AN: Another flashback.
Funnily enough, this is the chapter where I really started to question how or why this family was in the midst of wedding ceremonies when Arthas himself was bearing down on their city. I've decided that I really don't want to think about it too hard, but I will be the first to admit that I look at a lot of this story with the love of a mother. On the one hand, I adore my baby. On the other hand, I'm not beyond silently giggling when they trip and fall. Not gonna lie, I see a lot of holes in this story now that I read back through it, but perhaps those will be ironed out when I rewrite this entire adventure ten years down the road or something. I don't know.
"You look... breathtaking." Ashadel watched her younger sister spin, her white wedding dress spinning out around her and casting sparks of color around the room. Her silver hair was wreathed in white flowers, her neck graced with a silver necklace that her betrothed had given her many months ago. Neela's cheeks were a rich rose color, flushed with the excitement that fairly danced in her eyes. "Really, Neela... you'll make his jaw drop."
Neela shook her head, turning back to the mirror and smoothing her hands over the jeweled bodice of her dress. "You're sure?" She turned back to her sister, a rather impish grin coming over her lips as she eyed her. "I think I'm more shocked that you're in a dress, and not those normal leathers!" Indeed, the older sister looked quite lovely. Her blonde hair hung loose around her, dark blue ribbons tied within the strands that matched the royal blue gown she wore. The silk bodice hugged the curves that - despite her older age - were only just coming into being, the skirt a nice A-line that only barely allowed her slippers to show. Her arms were covered, not with silk, but with sleeves made of a light material... gauze, or perhaps linen. Ashadel hadn't allowed any makeup to be placed on her or her sister, and to be honest... it wasn't needed. She truly looked lovely.
"I promised you I'd dress properly for this." Her cheeks flushed, Ash looked to the door as a servant knocked softly. "It's almost time, girls." The woman's eyes fell on Neela, standing in a sunbeam beside the window, and tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, by the Sunwell, Miss Neela." Closing the door behind her, the high elf nearly twittered, dabbing at her eyes with a kerchief. "It seems like just yesterday your Mother was bringing you into this world, and now look at you. Oh, I'll miss you dearly, little one." The servant took a deep breath, gesturing to Ashadel as she turned to leave. "Come along, Miss Asha. You need to take your place!"
"Wait." Neela's hand gripped Ash's wrist lightly, blue eyes meeting her own. "Promise you'll stay? You promised to dress nicely, but you never said you'd stay..." The older sister smiled, looking at her sibling with a doration before leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "Neela, I will never let you be alone." Neela released her wrist, letting her leave with the servant. As the door closed behind her, Ashadel looked out a window, pressing her hands to her stomach. Unknowing, Neela was doing the same, her own eyes out her window as well.
I have a horrible feeling...
Ash hazarded a glance to the door before following the servant out into the garden, where benches and large pillows had been brought into the circle of fully flowering roses. Her eyes caught those of her parents, and she gave them an encouraging nod before standing at the front of the gathering that was only growing larger, beside Neela's husband to be. Miraculously, he looked calm and composed, his crow-black hair swept over one shoulder while his robes - for once - were clean and pressed, a deep green color like well-kept grass. At his side was a large white wolf, nothing more than a familiar, completely formed of magic, much like Blue.
Averoan leaned in as Ashadel stood next to him, and she smiled as he spoke. "How is she? Not looking to run, right?" This close, she was sure she could smell the fear on him, his trembling voice only assuring her further. Her hand came up to rest on his arm, the action and her voice reassuring him as one. "She'll be here, or so help me, I'll hunt her down and drag her back myself." They laughed, and Ash realized that she was genuinely happy for her sister. That day on the beach, when Neela had called for Ash to take her far away from the meeting where she had first met Averoan... seemed so very far away now.
The murmurs of the guests pulled their attention to the garden gate, where Neela had appeared as if out of thin air. Ash could see her eyes through the thin veil, and noticed that they never looked away from Ashadel herself. As if to encourage her, she moved her hand over her heart, smiling as the younger woman seemed to stand a little straighter, a bright smile on her lips as she walked down the aisle that had been left for her. Swirling and darting around her was Blue, the little orb of energy fairly echoing Neela's own emotions. Chancing a glance sideways at Averoan, Ashadel was pleased to see that she had been right. He was struck speechless, his jaw open just a bit more than it should have been. It snapped closed with an audible noise as Ash cleared her throat.
Despite her assuring words and actions, Ashadel was nervous herself. Instead of choosing a priest to marry them, or a high-ranking noble, both bride and groom had asked for she herself to bind them. She had pored for months over books, begged for aid from priests, and even asked her parents to aid her. All had said the same thing: "Speak from your heart." The night previous, she had been unable to think of a single word... but with her sister now here beside her, looking up at Averoan with that expression of love... words came. She only hoped they were the right ones. Silence fell as the bride and groom looked at eachother, and then to her. Neela's smile broadened just a bit, for once strengthening her sister... and so she spoke.
"Welcome. Today, we not only watch two people embark on a new life together, but also bear witness to two families become one for as long as these two choose to keep their bond. This is a bond more sealing than a contract, one that should only be broken under the most dire of circumstances... do you approve?" The guests murmured agreement, their eyes on the couple. "Then I will continue." Her eyes went to Averoan, nudging him from his stupor with her words. "Averoan, of House Brightsword, what do you bring to this woman and her family?"
"I bring an open heart, and ready aim. I bring unyielding trust, and unbroken promise. Never shall my heart yearn for another, and never will I scorn the woman I love. My home will remain open for her family as long as they are mine, and I will never speak against them, or raise my voice to them in anger. Not a hand will a lay on my life-mate, except in love. On this, my life, and my honor, I swear."
Ashadel nodded, taking his hands in one of hers, a rich golden glow surrounding their hands as she looked to Neela. "And you, Neela of House Sungleam. What do you bring to this man and his family?"
Neela repeated what he had said, and when she was finished, her hand was also brought into the glow, ribbons of light surrounding their hands together like ropes to drape around their fingers. "Today, your lives become one, your families bound by the promises you have spoken today. From this day forward, as long as your promises remain true, you are Lady and Lord Brightsword." The cords of light tied, sinking into the flesh of the couple as the glow dimmed and vanished. A cheer rang out from the back, and soon all the guests were laughing and cheering, the families standing to mingle and speak as the bride and groom kissed and made their way to the banquet tables that had been set out, leaving Ashadel alone in that corner of the garden.
Something doesn't feel right...
Dusk had begun to fall, hours had passed, and still the families celebrated. Neela had danced with everyone at least five times, even the few children. Ashadel had simply watched, smiling from her place at the table while her sister had been spun around like a top. Finally, Neela was able to rest, sitting beside her elder sister, breathless. "Dance, Asha! You look so forlorn over here in the corner..." Ash smirked as she shook her head, lifting a finger and waggling it at the younger girl. "I said I would attend. I said nothing about dancing, or frolicking like a child!"
Neela stuck her tongue out at her sibling, smiling as Ash smiled. They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity before Neela was dragged off again by one of her new cousins, leaving Ash to pay attention to the shifting breeze and the smell of decay that was only just present below the scent of roses, roasts, and cake. The smell made her stomach turn, and she was grateful as the breeze shifted again, but only for a moment.
A shrill scream shattered the music and laughter like a hot knife through butter. That gnawing feeling that had been in her gut all day was finally realized as staggering forms made their way through the rose bushes and hedges, the scent of rot and decay strong, overpoweringly so. Much worse was the blank look in their eyes, the lack of any emotion as mutiple mangled bodies - corpses - leapt upon the nearest servant, dragging him down and tearing him limb from limb. More were coming, and yet more elves fell... time seemed to slow as Ashadel stood, her normally composed face turned in an expression of horror.
"Asha!" Neela's voice pulled her from her fear, her sister's grip seeming to strangle the life from her wrist. "Asha, I can't find Aver!" A sob cracked the words, and Ashadel drew her sister close as arcane magic torrented around them, the creatures falling dead only to be replaced by even more. The girls glimpsed their mother, her hair blowing around her as if caught by wind as another pulse of energy swamped the undead. "Asha!" Her sister shrieked, pointing to where her father and his saber had been corraled by a row of the undead. Neela struggled against her sister, sobbing as they watched their father fall. That was her breaking point.
"We need to go." Without waiting for her answer, Ashadel tore through the hedge, wincing as thorns grabbed at her hair and clothes, tearing the dress she wore into shreds. Neela never released her, sobbing uncontrollably as her older sister dragged her to the carriage she should have been in, where Silvermane had been waiting, his saddle attached to the long arms of the carriage. "Get in." She all but pushed her sister in before following, cracking the reins hard. A glance behind her as her stallion tore off for the gates showed her Mother mounting her own horse, Averoan just behind her, his own skills showing remarkably as skeletons and ghouls found themselves immobilized by frost.
Half the city was on fire already, bodies torn limb from limb and left behind as the cruel invaders continued onward, uncaring of the hopes and dreams they were shattering one by one. Spotting a hole in the wall that surrounded the city, Silvermane made his way there, rattling the carriage as it ran over rubble and corpses to break through the few invaders still there. Ashadel dragged her sister down as her stallion whinnied sharply, felt the carriage lose footing and roll, and even heard the sickening snap of her beloved mount's neck as it took him with it, crashing down a hill before laying still.
Her entire body ached, so tightly was she coiled around her younger sister. Both lay there for a moment, their ragged breathing the only noise until Neela glanced up and moaned. "You're hurt." Ash shook her head, releasing her sibling as she rose to push the carriage off of the both of them. Blood stung her eyes, and instead she crawled out from beneath it, tearing her dress even more so she could move better. She helped her sister out, keeping her eyes away from the still form of Silvermane as she ripped the wedding gown that had become both dirt and bloodstained. Deft fingers wrapped silken cloth around shallow wounds before she took her hand, fairly dragging her sister along. Neela wasn't crying anymore.
They fled, Ashadel pausing from time to time to allow her sister time to breathe before continuing. Even from here, they could hear the screams. Once, they had been forced behind an outcropping of rocks as another group of walking corpses and a necromancer went by, Ash's hand over her sister's mouth to silence her ragged breathing. It wasn't until they reached the river that broke Eversong from the Ghostlands that they saw the rider and her white horse. Syori yelled for them, tears in her eyes as she drew up and fairly fell on her daughters, sobbing. Neela cried as well, but Ashadel remained silent.
They continued quickly, heading for Lordaeron. Neela was fast asleep astride Dawnbreaker when Ashadel finally asked about Averoan. Her mother's silence was enough, and part of her heart ached for her sister. They remained silent from then on. The sun had begun to rise again when Syori stopped, thrusting her mount's reins into Ashadel's hands and telling her to ride. The air filled with screams of torment and anguish, shaking Neela from her slumber as her sister pulled herself up behind her. "Go," their mother commanded, and the look Syori gave her eldest was one of adoration, pride... and silent goodbyes. Her arm around Neela, Ash glanced back as Dawnbreaker tore for safety, and watched as Syori fell beneath what looked to be a whole horde of ghoulish invaders. Only then did the eldest sister, and eldest survivor of House Sungleam cry. Her face buried in Neela's dirty silver hair, she sobbed. Behind them, Quel'thalas burned.
It was many days later when Dawnbreaker finally succumbed to her own injuries and died, leaving Ashadel to carry her weakening sister. They had no idea where they were, and had long given up on thinking of eating anything that the Scourge had passed near. Indeed, every village they lingered towards was burned, many corpses left to rot under the sun. Ashadel was driven more by will than anything now... but will wouldn't keep her, or her sister, alive.
On noon of the fifth day, Ashadel finally collapsed. Dirty, tired, and hungry, the elder sister fed what few berries she could find to her sister before she curled up around Neela's frail form. Her eyes drifted closed, and she never heard the sound of a cart coming near, never heard the sound of horses being drawn up, and by the time she finally felt herself being lifted into the cart, she was already asleep.
Roland glanced down at the two girls who had been placed in one of the carts, his wife Melanie already stripping the girls and patching their wounds as best as she could given the circumstances. A glance up at him and a swift nod assured him that her charges would live, if only just barely. He grunted, turning back to flick the reins, the horses moving steadily south... away from Lordaeron... away from Quel'thalas.
