I awoke to a jostling. As I looked around I noticed several men dressed in storm cloak armor, one man dressed in rags, and a third man I recognized as Ulfric Storm-cloak.

As I sat in the back of the carriage one of the men noticed I was awake, "Ah you're finally awake. Looks like you got caught in the trap that the legion had set for us."

I nodded but didn't speak.

"So since we have a ways to go… you look like you may have a good story to tell."

I sighed before saying, "I do, but half of it you won't like, and will cause you to hate me in the end."

"Well we'll all going to end up in the same place after this ride so let's hear it. Surely your life hasn't been lived in an honorable way."

I sigh again before I begin the tale of my life.

My name is Nissa, and I was five years old when out of desperation my family sold me to a Thalmor wizard as a slave.

They were farmers who owned a considerable amount of land. But that year there was a drought, and to make things worse the Thieves guild war order by Maven Black-Briar to do all they could to get them to sell her the land.

They held out for months, selling jewelry my uncle had given my mother that he had found exploring ancient ruins. But then one member of the guild, Brynyolf, came to them and offered a way out of the harassment.

He and my eldest sister had always been sweet on each other and he offered to convince his boss to stop if my parents would finally allow them to marry.

They agreed but they that they wouldn't survive the next month's taxes and keep their land if they didn't do something.

Then one night a group of Thalmor soldiers led by a wizard named Bansher Ardor showed up at our door demanding a place to stay. Well we couldn't exactly refuse so we let them in and after they heard why they shouldn't expect a meal… Bansher said that he could use someone around the house to keep it clean.

I was the only one there that night, my siblings were all at the houses of friends whose families had enough to spare for one extra person each. So since I was the only one he saw he offered two thousand gold pieces for me.

I knew what they were all talking about, and I knew that they needed the farm in order to survive.

The next morning, the last time I would see my parents in a long time, my father gave me a ring that had been in the family for generations, while my mother gave me a book of potion recipes her grandmother had made, most of which used ingredients that made them not worth making and selling.

So after four months of staying and working at the embassy, most of which Bansher spent in the field while I scrubbed floors, he finally got a year's leave, so he took me to his home in the Summerset Islands.

I remember that when I first looked at it I felt dread at how much work I would have right off the bat, also wondering what kind of private life I would have to be cleaning up after, having seen the aftermath of several of the parties held at the embassy.

As it turned out however, he had several maids on staff that kept his home clean while he was away.

The first thing he told me to do was to familiarize myself with the layout of the mansion and meet him in the library after I had my lunch that afternoon.

The layout was actually fairly simple, the library took up a quarter of the house and had three floors. The first floor of the rest of the house was mostly common things like living rooms, two dining rooms, a parlor, and just places to entertain guests. The second floor was mostly bedrooms for guests and visiting family. And the final floor was staff bedrooms and some storage.

I saw stairs to a basement area but was told by staff that ONLY Bansher went down there and anyone he gave permission. Fine by me I said for I hated creepy basements.

So after I had my lunch I headed to the library, expecting to be given instructions on how to properly care for the books.

I found Bansher standing next to a desk with several books, but to my surprise when he instructed me to sit he told me that if I'm going to serve him I, and I quote, 'Damn well be able to read and write and that my afternoons will be spent in the library till I could.'

And so for the next year I spent my afternoons with him in the library learning all I could, taking an interest in history, which actually made him happy. He liked that I showed an interest in learning.

After he left for a year working in the embassy I was only able to read the books an hour a night because the head of staff didn't share Bansher's eagerness to teach and said that as a slave I should be learning to clean and not read.

It sucked. I was enjoying the chance to learn then the head of staff took that away. That is until she received a message from Bansher saying the he expected me to have finish all of my assignments that she should have been giving me.

Turns out he had left a note in the library of things I needed to know by time he got back. A note that she hadn't seen. I don't know what's worse, wanting to learn but not being allowed to, or being forced to learn a years' worth of material in a month.

Well I just barely passed all of his tests, a fact that he took out on the head of staff, and as I was putting away the books one caught my eye.

It was out of place you see so I decided to put it in its place, but after looking at its title I thought it was a fictional book and wanted to see what it was about.

I didn't know at the time that it was a spell tome for summoning a Flame Atronach. I was truly terrified of how Bansher would punish me when the book disintegrated in front of me. As I was freaking out I didn't notice that Bansher had been watching the entire time and had planted the book himself.

So you can take it to the bank that I cried in fear as he materialized out of nowhere and asked me what I had just read, much to the mirth of several of the other staff members. Then I was shocked when he instructed me to demonstrate what I just learned.

I took a few minutes for me to calm down enough to concentrate on the spell, but eventually I did it. To say that Bansher was impressed was an understatement. He actually gave me a room on the second floor and made me his first apprentice.

I pause in the story as we pass an Imperial checkpoint. We got through un-harassed and continued on our way.

"So you went from the slave of a Thalmor agent to his apprentice?" the Stormcloak sitting in front of me asked.

"I told you you'd hate me," I said.

"I'm not saying that I hate you, I'm just impressed that you gained such respect from an agent of the Thalmor."

"Well I wouldn't say respect, more like I impressed him. Now, as I was saying."

I spent the next several years traveling with him. He took me to the Collage of Winterhold on several occasions to learn different types of magic, having me stay there while he was on duty.

In time I started looking at him like a new father. I never told him that but somehow he learned of it, probably from one of the Professors at the collage. He actually told me that he was flattered by it and actually saw me as a daughter, having never had one himself.

While I stayed at the collage I came to know a young woman by the name of Katria. She was the adventuring type with extensive knowledge on the Dwemer and often left after doing research of what ruin she was going to explore.

We became… close. She often would bring back trinkets she found and… give one to me as a gift. Some were worthless, and others… one was a necklace made from gold, with square pendants attached via loops with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds inlaid into the pendants. One of two that she found in that dig.

Bansher didn't like the fact that she was distracting me from my studies, but saw that I was at the age of wanting to experiment with my sexuality so only told her keep distracting actions to a minimum.

The last time I saw her was several years ago. She was excited, she'd found a lead on an ancient Dwemer artifact and was going to look for it and… she asked me to marry her when she got back. We both knew that she would be away for a long time so we left things on a good note

(I smile as I imagine our wedding day. I knew that this carriage was heading to Helgen to execute these prisoners but all I needed to do was drop my name to the one in charge and they would let me go. Then I would go to where Katria said she was going and tell her that I was done waiting and wanted our wedding as soon as possible.)

Anyways, once my training in magic was done Bansher personally took me to the capital of the Aldmeri Dominion to see their ruler to personally ask if he may make me the first human Thalmor agent.

At first they were hesitant, thinking me not cultured and beneath them, but were quickly proven wrong after requesting a test of my knowledge of their race, which I passed with flying colors.

After that they still weren't completely satisfied so they asked that I recount their laws, beliefs, and their ideals, starting from the first Aldmeri Dominion.

Again I passed. Satisfied with how well Bansher had taught me, ceremonies were held both in their capital, and the Imperial Capital, for my becoming one in their ranks.

"I take it that many did not see you as an equal for quite some time," The Stormcloak said.

I nodded, "Yes, many still don't consider me an equal, but do respect my knowledge of their culture. None invite me to their houses for drinks, but they don't completely shun me."

I sigh and look wistfully at the sky, wanting nothing more than my lovers flesh pressed against my own. To have our sweat soaked bodies sliding against each other's as we passionately make love.

"I hope you see your love soon… that look in your eye isn't exactly an innocent one," The man says with a sly grin.

I just laugh as I spot the gates of a small settlement appear, "Well gentlemen, it looks as if our time together is at an end."

"Indeed. I take it you'll tell them who you are and shall be released?"

"That's the plan. Sorry that I can't help any of you," I say with true sincerity.

Ulfric mumbles something through the gag he was wearing, it didn't sound like an insult so I didn't take it as such.

"I hope to see you in Sovngarde someday as well sir."

"Well at least the elves didn't take away your beliefs."

I shrug, "I'm a Nord at heart, I will always think of what awaits me in Sovngarde as I enter battle," I say as we enter the gates of the settlement.

We ride quietly through the town before stopping next to a chopping block. As I look around I see General Tullius speaking to… "Papa!?" I shout standing up in the carriage.

Bansher looks my way and looks shocked to see me. The general looks my way and they both quickly run over to me, "Papa, will you please explain to these people who I am?" I ask once they're in front of me, "I walked into the ambush waiting to capture Ulfric-Stormcloak and nobody would believe me when I told them who I was."

"I'll get this straightened out," the general said, moving to talk to one of his commanders.

Bansher pulls out his knife and starts to cut the ropes binding my arms, "I had sensed that you were in trouble Nissa, but I hadn't thought it would be due to mistaken identity," he said cutting the last restraint.

Tullius walked over with a bag, "Here are your belongings, I believe that everything is there."

I did a quick look through the bag before a frown finds it way on my face, "Where's my necklace?" I ask. When nobody speaks up I turn to the group that had arrested me, "Where in Oblivion is my gold necklace?!"

One man starts rummaging through a bag before another just grabs it and tosses it to me, "We're ordered to put any thought to be stolen items in here. I remember the necklace you were wearing and we all thought you had stolen it do to how impressive it was," he said apologetically.

I dump the contents onto the carriage, finding the necklace at the bottom, along with the bracelet, earrings, and ring I also usually wore.

"Thanks," I say, putting the pieces of jewelry on. Peoples name start getting called as I get changed into my usual gear of Steel plate armor, and Shield with the royal seal of the Thalmor in the center. They were covered in mud due to a storm the previous night and had been the reason I was looking for a river to clean them in when I was caught.

As I'm about to put on my helmet the most peculiar noise echoes through the air. I was about to ignore it when I feel blood start to trickle from my nose. I put a cloth to it to stem the flow when I spot something in the sky that makes my blood go cold.