Chapter 72: Friends And Family

Sweat was running down her forehead, over her face, reaching her chin. There was nothing that could stop these tiny, transparent drops from dripping down her chin and land on the soil beneath her feet which were not resting. Her feet didn't stop moving, landing on a different spot with each passing second. Her movement was quick, quicker than the movements of average humanoid creatures but not fast enough to surpass him.

His moves were faster and more agile, the strength behind his blows was immense. She knew things would look bad for her if this would be a serious fight. She knew he was much stronger than her but she had no reason to be afraid of him.

There had been a time when they had been on different sides but they no longer were. They were on the same side, serving the same celestial beings. Their motives had been completely different in the past but they no longer were these days. They wanted the same.

"You have become better," Kelrian complimented as he caught the wrist of the white-haired woman he was sparring with.

"Not good enough," replied the woman and tried to hit him with her second fist.

Kelrian gave her a small smile as he caught it as well. "I wouldn't say that. Not so long ago, you didn't manage to come close to my face but now you can. Your skills have become much better, they are quite impressive, Sally. You are underestimating yourself."

Sally managed to free her left wrist, preparing another punch but Kelrian blocked it with his right forearm. "Maybe."

Kelrian regarded her for a few moments before he weakened his grip on Whitemane's other fist, allowing her to get free. "I think we had enough for now. Your skin is covered in sweat and your hair is wet, not to mention that your clothes are drenched. Let's make a pause, so you can change. Take a rest and come to me in an hour, then we will continue."

"As you wish, master," Whitemane said and lowered her head in respect. She waited for a few moments and then walked over to her training staff and picked it up. Kelrian watched her leaving the marked area until she vanished from his sight eventually. He averted his gaze as soon as he could no longer see her, catching sight of another familiar person.

The man's skin had a pale green colour, his hair colour was much darker than his eyes which were bright green. A warm smile appeared on Kelrian's lips as the man came closer. The man stopped in front of him, his lips formed a thin line, his curious eyes stared into Kelrian's.

Kelrian didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around the man's shoulders, pulling him closer to him. He hugged him but let go of him quickly, knowing he didn't like to be hugged for too long. Kelrian was fine with that, he was glad enough that the man was there and still himself after everything that had happened. He didn't want to imagine how things would be if he would have lost him. His presence meant a lot to him.

"It's good to see you, my son," Kelrian said to him and patted his back before he removed his hand.

Raesh nodded his head, his lips were slightly parted. It appeared as if he wanted to say something but nothing except for quiet groans could be heard. He gently pressed his fingers on his throat, the doubt in his eyes was unmistakable. Raesh wanted to speak to his father, wanted to tell him how he felt and how much he had missed him but he couldn't. He was not able to produce any recognizable word of any language he knew.

Kelrian put a hand on Raesh's right shoulder and gave him a comforting look. "Don't worry, my son. We will find a solution. You will be able to speak again one day."

A small amount of hope could be seen in Raesh's eyes as he nodded. Kelrian was about to say something as he noticed another familiar person. "Look who is here."

Raesh turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the person approaching them from behind. His lips formed a smile, his eyes lightened up and reflected delight. He was happy to see the familiar man.

It was no other than Kaelor, Raesh's lover and one of Liadrin's best paladins. He stepped next to his boyfriend, regarding him for a few moments with a smile on his face before he averted his gaze to look at Kelrian. He lowered his head in awe, keeping it down until Kelrian told him to lift it again.

"There is no need to be so formal, Kaelor. You are basically family and even if you wouldn't be, you don't have to bow to me or lower your head. I know that servants of the light like you regard me as a very special being but I'm not that special."

"You are quite modest, sir."

Kelrian laughed. "Sir? Please don't call me like that. Chosen is not an option either. Just call me by my name. As I said, you are family to me and none of my family members calls me Chosen or calls me by my titles."

Kaelor nodded. "As you wish, S...Kelrian."

Kelrian's lips formed a satisfied smile. "Much better."

Kaelor's lips formed a similar smile but he said nothing in return. He just regarded Kelrian.

"Can I help you somehow?" Kelrian asked eventually.

Kaelor shook his head. "Not really. I was just looking for Raesh, that's it."

"Why don't you two go somewhere and spent some time together? It's not that I want to get rid of you but there is something I must do before my student returns."

Kaelor took Raesh's hand and slowly dragged him to the east. "We will leave you in peace then."

Kelrian smiled. "I will see you later. Have fun."

"You too."

Kelrian waited until they had vanished from his sight and turned around staring in a certain direction, at a certain spot. "I can sense you," he finally said. "There is no reason to hide."

Someone appeared out of nowhere a few seconds later. It was a female blood elf who stood not far away from Kelrian. She had long blood-red hair and wore solid armour which covered her entire body except for her head. She wore the armour of a Blood Knight General. Her face was familiar, so was her aura.

Kelrian sat down on the ground, an amused smile appeared on his lips. "It has been a while, Danara."

The disguised demon walked over to him and sat down next to him, accepting the bottle he offered. She removed the lid of the water bottle and drank, putting the now half-empty bottle next to her left knee. "How did you notice me?"

"I just know when a demon is around me. Maybe it's because I'm the Chosen of the light. As you know, the light is the biggest weakness of the demons and my powers are enormous. I don't want to brag about it, just you know. Not to mention that my senses are very sharp and my hearing is extraordinarily good, just like the hearing of all elves. I felt your presence but I also heard your steps."

Danara gave him a small nod. "I understand."

"I assume your servants delivered my message."

"They did."

A curious look appeared in Kelrian's golden orbs. "So, what do you say?"

Danara turned her head, checking her surroundings. "Seems no one is near us."

"Don't worry, Danara. No one will find out who you truly are."

"I hope so. It's very dangerous for me to show up in this place. What an irony if you consider that we used to be allies."

"We still are allied," Kelrian replied without hesitation.

"Tyrande Whisperwind has a different opinion about that, so has the majority of the Alliance. Most leaders no longer trust me and my people after your father corrupted my father and you."

Kelrian exhaled. "It's not about your father and my father. It's more about your race. Being a demon is one thing but being a nathrezim is another story. Everyone knows these days that the nathrezim are manipulators."

He raised his left hand, signalizing Danara to let him finish before she would protest and argue about it. "I know that not every nathrezim is like that but in the eyes of the Alliance they are. I know it's wrong to generalize but... I can't really change their minds about it. We need to find a way to regain their trust in you and your brethren. Until then, you have to wear this disguise."

Danara nodded. "Seems I have no other choice."

"Just give them time. They will realise one day how wrong their opinions are. I will do anything in my power to convince them of the opposite. Promised."

"If not, it's fine as well. I don't mind being a blood elf. On the contrary, this body has grown on me."

Kelrian smiled. "That's great to hear."

"I live among the blood elves for more than a year and no one ever noticed anything. They have no clue that I'm a demon."

"Glad to hear that your integration worked flawlessly." Kelrian noticed the way she smiled and the certain look in her eyes.

"You are thinking about someone, aren't you?"

Danara's smile turned into a shy one, her cheeks became red. "Indeed, I am." She stopped speaking but continued once she had found the right words. "I think I fell in love with someone."

"I don't see anything wrong about that."

Danara's expression changed. First, it became neutral but then a little worried. "Well, how do I say it? Of course, there is nothing wrong with it but the person thinks I'm a blood elf just like her. I don't want to know what she will think of me when she finds out that I'm not."

Kelrian's thumb and index finger toyed with his bottom lip, a thoughtful look could be seen on his face. He was silent for nearly a minute. "Well, you cannot tell her who you really are, obviously. You should wait until I find a way to convince Tyrande that you are a trustworthy person. I understand that waiting sucks but sometimes we don't have another choice. If she feels the same way about you, she will accept you much more easily for who you are."

Danara took a deep breath, exhaling a few moments later. "You are right."

"Do you want to tell me who it is or do you want to keep it secret? I don't mind not knowing it. Just keep in mind that I'm on your side. I made your father a promise and I intend to keep it. I will help you free your people and avenge them."

"I'm glad you are still on my side, I don't know what I would do without you. Grief would have overwhelmed me and I would have made many bad decisions as a result, I assume."

Kelrian was about to put a hand on her shoulder but then he remembered that he would hurt her if he would do that. He pulled his hand back, giving the nathrezim a comfortable smile instead. "That's what friends are for."

Danara's eyes widened. "You consider me a friend?"

Kelrian's first response was a nod. Words quickly followed. "I do. We spent a lot of time together since I made a pact with your father. We have been through a lot together. You are not just a partner or an ally for me. You are more than that."

Danara's smile was wider than ever, her face reflected happiness. "Your words mean a lot to me. I also consider you as a friend, to be honest."

"About your girlfriend..."

"She is not my girlfriend," Danara intervened quickly. "Not yet at least," she added nervously.

"Alright. It's up to you if you want to wait until I managed to convince Tyrande or if you want to tell her your feelings sooner. Listen to your heart."

Danara gave him a thankful nod. "I will not rush things and take my time to think about everything."

"Sounds good."

"The good thing is that she is not a servant of the light, so her touches don't hurt me."

"A relationship would be pretty difficult if she would be a servant of the light. Anyway, you don't have to tell me who it is. I'll let myself be surprised."

"I appreciate your tips. Thank you."

"No problem. That's what friends are for. In fact, I don't have many friends. Zetai and Nathanos were my best friends but death changed them drastically. Nathanos is jealous of me and Zetai don't seem to care about me. I could count Rhonin as a friend but he is basically family. The only ones I consider as friends beside you are Velsana, Vissia and Marcus."

"You are my only friend," admitted Danara. "I have many loyal servants but I don't consider them as friends. You are the only one who means something to me."

"Just one friend is better than none."

"True."

Kelrian's face became more serious. "As much as I like to chat with you, it is time to get serious again. I requested this meeting for a reason. I want you to join me. I want you to help me to stop Illidan. Your skills and knowledge will make a difference. We need to overthrow Illidan by any means but he must live."

A curious expression appeared on the demon's face. "Why?"

"It has something to do with a vision I saw. That's all I can say for now. I promised the naaru to not tell anyone why I need him alive."

"I understand. I will help you of course. Illidan once served Kil'jaeden, so I'm sure he has a lot of useful knowledge about him. Maybe he even knows how and where to find him. If I want to achieve my goal, the goal of my father, I need to know what Illidan knows. The Betrayer must live."

"I thank you, Danara."

The demon smiled. "Don't thank me yet. Thank me when we succeed."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Kelrian and Danara talked until Whitemane returned. She wore a new training outfit, her hair was slightly wet, telling Kelrian that she had taken a shower.

"Who is that?" the former High Inquisitor asked as she approached her master.

"This is my friend..." A thoughtful look appeared on Kelrian's face. He had no idea how Danara was calling herself in this form.

"Velestra," Danara replied when she realized that she had never told Kelrian the sin'dorei name she had taken. "Velestra Bloodoath."

"I'm Sally Whitemane," Whitemane replied and stretched her arm out, offering her a handshake.

"I don't want to insult you, Sally, but I prefer if we not shake hands. I have a kind of fear of contact."

Whitemane nodded understandingly. "I see. Sorry to hear that."

"Velestra is a friend of mine. We know each other for a few years and we have been working together against the Legion. She will join us in the mission to free Akama and the Warden."

"It will be a pleasure for me to work with you, Velestra," Whitemane responded. Her lips formed a smile, the look in her eyes told Danara that Whitemane was not just saying this to be polite. She meant it.

"It will be a pleasure for me too."

Kelrian looked at Danara. "Sally and I will continue our training now. I'll see you later, Velestra."

Danara nodded. "See you later." Her gaze fell on Whitemane. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again," Whitemane replied delightfully.

Danara returned her smile, regarding her for a few moments before she waved and began to walk away. Whitemane's gaze followed her. "What a sweet girl."

"Don't worry, she is not just a pretty face. She is a very tough woman, you'll see."

"I don't doubt that, master."

"Good. Are you ready for round two?"

Whitemane's smile became wider. "Of course, I am."

---

"So Illidan was behind all of this? I would have never imagined that he would be the one stirring up Whitemane against us," Alleria said as she poured moonberry juice in two glasses. She put the jug away and brought the glasses to her desk. She put one in front of herself and the other in front of one of her guests. She sat down on her chair, her gaze fell back on the familiar woman who had just told her what she had found out.

"I know you neither drink nor eat but do you still want something, sister?"

Sylvanas put one leg over the other and shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

"Did Balnazzar spill out more information or was that everything he told you?" Alleria asked curiously.

"He said nothing else to me. Nothing else noteworthy at least. Nothing useful."

Alleria grabbed her glass and brought it to her lips, taking a sip. She watched Vereesa doing the same but in contrast to her, she emptied the whole glass in one go. "Thirsty, are we?" she commented amused.

"I was outside the whole day and the sun shines brighter than ever. I have every reason to be thirsty," Vereesa replied.

"Tell me if you want more, sis."

"I will."

Alleria's gaze fell back on her middle sister. "The Scarlet Crusade is no longer are a threat, so what are you going to do now?"

"I'll send troops to Outland. The numbers won't be huge but it's better than nothing. I still need to secure my borders in case of any unexpected attacks. Not to mention that the Scourge is still active in the Plaguelands. I wish I could send more soldiers to Outland but I cannot right now. I can't withdraw more of my forces from my territory," Sylvanas explained.

"We have thousands of warriors stationed on Outland. Lots of them have experiences in fighting demons. I'm sure Tyrande will lead us to victory. She has much more experiences than any of us," responded Vereesa.

"She is over ten thousand years old, so she must have more experiences than the three of us put together. I've never seen her fighting but I've heard she is a great warrioress. I don't think she will mess this up. It is only a matter of time until Illidan's defeat," Alleria told.

A thoughtful look appeared on Sylvanas' face. "I wish I could be on Outland and fight by my husband's side but I have a city to run. I may trust Varimathras but I do not want to leave Undercity in his claws too often."

Alleria took another sip from her juice. "I still don't understand how you can trust a demon. Demons are evil."

Sylvanas tilted her head a little. "Not all of them are. Exadius wasn't, neither is his daughter. But you are right about the majority of demons. Nevertheless, you shouldn't prejudice all of them."

Alleria thought about her words for a few moments. "You are right. We should never prejudice creatures because of their looks or because of the race they belong to. But we agree on the term that it's not wrong to be extra careful around demons."

"I can live with that. If only the High Priestess would give some demons a chance. She doesn't allow any of them to help us. There are dozens who would join us to stop Illidan. Danara and her followers are on our side but they cannot help us as long the High Priestess and her husband, King Greymane and King Varian refuse to work with them. The dwarves and the Warden also spoke out against working with them. Seems only us and Kelrian are for working with the rebellious demons."

It was Vereesa's turn to say something. "The leadership of Dalaran didn't come to an agreement but even if they would be on our side, the odds are still not in our favour. We would still be outnumbered by those who are against working with the demons."

Sylvanas leaned closer to her younger sister, letting her gaze wander as if she was afraid someone could be there who could hear her. "You trust me, don't you?"

Vereesa took Sylvanas' hand and intertwined her warm fingers with Sylvanas' cold ones. Her response came immediately. "Of course, I do."

Sylvanas offered Alleria her other hand, turning her head to look at her as she took it. "I also trust you, sister," Alleria said reassuringly.

Sylvanas' lips formed a smile. "I knew it." The smile quickly vanished and her facial expression became serious. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Her sisters nodded, signalizing her to tell them once she was ready. Sylvanas leaned further forward, smiling as her sisters did the same. Their heads were not far away from each other. She was rarely physically so close to her sisters and she couldn't deny she had missed that. This reminded her of a time where they had been much younger. They had spent a lot of time together, had shared common interests and supported each other whenever they could. They used to tell each other all their secrets and they had never judged anyone for what they had told.

Sylvanas missed those times. She missed the times where she had lived with Alleria, Vereesa and Lirath in their parents' house and did a lot of silly things together. Pranking their cousins and uncles, pillow-fighting and even hide and seek had belonged to their favourite activities.

Sylvanas also remembered the activities they had done together when they had grown older. They had loved to hunt deer, boars, lynxes and other animals. Sometimes they had even found bandits in the woods while they had been looking for edible berries and mushrooms.

Sylvanas treasured these memories and remembered them from time to time when she was not busy. Usually when Kelrian was not there and she was sad but also when she was just missing her sisters. Arthas might have taken her life but he didn't take her memories. Sometimes these memories pained her but usually, they helped her to keep her sanity. They reminded her that she was not alone. She still had friends and family she could rely on.

Sylvanas blinked a few times when she realised that she had drifted off in thoughts. She didn't miss the questioning expression on her sisters' faces. "Is everything alright, Sylvanas?" Vereesa asked worriedly.

Sylvanas nodded. "Yes, everything is alright. I was just lost in thoughts."

"What did you wanted to tell us?" Alleria asked.

"I wanted to tell you that Kelrian decided to work with Danara."

"Work with her? Behind Tyrande's back?"

Sylvanas nodded but said nothing in return. Vereesa averted her gaze and looked at her oldest sister. "What do you think about this, Alleria?"

"Kelrian will be in trouble if Tyrande ever finds out that he pledged an alliance with Danara behind her back. She will be very mad for sure. But as long as he manages to keep it secret, I don't have a problem with that. I trust Kelrian and if he trusts her then I won't say anything against it."

"I share the same opinion," Sylvanas said to Vereesa.

"We can only hope that Tyrande never finds out," the youngest of the three sisters said.

"Even if she finds out, I'm certain Kelrian will manage to solve things with her. The naaru support him and they approved their cooperation. Tyrande is a reasonable woman, she will understand one day. It's just the anger for Illidan that blinds her and controls her. Control might not be the right word. Influence is a more fitting word. Influence in a bad way," said Alleria.

"We only know little of her past with Illidan. We don't know enough to judge her," Sylvanas said carefully.

"I wasn't judging her, I would never dare."

Sylvanas brushed her thumb over the back of Alleria's hand, her crimson eyes bored into hers. "I know, sis." She let go of her sisters' hands and leaned back in her chair, putting her hands on her stomach.

She cleared her throat. "Danara is much older than Tyrande and any other night elf we know. She had insights into the Legion's schemes for a long time. She has knowledge we can only wish for and I'm sure she will make great use of it. I have no doubt she will prove useful for us. Not only in defeating Illidan but also in defeating the Scourge. She will help us to kill that son of a bitch."

Alleria stood up when she noticed the grim look on Sylvanas' face and walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Like I said multiple times before, we will make that bastard pay for what he did to you, our kingdom and our people. He will pay for what he did to our family."

Sylvanas looked up at her sister who was giving her a comforting smile. Sylvanas' lips didn't move but Alleria could notice the change in her eyes. She no longer had the murderous look in her eyes that had appeared out of nowhere when she had spoken out the name of the faction that was serving Arthas loyally. She was still upset but no longer furious.

Alleria gave her sister a small smile, stepping behind her. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her from behind, putting her head on her left shoulder. That was only possible because Sylvanas didn't wear her shoulder plates. She only took them off when she knew she would meet her family or her husband.

Sylvanas put her left hand on Alleria's cheek, closing her eyes. The warmth that was radiated by her sister's body was pleasant and comforting. She enjoyed the body contact and so did Alleria. Like Sylvanas and Vereesa, Alleria was very happy that they still had a close relationship after everything that had happened. Sylvanas might be undead but she was still her sister. She was not a monster. She was still a person who had feelings. She could be happy but she could also be sad and hurt.

All Alleria wanted was her sisters to be happy. She hated to see them sad and she would do anything in her power to help them and make them happy. She had lost many members of her family since the First War. Too many. She would do anything to protect those who remained and she wouldn't shrink back from killing to save her sisters and the rest of her family. She was their big sister, so it was her duty to watch over them. She had promised their mother to always look out for her sisters no matter what will happen. She intended to keep that promise.

Alleria released the embrace after a while, stepping away from Sylvanas. She returned to her chair, sitting down once again. She wrapped one leg over the other, giving Sylvanas a small smile. Her sister returned the smile but said nothing. The following silence was slightly uncomfortable but it didn't last for too long.

"How is your son?" Vereesa asked her middle sister.

"He is still not speaking but other than that he is fine. He trains hard, hangs out with his boyfriend and supports our troops on Outland. He is doing well in battle, he killed numerous demons so far. His friends call him 'The Great Demon Slayer'. 'Though it's more meant as a joke than as a serious nickname. But he is doing great at killing demons," Sylvanas responded. The pride in her eyes and in her voice was unmistakable.

"That's great to hear. You must be really proud of him."

"I am. He is a selfless, brave young man who would do anything to protect Azeroth. He comes after his father."

"He has that from you too. Don't sweep yourself under the carpet, Sylvie."

"Sylvie... It has been a long time since anyone called me that," Sylvanas whispered quietly. Their great elven hearing was the only reason Alleria and Vereesa had heard Sylvanas.

"Verena used to call you that, didn't she?" Alleria asked.

"She did in life but she never dared to call me that since her death."

"I wonder why," said Vereesa.

"We have been best friends before the fall of Quel'Thalas. We changed, obviously, but so did our relationship. She still loves me but we are not as close as we used to be. Her obvious jealously of Kelrian doesn't make things easier. I know she will never do anything to Kelrian but... I don't know... Our relationship has been purely professional since we broke free from the Scourge. I am her superior and she is my servant. My right hand to be exact. She helps because she loves me, but also because she believes in me. She is loyal and that's all that matters for me."

"But you still care for her, don't you?" asked her older sister.

"I do but I won't do any attempts to re-establish our friendship as long as she cannot suppress her jealousy. I don't need a friend who is jealous of my husband," Sylvanas explained.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't want to have such a friend if I were you either."

Sylvanas sighed as she leaned back in her chair, put one hand in the other and placed them on her lap. "I didn't ask you about your sons in return. Sorry about that."

Vereesa put a strand of hair behind her ear and gave her undead sister a small smile. "There is nothing to be sorry about."

"So how are your boys, Little Moon?" Sylvanas asked. She had no reason to pretend to be interested because she was really interested in the well-being of her nephews.

"They are doing great. They are playful, lovingly curious little creatures. I'm very glad to have them even though they can be very annoying and clingy from time to time. But I love them, of course, I do. They are the best that happened to me in my life. With Rhonin of course."

Alleria regarded the white-haired woman with a delightful smile. "I understand you, Vereesa. Arator is the best that happened to me. I'm glad I decided to stay and watch him grow instead of going through the Dark Portal. I'm glad both of you managed to convince me to stay. You were right about everything you told me back then. The Alliance managed to close the portal without mine and Turalyon's help."

"We are also happy. We would have terribly missed you if you would have joined the expedition. Not to mention that you would have disappeared with the expedition group. I don't want to imagine a world without you. I don't imagine how things would be if you wouldn't have returned from Outland just like those who volunteered to close the Dark Portal. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they went on that mission and closed the portal. They brought peace to Azeroth. The peace lasted for a while until..." Sylvanas stopped speaking. She lowered her gaze and looked at her black fingernails. She regarded them for several moments but she lifted her gaze again and looked back at her sisters who gave her comforting looks.

"Until the Scourge...The portal...I wouldn't say that those heroes died for nothing but... You know, they achieved their goal but the Dark Portal was opened again fifteen years later."

"I get your point, sis," Alleria replied. "The portal might be open again but that doesn't change the fact that those heroes gave their lives to bring us peace. They succeeded and if the Scourge wouldn't have destroyed Quel'Thalas and corrupted the Sunwell, Kael'thas would have never helped Illidan and Lady Vashj to opened it again."

"These heroes will never be forgotten."

Alleria nodded but said nothing in return. A thoughtful look appeared on her forehead. Sylvanas regarded her sister, wondering what was going on in her head. "What about your son, Alleria? How is Arator doing?"

"He is doing well. He still hasn't come to terms with the death of his father and it seems that killing Scourge minions is one of his coping strategies but I'm not sure if it will help in the long run."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Vereesa asked.

"I did but he doesn't open to me. Or not enough at least. I wish I could do something for him but he won't let me help him. I don't know what to do." Alleria stopped speaking for a few moments. Her bottom lip was quivering, tears formed in the corners of her eyes and as she continued. Sylvanas noticed the change in the tone of her voice. Alleria didn't sound as confident as she had been before. Her voice was higher andeven shaking a little. She was emotional. "I wish I could help him, he is my son, my everything. It hurts me to see him sad. It hurts me to know that he is still not over it. I already lost Turalyon, I cannot lose him too. I cannot..."

Sylvanas got up without hesitation and approached her sister. She pulled her from her chair and wrapped her arms around her, putting her head on Alleria's shoulders. She did the same Alleria had done less than half an hour ago. She was there for her and comforted her as best as she could.

At first, she said nothing when tears ran down Alleria's cheeks.

She stayed quiet for a few minutes but then she whispered soothing words in Alleria's ear. She ran her fingers through her sister's golden mane, massaging her scalp softly. Her other hand rested on her back and caressed it carefully. Sylvanas hugged Alleria for a while but then she pulled away and allowed Vereesa to do the same. She sat down on the edge of Alleria's desk, watching her sisters.

They pulled away eventually, the look on Alleria's face told Sylvanas that she was feeling better. "I didn't expect to break out in tears, sorry about that."

Sylvanas gave her older sister a sympathetic smile. "There is no reason to be sorry. You are still a living being with emotions. There is nothing wrong with becoming emotional when talking about a highly sensitive topic. The love of your life died and is forced to serve the Scourge but there is still hope. I managed to break free from the Scourge and I'm sure that Turalyon can break free too. He just needs a little help. Or maybe more than a little. I promise I'll do everything in my power to get him back. But not only him. Sylvera too."

"We can do it, we just have to believe in it," added Vereesa.

Alleria wrapped her arms around her sisters and pulled them closer to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the presence of her sisters. "I'm glad to have you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"We will always support you, Lady Sun. Always," Sylvanas murmured into the blonde's ear.

Alleria left kisses on the cheeks of her sisters before she pulled away, giving them a small smile. She regarded them in turns, enjoying the comfortable silence with them. She cleared her throat eventually and walked to the window on the right side of the room. She stopped in front of it and regarded the outside. "Would you stroll with me through the royal garden and regard the beautiful flowers?"

She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at her sisters who were very close to her. "Of course, we would," answered Vereesa and offered her a hand. Alleria turned around and took it without hesitation, intertwining their fingers. She took Sylvanas' hand too, her skin tingled when Sylvanas' cold fingers met hers. As expected, her skin got quickly used to the cold touch.

"Let's go," announced the eldest sister. She didn't need to drag her sisters with her because they followed her voluntarily. They walked to the door and left the room together, happy expressions could be seen on their faces.