Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text"BECAUSE JAINA! I, FUCKING, LOVE YOU!", Sylvanas screamed into Jaina's face. No, it wasn't the curling scream of a Banshee but the desperate cry of a lover. She had committed her greatest crime, Jaina blinked dumbfounded, absolutely stupefied. Sylvanas's tears felt like nails scraping down a chalkboard. The silence was deafening. She watched in mortification, watched Jaina slowly open her mouth. Watched it move. But no words came from those beautiful lips. Jaina froze like a statue under her fingertips. She knew Jaina felt her physical and emotional pain due to the binding spell, but it felt like Jaina's emotions had been cut off. Unless, she had none.
Sylvanas withdrew, releasing Jaina. She knew Jaina would never say the words back to her. She had unravelled and completely opened to Jaina, bearing her deepest, darkest secret to her. The trial by trial of every single year she had known Jaina laid bare before her. She felt like time had slowed as she kneeled back onto her heels, panting, hands trembling in fists in her lap as she looked longingly at Jaina.
"It's always been you…." Sylvanas whispered tenderly, yet fear etched her voice. Her face was pained.
She quickly scrambled to her feet at the sudden stab to her chest. Her face hidden by the hood of her cloak. All the better for Jaina to not see her at her weakest ever again. She could see Jaina's features range from a rainbow of emotions. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Jaina remained quiet and opened mouthed in shock. Sylvanas couldn't take the hurt anymore. The shame of opening up to her greatest love and fear. Fearing the retaliation, her feat moved before she could make the connection between her dead brain and body.
Jaina reached out in desperation, "Wait!"
Jaina watched Sylvanas, her figure; frozen in time, her back turned to Jaina with her cloak billowing in the wind; drifting in through the shutters "I have affairs of state to attend to. I should never have come here." Sylvanas was never a quitter, oblivious to Jaina's life in her state of undeath. The fall from grace was her hardest defeat. When she was alive, they were innocent and young. Sylvanas thought herself a fool, to think they could ever rekindle the tangible love they once had. Yet she craved a little touch, a little tenderness from Jaina. For a second she thought for once, in the cards she had been dealt now that she could have won. The love she had cradled for Jaina and protected from the open for so long wore thin. But now she stood, there before Jaina. Realising she was too late. Feeling the knife stab, her in the back and twist continuously. Her sacrifice had sealed her fate.
"Sy-Sylvanas…." Jaina stammered trenching through the calm water to reach the steps.
"Jaina…...I can't…I'm sorry…." Jaina ran to grab Sylvanas and as she reached out Sylvanas disappeared into a mist of black and purple smoke. Jaina Fell to the ground, her shoulder cracking on the hard concreate, hugging herself. She whimpered, ignoring the searing pain of her fractured shoulder, but succumbing to the pain of how Sylvanas had disappeared at her confession.
"I love you too, Sylvanas…." Jaina whispered exasperatedly into the ground.
Lorthremar wondered through their small camp to the Warchief's tent. Guarded by Velonara and Alina. He could see the small flicker of an orange flame behind the dark purple tent. Velonara was Sylvanas's most trusted Dark Ranger. Wherever the Queen went she followed. At times, Velonara was her only female friend. Lorthremar nodded at them both and followed Velonara into the tent. Sylvanas lounged on a fur furnished chair in front of a small hearth, watching the flames dance intensely.
Velonara coughed gently, earning the attention of the Queen. She turned in her seat and made a come-hither motion with her fingers at Lorthremar and gestured for him to take the seat opposite. He sat and leaned forward, watching the fire crackle at first then, his eyes floated to Sylvanas. She looked in shock, in fear, weighing a situation up. She hadn't been her usual confident ass hole self all day but remaining reserved and very, very, quiet. She had a glazed look in her eyes, the usual blaze a dull and diminished ash.
He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee, his pointed chin on his fist, "You summoned me, Warchief?" he said, his finger rubbing at his beard.
Sylvanas straightened in her chair, "Yes, I need the reports on the Naga encampment."
Lorthremar chuckled, "Sylvanas you have never been one for bull-shit." She raised an long eyebrow in his direction, "You didn't summon me to make small war talk on how to deal with the Naga camp your Rangers wiped out earlier. What is really eating you up Sylvanas? I know you."
Sylvanas grimaced, coming back to the present time, she tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair, her thoughts running wild with a little mage. Where did she even begin? "Lor, you have known me for too long." She sighed, truly exhausted. She had taken her emotions out on an entire camp of Naga, yet she still couldn't help the rising bile in her throat as her words to Jaina echoed through her mind. Or the exhaustion at not having rested since she had lost the bracelet "Once you leave this tent, it never gets repeated." She growled.
Lorthremar noted the tone, that it was more of a command than a request, "As always Sylvanas. Let me guess, marriage troubles?"
Sylvanas chewed the inside of her jaw, grinding it harshly, "Something along those lines."
Lorthremar raised one of his spindly, bushy eyebrows at how Sylvanas shifted in her seat, sitting up straight and leaning forward, her chin resting on both fists. He watched her leg shake uncontrollably. He threw back his head in a deep chuckle, "Oh Sylvanas, what have you done now?"
"It's not exactly what I have done but what I have said." She murmured, watching Velonara shift out of the corner of her eye, while Lorthremar took advantage and poured himself a scotch on the rocks. Handing one to Sylvanas too.
"There is a power in letting go, Sylvanas." He winked and sipped, "Let me guess, Kul 'Tiran whiskey? We all know how you came to possess that." He grinned while the brown liquid settled on his tongue.
Sylvanas drank gladly in one go, knocking it back without shame, "A wedding gift from Proudmoore. I was saving it." She coughed slightly at the warmth that hit the back of her throat. She crushed the glass beneath her hands and threw the ash of crystals into the fire. The fire gave off a small explosion, the orange flame flashing blue until embers simmered down into the coal. Blue lightning illuminating the cracks in the coals.
"Well this will be interesting." Lorthremar presumed, his face lighting at the gossip.
Sylvanas's lip twisted and she winced as she recalled Jaina's stupefied reaction and how she bolted, "Proudmoore and I were arguing. She teleported out of the hold and into our private chambers, I went after her before Blight Caller could accuse her of breaking any contracts." Sylvanas heels rocked back and forth and she hid her face behind her clasped fists, "She just kept needling me. I couldn't take it anymore, Lor. She's right, I'm a horrible being. I've ignored her because I've been trying to protect her…"
Lorthremar gulped his whiskey back and poured another glass, " I feel like there is something more here…."
Sylvanas swallowed, for the first time in forever she felt her pale purple skin tinge lilac. It was the equivalent to a blush, "We may have…. Oh Lor, don't give me that look with your good eye. Yes, we kissed, twice. Not just any kiss but a very …. intense kiss. But that was before we argued…. She resents me for having to keep leaving her and not telling her why or where I'm going." Sylvanas rubbed her face and dragged her skin up and down with her hands. "If anymore mages keep turning up dead on our doorstep, I fear she will be next."
"So…. Maybe tell her? She's a badass powerful Mage and was leader of the kin Tor. You can't keep her locked away in your tower forever." He shrugged, leaning back into his chair comfortably and crossed his knee over the other.
"If I told her Lor, she would worry constantly. Or worse, she would try to help. Putting herself more at risk." Sylvanas rolled her shoulders, "Besides, she resents me enough as it is. She wants the old Ranger General Sylvanas back. And I can't give her that." Sylvanas, still leaned forward let her shoulders sag and her elbows rest on spread apart knees. Se rung her hands in front of herself.
"Sylvanas, you have to live with the cards you are dealt with. Treat Jaina as your equal like you first promised and she will come around. You must take risks. I get you have a …. thing…with Proudmoore but you can't keep her locked away forever. She's more than likely bored, taking down the wards on your dungeon was child's play for her." He sounded like some old textbook from jaina's shelf in their room.
She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Lor, I told her I loved her. 'I , fucking, love you' I screamed at her in all honesty." She buried her head in her hands, wanting to claw at her skull for being so stupid and naive that Jaina would return the favour with her own words of endearment.
Lorthremar supressed a laugh, no matter how smart, cunning or even calculated Sylvanas had always been she still never understood love, "Sylvanas." He set his glass of whiskey on the ground by his chair and looked at her over the fire, "You actually said that? Your reputation runs before you, so sorry if I have any doubts." He stated formally.
"Lor, cut the fucking bullshit of formalities." She scratched at her uncloaked head, clawing and digging her nails into her scalp.
"What was her reaction?" he asked, leaning onto the arm rest, stroking his rough beard.
Sylvanas went deathly quiet.
Lorthremar watched her ears swivel and lay flat against her head, the tips drooping.
"Sylvanas, you did stick around for her reaction, right?" he asked, shifting in his seat and leaning his full weight forward. "Sylvanas!" his tone was scolding.
Sylvanas rose and paced the length of her tent in front of Lorthremar, crossing her arms over her chest in the process, avoiding his disapproving gaze.
He threw his head back in utter exasperation and frustration, he ran a hand down his face, his skin dragging down with the hand, "You bolted, didn't you?"
Sylvanas reluctantly and slowly nodded, coming to a stop.
"Fucking Belore above!" he started, "You have committed worse atrocities than this! Yet you couldn't even stick around long enough to hear what she had to say!"
"I couldn't bare the rejection for the last time! Lorthremar, you didn't see the betrayal in her eyes at my reluctance to treat her as anything but Jaina Proudmoore! " her fists balled under her arms. Her voice shook with regret.
"Sylvanas, for all you know she could have said it back! She's your wife, you are going to have arguments. You need to stop running from her and talk to her! Belore forbid you both actually listen to each other for once!" he muttered, his face an expression of frustration, his eyepatch full of diamonds winking at Sylvanas in the firelight.
Lorthremar knocked back his drink and grabbed Sylvanas by the wrist, dragging her with him towards the entrance of the tent, Sylvanas shot Velonara a glare to back down. Sylvanas dug her heels into the dry grass beneath her feet, "Where are we going!? Lor, remember I'm your Warchief!" She exclaimed, tugging her arm, trying to pry his fingers free in utter disgust.
He continued to walk, turning to grin at her over his shoulder, a grin full of sharp fangs and teeth, "We are going to make you work it out with Jaina!"
Sylvanas rolled her eyes, scoffed and snarled as Lorthremar pushed her out of the tent and into the open air of the night.
Jaina rolled her shoulder and felt it as it popped back into its socket. She slid off the bed after thanking the healer on their way out. She looked around their room, everything was still a mess, the wake of destruction she had left in her anger. She huffed out a puff of air, blowing the stray hairs from her face. Folding her arms carefully she looked around for something to do or a book to read, scouring Sylvanas's small shelves over on her side of the room.
Crossing over to them, something cracked beneath her heel. She paused and looked down, lifting her foot she gaped. Kneeling she lifted the thin and fragile silver bracelet she had given Sylvanas all those years ago. Looking over her shoulder, making the connection in the destruction she had left. She thumbed over the cracks, its bright energy in the stone now faded to a dull and lifeless jewel. She frowned and put it into her pouch, making the mental note of repairing it.
She couldn't shrug off the feeling of it being a bad omen. Pulling herself up, her eyes fell to the spines, books she had read ten times or more over. As she approached, she heard a commotion outside and saw the glimpse of Lorthremar's blonde ponytail swishing in the small breeze of Sylvanas's Windrunner's burgundy cloak. She leaned out the window more to see Sylvanas and Lor walking into the hold.
Strange, Sylvanas said she was away for 3 days…
As Jaina pulled away from the window she felt the odd sensation of a small wind and the rustle of fabric graze her from behind. She whirled, the arcane sparking from her fingertips like lightening, catching the flash of dark red and a bright glowing green. She knew instantly who it was, she had had suspicions already. She silently cursed Anduin for never believing she could look after herself.
Jaina sighed heavily, "Valeera." No rustle, no movement, "I know you're there." Jaina's voice was gentle, she knew the biggest shame of a rogue was being seen and discovered. She waited patiently for Valeera to appear from the shadows, stepping slowly into the light. Her eyes downcast, her shoulders hung heavy and her head bowed in reverence and shame. She studied Valeera for a moment, her sapphire eyes springing to light with the thought that had just crossed through her mind. She had a use for Valeera. Put her fanatic skills into action. Valeera was smart but childlike with it. It often landed her in hot water.
"Jaina, don't be mad at Anduin. He just worries about you." She mumbled and looked up at Jaina then. Valeera was beautiful and full of spunk. She was energetic and most of all she was free. But she got bored easily. Valeera fidgeted under Jaina's gaze and pouted like a child caught with their hand in the candy jar.
Jaina chewed on the inside of her cheek and leaned her hip into the bed post. She wasn't entirely mad at Anduin, but annoyed that he couldn't just ask how she was? How she was feeling, was she okay? He hadn't even sent words her way. But there would be time to ask Valeera that later.
"I'm not mad, slightly frustrated but not mad. I know you have been following me and watching me…... I…. had the feeling…" Realization settling in made Jaina blush profusely, the memory of Sylvanas's cool lips against her neck making her shiver. Valeera discreetly averted her eyes, Jaina knew by the pink tips of her elf ears she had seen everything " In fact, Valeera I may have a proposition for you." Jaina smiled wickedly.
Valeera could see a plan brewing across her face, in truth she was bored of following Jaina around when Anya had to be at Sylvanas's side on business. The Mage did nothing but read, scribble notes and read again. When she wasn't drooling over Sylvanas! Her own face lit with excitement, she stepped towards Jaina in curiosity, "It might concern a certain Blight Caller." Jaina said in a low voice, side glancing for spies.
Valeera mockingly curtsied, her eyes hopping about with amusement, her fanged grin; a sight for sore eyes, "Your wish-" she straightened, not ashamed at her grin or even attempting to hide her disdain for Nathanos, "- Is my command."
Jaina loitered around the hold, knowing Sylvanas was scrawling away on her throne and avoiding her as usual while her tea ran cold. Lorthremar was around somewhere but she wasn't concerned about him. His reactions were always slower than Sylvanas's and she could easily trap him in her ice. Although, she hoped he wouldn't interfere, he had grown on her. Jaina peered round a door, a muffle spell casted over her own self, knowing how sensitive Sylvanas's ears were. She watched those ears be still as she breathed loudly on purpose.
Not even a twitch. Fantastic.
She murmured a spell and pulled her cloak towards her as the mirror image of herself stared back at her. With a flick of her wrist and a swirl of blue sparkles sprinkled over the image of herself, the mirror image started walking towards the door and pausing as Sylvanas stopped scribbling and looked up pensively. Jaina watched from the shadows as Sylvanas's throne scraped along the ground as she pushed it back, hearing the clicking of her heals gain speed as the mirror image of Jaina started to quickly walk down the hall; blinking 20 feet continuously with Sylvanas struggling to keep up with her.
"Jaina! Jaina wait! I need to talk to you!" Sylvanas shouted after the mirror image. But Jaina had programmed her mirror image well and made it have every single reaction as if it were her.
Jaina was alone, Velonara and Anya jogging after Sylvanas. Jaina hummed to herself in amusement.
That should keep them amused for a while….
An explosion sound made her grin and melt into the walls at the shaking of the ground, the window shutter swinging open exposing the sight of Valeera jumping from roof to roof, taunting Nathanos who struggled to keep up with her, his arrows missing her quick and slick movements.
"Gods above! Come back here you bitch!" he scowled.
Jaina watched her jump from chimney to chimney as if she were a dancer, she moved so effortlessly so sassy with her reflexes, "Catch me if you can, Blight caller!" She teased leaping into the air. Jaina envied the elf, not only was she beautiful but she barely aged, her body fluid like water. Not aching and creaking like her own...
Jaina shook her head, remembering she had limited time picked up her robes and hurried through the darkness of the halls, down the steps coming to a sudden halt, almost skidding she quickly dived into a dark corner. Clapping a hand over her mouth, trying to still, her panting whilst using her back to become one with the wall. Two of the dark rangers stood guarding the door to the dungeon, Sylvanas wasn't going to make it easy for her this time. Jaina looked around quickly for something to use as a distraction.
Jaina saw the puddle of water that had dripped from the ceiling, frowning she wasn't sure if she could form anything from that. looking around the corner she held out her hand and started to manipulate the water, focusing her mana, letting it rise, bend and twist to her liking. Forming it like an artist with their clay into a water elemental. Jaina tried to still the arcane glow of her eyes, impressed with herself that she managed to make a beast from barely any water.
With a smirk, she waved the elemental off, trying not to giggle as it distracted the rangers and led them charging after it, giving the forsaken a run for their money as it shot spouts of water at them. Jaina found it funny the way the forsake ran, like their limbs didn't belong to them in a way. They were so stiff and skeleton like. Quite different to Sylvanas. How she moved so fluidly like a cat, still as graceful as her Ranger General days, straight and sharpened to the point like her arrows.
Jaina walked up to the doors, the scar on her arm giving her a warning sting. She winced and scratched it, irritated. She didn't have much time to get in, find out what Sylvanas was hiding from her and then back out. It was totally doable she told herself. She had managed to outsmart them like child's play. She had gotten this far and couldn't turn back. She withdrew a small piece of folded up parchment, roughly unwrapping it she started to draw into the door with her fingers, whispering harsh words of enchantment. Within one swift move the door whined and opened slightly. Never looking back Jaina pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing it softly behind her. As Jaina flattened herself against the door, the cold metal soothing the ache in her shoulder she looked straight down what was a dark, damp and dreary corridor made of dark stone and metal. The metal of cell doors shined in the dim fire late that grazed in the small hearths that lined the corridor. Jaina felt a feeling of dread rush through her like a wave. She could hear the clunk and clank of metal chains, the pulling of restraints from the black stoned walls. Jaina swallowed, she wasn't sure what she was going to find in this dungeon, knowing Sylvanas, and kept her magic sparking and ready at her fingertips.
A small ball of fire burned in the palm of her hand, lighting her way; trying to see before her but her feet moved before she could command them too. She felt on edge as she moved through the hall, narrowing as she got deeper into the dungeon, she could feel it tilt her vision and perception of things. The anchor around her neck felt cold and unforgiving. She gently touched it; it burned a low blue from underneath her fingers.
Starved beings, unrecognisable stretched their arms between the gaps and tried to claw at Jaina's robes, she jumped and tried to move quicker, using her blinking every now and then when not on a cool down. She shuddered, the moans and groans, if not wailing instilled a fear in Jaina she had never felt before. Maybe a regret that she couldn't have helped these poor souls before Sylvanas had sentenced them. Or worse, tortured them. Jaina was no naive stranger to how Sylvanas ruled, she too had resorted to torture once. She shivered at the trickle of ice that slid down her spine. The foreboding screaming at her to turn back.
She came to a wall at the bottom. Feeling as if the walls were closing in on her, starving her of air; the gap between was that tight, it could have crushed her if it moved anymore. Jaina fixed her narrowed eyes onto the wall, it felt odd. Jaina couldn't shake off the itchy feeling of being duped. Jaina's arm burned furiously, her eyes a glow with arcane magic. She waved her hand and let ice trickle through the veins in the stone like a stream of water. Watching them intently, the veins crawled up the sides in a complexed pattern, leaving a large oval shaped gap in the middle. Enough for a person to walk through. Enough for a high undead elf to walk through. Jaina's nails tore at her arm, shredding it to flakes under her sleeve as she scratched the scar, her fingernails dampened with fresh blood. She placed a bloodied hand on the oval gap, half expecting her hand to go through to another side. But it didn't. It didn't do anything. But then it, blinking and she would have missed it, it produced small blue spark under the blood that had smudged onto it.
She stepped back in pensive thought, she had to think how Sylvanas would think. Well…. she assumed she could think. She shook her head; this was no time to grin like a baby over how Sylvanas's mind would work. She had to try and think how she would get under Sylvanas's skin; she knew the wall was warded or at least, protected by some sort of death or blood magic. Jaina looked down at her open palm quizzingly.
Was it really that easy?
Surely Sylvanas was smarter than that!
Jaina rolled her eyes, she had nothing to lose at this point.
She reached under her robes and withdrew a dagger from her thigh, and hastily slashed her palm, yelping at the fresh searing pain that burned in her palm. She gulped back the sting of tears in her throat. Resisting the urge to turn on her heel and bolt back to the safety of Sylvanas and the hold. She steadied herself and gave herself some strong words of courage and advice. She had faced worse. Dipping her fingers in her blood she firmly signed her name into the wall. The blood making her script less than elegant. The wall glowed a bright blue and started to shake as, brick by brick, it crumpled to the ground.
"Sylvanas really needs to get a better secure system down here." Jaina hummed, wiping the blood on her robes before she looked up.
Stepping forward, the bricks parting at her feet to let her pass. Entranced, she stood on the edge of a spiral staircase, leading down to a grand pit. She squinted; she could see two dots against the wall. Clinging to It, for any quick movements would have led them to fall off the ledge. She descended the staircase, careful where she placed her footing as the sides crumbled and broken rock tumbled off into an abyss. Banshee's greeted her like an old friend, letting her pass. She paused and stared up at them floating so blindly, high over her head. She shivered hard, regret curdling in her stomach; Sylvanas had once been like them.
She pressed on, pushing the thought to the back of her mind. Walls of purple and black flames enclosed them in whatever this was. A void? Maybe. It was truly a sight to see and Sylvanas had created it. The sheer volume made Jaina admire her more. As Jaina came to the last few steps her scar on her arm seared with indescribable pain, she whimpered, holding her arm close and doubled over in pain. A trembling mess and racked with a sob, she staggered back and fell to a seat on the bottom, trying to collect herself through the daze of pain, her eyes squeezed shut to tight it hurt. Gasping for air.
"Well, isn't it nice to see The Daughter of the Sea….so alive and as beautiful as ever."
The dripping tone made Jaina whimper. Reliving the nightmare. Jaina's eyes snapped open, wide with shock and utter amazement. She slowly looked up to one of the chain figures clinging so tightly to the wall. Dishevelled and clearly starved, protruding ribs evident through the ripped admiral uniform that hung from her thin frame. Her cheek bones high and gaunt. Fresh and old wounds lay open on her torn skin, bruises dotted all over her body, her eyes bore the pain of torture, her jaw grinding hard. According to Sylvanas, she should have been dead on Thros.
"Mother!"
Notes: Just a little filler in, sorry there isn't much fluff/angst etc. I really struggle to write action/ the build up to events so please be nice. I did go over this chapter a fair few times, unsure as to whether it was good enough as I still feel it lacked something that I can't put my finger on. Also, notice the last few tags? Good things are coming ..lol Thank you for all the love 3