14th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 965

The Lords of Volkihar

Serana sat alone in the dark, sharpening a blade and thinking to herself on what was happening around Skyrim. She had heard of what happened in Whiterun, and had premonitions of an upcoming meeting with the supposed conqueror of Dragonsreach.

After she finished sharpening her blade, she made her way for the dining hall. She was alone, in an otherwise seemingly abandoned Castle Volkihar. There were no signs of life, and she sat down to wait. She had an eternity to give, after all.

A few hours past midnight, a cloaked figure entered her hall. He covered his face, and stopped at the stairs to address Serana.

"Hello there, Serana," he said. "Do you remember me?"

Serana stood from her throne, ready for combat at any moment. She responded, "You're a fool for coming here," staring with a dark intent at the man in front of her.

"You must misunderstand, dearest Serana. For I do not seek conflict with you - rather, I wanted to make a proposal to you," he said smoothly, walking slowly towards Serana. "I want you to join me in my quest for power. I plan on conquering this empire, and I think you would be a fine asset in my pursuits. I assure you, that you will be rewarded greatly."

Serana's glare intensified. "I know who you are, Maengvor. You killed my mother years ago. Why would I join you - what do I have to gain?"

Maengvor dropped his hood, revealing a youthful, pale-skinned face with flowing dark hair. "I sought out Valerica's help because of her affinity for necromancy. I seek immortality. I think you may very well be of help to me."

Serana scoffed. She wasn't scared of Maengvor, and she didn't see a reason to follow him, and only reasons to oppose him. "Your quest for power will be the end of all of us. You cannot throw the world into imbalance in such a way you would."

Maengvor scowled at Serana, and replied with a harsh tone, "What would a Daughter of Coldharbour have to gain by opposing a darker Nirn? Of course, I know of you and Valerica's opposition to your father Harkon in his pursuit of ending the Tyranny of the Sun, but I think you are passing over opportunities for power too often." He gestured to his surroundings, saying, "Just look at this castle! The sole Lord of Volkihar, and you don't even raise a court? You don't lure followers to command?"

Serana looked at her empty dining hall, and then back at Maengvor. "I dissolved the court when you killed my mother. There's nothing to care about in having people to command - I can handle myself. For that matter, I certainly don't need you. No matter your magical feats, you would be a damn fool to do anything but turn around and walk out the door when this conversation is over. You might think you know what the effects would be if we enshrouded the world in darkness, but you don't. We all rely on keeping a balance between light and dark."

"Your time with the Last Dragonborn must have had a considerable effect on your view of balance. From what I know, you two were particularly close before his disappearance," he said, trying to antagonize Serana. "But where is he to keep balance these days? He's long gone."

Serana stepped towards Maengvor, and warned him, "Leave now, and never come back to this Castle, if you know what's best for you." Serana waved her hand, and from several stone statues awakened gargoyles, surrounding Maengvor and inching towards him. "Don't even think about it. Take the gift and leave."

Maengvor took a step backwards, trying to see just how many hostiles were in the room. Completely surrounded, he put his hood back on, and bowed. "Goodbye, Lady Serana," he said, before turning and leaving Serana alone in her castle.

Exhausted, Serana made way for her room, and went to sleep.

In the garden of Castle Volkihar, Serana stood with the Dragonborn in the moonlight. She rested her head on her companion's chest as they embraced in the night.

"You know I have to leave," he said to her, quietly. But Serana didn't want him to let go.

"Why do you have to leave me? Why can't you stay here?" She asked the Dragonborn, clinging to him.

"Because if I stay here, they'll find you, too. I need to go somewhere they won't be able to find me." The Dragonborn held out Serana by her shoulders, and said, "I'll be back. I must make sure the world doesn't devolve into chaos, and going into hiding is the best way to assure that for now."

The Dragonborn looked into Serana's eyes for a moment, taking a long look at her glowing red eyes. He put his hand on her cheek and caressed it gently. Serana broke the silence by reaching up to kiss him.

"Goodbye, Serana," the Dragonborn said as he broke away, before pulling a hood over his head and leaving her in the garden.

"Goodbye, Serana." Those were the last words Serana's mother Valerica spoke to her, before dying. The image of Maengvor impaling her with a dagger was playing over and over again in her mind.

Maengvor, seeking Valerica's knowledge on the Soul Cairn and ways to test his theories on the dark arts, was indeed turned away. But at what cost? Serana sat on the cold floor with her mother's lifeless body in her arms.

If only Harkon hadn't been an absolute maniac, she might be sitting with her mother and father right now. Better yet, if the Imperials hadn't been such fools, she might have been able to spend this time with the Dragonborn. Now she sit empty. Devoid of livelihood, she was damned once more to waiting as eternity passed by.

Serana woke and went to the garden. There, she sat once more, waiting.