First Issue of the Day
Victoria stood in front of her mother's throne for the last half an hour, she wasn't sure as to why but she was a little scared to sit down on the throne.
"It's been thirty-five minutes, my Lady." Sera commented, standing just behind her. "I'm sure nothing will happen when you sit on it."
"I know, it's just... If I sit down on the throne, I will complete the process of my mother handing me the crown. I want to be a Princess for as long as possible before I sit on the throne and become Queen."
Sera smiled and looked down at the floor. "If you want, I can always call you 'My Princess' when we're alone in your room?"
Victoria chuckled lightly and shook her head. "No. I think being called a Queen would be much better." She stretched a hand forward and placed it on the arm rest of the throne. "I just don't know if I'm ready."
"You are, my Lady." Sera told her, watching Snow walk passed the two of them and lay down beside the throne. "Even Snow thinks so. He's waiting for you to sit down."
Victoria took a deep breath and nodded her head slowly, taking two steps forward until she was standing directly in front of her mother's throne, spinning around and slowly sitting down on it. "I was so excited for this day and now that it's here... I am nervous."
Sera smiled as she watched her Queen pick at the arm of the throne, just like Sylvanas did when she was sitting there. "You'll be fine. The people are going to love you and the council will help you every step of the way should you need it." The Night Elf looked back at the sound of plated feet coming their way, bowing her head once to Liadrin who had just returned from Pandaria. "Lady Liadrin."
"So, you're not on the Isle of Thunder after all." The Paladin said, folding her arms and looking at Victoria who was a little annoyed by recent events. "Vareesa spoke some sense into you I see."
"A little." Victoria muttered, not looking at the Paladin. "I don't know why. I was perfectly fine where I was."
"Uhuh..." Liadrin hummed unconvincingly. "Is that why Vareesa's messenger told me you were returning to Stormwind to rest and get your health back?"
"I... Damn it." Victoria sighed and looked over to Liadrin. "Yes. That's why I'm here."
"Good." Liadrin smiled at her. "Then I hope you know why I'm -"
"Victoria!" A voice cried, the owner of it running passed the Paladin and towards the Queen, jumping at her when she stood up and hugging her tightly. "I missed you."
Victoria smiled and hugged her sister, laughing at her comment. "I was gone for a day."
"I still missed you." Tanadia said, hugging her sister tighter.
"Aren't you supposed to be with your mother?" Liadrin asked, prying the young priestess off her sister. "She is expecting you any minute now."
"Oh yeah..." Tanadia smiled up at Victoria. "I'll be right back." She looked down at Snow and petted the top of his head, smiling a little wider when he began to purr. "Especially for you."
Liadrin watched her apprentice leave, turning back to face Victoria who leaned back on her throne. "As I was saying. I hope you know why I'm here. I have to check up on you since you left before I could properly discharge you." The Paladin took two steps towards the Queen, engulfing one of her hands in holy light and extending it slowly towards her. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"
Victoria pulled down her hood and turned her head so Liadrin could see the injury. "Let's get this over with."
After twenty minutes of healing from Liadrin and then close to an hour long meeting with the council members, Victoria was finally left alone, though not for long. She was warned by the council before returning to the throne room that there is a backlog of citizens that need to be dealt with, something she was just noticing now as she sat down on the throne. "Crap..." She muttered, glancing over to Sera and Thal'ena, the Mage being present for her first day in charge and wanting to uphold her title of Royal Magister for a bit longer.
"I'm sure there will be nothing major." Thal'ena whispered to her Queen, leaning closer in the meantime to keep their conversation private. "And if there is, you have a new General now who will uphold whatever task you command her to do."
Victoria glanced over to Sera who was watching the first group of civilians make their way towards the throne. "That is true..." Her gaze switched over to the Magister on her right. "And what about you?"
"If there's anything of magical nature, I will be the first one on it." Thal'ena told her, bowing her head to the Queen when she caught her gaze. "I never asked. Did you know Viraleth has gone to Silvermoon to become a Ranger of Quel'Thalas once more?"
Victoria sighed and nodded her head slowly. "I knew. I just wish she would have talked to me about it, maybe said goodbye before she left." The Queen looked down at Snow who was laying down beside her throne. "I'm sure she has her reasons, but it still hurt, you know?"
"I know, my Lady." Thal'ena said, looking towards the first citizen of the day who was standing in front of them. "This one is yours."
"Your Grace, first off I'd like to give my thanks to you and your family for providing the Druids and Shaman to Westfall. Since their arrival, our crop growth as boomed. We are showing increases of up to two hundred percent!" The farmer sounded very excited by the news he was sharing, smiling at Victoria who couldn't help but smile back at this good news. "This is the sort of harvests we were getting before the First War."
"That sounds fantastic." Victoria said with a smile that lit up the room. "But I have to ask, is this why you came to the Capital?"
"No, your Grace. There is something else." The farmer looked back to a group of people who had a handful of injuries from deep cuts on their foreheads to a broken arm or leg. "We were recently attacked by Gnolls who looked to steal our harvest, your Grace. We came here to ask if you could send someone to deal with them? The great harvest is happening soon and with that comes a lot of easy targets for the Gnolls."
Victoria put up her hand to stop the farmer from explaining any more, looking over to Sera who bowed her head at her Queen. "My General will be right on it, you have nothing to worry about."
The farmer, relieved all of them didn't come to the Capital for nothing, smiled and bowed his head to the Queen. "Thank you, your Grace."
"It was nothing." Victoria said with a smile. "Is there anything else?"
"Actually yes, your Grace. Your parents came to the first Great Harvest of their rule and I was wondering if you would like to attend this year? It will be a great sign of good things to come in the future."
Victoria kept the smile of her face and nodded her head. "I would love to."
"Great! I will tell the organisers of your acceptance to their offer. Thank you again, your Grace." And with that, the farmer bowed his head and left with the group of people he travelled from Westfall with.
Victoria sat back on her throne and glanced over to Thal'ena who began to smirk, frowning at the Royal Magister. "What?"
"Nothing, my Lady. Except that I have a feeling you have no idea what you have just agreed to join." Thal'ena saw the Queen begin to realise she had no idea what she had signed up for and began to smile at her. "Would you like to know?"
"Please." Victoria said, catching a glimpse of Sera taking a handful of rangers and leave Stormwind Keep to deal with the Gnolls. "I hope it's what I'm thinking."
"And what are you thinking?" Thal'ena asked, standing beside the throne and folding her arms, watching the Queen think about her answer.
"That it's a party of some sort? With a lot of food."
Thal'ena smiled at her Queen. "Sure, that's the simplest way of putting it. But it's much more than that, believe me. I have been to all the ones your parents went to whilst you were travelling Kalimdor and they are anything but just a party. Sometimes it gets... out of hand."
Victoria frowned at the Royal Magister. "How so? What happens?"
"They Harvest Festival, which is what he is on about, happens in the middle of Brewfest. Which is going on this second and has been for a week now whilst you've all been on Pandaria. I was about to have some personal fun of my own until your mother summoned me to the Temple of the White Tiger to be cured of my corruption. To which I am thankful." The Royal Magister smirked at the new Queen who was putting two and two together. "The Great Harvest they have invited you to will involve a lot of beer, which means the party will be more than just food and the occasional drink, so don't be surprised if you see some questionable stuff."
"Like?"
"Well, for instance... There might be some really drunk guys there who may try to talk you into doing something for them, forgetting you are the Queen." Thal'ena smirked at Victoria. "Though I wouldn't turn them down."
"That's because you're desperate." The Queen commented, making her Royal Magister gasp out loud.
"Hey! I am not." She saw Victoria roll her eyes. "Okay maybe a little, but you were so persuasive."
"I put my hand on your knee and you were practically ready to go." Victoria told her.
"Fair point."
Victoria caught a glimpse of two human women leaving from the servents quarters, recognising them as her mother's and raising an eyebrow as they began to make their way passed the throne. "What are you two up to?" She asked, stopping them both in their tracks.
"Collecting the last of our things, my Lady." Raven said, bowing her head to the Queen. "Lady Sylvanas has offered us one of the homes in Windrunner Village and we, all of us who serve her, are moving in to serve your mother even if she's not the Queen anymore."
Victoria nodded her head slowly, a little impressed at how loyal they were, even if they didn't have to serve her parents anymore. "Then I wish you both well. My parents are lucky to have such loyal people around them."
"I wish you all the best, my Lady." Scarlette said, taking hold of Raven's hand and leading her out of Stormwind Keep shortly after.
"Your mother is going to bring them into bed with your father." Thal'ena commented, watching Victoria cover her ears. "When you react like that, it makes it all the more fun to say these things."
Victoria groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I wished you went with my parents now."
Thal'ena chuckled and lightly placed her hand on her Queen's shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't tease you as often now that you're Queen."
Victoria looked at the Royal Magister's hand on her arm. "Good, thank you."
Over the next few days, Victoria was quickly getting into the rhythm of waking up, getting prepared for court and then sitting on her throne for several hours, dealing with issues in her new Kingdom, having Sera back by her side after three days when she reported in after a successful mission in Westfall clearing out the Gnolls. Once she was finished with court, around the middle of the afternoon, she would either walk around the park to get some fresh air as well as peace and quiet, or she would spend time with her sister. Both activities involved Snow, the latter more so as the young priestess would play with him whilst Victoria stood nearby, watching her Snow rebuild the muscles in his leg.
"He loves what you're doing." Victoria told her sister, watching her move a ball of light around the room that was keeping Snow's attention.
Tanadia giggled and continued to move the ball of light around the room, watching Snow chase it, pounce on it and try to eat it, only for the spell to fly out of his grasp and towards the opposite side of the room. "This is just something I have been learning in my free time." Tanadia's smile brightened when Snow pounced on the ball of light once more. "I wanted to play with him and I think I got just the thing."
Victoria laughed when Snow, wide eyed and excited, looked around for the light ball that Tanadia deliberately made disappear, the Queen watching it reappear behind him and whistling to get his attention. "There it is." She said, pointing to the ball of light and smiling brightly when Snow began to pounce at it again.
There was a knock at the door that caught Victoria's attention as well as Tanadia's with the young priestess looking up at her sister. "Do you have to go?"
"Let me just see." Victoria said, smiling at her sister whilst making her way to the door, opening it up to find one of her guards standing there. "What is it?"
"A messenger, your Grace. From Theramore."
Victoria frowned at the guard. "Jaina is back already? I haven't gotten word from Cyndia yet about the success of the siege."
"I don't know, your Grace. He just said it is important."
Victoria sighed and nodded her head slowly. "Fine..." She looked back to Tanadia who looked a little saddened after overhearing their conversation. "You can stay here with Snow. I don't think I will need him."
Tanadia began to smile brightly. "Okay!"
Making her way to the Throne Room, Victoria locked eyes with the messenger for a brief second before standing beside Sera who in return was standing beside the throne. "Did he mention anything?" She whispered to her General.
"Nothing, my Lady. Only that it was important and for you to be here as soon as possible."
Victoria nodded once and thanked her General before sitting down on her throne. "You may speak." She said, watching the messenger walk towards her.
"Good afternoon, your Grace. As you may have been told, I came all the way from Theramore to deliver some important news."
"I have been told, yes." Victoria leaned back on the throne. "What news?"
"You have a visitor waiting for you in the Cathedral Square. They didn't want to meet here as it would bring too much attention to them." The messenger bowed his head to the Queen. "It is urgent, your Grace."
Victoria frowned and looked over to Sera who was frowning back at her. "What do you think?" He asked the Night Elf.
"I'm not sure, my Lady. We should check it out if it's urgent." Sera looked over to the messenger who kept his head low. "I don't know what is so important however that they couldn't show their face."
Victoria, after only sitting down for a minute, stood back up and walked towards the messenger. "Lead me to them. I will attend this meeting with whomever sent you." She looked back to Sera. "Along with my General."
"I..." The messenger shook his head and smiled at the Queen. "That's fine, your Grace. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."
Both Sera and Victoria followed the messenger to the Cathedral Square, entering an empty house and being told to wait at the table that was oddly placed in the middle of the room they were standing in. "Who do you think it is?" Sera asked her Queen, watching Victoria shrug her shoulders.
"I have no idea." Victoria whispered back to her, watching the messenger leave the house before both women locked eyes with a third, a Sin'dorei woman and then a young human man shortly after. "Anduin?" The Queen asked, watching the human pull his hood down and smile at the Queen.
"It's good to see you again, Victoria. Sorry to have done this under such strange circumstances, but I don't want anyone to know I was here." The former Prince looked to Valeera who travelled with him and snuck him into the city, placing a hand on her arm to get her to look at him. "You can stand down, I told you I trust her."
Victoria glanced over her shoulder and towards Sera, nodding once at her and watching her relax before turning her attention back to Anduin. "Why are you here? What about your father? What would he think?"
"My father has been difficult as of late, I will admit that. But seeing as we are no longer a royal family, and that I have nothing to inherit so to speak, I have come here. With Valeera's aid of course."
"But why?" Victoria asked, pressing Anduin for an answer. "Why would you risk your relationship with your father, who hates us so much?"
"Because I am still connected to the light. There are no good teachers, if any, at Theramore. I have come here to become a priest under the guidance of Lady Liadrin. I am just hoping you can help me." Anduin smiled at Victoria. "So can you help me?"
"The second you enter the cathedral, everyone is going to know it's you." Victoria told him, watching him shake his head with a smile and wave away her concern.
"I know that. I just didn't want chatter before the big reveal."
"Why now?" Sera asked, keeping quiet until then. "Why not shortly after her parents took Stormwind?"
"My father." Anduin admitted. "He hates your parents. He hates you too, but not as much. Not even close. I'm hoping, if he sees I am safe here, that you're not as bad as he believes, he will come around to the idea of working with you. I know aunty Jaina is desperate to work with Stormwind again, but she doesn't want to offend her King... Former King."
"I suppose I can understand that. Has she returned from the Isle of Thunder yet?"
"She hasn't, no. But she said they are closing in on Lei-Shen. Something about finishing the siege tomorrow? It was a very brief message." Anduin stepped towards Victoria. "How have you been?"
"I have been good, thank you for asking." Victoria looked him up and down, inspecting his person. "You look... Older too. When did we last see each other?"
"Almost a year ago now." Anduin told her, making the Queen laugh lightly.
"Time flies so fast when you don't notice it. You have grown a lot since then too." She commented, giving the former Prince a warm smile. "I'll see what I can do with Liadrin. She has been in a good mood the last couple of days, so I should think she will accept you without much arguing." She waved Anduin over when she began to leave, beckoning him to follow.
As they left the house however, they ran into Tanadia who was riding on Snow who was sniffing out the Queen. "Found you!" Tanadia cried, petting Snow behind the ear. "Good boy."
"What are you doing here? I thought you were playing with Snow." Victoria pet Snow on the head, scratching him behind the ear when he bumped his head against her leg. "Sorry about this." She said, looking back at Anduin. "My sister was meant to be in the Keep."
Anduin smiled and waved away her concern once more. "That's okay."
Victoria helped her sister off Snow. "Tanadia, this is..." She looked over to Anduin who nodded his head. "This is Anduin Wrynn. He has come here to train with you and the other priests and priestess'."
Tanadia smiled up at Anduin, knowing the name sounded familiar but not knowing why. "Come with me. The teacher is my aunty Li Li, she loves me so much I think I can get you into the class." She took hold of his hand, leading Anduin towards the Cathedral.
Victoria began to laugh lightly, looking over to Valeera who had a smile on her face, watching Anduin be taken away by the younger priestess. "What have you been up to since you arrived in Theramore?" The Queen asked her.
"Looking out for Anduin and for my King." Valeera told Victoria, not looking at the Queen. "We have heard a lot about what your parents have done to this city the moment they took control. Anduin seems to agree to the changes, Varian not so much."
"And you?" Victoria asked her.
"I just serve Varian and his family." Valeera told her, following Anduin shortly after.
Sera stood beside her Queen and watched Tanadia, Anduin and Valeera make their way into the Cathedral. "Well... That was a surprise."
"I'm yet to see if it's a good surprise." Victoria told her, looking up at her General. "Keep an eye on him. I can only guess Valeera will leave to return to Theramore soon, so your spies have nothing to worry about." She looked back to the Cathedral. "I want to know more about this. If there is anything he isn't telling me."
