When she was introduced to the other Blood Elves, they were stunned that she sated their need for magic so acutely. Even as she walked out of the forest, she sensed a bit of sorrow. Then she paused at the pinecone that dropped in front of her. It appeared to be a parting gift, and she was quick to pocket it. Smiling at the forest once more, she let herself get led out to the main traveling road.
"We didn't bring an extra steed," Kael'thas frowned when they approached the area where the large deer were grazing patiently. "You can ride with me."
"I would prefer for her to stay with me," Perhin said. "You did inform me that I was to protect her at all times. I shall borrow a steed for her."
"I can walk," she said softly.
"No," Kael'thas said with a dismissive wave. "I won't have that."
"Well, what are we to do then?" a knight frowned. She seemed to frown in thought. Then she heard gasps when a red-eyed, white stag loped over to stand next to her.
"I suppose you are here for her?" Perhin smiled. The stag nudged her and sided up to her.
"Maybe I should ride that one," Kael'thas mused. He found himself staring at a set of horns in his face. It was clearly a 'no'.
"Can Perhin ride with me? He vowed to protect me," Rosalia asked. The stag seemed to snort and showed no malice to him. "Okay. Help me up, please?"
"How does she have such power?!" a mystic mused.
"That's something we are trying to figure out," Kael'thas chuckled.
"Oh," Rosalia said suddenly. "I want to see my parents before we go."
"Why?" Kael'thas frowned.
"Ah, because they are my parents and deserve to know I'll be leaving?" she said with a touch of irritation. "They have a right to know."
At how she was talking to the prince, several of the guards were outraged. However, it was Perhin that was in complete agreement with her. "She's right. They do deserve to know."
"Very well. I'll meet with them. Lead the way," Kael'thas ordered.
"Not through the town," she said. "It will cause too much disruption. There is another way to reach my childhood home, and it's safer. Just follow me."
The stag easily moved with her gentle nudges with her hands. Perhin was sitting behind her to cradle her in his protective embrace. For some reason, Kael'thas didn't like that. He would have preferred for her to ride with him. He had to let it go for now.
She led them down a narrow path that their steeds easily traversed. Regular horses would have to be careful on the narrow dirt trail, but the deer instinctively knew where to step. When they reached the back of the small cottage, she saw her mother working on clothing. "Mother! Is Father home with you?"
"Rosalia?!" she blinked and paused at the other Blood Elves with her. "Ah...yes. He's inside."
"Good. Okay, we can leave our rides here. We need to talk inside. I don't trust outside talk," Rosalia said. This was agreed to right away. When they stepped inside, her father waved at them. Then he noticed who was with them.
"What is the meaning of this?!" he growled and stood up from where he was sitting.
"Father...um...I am being ordered to leave," Rosalia frowned. "To retreat to a safer place."
"What?" he blinked. At how Perhin was giving a sad look, he understood. "I see."
"I am Kael'thas Sunstrider. Lord of the Blood Elves. Your daughter is a prime need for my people. She generates raw magic of the like that equals our once whole Sunwell. I am bringing her back with me to see if such a thing is true," the regal Blood Elf said calmly.
"And if she isn't? Will she be returned?" Bruen asked.
"If this place is still standing after the Scourge, I will see to it," he nodded.
"I want your vow," the man said.
"Father...even you know that such a vow cannot be given by one like him," Rosalia sighed in her whisper voice. "I will find a way home. One way or the other."
Kael'thas was not amused by that, but he could only bide his time. "She will be treated like royalty. You have my word on that."
"I would hope so. She is a bit of a princess, anyways," Bruen muttered out. Now Morissa looked at him with shock. She never knew this. Rosalia could only stare at her father for an explanation. Even Perhin was surprised at this news. "I'm sorry, Morissa. I kept this hidden. I had no choice. But...let me get something that may help to explain it."
"Yes. Explain it!" his wife said with dismay. He nodded and moved to reach under a hidden desk compartment in another room. Bringing out a velvet purple box, he opened it to display a ring. And it bore the image of the Menethil family crest. Kael'thas was stunned. The ring was clearly old and authentic to show it was an original piece of jewelry. There was even small bits of red wax stuck around small parts of the inlay when it was used to seal letters for royal courts.
"My Father was the result of a bastard offspring between a distant cousin of the royal family and a barmaid in a tavern. This ring was given to my grandmother as proof that if, one day, something were to arise, that it would be given over in a time of need. For proof of royalty. I may not be legitimate to the royal family, but their blood runs in my veins. And in Rosalia's veins. She is a princess by right," he explained softly. "I kept this knowledge hidden, because I had to. I would have been hunted down and killed to protect the line. I worked hard all my life. But...now the truth is here."
"You have my vow that I shall give her the proper upbringing she deserves," Kael'thas nodded. And I think I know how to make her stay with me, too...
"Father...please..." Rosalia shivered. He moved to hug her tight and press the ring into her hand.
"I also wanted to know something," Perhin said softly. "Where was her old room? Where did the fire occur? Can you show us?"
"I can," Bruen nodded. He gestured for them to follow, but Rosalia stayed where she was with her mother. She was in too much shock to think of anything else. The small group was led outside to where a plot of land lay empty and barren next to the house. "It was here."
"Hmm," Kael'thas thought and focused. "I am detecting nothing now. Something must have caused it to happen. I can help investigate this further at a later time, if the need is there."
"Why didn't she wish to come here with us?" a knight had to ask.
"Would you want to linger in a place where you almost lost your life at?" Bruen asked sternly. "Whenever she comes around here, she feels threatened. She still gets the odd nightmare about it."
"It does make me wonder," Perhin thought aloud. "But, I'm sure the answer will come about in time. We're going to have to leave soon, though. Nightfall is rarely safe in unknown areas."
"True," Bruen agreed and led them back into the cottage.
"You keep this on you," Morissa said and gave Rosalia a pouch filled with traveling supplies. "There's food in there with some basic supplies. There's also a little money if you need it."
"I love you!" Rosalia seemed to whimper and hugged her. Her father was next to get hugged tightly, and he kissed her forehead.
"Stay safe," he said. "You'll be in our thoughts quite a bit."
"You will always be in mine," she nodded and blinked back tears. After another few minutes of being with them, she was led outside by Perhin. Kael'thas nodded respectfully to Bruen and Morissa before turning to head towards his steed.
When there was decent distance between both parties, he muttered to his entourage, "She's royalty. The ring confirms it. No matter how she reacts to me, I shall bear it. She needs to trust us."
"My Lord?" one of the knights frowned.
"She's a princess. It's only fitting for..." Kael'thas mused. "Hmm. I'll wait."
"What are you thinking of?" a mystic mused allowed.
"A possible new Queen for our people," he smirked slightly. This had the others stunned.
"A human?!" one of the archers frowned.
"If she can save our people," Kael'thas said. "why not?"
"It's just..." another archer started and went silent at the glare given.
"Even you have not felt the need to find a source of magic to tap into, have you?" Kael'thas asked in a point blank way. At how they gasped, he continued, "If me making her my Queen will force her to stay, why should I not go with it? We can covet her and keep her with us at all times."
"I see now," the other mystic smiled. "I believe in you."
At the other agreeing murmurs given, Kael'thas nodded and moved to finish the walk to his waiting steed. "I need one of you to travel ahead to scout and send word to set up a room for her. I would prefer to have a chamber set up to be as close to mine as possible for safety."
"I can go," the first archer said. He nodded, and it was done.
"He left in a hurry," Perhin frowned at the retreating archer.
"He's scouting ahead for us to ensure a proper path," Kael'thas nodded. At this, Perhin only nodded back. Rosalia was strangely quiet, as they began to head towards the main path out of the forest. Perhin was clearly concerned over her now.
"What's on your mind?" he asked gently. She just shook her head. She didn't feel that it was safe to speak out her thoughts now. "Hmm. Can you write as we ride?"
At this, she seemed to blink and took out her diary. The inkwell wasn't quite full, so it wouldn't spill over. Taking the quill out, she started up a written conversation.
-I feel ill with this.- She started out.
-Your thoughts echo mine. Do not worry. I shall be with you.-
-I fear what will become of me.-
-I will safeguard you to my utmost ability.-
-I don't feel...comfortable...with anyone else...other than you.-
At this, he paused with a touch of surprise. -I vowed to protect you. I always keep my word.-
-I never expected to a be a form of royalty. It's too much to think about.-
-Should I refer to you as Your Royal Highness?- He joked. At the small elbow nudge to the healthy side of his gut, he found himself laughing softly in her ear.
-I do have one major worry.- She admitted.
-And what would that be?-
-Your leader. You said he was a prince...-
Now he stiffened at this. For the first time he could remember, a jealous haze filtered through his thoughts. At first, he saw her as his sister. On learning this, he felt that she was something more. He never thought he would ever find an equal partner before. Now he realized one thing. I'm done searching. He took the quill out of her hand to put away with her book. He made sure the ink was bottled up. Then he pulled her close to his chest, as they rode on. "It will never happen. I refuse to allow that."
"And if...you were ordered to step down?" she asked in a shaky whisper.
"I would rather flee with you than see that happen," he growled softly in her ear. She could only nod, as he continued to ride with her. Kael'thas had already ridden ahead of them to lead them back, and they were in the center of the group in a protective way. She found herself pressing into him now. She didn't know why she was acting this way. He gave her a reassuring squeeze to comfort her.
For a solid three hours, they traveled through the land. When they felt lost, Kael'thas was able to point where the archer left a marker for direction. By the time it hit sunset, they decided to camp. A tent was quickly set up for Kael'thas to stay in. Rosalia was content to sleep under the night sky. He didn't like that one bit.
"That won't do!" he argued. "You are not a common woman anymore. You are a princess. You should sleep in a tent and not on dirt!"
"And do you have a spare tent for me?" she asked evenly. "Because, as a princess, as you so aptly put it, it would be indecent of me to share a tent with you."
"Ah..." Kael'thas blinked. Perhin hid his smirk.
"It is safer for me to sleep a bit far off," she said.
"Actually, you should sleep close to the fire," Perhin suggested. "This way we can still watch over you. If you need to relieve yourself out of necessity, I will escort you."
"Thank you," she nodded. She knew she didn't have the look of royalty, but now she had a reason to act like it! A tense few minutes went by before Kael'thas relented and went into the tent. The weather was getting a touch colder, but her cloak kept her warm enough. When Perhin moved to sit next to her, he let her lean into him with exhaustion. She truly didn't trust any other.
"Just rest now," he muttered softly to her. "We have another day of travel ahead of us."
"I want to go home..." she shivered. "I feel like I'm being kidnapped."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said softly. She nodded and snuggled into him when he put a protective arm around her. When Kael'thas looked out of his tent to check on her, he paused at what he saw. He turned away to stare blankly at a wall of his tent.
"For now, I'll allow this. It helps keep her calm. But, in the end, she'll do my bidding," Kael'thas muttered to himself. "Through her, my people will gain a form of revenge by using a human to save ourselves. I will force her to submit to me, if I must. I'll do some experiments..."
He mused and picked up the crystal sphere he wanted her to hold earlier in the day. It was depleted of energy. He had wanted to see if she could charge it. If she could, then his people could simply tap into the charged items for magical sustenance. She could create a whole new line of survival items. And all of the Elves that need this sustenance would have to come to me!
He was very concerned about Perhin, though. He didn't like how close he was getting to his supposed future bride. He'd have to fix that the moment they stepped foot onto familiar grounds. Right now, Perhin was safe. It wouldn't be that way for long.