"What did you just say?" King Varian asked, his voice a deadly whisper. His eyes bored into hers.
"I can't marry you!" Braelyn blurted out. "You can't marry me! We cannot get married!"
"And why is that?" Varian asked. He was slightly amused by Braelyn's hysteria, though anger was still the dominant emotion governing his behaviour.
"I'm a commoner! The people will never..."
"The people will be overjoyed to see one of their own as Queen," Varian replied, sitting next to her. "They'd be satisfied with anyone who they thought made me happy." He reached out and lifted her chin towards him. "Besides," he added, "you're far from common. Your parents have just as much clout, and almost as much money, as any noble. And therein lies most of the problem."
"What do you mean, my king?" Braelyn asked, suddenly entranced by the scar running across Varian's face. She almost reached out and traced it with her fingers, but refrained, not wanting to provoke the king's wrath any further.
"If it were just the common people talking and making a fuss, I would not feel compelled to make such a grand gesture," the king explained. "They would eventually move on to new subjects of gossip, and most of them accept that, as the king, I have the right to associate with whomever I feel like."
The king stood, and Braelyn was relieved when he moved away. His presence was overwhelming; he was so tall, and his armor made him seem far larger than he really was. And his eyes... his gaze was mesmerizing.
"The house of nobles are another story entirely," Varian said, scowling. "They dare to feel that they have every right to interfere in my life, to try to dictate my actions. Fools."
"Wouldn't they rather you marry one of their daughters?" Braelyn asked. "Surely I would make a poor choice compared to a noblewoman?"
"I'm sure they would like me to choose one of their own," the king admitted, "but, like I just said, your family is considered noble by many. The fact that you were engaged to Lord Devereaux, however briefly, also speaks to your 'worth'."
"They know about that?" Braelyn asked, surprised. The king nodded, a hard smile twisting his lips.
"Yes, Jack made sure of that. He has gained quite a bit of sympathy from his fellow lords because of what has happened. The house of nobles is actually quite offended that I dared take the intended wife of another aristocrat for a mistress. They think that the only way to redeem myself is by making you my queen. That way both your honour and his is upheld."
"That is the most fucked up thing I have ever heard," Braelyn stated, not bothering to censor herself in front of the king. She jumped slightly when Varian let out a short bark of laughter.
"I agree with you there," he said. "Unfortunately, I do have to keep the nobles reasonably happy if I wish to remain in control of my throne, or even stay alive." He shook his head, as if wishing to deny the necessity of dealing with them.
"Any other objections?" he asked.
"I don't want to play second fiddle to a ghost," Braelyn said, thinking wistfully of her parents' marriage. They were so devoted to each other, so in love, even after all these years.
"Excuse me?" the king asked, staring down at her with those too-intense eyes.
"I could never replace Queen Tiffin," Braelyn explained, wincing at the fierce expression that crossed the king's face. "I don't want to live in her shadow, unable to compete with her memory.
And what of Prince Anduin? Shouldn't he have a say in this?"
"My son has often urged me to remarry," the king said. "He makes no secret of his desire for a sibling or two. Even three." His sly smirk was back as he saw the blush creep across Braelyn's cheeks. "No one would ever be able to replace Tiffin in his, or my, life, but does that mean I should spend the rest of my life alone?"
It was an earnest question, with such genuine longing behind it, that Braelyn felt guilty for bringing the late queen up. For the first time, she really thought about how lonely the king must be without Tiffin Wrynn by his side.
"Of course not," Braelyn said, head drooping with guilt. "I just meant... "
"I know what you meant, Miss Hawke, but I wish you would tell me what your real argument against marrying me is." He strode forward, once again lifting her face to his gaze. "What is it that scares you so?"
Braelyn stared at the king. She wasn't afraid of marrying him, was she? No, she just knew that it was a stupid idea. Neither of them loved the other, and she would make an awful queen. But the longer she gazed at him, the longer he looked into her, she realised that she was afraid. Not of Varian the man, because she thought she could easily find happiness with him, but of Varian the King.
Marriage to the king would be even more confining than marriage to Jack. Not only would she be forced to give up so many of the things she enjoyed, but she would also be in the public eye constantly. She would never be able to go anywhere without a guard, never be able to speak her mind without fear of offending someone important. Every little thing she said and did would be judged, reflecting not just on her, but also on the king.
She would have power and riches beyond measure, but not the freedom to walk down the street unattended.
She would cease to be Braelyn Hawke, a person in her own right. She would be Braelyn Wrynn, Queen of Stormwind, a figure of the Alliance.
"I fear a prison," she admitted, startling the king with her terrified honesty. "To be locked in a gilded cage, with no hope of escape."
"You see marriage to me as a prison?" the king asked angrily. "With me as a jailor?"
"Yes," Braelyn said, flinching as King Varian growled.
"Very well," he said, "I will not force you the way Devereaux did. Just remember, when the condemnation of the people becomes too much, that I offered you a way out. After all, you will be judged far more harshly than me."
The king stalked off, and Braelyn felt oddly guilty, as if she'd committed a heinous crime. He paused briefly by the backdoor, turning to give her another penetrating stare. "Before I leave, Miss Hawke, let me ask you this... are you really so free here?"
He did not wait for a response, leaving Braelyn sitting alone on the bench, her thoughts in chaos.
It didn't take long for Braelyn to discover that the answer to King Varian's question was no. She wasn't free in Goldshire. For the past year she had been trapped in the town, first by the hope of Rommath sending for her, and then by the fear of running into him and being considered his enemy.
Hell, for the past three days she hadn't even been able to leave the house, too afraid of the judgemental stares of the villagers.
She got up and went downstairs, calling for her pets. She was tired of being afraid. She was going to go the village, and if anyone gave her any grief, she'd just stare them down. Or sic Bitey on them.
Her parents seemed relieved to see her leaving the house. They'd been so concerned for her over the past few days, especially when she'd told them about the king's proposal. Braelyn had expected her mother to be upset that she'd rejected King Varian, but to her surprise, Ellysan agreed with her daughter. "You made the right choice, sweetie," she'd said.
Jasper Hawke said he agreed with his wife, but Braelyn suspected that he was a little disappointed that she'd declined the opportunity to become the king's wife. He admired Varian Wrynn greatly, and considered him a worthy match for his daughter.
Half way to the village, she heard a voice call out to her. "Miss Hawke! Miss Hawke!" Turning, Braelyn saw Cameron come running towards her. She felt guilt wash over her. She hadn't even thought to check up on him and his family, to see how they were handling working in the mines.
"Cameron," she said, smiling brightly and enveloping the boy in a hug. "How are you?"
"Guess what the king did, Miss Hawke?" Cameron asked with great excitement, ignoring her question. "He gave my father a job!"
"What?" asked Braelyn. "Where?"
"In Stormwind! King Varian said he had a farm on the outskirts of the city, near the lake, and that he needed someone to manage it for him. He offered it to Dad!" the young boy did a little jig. "The best part is, the job pays so well that Missy can go to the Cathedral to be a paladin and I can start training as a hunter again!"
Braelyn was gobsmacked. The king did that for Cameron? He did such a nice thing for her student, even though he was furious with her? For a moment, she almost regretted declining his proposal.
"That's amazing news, Cameron!" she said, kissing his cheek. "I'm so happy for you. I'll even write you a letter of introduction to give the hunter trainer in Stormwind."
"Thanks, Miss Hawke!" Cameron chirped. "I'll come see you before we leave, I promise!" With that the young boy ran off, waving to Braelyn before he disappeared behind some trees. She couldn't help but grin at the boy's excitement. She was so relieved his family was spared working the mines.
When she arrived in the town centre, Braelyn headed to the Lion's Pride, hoping that her cousin was there to talk to. Odariah would know what was going on in Stormwind, so could fill her cousin in on all the latest gossip.
"Ah, here she is! The woman who would've been queen!" Chelinka called from where she sat between a grinning Odariah and a put-upon Andorien. At the mage's words, activity in the inn screeched to a halt, everybody turning to stare at her.
"How the bloody hell do you know about that?" Braelyn hissed as she sat down, blushing furiously.
"One of the guard's came here after the king's visit and got a bit tipsy," Odariah said.
"And he just blurted out King Varian's business?" Braelyn questioned.
"Pretty much," Odariah replied with a shrug. Andorien shot Braelyn a sympathetic look.
"You know, Braelyn," Chelinka said mischievously, "as the queen, you could fire people for doing stuff like that. Or have them killed! Even better!"
"If only you'd said yes," Odariah sighed dramatically.
Braelyn glared at her two friends. "Are you two looking for an arrow to the face? Because I'm happy to oblige." She shook her head as the two women laughed, and turned her attention to Andorien. "What have the people being saying?" she asked the druid.
"Opinion is divided," Andorien replied. "Half the town thinks you should have done the 'decent' thing and accepted him instead of playing with his emotions and reveling in your immoral behaviour." He stopped when Chelinka spat a mouthful of whisky over him as she started laughing.
"And the other half?" Braelyn said wearily, signaling Farley for a drink of her own.
"Say that you did an honourable thing in refusing to marry him. They really respect your willingness to sacrifice your own good character and self interest in order to avoid disrespecting Queen Tiffin's memory."
"Well, I suppose I should be grateful that not everyone thinks I'm an evil hussy," Braelyn said bitterly. Chelinka grinned and pat her on the back.
"Don't worry about it, Braelyn!" she said cheerfully. "We both know that in a few months time, people will have moved on to a new scandal and forgotten all about you. You may even go back to being the town angel instead of the town floozy."
"Chelinka!" Andorien boomed in an angry voice. "That is enough!"
As Chelinka stuck her tongue out at the irate druid, Braelyn downed her whisky, trying to ignore the sound of whispering behind her. A few months, she thought desperately. I can do that.
It was 2 o'clock in the morning, a cold wind rattling the windows as a storm raged outside. Braelyn had come home from her trip to the Lion's Pride just before the rain started, and was now half asleep. She jerked awake when she heard the sound of her bedroom door being locked, her heart starting to race.
Faking a sleepy yawn, Braelyn rolled over. Her eyes searched her room for an intruder, but saw nothing. She may have been imaging things, but she doubted it. Her instincts were telling her that someone was definitely in the room with her.
Knowing it would be difficult to fight off the intruder if they caught her lying down, Braelyn sat up quickly, reaching for the dagger she kept on her bedside table. She let out a startled cry as a hand grabbed her wrist, and a man's body winked into existence. She attempted to scream for her parents, but her attacker's free hand clamped down on her mouth, and his leather clad body forced her back onto the bed.
"Calm down, love, it's just me," he said, and Braelyn realised that her attacker was Jack Devereaux. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just have something I need to tell you. Understand?"
Braelyn understood, all right. She understood she needed to slap this man up the back side of his head. Which is exactly what she did when he let her go, landing several heavy blows before he managed to duck out of her reach.
"Heh," Jack said, rubbing his head sheepishly, "I guess I had that coming."
"You sure did," Braelyn spat, eyeing him with contempt. "Now say whatever the hell you came here to say before I come back to my senses and call my parents in here. Then leave. I don't ever want to see you again."
"Ouch, love," Jack said, grinning when Braelyn stuck her both her middle fingers up at him. He then walked up to her, putting his smiling lips right by her ear. Braelyn thought about hitting him again, but all thoughts of violence fled her mind as he began speaking,
With one whispered sentence, Jack broke Braelyn's heart all over again.
With a small smile, Braelyn watched as Cameron run around his new house showing her all the little details with as much excitement as her father showed when telling one of his war stories. She wanted to be happy for him, but since Jack's nocturnal visit three weeks ago, she struggled to find happiness in anything.
Braelyn had regressed into the depressed state she'd been in when she'd finally understood that she would never see Rommath again. Things had gotten so bad that she'd quit working as the Goldshire hunter trainer a week ago. Even now, she had forgone weapons and armour for her trip to Stormwind, dressing instead in linen pants and shirt, her hair tied in a simple braid. She had left all of her pets at home.
Her parents and friends were worried about her, especially since she refused to talk to them about what was upsetting her so. She had tried to tell them, but every time she opened her mouth to do so, she choked.
She spent most of her time in silence.
When Cameron's father called his son away to do some chores, Braelyn headed down to the small jetty leading into Olivia's Pond. The wind coming off the lake was freezing, but she didn't care. It was peaceful, and quiet, and she was able to take some comfort in the area's stark beauty. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and assumed that Cameron's father had come to speak to her. The man thought that his good fortune was the result of Braelyn's 'influence' with the king and was thanking her every chance he got.
Hoping to prevent another round of enthusiastic thank-you's, Braelyn opened her mouth to speak first. "It's so beautiful here," she said, gesturing to the lake in front of her.
"That it is," came the reply, but it was not the voice Braelyn was expecting.
"Your Majesty!" she said in shock, spinning around and curtsying. She wished that she'd left her hair down so that he couldn't see her flustered face.
What is he doing here?
"Braelyn Hawke," the king said, in an emotionless voice. "I've been looking for you."
As soon as Varian saw Braelyn's lonely figure standing on the jetty, he understood why her parents had come to him in such a state. She was thinner than he remembered, and poorly dressed for the weather. He could see her depression in the slump of the shoulders, and in the way she wrapped her arms around herself. Like she was trying to hold herself together.
When he spoke to her, she startled like a fawn disturbed by hunters. She kept her head down, refusing to look at him, which Varian found unacceptable. He closed the distance between them, tilting her chin up with his hand.
Her gaze avoided his, but he saw the exhaustion in her face, the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was so pale, he could see each and every one of the freckles scattered across her nose. He noticed with alarm that she was unarmed, and none of her pets came forward to protect her.
"What has happened to you, Braelyn?" Varian asked. "Your parents say that for the past three weeks you've been acting like you did after your return from Silvermoon." He tightened his grip as Braelyn flinched and tried to pull away.
"It is nothing, my king," she said weakly and again tried to move away. Again, he prevented it. "Nothing that you need to worry about."
"Do not lie to your king," he warned. "And trust me when I say that your parents have very much made it my business."
Braelyn's ocean blue eyes flicked up to his and did not look away. Varian had the odd impression that she couldn't look away, as if he'd hypnotised her. "Tell me."
"Three weeks ago, I woke up to find Jack Devereaux in my bedroom," she began, so quietly that Varian had to strain to hear her. He growled loudly, and then rubbed Braelyn's cheek with his thumb to comfort her when she flinched in fear.
"Did he hurt you?" he demanded, looking the young woman over for injuries. He made a note to get Mathias Shaw to keep a closer on the rogue nobleman. He didn't want that man anywhere near Braelyn again. "Did he touch you in any way?"
"N... no," she whispered, "it was nothing like that. He just wanted to talk to me."
"And what did that bastard have to say?"
"He... he," Braelyn stammered, and Varian saw that she was about to start crying. He sighed. Must every conversation he has with this woman involve her yelling at him or dissolving into tears? He idly wondered what it would like to have a normal chat with her, perhaps over dinner or an a walk through the city.
"Do not cry, Miss Hawke," he commanded. He winced at how cold he sounded, but it worked. Braelyn's tears vanished, and she seemed to gather a bit of her old strength back.
"He told me," she said, louder this time, "that Rommath has gotten married."
"I thought you said you were over him," Varian said. It was not the most diplomatic of responses, and Braelyn looked as if he'd struck her.
"I did, and I am... mostly," she said, a pained look in her eyes. Varian did not like seeing it, much preferring the stubborn glint she'd sported when he'd first met her. He toyed with the idea of sending someone to deal with the Grand Magister. Crimson Fox, maybe... but, no. Too risky to the peace.
"Then why are you in such a state?"
"The shock, I guess. The sudden onslaught of memories. The grief of what could have been," she replied with a dejected sigh. "The speed in which he moved on with another also hurts. Especially considering his new wife is a complete bitch."
"You know the woman?" Varian inquired.
Braelyn nodded her head, and looked disgusted. "A warlock who once treated me like slave and attempted to steal Rommath away from me," she scoffed. "Looks like she won after all," she added bitterly.
Varian did not know how to answer that, so he merely stroked her cheek again and decided to mention what had really made him seek her out.
"Your father thinks that I did this to you," he said, and Braelyn gasped.
"What?" she exclaimed. "Why?"
"Let's see," Varian replied, stroking his chin. "Approximately three weeks ago you and I are exposed as 'secret lovers.' I propose, you reject me, claiming to be not good enough for me. I return home a scorned lover, and a few days later you become a depressed wreck who is extremely reluctant to travel to Stormwind. This is taken to mean that you lied about not loving me, and that I have refused to continue our relationship, therefore breaking your heart."
"That's crazy!" Braelyn declared, running a hand through her hair. "I'll take care of it, Your Highness, I promise! I'll talk to my father, explain everything. Once mother knows, she'll help calm him down."
"It's too late for that, Miss Hawke," Varian replied.
"What do you mean?" Braelyn asked, stepping back until she was standing on the edge of the jetty. She looked fearful.
"Well, after telling me how much he loves his 'little girl' and what he'd do to protect her, he ordered me to make you my bride. He said that if I do not return to the Keep with you on my arm, and my ring on your finger, he'll challenge me to a duel. In public. Knowing Jasper as well as I do, I am in no doubt as to his sincerity."
"He can't do that! He's old! You'll slaughter him! " Braelyn said, aghast. "You're the king, can't you just order him to go away and then forget it ever happened?"
"I'd like nothing more than to do that," Varian replied, "but he issued his threat in the throne room."
Varian actually enjoyed the next few seconds, watching as Braelyn's animated face changed from one emotion to another in rapid succession. He could tell she was trying to figure a way to extricate herself from this mess.
"Why do these things always happen to me?" Braelyn raged, glaring at Varian like it was all his fault.
"Luck?" Varian suggested. He was tempted to laugh at the nonplussed look she shot him. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
Varian reached for the pouch at his belt, causing Braelyn to take another step backwards.
"Don't you dare!" she yelled, pointing at him, not caring at all that he was the king. "Don't you dare propose to me again!"
He grinned. "Are you always going to be so insubordinate?" he asked. He pulled out the ring, and as he did so, Braelyn took another step.
But she was out of ground to step on.
With a startled cry, she stepped onto thin air, falling backwards. Varian surged forward in an attempt to catch her, but missed. Braelyn fell into the icy water, her head striking a little boat tied to the jetty.
Varian cried out for help as her unconscious form started sinking beneath the pond's surface. Ignoring the fact he was wearing plate armor, he jumped in after her.
Light protect her!
AN - please don't throw things at me for marrying Rommath off to That Woman. Crimson Fox belongs to Amcm74.
Next chapter: Does Braelyn survive the dive off the jetty? Will Jasper Hawke force Varian into an epic showdown in Stormwind Keep? Read on to find out.