Tullius had said no. The Legion had said no. The army she'd been relying on, however subconsciously, to win the war for her and solve all her problems had said no. The power relations laid bare for all to see – the Empire held the power here, they had the troops, they had the army, and she couldn't command any of them. She was a queen – no, not even that yet – with no army and no real power. She could Shout a man across a room and breathe fire, she'd fought a dragon god and lived, but she couldn't get the Legion to help.
It was so unfair. She was so close, but the goal seemed as far away as ever. What was she supposed to do, go to Windhelm on her own, challenge Ulfric, either beat him and get killed by his guards, or die at his hands, and go to Sovngarde that way?
It would be an awful lot quicker, no fussing about with a portal or dragon trap.
No, certainly not, Skyrim needs you to be queen!
As if, the Empire would find someone else to be Jarl of Solitude, put down the Stormcloaks and then the Moot would choose someone. She hoped it was Balgruuf.
What about the Blades, Delphine might be able to help?
Possibly she might, but this was a tough one, and Elisif wasn't sure sending Cicero in to stab Ulfric in secret was the way to go, in fact now she thought about it, the more she wanted to do the deed herself.
Or organise a peace conference, Tullius said he might consider it.
Absolutely not, the last thing Elisif wanted to do was sit across a table from that murderer Ulfric. She'd rather die.
Madanach wants you to get his kingdom back, you can't do that if you're dead.
Yes, well, Madanach wouldn't have anywhere left to rule if the dragons destroyed the world, would he? There was a Reachman on the Mournful Throne loyal to Madanach, it was the closest the Forsworn had got in years. She'd kill Ulfric for him, avenge his daughter, he'd have to be content with that.
Dying is permanent, you could never come back, are you quite sure about this??
Elisif thought about it, staring out at Solitude, eyes falling on the Blue Palace where she'd been so happy once, safe and loved in Torygg's arms. It was all she'd ever really wanted, someone to love her, a husband, children. Wealth had been nice, but she didn't need it, and she'd never really wanted power.
If she went to Sovngarde, she'd see Torygg again and once she'd killed Alduin she need never leave him.
That decided her.
“High Queen. Elisif. Are you all right?”
That was Argis, catching up with her, one hand resting awkwardly on her back, flinching as she turned round and nearly took his eye out with the Jagged Crown's teeth.
“Sorry,” Elisif said apologetically, stepping back and trying to adjust the crown a little. “I – I'm not sure. I don't think so. Not really.”
“Understandable,” Argis nodded. “But you kinda had to expect that, right? And you've got a back up plan, right? Right?”
Sacrificing myself to save the world. But she couldn't tell that to Argis, not yet.
“Come on,” she said quietly. “Let's get inside. Want to see the Blue Palace?”
“You don't have a plan, do you?” Argis said, and the alarm in his voice was breaking her heart. “Si – Aedra help us.”
“I've got a plan!” Elisif snapped. “It's just I don't want to talk about it out here – look, let's get inside. I want a night in my own palace if nothing else.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“You can't do this to me! I'm a damn Thane!”
Elisif stopped, hearing Erikur's furious voice echo around the Blue Palace. What? They were arresting Erikur? Whatever for? She made her way closer to see what the fuss was.
Sure enough, Erikur was being manhandled down the steps by a number of Haafingar guards, Melaran protesting without much luck, Bryling sitting back in her chair and looking pleased, and Falk Firebeard supervising the whole thing with a face like thunder.
“Not any more!” Falk roared. “Thanes do not betray their Jarl, Erikur!”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 26.5
Tullius had said no. The Legion had said no. The army she'd been relying on, however subconsciously, to win the war for her and solve all her problems had said no. The power relations laid bare for all to see – the Empire held the power here, they had the troops, they had the army, and she couldn't command any of them. She was a queen – no, not even that yet – with no army and no real power. She could Shout a man across a room and breathe fire, she'd fought a dragon god and lived, but she couldn't get the Legion to help.
It was so unfair. She was so close, but the goal seemed as far away as ever. What was she supposed to do, go to Windhelm on her own, challenge Ulfric, either beat him and get killed by his guards, or die at his hands, and go to Sovngarde that way?
It would be an awful lot quicker, no fussing about with a portal or dragon trap.
No, certainly not, Skyrim needs you to be queen!
As if, the Empire would find someone else to be Jarl of Solitude, put down the Stormcloaks and then the Moot would choose someone. She hoped it was Balgruuf.
What about the Blades, Delphine might be able to help?
Possibly she might, but this was a tough one, and Elisif wasn't sure sending Cicero in to stab Ulfric in secret was the way to go, in fact now she thought about it, the more she wanted to do the deed herself.
Or organise a peace conference, Tullius said he might consider it.
Absolutely not, the last thing Elisif wanted to do was sit across a table from that murderer Ulfric. She'd rather die.
Madanach wants you to get his kingdom back, you can't do that if you're dead.
Yes, well, Madanach wouldn't have anywhere left to rule if the dragons destroyed the world, would he? There was a Reachman on the Mournful Throne loyal to Madanach, it was the closest the Forsworn had got in years. She'd kill Ulfric for him, avenge his daughter, he'd have to be content with that.
Dying is permanent, you could never come back, are you quite sure about this??
Elisif thought about it, staring out at Solitude, eyes falling on the Blue Palace where she'd been so happy once, safe and loved in Torygg's arms. It was all she'd ever really wanted, someone to love her, a husband, children. Wealth had been nice, but she didn't need it, and she'd never really wanted power.
If she went to Sovngarde, she'd see Torygg again and once she'd killed Alduin she need never leave him.
That decided her.
“High Queen. Elisif. Are you all right?”
That was Argis, catching up with her, one hand resting awkwardly on her back, flinching as she turned round and nearly took his eye out with the Jagged Crown's teeth.
“Sorry,” Elisif said apologetically, stepping back and trying to adjust the crown a little. “I – I'm not sure. I don't think so. Not really.”
“Understandable,” Argis nodded. “But you kinda had to expect that, right? And you've got a back up plan, right? Right?”
Sacrificing myself to save the world. But she couldn't tell that to Argis, not yet.
“Come on,” she said quietly. “Let's get inside. Want to see the Blue Palace?”
“You don't have a plan, do you?” Argis said, and the alarm in his voice was breaking her heart. “Si – Aedra help us.”
“I've got a plan!” Elisif snapped. “It's just I don't want to talk about it out here – look, let's get inside. I want a night in my own palace if nothing else.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“You can't do this to me! I'm a damn Thane!”
Elisif stopped, hearing Erikur's furious voice echo around the Blue Palace. What? They were arresting Erikur? Whatever for? She made her way closer to see what the fuss was.
Sure enough, Erikur was being manhandled down the steps by a number of Haafingar guards, Melaran protesting without much luck, Bryling sitting back in her chair and looking pleased, and Falk Firebeard supervising the whole thing with a face like thunder.
“Not any more!” Falk roared. “Thanes do not betray their Jarl, Erikur!”
“You're not Jarl!” Erikur shouted back.