Work Text:
Something about cold snowy nights made the world ten times more dreary than it really was.
The fact that you were also alone on a small boat with nothing but a blanket and a lantern wasn't comforting either, but the atmosphere around you just had such an unnerving feeling that you couldn't shake off.
Your boat bumped against the waves as the wind blew harder, and you could only pray that the snow would subside. The cold and wet air stung your face, but you pressed on to sail further away.
You couldn't place exactly what had compelled you to run away from Dragon Bridge and travel as far from Skyrim as you possibly could. The war ended decades ago, the dragons were gone, and the so-called Dragonborn went into hiding, no one knowing their whereabouts anymore. It seemed as if the continent was at peace, unlike the constant warring from when you were a child. But whether it was your parents' constant nagging for a husband or a boredom with the land, something caused you to make your way northwest.
Some advised against it. On the way, an old crone warned you that vampires and other strange monsters lurked in the North, waiting for a young girl to be their next prey. Though you pushed her statement aside, as the Dawnguard had dealt with most of the vampires in Skyrim. The biggest threat in the North was probably drunk Stormcloak veterans or as it seemed to be at the moment, the snow.
You sat there in the boat, consumed by thoughts and worries of whether this was a good idea, when something in the horizon seemed to appear. It was a large, looming castle, with a tower in the front and pointed roofs. The mountains behind you suddenly seemed little compared to the massive structure, and it almost seemed haunting- probably better than this godsforsaken boat, though.
You steered your dinghy toward it, drawn towards the idea of a shelter from this storm. Hopefully it was abandoned; based on the looks of it, it seemed to be a victim of some sort of war. Fallen rocks and stones littered the bridge and stairs up, and it appeared to be at least a thousand years old. It probably outlived even the Oblivion Crisis, gods be damned.
As your boat hit the coast of the small island the castle was on, you hopped off, taking your lantern and blanket with you. You dragged your boat a bit more onto the shore before turning around to face the large building, wondering how such a massive castle went unnoticed here for so long.
There was a bridge leading up, steep and full of debris, and you could even swear that you saw an axe hiding within the rocks. Perhaps there had been some battle here, and it was left undiscovered until now. Step by step you warily continued.
Reaching the front doors, you saw that they were unprotected for some reason. The gate was open and the doors slightly askew. Cautiously, you sneaked into the building, slamming the doors shut against the wind.
You let out a sigh, finally out of the snow and wind. The castle interior wasn't incredibly warm, though it was certainly better than being outside.
Leaving your blanket on a small hook in the entrance of the castle, you walked in to the remains of what seemed to be a large dining hall. Torn red and gold rugs enveloped the floor, with lots of stains that you could only assume to be dried blood. Candlesticks, dishes, and chairs were scattered around the hall, and balconies overlooked the tables from the floor above. A very interesting layout, you thought to yourself. The castles in Skyrim didn't look this creepy, that was for sure.
You continued your way through the castle, examining the old empty display cases and the bookshelves with tomes that were so encrusted in dust, their titles weren't even legible. Something felt missing from this place. You could tell this place was once full of life, or at least some type of energy. Something felt unfulfilled here, like everything stopped abruptly and then the castle fell into disrepair.
Suddenly, there was a sense of warmth coming from another room, almost inviting you further in. You followed it up the stairs, drawn to anything other than the chill from the cold winter. Light came from a hallway, and you entered beside what appeared to be a lit fireplace.
Immediately you ran to it, kneeling besides the flames as you warmed your body up. It wasn't until after you felt warm enough that you bothered to look around the room, and the contents of it came to be a bit of a shock.
A cage, a torturing rack, and plenty of torturing tools atop a table were not what you expected to find. There were also two thrones by the fireplace, an odd place for them to be. You pulled yourself closer to the fire in your discomfort, hoping the warmth would burn away any of the worried thoughts you suddenly had about the castle. But you could tell something was wrong here. How did this fire even start? Maybe coming into these ruins was a bad idea.
You spent a few more minutes in front of the fire before deciding to head back to your boat. The weather outside still was unpleasant, though it at least didn't have the scary feeling you felt in here. Quickly you hurried down the stairs back to one of the the hallways. But as you went back towards the dining hall, a glint of red from another room caught your eye.
It drew you to it, and despite what your mind told you to do, you found yourself climbing up the stairs to the room, your only intent to see what this red thing was. A gate was pulled open before the chamber, and when you entered, it was the dark remains of some sort of ritual room.
Balconies and pillars lined the room, some of it smashed to rocks and in ruin. A shining fountain sat towards the end, dyed red by what you assumed to be blood. As you steadily made your way closer, you noticed the fountain had none other than the face of Molag Bal on it, though inside the blood-stained fountain was thankfully just dust, no liquid.
That's when it all finally clicked. The dust, the blood everywhere, the torture devices, Molag Bal. This was no ordinary castle. This castle had seen days full of violence and turmoil, though not from war, but by none other than the vampires that had resided within its halls. All the remnants pointed towards the idea of this place being an old bloodsucker paradise- what the hell had happened, then?
You flinched back at this realization, and in doing so noticed the source of the red glint from behind the fountain. It appeared to be a thin sword that was black and red in enchantment, and it too was stained with blood. What had this place gone through?
"This was where we killed my father."
The voice came as a shock to you, and immediately you turned around to face it, heart pounding wildly. Your hands clutched the edge of the fountain's basin in fear and you backed up towards it.
"He died trying to fulfill a selfish prophecy, since he was so power-hungry."
It was the voice of a young woman, and you saw her shadow up above on one of the balconies. Her face wasn't clear, though her eyes glowed in the darkness. A vampire, it had to be.
Dread filled you, and you ran back around the basin and grabbed the strange sword. The woman sighed, however, instead of immediately attacking your neck.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I don't do that. Don't worry."
You still held the sword steadily, unwilling to trust any vampire within this place. Under your eyes she slowly walked down the stairs of the balcony to your level, and held her hands up defensively.
"I promise. I won't do anything."
Now, you got a full view of her face. She was gorgeous, you couldn't help but notice, with beautiful brown hair and pale skin. She looked wise and mature, but at the same time desperately lonely, almost matching this solemn castle. She was young, though you knew she truly was hundreds of years old. You slowly lowered the sword upon viewing her, and she continued to speak.
"That was his sword. We left it here out of respect. Though honestly, I wouldn't bother to care about respecting him."
"What is this place?" you stammered out to her. The vampire woman crossed her arms.
"Castle Volkihar. Once a place full of vampires, deceit, and some fond memories. Though mostly violent ones. Did you not know?"
You shook your head, though the mention of Castle Volkihar did sound familiar. The Dawnguard might have mentioned it, though you didn't really bother with whatever they had to say that much anyways.
"Twenty years ago we fought here. The Dawnguard and I against my father and his court. I grew up with these people."
"You were part of the Dawnguard?" you asked, still slightly confused as to what this woman was saying. There were vampires with them?
"I assisted them. I was officially part of the Volkihar Clan, though. Harkon was my father."
A chill went down your spine. That was a name you remembered hearing tales about; the vampire lord that went mad.
"Who... are you?"
She sighed. "My name is Serana. You?"
You told her your name, and she nodded. "What brought you here?" she asked. "You don't seem like the type of girl to come to an old vampire castle on purpose."
You hesitated. "I came here to avoid the storm."
"If you came this far, something tells me the storm wasn't the only thing you were avoiding."
You blinked, surprised at how well she read you. The many years she's lived must've taught her a lot about people.
Seeing you hesitant to speak, she let out another exhale and turned towards the hallway. "If you don't feel comfortable, that's fine. But I have a long time to hear stories, so if you'd like to tell, we can sit by the fire. People rarely come to this island, and when they do, it's not for good reason."
Nodding, you decided to take up the offer to go back to the fireplace, it still being a little chilly in the castle. You didn't trust her yet, though she seemed harmless, and the offer of fire was not something to turn down. The two of you walked back to the thrones and sat down, them strangely providing comfort despite the room's other surroundings.
"So, what brought you here?" she asked. You inhaled, prepared for the long story you had to tell.
It began with your parents, as most of your stories usually did. You weren't quite sure how to describe your relationship with them, though "pressuring you constantly about marriage" was certainly a part of it. You ranted about how they wanted you to marry some rich man, how you longed to travel the world more than sit down as a wife, how you wished to experience the stories of old you heard as a child; the list went on. As you continued to speak with Serana, the weight on your shoulders began to lessen tremendously, and you realized that she was the first person to ever hear you vent like this. And she seemed comfortable with it, too, listening intently and understanding your problems. You felt at ease surprisingly, considering the dank castle you were in and the fact that she happened to be a vampire you just met. But something here made it so easy to... speak.
"I understand how you feel," she said at last when you finally finished your ramble. "My situation with my parents is... different. But I get it."
"Why did you help the Dawnguard?" you asked, curious about her backstory. You assumed it was vast and full of drama, since she was so old and a vampire betraying her own kind wasn't typically heard of.
"My father was... not the best. After he drove my mother into hiding, I didn't really have anyone else I cared about here."
You had even more questions than before, now. But you tried not to pry.
"I know a bit about Harkon. Was he really that evil?"
Serana thought for a moment. "Not always. He used to be better. But then that prophecy got into his head, and he became so power-hungry that I just couldn't care about him anymore. It didn't hurt to kill him, if that's what you were wondering."
You nodded warily. "Why stay here, though?"
Serana shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just drawn to it. I lived here for many years, and I'd like to explore the world. But I still find myself coming here even against my will. Like how you somehow came here."
It made sense to you, somewhat. "Maybe it was fate."
The two of you sat in the warmth of the fire in silence for a moment, listening to it crackle while the wind blew heavily outside. Her presence oddly wasn’t threatening considering her kind; it was rather nice, actually.
"I suppose you can spend the night at this place. Since the weather is so horrible out."
You looked at Serana, rather surprised at the offer. "Are there beds here?"
"...No, just coffins. Though I could get one for you and make it as close to a bed as I can."
You nodded. "That would be nice, thank you. I have a blanket at the front. I can bring it in."
You both stood from the thrones. She walked into what seemed to be a room past the fireplace and torturing devices, while you walked back to the entrance of the castle to quickly grab your blanket. Making your way back, you came back to the room to see a coffin laid on the ground with a pillow in it.
"It still looks a bit morbid, but it seems to work. I thought you'd want to be by the fire. I'll be elsewhere in the castle; vampires don't typically... sleep at this time."
"Alright." You weren't sure how comfortable being in the castle all alone with a vampire was, though she was at least very hospitable. More than you could say for most of the people back home.
"Good night, then, I guess. Maybe I'll see you in the morning. Maybe I won't. Thanks for at least being good company tonight, though. I don't typically have visitors."
You gave back a nod, and at that, she walked off, presumably to a faraway room in the castle that you would find less comforting than this. You dropped your blanket into the coffin and took off your shoes before laying into it, wrapping yourself with the blanket that was now less wet than on the boat.
An odd evening, you thought to yourself as you laid inside the casket— the last place you expected to sleep, really. You never could have predicted that you’d meet a vampire here, and a kind one, at that.
You thought it would be harder to fall asleep there, but surprisingly it wasn't. Knowing Serana was at least somewhere in the castle let you feel safe somehow, and the fire did provide a warmth that you'd for sure be scared without. So quite easily, you drifted off into sleep, suddenly grateful that you ended up here and not some draugr-filled cave.
That morning, when you opened your eyes and crawled out of the coffin, you ambled towards the nearest window to take a look outside.
It was still storming. Not as hard as last night, though hard enough that you weren't sure if you wanted to head back out again.
So you walked out to the dining hall, where you spotted Serana drinking a glass of... something. In a bit of a shock, you froze, and she put the glass down.
"Don't worry," she said. "This is from a really old potion. Whosever blood this belongs to is long, long dead. Centuries old, maybe."
You slightly grimaced. "That's... human blood...?"
She sighed, holding up the glass again. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but I am a vampire. I have to eat something in this castle."
"It's fine," you gulped, whatever appetite you woke with suddenly gone. "I... understand."
She took another sip and set the glass down again. "The storm's still raging on outside. I don't know if you want to really go outside in that. Feel free to stay here as long as you'd like. There's a lot to explore, if you get bored."
You nodded. "I'll stay, if that's alright. It's not like I have anywhere in specific to go to."
Serana shrugged. "Neither do I, for a while."
She finished the glass as you looked away. "Would you like something to eat?" she continued, "I don't know if there's much food here, but I can look."
"If you're alright with it, though I'm not incredibly hungry."
"I can check," she said before going back into another room. When she walked back in, she brought with her some dried meat and old wine.
"This isn't that old," she held the meat up. "Within the year, at least. I remember some bandits came, plus it's been chilled and dried."
"Thanks," you said, taking the meat and wine from her. The wine tasted good, clearly having aged there for a long time, while the meat thankfully wasn't that old, like she'd said. You quickly finished them both.
"Would you like to explore with me now?" she asked when she saw you were done. "I mean, I've been all around this place since I was a girl. But sitting around in such a gloomy place can seem a bit... saddening. That is, only if you want to."
"Sure," you replied, curious as to what this castle had deep inside of it. "You lead the way."
"Alright. Just please know that there may be some disturbing things there. I'll be sure to protect you, though. Hand me that lantern. We're going outside, just for a second."
You obliged and followed Serana out and around the exterior of the castle. The storm was still going on, though it was better during the day than at night. You didn't stray too far, either, sticking to the edge of the castle until a small opening appeared.
"This is the back entrance," she explained. There were small columns and ruins, and a large door at the top of them connecting to the castle. You shivered, the frost biting at your skin.
"Let's go in." Serana led you up the stairs and through the door.
Suddenly, you were back inside from the bitter cold. You were in some ruined part of the castle, full of cobwebs and rubble littering the floor. You felt a bit scared, though you were comforted by her vow of protection from before. It was dark, for sure, but she radiated warmth in the damp coolness of it all.
There was the skittering of some rats; hopefully not skeevers, you silently prayed to yourself. This place looked like it housed those beasts, perhaps even worse deeper inside. The two of you walked through the ruins, her guiding the way.
"Was it always this ruined?" you asked her, and she shook her head.
"It used to be full and lively. I'd run around here as a child."
"How did it fall into this state?"
"...Oh, you know." She paused. "The years caught up to it. Trouble happened between the clan, and well... this area got cut off."
You nodded solemnly, wondering what type of "trouble" could happen between vampires. You always pictured them as bloodsucking monsters, though you supposed they technically still had minds. Maybe they were just normal folk, after all. Except for the blood part.
"Not all vampires get along?"
"Oh, heavens, no. Before I helped the Dawnguard came in years ago, the court was still filled with issues. Even when I was a child, my father—" she hesitated. "I told you last night. He was never a good man. His court only ever existed to steal his power, not because they liked him."
You thought back to the stories of Harkon. Having him as a father must have been unimaginable, and you felt some pity for Serana.
"Not all vampires are necessarily evil, I've learned," you found yourself saying. "I used to think they were all terrible, though it sounds that they're no different from men. Fighting for power, and all."
Serana shrugged. "We're not evil nor good, just like man, mer, or beastfolk. Honestly, most of us aren't monsters. My mother... she's a kind woman."
You nodded. "She's still around?"
Realizing how insensitive the question may have been, you immediately followed it with "Not that I expect her to be dead. But... vampires haven't been around since the Dawnguard succeeded..."
She shrugged. "It's alright. She is, though not in this realm. She's in the Soul Cairn."
"Soul Cairn?"
"Long story. Souls in soul gems go there. Not a pleasant place, though the dragon there was rather kind."
You had so many questions, but pushed them down as she led you through the dark area. You could ask them another time.
"Watch out!" she suddenly yelped, and you backed behind her. "There's a draugr."
She steadied her stance and cast some vampiric charm against it, then followed that with a fire spell. The draugr growled before the flames overtook it and it fell down, crumbled to dust like the rest of these ruins.
"I never expected one of those to be here," you said, glancing down at the remains.
"Sometimes they appear. That may not be the last, though it's probably the worst we'll see. Let's move forward."
You continued through, passing by bookshelves, alchemy labs, and other dilapidated furniture. She stealthily led you around various traps, and you wondered why they were even there. Some were triggered already, too. Were all castles just like this?
The two of you walked up a set of stairs, and when you reached the top, you shuddered. You were in another sort of torture room, with dried blood and a skeleton laid on the ground. It was much like the room from last night, though with a much more putrid smell and blood everywhere. It was unpleasant, though Serana said nothing, and you followed her out without a word.
Up another set of stairs, you were in a cobweb-filled area, and the corpse of a giant frostbite spider laid on the floor.
"Huh. That's still there," murmured Serana, nudging the arachnid with her boot. Maybe she had been the one to kill it, you shrugged. You both continued up more stairs, finally reached a door leading to an open area.
It appeared to be a courtyard full of snow, though the snow seemed to fall slower here. Dead plants and trees were everywhere, and in the middle was a large sundial-looking structure. It seemed very peaceful, despite how dead the greenery was around it, and you looked around in almost a sense of wonder. Some door ahead was crushed by rubble, you saw, slightly contrasting with the rest of the yard. It seemed even this area was touched by the rest of the castle's ruin.
"This is our courtyard. My father sealed it off a while ago, though I've been taking care of it ever since we killed him. In the spring in summer I've been tending to the plants, though with this current weather it's a bit... hard." She gestured to one of the wilted bushes.
"You enjoy gardening?"
She looked away, almost blushing, you realized. "I don't know. My mother really does. This place used to be hers, and she'd make it beautiful. I'll never make it as lovely as she did, though I try. I have no one to appreciate it, though."
"What's that?" you asked, pointing to the structure in the middle.
"The moondial. It was crafted for my mother, and I fixed it while on the quest to kill my father."
"There are stairs leading down from it," you stated, and she nodded.
"The portal to the Soul Cairn is down in her lab. She hid there for years after leaving my father. Even I didn't know until recently. She's a very smart woman."
"It sure sounds like it."
"Would you like to sit for a while?" she asked, gesturing towards a bench. You agreed, and the both of you sat down on the cold metal after wiping the snow off of it.
It was nice, just sitting there with her in such a special place. You felt at ease, and clearly she did as well. She was smiling, a wistful look in her eyes as she watched the snow fall.
She noticed you looking at her, and you bashfully looked away. Her smile deepened a bit, though she tried to hide her face as well.
"I like the snow," she sighed, glancing back up at the sky. "I know Skyrim has way too much of it, but watching it fall is just... mesmerizing sometimes."
You couldn't help but agree, entranced by the beauty of the snowflakes falling down. Though from time and time again you found your eyes drawn to her pale face against it, cheeks slightly red from the cold. Something about her was so mysterious yet beautiful, though you knew being attracted to her was nothing good. She was a vampire; falling for her was certainly out of the question. Didn't mean you couldn't admire her, though.
The two of you sat there for another moment before the cold started to get a bit uncomfortable. You shivered, and Serana stood from the bench, holding out her hand.
"Let's go inside. We can keep exploring, or just go back."
You took her hand as you stood yourself up, and was surprised to see how freezing her hand was. It wasn't just cold from the weather like yours; it felt like solid ice, almost piercing to feel. As you stood, she pulled away, and you were left with a tingling sensation in your own hand.
"We can keep exploring," you suggested, and she nodded. She led you down the steps of the moondial, descending into the area beneath the castle.
The two of you explored Serana's mother's laboratory, and she shared some backstory to what had happened. Harkon, to no surprise, was as bad of a husband as he was a father. Serana's mother had to hide from him in the other realm or else she'd die, and with that, Serana never saw her for many centuries. You were offered, for a second, to perhaps visit her in the Soul Cairn, though you declined. Maybe another day.
You spent the rest of the day exploring a little more, then later sat by the fire with Serana again as you shared personal stories with her. Something about her was so easy to confide with, and you felt like you could trust her with keeping any secrets you told. She seemed to feel the same way, telling you all about her past and vampires in general. Though a little disturbing, it was quite fascinating to hear about such different people. Something about them was equally interesting as mysterious.
The next day, it was still storming, so you stayed another day. She didn't mind at all, and even thanked you for keeping her company. The following day ended up being the same, and so was the day after that, and the day following. Days dragged out to weeks, and soon you had spent a whole month in Volkihar Keep without even realizing it. All of it was spent with Serana, and towards the end of the month you were able to realize your growing attraction for her that you had felt beforehand. Whether she reciprocated the feelings or not, you weren't sure, though spending time with her at the moment was enough.
It wasn't until the snow finally stopped that you even remembered about leaving the place. A month-long storm was a weird occurrence, though you were thankful that it happened, since meeting Serana had to be one of the best experiences you'd had. But as you watched the last snowflakes fall one morning in the courtyard, you couldn't help but feel a sense of dread towards leaving.
"Ah, you're out here," you heard Serana's voice come from afar. She walked up, sitting next to you on the bench. "I was... wondering if you left. The weather's fine again."
You couldn't help the disappointed feeling that hit you as you heard that. Jokingly, to push it off, you shrugged. "Maybe I'll just never leave."
"Well, another person to help clean is always welcome," she quietly laughed. You watched with a sad smile, realizing how little you wished to leave now. The whole reason you had left home was to find a place you belonged, and maybe this was it. Maybe this is where the gods had guided you.
"It's your choice," she added. "Stay or leave; it's up to you. Though I'd prefer if you'd tell me before you left. Don't want to think you suddenly got lost in the castle, or something."
You nodded, and she stood up and went back inside. Alone again, you reminisced about how lively the past month had been, and whether you really wanted it to end or not.
You ultimately decided to stay an extra night, pushing off the choice to leave for another day. However, as you slept soundly in your coffin, you woke with a jolt at a strange noise.
Voices were outside. They were shouting, echoing throughout the castle. You sluggishly stood up, moving the blanket aside and stepping out of the coffin. After your mind was clear, you walked out of the room and into the main dining hall, where you saw Serana rushing towards the front door.
"What's happening?" you asked, worried by her frantic movement. She had a dagger in one hand and a spell ready in the other.
"Stay back. Go hide, go to the basement or something."
"What is it?"
"A vampire hunting raid. Some still think there are rogue vampires here, and they aren't wrong. Now go away! Hide somewhere else! They won't hurt you if they don't know you're with me."
"Will you be alright?" you half shouted.
"Yes! Now leave, leave!"
You weren't sure where to hide at first. You ran back into the room you slept in, looking around frantically for any sort of cover. An enclosed coffin was laid against the wall, and you swiftly pushed the lid off, as heavy as it was. You climbed in and pulled the lid back on, standing as still as you could like the corpses it usually housed.
You closed your eyes and breathed heavily. You could vaguely hear what was happening outside: the door had swung open and now Serana was fighting inside. You heard her shooting out spells rapidly, and tightened your arms around yourself in unease. Surely she could take care of herself, right?
After a few moments, the fighting seemed to slow down. Less people were attacking Serana, and she seemed to be holding them off well enough. Though noises seemed to come closer to you, and you soon realized the fighting was happening right outside of your coffin.
It appeared to be Serana versus the last member of the vampire hunters. You could now clearly hear the strained grunts and weapon swinging.
It sounded like Serana was almost struggling, and you grew more and more worried as you listened closer. The stress kept clawing at you until you decided you had to do something about it, despite what she had said earlier. You cracked your coffin open silently and put the lid to the side as gently as you could. The vampire hunter's back was turned to you, thank the gods, though Serana saw. She didn't pause, not wanting to draw attention, but you could see the fear in her eyes. She was struggling against the hunter's blade, dodging it but growing weary.
It was time to act. You noticed the sword of a fallen hunter on the ground, and picked it up without disturbing the attacker. With a firm grasp of it ready, you ran towards the hunter's exposed back, and dug the blade into him.
He paused, full of shock at the sudden blow. He fell onto his knees, shivering a bit before finally dropping dead, his face glaring into yours as it turned on the ground. Serana looked up at you and locked eyes before lowering herself to sit on the floor, finally safe.
"Are you alright?" you asked, and she nodded.
"I'm fine. There were more than I expected."
You knelt down next to her. "I was worried you couldn't take the last one. I'm sorry—"
"I could have. Don't force yourself into danger like that. Alright?"
"I was scared! If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself. I did what I thought was best."
"It wasn't best. Next time, just stay safe and hidden."
You bit the inside of your cheek. You knew she was just worried about your safety, but you couldn't help it. Your words lost control, and you couldn't prevent yourself from the words you uttered next.
"Serana, I can't just let you fight for me alone! I love you! I can't let you face the danger all by yourself."
She sat there in silence, the dim moonlight from the window reflecting against her face. She was as pale as a ghost, and her expression matched that of one as well.
"...I'm going back to sleep now," you said after a few seconds, since she clearly wasn't sure what to say back. "I'll see you in the morning."
You awkwardly walked back to your coffin-bed, laying into it and wrapping the blanket around yourself. Serana sat there for another moment in silence before standing up solemnly and walking out. Heart beating rapidly, you slowly fell back asleep, grimly surrounded by the smell of blood and iron around the castle. Hopefully there would be no more dangers for the night.
As you awoke the next morning, you heard the dragging of bodies from outside your little chamber. You groggily pulled yourself up to go outside, where you spotted Serana moving the corpses out in the hall.
You made your way over to her, unsure how to speak with her with the way you two ended the previous night. She looked up as she heard you walk closer, and let go of the corpse she was currently dragging. It dropped to the ground rather harshly, though you both paid no mind.
You had no clue what to say to her. You both stared at each other for a second before you finally figured out your words.
"Serana, I... I'm sorry for last night. I shouldn't have put myself in such danger. I should've listened to you. I'm sorry for snapping."
She blinked. "Please, no. I'm sorry for yelling at you."
You nodded, gave a muffled "it's okay," and then there was more awkward silence. She walked up to you, and you got suddenly nervous.
"About what I said last night—" you stuttered, but she held a cold finger to your lips. The sudden contact caused your face to heat up in contrast, and you had no doubt your face was definitely very pink.
When she removed her finger, you felt your heart beating perhaps even quicker than it did last night while fighting.
"Don't apologize," she whispered, and gave a genuine smile- one you hardly ever saw beforehand. "It's alright. I think... I share the feelings you have."
"You..." her words sunk into you, and the realization of what she said lifted any of the stresses from last night. She started moving closer to you, and you realized what was happening, despite how your mind was spinning like crazy. The two of you stared into each others eyes, slowly leaning forward until her deep red lips were against your own. You kissed her deeply, noticing how soft and warm her lips were despite the coldness of the rest of her body- it was comforting. When she pulled away, she took your hands in hers, still freezing like the time in the courtyard.
"I do feel the same. This month has been one of the best in my long life, which certainly means something. I'll gladly spend as many years as I can with you, in this castle or not." She pulled you into her arms. It almost felt dreamlike; something you never thought would actually come true, yet it did.
"I'm willing to stay here with you for however long we need," you replied. "Or I'll travel the world alone with only you to guide me. Whatever you want, I'll follow right along."
Serana smiled and held you closer to her. And as you pressed into the hug, feeling the warmth come off of her, you knew that there was only one place in the world that you truly belonged: right here in Serana's arms. The rest of Tamriel be damned— your journey away from home had found its end here, and you were willing to never leave just to be with her.