Dark Brotherhood Contracts

This tunic is itchy, and the colouring is terrible. Who willingly wears white and only white? Either chef or Gourmet, I don't envy them. ..At least I can still carry a blade, however small it may be.

Reaching the top of the hill, I peek through the archway and observe the Penitus Oculatus officer at the door. That should be Maro. My hands move on their own, brushing off any dirt on my outfit and fixing my hair into a makeshift bun.

Walking up, he towers over me. He's tall for an Imperial. Maybe he's a half breed? Maybe I'm just short.

He lifts his hand up to stop me.

"No one is allowed entry without proper papers."

I reach into my pocket and pull out the Writ of Passage I found in that orcs room. He takes it from my hands and opens it.

Almost immediately after he opens it, he makes eye contact with me. I smile, making him look back at the parcel.

"I should have realised." He folds it and hands it back to me. "I can't think of anyone who would just wear cook garbs for no reason."

"Ha, you don't know enough 'cooks' then."

"The kitchen is to your left." He sighs.

He unlocks the door and lets me through, and I listen to him lock the door behind me.

Turning left, I see a woman slaving over a pot over a fire. She looks up and squints at me.

"Who are you?" she inquires. "I'm the only chef that's been tasked to this kitchen. Well... and the Gourmet.." she practically whispers 'Gourmet.'

"Yes, that's me."

I watch as the expression on her face changes from confusion to adoration and excitement.

"So I was right! I always imagined you'd be a wood elf, there's no way anyone else could know which woodland herbs to combine for the perfect taste!" She trails on and I observe everything that lays around the tables beside her.

"What all has been put in already?" I interrupt.

"Oh, right." She looks down at the mixture in the pot, almost embarrassed. "The Emperor has requested your signature dish - the Potage le Magnifique. I've already started it, but your book only tells us so much and everyone makes it differently. I think.. it should be made your special way. I already have the broth boiling so... what should be added in next?"

She looks at me with eager eyes, and while I'd love to just throw the root in and send it up, I can't.

"Is there any Honningbrew Mead here?" I look around the table, unable to see any.

"There might be some on the rack behind me, but I don't know how fresh it'll be."

"Any age of it is fine, we just need the slight taste of alcohol and honey. Even if it's stale, the flavour was going to be diluted from the other flavours anyway." I shrug my shoulders and walk to the rack, picking up and placing bottles back down until I find the one I'm looking for. I pop the cork out then place my thumb over the opening, shaking it slightly and then dumping a few sips into the broth. "Mix that well."

While she stirs the new mixture, I grab a couple carrots and chop them up before setting them aside. They're not perfect but nothing good ever is.

"Is there any horker meat here or do you have a different meat prepared?" I look around the room and can practically hear her perk up.

"There's horker meat!" She points to her left, a small bowl with meat placed in a table trough, small somewhat transparent cubes surrounding it. "Over there, in the ice."

I can see it's already diced, that'll make this go a little quicker. Picking up the bowl, I carry it to the pot and dump in about a cup of the meat as well as the chopped carrots.

"And where's the nirnroot?"

"Nirnroot..?"

"Yeah, the glowing plant that likes to ring near water?"

"I know what it is, I just didn't think you'd use it for seasoning." She looks around and then back to me. "Could you.. Take over stirring while I go and grab one? It shouldn't be long." She hands the spoon to me and I begin stirring. Until she's out of view.

Bringing the spoon to a standstill in the pot, I pull the Jarrin Root out of my satchel and bring it over the pot while scraping my blade on it. Dark brown powder falls into the soup and I stir it in while placing the root back into my satchel.

"Here we are." And not a moment too soon. "It was a little further than I remembered." She looks at the stew and I lift the ladle out, browned meat with a pink middle and soft carrots resting on it.

"It's almost done, I just need you to finely chop up the leafy part of that and we can mix that in then serve it." I put the ladle back into the pot and continue to stir. "Does that sound fine to you?"

"Of course it does, let me just get this done and we can carry it up." She smiles, picking up a knife and mincing the leaves before sprinkling them into the pot. I think it's thickened up rather nicely.

"If you'll allow me to say..." the woman speaks up. "It has been an honour, getting a chance to prepare a meal with, well... the best chef in the Empire. I'll carry the pot and lead you to the dining room. I'm sure everyone there is just dying to meet you."

"I'm sure they are." I smile.

She takes the pot off of the flames, ladle in hand as well and leaves the room the way I came in. Following behind her she leads me to stairs, stepping carefully so she doesn't trip. Getting closer to the top of the stairs I can hear a conversation.

"...east bit nervous? After everything that's happened?" A woman's voice.

"You mean the wedding? My cousin's apparent murder?" That must be the Emperor. "An unfortunate misunderstanding, no more. Cold mead, hot tempers... these things happen."

"Yes.. Yet that recent business with the young officer." Another man. "Maro, was it? How dreadful. The son of your commander, plotting your assassination."

"Yes, an unfortunate turn of events, that. But an isolated incident. I have been assured that the fault was with the man's son alone. Truth is, there's no danger whatsoever. Sure killing me could be useful, but befriending me?" The doors open and the voice is less muffled. "That's beneficial. As I'm sure you'd all agree."

A man with grey hair turns to face the doors and I'm met with old blue eyes. His face lights up a bit and he smiles.

"And here they are!" He clasps his hands together, a quiet echo sounding from the air between his palms. "Honoured guests; I present to you, the Gourmet." He smiles a toothy smile. "I have requested the Potage le Magnifique, his, her, most famous dish. And I, as Emperor, reserve the right of first taste." The nobles laugh and the cook steps forward with the soup, pouring ladleful after ladleful into his bowl.

He lifts his spoon and dips it into the bowl, lifting a spoonful of the broth with meat and slipping it into his mouth. His eyes widen slightly as he takes the spoon out of his mouth.

"This is marvellous, the tastes and textures are perfect. I don't-" he clears his throat. "I don't think I've ever.." a hand grips the cloth on the table. "Wh-something is terribly wrong..!" Clutching his chest he struggles to breath and I watch as no one does anything. Guards don't approach, the nobles just stare but the lady cook with me steps forward to try to help. His eyes roll back and he falls face first into his dish.

That's when the guards draw their swords.

"The Gourmet and the chef have poisoned the Emperor!" One shouts. "Arrest them!" The guards by the door I entered through stand in the way of it. The chef with me yells and tries to run, ensuing more chaos but giving me an opening. I duck under the officers' arms and slip through the door I've been told to leave through.

Once outside, I block the doors by placing a sword through the door handles. Turning around I run toward the tower's stairs. Halfway across, I watch as three Penitus Oculatus soldiers emerge from the opposite side of me. The soldiers draw their blades so I know it's not part of my arranged escape. What's going on?

"I'll be damned. They were telling the truth." The one in the back speaks up. He's the same one that let me in. I place a hand on the hilt of my dagger, ready to defend myself. "So you're the one who killed my son?"

"You'll need to narrow that down a little, I've killed many sons." I taunt.

"You know who I am." I can see anger growing in his eyes and smile.

"I watched as the poison took hold in your son's veins. I knew it would make it look like a natural death but... Sithis I almost forgot that I had dumped that poison into his water supply."

I can feel my smile widening, stretching from ear to ear. My eyes widen along with it and I know that the red is more prominent. I probably look insane to them. I watch as Maro places a hand on the hilt of his sword, slowly unsheathing but stopping halfway through and sheathing his sword instead.

"One of your own sold you out, you know." He's calm. Why? I let my smile drop and I stare at him further. "They sold you to me. Free of charge. Well, I'd have to let you kill the Emperor."

"What do you mean?" He paces back and forth.

"Of course," he looks at me again. "I would never hand the Emperor over to anyone. Not for anything."

My grip tightens as he casually points to me.

"You didn't think he was the real one, did you?" he laughs. "You assassins are far more foolish than I initially took you for. It doesn't matter anyway, my men are on their way to assault your little 'sanctuary' as we speak."

No.

He leans forward on his knee and makes direct eye contact with me.

"And you belong to us now. I would've just killed you myself but since you're the one that killed my boy... You don't mind being kept a little longer, do you?" He turns around. "Bind and bag her, we're taking her to headquarters."

What just happened?

Someone sold me out?

Who..?

As far as I'm aware, the only one who doesn't wholly get along with me is Arnbjorn but we're basically siblings right? That's how siblings mess with each other... right?!

He's lying.

No one that respects the Family and its Tenets would do this.

A hand touches my arm and my head snaps up along with my blade. I stare at the face of the soldier in front of me and pull my dagger out of his jaw, dropping his body to the side. I hear a sword unsheathe and my body acts on its own. The knife looses from my hand, flying straight into the right eye of the other man. His body drops to the stone below him and I rush over, pulling my dagger out of him too. Once inside its sheathe, I dash for the same route that Maro took. Reaching the first level down, I can hear the gate closing. I continue downward and leave the same way I did eight months ago.