Touch me with your velvet mouth, I will give all the love that I have,
Under the moonlight, reaching your heart,
Where are you now, where are you now, come out of the shadows,
Where are you now, I want you now,
You know that I cannot always be strong
~Tender Hands-Chris De Burgh~
Children disturb me," said Cordana. They had gone to an Inn and sat down to supper.
"I quite like them myself," said Khadgar with a smile.
"They are disruptive, dirty and out of control," sniffed Cordana, glad that there weren't any around.
"Only when allowed to be, my dear," he responded.
"Where are your children, Archmage? How many do you have out there in the world?"
She was surprised at his answer. "I haven't any, Cordana."
"You expect me to believe that? For a human you are not quite a young man anymore!"
"I have had time for nothing but my magic. And now the days are long past for such thoughts." That was only a small part of it, but Khadgar did not think she needed to know the rest.
Cordana poured some mead and sipped it. "I am very glad that I do not have to consider such things. I have never been the maternal type. I have barely any patience for adults much less children."
Khadgar nibbled on some bread and cheese. "One's own child is a different experience than those belonging to others I am told."
Cordana moved her hair off her shoulders and began working on her soup. "I shall take your word for that Khadgar."
They enjoyed the rest of the meal in silence, each one delving deep into their own thoughts. Cordana very much liked his companionship. He was smart and easy to talk to and often could make her laugh. She found herself dropping her usual defenses and considering the words that Jarrod Shadowsong had said. Tell the Archmage how you feel.
She swallowed a mouthful of soup and thought about it, pondered what she would say, and how she would say it...but nothing felt or sounded right in her mind. It was too awkward, it would make things between them possibly strained and she liked the easiness they had at present time.
Khadgar looked up and met her softly glowing eyes. There was something going on behind them, something that was bringing emotions to the surface.
"A copper for your thoughts, Cordana," he said with a wink.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that all my mind is worth to you Archmage?"
He laughed. "All the gold in the King's treasury would not match your value, my dear."
Cordana rolled her eyes. "Really, Khadgar. You are so ridiculous."
He held up his glass with a lopsided grin. She ignored him entirely and continued with her meal, but secretly she hoped what he had said was true.
After their meal, they walked outside and sat on the edge of a fountain. Twilight had made way for the night and a bright waxing gibbous moon with a sky that was strewn with thousands of stars. Cordana wondered if they would return to Draenor or stay in Stormwind until morning. She was unsure of the protocol involved; she did not have her encounter suit, and anytime the Archmage travelled anywhere she would be in stealth outside his door. She could most certainly still perform her duty, but something had changed between them this day. He was treating her as more of a friend, and she had allowed it.
Cordana studied him as he dragged a hand back and forth in the water. The moonlight struck his silver hair, making it appear to glow. She knew little about him, and had not taken that much time to learn who he was before reporting for duty at the Blasted Lands. What she did know was that he had been a young man when he served as an apprentice to a demon possessed master, and that he and another had slain that man in a terrible battle which drained Khadgar of his youth and vitality, leaving him an aged and frail husk. Time had slowly reversed that terrible curse, and now for all appearances the Archmage looked his true age, which she figured was most likely between 45-50 human years.
Although he was not from any noble bloodline, Khadgar had a very aristocratic air about him. His chiseled jaw gave his face strength, while his full lips gave it softness. But his greatest assets were his eyes, deep set and a blue that she had never seen before in any race. He had fine lines around them that deepened when he smiled, and he smiled frequently enough. Cordana had to admit that although he was certainly pleasing to look at, to listen to him speak was also a pleasure. His voice was sonorous and smooth, and she remembered falling asleep listening to him speaking those first days when they had come to Draenor. He would often read from his tomes, or think aloud, and although Cordana didn't always listen to what he was saying, the sound of his voice pleased her. She had thought her feelings inappropriate, and that was why she had wished to leave his service. She was glad that Jarrod had seen through her.
Cordana looked away and let her eyes roam the environment. The city was winding down, the citizens were finishing up their day and wandering home, or to Inns. The occasional merchant wheeled his cart past, others locked up their shop doors, stopping to talk to one another. The night sentries reported for duty and began their patrols, two by two.
"Cordana," said Khadgar softly, drawing her eyes back to him. He raised his arm in a sweeping gesture, and the entire fountain began to sparkle as though a thousand tiny stars had fallen from the sky and were now a part of the falling water. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
"Kaldorei...Children of the Stars," he whispered. He touched the water with his fingertips and flicked it at her and those same tiny sparkling stars appeared in her hair. Cordana shook her head with a laugh of glee and they floated up and around her. Her eyes glowed so brightly, and she surprised herself by being so completely open to enjoying his parlour tricks.
She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "Khadgar?" she asked.
"Mmhm?" he murmured.
"Have you ever loved anyone before? In an intimate sense?"
He traced magical symbols in the air, which glowed a faint violet before fading away. She wished she knew what they represented.
"Yes, I believe I have," he answered.
"And did they love you back?" she asked.
He said nothing for a long moment and Cordana thought he could not, or would not answer the question. He stood up then, facing the still sparkling fountain, then turned to look at her.
"I do not know," he said.
"You do not...did not... know if they loved you back?"
He stepped closer to her and placed the fingers of one hand beneath her chin and tilted her face up.
He shook his head and his voice was soft and unsure. "Do you, Cordana?"
She blinked, confused for a moment, then understanding dawned on her. Cordana's eyes widened and all she could do was stare at him. Words vanished from her mind, and all that was left was her swiftly beating heart and the warmth of his fingertips. She nodded, slowly, and uncurled herself to stand, her eyes not leaving his. She was nearly as tall as he was and for once she was glad she was on the shorter end of the Kaldorei race.
Khadgar cupped her face with both hands and gently brushed his lips against hers. She put her arms around his neck and parted her lips, closing her eyes. His kiss was tender and slightly unsure, but hers was a confident answer to his earlier question. Cordana's natural sensuality, kept repressed and hidden her entire life, was released in a resounding YES that Khadgar felt in every fibre of his being.