Chapter 58

If Astrid didn’t become pregnant that night, it wasn’t due to lack of trying. After two hours, I was exhausted, and fell asleep with her sprawled across my body, with the toy still impaled inside her. Elisif and Serana had been incredibly supportive, keeping Astrid always at the peak of release while also keeping me supplied with either a drink for energy, or a taste of their own juices for ardor.

For the first time in ages, my sleep was not troubled by bad dreams. I did dream, but it was ... different. I saw my father and mother entering the Imperial City, only there was no attack by Mehrunes Dagon. They were greeted by cheering crowds. Father used the Amulet of Kings to seal the gates to Oblivion. He and mother were wed the next week. I saw myself born, then two years later my little brother was born. I grew up in the Imperial City, destined to rule.

I saw the Thalmor attempt to assassinate my Father when I was ten. They failed, and my mother left us for a time. She returned with a scar on her cheek and a slight limp, but there were no more attempts. When I was older, I came to Skyrim, learned the Thu’um from the Greybeards. I still was able to master the Thu’um, but my skill with alchemy, swords, or smithing were nowhere near what they are now.

I returned home in time to help use my new powers to help defend the city against an attack. I stood on the walls, my mother standing beside me with her bow at the ready, father standing in his armor directing our troops. I started to use the dragon shouts to disrupt the attacking soldiers when an earthquake struck the city. I fell to the ground, stunned.

“Martina!” I heard my mother scream, felt my face hit the ground hard.

Then her voice changed.

“Wake up, Martina! You’re having a bad dream!” Serana was shaking me to wake me. She had finally slapped me on the face. Her hand came forward to hit me again. My hand came up and caught hers in mid-strike.

“I’m awake. Is everyone all right?”

Elisif and Astrid were on the floor beside the bed, in a jumble mixed in with the covers. Astrid hollered up, “I think the only thing hurt is our pride. I’ve never been around you when you’ve used that ability of yours. Is it always like that?”

Elisif complained, “Astrid, would you get your tit out of my eye? Seriously, I rather enjoy waking up with any or all of you in bed with me, especially now that I’ve come to my senses. But waking up being tossed ass over head isn’t a lot of fun.”

I looked at them in shock.

Serana took me in her arms. “It’s okay, love. You were dreaming, talking in your sleep. I was listening to you for a bit, you were talking to your mother and father, and something must have happened, because suddenly you tensed up and tried to shout. It took me a moment to realize what you were doing and before I could shake you, you managed to get the first part of a shout out.”

“I’m so sorry, my loves. I was dreaming of ... a life that didn’t happen. My father and mother, growing up in the Imperial City, having a younger brother. For once, it wasn’t really a bad dream.” There were tears running down my cheeks.

Astrid and Elisif got untangled and joined Serana in holding me in their arms.

“I would guess that the stress you’ve had today, along with the comments that Fasendil made about seeing your parents, is what caused that dream.” Elisif used her hands to wipe my tears away. “Don’t cry, you didn’t hurt any of us, would never hurt any of us.”

“Exactly, Martina. I’m the Jarl of this city and I order you to stop crying. Actually, if we have enough time this morning, since we’re all awake, I’d like to...” There was a knock on the door that interrupted her.

It opened and Lydia poked her head in. “My Thane, ladies, I’m just checking to make sure that everything is okay in here. I’m guessing that you just had an earth moving experience, since part of the hall shook a bit. You need to start getting ready for the day, though. Oh, and if Surgus looks a bit ... off ... today, he has cause.” She grinned, then closed the door behind her.

“I guess we don’t have time this morning.” Astrid looked sad.

Serana looked at her for a moment, then moved from me and began an assault, tickling her ribs. The next several minutes degenerated into a group tickle that ended with us all laughing in a pile in the middle of the bed.

“Thank you, my loves. I needed that.”

We got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Breakfast was a quick affair, as there was a lot to do before noon. Several matters that needed immediate attention were handled, and the time flew by quickly. I was in discussion with Rikke about troop deployments when Saerlund interrupted. “Your pardon, my Queen, but I have been given instruction to get you so you’re not late for your own wedding.”

“Oh. I guess it is. Rikke, we’ll finish those later.” I started to head for the door when Saerlund coughed, pointing in another direction. “The Temple is this way.”

“I believe that there are some ... arrangements ... that must be made first. If you’ll come this way, my Queen?”

I saw Lydia grinning. I realized when I looked at her that she wasn’t wearing her helmet and her armor was gleaming. She also was wearing something I’d never seen on her face before. Makeup! I stopped, dumbfounded. “Lydia, what...”

“Your turn, Your Majesty. Come along, this is one fight you won’t win.”

In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t take that long, it merely seemed that way to me. There were two women I didn’t know waiting for me. One of them started washing my face, the other started brushing my hair. I heard that one muttering, “Not much I can do with this, she’ll have to have that crown on.” The lady finished washing my face and then opened her tray of cosmetics.

“Hold still, I need to put this on. Close your eyes, that way you don’t blink and ruin it.” For the next several minutes I felt brushes, sticks, and who knows what touching my skin and going through my hair. There must have been a couple of tangles as well, as I felt some tugs from behind.

The struggle eventually ended as both women moved away from me. “I believe that will be the best we can do in the limited time we have. At least her skin is perfect, no need to do any major concealing of scars. It’ll have to do. Now, sit still, we have to get the accessories right.” I felt the weight of the Jagged Crown settle on my head. My hair was teased and pulled a bit more. “Good. Now, if you’ll please stand.” I had been wearing regular clothes. Those were quickly taken from me and for a brief moment I was wearing only my smalls.

Silk slippers were placed upon my feet. A long purple robe with the bodice covered by a dragon made of gold was placed over me. It was held together with ties on the side instead of coming over my head and messing up my hair. There was golden cording that crossed around my waist, under and around my breasts, then wrapped around again and tied. A polished leather sword belt with silver ornaments on it was placed around my hips. A gleaming silver scabbard held my sword, the hilt and crossbar still showing their wear. Finally they placed the robe of the Empress on my shoulders.

“We would not dream of doing anything to your sword, so it’s the only thing that’s not newly made for you, Your Majesty. Well, obviously the Crown is the same, just cleaned. At the same time, protocol requires that you be armed. So the new sword belt and scabbard was a compromise. Fortunately, everything arrived from Solitude yesterday so we could make sure it was presentable for today.”

“Yesterday?” I looked a bit puzzled.

“Yes. Jarl Elisif had made arrangements for these to be made as a present for you. A fast courier brought them to us last night.”

“What about clothing for her and the others?”

“Actually, that was easy. They’ll all be wearing simple robes with a dragon emblazoned on the chest. This is their way of showing that their titles do not matter, it is to you, the dragon of the north, that they are pledged.”

“So ... I finally realized who you are. Just exactly how did you get this job, Sapphire, and who is this with you?”

“Galathil does good work, doesn’t she? She wasn’t in the Flagon when you came in, or you’d recognize her. She works ... worked ... for the Guild, doing things to our faces and such for disguises.”

“Yes, not exactly my chosen client base, but ... I learned my arts from the masters, studied at the university in Cloudrest. I had set up practice in Chorrol and was quite successful when I was peremptorily summoned to Alinor. A member of the Aldmeri High Council had a Bosmer he wanted me to ... work upon. The young lady was not willing. I refused as being against my ethics. I was thrown into a dungeon to ponder my options. The one option they failed to consider was that I could perform my art upon myself. So I managed to escape. First to Hammerfell, eventually here.”

Sapphire then said, “As for us getting this job, it’s our assignment, from Delphine. She’s not going to trust anyone else to do this for you or your ladies, not with the Snow-shod family still living in town. They are all being closely watched right now.”

“Do I know those people? That name doesn’t mean anything to me.”

A voice from behind me said, “Their son was to be married to Vittoria Vici. Since you sort of brazenly announced that you were the Listener for the Dark Brotherhood, Vulwulf Snow-Shod has been ranting that you must pay for your crime against his family. His wife Nura is a priestess of Talos, so that doesn’t make it any easier. Their other son was the housecarl to Laila Law-Giver, so he’s already in exile in Windhelm with her, and since you as the Dragonborn are what caused that, the entire family pretty much wants to see you and all of yours dead.”

“Thank you, Delphine. I’ll discuss with Astrid what to do about them later, I guess.”

She laughed. “No need. This is something that actually comes under my own authority with the Blades. Everything will be taken care of later this afternoon.”

“Without bloodshed, I hope?”

“Should be. They’ll receive an escort to Windhelm, to join their son there. Now, turn around, I want to see what Galathil has ... damn. I knew you were, but ... you truly are a beautiful woman. Your wives are very lucky. I knew from our ... well, never mind.”

“And so now my client list includes the Dragonborn, the Queen and Empress of Tamriel. I know that I’ll be working for you and whatever it is that your intelligence service requires, Delphine. Just ... if possible, try not to send me to Alinor. I do not wish to ever see Herecinde.”

“Was the Bosmer he wanted you to work on named Gildan?” I asked.

“You know of her? How is this?”

“If it helps your conscience, if not your purse, Herecinde is dead and Gildan is ... well, probably somewhere near Markarth now, working for me on another project. She did have something done to her, she doesn’t look Bosmer at all anymore. Let’s talk...”

Delphine interrupted. “Later. I came to let you know that we’re ready to proceed.”

I followed Delphine to the door. The entry hall was strangely empty. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

Delphine smiled. “Because at heart, you’re actually a rather simple woman who really doesn’t like all the pomp and ceremony that comes with your actual title and position. Speaking of that...” She opened the door outside for me.

The steps down from Mistveil Keep were lined with city guards on both sides. Lydia and Jordris were waiting for me outside. Their armor and weapons gleamed in the light. They took up slightly leading and flanking positions to either side of me, while Delphine brought up the rear. Once we got to the bottom and the walkway, the canal side was lined with Imperial soldiers. I could most of the regular population of Riften on the far side of the canal in the market. They were cheering loudly, waving banners and flags.

I almost felt like I was in a dream as I walked in front of the former Black-Briar manor, seeing and trying to take everything in. The entrance to the Temple of Mara was next, and now the Imperial troops were replaced by city guards on one side, the members of the Dragonborn’s Own that had accompanied the Jarls on the other. Fasendil was waiting at the first step.

“Troops! Attention!”

At his command, the soldiers on both sides slapped their right arms to their chest in a resounding clash. Fasendil drew his sword in salute, turned, and led us up the steps. At each step, the soldiers again saluted me. At the top of the steps, he turned back, placed his sword tip down between his feet, his arms out, holding it like the statues of guardians in tombs.

Behind him, a young man with red hair, wearing the robes and emblems of a priest of Mara, opened the door for us. Lydia and Jordris took up positions just inside, to either side of the door, while I continued in. Inside the temple was literally standing room only. There were two rows of benches on either side of the main aisle, and a lot of people I wasn’t expecting to see in those rows. The back row on the left held Mirabelle, Sybille, and Annekke. The back row on the right had Babette, Elise, and Giraud from the Bards College.

In the front left row were Siddgeir, Thongvor, with Valerica closest to the aisle, while opposite them were Balgruuf, Brina, and Idgrod. Standing along the walls I saw Isran, Urag, Leah, Brynjolf, a Dunmer woman I didn’t recognize, Rikke, a Nord man I didn’t recognize but who seemed to be wearing a Jarl’s crown. Standing next to him was a face I hadn’t expected to see anywhere in Skyrim, Knight-Paladin Gelebor, then Surgus and others that I didn’t see clearly. There were several other people further inside as well, but when from a room to one side, I saw three visions walking towards the center altar, that’s all I could focus on then.

Their hair color set them apart truly set them apart, as they were all dressed in long white robes. On their right sleeve there was some emblem, each of them different, while on the front and back, gleaming gold thread was embroidered into a dragon. I walked forward to the altar where Maramal, Dinya, and Erandur waited. I stopped at the center and my loves took their places beside and behind me. I truly could not believe how lucky I was, that these women loved me. Maramal began the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today for something simple, yet something complex. The bonds of marriage in Skyrim are simple. Two souls profess their love for one other and with the blessing of the Lady Mara, they are joined in wedlock. However, there is no actual restriction spiritually that a marriage be only between two people. Thus, we find ourselves here today to join in marriage this group of souls that have pledged themselves to each other.”

“At the same time, due to the unique nature of these people, there are some secular rules that must be met. As High Priest of the Temple of Mara in Riften, the temple for all of Skyrim, I am satisfied that those requirements have been met. For the actual record, let it be known that the Temple of Mara recognizes Martina Grizé, High Queen of Skyrim and Empress of Tamriel, Jarl Elisif the Fair of Solitude, Jarl Astrid Death-Bringer of Riften, and Lady Serana of Volkihar province as being present and willing to join each other in marriage under the benevolence of Lady Mara.”

He raised his hands up, a glow coming from them. Looking over the audience, he said, “At this time, I will formally ask if there are any objections to the ceremony proceeding, if any person has any claim or misgivings about what shall happen here, that he or she speak now or forever be silent.”

After a few moments of dead silence, he then said, “So be it. As was witnessed by Lady Mara through me, there were no objections ... to anything. Therefore, if you would please take each others hands...”

I turned so I could face my ladies. We put our hands into the middle, so that each of us was touching or holding each other. Maramal came from behind the altar and began walking around us. “It was Mara that first gave birth to all of creation and pledged to watch over us as her children. It is from her love of us that we first learned to love one another. It is from this love that we learn that a life lived alone is no life at all. We have gathered here today under Mara’s loving gaze to bear witness to the union of four souls in eternal companionship.”

“May they journey forth together, in this life and in the next, in prosperity and poverty, in joy and in hardship.” He stopped, facing Serana. “Do you agree to be bound together in love, now and forever?”

She replied, “I do, now and forever.”

Maramal turned next to Astrid. “Do you agree to be bound together in love, now and forever?” She answered the same.

He then turned to Elisif and repeated the question, which she answered the same way. Finally, he turned to me and asked me as well.

“I do, now and forever!”

“Under the authority of Mara, the divine of love, I declare this group to be wed. I now present you with these matching rings, blessed by Mara’s divine grace. May they protect all of you in your new lives together.” He then looked up at the audience. “In a regular ceremony, this would normally conclude things and the newly wedded couple and their guests would leave. However, before everyone here leaves for any festivities, certain ... others have something to say.”

An older woman that I had never seen before walked up to us. “I am Hamal, priestess of Dibella. It is my honor and privilege to grant all of you the favor of Dibella. Through your actions in restoring order to Skyrim, the temple has a new Sybil. You have shown yourself to be a friend to the House of Dibella. The Lady Dibella says, open your heart to the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love.” I could see a twinkle in her eye. “The binds of family are the strongest known to exist. I enjoin to each of you these bindings, that you may live as long as you love, and love as long as you live.”

She stepped backed and then a man came walking up. It took me a moment to recognize him.

“For those of you who do not know me, I am Rorlund, the priest of the Temple of the Nine Divines in Solitude. Not every temple could have representation here today, so I am speaking for the rest. I have already personally witnessed the love for Elisif that Our Queen has, when she saved her life from a vicious curse. The love that this family has for each other should be held as an example to all of us, and we of the temples look forward to life in Skyrim under their rule.