***A lifetime ago***

The Trolls never knew what cut them down. Three targets and a single arrow, they were dead before the last troll hit the ground.

Windrunner dropped from her perch, walking confidently to the trolls and inspecting her work. Nathanos watched curiously as Sylvanas rolled each troll onto their back with her foot.

"I can hear your breathing, human." She said, not looking his way. "Are you afraid?"

He stepped out from his cover, carefully slinging his bow over his shoulder. "Just a little annoyed you stole my kills."

She glanced at him, and smiled, mirth glinting in her eyes. "Perhaps next time you should be quicker."

"I'll keep that in mind." He stopped a few feet from her, leaning forward in a deep bow. "I am Nathanos Marris."

"I've heard of you. I am Sylvanas Windrunner." She faced him fully this time, and her beauty was breathtaking. Her cloak was forest green, her armor a deeper shade with splatters of Troll blood on her boots and across her breastplate. Her hair was like gold spun silk blowing in the breeze.

Nathanos was not much of a poet, but he was sure there were songs written about her eyes. "I've certainly heard of you."

Her smile widened, and she gestured with her head to the south. "There is a Troll encampment a few miles away. I propose a contest while we clear it."

"I hope you like losing, Lady Windrunner."

She laughed, then leapt up a tree and disappeared in the branches above. If Nathanos hadn't seen where she'd gone, he'd never have been able to track her through the leaves to the Troll camp.

Nathanos was proud enough to say that he was the best ranger humanity had to offer. But as Sylvanas danced through the enemy he knew he'd met his match.

She wasn't the Ranger-General, but someday soon, she would be. Of that, Nathanos was certain. Sylvanas was magnificent; the best hunter and the best archer in the world. She deserved better than simply commanding Silvermoon's defenses.

She should command everything.

He swore, then and there, he would do everything in his power to see her through to that end.

***Now***

Tandred had sailed Jaina's ship at her request, and it lay at anchor off shore. Technically, the Tempest was their father's, but she'd raised it from the sea and laid claim to it. It was hers now, until the day she died. Not even Sylvanas could take that away from her.

The last person Jaina needed to see right now was her mother. But there was Katherine's flagship coming into port and Jaina realized that, naturally, she'd have to be one of the Alliance representatives for the joint naval task force. On instinct, she checked her robe, glad she'd worn something with more blues and greens than reds today.

She loved her mother, her relationship was good with her mother. Her mother absolutely could not find out that she'd fooled around with Sylvanas. She'd never hear the end of it; and worse than the personal embarrassment, if Katherine's reactionary tendencies got the best of her it could spell disaster. At least Jaina didn't have to worry about keeping a suspiciously high collar straight this time; with the cat so thoroughly out of the bag, there had been nothing to keep her from sending Tyra for a healing potion.

While she'd been trying to avoid thinking about the incident, her mind had other ideas. It kept turning the scene over and over again and coming to the same conclusion. She'd had sex with Sylvanas Windrunner and it had been the best sex of her life.

Banishing the thought and the breakdown that would surely follow, Jaina approached the docks as sailors tied Dreadnaught down and lowered the gangplank.

Her mother was flanked by Tess Greymane on her left and Alliance Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth on her right. Tess was a surprise; as commander of the Alliance Navy (and former Captain of Jaina's Theramore fleet), Jes-Tereth was not.

Jaina inclined her head to the trio. "Welcome to Orgrimmar. We've set up a temporary war room to better plan these ventures. The Warchief is waiting for us in Grommash Hold."

She smiled at her mother, only to be rewarded with a frown. Now that was painfully familiar.

Jaina swallowed as her mother studied her, and realized she knew. She had to fight the urge to bring her hand up to cover non-existent marks on her neck.

Worse, something like embarrassment colored Tess's cheeks and even the Grand Admiral looked uncomfortable. The two women exchanged a look behind Katherine's back.

Oh dear gods they know too.

Rather than let her panic overtake her, Jaina turned to lead them and their honor guard to the city. She spied Kalira perched atop one of the guard towers and the Dark Ranger gave her an almost sympathetic look.

That was another thing that Jaina had been putting off thinking about, but then how the hell did you approach the daughter you didn't know you had?

The journey to Orgrimmar from the docks wasn't as easy going as Jaina would have liked. Goblins lined the road, decrying their working conditions and carrying such signs as 'Mor Pay Les Work,' 'Harlene for Trade Princess' and 'Marry me Jaina.'

Jaina's mother frowned as they passed them. "What's going on?"

"The Bilgewater are currently engaged in a leadership dispute," Jaina explained, as if a cloth Gallywix wasn't being burned in effigy five feet away. "They feel exploited by Gallywix. They haven't disrupted the Horde as a whole enough for the Warchief to step in, but we're watching it closely. I don't expect Gallywix to hang on much longer. He's been holed up in his palace for three weeks now."

"We?"

There was concern in Katherine's voice. Jaina frowned. "Yes. We. You know as well as anyone the damage that a split among one of the members of the Alliance can do. It's the same amongst the Horde." She turned to add, "And Mother. If Alliance spies are trading in salacious rumors instead of information this significant, perhaps consider new ones."

"And where do you stand?" Tess asked, face carefully neutral.

"Officially, it's an internal Bilgewater dispute. Unofficially?" Jaina winked. "Harlene Quixie has some great ideas."

Her mother said nothing, but she didn't have to. Jaina could feel her eyes on her the rest of the way into Orgrimmar.

The guard took up positions outside the Hold once they reached it. Jaina nodded once at Sylvanas, who appeared to be quite comfortable on her throne, then raised her eyebrows and gave her a worried smile before she returned to a neutral expression and turned back towards her mother and clasped her hands behind her back. "Lord Admiral Katherine Proudmoore of Kul Tiras. Princess Tess Greymane of Gilneas, and Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth of the Alliance Navy."

Sylvanas glanced at Tess and opened her mouth. Jaina snapped her fingers behind her back, sending a spark shooting up Sylvanas's spine. Sylvanas blinked, glancing at Jaina with an amused expression, before addressing Katherine Proudmoore with all the swagger of someone who'd shagged her daughter and wanted her to know it. "Hello, mother. What a pleasant surprise."

For a brief moment, Jaina was prepared for her mother to declare war on the Horde on the spot. She probably would have been at least half justified in doing so. But except for the tell-tale twitch above her left eye, Katherine merely ignored Sylvanas's comment. "We're told you have a war-room set up."

"Indeed." Sylvanas stood.

The faint sound of a bell and scuffling drew Jaina's attention downward, to where Varian was playing with-

Sweeping Varian up into her arms, Jaina kicked her underwear back under the throne before anyone noticed.

Her mother had already turned to follow Sylvanas, but Tess was staring at her with a wide-eyed expression. Jaina paled slightly, then narrowed her eyes in a challenge.

Tess held up her hands, then fell into step next to Jaina.

"We never speak of that." Jaina murmured. They reached the elevator, which had already whisked her mother, Sylvanas and the Admiral upstairs, along with a pair from Katherine's honor guard. Jaina should be more worried than she was.

"On my life, and also because I'm pretty sure we lost one of Lorna's in the Cathedral so I have no room to talk," Tess promised, then gave Varian a pet. "Is his name really Varian?"

Jaina stared at her a moment, then cleared her throat. "Yes."

"My father called it one of Windrunner's tricks until Anduin told him he was there when you named him."

"Tess, I love your father, but his paranoia is ridiculous. Where is he, anyway?"

"He's just always worried about you." She smiled fondly at Jaina. "And … let's just say he stayed in Stormwind so he won't throttle the Warchief."

"Judging by how efficient the spies clearly are," Jaina remarked dryly, "He should know I'm just fine."

"Knowing and believing are two different things."

She was about to ask about the rose in Tess's hair when the elevator finally returned. Jaina was fully prepared for disaster when they arrived on the second floor, but to her surprise no one was more dead than usual.

They'd set up a war table in the center of the archery range. Sylvanas stood on one side, while Katherine and Jes-Tereth stood on the other. Jaina considered a bee-line to the liquor rack but decided she didn't need even more disapproving looks from her mother.

Jaina gave Tess a smile, then took her place next to Sylvanas, dropping Varian onto the ground. He immediately rubbed up against Sylvanas's legs, purring loud enough to be audible in the silence.

"I hate this cat," Sylvanas said, yet made no move to kick him away.

Jaina rolled her eyes.

"Now that Lady Proudmoore and the king have joined us," Sylvanas continued. "We can proceed."

Katherine's lips thinned out, her eyes locked on Jaina's face for several seconds before she looked back at Sylvanas. "The Alliance agrees that we need to deal with this piracy problem. We propose a regular joint convoy between Stormwind and Orgrimmar, to be comprised of seven merchants from the Horde, and seven from the Alliance."

Sylvanas regarded her a moment. "Forget what the boy has told you he wants. For the defense of this convoy, what do you propose?"

Katherine had a ready answer. "A Kul Tiran battleship, two Sin'dorei sloops, an Alliance frigate, and a Zandalari battleship. My ships have had some success in aiding the Kaldorei against pirates of late, so the crew would be seasoned."

"That would be slow going and some of those ships are fast." Jaina pointed out. It was a lot of ships to move at once, too, and she didn't think the security made up for it. "What about two convoys, smaller? Three and four, the sloops and frigate for the faster ships, the battleships for the slower convoy."

Jes-Tereth nodded. "Easier to manage, the fast convoy will have less power but speed on its side, the larger merchants can keep pace with the battleships."

Nathanos seemingly materialized from the shadows. "Warchief, the Zandalari would never agree to this. And there's no telling if we can trust the Alliance to not turn on us."

"The Zandalari will agree to anything I tell them to agree to," Sylvanas said. "I am the Warchief." She returned her eyes to the war table. "I dare say this is one of the first tests of our compact."

Nathanos snorted, and it took all of Jaina's willpower not to end him then and there. Jaina looked to her mother. "What about the proposal to hunt down the source of these attacks?"

"King Wrynn believes it to be a good idea, above my objections," Katherine replied.

"The old politics are outdated, mother." Jaina folded her arms, lifting her head up slightly, daring anyone to say differently. "King Wrynn was always on the right side of history. It just took time for me to understand. I hope in time you understand too."

About many things that Jaina left unsaid.

Jes-Tereth cleared her throat. "Each side should bring equal power to bear on the pirate threat. The Lord Admiral will command the Alliance task force. Of course, you will choose your own commander. The King is open to any ideas of the overall commander."

"If I might offer a suggestion," Nathanos said, eyes on Jaina. "Lady Jaina should command the Horde fleet in this endeavor. As Consort, she has the authority, and she has the experience at sea to make her a viable commander. Her ship would be a powerful asset."

Jaina narrowed her eyes, not trusting Nathanos's motivations for this sudden change of heart but having no desire to argue against it. "I agree, assuming the Warchief approves of the plan."

"Jaina," Katherine said. "You can't lead Horde ships."

"I am Consort to the Warchief and the Lady of Orgrimmar," Jaina said firmly. She could feel Sylvanas's eyes on her. "The authority is mine by right, Lord Admiral."

Katherine's eyes flashed. "Doing this could forfeit your positions within the Alliance."

She didn't think her mother actually meant it that way, but Jaina heard instead Lady Ashvane's voice. Her blood ran cold, a rushing filling her veins, but she did not allow her feelings to color her voice. "I'm not taking up arms against the Alliance, Lord Admiral. This is a joint task force to hunt down pirates. I'll ask you this once. Are you threatening me?"

"No, of course not." Katherine sighed. "This whole situation is… unprecedented."

"It is indeed," Sylvanas said. "Let's adjourn for the day. Dread Admiral Tattersail should be in port tomorrow and you can work out the details of the command structure for the task force."

She picked Varian up and allowed him to find a perch on her shoulder as she passed Jaina. "I'll be in the residency."

"I'll join you in a little while,"Jaina said. "I need to talk to Nathanos and my mother first."

That brought pause to Sylvanas. "Try not to kill him."

"I can't make any promises."

While Tess and Katherine conferred, Jaina stalked towards Nathanos, taking him by the elbow and pulling him out of earshot. "Hoping to get rid of me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't feign innocence. Conveniently getting me out of the city and into a dangerous situation where anything could happen to me?"

Nathanos quirked his eyebrow. "The sea is quite dangerous."

"She is," Jaina said, that same danger lurking in her smile. "But even if you manage to get me killed, that's still not going to make Sylvanas want you in her bed."

Expression darkening, Nathanos pulled his arm away.

"For the record." She leaned in and whispered, "It was amazing."

Jaina didn't wait for his response. She turned on her heel and walked to her mother.

Katherine frowned at her, opening her mouth and then seeming to have second thoughts about what she wanted to say.

"If you're going to lecture me," Jaina said. "I'm pouring us a drink."

Sylvanas heard Jaina before she even opened the door. There was a delay in the hallway as she presumably hung up her cloak before entering the living room and declaring, "My mother is going to drive me mad."

"Mm," Sylvanas acknowledged, not looking up from her task. Varian lay on his back in her lap, head and eyes following the movement of the fabric she dangled over him. Occasionally he'd try to bat at it and she'd jerk it out of his reach.

"She's so… she hovers." Jaina rubbed her shoulder, pacing in circles. "She asks questions she already knows the answers to just to see if she can catch me in a lie, which is still better than asking questions she thinks she knows the answers to and refusing to believe me when I say anything else. I swear I wonder if the words coming out of my mouth are the ones she hears at all. It's like she doesn't trust me to tell her the truth. And she has the absolute gall to imply that you - Sylvanas, are you listening?"

"Your mother hovers and believes I ravished you against your will." Sylvanas twirled Jaina's underwear above Varian, lips quirking at the corners as he managed to catch hold of it with a claw. Chirping, the cat chewed on the frayed edge where Sylvanas' knife had parted the fabric.

"Yes, exactly. If she would at least say it instead of all the awkward...I swear by now the entire Alliance-" Jaina swallowed heavily and sank down onto the other couch, leaning her head back and rubbing her temples. "I can never show my face in Stormwind again."

"I'm sorry you had such a terrible day."

"You sound heartbroken, yes." Jaina lifted her head from the back of the couch and stared at her.

Sylvanas looked up from Varian and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Jaina shook her head and laughed. "No one would ever believe me if I tried to describe the way you look right- "

The laughter abruptly stopped as Jaina realized what Varian was playing with. She bolted to her feet, but Varian snatched the underwear from Sylvanas and dashed out of the room.

Jaina stared in the direction he'd gone with a forlorn expression on her face. "At least there's no way my mother can find out about that now."

"Bold words," Sylvanas pointed out. "Such comments often lead to the outcome you wish to avoid."

"Shut up, Sylvanas."

Sylvanas leaned forward, grasping Jaina's hand and pulling her down onto the cushions next to her. She stared at Jaina as a flush crept over her cheek. An uncomfortable warmth grew in her chest. She didn't trust it. She couldn't.

And yet, she stroked Jaina's cheek. "Make me."

Jaina's eyes darted from Sylvanas's to her lips; then she scooted closer, Sylvanas welcoming her into her arms as Jaina's lips found hers.

That warm feeling got worse, and Sylvanas combated it by nipping Jaina's lip before breaking the kiss. Jaina stared at her, breathless, licking her lip with a flick of her tongue. "You confuse the hell out of me sometimes."

The feeling was entirely mutual, but Sylvanas kept that thought to herself. Instead, she teased. "You were magnificent today. I wanted to have you on the war table, then and there."

Jaina lurched forward, pushing Sylvanas down against the couch and needily crushing their lips together. Sylvanas tangled her fingers in Jaina's hair, dragged her nails down her back, and hooked a leg around Jaina. She abruptly flipped them around and they rolled off the couch, Jaina on her back and Sylvanas pinning her to the floor.

Jaina breathed deeply. "Not with my mother in town."

"One would think that would be the best possible motivation." Sylvanas dipped her head, trailing her tongue from Jaina's collarbone, up her throat, and then along her jaw to her ear.

"You're cheating…" Jaina's eyes fluttered as she arched under Sylvanas.

With the things Sylvanas had observed of Jaina, she was only scratching the surface. She trailed her fingers across Jaina's throat, just once, lightly enough to be a promise and felt Jaina shudder against her. "That would be cheating. What would your mother say if she knew how you enjoy my hands around your neck?"

One of Jaina's fingers brushed the tip of Sylvanas's ear and she barely held back the gasp the feeling evoked. "What would anyone think of how sensitive your ears are?"

Sylvanas straddled Jaina, sitting up and peering down at her. "We're at an impasse."

The world twisted around her and they landed on the war table in the Hold, scattering ship models in every direction. Jaina grinned up at her.

That warmth returned, making Sylvanas feel queasy and ill. The last time she'd felt like this...

Her thought was interrupted as Jaina grabbed her by the front of her tunic and pulled her back down.