YEAR TWO

Jaina had been in the wrong headspace to enjoy the holidays the previous year, but thanks to this new equilibrium she shared with Sylvanas, she felt more willing to celebrate. Equilibrium was a good word for it. Though they danced around certain subjects (or rather, outright ignored them), Jaina found herself experiencing the impossible; she could be civil around Sylvanas. Even enjoy talking to her.

They weren't often alone, together or not. They each had their own shadows; Jaina had Tyra and any number of hidden shadows she sometimes saw out of the corner of her eye, and Sylvanas had Nathanos and her rangers. But in the Warchief's quarters or Sylvanas's sanctuary, when they were truly alone, it was as though the expectations and weight drained from Sylvanas's shoulders.

Sylvanas was showing her something almost like a vulnerable side, even spending the occasional night next to Jaina in bed. Jaina didn't quite trust it; but if it was some sort of masterful plan to get her to lower her guard, it was a masterful plan that was working.

That would explain how Sylvanas had managed to get close enough in the sitting room to start undoing Jaina's braid. Jaina had the impression that Sylvanas had been looking for this opportunity since their anniversary.

Voice a little rough, Jaina said, "I guess there's still some elf in you."

"Elves do not have some unusual draw to hair."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "How did you know that was what I was thinking, and if it's not true why was it the first thing your mind went to?"

Sylvanas's fingers tangled in her hair, tugging lightly. Jaina felt her toes curl, but refused to react.

"Your suggestion today," Sylvanas said. "Do you think it will work?"

"Do I think that we can find where the fish have migrated by using the ancient techniques of my people? Of course."

Sylvanas tugged at Jaina's hair again and Jaina's eyelids fluttered. She bit her lip.

"Fishing has always been one of the primary sources of food for Orgrimmar, and the Horde in general." Sylvanas finished bringing Jaina's hair down and started to brush it with her fingers.

Jaina thought up another dig about Sylvanas and her hair, but rather than indulge in it she suggested, "I didn't want to bring it up in front of the others, but I think we should also summon a champion."

"Whatever for?"

"Fishing has been sparse for over a year. The Naga have been quiet for longer. There's probably a link, and who better than a champion to discover it?"

"Let's make it a contest," Sylvanas said.

Jaina started to turn around, but Sylvanas' grip on her hair prevented it. Fine, she'd just indulge Sylvanas in this strange hair-pulling thing she was obsessing over. "What kind of contest?"

"We each assign a champion. One Alliance, one Horde. Whoever's champion discovers something worthy first wins."

"What's the wager?"

Jaina could hear Sylvanas's smile as she spoke. "If I win, you will exchange three entire sentences with Nathanos, without threatening or insulting him."

"Okay. When the Alliance champion finds it first, you have to do the same thing."

"Speak to Nathanos?"

In a smug voice, Jaina said. "Greymane. Three full sentences. No insults. No threats. In the kindest voice you can manage without sounding like you're mocking him."

Sylvanas sounded pained. "You're a cruel woman, Lady Proudmoore."

This time, Jaina turned fast enough to escape Sylvanas's grip. Her hair whipped around her face, making her appear disheveled. "So do we have a bet?"

It took a full minute, but Sylvanas finally sighed and nodded. "We have a bet."

Sylvanas's eyes remained on Jaina for another moment, and Jaina knew better than to look away. She quirked her eyebrow. "What's so interesting?"

"What happens if your magic fails you?"

Sometimes, Sylvanas could be so cryptic that Jaina wanted to throw things at her. "What?"

Sylvanas spoke slowly, as if she were taking to a child, in a way that Jaina knew was intended to make her angry. "If your magic were disabled, can you defend yourself?"

Jaina narrowed her eyes, but didn't rise to the bait. "I carry a dagger, I've used swords, and my staff packs a wallop."

Standing, Sylvanas swept past Jaina. She didn't say a thing, but Jaina knew an order to follow when she saw one. She rolled her eyes, trailing Sylvanas down the spiral stairs and to the archery range.

By the time she'd caught up with her, Sylvanas had already shed her outer layer of armor, leaving her in trousers and tight tank top.

Jaina paused on the last stair, watching the way Sylvanas's back flexed under that top. She blinked and shook herself out of it. "Personal sparring lesson from the Warchief herself?"

"Perks of being my consort," Sylvanas said, facing Jaina with a cocky smile. She jerked her chin at her. "Remove your robe, I don't want you tripping in your skirts."

"Shouldn't I be able to defend myself in what I usually wear?"

Sylvanas just stared at her, until Jaina rolled her eyes and unlaced her robes. They were white with red and gold trim, and like about one fourth of what Enda had made, required a great deal of effort to remove.

So much so that Sylvanas snorted in frustration, crossed to Jaina, and ripped them off of her.

"I liked that one!" Jaina looked at her in shock, though it was so ridiculous that it was difficult not to laugh.

"Your tailor friend can fix it and make it easier to remove in the process," Sylvanas snapped.

Jaina straightened, kicking the remains of the robe to the side and standing there, hands on her hips. All she was wearing now was a slip and a pair of knickers and she stared at Sylvanas, daring her to do or say something because clearly the Warchief hadn't thought that part through.

Sylvanas closed her mouth after too long with it hanging open. "There's a tunic upstairs. Put it on."

Her eyes followed Jaina up the stairs until she was out of view. Jaina leaned against a wall, feeling flushed and embarrassed. Damn that woman.

She found a stash of clothing in a drawer under one of the tables. There was a black tunic and, even better, trousers. Both were made for Sylvanas and so too tight and hugged her in ways she hoped would prove distracting, but it was better than sparring with Sylvanas nearly nude. At least, that's what Jaina told herself.

Returning to the archery range, Jaina folded her arms as she felt Sylvanas staring at her again. The last time anyone had tried to teach her something like this had been… Arthas. "So what's the first lesson?"

"Give no quarter, take no quarter," Sylvanas said. She moved so quickly that Jaina could barely track her movements and get her arms up in a block. The impact jarred her, the world spinning suddenly as Sylvanas flung her across the room. She landed on her back, a brief flash of pain lancing through her body.

Jaina rolled to her feet, Sylvanas scoffing as she approached her. "You're standing wrong."

And then Jaina found herself on the ground again, Sylvanas looming over her. Sylvanas stepped back. Even if she'd offered a hand, Jaina would have just slapped it away. "Then how do I stand?"

Sylvanas was inside her personal boundary, positioning Jaina's feet and arms. "Like this. Harder to move you."

She was ready when Sylvanas tried to flip her again, managing to avoid that and even break her grip. She felt a flush of pride at Sylvanas's praising expression, then quashed the feeling.

"Push me back to the bar," Sylvanas said. "And I'll give you a reward."

It was genuinely difficult to keep her magic at bay. It wanted out. It wanted to escape her, to be used and manipulated to defeat this woman in front of her. Jaina spent nearly as much effort concentrating on holding that back as she did on trying to hit Sylvanas with her fist.

Give no quarter, take no quarter.

She managed to land a single hit on Sylvanas before tackling her to the ground and pinning her down. The tips of her ears just touched the solid wood of the bar.

Jaina tightened her legs around Sylvanas's waist when she tried to flip her off, leaning the weight of her torso down onto where her forearm was pressed into Sylvanas's shoulder. She leaned down until their foreheads were touching and her voice was unexpectedly husky. "So what do I win?"

They were veiled by Jaina's hair, a dark red glow on Jaina's face from Sylvanas's eyes. Sylvanas wet her lips. "I have business in Dalaran tomorrow. Join me."

The fact she'd finally gotten Sylvanas out of sorts was prize enough, but Jaina wasn't about to turn down such an offer. "Thank you."

The air was knocked from her lungs as Sylvanas suddenly kicked her off, sending her flying across the room. She groaned, not moving from where she landed until a sudden thought ripped through her like a wildfire. She sat up, eyes blazing. "Did you let me win?!"

Sylvanas retrieved her armor and started to put it back on. "I suppose you'll never know."

Frowning, Jaina got up and grabbed her robe. "You know, I spent most of my time trying not to turn you into dream dust. If I didn't have to worry about that..."

"I know," Sylvanas started for the elevator. "Your control was admirable." She stopped, looking back over her shoulder. "Next time, I won't be the one on her back."

A threat? A promise? Jaina didn't know if what she felt was fear, or something else.

It was a good day to parade her wife around Dalaran. Several Alliance leaders were present in the city for reasons unrelated to Sylvanas's visit, and she did enjoy showing off.

At Sylvanas's insistence, Jaina wore blue and black, a robe that clasped at her neck and left the only bare skin that of her face and hands. It was fetching in its own way, leaving much to the imagination. Sylvanas wanted to show her consort off without actually showing her off… this time. Perhaps the modesty of the design might help quell some of the more lurid rumors still lingering in public gossip.

To Sylvanas's surprise and eternal consternation, Jaina had worn her hair down.

They approached the Violet Citadel, Jaina's arm through her own, walking with all the awareness of people who knew eyes were on them. Sylvanas idly imagined the expressions they'd wear were she ever to indulge in that idea of a collar around Jaina's neck. It would almost be worth the resulting war, and definitely worth the stroke it would give Greymane.

"Once we've finished with this business," Sylvanas said, "You're free to spend the day here. I'll even take Tyra home with me."

"You still haven't told me what this business is," Jaina said, though she seemed to perk up at Sylvanas's words.

"If I told you what it was, you'd explode." Sylvanas looked at her, trying to not show her amusement. "But it is something that is good for the Horde."

She could see the thoughts racing in Jaina's mind, running through various scenarios each more infuriating than the last. She put her hand over the one Jaina had on her arm before smoke could start coming out of the mage's ears. "And the Alliance."

That seemed to calm her, and they made their way up to the citadel.

"Hello, my friends!" Khadgar turned from where he'd been conversing with Modera, approaching Jaina and Sylvanas.

Jaina's look of shock quickly passed, replaced by a tense smile. "Khadgar. It's been too long."

She shot a look at Sylvanas as if to say, How is this supposed to anger me?

Sylvanas quirked her eyebrow. You'll see.

"How are you?" Khadgar asked. His unspoken question to Jaina was so transparent that Sylvanas nearly rolled her eyes.

"I'm well." Jaina said, relaxing slightly, her posture telegraphing that yes, she was in fact well.

This pleased Sylvanas. She inclined her head to him. "Are the preparations complete?"

"We're ready any time."

"Ready for what?" Jaina asked cautiously.

Khadgar blinked, looking at her, then at Sylvanas. "She doesn't know?"

Jaina's voice grew icy. "What don't I know?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Sylvanas said flatly. She watched Jaina carefully. "The Kirin Tor has agreed to alternate Dalaran's position between Horde and Alliance territories, changing it every eight months."

Ah. There it was.

Jaina pulled away from her, anger and hurt reflected in her eyes and on her face. "I'm part of the Kirin Tor! The Compact doesn't change that!"

"Jaina." Khadgar held his hands out to her. "It's a good idea. A show of unity, of compromise. It passed five to one."

"I know it's a good idea." Jaina threw her hands up, shooting a glare at Sylvanas that would have cowed lesser beings. While there was still anger in her stance, the hurt won out in her voice. "I just would have liked to have been a part of it."

Archmage Modera folded her arms, moving subtly to Jaina's left side with a disapproving frown. So she was the lone dissenter. Sylvanas approached Jaina, taking her arm. "Come along, my dear. I think you might approve of the first location of this new agreement."

Not at all mollified, Jaina yanked her arm away, and strode from the Citadel. Sylvanas let her go, then turned back to the other mages.

"Spouses. You know how it is."

"That insufferable self assured bitch!" Jaina mumbled, storming into the library in the Hall of the Guardian. It was one of the few places she could go in this city where she might calm down enough to be functional.

The anger dissipated quickly; it was a brilliant idea. Dalaran was supposed to be neutral, so why should it stay in Alliance territory all the time? It was better to bring it to both sides, and allow easier access to everyone.

Jaina was aware of the irony.

The hurt remained, however, and she didn't know if it was because the Kirin Tor had gone behind her back, or because Sylvanas had let them. It was probably a little of both. Sylvanas had to know how important the Kirin Tor was to her. And the Kirin Tor had been so much of her life. She'd grown up in Dalaran…

She wrapped her arms around herself, sitting on a bench under some shelves and wondered if she'd burned that bridge. Maybe she had. Her actions in the purge and when they'd readmitted the Horde could have turned a lot of people against her. She still had supporters, like Modera, but she'd been so filled with hate...

Unfolding her arms, she looked down at the palms of her hands and tried to remember what that hate felt like. There was an empty well where that feeling had once been and Jaina couldn't tell if that was better or worse. Maybe she should stop being friendly to people in Orgrimmar. She knew people. She liked them. Damn her, but she'd made friends.

Could she kill them? Wipe them out with a snap of her fingers now that she'd learned their names and their faces? Met their families and even shared meals?

Was that why Sylvanas encouraged her trips into the city? To make it harder for her to react should the truce break?

Something moved and she lifted her head to watch the most curious sight of a little human girl floating through the air in a bubble. She spun upside down, flailing her arms and giggling as she bounced off a shelf.

"I really need to cut back on my drinking," Jaina commented.

"I'm so sorry." A woman rushed over, plucking the toddler out of the air. She was a raven-haired human in a navy colored robe and seemed harried even if her appearance was impeccable. "She just started doing that yesterday. I'm at my wits end."

"At least this way you'll know she won't get hurt."

The woman stared blankly at her a moment, before recognition dawned. She gave her a quick bow of her head. "Lady Proudmoore. What brings you to my library?"

"Your library?" Jaina felt her hurt and irritation fade into amusement. The woman seemed to be twelve or fifteen years her junior. No older than twenty-six anyway. The thought made her feel old.

"Well, you know what I mean."

"I do, and call me Jaina," Jaina laughed. "What's your name?"

"I'm Lissibeth, this is Annabelle." She bounced the bubbled baby in her arms.

There was a crashing sound in the distance, and Lissibeth thrust the baby into Jaina's arms. "Please watch her a moment!"

Before Jaina could protest, Lissibeth blinked down the hall and turned right. She held Annabelle at arm's length and decided she'd much rather watch a colicy mule. Slowly, she brought her in closer. She didn't usually like being alone with children, though she could tolerate them just fine. When they were older.

Say… teenager. Get past the messy stage to the intellectually interesting stage.

The child reached for Jaina's necklace and there was a pop of energy that arced between her stubby fingers.

"Oh hell, now that's interesting."

The bubble of energy thrummed and flickered. Jaina tested a hypothesis and very carefully let go of the girl. She floated in front of her, slowly spinning, flailing her chubby arms and giggling. Jaina moved her hands to either side, making her bounce between them. "You're going to be very powerful one day, little one. Your mother might need help training you."

Jaina's eyes tightened as the direction of her thoughts brought her back to her first - and last - apprentice.

"Though I suppose it's rude to snatch an apprentice from her own mother." She caught Annabelle again, feeling a dangerous amount of energy surging through her. She held the toddler against her chest, hand splayed across her back, and held her other hand aloft, fingers spread. The arcane pulsed through from the child to her outstretched hand, sparking and arcing harmlessly in the air.

The hum in the child faded down to a much more normal level.

"That was brilliant!"

She looked up to see Lissibeth approaching. "I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"No, no, it's fine." She gingerly took her child back. "You'll have to show me that again. I should be able to pick it up with a closer look."

Jaina smiled. "I don't mind. Would you like to visit me in Orgrimmar sometime?"

Lissibeth cradled the girl, smiling tiredly at Jaina. "I think I'd like that."

Nodding and feeling somehow more centered, Jaina gave the mother and child another smile, then took her leave. On the way out she passed a young Draenei at a table, fifteen books floating around her as she wrote furiously on some paper. She stole a glance, both eyebrows raising. "I think you're onto something, but try a more varied chord progression. I look forward to reading that when you're done."

The Draenei looked up, but Jaina was already making her way to the exit. She could feel the hum of Dalaran as the mages of the Council prepared to move the city to another continent. If she closed her eyes, she could attune herself to the magic. It took the entire Council of Six to do it; she suspected Kalec and Khadgar could manage with just a third in a pinch, but it would be incredibly dangerous.

Jaina jogged towards a wall, climbing up some stairs so she could see where they arrived. Violet energy washed across the city, and then like the wink of an eye, they vanished from the Eastern Kingdoms.

When the eye opened, the sky was orange gradients leading to purple. To the north lay the forests of Ashenvale. Far to the south lay the Crossroads.

Dalaran now sat on the border between the Barrens and Ashenvale. Between the Alliance and the Horde.

The hurt was still there, but the anger had faded until only regret remained. Jaina didn't know how long she stood there before she felt a presence. Kalec and Khadgar stood behind her, and she turned to face her old friends. Maybe it was time to stop isolating herself.

"Can I buy you both a drink? I'd like to catch up."