Chapter 14

Three weeks.

I had the stupid lower level finished for three weeks.

"Why can't I build the upper tier?" I yelled at Sylvanas, hair now braided back haphazardly, glaring at the woman.

"Because I need my guards shoring up some last touches. We're entertaining guests tonight."

I balked, my jaw dropped, and I stared at the Banshee Queen like she was fucking losing it.

"We?"

"Yes we," she leveled me with a stare, "You have done wonderfully over the last two months, and it's time we see how you do around people who are actually alive."

I stammered, lost, and somewhat terrified.

"I haven't interacted with people since K-."

I slammed a fist in my mouth, and she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I had almost let her slip so many times, but she was my secret.

"Still not telling me, hm? Then dinner."

I groaned, getting dragged after her as she went into her chamber, where a row of gowns had been lined up, and a forsaken woman looked too excited.

"Ladies Sylvanas and Teir. How exciting this is!"

"Yes, Roberta. Quite exciting." I had learned the names of the staff around here quickly, scaring the shit out of them by hiding under the bed until they showed themselves, then pouncing to talk to them.

I got yelled at when I did that.

"Now, I have Lady Sylvanas' robes here-," A set of deep, deep purple robes, with the Forsaken crest lain over the front, quite lovely.

"And Lady Teir."

I balked at the sight of...how low was that cut?

"This is a dress." I looked at Sylvanas, "You expect me to wear a-."

"Yes I do. The youths wear dresses. The adults wear the political robes, and until this year is up and you make up your mind, you have no crest."

Ow, that stung. But really, a dress?

"Put. It. On."

I glared at it, "Can I make...adjustments?" I looked at her with my best 'pity me this thing is dangerously dressy' look.

She glared, but groaned, "Just don't add pants."

I grinned evilly, turning on Roberta, "I need scissors and thread."

Roberta looked ready to cry when I hacked the sleeves up to the mid bicep, and used a section of that fabric to bring the collar of the dress up to my neck, completely concealing my chest, and I sewed the rest as rivets at the hips, taking sections of the skirt and layering it up to those, and sewing it there securely, until it looked much...cooler.

"What did you do?"

I looked at Sylvanas, wincing at the startled look on her face, and Roberta started to bow furiously.

"I um...made it cooler?"

She groaned, running a hand through lanky hair in frustration, "There are times I want to strangle you, woman." She looked at it again, her face pained, "Get her a tabard. And never let her sew again."

I grinned victoriously, I knew those ugly stitches would earn me a tabard!

But...why did I want one?

I pushed that thought away as it came time to get into the dress, and I shimmied and wiggled, pushing things this way and that, until the tightly cinched piece clung to my body, the collar and sleeves doing exactly as intended-giving me an older yet not crone like look-and the skirt gave me mobility. The tabard was just cool.

I went to leave the room, but Roberta cried, "Don't forget your shoes!"

I stopped, looking at her like she was nuts, then yelling, "You didn't say I needed shoes!"

Sylvanas laughed in the common, "Most people always wear shoes, Lynx. You're the oddity."

Ten minutes of bitching later, and I was in shoes.

I refused to let them touch my hair-I liked the braid, it took forever to manage it, and it looked not gross.

I pranced into the common, doing a garish pose, and Sylvanas rolled her eyes from where she was pinning her hair up in the mirror there.

"Let me guess. If anyone touches the hair you'll bite," she said matter of factly, and I nodded.

She turned and gave it a once over, "You can't sew for shit but I like the collar."

I grinned, and she opened the door, "We're entertaining in the throne room, come along."

Sylvanas looked completely different not in her armor, it was...unnerving, but I suppose even Queens dress up.

My only experience with monarchs didn't match.

We went around a corner, and I thought I saw him-

Instead I saw an elf with brilliantly blonde hair, green eyes, and a scowl.

"Who shit in your breakfast?" I mumbled, and Sylvanas cuffed me.

The elf, however, snorted inelegantly into her own hand, the red haired woman behind her cuffing her in response. The man stood beside them, watching me with narrowed eyes.

"Well, you're early. Right this way." Sylvanas led the way, and the girl-all stony glares again-shoved my shoulder as she pushed past, almost knocking me off balance in these stupid shoes.

Oh how I wanted to btich smack her. But I could practically hear what Sylvanas would say. Behave. It's just one night.

We entered the throne room to see a somewhat small table piled with food, and Sylvanas sat at her throne at the head of the table, the woman and man sitting across from each other-I was now beside him-and the girl sat beside the woman, across from me. Her hair was astonishingly bushy.

"Introductions are in order. Teir, this is Lor'Themar Theron, Reagent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Elynae Theron, the Reagent Lady and his wife, and their daughter Jadearra."

"I also happen to be-." She began, but the look her mother sent her was scary and she shut up.

"This is Teir, a rehabilitating agent of..." she looked at me, and I plugged my ears, she finished her introduction without me hearing and feeling pain.

"Why does she cover her ears?" Elynae asked as I removed my fingers, wiping them subtly on the skirt.

"That monster did a dirty job of removing my memories, and certain phrases cause severe pain for me." I explained, looking to Sylvanas for approval, and she nodded.

"So that's why you freaked out when I paid a visit."

I was out of the chair and on the opposite side of the room in an instant, eyes locked, "You," I whispered hoarsely, throat hurting.

"Jadearra, tone it down." Lor'Themar ordered, his voice smooth and deep, and she glared.

"Sylvanas brought an unapproved undead painfully close to our borders. I can feel her soul-almost like I took it before."

I stared at the woman, heart stuttering, and I felt-

Purple paints. Head lolling back. Mist.

Touch her. Let her see.

I moved fast, leaning over the table and pressing a thumb to her forehead, even as Sylvanas made a warning sound for me to back off.

Jadearra gasped, eyes rolling back in her head, and a Mist seeped into the room.

Lor'Themar and Elynae were on their feet, "Sylvanas, what is she doing-."

"Quiet!" the voice that left Jadearra wasn't hers, and it was scary. I wanted to flee, but my thumb felt stuck.

The eyes opened, and I saw those-

"You." I snarled, my teeth pulled back as I held that thing's gaze.

"Me." The voice was like sandpaper, and it smirked with Jadearra's mouth, "I thought he would only steal you, not change you. You remember nothing. I could retur-."

"Leave that child's body and get out of my kingdom, witch."

All heads turned to see Sylvanas angrier than I had ever seen.

"Ah, Sylvanas. He stole you too, but you remember. Quaint." The thing didn't sound miffed, but looked at Sylvanas instead of me.

"Leave!" She ordered, sounding like the queen she was.

"You want her to know nothing? To deteriorate in her own mind? I know your memories, Sylvanas Windrunner. Your entire family-."

My thumb was ripped away, and Jadearra's palms slammed together, banishing the thing and the Mist.

All was silent, until Jadearra spoke, her voice rough, "You don't want to know the things she wanted to show you." She looked at me, her eyes hollow, "Forgive me, I wasn't expecting that."

I sat slowly, leaving only the adults standing, and held out my hand, "Teir."

She looked at it for a moment, before taking it and shaking, "Jadearra Theron. Dude, you're old."

I busted out laughing, startled at the comment, and the adults seemed to relax, though Elynae and Sylvanas were still on edge.

"Hey wait, that means I do get a tabard!" I looked at Sylvanas triumphant, and she huffed.

"You only get that thing because you sew worse than someone with no pinky fingers."

Lor'Themar laughed, and I stuck my tongue out at her.

As the laughter filled the room, the tension was broken.

"So... what was that, exactly?" I asked midway into the meal, "With the fog and the funky voice and everything."

"I'm a Mist Speaker," Jadearra spoke while chewing, earning glares, but neither of us cared, "Basically, I can talk to the Mist Realm, which is where the dead are well, supposed to go."

I thought about it, "You summon it?"

"Sometimes, when I get pissed, or a spirit really wants my attention, it pops up. Lately though, it's been denying me-." She stopped, swallowed, and closed her eyes. The laughter died really fast. Even Sylvanas looked pitying.

I looked at them, "What don't I know here?"

Jadearra opened her eyes, and I was deeply startled to see a deep sadness there, and rage, that mirrored how I felt, "Towards the end of his campaign, they engineered an attack on this continent and...my sister was a...a casualty."

Oh. Shit. My eyes widened and I thought I couldn't breathe.

The only attacks on this continent were orchestrated by me.

That means...

I took a deep gulp of the drink in front of me, holding in my yelp as alcohol touched my lips instead of water, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yes, well," Elynae said, discreetly dabbing at her eyes, "We all lose something in war."

We changed the topic quickly, and I did my damnedest to not fuck up.

Soon the night was winding down, and everyone had relaxed Considerably-I was downright exhausted.

"Thank you for the meal, Sylvanas, Teir." Lor'themar nodded to me, and I nodded in return, blinking to keep myself upright.

We were just preparing to see them through a portal when it happened.

The windows rippled quickly to outside the city, where-

"Those fuckers," Sylvanas snarled at the sight of a small army of red clothed warriors and mages.

She told us to close our ears, but I didn't take the warning.

"Lock down the entrances! Ward the perimeter! They will not enter this city!"

A banshee scream left me blinking, and my ears ringing slightly, but I wasn't bleeding.

She turned to our guests, "I apologise for this, but I can't risk a portal opening right now."

"Perfectly fine, Sylvanas. We need armor."

She looked at me, "Teir, go to the cells."

"What-."

"The last time you had a blade in your hand you ripped one of my cities to shreds."

"I'm-I'm different! You said it yourself!" I was pissed, and found that I pissed a good fight.

"You are too powerful for any of my people to subdue-."

"I can do it."

All eyes turned to Jadearra, who I just realised how a bow at her side, with a quiver full of arrows-she came to dinner armed?

"She's dead. I can take over if she gets too bad."

Silence for a moment, before Sylvanas nodded curtly. She snapped, and a pair of guards appeared.

"Take them to the armory. Arm them." She flared her robes, and they shrunk into her armor, and she took her bow and arrow from under the table. She looked at us, daring to contradict her, but when we remained silent she stomped out of the room.

Soon we were in the armory, and I stood in the entrance, a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of weapons.

"Milady, If I may-."

A soldier was holding out a dagger, and I snorted.

I turned to the axes.

I looked carefully, and after a moment-

My beautiful gems from a darker time.

I took them from the wall, giving them an experimental swing, and the air whistled.

"The only good thing he ever gave me," I said quietly, and I grinned.

I felt a hunger I hadn't recognized before in my chest-I'm a soldier. I need to fight.

The room shook, and dust spiraled from the city.

They're going to try and siege it.

Jadearra and I ran towards the surface, her parents not far behind-thankfully, one vest and boots instead of heels made my garish dress into armor.

We reached the service, and I grinned.

"Close your ears." I warned, and they slammed hands down over their ears.

I ran forward and leapt into battle, the old, banshee chilling screech filling the air and killing the men I landed on before I even touched them.

The air reverberated with the scream, and I saw eyes on me cautiously as I stalked through the lines.

A man ran up to me, eyes glowing as he opened his mouth to speak.

I beheaded him before he could.

"Don't burn the bodies! I want them!" I yelled out-they can be added to the mausoleum.

Then I grinned, returning to the dance.