"My lady allow me to introduce myself, my name is Hieronymus Lex of the Imperial Watch, the high chancellor requests your presence at the Imperial Palace, I am to escort you there right away."
Aerilaya is surprised and intrigued, she agrees and off they go....
Once inside the palace she finds Chancellor Ocato waiting for her in the council chambers.
"My lord chancellor how may I be of service?"
"Rise my child, no need of formalities here."
Ocato beacons Aerilaya closer, "I see my dear captain Lex was not exaggerating when he told me of your beauty..." she blushes and a rather embarrassed Lex goes all red. "But I'm afraid we have no more time for pleasantries the situation is grave and time is short." Aerilaya asks he means the assassination of the emporer? "on this occasion no, you are the one they refer to as Aerilaya?" she nods "yes my lord" Ocato ponders for a moment..."tell me Aerilaya what do you know of the mystic elf woman of your land known only as Sia?"
The mere mention of the name hit Aerilaya with a sickening force, she feels a pain in her stomach and feels faint,
turning away from the chancellor it looks as if she might, Ocato and the captain rush to steady her fearing she may fall ..
but she quickly recovers her composure, nervously a trembling in her voice she speaks..."my apologies my lord, I have not heard that name for many long years now, but why would you call me to talk of her?" The chancellors offers Aerilaya a seat but she decides to remain standing, Ocato speaks..."I'm sure you are by now aware of the terrible fate that befell the city if Kvatch?"
She tells Ocato that she does "the general population believe that the city was attacked by daedra from oblivion and this is all tied in with the assassination of our emperor, but they are wrong, the daedra that destroyed the city were an army raised by this Sia, she is ruthless and merciless, apart from those who escaped or managed to hide she left nothing alive, woman children it made no difference. We have kept this from the people as we believe that one crises is enough for them to handle and to avoid mass panic."
Aerilaya stood there in stunned silence as the chancellor told her what he knew.. of Sia's involvement with the Dark Brotherhood, the gruesome murders she was believed to have committed, on he went telling her about how they learned from captured mythic dawn agents that Sia had been given lordship over an entire oblivion plane by Lord Dagon himself and then he spoke once more "and now I will inform you that this Sia, this evil scourge at this very moment assails the city of Skingrad to the west as we speak,
the city is burning...
and the Count's soldier's along with what renforcements we could send fight a desperate battle for survival against this evil abomination"
After he had finished there was silence, Aerilaya struggled to comprehend, how could she? Why would she? Was she aware of her presence here in Cyrodill? Ocato spoke again "Aerilaya it is clear to me you know more of this Sia than you have yet admitted? For your sake my child and that of the empire and all the innocent people that are in peril you must tell me what you know" Aerilaya began.....
"My lord chancellor you must know I meant no harm, I have devoted my life to the service of the nine and have tried to lead as good as life as one may in these dark time but there is one secret that haunts me and causes me great shame, there is a bond between me and this woman you know as Sia a bond that can only exist between a relation of our kind" Ocato, interrupts stunned "your kind? you are related?" Aerilaya takes in a deep breath, a tear escapes from her eye, she struggles to remain composed...
"yes it is true....she......she is my...my mother"
There is a stunned silence, both the chancellor and the captain stare at Aerilaya for what seems like an age, then captian Lex finally breaks the silence...."Sir this surely cannot be true can it? The reports from those who have seen her and lived tell of a young woman of extraordinary beauty, how can this be?" Ocato, "ah my good captain this is perfectly plausible you seem to forget our young friend here is an elf and in terms of years is probably older than you. But still Aerilaya he has a kind of point if what you say is true then the age difference can't be great and those wings? This Sia has none?"
"From what I know my lord my mother was very young when she gave birth to me, she left when I was still very young and I was cared for by relatives, they to this day have never told me why she abandoned me or the circumstances of birth or who my father was. My mother did have wings my lord, if she is as powerful as you say then she has removed or concealed them some way, for what reason I do not know."
Ocato and Lex whispered something between eachother Aerilaya interrupted "what will happen to me now?" Ocato turned to her, "Aerilaya you cannot be held responsible for who your mother is and what she has done, we can only but ask you for you aid in this matter I will fully understand if you refuse" Aerilaya turned away tears streaming down her cheeks she wiped her face and tried to compose herself as best she could then turned back to face Ocato....
"My lord I place myself at your service....." Ocato thanked her and turned to the captain, but Aerilaya already knew what she had to do........
She would have to track down and confront her mother.......
