A/N - Yes, another. I've had some spare time. I just wanted to mention that ... I have thought a lot over the past year about how this chapter ends, and I decided to go with how it does. Chapter 13 will go some way to explaining why. Yes, I'm trying to head off any knee jerk reaction. The downside to releasing things in chapters is you don't always get to explain every event as it happens to have it make sense to the reader. Some of you will get it, some of you won't. That's life. I can't please everyone. That said, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 12

Awareness came suddenly to Alyna, and it was only decades of instinct that kept her body still. She knew immediately she was not in the cell anymore, but could not quite figure out where she was. Even more puzzling was the sound of moving paper.

She opened her eyes to a bitter-sweet sight. Sylvanas was sitting at a writing desk, doing paperwork. For a brief moment, she thought she saw bright golden hair draped loosely over tanned skin as her general worked in the early morning light. Many mornings she had woken to such a sight, particularly in their early years together.

If her heart had ached then, it now wept at her current view.

Reality was quick to replace her wishful thinking with the stark truth. Sylvanas was at the desk, but her hair was the pale straw-yellow it had become in death. Her skin was light grey, and the red glow of her eyes was impossible to miss. Several candles flickered on her desk, casting the queen's features in harsh shadow and severe light. The rest of the room was dark, but Alyna realised she was on a bed.

And Sylvanas had not noticed she was awake.

She could end this all now, Alyna realised. She could take the queen's soul, and free herself from whatever new hell Sylvanas was waiting to implement. Her people would object, but she could just take their souls as well. It would be so very easy, and they would fuel her power greatly.

She would be free. But where would that leave her? Could she live with the consequences?

Can I kill Sylvanas?

A lot had happened since she had last asked the question. She couldn't love the woman, but she knew they were still connected on a level she could not readily comprehend. Even lying here, after being tortured by her, she felt a comfortable familiarity in the other woman's presence that only Sylvanas had ever been able to provoke in her.

She felt home.

She was also starving. Her body hurt in the way it did when she was severely depleted. It hurt in a way she had almost savoured when she denied herself on purpose. It brought back memories of being under the Lich King's control, and she realised she wanted to feed as a result.

Red eyes rose to look at her, and they stared at each other for a long moment. Slowly, Sylvanas put her quill down. With a slight nod to the side of the bed, she said without emotion, "You must be hungry."

With a quick glance, Alyna couldn't see anything. Tentatively, she rolled onto her front and peered over the edge of the bed, hyper-aware of Sylvanas watching her closely. A slim human male lay on the floor. He was filthy, and had clearly been starved and beaten. She knew he was still alive as she could hear the faint, slow beat of his heart. It was like music to her ears, and she slid off the bed to join him on the floor. She cradled him as she sank her fangs into his neck, immediately placing her hand on his chest to keep him alive for as long as possible.

She enjoyed her meal. There was something so primal about fear that it infused its essence into the blood of the living for a while. She could taste this fear. When she had originally discovered the fact years before, it had disgusted her. Now it was just another cruel piece of her reality. If they suffered before they died, they would taste better.

She felt the familiar urge to take his soul, and it was overwhelming. The spell she weaved to keep his heart beating began to deepen and sink into the essence that comprised of his very being. In her mind's eye, she could see his soul and, she knew, he could feel her. He tried to pull away, but he had nowhere to hide while he was still tethered to his body. He was trapped.

No!

She pulled her hand off his chest and her mouth away from his throat, gasping. She dropped his corpse as she rapidly climbed back onto the bed. She pulled her knees up to her chest and held onto them tightly, aghast at herself for what she had almost done.

Sylvanas had watched all of it, and was silently regarding her as she calmed herself. She belatedly realised that would have been the first time the queen would have seen her feed, and she felt a rush of shame run through her. She still hated the process, even if she did get some pleasure from it. Did Sylvanas think her an animal? She certainly felt like one at times.

Alyna felt the need to break the silence. "That was … thoughtful. Thank you." Sylvanas wordlessly replied with a nod. Alyna hesitated slightly before asking, "Why am I here?"

Sylvanas didn't quite look away, but her eyes shifted focus away from Alyna's eyes just enough to avoid eye contact. Alyna was quite sure it was an expression of guilt, but it might have been a trick of the candlelight.

"Why are you here, Alyna? You could have gone anywhere once you no longer had to serve him, yet you came here."

It was not what the former princess had been expecting. It was her turn to look away, though she did so more obviously. She had also begun to experience a slight tremor through her body. She knew what it was, and cursed the timing of it.

"We both want the same thing. Revenge. You were my best hope at that."

She heard the note of disgust from Sylvanas. "You're not telling me everything. Again. How am I to trust you if you constantly hide things from me?"

Alyna scoffed as she turned to look at the queen in anger. "Trust? You want to talk to me about trust?" She heard herself laugh in disbelief. "Trust is earned, and it goes both ways. You saw a very expendable resource in me, and nothing more. You expect some fanatical devotion but have done nothing to deserve it. If anything, all I have seen are reasons to not trust you." She felt her features change into a sneer, unable to stop herself. "Your Forsaken talk of having 'free will' but it's all just a clever ruse. As soon as I wanted to leave, you made it very clear my free will didn't matter. The only one with free will here … is you."

Sylvanas looked down at her desk. Even Alyna could see she was feeling uncomfortable. She was picking at the wood with a gloved-finger in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture.

"It has recently been brought to my attention that I have been … blinkered … for too long." Alyna raised a bone-white eyebrow in surprise, but remained silent as Sylvanas continued, with a sigh. "When we became free, we were all lost. I found if I tried to give the free undead purpose, I could … ignore … my own pain. And I very much wanted to not deal with the pain of losing you." The wood-picking became more intense as she angrily spat, "He had no qualms about using anything he could against us. He used our dead, for Sunwell's sake! As I began to prepare to confront him one day, I realised if I had any weakness … he would find it, and use it."

"So, to beat him, you thought to become him?"

Sylvanas looked at her now, a little shock visible in her eyes. "No. I … am not really sure where I am going to end up personally in all this. It never crossed my mind. I have a goal, and I will do what I must to achieve it."

Alyna shook her head slightly. "I don't see how having no limits is any different, Sylvanas. You need to figure out who you want to be, and fast."

If she minded her lack of formality, Sylvanas didn't show it. Alyna wasn't even sure it was noticed as the queen appeared a little distracted in trying to find the right words to reply with. "It has … come to my attention that … I … have … lacked … perspective … of late." Sylvanas pinched the bridge of her nose.

The familiar gesture resulted in Alyna smiling slightly, before it was wiped out by a shudder going through her body. Not now! She willed her body to calm itself, and when that failed she hugged her knees tighter. She tried to sound amused when she said, "Someone stood up to you? That must have been quite the shock, considering your reaction to me doing it."

The queen dropped her hand to the desk and clenched both fists tightly. "I have been unaccustomed to such, as you well know. But. I … trust … her. I have had a lot of thinking to do."

Alyna was glad the candles were around Sylvanas and not herself, because she could not stop her jaw dropping in surprise. She felt a little dumb asking, "And?"

Sylvanas bit her lip slightly. Alyna could see the debate raging within the queen, so she did not prompt her any further. Instinct told her doing so would have just triggered an unwelcome explosion of the fiery temper the queen had nurtured in the past few years.

Slowly, the response came. "I have a long way to go. I … cannot fix, or change things … change me … overnight." The queen stood, the chair scraping loudly on the stone floor. She paced slightly, before eventually turning to Alyna and, very hesitantly, moving to sit beside her on the bed. She inhaled deeply, despite not needing to. "I realise I need help. I need … people I trust … to be honest with me. To say the things I don't want to hear, but need to." Her eyes flicked up to look at Alyna as she continued. "Most are too scared of me. Even Kyala is. I believe the only reason she had the courage to say what she did, was because of you."

Alyna's body was shaking uncontrollably, but she felt the odd sensation of being frozen. When Sylvanas almost tenderly took hold of her hand, she didn't object. She wasn't sure if she wanted to. She instead focused on trying to keep her hand still. The queen looked down at the ring Alyna still wore, and then, to her further surprise, Sylvanas removed her own gauntlet to show Alyna she still wore her own ring. Her eyes immediately flicked up to be caught by Sylvanas' gaze.

"I need you, Alyna. I need you to be my voice of reason when no one else will."

Alyna blinked slowly. "Wh-what makes you th-think I am s-such a v-voice?" She immediately winced at the tremor in her voice.

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed at the tremor. She looked down at their hands and murmured, confusion evident, "You're shaking." She frowned, and looked back up at Alyna. Her eyes then slowly widened, and she looked away, unhooking their hands and tugging her gauntlet back on. Alyna had the distinct impression the queen knew why she was shaking, and she immediately felt embarrassed.

Sylvanas stood and looked down at Alyna. "I … realise this is a lot to take in. So, why don't you sleep on it? You need rest and … we can talk about this later."

Alyna frowned. "S-sleep?"

The queen moved to the bedside table and pulled out the top drawer. She picked up what appeared to be a scent stick, and lay it down on a long, wood plate. "Sleep sticks. They emit an alchemical scent that can help undead reach a deep meditative state. Our version of sleep. I've been told it can be relaxing."

"You've been t-told?" Alyna parroted, frowning at the stick.

Sylvanas fiddled with a small piece of flint, eventually lighting the stick. "I do not find them effective, personally." She moved around the bed to gather her paperwork from her desk. She held it like a shield against her chest as she looked back at Alyna. "I know you have more questions, and I will answer them, if I can. For now, rest well."

Alyna shook her head as Sylvanas left. She then groaned as she lay down, her body aching with her need for release. She had hoped this 'Awakening' business was done with when she didn't feel the urge when she first woke, but it would appear feeding had given her body the energy it required to focus on inconsequential things.

An unusual, but not unpleasant scent wafted over her, and she felt her body become heavy. It eased her urges, for which she was grateful. She allowed her eyelids to close, and her mind to wander to better times. Before long, she was asleep.

Sylvanas dropped her paperwork onto her office desk and grabbed the edges with her hands, using it to support her weight. She felt heavier, or perhaps that was just the weight of responsibility she was starting to feel for those she ruled finally starting to edge into her consciousness.

Or she just couldn't cope with knowing Alyna needed to get laid. She groaned. She had been pleased with remembering that Alyna had to feed, but she had forgotten about the Awakening. Did Alyna have someone to satisfy the urge with?

She immediately felt guilty for asking the question, knowing what Talnia had done. Had there been anyone else? If not, how was she going to resolve the issue? Sex had definitely not been something Sylvanas herself had partaken in since death. She had gone there once, with Talnia, because she'd had no other option during her own Awakening. Thankfully, the once had been enough and she had quashed the remaining need through sheer willpower. What Alyna was going through was far worse, having been Scourge for so many years. It was a problem they were going to need to discuss, and she dreaded the imminent discussion. It was going to be a very difficult conversation, for many reasons. The sleep stick would only have put it off for a few hours.

Who do you want to be?

She hung her head as Alyna's words echoed through her mind. She wanted to be alive, the wife of Alyna Salonar, and Ranger-General of Silvermoon. She wanted impossible things. She thought she had got over all of this years ago, but Alyna's return was bringing it all back.

You got what you wanted. Be careful what you wish for.

She snorted at her conscience. Be careful, indeed. She wished for the painful, agonising death of the Lich King, preferably at her hand. If getting Alyna back had caused so many problems for her, what would it cost her to get her way with Arthas? From what she was being told, it would currently cost her too much.

She had not thought about what would happen once he was dead. It had not mattered to her. That was a clear concern for Kyala, who had accepted her fate with enviable ease, and was apparently planning for a long future for the Forsaken. A future she didn't want to spend defending a 'lich queen' she hated, it would seem. Alyna was worried about who Sylvanas was now, as well as what she'd become.

That was so typical of Alyna, even when they were alive, she mused. Sylvanas' position had meant her energy went into the well-being of her rangers, and the protection of Quel'Thalas. It was Alyna who had looked after her, and made sure she was taken care of, even when not physically present. Now Sylvanas wasn't even looking after her people. Kyala seemed to have taken on that mantle while her queen focused on her hatred and revenge.

Her hatred was what she was. She knew she could never let go of it. But, could she temper it?

Did she want to?

A strong knock sounded on the door. She looked up and growled, "What?" She would welcome almost any distraction right now.

Heavy boots came into the room, worn by a small Forsaken female wearing the plate armour of a warrior. She held her simple helm tucked under her arm, and a large sword scabbard at her hip that jangled as she walked. She stopped a respectable distance from Sylvanas, and saluted. It took Sylvanas a moment to recognise her, having only met her new grand executor in person once before, several months ago.

"Megan Ryley, reporting for duty, Dark Lady."

Sylvanas rose to her full height and nodded at the woman. "Grand Executor Ryley. Congratulations."

"Thank you, my Lady. It is a great honour to serve."

While her words were formal, Sylvanas could hear near-adoration in her voice.

Who do you want to be?

She berated her inner voice for its ceaselessness.

"I can come back later?"

Sylvanas looked at Ryley, realising the woman was still standing at attention waiting for her queen to say something. "No … no. Actually, your timing is perfect." It was a blatant lie, but her guest was definitely buoyed by the compliment. She almost rolled her eyes. Instead, she gestured at the plain armour Ryley wore. "Have you not had a chance to visit the armourer yet?"

Ryley fidgeted slightly with her helm. "If you don't mind, my Lady, I'd prefer to keep wearing my usual armour. With any additional rank adornment, of course." Sylvanas raised a pale-yellow eyebrow. "With respect, my responsibilities have changed, but I do not need any fancy armour to shout about it. I'm just a soldier, and would prefer to look the part."

The banshee queen couldn't argue with that. She had a growing respect for the woman daring to speak her mind and express individuality on the topic. She had been a general who led from the front in armour similar to that of her rangers; she understood where Ryley was coming from.

"As you were then. So long as you get the job done, I have no care for what you wear. Just keep doing what you have been, just on a grander scale."

Ryley snapped to attention again. "That's the plan, my Lady."

Sylvanas nodded. "Good. Because I'll be throwing you into the fire." She gestured over to the large table that held her basic Northrend map, and then walked over to it. She heard Ryley follow. "For now, there is not much to see. I hope to change that over the coming days and weeks. What you will do, is prepare for an invasion."

To her credit, Ryley did not question the order. She was already a welcome replacement for Dillard, mused the queen. "Aye? Sounds exciting." Ryley was leaning over the map, trying to get what detail she could. "Any thoughts on where you wish to make landfall, my Lady?"

The queen looked down at her grand executor. "Not yet. I will be sailing to Orgrimmar within the week to convince the Warchief that the time to go after the Lich King is now. When I return, I intend to have orders for war, and a target."

The forsaken nodded her understanding, still examining the map. "I will begin preparations immediately. When you call for war, my Lady, we will be ready to follow you."

Sylvanas did not get the feeling Ryley was saying such a thing because she knew it was what she wanted to hear. She actually sounded confident in doing just as she said. Sylvanas gave the woman a small, rare smile just as she looked back up. She then turned to return to her desk.

"You should know there are some who may make your life difficult owing to your rapid promotion," Sylvanas stated idly.

As she sat at her desk and turned to look at Ryley, it appeared the woman was smiling. At least, Sylvanas got the feeling she was. It was hard to tell with most forsaken whose lips had decayed.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll try. In fact, I look forward to it."

"Indeed?" Sylvanas was curious, but could wait to see what transpired between her senior officers. "Then, I will not keep you any further. Dismissed, Grand Executor. I look forward to your reports."

Ryley snapped to attention before letting herself out of the office, leaving Sylvanas with her paperwork and nagging conscience.

Alyna woke slowly this time, though she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to wake up. Her mind had taken her back to happier times. It had been strange, experiencing them through a soul that was incapable of feeling the emotions she had in those days, but that didn't really concern her. She knew what she had felt. She was under no illusion that she would ever have that back, but what could she have?

Sylvanas had suggested Alyna could forge an important place at her side. She already knew that would be enough for her, but only if the queen did not lead them into oblivion. She had actually asked for Alyna's help, and that had shaken her to her core.

Was it an elaborate lie? She didn't think so. She did believe Sylvanas had been sincere, but did the queen have the strength of conviction to follow through?

Not alone. She needs you.

Did she? Perhaps.

As the last of the sleep stick dissipated, she sat up. The candles on the writing desk had almost burnt down to their holders, but there was no Sylvanas. She took the opportunity to look around the room, belatedly realising she was in a bedroom. Only now did she realise she was wearing a fresh tunic and pants. When did that happen? It didn't matter. She was hungry, and she couldn't see another meal waiting for her, though the other had been removed. She rose from the bed, and padded barefoot through the only door in the room, and down a darkened corridor.

She was slightly surprised to emerge into Sylvanas' office. For her part, the queen appeared to be expecting her. And her hunger. As she had done hours before, she nodded in a direction, and Alyna found an unconscious human female. Inwardly, she sighed. She felt very self-conscious as she moved to the human, and even more so as she fed as she was keenly aware of being watched again. Perhaps, her nerves were a good thing as she felt no compulsion to go for the human's soul this time. She gently lay the woman's body down when she was done, and licked her lips to mop up any remaining blood.

She felt exposed, so she stood and walked over to the large map table in the room. She had noticed it previously, but had not had a chance to properly inspect the map. She realised now just how little Sylvanas and the Horde knew about the continent.

"Do you think you can help?" came the sudden, very near question. Alyna had not heard the queen move from her desk, and she was standing right behind her. A bolt of energy flashed through her, and she ignored it.

"Is this why you need me?"

The reply was not immediate, but it eventually came. "Your knowledge is invaluable. I won't deny it was a driving factor in finding you. But, things have changed of late. I … have changed a little of late. Because of you." Was she just saying what she wanted to hear? Alyna risked turning her head to look at the queen, and found red eyes looking back at her. She was not expecting the soft, worried, question. "Do you really think I am like him?"

Alyna's mouth opened wordlessly, then closed. She turned to face Sylvanas fully before slowly replying, "I can see his influence in you, but no. Not yet. Not quite."

The answer visibly disturbed the queen. She clenched her teeth, and Alyna felt the need to expand on her answer. "You don't see your people as people. You see arrows in your quiver, and you expect them to obey like mindless tools. That is no different to the Lich King."

Feebly, Sylvanas muttered, "There would be chaos if I did not enforce my will."

Alyna scoffed. "Would there be? Do you have so little faith in them? Surely there are leaders amongst them, as there are in any society." She could see Sylvanas thinking, and she decided to give her something else to think about. "Or is it you have little faith in yourself, and you want them to need you?"

That got a reaction. "What the hell does that mean?"

Alyna shrugged lightly. "It's been five years, and all you have is an empty map, and a decomposing army. I know you, Sylvanas. That must be deeply frustrating for you."

A tremor went through Alyna, and she was too slow in containing it. Sylvanas narrowed her eyes, and did what she did best by turning her discomfort into another topic entirely.

"Why did you not tell me?"

At her confused expression, Sylvanas gently touched Alyna's elbow to raise her arm. She could see the limb was shaking, and she grasped her own hand to stop it, before sighing. "There's not exactly much you would have done. Why share my humiliation with you when there was nothing to be gained?"

The queen sounded slightly hurt. "I could have protected you."

Alyna laughed bitterly. "Could have, yes. But would you have? You forced me to humiliate myself with the Tauren. You gave me to Talnia like some sacrificial animal, and were more than happy to have me do menial tasks for her sadistic amusement. You did nothing to protect me, and she took full advantage of that."

Sylvanas looked away, shame colouring her features and posture. The change in her was so stark, it shocked Alyna, as did the next words she heard. "I'm sorry."

The gravity of the words sunk into Alyna, and she realised the queen knew more than Alyna herself had admitted to. "You … know. How?"

The queen winced. "You … mentioned Talnia's name in the cell. Kyala filled in the rest."

"Oh." Alyna felt a little silly for the utterance, but she had nothing else to say. She had no recollection of what Sylvanas was saying, but it clearly happened.

Something sinister flashed through the queen's features. "She is no longer a captain, and will reside in my cells for quite some time. Until she learns obedience."

Part of Alyna wanted to object, to point out it was a very Lich King thing to do. But she couldn't. She felt no remorse, and quite enjoyed the thought of Talnia suffering. She nodded her understanding. While she didn't want Sylvanas to become what they both hated, there would be limits. They were both undead creatures of hate, and there would only be so much they could do to fight their nature.

She did think it was important that they did fight, and she realised if she could support Sylvanas in her own battle, she very much wanted to do so. On her own terms.

"I … can't be an arrow, Sylvanas."

The queen focused her gaze on Alyna's black eyes. She smiled, slowly. "I don't want you to be an arrow, Alyna. I don't need another arrow. I want you to be my bow." On the surface, it would appear she was asking Alyna to be her chosen weapon, but she knew better. A ranger's bow was not just a weapon, but a constant companion that never left the side of its owner. "Will you do that? For me?"

Alyna arched a white eyebrow. Eventually, she felt herself nodding. "For both of us, not just for you."

Sylvanas gave her a brief nod. "Acceptable." She then frowned at Alyna's increasingly visible condition. "Do you … have someone … to help? Or was it always …?"

Her inability to finish the sentence told Alyna just how guilty the queen felt. She looked away. The subject made her feel uncomfortable. "Kyala was … about to help, one time. Until we were interrupted."

"I … see," came the awkward response. "Do you … want me to see if she is … available?"

Alyna hugged herself as she let out a half-laugh. "And if she says no, are you going to make it an order?"

"No! I … no." Alyna noted that at least Sylvanas looked like she meant it. It was a small relief. It didn't stop the rising fire inside her though. With a growing realisation, she knew there was only one person she would even consider lying with if she had a choice.

Sylvanas appeared to sense her thoughts through her gaze as she hesitantly asked, "What?"

Alyna sighed and hung her head, leaning back against the table. "You still wear your ring."

"I … took it off, for a while. It somehow felt wrong, so I put it back on." Alyna nodded her understanding. She had felt the same way. "Why?" Alyna didn't reply. She couldn't. She didn't have the words. Thankfully, that didn't matter as Sylvanas filled in the blanks. "Wait. You … want me … to …" The queen's feet shuffled about as the realisation hit her. "I … don't do … sex."

"Except with Talnia."

She felt more than saw Sylvanas flail in reaction. "That was once! And we have already established that I have made a few mistakes!"

The panic in Sylvanas' voice was almost amusing. Her queen was a prude. She sighed, and pushed away from the table. She had not been dismissed, but she started moving towards the corridor she had emerged from earlier. "I'll … take care of it."

A strong hand grasped her upper arm and Alyna felt herself be spun back around to face Sylvanas. She was surprised at the move, but Sylvanas seemed more surprised at her own action. Neither of them moved for long moments. Eventually, slowly, Sylvanas raised her gloved hand to gently take Alyna's chin between her fingers.

Her voice shook. "I cannot undo what's been done, but I can help you now, if you really want me to."

Alyna had no words. She nodded.

Sylvanas gave her a nervous chuckle. "Remember, this was your idea."

Again, neither of them moved. It reminded Alyna of two inexperienced adolescents not quite knowing how to start. Perhaps Sylvanas had thought the same, as they then both moved together.

Their lips met, unsurely at first. Sylvanas seemed to hesitate a moment, and Alyna realised she could probably taste the blood of her meal in her mouth. She watched the other woman process what she was sensing, and it appeared Sylvanas was not repulsed by it as she shortly leant forward again to restart the kiss.

That was all it took for Alyna to let go of her considerable restraint. She felt her arousal flash through her body, and she pulled Sylvanas into her, desperately hungry for the woman. The queen stiffened slightly, but quickly relaxed. Alyna wanted to be mindful of the length of time it had been for Sylvanas, but she was finding it difficult to even think.

Though it would appear she didn't need to worry as Sylvanas bent down to grab the back of her thighs, to lift her onto the table. She spread her knees, and the queen moved between them, their kiss resuming. It was almost savage, and Alyna knew her fangs had cut Sylvanas as neither were really accustomed to their presence during such an activity.

Right now, she didn't care. The pressure of Sylvanas pressing their bodies together thrilled and delighted her in ways she had thought she would never experience again. She heard herself whimper, and the queen gave her a throaty chuckle. Hands moved down her back to hook into the top of her pants, and she felt them be tugged down. She shifted her weight, and they were removed.

And then fingers were inside her. She groaned deeply. She felt Sylvanas hold her with one arm, as her fingers worked inside her with a familiarity that had not been forgotten. The touch was not gentle, but that was not what Alyna needed. She focused on her building release, trying to rock her hips onto the strong fingers. When it came, she felt overwhelmed by the intensity of it, and bit down on the queen's shoulder. Undead blood was vile to her senses, but her pleasure appeared to override her disgust. This was Sylvanas. Her general, her queen.

She heard another husky chuckle as she lay against Sylvanas. She wasn't quite sure what had amused her, but when she removed her fingers, Alyna felt oddly empty. A slender arm hooked itself under her knees as the other braced against her back, and she felt herself be lifted. She opened her eyes and realised Sylvanas was carrying her down the corridor. When she was laid on the bed, the queen began to remove her own clothing and the couple pieces of armour she had worn. Alyna removed her tunic, and watched her queen. Her body was pale grey, but it was just as perfect in undeath as it had been in life, and Alyna admired every curve as it was exposed.

And then Sylvanas was beside her, pulling their bodies together again. She was being claimed, she knew, just as much as Sylvanas was helping her. She found she didn't mind. Sylvanas' touch was soft and rough in equal measure, and she almost felt like she was being cleansed. She moaned, and sighed, her body undulating against the woman she used to love, and was somehow still inextricably connected to.

As the last candle fluttered and went out, she gave herself fully to her queen as they were plunged into darkness.