Daughter to Dragons- a Skyrim inspired fantasy

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

I fell into my usual seat with ease at the war table. Mikald took his father's place and the others fell in line. Rhythe and Vulfa too joined us at the table at my beckoning.

"His health is deteriorating quickly," Mikald said as he scratched at his beard. "And the healers are doing little to stop it." He threw the words at Onmund, the appointed court wizard of Windhelm.

Onmund sighed and shook his head. "We are doing everything we can, I assure you. But sometimes there is nothing more that can be done."

"You speak of your king!"

"I speak of a mortal man, Mikald. You know this."

Mikald slammed his fists on the table, rattling the sturdy oak. "And you will not reconsider, Serana?"

The ancient vampire shook her head. "I most definitely will not. My immortality was forced upon me. I will not force it upon a man such as your father. He believes he will go to Sovngarde in his death and the right to deny him this does not belong to any of us."

The news was unfortunate, but Serana's position was favorable. Perhaps the years apart had tempered us both, made us more moderate. "The Arcane University of the Imperial City had little on the matter. Nothing that the college hadn't already told us."

"Please tell us that your three years were not a complete waste then," Serana said flatly.

"They were not," I replied coolly. I could not allow her to rile this meeting up into a frenzy. I needed to turn the conversation elsewhere. "I saw the Redguards in the great hall. What are they doing here?"

"They are ambassadors from Hammerfell," Mikald said. "It is well-known of the Redguards hatred of the Thalmor and the Aldmeri Dominion and they are finally seeing the potential in an alliance with the only other free nation in Tamriel."

"What of High Rock and Orsinium? Their land mass are cut off by both Skyrim and Hammerfell blocking them from Cyrodiil."

"They are unwary of choosing sides at the moment. They know how much of a threat the Thalmor pose. They nearly destroyed the entire empire during the Great War."

"Then they still believe the empire to be their only hope. But they haven't seen the unrest infiltrating even the Imperial City like I have. The empire is falling apart at its seams and the Thalmor are already using that to their advantage."

"Then perhaps now is the last opportune time to consider rejoining with the empire," Serana said coldly.

My head snapped to her. Even now, after three years, she was still the fool. "Rejoin the empire?" I scoffed. "Do you not remember what we had to do to win our freedom? Or do you just not care? After all, what's a little bloodshed to a vampire?"

Serana leaped from her seat, her eyes aflame. "Even after travelling to Cyrodiil you can't see that a fully united empire is the only thing that could stop the Thalmor? You know that we can't face the Dominion alone. Not even Hammerfell or High Rock or whoever else you want to ally yourself with will not be enough!"

"No," I said, staying in my seat. Beside of me, I saw Rhythe's hand sat close to one of his hidden daggers. "I have walked the lands of the empire. I have seen how weak they are. We don't need them. They need us."

"Ladies," Mikald said, his voice commanding attention. "This arguing is getting us nowhere. Just as it did three years ago. Amelsa," he turned to me, "I believe it is time that you tell us everything that happened between the day you left and now."