Dragonborn Ascendant (18)

A/N: Finally with chapter 18 ready. Enjoy.

-x-X-x-

The Understone Keep was much more lived in later in the morning than it had been when we first arrived. Rather understandable, really, Markarth as a whole felt more alive as the sun approached its apex at noon than when the cold rays started shining at dawnbreak. It still didn’t seem to matter to Igmund who continued to sit on his throne, an expression of utter boredom on his face, plopped on an arm.

When his eyes landed on us - on me - that mood suddenly changed, his face shifting as a scowl started to form with him furrowing his brow.

“What is this?” The Jarl rumbled, eyes getting darker and darker as Lydia and I approached. “I thought I had made myself quite clear, Dragonborn. You are to come back to me only once you’ve brought me the heads of my enemies. Not before.” He bit out.

“I’d think you more than anyone else would know things aren’t so simple, my Jarl,” I started. “Though that’s not to say I come empty handed. Rather than bring your enemies, I can point them out to you, to be dealt with later.”

For a moment, the dark haired Nord’s glare intensified, but his anger simply washed past me like it was nothing. “And?” He grunted. “Tell me, so I can deal with them already.” Demanded the Jarl.

“Madanach is the one that leads the Forsworn,” I told him. “He has agents infiltrated all over the city, maybe even the entire hold, and it’s through them that he acts, considering he is imprisoned down in Cidhna Mine from where he relays his messages.”

“Cidhna Mine?!” The nobleman raised an eyebrow in alarm. His hands grabbed the arms of his throne as his body tensed ready to launch forward. “You don’t mean…?”

“Aye, the Silver-Bloods are involved in all of it,” I nodded, confirming his suspicion. Immediately I saw a change on Igmund’s expression. His face became red as his jaw set and he clenched his teeth; his fingers tried to dig holes in the arms of his throne so hard his knuckles turned white, and he trembled with barely constrained rage. “But I’ve dealt with them… with Thonar. He’ll be coming here some time in the afternoon, after he transfers all of the Silver-Blood family assets to me.”

“What?!” Igmund jumped. “You won’t confiscate that bastard’s properties! If he has acquired them through-”

“I am getting his properties,” I cut the Jarl off, raising my voice for a moment. “That’s final.” I declared, and I watched as the Nord made a face of someone who ate something sour.

I clicked my tongue, shaking my head.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I grunted. “Remember I am the one who is doing all the work here?” I asked. Not giving him the time to answer I continued. “It’s only fair that I reap most of the rewards, after all. Consider this as part of my reward, and you won’t have to bleed gold for the rest of your life in order to pay me.”

It took him more than a second working his jaw, but eventually Igmund swallowed down his greed and anger before quietly nodding. “Very well,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “Have it your way, do as you please. But I expect to have Madanach's head by tomorrow.”

“That can be done.” I nodded, rolling my shoulders. “Lydia.” I signalled my housecarl before spinning on my heels to leave.

The brunette tumbled as she hurried to follow my step, a not quite panicked but still anxious look on her face as her eyes darted from one side to another.

“M-my Thane!” She practically hissed her whispered words. “M-my Thane, p-please!”

“It’s fine, Lydia,” I told the woman, turning to regard her. She looked uncertain, but I caught her face with my hands, forcing her to look at me and stare me in the eyes. “Lydia, I’m telling you, it’s fine.”

“B-but my Thane,” the shield-sister bit her lips, averting her gaze. “We are in Markarth, the heart and seat of the Jarl’s power, and for us to so brazenly challenge his authority…” She mumbled out with a conflicted look.

A sigh escaped my lips. Silly woman.

“Igmund is a cornered man, Lydia,” I started. “He lacks the military or the political power necessary to take him out of this situation, and whichever other lords and rich men that are willing to help wouldn’t waste it in a place such as the Reach.”

“But- what about the mines, my Thane?” The brunette asked. “Wouldn’t they attract people’s attention?”

“They would,” I nodded. “They do. The thing is, Lydia, with the Reach in the state it is today - as in, infested with the Forsworn -, there’s not a single sane man that would risk himself and his resources here. No,” I shook my head, “much better to keep an eye on the Civil War than on the Reach.” A very reasonable thing to do, at the end of the day.

War was a lucrative business, after all. Just the logistics behind it was mind boggling, and a prolonged war like the Stormcloak Rebellion has surely moved a lot of gold. Of course, that’s not to say the situation here on the Reach is not important, and that a resolution to the Forsworn should be achieved as soon as possible, but that in the grand picture, this was merely a secondary event happening in parallel.

“We are the only help he is getting,” I then continued on saying. “Probably the only people with the power to do anything to turn the tides. If we leave him, if he doesn’t acquiesce to our demands, then he knows he’s doomed.”

Lydia went quiet after that, the revelation hitting her. We made it back to the Silver-Blood Inn in silence and practically unbothered, though I still remained alert. I knew Nepos was Madanach's main agent outside of Cidhna Mine, and there was a very real chance that he was aware of the commotion that went down at the Treasury House, which would also mean he knew about me and my snooping around and meddling in his king's business. But, returning to my temporary lodging, Aela's presence by the fire chatting amicably with Margaret made me think he still didn't know yet.

"You sure took your sweet time," the redhead said by way of greeting. "Busy day?"

"You could say that," I answered with a shrug. "How's the movement around here?"

"Quiet, for the most part," Aeka answered after a sip of her mug. "Some new patrons come in, a few others go away, but most everyone stays at the bar. Why? Did you cause trouble?"

I hummed. "No," I said. "But it never hurts to be cautious, does it?"

"I suppose…" the Nord huntress grunted. Then, she turned to the brunette housecarl. “Lydia, dear, did you keep this fool out of trouble?”

Caught off guard, the shield-maiden jolted with surprise. “I, uh,” she blinked, eyeing me for a moment before averting her gaze. “I don’t think I’d be able to stop my Thane even if I wanted to. But, uh, nothing that we couldn’t handle happened?” Said Lydia, throwing me a few hesitant glances that I answered with an approving nod and a smile.

Aela frowned, watching our interaction. "Fine," she huffed, crossing her arms. "Keep your secrets then." The redhead declared, the barest hints of a pout crossing her lips.

Adorable.

The testy growl she sent my way was an even better thing to witness in person, though I had to wipe out the smirk off my face before she tried to hit me. I still chuckled once, earning a bruised rib and another huff in response, before sitting down.

I didn’t think Nepos was aware of my investigation yet, or that Thonar’s assassination failed, though I suppose he must be getting suspicious if his agents haven’t returned to report to him yet; but that didn’t mean I had let my guard low. When we ordered drinks and food I made sure to discreetly cast a few poison detecting spells to make sure nothing was poisoned. While we chatted, I made sure to keep all patrons in the inn inside my peripherals, and when I dragged Aela for a nap - which she didn’t complain at all, surprisingly enough - I placed a pair of runes on the ground behind my door to obliterate whoever tried to so much as budge the door open.

I woke up with a jolt and a knocking on my door.

“I’m not getting up.” Aela immediately grumbled, cracking an eye open when I started to untangle our bodies from one another.

“Alright,” I grunted, feeling my mood a bit sour after the interruption to my rest. “It better be important, or I’ll be very angry.” I grumbled, deactivating the wards for a moment to approach the door. “What is it?”

“Sir Magnus,” Lydia’s voice came muffled from the other side. “Thonar Silver-Blood is here, along with his wife.”

“Oh,” I blinked. Then I opened the door and stepped out of my room to meet the brunette. “Where is him?”

“Right this way, sir.”

I was led to a room on the back. It was bigger and much more furnished than my room, and it made me think this was a place intended to house special guests of the Silver-Blood, or the very rich merchants passing through Markarth. There I found Thonar, still looking somewhat subdued, and his wife who looked none too pleased and a bit nervous, though her eyes did light up when she saw me entering. She didn’t speak a word, however, withholding herself because almost immediately her husband got up and approached me.

“Master,” Thonar started. “I brought you the papers to all Silver-Blood properties.” He said, motioning to a chest on the wall. Then, he picked a collar from his vest, where a key dangled and he gave it to me, alongside a piece of paper. “And this is where the Silver-Blood vault is located, along with the key to open it.”

I smiled sharply.

“That’s excellent, Thonar,” I said. “You did good. More than good. You can go now.”

“Then I’ll live.” He said, voice a bit airy before he stepped past me and exited the room, leaving his wife staring blankly in our direction, shock written all across her face.

“W-what…?”

“Your husband made some poor choices in life,” I told her, startling the woman. “Well, ex-husband now, I suppose. I don’t think he’ll live to see the end of the week.”

“W-what?!” She questioned another time, voice in a higher pitch, eyes frantic as a panicked look crossed her face. “What do you mean Thonar… explain yourself!”

“I told you already, he made some very poor choices, and now the consequences are getting to him,” I answered. Though granted, I was technically robbing him, but that was only semantics. If I told Igmund about Thonar’s involvement in the Forsworn Conspiracy - which I already did - he would have all his goods confiscated anyway.

“A-and why did my Thonar give you everything our family has?” Gulped the blonde looking pale.

“Because he’d rather give a stranger gold than Igmund,” the lie flowed from my tongue smoothly as I faked a careless shrug. “Don’t ask me why. His motives are his own.”

Her eyes lowered. “I see.” The blonde muttered. “P-please, leave me. I… I need some time alone…”

I rolled my eyes, suit yourself, and left.