The fire had burned low, casting long shadows across the wooden walls. I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off my boots while Meridia stood near the window like a living statue of light. The single bed suddenly looked much smaller than it had downstairs.
"You're really not going to disappear into Oblivion for the night?" I asked.
Meridia didn't turn around. "And leave my champion alone in this festering pit? Hardly. Besides…" She glanced over her shoulder, golden eyes gleaming. "You would miss my magnificent presence."
I snorted. "Yeah, sure. That's why you're here. Purely professional."
She finally moved, gliding over to the bed with that effortless grace that made the damp floorboards seem unworthy of her. She sat on the opposite side, still fully dressed in her radiant white-and-gold attire that somehow never seemed to get dirty.
I lay down first, keeping to my side. The mattress was lumpy and smelled faintly of pine and mildew. A moment later, Meridia reclined beside me. Not touching, but close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from her like a living brazier.
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the occasional creak of the inn and the distant, lonely call of some swamp bird.
After a few minutes, I turned my head toward her. "You know, for someone who doesn't need sleep, you look awfully comfortable."
"I am observing," she replied haughtily. "And ensuring no vermin crawl into your ears while you drool on the pillow."
"I don't drool."
"You do. It is most undignified."
I chuckled quietly. "You're impossible."
"And yet you tolerate me." There was a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "In fact, I would say you enjoy my company far more than you admit, champion."
Before I could fire back, a low, unnatural sound drifted through the window — like distant chanting mixed with the wind. Meridia sat up instantly, her expression sharpening.
"There," she whispered. "The corruption stirs."
I reached for my sword leaning against the bedpost. "How close?"
"Close enough to be a warning. Whatever festers in this swamp, it grows bolder at night." She looked down at me, eyes glowing faintly. "We could investigate now… or wait until morning like sensible mortals."
I rubbed my face. "It's freezing, foggy, and probably full of undead. But if we wait, someone else might disappear."
Meridia's lips curved into a proud smile. "Spoken like a true champion of Meridia. Though I suspect your eagerness is partly because you wish to avoid sharing this bed any longer."
"You wish," I shot back, sitting up and pulling my armor back on. "I was just starting to enjoy the extra heat. Daedric space heaters are hard to come by."
She stood gracefully, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her sleeve. "Flattery will not earn you favors, worm. Though… it is noted."
We slipped out of the inn through the back door, avoiding the few remaining drunk patrons. The fog outside was thick enough to taste — heavy, cold, and carrying the stench of rot. Meridia walked beside me, her presence cutting through the mist like a beacon. Literally. A soft golden glow surrounded her, keeping the worst of the chill at bay.
As we moved toward the edge of town, heading north where Jonna had mentioned the barrow and sunken ruin, I kept my voice low.
"So… about earlier. You really came down here because you were worried about other women?"
Meridia's gaze stayed fixed ahead, but her tone carried that familiar tsundere bite. "I came because the corruption here threatens my interests. You are merely one of those interests. A very… persistent one."
"Persistent, huh?" I stepped over a puddle that looked suspiciously like it had fingers reaching out of it. "You could have just ordered me around from your realm. Instead you're walking through swamp mud with me. Seems excessive for 'just an interest.'"
She stopped suddenly, turning to face me. The golden light from her eyes illuminated the mist between us.
"Very well. Bluntly, then." Her voice dropped, regal yet strangely vulnerable. "In Solitude I watched them circle you. Smiling. Touching. Offering themselves so shamelessly. You are mine. My chosen. My Beacon-bearer. I will not have lesser creatures laying claim to what I have elevated."
I stared at her. "So you are jealous."
"I am possessive," she corrected, lifting her chin. "There is a difference. Jealousy is a weakness. Possession is a right."
"Uh-huh. Sure, Princess."
Her eyes narrowed, but the corner of her mouth twitched. "Call me that again and I will make the swamp the least of your worries."
We continued walking. The ground grew softer, sucking at our boots. Twisted trees rose like skeletal hands. In the distance, faint blue lights flickered between the barrows — will-o'-the-wisps or something far worse.
Meridia spoke again, softer this time. "You asked why I am truly here. Part of it is what I said. But another part…" She hesitated, something rare for her. "I find this mortal form… tolerable. When I am near you. The world feels more vivid. And you, despite your constant impertinence, make eternity slightly less boring."
I smiled despite the growing dread in my chest. "That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Do not let it go to your head. I can still incinerate you if you become annoying."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
A sudden chill wind swept through the swamp. The blue lights in the distance flared brighter. I felt it then — the unmistakable presence of the dead. Multiple. Moving.
Meridia's hand brushed mine for a brief second. Warm. Steady.
"Stay close, champion," she said, voice returning to its commanding tone. "Tonight we remind this forsaken mire who holds the true light."
I gripped my sword tighter, heart pounding with a mix of fear and strange excitement.
"Together?"
She gave the smallest, most arrogant nod.
"Together."
The mist closed in as we advanced toward the flickering lights, the Daedric Princess and her champion walking side by side into the heart of Morthal's darkness.