It was always quiet whenever Varian went away; his booming voice and general presence always demanded attention in a room whether he wanted it or not, but when he was gone it always felt like something was missing.

Val had been feeling that more than ever for the past three days, noticing how the house and its isolation made everything practically silent with just her and Anduin occupying it.

She'd racked her brains trying to find a solution, and the only one that seemed plausible was to bite the bullet and go back to the Keep, so that was exactly what they were doing.

She'd spoken to Anduin about it last night and he'd agreed it was time for them to go home despite what they'd arranged with Varian; their bags had been packed within the hour, and Val had sent the two new guards to notify the Keep and have the royal coach sent down later that morning for them.

She was watching him lying on his belly in the grass, using a magnifying glass that was slightly too big to study a small frog sitting by the lakeside.

Exactly whathe was studying it for, she had no clue, but the concentration on his face made her not question it.

She merely sipped her tea, letting the cool spring air wash over her and clear her senses. Today was going to be hard enough, she didn't want to be groggy on top of everything.

She supposed her need for company was driven by how today would've been her 'due date', but since there was no longer a baby to be due, it was just a day that held more sadness than she cared to think about.

There was a letter from Varian in her case that she hadn't opened yet on his instruction, but she probably wouldn't read it until tomorrow, she couldn't find the nerve to even open it today.

She needed to keep her mind occupied, and having people around her no matter what the reason for it would help immensely.

She watched her stepson with a warm smile, tilting her head. "Reckon that one's a prince?"

Anduin turned his head to acknowledge her, still with the magnifying glass to his eye, flashing her a grin. "Don't be silly Mum!"

She chuckled, pointing to his amphibious companion with her mug. "How do you know I'm being silly? Go on, kiss it, prove me wrong!"

Anduin started giggling, flattening himself again and putting his chin on his stacked hands. "Can I take him home?"

Val's brow furrowed and she wiped some tea from the corners of her mouth. "I don't

think we kept any jars. Unless you want to try and keep it in a bucket you're out of luck."

Of course he looked disappointed, but she knew he wouldn't sulk for long. "Besides, he probably has a family somewhere along the bank, it wouldn't be fair to take him away, would it?"

She grimaced, putting her tea on the windowsill. "Providing it is a 'he'."

Anduin's nose wrinkled. "That's true. Maybe I'll just play with him now then."

Val smiled again, tapping the end of her cigarette against the case. "I think that's for the best."

She put it in her mouth, striking a match and watching him follow his new friend to the edge of the water. "Anduin, be careful."

He gave her the sweetest of smiles, pushing himself up. "I can swim now Mum, I'll be fine."

Val scoffed, taking a puff to get her cigarette lit properly. "You can maybe, but I can't, which makes me a bit useless if you fall in."

Anduin crossed his legs, still focused on the frog as it started to disappear under the water. "Maybe Father can teach you when he gets back."

Val gave him a small smile, blowing that first dense cloud of smoke into the air. "Aye..maybe he can."

Anduin noticed her quiet tone and tilted his head. "Are you worried about him?"

Val huffed, sweeping her loose hair back. "I always worry about your father, Little Lion, it's my job to."

Anduin's brow furrowed, and it was quite the jarring expression to see on a six year old. "He'll be alright though?"

Val hated lying at the best of times, but both she and Varian had agreed that it was time to start shielding Anduin from these kinds of matters more than they had been, which really, was not at all. "Of course he will. I just have a feeling he's going to be away alot longer than first planned, that's all."

Anduin strangely smiled at that, whether it was a tactic to cheer her up she didn't know but she'd take it over the boy crying for his father, which he'd been known to do in the past. "Oh, well that doesn't matter. Just means we get more time together!"

She had no choice but to return the smile he was giving her, taking another long drag. "Exactly. We have a few things to look forward to until he gets back, can you remember what they are?"

Anduin hummed as he thought about it, bouncing on his bottom when he got it. "Oh! Your birthday!"

Val withered, briefly swapping her cigarette for her tea. "I was hoping you'd forget that one."

She put her teacup back. "Think again, something involving the city."

Again the humming counteracted the rush of the waterfall behind him and this time it was a loud 'ah!' that told her he'd managed to jog his own memory.

"Day of the clover!"

Val looked just as excited as he did now. "Is right, and you know what that means, don't you?"

Anduin was about three seconds away from launching himself into the air. "Grammy's coming to stay!"

Her nod earned a joyous whoop and she had to shush him, not sure if there were any animals startled by loud noises nearby but not really wanting to take the risk. "Aye, and your cousins, should the Rose be back in Brinewick."

Anduin sprung to his feet, hopping like the frog he'd just been observing. "Where is it now then?"

Val shrugged, stubbing her cigarette out on the windowsill. "There's absolutely no telling mate."

Anduin kicked a heel of grass away. "Will they stay with us at the Keep?"

Val slowly nodded, draining the last of her tea. "I can't think of anywhere else big enough to house them all, can you?"

Anduin started wringing his hands, shuffling his feet. "Do they know about Elliot?"

Val swallowed hard, running both hands down her face. "They do. So you don't have to worry about what you say."

He seemed relieved, letting his hands drop. "Good. I like that we talk about him now."

Val's smile wasn't as forced as it had been, slowly spreading across her face and putting him completely at ease. "So do I. And I promise your father and I will talk to each other alot more from now on."

She huffed, sloppily tying her hair up after getting fed up with it. "I think this whole thing taught us not to be so stubborn all the time."

Anduin looked strangely confused. "What does 'stubborn' mean, Mum?"

Val held her hand out, intent on leaving pretty much when the coach arrived, which meant the Prince would need to be cleared up. "It means that it's very difficult to change someone's mind when they decide something. When someone's stubborn, they like to do things their way and won't hear anything else."

Anduin started laughing as she closed the door behind them. "Then Father must be the most stubborn man in the world!"

Val snorted, putting her cup on the table and lifting his shirt off of him. "He's most certainly in the top three I should think."

She gave him a quick wink. "But don't tell him I said that."

Anduin stood on the stool by the basin to wash his hands, watching her get the bath ready with the still hot water. "Father listens to us though."

Val's smile was smaller but still there as she filled the small metal tub. "He does, because he trusts us."

Anduin's brow furrowed. "He doesn't do that with alot of people, does he Mum?"

Val reluctantly shook her head, treading carefully from this point on. "No, baby, he doesn't. But he has his reasons."

Anduin dried his hands, carefully climbing down. "Do you think he'll ever trust the Horde again?"

Val grimaced, checking the water and beckoning him over. "Don't concern yourself with things like that, Little Lion."

Anduin didn't like the look on her face as he stepped in to the surprisingly pleasant water, handing her his night trousers. "Not all of them are bad though, are they?"

Val felt a headache start to creep up on her; while she was very much glad that Varian wasn't here for this conversation, she didn't really have any clue what to say to the small boy looking to her for an answer as he sat there.

"Anduin, you have to understand…well, maybe not all of the people of the Horde are bad, but the Horde itself has done very bad things, so it's guilt by association, at least in your father's view…does that make any sense?"

He looked down and went quiet for a long while, finally looking back up with a reluctant acceptance in his eyes. "So we can't be friends with the good people because they're friends with the bad?"

Val didn't know what to make of how quickly he'd grasped what she'd tried to say, telling him to lean his head back while she thought about it herself. "In a certain way, yes. It's very complicated, Anduin, so you're better off not thinking about it."

He had such disappointment on his face that she couldn't help but feel awful despite it not being directly her fault. "So we'll always be fighting?"

Val shook her head, wiping the water from his face. "No, not always. I know it might seem like we've been fighting for a long time, but it won't be forever."

He started playing with the washcloth, going rather quiet for her liking. "But Father's not fighting the Horde right now?"

Val shook her head. "No, just a certain Forsaken that wanted to ruin everything for everyone else. His quarrel isn't with the Horde this time."

She knew it was a lie, and more than likely he did as well, but if he did he wasn't about to tell her. "I know Father just wants to keep us safe."

Val scrubbed his knees, brushing them off and putting his legs back in the water. "He does, and it's because he wants to keep us safe that he makes the decisions he does."

Anduin didn't seem placated at all, but there was a tiny smile on his face. "Can we write to him later?"

Val gave him a grin, tickling under his chin. "Of course we can. But we need to get you dressed and ready first. Come on, do your soap and I'll make sure we've got everything."

Val always felt too exposed when she was in the royal coach. Although she and Varian had always made sure that it was as plain as they could, something about riding in a large box through populated areas felt wrong.

It was too much like a pedestal, making her the centre of attention when that was the last thing she wanted.

Yet here she was, playing another round of 'I spy' with Anduin as he leant against her, not asleep but looking lethargic all the same, soothed by the gentle bumps and rocks of the coach.

"Are we nearly home?"

Val reached over and pulled the curtain covering the small window to the side, trying to determine where they were and just seeing more trees, which wasn't helpful. "I should think so. Getting bored?"

He shook his head, sluggishly sitting up. "Feel sicky."

She pulled his bottom lip down a little with her thumb, giving him a smile. "You're not green enough to worry about yet, baby. Just try not to think about it, and we'll get some barley sugars on the way home if you're still feeling rough, how's that sound?"

Anduin gave her a small smile, slowly kicking his legs. "And some buttons?"

Val snorted, putting her arm back around him to keep him in place as the road started to get bumpy. "You can't feel that sick then."

Anduin's smile grew into a grin. "For later I mean!"

Val kissed his head, putting her cheek on it. "You always push your luck when your father's gone, don't think I haven't noticed."

He looked up at her without moving his head. "But I'm 'undeniably adorable'!"

Val snickered, brushing his hair back. "Who in the hells taught you that?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose, realising before he'd even said it. "I'm starting to agree with your father; Thomas is a bad influence on you."

Anduin's laughter petered out as they both felt the coach start to slow, sitting straighter at the same time. "Are we here?"

Val went to the window again, hearing Jon's voice and seeing familiar white washed stone when she pulled the curtain back. "We are indeed. Put Alice's leash on, there's a good lad."

She sat back, wondering why exactly they hadn't been let out yet when normally it was instantaneous. Jon was arguing with someone, she could hear it in his tone, and all it did was concern her further.

She furrowed her brow, telling Anduin to stay where he was and opening the door, sticking her head out. "What's happening, Jon?"

The clearly frustrated guard came over, leaning in and looking scarily serious. "There's apparently been orders from Lord Fulton to keep you and the Prince in the coach and take it straight to the Keep. It's means another ten minutes on our journey, apologies Milady."

Val's eyebrow rose in cautious confusion. "Why? We've never had to do that before. Is this one of Varian's stupid stipulations?"

Jon shook his head, drumming his fingers against the glass. "Let's just say it's in your best interests and leave it there, alright? You'll see for yourself in a bit."

Val had no choice but to trust him, but that didn't mean her line of questioning was over. "This thing will be a pain in the arse to get through the city, just how do they intend for us to take it to the Keep?"

His face didn't move, but there was assurance in his eyes. "There's a separate entrance way by the Keep's ramparts, it leads straight to the castle's main gate."

Val slowly nodded, letting him close the door as she slid back, crossing one leg over the other. "What's going on, Mum?"

She kept her face straight as not to worry the boy unnecessarily considering she had no real clue what was happening, cupping his chin with one hand. "We're just going a different way, Little Lion. It's nothing to worry about."

She'd soon be proven wrong though, for no sooner had the coach stopped again outside the Keep's gate than Val realised exactly why Gregor had been so adamant about their detour.

The gates were shut, that was the first thing that put her on high alert; They were only shut if there was a royal baby, a death, or a summit, and as far as she was aware, none of those three things had occurred.

The second thing was the throng of people gathered by said gate, shouting angrily and even attempting to rip it open as they argued with the guards on the other side.

Another protest, sweet Light.

She took Anduin's hand, holding it tightly as he peeked out of the window. "Who are those people, Mum?"

Val shushed him, letting Jon open the door and passing an agitated Alice to the female that had been added to their retinue, sliding out and wishing she hadn't worn a dress, tripping over the thing in her nervousness.

She and Varro were practically touching shoulders as the four plated guards arranged themselves accordingly, but she'd already been noticed, and the crowd had surged towards them.

She couldn't make out a word any of them were saying, but if she were honest, she was more concerned with how Anduin's little legs made it hard for him to keep up with her strong strides.

"Make way! Let Lady Glenmore through or we shall use force!"

She'd rarely heard Jon bellow like that; normally he was the calm one of the group. She bent down to pick Anduin up when a hand flew through the gap and clutched at her arm, with a desperate face attached to it.

"Please Milady, implore King Varian-"

Her sentence was cut off by a harsh shove with the shield Varro held in his left hand making her fly backwards.

Val scooped Anduin up and heeded Jon's instruction to stay low, hearing the loud creak of the gates and barely managing to squeeze through them because of the sheer volume of bodies trying to do the same thing.

But eventually they were shut with a horrific bang behind her and she finally got a good look at what was going on.

There must've only been about twenty people but they were clearly upset, whether it was about the war she couldn't figure out over the din, but her ears were ringing and she hated to admit it, but she was a little frightened.

Not of the crowd themselves, they looked to be normal people, not significantly strong, but more of what could've happened.

There had been desperation in the voice of the woman who grabbed her, and she knew well enough that desperation made people dangerous.

She didn't care about herself, it was more the six year old covering his ears and crying in her arms that she was more terrified for. "Milady, get inside."

She didn't need telling twice, letting Varro cover her back with his shield and all but herd her inside the Keep.

It was strangely quiet inside the fortress considering what was happening outside, and the first thing Val had to wonder was whether anybody had actually noticedany of it.

The heavy thud of the fifty foot high doors made her jump without meaning to and she put Anduin down, wiping his eyes and turning his head. "Are you alright? None of them got hold of you, did they?"

Anduin shook his head, looking behind her at the door like he expected them to blow open any second now. "It's good to see you've arrived safe and sound, Milady."

Val couldn't help glaring at Lee as he crossed the Throne Room to meet her, keeping a hold of Anduin's shoulders. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

The groom shook his head, seeming as serious about the situation as Val admittedly wanted him to be. "Absolutely not, Milady. I don't jest about important matters, and this is very much one."

Val appreciated it, letting her anger ebb a little. "What in the hells was that all about, Lee? Do the council know about this? Where's Gregor?"

Lee held a hand up to stop her, extending an arm to the West Wing. "Lord Fulton's already waiting for you in King Varian's study, Milady."

Val was glad to hear it, giving Anduin's hand to Varro. "Take Anduin to his room, tell Nan to get him a hot chocolate and watch him until I'm done."

Anduin protested, holding on to Val's waist, but she managed to unlatch his arms and let the guard tenderly take his hand and coax him away.

Val smoothed her hair and her skirt before following the direction of Lee's arm with Jon on her other side. "How much do you personally know?"

Lee grimaced, putting his hands behind his back. "Unfortunately not alot. It seems I'm not worthy of being kept in the immediate loop about matters of state. Council has already convened and finished about an hour ago, with them all leaving out of the side door so they didn't have to face the people."

Val figured he would say that, not bothering to knock once she got to Varian's study and telling Jon to wait outside as she and Lee went in. Gregor looked up at the sound of the door, bowing to Val despite knowing she hated it. "Milady, please, sit down."

She stood, folding her arms. "Cut the crap, Gregor. What's the situation? Why are there people trying to bash the gates down and get me to 'implore King Varian'?"

Gregor sighed, passing her a sheet of parchment. "I'm afraid this is the result of an order given by King Varian three days ago. I trust you recall the incident in Stormwind Park?"

Val's brow furrowed as she barely read the document. "The idiot spouting off about the war? What does that have to do with an angry mob?"

Gregor's usually stoic face only got worse and he told Lee to pour them some drinks. Val sat down at his second offer of a seat, folding her arms.

"His arrest caused quite a bit of a stir with those who supported his 'cause', and ever since we took him in-"

Val's hand shot up. "Hold on, he was arrested?Why the hells was he arrested?! Varian didn't give the order for an arrest!"

Gregor cleared his throat, linking his fingers like he was a headmaster lecturing a child that had been pulled from the schoolroom for disruption.

"He did indeed give the order, Milady. The law of Stormwind states that any disturbance of the peace and slander towards the reigning monarch is to be counted as treason and appropriately punished."

Val leant forward in her seat, putting her palms on the desk. "Treason? He's been arrested for treasonsimply because he opposed the war? Gregor, that's insane."

Gregor's brows drew in. "He wasn't charged with treason because he was opposed to the war, Milady, but rather because he openly denounced King Varian in a public setting, making it prudent for us to make sure there was no malicious intent."

Val couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a generous gulp of her drink and put the goblet down again, merely blinking as she tried to get her head around this. "You think he was going to go a step further?"

Gregor shrugged, staying far too calm for Val's liking. "That's what we intend to find out. He's been questioned but refuses to co-operate, so his stay in the stockades will continue until his trial."

Val grimaced, really not wanting to ask this but doing anyway. "And when will that be?"

Gregor's lips pursed. "Not until King Varian returns, I'm afraid. All trials of treason are overseen by the monarch."

Val's jaw nearly dropped. "We have no ideawhen that will be. You can't keep a man in prison for one little incident for that long, it's immoral!"

Gregor seemed to disagree. "It's not about morality, Milady, it's about the safety of the Royal Family, to which I and all others have a duty."

Val's teeth gritted. "Gregor, there are people outside who are angry as hells over this, surely that's more of a threat than one man who will probably never do it again?"

Gregor shrugged again. "The law is the law, Milady, and it's our duty to uphold it. If need be, those protesting at the gates will be arrested as well."

Her eyebrow shot up. "You'd arrest twenty people at once? Making even moreangry?"

Gregor's shoulders squared. "If it makes others realise that slander against our king will not be tolerated, we'd arrest and possibly punish as many as it takes. It has been the way that these things have been dealt with for centuries, Milady."

Val matched his stance in a clear challenge. "I don't believe that Varian would want a man held in prison for that amount of time. Would he be released if I signed the order in his stead?"

Gregor shook his head. "The signature of a marchioness means nothing in this situation. King Varian is in charge of the justice of the realm, if he wanted the perpetrator released, he would have to sign the order himself. And since it's been two days and he hasn't done so, there's nothing we can do apart from await trial."

Val ran both hands down her face, wondering if she was the only sane one in the room. "The Varian I know wouldn't condone the lengthy imprisonment of a man that is by all accounts innocent."

Gregors' brow wrinkled. "Milady, he is notinnocent."

Val accepted the challenge in his voice. "He was saying what half the city are feeling, Gregor, what half the Alliance is too scared to say. And that's all he did, speak. You can't punish a man for that."

Gregor's shoulders straightened and his eyes started to narrow. "If what he is saying alludes to a threat against the King, then yes, we can, and we have."

Val was starting to shake, whether it was out of anger or sorrow she hadn't quite decided yet. "And there's nothing I can do?"

Gregor looked her straight in the eye. "Even if you were Queen already, there would be no possible way to overrule the order. The King has absolute power, even over his spouse. Nothing you tell me to do or say on behalf of the prisoner will be obeyed, my orders come from King Varian."

His face softened but he still had the air of painted on authority that Val absolutely loathed. "This is all for your safety, Milady. If I were you, I would just let it be dealt with when His Majesty returns and go about your day."

She felt her back teeth start to grind together. "It's all well and good you saying that Gregor, but there's a six year old upstairs wondering why there's a large group of people trying to force their way into his home. But I suppose that's not your jurisdiction, is it? Actual humanity?"

Gregor's eyebrow quirked. "Milady, As I said, this isn't a question of humanity, it's a question of maintaining order. Had the prisoner not been taken in, he would've spread his propaganda across Stormwind, stirring up trouble and potentially causing harm to either you or Prince Anduin. That, we simply cannot allow."

Val pinched the bridge of her nose. "'Propaganda'? Gregor, he was standing on a box in the middle of the park saying he was fed up with war, something we can all relate to. It's not propaganda if everyone is thinking it."

Gregor took a long sip of his wine, putting the goblet down. "And they are free to do so in their own homes, but public displays of discourse will not be tolerated."

She was growing angrier every time he repeated himself, and she was sure he knew it. "So that's it then? Just administer crowd control until, if and when, Varian comes back? What if it escalates? What if those people out there decide to take matters into their own hands, what then?"

Gregor's face was annoyingly straight. "Then appropriate action will be taken."

She didn't need to ask him what this 'action' was. "Gregor, please, let me at least talk to them. I know their grievances, I know how to speak to them, give me a chance to diffuse this."

Gregor was shaking his head before she'd even finished speaking. "Not possible or practical, I'm afraid. You do not represent the crown, Milady, no matter how many people know of your relationship with King Varian. You are not Queen, nor are you a council member, therefore nothing you say would be official, and they will not listen."

His shoulders finally dropped by a small margin. "With that in mind, if you were to go to the gates now and speak with the rabble, your every word would be scrutinized and treated with suspicion. I say this is the kindest way Milady, but if even a hint of agreement is caught from what you say, you're liable for arrest yourself."

She slumped back with the wind knocked right out of her sails as his words sank in. "You'd put mein prison if someone thinks I agree with them?"

Gregor grimaced. "It probably wouldn't get that far considering it would have to be King Varian who signed the order, but you'd be closely monitored for the entirety of your time spent here. I don't think I need to tell you how invasive that would be. Every letter would be opened, every word closely examined, it wouldn't be ideal."

Val thanked Lee for refilling her goblet, drinking it far too quickly. "And of course, that would reflect badly on King Varian."

Val's eyebrows knitted. "Yes, I got that."

She sighed heavily, pushing her chair back. "Just tell me that Anduin and I are safe here. If we're not, I need to start making alternate arrangements."

Gregor gave her the best look of reassurance he could muster. "It's all in hand Milady."

She stood, beckoning Lee to her and leaving the room in a daze, leaning against the door and feeling the cold oak chill her spine. "Milady…I wouldn't worry, it's just a little protest, I'm sure Gregor and the others can handle it without using force."

She held a finger up to quiet him, staring straight ahead. "He's basically just told me I'm powerless."

Lee's nose scrunched. "I wouldn't exactly put it that way, Milady."

Val clearly disagreed. "All this talk Varian and I had of working as a team, of splitting the duties and ruling equally…bah, I should've known it wouldn't be realistic."

He gently touched the top of her arm, poised to spring it back if she tried to rip it off. "Maybe we should take this back to your chambers?"

Val didn't move. "I had an inkling that I was just 'Varian's woman' to everyone here, but he kept telling me to ignore it, that 'I have as much authority as he does'…yet Gregor just told me I could be arrested for trying to do exactly what Varian would in the situation. How is that fair?"

Lee grimaced. "It's not, really."

Val pounded her fist against her flattened other hand, biting the inside of her cheek. "There has to be somethingI can do. Varian won't be back for weeks, and I dread to think what will happen if those already furious people have to wait that long for progress."

Lee followed her as she pushed herself off and started back down the hall towards the Throne Room. "I suppose the optimistic answer would be that they just run out of steam and go home."

She briefly turned to glare at him even though he really didn't deserve it. "I'm starting to learn the hard way that optimism just builds you up for disappointment."

She ignored all those who bowed and greeted her, running her hands down her face. "He never ordered for his arrest. Varian's not a tyrant, he wouldn't imprison someone simply for having a voice."

Lee pulled a face, somehow managing to fall in step with her. "We've gotten statements from the guards given the order, and they told us that he explicitly instructed them to 'deal with it'."

Val was starting to seethe, untying her hair in her attempt to alleviate her pounding headache. "That could mean anything! Why did they automatically assume he meant 'arrest him'?!"

Lee shrugged, opening her door for her and closing it again once she stormed inside.

"Because that was probably the meaning they'd been taught to perceive in training? There's a logical explanation in here somewhere Milady, we just have to find it."

Val slammed the door to the liquor cabinet closed, putting the whiskey decanter on the table and throwing her cigarette case next to it so she could wrestle her coat from her.

She tossed it onto what was clearly a new bed, not having the time or patience to appreciate how Varian had kept his promise and got a simpler frame. "Oh I intend to, believe me. This has made realise just how much about this royal shit I have no idea about."

She sat on the end of the bed, letting her arms hand lamely between her legs. "He looked at me throughout that whole thing like I should know what he was talking about, but I don't, Lee. I wasn't schooled in every law of the land I lived in, hells, we did only the basics in the public schoolroom."

She sighed, passing him the empty glass when he held his hand out for it. "It brings home how much Varian has to deal with, you know? Everyone wonders why he's so grouchy, well fuck, I just had to do ten minutes of what he does all day everyday and I want to throttle someone already."

She flopped backwards, glad to see ceiling instead of wood. "I almost wish Tiffin was here; she probably knew every law like the back of her hand."

Lee put the glass down with no intentions of filling it. "Yes, but Queen Tiffin had the advantage of being raised to become Queen, so that's not really a fair comparison, Milady."

Val linked her fingers on her stomach, merely staring upward. "Varian should've just told them we were married when he had the chance, maybe it would've given me more of a standing in the matter."

Lee pulled a face, leaning back against the table. "But if you think about it Milady, Gregor not knowing you're already queen puts you at a bit of an advantage."

Val sat up with a cocked eyebrow. "Explain?"

Lee thought for a long minute about how to put this without incurring her wrath. "My advice to you, would be to use the time between now and when King Varian eventually reveals your marriage to 'study' and throw every bit of knowledge about how a kingdom runs in their faces once that crown is put on your head. But that's just a suggestion."

Val strangely knew what he was talking about, and her brow furrowed as she digested it properly, putting one leg over the other and holding it.

"Right now, to them I'm nothing. Not a smith…hells, I was discharged from the army, so I can't even say I'm a soldier anymore… So that gives me time to cram it all in and prove I can learn."

Lee gave her a small smile. "I'll be willing to teach you Milady. We can go over laws and protocols until you can sing them in your sleep."

Val's brow furrowed. "You know all of that?"

Lee chuckled this time. "Milady, I wasn't chosen by King Varian for no reason. My father is on his council, I've known all about the crap that goes on since I could walk."

Val had never really thought about it before, but she'd known for years that he was the son of a nobleman, but to be one of Varian's councillors…that gave her a little hope. "How soon can we start? If I can find just one tiny loophole in the law, I can finish all of this idiocy before it really begins."

Lee shrugged, pulling a face. "Whenever you like. We're with each other all day every day, we can just do five minutes here and there."

Val slowly nodded her head, putting her leg down and bouncing it. "If that's what it takes to get that poor bastard out and onto the streets again so those people leave us alone, I'll give you whatever free time I have."

She had to give him an apologetic smile. "I never thought to ask you how learned you are, even after all these years. I suppose I'm not that attentive a mistress, am I?"

Lee didn't seem fazed or even in agreement with the statement. "Considering both you and King Varian speak to me outside of ordering me about, I think you're probably the best employers I could've gotten."

Val's smile faltered. "Don't take this the wrong way, but if we had things the way we wanted them, you wouldn't beemployed."

Lee merely smiled. "I know Milady, and take no offence to the notion. But can I make one more suggestion, one that is toeing the line of impertinence?"

Val already had a vague idea of what he was about to say, leaning her elbows on her thighs. "I know, it's time Varian and I gave up on any sort of normality. Maybe we've been running away from this life for too long."

Lee grimaced, making her wonder if she'd misread him. "If I may, I feel like His Majesty had given it up a long time ago, but his insistence on trying to be normal was more for yours, and more recently, Prince Anduin's benefit."

Val's head tilted to the side. "You think he was just doing his overprotective bit?"

Lee slowly nodded. "Think about it Milady, would you really want your wife to suddenly be thrown into the chaos that is politics headfirst when she had no experience whatsoever? He just didn't want you to get overwhelmed…I'm assuming."

Val snorted despite everything, putting her chin on her hands. "I suppose he thought I'd just run away screaming."

Lee chuckled, straightening and stretching his legs to bring them back to life. "It's a rational fear to have, Milady. Isn't that what you want to do right now after ten minutes?"

Val nodded without hesitation, getting up and pouring the whiskey he'd been trying to put off. "It is, I won't lie. But I'm under the assumption that the more I learn, the less I'll be as intimidated. Right now I can't say a word back to anyone that throws a law or quote at me. If I can do the same thing, I'll earn their respect."

She took a small sip, furrowing her brow. "I just need to do it quick enough to stem this whole protest business before it gets out of hand."

Lee seemed to agree, taking her coat from the bed and hanging it up. "I'll go to the library and get whatever I can, and we'll make the laws on treason first on our list."

Val nodded in appreciation once again, going to open the window and let some air in. "Can you go to Anduin's chambers and get him to come here on your way? I need to check he's alright."

Lee only just stopped himself bowing to her, well aware that with the mood she was in he could probably earn his first slap with it, stiffly inclining his head and giving her one last look before he left through the door he opened.

"No one thinks any less of you because you don't know all of this, Milady."

Val gave him a strained smile, leaning against the wall next to the window frame. "I appreciate the effort Lee, but I know when you're lying, it's always obvious."

He fought a sigh and closed the door behind him, leaving her alone with her own thoughts, which was never a good idea at the best of times. "So much for today being easy."

She should've known better than hoping the universe would grant her a bit of peace today, but the more she sat here analysing everything, the more it all seemed to strangely make sense.

She and Varian were pretty much the top dogs in absolutely everysituation, there was never going to be peace from the every day goings on of a kingdom as big as Stormwind.

She still didn't know what to make of how easily Varian's words had been twisted. Of course she'dknown what he had meant as soon as he'd said it, but for the guards to take the phrase 'deal with this' as 'arrest that man'…it just seemed too ridiculous.

Yet everyone here was acting like it was the norm, it was utterly baffling. But then, wouldit be baffling if she was as versed as the rest of them?

Maybe it was just something everyone hadknown for years and shewas the ignorant one? Question after question, and she was sure the answers would come too slowly for her liking.

Lee had been one hundred percent right when he'd pointed out that Varian had been shielding her, but the worst thing about the fact was that Val had let him.

She'd been his queen for over a year already and standing here really thinking about it, she had nothingof worth to show for it.

She'd frittered her days away while he'd been dealing with alot more than this, and if she had a splitting headache, Light knows what state he was in. No, something had to change, and quickly.

She felt a determined smile creep onto her face, snatching the whiskey from the table and putting it in the cabinet just as the door opened and Anduin came running into her open arms, burying his head on her shoulder.

"Do you need me to stay, Milady?"

She shook her head, letting Lee go start was to be a long road to becoming the Queen everyone was clearly expecting her to be. "Those people were really scary, Mum. I didn't like the shouting."

Val kissed his head, carrying him over to the bed and sitting down with him. "I know you didn't, baby. I don't think they were actually intending to hurt you though. They were just angry about something that happened, that's all."

Anduin unlatched himself and sat against hers and Varian's pillows, looking positively tiny surrounded by so many of them. "What were they angry about?"

Val's brow wrinkled as she tried to put this delicately.

While she didn't agree with Varian sheltering her, she did want to keep Anduin safe from all of this, even if it was just for a few more years. "Something that was taken a little too far. But don't worry, your father and I will fix it."

Anduin didn't look convinced and honestly, she couldn't blame him. "But Father's not here, how can he fix it?"

Val stood and held her hand out, leading him over to the writing desk and lifting him onto her lap as she sat down, pulling a clean sheet of parchment towards them.

"We're going to write to him right now, telling him what's happened and asking what he wants to do about it. How's that sound?"

Anduin seemed quite excited by the idea, lifting the rubber seal. "Can I do the stamp?!"

Val couldn't help but laugh at how animated a simple task was making him, brushing her fingers through his tousled hair. "Of course you can. Let's get it done now so it'll get there as soon as possible, then Mum has her own work to do."