"And this little piggy ran straight home, so that Papa could make delicious bacon out of him!"

Thankfully, Aurelia found her father's rather loose adaptation of the well known nursery rhyme quite funny, and showed off her newfound laughter as she watched his face crack with a grin.

She was coming up on four months old, and to say that seemed like a completely different baby to her parents would be a gross understatement.

Not only had her features truly blossomed, with her thick, brown hair beginning to curl at the ends, and her eyes cementing their royal blue hue, but she'd grown more alert, and was interacting with the world at such a pace that it was hard to keep up with sometimes.

She was almost always smiling; it'd been about six weeks before she'd shown the first that they could call 'a proper one', and since then, she'd shown her happiness in spades.

Not long after had come her first giggle, and Varian would never admit in public that the sound had nearly brought tears to his eyes.

After all that had happened to them, he'd never considered the possibility of reaching such milestones. Yet here was, sitting on his unmade bed, with his daughter propped against his knees, and her mirth filling the stifling summer air.

"You do realise that you're both going to have to get dressed at some point, don't you, love?" teased Val as she sat by the window and towelled her own locks dry

"Ah, leave us alone. We've plenty of time before the festival starts," Varian retorted, letting go of Aurelia's little toe and taking her waving hands instead.

"You do not," Val argued, taking pause in order to refill the glass of water she'd drained about eight times already.

"I'm debating whether I even want to go, in all honesty, Sweetheart," Varian admitted, pulling Aurelia up until her feet were firmly planted onto his bare thighs and holding her by the middle to steady her.

"Heathfield's told me that it's supposed to reach upwards of thirty degrees out there, and I don't want to let this little mite suffer such heat."

"She'll have the parasol, Varian," Val said, smiling at how engaged their daughter was with watching her father's face. "Besides, a bit of sun might be good for her."

Varian clearly wasn't listening; he was far too busy blowing raspberries onto Aurelia's exposed tummy.

"Varian," Val called, earning a grumpy glare from her husband.

"What? I'm damn well busy, woman," he grunted, sitting Aurelia down again so her legs didn't get tired.

"Did you hear a word of what I just said?" Val asked, using the handle of the balcony door to pull herself up.

"Yes," Varian replied, realising too late that he'd fallen straight into her trap.

"Then what didI say?"

Varian clucked his tongue as he hunted about the mattress for Aurelia's dummy.

"…Something about the sun?" he guessed, knowing full well that it was nowhere near the right answer.

"Your Papa, I swear to the Light…" Val muttered exasperatedly. She flopped down next to the High King, and passed him the elusive dummy when it poked her in the hip.

"What I said, was that she'd have her parasol, and you never know, she might enjoy a bit of sunshine after all that drizzle," Val repeated, taking Aurelia from Varian's lap when she started wriggling her backside , which normally meant that she wanted whomever was in close proximity.

"But we've coolants in here…" Varian moaned, leaning his head back on the headboard.

"We can take our fans," Val said, hitching up Aurelia's napkin since that was all she had to cover her modesty with.

"Come on, Varian- it's going to be Aurelia's first time watching her Papa win the joust…" Val pointed out, massaging Varian's ego just enough to make him sigh in defeat.

"Oh well, when you put it that way, what the hells was I thinking?" he said mockingly, but even then, there was a hint of a smile on his face as he reached over and tickled Aurelia's chin.

"Her first festival…it's quite the momentous occasion really, isn't it?" Val nodded in agreement, and lifted Aurelia onto the crescent shaped pillow that they'd bought specifically for her.

"It is," she affirmed, sharing the wistful tone that Varian himself had adopted. "Reckon she's going to like it?"

"I have no idea…I hope she does, but I'm acutely aware of the fact that she might absolutely hate it," Varian mused, taking the rattle that his daughter had discarded earlier and shaking it above her.

"The fireworks will be the biggest test," Val pointed out.

"Not necessarily. I asked Magni to send over some of those so-called 'noiseless' ones," Varian informed her, much to her delight.

"Oh. Well then, maybe she'll enjoy them after all."

There was a small, comfortable silence as Aurelia made a game of batting her hands at the rattle, as if she were determined to knock it from her father's grasp.

"I don't want you carrying her about too much today," Varian said, completely out of nowhere. But unsurprisingly, Val knew exactly why he'd made such a declaration.

"Varian…" she replied, using a tone that Varian was annoyingly familiar with.

"I mean it, Val- it'll take all of two seconds for someone to sneak past and snatch her, even with me there," Varian stressed, putting the rattle down and sitting straighter.

"We may not even see the bastards coming- anyone and everything can simply pop a potion and make themselves invisible nowadays," he added, and Val could plainly hear the tremble to his voice.

"I can't keep her in the pram all day, love," she pointed out, despite his discomfort.

"I know you can't," Varian admitted, stretching his legs out. "But I'd rather risk her not seeing a few things, if it means she's safe."

His brow furrowed further as he said it, and his fingers drummed the thigh they were resting upon.

"What about that strappy, baby bag thing that Priscilla gave us?" he asked in way of compromise, but in reality, he just ended up confusing her.

"'Strappy, baby bag thing'?" Val repeated, as if saying it slower than he had would clue her in as to what he was actually on about.

Then it hit her, and she started to sputter like a child that had just heard a naughty word.

"…You mean the sling?" Val questioned, and a bemused Varian stiffly nodded.

"Aye, that thing," Varian muttered, picking the rattle up again after Aurelia started protesting against the premature end of the 'game' they'd been playing with it.

"We probably could use it now she's a bit bigger," Val mused, propping her head on one hand.

"It means she's close enough to be safe, as well. We'll definitely notice someone trying to reach into it more than we will with the pram," Varian added, pressing the issue when deep down he knew it wasn't necessary.

"Plusit means we don't have to lug the fucker around- we can just take her chair with us to sit on her on when we eat," Val said, cementing the decision for Varian.

"Then we'll find it after breakfast and make sure we know exactly how to use it," Varian said, bopping the tip of Aurelia's nose with the cloth end of the toy. "Don't want you falling out, do we, Sweetness?"

They both knew they were seeing things that weren't there, but Aurelia moved her head as if she were trying to shake it, making her parents chuckle.

"That's what I thought," Varian said, leaning back into his pillows and simply enjoying the moment. Since it was a festival day, he had no council to rush off for, and no audience to attend, so he could lounge with his family as long as he wanted this morning.

"Where's your brother, eh? I reckon he's slept in again, what do you think?" Varian asked, making Val's nose wrinkle in amusement.

"He always does when the others aren't there," she pointed out, looking as disappointed as Varian felt about the fact that the Glenmore-Colter clan weren't in Stormwind for the festivities. But it was as they'd agreed- three months away from home had been long enough, and it wouldn't be fair to ask them for more.

"I've half a mind to go and fetch him myself," Varian said, giving Aurelia the rattle when she started grabbing for it.

"No, leave him be. He's going to be staying up late as it is, Varian, we don't want him waking up tired on top of that," Val suggested, giving him a knowing smile that had an air of mischief about it.

"You're not showing Aurelia more love by letting Anduin sleep for an hour," she teased, and from Varian's grimace, she'd nailed exactly why he'd been so adamant about bringing the boy to them.

"I know…I just don't want himto think that, that's all," Varian said pathetically.

"He spends every afternoon with us, Varian, and he lovesplaying with Aurelia. So we've nothing to worry about," Val soothed, and although something on Varian's face told her that he didn't exactly share her positivity on the matter, he was willing to at least listen to her reasoning.

"I suppose we could've had another 'Harley' situation…" he murmured, mirroring Aurelia's grin as she triumphantly fit the end of the rattle into her mouth.

Val however, felt a shiver as she too remembered how jealous their nephew had grown when Gracey had been born. On more than one occasion, Lokir had received letters telling them all how he'd shown that jealousy, and to say it'd been an ugly time would be an understatement.

So to have Anduin, who was a gentle soul anyway, absolutely dote on his little sister had been a huge relief, and Val was sure that Varian acknowledged that.

"We could've. So thank the Light that we have the exact opposite," Val said, tickling Aurelia's stomach. "Right then, treasure- shall we get your breakfast sorted so Papa and I can eat ours in peace?"

"Yes please, Mama," Varian said on behalf of his daughter, whose bottom lip was moved gently up and down by the tip of her father's pinky. Val pushed his hand away, but there was a snicker on her lips as she did so.

"Say 'get off me, Papa!'" she cooed, lifting Aurelia from her pillow and onto her shoulder. "Papa's a big ol' wind up merchant, ain't he?"

"Ah, but Mama still loves me regardless," Varian teased, finally heaving himself from the bed and stretching both arms out once he was on his feet.

"Maybe I should hold fire on the bath I was planning on then- no doubt one of us is going to be hit with oat flavoured projectiles."

"A wise decision, I think," Val agreed, patting Aurelia's back on her way to the breakfast table, where the girl's usual jug of milk was waiting. "But it's worth it."

She gave Aurelia a light kiss, and snuggled her as Varian pulled the rope to summon the servants and start the day.

"Aye, it is…I think I was only spit up on twice yesterday," Varian told her, with his strong strides making it very easy to reach the table and aid Val in making the bottle up.

"Compared to the ten we were counting? I'll take that as a victory," Val said, putting a muslin cloth on her shoulder ready.

"It's clearly making her feel better, and that's all that matters," Varian concluded, letting a few drips land on his forearm and deeming them a pleasant enough temperature.

Val took the bottle from him, and sat down at the table so she could position Aurelia properly. She watched her daughter's face as she all but inhaled the teat, and started suckling as if her life depended on it.

"You know…I was thinking about what we were doing this time last year," Val mused, leaning back in her seat.

"I'm shocked that you remember any of It," Varian joked, and he took the seat next to them.

"I wasn't nearly as half-cut as you were love," Val reminded him with a raised eyebrow. Varian didn't seem at all fazed by her accusation, however. If anything, there was a smile on his face because of it.

"Mock me all you want, Sweetheart, but if I hadn't have drunk as much as I did, I probably would've insisted upon using a sheath," he retorted, and from the way Val's mouth opened and closed in rapid succession, he'd caught her bang to rights with his admittedly crude logic.

"Then I suppose we should be grateful for your lapse in inhibition," Val eventually said, with her nose crinkling from her grin.

"We should indeed," Varian agreed, reaching over and stroking Aurelia's cheek with a knuckle.

"...But let's try not to have a repeat performance this year, eh?"

Val had no hands to hide her snicker behind, so Varian saw it in all it's mischievous glory.

"Considering that I need to express at some point today, and youhave to ride a horse later, I don't think that'll be too hard a task," she said, checking the bottle's contents when Aurelia started pushing it away.

"True," Varian replied, leaning back in his chair once again.

He heard a distinct knock at the door not a minute later, and with a badly disguised sigh, he granted entry to whomever was on the other side.

"There goes our peaceful morning," Varian muttered, not even bothering to leave his chair.

"Oh, stop it. We'll have most of the day as a family. An hour of being king won't kill you," Val chided, and Varian found that he couldn't exactly argue with her. He grumbled something about how he should've stayed in bed, and with minimal effort, he turned to acknowledge Gregor's presence.

Which in turn, gave the groom the permission he needed to come forth and break the invisible bubble that had surrounded the table. He put both Varian and Val's letters on each end of the table, and with a sharp 'swish', opened his binder, and started their day proper.

"When will I get to joust, Father?"

Anduin's question held the childish hope that reminded Varian of the days when hesat upon the armour table, and asked hisfather the exact thing as he prepared for the Midsummer tournament.

"Give it a few more years, son. You're still a bit little," Varian said, reaching over and ruffling the boy's hair.

Apparently, Anduin was as unsatisfied by the answer as he himself had been.

"I'm always too little…" he muttered, turning Varian's helm in both hands and causing it to fog with his sigh.

"Don't wish your childhood away like that, Anduin. You'll come to regret it later," Varian advised, buckling his gauntlet.

"I don't want to be an adult, Father- I just want to be bigger!" Anduin clarified.

"Then I'll get you some stilts for your birthday, how's that sound?" Varian guffawed, shaking his wrist to make sure the steel wrapped around it was on tight enough.

"Father!" Anduin whined, glaring at Varian as if he'd just been told that his teddy bear was to be killed.

"What? That's about all I can do, son. Racking was outlawed by your grandfather, and I won't have you guzzling potions, not at your age," Varian argued, but it was difficult to sound serious when he kept glancing over and finding his son's pout growing more pronounced.

"Can't you just invent a children's version of the tournament?" Anduin suggested, and Varian pulled a face.

"I would, lad, but I think that'd end in more broken bones than it would wins," Varian told him, choosing a lance and having Lee take it out to the grounds for him.

"If it's so dangerous, then why do you do it?" Anduin asked, giving the High King his helm.

"For the same reason anyone partakes in dangerous sport- it's bloody fun, and beats playing boring old croquet," Varian quipped, holding his hair flat to his head before slipping the headgear on.

"Try not to get hurt, Father. I don't think Mum will like it if you do," Anduin said, earning a grin.

"That's the aim of the whole thing, Anduin," Varian teased, raising his visor and waiting a few seconds to see if it fell back.

Thankfully, it didn't, so Varian lifted Anduin down from the table, and knelt so that he was at the boy's eye level.

"Now go on, go and sit with your mum, and if you're good, you can ride a lap with me after the tourney's over," Varian instructed, and as he'd expected, Anduin's eyes started to twinkle.

"Really?!" he trilled, and when his father nodded, he started bouncing on the toes of his sandals.

"Thanks, Father. Good luck!" Anduin called as he scurried off towards a waiting Jon.

Val was waiting for him up above, in the Royal Box of the stands that had been erected around the training grounds of the SI:7. The grounds themselves had been cleared of their usual equipment, and in their place, were two long barriers separating either side of the sanded stadium.

The sound of impatient chatter and the whinny of horses waiting to be ridden filled the air, and thankfully, the baby sat on her mother's lap wasn't fazed by anyof it.

If anything, she was lapping up every single bit of attention she was getting from those around them, including little Sofia, who'd been invited to sit with them as Anduin's guest.

"Does she have any teeth yet, Your Majesty?" asked the blonde, whose chin was perched on the arm of Val's chair.

"Not yet, no. But it probably won't be long until they start coming," Val replied, adjusting Aurelia's bonnet so the sun wasn't in her eyes.

"When they do, Your Majesty, might I suggest peeled ginger? It worked wonderswhen my Bethany was teething," said Tabitha Ridgewell , who'd been appointed Sofia's chaperone. Val's brow furrowed, and she could feel a mild gag pressing against the back of her throat.

"I don't think that I'll be feeding my baby raw ginger, Tabitha. But thank you all the same," she said, trying to subdue the disgusted tone to her voice. Although, what confused her more was how Tabitha started to laugh.

"Oh Light no, you don't feedit to them, Your Majesty," she clarified, waving her peacock feather fan back and forth to rid her face of the flush it'd adopted.

"You simply rub a slice on their gums." Val wasn't exactly thrilled at that particular idea, either.

"Are you sure such a thing works?" Val questioned, bouncing Aurelia on her knee.

"As I said, it seemed to have with my daughter. Although, she might've just stopped crying out of fear of tasting it again," Tabitha replied, and despite not really meaning to laugh, a snort escaped Val's throat.

"Mum!"

"Andy!" Sofia yelled as the prince appeared out of the large tent housing the day's competitors.

"Sofia! Decorum!" Tabitha snapped, giving the girl a soft bat on the shoulder with her folded fan.

"Sorry, Auntie," Sofia said meekly, and as she took her seat again, she looked up to find an encouraging smile on Val's face.

"Father's all ready," Anduin panted once he reached them. He scrambled onto the seat next to his stepmother, and happily accepted the juice that Nan handed to him.

"Is he? Oh good, that means we don't have to sit here for much longer then," Val bemoaned, feeling for Aurelia's dummy, which was attached to the girl's dress by a short, clipped ribbon.

"Your son's competing this year, isn't he, Tabitha?" she asked, trying anything to keep her mind from the searing heat.

"He is, Your Majesty- this will be his first tournament," Tabitha affirmed. "He hopes this will be the gateway to becoming one of Your Majesty's guard." Val couldn't help but look impressed.

"He'd be gladly welcomed, I should expect- we need every body we can get within the city at the moment," Val admitted, turning Aurelia around so she could be entertained by her brother, who was playing peekaboo using the same chair arm that Sofia had just been leaning on.

"So Remington tells me, Your Majesty," Tabitha said, looking less then enthused.

"There's been a steady increase in crime since the Alliance first formed, according to him. Although, I must say, Westfall's gained a certain amount of its peace and quiet back since the Stonemasons were moved on."

Val hadn't meant to flinch, but she felt herself do it anyway. Her mouth had suddenly dried, and she was sure it wasn't due to the weather.

"I'm sure they couldn't have been that bad," she murmured, but apparently, Tabitha disagreed.

"On the contrary, Your Majesty- not a night went past when we didn't have to listen to them revelling over something or another. I'm sure that they saw simply waking up in the morning as an excuse to get blind drunk," Tabitha declared, waving Nan away after she was (rather ironically) given another goblet of sweet-smelling, blood red wine.

"Funny, they were never drunk when I dealt with them," Val muttered, but a smile appeared with every peal of laughter that her daughter gave.

"Either way, things have vastly improved in their absence. I can once again take my daughters riding without fear of being accosted," Tabitha said, clearly intending to get the last word in, as she was renowned for.

It made Val almost wish that Remington had taken charge of their niece- she would've taken being completely brown-nosed over sniping about others any day of the week.

"Your Majesty- the games master is ready to begin if you are," whispered Lee, who bent to her ear and probably didn't realise what a saviour he was in that particular moment.

Thankfully, the Midsummer tournament was one of the few duties she knew how to carry out with her eyes shut, so after passing Aurelia to Johanna, who'd been given the colossal post of Nursemaid to the princess, she stood up, and raised a hand to quiet the rumbling crowds.

"Welcome all, to the sixty-third annual Midsummer Tournament. Today, eight riders will be competing for the title of Midsummer Champion. Whomever wins will also receive the rather tempting prize of not one, but twocrates of Maclure's speciality wine, and an extra one hundred gold in their purse," Val announced, stretching her vocal chords beyond their limits as she addressed the entire stadium.

"Good luck to all, and let the games begin!"

Once the initial cheers had died down, a dwarf standing to the side of the arena unrolled a thick scroll that needed both hands to hold it aloft.

"First primary! General Hammond Clay, versus….His Majesty, King Varian Wrynn!"

"Go on Father!" Anduin screamed as the two competitors emerged from the pitting tent.

Aurelia must've been triggered by her brother's call, for she started shuffling her bottom back and forth on Val's lap, as if she were gearing herself up to leap from it.

"Can you see Papa, Treasure?" Val teased, hitching the babe further back and holding on a bit tighter.

"If she does, that's impressive for someone her age," Tabitha remarked, clapping with the rest of them.

"Oh, she can sense His Majesty coming a mile away," Val replied, feeling rather stupid about calling her husband by his title, but after remembering exactly whoshe was talking to, it felt rather necessary.

"She gets excitable before he even opens the chamber door sometimes. It's like she's a puppy, and can smell him."

"Papa's girl through and through then?" Tabitha asked, already knowing the answer from the chirps pouring from her princess' mouth.

"That's putting it mildly," Val said, but to both women's surprise, there wasn't an ounce of bitterness in her voice as she did. Val herself had wondered exactly how she would handle the potential favouritism that came with having such a hands-on parent such as Varian. She thought she'd feel more jealousy, if she were being perfectly honest with herself.

Yet here she was, glowing with pride at how a monarch- the high kingno less, could invoke such delight in his daughter, simply because he wasthere. He didn't just see her for ten minutes at a time during the day, and during silent dinners.

He was up at dawn with her, and depending on who'd done the last bedtime, he was there when she closed her eyes.

Argo's ankles were coated in the sand his powerful hooves beat from the ground with every step, and despite the full suit of gleaming plate covering him, Varian looked almost insultingly comfortable as he brought the beast towards the box.

Val had to practically restrain Aurelia until the tip of Varian's lance rested itself upon the awning, and even after she stood, the girl's kicks threatened to break what little grip she had on her.

"My fair Queen, will you give me the honour of your favours today?" Varian asked, reciting a question that every knight had asked since the tournament's creation.

Such poetic words sounded amusingly strange coming out of the scarred, grizzled lips of Stormwind's king, but still, Val gave them a warm smile as she once again handed her daughter to Johanna and descended down the stairwell.

"Of course, Your Majesty," she said, fishing a ribbon she'd already doused in her perfume from her dress pocket. From behind her, Aurelia started howling in protest to being left behind, and of course, Varian noticed.

"Is she alright?" he asked quietly, craning his neck to see his daughter for himself.

"She's pissed off cause she wants Papa cuddles, that's all," Val assured him, using most of her concentration on tying the ribbon around the end of his lance.

"Ah, I see," Varian said, lifting his lance once she was done. "Well, tell her she can have as many as she wants after Papa wins."

"Cocky git," Val chided, and with a chuckle, Varian tugged upon Argo's rein, and steered him towards the lists.

She actually missed the first few seconds of the match because of Aurelia's little tantrum. So occupied was she by calming the girl, that she only just managed to quickly turn around and see both Varian and Hammond's lances beat the opposite rider in the chest as they met in the centre of the list.

The tip of Varian's just grazed Hammond's Grand Guard, but neither lance broke, and both men stayed atop their steeds as they finished the run.

"A point t' His Majesty!"

Although Val knew Varian well enough to sense the mild frustration he most likely felt at such a measly win, she couldn't help but grin as their son showed enough enthusiasm to make an outsider think that the High King had won the entire tournament already.

"Yes! Well done Father!" Anduin whooped, using his cupped hands to amplify his encouraging shout as much as possible.

Aurelia started at her brother's yell, but to her credit, she didn't cry, as Val had expected her to. Instead, she watched Anduin like a hawk, as if she were trying to ascertain exactly why he was being so loud, and whether she should mimic his actions.

"Fascinating, isn't it? How much they notice," Tabitha remarked, clearly seeing the same thing Val was in her daughter.

"Oh, yes," Val agreed, holding her index fingers horizontally and letting Aurelia grab them.

"Just this morning, she was sitting in bed with His Majesty, and he was singing nursery rhymes…the concentration on her face as she watched him was remarkable. It was almost as if she was about to sing along."

"She will be soon enough, Your Majesty. Children seem to be developing quicker and quicker with every generation," Tabitha mused, but Val seemed rather offended at the very notion.

"I certainly hope not. If I had my way, she'd stay this little forever," she said, subconsciously holding Aurelia tighter.

"We all said that at this point, Your Majesty," Tabitha teased, putting her goblet down and folding her hands in her laps. "But give it a few months, and you'll be begging her to be more independent."

"Do you not wish that your daughters were babies again sometimes?" Val asked, making Aurelia wave as Varian readied for the next pass.

"Even if I did, It wouldn't prove as blissfully nostalgic as you assume, Your Majesty. They were more attached to their nanny than they were me, and that would still be the case if we were indeed to turn back time," Tabitha explained, and from the rather saddened undertones Val heard in her voice, she knew that was the end of the conversation.

Thankfully, the pass started, giving them both a distraction and overshadowing the creeping awkwardness that Val could feel like a chilled breeze behind her.

"Come on, Father…come on Father…" Anduin whispered, putting his chin on the ledge and bouncing on his toes.

To his delight, Varian, who clearly wanted to bounce back from the rocky start he'd made, shattered his lance against Hammond's Grand Guard, at the same time that the latter's knocked against his own.

"Five points t' His Majesty- one fer General Clay!"

This time, Aurelia did cry as her brother all but ejected himself from his seat with a loud yell, and her face scrunched as if someone had shoved a lemon wedge into her mouth. Her loud screech of protest against the noise startled her mother even more, and Val swiftly lifted the girl onto her shoulder and patted her back.

"Oh, darling, it's alright..." she soothed, giving Anduin a reassuring smile as the boy looked on in absolute horror.

"I'm sorry, Lia…I'll be quieter," Anduin promised, giving his sister her dummy once she started to calm down.

"She'll get used to all this soon enough, Little Lion," Val said, bringing Aurelia back onto her lap and gently bouncing her on her knee. "Next year, she'll probably be cheering along with you."

Just the idea of it seemed to cheer Anduin up, and the Prince bent down to peck his sister's cheek.

The girl's subsequent giggle and wriggle away from the gesture seemed to bring the mood back to the jovial level that it had been at before, and the three of them turned their attention back to the tournament, where Varian was once again readying himself to charge.

Val had to admit, she was surprised at how Anduin's enthusiasm hadn't ebbed at all during the hour and a half it had taken to reach the final match of the tournament. If anything, he was more hyper than ever, and if it were possible, Val was sure that both he, and the seat he was barely sitting on, would be vibrating with excitement.

"He only needs five more points to win, Mum!" Anduin screeched after his stepmother made a light jab at his investment in the event.

"I know he does, mate, but that doesn't mean that you can shout and scream like a maniac," Val chided, knowing full well that it was an empty one, but giving it anyway.

Somehow, Aurelia had managed to drift off into an albeit restless sleep during the last few matches, and it was in avoidance of her waking up and wailing until kingdom come that Val felt the need to scold the boy in the first place.

"Sorry, Mum," Anduin mumbled, looking down miserably at his lap as if to emphasise the validity of his apology. Although, Val knew him well enough to know that his sulking was just a ploy to tug at her heartstrings and make her retract his telling off. All children did it, and Anduin was no exception, prince or not.

"Don't mope, young man, it doesn't become you," Val teased, and of course, Anduin simply took that as his cue to stick his bottom lip out further.

"I will tickle you, boy- it doesn't matter if I'm holding your sister, I'll find a way to do it," Val threatened, making Anduin gasp overdramatically.

"You wouldn't dare," Anduin retorted, laughing along with her.

"Fia, put a ward up to protect us!" he playfully instructed the girl, who started wiggling her fingers as if it would do anything.

"Sofia," Tabitha barked, and apparently that was enough to make the blonde slump once again.

"It's alright, Milady- if she wants to use her magic, she can," Val assured the older woman, but Tabitha shook her head.

"No, she can't. Not as long as she's in mine or her uncle's company," Tabitha protested, narrowing her eyes.

"Her magic is both dangerous, and unstable. I don't want to be held accountable for any harm she potentially inflicts."

Val had to admit, that hadn't quite been the explanation she'd been expecting. But to Tabitha's credit…it was a reasonable enough one.

"Maybe just pretend for now," Val suggested to the glum children, who clearly appreciated her efforts and gave her eager nods.

She knew better than to bring up the sensible solution of schooling Sofia's arcane talents- the last time she'd done it, Tabitha had all but bitten her head off, and told her that Remington was one of the few left still alive that both wanted magic to be suppressed, and for a daughter to 'uphold the family name'.

Notthe one of her father Charlie, who as far as he concerned, was a rogue mage that caused nothing but trouble.

So to spite him, Val encouraged what she called 'magical play' whenever she could. It let the girl express herself without drawing too much attention, and they clearly both enjoyed doing it.

But the game didn't last long, for the two children noticed Varian riding towards the list for the last run of the match. On the other end was Marcus Jonathan, one of Stormwind's most renowned knights, and the man in charge of granting entry to all those wanting to come to the city.

Both men looked on the cusp of exhaustion, with heaving shoulders and sweat sheening their faces before they were hidden by their visors. But that didn't stop them from putting every ounce of effort into spurring their horses, and with a thundering beat that was only a fraction quieter than the formidably roaring crowds, they surged forward.

With bated breath, Val watched her husband hunch forward in concentration, and raise his lance with a steady hand that was probably starting to hurt at this point in the proceedings.

A whisper of an exhale was the only sound she could hear as the two men met, and with an almighty crack, Varian's lance shattered into splinters.

There was no celebration of the fact however. Marcus consequently went flying from his mount, and hit the sand with a heavy, dull thud, drawing gasps of horror from the same people who'd just been goading their king to achieve the very same outcome.

Val didn't join them until she realised that he wasn't getting up.

Apparently, Varian himself came to the same realisation, and swore loudly as he all but jumped from Argo's back and hurried over to his downed competitor.

"Is he alright, Mum?" Anduin asked worriedly.

"I don't know, mate," Val answered honestly, standing from her seat to garner a better look. She knew full well that there'd be nothing of value that she could bring to the situation, so she stayed where she was, and let both Varian, and the healers, take care of it.

"Come on Marcus, you overdramatic bastard," Varian muttered, pulling Jonathan's helm off at the same time as his own gauntlet, and lightly slapping the redhead's face.

He could see he was still breathing, so at least he wouldn't have to end the festival knowing he'd killed one of his best men…which was something, he supposed.

"Piss off, you smug git…" Marcus grumbled, wrenching his eyes open and sharing a pained grin with his monarch. Varian helped him up, and the two lightly embraced, much to the relief of those around them.

"Victory to His Majesty, King Varian Wrynn!" the announcer bellowed, and the stress that the potential accident had caused disappeared as quickly as it'd come.

"Yes! Well done Father!" Anduin cheered, freely jumping up and down with every shout. Val let him do it this time- Aurelia seemed unfazed, so it would've been cruel to deprive him of his one unhindered celebration.

"Go on, get to the healers. You've a duty to attend tomorrow," Varian joked, patting Marcus on the shoulder. With a sharp whistle, he hoarsely called Argo over to him, and happily stroked the cobs head as he pushed it into his master's shoulder.

"Good job today, old friend. I'll make sure you get some melon rinds for this," Varian said, speaking softly so no one noticed that he was talking to a horse with such affection. He glanced up at the box, and with a smirk, took Argo's reins and prompted him forward.

"Congratulations to you, our Midsummer champion," Val said, coming to the edge of the stands and giving Lee the nod he was waiting for.

The groom came down the steps situated either side of the railing, and with a low, proud bow, handed over the purse promised at the beginning of the tournament. Varian held it aloft, garnering the attention of the curious crowds and making a smile already begin to appear on his wife's face.

"This purse shall be gifted towards the most noble of Stormwind's causes. The orphanage, the shelter, and the healers of this kingdom will divide it between them- not a coin is to grace my own coffers!" Varian declared, giving the pouch back to a beaming Lee.

"See to it, lad. I trust you more than anyone else to show fairness towards the matter," Varian said, lowering his voice.

Lee's green eyes glistened at such a compliment, and it took him a few seconds to regain his wits and curl his stubby fingers around the soft leather.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I won't let you down," he murmured, almost in awe of being given such responsibility.

"I know you won't. Now go, before someone tries to convince you to do otherwise with it," Varian half-joked, eyeing his council to make his point.

"Well done, Father!" Anduin trilled as he took Lee's place not two seconds after the older boy had vacated it. Varian caught the prince as he jumped up, and braced himself for the sticky, gummy bear scented kiss he received upon his stubbled cheek.

"Not a bad show for an old man, was it?" Varian jested, letting the boy pull his helm from his head.

"You're not old, Father," Anduin protested kindly, and to his credit, Varian didn't argue with him, but his smile held every shred of the doubt he put no voice to.

Even as he carried the boy towards his horse, he could already feel the ache of overexertion creeping along his bones, when ten years ago, it would take a day or so for it to kick in. But still, he managed to lift him until he was perched on the saddle like a bird on a branch.

"Are you alright, Father?" Anduin asked, watching the High King intently. Varian climbed up behind him, and used one hand to keep his son steady, while the other gathered Argo's reins.

"Of course I am, lad. Now then, let's get this done so I can have dinner. I'm bloody starving," Varian said brightly, forcing his weary face to keep smiling.

"Sounds good to me!" Anduin chirped, too thrilled by the fact that he was allowed on the cob at all to care that his father was exhausted.

That was fine by Varian, though. He was happy, and so was the little girl watching them with glee from the safety and comfort of her mother's arms.

That was enough to make every bit of his weariness worthwhile.