Her prince had been disappearing for days at a time, leaving Aella Skysinger alone in his quarters for a time. She rarely left, if only for her mage lessons, as everything she could ever want was provided for her. Servants came with decadent food, handmaids to help her dress in the finest new handmade garb, her prince had even hired several tutors for her if she wished to continue to hone her magic abilities. For the first few weeks, this was quite novel to her and she loved the extravagance of it all. But when Kael'thas Sunstrider returned, as rarely as that was, she was left with a single night of passion and romance only to wake up the next morning to find him gone yet again. The ache of his absence began to set a hole in her heart.
Of course, Aella tried to rationalize why the elven prince would be gone for so long. Though their people were few in number, far fewer than the humans or orcs of the world, their affinity for the arcane and worldly wisdom granted them much political power - and pressure - among the races of Azeroth. Rarely, Aella would hear her prince make a quip about the ignorance of some human prince or overhear him whisper urgent messages to his guard about contacting the dusky night elves of Kalimdor. For all his smiles and warm greetings when he came over, though, he never spoke to Aella of his comings and goings. They would talk about the beautiful lands he had seen or the interesting, powerful people he had met but never about the business he always attended to. If she ever tried to broach the subject, her prince would swiftly redirect the conversation to her studies or her enjoyment of the spire and its creature comforts.
So she sat in the prince's chambers, entangled in his bed sheets that smelled so much like him and wished him home and safe with her. The day would pass by as the light and shadows of the keep would rise and fall and Aella found herself feeling useless and discontent.
She began to read a book, a rare tome found in the libraries of Silvermoon, accessed by only the most powerful mages and warlocks. It was hard to concentrate, though. Aella continued to daydream about the return of her prince, to fret over his well being, and to silent chide herself for not being powerful or experienced enough to join him on his adventures. She felt like a child. She must have read the same three lines over half a hundred times before she began to doze off, laying the old book and her head down to rest.
It was a warm dream she had, one that felt like the sun laying upon her skin. She dream of this warmth that encased her and made her heart soar into the sky, taking flight like a bird. The feeling of desire raised in her chest, though not unpleasantly. She found herself stirring and giving a soft moan, waking up to find Kael kissing his way up her bare legs gently as he derobed himself.
"My prince..." Aella murmured sleepily, attempting to sit up. He held her thigh firmly in his grasp and traced his lips over it.
"I did not mean to wake you, brightheart," he said softly, continuing to kiss her higher and higher, making her shudder as he reached her inner thigh. She placed a hand on the side of his face.
"Kiss me," she ordered. And, with a slight pout, she added, "Please."
Her prince obliged, holding her closely and kissing her deeply. His kisses were warm and sweet and left her wanting more and more. He pressed against her and ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her faster and wildly and soon Aella's head was spinning from the eroticism of his kisses, gasping and moaning as he trailed his hands down to unlace her tunic.
"Stop." She put a hand on his chest, pushing him away slightly and pausing to catch her breath. His hands immediately fell as he looked at her with confusion. Never before had she stopped their lovemaking and Aella imagined that Kael'thas Sunstrider was rarely told to stop when he truly wanted something. She looked up at him, concerned but earnest, and decided now was the time to describe how she truly felt. "Where have you been? It's been almost a fortnight since you last came home."
"Aella..." he began, but she cut him of again.
"I worry about you, my prince. I do, truly. With word of the orcish invasions and whispers of betrayals and deaths..." She made a face. "I never know where you are or when you will come home. I know you have much important business but I want to be of help. I want to know."
Kael shook his head gently. "Many of these matters are extremely dangerous, young one. I wish I could indulge you in this but there are many factors that come into play and the dangers that lie within them..."
"Please, do not patronize me." Her voice was firm, staring at him in his impossibly verdant eyes. "I know what you do is for our people but I cannot live without knowing if you are safe. I have these nagging suspicions rooted deeply in my heart and these cravings for power and truth. I know of these dangers. All I ask is that I accompany you. Bring me along, please, I beg of you."
The prince's face softened. "Only if I could, brightheart. Truly, I would. In truth, I venture to many places alone, concealed or disguised for safety and secrecy. I fear war will be upon Azeroth again and preparations must be made. These are vital reconnaissance missions, full of risks that I cannot afford. The secrets that they hold are more perilous than I would have our people believe."
"Secrets?" Aella quipped back, surprised at the sharpness of her tone. She turned her head and found her eyes burning with tears. Rubbing them furiously, she added, "It seems that all you ever keep is secrets, Kael. Is that what I am, too? A secret for you to keep?"
Kael'thas looked as he might have been slapped. After a moment, his brow furrowed and he grimaced. "Why would you say a thing such as that?"
"Your servants always try to distract me from leaving the keep. You keep me locked away like one of your precious artifacts and continually refuse to tell me anything of importance. It's as if you are ashamed of me, that you don't want anyone to know of your... of your concubine."
