The morning after her birthday, Braelyn woke up feeling blissful, with a deep-seated contentment flowing through her body. She was amazed at how one day, and a few simple words, could change life so dramatically.

She rolled over and propped herself up off the bed with one arm, looking down at Varian, who was still sleeping. He looked so relaxed when he was alseep, and much younger, his face peaceful, and a small smirk on his lips. He had been so proud of himself last night.

Braelyn traced the tips of her fingers along his face, feather light so as not to wake him. It was rare for her to wake up before him, and she wanted to make the most of this precious time to memorize how he looked in this moment.

Her fingers drifted down his neck and across the broad shoulders that carried so much responsibility. She settled her hand over his heart, and bent down to kiss his forehead.

She cared for this man so much, but did she love him?

Braelyn thought about it, a small frown on her lips. She felt like she could love him, as if the emotion was there, trapped beneath her breastbone, just waiting to burst forth. What was it that made her so hesitant to love him? He was not Rommath. He would never push her away like the blood elf had done, even were he in a position to do so.

Yes, Varian had hurt her by trying to protect her, but he had been trying to hold her too tightly, rather than sending her away.

Fear.

That's what it had to be. An irrational fear that somehow things will end badly, and she'd end up that emotional wreck she'd been back in Goldshire.

Braelyn swore she'd find a way to overcome that fear. He deserves to have my heart, and all that I am.

"Why are you frowning, little star?" Varian asked, startling Braelyn from her thoughts. His hand tightened around her waist, while the other reached up to tangle in her light brown hair. His eyes, which she had always found so mesmerizing, were concerned, running over her body to see if she was all right.

"Just thinking, Varian," she replied, giving him a lop-sided smile and running her hand back up to his face.

"Hmmm," Varian said. "I don't think I like you thinking things that make you look so sad."

"Perhaps you should give me something else to think about," Braelyn said with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows, then squealed as Varian grabbed her and rolled over, pinning her to the bed.

"I can do that," he growled, before kissing her hungrily. His blues darkened with lust as he stared down at her. "You will think only of me, now and always."

Braelyn was asleep in their bed, a soft smile on her beautiful face, as Varian worked through the night. He wanted desperately to join his wife, to wrap her small body in his arms and sleep, knowing that when he held her, he felt at peace.

But, thanks to Jaina Proudmoore, that was not going to happen. He would probably be still at his desk when she woke up in the morning.

Varian sighed, throwing Admiral Taylor's report across the room. Jaina's thirst for vengeance against the Sunreavers had caused her to launch an assault against Horde forces stationed on the Isle of Thunder. Although they had achieved success in the first stage of the attack, their good luck had soon deserted them. Now, instead of holding possession of almost half the island, they barely held more than their initial landing area.

Although no one had been able to provide him with final numbers, Varian knew that the Alliance and Kirin Tor losses would be catastrophic.

"Damn it!" he swore quietly, thumping his fist on the desk. He hated this, he really did. Being in charge, being the one responsible for keeping the Alliance together, and its peoples safe. If he could get out there on the field of battle more regularly, let Lo'gosh loose on his enemies, it would be so much easier to deal with.

But he couldn't. As the king, he was needed elsewhere, to handle things with words and very little action.

Varian loved his people, he truly did, but sometimes the responsibility of caring for them felt like a cage, and the rewards not worth the losses he suffered on a personal level.

"Varian?" Braelyn asked with a yawn. He looked over to see her sitting up, a sheet wrapped around her naked body, and her hair a glorious tangle around her bright face.

He never tired of looking at her, of knowing that she was waiting for him at the end of a long day with a smile and soft kiss. He was beginning to think that the best thing about being king was that it had enabled him to rescue her from Jack and make her his wife.

So many of the things that bothered him about his life just fell away when she looked at him with those ocean eyes of hers.

"I'm sorry, little star," he said apologetically. "I did not mean to wake you. Go back to sleep, I'll join you when I can."

He watched as Braelyn swung her graceful legs out of bed. She walked over to him, draping herself across his lap. He wrapped an arm around her, and she nuzzled his cheek.

"I can't go back to sleep knowing you're still awake, Varian," she said, even though she yawned as she said it. "Is there anything I can help you with? Perhaps I can deal with some of these letters."

"Just stay where you are," Varian replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Stay with me."

She smiled at him, one of those beams of starlight that he so adored. "I can do that," she said, and snuggled into his chest.

Braelyn fell asleep five minutes later, but he could not bear to return her to the bed and lose her comforting warmth. When she woke up again, the sun was peaking through the curtains, and Varian was still working, a smile on his lips.

"I don't want you to go," Braelyn said softly, her hands resting on Varian's armor covered chest.

"And I don't want to leave you," Varian replied, ignoring their audience, and giving her a soft kiss. "Genn and I are needed in Pandaria, however. The situation with the Kirin Tor's actions on the Isle of Thunder needs dealing with."

"Promise me you'll stay safe?" Braelyn asked.

"I will try, little star, I promise you that," her husband replied, and she knew that it was all he could over in the way of comfort. She felt him caress her waist. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself while I'm gone. I don't want you fainting in the street again when you come to welcome me home."

"I can do that," Braelyn said, softly. "Just don't be gone long. I'll miss you."

"As I will miss you," Varian said, giving her a final kiss goodbye before heading through a mage's portal to the Shrine of Seven Stars. He turned to give her a last longing stare, before disappearing.

Braelyn tried to smile, to be reassuring for Anduin, who looked as unsettled as she felt. She hugged him with one arm, as they walked out of the Keep and towards the Cathedral of Light. They both felt the need to pray for the man who meant so much to both of them.

Braelyn shuddered as they walked along the canals, her guards close at her heels. For some reason, Varian's trip to Pandaria terrified her, her stomach a tangled knot of anxiety. No matter how hard she prayed, she could not rid herself of the fear that her husband was in terrible danger.

Light grant me this wish: keep my husband safe, and bathed in the glory of radiance. May my husband return to me as hale and hearty as he was when he left.

A week later, Braelyn received word that her terrible premonition had come to pass. The Shrine of Seven Stars was in ruins, and King Varian was dead.

AN - yes, you may throw things at me for that horrible, horrible cliffhanger.

This update was brought to you today by the sentence 'your position in queue: 5560' on all servers that I play on. I was on Zul'jin when the xpac went live, and it was awful. No. Just no.

So I'm a gonna level a toon on a low pop server for a few weeks.

Next Chapter: Queen Braelyn heads to Pandaria while Anduin stays in Stormwind to console the people.