The fake Anduin was imprisoned by Varian, infuriating Jaina, but there was nothing she could do. To complete Thrall's mission, she had to bring the real Anduin back from Ironforge.
But Muradin would definitely not agree. After pondering for a long time, Jaina suddenly remembered someone: the leader of the Draenei, the Prophet Velen!
The Prophet Velen once publicly stated that he had high hopes for the Savior Thrall and would definitely come to his aid if Thrall were in trouble.
Jaina then opened Portal and entered Exodar to plead for Velen's help.
King Varian led SI:7 agents and secretly approached Ironforge.
They certainly didn't dare take the Deeprun Tram, much less fly directly into Ironforge on Gryphon. So, a few dozen people rode Gryphon and landed at Frozen Stone Farm in Dun Morogh.
These dozens of agents were all from noble families, pampered and idle members of SI:7. They were traveling with the King and were unaware of the danger.
The opportunity was rare, and everyone showered Varian with compliments and flattery, which made him feel very comfortable. He thought that Shaw was very reliable and that the agents he had selected were all excellent.
Unfortunately, Moira, accompanied by a small group of Dark Iron Dwarves loyalists, was on her way to Stormwind City. Moira's purpose was to persuade Varian to send troops to Ironforge to help her seize the throne.
Unexpectedly, the two teams happened to run into each other.
Upon seeing King Varian, Moira was overjoyed and hurriedly said:
"Your King, the wicked Jaina has abducted Prince Anduin and is about to hand him over to Thrall. You must avenge His Prince!"
Varian frowned and said, "That Anduin is a fake. The real Anduin must still be in Ironforge."
"It's fake!" Moira was slightly taken aback, but secretly delighted. She urged again, "Your King, please send troops immediately to attack Ironforge and rescue the poor Prince."
Varian sensed something was off about Moira's attitude; she seemed overly concerned about Anduin. A SI:7 agent pulled Varian aside and whispered about Moira's relationship with Anduin.
Upon hearing this, Varian flew into a rage. "You're Anduin's... damn it! My esteemed House Wrynn has dignity, and we absolutely will not allow outsiders to tarnish our honor!"
Upon hearing "tarnishing the family reputation," Moira immediately objected and retorted:
"My princess of Ironforge, daughter of Magni Bronzebeard, queen of the Dark Iron Dwarves, how could she not be worthy of Prince Anduin?"
Varian roared, "My House Wrynn is upright and incorruptible. How could we possibly associate ourselves with a widow? Die, you filthy Black Iron bug!"
Moira was furious, her eyes blazing with anger. For Anduin's sake, she forced herself to suppress her rage. "Fine, if you're not willing to help, I'll find someone else."
An agent whispered a few words in Varian's ear, suggesting that they capture the Ironforge princess and exchange her for Prince Anduin.
If Muradin refuses, it will give the Ironforge Dwarf for criticism and incur their displeasure.
Moreover, controlling Moira is tantamount to controlling the Dark Iron Dwarves, which is enough to threaten the security of Ironforge.
This was a classic blunder, but Varian was blinded by rage and agreed without thinking, roaring, "Where do you think you're going? Today I will wash away the shame of the House Wrynn!"
Varian drew his sword and led his agents to catch up with Moira.
Moira suddenly turned around, Flames blazing from her body, like a humanoid Fire Elementals. She swiftly reached out with both hands, snatched Varian's sword, and crushed it into a pile of scrap metal.
Moira opened her palm, and the finest sword melted into molten iron and fell to the ground.
"A monster!" These pampered noblemen had never seen anything like it before. Their legs went weak with fear, and they scattered in all directions, leaving Varian standing there alone.
"King Varian, what do you want to say? I'm giving you another chance," Moira asked sternly.
Varian quickly forced a smile and said in a humble tone:
"As expected of the princess of Ironforge, gentle, virtuous, beautiful, and generous. If Anduin can marry you, it will surely be a blessing from the Holy Light. On Anduin, I agree to this marriage."
Moira snorted coldly:
"In that case, Your King, please accompany me to Ironforge to rescue King Prince Anduin. Oh, and please write a letter immediately to mobilize the Kingdom of Stormwind's army."
"Of course, of course! That's exactly what I was thinking." Varian had no choice but to agree.
Gilneas City, Greymane Manor.
Darius has been leading his men to Guards Greymane Manor for several days.
Greymane instructed Darius to hold out for seven days, and the seven days passed quickly, but the anxious Darius did not see the enemy.
As the days went by, Darius grew increasingly anxious. The food that Greymane had left him was not much, and it was all gone in seven days.
The soldiers had no choice but to risk digging for wild vegetables outside the manor to fill their stomachs. Although they were not attacked, this did not stop deserters from appearing.
With nearly half of his soldiers fleeing, Darius knew he couldn't continue. Terrified, he led his men in escape, choosing only the most secluded paths. Surprisingly, he managed to escape Gilneas, passing through the breach in Greymane Wall and entering Hillsbrad Foothills.
Greymane led his troops to set up camp in Southshore, which had been destroyed during the Cataclysm. Greymane directed his soldiers to repair the docks and build ships.
Seeing Darius arrive weary from his journey, Greymane hurriedly went out to greet him. Darius's eyes reddened, and he knelt on the ground, weeping, "King Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission. I have not disgraced Gilneas."
When Greymane saw that Darius's soldiers were less than half gone, all dressed in rags and emaciated, he assumed they had been through a fierce battle and was moved to tears.
"Darius, you've had a tough time. Gilneas has now fallen into the hands of the Forsaken and the Bloodfang Worgen. Only by uniting can we reclaim our lost territory, take back our homeland, and save our people."
Darius was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
"King Majesty, I fought my way out of Gilneas and saw our people struggling in agony under the enemy's iron heel. I long to kill the murderers with my own hands, but alas, my forces are insufficient. I hereby swear that I will reclaim Gilneas in my lifetime."
Greymane helped Darius to his feet. "Alright, as long as we are determined, we will succeed. Now that we have lost our homeland, we can only lay low for the time being. I have discussed it with the Night Elves, and Malfurion and Tyrande have allowed us to take refuge in Darnassus."
Darius nodded, gazing in the direction of Gilneas: "King Majesty, this is merely a strategic retreat. One day, we will return."
The Southshore was suddenly garrisoned by tens of thousands of people. Greymane brought out a considerable amount of savings, so the soldiers of Gilneas were relatively wealthy, which attracted a large number of merchants.
That night, Prince Liam, son of Greymane, was drinking in a tavern, getting quite drunk, and listening to the other patrons talk about Jaina.
Jaina, Queen of Theramore, is dedicated to mediating peace between the Alliance and the Horde, and enjoys a good reputation among the people. Many merchants praise Jaina's benevolence.
Prince Liam, enraged upon hearing this, remembered Jaina's plot to seize Gilneas, and, fueled by alcohol, roared a few words:
"A bunch of fools, Jaina is Thrall's lackey, you've all been fooled by her."