Things took an unexpected turn, and Jaina recovered from her initial panic!
She glared fiercely at Kites, who looked like Avatar. The once lowly Night Watch now sat in the court, Sharp Sword in hand, majestic and awe-inspiring, becoming the focus of everyone's attention. Even many soldiers of the City Guard looked at him with admiration.
Bolvar is a Paladin, quite conventional. The only one who could come up with unconventional plans is Benedictus. It's said that Benedictus has been secretly researching the power of the Old Gods, and even his personality has become cunning.
Fortunately, Jaina had a backup plan.
Jaina remained completely calm, simply smiling.
"Kites the Night Watch, you have received the blessing of the Goldrinn, and are indeed unstoppable. Why not use your bravery for good, and serve the great Savior Thrall?"
Knowing he couldn't let Jaina continue, Kites brandished his sword, ready to cause Jaina trouble. The City Guards parted to reveal Varian and Jaina in the crowd.
Varian trembled behind Jaina, not daring to utter a sound.
Jaina glared at Varian with disgust and whispered, "Here they come!"
A heavy magical aura swept through Stormwind Keep.
Red represents Flame, blue represents Frost, and purple represents Arcane magic.
The three magical elements converged on the throne, vying for attention and creating a truly beautiful sight.
Bolvar's heart sank. Anyone who could master the three elemental systems must be the most powerful Archmage of the time. Could it be Medivh? He felt a surge of worry.
Benedictus stepped forward, dressed in a silver robe, and proclaimed:
"Archmage Khadgar, what, are you going to stir up this mess too?"
Two beams of light flashed, and the newcomers were Khadgar and Rhonin.
Jaina was secretly pleased. With the three of them, plus Khadgar and Rhonin, she was confident that they could Pain Suppression Bolvar and Benedictus and force them to initiate the negotiation process.
A glint of cunning flashed in Khadgar's eyes, and he smiled slightly:
"Duke Bolvar, Archbishop Benedictus, you have misunderstood me. Dalaran, as a neutral force, would never interfere in Stormwind City's politics. I've come to resolve this misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" Benedictus countered.
Tirion Fordring, sprawled on the ground, slowly rose. A soldier picked up Ashbringer and handed it to Tirion Fordring. Facing his recent defeat, Tirion Fordring said calmly:
"Khadgar, I knew you'd come. I even defeated the Lich King Arthas, so why would I stoop to the level of a child? That's why I pretended to be defeated."
After saying that, he turned his head and secretly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
This guy's skin is so thick; everyone secretly admires him.
Khadgar ignored Tirion Fordring and said in a measured tone, "Outland, I fought Deathwing many times and am very familiar with the Black Dragon's magic. The Black Dragon's magic is insidious and cunning, making it impossible to defend against. Jaina, it's normal that you don't know about it."
Jaina was baffled; what did Khadgar mean by this explanation?
Benedictus looked at Khadgar with equal surprise. After all, Khadgar had established great achievements in Outland and held immense weight in the hearts of the people; his opinion had to be respected.
After a long Anjing, Khadgar's booming voice echoed through the hall:
"You saw two King Varian, but they are actually one person. This was a trick by the Black Dragon Princess, who used dark magic to split King Varian in two to incite conflict within Stormwind City. You have all been fooled."
"What?"
Jaina nearly burst out cursing. What was this? Trying to please neither side, trying to smooth things over? She glanced furtively at Rhonin, only to see Rhonin looking completely bewildered. Clearly, this was Khadgar's own idea.
Rhonin said in a low voice, "How come I've never heard of this kind of magic before?"
Khadgar shook his head and said, "Rhonin, you've learned the orthodox magic of Dalaran, and you don't know anything about Black Dragon magic. You should go out and see the world more."
Rhonin was very unconvinced. He had a mentor-student relationship with the Red Dragon Krasus and believed that he was the most qualified to speak on Dragonkin magic.
Khadgar calmly added:
"The most important thing now is for the Alliance and the Horde to cooperate in resisting the Lich King Arthas. Wouldn't it be better if the Black Dragon Princess divided King Varian into two: one representing wisdom, who can strategize from the rear, and the other representing courage, who can Charge on the front lines?"
Jaina immediately understood Khadgar's intentions. Although he boasted about his abilities, he was actually helping Jaina in secret.
Jaina's goal was not for King Varian to return to the throne, but for Kingdom of Stormwind to join the Horde, help Thrall regain control of the situation, and secure sufficient food supplies for the Orcs.
Khadgar's attempt to smooth things over Benedictus and Bolvar with grim expressions; this was not the outcome they desired.
There is a solution, though: Kites can continue his reckless brute force, or even directly confront Khadgar. This is Stormwind City, with its many Court Mages; Khadgar and Rhonin would definitely not gain any advantage here.
But for some reason, Kites became timid and stopped swinging his sword. Perhaps he thought that becoming half a King wouldn't be bad at all!
King Varian, however, was unwilling to share the King with others and shouted:
"This isn't fair! Don't believe this swindler; he's an imposter."
Jaina secretly cast a silencing spell on him, rendering his noise meaningless. Jaina then said with feigned profundity, "I have indeed heard Medivh mention a similar spell. I didn't expect the Black Dragon Princess to have mastered it."
Having successfully mediated the Kings' dispute, Khadgar's reputation would surely soar, and he couldn't help but smugly say:
"Listen up, everyone! This is all a scheme by the Black Dragon Princess. Azeroth needs peace and unity. We should stand together."
Bolvar and Benedictus were both somewhat helpless. Khadgar and Rhonin represented Dalaran's stance, and if things dragged on like this, the situation would only worsen.
In a corner unseen by the crowd, Robbie manipulated the Power of the Holy Light, binding a man whose eyes were blazing with Flame. Observing the current situation, Robbie whispered:
"It's your turn to step in, Red Dragon. Don't worry, I won't let Khadgar and Rhonin hurt you, nor will I let them break your disguise."
The man nodded, his Flame beard fluttering, and said in a low voice, "I suffered a defeat in Blackwing Lair. I hope I can earn enough money this time."
Suddenly, the Throne Room went dark.
A huge Black Dragon suddenly appeared, its ferocious head looking at the crowd with a mocking gaze.
"Stormwind Keep was poorly defended; so you've all been here. Look who's this?"
The Black Dragon's enormous claws were gripping the unconscious Prince Anduin.
Khadgar was shocked. He hadn't expected the Black Dragon Princess to dare show herself. If Prince Anduin were to be abducted by the Black Dragon Princess, then things would become even more unpredictable.
Powerful magic converged, and three magic orbs—red, blue, and purple—fused together. This was Khadgar's most proficient spell, which he unhesitatingly hurled at the Black Dragon before him.
Khadgar didn't care about Anduin's safety; he could always pin the blame on the Black Dragon Princess. A dead Prince was much easier to deal with than a living one being abducted.
Unexpectedly, the "Black Dragon Princess" opened her mouth wide and swallowed Khadgar's magic in one gulp.
"Impossible!"
Khadgar was pale and swaying precariously. The spell had taken a huge toll on him; he had thought he could kill the Black Dragon outright.
"Human, before the Black Dragon, your magic is as vulnerable as your lies. If you wish to rescue your Prince, come to me in Dustwallow Marsh."
The "Black Dragon Princess" spread her wings, grabbed Prince Anduin, and soared into the sky, quickly disappearing without a trace.