Something Special

"Morning" Sylvanas whispered, smiling at the guest in her bed when he slowly began to open his eyes. "Not to boost your ego any more than it probably has been over the past several decades, but I had a really good sleep thanks to you cuddling me the entire time."

Athrodar smiled and moved an arm around Sylvanas, pulling her in as close as she could get. "I had a really good sleep too. I was laying behind this beautiful elf and she let me cuddle her whilst we slept."

"Lucky boy." Sylvanas purred, moving the last inch or two closer so she could kiss him. "I know you've got two months suspension, so you could just lay here the entire time, but I do need to get up soon. Otherwise Anya and Clea will barge in here and take me away if I'm gone for too long." Just as she was about to break free from his cuddle, she was pulled back in for a long kiss on the lips, giggling the whole time. "Did you even listen to a word I just said?"

"Something about wanting to stay in bed for as long as possible with someone who has nothing to do for two months?" Athrodar suggested, knowing full well what she had said, but actually wanting to spend time in this bed with her as both a distraction from being suspended as well as avoiding his family when they eventually come looking for him. "I think I heard making out in there too?"

Sylvanas began to giggle when she was pinned between Athrodar and then bed, placing her hands on his face and welcoming the kiss on her lips. "Maybe another hour in bed." She whispered to him, gazing into his eyes as he remained on top of her. "I don't want to be anywhere else right now."

"Neither do I." Athrodar whispered back to her, kissing the General again and moving his hands down her body and resting them on her waist, hooking his fingers around her waistband and feeling her heart beat a little faster as well as her breathing. "Are you okay?" He asked when she didn't seem to calm down the moment he stopped.

"I..." She let out a long exhale. "Gods this is embarrassing..." She muttered, looking away from him.

"Tell me." He said softly and reassuringly, moving one hand up to her face and stroking her cheek with the back of his index finger. "You've opened up a lot to me in the last couple weeks, I don't think you can say anything now that will make me think less of you."

"I.. I don't know..." She told him, keeping her gaze off him but closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip as he continued to give her light touches all over her body. "P-please... You're distracting me."

"Okay." Athrodar said, sitting between her legs and looking down at her. "Tell me when you're ready." He told her, smiling a little. "Like I said, whatever it is, I won't think any less of you."

Sylvanas took a couple minutes to compose herself, eventually looking up at him and seeing him smile down at her, feeling at ease the moment she looked at him and knowing that what she was about to say wouldn't be seen as a joke or anything to laugh at. "I know we've not taken that next step yet. I also know you've probably already had sex with whatever woman takes your fancy that week at least five times by now... But I don't want to be another notch on your bedpost." She looked away from him when she saw him frown. "I want our first time to be special, I want it to be something I can look back in ten years and say 'This was when I knew he loved me as much as I loved him.'" She looked back to him and saw he was looking down in thought. "Okay, you can laugh at me now."

"What? No." Athrodar said, reaching out and taking hold of her hand. "I would never laugh at you for something like that. It took a lot for you to say something so personal, I would have to be a monster to find that funny." He moved to sit next to her, taking hold of her hand again and raising it to his lips so he could kiss the back of it. "I get it." He told her.

"Y-you do?" She asked, sitting up to equal out their heights.

"Of course I do. I know my lifestyle wasn't what you wanted between us, but I was just enjoying the rich bachelor life." He pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head when she rest it under his chin and on his chest. "I told my second that I don't want that with you. I want to feel what you feel for me, I want to make our first time special, especially if it means that much to you." He kissed the top of her head again, feeling her hold onto his shirt tightly at the small action. "It was fun living that life, but ever since you told me about the arrangement, how long you've waited and how you feel about me, I done a lot of thinking. Most of it was focused on what parts of my life was a lie, if anything else was hidden from me and how angry I was and still am at my family for not telling me. But there was another part that made me realise what this was."

"What was it?" Sylvanas asked him, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat.

"An opportunity to focus on the next stage of my life now. A stage where I should start thinking about having a family, a wife and a kid or two." He felt her head move, looking her in the eyes when she looked at him. "Maybe more, if that's what she wanted."

Sylvanas leaned forward and kissed him, pressing her head against his when they broke apart and letting a couple of tears roll down her face too. "Hearing you say that makes me regret not telling you the moment I knew you were the one." She whispered, feeling his thumb wipe away her tears. "We could have that family now, or I'd at least know if you do feel those same feelings for me." She sighed and dropped her shoulders a little. "But I will settle for this too, because I want to live in this moment forever with you before anything bad happens."

"Nothing bad will happen." Athrodar reassured her, feeling her shake her head slowly. "It won't, not us."

"You can't promise me that." Sylvanas told him, placing her hand on her chest to find the necklace Alleria gave her and remembering she took it off before going to bed. "Something bad always happens to me or my family in the end. Vereesa and I have learnt to cope with loss, though it still hurts whenever it happens."

"Maybe I can't promise something bad won't happen to us, but if it does, we will get through it together." He told her, knowing she meant they would not be together more than either one of them losing a loved one. "Because I love you and I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't suffer."

Sylvanas smiled at his reassuring confidence, widening her eyes slowly and pulling back from their cuddle. "W-w-wait... What?" She asked, looking at him in shock and seeing only a smile in return. "What did you say?"

Athrodar let out a small laugh, always finding her flustered state to be both amusing and really cute. "I said I love you, Sylvanas Windrunner. I've had a very hard time keeping you out of my thoughts ever since we spent that first day together a couple days after you told me. And I know it's love and not some childhood crush thing because I have never felt this way about anyone before. The entire time I was out there in Lordaeron, all I could think about was finishing the mission and returning to you, to hold you in my arms and see that smile on your face you always have when we're alone and you look at me."

Sylvanas was speechless, slowly moving towards him and getting up on her knees to hug him properly, saying nothing the entire time and just holding him against her tightly. "I..." She eventually said, closing her eyes and smiling brightly. "I love you too." She whispered with a voice that couldn't help but waver a little. "I... I really don't want to leave now, but Anya and Clea..."

"Say no more, I understand." Athrodar told her, pulling back from the hug and smiling warmly at her. "You have to go back to being the General."

"I'm really sorry." She told him, feeling guilty for having to leave so suddenly after everything they had just said to each other. "Will you be here tonight?" She asked, reaching into the drawers beside her bed and taking out her sapphire necklace, placing it around her neck and glancing over to him.

"Probably not, the same with tomorrow too." He saw a slight hint of disappointment on her face and placing a hand on her arm. "It's not my doing, I just know the people I'm about to go visit today and how much they're going to keep me with them because I haven't exactly visited them in almost two years."

"Friends, I presume? I know you can't get away from your family for that long, even if you now wish that more than anything."

"Yes, friends. I'm visiting the Sunwell today and they're going to kidnap me for the next couple of days just to make up for lost time." Athrodar chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his neck. "Something I think I had coming for a while now since I had a week off not too long ago and didn't visit them once."

"I take it they don't know about us?" She asked, just to make sure he was keeping it a secret too.

"Not had the chance to tell them even if I wanted to." Athrodar told her, placing a hand over the top of hers. "And I won't tell them until you're comfortable, like I promised."

"Thank you." Sylvanas said, standing up and stretching. "You have to go though, you know I can't leave with you or before you."

"I remember." Athrodar said, standing up too and making his way over to her. "One last thing." He said, cupping her face gently and kissing her one last time. "I'll come find you in a few days, when I'm allowed to leave whatever room they'll lock me in."

Sylvanas chuckled and nodded her head. "Deal."

"Why do you need to go to Kalimdor?" Kael'thas asked, sitting opposite Jaina who was pushing the food on her plate around and not really eating it. "Who is this 'Prophet'?"

"It was a man." Jaina told him, not looking up at Kael'thas as her mind was focused on Antonidas and trying her best to remain strong now, for her people and for him. "He told me that a great danger was coming to Lordaeron and the surrounding Kingdoms and to travel to Kalimdor for safety." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "We should have left that day."

"You couldn't have known." Kael'thas told her, reaching over the table to take her hand but stopping when she removed her hands and began to hug herself.

"I need to find the survivors and take them to Kalimdor. Many of those you saved were from Lordaeron and came seeking refuge in Dalaran, I have to look after them now and take them to Kalimdor to start a new life." She looked up and over to Kael'thas with tears in her eyes, though they were glowing a bright blue from her saddened emotions, the fire burning within her and the raw magical energy from the city. "I don't know what we will find there, but we have to try."

Kael'thas saw she was serious about going to Kalimdor with all the survivors of both Lordaeron and now Dalaran. "I'll talk to my father, get him to lend you a couple of ships and some supplies for the trip."

"You would do that?" Jaina asked, smiling a little for the first time since this all started.

"Of course, Jaina." He said, smiling back at her. "If I can talk my father and the Convocation into it, we may spare a company or two to help you on your travels and keep you all safe."

"I.. I can't ask you to do that." Jaina told him. "You've done so much already."

"I have spent too long in Dalaran to just ignore you and its people. This is the least I can do to make sure you're all safe and find a new home in Kalimdor." He looked down at her plate of food and saw it was still full. "Eat something whilst I am away. I know a company who will be ready to leave the moment they're told they can join you. I can most likely get a second too if I talk to its leader."

"Thank you, Kael. For this and everything else." Jaina said, looking down at her plate of food. "You didn't have to do this, yet you still are. I am forever grateful."

"It's my pleasure." The Prince said, standing up and bowing his head slightly. "I'll take my leave."

"Send the mages to the entrance of the city. They will sense the troll magic the moment they get close." Dael'Thaelas made his way back to his company, being handed his bow from his second and placing it over his shoulder. "Get into position and be ready for the spell to drop. The Trolls will sense our magic and will be ready to counterattack the moment their illusion is dropped."

Making his way over to his mount he always took with him, he began to rummage through the satchels and picked out a vial of poison, pouring some of it over his swords and then placing the rest on a select few arrows. "Are my son and grandson still in Tranquillien?"

"They are." Dael'Thaelas' second said, waiting for him to finish applying poison to his weapons. "Are we expecting a big resistance?"

"Almost likely not. But we've faced the Amani for centuries and they always have a trick up their sleeve." He looked over to his second, one of the very few rangers who had been by his side since the beginning on his career. "Are you ready for this one?"

"Always, my Lord." The second said, following Dael'Thaelas closely behind and making their way to the front of their company just as the illusion was about to drop. "Ready your arrows." He told them, standing beside one of the Amani statues outside the entrance just as the spell dropped. "Get into cover!" He commanded, watching his rangers move out the way as a volley of arrows and spells hurtled towards them, losing a few rangers who were too slow to react. "Loose!" He then commanded, letting loose one of his poison arrows into an Amani Hexxer at the back of their small group of trolls. "Forward!" He then commanded when almost all of the initial troll group had fallen to their attack, pulling out two of his swords and easily cutting down two of the Amani standing in his way.

Cutting down two more, Dael'Thaelas was the first one to step into the city of Zul'Aman and quickly noticed the hundreds upon hundreds of Amani waiting for them. "Hold here!" He told them, having the second row of his rangers use their bows to let loose arrows into the Amani coming their way whilst him and the rest of the front row used swords to hold the front lines.

"We can't take them all." Dael'Thaelas' second told him, watching a small grin on Lord Sunblade's face.

"We're not going to take them all on." Dael'Thaelas told him, plunging one of his blades into a nearby troll and lopping the head off another one. "We're going to hold them off until Zul'jin appears." He then said, blocking an axe swinging his way with his swords and kicking the troll back with his boot. "Once he's here, we will retreat and inform the Convocation that the Amani threat is real."

The fighting went on for five minutes with neither side really losing the fight but not winning either. Whilst the elves did kill more of the trolls, they couldn't take a step forward and were being pushed back slowly, though the Amani were slowing down their push with every troll they lost. "There he is." Dael'Thaelas' second said, spotting Zul'jin in the distance.

"He is still here then." Dael'Thaelas said, forcing one of his swords through the troll in front of him. "Fall back!" He yelled, ducking under a swinging axe and dodging the next one. "Fall back!" He yelled again, retreating out of Zul'Aman and grinning under his hood when he heard the Amani yell curses at them from the ancient troll city.

"Fall back to ya city, pointy ears!" Zul'jin yelled. "Ya be doin' us a favor wid dis little skirmish. Keepin' us warmed up!"

"You're coming with me." Liadrin told Athrodar, holding onto the collar of Athrodar's shirt and dragging him through the village they were in. "Two years since we last saw you outside of your job, I am not going to make you miss another opportunity to be with your friends now that you have two months off."

"You didn't have to kidnap me from Sunfury, Liadrin." Athrodar told the priestess. "I was coming to meet you all today anyway."

"Sorry Athrodar, I just couldn't take that chance." She told him, stopping suddenly and turning to face him with a frown. "Why am I hearing things about you and the General?"

"What do you mean?" Athrodar asked, trying to feign confusion and innocence to her question.

"My father swears you and Sylvanas are courting, yet when I asked your parents, they told me that you and your unit were requested by the General to go on a few secret scouting missions, which is why you're seen in and around her office a lot lately."

Athrodar smiled a little at the priestess who unknowingly gave him the perfect cover story. "Inquisitive as always, Liadrin. I was in fact on a few secret scouting missions into Lordaeron for the General." He told her confidently, watching her confused frown remain on her face.

"Strange... Because I made that story up about your parents telling me..." Liadrin saw Athrodar's confidence quickly drop and growing a mischievous smirk of her own. "So it's true then, you're courting the General, huh?"

"I hate you." Athrodar told her, watching the priestess cheer and jump around in joy for tricking him into telling her. "Liadrin wait, before you get too excited." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. "We're keeping it very close to our chests right now. Only our families, my second and Sylvanas' most loyal rangers know. And the royal family..."

"So I can't tell anyone?" She asked, almost sounding sad when she spoke.

"We don't want anyone else to know. Please Liadrin, don't tell anyone. Not Vilandil, not Thal. Even your father, try to convince him that it's not true." He took hold of her hands. "Please keep it a secret." He begged. "I don't want to disappoint her if she finds out I told you and then it's spread before she's ready."

"Wow..." Liadrin muttered, looking down at their hands. "I've never seen or heard you act this way about anyone. You must really like her."

"I love her." Athrodar told her, hearing Liadrin groan out of frustration.

"Don't say that... Now I have to keep it a secret." She said, sighing and closing her eyes. "Fine... But if they find out on their own, does that count?"

"If you leave hints and they work it out, I'll let Sylvanas decide your fate."Athrodar told her, hearing her groan again.

"Ugh, fine!" She let go of his hands. "Just... Come on, I have been trying my hardest not to hit you for not visiting us on that week off recently, so say nothing until we arrive at Thal's house where both her and her brother are waiting to give you an ear full and a half."

"Can't wait." Athrodar muttered, making Liadrin grin.

Once they arrived at the Dawnstrider estate, Liadrin opened the door and pushed Athrodar in first, closing the door behind them as soon as possible and laughing when he had his legs frozen in place. "Good job, Thal. Now he can't leave." The priestess said, smiling at Athrodar who let out a long sigh.

"Is this really necessary?" Athrodar asked, looking over his shoulder and towards Liadrin. "I told you I was coming to visit anyway."

"Can't risk it." Thalina said, standing in front of Athrodar with her brother, folding her arms and glaring at him. "Two years, Athrodar! We've not seen you for two years!"

"I've been busy." Athrodar told them, looking over to Vilandil who was agreeing with his sister. "Come on, Vil. You're my brother, you know why I couldn't visit."

"I did." He said, looking away from him. "But then you had a week off recently and didn't even come to visit us. We spoke a few days before then too."

Athrodar sighed and hung his head in shame. "You're right... I'm sorry. But I'm here now, guys! We can do whatever you want to do, I have two months suspension anyway, that's a lot of free time."

"I think we should ignore him for a week, like he did with us." Thalina said, getting instant approval from Liadrin who agreed and moved to stand beside her.

"A week? Come on guys, I'm sorry! I had a lot on my mind that week that I didn't even return home to see my mother." He looked over to Vilandil who was a little unsure on that plan. "Vil, look at me. We're brothers, remember? I know you can't ignore me for more than a week."

Vilandil whimpered and looked back and forth between his sister and Liadrin and then over to Athrodar. "I..."

"Don't cave, brother." Thalina told him, looking him in the eyes. "Remember what we agreed? We are going to punish him for not coming to see us for over two years."

"We can spend as much time together as you want." Athrodar told him. "Like I said, I have two months off."

"Don't do it." Liadrin told him, looking at the older Dawnstrider sibling. "He knows how to exploit your weaknesses. Ignore him!"

"But..." Vilandil looked away from his sister and Liadrin and looked over to Athrodar, clenching his fists tightly and making up his mind. "I can't do it!" He yelled, casting a holy spell at the ice around Athrodar's legs and breaking him free.

Athrodar was hugged immediately by his best friend, hearing Liadrin and Thalina groan and hugging Vilandil back. "Thanks, brother."

"I told you he was weak." Liadrin said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Looks like it's time for plan B."

"Plan B?" Vilandil asked, frowning and looking over to his sister and Liadrin.

"Yup, plan B." Liadrin said, picking up a basket that Athrodar had only just noticed and handing it to Thalina, taking hold of Athrodar's wrist and then Vilandil's. "We're going to the beach and spending the day together."

"Why did I expect something more sinister?" Athrodar asked, being dragged from the Dawnstrider house and towards the direction of the beach along with Vilandil, glancing back to Thalina who was laughing and following them. "Should we be worried?" He asked her, watching the mage shake her head.

"Nope. This is actually plan B. If we couldn't keep you locked in a room for a day or two just to keep you with us, we were going to spend time at the beach." She smiled at him brightly when he still didn't trust her. "I wouldn't lie to you, Athrodar. We're just going to spend the day at the beach."

"O-okay." Athrodar said, being dragged to the beach by Liadrin.

"You two, sit there." Liadrin told both Athrodar and Vilandil the moment they arrived at the beach, watching them both sit on the sand. "Thal, hand me the basket."

Athrodar frowned when the basket was placed in front of them, being hit in the face by a pair of shorts and then looking over to Vilandil who was hit in the face shortly after. "You want me to put these on here?"

"Yes." Liadrin told him, watching Athrodar tilt his head at her. "What?"

"Look away?" He suggested, watching her widen her eyes.

"Oh! Yes, sorry." Liadrin looked away from both Athrodar and Vilandil. "I forgot. I suppose I should get dressed too whilst I'm waiting."

Once everyone was dressed for the beach, they all sat down on the blanket Liadrin had brought with her and laid down to bathe in the sun's light. "If this is all we're doing today, I won't complain." Athrodar muttered, laying in the middle of Liadrin and Thalina whilst Vilandil was on the opposite side of his sister because Liadrin didn't want to lay beside him for many reasons. Most of them related to him being Thalina's brother and a fellow priest that she saw almost daily.

"Unless you want to go into the water, this is it." Liadrin told him, laying on her side and resting her head on his arm. "But make up your mind quickly, because you're going to be my pillow in five minutes whilst I nap."

"Nap away." Athrodar told her, looking over to Thalina who done the same thing on his other arm. "You too, I suppose."

"Thanks." Thalina said, closing her eyes and yawning. "Wake me up in a couple hours so I can tan the other side of my body."

Athrodar chuckled and closed his eyes. "Deal."

"Me too." Liadrin said.

"Fine." He responded.

"And me." Vilandil then said, making Athrodar sigh. "Oh, but if it's a girl it's not problem. But the moment your best friend asks you to do it, it's a problem."

"That's because you don't smell as nice as they do and my arms aren't your breasts." Athrodar told him, hearing Liadrin chuckle.

"Enjoy it whilst you can." Liadrin told him, holding onto his arm tighter. "You won't feel them ever again."

"You better not be groping my sister." Vilandil warned him.

"It's not like I have a choice, she's holding onto my arm." Athrodar told him, glancing over to Thalina who was laughing a little. "And I don't think she's going to let go now that you're getting annoyed."

"You're lucky you're my best friend. Otherwise I... Well I don't know what I would have done, but I would be angry."

"Stop talking, Vilandil." Liadrin said. "You're embarrassing yourself."

"Fine." He muttered, rolling onto his side so his back was facing all of them.