While Onyxia, in the guise of Countess Katrana, was considering whether to try seducing Arthas as well, the king of Stormwind City had already been waiting at the keep's entrance for his old friend for some time.
"Arthas!" Varian strode forward and pulled him into a fierce hug. "How long has it been?"
"Almost eight years, Varian."
"When I left Lordaeron, you were only this tall." Varian gestured at the height he remembered Arthas being.
Arthas rolled his eyes at him. "I was only eleven, all right? And you weren't much taller than me, were you?"
The two exchanged a smile. It felt just like old times.
Varian gave Arthas a hearty slap on the back. "You're so much stronger than you used to be. Muradin and Uther must have trained you well."
"You're no slouch yourself." Arthas had naturally noticed the sharp edge Varian made no effort to conceal.
"If you have time, let's spar again, like we used to." Nostalgia shone in Varian's eyes. "Oh... how is Uncle Terenas doing? Is everything all right in Lordaeron?"
King Terenas had taken him in after the fall of his kingdom and treated him like his own son. Lordaeron could practically be called Varian's second home.
"Father is doing well, and Lordaeron has recovered to what it was before the war with the orcs."
"Good, good." Varian nodded in satisfaction. "Come on, let me introduce you to your nephew. I've already decided to make you his godfather."
Arthas did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Varian, I'm only nineteen!"
"So what if you're nineteen? Do you want little Anduin to call you his big brother instead?"
"All right, you win."
Varian had ignored Countess Katrana the entire time. After giving Bolvar a few instructions, he led Arthas into the palace on one side of Stormwind Keep.
A trace of hurt crossed Katrana's face. "It seems His Majesty is still angry about what happened before."
Bolvar gently patted the noblewoman's back. "It's all right, Katrana. Those nobles deserved to be punished. You did nothing wrong. It's just... Varian has trouble accepting it."
The countess took the opportunity to nestle deeper into Bolvar's embrace, putting on a particularly pitiful expression.
"That Bolvar really gives me a headache. Why did he have to fall for that woman?" Varian complained as they walked. He deeply admired the grand duke's character, but could not say the same for his taste in women.
Varian was no fool. Katrana played every side among the nobility, spinning one scheme after another. A large portion of Stormwind City's nobles had been caught in the whirlpool she had created.
Varian still did not have enough gold to pay the Stonemasons' Guild for rebuilding Stormwind City, yet those nobles were spending their money on power games.
Moreover, he had always felt that Countess Katrana had appeared far too abruptly. Where exactly had this Prestor Family come from?
They claimed to be from the Kingdom of Alterac, but Alterac had long since been destroyed by the orcs. Even its capital had been razed, leaving nothing behind. There was no way to verify their identities.
"No one in the Prestor Family is ordinary. Have you forgotten that Lord Prestor who came to Lordaeron and nearly married my sister?" Arthas offered an indirect warning, hoping to make Varian more wary of Katrana.
Simply telling Varian that Katrana was a black dragon was not practical. He had no evidence to prove it. Even if Varian believed him and forced Onyxia to reveal her true form, a black dragon of her strength could wreak havoc throughout Stormwind City before flying away.
Stormwind City currently had no guardian like Medivh. Without anything to restrict flight, a black dragon could come and go from the newly rebuilt city as she pleased.
Thus, Arthas only warned Varian to be careful of this countess of the Prestor Family. He did not want his friend's newly rebuilt city reduced to rubble. Besides, as long as he did not scare Onyxia away, he would have plenty of ways to deal with the Black Dragon Princess later.
"You think there's something wrong with her too? True enough, the way their whole family appeared was strange." Varian shook his head. He had been busy dealing with a group of unruly nobles lately and had no attention to spare for anything else.
If his son had not just been born, he would still have been dealing with the mess those damned nobles had left behind. Now that mess had been handed over to Bolvar.
As they talked, the two reached the gardens of the Royal Palace. There, Varian's queen, Tiffin, was holding a swaddled bundle containing their son-Anduin.
"My dear Tiffin, why have you come out into the gardens again? You'll catch a chill out here!" Varian approached his wife and took Anduin from her arms.
"It's all right, Varian. I'm not some frail woman. I just wanted to bring little Anduin out for some fresh air."
Tiffin spoke gently, then turned to Arthas and greeted him with a smile.
"It's been a long time, Prince Arthas. Has His Majesty Terenas been well lately?"
"My father is doing well. Thank you for asking, Queen Tiffin." Arthas had met Tiffin several times in Lordaeron, so they were acquainted. However, he remembered that her relationship with Varian had not been particularly good back then, since both had been victims of a political marriage.
But the outcome was plain to see now. With her gentleness and kindness, Tiffin had won over the hot-tempered Varian. Ever since falling in love, the two had lived in harmony and treated each other with respect.
She was a worthy queen, and she would be a worthy mother as well.
"Come, Arthas, have a look at my son." Varian carried little Anduin over to him. The little prince lay quietly in his swaddling, staring at Arthas with two pairs of large blue eyes.
"What an adorable child." Arthas played with little Anduin. "May the holy light bless you with health and happiness as you grow."
Varian teased him. "After all this time apart, you've started sounding like those old priests?"
"I can't help it. I've trained with them for so long that saying a few words like that has become a habit. But I can truly feel the holy light blessing this child." Arthas gathered a ball of gentle holy light at his fingertips. Little Anduin immediately began to wriggle, clumsily reaching out to grab the light.
Arthas lightly touched his forehead, and the holy light sank into Anduin's body. "This child was born with a powerful affinity for the holy light. He'll surely become an extraordinary hero."
After feeling Arthas's pure, gentle holy light, the little prince laughed happily.
"Does he really have such a strong affinity for the holy light? You're not pulling my leg again, are you?" Varian gave Arthas a suspicious look. When they were younger, he had been a thoroughly hotheaded fool, but Arthas had not.
Arthas knew what his friend was thinking. He patted Varian's shoulder. "Haha, Varian, I know you want your son to become a great warrior like you and your father. But why not wait until Anduin grows up and hear what he wants?"
"All right. It's not as though I insist on him becoming a warrior. I just hope he'll learn a warrior's courage and strength."
Varian's expression softened as he gazed at his son, his eyes full of hope.
Queen Tiffin smiled softly. "You're still so impatient. Our son has a vast future ahead of him. There's no need to rush."
Arthas sighed inwardly. Had Queen Tiffin survived, Varian and Anduin would not have grown so far apart in the original course of history. A hot-tempered, straightforward father who struggled with words yet loved his son deeply always became as clumsy as a child when faced with genuine affection.
But this time, things would be different-Arthas took a pendant from inside his clothes and handed it to Queen Tiffin.
"What's this?"
Tiffin accepted Arthas's gift with some surprise, unsure what the pendant did.
"This pendant is a protective amulet I asked His Eminence Faol to make. Blessed by the holy light, it can bring you good fortune and health, and ward off disease and evil." Arthas explained its purpose. Queen Tiffin's death could almost certainly be attributed to Onyxia's schemes, but a stone thrown by an ordinary person could not have been the primary cause.
The Black Dragon Princess had probably placed a vicious curse on Tiffin long beforehand. That stone had most likely only been the trigger.
"Thank you, Arthas. I love this gift." The queen accepted his amulet. Remembering how strained her husband Varian's relations with many nobles had become lately, she planned to give it to him later.
Yet Arthas seemed to see through her intentions. "You don't need to worry about Varian. I have other gifts for him and little Anduin. Keep this amulet for yourself. I'm sure Varian wouldn't want anything to happen to you either."
Varian nodded. As a warrior, he had never feared danger or hardship. What he did fear was being unable to guarantee his queen's and son's safety.
But Arthas's words made Varian realize that his friend seemed to have already seen through his predicament. After handing Anduin back to Tiffin, he rubbed his nose and asked in a muffled voice, "You've noticed too?"
"I felt something was wrong the moment I entered Stormwind City."
Varian's strength might have been no less than Arthas's, but he still lagged far behind him in perceptiveness. He had only recently become king, and was not yet the mature High King of the Alliance he would become.
"Stormwind City looks prosperous on the surface, but you're actually facing quite a few difficulties, aren't you?"
Varian let out a long sigh, looking thoroughly helpless. He pulled Arthas over to sit on a nearby bench, while Tiffin sat beside him with their son in her arms.
"I knew those nobles couldn't be trusted. When disaster struck Stormwind City, they practically raced each other to flee. Now that the city has been rebuilt, they've all come running back to reap the rewards." Resentment filled Varian's face. "Sooner or later, they'll learn how terrifying the wrath of Wrynn can be!"
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