Winter's veil. A holiday to enjoy the coldness of winter with a cup of hot cocoa in your hands and presents beneath the winter's veil tree. There was always something magical about this holiday. Maybe it was the snowmen that would occasionally move or the giant sled that circled around the cities with someone screaming 'HOHOHO' from it, dropping random presents as they went. This holiday could possibly be Sable's favorite. She always enjoyed watching the smiling faces of the children and the general atmosphere of the holiday.
If she were there to experience it of course.
She held back a bored sigh, trying to keep her shoulders from slacking. She had been standing straight for over two hours, and she was starting to feel it. Life of a bodyguard, the king's bodyguard, Could be tough. She had to keep a straight face and back at all times and always had to look her best. She always has to be on the lookout for potential threats and never let her guard she guess it could be worse. At least she was not a city guard, who had to stand at attention for up to 16 hours, with heavy armor and a sword strapped to their hips no less. She on the other hand only wore light cloth armor along with a staff on her back. Appropriate attire for a mage.
Representatives and well-wishers kept coming into the keep to deliver messages of good will to the king. It was the most boring thing about this whole holiday, at least when she came into service. Before that it was just presents and laughter.
''I see you are enjoying this as much as I am...'' She heard a quiet mumble, almost inaudible. Apparently her fidgeting had caught the attention of the king, who was now looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Varian looked as regal as ever, in full body armor and Shalamayne resting against the armrest of his throne. Sable had the decency to look embarrassed at his comment. The flood of visitors had momentarily ceased, as there was a slight commotion outside. ''I'm afraid this is an obligation for the both of us, my king'' she mumbled back. Despite being bodyguard and king, they had a relationship that surpassed that. They could be considered good friends. They had to get along, as they spend most of their time together. But they preferred to act professional while out in public.
She heard a deep chuckle coming from the man as he rested his chin on his knuckles. ''Yes. Luckily we don't have to stay here for much longer. Tomorrow will be the ball and then no more meetings to attend'' he sounded almost relieved. Of course it was no secret to her that Varian did not enjoy the political side of kingship and she wholly understood why. Whenever he was working at his desk he looked ready to fall asleep out of boredom. Once he actually did and woke up with several papers plastered to his face. it was quite a sight and she could not stop chuckling for a good while, much to Varian's chagrin.
As his personal bodyguard she was always around him. It was her job to protect him, even though he was more than capable of doing it himself. But even so she noticed that it is mutual respect that is the base of their friendship. They respect each other's combat abilities, though they had only seen the other spar. But while they both saw each other as capable soldiers, Sable always saw something more in the gruff man. She always thought he was quite handsome, in a rugged way, and that the way he moved was always laced with grace and restrained power. Whenever he would genuinely smile it made her want to melt on the spot. Whenever he looked her way she had to fight the urge not to act like a deer in headlights. She was afraid to say that she was quite attracted to him. Of course it was absolutely scandalous to even think about your boss like this, no less the king, so she never acted on these thoughts, preferring to hide them deep inside.
''You are coming, right?'' his voice cut through her thoughts. ''Sir?'' she asked uncertainly. ''The ball'' he clarified. ''As my personal bodyguard you have to attend, for obvious reasons''. Sable could not help but blush. ''Yes... yes, of course. I'll be there, your majesty.''
When she heard shuffling she looked to her side, only to see the king staring straight at her with a curious expression. Having him stare at her so intently always made her entire body tense. She wasn't sure if he ever noticed it. ''My king?'' she asked quietly. He stared at her for a few more moments before turning back, muttering a curt 'nevermind'.
After that brief exchange the flow of visitors started again and they did not speak to each other. Varian had decided to retire early that evening and was heading to his room together with Sable. As a bodyguard she had to be with him at all times, except when the king was in his private quarters. When they arrived at his door he suddenly turned around, facing Sable. She had to take a step back, otherwise she would have to stare at his still armored chest. He was quite a bit taller than her after all. ''Thank you for today'' he said. both her brows shot up to her hair line. Never had he said thank you for merely doing her job, only a nod of appreciation. ''Your thanks are not necessary but appreciated. You are most welcome, your majesty'' she responded.
A frown, deeper than normal, appeared on his face. ''You know you don't have to be so formal outside of official duties, Sable. You can relax'' he placed a hand on her shoulder. At the warm contact her entire body unwound itself and relaxed, relieved it no longer had to stand at attention. ''Right, I'm sorry... Varian'' after all these months she was still not used to using his actual name. It felt so... unprofessional. ''I guess I'm just a little nervous about the ball tomorrow. I've never been to one and I don't know what to expect''
As she confessed a gentle smile appeared on his face. ''You have nothing to worry about. You just do what you usually do and everything will be fine''. Oh he looks so handsome when he smiles.
''That does sound easy enough'' She said with a small grin.
A moment of silence passed between them, neither of them knowing what to say.
Then Varian broke it. ''We should both retire for the night and get ready for tomorrow. I will see you at the ball'' He gave her shoulder a squeeze, looking slightly uncertain for a moment before he let go and nodded at her. ''Goodnight, Sable''
''Goodnight, Varian''
And with that the king turned into his chambers and Sable headed to her own.
The next day when Sable was getting ready a servant knocked on her door. She quickly finished dressing and opened it up to find a female dwarf in front of her, a kind smile on her face. ''Hiya lass. Ye ready ta start tha day?''. Sable blinked in confusion at the dwarf.
''I'm sorry?'' she asked.
The dwarf got a weird quirk in her brows as she looked at her as if she were crazy. ''Come on now, we dinna have much time. That ball be tonight afta' all. We need ta gift ye a dress, make-up, some thin's for yer hair oh and of course dinna forget tha shoes'' the female said as she counted the things on her fingers.
Sable just stared at her with her jaw open. ''Dress? shoes? no no there must be some kind of mistake. I'm the king's bodyguard. I can't wear a dress!''. The dwarf huffed as if she was getting impatient. ''He dinna tell ya? Well that's just grand! Fine! here.'' the dwarf shuffled through the little backpack she had with her and got out a letter, handing it to Sable.
It read:
To: Dravana Runeheart
You are tasked with getting the king's personal bodyguard, Sable Emsworth, ready for the upcoming ball. She is to pick out suitable clothes and accessories and be ready to escort the king by 19:00 PM. All costs will be accounted for.
Sincerely,
Varian Wrynn
She wondered if Varian actually sent this letter himself or it was just put under his name. Nevertheless she was mortified by the fact that she would have to wear a proper dress, something she hadn't done since she was a child. Of course as a mage she wore robes all the time, but they were not the same. They were made for combat and magical enhancements, not for being pretty.
Sable's attention turned back to the dwarf when she heard impatient tapping. ''So yeah, Let's go. We have ta go all over Stormwind to get the proper thin's. Tha early bird gets tha worm after all'' and before she could protest the short, stout woman grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her all over Stormwind.
When the time finally came that they had gathered everything possible and Sable thought they were finally done, the dwarf dragged her to her room to do her hair and make-up, and help her put on her dress. Sable had to admit that the dwarf had good taste. She had kept in mind that she was an ice mage and kept giving her dresses that were different shades of blue. They both finally settled on a nice sea blue dress with a white and silver splotch on her right side. It was long, but not long enough to get tangled in her feet. It also provided room for maneuvering by the slit on her left leg. She supposed it could have been a lot worse.
''Ah darlin'. Ye look beautiful!'' the dwarf exclaimed after she was done with the preparations. Sable blushed as she looked at her own reflection. She had to admit, she looked different. The dress and the make-up complimented her eyes. Her hair was now done in a beautiful bun with a few playful hairs sticking out to frame her face. She smiled.
''Thank you Drav'' she said. ''Nae problem, Lass. With tha way ye look ye'll definitely hook some of them handsome men at that ball. I'm afraid that outfit doesn't come with a bat, but I'm sure ye'll survive'' She winked.
''I have no intention to 'hook' any men, Dravana'' The dwarf merely winked at her. ''Tell that to tha party-goers''
''Now off ye go. It's almost time. Tha kin' be waitin' for ye, love'' another wink left Sable sputtering in indignation. Nevertheless she followed after the dwarf.
As they walked through the cold corridors of the keep she became increasingly nervous. So nervous that she started fidgeting with her dress and hair, a habit that she picked up long ago. Dravana slapped her hand with a frown. ''Dinna do that, lass. I worked hard on that!''. Sable muttered a soft 'sorry'.
Dravana eyed her as they walked. ''ye look so nervous. Dinna worry, I'm sure tha crowd will love ye''. Sable bit her lip. ''It's not the crowd I'm worried about''. At first Dravana looked confused, but then realization dawned on her face. ''ah, tha kin'. Dinna worry. He'll be smitten as soon as he sees ye'' Sable's face exploded in red. ''Drav! It's nothing like that'' she scolded, but the dwarf merely chuckled heartily and continued on.
Finally they arrived at a set of gigantic oaken doors. She knew they led to the ballroom where there was currently a whole lot of noise. She swallowed thickly when she realized that Varian was waiting by those doors, along with some of the elite guards. He was still dressed in his armor, though he had discarded his massive pauldrons. She dared not look at him more, too embarrassed to look into his eyes. She was scared she saw some kind of negative emotion. So she just kept looking at her feet as they approached.
''Yer highness, I present ta ye Sable Emsworth'' she heard her friend say beside her. There was a moment of silence that seemed to last for ages. Sable wasn't sure if she could get any redder, until she heard what he said. ''You look beautiful''. Finally looking up she was surprised to see a warm smile on his face, one that almost made her turn into jelly right then and there. She managed to stay upright however and even bravely look into his eyes. ''Thank you, Your highness. You look very...'' she faltered for a moment, swallowing the lump in her throat. What was a appropriate to say? Handsome? amazing? So good she wanted to fall into his arms and have him carry her off? Finally she blurted out a random thing. ''You look as magnificent as ever''
For a moment she thought she saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but it was so quick she thought she imagined it. Varian raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder. Just like the night before it made her relax, the tension in her muscles fading slowly. ''Sable, this ball is for having fun. We still have our duties, but we could at least enjoy ourselves'' She nodded up at him. She liked the idea of at least getting to do some fun things. And now with the elite guard there she did not have to stay by Varian's side all the time. Not that she minded being around him of course. In fact, she thinks she might prefer to stay by his side all night.
From outside they heard a loud booming voice. ''Presenting... The king of Stormwind, Varian Wrynn and his bodyguard Sable Emsworth'' the doors opened right after the announcement to reveal a massive ballroom packed with nobles. She did not expect to be announced as well, but there was no point complaining about it. She straightened her back as Varian turned to the room, walking through the doors and down the stairs. Sable followed, to the right and slightly behind him. After them came the elite guard. She could feel every single pair of eyes turned towards them and she tried to hide her nervousness. She hated being the centre of attention.
It felt like ages before they reached the middle end of the room. There was a large seat and a smaller one at the end of the hall. Both looked like a throne, but way less extravagant than the one in the main hall of the keep. The smaller one was currently occupied by Anduin, who smiled and nodded at the two. Sable smiled back. Just like his father, Anduin always managed to calm her down by a simple gesture, though Varian's influence was much stronger.
Once they arrived at the seats Varian turned around to the crowd and addressed them.
''It is an honor to invite you all here on this fine winter veil's eve. Tonight we shall feast and dance to celebrate this joyous time of the year'' The whole room was attentive to him, listening to every word he says. ''Let the dance begin''
Sable was content with standing behind Varian as he spoke. She watched the nobles as they made room in the middle for the dance, though she was surprised that nobody moved in to actually start dancing. But her surprise increased ten fold when she saw what happened next.
Varian turned to her, made a slight bow and stretched out his hand to her, as if asking for her to take it. She stood there, frozen and eyes as wide as dinner plates as she tried to take in what was happening. ''Sable...'' Varian's whispering voice washed over her and gave her a weird giddy feeling in her stomach. ''Will you do me the honors of dancing with me?''
She didn't know what to do. She could hear whispers going around the ballroom, though she could not make out what was being said. She merely stared at Varian, dumbstruck. Said man kept his position, looking at her with a kind smile, though it was slowly fading. ''Sable?'' he asked, suddenly unsure. Suddenly seeing her king, her friend, so vulnerable and exposed got her out of her stupor. She hurriedly placed her hand in his and nodded, suddenly breathless. ''Yes, of course, my king''. Varian's smiled returned and it was more brilliant than before. He grasped her hand more firmly and guided her to the middle of the dance floor.
Sable tried her best not to trip over her own feet in nervousness. That would definitely not do well for either of them. As they walked she could see people talking among themselves. She thought she could hear tiny snippets. like: 'why would he choose her?' or 'I wonder...'. This only made her more nervous. Once they got to the middle Varian turned back to her. he placed his free hand on her hip, and as he did the music started. ''Sable...'' he said to get her attention.
She hadn't realized she had been avoiding eye contact and instead preferred to look at her shoes. She willed them not to trip over each other and make a scene. When she heard her name fall from his lips she finally looked up and the color rose to her face. ''My king?''
''Nobody can hear us, Sable. Varian is fine'' She nodded reluctantly. He started moving his feet to the rhythm, guiding her to follow him with his strong hands. Soon they ended up in a comfortable slow moving pace, one they could both follow with ease. ''People are whispering...'' she mumbled to him, still too shy to look at him for more than two seconds. ''Let them talk. It will do them no good anyway'' he replied.
They moved to the music elegantly, and if they could see themselves they would say it looked magnificent. ''Why does it seem like it's not tradition to dance with me?'' she asked suddenly, her face coloring even more. She could tell Varian was surprised, for he took a few moments to answer. ''Because it is not'' She looked up at him, biting her lip. Something in Varian's expression turned harder and he pulled her slightly closer, something that didn't go unnoticed to Sable. ''then why choose me? Surely there are more delicate ladies that would dance with you''. He snorted softly at the word 'delicate'.
''I have my reasons, Sable. But foremost I trust you. You never know what ladies of nobility will do to you once they get close.'' Accepting this as a logical reason they both returned to their dance. As the song dragged on Anduin joined on the dance floor with another lady. This made her slightly more comfortable, knowing that the attention was now divided. Sable and Varian enjoyed themselves immensely. Despite being confused at his decision, Sable enjoyed their time together and smiled throughout the rest of the dance and even dared to make eye contact more often. She feels like that dance changed something in her. What it was she was not sure yet.
When the song was nearly over Varian made her twirl out and back in, but he twisted her in such a way that when she came back her back was to his chest and both of his arms were around her. It was such a intimate position, but it felt so right. Varian's arms were warm and strong around her. She wanted to remain like that forever. Alas the song ended right then, and Varian let go of her. They bowed to each other and Sable could not help but beam at him.
They returned to the thrones and Varian took his place on the largest one, with Sable beside him. The dance floor finally started to get occupied by various couples and another song started. They watched them dance, content to be in each other's presence. After a while however Sable excused herself to use the restroom.
As Varian's eyes scanned the ballroom his mind wandered. This day had turned out better than he expected. He had thought about the worst case scenario, where Sable would simply refuse to dance with him. He was glad that was not the case. It had in fact turned out a lot better than he imagined. Dancing with Sable was an experience he would gladly repeat any time. Despite being around each other all the time they had never been that close. Holding her awakened something within him that he hadn't felt for a long time. He knew very well what he felt toward the woman, but he was reluctant to act on it. It was Anduin that had convinced him. About what he wasn't sure, but he still remembered that talk.
''Father, you are daydreaming again'' the young man said. They were having dinner together, just the two of them. It was the little amount of time they could spend together as father and son. ''Was I? I apologize'' he mumbled. Anduin chuckled. ''I know what you are thinking about'' as the older man looked at him he was surprised to find a mischievous smirk on his son's face. ''What do you think I am thinking about then?'' he grinned back at him, a challenge. ''A certain woman'' Anduin drawled playfully. Varian's face fell. That little...
''So I was right!'' Anduin exclaimed in triumph. ''No, you are not'' The king tried to deny, but he knew it was a weak attempt. ''I've seen the way you look at her. While neither of you may notice it there is something between you two, but you won't dare to admit it.''
Varian sighed in defeat. He could not lie to his son. ''Anduin... I am the king and she is my bodyguard. Not only that but your mother...'' he fell silent, looking at his son's face. Anduin's playfulness had disappeared and made place for sadness. ''I know you miss mother, but I also know she would not want you to keep yourself from falling for someone again. She would want you to move on'' he said quietly. Varian stared at his dinner, appetite all but evaporated. ''I'll think about it...''
Varian was pondering over his own words. He had thought about it. Long and hard. And he had gotten to one conclusion. He wasn't good with women. He didn't know how they think, how they act or what they usually do. They were a mystery to him. no exceptions. So he had no idea how to go about it. He was a born gladiator. He could think fast on the battlefield. This however was an entirely different battlefield.
''Hey Varian'' He was pulled out of his stupor by the female voice. He looked up to see Sable standing before him. ''You want to get a breath of fresh air? We could go on the balcony'' she suggested. Varian glanced over the ballroom, deciding that going outside was a good idea. So he nodded. ''sure''.
He got up from his chair and was surprised to find a weight on his left side. Sable had suddenly latched onto his side, her arm around his. When he looked at her confused, she smiled back shyly. He did not complain.
Together they walked to the balcony. As soon as they got out into the open they both took a big whiff of fresh air. Varian guided her to the marble railing, looking out over the city. The balcony was surprisingly deserted. Not that he was complaining. The idea of spending some time alone with Sable was appealing to him. Of course they were together most of the time, but never this intimately. Maybe it was the effects of the dance still lingering. Sable was still holding onto his arm. he could feel her body pressed against his side and it made his skin tingle where they touched through their clothing. As he looked down to her to start some kind of conversation his breath was suddenly taken.
Had her eyes always been sparkling? were her eyes always looking at him like she could see all of him? Were her lips always this full...? He was completely mesmerized. His head was an emotional roller coaster. He tried shaking himself out of his stupor. It was no good to stand there and stare rudely , though Sable was doing the same thing. ''how are you enjoying the party?'' he tried, looking back over the city to distract himself.
He heard a chuckle from her. A deep, warm chuckle that nearly made his heart sing with joy. Damn it, Varian! Since when did you become so sentimental? ''It is all right. I'm having fun. Though political affairs are not my forte'' Varian chuckled. ''You'll get used to it''
he heard a sigh and he could feel her body shift beside him. ''Honestly, the only fun thing about this ball is that I get to spend time with you... privately'' Was it him or did her voice just get a lot lower. He looked at her to find out that instead of her side it was now her front that was pressed to his side. He couldn't help but swallow as he could feel her chest pressed nicely against his muscled arm. He also couldn't help shifting his body so that they were chest to chest with his arms around her.
They stared at each other. There was that twinkle in her eyes again and he found it quite fascinating. So fascinating that he couldn't help but try to take a closer look. As he leaned in he wondered what he was doing. What was happening? Why was he doing this? Somehow, it didn't feel right. But he could not help but lean in. They got so close to each other, he could feel her breath on his lips and it made him shiver. No, this wasn't right.
He was about to pull away and apologize when he heard a yell. ''NO!''. Suddenly everything grew cold. His eyes opened wide to find out that Sable had been frozen solid. Not only that, something was poised hard against his back. He maneuvered out of her arms, shaking his head. His head was woozy and he felt a little dizzy. He looked up to find Sable at the balcony entrance, hand outstretched and staff in her hand. But hadn't Sable just been...
He looked back at the frozen sculpture and sure enough it still held Sable's features. But what surprised him most was that the statue held a dagger in one hand, poised to stab. ''What happened?'' he muttered, completely perplexed. Sable rushed to his side, checking his body for injuries. She looked terrified, and even near tears. ''I know I can not make up for this mistake. I was so worried, I thought you were dead. I was just in time but-'' she rambled frantically until Varian grabbed both her hands to calm her down. Touching her gave him a sense of relief. This felt right. This was where his hands belonged.
''Tell me what happened'' he said slowly. Sable swallowed, recounting what had happened since she had gone to the bathroom. She was ambushed, incapacitated and hidden inside the restroom. The assassin had taken her appearance with the help of a potion and sprayed some kind of perfume on the clone's neck. ''I think it was some type of love potion'' she added.
She knew she looked pathetic. She was just so worried. of course she knew that it was an assassin, and Varian was in grave danger. She had tried her hardest to think of all the spells she knew that could get her out of her situation, but it felt like it had taken too long. ''I tried everything and when I finally broke free I went to find you. I was so scared. And then I finally found you and you... you... you almost got killed... and kissed'' she spat out the word in a squeaky voice. She couldn't help it. Seeing Varian in such a intimate position with anyone but her, though technically it was kind of her, made her heart shatter. She tried to cover her face with her hands so he wouldn't see her pathetic look. But Varian held firm.
He looked at Sable's panic struck face. Tears were at the corners of her eyes and her face was tinged red from stress. She never looked more beautiful... He let go of her hands and instead placed them on her cheeks, wiping away a tear that had finally begun to fall. He looked down at her so intensely and lovingly that Sable squirmed uncertainly. Was he still under the effect of the love potion? Surely that must have been it, he'd never get so close to her otherwise. She refused to believe it meant anything.
To check for any sign of a potion she placed two fingers against the arterie in his neck, casting a spell to check for any poison. ''Are you still under the affects of the potion?'' she wondered to herself. She looked up at him. His expression was so loving that it made her melt right on the spot. ''No, I'm not'' he whispered. And just like that he gently nudged her head forward and their lips met in a sweet and tantalizing kiss.
She completely lost herself in the kiss. Her arms had moved around his neck a few seconds after they started and his arms were now around her waist. She completely forgot that she was a guard and he was her king. She completely forgot that there was still a party going on only meters away. She completely forgot the world. She reveled in the feeling of his lips against hers and how they moved together so perfectly. it was pure bliss, so she couldn't help but give a little whine when it ended.
When she opened her eyes she finally had the decency to blush brightly. Varian was looking down at her with the biggest smile she had ever seen. ''You have no idea how long I wanted to do that...'' he whispered. If it were possible she would have exploded right there. ''but it seems we have attracted a bit of a crowd''.
They both turned to the entrance to see several guards and party-goers, and even Anduin, staring at them with eyes as wide as dinner plates. It was obvious they had made quite an impression. The king removed his arms from around Sable, though he kept one arm around her waist as he turned to the crowd. ''Guards, bring the assassin to the prison and get him or her unfrozen for interrogation'' he ordered, back to business.
The guards saluted and two came forward to take the assassin, the others left to search the perimeter for any more threats. Anduin started clearing the crowd, ushering them back into the ballroom. When they were left alone once again silence fell upon them, though it was a welcome one. It gave both of them time to think.
''Maybe we should work out some kind of sign so next time an assassin comes to seduce me I know they're fake'' Sable chuckled warmly, snuggling into his side. She knew that she shouldn't, but screw professionalism. She just kissed her boss, and she didn't have an ounce of regret. He didn't seem to either. they smiled at each other and leaned in for a quick kiss. ''I think it's a good idea to retire for the night. Would you care to join me?'' It was a kind invitation, though Sable could feel her stomach flip at the ideas shooting through her head. ''I'd love to''. She was practically beaming by that point.
She would soon find out that some of those 'ideas' might just come true by the end of the night
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