Sorry about the massive hiatus, I had some mad idea I could get the entire thing finished and not post again until it was done. Then belatedly realised that was a terrible idea. So here is a bit of an update, may even stretch to two chapters.

I note a few of you did not like the Elisif/Torygg interactions - although that was outweighed by the readers who thought it was spot on. This is developed more in this chapter, but honestly, I'm not sure what else I could have done with them. Their entire marriage is built on Torygg the Heir to the Throne/High King and Elisif as his consort who is to play little role in the actual wielding of power - that much is obvious from canon and the fact Elisif in game leaves most of the governing to her steward and really doesn't seem to know what she's doing - because no one ever told her. She was never supposed to be Jarl, she was meant to have kids and raise those, and Torygg was supposed to live to a ripe old age. Then suddenly, he's dead and she's Jarl. That's the canon. And with that background, having them meet again under these circumstances, with Elisif having changed dramatically - learnt to Shout, developed physical strength and conditioning from running all round Skyrim in heavy armour, learnt how to fight and is now better at it than he ever was in life, fought in battles, survived assassins, survived prison and negotiating with the Forsworn, been dungeon-running including a Dwemer ruin - there's just no way they can simply go back to what they were. Torygg can't impress her just by being him any more, and she can't hide who she is now and go back to being an adoring wife. It is sad, but people do change and grow apart, albeit not usually quite like this.

Also there is the little matter of him being dead, and her not being - she has to go back and be Queen and get married eventually and have heirs, and for that to work, she needs to move on from Torygg. That will be dramatically easier if she can see him as he is, not forever bathed in rose-tinted memories. Even if she wasn't going to have an LI in this story, or if I gave her a different LI, I think I'd still have ended up writing them this way.

Anyway, that's all I have to say on that, the chapter should do the rest of the talking. For what it's worth, I do feel a bit bad for Torygg, especially being Shouted across Sovngarde and having Elisif snap at him, but he was about to get eaten by Alduin, Elisif didn't want to see him brutally killed again, and having a calm and reasoned discussion while Alduin the World-Eater is soaring overhead raining rocks and fire down around them just wasn't going to happen. Doesn't happen in the first half of the chapter either, hem hem. But I did do a little redrafting and made Torygg a bit less of an arse... just rather hurt and confused.

Summary: Alduin is dead, and Elisif is recovering in Sovngarde with her loyal housecarls to help her. But after every battle comes the inevitable peace talks, and Elisif has to literally lay her ghosts to rest, as her former husband and former enemy both demand her attention for very different reasons. Meanwhile, she's not the only one with connections there, as Argis deals with his own past.

(OK, just one chapter after all... but I can promise another update a lot sooner than the over a month this one took. Hopefully a bit happier too - that last scene made me cry. Poor Torygg.)

Anyway, next chapter is Elisif's return from Sovngarde and it's back to Windhelm where we find just what's happened in her absence. It's been interesting times back in Skyrim, that's for sure...