The one thing Sapphire had not missed from Icecrown was the food. In the depths of Icecrown, the kitchen that served the few living that inhabited the Citadel, was as simplistic and dark as ever. It was meant to just cook food that allowed the cultists to continue living. There was no comfort in Icecrown. Nothing like Lethumo enjoyed could be replicated in this basic place. Marwyn had found quite a few cans and packages of food that been frozen and remained unspoiled from years of neglect. Together with a fire and pot, Marwyn mananged to cook Sapphire a sort of stew.
While he prepared the food, Sapphire sat and talked all about what had happened to her in the years away from him. She spoke of the shipwreck, of being rescued by Volugg, and encountering Arthas. The mention of Gorak Tul and Adalger caused Marwyn to scowl darkly. She spoke of Grendel and Greenstalker. As soon as the food was done, Marwyn produced a bowl of it for the girl and held it out, suddenly looking morose.
"Sorry I didn't plan ahead. I should have hunted at least a rabbit."
Sapphire took the bowl of stew. "It's okay! I'm not picky."
She then ate the stew without complaint. It was not the worst food she had consumed. She took a few bites and started to go into detail of meeting Lethumo and living in Stormwind. Marwyn never interrupted her and patiently listened to every word. That had always been what Sapphire loved most about him. He acted like her description of Lethumo's apartment as the most vital information he had ever heard.
"So this Lethumo found out about Arthas's identity and...didn't tell anyone? Was he part of the Cult of the Damned or something."
Sapphire shook her head. "Oh no, definitely not. No, he liked Arthas. Liked like you and Falric like each other."
Marwyn raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's hard to believe."
"It's true! He told me one time when he had too much expired grape juice," Sapphire stated matter of factly.
The deathknight suddenly smirked leaning across the table. "Grape juice. Okay, Sapphire, I believe you. Despite your growth spurt and new experiences, some things never change. You are still the cute fragile snowflake I remember. And just as harmless if I'm hearing correctly."
Sapphire's smile faded and she put the bowl down, unable to look Marwyn in the eye.
"No, I'm not harmless. Marwyn, I need to tell you-"
Before she could even begin, Falric suddenly burst into the room. He looked around and when he saw them, he strode over to them with purpose.
Marwyn stood up straight. "What did he-"
Falric cut him off before he could finish, not even glancing at Marwyn. He just looked straight at Sapphire. She shrank back.
"Change of plans. No beating around the bush. You need to hand over the shard of Frostmourne."
Immediately, Sapphire bit her lip and look down. Marwyn quickly moved protectively between her and Falric, who in turn glared at Marwyn. Marwyn put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You are not in trouble. We aren't mad. We just really need that shard back."
The muscles in her chest started to tighten. It grew harder to breathe. Her heart beat faster than usual. Sapphire then looked up. "But I can't."
That set Falric off and the deathknight hissed. "Yes you can. We know you have it. Marwyn would not have been able to find you otherwise."
"No you don't understand! I have it but I can't just give it to you...Its stuck in my heart."
Both deathknights glanced at each other. Falric looked skeptical, but he and Marwyn seemed to have a unspoken conservation between each other. Pain continued to blossom in Sapphire's chest as they did so and she felt a wave of frustration overcome her. Once again, people were keeping things from her.
Marwyn suddenly backed away from Falric, then shouted, "No!"
"It has to be this way," Falric stated, turning his full attention back to Sapphire.
"If that shard is in your heart, then there's only two things to do. Get it out or you have to stay in Icecrown. Forever."
At first, Sapphire couldn't comprehend what he was saying. Then it dawned on her and she shot up from her chair.
"Cut it out then! I'd rather die than be trapped here," Sapphire snapped.
Marwyn looked horrified. "No, no! We can't do that."
Falric looked conflicted and Sapphire knew, he wouldn't do it. He could mot ever look Marwyn in the eye again if he killed Sapphire. She grew enraged. It was her choice, not theirs! Others were constantly thinking they knew what was best for Sapphire, yet they never even asked her opinion.
She would not be confined again in Icecrown. As a child, Sapphire did not know better. But now she had seen the world. She would not be trapped in the dark walls surrounded by ice and despair.
"Fine, I won't kill her. But like I said, she can't ever leave-"
"Fuck you," Sapphire stated calmly.
Both deathknight's turned to stare at her. Marwyn looked completely taken aback. Falric recovered before Marwyn did.
The older deathknight growled. "What did you just say to me, you little shit?"
Sapphire never broke her eye contact with Falric.
"I'll speak slower then. Fuck. You."
The glow of his eyes flared up, enraged. Just as Falric started to lunge at her, Marwyn grabbed him and pulled back. Sapphire took that opportunity to rush past both and out of the kitchen.
She knew Icecrown Citadel by heart and took the quickest route to the closest exit. Her heart pounded. Every beat felt like she was being stabbed. She made her way up to toward the entrance of Icecrown Citadel, right at the base of the Spire.
Before she could savor the view of the door in the near distance, ice around the Spire exploded. Bones rose up into the air. Sapphire fell over backwards as some of the bones tripped her. Above her, Lord Marrowgar slowly reformed himself. His many skulls glared down at her with malice. Sapphire had never feared Marrowgar until now.
She scrambled to her feet and tried to run, but Marrowgar slammed his axe in front of her. He then snatched her up in his bony claws.
"The Lich King commands me!"
As soon as Sapphire heard those words, she stopped clawing at the hand holding her and she gasped in shock.
"The...the Lich King? But, my father...Who is the Lich King if not him?" She asked, beyond confused.
Bolvar Fordragon coughed up blood onto the already stained cell floor. It was not the worse part of the situation. Even the pain and torment delivered upon him every day barely affected Bolvar. He could endure the eternal torture. In fact, it served as a distraction. Arthas might torture him, but it could not compare to the pain that already agonized him.
His entire body, blackened by dragon fire, betrayed him. Every time he breathed, it felt like he inhaled broken glass. Even the simple movement of lifting his head to look around at his bare surroundings sent waves of agony down his entire spine. Speaking as softly as he could felt like being stabbed in the throat.
All of this darkened Bolvar's soul and he wished for it all to end, but it never did. No, he endured unendingly in a monotonous existence.
Until that day. While he coughed up more blood, Bolvar's attention switched from his pain to a small noise outside the cell door. He lifted his head to look up, confused and then horrified.
"Taelia!" He whispered painfully. For just an instant, he felt like all his suffering had finally broke him and his mind which caused him to hallucinate. This child, skinny with snow white hair and clothed in threadbare cultist robes, was not his daughter. He could not rule out her being a hallucination however.
The little girl tilted her head. Her blue eyes twinkled brightly.
"What's a taelia?"
The man at first did not want to answer, only because of the pain it caused to do so. Yet the little girl just continued to stare at him.
"I...I thought you were someone else. My daughter's name is Taelia."
The small girl came closer to the cell door, curious. "Does she look like you? What are you?"
"No she does not. I have been burned by dragon fire. I am a human, like you. What's your name?"
Bolvar had no clue why there was a child in this hell, but he was grateful for a change.
"I'm Sapphire! Does...Does it hurt?"
So innocent and fragile. She had no idea. Again, Bolvar thought of Taelia.
"Not much," He lied painfully.
The little girl then scowled. "Are you lying to me?"
Her scowl was not at all intimidating. In fact, if he could have, Bolvar would have laughed at the cute expression. Taelia had scowled at him like that once before he sent her away for safety.
"You caught me. It hurts a lot."
Sapphire's scowl disappeared, then she nodded. "I'll be right back."
With that, what little light could be found in this dark abode, ran off as lithely as a deer fawn. She was gone so long, that Bolvar began to think Sapphire really had been just a figment of his broken imagination.
Soon though, the girl reappeared. She had a small bottle in her hand. Before doing anything, Sapphire looked fearfully down both ends of the hallway. The small child then attempted to open the door, but she did not seem to realize it was locked. At that, she huffed and looked over at Bolvar. An idea then came to her. She laid the bottle on its side and rolled it through the barred door.
The vial, filled with a blood red liquid, rolled toward Bolvar. He knew a healing potion when he saw one. Straining himself, the man reached out and took the vial. He winced as he attempted to open it. Without question, Bolvar drank the liquid. It burned his throat, but then a soothing sensation started to overcome him.
Sapphire watched him worriedly. While the potion could not heal him completely or even noticeably, the pain dulled just a touch, and that meant everything to someone in constant pain.
"Thank you, child."
Though he struggled constantly with the powers that sought to overwhelm him, Bolvar Fordragon was still moderately aware of his surroundings and what happened in the Citadel. This awareness did not help with his struggles, as he now grew aware of another problem facing the Scourge and his duties.
Arthas had survived somehow. Now he worked to regain the Scourge for himself. Bolvar could not let that happen, yet he did not know what to do. The Scourge was not in a position to fight any kind of war or battle.
This complication was brought to his attention by another complication of itself. Sapphire Menethil, someone he hoped to never see again. This was not the small child he first met at his worst. She had gained weight and height, though not much. Strangely enough, smooth delicate antlers sprouted out from her hair. Her eyes showed a hardness not previously seen.
Even worse than that, she had a piece of Frostmourne in her very heart. What it could wreak on her mortal body and soul, Bolvar did not know. Though she was clearly opposed to it, Bolvar could not let her wander freely. It was not just out of concern for the shard falling into others hands. The child had suffered enough. He briefly wondered if she had told anyone of her identity. It would have to be investigated.
No, no one should know of her. Bolvar knew all too well how the people of Stormwind would react to the dark child of Arthas Menethil. Keeping her in Icecrown would be safe for her, not just the shard.
He watched through the eyes of Marrowgar, Marwyn, and Falric. Lord Marrowgar put her down in the care of the deathknights. As Marwyn reached out to Sapphire, the young girl aggressively smacked the hand away.
"Escort me to my cell then," She snapped.
Bolvar could feel the animosity between her and Falric as the deathknight snapped back at her.
"Stop acting like a petulant brat. We won't put you in a cell. You can go back to your normal room."
"So...a cell," Sapphire retorted. Not a small child anymore, but a hurt, angry young teenager. Bolvar briefly thought of his own daughter once again.
Tears formed in Sapphire's eyes and Bolvar knew of nothing that could possibly comfort her. Marwyn was the intermediary between the two hostile powers and tried to reassure Sapphire. The deathknight seemed to try too hard to keep both of them happy.
"It will only be temporary! I will find somewhere better for you to sleep."
Bolvar knew that the nicest room with the best furnishings would not help. A cage of gold was still a cage and once the bird escaped a cage once, it was that much harder for it to remain in it a second time.
But he could do nothing at the moment, as darkness again lashed out against Bolvar and he needed his full attention toward combatting it. In the darkest part of his mind, Bolvar stood defiantly against the dark shadow that loomed over him.