“Liriel's managed to make quite a life for herself out here,” Elenwen said, still sounding quite casual under the circumstances. Sabrinda put her drink down, bravado flickering out.
“How bad is it?” Sabrinda said softly. “Look, I know she broke the terms of her exit visa, I know that, but we can come to an arrangement, surely?”
“If that were all, I'd be quite happy to deliver an official chastisement and issue an exorbitant fee for a visa extension,” Elenwen said, waving her hand dismissively. “But it's worse than that. She managed to get an invitation to one of my parties – I have no idea how, and no idea it was her at first although I did wonder... Anyway, she turned up, left without warning, and hours later, I find someone has killed the Third Emissary, four guards and a human informant, and liberated two Thalmor prisoners, miscellaneous valuables and some top secret dossiers. No proof it was Liriel, but she's a suspect. I'd bring her in for questioning, but she's just too high-profile. She's Thane, that's some sort of noble title round here, in nearly all the Holds in Skyrim. The Jarls love her. The people love her. They tell stories of her helping the innocent, slaughtering dragons, saving lives and never mind the mysterious petty thieving outbreaks and occasional murders that seem to happen when she's in town. Then there's the interfering in politics – instrumental in two different peace treaties and ending the war. Not to mention the Winterhold Incident – the last Thalmor Advisor we had there died in mysterious circumstances, along with Archmage Aren, they put your daughter in his place, and the College has now decided it doesn't need any Thalmor assistance due to Liriel's own Aldmeri links. Her Aldmeri links! Thanks to her, Thalmor interests throughout the region are in jeopardy! The Dominion does not benefit from stable, independent human kingdoms! The Empire's never been more united, and that new Emperor, Amaund the First of House Motierre, seems to think there's no problem. What does it matter if a few barbarians still worship Talos, is his opinion, and that as long as educated people continue to follow the true Eight, all will one day follow. One day!”
Altmer had a more relaxed attitude to time than humans given their longevity, but they were still painfully mortal, and Sabrinda had buried her own parents only a decade before. She knew what was at stake. As long as mortals believed in Talos, as long as they lived free, as long as Mundus was filled with these shortlived lesser creatures, the whole plane was severed from the Aedra and the Altmer were stuck here, living and dying themselves when they should be immortal. All Altmer knew it, or should know it, and all Thalmor believed it. Sabrinda had done her best to bring up her children to believe it too, although Ancalime was a little young to know the exact details of what purifying Mundus would involve. But Liriel knew, had to know. Yet here she was, not only derailing Thalmor plans but fraternising with humans! Robbing her own country's Embassy if rumour was to be believed.
“None of this is unrecoverable from, is it?” Sabrinda said nervously. “If you let me talk to her, I can take her home maybe, keep her safe in Alinor and away from politics. She never cared about them before, it was all magic and lore with her.”
“Perhaps if you had given her a better understanding of politics, she might not be meddling now,” Elenwen said tersely, glaring at Sabrinda as if it were all her fault. “As it is, she's not been universally unhelpful. She's been of assistance with the dragons at least. And all of that we might have been able to overlook – but it's worse than that. Sabrinda, I'm so sorry. I'm afraid... I'm afraid your daughter got married at the end of last year. She lives with him in Markarth, along with the rest of his household, his daughter from his first marriage and her husband, and the two children Liriel and he are raising.”
Sabrinda reached for the brandy and downed an entire shot, feeling the room start to spin.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Re: Thicker Than Blood 1.4
Date: 2014-01-20 09:30 pm (UTC)“How bad is it?” Sabrinda said softly. “Look, I know she broke the terms of her exit visa, I know that, but we can come to an arrangement, surely?”
“If that were all, I'd be quite happy to deliver an official chastisement and issue an exorbitant fee for a visa extension,” Elenwen said, waving her hand dismissively. “But it's worse than that. She managed to get an invitation to one of my parties – I have no idea how, and no idea it was her at first although I did wonder... Anyway, she turned up, left without warning, and hours later, I find someone has killed the Third Emissary, four guards and a human informant, and liberated two Thalmor prisoners, miscellaneous valuables and some top secret dossiers. No proof it was Liriel, but she's a suspect. I'd bring her in for questioning, but she's just too high-profile. She's Thane, that's some sort of noble title round here, in nearly all the Holds in Skyrim. The Jarls love her. The people love her. They tell stories of her helping the innocent, slaughtering dragons, saving lives and never mind the mysterious petty thieving outbreaks and occasional murders that seem to happen when she's in town. Then there's the interfering in politics – instrumental in two different peace treaties and ending the war. Not to mention the Winterhold Incident – the last Thalmor Advisor we had there died in mysterious circumstances, along with Archmage Aren, they put your daughter in his place, and the College has now decided it doesn't need any Thalmor assistance due to Liriel's own Aldmeri links. Her Aldmeri links! Thanks to her, Thalmor interests throughout the region are in jeopardy! The Dominion does not benefit from stable, independent human kingdoms! The Empire's never been more united, and that new Emperor, Amaund the First of House Motierre, seems to think there's no problem. What does it matter if a few barbarians still worship Talos, is his opinion, and that as long as educated people continue to follow the true Eight, all will one day follow. One day!”
Altmer had a more relaxed attitude to time than humans given their longevity, but they were still painfully mortal, and Sabrinda had buried her own parents only a decade before. She knew what was at stake. As long as mortals believed in Talos, as long as they lived free, as long as Mundus was filled with these shortlived lesser creatures, the whole plane was severed from the Aedra and the Altmer were stuck here, living and dying themselves when they should be immortal. All Altmer knew it, or should know it, and all Thalmor believed it. Sabrinda had done her best to bring up her children to believe it too, although Ancalime was a little young to know the exact details of what purifying Mundus would involve. But Liriel knew, had to know. Yet here she was, not only derailing Thalmor plans but fraternising with humans! Robbing her own country's Embassy if rumour was to be believed.
“None of this is unrecoverable from, is it?” Sabrinda said nervously. “If you let me talk to her, I can take her home maybe, keep her safe in Alinor and away from politics. She never cared about them before, it was all magic and lore with her.”
“Perhaps if you had given her a better understanding of politics, she might not be meddling now,” Elenwen said tersely, glaring at Sabrinda as if it were all her fault. “As it is, she's not been universally unhelpful. She's been of assistance with the dragons at least. And all of that we might have been able to overlook – but it's worse than that. Sabrinda, I'm so sorry. I'm afraid... I'm afraid your daughter got married at the end of last year. She lives with him in Markarth, along with the rest of his household, his daughter from his first marriage and her husband, and the two children Liriel and he are raising.”
Sabrinda reached for the brandy and downed an entire shot, feeling the room start to spin.