After a busy day's work, the king of Stormwind City sank wearily onto the sofa in his bedchamber. A loyal squire soon brought King Varian a mug of ice-cold ale, his favorite drink since returning to his kingdom.
It might have seemed a little crude, but the king liked it. That was reason enough, wasn't it?
"Mmm, Anduin's been away for almost another month now..."
Varian sipped the cold ale, leaned his head back against the sofa, and closed his eyes. A moment later, gentle fingers rested on his forehead and began massaging it lightly. Queen Valeera was not someone who could sit idle. Though she was queen, she had recently been helping King Varian handle other matters, such as SI:7's covert affairs.
Varian had grown accustomed to Valeera's elusive comings and goings back when he was still Goralash, so he merely grumbled,
"My son hasn't written me so much as a single letter. He's really broken his father's heart."
Valeera smiled and spoke as she massaged her husband's forehead.
"They say the war in Outland is over. Little Anduin will be back soon. Apparently, he went somewhere very far away to fight this time. Your son has grown up. He'll become a king as wise and brave as you are. He won't disappoint us, will he?"
A faint smile touched Varian's lips, and he reached up to take Valeera's fingers in his hand.
"Our son... But he prefers being a warrior to being a king. Do you remember that heartfelt smile on his face when he received the recruitment letter from Ulduar? It seems handling affairs of state really is a kind of torment for a boy his age."
"Aren't you just the same?"
The queen nimbly vaulted over the sofa and sat beside the king, reaching up to