Fate's Games

(A/N: There will probably be three or four up today, if I'm lucky. Made some changes to this one. I got a bit more information on Razelan's back story and had to correct some things.)

Misbehaving

It had started with a laugh. A simple laugh. He'd said something that had amused her and she'd begun to laugh, but quickly stopped herself. It didn't matter. It had startled him and burned into his mind. She had a sense of humor? Immediately, though, she'd become strict and firm and unimpressed again. She'd scoffed at him and turned her nose up, marching proudly away with her guards at her side. It was odd. He hadn't even known her kind could laugh.

She chastised herself viciously. That idiot, that drunk, had almost made her laugh. How degrading, how beneath her, how pathetic… how she wanted to feel what it would be like. She quickly pushed that thought away. She was an ambassador and she had duties to attend to. Serious ones. No fool drunk would distract her from her tasks. She honesty didn't know why she allowed him to stay so close to her.

They were sitting in a Jarl's palace and he asked loudly, "What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here." She'd choked on her wine and nearly spat it out in horror. What had he just said? But he made the Jarl laugh, and all his court, and he broke the ice and made her job that much easier. She still couldn't fathom how. He lacked any hint of charm or social grace, yet they seemed to love this man's antics. And by the end of it, she was actually smiling with them.

ES

Yeah, he followed her. So what? Not like he had anything better to do. When he'd first seen her and her soldiers he'd been a beggar; and he'd disliked the Thalmor. They were sticks in the mud, didn't know how to have fun. He followed her around begging for coin almost twenty-four seven, and no threats could get him to stop until finally she relented and gave him gold. When he kept coming back, she finally gave up and let him follow them around, even giving him a prominent position in the East Empire Company hoping it would make him leave. It didn't, and she surrendered completely. After all, what harm could he be? He had no discernible political view and he posed no threat.

He watched over her shoulder now, as she poured over some maps and documents. He was curious. Sue him. "Bad plan," he said finally.

She looked up, annoyed. She turned and glared icily at him, saying, "Coming from you of all people? I will promptly discard your concerns, thank you very much."

"Honey, honey, look at it. Your approach is all wrong," he insisted.

"Razelan, if you call me honey once more, I will have your tongue cut out," she warned humorlessly.

"Elenwen, have I ever let you down?" he asked.

"Multiple times," she answered. She was serious. He was misbehaved, had a twisted sense of humor, said the most inappropriate things, and that was just to start. "Stay out of my way, or I will set Ondolemar on you."

"Pssh, really? Ellen, you can do better," Razelan replied. She scoffed and sent him away. As it turned out, he'd been right all along, and she was startled to realize that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as much of a nitwit as he pretended to be. Perhaps he could even come in handy. Besides being a distraction, bait, and a meat shield, of course.

ES

He spotted her sorting through some books and snuck quietly up behind her. It was inviting disaster, he knew, but oh well. What was life without some risks? He suddenly pinched her sides and she cried out in alarm and jumped, spinning around. "You imbecile!" she shouted furiously.

"You liked it," he flirted, still holding her waist. He pulled her close and she nearly electrocuted and or scorched him. He laughed, barely ducking under it. "Sweetheart, get a sense of humor."

"Out!" she furiously ordered. "You promised to behave yourself. This is not behaving. Leave my presence immediately."

"Tell me you don't like it when I misbehave," he growled, suddenly pulling her to his body again and stealing a kiss.

She gaped and shouted, "You insulting little worm! I could have you executed here and now for this offense! For a-a human to put his lips upon a Thalmor? How dare you!?"

"If you wanted me dead, Ellen, I'd be dead," he replied. She started. He chuckled then walked away leaving her flustered and speechless. Why, you ask? Because he was right.

ES

He took to touching her at every opportunity, his arm brushing hers, his hand 'accidentally' bumping into or covering her hand, his fingers brushing along her shoulders or her back, his lips lightly touching the back of her neck as he watched over her shoulder. He was challenging her. That worthless slob was challenging her. This man did not want to live. So why was he still living?

"I've had enough of your gross disrespect!" she was shouting at him. He was listening calmly, a smug expression on his face. This time he'd brushed a little lower than the back, and she had been in front of her people. They were gaping in horror at him and he was having a field day with the reactions he'd incurred. What? He'd always been a troublemaker. Thalmor hated troublemakers. "Guards, throw him in prison!" she ordered.

Nothing new to him. It was like being grounded when he was little. She'd done it often before. The Thalmor soldiers immediately advanced on him. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Oh, Ellen, be sure to give me a nice cell. You know, like what the Black-Briar boys get when they end up in trouble." She was practically on fire as he left with the soldiers as casually as if it were just another day. He looked around his cell on arriving there. Well, it wasn't a Black-Briar cell, but the twin bed, table, and dresser were pretty homey. His amusement grew. She'd listened to him.

ES

He'd never been frightened before; not for so long. But when Ondolemar appeared at her side in front of his cell, his mind went into overdrive. The Commander was strict, the Commander was intolerant of any sort of disrespect to his kind, and the Commander was her little, or twin, brother. He couldn't remember which. "This is the one who so often follows in your footsteps, sister?" Ondolemar asked her.

"He is," Elenwen replied.

"What has he done to be sentenced? Ambassador, has he shown you some great disrespect?" the Commander asked, and Razelan nearly had a panic attack when the man's hands lit with spells of destruction.

Elenwen watched her follower icily. Yes. Yes, brother, he has shown me gross disrespect. He has made me laugh on more than one occasion and he has nearly made me throw away all dignity on others. He will not keep his hands off of me. His fingers play down my spine, graze my hand or arm; his lips… they tickle the nape of my neck so that it takes my all to restrain from shivering, and he has stolen kisses that were never his to take, but that I do not want another to have. He has shamed me and our family, brother, and for that offense if I tell you any of this, you will slaughter him in some horrific and painful way…

"No, brother. He has shown me no disrespect. He simply annoyed me," she replied to her lesser ranking Thalmor sibling, and Razelan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Elenwen, everyone annoys you. If you had your way I would have been imprisoned or executed hundreds of times over. Release the man, I pray you. There are more serious offenses to pursue than your annoyance and stubborn pride," Ondolemar said. She'd done just that. She still had no idea how long they'd stood looking at each other before he'd left.

ES

"Razelan. And you promised to behave yourself this time," she said to him during the party, as her brother accused him of belittling the Aldmeri Dominion. No punishment, no order of arrest. Just 'you promised to behave yourself.' But he had! He hadn't said anything! He still didn't know what had prompted the Commander to come up to him and accuse him so randomly. "Remove him. He is disturbing the other guests," Elenwen ordered.

"I protest! This is an insult to my person. This time I'm completely innocent!" he insisted, and he wondered why he bothered. Never before had he been so eager to defend himself, even under false claims. But the reproach in her eyes and the disappointed tone, because she so believed he would contain himself… She'd given him enough trust to let him into this party. Him, of all people, amongst a place filled with nobility. This time he was determined to prove to her that he hadn't let her down again.

She looked hesitant, then Ondolemar said, "Forgive me Ambassador. I allowed this fool to provoke me. There is no further need for disruption on my account."

Well, her brother said something along those lines. He hadn't really been paying attention. Every word out of the Commander's mouth was something negative about him, so it was only natural his first reaction would be, "Absolutely not! I protest!" Then he realized he'd just been spared an embarrassment and stammered over his words until finally just giving up. It didn't matter anyway, because she looked almost relieved and her eyes softened and a hint of a grateful smile was on her lips. He liked seeing her smile. She didn't very often. Wait, what was he telling himself? Ugh, he needed a drink. Hopelessly he sat back down. He was done with this disaster, and dancing was starting anyway.

But then she was there. "Dance with me," she ordered simply, and he started. Had she just… No way. But she was waiting for him to rise. Finally he did so. After all, there would never be another moment in which touching her in any way would be accepted. He swept her onto the dance floor. Granted he wasn't the greatest dancer around, but he'd picked up enough to get by; and apparently it was good enough for her. She was smiling again. He liked her smile.

(A/N: Quest Referenced-Diplomatic Immunity. When I first watched Diplomatic Immunity on YouTube, the player had gotten Ondolemar to do the distraction. When Elenwen spoke to Razelan I was surprised. Why was Razelan there anyway? He certainly didn't seem to fit in with the Jarl's and Nobles? She referred to him by name and seemed to know him well if she'd gotten him to promise to behave, and probably invited him too. This idea just came from there.

Ondolemar and Elenwen as siblings came because they were the only two Thalmor I saw at that party, and there was a Skyrim Battles thing on YouTube that went Ondolemar and Elenwen versus Ulfric and someone else whose name I don't recall. Ondolemar randomly started talking to her just before one of the battles started. Odd reasoning, I know, but oh well.)