Smoke made Sapphire's eyes water, and she curled her lip as undead watched her as Invincible walked through the city. Buildings burned, and the sun was blotted out by all of the smoke. She saw abominations, crypt fiends, skeletons, ghouls, cultists. It was rather crowded in the dead city, but every single undead moved to allow Sapphire through. The cultists that were following her walked with a stride that was of contempt to the others, as if they were superior than others. It did not bother Sapphire. She happily let them act ignorant and she herself acted superior to all, including them. Make them think whatever.
They headed to a large building in the Gauntlet, and Sapphire reluctantly dismounted Invincible. She brushed her hand out of her face, and stared in surprise as Lethumo stepped forward.
"You son of a bitch!" She hissed, and tried to lunge at him. The night elf recoiled, and smiled. "Hey, How do you know my mother?" He asked.
Sapphire clenched her fists, and thought about killing him. Lethumo frowned, and tilted his head. He looked at her curiously.
"Impossible...You're living. How-"
Sapphire hissed.
One of the cultists grabbed the girl by the arm. "Your Majesty, I think we should go inside. You must be hungry."
The girl glared at the elf directly into the eyes. They had a staring contest in several mintutes, in which the elf lost. He lowered his eyes. Sapphire smirked coldly. The elf's voice cracked.
"Sapphire. There is someone that will want to see you."
They entered the main room. The building looked like it used to be an old inn, and it was not burning, unlike the rest of Stratholme. Richly decorated, the main room was lit by candles in golden candlesticks, ornate wooden furniture, and plenty of oil paintings on the walls. A golden chandelier hung from the middle of the main room, lit as well. Stairs went up to a second floor, and a fire place was cold on the left hand side. Burning incense and embalming fluid flooded Sapphire's sense of smell, a welcome scent from the smoke of outside.
A cultist took Sapphire's cloak from her, bowing excessively. Another offered her a glass of wine. Sapphire grabbed it, and drank it. They all fussed over her.
"Your Majesty, would you care for a hot bath? We can have one made-"
"What about some new clothes? We have plenty of dresses for you-"
"Are you hungry, Queen Sapphire?"
The girl was utterly overwhelmed. She had no idea how to respond, but Lethumo rescued her. The deathknight took her by the shoulder.
"She'll have all of those, but later. She needs to see someone first.
He took her upstairs. Blood red carpet covered the floors. Doors lined the hallway. Lethumo put his hand on the doorknob of one, and looked at Sapphire. He was still frightened by whatever he realized of Sapphire.
"Be warned. You might get a little emotional."
The girl blinked. "Why?"
The deathknight opened the door, and let her enter. He stood at doorframe. The room was dark, just one lamp lighting it up. Someone lay on the bed, turned away from the door. There was a groan.
"Hey! King of amnesia! Get up. See your daughter."
Another groan, and the man painfully sat up. He looked to Sapphire, white hair draped across his face.
Sapphire stared, and started breathing hard.
"No...You're dead...you're dead...Oh, no! No!" Her breath grew ragged, and she hyperventilated, backing away. She clutched her chest. Arthas looked at her in surprise.
Lethumo grabbed the girl as she tried to flee.
"No! No!" She started sobbing. The night elf gestured to Arthas. The man came over.
"Sapphire? My daughter?"
Arthas pulled her into a hug. She cried out, and struggled.
"No, please Dad! No, I didn't do anything. Don't hurt me! I'm good!"
"Shh...Sapphire. Calm down. It's okay. It's going to be okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you. I'm...different. I lost my memory, daughter."
The girl whipped up her head, her panic subsiding momentarily.
"What?"
Arthas gave her a hurt look. "I do not remember you...The only way I know you is because the elf told me about you. You're my daughter. You look so much like Jaina...Which one of us named you?"
Sapphire was still sobbing. She trembled, but the question visibly calmed her.
"You did and you raised me alone. Mother left you."
Arthas sighed, and rubbed his forehead. He looked so exhausted. His hands were shaking. Sapphire noticed he was hot, as if feverish. His grip slackened.
She looked at Lethumo.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He was resurrected badly. One moment." The elf came forward and drew a knife. Sapphire flinched, but he grabbed her quickly. With a hot slash of pain, the knife cut open a vein. Her icy blood welled up in a flash. The elf grabbed Arthas's neck and pressed the girl's wound to his mouth.
The man recoiled at the taste of blood, and pulled away from his daughter's arm. Sapphire yanked her arm back.
"Feel better?" The elven deathknight asked. Arthas's lips were red. He spat the blood out.
"What was...Oh. Oh! I...I do feel better," Arthas said, incredulous. He wiped the blood out of his mouth. Sapphire held a hand over her wound, waiting for it to close. Lethumo cleaned off the knife, but stopped. A sliver of ice was on the blade.
"Where did that come from?"
Sapphire stiffened, and then she looked at her father. She held out her wounded, unbloodied hand.
"Come on. Why don't we go downstairs, Dad?" She said, tears in her eyes. Arthas nodded, and put his arm around her shoulders. They left the room.
Sapphire did her best to tell him everything. She told him what he had done, how he had raised her, and how he had died. Arthas sat there silently, shaking his head. When Sapphire was finished, she was exhausted. The cut on her had healed, and she had the cultists wash off all the blood. She watched her father. He looked depressed. He was nothing like the father she had known her entire life. He was pitiful, like Rot when he had been kicked. Sapphire felt guilty for hating him before.
The cultists brought Sapphire food, vegetable soup and bread. Sapphire ate it savagely. Arthas smiled weakly.
"So, I was not a good father. I...will be better. I swear. What's your favorite color?"
The girl stopped mid-bite. She looked at him with shock. The poor child, probably never been asked that before. Pangs of guilt wracked Arthas. Light, he was going to hell for stuff he did not remember.
"I...don't know," She said, lowering her eyes. He moved closer to her.
"Mine is green. Do you like green?" Sapphire bit her lip, and shrugged. That was something.
"I like blue. Yeah, Blue is my favorite color," She said, smiling.
Arthas smiled back, but then gasped.
The little child giggled, and clung to his fur covered boot. She tugged at his cloak, and smiled up at him. She was so irritable, but he would tolerated it. The girl tried to climb up his leg, and shrieked when a bit of his armor cut her hand. She looked at the blood, and started crying.
"No, no, no, stupid child. Stop crying. Here," He picked her up, and put her in his lap. He clutched her tightly, and she just watched the blood on her hand. A summoned cultist came forward, and healed the wound on her. He had been trying to talk to Kel'thuzad, but the girl had distracted him. She almost immediately went back to giggling. She did that annoying noise constantly. The girl reached up at his face.
"Helim. Wanna helim."
He took off the Helm of Domination, and gave it to her. She giggled, and hit it against his breastplate. Then she looked into the inside of it, and moved her head as if to put her own head into it. He stopped her with one hand.
"Bad girl," He snarled.
"Dad? Dad, are okay?" Arthas slowly opened his eyes. His daughter was looking down at him. He had fallen onto the floor.
"I think so," He sat up. She had wine sent for, and gave it to the man. He did not need it, but the drink would sooth him mentally at the least. She sat with him. Arthas pulled her into an embrace. Sapphire scowled, but let him.
Later, Sapphire left him for the bath that had been offered, and a silken dark dress. When Arthas saw the dress, he showed a fatherly concern that had never surfaced before.
"Doesn't that show a bit too much?" He demanded. Sapphire's eyebrows furrowed.
"No. I can wear whatever I want, Dad," She snapped. He flinched.
The girl cursed herself. She had done it again. Treated her father like she had been treating Ethan.
"I'm sorry. I'll change into something else. Okay?"
She got a longer dress, and a cloak, and put it around herself. Arthas was a bit better, but he was still frowning.
He winced, and Sapphire finally noticed that he had bruises.
"What happened?" She asked, pointing at the injuries.
Arthas just looked at the cultists.
"Undead tortured me," He growled. Sapphire looked at him, then at the cultists. She stood up.
"You tortured my father?" Sapphire roared. They all flinched. One came forward.
"We did no-"
Sapphire grabbed his throat, and used her power. The man shrieked in pain. Arthas jumped up, and pulled Sapphire away from the cultist. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
"Let me go!" Sapphire snarled. Arthas gave her a dark look.
"No. Calm down. I am fine. Don't be like them."
Sapphire just stared at him, then yanked her arm away.
"I'm going to bed. Good night," She huffed.
Arthas watched her go up the stairs, stomping. Fatherhood was harder than he thought.
"So, she is still alive. Wonderful," Darion Morgraine said sarcastically, leaning back in the chair. Ethan stood in front of him arms folded.
"Yes, and I am worried about her. She acts very oddly." Other deathknights moved around past the two of them. Ethan knew some of them. There were less of them than normal.
"How so? And why would this concern me?"
"She is the daughter of the old Lich King. Shouldn't it concern you when she has been gone for two years? And doing what? I know about the civil war in the Scourge at the moment. I fear for her. I don't want her to be a part of it."
The Highlord looked at him with a guarded expression.
"Where is she?"
"At Light's Hope Chapel. She did not want to come up here."
Darion narrowed his eyes. "Really? What do you want me to do?"
"Guard her. Or at least talk to her."
The man looked at Ethan, tapping his fingers.
"I'll think about it. Bring her up then."
"But she said-"
Darion laughed coldly. "You are a man, aren't you? Show her that. Drag her by her feet."
Ethan tensed up. He growled, but instead of punching Highlord Mograine, he turned on his heel, and strode off.