Miraak went first, as she knew he must.

It might have been an accident, but he had waited more than four thousand years for her in the warped halls of an Oblivion Realm. He would not have survived waiting for her again, or waiting to grow old and die – or, rather, the world would not have survived him. A holdover from Hermaeus Mora or not, he had a bad habit of playing fast and loose with morality, even though there were lines even he wouldn't cross.

Although it had taken some convincing – actual convincing, since she wouldn't let Miraak use Bend Will on him – Odahviing had carried them both to Skuldafn, and Sovngarde. As a High Elf, Amlugdaril had felt decidedly odd about arriving in the Nordic afterlife, but she had pushed past it; defeating Alduin had been more important.

Gormlaith, Hakon, and Feldir had been – well, most displeased would be an understatement – to see Miraak approaching on her heels in Shor's Hall. There had actually been a brief scuffle between Gormlaith and the Dragon Priest, but when he accused them of wanting to abuse his powers and then betray him, none of them had actually denied it.

Which had made Amlugdaril see red, but in the end, they all went out to face Alduin together regardless.

And she and Miraak returned to Nirn in triumph.

They did eventually do the "responsible adult" thing and talk about their bond. During a spar. That evolved into a fight like at Castle Dour, that led to the conception of their first child.

First of six, all of them Dragonborn like their parents before them. As Amlugdaril put it once, "Never let it be said that Miraak's time in Apocrypha negatively affected his performance."

"I didn't need to know that!" Farkas had protested.

"Yes, you did," she had laughed.

(Their third child had been conceived when she learned Miraak had murdered the last of the Blades for threatening Paarthurnax, or "Grandfather Wing" as their children called him. The fifth was a result of her discovering that he'd been quietly using Bend Will on hundreds of Thalmor agents they'd encountered.)

(Fast and loose with morality, indeed.)

Together with their friends and allies, they'd smashed the Stormcloak rebellion, siding with the Empire against them and the Thalmor.

A second Great War came, as they knew it would, and the two Dragonborn became the Empire's greatest and most terrifying assets.

This time, the Aldmeri Dominion did not win. Miraak absolutely used and abused Bend Will and Dragon Aspect, and cast Battle Fury on entire legions placed under his command. Aura Whisper and Become Ethereal suited Amlugdaril's sneak-thief spying more, but Dragon Aspect suited her, too.

(Their last child was born nine months to the day after the peace treaty was signed, and the White-Gold Concordat ripped to shreds.)

Miraak went first, as she knew he must.

Powerful Dragon Priest or no, he was still a Nord, a man, and so he still aged faster than her. But no matter what it took, he kept his body strong and fit for as long as possible.

Strong enough and fit enough that when news came of a pack of dragons terrorizing Bruma in Cyrodiil while Amlugdaril was away, he didn't even hesitate before donning his armor and heading out to the Pale Pass.

He slew them all… but didn't make it home.

His body was recovered and laid in state in the Temple of the One, where Amlugdaril sat vigil for three days and nights, her soulmark slowly weeping blood. Then she took him back to Skyrim, and buried him in secret somewhere on the Monahven. The only people she told were their children, so that when her time came she could be laid to rest beside him.

And then, she carried on.

Miraak went first, as she knew he must.

But she lived long enough to see their eldest son adopted as heir, and eventually sit the Ruby Throne.

And then it was her turn.

Familiar steps resolved under her feet, statues and rock walls around her, and for a moment she blinked in surprise. Even though she had refused him more than once, didn't Hermaeus Mora have some claim on her soul? As one of her Nightingales, didn't Nocturnal? And she was a Dragonborn, yes, but she was also a High Elf.

What was she doing in Sovngarde? Again?

Kodlak was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps, smiling, Farkas and Vilkas at his sides. She descended to meet them. Their smiles widened, and Vilkas jerked his head back toward Shor's Hall.

Miraak was waiting for her in front of the Whalebone Bridge, feet planted, arms crossed over his chest. "You're late."

"Well excuse me," she grinned, "I wasn't aware I had a deadline for dying."

He wasn't the only one waiting for her, but he was the only one who really mattered. Still, she glanced at Tsun to one side, who smiled and nodded once.

As one, both Dragonborn drew their swords and saluted one another.

And then laughing, they lunged.