A Day Off

The sun sparkled on the choppy water of Stormwind's harbor, the morning light reflected a thousand times a minute from the distant ocean. A warm summer breeze flowed throughout the city, the sky above a cloudless and beautiful blue.

Atop one of the battlements overlooking the harbor, Rosellina smiled as she looked down at the quaint scene below her. Wearing only a summer dress and sandals, she looked nothing like she did when she was engaged in her spying or even working at her cover job along the docks. The breeze toyed with the light fabric of her garments, making them ripple and setting her jet black hair to blowing a bit as she paused to consider the harbor.

In front of her was an easel and a canvas, part of the scene below already depicted in competent if not overly-gifted oil paint. Rosellina carefully set the brush to the canvas again, beginning the process of outlining one of the ships riding the waves in the far distance, slowly capturing the scene in her work. She knew she would never become a famous artist and that her work was mediocre compared to the 'professionals' she'd seen, but Rosellina didn't care; it was the joy of doing it, of creating that she enjoyed. It was the perfect thing to do on a warm summer morning when you had the day off.

This type of day didn't come often. A vast majority of her time was spent either keeping up with her cover job at the Blackleaf Trading Company or in spy work that had to be slipped in around her normal duties. It often meant that she had little time to sleep, let alone engage in personal hobbies or interests. When a moment like this came, she seized the opportunity every time for her own sanity's sake. Work would resume again within a day or so when the next shipments arrived at the pier or when she'd managed to worm out some more information about House Falconoak. All in due time, for now there was simply the present and the relaxing feeling of drawing the beauty before her.

"You're getting better," a voice said behind her.

Rosellina didn't jump, her hand steady as she completed the process of painting the ship's mainmast. She had known he was approaching her; she'd been trained for the past seven years to ensure that her senses and reflexes were up to par with what was required of an SI:7 agent after all.

"It's not about getting better, it's about ensuring that the emotion that you feel from the scene is captured in the work," Rosellina replied.

Behind her, Lord Gregory Warten stirred, moving to stand beside her before leaning on the stone railing that surrounded the overlook. He said nothing for a time, simply taking in the sights that she had elected to paint firsthand.

After a time he turned to watch her work, his tone pleasant, "You've caused me a great deal of trouble you know."

Rosellina applied another brush stroke to the canvas, one eyebrow perched on her head as she critically reviewed her work, "Oh? I had thought I was doing a good job so far, no?"

Lord Warten nodded, sighing, "You have, but then you had to go and ask questions that you weren't supposed to. Come on Rosellina...attempting to access a highly classified file? You're on your first assignment. Did you think they wouldn't report it back to me eventually?"

Rosellina shrugged, continuing to paint and not bothering to look over as she responded, "You taught me to ask questions, to seek and learn. A Death Knight approached me and I believed my mission was in danger. I took steps to learn. What else would you expect me to do?"

"You should have just asked me instead," Lord Warten said, sounding grumpy. "You most definitely should not have done what you did and THEN gone and lost a tail that followed you from central command. Do you know how suspicious that looks?"

Rosellina paused in her painting, giving the older man a wry smile, "It's not my fault if the agents at Command are not properly trained to follow someone through a crowd. I didn't even have to try."

Lord Warten frowned, his tone almost scolding now, "Rose, I know you think that this is a joke, but it's not. It's deadly serious. There are things that even you as a field operative cannot be allowed to know. The safety of the realm is of paramount concern."

Rosellina set her brush down, turning to look her mentor in the eye, "What happened to those Death Knights? Why do they fear us so much?"

"That is classified information," came the glib response. Rosellina scowled, shaking her head. "That is not acceptable. You've trained me. You taught me about why we do the things we do, about what we fight for. We serve His Majesty above all else. We serve His realm, His people. We uphold His laws even if we sometimes have to bend them in order to accomplish our goals. What we do, what we are here for, is fundamental to the protection of the Alliance's citizens. ALL of her citizens. Even the Death Knights. The same people who fight for us even after they've passed on, when they have no reason to uphold loyalty anymore."

"Rose...this is about security, it's ABOUT our jobs. You can't know everything, and when you aren't allowed to know something, you can't just attempt to circumvent the rules," Lord Warten replied. "I've done what I can to put this to bed for now, but it can't happen again do you understand?"

Rosellina turned away from him, picking her brush up once more before replying, "Sir, you've trained me to be an instrument of the King's justice. To be His sword against the darkness. ANY darkness. I cannot give up the belief that what we are doing is for the greater good. If I have to bend the rules now and then, you know I'm going to do that. I will serve you faithfully, loyally, and give my life for you and for the Crown. You know that too."

Lord Warten sighed, leaning on the stones again and shaking his head, "I know that Rose, I know that."

"Then don't try and change what I am. You know what I am useful for, and what I'm not. You know my capabilities. Trust me, trust that my loyalty will never be in question," she said quietly.

Lord Warten laughed, the sound echoing down into the harbor, "Oh Rose... the fact that you would even say that sentence leads me to believe that it's true, but that you also have much to learn about the work you do. A spy trusting anyone? Preposterous. If I mentioned this back at Command the laughter would be heard from here."

Rosellina shrugged her shoulders, applying another brush stroke to the canvas, "I can only be what I am sir. I will continue to do my job until you feel that I'm no longer suitable. We'll handle these hiccups as they come along."

Lord Warten smiled, nodding at her, "Very well then. Continue with your assignment. And please for the love of the Light try not to make me have to pull any more strings like that. There are only so many favors that I can get before I run out, and in this game you always want to have a few left over hmm?"

Rosellina smiled at him and nodded, "I'll do my best to be more careful when I break the rules next time."

Lord Warten laughed, turning and slowly walking away, "That's about as good as I'm going to get I suppose. Your first official reprimand went pretty well all in all. Have a lovely day off Rose."

She turned her attention back to her work, smiling to herself. Once Lord Warten was out of sight, she took up some black paint and painted a tiny little pirate flag on the ship in her painting; a flag that didn't exist on the real ship. A little bit of whimsy to go with the reality; some rebelliousness in the order of the scene. Exactly the way she liked it.

Rosellina might be a tool of the Crown, but in the end she was not an unthinking weapon. Her sword was meant to strike down evil, wherever it might rear its head. His Majesty's life and the security of His people were her primary concern, and if threats arose from within the ranks of His own forces, well Rosellina would deal with them just as handily as any other traitors she uncovered.