“Of course, madam Jarl, of course,” Elenwen said soothingly. “I quite understand the concern, but to go yourself - I find it surprising, that's all. Is there no one you could have sent in your stead if it was just dragon lore you were after?”
“They were very specific in their summons,” Elisif said, deciding not to mention the exact nature of said summons. “It's hard to explain to a non-Nord, but if the Greybeards want to see you, you have to go. It's considered very bad form to refuse. No Nord is going to think I'm fit to rule if I'm seen to be disregarding the Greybeards.”
Not entirely true, there were at least two Nords in this very room who wouldn't have cared in the slightest, but Elisif also knew Erikur and Maven would jump on the political capital from a refusal on her part anyway.
“Quite,” Elenwen said, moving on to other topics, for which Elisif was grateful. The Altmer nodded in Maven's direction, to where Maven was having a rather hushed conversation with a new arrival, a red-haired Nord that Elisif hadn't seen before. For some reason, Maven seemed rather angry with him.
“Do you know that man, by any chance? He's on the guest list but I'm afraid he's a mystery to me,” Elenwen said calmly. “He says he's from High Rock – I know you grew up there, I was wondering if you'd met him. He says his name's Ragnar.”
As in the song perhaps? Thanks to that tune, the name Ragnar had been out of favour for years, especially for a red-haired family, but the Thalmor wouldn't know that. Elisif began to wonder if that was Delphine's man.
“I don't think so,” Elisif said cautiously. “But we didn't move in terribly exalted circles in Wayrest, so we could easily have never been introduced. That's if he's from there – if he's from anywhere else, we'd never have known him.”
“Indeed. A pity,” Elenwen sighed. “I was hoping someone might know him. Thus far he's a mystery. I'm not even sure how he got on the list, but I imagine he's a man of influence somewhere. I'll see if Idgrod knows him. Thank you for your time, Jarl Elisif. Please, have a good evening.” Elenwen moved on and Elisif breathed a sigh of relief. Ragnar, although she was sure that wasn't his real name, had left Maven by this point, and was soon making his way over to her, drink in hand.
“Now this is a sight to lift the heart, a young woman here with no father or husband to scare men off,” he said, grinning roguishly at her. “I don't believe we've been introduced, lass. I'm Ragnar, a jewel merchant from Daggerfall, here in Skyrim on business with the East Empire Company. Who do I have the pleasure of talking to?”
Elisif was fairly certain he'd never done a day's work for the East Empire Company in his life, although had she checked their records, she'd actually have found his name among them, courtesy of the Thieves Guild's contacts there.
“Elisif, Jarl of Solitude,” she said tersely. “And for your information, I'm a widow. My husband only died five months ago, I'm still in mourning. So no, I am not in need of male company, not now or in the foreseeable future.”
“Now that is a shame,” Ragnar replied, and there was actually genuine sympathy there to Elisif's surprise. “Well, not to worry, my intentions are entirely honourable. Should you change your mind and want someone to provide some entirely above-board company of an evening, or even buy some fine pieces of jewellery, you just come find me. I'm staying at the Winking Skeever until my ship leaves on the 30th of Frostfall.”
A flicker of his eyelids as he said the date, and Elisif knew that was him, must be, it was Delphine's man, needing her to create a distraction so he could get away from the party.
“Well, I will think about it,” said Elisif, relenting slightly. “But only to possibly order some new jewellery, nothing else so don't get any ideas. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to mingle with the other guests and you're distracting me.” She emphasised the word distracting slightly, and a slight nod from him told her he'd understood.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 8.5
Date: 2013-10-18 09:42 pm (UTC)“They were very specific in their summons,” Elisif said, deciding not to mention the exact nature of said summons. “It's hard to explain to a non-Nord, but if the Greybeards want to see you, you have to go. It's considered very bad form to refuse. No Nord is going to think I'm fit to rule if I'm seen to be disregarding the Greybeards.”
Not entirely true, there were at least two Nords in this very room who wouldn't have cared in the slightest, but Elisif also knew Erikur and Maven would jump on the political capital from a refusal on her part anyway.
“Quite,” Elenwen said, moving on to other topics, for which Elisif was grateful. The Altmer nodded in Maven's direction, to where Maven was having a rather hushed conversation with a new arrival, a red-haired Nord that Elisif hadn't seen before. For some reason, Maven seemed rather angry with him.
“Do you know that man, by any chance? He's on the guest list but I'm afraid he's a mystery to me,” Elenwen said calmly. “He says he's from High Rock – I know you grew up there, I was wondering if you'd met him. He says his name's Ragnar.”
As in the song perhaps? Thanks to that tune, the name Ragnar had been out of favour for years, especially for a red-haired family, but the Thalmor wouldn't know that. Elisif began to wonder if that was Delphine's man.
“I don't think so,” Elisif said cautiously. “But we didn't move in terribly exalted circles in Wayrest, so we could easily have never been introduced. That's if he's from there – if he's from anywhere else, we'd never have known him.”
“Indeed. A pity,” Elenwen sighed. “I was hoping someone might know him. Thus far he's a mystery. I'm not even sure how he got on the list, but I imagine he's a man of influence somewhere. I'll see if Idgrod knows him. Thank you for your time, Jarl Elisif. Please, have a good evening.” Elenwen moved on and Elisif breathed a sigh of relief. Ragnar, although she was sure that wasn't his real name, had left Maven by this point, and was soon making his way over to her, drink in hand.
“Now this is a sight to lift the heart, a young woman here with no father or husband to scare men off,” he said, grinning roguishly at her. “I don't believe we've been introduced, lass. I'm Ragnar, a jewel merchant from Daggerfall, here in Skyrim on business with the East Empire Company. Who do I have the pleasure of talking to?”
Elisif was fairly certain he'd never done a day's work for the East Empire Company in his life, although had she checked their records, she'd actually have found his name among them, courtesy of the Thieves Guild's contacts there.
“Elisif, Jarl of Solitude,” she said tersely. “And for your information, I'm a widow. My husband only died five months ago, I'm still in mourning. So no, I am not in need of male company, not now or in the foreseeable future.”
“Now that is a shame,” Ragnar replied, and there was actually genuine sympathy there to Elisif's surprise. “Well, not to worry, my intentions are entirely honourable. Should you change your mind and want someone to provide some entirely above-board company of an evening, or even buy some fine pieces of jewellery, you just come find me. I'm staying at the Winking Skeever until my ship leaves on the 30th of Frostfall.”
A flicker of his eyelids as he said the date, and Elisif knew that was him, must be, it was Delphine's man, needing her to create a distraction so he could get away from the party.
“Well, I will think about it,” said Elisif, relenting slightly. “But only to possibly order some new jewellery, nothing else so don't get any ideas. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to mingle with the other guests and you're distracting me.” She emphasised the word distracting slightly, and a slight nod from him told her he'd understood.