A/N: Happy Hallow's End, everyone. Er...well, I'm late, but we can blame it on vodka. Did you all get your trick and treating done? Anyone get their mount? I'm still having no luck with it... Ugh. Anyway, just a short little one shot to get us into the spirit. Which I realize is pointless since I didn't manage to finish on time. It's nothing too serious, mostly shameless child fluff, but I hope you enjoy xx
PS: If anyone will be at Blizzcon this week and is interested in kicking it or something, shoot me a message. I'll see all you cool kids in Cali ;)
...
Jaina Proudmoore had never had a normal life. The naval kingdom of Kul Tiras had never been noted for its upholding of the standard traditions carried out by other humans. She hadn't been taught the ways of the court, hadn't been expected to behave as other young ladies of her standing might have been. Most of the time, this had not bothered her. She couldn't be troubled to dress the part, let alone learn to play it; she had never asked for it and had certainly never wanted it.
But there were some elements of normality that she regretted missing out on partaking in, and among those were the frivolities and festivities that accompanied the many holidays celebrated by those that lived on the mainland. So when her father gave her notice that they would be docked in Lordaeron during the celebrations for Hallow's End, she didn't think that she could have been more ecstatic. In all her ten years, she had never gotten to see the way the late autumn weather turned the leaves from bright green to a rainbow of red and oranges, had never gotten to feel the way the grass crisped with the touch of morning frost, had never participated in any of the traditions.
Now, all of that would finally be changing. She had counted down the days until they would make port, and when at last they had, she'd run off the ship so quickly it was a miracle she hadn't tripped and made a fool of herself. The Admiral could only laugh and shake his head at her; Jaina was nothing if not spirited.
She just barely managed to skid to a stop before King Terenas and his wife Lianne, who had come to meet their guests at the pier. "Miss Proudmoore," the elder man greeted, bowing his head a little and smiling fondly at the girl. "Look how big you've gotten since last we saw you."
In spite of herself, she flashed a wide grin at him, nodding eagerly. "Father says I've gained over a foot since last we were here," she said happily.
That same knowing smile upon his aged face, Terenas widened his eyes in surprise. "A whole foot?" He repeated. "You know...I'll bet you might even be taller than Arthas now." This idea seemed to delight the girl, if the way her blue eyes lit up was any indication. He looked to the place where Admiral Proudmoore stood behind his daughter, the men exchanging a look that she was far too young to decipher.
A moment later, her father's hand fell heavily upon her shoulder. "Go on ahead with Terenas. I've got some things to tend to here. Be good, alright?" Her enthusiasm was contagious as she nodded happily back at him, and the Admiral couldn't help but smile.
Lifting a hand to beckon to the small party of guards that had insisted upon escorting them, Terenas gave a short nod. "Come, Miss Jaina, let your father get settled here, and we can go see if you really are taller than Arthas."
...
Varian Wrynn had barely managed to press the tip of his knife against the flesh before a small hand shot out to rip it from his grasp.
"You're doing it wrong!" Arthas whined, holding it out of the older boy's reach.
Varian let out a loud sigh, giving the blonde a pointed look. "How can I possibly be doing it wrong?" He asked, pushing his dark hair away from his face.
A deep frown creased itself into the child's brow as his gaze flickered between Varian and the oversized orange pumpkin that rested on the table before him. "Well...well, I don't know," he muttered quietly. "But you just are. I'll bet mine is going to be better than yours."
"You said that about your swordsmanship as well, remember?"
Arthas scowled intently at the brunette. "You're bigger than me," he argued. "And older, and- and-"
"And better," Varian interrupted. "Just accept it, won't you?"
"If you two don't stop bickering, I swear by the Light," a sudden, deeper voice interrupted the two princes, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls on the cool stone floor of the chamber. Both of their gazes strayed towards the doorway, where a familiar paladin was making his way towards them, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
Varian's expression brightened considerably as he flashed a grin. "Hello, Bolvar," he greeted. "Have you come to carve pumpkins with us?" In all honesty, he was probably a bit too old to be indulging in such trivial habits, but with the weight of an entire kingdom constantly resting on his shoulders, he got the feeling that he would soon have to leave anything leisurely behind him, and so a part of him was desperate to cling onto them for as long as he could. Plus, the idea had made Arthas happy, and in his time spent in Lordaeron, Varian had quickly learned that whatever made the younger prince happy made everyone happy.
Bolvar, however, was quick to shake his head. "I've got training and prayer later," he answered, almost apologetically, though Varian was quick to give him an understanding look. Now more than ever he understood Bolvar's need to cling to his faith and beliefs, for after the fall of their kingdom, they were all he really had left, and so in spite of his own failing trust in the Light, he had never mocked him or belittled him for it.
Arthas, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. "Good," he said quickly. "We don't need you to babysit us, you know. Varian is already a king, so no one can tell him what to do anymore."
The words, innocent as their intentions may have been, struck a chord with the older boy. Bolvar must have noticed this, because he was quick to change the subject. "I came to tell you that Admiral Proudmoore has docked-"
Whatever else he might have said was interrupted by the soft sound of someone clearing their throat. Snapping his mouth shut, Bolvar spun around and lowered his gaze to the small girl lingering in the doorway, her small fingers clutching to the frame. Tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear, Jaina looked around the room and smiled sweetly at each of the boys.
Arthas instantly straightened up, his eyes going wide as he ran a hand quickly through his loose locks. "Hello, Jaina!" He greeted eagerly. Varian could barely manage to choke back a breathy laugh at the way a blush stained the younger prince's cheeks. In an instant the blonde was on his feet, bounding excitedly over to her, snatching up her hand and pressing a quick kiss to her knuckles.
Jaina dipped into a quick curtsey, her gaze straying anywhere but to him. "Hello, Prince Arthas," she murmured. Her own cheeks tinted to a shade of red that easily muted Arthas' own blush, and then Varian really did laugh, and it felt good because he couldn't remember the last time he had allowed himself to do so.
If either of the young nobles had heard it, they gave no indication. Without ever letting go of her hand, Arthas led her back to the table. "Varian and I are carving pumpkins," he explained, which only served to prompt a frown from the young girl. Arthas watched her curiously for a moment before going on. "See, we cut faces and stuff into them."
Jaina tilted her head to the side. "Why?" She asked innocently. "Seems awfully silly to me."
Arthas opened his mouth, but quickly snapped it shut again. His uncharacteristic speechlessness prompted a short laugh from Varian, who patted the bench beside him. "It's a Hallow's End tradition," he replied. "I don't think there's a real reason, exactly."
Jaina thought about this for a long moment before shrugging her shoulders and pulling herself up between them. With the children settled in, Bolvar finally excused himself from the room, assuring them he would see them at the banquet later that night.
"There's a banquet too?" Jaina asked, glancing between the two of them.
Without tearing his gaze away from where he had positioned his small knife against his pumpkin, Arthas nodded eagerly. "And then tomorrow we get to dress up in costumes and go around the city collecting candy."
If Arthas had been expecting her to share in his enthusiasm about the whole notion, he was sadly mistaken. Instead, the look that overtook her features was one of immense concern and mild fear. It was Varian that picked up on the sudden shift in her emotions, the way she seemed to withdraw into herself, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter, Jaina? They won't be frightening costumes or anything, and we will be with you the entire time-"
She was shaking her head before he had even finished speaking. "I- I can't go along...I haven't got any costume to wear," she mumbled at last, dropping her gaze to where her folded hands were rested in her lap. It was foolish, she knew, to be so ashamed, but this was her very first Hallow's End, and she had truly wanted it all to be perfect. But all she had managed to do was prove, once again, that she would always be different, that she would never truly belong.
She was expecting scorn or malice from the pair of princes, who would surely judge her for her lack of knowledge of how to do anything properly. But instead, Arthas just gave a quick laugh and a small flick of his wrist. "Don't be ridiculous, Jaina," he blurted, though once he had realized his words, he was quick to blush. When he dared to speak again, he was far softer and sweeter. "We can get a costume for you, easy. We aren't going to make you stay here all by yourself."
Jaina couldn't help but allow a wide smile to take over her lips at that, catching the young prince completely off guard when she suddenly threw her arms around his neck. In that moment, she was quite certain that in all of Azeroth she would never find better friends than them, and she hoped that they could all be in each other's lives for a very long time.
Pulling back, she smiled sweetly at him. "What shall I dress up as, then?" She asked, her anxious excitement evident.
Arthas tilted his head to the side in contemplation. "Well," he said after a moment. "I am going to be a king, so I suppose you'll just have to be my queen."
end