Well, it's been an interesting road to this chapter - I came down with COVID a few weeks back, and after sweating off a good 5% of my body mass, I managed to recover. Unfortunately, it took a little while for my brain to get back in gear, but here we are. Enjoy!

Varian

It had been Varian's instinct to return to Stormwind the moment he had heard of the demonic attack, despite Auriana having given express instructions for him to remain in Ironforge. While he had complete confidence in her ability to handle the aftermath, Stormwind was his city, and he despised being hundreds of miles away while she was under threat.

Unfortunately, the situation had not been quite so simple. Varian had been caught between a rock and a hard place – while he chafed at the idea of remaining in Ironforge, returning to Stormwind prematurely would have sent the message that he didn't trust Auriana to defend the city in his stead. He had no desire to start a panic, nor to offend the dwarves by leaving barely a few hours after he had arrived, and so, on balance, he decided that it was in everyone's best interest if he remained where he was, at least for the time being.

Of course, that didn't mean staying in Ironforge was easy. While Varian had done his best to appear focused and unruffled during negotiations with the dwarves, at night he had waited on tenterhooks for any news from Stormwind, fearing that the attack would be merely the first in a series of violent demonic assaults against the Alliance capital. Fortunately, Auriana's updates had been both frequent and thorough – if a little cold – though there was no replacement for seeing both his city and his family for himself.

Originally, Varian had been slated to return to Stormwind later in the evening, but negotiations between the dwarf lords had concluded sooner than expected, and Moira had been more than understanding of his desire to return home. She had arranged for one of her mages to transport him directly to Stormwind Keep, with the promise that his belongings and his small retinue of royal elites and servants would follow soon after. He hadn't sent word ahead, not wanting to create a stir, and so it was that only four very surprised Keep guardsmen were witness to his arrival as he made his way up the grand gallery and into the throne room.

"Your Majesty! We weren't expecting…"

"I know," Varian said, waving the guardsmen off with a casual twist of his wrist. "You needn't look so worried, Sergeant, I don't need a parade."

"Of course, sire," the guardsman in question replied, his stiff posture relaxing into something a bit more natural. "Though, if I may – it's good to have you back in the city. Stormwind's had a… a rather interesting week."

"So I've heard…"

Although Varian knew full well that the fighting had not been anywhere near the Keep, he couldn't help but to cast a curious eye over the throne room, as if he might see fel scorch marks marring the shining stone walls.

"Not that the city was lacking for protection, of course," the sargeant added. "The Queen was brilliant, it's all the City Guard can talk about, and Prince Anduin's been a blessing for the wounded."

"I'll be sure to pass on your compliments," Varian said, his chest swelling with pride in his family. "And speaking of which – I don't suppose you know where either might be found…?"

"My apologies, sire, but we've not yet seen the Queen today," a second guardsman spoke up, "Though Prince Anduin came through here earlier this morning. I believe he was headed for…"

"Father!"

A loud, cheerful shout from the direction of the Royal Library cut the air, and Varian glanced over his shoulder to see Anduin himself trotting across the stone floor of the throne room; his hair dishevelled and a thick leather tome tucked under his left arm. Evidently, he had spent the afternoon in the library, losing himself in whatever esoteric field of study had taken his fancy this week.

"Anduin! Your timing is impeccable."

Although both Auriana and Shaw had assured him that Anduin was safe, Varian still found it an immense relief to see his son in person. He strode forward and pulled Anduin into a rough, one-armed bear hug the moment the boy came within reach, and for the first time in a week, he felt the largest of the tight knots in his stomach release.

"I'm intact, Father," Anduin said drily. "Ten fingers and ten toes, see?"

He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers in Varian's face, though he was nonetheless fighting back a grin, and he made no effort to disentangle himself from Varian's grasp.

"Can you blame me, given the circumstances?"

"I suppose not," Anduin conceded, "But I was nowhere near the fighting, I swear."

Varian believed him. While Anduin had a stubborn streak to rival Varian's own, he was a poor liar, and he never made promises lightly.

"Though you did assist with the relief efforts, as I understand it?"

There was a part of Varian that would've much preferred that Anduin had remained fortified in the Keep during the attack, though he also saw the value in allowing his son to lead his people from the front.

"Ah… yes, yes I did." Anduin cocked his head to one side. "How did you…?"

"Auriana sent me a full report a day after the attack, and we've corresponded since. She said your healing skills were invaluable."

"Well, I don't know about invaluable…" Anduin protested, though his cheeks nonetheless darkened by a flattered flush, "But I tried to help wherever I could."

"The High Priestess concurred with her assessment. You ought to be proud." He gave his son's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "I know I am."

Anduin was now roughly the colour of a ripe tomato, and he mumbled a few awkward words of thanks.

"Auriana didn't tell you herself?"

Varian hadn't expected that she would be waiting in the throne room, given his impromptu arrival, but now that he was satisfied as to Anduin's health and safety, he was itching to see his wife.

"No. We haven't really talked since… since the attack. She…"

Anduin's eyes flicked towards the closest guardsman, and his cheery countenance abruptly darkened.

"Father… may we… ah… speak alone?"

Varian raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless gestured across the transept towards the war room. It was not normally occupied unless a council was in session, and was the closest space that would offer them adequate privacy.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Varian wasn't quite sure what to make of the unease in Anduin's voice, but he nonetheless followed his son to the war room, after making quick instruction to the guards to notify Genn Greymane and Mathias Shaw of his return. Once inside, Anduin placed his book down on the edge of the grand map table, while Varian closed and bolted the door behind them.

"Alright, Anduin. Talk to me."

Anduin was normally quite open with his feelings, though despite his request that he and Varian speak, he was not immediately forthcoming. He reached for one of the wooden figurines used to mark the position of Alliance units across Azeroth, and turned the little lion's head over in his fingers as he slowly gathered his thoughts.

"There's something… wrong with Auri."

Varian leaned back against the closed door and folded his arms across his chest, trying to keep his expression neutral. While he agreed that the tenor of Auriana's recent messages had been somewhat stiff, he had chalked it up to the pressure of extraordinary circumstances, rather than something more pervasive. Anduin, however, seemed to have a different opinion.

"Could you be more specific?"

"Not really. That's sort of the problem." Anduin's lips twisted in a thoughtful frown. "But she's been acting strangely ever since she fainted, and…"

"She what?" Varian demanded, cutting Anduin off mid-sentence.

The tips of Anduin's ears stained crimson. "Aha… I'm taking it that no one… um… told you that part."

"No," Varian growled. "She said that she'd only sustained minor injuries."

"Well, that's true, I suppose, at least as far as I'm aware…"

"But?"

"But…" Anduin shook his head, and gave a helpless shrug. "I don't know how to explain it. She's just been… off. When I went to check on her after the demon attack, I found her alone in your quarters. Crying."

"Crying?" Varian repeated, certain he had misheard. "You're sure?"

He didn't question Anduin's sincerity, but while Auriana was far from emotionless, she was rarely weepy.

"At first I thought she was wounded – Laurena tended to her when she was first brought in – but she wouldn't let me heal her," Anduin said, his frustration plain.

"Well, that isn't exactly out of character…" Varian snorted.

"There's more. She's been quiet, even for her. And she just about jumps out of her skin every time I get close. I accidentally bumped her arm last night as we were settling down for dinner, and she pulled away from me so quickly, you would have thought I'd slapped her across the face."

Varian frowned. "I wonder if Ridley knows anything…"

If Auriana were, in fact, avoiding Anduin, her bodyguard would have been her next closest confidante in the city.

"I doubt it. Ridley's arm was broken during the attack, so Auriana ordered her to stand down and rest until it healed," Anduin explained. "She had Captain Smythe and Lieutenant Garland take over as her personal guards in the meantime, but I don't think she talks to them the way she does Ridley. Although she hasn't been talking to anyone, really…"

He placed his pilfered lion figurine very gently back in its position on the war map, and looked up at Varian with a pained expression.

"I… I was starting to think I'd done something to hurt or offend her," he murmured.

"Oh, Anduin… whatever it is, I'm sure that's not the problem."

Varian stood up to his full height, and crossed the room to join his son at the war table. It was just like Anduin to worry that he'd done something wrong, though Varian very much doubted that Auriana's admittedly odd behaviour was his fault.

"You know she's been under a lot of pressure with my absence, and the attack this week hardly would have helped…"

Anduin acknowledged Varian's argument with a short nod, though he clearly remained unconvinced.

"... unless there's something else you're not telling me?"

Anduin appeared suddenly fascinated by his own boots. "You'll think I'm mad."

"Try me."

"I… I get the strangest feeling when I'm close to her," Anduin said, struggling to find the right words. "I'm not sure how to explain it, really, just that she feels sort of… different… in the Light."

"Hmph. I'll take your word for it."

Anduin's face fell, and Varian realised that his response may have come off as more flippant than he had intended.

"Really," he added, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm hardly an expert when it comes to that sort of thing, but I trust your judgement."

"I'm not trying to cause problems…"

"I know you aren't. And I'm sure Auriana would appreciate your concern," Varian assured him. "I'll talk to her."

"Thank you." Anduin exhaled, as if a heavy weight had just been lifted off his back, and his countenance brightened. "It's good to have you home."

"It's good to be home," Varian said honestly. "Why don't you allow me some time to speak to Auriana, and then we can all take dinner, hmm? You can tell me about your healing work."

"I'd like that."

Anduin's good nature was, Varian thought, rather irrepressible. It was not a trait that Varian possessed – tending far more towards brooding, himself – but one he nonetheless appreciated. He gave Anduin a hearty pat on the back, and when he was satisfied that his son had no more concerns to share, he departed the war room and ascended the Keep in search of his wayward wife.

There were two elites flanking the entrance to the king's chambers as Varian arrived, suggesting that Auriana was, in fact, inside. He acknowledged the guardsmen with a short nod, though he did not pause to offer a more substantial greeting, as he might have otherwise done. He stomped into the vestibule with a single-minded determination, and after a fruitless investigation of his bedchamber proper, he made his way over to the other side of the royal suite.

The fire within the parlour had been lit ahead of the imminent sundown, but Auriana was not to be found in the inviting warmth of the room itself, either. Instead, Varian discovered her out on the adjoining balcony, her hands loosely clasped and her forearms resting on the marbled balustrade as she stared out over the Stormwind cityscape. She did not immediately notice Varian's arrival, and he took momentary advantage of her nescience to admire the view.

Auriana was dressed plainly, in a billowy linen shirt and dark-washed leggings that showed off the shape of her legs to great effect. Her feet were bare, and she had left her hair to hang down her back in loose, untamed waves; the afternoon sunlight setting her locks alight in tones of dark amber and burnt umber.

Even in her casual garb, Auriana was, to Varian's eye, simply stunning. As much as he admired his wife in a well cut gown, he'd always thought she was at her most beautiful when she was natural and unadorned. There was certainly no gemstone so precious that it could rival the sparkle of her eyes, nor a silk that could match the porcelain softness of her skin, and the mere sight of her was enough to leave him breathless.

"Auriana…"

A visible shiver ran up her spine at the sound of her name upon his lips, and she whirled about with her eyes impossibly wide.

"Varian."

Somewhat to his surprise, Auriana practically ran across the balcony towards him, and threw her arms around his neck in an unusually intense display of affection. She buried her face in his chest, and knotted her hands in the fabric of his cloak with a fervent strength that defied her small stature.

Not to be outdone, a low, needful growl rumbled in Varian's throat as he returned Auriana's embrace. She fit against his body like she had been made for him, and him alone, and her merest touch set his blood on fire. He eagerly buried his face in the curve of her neck, and took a few precious moments to drink in the intoxicating bouquet of her skin.

Light, it had been a lonely week without her.

As much as Varian relished holding his wife in his arms, however, Anduin's warning comments nonetheless echoed in the back of his mind. Auriana was not an effusive person by nature, and there was something uncharacteristically needy in the way she clung to him that suggested Anduin may have had good reason to be worried. Varian didn't doubt that her joy in his return was genuine, but beneath it lurked a nervous, restless energy that made him uneasy.

"What did I do to deserve such a warm welcome, hmm?" he murmured, twisting his fingers into her dark locks in a well-practiced gesture of his affection.

"Nothing in particular, you're just… well. Suffice to say I missed you," she mumbled, her words heavily muffled by the breadth of his chest.

"I missed you, too. Although… perhaps I ought to leave more often, then, if this is the kind of greeting I get upon my return…"

"No."

The vehemence in Auriana's voice was surprising, and did little to ease Varian's growing concern.

"I just mean… I'd much rather you were here," she fumbled, clearly realising that she had spoken a touch too forcefully. "With… with me."

Without warning, she extricated herself from Varian's arms, and stepped past him into the warmth of the parlour. He could practically see her defenses slamming into place around her; her demeanour of soft yearning abruptly replaced by a shield of impenetrable coolness.

Confused, Varian followed Auriana back inside, and watched her like a hawk as she made her way over to his dry bar. She reached to pour herself a drink, only to seemingly think better of it at the last moment. She gave an odd little shake of her head, and instead diverted to the hearth to warm her hands in front of the merrily crackling fire.

There was a stiffness to her posture that Varian found oddly familiar, and with a start he realised what it was – she was standing in much the same manner as she had when they were only just getting to know one another. It had been a long time since she had felt the need to be so cautious with him, certainly well before they had become lovers, and Varian was not at all pleased by her apparent regression. He frowned, but before he could broach the subject of her strange behaviour, Auriana spoke.

"How was Ironforge?" she asked. "I wasn't expecting you back until later this afternoon…"

"It was… ah… productive," Varian surmised, thrown by her choice of topic. "If what I saw this week was any indication, the city has a bright future ahead."

He unclipped his travelling cloak from about his shoulders, and tossed it across the back of the chaise. His well-worn gloves soon followed, along with his heavy belt and the regal lionshead insignia he'd worn pinned to his jerkin. He'd spent most of the week in elaborate formal garb, and it was a welcome relief to return to the privacy of his chambers and shed his royal trappings.

"Although," he added, "If I never see another flagon of ale in my life, it will be too soon."

Auriana glanced back at him over her shoulder, her eyebrows cocked. "Exactly how much did you drink?"

Varian lifted his left hand, and tilted it side to side with an ambivalent shrug. "More than I should have. Less than I could have. The dwarves do not lack for hospitality."

He moved to join Auriana by the hearth, taking care not to crowd her or stand too close. He didn't want to make small talk about his trip to Ironforge – while his work with the dwarves was undoubtedly important, there were far more pressing matters to discuss – but he knew from grim experience that Auriana would shut down entirely if he pushed her too hard or too fast. Anduin was right – she wasn't acting at all like herself, and it bothered him immensely.

"Admittedly, learning that one's city was assaulted by demons is as good an excuse as any to drink…" he ventured.

It stood to reason that whatever was bothering Auriana was tied to the attack – and indeed, she seemed to have been waiting for him to raise the issue. Her shoulders slumped in resignation, and she gave a rueful shake of her head.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. "Stormwind was my responsibility. I should have done… more…"

"You're blaming yourself?"

Varian wasn't exactly surprised, though even by Auriana's harsh personal standards it was something of a stretch.

"It's hard not to." She let out a short, bitter scoff. "You'd barely been gone an hour before the city was invaded by demons."

"Come now, Auriana, you know that's not your fault. You can hardly be expected to have anticipated a minor demonic invasion, of all things…"

Varian greatly admired Auriana's dedication and sense of duty, though he wished she wouldn't be so hard on herself.

"As long as Stormwind is the seat of Alliance power, she will be a target. It could have just as easily happened on my watch," he reminded her. "It has happened on my watch. More than once, in fact."

"You don't think the timing is suspicious?" she argued. "Your trip to Ironforge was hardly a secret. What if… what if the warlocks planned the attack for that day because they thought Stormwind was more vulnerable under my rule?"

Varian fought back a sudden urge to laugh. Not at Auriana, of course, but rather at the sheer audacity of anyone who thought to challenge his wife – especially so soon after the Grand Tournament, when the entire world had seen just how powerful she really was. Even on her worst day, Varian would have backed her against any threat on Azeroth.

"I pity the poor, misinformed soul that would take you for an easy target," he said seriously.

After a few moments' consideration, Auriana conceded the point with a reluctant nod, though her attitude remained pensive and downcast.

"And by all accounts, you handled yourself brilliantly," Varian continued, hoping the compliment might ease some of her disquiet.

Unfortunately, his efforts appeared to have the opposite effect. Auriana twisted to face him; her brows furrowed in wary suspicion and her eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight.

"By all…? Ah. Shaw sent you a report."

"Of course he did. That's his job."

Varian hadn't thought much of it at the time – Shaw was nothing if not thorough – but it seemed Auriana had taken it as a comment on Varian's faith in her abilities as Queen.

"I see."

"I didn't ask him to spy on you," he clarified quickly. "He appended your last missive of his own accord. And for what it's worth, he was quite approbatory. As were General Clay and the Lady Provost, in their comments."

Auriana's fierce glower softened somewhat, as she was overtaken by a hesitant curiosity. "They… they were?"

"Clay was very impressed by your tactics, and the Provost described your handling of the relief efforts as exemplary. She said you have a good head for numbers, when you're inclined to use it."

Auriana let out a soft, noncommittal noise, though she looked slightly mollified.

"You were right, you know," she admitted, turning back to the fire. "It's not all that different from running Lunarfall, albeit on a different scale. And demons, well… if nothing else, I know how to kill demons."

Varian folded his arms across his chest, and scratched at the stubble on his chin. "Does Shaw have any leads? I hadn't heard from him since his initial report."

"No. It seems to be nothing more than a random act of domestic terrorism."

"You don't believe that."

It was a statement, not a question.

"No, I don't. But in the absence of any further evidence or information…"

Auriana let out a sharp, irritated hiss between her teeth. Patience was not her strong suit, and Varian had no doubt that she would continue to pursue the investigation – as would he, backed by Shaw and SI:7. He had no intention of allowing such a brazen attack on his city go unpunished, but until they had a more tangible lead, both he and Auriana would have to suffer the mystery.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here," he murmured. "It's not the week I wanted for you."

"As you said. It was no one's fault."

Auriana's tone was light but unconvincing, and Varian grit his teeth in frustration as he tried and failed to parse his wife's enigmatic countenance. Her hands were folded stiffly in front of her, though Varian had observed that every so often, she would flex her fists or cross her arms over her chest as if she were performing some strange and repetitive dance. And was it just his imagination, or did she look even paler than usual? The warm glow of the hearthfire illuminating her skin made it difficult to tell.

Varian cleared his throat.

"Are you alright? Anduin told me that you fainted…" he said asked, watching closely for her reaction.

"Oh."

Auriana's lips drew into a thin line, though her expression remained otherwise inscrutable. She despised being coddled, though where Varian might have expected her to argue or snap back with a witty rejoinder, she simply cracked her knuckles against her palms and continued to stare into the fire as if she could see something that he couldn't – a response Varian found far more worrisome than if she had snarled at him.

"In Anduin's defense, he thought I already knew. He worries about you. As do I."

Varian reached out a tentative hand, and ran the back of his worn knuckles down the line of Auriana's spine, his palm coming to rest against the small of her back. She stiffened at his touch, and barely permitted the contact for more than a second before she pulled away. In truth, she looked rather torn, as if half of her wanted to lean into his caress, while the other half wanted to simply flee for the door. Either way, it seemed apparent that she wasn't about to open up to him of her own accord, and Varian decided it was high time he abandoned subtlety for a more direct approach.

"Talk to me," he murmured, keeping his tone as low and as soft as he could. "I know I'm hardly the most sensitive man on Azeroth, but even I can tell when something's… wrong."

"Varian…"

"Auri. Please. Don't push me away. Is there something about the attack that you're not telling me? Are you hurt?"

She was being… well, she was very much being Auriana – clearly in need of his support but too stubborn and proud to simply ask.

"No. And there's nothing strictly… wrong..." Auriana sighed, and locked her arms around her torso like protective armour. "Or… maybe there is. I'm not... I need to tell you something, and I don't know how. I…"

"You can tell me anything, you know that…"

Varian couldn't see anything obviously wrong with his wife in a physical sense, though that didn't necessarily mean much. She could be suffering from any number of nasty ailments that left no discernable marks. And then there was the possibility that her affliction wasn't physical at all, and that she was bleeding from some deep emotional wound – invisible, but no less insidious. For a brief moment, Varian wondered if she had lost herself in a berserker rage whilst defending the city – though he surely would have heard about it if she had. Her fury was no subtle thing.

"Just… promise me you won't be angry with me," she whispered, her voice unusually small.

"Angry? Why would I be angry?" Varian asked, thoroughly at sea. "I don't even know what you've done."

"Varian. Promise me. Please."

Auriana looked up at him with huge blue eyes, as vulnerable and afraid as Varian had ever seen her. She was almost pleading with him, and upon closer inspection, he realised she was actually trembling. He didn't like seeing her like this, and was even more concerned given that she seemed to be afraid of him.

"I… well, of course I promise, but…"

Auriana shook her head to quiet him, and took a deep, steadying breath, as if she were preparing to jump off a very high cliff. She broke his gaze, fixating back on the dancing flames of the hearthfire once more, and hugged her arms even tighter around her body. Varian's heartbeat quickened.

"Varian. I… um… the thing is... you see… I'm… um… pregnant," she confessed; so quietly that if he hadn't seen her mouth move, he wouldn't have been sure she'd said the words.

"What?"

A thousand different, terrible scenarios had played out in Varian's mind as he had waited for Auriana to speak, but of all things, he hadn't expected… that.

"I… I'm pregnant," she repeated, shyly risking a glance at him out of the very corner of her eye.

"You… um…"

Varian felt stupid and sluggish, as if he'd just been clubbed upside the head, and try as he might, he couldn't get his mind to focus. A warm and powerful swelling sensation rose in his chest, and his breath caught in his throat. He was forty… they hadn't been trying… and as far as he knew, Auriana still used contraceptive measures.

She wasn't…

She couldn't be…

…could she?

"You… you're… it's mine?" he stammered, his voice hoarse.

Auriana pulled a face. "Of course it's yours. Who else?"

Varian's tongue was thick and clumsy in his mouth. "No, sorry, I… Light, that didn't come out well…"

"In fairness, I'm not sure there's a good way to accuse me of infidelity, Varian…" Auriana retorted, her tone drier than the Tanaris Desert.

"That's not what I…" He closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we start this over?"

"Reversing time is a little beyond me at the moment, I'm afraid…"

Varian willed his racing thoughts to slow. He hadn't had the best reaction when Tiffin had told him she was pregnant with Anduin, and he was damned if he was going to get it wrong a second time. Inadvertently suggesting that Auriana had been unfaithful wasn't the best start, admittedly, but not unrecoverable.

"You're pregnant," he repeated, more to buy his fumbling mind time than anything else.

"Y-yes. Seven weeks along now, or thereabouts."

Auriana still couldn't quite look Varian in the eye, and her arms remained firmly clasped around her body. The muscles in her neck and shoulders were rigid, almost as if she were bracing herself for a tongue-lashing – or worse. Varian's heart sank, and he wracked his mind for anything he had ever said or done that might have made her feel that way. He knew he had a temper, but he would have died before he turned the full force of his rage on Auriana.

"And you thought… I'd be angry?" he asked, trying and mostly failing to keep the hurt from his voice. "Why?"

She gave a tiny, nervous shrug. "It's my fault. I… I forgot to take my herbal, at the Tournament."

"Your fault? Auriana… unless you're implying that this child was conceived through magical means, I'm fairly sure the 'fault' lies with both of us..."

"But it wasn't planned," she whispered. "We haven't even talked about having children… you might not want another child… you might not want… m-me…"

The fear behind her ragged words cut Varian to the bone.

"Oh, Auri. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me want you any less. Nothing. Much less something like… like this."

A second surge of dizzying energy flooded Varian's chest. Auriana was carrying his child. Their child. Light, he wanted to kiss her; to gather her in his arms and to never let her go. He wanted to laugh, to roar, to shout the news from the highest turret of Stormwind Keep… though he knew right then such a gesture would be poorly received. Auriana's eyes remained downcast, and her body was still racked with tension.

"I'm not angry," he added swiftly. "Far from it. You know… you know how I feel about my son. I never thought I'd get another chance, and I… I'm… well, I…"

Varian brushed a hand back through his unruly hair, barely able to contain an ecstatic smile. Now that the initial shock had worn off, he felt almost giddy with joy. As much as he wanted a child with Auriana, however, the simple fact of the matter was that he wanted her more. He certainly didn't want a child to come at the cost of her health or happiness, and he did his best to curtail his own enthusiasm until he was certain of hers.

"Are you happy? Is this something that you want? Because if it isn't… I will support any choice you make…"

To emphasise his point, Varian slowly and carefully reached for Auriana's shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. This time, she permitted his touch, and even went so far as to brush her pale, trembling fingers across his in a moment of brief connection that nonetheless sent a jolt of pure electricity racing up Varian's spine.

"With everything I've been through... there was a time in my life when I didn't think I'd live to see thirty," she said throatily. "I can't say I'd ever made any plans to have children… but…"

A small, hesitant smile tugged at the corner of Auriana's mouth, and she glanced up at Varian from beneath soft, dark lashes.

"It wouldn't be the first time my life had taken an unexpected turn. I certainly didn't plan to fall in love with the King of Stormwind, and now… now I can't picture my life without you."

Varian was now practically seething with a desperate, instinctual urge to hold her, though he forced himself to remain still. He couldn't have said why, but he knew it was important that he allow Auriana to come to him when she was ready. If he had been sent reeling by the news, he couldn't imagine how she must have felt.

"Is that why you fainted?" he asked, being very careful not to make it sound as if he were being critical.

Auriana nodded. "Mhmm. I didn't push myself too hard as far as my normal abilities are concerned, but with a baby... my magic… I'll need to avoid using my magic for the duration of my pregnancy. It's too much strain on my body, otherwise."

Her burgeoning smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Varian winced in sympathy. Auriana's magic was as much a part of her as Varian's sword arm was a part of him, and no doubt just as hard to give up.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. I know that's not easy for you."

"It can't be helped."

Auriana did her best to appear nonchalant, though Varian could see it pained her deeply. There was no doubt in his mind that she would abstain as long as she needed, but it would not be without personal cost.

"But you aren't hurt? Or the child? I know you were fighting…"

Auriana's written reports of the battle now took on a chilling new meaning as Varian realised she had been pregnant whilst duelling warlocks and diving into canals and doing Light knew what else.

"The High Priestess says I'm fine, and from what she can tell, so is the child. Although… it's still too small to tell much of anything, really."

For a moment, it seemed as if she wanted to say more, though Varian did not press. He fully intended to speak to Laurena himself, but there would be time enough for that later. As much as the thought of Auriana fighting in her condition turned his stomach, right now she needed his support, not an interrogation.

"I'm assuming you haven't told Anduin?"

Varian had no idea whether his son's proficiency in the Light would allow him to detect a pregnancy, but evidently it had occurred to Auriana that he might have some sensitivity in that regard. It explained why she had been avoiding Anduin, at least, and perhaps why Anduin had been experiencing odd feelings whenever Auriana was around.

She shook her head. "No. Only Laurena and Ridley know, and that was… unavoidable. Laurena tended to me after I fainted, and Ridley was there because I… I didn't want to be alone. But I wanted to tell you before anyone else. It didn't seem right, otherwise."

"Well, Anduin is going to be thrilled," Varian said confidently. "He always wanted a sibling. Perhaps we could tell him tonight, over dinner. Have the kitchens prepare something special to celebrate…"

Auriana's face went ashen. "Varian… I… I don't want to tell Anduin. At least not just yet."

"What? Why? I'm fairly sure he's going to notice eventually," Varian pointed out, baffled by her reluctance. "Do you think he'd be upset? Or… jealous?"

While it was not unreasonable to expect that Anduin might need some time to adjust to having a new sibling after years of being an only child – especially when he was almost old enough to have children of his own – Varian knew his son. Anduin didn't have a jealous bone in his body, and Varian didn't doubt for a second that he would make a wonderful older brother. Frankly, he was a little surprised that Auriana would think otherwise, and he silently bristled on Anduin's behalf.

"No. Or at least, I h-hope not," Auriana stammered, clearly noting the stormy change in Varian's expression. "But… for so long, it was just the two of you. Then I showed up out of nowhere, and… he's never said a word, but sometimes I feel like I've done nothing but disrupt his life. And now I'm doing it again."

She placed both hands protectively over her belly.

"And this child isn't just… any child. It's your child; an heir to the throne of Stormwind. The moment we start telling people, all of Azeroth is going to know. I love Anduin, and I realise that Laurena already knows… a-and Ridley, too, I suppose… but... I need this to be ours, and ours alone. Not forever, obviously, just… for a little while. Please."

Varian immediately softened, once again struck by his wife's profound and unusual vulnerability. While he had no desire to keep such a momentous secret from his son, nor did he wish to compound Auriana's visible disquiet.

"I'm not explaining this very well..." she mumbled, clearly distressed by his silence. "Varian…"

"No, no, I understand," he said quickly, cutting her off with a shake of his head. "But he's my son, Auriana. He deserves to know, and I'd ask that we don't wait too long to tell him."

"Of course," she agreed, her shoulders sagging in obvious relief. "As you said… it's not exactly a secret that can be kept indefinitely."

She splayed her fingers apart, as if imagining what she might look like as her pregnancy progressed. A heavy crease appeared between her eyebrows, as if she thought herself somehow wanting, and Varian wondered whether she was truly being honest with him. He couldn't remember a time when he'd seen her so thoroughly discombobulated and out of sorts.

"Auri… are you sure this pregnancy is something you want?"

"I… I think I'm still in shock," she murmured, staring down at her pale hands. "I'm so sorry; I've been trying, but I know I'm all over the place, and I was so worried about what you'd say, and… one minute, I'm excited, and the next I'm terrified, and I don't know anything about any of this, and I… I missed you so much…"

Auriana's defensive walls abruptly collapsed before Varian's eyes, and she fumbled for the loose fabric of his tunic so that she might pull him close. He was more than willing to respond in kind; slipping one hand around the slender curve of her waist and lifting the other to cradle the back of her neck… only to hesitate a second later as he remembered that she was now in a rather delicate condition. She was so tiny that she was all but swallowed by his embrace, and he wondered if he really ought to be holding her quite so passionately. In truth, he had always been somewhat worried about crushing her – and that had been before she had fallen pregnant…

Auriana appeared to have no such compunctions, however, locking her arms around Varian's waist and pressing against him as if her life depended on their closeness. She all but melted into his arms, and the sheer need of her made Varian's nerves sing with primal, protective instinct.

"I'm so glad you're home..."

"I would have returned immediately, had you asked," he murmured, pressing his lips against her forehead and gently caressing her cheek. "You shouldn't have been alone…"

Logically, he knew he was not at fault, but he nonetheless felt rather guilty for having left Auriana when she had so sorely needed him by her side.

"I thought about sending for you," she admitted, "But I needed the time. I really wasn't sure how you'd react. I barely slept last night, rehearsing what I was going to say. Of course, that all went out the window when I actually saw you…"

Auriana let out a rueful little sniffle, and knotted her fingers even tighter into the loose fabric of Varian's shirt.

"I'm not unhappy, I promise, it's just… a lot to take in."

"Oh, believe me, I know."

Varian let out a low grunt, once more recalling how he had reacted upon learning of Anduin's conception. It certainly hadn't been his finest moment, and not a story he'd ever told anyone else… though he was willing to share the awkward memory if it would help Auriana feel more at ease.

"Come here."

Varian ran his hand down Auriana's arm, and laced his fingers with hers. He led her over to the chaise and sat her down; one hand resting on her thigh and the other arm slung around her shoulders. As wonderful as it was to hold her, he didn't like the idea of her standing on her feet for so long – especially after what sounded like a very restless week.

"You're actually taking this rather well, all things considered."

Auriana raised a sceptical brow. "I am?"

Varian cleared his throat. "The day Tiffin told me she was pregnant with Anduin, I… ah… I went on a ride out to Elwynn Forest, and I didn't come back until midnight," he confessed.

Auriana's eyes widened in disbelief. "You did? Why? I thought you loved being a father…?"

"I did. I do. Anduin means… everything to me," Varian clarified. "But at the time… I was young, and… somewhat stupid, if I'm being honest."

That, at least, sent the ghost of a smile flickering across Auriana's lips.

"So you… ran?" she asked.

"The situation was… complicated. I was newly crowned; Stormwind had only recently been rebuilt. And Tiffin and I… I had come to love her, but our relationship was still relatively new. I was still learning how to be a husband."

Varian still found it difficult to talk about his late wife, even now, though in recent years the pain had eased to more of a dull ache than a sharp dagger to his heart.

"I had never experienced so much joy as in the moment she told me she was pregnant… nor quite so much terror." He barked out a self-deprecating laugh. "I don't know why I was so surprised. My first duty as a young king was to sire an heir – and there wasn't a noble in the court that let me forget it."

Varian's memories of the time before he had been split in half and later reintegrated were sometimes fuzzy, but he recalled the intense pressure of his early years as king all too well.

"And yet… somehow… I was blindsided. I'm not proud of it, but… I panicked. I was brash, headstrong, mercurial… not someone who was ready to be a father."

Varian shrugged. In some ways, he still didn't feel ready. He'd made more mistakes as a parent than he cared to count; lost Light knew how many hours of sleep worrying after his son.

"So… I ran away. I could try to describe it in more flattering terms, I suppose, but I might as well call a spade a spade. Tiffin was gracious enough to forgive me… though she never quite let me forget…"

Auriana shook her head and looked at Varian askance, as if she couldn't quite figure out whether or not he was telling her a tall tale. "I can't imagine you running away from anything. You're so… sure of yourself."

"I wasn't always. And now I'm just better at hiding it when I'm not."

Auriana scrunched up her nose, and sat up a little straighter. "You're not… you're not going to run away this time… are you? You're not going to… to leave me?"

Varian had hoped that his story might reassure Auriana that she was far from the first person to have fears about their ability to raise a child, but evidently he had miscalculated. In her anxiety, she had apparently taken it as a statement of his current intent.

"I came back," he pointed out. "And this is a rather different set of circumstances, wouldn't you agree?"

A single notable moment of weakness aside, Varian was not the kind to abandon the responsibility of a wife and child. While he was well aware that there were plenty of other men who would, he hoped Auriana knew his character well enough by now to understand that he valued his family above anything else.

"I suppose…"

Or not.

"Look at me."

Varian slipped two fingers beneath Auriana's chin, and turned her face so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye. She had successfully avoided his gaze for most of their conversation that evening, but he did not want to leave the slightest doubt in her mind as to how he truly felt.

"You are the woman I love," he said firmly. "My queen. My wife. And now… the mother of a child that I will cherish as dearly as my son. The Titans themselves could not tear me from your side."

"But… what if I'm a terrible mother? What if I let you down?" she whispered, her lower lip trembling. "I mean… that's why you ran, isn't it? Because you weren't sure if you'd be… enough?"

"You don't think you'd be a good mother?" Varian asked, tilting his head to one side in genuine surprise.

The idea that Auriana would be anything less than a wonderful parent had honestly not occurred to him. She was compassionate, intelligent, and fair-minded; not to mention an exceptionally quick study. Even if motherhood did not come naturally to her, Varian was confident in her ability to learn – though it was apparently not a sentiment she shared.

"If someone were asked to describe my best qualities, I doubt they would use terms like 'maternal' or 'nurturing'," Auriana argued. "I've had more experience with demons than with children, and I'm reasonably sure I can't solve my parenting problems with a well-placed fireball."

"Well, not all of them, in any case..."

"Varian…"

Auriana let out a choked laugh that was halfway between amusement and despair. She ran an agitated hand back through her hair, and cast her gaze up towards the ceiling as she wrestled with her tumultuous thoughts.

"And that's the least of my worries! What about my rage? What if our child is like… is like, well… me?"

The painful inflection Auriana placed on the word sent a sharp pang through Varian's chest.

"Then they should be so lucky," he countered fiercely. "And if our child is a berserk, who better to teach them control than you?"

"But…"

"No. I won't hear it, Auriana. I have the utmost faith in you. And whatever happens, you are not facing this alone. For all my faults, I've managed to raise a rather excellent son, don't you think?"

Auriana opened her mouth to argue, only to swiftly shut it a second later. Anduin's illimitable goodness was evidently a hard point to counter.

"Would you like to know a secret?"

Varian leaned in close and lowered his voice, as if he were inducting Auriana into some grand conspiracy.

"The truth is… none of us know what we're doing. We… fumble through as best we can, and pray that our children forgive us." Varian let out a long, slow sigh. "You know I've not always been a perfect father."

Things between them were better now, though the admission was still painful.

"But Anduin loves you," Auriana protested. "He thinks you hung the moons."

"Well, that's rather my point. Children don't require your perfection, they require that you try. They require your love."

Varian pressed his palm to Auriana's chest, and smiled at the faint flutter of her heartbeat beneath his fingertips.

"And I know firsthand just how much love you have to give."

Varian slid his hand from the cool silk of Auriana's breast to the sharp line of her jaw, and ran his thumb over the swell of her lower lip. She gentled at his touch, and for the first time he saw a spark of genuine – albeit still rather nervous – excitement in her eyes.

Encouraged, Varian nodded towards Auriana's belly. She was not yet far enough along that she was showing any outward signs of her condition, but he nonetheless ached to touch her; to share a precious moment of connection with both her and his growing child.

"... may I?"

"May you… oh. Of course. I mean… if… if you'd like…"

Varian didn't need to be asked twice. He pushed the loose fabric of Auriana's shirt up out of the way, and pressed a reverential palm against the cool, taut skin of her stomach. She inhaled sharply at the contact, but thankfully did not pull away. Instead, she placed her hand over Varian's and held him firm; her slender fingers pale and delicate against the brawny bronze of his own.

In all his life, Varian had rarely known a moment so intimate and profound. He was not an especially spiritual man, but even he was moved beyond words by the powerful energy surging beneath his hand as he venerated his wife with his touch. As much as he and Anduin had butted heads over the years, he wouldn't have traded fatherhood for anything in the world. He could still remember the moment of his son's birth, as clearly as if it had happened yesterday, and a lump swelled in his throat as he imagined cradling his second-born for the first time, just as he had once held a tiny, infant Anduin. Another brave and brilliant son, perhaps, or a daughter as fierce and beautiful as her mother…

"Varian…?"

The sound of his name in Auriana's soft, husky voice sent shivers down Varian's spine. He glanced upwards, and his breath hitched in his throat as he beheld his wife in all her radiant beauty. The reflected firelight framed her face in delicate golden aureole, giving her the appearance of a fine oil painting. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, but she was nonetheless smiling now; beaming up at Varian with one of those rare smiles that illuminated the entire world.

"You're really pregnant," he marveled, his fingers tightening over her belly. "With our child. You…"

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Varian abruptly leaned forward and captured Auriana's mouth with his. He kissed her greedily, hungrily; hoping that he could impress upon her even a fraction of his love, his admiration, and his sincere and abiding gratitude. She had already brought so much to his life, and yet somehow had found a way to gift him even more.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated, and this time the phrase rang with joy.