Thank you for reading! I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, but work and online classes have me so busy! I'll try to update again by next week, especially if I get reviews!!!

=)

As his princess prisoner lay unconscious, Amathan grew more anxious with every moment. He had paced his quarters, pondering what else could be done for her or at least pass the time until she returned to normal. His medics had done thorough examinations, assuring him all they could do was wait. A few times, he had peered in her new room to check on her. He had laid her in one of the nicer rooms attached to his own, also linked to the main hallway.

Growing impatient again, he headed towards her room once more. He entered slowly, observing the morning sunlight casting beautiful rays onto the bed. The Night Elf was disappointed to see Alcmene still sleeping under the covers, eyes closed. The girl lay motionless on the bed of royal blue, her blonde hair fanned out on the plush pillow. Her eyelids rested perfectly on her cheeks and her hands rested lightly on her stomach. Amathan noticed that her facial expression was not as he expected. She looked peaceful, yet still in distress at the same time.

He sighed. She had been injured fighting for them, the Alliance, her sworn enemy. He admired her for not standing back and accepting defeat. Not many of her level would have even attempted to fight the creatures that invaded the island. He recalled times when he had witnessed other Blood Elves, including females, fighting formidable opponents and he simply watched as they perished. Alcmene was different. Obviously he had wanted to save her for his advantage, but he wondered if his intentions were becoming less about the rivalry with Kael and more about his own desires. Something was compelling him to care for her more than he ever wanted to admit. He knew what that was, but refused to acknowledge it.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Amathan noticed the presence of one of his commanders, Agthen. He was dressed in loose pants and a brown vest, typical morning wear.

"Apologies, My Lord…" he stumbled, lowering his head.

"Yes Commander?" the warlock asked.

"Might we speak in your chambers?" he suggested. Amathan scowled, for he didn't really think it was necessary with Alcmene being unconscious, but he nodded and walked into his main room, closing the door behind him.

"What is it? This had better be good," he demanded.

"Sir, I simply bring a message. One of many of the men…" Agthen said with a reluctant tone. He folded his arms nervously.

"What kind of message?" Amathan inquired, staring.

"A concern…" he said somewhat hesitantly.

"Go on," Amathan allowed. He was unsure as to what this could be, as he tried to keep morale at its highest, but he was always open to the worries of his soldiers. He was quick to silence any unrest with either rewards or his fierce command. Without their cooperation, he was not as strong. He had long fought all of his life for the respect of his fellow Kal'dorei soldiers and was not about to lose their admiration.

"Sir, we have reason to believe…with last week's events… that perhaps something is developing between you and the prisoner?" he said slowly.

"That's preposterous! What gave you such an idea?" he demanded. 'Developing? Is that what you'd call it?' he thought to himself with an inner laugh.

"Several of the men noted that you seemed 'affectionate' when dealing with the girl and her injuries," Agthen justified.

"So I showed some care for her wellbeing! So what? In case you morons forgot, she isn't much use to us if she's dead, now is she?" he said with a sneer.

"But from our understanding, Kael'thas is not planning to come for her anytime soon anyway. It would endanger his plans for his people," Agthen said.

"Yes, that is correct. But eventually he should come here to fight for her," Amathan replied.

"What if he doesn't? And until then, if he does, what is to become of her when she awakens?" Agthen asked, curiously interested.

"I have not yet decided," Amathan replied. "But she is none of your concern until you are notified otherwise."

"Well, if you decide one of your officers shall have the honors, please consider my offer," he said slyly as he slid a pouch of gold coins and gems toward Amathan on his table. He eyed it, waited a moment, and then slowly slid it back. The leader had no intention of letting his commander touch Alcmene. He had shown his lack of restraint towards her already and was now showing his desperateness. Despite his mind already being made up regarding Agthen, he thought it might be fun to let him think he stood a chance.

"Offer considered," Amathan said with a smirk of his own.

The city was in ruins. Scourge littered the streets and buildings, attacking any they encountered with their clubs and axes. A dim fog had set upon the city, reflecting the somber mood and the day full of death. The destruction of the Sunwell left Silvermoon in darkness.

Alcmene grabbed her mother tightly as they ran through the Royal Exchange passageways, searching for a hiding place. Her father ran in front of them and had killed a few minor attackers with the help of his guards and minions.

"Quick! In here!" King Anasterian whispered, leading them into a small, hidden room he found by pressing along the wall. The group gasped loudly, looking around for other exits or other dangers. Eyeing a nearby compartment, the queen ran towards it and opened it, removing the key from the lock. Inside were strands of silk cloth, but she removed most of them and motioned for Alcmene to get inside the trunk.

"Get it, darling. You'll be safer in here," she assured her. The king nodded in agreement and grabbed his dagger. He stabbed several small holes in the back so that she might have a way to breathe. Shaking with fear, she tried to cling to her mother as she shut the lid slowly.

"Go on, 'Mene. Its all right," she eased the crying girl as she placed a kiss on her forehead. The King held her hand for a moment before they closed the lid and locked it shut.

Petrified, the princess curled into a ball and covered herself with the silk. She waited, hoping that her parents would soon pull her out and hold her. She wished Kael was at her side, keeping her safe too. It didn't feel right without him here. She was scared and Kael always made her feel better. Remembering their cheerful times distracted her.

Then, she heard a loud thud followed by her mother's screams. She winced as she heard her parents and the guards fighting with all of their strength to ward off the Scourge. After several blasts and cries, she heard the beasts chuckle.

"Long live the king," one said sarcastically.

Suddenly, Alcmene's eyes flew open as she sat upright in her bed. Her heart was racing from the nightmare. It was one she once had often as a child, but the dream had not haunted her for sometime. Calming herself with deep breathing, she looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. It was definitely still Amathan's home, but this was not her usual room. Her bedding and drapes were a deep blue and were luscious silk, not the harsh linen she had been reduced to in her old room. A few bandages were laid out on the nearby table, as well as some food and drink. She was alone, but there were nearby voices she could hear through the walls.

As she lied there, Alcmene tried to remember what had caused her to be in this predicament. The last thing she recalled was Amathan, hovering over her as she faded in and out. Then she remembered why she had been so weak: the Scourge invading and fighting them off, but they had been too strong. Perhaps her desire to get even with them for killing her family had overwhelmed her. Perhaps the second attack had triggered the nightmare. She wondered if she had been simply sleeping or if she had been unconscious for more than a day. Time was not easily comprehended in her state.

She then decided she would get up and find a guard to inform her captor she was awake. The princess attempted to swing her legs to the edge of the bed, but she felt too frail. Her vision became blurred with her sudden movements, so she leaned back down until someone came back to the room.

After several minutes, a maid entered and walked toward the bed, prepared to change the dressing on her wounds.

"I am awake," Alcmene said in Darnassian with a soft smile. The maid glanced up, eyes wide and nodded, quickly fixing the bandage on her arm and then hurried out to spread the news.

Amathan was trying to enjoy a drink and a game of cards with a few of his officers when the guard entered with news of Alcmene's progress.

"My Lord, the prisoner has awakened," he said, bowing and awaiting further orders.

"About damn time!" Agthen shouted as the threw down his cards, causing a stir from all the others.

"Think she got enough beauty sleep?" another joked.

"She's not much use laying there alone is she?" one asked.

"Just taking up space!" said another. Amathan smiled, even though he found none of the comments amusing.

"Very well," he said, holding up his hand to silence the others' laughter. "Inform the princess to prepare herself for….shall we say, an introductory meeting with a fine gentleman tonight."

The others resumed their cheers and laughs. Agthen patted Amathan on the back, full of foolish hope. The leader eyed his commander for touching him in his excitement and pried his hand from his back.

"What are you clowns so excited for? I did not mention your names," Amathan stated.

"But Sir, we thought it might be one of us…" one complained.

"We made offers after all," Agthen said, beginning to get angry.

"And I considered them! You still have your money," Amathan replied.

"This is absurd! One more thing you get to rub in our faces…" Agthen muttered.

"There are plenty of women here for you and your needs. She is not to be cast out among them and their kind!" Amathan roared.

"So she's better than the women of the Alliance? Too good for us? A Blood Elf? Hmmm..." Agthen continued, exasperated.

"That's enough soldier! You know well what I meant! She's a princess and an asset to our strength, not a cheap whore!" Amathan cried out, knowing where this was headed.

"Your princess maybe...I guess it's fitting though that you should have her, since she more like you than us anyway," Agthen sneered. "You're not even..."

The commander was cut short as Amathan placed a dagger through his stomach. He placed fear spells on the others to prevent their involvement.

"Is that so?" Amathan asked sarcastically, twisting the blade as Agthen's eyes grew wide with pain. "Was that outburst worth your life over the absurdity, commander?" The warlock shoved the gasping warrior down onto the ground and stepped over him. The others were silent as they watched him exit and head toward his bedchamber.

He waited there on his balcony for her, hoping she'd hurry. He was anxious to see her, but dwelled on his violent reaction. Amathan hated that he had been compelled to kill one of his own, but he had to exert command and demand respect from his men. Sometimes that meant a little fear too. He'd never really liked Agthen anyway and he had overstepped his boundaries with his comments. Plus he knew Alcmene would be be relived to know he could never threaten her again.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" Alcmene asked softly, shifting him from his thoughts several minutes later. Amathan turned to see her and walked a little closer. He admired her in her normal state, happy to see her up and well. She appeared stunning in her silk robe of dark red and purple. She looked frail, but not defeated.

Inside, she was glad to see him. He seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being and appeared happy she was finally awake. Something in his eyes gave her a warm feeling. Being here was better than her nightmares, but she returned to the ever pondering scenario of how she would survive and escape this confinement.

"Yes, I wanted to give you an opportunity to say thank you," he said with a smirk, now standing only a few feet away from her. She lowered her head, for he was right. Alcmene remembered how he had blasted their enemies and picked her up, carrying her to safety.

"I do owe you my gratitude. If it weren't for you, I am certain I'd be dead. I owe you my life…" she said, remembering the ways of the paladin. A life for a life…she was now indebted to him, until she was able to save his life in return. Now she not only was bound here because she was captured but because of the honor of her class now bound her to Amathan.

"I am familiar with the ways of the paladin, Princess. I suppose you will just have to stay here until you are someday strong enough to defend me against our foes," he said sarcastically as he lightly gripped her forearms, knowing she would never reach his capacity. This was his chance; the moment he had been waiting for.

"Then I am to stay here forever! There is no way I could ever save you. You would never need my help," she exclaimed, pushing past him and leaning over the railing delicately as she looked out into the night. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. He was just toying with her, trying to guilt her into staying with him. And for what? What purpose did she serve, really?

Amathan followed and stood behind her, placing his hands on her upper arms near her shoulders. His touch gave her the chills.

"There is another way," he said softly in her ear. "That I would consider your debt to be paid." He stroked her right arm. She sharply turned to face him.

"And what could that be?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down once. Her nervous eyes met his as he tugged a piece of hair near her face, stroking her jaw.

"Oh I think you know. I want something no one else could ever have," he whispered slowly with a grin and leaned in closer. "Something you can only give once."

She swallowed and cast her eyes downward as she wrapped her arms around herself for she felt chilled. She knew what he wanted. She had known this moment would come since the day of her capture, if not from him, then someone else.

"I don't know…" she muttered, unable to look him in the eye.

"I'm a bit surprised you're so against the idea after what happened the other night," he trailed off smirking.

"That was different!" she argued. Her resolve had been weakened then, and she presumed it might have helped make things more interesting. Plus, she hadn't really thought about what went into what she had implied, making her nervous now that it was more likely to occur. She was so young and innocent that these situations made her uncomfortable.

"Why, because then you didn't have an obligation weighing on your decision? This should make paying me back easier if you were already thinking of going through with it before," she snickered.

"It would be easier I suppose, but as honorable?" she asked gently, thinking aloud.

"Perhaps not, but the honor lies within the repayment, not the manner in which the debt was paid. However, you can obviously see which method we'd both likely prefer," Amathan said smiling. "No rush on making a decision. Either remain here for quite some time indebted to me, regardless of what Kael'thas does or, take my offer and consider yourself freed of any obligation to me," he stated.

"So if I agree to give in to you and...return the favor, you will release me?" she asked after a moment, hopeful. He laughed as he stepped shifted his weight.

"I said freed from any obligation, Princess. Your paladin pride should hold you to me until your debt is paid, your brother's involvement aside. His actions in no way affect our situation," he said.

"If my brother came for me today, I would leave!" she spat through her teeth. Nothing would tie her here if she could fly away from here, free of any bonds.

"Would you? And have it follow you forever that an Alliance leader saved your life, yet you did nothing to repay him? My, that seems as though it might take a toll on your conscious," he said lightly.

"You're manipulating what happened to benefit yourself! It took little to nothing for you to save me!" she cried. She realized he was right again. It would haunt her, knowing that an enemy saved her, no matter what his reasons were.

"On the contrary, it cost me quite a bit. I killed Agthen today in fact because he spoke out about how I saved you. Some of my men feel as though I am going soft over you and that," he said as he tugged on her robe, "is something I cannot afford."

He released her and she stumbled backwards, placing both hands behind her on the railing of the balcony. She was surprised that he had killed Agthen over comments regarding her, but was relieved nonetheless. She had a hunch he'd known she would appreciate his ultimate punishment after what he had done to her and what he had tried to do to her. His intentions weren't much different than Amathan's at this point though. They both wanted the same thing: her.

"Does it have to be now?" she asked softly, her head still turned and her mind racing.

"No," he said as he placed a hand on her face and turned her head so that she was forced to look him in the eyes. "When you can do so willingly and readily, that is when I want you."

'I suppose this is as willing as I will be,' she thought to herself. " As you wish," she replied with a slight smile. "Might I ask a favor, Sir?"

"You're in no place to be asking favors, now are you?" he replied as he walked into his room. She said nothing for a moment as he sat on his bed lightly.

"It's a small one, I promise," she begged, following. She knew that this would not be Amathan's first intimate encounter, which made her feel intimidated. She feared she would do something wrong or be an overall disappointment.

"All right, what is it?" he asked, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

"If I agree to be accepting of my fate and embrace this proposed encounter as heartily as I am able, then…well…when…you're, I mean we're…well…you know… could you...please consider that this will be my first time experiencing such…activities?" she stuttered blushing as he reached for her. He chuckled at her nervousness and smiled, cupping her small delicate face in his hands. Unable to resist her unintentional innocence and charm, he brought his face closer to his and rested his forehead against hers. She gasped as her eyes widened in surprise and nervousness, and her heart began to beat faster with anxiety. He softly pressed his lips to hers and kissed her, Alcmene's first real romantic encounter. Realizing what was happening, she closed her eyes after a moment and tried to take in the feeling and emotion. She was unsure what to do with her hands, how to kiss back, what to think of the whole thing, and so forth. Thankfully, for her nerve's sake, it was a short kiss. Amathan pulled back slowly and stood up, stepping past the stunned girl.

"Yes, I suppose I will try to be gentle," he said with a wink as he turned and walked back into his closet.

"Am I to leave you now?" she called to him after a moment, still astounded by the kiss.

"Go," he said, turning to face her in the doorway. "Spend some time these next few days free to wander as you please. Relax, eat, do whatever until you're ready. Are those terms permissible?" he asked, sarcastically.

"Yes," she said with a grin. He had never let her roam the grounds on her own before. It would be nice to finally feel trusted and not caged like an animal, although she would catch the eye of many who disliked her presence there. Amathan's cough caught her attention.

"Yes, what?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, Master," she muttered, sighing and rolling her eyes as she walked away.

"Much better," he smirked.