I have no frigging idea why, but even after nearly six years since Skyrim has been released and more than 1000 hours of gameplay across multiple platforms I still think Solitude is in Hjaalmarch. I have no idea how many times I've written it in the story, I keep making the same mistake. Solitude is in Haafingar, while Morthal is in Hjaalmarch.

Efforts and arrangements to organize Castle's moving to a safe location started immediately. Captain Gates discretely moved mountains to keep everything under wraps and a secret, even to her own men. The King suspected she had ties with the Thieves Guild and she had pulled some strings or called in some favors to achieve what she had managed.

The plan was incredibly simple at its core: move Castle to the very same fort where Beckett's band of thieves had garrisoned for a year and a half before they were flushed out, but before that supplies would be secretly moved there, along with a couple of animals to help them survive along with the salted meat, dried fish and pickled vegetables that would allow them to survive the first few days, before they started hunting and foraging their food by themselves. And before that, Castle would hold an official ceremony to move the Court back to Windhelm, in its historical location, to try and fool any assassin into thinking he was moving back home. A carriage with a protective detail would go from Solitude to Windhelm with someone trusted playing the part of Castle, Beckett and Alexis, and only then the King, hidden in a Khajit trade cart modified to transport people and not only goods, would be smuggled outside Solitude at safe distance from the city, then they would relocate to Northwatch Keep and stay there for a while.

Alexis, for her own protection, would take a third route that would take her to Windhelm through a long detour through Morthal and Whiterun, and she would bring home the news and specific orders from Castle and Beckett to reinforce guard duties and start gathering intel about any sightings of any known affiliates of the Dark Brotherhood. And even unknown.

On paper, it was an easy plan. In reality, they had little time and it was quickly running out. And Kate was wearing herself out, trying to finalizing everything they needed, with only Captain Gates and her best people from her outlaw days to help her. Sure, Lanie was a great support and her logistic thinking was amazing, Ryan was probably the best gatherer of intel and rumors they could get and Esposito was like an older brother, a solid rock that gave her stability and helped her keeping Castle alive. Gates did her best, but she had to work with red tape and the limits the law and her position forced on her.

But as days passed and the night of the Ceremony approached and so came the moment they would have to leave Solitude, Castle could only watch as the stress got the best of Kate and reduced her to a pile of a highly strung nerves. She jumped at every noise, hand always clutched around the handle of her knife even when they ate, and she barked, more than spoke, when something annoyed her.

He did her best not to be the cause of such irritation, but it hurt to see her like this, so fidgety and prone to bursts of anger. She refused to sleep at night to keep watch, and the lack of sleep was only aggravating an already tense situation, for obvious reasons. Even if they had no certain idea if the elves had really called for a contract with the Dark Brotherhood, the sheer thought that they were considering the idea was making them all crazy.

One night, the day before the escape, he decided to take action. Beckett was running on fumes of adrenaline, anxiety and some dark, bitter concoction Lanie prepared for her at regular intervals. It helped her to remain awake and concentrated while she worked, but it couldn't make miracles. After six days of little to no sleep, she was at the end of the road. She needed sleep, and she needed it now.

First, he tried to convince her to come to bed.

"Kate," he called her from the doorstep of the little room she used as a study. "Kate, I'm going to bed. Come with me."

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Just a moment more Castle, I need to finish this report for Gates."

With a sigh, he walked over to her chair and leaned on its back, his hands tightly wrapped around the wooden structure. "Kate, I'm not asking as your husband. I'm asking as your King." He traced her curved of her hunched shoulders with his fingers up to her neck and massaged the taut muscles and tendons. "You need to sleep and I now order you to put down that quill and come with me, or I will be forced to turn to extreme measures."

"Come on Castle, just one minute more…"

Extreme measures it is. He thought.

"Tiid Klo Ul!" he Shouted, though his voice came out as nothing more than a deep whisper. Everything around him seemed to still, the flames of the candles didn't flicker anymore, and Kate became as immobile as a stone.

"Slow Time always works," he said to himself as he hauled her limp body from the chair and onto his shoulder. He blew the candles out and took her to their room. She tried to struggle, aware of the fact that she was being dragged away and there was magic involved, and by the time he set her down on the bed and the effects of the Thu'um vanished, she was pouting and obviously annoyed.

"You know I don't like when you use magic on me," she growled as he unbuckled the belt around her tunic and let the heavy sheath and sword fall on the floor with a clatter.

"I'm perfectly aware, thank you, but sometimes a King has to take extreme decisions in order to keep his subjects safe and healthy. You need to sleep Kate, and you need it now. Don't argue on that."

She pouted again, then sighed as her shoulders sagged. "Alright, Your Highness, but I assure you I can undress myself."

"And I don't doubt it, but let me take care of you for once. You're doing a great deal right now, taking care of me and keeping me alive, just let me repay the favor."

"I'm your wife and bodyguard, you don't need to repay me any favor," she said when he let her nightgown - one of his oldest shirts to be precise - slip over hear head and fall on her shoulders. She slipped her arms in the sleeves. "Can I at least brush my teeth?"

Needless to say, she fell asleep the moment she set her head down on the pillow, so exhausted she was. In the flickering light of a single candle placed on the bedstand, Castle found himself lost in her sleeping features, as he observed her face, finally distended and seemingly content in her sleep. She seemed so carefree, so different from the way she looked during the day. She always looked so serious and restrained, almost dark and broody like the winds over the Sea of Ghosts. Instead, the smile she hid from everyone could brighten his darkest day. If only she would show it more…

He had heard rumors around court. Whispers carried by the echoes in the stone hallways, malignous words murmured around corners, about her. Nothing they hadn't considered, nothing they weren't ready to face, and yet it hurt. Noblewomen complained about her lack of suitable attire for the court, as they couldn't understand why a bodyguard couldn't wear right corsets, lacy dresses and gowns that would hinder her movement, while men lusted after her, and the lecherous looks they threw at her, along with some discussions about how she would better suit their bed than the King's right side, made him gag and seriously want to have them flogged on the spot.

Keeping their marriage a secret at court had been a bad idea, he was realizing it then. Sure, it kept the gossiping related only to her clothes and lack of sense of fashion and whether she was a good one in bed or not, but in the end, it hurt more than he had expected.

It hurt to see her so absorbed in her role of protector that she forgot about herself. She was hurting herself, between the lack of sleep and abuse of stimulant drinks, not to mention the worry. He looked forward to the escape and their stay at Northwatch Keep. Though he had no idea how long they would have to stay there, before moving East to Windhelm on their own, but he really hoped that the secluded and fortified place would help her relax a little bit. Yes, there was still a chance that a Dark Brotherhood assassin would find them there, but they were very meager.

With one last kiss to her forehead, he blew the candle off and set down to sleep himself. Tomorrow was the day, they would officially announce the return of the Skyrim court to its ancestral home back in Windhelm, where Ysgramor had built it, then they would disappear and hope the Dark Brotherhood wouldn't find them, at least until Galmar and his men found a way to keep their agents out of the city walls and most of all, out of the Palace Of Kings. They had entered once, they could do it again. And no way on Nirn or Sovngarde he would have allowed that.

The day started off pretty normal, with breakfast and some office work for Castle and last minute adjustments to the ceremony and the security for Kate, but it quickly declined into a rush. Right before midday, Ryan rushed into Castle's study with grim news he had acquired last night, after one of his shady contacts had managed to point him to a known affiliate of the Dark Brotherhood.

"Bad news guys," he panted, leaning heavily on the door. "We've got at least four assassins in town at the moment, one is already being kicked inside a cell as we speak, but for the rest… I have no idea."

Beckett jumped to her feet and reached her former comrade turned spy. "How do you know this?"

"A guy down at the tavern. After a few pints too many he started babbling about being one of their scouts and how he had been sent to gather intel for a big job they have tonight. Either they have someone else to murder, or they plan to kill Castle in style."

Beckett cringed and Kevin saw it immediately. "Sorry Chief. I didn't mean it that way. All I'm saying is that there are at least three assassins on the loose at the moment. I have no idea of their intentions though."

"You mean the guy hasn't talked about a plan?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I tried to make him talk but he wouldn't budge. But I doubt he knew much of it, he seemed like a lowly scout to me, not a true assassin as he bragged about. I contacted Captain Gates immediately and she had him arrested. Said something about trusting the court Mage to deal with him."

Only then Castle joined the conversation. "It could work, but I doubt Sybille will manage to extract anything from him, not in time at least."

"Then we double the guards, have some of them in civilian clothes and put archers up in the gallery, Esposito will gather and lead a team. That way we're going to see any strange movement and act in accord."

"Good idea Chief. I'll go and tell him immediately."

"Alright. I'll alert Captain Gates and discuss the increased security with Firebeard. He won't like it, but he'll have to go with it."

With that, the half elf disappeared and Kate turned towards him. "Are you sure you don't want to call everything off, do the handing of powers to Elisif in private then go?"

He shook his head. "No. I won't show fear, I won't be seen as the King that hides at the first danger. Yes, we'll be hiding for a while, just long enough for the elves to be dissatisfied with the Brotherhood's doing when they won't kill me in the established period of time, but I won't hide."

She sighed and her shoulders sagged. "As you wish, Your Highness."

He hated when she called him like that. "Drop the formalities, Kate," he ordered. "I'll wear some protection. I have more than enough chainmail in that wardrobe to protect myself from a dagger. I'll wear two, if it makes you feel better. A soft padding too. Maybe it won't stop and arrow, but it would give them a hard time to stab me."

"We actually planned to avoid any kind of wound on you tonight, be it stab, arrow, bolt or magic. You and Elisif will be far away from the crowd, your food will come from a different reserve than the others' and both of you will wear protective armor beneath your clothes. There will be some enchantments on your clothes too, just because."

He arched a brow in surprise. "You got Elisif into this?"

"We explained the situation, told her we were pretty sure someone wanted to disrupt the ceremony and she wholeheartedly agreed. I even thought she was slightly worried about your health too. Odd, considering you killed her husband."

With a sad smile, Castle sat in his chair and gestured her to do the same. "Elisif and I… well, when I was elected at the Moot we talked. Actually, the first thing I did after conquering Solitude was asking her forgiveness for what I had done. You know I never intended to kill Torygg, I was angry at the policies and laws he was going to proclaim but I didn't want him dead, it just happened. I showed her why I challenged him at that duel and… well, she knew from her own experience that I had killed Torygg in self defence, she just didn't know why I had called for that duel. She understood. It's not like we're best friends, but at least we respect each other. I wouldn't want anyone else ruling over Haafingar."

"Don't you fear she'll bow to Imperial pressure, somewhere down the line? They're rich in the end."

"She could, but I think she values her people's happiness more than wealth. She has great advisors around her, Firebeard may be a strict steward, but he knows what he's doing. Her thanes are good people too. The Hold will be fine in her hands. It was, after all, after Torygg died and she ruled in his place."

"Well, you know her better than me. Come on now, let's see if we can make the throne room a little more Assassin proof."

Quite a crowd had gathered for the Ceremony. Pretty much every noble, well-to-do and even normal citizen had gathered in the Blue Palace to assist as Castle handed the ruling of the Hold back to Elisif and officially transferred the High Court of Skyrim back to Windhelm, in its ancestral home. Some people agreed, other strongly disagreed, others didn't care, as long as their taxes weren't exorbitant. In the end, what mattered was that whoever sat on that throne and ruled their homeland was fair and just, and not a corrupted asshole that would slit their throat or had them beheaded if they couldn't pay the due taxes because they were too much.

The room was warm, between the fair late spring weather of the day and the large number of people inside it, and Castle was sweating between a layer of padded gambeson and two of chainmail, not to mention the clothes made of soft, thick wool and fine leather. His brow was glistening with perspiration and quite often Elisif had to tell him to wipe it away, or he would look like he was nervous and something was wrong.

People didn't seem to notice the guards among them and the archers on the balcony above them, or if they did, they didn't mind at all.

Theoretically, the ceremony shouldn't have lasted more than ten or fifteen minutes, but it was customary to hold a large banquet in these circumstances, and the tables were ready for everyone. There was food to feed everyone in town, and Castle had arranged for the leftovers to be given for free to anyone requesting it afterwards. Elisif had smiled when he had proposed it, and she had said that she had always loved how generous he had turned out to be after his election.

Anyway, it had been decided that the official passage of duties would happen during the meal, after the second course of glazed mutton roast served with snowberry sauce, and before the desserts would be served. As the banquet continued, without issues he could say, mead, ale and wine flowed freely, while his and Elisif's chalice remained strangely empty, or only touched by fresh spring water.

After he had swallowed the last bite of his roast, Castle sighed and sagged against the back of his high chair. "This is the last time I eat without ale. Gods, plain water to swallow all that meat?"

Elisif chuckled. "I prefer wine, but I get the idea. Even the soup, it was a little too thick for my tastes, and water didn't help to push it down."

"I wholeheartedly agree, my dear. It's harder to poison water though, I see why Kate and the others decided to let us drink only this."

"Speaking of Kate, where is she? She's always at your side!"

"She's overseeing our safety, that's all."

"Uh, she's doing a quite a good job, I'd say. You did good, marrying her."

Castle nearly choked on a bite of bread he was chewing. "What?"

"Oh come on Richard, don't lie to me. You go to Windhelm with a woman and no Bond of Matrimony on your finger. You come back with the same woman you had assured me would only work for you to find some bandits in your Hold, and both of you wear a Bond of Matrimony when not in public. Come on, Rick, I'm not blind! I've seen the way you two look at each other."

He scrubbed his hand over his face. "Damn… I guess we weren't that good at hiding it after all."

"Oh no, you two were great, it's just that I wander around the Palace a lot. You know, insomnia and other things. And I tend to see things."

"You don't mind? I mean, she's not a noblewoman and I'm the King."

"Well," she sighed. "Torygg's mother was a commoner. I myself, I'm just the daughter of a merchant. A rich one, but still a merchant. Don't worry about her, you already have an heir and she's growing up to be a fair and just ruler. Live your life, don't live the life others want you to live. Not like Torygg."

There was something strange in her voice, something like… longing and regret. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Torygg was always incredibly easy to manipulate. He was a good man, but tended to be very naive. Those laws that angered you so much, rightfully so I may say, they were written and almost proclaimed because the Thalmor and the Empire played with him, to the point he thought was doing it for the good of the people of Skyrim. He thought that following the Empire's example would appease the Thalmor and they would leave us be, but the more restrictive laws he added to the list, the stronger the Thalmor grip became on him. He didn't know what it was, what it is, to live far away from Solitude, he didn't see the rampant racism you witnessed every day in Windhelm, he had no idea the Elves captured and tortured his people just because. He didn't know you had been their prisoner for months. He was a sheltered boy that was easy to fool."

"I…" Castle didn't know what to say. He didn't know Torygg so well to see the level of manipulation he had been subject to. "I had no idea."

"No one knew. I didn't notice until a couple of weeks before… before the duel. And even then, I blamed you, because I didn't know what it was like far away from here, on the other side of Skyrim. Now I see what…"

Someone in the room screamed. There was some bustling on the far end, then someone wearing a red and black cloak emerged from a small group of people running at neck breaking speed through the room. Castle immediately grabbed the hilt of his sword as it rested beside his chair and unsheathed it, but out of nowhere another dark figure appeared in his line of sight and intercepted the first one with a loud thud and the noise of steel clashing together. They fell on the stone floor in a flurry of dark clothes and exposed blades as they fought, until the tackler emerged victorious with a quick knee kick to the ribs and a slash of a knife that left the attacker bleeding on the floor.

Castle smiled when the unknown defender turned out to be Kate, when she stood up and swiped her long hair away from her face.

"Well, even if she wasn't a good wife, she's a great bodyguard," said Elisif. "I see why you keep her so close."

"Believe me Elisif, she's great with both the tasks."

But it wasn't over. The Brotherhood wasn't really going to give up.

Out of nowhere, a short bolt flew across the great hall and hit her in the left shoulder. Castle had barely the time to react as she stumbled backwards by raising his sword that a second short bolt aimed at him struck his raised right bicep. He lost his grip on the sword and it fell with a clatter, but as the sword fell he felt something big hit him from his left side and found himself on the floor too, behind the table.

"Stay here!" shouted Elisif, but he didn't hear her through the haze and daze of the quick attack. She disappeared from his view only to return merely seconds later with one of the ornamental shields that hung on the wall behind their seats. She placed it firmly in his uninjured hand and wrapped his fingers around the handle. "Use this!" Then she was gone again.

More screams filled his ears, and the sudden, unwelcome memories of countless battlefields crossed his mind as he finally started to feel the pain radiating from his upper arm, where the stubby bolt, shot from a small but powerful crossbow, had passed through the protective layers he was wearing and had pierced his flesh. If he tried to flex the fingers of his right hand, the pulsating pain travelled down and up his arm, straight to his shoulder and hand. Except from the weak painted shield Elisif had placed in his hand, he was defenceless.

"Fuck!" he cursed as he tried to stand up, only to be stopped by the Jarl and his wife.

"I told you to stay here!" shouted Elisif as she helped Kate to sit behind the thick table that seemed to provide a good line of defence. She leaned up just enough to grab a pile of clean napkins and used one to staunch the blood spilling from Kate's shoulder as it seeped through the protective layer of leather she wore, and another one to do the same with his wound.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"The Dark Brotherhood," said Kate. Her voice was sharp as steel, no trace of pain in her tone. "Six assassins, and they all mean to kill you tonight before you move the court back to Windhelm. Seems like they failed though."

"Failed?" he asked. Only then he realized that the noise in the room had placated, no one was screaming and there was no clashing of steel weapons against one another or against shields.

"Yes, Javi and his archers got them all."

"Great, now would you please sign this?" asked Elisif handing Castle a quill freshly dipped in ink and the parchment. "There's a secret passage behind the throne, you sneak out of the room and land straight in the High King quarters. Get those wounds checked and then leave. I'll keep things quiet here."

He launched a quick look at Kate, who simply nodded. "Thanks Elisif, for everything. We'll repay you, one day or another."

"Just don't get killed. We already had enough dead High Kings, we don't need another one. Not when I'm the Jarl of Haafingard. Go now!"

As they walked down the dark passageway hidden behind the throne, they heard the sound of glass shattering on the floor. "Enough!" Elisif's voice came thundering with the echo of the cramped walls around them. "Guards, bring the survivors here! I bet there's a clause somewhere in our law books that makes attempted regicide a crime punishable with immediate beheading, am I right?"