Note: I admit to wanting to write a fancy, semi-historical Warcraft drama… This one's brand new! They'll all be new chapters from here on out.
Disclaimer: The characters and settings created by Blizzard Entertainment Inc in this story are owned by their creators. I do not claim them as mine in any way, shape or form. I am not receiving monetary profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.
Present day, in Pandaria…
Lady Sylvanas stood in the lush field. It smelled sweet because they were downhill from the bamboo forests and the sky was silvery with fresh rain coming on. It would rain on them, soon. The wind would bring it in fast.
Zachary clawed at a pale white face, mostly a skull now. Half of his jaw had rotted away.
"It's so strange…"
"What, Zachary?"
"How me and mine, and yours… how we don't mind the rain anymore, do we?"
Sylvanas pulled an arrow from the quiver at her belt. She didn't take down her bow. Sylvanas turned halfway to him, inspected her arrow.
"Your arrows get better and better, Zachary."
He tried to smile, "Why should I let you miss, ever again?"
"You hated me once."
"Everyone hates somebody, once. I guess." He shrugged a bony arm, then rolled it back, stretched.
Sylvanas, surprisingly calm, amiable when she was alone with someone, raised the arrow to press her fingernail along the metal tip again. "Do you still hate Arthas, Zachary? Do you ever wonder if… I still do?"
Zachary was silent. Sylvanas walked over to him. Once a Highborne, now a banshee. Somehow, somewhere in there, somebody thought it would be entertaining for her to keep a good, womanly strut. She could have been as rotted away as Zachary was, and the other Undead. But she wasn't. A cruel joke, a loving memento from a past life… Sylvanas didn't tolerate anyone even trying to ask her how it had happened. The men who tried to flirt with her didn't usually last long. You'd have to be out of your mind with love or lust, or just mindless to dare and try it in the first place.
But Zachary knew. He understood her better than anyone.
"Well, what do you think, my War Lion? Zachary X? What are our chances if we stay in this field while another rain comes? If we storm the village Kael'thas and the others are holing up in, then the Pandarens will give the Horde hell. Then again, it's not like they can do anything if I do want to wipe out the place. If I have to…"
"My lady, your servant is comin.' "
Sylvanas was back to formal in a moment. She strode forward, waited. Zachary stalked ahead of her and held out a sword with one knobbly arm. His other hand, in rotting fletcher's glove, kept a knife just beneath his cloak.
"Hey! Announce yourself!"
"We know who she is." Sylvanas spooked Zachary by leaning in, as if to give him a kiss on the cheek as she passed by. It would take Zachary many moments to recover from that.
She smiled at the plump Pandaren woman with a long brown braid who came to them, curtsied.
"Loama." Sylvanas acknowledged her.
"I do not have much time… is Zachary alright?"
"Humans have war dogs. I've kept him so long, he's my war lion. Zachary can take a little teasing. And he's the only one that I'll tease. I hope he appreciates it."
Zachary made a real effort to compose himself.
"My message, then. We have placed them in a room that is easy to hear… hear the voices inside," Loama struggled with her Orcish, "Well, it has eight sides, but if you sit above the room, the sound echoes nicely.
Sylvanas' bewitching smile widened, "Oh, we've got him good, then. I don't know why Kael'thas thinks he can outwit me. In a lot of ways, he's still the angry pencil neck that Dalaran University forgot. I was running the whole show in Quel'thalas while he was practically whining over Jaina Proudmoore, unable to see past any of that." Then, she stopped boasting. It was not a good memory, in the end.
"…Great lady, it is a memory deterioration spell they are concerned about. Is that familiar?"
Zachary shuffled forward. He looked from Loama to Sylvanas a few times.
"Well, say something—"
"Sylvanas… those were the spells invented in Dalaran, for the war with the Plague. The Kirin Tor and Violet Hold used memory deterioration spells to try and disrupt the Lich King's advancement, do you remember? Until…"
"Until Arthas himself became the Lich King." Sylvanas rested a hand on her sword. She thought, rubbed her thumb over the pommel. Her voice turned gentle, truly disturbed, "And why are Kael'thas and his people concerned about this now?"
Loama nodded, "Yes, the Blood Elves are beginning to remember the past. I trust… I trust you will do all that you can, and use this precious information to safeguard Pandaria from the Blood Elves. Perhaps you could convince the high ones to end their neutrality when it comes to someone like Kael'thas and eject him—"
Sylvanas spoke quickly, "What do they remember?"
"Everyone is trying to recall things about… the one Bloodknight who fell at the lei line."
"The Double Sunthraze."
"No, who she means is General Sunthraze," Zachary then bowed his head, apologetic for speaking out of turn, "My lady."
"No. I know exactly who I am talking about, who Loama is referring to, the Double Sunthraze. They wouldn't dare… Liadrin wouldn't dare bring all that back!"
"Have I done well? Is this what you wanted?" Loama asked nervously, "I must return to the shrine before I am suspected, but shall I gather more information like this?" She clasped her brown and white hands together.
Sylvanas turned away from her, walked off on her own.
Zachary fished gold out of his pocket and tried to pay the Pandaren girl. She wouldn't take it at first, but then Zachary gave her even more gold, fussed at her to get on with it. She bowed low, elegantly, then went away fast.
"That bear creature rides on a turtle…"
Sylvanas sank to the ground. She gripped the very green grass with a hand that was pale blue, should have been dead.
Zachary came and stood over her.
"Azeroth cannot know what Arthas and I did, Zachary! That revelation is where Liadrin will ultimately lead them."
"No, my lady. It sounds as if they are trying ta' help the Sunfury General Sunthraze. But that's all."
"They want to remember, but that spell helped everyone else to forget. I was safe. I was so safe. Until now…" she looked up at Zachary. Dark gray tears stained her face.
Zachary, the only gentile inclination he had left in him, was to stand by her. To not leave her.
Sylvanas pulled her hood up. She swaddled the cloak around herself.
After a while, Zachary tried, "Can it really matter to the world, when Arthas is long, long gone? When he's been defeated, time and again." He shouted, it was hard not to have any other emotion, "He is nothing to us now! He can't harm you, not even a memory of him can harm you now. Have courage, Sylvanas, don't you know that you give me courage?"
Sylvanas gave over to crying.
Zachary let his arms hang, with sword and dagger. He should hold her, comfort her. But then he looked around, and decided to just... keep standing guard, for her.
"…We should walk back to join the others, my Lady." Zachary meant the Undead army and the Orcs with their frostwolves. All those warriors now reinforcing their tents and putting up their food and cookfires, before the rains came.
"Sylvanas?"
"And when all of Azeroth learns… that he almost destroyed our world, because he loved me?"
Zachary tried again, his brow knit, "We should get back…"
"What kind of warchief can I be then? Now I am feared and respected. But then they will hate me, and I will be cast out, by all. Everything I've worked for, lost! Because of him and those damned Bloodknights. I should… I will kill that Kael'thas!"
The rain fell. She set her teeth, determined, but in the end, Sylvanas could go no further.
"Oh, Arthas…"
How could Sylvanas not remember? The way things used to be...
Stormwind, a lifetime ago...
Prince Arthas Menethil came to the opened door, reached, then placed his hand on the doorpost. As Sylvanas finished pulling down her ivory camisole, he took another quiet step back, made himself wait a little longer.
What was she? A demoness? An angel? Elves still confused him.
Finally, Arthas couldn't resist any longer, "As beautiful as that and you still manage to wake up in my kingdom alone. Now, just how is that, darlin'?"
Sylvanas had picked up her leather chestpiece next. She was nearly done with putting on her armor. She sucked in a startled breath and turned around, long hunting knife in hand.
Arthas grinned, and he could smile so beautifully, even when his eyes were filled with menace. Well, Sylvanas had heard the Humans call it a mischevious face. Though, with Elves, especially the Highborne, 'mischief' was a word usually reserved for children.
Even while she still pointed the knife at him, Arthas closed the door.
"It's not your kingdom. This is Stormwind, is it not?"
Arthas walked right up to the knife point. He looked down at the silver blade between their bodies. Then, before Arthas could blink again, Sylvanas had reversed the blade and was sheathing it in the green runed scabbard at her side.
"I locked my door, I thought… my prince."
Arthas shrugged one shoudler, "You didn't lock either of your doors, darlin. And I'm certainly not your dork-wad prince."
"Still, it wasn't an invitation."
"Thought I had a… standin' invitation. That's what we call it up here."
Sylvanas let Arthas take her hand. He played with her fingers.
Arthas was… alluring. A word almost never applied to men, but yet it captured him. He was strong, lean. But there was also something wonderful and equally annoying about him. You felt drawn in, to smile with him, to laugh before he made his joke. He was easygoing and peaceful. When he eventually had to be daring it was a delight, since he raised his voice so rarely. And Sylvanas had read his speeches, she'd seen his statues while waiting down in the city before being escorted into the castle to meet him, the real him. But Sylvanas had always been so very sure that the prince of Lordaeron wasn't supposed to sound like… that. 'Darlin' this, and 'darlin' that.
When Sylvanas first arrived in Stormwind, it was Vereesa, her sister, who reassured her. A lot of the Humans sounded 'like that.' This lazy drawl that was also so confident that it achieved a polished quality, in the end. If you were patient with them. Vereesa had warned Sylvanas to be patient with the Humans' way of speaking, their diplomacy… but to have no patience with anything else the Human men wanted from a woman Elf.
Arthas was no exception. One spent a little time around Arthas and felt sure he had once been a charming little boy. And spoiled rotten.
Sylvanas took her hand out of his and finished pulling her chestpiece on, over her head. She fit her arms through and pulled it down so it was tight.
"You don't know when to put your toys away, do you?" She said, and lifted some of her pale, long hair out from beneath her armor. Arthas leaned in and helped.
"I do so. One of 'em is in Dalaran, right now."
"That's… cruel." Sylvanas backed away from him touching her.
Arthas stopped smiling. He sat on the bed. He opened his hands, to say something, anything. But then, he clapped them together, unsure.
"I felt I needed to explain myself, before you left with the others." He pulled at his own fair hair. It was either going white, or was so blonde it was white-gold, silver. "She slept with him, I found out. My friends still in Dalaran got word to me. Jaina slept with Kael'thas."
"No. She wouldn't. And he definitely wouldn't-"
"I think… I think that's why…" it wasn't safe to speak of it, even here. Too much depended on what had happened between them, "Jaina knew what I was going through. How it's been for me. I didn't tell her why I wasn't there at graduation, in that… false world. What does a diploma even mean to me? What the hell does it mean to anyone, now! Look what's going on in the world! But she's upset about a damned dress that I didn't see her in and a damned night that I didn't give her—and damn her! Damn her because it only shows how… how" he breathed, swallowed, "Fun she is."
"Fun?!"
"You got angry with me fast." Arthas looked amused, despite the situation.
"I don't understand Human men, that's all. Your fiancée cheats on you and she's fun."
"Because… Jaina is lovely, and she's lonely and she wanted a man, in the end. I just wasn't there. I do get it. Even if it's becoming a false world, to me, it is a world of peace and stability that she still lives in. An' she expects the people that she loves to be there for her, no matter what. She can't imagine what else would be so terrible, so much more important. But it still hurts." Arthas folded his hands. "I thought I'd feel like I got mine, you know? Like I'd balanced the scales. But baby, I feel no more in control than before. You think a paladin would know, well, that two wrongs don't make a right."
Sylvanas went and leaned on the tall bedpost. She looked sorrowful. "Please don't feel guilty. These things… happen. Don't they?"
"Funny thing is, I underestimated Nerd Boy. I thought that rat was so unappealing she'd never fall so far."
Sylvanas rolled her eyes, folded more things to put in her suitcase.
"You know, Syl-van-as," At times, Arthas liked to slow down her name, like it had a great deal more attitude associated with it than intended, "I always wondered, what does Kael'thas' name even really mean? It always sounded so silly to me. Sorta… girlish."
" 'Kael'. Of that line of the family. 'Ah' and you can't hear that, with your little Human ears, but that is what the apostrophe holds, a breath of awe, because he is from a noble line, and has earned the right, if he wants it. And 'thas' is a masculinization of his mother's name, who was Anthene'alas. Queen Anthene'alas. She was 'the beautiful', 'An', and the bold, 'thene.'"
"Wow a whole history lesson, and I just wanted to know if Kael'thas probably has a girl's name, which it does sound like he has…"
"Kael'thas will be more beautiful and more bold than his mother or any in the line of Kael, which is an old tribal name for Anasterian's line of the Sunstriders. So Kael'thas is to be the most… there isn't a Human word for it. It is not a physical beauty, but more… What is a word for when someone is beautiful within and also on the outside of themselves? A pervasive radiance. Like… hope. I don't think Humans have a word for a person being hope incarnate. But it is something like that. Kael'thas is living hope, the realizer of dreams. He is the dream incarnate of both his parents." Sylvanas smirked, "I don't think 'Arthas' or even 'Arthas Menethil' mean anywhere near the same thing."
Arthas stared at the far wall, considering all that. His face went through a few different bemused then irritated reactions, "…wish I never asked."
"You're jealous of Kael'thas."
"If Jaina marries him, because of some… twisted trick of fate. I'll kill him."
Sylvanas threw a roll of socks into her suitcase with a thump, "And you must have a deathwish, announcing a plan to kill Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider to the Ranger-General's face."
Arthas lay back on the bed and looked up at her, kicked his feet casually.
"Fine. He'll live. But only because you're so adorable, Sylvanas." Arthas pursed his lips for a kiss that Sylvanas arched her eyebrow at.
"Why do you make it sound like showing Kael'thas mercy is such a chore?"
"I mean, he just got laid in what, the first time in his miserable life? And with someone as cute as Jaina—it'd be a total tragedy to kill him now. All the Elf nerds of the world will lose faith."
"We're Highborne. And you're not the first man with a broken heart."
Sylvanas' hair, when unbound, was so long it went down past her back. Arthas batted at it, then pretended he was a cat. He made a pathetic mew at her. When she insisted on ignoring him, he escalated it to a needy tomcat's yowling.
"You! I should use my knife on you again."
"You speak cat. Good." He lay on his side, reached over, and felt her waist.
"Gods, I think I actually mean this," she lay her head back, "Jaina must miss you. I think I can see a girl falling for you. Completely. You're so thoroughly…"
"Handsome?"
"Horrible." Sylvanas smiled a bit. "You're rotten to the core, aren't you? But she tamed you." Sylvanas put down a dress she was folding.
Arthas lay back on the bed and dangled a sleeve of the flimsy blue dress over his face, kissed it.
"And you're still thinking of her, aren't you, Arthas?"
"This is her color. I think Jaina has something like this."
"Fool. Go and marry her, already. Talking about Lady Jaina, even after what she did to you… this is the brightest you have been all morning." Sylvanas retrieved her dress, though Arthas claimed it was his color too and that he wanted it. He tugged at the dress, then let her have it. "…How did Lady Jaina Proudmoore tame you?"
"First of all… that name. That smile. Those hips! Did I go too far yet?"
Sylvanas had folded three more dresses in the time Arthas finished letting his mind wander.
"So. You're madly in love with her."
"She's spell-locked my heart. I told her that many times." Arthas turned over again, cuddled in to watch Sylvanas pack, "This shouldn't be such an easy conversation for you. Maybe we should stop talking about her."
"I'm not offended. I'm getting my packing done, which means soon, sir, I'll be far away from you. And it's just as well," Sylvanas frowned, "apparently, the people are close to rioting on the streets of Silvermoon City because of a man who was arrested unjustly. Lord Sunthraze Sunthraze. Heard of him?"
Arthas looked bored, "Honey, let's just talk about me again. I mean, not in that way, I'm not vain. Just instead of the real world."
"…But then again, the royal house says Lord Sunthraze is a spy. The gentry are also offended because he was—or he was once—one of them. So everyone is crying for me to go and give them… whippings, apparently. Because that's exactly what I intend to do in this situation. There's plenty of blame to go around, and nobody's getting off easy."
"Wait. I noticed you said that twice. Lord Sunthraze Sunthraze."
"It's his actual name. It's a tradition that goes back very far, but double names have a special meaning as well. Another fancy Highborne custom in nomenclature you probably don't like."
"Lady Sylvanas Windrunner…"
Sylvanas then shied away from folding any underwear in front of him. She stuffed a handful into a silk pouch she opened instead. "Yes, Arthas?"
"You're beautiful, and you're talented. You also understand me."
"Ha! Human men all say the same things. Three have said the same thing since I've been here."
"You wouldn't let me finish, Sylvanas. Darlin', I hope there's someone at home, for you. I didn't mean to make things awkward, just now, by talking about Jaina. And I'm so pleased that you've… graced me with your presence. I was at my worst the other night, but I'm sure that you were at your best. I want us… to end as friends."
"And now you know where you stand, with the one you love. And I know that I need to renew my efforts to find a man of my own. Well, who doesn't drive me crazy."
"Jaina loves it when I drive her crazy. And do you know what she really wants me to do? She wants me to ride in on my white charger and steal her off… Or she wants her warrior to come home to her, lay her down… one of those. Whenever I do get back to reality, have a break from fighting back the Plague…"
"Can you take a vacation from something like that?"
"…I think I'll have a plan. I am actually going to read one of those cheesy scenes in one of Jaina's favorite little novels and just act the whole thing out. Even if she tells me to stop. 'Arthaaas! Stop bein' so weird!'" he chuckled, after mimicking Jaina's voice, "It will make her so mad. And also make her so happy."
Sylvanas snapped her suitcase shut. It broke the spell.
"Feel better, your majesty?"
Arthas lay there, quiet.
"Prince Menethil?"
"I want to run away with her, across the sea. And never come back."
Sylvanas bent down and gave him a light kiss on the lips. "Wake up, my prince."
Arthas looked at her. She felt his cheek, "And now I know how you stole her heart."
"We should stop this," He said.
She nodded agreement, "It's all wrong. We we're both just worried about our kingdoms…"
"And you're being very mean to me." His brow knit.
They kissed again.
"Don't you know what it means, if an Elf woman you've slept with is mean to you?" she whispered, then grabbed Arthas and kissed him harder.
They kissed passionately, forgot about her suitcase, the opened doors, everything. Then, they did remember and Sylvanas pushed off of him.
"Whew!" Arthas almost shouted it. "Do you need a man!"
She got her coat, but when she reached for her suitcase, Arthas tutted and picked it up for her. "Least I could do. Anyway, dear, I was joking to lighten the mood. I was not making fun of you in any stretch of the sense.."
Sylvanas grabbed her suitcase. Arthas pulled it back.
He complained, "I'm going to treat correctly for once, dammit, during this visit. Okay?"
Sylvanas yanked the suitcase the other way. He pulled back, snatched it out of her hands, "…Okay, Sylvanas?"
Sylvanas let go, sighed. "Fine. And, I guess it wouldn't hurt to be friends. We may need each other in the future, or our kingdoms will. No hard feelings."
They each stopped blushing so much, and straightened their clothing.
"Please go back to Lady Jaina."
"And you go sleep with everything in Silvermoon that moves. You need some love and attention, Sylvanas."
"Strange for my rival to know that much about me, but I hope it was well meant."
"…Everyone except for me, I guess. Wait, I'll be stuck here in the Eastern Kingdoms anyway, spearing giant maggots, zombies and other Plague-ridden things with my sword." Arthas bowed, opened his arm for her to go first.
They started walking together.
After they left the apartments given to Sylvanas, they walked along a quiet corridor. Most of the other rooms were already empty. Then, a rich voice intruded upon her thoughts again, "What does it mean, Sylvanas, when a Highborne woman is mean to you, you know, after you've slept together?"
"It doesn't matter, and it doesn't apply to you. Stop tempting fate."
He came and walked close beside her, grinning. Arthas then switched the suitcase to his other hand so that he could be even nearer to Sylvanas.
"You're far too upbeat for a man who just got cheated on and then cheated back."
"…Well?"
"Well, does any man ignore a challenge that's set? If he does, he's no good-and that's true of any race… in any kingdom on Azeroth."
"So, uh, the next thing the guy does, he's supposed to… win? Or, dominate you?"
Sylvanas sighed, walked faster.
"…Is that what I'm supposed to do, here?"
"We aren't doing that anymore, Arthas." she lowered her voice, as they came into one of the larger corridors. Other guests were leaving with their luggage and servants. For some reason, Sylvanas' assigned squire was left lingering far behind the Prince of Lordaeron who was so tall and intimidating and wanted to carry her suitcase instead.
Arthas towered over so many other men and looked especially elegant in his black and silver regalia.
"You know," he looked down at her, rubbed his nose with a knuckle. "If Jaina leaves me a quivering wreck after I do make contact with her again… Like if she tries to marry Kael'thas for some ungodly reason and I already promised not to kill him, why don't I marry you in exchange?"
"You're joking."
"I might not be. It'd make an alliance between Silvermoon and Lordaeron. It would force it. There are different kinds of marriages these days, you know."
"While you love another woman!"
"But you are insanely hot, Sylvanas."
"Jaina should slap you for saying that."
"And you."
His boots struck the floor for a few more paces.
"You're just upset. You're flirting with every woman you come across."
"I'm a catch, Sylvanas," Arthas teased.
"You're… in love with another woman!"
"And I can be in hate with her too, if she lets me down. I was raised in the school of hard knocks, by King Terenas Menethil himself—I know about strategy and keeping political stability. If Jaina jilts me, I'm not going to be at a loose end. My name is not going down over that. I am going to marry another woman I find incredibly attractive, fast, and get my kingdom the help that it needs. Now, tell me, would you be in a better position to put pressure on Silvermoon to change for the better while working inside of the corrupt system, or by being the queen of a neighboring kingdom who can squeeze Anasterian by the balls with my say so?"
Sylvanas was shocked to hear all of it spoken so plainly, and in public… but when she looked around, she realized Arthas had led them to a different part of the castle.
"Where are we going?"
"It's quiet. I'm keeping us out of the main halls, away from the spies… I want you to answer me. Sylvanas, would you marry me if I could make you a decent proposal, under the conditions I described?" That he was trying to get them privacy proved how serious he was getting.
She scoffed, "If Jaina dumps you, and then you can fall back on me?"
"We already did that, the fall back part. I'm talking about going for more."
"You're disgusting."
"You love it."
"… Do you always make such serious plans so fast?"
"Darlin, I can think on my feet in a battle and everywhere else. Why is it so easy to believe that the Highborne royal court is full of schemers and philanderers, but the Humans aren't also capable of being overly ambitious? I'm not going to let Jaina make a fool of me."
"You're not making a good case for your race, or your intentions. Anyways, the sex wasn't that great, Arthas." She tried to joke.
"Maybe I am a bit out of my head… I've never slept with an Elf girl before. And I'm clearly upset about what might happen with… with her…" Arthas stopped them walking. He put down Sylvanas' suitcase and faced her.
"But you still don't really want me." Then, she managed to admit, "And I've worked hard all my life for my success… All I've ever wanted was a man, a partner, who wants me as much as I want him. And who understands what I'm trying to do. I might lose everything if I make such a bold marriage. What if they lose all trust in me for acting so selfishly?"
Arthas squeezed her arm, then took her hand. He glanced up and noticed they were standing in front of a stained glass window. A ship caught in a storm. But a beam of Light came down from the sun above to guide it through curling waves, "And I wanted the same thing, from a woman. Now, I may lose it all, Sylvanas."
He took a large step closer to her. "It's true that Jaina… feels like everything to me at times. But she's also a silly person who can't keep her head in it when there's… when there's a crisis! People are dying. Am I supposed to go to graduation, then? Spend the night with her? I have a damn life, and you see how my father is—what he's incapable of. This whole convocation was a waste of time at best, but you and I finally having real conversations, a real… connection, I think, that is the only good thing that's come out of it. You are a military force to be reckoned with. So am I! You want the Plague ended, badly, almost at any cost. I would do the same. Yes, it would be a marriage of convenience, but we will be two warriors forcing the world to heel! And isn't it about damned time?" he shouted at the end.
Sylvanas grabbed Arthas, kissed him. She said, to keep him quiet. Then, she smiled, "You fool…"
Arthas held her, "Think about it. We could both do so much good together. If she doesn't want me, because I have so much work to do… why not be practical and side with a woman who is doing the same work? I kind of… I kind of want to chase you around, Sylvanas, and catch you. And not feel guilty about that. Is that terrible? I want to hunt you."
She looked him in the eye, "I will be the doe in the clearing."
Arthas slowed touching her, took in a large breath, "My father will kill me."
"King Anasterian would end me."
Then, both of their serious looks turned to smiles. They hugged and laughed at each other.
"But for now…" Sylvanas leaned back from his embrace, "Please, talk to her. Find out where you stand. Wasting a woman's time is so, so evil, Arthas."
Sylvanas nestled into his chest, "And I will think of all those Thalassian military secrets, going straight to the Humans King Anasterian so hates. The Humans whom I wish to help so much. Yes, that is a clever way to get the assistance you all need, immediately. I admire you for seeing it."
Arthas was obviously thinking about Jaina, then.
Then, he said, "Will you give me a lock of your hair?"
She looked down. She'd forgotten to brush or braid it. "By the Sun, I must look like a Night Elf right now. How awful."
Arthas reached behind her ear, enjoyed taking a long tress. He flicked up the ends, looped them around his finger, then realized he didn't have his knife handy. Sylvanas offered her ranger's hunting knife.
Arthas smirked, feeling jealous, "I really like this knife."
He sliced her hair free.
"…Keep the knife."
"I can't do that, Sylvanas." But then Sylvanas stepped in, felt up his stomach, his chest, "Well. Not unless I give you something in exchange…"
Arthas felt down his sides, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a coin. "Ha! There's my face, on the side. Pretty cool, huh?"
"But it's almost like you buying my very good ranger's knife for less than a silver coin, Arthas."
"Uppity Elf women…" He winced, reached into his other pocket. "Oh. Here. It's a soul shard."
Sylvanas took it. She held it in both hands.
"A warlock made it for me while we were out in the Plaguelands. Anyone who knows me can tell that's a piece of me. If anything happens, now, we can each prove that we… made a pledge to each other. I could not have stolen this fine knife from you, and you can't have taken this soul shard from me without… me letting you get so close."
Arthas took the soul shard from Sylvanas and put it safely in her coat pocket. He then leaned down and fit Sylvanas' knife into his own boot.
"So, little lady… you done checking me out yet while I'm bending over? Are we ready to shake on this?"
Sylvanas let Arthas take her hand once more.
"Well," she said, "I win either way. To have this lovely memory of you. Whatever happens. I do think it's sort of a mad plan."
Arthas kissed her fingers.
"Well… back to the hell that is our lives," He sighed.
Sylvanas looked at him slyly. "I just realized something. Right now… you're my undu'diel."
"Huh? What's that mean?"
"It means… maybe it'll work out. Maybe, after we help each other out of this situation and get into a new one… we could be very, very happy together someday." She then whispered, "I am glad we slept together. How could I not be?"
Arthas was not able to say that. He couldn't. He brought her hands to his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat.
"…Let's go."
They came to the throne room. Many honored guests were leaving, all shaking hands with the mages, councilors and nobility there to help King Varian Wrynn and King Terenas Menethil. Most of the Easern Kingdoms were represented by their sovereigns, except for King Anasterian. Sylvanas approached the throne, aware that she was now meant to represent all of Quel'thalas, carry all that on her shoulders without Anasterian. Some eyes were doubtful, judgmental. Then, more laughter than was appropriate began to follow Sylvanas around as she approached the next line to say farewell to King Terenas. Sylvanas eventually checked her uniform to see that it was all in order. Surely, the Humans weren't so inane to laugh at an Elf in their presence for no reason.
But it was Arthas. He was standing politely in line behind the Ranger-General of Silvermoon, to receive his own father. He'd been following Sylvanas around like a puppy for a while.
"Hello Sylvanas…" Arthas started whispering to her.
"Will you leave me alone, Arthas? This isn't some… play time!"
Then, Sylvanas was announced and Terenas beckoned her toward him.
"Ranger-General. We were honored to have you. We hope that our words and actions here can sway your people, and my longtime friend, Anasterian, toward an even stronger alliance against the Plague."
Arthas walked around to stand by his father. Terenas cast an annoyed look elsewhere. Arthas then addressed the Highborne woman himself.
"Ranger-General Sylvanas. Stormwind needs your answer, and your king's… before the end of the month. And then I want his armies. Or, I want you. One or the other."
People made shocked noises.
"You don't speak sense an' you don't speak for anyone, Arthas!"
Arthas ignored his father, the king.
Terenas stood from his chair angrily.
Sylvanas bowed to them both, before the argument could escalate. "Your majesties… of course I will try and satisfy you both. If that is even mortally possible for one woman to do."
Arthas liked that answer. And it sufficiently distracted his father as well.
"Good bye, my lady," Arthas bowed at the waist.
Sylvanas curtsied and walked to meet her sister at the blue portal back to Silvermoon. She felt Arthas' eyes watching her, acutely. Then, she heard Arthas' father.
"Where's Jaina? Have you spoken to her lately?" Terenas chided his son.
"Once you go Elf…" Arthas said, and he must have smiled.
Sylvanas hoped that she wasn't actually blushing as much as she felt.
Terenas finally nudged his son to stop embarrassing them both.
Vereesa opened her arms to her sister and gave Sylvanas a firm hug. Then, Vereesa whispered in her sister's ear, "Human men are so easy, aren't they?"
"Ah, I wouldn't know…"
"But trust me, it stops being adorable in about a month, so you're leaving at the perfect time."
"Funny. That priest, Fennore, before I sent him, he warned me our own people would get sick of him in about three weeks or so. But that's not about it working both ways, is it? I mean, he's already a Highborne."
Vereesa kind of growled at the back of her throat and pinched the bridge of her nose. She spoke through clenched teeth, "If only they'd keep him forever…"
"But sister, in all seriousness, I just… Well, I'm afraid that I… issel maku du diel, lap tha'alan—"
Vereesa shook her head. "So many of the high ones here speak at least enough of our language to understand the words 'royal', 'marriage'… and they certainly know the phrase for, 'to break up.' Shh… It's better not to whisper that way and make them even more suspicious." She looked her sister in the eye.
Sylvanas glanced back to Arthas again. His father was receiving more departing guests. He was still looking at her. Sylvanas felt sure that this time, he was watching her body.
"Sylvanas… what did you do?"
"I don't know why you always talk to me like I'm the bad sister."
"You weren't talking about him and Jaina. You were talking about him and yourself!? How?" then, Vereesa swore, "I'll go have a talk with him."
"No! It's fine, really. I asked him to go back to her, so everything is perfectly fine. I promise."
"Sylvanas, I thought I already warned you about Human men."
"You warned me about Human men, not Arthas. He's… somehow, amazing."
"I'm warning you now, the prince can be very determined. And…"
"Manipulative? Selfish and cruel? I hear Kael'thas can be."
"…And desperate. Where did you hear that about poor Prince Kael'thas?"
She read ahead, maybe.
Vereesa gave Sylvanas a final hug, "Walk in the sun, sister. I know you will make the ones in Silvermoon see us again soon. And…" Vereesa swallowed, "Whatever Terenas says, Arthas is really the one—" she couldn't say, "He's right that we really do only have one month, before it will all be too late. And then, Arthas, myself and the others, we'll have to try our other plan."
"What other plan?"
"It's nothing to worry about, now. It may never come to pass. But several armies are needed to repel the Plauge and its minions, not just the Human ones. We Highborne are essential. So, please… do everything that you can. And on my side, here, I will also do everything I can, to help the Humans."
Vereesa was taller than Sylvanas. Vereesa looked every bit of a mature warrior with every breeze and sunbeam spiraling around her head and ears. Her white owl, T'libit, was sitting up in the rafters, Sylvanas noticed then. It blinked large yellow eyes at her, bobbed its head up.
"Good bye, T'libit!" Sylvanas waved gently and smiled.
The owl hooting impatiently for a treat, it was the last thing Sylvanas heard before she walked through the blue portal.
Still, she felt Arthas' hungry eyes on her. His soul shard hummed pleasantly in her pocket.
Pyorin jogged up to Tempest and Britecleff who were assembled in the Sunspire throne room with the other Farstriders, Magisters, and the other forces Sylvanas commanded for the kingdom.
"She's late. You're later."
"Did I miss her?"
"No. Obviously, or we wouldn't all still be standing here." Tempest crossed her arms.
Pyorin smiled at Tempest, hopeful. "You're still talking to me?" He weaved past Britecleff in his officer's uniform, medals and cape, then kissed Tempest. It didn't have much affect though.
"I am so sorry…" he lowered his voice, "That I spoke to you like that. The other day."
"Oh, it's fine, Pyorin. I just decided not to take you seriously anymore until you take me seriously. Until you untangle yourself from all those… painted on sluts in the royal court, then I'm going to go have my own fun."
"That's not going to fix anything, revenge. How do I just… walk away from Queen Celestia? I can't. I'm…" Pyorin then realized he couldn't say, "I'm in too deep."
"Ugh…" Tempest walked away from him.
Britecleff gave Pyorin a look.
"Oh, and commander—before I forget… I tried to avoid it, really I did, but you have a pistol duel with King Anasterian next week."
"I… what?!"
"Not a duel… I mean… uh… it's a competition. Like, shooting clay disks and stuff. The whole court will be there."
"You numbskull—one of those things means I'm shooting at the king and might be tried for regicide if I don't let him kill me first."
"Sorry. I was with Celestia, and then Anasterian wanted to talk with me—which is unusual for him-then I said you were an excellent shot because he was making me nervous and I didn't want to talk about myself, and then saying you'd come was the only way I could get away, so… yeah. Sorry I was late."
"Next, you'll be telling me your puppy fell down a well, too." Britecleff motioned for Pyorin to get in line with the others.
The truth was, at these kinds of gathering, Clerk Blaize didn't really have anything real to do. He was about setting things up, moving things on to the next person whose job it was. A middle man. At the moment, all the Farstriders were assembled, and all they needed was for Sylvanas to arrive. So Blaize eventually passed by the window, and was able to idle there with nobody really watching him and enjoy doing absolutely nothing for a time. Doing nothing… in pristine moments like these, when Blaize had arranged for everything perfectly, and everyone was in their place, fully under his control, Blaize was totally free, and nobody could touch him or tell him no. He smiled at the average peons outside the palace window and reveled in that feeling, being so high up.
The street was crowded with people who were shouting and pressing against the gates and guards. Protests like this had been going on for the last couple of weekends, so Blaize wasn't surprised to see the common rabble at it again. Their voices were muted by the magical rose-colored windows of course, but their signs, 'Free Sunthraze', 'Sunthrazes Matter,' 'Sunthraze is My Son Too', and inevitably, 'Double Sunthraze or Nothing' made Blaize shake his head.
"What's all that?"
Blaize looked up at the woman speaking to him. She wore her red hair cut short, was tall for a Highborne and she was very beautiful. Blaize's own hair was redder than most. The rose-colored light coming from the window ignited every accent of his armor and his blood red hair helped the affect.
"Ranger Tempest, good to see you again. My lady, I always meant to tell you—"
She frowned at him, "It's sir. Or ma'am… I was just promoted. You handled the paperwork, you should know."
Blaize folded hands behind his back instead of say what he really wanted, and upset her further. After some careful thought, "Think their arguments have merit?"
"I'm not sure what they're trying to say. Don't all people's… lives matter?"
"I think the context is that a lot of people—well, us, in this situation, the Farstriders—are already acting like some lives don't matter. And so, now they're telling us to cut it out. To… treat Sunthraze and all men like him, as justly as everyone else. In a strange way, everyone's saying the same thing. People who think like you do, and them."
"What other men are like him? All the men who get arrested for punching an officer? Well, even if it was kind of an extreme situation. One that I'm not authorized to talk about." Tempest placed a gloved hand on the window, leaned in to see more.
"The men who get lost in our system of justice."
"Sunthraze isn't lost—"
"Has he seen a trial? Has he gone before a judge? Have they contacted his family or a barrister, or anything like that? And Advisor Sorn is livid, he won't release him or condemn him, so the king's own man is stuck."
"It sounds like you agree with the protesters."
"Tempest." Blaize turned to her. "I process people exactly like Sunthraze all the time. I know, for a fact, that men get lost and serve time for no good reason. That they end up in jail for years because someone higher up is trying to save face over some… clerical error or a bad day when they had a temper tantrum and sent somebody someplace that they shouldn't have. The ones who can afford barristers can get off easily, because they, or their barristers, have connections with the people who have the power. Everyone else gets stuck. It's that simple."
"I see."
"Well, I didn't say I agreed with them. They should all go get jobs so they can afford to pay for their own barristers if they know how badly the system is slanted against poor people." Blaize almost spat out the last of that, then gestured angrily, "And stop wasting time swelling up the streets all day with their foolishness."
"But you just said… Wait, you justified everything that they're out there protesting about. I'm afraid it makes a lot of sense."
"It's not my problem. Sunthraze isn't my son, it doesn't affect me… regardless of what it says on those signs." Blaize smiled at his clever joke.
Tempest rolled her eyes and left. And this left Blaize looking for another victim.
"…Ah, Britecleff. Are all your little ducklings in a row, today? Did I miss anyone on the roster?"
Britecleff nodded a brief hello to Blaize, "No, you've done a perfect job as always, Clerk Blaize."
"I hear that the noise outside is all your fault."
"Not on paper, it isn't. You know that better than anyone. And am I responsible for how people feel? I'm sure they have a right to feel…" Britecleff shook his head, unable to find the words, "However they must feel. They've had their life experiences, and they will do whatever they think they need to do to make things better. Silvermoon is one city for one people, so if there's disagreement between us, then good. A discussion with different perspectives at the table is bound to yield some improvement."
"How noble of you. That's admirable. One people… not haves and have-nots, some people deserving what they get and others keeping what they earned?"
"The Highborne are one people. Not a bunch of wolves and lambs trying to play together. We shouldn't act like our own enemies. Though men like you might like to forget that—"
"You do know that Advisor Sorn complained to Sylvanas about it."
No. Britecleff hadn't heard about that yet. He let out a calming breath, "Well, I guess that was coming to me."
"I filed the complaint. And then, I filed my own complaint, against you, to Sylvanas."
"What the hell, Blaize."
"You botching everything up is causing me, and the other clerks, a lot of extra paperwork. First, he's on the books, then he isn't because you want to talk to him first. Then he's a spy. Then he's being transferred from the Garrison to the keep, here at the Sunspire. Then, he's being interrogated, then Queen Celestia wants to talk with him…"
"Hold on. Celestia summoned Sunthraze?"
"That's a bit hard to say. Try saying it three more times."
"Shut up, Blaize. Answer my question. And how do you even know about this, if it's palace business?"
Blaize smiled, because he'd finally got to the other man. "All I do is file the papers. All I know is that she gave the orders and the bill ultimately went to the Garrison, which amused me. So it was a Farstrider working for the queen who summoned Sunthraze, and not one of her servants."
Britecleff's eyes lost focus as he looked above their heads, mind racing with possible connections.
"I could tell you which Farstrider decided to have a private audience with Sunthraze, before he was interrogated by Sorn the third time, and before Sunthraze changed his story, according to the record… if I'm properly motivated."
Britecleff scowled, "I think I have some idea. And did you know, you sound like a prostitute when you sashay about, peddling your services like that? I should lock you up for soliciting."
"You know, I was going to have your job. I could have had it, too-"
"And then you didn't get my job. Because you're not a better soldier than I am. And those other two times you got passed over for promotion before you decided go give up and be a clerk."
Blaize made a fist, pointed at Britecleff, just pointed. Then, he huffed and angrily went away.
Tempest came back, pursued by a near breathless Pyorin, "Will you just… slow down and listen to me?"
"Pyorin…"
Tempest flared, "I'm not interested in your excuses! Why can't you get that through your thick skull? And aren't we supposed to be working?"
"Tempest, will you please…"
Britecleff was the youngest of his rank, and some days it felt like he still had a lot to prove. The other men in his position were waiting with their recruits, all mostly in order, quietly chatting. Britecleff's area was beginning to look a lot like recess at kindergarten.
Britecleff flared, "Will you guys settle down!"
The trumpets sounded. The drumming began. Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner was announced and it echoed through the hall.
"Attention!"
Long lines of Highborne Farstriders and Magisters snapped to attention, fists to chests. Now that she was back among her own Sylvanas was in full armor, bow in hand, drifting gold cape. Any semblance of the woman enjoying downtime in another kingdom, or gossiping with her sister was gone.
Tempest shoved Pyorin for being so close to her. Pyorin was calm for half a moment before she shoved him again, and he fell on the floor, out of line.
"I swear to the Sun itself—will you two just shag and get it over with?! I'm tired of dealing with this!"
And of course, Sylvanas chose that moment to stroll by their section, eyes wide, and flanked by all his commanding officers. Thankfully, they kept going, but Britecleff's boss, Seargant Major Windemere, a usually fatherly-looking man with white bushy eyebrows and a beard, was suddenly very cross, red-faced, and dragging a finger across his neck to mime a slit throat.
When they were gone, Britecleff slowly turned angry eyes on Tempest and Pyorin, "Could you two possibly be the most incompetent Farstriders in existence?"
Advisor Sorn marched by next, looking furious with Britecleff. "Ranger-General Sylvanas!" he flagged her down before she went into the meeting room.
It was against ceremony, certainly, but the king's closest advisor could manage something like that.
Britecleff cussed to himself, "…Shit."
Clerk Blaize took the chance and ran over to the huddle with Sorn too, uninvited. Being clerical, he was potentially needed in every situation when Sylvanas and all her high officers were discussing something involving the military.
Britecleff set his teeth.
"Ho boy…" went Tempest.
"Commander, this doesn't look good for you at all."
Several looks went in Britecleff's direction.
"Well. It was a nice life while I lived it. Tell Lady Daphne… I'm glad she's leaving me so untouched, to finally die a virgin…"
"Uh… you're not a virgin, Commander." Pyorin narrowed eyes at him.
Britecleff's frown deepened, he muttered, "But she makes me feel like it…"
Tempest snorted laughter.
Sylvanas' emerald gloved raised, above the heads of Halduron Brightwing, Lorth'remar, Windemere, Blaize, and so many others. Sylvanas made eye contact with Britecleff, and beckoned.
Later, Sylvanas sat behind a desk in a spare office. "Spare", in the Sunspire, did not mean sparse or insignificant in any way. It was just less filled with carved marble and glittering chandeliers than the office Sylvanas normally used. Her other high-ranking officers waited for her there.
Sylvanas did not gesture for Sorn or for Britecleff to sit.
She folded her hands on the desk.
"A man, who is neither innocent, nor guilty, is currently making his home in the Sunspire Keep."
Neither Sorn nor Britecleff responded to this. They were both far too clever to do so.
"Can we make him so? One way or the other?"
"Doesn't his… actual standing come into it?" Britecleff worried.
"That depends. What is the evidence? What evidence do either of you have?"
Sorn became impatient, "I have a confession. So let's take it from there."
"Great. Let's see that signed confession." Sylvanas opened her hand, waited. She could be very intimidating in her own way. She hated to be dictated to, or rushed. Sylvanas was not a woman to mess with.
"Well, then." Sylvanas slowly curled each finger back into a fist. "We have nothing. Because Britecleff is also too afraid to go over what I already know about Lord Sunthraze. The only thing I care about right now, is that the people's faith in the Farstriders has been rocked. We cannot police or protect the very people who distrust us. Can we?"
Neither man answered.
"And I don't care what class they are, this is still an important issue."
Sorn began to say something in objection to that.
"Sorn—if this were a trial of some kind, class difference may make a difference, but right now, as the signs say, 'Sunthrazes Matter.' And speaking of hearings, the same man involved in the king's inquest, Barrister Lord Mageblade, who's so set to prove other nobles are regularly mistreated by the Sunstriders, just a few hours ago announced an offer to represent Sunthraze at his upcoming trial, saying it was a classic case of abuse by the military with no evidence to support any claim that Sunthraze is a spy or a menace to society. Halduron told me that. Lord Mageblade says that Sunthraze was a man at the wrong place, at the wrong time and we-we the Farstriders, and the royal Sunspire guard-we all mishandled it." Sylvanas stood, "And now, I have Clerk Blaize telling me that the queen herself was speaking to Sunthraze, so just how high up does this have to go before you two blockheads can set aside your pride, free the boy, and get back to work!"
Britecleff and Sorn both had an argument against what they were being accused of.
Sylvanas swept a hand in the air, "I don't have time for this! And as Thrall famously declares these days, I did not ask for this! Did I?"
"No, Ranger-General."
"No, my lady."
"Now. Who wants to release him? Someone's group has got to take the blame… you two sort it out among yourselves. Today."
Sorn got in Britecleff's way, as he headed toward the door, "My lady, the other matter…"
"Of course." Sylvanas sat again, then invited them both to sit as well. "Britecleff, I've been so perplexed by this other matter, I almost forgot about Sorn's emergency… there is a situation with Prince Kael'thas, and his mother's ring. Lady Jaina Proudmoore has it, don't ask me why, or how."
Britecleff got a sense Sylvanas was bluffing about that, in some way. She looked down, the way many people do when they're caught lying.
"Anyway, Sorn has a new letter from Lady Jaina, which reveals this has become a very sensitive matter, too sensitive for the king, in fact, and the queen—it could rip us out of the Alliance and we can't risk that. They will be informed, obviously, once we make good progress." Sylvanas turned to the older man in front of her, "Sorn, Britecleff makes good progress."
"Excuse me? My lady?"
"He is very good at recruiting new officers, he deals with our youngest Farstriders. Britecleff is very in touch with what youth go through these days, he deals with young men and women Prince Kael'thas' age all the time. He gets real results out of them. You say you've been… advised to gather a group of respectful young people to go and bring Kael'thas home, and safely. Remove him from Jaina's presence for the time being. Those people would have to be trained Farstriders, and young enough to get the situation, correct? So then, they would have to be chosen and supervised by our best recruitment officer."
"Like his two flying monkeys out there? The very ones who… colluded to have Lord Sunthraze arrested for treason in the first place?"
"Hey! You gave that order, not me."
Sylvanas folded her hands again, waited for the two men to quiet down.
Then, she said, "Work together."
Britecleff sneered, "He's an animal, I don't care whose advisor he is—I won't play by his rules, or this can't happen."
"How dare you—"
"Fine. We play by Britecleff's rules. But, when it comes time to… clean this up for the royal family to hear about our results, we play by Sorn's rules. Fair?"
Both men nodded.
"Now, can you assure me that someone, within the hour, will have a statement ready for the papers and have that Sunthraze boy back out on his Hawkstrider ranch… shoveling hay or whatever he's supposed to be doing instead of stirring up our entire civilization by his mere presence? I knew there were some administrative issues at the Garrison, that we will continue work to resolve, but this man who both the lower classes and the higher classes identify with, this whole situation is exposing us completely. I suppose in some ways, it was only a matter of time."
"Ranger-General… I think I might be able to kill two birds with one stone. So to speak."
Sorn folded hands over his ledger book. "This should be good. Well, go on. Hang yourself with your evident incompetence. You can't have thought of a solution, a real one, this fast."
"You'll never go and just… drag someone like Kael'thas out of Dalaran. Anasterian wouldn't even try that. We have to get Kael'thas to come to us. We need someone who is already, or who can become Kael'thas' friend, to tempt him out. Not to make it sound so…"
"Like bait." Sylvanas clarified.
Sorn wondered, "An infiltrator? In Dalaran? Well, mostly anyone we might possibly use has graduated and gone home already. And most of them are Humans, who don't appreciate our prince, I have to admit."
"No." Britecleff leaned in, "One man. Two names."
"Oh gods, not him—"
"The double Sunthraze." Sylanas smiled.
"I know my military history. I know that boy is supposed to be one of us, but he isn't… I wanted to work on him anyway. And… there are other reasons, Sylvanas."
Sorn objected, "I want to hear all of them, because, as I said, I have it on good authority that Sunthraze is a spy!"
"So? We make him a double agent. He's turned once, we'll just turn him again. It's almost easier to recruit a spy that way." Sylvanas shrugged, "And at that, I've read the charges, they're pretty flimsy, as I already warned both of you."
"Sunthraze already has a connection to the Sunstriders. Second, he has every right to be in the Farstriders, like I said—and more than that, Sylvanas… I'm almost totally sure he's a little obsessed with Kael'thas at the moment. A few accounts, from my own soldiers who have watched him very closely all this time—two who were recently promoted, even…"
Sorn rolled his eyes, "Oh come on. We all know who you're talking about. And I'm interested to know how they both got promoted in the middle of this mess."
"…Kael'thas is Sunthraze's undu'diel. And I really think Sunthraze believes it."
Sorn was astounded, "What nonsense is this? I can't believe I'm hearing this. That is an old and completely bankrupt concept as far as I'm concerned! That's practically from the time of Dath'remar!"
Sylvanas smiled at Britecleff, "It's effective when implemented well, and the Farstriders have done it successfully before. In fact… I, myself, am making good use of it now. In another matter."
Sorn got up and went to the door. "I can see this is the best deal I'll get out of the Farstriders, and I don't have any more time to waste when you all clearly have your own agenda… I am going to write up a release contract that ties Sunthraze up so tight he can't betray us even if we ask him to do it… I hope you both know what you're taking on. Two kingdoms depend on it! And if the Humans ever hear this is how we went about it… I will be personally pointing vengeful Prince Arthas Menethil himself in your direction, Britecleff!"
Sorn then left.
Sylvanas came around the desk on her way out. "Do you think… we might possibly encourage an engagement between Kael'thas and Jaina? I mean, if that's what the prince wants most of all, and then we do need a firm alliance with the Humans. You could include that. In your work?
"But I thought the objective was to get Kael'thas and Jaina apart."
"Yes, at first, I did think the solution might be to separate the two of them as Sorn suggested. But, between the two of us, Britecleff… if we let nature take its course and we let those two, you know… Helped him keep things together? It seems cruel to break them apart just because 'Sorn says.' You may need to bait them both out of Dalaran, together anyway, I mean. Kael'thas wouldn't come out so easily without her."
"I… I suppose I can see that." But Britecleff was studying Sylvanas again. Her eyes, mostly.
Sylvanas reached in and shook Britecleff's hand briskly, "Anway, well done."
"Please congratulate yourself. I thank you for accepting my idea. A lot of experienced officers don't take me so seriously."
"… Oh, I do congratulate myself on always arranging things so well. I do."