Chapter 25: Resolution

"How are you feeling?" asked Sylvanas as she started to undo the buttons of his shirt.

"The left side of my upper body still hurts but the pain is not as strong as it has been weeks ago," Kelrian responded, looking at Sylvanas who was kneeling in front of him. "You know, you don't need to do this. I can undress alone."

"I know but I don't want to wait until the water cools down. You need too long because you talk all the time instead of taking your clothes off, my dear."

"I know. Sorry."

Sylvanas gave him a small smile. "You don't need to be sorry." She undid the last remaining button, taking his shirt off. She put it on the bed he was sitting at, helping him to remove his white singlet.

"Aren't you shivering?" he asked, scrutinizing her nude form.

"Not really but you are that's why we are taking a bath now."

"I don't understand why my body doesn't feel hot while a nude goddess is sitting between my legs."

Sylvanas chuckled. "You old sweet-talker."

"Old? You are older than me. One hundred and five years to be exactly."

Soft laughter escaped Sylvanas' lips. She put her hand on his cheek, caressing it softly. "You know how I mean it."

"I do" he responded. He leaned forward and lowered his head so he could place his lips on hers. She returned the kiss, running her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. He put his hand on her back, caressing it carefully. They separated after a while, staring into each other's eyes.

"I might start shivering as well if my body remains uncovered. We really should get into the bathtub now because I don't want to catch a cold" spoke Sylvanas, getting up.

Kelrian's eyes roamed all over her body, resting on her breasts and her most sacred place longer than on all other body parts. He didn't say anything in return, he just admired her beautiful form. He unbuttoned his trousers, removing it with Sylvanas' help. He also took off his socks and his pants, looking at Sylvanas who licked her lips while she was taking a closer look at his nude form.

She turned around and walked to the bathroom, swaying her hips. Kelrian's eyes rested on her well-formed butt as he followed her. He entered the bathroom a moment later, finding out that Sylvanas wanted him to get in first.

He did as he was told, a quiet moan escaped his lips as his shivering body came in contact with the warm water. He stretched his legs out, resting his head on the rim of the tub. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasant warmth of the water. The splashing sounds and the displacement of water let him know that Sylvanas had just entered the tub. She could lay down on the opposite side of the tub but she didn't. Instead, she laid herself on her lover, snuggling against him. She made sure that her body wasn't touching the left side of his upper body, meaning he didn't need to feel unnecessary pain. She closed her eyes as well, smiling as strong arms were wrapped around her upper body.

Kelrian placed a kiss on her right shoulder, rubbing her stomach with his hands. "I've missed that"

"A bath?"

"That too. I meant being able to hold you in my arms and press my body against yours," he responded, leaving kisses on her neck.

"I've missed it too," she admitted. "It's funny that I have managed to survive seventy years without having sex but since our first time, I can't think about anything else."

A provocative grin appeared on Kelrian's lips. "Well, what can I say. There is a reason for that. A big reason. I can understand why you can't have enough of me."

Sylvanas laughed. "Don't exaggerate, my love."

"I'm not exaggerating. I'm telling the truth."

"Alright, I believe you."

Kelrian kissed her left ear. "You better do so, otherwise, you don't get what you desire the most"

A teasing grin appeared on Sylvanas ' lips. "I wonder what that would be." Her hand moved downwards, stopping between his legs. "Hmm. I wonder why you are already so aroused."

"You have kneeled in front of me, wearing nothing but your birthday wonder why my body is ready for everything."

"Ready for everything you say. Let's test that" spoke Sylvanas, her voice sounded very erotic. She put her hands around his manhood, starting to pleasure him. Low moans escaped his lips. These moans became louder and more frequent as she started to do it faster.

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Two weeks have passed since I woke up. All of my wounds are healed, only the left side of my upper body hurts a bit if I overtax myself. I have started training three days ago so I'm pretty sure I can do that too," told Kelrian, letting one of his hand roam all over his lover's body while the other hand wandered to the spot between her legs.

"Remember that I've warned you."

A low moan escaped Sylvanas' lips as his fingers entered her. He licked the entire length of her ear, taking its tip in his mouth. "Remember that I've warned you what my mighty thing could do to you"

Sylvanas smirked. "Did you warn me?"

"Now I did," he whispered as he removed his hand and guided his manhood into her womanhood. He smiled as a loud moan escaped her lips.

'This is only the beginning,' thought Kelrian.

---

"You shouldn't have overexerted yourself, my love," said Sylvanas as she regarded her lover with worry.

"It's okay," Kelrian said quietly.

"Doesn't seem so," Sylvanas replied, pointing at the hand he pressed on his left ribcage. "I have warned you that it is too early to have sex. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet."

"It was fine until I decided to stand up too rashly. The sex was not the problem, I just shouldn't move too fast."

"I hope you are right," replied Sylvanas, staring into his eyes. His facial features weren't distorted by pain anymore, instead, they were quite relaxed. "I think you can still continue with your training but don't rush things. Don't overtax yourself and do every task or exercise slowly. Do that until you don't feel the pain anymore"

"I will. Promised."

"Good." Sylvanas gave him a smile, leaning forward to attach her lips to his, deepening the kiss as soon as Kelrian returned it. They melted into the kiss, wrapping their arms around the body of the other. Kelrian didn't need to pull Sylvanas closer because she already moved on her own, sitting down on her lover's lap. They held the kiss as long as possible, staring at each other while breathing heavily. They shared a few needy and passionate kisses, then Sylvanas turned around and laid down on Kelrian, her back came in contact with his body. The younger elf didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, snuggling against her.

"This is really enjoyable. I would love to stay in the tub with you forever," Kelrian said eventually.

"It is indeed. Unfortunately, our people need us. We have to fulfil our duties and protect our people against all dangers. I wish we could remain here forever but we can't."

"I know, I know. Our people need our help and I will not hesitate to help them. I just wish we could spend more time together."

Sylvanas caressed his cheek. "I understand you, my love. I wish the same but we are very busy in general. War is coming, so we'll be busier than ever in the next few months. High King Sunstrider and the prince managed to make an agreement with the other members of the Alliance of Lordaeron"

"An agreement? What is it about?"

"The orcs haven't done much during the past months. They have built bases and outposts but they didn't attack us or humans. The trolls, on the other hand, were more aggressive than ever. They are planning something, that's why the High King asked for aid and the Alliance agreed to support us against the trolls so we can help them later dealing with the orcs," explained Sylvanas.

"That's fantastic," responded an astonished Kelrian.

"It is indeed. With the support of the humans and dwarves, our chances of victory are much higher."

Kelrian put his head on her shoulder, kissing her right ear. "I think, we would have handled the trolls alone but it would have cost more lives, resources and much more time. With the help of the humans and dwarves, we should handle these ugly green bastards."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in return. She just snuggled against her lover, holding his hands. She closed her eyes, starting to relax. Kelrian also closed his eyes, listening to Sylvanas' quiet breaths. He intertwined their fingers, caressing the backs of her hands with his thumb.

They enjoyed the close body contact for a while, then they decided that it was time to wash their bodies. They decided to wash the other because it was more fun that way. Sylvanas soaped him thoroughly, using a sponge to clean his body and wash off all remains of dirt and sweat. After she was done with his muscular back, she dipped his head in the water so she could wash his hair. She used her favourite shampoo, knowing that his hair won't only look good, it will also smell after lavender later.

Then it was Kelrian's turn wash his lover. At first, he had thought it would go much faster because she was smaller than him. But he needed more time than expected because he couldn't keep his hands off her. He cleaned her more than just thoroughly, running the sponge at least three times over each part of her body. He also noticed that he was groping her from time to time, meaning that her breasts and her well-formed ass got more attention than the rest of her body. But Sylvanas didn't mind that because she enjoyed it as well. In the end, Kelrian managed to fulfil his task, receiving an amused grin from his lover and superior.

They cuddled for quite some time, getting out of the tub as soon as they noticed that the water was cooling down. Kelrian handed Sylvanas a towel before he grabbed one for himself, drying his body. He noticed that Sylvanas' eyes rested on him while he did that, causing him to shift his gaze on her.

He didn't feel ashamed that he was ogling her while she was drying her body. She didn't mind it because she loved when he was looking at her like that. Like a predator who was scrutinizing his prey. Kelrian had to admit that the scene in front of him looked pretty sexy. So sexy that he wasn't able to avert his gaze, no matter how hard he tried. He also regarded Sylvanas while she put on her underwear, realizing she was smiling at him. He returned her smile, getting dressed as well. He waited until she had dried her hair, then he followed her back to her office.

Kelrian took a seat on one of Sylvanas' armchairs. "Is there anything else I have to know?" he asked curiously.

"Well, there is nothing important I haven't told you yet."

"Okay. What about Nathanos?"

Sylvanas hesitated for a moment. "He is better than expected. I already told you about his skills in close combat, in shooting arrows and on the hunt. He is also pretty good when it comes to carrying out missions successfully."

"You sent him on a mission? What did he have to do?"

"I sent him to deliver a message to Lordaeron, then he joined a group of rangers and spied out the nearest base of the Amani trolls," she responded.

"What did they find out?"

"There is a large camp in the east of the Sanctum of the Sun. The group assumes that about sixty trolls are stationed in the base."

"Sixty? That's quite a number for a troll base. Normally only twenty up to twenty-five trolls are stationed in their camps and bases."

"There are a lot more trolls out there. We can be lucky that they keep splitting up in smaller groups and don't man their bases correctly. I don't want to imagine what would happen if an army of hundreds or thousands of trolls would march through our land. It's easier for us if we take them out in smaller groups instead of facing their whole army, so I'm glad that they keep splitting up"

Kelrian made a thoughtful face. "On the other hand, they are able to attack various areas at the same time if they keep sending smaller groups. We don't know how large their army is but we should have a much larger army than them"

"We have but that doesn't mean we wouldn't lose numerous soldiers if we fight them directly on the battlefield. We are no orcs or humans. A direct battle is not our style. We are better at letting them chase us so we can hail down volleys of arrows on them. We keep them at distance and shoot as many arrows as necessary on them until they all die. That's how we fight. You know how effective our strategy is."

"So, keeping the trolls split is the best we can do," concluded Kelrian.

"Exactly, my love."

"I'm wondering why Zul'jin doesn't realise he won't beat us if he doesn't change his strategy. We win most of the skirmishes and protect our citizens while he keeps losing more and more warriors. He won't have any soldiers left he can command if he doesn't change his plan," replied Kelrian.

Sylvanas shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows what is going on in the mind of this bastard. I'm glad that he is not smart enough to realize that his strategy is crap. I'm happy that we win the skirmishes without losing too many soldiers."

"I'm not complaining either. I just don't understand why Zul'jin is doing that."

"There is always something we cannot understand. May it be the universe itself or Zul'jin's plans. But don't forget, never underestimate your opponents. That's the stupidest mistake you could ever make. We don't know what he is planning. Maybe he is doing that on purpose to give us the feeling that we will win against his people with ease. And then he will strike when nobody expects it. Everything is possible. We have to be careful and we shouldn't rush things. Who knows what he is planning? Maybe he just wants to lure us into a trap."

"You are right. I want to see Zul'jin dead but I still respect him. He is not dumb and he is a strong warrior. He has lots of experience which means he knows what he is doing. We have to be careful, that's all we have to do."

Sylvanas agreed with him, walking towards the fridge on the right side of the room. "Are you hungry, my dear?"

"Yes, I am."

"What do you want to eat?"

Kelrian made a thoughtful face for a moment. "What can you offer?"

Sylvanas opened the fridge and looked inside. "What about slices of bread with cheese or meat?"

"Sounds fine to be."

"Good, then I will prepare some slices. Take a seat and relax."

"I will."

---

Sylvanas followed the corridor, greeting all the guards who were standing alongside it. They lowered their heads in respect, returning her greetings as she passed them. She didn't need long to arrive at her destination. The throne room.

She stopped in front of the door, greeting the two guards and their captain in front of it. They didn't hesitate to open the door, allowing Sylvanas to get in. She thanked them, entering the throne room without hesitation.

The first thing she caught sight off was the empty throne on which High King Anasterian Sunstrider used to sit when he was not busy with other tasks. Even his advisors, who normally stood next to the throne, were missing. Not far away from the throne stood four guards, all of them wore blue-golden coloured armours, their faces were hidden beneath helmets which were painted in the same colours.

Sylvanas was wondering where the king was so she turned her head to find out if he was somewhere else in the room. He was not so her gaze fell on the room's walls which were coloured in light blue and adorned by beautiful golden wall paintings which showed high elven people, the sun and magical artefacts. Her gaze wandered to the floor which was completely covered by a blue carpet. There were a few pot plants here and there and many guards were standing in the room.

Sylvanas was about to walk to the nearest guard and ask him where the king was as a familiar voice called her name. She turned around, spotting the prince. Kael'thas Sunstrider was wearing one of these blue robes the archmages in Dalaran usually wore. He was a member of the Council of the Six which ruled over Dalaran so he was in the mage city most of the times to study something.

But he was here and not in Dalaran so Sylvanas assumed that he had returned to Silvermoon to help his father with the upcoming war. Nevertheless, he was still wearing the fancy robe although he was not in Dalaran anymore. Sylvanas had to admit that he looked good in everything so it didn't matter if he was wearing this robe or one of his traditional robes. Nobody minded that he wasn't wearing the outfit he was normally wearing when he was in Silvermoon.

The prince was a lot older than Sylvanas but still looked young like all the other elves. His golden hair was so long that it even reached to the half of his upper body. His blue eyes scrutinized Sylvanas curiously. Like most citizens of Quel'Thalas, he had fallen for her so he was unable to avert his gaze from her which rested long on her torso, especially on her breasts. He managed to catch himself after a few moments, shifting his gaze to her beautiful face.

He took her hand, before she was able to do or say something, and kissed it as he bowed to her and lowered his head in respect. He held her hand longer than necessary but he let her go eventually. "It's a pleasure for me to meet you, Ranger-General. I haven't seen you in a while so I'm curious how you are doing"

Sylvanas lowered her head in respect, making a curtsey before she spoke. "I'm doing fine. Work is stressful but I have already gotten used to it."

The corner of Kael'thas' lips formed a small smile. "I can feel you. The upcoming war against the Amani trolls and the orcs are already tiring me and my father. I'm not a strategist but my father still wants me to help him to make a decision whenever he is planning something. I've important studies to do but my father doesn't care about it"

"I can understand him, to be honest. You will lead our people one day so it doesn't hurt if you know a thing or two about politics and war strategies."

"My father rules this kingdom for almost three thousand years. I don't believe he will ever step back or die any soon. To be honest, I rather spend my time in the library and study magic instead of leading my people. Of course, I would do it if I ever have to be king but unless I don't have to, I rather spend my time in Dalaran."

Sylvanas gave him an understanding nod. "I get what you mean but we don't know what the future holds, we always have to be prepared for everything. If we have learned something from the past, then it is that everything is possible."

Kael'thas' lips formed a smile. "You are right. You are pretty smart, Sylvanas. Smarter than everyone else I know," he complimented

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Even smarter than your father?"

The prince shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. My father hadn't considered the trolls as a threat until you and your sisters proved that the Amani and forest trolls are invading our lands. Who knows how many citizens would have been killed until my father would have realized that the threat is real," he scoffed.

"I still remember the shocked face he had made when your sister Alleria had thrown the separated troll head in front of his feet," he added.

"You can't hold that against him. I wouldn't have believed it either if I wouldn't have seen it with my own eyes. Your father is a very wise man, so are you. Your father rules this kingdom for almost three thousand years and it still exists. No enemy has ever managed to conquer it and not even the trolls or orcs will manage that if we work together with the Alliance"

Kael'thas nodded to her. "You are right," he admitted.

"So, how are your studies going?" Sylvanas asked, breaking the silence which had lasted for a few minutes.

"Well, I'm doing fine. I wish I could tell you what exactly I'm studying but you wouldn't understand it because you are not a mage. To make things easy, let's say I'm trying to learn a fire spell which is better than every other fire spell which is known. It's not easy to learn it and using it has its risk but as soon as I perfect it, it should be pretty powerful," he explained.

He looked at her, admiring her beauty. Like most male high elves, he had fallen for her. She was the most beautiful woman in Quel'Thalas and she belonged to the most popular people of Quel'Thalas as well. He would be very happy to have her as his wife but she had rejected his proposal like all the other proposals she had gotten. Every other woman would have accepted his proposal. Not only because he was very handsome and influential but also because he was pretty smart, funny and powerful. He had lots of admirers but Sylvanas didn't belong to them. She was immune to his charm.

Sylvanas had been the first woman who had ever turned him away. The first and only woman who had done that so far. Others wouldn't dare to do that but Sylvanas was not like other women. She was special. She was aware of herself and got everything she wanted, most of the time. She was not like other women who only took what they got. Most of the time, she got whatever she wanted, because she was very popular and influential.

Rejecting his proposal had hurt Kael'thas at first and he had needed some time to accept that she didn't want him. He had come to terms that Sylvanas wasn't interested in him so he had stopped trying to make her fall in love with him and had befriended her instead. He enjoyed talking to her about interesting topics, news or gossips. They were good friends and nothing could change that.

Not even Sylvanas' father who wanted her to marry him. Sylvanas was an adult woman so she could choose who she wanted to be with. She had the freedom to pick her partner. Not everyone could choose who they wanted to marry. Arranged marriages were not uncommon in the high elven society. Often men and women were promised to each other at a young age. Not everyone was allowed to marry for love.

The marriage of Kael'thas' parents had been arranged as well. They hadn't loved each other at first. Only with the time, they had grown close and had fallen in love with each other. In the case of Sylvanas' parents, it was a wedding of love. They hadn't been forced to marry the other but they had done it anyway because they loved each other so much. Sylvanas could only be grateful that her parents weren't strict and didn't force her to marry the prince. They would be delightful if Sylvanas would marry him but they understood that Sylvanas didn't want to marry someone she didn't love.

Sylvanas and Kael'thas talked for a while until the prince realized that Sylvanas must be here for a reason and not because she wanted to have small talk with him. "I almost forgot to ask you why you came here," he said.

"I want to see your father and talk with him about the campaign against the trolls. Do you know where he is?"

Kael'thas shook his head. "Not really but I could ask the guards or my mother. I mean you could also tell me what you want to say and I can give you advices but I don't really want to talk about strategies right now so I rather look for my father."

"That would be nice" responded Sylvanas, smiling at him. "I will wait here for you if you don't mind"

"It's okay. Stay here while I look for him" responded Kael'thas, slowly walking to room's exit.

"See you later, my prince"

Soft laughter escaped his lips. "See you later, Ranger-General" he left the room a few moments later, leaving Sylvanas and the guards alone in the throne room. He returned half an hour later with his father who walked to his right.

High King Anasterian Sunstrider was wearing a blue robe. His old age of over three thousand years could be recognized by his wrinkled face and his long grey hair. His blue eyes glowed weaker than the eyes of all the other elves. Most male elves detested beards so they shaved their faces whenever they could but High King Anasterian didn't care that beards didn't belong to ideals of beauty of his people. He wore his hair as he wanted and even had a goatee which was as grey as his hair.

Sylvanas bowed to the king, greeting him properly. The High King lowered his head in respect, greeting her as well. Sylvanas got up, looking at the king whose tired eyes rested on her face.

"How can I help you, Ranger-General?" he asked, signalizing Sylvanas to follow her. She did that, following him to his throne. He sat down, checking his surroundings before he looked back at Sylvanas.

"I wanted to report to you that the reinforcements of the humans and dwarves have arrived today."

"How many soldiers did they send?"

"Five thousand in total. Their commanders told me that they need the rest to secure their borders, trade routes, villages and their capital cities. They also need men for patrols," responded Sylvanas.

"Five thousand is better than nothing. You are the expert when it comes to war and skirmishes against the trolls. Do you think we have enough soldiers to defeat the trolls?"

Sylvanas didn't hesitate to answer. "I do. I don't know how many warriors the trolls have nor do I know how many orcs are still out there but I'm pretty sure we will defeat the trolls and the orcs"

"You are a very capable leader, you have always been victorious so I believe you will lead us to victory once again," spoke the High King.

Sylvanas lowered her head in respect, feeling flattered about such a compliment from him. The High King knew she was good and trustworthy so he had allowed her to plan everything without needing to consult with him.

"Thank you, your grace. I have already planned everything. If you agree, I would attack them in two weeks."

"I trust you, Ranger-General, so I believe your plan will work out. I give you permission to do everything necessary to win this war and drive these bastards out of our land."

Sylvanas bowed to him. "I won't disappoint you, your grace."

Anasterian nodded to her, making a gesture with his hand. "You can go now if you want, Ranger-General."

Sylvanas bowed to him again, saying goodbye to him and his son before she turned around and left the throne room.