Lady Catherine had prepared dinner early, including a special turtle soup whose aroma reached them before they even entered the house.
Rowan had swiped two bottles of Alterac Spirits from the Merchants' Guild. These days, any specialty produced in Alterac cost an outrageous amount.
Alterac's royal House of Perenolde had turned traitor. To preserve its royal holdings, it had betrayed the Alliance, signed an armistice with the Horde, and opened a route north for the Old Horde's armies.
After the orcs war ended, the leaders of the Alliance nations had settled accounts with Aiden Perenolde once and for all. That included his political faction, of course.
For the Alliance, this was satisfying retribution. Bringing a wartime traitor to justice was cause for celebration.
For the people of Alterac, however, it was nothing short of a disaster.
The Kingdom of Alterac had been established in the Alterac Mountains, where arable land was scarce. Most of its people relied on brewing and cheesemaking to earn their living.
The royal family of Alterac had hardly been saints, but its Royal Court had standing within the Alliance, allowing the nation's products to fetch high prices in the other Alliance nations.
Alterac's alcoholic drinks and cheeses had distinctive, rich flavors and sold well.
The people paid high taxes, but business was good. Their lives were reasonably comfortable.
After the Royal Court was dissolved and Lordaeron carved up the Kingdom of Alterac's territory, its people lost the court's protection. Those with their wits about them seized opportunities to find a place under Lordaeron's monarchy, while honest, ordinary folk could only keep working in Alterac.
The local officials sent by the Kingdom of Lordaeron were even harsher than the Perenolde royal family. Their ruthless tax collection made life unbearable, driving people into exile.
As people left and