That's Madness (a Skyrim fanfiction)

Chapter Seven - Thalmor

Mother grounded me. I arrived home late after dark and she was absolutely livid. I was forbidden from going anywhere in Whiterun, let alone leaving it. For a whole week I had to remain either in Breezehome or at Jorrvaskr with her...and then at Jorrvaskr all I had to do was train or slave away for Eorlund at the forge. At some point I had actually sneaked out in order to travel to Markarth to receive my payment from Muiri and I made it back minutes before Lydia woke me up for the next day...and nobody had suspected that I'd ever left.

"You're acting so strange, Maryse," Blaise observes one evening while we're eating dinner at Jorrvaskr. Mother is seated at one end of the table with father and Uncle Farkas, and I'm sat with Blaise, Lucia and Lydia. "You never used to get in so much trouble with mother...I wish you wouldn't. It scares me when she gets angry,"

"I'm sorry," I ruffle his hair. 

"Why though?" Blaise asks. "Why are you being like this?"

"You'll understand when you're older," I say loftily. 

The new recruit, Mariana, is eyeing me thoughtfully. I try to avoid making eye contact with her...she probably knows that I was in Windhelm but she can't prove anything. What was she even doing there? Whelps don't get contracts that often because the Circle are prioritised, usually. 

Lucia is about to make a sarcastic remark to me, when the doors to Jorrvaskr swing open. Everyone looks up, with a mixture of alarm and annoyance (nobody just barges in like that), and then with anxiety when we see three Thalmor justicairs standing there. I hear a fork dropping and I look up to see Mariana with her eyes widened in fear. I look back and forth between the justicairs and Mariana, trying to figure out what's going on. Everyone else in the room is looking at her. 

"Maryse, take Blaise and Lucia downstairs," mother commands.

"I haven't finished my dinner though," Lucia pouts. 

"Let the child stay," the first justicair says. She's a little short for an Altmer and has huge muscles standing out and a battlaxe on her back, which is odd. Most Altmer only use magic...it's incredibly rare to see them with such a heavy weapon. 

"If you have business with us, you may talk to me in my study," mother rises from the table and walks towards the justicairs, Lydia following closely behind her. 

"Is this your watchdog?" the second justicair sneers. He's a lanky Altmer and there's a bow on his back. I glance at Aela, who's studying him curiously. In his quiver he has three Elven arrows and two iron arrows. Only five arrows in total? He didn't come here expecting combat or a fight. That thought makes me relax a little. 

"We don't have any business with you, Harbinger," the female justicair scowls. "You've truly risen in the ranks of the Companions, Dovahkiin. I doubt you even remember us,"

Father stands next to mother and places a hand on her shoulder and Lydia places her hand on her sword. "State your business, elves, and let's get it over with,"

"Are you threatening us?" The female justicair narrows her eyes. 

"Hush, Persephone," the third justicair, the tallest of the lot, snaps. "My name is Ondolemar. It has come to our attention that you, Skylar Whitemane, have committed crimes against the Thalmor-"

"What of it?" mother scoffs. "Are you still bitter that a sixteen-year-old girl was able to break into your Embassy and release some prisoners?"

I sit back, slightly stunned. Our mother broke in to a Thalmor Embassy? Wow. Maybe she's cooler than I thought. 

"Allow me to continue, Harbinger-Dragonborn," Ondolemar says coldly. "However in light of your...heritage...the Madame Ambassador Elenwen has pardoned you,"

"However there's one other thing we do need to do," Persephone smiles nastily. "It's come to our attention that you have been harbouring the wanted fugitive Daenerys Nightbrook,"

"No," mother shakes her head, looking puzzled. "I've never even heard of this girl,"

"She's a small Bosmer with curly golden hair that's sitting at your dining table," Ondolemar points at Mariana. 

My jaw drops open and everyone around us looks shocked. I knew Mariana had given us a fake name...but a fugitive on the run from the Thalmor? I didn't see that one coming. And Daenerys Nightbrook, of all people! She's something of a minor celebrity in Valenwood and I had read about her when I first started learning archery.

"You must be mistaken. Her name is Mariana Aldertree and-"

"And she's been lying to you. I grew up alongside this girl, I would know her face anywhere," Ondolemar snaps.

"So you're betraying her," Lucia tries to say quietly, but Ondolemar overhears her. 

"You will learn to hold your tongue when in the presence of your betters," he turns to face her menacingly. Instinctively, I pull out my daggers but Lydia is three steps ahead of me and has pinned Ondolemar down against the table. 

Which wasn't the smartest of moves. The other male justicair has an arrow aimed straight at Lydia's head, mother has her Stalhrim axe at his throat and Persephone as her battlaxe at the ready. 

"Stop! Stop!" Mariana/Daenerys stands up. "Stop it! You're scaring her!" she isn't wrong, there's tears going down Lucia's face. Anger boils inside of me. How dare they make my little sister cry. "I'll go with you. Just don't hurt anyone here!" 

Lydia lets go of Ondolemar and sheathes her sword. The other male justicair lowers his bow and mother and Persephone both sheathe their weapons. 

"May this serve as a reminder to all of you of the power and superiority of the Thalmor. The Dominion is watching over all of you," Ondolemar binds Daenery's wrists. Persephone takes the bow and quiver from her and the male justicair takes her daggers. We all watch in silence and horror as they lead her out of Jorrvaskr.

***

"There's nothing we can do, Vilkas," I hear mother saying to father. They came back with me, Lydia, Blaise and Lucia, mostly to comfort the poor girl. I think we're all a bit shaken up, but Lucia was still crying when we tucked her into bed. I've never seen her cry like this before. Not even when she was a baby or when she first tried to pick up a greatsword and dropped it on her foot. 

"I'm not sleeping at Jorrvaskr tonight," father says. "I'm staying here with my children,"

"Yes," mother nods her head. "As am I,"

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do for the girl?" I hear Lydia ask. 

"Positive. I know my grandmother. When I talked to her about our manner of being related she didn't want anything to do with it. Thalmor bitch. I can't believe her blood runs through Maryse's veins...I'm so glad she's nothing like Elenwen,"

I nearly fall off my bed in shock. The Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim is my...great-grandmother? Dear gods, my life couldn't get anymore strange. 

I need to get back to the Sanctuary. But there's no way I can do it without raising suspicion and if I don't then Astrid will be after me...and quite possibly my family too. Suddenly, I can only see one way of getting around this. I'll have to run away tonight. The thought makes me feel sick and scared. Can I really bring myself to leave everything behind for a miserable cave in Falkreath?

But, then again, can I really bring myself to live out a life in Whiterun where all I do is train at Jorrvaskr and go out and do 'honourable' things?

I know which life I'd rather have. 

A/N:

This chapter is a little shorter than usual but I really needed to get Maryse away from  Whiterun as soon as possible so we can move on to the main part of the story - Maryse's time with the Dark Brotherhood!

I'm so excited for this story, and the one that follows it. I know I keep saying this, but there are big things coming up!