Chapter 57: Dinner

"This is the Ranger-General's house, isn't it?" asked Liana as she gave her son a curious look.

"It is, mother," Kelrian responded.

"Didn't you tell us that you want to introduce us to your girlfriend?"

Kelrian gave her a small smile. "I did."

His mother raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

"You will find it out soon. Just be patient."

His mother gave him a nod. She had a premonition but she didn't want to jump to conclusions, so she didn't say anything and waited instead. Kelrian opened the garden gate and allowed his mother and his siblings to walk through it. He closed it behind him and walked over to the house's door, knocking at it. He didn't need to wait too long until it was opened. Janette greeted them and allowed them to come in, telling them to follow her.

They walked through a long corridor and arrived in a room that was furnished like a living room. Kelrian's family regarded the furniture, the paintings on the walls and the other pieces of decoration closely for a few moments before they turned around and looked back at their guide. Janette smiled at them and signalized them to come with her. She led the group to the next room which was furnished like a dining room.

There was a long table at which at least twelve persons could sit at the same time. It was covered by a white tablecloth and dishes. The cutlery had already been placed on top of the table. There were even glasses for everyone. Only the food itself was missing.

Vereesa was the only person in the room so far. She was already sitting on a chair and was staring in the air as if she was thinking about something. She turned her head as soon as she noticed the arrival of the guests. She stood up and walked over to the group, shaking Kelrian's hand first as she greeted him.

"It's an honour for me to meet you," said Liana as she greeted the famous Ranger-Lieutenant. Everyone else greeted her and shook her hand. "The others are coming soon. You can take a seat in the meantime or you wait until everyone has arrived. It's up to you."

"We don't mind waiting," responded Liana.

And they didn't need to wait too long. Zalien appeared a few minutes later, greeting everyone. Liana assumed that one of the two remaining Windrunner siblings was Kelrian's girlfriend. There was no other person who could be his girlfriend. If it would be Vereesa he would have already introduced her as his girlfriend. Alleria appeared a few moments later and greeted them. She greeted Kelrian casually and didn't behave as if she was in love with him, so Liana came to the conclusion that it was not Alleria either.

It could only be Sylvanas. She was already surprised even though Kelrian had not even confirmed her assumption. It surprised her that the famous Ranger-General was in a relationship with her son. Kelrian was a wonderful man and a very good partner but she had never expected that he would come together with Sylvanas Windrunner.

She had never expected that but she was happy for him. Kelrian deserved every woman in the world. He deserved to be happy. He was a good guy and never did anything wrong.

Liana's eyes widened as Sylvanas entered the room. She looked stunningly beautiful as always but she had changed a lot. She was no longer slim but she was not fat either. She was obviously pregnant. Her baby bump was large, round and unmissable. Liana guessed she was in her sixth month. She couldn't know yet that Sylvanas was only in her fifth month but her belly was still so big because she was carrying out two babies instead of only one.

Before Liana was able to assimilate everything she was seeing, Sylvanas came over to her and her family and shook their hands. Everyone lowered their heads in respect and greeted the Ranger-General properly.

"Please call me Sylvanas. We are going to be a family after all," she said as she wrapped her arm around Kelrian's upper body and stepped on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek. Kelrian wrapped his arm around her waist and put a hand on her belly, caressing it carefully.

Liana's lips were parted but no words escaped her lips. She was so surprised that she wasn't able to say anything. She needed a few minutes to assimilate everything. But Sydori was able to say something. She gave them a happy smile and congratulated them. "I can't believe my little brother is going to be a father soon. I can't believe either that he is together with the most beautiful woman on Azeroth."

The couple smiled at her. "Your brother is a wonderful man. I'm glad that I have him," said Sylvanas.

"I thought until this day that you are only interested in women," admitted the priestess.

Sylvanas smiled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you on this matter."

"How long do we have to wait until the baby's birth?" asked Cincia.

"Less than four months and it's not only one baby," responded Sylvanas.

"Twins?" Liana asked curiously. She wasn't able to hide how surprised she was.

Sylvanas nodded and smiled at the mother of her lover.

The former paladin gave them a happy and wide smile. "I'm so happy for you. I wish I could say more than that and tell you how happy I feel at the moment but somehow I'm unable to express myself properly."

"It's okay, mother. You don't have to describe to us how you feel. We can already see it in your eyes that you are very happy."

"I still can't believe that I'm going to be a grandmother in a few months. I would have never thought that you would be the one who would be the first to become a father. I always expected that Sydori or Seitor would be the first ones."

Kelrian rubbed the back of his head. "I haven't expected it either. Our babies weren't planned but we are looking forward to raising them."

"I'm sure you will be great parents. Feel free to come to me whenever you need advices."

"The same counts for us. We will also help you whenever we can," said a familiar feminine voice. Everyone turned around and caught sight of Lireesa who had just entered the room and was holding a large cooking pot in her hands. She walked over to the table and placed it in the middle.

"We will," said Sylvanas after everyone had greeted her.

She left the room and returned with more, much smaller cooking pots. She put them on the table and signalized everyone to take a seat. Liana put the bottles of wine, she had brought as a gift for the family of Kelrian's lover, somewhere on the table and took a seat. Everyone had found a seat, so Lireesa announced that everyone was allowed to take as much as they wanted. She had cooked enough food for everyone.

Roasted chicken, soups, spaghetti, salads and many other dishes could be found on the table. There was something for everyone. Sylvanas started with a nice vegetarian soup and then ate a salad while Kelrian had gone without a starter and chosen roasted chicken instead. The food was delicious as always when Lireesa cooked.

Lireesa was not able to fight anymore because of her disease but she had found another hobby. She loved to cook things and she was pretty good at it. Her family and the guests loved their food and they didn't hesitate to express it, receiving a thankful smile form Lireesa. They ate the food in pleasure and were silent for the first few minutes before they started to talk about random topics.

"You will continue as Ranger-General?" Liana asked after a while.

Sylvanas nodded. "Yes, I want that."

"Do you want to stay at home with your children or go to work after a few months or a year?"

"We thought about taking turns, depends on how much work I have to do. Sometimes I will stay home for a few weeks and sometimes Kelrian will stay home and take care of the little ones."

"Sounds like a good solution."

Sylvanas smiled. "It does."

"Will you live together?"

Kelrian nodded. "We will."

"Here in Silvermoon or in Windrunner Spire?"

Everyone was looking at them because they were curious to hear the answer. "We haven't thought about it yet," admitted Sylvanas. "Silvermoon City would be better because I do most of my work there. I also have to meet the king and the prince very often and discuss things with them. But I would prefer Windrunner Spire because I could see my family every day. I have to think about it."

"It's your decision, honey. We wouldn't be mad if you would decide to live in Silvermoon," responded Sylvanas' mother. "On the other hand, you could see us more often when you would live in Windrunner Spire and I could see my grandchildren more often. Suncrown Village is closer to Windrunner Spire than to Silvermoon City, so Kelrian's family wouldn't have to travel so far to see yours and Kelrian's children."

"I think the same, Sylvie," said her father.

Sylvanas gave them an agreeing nod and looked at Kelrian. "What do you say, honey?"

"I love the idea of living together with your family. We could also live in Silvermoon with the kids but it would be pretty boring then, wouldn't it? The house is too large for us and two babies. I think we should move to your parents' house as soon as it is repaired," Kelrian responded.

Sylvanas smiled. "Alright, it's decided then."

Lireesa put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and patted it softly. "I'm happy about that."

"We are happy that you two found each other and start a family together," said Alleria. "Now you can have the same joys that I have as a mother. Raising a child is the best thing in the world."

"I agree on that," added Liana.

The two families started to talk again about random topics, they even talked after they were done with eating. They got known to each other. Sylvanas and Kelrian were happy that their families got along well. They wanted nothing more than living together in peace and raise their children during peaceful times.

They were tired of wars. They didn't want to fight anymore. They just wanted to live together until they would become old and grey. Unending peace was all they wanted. Everyone wanted that. Every citizen of Quel'Thalas. Not only them. Every citizen of the Alliance of Lordaeron wanted to have peace. Now that the Horde was defeated, they could finally have their desired peace.

The families talked until nightfall. Some of them had drunk too many glasses of alcohol,so Sylvanas allowed them to stay for the night. Kelrian's family thanked her and followed Janette who would bring them to their rooms.

"You didn't tell your family about your newest discovery," Sylvanas mentioned as soon as she had brought Kelrian to her room.

"I will tell them tomorrow."

"Why didn't you tell them today?"

"Because I didn't want to ruin the good mood," he responded and stared out of the window.

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Why would it ruin the mood? I don't get it."

Kelrian hesitated for a moment. "I never told you this but my father once claimed that I'm not his son. He told me he found out that I'm not his son. I didn't believe him but I still asked my mother about this and she promised me that Xenarion is my father. Unfortunately. Now that I found out that I'm capable of magic it doesn't seem too far-fetched that someone else could be my father. Maybe a powerful mage was my father. According to the mage who tested me, my magic is very strong. What if Xenarion was not lying and my father is a powerful mage. Xenarion is right that I don't look similar to him or my siblings. Don't you think that?"

Sylvanas stepped beside him and wrapped her arms around him, turning him around so she could look into his eyes. A thoughtful look could be seen on her face. "I'm afraid but I have to agree with your father that he and your siblings don't look similar to you but that doesn't have to mean anything. Vereesa looks similar to me but her hair colour is different than mine. My parents have golden-blonde hair and Vereesa still has natural silver-coloured hair. It's not unlikely that a child looks different from its siblings. You have to consider that you also have the genes of your ancestors in you. Maybe you look similar to them."

"I saw pictures and drawings of my ancestors. I don't look similar to the ancestors of my father. I only look similar to the ancestors of my mother. I share similarities in appearance with her father, my grandfather," responded Kelrian.

"I don't know what to say, Kel. Would you rather want to have him as a father or do want someone else you never met before?"

Kelrian was silent for a few moments. "To be honest, I would rather have a different father. Anyone is better than this asshole. Sometimes, I wish he is right but that would also mean that my mother lied to me. I don't mind that she had an affair with someone else. Everyone else is better than my father. He mistreated her so he deserved to be cheated on. I'm glad that my mother had someone she enjoyed being together with. That way, she was at least a little happy.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't be happy that she lied to me all the time and lied when I asked her about the truth. But I think I would forgive her in the end. She only wants the best for her children. She is a good mother and will always be a good mother, no matter what will happen. I will tell her what I found out and then I see how she reacts."

"Shall I be with you when you confront her?" Sylvanas asked.

Kelrian put a hand on her cheek and caressed it. "That would be nice."

Sylvanas smiled but didn't say anything.

"What do we do now?"

Sylvanas smirked. "I know how to make this day end perfectly"

Kelrian raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. "You do?"

His lover nodded. "But we have to be quiet."

Kelrian smirked. "I can be quiet."

"I hope that for you."

Kelrian covered his mouth with his hand but it was already too late. Sylvanas had already heard his yawn and turned her head to him. He was sitting at the edge of the bed and stared out of the window.

"Good morning, my dear," Sylvanas said and smiled at him.

Kelrian turned his upper body a little and looked at her, giving her a similar smile. Sylvanas was lying in her bed, her body was covered by her blue blanket. "Good morning my love. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Thanks for asking."

He crawled over to her and sat down beside her, putting his hands on her cheeks. He didn't hesitate to lean in and seal his lips on hers, smiling into the kiss as Sylvanas returned it. The kiss became steamy and passionate and ended as they pulled away because they had run out of oxygen. They were breathing heavily and stared into each other's eyes. "That's a good morning kiss I really enjoy. You can greet me more often like this."

Kelrian smiled. "I will."

Sylvanas crawled on top of his lap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his presence, listening to his slow and steady breaths. Kelrian ran his fingers through her hair, putting kisses on her forehead from time to time. He enjoyed having Sylvanas on his lap and holding her and he was sure she enjoyed it as well. She wouldn't sit on his lap if she wouldn't enjoy it.

He ran his hand over her bare back, inhaling her natural scent. He didn't smell the scent of her perfume but the scent of sweat instead. Last night had been a wild night but still a quiet night. As Kelrian had promised, no sound had escaped his lips and he had made sure that no sound had escaped Sylvanas lips. He had covered her mouth with his hand while he had made love to her.

Sylvanas couldn't get enough of him because of her hormones which were driving her crazy from time to time. She couldn't stop seducing him whenever they were alone. He didn't mind that. On the contrary, he loved it. He loved to enter Sylvanas' thin cave and make her feel good. He knew they wouldn't have much time for sex once the babies were born so he did it with Sylvanas whenever she was in the mood, which she was very often lately.

"Are you hungry?" he asked eventually.

"I am."

"Shall we go downstairs and get some breakfast?"

"I want to take a bath first."

Kelrian nodded. "Shall I join you?"

Sylvanas smirked. "Of course."

"I will run a bath then if you allow me to get up."

"But I like to sit on your lap and run my fingers over your bare skin," she said and ran her hand over his muscular chest.

"Then I can't run a bath for us," he responded.

"I didn't say I want to take a bath now. Let's wait for a few more minutes."

"A few more minutes," he repeated.

The few minutes turned into nearly an hour in which Sylvanas had sat on her lover's lap and cuddled with him. She had kissed him, ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his soft skin with her hands. Kelrian had done nothing except for caressing her back and toying with her hair. He had returned her kisses and enjoyed her presence but other than that he had just sat there and had allowed his lover to touch him.

Sylvanas stood up eventually and allowed her lover to let his eyes roam over her beautiful pregnant nude form before she walked towards the bathroom that bordered to her bedroom, signalizing him to follow her. He didn't dare to let her wait so he got up and followed her. He knew her eyes rested on him as he walked over to her. Like her, he was not wearing anything but he was not feeling cold. Even if he would feel cold, he wouldn't mind it because they were about to take a hot bath.

Kelrian turned the valve on as soon as he reached the put a squirt of a purple liquid in the tub to make sure they could relax in a bubble bath, then he walked back to his lover. He put his arm around Sylvanas' waist and regarded the tub being filled with water slowly. Sylvanas leaned against him and did the same.

They waited until the tub was full, then they climbed in. Kelrian sat at the bottom and Sylvanas sat on top of him. He had wrapped his arms around her and caressed her belly. Sylvanas had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the warm water and the soft touch of her boyfriend.

They enjoyed each other's presence for a while, then they washed and fooled around a little until they decided to leave the tub. They dried themselves and blow-dried their hair. They put on casual clothes and made sure that their hair sat perfectly before they left the room.

They arrived in the dining room a few minutes later. They spotted Lireesa and Liana who were sitting at the table and talking about something. The two women turned their heads and greeted the couple. Kelrian and Sylvanas greeted them in return and sat down on the chairs besides Liana.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Lireesa.

Sylvanas looked at Kelrian for a short moment then she looked at her mother. "We did, thanks for asking."

"And you?" Kelrian asked.

"I slept well," responded Liana.

"So did I," said Lireesa.

"I'm glad then," he replied and let his gaze wander over the plates that stood on the table. There were slices of bread with various toppings, cut vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes or radishes and there was even a bowl of fruits.

"Feel free to eat everything you want," said Lireesa.

Sylvanas nodded to her and put enough food on her table that someone could think she hadn't eaten for days. The truth was that she was just pregnant and very hungry because of that. She could eat and eat and didn't gain weight. She only gained weight because of the babies that became larger and heavier over time.

Kelrian, on the other hand, only took two slices of smeared bread and some vegetables. Lireesa handed them two cups and filled them with warm milk, receiving thankful nods. Kelrian and Sylvanas were silent while they ate but they were holding hands and looked at each other. Lireesa and Liana continued to talk about random topics.

"Do you have any baby names in mind?" Liana asked after a while.

"Not yet. We haven't thought about it yet, to be honest."

"You should do it sooner or later. You need to find a name when they are born at the latest."

Sylvanas smiled. "Don't worry about that. We will think about baby names. We will have lots of time for it once the funerals and the victory celebration are over."

Liana nodded but didn't say anything in return. Kelrian and the three women remained silent for a while. The silence was pleasant but Kelrian still broke it because he wanted to tell his mother something. "I went to a mage who tested me if I'm capable of using magic," he announced.

His mother raised an eyebrow and gave him a curious but also irritated look. "You did that? Why?"

"My best friend told me that he saw me creating a fireball during the battle of Lordaeron. I didn't believe him at first because it sounded absurd. I ignored it at first but I couldn't stop thinking about it so I made this test," he explained.

"I assume you want to tell me that the results are positive," Liana responded and bit her bottom lip nervously.

Kelrian nodded. He didn't say anything and just regarded his mother closely. He was curious about how she would react. She looked a bit insecure but other than that nothing changed in her expression. Kelrian assumed that she knew something. Something that might interest him.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, mother?" he asked. He didn't sound reproachful but polite and calm.

Liana didn't say anything at first. She remained silent and stared at her plate as she considered what she should say in return. She looked up eventually. "I went to my doctor a few weeks ago and made a test. What Xenarion had said had made me doubt everything."

"The doctor tested if Xenarion is my father, right?"

Liana nodded.

"Do you have the results?"

"I have but I haven't opened them yet. The closed envelope still lays in a drawer in my room."

Kelrian was silent for a few moments. "Would you open it now and show me the results?"

Liana nodded. "The test won't tell you who your real father is if Xenarion isn't your father. It only tells us if he is your father or not."

"I want to know it nevertheless."

Liana sighed. "I will go to my room and get it then."

Kelrian's facial expression was neutral as he nodded at her.

Liana got up from her chair and left the room, returning a few minutes later. She stared at the envelope for a few moments before she put it in front of him. Kelrian turned his head and looked at Sylvanas who gave him a worried look. "Are you sure you want to know it?" the Ranger-General asked.

"I do. I don't want to be the son of this bastard," he looked at his mother and stared in her eyes. "I wouldn't really mind if I have a different father. On the contrary, I would be happy to know that this piece of shit didn't father me. I would just be curious who my real father would be. Is there a possibility that you had something with a man who could have fathered me? I wouldn't be mad at you, just you know. Xenarion mistreated you and abused you so it's only understandable that you searched comfort in someone else's arms."

Liana didn't respond verbally. She just pointed at the envelope and signalized him to open it. Kelrian noticed that his heart was beating much faster and his hands were shaking a little as he took the envelope in his hands. He ran his fingers over the paper before he opened it and took the letter out. He started to read it and handed it over to his mother when he was done.

His heart was still beating rapidly in his chest and his hands were still shaking but he felt a lot more relaxed than before. His breathing slowed down and his heart stopped hammering eventually. The discovery of the truth allowed him to relax. He had no longer a reason to be worried and nervous.

"Xenarion is not the father," Liana said quietly as she put the letter on the table.

Kelrian smiled. "You can't imagine how happy I am that I'm not related to this bastard."

Liana's expression was full of surprise. He had told her that he wouldn't be mad at her but she still hadn't believed it until this very moment. She had expected him to react differently. But he had reacted differently. He was not disappointed in her. He was just happy.

"Xenarion is not the father...," Sylvanas started and paused for a few moments before she continued. "But who is it then?" Sylvanas took Kelrian's hand and intertwined their fingers. He looked at her for a short moment before he looked back at his mother. Liana shrugged. "I'm afraid to say this but I have no idea. I would have never expected that he wouldn't be the father."

"Does this mean that you had no secret affair?" Kelrian asked.

She shook her head. "Well, no affairs but...," she stopped speaking.

"But what?"

Liana exhaled slowly. "There are some nights I can't remember. Some nights in which I went to a tavern, when your father was visiting Silvermoon City or another village, and drank a little and talked to random people. It may be possible that I drank too much and had some fun with one of the other guests..."

"So my father is a random person you met in the local tavern?" Kelrian asked. His face reflected no emotions. The expression he made was unreadable so nobody knew how he was feeling at the moment. Liana couldn't know if her son was mad, disappointed or even sad. She had no idea how he was feeling at the moment. There were a lot of ways how he might react. She would have never expected that he would remain so calm.

"You can tell me if you are disappointed in me or mad at me. I can understand that."

Kelrian gave his mother a comforting smile. "Don't worry, mother. I rather want to have a father I don't know than a father who is a real asshole like Xenarion. I'm very happy that he is not my father. He didn't spend much time with me and treated me like a lesser creature since I failed the priest exam. I don't need him or a father in general. I have you and that's all that matters."

Liana still couldn't believe he was not mad at her but she was glad about that. She had been afraid he would be disappointed in her and never speak to her again. Fortunately for her, it didn't turn out that way. "You don't want to know who your father is?"

The ranger shook his head. "I'm happy with how things are now. The war is over, most members of my family survived and I will live together with the most beautiful woman on Azeroth. We will have two beautiful children who will become famous and skilful rangers one day. Just like their mother. Lots of things await me so I don't want to make things complicated by searching for a man I never met in my life. A man who doesn't care about me. A man who was not there for me when I grew up. I don't want anything to change. Things are perfect as they are now."

He averted his gaze as he received a small smile from his mother and looked at his lover. Sylvanas smiled as well and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his. He returned the kiss and allowed her tongue to explore her mouth, doing the same with hers. They shared a very passionate kiss which took their breaths away. They stared into each other's eyes for a while, forgetting about the two women who were sitting at the same table as them.

The couple averted their gazes after a while and found out that they were sitting alone at the table. "It seems that our mothers have other things to do," said Sylvanas.

"At least they put plates for the others on the table. I wonder when they will wake up."

"Shall we wake them now?" asked Sylvanas.

Kelrian looked at the clock at the nearest wall. "It's already eleven o'clock in the morning. I think it's time that they get up and eat something."

"You are right, my dear."

Kelrian got up and put a kiss on her forehead. "Wait here for me, my love. I will return soon."

Sylvanas smiled. "See you soon, babe."

Kelrian returned her smile and gave her a peck on the lips before he walked out of the room and left her alone.