Lothar didn't mind getting odd looks and hushed whispers from strangers, from the citizens of Stormwind, and even occasionally from his own troops, but he never thought he'd get them from his nephew.

There had been a time when young Varian had pestered him for details about swordfighting and how to defend himself with a shield, but all that had fallen away lately. Lothar had assumed the boy was still grieving over the death of his father and had no interest in warfare right now; but every now and then he would see his nephew peeking around corners and from behind windows to watch him train and drill with his soldiers.

Once the boy would have come up close to watch; now he seemed hesitant to even let his uncle know he was there.

"Is there something bothering Varian?" Lothar asked his sister, after yet another failed attempt to coax the boy out of his hiding place to join him and Khadgar during a break in their training.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Anduin, I was hoping to keep this from you until I could get it sorted out," she confessed. "It's just that Varian's a bit afraid of Khadgar right now. I've tried to talk to him about it, tell him there's nothing to be afraid of, but he just clams up." She sighed. "I'm hoping he'll get over it with time. Once he sees that Khadgar isn't a threat."

Of all the things Taria could have said, this was probably the least expected. Lothar had wondered at first if his nephew had something against him – if he blamed him for the death of his father, or if he thought Lothar's new role as regent would somehow replace Llane or erase his memory now that Lothar was governing in his stead. To learn the boy was frightened of the mage – the man Anduin Lothar had fallen in love with – because of what had happened to him was like a punch in the gut.

"I will talk to Varian," Lothar promised his sister. "Once I figure out what to say to him that you haven't already said."

"He's a good boy, Anduin, but he's still just a child. And even a good number of our adult citizens are uneasy with Khadgar, the way he is now."

Lothar frowned. "The changes are mostly in his appearance."

"But not all of them. I and many others have watched you and the royal guards training with him…there are things he can do now that would be utterly terrifying if he ever lost control."

"He's not going to lose control. The priests and the other mages said what little Fel is still there isn't affecting his mind. He's himself, Taria, I wish you and everyone else could see that."

"I do see that," she stated. "But Varian doesn't."

Lothar considered this for a few moments…and then gazed at his sister with a faint smile. "I think I know how to get through to him."

Later that day, Lothar stood at the door to his nephew's room. He was clad in simple linen clothing, not armor, and plain leather boots. Khadgar hadn't been in their quarters when he'd gone back to change; he was glad of that, because if the mage had been there he would have had to explain what he was doing. Lothar knew his lover's feelings would be very hurt if he knew why he was visiting his nephew, and he wanted to protect him from that hurt. Khadgar had been through enough.

He knocked on the door. "Varian?" he called. "It's me, Uncle Anduin. Can I come in?" When there was no answer, he added, "It's only me, nobody else."

"Ok," the boy replied hesitantly, and the door opened to reveal the small form of Llane and Taria's son. Once his visitor was inside, Varian hopped back up onto his bed.

Lothar regarded him kindly. "You've been avoiding me lately." Varian's eyes widened, and he shook his head in protest, but before he could say anything his uncle continued. "It's ok, your mom already told me, and I'm not mad at you. I just want to know why."

The little boy almost glowered at him for a moment, and then the words came rushing out. "Khadgar is SCARY now," he declared. "He was scary when he was just a mage and now he's got the Fel in him and I've heard grownups talking when they think I'm not listening…they say Khadgar's a demon and he's dangerous and he can do things nobody else can, and who knows what he might do next?"

Lothar sat down on the edge of the bed. "Do you know that Khadgar's living with me now, in the regent's quarters?" The boy nodded. "Do you think that if he really was dangerous I would have asked him to stay with me?"

"People say you're keeping him that close just so you can keep an eye on him," the boy retorted. "They say he's cursed."

"Because of how he looks now?"

Varian didn't say anything, he just nodded solemnly.

"I want to show you something," said Lothar, rolling up a shirt sleeve to reveal a long-healed scar. "I got that from a bandit in Elwynn Forest almost twenty years ago. And that's not the only one." Next he opened his shirt, to show his nephew the multiple scars that crisscrossed his chest. They were of varying ages and severity. "Most of these are from fighting trolls, but the newest ones are from orcs." The boy's eyes were wide. "I have a lot of scars. Do they mean I'm cursed?"

The boy frowned. "Of course not."

"But they changed how I look."

"But it would be silly to think they make you cursed," Varian said.

Lothar nodded. "All of these came from fighting enemies of Stormwind, and they all make me look different than I did before," he explained. "It's the same for Khadgar. The changes to his body are also scars from fighting enemies of Stormwind. They don't mean he's cursed. They just make him look a little different than he used to."

Varian gazed at him curiously. "Then why is he staying with you?" he asked. "If it doesn't mean you don't trust him and you want to keep an eye on him, like people are saying?"

Lothar smiled at his nephew. "He's staying with me because I love him, the same way your father loved your mother."

"Ohhh," he replied in understanding, as if this was the simplest thing in the world. "Then that's what I'll tell people, if I ever hear them making that mistake again!"

"Good boy," Lothar proclaimed, ruffling the boy's hair. "You will make a fine king someday, Varian Wrynn. I look forward to the day when I will pass the crown to you."

Meanwhile, outside and well-hidden in the hallway, Khadgar stood at Taria's side, his eyes shining with love at Anduin's words.