Chapter Text
Jaina Proudmoore stood amongst the crowd as mud caked onto her cloak and shoes. The rain had started that morning, and it didn’t seem that there was any end in sight. It was as if the sky knew darkness had come to the shores of Boralus, for Lucille of House Waycrest would hang for her crimes.
With the spring floods and summer droughts, it was only a matter of time before the Tidesages would call for more executions. The sea priests proclaimed that the Tidemother was disgruntled with her Kul Tiran children and that magic still flowed through these lands like the sea itself. Initially, the Tidesages were displeased with the Kul Tirans for not turning on their family, friends, and neighbors, laughing off the Tidesages’ claims that magic would mean death and destruction. When the lands began to suffer, the children of the sea started turning on one another. This is how Lucille Waycrest found herself stepping up the gallows with her hands tied behind her back.
Lucille appeared unafraid, but Jaina could see the panic in those dark eyes. This was the first time a prominent member of Kul Tiran society had been accused of using magic. Everyone had come as far as the thick forests of Drustvar to the valleys of Stormsong to see the daughter of House Waycrest be killed for her treason.
Jaina had found herself in the back of the crowd near the docks of the Ashvane Company Yards against imported emerald and white fabrics. A spot that was overwhelming to her senses, as day-old fish sat in barrels towards the back. Workers were cutting up the fish with precise slices and placing the fish into boxes to be shipped throughout Azeroth. When the wind blew slightly, the stale aroma of hops lingered in the air from the local brewing company around the corner.
A gaunt vagrant man sat against the barrels, not paying much attention to the crowd around him. Jaina didn’t worry that he would recognize the Lord Admiral’s daughter since she had disguised herself as a simple peasant. She had used a charm that would land her where Lucille stood.
In front of Jaina, a woman was holding a toddler and speaking to her friend, who was of typical Kul Tiran build. Both women had spent the time before the execution gossiping over the misdoings of Lucille.
“I heard Lady Waycrest was caught performing magic to get a poor merchant’s attention,” the woman with the small toddler said with a hint of malice.
The stocky woman cocked her eyebrow, baffled at the statement. “Wasn’t she married to Lord Gladstone?”
“Yes, I believe they married last year. He recently passed away. My neighbor’s niece worked at the Waycrest estate and claimed the marriage was a farce. Lucille was after his money.” Jaina would chuckle if she weren’t standing by the gallows. Lucille didn’t want money despite the recent decline of the Waycrest fortune. “Look where it got that harlot. She deserves it if you ask me.”
Jaina tried to hold herself together at the woman’s claims. She wanted to release the magic she had within. You can't, not here, not ever , she reminded herself.
“I heard that her mother used magic to make herself appear younger. A servant found out and alerted the Tidesages. So Lucille is taking the blame to protect her mother.” the stout woman declared with the confidence of a sailor first time aboard a ship.
The other woman wrangling with her child to behave finally sat the child down. “That’s ridiculous! Who told you that?” The bigger woman appeared embarrassed at her false tale that her friend did not take the bite.
Jaina refrained from rolling her eyes as she listened to the women speak of utter nonsense. They wouldn’t know what magic was if it came and hit them in the face. Lucille was another victim lost to the false claims of sorcery. Jaina wanted to curse the Tidemother.
A familiar figure made their way up the curved creaky stairs of the gallows. Recently appointed Tidesage leader, Galecaller Faye, was dressed up in her finest issued robes as if she was attending a noble party. A small servant was carrying an umbrella to cover her expensive threads.
Jaina narrowed her eyes at the copper-haired woman. The Tidesage leader approached the platform's front, viewing the massive crowd. The Galecaller hid a smirk that Jaina knew all too well. As Faye studied the group momentarily, Jaina could have sworn the woman caught her gaze.
Jaina could feel her anxiety like an angry sea tipping a ship back and forth, threatening to tip the vessel. But the moment was brief, as Faye focused on other citizens. Jaina knew her guise was foolproof. Galecaller Faye couldn’t sense magic even when it was standing in front of her, as Jaina had done many times. The older woman was too busy patting herself on the back for the turnout.
The toddler-carrying woman turned to her and hissed, “Where is the Lord Admiral?” Her stocky friend shrugged. “Maybe she is sick.”
“She’s been sick a lot lately,” the stocky woman hissed back.
Before Jaina was born, Katherine Proudmoore had ruled over Kul Tiras since the unfortunate death of her husband. Katherine had always taken an ambitious role in being Lord Admiral. However, the aging leader has taken a backseat over several years. With the death of the old Tidesage leader, Galecaller Faye managed to weasel her way into the court. Jaina had voiced her concerns to her mother but was shut down.
When Faye was satisfied with appraising her large gathering, she approached the platform's edge with a smile oozing with pretentious fakeness. “People of Kul Tiras! We are here today to enforce the late Lord Stormsong’s prophecy, a warning spoken by our Tidemother, a magic wielder bringing death to our seas, where our loved ones protect us from the dangers of Azeroth and where our children play on her shores. A sea that we pray for protection and guidance.” The crowd clapped, and a few cheered, praising the Tidemother.
“So much has been taken from us this year because magic crawls across these lands. As you know, the Tidemother has not been content with her children. She punished us with droughts and floods. Our children and elders are starving and dying. It is because we let people like Lucille Waycrest roam with magic!”
Jaina glanced around the crowd. She could recognize the citizens who suffered from those misfortunes. They were gaunt with sunken cheeks and dark circles beneath the eyes. Jaina had heard about the tragedies but had not realized how poorly the citizens were suffering. Why hadn’t her mother told her?
“She lies! Everything she says is a lie!” Lucille shouted to the public, pleading for her innocence and life. However, no one seemed to want to listen as they booed her.
Jaina wanted to rush up to the platform and end this. Lucille was innocent, but the people did not care. Instead, they wanted someone to blame for the lack of food and the death of their families. Jaina wished to comfort her friend in her final moments. This morning Jaina had fought with her mother about releasing Lucille, but Katherine would not hear it. Lucille was brave for shouting out the injustice of their current lands, but Jaina was a coward as she stood hidden in the back with a glamour spell.
Galecaller Faye sneered at the young woman as she grabbed her chin roughly. “There have been multiple witnesses, Lady Waycrest. There is no denying your crimes. You will be punished for using magic.” Faye released Lucille’s chin and then beckoned for the executioner to tie a rope around Lucille’s mouth to quiet the woman.
“Hang her!” the crowd was beginning to shout.
Jaina could see the gossipy women from before yelling for Lucille’s death. A few individuals remained tight-lipped among the shouting but dared not speak against the judgment.
A boy beside her, no older than ten, was screaming. “Hang the witch!” How did her mother let this get too far? The more the crowd shouted, the more Faye’s face turned into twisted delight.
Rain was beginning to pour down in buckets. Jaina tightened her navy cloak around her, shielding the water from her skin. If only she could use her spell to keep her dry. She wouldn’t dare risk it unless she had to.
“Lady Lucille of House Waycrest, you are to be executed for your crimes of using magic and bringing harm to the Kul Tiras nation. May the Tidemother have mercy on your soul, sister,” Faye shouted into the downpour. Her servant managed to keep the Galecaller from the elements.
Faye turned to Lucille, blessing her by placing her thumb on her forehead. Jaina noticed Faye’s mouth move giving the Waycrest daughter a prayer for the afterlife. The tears started to pour from Lucille. At that moment, it finally stuck with Jaina that her friend would die. The realization made her sway.
The Tidesage leader moved away from Lucille. She made her way back to the far side of the platform. Jaina searched for any guilt in Faye but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t find any but a cold, heartless hag with the seniority of power. Jaina refused to look at the woman again, instead giving all her attention to her friend. Lucille would want Jaina here and would like her friend to see her life taken from her for Jaina to witness the corruption of Kul Tiras.
Jaina found herself stepping deeper into the crowd, peering up at Lucille. The masses were becoming unruly as they yelled harsh words of curses and blasphemies. Those who remained quiet uttered a single prayer, hoping the rain would wash away their murmurs for those to hear. They prayed for Lucille’s soul, to the Tidemother, and for the killing to cease.
The executioner was dressed in his typical black garb with a hood covering his identity. He was a hulking man with legs that could withstand any sea storm. Jaina pushed against the people trying to be in front. Lucille needed to see her. Her friend needed to see a familiar face before she died.
The executor pulled Lucille to the center of the platform, where an opening door stood beneath her feet. Jaina found herself running. She was so close. If only she could blink herself to the front.
Lucille viewed the crowd. Her dark eyes roamed, but the young woman did not shed more tears. When Jaina managed to thrust herself to the front, she found Lucille standing there observing the gray, rainy sky. Lucille had accepted her fate. The executioner brought the noose to Lucille’s head and lowered it down. He tightened it around her neck and stepped back towards the lever.
That was when Jaina let her illusion drop. She looked up at Lucille, who gaped at her with stunned regard. Then, suddenly, Lucille cracked a small smile releasing a single teardrop. Jaina began to sob intensely. She couldn’t distinguish between the pelting rain and tears staining her face, for she was responsible for Lucille’s death. Her friend was sacrificing herself for Jaina’s protection.
The shouts around her became deafening. The rainfall poured heavier, making more mud beneath her feet. Her mother would know Jaina attended the hanging against her wishes. However, she did not care as Jaina dared not cast her eyes away from Lucille, despite wanting to close her eyes at the inevitable horror.
Jaina whispered a hushed prayer from her numb, damp lips. “Storm above and tides below protect Lucille from the journey of death she must take. May her pathway to the Shadowlands be an easy one. May the tides tend to her body and soul when she burns. Sea to sea, storm to storm, tide to tide.”
The executioner pulled the lever, and Lucille fell below.
While Lucille’s body swung, the crowd was elated as if the evil of their lands had been driven out. That their loved ones would not perish anymore. Their problems were solved when Lucille took her final breath.
When Jaina could no longer endure Lucille’s lifeless bloodshot eyes, she reapplied the illusion before disappearing into the crowd. The crowd celebrated and drank to another magic wielder’s death, and Jaina wanted to be far from the city. Jaina had stuck another glance at Galecaller Faye, sitting in her chair with a delighted expression, not trying to hide that smile of victory.
Revolted, Jaina ran out of the madness towards the barracks area of the city. The rain had stilled for a moment, but gray clouds loomed overhead. Jaina was utterly filthy with mud. She found herself not caring about her appearance as she needed to leave Boralus. She needed to breathe and be alone without the crowds shouting, “WITCH!”. If they only knew , she thought.
As Jaina reached the stone gates, she could still hear the crowd. The Boralus guards standing watch stood static on high alert. The soldiers barely batted an eye at Jaina passing through the gates. Jaina knew they were searching for pirates, who were banned from entering the city.
Once the gate was out of sight, Jaina ran. She stuck to the thick woodlands that bordered the village of Hatherford. Tears flew from her eyes as arcane swirling around her threatened to spill out. Sometimes her magic made a habit of leaking out when her emotions were uncontrollable.
The deeper she ascended into the forest, the more she let her magic flow out from her. Jaina blinked forward. She cleared her path of any rainwater and glided over the mud. When she caught sight of the foggy sea again, she knew her clearing was near. She could feel the magic mechanisms put in place to hide her from view.
Before Jaina entered, she halted, taking in the falcons hunting overhead in the distant sounds of the sea crashing itself against the hard earth. It was quiet and peaceful in the forest. Jaina stilled herself with a breath as she lowered her eyes to the pine trees. These woods barely let the sun’s light peek through. On gloomy days, the forest could be covered in darkness. Sometimes Jaina needed to produce a small flame in her palm to guide her. When she entered the magical dome, the arcane greeted her.
Jaina’s eyes traveled amongst the branches with an eerily feeling. Her eyes ceased roaming when a pair of blood-red eyes gazed back at her with an unhuman stillness. These eyes did not belong to any creature that roamed the forest. Jaina carefully released a bolt of frost.
Jaina was about to release the ice, but seawater splashed at the back of her cloak. She spun around she found her water elemental, Bubbles. Jaina wanted to scold the playful minion but was more concerned with those haunting eyes.
Immediately Jaina skimmed the trees to find the scarlet eyes had vanished. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, or it was the trick of the light. The young woman shook the unnerving feeling and turned to her rude elemental.
“Bubbles!” Jaina used a similar tone her mother used on her as a child.
The water elemental was no taller than herself but acted like a tiny droplet of sea foam. Jaina recalled summoning the creature from the sea. He made little ripples and bubbles upon his birth. She was only fourteen and had taken to hiding in the woods a few years before discovering she had cursed magic in her veins.
Bubbles was kept under the magic dome since he had no place in Proudmoore Keep, for it would mean death for Jaina if the Tidesages discovered him. Rarely Kul Tirans visited the Foxhollow Woods, fearing the wild boars and rabies-infested foxes.
There was a time these woods served as hunting grounds for the nearby Norwington Estate hosted by the eccentric Lord Aldrius. As a young girl, Jaina competed in the annual equestrian event in the early spring. Now the estate sat abandoned. Looters cleared the home after word got out that the owners had mysteriously vacated after the hangings began. Bubbles was safe to wander freely.
Bubbles giggled at his creator. Jaina couldn’t be mad at him and snorted tenderly. The weight of the afternoon pushed on Jaina like an undertow. She slid against a tree trunk, not caring if she became dirtier or the bark poked at her back. Bubbles sat down next to her.
Jaina leaned her head against the bark, closing her eyes. A dull ache was forming at her temples. She felt the chill of Bubbles’ hand on her forehead as if he could feel her distress.
“It’s been a rough day.” a string of tears threatened to leak out. “I’m sorry, but you won’t see Lucille again.” Jaina threatened a peek at Bubbles, who had a blank mannerism. “She’s…she isn't with us anymore.”
Jaina wept. She felt ludicrous for her unrestrained emotions. But, she would have to be in control of her feelings when she returned home. She could not cry in front of her mother or Faye.
Bubbles placed his arms onto Jaina’s leg to console her. Her leg became damp, but she was thankful for Bubble’s support. The water elemental was now her only companion.
Growing up, Jaina wasn’t allowed to have many friends. Katherine handpicked noble maidens to spend time with her daughter—ladies she found dull, who sat around practicing their needlepoint, chattering about Kul Tirans most suitable bachelors. Jaina would sneak her magic into her needlepoint to finish the craft swiftly. Unfortunately, she found embroidery to ache her fingers and had jabbed herself far too many times for her liking. The women were astonished at Jaina’s sharp skills, but Lucille discovered Jaina’s dirty little secret. That was how they became friends.
Throughout the years, Lucille kept Jaina’s magic a secret. Her friend was awestruck by Jaina’s capabilities. Lucille consistently covered up for Jaina when she found her magic tumbling through her fingertips like an oil spill. On Jaina’s seventeenth birthday, she refused a kiss from a noble boy and accidentally ignited the curtains when he muttered bitch under his breath. Lucille interfered, clarifying to Katherine she knocked over the candelabra to conceal Jaina’s magic.
When the book burning started in the coldest of winters, Lucille stole books containing any subject of magic. Jaina cherished those books she locked away in her room with a simple incantation.
Jaina and Lucille shared many firsts, including their first kiss and intimacy. After that, however, the women knew their affection for each other would have to end since their parents would send their daughters off to be married.
“The future Lord Admiral must have a handsome husband, not a wife.” So Lucille had told her under the darkness of night as they lay bare, tangled in the sheets.
The summer Lucille turned of age, she was matched to a suitor, and a wedding date was set by the end of the year. Unfortunately, Lucille told Jaina that her soon-to-be husband was too old and was selected by her cruel mother for his assets. After the wedding, Jaina seldom saw Lucille. Instead, they exchanged letters until, one day, the writing ceased. The final time Jaina saw Lucille, it would cause her death.
“I killed her,” Jaina admitted to Bubbles. She choked on the confession. To say those words verbally brought her releif but heartache. “I killed her,” she repeated lowly.
Bubbles was troubled about Jaina’s statement. Confused, he twisted his mouth, knowing his master had never slain someone. Jaina took a deep breath and patted his head.
“That did not come out clear. My mind is heavy today. I witnessed the death of my friend in a way no one should.” Jaina recalled the children in the crowd clinging to their parents as they shouted false declarations.
“Do you remember when Lucille married Lord Gladstone?” Bubbles nodded. “After she married him, she would write me letters. Those letters…” Jaina paused, shuttering at their contents. “She wrote to me about the horrific things he had done to her.” The letters had shaken her to the core. It made her uneasy as Lucille ended every message the same: Do not tell anyone, Jaina.
“The letter stopped. I asked my mother about Lucille, and she knew nothing. I didn’t know what to do until Lucille paid me a late night visit. I don’t know how she stepped away from her home.”
Lucille arrived at Jaina’s bedroom door, a shattered woman covered in bruises. The harsh violet bruises struck her arms and legs. The subtle swelling of Lucille’s face. The faint gruesome yellow marks around her neck. It made Jaina sick. Jaina searched her friend’s face and found a plea for help in those dark eyes.
“Lucille jeopardized everything coming to me. She begged me to create an elixir that could sedate a man. Alchemy was never my strongest, but I couldn’t say no. Not when she looked like that.”
Bubbles had only moved part of the time Jaina spoke. Instead, he listened with care and contentment. Jaina often wondered if Bubbles could talk, what he would say. Would he tell her kind words to reassure her or give advice?
“One evening, I crept to the Proudmoore Academy where the stockpile of books for the burning was stored. It took me all night to sort through the books. Finally, I found an advanced technique text on alchemy. Since Lucille had asked for the potion to be delivered during Founding Day, I didn’t have much time to learn. I studied the skill throughout the day and night.”
At the beginning of autumn, before winter overran their lands, thousands of Kul Tiras arrived in the capital city to commemorate the day their ancestors founded a maritime outpost, Boralus. It was a grand celebration with all-day drinking, fests, and dancing. The high society attended the annual ball held at the keep. Jaina had last seen Lucille during the festivities and slipped the elixir into Lucille's pocket. A memory of gray eyes blinked into her mind. She blushed briefly because it was an inappropriate time to think of her.
“I gave Lucille the elixir, but something went dreadfully wrong.” Jaina had never spoken these words out loud. She feared the winds would carry them to the ears belonging to Faye. Bubbles waited for her to continue with bated breath. “Lucille managed to give her husband the elixir in his dinner. He went to sleep that night and never woke up. I had made the elixir wrong. I poisoned him.”
It was a bitterly cold day marked by pain and sadness. Jaina cast her eyes to the sea and continued. “One of Lucille’s servants found the vial and brought it to the Tidesage leader in Drustvar. Immediately the Galecaller was called for assistance. Faye realized magic had been involved in the death of Lord Gladstone. Lucille was sentenced for her crime of murdering her husband, not for sorcery. Faye wanted a prominent member of society to make an example of. She wants everyone to believe no one is safe from the hangings.” There was a pregnant pause as Jaina let a few tears fall. “I don’t understand why Lucille didn’t tell them I made the elixir.”
Bubbles stared at her kindly, slapping his damp hands on her legs. She was an idiot. “Because she wanted to protect me….” Suddenly tears fell utterly, and Jaina wept into her hands.
Lucille would protect her. She was her friend, her lover. Jaina would have done the same. She would have protected Lucille at all costs. Despite this, Jaina felt like a failure and a horrid friend, but at least Lucille saw a familiar face before dying. She would see Lucille’s body laid to rest. She would defy her mother if she had to attend her friend’s burial at sea.
While Jaina sobbed, Bubbles smacked her legs again in enthusiasm. Bewildered, Jaina glanced at him and caught him pointing up with his tiny arms. Jaina wiped her tears. “What?”
Jaina peered up, where Bubbles continued to point. She squinted as a white flower gradually danced its way downwards. Finally, the flower plopped into her lap, and Bubbles clapped his hands in wonder. Jaina scrunched her eyebrows, pondering how a flower could fall from way up there.
She thoughtfully gathered the flower and recognized it was a white narcissus with a yellow crown, a flower not native to the harsh isles. Jaina knew of the flower since her mother requested them inside The Keep during the long winter months. Jaina had read that the flowers hailed from the high elves in Quel’Thalas, a land soaked in everlasting springtime.
She examined the flower as Bubbles peeked on with curiosity. “Odd, perhaps it blew in from the abandoned estate.” But Jaina couldn’t recall Lady Norwington having narcissus in her garden.
Delicately Jaina brushed the petals, finding them soft to the touch. Pollen stained her fingers as she graced the flower’s center on accident. It was a beautiful flower, she had decided.
In the distance, a ring echoed throughout the woods from the nearby bell towers in the village of Hatherford. During the week, the bell alerted workers in the field that their shifts were over. Jaina realized that her day was ending. The reality of her nightly dinner with her mother struck her hard. She would play pretend to be an obedient daughter who did not witness the horrific death of her only friend.
Bubbles made a slight blubbery noise knowing the bell meant Jaina’s departure. “I will be back soon, I promise. Be good and stay out of trouble,” she said, patting his head so he would not worry.
Jaina yearned for a warm bath as she gathered herself. Her clothes were beyond help, and she wished to soak the day away. If she did not return hastily, her mother would notice her state and not be thrilled.
Once more, Jaina looked up at the sky for clues about where the mysterious flower came from, only to find the creaking pine swaying with the wind. Finally, Jaina reached for her pouch clipped at her waist and opened the bag, dropping the narcissus inside to be stored magically with all her secret treasures. A trick she had learned from one of her banned books stolen from Lucille.
With a flick of her wrist, she reapplied the disguise. She reassured Bubbles she would revisit and wave goodbye. Jaina took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for the keep.
The young woman turned around and strolled away. If Jaina had looked deeper into those pines, she would have noticed the same blood-red eyes staring with a gentle fangy grin.
Back at the keep, Jaina dragged herself to her bedroom with that warm bath in her mind. She wanted to bathe and collapse into bed. Maybe she could lie to her mother with a simple lie of illness.
As she hung up her filthy cloak, she remembered the narcissus. Jaina grabbed her pouch and reached inside with the flower in the forefront of her mind. Immediately, the flower touched her fingertips. Pulling the white flower out reminded her of its beauty.
Jaina strolled over to her bookshelf that contained only approved readings of the Tidesages—books without the magic of any kind but of the Tidesages and the Tidemother—most of the books written by the late leader Lord Stormsong.
She constructed a rune pattern before her to reveal her actual bookshelf full of forbidden books. Next, Jaina searched for a small glass jar hidden beside various magical objects. Once she found the clear jar of Kul Tiran sea glass, she conjured water to place the liquid inside.
Jaina plopped the narcissus in the jar and set it on her nightstand. She desired to use a spell to preserve the flower for eternity, which might raise eyebrows. But, instead, she would have to admire it for a short period.
As Jaina began to strip off her clothes, a faint knock was at her door. It was far too premature to be called for dinner. Bothered with being interpreted, she slipped her robes back on and cracked open the door. Her mother’s handmaiden stood on the other side, Rebecca appearing unsettled. Jaina found this peculiar as the older woman usually had a proper way of composing herself.
“Rebecca, are you alright?” Jaina asked.
“Yes, Lady Proudmoore,” Jaina knew she was fibbing by her tone. Something was not right. “Your mother requests you at once.”
“Supper doesn’t begin in nearly an hour.” Rebecca became rigid at Jaina’s query. She was always too clever for her own good.
“I don’t know, miss. Your mother wants you down in the meeting room at once. She is waiting with Galecaller Faye,” Rebecca was rushing through her words to avoid an interrogation from the Lord Admiral’s daughter.
“I was just about to take a bath. Can’t this wait?” Jaina was becoming irked. Rarely did her mother request her appearance in the meeting room, especially with Faye, who thought of the young woman as a nuisance.
“No, your mother was clear,” Rebecca said. Jaina huffed as the handmaiden walked away.
Jaina glanced over her appearance. Her robes looked spotless except for the hem caked in dry mud. Her hair was a mess from the rain and sticking in odd directions. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to present herself to her mother and Faye.
So be it, Jaina thought and walked out of her room, slamming the door behind her. The guards at the end of the hallway jerked. She mumbled a locking spell and proceeded toward the meeting room. As she descended the stairs, she braided her hair sloppily.
As Jaina approached the room, she heard urgent voices on the other side. Katherine was upset, and Faye sounded like she was trying to rationalize with her. Curiosity got the better of her, and she knocked on the door. The jabbering ceased.
“Come in,” Katherine spoke in her polished voice reserved for leadership.
Jaina opened the door to find a pale-looking Katherine seated at the head of the table while Faye sat on her right, revealing nothing.
The meeting room was Jaina’s favorite besides the library. Her father, a man she never came to know, had taken great consideration of placing portraits of the admirals before him. The Proudmoore reign had endured since the birth of Kul Tiras. Various maps and treasures from his time at sea were positioned around the room. Katherine loathed the knick-knacks, but they were untouched to honor her husband. However, Jaina would not have time to admire her father’s precious treasures as her mother appeared nervous. Jaina played with her necklace given as a gift as a newborn from her father.
“Jaina, please sit,” Katherine instructed.
Jaina eyed her mother. This gathering felt like a personal matter, but Faye was here. Surely her mother wouldn’t invite Faye to a family meeting. Jaina obeyed, sitting across from Faye, who grabbed Jaina’s hands with regard of pity. Immediately, Jaina snatched her hands away. Faye had never touched her before nor cared about Jaina. She wanted the Proudmoore brat gone. Faye made a slight bitter face at Jaina.
“What is going on?” Jaina finally probed. Faye and Katherine exchanged a glance. “Mother?”
“This is regarding the safety and security of Kul Tiras,” Faye said in an overtly sickly charming tone.
Instantly, Jaina’s stomach sank. They knew about her magic, but she had been so cautious. Despite feeling swallowed into the sea's belly, Jaina revealed nothing in her features.
Instead, Jaina turned to her mother, ignoring the Tidesage leader. “Mother, please tell me yourself.”
If these women knew Jaina’s secret, she wanted to hear it from her mother. She wanted her mother to issue her daughter’s hanging.
Katherine leaned back in her chair, shutting her eyes. In all her years, Jaina had never seen her mother this distressed, not when the hanging or pirates came close to invading. Jaina noticed the red puffy eyes of her mother. Katherine had been weeping.
“Please,” Jaina pleaded as a million scenarios flooded her mind. Her anxiety caused her distress as a tidal wave crashed over her.
Her mother spoke with a quiver in her voice. “Do you remember the Lordaeron King that attend last year’s Kul Tiras founding celebration?”
Jaina remembered the king. Her mother had invited all Azeroth leaders to celebrate the 500th year since the founding of Kul Tiras. The invites included the Dark Lady of the Shadowlands, who had not been seen in decades. But, of course, the ruler of death did not attend, which dissatisfied Jaina’s curiosity.
The king with matching golden hair made Jaina dance with him. He was a lousy dancer and an even worse conversationalist. The man had hardly let her speak as he chatted away about himself. Thankfully, Jaina had been rescued by a gray-eyed woman with whom she would share an evening. Jaina couldn’t recall the king’s name but remembered the woman well.
Faye sat with a coy smile and tilted her head. “Apparently, Lady Proudmoore, you made an impression on him.” Jaina blinked her eyes. An impression? She barely talked to the man.
“This past year, King Arthas Menethil has written me letters about you,” Katherine lamented.
The Lord Admiral dumped a stack of letters onto the table. Jaina noticed the pile was thick. Had the king been writing Katherine weekly? Jaina picked up a random letter catching the seal that had yet to be broken. Another note ripped apart.
“I don’t understand. Why is the king asking about me? I barely spoke with him.”
Katherine went rigid and paler. Then Jaina realized all at once what Arthas wanted. A fear that crept closer as womanhood approached. No, she thought she had more time, but she was nearing 24.
Jaina heard the whispers among the nobles that the young Proudmoore would never marry and that the line would conclude with her. She believed she was protected because someone needed to take the title of Lord Admiral. Jaina Proudmoore was a fool.
Jaina dropped the letters as if the words inside burned her. “He wishes for my hand in marriage. Is that what those letters say, Mother?”
Katherine nodded, not looking at her daughter. “I tried my best to give you more time. I tried to tell him no, but he is the son of the late Terenas. He takes like his father.”
“What if I say no? What if I tell him I do not wish to be his wife? What would he do if I refused?” Jaina trembled over her words as she tried to get out of this. There had to be a way.
“You need to tell her,” Faye hissed at Katherine, who had the same composure during Lucille’s execution.
“Galecaller Faye, why are you here?” Jaina barked. Rarely Jaina spoke her mind, and she did not care if she did.
“Jaina-” Katherine warned but was cut off by her daughter.
“I believe this is a private manner that involves only the Proudmoores, which you are not.”
Faye twitched, breaking her facade. “Lord Admiral, please control your child. I am the leader of -”
Jaina did everything in her power to control her magic. Yet, she could feel the arcane threatening to spill out, wanting to rap around Faye’s neck.
“She’s right, Galecaller. I think you should leave. I need to talk to my daughter,” Katherine confirmed, stunning everyone in the room. Jaina almost chuckled when Faye’s face morphed into irritation.
“Of course, Lord Admiral,” Faye said through gritted teeth. Faye made a loud exit before glancing at Jaina one last time, leaving the mother and daughter alone.
“Jaina, trust me when I tell you that I have tried everything in my power to stop him. You must marry him,” Katherine said, laying her hand on Jaina’s arm. Jaina yanked it away. She didn’t want to be touched and comforted.
Jaina folded her arms into herself. She didn’t care that she was acting like a child. None of this was fair. “Clearly, you did not try hard enough.”
“My child, you are still young enough not to know how the world works. King Arthas rules over the majority of Azeroth. His rule is final, and we must all follow,” Katherine explained.
Jaina raised her eyebrow. “Everyone?”
“Perhaps not the Dark Lady. The old banshee listens to no one because everyone fears death,” Katherine joked.
Jaina sighed. “Why must I marry him now? What has changed?”
“His last letter was rather troubling. He is losing patience. He claimed that if he did not hear my reply, he would soon march his paladins to Kul Tiras.”
Lordaeron’s paladins were a mighty force of warriors fighting with the light by their side. Azeroth feared King Arthas’ army since no one had defeated them. These allowed Arthas to take unclaimed kingdoms, expanding his empire.
“He threatened war?” Jaina asked.
“I have sheltered you from the world outside our isles and can’t anymore. You do not understand the devastation Arthas has brought to people worldwide.” Katherine closed her eyes for a moment. “It is unimaginable. We thought it would all change with the fall of his tyrant father, but it did not. I dare say he is more destructive than his father.”
Jaina saw the two paths laid out in front of her. She would either play the role of Lord Admiral, playing puppet to Galecaller Faye, or consort to a radical ruler. As much as Jaina hated what was becoming of her homeland, she could not endanger her people. She would become Lordaeron’s queen to protect her people. She would be Arthas Menethil’s wife.
“Tell him I accept his proposal.”
In the early morning, Jaina snuck off to see Lucille’s burial by sea. It had been a small gathering consisting of Lucille’s family. Dressed in all her typical Kul Tiras funeral attire, Jaina did not make her presence known as she stood in the back, lurking in the shadows.
Lucille’s father cried when the Tidesages burned his daughter’s body as it slowly drifted into the sea. Her mother stood bitterly as if disappointed in her deceased daughter.
Rarely did Jaina pray, but she did for her dead friend. “May the Dark Lady have mercy on your soul.”
Jaina left quickly, not wanting the Waycrests to notice that the Lord Admiral’s daughter had attended. She felt enough guilt for having their daughter killed.
Now Jaina found herself on the shores near Foxhollow. It was an unusually warm day for early spring in Kul Tiras. She had removed her shoes and slipped them into the sand since she wished to feel her homeland underneath her feet one last time.
Tomorrow she would board a ship to Lordaeron for her future husband. Arthas had been so pleased that Jaina accepted his engagement.
Jaina and Katherine would spend a few weeks on the mainland of the Eastern Kingdoms. It was the first time Jaina would cross the sea to other lands. It made her uneasy about being far from the water as she had felt a tug on it since she was young.
As a child, Jaina sought solace in the waves singing the sea songs she learned from the sailors. Jaina was sad to learn that Lordaeron did not sit on the shore but instead near a lake. Who would she sing to when she felt the burden of an arranged marriage?
A nearby sound of water splashing moved her away from her thoughts. Bubbles was running up and down the beach, playing in the sea. She hadn’t said anything to him yet, for she didn’t know what to do with him. She couldn’t bring him to Lordaeron or leave him here alone. She was at a loss.
“Bubbles, come here,” Jaina called out to him. She had been avoiding telling him all afternoon.
Bubbles obeyed his master, ran towards Jaina, and sat down in the sand before her, wrapping his arms around her legs.
Jaina found her voice was having a hard time producing the words. Bubbles pointed to his chest as if to tell her to be brave. “I need to leave. I am to leave Kul Tiras for a long time. I am to be married to the king of Lordaeron.” Bubbles frowned.
Jaina found she couldn’t weep anymore at her predicament. Her tears long dried up. Jaina glanced out to see towards Boralus as the ships moved within the port, to the faint coastline of Drustvar with thick woods, to the mountains of Stormsong. “I do not wish to be his wife, but I do not have a choice. I would bring war to these shores if I refused. I can’t bring more pain to Kul Tiras. They suffer already.”
Bubbles made an unpleasant face and angrily slapped his tiny arms upon the sand. When he was done throwing his tantrum, he turned his back away from Jaina.
“You are allowed to be mad. I am mad too.” Bubbles noticed the hurt in Jaina’s voice. He turned back around, still angry but wanting to console his master. “Mother and I leave tomorrow. I am at a loss as to what to do with you. I can’t take you with me, and I can’t leave you behind.”
Bubbles perked up and came close to Jaina. He pointed to her necklace, which was tucked in between her breasts.
“My necklace?” He nodded. Jaina pulled out the necklace to reveal the anchor attached to the silver chain. Jaina darted at Bubbles for any clues. He pointed to himself, then the anchor.
It took Jaina a moment to realize what he was trying to say. “You wish to put yourself into my necklace, a binding spell.” Bubbles bounced cheerfully. He didn’t want to leave Jaina’s side. “Are you sure? I promise to take you out when I can, but I don’t know how often that will be.”
Bubbles stared at Jaina with an endearing mug. He placed his wet hands on her chest just above her heart. Jaina set her hand over his and grinned. “I love you too, Bubbles.”
Jaina stood up to take off her necklace. The silver gleaned in her eyes as the sunlight hit the jewelry. She tried to visualize the runes she needed to perform the binding. Suddenly she felt like she was exploring the deepest seas, unsure of what lurked below. Lucille’s face flashed in her mind.
“What if I hurt you?”
Bubbles reached for her chest again and pointed to himself. He trusted her. Jaina tried to ease her anxiety with a breath. She could do this.
Jaina’s mind revealed the spell by envisioning the binding magic from her books. First, the runes were placed on the object, then the individual. Next, she recalled the pattern of the rune: a loopy ‘e’ followed by a triangle, then a circle with a dot in the middle.
Holding the necklace out in front of her, she summoned her magic. The rush of magic filled her, bringing her familiar ease. With her pointer finger, she traced the shapes she could recollect. Immediately, the necklace glowed a frost blue and levitated out of her hand.
She bent down towards Bubbles. “I hope this doesn’t hurt. The books never said if it did.” Bubbles flexed his arms to show he was fearless. Jaina stepped back to trace the same shapes onto Bubbles.
Like the necklace, Bubbles levitated and glowed. He appeared more nervous than he let on. The necklace and Bubbles slowly drifted towards each other. The glowing became more intense as they came together. Before Bubbles yanked through the necklace, he waved goodbye. A radiant blue light blinded Jaina. She shielded herself as the glow stung her eyes.
When the bright light faded, Jaina discovered her necklace in the sand and Bubbles gone. Tenderly she picked up the jewelry and placed it around her neck again. She found the necklace slightly warm against her.
Suddenly, Jaina could hear shouting from the road nearby. She cursed at the intruders. Looters had cleaned out the Norwington, what bilge rats were stupid enough to go to an empty estate. Jaina didn’t want to meet the idiots shouting. She wasted no time in blinking herself away back to Boralus.
A pair of men appeared out of the trees. One carried mismatched daggers and the other a gun. A stout dog with an overbite walked beside the men.
“I’m telling you, I saw a bright light. It was blue!” the shorter man proclaimed as he held his daggers, ready to strike.
The older man rolled his eyes at his companion. The dog ignored the men to sniff the ground for strange smells up ahead.
“I think you been drinking too much, Hyatt. There’s no light, just the sun,” the older man pointed to the beach. “The dark forest is playing tricks on your eyes.”
“What if it's those Draenei everyone has been talking about seeing? What if it was one of their ships?” Hyatt whispered in panic as his daggers began to shake. “What if it takes one of us and experiments on us?”
The older man stopped in his tracks and turned towards Hyatt. “Tidemother’s tits, you are an idiot. Draenei doesn’t exist. Let’s go before we are caught out here.”
The hunting dog stopped before a tree as if looking at something in the shadows. The dog began to growl. The men turned to make their way to their destination. The dog remained in its spot, growling up at the tree.
“Come on, you dumb dog! You are growling at some critter,” the older man shouted. The loyal dog didn’t need to be told twice as it followed behind.
Red eyes released her hold on her bow and arrow. The shadow creature would have no choice but to shoot the men if the dog revealed her location. She remained still until she couldn’t hear the men stomping around the forest as they stepped on every leaf.
Idiots, the creature thought as she returned her arrow to her quiver. She had other worries than two incompetent ransackers. Jaina was to marry King Arthas. She cursed her messenger for not informing her. Her messenger would be dealt with later.
As she spotted Jaina’s golden hair against the lush green forest, she wished to soothe the young woman with more than pretty white and yellow flowers.