With no arguments from the children, or Ahnasha, the group once more set out of the castle and towards the Aetius manor. Julan was undeniably nervous about his parents learning the truth about the previous night, but luckily, the fear he was showing could easily be passed off as anxiety about the inevitable argument that was to come. 

Nothing but silence filled the air during the entire walk out of the castle. There was, of course, noise and chattering from the servants and guards beginning their days, but that was easy to ignore when all of them were so heavily absorbed into their own thoughts. For Julan, he honestly wished that the walk was longer, as it only took them a few minutes until they were standing outside the manor itself. 

"How do you want to get Aurana's attention? Do you think it will be safe to just knock on the door?" Kaleeth asked. 

---

From what Meesei could observe around her, the majority of the college's grounds seemed to exemplify Altmer culture, and their pride in it. It was striking to her how much it reminded her of Ayleids and their cities. It was perhaps not surprising, considering that both the Altmer and the Heartland High Elves drew their heritage from the Aldmer. Although, Meesei could also not help but to feel disappointed in the fact that, much like the ancient Ayleids, all of the beauty around her covered a darker side to these people. It was the culture of Elven superiority that had allowed the current Thalmor leadership to maintain their power, and justify their actions against the rest of Tamriel. It was the belief in Elven superiority that was ultimately threatening the very world they lived in. It was hard to imagine that there would have been a Great War at all without the feelings of disdain towards Tamriel's other races that the Thalmor encouraged among the people. Meesei still had hope that it might one day change. Perhaps if the Thalmor's leadership could be ousted and replaced, their lies exposed, then the Altmer could come to realize that they had been manipulated. Or, even if they did not admit to being manipulated, they might at least harbor enough resentment for their former leaders to reject the goals they had once given the Dominion. Still, Meesei knew that there would be hundreds of years of propaganda to overcome. Even Lunise, who knew the truth beyond any shadow of a doubt, had some difficulty accepting it. 

Despite being so obviously out of place at the college, Meesei did not show a hint of being shy or timid, regardless of what those around her might have expected from her. Being that she was with Lunise, she was meant to be presenting herself as someone that was associated with the Thalmor in some way. Obviously she was not a member of their organization, but she could have been working with or for the Thalmor in any number of ways. As such, she would have to have some sort of official reason and permission to be present at the college, so she needed to carry herself in a way that made her seem confident in her right to be there. Fortunately, Meesei had over a decade of experience putting on a confident public persona. 

By the time they had reached their apparent destination, Lunise's uncertainty had grown to overtake her. Given where they were, Meesei refrained from comforting her physically, as she had before, but she still spoke up quietly to attempt to reassure her. "The best lie is often the one closest to the truth. I know you cannot share everything with him, even if you would like to, but you came here because you wanted to see him. You had the means and opportunity to come here, so you did. That [i]is[/i] true, and I am sure he understands that a Thalmor Justiciar may not be at liberty to discuss her current assignments, even with family. If you have to introduce me, you might introduce me as a...diplomat. I suppose I am currently operating in that capacity at the moment. Now, if you are needing to justify the more personal reasons for your visit, well...as I said, the best lie is often closest to the truth."