Chapter 79: Epilogue

He lifted his head as he felt an aura. A familiar aura that he hadn't felt for quite some time. His golden eyes reflected confusion as he turned his head to check his surroundings. "This cannot be possible," he whispered.

He turned his head and looked at the three sentient beings that were floating behind the golden throne he was sitting on. They had no eyes but he could still feel them staring at him. "Do you feel that?" he asked them.

"We do," one of the beings said.

"How is that possible? There is no way he's still alive."

The sentient beings remained silent and the man got the impression that they wouldn't say anything to him. It seemed that he had to find things out for himself. Instead of going towards the aura, he remained on his throne and waited. Waited for the aura to come closer. It came closer as expected.

His eyes narrowed when he eventually caught sight of the familiar creature. "You are not real," he shouted.

The creature's lips formed a smile. "I am."

"No, you aren't. I killed you in the Twisting Nether."

"You did but it was not me. I'm not your Mal'Ganis. I'm another version of him from another dimension."

He stood up abruptly and drew his sword out of theholster attached to the throne's left armrest. "In that case, I'll find great joy in killing you again."

The smile on Mal'Ganis' lips didn't vanish. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kalnier."

Kalnier titled his head. "How do you know my name?"

Mal'Ganis' smile became wider. "I know who you were before."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Let's say I have my connections."

Kalnier puffed and pointed the tip of his sword at the dreadlord. "Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you like the Mal'Ganis from my dimension?"

Mal'Ganis' grin reached from one ear to the other as he spoke. "I can help you to get something that interests you."

Kalnier tilted his head to the other side. "And what would that be?" Curiosity could be clearly heard in his voice.

Mal'Ganis gaze fell on the three sentient beings and rested on them for some moments before it wandered back to the golden warrior. "The Sword of the First Sentinel was destroyed in your dimension, right?"

"Yes, it was," Kalnier answered after a few seconds.

"Let's say I can help you to retrieve it from my dimension."

"You can?"

Mal'Ganis nodded.

Kalnier looked at the beings behind him "What do you want in return?" he asked as he looked back at the nathrezim.

"There is someone you need to... take care of. Someone from my dimension."

Kalnier's eyes reflected interest. "And who would that be?"

Mal'Ganis smirked. "You'll find out soon."

Kalnier looked at sentient beings once again as if he was asking for their permission. After several moments, his gaze shifted to Mal'Ganis once again. "I'm in."

A pleased smirk appeared on Mal'Ganis' lips. "Perfect."

---

Kelrian ran his hand over the soft curves of Sylvanas' butt, receiving a small smirk from her.

"You really like my butt, don't you?" she asked as she put on a black bra.

"I do," Kelrian admitted shamelessly.

"I like your butt too," Sylvanas responded. She leaned to the side and grabbed her panties, putting them on a few moments later.

"Thanks, I guess."

Sylvanas got up from the bed and walked to her wardrobe, taking out a pair of leggings. "Anyway, you wanted to talk to me about something, right?"

Kelrian got up from the bed as well, putting on a pair of trousers. "That's right. I went to Brill before I came to you and I spoke with some of the Forsaken stationed there."

Sylvanas' red eyes landed on him, one of her eyebrows was raised. "You did?" she asked curiously.

Kelrian nodded. "How shall I say it without making you upset? It seems that your subjects are not happy with the way you treat those who have a different opinion."

Sylvanas crossed her arms in front of her chest, tilting her head a little. The look on her face told Kelrian that bringing up that topic already annoyed her. He had to choose his words carefully if he wanted to be successful.

"It's about the one who got executed, right?" she asked snappishly.

"Not only about him. I was told that your subjects are afraid to say anything against you and your style of leadership because they don't want to lose their heads."

"Who said that?" Sylvanas hissed.

Kelrian tilted his head and frowned. "It doesn't matter, does it?"

"It does."

"And why does it matter?"

Sylvanas' lips formed a thin line, a frown could be seen on her forehead. She had no legitimate answer to his question, so she remained silent.

"No answer?"

"You are right, it doesn't matter who said that," Sylvanas admitted eventually.

"So, what did he do to deserve to be executed?" Kelrian asked carefully.

"He criticized me publicly. He dared to accuse me of not knowing what I'm doing. And he did that in front of my sisters. He insulted me and disgraced me in front of them. That is intolerable, especially because I do everything in my power to make sure that the Forsaken survive. I did everything for the Forsaken and he dared to accuse me of being a bad leader. Without me, the Forsaken would still be a part of the Scourge. They would have never dared to break free without me leading them." The tone of Sylvanas' voice told Kelrian that bringing up that topic again had struck a nerve with Sylvanas.

"I understand that you wanted to punish him but executing him was a bit too much, don't you think? He didn't deserve that gruesome fate."

Sylvanas stared at the floor, a defiant but also thoughtful look could be seen on her face. She chose to say nothing.

"You should have punished him differently. You could have locked him in a cell for one or two days or something else. You didn't have to kill him... I don't know if I can approve that."

"You are right," she muttered after a few minutes. She didn't look up from her feet as she continued, feeling ashamed somehow. "I shouldn't have executed him. I may have overreacted because I was not feeling too great. I didn't know if you would make it and I let my frustration out on someone else. That was wrong. I'm sorry."

Kelrian stepped to her, putting a hand beneath her chin. He lifted it up and stared into her crimson orbs, recognizing insecurity and vulnerability. "I just want to prevent a riot from arising, that is why I want you to stop forbidding your subjects from expressing their opinions. You should allow them to speak out freely without having to fear consequences. A reign of fear is not a good reign."

"You are right," Sylvanas admitted quietly. She remained silent for a few minutes and then asked a question Kelrian had not expected her to ask. "Are you breaking up with me?"

A confused expression appeared on Kelrian's face. "Of course not. How did you get this impression? I would never break up with you. I love you too much to do that, Sylvanas."

Relief was reflected by her face. "At least that."

Kelrian wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her closer. He pressed her face against his shoulder, running his fingers through her pale-blonde hair. He held her closely, running his hand over her back rhythmically. He kissed her forehead, her temples and her ears. Once she pulled away, he took advantage of the opportunity and press his lips on hers. The kiss was sweet and passionate, making both of them want for more. They added their tongues, deepening the kiss.

"I'll try to treat my subjects better from now on and try to act rationally and not emotionally," Sylvanas said.

"Good," Kelrian responded as he put a strand of hair behind her right ear. "I love you, Sylvanas."

"I love you too, Kelrian."

---

"Welcome back, Chosen One," a familiar voice greeted him. Kelrian's gaze fell on the naaru the very moment he heard its voice. Z'eru was floating above the floor in the middle of the hall, except for it, no one else was there.

"It is good to see you, Z'eru."

"Congratulations on your victory against Illidan."

Kelrian grimaced. "I didn't do much to achieve that victory. I lost consciousness at the beginning of the battle."

"That might be true but you still played a big role in the siege. You lead the main attack at the gate and defeated Brutallus together with your men. Without you, Brutallus would have killed many more creatures."

"You are not wrong. Nevertheless, I couldn't do much when we finally reached Illidan. Illidan's weapons pierced through my armour... He had needed just one attack to take me out... You promised me that my armour would hold out much longer," Kelrian replied.

"I did indeed. I had not expected Illidan to become so much stronger within a short amount of time. The armour wasn't good enough to protect you but we have a new one for you. One that is much firmer and at the same time lighter. The armour of the previous Chosen. We improved it a little."

"I will be honoured to wear it."

"We will bring it to you soon. In the meantime, take a seat," Z'eru responded.

Kelrian turned his head and checked his surroundings, noticing that there were no seating facilities in the room. "Where?"

Suddenly, a golden throne-like chair appeared in the middle of the room. "There."

Kelrian raised a brow. "A golden throne? Really?"

"Only the best for the Chosen One."

Kelrian rolled his eyes. "If you say so," he muttered. He didn't hesitate to take a seat, waiting for something to happen. A few minutes later, several humans, draenei and blood elves entered the room. They carried different pieces of armour made of the firmest material known to the naaru.

He turned his head and looked at the creature that hovered above the floor and stared at him. At least he assumed it stared at him because he had no proof that it actually did that. It had no eyes which could rest on him, so it was hard to tell for him if it was really looking at him.

Nevertheless, he was certain Z'eru was seeing him due to its magical abilities. It regarded him as one piece of armour after another was put on him.

The servants of the light treated each piece of armour with extreme carefulness because they didn't want to drop, scratch or damage it. They put on his shoes, greaves and his upper thigh armour first. They continued with the vest and coat of chain mail which were also golden like the rest of his armour.

The man lifted his left hand and signalized the servants to stop. They obeyed but gave him irritated looks before they looked at the creature next to him. "Is the chain mail really necessary?" he asked the sentient ancient being that was still watching him.

"It is. The light might have chosen you but that doesn't make you invincible. You need the right armour and the right weapon to defeat your enemies. OUR enemies." Z'eru's voice was warm and very high. It was pleasant to hear and soothed him.

"Alright. I will wear the chain mail if you wish, Z'eru," he said.

The ancient being didn't respond to him. It remained on its spot, some of its fragments rotated around the rest of its body. The humans, blood elves and draenei continued to put on the armour. The breastplate and shoulder plates were the next pieces that were put on. His upper arm armour and his gauntlets followed quickly. The only piece that was missing was his helmet.

He turned his head, looking at the tall male draenei that held the helmet in his hands. Like the rest of his armour, it was also golden. Small runes were engraved in the visor and the skull cap. The draenei walked behind him and lifted the helmet above his head. He slowly lowered it and carefully placed it on Kelrian's head.

Kelrian closed his eyes as he felt the power rush through his body when the armour was finally complete. He wore all pieces of the legendary armour of the previous Chosen. He felt so powerful. He felt as if he could crush mountains with his bare fists. He felt better than ever.

The power made him self-confident. Nevertheless, he remained calm. He knew he was neither invincible nor unstoppable. He knew that his gifted power didn't make him the strongest creature in the universe. His power was not unlimited, so he had to use it wisely.

The man regarded his gloved hands for a few moments before got up from the throne-like chair. His golden eyes fell on the sentient energy being. "What do you want me to do first, Z'eru?"

"You need to retrieve the remains of the sword your predecessor swung. We need to reforge it but to be able to do that you have to find all three pieces."

"Where do I find them?" Kelrian asked.

The energy being didn't answer him immediately. It waited until a female draenei had approached the curious man and handed him a golden splinter. "This is a splinter of the sword's blade. Use it to find all three pieces."

Kelrian nodded. "As you wish, Z'eru."

---

"Can you hand me the tomato salad?"

"Of course," Kelrian replied and picked up the bowl that stood not far away from him. He stood up and leaned over the table so that Vereesa could take it. She put the bowl in front of her and put salad on the twins' plates and on her own. The twins didn't seem to be happy about the healthy food on their plates. Vereesa noticed the expressions on their faces and spoke to them without hesitation. "Healthy food is very important, especially for children who are still growing."

Giramar and Galadin pulled faces at first but then they surrendered, knowing that there was no way to avoid the healthy food if they wanted to eat desserts later. Kelrian regarded the eight-year-olds with a smile on his lips, turning his head eventually to look at the woman to his left.

"Don't you want to eat something, honey?"

Sylvanas rolled her eyes and shook her head, giving him an amused look. "Quite funny, Kel. Keep making fun of me and I'll eat you alive later."

"Get a room, you two," someone else commented amusedly.

Kelrian turned his head, looking at the woman who had spoken. "Maybe later, Camillia," he responded, winking at her.

"You are impossible," she responded.

"Yes, we are," Sylvanas said to the dark-skinned woman. Camillia smiled at her and regarded her for a few moments before she looked at her daughter who sat to her right. Like Sylvanas, Lyndia was undead so she didn't need to eat anything.

She had died when she had been fourteen years old,but she still looked like a sixteen-year-old undead teenager while Raesh looked like an adult even though he had been born in the same year as her. He was twenty-two years old which was nothing for an elf. In the eyes of his people, he was still a baby. The average blood elf would live more than three thousand years if they didn't die in battle or become ill, so twenty-two years was really nothing in comparison. Raesh was at the beginning of the prime of his life while Lyndia will always look like sixteen.

She didn't age nor could she die of old age because she was already dead. Finding a partner was not easy for a Forsaken, the fact that she looked like sixteen didn't make things better for her. Even though she was undead, she still had needs and desires like every other undead. Finding a partner who accepted her for who she was, was one of her dreams but she didn't have any luck so far.

Nevertheless, she was happy with the life she had. Her aunt Sylvanas had helped her to get used to her undead life and even find joy in it. Her mother had fully accepted her and was not afraid to spend time with her or hug and kiss her. Nothing had changed for her. She still loved her daughter more than anything else even though she was undead.

"You are the best example that death cannot stop love," Alleria said cheerfully. "I'm very happy that you found each other again after everything that had happened."

Sylvanas' gaze fell on her older sister. "Don't worry, Lady Sun. We will find Turalyon and free him from Arthas' control."

Alleria took a sip from her glass of wine and nodded. "We will and then we will make Arthas pay for everything he did to our kingdom and our family."

Sylvanas smiled but said nothing, putting her hand on Kelrian's upper thigh who was still weighing up the various choices of food. He couldn't decide what to eat.

Sylvanas brought her lips close to Kelrian's ear, running her hand over his upper thigh. "You can eat me later if you want if you behave well."

Kelrian said nothing in return, pretending that he didn't hear her. Sylvanas chuckled and leaned back, removing her hand from his thigh and putting it on his back. He put chicken breast filets, potatoes and some vegetables on his plate. He was looking forward to tasting the delicious-looking meal.

Kelrian frowned as he noticed that his cutlery was missing. He could swear that it had been right next to his plate a minute ago. He raised an eyebrow, turning his head a little. His gaze fell on Sylvanas who was looking at someone else, acting normal.

"Sylvanas?"

The Banshee Queen turned her head slowly, looking at her husband with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Have you seen my cutlery?"

It took some effort for Sylvanas not to grin at him or break out in laughter but she managed to keep her poker face on. "No, I haven't."

Kelrian tilted his head a little and took a closer look at her. He put his hand on her back and let it wander to her ass. Sylvanas pretended that she was shocked that he was touching her but she couldn't keep her facade for long. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Quite funny," Kelrian said as he pulled the cutlery out from under her buttocks. "I didn't know that a twelve-year-old is trapped in the body of my wife," he said jokingly.

Sylvanas elbowed him and giggled, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I can be more serious if you want. As serious as I am with my subjects."

Kelrian shook his head. "Nah, I rather prefer the funny Sylvanas than the very serious Sylvanas."

Sylvanas smile became wider. "Good." She took the glass that stood in front of Kelrian and brought it to her lips, emptying it in one go.

"Ey, that was mine," Kelrian complained. "Your body is not even able to absorb liquids, so why did you do that?"

Sylvanas grinned. "You should know better than anyone else that my body is absolutely able to absorb liquids," she said quietly but everyone still heard it. The elves in particular had heard every single word clearly.

"Sylvanas...There are children present...Behave," Alleria scolded. "Otherwise, I have to punish you."

Sylvanas chuckled but said nothing in return, despite the fitting response that had just crossed her mind. She gave her big sister an apologizing look and then looked at Vereesa's twins, finding out that they had no clue what she was talking about. They were so sweet and innocent. Nevertheless, Alleria was right. She should stop making double entendres.

"I'll need a new set of cutlery," Kelrian said after he had sniffed on it. "It now smells after you, Sylvanas."

"Which is not a bad thing. I don't see any problem with that."

Kelrian chuckled. "Well, if I want to enjoy my food, it is a bad thing."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes, repressing another comment she would have loved to make but didn't make because they were not alone.

"Take this father," Raesh said, handing him a new set of cutlery that he had just conjured.

Kelrian looked at him as he accepted it. "Thank you."

He glanced at Kaelor who sat next to Raesh before he looked at his plate, taking the fork in his left hand and the knife in his other hand. He cut off a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth. It was very delicious. He squashed the potatoes and pushed them into the sauce, eating a fork full of them. They were delicious as well. Kelrian ate his meal in silence, not caring that Sylvanas' hand rested once again on his left upper thigh.

He finished his meal and refilled this glass, emptying it before Sylvanas could do it again. His gaze rested on her as he drank, the smirk on her lips was unmistakable. Sylvanas patted his thigh, giving him a wink which Kelrian couldn't interpret.

Kelrian stared at her for several long moments but then his attention shifted to his cousin that was chatting with Whitemane and Danara. The three got along very well. They had gotten friends over the past weeks and they loved to spend time with each other.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on her uncle and then wandered to her father. "I wish mother was there with us to celebrate our victory over Illidan. I still feel bad for killing her..."

Her father gave her a small smile. "You should not reproach yourself for that, my dear. You didn't want to fight your mother nor did you want to kill her. It was Arthas who forced you to do that."

Sylvanas took Kelrian's wine glass, which he had refilled in the meantime, and took a large sip. "I know but I still feel guilty... from time to time at least."

Kelrian put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her closer and kissed her right temple. "Your father is right, you won't do yourself a favour if you hate yourself for something you were forced to do. We all know you didn't want any of this to happen."

Sylvanas nodded. "You are right, I shouldn't hate myself for the things that bastard forced me to do." She turned her head and leaned over to Kelrian, pressing her lips on his. She needed that kiss so badly at this moment, needed the confirmation that Kelrian still loved her besides the things she had done in the past.

She savoured that sweet and passionate kiss, not caring that everyone around them was watching them as she deepened the kiss by inserting her tongue in Kelrian's mouth. Only when Alleria cleared her throat, Sylvanas pulled away. "I'm very happy for you two but there is no need to give us a show," the older sister said.

Sylvanas didn't blush as she looked at her sister. "You are right. I'm sorry."

Alleria chuckled but said nothing in return, smiling at her baby sister. She leaned over to Vereesa and whispered something in her ear, causing her to chuckle as well.

Sylvanas raised a brow, wondering what Alleria had said to Vereesa. But before she could ask her, she felt Kelrian caressing her cheek. She looked at him and returned the smile that could be seen on his lips. They stared into each other's eyes for some time, listening to the chatting of the others.

They were holding hands and snuggling close to each other, Sylvanas even slid onto his lap after a while. Kelrian wrapped his arms around her, putting his hands on her waist. They shared a few quick kisses, one of Kelrian's hands wandered dangerously close to her breasts but it didn't go further. He didn't do anything inappropriate.

"Are there any news about your father, Kel?" Camillia asked after some time.

"You should ask Rhonin that question. He and the Kirin Tor are trying to find a way to revert the effect of the fel energy which he has regularly absorbed."

Camillia's gaze fell on Rhonin who looked at her as well. "We are making progress, I think. We made Kael'thas speak to us. He is not crazy all the time but he has his phases where he talks very weird stuff. I'm not sure if we can revert that but we do our best to heal him from his addiction to fel magic. We try to accustom his body only to this arcane magic again. Once his condition gets better, we might bring him to the Sunwell. Hopefully, it will cure him."

Camillia looked at Kelrian. "I hope the best for your father."

Kelrian smiled. "Thanks. Now that I know that all of my siblings are dead and no one had ever heard of my mother again, my father is the only relative I have left, besides Raesh of course."

"And Sylvera," Raesh added.

Sadness could be seen in Kelrian's eyes as he heard that name but it only lasted for a split second. "And Sylvera. We have to free her too, just like Turalyon."

"We will free them no matter the cost," Sylvanas said determinedly, putting her hand on his.

Kelrian smiled at her as he stared into her crimson eyes. They didn't hesitate long to bring their faces together, fusing their lips.

A creature was regarding them from a far distance. A crystal ball was hovering between her hands, allowing her to see everything. A dissatisfied expression could be seen on her face that was as white as chalk. Anger glowed in her red eyes, her pale lips were parted so that her gritted white teeth could be seen.

Her long ears were tightly pressed against the sides of her head, the icy, howling wind toyed her pure white hair. Hate filled her husky voice. "You were mine but that whore stole you from me. I'll give her what she deserves and then you will be mine, my love. No one will ever tear us apart again. You will be mine forever."

She started at the crystal ball much longer, throwing it on the cold ground as she saw Kelrian and Sylvanas kissing again. The ball shattered into thousands of small pieces but she didn't care.

"Miss Darkvein?" a voice asked.

The woman turned around immediately, her hate-filled eyes landed on the cultist. "What do you want, maggot?" she roared out.

The man flinched but quickly managed to pull himself together. "The master wants to see you. He has a new task for you."

The anger in her voice disappeared. It appeared as if she had calmed down. "Very well. I won't let him wait."