War Crimes

Chapter Two: Undercity, Royal Quarter

Summary: Just another horrible Sylvanas/Jaina fic. Sequel to Atrocities.

Disclaimer: Characters, settings, etc. are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.

Pairings: Sylvanas/Jaina

Author's Notes: AU, assuming the Theramore scenario had affected Jaina differently. I don't know either.

Warnings/kinks: Some light flogging, all consensual of course.

The Kor'kron guards kept their grips on Jaina's arms tight as they hustled her down the long, winding hallway to the Royal Quarter of the Undercity. Jaina remembered it only faintly, but it was familiar enough to be comforting. If an ever-present plague-green tinge to surroundings decorated liberally with skulls could be comforting.

Passing Forsaken regarded her curiously, often doing double-takes. She tried to make eye contact with several of them, wondering if their stares were out of surprise at the appearance of an Alliance leader or delayed recognition due to her changed hair and eye color.

"Move it, Alliance scum," growled one of the guards, yanking her along. Jaina almost protested; the indignity of having her staff confiscated was bad enough, and now she was being frog-marched about like a criminal. But at least they hadn't bound her hands. If I really were a criminal—a war criminal—Sylvanas wouldn't even allow me to be here. Hellscream is like that. I'm not.

Presently they moved into the Royal Quarter. Jaina's heart leapt into her throat, a tangle of confusing feelings ensnaring her mind as she laid eyes on Sylvanas Windrunner, her—well, former lover, at least. Even "friend" was dubious. Sylvanas didn't notice her; she was busy giving instructions to a Forsaken man kneeling a few feet away from her; a moment later, he clambered up (he didn't seem to have full use of his legs) and shambled out, and the next Forsaken in line stepped up to the dais where Sylvanas stood. It would appear that she granted an audience with any of her people who wished it. She would have waited for the line to pass—she was curious about seeing Sylvanas interact with her subjects—but one of the guards interrupted her.

"Your Majesty, we have brought Proudmoore to you as instructed."

Well, it's better than "Alliance scum", Jaina thought. As Sylvanas turned to face her, Jaina attempted a deep curtsy, and the orcish guards released her arms and allowed her the act of obeisance as soon as they realized what she was doing.

"Lady Proudmoore, state your business." Sylvanas' voice revealed nothing.

"I…I seek your counsel," Jaina quavered.

"My counsel." Sylvanas' voice was so icy it made Jaina shiver. "What, pray tell, must you speak with me about that you could not hear it from my sister? From one of your beloved books?"

"I have been experiencing talah'tur'nei. The same way you did when I accidentally reminded you of…"

Sylvanas cut her off. "That doesn't answer my question. Either my sister of any number of books could assist you with that. Why must you trouble me with this?"

It was quite strange to Jaina to think that her dear friend Vereesa and her on-and-off lover/emotional wellness counselor Sylvanas were sisters. They shared a surname, certainly, but one was Ranger-General of the Silver Covenant and one was Banshee Queen of the Forsaken. They didn't seem remotely related. "I lost my home. My people. But your sister lost that and her husband. I told her my talah'tur'nei had stopped plaguing me because I didn't want her to worry about me. And human psylosophers are rather behind on the subject. Most texts on talah'tur'nei were written in Thalassian following the destruction of the Sunwell."

"Really," Sylvanas deadpanned. Jaina would have wagered that Sylvanas hadn't known that fact but also wasn't surprised by it.

"I can't read Thalassian. I wish I could track down some more texts—I believe the Scryers keep some in Shattrath City—but I would much rather speak with you regarding the subject than read a dense text in a language I don't speak that may or may not tell me what I can do to make them stop."

"And you think I can be your psylosopher?" Sylvanas almost sneered. "I am not immune to talah'tur'nei. You know that likely better than anyone else."

"But you are perhaps the only person who can understand what it's like to be terrified of what's inside of you. To fear becoming what you once condemned."

"Is that what Kalecgos said was happening to you? And Thrall? You two were close once. I wonder what words the former Warchief had for you."

That threw her. "How…how did you…?"

"You'd be surprised what my intelligence network picks up," Sylvanas sniffed.

"Kalec did caution me. When I was considering…" Jaina halted and looked around. The Kor'kron guards still flanked her, but there were no nosy Forsaken lingering in the Royal Chamber. "…drastic action against Orgrimmar, he told me I should consider how I was acting like…" she had planned on saying it, but the name withered and died in her throat.

"Like Arthas," Sylvanas spat.

Jaina nodded. "I thought…Kalecgos' words sounded not unlike something you might say. He helped me come to grips with myself long enough to listen to Thrall. It was inadvertent, but he reminded me of you. Ever since then he has been welcome company, but as a pale imitation of you."

"I'm just that special?" Sylvanas' voice was snide.

"Yes!"

Sylvanas had no immediate answer for that. "You wanted my advice on how to deal with your talah'tur'nei?"

"Yes…" Jaina took a deep breath. "And in hopes that you might be able to ease my fear that I am losing my mind and am terrified of what may become of me."

Sylvanas was quiet for a moment. She tilted her head to the side, as if considering what Jaina had last said, and Jaina took the opportunity to blurt out something only slightly relevant but that had nonetheless been on her mind. "They were destroyed. I'm sorry. They were destroyed."

Sylvanas looked visibly puzzled. "What was destroyed?"

"The pictures of you. The ones I drew. The note you left in my room. The mana bomb…" Jaina tried a few more breaths to calm herself. "I was hoping that perhaps…I could make another." Jaina's voice trembled and she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. Oh, gods, not now! In front of Kalecgos, and even with Vereesa, we wept together, but it was in private…I'm supposed to be trying to convince Sylvanas to give me another chance, not fall apart!

"Lady Proudmoore, you may approach."

Jaina felt the hands of the Kor'kron guards fall away from her arms as she walked toward Sylvanas, eyes fixed on the undead woman's still face. Sylvanas was not looking at her; she was working on removing her gloves. Jaina's heart began to race as she stepped onto the dais in front of her lover, and what she had been hoping for during the past few seconds came to pass; Sylvanas' bare hands came to rest lightly on her body, one in the center of her back, the other on her shoulder.

Jaina nearly crumpled into Sylvanas' arms. But her lover was still wearing her pauldrons, and there was no place for Jaina to rest her head. She tried to stand up straight, but her knees began to give way and then suddenly Sylvanas was holding her close, supporting her with an arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders. Jaina was spending so much energy trying not to cry she almost didn't notice the familiar noise of arcane magic dancing around a portal, but when she did notice, she leaned on Sylvanas and went willingly as Sylvanas led her towards it.

"Lady Proudmoore has stated in her correspondence that she would prefer to meet in private," said Sylvanas to the guards. "I have decided to accede to that request."

"Thank you," Jaina murmured. She walked with Sylvanas through the portal, which—as Jaina had hoped—led to Sylvanas' bedchamber. They had always proceeded there on foot before, but perhaps Sylvanas had chosen to use the portal in order to conceal the sexual nature of their relationship.

Sylvanas waited to speak until they were at her bedside. Jaina climbed onto the now-familiar black velvet comforter and lay down, resting her cheek on one pillow and letting the tears come. When Sylvanas spoke, her voice was gentle.

"If you wish to lie down, I have something more comfortable for you to wear."

"Yes, please," Jaina whispered.

Jaina heard Sylvanas rifling through her belongings for a moment, then a cold hand came to rest on Jaina's back, fingertips on the fastenings of her cloth armor. "May I?"

"Please."

Jaina had never been undressed by a lover in a way that was not either lustful or seductive. To her surprise, Sylvanas broke with that tradition, her hands moving busily and making minimal contact with Jaina's skin, and Jaina began to doubt that their relationship would continue to involve physical intimacy; maybe Sylvanas had only brought Jaina to her bedchamber for privacy.

Then again, Jaina thought as she left her long skirt be removed by inches, she was lying on Sylvanas' bed, being undressed. She sighed happily as her bare skin (not all bare; Sylvanas left her undergarments alone) came into close contact with the velvet comforter. She was in the middle of realizing she would be very cold soon when she felt something very warm and made of cloth drape over her back. It felt like it was made of flannel. Jaina sat up to investigate it and saw that it was not—as she had suspected—a blanket. It was a women's cloth robe cut in a simple style, made of flannel cloth that was such a dark purple she almost mistook it for black. Thinner gold threads were interwoven seemingly at random, creating an artistic-looking pattern. Jaina squirmed into the garment and tied the belt around her waist, and was surprised to feel how warm the material was.

"Is this…ensorcelled?"

"The gold threads are ensorcelled to give off warmth, yes."

Jaina lay down with a contented sigh. "It is very comfortable. Thank you."

Sylvanas sat beside her. "I take it you can say what you had intended to while lying down." Jaina felt Sylvanas' hand rest on her shoulder and squeeze.

"What I intended to say?" Jaina felt the tears coming back. "By every Old God, I'm sick of crying. I thought I was done crying. After my city was destroyed, I thought I would never stop crying, and then when I finally stopped, I thought I'd never shed a tear again. Why does it still hurt? When will it stop hurting?"

"The pain of seeing your people slaughtered before you and feeling powerless to stop it, then fearing that the rage against those who destroyed your home will consume you?" Sylvanas' hand slid upwards from Jaina's shoulder to rest on the back of her head. "I wish I could tell you it does stop hurting."

"You put it better than I could have." Jaina sniffled. "My mind is so clouded. It's like there's a…maelstrom of mud and filth in my head."

"It does seem as though you can't keep your metaphors straight." Sylvanas touched Jaina's hair contemplatively. "So you came here seeking my counsel, but find yourself unable to articulate exactly what you want to ask me."

"Other than what I just did, no. And there appears to be no answer." Jaina reached up and took Sylvanas' hand in hers. "I'm so afraid," she whispered. "Afraid of what is becoming of me. Before Taran Zhu's words brought me back to reality, I was consumed by…by…"

"Wrath?"

Jaina stroked Sylvanas' hand with her thumb. "That's accurate," she said in a small voice. "I…I need to relax. I've been caught in a spiral of…of wrath, yes. I tried to convince myself it wasn't affecting me, but aside from my talah'tur'nei, I've had headaches, sleepless nights…"

"Do I want to know what you're going to ask me for to help you relax?"

Jaina shifted so she was lying on her stomach and pillowed her head on her crossed arms. "I was thinking..." Jaina trailed off and changed her mind regarding what she was going to say. "I think a back massage might help."

"Hmm." Sylvanas pulled her hand from Jaina's grip and laid her palms on the other woman's back. "Well, I was certainly expecting something a bit different, but I'm less disinclined to refuse that than I was to what I was expecting."

You don't want me? Jaina almost asked, but that felt like a stupid question. Sylvanas' letter had clearly stated that she believed Jaina was now—what was it?—"nothing like the woman she once called 'Neph'a'", or something like that. "You don't…desire me anymore?" Jaina hedged instead.

"No. I never did."

Any possibility of being offended by that notion was dispelled when the heels of Sylvanas' palms pressed into her shoulder blades, and a soft noise escaped her throat. She was expecting Sylvanas to react to that, but she ignored it, sliding her hands slowly upward, stroking and kneading. "I missed your hands," Jaina sighed.

Sylvanas had nothing to say to that either, but continued with the massage that Jaina had requested, carefully working out the tension in Jaina's neck.

"You never found me attractive?" Jaina whispered, more curious than anything now that her mind was swimming with pleasure. "You used to say…"

Sylvanas' hands stopped moving; Jaina whimpered in protest. "I used to call you 'beautiful' and similar things because I believed it true. I never desired you, not in the way that most define 'desire'. I don't feel such things."

"Because you are undead?" Jaina guessed.

"Because it is simply how I am. Even in life."

Jaina mulled over that for a while. Sylvanas began massaging her back again, perhaps hoping to distract her. It was indeed a lovely distraction, but she still asked "Why were you willing to be intimate with me, then?" And how did you become such a skilled lover if you aren't interested in intimacy?

"Recall that it was your idea. I was amenable. It cost me nothing, and I thought we would both enjoy it." A short pause. "And I did enjoy your companionship."

"By 'companionship', you mean emotionally?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Well, it seemed like we both enjoyed it very much." Jaina closed her eyes to savor Sylvanas' hands on her back. "You don't have to be quite that gentle. I know you're trying to be careful because you can't feel much, but a little more pressure won't hurt."

"Are you certain of that?" Sylvanas grumbled. She pressed harder. (It didn't hurt.)

"You're angry."

"You're damn right I am."

Jaina turned over. "Then why did you agree to this?"

Sylvanas turned away and said nothing for a moment. Jaina waited, the silence between them growing thicker. At last, Sylvanas spoke. "I missed my Neph'a."

Jaina felt touched, as if a warm sliver had pierced the icy lump her heart was becoming. "You missed me?"

It wasn't until Sylvanas swiveled her head to look over her shoulder at Jaina that she realized she had actually voiced that thought. "I didn't say exactly that."

Jaina swallowed hard. "Right…you believe I'm a different person now."

"That is what I fear, yes."

Jaina sat up and edged closer to Sylvanas, eventually working up the courage to sit behind her, pressing her chest to Sylvanas' back and wrapping her arms around her. It was awkward because Sylvanas was still wearing her armor, but Jaina held on. "I still have feelings for you, Sylvanas."

"Clearly." Her voice was chillier than her undead skin.

Jaina managed to get her hands on Sylvanas' bare waist. She had almost forgotten how wasp-waisted Sylvanas was; her fingertips almost touched over Sylvanas' navel, and Jaina's hands were not large. "I miss you too."

Sylvanas shook her head, but said nothing and did not move away. Jaina took her hands from Sylvanas' waist and began working to remove Sylvanas' pauldrons. "May I?" she asked softly.

"If you must."

Jaina managed to get the pauldrons off. Following that, she worked on Sylvanas' chest piece and was met with no protest. She stopped at the cloth wrappings Sylvanas wore beneath her armor to prevent her skin from chafing. Instead of continuing to undress Sylvanas, she squeezed her shoulders hard enough for the undead woman to feel it. "I intended to ask for more than a back massage. I think…perhaps it might be cathartic for both of us, if it were more like what happened the first time we were in bed together."

"If I bite your ear bloody without your consent?"

"Please don't be difficult, my love. You know what I mean."

Sylvanas sniffed.

"Kiss me. I'll show you." Jaina moved back far enough to remove the robe Sylvanas had provided for her. Sylvanas turned around, eyeing Jaina with a typically unreadable expression. Her old insecurities came rushing back to her, old wounds opened, and she clutched the robe to herself, hiding.

Later, Jaina would wonder if elves—even undead ones—could move preternaturally fast compared to humans, or she just hadn't been paying attention. But it seemed like she had gone from sitting shyly on Sylvanas' bed to wrapped in her arms, Sylvanas' hands cradling her back, her cool lips exploring the curves of throat and shoulder.

Jaina felt Sylvanas' teeth on her neck, calloused palms gliding over her hips and belly with the knuckles bent so the nails were leaving shallow scratches. There was a fierce sweetness to the pain as it rocketed through her mind and was warped into pleasure. She waited for more—Sylvanas' hands on her breasts, hips pushed roughly against hers—but she was disappointed. She whined in frustration, but suddenly remembered that in none of her letters or since she had arrived had she explicitly asked Sylvanas to make love to her.

"You can bed me, Sylvanas, my love," Jaina whispered. "Do what you want. Tie me to the bed. Bite me. Flog me. I want it. I want it…for both of us…please…"

Sylvanas leaned back, her expression cold and serious. "I thought you didn't care for pain."

"I only do on special occasions." Jaina closed her eyes. "Not too much, but…I loved what you were just doing…I want more…"

A surprisingly gentle hand brushed a few stray strands of white hair back from Jaina's face. "Very well."

Sylvanas gathered Jaina into her arms and pulled her into her lap. A moan started in Jaina's throat as one of Sylvanas' hands cupped the back of her head and she was treated to one of the warm, intense kisses she had so badly missed. The kiss was delivered by a cold mouth, but it felt warm nonetheless. "I want you."

Sylvanas' hands moved to Jaina's waist and turned her body so her back was pressed to Sylvanas' chest. Jaina moaned, loving the familiar closeness with the added sensation of Sylvanas' icy skin. "I know you are in the…appropriate mood to enjoy pain. But I am aware that you enjoy only small amounts. I have shown you little on the spectrum of what I have known people to enjoy. You ask me to tie you to my bed again; I could bind your breasts so tightly your flesh turns blue. You ask me to flog you; I could draw rivers of blood from your back. So I will tell you where I draw my lines and you will tell me where you draw yours. You will, of course, have the final say."

Sylvanas' hands had slid up to massage Jaina's breasts, so the only reply Jaina could force out of her mouth was a pleased-sounding whimper.

"Jaina? My darling?"

It was the first time since they had last been in bed together that Sylvanas had used an affectionate name for her. "I am listening."

"I will use my teeth. But I will not draw blood, nor will I bite your breasts. I will not cause you any pain or harm whatsoever between your legs. And…I ordinarily do not care for the use of flogs, whips, flails or…or the like when I am with a lover. It feels too much like I am punishing a traitor. I will bind you, but never with chains, and not with any material that might damage your skin; in fact, I would much prefer to use the silk ribbons with which you are familiar. I will not gag you. I will not cause any lasting damage to your body besides scars, and not ones that are disfiguring." Sylvanas kissed the base of Jaina's neck, contemplating. "Hmm…have I forgotten anything else? Ah—I have always found the practice of incorporating bodily fluids other than blood or those produced by a body experiencing climax into intimacy to be immensely off-putting, and not something I am willing to try." She paused. "Your turn."

"I am…amenable to all of those things," Jaina whispered. "Although I have, in the past, wondered what it would be like to incorporate the use of a riding crop into…"

"No," Sylvanas cut her off. "I will not beat you like a stubborn horse." She sighed. "I have, however, obtained a leather flog. I would feel comfortable using it because is very little like any sort of torture device. The noise it makes as it strikes the flesh is quite satisfying, and it should cause a small, manageable amount of pain."

"I want to try using that," Jaina sighed. "Are you willing to strike me with your hands?"

"With open palms, yes, but not with my fists."

Jaina twisted in her lover's arms and began kissing and biting Sylvanas' shoulder. "I want you to try that."

"Mmm." Sylvanas slid her hands up and down Jaina's back. "I'm not particularly interested in striking your face."

Jaina's teeth were sunk into the base of the elf's neck, so she made a contemplative noise before taking her mouth away to reply. "That's all right." She kissed the bite mark she had left. "But…what would happen if you do something I don't want? Should I simply…ask you to stop?"

"You may certainly ask me to stop or change what I'm doing, and I will honor your wish." Jaina nuzzled the underside of Sylvanas' chin, and Sylvanas tilted her head back obligingly. "You can simply state your request, or we can agree on a da'n'ashu."

"Mmm…I'm not familiar with that word…I recognize the use of the preposition 'n'..."

"I don't know the exact translation into Common. I suppose one might say it means…'word of caution', or 'word of safety'. It's a word used during intense intimate encounters to mean one partner absolutely wants to stop what's happening."

"Hmm." Jaina nipped at the ball of her lover's shoulder. "I'm not certain if it's only my ignorance of such matters, but I'm not certain such a concept exists in Common. We'll have to talk about the way such things are discussed in Thalassian…"

"We never did get to discuss Thalassian from a linguistic standpoint, did we?" Sylvanas wrapped a hand around a hank of Jaina's hair, pulling gently to tilt her head back and make her neck available to kisses. Jaina allowed herself to let out a girlish squeal. "You really must learn to bring up intellectual pursuits at a more appropriate time." Sylvanas punctuated the sentence with a careful bite on Jaina's earlobe.

"Oh, I can make it appropriate!" Jaina managed, her voice breathy. She had almost forgotten what Sylvanas' voice did to her. Not to mention she had just discovered how much she enjoyed having her hair pulled. She squirmed in Sylvanas' lap, trying to move so she could straddle her lover's leg or hip. "Tell me how to say 'kiss'."

"Very well, then. 'Kiss' is 'to're'."

"And 'bite'…? Ooh!" Jaina made a noise as Sylvanas acted out the vocabulary request.

"'Shath'. Or 'Sha'to're."

"Does that mean that a word for 'bite' is 'rough kiss'?"

Sylvanas cradled Jaina's head in her hands and replied to her question with a long, searching kiss, augmented with small bites on both her upper and lower lips.

"I take it that means 'yes'." Jaina's voice had become a low moan.

"'Yes' is 'nai'."

"Don't tease, my love, please!" Jaina panted. "I…I need you…"

Sylvanas nibbled on Jaina's earlobe again. "You started this game. And…already, my darling?"

"You make me ache for you," Jaina whimpered.

Sylvanas kissed Jaina's forehead. "Do you want me to drink my warmth potion?"

"No. Please, my love, keep going."

Sylvanas' brow knitted. "You're sure? It doesn't bother you how cold I am?"

"No, no, I like it."

A small smile came to Sylvanas' face. "You and your strange desires. Now, lie down for me. Arms above your head."

Jaina grinned. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled, let alone grinned. But it was the only appropriate reaction to the thought of being tied to Sylvanas' bed. She lay down on her back and obeyed the command to put her arms above her head, and barely a minute later, Sylvanas had the silk ribbons in hand and was making the knots around Jaina's wrists.

"I want you," Jaina moaned, squirming.

"You'll have to be a little more specific, my sweet." A smile played at the corners of Sylvanas' mouth.

"I…I can't say it…not without…"

"Ah."

Sylvanas leaned over to kiss Jaina's ear, which still bore a tiny scar, now faded from red to pink. "Tell me what you want, Neph'a."

A long shudder ran through Jaina's body, her hips bucking upward. "Mmm…I love that name…"

"I can see that." Sylvanas cupped a hand around one of Jaina's breasts, stroking the firm nipple with her thumb.

"Ohhh—! I want you inside me. I want your fingers inside me."

"Very well."

It had been a long time since they had been in bed together, so Sylvanas was careful, sliding one finger into her lover. Jaina moaned heavily, her body arching, trying to force Sylvanas' finger deeper into her. "More. Please."

Sylvanas pushed a second finger into Jaina, bending her fingers slightly at the knuckles and stroking Jaina slowly, repressing a shudder of her own as she felt her lover's inner walls squeeze her fingers. "Better?"

"Faster, my love, please," Jaina begged. Sylvanas obliged, leaning over to fasten her lips to the tip of one of Jaina's breasts, her other hand still roughly cradling and massaging the other breast. Jaina made a noise somewhere between a scream and groan, writhing beneath Sylvanas' touch. "Ohhh! I love it when you do this! So good…I can f-feel you everywhere…"

Sylvanas was about to ask if Jaina wanted her to switch to the now-standard modified banshee scream, but she was not quick enough; Jaina screamed over and over as her whole body spasmed in ecstasy. "I'm sorry, my darling."

"No need to apologize," Jaina panted. "S-still amazing."

Sylvanas withdrew her fingers from Jaina's body and licked them clean. "If you wish, I can perform the scream on you later."

"May we try something new first? The flog, perhaps?"

"Certainly."

"Oh, good," Jaina sighed. "But I…I must rest first, my love. Please."

"You're trembling." Sylvanas cupped Jaina's cheek in one hand. "Yes, I'll let you rest."

"May I see the flog, please?"

"Of course."

Jaina laid her head back and rested with her eyes closed while Sylvanas rummaged. "Ah…here it is."

Sylvanas climbed back onto the bed, flog in hand. Its handle was a tightly plaited leather braid, and the wide, flat tresses emerged from a complex knot made of braids at one end of the handle. Jaina found herself thinking that of course Sylvanas did think of it as resembling a torture device; the leather had been dyed a light shade of purple. Jaina couldn't help but smile as Sylvanas gently trailed the leather tresses across her naked chest, not dissimilar from what she had done with the blue silk ribbons the first time they had been in bed together.

"Have you chosen a da'n'ashu?"

"Mmm…" Jaina thought about it. "What is Thalassian word for…hmm…'stop'?"

"Only 'stop'? Not very creative, my sweet."

"All right." Jaina closed her eyes to think; Sylvanas continued to brush the leather tresses over her lover's chest and belly.

"A common one is 'terro'. It refers to a shade of dark gray that often is seen in storm clouds, the sort that block out the sun. You can see why that would be a common da'n'ashu for sin'dorei."

"Terro'? Yes…I can use that."

Sylvanas leaned over and kissed Jaina warmly. "What do you think? Would you like me to start using the flog now?"

"Yes." Jaina's eyelids fluttered.

"Let me offer you a proposition…" Sylvanas nipped at Jaina's earlobe. Jaina squealed, her body rising and writhing against her lover. "If you're a very good girl, I'll do whatever you like after I put the flog down."

"Oooh." Jaina shivered. "I like this idea."

"What would you say to a concurrent Thalassian lesson? A rather simple one."

"Mmm. Yes. How simple?"

"I would like you to count after every stroke of the flog. Up to ten. Of course, not that high if you use the da'n'ashu before that."

Jaina nodded. "Please teach me."

"I will, but how about we work on your sensitivity for a bit first?"

"My…? Ohh!"

Sylvanas' mouth was at the tip of her breast again, suckling gently. "Pain is no fun unless there's some pleasure involved as well, yes?"

"Yes, most definitely, and please don't stop," Jaina sighed.

"Unfortunately, I need to speak in order to tell you the numbers." Sylvanas sat up and placed the flog on the bed next to Jaina while she carefully worked Jaina's breasts with both her hands.

"Mmm. Your hands feel good too."

"Can you focus while I'm doing this?"

Jaina moaned, half in pleasure, half to give herself time to think of something to say. "I may not be able to remember later unless you're playing with my breasts like this. It's called state-dependent learning."

"You little minx," said Sylvanas, but it sounded like she was trying not to laugh. "Now repeat after me. 'One' is 'ala'."

"Ala," Jaina repeated softly.

"Good girl. 'Two' is 'do'an'."

"Do'an."

"Three. Shar."

"Shar…mmm! I love it when you pinch like that!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I distracted you. What was 'three' again?"

"Shar," Jaina whimpered.

They went through the rest of the numbers from one to ten, but around six Jaina came close to begging for Sylvanas to make love to her again, so Sylvanas was forced to kiss and stroke her neck instead of her breasts.

"Where on your body do you want me to strike you?" Sylvanas took up the flog again. "You don't seem to enjoy pain on your breasts. Your legs, perhaps? The backs of your legs might be better, but I'd have to undo the ribbons."

"I don't enjoy my breasts being bitten," Jaina demurred. "A few light strikes sounds…very different. Much better."

"We'll try it. Do you remember our da'n'ashu?"

"Terro."

"Good girl." Sylvanas twisted up the tresses of the flog, holding the ends in her left hand, the flog's handle solidly gripped by her right. "May I try one stroke on your chest? To see how you like it?"

"Please." Jaina tugged at her restraints.

"Very well." Sylvanas let go of the flog's leather tresses at the same time as she gave a light flick of her right wrist. The tresses shot out and licked the swell of one of Jaina's breasts like a lavender flame. The noise it made was, as Sylvanas had mentioned, immensely satisfying.

"Ohh! Yes, I like that! Not much harder, but yes, just like that! Please!"

Sylvanas had looked almost concerned (was Jaina getting better at reading her expressions, or was Sylvanas becoming more comfortable showing her emotions around Jaina?), but as soon as she had confirmation that Jaina enjoyed having her chest flogged, she smiled. "Count for me. Oh, and one more thing."

"What?" Jaina panted.

"If you lose count, I start over."

Jaina groaned.

"Was that a mostly positive noise or a mostly negative one?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out."

Sylvanas snickered. "Are you ready, my darling?"

Jaina nodded several times. "Yes, my love."

Sylvanas wrapped the tresses of the flog around one hand again. Jaina panted and whimpered, arching her back in anticipation, barely able to focus on remembering the Thalassian numbers she'd have to recall.

Sylvanas flicked her wrist again, and the tresses smacked Jaina's sensitive flesh again, making a delightful slapping noise. Jaina made a noise that was nearly a squeal, barely remembering to count. "Ala!"

"Good girl." Sylvanas prepared the flog for another stroke. "I'll do it slowly at first."

"Mm-hmm!"

Smack. Jaina squealed again as her body bowed. Sylvanas was keeping the strokes light enough that there was just a touch of pain, and Jaina now knew quite well that she very much enjoyed that sort of thing. "Oooh…do'an!"

Smack. "Oooh…shar!"

Smack, this time on her other breast. "Oh my gods…nar!"

"Are you still doing all right, my sweet?"

"Yes!" Jaina pulled at her restraints. "K-keep going."

Smack. It was harder this time. "Ohhh, yes!"

"You didn't lose count, did you, my darling?"

"Oh…um…da'sho."

"Well, my darling, your 'state-dependent learning' theory has failed. Your memory is working quite well, even though I'm not playing with your breasts." Smack.

"Ooooh! Ia'sho!" Jaina caught her breath. "You are stimulating my breasts, though!"

"You little brat," chided Sylvanas, obviously trying not to laugh as she wound up the flog for another stroke.

When the tresses slapped Jaina's chest again, it became apparent Sylvanas had chosen to "punish" her for her cheek by causing the tresses to collide with both of her breasts. Jaina laughed through her noise of mingled pain and pleasure. "Il'qa!"

The last three strokes were sharp and quick, and Jaina was barely able to remember the numbers, but she managed. "Thank you," she panted. She didn't see what Sylvanas did with the flog, but she wasn't holding it when she climbed onto the bed to kiss Jaina. "Do you feel better after flogging me?"

Sylvanas kissed her roughly to smother her own chuckle, which Jaina took as a "yes". "You did very well. Now you get to choose what you want from me next."

"Mmm." Jaina closed her eyes. "I want what we did in my bed. I'll perform shan're nor'no on you until you tell me to stop, then you can get on top of me."

"No modified scream?"

"I love it when you do that. But I want to see you on top of me. Please."

"Well, that does sound awfully pleasant. Let me just untie you first."

"Yes," Jaina sighed. The moment her hands were free, she wrapped her arms around Sylvanas and kissed her hungrily. "I love kissing you like this. Your cold mouth is nice."

"I would say your warm one is nice if I could tell."

"I'm sure you would." Jaina found Sylvanas' scarred ear with one hand and stroked it, giggling as the ear flicked backward in response. "Will you lie down on your back? I want to take care of you now."

"I'm certainly amenable to that." Sylvanas did as Jaina asked, resting her arms above her head, wrists crossed.

"Mmm, you're wearing too much." Jaina twisted the cloth wrappings covering Sylvanas' chest around and pulled them loose, moaning at the sight of Sylvanas' breasts sliding free of their binds. "Oh, you're beautiful." She leaned down and covered her lover's chest with kisses, whimpering softly at the sensation of the cool, soft, delicate flesh against her face.

"I can barely feel what you're doing, but it's adorable."

"Your breasts are very distracting." Jaina cradled the aforesaid parts of Sylvanas body in both hands, squeezing a bit harder than felt natural so Sylvanas could feel it.

"Mmm." Sylvanas let her eyes drift shut.

Jaina edged closer, straddling Sylvanas' hips, lowering herself to blanket Sylvanas with her body. Trying to focus on what her lover wanted instead of what Jaina was tempted to do, Jaina closed her mouth over one of Sylvanas' nipples and suckled roughly, using her teeth. Sylvanas cried out, her spine curling forward. Distracted by the fact that her own body was responding dramatically, Jaina almost stopped to ask if what she was doing was right, if it felt good. but Jaina knew perfectly well that that startled, musical noise had been one of pleasure. She kept working her mouth, trying to keep her pace steady as she moved her hand to Sylvanas' other breast. She nearly lost focus thanks to Sylvanas' soft moans growing more frequent, her hands wrapping around hanks of Jaina's hair. She switched sides, giving equal treatment to both her lover's breasts, again coming close to losing her concentration, this time when she felt Sylvanas' hips rise to press against her body. "I love the way your body moves," Jaina sighed. She felt her own body respond, the ache that had risen between her legs at the sound of Sylvanas' moans now beginning to throb.

"Jaina?" Sylvanas' voice was hardly recognizable.

"My love?"

Sylvanas sat up slightly. "I'm…I'm ready…please…"

Jaina slid down on the bed, hooking her arms around Sylvanas' legs and gripping her hips tightly. "You're sure?" She kissed the inside of one of Sylvanas' thighs.

"Yes, my darling."

Jaina lowered her head to Sylvanas' core, working her tongue with as much strength as she could muster. Either she was getting better at pleasure-giving or Sylvanas' undead body was growing used to such stimulation; it felt like there was a marble against Jaina's tongue. Sylvanas let out a protracted moan, her hands pulling at Jaina's hair. "Ah, gods, Jaina!" Exhilarated, Jaina took the bundle of nerves between her teeth and suckled the way she had at Sylvanas' breasts; Sylvanas let out a loud cry, sharper than Jaina had ever heard her make before.

Half a second later, Jaina was on her back, Sylvanas pushing one of her legs to the side, moving the other out of her way. Jaina obligingly hooked one hand around the back of her own knee, pulling her thigh to her chest so it was easier for Sylvanas to move into position. Jaina groaned as she felt Sylvanas' weight rest on the heat between her legs, the pitch of her cry going up as Sylvanas began to rock against her. "Have I mentioned how much I love your strong hips?" Jaina panted.

"I think you have." Sylvanas sighed, her head tilted back to savor the sensations that Jaina could only hope were as strong as what she was experiencing. As Jaina's sudden climax overtook her, she clung to Sylvanas hard enough to leave bruises on living skin, helplessly calling out her lover's name. For a moment it was almost like she passed out, white-hot ecstasy searing her field of vision, and then she was lying on her back in Sylvanas' bed again, her lover's spent body collapsed on top of her. Quaking in her afterglow, Jaina reached up and wrapped her arms around Sylvanas.

They lay still and quiet for many long moments while Sylvanas rested. When Jaina had her fine motor control back, she gently caressed Sylvanas' hair and played with her ears. Eventually Sylvanas shifted enough (at all, really) that Jaina could tell she had recovered some of her energy, and when Jaina softly complained that she was having trouble breathing, Sylvanas rolled off of her.

"It does not actually solve anything," Jaina mused softly, panting, "but it does make me feel so much better."

"It won't bring back Theramore, or my sister's husband. Or the Sunreavers you slaughtered." Sylvanas' voice was so icy it made Jaina shiver. The warm sweetness of their lovemaking had dissipated far more quickly than Jaina had wanted, but later than she deserved.

"I had no idea the theft of the Divine Bell had been engineered by Hellscream. I thought it was an act of betrayal against the Alliance—the peace I was trying to achieve. I swear it."

"This again with you?" There was a growl in Sylvanas' voice now; Jaina turned onto her side and kissed Sylvanas' shoulder, hoping to appease her. No such luck. "You spent your childhood with your nose in a book filled with fantasy whenever possible. Believing what is convenient may be comforting, but previously it caused you to cling to false hope and now it has caused you to murder countless of my former brothers and sisters of the sin'dorei. Innocent ones, who were inhabiting what they thought was a sanctuary! And this so shortly after promising that you would turn Dalaran into a beacon of peace."

"I was wrong! I know it now!" Jaina insisted. "You wouldn't have taken me back into your bed, even considering what we did, if you didn't believe I've been convinced."

Sylvanas tried to sit up. She was still too exhausted to do so, but she managed to turn onto her side so she was facing Jaina. Her expression was not exactly a glare, but it was so cold Jaina couldn't help but shiver again. "I am not referring to your pointless slaughter of sin'dorei. I am referring to a pattern. Who will you end up killing the next time you want to either scapegoat someone or prop them up on a pedestal that has already been shattered?"

Jaina had no answer for that. After a moment she said, "I don't know."

"Exactly. You tread a dark and winding path. It leads nowhere good."

"How would you know?" Jaina demanded.

"Let me ask you something. Let's say you do destroy the entire Horde, as that appears to be the direction you're headed. Don't look at me that way; I was instrumental in the process of the sin'dorei joining the Horde. I may not hear from Lor'themar directly, but rest assured I know much of what he knows about your recent behavior. So let me offer you a hypothetical situation: you've destroyed the entire Horde. Everyone you perceive as responsible for the destruction of your city, soldier or civilian, adult or child, innocent or guilty, lies dead at your feet. Orgrimmar, Silvermoon City, Thunder Bluff, and my Undercity have been reduced to smoking rubble. You've gotten your revenge a hundred times over. What then?"

Jaina shook her head. "I…I…"

"You what? What would be left for you, after all that revenge, after that bloodbath?"

Jaina closed her eyes. "Nothing."

"Exactly. Nothing. I felt that devastating emptiness after the Lich King's death; at least, the death of the Lich King who murdered and tortured me. When I saw that there was still a Lich King on the Frozen Throne in the form of Bolvar merged with Ner'zhul, I despaired. And that damned path you're currently hurtling down led me to lying at the foot of the Frozen Throne, impaled on stalagmites made of the frozen blood of Old Gods, dead…by my own doing."

Jaina blinked. "What?"

Sylvanas took a deep breath, which Jaina could only assume was a habit left over from when she was alive. "I jumped. I thought there was nothing left for me in the world of the living."

Jaina mulled over that. "But…you're here."

"My soul was restored to my body by a group of val'kyr. I want you to know I am only sharing this with you because it is known that Arthura, Daschla, and Agatha did the same for me."

"You don't trust me?" As soon as the words left Jaina's mouth, she felt stupid.

Sylvanas' lip curled. "Not only am I Horde, I'm the leader of the Forsaken. How do I know I won't be your next target?"

"Because I still love you!"

Sylvanas said nothing for a few long moments. "I…I believe you mean that."

"I do." Jaina rested a hand on Sylvanas' face. Sylvanas' eyes drifted shut; Jaina couldn't know it, of course, but her touch felt very like Annhylde's hand that had cupped Sylvanas' cheek in the realm of the dead just before Annhylde had sacrificed herself to return Sylvanas to life (well, undeath).

"Well." Sylvanas' voice was thick. "You can see why I am concerned for your…your future."

Jaina sighed. "Yes." She began to cry again.

Sylvanas moved closer, stroking and kissing Jaina's hair. Comforting her was starting to feel more natural. "I am concerned for how you might lash out at my people, and for you. How you might…self-destruct."

Jaina shifted forward so their foreheads were touching. "I think…I fear…had I destroyed Orgrimmar, I might be seriously considering…self-destruction."

"It was Thrall who talked you out of that, yes? Him and Kalecgos?"

Jaina felt a stab of guilt. She wasn't sure if she was glad Sylvanas had been keeping track of her or embarrassed that she had taken up with a new romantic interest. She was tending toward the latter, since she was in bed with a woman she had claimed to love not a minute ago and said woman was mentioning her new boyfriend's name. "Yes."

"So, how is that going?"

Sylvanas' voice was completely unreadable, but she did not pull away. She didn't offer any more affectionate gestures, either.

Jaina swallowed hard. "It…it isn't, really. He was able to talk me out of going through my plan to destroy Orgrimmar…because he told me I would be sinking to Arthas' level had I done that. It…it reminded me of you."

"Of me? Ah…you mentioned this earlier."

"Yes…it sounded like something you would say. It…I wouldn't have listened if that hadn't made me think of the first time you brought me here and told me what…"

"I understand."

"He comforts me. But…he isn't you." Jaina paused. "And he's a man."

Sylvanas snickered. "Most elves have no gender preference when it comes to selecting lovers, but I've always found men completely useless and unappealing."

"We haven't been intimate, at least not in the…the usual way of men and women."

"Yes…I could tell."

"Sylvanas?"

"Yes, my darling?"

Jaina felt tears well in her eyes. "I…I'm afraid. I share your concern for me, except I'm not concerned, I'm…I'm terrified."

"Of…yourself?"

Jaina nodded. "I understand why you were so cold to me when I first arrived. I would have been too."

"Do you know what made me decide to take to bed with you tonight?"

"What?" Jaina blinked; the tears fell. She was lying on her side, so they ran over the bridge of her nose, down her cheekbone and into her hair.

"When you were undressing, as if to seduce me, I saw you try to cover yourself again. Not that I support you being self-conscious about your body, but you looked like the willing but shy woman I brought to my bedchamber the first time you expressed interest in me. Like my Neph'a again."

Jaina let out a sob. "But I'm not. I'm so terrified I'm not. I came here to convince you I am, but she's gone. She's dead. The mana bomb killed her and I'm all that's left, and I'm so afraid…"

Sylvanas gently gathered Jaina into her arms. "If you are willing to attempt to recover your old self, you will have some success. When I died—and of course, I am speaking much more literally than you—I saw no reason to retrieve what I had lost, aside from my physical body. Some say I have gone mad. It has been…difficult…no, it has been a path strewn with shards of broken glass and walked barefoot. I have veered down the path of self-destruction. You, sweet, seem to be on a path to destruction of everything but yourself."

"I don't want that!" Jaina wept, clinging to Sylvanas.

"But part of you does. And you can't let that part of you control you the way it has done. If you take your revenge, it will leave you feeling empty and purposeless. And you now know how serious I am when I say that."

Jaina sniffled. "So much is gone. I don't even look like myself. My hair…"

Sylvanas' cold fingers sifted through Jaina's hair, which was now paler than her own. "I rather like it."

"Thank you."

"Your eyes are quite interesting. Although you can see why I find glowing eyes attractive."

Jaina pressed her face into Sylvanas' hair. "I know you're trying to help me feel better, but I'm not in the mood to laugh."

"I know."

"It's strange, the things you miss when your home is destroyed. The sound of seabirds. The oak tree outside my window. The drawings. They're gone. The ones I made of you."

"You can draw more. I'm willing to pose."

"That note. That moment. We can't recover it."

Sylvanas ran a hand up and down her lover's spine. "No. We can't. She kissed Jaina's face. "I had eight val'kyr surrounding me when I had my epiphany lying at the foot of the Frozen Throne. You have only me. I suppose I will have to do."

"I suppose you will," Jaina whispered, wrapping her arms around Sylvanas. She moaned softly as Sylvanas' lips met the base of her neck. She wished that she could say more, say that Sylvanas alone was worth eight val'kyr, that she now more than ever realized she had been drawn to Kalecgos because commiserating with him had reminded her of being with Sylvanas, that she had never felt more soothed and comfortable than she did in Sylvanas' arms. The words wouldn't come. Perhaps they would later, when Sylvanas wasn't softly kissing her neck.

"May I stay the night?" she whispered.

"You may." Sylvanas sat up slightly to look at her face. "I thought you wanted me to pose for more drawings?"

"You wore me out, love. I'm quite tired."

"I see." Sylvanas smiled, and Jaina was relieved to see she wasn't trying to hide that expression. "I'm afraid I don't have eight hours to spare. I can stay until you fall asleep, and when you wake up, I will most likely be in the Royal Quarter receiving visitors."

"Thank you, Sylvanas." Jaina sat up and kissed her lover good-night, suddenly very glad that she had never slept with Kalecgos and wondering if it had been thoughts of Sylvanas that stayed her in that regard. She was irrevocably thinking of Sylvanas as her lover now.

"Would you like your robe back?" Sylvanas reached to the floor where it had fallen. "You won't have to bother with the sheets." She tossed the robe to Jaina, who eagerly squirmed into it; now that she and Sylvanas weren't doing something that made her feel warm, she was acutely beginning to feel the cold of the Undercity air.

"Thank you." Jaina lay down and felt Sylvanas cover her with the sheets and comforter. Sylvanas reclined delicately next to Jaina, and the mage felt a cold arm drape over her waist. "Mmm." She let her eyes drift shut. "Good night, my love."

"Sleep well."

A/N: No, I haven't read Tides of War. I'm a bit afraid that it will damage my inspiration for this fic if I do.

Also, in case it wasn't clear, talah'tur'nei is Thalassian for "flashback". Yes, I made that up.