When was the last time I laid eyes on a Dragonborn?
Right. It must have been during the Third Era, while I was enjoying a blood feast in my castle as usual.
Curiosity had struck me when news arrived that a man named Tiber Septim had unified Tamriel. I set out for Cyrodiil, figuring I might as well travel a bit.
As he marched through the streets of the capital, I could feel it—the valor of a Dragonborn and an aura that purified all evil.
Having lived for nearly a thousand years, honing my skills and gathering experience, I knew immediately.
The elf standing before me right now carried that same dragon blood in her veins, just as Tiber Septim had.
**
Harkon, having transformed into a Vampire Lord, emanated a sinister aura that revealed his wicked nature.
He was certain that mere mortals could never resist the sweet temptation of immense physical power and eternal youth. He fully expected us to prostrate ourselves in gratitude and accept his 'blessing.'
But the answer that came back defied his prophecy.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to refuse."
"Me too..."
To his shock, we turned him down. Even with all his centuries of experience, Harkon looked genuinely rattled.
He was livid. Usually, people would be groveling at his feet for such a gift, and yet these two had the gall to pick the 'refuse' option. He could have killed us right there or banished us from the castle, but he paused to clear his head and think.
Having witnessed the majesty of Tiber Septim during his own lifetime, he couldn't bear to let a Dragonborn like Choi Ha-neul—someone with such vast potential—slip through his fingers.
'The Dawnguard, was it?'
Harkon had already heard rumors of that band of fools who had declared they would stand against vampires. He didn't fear them, but with an official vampire-hunting organization appearing and the Civil War potentially ending soon, it was inevitable that the world would eventually turn its full attention toward his kind.
He felt the need to bolster the strength of the Volkihar clan.
Of course, realizing the 'prophecy' would turn the tide, but the success of that was still an unknown. He wanted Choi Ha-neul to be his sword.
And so, he devised a clever plan.
"It is a shame you reject my offer, but it would hurt my pride to simply turn away the benefactors who saved my daughter."
Harkon spoke, then stated that he wished to treat us to a meal.
"A meal...?"
Choi Ha-neul and I instinctively thought of blood and human flesh. Naturally, we had no desire to partake in such a feast, and it showed on our faces.
Harkon spoke as if to reassure us.
"Vampires do not consume only blood and flesh. I shall have normal food served, so do not worry."
"Urgh..."
Even with his assurance, Choi Ha-neul couldn't shake her unease.
"Are we really going to eat and then leave, Mister?"
"We don't have a choice. I don't know what'll happen if we refuse again."
In the original game, you're banished immediately if you refuse to become a vampire. But in this world, where things weren't exactly following the script, I had no idea how it would play out.
Given Harkon's ruthlessness, further defiance would definitely cross a line. I decided to accept.
'He said it's normal food.'
Surely he wouldn't do anything to the dishes.
Harkon ordered his thralls to prepare the feast, then headed toward the alchemy lab within the castle to meet someone.
"Greetings, Lord Harkon. To what do I owe the honor?"
The person—well, vampire—he met was none other than Feran Sadri, the resident alchemist of Castle Volkihar.
"I need you to craft a specific type of poison."
"What exactly are you looking for, my Lord?"
"An agent that weakens resistance to magic and illusion. Ensure it is both tasteless and odorless."
"That is no trouble at all. I shall have it ready shortly."
At his command, Feran expertly began concocting the requested poison.
He brought Chaurus Eggs, Salt Piles, and Deathbell from the display cases to the lab table, grinding the ingredients finely in a mortar.
Next, he diluted the mixture with water and boiled it. After a process of distillation and extraction, a faint green liquid was poured into a transparent glass vial. It was finished.
With a wicked smirk, Harkon took the drug and left Feran Sadri's room. From a distance, Serana watched the scene in silence.
**
While the vampire thralls were preparing the food, Choi Ha-neul and I looked around the castle interior.
The antique furniture and cupboards filled with silver sets created an air of luxury.
That said, the bloodstains scattered about and the stray bone fragments—presumably human—strewn here and there were enough to make my skin crawl.
Eventually, we spotted the people attending to the vampires. Choi Ha-neul approached them.
"Uugh... uuurgh..."
They weren't wearing the fancy vampire armor, but rather tattered rags. Their eyes were lifeless, like dead fish. Worst of all, they couldn't even speak properly, letting out only animalistic moans.
"These people are...?"
"They are thralls, my dear little elf girl."
As Choi Ha-neul expressed her curiosity, Hestla—a high-ranking vampire who had been watching her with interest—answered.
"Thralls?"
"Yes. Once you become a pure-blooded vampire, you can manipulate the weak minds of humans and turn them into your servants."
Hestla spoke while roughly grabbing the wrist of a thrall who was serving wine from a tray.
She sank her fangs into the neck and began greedily draining the blood.
"Gah... aagh!"
The thrall trembled and cried out in agony, but Hestla didn't show a hint of mercy, focused solely on quenching her thirst.
Thud.
With its blood depleted, the thrall collapsed helplessly to the floor. Hestla merely wiped the blood from her mouth and looked down with utter indifference.
"This one's no use anymore. I should 'dispose' of it soon."
Choi Ha-neul was horrified by how emotionlessly Hestla spoke, as if she were talking about a piece of trash.
"Dispose? What do you mean by—"
"The meal is ready."
Right on time, the cooking was finished. Choi Ha-neul sat at the table, unable to shake the heavy feeling in her chest.
"Uuugh..."
Even though the food was out, she just toyed with her utensils, unable to take a bite.
The dishes were actually prepared quite well, but there was no way anyone could have an appetite while sitting in a place like this surrounded by master vampires.
"What are you waiting for? Eat before it gets cold."
At Harkon's prompting, we finally began eating. I took a bite of some meat that was still dripping with juices, and a savory flavor spread through my mouth.
'Hm... this tastes like beef.'
Thankfully, they hadn't served grilled human. Serana sat beside us and ate as well.
There was no sense of enjoyment. We just mechanically put the food in our mouths and chewed.
"Is the food to your liking?"
To be honest, it was far worse than the food at Dragonsreach. Being vampires, their palates clearly differed from those of humans.
But telling the truth might get my head chopped off. At Harkon's question, I forced a smile and lied.
"Haha... it's delicious. Right?"
"It's... good..."
Harkon seemed to notice our pathetic acting, but he didn't call us out on it.
"Wait..."
Choi Ha-neul's condition seemed strange. Her hands holding the knife and fork were trembling, and her complexion looked terrible.
"Ha-neul, are you okay?"
"Maybe it's because I couldn't sleep last night..."
Now that I thought about it, unlike me, she had stayed awake all night at the inn because she was worried about Serana. But even accounting for that, she looked remarkably unwell.
'I need to get her back as soon as possible.'
I could have Eloise heal her, or if all else failed, we could go to a temple for a blessing.
In Skyrim, receiving a blessing from the Divines wipes away all diseases, so I didn't think there was much to worry about.
"Do you feel unwell? Let me have a look."
Harkon spoke and grabbed Choi Ha-neul's wrist as if checking her pulse. In that moment, he secretly funneled sinister magicka into her body.
"Ack!"
She let out a groan of pain, and I kicked my chair back as I stood up.
"What is the meaning of—!"
"I'm fine."
The moment I shouted, Choi Ha-neul calmed me down with a smile, as if to show she was unhurt.
But something was wrong. It wasn't her usual lively smile. It was far too artificial.
"You..."
"What is it?"
Even her way of speaking had changed.
"Listen while we eat. I shall ask my daughter's saviors once more: Do you truly have no intention of accepting my blood?"
As I stood there confused, Harkon made the offer again.
I refused, and I expected her to do the same, but...
"It would be an honor."
Shockingly, she accepted Harkon's proposal. I couldn't hide my bewilderment. I asked her again to make sure I hadn't misheard.
"Are you serious...?"
"Yes."
Unfortunately, I hadn't misheard, and her resolve seemed firm. It was just too strange.
Her entire aura and intent had shifted in an instant. I wasn't so dense that I wouldn't notice such an obvious change.
Most of all, for her to act this way right after eating was incredibly unnatural.
"A magnificent choice."
Harkon patted her shoulder, praising her decision. Then, he glared at me and shouted.
"As for you—you dare refuse my offer twice? Normally, I would have torn your flesh apart for a blood feast, but since you saved my daughter, I shall grant you mercy just this once."
Harkon began chanting dark magic with one hand. Once the spell was complete, he cast it toward me.
"Wait... hold on!"
"You are banished from this castle!"
And just like that, I was kicked out of the castle, certain that Harkon had done something to Choi Ha-neul.