Beneath A Moonless Sky

A/N: This chapter isn’t that good, I needed an interim chapter to just tie some stuff up and bring the Sylvanas/Jaina pairing back into the picture. The next chapter will be better, just I had to get something between the previous one and that one or else it’d seem rushed.

 

    Thrall walked hurriedly through the streets of Dalaran as he headed back to make sure Jaina was alright. He may have trusted Garrosh, but he knew well how much the other orc disliked Jaina and, indeed, any human at all. The thought left an ill feeling of worry in the pit of his stomach, Garrosh was impulsive and harsh, perhaps not the best person to trust with such a delicate task.

     “Warchief, a moment?” A smooth, somewhat cold and even voice spoke from the shadows. Thrall whipped around to face the speaker as Sylvanas stepped into view.

       “What is it, Lady Windrunner?” Thrall asked, stopping a moment and focusing his attention on her, or at least trying to, his worries still clouding his head.

        “Choose your friends more carefully, I assure you, he deserved what he got.” She replied cryptically. “Now return to Jaina, she needs to tell you something.” And with that, Sylvanas ducked back into the shadows and was gone.

         Thrall seemed quite confused by the Banshee Queen’s words, but shook it off and continued on his way back to Jaina’s room, arriving at the door and just about to knock, when he heard the sound of crying from inside. Slowly, he turned the knob, finding it was locked. Normally this early in the day, Jaina would not lock her door. A wave of concern swept over him and he knocked on the door, gently but firmly.

         Jaina’s eyes darted to the door. It was Thrall. Only he, of all the people who visited most lately, knocked like that. She stumbled to her feet, dried her tears off quickly on the sleeve of her long blue dress and opened the door, smiling. “Hello, my love. I’m so glad to see you again.” Her voice told Thrall that this statement was truer than he could imagine.

      “Jaina, what’s wrong?” Thrall asked softly, gently gripping her shoulders as he moved into the room with her, closing the door.

      “What do you mean?” She managed a puzzled expression as she gently pressed her beautiful body against him, her hands pressing up against his chest.

      “You were crying before I knocked and you have a distressed aura about you. Also, you’ve been acting strangely lately, first of all, you never want to be intimate, which is alright, I just know usually you’re very eager to be with me…Then  these clothes. I don’t mind that lack of exposure, you’re lovely even so, it’s just you seemed to like wearing those things.” He added. “I’ve told you about Taretha, yes? Well, when Blackmoore would be rough with her and leave bruises, she would try and conceal them under longer garments, so you understand my worries about your change in wardrobe.”

      Jaina knew how those memories must hurt her love, so she breathed deeply, fully intending to tell him everything, however instead, when she opened her mouth, she merely blurted out. “I am pregnant.”

         Thrall looked puzzled at first, then it became a look of relief and then a genuinely happy smile. He held her close to him, protectively but carefully. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I was reeling with worry for you for the past two weeks!”

       “I wasn’t sure, but now I am entirely certain that that’s what is going on.” Jaina said softly. In truth, she was sure of this, and more to the point was sure Thrall was the baby’s father. Still, she felt like she was lying to him having not told him the real reason she was hiding her body and refusing sex.

      “Well then of course, I understand why you’d refuse sex, you were worried you might hurt our child.” Thrall gently rubbed Jaina’s hips as he placed his hands there. “I’m glad you are being so careful, but it wouldn’t be dangerous until the child has actually developed, right now it’s only just forming…right?” He asked, pulling her close to him.

         “Well, better safe than sorry, my love. Besides, there’s still one thing I can do for you that doesn’t worry me.” She grinned, gently grabbing Thrall’s wrists and removing his hands from her hips before slowly sinking down to her knees in front of him.

          “No, it isn’t necessary, my love.” Thrall shook his head, gently pulling Jaina to her feet and holding her close. “I don’t need that right now.” He whispered softly, kissing her sweetly.

 

     As he held her, the warm energy of the spirits that surrounded him flowed gently through Jaina’s body, fading and healing her bruises, closing the lacerations, healing the words that Garrosh and Kael had written into her flesh, though the burnt in name did not fade, only stopped hurting. Jaina knew it wouldn’t fade. It never would. Even if the letters were to physically disappear, there was nothing to be done for the scarring on her soul. Her mind would heal, it already was, she’d always been strong and with Thrall and Sylvanas nearby, she felt safer. However that in and of itself carried baggage, Jaina was used to being strong and independent, able to face down demons, dragons, hordes of undead and even her own father for the good of others, yet here she was now, unable to defend herself and more devastatingly unable to defend her unborn baby. There had to be a way out of this, a scenario where she could win without her powers. It was a difficult decision, though, a slippery slope. Kael had once been her friend and he was a living person, she hated to end a life, even one that had tried to ruin hers.

 

          “Jaina?” Thrall’s voice called her back to reality. “Jaina, are you alright?”

       “Huh? Oh, yes, yes, I’m fine…just thinking a bit.” She smiled up at him.

        “You seemed to be far away for a few minutes, I must have called your name ten times. Are you sure your only concern is your pregnancy?” He frowned a bit, no longer convinced that she was alright.

        “Yes, of course, my love. I think I ought to rest now for the sake of the baby, perhaps we can discuss this a bit late?” She asked with a tired smile.

           “Alright, I’ll be back a bit later to check up on you, I love you.” He kissed her forehead and turned to leave.

           Jaina was more ashamed of herself than she’d ever been for not telling him what had been going on. She tried to look at it as a sign of strength. She could handle it alone; she didn’t need the help of a man to defend herself or her child. She would be resourceful. She had to think…

          When Thrall had left the room, Jaina sat down for a minute to think, resting her head in her hands as she did, going over and over what exactly she could do.  A crisp knock at the door jogged her from her thoughts and she got up, heading over to the door. Looking out, she was relieved to see Sylvanas standing there. She slowly opened the door. “Hello, Sylvie.”

         “’Sylvie’ hmm? That’s a new one.” Sylvanas remarked. “In all my life and undeath I don’t believe I’ve ever been called Sylvie.” A small chuckle escaped her full, seductive, almost vampiric red lips. “Anyway, I take it you’ve told him?”

          “Only that I was pregnant…” Jaina admitted.

           Sylvanas frowned. “Are you, at least? Because it’s one thing to skirt the truth to your lover, it is another thing entirely to lie to him about something you’ll easily be called on in a few months.”

          “Yes, I am.” Jaina nodded. “I wouldn’t lie about something that serious.”

           “And he’s not going to be surprised by a fair skinned, pointy eared blonde baby, is he?” Sylvanas asked, advancing towards her.

            “No! Of course not! I’d have had to tell him immediately if that were the case…or get rid of it…” Jaina frowned. “And again, you don’t care at all about him, so why would you care even if it had been a lie or it had been Kael’s baby?”

             “Because, Jaina, you and I have our own relationship now. I care for all my pets, it’s the one kind of love my bitter husk of a heart and broken, shade of a soul can still feel. I want what’s best for you…What’s best for you is what’s best for me.” She pulled Jaina close to her, enveloping her in an embrace Jaina couldn’t help but feel was akin to a spider about to eat a helpless cocooned morsel trapped in its web. But, if a spider she was, Sylvanas was most certainly a black widow, sleek, beautiful and deadly all at once. It drew the mage to her, that danger and seduction. She couldn’t help but feel desire.

          “It’s quite a shame you’re pregnant, you’ll need all your precious lifeblood to help that child grow…I’m sure your blood tastes so very sweet.” Sylvanas whispered. “But, perhaps when the child is born, we will venture there…For now, your mistress desires you. Kiss me.”

          Jaina felt almost entranced, it was a euphoric feeling she couldn’t get enough of as she leaned forward to kiss Sylvanas, who tightly grasped Jaina’s long blonde hair, holding it in a ponytail almost as she kissed her deeply and passionately. Perhaps a bit of that euphoria was the knowledge that she was out of Kael’s grasp, beyond his sight, while Sylvanas had her…or perhaps it was more to do with being willingly subservient to a beautiful and powerful woman. Usually Jaina was on the other end of that dynamic, people fawning over her, worshipping her beauty and power. She didn’t enjoy being put on a pedestal, but clearly Sylvanas did and the reverse in dynamic was rather arousing.