New chapter up. Sorry for the delay. Life has been busy, as of late.
Anduin wandered through the halls of the Keep, satisfied with his day, but still feeling off. He was taking the long way to his dining room, which allowed him a chance to reflect.
Kenya had agreed to head the peace talks in Kalimdor and had been gone for nearly four months. He received weekly letters from her, detailing the progress made during the talks on her end, along with many personal details about what she was doing outside of the formal negotiations. She seemed to be doing well. Her spirits were high and she was enjoying getting a chance to spend time with Malfurion and Tyrande. She even mentioned that Shandris Feathermoon, the night elf leader's adoptive daughter, had joined her at the camp where the talks were taking place.
It made Anduin happy to hear Kenya was enjoying her time away, but he still missed her. Even though he was surrounded by people, the keep still felt lonely without Kenya's presence.
True to his promise, Anduin was still meeting young women supplied by both Kenya and Jaina. They seemed to be working together on the effort. He was keeping his promise to Kenya by having at least one meeting with each woman, but he'd yet to find one which warranted a second meeting.
Sure, all the women were pretty. Some were highly intelligent, others were strong. To be honest, the women in his life were finding a very vast variety of possible brides, but none of them felt right. Anduin hated to disappoint Kenya and Jaina, but he wasn't willing to compromise his heart, just to make them happy. He doubted they'd want him to.
Anduin arrived at his dining room, but kept walking, deciding to head to his chambers instead. There was still a couple of hours before dinner and he was tired. A nap sounded like a good idea. Who knew that working towards peace, though considerably safer, would be just as exhausting as riding into war.
Genn Greymane found Jaina waiting for him at their predetermined meeting spot in a secluded section just outside the city.
The two advisors had been meeting privately once or twice a month, mainly to discuss their young king. They both respected him, of course, but Anduin was still very young. He relied on his advisors to help guide him as he learned how to actually be a king. The young man had seen his father in the role, but Varian hadn't always been the greatest example. Jaina and Genn both wished for Anduin to be a good king and they'd do whatever was necessary to make it happen. To help with this, they liked to be on the same page with their advice.
"I see the peace talks didn't run over today." Genn said, sitting next to Jaina on the bench where she sat. They were in an open area, next to a pond. If anyone tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, they'd both know it fairly quickly.
"No, things went more smoothly today. In some ways, working out a peace with the Horde is proving harder than fighting them." Jaina said lightly.
"It's probably a good thing I bowed out of them. Peace talks are for the young and open minded. I've seen too much to be objective anymore."
"You and I both, but we both know peace is the best thing for the Alliance and the Horde. This world needs peace right now." Jaina smiled at Genn. "I'm sure there are other things on your mind than the talks. You wouldn't have asked to meet with me outside our normal schedule otherwise."
"I hear you and the queen are still working to help find Anduin a wife, with no success."
Jaina huffed in frustration, confirming Genn's inquiry.
"I love Anduin dearly, but he can be just as frustrating as his father when he gets something into his head."
"I actually have an idea on that subject. We both know Anduin will not marry someone he doesn't love and he's terrible at going out and meeting women. He's young, which gives him a bit of a pass, but he still needs to find someone, sooner rather than later. I've been listening to people around the city and one idea is being passed around quite a bit. What about Kenya?"
"What about her?" Jaina asked, then her eyes widened. "You mean, why doesn't Anduin marry Kenya?"
"That's the thought. I mean, she's only a few years older than him."
"She's his stepmother, Genn."
Genn scoffed. "You and I both know he's never thought of her as a mother of any kind. They've always just been friends in each other's eyes. Good friends. That's more than most royal betrothals have at the beginning."
Jaina sat quietly for a moment. "True, but…it would be terribly awkward."
Genn nodded his agreement. "Most likely, but if they can get past all that, I think they could make a very handsome royal couple."
"Have you brought this up to either of them?"
"No. I wanted to get your thoughts on the idea first."
Jaina sighed, thinking. "It's not an unreasonable idea, I suppose, but I'm not sure how Anduin will respond to it."
"He's known Kenya for a long time now and they met when he was still fairly young. Speaking as someone who used to be a young man, there had to be at least a point in time when he'd potentially thought of her in that way, even if it was just a fleeting thought. I think this match could be very good for the Alliance and the Wrynn bloodline."
"People did think when Kenya first arrived that she was here for Anduin, not Varian himself. It makes a certain amount of sense, I guess." Jaina had to admit.
"I'm having dinner with His Majesty this evening. I was planning on bringing up the subject to him and letting him decide if the idea was even possible. He can bring it to the queen, if he wishes."
Jaina shrugged. It was a very non-Jaina like movement. "We're not getting anywhere the traditional way. It's worth a try."
Genn was already in the dining room when Anduin arrived. He'd had a nice nap after returning to his chambers and was ready to sit with the older king. He liked Genn well enough, but the man was gruff, had a bit of a temper thanks to his worgan side and sometimes tended to treat Anduin as a child, rather than a king.
Genn stood and bowed slightly. "How are you holding up, Your Majesty?"
"As it pertains to the peace talks, or something else?" Anduin asked, taking a seat at the table. Genn sat back down.
"I was referring to the talks, but I guess the question can apply to everything in general, as well."
"The talks are exhausting, but I think they're going well. At least this is something I know how to do. Fighting was never one of my strengths."
Genn chuckled. "Don't sell yourself short, Your Majesty. I was right by your side for most of those battles and you handled yourself just fine. You're a Wrynn. Like it or not, war is in your blood."
"Let's hope peace is also in my blood." Anduin added.
Genn was being generous when he said Anduin had been just fine in battle. War might have been in his blood and he was reasonably good at it, but he didn't like fighting. He didn't like watching his soldiers get hurt and die around him. It was handy that he was a healer and many Alliance soldiers were still alive thanks to their king's ability to heal on the battlefield, but that fact only slightly lessened Anduin's discomfort.
"I'll never be a fighter like Father." Anduin said softly.
Genn clapped a hand on Anduin's shoulder. "Your father, Light rest is soul, never got a chance to be a man of peace. He was the kind of king the world required at the time. Let's hope you're never required to be a fighter like Varian."
"Well, so far, so good, I guess." Anduin said.
The two men ate quietly for several minutes. It seemed like the older man wanted to talk about something specific, but was hesitating. Anduin had a good idea about the topic. Genn hadn't been as open as Kenya and Jaina about his single status, but he did ask about Anduin's prospects from time to time.
Anduin knew Genn wasn't overly comfortable with conversations of a personal nature, even with his own family, so this next topic of conversation was going to be awkward for him. Probably for both of them.
"I know you have something on your mind, Genn. Just talk to me."
"I was just curious how your search for a wife was coming along. I know Kenya and Jaina have both been working overtime to find you possible options."
Anduin sighed very loudly. In this instance, he hated being right.
"I haven't found anyone I'm interested in yet."
"Maybe if you went out more?"
Anduin scoffed. "With what time? These peace talks are taking up most of my waking hours."
Genn nodded. "True, but you said it yourself, things are going well. Things are bound to slow down soon, which means you'll have time for this. I know peace is important, but so is your future and the future of your bloodline."
"I wish people would stop reminding me about my bloodline. Do you really think me being the last of my family isn't weighing on me? It's a burden I'm very much aware of, I just won't marry any woman with a pretty smile."
"I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Anduin. I actually have a possible solution to the problem we've all missed."
This piqued Anduin's interest, though he was fairly sure he knew where the man was heading. "What solution? If you're talking about Tess…"
Genn held up a hand. "I'm not talking about Tess. She's already made it abundantly clear that even though she likes you well enough, she has no interest in being a queen, to anyone, ever. She was very very clear on the topic."
Anduin had to laugh. The topic of a union between Anduin and Tess Greymane came up shortly after he took the throne. Tess was only a few years older than Anduin and they were fairly well acquainted with each other, but Tess had aspirations in life which didn't include being a queen. This was going to be a complication in Genn's life when the topic of a secession for the gilean throne came up, since she was his only living child, but that was a battle for another day.
"I was talking about Kenya."
Anduin's smile faded and his mouth dropped open. That was one name he was not expecting to hear.
"You're saying I should marry Kenya? Genn, she's my stepmother."
"Have you ever thought of her as your stepmother? Or any kind of mother figure at all, since you've known her?"
Anduin thought about the question and realized the answer was no. Kenya was too young to be a mother to him, in any way. A few times she called her 'mom', just as a joke, but they didn't have a parent/child relationship, even after she married Varian and officially became queen. Most parenting situations came from Varian, when they were required.
"No, I suppose not."
"She's only five years older than you. She's beautiful, strong and independent. She's already very well liked by just about everyone and she already knows how to be a queen. And, the most important part, you love her."
"As a friend." Anduin added.
"Yes, but that kind of love can easily evolve into something more. Look, Anduin, I know this might be a bit awkward for everyone, at first, but I honestly think this might be a viable option for you."
"Has anyone brought this idea to Kenya yet?" Anduin asked.
"No. I figured if you didn't think the idea was even feasible, there was no point in ever bringing it up to Kenya. I'll leave that decision up to you. I just wanted to point out the option, since I've heard it talked about around Stormwind as of late."
"So, the people of Stormwind like the idea of me marrying Kenya?"
"Like it or hate it, everyone seems to think it makes sense."
Anduin nodded, deep in thought. It had never crossed his mind that Kenya might be a viable option for his wife. All the things about her that Genn had pointed out were true. She was about his age, she had all the qualities he was looking for in a spouse and she was already a queen. And, if he were being honest with himself, he did find her attractive and had, once or twice when he'd first met her, imagined what it would be like to be with her. The problem was, he hadn't thought of her in such a way for years. Not since before she married his father. He wasn't even sure he could still think of her as anything more than her father's wife and his friend.
"I'll think about it."
"Good. I think the two of you would make a good match, but then, I'm not the one who would need to live with the decision. It really doesn't matter what I think or anyone else in Stormwind. At the end of the day, it's your life. If you think the idea has merit, bring it up to Kenya. If not, forget I even said anything."
To Be Continued...
