Chapter 11: Alythia

Previously: Awake

 

A knock fell on the door and a voice called out, "Lady Valerica requests Lady Katarinya's presence."

 

Katarinya rolled her eyes. "I've been summoned," she sighed, before leaving to follow the servant. To her surprise, she didn't go to Valerica's sitting room. Instead, the servant led her back to her own chambers where Valerica was patiently waiting.

 

The ladies never spoke. They had never liked each other. Valerica had always viewed Katarinya as a vain, foolish child, and Katarinya had always viewed Valerica the same as her husband: ancient relics holding Volkihar back.

 

And yet, the Lady of Volkihar was strangely polite when Katarinya arrived.

 

"Apologies for interrupting... whatever you were doing," Valerica said. "I just needed to ask you a few things."

 

"Such as?" Katarinya inquired, taking a seat.

 

"I've been asking various residents what they remembered of Alythia. Most of the mages from those days are long gone, and everyone else --"

 

"She didn't talk to anyone else," Katarinya said somberly.

 

"Except you and Vingalmo," Valerica reminded her. "I have already spoken with Vingalmo. Now I want to know what you remember."

 

"I visited her sometimes in the lab," Katarinya told her, nodding. "There weren't many Redguards at court back then, and even though I knew my presence was a nuisance, I wanted to be around her. Sometimes we spoke in our mother tongue. Other times we traded memories of life before Volkihar."

 

"What did she tell you about her life before?"

 

Katarinya shrugged. "She never knew who sired her. She wandered High Rock and Skyrim a long time before she came here. She was originally born and raised in Hammerfell. In her early youth, her family relocated to High Rock."

 

Valerica tensed, but said nothing.

 

"When she was a teenager," Katarinya continued, "her family sent her to work in the house of a noblewoman. I think she was a scullery maid or some such."

 

The vampire matriarch immediately rose to her feet. "Follow me."

She led Katarinya to the room of Alythian Relics. The first thing Katarinya noticed was the giant portrait of Alythia herself. Seeing her face again after all these years was like a blow to the gut.

 

She had almost completely forgotten what the vampire looked like, and had she been able to breathe, her breathing would've stopped at the sight of those impassive red eyes.

 

"Is this place what I think it is?" she asked Valerica, voice just above a whisper.

 

Valerica nodded. "Harkon's secret vault, built solely to house Alythia's work."
 

Katarinya couldn't take her eyes off the portrait. "Why have you brought me here?"

 

"She designed a magic mirror that shows long lost memories," the vampire matriarch explained.

 

"I have no lost memories of Alythia," Katarinya assured her with a scowl, "save perhaps the accuracy of her face." Her eyes narrowed. " You want to know about the last time I spoke with her."

 

Valerica nodded. "If you please."

 

Katarinya closed her eyes, trying to fight back the swell of emotion. 

"I went to the lab," she began. "I knew she didn't want me there, but it was the only time I ever really got to see her. For once, she didn't try to shoo me away. She actually seemed rather... excited to see me."

Valerica's head rose and fell. "Because of the Rings."

 

Katarinya nodded. "She showed me the Rings. She laid them out across a table." She opened her eyes as her whole face and tone darkened. "She was so proud."  

"She told me what they were," Katarinya went on. "Explained what they could do and even demonstrated. She slipped one on and her eyes changed immediately. I could hear a faint heartbeat. Her skin was radiant and she appeared to breathe. She boasted that if she wore it under the sun, she would not be harmed.

 

"I had been complaining... complaining about your husband," Katarinya finally confessed, body trembling. "I wanted to be free of him forever, but I knew what awaited me if I left Volkihar. I'd have to find some filthy, disgusting, cave-dwelling coven to take me in, and I couldn't live like that. But with an Undead Ring, my gold, my gowns... I knew the finest halls and palaces of Tamriel would open to me."

 

"It only took a second," Katarinya rasped, shaking her head to fend off the rising shame. "She turned away to look at something and I snatched a Ring without making a sound. I laughed, telling her that I'm sure the glamour was real, the protection from the sun was just a dream.

"I made a show of laughing all the way into the hall before rushing to my chamber, packing my things, and leaving Volkihar forever." She paused before bitterly, "Or what I thought would be forever."

 

There was silence for a moment as her shameful confession hung between them. Valerica patiently waited for the part she knew was coming last.

"She trusted me," Katarinya whispered, unable to stop the tears now. "She was finally warming up to me and was proudly sharing her hard work with me. And I stole it like some lowly thief."

 

Katarinya head hung and her shoulders sagged as she began to sob. To her surprise, Valerica comforted her. 

"Hush now," the vampire matriarch said softly. "You needn't burden yourself with this guilt. You didn't steal anything from Alythia."

Katarinya looked up at her confused. "But I did? I took one of the Rings and left!"  

"You can't steal something that's being freely offered," Valerica said sagely. "Stop and think, Katarinya. Use that clever brain and think. You'd been complaining about wanting to leave Volkihar. You'd been complaining for months. Yes... I knew. I always knew. And then one day, a mage presented to you the very thing you needed to leave. Just laid it all out on a table. And then she conveniently turned her back to you. When she turned back around, do you really believe she hadn't noticed one was missing? She knew. Mages always know. Yet she didn't confront you, and she let you leave the castle with it."

 

Valerica smiled faintly. "She knew you wouldn't be able to resist. She wanted you to take it."

 

Katarinya was flabbergasted. "But why? Why not just offer it to me as a friend?"

 

"Plausible deniability," Valerica replied. "She didn't want to be blamed when you left, not by Harkon, and certainly not by Vingalmo, the only person in the world's whose company she actually enjoyed."

 

"Then why make more than one?" Katarinya demanded.

 

"Research," Valerica said, with a slight chuckle. "She was a mage, after all. She couldn't simply invent a device and not test it. She needed a willing subject, and she needed more than one. Most vampires can't abide humans for anything other than food, but you're not most vampires, are you, Katarinya?"

 

Katarinya stared at her, bewildered. "My Lady, what is this about? Why am I here if you already know so much?"

 

"Because Alythia didn't disappear into the wild," Valerica said grimly. "Why would she? What mage of her talent and dedication would just leave all this research behind? She came back. She had to, but she couldn't come back as her. My idiot husband would just keep confiscating her creations."

 

Katarinya was confused and in denial. Valerica's tone was frightening her. "What are you saying?" she rasped. 

 

"She's an illusion mage, Katarinya," Valerica reminded her. "Capable of tampering with thoughts and memories. On humans, it's easy, but vampires, much harder. She couldn't wipe Harkon's memory, not reliably. Instead, she donned a new face, chose a new name, gained his trust, and got him to give her an Undead Ring... so she could continue to test her research."

 

Katarinya clutched her chest. "By the gods."