Varian

The entire world seemed to have stopped turning as Varian carefully watched Auriana for the slightest sign of life, silently pleading with the Light to keep her safe. Varian was not a man accustomed to being afraid, though he had scarcely known such terror as he did in that moment when Auriana had stopped breathing. He felt as if his heart was being held in a painful vice, and his throat went dry as he contemplated losing Auriana so soon after he had won her.

Both Laurena and Calissa worked tirelessly, however, and suddenly, miraculously, their work started to take effect. Ever so slowly, Auriana's chest began to rise and fall and she twitched slightly under Laurena's careful hands. Her respiration was strained and obviously difficult, but at least she was now breathing, and Varian felt the unrelenting sense of panic that had gripped his chest lessen ever so slightly.

"Good work, Commander," Laurena muttered, doubling down on her efforts to stabilise the grievously damaged mage. "Keep going, Calissa, I think we've got her."

The young apprentice priestess nodded and wiped a thick bead of sweat from her brow, her eyes never leaving her patient. Varian let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, though he knew Auriana wasn't out of the woods yet. He had never in his life wished more that he had the ability to heal, wanting desperately to do something other than simply watch as the two priestesses worked themselves to the bone to save Auriana's life.

The High Priestess finally sat back after another half hour of relentless healing, the room dimming as the light from the healing magics faded away. Her exhausted apprentice Calissa didn't say a word as she too released her power, merely leaning back against the headboard and staring blankly up at the ceiling. Both priestesses had dark shadows under their eyes, but Laurena was smiling serenely despite her exhaustion.

"Well," Laurena said, "She's going to take some time to recover, but she'll live."

"She… she's going to be alright?" Varian asked disbelievingly.

"It's too early to tell if she'll suffer permanent consequences, but yes, she should be fine. Eventually," Laurena said. "She'll need to be watched carefully over the next few days, mind you."

Varian sighed with relief and ran a shaking hand through his hair, shuddering as his frantic heartbeat finally slowed. Khadgar clapped him on the back, and even Kalec smiled with satisfaction as he admired Laurena's handiwork.

"Varian…" Jaina said softly. "Er… could you stop, please?"

"Hmm?" Varian grunted, unable to take his eyes away from Auriana.

"You're crushing my hand," Jaina said, her voice kind but insistent.

Varian looked down, and realised that when Auriana's breathing had failed, he'd taken Jaina's offered hand and squeezed it quite tightly. He released it immediately, watching as Jaina opened and closed her fingers to regain their feeling.

"Sorry," Varian said gruffly.

"It's quite alright, Varian," Jaina said, smiling gently before turning her warm gaze on Kalec.

"Did the spell work, Kalec?" she asked.

"If it didn't, I'm not sure what we'll do," Laurena added. "I doubt I could bring her back twice."

Kalec walked forwards slowly and waved his hand over Auriana, frowning intently. His fingers glowed blue with power, which he directed to every corner of Auriana's body.

"She's free of the raw magic," Kalec said firmly, after several minutes of careful study. "There's not a trace of it left."

"Does she still have her own magic?" Khadgar asked urgently.

"It's impossible to tell until she's awake," Kalec said, "And even then, it could take a few days for her abilities to return. Magic is in large part a function of physical fitness and will, and at this point I doubt she could light a candle even if she did have her full range of abilities."

"I'd like to consult some of the texts in Dalaran," Khadgar said. "In case there is anything we might do to aid her recovery. She is a very powerful asset, and I need her for the Draenor campaign. Not to mention that I consider her a friend, and I'd hate for her to lose her magic."

"Kalec and I will return to assist you," Jaina agreed. "Though perhaps we should all get some rest first."

She looked pointedly at Varian as she spoke, and he nodded acknowledgement of the silent rebuke.

"An excellent idea, love," Kalec agreed, staring at Jaina with unabashed affection and respect. "With your permission, of course, Your Majesty."

"Go," Varian said quietly. "Auriana is stable for now, and I can always contact you if anything changes. You've all done more today than I have any right to ask for, and you have my sincerest thanks."

He smiled grimly at the three mages, who bowed to him as one before Jaina opened a portal to Dalaran with a wave of her hand, and they all disappeared. Varian then turned his attention back to Laurena and Calissa, who were carefully rearranging Auriana into a more comfortable position after all the thrashing around she had done during the course of the spell.

"My thanks to you as well," Varian said wholeheartedly. "I owe you for her life."

"Thank the Light," Laurena said gently. "We are merely conduits for its power."

"Nevertheless, I am grateful for your hard work," Varian asked. "What happens now?"

"We will keep her asleep until she's had some time to recover her strength," Laurena explained, "But I suspect she'll be ready to waken in a couple of days. She's a fighter, this one."

"Yes, she is," Varian agreed proudly, as he walked over to press a hand to Auriana's forehead.

Laurena watched him carefully, her gaze flicking from Auriana's face to his own, and she smiled softly.

"You should get some rest, Your Majesty," she chided gently.

"As should you," Varian countered.

"I'll allow Calissa to get some sleep first, and we will trade shifts in a few hours," Laurena said. "She'll need to be watched at all times until she's awake."

"I can watch her," Varian said fiercely.

"With respect, Your Majesty, you really should get some sleep," Laurena said firmly. "The young Commander here is not the only one who has suffered through this ordeal."

Varian thought about arguing further, but he knew he had no recourse. He was tired, exhausted in fact, and he realised that he would rather sleep now than risk missing being by Auriana's side as she awoke. Taking the High Priestess' advice, he nodded stiffly and turned to leave, offering Laurena a last, grateful thanks.

"You are most welcome, Your Majesty," she said graciously, bowing before him, "And may the Light continue to watch over you."


For days after the ritual, Laurena had kept Auriana in an enchanted sleep, sustaining her with the Light until they could be certain that she was at no further risk of sudden death. Varian had reluctantly returned to his kingly duties, though he visited Auriana's private quarters as often as he was able. Every time he entered her room, he hoped against hope to see her awake and looking back at him, but each time he was bitterly disappointed. Even after Laurena had finally decided to release the sleep spell, Auriana remained stubbornly unconscious, despite long healing sessions with either the two priestesses or Anduin. Despite their repeated assurances that Auriana was improving, however, Varian found it harder and harder to remain optimistic, and at night he had taken to brooding alone in his study with nothing more than a glass of whiskey for company.

It wasn't until several days later that Varian heard a knock on his door, and his heart leapt into his throat as the guard announced the High Priestess Laurena.

"Your Majesty?" she said, peering around the heavy oak door.

Laurena still looked very tired, but she smiled softly, and Varian felt a surge of hope that he hadn't realised he still possessed.

"She's awake," the High Priestess said simply.

Laurena added something else, but Varian didn't hear a word. He was already out the door, having pushed past the High Priestess rather rudely as he dashed out into the corridor. He raced towards Auriana's chambers without any care for propriety or decorum, forcing several startled guards out of his way as he ran.

In his frantic eagerness, it didn't even occur to Varian until he reached the door that while Auriana may be alive, she might not be restored to her whole self. The thought stilled his untempered enthusiasm somewhat, and for a second he hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. He had no idea what he would find on the other side, and whether Auriana would still be the woman he loved. There was only one way to find out, however, and Varian's heart thundered wildly as he quietly opened the door and stepped into the room.

Varian coughed loudly to announce his presence, unsure of what to say. Auriana's head snapped towards him, her mouth falling open slightly in surprise. She had been lying on her back, her hands folded neatly across her stomach. Her face was still badly bruised and somewhat gaunt, and she was fairly covered in still-healing wounds, but her skin had regained its normal silver hue. She was no longer shrouded in the sickeningly sweet smell of the dying, and even her dark hair had regained some of its lustre. Best of all, her eyes were their normal, brilliant blue, and Varian's heart swelled with hope as they fixed on his face with a familiar keen intensity. She scrambled to prop herself up on her elbows as he cautiously approached, wincing slightly as she changed position.

"Varian," she breathed.

Her voice was too quiet and slightly hoarse, but she otherwise sounded clear and lucid.

"Auri?" Varian murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you… are you... yourself?"

"Of course," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Who else would I be?"

She cocked her head to the side and regarded Varian with gentle confusion, her brow crinkling delicately as she frowned. The expression struck Varian as both undeniably alive and distinctly human, and his heart surged as he knew then that she was still his. The realisation struck Varian like a powerful blow, and he practically lunged across the room to her side. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her lips and feel the warmth of her skin beneath his hands, but he pulled up abruptly as he realised that she was still very delicate. Varian hovered above her uncertainly, not wanting to harm her, when Auriana unexpectedly solved the problem for him as she reached up to pull his mouth down to hers.

She kissed him deeply, and it was all Varian could do to remember that she had just recovered from a great ordeal. Despite everything, he wanted nothing more than to push her gently down into the soft pillows and show her how much he exactly how much he loved her, over and over again until there was absolutely no doubt in her mind. Varian was a very physical person by nature, and he felt there was so much more he could express through his actions than through his words. He was very conscious of her fragility, however, and instead settled for cradling her face gently in his large hands as he kissed her desperately.

Auriana touched a hand to her damaged cheek as Varian finally pulled away and buried his face in her dark hair, breathing heavily. His hand lingered on her neck as he drank in her intoxicating, familiar scent, comforted by the feel of her steady pulse beneath his fingertips.

"Ow," she said softly.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured. "I should have been more careful… I got carried away..."

"It was my fault," she said, offering him a slightly pained smile. "After all, I kissed you… and I'm glad I did. I… I never thought I'd see you again, Varian. I'm still not sure that this isn't all some dream."

Her luminous eyes suddenly swam with tears, and her lower lip trembled slightly as she fought them back. Varian leant forwards and pressed his forehead ever so gently against her own and tenderly stroked her back.

"Please… please don't cry," he murmured. "It breaks my heart to see you cry. This isn't a dream… you're safe, and you're mine, and I swear to you that I will never let someone hurt you so badly ever again."

Auriana reached out and placed a trembling hand against his chest, allowing Varian to hold her close. Neither Varian nor Auriana moved for a very long time, each seemingly unwilling to move apart. It was Auriana who first pulled back, however, groaning slightly and closing her eyes as she relaxed back into the bed.

"I do agree that we should be more careful, however," she said. "I feel awful."

"That's something of an understatement. You nearly died," Varian said seriously.

He reached down to grasp her hand and gently kiss her swollen knuckles.

"I nearly died?" she repeated, evidently surprised. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Varian asked worriedly.

Auriana blinked several times, and it was clear that despite the overall improvement in her appearance, she was still struggling to regain full possession of her mental faculties. Varian frowned, not sure if her memory loss was a blessing or a curse. On one hand, he was fervently praying that she would make a full recovery, but on the other he wondered if it wasn't best that she could simply forget the whole ordeal all together.

"No. I remember being taken to the Foundry, and… I… I remember being tortured," Auriana said slowly, her voice catching slightly

She touched a hand to her chest, as if finding it suddenly hard to breathe. Her eyes darkened, and for the barest second she looked very young and very afraid, before her well-practiced mask of control snapped back into place.

"The last thing I remember was Blackhand's torturer… he tried… well… never mind what he tried…" she said darkly. "I… I remember him breaking my cheekbone, and then there was a lot of white light... and then I woke up here. Why? What happened?"

Varian frowned, wondering what she was keeping from him, but he recalled Anduin's earlier warning, and declined to ask for details. He also wasn't sure if he should actually tell her the whole sordid story, but he knew that she had a right to know.

"Varian?" she pressed, touching his shoulder. "Tell me..."

"Very well," he sighed. "We received a ransom from Blackhand. He wanted to trade my life for yours."

"I know what he wanted," Auriana said hotly. "I didn't tell him anything, Varian, I promise. We were betrayed from within Lunarfall. I didn't talk."

Her eyes flashed fiercely, and Varian realised it was very important to her that she was believed.

"I didn't think you would," he said sincerely, gently squeezing her hand. "In any case, we received Blackhand's ransom, and I was quite prepared to agree to his demands if it meant saving your life. Khadgar, of course, persuaded me that such an idea would be somewhat foolhardy, though I convinced him to take me to the Foundry with an elite team from SI:7."

"Wait… you… you came for me? Personally?" she said, her blue eyes huge. "You came to Draenor?"

"Yes," Varian confirmed, unsure of what to make of the look on her face.

"Varian… you… you shouldn't have done that," she said seriously.

"Excuse me?" he said, surprised. "Did you really expect that I would leave you there? I would have thought you would be grateful."

"Of course I'm grateful," she said earnestly, cupping his cheek in her small palm. "Of course I am. Varian, you quite literally travelled across the universe to find me. I will never forget that as long as I live. But… I have to put the Alliance first. You could have died out there. I'm not worth that."

"You are to me," Varian said heatedly. "I love you."

Auriana fell silent, her eyes downcast, and Varian could tell that once again she was trying not to cry. He stroked her hair soothingly, allowing her time to gather her thoughts.

"What happened then?" she asked finally, sniffling slightly.

"We infiltrated Blackrock Foundry. Of course, we didn't know where you were, but we were closing in on your position when half the Foundry exploded," Varian continued. "We found out later that it was you breaking your arcane shackles. You did a lot of damage."

"So that's what happened," Auriana said softly. "No wonder I nearly died. I should be dead, pulling a stunt like that."

"You said as much, after," Varian agreed. "You said that you would have rather killed yourself trying to escape, rather than giving Blackhand the means by which to lure me."

Varian spoke slowly, wondering if she would remember what else she had said during her conscious moments. He could still hear her confession of love as if she had only spoken it moments ago, but it appeared that she had no memory of what she had said. Varian found himself powerfully disappointed by the thought, wondering if that would be the only time Auriana would ever again tell him how she felt.

"I was awake before?" she asked, seeming genuinely bewildered. "Before this, I mean?"

"You were awake several times," Varian confirmed. "Though you weren't exactly… lucid."

"What do you mean?"

"Breaking the shackles was a very dangerous thing to do," Varian said, trying not to sound too reproachful of the risk she had taken to escape the Foundry. "Khadgar or Jaina could probably explain it better than I, but the gist of it was that you essentially poisoned yourself with raw magic."

Varian shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the next part of the story would likely cause her distress.

"You were confused. You thought you were still in the Foundry," he continued quietly. "At one point, you tried to escape. You attacked Jaina and Khadgar, and injured them both, as well as couple of guards. Rather unluckily, Anduin was drawn to the commotion and confronted you. You… you turned on him. I was able to use your distraction to take you down, however, before he was hurt."

Varian grit his teeth, hating to have to remember hitting her, even if it had been to save Anduin's life.

"You know I never would have done so if I had another choice," he added quickly. "I… I may be many things, but I'm not the type of man who would beat a woman."

Auriana's face went white, and she looked absolutely horrified. For a second, Varian wondered if her reaction was to his confession of violence against her, when he realised she was devastated at the thought of having risked the lives of her friends.

"I… I hurt Jaina and Khadgar? I went after Anduin?" she whispered. "Oh, Light, Varian… how could you possibly forgive me?"

"You weren't in your right mind," Varian said gently. "I don't blame you, and nor do they."

Auriana buried her face in her hands.

"I don't think I can ever look any of them in the eye ever again," she said wretchedly. "How… how did you ever bring me back?"

"Jaina went to Kalecgos for help," Varian explained. "Together, she, Kalec, and Khadgar cast a spell to burn the excess magic from your system. The ritual was successful, but we… we nearly lost you. You actually stopped breathing for a while. Thankfully, Laurena was able to stabilise you, and… well, now we're here."

"I see…" Auriana said slowly. "I'm so sorry, Varian. I can't imagine how you must have felt seeing me threaten your son."

"I'll admit, it wasn't the greatest moment of my life, but he's fine, Auriana," Varian said firmly. "I promise… and you know if I'm saying that, it must be true. You know firsthand how protective I can be."

Auriana nodded, but Varian could see that she was still horrified by her actions, unwitting as they may have been.

"You need to worry about your own recovery," he told her gently, "Rather than torment yourself with guilt."

"Is there anything else I should know about?" she said bitterly. "Anything else terrible that I did?"

Varian wondered again if he should mention that she had professed her love for him, but he felt that she should be allowed to broach the topic when she was ready to do so, and not because she felt like she had been backed into a corner.

"No," he said finally. "Though… I have something to confess to you. I was the one who permitted Khadgar, Jaina and Kalec to perform the ritual."

"Why would that matter? It saved my life," Auriana said slowly. "Unless there's something you aren't telling me…"

Her eyes widened and the blood drained from her face, and Varian winced as he saw her figure out the terrible truth.

"Wait…" she said urgently. "You said that Jaina and Khadgar conducted a ritual to burn out the excess magic... did… did they take it all? Did they take all my magic? Varian?"

Auriana sat bolt upright and extended her hand in a familiar casting gesture. Varian prayed for her sake that something would happen, only to watch in dismay as she waved her hand over and over again without result.

"My magic… it isn't there,' she said, her voice rising in panic. "I… no… it's there, but I can't reach it… Varian... it's like being in shackles again…oh, Light… Light… my magic..."

Auriana's hands shook violently as she began to hyperventilate, her eyes darting desperately around the room. Her entire body was practically vibrating with nervous energy, and Varian suddenly realised she was having some kind of panic attack. He reached out to comfort and still her, but she twisted out of his reach as if repulsed by his touch.

"How could you?" she whispered, her eyes once again welling with tears.

"I couldn't let you die, Auriana!" Varian snapped. "I… I know I told you I loved you, but I didn't even understand myself how much I cared until I saw you lying there… until I nearly lost you. You have no idea what it was like."

"You don't understand," she choked, tears streaming down her face. "Without my magic, I have nothing."

"You have your life," Varian said lowly. "You have me."

He reached out to gather her in his arms, and this time she was unresisting, struck numb by loss.

"Kalec said it could take some time for your abilities to return," Varian told her, though he knew it would be of little consolation. "Don't give up hope just yet."

It appeared, however, that Auriana was beyond listening to reason at that particular point in time. She looked as if her heart had been torn out of her chest, which Varian supposed in a way it had been. He stared down at her hopelessly, hating to have caused her so much pain, and there was nothing he could do except for to hold her tightly as she wept.