I want to say that the timeline is screwed up in this story by several years - three hundred to be exact. Why is this?

I began writing this story just before Skyrim came out - a few months ahead. I figured I could flexiblly add a few hundred years in between the era of when the Nerevarine took place and when the Oblivion crisis occurred. Then, Skyrim came out and ruined it. It set in stone that as soon as the Oblivion crisis was ended, a new era was born, and so I could not expand my timeline. So, if this does bother you, leave.

Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls. Todd Howard and Bethesda do.

I buttoned up the top of my vanilla and silver-encrusted blouse, watching with knitted eyebrows and focused eyes my fingers weave the black button through each hole until the last two. I always liked leaving just enough cleavage for my chest to breathe and exhibit the little wolf-shaped ring I wore on a chain around my neck. I twirled around and let the matching skirt furl around me, swaying to its own rhythm before eventually stopping. With bright emerald eyes, I glanced over my shoulder at Rei and smiled.

"How do I look?"

The old white she-wolf wagged her bushy tail and perked her ears. Pawing the burgundy carpet, a high bark escaped her slender muzzle, and I knew my companion was satisfied with my attire. As if my personal dresser, Rei gave her opinion openly. Gaining her approval was not easy. Happy, I busied myself over to my dresser and grabbed the blue, tear shaped soul gem along with the white, crescent-moon shaped one and ran them through the left side of my brown hair.

While doing this, I addressed Rei in an authoritative tone. "Today is the day, Rei. The Nerevarine's called us to a meeting to decide on the abolishment of slavery." I slid my fingers through my hair to smooth where strands had ruffled up. Glancing at my reflection one last time, I said with a sigh, "Wish me luck."

There was a knock at my door, and I allowed entrance. In walked Aryon with my Mouth and loyal steward, Eddie – Fast Eddie, as many referred to him.

"Ah, and here is House Telvanni's pride and joy!" Aryon called, addressing Rei with wide arms. Excitedly, she yelped and twirled in a few circles before meeting his welcoming arms.

Fast Eddie glanced cautiously at Rei before approaching me to proceed with whatever business that needed tending to. "Madam, your schedule is rather filled. Before you leave, there are a few things on the agenda." I was walking now to my desk, going through my jewelry.

"First, Mistress Thenora is asking for a loan to extend her egg collection."

"Eddie, I've already told you to ignore any request from her. Thenora lost her head a long, long time ago."

"Yes, Divayth has requested to meet with you to discuss the Corpesarium expansion. It seems he's running out of room."

"Is he requesting an expansion immediately or just a discussion for future planning?"

"Umm, there are no specifications for. I…"

"Fit him in," I instructed. "We need to catch up. Tell you what, cancel everything for tomorrow and send Divayth a message that I'll go there in the morning."

"But, tomorrow, you're scheduled for Sadrith…"

I snapped with a hint of teasing in my voice, "Oh, Eddie, quit behaving like such a Redoran! Those Telvanni will rather enjoy having such a delay! Besides, I never quite cared for Sadrith Mora anyhow." I paused at the door. "Anything else?"

"Just a letter from God-King Al-"

"Trash it," I ordered, and with that, I left.

I sat in front of the Redoran Archmaster, glowering over at the Dunmer trash. Redoran is one of the worst Great Houses. I always thought so, anyway. They're stuck up and think they are better than any other Great House.

Allow me to elaborate on the five Great Houses of Morrowind. At the moment, only three hold power on Vvardenfell – House Telvanni, House Hlaalu, and House Redoran. The other two, House Indoril and House Dres, fell out of power several centuries ago before I became Archmagister. House Dres is run by a Dunmer man named Ibaar, and House Indoril, dedicated to the lovely God-King Almalexia, lacks sufficient leadership. They're run by an Ordinator named Savel Riin – you can call him "Idiot."

House Hlaalu is the "kiss ass" house, so to speak. They're loyal to the great Emperor and believe in pleasing everyone. They want to completely do away with all Dunmer ways and let those Imperial n'wahs (please pardon my language) come over here with their foreign ways and put down their foreign laws. I may be a Breton, but I was raised in Morrowind, surrounded by proud, noble Dunmer who believed like I believe. It's completely outrageous!

However, as much as I despise House Hlaalu and the Empire, I hate House Redoran. Arrogant, inbred, moronic Dunmer trash is all they are. House Redoran is the opposite of House Hlaalu; they want to keep the ways of the Dunmer Temple, slavery, persecution of the necromancers without fair trial, and persecution of the great savior of the Nerevarine. They hate House Telvanni because we dare question the Tribunal and their God-Kings. Blinded by pride and arrogance, they kick out anyone who messes up because you must be perfect to be a Redoran. And their leader is just as terrible as well. He fits their type perfectly. Ruthless, proud, arrogant, ignorant, he has all the attributes of a Redoran. He's so villainous that there is no telling how many of his own people he's slaughtered.

And then, there is the house that I preside over – House Telvanni. Many people dislike Telvanni because it houses peculiar wizards and rumored necromancers. They fear us because of nasty rumors, but none are even close to truth. Unlike House Redoran, we don't think inside this bubble the Tribunal Temple offers. We dare to question, explore, and discover. We despise the Temple because it desires to suppress knowledge and truth. Though eccentric in this department, we despise the Empire. Unlike House Hlaalu, we want to keep some of the more important Dunmer ways, like keeping the power in the Great Houses and not some foreign Imperial about to keel over with old age. In my opinion, House Telvanni is the greatest of the five.

House Redoran despises us because of our eccentricity and boldness; we despise House Redoran because of their belief in suppressing knowledge. The Archmaster hates me because I betrayed the Temple and became a Telvanni and Dissident Priest; I hate him because he's a liar and an idiot. He thinks women shouldn't lead; I think idiots should be decapitated. Need I say more?

But, here we were, glowering one another down while sitting at the large table across from each other, waiting for the Nerevarine's arrival. If we were alone, he would be dead. That is how deep I despise him. He's a traitor to his House, a liar to his people, and a pimple on the ass of society. Killing would do everyone some good.

The Nerevarine entered, and we rose from our seats. He came to the massive, throne-like chair beside be and sat down. We followed his lead.

"I have gathered you each here because of a document I recently received. The residents of Vvardenfell have passed around a petition and compiled over one hundred thousand signatures for the abolishment of slavery. I open the table for discussion."

And the village idiot in front of me pushed himself up to speak.

"This is an outrage!" he babbled mindlessly like a cliff racer with its head chopped off. "It's an insult to us Dunmeri that you're even discussing this!" He pushed his navy blue finger onto the table. "Our treaty that the Tiber Septim signed guaranteed us the right to slavery!"

"Because at the time," interrupted Grandmaster Vedam Dren of House Hlaalu, pushing himself up, "the people desired and needed slaves. Times have changed since the treaty. Our people have changed with the times.

"This is true," added Riin, also climbing to his feet. "But if we allow this to be taken away, other rights will follow."

"Exactly," the moron bellowed, turning his gaze to the Nerevarine.

"But slaves are people," Vedam argued. "Do they not deserve a right to freedom?"

"I must agree," Ibaar voiced. "I was never one to own a slave. My family and I offered pay to the poor willing to work and harvest the crops we had in our fields."

"You pay those filthy creatures!" the Archmaster gasped. "Look, as long as those beasts are slaves, crime is down. We all know those Khajiit steal! And not to mention the moon sugar!"

"If I'm not mistaken, Ashlanders also steal, and it was we, Dunmer, who invented the drug skooma, not the Khajiit," Ibaar retorted boldly. "In fact, House Redoran contributed to a large import of skooma that House Indoril found!"

Before the Archmaster could open his big mouth, the Nerevarine raised his hand to show he wanted silence. He then turned to me with his brown eyes. I assume you thought the Nerevarine was a Dunmer, but he is an Imperial.

"Archmagister Helshire," began he, "have you anything to say? You've been awfully quiet."

I smiled, climbing to my feet slowly. My eyes locked with the Archmaster's, and I flashed my white teeth. "I was letting everyone else get their yelling fits out of their system, Your Grace, but if you seek my council, I shall give it openly and without hesitation."

"Though House Telvanni has been an active slavery upholder in the past, I, for one, believe that slavery is wrong. However, because I am a Telvanni, I believe in keeping slavery and mostly all Dunmer rights."

"Except the Temple," murmured the Archmaster under his breath.

I ignored him and continued. "So, I've found a clever way to abolish the unfair treatment of slaves while also maintaining slavery in Morrowind."

"How? By paying the little vermin fair coin?" taunted the idiot.

"No. I'm surprised you even know how to even use 'fair coin' correctly in a sentence," I mocked, making him grit his teeth. "We can modify slavery is what I am saying by using it as hard labor for those who are a burden to society."

"You mean criminals?" Vedam asked.

I nodded. "Instead of letting those who've committed a crime against society shrivel and rot away within the confines of a prison, why not put them to use in a field? That way, they're actually doing good deeds instead of just plotting another heist or murder behind iron bars! And when they've served their sentence, perhaps the owner could offer them a full time job or they'd be let free and another criminal would take his place."

"And let killers around the Dunmeri children and thieves around valuables? Tck, might as well hand them the key!" the village idiot scoffed.

"Well, my second option was just letting the slaves go and capturing all Redoran scum and enslaving them!"

"Of course you would, you Telvanni scum!"

"False God worshipper!"

"Breton harlot!"

"Uncivilized elf!"

"Traitor!"

"Murderer!"

"Enough!" bellowed the Nerevarine.

"You can't possibly consider the necromancer's idea!" he growled. "It's just too risky!"

The Nerevarine grunted, closing his eyes. "But plausible… and beneficial. I'll consider Archmagister Helshire's proposal. This meeting is dismissed."

"Ooh, I hate that man, Rei!" I was home now, Tel Uvirith to be exact. Deep inside my tower, I was doing what I did best – studying how people died. Clothed in a blue, blood-stained robe and armed with a rusty glass dagger, I ripped open the chest of a dead Altmer with my bear hands. Blood splattered the wooden walls as the rib cage cracked under my strength, revealing the pink lungs and red heart. I heaved a few times while my assistant, the Dwemer sphere I nicknamed Doug (because I "dug" him out of a Dwemer ruin on one of my many travels) took over and held down the chest.

While slicing away carefully at the tissue, I continued to rant. "That man is pure evil, Rei. Pure. Evil. Lloretheni is a terrible person." That was his name – Lloretheni. "My idea is perfect," I seethed, pulling out an artery and throwing it onto the floor for Rei to slurp up. "It would-" I paused to dodge an explosion of blood that emerged when I sliced another open. It went flying into the wall behind me and hit with a loud splat, slowly sliding down and leaving a crimson trail behind. "-satisfy everyone! Doug, get the rib… there." I pointed to a loose, broken rib.

"Okay, Doug, hold down this body. I'm gonna rip this heart out. Ready?" The golden robot nodded and embraced himself. "Go!"

I gave a firm tug and heard the sound of soft tissue snapping away. Within a second, the heart was in my hand. I placed it in a plate and reached for the healthy I had extracted earlier from a female Altmer. I sliced the only I had just brutally ripped out open to reveal its four chambers and compared them by eye to see the difference. I immediately noticed that one chamber was smaller than the healthy heart's. Also, another was sealed shut with some form of mucus.

"Just as I predicted. Aryon owes me fifty drakes for that one," I stated, removing a leather glove to record the data. "It's a miracle that he even lived this long."

"You believe in miracles?"

I turned my head towards the round doorway to find the Nerevarine standing there. I smiled and waved my clean hand. "Come on in!"

"You look busy, so I'll pass." He stared at the jars of organs I'd harvested from different races that people brought in here to be examined and nearly gagged when finding the fetus of a young Argonian.

"Ah, now that one is a true mystery," I stated, removing my other glove and tossing them on the lab table. "Her mother died from the blight, yet her daughter didn't have any signs of that terrible plague."

"You think she was born immune?" the Nerevarine asked, looking at me and hoping for an answer.

I only sighed. "I have no clue, Andrew." That was the name everyone knew him by before he received the title of Nerevarine. The outlander Andrew Relich, born Azura knows where, became Morrowind's hero, and I was his companion throughout the whole ordeal.

"Well, as you said, it's a miracle," he stated with a smile. "Gross, but a miracle." He then paused to scuff the floor with his shoe. "Umm, Avalia, if you're not busy, I'd…"

"Not busy!" I exclaimed. "I'm three days behind in deadlines on these bodies your wonderful Empire has shoved onto me to dissect, Divayth wants an audience with me tomorrow, and I have to meet with the new recruits about their ordeal in nearly blowing half of Shishi to the Ministry of Truth." I then smiled over at him. "So, absolutely not, I'm not busy."

"Well, never mind, then," he stated with a sigh. "I wanted to spend time with you, but…"

Before he could walk away, I grabbed his hand. "How much time?"

"This afternoon," he stated.

"Fine," I said. "Let me get changed."

Saying no to Andrew was like refusing a million gold drakes for me. I just couldn't find the words to say such. And it's such a simple, two letter word, too. No. Then again, Andrew has done so much for me. He saved me from becoming a snack for a corpus stalker, took me to Divayth so my case of corpus disease could be cured, and basically gave me this life I live now. You could say he saved me from my former ignorant self.

And, I suppose you could say I was infatuated with him as well. Yeah, I was flattered he cared enough to save a total stranger who wanted him dead at one time, but something just drew me close to him, some emotion logic cannot describe. I stayed by his side, dedicated myself to the Nerevarine's legacy, and served him. In return, he, too, fell in love with me. However, because of the positions we both held, love wasn't enough to keep us together, and we were slowly falling apart.

After I changed into a not so filthy attire, Andrew and I left my tower. We hid from the Telvanni guards as if fugitives and raced each other down to the shore. There, we teased mudcrabs and skipped rocks until the sun began to bed down over the horizon for the night. We watched it fall into a sleep as we sat on the rocks that were naturally shaped like stepping stones.

"This is beautiful," said I, leaning my head on his shoulder and sighing. He rested his chin on my temple.

"So are you," he replied. I hid my embarrassment by straightening up and playing with my hair. "I miss our adventures, Avalia."

I nodded. "I miss them, too."

"I miss you more, though."

Again, I blushed, turning I assume a bright pink. He always seemed to make me fluster when he said those sorts of things. I grabbed a rock, rose to my feet, and flung it across the orange and purple-painted water. It skipped the surface six to seven times before falling below the surface.

"I miss you, too," I finally managed to choke out, swallowing my weakness that I hated showing.

I heard him shifting behind him and slightly peeped over my shoulder while hiding my flustered face to see him coming towards me. I felt his arms snake around my waist line, and he leaned forward, resting his chin on my shoulder. Our cheeks touched as we gazed out at the sky.

"I love you," he whispered, gently rocking me from left to right.

"I know," I stated, swallowing the knot in my throat. I hated emitting my emotions because I had trust issues and I hated feeling vulnerable. I was so easily intoxicated by his words and melted away from my shell that repelled all the rest of the world when with him.

Back before Andrew was named the Nerevarine by all four Ashlander tribes and Hortator by the three Great Houses, I felt safe with him. Even before I realized I loved him, I felt so secure, like as long as I stood at his side, nothing could harm me. Now, that same feeling came over me and I submitted to it.

"I love you, too." I nuzzled his cheek with mine. "When you gave me Hopesfire just before you and I set off to Red Mountain, I told you this and that we would be forever bound as one."

"Yes," he stated. "I just wish I wasn't the Nerevarine. Then, we could be together… you and I… and these damnable politics would mean nothing." He squeezed me tightly.

I tried to hide the disappointment in my next words because I revered him as the Nerevarine, but I knew what he was saying was true. "But you are…"

"Which means no matter what I do, Avalia, if I side with you on any topic, they'll immediately think I'm picking sides." He sighed deeply. "Avalia, I can't choose your slavery proposal."

My heart sank. "I-I know."

"I'm sorry," he pleaded. "Please forgive me."

"It's alright," I said, hiding the anger and disappointment in my voice. "I understand."

That night, I found myself once again tearing out organs from a dead body while cursing a man's name into the depths of Mehrunes Dagon's oblivion and beyond. Only this time, it was Andrew and Vedam Dren for giving him the position of Duke of Vvardenfell. I felt betrayed and cheated out of the righteous Andrew who was now forced to make decisions based on political power and not justice.

"It's that damned Lloretheni," I seethed, ripping out a lung from a Khajiit's body. "Always bitching and moaning about the Telvanni. 'They're all a bunch of godless necromancers! All they do is dig up bodies and defile them!' Well, I've got news for that s'wit. I don't make golems out of flesh; I'm documenting illnesses and possible cures so when he catches rockjoint, he won't be laying on his bleeding, groaning in pain!"

And then, the following events occurred as if a nightmare from Oblivion. Aryon and Fast Eddie burst through my lab's door with panic-filled eyes and horrid expressions.

"Something's happened to Andrew!" I recall Fast Eddie stuttering. "He's been framed."

Slowly, I placed my glass dagger down and answered, "Framed for what?"

"The murder of the God-King Vivec!"

My head began to spin as those words slowly sank into my brain. Vivec was dead; the poet-writing Dunmer god was murdered. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Vivec was the only Tribunal god I truly could withstand without wanting to force my fist through his head. He was Andrew's friend, the only one who truly provided help to Andrew. He was his friend.

Why was Andrew accused for this hateful act? It had been I who declared war against them and that I would kill them, one by one, yet Andrew was the one accused of murder? Surely no one would do such a moronic act!

Then again, with the Nerevarine gone and the people of Morrowind turned against him, the Tribunal could rise back into their position of power and reclaim what was once theirs. Redoran would do this; the Temple itself would do this. The only reason they wanted a Nerevarine/Hortator in the first place was to rid Red Mountain of the Sixth House and Dagoth Ur, and even then, they had expected him to fail and die.

And now, with Vivec's death – whether a murder created by them or just a freak happening – they have the chance to erase him from history once more and arise to power. I had to stop this, not out of personal spite but to prevent Dagoth Ur, or something like Dagoth Ur, from regaining strength. Andrew had always said that if his name was ever revoked, the Heart of Lorkhan would regain its power. I couldn't let this happen.

"Meet me in Ebonheart," was all that I said before rushing upstairs to change into my regular clothing. Without giving them time to ask questions, I teleported to Sadrith Mora, and I used the Guild of Mage's teleportation service to travel to Vivec and then taking a boat to Ebonheart. There, I rushed through the lightly drizzling rain up to the ominous castle where Andrew was staying. I burst through the castle doors to find a group of Imperial guards blocking the stair well from several Redoran and Temple people along with Almalexia (no surprise) and the mysterious God-King Sotha Sil. Archcanon Manwar and the kwama forager Lloretheni were there screaming at Officer Barius, Andrew's leading commander. Barius, Azura bless him, was yelling over the crowd back at them.

"Calm down!" the Redguard bellowed. "You can't just barge in here and demand me to arrest him without proof!"

"You're an officer of the law!" Lloretheni shouted. "Why are you not enforcing it?"

"Because you have failed to present proper evidence! Now I must ask you to get the Oblivion out!"

"You Imperials are all the same," I heard Almalexia murmur before shouldering through the group and scurrying up the stairs. Before she vanished, I caught the sight of her holding a brown, ragged cloth with numerous crimson stains on it.

I pushed passed them all as well and followed her trail. While climbing the spiral staircase, I heard this animal-like cry pierce through the air for at least five minutes. It left me rendered immobile from the blast of noise and confusion. Was that Almalexia who made that scream? In my confusion, I allowed the rest of the group to move passed me. After I regained my train of thought, I continued up.

Once reaching the top, I saw over the heads that Andrew, defenseless, was being threatened by Lloretheni who had a large claymore swung over his head and prepared to strike. I leaped passed everyone and sheltered Andrew my throwing myself in front of him, arms outstretched.

"Move, Telvanni!" Lloretheni yelled. "I won't hesitate to kill you, either!"

"Do it!" I challenged. "By the Daedra Prince Hircine, himself, I want you to strike me where I stand so I can rip your pathetic torso in half and feed you to the slaughterfish that swim below us!"

Stunned, he sheathed his sword. Andrew, confused, came to my side and asked, "What's going on? Why are they all here?"

Without removing my green, narrowed eyes from the kwama forager before me, I answered in a low tone, "You've been charged of murder."

Andrew gasped. "Murder?"

"Yes. It's House Redoran's latest attempt to foil your reign. It seems Vivec met a non-gold-like end, and they're blaming you." I then smiled. "A god sure can bleed, can he not, Lady Almalexia."

Lloretheni attempted to take a swing at me, but Archcanon Manwar of the High Fane raised his hand. "Archmagister Avalia, we do not wish to mock him. We have proof."

"Proof!" I scoffed. "Show me your proof!"

Lloretheni violently withdrew a bloodied cloth from his pocked and unraveled it to reveal the sacred Kagrenac tool Keening, stained with crimson blood from one end to the other. He threw it at my feet and yelled, "There is your proof, you necromancer! Only the Nerevarine who wields Wraithguard can use Keening to slay a god!"

"Hah!" I laughed. "You call this proof! Only a Redoran such as you could possess such ignorance! Though Wraithguard is, indeed, needed to wield Keening and its brother, Sunder, anyone can transport Keening without Wraithguard. You, yourself, just proved that."

"Can they stab it into the torso of a God!" Almalexia asked, gripping the tattered robes close to her chest. Her yellow eyes were glaring down at the floor as she rocked herself.

"Vivec wasn't a god!" I yelled back. "And neither are you. You used the Heart of Lorkhan to gain your powers, like Dagoth Ur, and with Andrew gone, that heart will return. I bet you killed him, didn't you, Almalexia?"

"Blasphemy!" howled Lloretheni, raising his sword over his head, but with a swift movement of my hand, I knocked it across the room where it hit the wall with a loud clank and fell on the ground with a clatter.

Lloretheni stared at it for a moment before glancing back at me. I let weak flames burst onto my fists and dance around my wrists before taking a combat stance while they still glowed. Lloretheni removed two daggers and prepared for combat.

What stopped us was the sound of metal clanking on the hard ground from behind me. I let my guard fall and turned my head to see Andrew was removing Wraithguard. I lurched at him, tugging at his arm for him to stop, but he pushed me away.

"Andrew, don't do this," I pleaded. "Don't confess to something you didn't do!"

He wasn't listening. He jerked Wraithguard off and threw it to the ground. Then, he slowly pulled the Moon-and-Star ring, given to him by the Daedra Prince Azura, herself, in the Cavern of the Incarnate as an emblem to show everyone that he was, in fact, the true Nerevarine, the true incarnate of Lord Indoril Nerevar Moon-and-Star. He looked it over as I saw a glimmer slightly twinkle on the star part, and next, he let it fall to the ground.

"Azura!" he bellowed, eyes gazing towards the ceiling. "I no longer wish to carry this burden of prophecy! I no longer wish to be the Nerevarine!"

Thunder outside the castle loudly rumbled and shook the room as the faint smell of roses filled the air, growing stronger. A strong, feminine voice rang out from somewhere, though no one could pinpoint where.

"Andrew Relich, protector of my people and bearer of the Moon-and-Star, is this your wish to forfeit the title of Nerevarine and allow the Heart of Lorkhan to reawaken to its former power?"

"No," I whispered. "In the name of Hircine, say no!"

"Yes," Andrew growled. "I no longer want to serve you and your proud people!"

"Then I, Azura, Daedra Prince of Dusk and Dawn relieve you of your status. You have forfeited each Kagrenac tool and Nerevar's ring and will forever be known as Andrew Relich. All restrains on the Heart are gone."

"No!" I shouted, watching in horror as the Kagrenac tools faded along with the Moon-and-Star ring. "For the love of Hircine, stop!"

I wasn't the only one who was praying. The Imperials were chanting prayers to their gods, the Nine Divines, while the Dunmer looked to Almalexia and Sotha Sil for guidance and salvation. The truth was no one could save us now. I could hear in the distance the frightening howls of gales carrying red ashes. As they approached, even in the pitch of night, I could see from the window the red that was hinted in them. It was too late; Dagoth Ur had returned.

My head slowly turned to Lloretheni who was watching the ashes blow on the winds as well, his face filled with fear and confusion. Anger furled in my heart and fed my powers. I let forth a battle cry that only a Nord could match as I raised my hand and gave violent shove to the air. With that shove, Lloretheni was hurled across the room and back-first into the wall where a shield with the Imperial symbol came crashing down. I half-walked, half-ran towards and lifted him off of his feet with my telekinesis so he dangled helplessly. I squeezed his throat with this force as well.

"You ignorant n'wah! You've doomed us all!" I yelled. People swore that in this moment, my eyes were as red as a Dunmer's. He choked an apology I suppose but it wasn't good enough. I squeezed tighter. "I'll kill you!"

"Avalia, stop!" Aryon pleaded, now at my side, but he couldn't stop me. At this point, no one could.

No one except Divayth Fyr could, who had made his appearance on the scene to find me choking Lloretheni unconscious. Without moving from the entry way, he spoke in a firm tone. "Let him go, Avalia."

Without hesitation, I let Lloretheni fall to the floor where several Redoran fools rushed to aid him. I turned to Divayth with a grimace at the order he had issued. Despite me being Archmagister, Divayth and I were friends, and we respected one another deeply. He had saved me from corpus by providing a cure.

"We aren't Redoran trash, so don't stoop to their level," he commented while glowering at Lloretheni.

"You're right," I stated. "I'm not him." I turned to Lloretheni and pointed a finger at him. "You listen to me. Without Andrew, Vvardenfell will need a Duchess, and I'm planning on taking that spot. Do I make myself clear?"

Lloretheni merely chuckled. "We'll see. We'll see."