The Dark Brotherhood, Part 7 (Bound Until Death) (Katnys)

After reporting back to Nazir and collecting both praise and gold, Katnys learned that the time had come for her to report to Solitude for Vittoria Vici's wedding.  As she prepared to make her way north, Katnys realized that she had been so caught up in thinking about killing the Emperor's cousin that she had neglected to plan the details of the assassination.  Fortunately, her "family" had already been doing the planning for her.  Babette pointed out the loose statue above the balcony where the bride and groom would be addressing the crowd, while Nazir and Veezara both pointed out the difficulty Katnys might have in making her escape from such a public killing.  Gabriella had even found a way to leave an enchanted bow for her in a temple parapet with a sniper's-eye view of the wedding.

As she considered her options, Katnys took a moment to appreciate the Brotherhood's kindness.  Having just met Katnys a little while ago, this band of killers had not only entrusted her with the most important contract they'd had in years, but were also going out of their way to advise and provide for her -- even though they would not individually benefit from her success.  She was especially touched by Gabriella's gesture, which demonstrated her countrywoman's respect for Katnys's skill as an archer.  So, it was decided: Vittoria Vici would die by the bow. 

Katnys and Jenassa had little trouble infiltrating the wedding and finding Gabriella's "care package."  The hardest part was the waiting and listening to the smarmy cheers and well-wishing of the crowd of Imperial boot-lickers, entirely unconcerned that their beloved Emperor was both a coward and a tyrant.  Well, today, Katnys was going to show them how thin the walls of Solitude really were!

When Katnys grabbed the bow Gabriella had left for her, she felt the enchanted chill run up her arm.  While she appreciated the gift, Katnys selected her own fire-enchanted bow for the task; she thought that watching the Emperor's kin go down in the flames of Red Mountain might be sweeter.

She thought right.

As Vici's burning corpse slouched onto her horrified groom, Katnys suddenly realized what Nazir and Veezara had been worried about.  The crowd erupted in panic, and despite Katnys's best attempts at stealth, she and Jenassa had been spotted.  Thinking a direct escape might be best, they jumped down into the plaza, only to find Veezara himself clearing a path for them.  After a brief exchange of words, Katnys and Jenassa slipped out of the pandemonium while Veezara stayed behind to protect them.

Note that Astrid sends Veezara to provide assistance after the deed is complete.  Had she only cared about the target, Astrid could have left Katnys twisting in the wind.

As she closed the iron door behind her and looked out onto the Sea of Ghosts, Katnys paused for a moment to reflect on the Brotherhood's deeds that day.  Not only had she killed a member of the Emperor's own family, but a member of her own new family risked his own life to protect her.  Surely this was a sign that Katnys was on the right path.

Glowing from her flawless success, and from the love of the Brotherhood, Katnys and Jenassa journeyed back to the Sanctuary to bring the good news back to Astrid.