What if Kael had married Jaina?
Send me ‘What If’ scenarios |Accepting
@spell-steal also asked: What if Jaina would have picked Kael?
disclaimer; i’m going off of my own portrayal of jaina. other opinions may vary ;)
Jaina did indeed find Kael attractive, smart, eloquent, and a lot her Arthas was… well, not. While the two princes were indeed more similar than either would care to admit, they had their distinct differences, and when Kael confessed his feelings to Jaina, she began to question herself; just who did she have feelings for?
Jaina tried to continue her relationship with Arthas like normal, but it was difficult for her. Her heart pulled her in two very different directions, and eventually she would break things off with Arthas, saying that they needed to focus on their duties and that she wasn’t ready for a relationship yet. And, truthfully, she wasn’t exactly lying about that.
Not too much later, around a month or two, her feelings for the elven prince were clear. She came to him, explaining how she was unsure at first, but had began to develop feelings for him during their time together.
At this time, Kael had accepted that she wasn’t interested and had moved on, so he took her confession… a bit differently than what she had anticipated. His feelings were present, but perhaps dormant. Eventually, however, he’d find his romantic feelings once more, and they proposed going steady soon after.
Their relationship was kept secret, as it would probably not have been so openly accepted by others, including Kael’s own father. Over the course of time, Jaina would become more and more comfortable around Kael nonetheless.
Fast forward to Arthas’ betrayal and corruption, Jaina’s absence made it all too easier for the Lich King to take over Arthas’ mind. He didn’t have her thoughts to hold on to as he descended down the path of darkness, nor did he have her words of protest before he went into the city to slay those within it. Jaina would later learn from one of the officers with Arthas at the time of what he had done, as she had remained in Dalaran with Kael during the time it had happened.
When the Scourge invaded Silvermoon, corrupted the Sunwell, and slaughtered so many of the elves, Jaina was heartbroken. She felt Kael’s pain, but knew she could not fully feel just how much he was hurting. With the bond between them – the now lord of the blood elves and the princess of Theramore – a connection between human and sin’dorei had been made. Jaina swore to aid the sin’dorei however she could in rebuilding their home. By various methods, she was able to find help for the elves.
The events of the blood elf campaign would occur, from Garithos nearly executing all of them, to Vashj leading the sin’dorei to Outland, and the sin’dorei would begin to use the fel magic thanks to Illidan. Jaina, in disbelief that one of their own captains could consider doing such a thing, met with Kael after weeks of being away. She reminded him that not all humans are like him and she asked if the blood elves would still welcome the help of the Alliance. Kael was reluctant but eventually agreed, as their home still lied in ruins and all of the Scourge was not yet wiped out.
Jaina would never venture to Outland and would only meet with Kael in Stormwind or Dalaran. During his time there, he’d find himself valuing his newly acquired fel magic over the woman he loved. It would slowly poison his mind and his actions proved just that; going longer periods of time without any fel would result in him snapping and lashing out at his own men. With the sin’dorei growing concerned for the well-being of their leader, many were not surprised to hear he had gone rogue and started to serve a new master.
Jaina, having not heard from Kael in quite some time, finally sought out Lor’themar and expressed her concerns. He explained the situation of their prince and told her of the group planning to raid Tempest Keep and deal with him themselves. While perhaps her beloved went down a darker path, she still held onto hope and could not convince herself to move on from him. She quickly tracked the group down, offering the assistance of her as well as some of her own men, if they would not kill the prince but instead imprison him.
The troops Kael’thas had brought to Tempest Keep with him all perished, and he was the only remaining. The party had done as requested and took him as a helpless prisoner. Beneath the floors of Shattrath, within the anti-magic chamber they placed him in, and stripped of any and all items that could empower his magical abilities, Jaina finally met with him for the first time in months.
She found it difficult to communicate with him, the lack of fel ate away at his energy. He looked frail, as if the color had been drained from him entirely except for his eyes that glowed fiercely with bright green. It had taken multiple attempts to get him to open up, but with patience and determination, she was finally able to get through to him. She eased him into the reality of things until he would admit the new magic was indeed a problem, but he did not want to give it up so easily. The Sunwell had to be restored somehow.
Kael was not so easily accepted back into Silvermoon; many refused to trust him after the betrayal. Lor’themar, along with Halduron and Rommath, stood in the positions of Quel’thalas’ rulers. It would eventually be decided among them that Kael would have a position of power once more, should he prove his loyalties to his people and to Silvermoon.
Without Jaina’s help, the sin’dorei surely would have lost their prince to the Legion. Some were grateful of her actions, others disliked her for bringing their traitorous leader back within the walls of their kingdom.
Other things I’m not sure where/how to fit in but should be mentioned.
The sin’dorei would join the Alliance rather than the Horde.
Kael and Jaina would wed once his mind and will was his own again, strengthening the bond of elves and mankind.
King Varian would send more workers to help the sin’dorei rebuild the remainder of their city, so that they may flourish and prevail as a race once more.
It is possible that, with Alliance capitols surrounding the ruins of Lordaeron, they would eventually drive the Forsaken to Kalimdor. Many of the sin’dorei see the Banshee Queen not for who she used to be, but rather who she is now, and have no problems with pushing them out of the Eastern Kingdoms.
Also, of course, the Purge of Dalaran would not have happened, and Jaina would have used a different way to unleash her rage.
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