Background

”Pull yourself together Eleanara!”

His voice rung through the tall rooms of the noble house Da’Thaniel

“You have a responsibility and you WILL live up to it!”

Eleanaras face turned as red as her fiery hair as she screamed “I would rather chew off my right arm than marrying the prince! He is disgusting!” She let herself fall down on a pillow on the floor, grabbing her book and refused to look at her father.

He took a deep breath as he looked down at his daughter. The youngest. His little girl who wasn’t so little anymore. The only one left now… She was so beautiful. She had so much talent and wit. What was wrong with her? He kneeled in front of her and took her hand as he looked deep into her green glowing eyes.

“Princess…”

“Don’t call me princess!” she hissed

He tried again

“Precious daughter of mine. You know that being the only one left in the line of the Da’Thaniels, you don’t have a choice. Now that your four brothers have been so” he swallowed “disgracefully killed by the scourge, we need to regain the power and strength of our noble line. The Da’Thaniels have been the most powerful yielders of magic in Silvermoon ever since our society chose to disband with the misled Nightelfs. You have a duty towards this house. You have to take up the inheritance and start to use your power and your “ he lifted her face with a finger under her chin, studying her even and elegant lines “charm of a young woman to win the prince for you. Only by marrying him, we can regain the lost. At least… the lost honor”

Fathers eyes filled with tears at the thought of his dead sons. Four great, glowing, passionate and strong sons, all killed in one unbearable afternoon at the first and worst assault of the scourge. He wanted to lock up Eleanara in the highest tower and keep her out of harms way, but he knew that he had to place her in the only place where she could undo the disgrace of the Da’Thaniels: the royal court. She HAD to make prince Kael’thas Sunstrider choose her as his bride.

Eleanaras slender eyebrows almost touched each other as she cast a furious glance at her father. How could he? How could he attempt sell her like a piece of cattle? HER? Lady Eleanara Da’Thaniel! She took a long, deep breath before standing up. Father looked relieved. Obviously he thought that she had come to her senses. That she would start to hone her magic abilities and agree to the marriage.

“Look around father. So few of us are left, and we have turned into parasites, sponging anything that contains the smallest amount of magic. We can’t cope by ourselves and many have turned into wretched ones. We are weak because we rely on our magic. The more we do so, the weaker we are. Satirus and the others” Eleanara fought for a moment with the lump in her throat “would not have died, if they hadn’t been so dependent on their magic to save them”

Eleanara let her book fall to the ground. “Demon Dancing - A useful guide for the Warlock to be” landed with a heavy thud, but she kept her Fathers gaze.

“We have wandered of the natural path for too long, letting ourselves become too vulnerable. That won’t happen to me” Eleanara looked to the wall where her bow hung. The one her father had given her when she was just as tall as it was long. It seemed so small now. She nodded towards it “I have always been good with my bow. I will become a hunter and fight the arcane torrent my way. I will go to the woods.

Father turned pale “You wouldn’t dare…” he whispered

Eleanara looked into his eyes “Yes”

For a moment it was very quiet. Only the light breeze blowing through the tall and slender windows, gracefully moving the embroidered curtains, was audible while father and daughter were locked in a silent battle of wills. Then he took a deep breath and yelled, his face just a few centimeters from her

“You are the descendant of a long and uninterrupted line of warlocks and mages. Your uncle Jolan’aar was one of Queen Azsharas most trusted highbournes. Do NOT cast our house into the unbearable shame!”

Without a word Eleanara turned on her heel, went to the wall and took down her bow and the quiver

“If you leave this room with that bow, do not bother to come back – EVER!”

Eleanara avoided his flashing eyes, and left the room, followed by only the sound of wind gracefully moving embroidered curtains behind her…