"My God, this is absolutely a great miracle."
The Jailer could hardly believe his eyes.
Four Orcs were playing happily with Anduin. Prince Anduin rode on one Orcs's neck and fought fiercely with two other Orcs. The small cell was filled with laughter and joy, and the atmosphere was harmonious, just like a family.
The Jailer became increasingly convinced that Prince Anduin possessed some kind of magical power. It was said that some kings were born with extraordinary charisma, capable of subduing all beings. Of course, he also had a slight suspicion that perhaps the four Orcs had been bribed, but he was, after all, just the Jailer and couldn't fathom the reasoning behind it, so he had to abandon this idea.
Anduin played with the four Orcs for most of the night, and only fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion in the early hours of the morning. In Anduin's short life, he had never been so happy.
King Varian was particularly cold towards Anduin, almost ignoring him completely. The Black Dragon Princess had already neglected him, only occasionally showing him any concern. Duke Bolvar, while caring for Anduin, mostly treated him with awe.
Anduin had no good friends, not even playmates, and experienced the joy of playing for the first time.
Although King Varian's attitude was not good, he still cared about Anduin some extent. Before dawn the next day, he rushed to Stormwind Prison. After hearing the Jailer's account of the whole night's events, Varian looked at Anduin sleeping in the Orcs's arms with a sweet smile on his lips and showed a puzzled expression.
"Prince Highness possesses an innate aura of dominance; he has a certain power that allows him to easily subdue these savage Orcs. This is a blessing for the Alliance and a boon for the Kingdom of Stormwind."
The Jailer said with a fawning expression. Of course, he dared not reveal his suspicion that the four Orcs might have been bribed by someone, as it would not bring him any real benefit and could even cause him enormous trouble.
King Varian harbored many doubts, but he instinctively ignored the matter. Who would be so bored as to bribe four dying Orcs to amuse a child? It made no sense.
King Varian didn't think much of it, nor did he want to, and hurriedly left with the reluctant Anduin.
Anduin grabbed King Varian's sleeve, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Father, the Orcs are really kind. Please spare them! Don't hang them."
Varian was furious upon hearing this, but out of consideration for Anduin spent the night in the cell, he refrained from slapping him. He angrily retorted, "You have no idea what those four Orcs have done! Fine, I won't argue with you. You'll find out when you grow up. One day, you'll hate these beasts just like I do. Go to class."
Varian had his own things to do and didn't want to waste time arguing with Anduin. He was just a kid; let him think what he wanted. It wouldn't affect anything. He'd mature as he got older.
It wasn't until many years later that King Varian realized the magnitude of the mistake he had made.
Inside the cell, jailers quickly arrived, locked up four vicious Orcs, covered their faces with black cloth, and put them on a prison cart to be taken to the execution ground.
The four Orcs knew they could live; this was promised by the mysterious woman who had suddenly appeared the night before.
Inside the sturdy prison cart, one of the Orcs sighed, "I barely managed to restrain myself from tearing the poor Prince apart. He was so tender and juicy. I longed to devour him, to tear him to pieces, to swallow the last piece of flesh before he breathed his last, to watch him howl and beg for mercy in his hoarse voice. Just imagining it excites me."
Another Orcs said, "It's alright. Once we get out of here, we can have as many as we want. Human cubs are just too naive, too easily fooled, ridiculously stupid."
"I heard this Prince is the future leader of the Alliance. In the future, the Alliance will become our food, and we Orcs will have plenty to eat, hahaha!" another Orcs laughed triumphantly.
"The Alliance leaders are a bunch of idiots," the last Orcs said viciously. "Only when a sea of blood is laid out before them will they recognize the true nature of us Orcs. By then, it will be too late. We Orcs will surely unify Azeroth Continent and become the only intelligent life. Humans, with such cowardly Kings, are destined to be eliminated."
After a long drive, the prison van finally stopped. The guards brutally pushed them off the vehicle, and then there was no further movement.
After the four Orcs struggled to remove their blindfolds, they discovered that they were in the wild, deep in a jungle, surrounded by dense trees.
Before them stood only the female mage from last night.
The forest was dense and the shadows of the trees were swaying, a deadly aura lurking beneath the surface. The four Orcs were not stupid; they knew what this meant.
But with their hands and feet bound by heavy chains, they were at the mercy of their captors. Finally, the four Orcs could no longer bear it and knelt on the ground, begging for a moment of pity.
"I promised to get you out of prison, that's my promise, but I never said I wouldn't kill you. Great men don't concern themselves with trifles. For the sake of secrecy, you can rest in peace. Heh heh, you savage Orcs, nothing but a bunch of Imp. My Flames are quite amusing; they keep you conscious until your last piece of flesh is burned away. Watching you howl and beg for mercy, your voices hoarse, writhing in agony on the ground, I thoroughly enjoy it."
A bright flame appeared in Jaina's hand, illuminating the terrified faces of the four Orcs.
Anduin day and barely listened to the lessons. It wasn't because he was too tired from playing last night, but because he couldn't understand his father. The Orcs were clearly so kind, simple, and friendly, even if they looked a bit scary.
Young Anduin couldn't understand; he felt his father's actions were irrational.
After a day spent in a daze, Anduin immediately got up and left after the last class. He didn't want to stay for even a moment longer. Instead of going to find the servants waiting on the street corner, he went straight to Jaina's residence.
Today, Jaina was wearing a purple mage robe. Although it was simple and plain, it accentuated her curvaceous figure perfectly. Her complexion was excellent, and her skin was rosy and tender, as if she had just experienced something fun.
Upon Prince Anduin's arrival, Jaina politely set out a chair for him, took off her cloak and hung it up, then offered him a cup of hot tea and a plate of delicate snacks.
Anduin one gulp, then casually ate a small piece of cake. His brow was somewhat somber; for the first time, he was concerned about matters of national importance, his heart heavy with worry, and he vaguely felt that he had grown up a bit.
"You seem to be in a bad mood," Jaina said gracefully.
"I don't understand. I talked to my father last night, but he couldn't understand and even sent me to prison." Anduin took a deep breath. "I was locked up with four Orcs. They were so friendly, playing with me. I was amazed that such kind and innocent creatures could exist in the world. Unfortunately, they were sent to the execution ground this morning. I couldn't stop them. I hate myself for being so powerless."
After saying this, Anduin shed a few tears. "I remembered my first pet, a golden groundhog. One day after class, I went out for a little while, and when I came back, it was dead. I knew someone had secretly poisoned it, but I didn't know who the murderer was. Now I know the murderer, but I can only watch helplessly."
Jaina sighed with a hint of sympathy, "You're still too young. You don't understand the adult world. Many things happen that shouldn't happen in this world. Unnecessary arguments and quarrels escalate into physical conflicts, and these conflicts turn into wars. Our history is full of these tragedies. Often, after a brutal war, the victors have forgotten the reasons for the war. The root cause is the inability to communicate; because they can't sit down and talk, there's a lack of trust. There are too many misunderstandings between humans and Orcs. They cause many unnecessary conflicts over trivial matters, which is wrong. That's why I'm facilitating this peace talk, so that humans and Orcs can rediscover themselves. When everything is discussed openly, the world will be free of conflict and filled with peace and beauty."
"Peace?" Anduin's eyes welled up with tears. He seemed to see humans and Orcs living together peacefully, playing, hunting, singing, and dancing happily.
"The Alliance and the Horde are not just at peace anymore." Jaina's expression turned serious. She unfolded a map of Azeroth and pointed towards Northrend: "This is the Frozen Throne, where the Evil Lich King Arthas slumbers, along with the powerful Scourge. Only by uniting can the Alliance and the Horde fight against the Scourge; otherwise, both will perish. This is an imminent threat. Anduin, are you willing to fight for Azeroth?"
Anduin, his eyes shining brightly:
"I do."