Court at Solitude

"What did you think of the Jarl's proposal, Sir Nayan?"

The Court of Solitude was over for the day. Thane Hagar motioned for the young noble to come over, to discuss the court's politics with the other high-ranking men. Some of the other Thanes were discussing the trade proposal made with Hammerfell recently, but really it was a way for the more experienced, older Thanes to demonstrate their status over the younger nobles. Some of the other Thanes guffawed rudely and continued discussing their business.

The noble known as Nayan smiled pleasantly, and walked over to the group of men. Hagar eyed him - the boy had a slim but athletic frame, wearing an expensive waistcoat inlaid with filigree, and black breeches. He was never seen without the silver rapier he carried on his hip at all times. The strange hat with a long feather sat elegantly on his platinum hair and he wore a traditional Altmer veil over his face. Or so he had told the court. Thane Bryling had said it best - that the older men were fine as long as they mocked Sir Nayan behind his back, but none dared to say it to his face. For none knew if that rapier was truly ornamental or not. Even his heeled greaves were almost soundless as he answered the summon of the older Nord.

Nayan's soft voice spoke. A boy's voice.

"I think it is a great opportunity for Skyrim to re-ignite trade with the Redguards. Skyrim needs it in this time of civil war and dragons, no?"

"Bah! We don't need the help of those desert ruffian-bastards!"

Thane Erikur had been drinking as soon as the sun started setting, and some of the other Thanes had dared to oppose his views on the matter. Erikur was not one to suffer opposing viewpoints in his arena of politics.

"Skyrim does fine on it's own! The Imperials will route out those Stormcloak cowards soon enough. We need money for soldiers, not for sodding trade!"

"We need more allies than enemies, and the Hammerfell lot bloody hate them elves."

Hagar drunk from his tankard, and wiped his bristled beard. Erikur eyed him with scorn. Another Thane, an older Nord known as Belrund, spoke with a thunderous voice.

"Watch your tongues! Nayan is an elf, an...uh...what are you again, lad?"

Nayan's grin was obscured under his veil.

"High Elf, Sir Thane. The pale skin is apparently down to some Snow Elf blood on my mother's side from long ago. Do not worry yourself sir, I do not expect the Thanes of Solitude to remember the family tree of one noble."

Several of the Thanes grumbled, but Belrund silenced them with a glare.

"Aye, that's the one, lad. I apologise on behalf of my fellow gents, this Great War business has driven a wedge between the races. The effects of it will linger on for some time to come, I'll wager."

"It's no trouble, Thane Belrund." Nayan lowered his voice to a whisper. "The Thalmor give us all a bad name and I for one would be glad to see them routed."

Belrund widened his eyes, but said nothing and nodded politely. Nayan spotted a few raised eyebrows around him, realising he had probably overstepped his bounds. This was his cue to leave.

"Anyway, I thank you for inviting me to the court this evening, Thane Belrund. I'll be retiring to my quarters now however, for the eve is short and the night is long and cold."

The slender noble gave the group of Thanes a deep bow.

"Good night, gentlemen."

Belrund smiled in response, while the other Thanes simply murmured their various well wishes and goodnights. Nayan smiled again, turning his back on the court and started to walk down the oval staircase, out into the Blue Palace. The Thanes continued talking in hushed tones, their voices growing louder as the sound of Nayan's rapier rattling in it's sheathe eventually silenced.

"He's an odd duck, that Nayan lad."
"You heard what he said about them knife-ears though, lad's got a Nord's heart!"
"Lad's got a noble's heart, he'll say anything to get into the good graces of the Jarl, and of us lot as well."
"I hear Elisif's taken a fine liking to him, if you get what I mean."
"Poncy lad like that wouldn't give a pure-bred Nord much sport in the bedroom though. She'd probably break him, hahahaha!"
"Don't let our most beloved Jarl hear you, Hagar! Bloody Nora, show her a modicum of respect!"
"I'm sure she wouldn't bloody mind! Have you seen some of the wenches staring at him - bloke would get torn apart in a second."
"If he even is a bloke, girly little bugger."
"Talking of that, I hear he's been seen leaving Thane Wrothgar's mansion early in the morn. You know what that means."
"What? No. That old buggerer's already left a mark on the elf?"
"I've seen the lad at Dibella's Warmth, giving some of ol' Torygg's favourites a good seeing to as well. Little sod's got an appetite, I'll give him that!"
"What?! You reckon he swings both ways, then?"
"Hah! I'd need a whore or five if I'd just been porked by Wrothgar's warty old cock!"

The Thanes laughed raucously, but Erikur had been silent, mulling over his tankard. The other Thanes started to disperse for the evening, their gluttonous appetite for gossip and swagger sated. Serving girls came out to serve the remnants of the court mead, several Thanes trying their luck with them. The Jarl herself had long retired.

Erikur had watched the young noble Nayan walk away with a discerning eye, as he nodded politely to the various retainers and servants on his passage out of the Blue Palace. Completely unbecoming of so-called Solitude nobility. Some of the servant girls had giggled in response to the boy's charming nature as he passed them, talking amongst themselves excitedly.

"Doesn't that "noble" worry you in any way?"

Belrund turned to Erikur, while Hagar was getting bawdier and bawdier with the other Thanes. Their crescendo of laughter didn't help Erikur's mood. Belrund sighed.

"He's a pleasant boy, Erikur. What do you mean?"

"I don't like him. He wears that veil to hide half his face, he's far too nice for a Solitude noble, we don't really know where he came from, just that he showed up in the city one day with mounds of coin. He's unpredictable, Belrund, and I doubt he's giving himself to Wrothgar for naught in return. That old molester is powerful, my friend. If he keeps wooing Elisif the way he is, who knows what will happen?"

Erikur drank from his tankard again, pulling a sour face. Erikur was a backstabbing sleaze, even for a Thane, but he was experienced in the ways of nobles and favours. His intuition was probably correct, Belrund thought to himself.

"And I have never seen any knife-ear wear a black veil, either - those two bints who live in the city don't, nor do those bastard Thalmor. Or black eyes. He reminds me more of a bloody Daedra. Stentor says he's not a vampire though, so I have to believe her. I'm no coward, Belrund, but something about that sneaky little prick gets me."

Belrund stroked his chin, deep in thought. So Erikur had also gone to the Jarl's wizard over this newest member of the court. Deep down, Belrund felt the same way. The young noble was as polite as can be, perhaps overly polite and it wasn't unheard of for a handsome young newcomer to put the old Horkers in the court on edge. Yet sometimes, when Belrund would look over to Nayan during court when the lad didn't think he had eyes on him, he wasn't sure what he was looking at. These unsettling rumours of Wrothgar and brothels also instilled a distrust in Nayan's friendly demeanour - maybe he knew a lot more about the unsaid rules of nobility than he was letting on.

"I just don't want any trouble, Erikur. He'll be off again soon, and then this whole charade will be over - he's a bloody vagabond with money, at the end of the day. Rather not rock the boat before all's said and done, eh?"

Erikur nodded glumly, and spied a servant girl serving drinks across the way. He strode off to get more mead, nodding to Belrund as he walked by. Belrund looked down at his own empty tankard, and followed. The night was young and mead was plenty, and surely mead would make all these worries disappear for the time being.