Chapter One: Betrayal

Footsteps echoed around the hallway as a young Khajiit walked down the corridor, looking at some papers in her hand. The cat-like person was out of place here in the Imperial Palace. Her light brown rosette marked fur mimicked the color of the sandy deserts of Elsweyr, a sharp contrast to the grass and forests of the Imperial Province. Khali wouldn't be where she was if she didn't know the Emperor, Uriel Septim VII, personally. Khajiit didn't typically have high ranking jobs, and especially hardly ever worked under the Emperor.

She had met the Emperor when they were both younger. Khali had been on a trip with her parents and a few other Khajiit from her tribe in a travelling caravan, trading around the continent. They had stopped to trade by the Imperial Palace when Khali had wandered off to play. In her wandering, she had spotted young Uriel playing in the palace yard. She had waved to him, and he invited her to jump the fence to join his game, as he didn't have anyone to play with.

They had played for a few hours, sharing stories and marveling at how different their lives were; Khali travelling around all of Tamriel, and Uriel stuck at the palace, destined to rule when he got older. Their fun was cut short, however, when a guard had spotted Khali and started shouting about a Khajiit assassin trying to take the life of the Emperor's son. Khali had run off, even as she heard Uriel shouting back that she wasn't an assassin and was his friend.

Khali was lucky. She had managed to get away, and the guard hadn't been able to get a good look at her. By nightfall, rumor had it that a Khajiit assassin from the Dark Brotherhood had attempted to take the life of Uriel Septim VII. Khali's group had left that night, as trading was slow, especially after the "attempt" on the young boy's life by a Khajiit.

Years later, when Khali was back in Elsweyr working as a hunter, she received a letter from the Emperor. To her surprise, it was her friend from that day when they were kids. After assuming the throne, Uriel had managed to track Khali down and offered her a job in the Imperial Province as a part of the Imperial Court. It wasn't a hugely powerful role, but her tribe didn't see it that way. That night she had been packed up to travel to the Imperial Palace, the calls of goodbye ringing in her ears as her tribe wished her good luck and to make a great step for Khajiit in the political world.

Khali was still friends with the Emperor, and she had made a rather strong name for herself in the Court. Uriel was pleased, and he was happy to rub it in the face of anyone who had questioned him for hiring a random Khajiit to work in the palace.

The Khajiit's blue eyes scanned the paper she was holding. She was on her way to the Emperor's room to deliver what she had. It was uncomfortable news. There were rumors of treason within the Palace, and Khali was going straight to Uriel to deliver the evidence she had. The rumors weren't much to go on. Everyone was a suspect, including herself, but the problem was nothing had happened yet. The rumors were simply that; rumors.

Khali stopped outside of the Emperor's room. Something was wrong. Her tail twitched in anxiety. The guards that were normally posted here were nowhere to be found. She looked up and down the halls. Nothing. The guards weren't allowed to leave their post until the next shift arrived. Even if the next guards were late, the current ones weren't allowed to leave.

She took a step forward to knock on the door. Perhaps the guards were inside? Was something wrong? She paused as she heard a thud from inside of the room. Was that fear she was smelling? She mustered her courage and tapped on the door with her fist.

"Yes?" came the voice of the Emperor.

Khali's tail twitched again. Sounded normal enough, maybe a little gruff, but it was late. "Uriel? It's Khali. I have some papers about the rumors you said you wanted to look over."

"Khali? Ah. Come in," Uriel replied.

Khali opened the door and padded inside, shutting the door behind her. She looked around the room. It was large, with an ornate bed and detailed rugs. Delicate trinkets lined the shelves, and intricately carved wooden tables and chairs were around the room. Despite everything inside, the space was very open. "Where are your guards?" she asked, noticing they weren't in the room.

Uriel, dressed in fine purple and gold robes, picked up a chair that had been toppled. Perhaps that was what had made the noise Khali had heard outside, but Uriel had been nowhere near the chair when she walked in. That was odd.

"The guards aren't there?" Uriel asked, seeming surprised.

"No," Khali said. "I got worried. You're alright?"

Uriel waved a hand and sat down at one of the tables. "I'm fine. I suppose I'll have to punish the guards later for abandoning their post."

Khali sat down in a chair near Uriel at the same table and passed him the papers. "All the same, I suppose I should stay until you can send for someone."

Uriel nodded. Taking the papers, he skimmed over them. "Treason?" he asked.

"Yes, unfortunately," Khali said. "They are just rumors, but we should be cautious."

"Where did the rumors originate?" Uriel questioned, looking at another sheet.

Khali reached over and pointed to some writing on a scroll that was still on the table. "After a lot of digging, I believe the rumors started with Ria Silmane."

"Ria?" Uriel said, looking rather shocked. "Tharn's apprentice? Why would she start rumors?"

Khali tapped one of her claws on the table nervously. "Well, from my sources, she seems to believe Jagar Tharn is up to something involving treason."

Uriel started reading the scroll. "Tharn? That's a serious accusation. What proof does she have?"

"Well that's the thing, Uriel," Khali said. "I can't find her to ask."

"Sir," Uriel suddenly said.

"Sorry?"

He set down the scroll. "I know it's difficult for a Khajiit, but you must speak to the Emperor with respect. I am Sir Uriel."

Khali hesitated. Uriel had never acted like this. In fact, when she had first arrived at the palace, he had explicitly told her to call him by his first name only. Uriel said that he wanted to establish an area of mutual respect, as Khali wasn't just an employee, but a friend. Additionally, it seemed odd that he wanted to address this now, when there was a possibility of treason against him within the palace.

"Yes, Sir," Khali corrected. "The issue with talking to Ria is that no one can find her. I've been searching all day and haven't found her. No one else seems to know where she is."

Uriel narrowed his eyes. "She's vanished?"

Khali nodded. "Off the map it seems. No one has seen Tharn in the past few hours either."

Uriel picked up the scroll again. "Perhaps Ria was the traitor." He stated.

"Sir?"

"Ria." He glanced at her from around the scroll. "She started the rumors, and now she and Tharn are missing. Perhaps Tharn found her out and is off to apprehend her. An Imperial Battlemage doesn't simply vanish."

"With all due respect, Sir," Khali began. "I don't believe Ria could be capable of treason. She's a friend of mine, you see." Uriel's eyes shot up. "That's how I'm pretty sure the rumors started with her. She was asking me yesterday if I noticed anything odd about Tharn recently."

"And… have you noticed anything strange involving Tharn?" Uriel asked slowly. It almost sounded as if he was challenging her.

"Well, not really, no," Khali said. "But I honestly haven't met Tharn. I don't think he likes Khajiit much, despite what you've told him."

"Well, Khajiit do have a reputation for being thieves and killers. One tried to murder me when I was younger I'll have you know," Uriel responded.

Khali stiffened, her tail twitching. "Sir?"

"When I was younger," Uriel went on. "Khajiit assassin tried to take me out in the yard, but a guard stopped them. Mangy creature got away though."

She stood up suddenly, toppling her chair as she drew a dagger from her boot, and pointed it at the Emperor. "You aren't Uriel Septim!" she snarled. "What have you done to the Emperor?"

Uriel gazed at her dagger, and he stood. "What are you talking about? Put that down! I have half a mind that you're the traitor the rumors are about!"

Khali's eyes didn't leave his. "I was there that day. I'm the Khajiit that was accused of being an assassin. Uriel and I were playing on the grounds, and that's why he hired me when he took the throne. Uriel told me not to call him sir, and the Uriel Septim I know would never jump to conclusions in the way you have. Where is the Emperor?!"

The imposter hesitated, then sighed. "I knew you'd be trouble," he muttered.

There was a flash of green light, then everything went dark. The sound of the dagger clattering to the floor was the last thing Khali heard.