A/N: So last week I probably lost a few readers but I promised things would get better. And they will. Thanks for the reviews and the loyalty from those that are still here. Today we'll learn a little bit more about a few characters in our twisted web… on with the show.

After I remind everyone that I do not own Arthas (damn), WoW, Blizzard, blah blah blah…

Chapter 14 – Repercussions and Revelations

Arthas sat in his study and rubbed his head in frustration. He hadn't meant to hurt the mage like he did. He lost control of himself for a moment and regained control only once his seed spilled into her. In his rage induced haze he heard her crying out and begging him, but he was too far gone. His release was far from satisfying and his earlier guilt nearly quadrupled. That was why he made her sleep in the bathing chambers. He couldn't face her after what he had done. It wasn't until the next morning that he saw the dried blood on the table and floor and he realized how badly he had hurt her, but he still was not sure he could face her. When he closed his eyes he could hear her screaming, see her face contorted in pain and fear, he could smell the blood leaking from her, he could even see the claw marks she left in the table. His heart sank even lower. He should have checked in on her that morning. Made sure she was still alive. But he was scared of finding her. He was interrupted by the sound of the door to his study being slammed shut.

"What the fuck did she do to deserve that?!" Gelith asked angrily. Arthas didn't care for the tone and looked up to glare at the elf. That's when he saw the blood on him and he had to look away. He instinctually knew it was hers.

"Traditionally you're supposed to wait until I give you permission to speak." He clarified bitterly.

"Fuck tradition!" the elf interrupted, "I just had to carry your mage for emergency treatment! I had thought you above beating defenseless women."

"So did I…" Arthas sighed remorsefully before he looked the elf in the eye, making the other man calm slightly. "How badly did I hurt her?"

"Her anal cavity suffered two tears, but the worst was her fractured skull." Gelith announced, watching as Arthas rubbed his head in regret and guilt.

"How long will she need to recover?"

"About a week with my priestess' help. Head wounds bleed heavily, and when combined with the internal bleeding she lost quite a lot of blood."

"See that she gets whatever she needs to heal." Arthas commanded. He hurt her worse than he had thought, but he was relieved she would not need a long time to recover.

"What will take longer is the emotional damage, and I'm afraid only you can heal that." Gelith told him. Arthas looked him almost pleadingly. He knew not what to do.

"How?"

"For starters tell me what set you off."

"I… I had taken another woman to my bed a few nights ago. She found out and got upset."

"Rightfully so." Gelith declared with crossed arms.

"What? It's not her business what I do!" Arthas flared slightly. Why is everyone against him?

"It is! Think man. Her survival depends on how well she can satisfy your needs. When you turn to someone else she should take it personally."

"It was more than that… she almost acted as if she thought we were courting."

"The relationship between a slave and her master mimics that of two courting lovers. She gives herself to you and in return you are supposed to protect her and give her some semblance of security. You have not only made her feel like a failure by sleeping with the other woman, but you taught her you can't be trusted to keep her safe and she has absolutely no security."

"What should I do?"

"Go out of your way to make her feel safe with you again. Do not bed her until she feels she can trust you." Gelith advised and watched as his king pondered for a good while over the situation.

"What happens if one of the others did not follow that same path?"

"I have to keep replacing their pets…. Either they are beaten to death, or they find a way to permanently end their imprisonment…"

"Why are you so protective of her?" Arthas asked after yet another pause. He found it interesting how he seemed to be more protective of her over all the other women he's captured after all these years.

"She reminds me of my little sister…." Gelith sighed.

"You had a sister?"

"Yes… she was a warlock."

"Was?"

"She liked to push her limits… one day she decided to try to summon a felguard long before she was ready. I ran to the sound of her screams only to be too late to do anything but slay the demon…"

"I am sorry for your loss…" Arthas announced after a pause. He knew the strength of the bond between a brother and his sister. He felt a pang of loneliness for Calia, and wondered where she was. He did not find her among the carnage of when he invaded Lorderon, so he assumed she made it out of the city. After concluding other business for the day Arthas took the elf's advice and retired for the night to find Evirah lying in bed as the elf woman attended to her bandaged head. The elf woman gave him a disappointed glare before getting up to leave. Arthas' heart sank slightly when the mage snatched her companion's hand and gave her a pleading, frightened look. The priestess pet her reassuringly before slowly walking out of the room, giving Arthas an icy glare as she did so. Arthas gave no response before he slowly undressed for the night. He could feel her fearful eyes upon him, and he dreaded when he would have to face her. When he could put it off no longer he turned and climbed into the bed before moving to stroke her smooth, bruised cheek. His heart sank further when she shied and shrank from his touch.

"Evirah… I… things got out of control last night and… I give you my sincerest apology." Arthas nervously stated. She looked him in the eye before looking back at the sheets.

"You reminded me of my place… reality is but the bitter aftertaste to sweet delusion." She responded weakly before she turned and lay on her side. Arthas sighed but said nothing as he wrapped and arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She tensed at is touch and only relaxed when sleep overwhelmed her.

That night she dreamt of the paladin and wept into him of her despair as he comforted her. For the next week she remained bedridden to allow her head to heal. During this time she barely said a word to anyone, and ate even less. For the next few weeks after that she still ate little and spoke only to her elven friend. Arthas watched helplessly as she became thinner and weaker, but short of ordering them to intubate her he knew not of what to do. She slowly stopped fearing his every touch, but still kept herself guarded from him. The only time she seemed relaxed was in her sleep. It was there that she rode with her paladin daily and the man of her dreams made her forget the hell she was in. Then she would wake and perform her duties with the minimal amount to effort she could manage. She prayed her salvation would come soon as she spiraled down into an ever steepening depression.

~o0o~

Evirah was deep in thought as she rode next to her equally as silent companion. Where they were or their destination she could not remember. The surrounding forest slightly resembled Elwynn Forest, her home, but she still could not be sure. This was not her first night of freedom with this man, this near stranger. In fact they would travel nearly every night, though in the dreams it would take place in the glow of the afternoon sun. Over the course of their time together she got the paladin to tell her fragments of his past. He was born in Lorderon and joined the Silver Hand at a young age. His father was deceased, his mother and sister he knew not of their fate. He was careful to not remove his helm in her presence, but she caught a peek of long blonde hair every now and then. She craved to know more.

"What thoughts have you so ensnared?" he asked as he gently guided his snow white steed closer, his beautiful green eyes trained on her.

"You…" she replied after a brief pause, "I know so little of you, but I feel as if I know you. I feel I could trust you completely."

"I am glad you feel so." After a moment of silence he looked up and noted the setting sun. "I am afraid it is time for us to stop."

"No!" Evirah cried suddenly. Every time they would stop for the night in her dreams she'd awake to him. "Please! I can't go back… he'll kill me… I can't… I hate it there… I die each day!"

The paladin gently pulled her from her horse and wrapped his arms around her, a look of resigned misery clear upon what could be seen of his face as he tried to comfort her. She could feel the distance between them growing as she was beginning to wake.

"Is there anything I could do to ease your suffering?" he asked forlornly.

"Please… let me look upon your face and hear your name." she responded as she watched his apprehension in his eyes. They became timidly resolute as he brought his hands to his polished helm. She watched with anticipation as he slowly lifted it off his head and long blonde locks spilled out.

"If you must…" he began as his face came into her view and she froze in horror, "Call me Arthas." He finished as she was pulled from the dream paladin she now knew as the man she watched slay her family, the man that she awoke to find sleeping with an arm draped around her.

She slowly sat up and took in her surroundings before wavering from the lingering ache in her still wounded head. A rush of tears fell unhindered from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself in the hopes she could prevent coming apart. Damn that man. He has taken everything she found comfort in while living in this wretched place, and now even her dreams were ruined. Her rides with the paladin were the only thing that kept her from her despair, and he tainted even that. After a few minutes her vision cleared and she moved to lay back down when something caught her eye, a glimmer of metal on the table by the bed. She gingerly crawled closer to find a small knife, one they used to cut her bandages. She picked it up and studied it, running her finger along the edge and watching the blood slowly ooze from the resulting cut. She sucked the finger to staunch the bleeding and seal the wound as she stared absentmindedly at her new weapon. Then she noticed Arthas slumbering underneath her and a moment of clarity struck her. She could do it... As soon as she was discovered she'd be killed, but that did not matter. She was dead inside anyways. She slowly and gingerly crawled up to him and straddled his thick waist, gripping the knife with both hands. Her heart beat faster and her breathing accelerated as she lifted it above her head.

Call me Arthas…

She stopped just as she began the fatal motion. Where did that voice come from…? Oh well, she had a mission to do. She once again raised her weapon and moved for the plunge.

Is there anything I can do to ease your suffering?

She paused yet again. It was her paladin, but her paladin of her dreams is the monster underneath her. She studied her prey as she summoned the will to complete her task. He looked so calm, peaceful even. She tilted her head and lowered the knife, studying him further for a while longer. Suddenly he moaned in his sleep, causing her to freeze and her heart to race.

"Father…. I'm tired… forgive me….." he moaned as he turned his head. Evirah's eyes widened as tears began leaking from her eyes. His hair was different but in that moment she swore she was straddling her paladin. Then it dawned on her: Arthas is the paladin, not the Lich King. The Lich King was his own separate entity dominating the others, suppressing them. Arthas is still in there. He can be saved as Jaina had thought…. And she was about to kill them both! Evirah nearly dropped the knife in disgust but instead quietly set it down in its original resting place. He moaned again as she dismounted him and gingerly lay down next to him. She watched as his eyebrows drew together and he quietly groaned, and some instinct made her gently stroke his face as tears still leaked from her eyes. They flowed more readily when he leaned his face into her hand and sighed in contentment. She gently curled into him, wrapping her arm around him and resting her head on his bare chest, noticing a strong heartbeat in her ear. So he does have a heart… but how much of it is covered in darkness?

A/N: So Arthas isn't completely heartless! He has regrets! And we learned a little more about everyone's favorite kinky blood elf. Happy week to all of you and I'll post next week! Until then feel free to leave a review and let me know how I'm doing. No flames please.