Chapter 57

Elisif moaned from deep in her throat, but I knew she heard me. She let her ankles go free and lowered her legs to the bed, holding out her hands. I don’t know that she knew who I was referring to with my comment of us, but it was tough for her to see with Serana’s slit hovering over her face anyway.

I joined her on one side, Astrid on the other. We both began kissing her fingers, licking them, sucking them in our mouths. After a minute or so of that, I moved her hand down to my wetness. Serana raised up to her knees, giving me a kiss. I could taste Elisif on her lips as our tongues danced. With Serana raised up, Astrid moved down and started kissing Elisif on her inner thighs. Elisif moved her now free hand so she could grasp Serana on the thighs, bringing her inner lips closer to her probing tongue, while her other hand and fingers continued to toy with me.

Astrid opened up Elisif’s petals, exposing her nubbin. She then began using her tongue and teeth to good effect, licking and nibbling gently at the exposed mound. Elisif began to scream as she found her release. Her fingers, though, continued to work their magic on me, two of them probing inside me for my special spot while her thumb rubbed my nubbin. Serana saw that Astrid was presenting her backside to her, so she reached over with her left hand and started working on and in Astrid.

We switched positions but continued together as a group for another series of releases. After that, I stopped, breathless. “We’re going to have to get ready, you know. We’re having a dinner with the priests of Mara, not the Temple of Dibella.”

Elisif blew out a big breath of air. “Gods, it’d be nice to not do that, just spend the rest of the evening in here making love to all of you.”

I said, “That ... sounds like you’ve made a bit of a decision.”

“I realized that I was being silly, basically. You are ... who you are. My being jealous was just my being stupid. I think Idgrod is more than just a seer, with her visions. I heard what she said in the tent earlier, but I didn’t ... comprehend it until Serana and I were sitting here talking after you’d left. She didn’t say sister-wife, she said wives. So I’m going to presume that this woman who brought me to multiple releases with her wonderfully skilled tongue is going to be one of them, whoever she is.”

Astrid giggled. “You know who I am, dear Elisif. But this is the first time we’ve ever known each other this way. Since the ... since Martina brought me in here, I’m hoping that was her intent.”

Serana looked at me through half-closed eyes. “Plotting again, Martina?”

I sat up, picked up a towel and started to dry my breasts off. “Hopefully we have some water for cleaning in...” The door opened, Jordris walked in carrying a large pot of warm water with multiple towels draped over her arm. She sat the pot down, placed the towels on the sideboard, and turned to leave.

“Everyone will be here in about an hour. It would be good if you all were ready then, and didn’t show up for dinner smelling like you’re a bunch of sex crazed women.” She smiled a bit. “Even though those of us who know and love you know that’s what you all really are.” She shut the door firmly behind her.

I looked at the other ladies, a rather bemused expression on my face. “I think we just got our marching orders. Let’s get ready and quickly, shall we?” I refused to answer any of the questions I was asked while we cleaned up and dressed, simply smiling.

Just over an hour later the four of us left the Jarl’s Chambers and entered the main hall. Everyone was seated at the table as we approached. Saerlund was standing to one side, holding a staff. He rapped it three times on the floor and everyone rose to their feet. “My ladies, my lords, invited guests, welcome to Mistveil Keep. Tonight we hold a feast in honor of our Queen and Empress.”

Fasendil pulled my chair out for me so I could be seated. As I sat, Saerlund rapped the floor and shouted, “All Hail the Queen!” Everyone in the hall repeated it loudly. He rapped the floor with his staff again. “We have more honored guests in Mistveil tonight. The Rift recognize Haafingar, Whiterun, The Reach, The Pale, Hjaalmarch, and Falkreath as our guests!” The Jarls of each of those holds then sat. He rapped the floor again and everyone else sat. I looked at him with a smile of acknowledgment on my face, and a nod of approval.

From the end of the table where five of the Jarls were seated, Siddgeir stood, raising his glass of wine. “My ladies, my lords, a toast to her Imperial Majesty.” Everyone stood and turned towards me, with their glass upraised. I raised my own, nodded, and then we all took a sip of wine. The clinking of the glasses being set back down and the scooting of chairs as everyone sat down seemed to be the signal for the dinner to be served.

It seemed that the first speaker at the dinner table was to be Balgruuf. He took pride in recounting the adventures that had happened in Whiterun to me. He positively gleamed with joy in recounting to everyone the capture of the dragon, followed by his release, with me riding off into the sky. The bit about Farengar being chased away brought a laugh. That entertained everyone for most of the main course, anyway.

Then Thongvor took over, recounting how I’d saved the his city from the Forsworn. I just sat quietly, eating and occasionally glancing at one of my ladies with a look of apology for things dragging on. I didn’t realize that these comments on what I’d done had a purpose until Brina started talking about how Erandur had tried to find a cure for the nightmares that had plagued Dawnstar, and it was only my actions that allowed him to penetrate the magic shields. When she finished, that’s when Erandur stood.

“So. We have had this dinner in honor of our Queen and Empress, as she prepares to finish uniting Skyrim under her rule. She is no figurehead, content to sit and watch as others take the risks.” He snorted a little. “If anything, she sometimes needs restraint, so she doesn’t take too many personal risks herself. And that’s really why we are here tonight, because there is only one way that I know of for certain to give her at least some restraint. May I present Maramal, priest of the Temple of Mara, and his wife, Dinya.”

The priest, a Redguard, and his wife, a Dunmer, stood up. Dinya sat down again, as it was obvious she was several months along and standing was uncomfortable for her. The priest began speaking. “The Divine Mother of Benevolence teaches us many things. One of her teachings is that love knows no bounds. The only restriction upon love that Mara places is that love does no harm. Any others are ones put upon by society, by man or mer. There are accepted societal norms, such as a marriage is between only one pair or couple, for to many people that is all the love they may have.”

“It is quite obvious that our Queen has boundless love, for only one with such a love for all of Skyrim and Tamriel would have risked her life so many times for all of us. At the same time, there are certain areas of society that cannot be ignored. Typically the spark of union is between only two mortals, for it comes from within and is not based upon any outward appearances. Based upon my ... discussions, our Queen does not fit this standard exactly, as she is the child of the avatar of a Divine.”

“Thus, as a priest of Mara it is not fit for me to restrict how many souls may join with hers, nor is it fit for any of the Temples to do so. The only restrictions are those placed upon royalty by the laws of man. So I must ask this question of you, My Queen. Does your bride-to-be meet those laws?”

I took a sip from my wine goblet. The only sound in the entire room as I put the glass down was the crackling of a log in the fire. “I have a question for you, Maramal. Jarl Elisif and I were married in Solitude, in the Temple of the Divines. Is that marriage already recognized by you, or would it perhaps be better for us to ... renew our vows, albeit not exactly in the same way we took them in the first place since we are all marrying each other?”

He blinked. “That’s an excellent point, Your Majesty, and one I had not considered. The Temple of Mara recognizes marriages performed in other temples, as we realize that it may not always be possible for everyone to travel to a Temple of Mara to be married. But as you say, you will not just be marrying someone else, you will all be marrying each other, then ... yes, I think it would be best if we had a joining ceremony for all parties involved. That does not invalidate your marriage to Jarl Elisif, of course, just ... what is it I was told you say, love does not add, it multiplies?” He smiled.

“Very good, that sounds like we will definitely be having a wedding tomorrow at your Temple, then, as the divines would be satisfied.” I looked around the table. “As for the laws of man, or the Empire, well ... let’s also get that out of the way, now, so that’s all taken care of, in front of these witnesses. Lydia, did you find her?”

“Yes, your Majesty. She and her companion are waiting just outside.”

“Very good, bring them in.”

Lydia motioned to the guard at the door. The guard opened the door, telling the people outside to follow him. A tall Nord woman entered first. She was wearing her armor with her war paint on her face, her hands flexing for weapons she wasn’t allowed to carry. An older Imperial man followed her in, wearing simple finery. They were led to a position near the middle of the hall, between the tables and facing me.

I could see from the look on her face that the woman recognized me from my previous trips to Riften. She looked puzzled. The man with her said, “You’ll forgive us if we’re rather puzzled as to why we’ve been brought to Mistveil Keep. Maven Black-Briar has not exactly been the biggest fan of what Mjoll has been doing. That she hasn’t shut us down is still a mystery to me.”

I calmly replied, “Why would that be a mystery to you, Aerin? After all, you’ve been working for Maven for years. It’s actually quite amusing when you think about it. In public and presumably in the privacy of your home where Mjoll can see it, you support the biggest critic of the Thieves Guild. But in reality, you actually worked for Maven, giving the people a public champion who, through your efforts, is ineffectual in what she truly desires to do, which is help the people of Riften.”

Mjoll looked at me with shock in her eyes. “Who are you, what are you talking about, and where is Maven Black-Briar?”

“As for who I am, it’s quite simple. I am Martina Grize’, the High Queen of Skyrim. What I’m talking about is simple.” I threw a book towards her that landed at her feet. “A listing of accounts, found in the former Jarl’s chambers, including her payments to Aerin, along with the bonuses for when he managed to delay your investigations just enough.” My voice softened. “I’m truly sorry. Maven needed someone to publicly oppose her. You were doing so because you cared about the people.”

She turned and looked at Aerin. “You saved my life, nursed me back to health. We have been together for years. I will grant you an explanation.”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about, Mjoll. There is no High Queen here in Skyrim. Ulfric is the High King. I’m not sure where Maven is, but she’ll tell you herself that this is nothing but a pack of lies.”

“You only wish it were, Aerin. Look around you. Do you recognize the people sitting here in this hall? The Jarls of seven of the holds of Skyrim are here tonight. Maven is now sitting in a prison for her crimes against the people of Riften, her treason to the realm. Give me one reason why you should not join her there.”

He looked like the proverbial rat caught in a trap. “I ... am a loyal Imperial subject. I demand to be brought before someone representing the Empire, to defend myself against these ridiculous charges.”

“Oh, well, I would not dream of usurping the authority of the Empire over its subjects. I think your case should be heard by the highest person of authority in Tamriel.” I smiled at him then, a cruel smile. “The Empress of Tamriel sits here tonight as well, for she and I are the same person. So, please, defend yourself to me against these charges. And to make it perfectly clear, you are charged with being an accessory to treason against the citizens of Skyrim and as the residents thereof happen to also be Imperial subjects, also against the Empire itself.”

I’m not exactly sure what he was thinking, but he broke for the doorway. Perhaps he thought that my soldiers were of the same quality as the original city guards. Either way, he was cut down before he made it two steps.

Mjoll stood there like a statue. I could see something in her eyes, as if a film had rolled back from her vision. After a moment, she shook her head, then spoke. “Forgive me. I feel ... I’m not sure what I feel right now. I ought to be angry that Aerin is dead, but ... I just don’t know.”

“As I suspected. We’ll have to see if there are any other women in town he’s abused this way as well. If you care to read the details, they’re in that book. He’s been dosing you with a potion that bound you to his will. Oh, there’s no doubt you care for the people here in town, that’s all you. Did you ever wonder, though, why you nearly always failed to do anything successfully against the Thieves Guild? That was all on him. And on the former Jarl, Maven.”

“If Maven is no longer the Jarl here, then who is?”

“To be perfectly honest with you, Mjoll, for a time I had actually considered giving that position to you. You do care about the people of Riften. But I think you’re more like some of my close acquaintances, and so instead, I have a job opportunity for you. The Thieves Guild is no more, not as you all know it now, anyway. There will always be people who think that stealing something is an easy way to acquire it. But Mercer Frey lies dead in the Ratway, so the Guildmaster is no more as well. There is no need for your crusading as an individual for the citizens of Riften against them, or Maven.”

“Then what would you have me do?”

“Would you be averse to being the housecarl to the new Jarl of Riften?”

There was a murmuring of voices at the side tables. Mjoll simply stood there. “From what you are saying ... your pardon, Your Majesty, since it appears you are both my Queen and Empress ... that person is not Maven Black-Briar. This is not a refusal, but I would need to know who I am working for before I accept.”

“I supposed that’s only fair. Saerlund Law-giver, based upon your performance tonight, you have earned your job as steward for the Rift. I will name your Jarl in a moment, but first I must give a bit of an explanation to Maramal, priest of the Temple of Mara.” I turned to face him.

“You stated earlier that I am known for saying that love does not add, it multiplies. You are quite correct in that, not only have I said it, but I have seen it. So I know that it is not just a saying, but in truth it is reality. You also asked me if my bride-to-be met the qualifications of marriage for royalty according to the laws of man. What you failed to ask me was that if all of my brides met that qualification, which I can understand as you are mostly concerned with what is pleasing to Mara. And I think that without a doubt my wedding will be pleasing to Mara.”