"The consolation is that if it was easy to find, it would have already been found."

  I nodded, looking over the table and the amount of hand written sheets of parchment, paper and the sizable map of county Skingrad that were arrayed upon it. "Doesn't make our life any easier."

  "Most of the records within the mages guild were useless or barely even made mention to the Priory." Viconia bit noisily into an apple and for a moment I couldn't help but stare at her and remember how her teeth sunk in my shoulder during the night. "There were records confirming that it had existed but no trace on where to find the gods-damned priory."

  "It was the same with the archives. References and hints but nothing substantial."

  "So, plan B?"

  Shrugging helplessly at the map I couldn't help but chew my lip in frustration. "Plan B it will have to be, but I am expecting that we will have to resort to plan C to make progress."

  Moving in from the kitchen and the larder and carrying a bottle of wine Eyja appeared as she had several times that morning "Plan B milord?"

  Viconia and I shared a glance. Eyja had proven herself more than trustworthy enough for most matters, especially from her position of housekeeper for the manor. We hadn't even tried to hide what we were doing in Skingrad as the rumours and gossipmongers were already spreading how the Heroes of Kvatch were seeking the Relics of the Crusader.

  "Plan B is that we travel into the region of the West Weald where we think the priory is located and spend several days searching for it."

  Our maid scrunched her face at the thought and I knew that all three of us understood just how difficult and monotonous that task was. Especially when combined with the fact that there was not much chance of finding the priory in several hundred square kilometres of forest and wilderness.

  "And plan C?"

  "We travel to Leyawiin and enlist the help of the Knights of the White Stallion to do the same thing." Viconia replied.

  "So, you both will be leaving Skingrad soon?"

  Watching her as she refilled Viconia's glass with wine, I nodded to her. "Tomorrow at the earliest. There is little more that I believe we can gain staying in the city. You'll soon have us out of your hair and the manor will be yours again."

  "I'm not sure whether I actually enjoy having such place all to myself milord, as it is far too big for just one person to live."

  "Well, it is yours as much as it is ours." Viconia and I shared a glance and I couldn't help but grin. "We're not the ones staying in it every day."

  "Thank you milady." A loud knock echoed from the direction of the front door and she placed the bottle of wine on the table before excusing herself.

  "Hundreds of square kilometres to search with no real clue on where to find the Priory, or even what it looks like or what state it is in. We have as much chance as navigating through Bravil blind, deaf and wearing nothing but our riches unmolested."

  I couldn't help but agree with Viconia and I leaned over, taking a freshly baked sweet roll from the bowl that Eyja had provided for us earlier in the morning. We had been sitting and planning and discussing at the table for a couple of hours at this point and Eyja's baking skills were highly appreciated. "Two hundred years old... We'll be lucky if it can even be seen under the growth. That's if it hasn't decayed too bad to even identify."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Eyja appeared again, one hand brushing the front of her apron and the other clutching a scroll. "Milord, a page from the castle just arrived with this message for you."

  "The castle?" Turning and gently taking the scroll from her outstretched hand I placed the remains of the sweetroll down on my plate. "Why would someone from the castle send us a message?"

  "The page did not say, but it bears the Count's seal."

  The scroll was indeed marked with the signet of Count Hassildor, and I curiously broke the wax seal and read the contents. Despite the seal it wasn't written by the Count Himself, but instead by one of his servants and I couldn't help but frown at the words.

  "I've been invited to have lunch with the Count."

  "Just you?" Viconia queried, eyebrow raised.

  "It appears so, although only the Divines know why he wishes to see me." Turning in my seat, I looked over to Eyja where she was busy collecting the used crockery. "Eyja, what do you know about the Count?"

  "He hasn't been seen in public for years and is widely known to be a powerful wizard." She said simply, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes that had come loose. "I've never known him to see visitors other than the last time the Emperor came a couple of years ago. He also never takes part in or watches any of the Tournaments and all official county business is managed by his steward Hal-Liurz."

  "That's who this invitation is signed by." I added, looking over the elegant lettering. "That's an Argonian name too."

  Eyja nodded, turning and collecting our plates from the table as she moved back towards the kitchen. "One of the few in the city. She's also one of the only ones in such a position of power within Cyrodiil."

  As she walked out I could feel Viconia's eyes upon me as I read over the invitation again. I knew that she felt slighted that she had not been included in the invite, but that small niggling fact was enough for my gut to tell me that all was not what it appeared. It was very specific that I and I alone would be allowed in to see the Count; a fact made more suspicious as the man was a recluse. This was not the same as the Count of Leyawiin and his martial fascinations. There was no reason that I could image why I had the invitation in my hand.

  "So?" Viconia asked, her voice filled with venom. "Are you going to accept?"

  "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to simply ignore it, but it has me curious as to why someone such as he would want to see me. It's obviously not an opportunity to meet the Hero of Kvatch as we both would be going. There's an ulterior motive to this."

  "Then I suppose that we better get you into something suitable to wear." While there was humour in her tone, I knew that she was a combination of concerned and jealous. "We can't have you meeting the Count in such a condition and smelling like ink."

  With the extra riches we continued accumulating in our travels, Viconia had spent a portion ensuring that we had the clothes to look as wealthy as we were. Viconia had bought several dresses, and while they enhanced her natural curves and suited her perfectly they were almost scandalous in the more conservative regions such as Skingrad. What she had purchased for me however had left me feeling equally impressed and apprehensive from the mere price of the clothes. Between the black velvet doublet with its golden filigree, the knee length cloak and the pair of ash blackened knee-high riding boots that kept the loosely fitting leggings tucked in against my calves I felt as though I was wearing a lifetime's worth of wages within the Legion for what might be just an afternoon. To complete the entire suit was a pair of black satin gloves that ensured that the only flesh that was visible was my face and part of my neck.

  Never during my time in the Legion did I ever imagine being close enough to see such expensive clothing, let alone own it and another two sets of similar worth. I felt a little strange at the fact that all of it had come about after I had become a convicted criminal, but the sheer amount of wealth Viconia and I had acquired had been through hard work and experiencing considerable danger. We had both come a long way since leaving our respective prisons with little more than rags on our backs.

  Viconia came up behind me, wrapping her hands around me and resting her head against my arm. "How handsome." She whispered, her fingers trailing down my chest. "Now you look like someone worthy of being my slave."

  We both chuckled and I bent my head down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I am still tempted to send an apology and not go at all."

  "You didn't get dressed for me to pull it off you again." The expression on her face could only be described as hungry as I added the last item to my person. As the Mythic Dawn's attack on me at the fellmongers those months previous had proven, it was not a good idea for either of us to travel unarmed. It felt unusual and somehow wrong to strap Sunchild's ancient scabbard to my hip with the worn leather harness and belt but it equally felt wrong to replace it with something newer.

  "That sounds like a plan for when I return." Pulling her close for a moment I received another kiss that was all arousal.

  "Go, I'll be here." She said with a grin. "Go see what the Count wants."