Skyrim One-Shots

Ancano x Reader ~Spells of Old~

Tired was an extreme underestimate to how you currently felt as you entered the Hall of Elements, the staff of Magnus in hand.

Eyes scanning the room, you found neither of the people you'd been looking for.

Originally, you'd been looking for Mirabelle or Savos, being they basically ran the College of Winterhold, but you hadn't yet seen them. Granted, it was the thick of night, but your exhausted brain hadn't yet brought that into consideration.

Groaning quietly, you muttered a faint string of profanities that blurred together in your fatigue.

Your mage robes were stained and torn, bags hanging under your eyes, and your hair barely contained with a leather strap. The Labyrinthian had taken you days to navigate through, and you weren't ever near safe enough to ever get more than an hour of sleep before you were awoken by an enemy nearby or slapped to conciousness by a gruesome nightmare.

That combined with how limited food you and the amount of magic you had used managed your current state: no better than a re-incarnated zombie.

"You. Where have you been?" a hiss cut through your haze, and your eyes met that of the Thalmor official, Ancano. You didn't answer, ignoring the 'advisor'.

How all of the college despised him, including you. He'd come uninvited, acted snobbily, and picked at every little private matter between the apprentices; you all treated him as such.

A sharp glare emitted from you, a warning for the High Elf to both keep his distance and not fuck with things he shouldn't. Say, the huge, dangerous blue ball in the middle of the hall that he'd been so interested with ever since it was moved from Saarthal.

His hood was down, and you could tell he too hadn't gotten sleep recently even though you both were quite far from each other. Weren't Altmer always so picky about their health and looks they couldn't afford an hour less of beauty sleep?

The Thalmor member started to approach you, face unusually bare of a sneer. You didn't care what he was going to lecture you about, and like normal, his warnings and threats would be responded by a bland, bored stare known to you so well.

He stopped right in front of you, and you tilted your head up to at least act attentive to what he was surely about to say.

Sure, he was an egotistical twat, but that didn't mean he deserved to be respected for his magical capabilities. That was the only thing he had going for him, no matter how well-sculpted his face was and flawless his skin seemed, looks meant nothing.

You had seen some things as you slept. Dreams that most certainly too realistic to be a lie.

Ancano's past was dark, traumatizing for him. You had watched it happen. That was why you couldn't ever sleep well.

Spells had been revealed to you, ones that could change the outcome of your friends' lives.

Dark, disgusting spells that had been forgotten hundreds of years ago.

You had to be careful.

"Enlighten me," he started darkly, his words a promise to pain if not answered to his desire. They didn't affect you like the other apprentices, his voice had never scared or intimidated you, and he sure as Talos's arse didn't like it. "As to why you were gone for 6 full days."

You raised a brow, accepting his unspoken challenge as your eyes bore into his with masterful indifference. "Personal leave." you shrugged.

"To get the staff of Magnus? I am doubtful," Ancano's blazing blue eyes narrowed as a scowl grew on his lips.

Your frame barely reached his chin, and he was glaring down at you like you were dog shit on his shoe.

Oh, how that look would change.

"You won't ever get it." you taunted, "Not unless you leave that ball of death alone and go on the run from the Thalmor. Don't think I haven't noticed you haven't put in a report for months, Ancano. You're playing a dangerous game, dancing between two worlds."

The elf stiffened, "You know nothing." he muttered, that all too cocky look long gone.

This was getting serious, and he wasn't liking it.

You grinned, just barely inching closer to his face, a sinfully inviting thing to him. "I think I know more than you are comfortable with. I could tell, send a letter to Elenwen and get you demoted and tortured. Now, I think you'd best be careful with the words you use, Altmer. You've never failed before, never hesitated to do all it takes, killed that little girl even, didn't you? What will her highness think?"

"You-you read my file-" he choked out, failing to cover his dread and utter terror before you tsked, raising a slender finger to tap his jaw teasingly, quieting him.

"So long as you listen to me, do as I ask, no one will ever know." you offered, voice soft and reassuring while you drew your finger back. His breathing was labored, a telltale sign that he had was trying to ignore the flashbacks of the horrors he'd committed.

"I-"

"No, say it," you commanded, leaving no room for argument. "This is a deal that will last you until my death, understand?"

His gaze hardened and seemed to get some sort of hold on himself. "Surely you don't-"

You quickly grabbed his hand, a spell cast in yours that sent a shiver down his spine.

How you'd known the master will spell, he didn't know and didn't want to find out.

"A bonding spell," he breathed.

No doubt he was fucking terrified right now of you right now because you were scaring yourself at this point. You only meant to blackmail him to stop- not to do this unforgivable, unbreakable and awful thing, but you couldn't stop.

You always knew you had a fierce desire to protect your friends, but you never thought you would go this far just to ensure their safety.

"You will be treated well, Ancano. There were be times you forget this happened, I promise. I will not be like the books tell." you murmured, eyes firm on his.

He was fucking horrified.

"I will not do it without your word, Ancano."

"I... I accept." he pushed out.

"I vow never to harm or break, my mission to heal and protect," you murmured, "Bound to the terms, let the fire ignite."

The master-level spell in your hand activated instantly at the words, a flash of white light blocking your vision while you could just barely pick out the pained wheezes coming from the High Elf next to you. A swift burst of pain exploded from deep within your chest, and then your eyes whipped open to catch Ancano despite your searing and stabbing pain, who had passed out. The staff you held clambered to the ground, echoing in the cold stone hall.

You let out a few uneven breaths of air, suddenly not as tired as you once were as your heart raced, the elf in your arms making your muscles yelp.

Fuck.

The hell had you just done?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was free-form, and I didn't even have an actual idea, I just wrote.

Ps, if you got confused, what happened was you casted a binding spell on Ancano so he couldn't hurt any of the college members. During your time finding the staff of Magnus, anytime you slept you'd get visions of either Ancano's past, spells, and their effects, or possible future events. You learned the 'master will' spell in once such occurrence, and didn't mean to use it. However, it wasn't the desire to protect your friends that made you do it. And I say no more because if we a do a part 2, I shouldn't spoil anything.

Fancy a part 2?

Other requests?

Dani off,

Adieu!