Hearthhart Hall

2 days earlier...

Serenity sat on her wide, cushioned bedroom windowsill as the morning sunlight streamed in and warmed her skin. Her cheek was on her knee and her hands rested delicately on her feet. From her room, she could see the Daggerfall docks and the waves rolling lazily against the sandy beaches. Every morning she did this, she'd sit and gaze through her open grand window out at the cool waters below. She would listen to the vast array of sounds afforded to a busy coastal city and take in the gorgeous atmosphere as the sun kissed her hair and made it an even lighter shade of blonde. Serenity felt like it grounded her, this routine, and kept her happy and at peace.

She heard a knock at the door.

"Come in, Cas."

Casselandria, Serenity's maid, entered the room. Cas was a red-headed Bosmer lass, someone who Serenity considered her best friend. Cas was quite close with Serenity's mother as well before she left.

"Good mornin', Milady. I see you're up and about, are you ready to eat?" chirped Cas in her friendly Bosmeri accent. One of Serenity's favorite things about Cas was that she always seemed to be in a good mood.

"Yes, thank you," Serenity responded.

"Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee please!"

"Right away, Miss."

She brought Serenity a crystal tray of porridge, bacon, eggs, juice, berries, toasted bread, and a steaming pot of coffee.

"Also, your father wants to see you in the dining hall this morning," Cas swung off the door and gave her a charming smile. "There's a handsome man with him, too!" she sang.

"Oh what? Deets, Cas! Come on, don't leave me hanging!"

"You'll soon find out," she said before she departed, her infectious laughter carrying in from the hall.

Serenity sipped her coffee and stared excitedly out her window, thinking about where her day might take her. She grew up loving romance and relished the thought of being in love. She was interested in both men and women, but preferred men. Lucky for Serenity, there were always willing suitors readily available to her. The breeze from the open window blew softly against her face and her hair played gently on her shoulder. She delicately put a strawberry in her mouth. She loved the pleasures all her senses could bring her. Serenity smiled and thought about how happy she was, how lucky she was to have such a good life. She was aware that not everyone was as fortunate as she was, Tamriel was a dangerous place.

The civil war in Skyrim may finally be over, but the drama sure as Oblivion wasn't. Serenity counted herself lucky that she was in Daggerfall. Highrock had been fortunate during the war, coming away relatively unscathed and remaining a peaceful place to live. Mostly anyway. The Reach was still having more than its fair share of chaos. Serenity sat down in front of her mirror to get ready. She had butterflies as she brushed her hair and thought about what she was going to wear. Her long blonde hair reached down to her waist, and she styled it in a neat plait. She carefully did her makeup to accentuate her pretty, sharp features.

Serenity was a proud Breton through and through. Her skin was a beautiful shade of deep porcelain, unblemished and creamy. She was much darker than her fairer-than-fair father, but Serenity did so love to sit in the sun. Her features were somewhat sharp and her ears pointed, a sign of strong elven heritage. There was no denying that she was part Mer. Her paternal great-grandfather was an Altmer after all. Serenity guessed that her mother's side had some elvish blood too, but her knowledge of her mother's side of the family was strangely limited. Lesianna, her mother, had disappeared when Serenity was barely a teenager. That didn't come as a surprise for many though. Her mental health had deteriorated in the years leading up to her disappearance, and it had been known that she'd been keeping strange company.

There was another knock at the door.

"Just me, Milady! Do you need some help getting dressed?" called Cas.

"Please!"

"Okay, coming in. Oh, your makeup looks divine! My, my, you do have a talent there."

"Thank you, Cas! But you have an equally good eye for style. What color shirt was he wearing? Maybe I should match," Serenity said, laughing melodically. "Now please, you've tortured me long enough, tell me about this man who's with Father."

"So impatient!" said Cas as she walked over to my dressing room. "But very well then!"

Cas ran her hand over Serenity's silk garments as they hung in her expansive wardrobe. She looked at Serenity and then back to the wardrobe, tapping her lips with her forefinger. She seemed to have finally made up her mind as she gently picked out a light blue dress.

"Milady, you always look amazing in blue... and it sure matches your beautiful makeup, too."

Serenity pulled her delicate, pink lips into a smile. "Thank you. It's perfect, Cas."

Cas pulled the dress back and gestured playfully.

"He's wearing green if you must know. Oh, and he's a Dunmer!"

"Oh, is he now? How exotic."

"He's here to do business with your father, but His Lordship is insistent on introducing you to him! He's sweet and so, so good-looking!"

"Is he really, though? I remember when you found that Argonian with one leg and a missing eye handsome."

Cas hit her forehead with her palm, cringing.

"I was a horny teenager, what do you expect?"

"You were 35!"

"Yeah, in human years! In elf years I was only around half that. But I've grown exponentially since then, in both height and in taste."

"Only about half an inch in height."

"Precisely! I'm rather tall for a Wood Elf. In any case, Balir is definitely your type! You'll see what I mean," Cas said, winking.

Serenity looked at herself in the mirror, turning and inspecting the dress.

"I don't know Cas, isn't this a little too casual?"

"Well, you'd want to save a more formal look for later on. Your father is throwing that party tonight in the ballroom. Balir would definitely be invited, of that I'm sure."

"Oh, how could I forget?" Serenity crossed her arms and shook her head. "In any case, we'd better get going, or Father will get impatient."

Serenity and Cas made their way down the stairs and into the dining hall. Sitting at the large dining table was Serenity's father, Mattias Hearthhart. He was chatting casually with a young Dunmer, who was next to him.

"Ah, took you long enough. This is Balir T'rizul, the son of my new business associate. He's an accounting intern and will be spending some time with us here at Hearthhart Hall." He turned to Balir. "Balir, this is my lovely daughter, Serenity."

Serenity and Balir looked at each other. He was well-dressed, wearing a tailored green suit with gold trimmings and black suede shoes. He had shoulder-length black hair which was tied back neatly, dark red eyes typical of the Dunmer people, and deep, midnight blue skin.

Oh, Cas was right, thought Serenity. A wry smile crept across Balir's face as he looked at her, which turned Serenity on.

He got up and walked over to greet her.

"A pleasure, Miss Hearthhart,'' said Balir, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

"Indeed it is," Serenity blushed.

Serenity's father stood up and looked at them.

"Alright Balir, I'll have Cas show you around. Serenity, I gather that you haven't already forgotten about tonight."

"No father, how could I forget?"

Cas stifled a laugh and Mattias cleared his throat.

"We have some matters to attend to in preparation. Balir's family will be in attendance, and they've come all the way here from Cheydinhal so things have to be perfect. Tonight must go well."

"Of course, father."