Arven had relented. And because of that, he hurt. He hurt quite a bit. Shifting in his saddle he tried to get comfortable while doing his best to ignore the chafing and aches that riddled his legs.

"I get the feeling that if you didn't have a helmet on, I'd be seeing a very entertaining expression on your face right now," Serana said as she rode alongside him. She didn't seem to be uncomfortable in the slightest, riding her horse as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"And what gave you that idea?" Arven said as he struggled to hold in a groan of pain.

"Well you won't shut up. That's the biggest giveaway," Serana replied with a smirk.

"If I had known it'd be this bad, I would've just run alongside you," Arven said. He wasn't joking, either. Running in heavy armour for a full day, although not ideal, was doable. Riding a horse all day, apparently, wasn't.

"That would be entertaining," Serana mused. "But then your armour would just be rattling away all day."

"Would that bother you, princess?" Arven asked, deciding that teasing Serana would be much more entertaining than focusing on his discomfort.

"Just a little bit," Serana replied as she turned to him, giving him an incredibly sweet smile as she played along. Arven instantly felt heat rise to his cheeks.

Damn woman, he thought.

After being faced with the thought of travelling back across Skyrim again on foot or by carriage, Arven had finally relented and agreed to get some horses in Riften. They weren't cheap, and unfortunately, he wasn't regarded as highly in Riften as he was in Whiterun, but he still managed to get them at a decent discount.

The horses had cut down the length of the trip significantly. The horses weren't the fastest, but they were sturdy. In a full day's travel they had made it back to Whiterun. Well, close. They had both pulled up short of the stables. Close enough to watch the traffic moving in and out of the city but far away enough that Arven hadn't been recognised, yet.

He sighed to himself, a soft grimace underneath his helmet as he faced the prospect of dealing with the townspeople again. He enjoyed talking to them and spending time with them, but in moderation. Heavy moderation.

Arven just couldn't decide if a warm bed was worth putting up with all that.

"Don't want to deal with it all, do you?" Serana asked, reading his mind instantly.

"Something like that. I'd be nice if there was a way to sneak in, then I wouldn't hesitate," Arven replied.

"Well, there is. Sort of," Serana said as she dismounted off her horse. She barely even made a sound as her feet hit the grass beneath her.

Arven raised a brow, dismounting himself as Serana beckoned him over. "Sort of? You thoroughly enjoy being cryptic at times, don't you?"

"Of course," she said. "Now, helmet off."

Arven squinted, folding his arms. He didn't say anything.

"Helmet. Off." Serana said again in a more forceful tone, her smile ever so slightly cocked into a grin.

"You could really try explaining yourself before asking me to do these things," Arven noted.

Serana responded by placing her hands on her hips, frowning up at him. "Illusion magic. Do you want me to help, or would you rather deal with all the attention?"

Arven paused, only for a moment before relenting. A small shiver went through his body at the prospect of letting a vampire use its magic on him, but that shiver was essentially negligible now. Taking his helmet off he held it under one arm, looking down at Serana with a raised brow.

"Alright. Hold still," Serana said as she reached out, but Arven took half a step back, avoiding her hands. "What part of hold still don't you understand?" She continued.

"Why are you reaching for my face?" Arven retorted, a distrusting look in his eyes.

"So I can see what I'm doing, obviously."

Arven deadpanned, shaking his head at her. "You and I both know you could cast this kind of spell with your eyes closed. What are you getting at?"

Serana rolled her eyes, turning towards the city before walking off. "You just have to ruin my fun every time, don't you?"

Arven jogged briefly to catch up, walking alongside her with his helmet still off. "And what's fun about making me uncomfortable?"

"What isn't?" Serana said as she continued to walk forward, her cloak kicking out behind her with every step that she took.

Arven groaned. As he thought about it though, the idea of ignoring all the attention was definitely worth a few seconds of being messed with, no matter how he looked at it. He couldn't just admit that though, for obvious reasons. So, after grabbing the horses and leading them by their reins he just kept walking with Serana towards the stables, only occasionally clearing his throat.

"You okay, Arven?" Serana asked after he had cleared his throat for the fifth time. She seemed thoroughly amused. "Something on your mind?"

In response, Arven grumbled something that was barely audible over the sound of his boots striking the dirt road.

"Sorry, you'll have to speak up," Serana continued.

Arven sighed deeply, relenting. "I'd really appreciate it, if you'd use your illusion magic on me," he finally forced out.

Serana let a wide grin cross her face as she skipped out in front of Arven, stopping him in his tracks. She reached out with a single hand, extending her index finger to place it under his chin. With that finger on the tip of his jaw she tilted his head towards her as she moved in closer, starting into his eyes intently.

Arven tried to keep his composure. He failed. He'd bet that any man in his position would be helpless with a woman as attractive as Serana this close, peering into their eyes. He could hear his own heartbeat racing, so he knew Serana could hear it as well – and it showed through the satisfied expression she had.

"I already cast the spell the second the city was in sight," Serana said as she took her hand away to gently flick him on the nose. Then, she turned and walked off.

Arven just stood in place. He was dumb struck for a moment but soon he was simply cursing himself. He thought that by now, he would've figured Serana out or at the least, figured out a way to deal with her without looking like a fool.

He was still failing miserably on both counts.

After dropping the horses off at the stables, the two made their way to the gates of Whiterun. It was a strange feeling, not being watched as he approached the city. Normally by this point at least one guard had called out to him, or someone would've offered him a nod or a smile. He felt invisible, blending in perfectly to the small crowd always entering and exciting the city.

As he approached the gates, Arven was stunned for a moment as a guard raised a hand, walking up to him.

"Halt, stranger," the guard said. "I don't recognise your face, what business do you have in Whiterun?"

Wait, what?

"I didn't realise people were being stopped at the gates," Arven said after thinking. He half expected Serana to step in and smooth-talk her way through it, but she was just watching him with that infuriating smirk. "Is something the matter?"

The posture of the guard instantly stiffened, his expression undoubtedly becoming harder under the helmet he wore. "Whiterun is as peaceful as ever, traveller. I'm just doing my duty, most people don't walk around with as much equipment as you do."

Ah. That make sense.

Looking down at everything he wore, all of the potions, small knives strapped to his sides and of course, a sharp blade and strong shield strapped to his waist and back, Arven quickly realised why he'd been stopped.

"I'm looking for a good blacksmith," Arven responded. "My blade is getting worn and I need a replacement, or at the very least to get it sharpened."

The guard hummed to himself. He had one hand resting on the pommel of his blade – not in a threatening posture, but he obviously wasn't convinced. "May I see your blade?"

Arven swore to himself internally, starting to regret disguising himself. Holding back a sigh he drew his blade slowly, preparing to try and bluff his way out of the unfortunate situation he'd be in as soon as the guard saw a pristine, clearly magical blade.

The guard didn't see that though. As Arven drew out Dawnbreaker its appearance had changed as much as his had. It now looked like a regular steel blade, dirty with several deep chips in it.

"Ah, that won't do at all!" The guard immediately exclaimed. "No man should be walking around with such a dull blade."

Stepping aside, the guard clapped Arven on the shoulder as he let him pass along with Serana. "Go see Adrianne Avenicci. She's no master but she's a solid smith, she'll get you sorted."

Placing his blade back in its sheath Arven nodded his thanks, waiting until he was out of earshot to let out a deep sigh.

"Look at you, quick thinker," Serana whispered to him as she brushed up against his side. "Bluffing your way out of that, didn't think you had it in you."

"Only because you fixed up my sword," Arven responded as he turned to her while they walked. "You don't have to sound so surprised, you know. I'm no fool."

"I suppose not. All I've seen you do is fight and yell though, I have no idea what else you can really do," Serana said.

Arven chuckled. "That's about it, I'm afraid."

"Oh, come now," Serana responded. "You're good at far more than just fighting."

"Really?" Arven enquired as he turned his head to face her. "Such as?"

"You're awful good entertainment, for one," Serana said.

"Of course, my most redeeming quality. Entertainment for the Princess," Arven said with a smirk.

Serana scoffed, feigning offence. "Princess? You call me that quite often, I've noticed."

"What, am I wrong?" Arven asked.

"Do you see a Kingdom for me?" Serana asked, raising a hand to their surroundings.

"You could have a Kingdom within a month, if you wanted," Arven said.

"How do you figure that?" Serana asked. "Don't worry, I'm just curious. I'm not planning to rule Skyrim just yet," she said with a coy smile.

"When's the last time someone said the word 'no' to you?" Arven asked.

"You say no to me all the time, Arven."

"That's only because I've heard you snoring," Arven said. "It ruins the illusion after hearing that terrible noise."

Serana's cheeks visibly flustered. She opened her mouth to respond but she struggled to find the words to say.

Arven snorted, his shoulders visibly shaking from the laughter he was holding in.

Finally, Serana found her words. "I do not snore!"

"Yeah, you're right. It's still a funny thought though."

Serana's hands formed fists. She wanted to zap Arven but using magic in a town full of Nords without good reason never ended well. So, she just kicked his shin from behind.

Arven let out a small hiss of pain, limping on that leg for a few steps as he looked at Serana with a playful scowl. At the same time, he heard another man laughing, a Nord walking along with his wife who had just observed their little interaction. That Nord then got a smack on his head from his wife.

"That hurts, you know?" Arven asked.

"Good. That's the idea," Serana retorted as she started walking a step or two ahead of him. It didn't take long for them to reach Arven's house, but as they did Serana kept walking straight past it.

Arven found himself standing in front of the door, alone, before he jogged to catch back up.

"Where are you going? Wasn't the idea to go straight home?" Arven asked.

"It was, but I thought of something else that sounds a bit more fun," Serana said as she led him forward.

"I'm still in my armour," Arven argued.

"So, change." Serana responded.

Arven just let his arms fall by his sides, sighing. He knew there was no way to argue this, so he gave up, quickly going inside to get at least slightly more comfortable, removing most of his plate. By the time he walked back outside Serana was leaning up against his house, arms folded as she drummed her fingers against her bicep.

"Took your time," she said. Then her expression quickly changed as she caught Arven by the hand, dragging him towards the inn.

Eventually Arven was walking into The Bannered Mare, an inn that he had only been in a couple of times – always for business. Before he knew it, he was sitting down at a table in the corner of the inn, opposite Serana with a mug of beer in front of them both.

"It's been a long time since I've drunk anything," Arven said.

"I figured," Serana said before taking a sip. "That's why it's going to be fun." After she sat down Serana's appearance returned to normal.

"You know, people might recognise you now. Isn't it best to keep up that illusion?" Arven asked.

"It's still up for everyone but you, Arven." Serana said a she lowered her hood, finally. She let her flowing hair fall over her shoulders, a single finger pushing her fringe out of her vision.

"What's the point of that?"

"Well, I've caught you looking at me enough – I figure you must like it. I'm not mean enough to take that away from you," Serana said over the top of her drink as she held it to her lips before taking another sip.

Arven sighed, turning his face down to hide his expression before he finally took a drink of his ale. The mug was big enough that he'd get comfortably tipsy from drinking it all, so he was going to take it slow.

"Hey, how does alcohol even work for you?" Arven asked. "Can you get drunk?"

Serana nodded after placing her mug down. "We can. We can eat, the same as anyone else. It just isn't as satisfying and we're still hungry after. Alcohol still affects us as well. I couldn't tell you why, but I'm not complaining."

"Can you taste it?"

Serana nodded. "Yeah, I can. Everything tastes slightly blander though. At least, from memory. It's been a while."

"Do you miss it?"

Serana tilted her head off to the side, a single finger tracing circles around the rim of her mug. She had a tiny bit of beer stuck to her top lip and Arven was trying his hardest not to stare at it.

"No, I don't. Not enough to dwell on it, at least," Serana replied.

"Really? I thought you'd miss it at least a little," Arven said.

Serana shrugged. "It just doesn't cross my mind that often. It's not like you savour your food or anything. Every time I've seen you eat, you shovel it down as fast as you can. I'd be surprised if you can taste anything at all."

Arven reclined back in his chair. "Force of habit, I suppose."

Serana eyed him off for a moment. A smile was on her lips, but that slowly turned into a look of frustration.

"What?" Arven asked, looking a bit lost.

Serana raised a finger, pointing to the beer on her upper lip. "Really? No comment?"

"You knew that was there?" Arven said.

"Please," Serana responded bluntly.

"So, what. You did that to get a reaction out of me?" Arven continued.

Serana nodded curtly, as if such a thing was obvious.

"Sometimes I think that's the only reason you're sticking with me. I've never met someone who enjoys toying with other people this much," Arven said.

Serana didn't respond. Instead, locking eyes with Arven, she let the tip of her tongue glide across her upper lip - slowly wiping away the beer.

Arven wanted to look away but he couldn't. He just raised a hand to his face after, massaging the bridge of his nose. "You're a terrible woman, Serana."

Serana just smiled at him.

"Just how many men have you driven insane by doing things like this?" Arven asked.

"What, teasing them relentlessly?" Serana asked. Arven nodded, taking a heavier sip of his drink.

Serana drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, none," she said.

Arven let out a small chuckle. "I guarantee you it's more than you think," he said.

Serana shook her head in response. "No, really. I think this is the most time I've spent consistently with someone outside of my family, since I turned."

"That's… hard to believe," Arven said. "You turned a long time ago."

"Believe me, I'm well aware." Serana exhaled. "Outside of my family and the other… members, I haven't really had much socialising."

"Didn't you ever leave the castle? Travel?" Arven asked.

"Not really. Father was never fond of the idea, and as you know he's an exceedingly difficult man to disobey," Serana said in between sips of her mug. "Plus, I always had a fear that if I made any friends, that'd bring them to father's attention."

"That sounds lonely," Arven said.

"It was," Serana agreed. "But now, I've got you to torment to my heart's content. Which is why I'm making the most of it." With the smile returning to her face Serana ran a hand through her hair, messing up the gorgeous deep red locks before her fingers traced down her cheek, following her jawline until they were dancing across her collarbone.

Arven managed to look away this time, staring right up at the ceiling. "You're a cruel woman."

"I know," Serana said with a cocky grin. She cocked her head to the side, studying Arven intently as a thought came to her mind. "Arven," she said.

The Imperial turned to face her again, raising a brow in acknowledgement.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"…Since when do you need permission? Prying into my life has basically turned into a hobby of yours by now," Arven replied.

"Well, it's a bit more personal," Serana responded.

Arven shrugged. He had reclined back in his chair, ale in his hand as he idly sipped from it. "Go for it," he said.

Serana sat up in her chair, leaning forward as she placed her hands around her mug. She looked Arven directly in the eyes.

"Have you ever been with a woman?" Serana asked.

Arven's eyes went wide, barely managing to not choke on his ale. He let his mug rest on his leg, looking at Serana with an almost bewildered look. "You weren't lying when you said it was personal, I'll give you that."

Serana's smile turned into a smirk. "I did warn you. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I understand."

Arven sighed. "I don't mind, just… where did that come from?"

Serana took in a deep breath, her chest rising before she exhaled deeply. "Just in the way you act. I can do the slightest thing and I have you stammering, blushing, acting like a boy confessing their crush to a childhood friend."

Arven rolled his eyes. "You're meant to ignore that, Serana."

She flashed him a wide smile. "I try to, for the most part."

"You must know that you have that effect on any man though," Arven responded.

"For the most part. There's just something… different, about the way you react though. I was just wondering what that was," Serana mused.

"So, you assumed it was inexperience?" Arven asked.

In return, Serana nodded. "Pretty much."

"Well, no. That's not it," Arven clarified before taking a long sip of his drink.

Serana's eyes lit up as she sat forward even more, her face reflecting one of a curious child.

"Oh, really? That's interesting. I wasn't sure if you ever had the time, or even the desire," she said.

Arven frowned. "I'm still human, Serana. I'm still a man."

"Oh, I know. You can just be so focused on a task; I wasn't sure if you ever bothered with it. Not to mention, you resisted me at the start," Serana said.

Arven shook his head. "Resisted? So, you were trying something."

Serana shrunk back. She almost looked a little meek. "Sorry, Arven. You basically told me you wanted to kill me, and with your sword you might have been able to."

Serana paused to wait for a response but none came as Arven just looked off to the side, clicking his tongue.

"It was quite a shock, I have to admit. Most of the time I can have someone under my finger in seconds, and they won't disobey me ever. Even if their life is at risk," Serana said in a softer tone. "Instead of that, I had a cocky, arrogant man who repeatedly got on my nerves."

"How awful that must have been for you," Arven retorted with a smirk.

"Oh, you have no idea," Serana said playfully.

"When did you stop trying to influence me?" Arven asked.

"You broke free on your own at the castle," Serana said. "When you talked to my father. I tried to calm you when you pulled your sword free, but it didn't have any affect."

Right when I let my dragon blood flare up, Arven thought.

"Why did you try to calm me then, of all times?" Arven asked.

"I was worried. Father… doesn't take threats kindly, as you're aware. I was certain that he would've torn your head clean off the second you stood against him," Serana said.

"Huh. He probably could have, honestly. Why didn't he?" Arven asked.

"He probably recognised a possible threat. Why take any risk at all, when he can have his minions do it for him?" Serana explained.

Arven let a short chuckle escape his lips. He rather liked the idea of Harkon fearing him, even if it was just a little.

"I'm sorry for trying to control you, Arven. I haven't done it since, I've only tried to calm you when you panicked. I promise," Serana said.

While it still made Arven uncomfortable, he waved the issue aside. "It's alright, Serana. It's not like I can blame you. I did point my sword to your throat seconds after you woke," he said.

"What a confusing experience that was. I wake up in someone's arms, only for them to shove me away and threaten to kill me seconds later," Serana said as she stretched out, both her arms reaching out to the sides.

"Anyway, back to the important stuff," Serana continued. "Who was the girl?"

Arven let out a brief laugh, shaking his head. "No way," he said.

Serana tilted her head. "No way, what?"

"We are not going into the details of my limited love life," he said.

"You bore," Serana said. "I didn't even know this side of you existed, you can't just brush it all aside."

"Like hell I can't," Arven retorted. "Besides, ever since I became… who I am today, that side of me has fizzled out."

"Oh? And why is that?" Serana asked.

"Please. I'm a bit of a mess, I'd hardly make a good partner in this condition," he responded.

"So? Just have a bit of fun. I've seen women come up and propose to you on the spot for saving them, it's not as if it'd be difficult," Serana said.

Arven shook his head. "That's… not really what I'm after. Besides, using my position like that would just feel, wrong," he retorted.

"You're too kind for your own good, Arven," Serana responded.

"Maybe", he said. Then, he decided for some revenge. "Anyway, my turn," he continued.

Serana blinked, looking at him curiously.

"You got to ask a question, now it's my turn," Arven said. "Not the same one," he clarified rather quickly.

Serana sighed. "Alright. I suppose that's fair. Shoot."

"Have you ever been in love?" He asked.

Serana froze for a moment, her cheeks becoming slightly flushed. That was not the question she was expecting. Not even remotely close.

"That's uh…" Serana started, quickly trailing off.

"Personal?" Arven asked. "That's the idea."

Serana paused, tapping her finger on the rim of her mug as she thought to herself. There was a moment of silence until, eventually, she shook her head.

"I suppose not," she finally said.

"Really? Never?" Arven asked. He was incredibly curious, but he tried to restrain himself at least somewhat. He didn't want to reach a touchy subject or bring back bad memories.

"No, I don't think so. Well, perhaps unrequited love, once, if I could even call it that. It could have just been infatuation," Serana said.

While he tried not to show it, Arven almost felt a small amount of pity for Serana.

To live that long, without knowing love.

"You're telling me you fancied someone, but the feeling wasn't mutual?" Arven asked.

Serana chuckled. "Shocking, right? I can't say for sure, I never explored it any further. It would've made things complicated."

"I… I guess that's fair. I still find it hard to imagine a situation where you don't get what you want, though," Arven said.

Serana shrugged. "It happens. Or maybe I'm lying, hiding the stories about my innumerable lovers throughout the years, all so I don't make you jealous?"

Arven grunted. "Knew I shouldn't have asked," he replied, although he was sure that she was joking. Mostly sure.

Arven continued to find some comfort in his ale, thinking of ways he could get back at Serana - yet none came to mind. One started to dance along the edge of his imagination, yet it fell from his grasp as soon as a large, hulking Nord came stomping over to stand right by their table.

Arven looked up, placing his drink down. "Can I help you?"

The Nord didn't turn to respond, instead he was looking directly at Serana, who was pointedly ignoring him. "Don't think I've ever seen someone with yer' beauty before, m'lady."

Oh, this is hilarious, Arven thought to himself as he reclined back with a stupid grin on his face.

Serana looked up, arms folded as she addressed the man. "Awful kind. You seemed to ignore my companion, though. Not the nicest thing to do, wouldn't you agree?"

The Nord barked a laugh. After a few seconds it was obvious that the man was drunk, if not from the way he was swaying on his feet, then from the distinct odour coming from his breath.

"Hah! This Imperial? Y'should not waste yer' time with someone like him," the man slurred. "Y'should come dance with a Nord!"

With a sigh, Arven stood up – placing a hand on the shoulder of the man. "The offer is appreciated, but we're fine. Go back to your drink."

Recoiling from Arven's hand, the Nord finally looked at him with an almost shocked expression. "Ain't talking to you Imperial, you mind your business!" Raising his hand, the Nord went to shove Arven on the shoulder. What he didn't expect though, was for Arven's figure to be as solid as stone.

Instead of shoving Arven back the Nord ended up pushing himself away, taking an uneasy step backwards before he ended up sprawled on the ground as a solid thump echoed about. A look of bewilderment was stuck to his face as he tried to figure out how Arven had failed to move a single inch.

Serana covered her mouth with her hand, trying to suppress a laugh as Arven went to stand at the man's feet.

"I think you've had a bit too much to drink, friend," Arven said before he extended his hand down to the man. After a grumble of what sounded like either an excuse or an apology, the Nord grabbed Arven's hand and slowly rose to his feet. His demeanour had shifted dramatically, looking down to the floor with his prior arrogance gone.

"That, uh… wasn't respec'ful of me," the Nord said as he finally stood up straight again.

Arven just nodded before motioning with his head for the other man to return to his seat. The Nord did so, turning and stumbling back to the bar as Arven sat down. Then, Serana laughed.

"Well, I'm not used to having a man stand up for me like that. I think I like it," she said.

"Be quiet for once, would you?" Arven asked as he struggled to hide the grin on his lips.

"I'm surprised you didn't knock him out," Serana continued.

Arven shook his head. "I know him, he's one of the guards. He's not a bad person, just an idiot when he's drunk."

"I suppose," Serana said before she took a few heavy gulps of her ale, finishing most of it. With a satisfied sigh she looked to Arven with a mischievous smirk. "He had a decent idea, though."

Arven felt a sense of dread rise within him. "What?" He asked.

Serana reached out with a hand, offering it to him. "I want to dance," she said.

"No," Arven responded with as much authority as he could muster.

As he expected though, his protests amounted to nothing. He was dragged near the centre of the inn, next to the warmth of a fire that was lighting up the entire room. Serana dropped his hand, taking a few steps away where she stood expectantly in some sort of pose, one hand outstretched for Arven to grab. Arven simply stood there, perplexed.

"If this is meant to queue me onto something, it isn't," Arven said.

"You're hopeless. Just grab my hand, and dance. Move however your body wants to," Serana responded.

"However I want involves sitting back down," Arven said. Serana huffed, frowning at Arven before she went back to their seat and got Arven's drink. She then brought it back, pushing the mug to his lips.

"Drink," she said before lifting the mug, forcing Arven to either open wide or end up with ale all down his front. There were a few hints of laughter from other patrons as they watched the humorous display, but by the time Arven finished the ale his head was spinning just enough that he didn't care.

Then, satisfied, Serana took her old position – hand outstretched. "I still don't know how to dance," Arven said.

"Take my hand, I'll do the rest. And quickly, before another buffoon tries to beat you to it," Serana stated. So, Arven did just that. He took a step forward, gently taking Serana's fingers in his hand before she suddenly did something and before he knew it, Arven had her slipping in and out of his grip. She moved across the floor with more grace than he had ever seen, leading him effortlessly as he tried his best to follow.

The rest of the night began to move in a blur. Shortly after they started to dance, a bard who was playing a more sombre song changed his music, letting an upbeat jig fill the room instead. Just as he did Serana reached out to Arven, stroking his cheek as she swept past him. He was not sure what she did, but suddenly, the music seemed more vibrant. More alive. Other patrons seemed to notice the music for the first time as well, either due to Serana's influence, or just the fact that Serena herself was now dancing.

Arven was in the middle of it. Serana had both of his hands, spinning him around with the only break being to grab another mug of ale. Initially, Arven had been hesitant to grab another drink but after getting properly tipsy, ale continued to flow. He didn't know where it came from, or how he paid for it, but his hands were constantly in Serana's or wrapped around another mug.

The entire night they danced. The entire night, the rest of the inn had their eyes locked to Serana, almost making Arven feel invisible. Serana didn't care about the gaze of anyone else though, the only one she focused on was Arven.

For the first part of the night the music was energetic. The bard was strumming a song about a brave hero, a fierce battle. The sound of Nords all stamping their feet in time to the rhythm emanated through Arven's bones. He laughed, a smile constantly plastered on his face, mirroring that of Serana's.

At a few points throughout the night the Imperial had other men coming up to him either offering congratulations or complaints, all based around him being the only one to have the attention of the beautiful stranger that everyone was talking about. The small, sober, rational part of him wanted to chastise Serana for bringing so much attention to herself, even with a disguise, but that part was easily deafened.

He was entranced, intoxicated by the way that Serana moved. She always seemed graceful but now, when she was putting in a modicum of effort, she was flawless. Her body moved in in a way which Arven didn't believe to be suitable for mortal eyes.

He always knew she was beautiful, but seeing her like this – dancing, smiling, laughing, her hair brushed across her face as she spun, reaching out for his arms. She was the closest thing to a Goddess that he could imagine, and seeing that smile, seeing her happiness, he realised he was well and truly intoxicated. Her smile became the sweetest thing in the world.

Arven was so focused on Serana that he didn't even notice that they left the inn. He only realised when he was standing back in his own home, the sound of Serana closing his front door snapping him back to reality.

He shook his head, a small groan coming from him immediately after as a slight dizziness overcame him.

"Ugh, when did… why did I drink so much?" Arven said as he closed his eyes for a moment, blinking to try and adjust to the light coming from various lanterns within the room.

Serana stepped up to him, placing a finger on his chest as she rose on the balls of her feet so that her face was inches from his own. "Because you're more fun this way," she said as she looked him in the eyes.

Whenever she got this close, or whenever Arven let her get this close, he could smell a faint, sweet, inviting scent coming from her hair. The longer he spent with her the more he realised how every part of her entire being was as if it was designed to be irresistible to him.

He knew in the back of his mind that, to a certain extent, he was correct.

"Serana, are you charming me right now?" Arven asked, as innocently as a child would. It turned out that when drunk, the Imperial had no issues saying what was on his mind.

Serana smiled, pushing on his chest with her finger to take a step back. "Magically? No, like I said I never put you under any sort of spell involuntarily, unless you're in danger," she said. "And as fun as it is, watching you stammer like a child when you get flustered, that's not something I'd ever use my magic for."

Taking hold of both of his hands, Serana started to lead Arven away. "Come on, follow me," she said. Her voice came out in a matter that entranced Arven, and he could not think of a reason to refuse.

For the first time in decades, Serana was beginning to feel nervous. She led Arven up the stairs, her magic dimming or extinguishing every light they came across until she had him in his bedroom. She shut the door behind her and had moved Arven until he was standing with is back to his bed, only inches away.

She faced him, one hand resting on his hip as the other rested on the back of his head, snaking fingers through his hair while running her nails across his scalp. Her breathing had grown laboured, almost. She looked into Arven's eyes, his drunken haze breaking away as realisation suddenly came through, dim eyes suddenly becoming incredibly sharp. He did not move, though. He seemed stunned.

Pulling on the back of his head, Serana pulled him closer inch by inch. Her lips slowly began to part, but as she did, she tasted the faint scent of alcohol in the air, coming from Arven's breath. She pulled back slightly.

No, Serana thought to herself. You can't do it, not like this. And you can not get him drunk to get what you want.

Where an empty longing had filled her, self-anger was now rising within. Taking her hand off Arven's hip she pushed him back with her other hand, sending him sprawling onto his bed as a look of confusion and shock set in on his face.

She took a few steps away, turning to the door only to stop as she watched Arven laid out on his bed, his hands rubbing his eyes as a soft groan came from the man. He was disoriented, dizzy.

As disgust started to fill her Serana turned to the room and left. She didn't say a word before descending the stairs, making her way to the guest room where she slammed the door shut behind her before sitting on her bed – hunched up with her knees to her chest.

Folding her arms across her knees she buried her face, exhaling deeply with tightly clenched fists. Her mind was a mess. She wanted to berate herself for being so stupid. She wanted to banish the tight feeling in her chest. She wanted the memories of that night, that horrible night, to stop plaguing her thoughts.

When her eyes shut horrid sights crept into her visions. She was brutally reminded of that time, a span of what felt like days of being tortured. Degraded. She saw her mother next to her, undergoing the same horrific treatment, all in the name of gaining power. As she opened her eyes the visions left her, but she was left in her room, alone.

Stupid girl, you can't just force yourself to be close with someone else to forget the past.

Even as she told herself that, she wished it weren't true. Her head was a mess and she was forced to choose between two different realities. One of the past, and the abuse she received at the whims of her own family, or that of the present, where she had no one.

Well, she had him. She had no idea what their relationship was, though. Was it purely out of necessity? Was there legitimate care from his end? Serana couldn't answer that. She couldn't even answer what it meant to her.

She knew she didn't want it to end, though. If it was merely a relationship out of necessity, it meant that once this was all over, if it was ever over, they'd go their separate ways. After all, why would a vampire hunter spend any time with a Vampire Lord?

If they succeeded, she'd be without her father, without her house. She'd be without her only friend.

Serana pulled her legs tighter, her hands clenched, struggling to maintain her composure. She hated this feeling. She was an incredibly skilled mage, one of the best. She could walk into any guild, any college, and likely upstage anyone there. Her illusion magic was so strong she could rewrite the world around her, lead someone to believe that their wildest dreams were realities.

All of that didn't do a single thing in changing her nightmares. She couldn't change what she saw when she closed her eyes. So far, there had been only one thing she'd found that expelled those thoughts, those sights from behind her eyes.

Serana stood up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she slowly exited her room, walking up the stairs without a single sound escaping from the wood beneath her. She made her way back to Arven's room, opening the door to see him asleep. The Imperial had sprawled out on the bed in a similar fashion to how he was laying before, except now he was aligned with the bed, his head on a pillow.

She walked over to the bed, looking down at the sleeping man. His face looked peaceful as he slept, and she couldn't help but feel jealous. Serana gently climbed onto the mattress, moving close to Arven. She placed one hand on his torso, her head coming to rest on his chest as she closed her eyes. She was waiting for the thoughts, the scarring images to return, yet they didn't.

Feeling Arven's heartbeat, feeling his chest rising and falling, it expelled all those memories. All the tension slowly left her body, and before long she was asleep. She slept soundly.

Throughout the night Arven stirred slightly, but the weight on his chest kept him in place. At one point he woke, his head softly pounding, his eyes groggy and vision a blur. He looked down to see Serana resting against him, her head on his chest, close enough so her scent filled his nose.

Arven started, yet he wasn't anywhere near lucid enough to understand.

A simple dream, he thought.

With a soft smile on his face he placed his hand on her head, gently stroking her hair before sleep came back to take him moments later.

Hello again! It's been a while, sorry for the delay!
I hope you're all doing alright, staying safe with everything that's going on in the world at the moment. Hopefully this will give you all something to do for a little while as you're stuck in quarantine - and thank you to those who sent well wishes, they were heartwarming to read.

Stay safe, and with any luck (and lack of writer's block) I'll have another chapter to share soon without anywhere near as long of a wait as this one.