kinkfest | Tea and Politics [Warcraft, Thrall/Jaina, PG]

Title: Tea and Politics
Author/Artist:

edaigoa
Rating: PG
Warnings: Nothing much, really. Perhaps naughty insinuations?
Word count: Approx. 905
Prompt: NOVEMBER 2ND - World of Warcraft, Thrall/Jaina Proudmoore: Diplomatic relations taken literally - "Enemies make you stronger, allies make you weaker."
Summary: Not so much other then the author taking the prompt rather literally.
A/N: Sorry about the lateness, but RL is what it is, and I would have piddled around forever without the deadline. I suppose this will have to do, even though I rather wanted to put the kink back into spring kinkfest with this. *LOL* Oh well.
Crossposted to my own journal. Thanks to

siadea and

zosocrowe for giving this a look over beforehand. Any remaining fail is my own.

"There are some within the alliance that say that it is our enemies that make us stronger - that they are the ones that harden our hearts and forge our shields and swords - while it is our allies that weaken us and drag us down to our doom," Jaina said, fingers clasped lightly around her drink as she stared off towards the ceiling in thought. Rather then bitter or scornful, she merely seemed pensive, thin human lips quirking up into a wry smile as she turned back to face him, blue eyes glinting in the fire from the torches.

"And what do you think about that idea, Lady Proudmoore?" the Warchief asked, his own lips twisting around his prominent tusks as he returned her look with a matching one of his own. "Would you make light of our accomplishments - both your people's and that of my Horde?"

Jaina laughed, an oddly derisive sound coming from the normally composed and polite mage. Considering the context of the subject that had prompted it (and perhaps the ale in their drinks,) Thrall found his grin deepening at the sound. He had been doing that more, he found, the longer their conversation continued.

"Of course not. The only soldiers I'd heard similar things coming from are the stubborn, blind, and foolish, who cling to the mad notions of human superiority. People like Garithos, who would even see us remove the Dwarves and Elves from our side, once they are done using them as cannon fodder for the war." 'The war' did not need to be clarified between the two of them. War against the Lich King. War against the ever more pressing Scourge.

War against the Horde.

Thrall snorted, as indelicate and inhuman as the sound could get, before taking a gulp of his drink from his massive tankard. Jaina only smiled at Thrall's gesture, long since used to such blatant differences.

"Even fools can sway the masses, and even wise men can be blinded by their past hatred. Hatred, I'm still shamed to say, is well deserved by my people."

"And by mine as well," Jaina interrupted, setting her cup down to free herself to gesture more strongly. "Your people were corrupted and invaded mine; my people enslaved yours as retribution. It's time for us all to put such things behind us; we have bigger problems now, and both sides have had their say. If we both insist on passing blame back and forth the world will be in ruins by the time all 'debts' are considered paid. An 'eye for an eye' has already been dealt. Continued hacking and whacking at each other will only insure neither side has a leg left to stand on."

Thrall laughed, head tilting back with wry amusement. "Your imagery is convincing enough for me, Jaina. It is unfortunate that many are still oblivious to that fact." Jaina chuckled bitterly as well, reclaiming her cup for a much needed drink before continuing.

"Back to the original point, the fact of the matter is that it should be obvious that allies will only make us stronger, if we are not so foolish as to cast them aside when the goal is reached. Your people - the Orcs and the Tauren and the Trolls - are all so much stronger then you were apart. Even with the...the Forsaken, of all beings, and now the Sin'dorei, you appear to present a much more united front," Jaina continued, slipping only a moment at the mention of the undead. At least Thrall wouldn't hold it against her, she knew.

"It's obvious, even to those that do not want to admit it, that the Horde is stronger for it's allies." The mage sighed, cup raised to her lips but not drinking, silently musing for a moment.

Despite Jaina still being such an outsider to the ways of the Horde and unknowing of the petty squabbles and faction splits that plagued his army, Thrall could not help but swell a little on the inside, hearing his Horde spoken of in such a way by a much honored and respected colleague. The corner of his lips twitched with the urge to smile again.

"But that is besides the point. If they cannot be told then they will be shown, and so long as our pact holds, we will be the ones showing them!" Thrall grinned fiercely, fist thumping his chest with emphasis, refusing to let the mood be soured by such talk. Perhaps it was the ale (proportionally much, much more in his own mug then her's,) that kept him smiling when it was normally such a rare occurrence, but Jaina didn't seem to mind and the knowledge that she didn't only encouraged him to do it more when he was around her. Jaina herself couldn't help but smile with him; their pact of non-aggression was a small step, but it was one that continued to hold firm even as the war dragged on and tensions on both sides continued to worsen.

"And now what, exactly, do you think they might say about this alliance, Lady Proudmoore?" Thrall asked, his grin shifting into a lazy smirk. Jaina laughed, relaxing further as her eyes crinkled into that amused, playful look that the Orcish Warlord could not help but find endearing - and a tad bit arousing as well.

"Which 'alliance' do you speak of, Thrall? Our renewed treaty, or the fact that you're holding my hand?"