If dusk doesn't hurry up and get here, I'll begin to think that dearest Elune has gone on vacation, he mused, holding up his palm. Three mana wyrmlings quickly floated to him, eager for a meal. The green one clucked a few times at the lack of a meal, while the red and blue swirled around each other, hoping the palm would fill with a conjured pool of nectar.
A few more moments passed, the Wyrmlings getting increasingly agitated until they flew off in different directions. Xavius laughed quietly, as not to wake the young boys residing on his couch.
Twins, he thought, glancing at them. Identical twins save for the hair and eyes. Beautiful little boys, if annoying when they're awake. And somewhat cruel that fate would shove the children of the woman I loved at me after her death. Predictable enough, but cruel nonetheless.
"Lord Counselor…?" a voice whispered from the door. Not just any voice, but the voice of Queen Azshara. The tired voice of Queen Azshara.
"Yes, Azha?" he replied, still watching the twins.
"Make the sun go away, it's too bright and it annoys me," she stated. Xavius turned to her slowly and quietly, though the black-haired boy was stirring.
"If you would attempt to sleep through the entire day, Azshara—"
"You have absolutely no idea how hard it is to sleep when the lower half of your body has a giant lump that moves when it wants."
Xavius eyed her, then shook his head. "Technically, I do. It happens to be the reason you have one, in fact. Anatomy aside, I'm beginning to think the Lady Moon isn't rising this night."
Azshara crossed her arms and frowned. Squinting, she noticed the two small bumps on the couch moving. "Xavius, what is that?"
"That, Azshara, is a set of twin boys. Illidan is the one with black hair and gold eyes, Malfurion with green hair and silver eyes," he explained, slowly and carefully.
Azshara's wrath was vicious on any day; lately, it had been worse due to pregnancy and inability to socialize at will. Xavius took care to avoid stepping on all of her nerves at once, if only to save himself from being lectured all hours of the day.
The black-haired boy, Illidan, peeked over the couch at her curiously. Too shy to do anything more than peek, he simply blushed when her gaze met his.
Fortunately, for everyone in the room, Azshara was amused.
"Your name is Illidan, then?" she asked, kneeling on the other side of the couch a little more than a foot away.
"Uh huh, and this is my brofer, Malfurion," he stated, patting the blankets beside him firmly. They grumbled, and soon after, a green-haired boy sat up.
"Illidan and Malfurion," she replied, smiling. Both of the boys smiled back, feeling obligated to appeal to her.
"And how old are you?"
"We's both eight," Illidan explained. He settled more comfortably on the couch until Malfurion pushed him over.
"He's eight, I is eight and nine minutes," Malfurion corrected. Illidan grumbled about being the older acting one of the two. It seemed a sibling fight was inevitable until Azshara eased around the couch and sat between them.
"Would the two of you like to hear a story?" she asked, more interested in preventing the possible squabble than telling a story.
Malfurion shook his head and patted her stomach. "You has to save stories for when her has comed out."
Illidan nodded in affirmation. "Her has to has the bestest stories cause her is the princess. We's not princesses, so we don't gets stories yet."
Recovering from the shock of having the two twins touch her, Azshara began to giggle at their explanation. "Little boys aren't ever princesses, though. They are princes. And the great storyteller isn't me, I do plan to save my stories for my little one. Lord Counselor Xavius, however, would be more than glad to entertain the two of you with great stories."
"Azsha—"
"Just tell him what you want to hear a story on, he'll agree," she cooed, giving Xavius a deadly smile. Admitting defeat, mostly to the two sets of eyes peering at him from above the cushions, Xavius sighed and shrugged.
"Topic, then?"
Illidan and Malfurion looked at each other, both wearing their best thinking faces, then nodding in affirmation.
"Tell us 'bout Dragons," they said together.
Oversized, over-praised, sentient lizards assigned with making those of us who were here first miserable creatures. Xavius thought before settling in next to Azshara and between the two boys. Recalling his best child-appropriate dragon story, he raised his palm up once more, full of the food the Wyrmlings had begged for earlier.
Watching the boy's faces light up as the Mana Wyrmlings swooped down for food, both Azshara and Xavius laughed.
Clearing his throat, Xavius began, "Once upon a time, before the day of the Shapers, Three Dragons, Acoro, Nialdi, and Manao roamed the world of Kalimdor…"