Diplomatic Dovahkiin 1/3

Lucius and Ciri arrived down at High Hrothgar, an anxious Arngeir waiting by the doors.

"Alduin... we heard the Dragonrend Shout from here... you defeated him?" He said, wiping the sweat of his brow.

"In a way... He escaped, and we need to trap one of his allies to find out where he went." Lucius began. "I spoke with Paarthurnax first, to ask if this was fine. We need your help in mediating peace talks. They both respect the Greybeards." He finished.

"The old tales say that he is able to travel into Sovngarde to devour the souls of the dead. You must find out how he does this, before he regains his strength and returns." Arngeir murmured. "Regarding your request. We will do what we can... Paarthurnax has made his decision to help you. This is the road we have to walk. Even the Greybeards must bend to the winds of change, it seems. So be it. Tell Ulfric and General Tullius that the Greybeards wish to speak to them. We will see if they still remember us." He declared, with a conflicted expression.

"Thank you, master." Lucius gave short bow. "Now, we just need to talk to the idiots." He chirped to Ciri as the duo walked away.

"To Solitude then? I'd rather not go to a den of racists and brutes first..." She responded, questioning their next location.

"Yeah~ Good idea... Especially with my ears." Lucius groaned. "We should stop off at Whiterun first."

"Sure. While we walk you can tell me why your eyes are glowing along with your hair." She responded, staring into his pulsing eyes.

"It happened when i took Alduin's life force...So, his divinity? People worshiped him for ages...I really don't know. It was intoxicating though, like a never ending stream of raw unfiltered power." He shuddered, remembering the feeling.

"Whatever you did. It terrified him. He look scared the very moment your hand touched him...Like he knew what it was." Ciri hinted to Lucius.

"Why should i ask hi-... Wait, i could ask him, he's been alive since the dawn of time. Use his arrogance to my benefit, perhaps?" He lowly whispered into the calm winds, not knowing his eyes lingered on Ciri's lithe form.

"Stop fantasising about me, and let's go." Ciri teased, holding out her hand as she faced Whiterun.

.

.

.

A bright flash later and the duo appeared at the great wooden gates of Dragonsreach.

They strode into the hall, spotting an idle Lydia eating at the high table. The Jarl was slouched on his throne, clearly in deep thought, ignoring all the rabble around him as his steward endlessly poked away at his mind.

Spotting the duo, Jarl Balgruuf's eyes lit up and he stood to welcome them with a large smile.

"Friends! Welcome back, how fared your journey!" He called over the hall, arms wide open.

"It went well...All things considered, some had more fun than others." Ciri said, bumping her hip into Lucius with a small smile.

"Urgh... Yes, better than i expected." Lucius sighed. "How are you? You seem fed up with all the politics." Lucius finished, slowly eyeing the court.

"Bah! It's always the same. One side hounds me to join Ulfric, the other to join the Imperials..." The jarl drew out his words. Placing a hand on Lucius shoulder. "War is not like the glorious songs they sing, my friend." He sadly muttered.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you in such times, but we have no other options. We need your help. I need to trap a dragon... in your palace." Lucius requested with a downcast gaze.

"I must have misheard you. I thought you asked me to help you trap a dragon in my palace, for a moment." The jarl half laughed.

"You heard right..." Ciri voiced. "It's the only way to find where Alduin went after he fled." Ciri finished.

"Alduin? The World-Eater himself? But... how can we fight him? Doesn't his return mean it's the end times?" The Jarl muttered in fear, dismissing his court as he sat upon his throne.

"I'd rather die, sword in hand, fighting then wait and do nothing." Lucius hid a grin at his slight manipulation.

"Spoken like a true Nord!....I want to help you Dragonborn, truly i do. And I will. But I need your help first. Ulfric and General Tullius are both just waiting for me to make a wrong move. Do you think they will sit idle while a dragon is slaughtering my men and burning my city? No, I can't risk weakening the city while we are under threat of enemy attack. I'm sorry." The Jarl explained.

"Lucius has already got the Greybeards to help in negotiating a truce until the dragons are dealt with." Ciri proudly announced her friend's forward thinking.

"Smart man! Then i suppose you have some work to do, eh? Good luck with Ulfric, one look at your ears and he'll see red, haha!" The Jarl barked out. "I'll get my men ready to trap a dragon, don't worry. We'll be waiting!" He declared with a fierce glare.

"Thank you, Jarl." Lucius went to bow.

"None of that! I thought I told you last time!" The Jarl stopped him. "Now go! ... Time is fading as we speak." He smiled and waved them off.

"Step one done. Now, i pray to all gods that are listening that Elenwen is still at the Embassy." Lucius joked, arms raised to the sky.

"I can't take us to solitude without a reference. Got anything?" Ciri replied, ignoring his antics.

"Boy!" An old voice shouted over to Lucius. "I made you the crown!" Eorlund came walking up the long steps towards Lucius, holding out a pitch black crown with inlaid amethysts as eyes in its dragon like front.

"Wha- Old man?" Lucius's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't have to give me anything." Lucius said inspecting the crown.

"You inspired me to make it... It's only right you had it, after all, the material was paid for and made by you." Eorlund replied, the gruff of his voice barely present.

"The amethysts?" Ciri spoke up, looking at the crown.

"Ah, they were lying around in my wife's shop. Never got around to using them. A gift for saving our people, and eventually the world, eh?" Eorlund punched his shoulder, and walked back to his forge.

"I honestly thought he didn't like me..." Lucius muttered to Ciri.

"Well you thought wrong. It seems to me he's just the stoic type." Ciri replied.

Lucius placed the crown over his shimmering locks and looked at Ciri. "So, how's it look?" He asked.

Small black spikes layered its rim, pointing upwards. The long dragon head of ebony alloy sloped down, to sit neatly above the ridge of his nose. The smooth, rippled metal, band wore itself over pointed ears, as the wondrous gemstones of ruby and amethyst shined in contrast to his glimmering blue eyes.

"Honestly? It makes you look elegantly terrifying, yet a smooth sexy at the same time...But, that could be my past screwing my vision." Ciri hummed with a finger tapping her smiling lips.

"Elegantly terrifying and a smooth sexy...Hmm... That ticks almost every box a man could ask for." He joked. "Thank you, Ciri." He smile down at her.

"Ahem, the reference?" She said looking down at her feet.

"Right, here." Lucius responded and place a hand on her forehead, showing her the large windmill of Solitude.

______________________________________________________________________________

You people need to stop guessing my plans... Am i that easy to read?

Image of the crown, again, add the small description to the image.

(Image):

Have a good one,

Your "patently evil" Author ;)