AN: Anything else I add to this story, this update included, are undated glimpses into Ard and Argis's lives after the death of Alduin. They may go past the epilogues and I'll generally leave obvious clues as to which epilogue they followed. I know that in my story I skipped literal decades in order to finish the story, so I hope these little scraps help to flesh out that time period.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ard lay in the large bed he shared with his husband as he looked up at the rafters above his head. Everything seemed surreal to him right now. It felt impossible that just a year ago they had slain Alduin and settled down to begin their family. Even with the monster's death, the dragon attacks didn't immediately abate and the pair would frequently track down and kill the monsters. Gratitude and gold poured their way from all over Skyrim and they made many wealthy contacts.
Pale light filtered in through the small windows and Ard stared at the cold hearth. It was a fine Skyrim summer and there was no need for a fire but Ard usually liked to watch the tongues of light dance while he thought. He didn't move to create a magical fire in the hearth though as Argis would've been woken by the motion, sound, and sudden light, and Ard wanted to enjoy the quiet of the morning.
The thud of little feet on wooden floors made Ard smile a little and Argis roused himself, smiling slightly too. "Here they come, love," he said with a little grin as the door to their room was thrown open and their two children rushed in.
Cries of "Papa!" and "Daddy!" peeled out of the invaders as they climbed onto their parents' bed and began to excitedly talk. "You said we'd go swimming today, can we go now?" pleaded Runa even as Hroar tugged on Argis' big hand and begged him to get up out of bed.
With a mock roar Argis grasped both kids and swung them up off the bed before setting them down. "Ok, ok," he said with a laugh, "We're going to eat and then we're going to stay in the shallow waters - no one's going to go swimming and get a cramp!"
With delighted squeals the children raced out of the room. Argis turned and flashed a grin at his still-in-bed husband. With a great stretch, Ard got out and padded over to his husband. Kissing the Nord, he let his hands rest on the other man's hips before he muttered, "We better get started on breakfast for them. I'm sure Rayya and Onmund have eaten already, but the children probably just got up."
Argis snorted a little, "You say 'we' like you'll have anything to do with breakfast. I'd rather not have it burned, thank you very much."
The meal was quick because the children couldn't contain their excitement and even Rayya, normally quite stern, was smiling at their enthusiasm.
Ardanthis and Argis walked with their children towards the bright waters of Lake Ilinalta. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and patterned the small path ahead in gold and green light which danced as the warm breeze gently shook the branches. It was a beautiful day and Ard drank it in.
The clear waters reflected the perfect blue of the sky and made Ard's heart soar with joy as he watched his children splash into the water. He leaned for a moment against a rough stone pillar inscribed with runes and took a moment to ensure the magics in the rock were still strong. He had crafted them himself and imbued them with an aura that made predatory wild animals shy away from them. This was one of two of them on the beach, and a third one under the water completed the safe space where he knew slaughterfish would never threaten his children. The path they had taken was also marked with the stones so that the way to the lake would be safe for everyone.
Slipping into the pleasantly cool waters with Hroar, Ard splashed the boy in the face with a mischievous grin on his own features.
He laughed as Hroar retaliated in kind and the two quickly began splashing back and forth.
A glance at Argis showed the big Nord playfully fencing with Runa, both of them wielding wooden swords. Runa was the fierce Nord warrior and Argis was hamming up the bandit she was fighting. They were both laughing as their swords thudded into each other.
Another wave to his face grabbed his attention back to Hroar who was giggling. They both laughed as the water fight continued.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Easy boy, just control your breathing and you'll find your aim more in control as well," murmured Onmund as he helped Hroar aim a bow at a practice dummy. The thwock of the arrow embedding itself near the heart of the target made the boy whoop with joy.
Onmund grinned too and clapped the boy - no, he was a young man now - on the shoulder in congratulations.
Ard watched his son learning how to hunt from Onmund with a mixture of envy and pride. He missed being seen as the source of all knowledge because it reminded him of how both his children were growing up. Passing his tutelage off to Onmund was the best choice, though, as it was clear that the other Nord was a far better shot with a bow. After all, he had been raised as a hunter before he left for the College of Winterhold. He seemed to love to hunt in the woods around Lakeview Manor even though he was an adept mage. Ardanthis couldn't be more pleased with the man as his choice of steward.
Rayya, a Redguard housecarl from Falkreath, was teaching Runa how to fight without a shield. Argis had drilled the importance of that barrier into her but both parents agreed that learning a different style could only help Runa become a better warrior. She already wore steel more comfortably than her brother.
Argis patted Ard's shoulder. "I think we both need to acknowledge that they're not children anymore, love," he said with a small sigh, "Runa's already getting good with the blade and Hroar has bagged his own deer how often now?"
"I know, I know," grumbled the elf, "But I just feel... sad. No, not sad. Worried."
A chuckle, "Love, you're just like every parent watching their children grow up."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ardanthis quietly walked back towards Lakeview Manor. He had been called to exterminate a growing Forsworn force that was marshalling itself in the wilds and he was eager to return home. He'd been gone for two weeks and was eager to get back home. Runa was apparently off in Whiterun already, back with the Companions she'd joined a year back, and Hroar was meandering between Falkreath and Riverwood in the forests with his friend, Dervard, another Nord about the same age. They had met a few years ago and had often gone hunting together.
The dragonscale armour he wore was exquisitely enchanted and forged by his own hands, as were the two dragonbone swords strapped to his waist. He had managed to attune the flow of magicka enchanted in the blades with the enchantments in his armour so that the blades never were depleted.
He raised a gloved hand and a purple light softly gleamed between his curled fingers as he looked for any large living creatures. A little blur the size of a fox darted off in the distance and three humanoid shapes, all laying down, were clearly visible in the house. Ard smiled for a moment before he looked at the stable.
He silently swore. Two shapes were clearly visible in there, both humanoid and pressed close together. The stables should be empty - he had given the horse to Runa to let her get to Whiterun faster - but bandits had been known in the past to try to attack Lakeview. They stopped after word of the grisly deaths of the previous attempts spread but there were always fools. Ard let the spell lapse, fearing its sound would warn the two would-be invaders. He secured the small cloth that covered his nose and mouth, leaving only his intense green eyes exposed.
His fist clenched white knuckled around his blade while his other hand was ready with a light spell to flush them out. He was ready to cast a frost wall to prevent any sort of escape.
He snuck up to the edge of the stable, drew a deep breath, and whipped around the side with his sword levelled, bellowing in his best battlefield voice, "SURRENDER!" A brilliant orb of light exploded behind him and filled the area with light.
A high pitched scream slipped out of Dervard as Hroar shouted in surprise and staggered backwards. Ard stood motionlessly still with shock as he watched his son, with his pants around his ankles, flop backwards and land on his ass while his "friend" stammered apologies and his hands shook so badly that he couldn't get his breeches up around his erect manhood. Ard looked away when he saw his son was similarly... excited.
The noise and light drew the others out of the house and Rayya charged out with a scimitar in each hand, followed closely by an armed Argis and Onmund. "What's going on here!?" demanded the woman as she got to the elf but a quick in the barn told her what she needed to know and she raised her brows with surprise. "Oh," was all Onmund could exclaim as he pointedly looked away while the other two made themselves decent.
Ard sheathed his sword and said, "Well, I think it's pretty obvious what was going on here, but I also think we should go inside and talk about this... if you both feel comfortable."
Hroar avoided his father's eyes as he swallowed hard and nodded. Dervard, on the other hand, looked like he was about to pass out. Argis sheathed his blade and quietly stepped towards Dervard, "Calm down, lad, no one here is mad. We're just a bit surprised. Come in, have something warm to drink while we have a little chat with Hroar."
They all walked into the manor and Ard quietly asked Rayya and Onmund to see to Dervard's needs while they had a private chat with their son.
Hroar was quickly led to his room and both fathers quietly entered. A ragged breath escaped the younger man, and his eyes were taking on a glassy wetness that said his composure was close to breaking. Though he was a muscular man, he looked small to his elven father who winced in sympathy. Closing the door behind him, Ard began, "Son, the first thing I want you to know that I love you no matter who your heart chases after. I'm sorry to have ambushed you like that back there. I... I didn't know you were both in there."
A relieved look passed over the young man's face. Argis chuckled his deep chuckle and said, "You helped me track and kill a troll, Hroar. You're a man in everyone's eyes. Did you think that we'd object to you finding someone you love? Did you think we'd object to another man?"
"I am a bit... surprised though," said Ard, "I had last heard you were seen being very close with that Pinkpetal girl-"
"Greenleaf," absently corrected Hroar.
Ard nodded, "Yes, her. I just... I just wish you had said something earlier."
Hroar, noticeably calmer, looked at his fathers and said, "Please don't tell Dervard's father about us. His dad will take it very badly and Derv has nowhere else to go right now. He'd be forced to find work and lodgings, probably in Riverwood if he's lucky or Whiterun if he's not."
"We aren't going to breathe a word of this to anyone, Hroar," said Argis reassuringly.
Gnawing his lip, Hroar said, "I do like Vetla Greenleaf... but I also like Dervard. We've been friends for so long but I didn't know how he felt about me and then I told him how I felt and we've been more than friends for the last little while."
"Come on," urged Argis, "Give me and your father a hug and we'll go calm down your friend downstairs. He looked like he was about to die of fright." The last comment was said in mocking admonishment to Ard who grinned sheepishly.
It suddenly struck Ard how much grey had crept into the temples of Argis' hair, while the elf didn't look like he had aged a day thanks to his naturally long lifespan.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Runa's wedding was beautiful. The temple of Mara was dressed up with fresh flowers, at the expense of the bride's parents, and vivid banners were hung from the rafters where they wavered in the warm, spring air that blew through the open doors. Magical lights sparkled in the air in little whimsical motes that seemed to drift in whatever manner they felt like.
Ursten, the man that Runa was going to marry, looked up at the extravagance around him and suddenly felt very small. "Don't look so worried," gently chided Ardanthis as he clapped the man on the shoulder. Forcing a slight smile, Ursten brushed a strand of blonde hair behind his ear and nodded.
Ard critically looked over the warrior's armour for any slight trace of dirt or mess, but the man had meticulously buffed it until it shined. Though he was slimmer than Argis and a bit shorter, Ard couldn't help but make a mental comparison between the two. Ursten coughed slightly, "This is more nerve wracking than fighting a bear."
The comment pulled a wry smile and a chuckle out of the elf. He was about to say something when a delicate chiming noise trilled through the temple. It was the beginnings of the wedding song that would only play when the bride entered. He hurried over to where Argis stood and the two fathers looked towards the doorway. Just down from them stood Hroar with his latest lover, a beautiful Dunmer woman whose red eyes gleamed like rubies.
Runa, similarly bedecked in her own armour, entered the temple with an air of regality as she walked up to Ursten with a measured stride.
The groom took her hands in his and they smiled as their eyes met.
The priest of Mara intoned the rights and Argis couldn't stop smiling to himself as he listened to the promises the pair made to each other.
At last the pair kissed, slipping on the simple golden bands that marked a marriage in Skyrim and the small gathering of Ursten and Runa's families erupted in applause and cheers.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
All of the assembled vampires looked up at Ardanthis with more awe than when he had emerged after slaying Harkon. By contrast, the vampire Dragonborn looked down at them from the balcony with perfect serenity.
Vingalmo swallowed hard and said, "We have confirmed it. The Dawnguard have been slaughtered in their own fort."
Whispers rippled through the crowd and a small smile tugged on Ard's features as he watched the ancient beings try to mask their new fear of him. "I told you I destroyed our ancient enemies," he said with a little shrug.
Mentally, he tuned out as Vingalmo described what the scouts had seen in the aftermath. Ard didn't need to hear the details again as he already knew all of them. He had been quite thorough in purging the Dawnguard. Of course, there were likely stragglers out there still but he had ripped their heart out and killed their leaders.
Once, he might've hated the vampire clan he now led but so much had changed. His mind wandered back to the last time he had seen Argis and how old his husband looked still haunted him. He had turned to vampirism for himself as a final effort to see how he could gift that immortality to his husband without the accompanying undeath, but he hadn't had come any closer to finding an answer. He expected that he had about ten years left at most before time's hands took his love away from him.
The elf once found vampires horrifying creatures but he didn't know ones like the Volkihar existed. They did more work to protect people from other vampires than anyone would ever give them credit for. Of course, they weren't exactly being altruistic about it as no predator liked competition for its food source but they culled rogue vampires quickly and efficiently. He had managed to steer the clan onto a slightly better path. Now, when they looked for people to kidnap, they almost exclusively picked up bandits or other marauders. Convincing the others to pick targets who would never be missed wasn't hard.
Vingalmo finished his speech with, "And now I believe our leader has a few words to say." Ard roused himself mentally and let his gaze sweep the crowd.
"You all now know what I'm capable of," he began, "I've singlehandedly eliminated, almost to a man, a group dedicated to destroying us." The words held no pride or boasting, just a simple fact and they were more impactful coming from someone who had only recently joined the coven. "We could use this period of freedom to infiltrate Skyrim's holds almost unopposed. We could insert ourselves into every level of control, make jarls our thralls!" A few heads nodded approvingly among the crowd but the Altmer continued, "But we aren't going to be that stupid. No, that would eventually be uncovered and the whole country would explode into an uproar. We all learned the danger of reaching too far too fast from Harkon and his mistakes will not be repeated."
"We will continue to expand slowly, carefully, and judiciously," he declared, "We will be smart enough to stay out of the politics and rivalries that swirl throughout Skyrim but we will use them to our advantage. That subtlety has always been the Volkihar strength and it will continue to make us strong. We are quieter than shadows and cut sharper than the coldest winter wind! We rule the night!"
Cheers erupted from the assembly before him and Ard basked in the adulation. Even Seranna nodded approvingly from the back.
One of the advantages to ruling the clan was that he strictly protected his family from them. The first thing he had done was ensure that no one of the clan ever fed upon his family and slaughtering the Dawnguard had been the ultimate message to his followers. Many of them had grumbled when he had declared his family beyond their reach even though the likelihood of them even encountering his husband, children, or grandchildren was very slim. It was considered unseemly for their new leader to have such a strong attachment to people from when he was merely mortal. It was galling to have him threaten them if one of his precious living was ever even touched. Now, though, now they saw what he was capable of. He had further solidified himself as being their champion. Between the fear and gratitude, Ard knew his family would be safe.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Argis laughed a little and sighed contentedly as he watched his naked husband walk across the room to get a drink of water. "What is it?" playfully smiled the elf over his shoulder, still sweaty from their just-finished lovemaking.
Winking, Argis said, "I think more Nords would marry elves if they realized that even when we're old and grey, that their lovers would still be as beautiful as the day we met."
Returning to the bed, Ard pressed in close to his husband, adding, "And just as in love with you no matter your age." The hands of time had been gentle with the Nord, and Argis was one of the few men to be able to boast of a full head of hair at his age. Though much of his muscle had gone, he was still an imposing figure when he chose to be.
He breathed in the scent of Argis as he lay there. With his vampire senses he smelled so much more than he had before and the pulse of the man's heart wasn't the deadly lure he had feared it would be. The gently sound reminded Ard how precious that life was.
Uniquely, the Volkihar vampires displayed no overt signs of vampirism when they didn't feed which meant that the Altmer could avoid feeding for almost a month before the strain began to wear on him. Slipping out to gently sip on a traveller or townsperson was never a hard thing to do and the elf ensured they suffered no lasting harm. Just enough blood to ensure he never lost control. Of course, it was even easier when he would attack a bandit camp. He could gorge on as much blood as he wanted with them.
The talk of Argis' age reminded the elf of how few beats were left in that heart though. "Love, I know what you're thinking," Argis whispered as he stroked the elf's hair with a slightly arthritic hand, "You can't keep trying to create a cure for age. There is no way around it. I'll one day pass from this world and, Shor willing, I'll eat and drink with heroes. You will too one day."
The elf winced. The topic had come up between them time and again as Ard spent more and more time at his alchemy table mixing different concoctions to try to erase the passage of years. "You don't know what it's like to watch someone die so slowly," said Ard with a hoarse voice, "It's not like watching someone die on the battlefield. It's knowing its coming but not when and wondering if this will be the last time I hold you."
"But don't you see the beauty in that?" gently asked Argis. The elf looked at his husband in confusion and was about to rebut the statement but the Nord hushed him with a gesture. Cupping the elf's face for a moment, he continued, "I know the feeling you are so afraid of. I feel it too, but I choose to let it remind me how precious every breath with you is. Only the divines know how many breaths I have until my heart one day simply gives up and each breath is precious. If I spent each breath telling you how much I love you, then I would consider those breaths well spent." He squeezed Ard a little tighter.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
The troll emitted a pained whimper as Ard bled it for his latest potion. He had had this specimen for a just over a day and had harvested so many organs from it that its regenerative abilities were finally failing it. It was pinned down to the floor by the magical restraints of the wizard as he extracted the last of the warm, living blood from the creature before it expired.
He had done so much research and followed up on the ancient scrolls that had promised some sort of immortality or an extension of life but the results were worthless to him. With a snarl he threw the potion against the wall. The damn thing was only good for healing wounds. This is not what mattered to him at all right now.
Scrubbing his face, Ard gestured and incinerated the troll's corpse. There was no use. He'd been experimenting with bits and pieces from living creatures for years now but was getting no closer to the answer and he was afraid he was running out of time. No, the answer had to lay in the tools of undeath.
The elf walked out of the cave and left the alchemist's station he'd magicked in for whatever being next entered that cave.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ard looked with boredom at the cave before him. He had kissed Argis goodbye just a few days ago and now stood before a vampire nest. Some rogue beast had turned this group of bandits and the Volkihar saw them as a threat now.
This was a routine extermination for him but he intended to take the opportunity to experiment on the filth in the cave. There was likely one leader and the rest were little better than creatures of hunger. With a wave of his hand he conjured an orb of light that hovered by him, drew his swords, and marched in.
The shadows split before the light and a snarling vampire charged him. She had once been a Nord but she looked like a beast as she bared her fangs and charged him with a steel dagger clutched in her hand. She looks dirty and unkempt, thought Ard as he easily side stepped her lunge and ran her through. With a wail she disintegrated into dust, which the elf always thought of as quite convenient.
He wanted the master vampire, the source of the corruption here, so he tore through the cave system without hesitation. The cries of the vampires drew more out of the side passages and the elf made no secret of his presence. Investigating the little pockets in the cave system revealed nothing of value and the elf moved deeper into the tunnels. He knew he was reaching the heart of the tunnel system and began to charm the vampires he met, forcing them into a catatonic state of apathy. He would need many samples if he was to save Argis.
His spells dazed the last of the feral creatures and he reached an ancient door that was set deep in the darkness. It swung open silently under his touch and the doorway opened onto an ancient ritual site. A stone altar occupied the middle of the chamber and the elf's primary target stood before the altar with a staff in one hand and a sword in the other.
"So, you've killed or incapacitated my entire brood," the other vampire intoned in a deep voice.
A dark smirk pulled at Ard's lips as he noted all the little instances where the vampire's bravado wore thin. This troublemaker was afraid and was trying to hide it. "Please, don't struggle and make this harder on yourself. Things will hurt immensely but I need your cooperation. I will have what I want in the end either way though," the elf said calmly.
"Die!" roared the vampire as he raised his staff and a bolt of fire shot out.
The elf grunted as the bolt hit his chest but he charged forward with his swords drawn. The master vampire raised his staff for another blast but his shot was knocked wide by Ard's weapon. Dropping the staff, the vampire furiously swung his blade with a two handed grip but his foe leapt back.
A brilliant blaze of light erupted from Ard's hand and the other vampire roared in pain and fear as the restoration spell attacked his undead flesh. Between the light and pain, he dropped his guard and the elf's blades quickly slapped his sword from his hands.
Snarling like a beast, the vampire raised his hand in a desperate attempt to drain Ard of life but the elf spat, "None of that now!" and snapped his hand forward. Four glowing shackles appeared and manifested around the vampire's wrists and ankles. With a sharp gesture, they pulled him spread-eagled and then pinned him to the wall. The vampire swore viciously and thrashed but the elf looked dispassionately at him.
"I think I may have finally found the secret," he said more to himself than the vampire in front of him. "I didn't think to get the heart's blood of a vampire - it's obviously a very difficult process - but it should complete the process."
The other vampires dutifully marched into the chamber, their faces slack and their eyes glassy from the elf's magic. Similar arcane shackles appeared and locked them onto the wall as well. The last one was calmly pulled onto the table and it looked uncomprehendingly at the elf, who pulled out a perfectly honed, razor sharp dragonbone dagger.
"I wish I could take away the pain of this," he said regretfully to the slack features of the once-Nord man locked onto the altar, "But I can't risk it affecting the quality of the blood." Additional bands locked the vampire's torso in place and the elf went to work.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Runa sat and quietly sipped a lukewarm cup of tea as she absent mindedly flipped through the book in her hands. The library of Lakeview Manor was cozy and she smiled as she enjoyed the peace and warmth of the place. Though it was the first time she had read the book, she knew every story in it. It was the legend of the Dragonborn and his husband but a far more biographical take on the whole tale than ever before. Bards had, of course, sung greatly of the victory of the Dragonborn over Alduin but their accounts grew more inflated with time. She brushed a strand of blonde hair that was just starting to silver out of her face as she skimmed the passage before her.
Hroar had done an excellent job of keeping the story grounded and far more realistic. It had showed the men behind the legends. This task was much easier when one of those legends was there to give facts, though.
Walking in, Ard waved a hand and the tea in the woman's cup grew warm again. "Thank you, father," Runa said with a small smile as she looked up. She knew the elf wore his powerful magical armour, but a complex illusion cloaked it to look like nothing more than a huntsman's leathers.
"How's the book?" the elf asked as he bent over and gave his daughter a hug.
Humming and hawing for a moment, the woman answered, "It's actually been done quite well. There's very little exaggeration here. There's a bit of speculation peeking out here and there, but it's quite true to the facts."
"I'm surprised they kept it that honest. Honesty doesn't usually sell as well," muttered the elf as he sat down.
Runa snorted, "Hroar slept with the author. It's not hard to keep facts straight when he's in bed with him."
Ard shook his head in mild amusement having long grown use to his son's escapades. Hroar, unlike his sister, had never settled down anywhere with anyone for any length of time. The young Nord man had quickly matured into a handsome and curious adult who cherished stories and emotion more than gold and property. He was defined by his wildness and constant searching for new horizons. Hroar was, undoubtedly, a passionate person and took advantage of his fathers' wealth and numerous properties to travel Skyrim wherever his heart pulled him. Also unlike Runa, Hroar never had any children - at least none that he knew about.
Both of his children had known about his vampirism for years and while they had recoiled in fear first, they quickly overcame their instinctual disgust. Both of Ard's children had quietly been offered the gift so that they too could escape their mortality but neither one had accepted. Runa had always laughed a little as she noted that the elf would've long outlived them even without undeath.
Today was a difficult day for all of them. It was the day that they would reveal the truth to Runa's three children. Ard had wandered Skyrim under constantly changing identities or had lived in Castle Volkihar but it was time his grandchildren knew the truth about the Dragonborn.
Runa smiled as she heard the door open and Hroar and her three adult children spilled into the home. Stepping out of the library, Runa warmly exchanged smiles and words with her children as they spoke excitedly to her. A small pang shot through her heart as she looked at her son, Hjallek. He looked so much like his father that he unknowingly made Runa remember everything about her husband who had passed away many years ago.
Hroar had his arm draped over Hjallek's shoulder but he released his nephew as the tall blond man went to offer his mother a fierce hug, his blue eyes sparkling with joy. Flecks of grey were just starting to show in Hroar's beard and hair but they only lent him an air of maturity and experience that complemented his robust body.
The two sisters, Esmera and Freida, hurried in after their brother and also wrapped their mother in a hug. Runa was still a skilled warrior but her leg had been mangled by a bandit's mace and had never healed properly which resulted in a permanent limp that removed her from the battlefield.
Esmera had turned out to be quite the socialite, eschewing her mother and father's life by the sword for one more of politics and polite Nord society. She had been taught how to fight but she had a great disdain for combat. With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate features, she looked like a Nord beauty sprung up out of a storybook.
Esmera was the youngest daughter and the surviving twin of Runa's last pregnancy. Her twin had died tragically young in an accident near Windhelm and between that loss and being the baby of the family, Esmera had been spoiled growing up.
Her sister, Freida, had been born with the gift of magic and had been sent off to the College of Winterhold for training at a young age. Her magic and the distance from her family growing up always left her standing a little apart from her family. Like her siblings she had blonde hair but her dark eyes seemed to be heavy with secrets and her carriage held a certain gravity that contrasted with the lightness of her sister's steps.
Taking off her heavy coat, Esmera warmly teased, "I would like to know why we've all been called here. It must be important if it somehow dragged Uncle Hroar in from wherever he was staying!" Esmera and Hroar had gotten along perfectly since the young lady began to enter the social circles of Skyrim, particularly the more cosmopolitan Solitude. Hroar was often trailed by scandalous rumors and her connection to him gave her an air of mystery that she rather liked.
Hroar's smile dropped a little as he moved to step beside his sister. "There's something you need to know about the Dragonborn," she said hesitantly.
"He died fighting those vampires, mother, what is there more to tell?" asked Hjallek.
"If you stopped talking I'm sure we'd all find out in short order," said Freida with a look of interest as she regarded her mother.
Runa sighed. "You can come out," she called into the library.
Calmly, Ard stepped out of the library and stood in a relaxed posture before the Nords. Hjallek looked for a moment as though he were searching his memory when he suddenly whispered, "Grandfather?" The last time he had seen the elf he was just a young child and Freida had just been a baby. Esmera had never met her adoptive grandfather.
The elf nodded calmly at Hjallek whose face scrunched into confusion as he asked his uncle and mother, "Why did you lie to all of us? To every hold? You've kept this lie going for years!"
"Because the truth is never as simple as we would like it to be," Hroar said softly.
Freida frowned sharply, "So what you're hiding then must be incredibly important if it's about making a hero of the country disappear and if it's something enough to damn the Dragonborn. I think most of his other crimes would be overlooked for saving the world."
Hroar chuckled, "You always were clever, Freida."
"Does the Dragonborn not have his own voice?" asked Hjallek as he looked at the elf who still stood by quietly with a dignified air.
A smirk tugged at Ard's lips, "I was waiting for someone to ask." Letting his gaze lock with each of his grandchildren for a moment, he continued, "Argenius and the Imperials did not arrive to help me fight a massive army of vampires. He came to hunt me down. I was unaware that he was keeping track of me so I didn't think that I would be missed so quickly, but the bastard found me. He guessed at the truth and was trying to be clever by waiting to expose everything after he confirmed it because, divines know, throwing accusations is awful especially if he can't prove them."
"And what kind of things would he be hunting the Dragonborn over?" softly asked Esmera. Ard noticed her casually shift her stance to allow her to draw her dagger faster. The girl looked soft but she evidently wasn't stupid.
"Argenius figured out that I had turned into a vampire," the elf said with a small shrug.
That announcement made the three young Nords leap into defensive positions. The scrape of Hjallek's sword clearing the scabbard accompanied the sound of one of Freida's hands igniting while the other flared with a defensive spell. Even Esmera held her dagger out and low in front of her.
"Can we stop all these unnecessary theatrics?" sighed the elf.
Runa staggered to her feet. "Get away from him, mother!" called Hjallek as he slowly edged forward to snatch his mother away from the vampire.
"Stop it! Stop all this nonsense!" shouted Runa as she glowered at her three children.
Esmera's voice was laced with a little panic as she called out, "He's charmed mother - probably uncle too!"
"No one is charmed. Don't be daft, girl," grumbled Hroar, "We've known since he supposedly died. Now put your damn blades down, it's not like you two could even hurt him if you wanted to anyway."
"And put those flames out before you burn this house down!" spat Ard, "I'm rather fond of it."
None of the grandchildren relaxed their stances. Freida called out, "Mother, if you aren't charmed I need you to prove it. Come to me so I purge any spells that might be on you."
Runa massage the bridge of her nose and walked forward with a slight limp. Warily keeping an eye on Ard, she cupped her mother's face and a rush of magicka poured from the younger woman and through the older one. The light quickly faded and Freida's brown eyes looked searchingly into her mothers. "It's complete," she declared.
"Put. Your. Weapons. Down." said Runa with extreme annoyance in her voice. She was tired of this stupidity even if she had expected. "Your grandfather is no threat to any of us so can we all sit down and talk like reasonable people?" She moved towards the large table and took a seat.
Warily, the three siblings quietly moved to take the side of the table opposite to Ard, who sat with Runa on his right and Hroar on his left.
"So you're a vampire who doesn't drink blood?" asked Hjallek warily.
Ard chuckled, "Oh that's not it at all! I've been practicing restraint so that I can go for lengths of time without needing to feed, but more importantly I only hunt bandits or other threats. If necessary I'll drink a little from some villager. They're none the worse for wear and I ensure they're left with no lasting pain. In fact, I haven't fed in a month now."
"A month!?" exclaimed Esmera with disbelief, "That's impossible! You can see when a vampire is blood starved and they turn feral with hunger without feeding for a week, let alone a month."
"First of all, I've gone longer without feeding. Secondly, yes, you can see detect the lesser breeds of vampire when they hunger but I am not one of those wretches," Ard retorted archly.
Freida dryly remarked, "So vampires have a hierarchy among even themselves."
"Of course!" Ard answered, "Do you think those of us who have learned control and decided to make the most of our immortality appreciate the lesser beasts stirring up trouble, fear, and suspicion? They're slaves to their hunger. They're barely sentient anymore."
Hjallek leaned back and said in a voice heavy with suspicion, "So why tell us this now?"
Clearing his throat, Hroar said, "Because in case anything happened to your mother and myself, we wanted to tell you now rather than trying to let father tell you." He shook his head as he imagined how badly that would've gone.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
It had been a week since Ard had revealed his vampirism to his grandchildren and they had gradually relaxed around him. Even if they hadn't completely accepted the truth they had all sworn themselves to secrecy. Hjallek regarded him with the most hostility but Freida took this as a chance to ask him so many academic questions about what it's like to be a vampire. Esmera was shrugging it off like she had moved on from the whole incident and tried to make the elf a friend. She asked him a multitude of questions about court life and what it was like being a thane and eventually a hero of the realm. She played it casual but the elf smelled the guile on her.
As it was, he sat in the magically ventilated basement where he worked at his forge. He had been there for close to two hours working on three rings that he was making as gifts for his grandchildren, all of whom were supposed to be out of the manor and enjoying the quiet of the forest. The lands around Lakeview manor had quietly become some of the safest woods in Skyrim. The people of the hold would never connect it with the Dragonborn hunting the bandits and beasts that made the woods anything less than idyllic, but the elf didn't care what they attributed it to.
He finished the last ring and sat back to admire his handiwork. One ring of gold and rubies for the brave Hjallek, one of gold and diamonds for the clever Freida, and a band of gold and sapphires for the cunning Esmera. A little smile played about his lips as he called out, "It's been a while, Esmera, why don't you come out from behind those boxes. And don't think sitting still will make me second guess myself. I can hear your heartbeat." He waited a moment in the stillness of the basement with only the light of the forge to give his face a daedric cast. Pursing his lips for a moment, he added, "See, when you got startled and held your breath there to try to be as quiet as you could be just confirmed it for me. The sudden lack of breathing told me that it wasn't just a natural air flow and your heart started to beat a little louder."
Very slowly she rose up and slowly walked forward with a little stiffness. She carried herself with her usual grace but her fear was clearly underlying that. "You weren't expecting me to sit down at the forge for hours, I'm sure," the elf said with a little smile.
Breaking out a brilliant and sheepish smile she admitted, "I didn't know what to expect but I was curious about what might be contained in the depths of a vampire's dark lair." The last words were said playfully to take any sting out of them, but it was obvious she was trying to be endearing.
Flashing his own grin, Ard offered her his arm and helped her while blood flowed back into her legs. "Esmera, you're a charming young lady but you must be especially careful when dealing with vampires. We are, above all else, skilled hunters. You cannot treat us like average men and mer," he lectured gently as he led her over to the forge.
She looked down at the three elegantly wrought bands, each with three large gems set into them. Esmera's breath caught as she beheld the rings which were resting on a small stone tray. The firelight flashed off the stones, revealing that the gems were flawless.
"You made these?" she asked in surprise, holding the diamonds up so the light flashed off their facets.
Nodding proudly Ard held up the sapphire studded band, "This one will be yours when I'm finished."
Esmera stared at the rich indigo colour of her ring and asked softly, "What else is there to add to it? It's beautiful."
"A little enchantment never hurt anyone," the elf said with a shrug. He was carefully observing the woman and she seemed to be legitimately taken by the gift. Taking her by surprise has thrown her off her game, he noted silently to himself. Her reactions seemed unguarded for the first time since he had met her but this could just be a more elaborate ruse.
Looking around the rough workshop in the basement, Esmera asked with a sly smile in her voice, "Where did you get the gold and gems? I haven't seen anything like that lying around." She quickly looked through the trays that lined the wall around the forge and found only a few bars of common metals but no gold or jewels.
Ard knew this part was coming and he walked over to a plain brick wall. "I'll show you where I keep my supplies," he said with a knowing smile as he looked back at Esmera who hadn't moved towards him yet. He held out his arm for her like a court gallant and she walked over to link arms with him.
He looked at the blank wall and concentrated for a moment before he raised a hand glowing with magicka. Runes flared to life on the bricks and more of them blazed up until a doorway of light stood before the pair.
Ard simply touched his glowing hand to the wall and the world seemed to twist around them. A gut wrenching sensation shot through Esmera as her world seemed to shimmer and melt around her. Suddenly, the colours seemed to snap back into place but in a different arrangement. She blinked numbly for a moment before she realized she was in a different place.
"Teleportation's a bit rough the first few times, I know," the elf said sympathetically.
Esmera coughed and realized that she was leaning on her grandfather's arm heavily. She realized he had known she'd be disoriented and had planned around that. She glanced at him with a new sense of appreciation. "Where are we?" she asked hesitantly as she looked around at the natural looking stone that surrounded them. A heavy door lay directly ahead of them while small crystals hung from the ceiling and glowed softly. The weight of the stone around Esmera felt oppressive.
"I call it the Vault," the elf said with evident pride, "We're deep underground - I used magic to make this space with no entrances or exits besides the one we just used." He frowned sharply, "There you go again. Your heart began to beat faster - are you afraid I'm going to strand you here? Are you afraid that I'll drain you dry of every drop of blood and no one will ever find your body?"
She couldn't deny that the thought had flared in her mind as she realized she was trapped here with a vampire but she began to shake her head in denial when the elf gently took her shoulders and looked her in the eye, "Esmera, you are my granddaughter. I would never hurt you. The entrance may be attuned to me but I would never strand you here. I know this never occurred to you, but I've watched you and your siblings growing up. I had watched over you and I have protected you when necessary without you knowing. I am a stranger to you, I know, but I've loved you since you were a baby."
Esmera locked eyes with this vampire who had turned her life upside down before nodding slowly. It seemed strange to her but she honestly believed him.
"Come now, let me show you what's beyond the door," he said with a relieved smile. Esmera had been the last one to really trust him. Freida had been the first to let go of her fear, probably because she knew what a vampire was capable of and what the Dragonborn had done. He could do anything he wanted and there was nothing they could do to resist if he really turned his power on them.
Hjallek had been a little more resistant but he had been won over by his mother and uncle more than anything. A few sparring sessions finalized his respect for the vampire, even if he carried himself a little warily.
But Esmera had quietly held herself aloof despite her seeming acceptance of Ardanthis. She played nice but the elf could tell he was being manipulated by her. She had tried to be kind and pleasing and, while she was good at it, the elf had over a century of dealing with people like her.
The door in front of the pair opened gently with another wave of his glowing hand. It swung open to reveal a massive hall with smaller doorways on each side. The stonework here all looked expertly cut in smooth, easy panes that conveyed a certain minimalism and functionality. Esmera's eyes widened as she beheld what lay beyond the doorway.
Chests overflowing with gold coins lined the walls as the elf let the Nord woman walk in on her own. Everywhere Esmera looked there were chest full of gold and she looked down a side hallway to see chests full of rubies of varying qualities, but the chests were layered with velvet so that none of the gems would scratch each other. She looked into another room to see a similar set up for emeralds. Each side room held a different stone and each room seemed full of the precious gems. In between the different rooms were more chests full of gold coins. She hiked up her dress's hem as she stepped around a pile of coins in the middle of the floor as she made her way deeper in.
After she passed the gem rooms she saw piles of furs heaped in the next room, and the next room held boxes labelled neatly for ingots of every type of metal she knew.
The elf watched with a small smile as she worked her way deeper into the treasury. She looked with utter shock at the collection of alchemical ingredients that the elf had amassed. The next room was filled with soul gems of varying sizes, including a small group of black soul gems that seemed to softly radiate shadows.
Finally, she reached the end of the hallway and gently rested her hand on another heavy stone door. The elf gestured again and it swung open to reveal dozens of weapon racks and mannequins. Each mannequin was armoured in a complete set of armour and the rack behind it held weapons.
A wall of staves crafted from various materials and varying enchantments lined the wall, softly glowing with their own light.
A massive crystal sat at the very end of the room and Esmera approached it. "That's off limits, granddaughter," Ard said in a voice that was suddenly thick with emotion.
"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. She looked at the stone, seemingly a plain white crystal orb. It glowed softly and lights swirled in its depths, but compared to the other treasures it seemed unremarkable. The elf hadn't cared when she had walked into a room full of diamonds but this gem was something he cared deeply about.
A heartbreakingly sad smile pulled on his lips as he softly answered, "It reminds me of what really matters. I copied every memory of Argis I had into it. Whenever I feel like I'm losing my way or I'm becoming too cold - too vampire - I let the memories wash over me."
The Nord let him have his moment of staring into the crystal as she continued to look around the room.
Esmera finally found the words to ask, "How did you accumulate so much!?"
"Well, I've had a lot of time," he chuckled at himself before continuing, "I have a lot of contacts that have pointed me towards valuable finds and I have the power to get through the things that try to stand between me and a target."
"But... but there's just so much," she breathed with wonder as she stepped between two piles of gold.
Ard held up three soul gems, "I got what I came for. Ready to go back?" Esmera looked up from the dozens of circlets that had been hung on small hooks and nodded. She took her grandfather's arm and they stepped back into the rough stone room where the teleportation magic whisked them away.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: I always wanted my Dragonborn to be able to actually have a hoard. Game limitations mean that a dresser in my room can fit 27 sets of armour and the night table next to it holds over a hundred different weapons, but that obviously wouldn't work for a story. Plus, teleportation needs more love. Since Oblivion it's been kind of shoved to the side for plot reasons despite it canonically existing. I hope you guys enjoyed this little glimpse into Ard's future.