CHAPTER ONE

The goblins were rushing in through the barn door, but they had no clue I was sitting up above on a rickety plank, ready to jump down and slay the evil beasts.

With my trusty spear in hand I dove down from above and struck one of the monstrous creatures to the floor. The others shrieked loudly as they charged me, but it was of no use. My skills in battle were envied by all and matched by no one.

One by one I sliced my way through the goblin horde until only the chieftain stood before me. He held his magical battle axe in hand with a furious expression, but I knew his intimidating stature was unreal. He was truly afraid of me and wanted nothing more than to run back to his smelly cave, but alas I was guarding the only exit out of my barn.

Slowly I walked towards the monster and as I inched closer and closer I began to see the sweat dripping from the chieftain’s face. His hands that were clutched tightly around the axe were shaking wildly. He stood no chance.

“Lukas, have you finished cleaning the barn yet? Supper is almost ready!”

At the sounds of my mothers shrill voice the battle ended and suddenly I was unfortunately sucked back into boring reality.

“Not yet mother, give me another ten minutes or so…”

I quickly took the broom I was holding and started sweeping the floor because I knew it was only a matter of seconds until my mother came to see what the matter was. She told me to clean the place an hour ago but of course like usual I had dazed off into my own fantasy land.

“LUKAS! Will you please clean things up quickly? Supper is just a few minutes from being ready and you’ve barely even started! What have you been doing in here all this time?”

Sure enough she entered the barn with the same stern expression she gave me every time I angered her, which seemed to be often.

“I was fightin’ the goblins mama, I had to protect our barn from the enemy,” I said with a sly smile about me.

My mother hated it when I pretended to be a knight or a warrior, or whatever... For some odd reason she becomes very infuriated whenever I did so.

“Lukas, you’re fifteen years old! When are you going to grow up?” She said with her arms folding firmly across her chest.

“Fine, fine, I’ll clean the barn, it shouldn’t take too long!”

“The next time I catch your mind wandering about when you’re supposed to be doing chores you’ll get a whipping you’ve never imagined before.”

I simply rolled my eyes as she walked away. But of course she wasn’t yet finished with her tirade. “And stop pretending my broom is some kind of weapon!”

“I can’t help it mama, I’m gonna be a knight some day!” I chuckled back.

She grunted loudly and finally ended the argument with a threat I’ve heard millions of times before, “You break my broom and I’ll break your legs!”

I always laughed loudly at that one, for my mother wasn’t abusive as some kids’ mothers were. She would never lay a finger on me, besides my constant spankings of course.

Come to think of it, I’d hate to see what she would do if someone ever did laid their hands on me. It sure wouldn’t be pretty, I know that for sure. My mom is extremely protective of me.

I think that’s why I am home-schooled. She probably doesn’t want to even think about me being whipped by the school’s headmaster, which I am almost positive would be a daily activity. She’d rather do that herself…

Two hours later I finished sweeping the floors and bundling all the hay. It took me longer than I expected and mother wasn’t too thrilled about the delay.

“Sorry mama, it took me a bit long than I thought it would. Mama…?”

I yelled a bit more but was never given a response. My immediate answer to the silence was that she was most likely outside watering our garden and picking any already ripe vegetables.

So I threw off my work clothes and bundled into a pair of comfortable pants and an unbuttoned shirt. I went into the kitchen to see two plates resting on the table. One was full of cold food and the other was almost entirely eaten.

I walked over to the front door and poked my head out to see where mother was. I saw her standing just a few feet away from the porch. That’s when I saw two men in shiny silver armor standing next to her.

I walked outside to greet the men and I noticed she was sobbing.

“Who are these people mama, and why are you crying?”

Without giving me an answer she threw her arms around me and began to cry even more than before.

“Mama, what’s wrong?”

One of the men in armor spoke up with a deep and serious voice.

“Son, follow us into your house. There are some matters that need to be discussed.”

I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. My mom took me by the hand and led me and the other two men into the house, where we all sat down at the kitchen table after she cleaned it.

“Lukas, do you have any idea who your father was?”

“Umm…no sir, I do not. Mama told me he passed away when I was still a baby.”

The man looked over to mother and she started crying again, this time thankfully a little quieter than before. I hated seeing her cry; it pained me more than anything else.

“You father was Martin Septim, son of Uriel Septim. Do you know who any of those two men are?” The man asked with a sterner tone.

“No sir, I’ve never heard the names before,” I said sheepishly.

Again the man looked over to my mother, this time with sheer anger. I was almost afraid he was going to yell at her but he turned his attention back to me.

“Your father and grandfather were rulers of the Empire Lukas. Surely you’ve of the Empire, haven’t you?”

I nodded. Who didn’t know about the Empire? Even we, on this small island hundreds of miles from anyone else, know about them. But was this man serious about my father, and apparently my grandfather, once being rulers of the Empire?

“Martin and Uriel were both recently slain recently. Your grandfather was assassinated by the culprits and Martin sacrificed himself to save Cyrodiil. You, Lukas, are the heir to the throne.”

I was stunned beyond belief. Surely I was dreaming right? Perhaps I had fainted from the barn’s heat and I was imagining all of this? Surely I had to be, there’s just no way in the world any of this could really be happening.

“I’m sorry sir, but what are you talking about? I think you have the wrong person. I’ve lived here all my life and I highly doubt it’s possible that I would be related to any Imperial Kings.”

“Ah, but it is Lukas, what your mother has apparently forgotten to mention to you is that she was once a caretaker for the Chapel in the city that was once Kvatch. She happened to have a “small” mishap with Martin and that brought you into this world. Your mother fled the country and brought you here. And since you’re Martin’s only heir that makes you’re the rightful king of Cyrodiil.”

I looked over to my mother and she was able to nod her head slowly. I was the King of Cyrodiil? How could this be? I’m only fifteen years old!

“We’ll give you about an hour to get your stuff together and then we set sail for Cyrodiil where you will take your place at the throne, though it won’t be as glamorous as you might think. A war has just been won, but don’t worry, I’ll explain everything on the way.”

Things were happening so fast I didn’t know what to think. I was looking back and forth between the two men and my mother, then the next thing I knew I was toppling face first towards the table, and then everything went dark.

CHAPTER TWO

I woke up some time later with a wetted rag placed on top of my head. Once my vision had refocused I saw mother talking to the two men. I guess it wasn’t a dream after all…

“He has to come with us Bella. His rightful place is in the Imperial City. I know this and you do as well. There’s nothing you can do for him now,” said the same man who had told me of my apparent future.

“But he’s just a little boy, how in the world do you think he can run a whole country, let alone the Empire!”

My mother wasn’t exactly thrilled about what was going on, and I was feeling the same way. I suppose none of them ever thought of asking me what I wanted.

“What about me? Don’t you want to know what I want?” I asked the man with a slight hint of rudeness. I never have had a smart mouth on me, but I’ll admit I was now started to get a bit agitated. The man in armor looked at his partner and then back to my mom, who was thankfully not crying anymore, just a little teary-eyed and red in the face.

“Of course I respect what you have to say Lukas, but I’m afraid that doesn’t really matter. You are the heir to the throne, whether you like it or not. You should be proud right now…” said the man.

“But my mother is right. I’m fifteen years old! How am I supposed to run a whole country?”

“I’ll be your personal assistant. I’m to help you and advise you on all of your decisions. Nobody is saying this will be easy, but after some teachings you’ll become a fine leader. I’m sure of it.”

This was all happening to fast. It was just too unreal at the moment. The man was clearly telling the truth, and I’m not exactly sure if I’m happy or unhappy. I mean, sure, it would definitely be an honor being named Emperor of Cyrodiil, but at the same time I don’t want to leave my mother here alone.

“What about mother? What will happen to her if I go?”

I looked over at here and she smiled that same gleaming smile she always gave me. Tears were slowly streaming down her face, but something told me they were tears of pride and joy.

“Honey, I cannot go back to where I used to leave. That life was left behind a long time ago, and I plan to keep it that way. Come here…”

I walked over to her and she put her arms around me. Her cold tears touched my face and I actually started choking up a bit. I was beginning to realize this was probably one of the last times I’d ever get to hug her.

“He is right, whether I want to come to senses or not. You are Martin Septim’s son. I’m so sorry I never told you this before, but I thought maybe I had gotten away from what I left behind. Go get your stuff, it’s time to leave.”

“But mama, I don’t wanna leave you. I just can’t.”

I was now crying just as my mother had been before I fainted. I wasn’t embarrassed; I cared nothing about what the men thought. Leaving my mother was a thought that had never crossed my mind. All of this was so confusing.

“Lukas, you need to gather your things. It is time to leave,” The man said.

I gave him an irritated look and then I hugged my mother once more. There was no need for packing; the only thing I wanted to take with me was of course some clothing, but above us was a small portrait of my mother when she was around my age. I had always kept it put away in one of my chests, but now I had the sudden urge of taking it with me. It would be my only reminder of her.

“I don’t need anything other than the portrait of you mama,” I said to her as she smiled brightly.

A couple minutes later I had the portrait in hand and was only a mere few seconds away from leaving the only place I had ever called home. Mother gave me one last hug and then gave me her final goodbyes.

“Be brave Lukas. You will make a wonderful leader. I’ve raised you up to be the best that I could get you, even if you don’t mind me every now and then,” she said with a wink. “I’ll let you leave with one last word: No matter how hard things get just remember that you are a Septim. I know that doesn’t hold any meaning to you right now, but soon you will understand…”

And at that I gave her one last hug and that was it. That was the last time I would ever see my mother.

“How long will it take us to get to Cyrodiil?”

“I’m not too sure, it all depends on how rough the waves are I suppose, probably no more than two days, maybe even shorter depending on the weather. I know the ship doesn’t look it, but it sure is fast,” he said with a wide grin spread across his wrinkled face.

His short gray hair told of his old age, but he didn’t act like an elder. He was joyous and talked with great enthusiasm. As far as I was concerned he could live another hundred years or so.

“Excuse me sir, but I don’t think you’ve told me your name.”

He smiled,” My name is Jauffre, Grandmaster of the Blades.”

Blades? What was that? It appeared that Jauffre could see the confusion on my face.

“Don’t worry Lukas, I’ll explain everything…”

And about seven or so hours later I had been given the information of everything that had occurred in Cyrodiil for the past couple of years. I was told about Uriel Septim, my father Martin Septim, the Oblivion Crisis and the Mythic Dawn, the current Chancellor Ocato, the Blades, and much more. It was certainly a lot of things to take in at once, but I listened carefully and absorbed everything Jauffre had to say.

“So what do we do when we finally get to the Imperial City?” I was awfully curious as to what was coming in the near future.

“First thing is that you need to meet with Ocato. He wasn’t too happy when I told him of your existence, and he said something along the lines of “The Council will never let a mere boy lead the Empire!” but it was all hot air. The Council cannot do a thing. You are a Septim and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

Silence was the word to describe the next hour or so, and during this time I reflected on what had just happened. It was all so amazing, yet it was saddening as well. Right now it was so hard for me to get my mother out of my head, but of course that would take some getting used to.

“You’re thinking about your mother aren’t you Lukas?”

Was he some kind of mind-reader or something?

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to not seeing her anymore. I know it’s tough but you’ll get through it…” This time the advice came from not Jauffre, but from an agile-looking Redguard who introduced himself as Baurus. He was the other man I saw back at my house, but he too had failed to inform me of his name.

“Jauffre and I are the only Blades left. The others died at the Battle of Bruma. I know all of this is sudden and surely you’re still letting everything sink in, but the two of us are here to help you. Granted I’ll be playing more of a spy-type of role in the coming days, but I’m always here if you need me kid.”

Baurus playfully rubbed my head, something that both irritated me and made a little happier, knowing that I wasn’t going to have to run the country by myself. But if I was to be Emperor, I don’t think calling me kid is the way to help. I guess that doesn’t really matter.

“I’m sure you have some questions for us Lukas, but I think it would be best if you get some sleep. A child such as you shouldn’t go this long without rest,” Jauffre said with a sort of motherly tone to his voice.

Oh great, I was just reminded of my mother. I was trying my hardest to put her aside even though I really didn’t want to. The painting will be my only reminder of her, but there will always be a place in my heart for her. No matter what I will never forget here, no matter how hard I tried.

I got up from the wooden bench I was seated on and Baurus showed me to my room, which was a lot more cramped than I had imagined. I figured the Blades would’ve traveled in a more luxurious vessel than this, but who was I to know, I’m only a kid. Ha, that’s very ironic…..

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I woke up to the sounds of waves splashing against the side of the ship. Apparently I was on the edge of the vessel, for the waves were rather loud and was probably the reason I woke up in the first place.

Outside Jauffre and Baurus were nowhere to be seen, but after spotting a nearby ladder I climbed up it and found myself on the deck, where sure enough the two of them were talking with one another.

“Lukas, you’re awake! How do you feel?”

“I feel okay Jauffre, but my head hurts a little bit, but not too bad I suppose…”, I said while rubbing my forehead with the palm of my hand.

“Well we’re about to make landfall, we’re only about an hour or so away. I told you it wouldn’t take that long didn’t I?”

Thankfully Jauffre was right about making landfall soon, I was suddenly feeling woozy. It was most likely caused by the ride on this ship. This was the first time I had ever sailed the sea, and up to this point I haven’t really enjoyed myself.

“Wait, an hour away? Have I really slept that long?”

“Yes you have Lukas. I thought about waking you up but I then decided you needed all the rest you could get. We’ll be very busy once we arrive at the Imperial City,” Jauffre said.

A pit in my stomach formed, reminding me of what was to soon come. I would come face to face with this Ocato person, and according to Jauffre he didn’t like me too much. For some reason I had a bad feeling no one would like me too much. I guess I can’t blame them. I would be critical as well if suddenly a fifteen year-old boy was announced Emperor of my land. And after a major war as well! I definitely wasn’t expecting a warm welcome.

“Ah, will you look at that? Home at last…”

Baurus had pointed out to sea and when I looked I saw what at first appeared to be a bunch of large rocks, but as I looked harder I realized it was a dock, and behind that a city.

“What city is that Baurus?”

“Anvil. It’s the only dock in Cyrodiil, and it’s gotten to be run-down the past couple of years, and if you ask me it’s quite boring as well. But don’t worry; we’ll be leaving as soon as we land.”

Soon the ship arrived at the docks and we exited the ship. Jauffre explained that the ship was actually a personal vessel of some pub-owner outside the city. He said the owner owed Jauffre a lot and instead of gold the two decided that any of the Blades could borrow the ship whenever they wanted.

Once we walked through a set of large gates I was met with something I had never been exposed to before: a crowd. Back home there weren’t many people and everyone seemed to know each other. But here there were people everywhere, some running into me like I was invisible or something.

“Out of the way you little runt!” Yelled one Imperial man wearing an expensive outfit.

I saw Baurus grit his teeth and Jauffre quickly intervened. “Hold your breath Baurus, he isn’t worth it. Let’s get out of this place before I vomit from the horrible stench. This place is really going down hill.”

“Jauffre, I’ve never seen such a crowd like this. Is the Imperial City going to be the same way?” I asked.

Jauffre and Baurus both laughed out loud. “Ha, my boy the Imperial City is five times as bad as this! You haven’t seen anything yet….”

CHAPTER THREE

Outside the city stood a magnificent wooden carriage accompanied by five black horses. The scene was truly beautiful in every possible fashion. The design of the carriage was breath taking, and the horses were just as gorgeous.

“Wow, this sure is a major upgrade from that rickety ship we just got off of. I might actually feel safe this time,” I said teasingly.

“What can we say? Only the best for the Emperor!” Baurus said while the three of us loaded into the carriage.

A neat looking Dunmer male was steering the fantastic wagon, and this was a definite first, for me at least. Back where I came from, Dunmer were for the most part dirt poor, and usually fairly dirty in its literal sense.

“So how long from here Jauffre?”

“Just slow down Lukas; there are things we need to talk about before we do anything. Ocato will not be an easy person to convince, even though it doesn’t even matter what he thinks or wants. What it comes to is that we need to stay away from angering Ocato. I know you probably don’t think much of him right now, and neither do I, but it would be the safest bet to keep him as happy as possible.”

“Then what are you suggesting, let him boss me around?”

“No, that’s not what I am saying Lukas, I’m simply implying that we do not want to get a smart mouth with the Altmer. Whether I like it or not he does have connections, and that could be deadly to our cause.”

“Which is?” I asked.

“That we uphold the Septim blood-line and bring Cyrodiil back to its former glory of course. We shall do it how your grandfather did, the right way. We just need to persuade Ocato and the Council that you are the answer for the country.”

It sounded like a nice plan, but I highly doubted it would work. It was easy to believe in such an idea, but it would be a struggle getting Ocato out of our hair. I feared it just might result in us forcing him out of the city, which was the next thing I wanted to ask Jauffre about.

“What happens if Ocato doesn’t listen and we have to use force in order to get him to leave? That certainly wouldn’t bode well with the Council. I don’t want my first impression to end like that…”

“Don’t even think about it Lukas; if it comes to that then we’ll worry about it then. Right now we need to decide on what you will say to Ocato.”

“What do you mean me? Why aren’t you speaking with him?”

“Because I am not the Emperor Lukas. That position falls to you. I believe if you are the one to speak with Ocato he just might think more highly of you. Even if he does it won’t be much, but it’s better than nothing.”

He was probably right; any kind of praise we could get out of Ocato would be great, if any at all that is. The way he’s been described to me I wouldn’t be surprised if he attacked me on sight. I really hope the soldiers think well of me. It’ll be strange fighting for someone so young, but if the army is as loyal as I’ve heard I have absolutely nothing to fear.

“Try not to think about everything at once Lukas. Right now is the time to focus on what you should say to the Chancellor. I believe you should try and act as confident as you possibly can, and hold your ground when he starts pounding you with questions, because he surely will, and don’t forget to…..”

The rest of the trip was spent strategizing for the upcoming meeting, and the closer we got to the city the queasier I was feeling. I wanted desperately to rid myself of the hundreds of butterflies that were seemingly floating around in my belly, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get them out.

“Here we are Lukas, follow Baurus and I while we lead you to the Palace.”

We walked through the iron gates and I realized Jauffre was right; the city was filled with people. It was so mesmerizing Baurus had to knock me out of my wondrous trance. It was so unbelievable that so many people could fit in one place.

Unfortunately, just as in Anvil, the people were for the most part rude and immature. Many were rustling about looking rather drunk. Baurus said that since the war ended there really hadn’t been a lot of rules that were enforced, leading the citizens for the most part to do whatever they pleased.

Through the first section we went and after finding our way through the crowd we entered another sector, where we came face to face with a beautifully crafted structure that Jauffre explained was the palace.

“Alright Lukas, this is the palace. Follow me inside.”

As Jauffre started towards the palace Baurus stood in his place with his arms crossed, accompanied by an annoyed expression on his face.

“What about Baurus? Why isn’t he coming with us as well?”

“Because Baurus has a bit of a……problem with Ocato. The two don’t exactly get along with each other and I think having him with us brings too much of a potentially dangerous situation for your cause. It is in our best interests if he stays here. Isn’t that right Baurus?” Jauffre said with his eyebrows raised.

“Whatever you say boss…” Baurus replied with a sneer.

I followed Jauffre into the building and inside two guards dressed in silver armor were guarding the entrance, and I took it they were the palace guards. It was sort of awkward knowing that they were literally working for me. So strange it will be for them to work for someone so much younger than themselves.

We walked straight past the guards and then through an open entrance to a room with a humongous table with many chairs lined around it. In the chair nearest to the room’s entrance was a menacing Altmer with his arms crossed, almost identical to Baurus. He even had the same sneer, although this Altmer’s seemed more evil in a way…

“Hello Chancellor, it’s been a while since we last spoke,” said Jauffre cheerfully, but it seemed a warm welcome was of no use.

“It hasn’t been long enough. Is this who I’ve heard about?” Ocato said pointing at me.

“Yes Chancellor, this is Lukas Septim, son of Martin Septim and grandson of…”

“Enough Jauffre, you do not have to go on. I get the point. Before you go on with your speech that I am sure you have previously planned, I want you to know that I spoke with the Council just the other day about this very subject. The Council does not and will not recognize the boy as Emperor.”

“But you have no choice in this matter Chancellor, and neither does the Council. He is a Septim and he is also the only Septim. Whether or not you agree, the boy will be Emperor. There is no other way and you know this.”

Jauffre seemed to have put up a good argument, but now I was wondering what happened to our strategy of me talking and Jauffre keeping quiet, but then suddenly it seemed as if I had spoken a little too soon.

“Let me talk to the boy myself. So, Lukas, how do you suppose you’ll go about running the most prestigious and most hated country in all of Tamriel?”

I opened my mouth to speak but I was quickly cut off by Ocato’s harsh words.

“How will you deal with the situation in Solstheim, or have you even heard of the place to begin with?”

“Well, I…umm…”

“And what about Vvardenfell in the Morrowind province, what shall become of our soldiers over there?”

“I…”

“What about our county itself? How will you keep the other cities from civil war?”

“Enough! I will not stand for this any longer. The boy is young, there is no questioning that, but he will be an excellent leader, I assure you of that.” Jauffre’s words were full of both pride and anger. I had never seen him get mad, and at this point he appeared on the verge of attacking Ocato. His eyes were full of rage and his hands were shaking.

But nonetheless Ocato did not appear fazed one bit. He simply smiled an evil grin and gave us his last words. “I will no longer waste my time with the likes of you. I’ll leave this country now, along with the support of the Council. As long as the boy remains Emperor the Council will have nothing to do with the Empire.”

And at that Ocato walked swiftly out of the palace, slamming the doors as he went.

“That didn’t go as smoothly as I wanted it to…”

“I’m sorry Jauffre, I didn’t mean to sound so stupid…”

“It’s not your fault Lukas; I knew he was going to do that. I’m not surprised at all, but now things will change, and I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse. Sure, it’s good that we will no longer have the Council breathing down our necks, but now the other provinces will be able to at least think about attacking us without the worry of sanctions from the Council.”

I was about to reply to his statements, but we suddenly heard guards running in the hallway and out of the palace. Jauffre and I hurried outside to see what the matter was, and we saw several soldiers holding back Baurus, who was yelling and cursing at the top of his lungs. No more than ten feet away was Ocato, walking away smiling that same malicious grin…

CHAPTER FOUR

Before I knew it Jauffre was running from where I was standing, and made his way over to where Baurus was being restrained by the soldiers. I heard him yell a few words at Baurus, who said something in return, resulting in a heated display of words that lasted at least twenty minutes. The two argued about several things, while the main was Baurus criticizing Jauffre for bossing him around. Jauffre shot back that he was the Grandmaster of the Blades, and that opened up a whole new argument in which Baurus claimed Jauffre was abusing his powers.

When everything settled Baurus marched off angrily, while Jauffre came back to me. All of the soldiers had stood the entire time, watching the two argue just incase things got out of hand.

“Come inside with me Lukas and then we’ll come back here where we’ll make formal statement to the city regarding your new role as Emperor. We need to prepare a very small speech”

His face was bright read and drenched with sweat. He seemed even angrier than when he Ocato spoke just a while ago. I was actually almost afraid of Jauffre at the moment. He was showing a side that I had not yet seen.

“What about Baurus? Where is he going?”

“I couldn’t care less about him right now. Obviously he needs a few hours to let himself cool down, and if he doesn’t want to cool down then maybe he should think about his future with the Blades…”

Jauffre said the last part loud, loud enough for Baurus to hear just as he left the area, slamming the doors behind him. Jauffre told a nearby guard to gather up all of the citizens and bring here to the outside part of the palace.

“I know who you are, but you’re not going to boss me around.” The guard was very rude and I couldn’t wait for Jauffre to hand it to him.

“I’ll have you know that standing to my left is the heir to the throne, Lukas Septim.”

The guard looked at me and laughed unsurprisingly.

“Ha, that little boy? He’s younger than my son.”

I looked around and the other soldiers were laughing as well. I was beginning to feel smaller than I actually was. Jauffre ushered me into the palace as the soldiers continued their laughter.

“You’ll have to remain calm throughout this event Lukas; you cannot act as you did with Ocato. I know you’re young but you have to be strong and show the people they can trust you,” said Jauffre.

The thing that kept bugging was how in the world Jauffre knew about me in the first place.

“Jauffre, how did you know my existence and where I lived?”

“Martin told me just before battling Mehrunes Dagon. He told me where you lived and your name as well. It was a sad time; I really do think your father wanted to see you, but alas he never made the journey to where you and your mother lived. He said he wanted to countless times, but could never gather enough strength to go. Despite what your mother told you, Martin was the only person she told of where she was taking you. She thought, and thought correctly, that the father should know where the son was. I have to say that if it were me I would have traveled to see you, but Martin made his decision. But of course that does not make him a bad person Lukas; he really did care about you, even if he never laid eyes upon you.”

That was an answer I suppose I could live off of. I don’t know, all of this is just so weird. My father an Emperor, and my grandfather one as well, and I would’ve never guessed in a million years if it were not for Jauffre and Baurus.

“The first thing you need to do is stay strong out there when you are talking to the people. If you can muster up enough courage to face the crowd they will be a bit less critical I think, but how much I do not know. I am afraid this will not go well with the citizens of the Imperial City, but it’s something that must be done. If you are to Emperor you must talk to the people and get them on your side.”

“But Jauffre, they aren’t going to like being ruled by a fifteen year old teenager. This will be a disaster and you know it.”

“As much as I wanted to deny that accusation, you are more than likely correct. That is why I invited someone to join our little speech; someone who I am sure will help sway the public on our side.”

“And just who might be?”

“Remember when I told if it were not for the brave acts of a certain person, Cyrodiil would have surely fallen?”
“Yes, that sounds familiar. Didn’t he go by ‘The Hero of Kvatch’, or something like that?”

“Yes Lukas, the Champion of Cyrodiil is who I am talking about. Your father played important role in securing Cyrodiil from the enemy, there is no doubt in that; but the Champion of Cyrodiil played the most important role during the struggle. Before departing to find you and your mother I visited with the Hero.”

“Wait, I thought you said he had left the country to live alone?”

“That is what we told the people. In fact, he traveled deep in the Jerall Mountains, to a small cave where I thankfully found him. He was badly injured during the final battle here in the Imperial City.”

“What happened to him?”

“Well, he was burned severely during the struggle, resulting in his skin being mutated and burnt. He now resembles something of what nobody can even begin to describe, but it is beyond the injury that has caused that. It was because of his horrid figure that the Counts and Countesses shunned him away after the war, even after he saved them from sure destruction.”

“The people of Cyrodiil never did this however, and to this day they still talk of his heroic efforts and wish to someday see him walk the streets again. They were heartbroken to see him leave, but their sorrows were nothing compared to the Champion’s heart after what Counts and Countesses said to him. He ultimately decided to depart from the public, never to be seen again. Baurus and I did our best to get him to change his mind, but it was of no use. He had made his decision and that was the end of it.”

“But Jauffre, how did you get him to come here and help us now?”

“Like I said, I traveled to the north and was somehow able to find him. There I told him of what was going on. At first he was not the least bit sympathetic for our cause, but with a little bit of persuasion I got him to help us. He now believes, just as I do, that in order to get the people’s good judgment he must be by your side. I think with his presence the people will be more likely to be in favor of our cause.”

“And what if your plan does not work Jauffre?”

“Then we will have to resort to another plan, but for now we must hope for the best. Now, it is time for you to meet the Champion of Cyrodiil…”

Out from the shadows behind Jauffre came a figure that had been standing there for apparently the entire time. I had never noticed the man, or thing. An extremely bad odor came from him. It was the Champion of Cyrodiil.

He was wearing a golden mask that hid his face from view, even his eyes it seemed. He was also donning silver cloak, accompanied by matching silver boots. Its breathing was wheezy and it appeared that it was having a terribly hard time breathing in the first place.

Then it spoke a raspy tone that chilled me to the bone. The injury must have affected is speech somehow, for I could barely make out his words. Truthfully I wanted to run away from the horrid monster, but as I thought of that I thought how awful the Champion must feel.

“Lukas, I am the Champion of Cyrodiil. I am very pleased to finally meet you.”

He brought out his hand to shake mine. As I extended my own hand I noticed his was shaking uncontrollably.

“What is wrong child, are you afraid of me?” The Champion asked after we greeted.

I was unable to say a word. Heck, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I didn’t know what to say.

“It is alright to say so child, I will hold nothing against you. In fact, I would be surprised if you weren’t afraid of my presence.”

Again I said nothing, but simply stood firm in front of both he and Jauffre. The Champion was staring into my eyes with his own black pupils that were almost hidden behind his mask.

“You are a mere boy yet you stand here like a man. I respect that young Lukas, son of Martin, a once good friend of mine. Back when the war was going on your father and I spent a lot of time together. He was a great man indeed, and he will be proud to know that his own son will take his place at the throne.”

I smiled at the last sentence because it really wasn’t something I had thought about before. I never knew my father, yet knowing I was doing him a proud favor made me feel good about myself.

Then, I think, the Champion smiled back, though it was almost impossible to tell because of the mask. At that exact moment I realized there was nothing to fear from the man, no matter how disfigured and mutated he was. I knew then that he was one of the few allies I had at the moment and that was certainly something to be glad for.

“I am sure Jauffre told you about my disfiguration, and unfortunately it has gotten worse within the recent months. I have contracted several diseases during my stay in the mountains, though none are contagious, I can assure you that. The people of Cyrodiil must realize that you are the answer for the Empire, and I am here to help you in that quest. With my presence the people will be reminded that there is still hope for the Empire, not matter the Council and their puppet Ocato says. The Council is something that I feel very strongly about, but that is a subject for another day. For now I need rest before your speech. Then we will showcase you, my young Emperor, to the people.”

The Champion limped out of the room and somewhere to the right, where I guessed he would find a room to rest in. Jauffre put his hand on my shoulder and told me how brave I was, which was fine and all, but I still had some questions to be answered…

“Jauffre, do you mind if I ask some questions?”

“And would I be correct in assuming those questions pertain to the Champion?”

I nodded and then Jauffre closed the door.

“Well ask your questions Lukas and I’ll answer them as best as I can; although there are several things which I cannot tell you. The Champion made swear long ago not to divulge that information to anyone.”

“First off, what race was the Champion before his injury?”

Jauffre seemed to ponder over the question for some time, almost as if he had forgotten. It appeared that I was right.

“To be honest with you Lukas, I cannot remember what he looked like before the war, which happened almost two years ago. The only thing I can tell you is that he was not of the beast race.”

“Alright, my next question is what exactly happened to him specifically?”

“During the battle here in the city he was doused with a cloud of fire, which was cast by an unknown assailant, but most likely, by a Dremora. The injury he sustained caused him great pain and agony, and also resulted in his disfiguration. But I’ll also tell you this: his current mutation is far worse than what it was two years ago. His diseases have taken a toll on his body, and I am afraid his condition is getting worse by the day. It is best not to talk about that when he’s around, for I am not sure if he would take offense to it. What else can I answer for you Lukas?”

“Nothing, that’ll be it, thanks Jauffre.”

“You’re quite welcome Lukas. Now…..preparations for your speech.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Jauffre and I spent the next hour or so deciding on what exactly I should say to the people. This was a most delicate subject because it was key for us to gain the popularity of the people, and if we get them on our side things will be much easier from there on out.

For a second I thought about letting Jauffre speak for me, but he quickly shoved the idea out of the way, claiming that it would show fear. “Lukas, you have to speak this time. You have to show the people that they really can trust you.”

“Well then what am I supposed to do if I get up there and they start yelling? What do I do then?”

“That is why the Champion will speak first. You will start your speech after the Champion has a few words himself. He’ll be able to bring their spirits up and that’s when you’ll come and stand right next to him when you speak.”

“So are we going to wait here inside while the Champion makes his own little speech first?”

“That is exactly what we will do. Whatever happens it doesn’t matter, remember that Lukas. You will still be in charge, but let me repeat myself one more time…you really need the people’s trust. I promise it will make things easier for you.”

After that the door opened and in stepped the Champion, who looked rested up after his short nap. “Are we ready yet Jauffre? I am whenever you two are…”

“Yes, Lukas and I will wait here while you make your entrance. When shall we know when you are finished?”

“I will say….let me think….when I say ‘our future leader is in dire need of our all of our assistance’ you two can come out. I know that doesn’t sound very strong, but trust me, you want the people to be sympathetic as well as supportive.”

The Champion left the room and exited the palace. While the doors were opened I peered out into the crowd. There were hundreds of people everywhere, all crowded together to see me. Of course they didn’t exactly know who they were waiting for, but it was still a good feeling knowing that I was so important. Though I couldn’t let it get to my head. I had to stay firm and have an open mind. I couldn’t let all this new popularity clog my brain up. But of course I guess I couldn’t really call myself popular just yet…

Cheers roared into the skies at the appearance of the Champion. Jauffre and I stood close to the doors from the inside, so that we could still hear what was going on outside. It must’ve been at least five minutes before the noise died down and the Champion finally began his speech.

“I come to you today not for my own sake of attention, but instead for a dream of a future Empire, one that is free from politics and favoritism…”

The crowd died down to hear what the Champion had to say. Though his voice was still raspy, he still echoed throughout the entire area, even soaking through the doors where Jauffre and I could plainly hear him. He was a great speaker indeed.

“But who will lead us through this dark time? The Elder Council wishes against what is best for the Empire, for they would rather run everything themselves. Their thirst for power has gone long enough and now the time comes for a new ruler, but of the same bloodline as before.”

At the last sentence the crowd began to get loud again. The queasy feeling was returning because I knew it was only a matter of seconds until I would be called to the stage, to face the hundreds of citizens and the soldiers. All eyes would be set solely on me and me alone. My hands were shaking. My face was drenched with sweat. It was time for judgment.

“Join me and help our new leader take the throne and lead us back into our former glory. Our future leader is in dire need of our all of our assistance.”

Jauffre opened the door and both of us stepped out into the cold evening, surrounded by hundreds of cheering citizens. Their eyes were full of joy and happiness. It had seemed as if I had already won their allegiance, but I was terribly wrong.

“Jauffre, our Emperor!”

Those cheers came from the mouths of the citizens who thought he, Jauffre, was the emperor. I immediately knew it was not me they were cheering for. They had no clue that it was I would lead them, not Jauffre.

The Champion quickly calmed the crowd down and he had a difficult time of doing so. The crowd was very energetic and it took nearly ten minutes to get them silent.

“Here is your new leader, Lukas Septim!”

Jauffre pushed up to where the Champion was standing, and then he took his place back beside me. The Champion put his arm around and I didn’t know what to do.

I could clearly hear the soldiers’ quiet snickering through the dead silent crowd. The people looked at me and then back at Baurus as if he were joking.

“What is this, some kind of joke?” yelled a confused Dunmer.

“Joke? This is not prank; you are looking at the future leader of the Empire!”

Suddenly the place filled with loud whispers and pointing figures, all aimed towards my shaking body. I had never been so nervous in my life.

“Quiet, quiet!”

“Let the Emperor speak!”

Jauffre’s and the Champion’s pleas were of no use. The people had already made their views and it seemed as if I had no chance of gaining their respect. Maybe all of this was a mistake…

“You’ve got to speak before things get out of control. Hurry and say something before the crowd gets too agitated!” screamed Jauffre over the loud angry crowd.

I didn’t know what to do but Jauffre still pushed me up to the front, where I began shaking even wilder than before. I looked out into the crowd and saw not one happy expression on a single face. I was a sitting target up in front of all these people. They didn’t want to listen to what a little boy had to say.

Just as I was about to speak I could sense something running towards me from the side. I turned to my right and saw a drunken Nord running towards me furiously. Rather than run away I stood there, frozen in time, unable to make a move. The bulky body was gaining ground on me and in only a matter of seconds he would crush me into a hundred pieces.

Then, to my left a body rushed by and I saw the Champion unsheathe a long silver blade from its holder. The blade was swung upwards swiftly and suddenly the Nord threat was over as he body fell limp to the cold stone floor, with blood pouring from a wound to the right side of his stomach.

Immediately an uproar came from the crowd and people started yelling and getting closer to where I was standing. That’s when the soldiers finally stepped in. They all hustled in front of me and blocked me from any further attacks. Boos towards the Champion were heard loudest and right then I knew the speech was a total failure, but then again I really can’t call it a speech since I never said a word.

Then I was twisted around from behind and their stood a man dressed as an Imperial palace guard, but something was different about this coat of arms. The man looked to be an officer of some sort.

“You three come with me before anything else happens. We have to get the Emperor out of here before someone tries to attack Lukas again,” the man said to Jauffre.

So the Champion, Jauffre and I followed the man into the palace while the other soldiers did their best to quiet down the people of the Imperial City. I wasn’t very lucky when it came to first impressions…

Inside the palace we went to the room with all the chairs lined up around the humongous table. The doors were closed and it was only Jauffre, the Champion and I alone, along with the man in shiny armor.

“Well that didn’t go very well now did it? Obviously the people aren’t going to look at this situation in a positive way, but you’ll have to be patient. We’ll have to hope to win their hearts slowly I suppose,” the man said.

Then he looked at me and smiled, and outstretched his hand towards mine. “My name is Hieronymus Lex. What we need to do now is have an emergency meeting with all of the Imperial City officers. I don’t mean to sound bossy but it would definitely be in your best interest to meet with your own captains.”

The idea was both smart and greatly appreciated. I didn’t mind any help at all, especially coming from an apparent experienced officer such as himself.

“Yes, that is a good idea. We shall hold a meeting tonight with all of the officers at nine o’clock,” I said defiantly, trying my best to sound like a leader.

Jauffre looked at me surprisingly. “Yes, I agree with both of you. Hieronymus, gather up the officers and bring them here. Lukas must talk with the officers and explain the situation. Then we’ll go from there.”

Captain Lex left the room, leaving only Jauffre and I, plus the Champion who had yet to say a word. I turned around and saw him breathing hard and clutching his chest.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

“I’m fine, I just need to rest. I’m really not in shape to be doing what I did out there. This disease is crippling me beyond what I original thought it would. I’m sorry sir but I need to rest. If you need any help you know where I’ll be,” the Champion said as he left the room.

Before he left I gave him my thanks for saving my life. “Thanks for saving me out there. I would have been a goner if it wasn’t for you.”

He simply smiled and patted me on the shoulder…

At nine o’clock all of the officers were in the large room, sitting in their chairs, anxiously waiting for my arrival. I had retired to my own chambers beforehand, that Jauffre showed me. The room was absolutely luxurious, far more than anything I had ever seen. But unfortunately I had no clothing to fit me yet, so Jauffre had sent a maid to a nearby shop to get me something that would fit. I was surprised the shop owners were still in business for the day, given the riot that had recently occurred.

When I walked through the door the room fell silent as the officers were ready to hear what I had to say. But before I could say anything Lex offered a pledge of allegiance from everyone.

“We are all here to serve you my lord. All of us are on your side, and we are positive the solders will be as well. I’ve heard that several laughed at you earlier, and trust me, they were reprimanded for their acts,” Lex said as he shook my hand again.

“You didn’t have to do that, I’d be surprised too if a young boy was claming to be the Emperor of grown men,” I replied.

“That matters not sir, your soldiers are to respect you no matter what. I assure you it will not happen again.”

We all sat down and Jauffre introduced me to the three officers. I had at first wondered if perhaps all of them were not present, but then Lex explained that since the war ended some unfortunate events have taken place within the ranks.

“We had one corrupt officer and obviously he was dismissed, banished from the Empire. Who knows where he is now. We also had another officer retire, and from what I heard he was assassinated somewhere in the south. We have not had a lot of time to hire two new officers, but now that job falls to you my lord,” Lex said.

Then a tan Breton officer dressed in regular Legion armor stood up and came over to shake my hand once more. “Hello my lord, my name is Gepard Montrose. I am head of the prison guard and you have my absolute allegiance. I’d like to tell you that right now the prisons aren’t as full as I’d like. This isn’t to say that I wish them to be full, but they should. Crime is steadily rising in the city, something you’ll definitely want to look into once you have time.”

“Yes, I will look at that once I have settled in. Thank you Gepard.”

Next was an Imperial man who was dressed in the same garb as Lex. But unlike Gepard, this man sat idly in his seat and almost had a sense of defiance in his tone. “My name is Itius Hayn, second-in-command of the Imperial Legion, next to Lex of course”.

I could have sworn there was a hint of jealousy in his voice as well.

“I’m happy to see the Septim bloodline continue, and I hope you will be able to get off on the right foot. As you have already seen, things won’t be easy at first, but like Lex already said, where are under your command and are here to serve you in any way possible.”

After that it was my turn to speak. And as I took a deep breath I hoped that, unlike my other two first impressions, this one would prove more successful.

“First off, I want to thank you for support, which makes things a lot easier. I understand that the relationship between an Emperor and his men are incredibly important, and I will do my absolute best to keep that connection intact. I now know that I am commanding a great group of leaders, and this skill will drip down do the Legion soldiers all the way down to the common prison guard. Our military has taken a hit thanks to the war, but I swear to you now that will change. A military is the backbone of any country, and I aim to continue that theory.”

“Very well sir, but I would like to know how you plan on accomplishing that task. Not many people want anything to with the Imperial Legion right now. The other cities see us as weak,” Itius said.

“I realize this Itius. That is why Jauffre, Lex and I shall travel to the other cities in order to meet with the Counts and Countesses personally.” I quickly stole a look from Jauffre and again he had that same proud look about him. “I will leave within the next couple of days; for I fear civil war will result if I do not take action quick.”

“I like that idea sir. Who would you like to take control of the city while we are gone?” Lex asked.

“On second thought, forget what I said. Lex, I would like you to stay here and run things.”

I did this on purpose to see Itius’s reaction, and just as I thought his face went red when I told Lex he would remain in the city. Itius struck me as a jealous officer, and I would have to watch him closely.

“I will travel with Baurus and Jauffre alone. There is no need for anyone else. Now that I think about it, has anyone seen Baurus?”

“Sir, the last I heard he was seen drinking at the Foaming Flask,” said Gepard.

I looked over and saw Jauffre roll his eyes and breathe loudly. “I’ll go speak with him tonight and get him back on track. He’s young, I realize that, but that’s still no excuse for what he did earlier.”

“Very well, that will be it. I want to thank you all for your time and I promise when things get going I will meet with you once more to discuss matters more extensively. For now I would like to rest for the night.”

The officers left the room and Jauffre applauded me for my actions. “That was very impressive Lukas. I’m glad to see you are taking this seriously. Your tone of voice was confident and I really think the officers believe in you. You’re coming together Lukas, I sense great change in the future.”

“Thanks Jauffre, I just hope it’s for the better…”

CHAPTER SIX

I walked back to my room and said my goodnights to Jauffre, who told me that he would sleep at Cloud Ruler Temple. Though I haven’t been to the fort just yet, both Jauffre and Baurus told me of how grand the place was, and of all the history it holds.

That night, as I lay down in my most comfortable bed, I thought about the upcoming days and what they would hold for my future. I wasn’t too sure what would happen to tell you the truth. With the people’s anger towards me so high I wasn’t too certain whether I should walk the streets or not. I mean sure, it would show courage and bravery, but would it also show an interest to die? I couldn’t exactly trust my people just yet, for they do not trust me either.

Another thing that worried me was Baurus. Perhaps there was a history of bad blood between him and Jauffre. If that’s the case I was never made aware of it, and of course with my luck that will be exactly the problem. Baurus claims Jauffre is too bossy, but I never see it that way. Maybe things were different when I wasn’t around. Or maybe Baurus is simply jealous of Jauffre’s rank. It doesn’t really matter I guess; only that Baurus grows up and stops acting like a child. That sounds a little strange coming from me, a child myself, but it’s the truth. We can’t have the only Blades officers bickering back and forth.

The next morning I woke up at around eight o’clock in the morning, and I would’ve slept in longer if it wasn’t a loud banging coming from outside my door. I sat up in my bed and rubbed the side of my neck, which was aching a bit from sleeping on it awkwardly. I hated it when that happened. Quickly I slipped on some shoes and then answered the door and there was Jauffre, with Baurus right behind him.

“It’s time for you to get out of bed sir; there are many things to take care of. You have a long day ahead of you,” Jauffre said with again a motherly tone.

“I’m aware of that Jauffre, thanks for waking me up. Good morning Baurus, I’m glad to see you’ve rejoined us.”

I had expected an apology but instead he merely shrugged his shoulders a bit and nodded. There was still anger within him; that much was for sure. I just hoped it wouldn’t carry out into something larger.

“After you get dressed we’ll let Lex know that we will leave soon,” Jauffre said.

Before Jauffre could continue I quickly cut him off. “I never said when I want to leave Jauffre. Don’t you think there are matters that need attending to here in this city first?”

“Yes, obviously, but you need to talk with other rulers outside of the Imperial City. Things have been going on since the end of the war. Border control, talks of city expansions. If you don’t act soon civil war will come upon Cyrodiil. Even if you do talk with the rulers I’m not even sure if it will help,” he said.

“Very well, perhaps you are right. But who should we speak with first?”

“The southern cities of Bravil and Leyawiin have been tangling verbally back and forth for some time. It would be best if we speak with those two cities first before a small war breaks out. For right now the cities are still under our control, but I fear the worst will happen if something isn’t done.”

“Then Bravil and Leyawiin it shall be. Which city is closer, I’m afraid I have no intelligence of my country’s geography at the moment.”

“Bravil is closest my lord,” Jauffre said.

Baurus then handed me a worn out map. “Here, take this map of mine. It might be bit old but I assure you it has everything you need to learn about your country. You see the symbols in the bottom right corner? That lets you know about rivers, mountains, everything. You should study the map when you have time.”
Before we left the city Lex was informed of our departure, and he seemed happy to take over command of the city. We didn’t speak with Itius; though I’m sure he loathed the idea him not being commander of the Legion. I didn’t really even know him that much, but there was still something about him. Hopefully I was just overreacting.

The three of us entered a carriage, the same one he used to arrive at the city, with the same Dunmer steering.

“Now you’ll have to remember Lukas, The Count of Bravil may have a temper with you, and if that is so you will have to remain calm. Regulus Terentius was always a stuck up man. I have a feeling this will not go as smoothly as we want it to,” Jauffre said once we were settled inside and on our way.

“Well just think about it; has anything gone smooth just yet?” I asked with a smile.

“Other than the officers, no, nothing has gone the way we want it to. Perhaps we should from now on expect the worst heh?”

Suddenly my thoughts turned towards the Champion, who I had forgotten all about. “What about the Champion Jauffre? Did he know we left? I forgot to tell him we were leaving.”

“Calm down sir, there is no need to fret, I told him of your absence right before I came to wake you up. I don’t think he’ll be up and going anytime soon anyhow. Killing that Nord really took a lot out of him I’m afraid.”

“Is it the disease he has?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid so. The condition is eating away at his very existence. I didn’t want to tell you Lukas but I really don’t think he’ll last much longer. Though he doesn’t that old on the outside his body is dying from the inside more and more each day.”

I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure if Jauffre and the Champion were close friends so I figured staying silent was the best thing to do. I didn’t want to offend or anger Jauffre in any way.

“But you can’t worry about that Lukas; you must push the thought of him out of your mind. He would want that,” said Baurus.

Baurus was right but I still believed that his presence helped us. “Jauffre said he was a huge influence to the people. If he was to pass away wouldn’t that further severe our connection with the people?”

“Jauffre was once right in that theory, but not anymore. Not after what the Champion did to that Nord. Even if he was going to kill you the Nord was a citizen either way. The people saw the act as one against all of them. Whether we want to believe it or not, the Champion just might have worsened our chances of getting the people on our side,” Baurus said grimly.

It appeared that Jauffre totally disagreed with the statement. “How can you even begin to say that? After all he did for us? The last thing the people would do is be angry with him. He saved their lives!”

“I understand that Jauffre, but did you see the way everyone reacted to his actions yesterday. Of course he had no other option, but the fact of the matter is that the people are no longer supportive of him. He saved Lukas, the boy everyone seems to despise at the moment. It was a loss-loss situation, and unfortunately the Champion had to take the fall.”

Jauffre still didn’t agree with Baurus, but thankfully the two ceased their arguments.

“Another thing Lukas, the people and atmosphere of Bravil will be nothing like the Imperial City,” Baurus said with a bit of a laugh, as if attempting to lighten the mood. “The people are dirty and dishonest, and that’s nothing compared to the local government. While Regulus is the Count, the real rulers of the city are crime lords and drug lords. In fact, the city guard is said to have allied themselves with the drug lords in exchange for skooma, but nothing has been proven just yet.”

“Not to mention the smell as well. It’s far worse than Anvil even,” Jauffre said. “To tell you the truth Lukas, we will most likely not succeed in swaying Regulus to our side. He is a drunken fool. There is great danger in traveling to this city.”

“But it is a necessary danger Jauffre. I must speak with all of the rulers no matter what,” I said.

Not too much later we arrived at the city, and I immediately understood what Jauffre and Baurus were talking about. All of the buildings were run-down, and I could’ve sworn the guards were just as drunk as the people. It was a pitiful sight indeed.

“We are here to meet with the Count Regulus Terentius please,” said Jauffre to a guard who was standing outside the castle of Bravil.

“Go inside and talk with the Khajiit. She’ll be able to tell ya’ if the Count is busy or not,” the soldier said snobbishly.

Inside we went and sure enough a Khajiit was sitting at a nearby table, looking over some kind of document.

“Excuse me, but we are here to speak with the Count,” Jauffre said.

“And just might who you three be? I’m sorry, but if you do not have an appointment I will have to turn you away,” the Khajiit said. Her tone was just as snobby as the guards, if not more.

“My name is Jauffre, Grandmaster of the Blades. The boy is Lukas Septim, the Emperor of Cyrodiil.” Jauffre was getting snippy back, and it appeared the Khajiit didn’t like it a bit.

“So you are the boy who claims to be the Emperor? The Count wants nothing to do with you, for he is much to busy to talk with a child like yourself.”

“I’ll have you know that this boy will speak to Regulus Terentius whether the Cont likes it or not. And if there are any more problems with that I’ll personally take care of them myself,” Baurus said face to face with the Khajiit. She stared into his eyes for a few seconds before finally giving in.

She got up and showed us to the Counts room, which the door was closed and locked. She knocked on the door three times and a voice was heard from the inside.

“What is it out there? How many times have I told you not to bother me when my door is closed?”

“I am sorry sir but Emperor Lukas Septim is here to speak with you,” the Khajiit said.

Silence was the only thing to be heard for the next few seconds, until at last the door was unbarred and I was then looking at the face of Regulus Terentius.

“And what in the world are you doing here in my city?” He growled at me, with his putrid beer-breath smacking me in the nostrils.

“I’ve come to discuss matters with you Regulus Terentius. Changes are to be made and we have things that need to be talked about,” I said.

“And what if I turn you away from my city boy?”

“You don’t have an option. I am the Emperor and you will do as I say.”

He glared into my eyes for some time. His hatred towards me was certain. I was sure he wanted nothing more than to strike me down where I stood, but if course that would only land him with two blades to the chest. He was at least smart enough to realize that.

“Step inside; I will speak to you only for a small time. I have important things to take care of you know,” he said grumpily.

After the door was closed and the Khajiit had gone back to her reading I immediately began pounding the Count with words.

“I am aware that your county of Bravil is in verbal conflict with Leyawiin, am I correct?”

“Leyawiin violated our terms of agreement by bringing a group of their soldiers past the border point between our two cities. By violating that pact they have already buried their grave. I have no other choice but to exterminate them. I will not lie to you, Emperor, that is what I plan to do, and I really don’t care if you like it or not.”

“First of all Regulus, you do not have the power to create such a pact. You are not the ruler of this country, I am. And what does the Count of Leyawiin think of this pact you have so created?” I asked Regulus.

“He is as ignorant as you are. He refuses to listen to my orders, and he will pay for his actions. No one, not anyone, will defy me, I guarantee you that.”

“You will not attack Leyawiin Regulus. It doesn’t matter what you think, there is now an Emperor at the throne and I will not let you split the country apart. Either you will listen to me and cease your army’s advance, or my army will stop you by force.”

“Are you threatening me?”

He then got up from his chair and stood mere inches from my face. I could sense Baurus move closer to his blade’s holder, but I had no intentions of backing down.

“If that is how you feel, so be it. I am telling you now to stop what you are doing. You know you don’t want a war with my army. It will only spell the end of your reign as Count. I am not trying to topple you from your rank, I only wish for peace.”

“Fine, have it your way! I will send word for my troops to return to the city. But mark my words, if Leyawiin crosses my border once more with its soldiers I will take action, no matter what you say”

“I thank you for your good judgment Regulus. It is important that we all agree with what goes on in this country. I assure to you that I will speak with the Count of Leyawiin, and I will make it clear that he shall not extend his army past the borders.”

I extended my hand towards Regulus, and at first I thought he might ignore me. But at last he shook my hand and gave me the most sinister smile I had ever seen. I wasn’t done with him. Not even close…

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Well if you ask me, that didn’t go as bad as I thought it would. But then again that’s probably only because he wasn’t drunk just yet. I bet he’s having a drink with his fool of a son right now,” said Baurus.

“Either way we left as the victors, for once,” Jauffre said, “but we still have business to take care of in Leyawiin. I assure you Lukas that this conflict isn’t over just yet. We still have to deal with Alessia Caro.”

“Wait Jauffre, isn’t that Marius’s wife? Shouldn’t I be more worried about him?”

Baurus and Jauffre both took a moment to laugh for a few seconds. Apparently something I said was hilarious.

“One would think so Lukas, but Alessia Caro is pretty much the rule maker in Leyawiin, and that’s actually a good thing.” Baurus said with another chuckle. “She knows a lot about politics, and I know she will appeal to your cause. She is a smart woman indeed.

“She one of the “good-guys”, let’s just say that. Though I am not sure why she brought troops over the border mark. That seems remarkably odd coming from a bright woman such as herself,” Jauffre replied while scratching his balding head.

“Perhaps Marius is finally calling the shots himself?” I offered.

“No, no, that can’t be it. Something must’ve happened to set her off. I wouldn’t be surprised if Regulus did something to upset her,” Jauffre answered back.

It took not over an hour more until we made our final stop south. The city of Leyawiin was much easier on the eyes than its hostile neighbor to the north. Everything about the place was rather pretty, and one would think this would be a perfect place to live, but then you’d realize a majority of the population consisted of Argonians and Khajiits.

Not to sound racist or anything, but the beast races were always known for their thievery and dishonesty, except perhaps for the Orcs. The large presence of Argonians and Khajiits seemed to be the only reason Leyawiin was being held down as being known as a safe place to live.

“Why are all these Argonians and Khajiits here Jauffre? It wasn’t even near this bad at the Imperial City, or even at Bravil.”

“The province of Black Marsh is just to the right, across the border. That is the homeland of the Argonians, and many have migrated here for a safer home, not that I can blame them. And then, to the left just past The Lower Niben River, lies Elsweyr, home of the Khajiit, who migrated to Leyawiin for the same reason.”

“But my mother used to tell me stories and some of those proposed that Khajiits and Argonians don’t get along. Is that true? If so, how in the world can they stand living amongst one another?”

“Your mother is right Lukas; the two races despise each other, but believe me, they’d much rather have it this way than to live where they did once before. That’s not to say there aren’t any scuffles here and there, but for the most part Leyawiin is a peaceful city.”

“And you have Alessia Caro to thank for that!” Baurus said loudly. “Marius Caro is an idiot. I have no clue how Alessia is attracted to him, but I guess it doesn’t matter what I think,” he said with a laugh.

“Is Marius really that dumb?” I asked.

“It’s not that he’s dumb in its literal sense, he just doesn’t have the integrity of his wife. Don’t get me wrong, she is very intelligent and knows a lot about pretty much everything, but her maiden name certainly helps her out as well,” Baurus replied back.

As we walked amongst the lizards and cats I watched how they acted. Jauffre might have been right in suggesting that the two races got along, but they certainly didn’t seem to like it. If you asked me, I’d say a full-scale war could erupt between the two any given day. But I guess the strong leadership here in the city has kept that from happening.

When we finally got to the castle a guard was standing on each side of the gate, both wielding tall silver spears. Unlike in Bravil, these soldiers actually looked trained and thankfully not one of them appeared to be tipsy.

“I’m sorry sir, but we can’t let you through unless you are scheduled to meet with…wait….aren’t Lukas Septim?” asked one of the guards.

“Yes, I am Lukas Septim, and it is very important that I speak with your rulers.”

The guards immediately bowed down to me. “Yes sir, please step inside and speak with Caelia Draconis. She is the Captain of the Leyawiin Guard and she’ll be able to help you my lord.”

Inside there were several guards standing around two chairs, and those chairs happened to be the thrones of Marius and Alessia Caro, but it was only Alessia who was present, and she was talking to a woman that I took to be Caelia. Neither had seen us enter the castle, for there were many maids and butlers walking about, and the noise was rather loud.

As the three of us walked over to Caelia, she looked up saw me, seemingly knowing who I was. She then whispered something into Alessia’s ear and suddenly the Countess and Count stood up from their thrones.

“Lukas Septim, welcome to my home!” She stepped down from her place and walked over to me to shake my hand. “I’ve been expecting such a visit from you my lord. I assumed that if you to be a great leader; you would personally meet with the other rulers of Cyrodiil. I am glad to see that I was right. Come, follow me to my chambers.”

The four of us left Caelia and the others as we climbed a set of wooden stairs and entered a hallway with beautiful portraits displayed on the wall, most of them being Alessia and her husband.

That’s when I realized Marius wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “Excuse me Alessia, but where is Marius? I would like to talk to him as well.”

A grave look came over her face and right then I knew something happened to Marius.

“I’m afraid my husband was killed yesterday, while hunting in the woods. My men said that they had lost track of him and when they finally caught up they found Marius lying on his stomach with an arrow sticking from back.”

“I’m so sorry. Did you catch the culprit?”

“Yes, a black bow bandit was found wondering about and he is now residing in the town dungeon. He is scheduled for execution tomorrow at noon.”

The strangest thing about all of this was that Alessia didn’t seem too sad about her husband’s death. I expected her to be more saddened by the tragedy, and Jauffre was thinking the same thing apparently.

“I’m sorry your highness, but we can wait to meet with you at a later time. I’m sure you wish to grieve alone right now. It’s terrible what happened to your husband,” Jauffre offered.

“No, that will not be needed. Marius would want me to continue on with what he left off. He would want me to stay strong and that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

The tone of her voice had no sadness at all. It was just so weird. Down the hall we entered a door and we were then inside Alessia’s chambers, which was just as beautiful as I had imagined it would be. Many portraits and plants were displayed throughout the room, and it really was a “lady-like” atmosphere.

“First off, Alessia, I would like you to pull your back your troops from Bravil territory. You and I both know Regulus isn’t a very stable person, and sending your troops across the border doesn’t help,” I said sternly.

“I understand your fear of civil war Lukas, but what Regulus probably forgot to mention to you is that three of his agents were caught wondering through my dungeon area three months ago. What they were looking for I do not know, but I locked the men up and refused to release them. I sent my across the borders because I was given word that another one of his agents had set up camp just passed the border, and was planning to infiltrate my castle at night. I could not let that happen.”

“Very well Alessia, but who gave you the information?”

“That I will not tell you my lord, for I simply cannot give away my sources. It is as simple as that. But you have my word that I will not send troops over the border again. I’ll admit that I might have been a bit hasty in that decision of sending out my soldiers, but the fear of enemy spies got the best of me. I promise it will not happen again, for I am a woman of peace. I do not wish for war.”

“Thank you Alessia, I wish for the same thing as you. We are one country; fighting each other is the last thing we need. Now, are there any specific problems your city has right now?”

“No, my husband and I have done an excellent job of keeping everyone in line, but at the same time we weren’t brutes to the people. I plan to uphold that during my reign as Countess.”

“That you have, and again, I am sorry to see your husband’s passing. If there is anything you need, let me know.”

“Thank you my lord. Before you leave I just want to say that I do believe in you, and other than Regulus, I think the others do as well. Also, it is getting late. Why don’t you take my guest chambers and stay the night? I have rooms for your companions as well.”

After talking with Jauffre and Baurus we decided staying the night was the safest and smartest option. So I was taken to my chambers and Jauffre and Baurus were taken to theirs. When we were all settled in Jauffre and Baurus came back to my room to discuss what happened today.

“You did a good in silencing the conflict between Leyawiin and Bravil, but I fear something more evil is happening,” whispered Jauffre, just loud enough for Baurus and I to hear.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Her husband’s death just doesn’t add up. I knew the man personally before he was named Count. He was absolutely horrible with a bow and blade, and would never find himself hunting of all things. He was a politician, not a killer. I assure you this story of him dying sounds very fishy to me.”

“What are you saying Jauffre, that Alessia is hiding something from us?” asked Baurus.

“I don’t know, but she’s not telling the truth. I mean she wasn’t even a bit distraught by her husband’s death. Something isn’t right here.”

“Well there isn’t really anything we can do Jauffre,” I said.

“Ah, but there is Lukas. All bodies are put in a small room, beneath the castle, where they are sorted and then decorated for burial. The room is supposed to be a secret, but I found out about it years ago. The process of decoration takes about two days. The body of Marius, if he really is dead, will be down there, and we are going to find it.”

“Are you serious? Sneak down to a place we are not even supposed to know about? This is crazy Jauffre! I can’t believe your even thinking about doing that,” I whispered a little too loud.

“Keep your voice down Lukas. Now listen, I know it sounds insane, but I’ve got a feeling. I can’t explain it but I know I’m right.”

“Alright, even if we were to go down to that room, what do we say when we’re caught sneaking around?”

“We will not get caught Lukas, I assure you that. Actually, I think I should be the only one to go. Baurus doesn’t even know where the room is, and I don’t think we really need three people wandering around anyways.”

“No Jauffre, I will go with you. But I too believe Baurus should stay. Two people is more than enough.”

“So what, do I get shunned away from all the fun?” Asked Baurus, but with humor, not seriousness.

“I’m sorry Baurus, but it just wouldn’t be safe for three of us.”

“I know, I know, I’m just kidding with you. To tell you the truth, it would probably be best that someone stays, just incase something happens to you two.”

“And what do you think is going to happen?” Jauffre asked.

“I don’t know, I’m just saying.”

So we decided that Baurus stay in my room while Jauffre and I sneak down to whatever room we were talking about. I still wasn’t sure if what were doing made sense. I knew it wasn’t right, but what if something really was happening? Then I suppose it was right…

“Shhh…do not talk Lukas, just follow me.”

Jauffre and I were standing next to a couple of beer kegs down in the basement where all the alcohol and food was kept. We had to sneak past only two guards to get down here. I was so nervous, even more edgy than when I had given my “speech” at the Imperial City.

Then Jauffre tapped a small marked spot on the wall, and suddenly it separated. It wasn’t too loud thankfully, meaning that the guards wouldn’t hear us. I followed Jauffre as we stepped through the space and had to duck down as we crawled down the cold passage way, which was pitch dark, other than the torch Jauffre had found.

When we got to the other end there was a door that for some reason was unlocked. Carefully Jauffre opened it and peered inside, where a room was lit by many torches, but was empty of any bodies…living that is.

We stepped inside and sure enough, there were many bodies, just as Jauffre had said there would be. But the strangest thing was that they were all Argonians, Khajiits, and few Dunmer, except for one body, which was covered by a large white towel.

All of the bodies that could be seen were bloody and deformed, with different body parts missing and eye sockets bloodied. It was a terrible seen indeed, and I could no longer keep in my insides. I leaned over to the right and hurled more than I have ever done so in my life. The stench was horrible, nothing like I had ever experienced.

When I was finished Jauffre and I walked over to the covered body and lifted the sheet. Not surprisingly to Jauffre, the lifeless body of Marius Caro lay there, with his eyes still open. But something about them wasn’t right, and Jauffre seemed to have the answer.

“He was poisoned. I can see it in his eyes.”

Then he turned the shirtless body over and there were no marks suggesting that an arrow had penetrated his skin. It was true…Alessia really did lie to us.

“Are you certain he was poisoned Jauffre?”

“Yes, I’m positive. There are other things that suggest he was not killed by an arrow. Look at his skin. Its color is not normal. He was definitely poisoned. ‘Why’ I am not sure, but obviously Alessia has something to do with it. She might not have done it herself, but she definitely played a part in her husband’s death.”

Just as the two of us turned to leave the room a figure at the passageway’s tunnel stood there, watching us. Then it walked out from the shadows and we were face to face the Captain of the Guard, Caelia Draconis. Jauffre unsheathed his sword, ready for whatever happened next…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The room above is not the torture chambers found within the game. It is a whole other room I created myself.

CHAPTER EIGHT

For what seemed like minutes, though it was merely seconds, all three of us stood there gazing into each others’ eyes, waiting for the other to make the first move. But what Jauffre and I were completely wrong in what we assumed. We thought she was the aggressor, but actually she was only a pawn a mad woman’s game.

“Thank Talos you found this room!” Yelled Caelia with tears streaming down her cheeks. “You have to do something; Alessia’s been torturing these poor people for years!”

“Hold on a minute, just slow down and tell us what’s going on. Why are all these bodies here and why did Alessia lie about her husband’s death?” Demanded Jauffre.

“I’m so sorry; I wanted to do something, I wanted to tell somebody, but I was too afraid. She may seem like a nice person, but she’s terribly evil when outsiders are not around.”

Torturing? What on earth was going on in this place?

“So she’s been torturing people; But why?” I asked.

“She is prejudice against Argonians, Khajiits, and Dunmer. She’s been like that ever since I can remember. This room was kept a secret for a very long time until Marius learned of its existence just days ago. When he threatened to let the public know of her evil deeds she had him killed! The true cause of her husband’s death has been kept a secret as well,” she claimed.

This wasn’t making a lot of sense to me. If all of these events were supposed to be kept secret, then why did Caelia seem to know everything?

“But how do you know all of this?”

“As regretful as I am of my past, I played a key role in everything that has happened. When Alessia first took the throne I tried to get close to her, only in order to show my loyalty. But unfortunately I got to know her dark side, and for some reason she showed me the room. But there’s another one as well. This is only where the bodies are kept; there’s also a room where the actual torturing takes place!”

“So what you’re saying is that you have helped Alessia with her actions?”

“Yes, I feel terrible about it, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was too afraid…” She started to sob even harder than before, and then she collapsed to the ground with her hands in face.

Jauffre walked over and grab her arms, pulling her up from the ground. “Who killed Marius Caro? Answer me!”

“I…I did!” She continued her crying and Jauffre let her fall to the ground.

“What should we do now, Jauffre?”

He looked down at Caelia and then back to me. “This is not what needed; not at all. Never once in my life would I have foreseen something as terrible as this, not from someone of her name. The Valgas are a prosperous family of honor. It just doesn’t make sense.”

He paused to collect himself before continuing.

“We’ll have to confront the Countess, Lukas. I am almost afraid of her response because I do not know how she will react, but something must be done.”

“Wait, Jauffre. We don’t have to deal with her just yet. Let go back to the Imperial City and gather some troops. Then we will come back and question her. She wouldn’t dare do anything with five hundred Legion soldiers backing us up.”

“Hmm…that does sound like a good idea, but what are we to do with Caelia?” He said while pointing to her pouting body. “What if she informs Alessia of our discovery before we can get to her first?”

“I think that is a chance we will simply have to take. If this is all the Countess has done wrong perhaps we can only impose severe sanctions against her, rather than take the throne away from her.”

Jauffre didn’t like that idea at all.

“You are the Emperor, so that decision lies solely to you. However, as your advisor, I will give you my view on the situation. Think of it this way, what if you were the sibling or spouse of those dead bodies? What if you were the child of those corpses, now mother and fatherless because of what Alessia did? Can you really live with yourself knowing that you have a murderer ruling one of the cities of Cyrodiil?”

I knew exactly what he was getting at, and it wasn’t as if I was differentiating from what he was saying. I actually happened to understand and agree with everything coming out of his mouth. It wasn’t a matter of deciding whether Alessia’s acts were severe enough for harsh reprimands, because they definitely were, I was fully aware of that. I was only a bit nervous. I didn’t want to have to make these kinds of decisions, but what else could I do? I am Emperor; I am no longer a little boy. It’s time that I grow up and show a little backbone.

“Listen to me, Lukas. I know you’re scared, but that comes with your new title. War is something a country never wants, especially civil war. But if that is what it comes to you must stand firm. Alessia, if all of these accusations are true, is a killer. But that is the interesting thing about all of this. So far we only have allegations, even if we do know for sure that she lied about her husband. Do not worry, Lukas. I will stand behind you whether or not you heed my suggestions.”

I had already made my decision sometime between vomiting and then seeing Caelia drop to the floor in tears. Alessia would be punished for her actions, that much was certain. I was just hoping she would go peacefully. I never really did consider anything but dethroning her. If I had ever said anything else it was all an act; that I was simply scared, but now that is all over.

“Alessia will no longer be the Countess of Leyawiin. She cannot continue her role after what she has done to these people. But we have to do this carefully. We must go along with what we were doing before all of this happened. Tomorrow morning we will leave and head back to the Imperial City. There we will gather a small army and confront Alessia with our accusations. If she does not cooperate we will have to remove by force, and like you said, if a war is what it takes then a war we shall have. I’ll do anything to protect my country and its people.”

“That was very well said, Lukas. You certainly are learning fast. The way you handled the situation in Bravil was excellent, and I am sure the same thing will happen with Alessia and Leyawiin. But, what are we to do with her?” Jauffre said, looking over to Caelia, who was still sobbing loudly.
“Get up Caelia,” I said to the crying captain.

When she struggled to perform my request I walked over and helped her up myself. Despite my young age I was already five-foot eight-inches, and because of my work around the house I had become rather strong for someone as little as I.

“I’m going to make you a deal. You will stay here and pretend none of this happened, okay? We will come back tomorrow with an army big enough to eliminate Alessia and all of the evil doings that have been going on in Leyawiin. Even if you are a murderer, which is something that will be hard to live with for the rest of your life, I will not throw you in jail, as long as you cooperate and stay on my side that is.”

I looked over at Jauffre, and his eyes were raised, giving me a surprised and questioning look.

“Rather than put you in prison, I will only strip you of your title and banish you from Leyawiin for the rest of your life. I doubt you will ever get a job of such prestige ever again, but that is another aspect of your punishment. Such a sentence may sound a bit harsh to you, but it is either that or you can spend the rest of your days rotting in a cell. The choice is your Caelia…”

Jauffre’s expression was awfully difficult to read. I couldn’t tell whether he was happy with my decision, or if he disagreed with what I was doing. It mattered not, some decisions should be made by me, and I alone.

“Okay…I’ll do it. Thank you so much for understanding, my lord. I promise nothing like this will ever happen again.”

“I don’t need any apologies, Caelia. Let us now leave this room and never speak of it again until Alessia is removed from her throne.”

So the three of us left the bloody room and Jauffre and I walked back to my quarters, where Baurus was waiting so anxiously to hear what we had to say.

“What happened? Did I miss anything good?” Baurus smiled. He didn’t know how grave the situation now was. But when I told him of our discoveries, his happy stature changed to a more serious expression.

After a few minutes of talking, Baurus and Jauffre left chambers to go to theirs. It was late and time for rest was greatly needed. Hopefully tomorrow wouldn’t turn out to be a disaster.

The next morning the three of us got up and left the city of Leyawiin after giving our last goodbyes. So far everything was going okay and fortunately word had not yet gotten out that Jauffre and I found her secret room. If we were lucky, Alessia wouldn’t find out about that until it was too late. Though I wasn’t a bit scared of doing what needed to be, I didn’t want to use force unless it was absolutely needed.

“We have to get back as soon as possible, so do you think you could pick up the pace from our previous rides?”

Jauffre had asked our Dunmer transporter of the favor, and he seemed happy to go a little faster. Unfortunately faster was definitely and understatement. The Dunmer drove wildly the whole way and we almost hit a tree twice. Despite the dangers nobody could take away from the speed we were going. Those horses must’ve been trained well, because we got to the city before nightfall, which was amazing considering we had started out all the down in Leyawiin.

I found Lex eating dinner at his home in the Elven Gardens. When I first him of my findings he at first was a little confused. He though that perhaps I was mistaken. But after I told him some other things he came around to believing me and immediately left to organize a small army. I wanted to leave first thing in the morning, sometime around six a.m.

“Yes sir, I’ll gather the troops right now. Which officer will lead the army?”

“I would like Itius to come with us while you stay here. You’ve done a nice job while I was gone and I think we should keep it that way. The people seem to like you Lex.”

He could see where I was going with that particular comment. “Don’t worry sir, the people will come around sooner or later,” he said as the two of us left his house.

Within two hours the soldiers were chosen and were waiting for me to speak with them before going to sleep that night. Jauffre told me that it would be best to give a few words in order to gain the men’s trust, which I guess was a good idea, but to tell you truth I was bit worried they wouldn’t buy my comments.

“Just listen to me, Lukas; the men won’t laugh at you anymore. Soldiers of the Empire are the most professionally trained, I guarantee you. It doesn’t matter how much the war drained them, I assure you they are ready to get out onto the battlefield once more. It’s what they were trained to do.”

“All of that makes sense, Jauffre, but we aren’t automatically going to fight with Leyawiin, I’ve already told you that. I want to avoid war at all costs.”

“That’s fine, but at least give them a few words before going to bed.”

And that was that with our argument. I looked outside the door and the men were getting a bit restless, probably wondering why they were all standing there doing nothing. Itius was there as well, speaking with Lex and Baurus. It had appeared that Baurus and Jauffre were back on good terms, which was obviously a good thing. Then there was the confusing Itius…

When I first told Itius that he would be commanding the army he was ecstatic. For once he seemed to be in a better mood, now that he was getting a leading role that is. In my mind he was power hungry and wanted to be the center of attention, but I was beginning to think that perhaps I was a bit over the edge with that assumption. Could it be that he was only a born leader and that was what he was supposed to do? I surely hoped so, because sooner or later I would have to choose a commander of the Imperial Army.

That decision would come down to several things, one being their skill in combat obviously. I want a leader that is just as good with a blade as they are with words. I think Lex would win the battle of words, for we is an excellent speaker, or so Jauffre had said. I haven’t been able to speak with the troops just yet and I will certainly get there take as well. I want someone who the soldiers look up to, and that will most likely be someone who knows a thing or two about fighting.

“The time is now Lukas, the men are getting impatient!”

Jauffre was starting to get on my nerves, but nevertheless he was right. It was time to talk to the men.

So I opened the door and walked out. Immediately the men got quiet and thankfully I had not heard any snickers, at least for now anyways. I stood only a few feet away from the men, so that I could get a good look at their faces. From what I could see I was getting mixed emotions. Some looked as though they were interested in what I had to say, but there were still some who looked as though they were still questioning my role as Emperor. Hopefully I would be able to change their views by time they leave.

“I’ve called you here, tonight, in order to tell you why we are about to embark on our first mission during my reign as Emperor. But before I get to that, I want to make sure we are all on the same page. Now, I know seeing me here, a fifteen year old boy, seems a bit strange. But let me give you another perspective you probably haven’t thought about. Think about what it feels like to be a fifteen year old boy commanding a bunch of grown men. It isn’t easy for either of us, but I am committed to making it work. I’ve only been Emperor for a couple of days and I’ve stopped a war between Leyawiin and Bravil, and I’ve also uncovered a secret torture chamber in Leyawiin. I’ve accomplished these things because I am ready to lead you. Whether you believe in me or not remains to be seen in the upcoming days, but I want all of you to know that you can trust me; I promise you that. Jauffre and Baurus are doing a great job of informing me of what goes on in this country, and I’ll be the first to tell you, it will take a while getting used to things. But that’s okay because I am a fast learner. I am going to bring this country back to its prestigious glory and before you know it we will once again be respected by all, even the Council. Right now they are too ignorant to see what I bring to the table, but down the road they will eventually realize how good of a choice I was once they see Cyrodiil more prominent than ever before.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect but what happened next gave me lots of confidence. All of the men began applauding my efforts, and it really did not seem as an act. I really think they were starting to believe in me. Once the applause died down I continued my first “true” speech.

“Now I will tell you the true reason we about to march our way south to Leyawiin. When Jauffre, Baurus and I made our visit to Leyawiin, we unearthed something that threatens the balance in our country. Alessia Caro has a torture chamber and has been killing Argonians, Khajiits and Dunmer for who knows how long. We cannot allow this to continue and we will stop Alessia from her evil acts. As of right now she does not know that I am aware of her doings, but tomorrow, when we arrive at her city, she will be ordered to step down as Countess. My plan is for her to go quietly, but something tells me that will not be the case. And if we have to use force she will be witness to a magnificent display of skill at the hands of her own men. I do not want to send you in battle unless I have to, but if it comes to war then so be it. I will NOT allow a murderer to be Countess of one of my cities…ever!”

Another thunderous round of applause commenced as I ended my apparent successful speech. As the soldiers left, many of them actually came up to me and shook my hand, congratulating me and letting me know that they fully support me. One soldier’s word really took me by surprise:

“When I first learned a fifteen year old child would lead our country I seriously thought about quitting. I’ll admit that earlier this morning I was actually filling out some papers and I was going to quit tonight. No matter how dishonorable it would’ve been there was no way in the world I was going to let a boy boss me around. But hearing your speech here this evening, my views have turned around and are heading in the opposite direction. You are very good with words my lord and I believe in everything you say. I can’t explain but I feel more confident than ever before. There is not a doubt in my mind telling me you will lead our country well.”

I felt very good about myself as everyone left the area, and so did Jauffre. He came over to congratulate me on a job well done, as did Baurus, Itius and Lex as well. I talked to them for a bit before they left to rest for the night, except for Itius.

“Excuse me sir, I know you are likely tired, but can you spare a few seconds of your time?”

“Of course, Itius, you can always come to me no matter what time it is. What is it that you wish to speak of?”

“I don’t have much to say, just that I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to display my leadership skills. I won’t let you down sir.”

Itius was a good a person, and I think that I was going over board in believing he was power hungry. He simply wanted to lead, and lead he was going to do.

After watching Itius leave I entered the palace and then to my chambers after nodding to the guards outside my room. It was finally time for rest, and I certainly needed. Tomorrow would be a long day…

CHAPTER NINE

The next day started off too quick for me to recall any detailed information, other than Jauffre, Baurus and I set off towards Leyawiin with our twenty-five hundred troops, led by Itius. Three hundred archers, seven hundred spearmen and fifteen hundred swordsmen made up our small army. Leyawiin had a little over fifteen hundred men, and I wanted to make sure we had more, but not too many. I had to make sure the Imperial City was still heavily protected during our leave.

According to Jauffre, the Empire as a whole consists of roughly fifteen thousand Imperial soldiers, at least in Cyrodiil that is. The Empire’s influence is spread across all of Tamriel, in places such as Morrowind, but in Cyrodiil our numbers are weakened, thanks to the Oblivion crisis. We’ll of course have to recruit more men if we want the Empire to get back where it used to be, but that’s a subject that I’ll look into later.

“What are you planning exactly, Lukas?” Jauffre said.

“When we arrive at the city everyone, except for Itius, you and Baurus, will wait outside the gates. The four of us will enter the city and order Alessia’s surrender of the throne.”

“That’s a terrible idea, unless you want to die I suppose. Did you ever think about what would happen if Alessia doesn’t go peacefully? Then what will you do with fifteen hundred Leyawiin soldiers surrounding us with our own men outside, unable to do anything?”

“Well, Jauffre, I never thought of that. What would you suppose we do?” I said while rolling my eyes.

“Bring all of the men with us when we enter the city. It is only for your safety. And besides, you are the Emperor. What is Alessia going to do, throw you out of her city?”

It sounded like a good enough idea, and actually I was a bit surprised I hadn’t though of it in the first place. I had to be careful, just as Jauffre had suggested, because she wouldn’t be too happy when she finds out what Jauffre and I found below her castle last night.

But when we arrived at Leyawiin, some four to five hours later, it appeared that she had already learned of our discovery. Soldiers dressed in green, gold and white armor were lined up outside the city gates, with officers in the front. Archers were stationed atop the walls and were also situated in the towers as well. Their army had been waiting for us the entire time.

“Well would you look at that! Somebody must’ve snitched on us. I wonder who that could’ve been,” Baurus said sarcastically.

Baurus seemed to be right in insinuating that Caelia told Alessia about our plans, because the gates to the city opened and out rode five figures on horseback. They rode towards where I was standing, but I feared not for my life.

When the figures came close enough for me to see their faces, I realized it was Alessia and Caelia, along with three officers. I was very surprised to see that Alessia knew how to ride a horse, simply because she was a girl, or woman to be politically correct.

The five dismounted from their respective horses and neared me, where my soldiers around me unsheathed their weapons, but only until I signaled for them to conceal their edges.

“Lukas Septim, what do you think you are doing in my territory with an army the size of this?”

She pointed and talked loudly towards the sweaty, anxious faces of my men; the faces of soldiers who wanted nothing more than to slit the throats of the enemy this very instant.

“It is not wise to taunt my men when they are so eager to kill, Alessia. And you can cease with the sarcasm. You know why I am here, thanks to your bodyguard, Caelia,” I said defiantly.

“Yes, my loyal officer told me all about your conniving scheme to overthrow me and my army. Ha! Such an idea is preposterous and I dearly hope you reconsider that idea of suicide, because that is exactly what it is…suicide.”

She had wide, evil grin spread across her face. I didn’t want to have to wipe that smile off by force if it was not needed, but unfortunately it looked as if I had no other choice.

“You were a fool for trusting Caelia, Lukas. Her allegiance lies to me, and I alone; although I am extremely dissatisfied with her plea for your help. Oh yes, she told me all about that as well. While I am disappointed with that, I am glad she came to me. It was the smartest decision she could make.”

Caelia stood behind her master, cowering at the presence of Jauffre and me. Her eyes were full of tears and her entire body was shaking, just as she had been back in the body chamber. She knew very well how foolish she looked. She could have saved her people and her fellow soldiers. I just didn’t understand why she caved in to Alessia. It just didn’t make any sense.

“You are wrong, Alessia. Whatever I do, it will not be an act of suicide. I will give you one final chance to surrender. If you do not take heed of my warning, I will be forced to crush you and your army. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my people, and I am not afraid to do it.

My defiance was not very well liked by Alessia, and she made her feelings on that subject very clear.

“You are brave, Lukas, no one can deny you that aspect, but it is a foolish bravery I’m afraid; one that will most definitely bring the death of your troops, and ultimately you as well. I will not back down to your commands, for I am not afraid either. I will now show you the skill of my soldiers.”

She turned around and started walking back to her horse.

“That would help if your soldiers actually liked you,” I said, trying to bring the haughty countess to the edge. It appeared that I had succeeded in that attempt.

She quickly turned around and walked right up to me, her face mere inches away from mine. I could smell her breath, and I have to say it wasn’t a very pleasant scent.

“My men are as loyal as can be, “Emperor” Septim. I heard about your debut in the Imperial City. It didn’t go too well, did it, Lukas?”

Again she had the same malevolent grin as before, but just as quick as it came, it was erased in the same swift fashion. Before I even knew what had happened a blade came through the stomach of Alessia. Blood immediately spouted from her mouth and splashed me in the face. Her smile changed to a look of complete shock. She then fell forward into me, knocking me down to the ground, with her body falling on mine.

Blood from her opened mouth continued to seep out, hitting me in the face because I was unable to move from my prone-position. When I was able to move my arms I wiped the sticky red liquid from my eyes, only the see Caelia smiling insanely, and holding a red-stained sword in her right hand.

Caelia began laughing wildly, and I knew then we had lost her. Her mind had wondered to who knows where, and Alessia was dead.

“Ha ha ha! I killed her! She cannot abuse me anymore! NO MORE I SAY!”

Jauffre pulled Alessia’s limp body off of me, and as quick as possible I jumped up and got away from Caelia, not knowing whether she would go after me next.

She then started dancing around maniacally, waving her blade through the air like it was some sort of ritual-relic or something. It was very strange seeing all this. I was still trying to put all the pieces together when one of Alessia’s officers asked: “So it is now over? There will be no war?”

I looked at the soldier, not able to give him an immediate answer. I looked at Caelia, who was now being driven to the ground by some of my men, attempting to tie her hands and feet together. Then I looked over to Alessia, whose eyes were still open and filled with shock. She was dead, and the threat to Leyawiin was seemingly over. I walked over and shut her eyes with my hand, and then I looked up at the Leyawiin officer.

“No…there will be no war between countrymen today….”

CHAPTER TEN

The officers let out a shout of glee, and I knew I was right in assuming their hatred towards the fallen Countess Alessia. If anything they fought for her simply out of fear. I could only imagine what kind of tyrant Alessia had to have been to her soldiers.

“I am sorry about Caelia, but I’m afraid she has lost her mind. There is nothing we can do but lock her up,” said Jauffre to the officers.

“It matters not to us. Caelia was an oddball from the get-go. I always knew nothing good would happen with her as Captain of the guard, but what was I to say? Alessia favored her over everyone else, and I was too afraid to say anything out of fear of being killed by the Countess’s own orders. But now it is all over and our city can have peace once more,” said the same officer who had asked me the previous question. “It’s too bad Count Marius had to die, but the city of Leyawiin will go on.”

“And what is your name, officer?” I asked him.

“My name is Lerexus Callidus; one of Alessia’s chosen few to lead the Leyawiin Army. I was given the title of officer just a few short months ago actually. The other officers and I, the whole army even, have lived in fear for countless years, and now you have saved us from her evil reign. Sure, Caelia was the one who actually killed her, but thankfully that happened, because we all know our army would have been crushed by your Imperial Legion soldiers. It is not that I am not confident in my men; I actually think their skill in battle matches your soldiers at the moment. It is just that we are outnumbered greatly, and we would not have stood a chance. I am very thankful for Caelia’s decision to rebel from Alessia’s grasp, even if it almost happened too late. Hundreds of lives were spared today, my lord. And we have you to thank for that.”

I thanked the officer for his kind words, and then I motioned for the Leyawiin officer to lead me into the city. They cheered vigorously, happy to see their leader fall. I still just couldn’t believe all of what was going on. How in the world did Alessia rule that long without her husband, the Count himself, knowing of her evil deeds? He paid the ultimate price when he at last discovered the room, but the murders are over now. The people are Leyawiin will finally be able to live in peace.

Inside the city, the news spread around quickly, and soon every citizen was dancing merrily through the streets, singing and rejoicing from the news of Alessia’s death. All was well at the moment, but soon the immediate and obvious problems clouded my mind as I knew they eventually would.

Leyawiin was now without a Count or Countess. I decided with Jauffre and Baurus that I shall stay in Leyawiin until a new Count or Countess is named. Jauffre didn’t like the idea at all, but finally decided to let me make that decision as long as I kept one hundred of my own soldiers with men, plus Baurus and Itius. I agreed on those principles and Jauffre set off with the other troops back to the Imperial City. He would tell Lex and the people of my great deeds, and hopefully they would start to realize what kind of leader I really was.

“So what do you have in mind for this city, Lukas?”

Baurus asked the question while munching loudly on an apple during dinner, where he, Itius and I all sat a table in the castle’s dining room. It was a little past eight o’clock in the evening, and the celebration had just recently ended. The people of Leyawiin had found their way back to their homes, drunk of course. I had never seen such a festival in my life. The way people shouted and sung was amazing. Alessia was certainly a hated person.

“Baurus, chew with your mouth closed! That’s revolting!” Itius yelled.

“You won’t have to see if you stop staring at me. What’s wrong, you think I’m cute or something?” Baurus replied playfully.

I knew how serious of a man Itius was, and I also knew he wouldn’t like Baurus’s comment either. I was right and Itius’s face turned red and he went back to his eating.

Even though I didn’t mind the joking, we still faced a problem that would loom over our heads until we finally made a decision on what to do.

“Okay, enough with the jokes, we do have a serious problem here, and I’d like to get it fixed as soon as possible. Leyawiin needs a new ruler, and the three of us need to think of a plan to get them one. Any ideas?”

For several minutes the three of us merely sat staring at each other as we continued our meal. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Itius jumped up from the table.

“By Talos, why didn’t I think of it before?”

I watched as Itius pumped a fist into the air, yelling with great enthusiasm. Then he took a long drink from his glass of ale. I had never before seen Itius act so daringly, because he had always been a quiet man with great manners. Now he was dancing around like a drunken fool.

“Sit down you fool! You’re embarrassing all of us,” Baurus yelled. Apparently he was surprised by Itius’s actions as well.

“What is it, Itius?” I asked.

“Adamus Phillida!”

I had no clue who he was talking about, but Baurus seemed to recognize the name.

“You mean that old retired Imperial officer? Isn’t he the one who retired just a few months ago from the Legion?” asked Baurus.

“Yes,” he said. Then Itius looked at me. “He’s the one Lex was talking to you about. Adamus would be an excellent decision.”

I had never met this Adamus Phillida. How was I supposed to agree with Itius on the matter when I didn’t even know the guy? “And why is that, Itius?”

“To be totally honest, Adamus never was much of a soldier. But his way with words and the way he treated the citizens was outstanding. Everybody respected him because he respected them. I’m telling you, he’s the man for the job, the only man for the job.”

It all sounded good, almost too good even. If what Itius spoke was true I had already found my new Count. But even if it was true, what if this Adamus fellow didn’t want to be Count? Baurus was thinking the same thing I was.

“Okay, you make strong points. But what if Adamus doesn’t want anything to do with being a Count? Then what?” said Baurus.

“Ask him, ask him tomorrow and I assure you he’ll take the job. I know that man better than anyone, with the exception of Lex. His passion for the people was what gained him respect from the citizens of the Imperial City. And now that I think about it, picking Adamus would boost your popularity with the people back at the capitol. They love Adamus.”

Itius’s words sounded great of course, but I still wasn’t sure about this. Although I have to admit the idea of gaining some of the people’s trust was tempting me, I would have to press further before naming my new count.

While Itius and Baurus bantered back and forth I spotted an elder servant dusting an old set of cabinets close to the dining room door. I called for the servant and he reluctantly came over to our table. By the look in his eyes I could tell he was skeptical of taking orders from a boy. He probably thought I was a stuck up brat. I was going to prove him wrong.

“Excuse me sir, but can y