This is set after Arthas is killed in Wrath of the Lich King by the adventurers.

I read on WoWWiki that if you find his chest, it contains some things from his past life. One of them is a locket with Jaina carved on it. If you return it to her after the Lich King's defeat, she cries, saying that she knew there was still some part of Arthas trapped within the Lich King.

I think that's sweet and really sad.

I don't own Warcraft or any version of it.

Guardian

Jaina prided herself in being a calm, level-headed woman. An ally to both the Horde and Alliance, there is very little that can honestly startle her anymore. One of these things is currently floating in front of her, staring at her with empty ice blue eyes.

Stunned at the sudden appearance of this anomaly, the Archmage took a step back, the wind responding to her surprise by blowing her cowl and hair from her face.

After assessing the creature, Jaina was left more baffled than suspicious. The woman, for there was no uncertainty in its gender, seemed to be a mixture of a Death Knight and the Spirit Healer that those on the brink of death spoke of. She was semi-transparent and wings arched behind her pale blue back.

Whoever -whatever- she was, one didn't need to be a genius to see that she had this unnatural beauty about her and, feeling self-conscious, Jaina pushed a strand of her sungrass colored hair behind her ear before speaking.

"Who are you? What is your business here?" Jaina took some comfort in the fact that, though she been caught quite off-guard, her voice did not waver in its sternness. The winged being regarded her for a little longer before speaking as well.

"I am Deima." Her voice, like a Death Knight, echoed a little, but it was a comforting echo, like how the tolling of the town hall bell seemed to echo. The woman continued. "I am a Val'kyr, a being that served the Lich King until his fall."

When the woman (Val'kyr, Jaina corrected) mentioned the Lich King, Jaina was unable to hide the flinch the title caused, her hand reaching up to grasp the locket of the corrupted prince that now rested on the Archmage's neck as a flood of thoughts filled her mind of the man that was once, and still was, her true love.

The being had paused at her reaction, and simply looked at her for a moment before speaking again. "While many of my sisters have accepted our lord's death and have moved on, I am still faithful to him in one regard." Here she stopped; making sure the mage was looking her in the eye before finishing. "I swear to protect the one he cherished until I can do so no more."

Even with this explanation, Jaina was still confused. "That does not explain your presence, Val'kyr. The people Arthas loved most in his life have all died." Neither female missed the trailing silence nor did either deny the fact that some of those same people they spoke of had died by Arthas' own hand. But Deima did deny one thing.

"You are wrong, Archmage." She rasped. "Even during his last days, my lord cared deeply for you." Whatever she was going to say next was interrupted by a now slightly hysterical Jaina.

"Do not lie to me!" her voice seemed to trill, like a wounded bird. "He attacked me in the citadel! He told me I betrayed him! He hated me!" Despite her best efforts to stop them, Jaina felt tears rush down her face in small rivers.

While the Val'kyr didn't at first seem affected by her anguish, the being's eyes softened a little and she rested a pale hand on the woman's head.

When Jaina looked back up, wiping tears from her eyes, the Val'kyr's lips tilted upward. "It is true, he hated you. However," she said this word quickly, stopping Jaina from interrupting, "he did not hate you for the reasons you thought he did. He hated that you were not with him. He hated you because he was not beside you. He hated you because you lived in a world that, no matter what he did, he could not return to."

More tears escaped Jaina's eyes at this, but she still smiled as relief filled her. She was not the only one who regretted their actions while they were together, and that comforted her. Reaching up, Jaina picked up the hand on her head, and held it in her own.

Turning her head up more, she met the Val'kyr's eyes with all sincerity. "I love him, Deima." Her voice had softened, but now held a passion that reinforced her honesty. "I loved him for years, and even now I could never stop loving him."

She sighed a little, and smiled up at the winged being. "I would be honored to have you protect me, Deima."

The Val'kyr smiled back. "And I would be honored to do so, Jaina."

I rather like it. I wrote part of it at two in the morning and I don't have a beta, so if something's wrong please tell me.

Deima's name comes from the Deimos, which meant terror.

Jaina's one of my favorite characters, so I thought I should make a fic of her.

When I wrote this, I had every intention to make this a one-shot. However, when I let a friend of mine who knows and likes Warcraft read it, he said he liked it and wanted to read chapter two when I made it. If you guys think I should write a side-story or sequel, please tell me.

Please review.

Ja ne!