(2025-01-10) The Quiet After the Whirlwind

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Author:	inkie
Summary:	Siamus Fallon checks in on his houseguest, Aszera Sunstrike, at the end of the first day of her visit. Aze might make a career teaching dragon-slaying seminars. Siamus might become pen pals with the Lich King. Miss Curran did extra credit.
Rating:	T for Teen

The door to the Bird Room is slightly open, though there's no light or sound spilling out to the hallway from inside. Instead, there is a faint draft of chill air, carrying with it a scent of the outdoors. At this time of the evening, though, it would be reasonable to assume the room's current occupant, Aszera Sunstrike, is inside.

There's a light knock on the ajar door, and a familiar voice asks courteously, "Aszera? Are ye at home to company?"

"Siamus?" There's a rustling of cloth, and the sound of bare feet on the floor. "Yeah, come in, I'm here."

Confirming this further, the footsteps approach the door, which opens wider. The room is illuminated only by moonlight through the open window, and the air in the room is chill. Aze is no longer in her blue and gold gown and jewelry, but simple black clothes - a tank top and soft pants that reach her midcalf. There are goosebumps on her arms, so she does not appear to be immune to the cold.

Siamus eases in. He reaches for the edge of the door to tug it from her grasp and close it behind him. "You're cold," he observes with some concern, and steps closer to her.

Aze shivers and raises one hand to reach toward him. He's warm. "I was just… getting ready to sleep? I didn't bring a tent or anything, I just thought… it's been an unusual day."

He sets his hands at her waist to draw her against his warmth. "A tent?" he asks, a smile in his voice. "Ye've been to Ralaea's room." He lifts a hand to stroke her hair, twining his fingers in it. "An unusual day. Can ye be more specific?"

She hums in agreement and rests against him gently, one arm around his neck. "New place, new people… so many new people. It has been a long while since I tried to do any of this. The whole formal, social scene. And then only in Quel'thalas. So… rusty etiquette that isn't quite right. Isla is adorable, though."

"Isla's a charming lass," he agrees. "And aye, it's a great many people. Her Grace did try to ease it for ye, introducing in stages. But by the end of the day — I can see how ye'd feel a little buried." He runs a soothing hand down her back. "But ye managed it well, and now that the formal introducing's over with, ye can take them informally and as ye please in getting to know them."

"Yeah, there's time," Aze says, her head against his chest. "It's hard to sleep, when there's so much, spinning around and around…" She pauses for a moment, and adds quietly, "I should have brought it up, about the Lich King. I just assumed, you're in the House of Nobles. I thought you knew."

"Ah," says Siamus. He's quiet for a time, the knuckle of his thumb moving meditatively up and down her spine. "Did Ralaea tell ye? And no, we — the House of Nobles — we weren't told. I'd have some remarks about Tirion Fordring and the authority he gives himself — begging your Argent pardon — but I'm given to understand it was Fordragon himself requested the secrecy." Another silence, and then more quietly, "I knew the man. We were… friends, of a sort."

Aze presses her back gently against the touch, but then tenses at Siamus's last comment. "Oh. That is, my condolences. She mentioned it as a secret she hadn't kept, and I… I didn't realize I was keeping it from you. It's not really a thing you bring up in casual conversation, even with someone else who knows. Unless you're Rae. She said Her Grace dropped a teacup."

Siamus laughs dryly. "Ralaea has a special gift for the unexpected. I don't believe in two years of marriage I've ever seen Her Grace drop a teacup.

"But — aye. I spoke to Miss Coit about it after Her Grace had the news from Ralaea. I understand it was… a difficult position for some of ye, and that others of ye might not have known how it would all — spread or no."

Aze smiles back, the tension fading to loose-limbed relaxation. "He is still there at least. You could write him, if you wanted. Or send a death knight with a message. I don't know if he'd answer, but…" Aze shrugs.

Siamus draws back to gaze down at Aze in the dark; she can't read his expression, but the tone of his voice is half-quizzical, half-amused. "I had not thought of… writing a letter to the Lich King, I'll admit."

"If he was a friend before…" Aze offers, with a touch of uncertainty. "I lost a lot of friends after, but I was still me. And my sister still cares about her family, after her change. And Roper his friends. So the Lich King probably remembers you, at least. He might be too far into the martyrdom to want to answer, but you never know."

"Mm," says Siamus. After a moment he adds, "I don't know that he'd want to hear the news I have for him anyway."

"I'm sure you know better than I do," Aze shrugs again, dismissing the topic. The suggestion has been made. "There was one other thing that came up with Rae. Do you think people here would be interested in like… dragon-slaying seminars? I do have a lot of experience."

Siamus is silent for several moments; she can probably feel his scrutiny. "Interesting ye should say it. I was just discussing something like it with a couple've other members of the House. Assembling and training a team of specialists, that is." He weighs it a moment more. "Unfortunately, the man most likely to see the group put together is… ah. Touchy about sin'dorei in particular."

Aze takes a step back from Siamus, turning toward the window and shivering. "Right. I'll stick to dancing. If you want any information I have, though, it's yours."

Siamus waits a moment and then closes the distance with her again to slide his arms around her from behind. "On the other hand," he says thoughtfully, "you're a friend of his son. And an Argent Crusader. Those facts would matter, I expect."

Aze rests her arms over his, and says, "If it might help. I'm not here to make problems, though. I'm just… trying to do what you said. Think about the future, and where I might fit in it. Maybe a day isn't long enough to figure that out exactly."

"I do not think a day is long enough," he agrees gravely, and kisses her ear. "Particularly not a day like ye've had, with all the whirlwind, aye?"

Aze gives a brief laugh. "All the whirlwind. I hope it's fine that I embellished on Isla's ghost stories. She didn't seem to find the stories upsetting, so… maybe I can tell her some tales of tragic romance in old Quel'thalas or something like that. I think she likes stories."

Siamus laughs softly as well. "The child's story-mad. If she's not reading, she's rewriting half the books she's read. Full of dramatic notions in general. I'm sure tragic elven romances would thrill her."

"Good. I have plenty for her. So much tragedy we named ourselves after it," Aze says, tilting her head back against Siamus's chest. "Not sure if Mr. Boutille will have the patience for it, but they do seem to travel as a pair."

"Aye, they do. Isla tends toward… scrapes, and Her Grace sets Finley to watch over her as often as not. So he's responsible for her, and naturally she can't abide it, and they squabble endlessly for all that they're glued together." He shrugs gently. "Which I believe makes them siblings."

"That does sound like my concept of siblings," Aze says with a small smile. "And who else have I spoken with… oh, right, did you ask Miss Curran to check my record? Or does she just do that on her own?"

Siamus straightens a little. "She did what, now?"

"She gave me my own life story in brief," Aze says dryly. "Down to my parents' names. It's fine, really, it's stuff I've already told you, for the most part. I just wondered if you'd asked her to."

"I did not," says Siamus, chagrined. "And I beg your pardon. Annai sees to… a great many things for me, and is exceptionally thorough." He hesitates. "And protective. Security is one of the things she does."

"You trusted me," Aze says, and the pleasure is obvious in her tone. She turns in his arms to face him, and there's something unusually vulnerable in her smile as she tilts her face to his. "You can, I didn't lie about anything. But still, she did a good job, checking up on my story. I can't imagine it was all that easy. "

He studies her upturned face, smiling inscrutably. "Annai is… resourceful. But aye. I trusted you." He bends to kiss her smile. "And I hope ye can trust me, and my people here."

"I can," Aze says earnestly, as wind shifts the curtains at the open window. "I will."