First Meeting

Before long, a ship bearing the royal crest of Lordaeron docked at the harbor. The old mage swept his wide sleeves aside and walked forward at an unhurried pace to greet the king, who had come in person.

"Welcome to Dalaran, Your Majesty Terenas, and welcome to the two princes."

The old mage gave the king a mage's salute, then looked at the two children following behind him—

Arthas did his best to stand tall, arranging his childish face into a solemn expression in an attempt to appear dignified and composed. Alvin, half a head shorter than his older brother, blinked his bright, inquisitive eyes as he studied the unfamiliar mage before him.

Of all the things he had learned about this world, the first thing Alvin had wanted to explore was the mysterious power of magic. Unfortunately, with the exception of Dalaran, the other human kingdoms still viewed magic much as Stromgarde had years ago, with prejudice of their own—even though nearly every great noble had a magical adviser.

Though he was only Lordaeron's second prince, and everyone thought it highly unlikely that he would ever inherit the throne, Terenas still wouldn't let him become a "heretical" mage.

Among the human kingdoms, few noble children with a genuine claim to inheritance went to Dalaran to study magic. Only noble girls who had no chance of inheriting a title and were unwilling to accept the constraints of the Holy Light's teachings went to Dalaran to become mage apprentices.

Thus, although Alvin's birth had brought him great advantages, allowing him to easily learn about many things in this world, it had also cut off his chances of becoming a mage who wielded the power of the Arcane.

Now that he had this opportunity, standing before two white-haired old mages, he was eager to see how Dalaran's mages differed from the magical advisers in Lordaeron's royal palace.

"Prince Arthas truly lives up to his place as Lordaeron's heir. I can already see the majesty about you."

As he spoke, Antonidas reached out and patted Alvin's head, smiling kindly. "I can sense the strong power of the Holy Light within you, Prince Alvin. You're every bit as exceptional as the rumors say. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Antonidas, a mage in pursuit of truth."

"Arthas Menethil, prince of Lordaeron." Without hesitation, Arthas demonstrated the results of his etiquette lessons before everyone, returning the greeting with grace and confidence.

"Alvin Menethil, a Priest pursuing the path of the Holy Light."

Following his brother, Alvin showed his respect for the mage through his actions. Unlike Arthas, however, he introduced himself in a manner similar to the mage's, rather than simply stating his name and title.

The unusual boy caught Khadgar's attention. The mage raised an eyebrow and glanced at the child, who barely reached his waist, but said nothing. At the same time, the boys' father turned his head to steal a glance at his son, his thoughts unclear.

After greeting the two children, Antonidas finally turned to business. "Your Majesty Terenas, regarding the news we received earlier, the mage Khadgar here will explain it to you in detail."

"As for the two princes, my apprentice will show them around Dalaran." The old mage beckoned to the people behind him. "Kel'Thuzad, take Jaina and show the princes the sights of Dalaran."

The king nodded, approving the arrangement. "Then we'll head to the Violet Citadel first."

Then he turned to his two sons. "You have a day to yourselves. Consider it a reward for studying so diligently last year."

Leaving a small squad of guards to protect his two children, the king boarded a carriage bearing the Kirin Tor's crest with the two mages, leaving Arthas barely able to contain his excitement and Alvin staring blankly after them.

The boy had yet to recover from the shock of seeing so many historical figures at once when the young mage in purple robes who had been standing behind the old mage came over, leading a little girl with golden hair.

"Princes, please come with me."

The mage, Kel'Thuzad, led the two boys into a finely crafted carriage. It followed the carriage ahead, which was already disappearing from sight, toward the center of Dalaran.

Khadgar had brought back news that Medivh's Great Library had been destroyed when he returned to Dalaran, so Kel'Thuzad was in no high spirits. Still, out of diplomatic courtesy between Dalaran and Lordaeron, and at the request of his respected teacher, he had been ordered to guide the two princes.

He knew this was an opportunity his teacher had secured for him, now that he had just become a member of the Council of Six—to meet the future king of Lordaeron and his younger brother. Even so, the mage, whose mind was wholly devoted to the path of the Arcane, didn't give the matter much thought.

The taciturn young mage, Alvin, who sat with his eyes closed in quiet contemplation, and Arthas, who was in an unfamiliar place—all three remained silent, and the atmosphere in the carriage grew awkward. In the end, Jaina, whom Kel'Thuzad had hastily roped in to make up the numbers, became the one to break the ice.

Ever since her father had sent her to Dalaran last year to become Antonidas's apprentice, the only playmate her age had been Fenna Windrunner, a half-elf. Jaina was full of curiosity about the two unfamiliar boys before her, whose status was so high and who seemed so polite.

The little girl squeezed between the brothers, looking first to one side and then the other. Paying no attention to Arthas's awkward expression, she turned and pointed out the window. "Dalaran's architecture combines grandeur, elegance, artistry, and mystery. Its most famous buildings are the four towering mage towers."

As she spoke, Jaina held up her pale little hand and began counting. "That one belongs to my teacher, Antonidas. The tower beside it, carved with golden runes, belongs to Master Kael'thas, the High Elf prince. The one farther away belongs to Master Krasus. And the last one is in the Violet Citadel, where the Council of Six meets. Oh, do you know about the Council of Six...?"

In the Violet Citadel, white-haired Khadgar stood in the center of the hall, addressing the five members of the Kirin Tor Council seated before him and Terenas. "My teacher, Medivh, Guardian of the Council of Tirisfal, has betrayed this world. He opened a portal for the Orcs of another world."

"In the first clash, the Kingdom of Stormwind held out to the end behind Stormwind City's sturdy walls. But according to a message sent a few days ago by Sir Anduin Lothar, the highest-ranking commander of the Kingdom of Stormwind's army, those bloodthirsty Orcs have gathered again along the kingdom's borders and are preparing for another war. I believe that, having already suffered one defeat, they won't make a futile attempt."

He finished and looked around the room, his expression resolute. Then he spoke with impassioned conviction. "I will depart for Stormwind City at once to join the fight against the Orc invasion. If the Kingdom of Stormwind falls, the kingdoms across the continent of Lordaeron will be next to face them."