#midhaposting

Currently, Midha's found family includes Zafirria and Wrathion. Once, it included Anduin and Wrathion. For the purposes of this post, I'll be excluding Zafirria and regarding Anduin as a supporting character.

At the start, when it was only Midha and Wrathion, Midha was a maladjusted preteen girl. Not understanding what she was doing, she (and in some part Wrathion) created a sort of double-sided parental affection:

Midha as the 'mother' to Wrathion because of her age, her willingness to listen, and her ability to carry out his plans.

Wrathion as the 'father' to Midha because of his emotional sway, his seeming authority in Ravenholdt, and his ability to provide gold and shelter.

This morphed in Pandaria to something more like a brother/sister relationship.

Here, Midha adapted more to Wrathion's perception of her as the 'little sister.' If she had any questions about his plans, she asked them privately. She tagged along, part of a package deal with the Black Prince, and she was debatably kept closer emotionally than his guards were physically. By this point, someone like Kairoz could start to spot what developed in Cataclysm: Wrathion was using Midha as a comfort object.

Then Wrathion disappeared, and Midha vanished in his absence. This might have been a warning sign for future developments, if anyone else were privy to their dynamic. Not even Anduin was aware: he might have thought of Midha as Wrathion's favorite champion, but probably not his first.

Moving on to BfA. Crucially, BfA Midha doesn't meet Wrathion any earlier than the player would. In fact, she meets him later.

In MoP, the invitation to meet that Wrathion sends Midha is different, and other 'cutscenes' are added onto her legendary questline.

In Cataclysm, Wrathion knows her by her presence beside his eggshell in the Vermillion Redoubt.

By contrast, Wrathion and Midha's dynamic in BfA is comparatively restrained:

Wrathion finds Midha having joined a raid into Nya'lotha, and having struck the final blow against his false copy. By this point, the Sha (possibly from exposure to Sha-touched items?) has taken over her. This is the first point at which Wrathion calls her family: speaking to her as he would "any sister in the grip of the black flight's madness."

Midha's restraint shows in not trying to contact Wrathion earlier. She even consults Yu'lon, asking what it is about her that makes her feel as though she'll ruin him by her presence: to which Yu'lon confronts her inner 'monster,' her loneliness, and eventually reassures: "There is no monster here. Only your heart."

Wrathion's restraint shows when, despite his doubt in himself, he allows her to leave after killing N'zoth. In fact, he brings her to Stormwind Keep, and takes quiet relief in Anduin inviting her to stay while he finds a way to cleanse her of the Sha for good. (This ends up not working.)

Before we move on to Dragonflight, let's also mention some other people in Midha's life. Chronologically speaking, Midha's romantic interests are as follows:

Shannox: Midha had a stint in Hyjal during Cataclysm. She started first 'noticing boys' around this time-- or, as the case may be, noticing men. We see here the exclusivity of Midha's love: Midha responds to her strange new feelings by systematically poisoning the all-male flamewakers which make up the rest of the hierarchy, trying to force Shannox to the top by default (in much the same way as she went after the remaining black dragons.)

Her kill count was over two dozen. Shannox was intrigued, but nevertheless did not take kindly when he finally met her.

This was the nail in the coffin for Midha prematurely neglecting her innocence and abandoning her role as 'child.'

Anduin: They were acquaintances in Pandaria who rarely spoke more than two sentences to each other. Midha held a passing fascination with him, as any common girl might with the crown prince of Stormwind. There was a rumor that his inner Light caused plants to bloom where he remained for long enough, like a red dragon.

Vyneia: Even Wrathion knew about Vyneia, though he didn't notice any romantic chemistry until they'd already split. They were fellow champions of his, thick as thieves. Vyneia had an advantage over Wrathion in being a girl Midha's own age, even if, being that Vyneia was a blood elf, they were on opposite sides of the faction war.

Eventually, something happened between them. Only the two of them know exactly what it was, but afterward, Vyneia was presumed deceased-- until she resurfaced as a void elf, having joined the Alliance.

Kairoz: Anduin was the only one who knew. He envied her for it. He saw Kairoz dab at her scrapes after a bout against a Celestial, reverse wounds, and speak to her like a peer. Like a woman to his man. He saw him teach her to dance. Nobody ever treated Anduin like that.

But that, too, would pass.

Anduin:

Deep down, Anduin had always viewed himself as the moral object: perpetually acted upon, unable to meaningfully impact the world on his own. He had a feeling about Midha, falling in with rogues, no fixed home beyond Wrathion's side.

That feeling utterly failed to stop him. And Midha liked to come to his room when she couldn't sleep: she must have known he couldn't either.

He had one week of stolen touch, stolen dreams, a future he was sure he'd wrest out of Wrathion's hands. Anduin was older, after all, and Wrathion really had no idea what he was getting into.

In any case, she was Anduin's champion now. Maybe Wrathion would come back for her wedding. Maybe Wrathion would envy Midha like he did. Maybe Wrathion would settle down, too.

A week later, when his trajectory faltered and his heart had finally started to slow down, he went out to Lion's Rest.

He asked his father for guidance, and heard the wingbeats of the Mawsworn.

...Now we arrive at Dragonflight.

There are two factors which shift the dynamic in Dragonflight: first of all, Wrathion has a family. The days of being asked whether Midha's a black dragon too are largely over: the other black dragons are right there at the Citadel.

Second of all, Anduin is gone. Wrathion's lost the devil he knows, and replaced him with a dozen devils he doesn't.

In Dragonflight, the relationship between Wrathion and Midha can best be described as overt.

Baskilian pulls Midha aside to warn her about Wrathion, and Wrathion responds by inviting her out on a canoe trip. He asks about Anduin, and when Midha explains in the politest, vaguest terms possible, he breaks aloud: "What he's done to you, he's done to me."

"I could still look through your eyes if I wished to, champion."

"All the care you should have for yourself is mine."

"Our two comprise the only one on Azeroth."

"If it must be someone, then let it be you!"

It's only one night. He holds Midha for so long she nods off against his chest. In the morning, they've washed ashore near the Ruby Life Pools.

Of course, he isn't the only black dragon anymore. And even if he were, his isn't the only flight. And even if it were... there's still Stormwind.

After another long excursion, Midha returns to the Citadel and apologizes. "There's the Mother Oathstone, and Stormwind, too."

He's not sure if what he does next is premeditated.

In what Wrathion calls a 'fit of the dual soul,' he breaks into an outraged laugh-- and then grabs Midha and forcibly kisses her.

"Tell them. Tell whoever would do the same to you: that I've fully lost my mind. That I've laid claim to you, and I will not allow so much as a word to spread against it.

Some will be revolted, yes! But they will revile me, and count you as a casualty."

When he comes to, he goes to bathe in lava.

He does it again, of course. Midha doesn't know how to stop him, or if she even should. There are broodmothers smaller than Wrathion: drakes are always enlisted where dragons are scarce. And she suspects it's nothing but jealousy: pure, white-knuckled loneliness, and maybe it's the fault of the knuckle-white Sha that seems to ruin everything she doesn't leave behind.

He kisses her so often that Sabellian catches him, and scolds him: "You flout nature like a hand-reared pigeon after its master."

And Wrathion responds: "She is my sister, Sabellian."

"How fortunate," Wrathion says, "that you may never understand. To be a son of one's daughter. A creation of one's creation."

Wrathion's prayer: It will have to be someone. Let it be her.

Midha's prayers have stopped.