The Forged Throne

by MerriForrester

For twenty years, Azeroth enjoyed a peace that Valerica Glenmore took for granted. Now, with war after war ravaging her home city of Stormwind, the only safety she has is the man she's loved for most of her life, Varian Wrynn. He is the King of an Alliance that could bring them from disaster, and she would join countless others in the fight for their home. EXTREMELY AU.

75. Chapter 75

Val was starting to believe that she and Anduin were as much prisoners as the poor bastard in the stockades.

She knew if she said it to anyone down by the gates of the Keep, they'd bay for her blood, screaming that she was surrounded by luxury, how on Azeroth could she feel trapped?

Well, the fact that she and her stepson couldn't even leave their home for fear of their safety would be her perfectly valid argument.

Even now, she was standing at the same window she had every morning, watching what could only be describednow as an angry mob try and force their way into somewhere she should feel safe.

And that was the most troubling part. She had never felt unsafe in the Keep before, but now all she wanted to do was grab Anduin, run back to the Lake house and lock the door. She cursed herself every day for not staying there, for insisting on coming back when they were in the perfect sanctuary, and she was sure Varian would make his feelings on the choice very clear when he came home.

Though she supposed not knowing exactly whenhe was coming home wasn't helping matters. His letters had gone quiet since he'd told her that Brill had been liberated, so she could only assume that he was making his way to the capital, but whether he'd actually gotten there or not remained to be seen.

It only added to her stresses, and really, she was almost glad it was only her it was affecting this time.

"Milady?"

She barely looked around, knowing Lee wouldn't mind and merely held her hand out for the tea he passed her. "How many more arrests have there been?"

Lee was begrudged to tell her but knew he had no choice. "Three. Two from the crowd, one from a less than charming gentleman that thought he could climb the ramparts."

She sighed, knowing what he meant. "That's another treason charge, isn't it?"

Lee's frown would have told her all it needed to were she looking at him. "It is, Milady. It's counted as a threat-"

"-Against the crown, I know." She took a small sip, finally turning on the spot. "It seems everything Is nowadays. Has there been word from Varian?"

Lee nodded. "There has, Milady. The assault has just gotten underway, we should know the result in mere hours."

Val couldn't help her exhale of relief. "Well, that's something I suppose."

She took another glance out of the window. "Though, in a horrible, twisted way, I'm not sure whether I want him to come home yet."

Lee seemed to understand what she meant, showing restraint by not putting his hand on her shoulder like he normally would've done.

He respected that she'd put new boundariesin place in an attempt to become more 'maturely regal' (he had to admit he'd laughed when she'd said it), and she clearly approved, giving him a smile when he pulled back.

"I'm more than certain he won't see any of this as your fault, Milady."

Val's face stayed stoic. "I still feel like there's something I could've done by now. This is the last thing Varian needs after what hells he'll probably see in that Light Forsaken place."

Lee put his hands behind his back, trying to not seem too placating in case she merely thought him to be boot licking, when really, every word was genuine. "In my opinion, this will be much easier to resolve than a battle against the undead, Milady."

Val took another long sip, still not convinced. "I have a funny feeling this won't go away simply with the release of one man, Lee, but I appreciate your efforts."

Val looked around them, passing her empty cup back to him. "I can still see where they're coming from, that's the worst thing about it."

Thankfully he fell into step with her without needing prompt, passing guard after guard and not helping the feeling that she was constantly being monitored. "Maybe it will all start to calm down once the war is over?"

Val wrinkled her nose, folding her arms. "We don't know whenthe war will end though, that's the thing. If Varian wins the Undercity back, it causes another branch of conflict that only potentially hinders the efforts in Northrend. The Alliance is stretched thin as it is, I honestly don't know if we could handle two wars at the same time without inevitably losing one."

Lee couldn't help his small smile as he held the hallway door open for her. "Nice to see our lessons are sinking in."

Val fought the snort pushing its way up her throat. "That's because I had Varro there to dumb down those papers you got me." She grimaced. "Do you think Varian will disapprove of me stealing his paperwork?"

Lee shook his head with enough confidence to put her at ease. "Not at all, especially when he learns why we borrowedit."

Val gave a respectful nod to those that greeted her, finding the Throne Room to be bigger everytime she crossed it. "I just have this thoroughly insane notion that knowing what he's doing will make me worry less…"

Lee had sympathy in his eyes. "And I'm presuming it's not working?"

She huffed, starting to fidget like she always did when she was surrounded by staff; something in her head told her that she had to look absolutely 'pristine' when amongst them, even though that was probably never the case.

"Not in the damn slightest. Every line of that battle plan made me want to raid the liqueurcabinet."

She turned right down another hallway, already smelling the overwhelming perfume of the flowers covering the grounds before she'd even got to the door. "It almost makes me wish I'd gone with him."

Lee's brows drew in. "You're still technically recovering, Milady, it wouldn't have been appropriate or safe."

Val started to chew her bottom lip. "Hopefully it'll be appropriate when the final assault eventually arrives."

Lee's face dropped. "You intend to re-enlist? Are you sure that's wise, Milady?"

Val shrugged as if she hadn't just dropped such an important nugget of information, one that would affect the both of them and really, required at least a smallamount ofdiscussion. "I don't 'intend' to do anything right now, but it's something I've definitely been considering."

She pointed a slightly threatening finger at him. "So not a word about it is to be so much as breathedto Varian, understand? I'll bite the bullet myself when and if I choose to go."

Lee put both hands up in immediate surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it, Milady. I quite like how my face looks, and have no desire for it to become rearranged."

Val's laugh put him more at ease, and they simultaneouslytook a long inhale of the crisp spring air. Val returned the wave a dirt covered Anduin gave her, kneeling straight back into the flowerbeds he was helping Fred tend to.

"Well, someone will need a bath before luncheon."

Val chuckled, not as bothered as some would expect her to be considering that Anduin was a prince and dirt was a big 'no-no'. "I don't really think he cares, and that's the way it should be."

She watched him for a little bit, feeling the sun warm her bare shoulders and starting to feel the cold mugginessthat winter brought with it start to fade away. "Tiffin would've been knelt right beside him, you know. She loved gardening, hells, she even did it when she was pregnant according to Varian."

Lee snickered before he could stop it. "Oh I bet he was thrilled about that."

Val's own smirk brushed across her face. "Don't tease, that's my job."

She let her smirk melt into a rather sad smile. "We were thinking, now he's shown a similar interest, that we clear a small plot by the fountain and let him care for it in her memory. For his birthday maybe."

Lee noticed her lip becoming indented by the teeth worrying themselves over it. "With something for the late Prince, as well?"

Val swallowed hard, glad that he'd said it before she'd tried to. "That had been something we briefly discussed before he left, and will no doubt talk about again. We don't want Elliot to be forgotten, but we don't want to keep bringing him up and causing ourselves more pain, does that make sense?"

Lee nodded with such sincerity it made her chest hurt a little. "It does, Milady. And I think a small tribute for Prince Anduin to nurture would be perfect."

Val's smile was smaller, but it didn't mean she was retreating into her sadness, as it had done for the past few weeks. "I would say Anduin and I were going to the house to meet Cillian later, but I feel like that would be more of an arseache than it's worth?"

Lee followed her lead when she started walking the long pebbled path, feeling his nose itch with every flower they passed but trying to ignore it. "In more keep-friendly terms, yes it would Milady. Have you considered giving Captain Beaufort a Hearthstone to use until this blows over?"

Val's brows drew in. "Where would we get one?"

Lee's head tilted as he thought about it, waving a bee away. "I'm sure there's someone in the Mage Quarter willing to have one made. You are the future Queen after all, it wouldn't behoove them to say 'no'."

Val pulled a face, running her fingers over the daffodils that Varian had specifically requested be put at the front of each border simply because they were her favourites. "It would save alot of trouble, especially if we don't know how long Varian's going to be."

She sighed, chipping the already fading paint coating her nails. "We were planning on taking the boys down to Longshore, to go crabbing like we used to down in Booty Bay, but I'm under the distinct impression that it wouldn't be permitted."

Lee's grimace told her all it had to. "Gregor's pretty much put the Keep on lock-down, Milady, and something tells me you knew that already."

Val's frown meant she did. "I was trying to ignore the fact that we're stuck here, yes. It only adds to the list of reasons I think Varian will burst a blood vessel."

Lee's nose scrunched. "In fairness Milady, there are worst places to be 'trapped'."

Val's eyebrow cocked. "Strangely enough, that doesn't ease any feelings I have about the situation."

She seemed even more annoyed as she looked up, shielding her eyes. "And it had to be just as the sun graces us with its presence, doesn't it?"

Lee snickered. "Of course it does Milady, how else would it annoy you?"

Val narrowed her eyes at him with a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You know 'back-chat' is a dismissableoffence, don't you?"

Thankfully Anduin saved the groom from his imaginary fate, kneeling in the bed he was weeding with concern on his little face. "Mum! Have you heard about Father yet?"

Val saw no reason to lie to him, giving him a stiff nod as an answer. "The battle's started, Little Lion. It shouldn't be long now."

Anduin stood, brushing his bare knees off and thanking Fred for helping him down, scurrying over and stopping in front of her. "So he'll be home soon?"

Val felt no qualms about lifting him, no matter how his boots soiled the white underskirt of her dress. Anduin held on as she went further down the grounds with him, not really wanting the whole of the gardening staff to hear their conversation. "I don't know, Anduin. You know how these things are; it's impossible to tell how or when they'll end."

Anduin still looked optimistic, letting Lee use the handkerchief he produced from his sleeve to clean his hands off. "But it'll be soon?"

Val had to laugh at how he'd completely ignored everything she'd said in hopes of hearing what he wanted to. "I won't make a promise that isn't necessarilygoing to be kept, Anduin. Your father may want to stay up there afterwards to put things in place."

Anduin started leaning towards the floor, seeing a squirrelsitting on the wall to theirleft and wanting to investigate it. He crept towards it, clambering up onto the wall when it inevitably darted into the nearby apple tree. "Why would he need to be there? Wouldn't Lordaeron have its own leader?"

Val's grimace was missed entirely by the boy, who was now attempting to scrabble up the tree to get his new friend. "I…I don't actually know. There's not exactly anyone to take the mantle right now."

Anduin's brow furrowed. "Why would they take the fireplace?"

Lee's badly hidden snort only made it harder for Val to keep her own laughter firmly behind her teeth. "No, Anduin, I don't mean that kind of mantel. I mean there's no one to take the role."

Anduin didn't seem to fazed by this and Val had an inkling as to why. "Will father have to do it then? Since he's High King?"

Val felt sick at the mere thought, giving the boy both hands to help him hop back to the ground. "I hope not. Your father has enough on his shoulders already, I don't think he could handle running Lordaeron as well."

Anduin let go of her hand the minute his feet touched the gravel, playing an imaginary game of hopscotch in front of them. "And it won't be the Horde's anymore?"

Val tried not to sigh at how she was merely repeating herself again. "Not if your father claims it, no."

Anduin seemed genuinely concerned as he stopped. "Where will they go?"

Val shrugged, taking his hand when he held it out for her. "I don't know. To be perfectly honest Anduin, your father and I have alot more pressing matters to attend to. What the Horde does isn't our problem anymore."

Anduin turned to look behind them with a look of pure worry. "Like the angry people?"

Val's lip pursed as she sat at the pond situated at the end of the grounds, holding his middle as he perched himself on her lap and leant forward to watch the fish. "Yes, like the angry people. That'll be the first thing your father attends to, I should think."

Anduin started mimicking the large goldfish swimming past, popping his mouth over and over. "Will he make them stop being angry?"

Val pursed her lips, not really sure how to answer that one. "We'll certainly try, I can only promise that much."

Anduin had a small smile on his face that Val could see a hint of fear in. "Good. I don't like the angry people mum. I can hear them shouting all day."

Val pulled him to her, sharing the same expression of concern with Lee. "They're shouting because they're under the impression that they're not being heard, that's all. But when your father gets back they'll realise that we did hear them, there was just very little we can do without him."

Anduin seemed to be slightly placated by that. "So no one will get hurt?"

Val shook her head with a strange confidence that surprised even her. "No, that's the last thing any of us want. We'll fix this with as little anger as possible, that much I can absolutely guarantee."

Anduin started to smile again. "So we can go to the park soon? And Westfall?"

Val kissed the crown of his head, still holding onto him until he started to wriggle, wanting to see the fish again. "In theory, yes. Don't expect it to happen overnight though."

Anduin nodded but she was sure he was only half listening, too wrapped up in his task to even look at her while he did it. "Can we have lunch out here today, mum?"

Val chuckled, glad that he'd changed the subject and rubbing his back affectionately. Lee tapped his watch, inclining his head to the Keep, and thankfully she got the message. "We can, but I know a certain little Prince that has school in a minute."

Anduin seemed utterly offended by the mere suggestion of attending his lessons. "But mum, it's sunny!"

Val wiped a smear of dirt from his cheek, lifting him onto the ground once again. "I know it is, and it still will be when you finish."

She brushed her backside off when she straightened, taking both of his hands when he grabbed them, morphing his face into one of absolute sweetness in order to win her over.

"Please, mum, just for today, can I skip it?"

Val shook her head, trying not to laugh when she needed to do the complete opposite right now. "No, Anduin. They're only a couple of hours long, and you'll be so much more grateful for them later."

She bent onto one knee with a large smile, one intending to persuade a child that she was sure was on the verge of a rare tantrum. "Besides, if you go to your lessons, it'll pass the time quicker between now and hearing about your father."

Anduin's face dropped as he realised she was right, suddenly conflicted between arguing his case and giving in. "…Do I need to wash first?"

Val was so glad Lee laughed first, it made her own titters less mean. "Yes, you do. I don't think it's the done thing to get to the schoolroom covered in four types of dirt."

Anduin started rocking on the balls of his feet. "Then we can come back outside?"

Val nodded, starting to steer him back to the Keep. "Yes, because I have my lessons as well, so no doubt I'll need the fresh air as much as you do."

Anduin still didn't like the idea, she could tell by his face, but he eventually fell into step with her. "Only if you promise we can have cake."

"Using everything I've taught in the past two hours, discuss the implications of the term 'diminished responsibility'."

Val fought the groan coming up her throat, tapping the end of her quill on the table and trying with everything in her not to look down at the notes she'd been jotting.

"This defence is distinguishableto that of insanity, for the former requires a substantial impairment of responsibility due to an abnormality of the mind, and the latter requires a defect of reason, due to a disease of the mind."

Lee gave her a large smile, closing the book in his hand. "Top marks. Now do you want to put that in layman's terms for me?"

Val could actually feel the headache creeping up on her. "The first means that they have no idea what they're doing, and the second means that they don't have any empathy towards what they're doing."

Lee's nose scrunched. "Basically. You're doing really well Milady, we've almost covered the biggest of Stormwind laws."

Val put her quill down and ran her hands over her face. "I just hope to the Light that I remember all of this."

Lee rubbed what they'd just discussed from the small chalkboard they'd managed to acquire for their sessions, and Val had to wonder how many people had either come in or walked past the library and wondered just what the hells was going on.

She truly felt like she was back in the Cathedral schoolroom learning her sums and basic spelling, but she knew it would help both her and Varian in the long run, so she'd never grumble too much.

"I'm sure you will. I'm not covering absolutely everything, so it shouldn't make your head explode just yet."

She sat back, pouring herself another goblet of ale. "I'll remind you of that when I can't remember my own name in a few weeks."

Lee chuckled, drawing what looked sort of like a farm on the board. "Alright, let's put you on the spot. Two farmers come to you, with one saying the other's pig ate their crop of cabbages. These cabbages were to be sold to market, and now they have no income from them. But the other farmer says that they should've had a better fence around them and refuses. What do you do to defuse the situation in a fair but firm way?"

Val hummed as she thought about it. "I take it compensating the first farmer is the wrong answer?"

Lee nodded. "Indeed. If the crown gave silver to one farmer, there would be a line out of the Keep with others crying the same problem and no one will end up happy."

Val drummed her fingers on the table. "Alright, so the second admits it was his pig?"

Another nod made her brow wrinkle.

"Take your time."

She was almost guaranteedto do that, peering at the board like it held the answers. After a long silence she swallowed, sitting straighter. "Alright, first I'd ask what the total profit would've been had he taken them to market."

Lee slowly nodded. "Well, you'd ask the approximate, at least."

Val could feel her cheeks start to burn already. "And I'd ask the second if he could pay it."

Lee's smile grew a little, meaning she was on the right track. "Correct. But what if he insists he can't?"

Val took another gulp of her ale.

"Well if the first needs the money and the second doesn't have it, there's not much I can do, is there?"

Lee tapped his diagram of a farm. "There's one question you've missed. You need to ask the first how the pig got to his crops in the first place. If he didn't have appropriate confinement around them, he's liable to lose all compensation."

Val grimaced, putting her chin on her hands. "So if there was no fence and the pig had complete access, it makes it the first farmers fault?"

Lee tipped a flat hand from side to side. "Sort of. It makes it a 'preventable accident'."

He drew two stick figures either side of the farm. "So, what the king, or yourself, would do, is tell the owner of the pig to pay halfof the profits the first farmer would've gotten, and tell the cabbage owner to use that compensation to acquire proper fencing so things like this don't happen again. It's not the best outcome, but it is considered to be the 'fairest'."

Val tilted her head to the side. "And do we monitor whether he actually does it or not?"

Lee shook his head. "Not for a domestic dispute like this one. If it were say, a brawl in an inn, His Majesty would send one or two guards to make sure nothing reoccurred for a few days, but after that the crown wouldn't use precious resources."

He folded his arms. "If they come back for the same complaint, then whoever is taking audience that day, which is either you or the king, would suggest that the pig is…well, taken care of."

Val grimaced at the thought. "I'd rather not resort to pig murder if I can help it."

Lee started laughing, closing the book in his hand. "I think that'll do us for today, Milady. With your permission, I'll go to the kitchens and tell them to ready lunch?"

Val heard her stomach cheer at the idea. "Permission granted. Can you stop at the schoolroom and see if Anduin's done while you're there?"

The two of them started clearing away, putting books and parchment into the large trunk that either Varro or Jon would eventually take upstairs like they did every day. "Of course. Shall I send him straight down?"

She nodded, closing the lid. "Yes, for I fear I'll be the worst mum on Azeroth if I don't honour my promise of eating outside."

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "I haven't been able to keep many of them for the past couple of weeks, so it's the least I can do."

Lee gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure he understands, Milady."

Val's frown started to ease before it'd even sat on her face properly. "I know he does, but that doesn't make it any easier."

They both started from the library, with the clicking of his boots and her slippers becoming the only noise as they enjoyed a few beats of comfortable silence with each other. "I suppose I should remind your Ladyship that you arranged a session with Ser Varro after lunch?"

Her groan told him that she'd forgotten all about it, and he fought to keep the grin from his face. "Why on Azeroth do I do this to myself? I swear, I'm a glutton for punishment!"

Lee shrugged as if it were nothing. "If your intentions to re-enlist are genuine, Milady, you'll need to be in peak physical condition."

Val's eyebrow shot up. "Is that you admitting I've gotten fat?"

He gave her such a deadpan look that it almost made her laugh. "You know that wasn't what I meant at all, Milady. You've been through alot of…changeslately, that's all, ones that, I assume, have taken their toll a little."

Val couldn't argue with that assessment, and had to find it a little amusing how the tips of his ears had gone red out of embarrassment. "That's a very mature way of looking at things."

She decided to spare him anymore blushes. "I suppose just because I feelbetter doesn't mean that I'm back to form. And if getting there means not feeling my arms or legs tomorrow, then so be it."

She was glad to see him laugh, it always felt alot less awkward when the staff around her felt that they could.

"Lady Glenmore, I was just coming to find you, you're needed urgently, in the Throne Room."

Val wasn't sure how to take Gregor's tone, but she was sure that her concern was written all over her face. "Why, what's happened?"

She felt the spittle start to form in her mouth at some of the far-fetched scenarios in her head; had one of the protesters finally managed to get into the Keep? Had something gone horribly wrong in the North and she needed to deal with it before anyone else? A thousand questions and each one piled onto her already swaying tower of worry.

"King Varian has returned."

She felt the exhale she gave like someone was physically squeezing it out of her lungs, even closing her eyes in relief. "Is he alright? He's not hurt, is he?"

Gregor grimaced, putting his hands behind him and wincing as a loud bellow practically vibrated through the doors behind him. "Not enough to warrant panic, no. It's more his humour that requires your attention. If you'd follow me?"

She had to admit that more suspicion started to bubble at his monotone, but she patted Lee's shoulder regardless. "Go and find Anduin as we discussed, and stay with him until we come outside."

Gregor gave him a pointed look. "And try to go the back way, to save the boy any distress."

Lee glanced at Val, getting a nod of approval and leaving the two of them rather swiftly, letting another muted bellow fill the silence. "Was that him?"

Gregor solemnly nodded, extending an arm towards the same door Lee had just disappeared through. "We can't really ascertain what exactly is vexing the King so, but we can hazard a guess."

Val grimaced, trying not to sigh already. "It means something went wrong up North. Again."

Gregor rarely looked fazed by anything, but even his face was starting to twist into a frown. "Indeed. And it seems to be Lady Jaina's fault."

Val's eyebrow cocked. "Jaina? What the hells did she do?"

Gregor shrugged, shooing away the crowd the best he could and giving Val a pleading look as they got to the Throne Room, which seemed more like an arena at present, with staff circled around the King and his opponent, who were in the dead centre of the room.

"Make way, all of you! Make way for Lady Glenmore!"

She was rather glad to hear Jon's voice, finding both he and Varro administering a light crowd control and holding their hands out to pull her through to the front, where Varian's string of loud obscenities hadn't even broken with the announcement of her arrival.

"I had them all right there, Jaina! We could've ended every damn problem for the Alliance there and then! Adil and I were ready to strike!"

Jaina wasn't as puce in the face as he was, but her fists were curled by her sides and she had leant right in to almost become nose to nose with the King. "All it would've done was cause another war, which is a biggerproblem than we need right now!"

Varian straightened to his full height, and it seemed for a mad second that he was about to start beating his chest like an angered gorilla. "They started the war when they took our people and did the things they did! You saw them Jaina, and you were as disgusted as I! Don't act ignorant now!"

Jon lightly elbowed Val's side, jarring her from her thoughts. "Don't you think you should break this up, Milady?"

She frowned, folding her arms. "I'm probably not going to get anything out of him if I do. At least this way I get the jist of what happened."

He hated that she was probably right, even more that there was a bloody crowd watching his master lose his cool like this. "Though I might try and at least move it somewhere a little more private."

She lightly touched his arm, taking a tentative step towards the pair. "Varian."

Her voice was firm like she was scolding Anduin, and apparently, he noticed, stopping mid shout and finally realising she was even there. "Sweetheart."

She accepted his embrace, then pushed him back with a hand on his chest. "Can you two do this somewhere that isn't the fucking throne room please? You're making spectacles of yourselves."

Varian must've been in a rage induced trance, looking around him and seeing exactly what she meant. "I have nothing more to say to her. This conversation's done."

Jaina apparently didn't agree. "No, I'm not leaving here with you thinking I'm the scum of Azeroth, Varian!"

His teeth gritted again. "If the cap fits, you wear it Jaina! You just jeopardised an Alliance-"

Val angrily shushed him, shoving his back and of course, barely moving him. "Right, both of you, upstairs, now.Anduin will be coming down for his lunch any second now and I will nothave him seeing his father make an arse of himself."

She twisted around to Jon. "Disperse the crowd, and stay with the Prince once he's down. I'll deal with this."

Thankfully Jaina spared her the trouble of marching them up the stairs like naughty children and teleported the three of them to their chambers, making her wonder if the wards around the Keep were good for anything at all.

Varian stomped to the same cabinet that had been unopened for months, wrenching the whiskey decanter from its depths and pouring himself a glass.

"Now we're actually quiet for a second, do either of you want to tell me what the hells is going on?"

Varian of course, pointed an accusatory finger at Jaina. "Jaina sabotaged the Alliance's efforts to neutralise the Horde, again. That's what's going on."

A loud, annoyed groan sounded strange coming from someone as petite as Jaina. "Varian, you were about to strike Thrall down for no good reason."

His fist pounded onto the table. "No good reason?! Are you thick in the head?! You saw what I did down there Jaina, and that green bastard let Sylvanas do that to innocent people, mypeople!"

Val wasn't enjoying being referee at all but if it got her up to speed without one of them killing each other, so be it. "What did she do?"

Varian's nostrils were flaring like an angered bull, and his fists were still planted on the table. "We found the last of Lordaeron's survivors. They'd been taken, experimented on…Light blind me, if you'd seen it Val your stomach would've turned. And it was all happening while I was being coerced into allying with the filth that allowed it."

Another finger jabbed the air towards Jaina's face. "Because of you."

Val put her own palms on the end of the table, leaning in so she could at least pretend that she was in between them and actually useful for something right now. "Varian, why would it be Jaina's fault if Sylvanas was the one doing it?"

Jaina gave her a grateful look, but Varian merely drained his drink and slammed it down.

"It's your fault because you distracted me with ridiculous notions of working with the Horde, making them think I wasn't looking so they could carry out these despicable acts. Daelin was right, your relationship with them is toxic, not to them, but to us. After that stunt you just pulled, you should be glad if I ever include you in Alliance matters again!"

Val held both hands up, one in front of each of them. "Right, let's talk about the battle. Did you get Putress?"

Varian was tense enough to make the veins in his neck start to bulge but he complied, pouring himself another drink. "Yes, we did."

Val couldn't believe she was even asking this. "And was there a demon lord in the end?"

Jaina nodded this time. "Yes, Thrall's forces took care of Varimathras."

There was a low growl in Varian's throat. "But the Undercity still sits in the Banshee's hands when it could've been reclaimed. We could've cemented the capital as Alliance territory!"

Jaina threw her hands up. "You agreed with Thrall to let Sylvanas have it!"

Varian went puce in the face. "I did, but I also told him it would be refuge for those turned into monstrosities by Arthas, not a means to make more out of innocents! That damn treaty is null and void, you know it and I know it."

Varian ran a hand down his face. "How can you still defend them after everything, Jaina? It actually astounds me how much you're willing to let them get away with."

Jaina appreciated that his voice had grown softer, but the tinge of hurt lacing it only made her want to wince more than the shouting ever did. "Because the majority of the Horde can't be judged on the actions of the minority, Varian. I can put gold on not all Forsaken knowing about what was happening down there. I believe in being fair."

Varian straightened, clearly done with the conversation, and even Val could foresee this going in circles. "What's not fair is how many Alliance soldiers and civilians have died because of the Horde's actions. What's not fair, Jaina, is that I'm now the laughing stock of the enemy because they all watched you undermine me."

Jaina's face continued to harden to the point where Val wasn't sure whether it would ever move again. "That's not the case and you know it."

Varian's fist started to curl again. "How do you think it looks to them? Both Adil and I had ordered our men to strike, we'd even clashed blades, then suddenly we needed a mage to warp us out of there because, what, it was too difficult? We look like weak fools in their eyes Jaina, and that one you can't defer blame for."

He turned, waving a hand. "Once again, I'll clean up your mess. I would advise that you stay well away from this point on."

Jaina sighed, taking Val's hand when she offered it and squeezing it lightly. "Tell Anduin I said hello."

Val nodded with a tiny smile, watching Varian unbuckle Shalamayne's scabbard and put the sword against the wall, totally ejecting himself from the situation. "Stay safe, Jaina. I'll keep in touch."

Jaina didn't answer, and there was a lingering silence once she closed the door until Val sighed.

"Varian-"

"-What's the situation here?"

She started, perplexed at how he could just cut what was clearly an important conversation short and change the subject so quickly. "Pardon?"

Varian started undoing the belts holding his gauntlet on, but his hands were covered in so much slime that his fingers kept slipping, so Val silently took his wrist and did it for him. "The situation here. How bad has it gotten?"

She saw no reason to lie to him; hells, he was already furious, why not make it worse all in one hit instead of doing it all over again later on?

"There's been fourteen arrests in the past two weeks, two of them treasonous. The gates are swarmed with protesters, Anduin refuses to sleep in his own bed in case 'the angry people get in', and we've not left the Keep since we got back from Mirror Lake."

His jaw clenched more with every grim detail. "All over one man? This is absolutely ridiculous."

He snatched his hand away. "I'm putting an end to this, now. Where's Gregor?"

Val grabbed his arm, barely stopping him but making him slow down as he stomped towards the door. "Varian, if you go down there in this mood all you'll do is make things worse."

Varian's eyes flashed with a rage even she didn't think him capable of. "I'll go down to the stockades and put that bastard's head on a pike, that will soon make them learn that mob mentality won't be tolerated."

He was starting to breathe heavily. "They've scared the living daylights out of my son, that I cannot and will not allow."

Val sidestepped so she was in front of him, running her palms up his forearms in an attempt to calm him at least a little bit. "Now you're back, you can put him on trial and end this in the way that people need you to. Going out there and basically threatening your people isn't the way to do it."

Varian knew she was right but damn it all, he wanted all of this to go away and not have to wait another second to achieve it. "I can't let this go on much longer Val, I already look like a coward to the Horde, I will not sit here and let my bloody subjects think the same thing!"

Val cupped his whiskered cheeks instead, making it so he had no choice but to look her straight in the eye. "And if you go to that crowd and end up losing your temper, you'll be branded a tyrant, which is far worse."

He was starting to shake, which meant that he was trying not to snap at her. "Maybe I damn well need to be Val! It's clear none of them take me seriously!"

He threw her hands away, turning on his heel and running his hands through his battle loosened hair, kicking over one of the chairs at their breakfast table in frustration.

"All I've done my whole life is put my neck on the line to protect my people, to make their lives better, to keep them safe, and thisis how I'm repaid? With angry mobs at my door, all over a stupid incident that I wasn't even here for?!"

He slumped down onto the edge of their bed, putting his face in his hands. "I went to Lordaeron because I didn't want any more people killed. I admit, I also wanted to give something back after another damn war took everything."

She sat next to him and he looked up with pure anguish on his face. "Imagine if Jaina hadn't stabbed me in the back, imagine If I'd won. No more Horde, no more problems, the North back in the hands of the poor sods longing to go home…but I suppose that was too much to ask, wasn't it? For things to be how they used to?"

She put her arm around the back of his neck and gently pushed him into her embrace, feeling his arms eventually wind their way around her waist. "Things are never going to be how they were Varian, and the sooner we both accept that, the easier life will be."

Varian huffed, curling into her. "Well, I've just learnt that the hard way, haven't I? I suppose those idiots out there got their wish, there's not to be another war."

Val frowned, watching his shoulders tremble. "Arrange the trial for tomorrow, and invite them to it."

Varian straightened, looking at her like she was mad. "What, and have them start a riot if they don't hear what they want? Not a chance."

Val wasn't about to let this go, already well versed in what she was going to say after a long discussion with both Gregor and Lee as to the outcome of all this. "If they're all in one room, you can start a dialogue with them Varian, make them see that you're willing to listen, which really, is all they want."

Varian didn't seem convinced and really, she hadn't expected him to be. She was grasping at thin air as much as he was right now, and the uncertainty of it all was exhausting the both of them.

"I take no pleasure in separating families, as much as those people out there seem to think I do. If I could, I would make it so this war never had to begin, but it has, and we have to deal with it. Calling me every name under the sun and treating me like I'mthe villain isn't going to help anyone, why can't they see that?"

Val stood up, pulling his arm to make him join her and taking the blanket from the bed, finding it already soiled and putting it on the floor instead. Thankfully he understood why she did it and raised his arms, showing her how exhausted he was simply by letting her unbuckle his cuirass.

"Varian, you were never going to be loved by every single person on the planet. They need an outlet for their grief, someone to blame, and because they can't do it to the Lich King, they do it to the nearest authority. They're probably not the first to do it, and they certainly won't be the last."

She frowned, letting him lift the steel off and put it on the blanket so it didn't cover the floor in ichor. "Hells, we're probably going to have to deal with things like this for the rest of our lives, if things keep going to shit like they are."

Varian's face told her that he knew that. "So what you're basically telling me is that I shouldn't take it personally? When it's clearlypersonal?"

Val's nose wrinkled as she took his tasset from him, figuring he could take the rest off himself and she could merely aid him. "It's not personal, Varian, it's political. They know that you're at the top of the food chain when it comes to how things are run, so you're the one to change things when it impacts their lives, be that for good or bad. I'm sure those who are bellowing by our gates would be treating anyone else wearing your crown the same right now."

Varian seemed to be conceding to her logic, using her shoulder to balance himself while he worked on getting his greaves and boot off without having to faff. "I suppose my Father was getting the same by the time he died."

Val's smile held a strain that he knew all too well. "I was trying not to say it, but even youwere arguing the toss with him by that point Varian."

He took her hands, coming around to her train of thought. "I'll fix this Val, I promise. I can't tell you just how I'll do that right now, but I'll do my damnedest."

He sighed, finally admitting defeat. "And the first thing I'll do is send Gregor down with a notice of tomorrow's trial. If it ends in a debate, than so be it."

Val squeezed his hands, leaving him to start running him a much needed bath while he stripped completely. "Once the war is over and the dust settles, I'm sure things will start to calm down again. But everyone's on edge right now Varian, we have to be a little forgiving."

Varian flung the rest of his clothes on the pile, glad to feel the warmth coming through the window after enduring the unnatural chill of the Undercity. "It was just all awfully timed I suppose. This wouldn't have gone on half as long as this had I been here when it started."

Val shrugged, pouring some sweet smelling oils into the swirling water. "What's done is done, Varian. It's how we deal with it now that matters."

Varian fished for the hair tie that was dangling at the ends of his matted locks and looked down at his filth crusted skin. "Would you mind accompanying me tomorrow? I know a courthouse isn't the most romantic of outings…"

Val leant against the doorframe with folded arms, giving him quite the endearing smile. "It's mandatory for every council member to attend a treason trial, so it'd look rather bad if I didn't."

Varian was glad to hear a firmness to her voice that normally wasn't there when they'd talked of Royal Affairs in the past; maybe these 'lessons' she was having were having quite the positive effect.

"As long as you're prepared to potentially hear things neither of us will like."

Val shrugged, not bothering to pass his robe to him once he was undressed, for it would only cause even more laundry. "I've thicker skin than you believe me to, Varian. I can handle a few harsh words."

Varian lightly held her chin and bent down, tasting a hint of peppermint on her lips. "I know you can, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy hearing them any more. You know how I get when people talk harshly about you."

Val patted his arm, grimacing at her hand after and stepping out of his way so he could sit in the rising water and make a start. "Then you're the one that needs to remember to keep your temper tomorrow. You can't lose your cool if someone says something a little bit nasty about me Varian, you're there as the King, not my husband."

She wiped her hand off, realising that the pile of soiled cloths was going to get bigger whether she liked it or not. She noticed he'd gone quiet, finding him staring into the water like it held all of life's questions. "Varian?"

He brought his head up with a deep frown. "Val…Anduin didn't see any of what transpired with Jaina, did he?"

Val understood the shamed undertone to his voice, but this time at least, it wasn't warranted. "No, he didn't."

Relief flooded his weathered features. "Where is he?"

Val looked down at herself, realising she would need to change at the same time he did. "Well, he wasat school, but I had Lee fetch him just before coming to the Throne Room, so by my reckoning he's outside waiting for us to come to lunch."

Varian's brow wrinkled again, but the lines were fainter this time. "Do you think he's realised I'm back?"

Val shrugged, trying not to stare too much when he stood to hurry his bath along. It was only now he was here that she realised how long it had been since any type of intimacy had taken place between them, so it made her cheeks flush alot easier when she had no choice but to be confronted with his backside.

Though on the other side of the coin, she was relieved to be feeling any urges at all; she'd been terrified that Elliot's passing had killed any chance of wanting to 'go to bed' with Varian for all time to come, so she supposed it wasn't completely wanton to be standing her blushing like a young maid.

"Lee probably told him to explain why we'll be a bit late."

Varian slowly nodded, apparently glad to hear it.

"What will you tell him?"

Varian stiffened. "The truth, what else? We lost the battle, why would I hide that from him?"

Val's lips thinned. "About Jaina. He calls her 'Auntie' Varian, she's his Light-mother, you're going to have to explain why she suddenly can't come here."

Varian's brows snapped down. "Once again, I'll tell him the truth. That she's lost my trust."

Val gave him a pointed look. "Varian, you can't tell him that, it'll only lead to questions that no child should hear the answer to."

Varian sighed, stilling the washcloth as it scrubbed at his chest. "How the hells has it gotten this bad, Val? First Arthas, now Jaina…who next? Lee? Nan? Who else are we going to have to cut loose?"

Val started undoing her dress, well aware that they needed to rush a little bit. "Varian, it's hardly fair to compare Jaina to Arthas." He clearly didn't agree with her and she was sure it was because his temper was still high.

Had she said the same thing in two, maybe three days time he might've been more temperate. "She's as far in bed with the Horde as he was with the Scourge."

Val's look of exhausted annoyance was lost on him where he'd deliberately turned around to finish off. "So I take it that means that this isn't the end of this?"

Varian held his hand out and took the towel she had passed him, letting her go back into the main chamber first and following her out. "For us it is. I'll have one of Shaw's best go to Theramore and keep an eye on things, but apart from that I want nothing to do with the Horde again."

He dried himself while she got their clothes ready, glad that she wasn't arguing with him over this when really, he'd been preparing himself for another fight. "I'm going to send a messenger to Thandol Span in the next day or so to invite Thargas Anvilmar down here."

Val knew why he was doing it without him needing to say it. "You're planning on destroying the bridge?"

He merely grunted, pulling the tunic she'd chosen over his head and rolling the sleeves up. "It'll cut the Horde off from our territories and help me sleep better. At least from the sea we'll have ample warning of an attack."

Val ducked into the closet and grabbed the first dress that her hand touched, checking it was appropriate for the weather and taking it from its hanger. "Are we sending anytroops up there?"

Varian shrugged, pulling his trousers up over his backside and snapping the waistband into place. "I have no clue right now, Sweetheart, and to be perfectly honest, I'm sick of talking about it. I've just gotten home to my family after nearly a month away, can't I just enjoy it?"

Val pulled the thin straps of her dress up and took his hand when he held it out, finding it impossible not to smile at the kiss he planted upon it. "How have youbeen?"

Val had to admit, she was a little taken aback by someone actually asking her that when the past few weeks had practically been all about either Varian or the situation outside.

She blinked dumbly a couple of times and eventually cleared her throat. "I- I've been fine, I suppose. Plodding on like I usually do."

Varian had concern written all over his face. "But you've been alright?"

Now Val had time to process what he meant she felt a little more confident in her answer. "I've been doing alot better. Everything physical is starting to ease, which helps, but I've stopped crying and honestly Varian, I've been feeling like myself again."

His smile made his feelings abundantly clear, but the embrace he gave her confirmed them, cemented with the small kiss to the crown of her head. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

She looked up at him with the same concern in her honey eyes. "What about you?"

Varian grimaced, trying to put this into the right words. "I've had alot of time by myself in camp, which I suppose helped alot. But I think…and don't scorn me for this, I think I'm starting to come to terms with everything. It still hurts from time to time, but nowhere near as crippling as it was."

Val wondered if he'd expected her to blow her fuse at what was by all accounts, quite the honest confession. "So we're basically on the same page with it all?"

Varian wanted to chuckle at her always blunt wording, but settled for pecking her forehead this time. "Apparently so."

She sighed in relief, putting her forehead on his chest. "Can we please stop pussyfooting around each other now?"

Varian lifted her head by her chin, brushing her hair from her face and fighting a grin when a single curled lock sprang back. "Indeed we can. I want nothing more than for us to be as we were Val, but as usual, I'm following your lead on everything, so it's up to you how fast we move."

Val smiled, which was all he ever wanted. "Good deal."

She took his hands away, jabbing a thumb at the door. "Then my first suggestion is going downstairs before Anduin wonders where the hells we are."

Varian seemed to agree, pulling the boots he always kept under the bed out and slipping them on at the same time she shucked her feet into a pair of simple slippers. "That is probably the best idea you could've started with."

He offered her his arm, squeezing her hand when she took it. "I won't lie, I've been wanting a decent meal since I left. I forgot how abysmal camp rations could be."

Val snorted, knowing full well what he meant. "We've both become a little bit used to the luxuries again, that's all. I reckon I'd be the same if I went back to the field."

She was aware that his temper was still on a simmer, and that dropping hints of her intentions to re-enlist were risky to say the least, but she had to at least see what his reaction would be in order to make a final decision.

"Hmph. If you were back at the field I'd make sure you took my offer of a damn bed this time, I know that much."

He closed the door behind them, raising a hand to tell Jon and Varro to stay where they were, bidding them 'good day' and 'farewell' in the same sentence and letting Val catch up with him as he moved too quickly down the hallway.

He was well aware of the spectacle he'd created from his argument with Jaina, and having every pair of eyes stare at him as he traversed his own Keep was only making his mood about the whole thing worse.

"Would you let me go back at this point?"

Varian would normally question the bluntness of her query, but right now he was too tired and his head hurt too much to discuss anything that was considered ' a serious matter'. "Ask me again tomorrow, Sweetheart."

She noticed how slow his voice had gotten. "Varian, I'm sure Anduin wouldn't mind if you rested. Hells, you haven't even seen a medic yet-"

He held a hand up, cutting her sentence dead. "I don't need to see a medic for a few superficial wounds, Val, I'm a big boy, I can handle them just fine. And rest is a sentiment I don't hold with, at least not while there's alot to do."

He leant over and kissed her head, recognising the worry in her eyes as the same one he'd felt on her behalf countless times. "I'll get an early night, I promise you, but for now there's a list as long as my leg that I need to get through."

He ran his spare hand down his face. "I still need to collar Gregor and prepare everything for tomorrow."

Val's smile wasn't quite the reaction he'd expected, nor was the clear excitement on her face. "Let me help, Varian. For once I actually know what I'm talking about, so let me put the past two weeks to bloody use."

Varian couldn't fault her enthusiasm, and in truth, he found it rather endearing how she suddenly wanted to dive headfirst into the things he'd been concerned that she wouldn't cope well with. "Ah, so Jaina wasn't jesting when she told me you were attending school as well?"

Val knew her cheeks were going pink, and she merely shook her head, watching her feet as they went down the hallway. "No, she wasn't. This whole thing made it abundantly clear that I have no idea how a kingdom is run in slightest, and I won't make much of a queen if I continued on that way."

Varian gave her a weak smile; while he still wasn't completely on board with her idea of cramming what he'd learned over a span of twenty years into her head at once like this, he couldn't help but be immensely proud of how utterly determined she was. "And how are they going?"

Val couldn't help her surprise at how easily he'd accepted her endeavour, but she managed to shake it off with a lop sided grin. "Better than I thought they ever would've gone! So far I've done the big three; Treason, murder and robbery."

Varian was trying not to laugh even though he was taking this as serious as she clearly was.

"You sound far too excited about that."

Val shrugged as if it were nothing. "We're starting taxes tomorrow, so don't get used to me being this chipper about it all."

Varian merely inclined his head to those who greeted him as they went past, well aware of the look in their eye and finding it rather embarrassing. He had to wonder just how many of them had gathered to gawp at his public melee, making his anger about the whole thing start to churn in the pit of his stomach like acidic bile.

"If you need any advice or tuition outside of Lee's, you realise you can come to me, don't you?"

Val's grin had turned into a smirk. "Yes Varian, I do, but in my defence, you weren't exactly at arm's length when the idea hit me."

She leant up to kiss his cheek, already feeling the heat of the sun coming through the open double doors that led to the gardens. "And you have enough to deal with. I'm sure I'll be absolutely grand doing this one thing on my own. Just have a glass of cider ready for me at the end of each session and I shall love you to death."

Varian's amusement at her joke was hidden by the hand he put in front of his face to keep himself from being blinded by the sudden sunlight.

With a few blinks his eyes adjusted and he relished the sight of actual colour instead of everything being tinged either a mouldy grey or a sickly green. He wasn't particularly fond of flowers, he didn't see the enjoyment one could get out of them, but for just a moment he could say that he appreciated them just as much as he did everything else that could be titled 'full of life'.

There had been so much death surrounding him in Lordaeron that even a wasp buzzing around his head for a brief moment didn't annoy him, and apparently Val noticed.

"Glad to be home?"

Varian didn't need to look down at her, she could see his face from where she was and he needed to focus on his destination lest the mild injuries he'd received start to irritate him if he stopped concentrating. "I know it's selfish…but yes."

His brow started to wrinkle despite how he could see Anduin not far away, running in circles with Alice and attempting to keep her from getting the little ball in his hand. "If you'd seen what I have in the past few hours Val…you'd be begging for this much greenery."

Val waved over at Lee, who was of course sitting with the Prince to both keep him company and make sure he didn't get himself into trouble, and the groom turned to his younger counterpart, apparently telling him they were here.

Anduin stopped dead, bounced on the spot and pelted for his father, letting Varian swing him up even though his fatigued arms protested. Alice jumped at the King's legs but Val soon occupied her, bending down and stroking her head with a large smile. "Father! You're back! Lee was telling the truth!"

Varian kissed Anduin's cheeks, rubbing the tips of their noses against each other. "Did you really think he'd tell you so, were it not true? Apologies for not coming down sooner son, but I was in a bit of a disgusting state."

Anduin's face scrunched. "Was it icky up north?"

Varian nodded, readying to sweep his locks back but finding that they'd been cut short again in his absence. "Very. I just had to take two baths and have your mum hose me down."

Val sputtered, taking Esme from the wall next to her when the cat loudly meowed in protest to her showing the dog affection. "No I didn't, give over Varian."

Anduin lightly brushed a fingertip over a scratch on Varian's cheek, pulling his hand away when the older Wrynn flinched. "You're hurt?"

Varian shook his head, carrying the lad over to the table, where a very inviting flagon of cold ale was waiting for him. The beer and ale in camp had run dry within a week or so, with the soldiers wanting to rid themselves of any trace of the day, so to find a whole flagon pretty much to himself was one of life's small graces to the King of Stormwind.

He sat down, trying not to wince at how his battle fatigue was starting to set in, making his legs ache and stiffen, but still he had Anduin on his thigh like it was merely a normal day. "Not enough for you to start worrying, son. Just a bruise or two."

Val huffed, pouring him a drink since his hands were full and taking a generous sip of hers. "I still think you should've been seen to."

Varian managed to balance Anduin on one leg simply so he could wave a hand. "I'll be fine woman, stop fretting."

He gave Anduin a squeeze with a wide grin. "I wasn't about to miss lunch with my boy after two weeks! We've alot to catch up on!"

Val ran her hand down Esme's back, finding Varian's enthusiasm simply for being home infectious. "Show your father your tooth, Anduin."

Varian's eyebrow rose, but Anduin started bouncing, making his thigh start to go numb. "Oh! Look father! It fell out yesterday!"

Varian had been wondering why there was a slight whistle to Anduin's voice, hoping someone would explain it before he made another arse of himself and found out he was merely imagining it.

But there was the evidence to the contrary, clear as day; Anduin hooked a finger onto each corner of his lips and pulled to show Varian the sizeable gap sitting where his tiny little incisor used to be. "What happened? Did you fall and knock it out? Or was Thomas too rough with the ball again?"

Val shook her head, giving Lee the signal to go and have their food brought out. "No, it fell out of its own accord."

Varian was trying not to sound like he was denying it happened, rather the reason for it. "But surely you're not old enough for that just yet, son?"

Anduin shrugged, taking his juice when Val passed it to him. "Cathy said I am. Fia's lost two."

Varian defiantly shook his head. "Absolute hogwash. You're not old enough. You're still a baby, for Light sake!"

Val wasn't sure who was finding Varian's rant funnier, herself or Anduin, but either way, they were both shaking with giggles. "I'm six, Father! That makes me a big boy!"

Varian was clearly jesting, Val could tell by how his face was still its natural colour instead of a shade of crimson, which was how it normally ended up when he was vexed.

But to Anduin, he was being deadly serious and the boy was starting to look genuinely concerned. "That doesn't make you a big boy at all! You're not a big boy until you're eighteen, and Light blind me that's millennia away!"

Anduin nearly squirted juice all over the table after taking an unfortunately timed sip. "No it's not! We've counted up to there at school room and it's only…"

He trailed off, putting both hands up and starting to count the difference, only to look completely lost after merely a few of his digits had flung themselves straight.

Varian leant to his ear, eager to put the lad out of his misery. "Twelve."

Anduin brightened, quietly thanking his father in the same whispered tone Varian had used. "It's only twelve away father! That's not much at all!"

Varian pointed an incredulous finger at him and gave Val a pleading look. "Val, do something, will you. He's actively trying to make me age in the span of a few seconds."

Val had no choice but to play along, scratching Esme behind the ears as the tabby curled up on her lap. "Anduin, stop ageing your father, it's not nice."

Anduin could see her grin, making him realise she wasn't being serious and actually telling him off. "Sorry mum."

He gave Varian a brief hug, feeling his father's large hand pat his back. "Sorry for making you feel old, Father." Varian lifted him down, stretching his legs out and letting the boy sit in his own seat as the first few platters were put in the middle of the table.

"It's alright son, I'm sure you'll do it alot more as time goes on."

Anduin waited for Varian's nod of approval before helping himself, and Val had to admit now she could see the food, she could feel her hunger.

Varian had already started piling his plate, and a comfortable silence reigned over the three of them as they accumulated their meals.

"So did you win the battle, Father?"

Varian grimaced, taking a chunk from the Stormwind Brie sitting on the cheese board and pushing it off of the knife to his plate, offering Val some and having to chuckle when she said 'yes' instantly. "Yes and no, son. We got who we went there for, but we didn't win Lordaeron back."

Anduin seemed rather unfazed by the same news that had so infuriated the man sitting next to him. "Oh. Oh well. Next time?"

Varian shook his head. "No, there won't be a next time. We're going to have to consider Lordaeron lost, unfortunately."

Of course they'd both expected the boy to not be as bothered as they were about leaving a once great kingdom to rot, so it was no surprise when he merely swung his legs and popped a cherry tomato into his mouth. "At least you got the bad man, Father. That's good."

Varian had to admire his son's ever present optimism, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Aye, it is, son."

Anduin let Varian wipe the corners of his mouth. "So what happens now? Fia said there's still fighting in Northrend, will you go there?"

Varian was almost glad that Anduin had already been reminded of the war so he hadn't been placed with the gut wrenching burden. But that didn't make this any easier on him. "Eventually, yes. There's a few things I have to take care of here, then I'll have a big meeting with the leaders and captains, and then hopefullywe'll be on the last stretch."

Anduin brightened, sitting straighter. "Oh! I didn't realise that it was nearly over!"

Val chuckled, spreading pickle on the slice of pork pie she'd nabbed. "I wouldn't go that far just yet, Little Lion. There's alot that needs doing first."

Varian made a noise of agreement, pulling apart a large slice of sweetened honey ham. "Your Mum's right, son. We need to make sure the troops are up to par and scout the route towards the citadel to make sure it's actually accessible. And that's just to start off with."

Val could tell from Anduin's face that there were a few words in his father's answer that he didn't understand.

"What's a cit-a-del?"

Val let Varian eat and answered for him. "It's a very big fortress. The one your father's talking about is where the Lich King lives."

Anduin still didn't look contented. "And how will you know it's 'ex-ces-I-bel'?"

Val gave him an encouraging smile. "'Accessible', Little Lion. There's an 'A' at the beginning."

She put her goblet down. "We'll know when your father's scouts tell us whether it's heavily guarded, whether there's wards around the entrance, and whether the journey there is worth the trouble."

Varian slowly nodded, glad that she was on the same page as him. "If we end up losing more men on the way there, it makes the whole thing a waste of time."

Anduin's face was slowly straightening from confusion to clarity, which was the best either of the adults could hope for in one so young. "Then that's it?"

Varian didn't want to give him false hope, but even he could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel the more he thought about it all. "If all goes well, then hopefully yes."

Val pointed her knife at the king. "But don't take that as absolute gospel, Anduin. I think all of this mess with the Wrathgate has taught us that we shouldn't become complacent about everything running smoothly."

Anduin seemed rather vexed by the idea. "Does that mean I can't be excited?"

Varian refilled his ale with a furrowed brow. "Listen to your mum, Anduin, for she speaks wisely. Of course you can be excited about the potentialend to the war, but I've learnt the hard way during the past few years that things don't always go the way we expect or want them to. So we just have to be cautious."

He gave him a small smile. "And that means not building our people's hopes up in case Light forbid something does go wrong or is delayed. So this stays between us three for the time being, alright?"

Anduin's face told them that he had finally understood what they meant, and his smile soon returned, which was all they wanted. "Yes Father!"

He seemed alot more chipper now that had been cleared up, and Varian would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved about that. So having to potentially ruin it before it'd even begun was a risk Varian hated taking. "Anduin, your mum's told me about what's been going on here."

The prince's face straightened. "The angry people are scary, Father."

Varian reached over and held his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "I know they are son, but your mum and I have a plan to make them not bother us anymore, alright?"

Anduin seemed alright with that, hearing the confidence in his father's voice and trusting it completely. "And you won't hurt them?"

Varian could understand how he'd come to that conclusion; no doubt a select few of the staff in the Keep had been talking about the situation and little ears had heard it incorrectly. "No, I have no intentions to let it escalate that far."

Val gave Esme some of the ham that was left on her plate, trying not to laugh at how her small tongue tickled her hand. "We're gathering them at the courthouse to merely talk to them, Anduin, nothing more."

Anduin's smile started to reappear. "So everyone will go home?"

Val nodded. "That's what we're hoping happens."

Anduin took a grape from the platter in front of him. "Can I come?"

Varian firmly shook his head. "Absolutely not."

Anduin looked utterly offended by the notion. "Why not?"

Varian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Because you're too young, that's why. A courthouse is no place for a child."

A cocky grin wasn't exactly the reaction either of them had expected when telling the child that he wasn't allowed somewhere. "But we just said I'm a big boy now. You're con-tra-dic-ting yourself, Father."

Val's palm was the only thing keeping her ale in her mouth as she laughed through her nose instead, and Varian's stunned look at what was quite the rare bout of cheek from his son only made it worse. But even then she could see the corners of his mouth twitching like he was fighting just as hard as she was to keep a straight face.

"Listen here, you little smart arse, I've said you're not coming and that's the end of it, understand? There's to be nobargaining, not this time."

Anduin accepted defeat pretty easily and without too much of a fuss, which Varian was always grateful for, and soon he was merrily eating his lunch without a care in the world. "Can we play football after lunch, Father?"

Varian was pleasantly surprised at his invitation, giving him a genuine smile. "Of course, I'd be delighted to."

Val didn't seem too impressed. "Varian, you've just come back from battle."

Varian waved a hand of dismissal. "I'm not going to fall apart because of a little game, Val. I'll be fine."

He mussed Anduin's hair again, fighting the boy's squirms to keep his hand where it was. "I've just come back and I want to spend time with my boy, there's no harm in that."

Anduin started bouncing in his seat. "Down the park?"

Varian's smile faltered somewhat. "No, not yet. Let your mum and I sort out the 'angry people' first, then we can go down there. For now we'll play in the grounds."

Anduin seemed rightfully disappointed and all it did was make Varian more annoyed at the situation. "Alright then."

Varian cupped his chin, stroking it with his thumb. "But after all this is done, we'll go down there everyday, how does that sound?"

That seemed to perk the prince up, though how long it would work was beyond Varian. "And get sweets on the way back?"

Varian pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore Val's snickers. "Why is it whenever you've been around Thomas for a while, you end up pushing your luck with absolutely everything?"

Anduin started giggling with the biggest of smiles, making it difficult for the king to resist not giving him whatever he wanted. "Cause I'm adorably cheeky!"

Varian shook his head but laughter finally managed to burst its way through his lips. "Yes, you are, and it'll be one of the many reasons I go grey prematurely. Now head down young man, I want every scrap cleared from that plate."

Val wouldn't see Varian until dinner, and even then it would be a late one. Anduin had already been taken to bed, the sun was just descending back into the horizon, and she'd be lying if she told anyone that she wasn't sitting here yawning to herself.

She gave him a small smile when she heard the door close behind him, looking up from the cross stitch she'd been practising with. "All done?"

Varian unclipped his cloak, bundling it up and throwing it on the armchair near the fire. "Yes, thank the Light."

He sniffed, letting a smile crack across his face. "Can I smell beef?"

Val nodded, putting her stitching down and shimmying from the bed. "Cook had it brought in on a hot plate, cause we didn't know how long you'd be."

Varian pulled his boots off, crossing to the basin to wash his hands. "You could've started without me, you know I wouldn't have minded."

Val shook her head, pouring them both an ale. "It wouldn't have been much fun just sitting there watching you eat. I like the intimacy of it."

He bent to kiss her cheek, pulling her seat out for her even though she had never asked him to do it in all the years he'd known her, taking the metal dome from her plate at the same time he did.

She had to chuckle at how he inhaled deeply and looked like he was about to simply eat everything in front of him, including the crockery it was perched on.

"Were the camp meals that bad? All you've done today is swoon at food." She widened her grin. "I'm starting to feel a little jealous."

Varian answered with his own laugh, twisting his fork in his hand. "Val, we had to take what wouldn't be affected by the abysmal atmosphere, which narrowed our choices down significantly. I've been dreaming of both you and a decent meal in perfect tandem with one another, don't you worry."

Val took a pinch of salt from the small pot sitting between them, sprinkling it on her meal and doing the same with the ground pepper next to it. "Oh well, as long as you're not leaving me for a lamb shank anytime soon, I suppose I can sleep peacefully."

He passed her the mustard pot after he'd finished with it, generously coating everything in a thick gravy that smelled divine. "I went down to the ramparts, to assess these 'crowds' for myself."

Val's eyebrow rose. "I was wondering what was taking you. What did you find?"

Varian forgave her ignorance, glad to hear without her saying it that she hadn't ventured down there herself to see what was going on up close. "It seems the notice you suggested made quite the impression. I only counted about eight down there when I left."

Val didn't even attempt to hide her relief. "Considering I was told that there were twenty two this morning. See, I do have good ideas sometimes."

Varian finally put the first piece of beef in his mouth, resisting the urge to groan in contentment in case he did look rather mad. "I never doubted it for a second. I merely doubted that those idiots would be as smart."

Val scraped some mustard onto the parsnip she'd loaded onto her fork. "They're not idiots, Varian, they're merely passionate about their cause."

Varian huffed, taking a sip of his ale. "Causing a public nuisance, harassing everyone that goes in and out of this Keep and blaming my family for something I 'did' isn't being passionate Val, it's being idiotic."

Val had a funny feeling she wasn't about to change his mind on this. "Well here's hoping it's rectified tomorrow, eh?"

Varian grunted an agreement, letting himself savour his next mouthful. "I shall bloody pray for it at this point. I have more important matters to be dealing with."

Val latched onto the subject change, passing him the horseradish when he asked her for it. "Did you arrange the Alliance meeting?"

Varian nodded, tapping the spoon off. "I sent out the invites for it, yes. Everyone will hopefully be attending, including Garside and the other captains."

Val slowly nodded. "I remember you mentioning it."

She chewed a bit slower, furrowing her brow. "Does that include the Highlord?"

Varian put his fork down. "Yes, it does. The Death Knights have done their part for us in this campaign, it would be bad form not to include them now."

Val didn't look so sure. "Varian, you remember the reactions you got when they came to our camp. The amount of times I had to listen to Carson telling us that we'd wake up with knives in our backs was phenomenal. Do you really think the people here will be any sort of accepting?"

Varian shrugged, linking his fingers together. "They don't have a choice, Val. I need everyone who has an army participating in the final assault here to make sure we're on the same page. If that includes inviting a Death Knight into my home than I will treat him with as much respect as I do the others."

He had to admit, he was rather perplexed as to why that had brought a smile to her face when she'd been so dubious mere seconds ago.

"It feels strange, hearing you say 'final assault' with such confidence."

Varian returned her smile with rather a smaller one. "I feel it appropriate to remind you of what we said to Anduin earlier about getting our hopes up."

She drummed the table with her fingertips. "Yes, but you were speaking to a child then, I like to think you can be a bit more honest with the plan ahead with me."

Varian had to admit she had him there, and put his goblet down, wiping his mouth with the napkin sitting next to it. "I'm passing around the idea of launching a full scale assault again to catch the Lich King off guard. These smaller skirmishes aren't really having the desired effect, and I'm losing men and women more and more every day."

Val sat a little straighter. "So this is it then? Are you recalling the rest of our troops?"

Varian nodded stiffly. "I haven't worked out the finer details yet, that will be saved for the war council, but I'm ready to end this once and for all. We can't keep fighting without any end result."

Val agreed wholeheartedly, staring into space for a brief moment. "We owe it to those we've lost really, don't we?"

Varian was glad that the table in their chambers was smaller than the one in the dining hall, it made it easier for him to reach over and take her hand. "Aye, we do. You just have to bear with me a little while longer."

Val's smile came back, and he was pleased to recognise it as one of her more genuine ones. "I'll do no such thing. You are not to send your armies in there until you deem your battle plan absolutely pristine, do you hear me?"

Varian's sharp salute made ale spray on her cheeks as she took an unfortunately timed sip, causing his own laughter to bubble through.

She wiped her mouth, narrowing her eyes at him. "Damn it Varian."

Varian watched her with the warmest of smiles, catching her curiosity. "What?"

He shrugged, resuming his meal before it went cold. "I've just missed your laugh, that's all. I don't think I need to tell you how utter miserable things were up north."

Val's eyes held a sympathy, one that he wouldn't accept from anyone else lest they be mocking him. "I was saying to Lee this morning that I almost wish I'd come with you. Maybe it would've been a tiny bit more bearable."

His face hardened and she knew the trap had been set. "Is this in any way connected to how you asked me about coming back to Northrend earlier?"

Val pushed a potato around the plate, trying to think about how to word this in a way that would get her what she wanted. "Maybe. You never did give me an answer."

Varian's brows drew in. "It depends which answer you want me to give?"

Val looked up at him, purposely peering through her eyelashes. She knew it was rather the desperate move, but she was determined to get him on her side with this. "Well, a 'yes, I'll do the paperwork' would be nice…"

Varian's face didn't move. "Not a chance. You've only just recovered from everything else, I'm not putting you in a battlefield straight after, it'd be irresponsible to say the least."

While Val had been expecting a direct refusal, that didn't make it any less exhausting to hear. "I don't want to argue with you Varian. But I wasn't exactly asking."

Varian's jaw started to tighten already, which even she thought was rather quick. "I know you weren't, but I still forbid it. You're nowhere near ready."

Val folded her arms, not really hungry anymore. "And just how do you know that?"

Varian's fist clenched. "Val, it's only been five weeks since we lost Elliot. Your body needs time to recover, and that includes rest, not gallivanting to a battlefield like you're a bloody suicidal maniac."

Val could work with this, which she had to admit was recovering. "What if I had solid proof that I was better? Have Lineker come and give me a medical before you go back, and if he clears me, which I know he will, you can take me with you when you return north."

Varian still shook his head. "No. Even if you are physically well, Val, it doesn't mean you're battle ready."

Val had been anticipating him bringing that up, and thankfully had another bullet in the gun that she could tell was slowly wearing him down. "I've been training for the past fortnight-"

His laugh pierced the quiet of the room. "Ha! You think two weeks of sword smacking with Varro will make you ready to face the undead again?"

He sighed, draining his drink and wishing to the Light that he hadn't sworn off of spirits despite his lapse earlier. "Val, I don't think I need to sit here and tell you how much blood you lost having Elliot. You don't just spring back from something like that, it takes time."

Val still had hope gleaming in her eyes. "We havetime, Varian. We can't put a strike of this magnitude together in a day, and I'm willing to spend every day training if I have to. Tutor me yourself so you can see that I'm still the same damn woman I was eight months ago, for Light sake."

Varian's brows knitted together, but she could swear he had confusion written on his features. "What's that supposed to mean, 'the same woman'?"

Damn it, she had been trying not to get too emotional but her eyes were starting to glaze. "Varian, I'm the same person I was before I fell pregnant. Hells, I was fighting whenI was pregnant. Now when everyone looks at me, they see nothing but a woman who was almost a mother. Everyone, including you, has forgotten who I was and what I could do before Elliot, and it's driving me insane."

She looked up at him and he finally realised why she was being so adamant about this.

"Val, no one sees you like that, especially not me. I just think you need to give it a little bit longer, that's all."

Val shook her head. "I can still fight, Varian. I've not forgotten how to hold a hammer or shield just because I was suddenly taken from the field. Let me prove to you that I'm not some meek, sick little woman who's defined by a child that she didn't have."

Varian thought long and hard about it, clearly seeing how much this meant to her and eventually sighing. "Three weeks. That's how long you have to get a clean sheet of health from Lineker, and prove to me that you can hold your own. If I believe that you're ready at the end of those three weeks, then, and only then will I re-enlist you back into the army. Is that fair?"

Val nodded, utterly stunned that he'd come around so quickly. "Perfectly."

He stabbed a carrot like it'd personally insulted him, pointing it at her with his fork. "I'll be taking over your training, and these lessons of yours are put on hold for the time being so we can have a morning and afternoon session. You're to attend both every day and do notexpect me to go easy on you."

Val started to smile, which really, was all he ever wanted. "That suits me just fine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Varian chuckled, which astounded her even more. "I'm pleasantly surprised that we didn't turn this into a screaming match like we usually do, so I won't fall off of my seat just yet."

Val's face softened. "I think it didn't turn into one because you knew this was coming."

He hated how transparent he was sometimes. "Of course I did. The war wasn't going away anytime soon, and I know you, you'd want to do something where you didn't have to think about what we've lost. I did the same thing with the Undercity, as shameful as that is to admit. I suppose I had the mentality of 'if I don't mention it, she won't either'."

His smile dropped. "But that doesn't mean that I like the idea of you putting yourself in the thick of it again. I've nearly lost you twice in the space of a year. Going through something like that is bound to make any man hesitant."

Val could understand that. "Varian, I think we've both learnt the hard way over the years that anything and everything could take us at anytime. What's the point in being scared of one scenario over another when they're both equally likely?"

Varian grumbled incoherently, tossing another small strip of beef into his mouth. "Damn you and your logic."

She reached across once more and of course he took her hand, squeezing it as hard as he was able to without hurting her. "Thank you."

Varian wasn't really sure exactly what he was being thanked for, but something on her face told him that she meant it. "You're welcome, Sweetheart. Just don't overdo it, that's all I ask. If Lineker says something's not up to par, or if I feel your sword skill isn't good enough, you have to simply accept it when I say no, understand?"

Val was so elated to have him even considering it that she nodded fervently. "Understood, loud and clear."

He let go of her hand so he could refill their goblets, laughing quietly when she held hers up. "To starting over, and ending the war."

He knocked the rim of his against hers and echoed the sentiment, and strangely enough, he was beginning to see what she had meant.

He'd seen nothing but a woman mourning, a woman recovering, a woman that was so far away from what he knew of his Val that it completely blurred his vision.

But now his eyes had been opened he was starting to notice how much straighter she was sitting, and how her shoulders didn't have a slump to them anymore, hells, the dewy brightness had come back to her own irises when he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen it.

It brought a confident smile to his face, one that told her that he was with her all the way, which really, was all she wanted.