Arthaina

Arthaina is the het ship between Arthas Menethil and Jaina Proudmoore from the Warcraft fandom.

Early Life
Arthas and Jaina first met as children while the latter was visiting Lordearon during her journey to Dalaran to begin her magic studies. They met while Jaina was praying in the chapel of Arthas' family, where he took interest in her as someone that was well-traveled. He also offered to accompany Jaina and her guards the rest of the way to Dalaran. During the journey there, Arthas managed to convince Jaina to sneak off and take a look at an internment camp holding Orcs - the first real adventure either of them had. Jaina was ultimately brought to Dalaran and the two separated to prepare themselves for their futures.

Seven years later, Jaina took a break from her studies and went to Stormwind to attend Arthas being inducted into the Knights of the Silver Hand, marking their first time seeing each other since childhood. A little while afterward, Arthas - after meeting a young woman that reminded him of Jaina - spent a couple of months in Dalaran under the pretense of history study but was really there to court Jaina. The two quickly became lovers, initially keeping it a secret so that no rumors about them could crop up. The secrecy didn't last for long as Jaina began visiting Lordearon more often to spend various holidays with Arthas. As time went on, Arthas began questioning if he and Jaina were actually ready to be together, before finally deciding they weren't and abruptly ended their relationship. Although hurt by the decision, Jaina understood where Arthas was coming from and the two remained friends.

The Plague of Undeath
Both Arthas and Jaina received news of a magical plague afflicting the nothern part of Lordaeron, with the two being sent to investigate it. Jaina, upon arrival at the rendezvous point, notes that it's been a while since Arthas escorted her anywhere. They discovered in the town of Brill that the plague is undead in nature, it's being spread via grain shipments, and that the orchestrator was a former Dalaran mage-turned-necromancer named Kel'Thuzad. Arthas and Jaina manage to track Kel'Thuzad to Andorhal - norther Lordaeron's primary distribution network - and confront him about the plague. They discover that the infected grain had already been sent out and Kel'Thuzad reveals that he was following the orders of the dreadlord Mal'Ganis.

After killing Kel'Thuzad, the two journeyed on to Central Lordaeron but decided to make a rest-stop in the village of Heartglen on the way. While there, however, an undead army began bearing down on the village. Arthas ordered Jaina to retreat and find his teacher Uther to inform him of what's happening, an order that Jaina hesitantly complied with. When Jaina returns with Uther and a Silver Hand contingent, the find Hearthglen ruined and Arthas in despair as he found out the plague is meant to turn the living in the undead. With vengeance on his mind, Arthas decided to go to the city of Stratholme - where Mal'Ganis is hiding - and end the undead threat for good.

On the road to Stratholme, Jaina began worrying about Arthas' mental state and decided to secretly tail him to make sure he's okay. She finds him being confronted by a mysterious prophet - who previously confronted her teacher Antonidas - telling him to abandon Lordaeron and head west for Kalimdor, which Arthas flatly and forcefully refuses to do. After the prophet leaves, Jaina reveals her presence and tries to make Arthas see that the prophet might be right. Arthas refused to listen, as doing so would mean abandoning his people and he would never do that.

The Culling of Stratholme
Arthas, Jaina, and Uther eventually arrived at Stratholme, but learned that it's too late to do anything as the populace had already consumed the infected grain and were going to become undead. Not wanting to see his people subjected to that fate, Arthas ordered for his forces to slaughter everyone, much to Jaina's horror. When Uther refuses to comply, Arthas strips him of his authority and demands all that serve Lordaeron to join him. Jaina, unwilling to see Arthas commit such an atrocity, tearfully left with Uther. Regardless of her leaving, Arthas pressed onward and slaughtered the entire city before continuing his pursuit of Mal'Ganis.

A few days later, Arthas found Jaina and tried to get her to come with him to Northrend - where he determined Mal'Ganis to be heading next. Jaina refused to accompany him, not only because of what he did to Stratholme, but also because it feels like a trap. Regardless, Arthas continued on to Northrend, leaving Jaina in the smoldering ruins of Stratholme to question how Arthas could do something so terrible. During this, she was met by the prophet again, who told her that Lordaeron was lost and that Arthas' passion will lead to his ruin before telling her to go west - just as he told Arthas. Jaina refutes the prophet's statement about Arthas, saying that he's doing what he believes was right. Months later, however, Jaina - having returned to Dalaran - finds a now-corrupted Arthas leading the Undead in attacking the city after he's carved a path through the Eastern Kingdoms. Jaina considers going to confront Arthas directly, but her failed previous attempts to reason with him make her realize it would be futile. Ultimately, Jaina flees the city and watches its fall - before gathering the survivors of Lordaeron and fleeing Kalimdor, marking the last time she would see Arthas in years.

Wrath of the Lich King
In the years since, Arthas' path would lead him to becoming the Lich King before entering a deep sleep, both to vie for total control of the Scourge and to wait for the right time to make his move. Jaina, meanwhile, settled on the continent of Kalimdor along with the Lordaeron survivors and founded the city of Theramore. The Lich King finally woke when Arthas became the dominant soul within him, an act that Jaina felt and made her realize something bad has happened. Now at full strength, Arthas launched attacks against both the Alliance and Horde, drawing both factions to Northrend and entering into a war with them.

Fall of the Lich King
Near the tail end of the war, Jaina discovers a hole in the Lich King's stronghold of Icecrown Citadel and takes the opportunity to infiltrate it along with a team of adventurers. After securing the Forge of Souls, Jaina reveals that they're objective is the Halls of Reflection, Arthas' private chambers, to find a weakness they can exploit - or a means to redeem him. After battling through the Pit of Saron, the team arrives in the Halls and finds the Lich King's sword Frostmourne floating unguarded. Jaina takes the opportunity to commune with the spirits sealed within Frostmourne, eventually finding that of Uther - who Arthas slew during his warpath. Uther reveals to Jaina that Arthas' presence within the Lich King is dwindling and the only way to stop him is killing him. Jaina is distraught by this and believes there is still a way to bring Arthas back, but Uther tells her that killing him is the only way to save Azeroth, which Jaina ultimately agrees with.

Before Uther can say anymore, the Lich King arrives and reclaims Frostmoure before sending two of his Death Knights to kill the party. Jaina, wanting to finally figure out if Arthas is still there, pursues him further into the Halls while her party deals with the Death Knights. Jaina eventually finds the Lich King at the Shadow Throne and proceeds to fight him, but finds he's too strong and is on the verge of defeat when her party finally catches up. Realizing that Arthas really is gone, Jaina orders her team to retreat, only to reach a dead end and realize that they have to fight him. Before that happens, however, they're saved by the timely arrival of the Alliance gunship Skybreaker. Back to safety, Jaina apologizes to the team for pursuing the Lich King as she wanted to be sure if Arthas really was gone, before reprimanding them for following her instead of leaving with what Uther told them - which becomes a thanks for saving her.

With the information from Uther's spirit, a large team of adventurers led by Tirion Fordring launches a final assault against Icecrown Citadel that ends with Arthas' death. From the the citadel's entrance hall, Jaina could feel Arthas' death and makes her begin pondering if there really was any chance of saving him. An adventurer later came by with a locket that they'd taken from the Lich King's body that featured an engraved image of her. Upon seeing it, Jaina realizes that there really was a part of Arthas that still remembered her. Regardless, she decides her heart couldn't bear to keep the locket and instead enchants it before letting the adventurer keep it as a way for them to remember what they did.

Between Wrath of the Lich King and Shadowlands
While suffering as a victim of the Emerald Nightmare, Jaina had a dream where she sided with Arthas and joined him in the Culling of Stratholme. Jaina is horrified by the death they were causing, but Arthas told her that it was the right thing to do. The two them then went to Northrend to find Mal'Ganis, which - as in the waking world - led them to Muradin Bronzebeard walking them to Frostmourne. On the way, Mal'Ganis arrived with an Undead force and battled the trio, resulting in Muradin's death and his (apparent) one. Despite Jaina reminding him that they killed Mal'Ganis, Arthas still goes to Frostmourne's chamber to claim the blade, only for Mal'Ganis to reveal he was still alive and captures Arthas. Not wanting Arthas to die, Jaina grabs Frostmoure and decapitates Mal'Ganis. The nightmare ends as Jaina becomes the "Lich Queen" and kills Arthas.

In an alternate timeline glimpsed by Thrall during his pursuit of Nozdormu, Arthas and Jaina had married and had a son - named in honor of Arthas' former teacher - before fleeing Lordaeron following its fall to Aedelas Blackmoore.

Following the destruction of Theramore, Jaina tried to avenge it by using the artifact that destroyed it - the Focusing Iris - to destroy Orgrimmar. When she was confronted before she could unleash its power, she proclaimed that what she was doing was right. However, Kalecgos reminded her that "being right" was Arthas' justification for Stratholme, and even he didn't do it with her current level of hatred. This makes Jaina stop as she realizes that she wouldn't have been any different from Arthas. Now convinced she was making a mistake, Jaina calls off her attack and leaves.

While a prisoner within Thros, Jaina was subjected to nightmares of her greatest failures, the Culling of Stratholme being among them. In Jaina's thoughts, she believed she could have persuaded Arthas from his slaughter but she chose not to.

Shadowlands
When Arthas was killed atop Icecrown Citadel, his soul was sent into the Maw. Zovaal took what was left of it and made it into a soul crystal that was later used to bend Anduin Wrynn to his will, being implanted into his new sword Kingsmourne. Following a confrontation with the Dominated Anduin, Jaina sensed a familiar presence within Kingsmourne, but didn't have the time to figure it out as she and her group had to retreat. Later on, after Anduin was freed from the Domination magic by breaking Kingsmourne, Arthas' final spark was freed right in front of Jaina among others. She could only look on as it faded, ending Arthas' legacy for good.

Fanon
Arthaina is a popular ship for the Warcraft fandom. Their relationship is seen by fans as a tragic one that, had it gone differently, could have altered events on a wide scale, best depicted in the Rise of the Lich King novel and confirmed in both the Legends manga and Twilight of the Aspects novel. Jaina serving as the anchor for Arthas' morality, and being haunted by her failure in doing so, is noted to be one of the recurring motivators of her character development.

On AO3, this ship is decently written about with tagged entries in the 80's range. It's Arthas' most written ship. It's also Jaina's second-most written ship behind Sylvaina.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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