Something Borrowed, Something Blue

by MadMadameEm

Vol'jin hadn't exactly been looking for a life-long partner when a proposal was made to the Horde and Alliance for a marriage to cement their peace efforts. He most certainly didn't expect negotiations to get as far as they did, or for both sides to agree. But what he really didn't expect was for his bride to be so...so...well, they would certainly keep each other entertained.

14. Part 13: Just a Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own World of Warcraft, or anything Blizzard, only my original creations.

A belated Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your amazing patience and dedication to this story since my long absence. I stayed up all night to finish this, as I wanted to get this chapter out to you all before the year was out, thinking that it may add some much needed light and good energy in what has been a difficult year for many. Or maybe not, but I wanted to at least try and add something good to 2020. As a special treat, please enjoy our longest chapter to date at over 14,000 words

While I have been gone for much longer than I would have liked, it is so good to be back. I hope to be able to go into the new year feeling energized and ready to get many, many more chapters and content out for you all. A few general notes for this chapter: There is a Content Warning for a scene that may be distressing for some readers. It has been marked with a triple slash marks (/ / /) to mark it's start and end, so please be aware of that marker.

Secondly, to be able to start the New Year with new energy, I kindly ask that if you have some time after you read to please leave a review of this chapter. Not just of this chapter's content, but also of what you like and don't like, what could be improved, or just anything you would like to add about where the story is so far. I love reading all of your reviews, and it would mean so much to me if I could know where I can improve on the story as we go into 2021. So thank you in advance!

In other news, special shout outs to xblackMaskx, lalige, Pyro-Misa, Savetheboobies, Ihsan997, Meanna Neko, Sweet Sprinks, QuizicalGin, Last Harlequin, IceBishop, superyf19, Supernova Romy, THomassun300, luffi-ya, Goddess Nefertari 19, Hexal, and norway123, vysirez, MAGIKANA, halberdier94, Cardis Salsola, LeoRaphsgirl21, Giovanna Coccia, YaBoiMarowak, morriganstears, Kahelis, AthenaParthenos117, serrar, hetjagrr, Pink Kitsune Person23, honeyed girls, Yseult LeFey, Onileo, Freezefox, Perish Angel, and all the guests for their reviews, follows, or favorites! I would never have made it this far without all your support! Let's hit it!

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Part 13: Just a Girl

The Crystal Chalice, unlike the seemingly elegant and delicate name that it had, was perhaps Dalaran's premiere spot for getting the most nonsensical and dazzling dinner and show there ever was and probably ever would be. While many different places of entertainment had come and gone over the years, courtesy of the ever-evolving tastes of the city's denizens, the Crystal Chalice had managed to not just stick around but thrive.

Having been built from dark red bricks in a style reminiscent of an age that had passed long ago, it was a structure that made sure it stood out from the other buildings that made up Dalaran's skyline. That did not mean it appeared old or not up to par, oh no, as the elaborate fountain and marble steps out front left little room for thoughts of irrelevancy. And if the unique architecture and design didn't catch the eye of a passerby, then the crowd that formed every night from the door, around the fountain, and all the way down to the intersection of the street would certainly do the trick.

Every few months, there would be a new performance accompanied by a new menu with foods and decorations that matched the theme of the show. All the dancers and actors and singers would be covered head to toe in beautiful costumes for their numbers, and music soared through the air like wind.

Almost everyone in Dalaran, maybe even in Northrend, wanted the chance to be a part of it.

However, there was one person in particular who wanted to stay away from the revelry for just a bit longer.

Nadia stared straight down at the paper in her lap as she scribbled furiously with a pen that she had borrowed from the hostess' station. The women's dressing room, which also functioned as a break room for all the female staff since the owner wanted to use as much space in the building as possible for guests and patrons, did little to muffle the noise that carried out from the main hall. But it would work for now.

Her writing became faster and ever more frantic, and she jumped when there was suddenly a loud banging noise from outside the empty room. When raucous laughter and applause followed right after it, the tension left her body as she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Nadia's nose scrunched up as she scowled down at the paper. It was ruined, the few words that had managed to get written were now almost swallowed up by a large inkblot from where the pen had frozen and then bled onto the page.

"Oh, for…" she trailed off before growling in frustration and tossing the pen aside. If the words weren't illegible before, then they certainly would be now as the mage crushed the paper with both hands and chucked it halfway across the room. It bounced harmlessly off the back of a chair and joined the rest of the crumpled, half-dozen or so unfinished letters that messily covered the floor.

Feeling half justified with her actions and half scolding herself for doing something so childish for the sixth time in a row, Nadia sighed and let her head fall back against the wall behind her.

"What am I doing?"

There was no answer, of course, and the noise from outside flooded into the room when the door suddenly swung open and the performers and dancers that had just finished up their set piled in one after the other. Their laughter and squeals were enough to alert Nadia that their number must have gone well, if not for the excited chatter they exchanged with one another.

"Did you see that real good-looking one in the front row?"

"I was more distracted by the pair that was over near the kitchens."

"You sure you weren't staring at the doormen again?"

"Oh, shut up!"

"Anyone else notice that group that came in from the back? I swear they look familiar."

Nadia glanced up when the group of women floated past her, some of them waving or saying hello to her in their sparkling costumes of pink and gold with countless pins and trinkets dangling from their hair. The scent of wine, candle smoke, and a variety of perfumes almost became overwhelming as they all flocked over to the large mirrors and tables that lined the walls. A few began to change into the costumes needed for the next set, while others lounged about in chairs or on the desks while adjusting their jewelry and passing a lit cigarette between each other.

They always looked so confident and beautiful, and Nadia found herself edging back a little bit more into her corner of the room.

"There you are!"

The young mage turned her head at the sudden shout just in time to see a frazzled looking draenei with a short bob of hair shoving her way none too gently through the clusters of dancers.

"Don't you even think about slipping away from me again," her glowing eyes narrowed as she pointed an accusatory finger at the half-troll, "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Nadia sat there frozen as she considered the few options that she had, and upon realizing that she was pretty much stuck scratched her head awkwardly and offered her clearly annoyed friend a sheepish grin, "Hey, Aalett…How're you doing?"

"Oh, how am I doing? How are you going to – move!" The mage winced as her friend elbowed an unsuspecting night elf doing stretches out of her path, "How are you going to ask me how I am doing when there is so much that you need to tell me?!"

"So, I guess you're not doing well?"

The draenei made an imposing figure, with her scowl and hands placed on her hips, as she stared down at the still seated woman. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned into Nadia's personal space, "You are adorable, we all know this, but I need you to stop being cute for just one moment."

Despite her overall mood, she couldn't help but give a cheeky grin, "That's going to be kind of hard to do, my cuteness is a permanent affliction."

"You are avoiding the subject." She didn't give the half-troll any time to react when she reached down and pinched both of her cheeks, "Speak. Now."

Nadia leaned back out of Aalett's reach in an effort to save her poor face. The smile on her face faded completely as she looked away from the draenei's intense gaze, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Nothing to talk about!" Her sudden outburst made some of the dancers look over at them curiously, and the mage found herself clamming up at the sudden attention, "The secret that you are going to marry the Warchief of the Horde as a representative of the Alliance in an effort to make peace between the two factions was released to the world!"

More than a few dancers looked up from their primping at Aalett's words, and Nadia could feel the blush spreading over her cheeks as she began to wonder if she should have come into work at all today.

"You were rushed by a mob the same day that it happened," the draenei continued her spiel without even realizing that people were beginning to stare, "which then revealed that you had not one clue about what was happening, only to result in you disappearing and trying to hide from all the people who are now looking for you with questions…and you say you have nothing to talk about!"

The mage blinked rapidly at the hoard of information Aalett had spewed without even stopping to breathe, "H-how do you know so much?"

"I pay attention." This time it was her friend who flashed a cheeky grin, "Besides, even if you do not wish to speak on the matter, that does not stop others from doing so."

A stressed groan passed from her lips, drawing attention from even more performers on their break, "Oh gods, I haven't even thought about what other people are saying."

There was snickering, and Nadia and Aalett looked over to see some of the dancers giggling as they stared back at the pair.

"Is there something that is funny?" The draenei glared intensely at the two, her hackles rising at the thought that they were making fun of her friend.

"Oh, calm down Aalett. We were just saying that most gossip about all this peace stuff isn't that bad." Sadine, the slim blood elf who had been one of the two laughing, took another lazy drawl from her cigarette. Her gaze shifted over to the mage who looked like she was about to curl up into fetal position, and she offered an apologetic smile, "Some of it can get a little wild, though."

The other woman, a Pandaren by the name of Sujin who had just started working at the Crystal Chalice a little over a month ago, began to snicker again and bit her lip to try and suppress the laughter, "There are some who say that you are really a human who wears make-up to make yourself look like a troll."

"Others say that you're actually a part of the one of the Dragonflights and that this is some elaborate scheme to finally stop the Alliance and Horde from being at each other's throats all the time," another long cloud of smoke was puffed out into the air as one of the goblin performers chimed in from across the room. She shrugged and passed the cigarette back to Sadine, "That's actually not one of the stranger ones."

"Some say you don't exist at all!" This one came from the night elf that Aalett had ungracefully pushed out of the way only moments ago, and this one made all the other ladies in the room burst out into giggles, "What? They do say that!"

"Okay, okay, she gets it." Aalett waved her arms spastically in an effort to silence all the laughing. She turned her attention back to a mortified Nadia and sighed "And this is exactly why you should tell someone, preferably me, about the truth. To set the record straight!"

"What record? There is no record!" The mage ran both hands through her hair, "This has all been so…so unreal."

"Oh, this is all very real, trust us." Sadine pulled out a chair and sat down, staring at Nadia with a strange glint in her eye, "Almost all everyone is talking about is you, no point in trying to act like it's not happening."

"I'm not trying to act like it's not happening, I'm just trying to make sense of it all."

"See! Another great reason why you should talk to somebody!" The draenei lowered herself to the floor and poked the mage's knee, "You should not be bottling up your feelings on the matter."

Sadine snorted, "Like anyone's going to talk to you, ya gossip."

"Who are you calling a gossip!?"

The two women began a friendly round of bickering while the others in the room would butt in with their two cents every so often. Realizing that the attention was off of her for the time being, Nadia stood up slowly and began to gather her things, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Just as she was about to make a break for the door, sadly, someone grabbed her by the arm.

"Oh, don't go yet, Nadia!" Sujin bounced up and down on her toes, grabbing the mage's other arm, "You still haven't told us anything."

"I-I'd really just like to get back to work now."

"C'mon, there must be something you can give us?" Aalett pouted before suddenly perking up and clapping her hands together, "Oh! I bet there been secret meetings between the factions that prevent you from saying anything and that's why you don't want to talk."

The mage crossed her arms nervously over her chest as all eyes fell on her once again, "What? No, nothing like that has happened…at least, not yet."

"Did you have to leave the city and go into hiding? Is that why we haven't seen you around lately?" This one came from one of the waitresses who must have snuck in when Nadia wasn't looking, "That's what my sister says!"

"Has someone offered you money? Or jewels, or land? They must have offered up some kind of incentive."

"Did the Alliance give you an ultimatum? Accept the deal or be banished from all civilized continents forever!"

"Has the Kirin Tor kept you locked up in a tower like a princess in a story book?"

"Don't be dumb, that would never happen."

"And thinking that she was in hiding is somehow less stupid?"

Everyone began talking at once, some arguing with each other about what was fact or fiction while others still optioned their own guesses to whoever would listen. The room descended into cacophony once again, with Aalett sighing loudly above all of it.

"I just don't understand how you have nothing to say!" She gestured wildly at Nadia, "If this had happened to me, then I would be screaming from the rooftops!"

Despite herself, Nadia felt a scowl begin to spread across her face as she scanned the room full of chattering young women. As much as she wanted to just get back to work, as much as she wanted to try and ignore what was happening in her life for just one day, it seemed like even that simple wish would not be granted.

"I'd really rather not talk about it, please," the mage announced with a stern voice that cut through all the babble. "I just want to get back to work and do my job, okay?"

This spurred on more moaning and groaning, especially from a certain draenei, though it began to quiet down until all that was left was disgruntled muttering and whispered gossip. Most began to go back to what they were doing before, though at a notably faster pace than before in preparation for the next number that was due to start in only moments, with those who had already finished up making their way back out.

With a sigh, Nadia collected the last of her things and began to follow their lead; she'd already been gone for too long, and the last thing she needed was their boss getting angry, or worse. Nosy.

The mage had barely turned towards the door when a particularly loud scoff came from behind her.

"Honestly, girls, if she doesn't want to talk about it then by all means, let her. Who would want to sit here and listen to someone complain about how good they have it anyway?"

An awkward silence washed over the room as every eye trailed towards the now very tense mage whose back was still turned away from where the voice had come from. No one really knew what to do, and most did their best to appear busy with whatever task they still had left to do while the rest waited in tense silence.

Nadia could feel herself stiffen the up as she lingered at the door. It would be best, really, to just leave it. Open the door, walk out and do her job, and just leave it in that room to be forgotten about.

C'mon, do it. Her fingers twitched as she tried to force herself to make a choice. Just reach for the handle, open the door, and get through this day. This isn't worth it and you know it. So just open the door…just do it.

She whipped around and scanned the room for whoever was responsible for the snub, only to come make immediate eye contact with a certain human in the back of the room who was staring back at her with a strange sort of intensity that made her itch.

"Do you want to elaborate on that?" She didn't need to ask who had spoken, since the culprit was obviously not trying to hide. A scoff was heard, and then one red haired human at the opposite end of the room stood up from her chair.

"All I meant was that no one wants to hear you complain about your recent rise to fame."

Nadia narrowed her eyes at the human, who continued to smirk and tossed her hair over one shoulder. Peggy had always been especially popular with their guests; her spontaneous personality and pixie-like looks got her many requests for private dances with wealthy guests who would rent out the entire building for parties and events.

However, she bickered and spoke poorly of the other dancers and behind the backs of many coworkers, sometimes directly to their faces. This, combined with the competitiveness between workers who vied for attention of patrons and their coin, only bred disdain and hostility that made her difficult to work with.

The mage was no fan of hers, and the feeling was mutual, but outside of the occasional necessary shoptalk the two generally left each other alone.

Until today, it seemed.

"I'm not complaining, I'm just–"

"Complaining?" Peggy clucked her tongue as though she were chiding some whiny child, "You should consider yourself lucky, you know. Some people would say this is the best thing that could ever happen to you."

"I don't see how having to leave my home and everything I know and have is lucky," Nadia could feel herself starting to become emotional already, and it was hard to try and keep her rising temper in check. "If you think this is such a great 'opportunity', then you're more than welcome to take my place."

Aalett could sense the irritation starting to radiate off of her friend, and decided that it would be better for everyone in the room if this was stopped before it developed any further. The draenei gently tugged at her friend's elbow in the direction of the door, "Come, Nadia, we should get back out there."

"Ha! I said best thing for you. Like I would ever want to be around those monsters, let alone marry one." Those with Horde relations glowered at that statement, though Peggy either didn't notice or didn't care, "I mean, I'd have thought you would be drooling over this chance, it's not like you've got a lot going for you right now."

"Excuse me?" Aalett pulled again at her sleeve and muttered something under her breath about leaving, "I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I've been doing just fine. I'm–"

"Yeah, yeah, you're 'training to be an Archmage with a scholarship to the Academy and apprenticeship with one of the Council of Six,' blah, blah, blah. Anyone can see that you're lying."

"I've been Khadgar's apprentice for years, he's even visited here a few times!" The young mage's voice had gradually risen until she was close to yelling, and by now Aalett was holding her back more than trying to get her to leave, "And you somehow think I'm lying about that?"

Peggy's face flushed a bright red at realizing her slip-up and her eyes narrowed as she thought hard about what to say next, "Okay, well…maybe you weren't lying about everything! Like, if you have a scholarship and an apprenticeship, why do you work?"

"Well, beg your pardon for wanting my own spending money. How dare I want to be able to buy things like food and clothes?"

"No! No, that's not it," she pointed a skinny finger at Nadia as her sneer deepened. "You get stipends as an apprentice! Plus, you've worked here for years, and I've only ever seen you in the same, sad clothes day in and day out. Like no one will notice you're not cycling through the same eight shirts."

The blow was low and petty, and it hit hard as the mage looked down at her feet in embarrassment. Peggy's expression became smug, and she opened her mouth to keep going despite Aalett's flaming glare.

"So where exactly does that money go? What could possibly be so expensive that the up-and-coming apprentice of Archmage Khadgar would need to work two jobs?"

The draenei at Nadia's side scoffed and her glower intensified, "It's none of your business what she does with her own money."

"What is it? Debt, gambling? No, you're not fun enough for that." The human dancer kept going as though Aalett had not spoken up. A particularly malicious smirk sprouted on her face as a thought crossed her mind, "Or maybe…you've got some kid tucked away somewhere?"

"Stop it! I think quite enough has been said today," the other woman's grip tightened around Nadia's arm and pulled her yet again towards the door. "Come, don't pay her any mind."

"Oh, that's just rich! You were begging – begging – for some gossip, and now that you've got some you're gonna up and leave?"

"There is a difference between gossip and slander!"

"If I wanted to slander her, I would just call her a mousy, stuck-up fraud of a whore! Just like her mom."

The last thing Nadia heard was Aalett scream a nasty curse at Peggy before she was the one holding her back now. This seemed to set everyone off yet again, and the whole room fell into another round of shouting and bickering and gods knew what else. It was louder than it was the first time, and just before the half-troll thought she was about to lose her grip on her friend, the door slammed open behind her.

"By Deathwing's balls, what the hell in is going on in here?"

It was like someone had flipped a switch, how quickly everyone went quiet at the new arrival. Aalett stoop upright and stiff as though some field marshal had called for her attention, Nadia hugged her things to her chest and cast her eyes down like many others, and Peggy suddenly became the ideal image of good behavior. Even the more rambunctious and airheaded of the lot had enough sense to shut their mouths when the boss was around.

Gilda Slipbit was a gnome in every sense of the word, were it not for the fact that her personality was more like that of a miser. Her talent for turning a profit and nose that could sniff out even the faintest hint of which direction any business would shift could put the entire Trade Coalition to shame.

Nadia was honestly surprised that she hadn't come snooping around earlier; with everyone here having their own gossip circle, Ms. Slipbit was sure to have been able to smell when money was not being made.

The necklace around her neck tinkled as her small arms repositioned threateningly across her chest, "Well? Am I going to have to ask again?"

"Nothing, ma'am." Sadine seemed to be the only one with enough backbone at that moment to speak up, "We were just taking a break, is all."

"Then what are you all still doing back here? It's the start of the weekend and we have a full house!" With a loud clap that made a few of the girls jump, Slipbit opened the door back up and made a large sweeping gesture through the opening, "So get off your bums, make yourselves pretty, and then make yourselves scarce!"

Nobody needed to be told twice. It was a mad scramble to get out of the room using the only door in and out, and Nadia ended up getting smooshed in-between one of the waitresses and two of the backup dancers. People were blocking the doorway as one person or another tried to push through first, making her escape from whatever had just happened painfully slow. Just as she was about to slip out–

"Not you two."

Both Aalett and Nadia stopped dead in their tracks as the flow of costumed and heavily accessorized people went on uninterrupted. Soon, it was just the pair and Slipbit.

The room suddenly felt much larger than it actually was and the quiet was overwhelming as both women turned around to face their employer. The gnome scrutinized them for a moment as she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground that was littered with glitter, feathers, and the occasional loose bead or two.

"Aalett." She declared all of a sudden, making the poor draenei jump a little, "I want you working on the lower level of the house tonight. Tell the others you'll be taking point on the stage for the rest of the evening. And if any of 'em start whining, tell them to come to me."

"But… Doesn't Peggy always take point?"

"And now you are." Slipbit didn't seem the least bit interested in the sudden change in lineup that was of her own making as she brushed nonexistent dust off of her sleeve, "You're gonna switch places for a while, you've been doing real well this year and its time you had the spotlight. Why? You not up for it?"

"No! I mean, yes! Yes, I am more than up for it. Um, what should we do for our number?"

"I dunno, Aalett, that's up to you. That's the point of taking point." The gnome waved her small hand towards the door, "Now shoo; I want to talk to your friend."

The smile that had appeared on the draenei's face when she had more or less been promoted faded as quickly as it came. She cast an unsure glance at Nadia, who was doing her best to put on a reassuring smile. The mage nodded once and gave her arm a firm squeeze before letting go. Aalett lingered for only a moment longer before a quick huff from Slipbit sent her scampering out the door.

Gilda gazed intensely at Nadia, her large brown eyes glancing her up and down as though she was searching for something. Whether or not she found what she was looking for would remain a mystery, as the gnome then looked her employee right in the eye and pursed her lips in discontent.

"Do you like working here, Nadia?"

"Y-yes, I do."

"Really? You haven't exactly been present lately. Always sneaking to the back or hiding away in this room. Are you not happy to be at the front of house now?"

These questions came as no surprise, and the mage tugged anxiously at her sleeve as she thought carefully about her answer. She'd been here for almost three years, and during all that time she'd either worked as an event assistant, a waitress or back in the kitchen. And on the very rare occasions when Gilda would have her fill in as a dancer when there was no one else to fill in, she would always be in the back and almost always with a mask of some sort. All the roles required hard work and long hours, but there had never been a cause for complaint, save for the handsy customer from time to time.

It was only until very recently on the heels of all the drama with the Alliance-Horde marriage scheme when Nadia had abruptly found herself promoted to hostess, posted firmly at the entrance, and completely out of her element. It had been about a week and some change since Kokam and Mordriel had come to visit her, and being unable to put off returning to work she had to go back. And with returning came this new role that was, in it's own way, worse than the last.

Why she had been moved so suddenly was no secret: what better way to draw a crowd at night than to have the very woman whose face dominated the papers each and every day right at the front door?

Normally, she would have refused, or even handed in her notice. But things were far from normal, and Nadia needed this job. She couldn't risk losing this position, not now, not when there were expenses that needed to be paid regardless of any drama or treaties.

So, she put on that uniform, forced a smile, and proceeded with what had so far been the most unnerving and grueling workweek of her life.

"I'll try harder, ma'am," she finally answered, inclining her head down and folding her hands behind her back, "I've just had a tough few weeks is all."

"Ahh, c'mon, how hard could it have been? With fame comes all sorts of opportunities, though I'm sure you know that!" Gilda patted the young woman on the leg in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture, but just made Nadia feel like some sort of show pony being petted.

"Well, maybe, I guess."

"Oh, you'll see soon enough. I mean, why do ya think soooo many people have been coming here lately? It's to see you. You! I thought that you would like being a hostess instead of carrying trays and drinks back and forth all night long, but you don't seem happy. If ya'd just let loose and have fun with it – "

"But…I don't really want that," Nadia sighed, "I just want to come to work, do my job, and then go home at the end of the day."

"Now, you see, this is what I was worried about, sweets." Gilda tutted sharply with her tongue and made a great show of looking disappointed, "I don't know if this is going to be a good fit for you anymore if you can't learn to go with the flow. Now, I overheard a little bit of all that back and forth before I came in, and I have to agree with them. At times, you can be a little stiff and, well, mousy."

"I–"

"So I'm going to have to ask you to make a bit more of an effort, yeah? Bring some more energy to the table, when the patrons ask you a question, you answer, and for the love of the Light smile a little!"

"But–"

"No 'buts'! Besides, you're a smart girl, I'm sure you'll figure out how to manage it. Anyway!" With a perky sidestep and a sharp whistle, the gnome swaggered over to the door and opened it wide with a theatrical flare of her hand, "I think it's time we get back to work, don't you?"

…

It took all of Nadia's self control to stay calm as yet another group that she was trying to check in began asking her all sorts of invasive questions about herself. She'd told herself over and over again that they were just curious about the whole treaty debacle, but it was beginning to get on her nerves.

This time, one of the people in a long string of guests that had approached her that night to either inquire or give unsolicited advice said that it would be a major improvement if she actually put effort into a wardrobe. Nadia put on another forced, tight-lipped smile as she waved them past the foyer.

"You're table is ready," her cheeks were beginning to hurt, "please, enjoy your time."

The half-troll was quickly forgotten about as the large group moved past her to squeeze their way inside the already packed main house. She watched as the doors opened to let them in and then closed firmly back into place, and Nadia suddenly found herself with a rare moment of reprieve after what had been a sudden rush of patrons with reservations and regulars.

"Seriously…'Do something with that hair, try some lipstick'." The mage muttered to herself while angrily flipping through some papers in front of her, "And if I hear one more mention about my clothes, I swear…"

The shock of lavender paper amongst all the white caught her eye. Nadia felt the anger drain out of her for a moment before pulling it out and gazing at the few sentences she had put down.

It had been a spur of the moment an idea. An impulse, one she wouldn't have normally followed, but considering the circumstances there were worse impulses she could have had than to suddenly decide to write a letter to the Warchief of the Horde.

Or should she address him as Vol'jin? Chief? Fiancé? Did it matter?

She'd tried, honestly, to put words to paper. But the more that she tried and the more that she wrote, the more like a fool she ended up feeling and would eventually start over again and again and again. What was she even supposed to say to someone so…important? If the crumpled up balls of unfinished letters left behind in her bedroom at Miss Daybrook's and in the dressing room of this very establishment wasn't evidence that she had no clue what to write, she didn't know what was.

"Watcha got there?"

The blood elf snorted when Nadia squeaked and pressed the paper close to her chest. Her friend whipped around as a bright blush spread across her cheeks.

"Gods, Sadine!" She breathed out a sigh of relief and let go of the tension in her shoulders that she didn't know she was holding, "Please don't sneak up on me like that again."

"I'm sorry, lovely, but you just looked so edgy. You're not still caught up in what that redheaded earwig was going on about, are you?"

"No," she quietly replied under her breath with what was clearly a lie. The blood elf's expression changed to one that was so patient and empathetic that Nadia couldn't help but sigh in defeat, "Well, yes, but also no. It's not really about what was said earlier."

"Then what's up? Something's been bothering you."

"I think it's a bit obvious what's bothering me."

"Nah, you were 'normal' bothered about that awful event at the play up until a few days ago. Now it's different; you're all frazzled instead of jumpy and you cover whatever it is you're scribbling down there whenever someone walks by." She waggled a finger at the bundle of papers in her friend's arms and smirked, "Sooo, what is it? Your diary?"

"Heh, if only." She thumbed the pages and looked off to the side nervously, "It's silly, really. But I thought I would try and…write a letter to the Warchief."

Sadine's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, "Oh, well, jeez, that's definitely something to be all knotted up about."

"Yep. As if I needed anything else on my plate right now, I went and gave myself homework," Nadia groaned and hit herself exasperatedly on her forehead with her papers.

"I don't want to pry, but can I ask why you wanted to write to him in the first place?"

"Because I thought that maybe if I tried to talk to him directly, I could finally decide what I wanted to do about everything. Whether to say yes, or no."

"And have you decided? What to do, that is?"

"No. Well, kind of. Maybe?" She huffed and pulled at one long piece of hair behind her ear, "I don't know why I thought that I could do it. Every time I put something down or tried to write anything, I just felt like an idiot."

"How bad could it have been?" The blood elf reached for the pages, and the mage let her take them out of her grasp. Sadine looked over the letter. Then flipped it over. And then shuffled through the rest of papers. Her eyes narrowed slightly and one of her long brows quirked up, "Nadia. This is blank."

"That's because I've given up."

"What?"

"I'm not even sure how I would get it to him, or if it would even reach him if I did somehow figure it out. And then there's the whole problem of the Warchief even reading the letter from some backwater nobody at all."

"You're not some nobody, though, you're engaged."

"We're maybe engaged." She scratched her head while trying to think of the best way to phrase her dilemma, "Even if there was some guarantee that my letter would end up in his hands, I don't even know where to begin, Sadine. My first letter ended up just being a long tangent about how the security at the theatre is terrible and how I almost fell down the stairs twice!"

"I can see how that wouldn't be the best first impression. Maybe send him a poem, a nice bouquet of posies?"

"I'm being serious."

"Why?"

Nadia wasn't expecting the question and blinked in confusion, "What do you mean 'Why'?"

"I mean, you're trying to put on a front and talk like someone that you're not." Sadine crossed her arms and waved the papers around, "Maybe that's why you're having such a hard time? You're being too serious when you should really just be honest. Say what you're actually thinking and have a little fun with it."

"I don't think that 'being myself' has ever really helped me very much, but this was a good talk."

"Okay, unh-unh, none of that." The blood elf spun her around and pushed her towards the check-in podium, "C'mon! Time to try again! Your voice is important and just as worthy of being heard as any one of those letters the Warchief must receive from boring diplomats all the time."

Nadia stuttered a little as she almost stumbled directly into the podium while Sadine somehow forced a pen into her hand and placed the purple paper she'd borrowed from Aalett in front of her, "I-I don't know…"

"Don't be like that. Besides, it's not like we're going to be interrupted! We're not letting anyone else in for the night, apparently someone sent word that they wanted to rent out the whole place last minute."

"Why would they do that?"

"Who knows? Anyway, here, I'll help you get started." The dancer cleared her throat dramatically and raised one hand in the air as though she were some actor on a grand stage, "How's this? 'Dearest, Warchief…What in the ever-loving hell?'"

Despite her nervousness, the mage snorted loudly before bursting into laughter at her friend's antics so hard that it made Sadine chuckle a few times as well, "Oh, gods, I can't put that down!"

"Why not? You were just saying that he probably wouldn't read it anyway, so this can be a…a cathartic exercise."

"You're something else, you know that right?"

"Coming from another piece of work herself, I'll take that as a compliment."

This earned another laugh from Nadia and the blood elf smiled, happy she'd been able to make her friend feel something other than fear and anxiety for at least a moment. The doors leading into the main hall suddenly burst open, and Sadine turned around to see Ms. Slipbit practically running towards them.

"Yes! Ah, yes, there you are!" The gnome clapped her hands together excitedly and Nadia turned around at the noise, "Come with me!"

"Miss Slipbit, what – "

"There's no time to explain! I need you to help her get spruced up!" She pointed a small finger at Sadine and then back at Nadia before bouncing on her toes in excitement, "A very special guest has asked for you, my darling girl."

The smile vanished from Nadia's face and was replaced with a look of absolute panic, "No, no, no, no. What guest? I'm supposed to be on host duty tonight."

"And you will," a Cheshire grin spread on the gnome's face as she placed her hands on her hips, "you'll be their private host for the rest of the night! Isn't that exciting?"

"No! It is not exciting!" Sadine could hear the slight bit of anger in Nadia's voice as she glanced over just in time to see her scowl and clench her hands at her side, "I'm already doing one job I wasn't ready for today, I don't want to do another. Who even are these people anyway and what do they want with me?"

"Pah! Do you have any idea how much coin they're offering? Who cares!"

"Me. I care!"

This was the final straw for Slipbit, who scowled back at Nadia while her grin turned into a sneer. "That's enough from you. We just talked about your attitude earlier, and while you may the star of the hour now, I'm not afraid to give you the boot for refusing to do your job."

"But my job – "

"Your job is what I say it is. We clear?" The interruption was sharp and final, and Nadia immediately deflated at the threat of losing her job. Even though Sadine could still see infuriation bubbling beneath the surface in her demeanor, the mage took a deep breath and nodded once before looking down at the floor in defeat.

"…Yes, miss."

"Good." Slipbit began smiling once more and looked back at the blood elf who had watched the whole exchange somewhat awkwardly, "Now, Sadine, go and find that one piece in the costume closet, the one with that alluring collar, and bring it here. We've little time to make you look presentable!"

Nadia's gaze shot back up and she stared pleadingly between Slipbit and Sadine, "Oh, ma'am, please not that one – "

"Bup bup! Not up for discussion!" The Crystal Chalice owner then tapped a finger to her chin while alternately shooing away Sadine with her other hand, "Well, hurry up, we don't have all night! Now, what to do with that hair…"

…

When Rokhan had last been to Dalaran, it had been a very different city. He'd only actually visited three times during the war against the Lich King, and each time the energy in the floating citadel had always been apprehensive and tense, as though an assault or disaster could happen at any moment. Which, looking back, was a likely possibility. Most people stayed indoors with their families or friends as they pooled together their rations, and from what he could remember there had been a strict curfew and protective spells up everywhere.

He hadn't been back since. And as he stood there, surrounded by color and revelry and endless comforts, he found himself wondering exactly how much Dalaran had changed after the war.

"This way, friends, and mind your bearings. There's more than one distraction here that could pull you away at any moment."

His attention was drawn back to the task at hand as their guide waved them towards a tall, winding staircase that led them to the second floor where there was supposedly more privacy. Though judging by the complete and utter chaos of the first floor, the bar for what could pass for discretion was very low indeed.

"I be more worried 'bout him, comin' here all dressed up like he was gonna go off and start dancin' the whole time."

Rokhan chuckled at Zen'tabra's words, glancing at her for a moment to catch her unimpressed sneer as she looked about, "What? Ya don't feel like havin' fun?"

"Dis," she gestured to the left where there were a handful of dancers entertaining a small group of people. One of the patrons started laughing obnoxiously while one of the dancers took a shot of some purple liquid, only to lean too far back and lose her balance, sending her stumbling into said patron and causing them both to fall gracelessly to the floor, "ain't what I would call fun."

"I be with ya on dat, mon."

The two didn't say anything else after that and followed the blood elf leading them up the stairs. They had to do a little maneuvering when the occasional drunkard or person not paying attention almost bumped into them, but thankfully they were never slowed down due to someone recognizing them.

Technically, they weren't here. Nobody knew where they had actually gone, and if anyone were to ask they would all tell you the same thing: Zen'tabra was officially traveling back to the Echo Isles, while Rokhan had told many that he would be spending a peaceful evening in his quarters for the rest of the night. This subterfuge, this "discreet scouting mission" as his druid companion had dubbed, was to remain as under wraps as possible.

As Rokhan found himself being led down a hallway lit by elaborate chandeliers, he found himself thinking back to the rather sudden series of events that had led them here. A few days ago, he had been with Zen'tabra going over the schedule of training for new recruits all the while passively complaining about how events had unfolded around the whole peace treaty. The druid was echoing his sentiments, going on about how she didn't trust Khadgar or this supposed Lady-mage either, and then all of sudden made the suggestion that they should look into things themselves.

It was then him who mentioned he had a contact that knew someone in Dalaran who could not only get them into the city, but also find out where to see this girl up close and personal.

From there, the little plot took on a life of its own.

The contact in question was Tyelis, a blood elf priest who he'd met during the war against the Lich King. Now the official Priest Trainer of Orgrimmar on behalf of Silvermoon, Rokhan secretly made an inquiry to see if this was something the elf was willing to do. Curiously enough, it seemed that Lor'themar had an idea along the same line as theirs, and about a day after speaking with the priest a note mysteriously appeared in his quarters from the blood elven leader himself. It more or less told him that Tyelis would be tagging along with the sole intent of reporting back to Quel'Thelas.

None of this had surprised Rokhan very much. While Lor'themar may have voted in favor of this sham, he was no chump. Wherever there were Horde/Alliance dealings, especially if Dalaran was included, the somber warrior was sure to want to know everything about the situation down to the finest detail.

Rokhan didn't mind having an additional head in on their scheme, but he did wish that this priest were a bit more serious and a bit less inclined to behave like some of these other partygoers.

"We've arrived!" Tyelis stepped to the side and pulled open a tall door that was at the very end of the hall. He ushered the two trolls in with a dramatic flair of his hand that made Zen'tabra roll her eyes, "Only the finest room, even if we are here for less than celebratory reasons."

"It is also the most private," a new voice added. Rokhan stepped into the room just as a tall Tauren in leather armor stood to greet them.

"Emissary Blackhoof." Though he was a member of the Guardians of Hyjal, the druid formerly served as an ambassador to the Horde from the Cenarion Circle. Ideally, the shadow hunter would have liked to involve as few people as possible, but Zen'tabra brought up the important fact that if something were to go awry then it would be helpful to have someone else there who knew those more closely involved then they.

Blackhoof not only knew Zen'tabra, but also one of the two druids from the Circle who seemed to serve as this mysterious girl's de facto advisors. He was also acting as their "host", considering Dalaran had yet to allow the Horde back into the city and the last thing anyone needed was to get arrested just as peace talks were beginning.

"Glad to see that everyone arrived safely." Tyelis shed his coat and tossed it on the back of a chair, "Shall we get started?"

"Started how?" The other druid deposited herself onto one of the overly ornate couches in the large room with a huff, "Ya never did mention how ya gonna get us a meetin' with da little princess."

"Never fear, I have an old friend who's been pulling some strings for us." Almost as if on cue, the large double doors opened up again to reveal a fanciful gnome with a voluminous up do and a large smile on her face.

"Tyelis!" She opened her arms wide and practically danced into the room, the abundance of circlets and rings on her fingers glittering in the light, "I knew it was you when one of my girls told me a special guest wanted my attention!"

"Gilda! I love what you've done with the place; this new glassware is exactly what was needed to add more glamour!"

The pair started going on and one about décor and other nonsense that Rokhan didn't care about in the least. As their conversation shifted towards polite small talk, he took a moment to finally take in their surroundings while lowering himself into a chair.

A large dining table was placed in the center of the room with plenty of chairs surrounding it. The actual table itself seemed to be made of some expensive looking wood, and atop it were even more elaborate cups and chalices that did justice to the establishment's name. Pushed against the wall were various couches and seats, similar to the one that Zen'tabra was fidgeting with impatience in. Nearly transparent and shimmering cloth hung from the ceiling, and off in one corner was what appeared to be a floor to ceiling wall of various alcohols of all colors and in all sorts of curiously shaped bottles.

The shadow hunter could only guess what happened in this room when it functioned as intended.

"So, what brings you and your fine friends to my humble institution?" Rokhan's attention was brought back to the conversation at hand as Gilda took a step closer towards the priest, "Does it have something to do with why you asked to not let anyone else in for the night?

"Now, Gilda, it wouldn't be any fun if I just told you outright."

"Okay, okay, have your secrets then. It's a good thing I like you; there's no way I would have done this for anyone else, though your Regent Lord did make one hell of an offer."

"He certainly knows when something is worth it. Now! We're feeling somewhat parched and would just love it if we could maybe have our own server for the night."

"Oh, you know I'll do anything for you dear. Did you have someone in mind; some of my best people just started their shifts! How about Allegra? Or Kornik? That dwarf makes a killer cocktail!"

"While that is tempting," Tyelis shot a quick glance at Rokhan, who nodded, before continuing, "I was wondering…would it be too much trouble to maybe get that little mage that everyone has been talking about lately? You know the one."

"Oh," her smile turned into a smirk, "well, that may be a little difficult. She's been very popular tonight. I actually have her at the front of the house to greet all our guests, and I don't know if I should pull her away from such an important role just yet."

"I completely understand," the priest reached into one of his pockets to retrieve a very full looking coin purse. The gold pieces inside jingled loudly as he scooped out a greedy handful, "Maybe this will cover any losses from her obviously valuable time?"

Gilda's eyes sparkled and her smirk turned back into the same animated grin from before. "I think this should cover it," she outstretched her hands, and Tyelis leaned down to exchange the coins, "I'll send her to you right away!"

"Perfect. And Gilda? We'll take some snacks as well."

"Of course! It's on the house," she chuckled before whisking back out the doors with a spring in her step. They closed with a heavy thud, and Zen'tabra broke her silence with a scoff aimed at Tyelis.

"I don't be liking dat we be in a place such as dis. And now bribin' of all things."

"Do not be upset with me. I am not the one who decides where the girl works." Tyelis shrugged while walking over to examine the wall of liquors, "There is no possibility Gilda would have let us talk to her otherwise were there no…incentive."

"The deed has been done, and for better or worse we are here." Blackhoof spoke for the second time since they had all come together. His demeanor that was nowhere near as tightly wound as Zen'tabra's or as aloof as Tyelis' brought a certain sense of calm into the room, "I'm sure that our priest friend knows what he is doing."

The woman heaved a large sigh and let herself fall back further into her seat. The room fell into tolerable silence, or as silent as it could get with the echoes of loud music seeping through the walls and the occasional hoots and hollers. Rokhan felt his mind begin to drift yet again as he found himself scanning the rows and rows of alcohol while waiting for whatever was about to transpire.

Should they have told Vol'jin what they were up to?

No, the shadow hunter answered his own thought immediately as he eyed a curiously large bottle of what looked like absinthe, that wouldn't have ended well.

Minutes stretched one on top of another until finally the doors opened once again to reveal Gilda, a small fleet of attendants carrying plates and dishes full of colorful appetizers and pastries…

And her.

"We've brought only the finest for you all tonight!" Gilda snapped her fingers twice and those with trays moved into the room to arrange it onto the table, "And please, let me know if there is anything else that you need."

The servers got everything situated with surprising speed, and soon the table was covered with food and a large crystal bowl of punch. They left just as quickly as they came, and an awkward silence fell over the room as everyone stared at the mismatched pair of one glitzy gnome and the much taller woman. Gilda seemed to finally take the hint after a few prolonged seconds and gasped.

"Oh, and of course! Where are my manners?" She pushed her employee on the back of the leg with enough force to send her staggering forward a few steps, "Allow me o introduce to you our little hidden gem! Nadia, these are some very important representatives from the Horde and Cenarion Circle who have come here just for you. Remember to thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules and coming all this way."

A beat of silence followed Gilda's talking-to. Nadia didn't look at all grateful as her boss had implied she should be. In fact, the mage had not spoken at all yet and stared stubbornly at the floor while tugging at her clothes. Blackhoof cleared his throat before standing to approach the duo.

"Lady Ravenscroft, I am Emissary Blackhoof. On behalf of the Guardians of Hyjal, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bowed his head towards her and pressed a hand to his chest in a formal greeting, "I am aware that you are already familiar with members of our sister group and hope that they have been treating you well."

"Your Ladyship!" The priest swept to the mage's side and snatched up one of her hands to place a kiss that lasted somewhat too long on the back of it, "Allow me to introduce myself and the rest of our party. I am Tyelis of House Lightsworn, at your service, and these are Rokhan and Zen'tabra of the Darkspear tribe."

Rokhan was still watching her from his place at the table when it suddenly clicked. She had glanced up, and in her eyes was the unmistakable presence of blanketed fury. It was only there for a split second before the anger was shoved downwards and she went back to looking at the floor again. The action was a practiced one, but he could still see the feeling present itself in the way her hands began to pull harder at her clothes and her body tensed.

And it was in that moment that the shadow hunter realized that she was painstakingly familiar.

"Um, it's nice to meet you," she finally spoke, eyes still downcast and with a voice so timid and low that it made the shadow hunter's blood boil, "I'm, uh, not actually a lady though – "

"Ha! Silly girl," Gilda interrupted with a seemingly gentle pat on Nadia's leg, though Rokhan did not miss the way the gnome pinched her exposed skin, "but that's how all the papers and such refer to you, right?"

"A simple overlook, I'm sure," Tyelis chimed in, still holding the mage's hand for some reason. "After all, it is only a matter of time before they are to officially assign you a title."

"Ya see! Our guest is an expert things like this." Her smile was suddenly switched out for a sneer, and the owner of the Crystal Chalice began to shoo Nadia away, "Now don't just stand here like a piece of furniture. You're supposed to serve our guests, remember?"

There it was again, that flash of a temper behind her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Rokahn. Or Blackhoof, it seemed. The tauren's expression became more sympathetic as he sat back down.

"While we understand you are busy," the emissary began in what Rokhan could only assume was an attempt to actually do the job they had supposedly come to do, "we would like to know more about you if you're willing to share, young miss."

"Oh, don't pay her any mind," Gilda interrupted with a flippant wave of her small, jewel riddled hand, "besides, there's not much to say about little miss thing over here. She's worked here for forever, and I only have a few interesting tidbits about her."

"Really?" Tyelis helped himself to some sort of tiny cake topped with nuts, "You wouldn't mind sharing a few of those tidbits, would you?"

As the gnome launched into what was clearly an exaggerated tale that likely had very little to do with her employee, Rokhan took the opportunity to really get a good look at this strange mage.

As he watched her slink off to bring a very annoyed looking Zen'tabra a glass of water, it was a bit more obvious now as to why she had been fidgeting so much.

It looked like her outfit was the main source of her discomfort and not actually them. Some fitted dress that barely went down to her thighs and was some odd shade of yellow (or maybe green); whatever it was, every time she moved she would try to tug it further down her legs. He wasn't sure if it was the fashion or not, but it looked like the thing was a size too small. Her hair had been pulled and slicked back into a painful looking bun, which was then stuck with all manner of pins and baubles, and heavy makeup had been hastily applied to her face. But even with all the tasteless dress, abundance of accessories, and painted face, there was still something achingly familiar about her…

Nadia came closer to the table now, making use of the punch bowl and putting herself nearer to the still scrutinizing troll. Her face was still pinched in a frown, making her look all the more melancholic than he already assumed her to be. She seemed to finally notice that he had been staring at her and glanced up to meet his gaze.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked in that same timid, quiet voice from before, and he scowled.

"Nah, you can't." Rokhan leaned back in his chair and raised a brow before pointing a lazy finger at her, "Ya skirt be riding up."

The shadow hunter thought that this would annoy her, and he was right. She quickly put down the glass she had been filling to pull agitatedly at her hem, her ears flushing a bright shade of pink. Zen'tabra must have been watching them, because she chuckled and took a self-satisfied sip of her drink, which only served to make the mage blush even more. It looked like she wanted to say something but wasn't given the chance.

"Nadia! Don't just loiter, girlie. Fetch us that new wine that we got in earlier this week," Gilda waved towards the wall of booze and heaved a long sigh. "I swear if there wasn't someone around to remind you of what needed to be done, you would stay in dreamland half the day."

"Come now, old friend, go easy on the girl. It must be hard not to become distracted at any moment when working here with all these pretty delights at every turn," Tyelis chided with a wistful grin.

"We don' need people whose heads be full of thoughts of pretty tings all da time in Orgrimmar," Zen'tabra cast another judging glance at Nadia, who had busied herself with opening a bottle and was acting like she didn't hear what everyone was saying.

"There's nothing wrong with an honest daydream from time to time," Blackhoof interjected with a firm tone in an attempt to ease the sudden tension in the room, but his fellow druid would not back down that easily.

"Strength an' honor is what da Horde be about. An' I have yet to see any o' dat here," she said pointedly, casting her gaze on Nadia once more. To her credit, the mage didn't outwardly acknowledge it, but Rokhan did see the way her hands tightened around the wine bottle as she poured the drink into Gilda's glass.

The gnome didn't seem to get the double meaning of Zen'tabra's words and took it more literally, "Well, now, I dunno know about honor, but I'll have you know that my place has been in business for 10 years strong now. Even though the help can be a bit…mmm, lacking at times."

"It be hard ta find those ya need ta get the job done." Rokhan spoke while watching carefully for any changes in the young woman's expression.

"Exactly! You think you're getting one thing and then behold! You get something else entirely. I mean, Nadia here is supposed to be training to me some fancy pro mage, but to this day I've never seen her use any magic. Then again, you're not exactly the best server I've got, are you miss thing? Who knows where your true talents lie."

"Some of us be good with a blade or helpin' our peoples, an' some of us be good at fixin' drinks." Nadia looked up and met Rokhan's gaze, and he was interested to see that the irritation was back in her eyes. He smirked and reached for a glass on the gable to raise it in the air, "Speaking o' which, I'll be takin' mine now."

The conversation shifted as Zen'tabra and Blackhoof began going back and forth over the best way to find roles that best suited the skills of new trainees, yet Rokhan's eye stayed fixated on the young woman who approached him. Her irritability was more obvious now, with her lips pressed into a thin line and eyebrows knitted together. It still bothered him that he couldn't place the lingering familiarity when he looked at her, and that only fueled his drive to press at her.

"Tell me," the shadow hunter began in a low voice that only Nadia would hear as she poured the dark red wine into his glass, "what be the main export outta da Southern Barrens?"

"E-excuse me?"

"Too hard? How 'bout when da Horde starts plannin' its celebrations for da Feast o' Winter Veil?"

She blinked a few times before her expression became even more confused then it already was, "I-I'm sorry, I don't – "

"Still be too hard? 'Aight den," he leaned forward slightly, just enough to get into her personal space, "when be Vol'jin's birthday?"

"Um – "

"What about what be makin' him tick? His weapon o' choice? Why he don't travel by zeppelin?"

Gilda and Tyelis suddenly burst into laughter, everyone else still unaware of what was going on between the shadow hunter and the mage. Nadia jumped a little at the noise, and Rokhan scoffed when she did. He shifted his gaze to examine his drink with the upmost scrutiny.

"I dunno what ya thought was gonna happen, but let me help ya understand." The glare he trained on her was so intense that it made her hug the half-empty bottle of wine to her chest and stare back at the floor, "Da Alliance has no real interest in you an' neither does da Horde. And afta meetin' you today, it be clear as ta why. We don' need some timid little mage not even done with 'er trainin', not as a recruit and not as da mate of our Warchief."

Nadia was visibly shaking now, and Rokhan wondered what from since her head was held so low that he could no longer see her face. He heaved a long sigh, content that he had said his piece, before plunking his glass of completely untouched wine down on the table.

"I don' like wine," he said with finality, "I'll be tryin' dat punch instead."

She didn't know what to say. Nadia had only ever been this upset a few times before in her life, and the emotions were threatening to boil over at any moment. Hot, angry tears were pinching at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let this man see her cry. She kept her head down while starting to walk his chair to get his new drink, thinking of how she could maybe get out of here or be excused.

"Remember ya place, Halfling."

Rokhan didn't know why he whispered that last part to her as she passed him by. He wouldn't deny that he was taking his own frustrations out on her. But considering that no one had yet to look into, let alone consider, if this woman was even a palatable candidate for his Chieftain's hand, he felt that he was at least within reason to be critical.

One moment he had made eye contact with Zen'tabra from across the room, who was looking over at them with a confused look on her face.

The next, his vision turned dark pink and he accidentally inhaled punch when Nadia dumped the entire crystal bowl of the stuff over his head.

Everyone in the room stared in shock and disbelief as Rokhan jumped up from his chair completely soaked in the sticky pink drink and coughing while Nadia stood behind him, clutching an upside down, empty punch bowl and practically shaking with rage.

"I – you – what the HELL, Nadia?!" Gilda was the first to speak, or rather, scream at her employee.

"Who do you think you are?"

The tempered fury that had been brewing for who knew how long was out now, and all those present could see it.

"When's my birthday?" She spat the question at the shadow hunter, "How long have I been an apprentice? What's my favorite season? Favorite flower, favorite color? How many times have I left Dalaran and why?

Her voice was no longer timid, Rokhan noted while still trying to recover his senses. He coughed a few times more while trying to wipe the punch from his face, staring in near disbelief at the culprit for his dripping state. The mage held his gaze firmly, hands tightening around the edges of the punch bowl. Where she touched ice started to form under her hold, and it was then the shadow hunter realized where he knew her.

"You got a whole stack of papers with all there is to know about me, and yet you don't even know one of those answers. But you're gonna sit there with your smug, judgmental face and interrogate me, who has gotten nothing, and then try and shame me for that?"

"Now Nadia – "

"I don't know what kind of ass does that to a person, so I'm gonna ask you again! Who do you think you are!?" She slammed the bowl back down on the table before stepping toe to toe with Rokhan, "Coming here! To where I work, my job, unannounced and then just thinking that you can spend your coin and can do whatever you want with my time and my feelings?"

Gilda's face was dark red with fury, "Ravenscroft, you better – "

"Shut up!" One by one, Nadia began to pull the accessories out of her hair in fury, "What is wrong with you? All of you! You think that because you're better than me you can just stalk me, trap me in a room, and then just talk to me however you want? You didn't even speak to me for most of this – this nonsense, just talked about me like I'm not standing right here!"

"Nadia!"

"I know that you don't want me, don't you think I know that? But if you don't want me, then why come here? Why find me, why inspect me like this?"

"I swear, girlie – "

"I am trying my best!" Her voice cracked, and some of the anger drained from her tone. Rokhan was still trying to blink punch out of his eyes, but even so he could see hear the tears in her voice, "Same as you! I'm just trying my best…"

"Apologize to our guests!"

"Like hell I will! And you!" She jabbed a finger right up into Rokhan's face and met his gaze head on, "My place? My place?! My place is wherever I goddamn want it to be! Report that back to your Warchief!"

She kept staring up at him, holding his stare stubbornly as she heaved one shaky breath after another. Her bun had come half loose from all her frenzied removal of those pins, and her hair framed her face wildly. The adrenaline still coursing through her still had her whole body trembling, and the fiery look in her eyes had Rokhan almost forgetting that he had ever thought her timid.

"Ravenscroft." Gilda pressed both hands to her temples and glowered in the mage's direction, "You are so fired, Ravenscroft. Do ya hear me? Fired!"

"Don't even bother," she tossed all the baubles that had been shoved into her hair at Rokhan's feet before sidestepping the still dripping troll, "because I quit."

Nadia felt herself begin to move without even thinking about it. Her ears rung as she practically sprinted past a still yelling Gilda and stunned Tyelis. She didn't even look back to see what the two druids were doing as she shoved open the doors and took off down the hall.

Out, the mages thoughts were rampant as she picked up her pace, shoving past anyone in her way and blinking back hot tears, I want to get out.

The music was far too loud, and catching glimpses of so many people laughing or without a care in the world was too much to bear. Nadia wanted to get away from all of it: this place, those people who had up and appeared to probe her like some unnatural specimen. Just all of it.

A few of her coworkers tried to stop her or ask what was wrong, but she just sped right past them. She didn't have any more energy to face what had just transpired, let alone what she had been thinking. Nadia found herself almost tripping over her own feet as she went down the stairs as quickly as she could, and then hooking right towards the staff's rooms.

"Nadia? Nadia!" Sadine rushed towards her friend when she suddenly came bursting into the dressing room with her hair a mess and splatters of something pink on her clothes, "Hey, hey, what on Azeroth happened? Are you okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it," the woman began snatching up her things from the tables, shoving them all haphazardly into her bag, "I-I need to go."

"Nadia, slow down, breathe."

"I can't stay here, Sadine, I'm sorry."

"At least put on your own clothes, please, it's freezing out there!"

"I can't, I have to leave!" Nadia threw her bag over her shoulder and started to shove her arms into her coat, "I'm sorry about the dress. I'll, um, try to fix it, I know a few spells for stains."

"I don't care about the dress Nadia, are you okay?"

"Yes, yep, I am okay. Completely okay. I mean, I quit, or maybe got fired, but I'm okay!" Saying it out loud like that made it finally ring home for her, and she pulled at her hair while clenching her eyes closed, "Oh gods, Sadine, what did I do?"

"Look, look, lovely, it'll be okay, whatever it is." The blood elf offered Nadia her hand, "Just talk to me, alright? Let me help, what do you need?"

Seeing Sadine reach out to her made the mage jump back. She wrung the scarf she was holding in her hands tightly and started backing up towards the door, "No, no, I'm okay. I need to go, though, so…I'm really sorry, Sadine."

Nadia spun on her heel, ignoring her friend calling out her name as she shoved the door open with her shoulder and walked quickly towards the staff exit. The icy night air hit her face and exposed skin when she stepped out from the back outlet that led to the alleyways of Dalaran.

The alley was familiar and quiet, having been used many times over the years to sneak in when late for the day or sneak out for a break when it became too rambunctious inside. It had started to snow at some point during her shift and the snowflakes that settled gently onto the woman standing stiff were a sharp contrast to the emotions that were spinning round and round in her head and chest. Leaning against the cold brick wall, Nadia covered her face with her hands as she tried to keep the tears from falling.

Don't cry, she told herself before taking a deep breath and bracing her hands on her knees, don't you dare cry.

It took a few moments for her to shove the feelings that were close to overflowing like they had done inside again. Once it seemed like she wouldn't scream or go back inside to somehow get herself even more fired than she already was, Nadia straightened back up and began trudging her way down the alley.

What is wrong with me? Her thoughts inevitably began drifting back to what had happened, I didn't need to go and do all of

The alleyway eventually opened up into the street. They were completely empty, even of any sentries or guards, and the slow snowfall combined with the quiet and few spots of light in the dark with only a handful of lamps to light her way home, Nadia suddenly felt very alone. A strong guest of wind swept under her coat, and she shivered while cursing herself for not taking the few minutes needed to put on her own clothes.

I'm such a dingbat, she huddled herself up in her coat that only reached down to her mid thigh and looked down each way of the street. Deciding that she very much wanted to not be outside in the freezing cold anymore, Nadia began a brisk walk in the direction of the closest entrance to the Underbelly.

What am I going to do now? She picked up her pace while trying not to fall in the obnoxious heels that Gilda had shoved her feet into. They pinched her toes with every step and made her trip every now and then. The snow that had started to accumulate on the ground made it even harder to walk, I needed that job.

I could have easily just held my stupid tongue and just done nothing. I had already been doing it just fine, so why did I act like such a child? He was right, I am just some weak little fool who needs to remember who she is: a mousy, backwater nobody.

/ / /

Perhaps it was because she was so lost in thought, but Nadia didn't notice the presence behind her until a clammy hand grabbed at her hip and wrapped around her waist.

"Well, well, if it ain't the most famous little lady in all o' Azeroth."

A chill that was definitely not from the cold went down her spine as the man who had snuck up on her from behind pressed himself into her side. Another man stepped out from behind a wall at the intersection just a few feet in front of her. Both reeked of alcohol, and she felt herself immediately begin to panic.

"What?" the one at her side slurred as he leered at her, "Ain't got anything to say?"

"Maybe she's cold, eh? We could take you someplace real nice and warm."

"Please let me go," Nadia tried to move away but was pulled back before she could so much as take a step.

"Aw, c'mon, we could have fun." The one in front of her leaned into her face and grinned from ear to ear, "Unless, you're only good enough for the likes of a Warchief?"

"Are you too good for use everyday folks now, huh?"

"I'm just trying to get home – "

"What's the rush? After all, it looks like you were dressed to have a good time anyway."

His hands shifted from her waist to pull at the hem of her dress. Nadia felt her heart leap into her throat and before she knew it she shoved the man away and tried to make a run for it, but the other grabbed her before she could get very far.

"Don't leave yet, little lady," he got in her face again, and Nadia almost gagged at the overwhelming stench of stale beer on his muggy breath, "Could we at least get a smile, troll bait?"

Something about being called 'troll bait' wracked Nadia out of her petrified stupor. Without even thinking twice, she pulled back her hand and slapped the man as hard as she could across the face. The force was enough to cause the man to yelp and let her go. She spun on her heel and tried to make a run for it a second time, only to be tripped on her already unsteady feet by the first man who grabbed her. She went sprawling onto the ground, the impact stunning her from doing anything else right away.

"You grab her legs."

The young woman scrambled to stand before being pulled back by her ankles across the icy hard ground. She wanted to scream, call for help, but everything seemed to be happening both in slow motion and too fast all at once.

Suddenly, the sound of quick footsteps approaching, the noise of flesh hitting flesh, and a very loud thud was all she heard.

"What the – "

Another hitting sound and then another thud happened before the sentence could be finished.

Nadia stayed frozen on the ground, staring at the frost covered stone tiles that made up the street, too scared to lift her head to see what had just happened. She had never been this close to the ground before. The stones were purple. She'd always thought them to be blue but they were always purple all this time.

Someone started walking, this time towards her. Nadia tensed as they got closer and closer until they were right next to her. A sudden touch on her back made her jolt up, and magic burned bright on her fingertips as she flipped over and prepared to use it on what could only be her harassers.

/ / /

"'Ey, 'ey, easy!"

Her magic dissipated at the sound of this voice, a voice that was definitely not one of the two men from earlier. It was gentler, maybe? Younger, too, and absolutely not drunk.

Nadia blinked rapidly as she tried to calm her pounding heart, and her eyes finally began to focus.

"You okay, ya ladyship?" The tall troll reached out his hand slowly towards her, "Don't worry, dey ain't gonna bother ya anymore."

"Th-Thank you," she accepted his hand, and he pulled her to her feet in one slow motion. He didn't let go until it seemed she was steady enough to stand on her own, "I'm not a lady, though."

This made the troll laugh out loud as he crossed his arms over his lean chest, and Nadia could see two wicked looking daggers attached to his belt, "Ha! I'll say! An' here I thought ya folks wit fancy titles be soft like lambswool, but ya gave dat one a real good smack dere. Not bad!"

His happy demeanor rubbed off on Nadia immediately and she felt herself begin to relax a little bit more in his presence. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two men who had harassed her now lying flat on the ground, seeming dead were it not for the slight rise and fall of their chests to tell her that they were just unconscious. It was then, as well, that she noticed another person on one knee beside them searching their clothes.

He was dressed dark leathers similar to his companion's, with daggers to match, though this one had at least half a dozen. Upon closer inspection, however, she saw that he was unnaturally thin and had glowing yellow eyes situated on his bony face. The hand on his knee gave him away, with the skinless fingers and palm shining white in the lamplight.

"Where be our manners," the troll stood upright and pressed his fist to his chest in a salute, "I be Soh'shagon, but ya can just call me Soh, and dis be Sir Daine Morren."

"You may call me, Morren, your ladyship." The Forsaken rose slowly to his feet and did a short yet polite bow, "At your service."

"It's nice to meet you, I think." She awkwardly bowed back and tightened her coat around herself, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but, well, who are you?"

"Did I not say?" The troll, Soh, scratched one of his tusks while racking his brain, "Coulda sworn I did?"

"You did not, actually." Morren shook his head at his counterpart before turning to address the mage. His gaze was not as intense as she thought it would be and Nadia found it surprisingly easy to hold eye contact. He seemed almost surprised by this for a moment but quickly returned to his neutral bearing and continued, "We are here on the orders of Warchief Vol'jin of the Horde to ensure your safety."

"Wait," Nadia gaped at both of them as though they had both suddenly revealed themselves to be a part of a traveling circus group, "seriously?"

"Indeed. Please do not be alarmed when I inform you that we have actually been watching you for some time; we are sworn to take this role very seriously."

"Now, now, it ain't nothing creepy like dat," Soh added when his charge's face suddenly broke out in a bright blush and her eyes widened, "We be glorified rogues, ta put it simple. We keep our distance, mostly outside or in da back where no eyes can spot us, and if it seems like ya be in danger, den we step in."

Her blush faded a little before she narrowed her eyes at both of them, "Does this mean you know where I live?"

"Both ya Underbelly place and ya residence at Khadgar's."

"And what about…well…"

"Yes, we know of there too." Morren knew that at times he could be a bit too…direct, and it seemed like this was one of those times. Nadia's face visibly paled and she opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it, "Do not worry. Neither Soh nor I are under any obligation to share any information that is of a personal nature. You may keep your secrets, Lady Ravenscroft."

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Her face was still pale, but it scrunched up in anger nonetheless, "So let me get his straight: not only did the Warchief send people to stalk me…"

"We do not 'stalk', your Ladyship."

"Whatever you want to call it, then! Stalk, follow, lurk, shadow, I don't care!" The rage she had felt at having her privacy and personhood so utterly dismissed all the way back at the Crystal Chalice came rushing back, "The point is you've been ordered to follow me everywhere, and the person who is responsible didn't think I deserved to be told?"

"Easy, now – "

"I have been harangued and bothered at work for weeks now, people yell things at me when I'm just trying to walk down the street – I can't even get groceries anymore without someone trying to take my picture or ask me if I have any comment! And now, completely by chance, I find out the man who I'm supposed to marry myself off to for the good of Azeroth has gone off and sent his people to spy on me?"

The tears that had been fighting to come out ever since she walked into that cursed room at work were now streaming down her face. Her entire body felt hot from embarrassment and shame and anger, and all she could do was stand and snivel like some child while furiously trying to wipe her face dry.

"Do you have any idea how rude – how inconsiderate that is?!"

Both rogues exchanged a glance, but stayed put as Nadia got out a few good sobs and kept rubbing at her eyes. After about half a minute of her just crying, Morren reached into one of his pockets to pull out a grey handkerchief.

"Since when did ya start carryin' dose around, mon?"

"Oh, hush." The Forsaken hesitantly offered the piece of cloth to the now hiccupping mage. She hesitated before slowly accepting it and began dabbing at her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Nadia gasped while trying to stifle another hiccupped sob, "You must think I'm pitiful, standing here in the snow crying my eyes out."

"Nah, mon," the troll gazed at her with an expression that was surprisingly sympathetic for a supposed deadly rogue, "afta what you been through today, I think a good cry be in order."

"I suppose that finding out in this way can be...unnerving," the other rogue added, "but I meant what I said in that we will not share your secrets. We are not spies, simply here to keep you safe, nothing more."

"Right! 'Sides, even da Warchief has his limits. He may be da boss, but we won't be tellin' him nothing ya don't want us to, ya have our word."

"Thank you," she sighed and offered a shy grin to both of them. Soh's face broke out in a toothy smile while Morren just nodded, some of the tension left her body anyway. She didn't trust them entirely just yet and definitely had a lot of questions. But seeing that they had interfered and willingly revealed themselves to her at the first sign of trouble meant something, even if it was just a little something.

The troll stretched lazily and rolled his shoulders while still grinning that same smile, "So, shall we escort ya back ta Khadgar's, ya ladyship?"

"Just Nadia is fine," her brows knit together in a worried frown at the mention of her master, "and I would rather go back to Underbelly."

"Ahh, afraid we can't be doin' dat Miss Nadia. Since ya had a little tussle just now, we be under strict directive ta take ya to the most secure place until da matter be resolved. And here, dat place be with da Archmage."

"I…I see." Were the circumstances any different, she would have put up much more of a protest. There was no way she felt ready to speak to Khadgar, not yet. But after the day that she had just had, Nadia was exhausted and less willing to bring that back to Miss Daybrook. The blood elven seamstress had far too much empathy in her tiny body, and she knew that she was causing her caretaker more stress then was fair as of late. She could put up with one extremely awkward and very uncomfortable night if it meant that Daybrook could get a peaceful night's rest.

"Shall we?" Morren posed the question upfront, and after a short pause Nadia nodded, "Very good."

"Don't mind ol' Morren too much, yeah?" Her second defender offered in a low whisper as the three began their trek to the Archmage's home, "He can be stiff sometimes, but if dere be anythin' ya need, know dat ya can come ta either one o' us.

"Yes…" Nadia trailed off when a sudden, almost forgotten thought crossed her mind. She chewed her lip as she considered whether or not she should ask before realizing that there was little to lose when she posed her question, "Actually…if I were to ask you to give something to the Warchief, could you do that?"

"Ah, ya got some love notes or somethin' like dat ya wanna give him?"

"Mm," Nadia pulled her jacket closer to herself as another strong breeze picked up, and she pursed her lips together when thinking about all the things she wanted to say to the Warchief, "something like that."

---

Decided to name this chapter after one of my favorite songs by the artist No Doubt! It popped up in my playlist, and it was just so appropriately timed and everything that I just had to. I also hope that you all don't mind me pulling random NPCs from the game and giving them some personality, lol.

I'll keep the end of chapter notes short with nothing more than a reminder to review if you can, and that we have socials you can follow to get updates and other content as it relates to the story and its characters. You can find us on Twitter with /WarcraftNadia (remove the dash) and on Tumblr with nadiaofazeroth.

We'll have more announcements next chapter, but for now, please enjoy this one and expect an update real soon!

Thank you! And Happy New Year!