Varian

I was able to tell Anduin I'd be back, right before Vala passed out. I'd seen her start to waver almost at the same time as a young woman looked into the mirror. I didn't know the girl, but moments after her reflection disappeared, it was replaced by that of my son. I'd never been so happy to see someone in my entire life. Vala's idea had worked.

Anduin couldn't actually hear what I said and I couldn't hear him, but with any luck, he could read lips enough to get my meaning. If not, he'd still probably take the mirror to Jaina. No doubt he wouldn't believe the person in the mirror was me, but this was a start. A trail had been established I knew my son would follow.

When the mirror returned to my own reflection, I gently placed it down and knelt next to Vala. She was out cold. She knew we'd made contact with an actual living person, so she was unwilling to stop the connection until her body forced her to stop.

I picked her up and carried her over to her bed, placing her gently on top of her blanket. I was exhausted too, but was also too excited to actually sleep. I kinda envied Vala for her forced unconscious state. I sat quietly for almost an hour, keeping a silent vigil over Vala and just thinking. Mostly about my son. I hadn't seen much of him, but it looked like he was well. It made me feel better knowing he was still alive. Part of me had been concerned, since Anduin wasn't a man of war and war was exactly what I'd left behind for him.

A couple of hours later, Vala woke up with a low groan. I went to the pitcher, pouring some water into one of the goblets we'd acquired at the same time as our hand mirror. I handed it down to Vala, then took a seat next to her.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I have a hangover." She replied, taking the water I offered, downing it in one go. She handed the goblet back and I refilled it.

"How would you know about hangovers? You were fifteen when you landed here. Did you do a lot of heavy drinking in your youth?"

Vala laughed. "Not a lot, but some. Mostly when I was about fourteen, around the time when I started apprenticing in Dalaran. I was in a new city, away from my parents for the first time." She shrugged. "I tried a few things. I learned early it didn't take much to have a hangover the next morning."

I shook my head with a chuckle. "You were a real juvenile delinquent, weren't you?"

"Stop giving me a hard time, your Royalness, and tell me how the connection went? I was too focused to hear the entire interaction."

"It worked exactly as you'd hoped. At first the mirror on the other end was picked up by a young woman I didn't know, then moments later my son looked into it. I told him to take the mirror to Jaina and that I'd be back. Even if he didn't believe it was me and didn't understand what I was asking him to do, he'll still take the mirror to his aunt. The next time that mirror connects, I bet we won't need to wait very long for someone to see me."

Vala sighed deeply. "We might actually figure out how to get out of here. I might be supplying the power, but you're supplying the presence. Now comes the hard part. We need to convince your son you are who you say you are, then figure out a way for them to find us. If that's even possible."

"I've been thinking about that while you were sleeping. I'm sure they'll ask me to tell Anduin something only he knows."

"Do you have something in mind?" She asked me.

"Yes. Several things. Not all of them are good."

Vala shrugged again. "Good, bad, it makes no difference. He just needs to believe you're alive. You said you didn't know the woman who first looked in the mirror. I wonder who she is."

"If it's been over a year in their time, she's probably a betrothed, if not a wife. Anduin is young, but he has no other siblings and no other blood relations. He was no doubt pushed to marry fairly quickly. I'd tried to introduce him to possible wives before I got myself killed. My son is under the impression he needed to love a woman before agreeing to marry her."

Vala cocked her head to the side. "Isn't that usually how it goes?"

"No, not with royals. We're usually betrothed to someone we barely even know. I've been more lenient with Anduin, holding out on actually forcing him to get betrothed until he agreed on the girl, but he's stubborn."

"Sounds like someone I know." Vala grinned broadly at me. "It also sounds like he's a romantic to me."

"Something like that." I looked up a Vala. She was coming around nicely, though I could tell she was still tired. "I loved my wife Tiffin deeply, even though I barely knew her when we married. I'll never regret marrying her. Regardless of how they meet, I just hope Anduin can find someone he loves just as much as I loved his mother."

Vala placed a hand on my arm. "With any luck, you'll find out for yourself very soon."


To Be Continued...