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.
Note: Oh my… if you know these characters already, this is a really nice slice of nostalgia. Seeing them way back when. D'aaw…
Chapter 18: Dangerous Frilly Dress
Lady Saturna Mageblade, Queen of the Blood Elves, Matriarch of the Bloodknights and feared leader of the Knights of the Blood Nexus, especially, and fated to be Kael'thas Sunstrider's greatest obsession, was, back then, a young woman leaning coyly on the palace garden wall when Fennore first met her. Saturna knew that she was framed by white roses as she sweetly folded hands behind her back and shared a special smile with the handsome gentleman who everyone said was a personal 'friend' to the Human royalty of the moment, Prince Arthas Menethil.
Fennore had been going the other way, to get ready for his next lecture for Queen Celestia and her court. But when he saw Saturna's smile and her eyes definitely studying him, he came right over. He thought through a few impressionable things to say, but in the end, he couldn't resist the young lady's mood. Fennore folded hands behind his back about as neatly as she was doing and he also rocked back and on his heels with girlish mischief.
Saturna gave in too, and just laughed up at him. They smiled together for a moment.
"I believe we've met before?"
"Oh no we haven't. Not unless you went to my school or lived a few doors down from my bedroom."
Fennore went red. If there was a joke he didn't understand it. "Excuse me…?"
"That old line. Why do men always say that when you'd practically have to have been in my shadow all the way up from the nursery in order to know me by this point."
"Would I have?" Fennore resumed mimicking her. Now, Saturna was twining back and forth. She stopped, then clasped hands sweetly in front of her skirt. Fennore realized he couldn't actually reproduce that and not look totally strange, so he relaxed and spread his feet evenly. He fit one hand casually into his pocket.
"I was only presented this morning, sir. They were giving me a tour around court, but I decided to sneak away." She leaned forward in her white dress, "It was boring, Lord Hollowmare."
Fennore stepped around gently, to lean on the garden wall beside her. He was afraid of smiling too much. This cute little kitten he'd found was young, very sweet. Now he wasn't so sure what they were doing, so he decided to just be friendly. Fennore shrugged happily, suddenly at a loss for words.
"I'm Lady Saturna Mageblade."
Fennore hurried to fish his hand back out of his pocket, "I'm no lord," he blushed, "Knight Fennore Hollowmare." Then he winced, "Actually, I work with knights. I'm just a healer, you see."
"Well, I guessed right, then."
"You guessed?"
"That I have seen you somewhere before."
Fennore blinked, tried to fight down his smile again, "Are you, um, using that line on me?" He already felt like he was in heaven.
Saturna turned and rested her shoulder on the wall. She didn't look at him, exactly. She eyed the flowers all around them, hanging down. When he did eventually get it, she laughed beautifully.
"Oh! Here…" Fennore got his pocket knife from his boot—a flash of blade and silver that made her gasp-then carefuly tugged down a beautiful bloom. He cut a pair of full, white-gold roses for her, then bowed elegantly.
Saturna wouldn't take them. "Would you put them in my hair for me? I wouldn't know if they looked alright."
She was good. Fennore still wasn't sure what was going on, at all. But he knew she was good. Or she could be, if she did want something romantic from him. But something about all this was dangerous or… not creepy. Inappropriate, maybe? He'd never dare admit after such thoughts that this was fun. What was the very appropriate way of saying it when it came to a lady? She was very pretty and very kind, charming. He was just caught up in Lady Saturna's spell. And now, he was so afraid to break it. Fennore stepped closer and then attempted to fit the green stem just above the girl's ear.
"No, not there." She winked, and felt his hand, lifted it. Saturna wanted the flower set at the back of her hair, in her delicate bun.
They finished with Saturna holding his hand.
Fennore said, "I don't know why I keep laughing, and I'm smiling like a fool, aren't I?"
"You're doing fine." She winked, as if he was the one who had just got presented into the adult world of romance and courtly games.
"I thought I would muss your hair."
"But you didn't." Saturna maintained careful eye contact with him through it all. "You did so well."
They were sitting on the grass, together. White rose petals were everywhere. Fennore looked around, wondered when that happened. Only a moment ago they were standing, batting words and eyelashes about. Now they were cozied up on the lawn.
Saturna relaxed and played with a loose, coiled slip of hair at the back of her fancy do.
Fennore didn't mean to stare, he said politely, when he realized he hadn't said anything in a while. It was like the world was in a mist around them. Saturna sat up and re-arranged her skirt. She was nervous, too.
Finally, she showed her fear. She wasn't sure what to do with her hands. "I admit, I don't know what to do after this part."
Fennore wasn't exactly listening anymore. So, this was seduction. She'd slipped up against him like a viper, really. He'd been terrified that she was too young—but of course not, she just said she'd been presented at court. Or, he was concerned she might be offended, but yet, she'd spun her web so prettily all the while and had invited him in it. Then another set of thoughts consumed him. Fennore wanted to kiss her. He already knew that he couldn't.
Saturna put a hand on his arm, snuggled up to him anyway.
"…I see." He said. "I finally understand. You were practicing on me." The game of love and flirting and courtly life. It was an elaborate dance. A test flight from the nest, to the next branch. The very first branch, for her. Then he was embarassed, he didn't mean it to sound so loving. But it was her, making him feel so gentle. She'd buttered him right up.
Saturna looked over, "You're not angry? I heard that was alright to do."
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, because there are plenty of nice people at court as well. But my dear, I think you were lied to." He laughed through his nose and patted her hand, "Probably by a rival who wanted you to scandalize yourself."
Saturna sat up, startled. She looked out into the garden, but really, she must have been recalling names, faces, overly-friendly conversations until she would have pegged the very woman on her tour who had set her up for failure. Then, her brow knit. Her faintly rose-tinted lips stretched until she showed teeth. And one small, pearl-like canine.
"What are you going to do, run her through with a sword? You look as if you might."
Saturna didn't laugh.
"You're fine." Fennore gave her a friendly hug, "You're perfect. Just don't ever, ever speak with a man here at the palace like that again. Unless you, well… want to run off into the roses with him." Fennore pinched up a few flower petals, then released them over her head. Saturna covered her face with a hand, then hid against Fennore's arm as they shimmered down.
Fennore got to his feet and offered a hand down to the put out Saturna. That girl could certainly summon menace into her features if she needed it!
Fennore gestured again, "Shall I walk you back? Coming in with the speaker for the afternoon's lecture should impress them. We'll say that I got lost in the library, then wandered outside, but you were so wonderful for finding me. I was in the library a little while ago, anyway. I was seen by the guards and everything. So nothing could be more respectable."
Saturna got to her feet, then looked down at herself and dusted off her white dress. She took a slow breath and nodded.
"So…" Fennore tried to keep the pleasantries going to keep Saturna calm. He made up his mind to douse his excited feelings from before, but now she was the one struggling with anger that looked like it might boil over. "What is the aim of the Mageblades, this season? What is your great goal here at the Sunspire, Saturna, now that you've been presented? You must be looking forward to meeting the cream of society, going to balls, the opera, and dancing…"
"They tore my dress earlier. It got stuck on a nail, I didn't even know there was a nail coming out of the wood paneling, back in the hallway. They also lied to me and said everyone was going to the solarium, and then I got stuck outside. I'm allergic to cats, they found Queen Celestia's royal blue shorthair and dumped it in my lap! And what did I do? Of course I threw it across the room, screaming before I knew whose cat it was!"
"Ugh, is that how the other presented girls act? That's awful. I'm so sorry—"
"I'm the catch of the season and they all know it. I'll make sure they know it soon. How oculd they?" her voice soared, and she sounded like she could get hysterical, "How DARE they?!"
"Eheh… They'll be hearing us, soon, you know." They were coming close to the wall with many stained glass windows, the stone cherubs and fine people seated inside. This felt eerily familiar. When was the last time he walked someone back from the palace gardens, the beautiful gardens, but that individual almost boiling with pent-up rage. Pyorin. Fennore thought back to how strange that was, how strange Pyorin himself was, and the advice he'd given. Unclog. Feel compassion for someone, fight for what he thought was right. But the person walking beside him now was some heiress. Surely, in time, whether she was impressive or not, some besotted noble or the years passing by, or parents, would converge and get her into a marriage whether she was ready or good at choosing a suitor or not. Her life would be easy. However, the girl was restless.
That feeling, that young Lady Saturna Mageblade needed a priest to talk to, it edged at his instinct. On that day, Fennore knew that Saturna was in some trouble before he really ever knew her.
Fennore could also see his lecture podium set up and everyone in their seats, waiting. Déjà vu, a sign, something from above was definitely afoot. And Fennore rarely questioned the ways of the Light when it working like this. But still, he was afraid to offer advice unsolicited, "Also," he tried to whisper, "Lady Mageblade, I'm afraid the queen's just inside." Perhaps if he took the chance and just asked her gently…
Saturna then made a grand eruption, "That is it! I've had it! Prince Kael'thas is mine!"
Then, they went through the doors. Several people had heard and were staring at the two of them. Fennore flushed, gave the excuse he promised to the young woman, that they innocently met after he left the library, then Fennore approached the podium. Saturna tripped along a few steps before unlatching from him. She had angrily dug her nails into Fennore's sleeve.
Saturna later flounced down in a seat at the back, huffed and crossed her arms. A few other young ladies across the aisle were fanning themselves, giggling. All of them had matching red flowers in their hair. Saturna was stuck in white. Evidently, Saturna's rivals.
Fennore winced, bowed to the room, then properly took his place.
"Void walkers can be very useful, beyond protection purposes. Did you know that many fertility concerns can be resolved with regular applications of void magic? Men are often readily trained as warlocks. But, ah! How do you get more women together with creatures of the void? One would think the tentacles would be prohibitive, but in a recent Stormwind clinical study—one hailed by Alleria Windrunner, curiously… Anyway, they found many women are actually incentivized by tentacles, believe it or not…"
If you have the stomach to listen to more, then feel free to. (Or roll a Void Elf.) But as for the actual story, we're moving on…
And so the day that the news broke started like any other. The weather was pleasant, to start off. The Sunspire was even more pleasant than usual, aside from young Lady Saturna Whiteblade coming into court looking she'd stumbled thorugh some hedges, and with that weird lecturer from Stormwind too, shouting that she wanted Prince Kael'thas. For some, especially the vicitims of gossip, the palace could feel foreign and intimidating, full of beaurocrat's wives and the playboys who had enough time to attend on them mid-day. And filled with the usual courtiers and hangers-on, and the guards like Pyorin who were there to oversee the aristocrats getting exactly what they wanted. Cakes with honey and cream, fruit that would spoil in the sun streaming through the windows, because everyone was after the real tea-time treats. That, with all the warm gold undertones and the red, plush furniture, made the air seem more close than usual. And that made things seem cozy for others, the ones blessed to enjoy. And so Fennore had succeeded at putting more than a few people to sleep with his lecture, while others would always be on some level, afraid for themselves. Constantly wide awake.
Saturna rudely got up in the middle of things and went to pour herself some punch. She let her arms hang to the side and her skirts rustled all through her dragging her feet to the other end of the room. She was followed by more snickering from the red-rose girls. A server got there before Saturna could, and ladled the ruby liquid into a finely cut glass.
Fennore's eyes followed her as he spoke. When Saturna turned around again, she saw that several of the men in the room were watching her, too.
Fennore adjusted his cravat gently, then cleared his throat, "…And this was quoted directly from Alleria, 'When it comes to comfortable conception and a safe, healthy birth? Give me tentacles, or give me death— ' "
Saturna spat out her punch, with shock. It sprayed a few people seated closeby. Then Saturna couldn't stop laughing. She'd got red punch all over the front of her dress, too. She had been angry and sullen, then amused, finally ashamed. Saturna rushed from the room.
Pyorin, being ever Pyorin, peeled off and followed her. It was how they both heard the big news straight from the king himseslf.
"Celestia!"
Pyorin had hardly introduced himself to the pretty girl with the ruined white dress. And then suddenly he was desperate to have Saturna hide behind a set of columns with him. Saturna knew King Anasterian's voice, she didn't resist Pyorin for long.
"How DARE you do this to me! You and your petty, harpy friends have finally gone too far…" Anasterian was walking from one room, through the hallway, and into another. How had the queen escaped from the lecture unnoticed? Celestia had her ways, and she wasn't going to be embarrassed in front of her guests.
Pyorin raised up when it was over, "That was close. Here, let's get back inside."
Saturna followed, but then she didn't. Pyorin wheeled around when he heard that loud dress of hers rustling in the direction of Celestia's private sitting room. Saturna knew a lot more about the inner workings of the palace than she should have. She knew that Anasterian's final destination could only have been rooms away, and up a flight of stairs. Pyorin chased Saturna partway there.
"Are you crazy?!" Pyorin grabbed her.
Saturna looked at Pyorin like he was the mad one, "It's a scandal, isn't it? So we need to know about it."
"No, you don't!"
"I made an ass of myself. You go back if you want to, but I know how the Court of the Sun works. I need anything to bargain with unless I want to get… shipped back home."
"For spilling punch on your dress?"
"For throwing Celestia's cat into her glass perfume bottles, for letting the pervert lecturer… fondle my hair in the garden, for spitting red punch on the consul's son just now? It's getting to be a really long list! Please, let me do this. All I need is to hear a few words. You know I'm not a spy, I'm far too… silly and nervewrecked today to be anywhere near it, Ranger Pyro."
She was sweet, she really was. Poor thing. This girl could also be a bit fun, with those large, pleading almond eyes…
"It's Pyorin." Then, he swore under his breath, "Alright, but I know where all the guards are." He took her hand and they walked more normally. When they came to a pair of Sunspire Guards, Pyorin slipped an arm around Saturna's waist and hastened her on. She got it immediately and started giggling, as if they were trying to run off somewhere together.
As soon as they were clear, Saturna pulled ahead and dragged Pyorin along. He got annoyed after she ran up the stairs ahead of him, then tried to take the lead back. However they got there, they were soon standing together, backs against the wall, nearby Celestia's private sitting room.
Saturna had been right. All they had needed to do was listen.
"What's all this?" Anasterian was saying. "There's glass all over this side. Some of these antique bottles I got you go as far back as Suramar, Celestia."
"Oh. A stupid girl threw my Mr. Pheebs earlier. One of the new debutantes. I'll soon find out who, and wring her silly little neck!"
Saturna looked pitifully up at Pyorin. He put a finger to his lips, pointed for Saturna to remain calm and resume listening.
Anasterian grunted, "Look at this headline…" and when Celestia snerked at first glance, "It's not funny, Celestia. Sorn is practically apoplectic, as we all should be. You'd better read the whole thing."
"I'm missing one of Priest Hollowmare's famous lectures as it is. I think I'll end his stay by proving he has a black imagination and has been making up about eighty percent of his so-called research as a backhanded way to insult certain Stormwind leaders… I swear, that shifty Prince Arthas will surely be his finale. Darling, you should come to that one, you'll like it. I'll sign you up."
The newspaper crinkled as Queen Celestia continued to read on to the next page, and re-folded it. Anasterian was pacing. Even posh floorboards can creak beneath the carpets.
Saturna crept closer. She must have assumed that their voices had become too low now to hear. Pyorin swept a hand down his face, anxiously, then stepped after her. This girl was trouble on wheels, really! Pyorin reached over and tapped her hip, which was nearest him.
She winked and wiggled it, "You're cute, too."
Pyorin was shocked, "Don't tease me like that. This is hardly the time!"
"Shh!"
They shouldn't have bothered getting as close to the doorframe as they dared. The explosive yelling was very easy to hear once it started.
Then, after the initial thunder abated, Celestia sounded crestfallen. "Anasterian… are you sure this isn't some joke?"
"Why would I want the world to know I couldn't bear to give away Anthene's ring? Not then, and not after all this time? And there's a lot of nasty talk about that ring to begin with." Then, perhaps self-consciously, Anasterian put in, "It is not a morbid piece of jewelry."
Saturna mouthed to Pyorin, "What does that mean?"
He knew. It was obvious now that he knew more than he should. Saturna studied his face, then all air of mischief faded.
Celestia's voice rose, with heat, "And why would I want anyone to know that my husband still manages to be a selfish, cheap bastard, eventhough he owns all of Quel'thalas—"
"Celestia…"
"Do you really think I put someone up to this? Is that what you thought, why you came running up here?"
"You TOLD someone! Recently, you went around insulting me, didn't you? You got drunk, your usual, and complained about how I am, and how much you wished you had the real ring."
"I am not stupid, Anasterian!"
"Is this what you want? For the public to refer to me as a 'necrophiliac!' So in love with his dead wife that he can't even think clearly, can hardly make any real decisions…"
"No, it'd be those crazed vampire teeth you had put in." Celestia then quickly recanted. Anasterian must have given her a severe look, "Look, I'm sorry for that crack, but isn't this really the fault of the newspaper and your agents, for letting something like this escape the censors?"
"Do you want the entire monarchy to fail, with stunts like this one? Celestia, do you truly hate me, beneath everything, this much! And what will this kind of news do to Kael'thas?"
"Kael'thas, Kael'thas, Kael'thas! You always make it about him. If it's not your dead ex-wife who no woman could ever live up to, then it's her flesh and blood living on in that failure of a man-child you sired."
"Don't speak about my family like that."
"Your family? It's my family, too. A son of my own would have been far more successful. Kael'thas is a disgusting being who sleeps with demons and worse—"
Anasterian slapped her for saying so.
Pyorin pulled on Saturna's dress this time. He nodded that it was time to go.
When they got back to the lecture room, Fennore was waiting just outside. He looked worried.
"…Ah." Fennore eyed Saturna and Pyorin together, who were looking conspiratorial anyway.
Saturna was too tired to make any cover ups, "I should change."
"Oh? Should she?" Fennore snottily returned.
Saturna got away from the two men, who were beginning to size each other up.
Pyorin took Fennore aside, they walked down the hall some ways. "I think I might have made a mistake. Can I talk to you about something? In fact, I think I need to bring you in on it. I don't really have anyone I can trust to back me up and it's starting to feel like it's getting out of control." He pleaded, "You were so helpful the last time. Fennore, if you go in on this with me, we might be able to fix it so that you can stay here, after your lecture is over. Everyone would owe you."
Fennore put a fist on his hip. Then, he dropped it. "I dunno why I'm so mad, anyway. I made up my mind that she's too young for me."
"I'm not talking about Lady Mageblade. I hardly even know her, and, honestly, nothing happened."
"Oh?"
"I'm talking about… Celestia."
"Ho gods." Fennore looked appalled, but then he smirked, "The woman who keeps heckling me in her own castle? The unqueenly queen I can do nothing about? I'm in."
The future Saturna Whiteblade Blaize Sunstrider, as you know, would be the sort to sneak around and listen to this rumor too. She was getting very good at getting around that loud frilly dress of hers.