Chapter 1: Introduction

Author's Note:

This story is the sequel of the story "We choose our own destiny". If you haven't read it you should start with it first, otherwise, you won't understand a lot of the references. This story will be a Canon - Divergence Alternative Universe. I won't change much about the events that happen in Warcraft 3 but I will do changes about The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King ( these changes can be small or even have a huge impact).

I will stick to the lore up to a certain point and then change something and do my own thing.

Important: This story has a M+/18+ Rating. There will be violence, explicit sexual content and even rape ( mentioned). I want to make this story as realistic as possible. Sylvanas' story is a very tragic one so there will be scenes that won't be easy to read ( and write in my case). These scenes will be necessary but they will be rare.

If you don't want to read such scenes then don't read this story. I will "mark" the explicit sexual content so you can even skip it if you want to read the story but no porn scenes.

Enjoy this story. Have a nice day.

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Her heartbeat was steady but faster than usual. Her breaths were quiet and controlled. Her blue eyes were open and rested on her opponent who kept circling around her but didn't dare to attack her. His eyes, which had the same colour as hers, rested on her. He watched her every move so did she. But he was not the only one who was watching her.

There were three pairs of eyes that were regarding her and her opponent. They were regarding them as they circled around each other and waited for the perfect moment to attack.

Sylvanas Windrunner was wondering when her opponent would attack her. She could also make the first step and attack him but she had decided to wait for his attack. The blond man, who was one head taller than her, came closer to her. He was more muscular and heavier than her but was still pretty fast for his size. But Sylvanas was faster.

She knew him pretty well. She knew exactly how he moved and how he attacked his opponents. She knew his fighting style pretty well, so she foresaw his attack and turned her upper body to the left, dodging his punch. But she didn't just dodge his attack, she countered it within the same movement. She grabbed his arm, pulled him forward and flung him over her shoulder. A painful hiss escaped his lips as he landed on the hard ground.

He remained there for a few seconds before he got up and made a few steps away from her. Sylvanas could have pinned him to the ground and forced him to surrender if she had wanted to but that would have been too easy for her liking. She didn't want to end the battle yet. She wanted to keep fighting and give the spectators a show. She wanted to demonstrate how strong she was.

The blond man came closer. He held his fists in front of his face and made careful steps, watching the Ranger-General's every move. Sylvanas let him come and allowed him to attack. This time he tried to kick her but she avoided it by jumping to the side. He tried to kick her again but she caught his foot and swiped his other foot away with her left leg. He landed on the ground once again, hitting his head hard.

He laid there for a few moments, pulled himself together and got up but slower this time. He rubbed the back of his head and tested if he was bleeding. Fortunately for him, he was not. Sylvanas gave him a slightly provocative grin. "Tired already?"

The man snorted in amusement. "No. You?"

Soft laughter escaped Sylvanas' lips. "I'm not even warmed up yet. Come on, show me your best, Kelrian."

"Your wish is my command," Kelrian replied and approached her once again. He didn't go for a direct attack this time. He feinted a punch from the left but instead, he boxed her in the right hip. Sylvanas bit her bottom lip hard to prevent that any painful sound could escape her lips. She made a poker face so Kelrian wouldn't find out that he had hurt her. She didn't want to show him that his attack had been very successful.

She ignored the pain and struck back, burring her fist in the pit of his stomach. A lot of air escaped Kelrian's lungs as he stumbled backwards. Sylvanas took advantage of the moments, where he was still stunned by the pain he was feeling, to punch him in the right side. Another painful hiss escaped his lips but he regained control over his body. He blocked the next attack and the next, catching her left arm. He grabbed her left wrist and pulled her closer.

He spun her around and managed to get her in a headlock, trying to force her to surrender. Sylvanas' heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her skin was tingling nervously but adrenaline was also rushing through her body. She knew she was not in a good position but she didn't lose her cool. She remained calm and didn't do any panicked moves. A few thrusts of her elbow in the pit of his stomach caused that he had to loosen his grip. His arm was still wrapped around her neck but she had more freedom than before.

Kelrian tried to tighten his grip again but Sylvanas gave him more elbow thrusts in the stomach, causing him to loosen his grip more so she could free herself. She grabbed his arm and threw him over her hip, throwing herself at him. She pinned him to the ground even though she was smaller than him and her body was not as muscular as his. She was much lighter than him but that didn't stop her from pinning him down.

He struggled hard but he managed to throw her off him. He got up laboriously and increased the distance between them. His head was as red as a tomato and he was breathing heavily. He made one step backwards with each step she made towards him. He wished he could do that until he would have pulled himself together but he wasn't able to buy as much time as he wanted. He came to the edge of the circle Sylvanas had drawn on the ground.

Kelrian attacked her but Sylvanas threw him over her shoulder once again. She stood next to him and looked down at him, a provocative grin could be seen on her perfect lips. Kelrian's eyes rested on her, his entire body hurt and his breathing was uncontrolled and heavy. It seemed that Sylvanas had won this sparring match but he didn't give up yet. He had one last ace in his sleeve and he could only hope that this ace would make him win.

He focused the remains of his strength and rolled away, getting up eventually. Sylvanas' grin became wider. "You haven't had enough yet? Do you want to kiss the ground for the fourth time that day?"

Kelrian didn't go for her bait. "Not this time, my dear," he said and muttered a few phrases, his eyes rested on her and regarded her closely. Sylvanas didn't attack. She could attack but she didn't. Instead, she waited and allowed him to do what he wanted to do.

She turned her head a little as she noticed the person behind her. It looked exactly like her sparring partner. It was a clone of him and it didn't hesitate to run towards her. Its fists were clenched, meaning it was ready to attack her. Kelrian ran towards Sylvanas at the same time and prepared an attack. Sylvanas was flanked by Kelrian and his clone.

But Sylvanas remained calm and waited until they had almost approached her. She turned to the side and kicked the clone in the stomach, sending it away while she turned her upper body forwards and punched Kelrian in the face. The ranger cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, holding his hands in front of his nose out of which blood was flowing out. He ran his fingers over it, sighing out in relief as he noticed that it was not broken.

Sylvanas saw out of the corners of her eyes that the clone dissolved, meaning only Kelrian was left. The Ranger-General didn't hesitate to charge at him, ramming him so that he fell to the ground with her.

Sylvanas climbed on top of him and pinned his arms on the floor, giving him a triumphant smile. Kelrian knew that he had lost so he stopped fighting her and stared into her beautiful sky-blue eyes.

"Seems that I have won," announced Sylvanas.

Kelrian didn't contradict her and gave her an agreeing nod. Sylvanas' smile became wider, her gaze rested on him for a few moments before she lowered her head and pressed her lips against his, expecting him to return her kiss which he did without hesitation. The kiss didn't last very long but it was good enough to satisfy her for the moment. They got up after nearly a minute and stared at each other.

"You are becoming better and better," she complimented as she tapped off the dust from her outfit which was her Ranger-General uniform. She wore brown coloured leggings to which blue coloured armour pieces were attached that protected her shins and upper thighs. Like these armour pieces, her chest guard was also made out of the best iron of the Eastern Kingdoms. It was also coloured in blue and protected everything from her breasts to her navel. The rest of her torso was exposed and unprotected.

Her shoulder plates covered most of her upper arms when she stretched them out. Her forearms and her elbows were covered by long brown gloves made out of leather. Her outfit was not complete. Her blue cape and the attached hood were missing, which meant that Sylvanas' gorgeous golden-blonde hair was uncovered. It was loose and the tips reached to the top of her chest plate. Normally, Sylvanas wore her cape because it let her look more impressive than she already was. But she had taken it off because it would only hinder her during a sparring match.

"Thank you. You trained me well," responded Kelrian and stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her left hip. Sylvanas stared into his eyes. "And your magic became better as well. It seems Prince Kael'thas trained you well."

"He did but I'm still not able to beat you. Even with my magic."

Sylvanas smirked. "You didn't use any of your fire, arcane or frost spells. I would have no chance if you would use some of your more powerful spells."

"I only use them against my enemies and you are not my enemy. I'm glad that no enemy threatened us in the past fifteen years. We had peace for quite a while and I hope it will never end. But we have to be prepared for everything so I'm glad I'm not only a ranger but also a mage at the same time," he said in return.

"You are right about that, my dear. Nevertheless, you became a lot better. I'm proud of you," she said and put a hand on his cheek, caressing it softly.

Kelrian blushed slightly and smiled. "Thank you, my love." Sylvanas stared into his eyes for a few more moments before she turned around and looked at the spectators. She left Kelrian behind and walked over to them. There were a boy and a girl at the age of fourteen which looked very similar to Sylvanas and Kelrian. They looked so similar because they were their children. Their firstborns. They were fraternal twins.

The last spectator was a female half-elf with brown skin and dark blonde hair. She had much shorter ears than the twins and her facial features had some similarities to Sylvanas'. She was Sylvanas' niece, the daughter of her deceased brother Lirath who died fifteen years ago during the Second War. Her name was Lyndia.

Sylvanas looked at her children and Lyndia who were looking at her with big eyes. They were obviously impressed by the fight they had just witnessed. There was no high elf who was better in close combat than Sylvanas Windrunner who belonged to one of the most popular quel'dorei. Her mate Kelrian Sunsinger was also well known to most people but he was by far not as popular as the famous Ranger-General of Silvermoon.

"I hope you enjoyed the show," said Sylvanas and smiled at them.

"That was so awesome. I can't believe you defeated father so easily," responded her daughter Sylvera. She wore her training outfit which consisted of brown leggings and a blue top. Like her mother at this moment, she wore no hood so her magnificent hair was exposed. Her brother Raesh, on the other hand, wore a hood that covered most of his hair which looked as magnificent as his sister's. He wore a similar outfit to Sylvera and was as tall as her.

Sylvanas laughed. "It may have looked easy but it was not easy. Your father did well and even managed to put me in a headlock. Nobody had managed to do that for nearly a hundred years. He is strong too and very skilled in close combat."

"But not as skilled as you," responded her son.

Kelrian stepped next to his mate and put an arm around her shoulder. "You are right, Raesh. I'm not as good as her because nobody is as good as her. She is the best of the best. Nobody can beat her in close combat."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Nobody we know at least. Everything is possible. Maybe there will be someone one day who would be better than me. Maybe it's one of you three."

Lyndia's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you really think that, aunt Sylvanas?"

Sylvanas shrugged. "It's possible, if you train hard you might be better than me one day. Who knows? You always need a goal you want to reach if you want to get better. Becoming better than me could be your goal that will always motivate you to train. Even if you would never achieve that goal, you have tried it at least and that's all that matters. Always remember that."

"We will," the children said in unison and nodded to her.

"Alright, I have spent enough time outside for now. You will train with him while I make us something to eat. Does that sound fair to you?"

"It does," they responded at the same time and smiled. Sylvanas smiled back at them and put kisses on their foreheads, even on Lyndia's, before she walked over to the back entrance and entered the large house that belonged to her family.

Kelrian's gaze shifted back to his children and Lyndia who looked at him expectantly. "Are you ready kids?" he asked. They nodded.

"Alright then. We will start with a little warm-up. You will run twenty rounds around the pond."

"Do we really have to do that? Can't we just start with the fun part?" wailed Raesh.

"No, we can't do that, my son. A Warm-up is very important before you start training because you might pull your muscles and hurt yourself if you haven't warmed up and stretched properly. Believe me, I know what I am talking about." Raesh nodded and didn't contradict him any further. His father signalized them to start running and they didn't hesitate to run over to the pond in the middle of the garden and start running their rounds.

Kelrian watched them in the meantime and urged them to run faster whenever they slowed down. Lyndia was the fastest of the three while Raesh ran in a constant tempo and didn't become as exhausted as her. Sylvera was the slowest of the three but she also completely twenty rounds and that was all that mattered. They returned to Kelrian who showed them lots of stretching exercises which they carried out without complaining about them.

He knew that the three wanted nothing more than practice aiming or sparring with another, so he knew that they wouldn't be happy about the next task. They had to do press-ups, knee-bends, burpees and other exercises that stimulated the most important muscle groups. Every ranger needed a thoroughly fit body if they wanted to belong to the best. Physical strength would always be needed during times of war but also in daily life. Every ranger should be able to run fast, swim fast and lift heavy things and bring them to other places.

Sylvanas put a high value on training every part of the body and she wanted that every Farstrider would follow her example and would do such training sessions at least every second day. Her children and her niece were no exception. They had to train like her rangers. Sylvanas didn't favour anyone because of their relationship with her. She didn't favour her sisters, her lover and not even her children. Every person was equal in her eyes.

Lots of Sylvanas' rangers believed that she was favouring Kelrian. They believed he had earned his rank because he was Sylvanas' lover but she didn't make him to Ranger-Lieutenant because she loved him and he warmed her bed. She gave him the rank because he had earned it. He fought against orcs and trolls in the Second War and killed many of them. He also managed to escape from troll captivity and capture the troll queen of the Amani at the same time. He earned the respect of many and only those who were jealous of him, mostly Sylvanas' exes and admirers, spread such inappropriate and false rumours.

Kelrian ignored them most of the times while Sylvanas had started to talk to those who spread the rumours and tried to convince him that he deserved that rank but she had given up because she had realized that they were too stubborn and jealous to accept the truth. Kelrian didn't mind these rumours. He was convinced that he had earned his rank because of his skills and knowledge and not because he was sleeping with the Ranger-General.

Kelrian signalized his children and Lyndia to come to him once they were done with stretching their muscles. He pulled his pocket watch out of the little bag on the table next to him and looked at it. "I think we have stretched enough. I assume the dinner won't be ready within three-quarters of an hour, so you have enough time practising. You can go to the dummies and pick up a wooden sword or you practise aiming. It's up to you."

The three teenagers smiled at him, walking over to the shooting range. There were five rows of three targets that were set up at regular intervals. The last row had a distance of six hundred feet to the line from which the teenagers should shoot.

They picked up the bows, Sylvanas and Kelrian had gifted to them last Winter Veil, and walked to the line. They positioned themselves, so no one was bothering the other and started to shot. Kelrian leaned against the nearest tree, arms were crossed in front of his chest as he regarded them.

His children were doing fine while Lyndia had a few problems hitting the middle of the first target that stood fifteen feet away from her. Most of the times she missed the bull's eye and hit the inner or outer circles. Raesh and Sylvera hit the bull's eye most of the time.

Unlike Kelrian's children, Lyndia was not the child of two skilful rangers but that didn't mean she couldn't become as good as them. It was okay that she couldn't aim as well as the just needed more time to practice but Kelrian and Sylvanas would give her the time. The teenagers wouldn't be able to attend the entrance examination of the Farstriders before they would be twenty years old, so they had six more years in which they could practise very hard. Kelrian was sure his children will make it through the examination and he believed Lyndia could pass it too if she would work hard on herself.

He walked over to her and corrected her posture. "Try it now."

The brown-skinned girl nodded and aimed, shooting the arrow a few moments later. It almost hit the bull's eyes. Kelrian chuckled as he saw the small smile on her lips. "That was much better. Keep trying."

Lyndia nodded and pulled the next arrow from her quiver. She aimed and hit the bull's eye this time. Kelrian applauded. "Well done. That was a good shot."

The girl blushed. "Thank you."

Kelrian looked at his children who were shooting at the next targets behind the first one. These targets were at a distance of thirty feet. Sylvera and Raesh didn't hit the bull's eye but they hit the nearest circles. Kelrian watched them while they continued to do that, not noticing how fast the time passed.

"Dinner is ready," shouted Sylvanas after a while. Everyone turned around and looked at the gorgeous blonde woman who was standing in the back entrance. She didn't wear her Ranger-General uniform anymore, instead, she wore brown leggings and a blue blouse. She made a gesture, signalizing everyone to come.

"You have heard her. Put your bows and quivers neatly on the table and go to the dining room." The teenagers nodded and did as they were told, running over to Sylvanas who put kisses on their foreheads before they entered the house. She waited for her lover and pulled him in a quick but passionate kiss once he had entered the house. Kelrian smiled as they pulled away. "I can't wait to taste what you cooked this time."

"I didn't cook it alone, my mother helped me."

"I'm still curious. You have become an excellent cook over the years," he complimented. "Your mother taught you well."

Sylvanas caressed his cheek. "Thank you, my love." She put her arm around his waist and followed the course of the corridor until they arrived in the dining room. The table was set and several people were already sitting there.

Sylvanas' parents Lireesa and Zalien Windrunner were sitting at the left side of the table. Lireesa sat at the head while Zalien sat to her right. Lireesa had short blonde hair and wore a blue dress. Zalien wore a yellow shirt and beige trousers. His natural blond hair had been dyed light-brown and reached to his shoulders.

To Lireesa's left sat Lyndia's mother Camillia. She was a human at the age of thirty-five with chocolate brown skin and coffee coloured hair which had been made to dreadlocks. She wore a green dress that looked unique and beautiful. Next to her sat her daughter and the twins.

"Where is Alleria?" Sylvanas asked as she sat down next to her son.

"She is visiting Vereesa and her husband in Dalaran," responded her mother.

"I should visit her too. Now that she is pregnant, she might need tips from me. I can give her lots of tips which she may need once the baby is born."

"I think Alleria is already doing that but you are right, it doesn't hurt if you visit her from time to time," responded Zalien.

Sylvanas wrapped her arm around Kelrian as soon as he sat on his chair. "I still can't believe that she decided to live in Dalaran instead of living here with us."

"Rhonin is a member of the Council of the Six, so he has to do lots of things in Dalaran. He is a very busy man, so it only makes sense that they stay in Dalaran."

"I understand that but she could have stayed here with us and Rhonin could have visited her whenever he wanted. He is a powerful mage, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to create a portal to Windrunner Spire," responded Sylvanas.

Kelrian put one of his hands on her right hand, smiling at her. "He is a powerful mage, you are right about that. But creating a portal costs a lot of power and it takes some time to create it. It would take at least an hour for him if he would do it alone. He wouldn't have the time for that if he just wants to see her for a few minutes before he goes to a meeting or does something else. Living in Dalaran is the best solution for them. It's not that we can't visit them. We can visit them whenever we want just like they do often. "

Sylvanas returned his smile and kissed his cheek softly. "You are right about that."

"I have to go to Dalaran tomorrow. You could come with me if you want. We could visit them before I meet up with my mentor."

"That's a wonderful idea, honey. We should do that."

"Convey regards from us," said Lireesa.

"From all of us," added Camillia.

"We will do that," responded Sylvanas.

"Now that we cleared that up, we can finally eat. I'm very hungry," said Sylvanas' father.

Kelrian turned his head and looked at the meals that stood in the middle of the table. The starter was a large bowl of asparagus soup, the main course was breaded fish and the dessert was a fruit salad.

They talked about daily topics while they ate and enjoyed the food. Everyone loved the food Sylvanas and her mother had cooked and they didn't hesitate to tell the cooks how good it was. The women thanked them and showed them how happy they were. Everyone ate until they were full but they didn't get up yet. They remained on their seats and continued to talk.

"How is your training doing?" Zalien asked Kelrian eventually.

The addressed man turned his head and looked at the father of the love of his life. "I'm getting better and better with each passing day. Prince Kael'thas is a very good teacher and a very patient one. I have heard of many teachers who are not as patient as him. Humans mostly."

"What is your specialization?"

"Arcane. I'm not bad at using fire magic or frost magic but I'm doing better at using arcane magic."

"I thought Prince Kael'thas specialization is fire magic, so why did you choose him as a teacher?" asked Lireesa.

"He offered to train me, so I accepted without thinking twice. I don't want to insult anyone but there are lots of very strict teachers so I chose him because he is more relaxed than others," Kelrian explained.

"I'm sure that Kael'thas is more than just capable of teaching Kelrian arcane magic even though it's not his specialization. The prince is pretty good at every form of magic," replied Sylvanas.

"You are right. He is suited for the role of a teacher. He has lots of experience because he learned the ways of magic hundreds of years ago and trains every single day since he became a mage. He belongs to the most powerful mages of the Alliance, so I believe he will make an excellent mage out of Kelrian," said Zalien.

Kelrian smiled. "I believe the same. I'm glad that he is teaching me."

They talked for nearly half an hour before they decided that they had sat long enough at the table. The teenagers got up and helped to clear the table before they rushed out of the room and ran towards the backyard.

"It seems that they can't wait to continue with their training," said Kelrian amused.

Sylvanas smiled and stepped to her lover, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She stepped on her tiptoes and stared into his eyes. "They remind me of a certain man who wanted nothing more than becoming better and better so the Ranger-General would allow him to join her elite team."

"I wonder who that man is," he said in return, giving her a teasing grin.

"I don't know. Maybe the love of my life?" she asked and winked at him. She enclosed the distance between their faces, pressing her lips against his. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, putting one hand on the back of her head while he put the other on her right hip. Sylvanas deepened the kiss and run the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, demanding entrance. Kelrian knew it was unwise to deny her demands and wishes, so he parted his lips and allowed her to insert her tongue.

Sylvanas explored every corner of his mouth, allowing him to do the same. They parted eventually and breathed heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. They turned their heads and looked at Lireesa and Zalien who were regarding them happily. "You are such a cute couple," said Sylvanas' mother.

Sylvanas and Kelrian smiled."You are good role models for us. You are together for several hundred years and you still love each other. You act like you fell in love just yesterday. I can only hope our love will endure as long as yours."

Her parents smiled. "We hope that for any of our children. We hope Alleria and Turalyon and Vereesa and Rhonin will always be happy and never separate."

Sylvanas agreed with them. "We hope the same."

There was silence for a few minutes. The two couples did nothing except for staring at each other. Sylvanas broke the pleasant silence eventually. "Should I help you with the dirty dishes?"

"That would be great, my dear," Lireesa responded and handed a kitchen cloth to her daughter. Sylvanas' gaze fell on her mate. "Would you go to the little ones and watch over them while they train?"

"With pleasure, my dear," he said and put a kiss on her forehead. She smiled at him as she watched him leave, then she turned around and took the first plate, cleaning it and then putting it back in the cupboard. Zalien and Camillia left the room, so only mother and daughter remained in the room. They cleaned the plates and cutlery in silence at first but then Lireesa asked something that really surprised Sylvanas. She nearly dropped the plate she was holding but she caught it in the last moment. The question had come out of nowhere. Without context.

Sylvanas frowned. "Can you repeat it, please? I think I misheard you."

"Are you pregnant, Sylvanas?" One of her mother's brows were raised, curiosity was reflected by her eyes.

"No, I'm not pregnant. What makes you think that?"

"You stopped drinking wine lately, so I thought you became pregnant again."

Sylvanas' eyes didn't leave her mother's. "I stopped drinking wine because I want to live healthier which means I only drink wine on special occasions."

She was not sure but she had the impression that her mother was disappointed a little. "Too bad, I would have loved the idea about you being pregnant for the second time," Lireesa muttered and looked back at the last dirty plate that stood in front of her. Sylvanas didn't say anything in response and just watched her mother cleaning the plate.

She had to admit that she had never thought about getting a third baby because she had a busy job, two lovely children who always wanted her attention and the best mate in the world who supported her whenever he could. She already had everything she could ever have dreamed of, so she had never thought of getting more children.

But she had to admit she liked the idea of getting another child. But not in the near future. Maybe in a few years. She had to think about it and she would have to talk to Kelrian about this. She would do that one day.

Lireesa dried her hands on the kitchen cloth and handed it over to her daughter who did the same. "Do you want to go in the backyard with me and watch the training of your children and Lyndia?" Lireesa asked curiously.

"Why not. I want to see how much better they have become since the last time I watched them training," said Sylvanas and walked out of the kitchen. Her mother didn't hesitate to follow her and leave the house with her.