Sina danced eagerly around the room, grabbing books from all corners of the main floor, while Farengar watched in stunned silence.

Breezehome was more library than dwelling, every surface crowded with books, as well as an assortment of potions and herbs. The scent of the tiny Bosmer's home was pleasant without being overpowering - not that Farengar was consciously aware of it or anything else beyond the massive collection of books spread out before his eyes.

When he finally found his voice again, he said, "When you told me that carrying your books to Dragonsreach would be too difficult… I scarcely imagined this."

Sina agilely leapt from floor, to table, and on to the top of her bookcase, beaming down at the court wizard.

"You like it?"

"An understatement, to say the least," he replied reverently, running a hand across the titles contained in one of the many overflowing bookcases.

"There's more upstairs, too! Proventus ran out of bookcases, so I had to start putting some in chests. Feel free to rummage around!" she said, grinning happily. Farengar was the first fellow book lover she had encountered in Skyrim. Aside from the librarian at the College, but he was not a fan of sharing.

"How did you come by so many?" Farengar inquired, picking up a book from her dining table. "Ah! I've read this one. I used to own a copy. Regrettably, it disappeared. The likeness is remarkable-"

"Oh, really?" she asked nonchalantly, remembering she had helped herself to "borrowing" some of his books on her last visit. "Neat. Here! Look at this one!"

Sina leapt down from her perch with feline grace, handing Farengar a rare and ancient text, while quickly taking the book he was holding and stuffing it behind her weapon rack. "There are some really old ones in that chest over there, too!" she added brightly.

Farengar, easily distracted by the appeal of ancient manuscripts, eagerly opened the container with a sound of appreciation.

"Take anything you want," Sina said, grabbing a couple mugs and a large, stoppered bottle. "I'll heat some cider. If you're serious about checking out my entire awesome collection then you'll be here awhile."

"Take anything I want? You almost sound as if you're giving them away to me," Farengar chuckled.

"Well, yeah," Sina replied, quirking her head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Farengar's jaw dropped open slightly.

"Ah… Well, they belong to you, for one. For another, I would be remiss to disturb the collection you've carefully cultivated here. Though, I am of course very flattered by the gesture," he added.

Sina shrugged.

"People keep going on about property and personal belongings, but it's not really my thing. I grew up in a tiny corner of Valenwood on the outskirts of a place called Arenthia. If you liked something, you took it. Objects sitting around, collecting dust, going unused…" she shook her head. Other Bosmer in Skyrim called her 'sheltered', often as a result of Sina employing first hand her preferences of sharing. Since then, she mostly acquired things in secret. People minded less that way. And it had lead her to finding fantastic group of people in Riften that really understood what life was all about. "It doesn't really make sense to me no matter how I look at it. If you want something more than I do, have at it."

Farengar drummed his fingers along the spine of a book.

"I see. Thank you," he said, setting his books into a pile. "Nevertheless, I'll bring these back to you."

"Why?"

Farengar paused, considering.

"I wouldn't want to see your collection depleted. There's a tranquility in being surrounded by books like this. I quite like it."

Sina smiled at the complement. She knew what he meant. Breezehome was warm and cozy. Beside the fire pit, where she spent a majority of her time, was a blanket, a chair, and a cushioned seat with a book on the arm.

In Valenwood, she was forbidden from creating paper. Writing on leaves didn't have the same effect as writing on paper, and she savored each and every semi-guilty pleasure (she hadn't technically made the paper, she just made use of it); collecting and writing books of her own in Skyrim.

Sina reached over from her chair as the cider simmered, picking up her lute from the corner. Her beloved instrument was the one belonging she had brought with her from Arenthia. It was carved from a fallen branch, a rare treat in their forest. She had lovingly crafted elegant flower etchings into it with great care.

Farengar took his time pulling books from the chest one at a time. Partially enjoying himself, and partially in no hurry to leave. Dragonsreach suddenly seemed quiet and empty by comparison to the warm, comfortable sights, smells, and sounds of Sina's home and company. The drifting, melodic tune of her lute further relaxed him as he sifted through the chest, spotting a particularly fascinating book toward the bottom. Feeling almost drawn to it, he pushed aside the more common looking texts to uncover a most unusual looking tome. As he opened the cover, he was startled by a fine, black mist seeping forth from its pages.

"Strange…" he said to himself, feeling enticed in a way he sensed was supernatural.

Filled with a sense of foreboding, he attempted to close the book. Despite this, he found himself reading the words written on the first page.

Sina heard a soft thud.

Turning around, she saw an all too familiar black book lying on the ground. Farengar's head was bowed, his body completely transparent.

Sina's eyes widened, as she stared, frozen in shock.

A moment later she bolted from her seat, adrenaline pumping in her veins.

"Stupid!" she yelled angrily at herself in frustration. "Stupid stupid stupid!"

Tearing upstairs and quickly grabbing whatever adventuring gear was available beside her bed, she leapt downstairs in a flash and tore open the Black Book, Epistolary Acumen.

She quickly read as many of the words printed on the first page of the Daedric artifact as she was able.

Bring you forth the lovestruck mute who preys with vigor on his love, and set the sky alight-

Before Sina could read any more from the bizarre manuscript, black tentacles erupted from the pages, quickly wrapping themselves around her body. After a terrifying moment of struggle, they pulled her down into the realm of Apocrypha.

Farengar slowly beheld the strange plane of existence he found himself standing in. An endless library spanned in every conceivable direction. The books, some piling well into the sky, were all abnormal. Their covers were black as pitch, each of them featureless and titleless. Innumerable pages spiraled in vortexes on mystical winds with no discernible source. Strangest of all was the grey-green sky, filled with tentacles.

The wizard's mouth drew down into a hard frown, unsure what to make of the ominous realm. Inspecting the only object close at hand - a glowing, runed sculpture on a pedestal - he brushed a hand over its surface. Its top unfolded like a flower, exposing a glowing core, and he heard the sound of grating metal. A woven pattern of black iron stretched down to meet the platform on which he stood, forming a path toward a looming structure.

Following the new walkway with trepidation, he came upon an altar. On it sat a large book, its cover pulsating with green light. Fascinated and curious, Farengar opened it without hesitation.

His eyes widened at what he saw.

Text flowed across the pages, sitting still for mere moments at time. Words and letters swirled, flitting about the pages in odd patterns, looking somehow alive.

Sensing a presence, he glanced up from the book with a mix of terror and surprise, as he beheld a great, gold eye slide into view before him. A ghastly body followed, made up of black tentacles and numerous eyes, independently glancing in all directions.

A voice came from within his mind, sinister and repulsive. And also strangely alluring.

"All seekers of knowledge come to me… sooner or later."

Farengar stared at the being with bemused fascination. "Who are you?"

"I am HERMAEUS MORA," the Daedra bellowed in his mind. "The Gardener of Men, knower of the unknown, master of fates. You stand in my realm, mortal." He punctuated the final word in a raspy growl.

Farengar gazed into the great gold eye, intrigued. All of the creature's eyes turned toward him, piercing him with their stare.

"A Nord and a scholar. So much potential," the Daedra rumbled thoughtfully, causing Farengar to wonder what those numerous eyes were actually seeing - it felt as though they bore straight through him. "Those who serve me faithfully, are richly rewarded."

The text on the book before him slowed, forming a pattern of decipherable words.

"A small taste, of the gifts that I offer," he said with dark promise.

Farengar looked down in fascination. Licking his lips, he lifted the book in his hands.

His sea green eyes swept across the yellowed, ancient page, heart racing with excitement.

A wave of pain struck his mind, causing him to grit his teeth against the throbbing ache. Words poured into his mind at the merest glance, giving him no chance to comprehend their meaning. What little he could fathom before the information vanished into his head, was contradictory, if not utterly impossible. As his mind struggled to grasp the incoherent stream of information, he felt his sanity slipping and bending ever so slightly, attempting to allow all of it in. Invigorated and slightly terrifying, he sensed the forbidden, arcane secrets flowing inside of him, begging to be pondered and understood at length.

Exhilarated, he tore open the next page and the one after, devouring the overwhelming knowledge.

The text started to flow faster across the pages, spilling in different directions. However, he was amazed to find the speed and directions were somehow irrelevant now. He could read it all. Hermaeus Mora made sounds of encouragement, the Daedra's murky voice echoing with the words and reverberating deep within his mind as he read.

Suddenly an arrow buried itself into the page he was absorbing, knocking the book out of his hands and into the acidic lake below.

Shaking himself, Farengar looked around in a stupor.

"Hey guys! Finally found you!" Sina exclaimed brightly. "Sorry to interrupt."

Farengar stared at the Dragonborn uncertainty, coming back to grips with reality.

"Long time no see, Hermy!" Sina added, cheerfully addressing the Daedric Prince of forbidden knowledge with a large, friendly smile.

Tucking her bow behind her back, she stepped forward.

Farengar scowled at the tiny Bosmer. He had nearly been struck by an arrow, he realized. An arrow which had struck a singularly rare and tantalizing book into a lake of acid.

Sina cocked her head to one side, unfazed by his rancor. Standing up on the very tips of her toes, the tiny mer tried to peer into Farengar's eyes.

"Dragonborn…" the Daedra said unpleasantly, catching Sina's undivided attention.

"Sina!" she corrected, spinning around to face the Daedric Prince. "C'mon Hermy, don't be so formal."

Farengar raised an eyebrow at her lackadaisical manner, reminded of the time she had first entered Dragonsreach, referring to the Jarl only as 'Gruufy'. The Jarl had said, Dragonborn or no, he'd put a sword through her if she used the pet name again.

The Daedra seemed used to the name, or indifferent, as he ignored the comment.

"After ignoring my summons, here you are in my realm," Hermaeus Mora said in a dangerous tone. "I'm beginning to think you are… disloyal."

The last word came out in a threatening growl.

Sina narrowed her eyes.

"I told you last time," her mirth faded, replaced with a glare that looked more Dragon than Bosmer. "I belong to me."

"You forget. My word is as true as fate. As inevitable as destiny."

Farengar watched the tiny Bosmer and the gigantic god (or perhaps god-like being, he pondered momentarily) face off against one another, curious to see what the hero of legend would do next. He didn't wait long.

Sina turned to Farengar, nodding at the massive tentacle god.

"Daedric Princes," she said, shaking her head. "They're always such drama queens."

Hermaeus Mora rumbled in both of their minds at the Dragonborn's insolence.

"We'll be going now," Sina said, waving cheerfully and grabbing Farengar by the arm.

"Go if you wish," the Daedra said in a taunting voice. "But my new servant will remain."

Sina paused, looking from Farengar to the Daedric Prince and back again. The wizard started to open his mouth.

"No," Sina said, quickly cutting him off. "He's coming with me."

Sina tried to pull the protesting Farengar along behind her. The Dragonborn's heart sank as she watched the path elongate, creating an impossibly long corridor.

"Hermy-!" she snarled, whirling back toward the Daedra.

He disappeared, and walls slid into place around them. Apocrypha contorted, bending and shrinking until they were left in a stone room from which there seemed no escape.

"You had your chance to leave. Now, my champion, you will have AMPLE time to… reflect."

"Gods DAMN IT, HERMY!" Sina yelled, her Thu'um making the walls shake. Stomping her foot, she shouted, "You let us out of here right now, or I SWEAR TO AURIEL I WILL POKE YOUR STUPID EYE OUT!"

She snarled as there was no response.

Folding her arms, she took a deep breath and let it out. After she was calm, she turned around to face Farengar, who was giving her a considering, wide-eyed, look.

"I'm sorry," she said, practically hoarse from ranting. "I got you into this stupid mess. But I'll get us both out of it! Don't you worry."

He frowned, shaking his head.

"That's generous, but unnecessary. I'm perfectly content to remain here. Setting foot in the realm of Hermaeus Mora… how many mortals are ever afforded such an opportunity as this?" he asked, breathless with wonder. "I'm surrounded by more knowledge than I could have possibly imagined!"

Sina regarded him with a painfully guilty expression.

"Gods forgive me," she groaned putting her face in her hands, "I've lead a skooma addict to a moonsugar factory and given him the key."

Farengar glowered at her. He found her dismissive attitude reminiscent of the magic prejudices he endured across Skyrim for pursuing his studies. He looked at Sina with disappointment.

"I expected you at least could appreciate, or understand, the opportunities Hermaeus Mora affords. Secrets, knowledge, truth - all there for the taking! In my entire lifetime I could never have dreamed of such wonders. I've lived my entire life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. To be entreated by the Daedra of arcane secrets, no matter what the risk, I- What are you doing?" he asked in surprise as Sina squinted her eyes at him, once again straining to her full height. She rested a hand gently on his cheek, carefully searching his eyes.

Farengar was startled by the effect her soft touch had on him. He stared back into her warm, brown eyes, reminded of the peaceful serenity of being together in Breezehome. He realized, given a choice, listening to her hum and pluck her lute, surrounded by the colorful books of her collection (a stark contrast to the black and foreboding realm of Apocrypha), was a tempting alternative.

Sina pressed her lips together in concentration, pulling him down to eye level.

"I'd never forgive myself, if he drove you mad. You're still sane, right?' she implored, brows knitting together.

Farengar could only nod, touched by her raw concern.

"Once we get out of here, stay away from Apocrypha, Farengar," Sina said firmly. "I've watched him turn servants to dust on a whim. Many of the rest go mad, in time. The knowledge... it changes people."

Sina removed her hands, and Farengar found himself instantly missing the contact.

"Speaking of escape," he said, changing the subject. "Did you have something in mind? Short of divine intervention, I can't see a way out."

Sina excitedly pounded her fist in her hand.

"That's it!"

Farengar jumped back as she swung off her pack, upending the contents onto the floor. Diving into the mess, she threw objects haphazardly around the room. Dragon bones, trinkets, herbs, and, Farengar discovered, quickly stepping to the side, daggers.

"Be careful! Or were you trying to hit me instead of that book with your arrow before?" he asked in a huff.

"Oh please," Sina said, rolling her eyes, "I never miss! Well…" she trailed off, looking nostalgic, "...almost never. Ah hah!"

She triumphantly lifted a bottle of Nordic Mead - illegal across the Empire, due to its potency - into the air.

Uncorking it, she began chugging the bottle in one go.

"What are you-" Farengar began, but Sina merely held up a slender finger.

With a loud ahhh she polished off the bottle, a small hiccup escaping her lips. She said something, but her words were too soft to make out.

"What?" Farengar asked, leaning closer to hear.

"I SAID I HAVE A GREAT IDEA!" Sina yelled drunkenly.

"Fantastic," he replied cynically, rubbing his ear. "I'm sure this will only end well."

"SAM!" Sina shouted at the top of her lungs. "SAAAAAAAAAAAAM!"

Ah, Sina, a casual male voice whispered in her mind. It's been awhile.

"I knowsh - I've been laying off the hooch! Lishen… I'm in a bind. Can you help my friend and I? We're shtuck, stuck, in a book…"

Hm. Sam said, thoughtfully. I sense you're in one of Herma-Mora's realms. I cannot enter his sphere.

Sina frowned contemplatively as Farengar watched the conversation, or at least the one side of it he could hear, with interest.

"Can you open a portal to Misty Grove or something? Hera- Hemaro- Hermaeus," she finally managed, renewing her resolve to not slur, "doesn't play fair! We're totally fucked here, Sam!"

Interesting choice of words! Sam chuckled in her mind. Though I have no dominion in the realms of forbidden knowledge, I can extend my power in the presence of debauchery.

Farengar watched the small elf turn a bright shade of red, the deep blush spreading across her face and, amusingly, to her pointed ears.

Sina swallowed, glancing furtively at Farengar.

You're there with a friend, you say?

"Mhm. The Court Wizard of Whiterun," she said shyly.

Right, Farengar! No problem there! Just fuck his brains out.

The wizard in question watched with interest as Sina began to sputter, a tiny 'meep' escaping her. He quirked his head in response to the odd look she gave him.

"Any other options?" she asked hopefully in a small voice.

Sorry, that's the best I can do. Look, Sam's voice became sympathetic, I know it's been awhile for you. And that it's never been… Well, that it hasn't exactly been Nirn shattering before! But the only way I can get you both out is if you fuck him senseless. Or vice versa.

Fairly certain she was no longer blinking, Farengar waved a hand experimentally in front of Sina. The wood elf remained statuesque.

Sina? Sam asked.

"Y-yeah?" she stammered, coming out of her trance.

You said it was Farengar, right? Don't worry, he's clean! Sam said brightly. And don't be nervous, it's been awhile for him, too. He last enjoyed the company of a lovely Altmer woman at the College of Winterhold. A result of an interesting hedonistic spell, which caused them both to-

"AH! HMMMM, HM, HMMM!" Sina hummed quickly, blocking Sam out, then shouting in an embarrassed rush, "DON'TNEEDDETAILS, THANKS!"

Very well, the Daedric Prince laughed. Listen, you're welcome to take your chances with that stick up his ass Daedric Prince of Fate instead. Jump the wizard's bones, or don't. It's entirely up to you. I'm sure I'll see you again in a millennia. Two, tops.

"When you put it like that… Thing is, ah, I don't know if he's willing to- that is- Wait. Are you going to be watching?!" she demanded. The idea of a voyeur Daedric Prince did nothing for her mounting apprehension.

Sina. Sam replied flatly. I'm the Prince of Indulgence. I can tell you exactly how many people are in the throes of sexual pleasure at this very moment. Why, for instance! Just now, the Jarl of Whiterun is nearing climax with-

"NOPE! Nope, nope, nope!" she said, waving her hands and closing her eyes as if she could block out the imagery. "I don't want to know that much about my Jarl's personal life!"

Farengar raised his eyebrows thoughtfully at her outburst.

Of course, Sam said respectfully.

Sina sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Sam. You're-" she began.

It's Irileth. They're sixty-nining on the Great Porch. Oh! And she just came. Well done there, Jarl.

"-A COMPLETE PRICK!" Sina finished, rubbing her fists against her eyes, trying to expel the images. Maybe Sam was making it up to get a rise out of her. It was very possible. Whatever, or whomever, the Jarl did was his own business. She respected him and didn't want to imagine him… she sighed. It was like trying to not think of a pink mammoth when someone said 'don't think of a pink mammoth'.

Best of luck! Sam said, and she could hear the amused laughter in his voice. You should find the wizard to your liking. He certainly finds you to his! Why, several times, he's thought of you while he-

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, SAM!" she yelled, suddenly remembering why she decided to lay off alcohol. Godsdamn smartass Daedra. Silence fell in her mind, as she cast a healing spell to sober up.

"So…" Sina said, unable to look directly at Farengar who was watching her expectantly. She tried to think of an ice breaker. "Read any good books lately?"

Farengar gave her a humorless expression.

"Oh… right," she said, looking around Apocrypha. "I didn't mean… ughhh."

"Who is Sam?" Farengar interrupted as she slapped herself on the forehead. "Can he return us to Mundus?"

"Sam is Sanguine. Not bad, as Daedric Princes go. Never tried to gyp me out of my soul, at least. Though he's no saint either," she said, remembering her very temporary engagement to a hagraven.

"How many Gods do you know?" Farengar asked in amazement, realizing how little he knew about the secret life of the Dragonborn. "Do you have pet names for all of the Aedra and Daedra?"

"Not ALL of them," Sina grumbled. "Honestly! Why anyone worships those melodramatic windbags! It's all 'blah blah blah, owning your soul', and 'yadda yadda eternal servitude'. They're a bunch of all-powerful sadists! Oh, right. About the other thing," she said, shifting her eyes away from his. "Sanguine can return us to Skyrim."

Farengar watched her awkwardly glance around the room, looking anywhere but at him.

"And what does the Daedric Prince of debauchery want in return?"

He was probably putting things together, she figured, and was asking to be certain.

"Sam needs influence here, to open his portal. If we want his help... we need to..." she trailed off, coughing politely.

"Have sex?" he guessed.

"Nailed it. No pun intended."

Farengar spoke next, interrupting the uncomfortable silence stretching out between them.

"To be clear," he said stoically, "The options available are having intercourse or letting you consign yourself to eternal servitude?"

"Yep, that sums it up! Hermy wants me to be his dutiful little Dragonborn servant. I've been blowing him off for awhile now - last time I was here, things got... heavy. He doesn't seem to be taking no for an answer this time," she said, warily examining the confined room. "He can keep people alive here indefinitely. Well, hypothetically we could kill ourselves and wake up back in our bodies, but I'm really not eager to put that theory to the test."

"Agreed." Farengar looked at her, a small frown forming at the corners of his mouth. "You knew he would do this if you came here after me - that he wouldn't let you leave?"

Sina waved her hand dismissively.

"Hey, don't forget, I'm the one that left a dangerous Daedric artifact laying around in the first place, where anyone could just… oh, crap. On that note, I need to do some serious spring cleaning when we get back. I just realized how dangerous my house is!"

Silence stretched out between them again.

"Perhaps," Farengar said thoughtfully, remembering the exhilarating feeling of reading the black book, "If I consign myself to his service, he would see fit to let you go? I don't mind-"

He stopped at the withering look Sina gave him.

"That's not happening," she said slowly and emphatically, glaring at him. "Ever."

He frowned as she grudgingly entered his personal space, apparently determined to initiate something between them. The tiny Bosmer awkwardly sought a place to rest her hands on him, looking about as enthused as a Khajiit about to swim a marathon.

"If you don't want to-" Farengar said a bit more flatly than he meant to, feeling insulted by her lackluster interest.

"I want to!" she insisted wholeheartedly, though Farengar found this hard to believe from her demeanor. "Unless you mind?" she added quickly, ready to back off in a hurry.

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.

"No," he said lamely, unsure how else to reply. "I don't mind."

"Um, good. It's settled then."

With that, Farengar remained still, letting the tiny elf work up her courage and do whatever she wanted to do. If she wanted to touch him, he honestly had no qualms with it. Whether she wanted to or not did seem somewhat in question however.

The Dragonborn's hands hesitantly came to rest on his sides, gingerly touching him as if he might burn her. Skittish as she seemed to be, he didn't want to frighten her away. It was almost as if…

"Is this your first time?" he asked, her gentle hands trembling against him.

"No, not at all."

"Ah, of course not," he said. "Me either."

"I know," she regretted it the moment she said it.

"What?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed quickly, silently cursing Sam and his over eagerness to impart details of the sex lives of others. She buried her face in his blue robe, just below his chest. He towered over her, as Sina was short even among Bosmer. Many a bandit literally died laughing when she introduced herself as the legendary Dragonborn.

"You smell nice," she murmured, finding the warmth of his body surprisingly comfortable. Nords were like furnaces, and Sina herself was perpetually cold. His robes felt good; soft and clean. She sighed, breathing in slowly. They smelled like smoke and him. Something about the way he smelled really was remarkably pleasant.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, giving her ample time to object.

Sina nuzzled against him, enjoying the embrace. Were they back in Breezehome, she would have happily spent a whole day curled up in his arms like this. She loved to cuddle. It was everything that came after she dreaded.

At the thought of sex, she tensed up all over again.

"Are you alright?" Farengar asked, feeling her stiffen.

"Yep. I'm fine." She gave him her best encouraging smile. Maybe she could get a cuddle afterward. That would be nice. "You can touch me as much as you like. Only if you want to, of course."

Farengar inhaled deeply.

"Alright," he said, "If at any time you prefer that I stop, just say so."

Sina nodded. How ridiculous, she thought to herself, that she could easily kill men and mer, beasts and dragons, but sex - something everyone else seemed so at ease with - made her nervous as all hell. She wished she were fighting a dragon; there at least, she knew where she stood.

Now, in addition to the usual pressure of pretending to enjoy sex, she had to worry about what Farengar was thinking. Afterall, he was being coerced into it as much as she was. Oh well, she thought. Nords tended toward being rather direct in their advances. Hopefully he wouldn't over think it to death and get straight down to business without reservation.

Sina was glad to find he did exactly that.

Farengar began by placing soft kisses on her neck while combing his fingers through her long hair.

The wizard kissed a trail up to her chin, where he paused. Sea green eyes met her dark brown. Staring deeply at her, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and stroked her cheek with a warm hand, before pressing his lips to hers. The memory of his fiery look etched itself in her mind as he pressed their bodies together, and Sina was consumed by the imagine of those beautiful eyes, burning intensely with secret, unspoken words.

He began to kiss her hungrily, causing her to gasp, as his hands explored her body.

Shivering despite his encompassing warmth, she trembled, excited and nervous. He removed her leather cuirass, exposing her cleavage and her loose fitting white tunic. From the look on his face, she could tell he liked the view. Hands massaging her back, he kissed her exposed collar bones, pressing her closer against his firm body once more.

Sina moaned a little when she met his mouth again and he kissed her passionately, his tongue sliding across her lower lip before nipping it.

Surprised to find herself enjoying his caresses and kisses, a smile formed on her lips, still firmly pressed against the wizard's. She was pleasantly surprised as she felt him return the gesture in kind.

As she felt his hands reach her belt, however, she drew a shaky breath.

It would all be fine, she told herself, trying to steel her nerves, as her leather leggings fell around her ankles. His hands cupped her ass, and she silently hummed a tune to herself, trying to remain calm. It was when she felt him slide her smalls off, she couldn't help but panic.

Farengar stopped immediately, as if sensing her thoughts, though she wasn't sure how. Sina looked up at him in unspoken question.

"What is it?" he asked, brow furled with raw concern.

"What do you mean?" she asked cheerfully, giving him a confused smile.

"You're shaking," he pointed out, placing his hands gently on either side of her face. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

She was shaking, she realized. Embarrassed, she found herself unable to stop.

"No," she said dismissively on reflex. She sighed, feeling the weight of Farengar's stare of disbelief. "Okay, yes. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

Her trembling grew worse for some reason as she gave voice to her fear, her shaking intensified and it was as though she'd just climbed out of an icy spring.

Farengar wordlessly sat them both down, wrapping himself protectively around her.

"Gods, why can't I stop shaking?" Sina quavered, finding her voice trembling as well

Farengar's sinewy strong arms tightened comfortingly, and that at least made her body relax a little.

"Perhaps you could tell me what's making you nervous?" Farengar suggested, tilting her chin up so their eyes met, and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I am adamantly hoping it's nothing I've done."

"Absolutely not!" Sina said quickly. "You're probably the kindest person I've ever been with, so, please don't think otherwise." Sina sighed, forcing the confession out of her mouth and off of her tongue. "The truth is, that I… I don't like sex."

She sighed, feeling better for saying it aloud.

"Everyone is always going on about how amazing and mind-blowing sex is," she continued, grumbling into his chest. "And people look at me funny if I say I don't enjoy it. I mean, I like being touched... I desire feeling someone close to me, but... I've haven't had any good experiences. Guys skip the foreplay and go for it while I'm still dry... Or, even if I am ready for it, I'm small if you catch my drift. It always hurts. And sometimes the guy can't fit, and, after some painful attempts, he gets exasperated... Some have berated me for it; said it's because I'm bad at sex. I told them to go fuck themselves of course, but it still stings. Because, maybe I am. I don't know. It just shakes my confidence up."

She buried her face in his robes, hiding her eyes as she rallied herself. Sina just couldn't do melancholy for long. It wasn't her.

Farengar listened quietly, wishing he could show her previous lovers the error of their ways with extreme prejudice. Although she tried to speak positively, he couldn't shake the image of her, laying alone in bed, tears in her eyes, and painful bruises between her legs, where some Neanderthal dimwit had stabbed her repeatedly with his cock before grumbling and abandoning her bed. Gods, he would bet gold her first experience had probably been exactly that.

"Look, um, if I haven't killed the mood completely.." she began in a husky whisper which made his pulse quicken, as she slowly ground her hips against his. "Could you, maybe...?"

The wizard leisurely reached up and took her chin between his fingers, tilting her face so he could whisper seductively in her ear.

"This is quite... irregular. I want you - Gods,I want you - however, I'd prefer it were under different circumstances."

"I agree, but we need to get out of here," Sina insisted, pressing more urgently against him, watching his stoic expression intently, trying to arouse him. "Tell me what you like," she said with half lidded eyes, running her hands over his body. "And I'll do it."

"Very well," he said in a husky voice. "Undress."

With deft hands, Sina undid the bow at her chest, loosening the strings of her tunic. Tossing it and her breast band aside, she was left straddling the robbed wizard in the nude.

Farengar stared at her bared flesh, tracing her every curve with keen eyes.

"Beautiful," he murmured, tilting her up to meet his lips with two fingers below her chin.

When they broke apart, Sina felt breathless.

"How should I touch you?" she asked, her small, pink tongue licking her lips in silent invitation.

"I have something else in mind," he said thoughtfully, tracing her curves with warm hands. Tucking his hands under her her hips, he lifted and turned her around so that her back rested against her chest. Pulling her back against him, his hand moved between her breasts, running across her stomach in a slow caress, trailing lower.

"H-hey!" Sina squeaked, cheeks flushed. No one had ever touched her so intimately before. "What are you doing?"

"What I like," his said simply, sliding a hand between her legs and stroking her.

A long moan came from the tiny, squirming Bosmer and Sina heard a delicious, intimate whisper in her ear.

"Mmm, that's what I like to hear."

With his other hand, Farengar caressed her chest, stroking a thumb across her nipples.

Sina found herself spreading her knees apart, giving his fingers better access. Farengar took the opportunity to slide one finger lower until he entered her. He smiled as she arched her back against him, whimpering his name as she came.

After several breaths, she craned her head back to look at him.

"That felt... Oh, Auriel!" she exclaimed, shaking her head and shutting her eyes. "Now! What can I do for you?"

She gasped as he stroked her again. Sina wriggled against the wonderful feeling of his fingers. "Farengar, you already pleasured me!" she protested, not wanting to neglect him. "I want to do something for you, too!"

He chuckled in her ear.

"Then let me enjoy myself," he whispered, planting a kiss on the tip of her ear.

Sina shuddered at the contact, causing him to grin wickedly.

"So," he asked, experimentally nipping her ear, "the Dragonborn has sensitive ears has she?"

"Ahhh... D-don't do that," Sina gasped in a shuddering whisper. "It feels too good." The sensations on her ear went directly between her legs, which were already very stimulated beneath the wizard's skilled touch.

Sina felt him touch inside her once more, this time moving with two fingers. The girth startled her, but she found herself quickly adjusting to the size without discomfort. When she felt another finger, she tensed nervously, but the sensation of Farenger running his tongue from lobe to tip on her ear, made her relax into his touch.

Having adjusted to the size, she expected the wizard to flip her over and begin rutting away at her. What she did not expect was Farengar to continue finger fucking her, bringing her to orgasm time and again for what she could only guess was the course of an hour.

The clever wizard located a spot inside of her which drove her crazy, and he delighted himself by making full use of the small spot within her to reduce her to a mewling mess of incoherent bliss.

"Farengar," she said, eyes lolling back in her head. "How are you so good at this?"

He smiled against her sensitive ear.

"Nothing turns me on more than the sight of a woman moaning in ecstasy. You look positively gorgeous."

Without a word, Sina turned around and pushed him back, undoing his robe with a big grin. He let her pull his robes open, watching her work with a seductive expression of intrigue. Sina reached into his smalls and took hold of him. Holding him in her hand, she raised an eyebrow in nervous wonder. He was quite large. She squeezed him affectionately, before taking him inside her mouth, licking thoroughly, until every inch of him was wet.

The she was straddling him, ever so gently, rocking and rubbing against him, working his tip inside.

The wizard made a guttural sound as she took him in. He placed his hands behind his head, fighting back the temptation to grab her hips and bury himself deep inside her.

Sina worked him in slowly, edging herself along his length, inch by inch, enjoying the increasing fullness.

Finally, she sheathed him completely, a low sound of pleasure coming from the wizard. She remained still a moment, before experimentally raising her hips. After a pause, she moved her hips again, gingerly, so as not to injure herself. She watched Farengar grit his teeth as she slowly built up a rhythm she could enjoy. Her pace seemed somewhere between pleasure and torture for him. She kept it up, savoring the sounds of his breath hitching and the way all of his muscles tensed as he drew closer to release. His hands flew to her waist for a moment, before he gripped the uneven floor instead, forcing himself not to grab her and move her hips to his rhythm.

He sharply inhaled as Sina changed her motion, pounding her hips faster. Farengar's teeth clenched, his body tensing and shaking slightly. A moment later he came, gasping with pleasure and relief, he roughly wrapped his arms around the tiny elf, stopping her movements.

Sina moaned at the sensation of his climax inside her, riding the wave of his orgasm, shuddering inside of her.

A shimmering portal opened at the center of the room.

Dragonborn and wizard exchanged a look, and Sina gently removed herself from Farengar's lap, quickly gathering her clothes and belongings. The two entered the portal, and on the other side, found themselves half-dresses and breathless in the Misty Grove. As always, it was a dimly lit summer night (despite it being winter) and a festive atmosphere filled the air around them. Lanterns shone from the trees, and a table was crowded with people laughing in friendly revelry.

Sina hid herself behind the clothing held bunched up in her hands as best she could.

"I'd offer you an invitation to the party," Sam said with a smile, standing beside the table in his deceptively plain traveler's robes, "but I expect you want to return to Skyrim."

"That'd be great!" Sina said, with an embarrassed smile, wriggling her bare feet in the cool grass. "Thanks, Sam. For everything. For a Daedric Prince, you can be alright at times."

Sam sniffed.

"Oh stop, you'll embarrass me! Oh! Don't forget these," he said, snapping his fingers and pointing a finger. The portal reappeared, and he walked inside, then reappeared, holding Sina's boots.

"Wait," she said, numbly taking her footwear. "But you said… you... YOU COULD GO TO APOCRYPHA THE WHOLE TIME?!"

Sam let out a merry laugh.

"Haha, busted! Yeah, I was just screwing with you," he said, smacking his thigh as he laughed heartily. "I'm a Daedric Prince, I can go almost anywhere. I just thought you needed to get laid."

His smiled only intensified as Sina glared at him with shock and murderous intent.

Sina dropped her bundle of gear and clothes, all bashfulness about her nudity gone, as she grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow.

When she looked up, she and Farengar were standing on the Great Porch in Dragonsreach. Dropping her weapon, she wrapped her arms around her chest, bracing herself against the cold gusts of wind.

"Dragonborn?!" she heard a familiar voice exclaim. Jarl Balgruuf looked at her with wide eyes. "What are you doing out here, bare arsed naked- Oh."

The Jarl paused when he spotted his haphazardly dressed court wizard with her.

"Don't let me interrupt then," he said with a roguish grin, turning and leaving.

"My Jarl," said a stern female voice that made Sina's eyes widen dramatically, "you are not going down to the Bannered Mare without my guard."

Sina looked at Irileth, joining them from near the door.

"And what makes you think I'm going out for a drink, hm?" the Jarl replied. One look at her flinty expression and he sighed. "Hmph. Very well. I should no better than to try and argue with you."

Sina thought she saw a secret smile in his eyes when he glanced at the Dunmer, but was it friendly affection or secret romantic love? Frowning she, cursed Sam. Now she'd always be wondering if there was something there, or if she was seeing things.

As the two of them left, Sina scrambled into her clothes, teeth chattering.

Farengar escorted her back into Dragonsreach (after thoroughly adjusting his own attire), and poured them both a drink in his private study.

After a few drinks and a lot of laughter, Sina saw him give her a familiar look. It was just as he had done before he kissed her in Apocrypha. He seemed to look down into her eyes, and then into her soul. Leaning closer, feeling drawn by his expression, Sina admired his face.

"You, my good wizard, have ruined me. I hope you're happy with yourself," she said shaking her head while smiling pleasantly.

Farengar leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Oh? And may I ask what I have done?"

Sina shot a playfully accusing look at him.

"You made sex good. Now I'm going to have all of these... expectations. It's just awful."

"Poor you," he said with a chuckle.

"I know, right?" she replied, play acting as though she were thoroughly distraught.

She was caught off guard as Farengar grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into a deep kiss as she made a shrill sound of surprise.

As he broke the kiss, he cupped her chin instead, looking fondly at her eyes once more.

"You have me in a difficult position, I'm afraid."

"How's that?" Sina asked, "I'm the one bent awkwardly here! You grabbed me, remember?"

She shifted around so her legs were wrapped around his waist, giving her perfect access tear his hood back and admire him better.

"Not physically," Farengar explained, relaxing as she touched his face, running her hands through his facial hair in a satisfying way. "I was thinking, perhaps you might be interested in forming a relationship together," he said, and Sina smiled brightly.

"But now," he said with a deep, fake, sigh, "I fear you'll only be interested in me for my body-"

Sina punched him in the arm. He only chuckled. Physical strength was not her forte.

"What? My body isn't enough for you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," she said, shaking her head and stealing a kiss. "I'm going to steal your heart, Farengar Secret-Fire."

Farengar planted a kiss on her forehead, giving her one of his piercing, sea green, gazes.

"Too late," he said, stroking her cheek.

Any witty retort Sina had ready died on her tongue, as she could only smile affectionately back as he pulled her closer and began kissing her passionately. Who knew kissing and sex could be as good as cuddling? she thought to herself as Farengar enfolded her in his embrace.