Grelod the Kind Grelod the Kind is an elder ly Nord woman and the headmistress of the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften . Contrary to her name she has a reputation for being an utterly cruel and heartless woman . One of her charges in particular , Aventus Aretino , managed to escape the orphanage and later employed a member of the Dark Brotherhood to have a murder contract against her satisfied . Personality . Grelod is frequently cruel and abusive towards the children in her care . Not only does she beat them and refuse to allow their adoption , but she berates them verbally as well . Listening to Grelod ' s conversation with the orphans reveals she has " " extra beatings " " planned for any who " " shirk their duties . " " She also states that they will never be adopted because nobody wants them , and openly calls them " " riff - raff " " to their faces . The children are not the only ones in the orphanage who suffer from Grelod ' s cruelty . She also yells at her assistant , Constance Michel , from time to time , issuing mean - spirited complaints about the children and orders to deal with them . According to Constance , the people of Riften are well aware of Grelod ' s cruel nature ; they call her " Grelod the Kind " out of irony . Interactions . Grelod generally wants nothing to do with the Dragonborn . Any attempts to speak to her will be roundly refused , as she is hostile to everyone . Spread the Love . If the Dragonborn tries to give Grelod one of Dinya Balu ' s " The Warmth of Mara " pamphlets after completing " The Book of Love , " Grelod will flatly turn him or her down . " " Unless Mara wishes to come down and help me with these urchins , I don ' t really give a damn about her blessings . " " Innocence Lost . The Dragonborn is asked to assassinate Grelod the Kind by Aventus Aretino after being mistaken for a member of the Dark Brotherhood in the quest " Innocence Lost . " If the Dragonborn does so , either to fulfill Aventus ' contract or just because they feel that the hateful woman deserves it , the children of the orphanage cheer and do not alert the Riften Guard . Indeed , Grelod can generally be cut down right in front of all of the children with no repercussions . If the Dragonborn lingers around too long the guards may eventually come inside – likely called by Constance Michel , who is the only person to show anything but happiness at Grelod ' s death by running around screaming . Once Grelod is gone , interactions with the children indicate that their lives have improved considerably : Constance is now in charge of the orphanage , and she treats her charges far more kindly than Grelod did . It is generally not possible to speak to Grelod , though it can be done if she is confronted after receiving the contract from Aventus ; the Dragonborn can even claim to be a member of the Dark Brotherhood , even though they have not been recruited yet . However , Grelod will not be intimidated no matter what is said . Even when " Hearthfire " is installed , it is not possible to adopt children from the orphanage while Grelod the Kind lives . The Dragonborn may adopt children from elsewhere in Skyrim . Constance will remain agitated until the Dragonborn completes " Innocence Lost " by talking to Aventus . In order to adopt from Honorhall one is required to begin the Dark Brotherhood series of quests , regardless of whether the Dragonborn joins the Brotherhood or decides to destroy it instead . Combat and posthumous events . While it is possible to assassinate her without being detected , the children enter the room and celebrate regardless . Constance will panic , even if the assassin is undetected , or even if ( through the use of a Fury spell ) she did the deed herself . No bounty is gained , however . Constance will remain agitated and demand that the Dragonborn leave immediately . After the Dragonborn reports back to Aretino , guards all over Skyrim will comment about it . Guards in the Rift and Riften will mention that they saw the Dragonborn coming out of there , though one will never be charged with the crime . After Grelod is killed , the children in the orphanage all express respect for the Dark Brotherhood , as well as admiration for Aventus Aretino , for carrying out his promise . After Grelod ' s death , a coffin labeled " Grelod The Kind ' s Coffin " appears in Riften ' s Hall of the Dead .