A/N: If you've enjoyed reading this story, please check out The Soul Engine for me! It would mean a lot to me!
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Was this the smartest decision Rognak had ever made? Of course not. He knew how bad of an idea this was. The only problem was… he didn’t see any better options available to him. It was one thing to rally all of their allies to siege Theramore in a massive show of force. It was another entirely to actually start slinging rocks from the beaches of Dustwallow and shooting glaives from the decks of Night Elf Ships.
If they did that… then it would be all out war. Hundreds if not thousands would die. Rognak didn’t want that. More than that, he knew Jaina didn’t want it either.
In the end, that was what it really came down to. What would Jaina want? She wouldn’t want anyone dead who didn’t deserve to die. She would want a peaceful resolution to all of this, no matter what. Rognak knew from his memories that she hadn’t gotten that peaceful resolution in the ‘game’ that he recalled playing. In that game, things had ended with the death of her father.
If Rognak could avoid that, he wanted to. The thing was, Daelin Proudmoore was… a genocidal maniac. Or at least, that’s what all of Rognak’s memories from his first life were telling him. The man was racist to orcs in the extreme and hated any ‘greenskin’ after orcs were responsible for the death of his eldest son in the Second War.
And yet… something was off. This whole… invasion didn’t make sense. The Kul Tiran Fleet had been MUCH less hostile to Horde Settlements along the coast of Durotar then they should have been and had all but chosen to turtle up at Theramore. There was a chance that this was because it was so early in the timeline that Theramore hadn’t become the absolute fortress of an Island City it would be in a couple more years just yet, but Rognak didn’t think that was it. It felt like something else was different.
Could it be that Daelin Proudmoore, upon finding out that Jaina was pregnant with an orc’s child, had somehow softened his heart to the idea of orcs and humans coexisting? Could the man have come to Kalimdor with the sole intention of protecting his pregnant daughter and her unborn babe, rather than the genocide of every orc he laid his eyes on?
That… was what Rognak was banking on at this point to be honest. That along with the simple truth that he didn’t want to have to kill any Kul Tirans if he didn’t have to, had led Rognak down this path. He’d effectively turned himself in.
Shandris thought he was an idiot, of course. Most of them did. He’d spent hours convincing them all that this was the best way. But Rognak wasn’t just going to his death, no matter what they thought. For one… killing him wasn’t as easy as all of that, even when surrounded by guards armed with rifles. He was still who he was after all, and even with the chains they’d put on him to try and lock him down as they led him into the city, Rognak knew he could break free in moments if he really wanted to.
And he might need to. Because there was another possibility that Rognak hadn’t wanted to imagine. A possibility that nevertheless lingered in the back of his mind. There was the possibility… that something had happened to Jaina. The possibility that Daelin Proudmoore was turtling in Theramore out of grief rather than uncertainty was something Rognak didn’t even want to consider.
But if something had happened to Jaina… Rognak knew he would do whatever needed to be done to avenge her. Even if it cost him his own life.
Still, that worst case scenario seemed less and less likely by the moment. There were some of Jaina’s people mixed in among the Kul Tiran Marines who were currently dragging him through the city streets, and none of them were acting like something truly awful had occurred just yet. Rognak took their reactions to mean that Jaina was still alive and well and hopefully hale and hearty.
It also seemed like his gambit was paying off, because rather than dragging him underground to languish in some dank, dark dungeon, he was being pulled right to Jaina’s Tower in the center of the burgeoning city. Yanked up the hill and into the tower proper, Rognak lets himself be manhandled up the stairs, barely even putting up a fight as the Kul Tiran Marines get him to the top floor.
He could only hope Jaina would be there. If it was her and her father together, then maybe they could tag-team Daelin and convince him to stop this foolishness. He and Jaina could convince her father to stand his fleet down and take them home… maybe.
Except when they finally reach the top floor, Rognak is completely thrown for a loop by who’s actually waiting for him. Jaina is there, thankfully… though for some reason she’s avoiding meeting his gaze. However, rather than her father… it’s her mother, Katherine Proudmoore, that stands there with her hands clasped behind her back, staring at him as he’s presented to her.
Rognak grunts as the marines holding him try to kick his legs out from under him in order to force him to his knees. ‘Try’ because… well, it really doesn’t work. Maybe if he were a normal orc, but all they get for their troubles is no small amount of pain and quiet cursing as he looks back over his shoulder at them with a gimlet eye.
“Enough. Leave him.”
The soldiers back away and Rognak is left standing, albeit in heavy chains as Katherine steps forward, though mindful to keep a distance between them all the same.
“So. You are the father of my daughter’s child.”
From the way Jaina jolts and inhales sharply as she gives her mother a wide-eyed look, the female mage hadn’t told Katherine that. Rognak lifts an eyebrow, but before he can respond, Katherine looks over at her daughter and scoffs.
“What? Do you really think I can’t read my own daughter, Jaina? You knew the moment they described him to us who exactly had surrendered. Besides. What other orc on this entire continent would willingly allow my men to bind him in chains and present him before me?”
… Alright, so Jaina’s mom was pretty smart. Still, when she turns back to him, Rognak stands tall, his back straight and his head held high as he introduces himself properly.
“I am Rognak, Chieftain of the Warsong Clan and Archdruid of the Horde. I am here to parlay with the Lord Admiral.”
“Show the Acting Lord Admiral some respect, beast!”
SLAM!
The stock of a rifle slams into the small of his back but once again, Rognak barely moves. A grunt leaves his lips but that’s it as he stares Katherine down. Acting Lord Admiral? That… that meant Daelin wasn’t even here, didn’t it? What the fuck had happened to Jaina’s father?
Katherine stares back at him for a long moment before lifting her hand, likely just before the overenthusiastic Marine can strike him again.
“I said enough, did I not? You are disrespecting me more than the so-called ‘beast’ at this point. Move to the stairs and do not interject again.”
“Err… y-yes Acting Lord Admiral, ma’am. Apologies…”
Rognak feels the presence of his guards vanish entirely from his back as they all move to the back wall of the top floor of Jaina’s Tower. Still likely ready to fill him with bullets at a moment’s notice, but no longer in melee range with him. Honestly… that was rather smart of Katherine as well. If they’d stayed close, Rognak could have easily turned things into a shit-fest for them where none of them could have gotten a clear shot on him for fear of hitting each other. Now though, they wouldn’t be in one another’s way if they did have to shoot him. Smart woman. VERY smart woman.
“I care nothing about your tribal titles, orc. As for the Lord Admiral… my man spoke truthfully. I am the Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras and any negotiations will take place through me. But that matters little. All I care about is that you are the one who impregnated my daughter. Is that true? Yes or no?”
“Mother-!”
“Quiet, Jaina. I will hear it from him.”
She’s trying to provoke him. Obviously. It’s very clear that Katherine doesn’t approve of him, but then Rognak didn’t need to meet the woman face to face to know that would be the case. Still, it’s obvious she’s prodding at him to make him lose his temper. If he were your average orc, it might have even worked. But he has never been your average orc.
“Yes. I am the baby’s father.”
His words echo through the chamber, though Katherine just nods as if she was expecting it. Then, she tilts her head to the side.
“You sound so confident. How can you be sure?”
“Mother!”
Now Jaina sounds positively aggrieved by her mother’s assertion. But Katherine just ignores her daughter, still staring him down. Seriously? Rognak just smiles at the Kul Tiran woman.
“I am sure. I am a druid. We are greatly in tune with nature and life. The life growing in Jaina’s womb… is my life. I knew it the moment I touched her belly.”
Jaina blushes at that and settles down at Rognak’s confident answer, glancing down at her own belly where she already has her hands resting. Katherine, meanwhile, just nods again. Then after another long moment of staring at him, she glances over at her daughter with a smirk.
“Well, at least he’s well-behaved.”
Jaina squawks at that, but Rognak can’t help himself. He just chuckles, prompting both women to snap their eyes over to him as he gives Katherine a crooked smile. Her continued efforts to make him lose his temper just aren’t working, and it’s time she realize that.
“Your daughter and I have a long history together, Acting Lord Admiral.”
He almost mentions the internment camps and the encounter in Silverpine Forest, but after all this time those initial encounters feel like… nothing truth be told. Maybe they mean something more to Jaina than they do to him, but for Rognak… he fell in love with her here on Kalimdor, through the trials and tribulations they faced together. He also thinks better of mentioning Shandris… just in case Jaina hasn’t gone out of her way to admit to her mother that she’s in a three-way committed relationship with not just an orc but ALSO another nonhuman on top of that.
Still…
“We’ve fought side by side against the worst foes this world has ever had the misfortune of seeing. We combated the Scourge together and slew the Traitor Prince side-by-side. Then, we worked just as closely together to stop the Demon Lord Archimonde from claiming this world in the name of the Burning Legion.”
Shrugging his shoulders as much as the chains will allow him to, Rognak nods his head in Jaina’s direction.
“I fell in love with your daughter, Katherine Proudmoore. I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me. Together, we have created life. I won’t apologize for that. I will never regret our relationship.”
Jaina smiles, but Katherine’s eyes narrow. Letting out a derisive snort, the older woman just shakes her head.
“And that’s supposed to make it better, is it? Your and my daughter’s love for each other is just supposed to wash away all of the crimes the orcs committed against my people, against my family?”
Rognak stiffens a little bit at that. He’d almost forgotten. Yes, Daelin Proudmoore was a racist, genocidal maniac because of the loss of his son… but every child had two parents. And Katherine had lost a baby boy the day the Horde killed Derek Proudmoore as well, hadn’t she?
Still, she doesn’t immediately order his execution or anything like that after her words. So Rognak does his best to do what he feels like he’s been doing for ages now. He apologizes.
“What the Old Horde did in the First and Second Wars was wrong. Not just wrong, but reprehensible, horrific, and tragic on all levels. The leadership of the Old Horde was evil and those who followed them into battle were culpable for the crimes they committed.”
For a moment, Katherine looks stunned that he would actually acknowledge the mistakes of the past. But then she actually parses what he’s saying and her eyes narrow again, a sneering scoff leaving her lips.
“Hah. And I suppose you would have me differentiate between the so-called ‘Old Horde’ and your ‘New Horde’, is that it? Tell me, how many of your New Horde were part of the Old Horde, orc?”
“Many.”
Rognak’s blunt admission catches her off guard long enough for him to continue on.
“Many of the orc warriors who followed the ways of the Old Horde, who pillaged across the length of the continent and left untold suffering and horror in their wake… live on in the New Horde to this day. Many more do not. Many were left behind who did not agree with the Warchief’s new vision for a New Horde. For an honorable Horde.”
That at least seems to get Katherine thinking, so Rognak continues on.
“The Warchief and I were born on Azeroth, Lady Proudmoore. We were babes when the First War took place, and children throughout the Second War. Warchief Thrall was raised as a slave by one of your human lords, while I fled an internment camp when I was young and lived in the wilds on the fringe of your civilization for much of my life. My people might have a history and a reputation on this world as savage invaders… but for Thrall and me, Azeroth is and always will be our home.”
Straightening up, Rognak exhales slowly before finishing up his speech with a promise.
“I cannot say that an orc will never kill another innocent soul. My people are not a monolith and even now there are those back across the sea who exist outside of what Thrall and I are trying to build. But I can promise you this. I have and will continue to do everything in my power to make sure the New Horde is something better than the old one. And I will not rest, I will not stop until the orcish people are a force for good in this world, rather than evil.”
He means every word. He hopes that gets through to her. Honestly, he hopes that his words in general are getting through to her. It all makes sense now. Something happened to Daelin Proudmoore, which is why the man’s wife is here as Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras in his stead.
There probably wasn’t a world where Daelin came to Kalimdor and could be talked out of waging Total War against the Horde. But Katherine Proudmoore might just be more reasonable. Perhaps Jaina’s mother could be convinced where her father would have dug his heels in and refused to give them a second chance. On that thought…
“Perhaps my people don’t deserve it. Perhaps our crimes run too deep in your eyes. But I’ll ask it of you all the same, Lady Proudmoore. Please… give my Warchief’s vision of the future a chance. Thrall is good, truly good… and so long as he leads the Horde, the Horde will be good as well.”
In the end, he could talk for hours. He could even sink to his knees and beg if he thought it would help at all. But… no. Rognak has said his piece. And now all that remains is to see how Katherine Proudmoore reacts. What side of the coin will the Acting Lord Admiral fall on? Peace… or war?
-x-X-x-
Listening to Rognak’s impassioned speech, Jaina wishes she could get up and kiss him in that moment. She’d heard him talk about the history of the Horde and more specifically the orcs before of course, but he was in rare form today. Jaina herself knew almost everything he was saying, and even her heart strings were being tugged.
From where she’s situated, she can even see that Rognak’s words are reaching some of the Kul Tiran Marines standing over by the stairs at the back of the room. Several of them are stone-faced and expressionless, but none are openly glaring at him or pointing their rifles at him anymore. And many are even thoughtful, giving Rognak’s words the consideration they deserve.
Of course, even though those men are all armed and could fill Rognak with bullets at any moment, they aren’t the ones who he and Jaina both have to convince here. No… there’s only one person in this room who holds any real power right now. Looking over at her mother, Jaina bites her lower lip as she watches Katherine Proudmoore stare down the father of her unborn child.
It’s obvious that the Acting Lord Admiral is feeling very conflicted at the moment. It’s clear to Jaina that Katherine is torn between feelings of revenge and being swayed by Rognak’s impassioned pleas. The orc druid had done everything BUT get down on his knees, all but begging for mercy from the woman who held the lives of thousands in her hands.
Whether there would be war or not would be decided in these next few pivotal moments. Katherine’s choice would seal the fate of Kul Tiran Marines and Horde Warriors, of soldiers and sailors and sentinels alike. Jaina could tell that Katherine was wavering, that Rognak’s words had gotten through to her… but only partially. Her mother was still a woman who had lost her eldest son to the Horde. Maybe her hatred didn’t run as deep as Jaina’s father’s did, but even still…
Jaina needed to say something. But she couldn’t just repeat what she’d been saying for days now. Trying to convince Katherine through logic and rational thinking that there was no hope of victory had been a dud. Rognak’s presence didn’t necessarily change that. No… Jaina’s plea needed to come from a place of pure emotional manipulation. And while she felt a little guilty for doing it… that doesn’t stop the pregnant mage from pulling the trigger all the same.
“Mother…”
As Katherine’s attention switches to Jaina, she looks her mother right in the eye and outright pleads with her, begging her right alongside Rognak.
“Mother… please.”
That was it. Anything more and even if Jaina had meant every additional word, she knew that it wouldn’t have swayed Katherine. But a plea from a daughter to her mother? A reminder of just who Katherine would truly be hurting if she went through with all of this? That… might just do the trick.
From the look in her mother’s eye, it’s obvious the Acting Lord Admiral knows exactly what Jaina is doing. And yet… after a long moment, Katherine sighs and looks back to Rognak with a smirk.
“You know, you’re quite lucky that you got me instead of my husband, orc. If Daelin were here, he wouldn’t have let you get even two sentences out. And yet here I am, listening to a greenskin. Being persuaded by a greenskin.”
She sounds disgusted in herself, even as her casual racism makes Jaina want to facepalm. But as much as she wants to chide her mother… she doesn’t dare. Not right now. Rognak too stays quiet, even as Katherine lets out another sigh.
“… In truth, hearing my daughter’s tales of her adventures and seeing the peoples of this land that have come to her aid… that alone is enough to make it clear that this… New Horde is not the same as the Horde that rampaged across the land in the First and Second Wars.”
Furrowing her brow, frowning now… Katherine looks over at Jaina and gives her a nod of acknowledgment.
“I will admit it… I was working off incorrect information. The Kul Tiran Fleet has no business here, troubling the people of Kalimdor and starting fights over old, long-settled grudges. Perhaps it’s finally time to bury the hatchet.”
Jaina blushes at the first part, knowing that SHE was the source of incorrect information. Not some spy reporting back to her father… no, she’d effectively tattled on herself and damn near started a war in the process. Still, the rest of what Katherine has to say… it takes her a moment to process her mother’s words. Once she does, Jaina whoops for joy and suddenly finds herself hugging her mother tightly, pulling a surprised Katherine in as close as Jaina’s pregnant belly will allow.
“Jaina, your condition!”
“I don’t care, mother! Thank you… thank you for seeing reason.”
For a moment, Katherine is frozen… then with a sigh she relaxes and returns the hug, leaning in close and whispering in Jaina’s ear.
“Your father will not be at all happy when I return home empty-handed, daughter of mine. Though… with his recovery being so slow-going, perhaps with time and distance from the issue his anger will cool. I promise though… I will do all that I can to persuade him of peace.”
Jaina winces, both at the thought of her father recovering… and at her earlier thought, that it sounded like he might not recover at all. But now was not the time to bring such a thing up. Instead, she hugs Katherine all the more tightly.
“I know you will, mama.”
For a long moment they continue their embrace. And then they pull apart and Katherine turns to Rognak, giving him a single nod before looking to the Marines behind him.
“Which of you have the keys to his shackles? There will be no further hostilities… unchain this orc.”
Before any of the Marines can even more however…
“Heh. No need.”
With a sudden massive clatter as the number chains that bound him shatter under his strength and fall to the floor around him, Rognak unbinds himself in an instant, energy coursing through him that Jaina had come to associate with his connection to Nature.
Rolling his incredibly muscular, incredibly broad shoulders, Rognak takes a step forward and doesn’t even pause as the Marines behind him all begin to shout and raise their rifles again. However, just as they’re trying to line up shots, vines and branches growing out of Jaina’s supposedly lifeless wood floor lance up and disarm them, not injuring a single one but most definitely removing their rifles from their gloved hands and hoisting the firearms up into the air out of their reach.
Meanwhile, as this kerfuffle is happening behind him, Rognak has a big orcish grin on his face as he holds out a large green hand in Katherine Proudmoore’s direction.
“As I said before… my name is Rognak, Chieftain of the Warsong Clan. Archdruid of the Horde. Not… ‘orc’. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance properly, Acting Lord Admiral Proudmoore.”
SMACK!
This time, Jaina does give in to her urge to facepalm, her palm slapping against her forehead audibly as she lets out a groan. As her mother had said, Rognak was one of the most articulate orcs Jaina had ever met. Sometimes he seemed more human than orc in fact. Other times however, he very much acted like an orc. Like for instance, whenever there was a fucking dick-measuring contest that he felt like he was losing.
Of course he couldn’t just let it be. Of course he couldn’t just gracefully pretend like he’d been their prisoner and at her mother’s mercy. Jaina’s mind races as she looks for a way to salvage the situation… but before she can-
“… Well met, Archdruid Rognak. Is that akin to an Archbishop, I wonder?”
Blinking rapidly, Jaina removes her hand from her face to watch the insane sight of Katherine Proudmoore shaking hands with an orc. Rognak chuckles as he very gently grasps her mother’s much smaller hand in his own and slowly lifts it up and down. At the same time, he lifts his other hand up and waves it from side to side as if to say ‘ehh… kind of?’
“If the Archbishop in question was one with Nature instead of the Light… maybe. But the comparison becomes rougher the longer you think about it.”
Katherine nods sharply as the handshake comes to a seemingly mutual end, with both parties pulling back at the same time. Jaina looks between them, still half-expecting Katherine to flip out and order the Marines to draw their swords instead… but no. In the end she looks over to the Kul Tiran Marines by the stairs, still struggling to get their rifles back, and lets out a low sigh.
“Enough. By my authority as Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras, I rescind the blockade and occupation of Theramore Isle. Go inform the Captains that they are to begin readying the Fleet for the journey home.”
“Y-Yes ma’am!”
With that, the Marines depart and Jaina lets out a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. What could have been… had not come to pass. No one had died. No blood had been spilt. It almost seemed impossible, but for once, everyone got to live.
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A/N: If you've enjoyed reading this story, please check out The Soul Engine for me! It would mean a lot to me!
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Was this the smartest decision Rognak had ever made? Of course not. He knew how bad of an idea this was. The only problem was… he didn’t see any better options available to him. It was one thing to rally all of their allies to siege Theramore in a massive show of force. It was another entirely to actually start slinging rocks from the beaches of Dustwallow and shooting glaives from the decks of Night Elf Ships.
If they did that… then it would be all out war. Hundreds if not thousands would die. Rognak didn’t want that. More than that, he knew Jaina didn’t want it either.
In the end, that was what it really came down to. What would Jaina want? She wouldn’t want anyone dead who didn’t deserve to die. She would want a peaceful resolution to all of this, no matter what. Rognak knew from his memories that she hadn’t gotten that peaceful resolution in the ‘game’ that he recalled playing. In that game, things had ended with the death of her father.
If Rognak could avoid that, he wanted to. The thing was, Daelin Proudmoore was… a genocidal maniac. Or at least, that’s what all of Rognak’s memories from his first life were telling him. The man was racist to orcs in the extreme and hated any ‘greenskin’ after orcs were responsible for the death of his eldest son in the Second War.
And yet… something was off. This whole… invasion didn’t make sense. The Kul Tiran Fleet had been MUCH less hostile to Horde Settlements along the coast of Durotar then they should have been and had all but chosen to turtle up at Theramore. There was a chance that this was because it was so early in the timeline that Theramore hadn’t become the absolute fortress of an Island City it would be in a couple more years just yet, but Rognak didn’t think that was it. It felt like something else was different.
Could it be that Daelin Proudmoore, upon finding out that Jaina was pregnant with an orc’s child, had somehow softened his heart to the idea of orcs and humans coexisting? Could the man have come to Kalimdor with the sole intention of protecting his pregnant daughter and her unborn babe, rather than the genocide of every orc he laid his eyes on?
That… was what Rognak was banking on at this point to be honest. That along with the simple truth that he didn’t want to have to kill any Kul Tirans if he didn’t have to, had led Rognak down this path. He’d effectively turned himself in.
Shandris thought he was an idiot, of course. Most of them did. He’d spent hours convincing them all that this was the best way. But Rognak wasn’t just going to his death, no matter what they thought. For one… killing him wasn’t as easy as all of that, even when surrounded by guards armed with rifles. He was still who he was after all, and even with the chains they’d put on him to try and lock him down as they led him into the city, Rognak knew he could break free in moments if he really wanted to.
And he might need to. Because there was another possibility that Rognak hadn’t wanted to imagine. A possibility that nevertheless lingered in the back of his mind. There was the possibility… that something had happened to Jaina. The possibility that Daelin Proudmoore was turtling in Theramore out of grief rather than uncertainty was something Rognak didn’t even want to consider.
But if something had happened to Jaina… Rognak knew he would do whatever needed to be done to avenge her. Even if it cost him his own life.
Still, that worst case scenario seemed less and less likely by the moment. There were some of Jaina’s people mixed in among the Kul Tiran Marines who were currently dragging him through the city streets, and none of them were acting like something truly awful had occurred just yet. Rognak took their reactions to mean that Jaina was still alive and well and hopefully hale and hearty.
It also seemed like his gambit was paying off, because rather than dragging him underground to languish in some dank, dark dungeon, he was being pulled right to Jaina’s Tower in the center of the burgeoning city. Yanked up the hill and into the tower proper, Rognak lets himself be manhandled up the stairs, barely even putting up a fight as the Kul Tiran Marines get him to the top floor.
He could only hope Jaina would be there. If it was her and her father together, then maybe they could tag-team Daelin and convince him to stop this foolishness. He and Jaina could convince her father to stand his fleet down and take them home… maybe.
Except when they finally reach the top floor, Rognak is completely thrown for a loop by who’s actually waiting for him. Jaina is there, thankfully… though for some reason she’s avoiding meeting his gaze. However, rather than her father… it’s her mother, Katherine Proudmoore, that stands there with her hands clasped behind her back, staring at him as he’s presented to her.
Rognak grunts as the marines holding him try to kick his legs out from under him in order to force him to his knees. ‘Try’ because… well, it really doesn’t work. Maybe if he were a normal orc, but all they get for their troubles is no small amount of pain and quiet cursing as he looks back over his shoulder at them with a gimlet eye.
“Enough. Leave him.”
The soldiers back away and Rognak is left standing, albeit in heavy chains as Katherine steps forward, though mindful to keep a distance between them all the same.
“So. You are the father of my daughter’s child.”
From the way Jaina jolts and inhales sharply as she gives her mother a wide-eyed look, the female mage hadn’t told Katherine that. Rognak lifts an eyebrow, but before he can respond, Katherine looks over at her daughter and scoffs.
“What? Do you really think I can’t read my own daughter, Jaina? You knew the moment they described him to us who exactly had surrendered. Besides. What other orc on this entire continent would willingly allow my men to bind him in chains and present him before me?”
… Alright, so Jaina’s mom was pretty smart. Still, when she turns back to him, Rognak stands tall, his back straight and his head held high as he introduces himself properly.
“I am Rognak, Chieftain of the Warsong Clan and Archdruid of the Horde. I am here to parlay with the Lord Admiral.”
“Show the Acting Lord Admiral some respect, beast!”
SLAM!
The stock of a rifle slams into the small of his back but once again, Rognak barely moves. A grunt leaves his lips but that’s it as he stares Katherine down. Acting Lord Admiral? That… that meant Daelin wasn’t even here, didn’t it? What the fuck had happened to Jaina’s father?
Katherine stares back at him for a long moment before lifting her hand, likely just before the overenthusiastic Marine can strike him again.
“I said enough, did I not? You are disrespecting me more than the so-called ‘beast’ at this point. Move to the stairs and do not interject again.”
“Err… y-yes Acting Lord Admiral, ma’am. Apologies…”
Rognak feels the presence of his guards vanish entirely from his back as they all move to the back wall of the top floor of Jaina’s Tower. Still likely ready to fill him with bullets at a moment’s notice, but no longer in melee range with him. Honestly… that was rather smart of Katherine as well. If they’d stayed close, Rognak could have easily turned things into a shit-fest for them where none of them could have gotten a clear shot on him for fear of hitting each other. Now though, they wouldn’t be in one another’s way if they did have to shoot him. Smart woman. VERY smart woman.
“I care nothing about your tribal titles, orc. As for the Lord Admiral… my man spoke truthfully. I am the Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras and any negotiations will take place through me. But that matters little. All I care about is that you are the one who impregnated my daughter. Is that true? Yes or no?”
“Mother-!”
“Quiet, Jaina. I will hear it from him.”
She’s trying to provoke him. Obviously. It’s very clear that Katherine doesn’t approve of him, but then Rognak didn’t need to meet the woman face to face to know that would be the case. Still, it’s obvious she’s prodding at him to make him lose his temper. If he were your average orc, it might have even worked. But he has never been your average orc.
“Yes. I am the baby’s father.”
His words echo through the chamber, though Katherine just nods as if she was expecting it. Then, she tilts her head to the side.
“You sound so confident. How can you be sure?”
“Mother!”
Now Jaina sounds positively aggrieved by her mother’s assertion. But Katherine just ignores her daughter, still staring him down. Seriously? Rognak just smiles at the Kul Tiran woman.
“I am sure. I am a druid. We are greatly in tune with nature and life. The life growing in Jaina’s womb… is my life. I knew it the moment I touched her belly.”
Jaina blushes at that and settles down at Rognak’s confident answer, glancing down at her own belly where she already has her hands resting. Katherine, meanwhile, just nods again. Then after another long moment of staring at him, she glances over at her daughter with a smirk.
“Well, at least he’s well-behaved.”
Jaina squawks at that, but Rognak can’t help himself. He just chuckles, prompting both women to snap their eyes over to him as he gives Katherine a crooked smile. Her continued efforts to make him lose his temper just aren’t working, and it’s time she realize that.
“Your daughter and I have a long history together, Acting Lord Admiral.”
He almost mentions the internment camps and the encounter in Silverpine Forest, but after all this time those initial encounters feel like… nothing truth be told. Maybe they mean something more to Jaina than they do to him, but for Rognak… he fell in love with her here on Kalimdor, through the trials and tribulations they faced together. He also thinks better of mentioning Shandris… just in case Jaina hasn’t gone out of her way to admit to her mother that she’s in a three-way committed relationship with not just an orc but ALSO another nonhuman on top of that.
Still…
“We’ve fought side by side against the worst foes this world has ever had the misfortune of seeing. We combated the Scourge together and slew the Traitor Prince side-by-side. Then, we worked just as closely together to stop the Demon Lord Archimonde from claiming this world in the name of the Burning Legion.”
Shrugging his shoulders as much as the chains will allow him to, Rognak nods his head in Jaina’s direction.
“I fell in love with your daughter, Katherine Proudmoore. I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me. Together, we have created life. I won’t apologize for that. I will never regret our relationship.”
Jaina smiles, but Katherine’s eyes narrow. Letting out a derisive snort, the older woman just shakes her head.
“And that’s supposed to make it better, is it? Your and my daughter’s love for each other is just supposed to wash away all of the crimes the orcs committed against my people, against my family?”
Rognak stiffens a little bit at that. He’d almost forgotten. Yes, Daelin Proudmoore was a racist, genocidal maniac because of the loss of his son… but every child had two parents. And Katherine had lost a baby boy the day the Horde killed Derek Proudmoore as well, hadn’t she?
Still, she doesn’t immediately order his execution or anything like that after her words. So Rognak does his best to do what he feels like he’s been doing for ages now. He apologizes.
“What the Old Horde did in the First and Second Wars was wrong. Not just wrong, but reprehensible, horrific, and tragic on all levels. The leadership of the Old Horde was evil and those who followed them into battle were culpable for the crimes they committed.”
For a moment, Katherine looks stunned that he would actually acknowledge the mistakes of the past. But then she actually parses what he’s saying and her eyes narrow again, a sneering scoff leaving her lips.
“Hah. And I suppose you would have me differentiate between the so-called ‘Old Horde’ and your ‘New Horde’, is that it? Tell me, how many of your New Horde were part of the Old Horde, orc?”
“Many.”
Rognak’s blunt admission catches her off guard long enough for him to continue on.
“Many of the orc warriors who followed the ways of the Old Horde, who pillaged across the length of the continent and left untold suffering and horror in their wake… live on in the New Horde to this day. Many more do not. Many were left behind who did not agree with the Warchief’s new vision for a New Horde. For an honorable Horde.”
That at least seems to get Katherine thinking, so Rognak continues on.
“The Warchief and I were born on Azeroth, Lady Proudmoore. We were babes when the First War took place, and children throughout the Second War. Warchief Thrall was raised as a slave by one of your human lords, while I fled an internment camp when I was young and lived in the wilds on the fringe of your civilization for much of my life. My people might have a history and a reputation on this world as savage invaders… but for Thrall and me, Azeroth is and always will be our home.”
Straightening up, Rognak exhales slowly before finishing up his speech with a promise.
“I cannot say that an orc will never kill another innocent soul. My people are not a monolith and even now there are those back across the sea who exist outside of what Thrall and I are trying to build. But I can promise you this. I have and will continue to do everything in my power to make sure the New Horde is something better than the old one. And I will not rest, I will not stop until the orcish people are a force for good in this world, rather than evil.”
He means every word. He hopes that gets through to her. Honestly, he hopes that his words in general are getting through to her. It all makes sense now. Something happened to Daelin Proudmoore, which is why the man’s wife is here as Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras in his stead.
There probably wasn’t a world where Daelin came to Kalimdor and could be talked out of waging Total War against the Horde. But Katherine Proudmoore might just be more reasonable. Perhaps Jaina’s mother could be convinced where her father would have dug his heels in and refused to give them a second chance. On that thought…
“Perhaps my people don’t deserve it. Perhaps our crimes run too deep in your eyes. But I’ll ask it of you all the same, Lady Proudmoore. Please… give my Warchief’s vision of the future a chance. Thrall is good, truly good… and so long as he leads the Horde, the Horde will be good as well.”
In the end, he could talk for hours. He could even sink to his knees and beg if he thought it would help at all. But… no. Rognak has said his piece. And now all that remains is to see how Katherine Proudmoore reacts. What side of the coin will the Acting Lord Admiral fall on? Peace… or war?
-x-X-x-
Listening to Rognak’s impassioned speech, Jaina wishes she could get up and kiss him in that moment. She’d heard him talk about the history of the Horde and more specifically the orcs before of course, but he was in rare form today. Jaina herself knew almost everything he was saying, and even her heart strings were being tugged.
From where she’s situated, she can even see that Rognak’s words are reaching some of the Kul Tiran Marines standing over by the stairs at the back of the room. Several of them are stone-faced and expressionless, but none are openly glaring at him or pointing their rifles at him anymore. And many are even thoughtful, giving Rognak’s words the consideration they deserve.
Of course, even though those men are all armed and could fill Rognak with bullets at any moment, they aren’t the ones who he and Jaina both have to convince here. No… there’s only one person in this room who holds any real power right now. Looking over at her mother, Jaina bites her lower lip as she watches Katherine Proudmoore stare down the father of her unborn child.
It’s obvious that the Acting Lord Admiral is feeling very conflicted at the moment. It’s clear to Jaina that Katherine is torn between feelings of revenge and being swayed by Rognak’s impassioned pleas. The orc druid had done everything BUT get down on his knees, all but begging for mercy from the woman who held the lives of thousands in her hands.
Whether there would be war or not would be decided in these next few pivotal moments. Katherine’s choice would seal the fate of Kul Tiran Marines and Horde Warriors, of soldiers and sailors and sentinels alike. Jaina could tell that Katherine was wavering, that Rognak’s words had gotten through to her… but only partially. Her mother was still a woman who had lost her eldest son to the Horde. Maybe her hatred didn’t run as deep as Jaina’s father’s did, but even still…
Jaina needed to say something. But she couldn’t just repeat what she’d been saying for days now. Trying to convince Katherine through logic and rational thinking that there was no hope of victory had been a dud. Rognak’s presence didn’t necessarily change that. No… Jaina’s plea needed to come from a place of pure emotional manipulation. And while she felt a little guilty for doing it… that doesn’t stop the pregnant mage from pulling the trigger all the same.
“Mother…”
As Katherine’s attention switches to Jaina, she looks her mother right in the eye and outright pleads with her, begging her right alongside Rognak.
“Mother… please.”
That was it. Anything more and even if Jaina had meant every additional word, she knew that it wouldn’t have swayed Katherine. But a plea from a daughter to her mother? A reminder of just who Katherine would truly be hurting if she went through with all of this? That… might just do the trick.
From the look in her mother’s eye, it’s obvious the Acting Lord Admiral knows exactly what Jaina is doing. And yet… after a long moment, Katherine sighs and looks back to Rognak with a smirk.
“You know, you’re quite lucky that you got me instead of my husband, orc. If Daelin were here, he wouldn’t have let you get even two sentences out. And yet here I am, listening to a greenskin. Being persuaded by a greenskin.”
She sounds disgusted in herself, even as her casual racism makes Jaina want to facepalm. But as much as she wants to chide her mother… she doesn’t dare. Not right now. Rognak too stays quiet, even as Katherine lets out another sigh.
“… In truth, hearing my daughter’s tales of her adventures and seeing the peoples of this land that have come to her aid… that alone is enough to make it clear that this… New Horde is not the same as the Horde that rampaged across the land in the First and Second Wars.”
Furrowing her brow, frowning now… Katherine looks over at Jaina and gives her a nod of acknowledgment.
“I will admit it… I was working off incorrect information. The Kul Tiran Fleet has no business here, troubling the people of Kalimdor and starting fights over old, long-settled grudges. Perhaps it’s finally time to bury the hatchet.”
Jaina blushes at the first part, knowing that SHE was the source of incorrect information. Not some spy reporting back to her father… no, she’d effectively tattled on herself and damn near started a war in the process. Still, the rest of what Katherine has to say… it takes her a moment to process her mother’s words. Once she does, Jaina whoops for joy and suddenly finds herself hugging her mother tightly, pulling a surprised Katherine in as close as Jaina’s pregnant belly will allow.
“Jaina, your condition!”
“I don’t care, mother! Thank you… thank you for seeing reason.”
For a moment, Katherine is frozen… then with a sigh she relaxes and returns the hug, leaning in close and whispering in Jaina’s ear.
“Your father will not be at all happy when I return home empty-handed, daughter of mine. Though… with his recovery being so slow-going, perhaps with time and distance from the issue his anger will cool. I promise though… I will do all that I can to persuade him of peace.”
Jaina winces, both at the thought of her father recovering… and at her earlier thought, that it sounded like he might not recover at all. But now was not the time to bring such a thing up. Instead, she hugs Katherine all the more tightly.
“I know you will, mama.”
For a long moment they continue their embrace. And then they pull apart and Katherine turns to Rognak, giving him a single nod before looking to the Marines behind him.
“Which of you have the keys to his shackles? There will be no further hostilities… unchain this orc.”
Before any of the Marines can even more however…
“Heh. No need.”
With a sudden massive clatter as the number chains that bound him shatter under his strength and fall to the floor around him, Rognak unbinds himself in an instant, energy coursing through him that Jaina had come to associate with his connection to Nature.
Rolling his incredibly muscular, incredibly broad shoulders, Rognak takes a step forward and doesn’t even pause as the Marines behind him all begin to shout and raise their rifles again. However, just as they’re trying to line up shots, vines and branches growing out of Jaina’s supposedly lifeless wood floor lance up and disarm them, not injuring a single one but most definitely removing their rifles from their gloved hands and hoisting the firearms up into the air out of their reach.
Meanwhile, as this kerfuffle is happening behind him, Rognak has a big orcish grin on his face as he holds out a large green hand in Katherine Proudmoore’s direction.
“As I said before… my name is Rognak, Chieftain of the Warsong Clan. Archdruid of the Horde. Not… ‘orc’. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance properly, Acting Lord Admiral Proudmoore.”
SMACK!
This time, Jaina does give in to her urge to facepalm, her palm slapping against her forehead audibly as she lets out a groan. As her mother had said, Rognak was one of the most articulate orcs Jaina had ever met. Sometimes he seemed more human than orc in fact. Other times however, he very much acted like an orc. Like for instance, whenever there was a fucking dick-measuring contest that he felt like he was losing.
Of course he couldn’t just let it be. Of course he couldn’t just gracefully pretend like he’d been their prisoner and at her mother’s mercy. Jaina’s mind races as she looks for a way to salvage the situation… but before she can-
“… Well met, Archdruid Rognak. Is that akin to an Archbishop, I wonder?”
Blinking rapidly, Jaina removes her hand from her face to watch the insane sight of Katherine Proudmoore shaking hands with an orc. Rognak chuckles as he very gently grasps her mother’s much smaller hand in his own and slowly lifts it up and down. At the same time, he lifts his other hand up and waves it from side to side as if to say ‘ehh… kind of?’
“If the Archbishop in question was one with Nature instead of the Light… maybe. But the comparison becomes rougher the longer you think about it.”
Katherine nods sharply as the handshake comes to a seemingly mutual end, with both parties pulling back at the same time. Jaina looks between them, still half-expecting Katherine to flip out and order the Marines to draw their swords instead… but no. In the end she looks over to the Kul Tiran Marines by the stairs, still struggling to get their rifles back, and lets out a low sigh.
“Enough. By my authority as Acting Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras, I rescind the blockade and occupation of Theramore Isle. Go inform the Captains that they are to begin readying the Fleet for the journey home.”
“Y-Yes ma’am!”
With that, the Marines depart and Jaina lets out a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. What could have been… had not come to pass. No one had died. No blood had been spilt. It almost seemed impossible, but for once, everyone got to live.
-x-X-x-
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