Varian Wrynn/Arthas Menethil.

"When they were young..." Story.

Not betaed.

I don't own them, nor do I really own the first scene. The first scene is a rewrite of Christie Golden's Arthas: Rise of the Lich King.

The day that I came to Lordaeron was one of the worst of my life. My father dead, my people stranded, and my beloved home shattered by otherworldly monsters. It was too much for a young prince- no, young king, to take. Some would say I held myself together valiantly through the introductions with King Terenas, but in my heart I knew that the older king had seen right through my façade.

The first moment my eyes fell on Arthas Menethil, I realized I was going to hate living here. Nothing but resentment flowed through my body as I beheld the Prince of Lordaeron. To the boy's credit, he was doing his best to look appropriately sad for my circumstance, but the childish desire to survey his new company had the boy's lips twitching upwards at the side. I did all I could to suppress the rising urge to snarl. It would do no good to start off badly with one of the only real allies Stormwind had left.

"Arthas, I leave him in your care."

And with that, King Terenas was gone. Most likely saying his prayers that Arthas and I would find a common ground.

With him out of sight, I exhaled a bit and shuffled around Arthas and into what I understood to be my room. He, naturally, followed like an ignored kitten. I set what little was left of my belongings on the bed and turned to face this young menace. Why I hated him so thoroughly, I'm not entirely sure. It was likely due to him possessing what I so desperately missed. A home untouched by war, safety in his comfortable palace, and a father both healthy and loved by all. I once believed my father was loved by all as well. I couldn't have been more wrong.

"I'm sorry about your father," the fool blurted, jarring me from my musings.

Instinctively, I winced and abruptly swung away from him. The window caught my eye and I drew near it. It overlooked the lake, snow flurries just beginning to fall. Realizing I hadn't responded, I croaked out at half-hearted thank you.

"I'm sure he died fighting nobly and gave as good as he got."

My face morphed quickly into a mask of rage, though not at the foolish boy prattling on behind me, but at the black hearted wench who stole my father from me.

"He was assassinated," I all but snarled, not even bothering to look at him when I said it. I didn't want him to see the rage and pain on my face. Emotions too potent for that of a king. I heard him spin around behind me, soft slippers squeaking on the warm wooden floor. I looked at him now, trying to school my features.

"A trusted friend managed to get him to speak with her alone. Then she killed him. Stabbed him right in the heart."

I saw an entire range of emotions flit across Arthas' face in that moment. Eyes wide and horrified, thinking about what he would've done if it had been his father. It almost made me smug to see him finally realize the depth of my situation.

His mouth opened and closed at least four times before he finally blurted, "I saw a foal being born yesterday. When the weather lets up, I'll take you to see him. He's the most amazing thing."

Whatever it was that I was expecting, that was so far from it, that I was shaken to the core. I wasn't sure if I should hit the boy for his rudeness or if I should just order him out of my room and retire for the evening. But as the seconds past it slowly set in that, perhaps, that was the kindest thing he could say. My eyes watered as I reevaluated this boy. Young, only 9 years old if I recall. Of course he couldn't understand.

Drained, I slumped backwards and curled in on myself, leaning my head against the window. I shielded my eyes from him and smothered my sobs as they threatened to completely overtake me.

"I hate winter," And that was all I could say.

It took little more than a week before Arthas had managed to change my opinion of him completely. I realized that he was just doing what came natural to a boy his age. He had an infectious laughter and smile that just wormed its way into my heart so quickly. He was like the brother I always prayed for.

Prayers… that were never answered.

The Light was as much a part of Lordaeron as it was of Stormwind. Every morning, we all congregated in the palace church for worship. Arthas said his prayers like a good boy and said a blessing for me every morning. I sat there, staring at the priest, as I internally cursed the Light that had so utterly failed me, my family, and my homeland. If I prayed for anything at all, it was for my hatred not to show on my face. Lothar, Terenas, and Uther all looked rapt with devotion and love for the Light. I was going to burn in Hell one day.

Arthas liked to skip lessons with the other noble boys of Lordaeron in favor of watching me practice my sword fighting with Lothar. I knew he so desperately wished his father would allow him to begin learning. It seemed Terenas overprotected Arthas in the hopes that he would see his son grown up safe from war. I practiced with the hopes that one day I would be freed from the kingly obligation to stay behind and out of direct conflict. I practiced with the thought of one day slaying that green skinned bitch who killed my father.

Towards the late afternoon, Lothar departed and left me to my own devices as he went to meet with Uther in preparation for all out war with the orcs. Arthas, at this point, would skitter out from his small crevice hiding spot and join me in the training hall. He would plop down on the ground and watch me practice alone for hours, a silly grin on his face. If I ignored him long enough, he would begin to shift around restlessly. I would smirk and see how long I could keep him wanting my attention. It was a rather cruel and dark game, but that's the kind I liked to play with Arthas. He was faultlessly cute and his sea-green eyes would always get so wide, his pink lips pouting.

Lordaeron was a much more lenient place than Stormwind. Elves walked through the Capital City, hand-in-hand with same gender lovers, and no one looked twice. Even the more bold of the humans would do it as well, though they tended to get a few strange glances. Lordaeron was a place of little conflict and happiness abound. With a wonderful King, as I had noted of Terenas. Wise and fair. Kind, trusting, forgiving, but stern when the occasion called for it. He showered love upon his family and kingdom like no other I had seen before. It made my mind drift back to the Stormwind riots against my father and made me wonder, was my father as loved as Terenas? Did our people hold as much pride in him as the people of Lordaeron do in their king? Did my father love them as much-

"Varrrrriian! I want to spar!"

I looked over to Arthas. He was bouncing up and down in his sitting position. I smiled in his direction and beckoned him closer with a finger.

One could mistake the smile Arthas gave me for the Light itself, so bright and gleaming it was.

He bounded over to me, only briefly pausing to grab a wooden sword from the rack. Grinning broadly, he dropped into a fighting stance. A horrendously bad stance, but a stance mimicking a fighter none the less. I shook my head momentarily, then lunged at him, sword at the ready. Shock blossomed on his features for a moment before he lunged back, meeting me halfway with his sword. I almost forgot to hold back my much more advanced strength and he faltered a bit under it. Sea-green eyes peering up at me angrily.

"Not so rough! You know I don't get to train like you!"

"No excuse for being unprepared, my friend!"

I quickly shifted left, Arthas' weak side, causing him to drop his sword as mine was no longer there to war against it. He blinked just long enough to let me get my sword up to his throat for a "kill". His head whipped to the side and he pouted again.

"I'll never be as good as you Varian. I'm destined to be second best forever," Eyes searching mine for some reassurance.

I smiled again and dropped my sword. He dropped his and let me pull him into a one-armed hug.

"Oh Arthas. It's not like that at all. You'll get much better once you start training with Uther. Give it time."

"I know, but you're so much more advanced and only a couple years older. You probably could have still beaten me blindfolded when you were my age! Father just doesn't understand that I need to be trained," He whined as I led him to the sword racks. He sullenly returned both our practice swords and turned to me. A wave of curiosity drifted over his face and he looked left and right.

"Varian, could you tell me something?" The conspiratorial tone of his voice alarmed me, but I listened on.

"Sure. What is it you want to know?" He faltered slightly and looked around again nervously. I took a cursory glance around the room, his nerves being passed on to me. When I looked back to him his cheeks were red as the holly berries decorating the palace in celebration of Winter Veil. My cheeks heated in response.

"I-I… I saw something yesterday. You know those two elves from Dalaran that were visiting?" I nodded. "Well, I spotted them doing something strange in a corridor."

I immediately dreaded what I was about to hear. I knew which elves he spoke of, and I knew what it was he had to have seen. The elves, great magi from Dalaran, were here to deliver important news about Dalaran's part in the upcoming war. It was supposed to be Antonidas coming, but he was tied up at the last moment and sent these two. They were clearly lovers, marks still adorning each other's necks. Terenas didn't seem to notice, that or he simply didn't mind, but to my eyes it was practically glaring at us. In Stormwind, these two would have been treated with nothing but cruelty, whether that was the correct choice or not. Such things were simply not allowed in Stormwind.

"I think they were… kissing." I was shocked to hear that he was shocked. Being raised here, I figured that he must have seen things like this before. "And they were making strange noises. They kept repeating each other's name and saying things in Thalassian that I couldn't understand. One of them was against the wall of the corridor and the other was pressing him into it. They were… moving a lot. Like snakes, only standing up."

If my cheeks weren't red before, they certainly were now. Poor Arthas had happened upon the two rutting in a public place. At first, a wash of disgust flowed through me. How could such things be allowed here? Such deviancy in a city of the Light? Then as I pondered further, much to Arthas' impatience, I realized that just thinking about it made my blood run hot. I flushed and looked around as I felt my body betraying me.

It had always been one of my darkest secrets. On of the worst plights to ever be cursed with in Stormwind. And to be a prince. My father would have disowned me, or perhaps reformed me if he had even the slightest inkling of such a seed growing in me. Arthas looked at me strangely, as I'm sure I was acting weird all of a sudden to him. I coughed deeply and took one last look around before looking back to him.

"Well… I think you probably happened upon them being… intimate with each other. Surely it was a sight not meant for another's eyes and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yes, but why?"

"Because they were in love."

"Oh," And with that he looked down and went into deep thought. I looked back and fort nervously, scouting for anyone who could possibly be overhearing this conversation. Although, nothing deviant had been said by us, I was still embarrassed for having to explain.

"You're engaged aren't you Varian? Do you love your wife-to-be?"

My head whipped back to Arthas so fast that my neck creaked in protest. His eyes were wide and curious again, but there was a deep sadness in them that I didn't understand. It was then that he question replayed itself in my mind and my mood soured.

I didn't like to think about my wife-to-be. Tiffin Ellerian. She was little more than an obnoxious brat of a girl. Always thinking she was so much smarter than everyone else. It didn't help that absolutely nothing about her attracted me, but that was not for my mind to worry about. In Stormwind, princes were arranged to be married to a girl of good wealth. Whether we agree or not. It was on more thing for me to be envious of Arthas for; the ability to pick his own bride.

"I… Of course I do. She's the most wonderful girl I have ever seen. Golden hair and lovely blue eyes. I couldn't imagine a more perfect woman," The words felt like glass on my tongue in the presence of these haunting sea-green eyes. Arthas frowned and his eyes were sad as he looked at me for a moment, bewildering me as I tried to rewind what I said and understand where I had upset him. But before I could decipher it, realization spread over his face and then it settled into a smug smirk in my direction. Such a self-assured face should have no place on a boy so young, but Arthas managed to make it work.

"You're lying. I can hear it. You don't love her at all!" The words were spoken much happier than I could have imagined and he continued to maintain the strange expression.

"What are you on about Arthas?"

He grinned at me almost lewdly and stuck his tongue out. My face immediately took on an expression of utter confusion.

"I can tell you don't love her. You make a funny face when you talk about her, and it's not a good one. But I know you look at me sometimes." My jaw literally dropped as I looked at the grinning boy.

"Arthas! What in the world are you talking about? How do I look at you?" Truthfully, I was worried that I had been looking at him inappropriately. I couldn't help it. His eyes were too beautiful.

"You smile at me, and laugh with me, and gaze into my eyes all the time. My teacher says that's how I'll know when someone loves me or not! So, do you love me Varian?"

I looked at him hard for a moment and tried to stay stern. His thoughts had drifted way too far out of the spectrum of my control. His face fell slowly, like a wilting flower, under my glare. His cheeks flooded with color and his eyes began to water. Seeing his distress, I quickly tried to backtrack.

"No… Arthas, I-…"

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" The words were soft, but sorrowful and embarrassed. He spun around so fast that I didn't even have time to process the thought to grab his hand. He took off running towards the door, a drop of water hitting me on the cheek from his quick spin.

And with that, I was alone.

Arthas avoided me like the plague for the next few weeks. Never skipping lessons to see me, never engaging in conversation outside the eyes of another. I was frustrated as I knew whatever talk we needed to have, needed to happen alone. I sought him out a few times, only to be met with him fleeing. Arthas was very quick for his age.

I never intended to hurt him, in whatever way I did, but somehow I had. I felt terrible about it day and night. What could I have done better? What should I have said? Should I have said, "Yes. Arthas, I love you", ?

I finally caught him by suggesting we go swimming in a nearby pond. A pond about a half hour ride by horse from the Capital City, sheltered by woodlands. Terenas loved the idea as spring was just beginning and the waters were cool but not freezing. Being so near the eternal summer lands of Quel'thalas, northern Lordaeron warmed quickly in spring.

Arthas had no way to refuse.

He was quiet for the majority of the journey, only murmuring to his horse gently. I kept looking at him desperately, hoping that he would break the ice and forgive me, but it was in vain.

He was still silent as the grave when we arrived at the pond. He dismounted and quickly found a tree to tie his horse to, plopping down beneath it when he had finished. I frowned and tied my horse to another tree, giving him a meaningful look as I took off my shirt in preparation for swimming. He didn't look at me, apparently the grass was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. I sighed and stripped completely, diving into the cool waters.

It was much colder than I was prepared for, and I immediately shot back out of it. Arthas giggled a bit, but quickly turned back to stone when I looked at him. A plan formulating, I smirked and dove back in. It was still freezing, and my head popped out of the water. I was shivering hard, teeth clattering and everything, but I was determined to make Arthas notice me again. He hadn't looked back me when I jumped in like I had hoped, so I was back to square one. All of a sudden, something decided to nibble at my toe, and I, yet again, shot out of the water like a bolt of lightning, only this time, screaming bloody murder.

That was the key, Arthas burst into fits of full laughter and pointed a finger at me, all the while holding his sides.

"You… You got bit by fish, didn't you?" I glared at his laughing form for a moment before a smile spread over my face and I began laughing too.

"Y-yeah I think I did."

We both collapsed from the laughing and kept going till we ran out of breath. We were laying side by side in the grass and when we finally came back to reality we propped up on one elbow and looked at each other.

Arthas turned beat red a second later, and I realized I was still completely naked from swimming. I blushed crimson all over my body and vainly tried to cover my more… intimate places. Arthas just stared for a moment before he remembered himself and looked away, suddenly heartbreak all over again. I panicked and grabbed his hand, coincidentally, the one he was using to prop himself up with. He fell against me hard, bodies completely pressed together.

His face had sorrow, surprise, and panic all over it. Eyes wide like a rabbit about to run for it.

They say time stops in moments like this. They lied, it suddenly seemed like there wasn't enough time. I didn't think as I pulled him into a kiss, but I just knew I couldn't let him run again.

He stiffened for a moment, just a moment, before he melted into it. I held him tightly, bodies still together, and tilted my head for a better angle. It wasn't a magical kiss, it was just a kiss. Just a desperate kiss. But when Arthas timidly tried to pull back and say something, opening his mouth just as I was surging into the kiss, our tongues met and I could have sworn I heard angels sing. My hand fisted in his golden wheat hair and I kissed furiously. More furiously than any thirteen year old had any right doing to a nine year old boy. I twisted our tongues together, ignoring his confused meeps and noises.

I hardened against him, a relatively new development in my growing body. When I finally pulled back, he gasped for air like a fish out of water. I watched entranced, as he sucked in air and blushed so beautifully red, his gorgeous green eyes staring at me longingly. Don't let anyone tell you that Arthas wasn't mature for his age.

"I've never kissed anyone before," He whispered softly, wondrously.

"Neither had I. Now we both have. I don't love you Arthas, I should have said that back then, but I do like you. Let me learn to love you. Please?" He stared at me, green eyes as deep as the sea, and nodded resolutely.

I pulled him into another kiss. And this time, I didn't stop.

It was so grating to listen to Jaina prattle on about how no one saw it coming that Arthas would become corrupt. That wasn't true. I saw signs since he was a boy. I could always see them. His buried anger, his actions too old for his body, his utter blind faith in people. I could see it long before anyone else could. The good ones always die young.

Arthas was too good. He couldn't believe that there were traitors in the world. He had been too protected. And when he saw just how ugly the world was, he cracked. Cracked like a porcelain doll.

Arthas' greatest sin would always be destroying those eyes.

Those beautiful sea-green eyes. The eyes that carried me through my wedding to Tiffin, through bedding her for an heir, that I almost imagine Anduin having every time I look at him.

All that's left is ice.

Ice for eyes, ice for hair, ice for skin, and ice for a heart. That's all that was left of Arthas now.

But Light damn it if he wasn't still beautiful.