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As the first golden lights of dawn painted the opulent chamber in various hues of gold, fittingly reminiscent of the colors of the city and people they called their own, Varian and Tiffin lay closely intertwined upon the plush bed in their quarters of Stormwind Keep. The warm embrace of sunlight enveloped Tiffin, casting her in a radiant glow that accentuated her radiant beauty, while the passing shadow of a vigilant patrol of gryphon riders danced across the room as they passed by outside - an ever-present reminder that no matter how peaceful the day may be, the King and Queen were always in a state of danger - a danger that made Varian more alert now more than ever, with what was at stake.
Tiffin nestled closer to Varian as she wrapped the blanket closer around their shoulders, his wife seeking solace in his comforting presence. Tiffin was always eager to indulge in the warmth he gave off, especially during nights when the cool breeze from The Great Sea made the air within the keep rather frigid, and her love of warmth had grown even more so since her pregnancy had begun to develop, her belly now clearly showing that she was with child - their child.
In only a few short months, their son - the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Stormwind and the heir to the position of High King of the Alliance - would be born.
"I can hardly believe that soon we will have a son," Varian murmured softly as he pressed his lips to Tiffin's golden hair, his hand tenderly resting over Tiffin's own where it rested on his chest. "A child of our very own."
Varian and Tiffin's union had been arranged since birth, clearly a plainly political marriage to ensure Tiffin's line entrance into the Stormwind House of Nobles and to ensure Varian's wife would be one approved of by the Nobles. They had disliked each other in the early days of their marriage, their conversations short and blunt, their shared glances short and harsh - but they had come to be inseparable, loving each other more than perhaps anything else on Azeroth. Tiffin had taught Varian much - even if some lessons he hadn't been eager to learn, such as controlling his occasional fits of raging anger and teaching him the more bookish skills that he didn't pay attention to in his lessons as a youth. In turn, Varian taught Tiffin how to engage with the complexities of Azeroth politics, the subtleties of social etiquette, and the various different customs across the races within the Alliance. They came to be a perfect match, and the news of Tiffin's pregnancy had only served to draw them closer together as a union.
Tiffin smiled affectionately, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on Varian's bare chest as she pondered their unborn child's future, the future of a royal prince - a king, the leader of the Alliance. Such a heavy weight to rest on the shoulders of one who wasn't even born. "We should discuss names soon, Varian. The nobility will expect it."
Tiffin's tone took on a bothered, almost annoyed note at the mention of the nobility. She herself was nobility, from the Ellerian family line, but growing up with her marriage arranged to Varian, the constant control and watchful eye of the house of nobles was always a nuisance to her instead of a blessing. And ever since she had fallen pregnant and they had announced it to the nobles and the Kingdom of Stormwind, the nobles were ever so eager to get their hands on every detail and potentially juicy piece of gossip about the to-be prince.
Tiffin, while her kindness knew no bounds and she was dearly beloved by the people of Stormwind, preferred the comforts of privacy and quiet moments - comforts which the life as Queen consort to the King of Stormwind often failed to deliver. Varian wasn't much different, his attitude not one fit for the careful politeness and management that appeasing the House of Nobles required. Nevertheless, it was just one of the many trials that being a ruler required.
"Anduin," Varian replied without hesitation, his voice tinged with reverence, the name one he had decided on long before the pregnancy or his union to Tiffin were even a reality. "Anduin will be his name, after Anduin Lothar."
“Rest easy, lad. Things look bleak now, but calm will follow the storm as surely as peace will follow war.”
Anduin Lothar had been a great man, and an even greater friend. If Varian and Tiffin's son lived to be even a quarter of the man Anduin Lothar had been, Varian would be proud.
"Anduin..." Tiffin repeated, testing the name on her lips - the name familiar, from the countless stories Varian had whispered to her during late nights of unrest or illness, a fond smile playing on her features as her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "I like it. What do you think about Llane, for his middle name?"
Varian turned to look at Tiffin, his heart swelling as he recognized the name. His gaze softened as he considered Tiffin's suggestion. "Llane, after my father? Do you not wish to honor your lineage? Not Ellerian?"
"He will be King," Tiffin replied, her eyes shimmering with pride and determination as she shook her head. "It's more fitting for him to bear the name of two great leaders, the Lion of Stormwind and the King of Stormwind. Two noble legacies, intertwined in our son beside our own. Legacies that he will mirror - and use as inspirations to form his own, just as great as those who came before him."
Varian nodded, a sense of profound gratitude and love washing over him as he looked at Tiffin, at the one he loved most in the world. "Anduin Llane Wrynn, our son."
"Anduin Llane Wrynn," Tiffin echoed, her hand covering Varian's and gently moving his hand to rest over her belly, the two sighing softly as they felt their son's gentle movements within her belly, "Our little lion... It's perfect."
Their little Lion...
"He's perfect," Varian whispered, the usually gruff warrior's tone gentle and moved as he felt the presence of his soon-to-be son.
In that moment, amidst the quiet embrace of morning light that warmed Stormwind and the promise of a new, peaceful, dawn, Varian and Tiffin shared their love and hope for the beautiful future of their growing family and their kingdom.
Varian Wrynn, Tiffin Ellerian Wrynn, and Anduin Llane Wrynn... soon, their family would be perfectly complete.