“You're going to need more than an illusion shield to make it look like anything else,” Elisif whispered, recalling tales of Forsworn barbarism Torygg had told her and dreading the idea of what Madanach's people might do to the city.
More laughter from Madanach. “I really do like her, Delphine,” he said, grinning. “Elisif, cariad, don't worry. I've already made it very clear to the troops we are not here to pillage the place. We're taking it over, disposing of Ulfric and then we're claiming it for our own. For that, I will want it mostly intact so that when the Empire show up and want to know what in the Void's happening, I can trade it in for the Reach and they'll be impressed with what a good boy I've been.”
“You're insane,” Elisif gasped, turning to Delphine in the hope of some sanity coming from her. “Delphine, he's gone mad, that can't possibly work!”
“He's a little crazy but sometimes that's what you need,” said Delphine crisply. “He's also very bright and perceptive and it was him who told me he was worried about you. He seemed to think you missed Torygg so much, you secretly wanted to go to Sovngarde and join him and might decide to throw your life away in some misguided act of heroism.”
Raised eyebrow and a knowing look from Delphine, and Elisif felt herself blushing as she realised she'd been planning to do that very thing – not because she necessarily wanted to, but because she'd felt trapped in a corner.
Except the walls she'd been backed into had turned out to have a secret door in them. Slowly she finally met Madanach's eyes and saw him smiling gently at her.
“Well, machara, what do you say?” Madanach said softly, thumb gently running over her cheekbone. “Take the city with us, avenge your husband, bring the war to a grinding halt then go back to Balgruuf with Ulfric's severed head in hand and tell him you've sorted the Stormcloak problem out, and go to Sovngarde without dying, hmm?”
Elisif really wasn't sure what was wrong with her, because she was going to cry, she could feel the tears welling up, and honestly, it was all just so unexpected. Argis must have known when he brought her here, had to have been sent to keep an eye on her and bring her along when all was ready, and even though she could have hit him for keeping this secret, she was still touched. Maybe Madanach was mostly doing this for his own reasons, and gods knew what Delphine's motives were, but it meant she didn't have to die. She had a chance at surviving all this. Part of her felt like she was betraying Torygg for not wanting to join him yet, and it wasn't that at all, she missed him so much and always would... but for the first time in a long time, she realised she didn't want to die.
“Elisif?” Madanach was saying, sounding a bit guilty. “Elisif, cariad, don't cry, please.” He was wiping a tear away from her cheek, looking a bit horrified and Elisif guessed he didn't deal with crying women very often.
“I'm sorry,” Elisif whispered. “I just... you'd really go to all this trouble for me?”
“Oh believe me, my people and I are always ready to terrorise some Nords, don't worry about that,” Madanach laughed. “But if it stops you killing yourself, then that's a good thing indeed. Come on, you're one of the few Nords I've actually got time for, you can't die. I'd miss you.”
Elisif didn't think she'd ever see the King of the Forsworn pouting at her, or indeed anyone. But it did bring a smile to her face.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much!” She hugged him, hearing him gasp then put his arms around her, whispering she was quite welcome.
“Did you two want some time alone?” Delphine was looking very amused at the pair of them, and for some reason, Elisif found herself blushing. She let Madanach go, putting some space between the two of them.
“So this uprising then,” Elisif said firmly, deciding the time had definitely come to start doing the queenly thing and finding out what exactly her allies had been up to without her. “What have you planned and where do I fit in?”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 27.8
Date: 2014-04-25 08:39 pm (UTC)More laughter from Madanach. “I really do like her, Delphine,” he said, grinning. “Elisif, cariad, don't worry. I've already made it very clear to the troops we are not here to pillage the place. We're taking it over, disposing of Ulfric and then we're claiming it for our own. For that, I will want it mostly intact so that when the Empire show up and want to know what in the Void's happening, I can trade it in for the Reach and they'll be impressed with what a good boy I've been.”
“You're insane,” Elisif gasped, turning to Delphine in the hope of some sanity coming from her. “Delphine, he's gone mad, that can't possibly work!”
“He's a little crazy but sometimes that's what you need,” said Delphine crisply. “He's also very bright and perceptive and it was him who told me he was worried about you. He seemed to think you missed Torygg so much, you secretly wanted to go to Sovngarde and join him and might decide to throw your life away in some misguided act of heroism.”
Raised eyebrow and a knowing look from Delphine, and Elisif felt herself blushing as she realised she'd been planning to do that very thing – not because she necessarily wanted to, but because she'd felt trapped in a corner.
Except the walls she'd been backed into had turned out to have a secret door in them. Slowly she finally met Madanach's eyes and saw him smiling gently at her.
“Well, machara, what do you say?” Madanach said softly, thumb gently running over her cheekbone. “Take the city with us, avenge your husband, bring the war to a grinding halt then go back to Balgruuf with Ulfric's severed head in hand and tell him you've sorted the Stormcloak problem out, and go to Sovngarde without dying, hmm?”
Elisif really wasn't sure what was wrong with her, because she was going to cry, she could feel the tears welling up, and honestly, it was all just so unexpected. Argis must have known when he brought her here, had to have been sent to keep an eye on her and bring her along when all was ready, and even though she could have hit him for keeping this secret, she was still touched. Maybe Madanach was mostly doing this for his own reasons, and gods knew what Delphine's motives were, but it meant she didn't have to die. She had a chance at surviving all this. Part of her felt like she was betraying Torygg for not wanting to join him yet, and it wasn't that at all, she missed him so much and always would... but for the first time in a long time, she realised she didn't want to die.
“Elisif?” Madanach was saying, sounding a bit guilty. “Elisif, cariad, don't cry, please.” He was wiping a tear away from her cheek, looking a bit horrified and Elisif guessed he didn't deal with crying women very often.
“I'm sorry,” Elisif whispered. “I just... you'd really go to all this trouble for me?”
“Oh believe me, my people and I are always ready to terrorise some Nords, don't worry about that,” Madanach laughed. “But if it stops you killing yourself, then that's a good thing indeed. Come on, you're one of the few Nords I've actually got time for, you can't die. I'd miss you.”
Elisif didn't think she'd ever see the King of the Forsworn pouting at her, or indeed anyone. But it did bring a smile to her face.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much!” She hugged him, hearing him gasp then put his arms around her, whispering she was quite welcome.
“Did you two want some time alone?” Delphine was looking very amused at the pair of them, and for some reason, Elisif found herself blushing. She let Madanach go, putting some space between the two of them.
“So this uprising then,” Elisif said firmly, deciding the time had definitely come to start doing the queenly thing and finding out what exactly her allies had been up to without her. “What have you planned and where do I fit in?”