"Don't...call her that." Zyausak snapped back. For a few, brief seconds, he actually looked to be legitimately angry. Although, that emotion, and any others he might have been showing, subsided just as quickly. "What I mean to say is she hasn't always been the way she is now. That place we were born, I wish I could forget the memories of living there. In the Order, we are supposed to consider the needs of all of Nirn's people equally...but I am not ashamed to say that the Ayleids were a cruel and vile people. Neesa had to be strong enough for the both of us, because I would not have made it out of that place alone. Quite literally. The war never made it to Silyanorn, but Neesa managed to get both of us assigned to serve an officer that was being sent to aid one of the king's allies in Cyrod."

Zyausak let out a sign, allowing himself to calm down and think through exactly what he was intending to say before continuing. "Look, I know our lives went down different paths after we were freed, but for most of her life, Neesa has been a person I would be proud to call a friend. Vampirism did not change that. It was...something else. She has always been ambitious, but also compassionate, caring, and dedicated to helping the world. That's how I was able to get her accepted into the Order in the first place. She had such a love of life, and in her own, twisted way, she still does."

Meesei glanced to Lunise beside her, though she tried to hide her reaction from Zyausak. Even she had a hard time believing what he was saying, despite having no reason to distrust him. At the very least, it did explain why Zyausak had inexplicably taken such an interest in them. As he had said, it was no coincidence.