Chapter Text
Author Notes
Credit to Da-Wolf-Goddess for being an outstanding beta for this story and helping with the whole thing really. We hope you enjoy the story and continuing through the Children of Oblivion Series.
This chapter explores a somewhat controversial origin. Tons of debate online exists about Serana and her age, information, where she is from other than her father is head of the strongest vampire clan and is a nord, etc… I chose what I feel to be a good point and makes some logical sense to everything. The game has some contradictions and I instead chose to create something on my own. Feel free to leave any feedback or comments on this as you like, but since the game left so much open, I wanted it to become a major piece of the puzzle.
Soundtrack recommendation: Fading Away (feat. Chris Wieczorek) by Venues
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7th of Evening Star 4E 206
Tenaya felt in her bones that the world changed. She tried to find a way to reach Astronica and Azura but failed in every attempt. That dream haunted her. Astronica screaming her name with the world of Moonshadow in ruins. It came back in more detail the last two times she fell asleep. The shadow man stalked Astronica. Azura cast aside like a mere child and not the goddess she was.
Everyone assured her Azura lived. She wasn’t so sure. The light inside, the piece of her, Azura made a Guardian of Moonshadow, felt different. The light seemed to be less. Her darker tendencies grew stronger. She felt darker than ever. For the first time, Tenaya wasn’t sure who she was. Her entire being was meant to be around two Daedra as they said. She had light and dark. She had the good with the evil. Now, the light no longer seemed as strong.
“Are you going to tell me what you have in store for us Serana?” Tenaya asked walking the bedroom.
“No. You need to come with me and leave it at that. This is something that is important.”
It wasn’t so much Tenaya didn’t trust Serana, after all this woman came for her across Tamriel just to find her. Who was she to argue with the merits of this trip?
“I haven’t slept at all for days. These nightmares haunt me.” Tenaya replied coldly.
“Azura is alive, you need to relax. We all make mistakes Tenaya. I did with you and it is one I can thankfully fix, if you are good to go today.”
“Fine… Let’s go…”
Tenaya grabbed the armor and put it on. The grumbling about wearing it again would have worn out almost anyone, but not Serana. She helped her get the armor on. Tenaya instinctively rubbed the spot in her stomach the sword went through before. She hated the armor and the feeling it left her. Ivy happily had it now and she never wanted it again. As far as she was concerned, it should have been melted down and left to decay.
Serana led the way from the house, knowing where to go to Tenaya’s surprise. Tenaya begrudgingly walked out of the house with Serana in the morning. It took the better part of a couple days and a lot of feeding to get the strength back. Serana insisted they go it alone to do this together. She wasn’t even sure what together was or where this place Serana spoke of was. All she knew from Serana was it all started here, the place her life changed forever. Even with the conversation turning mostly to riddles and cryptic messages, Serana never made it clear what the plan was. She led Tenaya for a time before speaking.
“We are here,” Serana said from the top of the hillside.
“Where is here?” Tenaya asked.
“Bal Ur, where I was chosen by Molag Bal.”
“You seriously brought us to his temple? I am not up for any of this!”
“You are and this is where my demons hide. This place destroyed everything I ever knew. It made me who I am Tenaya. It made me Serana Volkihar. I do not even remember my name before this. My parents chose Volkihar to project power. Believe it or not, I once had a commoner’s name. My parents hated it. Volkihar was powerful, a name Molag Bal would appreciate.”
Tenaya regretted coming along after hearing this. She didn’t want a part of any Daedra, let alone being the one to stand in front of the temple, to him, Molag Bal. Their champion ruined any confidence she had. Serana didn’t seem to have any hesitation about coming here from the looks of it. Serana stood confident beside her, ready to face the world they needed to. His followers would be littered everywhere making Tenaya even more reserved.
Against her will, Tenaya walked down the hillside to the stone, dropping next to the pool of lava. The heat alone distorted her vision. What might have been some grand temple back in time looked like nothing more than scattered ruins of a crumbling faith.
“It looked different when I was last here. The temple was a grand place. Molag Bal and some of the other gods were all people had. The structures were made of special stone, some said from Coldharbour itself. I do not know if it was true or not, but the place looked magical. The power resonated through the stones back then.”
“Looks like it should, destroyed and not worth our time…”
Serana knew the way without a map. Her memories filled in the blanks as they walked through. Grand domes once stood here and now only one remained, barely what you would call grand anymore. The remaining stones looked nothing like the altars to the sinister Daedra. Serana talked of how her family came to offer sacrifices and prayers to Molag Bal, wanting nothing more than to remain in his good graces.
“Father really had an act for killing innocent people, most of them on the sacrificial altars. Sometimes, Molag Bal would leave a gift. You never knew if it was a trap or not. Mother was lucky it seemed. She promised him their most valuable possession, of course when I would be of age and pass the tests. Molag Bal seemed delighted, giving a blessing to our family when others faltered. It was how I knew I would be picked years before my offering and father came to power.”
Tenaya felt unease walking through this place. The stories from Serana showed their blind loyalty to the Daedra. Her family prepared to offer her their entire life. Serana spoke of her father in good terms back then. Imagining Harkon as a decent person felt strange, even as the words came from her mouth. He treated her like a princess. He did everything he could to make her feel comfortable and strong. In the end, it all came down to preparing her for the offering and hoping Molag Bal would take her. The caring only appeared to stem from his desire for pleasing their Daedra.
Serana drifted from Tenaya, her hand touching the fallen stones in front of stairs leading down. Her eyes circled above as if people remained there. She looked to Tenaya, giving a nod, knowing from here on out, things would no longer be so easy. His temple commanded protection against anyone and everyone. The Prince of Domination wouldn’t allow anyone to walk in freely. They had to prove their worth and if she would ever explain herself to Tenaya, they had to make it through.
Ice formed around Serana’s hand and the other glowed red. She went in prepared while Tenaya lofted a sword. Before they reached the bottom stairs, one of the loyalists charged forward with a dagger. He jumped through the air hoping to end things quickly. Serana fired the spike, impaling his stomach while in the air. The impact sent him to the ground, ice spike holding him down. Tenaya slit his throat to end the misery.
“Vampires. All we needed.” Tenaya said.
“You expected something different? This is Molag Bal.” Serana replied sarcastically.
Together they walked across the upper level, feeling the heat from the lava below. The orange glow lit the cave without the need for light or magic. Heat brought sweat to both their bodies, feeling the lava making this place sweltering hot. Going down to the lower level pushed them directly into a fight neither expected. Dremora rushed forward, a gift from Mehrunes Dagon it seemed. Dremora never stood in his temple. An act like this in her time would have led to a clan war between worshipping gods.
Serana fired ice spikes noticing their armor bounced them away. Tenaya froze in place, seeing the armor look almost identical to Velatin. She didn’t know what to do, fear overcoming, sword falling to the ground from trembling hands. Serana pulled her upstairs while screaming at Tenaya. The world faded away seeing them. Tenaya couldn’t reply, her mind sitting back to the fight with Velatin. His walk, his power, everything made her slowly cower even with her life on the line.
“Wake up Tenaya!” Serana screamed pulling her backwards.
Tenaya looked at her like she was lost, no idea what to do. Dremora ran towards them, swords lifted high ready to strike. Three Dremora and Serana had to get Tenaya back. Serana fired a massive fireball directly to the group. The resounding explosion hurt her, but the Dremora flew different directions giving her time.
“Together Tenaya. We are in this together. Face your demons too.”
Serana squeezed her hand and kissed her lips. Tenaya refocused her eyes seeing Serana and looking at the oncoming Dremora. She pushed her hands together. Sparks crackled out, growing louder as the strength continues to build up while she drew her fingers apart. The power started to swirl the air around. She looked to the group rushing forward, pushing the black and purple orb their direction. Lightning erupted as it left her fingertips. Serana looked on in shock, never seeing Tenaya use magic like this.
When it struck, the Dremora fell to the ground and Tenaya screamed. She fell to the ground with smoke coming from her armor. Serana dropped to a knee to check on Tenaya. She saw the smoke coming from the armor clueless as to what happened. Tenaya grimaced in pain looking at Serana.
“Dremora can’t be hurt by regular weapons and they reflect magic back. Learned that from the Dragonborn years ago when we ran into them before.” Tenaya explained.
“Well damn. I didn’t know that. I wondered why I burned for a second when I hit them when the fireball.”
“Dremora are miserable creatures.”
Serana pulled Tenaya to her feet. Tenaya winced in pain from the lightning shot. She didn’t dare use fire, knowing how much fire hurt Serana before. It appears she chose wisely after seeing the dead Dremora on the ground. Tenaya picked up her sword and went down the stairs again, with Serana. The lower level seemed a lot quieter than it should have been. No worshippers or anything. Three Dremora didn’t seem like a lot, given what this place was.
The temple itself didn’t seem that great. The stonework inside appeared to be untouched by time, even with the pit of lava holding it together. Each stone seemed to be symmetrical to the others inside the room. Tenaya couldn’t make out the carvings no matter how hard she tried. Serana explained the design and scripture came from Molag Bal himself, or so the legend was. Everything paid tribute no matter how minuscule the detail.
Serana knew where to go, leading them down another tunnel. Tenaya looked around not having a clue how she remembered this place. The tunnel appeared out of nowhere and looked in worse shape than the temple outside. The rock itself sat jagged and rough with only the occasional pedestal lighting the way. For this being the temple of a Daedra, Tenaya could only wonder why the condition of it seemed so awful.
“Molag Bal wasn’t what you would consider a safe god to worship. Most people frowned upon what he stood for and for what the clan itself was. Father killed so many who dared speak ill. Molag Bal loved him for it. His statue ended up being rebuilt deeper inside, when the original was desecrated.”
Every step seemed to make Tenaya a little more uneasy. The deeper they went, the more Serana’s memories spoke to the awful truth hidden inside these rocks. Her moment of unease grew seeing a figure stood in the path ahead. Serana fired a spike seeing it as nothing more than a Dremora. She quickly figured out her spike had little effect on their armor, quickly changing plans and started using different spells. Ice seemed to slow them down enough while fire only hurt her more. Together, they brought the Dremora down without getting hurt as badly.
Serana looked around with Tenaya before returning to her story. She wanted Tenaya to know everything that happened here. The walk down this tunnel with the entire group lighting the way with special torches on his day. She had to wear a white dress and bring her one item allowed. The way everyone pushed her forward. Her father and mother walked ahead of her, so proud to have their daughter as the chosen one.
“To get the recognition of the chosen one, I ended up killing two other girls. Neither were really good with magic. Sure, one of them managed to use a sword well enough, but she couldn’t get past my ice. I mastered ice better than anyone they trained. I managed to freeze both quickly, but killed unaware of my full power. After everything is said and done, the knowledge would ordinarily be very useful, but my resentment held me back from using it, the utter loathing of what it represented. I stick to spikes because it doesn’t remind me of what I’ve done.”
“All of that just to be the one? Did you ever wonder why you worshipped an evil Daedra? How odl were you Serana?” Teneya asked.
“We were sixteen at the time. I wasn’t supposed to kill them, it just happened. Everyone celebrated what I did. The great Serana killed two for Molag Bal. I cried for days coping with their death while everyone celebrated my strength.”
“But Serana, why worship him? You could run away.”
“It wasn’t like we had a choice. Back then, you worshipped to stay alive. We followed the written words of Molag Bal completely. He protected us from the others. Azura’s worshippers always tried to expel us for being evil. Boethiah and her group constantly attacked. My best friend died in a raid when I was eleven. They came for the children. The world was different back then.”
“I’m sorry…”
Tenaya didn’t know what else to say. Serana opened up to her, reliving the very life that made her who she was. She walked down the tunnel, pointing different things out, every memory she felt. Serana talked about the procession she watched every year. The chosen one followed the priests, being led down as someone had to be offered to Molag Bal. Only one girl every year earned that honor from all his shrines. One girl would get the opportunity and the others died a gruesome death or worse.
“I held torches a couple times for the offering. Only the girls who could be offered held torches. We watched in awe of the offered. One year I remember singing the Song of Domination, a truly great honor. Most died on the altar. He didn’t even bother to answer them. There was even the year we watched Molag Bal chose someone and she returned dead, body ripped in half. Her blood went to future girls. Everyone had to drink since her body was touched by him. It all came down to how well things went on in Coldharbour.”
Listening to Serana showed just how brutal her world was. She described everything in such vivid detail, explaining the person she was and how she came to be. She walked down the chamber with a hand against the wall, almost feeling the memories pouring out. Their peace didn’t last long when more surprises rushed their direction, creatures neither of them ever saw.
“Umm, not to interrupt you, but what is that thing?” Tenaya asked, pointing her finger.
“I have no clue.” Serana replied, eyes fixed on the creature.
They saw skeletons in their lifetime, countless skeletons, but Serana never saw anything with four arms and what looked like a floating skull. It stood feet above them, towering. To make matters worse, the glowing golden creature seemed even worse with armor thick. Both charged forward, Tenaya pulling her sword to go after the golden creature.
What seemed like a good idea proved disastrous for Tenaya. Her sword didn’t hurt the creature at all. The shock sent her flying when she tried. Tenaya pulled herself together on the ground and went back to spells. Direct hits hurt her like the Dremora and seemed to not even slow the creature. Serana struggled the same. The skeleton knocked her down with little effort. Her spells seemed ineffective at the same time.
Serana went to rip an arm off only to be thrown away like a child. Tenaya charged at the same creature, driving a sword into its body. It felt what she did. The Bonelord staggered backwards, allowing a massive fireball to surge forward from Serana. She destroyed it but paid the same price. Her body burned intensely for a short time. The charring on her face said it all.
Together, the Golden Saint came down. It fell to the ground with the combination of fire and lightning. Both felt the effects on their own the same as before, dropping to a knee while waiting for the pain to pass. Neither saw anything like these creatures in their lifetime. Morrowind seemed to have its fair share of uniqueness that neither cared for. Draugr didn’t seem like such a problem anymore or dealing with the Deathlords on occasion. Skyrim didn’t seem to have the same level of evil as this place did.
“We are here…” Serana whispered, pausing before the opening to a massive chamber.
Serana grabbed Tenaya’s hand before walking through the opening. The cavern itself filled with intense heat from the lava around. What remained of the steps and platform stood close to ruin. Both took their steps down carefully. The path across was not as treacherous as they expected. A figure stood in front of the statue of Molag Bal. An altar sat at the base of his statue. Tenaya didn’t need to imagine what the altar was for. She felt the tremble of Serana to know well enough.
“Welcome Serana Volkihar. Time, it appears, has served you well.” The woman called out.
“It can’t be! You are here after all these years? You are not even a vampire!” Serana called back.
“One does not need to be a vampire to receive the gifts of Molag Bal.”
Tremendous fear radiated through Serana. Every step inside this temple didn’t bother her, until now. She tensed up with her hand clamping tightly on Tenaya. Tenaya shook her hand free needing to get the feeling back. This woman seemed to disturb Serana with every passing moment. The woman at his feet shook in front of their eyes. Both stopped not knowing what was happening.
“Our master seems less than pleased with your presence. He wants you destroyed.” She yelled shaking before their eyes. “Ah yes. I feel his power…”
Dremora materialized between them, one by one popping up on the floor with the woman summoning what looked like an endless army. Tenaya pushed Serana back, stepping between her and the Dremora. Serana yanked on Tenaya’s arm wanting to run away. The odds were not in their favor anymore. She counted nine Dremora standing with their swords ready to come their direction.
“Molag Bal said you receive nine Dremora for the nine Aedra you think will save you.”
“Tenaya, come on. We can’t win this fight.”
“And what does master say of me?” Tenaya asked.
“He says you are not worth his time, a pathetic excuse for a champion.”
Tenaya yanked her arm free again. She stared at the Dremora for a moment feeling disgust coursing through her veins. Molag Bal really believed this would stop them? His arrogance made the entire thing so much worse.
In that moment, Tenaya snapped. She threw her sword to the ground knowing it would be useless against them. Her hands clamped together before separating with a swirling purple and black mass. The Dremora moved in her direction swiftly. Tenaya waited until the last moment. The ball went forward to the ground in front of her. Dremora came to a crashing halt seeing the creature materialize before them.
“Is that…” Serana asked.
“Yes…”
The Wrathman walked forward without hesitation. His massive sword split the first Dremora in half. Each of them charged forward swinging their swords. The Wrathman stood his ground while swinging his sword endlessly. The Dremora vanished with each crushing blow until he faded from this realm. Tenaya looked on at the three remaining Dremora who no longer seemed as eager. Serana fired a blast forward with everything she had. The explosion destroyed all three standing in the middle while Serana screamed in pain.
Tenaya walked towards the woman standing at the altar. The woman remained under the control of Molag Bal with no attempt to defend. Her eyes turned black completely, legs lifting off the ground. Tenaya approached the woman standing before the altar. This no longer was just a woman or servant. She became the conduit to him, Molag Bal.
“Not worthy of your time, Molag Bal,” Tenaya said flatly.
She knew the prince heard. Tenaya watched the body lift higher into the air and return down with an altered face, forever scarred by the likes of Molag Bal to ensure they understood. He chose to address her one on one.
“Azura’s champion. How fitting you speak from my altar.” Her voice came through demonic and distorted. “Do you feel worthy to address a god? You tremble at the thought of a real champion. True dominance…”
Tenaya turned to look at Serana as she realized Serana seemed terrified of Molag Bal. Serana managed to walk to her side with trembling legs. Tenaya put her hand inside that of Serana’s. She gave Serana the strength she needed in this moment the same way Tenaya felt her strength before.
“You failed to take my life before and your champion failed the same. I will see you soon enough and I swear you will look up from my blade when we meet again, begging for your life.”
“The talk of a slave. You dare speak to a god in such a manner?” The voice yelled enough to bring dirt down from the ceiling of the temple. “Your pathetic excuse for a god sits under my control. Pathetic god, pathetic slave.”
“I speak to you now without fear. You will never harm Serana or myself again. I will come for Azura and you.”
“Words of a slave to a broken god. I will enjoy squeezing the breath from her body before showing her my true power!”
“And I will make sure to force you to watch as I destroy your champion before killing you.”
The laughter echoed through the chamber. His conduit lowered eye to eye. Molag Bal wouldn’t back down from anyone. He was the Prince of Domination and no one would show him up.
“Ask your precious Serana what it is like to be a slave. What I did to her, I will do to you, before your death. Velatin will not be the last thing you see. You will look up from under my grip to a death that will not come quick enough.
“You are not my god! I may be a pure-blooded vampire, but I choose another. You will bow to me before this is over Molag Bal.”
Tenaya grabbed the dagger from her armor and jammed it through the heart of the woman elevated by Molag Bal. He no longer controlled her now. The body went limp, their conversation ending abruptly. Tenaya heard enough. Serana watched in awe as the woman she knew and fell in love with returned. This was all she ever hoped for. She saw the fight and burning desire in Tenaya’s eyes. She was unleashed again on the world.
Tenaya turned away to look at the statue of Molag Bal. It seemed to match what he was, incredibly well. She rested her hands on the altar for a moment. Her mind drifted off briefly to that of Azura. If Azura believed in her and everyone else did, maybe she could get through this. She struggled to know what to do or what path to go down. For years, Tenaya followed the Dragonborn until his death. He would know what to do. She didn’t know what to do or where to turn for answers.
“Tenaya?” Serana asked.
“I am scared Serana. I do not know what to do for the first time in my life. Before I had Azura or Astronica guiding me.”
“You are not in this alone. I am beside you and will be, until the very end.”
“No Serana, you do not understand. I was a fake. All those adventures I went on, before meeting you, I always had help. People followed me because of my time with the Dragonborn. For the first time I have to this without the guidance of a single soul.”
“What are you saying Tenaya? I watched you on our adventures. You brought down my father when I couldn’t do it. You were the one who defeated Vythur when my anger became too much. Let’s also not forget the dragons you brought down without being the Dragonborn! You are not fake Tenaya, not one bit!”
Serana pulled her away from the altar. She looked up to the statue of Molag Bal one last time. So many memories flooded over Serana and she had so much to tell Tenaya. That day she never told anyone, ever. Not even her mother knew of the hell she endured. For her to accept what she was and to let Tenaya know the truth, she had to do it. She would tell her the story of the day.
Tenaya turned to walk out with Serana, but Serana never moved. She looked around at this cavern with the realization crashing over her, remembering what that day really did to her. For years, Serana cared only to become the chosen one of Molag Bal. Her one birthday and one attempt. It was nothing short of preparation from her mother and father.
“No one ever asked me what I wanted before they brought me here.” Serana finally spoke, breaking the silence and bringing Tenaya to a stop. “No one once asked me what made me happy. I guess you could say I buried all my feelings, ignoring my emotions, preparing for that day. All the girls were raised like cattle, never allowed to think or act for ourselves.”
Tenaya meet Serana’s eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks, having the courage to finally open about what haunted her. Serana took a deep breath and pointed to the statue trying to find the words.
“Everything was so he could do what he wanted with me. I laid down on that altar in a white dress and my chosen item, a book of spells, thinking he would appreciate my knowledge. I was so stupid and naïve. He didn’t care about anything except my body and ravaging me. What made it all worse was my father and mother hid what could happen. I never went prepared. I never knew any of it.”
Serana talked about walking through the muck in her bare feet. Creatures appearing to want her life, only to fade away before trying to kill her. The abominations walking Coldharbour couldn’t be put into words. On his summoning day, he prepares special demons to torture anyone who journeyed there. Trying to even describe the twisted, bubbly masses of tortured souls made Serana choke up, never speaking to anyone about this.
The world she described was far worse, far more twisted than the one Tenaya went to. When Tenaya ventured to Coldharbour, she saw the version as it existed day to day. Tenaya never had to deal with the special summoning day monstrosities. He welcomed Tenaya to get her for his purpose, not torture the people. Serana wasn’t so lucky. Serpent creatures chased her endlessly with as many hands as teeth. Her magic only slowed their approach no matter how powerful the spell. The fear she felt paralyzed her even while trying to talk.
“They seemed immortal just like Molag Bal. Just when you think it could not get worse, it does. Your feet get stuck in the muck and creatures start crawling through the muck to bite you. Everything there was designed to inflict some sort of physical or emotional damage. Shades flew around of my family being tortured. Their screams filled the air. The girls I killed appeared along the way to remind me I needed to die…”
Serana started to choke up again, needing a moment. Her throat closed, emotions taking their toll. It wasn’t until Tenaya grabbed her hands and moved closer did she find the strength to talk further, wanting it all to come out. Tenaya gave her the strength, her grip comforting Serana.
“Other women appeared on the journey in the same outfits. It wasn’t so much being the only one. This was his game. I watched Molag Bal smash some with his bare hands while enjoying the torture of others. He violated them in every way possible. I never saw anything like it. Then when I managed to get through the muck, I stood at his temple covered in blood and muck. That is when the truth became clear about what I never knew.”
Inside his temple were bodies of the countless young women, all the same as Serana, receiving the great honor of being chosen. Their dresses looked the same with stale blood all over the skeletons. Some bodies had a few pieces of decayed flesh. All of it made Serana sick. She realized what type of Daedra they worshipped. All the years of brainwashing quickly vanished when there. Those who saw the inside either died or were so devastated they couldn’t speak of it.
“You lose who you are in there. Azura spared you the degradation or you would have endured the same before death. Just when you think you will die from the pain finally; death was spared by his tear. I woke up on this altar reborn as a pure-blooded vampire, full of agony and torture. My mother and father vanished and returned. She claims to have endured the pain, but her smile seemed to say otherwise. I spent years unable to cope with Coldharbour. That horror drove me mad for years while my parents touted their greatness. How great they were for my suffering.”
Tenaya walked to Serana and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Serana whimpered loudly through the tears. She finally admitted the truth about who she was and how she managed. Serana chose to hide her feelings forever and swore to never let them out again. Her mother pushed all of her emotions to the side, and her father became obsessed with a prophecy. No one ever cared about what she endured or how she struggled. Her feelings were a curse of their own.
“I buried every feeling and emotion, swearing to never allow myself to feel again. The pain and torture broke me. Before going to Coldharbour, I was a free going and innocent girl. Sure, I had my tests and magic. I enjoyed life, smiled, ran around happy. All of it vanished that day. All of it made me cold and empty. My feelings all but started to vanish, almost completely, just like my mother.”
Serana chose her words carefully, wanting Tenaya to see things. She wanted her to understand how deeply she changed. Those feelings, the ones buried away, started to come back to the surface.
“Then I met you and my world turned upside-down. You gave me a reason to feel again. Until you came along, no one had ever asked how I felt or cared. In a few short words, you gave me everything.”
Serana dropped her guard completely with Tenaya. She spilled the entire story and the real reason she struggled so much for so long. This was her demon, and now, Tenaya knew. To Serana, no one would ever be able to replace Tenaya. For so long she fought the feelings, scared to face them or to even feel again. She lived her life under the umbrella of everyone else and their happiness. Serana felt insignificant until Tenaya came into her life. She was a mere pawn to her mother and father, a weapon for Isran, slave to a Daedra who destroyed what she was, locked in a tomb for the ambitions of one and to stop the ambitions of another.
“When I fell from the sleep in Dimhollow Crypt, a million things could have happened. I could have fell to the floor and broke my neck. You might have run me through with a dagger. Of all the choices Tenaya, you chose to catch me in your arms. You didn’t worry about the danger, you worried about the person. I opened my eyes to you.”
Serana choked up again for a moment, shaking her head with a smile. Tenaya looked on, in awe, unable to put words to the memories she heard. Serana’s hands grabbed hers, holding firmly.
“Now, I open my heart to you, Tenaya Darix. You truly are my everything, and I can’t lose you.”