days later was the state dinner and ball at the Blue Palace, with all the Jarls and their Thanes in attendance. Yssha had her usual reaction to that, wishing she could keep out of it - a nice simple meal at the Winking Skeever, or better yet, at home, would have been far preferable. But as Stormcrown and Jarl of Skyhold, she didn't have a lot of choice, so she made the best of it.

The meal was excellent, as was to be expected, since Jarl Elisif had managed to somehow persuade the Gourmet himself to prepare it. Yssha had met him once, at Nightgate Inn, where he lived pretending to be a writer, reclusive ... she couldn't blame him for it a bit.

When he came into the dining room to check on the royal guests' reaction to his menu and approached her, she purred. "Your Potage was especially magnificent this evening, my friend. Were it not for your cooking, I would be happier eating in a more simple setting."

He bowed, elegantly for an orc. "You honor me, Majesty." His smile might have been frightening, but she had several Orsimer friends, and had no problems with their tusks. "Let me know if you wish me to cater a party, or even if you wish a simple meal prepared by an expert."

"I appreciate the offer, and may well take you up on it." Yssha smiled. "Be well, my friend. I would talk longer, but I know you are quite busy at times like this."

He nodded, and moved on to High King Balgruuf, then circulated among the rest of the guests, particularly the Jarls.

When the meal was over, the part Yssha especially hated began - the ball. Again, it was something she would have preferred to avoid, but couldn't. At least she could comfort herself that, until his progress brought him to Helgen, she could forget about the ceremonial things she hated, and take care of some small chores that had gotten shoved to the bottom of the to-do list, as well as continue her lessons in using her dragon body.

The next morning, she watched the Emperor, Empress Shameer, Grams, and Lieutenant Salvarus, head of the Mede's personal security, depart in a royal carriage that would let them be seen. They were accompanied by a dozen Penitus Oculatus agents, with Pahovgein and four Skyguard teams providing air cover.

Once the party was out of sight, Odahviing landed, looking at her sympathetically. Dragons, like Argonians and Khajiit, showed emotion mostly in body language, and it had taken her time to learn it, but now she interpreted it easily. "Home, thuri?"

"Yes, please." She and Marcurio mounted, Yssha casting a mage armor spell on herself below the waist - she could no longer get into her armor or leather riding gear, so there wasn't much of a choice.

It was a real relief to get home and greet everyone, especially Freyr, who was growing and learning faster than she would have believed possible. Well, she knew it was; she'd been around human children her whole life. But it seemed so much faster when she was the child's mother! And the differences in size between Nord and Khajiit were becoming obvious; she no longer had to kneel to hug or kiss him. She smiled. "What have you been up to while we were gone, son?"

"Uncle Nevan teaching us two-handed, sword and dagger, an' a bit of hand-to-hand. Then a bit of magic, how to heal ourselves. I wanted to learn Flames, but he said not till we had healing enough to fix ourselves if we messed up."

"Which you have to admit makes sense," Yssha said. "And you should also learn Frost, so you can put out any fires you start by accident."

"Awww ... okay, mama. But I'm already good at healing - watch!" The boy took his dagger and slashed his palm, then cast Healing on himself, and the wound closed smoothly. He beamed at her. "See? And still have good reserves!"

"Very good!" Yssha smiled. "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Everything, mama, just like you!" He grinned. "'Cept Jarl. That looks boring. Spellsword, alchemist, enchanter ... adventurer!"

"It will be a lot of work," she cautioned. "And in this Family, a year of adventuring is expected, you know, so you can decide if it's really right for you, or if you'd prefer something a bit more settled."

"Uh-huh - and Rayya keeps telling me tastes change. But now, I want adventuring."

"And we will see you have the training necessary to to it properly. But who knows, you may discover a taste for business, and want to take over papa Marcurio's Porter Service when he decides to retire."

Freyr frowned. "Maybe think about that later. It sounds as boring as being a Jarl. Can I go talk to Ahkrinbo for another Dovahzul lesson now?"

"Certainly - I would not be surprised for you to become a dragonrider, and if so, you will need the language."

That got a wide grin. "That's what he says - thanks, mama!"

Yssha was smiling when she and Marcurio went inside, where Rayya was brewing tisane. "A couple of minutes yet, my ... Yssha."

While the Emperor and his party made their way from Solitude to Dawnstar to Winterhold and Windhelm, Yssha took care of some of her simpler errands, like delivering Song of the Alchemists to Lami in Morthal, finding Night Falls on Sentinel for Rustleif in Dawnstar, and the Ring of Pure Mixtures for Frida, the Dawnstar apothecary.

Although, she thought ruefully as they encountered enemies in their quests, she wasn't allowed to do much. As her belly swelled, her team not very subtly took over the fighting, though she was still the one who opened the treasure chests and retrieved their objectives. It wasn't as good as doing her own fighting, but at least it was better than staying home trying to understand the books she'd been sent.

Andreius had been right, she'd quickly decided. These were deeply mystical, and not anything she could understand intellectually. But she kept at them, reading bits and pieces every day, futile though it felt - rather like picking at a slow-healing wound to make it heal more quickly.

So in a way, it was a relief when she came across the letter she'd found in Glover Mallory's basement. She swore to herself, then went to find Marcurio.

"I need to make a quick trip to Riften, beloved. Just something I must deliver to Sapphire, and I would like to get it done before the Imperial Progress arrives there - I think tomorrow. I fear that if I am there when they arrive, I will feel obliged to take part in the ceremonies, and you know how I hate that."

Marcurio chuckled. "You do your best to hide it, but it's pretty much an open secret. Mind if I go along?"

"Of course not, beloved - I always welcome your company." She smiled as they left the house and called Odahviing for transport to Riften.

Once there, she lost no time hurrying to the Guild's new headquarters, grateful that she no longer had to endure the stench of the Cistern. Inside, she greeted her people, then drew Sapphire aside to hand her the letter. "This is yours, my friend."

Sapphire looked confused, but took the letter and read it, her expression one that Yssha couldn't interpret. She was silent for most of a minute, then she looked at her Guildmaster. "I ... I can't believe it. All those years on the farm, and my mother never told me about any of this. Words can't even begin to describe how much I appreciate you bringing this to me. Here, take this. I used to carry it for good luck, but I think you deserve it more than I do."

She handed Yssha the most exquisite sapphire the Khajiit had ever seen. "Keep it," Sapphire said softly. "It may or may not really bring luck, but there's no denying it's beautiful."

"It surely is that," Yssha agreed. "Thank you, Sapphire."

"Thank you, Dragonborn, for giving me a family again."

"The pleasure was mine, I assure you." Yssha turned to Brynjolf, changing the subject. "When is the royal party due to arrive? Tomorrow, if I recall correctly."

"Day after," Brynjolf replied. "They were delayed in Windhelm when one of his Penitus Oculatus guards was killed - whether murder or accident is still being investigated, but that's more formality than anything else, since the witnesses all said it was a training mishap. They had to send for a replacement from his Palace bodyguard."

Then he chuckled. "Nobody's going to steal from his party, at least not anywhere in Skyrim. I've put Guild protection on them - thought you'd approve."

Yssha smiled. "I do, very much so. Thank you, my friend. Is there any other Guild business I must deal with?"

He hesitated. "Well ... Jarl Mjoll's getting pretty insistent about meeting the new Guildmaster, or at least knowing who 'he' is. I'm not sure how long I can keep stalling her."

Yssha sighed. "You have known her longer than I have. Can she be trusted to keep secrets of this magnitude? And act appropriately on the response, considering what the current answer is?"

Brynjolf frowned, considering the question as he scratched his stubble. Yssha thought he'd look better either clean-shaven or with at least a short beard, but his facial hair was his own business, after all ...

"Umm," he said at last. "She's too blinkin' honest for my taste, but that does mean you can trust her for just about anything that doesn't include compromising Aerin's safety." Then he grinned. "Of course, Your Majesty could simply order her not to say anything about your identity, on penalty of being executed for treason."

Yssha sighed. She really preferred to forget - or at least ignore - her powers as Stormcrown, co-ruler of the Empire. Unfortunately, her Guild-Second was fully aware of that, and enjoyed teasing her about it.

"If that is your recommendation, I shall do so. And assure her that she has nothing to fear from the Guild during the royal visit."

"Thanks, Boss." Brynjolf grinned. "At least it's easy for you to get an audience."

Yssha chuckle-purred. "It is, indeed, and I shall take care of it immediately."

"Thanks, Boss," Brynjolf repeated.

It was only a short walk from Riftweald Manor to Mistveil Keep, but it took her through the marketplace, where she stopped to chat several times, with artisans and shopkeepers. At Madesi's stall, she showed him the exquisite sapphire that Sapphire had given her. "I would like to commission you to make something for me with this," she told him.

"And what would that be?" he asked, grinning at her.

"I leave the exact item to your expertise, but I wish it to be of your Saxhleel workmanship. I ... wish it to be part of my permanent official Stormcrown regalia. So the only thing it cannot be is headgear, because that is the Stormcrown I was given by the Emperor."

Madesi sobered. "Have you any other permanent regalia that I should match it to?"

Yssha gave that some thought, then shook her head. "Not really. I have been using my 'dress' dragonscale armor and the bearskin cloak High King Balgruuf gave me, but the cloak will not be permanent, and as styles change, I may be unable to use the armor as formal dress. So whatever you make will be my second permanent piece."

"You do me too great an honor, landstrider," Madesi said.

"Not really," Yssha said with a smile. "I wish my regalia to come from the best craftsmen, and you are the only Saxhleel craftsman. Plus, I like your work. I would happily buy your entire stock, either for myself or to give as gifts, but that would leave you no stock to sell here."

Madesi shrugged. "That, I do not care about. Riften is a dead end. I would simply move and set up shop elsewhere. Solitude, perhaps, or if you would permit, Helgen."

Yssha smiled. "You would be most welcome in Helgen, of course. If you decide on there, simply speak to Lydia, my Steward. I will speak to her, authorizing you to purchase property in Skyhold."

"Please do! And to finance the move, selling you my entire stock would do nicely."

After several minutes of friendly haggling, Yssha was several thousand septims poorer, but carrying quite a few beautiful pieces of jewelry. Smiling at that, and at the prospect of Madesi moving to Helgen, she decided she might as well get the revelation to Jarl Mjoll over with.

When she got to Mistveil Keep and neared the throne, Maul approached her, grinning. "Good to see you again, Ysmir. Here to talk to the Jarl?"

"Yes. I gather you are her housecarl, as well?"

Maul nodded. "She was kind enough to keep me on, and she's a whole lot more pleasant to work for than Maven was."

"That does not surprise me at all!" Yssha agreed. Maven had been a most unpleasant person. "I gather Aerin is her Steward?"

"Who else?" Maul said with a chuckle. "Well, go ahead. I sure don't need to check you out!"

"Thank you." Yssha went the rest of the way to Mjoll's throne and gave her a polite bow. "May I speak to you in private, Your Grace?"

"Of course, Ysmir. Come with me to my office, if you would."

Once they were comfortably seated, Mjoll studied her guest briefly. "What is it, my friend?"

Yssha sighed. "Brynjolf tells me you have been asking him, on a regular basis, about the Guildmaster's identity. He also says you are 'too blinkin' honest', and can be trusted with extremely sensitive information."

Mjoll gave her an unreadable look. "Are you telling me you're the Guildmaster? Ysmir the Dragonborn, Stormcrown of the Empire?"

"I am indeed. You understand, I hope, why that must remain a secret."

Mjoll nodded slowly. "Yes, of course. But ... why?"

Yssha shrugged. "Initially, because I earned it, and it seemed fitting that I take over from the Guildmaster who tried to kill me, Mercer Frey. Now I keep the position because Brynjolf will not accept it, and High King Balgruuf asked me to stay for the duration of his reign. I set policy, and Brynjolf handles day-to-day operations."

She paused, remembering, and smiled. "He asked me to tell you that you will have no trouble from the Guild during His Majesty's visit. And any independents who try taking advantage of the visit will receive the usual reception from us."

"That's good to know." Mjoll smiled, then stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to take advantage of the extra time before his arrival to get more cleaning done."

"Of course." Yssha stood, making her way out of the Keep, satisfied. That had gone better than she had expected!