The party pt. 3

Rictus looked around the room as he contemplated the best course of action. Mirajane and her contact, Malborn, would be waiting near the door behind the bar to slip away unnoticed once everyone was distracted. He had no plans of personally being part of the distraction. That would just not be good for his image. Instead, he would have to nudge people into causing such a scene.

Hic chance came faster than he anticipated. There was a drunk redguard in the colors of the east empire company chugging mead from a huge tankard while holding another bottle at his side while moving away from the bar. Erikur was standing right in the drunk's pathway trying to flirt with a server. It was too good a setup to miss.

A little application of telekinesis on the redguard's foot caused him to stumble right into Erikur, mead splashing all across his outfit. A particularly lucky turn of events happened when the redguard tried catching himself. He swung his arms around for balance but ended up smashing the bottle right into Erikur's crotch. To make everything better, the bottle cracked, and mead splashed soaked the area and made it appear like Erikur wet himself. The indignant and pained squeal from Erikur as he covered his privates in pain while crouching down was quite pleasing to the ear.

"Are you serious!? What kind of clumsy oaf are you!?"

The redguard was mumbling sadly about losing his mead while he totally ignored the slighted thane. This just caused Erikur to become even more upset, especially when the server glanced at his wet pants and started giggling while moving away. Her actions caused his face to become red in anger as he stared down the other man.

"This outfit is worth more than your life! I demand compensation!"

The drunk man simply rolled his eyes.

"Eh it is not that big a deal. A little mead didn't hurt no one."

A crowd was starting to gather which only seemed to embarrass Erikur further. He picked up his own tankard from the table and tried throwing it at the man. Instead, the redguard dodged it by bending over while reaching for his dropped tankard. The tankard flew across the room and hit a robed Thalmor man, drenching him in mead as well. Erikur was staring dumbly at his blunder. While the redguard was standing up, another little telekinetic push caused him to crash into Erikur. Both men fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and curses.

Erikur quickly stood back up and glared hatefully at the struggling redguard.

"You will regret this."

The cruelty in his gaze did a good job in sobering the drunk as he realized the true magnitude of his actions. He finally realized who he had hurt and the rumors surrounding his ruthlessness. He quickly started trying to apologize.

The Thalmor mage had also reached them and started berating them. Erikur was in a terrible mood at this point and fueled the fire further with his scalding comments.

At this point, Adelaisa ran over hoping to diffuse the situation. Most of the party guess had gathered and were watching the confrontation. Adelaisa was trying to calm down Erikur and the Thalmor as the redguard continued profusely apologizing. Elenwen and Elisif came rushing over trying to diffuse the situation and get the party back on track.

During all this commotion, Rictus had noticed Mirajane making her way through the door and further into the building. He jovially made his way over to the abandoned bar for another drink as he wished her success. While he felt a little bad about what he had done to the unknown reguard, it had been quite effective and humorous.

While he was sitting there, the door Mirajane had entered opened, revealing a female Khajit in a cooking apron. She was looking around a bit nervously but quickly regained her confidence after setting her eyes on Elenwen. Figuring something was up, Rictus stopped her before she could take a couple steps.

"Are you the cook?"

The cat woman tore her gaze from Elenwen and glanced at him.

"Yes. This one is the cook."

She tried moving past him after the curt words, but he was not having any of that.

"Excellent. Would you please bring me a sweet roll? I have a major sweet tooth and would love having a little snack."

"There is something this one must do first before a sweet roll can be brought out."

As she tried edging past him, Rictus put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a sharp look.

"I think you would be better served getting me that sweet roll right now than bothering Elenwen as she is busy right now fixing that mess. Besides, Ri'saad tells me that a sweet roll from a lovely woman can make one feel Restored, especially when the correct sugar is used."

Her eyes widened and nose twitched at the large bag held before her. She could not help but lick her lips at what she knew was in the bag. She began looking between him, the bag, and Elenwen. When a small pink bottle also appeared in Rictus's other hand, her entire body froze. He dropped the bottle into the bag as he held it out for her.

"You are more than welcome to keeping whatever may be left over after making the sweet rolls. I also would not object to any other sweets you could make from it. I do so love desserts after all."

Shaky hands quickly snatched the bag from him and stared inside.

"If you need any more ingredients for the future, I am more than sure we can get your supply Restored. It would be no trouble at all."

The woman stared at him for a second before turning her eyes to Elenwen still trying to deescalate the previous confrontation. Making eye contact with him, she gave a toothy smile before giving a short bow.

"Tsavani would be honored. The gift is much appreciated."

They shared a knowing looking as the woman went back through the door, locking it behind her. Rictus rubbed his beard as he pondered their interaction. 'She must have seen Mirajane. Whatever they tried to bribe or blackmail her with, was obviously not enough. They got lucky I was here and had heard a rumor about the cook buying moon sugar and other less savory products. Coming prepared is always a good thing.'

Everything soon calmed back down as some kind of agreement was reached between the arguing parties. Rictus felt a little bad for the redguard, he didn't even know his name. Maybe he would send some of his people to buy some of the merchant's wares or enter an exclusive deal with him. That would be a good repayment for his unknowing services.

Elenwen made eye contact with him as she made her way over to the bar. She raised a questioning eyebrow as she noticed he was the only one there.

"Where is Malborn? He is supposed to be manning the bar at this time."

"I sent him to check up on something for me. I had asked him if he could get the cook to make me a sweet roll or some other sweet food as a snack. If the other food already prepared is any indication, the sweet roll would be divine. I am truly sorry if I caused any trouble. I was being quite persistent with the request."

She put on a polite smile and nodded hearing the explanation. Malborn just so happened to walk out the door right at this moment. His eyes barely widened as he spotted Elenwen sitting there with Rictus. He quickly schooled his features though after receiving a wink from Rictus. Before he could speak up, Rictus did.

"Ah Malborn. How are the sweet rolls I sent you after coming along? I do believe I can smell them already."

The spy was quick with a smile and a nod.

"They should be ready in no time at all Thane Rictus."

He then resumed his post behind the bar as if nothing had happened. Elenwen did not seem suspicious of anything. Many guests would send special request to the kitchens, so it was nothing unusual.

"I must admit, I am curious about you Rictus. Many know of your deeds and your followers, but not much is known about you personally. From what I have heard, you have not been in Skyrim all that long."

"That would be true. I was living in High Rock but moved here after inheriting my grandfather's house in Whiterun. Skyrim is not what I am used to, but it definitely has its own charms. The civil war and dragon attacks have complicated matters though."

She gravely nodded her head at his explanation.

"Ah yes. Those are the two most popular topics of discussion right now. Dreadful events for sure."

He nodded in agreement before slightly changing the subject.

"I am curious about you position as Thalmor Ambassador. I am quite new here and wondered if the post here differed from the other parts of the empire."

She straightened up and started talking in a lecturing tone.

"Many do not truly understand the reason I am here. One of my main responsibilities is fostering a better understanding between the Aldmeri Dominion and the people of Skyrim. I oversee the Thalmor Justiciars, who preserve the peace between the Empire and the Almeri Dominion, throughout Skyrim. If you wish to discuss the politics of it all more, we can gladly schedule a time for a meeting. We have been cut off from the people of Winterhold for a while now, and as the lone Thane for the hold, your perspective would be invaluable."

"I am sure something could be arranged at a later date. I am fairly busy in the coming days, but please send a request to the Restored here in Solitude, and we can work something out."

Elenwen smiled happily at his ready agreement before shaking his hand.

"I look forward to it. I must attend other guests now, but please enjoy the party."

As they parted ways, Rictus couldn't help but internally scoff at their interaction. 'As if I would want to meet with her. There are tons of other things I would prefer to do than that, like brushing my troll's hair. I hope they are taking care of Grendel…he is very particular in what brush to use on his hair.'

He observed Malborn cleaning a glass behind the bar.

"You owe me."

Malborn met his gaze for a minute before nodding and turning back to his task. He understood how much Rictus had saved him just now. He probably would have been taken to the dungeons without Rictus's intervention. Rictus stared at the elf for a moment longer before rising and going to mingle a bit more with some of the guests at the party.

His eyes were drawn towards a Nord man and woman who must have been siblings. They both had sharp features and dark hair. Their jewel covered outfits proved they came from money. The two of them were in a corner of the room when Erikur joined them and started quietly speaking with the man while looking awfully suspicion. The woman just sat at the table making notes in a book and ignoring everyone.

Something felt off though. Rictus had a feeling in his gut that something was not right. Taking a moment to survey the area didn't immediately give anything away. Enhancing his sight with detect magic and life showed something confusing. Normally, people or things appeared like a light, while ambient mana could be detected making the air almost sparkle. Strangely, there was a void of any mana right near the two me. It was as if something was right there, but not. Or like someone was completely masking their presence.

A sudden shift in the void ended right before the two men. Blood burst from the throats of the two men as a figure wearing dark red and black leather armor materialized and turned towards the sitting woman. Before the assassin could move, Rictus yanked the woman towards him with a quick telekinesis spell. She let out a startled yelp as she flew into Rictus's arm. As soon as their target moved, the assassin jumped out the nearby window instead of pursuing. A piece of paper could be seen falling to the table where the woman had been seated.

The busting glass had gotten the attention of the rest of the party goers. Many let out terrified screams as they saw the gruesome sight of the two men bleeding out on the floor. People quickly started running towards the exit of the building but were blocked by a couple Thalmor soldiers. Rictus could feel the large magical reserves of some Thalmor mages wearily approaching his location with magic on their fingertips. A loud clapping noise and bright green light exploded across the room, drawing everyone's attention towards the center area where an imposing older looking mage was standing behind Elenwen. Once the spell fizzled out, the mage nodded towards Elenewn who then began speaking. Her voice was loud yet projected a sense of calm.

"Remain calm. Our guards are outside right now chasing the culprit as we speak. Going into a frenzy will not help matters. We are safe here for now as long as no one panics. Your guards will be allowed to come escort you out of here and back home after we make note of everyone still here for our investigation."

The crowd had calmed down significantly after her talking, the spell definitely helped matters. A few, Rictus included, were a bit upset at the magic being used on them. Casting spells like that without consent was a major insult, especially in Skyrim where people distrusted mages already. Still, most of the more knowledgeable people understood why it happened in this situation.

As people were still talking ion hushed whispers, two Thalmor mages approached Rictus and the woman who was just staring at the dead bodies. A tall Altmer in hooded thalmor robes spoke first.

"What happened here?"

Since the woman was just staring at the bodies, Rictus answered.

"I was just coming over this way when a figure appeared out of nowhere and stabbed those two over there. I reacted by pulling this woman over here with me, but then the assassin just jumped out of the window. I am not certain, but the armor looked suspiciously like what rumors tell me the dark brotherhood wear."

The thalmor turned towards the woman hoping that she had gotten a better look and could give him some helpful information. It would not be good if rumors of a dark brotherhood assassination in the embassy got out.

"Lady Ingun. Are you hurt? Did you also see the assassin?"

Rictus took note of the name Ingun. That was the name of Maven Black-Briar's daughter. Which then led him to believe the man who looked like her brother was most likely Hemming Black-Briar, Maven's eldest son. Ingun slowly turned and looked at the Thalmor.

"I am not hurt. I did not get a good look at the assassin before being pulled over here by this man. I guess thanks are in order."

Her voice was surprisingly neutral. It seemed almost as if she was not worried about everything which had just happened. The elf gave her a sympathetic look thinking she must still be in shock. Rictus wasn't so sure though based off some of the rumors he had heard about the woman. The thalmor then turned and started talking to his companion. Rictus barely heard what Ingun muttered as she hung her head in sadness.

"I guess I won't be stopping by the White Phial on my way home. Mother will want to see me immediately. How troublesome."

He noted the way she said it and the location. 'Was she interested in alchemy or something else there? Maybe I'll send someone to observe it in case there is something special there.'

What followed was a bunch of questions directed towards the two of them. Thankfully, they were not kept long and left after telling their version of the story a few dozen times. Rictus was quiet as he made his way out of the embassy and joined back up with Miruma and Illia who were more than happy seeing him unhurt.

The whole situation was quite intriguing. An assassin had snuck into the embassy and killed two prominent members of society. This was definitely not something he remembered happening during the original party or the dark brotherhood questline which meant more things had changed from the original storyline. The two who were killed also were important. Hemming was the oldest son of Maven. He handled much of the day-to-day affairs of the business and did a lot for the Black-Briars. Erikur was a prominent businessman and thane in Solitude. One thing did link the two of the together from what Rictus had heard. They both had lots of dealings with the thieves guild.

It was not clear why the dark brotherhood killed them. Was a hit placed on them, or was there some kind of conflict going on between the two guilds? Maybe there was a rift within the thieves guild? The note the assassin dropped did not really clear up anything either. Rictus looked down at the paper with a black handprint on it and the words 'Know your place.' It was a frustratingly vague note which Rictus believed was intended for Maven.

He glanced back at the embassy before continuing on his way. 'The party was much more interesting than I thought. The Thalmor will suffer some backlash for letting an assassin kill such prominent figures under their watch. Not to mentioned whatever Mirajane accomplished.' A smile came unbidden to his face at the thought of the Thalmor suffering. Despite the horrible circumstances, such a thought made him happy. He was glad he came to the party after all.

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[AN]: Well, we are officially done with the party. Shoutout to Kamikaze_Eagle for at least partially guessing what was going to happen at the party. Don't remember if anyone else did, but kudos to you if you did it. Also, this concludes the party.