Anduin

Upon conclusion of the opening ceremony, Anduin departed the arena with Auriana and Ridley both trailing close behind. Ridley was ostensibly in attendance as Auriana's personal bodyguard, but it was Anduin whom she followed back to his tent as Auriana diverted to meet up with Varian at the Alliance staging area, just outside the arena proper. Each team in the Tournament had been given a generous private tent in which to don their armour and rest between matches, along with access to healers, food, and drink. As Varian and Auriana were fighting third that afternoon against the team from Orgrimmar, they had decided to eat in their noonday meal down at the staging area, so as not to lose precious preparation time or risk being late for their match.

Anduin, on the other hand, was able to return to his makeshift quarters for a proper lunch, and he took his time to savour a hearty meal of roast chicken and winter vegetables, before he summoned Ridley and once again made his way back to the packed arena. There were only four matches to be played that afternoon, given that it was the first day of the Tournament, though there was still a great deal of anticipation in the air. Anduin was still not particularly enamoured of the idea of duelling as a form of entertainment, of course, but the pomp and excitement of the opening ceremony had been undeniably catching - and he certainly did not want to miss seeing Varian and Auriana fighting side by side. He knew that such a thing would mean a great deal to the both of them, Varian especially, and regardless of whether Anduin had any personal interest in arena fighting, he was determined to support his family.

To that end, he decided to make a quick detour to the Alliance staging area before resuming his seat in the stands; Ridley shadowing his every move. The entire area was bustling with activity, and for a brief moment Anduin despaired of ever locating his father or Auriana in the chaos. Fortunately, he soon noticed that the champion's tents were each decorated with the crests of their respective teams, and he found the familiar golden lion of Stormwind in no time at all. He coughed once to announce his presence outside the tent, before stepping inside to find Varian and Auriana hard at work adjusting their armour in anticipation of the fight ahead.

"Anduin!" Varian exclaimed, breaking into an unusually ebullient grin at the sight of his only son. "How are you? Did you enjoy the opening ceremony?"

"I'm well, Father," Anduin said. "As for the opening ceremony, I found it very… suspenseful."

His last statement was directed at Auriana, who snorted in amusement and ducked her head to hide her smile. She had discarded her dress in favour of her wolf's head armour, and was now busy securing her gauntlets around her slender wrists. Her once loose hair had been pulled back into a tight braid that ran down the line of her back, and all in all Anduin thought she looked confident and well-prepared. His father, too, looked similarly imposing in his own distinctive armour; the two of them together making for quite the striking pair.

"Are you nervous?" Anduin asked.

Varian scoffed, as if the idea of him being nervous were patently ridiculous, though he nevertheless shared a quick glance with Auriana.

"I don't think I'm nervous, precisely," she replied, "Though I won't deny that my heart is beating a little faster than usual."

"Saurfang and Aggra are certainly a strong team… but then again, so are you," Anduin said, offering her an encouraging smile.

"I'm confident we can win. Though I did hear a rumour that Rehgar was here," Varian noted, his eyebrows knitting in a thoughtful frown. "If that's the case, we might be at a bit of a disadvantage. He knows how I fight."

Rehgar Earthfury was the orc arena master who had owned Varian, Broll Bearmantle and Valeera Sanguinar during their time as gladiators in the Crimson Ring. He had later retired from life as a gladiatorial master to join the Earthen Ring, and had served as one of Thrall's advisors when he had still been Warchief of the Horde. Anduin knew that his father's relationship with Rehgar had been complex, to say the least, though it seemed Varian still carried at least some measure of respect for the shaman. From what he had described, Rehgar had been as good a master as a gladiator could hope to have, though Anduin wasn't sure how he personally felt about someone willing to own slaves, even if Rehgar had later abandoned the practice.

"He hasn't seen you fight in years," Auriana countered. "And he's never seen me."

She walked over to Varian's side, and quickly and expertly began to adjust the straps that held his breastplate in place. His wolfish gaze tracked her every move, and he seemed to rather enjoy having her fuss over him. Not that he would ever admit such a thing, of course, but the thought made Anduin smile.

"We'll give them a run for their money, if nothing else," Varian agreed. "Saurfang is starting to get on in years, and Aggra lacks your..."

Whatever his last few words would have been, they were drowned out by a sudden swell of cheering and applause coming from the direction of the arena. It was so loud that Anduin was almost tempted to cover his ears, and he couldn't imagine how deafening it might have been had he actually been in the arena proper.

"Sounds like they're almost ready for the first match," Varian observed, raising his voice in an effort to be heard above the racket.

He finished adjusting his enormous pauldrons, and shot a sly, sidelong look in Anduin's direction.

"I expect to see you cheering for Stormwind…"

"Of course. I considered putting my money on the tauren… but you are my father, after all. I wouldn't want to be rude," Anduin teased, prompting a spectacularly deep scowl from Varian and a peal of bright laughter from Auriana.

"You won't be cheering for anyone if you don't get moving," she pointed out, as another thunderous cheer shook the canvas walls of the tent. "They'll be starting any minute."

Anduin grinned.

"Good luck, then," he said, more seriously. "And try not to get yourselves into too much trouble…"


After leaving the tent, it took Anduin some time to find his way through the crowd, even with Ridley's expert assistance, and he made it back to the Stormwind box just as the contestants for the first match entered the arena. Much to his surprise, however, he would not be sitting alone. The two centre seats had been already occupied: one by a stately half-elven man with striking blue hair, and the other by one of Anduin's favourite people in all of Azeroth.

"Aunt Jaina! Kalec! I wasn't sure if you would come," Anduin beamed, happily taking his place next to his beloved 'aunt'.

They had both been invited, of course, but given Jaina's reluctance to involve the Kirin Tor in the Tournament, he had wondered whether she might abstain.

"Hello, Prince Anduin. It is good to see you once again," Kalec smiled, though Jaina's expression was considerably cooler.

She looked tired, as if she had not slept properly in a week, and Anduin did not miss the way she leaned her shoulder into Kalec for support.

"The Kirin Tor have an important role to play in this Tournament. As Archmage, it's only proper that I attend," she murmured.

Her tone was clipped and her posture tense, though there was still visible interest in her eyes as she surveyed the arena floor. Anduin understood that being at the Tournament was difficult for her, after everything that had happened at Theramore, but he was thankful to learn that she had not entirely given up on her dreams of peace.

"Well, no matter the reason, I'm glad you're here," he said sincerely, reaching out to squeeze one of her hands.

That, at least, earned him a smile, and after a few moments of silent contemplation, Jaina sighed and forcefully rolled some of the coiled tension from her shoulders. She was still willing to try, it seemed, and that was all Anduin could ever ask.

"How are Auriana and your father?" she asked, some of her natural warmth returning to her voice. "It was the first thing we heard when we entered the Alliance camp - 'the King and Queen are fighting'!"

"Yes, your people seemed to be quite excited by the prospect," Kalec concurred, though it was clear he didn't quite understand why.

"Well, I would imagine Varian's very excited to get back into the arena. And with Auriana at his side, no less," Jaina added.

"You know how they are," Anduin chuckled. "Getting all dirty and bloody is their idea of a good time. Not something I understand myself, but it seems to suit them well enough."

"Quite," Jaina agreed, with a bemused shake of her head. "You know, only Varian would seek to secure peace on Azeroth by beating everyone else into submission."

"So far it seems to be working, at least," Anduin noted, gesturing to the amiable crowd in the stands behind them. "Though I suppose we'll see how long that lasts once the actual fighting starts."

Jaina nodded.

"Indeed we shall. Speaking of which - who is fighting first? We arrived a bit later than I had planned, and didn't have the chance to obtain a programme."

"The Horde Pandaren and the goblins," Anduin replied. "Oh, look - here they come!"

The first two teams entered the arena to great fanfare, and after a few minutes of conference with the stern-faced Argent referee, the match began. Even though the Tournament was played under a strict set of rules and with blunted weapons, Anduin was surprised at how physically intense and brutal the combat turned out to be. As Auriana had predicted, while the contestants were careful not to stray beyond the bounds of the Tournament rules, they otherwise held nothing back. The first match saw blood drawn within the first minute, when Ji Firepaw managed to close in range of the goblin hunter and deal him a cracking tiger palm to the nose. Unfortunately for the Pandaren, however, the goblin team's extensive arena experience eventually won out, and they won their first victory with a combination of clever positioning and focused teamwork. Evidently, while Livvy Boltstorm didn't appear to have any affection for her co-champion, she would do whatever it took to win.

The second match was between Gilneas and Gnomeregan, leaving Anduin with quite the dilemma. He was eager to see a battle priest achieve victory, but at the same time he had close ties to Gilneas through his friendships Genn and Tess. Initially, he found himself cheering for the little gnome priestess, amazed by the way she bent the Light to her will to alternately punish or protect, though by the end of the match he was fully behind team Gilneas.

Barrett Arnes may have generally carried himself with the air of a lazy dog more interested in lounging in the sunshine than hunting, but the moment the match began, he proved himself to be a clever and unflappable contestant. He was particularly adept at using his arrows to force the gnome champions to move wherever he pleased - which in this case, was inevitably towards the slashing daggers of his rogue teammate.

Lillian acquitted herself with equal distinction, leaping about the arena with a speed and dexterity that thrilled the crowd, and after a tense, protracted battle, the Gilneans finally emerged victorious. Barrett acknowledged the win with little more than a smug twist of his muzzle, but Lillian was far more effusive. She waved and smiled up at the clamorous crowd with far more enthusiasm than Anduin would have ever expected - though her charismatic showmanship was nowhere near as surprising as what she did next. Her glowing eyes lit up as they swept over the Stormwind box, and Anduin suddenly found himself the centre of the crowd's attention - and amusement - as she puckered her canine lips and wriggled her claws coquettishly in his direction.

Anduin blanched.

He had met Lillian several times, and while he had found her perfectly amiable, he considered them friendly acquaintances at best. He certainly didn't think they were close enough to warrant her blowing air kisses at him in public, though he was now very concerned that he had wildly misinterpreted the nature of their relationship.

"Something you want to tell me, Anduin?" Jaina smirked, as the worgen at last departed the arena. "I would have thought she was a bit too old for you, but I suppose the heart wants what it wants..."

"I… I'm not… she's not… look, believe me, I'm as confused as you are," he stammered.

He looked to Kalec for support, but the dragonlord merely gave him an enigmatic smile.

"She seems to feel differently," Jaina pointed out, barely keeping her smile in check. "I've never kissed a worgen - tell me, is it scratchy?"

"Aunt Jaina!" Anduin protested, feeling his cheeks blaze red with embarrassment.

He hadn't really spent that much time thinking about kissing worgen - or anyone at all, for that matter. Besides which, even if he had, Jaina was probably one of the last people on Azeroth he would want to talk about it with, second only to Auriana, Genn, and the most nightmarish possibility of all, his father.

"Come now, Anduin, what are aunts for, if not to tease you about this sort of thing?" Jaina laughed, her pale blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

Luckily, Anduin was spared the necessity of having to answer Jaina's rather impertinent questions by the sudden blare of the heralds horn announcing the arrival of the contestants for the third match of the day. The crowd immediately went ballistic, and Anduin knew there was little point in trying to talk to her further, even if he had any idea what to say. While the the crowd had enjoyed the first two fights immensely, it was another thing entirely to see a clash between the living legends representing Stormwind and Orgrimmar, and they soon forgot Lillian's antics as they turned their full attention to the match at hand.

"Choose your weapons!"

Upon the referee's order, Varian silently selected a two-handed greatsword, while Saurfang opted for the largest axe available. Aggra indicated her choice of elements by calling magma and lightning to her hands, before Auriana completed the pre-match ritual by summoning a burst of bright white frost to her fingertips. Anduin wasn't sure what kind of strategy went into the selection of weapons and magic for each fight, though he assumed that Auriana and his father had some kind of plan. They had trained together regularly ever since she had returned from Draenor, but now that Anduin knew Varian had planned to fight with her in the Tournament all along, their most recent private sessions now took on a new meaning.

An eerie hush fell over the crowd as the four combatants took their places around the ring in anticipation of the start of the match, and Anduin felt the hairs on the back of neck rise. Standing next to Varian and two orcs, Auriana looked even smaller than she usually did, though she did not seem perturbed by her comparative lack of physical stature. Her face was set and emotionless, save only for the slightest narrowing of her eyes as she assessed her competition. Directly across the floor,Aggra wore an expression of cool confidence, a slight twitch in the fingers of her left hand the only concession to her nerves, while Varian and Saurfang stood as uncanny mirrors of one another. They appeared less as man and orc, and more as two bristling alpha predators spoiling for a fight, though neither one of them would dare move before given the signal to engage.

The referee raised his hand.

The crowd inhaled.

The flag dropped… and all manner of mayhem broke loose.

Unlike the previous two matches, where the champions had mostly worked together in pairs, the teams from Stormwind and Orgrimmar chose to fight man to man. Varian was the fastest to react to the referee's signal, leaping clear across the floor to slam into Saurfang with such force that Anduin felt the echo of the collision rattle through his bones. Saurfang answered Varian's aggression with a bellowing roar, and swept his axe up so that they came body to body; their mighty muscles straining as they clashed and broke apart and clashed again. Both men were legendary warriors at the peak of their skill, and from the moment their blades met, they proceeded to put on an absolute masterclass in armsmanship.

On the other side of the floor, Auriana and Aggra had been swept up in a similarly frantic duel, slinging frost and magma at one another with a ferocity that had to be seen to be believed. Anduin had trained with Auriana many times over the years, but in watching her engage Aggra, he at long last understood just how much she had been holding back. He wasn't so naïve as to believe that she had ever fought him at full force, but even then it seemed he had still sorely underestimated the degree to which she had been pulling her punches. She was incredibly fast, too, far faster than he had remembered, and yet somehow she never moved any more than was strictly necessary. Even when Aggra began hurling chunks of flaming rock almost as large as Auriana herself, she deigned only to take the smallest of steps to the side. The deadly projectiles missed her by mere inches every time, and yet she never so much as flinched.

All together, it was an outstanding display of power and mastery, and the action was so relentless that Anduin sometimes didn't know where to look. The moment he turned to Auriana and Aggra, Varian or Saurfang would perform some incredible feat of strength and dexterity, only for the two women to pull focus back with their own similarly jaw-dropping magical efforts.

The announcers, too, were struggling to keep up with the relentless pace of the fight; both of them forced to speak so quickly that Anduin wasn't entirely sure how they could breathe.

"Varian Wrynn slashes right, ducks to the left, and - ooh! That had to have hurt!" Tink exclaimed, her voice rising an octave in sympathy as Varian spun on his heel to deal Saurfang a cracking blow across the back.

The mighty orc stumbled, but a single strike would not be enough to defeat a warrior of the calibre of Varok Saurfang. He used the momentum of his fall to slide on one knee through the dirt, before twisting around to slash viciously at Varian's shins. It was a wild swing, but Anduin understood that it was not Saurfang's intent to make contact. He sought only to force Varian backwards, to buy himself time so that he might spring back to his feet and re-engage.

"And Saurfang recovers! Amazing!" Jax bellowed, his voice shaking with adrenaline and excitement. "We promised you a clash for ages, folks, and these teams are here to deliver!"

"Any other fighter would be dead to rights, but it'll take more than that to beat the Overlord!" Tink agreed, slapping her tiny hand against the edge of the announcer's booth. "He has to be one of… wait - what's this?"

Tink's attention was diverted away from Varian and Saurfang as Auriana abruptly blinked forward, reappearing so close to Aggra that they were standing face to face - or, given Auriana's height, face to chest. Anduin hadn't noticed at first, but throughout the course of the fight, Auriana had been slowly shepherding Aggra back towards the arena wall. She had not done so in a way that was too fast, or too obvious, but she had slowly and carefully stripped Aggra of any room to move - and with her sudden, aggressive blink, the trap was sprung.

Auriana raised her right hand, and shot Aggra point-blank in the face with a swirling cone of cold. It wasn't the most powerful spell she was capable of casting, but it was enough to temporarily blind the orc shaman and send her stumbling backwards. Unfortunately for Aggra, she had underestimated both Auriana's speed and her own closeness to the wall, and she staggered to one side as she inadvertently cracked the back of her head against the stonework.

Against any other opponent, she might have had a chance to recover, but Auriana was both swift and relentless. She followed up the short range blast with a flurry of deadly ice lances, the force of the repeated impacts enough to force Aggra to her knees. The orc shaman did her best to raise a weak earth shield in her defense, but it would not be enough to hold of a rampaging Auriana. She stepped back, and a flash of triumph gleaming in her eyes, and unleashed one of the largest and most brutal glacial spikes Anduin had ever seen.

If it had been a real battle, there was no doubt that Aggra would have been skewered straight through, but as it was, her shield crumpled away into nothing, and she buckled beneath the sheer weight of the spell's impact.

"And Aggra goes down! A valiant effort, but not enough to beat Stormwind's mighty mage Queen!" Tink yelped.

A flash of light immediately enveloped Aggra's body, and she was teleported off the arena floor and into the champion's holding area to await the conclusion of the match. Which, Anduin assumed, would now come quickly, given that Saurfang was outnumbered two to one. The crowd's screaming doubled in intensity, and Anduin felt his breath catch in his throat as Auriana turned away from the site of her own conquest to advance upon Varian and Saurfang's position.

"The Queen of Stormwind raises her hands!" Tink shrieked, her voice cracking as her excitement reached fever pitch. "She's going to glacial spike Saurfang in the back! She's going to spike him for the win! She's going to… she's going to... surrender? What the hell?"

Much to the utter disbelief of Tink, Jax, and every single other person in the stands, Auriana did not release a spell, but instead placed her hands firmly behind her head and took two steps backwards. Evidently, it was a signal to the referee that she was forfeiting her place in the match, though he was initially slow to react, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Eventually, however, he gave the signal to the Kirin Tor mages, who teleported Auriana off the floor and into the holding area alongside Aggra.

"What is she doing?!" Jax screamed. "She just gave up a guaranteed victory! Do they have a game plan? By my Aunt Muffy's mechano-hog, what the hell is going on?"

As Auriana rematerialised, Aggra shot her a questioning look, but Auriana simply shrugged. A slight smile pulled at the corner of her lips, and she looked unnervingly nonchalant as she leaned up against the railing of the holding area to watch the end of the match. She was dirty and sweaty and panting, but otherwise her gaze was bright and clear, and she did not at all look like a woman who had just thrown away a critical victory.

Out on the floor, Varian and Saurfang broke apart for a few moments of much needed air; the orc warrior grinding his tusks as his eyes darted worriedly about the arena. It was clear that he suspected some sort of foul play, but he could not afford to take his eyes off Varian for more than a second. For his part, Varian also risked a quick glance away; his ravening gaze falling immediately upon Auriana. She gave him a short, encouraging nod as their eyes met, and Anduin let out a short gasp of understanding. Auriana was not throwing the match, but rather giving his father a chance to face Saurfang one on one in honourable combat. She would be well within her rights to finish the orc off and claim the victory, but if she did, Varian would be left forever wondering whether he could have beaten the High Overlord on his own.

It was a considerable risk to take, given Saurfang's extraordinary skill, but if there was one thing Anduin knew his father would never do, it was fail in front of Auriana. Varian loved her far too dearly, and he would rather have died than let her down; especially not after she had shown such enormous trust in his abilities. Something deep in his scarred eyes shifted, and in that moment Anduin saw his father simply decide that it was time to win - not for Stormwind, or the Alliance, or even for himself… but for her.

Lo'Gosh had been unleashed, and nothing short of victory was acceptable.

While both Varian and Saurfang were soaked in sweat and breathing heavily, Auriana's act of faith inspired a burst of fresh energy in Varian, and he fell on Saurfang with renewed vigour. The orc warrior was his superior in both height and weight, and thus far had been using both to his advantage… but Varian was much faster and far more cunning, and now fighting for something far greater than himself.

Anduin had always known that his father was a great warrior, but it was another thing entirely to watch Varian working at very limits of his ability. He was all muscle and fury and pure nerve; the the soul of the wolf with the body - and mind - of a great man. He was fierce and wild, but not so much so as to be blinded by his own ferocity, and his gaze remained sharp and calculating as he visibly altered his strategy to take advantage of Saurfang's weaknesses. He shifted away from trying to meet Saurfang blow for blow, instead punishing the bulky orc with a series of rapidfire strikes to the torso and thighs. His sword moved as if it was an extension of his arm, flashing this way and that with dazzling speed, and little by little, Anduin saw the tiring Overlord begin to give way.

Varian had become fury incarnate, barely giving Saurfang chance to breathe or swing his great axe, and with a last great effort, he finally overwhelmed the orc's defenses. He faked to the left, punishing Saurfang with an elbow to the face when the orc moved to follow, before twisting his greatsword back around behind his head and bringing it crashing down against Saurfang's shoulder. The proud orc staggered, and with a savage, primal howl, Varian ripped his sword across the entire breadth of his chest in a decisive victory blow.

"Stormwind! Stormwind is victorious!" Jax hollered, knocking his own top hat off his head as he threw his hands in the air. "Varian Wrynn is the last champion standing! Unbelievable!"

Even with magical enhancement of his voice, he was barely able to be heard over the deafening din of the crowd. They were cheering and clapping and stamping their feet, and Anduin happily added his own voice to the mix as they rained their approval down upon his father. Even Jaina was excitedly clapping along, looking far livelier than Anduin had seen her in a good long while, and as he stared at the delighted faces all around him, he began to believe that the Tournament really could unite the Alliance and the Horde in the way they all hoped.

Down on the arena floor, Varian lifted a single hand in acknowledgement of the crowd's praise, but he was not the kind of man who wallowed in adoration. Instead, he extended his hand to Saurfang and pulled the orc back to his feet, and after a few quiet words, the two great warriors clasped forearms in a gesture of deep respect. Saurfang was well known for his sense of honour, and Anduin doubted he would begrudge losing such a close and well-fought match. His skill had been plain for the entire world to see, and while he and Aggra had been unable to secure a victory in this instance, they could both walk away with their heads held high.

The crowd continued to cheer as Varian loped across the arena to the holding area, and reached over the barrier to grab Auriana by the waist. Her face broke into a wide grin as he lifted her high into the air and out of the holding area, before crushing her against his chest and spinning her about with her boots a good two feet off the ground. Auriana was not usually one for such public displays of affection, but she was absolutely beaming as Varian twirled her around and around to the roaring approval of the crowd.

Eventually, both the humans and the orcs departed the arena, disappearing through the side gates to return to their respective staging areas. Anduin then bid a quick farewell to Jaina and Kalec, deciding not to stay around to watch the fourth match. A fight between the dwarves of Ironforge and the rogues of Undercity would certainly be an interesting spectacle, but he was eager to congratulate Varian and Auriana on their momentous victory in person.

As Anduin entered returned the staging area, however, he was struck by a sudden sense of curiosity, and he turned away from the golden lion sigil of Stormwind to the darker crest of the Gilnean tent. He rapped on one of the tent posts to make his presence known, but did not immediately receive a summons or reply. He could nevertheless hear the sound of people moving inside, and after a few minutes of awkward hovering, he dispensed with waiting and simply stepped inside - and straight into one of the stranger scenes he'd ever witnessed.

Barrett Arnes stood in the back corner of the tent; chewing idly on the end of a long pipe as his hunting hawk preened imperiously on one of his shoulders. Valeera Sanguinar, of all people, stood on the opposite side, her attention firmly fixed upon the two female worgen standing in the very centre of the small space. They were both thoroughly occupied with the left-hand worgen's armour - which in itself was not a strange thing, if not for the fact that they were completely identical; from the lightened fur around their muzzles to the exact sheen of the leather on on their boots.

Anduin blinked, certain that he had to be seeing double, when the left-hand worgen looked up and bared her teeth in a broad smile.

"Oh, hello, Anduin," she said brightly, her demeanour once again not at all in keeping with what he might have expected.

"Er… Lillian?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness," said the right-hand worgen, nervously champing her flews.

The left-hand worgen's smile broadened, and she gave him a saucy little wink.

"Wait a minute… Tess?" Anduin exclaimed.

It was quite impossible, though he could not think of a better explanation. Tess was not worgen, unless she had somehow fallen victim to the curse since the last time they had seen one another, but there was no other person on Azeroth who would sass him quite like that - or dare to flirt with him while standing in the middle of a packed arena. The sly, cocky grin was definitely hers, too, even if the form was most definitely not.

"I… how… what are you doing?" Anduin stammered, trying to gather his scattered thoughts.

"Milking a cow. What does it look like I'm doing, Anduin?"

She rolled her eyes at him with supreme disdain, and continued unstrapping her armour.

"That was you in the arena just now," Anduin realised. "Tess…"

"Do not lecture me, Anduin Wrynn," she growled, her false worgen form making her sound even more intimidating than she usually did. "I know what I'm doing."

A million different questions raced through Anduin's mind, but after a few moments of awkward stammering and a pointed smirk from Tess, he finally managed to get something out.

"I… I didn't even know you could fight..."

Tess bared her teeth in a self-satisfied grin, and flexed her muscles beneath her duplicated armour.

"I asked Lillian here to teach me - in secret, naturally, but we've been training together for almost a year now. When Valeera showed up in Stormwind for your father's wedding, I asked for her expertise, as well."

Tess and Valeera exchanged a look, and the slender blood elf inclined her head in an approving nod. Much like Tess, she looked very pleased with herself, though Anduin was not quite so impressed by their little plan.

"I assume your father has no idea," he sighed wearily.

"Of course not," Tess said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He'd have a heart attack."

"He should not be so concerned. The Princess has the potential to become an exceptionally fine shadowblade," Valeera confirmed, much to Tess' evident delight.

"I'm not sure that's the point, Valeera. I - "

"You're not going to tell my father, are you?" Tess interrupted, fixing Anduin with her most imperious glare. "Or worse, yours?"

A faint flicker of concern crossed her face, and Anduin realised that beneath all her sass and bluster, she was afraid of her father's reaction. Not because Genn would ever hurt her, of course, but because she feared losing something that clearly meant a great deal more to her than she was prepared to admit.

"You know I'd never tell," he murmured, softening despite himself. "But… why the Tournament?"

"Because it's fun," Tess quipped, arching a bushy worgen brow.

"Tess…"

Anduin spoke quietly but firmly, refusing to be denied a proper explanation. Tess was far too clever not to understand the enormous risk she had taken by orchestrating the switch, and he very much doubted she would do such a thing purely for the sake of fun.

"Fine. If you must know…"

Tess lowered her voice, and shot a self-conscious look towards Lillian and Barrett. She was one of the most confident people Anduin had ever met - if not downright cocky at times - but he had always suspected that at least some of her bravado was a front. He had seen a flash of genuine fear when she had mentioned her father's likely reaction, and as she began to speak, she looked as thoughtful and as vulnerable as Anduin had ever seen her.

"I have spent my entire life hidden away," Tess said slowly, choosing her words with great care. "Hidden behind the Wall; behind my father; hidden in the shadow of my brother… I am the heir to the Gilnean throne, but how can I be a good queen if I have never stood upon my own two feet? How can I ask Gilneans to fight for me if I can't fight for them? How do I expect to survive in this world if I can't protect myself?"

Anduin did not immediately reply, thrown by her honesty and the uncharacteristic depth of feeling in her voice. While their situations were not identical, her speech was a stark reminder of the fact that she was one of the few people currently alive who also understood what it was to be the heir to a great kingdom. Anduin knew all too well what it felt like to live in the shadow of a celebrated hero and king, and to so desperately want to be one's own person in a world of complex demands and expectations.

"I understand what it's like to want to find your own place," he murmured finally, full of sympathy. "More than almost anyone, Tess, I understand... but surely there's another…"

Before Anduin could finish his sentence, the tent flap opened without warning, and his heart leapt into his throat as Auriana stepped inside. She had changed back into the blue dress she had worn to the opening ceremony, though her hair was still sweaty and dishevelled from her fight - and she did not look at all impressed.

"Hello, Tess," she said drily. "Or should I call you 'Lillian'?"

All eyes turned to Tess, and for a brief moment Anduin thought she might attempt to deny the allegation. Both Lillian and Barrett stood up straighter, suddenly guilty and self-conscious before the Queen of Stormwind, while Valeera's shoulders visibly tensed. Tess lift her chin imperiously, ready to argue, but after a only few seconds beneath Auriana's withering glare, she correctly surmised that there was little point.

"How did you know it was me?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "The illusion is perfect."

Auriana bit her lip, and tilted her head to the left in a strange little gesture that Anduin had learned meant she was working hard to rein in her anger. He knew she would never lose control in front of him or Tess - or any other innocent bystanders, for that matter - but her displeasure radiated off her like heat.

"I've seen Lillian train in the yards, with the rest of the Gilnean guard. She's left-handed," she explained, her voice clipped. "The rogue I watched in the arena today favoured her right."

"Dammit..." Tess huffed. "How did we not think of that?"

She and Valeera exchanged a look, and Barrett let out a derisive snort.

"I told you it wouldn't work…" he muttered.

Auriana did not so much look in his direction; her focus - and her ire - instead firmly fixed on Tess.

"Once I realised a switch had been made, it occured to me that there was only one Gilnean foolhardy enough to do such a thing," she growled. "How? You're not worgen."

Tess rankled at the word 'foolhardy', and her clawed hands clenched into fists. Anduin knew she all but idolised Auriana as the prime example of a powerful warrior woman, though he doubted Auriana had any idea. Coming from someone Tess admired, such censure must have hurt, but she pressed on in her typically bold and defiant manner.

"A Potion of Illusion, and a crafted set of armour that matched Lillian's."

Tess withdrew two vials from a hidden pocket with her armour and held them up for Auriana to see. One was empty, a few drops of pale green liquid still clinging to the inside of the glass, and the second filled with a swirling white concoction. Tess uncorked the second bottle and drank the contents, and within less than a minute, she had resumed her normal appearance.

"The dampening field only prevents new magic from being cast. It doesn't affect existing enchantments, like hearthstones, wards, and potions - as I'm sure you're well aware," Tess added, unable to keep a small smirk of self-satisfaction from pulling at her lips.

"Very clever," Auriana said flatly. "Perhaps if you had been a bit more clever, you would not have done something so utterly irresponsible. Do you have any idea what would happen if your little switch was discovered?"

Anduin was somewhat taken aback by her vehemence and the ring of command in her voice - and just how much she sounded like his father. Between her small stature and natural shyness, it was easy to forget sometimes that she was a hardened battlefield officer, and not one who readily tolerated foolishness.

"I'm a skilled fighter! I wasn't going to get hurt," Tess protested, the colour rising in her cheeks.

"You?! This isn't about you, Tess. How do you think the Horde would react if they knew that you and Lillian had swapped places?" Auriana snapped, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "After all, if we're willing to ignore champion selection and flout the rules preventing the use of magic, what else might we do? Cheat? Lie? Use the Tournament as a front to assassinate a Warchief? The possibilities are really quite endless - or at least the Horde would think so."

Tess deflated, and Anduin realised that in her concern over her father and his reaction, she had entirely failed to consider the more far-reaching consequences of her plan. She was clever, certainly, but in this case it seemed her cooler head had been overridden by her impetuousness and her fierce desire to become a respected warrior.

"I… I didn't think…"

"No. You didn't. And now your actions have jeopardised relations between the Alliance and the Horde, as well as the reputation of both your father and your people."

Auriana let out a weary sigh, and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was a distinctly personal tone to her anger, which was understandable given how hard she had worked so hard to ensure that the Tournament would succeed. She liked Tess, Anduin knew, but it was evidently not enough to temper her disappointment.

"I… I only wanted to prove that I could," Tess whispered miserably. "I tried to convince my father to let me fight as champion, but he refused."

It was strange seeing her look so dejected, and Anduin couldn't help but to feel for her. Valeera, too, appeared similarly affected, and her green eyes gleamed with compassion and she moved to speak in Tess' defense

"If I could interject…" she started.

"I wouldn't," Auriana snapped.

Her piercing gaze left Tess for the first time, and she turned her furious glare on Valeera and the two chagrined worgen.

"How did you get roped into this, anyway?"

"Varian and Broll are both fighting as champions," Valeera said simply, her full lips pursing in a reproachful pout.

She said nothing further, as if that alone was sufficient to explain everything, but Anduin thought he might have understood. As a blood elf, she couldn't fight for Stormwind or Darnassus, but considering her personal loyalties to the Wrynn family and her independence from the Thalassian government, she wouldn't have been made an offer by Silvermoon, either. Given her close friendship with Varian and Broll, and the fact that their bond had been formed in the Crimson Ring, it must have vexed her greatly to watch the two of them fight in the arena without her. Acting as a personal mentor to Tess may have been her only real chance to participate in the Tournament, even if it was not quite the same as fighting herself.

"And you two?"

Lillian and Barrett both shifted uncomfortably, and after a few seconds of silent argument between them, it was Barrett who finally spoke.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, have you ever tried to refuse Her Highness?"

Auriana nodded in understanding, though it didn't make her look any happier.

"So you abused your royal powers for personal gain. This just gets better and better…"

"You can't tell my Father," Tess implored, abandoning all pretense. "Please, Your Majesty. The only people who know about this are in this tent. If he finds out, he'll lock me up until I'm forty."

"Please, Auri," Anduin echoed, earning himself a grateful look from Tess. "She made a mistake, but as of right now there's no harm done. I'm not usually one to advocate for lying, but I think in this case telling the truth would do more harm than good."

Auriana opened her mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment. Instead, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, and when she finally opened them again her expression was cooler, though somehow not any less dangerous.

"I'm not going to tell your father. I'm not going to tell anyone's father, for that matter," she said evenly, with a quick glance in Anduin's direction. "In fact, I'm not going to do a damn thing - except to remind you that Gilneas' next match in the draw is against Stormwind."

"I… what?"

Whatever Tess had been expecting Auriana to say, it clearly hadn't been that.

"You're fighting against me and Varian next," Auriana said brightly, the left corner of her lips pulling upwards in an unsettling, predatory smile.

All traces of her earlier anger vanished in an instant, and she now appeared positively genial. The sudden change was far from comforting, however, and Anduin was clearly not the only one in the tent who had noticed. Valeera stood up straighter, her green eyes narrowing, while Lillian took an inadvertent step backwards. For her part, Tess' dark brows drew together in a confused frown, and she looked across at Anduin for clarification - as if he were any less bewildered than she. He shrugged.

"I… well… I mean… good! I look forward to fighting you," Tess mumbled, stumbling over the words as she struggled to comprehend Auriana's abrupt change in manner.

"And I you!" Auriana enthused. "In fact, I honestly can't wait to give you an authentic arena experience. That is what you wanted, is it not?"

Tess' frown deepened.

"An… an authentic area experience?" she repeated warily, folding her arms across her chest.

"Of course. You came here to fight, did you not? It would disrespectful of me to hold back," Auriana said seriously.

Ah, Anduin thought. So that was it.

Auriana was clever enough to have realised that the more she told Tess not to do something, the more the feisty Gilnean princess would push back. Instead, she had chosen to give Tess a choice - withdraw, or face the force of Auriana's wrath. Anduin was confident that Auriana would never do Tess any real or lasting harm, but she was clearly willing to show Tess exactly what fighting in the arena truly meant - blood, sweat, tears and all.

"I watched your match against Aggra…" Tess said slowly, a hint of doubt creeping into her tone. "I've never see anyone fight like that."

"Oh, that?" Auriana beamed. "I was just warming up. I haven't fought a one-on-one duel in quite some time, it takes a bit of remembering. I'm sure I'll be much more convincing in my second match."

She dismissed Tess' compliment with a blithe wave of her hand, as if defeating one of the strongest shaman in the world was a trifling, everyday occurrence. Her expression was unnervingly friendly, but the promise of great violence glinted in her dark blue eyes. She stared at Tess unblinking, until the younger woman could meet her gaze no longer, and looked away. Auriana nodded to herself, satisfied, and gave Tess one last chilling smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she added, before stalking from the tent and leaving naught but a tense silence in her wake.

"She's terrifying," Tess said finally, her brown eyes wide. "No one that small has a right to be that terrifying."

Not a single person in the room challenged her observation. Even Valeera looked somewhat intimidated, though Anduin could tell she was doing her best to hide the fact.

"I shall have to figure out how she does it," Tess added.

"Maybe she can teach you. But in the meantime… what do you intend to do?" Anduin

Tess bit her lip, and screwed up her nose in a thoughtful expression.

"You don't really think she'd go out of her way to give me a thrashing… do you?"

"Honestly... I wouldn't put it past her," Anduin admitted. "She's here to win, and she's not going to go easy on you. She'll treat you just as she would any other champion."

Tess nodded silently, and Anduin could practically see the wheels inside her head turning as she considered her options. She wanted to fight, but it was clear that she feared exposing herself to the full force of Auriana's magic - and perhaps worse, feared proving herself to be woefully outmatched. Tess was a brave, confident young woman… but it took a lot more than simple bravery to step into the arena and fight one of the most powerful mages alive, in full view of hundreds and hundreds of people.

"Upon careful reflection, I have decided it is in the best interests of the Tournament that I allow Lillian to take her rightful place in the arena. I would not want to jeopardise our diplomatic relations, after all," she declared finally, as if withdrawing had been her idea from the beginning.

"Or your face…" Anduin murmured, much to Barrett's amusement.

Tess shot the two of them a dirty look, but Anduin thought it worth it to see some of the spirit return to her eyes. She lifted her chin imperiously, and in a flash she was brash, sassy Tess once more.

"Hush, Anduin," she said primly. "Now make yourself useful and help me get out of this armour..."