Chapter Text
Jaina stepped into the restaurant bracing herself. She knew she was late, and she’d catch hell from her mother for it. Worse, her mother had, of course, picked the fanciest, most expensive restaurant in Dalaran, and she’d been forced to dress for the occasion.
She’d always hated dresses and frilly things. But if there was one thing she’d learned from an early age, as soon as she started butting heads with her mother, it was malicious compliance. She felt good in the three-piece suit, the darker green of House Proudmoore. But no matter how well tailored, the lack of a dress would probably be strike two.
Third would be her hair, she knew. She’d worn it up in a french braid that showed off the sidecut her mother hadn’t seen yet, really drawing attention to it.
It was, of course, entirely possible that her mother had changed. That the stifling drive to turn her only daughter into a proper young lady had finally accepted defeat. But the idea made her laugh (a little hysterically, but at least internally). Katherine Proudmoore wasn’t wired to admit defeat.
So Jaina took a deep breath, preparing for the inevitable fight, pushed up her glasses, and smiled at the hostess. “Hi, Proudmoore party?”
The hostess hummed, blatantly checking her out before she gestured. “Of course. Right this way.”
Jaina blushed, still unused to that kind of attention, and followed her lead.
“You’re late.”
Jaina sighed. Strike one, check. “Apologies, Mother.” That one really was on her. She’d fallen asleep after seeing the healer, and despite the alarm she swore she’d set, woke up with barely enough time to get dressed and get to the restaurant. But Katherine Proudmoore didn’t do excuses, so Jaina offered none, especially since it seemed her mother had taken it upon herself to order for her already.
Her mother sniffed, looking her over. “It wouldn’t have killed you to wear a dress, you know. Menswear is hardly appropriate for—”
“This is a woman’s suit, mother,” she ground out in reply as she sat. Strike two, hello. “The entire fashion industry disagrees with you.”
“And Tides below, Jaina, what have you done to your hair?” Katherine’s pitch rose a full octave.
And there’s strike three. At least that’s out of the way.
“Now, now, Kath,” her father finally chimed in. “I think it looks sort of rakish on her.”
Jaina could hear Tandred snickering next to her.
“She doesn’t need to be looking rakish, Daelin! Tides sake, she’s a girl! I should never have let you corrupt her with your hockey and hitting.”
Ah, and there it was. The real root of contention. “Da didn’t corrupt me, Mum. I skated for you both, and decided I liked hockey better. And women. And more masculine leaning clothing.” She sighed, straitening her napkin and not even bothering to look up. They’d had this argument too many times. Especially after Derek had taken her suit shopping the first time, and taught her all about fit and how to tie a tie and the different cuts of shirt. “And I like shaving the side of my head.”
Across from her, Derek snorted. “I bet the ladies love it, too.”
Jaina shot him a grin as her father and Tandred laughed. “They do, actually.” She had no idea, really, but the choking sound her mother made was worth it.
“I suppose you all knew about this.”
Jaina rolled her eyes. “If you’d come to my games, you’d know too. I’ve had it like this since qualifiers.” She couldn’t quite keep the bitterness out of her tone, and she felt more than saw her mother’s narrowing eyes in response.
“Speaking of games,” Derek chimed in before Katherine could continue. “That was a beast of one you had today. You took a lot of hits, Twinkletoes.”
Jaina snorted at the old nickname. “Yeah, Lordaeron were on a weird warpath today.”
Tandred barked out a laugh, his mouth half full of food. “No kidding! It was like they weren’t even playing hockey!”
Jaina chewed a bite of her salmon—she’d have preferred the wagu, but it wasn’t worth the argument—and thought about what Vereesa and Sylvanas had said. “Arthas wasn’t, I’m pretty sure. Mum might actually know more about it.”
Katherine huffed. “What would I know about your hockey drama?”
“Well, apparently Vereesa’s sister is Sylvanas Windrunner, and I thought you might know about her figure skating drama. They seemed to think it linked back to Calia.”
Her mother paused, genuinely startled. “Well. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to willingly bring up figure skating, but I suppose you don’t pay enough attention to it to know what happened at the last Games.”
Jaina counted in her head, breathing through the urge to snark back. “No, but I’d love to hear it if you’re willing to share.”
She could feel her mother’s eyes on her as she continued eating, and knew just what a conundrum she’d handed her. On the one hand, how garish to share gossip in public. On the other, the chance to flaunt her knowledge and get Jaina talking about figure skating wasn’t something she was likely to pass up.
“I don’t know anything about it involving the Menethil girl,” Katherine finally said, “but from what I’ve seen of her I wouldn’t put it past her to have caused the whole mess, now you mention it. She’s always been a bit of a drama queen.” She took a small bite, a thoughtful look on her face. “Hm. Well, the first thing you need to know is that Sylvanas Windrunner is figure skating royalty. Her mother Lireesa was a rare talent, and Sylvanas followed her example beautifully. She’s been fairly untouchable in the rankings her entire career.”
Jaina was hit, very suddenly, with the memory of Sylvanas practicing alone the other night, the sheer grace she exhibited on the ice.
“After she came first in the last games, there was a rash of rumors that cropped up.” Katherine’s brow furrowed. “We never did figure out where they started, but they were very suddenly everywhere.”
“Rumors?” Jaina prompted. She remembered Ree had said something similar.
“That she’d slept with a judge, or judges, and that’s why she won. Ridiculous, really, her talent spoke for her, and the technical panel agreed. She kept her medal, but I will admit the skating community can be vicious when they want. She was ostracized. Her coach, Thalyssra, ended up retiring, though I believe she’d been looking to do so already. It was a shame, really. I was both surprised and impressed when Sylvanas showed back up in qualifying. We all thought she was done.”
“Huh.” It was definitely not what Jaina had expected.
“You could do a lot worse than be friends with Sylvanas Windrunner, you know.”
Jaina froze, confused. Was her mother… proud? Was that what that was? “Thanks? She’s Ree’s big sister, so we’ve run into each other a few times, and probably will again?” She hoped, anyway.
A small smile teased Katherine’s lips. “Maybe your friend can get you to watch some proper skating then, since Tides know I haven’t been able to convince you.”
Jaina opened her mouth to snark back and stopped. The idea of watching Sylvanas skate was, actually, one she liked.
Well, shit.
“I make no promises.”
Katherine rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”
Sylvanas drifted across the ice, letting the music set her pace. It was freeing, not thinking five moves ahead, not worrying about setup, just… feeling. She skipped through footwork to the underbeat of the song, letting it lead into a spin, another long loop of the sheet. The axel came on the drop beat simply because it felt right, as did the spin combinations that followed.
It wasn’t a something that came naturally to her, feeling her way through a skate. It was something Nathanos had pushed her to learn after the disaster the last Games had become. She’d been so much in her own head, and the practice had helped, a lot. So much so that she relied on it every time she felt herself sinking back into her head and second guessing this whole comeback.
The song slowed to a close, and Sylvanas let her spin unwind with it.
The sound of applause startled her out of her breathing, and her eyes snapped open. She relaxed immediately at the sight of her tall, lanky best friend stepping onto the ice.
“Bloody good, that. How was supper with the fam?”
Sylvanas snorted at Nathanos. “You know, you could’ve come, and then you wouldn’t have to ask me how it went.”
“Yes, but I already had a date. If you’d wanted me to skip it, you know I would’ve.”
Sylvanas waved him off. “No, it was fine. Alleria and Minn’da were there.”
Nathanos blinked. “Crikey. So it really was a full affair.”
Sylvanas nodded, pushing herself into patterns that her friend mimicked. “It was. But… it was good. Little Moon is pregnant. She said I could tell you.”
Nathanos squawked. “Good bloody Light, you’re joking! You’re not joking?” Sylvanas shook her head. “Wait, she’s not still planning to play the rest of the Games, is she? I saw the highlight reel, that was a brutal game.”
Sylvanas sighed and shook her head. “Yes and no. Modera has taken her off the starting line, but is going to let her substitute in here and there still. Though, not if they end up playing Lordaeron again.”
“That’s good,” Nathanos nodded, absently. “The fuck was with that game, anyway?”
“Arthas Menethil.”
Nathanos’ face went through a full range of expressions before settling on fuming mad. “That bloody fucking bitch. Fucking family.”
“Yes.” Sylvanas rolled her neck, then smirked a little. “Though they apparently bit off more than they can chew with her new teammate.”
“Oh?” Nathanos propped his head on his hands as he skated past her, grin wide. “Do tell, bestie.”
Sylvanas bore her fangs in a grin to match his. “She’s Kul Tiran.”
“Oooo, we stan a big woman, go on.”
“She’s the best friend Little Moon has been on about for years.”
Nathanos huffed. “Right, so, that tells me nothing. Except that she’s probably as protective of her as you, which, fine, but. Sylv. I need to know.” He slid to a stop and gripped her shoulders. “Is she hot?”
One eyebrow cocked. “I don’t think she’s your type, darling.”
Nathanos wrinkled his face in feigned annoyance, making his bushy mustache wiggle. “But is she your type?”
Sylvanas felt her face flush. “She’s also the hockey player I ran into the night before the opening.”
Nathanos chortled, doing a little dance on the ice. “I’d say that’s a yes, then. So, next question. When’re you seeing her again? Wait, is she why you were freestyling to get out of your head?”
Sylvanas shoved him and skated away without answering. He chased after her.
“Wait, when’s Dalaran’s next game? We’re going, right? Sylvanas, I have to meet her!”
“Nat, enough—”
“Not until you agree!”
“This is ridiculous, she’s my sister’s best friend and teammate—”
“Nope, not doing that, you’re interested, I can tell.”
“Nat—”
“We’re going to the game, Sylv, you’re going to introduce me, and that’s it.”
Sylvanas slid to a stop with a huff. “Fine.”
Nathanos whooped and danced a victory lap before hitting a hard stop in front of her. “Now, how was supper aside from Little Moon’s news?”
She laughed softly and gestured to the bench. “It was good. It’s strange to have Alleria here. She hasn’t been to a Games since she retired from the biathalon. It’s… nice. To have her support.” She sat, grabbing a towel and wiping down her skates. “You know I wouldn’t be here without you and Minn’da.”
It was true. After the fallout from Calia’s rumor spreading—and she knew it was Calia, because Calia had made sure she knew—she’d gone home. Retired, not because she wanted to, but because the skating world had closed ranks against her, and Sylvanas just. Hadn’t known what else to do. And Lireesa had supported her decision, not because she felt it was right, but because it had been her decision.
She’d also been there to remind her that just because she wasn’t competing anymore, didn’t mean that she had to give up skating. Lireesa and Nathanos had been her primary support—getting her back on the ice, getting her out of her head, and when Sylvanas had realized she wasn’t, in fact, ready to retire, that she felt she still had something to prove, wanted to prove, they’d been there to support her return.
And it helped, having them both here. So much.
Nathanos wiggled his mustache at her until she laughed. “Yeah, yeah, but Sylv. You got yourself here. In spite of every opinion stacked against you.”
She snorted. “You mean to spite.”
“Well, yeah, that too.” He grinned again. “Spite’s a great motivator. So’s a pretty girl.”
Sylvanas groaned. “Leave it alone, Nat.”
“Not a chance!”
“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
Sylvanas heaved a dramatic sigh, then laughed. “Yeah. Yeah I do, you damn queen.”
Nathanos preened.
