Chapter 49: The Next Morning

Kelrian's eyes were closed, his breaths were slow and steady. He was not doing anything except for lying in bed. He was sleeping, Sylvanas assumed that at least. Her hand rested on his chest which was rising and falling in a constant rhythm. She ran the tips of her fingers over his soft skin, her eyes rested on his handsome face.

She enjoyed watching him sleep. She had always loved to do that in life and she still loved to do it in death. She didn't need to sleep so she could watch him the entire time. She could but she hadn't done it all the time. She had watched him for the past three hours but the hours before, she had pretended to sleep and relaxed a little. Pretending to sleep was perfect to kill time. There was nothing else she could do until he would wake up.

She knew she wouldn't see him for an unknown amount of time, so she used the time they had left wisely. She had snuggled up to him and rested her head on his chest while she had pretended to sleep. Now, she was still cuddling with him but she was watching him at the same time. He looked so innocent. So peaceful. As if he wouldn't hurt a fly.

But he was not innocent. He had been trained as a ranger, trained to defend his home and kill everyone who would intend to hurt the citizens of Quel'Thalas. He had killed many orcs and trolls in the Second War. He had only killed them to defend himself or others. He had killed them when he had no other choice.

He was not a murderer who killed for joy or for profit. He killed to survive. His hands were not free of blood. But at least no blood of innocent creatures stuck on them. Those he had killed had deserved to die. Many Scourge creatures had fallen by his hands. Not too many for Sylvanas' liking. More of them had to fall if they wanted to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas.

Sylvanas wanted nothing more than Arthas' death. She would do anything to achieve her goal as long as nothing bad would happen to her loved ones. She wouldn't risk the lives of her family. She wanted to protect Kelrian by any means but he was much stronger than her so he didn't need her protection. It was the other way around. It was Kelrian's task to protect her from those who wanted her dead. Really dead. He had to protect her from the minions of the Lich King and from the Scarlet Crusade. She was strong enough to protect herself but it didn't hurt her to have someone very powerful by her side.

Sylvanas moved her hand upwards, touching his face. She caressed his cheeks, ran her fingers over his nose and forehead and then touched his long ears. They twitched when she touched them but Kelrian didn't wake up. Not even as she ran the tip of her index finger over his soft lips. Her head got closer to his until their faces were only a few inches away from each other. Her eyes rested on his lips which were slightly parted.

Sylvanas hesitated for a few moments but then she closed the distance between their faces and pressed her lips on his. She couldn't stop kissing his soft lips. She couldn't break the kiss even though she had only planned to peck on his lips shortly. The kiss was one-sided at first but Kelrian returned it a few moments later. His eyes shot open, staring into hers. Kelrian deepened the kiss and bit her bottom lip softly, demanding entrance. Sylvanas parted her lips and opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth.

Kelrian sat up and wrapped an arm around Sylvanas, pulling her closer. Sylvanas found herself on his lap, one of his hands rested on her back while the other caressed her hip. Sylvanas' tongue slipped into his mouth at the same moment as his hand wandered to her well-formed ass and started to knead it. Neither Kelrian nor Sylvanas wore any clothes.

The kiss ended eventually. Kelrian was taking deep breaths, his chest was rising and falling in an inconsistent rhythm. His body needed a few more moments to calm down. "Good morning, Sylvanas," Kelrian said eventually.

Sylvanas' lips formed a happy smile. "Good morning, my love," she said in return. She put her hands on his face, caressing his checks.

Kelrian pulled her closer to him and Sylvanas pressed her body against his, kissing him again. The kiss they shared didn't endure as long as the first kiss but it was much more passionate.

"I hope you did sleep well," Sylvanas said and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I did. I dreamed of you."

Sylvanas' smile became wider. "What did you dream?"

Kelrian smirked and brought his lips to her face, whispering something in her ear. Sylvanas' smile became wider, a blush appeared on her beautiful face. "That sounds very...interesting."

Kelrian said nothing in return. All he did was to caress her back with his hand and put a few kisses on her neck. Sylvanas tilted her head to give him better access to her neck. "We still have time for that," she whispered. "I might return to Undercity today but I didn't say when. We have a few more hours we can spend... wisely. If you know what I mean."

Kelrian started to kiss her jawline. "I do," he said in a low voice.

---

Kelrian sat on the bed, his back leaned against the headboard. He had no idea how much time had passed but he didn't care. He had really enjoyed what they had been doing and he knew that Sylvanas had enjoyed it too. The loud noises that had escaped her lips were proof enough. She wouldn't have rocked her hips against him and cried out his name if she wouldn't have enjoyed love-making had been more than just enjoyable for both of them.

Sylvanas was still sitting on top of him and straddling him but he couldn't see her. Due to his golden eye, he could even see her through the blindfold he was wearing but he had both of his eyes closed. Not being able to see her had made things more interesting. It had given him an additional kick.

The Dark Lady caressed his cheeks and put kisses on them. She pecked on his lips a few times and then kissed him passionately, removing his blindfold.

He opened his eyes, staring into her crimson red eyes. Sylvanas smiled at him and Kelrian returned her smile. "Would you remove the ties and free me?" he asked.

"What if I prefer you tied to my bed?" she asked in a seductive voice.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "Your bed?"

"Our bed," she corrected.

"How should I help the sin'dorei against the Scourge and wretched if you won't let me out of our room?"

"You have a point. I wish I could lock us in our room forever. I wish we could stay in bed forever and have passionate, steamy sex until the end of time."

Kelrian smiled. "I like the idea but that's not possible as long as the Scourge is still active."

Sylvanas nodded and sighed. "Unfortunately, you are right."

Kelrian kissed her cheek. "I will do anything to destroy the Scourge and make Arthas pay. I will avenge you, Sylvera and our loved ones. I will avenge any member of the Alliance who died or suffered because of him. No one will escape their just punishment. Xenarion and Dar'Khan got what they deserved and so will Arthas. I will make sure of that."

Sylvanas said nothing in return. She just stared into his eyes, one of her hands rested on his chest, the other toyed with his ears and hair. He noticed determination in her eyes but also a small amount of grief. He kissed her, deepening the kiss as soon as he noticed that she returned it. They shared another passionate kiss which made Kelrian breathless for nearly a minute. Sylvanas looked less troubled than before, meaning he had achieved his goal. He had successfully distracted her.

They shared a quick kiss and smiled at each other. Sylvanas stared into his eyes as she removed the ties and freed his hands. He rubbed his wrists and then put his hands on her hips, caressing them softly. Sylvanas kissed him softly and then got up from his lap. "We must change the sheets," she said as he stretched her back and ran her fingers through her messy hair, fixing it. "They are sticky."

Kelrian grinned. "I wonder why," he teased and ran a hand over his back, feeling many scratching marks.

"I broke a nail," Sylvanas said as she regarded her left hand. "Your skin is pretty thick."

"Will it regrow?"

"My body is dead, so no. My hair wouldn't regrow either if I would cut it. Fortunately, there are some people in Undercity who could replace my nail."

Kelrian got up from the bed and picked up his pants, putting them on. He turned his head, looking at Sylvanas who bent down at this very moment to pick up her underwear. He had a perfect view of her well-formed ass and her southern lips which were still wet. Kelrian was not sure if she did this on purpose or not. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he enjoyed the view. She was so sexy.

Sylvanas put on her underwear, continuing with her leggings and her tunic. She looked at Kelrian, noticing that he wore a pair of brown trousers and an expensive blue blouse. She smiled at him and put her hand on his right cheek, caressing it.

Kelrian returned the smile. "We should go."

"I don't want to go to Undercity... but I have to. I can't leave my people for too long. I already stayed longer than usual. The thought of Varimathras ruling Undercity alone makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I thought you trust him."

"I do. He proved his loyalty to me and he never disappointed me since then but... I don't know, something seems fishy... I still keep an eye on him. Many eyes, to be exact. Some of my dark rangers are watching him. Nathanos and Verena always tell me what he has done in my absence."

"Being careful when it comes to him is the best you can do," Kelrian responded.

Sylvanas nodded. "I know."

They stared into each other's eyes, not saying anything for a while. Sylvanas approached him, stepped on her tiptoes and pulled his head down so that she could seal her lips on his. The kiss was soft and passionate. Kelrian's heart was beating faster than usual, his skin tingled in excitement. He really enjoyed kissing her and the same counted for Sylvanas. She knew she wouldn't be able to kiss him for a while so she savoured this moment. The kiss lasted longer than expected, leaving Kelrian breathless when he pulled away.

He took slow and deep breaths and caressed Sylvanas' cheek while he stared into her eyes. Sylvanas returned the staring but didn't say anything. The silence between them was anything but awkward. It was very pleasant.

Sylvanas pulled away eventually, signalizing Kelrian to follow her. He obeyed and left the room with her, following the course of the corridor. They took the staircase at the end of the corridor, arriving on the first floor. They came to the main entrance of Sylvanas' private house and left it without hesitation.

They walked through the front garden, opened the wooden gate and left her estate. Lots of blood elves, humans, dwarves and even some Forsaken were walking through the street in front of them. There were several guards, lots of traders but also visitors who wanted to take a closer look at Silvermoon's beauty. More and more buildings of the capital city had been rebuilt in the past years but there were still a few which had not been restored or reconstructed yet. Sylvanas was sure that it was only a matter of time until the former beauty of Silvermoon would be restored.

Kelrian and Sylvanas were greeted by lots of the citizens and visitors who saw them. The couple nodded at them and even called some of them by their names but they didn't stop to talk to these familiar persons. They didn't have the time to do that. They walked through the streets and came to Sunfury Spire after half an hour.

The guards in front of the building lowered their heads in respect and allowed them to pass. Sylvanas and Kelrian walked to Alleria's office without hesitation, knocking at the door. They heard Alleria's voice which told them to come in. Her voice sounded much weaker and quieter than usual, making Sylvanas frown.

They opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind them. Alleria sat on her chair but it was turned away from the couple so that they couldn't see much of her. Sylvanas didn't hesitate to walk over to the chair and step in front of Alleria. The Regent Lady of Silvermoon wore the red and golden version of her Ranger-Captain uniform which she always wore, her hood was pulled down so that her hair was exposed. It didn't look magnificent at all. It was messy and didn't shine as golden as it usually did.

Alleria's face was pale, red circles could be seen under her wet eyes. She had cried recently. Sylvanas put a hand on her sister's cheek, a worried expression could be seen on her face. "Alleria...What's wrong? Speak to me please..." Sylvanas' voice was quiet and soothing.

Alleria's gaze fell on her little sister who was giving her a concerned look. "Sylvanas... I..."

"Calm down, Alleria. I'm here for you. Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

Alleria nodded and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Sylvanas pulled her up and wrapped her arms around her slightly taller sister, allowing her to put her head on her shoulder. Sylvanas ran her fingers through her hair, looking at Kelrian whose face also reflected worry. He stood not far away from them and regarded them. He knew there was not much he could do at this moment. Sylvanas was the only one who could calm down her sister.

Sylvanas looked back at Alleria and kissed her forehead just like Alleria had done whenever Sylvanas had been upset or emotional when they had been much younger.

Alleria had wrapped her arms tightly around Sylvanas' shoulders, not wanting to let her go. The undead elf didn't stop to caress her sister's back and run her fingers through her hair. "Speak to me, Lady Sun," Sylvanas whispered into her ear. "What's wrong?"

Alleria took her deep breath. Her heart was still hammering in her chest and she still felt shattered but at least she felt a little better than before. Sylvanas' presence comforted her. "I received bad news," she said after a while.

"Bad news?" Sylvanas asked quietly.

"Our spies scouted the area of Stratholme. A few of them even managed to get into the city. They sneaked into the main building and spotted someone. Someone they had not expected to see..."

Sylvanas was alarmed. She had a bad premonition about who the spies might have seen. It could only be someone who had meant a lot to Alleria, otherwise, she wouldn't be so emotional. She had an idea who could it be but she didn't dare to say his name. She could only hope that it was not him the spies had seen in Stratholme.

"Who is it?" Sylvanas asked, pressing her sister tighter against herself.

"It's...It's..." Alleria's voice broke, quiet sobs escaped her lips.

"It's Turalyon, isn't it?" Sylvanas asked in her most soothing voice.

Alleria nodded but didn't say anything. The only sounds that escaped her lips were loud sobs.

Sylvanas looked at Kelrian, noticing that he was as shocked as her. They had thought that Turalyon had died on Quel'Danas. He had been declared dead just like Kelrian. Sylvanas had hoped that he had found peace but it turned out that Arthas had not done him that favour. Turalyon was in Stratholme which could only mean that he was a member of the Scourge.

Sylvanas was sad. Turalyon was Alleria's husband and she had always got along well with him. Just like every other member of her family, he was very important to her. Hearing about his fate shocked her and made her sad.

"He is a death knight...," muttered Alleria between sobs. Sylvanas whispered soothing words into her ears, caressed her back and put kisses on her forehead. She did everything that came into her mind to calm down her sister. She needed a while but she managed to comfort her. Alleria stopped sobbing but kept her head on her younger sister's shoulder. Her arms were tightly wrapped around Sylvanas' upper body. Alleria didn't want to let her go. She needed her sister more than ever at this moment.

If Sylvanas would have been alive, she would have had problems to breathe because the hug was too tight. But she didn't need to breathe so she could remain in this position as long as necessary. She didn't feel very comfortable but she didn't say anything and just allowed Alleria to hug her as tightly as she wanted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Alleria," Kelrian said. "Turalyon was a good friend of mine. Hearing about his fate makes me sad. He is forced to serve that bastard but there is still hope for him. He can be freed from the Scourge's control if we manage to weaken the Lich King. We should not give up on him yet."

Alleria's eyes fell on him. "But... Even if we free him... He won't be the same... Nothing will be the same..."

"Death has changed Turalyon, I'm sure of that. Death changed us all. All you can do is hope that the man you fell in love with still exists in the death knight. We have to free him and you have to reach him somehow. You have to try everything to get him back," responded Sylvanas.

"Hope is not lost, Alleria. Sylvanas and I found each other again, so I'm positive that you can too but first, we have to get him and find a way to free him."

Alleria gave Kelrian a nod. "I think you are right," she said quietly.

"The worst thing we can do in these dark times is to lose hope," Sylvanas said quietly. Her gaze fell on Kelrian. "I think it's best if you leave us alone. I will come to you as soon as I'm convinced that my sister is alright."

"You don't have to stay longer just because of me. You need to return to Undercity," Alleria protested quietly.

"Undercity can wait for a few more hours or even one more day. I won't leave you while you are in this condition. I might be undead but I'm not heartless. You are my sister and I do everything in my power to help you. I will give my best to comfort you because you are still important to me. I still love you, my dear sister."

Alleria said nothing in return. All she did was to hug Sylvanas and enjoy her comforting presence.

"I will see you later then, Sylvanas," Kelrian said. "Good luck."

The Dark Lady nodded. "I will come to you as soon as I can."

"Take your time, my love."

"I will, my dear."

---

Kelrian turned his head as soon as he heard quiet footsteps. Sylvanas walked towards him, her facial expression was neutral. She stopped next to him and looked at him without saying a word. "How is Alleria doing?" asked a familiar feminine voice.

Sylvanas turned her head and looked at her little sister whose face reflected worry. "She is fine for now. I convinced her to take a nap. You should look after her in a few hours."

The silver-haired woman nodded determinedly. "I will. I will do everything in my power to comfort her."

Sylvanas gave her a smile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Sylvanas. It's only natural for me to comfort our sister just as we comforted you when..." She nodded in Kelrian's direction. Sylvanas nodded too, signalizing her that she understood what she meant.

Kelrian looked at his sister-in-law. "I have to thank you for being there for Sylvanas when I was declared dead. Sylvanas is really lucky to have you."

Vereesa blushed and lowered her gaze, looking at her fingers. "It was nothing, really. She is still my sister and I love her. Just because Arthas raised and changed her doesn't mean I'm not allowed to love her. She will always be my sister, no matter what will happen. I just did what everyone would have done in my situation."

"Well, not everyone is as accepting as you are. I heard from many Forsaken that their relatives regard them as abominations and don't want to have any contact with them even though they are on the same side. Not everyone is as accepting as you and Alleria are. Kelrian is right, I'm really lucky to have you," responded Sylvanas and walked to her sister, pulling her in a tight hug.

Vereesa's face became as red as a tomato. She was flattered by her sister's words. She didn't hesitate to return her hug and caress Sylvanas' back. She allowed the Banshee Queen to kiss her cheek and she kissed Sylvanas' cheek in return. "I will miss you, Little Moon," Sylvanas whispered into her ear.

"I will miss you too, Lady Moon."

"I'm sure we will meet again soon."

"I hope so, sis," Vereesa whispered and kissed Sylvanas' other cheek.

Sylvanas pulled away and regarded her little sister for a few moments before she stepped to Rhonin and hugged him briefly. "Take care of my sisters, Rhonin."

The red-haired man nodded. "I will. Don't worry about that."

Sylvanas turned to Raesh, giving him a wide smile. Raesh returned her smile and stepped to his mother, hugging her. He was as tall as her but still looked very young. He was twenty years old which was nothing for an elf. He was so innocent and inexperienced. He had been trained since a young age but he had never joined a battle nor had he killed an enemy. He was a talented mage but he had never used his magic in a real battle. Sylvanas hoped he wouldn't have to join a battle anytime soon.

She hoped that the Lich King would be defeated before his teacher would declare him ready to participate in the war. She knew that it was Raesh's dream to fight by his father's side and prove himself. She knew he wanted to avenge his people, his sister and his mother. She knew he wanted to be a glorious and well-known fighter like his parents but she still hoped he wouldn't have to fight the Scourge.

She knew he was good but she was still afraid to lose him. She had already lost her daughter, so she didn't want to lose her son too. Too many members of her family had died in the Second and Third War. The Windrunner family would need hundreds if not thousands of years to make up for the loses in the past twenty years. They would need quite some time to become as numerous as they had once been. Raesh was the only one who could pass on her and Kelrian's genes. Through his veins ran the blood of the Sunstrider, Sunsinger and Windrunner families.

Even if he wouldn't have kids, Sylvanas' sisters and their children could still continue the Windrunner bloodline. Sylvanas was sure that Vereesa would want to have more than only two children. Sylvanas had also wanted to have more than two children but Arthas had destroyed her dream by killing her. No matter how often Kelrian would come inside her, she wouldn't be able to get pregnant and carry a child out.

Sylvanas would do anything to make sure that the Windrunner family wouldn't extinguish. Not like Verena's family. She was the last member of her family and she was undead, so she couldn't get kids even if she wanted. Vara was also the last member of her family. She was still alive but she couldn't get kids, so her bloodline couldn't be continued. If she would die, the Sweetblossom family would be extinct.

"Be careful, Raesh. Make sure your father won't do anything stupid," she said and kissed his right cheek.

Her son gave her a small smile. "I will do my best."

Sylvanas hugged him for a few more moments before she pulled away and turned to the love of her life. She noticed in Kelrian's green eye that he didn't want her to leave. He was already missing her but he knew that he would see her again as soon as all threats in Quel'Thalas were gone. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

And so was she. She didn't want to go either but she knew that her people needed her. There was much to do in Tirisfal Glades. The Scarlet Crusade and the Scourge were still causing problems, so she had to take care of them. She was sure Kelrian will help her as soon as he will come to Undercity.

Sylvanas approached him and pressed her body against his, stepping on her tiptoes so that she could put her lips on his. The kiss was sweet and passionate, lasting for almost five minutes. Sylvanas put her hands on his cheeks and caressed them softly after they had pulled away. "Take care of yourself, my love. Come to me as soon as you dealt with the Scourge and the wretched in Quel'Thalas. I'm already missing you."

"I'm already missing you too," Kelrian said and put his hand beneath her chin, lifting it. He stared into her eyes and lowered his head, kissing her again. The kiss was as sweet and passionate as the previous one. They stared at each other for nearly a minute and then averted their gazes, looking at the others who were smiling at them.

Sylvanas took Kelrian's right hand, running her thumb over its back. She touched the ring on his wedding finger, brought his hand to her lips and kissed the ring. Kelrian chuckled and did the same with the hand on which she was wearing his wedding ring. "When you come to Undercity, we should exchange them."

Kelrian nodded. "We should do that."

Sylvanas stepped away from him and walked to the portal, looking at the gathered persons. "I will see you soon. Take care of yourselves," she said before she stepped through the portal.