Fast Update? Yeah… you better Review for both chapters now since I gave you twice as much PWF: OFL. By the way, this is a---

WARNING: there is a lot of romance coming up, for those who only read this for the action and suspense. Sorry if it seems too cliche or maybe cheesy. I don't know, I enjoyed it. I just hope you do too.

-+-

The billowing clouds within the Oblivion sky clouded everything. The stars disappeared under a blanket of blackness and the Daedra began to retire to their quarters in hope that the new day would bring more thrill and excitement. Near the grand Watch Tower, Xilivicus walked with Elizabeth. The two were close together as the Churl presented her to every commander and lieutenant. She answered customary questions that they presented her with and when some of the more intolerant Daedra questioned her Xilivicus would step in and protect her.

In one situation, the commander had gotten physical and attempted to harm the Elf. Xilivicus quickly intervened and calmed the soldier. As they parted, the Churl wrapped his arm around the girl and made certain that she would be safe.

They walked in the darkness and Elizabeth leaned her head upon his armor, catching the aroma of his hair which smelt like a roaring fire and his skin that smelt like an emerald forest. Her eyes fluttered and she moved even closer. The Churl pushed her away slightly and shook his head, "… we can't get close, Elizabeth."

"… Why not?" she inquired with a softened glare.

His lips pursed as he continued walking and knew that he did not want to plunge any further into that conversation. His heart began to shatter in his chest as he walked even farther from her. The maiden lowered her head as she pondered quietly to herself. Their footsteps became silent across the red sand of Oblivion. The waltzing wind pushed and pulled on the couple as they sauntered down the streets. Elizabeth's eyes cast up upon such marvelous structures like training facilities and dining halls. There were Daedric quarters for different levels of Daedra and even a Clannfear farm where they breed and harvested meat for meals.

The girl's ample eyes widened as she tried to take in all her surroundings. A few stray Daedra wandered the streets with nothing else to do. They watched fascinated as they caught a closer glimpse of the Cyrodiilic beauty. The Altmer pulled up her skirts and ran a little faster to catch up to Xilivicus. She looked up at him and questioned, "… where are we going?"

"To the Arch-Mage, Xarovica. He is the eldest of the Daedra. One of the first creations that Lord Dagon had ever constructed. After we speak with him then you may return to the watch tower and rest. Surely you need it for your day has been rather perturbing." The Churl had said while giving her a glance. He turned down a paved path that led to a great ebony tower where the Arch-Mage resided.

Elizabeth kept close as her guard pushed open the great door and guided her into the keep of the Mage's tower. It smelt of curious mixtures and burning incense. The maiden lifted her skirts as she ascended the triangular stairs that coiled around just like the old tower in the Oblivion of Kvatch. She followed Xilivicus and as they reached the next level of the tower she saw all assortments of ancient tomes both Daedric and Cyrodiilic. Incense hung from swinging golden plates that attached to the ceiling and walls. A few torches were lit and burning down to stubs.

The maiden looked over the gardens of books to see a very old Dremora sitting at a desk; fooling with alchemistic ingredients. His aged bronze skin gleamed in the firelight as he hunched over and observed the elements with those eyes who matched that of the Churl. His long horns twisted back in a ram's structure and his aged silver hair was pulled back into a loose bounding. Just as Xilivicus was to step upon the stone floor, the old rugged yet very inviting voice of the Dremora called out, "You best have clean boots before you walk all over my floors, Xilivicus, my boy."

"I do, sir," the Churl said with a soft smile. "Elder-Xarovica… this is—"

"—Elizabeth Asquerana the Altmer scholar… yes, I know." He pushed himself out of his seat leisurely for his old bones could hardly support him. His long Mythic Dawn robes cascaded past the floor as he glided around his desk and over to the girl. A great friendly smile pulled across his lips as he took her gentle petite hand and bowed to her. He lifted his eyes to her and said, "My, you are more beautiful then I could have imagined. You're keeping my son in line, aren't you?"

Elizabeth felt her muscles relax as this man set such a wonderful and pleasurable mood. "Yes, sir, I believe I am."

"Good… that is good…" the old man whispered while turning around and wobbling back to his desk. He sat down and sighed profoundly with a wide mouth. His jagged white teeth were poking out from underneath his lips. "So, why have you come to this ancient fossil, hmm?"

Xilivicus bowed respectively and as he rose he said, "Commander Broga demanded that I brought by Ms. Asquerana to all the Lieutenants and Commanders so they had a chance to ask any questions that might reveal more about Tamrial."

As the Churl told the Mage this, the old Dremora had hardly listened to a word. Instead, his erudite eyes were locked upon the maiden. Her structure and poise was so elegant and it had seemed that her posture was hinting at an almost desire or dream that she held within her heart. The old man's crooked fingernails caressed the edge of his chin as he watched the Altmer stare attentively at Xilivicus.

"… I believe I have a question for the girl," Xarovica said while leaning back in his stone throne. "This may have nothing to do with Broga's orders or even Tamrial, as a matter of fact. I want to know about your fascination with Daedra."

Elizabeth's curved long ears perked as she came to attention. Her pale cheeks flushed and she searched for the words that may answer his current inquiry, "I-I… I don't have…"

"Well," Xarovica chuckled while entwining his fingers together in a mesh. "You are staring quite a bit at our young Xilivicus, here. There must be some attraction in your fluttering heart."

The Churl furrowed his brow and glanced about curiously. He hadn't felt another heartbeat calling out to him, he sensed no other Daedra that may be eavesdropping their conversation and when he turned his eyes back to his elder he listened as Elizabeth protested, "I… I am paying close attention so that I will stay on subject and will… will be able to answer your questions p-precisely, sir." Her cheeks began to inflame.

Xarovica nodded solemnly and then turned his attention to Xilivicus with a soft smile. "Then what is your excuse for attempting to keep your gaze from our young Miss Asquerana?" The Churl tensed as he opened his mouth but was only hushed by his elder. Xarovica closed his eyes and grinned, "I might be an old man; however, that does not mean I can't tell when two people are interested in one another."

"W-we... that's absurd!" Xilivicus spat with wide frightened eyes. "I am merely her g-guard and nothing else, Elder-Xarovica."

Elizabeth tossed her eyes over to him with a twinge in her heart. She cast her eyes away and listened to the voices around her as they spoke together.

"Are you certain that there is no attraction between you?" the Elder questioned; fascinated.

"How can you accuse me of loving an Altmer? I-It is completely prohibited. It is one of the-"

"I'm interested in him," Elizabeth proclaimed truthfully with her eyes upon the Elder.

Xilivicus froze and felt his body tense. She had begun the confessing of one of the Forbidden Laws written by Lord Dagon himself. If Xarovica trapped Xilivicus inside the truth then the Churl would part from the maiden and be sent straight back to the dungeons. The elder nodded and smiled soon looking over to the Churl. "What say you to this, my son?"

With a dried mouth, the Churl attempted to conjure a lie; yet, it seemed completely futile. The Dremora closed his eyes and nodded, "… I say the same, Elder-Xarovica."

"That is what I feared," whispered the old man who leaned forward in his seat. "Just in case you had been worrying, I shan't report you to Lord Dagon. I am merely questioning this for the welfare of yourselves. A Mer and a Daedra are two unlike candidates to be together in any situation. With the war unfurling across the horizon, I fear that this love you claim to have will be tested through the hardest of fires. If you both make it through then there will be no stopping what you may have together. Therefore, this brings me to my next question; who all knows?"

Elizabeth bowed her head and answered, "My family and a few inside of Anvil…"

"… and Broga," added Xilivicus with a solemn gaze.

Xarovica rubbed his weary eyes with a heaved breathe, "This is not good, not good at all." The elder pushed himself from his seat to stand. "If Broga feels at all threatened he might report you to Dagon and this relationship will cease before it ever began." He chuckled lightly while lowered his head. "Listen to me, going on as if I were a counselor."

"What are we to do, sir? I am her demanded guard and I won't allow another Dremora to step in and take my place; especially if it were Broga." Xilivicus hissed with narrowed fiery eyes.

"The only thing you can do is rather secrete your feelings for one another during the morning light or escape out of Oblivion evermore. If you were to be caught you both would be executed or even worse."

"What is worse than death?" questioned Elizabeth with a cocked head and a lowered brow.

Xilivicus could feel his scars burn as he purred, "Believe me; there is far more dreadful."

The Elven maiden looked over to him; only images could appear in her head as she considered the worst of the events that could happen. She turned back to the elder and questioned, "… may I ask you a question, sir? About why I am here."

"Go ahead," he said with a short wave of his hand.

Elizabeth swallowed a lump in her throat as she questioned, "… why is it that Mehrunes needed me?"

"He needed someone to tell him all about Tamrial so that if he opened gates to both worlds that the scholar would lead his troops so that he may conquer and finally claim his birthright. I am a little surprised that it was someone as youthful as you; however, I suppose that it is in the Greater Plan of everything." Xarovica had said with a nod. His flaming eyes shifted over to the Churl and he saw the devastation and grief upon his darkened violet face. The Elder turned back to Elizabeth and said, "I am sorry to cut this short, my dear; nonetheless, it appears that I will need to speak with your guard. Would you be fine if I sent you off to the Watch Room with my summoned Atronach? It shan't cause you any trouble, but only guide you back to your room in the tower."

Elizabeth nodded and curtseyed respectively, "That would be perfectly fine, sir." She tossed her eyes to Xilivicus and her soft sweet gaze froze and turned to ice as she whispered, "Don't be long…"

"I won't, I promise." He whispered back to her.

Xarovica raised his hand and within his palm a violet orb appeared. Pink little orbs circled around his hand and before his desk a gargantuan Frost Atronach had appeared from thin air. Its frozen body gleamed in the torch light and it turned to the girl with obedience in its mind. Its limbs crunched as it took long slow strides soon leading the girl down and out of the tower.

Xilivicus bowed his head and whispered, "… is there truly a possibility that Elizabeth and I could live happily together?"

The elder remained quiet for a moment as he sauntered around his cluttered desk and to a shabby petite cupboard that held most of his alchemistic ingredients, remedies, and even poisons. "More and likely not, my son," he whispered. "Not while Daedric blood still flows through your veins. Daedra and mortals were never meant to be together. If it were not for your goddesses putting their hands into matters that did not concern them, you would not be in love with the maiden right now."

"Are you saying this is Mara and Dibella's doing? That they had planned this from the start? What if… what if it was destiny no matter who intended it?"

"Improbable," Xarovica groaned while opening the cabinet and sorting through all his little vials.

Xilivicus' muscles tensed and he lowered his gaze with a snarl, "What am I to do then?! No matter what we are bound by our own races and bloods that we should never be together! How am I to fall out of love with her? She is so… so angelic. She means everything to me, Xarovica, even more than Anaxes." The elder froze with his fingertips upon a vial. His eyes narrowed as he listened to the desperate plead of his brethren. "…please… Xarovica… there must be something… something that will allow us to be together."

"There is… something," hissed the old man. "But the chances of losing your life in the process are far greater than that of gaining the reward."

"It doesn't matter, please tell me." Begged the Churl.

Xarovica turned around and looked at Xilivicus; a grace façade overcoming him. "You truly love her that much? … To give your own life?"

"I have done it once, Elder-Xarovica; I will do it again if required." Xilivicus proclaimed while stepping closer.

The Mage let his heavy shoulders slumped as he turned back around and reached for two petite vials. One was the color of the Oblivion skies, while the other was the color of the towers. Xarovica walked over to Xilivicus and handed him the crimson vial. "This is a poison that will completely destroy any component of Daedra within you. It starts at your heart and works its way out. I invented it such a long time ago when I thought of attempting a certain form of suicide. I made an entire batch and gave it to Atronachs and studied their behavior afterwards. With the Storm it turned them into rocks; with the Frost it turned them into mere icicles; and with the Fire it simply turned it into just that—fire.

"I observed as it appeared that each Daedra was stripped of its Daedric characteristic and I feared that if a true Dremora would take it then they would be changed into a mortal being. Only Daedra with the strength of an entire flock of Daedroth could possibly take this poison and live to see the results. That is why I hid it. The second vial is the restoration potion. If you lived through the transformation and you wished to turn back this will poison you with a Daedric component that I found in sigil stones and even Daedra hearts. As I have said, the risks of taking this poison are extremely high and if you do perish then you will be abandoning Ms. Asquerana and forcing her to live in Oblivion alone… do you think you could let her live alone?"

"If I were dead or alive," Xilivicus purred, "she would still be forced to live alone."

Xarovica handed him the crimson vial with somber eyes. "May your goddesses give you strength, Xilivicus."

The Churl glanced down to the vial slumbering within his grasp. One sip and he might be a mortal just like Elizabeth, or he might be the reason for his own eternal death. He heard the ticking of a clock in his head as he looked back and forth between the two vials.

Life.

Death

Life.

Death

How it had seemed the odds were against him. He felt warmth in his heart and he closed his eyes tightly. He could feel Mara and Dibella by his side; encouraging him. He opened his eyes and pried the vial open. "… If I die," he said. "… Ask Elizabeth to forgive me." With that, he pushed the vial to his lips and drank the entire elixir.

-+-

The Frost Atronach disappeared just as Elizabeth walked into the Watch room. She glanced back and saw the fading crystal mist. Her heart fell as she walked further into the room with a deep sigh. All these burdens that piled down upon her shoulders finally began to pry her nerves and break them loose from her body. Her hands trembled for she knew the worst was to come. Her bright sky eyes lowered down to her dress and as she looked upon the Daedric designs she felt disgusted. She snarled as she twirled her arms behind her back and undid her corset herself. She tore it off and threw it across the room soon tearing each part of the dress off and lowering it to the floor until she stood in nothing but a black Daedra silk slip.

Her trembling hands reached up and pulled off the headdress and suddenly she felt cold tears cloud her eyes. All this pain and grief tore into her heart and destroyed what little hope she had left of ever leaving this realm. Her hair fell from the ponytail and waved down across her face. Some strands sticking into a trail of tears. Her fingertips reached up and wiped across her eyes and lips soon removing most of the charcoal. Some smeared; nevertheless, it was scarcely noticeable.

Coldness nipped at the girl's pale bare skin and she realized that the fire had completely died. She searched the room and finally found more firewood. She tossed it upon the dying embers and with a faltering fiery touch the logs consumed in flames and heat once again pulsed through the room. Elizabeth kneeled down before the fire; embracing herself. She sniffled every once and a while as she attempted to rid herself of this sadness which didn't seem to want to go away.

What would the rest of the Asquerana family say if they knew I was courting with a Daedra in pursuit to marry him? I would be the fool of my entire name. If only they had never taken over Kvatch. If only… if only I would have… she could hardly think straight for so many twisted emotions were fueling her soul and heart. She closed her eyes and wept silently into her hands.

The Watch room door opened and Elizabeth gasped soon tossing her eyes over to see who arrived. From the shadows of the being she saw two ram-like horns and her heart dropped. "…E-elder-Xarovica…?"

The man stepped from the darkness and she saw it was only the design of Xilivicus' helmet that he wore tightly upon his head. He walked silently into the room and the loss of words began to bring the worst scenarios from the maiden's heart. "Xilivicus," she whispered. "Are you alright?"

The Dremora lifted his gloved hands and removed his helmet from his head. Suddenly, the maiden felt her heart seize and her eyes widened as she looked upon Xilivicus' face. He looked like an Imperial man. His skin was sun kissed and his once fiery eyes now died down into a bright brown. His wild waved dark ginger hair pulled back from his face with only a few strands falling into his eyes. A grave look was upon his face as he kneeled down before Elizabeth. His dark thick eyebrows lined his diamond shaped eyes as he looked upon her. His pouted cherry lips opened as he questioned in a very rich Colovian voice, "… what… do you think?"

Awestruck; the maiden lifted her hand and caressed his soft tanned cheek. His eyes closed and he sighed deeply as she pushed her fingertips through his hair. She felt the roundness of his ear and laughed softly for no longer was it jagged and pointed like her own. "Is this… really you, Xilivicus?"

"Yes, it is I." He whispered to her soon pushing himself forward. His gleaming eyes absorbed onto her features as he looked at her. No longer had he felt the coldness of a Daedric heart within his chest or the burdens of attempting to prove himself worthy. "… Elizabeth…"

Her eyes lifted to his own as she listened closely to the words that fell from his lips. The fire light danced around them and warmed them even further. "…yes?"

He swallowed a lump in his throat and leaned forward soon pressing his lips against hers. His hand cupped her cheek and he could hear her soft gasp and feel her heart fluttering beneath her breast. Elizabeth's hands raised and unhooked the cuirass from her lover's body. She pulled it over his head and placed it aside. His moist torso revealed underneath. The man leaned forward and soon pressed Elizabeth down upon the floor, his bulk hovering over hers as he looked her over with love and adoration in his eyes.

He lowered himself and kissed her tenderly. One of his hands anchored him while the other stroked her side feeling the softness of the silk and the warmth of her skin hidden underneath. Their breaths fused together as they exchanged many guiltless kisses by the side of the untamed unfurling fire. The firewood popped and cracked every few minutes bringing even more warmth to the admiring couple. As they departed from one another's lips, Xilivicus stroked his fingertips through her long silver hair, gazing deeply within her eyes as he purred, "… when this war is over… and we return to Cyrodiil… you and I shall be wed and together we shall build a life and family."

The Altmer nuzzled him amiably and with a hushed voice she said, "I do not want to wait that long, Xilivicus. For too long have we hid in the shadows about the desires of our hearts. Let us finally cross that bridge and never glance back."

"Are you certain you want this?" he purred as he hovered over her. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Once we have we cannot turn back from there."

"Yes," said she, "I know."

The former-Dremora nodded and lowered himself soon kissing her sincerely. Their lips merged and their hearts had beat as one. His trembling hand lowered itself as he removed the rest of his armor and pushed it aside soon preparing himself for the entwining ballet of love's duet. The roaring fire's heat had nothing compared to that of the man and his lover. Sweat dripped from their bodies as they merged together and finally confessed how severely they had felt for one another.

Their stripped bodies shimmered in the adjacent firelight that loomed over their shoulders and shrouded them in a mantle of heat. Their fingertips gripped and seized as the night had carried on into the early morning. For once in their lives they felt their happily ever after finally writing itself in their live stories.

But when did Happily Ever After… truly exist?

-+-

With a deep sigh, Broga ascended the Watch room staircase. His muscles were tough and torn for he had sprinted from Bruma to the nearest Oblivion gate where he could make his way back to Dagon's plane. He pushed back his sweat drenched locks from his face. He quickly pushed his hand against the sliding door of the second level door and pushed it open. "It seems that I have good news from..." he stopped and became motionless. His eyes widened and his pupils disappeared among the pools of blood.

... It's you ...

--TBC--

So sorry if you didn't like how it played out. Go ahead and review me and tell me how much you hated it S This is probably going to be the only completely lovey-dovey chapter I will have. I do hope you enjoyed.