So, we're finally here! This chapter has been about three years in the making, and while I certainly had no idea this was where this story would end up, I'm really glad it did. For everyone who loves Varian and Auri as much as I do; for anyone who has ever shipped them or considers them an OTP; for everyone who sent me very sweet (and kind of vaguely threatening) messages to ensure that I wouldn't ruin the wedding… this one's for you. XD

Anduin

Anduin awoke in the late morning, finally roused from his deep and satisfying slumber by the pale sunlight streaming in through his bedroom window. It was chilly, as this time of year in Stormwind always was, and he took a few moments to relish the warmth and simple comfort of his blankets. Today was not a day to laze around in bed, however, and Anduin sat bolt upright as the weight of realisation struck him.

The wedding.

The ceremony itself was scheduled for later that afternoon, with a grand dinner reception to be held soon after. As the Crown Prince, Anduin was of course expected to attend all official events, though Varian had gone one step further and had asked Anduin stand at his side during the ceremony as his best man. Anduin had been both sincerely touched and honoured by Varian's request, though in truth, he was a little surprised to have been asked. He had not said as much to his father, of course, but privately he had wondered whether Varian would choose Broll Bearmantle or Genn Greymane instead. They were both older, more distinguished, and more experienced men, and yet in the end Varian had insisted that he would accept no one else save for his only son.

Anduin considered it a great responsibility to have been chosen, and while he had slept in longer than he had intended, he was determined not to be late. He sent for a servant to fetch him a quick breakfast, before he drew a bath and scrubbed himself as clean as one human could possibly get. He had laid out his formal dress the previous night, and as soon as he was dry, he set about pulling on his soft, neatly pressed breeches and finely stitched blue and gold tunic.

He could have called for his manservant to help him dress, of course, but in the end he decided he preferred the solitude. It was an important day, and while he was undoubtedly excited, he was also undeniably nervous. Trouble had a way of following Auriana and his father around, and it was usually quite spectacular trouble more often than not. Anduin was naturally determined to protect them, and give them the day they both so desperately deserved, but he wondered whether such a thing might be far easier said than done.

Anduin finished lacing his boots and turned toward the mirror, twisting his body from side to side as he studied his reflection. He had grown both upwards and outwards over the past few years, though it was only in the past few months that he felt he had truly shed the last vestiges of boyishness. He would never be as big a man as father - though in fairness, few men who had ever lived would grow to be as big as his father - but he was no longer quite so lanky as he had once been. No longer quite so skinny.

Anduin had taken Auriana very seriously when she had suggested that his body must be as strong as his mind, and while they had only found the time to train sporadically since her return from Draenor, he had pursued his own exercise routine ever since. He had done so out of a desire to be the best priest and prince that he could be, and not because he had some secret desire to become the burliest man in Stormwind... though he admittedly found it nice to have properly filled out a tunic for a change.

Still can't grow a beard, though, he thought ruefully.

Anduin ran a hand over the smooth, bare skin of his chin, and stretched out his shoulder muscles beneath his golden epaulettes. He was not usually quite so vain, but he today was one of those days where he would be expected to look his best, and he had no intention of being a disappointment. He made a few last minute adjustments, tightening his belt and smoothing down his hair, and all in all, he thought he looked rather princely and smart... even if he wouldn't quite go as far to call himself handsome.

It was of the utmost importance that the ceremony went well, Anduin thought, as he paused to collect two very special pieces of jewellery from a secret compartment in his dresser. While Varian was undoubtedly the bravest man that Andin had ever met, he also knew that nothing terrified him more than Auriana. Not because he was actually afraid of her, of course, but rather that he might lose her in the same way that he had lost Anduin's mother. Unfortunately. there was little Anduin could do about assassins or demons or whoever else foolishly decided to threaten Auriana's life, but he could ease at least some of his father's worries by playing his part.

Anduin had earlier resolved to visit both Auriana and his father before the ceremony, though as he stepped out of his rooms and into the hall, he was distracted by the sight of a different dark-haired figure disappearing around the corner in front of him.

"Tess! Hey!"

Anduin loped a few steps forward, only to nearly collide with the Princess of Gilneas around the corner as she backtracked to heed his call. He instinctively reached out to steady her, and immediately flushed red as his hands came to rest upon the curve of her trim waist. She wore a well-cut, dress of soft, dusky pink, and her hair was bound with exquisite ivory flowers. Tess typically preferred the dark, muted colours favoured by her people, and it was a rare and pleasant change to see her in something more colourful. If Anduin hadn't known any better, he would have thought her to be the perfect, pretty picture of a demure princess - except for the decidedly wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Good morning, my Prince," she smirked, her brows twitching in amusement as she stared pointedly down at his hands.

Anduin coughed awkwardly, and stepped back.

"Er… sorry…" he mumbled.

"Sure you are. I can't stay long, you know, I was just on my way to help Father," Tess added, holding up a dark burgundy necktie for him to see. "Mother will have a fit if he's not properly dressed, or if one of us is late to the ceremony."

"I won't keep you. I was just on my way to see my father, actually," Anduin explained.

"Aren't his chambers down there?" Tess asked, pointing back over Anduin's shoulder.

"Father gave them up for Auriana. He's downstairs, in the ambassador's wing," he explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm going the same way. You can escort me," Tess resolved.

She held out her arm to him, and together they fell into a swift lockstep down the corridor.

"Did you have fun last night?" Anduin asked.

"So much fun," Tess gushed. "Auri is surprisingly entertaining when she gets going."

Anduin snorted as he tried to imagine a drunken Auriana, though he found it a rather difficult thing to picture.

"And how many drinks did that take?" he wondered.

"I lost count," Tess admitted, "Though it didn't help that Aysa gave her some sort of Pandaren tea that made her all relaxed and sort of… weird."

"Wait - you drugged her?" Anduin spluttered, incredulous.

"Only a little bit!" Tess protested. "She's so darned small, Aysa miscalculated her tolerance. Honestly, how your father doesn't crush her to death is quite beyond me."

She giggled.

"We convinced her dance in front of the entire tavern, you know. If she ever wanted a change of vocation, she'd make some good money as a dancer. The Pandaren tavern certainly thought she put on quite the show..."

"Tess…" Anduin growled, "I told you not to let things get out of hand..."

He had been very explicit in his instructions that Tess was not to put Auriana in any situation that might cause her harm or embarrassment, but it seemed that she listened to him about as well as she listened to anyone else. Which was to say - not at all.

"Thing were perfectly well in hand, I promise you!" Tess declared, with an exaggerated roll of if her eyes. "And she definitely had fun, which is what you wanted, was it not?"

"Still…"

"Still nothing, Anduin Wrynn. She's perfectly well, and her dignity is intact," Tess insisted, waving his concerns away with a flick of her wrist. "I will say this, though, she needs to learn to control that blush. Goes as red as a Gilnean rose at the slightest provocation..."

Anduin knew exactly the kind of blush Tess was talking about, and despite his reservations, he couldn't help but to return her beaming smile. The moment was short-lived however, as Anduin realised they were now standing near the door of Varian's co-opted dressing room.

"Well, this is me," he said, gently disentangling Tess' arm from his own. "I'll see you later? At the reception?"

He had expected Tess to respond in the affirmative, but she instead she sighed theatrically and shook her head.

"Anduin," she huffed, "Didn't your father teach you any manners?"

"What?" he exclaimed, thoroughly bewildered.

"When a lady dresses up for a formal occasion, you are supposed to pay her a compliment," she explained, twirling her skirts for him to emphasise her point. "Certainly, you ought to do so before you abandon her to walk the halls of your Keep alone."

"Oh! Um… Tess…?"

"Yes, my Prince?" she asked, somehow making her eyes appear impossibly wide and innocent.

"You look very pretty," he said, trying not to sound as awkward and flustered as he felt.

She broke into a wide smile, and gave Anduin a sly little wink that made him flush from his cheeks to his hairline.

"I know," she said blithely, reaching up to give him a teasing pat on the cheek before she sauntered off down the corridor.

Anduin stared after her retreating form in disbelief, before he shook himself hard and turned to face the door to Varian's makeshift quarters. As he had explained to Tess, Varian had given use of his chambers over to Auriana for her preparations, so that she might feel more comfortable, and had instead set himself up in one of the rooms usually reserved for visiting dignitaries or guests of the Keep.

Two royal guardsmen stood watch outside, and their expressions were enough to give Anduin pause. There was a very particular look common amongst the guards and servants of Stormwind Keep whenever Varian was in an especially churlish mood, and it seemed that today was no exception. Anduin had wondered how his father would hold up now that the day of the wedding had actually arrived, and he was both amused by and sympathetic to Varian's consternation.

"Hello," he said brightly. "I take it my father is in?"

"Yes, Prince Anduin," the taller of the two guards confirmed. "Though I ought to warn you, he's a little… er… tense."

The guards exchanged a pointed look, and Anduin was forced to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," he said, grinning, "Though I appreciate the warning."

The taller guardsman looked as if he wanted to say more, but instead opened the door with some reluctance, and allowed Anduin to quietly slip inside. He could not see his father properly at first, obscured as Varian was by the large four poster bed at the centre of the room, but he could certainly hear that unmistakable, bellowing voice.

"Falster! If you try to make me wear that ridiculous cravat one more time, I swear I will personally drag you out to the Stockades and have you drawn and quartered!"

"Afternoon, Father," Anduin said drily, leaning up against the bedpost and folding his arms across his chest.

Varian turned and stepped fully into view, and his furious countenance deflated slightly as he locked eyes with his only son.

"Oh. Anduin. Hello."

He cleared his throat, and scratched awkwardly at the persistent stubble that peppered his chin.

"I thought… you were someone else…" he grunted.

"Clearly."

Anduin studied his father closely. Unlike Anduin himself, Varian had chosen not to wear a formal tunic, but rather his distinctive heavy plate. The armour had been polished to a high sheen, so much so that Anduin could practically use it as a mirror, and someone had scrubbed his hair so clean that it was almost as reflective as the pauldrons. Varian had made some concessions to the formality of the occasion, such as a heavy blue cloak and his rarely used crown, but overall he looked just as likely to charge into battle as he did to walk down the aisle.

"You're wearing armour? Really?" Anduin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Varian looked down, and fiddled distractedly with one of his gauntlets.

"Something wrong with my armour?"

"I suppose not," Anduin conceded, "Though it does seem a bit odd that you would dress to marry the woman you love the same way you would dress to fight demons..."

"This is who I am. She knows that," Varian said stiffly. "Besides, I had it cleaned."

"Oh, well, as long as you had it cleaned..." Anduin murmured.

"What was that?" Varian asked sharply, looking back at his son with a wary expression.

"Ah, nothing important," Anduin said quickly, with a brief wave of his hand. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Varian huffed, a little too quickly. "Except for this damn sash."

He held up a thick blue sash embroidered with golden thread; an exact copy of the one that Anduin himself wore. It was supposed to be a symbol of their office as rulers of Stormwind, but it seemed Varian was having a rather difficult time getting it on over his armour. Of course, it didn't help that he was not being especially delicate in his attempts to pull it on over his head, and Anduin quickly stepped forward to assist.

"Here. Let me," he offered.

"No, Anduin..." Varian growled.

He seemed determined to dress himself, despite the difficulty presented by his enormous pauldrons, and soon father and son were embroiled in an awkward tug of war over the sash as Anduin tried his best to help, and Varian tried his best to be obstinate.

"Don't be recalcitrant, Father!"

"Anduin! Stop fussing; if I move it here..."

"It's caught on the beak! Why is your armour so complex?!"

"Bloody hell, Anduin, would you just…"

"Stop fidgeting, Father, you're only making it worse..."

Anduin reached up to unhook the sash from where it had hooked on Varian's right shoulderplate, while at the same time Varian twisted his body hard to the left in an attempt to work himself free. Unfortunately, the net result of Varian's movement was that he pulled the sash one way while Anduin twisted it the other, and with a sharp rip, together they tore it clean in two. Anduin's eyes widened, and for a moment they simply stared at the frayed blue fragments of fabric now lying sadly on the floor between them.

"Well, that solves that problem, at least..." Varian said finally.

He stepped over the tattered fabric, and turned his full attention back to the mirror. Unsurprisingly, he did not seem overly concerned about the loss off the sash, though there was most definitely something else bothering him. Anduin watched his father closely as he unbuckled and buckled his breastplate no less than four times, scowling fiercely at his reflection the entire time. Varian was admittedly intolerant of formal occasions, even at the best of times, but this was something else. He would never outwardly say as much, of course, but between the tension in his jaw, the slight furrow of his forehead, and the downward twist of his lips...

"You are nervous," Anduin realised.

"Don't be ridiculous," Varian snarled. "I'm not nervous. I'm Varian Wrynn. I don't get nervous."

He might have almost been convincing, if not for the way that his fingers slipped on the catch of his plate as he spoke, or the fact that his mighty shoulders were as rigid as the stone wall behind him.

"Father. Nothing is going to happen," Anduin said gently, assuming that Varian's concerns were centred around the spate of assassins that had plagued them over the last year. "There's practically a guard per square foot out in the city. The Keep and the Cathedral are almost as magically fortified as Dalaran, now, thanks to Aunt Jaina and Kalecgos; not to mention that your guest list consists of all the most powerful warriors and spellcasters in the Alliance."

He was quite confident in his assessment, trusting his dear friends and allies to keep them safe for the duration of the ceremony, but it seemed that Varian did not agree. His dark scowl deepened even further at Anduin's words, and he struggled within himself for quite some time before he finally turned and spoke.

"It's not that," he muttered. "It's... her."

"Auri?" Anduin asked, surprised.

Varian took a deep breath, and grimaced as if he were in physical pain.

"What... what if she can't go through with the wedding?"

His voice was quiet and throaty, and Anduin immediately softened at the raw, seething concern in his eyes. Varian was so rarely vulnerable, and while Anduin loved to tease him, he certainly took no joy in doing so when his father was genuinely uneasy.

"Father… Auri loves you," he said seriously.

"I know," Varian said quietly, a brief lightness flickering across his otherwise stern features, "But this morning she would have woken up to that…"

He stalked over to the window and pushed it open, and the room was immediately filled with a cacophony of sound echoing up from the city below. Even though the ceremony was not scheduled to start for another two hours, the streets were already packed with vocal Alliance citizens queuing to see a glimpse of their new Queen. Stormwind's merchants had taken full advantage of the day to hawk their wares, while all manner of horns and other musical instruments blared out over the general din.

"What if it's all too much?" Varian asked, shaking his head. "I know she loves me, but… a crown is a hard thing to love."

"Would it help if I went to speak to her?" Anduin offered, not quite knowing what else to say. "I could check if she's alright?"

"You would do that?" Varian asked.

He closed the window, and a restless silence fell across the room once more.

"Of course," Anduin said quickly. "I had intended to visit her in any case."

"Hopefully she doesn't have a headache. She was rather spectacularly drunk when she returned home last night," Varian snorted. "I had to carry her to bed, she could barely walk."

Anduin flushed, suddenly unable to look his father in the eye, and pulled idly at a thread on his cuffs.

"Ah… that may have been slightly my fault…" he said sheepishly.

"You?" Varian asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I though it was Tess Greymane's idea."

"Not exactly," Anduin confessed. "I suggested to Tess that Auri might like a night out of the city to relax, and Tess sort of… ran with it. As Tess does."

Varian grunted softly and scratched at his chin, and for a moment Anduin couldn't tell if whether or not he was displeased. He had not intended for any harm to come to Auriana - far from it - though he could understand why his father might have thought his idea ill-advised.

"I only wanted her to enjoy herself. You know how serious she can be, and it's her wedding… she ought to be happy," he said quickly, not wanting Varian to think poorly of him.

"Oh, I think she enjoyed herself plenty, don't you worry."

Varian shook his head, and his stern expression softened in a way that it only did when he was thinking of Auriana. Some of the tension in his jawline released, and the ghost of a smile pulled briefly at his lips.

"Funny little thing…"

His gaze flicked toward the window, and he let out a long, shaking sigh.

"I would appreciate if you would go to her," he concluded. "I'm not permitted to see my own damn bride, apparently, so you will have to do."

"Of course," Anduin assured him quickly. "I'll speak to her. And I'm sure she's just fine."

He offered his father his most reassuring smile, but Varian did not seem convinced. He did not say anything further, however, and Anduin took his abrupt silence as a not-so-subtle hint to leave.

Varian continued to stare broodingly into the mirror as Anduin slipped quietly from the room, and made his way off down the corridor to find Auriana. He walked swiftly, the clack of his boots echoing off the grey stone walls, and in no time at all, he found himself standing outside Varian's personal chambers. The guards permitted him entrance immediately, and he entered the study to find Jaina and Khadgar conversing quietly over a glass of wine. Three of Auriana's ladies maids lined were lined up dutifully along the back wall, though Anduin wasn't sure why they were all out here, instead of attending to Auriana. Khadgar was dressed as finely as Anduin had ever seen him, in crisply pressed robes of silver and navy, while Jaina was lovely as ever in a flowing dress of periwinkle blue. As Auriana's escort and attendant, respectively, they would accompany her to the Cathedral and down the aisle, and Anduin was glad to know that she would not have to face the entire city alone.

He coughed lightly to announce his presence, and the two senior Archmagi broke into broad smiles as they turned to face him.

"Anduin!" Jaina exclaimed brightly. "How are you?"

"Very well, Aunt Jaina, thank you," he replied, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello there, Prince Anduin," Khadgar said, raising his glass of wine in greeting. "Fine day for a wedding, eh?"

"Hello, Khadgar," Anduin said, returning the older Archmage's grin. "A very fine day, indeed."

"Speaking of which, how is your father?" Jaina asked, an all-too knowing gleam in her eye.

"Ah… well, if it were anyone else I would say 'terrified'," Anduin admitted, "But as it is my father, I think I'll settle for… um... fretful?"

"That bad, hmm?" Jaina mused. "I did wonder…"

"Is he expecting some sort of attack?" Khadgar asked. "I assure you, Anduin, we would not allow any harm to come to Auriana. Or to anyone else, for that matter."

Khadgar was generally such a genial and friendly man that it was sometimes easy to forget that he was one of the most powerful mages who had ever lived. His voice may have been kind, but his eyes were as hard as steel, and Anduin sincerely pitied anyone so foolish as to risk rousing his genuine ire.

"Nothing like that," he assured them. "I believe his concern lies primarily with Auriana. That's why I'm here, actually."

Khadgar and Jaina exchanged a look, and Anduin realised that they, too, shared some of Varian's disquiet. He knew that Auriana had struggled greatly with the prospect of becoming queen, and while he did not question her love for his father, he also knew that Varian's concerns about her flightiness were not entirely unfounded. It was no small thing stand at the side of a High King, and while Anduin could not blame Auriana for being nervous, he also wondered if his father might be right, and whether finally coming face to face with the true reality of her new life would prove to be overwhelming.

"How is she?" he asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Better than I expected," Jaina said. "Especially after last night."

"She's in there?" Anduin said, nodding to the wooden door that lead to Varian's innermost chamber.

"She wanted a moment alone," Khadgar explained. "Asked us to step outside."

"Is that a bad sign?" Anduin wondered, half-imagining Auriana climbing out the window and down the Keep walls on a rope made entirely of bedsheets.

Don't be ridiculous, whispered a small and decidedly unhelpful voice in the back of his mind. If she were going to run, she would just open a portal to Light knows where, and you'd never see her again...

Anduin looked worriedly between the two Archmages, but Jaina quelled his immediate fears with a short shake of her head.

"To tell you the truth… I'm not sure. She's nervous, I think, but she was excited. And then there's the dress…"

Jaina smiled thoughtfully to herself, and shrugged her slender shoulders.

"I can't say I would be in any particular hurry to abscond if I were wearing something like that."

"It's pretty?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" Jaina suggested, gesturing towards the door. "I'm sure she would appreciate seeing you."

Anduin wasn't quite so sure, given that Auriana had already asked the others to leave, but he had made a promise to his father, and with some gentle prodding from Jaina, he finally stepped through the door and into Varian's bedchamber proper.

The first thing Anduin realised was that Auriana was not entirely alone; her bodyguard Ridley having taken up a silent vigil in a back corner, with her hand resting casually on the pommel of her sword. Her warplate had been polished to within an inch of its life, and she wore a freshly pressed blue tabard embroidered with a mighty golden lion. Ridley bowed slightly in acknowledgement as she caught sight of Anduin in the doorway, though her attention remained firmly fixed on the pale, slender figure standing on a mirrored dais in the centre of the room.

The second thing Anduin realised was that Jaina had been right, and that Auriana was wearing possibly the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. Somewhat surprisingly, the gown left her shoulders and back largely bare; with delicate, airy swathes of fabric encircling her upper arms and twisting back around to come together in an elegant bow in the centre of her back. Her scar was nonetheless obscured by cascades of her dark hair; the top half of which had had been bound up in an elaborate and seemingly impossible knot, while the rest had been gently curled and left to trail down her back like a river. Her ethereal, silky skirts were long and full, flaring out into a wide train, and as Anduin grew closer, he realised that the entire length of the hem had been embroidered with tiny, pearlescent flowers.

Anduin caught sight of Auriana's face in her reflection as he stepped forward, and her eyes widened as she realised she was no longer alone. Fortunately, she did not seem displeased by Anduin's sudden presence, and she turned around very carefully to face him. The front of her dress was quite as lovely as the back, the top of her bodice having been embroidered in a similar fashion to the hem of her skirts; while a fine, filigree tiara glittered against her dark hair.

In short, she looked quite simply radiant, and for a moment Anduin found himself rather speechless.

"Auri… I… you look… wow..." he managed, trying his hardest not to blush.

"Is that… I mean... it's alright?" she asked, looking down at her skirts and smoothing them anxiously. "I know it's not something I would usually wear, but…"

"More than alright," Anduin assured her quickly. "Father's heart is going to stop in his chest when he sees you."

"That doesn't sound so good…"

"Well, he's starting to get on in years. The sight of such a beautiful woman might be too much for him," Anduin said, shrugging.

Auriana's nose twitched, though she seemed unsure as to whether or not he was teasing.

"One of the perils of marrying an older man, I suppose," Anduin continued, trying to make her smile. "They just can't keep up…"

"Anduin! Stop it!" she giggled.

Just as Anduin had hoped, she broke into a wide grin, and a pretty blush rose in her silvery cheeks. He was pleased to see that she was not nearly as nervous as he had anticipated, though he expected that might change as the hour of the ceremony grew closer. Still, she was here, at least, and as far as Anduin was concerned, that was all that mattered.

"All jokes aside though, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Anduin said honestly. "That dress is... stunning. I'm not sure I could find the right words to do you justice."

Auriana turned back to the mirror, and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. Her expression was slightly critical as she stared at her reflection, though he could tell that the compliment had pleased her. She stood a little taller, a little more confident, and Anduin thought he saw a very small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"I heard you had a bit of fun last night," he added teasingly, taking a seat upon the edge of her bed as he watched her fiddle with her hair.

"I heard it was your idea," Auriana shot back, never taking her eyes off the mirror.

"How did you…" Anduin started, only to realise immediately that there was only one person who could have given the game away. "Tess. Of course. That girl can't keep her mouth shut."

"I think she wanted to make sure I knew who to blame in the event that things didn't quite work out as she had planned," Auriana explained.

"Ah… did things go as planned?"

Auriana turned to look back at him over her shoulder, and her sharp blue eyes narrowed. Anduin stiffened, unsure whether she was displeased by his meddling. He had meant well, and he had only sought to give her the chance to relax and enjoy herself ahead of the wedding. It was very important to him that today went well, both for his father's sake, and for his own, and he would do anything he could to see that Auriana was as calm and happy as possible. Nevertheless, he understood that she may not have appreciated being manipulated, and he opened his mouth to speak in his defense.

"If the plan was to get me blindingly drunk, then… yes, I think the plan succeeded," Auriana confirmed, gently cutting Anduin off before he could speak.

Her lips quivered, and it was then Anduin realised that she was trying not to laugh.

"And… if I'm being honest, I may have actually enjoyed myself. Perhaps. Just a little," she added, her eyes sparkling.

Anduin let out a short sigh of relief, and his shoulders relaxed. He did not wish for Auriana to be vexed with him, and if she had genuinely enjoyed herself, all the better.

"It's a miracle!" he grinned. "Father did say you were very drunk."

Auriana bit her lip, and frowned ever so slightly.

"I think he and I spoke last night, but I honestly can't remember. Was he mad?" she asked nervously.

"No, of course not. Actually, I think he found it all rather amusing," Anduin assured her quickly. "Although… how's your head?"

"The royal alchemist is very good at his job," Auriana said, touching a hand to her temple. "And I slept in quite late. The tailor was very vexed with me."

Oddly enough, she seemed rather pleased to have annoyed the tailor, though Anduin couldn't have said why.

"Tess said you danced, too. As I understand it, you were quite impressive," he added.

"Well, she's very kind. Though I don't think I ought to leave the Kirin Tor to start a new career in… tavern shenanigans," Auriana snorted.

"Not when you've about to start a new career as Queen of Stormwind, in any case," Anduin agreed, nodding towards her dress.

He had spoken casually enough, but Auriana was far too clever not to have noticed the subtle question hinted beneath his words. She glanced down at the flowing, weightless silk of her skirts, and the amusement slowly faded from her eyes. She did not appear as apprehensive as she once might have, however, but merely thoughtful and solemn as she twisted the ring upon her left hand and brushed her thumb gently across the shining mithril and sapphires.

"I was never going to run away, you know. Not this time," she whispered, her eyes so big and so blue as to put the sea and sky to shame. "I swear to you, I would never break his heart."

It was clearly very important to her that she was believed, and Anduin immediately rose to his feet and stepped up onto the dais at her side.

"I know," he said gently, closing his fingers over her own. "But it's hard not to worry about you sometimes. I'm sorry if I overstepped. I just want you to be happy."

Auriana's hand was so small that it all but disappeared in his own, and yet there was a decided strength in her grip as she laced her fingers with his. She was not one usually prone to open displays of affection, excepting perhaps in the case of his father, and yet today she did not hesitate as she lifted Anduin's hand and pressed a gentle kiss against his knuckles. Something had changed between them since their misadventures in the Duskwood; ever since she had shown her willingness to die for him, and he to kill for her, and Anduin knew then that regardless of what happened in the ceremony today, they were already family.

They stood together in warm silence for a long time, until they were interrupted by the quiet, polite cough of one of Auriana's maidservants.

"Pardon me, my lady," the girl said quietly, "But you have a visitor."

Auriana released Anduin's hand and turned, her skirts swirling around her ankles like running water.

"A visitor?" she asked, her eyes flicking towards the door.

"A Master Aysa Cloudsinger, my lady. Should I send her in?"

Auriana exchanged a glance with Anduin, though he had no idea why the Pandaren master would wish to visit so soon before the ceremony, and he shrugged.

"Aysa? Ah… of course…" Auriana agreed, with a small wave of her hand.

The maidservant nodded and turned back to the door, and quickly ushered Aysa inside. She wore a figure-hugging, high-necked dress of magnificent dark jade, embroidered with all four of the Celestials in bright golden thread, and her tufted ears were decorated with an elaborate metallic headpiece. It was quite unlike anything Anduin had ever seen the young monk wear before, and he thought she looked very pretty. He smiled.

"Hello, Auriana," Aysa smiled, bowing respectfully before the dias. "And you, Prince Anduin. I did not expect to see you here."

She stepped further into the room, and her eyes widened in appreciation as she beheld the full majesty of Auriana's dress.

"Auriana... you are most beautiful," she breathed. "That dress is truly stunning… and very white…"

Auriana ducked her head and laughed, though once again Anduin did not understand the significance of the statement. Aysa, however, seemed to think it very funny, and the two women shared a brief chuckle before Auriana spoke.

"How can we be of assistance?" she asked.

"Ah - I have a message for you, along with... a package," Aysa explained.

She withdrew a long wooden box from behind her back, and offered it up to Auriana.

"You know that I am very... close... with Master Ji Firepaw, yes?" she asked, her soft ears twitching. "Well, as I am sure you also know, Ji and the rest of Huojin Pandaren chose to ally with the Horde. He sent word to me this morning that one of those allies wished to contact you."

"Me?" Auriana exclaimed, taking the small box from Aysa with a curious expression. "Today?"

"Yes. Apparently it was most important that it was today," Aysa confirmed. "I believe it may be a wedding gift."

Anduin was not at all surprised to learn that the Horde knew of the royal wedding. Of course, it wasn't as if it were any great secret, though he did find it somewhat strange and unexpected that they would think to mark the date with a gift. Ridley evidently agreed with him, too, judging from the speed with which she moved to Auriana's side.

"Ah... my lady... are you certain this is not some Horde trick?" she asked, touching a hand to her sword. "There could be something dangerous in that box."

Auriana, however, did not appear to agree with her bodyguard's sentiment.

"It's not dangerous, Ridley," she said confidently, shaking her head with an amused smile. "It's most definitely a gift."

She held up the box and pointed to a crude icon carved into the wood; what appeared to be a roughly diamond shaped mask stuck through by two long spears. Anduin couldn't quite place the symbol, but apparently it meant something to Auriana.

"Are you sure?" Ridley pressed. "If it's from the Horde..."

"Well, it's not a gift on behalf of the entire Horde, I don't think, just one of them in particular," Auriana explained. "And certainly not one who seeks to cause me harm."

"Ji would not have offered to relay the package if he believed it to be dangerous," Aysa agreed. "Of this I am certain."

"Everything is fine, Ridley, I promise you."

Auriana waved her anxious guard to stand down, and carefully pried open the wooden box, as Anduin peered curiously over her shoulder. Nestled inside was an unlabeled bottle of some dark purple liquor, as well as a strange object made of carved wood, bright feathers, and what appeared to be some kind of animal tooth. Anduin was hardly an expert in troll religious iconography, of course, but he had seen similar charms before. It was a fetish; albeit one that had been rendered in Alliance blue and gold instead of more traditional colours. He knew they were believed to hold magical properties, and could be used to work both blessings and curses. This one, he assumed, had been made to offer Auriana some kind of blessing, though whether it was intended to give her protection or good fortune or something else entirely, he couldn't have rightly said.

"Cheeky bloody troll…" Auriana murmured, withdrawing a small piece of folded parchment from beneath the curve of the liquor bottle.

She flipped open the parchment, and a warm smile spread across her face as she read the short note scribbled within.

"Who is it from?" Anduin asked curiously.

Auriana did not reply directly, but instead handed him the parchment so that he might read the inscription for himself. The handwriting was large and rather crude, as if the author were unused to writing letters in Common, but there was no mistaking the message.

May the loa watch over you, little lion.

Stormwind could not ask for a better queen.

-Z

P.S. Tell Wrynn he better treat you right, or else he'll answer to the Darkspear. My Warchief agrees.

"It's from Zala'din, isn't it?" Anduin realised, grinning. "Your troll friend from Draenor? Er… he's not serious about the Darkspear thing, is he?"

He had not met the troll before, Auriana having refused to allow him to accompany her when he might have had the opportunity, though he knew Zala'din had saved Auriana's life on more than one occasion, and had been instrumental in securing victory in Draenor. Very unusually for a troll and a human, Zala'din and Auriana had also become good friends; apparently so much so that Zala'din was willing to exploit diplomatic channels to offer her his congratulations.

Fortunately, his efforts appeared to have payed off. Auriana looked genuinely touched, and her blue eyes grew oddly misty as she ran her fingers appreciatively across one of the fetish's brilliant blue feathers.

"Yes, he is my friend…" she murmured, "And no, I doubt he's serious. Trolls have an odd sense of humour."

"Should we drink to your good health, my lady?" Ridley asked, nodding towards the bottle.

Anduin was also very eager to try the troll liquor, wondering how it might differ from the wine and beer he might normally drink in Stormwind, but Auriana did not seem to agree. She shook her head, and scrunched up her nose in evident distaste.

"Oh, no. I'm not touching that stuff again," she said vehemently. "I have to kiss Varian later, and I would rather not have him gag."

"It's that bad?" Anduin laughed.

"This is not the first time Zala'din has gifted me some of his troll moonshine. From memory, it tastes like the leather of a dead tauren left to rot in the sun for three days," Auriana confirmed. "Though you're quite welcome to try it if you like."

She held out the bottle towards him and swirled the dark liquid around, her eyes sparkling with challenge. For a moment, Anduin considered taking her up on the offer, but in the end his sense of caution won out over his curiosity.

"Ah… perhaps not right before the wedding," he conceded. "Can't have the Crown Prince getting sick in the middle of the ceremony, after all."

"No?" Auriana asked, cocking a playful eyebrow. "What about you, then, Ridley? It was your idea, after all..."

Ridley eyed the bottle cautiously, but unlike Anduin, she eventually accepted the proffered liquor from her mistress with a confident nod. She popped the cork and lifted the bottle in a toast, but the very moment the troll brew hit her lips, her self-assuredness vanished and her face twisted into an expression of abject disgust.

"By all that is holy, that's awful…" she choked, her cheeks colouring a blotchy red. "My lady…"

"You're welcome to use the bathchamber, of course," Auriana said smoothly, biting down on her lower lip to smother her laugh.

Ridley did not need to be asked twice, and she staggered out of the room with uncharacteristic gracelessness, clamping a hand over her mouth as she ran. She very nearly dropped the liquor bottle in her haste, but Auriana reached out to pluck it from the royal guard's fingertips before she disappeared.

"Aysa?" she offered, winking at Anduin as she held the bottle out toward the young Pandaren master.

"Sometimes the greatest wisdom is in choosing not to fight," Aysa said serenely, her eyes sparkling as she glanced towards the bathchamber door. "I ought to be heading off to the ceremony, in any case. I only came to deliver your package, and I wouldn't want to be late."

Auriana's amused expression faded slightly at the mention of the now very imminent ceremony, and Anduin distinctly saw the lean muscles of her back tighten as her breath caught in her throat. Still, the movement was so small that he doubted anyone else would have noticed, and her voice was even as she spoke.

"Of course," she said. "I trust we will see you later at the reception?"

"I look forward to it," Aysa agreed.

The Pandaren master bowed low, before she turned and made her way to the door, and left Anduin and Auriana alone together once more. He watched her closely as she stepped down from the dais, marvelling at how she managed to move so gracefully in her dress. The train alone was longer than Anduin was tall, and yet it did not seem to hamper Auriana in the slightest. She floated across the room to place her gifts from Zala'din on the dresser, when Anduin abruptly remembered that Varian's concerns were not the only reason he had sought Auriana out.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I almost forgot. I brought you something, too."

He patted down the pockets of his tunic, and dug around until he found the small, silver pendant he had crafted for her as a wedding gift.

"You'll have to forgive me, it isn't wrapped…"

Auriana's eyes were wide as she whirled to face him, though she didn't seem to care one whit for the fact that he had not found a suitable means of presenting his gift. Her lips were parted slightly in surprise, and she appeared mesmerised by the gentle sparkle of the pendant's chain.

"You didn't have to do that…" she whispered.

"I wanted to," Anduin insisted. "Here."

He stepped forward, and pressed the necklace into Auriana's pale palm. It was a simple thing, really, especially when compared to the elaborate jewels woven through her shining hair, but it had been made with love. Anduin had fashioned it to resemble the pendant that he himself wore to contain the everlasting snowflake that Auriana had once made for him, though hers was of a smaller and more delicate design. Below the silver chain dangled a small glass teardrop infused with captured Light summoned by Anduin's own hand, which gave the entire pendant a soft white-gold glow.

"I made it myself," he smiled proudly. "Took some doing, but I managed."

"It's like your snowflake…" Auriana whispered, cradling it between her fingers as if it was the most precious jewel in all the world.

"More or less, though yours is all Light. My skills in the arcane are somewhat lacking, unfortunately," Anduin smiled. "Think of it as a blessing you can wear. Something to keep you safe"

"I hadn't seen that pendant since… since after… after the F-Foundry," she murmured. "I didn't realise you still had it."

"Father returned it to me. I wear it every day."

To emphasise his point, Anduin reached into the neck of his tunic, and pulled out his own long chain for her to see. Auriana reached out to brush her fingers against the shining glass that held her snowflake, and her lips drew into a small half-smile.

"I promise you, I won't be a wicked stepmother," she said quietly.

"You're many things, Auri, but you're not wicked," Anduin assured her.

"Tell me that again after I've ordered you to bed with nothing more than a stomachful of cold gruel, or turned you into a frog or something," she snorted, waggling her fingers as if she intended to hex him.

"You've been reading too many fairy tales," Anduin laughed. "Allow me?"

He closed his hand gently over Auriana's shoulder and turned her away, so that he might loop the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed against the top of her scar as he pushed her hair out of the way, and yet surprisingly, she did not flinch as he secured the clasp.

"It's beautiful," Auriana whispered, touching a hand to where the golden pendant came to rest nestled in the curve of her breast. "Thank you… I… well, just… thank you."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, actually," Anduin confessed. "The day we made my pendant… that was the day I realised how truly special you were. Thank you for loving him, and for giving me the kind of father I never thought I would know."

He felt a bit awkward, expressing himself so plainly to someone who so rarely showed emotion, but it seemed that he had said exactly the right thing. To his complete and utter shock, Auriana abruptly spun and threw her arms around his neck, and pulled him against her body with a desperate strength that belied her small stature. In truth, Anduin could scarcely breathe, but such an embrace from Auriana was such a rare and precious thing that he had no intention of letting her go before she was well and truly ready.

"I'm sorry," she said shyly, her eyes glittering with unshed tears as she finally pulled away. "I just…"

"No, no, it's fine," Anduin gasped, surprised but genuinely delighted by her sudden outpouring of emotion.

He gingerly rubbed his bruised ribs, even as he smiled, but before he could say anything further, he was interrupted by an indignant cry from the doorway.

"Anduin Wrynn!" Jaina tutted, shooing him away from Auriana with a flick of her wrist. "She was perfect, stop making her weepy!"

She put her hands on her hips, and her crystal blue eyes narrowed in mock seriousness.

"Do you know how long it took to get her dressed? I won't have her kohl running because you decided you wanted to be sweet."

"Of course, Aunt Jaina," Anduin said smoothly. "Did I mention that you look quite lovely today, as well?"

He gave her his best and most winning smile, but unfortunately, Jaina was not the type of woman to be taken in by such an obvious attempt.

"When did you become so charming, hmm?" she snorted, rolling her eyes in clear amusement. "You certainly didn't get it from your father. And speaking of which - isn't it time you joined him for the ceremony?"

"I suppose it is," Anduin agreed.

He gave Auriana a last, reassuring smile as Jaina bustled him out of the room, and bid a quick farewell to Khadgar on his way past. As much as he would have liked to stay with Auriana a little longer, Jaina was right about the time, and he hastened back through the Keep to find his father. Auriana would have Jaina and Khadgar to look after her and see her safely to the Cathedral, but Anduin's priority would once again be his father.

Anduin eventually found Varian pacing in front of his throne, his long cloak swirling about his ankles as he stomped back and forth across the smooth stone floor. He glanced up the moment Anduin entered the room, his preternatural senses alerting him to his son's presence sooner than Anduin would have thought possible, and his already sharp eyes grew even harder.

"How is she?" he demanded, folding his arms firmly across his massive barrel chest.

"Beautiful," Anduin said warmly, "And calmer than I expected. You don't have a thing to worry about, Father, not where she's concerned."

"Good," Varian said tersely, "That's good."

He did not go quite so far as to smile, but the tension in his shoulders lessened slightly as he led Anduin down through the Keep's great promenade and out to meet their waiting carriage. Hundreds of people were queued outside, and they roared with excitement to see their King and Prince up so close. If Anduin thought the streets had been loud from up in the Keep, however, it was nothing compared to the sheer volume of the cheers that greeted the royal carriage as it slowly made its way through the cobbled streets of Stormwind. Every time the carriage turned a corner, it seemed as if the crowd somehow grew even louder, and Anduin suspected he may have been rendered half deaf by the time he and Varian made their way into the relative silence of the Cathedral.

Anduin knew that a royal wedding was a large and significant event, but he was quite unprepared for the number of guests waiting in attendance as he and his father stepped into the nave. The dignitaries from the other Alliance factions had all been given pride of place in the front rows, with every single member of the House of Nobles seated just behind. Sadly, neither Varian nor Auriana had any living family, save for Anduin, though their closest friends had been seated alongside the leaders of the Alliance. The rest of the seating was taken up by guests from all four corners of the Azeroth; everyone from military officers to mages, prominent guild leaders, merchants and clergy. All told, Anduin guessed there were at least five hundred people present, if not more, and he could not have believed that they would have all fit inside the main hall of the Cathedral if he had not seen it with his own eyes.

The guests rose to their feet and bowed respectfully as Varian and Anduin slowly made their way up the aisle to stand before the altar. While undoubtedly more social than his irascible father, Anduin much preferred the company of a handful of people at a time compared to what felt like half of Stormwind, and he tried not to let his shoulders twitch as he imagined hundreds of pairs of eyes fixed upon his back. Fortunately, the walk from the nave to the altar did not take quite as long as he had expected, and he was quite simply pleased that he had managed to make it the entire way without tripping over his own feet.

High Priestess Laurena was waiting at the atlar, along with a half-dozen of Stormwind's highest ranking clergy members and none other than Prophet Velen himself. They were all dressed in their finest robes of office, and each bowed deeply before their King as Varian took his place on the altar's right hand side. Velen, however, also offered Anduin a brief, kindhearted wink, before he clasped his hands behind his back and resumed the look of calm, distant neutrality so often favoured by the priesthood.

The enormous crowd spoke animatedly amongst themselves as they awaited the arrival of the bride, though both Varian and Anduin remained silent. Anduin figured it was probably for the best, given the way that Varian was grinding his teeth, and he decided he was in no hurry to risk a conversation. After no more than ten minutes had passed, however, Varian began to fidget and tap his foot; and after twenty, he looked just about ready to go charging off into the city to find Auriana and drag her back to the Cathedral.

"Where is she?" he muttered.

"You saw the crowd outside," Anduin reasoned, trying to keep his voice calm and reassuring. "There are so many people wanting to see her, I'm sure her carriage is just delayed. I promise you, she wouldn't miss this. Not for anything."

Varian's uncomfortable scowl deepened, but with a supreme effort he shook some of the tension from his body, and ceased beating a nervous staccato with his foot.

"Anduin…" he murmured gruffly, though his gaze remained firmly fixed on some point in the distance, "I don't tell you this enough, but there is no one else I would rather have stand by my side today. You are a far better man than I could ever hope to be, and I am proud to call you my son."

"Father…"

Candid praise from Varian was rare, though all the more meaningful it, and for a moment Anduin found it difficult to speak. He knew that his father cared for him deeply, despite their differences, and yet he felt like an overeager young boy each and every time Varian managed to articulate his feelings aloud. Fortunately, he was spared the necessity of thinking of a coherent response, as the Cathedral bells suddenly pealed to announce the arrival of the bride.

Varian straightened immediately, and his eyes sharpened with the intensity of a wolf who had finally sighted prey. It was Ridley who was the first to appear, however, sweeping the Cathedral with a cautious eye before she stepped to the side and nodded to someone that Anduin couldn't see. There was an eager, breathless silence, and a few seconds later, Jaina emerged from the narthex and made her way down the aisle as smoothly and gracefully as if she had been born to it. She carried a posy of white flowers native to Stormwind and Elwynn Forest in her hands, and her smile was bright enough to light up the entire Cathedral.

If Jaina was beautiful, however, Auriana was quite simply exquisite. An awed and excited muttering broke out across the crowd as she began her solemn procession towards the altar, though Anduin's gaze was inexorably drawn toward his father. Varian had gone very still, almost impossibly so, and his breath distinctly hitched in his chest as he stared down the aisle at the woman he loved. He appeared utterly hypnotised by the mere sight of her; so much so that at one point he actually stopped breathing all together.

"Father…" Anduin prompted softly.

"Hmm?" Varian murmured, unblinking.

"Breathe…"

"What?"

Varian gave him a strange look, only to bark out an awkward cough as he realised that he had, in fact, stopped breathing. He inhaled sharply, the ruddy skin of his neck colouring in embarrassment, and after a few moments he began to breath normally once more. Anduin watched him closely, and only once he was satisfied that his father was not going to pass out from a lack of air did he turn finally turn his full attention back to Auriana.

If he had not known any better, he would have thought her utterly without fear as she walked straight-backed and proud, looking every inch the queen that she would soon become. The only concession to her nerves was her slightly too-tight grip on Khadgar's arm, though the Archmage did not seem at all bothered. He was beaming with all the love and excitement of a proud father, and as he reached the end of the aisle and gently placed her hand in Varian's, Anduin distinctly saw tears of joy glimmering in his kind blue eyes.

For a moment, the entire Cathedral sat in perfect silence as Varian and Auriana simply stared deep into one another's eyes, and it seemed to Anduin as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. At one point, Varian tried to speak, but when he opened his mouth, not a single sound came out. Auriana appeared equally dumbstruck, and Anduin was forced to bite back a smile at their tender awkwardness. In a way, they reminded him of two nervous adolescents about to hold hands for the first time, rather than the two confident, fearless warriors he knew them to be, and if such an action had not been completely inappropriate for the formality of the setting, he would have most certainly laughed out loud.

Fortunately, Anduin was spared the difficulty of trying to hide his fond amusement for too long, as High Priestess Laurena stepped forward to commence the official proceedings. He had attended a few noble weddings in his time, though obviously never one of royalty, and there were apparently quite a few rituals to be observed before the wedding vows themselves could take place. The service opened with an ethereal hymn sung by the Cathedral choir, and was followed by no less than a dozen rituals, offerings and blessings performed by various senior members of the Stormwind clergy.

As both a prince and a priest of the Light, Anduin had long ago learned how to stand still during long, formal ceremonies, but even he found it difficult to avoid fidgeting by the time Laurena had finished reciting the third blessing of the day. Varian and Auriana, however, had somehow stayed perfectly still the entire time; though in fairness they were aided by their complete disinterest in anything other than each other. They had barely so much as blinked throughout the entire protracted service, only breaking eye contact when Prophet Velen at last stepped forward to conduct the vow ceremony proper.

"Good afternoon!" he called, his deep voice effortlessly echoing throughout the entire Cathedral. "I am Velen, of the Exodar, and it is my deep and sincere honour to have been invited to ordain the wedding of His Majesty, High King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind, and Her Grace, Duchess Auriana Fenwild."

He smiled broadly as he spoke, and lifted both his hands as if he intended to welcome the entire Cathedral into the embrace of his power. As he did, the Light in the Cathedral seemed to somehow shine even brighter, and Anduin distinctly felt a sense of great warmth and peace wash over him.

"I have not before presided over a human wedding," Velen added, "However, I know that your King has a reputation for being a man of few words, and as such, I will endeavour to follow his example."

Anduin chuckled politely at Velen's gentle teasing, and he was not the only one who did. Royal ceremonies were often stiff and uncomfortable, and he was pleased to see that the Prophet had remembered that this was a union of two people, not of two titles. A wedding was a joyous occasion, Anduin thought, not something to be endured in grave silence, and he very much appreciated the brief moment of levity ahead of the more serious reading of the vows.

"Today, we are here to stand witness to the joining of two souls beneath the Light. It is no small thing to make a vow of marriage; to promise yourself completely to another, and to uphold that promise in sickness and in health; in both times of happiness and prosperity, and in times of darkness," Velen began. "But if there is anyone who understands the solemnity and power of such a commitment, it is the two people standing before me."

He placed a hand of blessing on Varian and Auriana's shoulders as he spoke, and his ancient face warmed with a small, dignified smile.

"Varian and Auriana. Your paths have not been easy. You have both fought, and bled and suffered, but in doing so, you have each found the path that led to the other. You stand before one another today not merely as a man and a woman, or even as a king and a queen, but as true equals; two halves of the same whole. I have lived a long life, and have seen much, and I can think of no two souls better suited for one another."

Anduin found himself nodding in agreement as Velen spoke, and he was not the only one. Those closest to Varian knew that he could have scarcely asked for a more perfect partner than Auriana; a woman with a true warrior's spirit and the courage and ferocity to match Varian's own. As for Auriana, she needed someone who would never cower from the fire and the fury in her her soul; someone who could not only accept the truth of what she was, but who would be awed by her. Someone exactly like Varian, as it had turned out, even as unlikely as such a thing might have been upon their first meeting.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Varian had returned from Tanaan Jungle to tell his son of his thrilling misadventures, and the fierce, cold-hearted young mage who had saved his life. At the time, Anduin had thought very little of the encounter, but now he could not have been more overjoyed than to stand at his father's side as Velen as last called upon the pair to pledge themselves to one another in the witness of their family, friends and allies.

"Varian? If you would care to speak first?"

It was not normally traditional for noblemen and noblewomen to write their own vows, but Varian had been insistent that he speak to Auriana honestly, and in his own words. Of course, such things were easier said than done, and more than once Anduin had found his father alone in his study, his fingers stained with ink and his brow creased into a heavy frown as he struggled to put his feelings into words. It wasn't that Varian was inarticulate, far from it, but rather that he would accept nothing less than perfection when it came to Auriana.

Today, however, there was not the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation in Varian's eyes, and he stood tall and lordly as he took Auriana's hands in his own and began to recite his oath.

"Auriana... I have lost a great many things in my life, and in many ways I have lost myself…" he started, his eyes stormy and as intense as Anduin had ever seen them, "But in knowing you… in loving you... I have been truly found."

Varian ran his calloused thumb tenderly over the back of Auriana's pale hand, and unconsciously stepped closer so that they were standing barely inches apart. Right now, he was not a king, or a gladiator, or even a warrior, but simply a man, and it was clear that no one in the world existed for him in that moment save for her.

"They say I am two men - Varian and Lo'Gosh - but… but the truth of it is I am only half a man without you. You are the sword in my hand and my light in the darkness; my spirit and my solace, and I swear to you that I will protect you and love you until the end of my days, and beyond."

Varian's voice was so hoarse with feeling that he was practically whispering by the time he finished his piece, but Auriana had heard every word, and that was all that mattered. Much like Varian had earlier, it seemed that she was now also having difficulty breathing, and her brilliant blue eyes swum with tears of pure joy as she pressed a hand to her chest in a vain effort to regain her composure. Anduin could tell that she had been very nearly overwhelmed by Varian's husky eloquence, but when she spoke, she, too, was unhesitating.

"V-Varian…" she gasped, a small, crooked smile pulling gently at the corner of her mouth, "I told you once that you were my hero, and I have never in my life spoken truer words. I fall more in love with you each and every day, and with each and every thing that you do."

Auriana spoke slowly, her voice soft and trembling, but there was no one in the Cathedral who would dare rush her. Varian, certainly, was not in any hurry, and he gazed down at her as if every word she spoke was the last he would ever hear her say.

"You are bravest warrior, the noblest King, and the greatest man that I have ever known, and I can think of no higher honour than to stand by your side as your wife. I offer you my life, my soul, and everything that I am, and I swear to love you until the end of my days, and beyond."

The Light in the Cathedral seemed to brighten even further as Auriana finished speaking, and Anduin could practically feel the powerful energy between her and Varian pricking on his skin. His own eyes had grown misty with love and pride for the two people standing before him, and yet he doubted that either of them currently remembered that he - or anyone else - existed. Neither Varian or Auriana could as take their eyes off the other for even a second, and and they both looked rather startled when Velen spoke to continue the ceremony.

"It would take a far braver man than I to object to the union of these two particular people, and in the interests of public safety, I believe I will omit this part of the ceremony," he declared, to another ripple of mannered laughter.

Privately, Anduin agreed, though Varian still saw fit to shoot a rather fearsome glare into the crowd, as if daring someone to try. Of course, there were those present who would very much prefer that the ceremony did not proceed, though Anduin very much doubted they would be so stupid as to cause any trouble beneath the Prophet's watchful eye.

"Please bring forth the rings."

Velen beckoned, and Anduin reached into his pocket to withdraw the elegant mithril ring that Varian would present to Auriana as a symbol of their union. It was a tiny, fragile thing, and it all but disappeared as Anduin pressed it carefully into his father's enormous palm. At the same time, Jaina passed a thick gold band to Auriana, whose fingers were shaking so badly that she almost dropped it. Fortunately, no one except Anduin seemed to have noticed, and he gave her a small, encouraging smile.

"Varian Barathen Wrynn," Velen intoned, "Do you take this woman to be your wife; do you promise to love, honour, and cherish her, from this day until your last?"

"I do," Varian said firmly, almost cutting the Prophet last word's off in his eagerness.

His hold on Auriana's hand slid to her wrist, and he cradled it with surprising delicacy as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"Auriana Iselyn Fenwild," Velen continued, "Do you take this man to be your husband; do you promise to love, honour, and cherish him, from this day until your last?"

Auriana's gaze lowered as she mimicked Varian's actions with the ring, but when she looked up once more, she wore a beaming smile that was large as any Anduin had ever seen upon her face.

"I do," she whispered.

"Then in the presence of these witnesses, and with the blessings of the Holy Light, it is my genuine privilege to declare you man and wife!" Velen proclaimed, his smile almost as wide as Auriana's own. "What the Light has bound together, let no one tear asunder."

He pressed his hands together in gesture of blessing, and inclined his head in sincere and heartfelt respect.

"Varian, you may kiss your bride."

Varian did not immediately move to embrace Auriana, as Anduin half-suspected he might, and in truth there was something almost shy about the way he cupped her pale cheek in the curve of his palm. His stern brow was furrowed, and Anduin suddenly realised that Varian considered this Auriana' final test; her last chance to walk away or choose another path. Anduin doubted that Varian was even aware of it himself, but he needed her to move first, to prove once and for all that this was the life she wanted…

And prove it she did.

Where Varian was unusually hesitant, Auriana was now uncharacteristically bold, and she pulled his mouth firmly down to meet hers. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as their lips met, and nearly every person present rose to their feet in celebration of the King of Stormwind and his new Queen.

For his part, Anduin was forced to brush at his eyes with the back of his sleeve as he fought back a fresh wave of joyous tears, and as he glanced across the aisle, he caught sight of Jaina was doing the exact same thing. He had never expected to see such a day in his lifetime; a single, perfect day of happiness for the man he loved more than any other person in the world. Anduin felt a wonderful warmth spread slowly through his chest, and as Varian swept Auriana clear off the ground and held her closer, he whispered a silent prayer of thanks to the Light that they were both safe, and loved, and finally one.