Six
"So this is Talos," asked Serana as Stefan placed the horn on the base of the shrine.
"You are unfamiliar with Talos?" asked Stefan. "He's highly revered in Skyrim."
"I've heard of Talos," replied Serana. "But as Vampires we worship Molag Bol."
Stefan didn't like hearing that name. It made him feel uncomfortable. He knew what that deadra did to Serana, he knew the humiliation that she went through to become a Vampire. He shuddered when he heard 'Molag Bol'.
"Something wrong?"asked Serana. "Are you feeling cold?"
There was indeed a cold wind whistling through the trees around them. She moved closed to him and placed her arm around him.
"No," he replied. "Just the name 'Molag Bol'. It makes me feel uncomfortable, after what he...he did to you."
Serana kissed him on the cheek reassuringly.
"So this Talos," she continued. "He's the reason there's a civil war?"
"In essence yes," he replied. "The Elves don't want us to worship him because he a man and in their view a man can't become a God or a divine."
"And Ulfric Stormcloak is going to war for his beliefs?"asked Serana.
"Kind of," answered. "He's a Nord and he believes that Skyrim should belong to the Nords. He's put together a convincing campaign about removing the Elves from Skyrim. I believed him, until I met him."
Serana remained silent. She looked up at him and allowed him to continue.
"After that I discovered he was just another racist trying to rid the province of what he refers to as 'immigrants'," he finished. "He doesn't care about Skyrim, just himself."
"What do you think?" asked Serana. "Who do you support?"
"I'm not that bothered to be honest," replied Stefan. "They're both as bad as each other."
He turned away from the Shrine, Serana followed him and they returned to his horse. He helped Serana mount first and then climbed on himself. He tugged the reigns of his horse and lead her down to the direction of Whiterun. They reached the junction and he made his way to the Whiterun stables.
"Solitude is that way," said Serana pointing to it down the road.
"I know," he replied. "But we can stop here for the night and pick up the road tomorrow."
"Do you just want to show me another of your houses?" asked Serana.
Stefan issued a mock laugh.
"Of course," he said. "I want to flash my mortal wealth to the Vampires Lord's daughter."
Serana laughed for real. He loved how she laughed. How her eyes lit up and smiled. How she exposed her fangs and the way her hair bounced.
"Come on then Mr. Thane," she said. "Let's see if your house can impress your future Vampire wife."
Stefan dismounted. He held out his arms and helped Serana off his horse. He tossed a gold septim to the stable boy.
"Take care of her," he said.
The stable boy nodded and walked his horse to an empty stable. They walked side by side. Serana took his arm and moved as close to him as possible. He opened the main gates and allowed Serana to enter first. He followed her as the guards closed the gates behind them.
She held onto his arm as he lead her towards Breezehome. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. Serana entered first and her jaw dropped.
"Oh," she said. "How quaint."
He closed the door and Serana turned to look at him. A second person emerged from the alchemy lab. It was his house carl Lydia.
"My Thane,"she said. "What did you need?"
"Lydia," he began. "I need you to spend the night at Dragonsreach. I would like to spend the night with my wife."
Lydia looked at him and then looked at Serana. Serana smiled at her awkwardly.
"As you wish my Thane,"she said grudgingly.
"If anyone asks why you are staying there, inform them that the roof is leaking and it unsafe."
Lydia nodded in understanding. She opened the door and closed it sharply. Serana gave a pained look of guilt.
"Don't worry," he said. "She'll be fine. All she did was sit in the bedroom and eat bread all day. It'll be good for her to get out for a while."
He hung up sword on the weapon rack and placed his shield next to it. Serana looked around and saw a book shelf by the fire.
"Books!" she called excitedly. She darted over to the shelf and looked at the small collection he had on the shelf.
"The Lusty Argonian Maid?" asked Serana picking it up from the shelf.
Stefan, who stoking the fire, looked up at the name.
"Why do you have this?" she asked. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"I was heard it was stimulating," he replied. "Although now I think about it, they probably didn't mean intellectually."
He reached over and took it from her hands.
"We don't need that," he said casually throwing it into the fire.
Serana smiled sweetly at him. She watching him for a moment. She noticed how his hair colour was the same as the fire burning in the pit. She returned to looking at the books on the shelf. She spotted a book called, "Yellow Book of Riddles."
She took it off the shelf and observed it carefully.
"I had this as a child," said Serana casually.
Stefan looked over to her and noticed the book she was holding.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," continued Serana. "My mother gave me a copy. Although she never read it to me. She believed that they were too mortal for a little Vampire girl."
"I can read them to you if you like," he said. "My mother used to read them to me when I was a child. It used to help me sleep."
She moved across the room to join him. She kissed him lovingly.
"I would like that," she said. She rested her head on his chest. He put her arms around her and she listened to his heartbeat intently. It was beating rapidly. She could have danced to the beat.
"Stefan," she said. "I know why your heart beats so fast."
He looked down at her.
"It's because of me," she finished.
He nodded.
"Yes," he said simply.
"I think if I had a heartbeat, it would beat faster because of you," she said.
"Yes," he said simply again.
The book fell onto the floor. Serana pulled herself tighter to him, as tight as she could without hurting him.