"Why do they want me at their wretched party, anyway, Skavild? They know I am no fun and are only doing it to annoy me."
"P'rhaps the Jarl is trying to find you a boy-friend." Skavild suggested. "It is Heart's Day."
"I'm a respectable senior officer of the Thalmor, and in case you hadn't noticed, I do very well for myself with the occasional diplomatic liaison, without having all that ghastly romance and loving compromise to navigate. I'll have my breakfast at the bar."
"No, err, you should prolly have it in here, the entrance hall's a bit untidy."
Eldaline went to fish around in her wardrobe. "Really? It was tidy when I went to bed. Aranwen hasn't been bringing people back here at night again, has she?"
"No. Shor's Bones! That armour's new."
"This old thing is my ceremonial festival armour. I know that it makes me look like an iron atronach, so you do not need to tell me so."
Skavild said: "Wasn't going to tell you so. I think you look pretty."
"I was supposed to look impenetrably humourless." said Eldaline. "Perhaps it will be better with the cloak on top."
"Well, come and show me properly, before you go ruining it with cloaks."
Eldaline approached the window. Skavild checked that the Sload wasn't visible from where she was standing. It wasn't. Skavild went back to admiring the ceremonial festival armour.
"Well, here it is." she said. "Why are you looking at me like that, if the armour doesn't make me look like an iron atronach?"
"I was waiting for you to do a twirl or a little dance or something." Skavild said, hoping that her outrage would keep her out of the entrance hall for a short time.
"Well, that would not be appropriate." she said.
"I suppose not." said Skavild. "You can show me the rest of your evening outfit, if you really want my opinion. I'll swap you an opinion for a twirl."
Eldaline offered him an entertaining wobble.
"My dancing days are long gone. I have long detested the sensation, and it never brought me any joy. But, I suppose you have seen an example of my oil wrestling, but never my exotic dancing. Would you like one?"
Rats. Thought Skavild. Have I just asked for something I wanted? I thought I was being devious.
"Here you go." said Eldaline, and to Skavild's utter astonishment, did a small dance and sang the first verse of a song with a damned complicated time signature.
"I sail to far Gilane,
where the waves are gentle and azure,
the air grows sweet, my sorrow to dispel.
Where now shall I seek him?
Does he wait still, will he know me?
Here I cannot tarry long,
I seek a prize in Rihad."
"Well, that was very nice. You were a bit short on the twirling, but I've never heard you sing a song that wasn't about killing people."
"It is about killing people." said Eldaline.
"Err, go on, show me the cloak you've got to go with it. I'll go and get breakfast on." he said.
Eldaline stopped dancing. "You're quite right, Skavild. It is too early in the morning to be silly."
"Hey." Skavild said to the busy elves in the entrance hall.
"What?" said the elves.
"I've distracted her for as long as is reasonable, what's taking so long, can't you just magic the Sload trails off the floor? Sing a magic song while the place cleans itself and the furniture dances about? Isn't that what elves are good at?"
Aranwen protested: "We're not that kind of magical elf."
"Well, just throw rug over Ambassador Q'Jola, or take him for a walk so Eldaline doesn't see him. Why is it always my job to distract her? Why is it always me who has to upset her? I'm going back in there to look at a cloak and when I come back I need this Sload gone."
Ondolemar had a last attempt at the Sload trails. "Having trouble?"
"Now, I've had enough of the liberties you take with my feelings! That reminds me, I'm making an appointment to put you over my knee after breakfast! Aranwen, I'll do you at four! Aralina... Where's Aralina?"
"I love this game." said Aralina. "I have a very good memory. I always win. And when I beat you, you will have to concede that I am not a figment of your imagination."
"Alas, my beloved Aralina." said the ghost of Emperor Pelagius III. "It is impossible for a figment of my imagination to beat me at games."
"I assure you, I have only to see a picture once to remember where I saw it. First, middle row, left! My left. Your right." she said.
"Picture of a purple spider." said Pelagius.
"Top row, right!"
The ghost turned the card. "Picture of a green spider."
"Bottom row, right!" said Aralina.
"Picture of a purple spider."
"Middle row, left."
"Good guess." said the ghost. "I let you guess that. I am engaging in an elaborate fantasy where I have an intelligent wife."
Aralina guessed: "Top row, right."
"Picture of a green spider."
"Middle card."
Erdi the maid watched with increasing worry.
"Top row, left."
"Picture of a blue spider." said the ghost of Emperor Pelagius III.
"Middle row, right."
"Picture of a blue spider."
"You have three pairs." said the ghost. "Find one more, and we shall be left with the magic word."
"Middle row right."
"Picture of a yellow spider."
"And I remember this one, so I have won. Top row, middle."
"No." said the ghost. "It's a picture of a spider with words coming out of its mouth, saying 'Ha ha ha'."
Aralina was on top of a very tall pillar. "Hello." she said. "Why am I up on this pillar? Why have I not won?"
"Am I really the figment of a ghost's imagination? Have I lost my marbles? But we were not playing marbles, we were playing a game with cards. How shall I get down?"
A strangely nasal and muffled voice came from the room beyond the courtyard below:
"USE YOUR DRESS TO FLOAT DOWN LIKE A SPRING BLOSSOM."
"Why did I not think of that?" said Aralina.
I wonder if it a dirty trick. Thought Aralina, as she looked down into the courtyard.
I wonder if it is how all those dead bodies got there. She thought, preparing for a jump.
No, evidently not. Thought Aralina, floating down with her dress. This is rather easy.
In fact, I am almost enjoying myself too much to remember why I came here.
Oh, yes. In an attempt to perfect my Escapology. Well, that is not going very well, is it? I am still in the Pelagius Wing and escape is becoming harder with every moment.
"Pelagius, my dear, I am returning for a second round of our card game."
"This is fun."
continues