Beyond the Pale

Out of the Frying Pan...

It was looking as if Castorius' execution hadn't been called off after all, merely postponed. The only real difference was that the High King Torygg had decided to relegate the honors of the deed to Ulfric and his Stormcloaks.

Castorius had simply stared at the High King, as the plan had unfolded in front of his increasingly perturbed eyes. And here was the gist: Castorius was to be a spy.

A mother-buggering spy!

It was Torygg's rationale that since Castorius was supposedly on good terms with the leader of the Stormcloaks, and since he evidently had a glib tongue on him, he'd have no trouble explaining to the man that he had, with the help of his connections, managed to just barely escape from his execution, and was now looking to join Ulfric in his quest to liberate the province from its "corrupt and unjust rule".

The extra incentive for Ulfric to accept him was his supposed ability to provide the Stormcloaks with inside information about the workings of the Imperial army, and so help them to defeat it.

In reality, or course, it was Castorius' job to gain Ulfric's trust, and to provide Torygg with any information on the Stormcloaks' operation he could gather. He was supposed to get as close to Ulfric as possible, so he could get his hands on the really vital information.

More than anything, Torygg confided, he was looking for a way to constrain Ulfric's rebellion, to steal its wind before it got started blowing in earnest; before any lives got unnecessarily wasted. As he'd said that, Castorius thought it was the most sincere the High King had been that whole time. It was at that moment his stern exterior had appeared to crack, and to reveal the true man within. Right then he'd looked almost as young as he actually was.

The moment passed quickly, however, and the stone-faced regent returned, staring at Castorius with his hard blue eyes. "Well, have you naught to say?"

What was he expecting to hear? You're insane! Castorius thought. I'll never agree to your mad plan, it would be tantamount to flinging myself off the cliffs of the Blue Palace!

Probably, though, that would have been incorrect. Ulfric was unlikely to give him such an easy death—he was undoubtedly going to have Castorius interrogated first. But even if he did—and he would—spill out any lies they wanted before the beatings could start in earnest, that would probably not avail him any. If confessions you beat out of your prisoners were untrustworthy by definition, it was doubly true about those given before you even got to it. So best to beat them anyway.

Castorius was no friend of pain.

He cleared his throat, arranging his thoughts carefully in his mind before speaking. "With all due respect, Your Highness, Ulfric is not a stupid man. If I simply walk to him, he's going to suspect something."

Torygg stood up straighter on his throne, the expression on his face getting even harder. "And do you take me for a stupid man?" he asked.

"No, your highness," Castorius hastened to reply. "No, of course not."

The regent nodded. "You'd better not," he said. "I don't think I need to remind you your life still hangs by a very thin thread. The end of which I hold." He made an odd gesture, then, with the fingers of his right hand pinched together, as if holding the end of the mentioned thread. Once he'd concluded this bizarre pantomime, he continued. "No, I'm not a stupid man," he said. "Do you honestly think that I would send you to Ulfric not thinking he will suspect something?"

Castorius tried to make sense of that.

"Of course he will!" Torygg spat."In fact, I'm counting on it."

The only thing Castorius understood was that he did not at all like where this was going.

Torygg twisted his lips into a sardonic smile. "He will be suspicious, alright," he said. "For in addition to not being stupid, neither is he a fool. He will suspect but not act on it, not immediately. He will want to see what my angle is."

Forgetting himself, Castorius blurted, "What is your angle?"

At that, the smile, as unfriendly as it had been, was wiped off of the High King's face. He said nothing, simply repeated his earlier silly gesture, giving Castorius a very significant look. It spoke more than any words ever could have, and Castorius' mouth snapped shut.

"I'll hear no more of this," Torygg then said with a wave of hand. "I've made my offer, and should you decline it, it will be back to the dungeons with you." He leaned forward with a cruel gleam in his eyes and a loathing quirk to his mouth. "I trust you realize that no-one is going to ask for you?"

Castorius had to swallow. His eyes flicked to Sybille who was staring at him with her cold smile.

Well, perhaps not 'no-one'.

Castorius nodded his head repeatedly as a sing of acquiesce. "You don't give me much of a choice, Your Highness."

The King smiled. "I'm glad that realization finally dawned on you." He stood up. "Falk here will provide your with the necessary information. I trust you'll be glad to hear I'm giving you free hands to best decide how to convince Ulfric." He looked at Castorius mockingly, said, "I'm sure this one thing I can trust you with," then stepped off the dais, and started walking towards his chambers.

Well, at least he didn't seem to dismiss Castorius entirely—for what ever it was worth.

"Your Highness," Castorius called after the retreating regent. "How will I be able to walk the streets of Solitude unnoticed? Surely people will wonder why I'm at large again."

Torygg had explained it all, how there never had been any Stormcloak attack. It had been a decoy to get Castorius away from his execution—which itself, he was starting to doubt, had been but mummery. They'd still be surprised to see Castorius unshackled, however, with his head still firmly propped atop his shoulders.

The High King turned back to regard him with contempt, and snorted. "Do you think anyone cares?" he asked. "You will find that nobody will even recognize you. That's just how people are." He continued walking. "No, as far as they are concerned, you are already dead."

As Castorius looked after the retreating Torygg, he though, Maybe they are correct to think so.

He turned, and was startled to find Sybille standing right next to him. Amused, the court wizard flashed her teeth. "So, you're a free man," she said.

"Such as it is," mumbled Castorius.

"It's a shame you and I didn't have a change to get to know each other better," Sybille said in her slow, serpentine way, looking him from head to toe. "You strike me as a man of good... taste" She flicked her tongue across her upper lip.

For a while, Castorius could do nothing but stare at her. "Yes, w-well," he said. "Perhaps some other time."

Now, why would you go and say something like that!

"Yes," Sybille smiled. "Perhaps." She gently stroked Castorius' cheek with the back of her hand, winked, and then quite unhurriedly walked after the High King.

Castorius made no attempt to hold back a shudder that time.

Now that he thought of it, whatever it was that awaited him at the hands of Ulfric, he was happy to get away from Solitude.