Chapter 59: Célébration de la victoire

The grand ballroom of Sunstrider Spire was by far the largest room Sylvanas had ever been in. But not only its size impressed her. The beautiful colours that could be seen in the room where a feast for everyone's eyes. The tall and long walls were coloured in blue and adorned by golden stripes. The floor was not covered by a carpet, so the magnificent parquet flooring could be seen. The floor was not slippery, so Sylvanas could walk on it without fearing that she might slip and fall. Nevertheless, she was walking slower than usual in her blue high heels.

Normally, she wouldn't have worn high heels or a blue magnificent dress. Normally, she would have worn her Ranger-General uniform during such an important event but her uniform didn't fit her anymore so she had chosen this dress. She liked the dress, so she didn't mind wearing it.

The dress was made from the finest silk of Quel'Thalas by the best tailor in Silvermoon. It had a midnight blue colour and covered Sylvanas' entire body. Her round belly was clearly visible and her breasts were accentuated by this dress. Her breasts normally drew the most attention but on this day the people were not staring at them most of the time.

The gazes of those who surrounded Sylvanas rested on her stomach. Everyone was more than just surprised to see their Ranger-General with a round baby bump. Nobody had expected that. Most people were speechless at first but then they came to her and congratulated her. Sylvanas thanked all of them.

Sylvanas was not used to wearing high heels, that meant she couldn't walk as fast as she wanted. She reached the middle of the room eventually and checked her surroundings. She was standing in the middle of the dancefloor but no one was there, so she didn't disturb anyone.

The dance floor took up one-third of the room. Around the circular area stood dozens of tables at which lots of people were already sitting. She let her gaze wander over the other guests. Most of them were high elves but there were also lots of humans and dwarves. Most of these humans belonged to Turalyon's battalion. They were sitting there and chatted, eat and drank.

She guessed that several hundred people were already sitting at the tables while more than a thousand were still standing in the room and did something. They talked or stood around the buffet which stood on dozens of tables on the left side and the right side of the room. The celebration was not lacking food, drinks or guests. There was enough for everyone. The celebration wasn't lacking music either. There was an orchestra that stood in front of the opposite wall of the room and played slow and peaceful music.

Sylvanas ignored the staring of the people around her and walked towards one of these tables. She stopped suddenly and turned around as she heard a familiar voice. She spotted Kael'thas who was wearing a red robe that was decorated by lots of glowing jewels. As usual, the prince had chosen an extravagant outfit. His hair was longer than usual but had the same golden-blond colour it always had.

"Congratulations on the pregnancy, Sylvanas."

"Thank you. I congrats you on your engagement with Alina Flowerbringer."

Kael'thas returned her smile. "Thank you."

"When can we expect your wedding?"

The prince shrugged. "I have no idea yet. I have to talk to Alina first. When can we expect your baby?"

"Babies," corrected Sylvanas.

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow. He was surprised, Sylvanas could say that for sure. "Babies?"

"We are getting two children at the same time."

"Who is we?"

"Kelrian and I"

"Kelrian Sunsinger?"

Sylvanas nodded. "He is the father."

"What a lucky guy," muttered Kael'thas.

Sylvanas raised a brow because she hadn't heard him properly. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," said Kael'thas quietly and gave her an innocent smile. "I'm happy for you, I really am."

"Thank you. And I'm happy for you. You finally found the right person after longing for me for nearly a hundred years," said Sylvanas.

"I love Alina. She may not be as perfect as you but she is a wonderful woman. She is very important to me."

"May she be a good wife to you and give you beautiful children one day."

"We should drink something to celebrate the good news," said Kael'thas and let two goblets of wine appear in his hands. He stretched his right arm out, intending to give one goblet to Sylvanas.

Sylvanas signalized him to stop. "I'm not allowed to drink alcohol."

Kael'thas' cheeks reddened a little. "I forgot about that, sorry."

Sylvanas chuckled. "There is no need to apologize. But If you want to do me a favour, you can go and get me a goblet of moonberry juice. Without alcohol of course."

Kael'thas nodded. "I will do that."

"Thank you, Kael."

The prince chuckled when she said his nickname only his closest friends were allowed to say. Sylvanas belonged to his closest friends, so she could call him like that whenever she wanted. Kael'thas gave her one last smile before he turned around and paved his way through the crowd. Sylvanas didn't wait for his return because she knew he would find her anyways. She didn't hesitate to walk to her destination, arriving at the largest table in the room. A lot of people she knew where sitting there.

In the middle sat High King Anasterian Sunstrider and his wife Melisandra Sunstrider. She was his second wife and Kael'thas' stepmother. Kael'thas mother died hundreds of years ago during a battle against the trolls. She sacrificed her life to protect her kingdom. She died as a heroine and would never be forgotten.

Melisandra was a lot younger than the king who was over three thousand years old. She was only twelve hundred years old and had untainted skin, majestic long brown hair and a very beautiful face. She was slim, her breasts were not the largest but she had a well-formed ass. Despite her age, she hadn't given birth to any children yet. Nobody knew the reason for that. Some assumed that the king didn't want to have more children. Others assumed he was too old to father a child. Sylvanas was sure that these rumours were false. Kael'thas was Anasterian's pride and joy. He was happy to have him, so he didn't need another son or a daughter.

The king had grey long hair and his face was wrinkled. He was past his prime. He may be old but he was wise and still a competent fighter. With his famous blade Felo'melorn he would still be a threat for even the most fearsome orc or troll. Nevertheless, was he a better ruler than a fighter. He ruled this kingdom for over three thousand years and his people overcame every crisis.

Nobody knew how long he would live. The king knew his days were numbered but he had prepared his son to be a king for the case he would die one day. He was still feeling good these days but nobody knew what the future was holding so the king had made sure that his son was prepared for everything.

Anasterian waved at Sylvanas so did Melisandra. The queen stood up and walked over to her, congratulating her. Sylvanas thanked her and allowed her to touch her belly. Melisandra rubbed her belly slowly and exchanged a few words with Sylvanas before she walked back to her spouse and sat next to him. Sylvanas' gaze rested on the royal couple for a few moments before it shifted to the empty seat next to the king. It was Kael'thas' seat and next to it was Alina's.

The beauty with the midnight coloured hair was sitting there and took a bite from a delicious looking apple. Sylvanas could see the beautiful engagement ring on her right hand. Sylvanas' couldn't take her eyes off the blue glowing crystal that looked very expensive. Sylvanas assumed the ring was made out of truesilver.

She wondered if Kelrian would ever propose to her and give her such a beautiful ring. She wondered if they would get married one day. A familiar voice caught her attention before she could think more about it. She turned her head and looked at Verena who was standing not far away from her. The red-head approached her and hugged her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Hello, Sylvie," greeted her best friend.

"Hello, Verena. It's good to see you."

"How are you doing? How are the babies doing?"

"I'm fine and they are fine as well."

Verena linked arms with her and guided her to three seats that were not taken yet. She pointed at the middle seat and Sylvanas sat down while Verena sat down on the one to her right. Verena turned her head as she saw a person coming closer. "This seat is already taken," she said and pointed at the empty seat to Sylvanas' left.

"But I don't see anyone sitting there," responded Archmage Dar'Khan Drathir. Verena stared into his grey-blue eyes, ignoring the arrogant look on his face. "The Ranger-General doesn't want to sit next to someone who took advantage of her younger sister and dropped her like a hot potato. This seat is reserved for the Ranger-General's mate."

Dar'Khan raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?"

"That would be me, Archmage," said a voice Sylvanas knew pretty well. Dar'Khan turned around and looked at the ranger, who was half a head taller than him. Dar'Khan didn't show that he was a little intimidated by the ranger's tall physique. "Ranger Sunsinger."

"Can I help you?" Kelrian asked and regarded the mage curiously. Dar'Khan was wearing a blue robe that looked more expensive than most of the robes the mages in Silvermoon wore. He had long black hair, a pointed chin and a roguish smile on his lips.

"You could take a seat elsewhere. I want to sit next to the Ranger-General."

Kelrian looked at Sylvanas who was about to stand up. He signalized her to keep sitting because he had everything under control. Sylvanas gave him a nod and leaned back, regarding the happening in front of her. Kelrian looked back at the cheeky archmage who was still grinning at him. "I'm sure that the Ranger-General doesn't want your company. I'm pretty sure she wants to enjoy the celebration while sitting between her best friend and her lover. I'm sure she doesn't want to sit next to a man who treated her little sister like a trophy and broke her heart by cheating on her with another woman."

"I was there before you," said Dar'Khan, ignoring Kelrian's arguments.

"But Sylvanas reserved this seat for me. You did that for me, right?" Kelrian asked Sylvanas.

"I did."

The corners of Kelrian's lips formed a slight smile as he looked back at the mage. "See."

Dar'Khan was not amused. His brows were furrowed, his eyes were narrowed to thin lines and rested on the ranger who was a lot more muscular than him. Of course, Kelrian would never take advantage of his stronger physiqueduring a celebration but he enjoyed to intimidate the arrogant mage. He knew Dar'Khan was intimidated by him even though he didn't show it. Nevertheless, the archmage didn't walk away. He became even bolder as he sat down on the chair and refused to leave them in peace.

Sylvanas and Kelrian were about to say something but another person was faster. "It would be nice if you wouldn't bother a pregnant woman and her lover."

Verena, Sylvanas, Kelrian and even Dar'Khan turned their heads and looked at the person who had just said that. Kael'thas came to the table and put three goblets in front of Sylvanas before he turned to the archmage and gave him a strict and unamused look.

The archmage was unable to hide his nervousness but he didn't get up. He was intimidated by the prince and didn't dare to make a rude comment. He was talking to a member of the royal family and no longer to a normal ranger. He couldn't allow himself to make the prince mad at him.

"Would you please stand up and look for another seat? I heard there are a few seats in the near to the family of Lordaeron. Why don't you go there and talk to the mages from Lordaeron?"

Dar'Khan got up and bowed to Kael'thas. "Yes, my prince."

A satisfied smile could be seen on the prince's lips. "Good. Now ask the Ranger-General for forgiveness."

Dar'Khan looked at Sylvanas, it was clearly visible that he didn't feel comfortable in this situation. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"I didn't hear you," said Kael'thas.

Dar'Khan exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry, Ranger-General." He said much louder this time.

Sylvanas gave him a small nod.

"Now say the same to Ranger Sunsinger."

The archmage turned around and apologized to Kelrian who just stared at him and said nothing. Dar'Khan looked at Kael'thas who signalized him to go. The archmage didn't need to be told twice and hurried away. Kelrian's gaze rested on him as he walked to the table next to the one where the Menethil family was sitting. But not only them. There was also Prince Varian and the ruling family of Kul Tiras. Daelin and Katherine Proudmoore were sitting next to King Terenas and Queen Lianne. Their children sat not far away from them.

Kelrian spotted Arthas who was sitting next to a blonde girl who was not his sister. He assumed that the girl was at the age of Arthas and the daughter of Daelin and Katherine. He observed the prince for a few minutes, noticing that he got along very well with the girl.

Kelrian averted his gaze eventually and looked at Kael'thas and Sylvanas who were talking about their favourite food. His gaze wandered to Verena who had her girlfriend on her lap and fed her with strawberries and other delicious fruits. He let his gaze wander again and spotted Zetai who was sitting next to Sydori and talked to her. He also spotted his mother and Varo in front of the buffet.

His gaze fell back on Sylvanas who smiled at him as she told Kael'thas that she would love to talk to him later. The prince told her that he was looking forward to it before he walked away and sat down next to his fiancée.

Kelrian just sat on his seat, had wrapped his arm around Sylvanas' shoulders and regarded her while she talked to her best friend.

"Are you hungry, my love?" Kelrian asked eventually.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at him. "Yes, I am."

"What do you want to eat?"

"I haven't taken a closer look at the buffet yet but bring me something that is healthy. Lots of it."

"So fruits and vegetables basically."

Sylvanas nodded.

"Anything else?"

"You could bring me a few pieces of cake too. That would be nice."

Kelrian got up and kissed her forehead. "Alright, I will return soon."

"Take your time, my dear. We have all the time in the world."

Kelrian nodded to her and turned around, walking to the buffet at the left side of the room. He spotted Nathanos in front of the many tables who was regarding the various dishes. Kelrian stepped to him and patted him on the back. "Hey, Nate. What's up?"

The young human, who wore brown trousers and a blue blouse, turned his head and gave him a surprised look. His brown hair was longer than usual and he had grown a full beard. "Oh, Kel, it's you. For a moment I thought you were someone else."

"Nah, It's really me. Kelrian Sunsinger, the famous troll queen kidnapper," he joked, causing a smile on Nathanos' lips.

Nathanos' eyes wandered to his right arm. "I'm glad you can use your arm again. I can only assume it hasn't been easy for you to manageyour daily life with only one arm."

"It has been a challenge," Kelrian admitted. "But I managed it and now my wounds have healed so I can do everything with two arms."

Nathanos smiled and took a large piece of meat from a stack of meat pieces and put it on his plate.

"I'm glad you survived the final battle," said Kelrian.

"The battle was bloody but we had the upper hand from the beginning. The orcs held out longer than we expected but we defeated them in the end. They lost their fighting spirit when Commander Turalyon defeated Doomhammer in combat and captured him," told Nathanos.

Sadness was reflected by Kelrian's eyes when he spoke. "Too bad that Supreme Commander Anduin Lothar didn't make it."

The same amount of sadness could be seen in Nathanos' eyes. "I was not far away from him when Doomhammer beat him to death with his mighty hammer. I wasn't able to help him," he paused for a moment. "At least Turalyon wiped the triumphant grin off the orc's face when he defeated him."

The sadness disappeared from Kelrian's face. "At least that. I wish I could have joined his funeral but my brother's funeral was on the same day and I couldn't attend both."

"I'm sorry for what happened to your brother. He didn't deserve to die."

"No. He didn't. Most people didn't deserve to die. At least the people from the Alliance. But life is cruel and not always fair. Many died during the war but we won in the end and that's all that matters."

The human nodded. "You are right, my friend."

Kelrian's gaze wandered to the various dishes on the tables. "I have to get something to eat for Sylvanas. She is hungry and waiting for me. I don't want to let her wait for too long."

"It's never wise to let a woman wait longer than necessary. Especially when that woman is Sylvanas Windrunner," Nathanos commented.

"Sylvanas can be very strict but only when it comes to work. Privately, she is a different person. But you are right, I shouldn't let her wait longer than necessary. She's more irritable since she got pregnant."

Nathanos put a few more pieces of meat on his plate and turned away from Kelrian. "I won't distract you any longer. Maybe we will meet later and talk a little."

"That would be great, Nate."

Nathanos looked at him one last time, gave him a nod and walked away. Kelrian's eyes rested on him until he disappeared in the crowd, then he turned his attention to the tables in front of him. He regarded the large range of dishes closely and took two large plates, putting them in front of him. He took one of these plates and put four large ladles of potato salad on it. He also put rice, lots of cooked peas and little carrots on it. He put lots of vegetables, fruits and a few pieces of cake on the other plate. He regarded the plates once again before he took them in his hands and walked back to Sylvanas, putting them in front of her.

Sylvanas looked up at him. "Thank you, my dear."

"You are always welcome, my love," he responded as he sat down.

"I'm glad that you are supporting my part-time vegan lifestyle. Lots of people would think I'm crazy when I would tell them that I go without meat as long as possible," she said and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"It's your decision what you want to eat and what you don't want to eat. A healthy diet doesn't harm anyone, on the contrary, it's better for our health. You don't have any health problems but you still do it. You have my respect. I would never survive a week without meat. I'm weak."

Sylvanas put a hand on his cheek and smiled at him. "No, you are not. Meat is also necessary because it has a lot of proteins our bodies need. Also, lots of people like the taste of meat. I have to say that I don't dislike the taste of meat but I go without it when I can. When I'm on a mission or have to survive in the woods during times of war, I can't go without meat. I would kill an animal and eat its flesh if it would be necessary for my survival. But if I'm not in such a situation then I don't eat meat at all."

"It's your decision, my dear. I'm sure people will understand it."

"Some people still think it's weird but who cares?"

"What matters is that you are happy with your diet."

"I am happy indeed."

Kelrian caressed her cheek and smiled at her. "Then I'm happy too."

Verena turned her head and regarded Sylvanas' plates curiously. "And what do you eat?" she asked Kelrian.

"Nothing at the moment. I'm not hungry yet but I will eat something later."

"You can eat from my plates if you want," said Sylvanas.

Kelrian smiled. "Thanks, my dear. But I'm really not hungry at the moment. But thanks for the offer."

Sylvanas gave him a smile and averted her gaze, taking the cutlery in her hands. She began to eat the potato salad which tasted much better than she had expected. The cooks had put a lot of effort into their meals. Everything on her plates tasted excellent. It tasted even better than the meals her mother usually cooked and that had to mean a lot because Lireesa was one of the best cooks Sylvanas knew. Sylvanas finished her plates after half an hour and emptied the glass Kael'thas had given her.

She enjoyed the refreshing taste of the drink and put the empty glass aside, accepting Kelrian's glass. She looked at her lover and gave him a thankful smile before she took a few sips. They started to talk about random topics until Sylvanas got up and told him that she would go to the bathroom. Kelrian asked her if he should accompany her but Sylvanas rejected his offer and told him that she could do that alone. Kelrian nodded to her and watched her leave.

Once Sylvanas was out of hearing range, Verena turned to Kelrian and said. "You are a very lucky guy."

Kelrian smiled. "That's true. I'm pretty lucky that I have her. I can't imagine life without her. My life would be dull and boring without her. I need her and I hope she needs me the same."

"She does. Trust me."

Kelrian didn't say anything in return but he gave her an agreeing nod.

"I once thought I couldn't live without her as my lover but time proved me wrong. I can live with her not being my girlfriend because I found someone else I really love with all my heart," the red-head said and put a kiss on Elonis' lips. Her girlfriend returned the kiss and put her hand on the back of Verena's head, deepening the kiss.

Kelrian regarded the couple without saying anything because he didn't want to disturb them while sharing this passionate kiss. The couple broke their kiss eventually and looked back at the blond ranger who was still regarding them.

Verena cleared her throat. "I have loved Sylvanas and I will always remember the ten years where we have been together but I'm not living in the past. I have accepted that she prefers men, so I am happy that she found someone who makes her happy. I like you. You and Sylvanas fit perfectly together. At first, I was jealous of you but that had changed over time. But nowadays I'm glad that you make my girl happy and that you are not just liking her because of her reputation or her money. You love her for who she is. You love Sylvanas Windrunner and not the famous and beloved Ranger-General. Only a small portion of people like Sylvanas for the woman she is and not because of her fame or her power. You are a good guy, Kelrian."

Kelrian blushed a little. "Thank you. These words really touch my heart. They mean a lot to me. I'm glad that Sylvanas has such a good friend like you."

Now Verena was the one who blushed. "You are flattering me."

Kelrian turned his head as he noticed Sylvanas approaching them. He got up and pulled her chair back, allowing her to sit down. "What a gentleman," said Sylvanas and kissed his cheek. Kelrian sat down as well but didn't say anything in return. Sylvanas put the plate she was carrying in front of him. "I have allowed myself to get you some food for the case you want to eat something sooner or later."

Kelrian regarded the plate curiously. There was a large piece of meat, peeled potatoes and cooked peas. The potatoes were swimming in a brown sauce which smelled very good.

"I'm still not very hungry but I guess I eat a bit for now," said Kelrian.

It turned out that the sauce was very spicy but Kelrian enjoyed it nevertheless. The meat was well-done and had an excellent and unique taste. The potatoes and the peas were fresh and delicious.

"The meal is good. Thank you, my love," Kelrian said once he had tried everything.

"You are welcome, my dear," Sylvanas said in return and put her hand on his right upper thigh, caressing it. Kelrian stared into his lover's eyes while he ate and Sylvanas returned his staring. The couple didn't even stop staring as Kelrian was done with eating. Only when Verena cleared her throat, the couple returned to reality. They blushed but didn't say anything to Verena.

Sylvanas took a serviette and wiped away the sauce that stuck on the corners of Kelrian's lips. The ranger blushed but smiled at her, giving her a thankful nod. Sylvanas wiped her mouth clean with the same serviette before she put it away. She leaned in to kiss Kelrian, pulling away when her body reminded her that she needed oxygen.

"What a lovely couple," said a familiar voice. Sylvanas and Kelrian turned around and spotted Alleria and Turalyon behind them.

"Hi, Lady Sun. Hello Turalyon. How are you?"

"We are fine. Thanks for asking, sis."

"Are you enjoying the celebration so far?" Kelrian asked.

Turalyon was the one who answered this time. "I don't often go to parties or celebrations but I have to admit I enjoy this one. The food is fantastic, the music sounds good and most people are very friendly."

"Most people?" Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "I assume you met Dar'Khan Drathir."

Turalyon gave the sister of his lover a weak smile. "Unfortunately, yes."

Sylvanas rubbed her forehead. "What did he do?"

"He got in an argument with a few mages from Lordaeron."

Sylvanas shook her head in disbelief. "This celebration is supposed to cheer everyone up and not lead to more arguments and unnecessary violence."

"Prince Kael'thas warned Dar'Khan for the last time and threatened him to banish him fromthe celebration if he misbehaves for a third time that day," said Alleria.

"I don't know what is wrong with this guy. If only I know what Vereesa saw in him back then."

Alleria put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I can't understand it either but it was her choice back then and she learned from her mistakes. At least she found someone who doesn't seem to be an asshole."

"She found someone?" asked Sylvanas and raised an eyebrow, giving Alleria a curious look.

"She hinted that she met a very friendly man but she didn't tell me who it is."

"Did she give you any other hints?" Sylvanas asked curiously.

Her sister shook her head. "No, she didn't."

"We will find out about that man once Vereesa is ready to introduce him to us. Don't put her under pressure. She will come to us on her own."

Alleria chuckled. "Don't worry, I would never put her under pressure when it comes to introducing someone to us."

"Good."

"Turalyon and I wanted to dance a little to the music so I want to ask you if you and Kelrian want to do the same."

Sylvanas looked at her lover who gave her a small smile. "We can do that if you want but I have to warn you, I'm not a great dancer," said Kelrian.

"Don't worry, I can lead if you want," responded Sylvanas.

Soft laughter escaped Alleria's lips. "That sounds like my sister. Sylvanas loves to be the one in control. Most of the time, she is leading when someone asks her for a dance. Even the prince and the king had to pass the lead over to her."

"You danced with the prince and the king?" Kelrian asked interested.

"Yes, during the Feast of Winter Veil twenty years ago. I danced with Kael'thas, with his father and even with Melisandra. She is a good dancer and she tried often to take over but I remained in control until the song ended."

Kelrian chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "No one else would ever dare to tell the royal family what to do, or in this case make them follow their steps. Only a madman would do that because no one would risk to make them angry or insult them by doing that. But you are not a madman. You are a woman who knows what she wants. A woman who always gets what she wants. You know exactly how far you can go."

Sylvanas smiled. "You hit the nail on the head. Besides, I'm friends with the royal family and they respect me, so they allow me to take the lead while dancing. But they haven't danced with me for a while. Maybe because they want to have the lead, so they no longer ask me to dance with them. Who knows?" she replied and averted her gaze to look at her older sister. "We would love to accompany you on the dancefloor."

Alleria smiled and offered her sister her hand, helping her to get up. She guided her over to the dancefloor on which lots of couples were already dancing. But the dancefloor was so large that there was enough space for everyone. The two couples would be able to dance without having to fear that they might run into someone. Kelrian took one of Sylvanas' hands and put the other hand on her waist.

He stared into her eyes as they began to move. He had expected that she would lead, so it surprised him that she didn't lead. Even though she had announced it, she restrained herself and allowed him to lead. Kelrian led her, staring into her eyes all the time as they danced. They danced for a couple of minutes until the music changed. The next song was much faster and more euphoric. Kelrian struggled to keep up with the pace of the song, so Sylvanas decided to take over and lead.

Kelrian gave her a small smile and blushed a little as he followed her. He had to admit she was not only a good dancer but also a great leader. She knew exactly which move she had to do at which moment. Kelrian also had to admit that he didn't mind following her. He didn't have to be the one who led. He was happy as long as he could dance with Sylvanas, no matter who was leading.

They danced a few more songs before Sylvanas allowed Kelrian to take over. He did it better this time because he had remembered the steps Sylvanas had made, so he was able to lead her this time without falling off the pace.

"I think I have enough for the moment," Kelrian whispered after three more songs. He stared into her eyes, noticing the small amount of disappointment that was reflected by her eyes.

"Oh, okay."

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I have not as much stamina as you have when it comes to dancing. But if you want, you can dance with someone else."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow, a small amount of surprise was reflected by her blue orbs. "For real?"

Kelrian nodded. "If you like dancing that much, why not?"

"And it's okay for you if I dance with another man or with a woman?"

"Of course it is. I don't see a reason to get jealous because of a simple dance. Feel free to dance as long as you want."

Sylvanas stepped on her tiptoes and press her lips on his right cheek, leaving a lipstick print on his skin. "Thanks, my love."

Kelrian put a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have fun, Sylvanas. I will go back to our table and watch you."

Sylvanas nodded, her eyes rested on him as he walked back to their seats and sat down. She turned around and regarded the dancing couples for a few moments. She noticed that Alleria and Turalyon had stopped dancing. She couldn't see Turalyon but she saw her sister coming over to her. Alleria put a hand on Sylvanas' hip and took Sylvanas' left hand, intertwining their fingers. "Ready for a dance, Lady Moon?"

"I'm ready if you are, Lady Sun," responded Sylvanas and smiled at her older sister.

Alleria returned her smile. "I'm always ready."

They started to dance and took turns in leading. They danced to three songs until Alleria decided she had enough. She kissed her sister's cheeks twice and caressed her belly for a few moments before she walked back to her lover who had just appeared out of nowhere at the edge of the dancefloor.

Sylvanas was not alone for too long. Someone wrapped their arms around her waist and turned her around. It was her mother who smiled at her as she stared into her eyes. "Hello, sweetheart."

"Hi, mom. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"Me too."

"Do you want to dance?"

"I've been dancing for a while now but I wouldn't mind dancing with you to a few songs."

Lireesa's smile became wider. "Do you want to lead?"

"I don't really mind leading today. You can lead if you want."

"I haven't led a dance since I retired as Ranger-General. It doesn't hurt to do if after letting your father lead for decades. I'm not sure if I still remember the steps."

"I have an idea," announced Sylvanas.

Lireesa raised an eyebrow curiously. "Tell me."

"Let me lead the first dance and then you will lead the second and third"

Lireesa smiled. "I'm fine with that."

They enjoyed the dances, especially Lireesa who had forgotten how much fun it was to take the lead. Sylvanas had to admit she still loved dancing with her family. She found it better than dancing with someone who she didn't know. For some reason, she didn't feel in the mood to dance with strangers or people she barely knew, so she was glad her family was asking her for dances and not someone else.

They danced to a couple of more songs until they had enough. Lireesa left the dancefloor so did Sylvanas who rejected all the other dance requests, telling the requesting men and women that she had enough for the moment. She returned to Kelrian who had talked to Zetai and Sydori in the meantime. The two left as soon as Sylvanas had approached her lover.

Kelrian stood up and pulled her chair out, allowing her to sit down. "They could have stayed. I wouldn't have minded their presence," Sylvanas said.

"They were about to leave anyway because they wanted to dance together."

The look on Sylvanas' face was full of surprise. "Zetai wants to dance?" She paused for a small moment. "Are you sure?"

Kelrian nodded.

"Zetai Lightspark? The Zetai Lightspark, we know since over six years, wants to dance?"

Kelrian nodded again. "Seems so."

Sylvanas chuckled. "I would have never believed that he would like to dance. It seems that everything is possible these days."

Kelrian wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer until she sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and put his hands on her belly. "It is indeed.I don't think that there is much that can surprise me."

"A lot of things happened that we would have never expected. That I become pregnant with twins, the discovery that Xenarion is not your father and many other things."

"I'm really happy about our offspring but I'm also happy that I'm not related to this asshole," responded Kelrian.

Sylvanas put her hands on Kelrian's and intertwined their fingers. "Your father once offered me to have sex with him in the exchange for agreeing to let you join the Farstriders."

Kelrian didn't say anything in return, he just shook his head.

"Xenarion is the true definition of scum," said Sylvanas.

"Indeed, he is. But he won't bother us anymore because he will never get out of his cell."

"He received his just punishment. He deserves it."

"He does," responded Kelrian.

The couple remained silent for a while and did nothing except for regarding the happening on the dancefloor. They saw many familiar persons who were dancing. Kael'thas danced with his fiancée. Anasterian danced with his wife but also with Queen Lianne who danced with her husband a few songs later. Zetai danced with Sydori but also with Vara who was feeling a lot better since she had accepted her sister's death.

Sylvanas and Kelrian were enjoying the presence of the other while they regarded what was happening around them. They shared a few kisses from time to time and even made out a little. They didn't grope each other, they only shared passionate tongue kisses and ran their fingers through the hair of the other. They didn't do any inappropriate things.

The guests were happy and they didn't hesitate to show that to everyone. They drank, eat, sang together, danced or talked. All of them had a good time. Everyone enjoyed the party and celebrated their victory. They talked about the future, made fun of the Horde and told stories. Most of them were real while some of them were completely made up. Others were just overstated. The guests shared their experiences with others and talked about various topics.

The celebration endured for a few more hours before the first guests left. Most guests left over the course of a few hours. Kelrian and Sylvanas still attended the celebration but they were not sitting on their seats anymore. Sylvanas held Kelrian's hand and guided him somewhere. They were walking through a corridor and Kelrian had no idea where Sylvanas wanted to stopped in front of a room andSylvanas opened the door a crack to see if it was empty. It was.

She opened the door and pushed Kelrian inside. Kelrian checked the furnishings of the room, assuming it was one of the guest room. "Why are we here?" Kelrian asked curiously.

Sylvanas approached him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stepping on her tiptoes so she could whisper something in his ear. "Guess why."

"You are horny."

"Exactly," she whispered, her lips formed a wide smirk.

---

Liana regarded the piece of paper in her hand and followed the course of the corridor. She was not sure if she had taken the right corridor or if she had gotten lost. She hadn't walked through the corridors in Sunstrider Spire for decades. There were many of them, so it was not very unlikely that she would get lost. Unfortunately, there were no guards in sight she could ask.

Normally at least four guards were stationed in every corridor but today was an exception. The king had shortened the shifts of the guards and had stationed fewer guards to watch over the most important places of Silvermoon City. He didn't expect that anything would happen so he had changed their shifts so everyone could join the celebration in the course of the day.

Nevertheless, Liana found it weird that no one was watching over this corridor. She could only hope that she would find a guard in the next room. She walked as fast as she could but she stopped after a few minutes as she spotted a door that was not entirely closed. She could see light through the crack and heard noises but she couldn't identify them because they were to quiet.

She thought about ignoring them and keep walking but she became curious, so she walked to the door and put her hand on the doorknob, opening the door slowly to prevent that it would make any sound. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red as she saw what was going on in there.

There was a naked pregnant woman who was sitting on top of a man who was lying on the bed of the guest room. The woman's back was turned towards her, so couldn't see her face but her well-formed ass instead. She knew to who that ass belonged because she had seen that woman wearing bikini before. Also, there was only one pregnant woman with such beautiful golden-blonde hair who had attended the celebration.

Liana averted her gaze, after she had stared at that ass for a few moments, and closed the door without making a sound because she didn't want to disturb them during this moment of intimacy. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato as she hurried away and gave her best to not think about what she had just seen.

She assumed she wouldn't forget it that easily, but she had seen worse things than one of her children having sex. It had not been the first time she had caught one of her children being intimate with another person and she was sure it would not be the last time.

Liana left the corridor eventually, coming to a room that was nothing more than a connection between two corridors. There was no guard, so she had no other choice than following the next corridor. She followed the corridor to its end and was about to walk around the corner as she met the prince who just came from the corridor she had wanted to take.

"There you are, Liana. I was wondering when you would show up."

Liana blushed a little. "I was on the way to your room but I got lost. I haven't been there for a while and I didn't spot a single guard who could have helped me."

Kael'thas checked their surroundings, making sure that no one was there who could see them. He pulled Liana in a tight hug, putting his hand on her back as he pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Now, I am here," he whispered in her ear.

Liana looked around nervously. "We shouldn't do it here," she said quietly.

"Nobody is in our near," Kael'thas murmured in her ear.

"Nobody is in our near now but who knows who might come."

The prince pulled away. "You are right. We should go to my room first. Follow me."

Liana obeyed and followed the prince until they reached his private room. There were two guards in front of the door. "Don't worry about them, my dear," Kael'thas said as he spotted the look of concern on Liana's face. "I trust them. They are loyal and would never tell anyone about us."

Kael'thas wrapped his arm around the former paladin's waist and guided her through the entrance as soon as the guards had opened it. Kael'thas waited until the door was closed, then he turned around and pressed his lips against Liana's. The smaller woman hesitated at first but then she returned the kiss.

"I have missed you," Kael'thas whispered.

"I've missed you too."

The hand on Liana's back wandered until it rested on her well-formed ass. The prince didn't feel ashamed to grope mage broke the kiss but didn't let her go. He still hugged her and smiled at her. He frowned as he noticed that something was troubling her.

"What's wrong, my dear?" he asked and put a hand under her chin, caressing it softly.

Liana exhaled. "Kelrian knows that Xenarion is not his father," she responded and looked at the prince as if she was afraid of how he might react. But the prince remained calm and gave her a small smile. "As long as you don't tell him the truth, everything is fine. He will never find out if we keep our affair secret. We kept it secret for two hundred years, so I believe nobody will ever find out about us."

Liana nodded hesitantly. "What about Alina?"

"I love her but I love you too. I don't want to lose her but I don't want to lose you either that's why we decided from the beginning that our relationship would be a secret and an open one. What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over. As long as she doesn't find out, everything is fine."

"So it would be okay for you if I would have something with another man?"

"Of course. You can also have something with another woman, I don't really mind," Kael'thas replied and put kisses on her left ear.

"I'm fine with that," responded Liana. "You are too important to me, Kael. I don't want to lose you. That man would have broken me if you wouldn't have been there for me and given me comfort. This man is nothing but scum."

"I still don't understand why you didn't divorce earlier. Nor do I understand why you never told me about his misbehaviour. You only told me about it when our son rescued you out of Xenarion's household."

Liana sighed. "I don't understand it either. I guess I was too afraid of him. That's why I never did anything to stop him or why I never looked for help. I was stupid back then but I'm not stupid anymore."

"Xenarion is the past but I'm the present and the future. I love you, Liana."

"I love you too, my prince," replied the former paladin.

Kael'thas smiled and lifted her chin, staring into her eyes before he kissed her passionately. He didn't hesitate to remove her dress and his own ceremonial robe, then he put her on his bed and laid himself on top of her. He looked at her and waited until he received a sign that Liana really wanted what would follow next. Liana bit her lower lip in anticipation before she kissed the prince. That was the sign Kael'thas had waited for.