Chapter Text
Jaina knew someone was watching her. She could sense their gaze. Whoever it was, they had been following her for the last ten minutes. It could be any number of people but they would have to be good to get past her wife's dark rangers. And suicidal. Most people knew that Jaina hated being spied on even if they were Andiun's spies whose mission was just to keep an eye on her. Didn't help them when she teleported them into one of the public bathhouses. The aftermath was ludicrous enough that Sylvanas burst out laughing mid-report her sides shaking. Their good intentions were the only reason they were not popsicles. Well, Andiun spilling the beans to her was the only reason they were not very realistic statues. Sylvanas wanted to kill them all. Some concessions had to be made. It took ages for Jaina to wipe the smirk off Sylvanas's face.
Even kisses didn't work.
It has been eight years since they got involved in a magical explosion that resulted in a magical baby. Oddly enough, co-parenting had lead to them actually falling in love with each other. Or perhaps hours of an infant crying forced them to confront the things about themselves they were attracted to and hated. Now they were married and in love. Or the closest thing to love that Sylvanas would ever admit to. Her actions spoke volumes as she took over infant care, changing diapers and entertaining their very loud and irritable infant. Sharing Lireesa's first steps and first words. They eventually began to share other things; dates, meetings, fights. Then there was that assassin and well, here they are happily married and raising a beautiful daughter.
Speaking of offspring...a nearby shrubbery shook suspiciously.
"Oh no, I am in danger," Jaina said dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead. With a casual twist of her other hand, she summoned a low-level water element. "Whatever shall I do?"
"Raaar!" And out of the shrubbery came her hero, cape and all. "I will save you, mommy!" Jaina hid her smile behind her hand as she sank to her knees. The water element gurgled and then grew bigger with several arms. He was relatively harmless and served Jaina's purpose.
The tiniest ranger to ever exist slid to a stop before her, a small stick in her hand. Pointed ears peaked out from her hood as she waved the stick before her like a sword. Even at a young age, Lireesa took to her lessons with great aplomb. She swung to the side, dodging the watery tendrils as she rolled to the side. "Hiyah!" The stick slid through the watery tentacle cutting it off from the main body. It hit the ground with a splash.
The water element just looked at Lireesa with its nonexistent eyes and grew more tentacles. Lireesa shrieked in surprise. "That's not fair."
"Oh brave warrior, allow me to assist," Jaina called out as she cast an ice spell, freezing the water element. "Now, strike!"
With a few hard blows, the water element cracked into pieces and vanished. It let out a little warbling cry before bubbling away. Jaina silently thanked her summoned creature for entertaining them as she stood. Her daughter ran towards her, cape flapping in the wind as she lept.
Jania swept Lireesa into a hug and used her arcane magic to levitate the eight-year-old into her arms. Her daughter giggled, peaks of blonde hair escaping her hood. Lireesa looked far too much like Sylvanas, the shape of her nose and eyes were true Windrunner features. As a half-elf, her ears were far smaller than her other parent but much longer and pointer than a human. It was hard to see if Lireesa had inherited anything from her. She looked like a carbon copy of Slyvanas albeit in miniature form with sun-kissed blonde hair.
It also didn't help that Lireesa had taken to wearing ranger uniforms and trailing after Sylvanas like a baby cat. Not that Jaina was jealous. Certainly not. Just... their magical baby should have some part of Jaina in her, she gave birth to her after all. The concept of being an incubator for a magical baby that inherited nothing from her certainly crossed her mind.
"Where is your mother?"
"We're playing hide and seek." Lireesa hugged Jania's legs before ducking behind her. "You can't tell her I'm here."
"I won't."
"Promise?" Lireesa held out her pinky. Jania hooked her pinky. "I swear it."
"I was hiding and I got really far but then I saw you and I knew I had to see you," Lireesa said into Jania's legs. " 'Sides, mama won't even think to look here!"
As if the mere mention of the Warchief would summon her, Sylvanas appeared stepping out of the shadows like a ghost her glowing eyes giving her away. While her face remained stern, her long ears twitched, as if she was searching for someone. She was in her Warchief armor, an imposing and yet comforting look. "Wife of mine, I am hunting a very sneaky and dangerous spy. Would you happen to know where she ran to?"
"I have no idea," Jaina said over the giggles behind her robes.
Sylvanas covered the ground between them in a few steps ignoring the hiding Lireesa to place a kiss on Jaina's forehead. It was very much an elven way to show affection in public although Jaina suspects it was more for Lireesa who could not hold her sound of disgust. Jania looped her arms around Sylvanas's torso and leaned into her shoulder. She could feel the tension in her wife's shoulder ease slightly as Sylvanas pressed her chin against the top of Jaina's head.
Jaina savored the moment as she inhaled the smell of metal, oil, and tulips. "How was your meeting?"
"Utterly boring." Sylvanas murmured against her hair. "At least I got to bait Genn."
"You really should stop doing that."
Sylvanas just kissed her, a low chuckle in her throat. Jaina hummed as she returned the kiss, her hands gripping Sylvanas's leathers. Tiny hands wormed their way between the two of them as a small pouting face looks up at them looking indignant. Sylvanas looked down bemused. "Yes?"
"Minn'da." Lireesa whined. "Mother!"
Clearly unhappy with not being the center of their attention, the smallest addition to the Windrunner family reached up with both hands a silent plea on her face. Sylvanas grabbed both hands and pulled her up until she was safely nestled in her arms, head resting on Slyvanas's pauldron. One arm pressed against her daughter's back to stabilize her position. Lireesa wrapped her arms around Sylvanas's neck and held on, a pouting expression on her face. Jaina caressed Lireesa's back as she leaned on Sylvanas's other side, their hands clasped.
"You need to learn how to hide your tracks better, Little sun," Sylvanas commented although not unkindly. She was stern and fair, even to her own flesh and blood. "How else will we steal Genn's things and hide them?"
Jaina tried very hard to not hit her dearly loved wife. "You are not dragging Lireesa into your shenanigans." She hissed into Sylvanas's ear.
The Warchief just smirked.
Oh, gods. She married a child.
"One day I'm gonna be like Aunt Alleria!" Lireesa said, blissfully unaware of her parent's conversation.
"Void forsaken?" Sylvanas muttered under breath not even flinching when Jania drove an elbow into her ribs. "One day. I am sure you will surpass us all." She said instead, turning her head so she could meet Lireesa's glowing eyes with her own. "Are you ready for that challenge?"
Ever the fearless eight-year-old, she pumped her fist. "For Elune!"
Sylvanas's lengthy eyebrows twitched. "You are never going to speak to Tyrande ever again." She declared flatly. "Jaina remind me to ban Tyrande from Horde territory."
"Really?"
"Yes. Do not question your Warchief."
"Ah. Yes." Jaina said dryly. "Of course. I will send a missive straight away."
"Please do." With a haughty tilt of her chin, years of noble elf tradition evident on her face, Sylvanas painted quite the picture. Which was thusly ruined when Lireesa sneezed. Loudly. Dripping snot all over Sylvanas's pauldron and cloak.
With the ease of someone who had done it before, she pulled a small handkerchief from her pocket and with a quick movement wiped a drippy nose.
If someone were to tell Sylvanas she would be holding a baby ten years ago, she would have laughed and then killed them. Arthas had taken much from her; her future, her life, and her wife. Her first and only child. She became a cruel creature seeking only to prolong her own unlife. It was only after she was made to turn the Horde into her people did she begin to become someone else. Having a magical baby with Jaina simply expedited the process. Falling in love with Jaina was not part of her plan. She never wanted another child.
Lireesa yawned in her arms, her head squished against Sylvanas neck. Even as a Banshee she could still feel her soft hair against her ears. It brought back memories of when she took care of Vereesa and Lirath. "Little one." Sylvanas said quietly, "We're home."
Their home was Ogrimmar and the Warchief's hold. Sylvanas had refused to live anywhere near Alliance territory, Silvermoon was out of the option and the only place she felt safe was where she felt most powerful. Jaina had refused to live in Ogrimmar forever without visiting her home. Compromises were made. She hadn't really considered if she wanted to raise her daughter loyal to the Horde, in fact, there was a lot of things she hadn't thought about. Her Forsaken were loyal to her and her alone, they would follow their Dark Lady to wherever she may guide them. Once her duty was done and the Forsaken safe, Sylvanas never thought about after. She had lived her life as Ranger-General and then as Warchief, peace was a foreign concept to her as was what her place in it was. When she was alive, she would always be Ranger General just in peacetime, running endless drills and training new rangers.
Now she spent her nights running after a naked wet toddler and trying to convince her that clothes were good. The fun nights are when she threatens the monsters under the bed because she is the greatest monster stalking the night. Or when she had to casually threaten a diplomat who was speaking a touch too loud and was going to wake the baby.
Sylvanas carried Lireesa to her bed where she pulled the tiny ranger cloak and top off, took her shoes off and got her ready for bed. Lireesa toddled to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and then back to her bed where she fell in. It was like taking care of Lirath, teaching him how to shoot and tucking him into bed. At least for a magical baby, she was oddly normal. Lireesa fussed as any child would, the terrible two's involved a lot of screaming and honestly, quite average. Jaina had Lireesa inspected for any magical gifts and other oddities. Like any elf, she has an aptitude for the arcane and once she manifests her abilities, Jaina will become her teacher.
Sylvanas would do anything to keep her family safe. She would burn the world down for them.
"Warchief?"
"You know I am not to be disturbed." Sylvanas hissed, turning her red gaze towards the unfortunate dark ranger.
"We found an intruder. You will need to see this."
Sylvanas cocked one long eyebrow.
From behind her back, she produced Deathwhisper. Now, Sylvanas felt both her brows climb up her forehead. She turned her head to the mantle where Deathwhisper rested. Sylvanas turned her head back to the identical copy in the other banshee's grip.
And then very calmly took an unneeded inhale.
"What?"