The room was dark, lit by only a few candles placed strategically around the edges of the large stone bathing pool. A few of the candles were clumped together and placed on a stand near a second, golden stand that held an open book in place. The book was worn, with many pages earmarked as if it had been read over and over again which was not far from the truth. A book of strategies, it was one of Novae's favorite classic novels to study, and she often would read a chapter by candlelight before relaxing in a hot bath.
One of the luxuries that one gave up while on a campaign was the ability to bathe regularly, and certainly the ability to bathe in burning hot water that would nearly scald one's skin. It was almost a sinful delight for Novae to feel the hot liquid around her, and she sighed contentedly as she sank deeper into the steamy water, the bubbles on the surface coming up to her neck. In the background an enchanted music box played the music of a quartet of violins, the sound low and pleasant and helping to further relax House Sunfire's guard captain.
It was rare for Novae to get such time to herself. Most of her life was dedicated to preparing for or engaging in war, and such luxuries that many other Sin'dorei enjoyed regularly were not to be had in her rough lifestyle. Whether she was attending to the logistics of those troops she been put in charge of, seeing to the maintenance of the vast array of weapons she owned, or actually out on a campaign, she was frequently busy and no longer enjoyed the luxuries that her station would once have given her.
It was, of course, possible for her to assign others to the many duties that occupied her time. She could step away whenever she wanted to go and purchase fine dresses or attend balls, but the fact of the matter was that she saw her duties as her responsibility, and beyond that, her profession. She was not just a soldier, not just a warrior of Quel'Thalas, she was a professional soldier. One whom others could look to for guidance when push came to shove. She was proud of what she did, and so she gave herself little respite, at least in terms of totally disconnecting from her duties.
She sighed again, closing her eyes and letting the heat soak into her body, listening to the music and pondering the book she'd just read. Predictably in House Sunfire, such peace and serenity was not to last long, and after only five minutes her bath was interrupted by loud pounding on the door.
For a few moments, Novae elected to ignore the banging, seeing if the person would go away. When they persisted, she mentally rolled her eyes and yelled across the room, "What the fel do you want? I can't hear you through the Light-forsaken door so come in and report!"
The door opened hesitantly and one of her Blood Knight sergeants came into the room quietly, mumbling something that she still could not hear. With a sigh of exasperation, she brought her hands up and clapped them, silencing the magical music. She brought a leg up and wrapped her toes around the faucet to the bath, cutting off the trickle of water that was adding to the noise.
"What the fel do you want? Can you not see I'm busy?" Novae grouched, staring the sergeant down. Despite her gruff tone, he was actually one of her favorites. Tall, blonde, faithful to the Light and not too bright, he had all of the qualities that she liked in her Sin'dorei soldiers and none of the faults.
The object of her intense scrutiny shuffled closer to the edge of the bath, and Novae smirked as she caught him attempting to see through the fragile layer of bubbles that floated on the surface of the water. He gave her a salute by bringing his hand to his heart, orc-style, before reporting. "Novae, the replacement saddles we requisitioned for the chargers have been delayed. The leatherworkers are saying it's going to be another two weeks before they have the supplies needed to fill the order. I tried to find alternate sources but there are none to be had. The war's used up a lot of material over the past few months."
It was not uncommon for the soldiers of House Sunfire to refer to Novae by name, and in fact it was something she encouraged since it allowed them to view her more as one of their companions than a commander. It was not the way he addressed her that set the frown to her face and the irritation to her voice, "We need to ensure that the entire battalion is ready for battle. Lady Kyliska may need us at a moment's notice, and I'll not have fifteen of her best fighters out of the battle because they couldn't get saddles of all things. No, you'll have to requisition them from our contacts in Orgrimmar. Get those materials here right away and get the leatherworkers working on it."
The Blood Knight sighed, looking distraught before nodding. Novae caught the look on his face and deftly flipped herself over in the water beneath the bubbles, floating to the edge of the large bathing tub and leaning against it's edge with her arms crossed before her chest. She smiled up at him, studying him, "You do realize I don't want you to personally go to Orgrimmar, right? Now that we're home you can send one of Lady Biara's old apprentices to go with a spell. It'll take like an hour."
It was clear from the way the other Sin'dorei perked up that he had not considered this idea at all. Novae's grin widened as she saw him smile, and she shook her head slightly.
At least he's nice to look at. And good with his blade.
Indeed, this very sergeant had stood back to back to her in a burning tower for almost an hour while they fended off Kor'kron reinforcements at the siege of Orgrimmar. He was quite good with his blade and definitely reliable in a fight. It was one of the reasons Novae kept him under her; she ensured that her commanders knew their work well.
"As you command then, Novae," the blonde Blood Knight replied. "I'll have those saddles repaired as quickly as possible. We'll not let Lady Kyliska down."
Novae grinned before she suddenly reached up and grabbed the front of the Blood Knight's tabard, pulling him down abruptly. He fell to his knees by the side of the bath, one arm plunging into the water by accident. For a moment only, he had a scowl on his face as he realized his clothing and uniform had just gotten soaked. That was before he realized that Novae's face was inches from his, and that her arms were no longer crossed in front of her body.
She smiled before pressing her lips to his, enjoying a passionate kiss with him before gently pushing him away and sliding back into the water, "I knew I could count on you. Now go about your work and if you get this done as I've asked, I'll give you a...commendation...later."
He grinned at her before rising a little unsteadily to his feet, saluting her again and hurrying out of the room. Novae smirked and then returned to her place in the center of the bath, submerging most of her body in the scalding hot water. Her hands came up, clapping together and causing the violin music to resume.
She'd gotten in trouble numerous times before for fraternizing with her underlings. Some Houses didn't allow it, some chapters of Blood Knights found it scandalous. She couldn't be bothered to give a damn really. The men she fought beside risked their lives just as she did, and they all had tensions and needs just as she did. Those Knights she fought beside would do anything for her, risk their lives for her, and now and then perhaps even love her. And in return, she would love them as her charges, love their spirits and fire, and she would do as she damn well pleased. They knew that she would die for those who gave their all in battle, and they would give her the same.
When Biara Sunfire had hired Novae, she'd known about the Captain's habits, about how she lead battalions to war, and she had hired the Sin'dorei because Novae got results. Because she was a professional. Because in the end, if that Sergeant were to betray House Sunfire, Novae would just as soon gut him as kiss him.
Loyalty was priceless.
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