My human years are far behind me at this point, honestly it isn’t even worth mentioning. But remembering how I got to this point is of some relevance I suppose. My name is Xeldoshi, I only have one name because I was adopted by Argonian parents. I am an Imperial and was abandoned after birth from what I hear. These two sweet Argonians found me crying in an alley and took me in without hesitation and raised me from then on. They were honest farmers that owned a small plot of land just outside of Solitude. Because of that I often got to visit the city when they would buy supplies and sell and negotiate deals. I helped my parents with farming, but they could see that my interests lay elsewhere, primarily in alchemy and botany. When I was old enough around 14, I got a job at the Winking Skeever tavern cleaning the place up, tending to customers, and restocking the supplies. I used this money to buy seeds from the local alchemy shop. With these I would start to make and maintain a garden at home.

Within a year of working and carefully planting my seeds all my flowers bloomed as I had wanted and when my parents saw they were in shock. They told me it was as if they were looking at a botanical garden put together by a master. The next month a representative from the Blue Palace came by to collect our land tax and stood their frozen. He then greeted my parents and calmly asked them if they were the ones who planted those flowers. They of course denied any hand in doing so and pointed the man in my direction saying I planted and put them together all by my lonesome.

“Was this garden setup truly you’re doing young man?” He asked.

 I responded in kind and explained my method of doing so and that I found it to be a passion of mine. The man sat there for a moment in thought and then bid me farewell, concluded business with my parents and left. I wasn’t too sure what all that was about and just continued my daily routines.

 It was a few days later that I was working at the tavern that a customer walked in, and I had finished up a table and made my way towards him. To my surprise it was the very man from the Palace! I gave him my usual greeting and got him his drink of choice; it was then he asked my boss if he could borrow a few minutes of my time. What happened next was truly surprising.

“Xeldoshi, I will be quick and to the point with you. I believe your skills and botany placement is superb and second to none in Solitude. I have informed the Jarl and the attendees of the court and personally vouched for you. Tomorrow at 9 in the morning you are to report to the Jarl in the Blue Palace and answer any questions and vocally sell yourself to be the city botanist.”

He dropped that heavy news on me and then just left. I swear nobility operates in a different reality than us commoners. I finished up my shift and told my boss I was ordered to report to the Jarl next morning. He gave me the day off. I got home and told my parents what had happened, and they were ecstatic gripping me tightly.

“Xeldoshi me and your father already had a suit made for you! Oh, we knew this was going to happen, we are so proud of you. Tomorrow your clothes will be laid out and breakfast made, your father will assist you in wearing the suit properly.”

And with that we had dinner together in a light and happy mood. Once we cleaned up, I prepared for bed and slept very well prepared for the day to come. As promised my clothes were laid out and my breakfast already near completion. I love my parents so much, not once did they ever care that I was human. I could never have asked for better one’s in any lifetime.

The meeting with the Jarl wasn’t anything extravagant, it was basically an interview in front of a bunch of nobility. The conversation is not worth mentioning, I got the job and scoured the city the next day laying out possible botanical setups with a team. My job was simple in description, I was to make Solitude look extravagant from the entrance all the way to the Blue Palace. I was given the title of Chief Botanist and a small team to assist me in orders, handiwork, tool upkeep, etc. My team was made up of true high-quality assistants. Within just 2 years we worked hard and transformed Solitude to really look like the capital of Skyrim.

An envoy of nobles was to visit the city as our annual trade festival was near. It is a festival where all manner of stalls and merchants come to peddle their wares, I am excited this year to see what they bring. I make enough money now that I can live a good life and have recently retired my parents. The day of the festival I was at the entrance of the Blue Palace double checking the quality of my flowers when a woman approached me. It gave me quite a scare as I heard no footsteps or any other movements indicating there was a person behind me.

“Excuse me young man, but am I correct in guessing that you’re the city botanist?”

I nod my head and give her the details, unsure of why I feel so calm about it. She walked around the entrance examining the flowers and how they were set up. She like many other people seemed to be in awe of my work, it was a joyous feeling. Something about her seemed off though, not sure why but the feeling lingered. Little did I know this woman was to be a very large part of my life.

“Xeldoshi was it? I have a proposition for you if you will. I live in a castle off the coast and have a large courtyard ripe for gardening. I know all about flowers just not how to place them in a fashionable order. I will pay you a handsome sum if you assist me in making a grand botanical courtyard.”

Honestly, I had no real reason to say no, I was off work for the entire week anyway since the festival was going on. It couldn’t hurt to spread my name and popularity; gold is also nice. Before we setup and departed we negotiated the base price that she felt appropriate, and I added on possible fees. Nothing was set in stone, but we did need an idea of how much gold was being thrown around. She wasn’t joking when she said the coast of Solitude, we were right at the water in front of a small jetty.

So, she’s a mage. Probably quite an advanced one at that. When we reached the shore of the castle we got out and without warning she grabbed me, and we were somewhere else. I’m almost certain that was a teleportation spell. I had better be cautious, I would rather not make a wrong move and be turned inside out.

The courtyard was certainly bland in color setup, so much dark hues of grey. No wonder she wanted my help, it looks incredibly depressing like a vampire’s lair. I immediately began surveying the area and looking at all the suitable places to plant. Turns out she already had the seeds she wanted she just needed my word on where to put them. After my instruction I truly came to the realization that this woman’s version of normal is delusional at best.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

So, she summoned skeletons, and ordered them to pick up the garden tools and begin to plant. She further cast magic on the soil. She then pulled out a vial of dark red liquid and drank it. Her skin is rather pale, isn’t it? Her eyes are quite the glowing yellow color. Ah, I’ve been lured into a vampire’s lair. Well living was a nice thing to go through. The good always do die young, don’t they?

“Xeldoshi how absolutely rude of me to mention, but as you may have guessed I am a vampire.”

The shock wasn’t out of fear, more out of disbelief for how she seemed to have forgotten these rather important details. I sat beside her on a ledge, and we talked for hours on end. She was quite surprised that my reaction was very tame, she even said she used no calming magic on me. Which implies she did before, she-devil. Of course, it was a good measure for her to take, can’t risk being found out I suppose. She explained to me her strain of vampirism and the awful trauma she and many other women endured to get their powers. I was dealt a great blow of sorrow, but she also felt comfortable enough to share this with me.

It was in that moment that I was to make a very rash decision, one that surely would alter my life forever. I told her that if she waited until my parents were to pass away (they were very old at this point for Argonians) that I wish for her to turn me into a vampire in exchange for being her eternal gardener and companion. I had expressed to her deeply that I wished to stay beside her until either one of us perished.

“I told you prior that I have a husband, not that he loves me or our daughter anymore. His obsession with the prophecy clouds everything. You truly wish to stay by my side Xeldoshi? To try and fall in love with a damaged vampire? You would take on the role of a surrogate father for my dear Serana? You would give us both your unending love?”

Feeling a well of emotions inside of me I walked up to her and grabbed her hand. For being so cold it was surely soft. I asked her for her name, as up until now I haven’t been told. Valerica. What a beautiful name, it sounds like an exotic flower. Then and there I bent my knee and pledged myself to Valerica, kissing her hand as a seal to a contract.  And with that Valerica would come to meet me at my home once a week, giving my parents great joy that they would be leaving Nirn with their son and a good woman.

I forgot to mention, Valerica used some wild magic in the courtyard and the flowers all bloomed within minutes! What manner of magic even is that? Maybe she can teach me that alongside alchemy. That’s for another time though, I am human for now. 4 years later my sweet parents passed together, no matter human or undead my love for them will never fade. They are the very reason I am here and alive. Me and Valerica are very well acquainted as we have been seeing each other regularly for the past 4 years. I am extremely nervous to meet little Serana, but I am still ready. Valerica had come over and transferred the disease to me, and into the coma I fell.

I was to be hired on as Valerica’s bodyguard and gardener, I would stay far away in the castle from Harkon as invoking his wrath is not something I want. As such I would be confined primarily to the courtyard area and Valerica’s laboratory. When I had awoken Valerica had a blacksmith custom make armor for me. It was fearsome looking; no normal person would approach me lightly with it on. From this day on I would be the Castle Volkihar Gardener. I can’t wait to meet Serana.

My vampiric powers and body were settling in so even in my heavy armor I was able to keep up with little Serana. Outside of my daily duties and teachings/studies I would often play with Serana and talk to her about lots of things. She aged a lot slower due to her for of vampirism so I would get to enjoy her innocent phase for longer than normal. She took on me to right away, she must have an insanely good judge of character because even Valerica was surprised. She called me Xel and would often be on my shoulders as I did various tasks around the garden and laboratory. Never did I know the joy of raising a child.

I taught Serana how to wield a short sword, wield destruction and conjuration magic with Valerica’s help, and how to brew all manner of alchemical concoctions. It was after a few years that me and Serana had fully bonded, she would never leave my side unless she absolutely had to. Any alone time I would get with Valerica were tender moments. My feelings for her were so very strong, I would do anything for her. Even if it was against everything I believed in.

Serana’s body and mind after another 20 years finally started to grow, as much as I enjoyed her joyful childlike presence, I knew she would eventually need to grow into a young lady. She became shyer around me but would still cling, it was truly adorable. I taught her all I knew in hoping that she would see the world as I see it. And endless opportunity for adventure and knowledge, I vowed one day that I would take her beyond the castle and explore Skyrim.

Had I the power I would have killed Harkon long ago, but I am no fool. I will never charge into a knowing death. I could not do that to Valerica or Serana. I am not entirely sure what Valerica did, but she really made Harkon angry. Her final words to me were one’s of great pain but understanding.

“Xeldoshi, my sweet. We do not have much time, Harkon found out. He is out for my head and will try and kill Serana to get to me. I am going somewhere no one can find me, not even you. This is for you and Serana’s safety. Listen closely my love, I made a sedative that will keep Serana seemingly dead until someone awakens her from the tomb you put her in. The highest mountain top between Dawnstar and Morthal there is an empty crypt. Take her there to the inner most sanctum and put her in the coffin I made. It will keep her sedated indefinitely, take my pack with you as it has many revenant spells. Summon all these undead and have them guard the tomb fiercely, you cannot return here my love. I wish there was another way, protect our daughter, please. Go, before I lose heart. Please.”

I grabbed Serana and wasted no time; she trusted me enough to ask no questions about our sudden journey. Although now I know why we needed to leave, Serana had an elder scroll on her back. We needed to make haste; I would kill anyone who even looks at us the wrong way. Serana was clearly worried, but she was mature enough to know staying at the castle was suicide.

As expected, the crypt was devoid and anything living or dead besides us. When we reached the inner sanctum, it was quite large, and I noticed the stone coffin and all the magical devices surrounding it. Valerica really took measures to ensure no one could find Serana besides me.

“Papa, what are we doing here?”

To make this less painful for me I held back my tears and injected her with the sedative, thank the 9 it worked immediately. With a heavy heart I kissed my Serana on the forehead and whispered a promise. I hope her dreams are nothing but pleasant. I placed her in the stone coffin, as comfortable as I could. I then activated the magical puzzle and locked it in place with my blood. Now only I could unlock this seal completely. Serana is safe if I am alive.

I will lay low until Harkon is done with his rampage, it can only last for so long. I will get stronger, I will train, I will find new magics, I will brew vile poisons. I will kill Harkon, if I am alive, he is not safe. To attempt to murder my daughter and wife, my wrath for that monster is unending. I will kill him for Serana, and maybe one day I can find where Valerica is hiding. The only good thing that has come out of this is Harkon doesn’t even know that I exist. I have the element of surprise; I should use it to my advantage when the time is right.

I am Xeldoshi, husband of Valerica, father to Serana, former Chief Botanist to Solitude, and the last Vampire Gardener. This is only the beginning of my story.