Dragonsbane
Chapter 7
-Percy-
-Story-
Hearing the thick oaken doors slam shut behind him, Percy began making his way through the bustling streets of Whiterun. Nodding to the various merchants and guards he passed that he'd seen on his past trips to the Hold Capital, he tried not to let his tension show.
"Uncle!" hearing the eager shout of his honorary niece, Percy chuckled as she slammed into him like an arrow, doing her best to try and squeeze the life out of him.
"Hey there Mila." Perseus ruffled the hair of his honorary niece, the little girl giving him a toothy grin, "You been taking care of your mother for me?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Mila grinned "Momma's gonna be really happy to see you! I didn't know you were gonna visit though."
"Ah, I have some important business to take care of Mila." Percy ruffled her hair "I have a message for the Jarl."
"You're gonna see the Jarl again." Mila was wide eyed before she gave him a frown of suspicion "Wait, are you gonna threaten him again?"
-Olympus-
"Wait, you threatened a king?" Athena gaped at him incredulously.
"Not technically a king and not technically threatening." Perseus rubbed the back of his head awkwardly "It was a few years before this. You see my first daughter, Sissel…well her birth family were abusive to her." Thankfully his father's spell insured the little ones didn't know what was being discussed right now "I found her father abusing her and knocked him out before dragging him to the Hold Capital to present to the Jarl for his crimes. On the way I met Lucia who'd been orphaned. Her father had died years ago and when her mother died, her Aunt and Uncle threw her out of her mother's farm, saying she was 'good for nothing' and took it for themselves." Percy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly "I…may have kicked in the doors to the Jarls palace and threatened to challenge him for his throne if he didn't start doing his duty to the people he was sworn to protect."
"What happened to her Aunt and Uncle?" Hestia's eyes were narrowed, motes of angry flames dancing within her hair.
"Jarl Balgruff had them stripped of all their possessions and imprisoned." Perseus nodded with satisfaction "As I'd already sworn to look after her, Balgruff had one of his people look after the farmstead of her mother until Lucia is old enough to take it over."
"Why didn't he act before?" Artemis clutched her bow in anger.
"He didn't know." Percy was far from pleased either at the memory "His guards didn't like him leaving the palace and none of those patrolling the city bothered to bring it to his attention. He made sure they were thoroughly aware of his displeasure."
"Well…that explains how you got two of your children, but not the others." Hestia seemed to want to run over and hug the little ones tight.
"They I met later on in the current story." Percy shook his head, "We'll get there. Now, where was I?"
-Story-
Walking confidently into Dragonsreach, Percy ignored the gaping guards and servants, noting the Jarl's Housecarl approaching with a drawn sword. The Jarl himself clearly recognized him if the man's surprised expression was anything to go by.
"Jarl Balgruff." Perseus nodded to him, "I bring word of the Dragon attack."
"Of course you do." Irileth sighed, sheathing her sword and gesturing him forward towards the Jarl's throne.
"I was in Helgen when the Black Dragon appeared." Percy recounted everything he'd seen of the attack, what direction he saw it fly off, how it acted, and that Ulfric and most of his Stormcloaks had used the chaos to flee.
"I thank you," Balgruff ran a tired hand down his face "you've done me a service bringing this information to me. I will have a gift prepared from my personal armory. I know that Farengar, my Court Wizard, has mentioned that he's been looking into some sort of information that could be crucial to dealing with this threat. At the moment he has no leads, but he claims that he is close to a breakthrough."
"You're wanting me to go fetch his information?" Percy raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I'm going to be sending a detachment of soldiers to Riverwood." Balgruff looked exhausted "Added to the increased patrols I won't have the manpower to go and fetch whatever it is Farengar finds the location of."
"I've already taken a Mercenary job that will take me up to Winterhold." Percy warned only for the Jarl to wave it off, "As I have said, Farengar has not yet found the location to delve into. Return here once your current contract is completed and hopefully by then Farengar will have found where you will need to go." Nodding in agreement, Percy turned and left. The Jarl clearly had things to do, and Perseus had a sister to see. Walking down to the Plains district, seeing his sister's stall filled with Vegetables that he would grow, and she would sell. What he didn't expect to see was someone talking to his sister in a way that had Carlotta on edge.
"There a problem here?" Percy stepped up behind the person bothering Carlotta, the twiggy man spinning around full of bluster only to gulp and wilt when he took in just how large the difference in their sizes was.
"Perseus!" Carlotta beamed, stepping out from behind her stall to embrace him, "It's been too long since you came to visit brother!"
"I, um, I'll go." The blond man hurried off into the tavern, Percy's glower having him pick up his pace till he was out of sight.
"Who was he?" Percy turned back to focus on his sister who seemed infinitely more relaxed now that the blond man was gone.
"Mikael." Carlotta scowled as she spoke the name, "The Local bard who likes to think he's the Aedra's gift to women. He wrote a book 'The Gentleman's Guide to Whiterun' focusing on the various women of the city for men to come and ogle or try to seduce. He's made it no secret that he feels I belong to him."
"Why didn't you tell me Carlotta." Percy sighed, holding his sister closer.
"It was my problem; I didn't want to drag you into it." Carlotta looked away with a huff.
"You're my sister." He gave her a look, "And I'll do whatever it takes to look after my family. Now wait here, I'll go have a 'talk' with this Mikael person. After that…well there's a lot we need to talk about." The seriousness of his voice silenced any protest she might levy as he turned and entered the Bannered Mare. Scowling, Percy stalked towards the blond bard that claimed to 'own' his sister, the man now trying and failing to get into the skirts of the barmaids.
His size and expression silenced much of the conversation in the tavern, Mikael noticing that and the looming shadow above him "Mikael." Percy's voice rumbled out "I'm going to say this as simply as I can so even you can't misunderstand." Leaning down he glared eye to eye with the bard "You are going to stay away from my sister, is that clear?"
"Hmph." Mikael apparently was a bigger fool than Percy expected, the bard glancing around as if confident that Percy wouldn't try anything "No, I don't think I will. Carlotta Valentia is mine. She just doesn't know it yet. I'll conquer her just as a true Nord Conquers any harsh beast."
"You had your chance." Percy scowled, "Leave her alone, or else." He readied his fists.
"I don't have to take that from you!" the smaller man charged, "You never should have come here!" Catching the widely telegraphed punch, Percy squeezed, Mikael dropping to a knee from the pain before Percy's own fist slammed into the bastard's face. The vile little bard crashed hard to the floor, face already bruising even as he didn't get up, one hit all it took to knock the swine out.
"When he wakes up, make sure he knows that if this little would-be rapist tries coming near my sister again I'm going to come back and cut off something important to him." Percy scoffed and tossed the unconscious bastard aside, the women in the tavern seeming relieved at what had happened.
Heading back out into the city, Perseus found Carlotta waiting. Hopefully she'd take his advice and prepare for the potential dragon attacks. At the very least he wanted the girls to stay with her for a time, where it was safe behind Whiterun's high stone walls.
