I've just been made aware that Irina used all her dragon aspect shouts against Celann and Fura...I'll fix that later on.

It's a small detail at the beginning of the story that I didn't care for, but now that I know in what direction I'm going to go with this story, I'm going to need to revise the fight scenes that she's used her dragon aspect.

I forgot that the player receives all of Dragon Aspect once they actually kill Miraak. Not before. I won't continue to make that mistake again, so if you've reread the story, kindly please just ignore it and I'll go back eventually to fix it.

This chapter is the one I've been waiting for... GIT READY.

I fixed the Dragon Aspect hehehe :) 19DEC2022

By the time they had arrived back to the sanctuary the sun had begun to rise, Irina could feel the tiredness wash over her and longed to nestle in the sanctuary once again but she carried on simply to appease Astrid. Her promise was to leave by morning, and she was not about to push her luck.

She sighed quietly to herself and stroked Frost's mane with tenderness. The steed made a pleased noise at the affection and Irina chuckled softly to herself at the pureness of the animal.

"I was beginning to wonder where'd you gone off to." Serana's voice rang out, she stood outside the sanctuary with her arms crossed. Irina lifted her gaze to meet hers and gave her a tired smile.

"You should know by now sleep doesn't agree with me. This time around Cicero was my companion." Irina said as she gestured toward the jester.

His hair was disheveled, and there were some patches of dirt on his clothes that suggested a brawl- but other than that he appeared to be fine. Which would have fooled Serana had she not been a vampire, his appearance was dismissable but with a tiny and unintential sniff she was made aware of the scent of blood.

She raised an eyebrow and uncrossed her arms to rest a hand on her hip. Serana could only imagine what they'd done the night prior.

"I don't even want to know why I smell blood on either of you, I just hope the journey will be a quiet one and that nobody with a vengeance comes looking for us." Serana said whilst she made her way toward the horse that Cicero dismounted. The jester bowed to her and even offered to help her on her horse but Serana had no need for the help, she silently thanked him with a smile nonetheless.

"Oh without a doubt it will be. The problem has been taken care of. Mostly. Another problem is my clothes... oh bother, I need to give mother her oils soon. Best be quick, yes... yes, for mother I will be quick about it." he muttered the last part to himself in hushed tones. Serana seemed taken aback by the man's questionable demeanor and locked eyes with Irina, the bosmer merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Farewell, I'm off for yet another lavish adventure." Irina said with a lazy grin.

"Of course, sister. Do come back soon, Cicero would miss you dearly." he said with a grandiose wave.

She nodded to the imperial one last time before she and Serana trotted away.

The sun had fallen on their journey and while most of it had been rather quiet due to Irina's lack of energy, Serana still managed to plague her own mind with doubtful noise. Thought after thought of what was to come. To see her mother again would resurface old wounds, open up questions and undoubtedly rile her anger to the front. She knew that if her mother was still alive that she would be a mess.

Then when the time came to betray her father... A tingle ran down her spine at the thought of being on the receiving end of his wrath. Despite being her parent, the man intimidated her and she knew that there would be no moments of weakness for her. He would treat her the same as an enemy, his daughter or not. Harkon was cold and cunning, his confidence backed with pure strength. Strength he attained from tossing his morals into a fire.

The turmoil she suffered and the bond that her family shared was now broken. It wasn't perfect before, not by any means, but... even during the times when they had fervently worshipped Molag Bal they didn't feel a primal need to rip out each other's throats at the sight of one another. They had been a family, more or less.

Irina hadn't been too enthusiastic either about the whole thing, not because she was nervous, or because she didn't take the threat of her father serious. It was very serious. It was just that Miraak was alive and well, and it bothered the dovahkiin that she couldn't remember anything that had happened when she had been on Solstheim. Aside from of Raven Rock and acquiring her unique armor, she remembered nothing at all.

Why was that? Her sole reason of going to the island was to uncover the man's identity... so how could she have forgotten?

"Irina?"

The dovahkiin tensed and looked up from her hands to the voice that called her, Serana stared at her rather curiously. "Something on your mind?" the nord asked worriedly. Her concern made Irina's chest feel warm.

"Yes. I...hmmm- I can lose myself in my own mind sometimes, so many things to dwell on." the dovahkiin brushed off dismissively.

Serana furrowed her brows some more but dropped the subject, "so you say, Morthal is coming up. I'd say let's rest at an inn tonight, I can tell from the circles under your eyes you haven't slept much. Whatever you and that Cicero man were doing must have taken a good portion of the night"

"Well, you're not wrong... I'm absolutely exhausted" Irina spoke tiredly.

"Off we go then."

Serana had been the one to tether down the horses while Irina sauntered inside to pay for the room. At this point, it would feel strange for them to sleep in separate beds so the dovahkiin rented a single room. Despite the fact that there were plenty of rooms available.

Irina had made quick work of her armor and set all the pieces atop a dresser, she looked into the wardrobe for any sleeping clothes provided and made a face when the only thing available were nightdresses and long gowns that would touch the ground because of her short stature. Her shoulders slumped when she realized her she had no other choice other than the tiny fabric.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Irina sighed to herself.

With grace and swift hands she freed herself of her clothes, the bosmer took the time to fold her slacks and shirt and place them on the dresser beside the bed. Ready and prepared for tomorrow. Her feet stepped back to the dresser and her orange eyes narrowed at the options before her. White, black and a deep red. Her toned arm reached out to grab hold of the white one and made a face at the material.

Silk.

What was this room even used for? By the eight... Irina had a great many ideas.

The soft creak of aged wood alerted the bosmer of another presence and two moments later Serana entered the room. Their eyes locked and not even one second later did the nord shut the door promptly behind her, Serana's face tinged pink but a frown settled deeply onto her face.

Irina couldn't help but to chuckle at that, was it out of shock? Or perhaps the nord's protective nature to not have any intrusive eyes peer inside their quarters.

"I admire how comfortable you are with your body, but the inn was full of people. I'm sure someone saw." Serana said with a hint of disapproval.

"Looking is something I don't mind as much as touching." Irina said, her form still bare. Her orange eyes moved down to the nightdress and internally rolled her eyes.

"As if anyone could attempt that. You'd have them pinned and unconscious in a matter of minutes." Serana replied with a half-smile. Her eyes averted themselves to give the bosmer some privacy, something that Irina hardly cared for obviously.

"You're not wrong. My my... I do hate dresses, they never fit quite right..." Irina groaned silently. The nord curiously looked back to Irina to try and see what she was talking about and felt heat pool down to her stomach at the sight of the woman in a nightdress.

White silk fit snugly against her bodice, her chest nearly spilled from the cups and the fabric cut halfway between her knee and quad. It was unbearably snug and unbearably small. Serana swallowed deeply and tore her eyes away again, this time to keep her own libido in check.

Somehow, despite the toned muscles and her masculine body Irina had looked stunning in the dress. What was it she just said? Dresses never fit right? Serana thought she was being ridiculous, she looked amazing in it.

Serana was surprised to find the woman in something so feminine, it hadn't occured to her how unusual this was on Irina. She realized that she was still lingering by the door and pushed herself from the wood to stride further into the room. She tried her hardest to not stare, and was doing a damn good job of it.

Or so she thought.

The shorter woman caught a few stray glances but didn't say much on it, she simply made her way to the washbasin in the corner of the room and begun to scrub her face clean of the days travel. The circles under her eyes were akin to trenches and the bosmer found herself struggling to properly blink for more than a few seconds at a time.

Irina merely sighed to herself and brushed her hair behind her head. Her exhaustion was maddening, yet now that they were inside an inn and comfortable. She found herself reluctant to sleep.

Serana quietly dressed into a nightdress similar to that of Irina's although hers was black, and due to her height her own dress cut off at just barely inches away from the start of her thigh. Pale smooth thighs were on display and the dress hugged her body snugly, if not even more so than Irina's but it was not uncomfortable.

As she quietly closed the wardrobe she turned back to the bosmer who'd shifted to lay down on her side. Her arms crossed underneath her head as she leveled her gaze with the nord's. Serana felt emotions tug at her chest, Irina was simply so beautiful. Did she not realize this? How could someone be so...-

"Were you close with Valerica?" Irina asked curiously.

Serana was taken aback by the question and had to put her mind back into focus to even answer. "ah... Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, my mother and I spent quite a bit of time together. She had an alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents" Serana responded with a smile to her voice. The look of nostalgia was present.

"So you always got along?" Irina inquired.

"Like the best of friends, I would never hesitate to share anything with her." Serana said as she made to lay next to the short woman. The bed creaked softly under her added weight and Irina noticed that she was a bit closer to her than usual. It must have been how small the bed was.

"but then everything changed." Irina added.

"It was very sudden, it was almost like one day we were a normal family and the next... I didn't know who they were anymore, whenever I'd try to speak with my mother in the garden she'd shoo me away saying she was much too busy." the look of sadness returned to her eyes and Irina reached out and took a hold of her hand.

It was supposed to be comforting but Serana had never been given the pleasure of physical kindess from her, not after her confession... it felt foreign to Serana so she made a sound of surprise at the contact, not knowing how to react- not knowing to simply accept it.

Irina thought she'd done something wrong so she made to retract her hand but Serana stopped her just as quickly. "I'm fine, you can keep it there- please keep it there." she said in hurried tone.

Irina merely nodded and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She couldn't recall who it was that moved first but their fingers had laced together and kept their hands glued together. Serana found great comfort in the action, she couldn't bring herself to look at the woman anymore out of embarrassment and shifted to lay on her back with her eyes to the ceiling, to avoid her cheeks being set ablaze.

"Is that why we're headed there?" Irina asked curiously.

"She had to be up to something in that garden, I'm hoping for at least a clue. I don't think we'll actually find her in the castle but It's worth a look." Serana said.

Irina had been so close now, less than a foot away. Her scent was close, and it intoxicated Serana. She didn't want her lust to ruin the tender moment they shared, their fingers intertwined... hair sprawled out underneath their heads, bodies close... Serana swallowed quietly. She had been completely unaware of the orange eyes watching her through barely opened eyelids.

She was so beautiful it would be a pity to not examine her features while they were still so close. Irina traced her eyes from the smooth bridge of the woman's nose to her tiny and gentle dip of her cupid's bow. Pale lips that were the lightest pink depending on the lighting and other factors... The dovahkiin blinked and found that it was a struggle to keep her eyes open.

Irina drifted closer and closer to sleep and had, at some point, made peace with the fact that Serana would not let go of her. So, she let her hand stay where it was. She could only wonder how she would wake up in the morning. The thought of them waking up embraced in each other's arms was amusing.

Just as the woman would finally close her eyes, Serana suddenly asked, "how about you? What were your parents like?"

Irina hummed in thought before she blew out air through her nose, she looked unsure as to how to answer that. "It's sad. But I see the greybeards as parental figures. I never knew my own parents as a child. But I was already a woman when I first made the pilgrimage up the mountain, so I'm not sure if it counts or not."

"I know that feeling... I mean, I know it isn't the same thing but I was a pretty lonely child myself." Serana admitted with a frown. She never suspected that the dovahkiin had been an orphan, it only went to show how much mental fortitude the bosmer had, given her kind nature. Another reason that Serana had to admire the woman.

Will you ever stop surprising me?

"Do you still feel that way?" Irina asked her with a different tone of voice. She couldn't quite place it.

Serana felt her face warm up at the question. She could feel Irina's hand squeeze hers just a little, the action alone told her that she asked a different question indirectly. A question that Serana dare not say aloud. "Not as much... anyway, this is all very touching but we have more important things to worry about. Like getting some rest."

Irina laughed tiredly and nodded her head in agreement. With a gentle tug, Irina made to take back her hand but Serana silently looked to her with an expression that made the bosmer halt her movements. A silent plea to keep her hand in place, her fingers closed a bit more tightly around Irina's "Could we just...- I'd like to stay like this." the nord finally said.

Warmth spread through Irina's cheeks but she nodded nonetheless, "whatever you need, Serana."

Her orange eyes slipped closed to finally get some well deserved rest.

"Did you always like to sing?" Serana asked out of nowhere on their way to Solitude. The city was about an hour away, and the jetty a little more so than that... Still, the capital made for a good checkpoint. Serana could see the overhang through the distance and was reminded how soon it would be until they were to the castle. An unsettling idea, one that Serana was not excited about.

Irina hummed in thought.

"Yes, I think so. Thinking back on it... it's sort of embarrassing. I wasn't the greatest, when I was a child and tried my voice in the beginning..." Irina chuckled and hiding a pink hue behind her hand. Serana's eyes visibly shined at the dovahkiin being anything remotely close to bashful and she laughed with the shorter woman, a pink hue also dusted her own cheeks.

"That's a lie, your voice is amazing. I'm sure it didn't take long for you to master it." Serana said with a scoff.

"Okay enough of that, there's no time for seducing me, Lady Serana" Irina replied with a hint of flirtation to her voice. The nord gave her a faintly amused smile, one that... for whatever reason, had the hairs on the back of Irina's neck stand. It was a suggestive look, the nord made sure to convey that. While she knew nothing would happen between them anytime soon, it was something to give Serana hope that maybe Irina would reciprocate her feelings with a returned compliment.

How the nord could be so preoccupied with her base desires, truly baffled her. She wasn't some teen, she was a woman grown. Even so, the meaning of the word restraint, was beginning to be lost on the nord. Every day that she spent in the company of the woman had her grow more hot and bothered and it frustrated her to no end.

Irina had been so polite and reasonable with her reasons as to why they shouldn't... and Serana was basically letting it go over her head how level-headed Irina was with Serana's feelings. Could it have just been lust? She found it harder and harder to focus around her but she couldn't place the reason why.

Serana was growing red in the face just thinking about it.

"Oh fuck..." Irina cursed under her breath, reining her horse to a stop. Serana was taken out of her lewd thoughts and glanced back to Irina, the expression she wore was that of nervous annoyance. Serana followed suit and halted her own steed, just a bit further than Irina's.

Golden eyes moved over to where she had been looking at and was confused when she saw only a blonde nord man speaking to a carriage driver. He was dressed in fine clothes and he looked middle-aged, he looked content to be talking to the driver as if he were gracing the poor lad with his very presence.

Serana glanced back to the dovahkiin who clenched her jaw tight. Before either woman had a chance to speak, the man turned his head only slightly and caught Irina's eyes. His own jaw went slack. He searched his pockets frantically for the payment of the carriage driver, and upon finding his coin purse was too filled with emotion he couldn't get the strings to come undone.

The blonde man shoved the coin purse into the driver's lap instead, much to the man's delight and then locked eyes with Irina completely forgetting his earlier conversation.

"This could not be worse timing..." Irina spoke under her breath.

The nord strode to them both with an air of importance that made Serana eye him up and down, Serana had never been one to judge others based on their appearances alone however with this man... she already wanted to hurl an ice spike into his throat. She could tell that he was almost as narcissistic as her father only this man wanted everyone to know, while her father had a silent air of authority.

Unbeknownst to Serana, Irina had already forced a smile onto her face and greeted the man with a voice higher than the one she usually used. "My love... It's so good to see you again."

Serana's eyes widened and she tightened her hold on her reins.

It would've been odd to never have run into him, given all the time they spent together. That being said, Serana found herself caught in a mixture of surprise and loathing for the man. It only took a few seconds of analyzing him as a stranger for Serana to stick her nose up at him, but being Irina's husband had permanently branded him as an annoyance.

Serana's eyes immediately darted back to the man and scanned him once, twice, a third and fourth time before she made her face. The man was clearly hitting his fifties, that or he hasn't aged well at all. They were married a couple years already, which made the dovahkiin barely a woman grown before she wed him.

Something about their obvious age difference bothered the nord, not that she could voice such an opinion given that she was hundreds if not thousands of years older than Irina.

Another thing that bothered the nord was the way Irina looked so charmed to be around him. Similar to the way she was with Brynjolf, only Serana knew that being with the redhead had actually brought her joy. Seeing her replicate that expression made the nord uneasy, Irina was a brilliant actress. If she didn't curse under breath just minutes ago, she could have fooled the nord.

His voice was grating. An offense to Serana's ears.

"My sweet wife, I'm glad to see you too. Where have you been off to? Ive heard many reports of your coming down the mountain, why did it take you so long to come back to me?" he asked her. His smile softened a touch, as if genuinely wanting an answer to his question. Serana thanked that the sun was about to set because the shadows looming over them masked her distasteful expression.

She doesn't need to explain herself to you.

Oh, how Serana wanted to say those words aloud.

Instead the tan bosmer offered her hand to her husband to climb onto her steed, the way he willingly went along with her chivalry made Serana's eyebrow twitch. So there was a familiarity between them, it wasn't as contractual as Irina had made it sound.

Her eyes caught the other vampire's and noticed the slight furrowed brows. Erikur wrapped his arms around her waist and just now seemed to acknowledge Serana's presence. He gave her a smile, one that was far lass warm than the one he'd given his wife.

"Why don't we rest the night in Solitude, Serana? I would enjoy a night or maybe two with my husband, It's been so long since I've last seen him. I worry he's forgotten what I looked like." Her voice was smooth and implied something that made Serana's skin crawl. Nonetheless, given the delicate situation the woman nodded all the same.

Erikur noted the pale woman's slight discomfort.

If she had felt jealousy before with Brynjolf, then Serana wasn't sure what she felt with Erikur.

He was... graceless, for lack of a better word. Easily despicable. At least to the vampire anyway, she couldn't tell if it was the implications of Erikur bedding Irina or the predatory looks he'd been giving her at the dinner table that had been setting her off. Whichever one it was, the nord was definitely out of place for all of it.

Especially since Irina had been going along with his remarks. She was entirely too good an actress, the nord almost thought she made up her earlier discomfort. Her orange eyes were squinted at the edges marking light crows feet and her smile was big, she looked in love- and Serana was unsure of whether or not it was real.

"So can I ask how you have come to be in Irina's company? Surely a tale, my love always has some brilliant story to tell." Erikur turned his attention to Serana. He was being polite, but the nord could see the tiniest hints of suspicion in his eyes. Serana wanted to act on that and tell him some lie, to make him worry some more about what the two of them could be, but Serana hadn't the constitution for such vile things.

She simply smiled at the man and said, "I'm a mage, Irina hired me to learn a bit about of magic- she's just awful. Mainly to just watch her hide while on the road. We haven't had a magic lesson in a few days now."

A believable lie, Irina was known to hire people from inns all over Skyrim just for a change of pace from the other person she'd been stuck with.

Erikur hummed in admiration, he looked like he wanted to ask more direct questions but refrained. The man pushed his dinner plate forward to signal that he was finished, while rubbing his stomach in satisfaction. He'd eaten his fill, given his old age he'd probably want nothing more than to make his way to bed and fall into a deep sleep.

Or at least, that's what Serana hoped for.

The two women had small portions of meat on their plate but they were half-eaten, Serana had tried to finish but the flavor just wasn't there. It was gone and to chew meat with no flavor was more tiresome than anything else.

Erikur clapped his hands together and some woman with blonde hair came rushing in immediately, Serana raised an eyebrow in surprise and peered to Irina whom was unfazed at the fact that a servant showed up in the room. As their table was cleared the man of the hour placed his hand on Irina's hand lovingly.

He stared at her adoringly while Irina bashfully smiled behind her free hand. Again, Serana was out of place and undeniably jealous.

"Hiring another bodyguard sounds like something she'd do, always running off and making friends all over the province...- oh? My love, are these new? Someone harmed you." he said brushing hair behind her ear and finding the scar that Celann gave her. A thin line across her cheek, it was bound to heal and not stay there forever.

He blinked into focus and noticed more scarring on her face, scars that would heal given some time but looked fresh. "You've been careless out there, Irina. I've never seen this many scars on your face at one time. Are you doing more special work for the guild?" his eyebrows were furrowed. His lips pouted out just a bit in worry.

He looked concerned, genuinely.

"Bandits and the usual riff raff, nothing to worry about. Don't forget I did spend three years on the mountain, my skills with a sword have gotten a bit... stale. Serana protects me well enough." Irina said gently prying his hand off her face. He made to speak again, voice some sort of protest to her adventuring but Irina spoke again.

"My love, let's go to our room. I have much to do but while we have each other... I'd like to spend this night with you." the dovahkiin said caressing her lovers face. If the attempt to change the subject would've been attempted on Serana she wouldn't have budged. At the implication of a night together, Erikur lost his senses. Another reason that the nord had to despise the man.

Alas, Serana had seen enough and rose from her seat. "Thank you for the meal, if you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Irina asked almost too quickly.

"I'm going to leave you two to a well-deserved night of rest, I'll go to the inn and give you both your privacy." Serana nodded to Erikur and she could see the corners of his mouth rise almost in a devious manner. It took everything in the nord to not make a face at him. As she pushed her chair into the table, she thought she saw Irina frown at her.

Her footsteps echoed throughout the manor and so did the sound of the door opening and closing.

Irina felt a pang of guilt hit her chest but she ignored it as she cupped her husband's face and leaned forward to kiss him. His lips were soft but something seemed amiss, she couldn't place her finger on it. He slipped his eyes closed and kissed her back while burying a hand in her hair.

The longing in his actions was comforting, the idea of a night with the gurantee of release almost made her whimper in anticipation but Irina couldn't promise she wouldn't just do as she did with Faida and replace Erikur's face with that of Serana's.

When they broke apart, Erikur let his forehead rest on hers for a few moments before he led her by the hand to their shared bedroom. He was uncharacteristically gentle in his hold, his thumb even moving in slow circles as he cast her loving gazes.

Irina could feel an unease in her stomach as they passed many rooms and stepped up some stairs. She hardly knew this man, and it felt so strange for him to live in her home now... Proudspire Manor had been her home, but then comes the question, how many days had she actually slept in this place? One of her finer homes, and for what? She hardly stepped foot inside the four walls.

This was more his home than hers. That must be why he was so comfortable with his insinutations, that was why he could be so openly loving to her in front of the other nord because in reality he had nothing to hide in his own home. The situation was complicated, on paper, they were married and have been married for years.

In reality, they were strangers. He knew next to nothing about her other than things most people already know, so why did he look so in love? Irina had kept up a facade for him because it was so easy, he must have known that she truly didn't love him but if she were willing to give him even the smallest amount of affection that would be enough.

Once they entered their bedroom Irina took in the seriousness of it all.

His clothes had been decorating the tables and his shoes had been set neatly against the wall, the shelves were filled with books on business and some about old legends. All of his things had decorated the room and the only thing Irina could see was hers was an ebony bow hanging on a weapon rack. In her mind, his things were littering her home, but in his mind this was their home.

Erikur's lips found hers again and he gently pushed her against the wall pressing their bodies together, Irina couldn't deny that the contact sent heat rushing down to her groin and nearly whimpered when he placed his knee in-between her legs. One hand cupped her chin while his tongue made to taste her mouth, Irina slipped her eyes closed and tried to relax into his touch.

A small sigh escaped her mouth when he began to place short kisses to her lips, neck, collar and every place of skin he could see. Irina could tell he longed to see her again, she could also feel him pressing against her leg. Hard as rock and eager to please his wife.

"Erikur...!" Irina gasped when his hands found their way to her breasts.

She tried desperately to allow herself to melt into his touch, he was working rather expertly on her body. It would be a shame not to idulge in something sexual the mental burden of the last three months considered, but unfortunately Irina couldn't bring herself to wallow in the pleasure for more than a few moments.

The beginnings of arousal that had rocked her body were now gone and his touches seemed more like numb contact to her with the occasional flick of a tongue to revive the heat but lasting only seconds.

She allowed herself a shaky breath before she slipped her eyes closed, what had happened?

"Oi! You there, lovely lady! Why not come drink with us? The nights far too lovely to be wasted without company" a man called out to Serana within the Winking Skeever. He had hair as dark as hers tied up in a bun behind his head, with a goatee and a faint mustache. His cheeks were tinted with a pink hue signaling that the man was already drunk and trying to find a woman to bed. While he had been friendly, Serana was not an idiot.

His friends were eyeing her like some prize, a small part of Serana wanted them to try and do something stupid. She would gladly bite all their necks and drain them dry. She simply shook her head and averted her attention away from them, even if she knew she could take care of herself she didn't want to deal with them and their flirtatious advances. It would only remind her of Erikur and what he was currently doing to please his wife.

Her eyes glinted dangerously at the idea of Irina submitting to a man like him in bed. The thought alone was enough to give her a murderous aura.

"Good grief, this was even worse than with Brynjolf- I think we should just avoid all the men in my life, keep you at peace." came a smooth voice.

Serana glanced up from her table to meet the familiar face of Irina. The dovahkiin approached her with a bottle of reserve in her hand and glanced to the nord with a curious stare, a face devoid of any ill-will and simple innocence. Serana furrowed her brows and rolled her eyes, "that was a quick session, I guess it should make sense given his age."

"Don't be such an arse, he didn't touch... hmm. We didn't do anything serious, I stopped it before it actually got anywhere." Irina said seating herself with the nord who failed to meet her eyes. That should have been a relief, right? Serana only wished it so, but the fact that she's married only became more real to her now.

"Can I ask why?" Serana asked lazily. Her eyes finally leveled with the bosmer and Irina tried to quash the pang of guilt that resurfaced at seeing the nord's face, something in her expression was devoid of any emotion but in her eyes there was a trace of hurt that contradicted her stoic expression.

"It didn't feel right, I don't know... It was strange, because this wasn't the first time we've been intimate." Irina explained drinking the bottle of reserve casually. As if Serana needed to know that last bit. Nonetheless, she raised an eyebrow at the elf silently asking for a better explanation.

"What?" the dovahkiin asked.

Serana merely shook her head and spoke, "nothing, Irina. Nothing at all."

Irina narrowed her eyes in suspicion but soon dropped the subject. Serana looked in no mood to talk about what Erikur did or didn't do, and the bosmer certainly wasn't excited to talk about it either. The whole ordeal had been awkward and Erikur looked half-enraged and half-annoyed, Irina thought he would surely try his hand but the man simply shut himself in their bedroom in a silent rage.

Upon finishing her reserve the dovahkiin rose from her seat and looked to Serana expectantly, "I know you're not tired, let's go for a stroll. Get you out of that foul mood." the nord's eyebrow twitched and she had the desire to say no to the bosmer but she just couldn't bring herself to. A small grin formed on Irina's face when the nord sighed and rose from her seat as well.

They left the warmth and noise of the inn to join Skyrim's chilly evening. The sun had set just a little bit ago and the only trace of light was the purple and orange that was quickly diminishing with every passing minute. She hadn't a clue as to where they were going but Serana hadn't minded, Irina was right. A walk was very replenishing, a break from everything that was going on.

Quiet, it was quiet outside. Serana noted, they passed the gates and a few guards passed them by but other than them, not a soul was outside tonight.

"Where is everyone? Now that I think on it, the inn wasn't too busy either" Serana asked.

"There's a festival the city of Solitude holds every so often, where they burn this makeshift straw dummy of King Olaf... I actually helped to convince the jarl- or rather, future queen, to proceed with it."

"Why would the... You know what, that actually doesn't surprise me. You're a thane literally everywhere." Serana said with an exasperated voice, Irina glanced over to her and chuckled.

Their walk, led mostly by Irina, had them steered toward the docks, it was well into the night now and Serana saw no one save for a guard posted near what looked like a warehouse. Gentle splashes of the waves against the dock sprayed light sea water into the air and the scent definitely soaked into their clothes, Irina noted, mildly aware of the salty scent.

They descended from the dock to a few rocks that lay closer to the water. They watched the waves in a companionable silence, even taking to sitting on the rock with Serana sitting criss-cross and Irina lounged with her hands behind her back supporting her weight. Oranges eyes removed themselves from the water and took to the night sky instead, she didn't know what to say and was thinking over multiple different questions to ask without offending the nord.

"I'm curious as to how you're going to enter that house now, I definitely remember him being adamant about his 'conquest' tonight. Going to be rather awkward for you, Isn't it?" Serana asked her while keeping her attention on the waves below them. If Irina hadn't heard the bite in her voice then she would have awkwardly laughed it off but that wasn't the case now.

"I can't say I look forward to his advances again, but it would raise alarms if I didn't at least try to... I have an obligation as his wife to- well, be a wife. I don't think I could bring myself to love a man like him but I didn't marry him for his love."

"You've never sounded so infuriating before. Haven't you once ever thought about yourself and your own feelings? Who gives a damn about the money he's supplying your organization? You're clearly making peace with something you don't want and since when have you ever done that?" the nord asked her with a frustrated breath. Dainty eyebrows were furrowed into each other and a look of genuine annoyance and questioning were thrown at Irina.

The dovahkiin blinked a few times in surprise and stared up at Serana wondrously, as if amazed that her anger wasn't focused on her jealousy but more for the woman's well-being. It was a genuine concern.

A few moments passed them by in silence. Nothing else heard but the gentleness of the waves crashing against one another, Irina took in a deep breath and stuffed her hands within her pockets. For some unknown reason, Irina found it hard to breath and form words so she inhaled once more to get her bearings.

The question has unknowingly hit a soft spot.

The nord made a face of confusion and her heart broke at the elf's next words. Irina never looked so sad before, she had always been the strong one between the two of them and it was almost surreal to see the dovahkiin look so upset. It reminded Serana of herself when she was a child, lost and unwanted.

"The only ones to ever ask me that... were Lydia and the Greybeards. Now you ask me? I'm starting to sense a trend." Irina said with a faraway look in her eye.

Serana let herself calm down and inhaled deeply, "I don't mean to reopen any old wounds, I know my own feelings don't make this situation any easier but-"

"Serana I married him to help the Thieves Guild, I married him for strategy. It was a simple decision then, I had no lovers and completely unaware of my affection for Lydia at the time. I suppose that having years to myself made me forget that there are sexual obligations to marriage-"

"You don't have to sleep with him, there is no love between you two from what I can see. If anything, he's just an old pervert who was looking for a young wife." Serana said with narrowed eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red, this was something she was not used to doing. Talking about her emotions and expressing them so purely.

Irina nodded in agreement, "that's exactly why it was so easy to marry him, a man who wanted me and willing to fund the organization that I was attatched to. Serana, understand this decision was almost four years ago. I was young and had no perspective of anything."

"Irina, I... I care for you. More so than you care to admit- I just don't understand why you'd put yourself in a marriage where you're the one who's not able to be happy." Serana explained. The moonlight poured down on her skin and it glowed in the same way it did in Riften, Irina swallowed in awe.

"I don't know how to tell you the truth without another outburst." Irina said with a small sigh.

"The truth?" Serana asked incredulously.

Irina nodded and gave her a silent knowing look. As if she had something to say, right at the tip of her tongue but denying herself to spare Serana's feelings. "Tell me then. If you're willing to."

Irina eyed her for a few moments, contemplating whether she wanted to disclose her thoughts to her. Serana was expectant, and her focus was directed toward the elf. She was ready to break apart any arguement that Irina threw at her, but she waited with patience for the woman to say her piece.

"I don't plan on living a long life. I married him because I had already accepted this truth long ago. I put myself in dangerous situations because I crave battle and love the feeling of my adrenaline, so where's the harm in that when I won't be leaving behind anyone? Not just that either, I feel as if someone needs to be the hope for the common people. I decided to do that, because I don't foresee anyone else taking up to do it themselves." Irina began hugging her knees to her chest.

Serana's eyebrows were scrunched up, her expression confused but also knowing.

"They don't have to either, I want to do this. I feel It's my duty to. I'm also no fool, I understand that taking on the burdens of someone else will inevitably result in my being in danger if not death. I don't see the harm of it, I don't have a lover at least- a real lover. I don't have children, and the people I consider friends can move on through this life without me in it-"

She'd heard quite enough.

Serana grabbed the elf's forearm and pulled her close against her body. One hand buried itself into her brown hair and the other she wrapped around Irina's small frame while she placed her chin on the woman's head.

That was not the answer that she was expecting.

Her anger and jealousy had been long forgotten, Serana merely wanted to hold the bosmer close to her, she was already so close to slipping away from her fingers. What could she have been thinking when it came to the prophecy? Was she willing to die in service of Skyrim? Serana couldn't believe she thought this but she would rather have her father have dominion over the province than to have Irina lay down her life for it.

"Please, Irina. I've heard quite enough." Serana said. Her chest twisted in pain, Irina did not have a single ambition for herself, at least- not one that didn't include a battle. A woman filled with so much spirit and skill. Ready to die. She understood that the bosmer was affiliated with assassins and thieves, and that she is not as noble as the common people think she is but even so... Serana knew she would never find another person as selfless.

Irina finally relaxed and leaned into her embrace, a soft sigh came from her lips and she found herself wrapping her arms around the nords waist. Serana felt her cheeks warm up at the reciprocated embrace but she forced her embarrassment down keeping her wits about her. They stayed that way for a few moments before the nord untangled herself from the bosmer, going back to her respective seat and Irina her own.

"I didn't mean to upset you any more than you already were. I apologize for that, Serana." the dovahkiin said.

"How long have you thought this way? Were you prepared to die when you fought Alduin- are you expecting to die when we uncover more of this foolish prophecy?" Serana asked. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, tears threatened to spill but she refused to let them. She would rather have Irina talk to her about her own warped views of the world so that Serana may help her, or at least try to.

Irina merely nodded slowly. "I've had these ideals for a long time now, I can't quite place a time-frame on it."

"I want to change your mind." Serana said. She sounded desperate, and Irina was only just beginning to realize how in love the nord was.

"It's unlikely that you will, Serana. I'm sorry. I'm also not trying to paint myself out as someone who wishes to die in a hurry either, I just... understand the consequences of my way of thinking. Finding a person to love, having a family, trying to settle down someplace in Skyrim even- these are all great ideas... but I simply can't have that. Not with my lifestlye." Irina tried to explain in a way that made sense but she realized that it just wouldn't make sense to anyone else but herself.

There was a shared silence between them and Serana couldn't believe that it was her own jealousy that sparked the conversation. When no one spoke for a long while the dovahkiin pushed herself up to her feet and offered a hand to the nord who reluctantly took it. Once they both stood upright did Irina give her a sad smile.

"Thank you, for appreciating me and how I feel... and you say I'm charming? I'd say tonight I was completely charmed by you." Irina said with a half-grin.

Serana did not return the smile, instead she shook her head. "I hope I rub off on you somehow, because I meant what I said. I want to change your mind."