Final Preparations
Imperial Palace, Grand Meeting Chamber
Sun's Height, 12th

It had been two weeks since Martin's love had been killed, and Martin was still numb. He didn't feel anything, no grief, no remorse, no anger. He also didn't feel joy or laughter. He was completely numb, just going through the motions. The public was sympathetic, even angry for him. The turnout for Lydia's funeral was immense and the streets were so packed with people, there was barely enough room for the horses and wagons used in the royal procession.

The palace staff and his closest advisors were also sympathetic, but even while Martin mourned in his own way, there was still an empire to run. Martin was leading a meeting of the Dragon Council. Well, leading in the sense that he was sitting at the head of the table. His look was far off, and while he heard the words that were being said, he didn't really hear them.

"Your majesty? Your majesty?" Elnath was trying to get his attention.

Martin brought his eyes back into focus. "I'm sorry, Elnath. Please continue."

Elnath nodded. "Of course. That merchant you recommended, Cicero, has proven to be a good addition. He recommended we stop charging fees at provincial border crossings and we're already seeing an increase in trade. Projections show that the revenue from taxes will more than make up for the loss of the fees…"

Martin's attention started to fade again. He could not help it. Part of him felt he should be trying harder to focus, but part of him knew he put the right people in the right positions and could let them handle things for a little while. The Empire would go on, and soon, so would he. For now, he needed to focus. He looked at Elnath who was wrapping things up.

"…incorporating the new provinces. Elsweyr and Valenwood seem to be transitioning seamlessly. Apparently we underestimated the local antipathy towards the Thalmor. Elsweyr is once again united, with both kingdoms swearing fealty to the Mane. Valenwood is coming together a little more slowly. Not everyone accepts Malborn as the new King, but they do accept the funds we have offered for rebuilding their towns and roads."

"Do you anticipate any sort of counter-revolt?" Martin asked.

"That's…not my area of expertise, your majesty, but the citizens of Valenwood seemed to be extremely focused on rebuilding. I do not think there will be any revolts against their king or the Empire any time soon, but it may be worth keeping an eye on."

"That's good to know, thank you, Elnath." Martin turned toward Aranea, "Congratulations on your appointment to Archmage of the Mages Guild. The position also brings with it the Imperial Rank of Consul."

Aranea remained stoic. "It is my honor to serve, your majesty. At this time I have nothing to report from the Mages Guild."

The meeting continued throughout the morning, with Martin's attention fading in and out.

War Room, Imperial Palace

Later in the day, Martin was meeting with his military leaders to plan the invasion of Summerset. This would hopefully lead to the conclusion of the war, so he forced himself to focus and pay attention. It was difficult, but it was important.

"Consul Jonna, before we begin, what can you tell me about Valenwood? If you'll recall, earlier today it was mentioned that some of them have not accepted Malborn as King."

"Yes, your highness. I believe General Hadvar can speak to that."

Hadvar nodded and began. "Thank you, Consul Jonna. Your majesty, there hasn't been any real turbulence in Valenwood, but some of the nobles have not quite accepted Malborn as their king. All of them seem to be glad to have thrown off the yolk of the Thalmor, but a few of them have their own eyes on the throne in Falinesti, a few are thinking about independence, but most are simply taking a wait and see approach. I believe that, once we take Summerset, then Malborn will have their full support."

Martin was thoughtful for a moment, but found it hard to concentrate, so he asked, "Thoughts on how to fix this?"

Praetor Whitestone answered his question. "A few things, your highness. First, we'll do what we did in Elsweyr and garrison a legion filled with and commanded by Bosmer. Having Bosmer wearing the imperial armor will help normalize our presence there. Second, we're having imperial legion soldiers help with the rebuilding of their towns, not just support, but actually physically working, cleaning, and constructing. Finally, and Administrator Elnath can tell you more, if he hasn't already, but we're funding a large portion of their reconstruction, much like we've done in Hammerfell and Morrowind."

Martin remained thoughtful. "Good thoughts, all of them. Who's commanding the Valenwood Garrison legion?"

"General Gaeril, your highness," Tullius answered. "She was a low level Thalmor officer, one of the first to defect. She has pledged fealty to both the Empire and to Malborn."

"Thank you, Gentlemen," Martin said. "It sounds like you have things under control. I expect there will be a period of transition, but it sounds like things are well in hand. If there is nothing else on Valenwood, let's move on to the invasion of Summerset."

"Of course, your majesty," Jonna began, "If I may, please allow me to begin by updating you on the status of our legions."

Martin nodded, but said nothing.

"With the re-integration of new provinces, Valenwood, Elsweyr, Morrowind and Hammerfell, along with new recruitment from both the old provinces and the new provinces, we have been able to field a total of sixteen legions. We have broken them up into four armies. Praetor Whitestone will remain in command of First Army. Praetor J'Kier is now formally in command of Second army. Praetor Indalen will command the new Third Army."

"Wait, Indalen? As in…" Martin interrupted.

"Yes your majesty, I am councilor Indalen's sister." Praetor Indalen replied, with a small amount of surprise.

"Welcome," Martin relied, then turned back to Jonna. "Forgive the interruption, please continue."

"Yes, your majesty. Praetor Indalen will command the new Third Army. The garrison units have been shifted to Fourth Army. Tullius will continue to command the garrison units. Currently we have a legion each in Hammerfell, Valenwood, Cyrodiil and Morrowind."

"Ok, the first three I understand. They all have coasts facing Summerset," Martin observed. "But why Morrowind?"

"The Redoran Council insisted on maintaining a division, well, legion, in Morrowind. They have acquiesced to our request that the commander, General Venim, report to Tullius here in Cyrodiil, but they were quite adamant about the unit remaining there." Jonna explained.

"Ok, I can understand why they want a legion there, but I'll talk to some of my contacts and see if we can work something out." Martin replied.

Jonna nodded and then continued. "We'll use First, Second and Third Armies for the main assault on Summerset. Each Army will leave one legion behind to bolster the garrisons and defend against possible counter attacks. Given the intelligence provided by Rimintil, we believe nine legions will be enough. That being said, First Army will attack the south coast, specifically, the city of Sunhold. Second Army will take the smaller island with a landing at Skywatch. Once that island is secure, we'll send the Eighth Legion to garrison it and send the rest of Second Army to Shimmerene."

"Excuse me," Martin interrupted again, "but why take Skywatch? Why not bypass the smaller island entirely?"

"Well…we could…but the intelligence we received from Rimintil showed that the Thalmor have garrisoned the smaller island. If we bypass it all together we run the risk of 1) being attacked from both sides of the straight while we attempt our landing and 2) being outflanked by the Thalmor after take Shimmerene."

Martin shut his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again, forcing himself to focus. "Right…sorry…please…continue."

Jonna nodded as he continued, "Again, according to Rimintil, the underground will stage a revolt and seize control of Dusk. If that fails, then Second Army will move south to take and secure the city before meeting up with First Army. Third Army will come in from the Northwest. They will conduct an assault on the City of Lillandril. Once that is secure, they will take Cloudrest before meeting up with First Army. We'll leave garrisons in Cloudrest, Shimmerene and Sunhold. Once the major cities on Summerset are under Imperial Control, the three armies will join up for the final assault on Alinor."

"What kind of timeline are we looking at?" Martin asked.

Praetor Whitestone looked at Jonna, who nodded, then he answered. "Your majesty, we would like to ensure that all three landings occur at the same time. We have set Last Seed, 1st as the target date to begin the invasion. Phase 1 will be the capture of Skywatch, Lillandril and Sunhold. Phase 2 will be the capture of Cloudrest and Dusk, if necessary. Phase 3 will be consolidations of forces and garrisoning territory. Phase 4 will be the final assault on Alinor. We have planned for two weeks for each phase of the operation, with an allowance of one week for slippage due to unforeseen circumstances."

Martin thought for a moment, "Ok, so Alinor captured by the end of Hearthfire at the earliest, or the end of Frostfall at the latest. Good. I would like to have the operation complete by the end of Frostfall. That will give us time to consolidate and ensure the new provincial government is in place and effective. This is a good, high level plan. I trust the Praetors will be working out the details?"

"Yes, sire," Whitestone answered. "Each of us will handle the specifics of our own operations, at least up to the point of where we get to Alinor. At that point, we'll defer to you and Consul Jonna. Am I correct in assuming you'll travel with the Emperor's Legion?"

Martin smiled, perhaps for the first time in weeks. "I will meet you all at Sunhold."

Anteroom, Emperor's Quarters, Imperial Palace

It had been a pretty long day of meetings, one of Martin's least favorite things to do, but at least they had a solid plan for taking Summerset. The Empire was nearly reunited.

Martin poured himself some wine and sat at a table. A single sip was all it took for him to realize just how alone he was. He had his friends and companions, but they all seemed distant of late. Of course, they probably felt that he was the one who was distant. He hadn't realized just how much of an impact having Lydia around was, and he was now realizing just how empty the palace was without her, his own quarters in particular.

He decided it was time to do something about it. He got up and went to the door. There was a guard posted right outside, standard procedure now that his personal bodyguard had been killed. He asked, "Is General Hadvar still in the palace?"

"I believe so, your highness."

"Would you please tell him that the emperor requests his presence?"

"Yes, your highness."

The guard returned with Hadvar just a few minutes later. Martin's face lit up upon his arrival. "General Hadvar, please come in."

Hadvar entered the anteroom and closed the door behind him.

"Would you like some wine?" Martin asked.

"No, thank you your majesty. What can I do for you this evening?"

"Hadvar? What's going on? I know I've been a little distant lately. I have also noticed people have been a little more deferential than usual. At first I just assumed they were giving me space to mourn, but now… What's going on?"

Martin noticed that Hadvar was extremely uncomfortable.

Hadvar stammered a bit in his response. "Maybe…uhh…maybe I will have some wine…if it's all the same to you, your majesty."

Martin was stunned. "Pour yourself some wine, have a seat and tell me what's going on. Please, Hadvar."

Hadvar did as requested, and then took a large sip of wine, followed by a deep breath, before he started. "I think you are right about people acting more deferential, but I do not think you are right about the reason…" he paused for a moment, took another sip of wine and then continued. "Word has spread about your actions at Falinesti, how you single handedly brought down the gates and opened the way for our troops, your fierceness in confronting the enemy inside the city and…" Hadvar took another sip, "and how you seemed to take control over that one archer that killed Lydia."

"What do you mean?" Martin asked.

"You…you truly don't know?"

Martin was thoughtful for a moment. "I remembered feeling overwhelming grief at Lydia's death, then an uncontrollable anger…but…between being told of Lydia's death and standing in the throne room…I…I don't remember, just vague feelings and impressions."

"Wow…you really don't remember," Hadvar observed. "You blasted the gates to the city as if they were parchment. Then once you got to the top of the wall, you shouted something in the dragon language and the archer dropped his weapon, removed his helm and stood up on the parapet. He just stood there while you…well, he had a long fall. Magic users have been known to charm people for centuries and vampires can enthrall people, but this…this was different. You had complete control over his actions. It was awe inspiring, but also, fear inspiring."

Martin sighed slightly. "So they're afraid of me now."

Hadvar considered his words carefully before responding. "Not, afraid, really. I mean, I am sure some are, but at least the soldiers, they were impressed and they fully support you. The people…some were impressed, some fearful. As for the generals and praetors, some are a little concerned about the sheer amount of power you wield."

"And how about you?"

Hadvar demurred for a moment. "I…saw what you did firsthand. It was…frightening."

Martin was stunned by the admission. "Hadvar, you and I have fought side by side. We've bled together, celebrated together…"

"And that has created a bond that won't be broken," Hadvar confirmed. "but even though I saw your power up close, even though we've been on the same side, you are now my emperor and you possess more power than I could've imagined. A power that is terrifying."

Martin was stung by Hadvar's words. He suddenly felt very alone. The emptiness left by his loss was now amplified. He was silent for a few minutes, until he was finally able to speak, "Hadvar, I can understand how my anger scared you, but you also saw my grief. Lydia was more than just a bodyguard, more than just a constant presence, and now, all I am left with is a deep emptiness. I am truly sorry for how petrifying my actions were, but I am all alone. I feel abandoned. I really, REALLY need your friendship right now. Please…"

Hadvar softened at Martin's plea. He reached out, placing his hand on Martin's shoulder. Looking Martin directly in the eyes, he said, "You have my friendship. The bond we share will never be broken. You will ALWAYS have my friendship."

High King's Palace, Helstrom, Argonia
Sun's Height, 15th

The High King of Argonia[1] was meeting with his ambassador and his senior advisor. They were discussing both a formalized peace with Morrowind and rejoining the Empire. They had been discussing these two items for weeks. The Ambassador, Green-Throat, was against both. However, his senior advisor, Pad-Ei, was in favor of both. They were at the point where the same old arguments were being rehashed.

"Your majesty, how long will we repeat the same old points?" Green-Throat complained.

"Until I reach a decision," the king replied. "Now, tell me about this dragon again."

"Green-Throat nearly shook his scales off," Pad-Ei jibed.

Green-Throat huffed indignantly, "No. Granted it was a fearsome beast, but not so fearsome we cannot handle them ourselves."

Pad-Ei shook his head. "Emperor Martin Septim II not only allies himself with Dragons, he has ridden them into battle. During an engagement in Elsweyr he commanded five of the beasts which were enough to hold three Thalmor divisions at bay until the Imperial Legions arrived. And not only so, but the Imperial Legions did not have to fight! The Thalmor surrendered to them immediately."

"But the legions will not move so easily through Argonia," Green-Throat pointed out. "The dragons can come, but we can pull back. We can continue to pull our troops back and simply not engage the dragons. The Legions will not be able to take our province."

"With the dragons providing cover, the Legions can take as much time as they need to march through our territory. The terrain makes for difficult passage of their troops, but not impossible. Some of them may even be transported by dragons." Pad-Ei replied.

"Not enough to take any territory," Green-Throat insisted.

The Crown Prince had been observing the conversation and decided to speak up. "Father, may I ask a question?"

The High King nodded.

"Has the emperor made any threats of invasion?"

"Nothing direct, highness," Green-Throat replied.

"But he did imply the possibility if Morrowind rejoins the Empire," Pad-Ei added.

There was silence for a few minutes, then the High King spoke. "The only thing you two seem to agree on is that there is a possibility of invasion, but it also seems contingent on how we treat Morrowind. I believe I have come to a decision. We will sign a formal peace treaty with Morrowind. That conflict will officially end. However, Argonia will remain free and independent. If we give no cause for invasion, the discussion of whether their troops can move through our territory is irrelevant. Green-Throat return to Cyrodiil and inform them of what has been decided." The king rose to leave. He had made his decision and the meeting was over.

High King's Palace, Hallway outside the King's Chamber

Pad-Ei was carrying a tray with a pitch and a goblet. The pitcher contained the High King's evening drink, and had some steam rising from the top. Standing in the hallway, outside the door to the King's chamber, he looked both ways. Seeing it was clear, he took a small vial out of his tunic and poured a few drops jarrin root into it and put the vial back inside his tunic. When all was set, he knocked on the door.

"Enter" came the response.

Pad-Ei entered and brought the High King his evening drink. He placed the tray on a table, poured from the pitch into goblet and handed it to the High King. The High King took it, sipped from the goblet and a moment later, his face contorted, he let out a gasp and fell over.

Pad-Ei smiled to himself and then quickly changed his expression to one of shock and horror. He went to the door, opened it and shouted, "GUARDS! Healer! We need the court healer! GUARDS!"

The first guard was there immediately. "What is it?"

"The king…an attempt has been made on his life. Where is the healer?!"

The Palace Captain arrived with the healer a moment later.

The healer entered and went to the king. She examined him thoroughly and shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, the king…is dead."

Throat of the World, Skyrim
Sun's Height, 15th

"YOL!"

Paarthurnax was perched on the word wall when he felt a puff of flame. He looked up and saw Odahviing flying overhead. "YOL!" he sent his own puff of flame towards Odahviing.

The red dragon landed right in front of Paarthurnax. [I bring greetings, Paarthurnax.]

[Greetings, Odahviing. What causes you to grace me with your presence this day?]

[You have heard what fate has befallen the mate of Dovahkiin?] Odahviing asked.

[I have, Arngeir, informed me once he heard.] Paarthurnax replied. [How does this matter concern us?]

[Alduin was able to resurrect many of us through a shout that he had never shared. Tell me, have you come to know this shout?]

[I have.] Paarthurnax admitted. [Though it is not a shout for man or mer.]

[I realize such a power in the hand of a man or mer is unheard of, but perhaps…]

Paarthurnax roared in laughter, [It is indeed a powerful thing, but that is not the reason it has been kept from man an mer, nor the reason I have refrained from using it myself.] Seeing Odahviing's confusion, Paarthurnax continued. [It has to do with the way it works. When Alduin would resurrect a dragon, he would use his own life force to do so. He would, in essence, transfer part of his life force into the resurrected dragon. Until he met Dovahkiin's blade, Alduin was immortal and could use as much of his own life force as necessary to raise up our brethren. Any man or mer who tries such may die as a result.]

Odahviing was thoughtful for a moment. [The life of a Nord is but a wisp of smoke, but the life of a Bosmer is more. Surely a Bosmer could resurrect a Nord with no risk to himself.]

[Ahh, now we have come to the heart of the matter. You have become friends with our Bosmer King, yes?] Paarthurnax almost seemed to be teasing Odahviing.

[I have come to respect him. True, he has given us a land to call our own, but I have seen him grow from brash and headstrong into a wise leader. I have seen the fire in his eyes and I have seen the sorrow in his heart. The loss of his mate has had a profound impact on him.]

[And what of his mate. What should we care of the fate of a mere Nord Woman?]

Now Odahviing roared in laughter. [She was no mere Nord Woman. No, dear friend, she had the fire and spirit of a Dov inside her.]

[I see, and you would have me give this secret to our Bosmer King for her?]

[I would have you give the secret to our brother. Has he not proven himself? Do we not owe him for his deeds? He has given us a home, has he not? He let you live, did he not?]

Paarthurnax let out what could best be described as a sigh. [Very well, I will teach him the words of power, but you must impress upon him the danger wielding such words can be.]

[I will] Odahviing promised.

[Very well. Bring him to me and I will teach him.]

Odahviing let out a roar of approval and leapt into the sky.

High King Palace, Helstrom, Argonia
Sun's Height, 16th

Er-Jah Buneeus, Crown Prince of Argonia, soon to be High King, had many decisions to make, before he was even crowned. He was meeting with his now late father's most trusted and most senior advisor to seek assistance on some of those decisions.

"Pad-Ei, you have served my father loyally and faithfully for years. I would ask that you serve me just as loyally and faithfully as you had my father."

Pad-Ei closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. "I would be honored to serve you as I served your father before you. I will serve you just as loyally and faithfully as I had your father."

"This pleases me," Er-Jah acknowledged. "I have a task and a request. First the task. Find my father's killer and bring him before me."

Pad-Ei nodded, but said nothing.

"Next," Er-Jah continued, "the request. I know there was a fair amount of debate regarding Argonia's future. I got the sense that you held back in discussions with my father. Please, in your full, honest and open opinion, what do you think we should do, and why?"
"Your majesty, you were present in the meetings, you know the arguments both for and against rejoining the empire. What else would you have me say?" Pad-Ei hedged.

"Please Pad-EI, I have seen you give my father frank advice and I have seen you hold back when you thought it politically astute. I am asking you to be frank. I will soon be High King and I wish to lead our people to prosperity. I can only do so if I receive advice that is pertinent and useful. While there are times I will appreciate your political astuteness, right now I need for you to be frank. Please."

Pad-Ei took a moment to consider his leader's words. He considered himself an astute politician, which is how he became senior advisor. He decided he would be frank in this instant and perhaps help both Argonia and the Empire. "My liege, you know I believe that Argonia will be stronger as part of the Empire. You have heard of how the Empire has helped rebuild provinces that have agreed to rejoin. With your permission, I will share some frank observations of my limited time there."

Er-Jah nodded and Pad-Ei continued. "The Emperor is not like most politicians or nobles that I have met. I have learned that he became a noble of many courts in Skyrim, becoming quite a trusted advisor in his own right. As Emperor, he leads from the front and he leads by example. Though I have noticed he tends to be light on ceremony and perhaps a little too friendly with those who serve him, but he has won the respect of both his court and his people."

"And why should Argonia give up its sovereignty to this Bosmer?"

"I believe, my liege, that we can rejoin the empire without giving up our sovereignty. I believe the aid we receive and the money from trade will cause use to enter a time of prosperity unseen since our kingdom was founded."

Er-Jah smiled. It seemed Pad-Ei was striking the right chords, but Er-Jah had one more question. "What of these dragons, will they be a threat to us?"

"The Emperor commands great power. I have witnessed him call a dragon to serve him. I have heard he rides dragons into battle, and there are multiple eye-witness accounts of many dragons aiding his legions in battle."

"But are they a threat to us?" Er-Jah insisted.

"Dragons are kin, they will not threaten us if we do not give them cause. They are allies with the empire, so if we are part of the empire, they will be our allies as well." Pad-Ei replied.

Green-Throat had been watching the entire exchange and did not like the direction it was headed. However he did want to ingratiate himself to the soon to be crowned king. He decided to speak up. "Your highness, if I may."

Er-Jah motioned for him to continue.

"While rejoining the empire may present advantages to both side, I believe we have the upper hand. I believe we may be able to draw some concessions out of the empire as part of the reunification process," Green-Throat advised.

"Interesting. What are you proposing?" Er-Jah asked.

"Slavery is officially abolished, but even now, even after our war with Morrowind, there are rumors of slavery far up in the north. Use our position to get the Emperor to agree to enforce the abolition of slavery. Also, while it might seem minor to the Empire, instead of allowing our Kingdom to be referred to as 'Black Marsh' you could insist on making the Empire recognize us as 'The Kingdom of Argonia.' That would show you are in control."

Pad-Ei rubbed his chin. "That is interesting. That would be a small thing, but it would have a tremendous impact and it would show the population that you have their interests at heart and maintain autonomy. Yes, that is good."

"You two actually agree on something?" Er-Jah observed. "Very well. I will talk to this Bosmer Emperor myself. Green-Throat, travel to Cyrodiil and arrange a meeting. Pad-Ei, remain here and find my father's killer."

Both nodded and rose to carry out their assigned tasks from their new leader.

Imperial Palace, Blades Offices
Sun's Height, 18th

Martin was meeting with Isran again. This time, it was just him and Isran. Isran actually seemed less tense and uptight than usual. Most people had seemed to be a little more tense around Martin, but Isran was definitely less so. Martin decided not to dwell.

"So tell me, Isran, what did you all find?"

"Right to the point. I like that," Isran began. "We found a nest of Shadowmist Vampires. It was in a cave near Vulkwasten Wood."

"Shadowmist Vampires? What are those?" Martin asked.

"The Keerilth Clan. An old, old clan. Not quite as old as Volkihar Clan, but close. We had assumed they were driven underground by the Thalmor, but we found a Thalmor in their lair, along with a dossier on you and one on your Praetor Whitestone."

"So the attempted feeding on Rorik was not a fluke or some feral being opportunistic. It was intentional and deliberate," Martin observed.

"That is a likely scenario," Isran confirmed.

"Isran, I know you are not thrilled with the idea of being part of the Legion or even the Empire, but given the threat we face, the Empire needs you and the Dawnguard. Would you please consider becoming part of the Legion? We will supply you with soldiers to train, weapons to train them with, and, if I'm not mistaken, Fort Dawnguard still needs some repair."

Isran huffed. "We're handling Fort Dawnguard, though I would not turn down some coin. Where would this gold come from? Surely your coffers are not bottomless."

"Isran, you know I have no small fortune. Some of the materials I brought back from the soul cairn," Isran flinched at the mention "were worth quite a bit and some of the ruins I explored from helping Sorine, not to mention the exploring I did before I found you all. Plus, I have put into place certain…operations…that will bring a continual flow of gold into our coffers. No, money is not an issue. It may have been when I first escaped having my head chopped off, but not anymore."

Isran seemed placated, but still was hesitant. "Things did not go so well for me when I was part of the Vigilants."

"The Vigilants did not listen to you, Isran. I will. The fact is, we need your expertise. We need Gunmar and Sorine's expertise. The Empire needs the Dawnguard to help with this new threat. Will you assist, or will you go back to your fort and stay there, waiting, while Vampires take over Tamriel?"

Isran growled slightly. "I don't like what you are implying."

Martin smiled wanly. "Isran, you can get angry, or you can do something about it."
Isran realized what Martin was doing, and saw right through it. He bristled slightly at the attempted manipulation and he wasn't fond of the idea of not running the show. However, Isran was nothing if not practical. He knew what Martin was offering would greatly aid his cause. "I have conditions," he finally said.

"Name them."

"First, I maintain autonomy. I won't have a chain of command telling me how to run things in my own fort. Second, I choose which soldiers get to stay in the Dawnguard and which ones return to normal service. I won't have any whelps getting my people killed. Finally, we get to wear our own armor. It's better than what your soldiers wear, plus Gunmar and Sorine are always finding ways to make it better."

Martin considered Isran's conditions. Most of it he didn't have a problem with. Maintaining his autonomy was sure to ruffle some feathers with the Imperial Legion leadership, but Martin assumed he could smooth that over. After a few moments in thought, Martin spoke. "Alright. You will report directly to me and you will have control over who is a member of your company and what types of armor you all wear. I agree to your terms, Captain Isran."

The Silver Fox, Imperial City Waterfront

That evening, Martin was going to find out if one if his efforts at brining coin into the empire would pan out. He made his way to the waterfront, with the escort of one of the blades. Legate Thunius had been put in temporary charge of the Emperor's guard. A blade recruited by Lydia, Thunius was a detail man. He had tried insisting the Emperor not go, but when he realized that was a lost argument, he insisted on the escort. Martin acquiesced to the escort, but did not tell either of them the true nature of his sojourn. The escort would be forced to wait at the tavern and drink mead.

"Hello, weary travelers," Lucius greeted them. "Would you like to see our specials?"

"I would," Martin replied. "My companion will remain."

"But," the escort started to object. Martin held up his hand and the escort went silent.

Lucius led Martin down into the basement and into the special room used just for such occasions.

"Karliah!" Martin was surprised, but glad to see her. Then he noticed she was not wearing her normal armor, but instead that of a guildmaster. "Wait, you're—"

"I have been named Master of the Thieves' Guild in Skyrim," Karliah said, somewhat uncomfortably. "It was a condition of, well, let's get started and I can explain. You haven't been replaced, you've been…promoted…"

Martin wanted to roll his eyes, but he wasn't exactly surprised. He had figured that they would try something like this once he asked for the contents of the master's chest to be brought to Cyrodiil. He was glad Karliah was named Master. If it was going to be someone else, he was at least happy it was her.

"Please, be seated," Lucius asked everyone, "and we can get started."
In addition to Karliah, there were representatives from multiple provinces present. Ri'saad had come down from Skyrim. His caravan was going to be returning to Elsweyr and he could smell opportunity. Calzir, who was master of the Thieves' Guild in Hammerfell. Vanryth, former member of the Skyrim Thieves' Guild, and leader of the nascent Thieves' Guild in Morrowind. Finally, Elisgan, who was a merchant in Silvernar, Valenwood and a contact of Lucius. Elisgan had connections and would be representing the Thieves' Guild in Valenwood.

Once everyone was seated, Lucius looked at Martin, who nodded slightly, and then began, "Thank you, all of you, for coming. The issue we have before us today is formalizing an empire-wide Thieves' Guild. You have all seen and read the charter, so I'll just cover the highlights. The Empire, and each provincial government will turn a blind eye to many of the petty crimes committed, and it instead falls to us to regulate criminal activity. No rogue thieves and no rogue guilds will be permitted."

"What will happen to these rogue operators?" Elisgan asked.

"They will be recruited, even encouraged to join the local guild. Those who refuse will be turned over to authorities and sent to Jail. Hopefully some time in a cage will help them come to their senses. If not, they will stay there," Lucius answered.

"Why not just kill them?" Vanryth asked.

"No," Lucius was adamant. "There will be no killing in any Thieves' Guild business. Outside of official business, killing is only permitted in self-defense. We are not the Dark Brotherhood. Stealth is our game. Members who kill will be disciplined and, if necessary, turned over to the authorities."

"What about our autonomy?" Calzir asked.

"I was just getting to that," Lucius began. "Each provincial guild will be autonomous. However, each guild is provided with two tokens for high-ranking or highly trusted members. These tokens will allow members to move between provinces with special privileges. Their goods will be exempt from searches and they will be fast-tracked through any checkpoints that may be set up. If stopped by any guards or legionnaires, simply show the token and they will be free to continue on their way."

"This all sounds good, but Ri'saad thinks there must be a catch, yes?"

Lucius smiled. "Isn't there always? The 'catch' as you put it is two-fold. First, as I just mentioned, we will regulate all criminal activity. Too much and the Empire will be forced to crack down. Second, each provincial guild will send ten percent of its take to Cyrodiil. That's gold that comes in from jobs, sales from fences and coin earned by trainers."

There was some general murmuring around the table for a few minutes, but then Ri'saad spoke up. "The Emperor has helped Ri'saad and his people earn plenty of money. Elsweyr will support this."

"Skyrim will support this as well," Karliah added. "As I mentioned in the beginning, Delvin, Vex, Brynjolf and I have decided to promote Cadriel to Grandmaster of the Thieves' Guild and I have been named Master of the Thieves' Guild in Skyrim to fill in the vacant leadership role. We will agree to the charter but will report directly to the Grandmaster."

"So, why do you all get to name the Grandmaster?" Calzir cut in.

Martin held up his hands. "It's just an honorific, Calzir. It's their polite way of telling me that I will no longer have access to the contents of that special chest in the cistern. I'm not surprised by the move, and I will actually have very little to do with any of your operations. I will talk with Lucius as far as information trading and to ensure that the monthly earnings are being sent, but that's really it. Aside from the monthly earnings, you will all be autonomous."

Calzir seemed placated. "Ok, Hammerfell is on board then."

"Thank you, Calzir." Martin then turned towards Karliah, "Karliah, if there are issues that arise that require direct communication, then you, as the new Master of the Skyrim Thieves' Guild, will come to Cyrodiil and talk to me directly, but for day to day information exchange and money transfers, those can go through Lucius, as my official representative."

Karliah nodded her head slightly, "A fair compromise."

All eyes turned to Vanryth next. "Hey, I'm with her," he said, pointing to Karliah. That elicited a few chuckles.

Elisgan was the last to speak. "The Emperor, Martin, or Cadriel. What do we call you?"

"Martin is fine."

"Ok, thank you," Elisgan continued. "Martin has done a lot for my people, at great personal loss, no less. We support this charter."

Martin smiled sadly. "Thank you, Elisgan. Thank you all. Lucius will be your main point of contact, with Cyrodiil being central, and this city in particular. However, if any of you need to talk to me directly, send word to Lucius to arrange a meeting and I will make myself available."

Emperor's Offices, Imperial Palace
Sun's Height, 20th

"Aela! It's good to see you!" Martin exclaimed.

"Your majesty," Aela bowed her head.

Martin was thrown off by her formality. "Thank you for coming to the palace. Please have a seat and fill me in on the status of the Fighter's Guild."

"Thank you for having me, your majesty," Aela replied as she sat across from Martin.

"Aela, is everything ok?"

"Yes, it's just…all this…it's still new to me. I'm trying to keep the proper protocol."

Martin got the impression that there was more to it, but he decided not to press. "Ok, please, bring me up to date on what's happening."

Aela nodded and got started. "Overall, finding new members has proven challenging. Most who would join have been recruited into the Legions. We're hoping once the war ends that our ranks will swell with former legionnaires. However, there are some sell-swords and few adventures who have joined up. Enough that we have been opening numerous new guild halls."

"That is encouraging to hear. Where are the new halls?"

"Well, in Skyrim, Jorrvaskr has become the main guild hall, but we have opened a second one in Markarth. There was an abandoned house that many considered haunted. The Jarl was happy to give it to us to use. We've opened a second hall here in Cyrodiil, in Chorrol. We've also managed to establish guild halls in Blacklight in Morrowind, Dune and Corinthe in Elsweyr, Daggerfall in High Rock, Sentinel in Hammerfell and are looking at establishing one in Silvernar in Valenwood."

"That is outstanding, especially in such a relatively short period of time," Martin said.

"Well, as I mentioned, our membership growth is slow, but most who can handle a sword are fighting the Thalmor. We hope to be able to use some of them once the war is finished. Their experience and expertise can greatly aid us in training and in leadership."

"Aela, I know I basically threw you into this, but you really have done an excellent job. I know this is a big adjustment for everyone at Jorrvaskr, and I really appreciate the effort that you all have been putting in. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to come by, any time, ok?"

Aela nodded and rose. "Martin…" she started, but then stopped, turned and left.

Catacombs, Imperial Palace
Sun's height, 24th

In his explorations, Martin had discovered some catacombs underneath the palace. Apparently they were not well known. In fact, when he asked around, few even knew they existed. Martin had quietly had a special room constructed and swore the few who were involved to absolutely secrecy, upon pain of death. Once the room was finished, he had the Night Mother moved from the Sanctuary in Cheydinhal to what he called "The Listener's Sanctum."

The Night Mother herself had given her Listener instructions on how to make and enchant the special doors that guard the Dark Brotherhood sanctuaries. Martin had once made and installed to guard what would be the Listener's Sanctum. This would be where the Listener would go in order to get the information from the Night mother.

Cicero, as the former Keeper of the Night Mother, would be the only Speaker allowed into the Listener's Sanctum, and was there to assist with enchanting the special door. "What question would you like it to ask, Listener?" he asked.

"How about this. 'What touches your face and forms your words, but you cannot live without?' The answer would be air." Martin suggested.

"Cryptic, yet simple. That will work just fine," Cicero observed.

The two of them performed the proper rituals, exactly as specified by the Night Mother and the door took on an eerie red glow. Martin approached the door and the otherworldly voice asked, "What touches your face and forms your words, but you cannot live without?"

"Air, my brother," Martin replied.

"Welcome home."

There was a slick 'click' and Martin opened the door. He and Cicero entered the Sanctum. There was a chest against the walls to either side of them, and stone shelves recessed into the walls. The shelves had candles that were burning. On the far side of the room, was the night mother. The coffin was upright and closed, standing on a small stone stage with two steps leading up to the stage surface. On each side of the coffin were candle stands with three candles each at various heights. Cicero laid a wreath of flowers at the foot of the coffin and suggested Martin put a few more flowers around the sanctum.

Martin nodded at the suggestion. "Thank you for your help this morning, Cicero."

"It is my pleasure to serve, Listener. I'll take my leave so you may commune with the Night Mother. I'll be around the palace for a little while, talking with Elnath, in case you have anything that you need to pass on."

Reception Hall, Imperial Palace

Elnath Nazari was quite surprised to receive word that the newly crowned High King of Black Marsh wanted to meet with the Emperor, but he quickly made all the arrangements that were necessary. He oversaw every detail: decorations in the room, seating arrangements, honors due to the visitors, he even learned what the new King's favorite foods were and arranged for them to be laid out in a special arrangement.

All of his preparations proved fruitful. Er-Jah Buneeus was quite impressed.

"Your majesty, it is a privilege and an honor to have you in the White-Gold Tower. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, please let me know." Elnath said.

"Thank you for your hospitality. You have made us feel most welcome," Er-Jah replied.

"Lords and Ladies," The page announced, "I present to you the first dragonblood emperor to sit on the ruby throne since the second interregnum began, His Royal Highness, Emperor Martin Septim II!"

There was some light applause as Martin entered the room. He walked straight over towards the Argonian King. "High King Er-Jah Buneeus," Martin greeted, using his full name, "It is a pleasure to have you. I trust Elnath is making you comfortable?"

"Yes, your majesty. Thank you."

"I confess, I was surprised to hear of your request to visit." Martin said.

"Yes, things changed very suddenly. My father was assassinated before news of our decision could spread. Pad-Ei is conducting an investigation to find his killer, but I thought it best to talk over your offer in person, without intermediaries." Er-Jah explained.

"I am very glad you decided to do so. Shall we?" Martin motioned to the table and the group sat in their assigned places.

The High King got right down to the point. "Green-Throat and Pad-Ei have indicated your desire for Argonia to rejoin the Empire. Tell me. How would doing so benefit us?"

"If your majesty will permit, I will share how rejoining the empire has benefited my people," Elnath began. Er-Jah nodded and Elnath continued. "The response from the empire was immediate. The day we signed the papers, money and laborers flooded into Hammerfell to rebuild the lasting damage from the Great War."

"That is nice, but we have not damage from war. Our infrastructure is good."

Elnath smiled, "Yes, but that is not all. Trade began in earnest. Our merchants had more goods, our people had better access to more wares. Jobs became more plentiful as stores and taverns picked up business. Our people are enjoying a prosperity not seen since before the Oblivion crisis. Your citizens can enjoy this same prosperity."

"I see. And you can personally guarantee us this prosperity?" Er-Jah was baiting him.

Elnath responded without taking the bait. "I can personally guarantee that trade will increase overnight. I can personally guarantee that your merchants and your citizens will have access to wares from all over the empire. I can personally guarantee that your tavern owners and your citizens will have access to food and drink from all over the empire."

"And what of my citizens who remain slaves in Morrowind?" Er-jah asked.

"Slavery has been abolished empire-wide and now that the question of Morrowind's status has been answered, Morrowind is officially a province of the Empire, they must adhere to Imperial Law on the subject." Elnath replied.

"And still some of my subjects remain slaves," Er-Jah persisted.

"Your majesty," Martin began, "The Khajiit had the same concern. Before I was emperor, I was an adventure and during that time, I saved the life of one of the Redoran Councilors. I have his ear and his influence on the council. I will use that influence to ensure the abolition of slavery is not just a matter of law, but a matter of practice as well. We will abolish the very institution and hold severe penalties for those who traffic in this vile practice."

When Er-Jah saw how passionate Martin was on ending slavery, he decided that both the emperor and his administrator had passed the test, and he softened a little. "Very well. Ending the slavery of my subjects is the biggest condition I have for rejoining the empire. It sounds like you all are just as passionate as we are. That is a good thing. However, I have more conditions."

"Please. Go ahead," Elnath said.

Er-Jah nodded. "First, we would no longer like to be known as 'Black Marsh.' Instead, we would like to be known as 'The Kingdom of Argonia.' It seems a simple thing, but words matter and Argonia is our heritage. Second, I'm assuming our soldiers will be incorporated into your legions. There are two demands that must be met. One: No Argonian will serve in the same unit as a Dunmer. There is too much bad blood. Two: No Argonian will participate in the invasion of Summerset."

Martin was thoughtful for a moment before responding. "The official records of the Empire will list your province as 'The Kingdom of Argonia,' but please be aware that many will shorten it to 'Argonia.'"

"That is acceptable," Er-Jah replied.

"Good, that one was easy. As for the troops," Martin had to be careful in what he said next. "We have already planned our invasion of Summerset. We will not integrate your soldiers into any of the invading units. However, there are some Argonians who have joined the Imperial Legion and hold a wide variety of ranks, from Trooper to Legate."

"Those who have joined the Legion of their own free will are yours to assign as you see fit. However, we have a standing army and this army will not be used for the invasion of Summerset," Er-jah insisted.

"Agreed," Martin said. "And the same principles apply to being in units with Dunmer?"

"Agreed." Er-Jah said.

"Your Majesties," Elnath said. "It looks like we have an accord. Shall we toast to the occasion?"

"Yes, Let's," both Martin and Er-Jah agreed.

The Kingdom of Argonia would once more be part of The Empire.

Unknown Cave outside Dusk, Summerset Isles
Sun's Height, 28th

Rimintil did not appreciate being blindfolded, but his escorts had been quite insistent once they left Dusk. Still, he was finally going to meet the leader of the underground. Just in time too, there was some last minute coordination that needed to happen, and he was to be the intermediary to ensure the timing of the rebellion matched the timing of the invasion.

The horses stopped and his escorts guided him down off the wagon and to the entrance of the cave. Once at the cave's entrance, his blindfold was removed and he was allowed to walk on his own. He was led through a serious of twists and turns until they finally came to a locked door. One of his escorts pulled out a key, unlocked and then opened the door. The escorts motioned for him to go through, but did not accompany him.

The room was mostly bare cavern. There were wooden steps on either side that each lead up to a wood platform. One platform had a sleeping roll and a chest. The other had a desk, a chair and a few crates. There was an Altmer sitting at the desk who stood up when Rimintil entered the room.

"Pastur Lorinor?" Rimintil asked in surprise.

"It's just Lorinor now."

"I had wondered what happened to you when we returned," Rimintil admitted.

"I left. I would not…will not support a government that murders innocent civilians…that murdered my family. I never bought into their lie that it was to 'preserve the integrity of the Dominion.' I was a little surprised you did, but apparently you didn't either," Lorinor observed.

"No, no I didn't. My doubts probably even started before yours." Rimintil admitted.

"Maybe, either way, we both came to the same place. Now, tell me, what day can we expect the invasion to begin?" Lorinor asked.

"The invasion will be massive, three divisions each will be attacking three separate cities," Rimintil began. "They are all coordinated to start on Last Seed 1st. I'm afraid I was not given any more details other than that, but they did admit that they were going for the major cities, other than Dusk, of course."

"Good. Come with me." Lorinor descended the stairs and made for the door. Rimintil followed. Lorinor lead him through some more caves to another cavern. This one was filled with crates, barrels and tables. Swords, armor, bows were all laid out. "As you can see, we have been preparing for this. The barrels contain cloaks that will be worn to hide the armor and swords. We plan to infiltrate the city as soon as the gates open and make for the palace. If we can take the palace and capture the captain of the guard, the rest of the city will be ours. If not, my people will be placed strategically throughout the city to take out as many guardsman as necessary."
"Would it not be smart to have people already inside the city?" Rimintil asked.

Lorinor demurred for a moment, then admitted, "We…may have a few city citizens ready to take up arms if needed."

Rimintil smiled. "Ok, what do you need me to do?"

"You will accompany me to the palace. Once we have the city you will travel to the Imperial Legion, inform them of our success and work out coordinating the capture of Alinor."

Rimintil nodded. "I gave them all of the intelligence you had provided me. That should help their landings. In just a few days, we'll start taking our province back."

War Room, Imperial Palace
Sun's Height, 28th

The Armies and their Legions had been deployed on their ships and were making their way to their prospective landing sites. With the Praetors and Generals deployed, the War Room was less busy than usual. Consul Jonna was present, as were some of the generals from the legions left to defend Cyrodiil.

Martin looked around the table. Things had not been this light since, well, since he had been crowned emperor. "What's our status?" he asked.

"Your majesty, all three armies have gotten underway. It took nearly every ship in the empire to load up all the troops and supplies, but we got everyone and everything loaded up and on their way. I fear some of the ship owners may have increased their prices, but we've had little choice other than to pay what was asked," Jonna explained

Martin nodded. "I'm sure most of them realize the risk involved. There may be some who are being opportunistic, but I'm ok with that."

Jonna nodded and continued. "The weather should prove favorable for the next few days, so we should be on track for our target day with each of the landings."

"Ok, good. How are we with preventing a counterattack on the mainland?" Martin asked.

"We have begun to station our legions, your majesty, but, well, with Black…er…Argonia rejoining the Empire, will there need to be any adjustments?" Tullius asked.

"No," Martin answered. "One of the conditions was that their troops will not be used for our invasion of Summerset. When it comes to defense they will be a second layer, if necessary, but will not be used to repel any initial invasion. They were quite adamant about that."

"Very well," Jonna noted. "That will actually make the deployment of our legions a little easier, and allow the generals to focus more on their task at hand, which is preventing any landings anywhere on Tamriel. How about our Dragon allies?"

"There will be at least two dragons at each landing site," Martin explained. "I'll be riding Odahviing to Sunhold. If things get desperate here on the mainland, I'll ride Odahviing back."

"Very good, your majesty. I believe that covers the highlights. Our armies are poised and ready for invasion, as well as any counterstrike that the enemy may try." Jonna said.

Emperor's Chambers, Imperial Palace
Sun's Height, 29th

"DOVAHKIIN!"

Martin shot upright in his bed. Suddenly awake and alert.

He looked around, but did not see anything. He got up and went to the window. He saw Odahviing hovering not too far.

"Dovahkiin, we must talk."

Without a word, Martin turned from the window, grabbed an informal robe and went up to the roof.

He was there in just a moment, but Odahviing had already landed on the platform that was built especially for him.

"Don't dragons ever sleep?" Martin complained. "Do you realize how early it is?"

"I have important news, Dovahkiin. News you will want to hear."

Martin went back into an alert posture. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. This concerns the Vahdin you would have as your mate."

"Lydia? She's dead, killed by the Thalmor at Falinesti." The anger had left, but Martin still felt a deep sense of loss.

"There is a way you can bring her back."

[1] Argornia is what the Argonians were calling their nation. This is a minor point that becomes relevant a little later.

Author's Note: Thank you again to my beta readers! This story is much better with your input. Thank you all for keeping Lydia's death out of the reviews. Her death actually proved to be more controversial than I had anticipated. As we all know, death in TES is akin to the common cold, so I will give you all the choice: Does Martin resurrect her or does she remain interred in the catacombs? Please send me a message (and please keep that spoiler out of the reviews for just a little longer) and let me know which way you would like that to go. Next up will be the fourth and final interlude, and then the next full chapter will be the invasion of Summerset. As always, if you have any comments or critiques, feel free to send me a message.