Handing Over The Reins
Sylvanas woke up beside her King who hadn't yet woken up, though the updates from Liadrin was giving her hope that he would wake up soon as she didn't need to heal him for as long as she did the moment she was called to the Temple of the White Tiger. "You will be here soon, my love." She whispered shortly before kissing him on the cheek. "I am staying by your side like you stayed by mine. I won't leave until you are awake, then we can go home."
The Queen looked over to the elf sleeping on the chair beside them and smiling to herself as Tanadia hadn't left her father's side since they came back to camp, getting up off the bed and placing a blanket around the Princess, trying her best to not wake her up in the process. "To keep you warm." She whispered to her, though it fell on deaf ears as she remained asleep.
Climbing back into bed beside her King, she draped an arm over him and stared at his face that looked so peaceful compared to how she saw him yesterday. He had a fear in his eyes she hadn't seen since his dream vision close to a year ago, but she was proud of him for not letting it control him in his final trial, for digging deep and finding courage to face his biggest fear. "Though I don't forgive you for how you went about it." She told him, kissing his forehead before laying back down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Liadrin entered the command tent shortly after Sylvanas rested her head on her King's shoulder, smiling at Tanadia who remained asleep before looking over to the King and Queen. "This could be the day." She told Sylvanas, placing a hand on Athrodar's head and pouring some holy light into him. "I know he's only been asleep for half a day, but he had an entirely different injury to yours." Her attention turned to Athrodar, feeling something stirring within and smiling a little. "It might be sooner rather than later. I think his body is waking up before he is."
"What does that mean?" Sylvanas asked, sitting up and looking down at her King.
"He is waking up very soon." The Paladin said with a smile and a small laugh. "It could be in five minutes, fifty or even five hours. I just know it will happen today since he has recovered a lot since I examined him last night."
"Good." Sylvanas said, resting her head on Athrodar's shoulder once more. "Will you be staying in Stormwind once we both leave?" She asked the Paladin who continued her examination of Athrodar.
Liadrin looked up at the Queen before returning her gaze to Athrodar. "I know I pledged myself to him when we took Stormwind and you named him King, that I will serve him until one of us dies, but I have everything in the Capital now, especially his daughter." She looked back to Tanadia who looked just as peaceful as her father in this very moment. "If it's all the same to you, my Lady, I will be staying in Stormwind, yes. If he will allow it, I would like my oath to be passed down to Victoria."
Sylvanas smiled at her and nodded. " I will see what I can do. He will most likely accept that so there shouldn't be a problem." Her gaze returned to her King just as she traced a finger across his cheek. "I think he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace, whilst looking out for his family. So if passing your oath down to our daughter, I think he will be more than happy to oblige."
Liadrin bowed her head to Sylvanas once she had finished. "I will be back later today if he hasn't woken up before hand." She looked back to Tanadia and smiled. "I'm sure this one will come and get me if he does."
Once they were alone again, Sylvanas just stared at her King with saddened eyes. Despite being told he will wake up today and feeling hopeful that it's soon, she still felt sad and a little lost with him not being awake now. "When we go home, I am going to keep you on a very short leash. I don't want to lose you and if that means we do everything together, then so be it."
Close to an hour passed by before anything happened with the Queen sitting up when she heard Athrodar groan. "Baby?" She whispered, placing a hand on his chest and feeling his heart beat. "Are you awake?" She asked, hearing him grown again before seeing his eyes slowly open to look at her. "Hi baby..." She said softly with such a warm smile that it made Athrodar smile in response. "How do you feel?"
Athrodar tried to sit up but had to close his eyes tightly when a massive pressure appeared in his head as well as a blinding pain. "Head..." He muttered, clutching it and laying back down. "Hurts."
Sylvanas leaned down and kissed her King. "I'll go get Liadrin." She told him, climbing out the bed and making her way out the tent.
"Is this everyone?"
Sera nodded her head. "This is what remains of your company, my Lady. The recruits have yet to be distributed to everyone, though that will have to wait until we're back in Stormwind."
Victoria walked back and forth in front of her company, letting out a small sigh at the size of it. "Did the recruits or Shado-Pan lose as many as we did?"
Sera closed her eyes and shook her head. "We took the most losses, my Lady. The recruits were injured more than killed and the Shado-Pan were holding our flank, so they didn't lose as many." She looked to Victoria who was inspecting one of her rangers. "We were left with half our company."
"I can't lose any more..." The Princess muttered, catching a glimpse of Sylvanas talking to Liadrin who then began to smile. "I think my father is awake."
Sera looked over to the Queen adn the Paladin, smiling when she saw them both rush back to the command tent and then catching a glimpse of Victoria doing the same. "You can all return to your tents. I don't think she will want to lose anymore of you." They all bowed their heads and thanked the Captain before heading back to whatever it was they were doing before.
Entering the command tent, Victoria looked at her father who was being examined by Liadrin the second the Paladin entered the tent. "How is he?" She asked, looking to her mother who was holding onto her King's hand.
"Other than the headache, he hasn't complained about anything else." Sylvanas raised Athrodar's hand to her lips and kissed the top of it, stroking it across her cheek shortly after and closing her eyes and just the touch of him. "Some of the council members are visiting as both ambassadors and to make you the new Queen of Stormwind." She said, glancing over to her daughter who stood beside the bed now. "If you still want it."
Victoria just nodded her head. "I do, mom. I want to make you both proud by carrying on what you have started."
Sylvanas smiled and looked back at two Orcish elders who had now entered the tent. "First though, I need to hand the mantle of Warchief over to Vol'jin." She looked back down at Athrodar and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back."
Victoria watched her mother leave the tent, turning her attention back to Athrodar who took hold of her hand. "When are you both leaving for home?"
Athrodar smiled at her question. "Trying to get rid of us, are we?"
Victoria widened her eyes and shook her head, holding up her hands in the meantime. "No, no! That's not what I meant. I'm just asking because I wanted to ask if I could use your rangers when I go to help Vareesa on the Isle of Thunder."
"Of course you can." Athrodar told her. "They're your Rangers once we hand Stormwind over to you. Though anyone who wants to return with us will be off limits."
"Deal." Victoria said, smiling and hugging her father, interrupting Liadrin who was trying to heal Athrodar in the meantime.
"She hasn't said, but I spoke to your wife." The Paladin began, getting Athrodar to look at her. "Since you're both stepping down from this life, I have asked her to ask you if my oath can pass down to Victoria. I would still like to serve your family and uphold my oath to you."
Athrodar smiled and nodded his head once at her. "You can serve our daughter. If she'll have you of course."
"I will." Victoria told her. "I need your experience and with you helping my sister," she looked to Tanadia who was still sleeping in the same chair, "who somehow isn't awake, I can't lose such a great family friend."
Liadrin bowed her head to Victoria. "Thank you, my Lady. I promise I will help you in any way I can." She looked over to Athrodar who closed his eyes to try and quell the headache. "Head still banging?"
"Mhm." He muttered aggressively, having the pain take over more than anything else. "It's not getting any better."
"Let me try something." Liadrin said, placing her hands on either side of his face and putting some pressure on his temples before focusing on pouring as much of the holy light into him as she could. "Better?" She asked, watching him nod. "Good."
"Are ya sure about dis, Sylvanas?" Vol'jin asked just before the ceremony began. "I won't be upset if ya still want da title of Warchief."
Sylvanas held up her hands and shook her head. "I have spent over two and a half centuries as a ranger, fighting to protect what I have. Now that I have everything I could ever want, with the world at the most peaceful it has been in a long time, I just want to live quietly with my family in a tiny corner of this world, alone."
Vol'jin smiled and looked down at his hand, rubbing two of his three fingers together. "Before he died, Saurfang told me ta keep an eye out on you and Athrodar." He looked back up at Sylvanas who frowned and tilted her head at him. "Ta stop ya both if ya be making a mistake." He looked over to an empty space in his tent, almost as if he could see the Old Orc standing beside him. "He would be proud of what ya have both done. Building a world not only for yaselves, but for everyone."
Sylvanas smiled and watched the two elder shaman with them light a couple of incenses and begin to make their way over to Vol'jin. "Athrodar and I picked you because we both know you can lead this world into something better." She watched the Shaman begin the ceremony, slowly feeling a great weight be lifted from her as the mantle of Warchief was being passed down to someone she believed would carry on what she had started.
As she watched the ceremony happen before her, her mind took her back to when she had to go through this. The build up of smoke from the incense, the wolf skin draped over both her head and shoulders as well as the oath she had to speak. She smiled when Vol'jin began to speak the oath, mouthing the words along with him as she still remembered them as if it was the day she took Warchief all over again.
Only a few more hours. She heard her mind say, smiling just a little wider if that was even possible and feeling warm inside at the prospect of going home soon. But she also felt nervous and a little unsure. Afterall, this was a chapter of her life she had never ventured in before. Fighting was her life, her entire life. Actually settling down with her family was something she had dreamed about, sure, but it was entirely new territory for the former Banshee Queen and one she was looking forward to most of all. Though the lingering feeling of worry and uncertainty remained in the back of her mind and would remain there until she was home.
By the time Sylvanas returned to the command tent where her King was, she found him sleeping once more, but this time Victoria was curled up beside him with Snow at the foot of the bed. "Unbelievable..." She muttered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
She wasn't angry of course, she found it adorable and wanted nothing more to sit beside them and just watch the two most important people in her life sleep in front of her. Unfortunately, she had to meet the Stormwind Council members who were coming by any minute and she needed to be with her daughter so she could be made the Queen of Stormwind.
"Honey." Sylvanas whispered, placing a hand on Victoria's arm and lightly shaking her to wake her up. "The Council will be here any minute."
The Princess groaned and sat up, stretching her arms and looking at her father who was still asleep. "He was tired and Liadrin told him to rest to help with his headache." She told her mother, smiling at her. "I wanted to join because he looked so peaceful."
Sylvanas smiled back at her, stroking her hair out of her face. "You can return here and sleep beside your father when we return and you're named Queen. And since you're going to the Isle of Thunder soon, this may be the last time you get to be with us for a while."
"My Lady." Seliana said, poking her head into the tent. "The Council are here."
"Thank you, Seliana." Sylvanas said, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's cheek. "Ready?"
Victoria took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I am."
Sylvanas opened the flap of the tent for her daughter. "Let's get going then."
"Can I visit often?"
Athrodar laughed and hugged his daughter. "Of course you can. You don't have to ask to visit either, you are my daughter and I would be more than happy for you to come by whenever you want." He pulled back from the hug and looked Tanadia in the eyes. "But you have to focus on your priest training first, okay?"
Tanadia smiled and nodded her head profusely. "Okay! I will be the best priest you know, I promise."
"No, you will be better." Athrodar said, brushing a thumb across her cheek and watching Tanadia's smile beam up to him. "Now if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's midday and you've yet to eat anything. Are you hungry?"
Tanadia nodded her head. "I am, papa."
"Okay." Athrodar said with a smile, offering a hand to his daughter. "Let's go get something to eat and maybe your sister and Sylvanas will meet up with us."
As they left the command tend, Tanadia stroked a hand through Snow's fur which caught his attention, the Nightsaber watching them leave and following the priestess out the tent shortly after, not realising Victoria had already left and not wanting to be alone. "Good boy." The priestess said when he made his way beside her, the three of them walking towards the main supply tent and where the majority of the food was being cooked. "Victoria will be with us soon." She whispered to Snow once they sat down at an empty table, laughing when the Nightsaber placed his head on her lap.
"He misses her already." Athrodar said, stroking a hand through Snow's fur. "They rarely part ways for more than an hour unless one of them has to stay back. More often than not it's him, but that doesn't make it easier."
Tanadia thanked Athrodar when he got their food, looking down at Snow and occasionally feeding him some of her food. "Now that Victoria will be Queen, she will probably do her best to keep Snow with her at all times, right?"
Athrodar grinned and nodded his head. "More than likely, yes." He looked over to his daughter who was still stroking Snow and occasionally feeding him some of her food. "Why?"
"I just want him to be happy, so if he gets to be with Victoria all day every day, I think he will be." Tanadia stroked Snow's nose and smiled when he licked her hand. "And I will be nearby too so he doesn't lose me."
Athrodar kissed the top of his daughter's head. "He'll always be happy you're nearby to visit him. Now come on, eat your food and stop feeding Snow. I'm sure Victoria will do that when she returns."
The two of them were joined by Liadrin after a few more minutes with the Paladin forcing Athrodar out the way so she could sit with Tanadia. "How is my favourite student?" The Paladin asked, smiling down at Tanadia whilst Athrodar moved to the opposite side of the table.
"I'm pretty sure you can't say that." Athrodar said, watching Liadrin poke her tongue out at him.
"I can say what I want, I'm the teacher." Liadrin moved an arm around Tanadia who smiled up at her. "So? How are you?"
"I am good, Li Li." Tanadia told her, making the Paladin roll her eyes at the nickname. "We're waiting for my sister to return as the new Queen of Stormwind."
Liadrin raised an eyebrow at the little priestess and looked over to Athrodar. "That's happening now? And you're not there?"
He held up his hands. "I am not needed for that part. Plus I was sleeping when they left, so I presume they didn't want to wake me up for it." He caught a glimpse of Sylvanas and Victoria as they entered the supply tent, focusing on his Queen as she made her way over to him and giving him a gentle kiss before sitting down beside him, taking hold of his arm in a hug and resting her head on his shoulder. "All done?"
Sylvanas nodded her head. "Our Victoria is officially Queen of Stormwind." The now former Queen said, closing her eyes and resting against her husband. "The Council will make it public knowledge when they return, after they have had talks with the Pandaren about setting up a trade route."
Athrodar kissed the top of Sylvanas' head, keeping his lips pressed against her head when he whispered to her. "Are you ready to go home?"
"I am." Sylvanas whispered back. "I will get Seliana to go to the Isle of Thunder and inform your Captain, I know she wants to come back with us."
"You're going now?" Liadrin asked, looking over to the pair of them. "I haven't examined you yet."
"Luna can." Athrodar told the Paladin, standing up when his wife stood up. "I'll be fine Liadrin. You can come with us to examine me when we return home if you want."
The Paladin shook her head. "No, no... You can go."
Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand but her focus was on Liadrin, tilting her head at the Highlord. "You do want us to be happy, right?"
"I do." Liadrin said, smiling a little at Sylvanas. "I was just hoping I could be the one to send you both home." She sighed and lowered her eyes. "I know, it sounds stupid, but over the last few years I felt like I was getting the Athrodar I knew before Arthas' invasion back."
Athrodar let go of Sylvanas' hand and made his way to Liadrin, opening his arms to her and laughing lightly when she stood up and hugged him. "It's okay, you don't sound stupid. Depite our rocky start, I feel like I can call you a good friend." He pulled back to look at the watery eyed Paladin. "We're not going anywhere far, you know that, right? You can visit us whenever."
"I know." Liadrin whispered, stepping forward and hugging him again. "I feel like Thal." She told him, making the pair of them laugh. "I will visit often, only to imprint myself on your two children so they know me as their aunty Liadrin."
Athrodar laughed once more, patting Liadrin on the head when he pulled away for a second and final time. "I expect nothing less." He told her, glancing over to Sylvanas who placed a hand on his shoulder. "If ever you change your mind and want a quiet place in the corner of the world too, you can join us."
Sylvanas nodded her head in agreement. "We would gladly have you. There is always room for someone who has helped us so much, despite starting our relationship a little rocky."
Liadrin bowed her head to the pair of them, out of habbit more than anything now because they are no longer King and Queen. "Thank you. I will consider it if the thought ever crosses my mind."
Sylvanas smiled and bowed her head to the Highlord, taking hold of Athrodar's hand and walking him out the tent, only to get stopped by Tanadia who hugged the pair of them tightly. "Oh, I'm going to miss you, little one." Sylvanas whispered, hugging her tightly. "I don't think your mother will let you visit as often as we'd all like. I know she wants to keep you close and is getting settled in the city now." She pulled back and looked at the young priestess. "I will talk to her whilst we're in Stormwind collecting our things, maybe she will allow you to visit often and who knows, you might move to Windrunner Village with us."
"I hope so." Tanadia said, hugging Athrodar next. "I don't want to lose you, papa."
"You won't." Athrodar whispered to her, kneeling down and hugging his daughter tightly. "I will also speak to your mother, see if I can convince her to open a portal for you to our home whenever you want to visit us."
"Thank you, papa." Tanadia whispered, pulling back and smiling up at Victoria who was talking to Sylvanas. "Although I do want to stay in Stormwind to be with my sister."
Victoria, overhearing her younger sibling, smiled and looked down at her. "And I want to be with you too, my sweet little sister." She said, watching Snow sniff her hand and then lick it. "And he does too."
Athrodar hugged Victoria when he stood up, being hugged tightly by the new Queen of Stormwind. "Don't feel like you have to push yourself to impress us. We are so proud of how far you have come from the Farstrider recruit we fell in love with. Just don't burn down the city and we will still be proud." The pair of them laughed and pulled back from each other, Athrodar wiping the tears that rolled down his daughter's cheeks. "I'll tell you this before your mother does. Don't let your potential enemies or even the council see your weaker side. If they can exploit anything on you, they will just to get what they want."
Victoria shook her head, wiping away her own tears. "I won't, dad. Don't worry."
Sylvanas nudged Athrodar aside and hugged her daughter for the hundredth time today, though she planned for this one to be the last. "Everything your father said is good advice, but also use your looks to get what you want." She whispered to her, hearing her daughter chuckle. "The humans are easily manipulated by our natural beauty, just ask my sister." This time they both chuckled, pulling back and pressing their heads together. "Visit us once you've finished on the Isle of Thunder, okay? Before you return to Stormwind."
"I will, mom." Victoria whispered, sniffing to try and keep her emotions in check. "I am so happy for you and I will try to do my best to keep what you have built intact. And maybe improve on a few things."
Sylvanas nodded her head against her daughter's. "I'd expect nothing less."
A/N: So I am going to write Athrodar + Sylvanas out of the next ten or so chapters (After the next one) as I focus on the Throne of Thunder and the time between Victoria returning to Stormwind as Queen and the invasion of the Legion (Which will be five years after for story reasons and to bring Tanadia to sixteen/seventeen and a fully fledged priestess).
They will both play a part in the Legion invasion, though how they get back into the fight will be a secret that has been thought about for a good two months now, so I hope you enjoy the next few chapters as the focus shifts from my main OC and the Banshee Queen (Now former Banshee AND Queen in this story) to their adopted daughter as she takes the throne she has been groomed to take for a few years now.
