The Slipping Coin

The night was quiet. A gentle evening breeze swept through the deep, shadowy street, lightly brushing past a proud girl and a bewildered boy.

Alvin was indeed taken aback. The gold coin in the girl's palm was smooth and blank. It bore neither the crest it was supposed to have nor any words etched into it by the wishing well's magic. In other words, the things she had just said were only because she was hesitating. She herself didn't know what her wish was.

I remember that Jaina and Arthas did become friends as children in the game, but they only fell in love as adults, right? Had these two kids already fallen in love at first sight? Just how open was this world?

At the thought, Alvin began sizing up the girl who might very well become his "future sister-in-law." She had long golden hair, an adorable face, and two little tiger teeth. She was certainly a beauty in the making. No wonder Arthas, heir to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, had fallen for her.

The boy nodded, accepting her explanation. "Miss Proudmoore, I bow to your wisdom."

Seeing Alvin back down, the little girl grinned, delight filling her small face. But she quickly put on a stern expression and threatened him fiercely, "This is our secret. You can't tell anyone, or you'll be sorry!"

"Rest assured. No man of House Menethil would ever stoop to revealing someone else's private affairs."

The boy inclined his head. Whether or not the girl before him would one day become Queen of Lordaeron, Alvin felt he ought to treat her well.

After all, she would certainly fall in love with Arthas someday. To keep his brother from falling into darkness, he needed to reach out to every force that might be useful—and this girl could become a valuable card in his hand.

Unfortunately, the truth showed the boy that he was being far too presumptuous. Though he had made a promise in the name of a prince, the girl still wasn't reassured. Instead, she rolled her eyes, apparently turning something over in her mind.

"Then let's trade!"

Jaina held out her hand to the boy and said sweetly, "I remember you have a wishing coin too. Let me see it!"

The little girl clearly didn't trust the boy's promise. Instead, she proposed that they trade secrets so she could learn one of his and have something to hold over him. Even Alvin, who was being put on the spot, couldn't help admiring the girl's cleverness.

But he couldn't give her Arthas's coin. It went against his principles, and more importantly, anyone could tell at a glance that the wish wasn't his—he didn't have a younger brother.

"No. A trade has to be fair."

Alvin took her hand and gently moved it away. "If you want to know my wish, you have to let me know yours too."

Seeing that she wouldn't get her way, the annoyed girl was about to use the tactic she'd used on Arthas that day: pestering him until he gave in. But just as she sprang forward, a silvery streak flashed across the night sky behind the boy—

A shooting star!

The girl froze, staring blankly past the boy.

A brilliant shooting star burst from the endless Milky Way like a droplet splashed from a mighty river. It streaked across the silent night sky, falling soundlessly in the direction of Lordaeron City.

"A shooting star! It's a shooting star!"

Overwhelmed by nature's splendor, the girl completely forgot her earlier unpleasantness with Alvin. She rushed up, clasped his hands, and shook them, eager to share her excitement.

Unlike Earth, the boy's home, shooting stars were rare in the world of Azeroth. According to an ancient legend, anyone lucky enough to see one streak across the sky would be blessed with good fortune. Faced with such an old legend, even Jaina, now an apprentice mage, was no exception.

The thrilled girl was certain that if she tossed her wishing coin into the well right now, she would become a mage as great as her teacher, Antonidas! At that moment, even the boy who had seemed so quiet and untrustworthy now looked much more likable.

"I'll let you off this time, since you helped me see a shooting star!"

Her mood completely changed, the girl decided to spare Alvin. "But remember our secret, or you'll be sorry!"

With that, she waved a hand, wanting to send him away so she could make her wish in peace.

"Of course. Good luck, Miss Proudmoore!"

Thank goodness. I've been wanting to get away from you this whole time, you little brat! Relieved, Alvin took a few steps back, turned, and walked away.

The boy quickly went to the royal guard, who had been watching the whole thing from several dozen feet away. He glanced at Abberton, who was just as caught up in the excitement as Jaina, then lightly tapped the armor over his belly and said quietly, "Abberton, snap out of it. We should go."

The dazed guard came to with a smile on his face. "Your Highness, did you see that shooting star? We're going to have good luck!"

Alvin shrugged and spread his hands. "Unfortunately, someone kept me occupied."

"That's a shame! You know, according to legend, shooting stars at night are a sign of good luck. Anyone who sees one will have a run of good luck over the next few days."

The man's voice sounded regretful, but for some reason Alvin thought he detected a hint of boasting. So this guy was that unreliable? The boy glanced calmly at the young warrior, who stood a full six feet tall, and shook his head helplessly.

The evening breeze brushed his cheek. The quiet street brought his old home to mind, and he gazed up at the stars hanging high in the sky. His voice was lonely and cold. "Can you understand the sorrow and loneliness in the hearts of those stars that can never return to the sky?"

Before he could finish, the prince started walking toward the Violet Citadel.

At that moment, Jaina had her eyes closed, trying hard to picture herself becoming a mage one day. Suddenly, a voice carried on the wind reached her ears.

Sorrow and loneliness? Curiosity stirred in the girl's heart. Could stars have human feelings too? She opened her eyes and looked toward the end of the street. All she could see was a small, solitary figure in the distance.

"That boy is so strange."

Jaina muttered to herself, and the coin slipped from her hand before she noticed. She watched as the little gold disk struck the edge of the wishing well, then bounced straight into it.

"Oh, well." The girl was only briefly annoyed that she hadn't caught the coin. Soon she was brimming with confidence again. "My wish is sure to come true anyway. I'll become a mage as great as my teacher!"

The energetic little girl waved her arms and hurried after the two figures in the distance, one large and one small, ready to return to the Violet Citadel. She had sneaked away from the banquet and still had no idea how her teacher would punish her!

Everyone had left. The only sound at the quiet wishing well was water flowing against its surface. Beneath the dim starlight, a newly tossed coin lay still among the others at the bottom.

"The younger brother of Prince Arthas is a strange boy. I want to know what's going on in his head. And also, can the stars in the sky really feel lonely?" — Jaina Proudmoore's coin