Making her way down to the Alchemist building, Elunara considered her notes. Her knowledge of alchemy was weak at best, but she knew that they produced the birth control drink for Ina, among other things. This new project intrigued her, and she was already contemplating the uses for her newest invention.
"Hello, your majesty, what brings you into our shop?" The woman at the counter curtseyed.
"Please don't call me that." Elunara sighed. "I'm just another customer, and I have a specific set of requirements I was hoping you could fill for me."
"Anything."
"You may regret that." She grinned.
"What did you have in mind?"
"I need some lubricant, like engineers use in their machines, but I need it specifically for use on the body."
The woman began writing on a notebook. "Body of what?"
Elunara snickered. "The human body... or any race for that matter."
She paused in her writing and blinked. "Is this for your... businesses?"
"The same. I'd prefer if it was clear, body safe for insertion purposes, and tasteless." She paused and tapped a finger to her chin. "Though I might consider flavorings at another time."
"I..." The woman blushed heavily. "This is most unusual."
"I admit it's a new concept, but I wonder how many women exist that would benefit from this new concoction. See what you can whip up for me and I'll make it worth your time. If I can sell it, you'd get a portion of the proceeds of course."
"Y-yes, of course." She swallowed hard and made the necessary notes in her notebook. "I'll bring it to you as soon as I have it ready."
"Cool. Let me know." Elunara waved as she left the shop. Her next stop in her day was the Keep.
"Mommy!" Emaline hopped off the throne and ran over to Elunara.
Elunara stooped down and scooped up the small child. "There's my little sweet."
"Daddy was letting me play queen." She held up a small scepter.
"Well isn't that fun?" Elunara cuddled Emaline. "I'll let you get back to playing; I have actual queen work to do." She winked.
Tulani sighed as the packaged up the dress. Cataloguing her orders, her work was always quick and efficient. However, today she was dragging her feet. It had been almost two months since she had seen Carla last, and she was getting worried. The pick-up date on her dress had passed, and though the weather meant the dress couldn't be worn yet, Carla never missed a fitting or a pick up until now.
Tucking Sinea in the stroller, Tulani adjusted the little dress on her precious baby girl. "Come now, we must make a delivery." She tucked the package in the basket of the stroller and headed out. On the way she waved and smiled at those she knew, many of which owned her dresses. It always amused her when someone would bow or curtsey at her. Her wife was queen, goddess, whatever they were calling her this month, not Tulani.
She pushed the stroller up on to the porch and sighed as she knocked on the door.
Carla's father opened the door. "Ah, Tulani, it's so good to see you, what brings you to our door?"
"Is Carla home? I've come to deliver her dress."
"It must have been quite the dress, to have taken so long." He chuckled. "Normally Carla comes home with them sooner."
"Yes, well, I finished it some time ago; Carla just hasn't been by to pick it up."
He blinked at her, eyes wide. "But... she never misses an appointment with you."
"Sir, I hate to tell you Carla's private business, but I haven't seen her in quite some time. I've been worried about her."
"Come in, come in, we'll sort this out." He gestured for her to follow him inside.
Tulani managed to get the stroller up the stair and into the house. She parked the stroller in the parlor and waited while Richard got Carla. Meanwhile she began to wring her hands and pace back and forth.
Not looking at Tulani, Carla walked in and closed the door behind her. She stood there for a few minutes before sighing. "Tulani..." She finally looked up, tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Carla, don't do this."
"I'm sorry, I never knew..."
"I know Elunara told you the truth. Please don't change your opinion of me. The past in unimportant and doesn't hurt me anymore."
"I can understand if you don't want me in your shop anymore."
Tulani rushed over and put her hands on Carla's arms. "I never said that. Carla you're like a daughter to me. I love you to pieces and it hurts me to see you like this. Please, please come back. You can't be my lover, but you mean something to me."
Carla laid her forehead on Tulani's chest. "I'm so, so sorry. I don't..." She began to cry and hiccupped. "I don't know what to do."
Tulani lifted Carla's face up. "I want you to be my friend. I want you to come to me to talk. Please, Carla. This is unnecessary." She wiped at a tear.
"How could they do such things to you? You're so sweet."
"There is a lot of evil in the universe and it tears at the innocent. Who I am or was then was never important, I was a piece of property, and now I am not. That is the gift my wife gave me. She gave me my life. She gave me strength and every little piece of who I am."
"I see that now." Carla wiped at her nose. "I... I spent a long time listening to her, and all about you. I'm so sorry, I never knew."
"Please, let's not mention it again. It tires me out, and it hurts my heart to know others think of it. My past is what I have made with Elunara, not that time period." Tulani hugged Carla. "Come now, I've brought your dress and you need to try it on for me."
"You did?" Carla sniffled. "I do want to see it."
"Good girl."
Jordan sat down at the table and leaned back, waiting on his order. Today had been a fairly standard day down at the yard and he was looking forward to his lunch. He spotted the girl and sighed at the look on her face. Before she even had a chance to sit down, he knew where the conversation was headed.
"Hi." She blushed at him. "I'm Katie, what's your name?"
"You must be new here." His lip twitched, but he knew a grin would just make the doe eyes worse.
"I just flew in from Westfall an hour or so ago." She leaned up closer. "Your uniform shows me you're a soldier." She put a hand on his arm. "You didn't tell me your name."
He took her hand off of his arm. "It's Jordan, and before you get any further, I'm married."
She froze and then dropped her hand, the pout obvious on her face. "Of course the cute one would be taken."
Laughing, Jordan shook his head. "Sorry about that."
"Oh well." She sighed and fiddled with her fingers.
"How old are you anyway?"
"I'm twenty-two." Katie looked around the inn. "I'm sorry. I am really new here and was hoping you'd show me around." She blushed. "I've never been to Stormwind before; my father wouldn't let me leave." Stopping a moment, she considered. "How old are you?"
"Honey, I'm in my fifties."
Katie's mouth dropped open and she stared at him in complete shock. "But... but... you don't LOOK fifty!"
With a shake of his head, he began to laugh. "Sorry, my wife is a healer, and with her constant energy shots... well I guess I'm not aging as fast as anyone else."
Elunara walked in and cocked her head to the side. "Don't tell me you found another maniac."
Jordan laughed. "No, this one got the hint fairly quick."
Elunara brushed a kiss on Jordan's mouth. "Good. I'm tired of dumping the trash in the canal."
Katie blinked back and forth for a moment. "Is this your wife?"
"Elunara is the name." She held out a hand.
Katie stared at it for a moment before taking it. She lightly shook Elunara's hand. "Is he really in his fifties?" She blurted.
She laughed. "Yes, yes he is. I like to keep my husbands nice and healthy."
"Hu-husbands?" Katie blinked back and forth.
"Yes, I have three of them." Elunara nodded and gestured to Tippy who brought over Jordan's lunch and Elunara's slice of cake.
"Buh?"
Bradly walked in and plopped down in the chair beside Katie. "Who's the girl?"
"New kid." Jordan dug into his food. "Where's Evelyn and Casey?"
"Hanging out with Lydia." Bradly gestured to Tippy.
Katie eyed Bradly. "I take it you're married too?"
"Happily."
"Is he really fifty?" She jerked her thumb at Jordan.
"He's my dad, and I'm twenty-eight. Do the math."
"This is so confusing, you both look identical. Except the hair." She began to bite her thumbnail. "Oh, I'm so confused." She jumped up and ran out of the inn.
"Poor kid." Jordan sighed.
Katie felt the tears of embarrassment, but she didn't stop to think, she just ran. After a moment, she realized she was totally lost. Sounds caught her attention and she found her way down to the training yard. Watching all of those men practicing their routines made her want to drool. She had always had a thing for the soldiers at Sentinel Hill, but her father forbade her from ever speaking to one. Of course, the first man she tried to speak to was married, and even older than her father.
With a sigh, she watched the action. Frowning, she looked around for a place to sit and finally spied the platform off to one side. There were already some women and children sitting there. She made her way over, and tried to gauge their involvement. She didn't want to embarrass herself again.
"She's so adorable." Lydia rocked Casey in her arms. "I remember when mine were this small."
"It's been so fun, having my own. I was always so jealous of yours." Evelyn sighed.
"Well, now you won't have to be." Lydia stuck out her tongue.
"Who is that?" Evelyn pointed to a girl creeping up to the side of the platform.
"I don't know, I've never seen her before."
Katie scooted a bit closer. "Hi!" She called brightly, burying her nerves deep under her skin. "Can I sit with you?"
"Certainly." Evelyn gestured to the platform. "There's plenty of room."
Katie made her way up and sat in one of the chairs. "I'm sorry, I want to watch the men train, and I didn't want to be a bother."
