Confronted

"You're a Lieutenant, you have no say when it comes to these decisions!" Larysa yelled at her grandson, pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a long sigh.

"What did you want me to do, leave them all to die to the undead?" Athrodar asked her. "I couldn't stand by and watch innocent people die."

"You weren't even supposed to be that far west!" Larysa told him. "You were tasked to find Arthas and his army and report back to us when they began to move out. Not follow them and save as many people as you can and bring them back here like some sort of charity service." Larysa shook her head and turned her back on her grandson. "You're lucky the General likes you, otherwise I don't know what would happen."

Athrodar opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the doors to the meeting room opened up and both Sylvanas and Kael'thas walked through them, the Ranger-General frowning at him as he continued to stand there. "Lieutenant?" She said, standing beside him. "When did you get back?" She whispered to him, watching Kael'thas talk to Larysa and send her on her way to find the Convocation and his father.

"Almost an hour ago." He told her, smiling at the General a little. "Now's not the best time for me I'm afraid. I may have gone against both the King's wishes and the Convocation's."

Sylvanas began to smile a little, looking over to Kael'thas who began to pace back and forth. "We may be in a similar boat then. Dalaran was attacked and has fallen, but Prince Kael'thas and I, along with my company, evacuated as many citizens as possible and brought them back here before they too shared a similar fate to those we couldn't get to."

"You were in Dalaran?" Athrodar said, surprised she was in the middle of that siege. "We were on the outskirts of the city and found a small village nearby. We didn't want to risk having the undead turn and attack them, so we evacuated them from the village and brought them back here." He began to laugh lightly when he saw Sylvanas' raised eyebrow. "Turns out we're in very similar circumstances."

"Looks like it." Sylvanas said with a smirk. "I picked the right person to fall for." She whispered, taking hold of his hand and smiling at him fully now.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Kael'thas said when he made his way over to Sylvanas and Athrodar, both of whom were gazing into each other's eyes. "But did I hear you correctly? You've saved more humans from the undead?"

"I did, my Prince." Athrodar said, bowing his head to the royal.

"Please, you don't have to call me Prince. I've watched you grow over the past century and a half, I'd say we're closer than Prince and Lieutenant." He saw Athrodar's surprised reaction at how casual he was being about this and began to smile a little. "You barely remember me outside of being your Prince, don't you?"

"I-I'm sorry, I do only remember you as my Prince. Why, what am I supposed to remember?"

Sylvanas frowned, looking over to the Prince and then to Athrodar. "What am I missing?"

"Before I spent most of my time in Dalaran, I used to visit the Sunblade house often because of Lord Sunblade's close friendship to my father. Over that time I watched him and his father grow up, train to be a ranger and mature." He saw Athrodar try to remember those days and began to smile to himself. "It's okay if you don't remember, I don't expect you to."

"Turns out the Sunblade name has a lot more perks than I realised." Sylvanas muttered, looking over to Athrodar who didn't know how to feel about that statement. "Unless you disagree?"

"Let's just say I don't enjoy all the perks of being a Sunblade." Athrodar told her. "It's fun and all getting most of the things I want, but not so much when I see those I know get a harsher punishment for doing less than what I did. People have been lost their jobs as rangers for helping me do something that wasn't by the book whereas I got a slap on the wrist." He looked over to Kael'thas who knew all too well what that was like. "I try to not use my name for anything now unless it's to help people."

"What's this I hear about humans in my city?" Anasterian asked, being followed closely by the Convocation and sitting down on his chair at the table, having them do the same shortly after. He looked over to his son then the General and then finally Athrodar, shaking his head slowly with a small smile on his face the entire time. "I should have known you would talk them into helping you." He said, looking back to his son again. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

"Dalaran was under siege, there was no way I was going to leave them to that fate if I could help at least a handful of them." Kael'thas told them all, looking over to Sylvanas who stood beside him. "I enlisted the Ranger-General and her company to help me and in doing so, I have saved more lives than I thought I could. Many of the citizens had already been evacuated, but we managed to save many more because we went there to help."

"And what about you, Lieutenant?" Anasterian asked, looking over to Athrodar now. "I have heard that you too have brought back humans from the conflict at Dalaran. Care to enlighten us as to why?"

"My unit and I followed Arthas from Capital City all the way to Dalaran. When he began his siege, we noticed a small village just on the outskirts of the city that were in danger of being attacked, so we evacuated them out of there and brought them back to this city as a safe haven from the undead." Athrodar bowed his head to the King and the Convocation. "I will take full responsibility too, my unit only done as I told them."

"So we have a Prince and a General doing as they wish and now a Lieutenant too." One of the Convocation said, looking over to their King and then over to Larysa who was sitting in for Dael'Thaelas. "He is your grandson too, is he not?" They asked, smirking at the Sunblade politician.

"He is." Larysa said, looking over to Athrodar with disappointment and watching him look away from her in return. "And I would have thought he knew better than to defy orders, given his rank and experience." She looked over to Sylvanas and began to smile grin at her. "Clearly it stems from poor leadership."

Athrodar took hold of Sylvanas' wrist when he saw she was about to make her way towards Larysa, shaking his head at her slightly. "This is what she does." He whispered to her. "She knows how you feel about me and has now taken it upon herself to get a rise out of you. If you act, she will do everything in her power to make sure you never see me outside of battles."

Sylvanas looked him in the eyes and saw he wasn't lying, letting out a small sigh and closing her eyes. "I'll try to remain calm." She told him, squeezing his hand before looking back at the Convocation. "Although I never put him up to that, I would have told him to do it if the opportunity ever called for me to have the final say. We are taught from the academy and from senior rangers that our job before anything else is to protect the weak and vulnerable."

"Those rules only apply to our people." One of the Convocation told the General. "Not a band of humans who had every ample opportunity to evacuate before danger came to their doorstep."

"Like we had every ample opportunity to give them the help they needed." Kael'thas told the Convocation. "And I have read the rules and many codes for the Farstriders and the General is right. It's to protect the weak and the vulnerable. Nowhere does it say it has to be just our people, that's just a rule you all came up with to feel better about yourselves when the humans or anyone who needs our help, doesn't get it."

"And what would you know of our choices?" A different member asked Kael'thas. "The Prince who would rather spend his time with lesser races than his own people."

"Maybe it's the way you look down at all the other races that makes me pity them." He told the Convocation, looking at all of them as well as his father. "You all look down your nose at the humans, our neighbors and allies for many decades, whenever the opportunity presents itself. Yes, they may not be as elegant in their ways as we are, or have the time to perfect their crafts as we do and cut corners because of that, but it's their morality that makes them charming and intriguing." He looked back to Sylvanas and Athrodar. "That's not just me who thinks that either. You have the Ranger-General doing so as well as the Lieutenant and the youngest of a noble family who thinks the same way." He looked back to the Convocation and his father. "Their ways may look barbaric to some, but they don't have the time to perfect them. Even their magic is advancing quicker than you all thought possible, as well as the number of magic users."

"If they are doing so well, why did you feel you had to step in to help them?" Larysa asked. "If their magic is advancing quicker than we first thought, surely they would have the means to teleport the majority, if not all of them to safety? I mean, unless I'm remembering it wrong, Dalaran is a city devoted to magic and its advancements, no?"

"It is." Kael'thas confirmed. "But even we don't have the means to teleport an entire city out of here in case of an attack that breaks through our defenses."

"I think I've heard enough." Anasterian said, looking at the members of the Convocation. "There is just going to be a lot of back and forth if this carries on, so I'm going to put it to an end now before it gets out of hand." He stood up and looked to at the three of them who were on trial. "The three of you did help out a city in trouble and whilst we don't normally do this, we will keep the humans here until we find a better, more suitable environment for them. We will get into contact with Stormwind, Gilneas and Stromgarde and offer to send them the citizens of Dalaran as refugees, but they will not be staying here any longer than they should."

"If I may, I have heard talks of them traveling to Kalimdor. I have yet to ask why they are going to travel so far, but I think we should look into this." Kael'thas suggested, looking at his father now and not the Convocation. "Antonidas seemed certain that's where they should go and I heard something about a prophet telling them to travel there." He looked over to Sylvanas for a second before looking back at his father. "What if Arthas and the undead are linked to something happening on Kalimdor?"

"There's nothing absolute that you're saying here." Anasterian told him. "As I said, the humans will stay here until they have somewhere else to go." He looked over to Sylvanas now. "You will both be let off with a warning because although you did this without telling us, you did help a once allied city. Perhaps the Gods will look down at this kindness and reward us in the future." He looked over to Athrodar now. "As for the Lieutenant, you will also be given a warning about bringing back the humans without informing me or the Convocation." He saw a look of relief wash over his face and held up his hand. "But you will also face two months suspension for ignoring orders and following the enemy deeper into hostile territory after you were told to find Arthas and report back to us in person when you knew where he was going next."

Knowing it could have been worse, Athrodar just bowed his head to the King and Convocation. "I understand, my King. It was a lapse in judgement on my part and I wanted to make sure we could save at least one family if he was on his was to Dalaran. I fully take responsibility in my actions and respect the punishment handed out to me."

"Good. You can all go now." Anasterian said, sitting back down and facing the Convocation before him.

Leaving Sunfury Spire, Kael'thas placed his hand on his heart and bowed his head slightly to the two of them. "Thank you for your company in there. Although it was mostly aimed at me, it's nice to have some form of backup in there when I talk to them all."

Sylvanas mirrored his action and bowed her head to the Prince. "I thank you again for warning me about Dalaran. My sister may not be here now if it weren't for you."

"It was my pleasure. I'm sure you would have done the same for me." Kael'thas said, turning his attention to Athrodar. "I'm sorry for you suspension, but I am happy there are others out there who would do anything to make sure others are safe when they can't protect themselves."

Athrodar smiled a little. "I couldn't bring myself to leave knowing they would have been attacked at any minute." He looked down at the Lieutenant badge on his uniform and sighed a little. "Now I have to find something to do for two months. Which sounds easy, but since I only took a week off every year and I spent that time recovering, I don't really have many hobbies."

"I'm sure I can find something for you to do." Sylvanas said, placing a hand on his back.

Kael'thas raised an eyebrow at the action and how close they both seemed to be. "I know I've been away for a while and spent most of my time with my nose in books and learning magic, but unless I am mistaken, there is something going on between you two."

Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas who nodded once at him, making him smile in return. "We're seeing each other." The Ranger-General said, leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the lips. "For about two weeks now, so it's very new."

"And I take it you want to keep it a secret?" Kael'thas then asked, watching them both nod and smirking at the pair of them. "Then I'd advise you both get better at hiding it. Just looking at you for a couple seconds and you placing a hand on his back gave everything away."

"I waited almost three decades for him." Sylvanas said, looking Athrodar in the eyes and smiling brightly at him. "I can't help it sometimes if I just want to hold him and never let him go."

"And I just like the hugs." Athrodar said, hearing Sylvanas chuckle and getting a hug from her in return. "I suppose that does leave me with two months free time so spend with you."

"When I'm not working that is." Sylvanas told him, keeping her arms around him. "So maybe a week overall with me, but I will enjoy that week."

"If it was anything like last week, I will enjoy it too." Athrodar told her, leaning in to kiss the General and being interrupted by Kael'thas who cleared his throat.

"Last time I stop you, I swear. But I was just going to inform you both I will be talking to Jaina very soon and trying to get her to explain to me this Kalimdor thing. If it's connected to Arthas in a way, I will see if I can get you reinstated as Lieutenant until it's been resolved." He saw Athrodar widen his eyes a little at the possibility of getting back out onto the field so soon after being suspended. "Of course whatever the reason is I will come to you, General. Perhaps we can help them with whatever their problem is."

Sylvanas nodded in agreement the that assessment. "I will gladly help whatever it is." She looked at Athrodar and brushed a hand through his hair. "It must be important though, to make them travel across half the world just to get there when Stormwind is an easier trip."

"Whatever it is, I'll be the first to sign up." Athrodar told them, closing his eyes when Sylvanas continued to brush her fingers through his hair. "Anything to get away from here for a time. Just being in that room reminds me of how suffocating it is to be around politicians."

"Oh you're going to hate being with me long term then." Sylvanas told him, hearing him sigh and chuckling at his reaction. "It's okay, I'll try to keep you away from this sort of thing in the future." Her hand moved down to his face and cupped his cheek. "Perhaps I could move you and your second into my company, that way we're together more often and there wouldn't be as many questions about if we're together because you're my new Lieutenant and head of my scouting unit." She heard Athrodar begin to chuckle and frowned at his reaction to her proposal. "What?"

"Viraleth told me a few days ago that you would do this." He told her, watching her hand drop from his face and chuckling some more. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but more of a reason to look into Viraleth and see if she is connected to the Bronze Dragonflight in one way or another."

"She does this a lot actually..." Sylvanas muttered, remembering several cases of Viraleth being able to predict the future and watching that exact scenario coming true. "Maybe it's something to do with her family."

"Actually, that reminds me. What is her family name?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas begin to smirk at him. "What? You know what it is, surely."

"I do, but if she hasn't told you, that means I won't tell you either." Sylvanas told him, grinning when he sighed. "Sorry, but those are her rules and I follow them closely. When she feels like you should know, you will be told."

Whilst they were talking, Kael'thas slipped away and made his way to Jaina, leaving both the General and Lieutenant alone in the middle of Sunfury Spire, though it wouldn't be for long as two elves had grown bored of waiting around and began to search for the General, hiding behind a wall when they spotted Sylvanas and Athrodar with their arms around each other and talking. "Interesting..." Clea muttered, looking over to Anya. "When do you think this happened?"

Anya stoked her chin in thought. "I'd say... Just now."

"Really?" Clea asked just to make sure she was serious and watching her nod enthusiastically. "That could be true, to be fair." She said, looking back to Sylvanas and Athrodar. "They seem a little close though for something that has happened just now."

"Yesterday then?" Anya suggested, getting a nod in return.

"Definitely yesterday." Clea said, taking hold of Anya's hand. "Let's go introduce ourselves."

"Oh no..." Sylvanas muttered, making Athrodar raise an eyebrow at her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Trouble." She told him, bracing herself seconds before she was set upon by both Anya and Clea. "Great, what do you two want now?"

"We came to say hi." Clea said.

"And to check out your new play thing." Anya added, being hit on the arm by Clea. "Ow..."

"I should have told you to be subtle." Clea said to her, shaking her head at her friend and looking over to Sylvanas with a grin. "But yes, also that."

Sylvanas sighed and squeezed Athrodar's hand. "Sorry about this. I forgot to mention that these two are a tied in package with me. It's not my choice and I have no say over it, but they are like bloodhounds. Whenever I try to distance myself from them, they track me down within days, sometimes hours, and won't leave me alone until I humor them."

Athrodar began to laugh lightly. "Like your sister, but instead of her hunting you down, it's getting rid of her."

"Exactly." Sylvanas said, looking over to Anya who was hugging her arm. "But outside of that, they're the best rangers in my company and I rely on them more than anyone else for missions."

"And she loves us." Clea said, hugging Sylvanas' other arm when she let go of Athrodar. "So, when were you going to introduce us to him?"

"Hopefully never." Sylvanas told them. "But since you're here now and probably already know we're together."

"Which the Prince did warn us about when we're in public." Athrodar said, hearing Sylvanas sigh again. "I'm just saying."

"This is Athrodar Sunblade, Lieutenant ranger and head of the scouting vanguard unit in Captain Tahnir Sunblade's company."

"Oh!" Anya smiled brightly at him. "You're the leader of the suicide unit! The one you put Viraleth in."

"Anya!" Sylvanas snapped, making the ranger's ears bend down at the quick and angered nature of her reaction. "How many times do I have to tell you, it's not the suicide unit!"

"No, it's okay." Athrodar said calmly, holding up one hand. "We're called many things and I understand every single one of them. It doesn't offend any of us, we take them as compliments more than anything." He began to smile a little. "We like the idea of being in a unit only those crazy enough to want to die are a part of. Of course, none of us do want to die, but the idea that everyone thinks we do has a certain charm to it."

Clea smacked the back of Anya's head and shook her own in disappointment. "We really need to train you better. You can't just say the first things that come to your mind sometimes."

"Sorry..." Anya muttered, looking as upset as she felt. "It's true." She told Athrodar. "I don't think before speaking sometimes and it's gotten me into more trouble than good."

"See, now I feel bad for her." Athrodar said, having both Clea and Sylvanas shake their heads at him profusely.

"Don't feel sorry for her." Sylvanas told him, glancing down to Anya who began to grow a dark grin across her face. "Oh great..." She muttered, watching Anya pounce at Athrodar and hug him tightly. "This is why you never feel sorry for her unless it's a serious reason to. She will cling onto you and play on those emotions now."

"She's evil like that." Clea told him, watching Anya try to hug the life out of him. "She has what we call the 'Anya Deathgrip' where she will hold onto you as if her life depended on it until her arms get tired. Something I believe you are experiencing right now."

"It definitely feels like it." Athrodar struggled to say, feeling like his ribs were seconds from breaking. "A little... Help?"

"Okay, let go of him." Sylvanas told her, pinching the tip of one of Anya's ears and making her let go Athrodar. "Good girl."

"That really hurts, you know!" Anya cried, holding onto her ear. "I hate it when you do that..."

"Don't crush Athrodar and maybe you'll never feel that again." Sylvanas told her, placing a gentle hand on Athrodar's cheek. "I'll protect you from them in the future." She whispered to him, leaning forward a little and having him lean down to press his forehead against hers.

Clea began to smile warmly at the sight of Sylvanas and Athrodar pressing their heads together, loving that her usually private and isolated General was opening up to someone. "We're going to go now." She whispered to them, slowly dragging Anya with her. "Enjoy your time alone."

"We will." Sylvanas said, closing her eyes and living in this moment for as long as she possibly could before someone else walked in on them. "It's almost evening, I have the rest of the day off, do you want to come home with me?" She asked him quietly.

"Is food on the table?" He asked in return, getting a small laugh from her in response.

"I promise I won't forget this time." She told him, looking him in the eyes and smiling a little wider. "Maybe you can sleep over too?"

"Well now that your sister is with her husband in the city, perhaps they will have a room at the Inn and I get the spare bedroom." Athrodar said, making Sylvanas smile a little wider again.

"Or maybe you could sleep in my bed... Next to me... Holding me close as we sleep and not leaving until I have to."

"I think your idea is much better than mine." Athrodar told her, getting a kiss from her in response. "We should go there now to avoid anyone else seeing us."

"Good idea." Sylvanas told him, taking his hand and leading him to her home in Sunfury Spire.