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Chapter Text

The day the Princess’ first cry rang out through the stone keep was declared a holiday in the kingdom, a joyful occasion that finally marked the end of the period of darkness that had followed the King and Queen far too long and welcomed in a new day full of light and life.

For many years, Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and his queen, the Lady Katherine, had hoped to have children. Two sons they had had, but they had not breathed as they entered the world, and their loss brought a crushing sadness and bitter disappointment to the couple. They were both in good health and they ruled as justly as they could; why, then, did the Tides decide to not grant them this one happiness? It was a mystery, and rumors of curses and hexes placed on the royal couple abounded. Theories flew about of perhaps someone having insulted the Tides, about how maybe sacrifices would be enough to appease their wrath.

Nobody dared give voice to this in front of their King and Queen, but the rumors reached their ears nonetheless, and they felt even guiltier and more disheartened for not being able to reassure their people that their future would be bright and prosperous, that the Proudmoore line would continue to see them through any storms that may come their way.

And so a few years passed, and the Queen became pregnant again. It was as though the collective of the kingdom was holding its breath all at the same time, hoping against hope that this child would be a living one; that this child would be the promised heir that would take the helm and would guide them as their parents before them.

Finally, however, the young Princess was born to great fanfare and acclaim. The child lived! The Lord Admiral and his Lady rejoiced and named their daughter Jaina, after the word for the light that guided sailors home after the worst of storms in the Old Language, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the whole of the kingdom. All of Kul Tiras was finally able to breathe easy again at the announcement, the couriers barely able to finish the message they carried before loud cheers greeted their words.

It was thus with great joy that the royal couple opened the gates of their keep and invited both noble and common folks alike to celebrate the occasion. People from all over the kingdom made the trip, and nobles and dignitaries from other kingdoms made sure to find the time to visit their fellows and congratulate them on the birth of their daughter as well.

The congregation that had gathered to celebrate the Princess’ entry into the world was massive, Proudmoore Keep filled to the brim with people from all corners of Azeroth talking animatedly between themselves and being merry. It was a happy occasion, and none were more joyful than the King and Queen, who received the greetings and well-wishes of all with delighted smiles and cheerful laughter. Lady Katherine, in particular, could not seem to put her daughter down and her smile was brightest whenever anyone mentioned that the girl looked like she would grow strong like her father and fierce like her mother, for that was her fondest wish. This child that had been a blessing, Lady Katherine hoped would grow to be bright and lovely and the kind of Queen their people would need in the future. Still, propriety demanded that she place her child on the cradle that had been set up next to her and her husband’s thrones for that very purpose.

Trumpets blared out a small fanfare and a herald raised his voice so it would carry through the throne room. “Announcing their royal highnesses, King Terenas and Prince Arthas!”

King Terenas eagerly approached the Lord Admiral, both men laughing and embracing one another after sharing a firm forearm clasp, and they soon became engrossed in discussing the possibility of betrothing young Arthas, Terenas’ heir, to Jaina so that their friendship would be further cemented and their kingdoms all the stronger for being united through such a bond. Terenas turned to Arthas and signalled the prince to go over to the cradle and present the gilded box he carried with him. The boy looked completely unimpressed at the baby that was perhaps to be his bride, but offered the gift he had brought with him for the occasion nonetheless.

Talk of betrothals and such halted when a green light began to glow in the centre of the room and everyone turned to look at the three tall figures that emerged from it.

Leading the three was a formidable-looking woman with cyan hair, the crown and diadem that rested atop her head and around her forehead respectively giving her a most regal appearance. She wore a flowing robe of white with a sleeve only on the right side, her left shoulder bearing an intricate pauldron with turquoise stones in the centre that matched the adornment she wore around her midsection and her forearm. Two leather armbands adorned her upper left arm and highlighted her muscles in a subtle but noticeable way. Her boots were made of soft, polished leather with the same intricate adornments of silver laid on top.

Next was a green-haired man with antlers. He wore a brown, sleeveless vest that covered his chest and back but let his sides out in plain view. A large, green and gold belt with leaf motifs cinched his waist and matched the armbands around both his arms. His trousers were long and loose, brown with fur adornments interspersed throughout. He wore leather sandals with crisscrossing straps and a metal moon in the centre of each.

The third figure was another woman, though not as tall as the first one. Her deep blue hair was tied into a high, strict ponytail, a tiara in the shape of a raven decorating her forehead. She wore a robe similar to the first woman’s, though hers was a very deep, almost black, purple. Her only other adornments were leather bands around her arms and wrists, and her riding boots were the same dark purple as her robes, giving her a more severe appearance than her counterparts.

Trumpets blared out again, and the herald raised his voice once more. “Their most honored excellencies, the Council of Twilight Fairies! High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, and General Shandris Feathermoon!”

The three stepped forward at the same time and walked with long, heavy steps until they reached young Jaina, their reason for visiting, and smiled at her. After cooing at her for a few moments, they turned to the King and Queen, giving a short bow to the monarchs and uttering a soft, “Your majesties,” as a sign of respect.

Tyrande alone spoke next. “We will each bless your daughter with a single gift for a total of three, and no more.”

The High Priestess approached the cradle again and placed a hand above where the Princess slept peacefully. “Little Princess, my gift to you is the gift of beauty. Sunshine hair just like your mother’s, and eyes of deep blue like your father’s. Fair of skin that will never burn in sunlight, and no matter how rough or hard the work you may perform, it will forever remain smooth and soft.”

Tyrande backed away and the Malfurion stepped up next. “Tiny Princess, my gift to you will be the gift of song. Your voice will be able to enchant all who would hear you, a voice without compare in this land or any other, and even the woodland creatures will stop and listen whenever you choose to sing in their vicinity.”

The Archdruid stepped back, settling to Tyrande’s left side, and Shandris stepped forth to give Jaina her final gift. “Sweet Princess, my gift to you is the gift of friendship. Wherever you go, even if it is far and distant lands where no one knows you, you will be able to find kindred spirits that will be kind to you and who will be eager to see you again once your travels part you. You will be surrounded by good and trustworthy people all your days.”

Before anyone else could speak, a disembodied voice rang out across the room. “Ah, and so it is such parlor tricks what you deemed to be worthy gifts for the daughter of a King and Queen, then? But of course, I know not why I expected anything better from the ‘generosity’ of your kind.”

A great wind forced open the heavy wooden doors of the throne room, and the banners that adorned the walls and crossbeams began to blow ominously. A bright flash of golden light blinded everyone in the hall for a few seconds, and when it vanished there stood a woman in the centre of the room, exactly where the Twilight Fairies had appeared before.

She was very tall, matching the High Priestess in height though not sharing the latter’s purple skin color. Her hair was pale gold and her eyes were a deep grey-blue that glowed with their own internal light. She wore a deep green tunic with golden vines for highlights, her trousers made of oak-brown leather that looked to be painted on and the legs of which disappeared into calf-high, polished black boots with the same vines adorning their collar but in silver this time. A crown of flowers sat regally atop her head to finish off the forest-bound look.

The Fairies’ eyes widened and Malfurion whispered softly, so much so that even the others were hard-pressed to hear him. “Sylvanas Windrunner.”

Tyrande couldn’t help but growl at the woman. “What does she want here?”

Shandris gently touched Tyrande’s shoulder, shaking her head and pressing a finger to her lips before pointing back in Windrunner’s direction.

The woman had made her way to stand in front of Daelin and Katherine, an enigmatic smile on her lips.

“It truly is quite a glittering assemblage you have, Lord Admiral. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, the common-folk and,” she laughed softly, the sound lovely and melodious like a silver bell’s chime. “How quaint! Even the rabble has found its way here.”

The High Priestess’ hands curled into fists, and she was hard-pressed not to march to the insufferable woman and force her to eat her words, but Shandris’ hand on her shoulder helped her remember herself. The desire remained, however.

If she noticed this byplay, Sylvanas gave no indication of it and continued addressing the King. “As such, you’ll understand why I was quite surprised to not have received an invitation.”

“You weren’t wanted,” Tyrande growled low in her throat as she found herself unable to be silent any longer, her teeth bared at the other woman.

“Not wanted, then! And here I had hoped it was only a grievous mistake.” Sylvanas tutted lightly in disappointment. “Foolish, perhaps, but I had thought your courtesy was better than this.” She sighed quite dramatically and turned her back to the royal couple. “I suppose it would be best if I take my leave of you all, then.”

“You are not offended, your excellency?” Katherine couldn’t help but hesitantly ask, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Offended by this?” Sylvanas asked, her tone sweet and her smile indulgent. “Whyever would I be offended by something as small as having been the only one snubbed for the most important event of the kingdom in decades?” She turned to fully face the monarchs, her smile never wavering. “And as proof of this, I, too, will bestow a gift unto your daughter.”

Tyrande, Malfurion, and Shandris pressed themselves closer to the cradle, as though by doing so they could shield the princess from the other fairy’s words. Tyrande bared her teeth and glared balefully at Sylvanas, an expression that was soundly ignored by the other woman.

Sylvanas didn’t bother raising her voice as she spoke, but the hall was so silent that a pin falling could have been heard, as the congregation waited with bated breath for the ‘gift’ to be given. “Listen well, all of you. The Princess will indeed grow in grace and beauty, her voice the envy of any and all who would hear it, and being beloved by all who will know her, with the ability to make friends easily wherever she goes. Those frivolous things will all be true.”

The woman folded her arms behind her back and began to pace daintily, her footsteps silent and light as feathers. “For my part, I give onto her the gifts of charisma so that she may lead her people well and be respected by all who meet her, a sharp keenness of mind so that she may never find herself trapped against her will, and the ability to make her kingdom thrive.” Her voice grew in volume now, wanting to be absolutely certain that everyone would hear what came next. “She will be the Queen of Queens, the ruler that will bring upon this land a golden age unlike any that has ever been seen before or will be seen again after her rule is over. So long as she bears the burden of her crown, no citizen will want for anything, and songs and poems will be written to remember the Good Queen Jaina.”

Nobody dared speak yet, everyone somehow sharing the feeling that this was not all that there was to the gift. It seemed too good to be true, too generous an offer in repayment for the slight that the Fairy Queen had suffered.

They were proven right.

Sylvanas finally stopped her pacing right in front of the King and Queen, and her eyes narrowed as her smile took on a decidedly sinister edge. "But she will also be the very last of her line, and she will give her heart to a creature that is more fearsome and terrifying than any of you could ever imagine."

Without giving anyone a chance to process what she had said, she disappeared in a cloud of golden light, her chiming, melodious laughter and ominous words the only thing that remained.

Chapter Text

Sylvanas appeared in the middle of a clearing, her spell having carried her to the heart of her domain.

She was pleased to be back among the trees of Faerie, where the air was fresh and cool and clean, away from the stench of a large crowd of humans. She was happiest when she was surrounded by the very nature that was as much a part of her as any of her limbs. The thrumming pulse of life here was like the blood in her veins, and she knew every stone, every root, and every animal that dwelled within her forests.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, inhaling the smell of freshly-turned earth and the coming rain. It was just as well; it had been dry for a little while, and the plants were in need of water. With this in mind, she began walking toward her palace, taking the time to do so by foot instead of appearing there to enjoy a slow pace for once. She was so often busy as of late that she’d hardly had the time to stroll through her woods and appreciate the beauty of the life growing all around her. She really needed to find some time to do this more often.

These thoughts accompanied until she finally found herself at the entrance to her castle. She sighed a little tiredly as the vined gates parted for her, her hand tracing the wood lightly and receiving a gentle pulse in return that made her smile weakly at them before she made her way inside.

Her ears twitched as a faint, familiar sound reached her unexpectedly, and her heart jumped in her chest at the sight she knew awaited her in her throne room, her smile suddenly much stronger and fonder. Eager now, she hurried over and opened the doors quietly before slipping inside.

As was expected, she found more than half her servants and plenty of woodland creatures squeezed together, their full attention directed to the blond, lean young man that was playing a haunting melody on his lyre, the notes vibrant and heartbreaking in their intensity as they reverberated throughout the hall. It was an ancient-sounding song, one of his own composition, and she’d always loved how he got swept up in his own playing, his eyes closed and ignoring everything around him as his fingers plucked at the strings, making music that would melt the coldest of hearts, move even stones to tears.

Sylvanas waited until the melody was over to begin clapping. “How very lovely. Entrancing my minions again, Lirath?”

The man’s ears swivelled toward her voice and he grinned, his grey-blue eyes sparkling with mischief when he opened them and he spotted the Fairy Queen at the far end of the room. “I needed some entertainment while you were off terrorizing the humans, Sister. Surely you won’t begrudge me an admiring audience?”

Sylvanas shook her head, her smile warm and loving as she took her younger brother in. He wore a light blue tunic with long sleeves, and trousers of dark green that fit him well but were not so tight as to be obnoxious. His ankle-length boots were a soft brown and polished to a bright shine, and on his wrists he wore his eternal dark blue leather bands. Her heart twinged in her chest as she forced down the thought of the one that had given those to him, and she forced herself to go back to her inspection lest she become morose again. She noted with amusement that his ears featured a couple more earrings than last she’d seen him and his golden hair was shorter, but it was so Lirath that she really should have expected as much.

It had been years, but he was still the same.

“An admiring audience, indeed.” Her gaze became rather pointed as she directed it at everyone else in the room, all of whom were averting their gazes and many of whom were blushing at being caught slacking off. “Back to work, all of you. I’ll take care of this distraction.”

As the servants and animals scuttled away back to their tasks or their lairs, Sylvanas crossed the room in what felt like two big strides and pulled her brother into the tightest hug she could muster, crushing the man to herself and pressing the side of her face against his, taking in the familiar, soothing scent of cinnamon, leather, and sunlight that had always been so distinctively Lirath’s.

For his part, Lirath was doing exactly the same with Sylvanas, returning the embrace with just as much strength and being happy to once again be here, with his older sister. She never changed, and it gladdened his heart to see her healthy and in good spirits. She had a tendency to work too hard, and it made him worry about her.

He’d try not to be away for so long next time. He knew she worried for him as well, and without his constant nagging at her to take a break or eat or take care of herself, Belore only knew how ragged she’d been running herself and for how long.

Well, he’d have to get on that immediately. Breaking apart their hug, he waggled his eyebrows playfully at her. “So! What’s for breakfast, Sister? I’ve just arrived from the Northern Mountains and I am famished!”

Sylvanas laughed, her voice light and melodious and happy. “You are always hungry, Little Sun. Come, then. Let us go to the kitchens and see if we can’t convince Cynthera to cook us your favourite roasted boar.”

Lirath’s ears perked up with excitement, his grin boyish and impish and everything that Sylvanas had missed so much. Goddess, it was good to have him back. “Good! Lead the way, please. Fifty years is not quite enough to forget the layout of this place, but I would still like to feel Important and be escorted by Her Royal Majesty, the Queen herself!”

“You are ridiculous.” Sylvanas laughed again, but she did as he asked and led them toward the kitchens, taking advantage of the small trek to begin catching up with him. "So, what happened to your last paramour? With the way the two of you were joined at the hip, I would have expected her to be here with you."

"Alanna? Ah, we were better of as friends, so we parted on amicable terms. She decided to stay with the red dragons in the North, though why she would want to remain in the blasted cold of the mountains is beyond me.” He shrugged cheerfully and folded his arms behind his back.

Sylvanas gave the man a dubious look. Lirath, her ever-nosy-loves-gossip of a brother, unaware of something like this? She didn’t believe it for a second, and her expression said it all.

Her brother rolled his eyes and folded immediately. “Well, all right, all right. Last time I saw her she was growing very close to Xerestrasza, so perhaps I do know why she chose to remain there, cold or no cold.” He chuckled lightly and tried to be subtle about how he was looking around, failing badly in his attempts at stealth. Sylvanas could see the disappointment in his eyes when he was unable to find what he was looking for. “Is Lor’themar not here?”

The Queen was the one to roll her eyes now. “You know, he has resisted you for close to a thousand years. What makes you think he will finally cave in this time?”

Lirath pouted, his mock-affronted look only making Sylvanas want to laugh all the more. “I am no longer that silly youth of two hundred, Sister. Besides, his resistance to my charms is the best part! He’s so stoic and composed…I want to see what’s hiding beneath his ever-smooth facade, the man that exists underneath all of his propriety.” His eyes became dreamy for a second before they returned to normal. “Plus, he doesn’t put up with my nonsense, so he’s fun to have around and tease. I just love that unamused frown of his.”

Sylvanas facepalmed at this, hiding her smile from his eyes. It wouldn’t do for her little brother to know that his attempted courtship (read: seduction) of her best friend and most competent captain was utterly hilarious to her.

Her expression dimmed in the next moment as she remembered why Lor’themar was away, her light frown catching Lirath’s attention.

"Sylvanas?” He called her name, stopping them just before they could enter the kitchens. “Has something happened while I was away?”

Broken out of her musings, Sylvanas shook her head and her smile came back in full force. If there was something to worry about, she would worry when she had confirmation about it. For now, she would enjoy having her brother back for the first time in fifty years and having a breakfast that was pleasantly calm for once.

“Nothing of note that we know of, Little Sun. I sent Lor’themar to investigate something at the border, but he should be back soon enough with news. Shall we?”

Lirath looked at her suspiciously, but he knew that this was the best he would get out of his sister for the time being. He resolved to have a private talk with Areiel and Anya once he was finished catching up with Sylvanas. If anyone would be able to answer his questions those two would be the ones, given that Lor’themar was away and all. Biting back a sigh, Lirath followed Sylvanas into the kitchens.

_______________________

Proudmoore Keep was in an uproar, voices rising and falling at the same time in both shouts and whispers, a cacophony of sounds as people exclaimed at the curse that had been bestowed upon the Princess.

“SILENCE!” Daelin roared, his expression so fearsome that it settled down the hall at once.

Satisfied with the quiet, the Lord Admiral turned to the three Fairies desperately. “Is there a way to break this evil spell?”

Tyrande shook her head, regret lining her features. “That accursed wretch waited until we had all given our gifts to the Princess so that we would be unable to do anything at all. It is unfortunate, but she planned this very well indeed.”

“Is there nothing that can be done?” Katherine asked, holding Jaina close to herself in a tight, worried grip.

Shandris answered this time, her hands folded behind her back and her face grave. “I am afraid not, your majesties. We cannot give your daughter more than what we have gifted her already, for that is our rule.”

“Is there truly nothing that your magics may do against this?” Daelin refused to accept it. His daughter, his precious child, cursed to love a monster! He would not have such a thing, Tides damn it all! “Something, anything, that might be able to prevent that curse from dooming Jaina’s future?”

Malfurion shrugged, his face utterly resigned. “As Shandris said, we cannot do anything else for your daughter, for the rule is that only three gifts may be given to any royal child by our kind. And as Tyrande has also said, Windrunner timed her arrival so that nobody would be able to diminish the effects of her spell. Even if she had interrupted in the middle of our gift-giving and there were one or two of us left to grant something to the Princess, there would not be much that could be done. As painful as it is to admit, she is more powerful than we are, for she is the Queen of her domain and that grants her abilities beyond our grasp.” The man sighed, his large shoulders heaving with the weight of his words even as he ignored Tyrande’s evil glare. “It is also for that reason that she alone was able to grant three gifts to young Jaina instead of the traditional one.”

Katherine pulled her daughter even closer to herself, terror and anxiety warring equally in her heart and making her voice shake when she spoke next. “It is thus my daughter’s destiny to be the best Queen this land has ever or will ever see, but to also be at the whims of some monstrous creature that would trick and beguile her into becoming its own?” No, she could not allow that to happen. She had already lost two sons to the whims of Fate, but her daughter? To see her grow and be exactly the kind of woman that she and Daelin had dreamed of, only to have her snatched away by some horrible beast? There had to be something that could be done. Some loophole to be exploited. “Could we reason with her? Plead for her to take back her curse?”

The three Fairies shook their heads at the same time, and their voices rose in unison. “Gifts, once given, cannot be taken back or taken away.”

Tyrande sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “That is the reason, I am sure, that she made sure to give your daughter three gifts before she placed her caveat at the end. Had she made it a true curse there might have been ways in which it could be broken. True love’s kiss, a powerful enough rune of warding, and others would have been able to counter an actual curse. What she gave young Jaina were gifts. They had a terrible condition at the end, but they are gifts nonetheless, and those are not something that can be nullified.”

“So that is it, then.” Daelin whispered, his voice filled with pain and fear. Fear for Jaina, for her lost happiness and the evil that awaited in her future. Fear for his people, who would never see another King of Queen from his line and who might see ruin and disaster after Jaina’s rule ended. Fear for what was to come, for the uncertainty that lined the path ahead except for the doom that awaited his precious girl. Everything that he and his forebears had worked for, everything they had done their best to build, would see its end with his daughter due to the spitefulness of a single Fairy. “There is no hope at all.”

Shandris cleared her throat and inclined her head to the King when he turned his gaze toward her. “If I may, there is something that we have long since learned amongst our kind, and it is that the Goddess provides in mysterious ways. There may be a chance that all of this will right itself through Her grace. But the rules that govern Fairies are not the same that govern man, so it may manifest in a form that you do not expect, your majesties.” She received a nod from Tyrande and she nodded back in turn. “Do not lose hope, for it is Her will that things may happen thus. She may grant you the solution you seek, in time.”

With that, the Twilight Fairies bowed to the royals and disappeared through the same green light that had first brought them here.

The hall remained silent for a few moments before a boisterous laugh broke it, startling half the assembly at the unexpectedness of the sound.

“Bah! Nonsense, the lot of it.” Terenas exclaimed a heavy hand coming down on Daelin’s shoulder. “Monsters and beasts and whatnot are no match for the strength of a good knight, and I will prove it!” The man raised his voice further. “Let us do as we’d planned. Betroth Jaina to my Arthas and he will take care of her. No monster or creature will be able to get to her while he’s with her, and any who try to kidnap and ensnare her will be faced with the strongest knight in Lordaeron.”

The Lord Admiral gaped. Had he heard his friend correctly?

Katherine was the one to speak, as Daelin was much too shell-shocked to say much of anything. “Terenas, are you sure about this? Most people would be afraid of the curse that has been placed on my daughter and stay as far away from us as possible.”

The other King simply laughed some more. “Nonsense! You are my friends, and this scallywag and I have been in too many scrapes as boys for me to be afraid of some little spell thrown by a spiteful witch!” He slapped Daelin’s shoulder hard. “We’ve dreamed of having our kingdoms united for too long, and I won’t let it all be a wash just because some fools believe that destiny is unchangeable and whatnot! We make our own destiny with our own hands! That is the strength of us humans.” He puffed up with pride.

The people broke out in whispers and frantic conversation, nobody having expected such a proposition from King Terenas.

Lady Katherine was right, after all. Most people would have seen the terrible future that clearly awaited the Princess and have run in the opposite direction. Yet Terenas was unafraid of such things and had openly expressed his desire to see his son and heir marry a girl that was doomed to be made into a beast’s lover? Perhaps the man was foolish, perhaps he was crazy, or perhaps he truly was convinced that his son would be able to overturn destiny and vanquish the creature that was set to try and ensnare Jaina Proudmoore. Whatever the case may be, this would be running through the gossip mill for ages, and it was also undeniable that the man was probably the best friend anyone could ask for, to be so loyal as to stand against a powerful Fairy for the sake of his friendship with the Lord Admiral.

So busy was everyone talking about this development that no one saw a hooded figure clad in purple, white, and gold smile and slip away from the celebration. The things that had been set in motion today would change the course of the world itself...if the pieces fell into place as they should.

“Two hearts, united by an unusual bond, unbreakable and true. So this is what Noz wanted me to see.”
 
Preparations needed to be made. The Princess would need to have a guiding hand later on in her life, and wouldn’t it be most interesting to be that guiding hand?

The figure smiled, her raven-tipped staff hitting the ground once before turning into the bird itself and taking flight.

It would be most glorious indeed.