Prologue
Journal Entry:
30th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 200
'Dearest Grandmother, how I miss you. To hear your voice; the stories you tell, the chime of your laughter, your words of wisdom and comfort, the warmth of your arms. Oh, what I would give to have you here with me again now! Yet alas, you were cruelly taken from this plane. Valerius will not speak of it again, the hurt is still too near to the heart and the injustice; it is a hollow ache followed by a burning. It feels like the infernos of Oblivion have opened a gate in my chest; to look upon the face of the man who destroyed what was left of our family, these past three years have been torturous without you and your guidance. My prayers to the Divines do not give me relief.
Val is nothing more than a puppet, playing the Emperor's dutiful soldier while I waste away in this gilded cage far from the last shred of family I have left. I cannot hate him for this, we made fools of ourselves, I was chastised like a child while Val was more harshly reprimanded. My husband has been vocal in regards to his supposed kindness to the Romulius family, by still allowing us some form of communication over these long years and miles apart. How he spits venom and none are wise enough to see him for the snake he is.'
Journal Entry:
5th of Evening Star, 4E 200
'Valerius cannot divulge much information in regards to his station in Skyrim but he has filled pages upon pages in describing the northern country's rugged beauty. Every Hold he visits, every fort he is stationed, even camped in the wilderness there is a beauty to nature that seems to enthrall him. He has even tried his hand at poetry! The man he has grown to be will have an easier chance of wooing a woman by showing off his battle skills than with his not-so-fancy words.
Alas I digress! My latest letter from Val has reignited a longing to my heart that I fear will lead to my downfall should I find myself trapped against all hope. After all the mundane letters with nary a sign of conspiracy, Amaund had finally relented in reading my letters to and from Val, this is what we had hoped for. Amaund will soon be too busy with the rest of the Elder Council preparing for the New Life Festival and a host from the Aldmeri Dominion, he and Rexus will be away for quite some time and will not be able to keep tabs on me. During that time, I will be making my way north to Bruma where I will be secreted away through the Pale Pass.
Val has been granted a leave from service but is mandated to remain within Skyrim's borders. With a trip to Falkreath, it should be easy enough for him to slip away to meet me in the Pass; thankfully it has since been cleared of those foul ogres. The most I would have to worry about is the freezing cold, but Val assured me that he will be making the necessary arrangements.
Our house may be smaller than it has ever been since the Great War but we are still strong and still have many loyal subjects. The Romulius bloodline has wrought the allegiance of many houses. The Dragon's Tongue flower of House Romulius, the Moons of House Hassildor, the Eagle of House Carvain. I miss the stories of you regaling us as children with heroes during the time of the last great era.
My favorite was how an unknown spellsword became the Champion and stood forth to safeguarded the last Septim Emperor before disappearing into obscurity once the jaws of Oblivion were sealed shut and the Emperor was sealed within the statue of Akatosh himself.
Those stories may come from a bygone era but I still draw strength from them. Although I am not as powerful as a mage or trained as a warrior, I will just have to trust in Val to see me the rest of the way.
Our blood makes us strong and we are stronger together.'
Journal Entry:
30th of Evening Star, 4E 200
'The time has come. With my husband and his bodyguard being wrapped up with the Elder Council meetings—and blessedly distracted with the Thalmor—and will not be home for a few more days, this is the perfect time to sneak away. The plan is relatively simple, all I can do is pray and hope for the best.'