Chapter Text
The boat ride was excruciatingly long and painfully... Wobbly. The prince's stomach was not built for this in any capacity, so the joy he felt when they'd finally reached the shore was palpable.
He got off the boat as soon as possible while still managing to look regal in the process. Finally taking a moment to look up at the sky and most importantly at the giant tree infront of him. He only barely silenced the little "Wow" that brewed in his mouth.
"Do they live... IN the tree? Is there like a... A door or something?"
"No, my liege," one of his servants started. "They live in the tree, yes, but-" he pointed up. "at the top..."
"Oh... That makes more sense-..." He nodded. "How do we get there then?"
"There is a portal over there-"
"OH-" Kael would swear it wasn't there just a second ago. "Yes, alright... Let's get on with this then, huh?"
His legs were a bit shaky, as was the entirety of him. The mana withdrawal symptoms were not treating him kindly and neither was the nervousness from meeting Malfurion Stormrage himself.
When the group of blood elven diplomats got to the top, he could swear the whole city suddenly fell silent. Atleast before a huntress took a step forward to them.
"You must be prince Kael'thas, am I correct?" She carefully examined the unusually pale elf.
"Yes, that would be me-"
"Good, Malfurion is expecting you..." She reached her hand for his and within moments was leading him -somewhere-. The other blood elves were shocked by her so casually touching royalty, but ended up assuming being hands-on was just a part of Darnassian culture.
The prince found himself in a... Well it was almost definitelly a building. A wholy unfamiliar one at that. He felt incredibly small compared to both the elves all around as well as the architecture.
He walked to the druid slowly, calculating every move as to not to reveal his weakened state. The energy of this place was tangible, he could almost taste it on his tongue- but it made him feel even weaker in comparison.
"Young Kael'thas" the deep voice spoke and Kael immediatelly felt a wave of distaste fall on him. "Tyrande told me you would come..."
"Ah yes... I have met her-..." Kael's voice broke and he had to cough a bit to regain the ability to speak. He should have drank that mana potion on the boat. This is embarassing. "I... We spoke about our need of aid and she didn't hesitate to tell me I should ask for help here... So I came..."
"She has said so as well... I am acquainted with the situation of Quel'thalas and... I am terribly sorry for your loss, young prince..."
AGAIN, under different circumstances, Kael would be fuming.
"Thank you..." He said, simply not wanting to risk a longer response. Pathetic. However, when a bit of awkward silence set in, he continued. "I... Know you have zero reason to help my people, however-"
"Why do you think so, Kael?" The druid asked, genuinely.
"I-... Well..." He choked up, trying hard to not let another coughing fit escape him.
"I would love to try and help you, young one... It truly pains me to see you in such a sorry state." Malfurion sounded worried to him, but the prince's pride was hit HARD.
"I am unsure of what to say, um..." He stopped, having no idea as to how to refer to the druid. "Sir... Thank you... A million times thank you..."
"Do not thank me prematurely, young one..." He shook his head. "I assume you have all the time in the world right now..?"
"You assume correctly- although, that only applies if said time is spent by working to save my people..."
"I understand wholeheartedly, young one..." He smiled.
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When Rommath arrived in Darnassus a few months later, worried sick for the prince who had barely responded to any of his messages, the city was quite noisy with chatter of all kinds. Most of it in darnassian, of course, which he partially understood even if sometimes it just sounded fully made up.
He was lead to a place outside of Darnassus, lush with greenery of all sorts and painfully beautiful. The beauty probably there to contrast what he saw next.
First he obviously noticed the far taller man, but when he saw the smaller elf, he froze up entirely.
Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, heir to the throne of Quel'thalas, head of Silvermoon military and once a member of the Six of Dalaran. It took Rommath so long to recognise the peasant looking man, covered in dirt, pollen and grass, his hair tangled, with... Were those sticks in his hair? And leaves? Belore.
"I HAVE NEVER FELT MORE ALIVE!" The prince yelled, seemingly utterly insane to the grand magister. He was holding onto a couple of different flowers, smiling ear-to-ear.
Rommath came closer to the two and politely coughed to announce his presence.
"ROMMATH!" Kael screamed and ran to him, hugging him immediatelly.
"You smell like Halduron after a bad hunt, my liege..." He curled his lip and tried to pull the prince away. "Is this truly what you have been wasting your time doing? Laying in dirt?"
"Not precisely, I-" He said, still holding firmly onto his friend.
"I suppose atleast you gained some healthy weight back, you're no longer skin and bones... Nor are you deathly pale..."
"Those are all the side effects of nature magic, Rommath!" The prince's smile was shining like a million suns. "I feel... I feel incredible... You have to learn to channel it too-"
"I would rather not, Kael... You look horrible-" He ran a few fingers through the prince's hair, picking out leaves and sticks. "How undignified, your father would be disappointed so..." His eyebrows knit together, truly not taking in how much can go wrong with this man when he is not with him for just a bit.
"Rommath, I need you to listen to me, this is the way! It helped me and it will help all of us! We can heal the scar!" He pulled back. "Trust me..."
That did peak the magister's interest. "You think so?"
"I know so!"
"Fine... I will... I will hear you out- once you get a bath..."
The prince pouted. "Rude... Deal!"
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More time has passed and more blood elves have looked into the art of druidic magic. The grand magister, however, remained unconvinced.
"Any time you change back into your elven form, your hair is an absolute mess... Horrible..." He said, while brushing the other's hair. "I have never seen you like this... Well, if I forget all the times I saw you jumping around to get out of your undergarments..." He smirked.
"Stooop, I might look atrocious, but once I learn to control it better, I'll be glorious at all times..."
"I never said you looked atrocious, only that I have seen ogres more regal..." The dark haired elf chuckled.
"Hey! I still look like a royal... Especially here, it feels as if they haven't seen a short blonde in ages..."
"Wasn't the last short blonde they've seen Dath'remar?"
"Dath'remar was a ginger, Rommath, you should know that... "
"Ah yes, pardon me that I don't remember the hair color of each and every one of your ancestors... Or should I also remember their eye colors? Names of their partners? Do you know how long a list of those would be?"
"Ah, damn you!" Kael was laughing. "I think you should be aware the fully blonde genes only came around from my great grandmother's side of the family..."
"Why should I? To tell you your kitten form is blonde like your grandma or something?" He giggled.
"KITTEN?! IT'S A LYNX! AND A BIG ONE!"
"Sure, sure, whatever you say, darling..."