King-Fall

II. Meridia's Curse

Why had I told that mercenary to touch the pillar? Before that time I was always cautious about the lives of my companions; especially Serana. Nords, even the Legion, would argue that she isn't worthy of the air she breathes.

"My liege." A distant voice called.

I never murdered anyone but her. Was her body still there? Divines, what kind of monster am I? I can't even remember her name! The voice called louder,

"My liege! Are you alright?" Finnian my new court wizard asked.

I shook off my thoughts, "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

We were walking to a war meeting to discuss a wide variety of law enforcement such as counter-crime patrols and naval strategies against pirates. Finnian was right next to me as I walked and he usually overlooked the tutelage of my son.

"You know..." Finnian leaned in and whispered, "stimulating the mind with other activities might help with War-Shock."

My eye twitched, and I bit out, "Concern noted. Now as you were saying?"

"Your son is getting quite restless. It may be wise to spend some time after the meeting."

I sighed as we turned a corner, our destination now at the end of the hall.

"The talks are supposedly going to last all day."

"They shouldn't take long," Finnian commented as we stopped before the door, "you said the other day that the Empire should be able to handle bandits."

I smirked and set an arm on his shoulder, "That's why the new High King needs his advisers, rookies tend to make mistakes."

I gave him a pat and dismissed him to his other duties and pushed open the wooden double doors. The royal cape I had attached to my Ebony Mail followed me as my greaves clomped towards the stone decagon-shaped stratagem table. The generals rose to their feet and I blinked at a familiar face.

The tentacles coming out of the elf's back weren't there before. I closed my eyes and opened it just as the generals gave me a salutary fist to their chests and the vision of the woman I killed was gone. I mumbled under my breath,

"Shake not thine gory locks at me. 'Twas thou that dids't it."

"Excuse me, High King?" Someone asked, not having heard me.

"Oh," I lied, "I was just reminding myself of something that needed doing later." I snapped to the door guards, "Have a servant set on wine." I smiled towards my commanders, "Let's get started with a general report."

The hours went by, discussing the management of the kingdom. I grew exhausted somewhat but just before I had dinner catered to us something much like a fruit splattered on the balcony's stained windows. I stood up from my seat and another food of some kind bounced off my window. I didn't answer the general's queries as to why I went to the balcony wordlessly; the raving priest below answered that. His shouts wafted up to us on the wind outside the Blue Palace once I opened the doors to the balcony and stepped out.

"Do you not care?!" He screamed at everyone while struggling against the guards, "Is all that you care about is happiness?! And not the means thereof?!"

"My liege-" a general said but I shushed him.

"Guards! Cease and desist!" After sharing a glance at the priest they let go of him.

"Man of the Cloth, wherefore have you come?"

He was crazy enough to pick his burlap sack back up and keep throwing.

"Meridia sends regards! You unclean liar!"

A tomato splattered on my railing and droplets of juice got on my face. I wiped my face in disbelief and contained my rage. My diplomacy waning I yelled to him,

"Priest of Meridia! You test my magnanimity! Does Meridia have a message for me?! If not begone."

"High King," a general whispered from behind me, "you know how these pagan beliefs are outlawed in the Empire. This man cannot go unpunished."

I turned on him, barking in a hushed tone, "Do you propose that I make an example of him?!"

"High King!" The priest sneered below and I glowered down on him, "God-son of Akatosh! Do you sleep well at night?! Do your sins haunt your very dreams?! You are cursed, Talion! Cursed-" he threw an apple, "cursed you worthless snake!"

When I caught the apple my diplomacy with this man had long evaporated from the deepest aquifers of my being.

"Guards!" I pointed to them with the apple in hand, "Bring him," pointing on the balcony, "here!"

The day was mockingly bright and the wind blew my hair into my face. While I waited I made a point to crush the apple in my fist.

"You want an example? You shall have one."

As if on cue the guards came in dragging the priest who was now laughing. A crowd started to form at the street below and I wiped the apple chunks off of my hand on the balcony rail. He smiled as he said,

"Hear this infidel! You are destined to die by your son's hand when you least expect it!"

Black shrouded me and the smile he had disappeared. All the generals stiffened in fear. I grabbed him in my fist, twirled him off the floor, and held him off the balcony ledge. The poison effect of my armor slowly burned his skin causing him to let out a scream. Then I spat,

"Hear this, Fus-Ro-Dahhh-!"

His scream was silenced by the unrelenting force of my Thu'um turning him into dust. The only thing that landed on the street full of shocked citizens was the man's robe. A dark elf woman picked up the robe numbly before she keened for the man in the ominous silence. I yelled out,

"You call me High King but lo am I?! These gods and demons some of you serve and fear, can they shout you into dust to be trodden upon the earth?! No, no they can't, now go! Serve your petty gods but remember! I am not your High King; I am your God-King!"

The crowd was eerily silent save for the woman sobbing into the priest's robe.

"All I have to do is give the order and your idols will be melted into currency! You have your gods because I am king! Don't forget it!"

"Y-you monster!" The crying woman screamed into the silence. "You killed my brother!"

Guilt.

Realization.

And revelation.

These feelings and more all smashed into me mercilessly and I lost my appetite from earlier. They are after me, they are coming. The Daedric Princes are after me. The guards tried to restrain the woman and I called out,

"Leave her be. Let her mourn." I leaned on the balcony as the crowd dissolved silently to leave the woman. My general staff were still frozen behind me. Some were as pale as draugrs when I glanced at them and after a sigh I hissed,

"Dismissed."

A/N: While writing this I had an intense Macbeth feeling come over me in case you didn't catch the reference! 😂