Aurana gave Kaleeth an appreciative look.

"That leaves plenty of time for catching up and getting to know you all!" Aeramina declared. "I do love meeting new people."

What followed was a continued conversation, mostly driven by Aeramina, to tick off a hidden list of just about every ancillary detail of everyone's lives, particularly to do with relationships with friends and family. Aeramina was more than willing to share her family's affairs, and indeed dominated most of the time. Remus gave small comments where asked or appropriate, though he remained terse. Aurana did not contribute, most likely because she had either been directly in Aeramina and Remus' company during the anecdotes, with little details to add, or had merely been locked in the house.

Janius and Kaleeth kept a good impression. They thought on their feet to extend their cover story to the relatively austere lifestyle that came with living in a travelling pack (adapted for the Penitus Oculatus) while covering for Julan where he was put on the spot.

Despite avoiding the main problems that they wished to discuss, Aeramina's endless words were undeniably effective at dampening the previous tension. It was still present, especially with how Remus held himself, though it was thoroughly distracted.

A short while into their conversation, the courses began to arrive. The conversation did not stop, rather the food gave Aeramina yet more talking points. She was very proud of the cook that Kaleeth, Janius, and Julan had not yet seen. The first course was a small bowl of wholesome pumpkin soup spiced with flavours that put a light burning sensation on the tongue. What came next was a fluted glass full of a cloudy, yet creamy fruit puree that lasted a mere two spoonfuls. Aeramina still went on in lengths about the fresh apples that made the palette cleanser up in the short time before the main course. Said main course was made up of marinated roast salmon with a variety of exotic condiments and sides. The richness and tastes were unlike anything but what would be found in a wealthy household. The dessert was made up of berries and nougat in a sweet milky jelly. Janius tried to be modest throughout, leaving small portions as leftovers, though even he had trouble finishing everything.

The Aetius family picked up their proper cutleries and manners from habit. Fortunately, whether stilted or relaxed about their approach, Kaleeth and Julan were not at any point called up on any mistakes in their table ettiquette. Aurana, on the other hand, was chided every five minutes by her mother Aeramina. Even the smallest of mistakes, like poorly aligning her knife and fork on her finished plate, was hissed at and corrected. Aeramina toggled between cheerful and bubbly with Kaleeth and Julan and quietly scathing with Aurana in blinks of the eye.

Two hours had passed before Aeramina finally reached the end of her next conversation thread after they had all finished eating.

"...And I still, to this day, will never forgive my sister for telling me how this jelly is made." She sighed with satisfaction and turned her bright smile to Julan. "Although that didn't stop anyone's appetite here, I see. What was your favourite course today, Kaj-shulan?"

---

"You may hold yourself to your own standards, Champion, but I shall still hold myself..." Lunise stopped as Meesei picked the water up from the surface with telekinesis. Lunise half-turned her face and lowered her brow. "Oh, you would not dare..."

In her arrogance, Lunise did not even motion to bring up a ward.

By this point, Julan had all but given up on correcting Aeramina. Each time they had, she found a new way to mispronounce his name. "I, um, really liked the salmon. I've had salmon before, but I didn't know it could taste like that." He answered. Unsurprisingly, he favored the part of the meal involving meat. He usually preferred his meat raw, but the chefs had prepared it in a way that did genuinely make it taste better than usual. Indeed, the same was true for most of the rest of the meal. Inwardly, Kaleeth hoped that this did not make Julan more picky in the future. For Kaleeth, she wondered if all of Janius' meals as a child had been like this one. It felt like a feast that she would have had in her village only on special occasions. She supposed that reuniting with their son would count as a special occasion for his parents, but that also meant that they had all of the food on hand to make this kind of a meal whenever they desired. It was a luxury that Kaleeth would have loved to have as a hatchling, and she wondered what other kinds of luxuries Janius had given up to live with the pack.

Regardless of Julan's opinion on the meal, Kaleeth was more concerned about Aurana. She had given her word that they would have that conversation before leaving, so she wanted to make sure that Remus did not try to get out of having it. She gave a glance to Aurana, then to Janius. Ultimately, he would know better how to appropriately guide the conversation to Aurana.

---

Meesei maintained her grin. "Would I not?" She remarked. She brought the ball of water in front of her hand, then, much like a fireball, she launched it straight towards Lunise. Since she had not bothered to put up a defense, the ball of water splashed across the front of her uniform. It was a simple ball of water thrown without too much force, so the only thing in danger of being harmed was pride.

By this point, Meesei was laughing loudly. Once she could keep her eyes open, Meesei stood with her arms outstretched, inviting Lunise to retaliate. "You are not going to allow that to go unanswered, are you Lunise? It was a good throw, if I do say so myself. I would expect that a Justiciar would have even better aim." She said playfully.

"That would probably be the spices then," Aeramina explained with a bright smile. "They were sent in from Hammerfell on trade ships and caravans. When they come this far they can strike a high price, but it's all worth it for just how delicious it can make things. You know, just last month we were at a dinner party where-"

Janius loudly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry mother, I really am..." He raised a hand and then gestured to Aurana. "It has been wonderful talking, and this was a delicious meal as always, but we really should get to speaking about Aurana's future."

Aeramina stared at Janius like a startled deer.

"He's right." Remus' wine goblet struck the table after he had sipped it to the last. He curled a frown and turned his eyes to his daughter. "Aurana, Janius, your mother is a successful businesswoman and socialite, I have been an experienced warrior and organiser. We are veterans in our fields." It was all suddenly blunt. "And we have been poor parents."

"Oh, Remus, no, there is no need to-"

"Aeramina, just this once, honesty." He cut a flat hand onto his chair arm. "Janius was right. We have been lying to ourselves. It is time that we let our unhealthy worries behind and do what is really best for Aurana."

"I thought we were," Aeramina whimpered.

Remus looked Aeramina straight in the eyes. "We are not. Janius was capable in the end. More than capable. Our daughter? The one we thought was the opportunity to do things right? Look at her. She wouldn't last a day on her own."

Aurana was beginning to look hopeful. Now her face flashed with anger.

"...And it is our fault," Remus continued. "Aurana, if you were to have complete freedom from this house, what would you want to do the most?"

The question was sudden. Aurana darted her eyes around, caught between anger and surprise. "Uh...I...um..."

"Go on." Remus weaved his fingers together and leaned his elbows on the table. He nodded to continue. "Say anything."

Aurana glanced at Kaleeth and Julan. "Well...anything...I..." Her eyes lit up. "I want to travel the world!"

Remus closed his eyes and sighed.

---

Lunise threw up her elbows and scrunched her face shut upon the water's impact. She wiped her eyes and opened her mouth in disgust, peering at her soaked purple uniform. Her crazed blue eyes lifted to Meesei.

"Right!" Lunise dropped her shoes, yanked off her gloves, and pointed to Meesei. "I could arrest you for no less than three Dominion offences for that!" She frantically undid the belts securing her lowered hood to her shoulders. "You...have started...what you...shall...regret!" Her distracted words were punctuated by her throwing her hood and gloves atop her shoes. Her shoulders were much less imposing without the hood accentuating them. "You challenge my pride..." Her fingers went to furiously untying her clothing. "...You challenge my decorum...You challenge my fashion sense...And now you challenged my patience!"

Lunise's words were hard to take seriously while she was so angrily undressing out of her over-detailed uniform. She stopped at her plain undergarments which, if Meesei thought about it, might have been the real reason for her self-conscious requirement for a proper bathing suit. When she threw down the last article of her uniform, baring her pale bronze skin to the sun, Meesei noticed a feature of her body that had been hidden until now. Besides her strong -- if narrow -- physique and her now displaced shock of braided blonde hair, what drew the eye was four parallel red lines slashed across her upper-front left leg. They were healed-over scars, though what inflicted them could only be speculated.

"It's time you learned your place," she said severely. Knees slightly bent, Lunise took a few steps away from her uniform, walking along the water's edge. She stared Meesei down. Her palm was open to the water. Meesei could see a helix of transparent liquid curling up to her hand. Lunise suddenly lowered her body and shot out her arms. A jet of white water flew over the ocean surface from her palms. It had enough force to strike the centre of Meesei's chest just hard enough to sting against her scales.

Kaleeth was pleased that Remus seemed willing to admit his mistakes, so now the challenge seemed to be to get both him and Aurana to an agreement that would make both of them happy. Indeed, Kaleeth doubted that giving Aurana everything she wanted would be good for her. She had no real experience in the world, and without that experience, Remus would be right to be worried about her getting hurt. Kaleeth could recall what it was like leaving Black Marsh all those years ago, knowing nothing about the world outside her homeland. She made many mistakes in her dealings with other people, but she had both her pack and the physical prowess of a werecrocodile to protect her. Aurana had neither.

"The world is an amazing place to see, Aurana, but it is also dangerous. Your father did not lie about that. The problem is that you are going to have to face the world one day, but you never learned how. I had that problem myself when I left my homeland. My father didn't know anything about the rest of Tamriel, and my mother never expected me to leave so soon. The people outside Black Marsh behaved so strangely to me. I didn't really understand them, and there were a lot of them that could have taken advantage of me if I didn't have Janius to help me. I think, if I was going to suggest something, I would say to show Aurana the world a little bit at a time. Teach her about this city first, let her talk to and meet with people on her own, while you're still around to protect her. Maybe let her learn some magic for self-defense. I, um, use magic to make myself really, really strong." Kaleeth said, figuring that magical enchantments would be a suitable explanation for her unnatural strength. Lorag had added strength enchantments to his armor about a year ago, so she knew it was possible.

---

Meesei remained standing with her arms outstretched to give Lunise a free hit against her, which seemed to be fair. The water hit a fair bit harder than Meesei's initial strike, but it still hardly stung. Once more, Meesei laughed. "A good hit. Though, I would like to point out now that you have accepted the challenge of an Argonian in the water. Let us see if you can best me in my own element."

Lunise would be able to feel Meesei charging an even stronger telekinetic spell. This time, instead of a ball of water, she lifted up the water near the shoreline into a small wave that would thoroughly soak Lunise. Afterwards, Meesei cast a spell of water walking on her self and jumped up to bring herself above the surface of the water. Using telekinesis on the water under her feet, in combination with her own movements, she turned around and started to move quickly away from the shore. She used fluid, graceful movements, as if she were skating on ice, until she was sufficiently far away from Lunise for her to stop.

Turning back around, Meesei resumed launching balls of water in Lunise's direction. They were well-aimed, but at her current distance, they moved slowly enough to be easily dodged or blocked. Of course, the same was true in the opposite direction. If Lunise wanted to effectively retaliate, she would have to go out into the water as well.

"Learn magic for defence?" Aurana switched betrayed looks between Remus and Kaleeth. "But that would take a long time, wouldn't it? I don't want to be locked in any longer!"

"That will not be necessary for now," Remus opened his eyes halfway. "Aurana, tomorrow I am overseeing a training exercise in the Fighters Guild. I will introduce you to Yvonne, who will teach you how to string and shoot a bow with some other initiates."

Aurana shrank in confusion. She was being thrown in every direction by her father's words. "Father, I'm...How does that help, though?"

"Do you want to see the world or don't you?" Remus hinted at the edge of his patience.

"Yes! I do."

"Then you will do as I say."

Janius brought his fingers to the table. "Father, how do we know this isn't just a way to control her some more?"

Remus rotated his frowning face to Janius. "Because," he grumbled. "I have a meeting to attend in the Imperial City in two months, and she will be coming with me if I deem her capable."

At that, Aurana looked at her father as if he was a ghost.

---

Lunise tried and failed to jump over the wave that washed over her legs. She stumbled back to a stop on the sand and balled her fists. "Don't be so confident, Argonian! Justicars must adapt to- damn it!" she swatted away one of the balls of water thrown at her and dodged to one side. The others splattered on the sand behind her.

Leaning forward and blocking the water with her arms, Lunise took steps back up to the water's edge. The spell she cast next was not anything Meesei could recognise from her distance away. It bathed Lunise in a bright green sheen that faded until only the light reflecting from her skin had a green hue to it. Faint curved lines could barely be detected connecting her fingers and fanning beyond them.

Lunise skipped and dove forward under the water. The water's refraction made it initially difficult to see where she was headed.

Out of the corner of Meesei's eye, a long yellow shape streaked through the water beside her, swimming as fast as a rushing shark. It couldn't have been Lunise unless she was swimming unnaturally swiftly. When the shape stopped and curled around, a magical charge preceded an angled geyser of sea water aimed at knocking Meesei over.

"I see. I think that could work." Kaleeth commented. "I suggested magic because it could be quicker for someone without the, um, physique for other kinds of defense. Though, I guess you could afford to give her some magical enchantments if you want to make her a bit safer."

Kaleeth saw Aurana's reaction to Remus' offer to bring her to the Imperial City, which she supposed was a good sign. If she was reacting this way now, then Kaleeth supposed that she had probably never even left Bravil before, even under supervision. "Do you think that's all a good idea, Janius?" Kaleeth asked.

---

Meesei smiled, seeing that Lunise seemed to be getting clever. Though, if Lunise wanted to take their "battle" underwater, then she would be more than happy to oblige. She had likely cast waterbreathing on herself before she jumped into the water, and perhaps something else along with it, based on what Meesei had observed.

Instead of trying to resist the geyser of water, Meesei dove along with it underwater while dispelling her own water walking, using its momentum to carry her deeper. Meesei could swim with exceptional agility underwater, though even she could not match the speed that Lunise seemed to be demonstrating. Swift swim, most likely; an application of alteration magic. Meesei could use restoration to enhance her own speed on land, but that had very limited effectiveness underwater. She had never had any need to practice any magic that would improve her abilities underwater, since she could naturally outclass any other race of mortals. Regardless, Meesei still had the edge in terms of experience underwater, and she intended to leverage that experience. With an even greater display of telekinetic ability than before, Meesey began to swirl the water around her into a whirlpool around her, with currents that moved up and down seemingly at random. She would see if Lunise knew how to deal with unpredictable currents without becoming disoriented.

Janius was visibly ambivalent about Remus' decisions. He ran a hand down his other shoulder. "Well, if it's about self defence..."

"Janius, must I explain everything to you, even now?" Remus interrupted. "The Fighters Guild provides more than simply training and employment, remember?"

"What are...oh, I see," Janius realised, raising his brow. "In that case, it would depend on how you feel about it, Aurana."

Aurana struggled to emerge from her shock. "Uh...I would do anything to see the Imperial City! But..." Her voice lowered. "What do you mean by more than training and employment? I haven't even had employment before."

Janius smiled knowingly. "You'll meet some new people, that's all." He looked across past Kaleeth to his son. "Julan, you were much younger, but you remember the first day you went to Missus Vera's classroom?"

The leader of the Blackreach clan still found time to educate children back in Skyrim. Janius was glad to have her teach Julan, though Julan's impression of that first day was far less confident from what Janius remembered. In Aurana's case, she was effectively going to be entering a schooling environment in the Fighters Guild, even if the conditions were somewhat removed from a general education for children in a lycan clan.

---

At first, Lunise tried to swim with the current Meesei had created. This worked against her as soon as the turbulent shocks up and down threw her near to the surface or the sand. One attempt to stop herself from running into the sea floor with her hand sent her legs flying up over her and sent her tumbling without hope of getting stable again. For a while, Meesei had complete control of her as she spun around her.

In her underwater tumbling, Lunise grit her teeth and charged a bright blue spell in either hand. Its effects were not immediately obvious until Meesei felt a sudden chill in the water from above. The stark temperature difference caused her whirlpool to converge and suck her up to the surface of the water.

Lunise took the opportunity of the distraction to recover and kick her legs off, charging right for Meesei. She pushed a direct surge of current telekinetically in front of her to try and push Meesei towards the shore. Past the pulsing orange light in her extended hands, Lunise looked just as determined as when she started.

Julan rubbed his head, seemingly confused. "Um. yeah...I'm pretty sure I remember. Missus Vera started to teach us about, well, everything. Everything except fighting and hunting and those things. We started out with words and writing and those kinds of things. I could already write when I started, since mother had been teaching me all about Jel. But Vera wanted us to write in Cyrodilic letters. She also started telling us about counting and numbers, then...history. Things that happened in the past, what cities used to be like, and what they're like now. And, um, laws in cities." He explained, avoiding the details about the fact that a portion of what they learned focused on how to properly behave when visiting cities, instead of lycan clans.

"But, um, what does that have to do with the Fighter's Guild and Aurana?" Julan asked.

---

Meesei had to admire Lunise's quick thinking. Even though she had pridefully charged straight into a challenge out of her element, she was showing herself to be adaptable, and of course, capable with magic. Unlike many, she could actually backup her arrogance with action, and even when faced with a powerful foe, she was determined not to allow herself to be defeated. It was a kind of confidence that seemed a bit familiar to Meesei.

When Lunise charged straight at Meesei with a surge of water ahead of her, Meesei decided to change up her approach as well. Instead of precise manipulation of currents, she decided to make it a contest of raw telekinetic power. Meesei charged an equivalent amount of magicka into a telekinesis spell that pushed the water back against the underwater wave Lunise had created. The two walls of water met between them, pushing out water on either side of them. She maintained her spell at the same strength as Lunise's, intending to maintain it until one of them faltered.

Meesei wondered for how long Lunise would attempt to best her in a competition of raw magical power, particularly since Lunise had witnessed the depth of Meesei's magicka reserves firsthand when she had created the portal earlier.

Janius twisted in his seat and extended a hand. "That's what she taught you, yes, but it was also the first time you had to go up to other kids, meet new friends, without having Rhazii or either of us with you. You remember? I remember you being rather reluctant about it." Janius tilted his head. "Apart from what Vera taught, though, how did you manage? Aurana might have a similar experience."

In spite of Julan's worries about his first day of schooling, Janius did recall the outcome being positive that day.

---

While the initial clash was repelled to a stop by Meesei, Lunise did not remain simply pushing. At no point did she try to push harder to oppose Meesei's telekinesis. She instead tried different angles. First, she broadened her push against the water to try and push around Meesei's barrier. When that didn't work, she tried to taper her push into a point to deflect much of Meesei's force. Each shape was easily countered by mirroring it. Meesei was simply too powerful and too skilled.

Still, Lunise was keeping up the struggle for a respectable amount of time. There was no telling where the limits of her reserves were. Sand whipped up from the sea bed in a cloud that obscured sight of either of them.

Just as it seemed that Lunise would continue her clash, the pressure against Meesei's currents faded to nothing. The sand cloud pushed out to sea away from Meesei, clearing the water to reveal Lunise suspended upright in the water. She had her arms crossed and her head tilted forward, glowering at Meesei. Her bare legs were together, not moving despite her position above the sea floor. Some strands of her hair had come loose, looking like strands of yellow sea grass attached to her head.

She couldn't speak underwater. She merely waited and stared with a look of annoyance.

Now that he knew what Janius intended to get out of his questioning, Julan tried to think of a more helpful answer. "Well...it would have been boring to spend all that time there without anyone to talk to. There were some people who seemed to already have friends there, but there were also people who didn't have anyone to talk to. So...I talked to them. The next day, one of them taught me how to make a slingshot with a certain piece of a chaurus shell. I chased Rhazii around with it later." He said, smiling.

---

Meesei ceased her spell at the same time as Lunise. In contrast to Lunise's scowling, Meesei seemed to be in a good mood. Since Lunise did not look to be going anywhere, Meesei looked up towards the surface and raised up her hand. Although, instead of moving anywhere herself, Meesei charged yet another telekinesis spell. This time, Meesei was pulling apart the water from the surface to form a bubble, then pulling that bubble of air down below towards them, then to the sand beneath them. Meesei swam down to the bottom and stepped into the air bubble, then moved it closer to Lunise.

It took only a slight telekinetic tug to pull Lunise down to the bottom as well, though it was probably obvious what Meesei intended by this point. If Lunise did not step into the bubble herself, then Meesei would bring the bubble to her. It was large enough to hold both of them, though they would need to stand somewhat close to both be within it.

"Quite an impressive showing, Lunise. It has been quite a while since I have had this kind of competition. I will admit, you surprised me. You Justiciars really are as adaptable as you say. Or perhaps it is your individual determination?" Meesei commented once they were both within the bubble.

Janius chuckled to himself. Now he remembered why Julan was in such a good mood returning to them that day. "See? You'll be meeting all sorts of people, Aurana."

Aurana had a small smile now. She flashed her teeth with a single, silent laugh. "That sounds like fun, actually. I'd love to make some friends." She closed her lips. "I do not know how much I would have in common with Fighters Guild people, but I'm willing to try."

"Do not forget, Aurana, this goes two ways." Remus lowered his hands. His eyes were narrow and his voice deep. "If you wish to see the Imperial City, let alone the world, you will work hard for it. I will only grant you privileges, such as leaving the house, when I feel you are capable. The difference from before will be that you shall have opportunities to prove yourself. Do you understand?"

Aurana gave a confident nod. "I can do it, I promise."

"Thank you, father, for listening to us," Janius said. "It might be easier for Aurana; she was more ambitious than I ever was at her age. Well, perhaps because she has an ambition to begin with."

Remus only responded to Janius with a glance. His attention remained on Aurana. "The Fighters Guild will not be your only challenge. See to it that you remember this promise you've made to me and your mother."

That moment was the point where Aeramina pursed her lips and blinked rapidly. "Remus, dear...You won't let her get hurt, will you?" When Remus did not respond, Aeramina glanced around to the others. "She will be okay?"

---

Lunise fell into the bubble from Meesei's tug, bending her knees to land as she fell into the more buoyant air. Her hair was now flat and soaked, though both of them were dripping from their swim. Once she stood up straight, Lunise found just enough room to look down on Meesei with her arms still crossed.

The way sound sank in the pocket of air was strange. Lunise found herself looking at the surface of the bubble with curiosity. Or perhaps it was merely to avoid eye contact.

"You are a gifted mage for an Argonian, Meesei, but do not speak to me as if I am your talented neophyte." She held her chin forward and looked into Meesei's eyes. "I held back. I could best you another time." She sniffed and looked away. "Still. You put up a more interesting bout than most of my peers. They are more fixated on raw power no matter where they use magic."

Lunise took a tiny step back in the soft sand.

"She will be okay. She may pick up some scrapes and bruises along the way, but she will be better off in the end." Kaleeth answered, attempting to be reassuring. "Aurana will learn how to understand and deal with danger, which will let her make herself safe."

Kaleeth focused more directly on Aurana. "Just...try not to make yourself too excited about it, okay? It's not like you're going to be going out trying to find fights. The best thing to do is to try to avoid having to fight anyone; you just want to know how so you don't get hurt if something ever goes very wrong. Fighting is...well it's not like storybooks you might read. It's terrible, painful. You want to be peaceful whenever you can, okay?"

---

Meesei was unfazed by Lunise's persistent and seemingly unending pride. No matter what Lunise said openly, she could not truly lie to herself about Meesei's capabilities. "If there is ever more time in the future, I certainly would not mind more challenges. It likely does not surprise you for me to say that lycans enjoy challenges. We always challenge each other to be our best, and I suppose I am no different. I suppose we could learn much from each others' techniques, and I would not be ashamed if you were the one who managed to finally defeat me in a magical duel."

After a moment, Meesei gave another chuckle. "Well, I suppose I cannot say that I have never lost a magical duel. I of course lost to my father during my initial training, and after that, I did end up losing a duel to an ancient vampire lord from the second era. Fortunately, it was only a practice duel. Also fortunately, she did not end up being an enemy to us."

Although she was also having to maintain their air bubble, Meesei was able to dedicate some of her magic to trying to push away the sand they had kicked up in their duel. No doubt there would be a wonderful view around them once it all settled down.

Aurana shook her head. "Oh, it's okay, I'm not interested in fighting, I just..." She pulled a wide grin. "I'll get to see things now! I don't care if I have to learn how to be battlemage, I'll do anything for that!"

"A...battlemage? My little girl?" Aeramina was only partially calmed by Kaleeth. She lifted her nervous fingers up level with her mouth. "Surely you would not do something so dangerous, my daughter!"

"Mother, please stay calm." Janius took his turn to reassure her. "Even if Aurana wanted to become a battlemage, you should not doubt her. She's determined, and as long as you and father are there to support her, she'll be fine."

Aeramina began to stammer. "I-I-I simply do not know what to do! I thought you would grow up to be a beautiful courtable lady, Aurana! A lady does not sling spells and fight!"

"She will learn," Remus intoned. The sternness in his voice silenced everyone. Even Aurana stopped halfway through her breath to shout protests at Aeramina. "She is no mere lady. She is our daughter. This is what is best for her. Learning to defend herself and navigate life will not make her unfit for court."

"Here again with your stupid pride, Remus!" Aeramina said as her face contorted into sadness. "Do not ruin our daughter!"

"We were ruining her before!" Remus growled back.

Aurana slammed her hands on the table. All the remaining cutlery jingled. "SHUT UP!" She screamed.

Everyone stopped.

"Mother, listen to me! Either I get to do this, or I don't go to court at all." She scowled at Aeramina, but her lips were quivering. "You know you can't make me. You know I can just be rude at court and become unmarriageable in one night of throwing drinks in people's faces."

"You do not know what you're doing-" Aeramina was cut off.

"I know what I'm doing because I have a chance now!" Aurana stopped to breathe. Aeramina did not have anything in response. "I have this to lose. "I promise that I'll try to make you happy, but I can't do that if I'm stuck here with cabin fever all my life. I can't live like that." She held her hands to her chest. "I can't breathe. Please, let me have this. Let me have this and I won't complain about going to court again."

Aeramina curled her fingers and pressed them to her mouth.

"She is her own young woman, Aeramina," Remus added. "She will be an adult soon. I believe she is capable. If she says she can get a husband, I believe her. You should, too."

Aeramina's shoulders shrank down. She looked down. "This isn't what I had envisioned."

"No," Remus agreed. "It is what she envisions. That is what matters. Not our vision. Janius proved that tonight with how he has come back to us."

Aurana stared at Remus for a silent moment before her eyes tensed and reddened. She brought both her hands up to cover her lowering face. A strained breath in through her nose confirmed that she was crying and trying to hide it.

---

"Picking a winner is pointless here anyway. Not if we were below our limits."

Lunise took a small step to take in the sight around them as the sand settled. Her face relaxed from its condescending pride to a look of quiet wonder. Her eyes traced a school of tiny black fish that wriggled by, and then to a crab that scampered across the sea floor sideways. There wasn't as much to see as in a reef, though the softly swaying sea grass and occasional sea creatures played off the blue light that bathed the entire expanse around them.

Whether conscious or not, Lunise let her arms fall to her sides. Her voice softened. "So, this is why you went to the trouble of holding air down here." Lunise scanned across the clear waters. There came an uncertain wistfulness to her voice. "You are showing me many special things this day."

"Hmm, I don't think you quite need to become a battlemage." Kaleeth said to Aurana with a slight laugh. "I think you might be focusing too much on that part. Like I said, you don't really want to be fighting anyone; it's just the responsible thing to do to be able to defend yourself. It helps keep you safe. What you really want to learn is how to talk to people, how to, uh, be a part of society." There had been shouting and anger between Aurana and her parents, but Kaleeth wanted to try and keep everything as civil as it had been. And Kaleeth was sure that Aurana's mother would appreciate less of a focus on risky behavior.

"There is a lot you can do in the world. Plenty of places to go, people to meet, things to see. It seems you'll have a chance to do that now, but it might get overwhelming. It might help to have a goal in mind. Maybe...if you had to say one thing you would want to do for a living, what do you think it would be?" Kaleeth asked.

---

It did not seem to take long for Lunise to relax among the placid expanse of the ocean around them. Meesei turned her head to observe the creatures they could see, as well as the water itself. Aside from some of the sand that was still floating around, the water was quite clear, so they could see the rays from the sun piercing through the water from above. Meesei had seen similar sights before, but it seemed that it was a less common experience for Lunise.

Meesei gave a light chuckle. "I am surprised we did not frighten off all of the fish. Perhaps they are as curious as us? You know, after having met your father, I think he would enjoy walking along the bottom of the ocean like this, observing the creatures in their natural environment. Perhaps you can try it with him if you ever have the time."

Slowly and deliberately, Meesei sat down on the sand, then laid down on her side so she could stretch out comfortably, reshaping the bubble as she went to accommodate herself. She rested her elbow in the sand, then propped her head up on her hand. She looked up at Lunise, waiting to see if she would want to take a seat as well. In the brief silence, Meesei had a chance to take a better look at Lunise. It was even stranger seeing her like this than it was to see her in her nightgown the previous night. She had on only simple underwear, and the water had erased any effort she had put into styling her hair. In contrast, Meesei's waterproof scales and feathers just made her look shinier than usual. And of course, there was that scar. Meesei was sure there would be a story behind it. Hopefully it would be one that Lunise would have no trouble sharing.

"I find Tamriel's waters to be some of the most beautiful places on Nirn. Perhaps I am biased, but I think I could spend days in a place like this. I am glad you enjoy it as well. After yesterday, I thought you deserved a good day today." Meesei commented.

"Our daughter-in-law speaks the truth, Aeramina," Remus confirmed. "She is not learning to fight. She is learning in case she has to fight."

Aurana was not responsive. She continued to quietly cry into her hands.

Janius asked softly. "Aurana? Are you going to be alright?"

"I don't know what I want to do, Kaleeth," Aurana's muffled whine sounded through her hands. "I do not know what's out there for sure. But...I'll decide what I want to do."

Remus was apparently unaffected by her tears. "There are many people that you can meet in the Imperial City with occupations befitting this family's standing. I will introduce you to them and you can see what they do. Provided, of course, that you fulfil your part of the bargain."

Aurana's tear-streaked face emerged from behind her fingers. She was smiling. "Thank you, father. Thanks for giving me a chance."

"Thank your brother," Remus said back, still refusing to smile. He gave Janius a sideways look. "And his family, our new family members, Kaleeth-rei and Kaj-Julan."

"If you will still come to court and behave yourself, I will..." Aeramina breathed in and out slowly to try and calm herself in her corset. "...I will accept this new...these new little adventures."

Aurana pushed herself out of her seat and, against all good manners, sprinted around the table, colliding with Julan in a strong hug. "Thanks nephew, thank you, thank you..." She just as quickly let him go and gave Kaleeth the same treatment. "My sister Kaleeth, thank you so much! I love you. I love you all!" Janius did not get away either. "Thanks for coming back, brother. I love you, thank you! Thank you!" Her happiness poured out in a mix of smiles and tears.

---

Lunise did not remain standing for long once Meesei motioned to relax. She sat down with her legs curled to one side and one arm supporting herself at first. Then she looked up at the way the sun danced off the surface of the water a distance above them. Its hypnotic pattern locked her eyes. She laid down flat on her back to watch it, the same neutral and relaxed expression on her face.

"I could never forget yesterday," she said, weaving her hands together on her navel. "Not either could I forget today. You keep giving me kindnesses, even when you have your own problems to deal with. Your own...harrowing matters."

Lunise's head rolled from the light above to see Meesei laying next to her. Her eyes wandered up and down, starting and ending at her orange eyes.

"You do not need that dress," Lunise quickly said without immediate context. Her eyes rolled back to the light above, slightly less relaxed than before.

Aurana's veritable glee was reflected in the hug that Julan gave her in return. While he was still somewhat nervous around Remus, he felt vindicated about his decision the previous night. He had met his family, and done something good for his sister. Indeed, it was not merely good, but rather life changing for her. As long as she could prove herself to her father, then she could actually have a life. She would be behind other people her age, but at least she would now have a chance.

Kaleeth felt warm inside as well, perhaps not to the extent of Julan, but she was glad this had not gone as badly as they had feared it might. She and Janius had been prepared to take on all of Remus' anger themselves, but it did not seem like it would be necessary. After Aurana had given all of her hugs, Kaleeth looked over to Janius beside her and placed her hand on top of his, smiling at him. They had accomplished what they came to do, so they were free to do as they pleased for the remainder of their visit. "I am grateful as well." She said, turning back to Remus. "I hope this will make your family as a whole happier."

---

"I am simply glad to have been able to help you." Meesei remarked, though as she glanced away from the water, she caught Lunise's eyes, noticed them looking at her. Meesei took it as an invitation to do the same.

"Oh? Well, thank you." Meesei responded with a light grin. "I would say the same is true for you, if I am being honest. The uniform certainly makes you more intimidating, but it also hides that Elven beauty of yours. Is there anything in particular that...inspired your compliment?"

"Happiness was never beyond our-" Remus flinched from Aurana grabbing him by the torso and hugging him. He frowned and nodded, patting Aurana on the arm yet clearly not used to the intimacy from her. "I am pleased to see that you enthusiastic, Aurana. How, um, how about you show your love to mother as well?"

Aurana didn't need to be asked twice. Aeramina was still slightly upset from the decisions made, but she embraced Aurana more readily, wrapping both her arms around her. "My little girl has inherited more than I had expected from her father, I think." She sniffed and knitted her brow. "Perhaps an inevitable change is not worth resisting for me here. Oh dear!" She leaned the side of her head on Aurana's scalp and sobbed.

Janius gave Kaleeth's hand a grateful squeeze. "As long as things shall turn out for the better, I think we can all be happy."

Kaleeth, Janius, and Julan could stay for a while longer. Even though they had spent much time catching up and stretching their cover story to its limits, it could be nice to remain in the family's company now that tensions had been mostly relieved. However, with the focus off the issue of Aurana's future, more present matters sprung to mind. They had seen neither Rhazii nor Jatinha in the hours since they were sent upstairs.

---

Lunise sighed through her nose. She continued to speak up at the roof of their bubble "Well, you have set a precedent with your kindness. It is only fair that I am kind to you on some occasions." Meesei could physically see her heart quickening in the way it thumped at the base of her ribcage.

"And...with this privacy, I could plausibly deny saying some things after today. Such as questioning why you, an Argonian, would find me beautiful at all." She turned to lay on her side, away from Meesei. "Physically, I know I am no princess. And the work I do is not beautiful in the slightest. As for you...Like I said, I could plausibly deny saying some things."

For Julan and Kaleeth alike, their thoughts had not gone too far beyond assisting Aurana. Now that they were finished with that task, it seemed just as challenging to decide what they should do next. Kaleeth was quite cognizant of the fact that spending more time with them meant a greater chance of compromising their cover story. However, Julan's mind shifted quickly enough to his brother to distract their attention.

Julan turned his head, looking in the direction of the stairway. "It's been a while...should we go get my brother now?"
---

Meesei raised her brow. "What, am I not allowed to admire the...physicality of other races? Besides which, the general physiology of an Elf is not too terribly different from that of an Argonian. At least, the form of Argonian that I am. There are other kinds of Argonians that are much more dissimilar to Elves and Humans. At any rate, you have a pleasing figure, an athletic physique, and I am sure you know that scars can be attractive, particularly to those who value strength in combat. I may not know what high-class Altmer find attractive, but you need not be self-conscious about your appearance around anyone else."

"Do not worry, though, you will not need to plausibly deny anything. All of your wonderful compliments will be our secret." Meesei added.

Janius' eyes lit up. "Divines! Rhazii! I completely forgot." He held a hand to his head. "Goodness, how long as he been upstairs? Uh, Harald?" Janius twisted in his seat. "Did Rhazii get any lunch?"

Harald had somehow remained invisible and serving them throughout all of the eating and drama. He held his gloved hands together and answered with a bow. "Master Rhazii expressed the wish not to disturb you all. He took his meal with the servants."

"Oh, well..." Janius lowered his brow. Rhazii didn't seem too enthusiastic to be leaving them all. "Hmm, at any rate, we ought to find him and let him know it's safe to come out now."

"Maybe give them a few more minutes?" Aurana suddenly said. With attention on her, she licked her lips nervously. "Um...give him a few more minutes, I mean. He might...uh...still be nervous?"

Everyone was confused but Harald, though Harald held an amicable expression at the most trying of times.

---

Remaining faced away from Meesei made Lunise's reaction hard to read. She stewed in silence for enough time to think.

"Prove it." It was toned as a demand. "Show me you're neither afraid nor lying. Hold me." Her voice lowered. "I give you permission."

Julan was obviously perplexed by Aurana's sudden concern. Although, his mind did not think to make any connections beyond the surface of what was presented to him. "Why would he be nervous? Well...I guess there was a lot of yelling earlier. That made me nervous too, but...that's over now. Everything is fine now, so we can tell him there's nothing to be afraid about."

Julan stood up out of his chair, once again looking in the direction of the stairs. "Where do the servants eat upstairs? This house looks big."

---

Despite the direction that Meesei had taken their conversation, even she was somewhat surprised by the...abruptness of Lunise's request. Meesei could admit she had been 'playful' with Lunise, but she could not have imagined anything would come of it. She had not even been entirely sure that she would want something to come of it. However, looking at Lunise now, hearing her weords, it gave Meesei pause enough to think about the possibility. She did not think for terribly long before deciding she was not opposed.

"Oh, well..." Meesei began as she slowly moved herself closer to Lunise until she was firmly pressed against her back. Meesei put one arm around her at her waist to hold her tightly against her, then gently rubbed her shoulder with the other. She leaned her head forward closely to allow her to whisper in her ear. "I can...most certainly do as you ask. But, is it that you want me to prove something about myself to you...or that you want me to prove something about you to you?" Pausing a moment, Meesei started to rub Lunise's stomach. "And, is it working?"