For All of Skyrim

Chapter 6: Mathis

So they have heard of me, good. Mathis thought with some earned pride. He'd spent hours scrubbing his nails of dirt and blood, and even put on a ridiculous doublet that a high elf woman who owned a stuffy shop in town begged him to wear when she found out he was going to the Blue Palace. He was desperate to make a good first impression with the Jarl, so he agreed to the outfit without much thought. He trusted anyone else's opinion of clothes over his own, and again, he was desperate. He regretted his desperation the moment he put the wretched thing on though. He knew he looked like a fool, but at this point it didn't matter. He finally made it to Solitude and he finally stood before Elisif the Fair. She was truly beautiful. So much so that his usual confidence was shaken. He had seen the Jarl looking out at her city from her balcony just as he arrived. He had felt her stare, he couldn't say how, but since he met her gaze in that moment, he felt nervous. It was a new feeling for him, and he was sure he didn't like it. 

Her brilliant blue eyes searched his, looking for what, he wasn't sure. Danger perhaps? He supposed he couldn't blame her for that. His only reputation was slaughtering dragons and absorbing their souls, a talent new to even himself. As a dark elf, he wasn't a stranger to people assuming the worst in him though, his unusual size not at all helping with that perception. He looked down at the court steward, Falk Firebeard, who was still gripping Mathis' shirt and glaring back at him with unbridled hate. He supposed he earned that look, he had the habit of speaking before thinking. Not that he regretted it too much.

"Let him through Falk, it's alright." Said Elisif though still clearly wary of Mathis. Falk reluctantly released him but not before hissing to him under his breath, "If you try anything, if you so much as look at her wrong, I will kill you, I don't care who you are." Mathis could tell he meant it, but against his better judgment he leaned in close to the steward and whispered back, "So the dog barks." And stepped around him before Falk could react.

"Why have you come Mathis Stryde?" Elisif asked sitting up a little straighter as he approached her throne. Mathis had to admit, he liked his name coming out of her mouth, and he felt it was rather nice not to just be referred to as the Dragonborn.

"Jarl Elisif, it is an honor to stand before you," he cleared his throat wondering if he sounded as out of place as he looked, "I have come to request your presence at a peace treaty meeting at High Horothgar." Courtiers began to whisper and mutter to one another at his words. Elisif frowned and her brows furrowed. He knew this wouldn't be easy.

"You see, in order to stop the dragons I need to capture one in Whiterun. They have a trap there, and Jarl Bulgruf agreed to help me only if I could get you and-" he hesitated choosing his words carefully, "Jarl Ulfric, to come to a temporary truce." It sounded crazy, he could tell everyone in the room thought so too. Here he was, a rambling man asking a woman to meet face to face with the man who killed her husband, so he could capture a dragon. He had to do this though. This was his purpose, to stop Alduin, and this was the only way. 

"Everyone other than my advisors please leave the room." Elisif commanded suddenly. The noble ladies and noblemen exchanged disappointed looks and shuffled out, each one gawking openly at the Dragonborn as they passed him. Mathis didn't look away from the Jarl though, and even though he could be slow to read people it wasn't hard to tell that Elisif was livid. Well fuck. He thought, and just as he did, a button flew off his shirt and hit Falk square in the eye.