"Lorelai, am I being selfish?" Braelen asked, turning to hand the priest some healing potions.
"About what"?
"Well, my friends and family are all back in Stormwind, probably going mad with worry, and here I am, the happiest I've been in a long time, and feeling like this is home."
"Do you miss them?" Lorelai inquired.
"Hell yes!" Braelyn exclaimed. "I want to see them, badly, but when I think about it, it's more a case of going to visit and then coming back. The idea of leaving Silvermoon permanently, scares me."
"It may be a little selfish," Lorelai admitted, tactful as always, "but who am I to judge?"
Braelyn saw that Lorelai was holding something back. "Out with it, my friend," she said.
"You're my friend, Braelyn, and I want you to be happy."
"But?"
"You need to be really careful. You can love Rommath all you want, but it won't spare you any pain should the Regent-Lord decide you need to leave."
"I know," Braelyn sighed. "I think that's part of the reason why Rommath is still holding something back, why he won't take our relationship to the next level."
"And what do you want?"
"I want to be with him as much as I can for as long as I can."
Lorelai sighed, placing her hand on Braelyn's shoulder. "I will pray for you both."
"Thanks," Braelyn replied. "We'll need them." She handed the priest the last of the potions, then bid her farewell. She was planning a surprise dinner for Rommath, a traditional lamb roast, and wanted to get home in time to help Auriel with the preparations. The elf chef wasn't too familiar with human cooking.
She stopped by the Wayfarer's Rest Inn to buy some Suntouched Special Reserve and Moonglow, waving at Boxer, who was passing by with the other Horde ambassadors.
They tended to either Death Glare her, or ignore her.
She couldn't help smiling when she arrived at Rommath's residence, remembering how angry and scared she'd been when she'd first come here. Now... it was one of her favourite places, and always would be, regardless of what happened with her and Rommath.
"Good afternoon, Auriel," she said, entering the kitchen.
"Afternoon, Miss," the chef replied. "That piece of lamb you got from the Ambassador's cousin is an excellent cut."
"Glad to hear it," Braelyn replied, before noticing that Auriel seemed to be a bit distracted. "Is anything wrong?"
Auriel paused, as if deciding whether he should answer or not. "That warlock woman's here," he finally said, lips pursed in disapproval.
"Denaria Daybreak?" she said. The chef nodded. Braelyn sighed testily. When she told Rommath about how much she hated the warlock, he'd promised to keep her out of the house as much as he could. Obviously Denaria had wormed her way back in somehow.
"Well, as long as she's gone by dinner time," she said. She and the chef exchanged worried glances when the sound of breaking glass came from Rommath's lab. It was followed by a muffled, feminine squeal, and more breaking glass.
"Perhaps I should go check on the master?" Auriel suggested. Braelyn shook her head.
"No, I'll do it," she said, picking up one of the bottles of wine she'd purchased and a couple of glasses. She'd use bringing Rommath a drink as an excuse to check out what was going on. She didn't want Rommath thinking she was jealous of Denaria. Even though she was.
Especially seeing as she was.
When she got closer to the lab, she heard the warlock laugh. She sounded kind of breathless. She heard Rommath say something, followed by more laughter. Her stomach was twisting in anxiety, her instincts telling her that something was very wrong, and that she should just walk away.
She pushed the door open... and stopped breathing.
Denaria had Rommath pushed up against the far wall, her hands wound tightly through his hair as he kissed his way down her neck. They were both partly undressed, pale skin sweaty and glowing softly in the light.
Braelyn must have dropped the wine, as she could feel glass and liquid splatter against her blue dress. She didn't hear it, couldn't hear anything save the frantic beating of her now fractured heart. One hand clasped at her chest, the other reached out, as if warding off the awful image in front of her.
The sound of breaking glass drew two sets of green eyes to Braelyn. Denaria pressed herself against Rommath. "Well, dear, it looks like we have company." Her lips twisted in a malicious smile, and Braelyn wanted to throw herself on the warlock and rip those lips off her face.
Rommath looked at Braelyn like he did the day of her arrival in Silvermoon all those months ago. There was no warmth, no regard, no love. It was like he was an angry stranger again, the one who wanted to kill her.
"It's no one important, my love," he said, nuzzling Denaria's red hair. He sneered at the human. "Be gone. I have no time for you today." He went back to kissing the warlock's slender neck.
Braelyn jerked back as if she'd been king-hit. Without being fully aware of what she was doing, she turned and fled down the hall, past a startled Auriel, and out onto the street. She kept walking until she reached the Wayfarer's Rest Inn. Normally, the innkeeper, Jovia, was reluctant to serve the human, only doing so out of fear of Rommath. One look at Braelyn's face, however, had her seating the woman at her own table, and bringing over a bottle of ultra-rare, and ultra-expensive, Southshore rum.
Braelyn could not understand what she had just witnessed. How could Rommath do that to her? After all the night's spent reading together in the library, sitting happily in his lap as they spoke of the childhoods, and family? After all the time spent in companionable silence, hands entwined?
Hot tears began to fall as she took her first sip of rum. It burned as it went down, bringing her to her senses. She angrily swiped at her face with the sleeve of her dress. She would not cry over him. Not when he'd been playing her for a fool from the very beginning, letting her believe that his attitudes towards her had changed, that he actually cared about her.
It was all just a cruel trick. Some kind of punishment for the sins of her people.
She picked up her glass, draining it in one shuddering gulp. She didn't refill it, chosing to drink straight from the bottle.
The first of many questionable decisions of the night.
Rommath felt like he was on fire, a burning, pulsating need consuming him from within, compelling him to hold the woman in front of him, to fulfill her every desire.
But it felt wrong, like he was diseased.
He remembered his day so clearly until he met up with Denaria... breakfast with his girlfriend, him kissing her goodbye before he left for the Spire. His body jerked as pain hammered his brain at the thought of the human woman and he cried out.
"Ah, ah, ah," a female voiced crooned. "No thinking of her." He felt teeth break the skin on his neck, and he growled, his need building.
But then he remembered.
Not three minutes ago, the sound of breaking glass, a woman standing in the doorway, his voice ordering her away.
Braelyn!
With a feral snarl, he threw Denaria away from him. She slid across one of his workbenches, gathering a host of alchemical equipment on her journey, before hitting the floor.
"What did you do to me, Denaria?" he snarled.
"What had to be done," the warlock replied as she got to her feet. She wiped blood from her lip. "She's made you forget who you are. I intend to help you remember." She sneered as Rommath's nova blast froze her in place. "Is she really worth it, Rommath? You know it can't last."
Rommath ignored her as he staggered over to his potion cabinet. He was pretty sure Denaria had fed him a lust potion. He rifled through the cupboard until he found an all-purpose antidote. He swallowed the foul green liquid in one gulp, gagging at the taste. It wouldn't cure him completely, but would allow him to control himself until Denaria's poison was out of his system.
He turned around and glared at the warlock, who stared back, unrepentant. "Get out of my sight, Denaria," he growled, "before I decide to kill you." He took a deep breath. "Pray that I am able to fix this, or I will hunt you down."
"You will regret this," Denaria stated before stalking out.
Rommath followed after her, calling for his chef. "Auriel!" There was no response. He headed upstairs, hoping that Braelyn had retreated to the library or her room, but the house was empty. His stomach clenched in fear as he headed out into the street.
Where was she?
Braelyn was drunk. Not just a little tipsy, but completely smashed. The world was delightfully blurred, and she felt warm and happy. Well, mostly happy. She was prone to bouts of anger when she thought of Rommath and that warlock trollop. She'd also driven a group of Horde adventures out of the inn when she'd threatened to beat them to a pulp for going on and on about that stupid weapon, Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker.
Seriously, no one gives a crap, Braelyn thought.
After the rum, she'd moved onto tequila, always a bad move. She looked around, deciding that she didn't want to be alone anymore. Her eyes landed on a troll sitting in centre of the inn, watching her with amusement. She smiled when she saw a bow leaning against one of the nearby chairs. Another hunter.
Braelyn walked over in what she hoped was a graceful saunter, but was really a drunken stagger. The troll smirked at her. "Who you be, little miss? My name be Tal'lin."
Braelyn frowned. What was her name? Oh, yeah. "Braelyn." She held her hand out for him to shake. The troll took it, but instead of shaking it, used it to pull her onto his lap. "That's friendly."
Tal'lin laughed. "I be a friendly troll, mon." He grinned when he noticed the human staring at his tusks in fascination.
"Can I touch your tusks?" she asked boldly. Tal'lin nodded. Braelyn raised her hands, gentle running her hands along his tusks. They were smoother than she expected. "Awesome. Does it hurt if I do this?" She asked, pulling on one suddenly. He grunted.
"Ya, mon, kinda." He was amused when the little human looked stricken. She placed a rather sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"There, no more ouchie. Do trolls like to dance?" she asked, suddenly changing topic.
Tal'lin chuckled. "Do trolls like ta dance? Trolls always be dancing, mon."
"Do you wanna dance with me?" she blurted.
"I'd love ta, but I can't." He gestured to his foot which was heavily bandaged. Braelyn frowned. She really wanted to dance. "Now, they don' mean ya can't dance for me," he suggested.
"Okay!" Braelyn said happily getting to her feet. She wobbled slightly. "Tell me how to dance like a troll lady. Troll ladies are awesome." She didn't know how she knew that, considering she hadn't actually met any troll women, but she did. Tal'lin's smirk widened, becoming almost predatory.
"Can't dance like a troll dressed like that, mon," he said, grinning when he saw a look of confusion cross the drunk woman's face. "Troll women be lovin' ta show off their legs."
Braelyn frowned at her dress. It was made out of wool, and dyed dark blue, Rommath's favourite colour on her. She scowled. Stupid Rommath and his stupid blue dress, ruining her dancing dreams. She bent down, gathered the hem in her hands and attempted to rip the bottom half of the skirt off. It wouldn't cooperate, so, with a huff of frustration, she settled for pulling the offending garment over her head.
"Victory!" she cried, throwing her dress at Jovia, who looked flabbergasted. Braelyn turned to Tal'lin who was giving her a very appreciative eye over. "What now?"
"Every dancer be needing a stage, mon," the troll smirked, gesturing to the table. Braelyn tried to climb up, only succeeding when Tal'lin placed a hand on her shapely behind and pushed.
Innkeeper Jovia sent one of her employees running for the Ranger-General.
Braelyn stood on the tabletop, the cool air caressing her half-naked body. She looked at her new friend and asked, "what do I do?"
"Well, mon, start by listenin' for tha beat..."
If Halduron had been asked about what would happen during the course of his day, he never would have guessed he'd end it by standing in an inn watching a human woman dance on top of a table. In her underwear. For a troll.
Of all the things for Braelyn Hawke to be doing... He shook his head. What the hell was going on? Where was Rommath?
"Oh, by the Light!" Lorelai exclaimed as the human hopped off the table, and onto the troll's lap. She seemed enthralled by his tusks. The troll seemed only too happy to have her in his arms, placing his hands around her hips. "Rommath will kill him!"
"Who am I killing?" A tired voice came from behind them. The Grand Magister stood behind them, looking as if he'd just gone a few rounds with Death... and lost. Halduron quickly moved to block Braelyn from his view, while Lorelai attempted to shepard the mage back outside.
But it was too late.
Green eyes widened in shock. Rommath gasped, before his lips pulled away from his teeth in a snarl. "What is that troll doing with Braelyn?" he said in a deadly whisper. "And why is she dressed like that?"
"We don't know," Lorelai said. Jovia sent word that she came in a few hours ago, looking as though her world had ended. She's pretty drunk." Rommath grimaced when hearing that.
"I would hope so, considering what she's doing." His stepped forward, hands itching to drag Braelyn away from the troll who was shamelessly taking advantage of her. Both Halduron and Lorelai reached out to stop him.
"Why was she so upset, Rommath?" the Ranger General asked, growing concerned when a look of agony crossed his friend's face.
"She saw something that I wish had never happened," Rommath whispered. "Denaria slipped a potion into one of my drinks; a lust potion." He paused when Lorelai gasped. "Braelyn walked in and saw Denaria and I... kissing."
"I always knew that warlock was trouble," Halduron said grimly. Lorelai nodded in agreement, making a small, angry sound.
"I yelled at Braelyn, told her to leave, that she wasn't important," Rommath continued, his hand covering his chest. "I managed to break Denaria's hold on me, but by the time I took an antidote, Braelyn was gone. I've been looking for her ever since." His eyes drifted to the human, whose arms were now around the troll's neck.
"And now this," he growled. "Go get her, Halduron. I know her; she won't come to me while she's still mad, and, so help me, if I go over there, that troll is going to die." With that, he turned and stalked away, a mere shadow of his former self.
Braelyn did not go quietly. Screaming about how all her loved ones were betraying her, she fought against Halduron and Lorelai as they tried to take her home. The human was enthusiastically aided in her efforts by the troll, who was keen to keep his companion for the night.
It took Lorelai mind controlling Braelyn, and Halduron threatening to arrest Tal'lin, to get the sorry mess sorted out. It was approaching dawn before they got the human home, finding Rommath pacing the foyer, Auriel hovering anxiously in the background.
"Thank the Light!" the mage exclaimed hurrying forward. He attempted to hug Braelyn, but she stepped backwards and slapped him in the face.
"Don't touch me, you bastard!" she snapped, then ran up the stairs. They heard her bedroom door slam a few seconds later.
"Well, that seemed kind of familiar," Halduron said. Lorelai walked over to Rommath, placing a sympathetic hand on his arm.
"I will get Boxer, and we will explain the truth to her in the morning," she said. "It will be all right, Rommath, have faith."
The Grand Magister nodded, but couldn't bring himself to hope.
AN - yeah, Braelyn is one of those hyperactive, mercurial you want to fight? Hey look! A wombat!
Next Chapter: Braelyn learns the truth, but will she believe it? And will it even matter when King Varian decides to negotiate?