World of Warcraft: Inquisition
“Father?”
Varian looked away from the map he was examining to his son. The boy-young man, really, he was almost 15-was never formal in private, so it made him wary.
“What is it?” he asked.
Anduin squirmed for a moment before he said in a rush, “Areyouseeingsomeone?”
Varian blinked. He was torn between saying ‘no’ to save his son’s sanity, and ‘yes’ because he didn’t want to lie to him.
So he finally settled on asking, “What makes you think that?”
Anduin stared. “You are?”
“I never said that,” Varian replied and turned his attention back to the map showing where Horde forces in Alliance territory were known or suspected to be.
“B-but, who?”
Varian sighed quietly. “Is it affecting my capabilities as a ruler?”
“No, not that anyone can see,” Anduin answered, mildly confused.
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“Why don’t you want anyone to know? Is that why you’ve never re-married?”
“I’ve never remarried because I’ve been too busy and all of the noblewomen who are available are too many years younger for my comfort,” Varian stated, looking back to Anduin. “Gilneas has been walled off for years, and I don’t remember whether or not Greymane has a daughter nor what age she may be. No-one knows if Arthas’ sister is alive, dead, or undead, so she isn’t an option. Trust me, if I could have remarried, I would have-having you as the sole heir puts a lot of stress on you to survive and continue the Wrynn line, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
“Then…is it because she’s not of noble blood?”
Varian debated, again, how badly he wanted to scar his son. Technically, his fuck-buddy was of vaguely ‘noble’ blood, at least according tribal structure, so it wasn’t that in particular as to why he was keeping things quiet.
“It’s not the bloodline that’s the issue,” he answered eventually as he unrolled an encrypted document that had found its way to his desk.
Anduin’s curiosity was obviously deepening with every evasion. “Why won’t you tell me who she is?”
Varian’s patience was wearing thin. He had matters to attend to that were more important than tiptoeing around a topic he had no desire to discuss.
“It doesn’t matter, Anduin,” Varian half-snapped. “Now, I have matters of state that need doing and I’m sure you have lessons you’ve neglected.”
“If it doesn’t matter, why are you keeping it a secret?” Anduin replied.
Varian glowered at the parchment before him. “It is best that way.”
Anduin didn’t leave as Varian had hoped, and instead remained and regarded him carefully, as his mind obviously worked overtime.
“If it’s not because of bloodline, then is it because of age?”
“No,” Varian answered succinctly. “Now, stop bothering me about my personal life. If it doesn’t affect my service to the Alliance, then it’s not an issue.”
Anduin frowned, but accepted the dismissal. Varian knew that his son would be back to harass him later, however-he had inherited Varian’s stubbornness, and wouldn’t let go of the puzzle before him until he had solved it.
His son, indeed, came back a few hours later, obviously with a number of questions in mind.
“Have I been using the wrong gender pronoun?” the prince asked without preamble.
Varian heaved an inward sigh. “And if you have?”
Anduin stared. The prince had obviously not expected that particular admission. “Oh.”
Varian ignored the awkward silence, but the emotion slowly shifted into curiosity once more, which made him growl inwardly.
“Do I know him?” Anduin asked, intrigue obviously working past the gender issue.
“Look, Anduin, I promise I won’t pry into your personal life once you find a girlfriend. Leave this alone.”
“No, you won’t leave me alone once I have a g-girlfriend, no matter what you say. And anyway, knowing who you’re seeing will tell me how tolerant of my choices you’ll be.”
Varian rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Please, Anduin. Trust me when I say that this isn’t something you want to know.”
The moment he had said the words, Varian swore inwardly, since he knew that it would only further intrigue his son-it certainly would have made him more curious when he was Anduin’s age.
From the look he caught Anduin giving him, he knew his suspicion was correct.
Light, I’m not going to have a moment of peace until he drags the answer out of me.
“He isn’t human, is he?”
Varian figured that the best way to get his son to leave him alone was to simply not answer-if he couldn’t get any hints, surely he’d give up?
Unfortunately, it seemed as if his silence was answer enough, from how Anduin’s eyebrows slowly rose. “He isn’t.”
Varian growled inwardly and scowled as he tended to Shalamayne.
“Anduin.”
His son jumped a little and sat up straighter. Varian very rarely used his ‘king’ voice on Anduin, but he figured that the time called for it. “Leave.”
Anduin blinked, but left without comment.
Anduin cornered him again the next day, stubbornness in every line of his posture.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Varian nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Then what makes you so reticent to tell me who he is?”
“Because I’m afraid of how you’ll react,” Varian half-snapped, sick of the topic. “I don’t want to lose you.”
It was the truth. Had he been seeing anyone else, he would have evaded for a little while, but would have eventually caved. Anduin was his son, and he should know if only for his safety.
Anduin’s eyebrows snapped up in surprise. “Dad, you can’t lose me.”
Varian shook his head slightly. “So you say.”
Anduin regarded him for a long moment as Varian did his best to ignore the budding priest.
Varian jumped a little and looked at his son sharply when the boy made an astonished noise of absolute incredulity. “What?” he asked warily.
“He’s an orc, isn’t he?”
Varian grimaced. Light, I wish he weren’t as smart as his mother.
“But you hate orcs.”
“I do.”
“Then-”
“I hate him.”
“Then why are you…?”
The ‘why’ bothered Varian incessantly as well, and he had yet to come up with a sufficient answer.
“I don’t know,” Varian answered truthfully. “But the sex is what keeps us risking everything.”
Anduin blushed scarlet. “Wait, you actually…?”
Varian nodded.
“Oh.”
“You don’t find me disgusting?” Varian asked, barely succeeding at keeping fear out of his voice.
“I…it…just…it just seems so unlike you.”
Varian grimaced. “It is.”
“Why don’t you just stop, then?”
“I’ve tried.”
“You can’t?”
“He’s an addiction, Anduin,” Varian groused. “He’s bad for me, I hate him, and every time I even think of him it makes me want to tear him apart for making me feel this way. I wish he’d die just so this will go away.”
“You want him to die?” Anduin asked, obviously shocked.
“You think of him as my ‘lover’, right?” Varian asked, and Anduin nodded hesitantly. “He isn’t. There isn’t any affection between us.”
“But you have sex.”
“We do.”
Anduin was obviously baffled.
Varian sighed. “Anduin, I don’t know why I want him as badly as I do. I don’t know why he haunts me. I do know that the world would be a better place without him in it and that it would be a relief to have him gone.”
“Does he feel the same way about you?”
“I have no doubt.”
“So you both hate each other.”
“Yes.”
“But you have s-sex anyway.”
“Yes. Now do you see why I told you to leave it alone?”
Anduin nodded slowly. “Since I’m as confused as I am, I think I can take you telling me who he is.”
“No, you won’t. Now go do whatever you need to in order to process this. Or forget it. I recommend forgetting it.”
Anduin remained where he was, though, and unease slowly crossed his face. “Do I know him?”
“If I answer, will you drop the subject?”
“Yes.”
“You know him.”
Anduin held to his promise and left, a frown etched on his features. He was obviously still thinking about it even though Varian had asked otherwise.
Varian sent up a prayer to any deity that may be listening, but it seemed as if the Powers that be decided to ignore him, from how Anduin returned about a half-hour later, an expression Varian couldn’t read in his posture and face.
“Anduin?” he asked warily.
“Please tell me he isn’t Garrosh Hellscream.”
Varian swallowed his unease and said, his voice surprisingly steady, “I’d be lying if I did.”
Anduin stared before he shook his head and muttered something to himself that seemed to imply he intended to erase the knowledge from his mind with some help.
Varian watched his son leave and sighed as he sat back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and murmured aloud, “Garrosh, if you ever have children, I hope you suffer through this, too.”
Varian looked away from the map he was examining to his son. The boy-young man, really, he was almost 15-was never formal in private, so it made him wary.
“What is it?” he asked.
Anduin squirmed for a moment before he said in a rush, “Areyouseeingsomeone?”
Varian blinked. He was torn between saying ‘no’ to save his son’s sanity, and ‘yes’ because he didn’t want to lie to him.
So he finally settled on asking, “What makes you think that?”
Anduin stared. “You are?”
“I never said that,” Varian replied and turned his attention back to the map showing where Horde forces in Alliance territory were known or suspected to be.
“B-but, who?”
Varian sighed quietly. “Is it affecting my capabilities as a ruler?”
“No, not that anyone can see,” Anduin answered, mildly confused.
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“Why don’t you want anyone to know? Is that why you’ve never re-married?”
“I’ve never remarried because I’ve been too busy and all of the noblewomen who are available are too many years younger for my comfort,” Varian stated, looking back to Anduin. “Gilneas has been walled off for years, and I don’t remember whether or not Greymane has a daughter nor what age she may be. No-one knows if Arthas’ sister is alive, dead, or undead, so she isn’t an option. Trust me, if I could have remarried, I would have-having you as the sole heir puts a lot of stress on you to survive and continue the Wrynn line, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
“Then…is it because she’s not of noble blood?”
Varian debated, again, how badly he wanted to scar his son. Technically, his fuck-buddy was of vaguely ‘noble’ blood, at least according tribal structure, so it wasn’t that in particular as to why he was keeping things quiet.
“It’s not the bloodline that’s the issue,” he answered eventually as he unrolled an encrypted document that had found its way to his desk.
Anduin’s curiosity was obviously deepening with every evasion. “Why won’t you tell me who she is?”
Varian’s patience was wearing thin. He had matters to attend to that were more important than tiptoeing around a topic he had no desire to discuss.
“It doesn’t matter, Anduin,” Varian half-snapped. “Now, I have matters of state that need doing and I’m sure you have lessons you’ve neglected.”
“If it doesn’t matter, why are you keeping it a secret?” Anduin replied.
Varian glowered at the parchment before him. “It is best that way.”
Anduin didn’t leave as Varian had hoped, and instead remained and regarded him carefully, as his mind obviously worked overtime.
“If it’s not because of bloodline, then is it because of age?”
“No,” Varian answered succinctly. “Now, stop bothering me about my personal life. If it doesn’t affect my service to the Alliance, then it’s not an issue.”
Anduin frowned, but accepted the dismissal. Varian knew that his son would be back to harass him later, however-he had inherited Varian’s stubbornness, and wouldn’t let go of the puzzle before him until he had solved it.
His son, indeed, came back a few hours later, obviously with a number of questions in mind.
“Have I been using the wrong gender pronoun?” the prince asked without preamble.
Varian heaved an inward sigh. “And if you have?”
Anduin stared. The prince had obviously not expected that particular admission. “Oh.”
Varian ignored the awkward silence, but the emotion slowly shifted into curiosity once more, which made him growl inwardly.
“Do I know him?” Anduin asked, intrigue obviously working past the gender issue.
“Look, Anduin, I promise I won’t pry into your personal life once you find a girlfriend. Leave this alone.”
“No, you won’t leave me alone once I have a g-girlfriend, no matter what you say. And anyway, knowing who you’re seeing will tell me how tolerant of my choices you’ll be.”
Varian rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Please, Anduin. Trust me when I say that this isn’t something you want to know.”
The moment he had said the words, Varian swore inwardly, since he knew that it would only further intrigue his son-it certainly would have made him more curious when he was Anduin’s age.
From the look he caught Anduin giving him, he knew his suspicion was correct.
Light, I’m not going to have a moment of peace until he drags the answer out of me.
“He isn’t human, is he?”
Varian figured that the best way to get his son to leave him alone was to simply not answer-if he couldn’t get any hints, surely he’d give up?
Unfortunately, it seemed as if his silence was answer enough, from how Anduin’s eyebrows slowly rose. “He isn’t.”
Varian growled inwardly and scowled as he tended to Shalamayne.
“Anduin.”
His son jumped a little and sat up straighter. Varian very rarely used his ‘king’ voice on Anduin, but he figured that the time called for it. “Leave.”
Anduin blinked, but left without comment.
Anduin cornered him again the next day, stubbornness in every line of his posture.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Varian nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Then what makes you so reticent to tell me who he is?”
“Because I’m afraid of how you’ll react,” Varian half-snapped, sick of the topic. “I don’t want to lose you.”
It was the truth. Had he been seeing anyone else, he would have evaded for a little while, but would have eventually caved. Anduin was his son, and he should know if only for his safety.
Anduin’s eyebrows snapped up in surprise. “Dad, you can’t lose me.”
Varian shook his head slightly. “So you say.”
Anduin regarded him for a long moment as Varian did his best to ignore the budding priest.
Varian jumped a little and looked at his son sharply when the boy made an astonished noise of absolute incredulity. “What?” he asked warily.
“He’s an orc, isn’t he?”
Varian grimaced. Light, I wish he weren’t as smart as his mother.
“But you hate orcs.”
“I do.”
“Then-”
“I hate him.”
“Then why are you…?”
The ‘why’ bothered Varian incessantly as well, and he had yet to come up with a sufficient answer.
“I don’t know,” Varian answered truthfully. “But the sex is what keeps us risking everything.”
Anduin blushed scarlet. “Wait, you actually…?”
Varian nodded.
“Oh.”
“You don’t find me disgusting?” Varian asked, barely succeeding at keeping fear out of his voice.
“I…it…just…it just seems so unlike you.”
Varian grimaced. “It is.”
“Why don’t you just stop, then?”
“I’ve tried.”
“You can’t?”
“He’s an addiction, Anduin,” Varian groused. “He’s bad for me, I hate him, and every time I even think of him it makes me want to tear him apart for making me feel this way. I wish he’d die just so this will go away.”
“You want him to die?” Anduin asked, obviously shocked.
“You think of him as my ‘lover’, right?” Varian asked, and Anduin nodded hesitantly. “He isn’t. There isn’t any affection between us.”
“But you have sex.”
“We do.”
Anduin was obviously baffled.
Varian sighed. “Anduin, I don’t know why I want him as badly as I do. I don’t know why he haunts me. I do know that the world would be a better place without him in it and that it would be a relief to have him gone.”
“Does he feel the same way about you?”
“I have no doubt.”
“So you both hate each other.”
“Yes.”
“But you have s-sex anyway.”
“Yes. Now do you see why I told you to leave it alone?”
Anduin nodded slowly. “Since I’m as confused as I am, I think I can take you telling me who he is.”
“No, you won’t. Now go do whatever you need to in order to process this. Or forget it. I recommend forgetting it.”
Anduin remained where he was, though, and unease slowly crossed his face. “Do I know him?”
“If I answer, will you drop the subject?”
“Yes.”
“You know him.”
Anduin held to his promise and left, a frown etched on his features. He was obviously still thinking about it even though Varian had asked otherwise.
Varian sent up a prayer to any deity that may be listening, but it seemed as if the Powers that be decided to ignore him, from how Anduin returned about a half-hour later, an expression Varian couldn’t read in his posture and face.
“Anduin?” he asked warily.
“Please tell me he isn’t Garrosh Hellscream.”
Varian swallowed his unease and said, his voice surprisingly steady, “I’d be lying if I did.”
Anduin stared before he shook his head and muttered something to himself that seemed to imply he intended to erase the knowledge from his mind with some help.
Varian watched his son leave and sighed as he sat back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and murmured aloud, “Garrosh, if you ever have children, I hope you suffer through this, too.”