Solitude stood high on the rock mass, and the high winds blew the wings of the great windmill around slowly. The Thalmor marched up the hill, with Elenwen on horseback at the head of the pack. As they rode, Solitude guards began to turn towards the enormous force coming up to the city. Fear crept into them. She could feel it from here.
Elenwen smiled as she thought of all the heads she was going to turn in the dominion; the woman who finally brought the Empire to its knees. She could see it now. Her people arriving, and seeing her in complete control of Skyrim, all of its Jarls and people. And it would start now.
She came to a halt about ten metres before the gate that did not open. They were still resistant. She would break that.
"As First Emissary Elenwen, Ambassador to Skyrim, I order you to open this gate at once," she commanded in her loud authoritative tone.
Soon enough, General Tullius appeared atop the walls with his Legates around him.
"Emissary Elenwen, this is a most unexpected visit," he opened.
"Open the gate, General. I wish to enter my city."
"Your city?" said Rikke, but a look from the General reined her in.
"Elenwen, do you expect me to overlook the obvious? Why have you brought a host large enough to invade a city here?"
"Not invade, garrison. Invasion would imply that we are at war," she rode forth a few paces, "we are not at war, are we, General?"
Tullius didn't answer for a moment, before finally addressing, "no we are not in conflict, but all the same you cannot expect me to open these gates to what could be considered a small army."
"Actually I can, and I do. We are here to take back control, General, that is all. Control that was turned over in the White Gold Concordot. Resistance to that could be considered to be... what would that be considered to be, Emissary Rulindil?"
"Rebellion, Ambassador," Rulindil answered smugly.
Elenwen turned back to Tullius, "rebellion. Are you rebelling, General?"
Tullius didn't answer for a moment, before realising he had no choice, "open the gate."
The guards looked reluctant, but eventually obeyed their orders.
"But General-" began Rikke quietly.
"No, Rikke," finished Tullius bluntly.
The gate was opened, and Elenwen smiled before she proudly rode in under, and her force of Thalmor followed her. She looked around at the concerned and fearful faces on the people; parents took their children and pulled them inside, passing guards stopped and stared; she could see their angst to reach for their weapons, and their killing resistance not to.
"Search the city for Talos worshippers. Find them all," she commanded.
The elves behind her nodded before moving out, and they began tearing the city apart. Thalmor guards went into each and every house and building, pushing past the people and throwing the furniture up and down. Some people were dragged out of their houses as the guards cried out "heretic!" with talos bands in their other hands. The people they dragged cried out,
"I never had that!"
"I don't worship Talos!"
"Let my wife go!"
They ransacked the city. And Elenwen smiled.
"Elenwen!"
She turned to a distraught General Tullius who came down from the wall, a small band of guards with him.
"What are you doing?! Stop this now!"
"You don't give me orders, General," she warned him.
Rikke stepped forward, "you're ransacking the city! Your concordot doesn't allow that!"
"No but it does allow an authorised search for any and all parties suspected to be worshipping the false deity known as Talos, and that search is authorised given the circumstances of the criminal Nero's actions against the dominion months ago."
"Wait, wha- criminal Nero?" said Rikke, before Tullius stepped forward.
"Elenwen, what did you do?"
She looked down with a smile, before another guard came to her.
"Ambassador, we've searched the city, but Jarl Elisif is demanding to speak with you."
"Well we'd best not keep her waiting," said Elenwen before the Jarl herself came forth with a small protection of guards who were looking around at the elves.
"First Emissary Elenwen," began Elisif, "you have gone too far this day. In no way are the boundaries of this searh acceptable."
"I feel quite the contrary, Jarl," replied Elenwen, "my forces are finding quite the few Talos worshippers in the city."
The cries denying the thalmor could still be heard, and people being taken were shouting and screaming that the guards had placed the Talos bands in the homes before finding them themselves, even holding them in their hands the entire time.
"Which is quite the disappointment in the effects of your rule, but I can't say I'm much surprised."
Elisif was speechless; she didn't know what to say or how to even react.
"Elenwen," said Tullius, "what did you do to Nero? Where is he?"
Elenwen smiled, "I think that is better addressed to everyone here."
Her guards heard her and beckoned the townsfolk to be quiet and pay attention.
Elenwen cleared her throat and looked on at the city.
"People of Solitude. I recognise that what's happening is very intrusive, especially as many of you are good and obedient followers of the White Gold Concordot. However, I'm afraid this search was necessary, as many months have passed with this city and indeed all of Skyrim under a veil. A veil of belief, if you will, that the dominion was gone and you no longer had to obey these terms. That you could go freely about your day to believe in Talos or whoever you want. I don't blame any of you for this, of course. This was because of one man. One man who thought he could deny the terms of peace. One man who, I'm sure, many of you thought would lead Skyrim into war, into freedom. He lied, he has lied to you all. Your hero, your Dragonborn, Nero Dragons-bane, is not the hero you think he is. He was found to be conspiring with the Blades in an attempt to seize control for himself. He would take all his power to put a crown on his head, not save you. But for all his supposed strength, he was not stronger than the dominion, as no one is. For his wrongdoings, and the laws he broke, he was arrested, and sentenced to execution. Which was carried out this morning."
Gasps went through the crowd; even the guards were motionless.
"So I want you all to forget this veil that he placed over you. The terms of the White Gold Concordot still apply, and you will do well to know who is in charge."
Elenwen began to ride ahead, but Tullius stopped her.
"Elenwen! Do you know what you've done?" he asked.
"Yes General. I've just finished the Great War."
She turned back to continue to ride, but Rikke came forth, "where's Lady Serana?!"
Elenwen stopped, "oh, yes," she spoke up again, "unfortunately, the Dragonborn's wife, Lady Serana Dragons-bane, escaped before we could arrest her too. Anyone who finds her will be richly rewarded. Spread the word to all the major cities. A pregnant woman can only get so far."
~ Across Skyrim ~
Odahviing flew across the water with an exhausted Serana atop his back. She kept her eyes open barely, struggling to ignore the harsh winds that were plummetting onto her already freezing body. The castle grew on the horizon, reaching into the clouds like large black swords.
The dragon descended and landed at the foot of the beach as lightly as he could, and Serana slowly clambered off.
"This is where you wished me to take you?"
"Yes. Thank you," replied Serana, "can you just... watch for anyone? Anyone coming?"
"I will, none shall intrude here," the dragon promised.
With that, Serana turned and began to make her way towards the castle. She pushed herself up the hill, but every step was almost her last; her body was tired, her mind was tired. She didn't know how much further she could go.
"Mo... Mother?!" she called out with the little energy she had left.
Nothing answered except the loud winds and the thunderous blizzard. She pushed on up the hill; her legs were almost giving out.
"Mother?!" she called one last time, now on the bridg, with the large gate now directly ahead of her.
"Mothe..." she collapsed, onto her back, to save her stomach.
The winds caressed her body, and she almost stopped feeling the cold. She covered her belly, hping, praying. Please, Mother... save my child.
Things started to go blurry, but in her faintest of senses, Serana heard a voice cry out her name. Then things went black.
When she awoke, Serana was in a strangely familiar place. The ceiling. The room. It was her old bedroom. She was on her old bed, which had been cleaned and refurbushed. A fire burned in the fireplace, with candles sat here and there, to earm the room. Serana had furs on and around her, to warm her up. On the bedside next to her was a plate of food; cooked horker meat with some other assortments. She tried to lean up, but just as she did, a figure appeared in her doorway carrying cloths.
"Serana!" cried her mother who raced to her side and laid her back down.
"No, Serana, don't try to move to much, you're exhausted. Stay down, here."
Valerica took some food from the plate and handed it to Serana who took it and ate. On top of nearly freezing to death, she nearly died of hunger; eating for not only herself but also her growing baby made her hunger go through the roof a lot. Nearly a full day without food took it out of her.
"Thank you, mother," said Serana, who continued to eat.
"Get your energy back, then we'll talk."
Serana followed her mother's directions and ate as much as she could. The horker meat wasn't the best, but it was better standard than she expected for someone who hadn't cooked anything in thousands of years. Once she ate all she could, she laid back down to rest. She couldn't think of anything right now, only to get back her strength, for her baby.
When she opened her eyes again, the candles and the fireplace had burned low. She looked around, and saw her mother sitting in a chair, looking at the flames.
"Mother?"
Valerica turned and saw her, "Serana, don't get up, take it slowly."
Serana slowly sat up, putting a hand on her stomach. She felt better now, with more energy but still her body ached. Finally, she could think straight.
"How do you feel?" asked Valerica.
"Better. Thank you," answered Serana, "you cooked pretty well."
"Well I had to rush as soon as I found you. I know blood won't work anymore."
Serana nodded, and tried to get up, but Valerica eased her back down.
"Before you go anywhere, you need to tell me what's going on. Why did I find you collapsed outside the castle in barely anything with a dragon at the foot of the hill?"
Serana remembered all now, and the mountain...
So she told her mother everything, how Nero got summoned, how her home was invaded... the mountain...
"And the warrior, he... he killed..." Serana summoned the strength to say it, "he killed Nero."
Valerica didn't say anything at that; she was taken aback, speechless.
"Before he got pushed off though, he shouted and the dragon at the bottom of the hill appeared. He came with Jordis and... oh Jordis."
"What, who's Jordis?"
"Nero's housecarl, she came and held the thalmor off to protect me."
Serana kept the tears back. She had to stay strong.
"Did they kill her too?" asked Valerica.
"I don't know," answered Serana, "I have no idea what to do."
"Well, you stay here for now. You are still a pregnant woman, Serana."
Serana looked down; this baby could be born at any moment. What if they come for it? Would they?
"I'm going to go and make you some more food. There's a change of clothes for you on the chair. You just sit here and rest," said Valerica, who stood up to leave, but as she looked one last time at Serana, she came over and placed her hands around her, hugging her. Then she stood up again and left the room.
Serana laid back and looked up at the ceiling, thinking. First her thoughts of Nero came forward, but she tried to keep them away. They would only break her, and she had to be strong now.
The thalmor, Elenwen. She said destroy Nero, which would mean destroy even the idea of him. They would be looking for her too, for her child, to eliminate his presence in Skyrim completely. They would eventually find this place. She would have to run, with her child. As strong as her mother was, she couldn't fight off the thalmor, especially that warrior. They would have to run forever. They could hide in the soul cairn, or maybe with the Dawnguard. Would she have to leave Skyrim? To protect her baby? She...
No. No running. She would never run. She never was one to run, she wasn't going to start now. But they would never stop coming for her. Which means she had to stand.
After a good while thinking, Serana stood up out of bed, and walked out of her room. She found Valerica in the kitchen who turned once she heard Serana.
"Serana?! What are you doing out of bed?"
"I'm going to fight them."
"What?"
Serana looked up, "I'm going to fight and I'm going to kill. Every. Last. One of them."
~ The Woods ~
The cold harsh wind brushed against a body lying flat on the snow. Blood surrounded the body, creeping out from the chest onto the ground around it. The figure looked up, and saw a quiet sky with swirls of bright purple, green and blue flowing overhead. No. Not here. Not yet. I can't be here yet.
Then, when he opened his eyes again, the sky was dark, and a blizzard of snow had nearly covered his body. He tried to move, and a thunderbolt of pain leapt through his body. He didn't even have the energy to scream. Was he dead? Or dying? He had to move. Stay alive. Stay alive for her.
He moved his arms upwards and his hands flat onto the ground, then stopped to regain some energy. He pushed as hard as he could, and slowly bent his knees and got into a kneeling position. Now he had to move them. He tried moving his legs, but they gave out and he fell back down.
He felt himself slipping away. Dying. No, not yet. Not dead yet. He pushed himself back up again and, although it felt like killing him, he got to his feet. He was wobbly; his balance was completely off. Tree, on the left. He leaned towards it and caught it just as he was falling. Stay standing, he thought to himself. He moved onward, each pace taking tonnes of energy, but he kept at it. Keep on pushing.
Something glimered in the snow. A sword. He got to it, and fell down again. It was bloody. It was his sword. He grabbed it, and tried again to push himself up. He gave it all he had, but it wasn't enough and he fell face first into the snow, and didn't move.
In his faintest sense, he heard a young voice call out, "MAMA! DADA!"
Mom. My mom. Towering over me, her blonde hair glimmering in the sunlight, "stay standing, Nero. If you fall, get back up."
The vision was only a moment, but when it dissipated, Nero slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the ceiling of a house. He was on his back on a... bed? No, table. He was shirtless, and bandages were covering him here and there. He looked around, and saw a figure standing next to him, doing something.
"Mom?" he asked.
The figure turned, "he's awake," she said.
Suddenly another figure appeared, and the woman told him, "if he moves, hold him down."
The woman began doing something on Nero's chest, and this time he did scream, and writhe, to which the man held him down.
"Just stay still, okay?!" said the woman.
The pain was too great, and he passed out. When he came to, his vision wasn't so blurry anymore, but the pain was still there. He looked down to see a large bandage across his chest, with a blanket just below it.
He breathed slowly, and looked around, "where am I?" he asked.
The figures around him came forth again; the woman put hands on him, "just don't move, alright? You need to let yourself heal."
"Who are you?" Nero asked.
"Ralof, get the potion," said the woman, and the other figure, a man, moved to grab something, before bringing it over.
The woman handed it to Nero, "drink."
Nero obeyed, and drank the full potion, which tasted revolting, but he stomached it.
"Okay, now don't move again, alright?" said the woman.
Nero nodded, but looked up at the man. Ralof. Where had he heard...
"It's been a long time, Nero," said the man.
He had cut his blonde hair short and had a scar that ran just past his eye, barely missing it. But the face was the same. The same face from Helgen.
"Ralof?"