X

The atmosphere in Lady Toziri's office was heavy and electric.

- "I told you ! Hiring those mercenaries was a mistake," Sahkar raged, "The princess almost got killed by a senche lion because of that boy! "

- "It was an accident that won't happen again," Flavia replied with her usual calmness despite the tension. "Alberic has already been punished for his misconduct and I can assure you that he has learned his lesson."

- "The princess has been very clear about what happened and my guards are also at fault for their lack of vigilance," Captain Tasarr humbly agreed. "They will be severely punished, too."

- "Even so, this should never have happened!" the old counselor stormed, not willing to calm down.

The little incident with the lion in the moon sugar cane fields had quickly escalated and an emergency meeting had been called with the key officials.

- "That's enough," Lady Toziri, still sitting at her desk, calmly ruled. "The incident is over, and fortunately no one was hurt. "

- "Lady Toziri, we must take measures to ensure that this does not happen again," Sahkar suggested.

- "I agree. But knowing my niece's temperament, we will have to take appropriate measures."

- "What do you propose?" asked Captain Tasarr, "To keep her locked in her room?"

- "Of course not. That would only encourage her to try to escape. We need to keep a closer eye on her while remaining as discreet as possible. "

- "What do you suggest, then?" asked Flavia politely.

- "Four guards should accompany her on every outing. Captain Tasarr'Do, choose the best of your men for this task. The princess is not to be allowed outside the villa or after dark. "

- "May I suggest that one of my men accompany the princess on each of her outings," the mercenary captain continued.

There was a brief silence as the khajiits exchanged glances with each other. Lady Toziri finally spoke again in a courteous tone.

- "I thank you for your help, Captain Flavia. However, given your experience and skills, we prefer that you and your men continue to patrol the property. And after what happened today, perhaps it is best that the princess's security be provided by khajiits."

- "I understand and respect your choice, Lady Toziri. However..." Flavia hesitated to continue.

- "Please, Captain. Speak freely."

- "Princess Shazira has become very attached to young Alberic. I think it would be wise not to prevent her from continuing to see him."

- "Alberic?" Councillor Sahkar raised an eyebrow as he gave Flavia a twisted look. "That young breton was the reason the princess almost got eaten by the lion. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

- "If it wasn't for that young breton, the princess would be dead in the desert right now," Flavia continued, holding the counselor's gaze.

The old khajiit was about to add something when Lady Toziri cleared her throat to get the attention of her audience.

- "Preventing my niece from seeing this boy would only encourage her to run away. Besides, it will always be one more person to look after her." Her tone was as calm and polite as ever. "As long as the princess does not leave the villa grounds or go out after curfew, she is free to visit him as much as she wishes."

- "I thank you, Lady Toziri," Flavia replied, bowing respectfully.

- "I still say this is a very bad idea," Sahkar grumbled into his goatee.

The meeting ended quickly and everyone went back to their own business and duties. It was getting dark outside and Flavia was about to leave the villa when Captain Tasarr pulled her aside.

- "Captain Flavia, may I speak with you for a moment?"

- "Of course, Captain Tasarr'Do. What can I do for you?"

- "I would like to thank you and your men for your vigilance and assistance." His tone was polite and measured. "The safety of the princess is enhanced by your presence."

- "I'm not sure everyone shares your opinion."

- "Councillor Sahkar is a very suspicious person, but he has served the khan for many, many years. I apologize for his abrupt and ungentlemanly tone. The safety of the princess is very important to him."

- "I know from experience that mercenaries are not always easy to trust." Flavia smirked. "Especially to a former legion officer like me. The khajiits of Elsweyr do not appreciate the authority of the empire and I understand their distrust. "

- "For me, you and your men have my full confidence."

- "And I thank you for that, Captain Tasarr'Do. Just as I thank you for saving Alberic's life by killing that lion. "

- "By the way, I understand that young man was punished after the incident of this afternoon," the khajiit continued in a curious tone. "I hope you weren't too hard on him. It was only an unfortunate accident after all and no one was hurt."

- "A punishment was necessary nonetheless, but rest assured... we were not too harsh on him."

* * * * *

- "Ouch!"

Alberic winced in pain. Lying on his bed in the mercenaries' quarters, the young breton was being treated by Gunnar, who was applying a foul-smelling ointment to the wounds on his back. It was a simple, rustic remedy made from herbs that could be found in any herbalists or apothecary. Almost every mercenary had a pot or two of it in their belongings to soothe the most minor wounds.

- "Stop whining like a baby," said the Nord. "I feel like I'm listening to a horker[1] in heat."

- "Easy to say... you're not the one who was whipped to a bloody pulp."

- "I've been cut and sewn up more times than you can imagine, boy." He laughed loudly. "And every time, I was too drunk to complain."

Alberic sighed as he let Gunnar apply the ointment to his raw wounds. If this wasn't the first time Captain Flavia had reprimanded him, it was the first time she had given him corporal punishment. Ten lashes on the back, no more, no less. She herself had carried out the sentence with a cat-o-nine tails. Fortunately for the young mercenary, he had not been chastised in public as required by military regulations and Flavia had preferred to proceed in all discretion. Knowing this did not lessen the pain and humiliation.

As if he had read his mind, Gunnar decided to change the subject.

- "I hope it was worth it."

- "What are you talking about?" Alberic raised an eyebrow.

- "A sunny afternoon, a walk in the wilderness and a pretty muzzle to go out with you..." The Nord showed a mocking smile. "I hope you were able to enjoy it a little before the lion got involved."

- "What on earth are you talking about?"

- "Pull the other one, my boy... I hear that khajiit fur is very soft to caress... is that true?"

- "Nothing happened," Alberic replied with a sigh. "Shazi just wanted to go out for a walk in the fields. Nothing more."

- "Shazi? You're calling her by her nickname now? When did you two become so intimate?" Gunnar wasn't about to stop teasing him. "We were hired to protect the princess... and that probably includes her virtue."

He laughed loudly and gave Alberic a solid tap on the shoulder, and Alberic grinned even more. The young boy found Gunnar's exuberance as annoying as ever and preferred not to respond to his childish provocations. The Nord giant quickly regained his composure and seriousness when Captain Flavia walked through the door.

- "How is it going?" She inquired as she watched Gunnar apply the ointment.

- "He's fine. He squeals a little when I rub the cream on him, but he should recover quickly."

- "Al', how are you feeling?"

- "I'm fine," the boy replied, trying not to wince too much at the pain. "I've learned my lesson, Captain."

- "Good. Just because this place is out in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean we should relax our vigilance. This afternoon's incident proved that. "

- "What about the cats?" asked Gunnar, "What do they think about it?"

- "The khajiits will take measures to restrict the princess's movements and increase her security."

Alberic smiled at this answer. Knowing the adventurous and rebellious nature of the princess, he was sure that these new measures would not hold her back for long. He had to admit that she was very good at sneaking away.

- "I bet the old tabby cat had to pull a face," the nord snorted loudly.

- "Councillor Sahkar still doesn't trust us, and I'd be just as suspicious as he is." Flavia stuck her thumb under her eye patch. "All the more reason not to disappoint the Khajiits. Is that understood?"

- "Yes, Captain," the two mercenaries replied in unison.

Gunnar finished applying the ointment to Alberic's back before patting him on the shoulder again. As he nursed him, he couldn't help but notice that the captain had been holding back with the whip.

- "It's okay, boy. Put your shirt back on and try not to strain your back too much."

- "Get some rest, Al'. Gunnar will take over for you on the evening patrol," Flavia added.

The young breton grumbled a reply as he moved to a sitting position on the bed. He pulled on his shirt with slow, careful movements as Gunnar rose to leave the mercenary quarters and begin his evening patrol. Just then, Master Imril entered. The Nord stared at the Altmer mage for a long time before leaving. The high elf seemed nervous and walked towards his bed and his belongings without saying a word.

- "Master Mage," Flavia called out to him.

- "Y... yes?" the elf stammered.

- "Thank you for your ointment."

She tossed the small wooden pot to him and the mage caught it awkwardly before stuffing it into his travel bag.

- "You're... welcome, Captain Flavia."

- "Can I ask you a question?"

- "Of course."

Flavia approached the mage to continue the conversation in a more subdued tone, eager to keep Alberic out of it.

- "I asked the princess about the incident with the lion and something bothers me..." She frowned as she glared at the high elf, "Why didn't you cast a spell to help Alberic? I don't really know much about magic, but... you must know a spell that would have been useful in a situation like this."

- "Oh... well, you see... it's, how shall I put it..." He coughed before resuming in a more confident tone. "Cryomancy is a very complicated and difficult magic to master. It is very difficult to be precise with it and, as I'm sure the princess told you, Alberic and the lion were far too close to each other. I would have risked the boy's life by acting too hastily. You wouldn't have wanted him to end up a statue of ice, would you?"

- "Certainly not." She nodded. "I thank you for your foresight and restraint in this case."

The mage greeted her before hurrying out despite the late hour. Flavia watched him for a long moment, even after he had passed through the door, a suspicious expression on her face.

- "Is something wrong, Captain?" asked Alberic who had noticed her attitude.

- "No... it's nothing." She finally looked away from the door. "It's been a hard day and a good night's sleep will do us all good."

* * * * *

Kneeling before the obsidian mirror, the high priest Jaro prayed. Dawn had just broken and this was the best time to commune with his dark master, for this one spoke through dreams and nightmares. Sleep allowed the daedra to influence the thoughts of his followers so that when they awoke they could still feel his demonic grace on their minds. Many of them did not hesitate to drink powerful potions designed to put them into a deep sleep in order to commune more easily with their lord.

But not Jaro. He did not have the luxury of indulging in such practices because he had to ensure the proper conduct of the cult. As a high priest, his responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders and he knew the price of failure if he displeased his master. The daedra had come to visit him in his sleep with dark dreams that hinted at his impatience and imminent return. Jaro had no room for error... and he had little time.

- "High priest." As always, Brother Dronos had slipped behind his back without making a sound. "Our brothers are ready."

- "Good..." the black-furred khajiit whispered as he stood up. "Let's go join them."

They made their way through the damp tunnels to the central cave. The place did not echo with the usual murmur of prayers, but with the crunch of metal against stone and the din of conversation. The adepts armed themselves with rusty swords, maces and iron axes, which they wielded clumsily. Few of them were warriors, but their numbers and fanaticism made up for these gap. Each of them was ready to give his life for their dark master and they would blindly obey the orders of the high priest.

- "When will they be ready to leave? "

- "In less than an hour," replied the dunmer. "Shall we act at once?"

- "Yes. The Golden Cane Farm is two leagues south and the walk through the jungle will take you several hours. "

Jaro watched thoughtfully as the disciples prepared for battle. He wished he could have prepared more and come up with a better plan than this... but they had already lost too much time.

- "How do you wish us to proceed?"

- "You will be in charge of this mission, Brother Dronos. Our brothers will obey you in every way. Hide near the farmhouse and when you judge the time is right, you will strike."

- "Yes, high priest." The Dunmer assassin bowed.

- "Everything rests on you now. Whatever happens, our master must have his bride." Jaro grinned as he bared his fangs menacingly. "If anything stands in your way, kill it."

Dronos' eyes glowed under his hood at this last recommendation.

- "It shall be done as you command."

* * * * *

Alberic wrung out the water-soaked rag over the bucket. Kneeling on the floor, he sighed as he saw how much work he still had to do.

On Flavia's orders, he had spent the whole day cleaning and scrubbing the quarters where they were staying. He had swept the floor, tidied up the storeroom and had just finished mopping the floor. The captain had insisted that the place be as clean as a legion kitchen set and, like any officer, she attached great importance to discipline and protocol. Alberic knew full well that this was nothing more than the rest of his punishment for risking the princess's life. However, cleaning the floors and dusting were far preferable to another round of lashings and it was with a certain detachment that he set to work.

Such a simple task allowed him to rest and think about other things. Despite Gunnar's care and Master Imril's balm, the pain from his wounds was still raw and he had had great difficulty sleeping last night. He had not even put on his armour so as not to strain the wounds on his back. Ordinarily, Flavia would have taken a dim view of such a breach of the rules, but she had said nothing. No doubt she wanted to spare him a little.

She and Gunnar replaced him for the daily patrols while Master Imril was out doing the Gods only knows what. The elf was still as distant as usual and only came home to eat and sleep. Alberic didn't know what he could do with his days. He remembered seeing him harvesting plants in the moon sugar fields, but he had no idea what he did with them afterwards. It was probably mage stuff and Alberic preferred not to get involved. He had enough to worry about as it was.

He could have done without such a punishment and he bitterly regretted his little walk the day before with Shazira. He couldn't blame her either, because all she had wanted to do was walk in the fields and enjoy the beautiful weather. Alberic had just not been vigilant enough. Luckily Captain Tasarr'Do had intervened and even if it had earned him a few lashes, it was still better than ending up in a lion's belly.

- "Knock knock," a familiar voice sounded near the entrance.

Alberic sighed as he turned his head towards Shazira who was standing in the doorway, basket in hand and escorted by no less than four Khajiit guards. The princess still had that mischievous, happy little smile on her lips.

- "May I come in?"

- "If I said no, would you leave?"

- "Of course not," she giggled.

And as she said this, the young khajiit entered and sat nonchalantly on the breton's bed. As usual, she behaved with confidence, as if she owned the place. Alberic was beginning to understand the rebellious and mischievous nature of the princess. Totally undisciplined and spontaneous, she was the complete opposite of Captain Flavia.

- "I have work to do," he replied politely.

- "What? Cleaning up this dump?" She raised an eyebrow without losing her smile. "You have the right to do a little break, yes?"

- "Are you going to get me in trouble again?"

- "Of course not. " She raised her hand in a solemn gesture. "I swear to Jone and Jode that we won't leave this place, or do anything stupid."

Alberic looked at her suspiciously. As much as he enjoyed Shazira's company, he was still a little wary of her unpredictability. Besides, she seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble. The young mercenary observed for a moment the guards who accompanied her. Two of them had stayed outside to watch the surroundings while the other two kept a watchful eye on the princess. She was going to have a much harder time escaping this time.

- "Alright," Alberic sighed as he stood up. "I may as well take a break."

The young khajiit smiled wider and moved aside to make room for her on the bed. The young breton sat down next to her and winced. The pain from his wounds was still throbbing and he was in constant fear that they would open up again. The princess lost her smile and looked at Alberic with concern.

- "Does it still hurt?" she asked, her ears low.

- "A little... but it's nothing. Don't worry about me." He smiled awkwardly to reassure her before changing the subject. "What did you bring me today? Another Khunzar'Ri story?"

- "Not quite."

Shazira immediately regained her mischievous smile and took a book out of her basket before handing it to the young man. Its cover was worn and it looked very old.

- "I managed to find this in my aunt's library. The Two Moons Primer."

- "The prie me... what? What's that? Another hero with wacky stories."

- "Of course not." She laughed at him. "A primer is a book that is used to teach children to read. Go ahead, open it."

Curious, Alberic began to leaf through the little book. Its pages were covered with drawings of animals or monsters with large letters written in many different styles.

- "Do you really want to teach me to read?" he asked in a surprised tone.

He had never believed that the princess was serious when she offered. Beyond being a privilege of the rich or the noble, Alberic was convinced that it took great intelligence to be able to read or write and that it was not for everyone.

- "I don't know if I could do it..." he admitted in a low voice.

- "But of course you can. When I was a kitten, I was taught to read with this book. You'll see, it's really not that difficult."

- "Where to start?"

- "At the beginning... you will first learn and memorize the letters."

- "But... there are so many," replied the young breton, leafing through the book."

- "You can't learn them in a day, you know. But with time, you'll be able to."

The young khajiit's tone was spirited and she seemed to be struggling to contain her excitement judging by the brisk, nervous wagging of her tail. Alberic had always found the body language of khajiits amusing.

- "Open it to the first page," she said in a cheerful voice. "What animal is drawn on it?"

- "It looks like an ape?"

- "An ape, that's right. A for Ape. See that big letter there? That's the letter A."

- "The letter A...", Alberic repeated thoughtfully, his attention fully absorbed by the illustrations.

- "Memorise it well. Let’s take another page now. " She turned a few page forward.

- "What's that?" He frowned at the drawing. "A big fish?"

- "Almost... it's a whale." She laughed before she got serious again. "W for whale. Look at the way the letter is spelled with its two V."

Alberic had never seen a whale before. He had heard stories from fishermen about a gigantic sea creature that overturned ships and devoured their crews. But the picture he was looking at now was not terrifying.

- "Is that a whale? I've heard stories about them... stories of shipwrecks and crews being eaten."

- "These are legends. These animals may be big but they are gentle and peaceful. They wouldn't hurt a fly." Shazira looked dreamy at the drawing. "I would so love to hear whales sing one day."

- "And the next letter?"

She smiled at him, delighted at her student's interest and curiosity.

- "Pick another page."

* * * * *

- "Hurry up, Banaro!" shouted Radirr.

- "Not so fast... my paws are sore from wading through the fields."

The two khajiits walked up the path to the workers' quarters. They had spent the day in the fields harvesting the precious moon sugar cane that made Lady Toziri's fortune. It was hard, backbreaking work as the farmers constantly bent their backs to cut the cane at the base while being assaulted by the bites and stings of the insects that proliferated in these growing basins. But as hard as it was, there were some benefits to the work, especially for the khajiits.

The pay may not have been great, but there was an abundance of moon sugar available and the workers did not hesitate to help themselves with more or less discretion. And when there was moon sugar, there was skooma. Almost every farmer had his own still to distil the precious drink and there was nothing like a few sips of skouma to forget a hard day's work in the fields. Many of the khajiits who worked in these plantations did so for this reason alone.

And Radirr was eager to enjoy a bottle or two before going to bed.

- "Come on, Banaro. I can already smell the sweet, sweet smell of good skooma ahead."

- "You should ease up on the skooma, Radirr. You've been drinking too much of it lately."

- "Nonsense!"

Although immune to the side effects of moon sugar, khajiits easily became addicted to skooma. In fact, it was a very common addiction among the poorest people. Radirr thought that perhaps his friend was not wrong. His consumption of skooma had increased greatly in the last few weeks and the craving was getting stronger too. Every day he told himself the same thing and promised himself to reduce the dose. But every evening after work, all he wanted to do was relax with a few sweet sips of skouma. And tonight was no exception.

- "The wind is blowing hard tonight," Banaro said behind his back.

Radirr could only nod as he looked up at the sky. Night was just beginning to fall and heavy clouds were gathering to hide the moons and stars. The wind had also picked up and stronger and stronger gusts were now shaking the moon sugar canes. No doubt a storm was brewing for tonight.

- "All the more reason to go home and get warm in front of a good fire," he replied over his shoulder. "Come on, hurry up, Banaro! ... Banaro?"

When he turned around, his comrade was gone. Only his sickle was left on the ground of the path. Radirr called out again before approaching the abandoned tool. It was then that he noticed the trail of blood on the ground heading towards the nearest growing basin. With the increasing darkness, the long moon sugar canes formed a veritable opaque wall and Radirr squinted as he scanned them.

The last thing he saw was a pair of red eyes staring coldly at him through the vegetation. The next thing he saw was a dagger whizzing through the air and into his throat. The khajiit raised his hands to his neck and collapsed with a gurgle of agony.

- "Pick up the body," Dronos ordered sharply.

Two of his followers immediately obeyed and pulled the lifeless body out of sight. Dozens of men and women dressed in black robes and with their faces masked hid in the middle of the moon sugar cane ponds. Their hands held old rusty weapons and their eyes burned with fanatical fervour. They were ready and waiting for Dronos' order.

- "Begin the attack...", the dunmer finally said.

* * * * *

Lady Toziri's house was like a small mansion. There were many rooms for guests and servants, a large kitchen and several sitting rooms for relaxation. Sitting in one of those room, Captain Flavia was busy writing in her diary. It was not a personal diary but a military one. As a former legion officer, she had made a habit of writing down daily reports in great details so that she could always keep track of events.

- "What are you writing, Captain Flavia?" a small voice sounded beside her.

Like all cats, Lady Toziri was quieter than a shadow. She leapt onto the bench where the mercenary was sitting, a curious gleam in her eye.

- "I'm writing a detailed report of the incident with the lion."

- "A report? I thought you were a mercenary and not a soldier."

- "It's all the same to me."

- "Your thoroughness and professionalism are a credit to you, Captain. But you should consider resting for a while."

The alfiq glanced out the window. Night had fallen and the wind was now gusting, rattling the shutters and creaking the timbers.

- "It's going to be a rough night," she said. "The storm season seems to be early this year."

Flavia stopped writing for a moment. Ever since she and her men had arrived at the Golden Cane Farm, the captain had been wondering about the threat to Princess Shazira. All the questions she had asked had remained unanswered and the subject seemed to be a sensitive one to say the least. Perhaps she should be less direct in her approach.

- "May I ask you a question, Lady Toziri?"

- "Of course. You are my guest after all."

- "Why did you agree to let your niece continue to see Alberic?" She continued at the khajiit's questioning look. "The princess could have been injured in that incident... or worse."

- "I understand your surprise, Captain, but..." The alfiq lay back comfortably on the bench. "I've known my niece since she was a kitten, and if you try to forbid her to do something, she'll double her efforts to get it. Also, this must be the first time she's managed to make a friend and I don't feel like forbidding her."

- "The first time?" Flavia raised an eyebrow. "I understand that the princess has hardly ever left the Rimmen palace. Why?"

- "It's a somewhat complicated story... a family matter we'd rather not discuss."

Despite her polite and courteous tone, it was clear that Lady Toziri preferred not to dwell on the subject. But Flavia was eager to know more.

- "Is it because of her eyes?"

- "By the moons, no." The alfiq shook her head. "That kind of birthmark is seen as a blessing from the gods. It is as if Jone and Jode had blessed this child personally."

- "Then why isolate her like this? Could it be because of the enemies of your brother that Councillor Sahkar spoke of?"

- "In a way..." conceded Lady Toziri, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "As I told you before, it's an old story... a rather complicated old story."

- "An old story that you don't talk about with strangers, I suppose?"

The alfiq's tail was now flicking the air nervously as she held the mercenary's gaze. She finally sighed before answering.

- "Listen, Captain. I understand your curiosity about the dangers facing the princess and that the information is crucial to you as a soldier. But if everything goes well, and I hope it does, you won't need to know any more."

- "And if things don't go well?"

- "Well then, it won't be long before you learn the truth... one way or another."

Flavia was about to ask another question when heavy footsteps echoed at a rapid pace down the corridor. Gunnar pushed open the door to the living room with a crash. From his rapid breathing and still tense muscles, the Nord must have run all the way here.

- "Cap'n!" He began in a hasty tone before regaining his composure as he noticed Lady Toziri's presence. "M’Lady."

- "What is it, Gunnar?" Flavia frowned. "You should be on patrol by now. "

- "That's just it, Captain. I think we have a problem."

- "A problem? Can you be more specific?"

Gunnar approached his superior with a concerned look on his face.

- "I think you'd better come and see for yourself."

Notes:

[1] A marine mammal native to Skyrim and similar to a huge walrus. They are hunted for their meat, fat and ivory tusks.