Jaina
As soon as Auriana was properly dressed, Jaina called a portal to Dalaran and stepped through, trusting that Auriana would follow. For almost a month, she had been investigating the theft of the magebane that had been used to poison Auriana, and leave her vulnerable to attempted assassination. After helping Varian to locate Auriana in the forests of Stranglethorn and return her safely to Stormwind, Jaina had hastened immediately back to Dalaran. At the time, she had not known the true extent of the conspiracy that had nearly claimed both Anduin and Auriana's lives, though once Varian was satisfied that no further attacks were imminent, he had filled her in on the rest.
Unfortunately, answers had been hard to come by. Jaina could not abide a mystery, though it seemed even her considerable scholarly skills were not enough in this case. It was admittedly difficult to conduct an investigation in which she could not tell anyone the real truth of what she was doing, though Varian had insisted that his circle of trust remain as closed as possible. He had been doing his best to remain calm and composed, Jaina knew, but she was not blind to the wary wolf that lurked only inches below the surface.
In the last week, however, her hours of careful, painstaking inquiry had at last borne fruit. It was a small lead, perhaps, but it was certainly better than nothing. Jaina was now keen to get Auriana's thoughts on the matter, which was why she had sought out the younger Archmage and brought her back to Dalaran.
"So - not that I'm complaining about the rescue - but why am I here?" Auriana asked, pulling her collar back into place as she and Jaina walked down the steps from Krasus' Landing and out into the street.
She looked vaguely irritated - upset, even - though Jaina wasn't sure whether it was due to having been interrupted in Stormwind, or because she was nervous about spending time with Jaina one on one. While they had worked together more frequently since Auriana's elevation to the rank of Archmage, and had socialised together at Varian's behest, Jaina had always felt as if Auriana were not entirely comfortable in her presence. Of course, she wasn't sure if Auriana were entirely comfortable in anyone's presence, save for Varian's, and she had never taken Auriana's shyness personally.
"Rescue? I thought I had walked in on some kind of fitting?" Jaina asked.
"For my wedding dress," Auriana confirmed, though her voice was oddly flat.
She was in many ways an atypical bride, but Jaina had expected her to sound a bit more enthusiastic about her impending nuptials.
"That must have been exciting," she prompted.
"Not the word I would use," Auriana muttered, her nose crinkling in mild irritation.
Jaina was concerned by Auriana's response, but she chose not to press the issue further. From her brief conversations with Varian after he had formally announced the engagement, Jaina knew that Auriana had decidedly mixed feelings about becoming Stormwind's next queen, and she did not want to cause the younger woman any further stress. She understood the pressures of a royal relationship better than most, though she of course hoped that Varian and Auriana's engagement would ultimately prove more successful than her own ill-fated romance with Arthas.
"I called you here because we have a lead on the theft of the magebane," she explained, smoothly changing the topic as she and Auriana turned and made their way towards the Eventide.
"Oh?"
"As you know, we occasionally use magebane in the arrest of magical criminals, when it's too dangerous to apprehend them by other means," Jaina said.
"And you're certain you have the only supply?" Auriana wondered.
"As certain as I can be. The poison is fiendishly difficult to make. It requires the skills of a senior Archmage, as well as a Grand Master alchemist," Jaina confirmed. "As far as I was aware, all the magebane on Azeroth was stored in the Violet Hold."
She doubted that there were any assassins following them here, in the safety of her wonderous floating city, though she found herself speaking quietly nonetheless.
"Which seems sensible, given what it's used for," Auriana agreed, "Though I'm sensing a 'but'."
"But… as it turns out, about six months ago, Lieutenant Sinclari approached Archmage Modera with some concerns regarding use of the magebane," Jaina continued. "She reported that the poison often wore off far more quickly that intended, and that it was unreliable when used against larger, non-human targets."
Lieutenant Sinclari was the Guardian responsible for the operation of the Violet Hold, and she took her job very seriously. She had been aghast to learn of the missing magebane, and while Jaina had not told her the full story, she had been more than willing to cooperate with the investigation.
"As the Council member ultimately responsible for overseeing Violet Hold operations, Modera approved a reassessment of the magebane formula. Six vials were given to one of our most trusted alchemists, under the oversight of Lieutenant Sinclari."
Auriana's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she glanced briefly in the direction of the Magus Commerce Exchange.
"You think this alchemist sold them off for profit?" she asked.
"No," Jaina said firmly. "He used four of the six vials in his experiments. He managed to improve and refine the formula, and a new batch was shipped off to the Violet Hold. The remaining stock of the old formula was destroyed. It took some time, but I confirmed accuracy of the Hold's inventory myself."
"And the two vials that were unaccounted for? Where did they end up?" Auriana wondered.
"That's what I want to show you," Jaina finished.
Auriana raised an eyebrow curiously, though she did not immediately demand further explanation.
"So far, you make it sound like… a bureaucratic oversight, rather than deliberate malfeasance," she said slowly, scowling in consternation.
"Perhaps," Jaina said vaguely, though she was not willing to draw any conclusions at this stage of the investigation. "Please. This way."
She and Auriana walked in swift lockstep through the Eventide, and off along the grand promenade that lead towards the mighty Violet Citadel. There was no particular need to hurry, though Jaina found it difficult to control the urgency in her feet. She hated the fact that her city may once again have been used to perpetrate a crime, and she wanted answers sooner rather than later. With her investigation thus far proving largely slow and unsatisfactory, she had hoped that Auriana's fresh eyes would see something that she herself had not.
As they walked towards the Silver Enclave, they came across a small group of apprentices training outdoors on one of Dalaran's many open green lawns. The apprentices were perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old, and appeared to be having one of their first lessons in the creation of portals, under the tutelage of Archmage Celindra. There was a lot of unsuccessful but enthusiastic casting going on beneath Celindra's watchful eye, though the apprentices all stopped and turned as one as Jaina and Auriana strode into view.
Although they still were a good hundred yards away, a number of apprentices immediately began to giggle and talk in hushed whispers, and a few actually pointed in Auriana's direction. Celindra did her best to calm them down and refocus their attention on the class at hand, but she appeared to be having very little effect on her excitable charges.
"Ah… Jaina… why are they all staring at me like that?" Auriana said quietly, the tip of her nose reddening at the sudden attention.
"You don't know?" Jaina asked, though she wasn't especially surprised by Auriana's lack of awareness. "You're rather popular amongst some of the younger apprentices, particularly the girls."
"What? Why?"
Auriana looked completely bewildered by the attention, as if she couldn't possibly fathom why a group of young mages might consider her interesting, and despite the seriousness of their current circumstances, Jaina found herself struggling to hide a smile.
"Think about it, Auri," she said patiently. "It's well known that you are one of the most powerful mages in the Kirin Tor. You can do the kind of magic most of these students can only dream of."
"So can you," Auriana pointed out.
"True, though they see me around Dalaran quite regularly. I am a known quantity. You are a great deal more mysterious," Jaina countered, smirking. "You fought in the Nexus War, only to leave the Kirin Tor to fight for the glory of the Alliance. You wounded by Deathwing, suffered through the loss of Theramore, and then triumphed over Garrosh Hellscream, both at Orgrimmar, and again at Grommashar. You then orchestrated the defeat of Archimonde, all the while having a secret affair with the King of Stormwind, to whom you are now engaged."
"You left out the part where I'm a raging berserker who has hurt or nearly killed people she loves on more that one occasion," Auriana muttered, staring down at her boots with great interest.
"Trust me, that only makes you more interesting in their eyes," Jaina assured her. "To them, you're practically a storybook hero."
"Oh, come on, Jaina, it sounds ridiculous when you put it like that…"
Auriana had subconsciously began to walk faster, and was scowling so heavily that she could have put Varian himself to shame. She sped past the apprentices with barely a glance, and Jaina saw several young faces fall in dismay.
"Auri… slow down. They're apprentices, not a horde of demons," she said gently, placing a steadying hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Is it really so bad that they admire you? That they want to be strong and brave, and have wild adventures and grand romance, just like you?"
Auriana stopped so abruptly that Jaina nearly ran into her, and she looked up with a worried frown.
"Well… no, I suppose," she conceded, shaking her head, "But… what do I do?"
She bit her lip nervously, though her dark blue eyes shone with a sort of agitated earnestness. It was clear that she desperately wanted to do the right thing, even though she was not at comfortable finding herself the centre of such avid attention and speculation.
"You could stop glowering at them, for a start," Jaina suggested.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Auriana's pale features relaxed ever so slightly, though her jaw still remained firmly clenched.
"You commanded thousands of troops on Draenor. You could talk to them," Jaina murmured. "Are a handful of idealistic apprentices really so different?"
"Yes," Auriana said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why?" Jaina asked, genuinely curious.
"Ordering soldiers around is a part of war. I'm good at war. I'm not so good at… people more generally," Auriana muttered.
"Well, for what it's worth, I have confidence in you," Jaina said, giving Auriana's shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "And I'm fairly sure they're more scared of you than you are of them…"
Auriana's nose twitched in unease, though she nevertheless took a very deep breath, and turned back to face the apprentices. She gave them a very small, shy smile, and her simple attention was enough to send the group of young mages into fits of delighted giggles. Celindra had clearly given up trying to keep their focus on the lesson at hand, and she instead returned Auriana's greeting with a bright, cheery smile of her own. Encouraged, Auriana even went so far as to wave, and she looked rather pleased with herself as she and Jaina at last turned and made their way up the steps into the Violet Citadel.
The Violet Citadel was the centre of all magical learning in Dalaran, as well as the headquarters for the Kirin Tor's ruling Council. The lower floors were open to all visitors to Dalaran, both mages and non-mages alike, though the highest floors were reserved for the exclusive use and residence of the Council of Six, and other senior archmages. At the very top of the tower was the entrance to the Chamber of Air, and just below it, the Kirin Tor's infamous Arcane Vault. The middle floors also contained a number of smaller residences, as well as classrooms, libraries, and administrative suites.
Today, Jaina lead Auriana to one of the upper-middle floors of the Citadel's main tower. The most powerful arcane artifacts in Dalaran were stored in the Arcane Vault, though more commonly used reagents and spell paraphernalia were kept in a series of small storage rooms on the western side of the tower. The safest and most basic reagents were kept in a room open to all those who had been initiated into the Kirin Tor, even those as young as eleven or twelve years old. As young mages progressed through the ranks of the Kirin Tor, from initiates, to apprentices, to adepts and beyond, they were given access to increasingly more dangerous materials. Each storage room was secured with a powerful magical lock, and the codes for the higher level rooms were given to mages only once they had demonstrated the required proficiency.
"Hold on - the missing vials ended up in… reagent storage?" Auriana asked, cocking her head to one side.
"Modera took the two unused vials of the original formula and stored them in here, in the Council's personal storage vault," Jaina confirmed, nodding. "She thought it prudent, in the event that the new formula proved unstable, and we had to start again from scratch."
"Let me guess… those vials are no longer here," Auriana surmised.
Her face twisted into a grim scowl as she ran a hand along the door hinges, looking for any sign of tampering or forced entry.
"Correct. Though Modera is certain that she stored the vials safely, and I consider her above suspicion," Jaina said quickly. "She has served the Kirin Tor for longer than either of us have been alive."
When Varian had first tasked Jaina with solving the mystery of the missing magebane, she had despaired at the thought of more traitors using her city for their own ends. Sadly, it would not be the first time she had been betrayed by a close friend, but Modera had been one of Jaina's strongest allies in her time as leader of the Kirin Tor, and she quite simply refused to believe that the older Archmage was involved. Still, Jaina considered both Varian and Anduin her family, and she was determined not to let them down - no matter where her investigation might lead.
She waved her hand over the lock and uttered a complex incantation, causing the magic to fade away and the door to open. Inside, the room was dark, lit only by a couple of torches along the right hand wall, and a single square window at the back of the room. It was full to the brim with hundreds of different reagents and magical devices; everything from powerful runestones and ley crystals, to shimmering foci and dimensional anchors. Jaina had tried to encourage an organisational system of sorts, but it seemed that each Council member had a very different idea of what 'organised' actually meant. The contents of the room were at the very least recorded in a small, leather-bound ledger, however, the withdrawals and deposits of each Archmage identified by a unique runic signature.
Jaina flicked through the the ledger to a date about six months earlier, and held the open book out for Auriana's inspection.
"You can see where Modera made the deposit… but there is no record of a withdrawal," she said grimly.
Auriana bit her lip idly as she read, her slender white fingers running across the scrawled rune that stood in place of Modera's name.
"My next action was therefore to take inventory of the room, and compare it to the ledger," Jaina added. "It's mostly correct, though a number of other reagents were missing. Nothing quite as dangerous as the magebane, thankfully, but there are at least a dozen other items we cannot account for."
"It seems you have a thief," Auriana said slowly.
"And therein lies the problem," Jaina sighed. "Only the Council of Six have access to this room. I consider all of them trustworthy."
"Could someone have broken the lock?" Auriana asked, snapping the ledger shut and placing it back on the nearest shelf.
"See for yourself."
Jaina gently ushered Auriana from the room, and re-locked the door with a wave of her hand. While Auriana was an Archmage, she was not a member of the Council, and as such, did not know the spell necessary to open the door. In theory, the lock could be broken by a brute force magical attack, though to do so would have attracted considerable attention. No such disturbance had been reported in the six months since the magebane had been placed in storage, and Jaina was quite frankly stumped.
It didn't help that there were precious few people that she could talk to about the problem, given the sensitive nature of the issue, and the fact that they had no idea how far the conspiracy had spread. Varian had given her permission to keep Kalec fully informed, at least, but he had been as puzzled as she. One of the reasons she had invited Auriana to Dalaran was to get a third opinion, and she watched on curiously as the younger mage crouched down and inspected the lock.
"Hmm… it's Kalec's work, I assume, he does favour his split seventh level bindings," Auriana murmured, her fingers glowing bright white as she cast a careful magical probe. "It's more efficient, in the end, though it requires more power in the initial casting. Which, if you're the former Aspect of Magic, I suppose is something of a moot point..."
It was a unusually sophisticated analysis, and Jaina couldn't help but to arch a pale eyebrow in surprise. Auriana had left the Kirin Tor relatively early in her education, and had missed out on learning much advanced magical theory as a result. It didn't help that she was not a natural scholar like Jaina or Kalec, and she generally lacked the refinement in her spellcasting that one might normally expect of a mage of her experience and calibre.
Jaina did not say a word, despite her bafflement, though it seemed that Auriana sensed her confusion all the same. She shifted her weight to her back foot, and glanced back over her shoulder at Jaina with a wry grin.
"What?" she said, shrugging. "I read."
"No, you don't," Jaina snorted playfully, speaking before she realised that Auriana might find her words somewhat offensive.
Much to her relief, however, Auriana barked out a short, sharp laugh, and have gave her head a rueful shake.
"You know me, I usually get by on intuition, and raw strength - and a whole lot of dumb luck," she admitted, "But ever since you made me an Archmage, I realised that I ought to make up for my theoretical shortcomings."
"You've been studying?" Jaina asked, impressed by Auriana's initiative.
They had worked together off and on over the last two years, in an endeavour to help Auriana control her berserker tendencies, but Jaina had rather been under the impression that Auriana had found such sessions tedious. She was more than happy to be wrong, however, and she was pleased to learn that some of her own studiousness had apparently rubbed off.
"Whenever I can find the time," Auriana confirmed. "I may not find the minutiae of magic as interesting as fighting in a battle… but it has its uses."
She grinned slyly, and Jaina felt her arms prickle as the younger mage drew deeply on her magic. It was strange, she thought, how each caster's use of magic felt so different, almost as different as a personality. Kalec's magic, for example, had always reminded Jaina of the ocean - deep, powerful, and enduring. On the other hand, Auriana felt like a mana bomb; an enormous amount of seething magical energy straining to be released from the tiny space into which it had been compressed.
Auriana did not explode, thankfully, instead channelling her considerable power into a complex fire construct. Jaina recognised the working as one she had tasked Auriana with months and months ago, as a means of teaching her control. At the time, she had struggled mightily with the spell, and had never quite managed to cast it to Jaina's satisfaction.
This casting, however, was both effortless and flawless, as good as Khadgar or Jaina herself could have done, and she could not help but to smile.
"Point taken," she said, acknowledging the effort with a wry nod of her head.
Auriana smirked triumphantly, and allowed the construct to dissipate. It was clear that she was pleased by her success, but even more so by the fact that Jaina had underestimated her - a mistake Jaina would not be making again.
"And... back to the lock…" Auriana said quickly, her brief amusement fading as she turned her attention back to the problem door. "I could break it, I think, but I'd have to use an awful lot of magic. I would guess that there are only a handful of mages in the entire city who would have the power and the skill necessary to do so."
"I came to the same conclusion," Jaina agreed. "No one could have broken that lock without my knowledge."
"So… either someone on the Council is trying to kill me… or there's something else going on here."
Auriana stood up, her nose wrinkling thoughtfully as she stared at the door, when her dark blue eyes lit up in sudden inspiration.
"Something else…" she repeated softly.
"Auriana…?"
"Wait for me here," she instructed.
Auriana hurried off down the corridor to Jaina's right, disappearing around the corner in a flash of dark grey skirts. Jaina briefly heard the echoing clack of boots on the stone, then nothing. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she trusted Auriana's judgement, and she was curious to see if Auriana had seen or thought of something that she had not.
After five minutes of silence, however, she began to fidget, and after ten, she began to really worry. After fifteen minutes, she had most certainly had enough of waiting, when the locked door in front of her suddenly opened to reveal Auriana standing on the threshold with her arms folded across her chest.
"Hello."
Jaina's jaw dropped.
"How did you do that?" she gasped incredulously.
"The door isn't locked from the inside," Auriana said simply, reaching out to wiggle the inner doorknob for effect.
"Not the door - how did you get into the room?" Jaina demanded. "You couldn't have teleported inside, it's warded…"
She pushed past Auriana and stepped inside, reaching out with her powers to inspect the wards. Mysteriously, they felt as strong as ever, and she could not detect any evidence of tampering. So either Auriana had developed her skills to the point where she was the fastest and most delicate spellcaster in Kirin Tor history, able to break and reassemble anti-teleportation wards from a distance, without leaving any evidence of her presence - or she had never had to remove the wards in the first place.
"How?" she repeated.
"I went through the basic reagents supply room a few doors a down, and climbed across," Auriana explained, gesturing briefly to the now-open window. "Broke the wards on the window, and climbed in."
"You what? Are you insane? We're at least a hundred feet in the air!"
Jaina frowned, and stuck her head out the window to take the measure of Auriana's feat for herself. The curve of the tower was sharp here, but the next window sill was only a few feet along, and she supposed someone with enough determination - or insanity - could have made the jump.
"Do you want Varian to kill me?" Jaina huffed, shooting a disapproving look back over her shoulder
"What is he, my mother? I was perfectly safe!" Auriana insisted.
Jaina raised an eyebrow.
"Alright… mostly safe," Auriana conceded, with a sheepish shrug. "The point is, I got into the room without breaking the lock."
"The windows are warded…."
"Yes, but only with a few basic protection spells. Most of the protection is on that door," Auriana argued.
Jaina swore.
"I can't say it ever occured to me that someone would attempt to break through a window this high up," she confessed. "I don't even think they lock…"
"The height alone would be enough to deter most would-be thieves - and I would like to believe that most of the students and mages in Dalaran are trustworthy," Auriana agreed. "But it's certainly a hell of a lot easier to break the ward on that window than it would be to break Kalec's lock. The climb is not without peril, but it isn't overly difficult, either. Between the magic and the acrobatics... I would guess that any fit and determined fifth year apprentice could manage it. Maybe even an especially talented fourth year."
"Once someone climbed in through the window, they could just recast the wards, and walk out with the magebane," Jaina added slowly, carrying the idea through to its logical conclusion. "And the guards would hardly question a senior apprentice come to retrieve some reagents, it isn't as if access to this floor is restricted. Quite a clever plan, really."
She sighed.
"I can hardly believe that someone would go to so much trouble…"
"I doubt I would have thought of it, either, if I hadn't spent so much time with SI:7 lately. I'm starting to think like a damn spy."
Auriana winced slightly, and shook her head in irritation. It was clear that she found this sort of intrigue both trying and tiresome, though Jaina knew her well enough to know that she would never admit just how much stress it truly caused her. Varian wouldn't, either, but Jaina had seen the strain on his face when he had explained to her the full truth of the assassin's plot. She had also seen the depths of his heartbreak when he had thought Auriana had been lost to him, and it pained her that she could not offer either of them the answers they so desperately needed.
"Do you think someone might have used a mount? Flown up here?" Jaina mused idly, leaning out the window once more.
A cool, gentle breeze fluttered her hair, but it did little to soothe her frustration.
"As I understand it, Dalaran's airspace is strictly controlled, right?" Auriana asked. "An unauthorised flight would have been noticed."
"Very true," Jaina frowned. "So someone must have climbed."
"There's a tricky little jump between the second and third window sills, but otherwise it's fairly straightforward," Auriana said, spreading her hands wide. "If I can do it, it would certainly be easier for someone taller, with greater reach."
"Which leaves us with hundreds of suspects throughout the city," Jaina sighed.
She slammed the window shut, and quickly reactivated the magic wards. In addition to the standard basic protections, however, she also added a complex and discreet magical alarm, which would alert half the Violet Citadel if triggered. If a thief had successfully broken in once, it stood to reason that they might try again, and this time, Jaina was determined to be prepared.
"Good idea," Auriana said, nodding as she noted Jaina's spellwork. "Perhaps if you could also narrow down when the magebane was taken? We know Modera placed the vials here six months ago. Are there records of any patrols or security on this floor?"
"Possibly," Jaina said shortly, her voice clipped.
She did not mean to take her frustrations out on Auriana, but it was hard to deny her growing frustration - or her anger. Once again, it seemed, someone was determined to use her city for their own nefarious ends. Jaina may not have been willing to re-admit the Horde to Dalaran, but nor did she want to see Azeroth consumed by yet another war - especially if it came about by the deaths of two people that she cared for.
"It's a start, at least," Auriana murmured.
"I wish I could offer you more," Jaina said, trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt. "We might know the how, but nothing about the who, or why…"
"It's still more than we knew this morning. Thank you," Auriana said sincerely.
"I suppose," Jaina conceded. "Although I am glad nothing more dangerous was taken. I don't mean to belittle the trauma of your experience in the Duskwood, but…"
"Two vials of magebane is a damned sight better than a stolen Focusing Iris," Auriana agreed, her eyes darkening with worry.
Jaina stiffened at the mention of the Focusing Iris, and she quickly clasped her hands together before Auriana could see them tremble.
"Which reminds me… I should also see to the security around the Arcane Vault," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
It was extremely unlikely that any thief could breach the myriad protections on the Kirin Tor's mighty vault, at least not without attracting considerable attention, but Jaina would not feel at ease until she could inspect the wards for herself. She would have to consult the Guardians, of course, and perhaps Modera. She had not necessarily expected that discovering the truth would be easy, but the mystery of the missing magebane was turning into more of a headache than she had initially anticipated.
Another dead end...
Jaina stood silent for a long time, lost in her own thoughts, when a polite cough from Auriana pulled her back to reality. She glanced up, and was somewhat surprised to see Auriana staring back at her with luminous blue eyes and an empathetic expression.
"Are you alright?" Auriana asked.
For a moment, Jaina considered lying.
"I… actually, no. I'm not. Betrayal gets old, Auriana," she sighed. "I'm sure you agree."
"Sadly," Auriana snorted softly, rubbing a weary hand along the back of her neck. "This... conspiracy… it traces back as far as Draenor. Perhaps even further. So far they've come after me, and Anduin… but what if they decide it's not enough? These people are dangerous. I wouldn't put it past them to perpetuate another Theramore, if that's what it took to get what they want."
Jaina's stomach clenched. She would not wish the horror of that day on anyone, though she knew Auriana was right, and that there were those in the world who would not hesitate to perpetuate a similar atrocity if they thought it would further their goals. She might have even been one of those people, once, but now...
"It's funny, you and I have never really talked about Theramore…" she said slowly, locking eyes with Auriana. "Why is that?"
Auriana considered the question seriously for a moment, tilting her head to one side as she struggled to find the right words.
"I suppose… I didn't want to intrude on your pain," she said carefully. "Theramore… it was home, but realistically I only lived there for a few years before I went to Dalaran, and then after that, I was largely based in Stormwind. It wasn't mine in the same way that it was yours."
"It was still a part of you," Jaina countered, though she could appreciate that Auriana had remained silent out of respect. "You lost people there, too."
Auriana smiled sadly, and leaned back up against the doorframe with a wistful sigh.
"I'm not sure it's because of the wedding, but I've been thinking about them a lot lately," she admitted. "Especially my father."
"He was a good man," Jaina agreed. "He was always smiling."
She could remember Auriana's father as well as if she had seen him only yesterday, much as she could recall hundreds of other faces who had perished with her city. Benedict Fenwild had been tall, and handsome, with a kind heart and a deep and abiding sense of honour.
"He was," Auriana said fondly. "Though I wonder what he would think of me now. The future Queen of Stormwind…"
She absentmindedly adjusted her skirts, as if there were people judging her suitability as a queen even here.
"He would be proud. Any father would be proud of you," Jaina said firmly. "And don't you dare try to argue that point."
Auriana smiled properly at that; perhaps the first true, broad smile Jaina had ever seen grace her features, and some of the tension left her shoulders.
"I'm not sure…" she said skeptically, her eyes sparkling. "He was Kul Tiran. Stubborn and proud. Varian is a king, of course, but only a measly King of Stormwind. Bad enough that I'm half Lordaeronian as it is."
Despite herself, Jaina smirked.
"Well, we Kul Tirans are a superior breed of human," she agreed, trying to sound as haughty and serious as she could.
Auriana laughed, and a moment of warm, genuine camaraderie passed between the two women. Jaina had rarely heard Auriana speak so openly to her feelings, much less make a joke that was not sarcastic, and she decided that she rather liked seeing that side of her.
All too soon, however, Auriana's expression grew contemplative once more.
"I wish he were here to walk me down the aisle," she whispered. "I asked Khadgar, actually, and I'm honoured that he said yes, but…"
"It isn't the same," Jaina finished, her voice soft.
"No, it's not."
Auriana pushed a loose strand of hair back from her face, and shook her head with a wry grin.
"You know why I'm really sad he's not here? I'll never get to see him lecture Varian about treating me well and keeping me safe. Can you imagine?" she snorted. "Threatening to keelhaul Varian if he breaks my heart…"
"I'd pay good money to see that," Jaina admitted, grinning. "Though for what it's worth, I've known Varian for a very long time. He would ever break your heart."
Auriana nodded, and lowered her gaze in a futile attempt to hide her blush. Despite everything, she was quite obviously a woman in love, and Jaina was pleased to see that she was at least somewhat excited about her wedding, even if it were perhaps a far grander affair than she may have preferred. She was good for Varian, Jaina thought, much as Kalec had been good for Jaina herself, and she firmly believed it was about damned time that they all had a little happiness in their lives.
"I know. That's one of the reasons I agreed to marry him," Auriana said slowly. "Speaking of which…"
"Yes?"
"Jaina… I… well, I don't… have many close friends," Auriana started awkwardly.
Her gaze flicking up towards the ceiling so that she didn't have to look Jaina in the eye, and she looked worried and vaguely hopeful all at once.
"Auri…" Jaina murmured sympathetically.
"No, it's alright. Mostly my fault, really - but… that's not the point," she mumbled.
"What is?"
"Um… well… this probably isn't the time to ask, but since we're talking... I was wondering if you might be my attendant at the wedding? My bridesmaid?" Auriana said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
It was just about the last question Jaina expected to be asked, and for a moment she was simply too stunned to say a word. Unfortunately, Auriana appeared to interpret her silence as rejection, and she immediately began to ramble, anxiously tangling her hands in her skirts as she did.
"It would be nice to have someone from Kul Tiras there to honour my father's heritage. Not to mention that I have enormous respect for you; both for what you've done for me, and for who you are to both Varian and Anduin. I can't really think of any other woman I…"
"Auri," Jaina said quickly, holding up a hand. "Stop. I would be honoured."
Auriana sighed in open relief, and her hands stilled.
"Oh. Good," she said, smiling shyly. "I… um… well, I'm sure Varian's chamberlain will be in touch to bore you with the details. He's been harping on at me to choose an attendant for weeks."
"I look forward to it," Jaina said honestly. "In the meantime, I will continue to investigate the issue of the magebane. I will find the thief, I promise you."
"I know you will," Auriana said confidently.
She straightened, looking far more comfortable than she had only moments before, and Jaina supposed she ought to be pleased that at least one good thing had come out of today. Something had changed between them, and Jaina was glad. She smiled.
"Ah… I ought to be getting back to Stormwind," Auriana added, glancing briefly towards the door. "It's going to be dark, soon, and Varian frets if I've been gone too long."
"I'm sure he does," Jaina said, not at all surprised by Varian's protectiveness.
"Do you need me for anything else?" Auriana asked.
"No," Jaina said, waving her off. "I can finish up here. You get back to your fussy King."
Auriana chuckled, and stepped out of the warded storage room so that she could cast a teleport. She offered Jaina a brief nod of thanks, before calling on her magic and easily opening a rift back home to Stormwind.
"Have a good evening, Jaina," she said quietly, as the warm blue glow of her power enveloped her slender form.
"And you, Auriana. Stay safe."
