THE HAND THAT DEATH HAS DEALT YOU

3E Year 433. 201 years before the stormcloak rebellion.

"WE HAVE TO GO NOW! STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOUR INGREDIENTS AND LETS GO MY LADY! PLEASE! The Princess's Knight Guard, Tristane Velvara yelled.

She grabbed one last handful and shoved the plants in her satchel.

"THEY HAVE OPENED A GATE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CITY! RIGHT NOW, YOUNG LADY!".

He was usually a very kind patient man despite the angsty and rebellious attitude she had shown him all her life. She knew though that in his words changing from my lady to young lady meant this his patience was about to end. 'She finally met him at the door, and they ran through the hallway of the castle and headed down the stairs towards the service tunnels.

"Sir Tristane, what is going on? What gates?" she finally asked as they continued to run.

"I'll explain when we get to safety, you just keep running." He said and then grabbed her arm so she would be forced to keep His pace.

They finally made it to what appeared to a dead end. Tristane moved what looked to be an empty shelf but was actually a hidden door.

"Is this an escape tunnel?" The princess asked. She had no idea it existed, and she was finally beginning to let panic set in.

"Wait a minute! Where is my family? Why am I the only one here? What is going on?!" she said as she started to resist going into the tunnels.

"We received word a few days ago that gates were appearing all around Cyrodill that were being used as portals for a deadric prince to attack directly from oblivion. We weren't sure if it was true and wanted to more evidence before we warned anyone, but it appears the evidence has landed on our doors."

"Then why don't I hear any fighting? And where is the rest of my family?" she demanded.

"Your sisters are already on their way to the safe house. Your brothers are fighting to defend the city." He paused for a minute. "My lady, I'm sorry to tell you that one of your father's adversaries took advantage of the situation and I found them dead in their chambers. I know this is a lot to accept at once, but we need to get moving."

He again grabbed her by the arm, and she pulled it away from him and started to cry. "My lady, you don't understand. We needn't worry about the daedra. I need to get you away from whoever killed your parents. None of your extended family can be trusted. We need to get you out of this city. Into the tunnels please."

She accepted her fate and stepped into the tunnels. Tristane extended his arm and conjured a wolf and a fire Atronach in front of her.

"It's a one way tunnel. Just keeping going until you see the end. These spirits will protect you." He quickly started to shut the door.

"You're not coming with me?! Tristane, No! I demand you stay with me." She began to cry harder and stomp her feet.

He sighed and stopped closing the door. "My son Meridian is waiting for you at the end of the the tunnel."

He reached onto his waist and retrieved an ebony dagger. The same design and shape as all the men in his family carried.

"Take this in case you need it." He said as he handed it to her.

"This is your family dagger, I can't take this sir." She said as tears began to run uncontrollably down her face.

"My lady. I either die fighting the Daedra or I die at the same hands as your father. The dagger is better off when you and my son in either situation. Now you need to go. We've wasted enough time." He started to shut the door again and saw the princess just standing there.

"Now young lady!" He said as he slammed the door shut.

She had now fully accepted the situation out of necessity. She continued down the long tunnel. It was just barely tall enough for an average human and only wide enough for two people to stand by side. She was never claustrophobic, she had actually been in several tight spaces as she had been sneaking out of the castle at night for years. This tunnel was dark and cold though, the only thing lighting her path was a soulless flame atronach. It made the path seem so much more daunting.

After nearly a half an hour they finally came to an opening as the princess saw small streak of natural light. As she approached the light got bigger and she saw the end was covered in a metal grate. She pushed on it and it slowly moved but not near enough for her to slip out. The atronach spell eventually wore off and disappeared leaving her here alone and trapped between a metal grate and a dark damp tunnel.

She pushed and pushed in a panic trying to remove the grate. Finally she saw two set of hands grab the grate from the other side and pull it out. Then a hand reached down and she grabbed it. She didn't think to look up to see who it was. With her free hand She held tightly onto the dagger Tristane had given her as she was pulled up.

The figure was wearing a dark robe and she couldn't identify who it was. When she was finally back out of the hole she noticed it was several figures. She instinctively held up the dagger and began to back away. One of the figures took off his hood and she saw a friendly face. Meridian Velvara, Tristane's oldest son. All of the men from House Velsala were members of the Knight Guard.

He put his finger in front of his lips and indicated her to be quiet. He then tossed her the same dark robe the rest of the guard were wearing. He then pointed at his horse she didn't even notice at first that was also covered in a dark garment. She quickly put the robe on over her clothes and went to the horse with meridian. All of the other men mounted their horses as well and meridian signaled and they formed a wide circle around Meridian and the Princess and rode off into the wilderness. She knew they were in the north border opposite the city gates as the only noise she could hear from the fray were the sounds of a catapult. She stayed in stunned silence as they moved further and further from her home.

"We have a hidden cabin about an hours ride from here that has been hidden just for this very occasion. Your sisters should be waiting for us when we get there." Meridian whispered to her.

The princess started to cry. "I don't mean to be insensitive my lady, but we cannot afford that noise now. I understand though, I wouldn't mind a good cry myself. "Meridian whispered again.

She knew he was right. No telling what was out here with an oblivion gate opened. She wiped away her tears and leaned onto Meridians back and put arms around his waist. And stared off to the side into wilderness. Her body now relaxed and moving with the slow rhythm of the horse. He caressed her hands.

"It'll be ok my love." He whispered to her.

She had lost track of time, but they were far enough away from the city she could no longer hear the catapualts. She was almost about to fall asleep when she saw a flash of light and then one of the Guard was seemingly dissapeared from his horse.

"Protect our Lady!" Meridian hollered and all the guard jumped off their horses and pulled their weapons and made a circle around the horse the princess was on.

Then another flash of light and another guard disappeared. And then another. And another. The remaining four guards formed a tighter circle.

One of them cast detect life spell. "Must be Daedra sir, I'm not seeing anything ."

"Daedra are not undead. It's something different." Meridian answered.

Then with two flashes the bodies of two their fallen guard members arose from the ground, lifeless and grunting. Their bodies now a slave to a whatever ressurected them. They began to charge at them. The guards easily dispatched them but the distraction separated them. Two more flashes and only Meridian and one other guard remained.

"Something different indeed" they heard a female voice with a dialect they had only heard in plays about ancient history.

With seven flashes of light they saw six people appear. A seventh person standing between them with three on each side. The one in the middle towered over the others . A figure so large it was scary to think it moved so quietly. As they got closer they could see her clothing and jewelry. All of it appeared to be something they would see displayed in a museum.

"What a special occasion these Little monsters from the gates have brought us. The blood of nobility." They had all moved and were now surrounding the Princess and the two guards. They moved so silently and in such darkness it's almost as if they were a wraith floating with the air.

Meridian realizing they were vampires moved quickly and grabbed the Princess and dragged her off the horse and held her tightly and cast a flame cloak spell. Putting both of them behind a wall of flame.

"They always have the one special protector don't they?" The strange woman said and then pointed at the lone guard.

"Feed." She said and they proved Meridian right and opened their mouths to reveal long fangs and snarled as they all six attached the last guard. Biting into him as he screamed and moaned. The screaming eventually stopped as they continued to feast on his body.

The women in the ancient clothing walked towards them and stood right in front of the flames and touched it and the flames ceased. Meridian tried to cast another spell but it just fizzled into nothing. She had silenced him. She then touched them both on their foreheads and the both dropped to their knees and sheathed their Weapons.

"We're going to get on these horses and then you're going to let us bind your hands and you will follow us to our cave. You will do so without hesitation or resistance less you have the same fate as your friend were eating for dinner on the ground, understood?"

"Yes ma'am, of course." They both said absent mindedly and did as they were told.

…

For the third morning in a row the princess had awoken from a disturbing dream filled with death, pain and gore. Probably a side effect of falling asleep starving, scared and blinded as she's had this hood over her for days now. Only being removed in complete darkness to eat. Given just enough barely edible food and water to keep her from dying. She had been constantly under mind altering spells and had completely lost track of how long she had been there.

She woke up today with a different hunger though. She still felt the rumbling in her stomach from a lock of food and the dry feeling in her throat from a lack of water. She had almost gotten used to it after spending countless nights in this confinement. She could feel her bones ached. Her muscles sore and tight. She could feel her blood pulsating. This didn't feel like any sickness she had ever studied.

She heard her cage door open and in one quick swoop the hood had been removed from her head. Her shoulder length brown hair laid knotted in fromt of her face. She allowed her eyes to adjust to what little light was in this cave. When she could finally see she saw the same woman as the night they were captured. She had been hearing her voice all this time but was finally seeing her face. She had never seen anyone like this before. She had body of a lean orc woman, but the face was that of Altmer. Her skin looked rough and calloused as if she was someone who had seen plenty of hard labor in her life.

The princess had been trying to identify her dialect every day she heard it. It finally dawned on her when she saw the woman. She was an orsimer. She was before the war between Trinimac and Boethia. She was before the curse that trinimacs followers had placed upon them that turned them into modern day orcs. This woman, this vampire, was thousands of years old. The princess stared in amazement. Even though this was her first encounter with one, everyone knows vampires are real and that part she could fathom. An ancient orsimer though was too hard to grasp. The reality of the situation started to sink in and she began to panic and wanted to cry but found that no tears came out.

"Those days are over girl. Emotions are a choice you will fight your mind with for eternity now."

The ancient vampire said to her as she grabbed her chin lightly and pushed her hair back out of her eyes. Like a mother comforting a child.

"It's so rare I notice anymore but you were quite beautiful when I found you, but now, you are just radiant." She said as she continued the matronly petting of the princess's hair.

"Everything hurts" the princess lightly whimpered. "I'm so hungry, please"' she pleaded. "Atleast some water please"

The vampire cut the bindings off of the princess hands and helped her stand up. "You are hungry my dear but not for bread and water. You know this to be true, even if you haven't brought it upon yourself to admit it yet." She said as she led the princess down a hallway.

"I've been in your mind. I know you've dreamt it. Everyone has different visions, but it all boils down to feeding your hunger. To satiate your yearning. You're used to having your every desire on a whim aren't you? Servants to make your food and pour your wine. Maidens to bathe and dress you and clean behind you. When you needed anything it was always satisfied at the expense of someone else. The expense of their time, their life. How interesting your mind was. You were the oldest princess. You were told this servitude was owed to you. Your last name and shared blood determined how much more important you are than the others. You were told your life of luxury made you free."

They finally stopped in front of a door and the princess eyes lit up red as she could smell something that Made her twitch and the aching in her body become intensified.

"That first time is always the most rewarding. Just so you know. You will never feel that level of satisfaction again."

"My first time what?! I don't understand" the princess whimpered.

The vampire took her face with the same delicate touches as before, slowly patting her hair and caressing her cheek. This gave the princess an uneasy calm and the vampire proceeded without answering her question.

"What a story your mind was. You never really felt free at all did you? You had no independence. Your alchemy studies were the only thing you had any control over. It's why you were nearly obsessed with it. You didn't even have control over your own body. You knew it was only a matter of time before your father married you off to some stranger. Sell his child off to gain political standing. To grow his wealth. It's why you snuck out at night to have your passionate moments with your heroic knight we found you with."

"How could you possibly know that? What is happening?!" The princess cried to cry again but nothing would come from here eyes. They would just swell and bulge.

"Sweet dear." The vampire embraced her in a hug and rocked with her while she hummed a sweets melody, as if she was calming a sick infant, " I have given you a gift where you can have your independence. I have given you agency back to your life. No one can make your decision for you anymore."

"No! You're lying!" She screamed.

"Don't deny it Princess, you know it to be true. You've been dreaming about it for Nights straight now. You don't need me to tell you what you know is truth." She took a small vial from her pocket. She opened the top and filled her hand with the dark red liquid and then held it above the princess face. The princess made an animalistic snarl and felt something grow in her mouth. She moved her tongue across her teeth and found that two in the front had grown longer in a matter of a blink and they were so sharp she nearly cut her tongue.

She screamed in a panic. "You monster! How dare you! How dare you!" She cried out to deaf ears.

"No!" The vampire snapped. "How dare you! How dare the people like you! You live your life with so many others beneath your feet. Using them for your every whim. Their whole lives as nothing but a pawn to make yours a luxury. If your life is so important you can live it forever!" When then pulled her own large fangs and snarled.

She opened the door they were standing in front of and threw the princess inside and to the ground. The princes lifted her head and looked in front of saw Meridian tied up shirtlesss to a brick wall. Bite marks all over his body. The rest of the room was lined with butchered human remains. The entire floor covered in blood. Some fresh, some dry and crusted.

"I've seen his mind dear. Quite the loyal guardian you have here. He is mostly left unchained and we've allowed him his beautiful ebony dagger, just like the one you have. We could have used it at any time to end his torment but his mind says he refuses to leave until he knows your safe. And now he sees."

She walked to Meridian and used his own dagger to cut a small incision in his chest. The princess could smell it and her eyes began to glow red and her body now ached with a yearning she didn't know was possible.

"He's quite the good stock, you're first feed will be more better than most. A luxury for you again." The vampire spoke.

The princess began to slowly crawl towards Meridian but would try to stop as if her body and mind were having a power struggle.

"No. Please, not him. This isn't fair. Not him." The princess pleaded.

"Not fair?" The vampire responded. "I've seen your minds dear. You've been using him for your own benefit your whole lives. Every male born of his last name is sworn at birth to dedicate their whole lives to protect yours. For years you've used him for your own sexual and emotional desires knowing that the consequences to him are far greater than to you. You and your whole family have fed off of him and his for generations now. Why would this be any different? Atleast now he's serving you in a greater purpose. Independence and Immortality."

"NO NO NO! I won't do it." She screamed resistance but her body instinctively slowly crawled towards the knight. The smell of blood getting closer and more potent as she approached making the yearning grow and grow. The blood from the floor covering her hands, knees and clothing.

"You will dear. You can't resist. Even if you do, refusing to feed won't kill you. You'll just become the feral beast you saw in your dreams. Now feed! Embrace your gift, embrace your new life in death" the vampire spoke with authority.

The princess crawled her way to Meridian. Stopping and smelling the laceration he just recieved. She continued to fight and made her way to his face . She grabbed the back of his head and pulled their foreheads together.

"I'm so sorry, Meri. You deserve so much better than this. You deserved better than all of it."

They kissed eachother and she began to try and cry again and came to the frustrated remembrance that she no longer can.

He broke the kiss and leaned his head to the side, exposing his neck to her. "It is my great honor. Not because of any oath or any last name. It's an honor because you've been my best confidant and my most loyal friend. All of my greatest memories in life involve you and I'm happy to know those memories we shared will live in you for an eternity."

She moved to his exposed neck and gave it a couple of small kisses.

"I love you Sir Meridian." She said.

"And I love you, Princess Anaelle." He responded.

She then dug her fangs into his neck and the moment his blood hit her mouth she felt all the aches, all the pains, all the yearning dissapear. Her body felt like it was floating, and the air was replaced with the finest silk. She forgot who she was, who she feeding on, she was completely absorbed into draining as much blood from this vessel as possible.

Meridian did not scream. Even as he felt his life force suck through his veins he never allowed more than a grunt. It was one last honorable duty. To allow the woman he loved to accept her new life. To help ease her transition. He stared at the ancient vampire with defiance in his eyes while Anaelle fed rapidly until he was finally relieved of his life and ended his pain. Anaelle finally released her fangs from his neck. Having her hunger satiated she stayed on her knees and looked at the ceiling and began laughing. Blood running down her face and covering her shirt. Then her laughter just ceased. She put her head back down and then she just stared blankly at the ancient vampire approaching her.

She grabbed anaelles arm and lifted her up. Anaelle offered no resistance she just stared blankly and couldn't say a word. Lost in a daze. Lost in her empty mind as reality set in for her. She realized the ancient vampire was right. Nothing will ever compare to that feeling again. She walked with the vampire as she led her to a room with a bath tub.

"You've made quite the mess princess. I'm sure you can manage this without a slave to help you." She then laid her hand on the tub and Anaelle could see the water began to steam.

She disrobed and sat in the water. Still just staring blankly and without emotion. She rinsed her face and the tub water became murky with meridians blood. Anaelle just sat there without saying a word. Lost in thoughts and visions. Slowly accepting the new gift of life she had received through death. She had long lost track of time not realizing she had been laying in this bloody water for hours. She eventually got out and dried herself off. She opened the door still disrobed. She no longer cared about matters such as decency. She opened the door and heard nothing. No other vampires, no sounds of the guards being tortured and eaten. No signs that anyone had been in the cave at all. She found the room where she had last seen Meridian and found nothing. No body and not even any blood. The only thing she saw was a pile of clothing in the middle of the floor. Folded up with her satchel and two ebony daggers bearing the Velvara family crest. The crest consisted of two Vs, one upside down so it almost formed an with the symbols representing the five schools of magic surrounding the letters. On top of the pile was a note that appeared to have been written with blood.

'Enjoy your freedom Princess'

The clothing was the dark robes they had all been wearing when they were captured. It was somehow clean, but Anaelle barely noticed. She put it back on and wandered around the cave until she finally could smell the air outside and found the entrance.

She walked outside to find it was thankfully night time. She could hear every noise the forest could make. Every animal sniffing for food. Every twig that broke beneath an elks hoof. She could hear a snake slithering and slinking its way around its prey. She could feel the worms move beneath the ground. She was picking up every scent the wind blew to her.

She walked for nearly an hour. She didn't recognize anything. She had no idea where these vampires had brought her but she knew she wasn't close to home. Not that she could return there anyway. The overload of senses became overwhelming. She crouched down and covered her ears and began to scream. She became louder and louder until she drowned out every other noise. Eventually her senses calmed, and she was no longer inundated with sight, smells and noises. That was when she noticed three torches and heard a voice.

"We all heard that scream, stay alert! No telling what's out here."

The voice sounded familiar to her. It comforted her and her fangs retracted back into her gums.

"That sounded like a woman, it came from over here."

She heard the sound of blades being unsheathed.

"Be prepared for anything. Remember what you're dealing with. Don't let them touch you."

She heard the voice again and it she felt a wave of relief.

"Sir Tristane!" She yelled.

All three torches stopped.

"Lady Anaelle?!" The voice screamed out.

She stood up and saw the three members of the NightGuard. She slowly approached the knights and they saw her.

"My lady!"' Tristane yelled. He sheathed his weapon and ran towards her. When they finally met he hugged her so tight he might have strangled anyone else.

"My dear." You looked into her eyes and saw only her confusion and pain.

"You are so cold my dear. How long have you been out here alone. Let me flame cloak you my lady."

"No!" She responded quickly.

Tristane was quite taken back by her response.

"I appreciate the thought but I've had enough magic placed upon me by others. I'm quite content with this fresh air. I haven't been out here long." She locked back into a hug with him. Her thoughts began flooding her mind of her last moments with Her love Meridian. Feeling connected to him through this embrace with his father.

He finally pulled her off and took a good look in her eyes. He now noticed her cold skin, how pale she seemed and a slight red background to her eyes. She is just tired and had been through trauma. Of course she look pale and scared he thought.

"Where is everyone else? Where is the lair?" One of the other guard asked.

She shook her head. "The monsters got them." Was all she responded.

"The monsters" he said. "We saw the body they left on display for us, it was vampires."

She could sense suspicion in his voice.

"And why are you alone out here? They left only you?" He got closer to Anaelle.

"Your skin is much more pale then when I last saw you a week ago my lady. Your eyes seem to have a glow." He gripped his sword and the other guard followed suit.

The two guards started to slowly approach her and one of the held up his hands and it emanated a green hue of a detect life spell.

"Sir Tristane, I know you are close but shes not showing up sir. I'm only detecting two living besides my self. I should be seeing three." They started to move faster towards Anaelle and Tristane drew his sword and jumped in front of her.

"How you both lost your minds? She needs a healer not a blade! We need to get her back to the city. Her brothers survived the battle. The usurper has failed. She is still our princess. We took an oath to protect her damn you." He stood sternly in between Anaelle and the guards.

"That's where you're wrong sir. House Velvara made an oath to protect the Lord of the land and his family. We made no such oath. Our oath is to protect High Rock and that's exactly what we're doing."

"I have protected her since she could walk. I will continue to do so. I'm commanding you to put down your swords and we will bring her to a healer." He proclaimed.

"No healer for this and you know that. Please concede your weapon and set aside while we slay the vampire." The guard stated.

"Step aside Knight Tristane." He yelled. "We do not want to do this. Do not die for someone who is already dead."

Tristane looked behind him at Anaelle. He saw no monster. He only saw the same little girl he helped raise. The same rebellious teenager he argued with and the same beautiful woman she grew up to be. He saw her scared, alone and cold.

He turned back to the two guards and grunted as he caught them off guard and swung his sword at one. Hitting him in his shoulder and dropping him to the ground. He lifted his

Blade and charged the other guard but was met with a crossbow bolt through his chest. The other guard got off from the ground and swung his sword over his head at Tristane but before he could lower it he was met with the ebony daggers Anaelle had through his own chest instead. Tristane fell the ground. He was met with another bolt through his chest. The remaining guard started the slow of process of reloading the crossbow when Anaelle's new instinct took over like an animal. Her fangs protruded from Her gums and with a loud snarl she jumped at the guard and bit into his throat. Unlike Meridian he screamed and howled until Anaelle had her fill. Once again her face and chest covered in blood. She snapped back out of her rage and saw the three dead bodies. She didn't panic, she was not sad or angry. She'll felt the scariest feeling she had ever felt. Nothing.

"Young lady." She heard from the ground and knelt down towards Tristane. He grabbed her hand and stared into her now glowing red eyes.

"You may have to devour others now but don't let this curse devour you. I know you're still in there somewhere.

My son, is he…is he one of you now.?"

She grabbed his hand tighter and caressed his cheek and with her blood soaked face kissed her loyal protector on his forehead.

"No. My maker forced me upon him. He went out peacefully in my embrace." She told

Him with the same sweet affliction he spoke to her for so many years.

"Aye. Your embrace huh? I suppose that how we would of wanted to go. He always did love you."

He grabbed her face to match her caress of his.

"I always knew about you two. I know I should have stopped it but part of me deep down wanted you to carry his child. It would have kept you here and joined our houses. We could have been a dynasty to last generations."

He stared at her as if he was seeing his own daughter born until He began to wheeze and his breathe became heavy and labored.

"I would have loved nothing more. Sleep well my loyal protector. The Velvara name will live forever in my heart."

She said sweetly as she moved behind him and kneeled down and laid his head on her thighs. She then hummed a lullaby he was would sing to her when she was a child. Putting sense of peace in the air. He continued to wheeze until Blood started to flow from his mouth. Anaelle took her daggers and jammed them in his heart. He had no longer had to suffer. She then closed his eyes with her fingers and laid with him for several minutes. From a distance she heard several men calling for him and a wall of torches coming through the forest. She quickly and quietly walked away.

She kept walking. She walked until dawn when she started to feel wheezy and weak from the sun. She found herself at the southern border shipping docks and managed to sneak onto a ship and hide in the cargo hold. She had no idea where the ship was going or what it was carrying. She knew it didn't matter. She couldnt go home but she didn't think she wanted to. This ship was taking her to somewhere she had never been for something she had never had. No maids, no knights, no home and no royal court. Just freedom. Death gave her a new life and she was going to make the best of it.

...

Jorgensen was upstairs in the library when he heard a knock on his door.

Shortly after he heard the door open and he heard his youngest daughter Lydia open the door.

"How many times must I tell her not to answer that damn door." He muttered under his breath.

"HOT HEAD! He then heard her scream excitedly and knew Travius Was here. He came downstairs to see both his children Two twins aged seven, Lydia and Malborn, joyfully hugging a crouched down Travius. His children named after The two people who saved his life. Who saved the world.

"You just missed your young friend" He greeted them both with a sturdy hug.

"Oh, we saw him alright. Quite the gift you gave him." Travius said

"Quite the skill he has." He retorted.

"You've been out foraging all day. I'm assuming you need to use my mixing table? "

"That would be wonderful. I even brought my own bottles." Anaelle stated proudly

"I insist you please use mine. My wife finds them on her business trips and brings home enough to make health potions for a second Great War."

"No argument from me, thank you" she answered.

He pointed up the stairs. "It is up here on your right. Take as long as you need."

Travius watched her walk to the steps and Jorgensen followed behind them. He noticed how Travius never took his eyes off of her until she made her way into the room with the alchemy station.

"Never seen you have eyes for anyone like that before." Jorgensen jokingly remarked.

"That's because I never have." Travius blushed a bit then composed himself.

"Something else I was hoping to do while I'm here. Do you remember when we ran across some Khajit near Markarth who were smuggling a unique brew of skooma that was laced with some foreign narcotic that was causing hallucinations and mental breaks? We found an inspector who had been working a case on them and told us about a narcotic that a mercenary company in Cyrodill had been using to make their soldiers think they were fighting beasts instead of slaughtering towns of people. It was some time ago, Around the time of the oblivion crisis I believe."

"Aye, I do. What brings that up?" Jorgensen asked.

"That bounty we ran in the pale on our way here. I found a journal on one of the slain that reminded me of it. My intuition is telling me to dig deeper into it. Do you have any journals or notes on these topics?" Travius said

"I sure do, my journals are catalogued to where they were found them and all research books are chronological. Feel free to look through anything. Take them back to Winterhold if you need. I'm going to check on Anaelle, Make sure she's finding everything ok." They both nodded and headed up the steps.

Jorgensen headed into the room with the alchemy station and closed the door almost all the way. Leaving it slightly cracked so the clicking sound of the latch didn't arise suspicion.

"Thank you again, this is a wonderfully designed station, much better than in the alchemy shop in the city." She said as he walked in.

"A good station means a good potion." He walked over to the table and leaned on it. Anaelle was a bit confused but with his hospitality she wasn't going to get upset.

"I've known him along time. Never seen him this smitten. Bringing you here is a big deal for him. No different than bringing you to his family and meeting his mother. Does he know?" He asked. His voice took on a more authoritative and serious tone then she had heard from Him since they arrived.

"If you're asking if he knows I am just as smitten with him, then yes, I believe he does. I saw an amulet of Mara in his bag he was trying to hide and I'm more than happy to accept it." She answered.

"You and I both know he's way too powerful to be trapped into a seduction spell, does he know?" He asked in his same stern tone.

"That's quite sweet that he seems so smitten you'd think it's a spell, it's just been building for a long time until the time was right." She said as she continued to make her potions. She knew damn well that's not what he meant.

He put his hand on the table and pushed back the potions and ingredients she was working with her right out of her hands. She thought to herself how much of a fool she was. She should never of come here. He was a Vigilante of Stendarr in his youth, Of course he would know. She stared blankly at the wall not knowing what to say.

"Does he know? Night Child." His words stung through her heart.

"He has not figured it out yet, no." She paused. "I was planning to tell him when we returned to Winterhold." She said as she turned around to face him.

"Aye, after you accepted his Amulet?" He asked

"Please! I do love him. I've loved him since he first sat down at my bar. I will tell him as soon as we return I promise." She wanted to cry, something she had taken from her years ago.

"Will you still love him when he's an old man like me and you're still a vibrant young woman? Do you think he won't notice that you don't age? You will tell him tonight before he puts that necklace on you." He paused and decided to take a more gentle tone.

"Listen girl, there is a reason I left the Vigilants of Stendarr and there is a reason I parted ways with The Dawnguard after we stopped Harkon.

I am not an ignorant man. I've met enough of you and learned enough to know that you people are not all vile beasts. I know most of you weren't given a choice and are playing with the hand life dealt you, or the hand death dealt you I suppose. You have to tell him he's in love with and intending to marry a vampire. And you will tell him tonight." He was not so much angry as he was concerned about his friend she realized.

"Tonight. I give you my word." She said

"I expect it will be more positive then you might fear but if you give me your word that you'll tell him tonight then I'll give you my word that my manor will be a safe escape if I am wrong." He said as he pushed her items back to the front of the table.

"With that out of the way, this is quite an interesting combination of ingredients, I'm quite intrigued by what you're making."

Anaelle smiled and immediately felt at ease.