A Tongue That Kills

"We need a reasonable explanation, King Terenas. Your beloved son recently did something that has unsettled everyone."

Terenas, sitting on his throne, was already slightly drowsy. Out of courtesy, he slightly opened his eyes to look at the speaker. The voice was smooth and refined, reminding him of two villains: King Perenolde of Alterac and Prysto. But the speaker was neither of those two; it was Lord Ashvane from Kul Tiras, an assistant to Admiral Daelin Proudmoore. This man looked like a soldier, but the tone of his voice always made Terenas uncomfortable.

"I've said it many times, Your Excellency. This matter is still under investigation, and even I don't know the details."

Are you really planning to just ignore it?

"Ignore everything?" Terenas glared at the man beside Ashvane, then abruptly stood up and pointed at him, saying, "Stratholme is Lordaeron's territory! I urge you to understand that, Lord Kalai! Arthas's actions have shocked me greatly, but I believe my son would not kill innocent people indiscriminately."

Archmage Karlain of the Kirin Tor, representing Dalaran, arrived in Lordaeron to inquire about the situation in Stratholme. He was not intimidated by Terenas's imposing presence; he could sense that the King must have been deeply worried and sleepless these past few days, the weariness on his face impossible to conceal.

"I hope this isn't an excuse, Your Majesty," Karlain continued. To others, it would seem strange for Dalaran and Kul Tiras to send representatives to question Terenas about events in Kingdom of Lordaeron —such as Arthas's massacre—as if it were interference in another country's internal affairs. But such a view was absolutely wrong. Lordaeron had always been an open kingdom, and thus, people from other countries flocked to the country. Not to mention Stratholme, even in Hearthglen, Darrowshire, or even small places like Southshore, Terenas couldn't guarantee that everyone walking on his land was a resident of Lordaeron; there were always a few, or even more, tourists from other kingdoms.

News of Arthas's massacre of Lordaeron spread from Stratholme, causing panic not only in Lordaeron but also in other countries.

Lord Ashvane, the representative of Kul Tiras, stroked his beard and nodded, also curious about how Terenas would answer Karlain's question. It was a pertinent question. When the envoys from both countries arrived in Lordaeron, they were informed that Arthas had actually led an army on an expedition to Northrend. It all seemed somewhat coincidental; the Prince's departure was so swift, it felt as if he had been deliberately arranged to leave, and their first suspect was naturally Terenas.

"Protecting him?" The old King was over seventy, but his eyes remained sharp. "If I wanted to protect Arthas, I should have kept him by my side, not sent him to his death by ship with a force of less than two hundred men!"

"This explanation... is quite reasonable."

Terenas was furious. The two men in front of him were interrogating him like a criminal, and he had to answer their questions out of consideration for the face of his allies.

"Please forgive our rudeness, King Terenas." Archmage Karlain bowed deeply. "But please understand, Prince Arthas's actions are truly baffling and unsettling. He is the future King of Lordaeron, and everyone, including you, would have thought he would be a wise King. But now, he looks more like a... tyrant. Therefore, we have no choice but to take action."

"What operation?" Terenas sat down again, feeling tired once more.

"Rest assured, it will absolutely not be like Gilneas, where a high wall was erected." Karlain smiled, and after exchanging glances with Lord Ashvane, they decided that the representative of Kul Tiras would speak first.

"General Daelin Proudmoore was very worried about Jaina Proudmoore's safety when he heard that his daughter was also involved in the investigation of the plague. So he decided to put all the ships stationed in Lordaeron under her command."

Terenas frowned; this was truly a critical matter. Since the end of the Second War, relations between Lordaeron and Kul Tiras had become much closer, with numerous collaborations. The largest of these was Kul Tiras providing Lordaeron with a large number of ships, mostly transport vessels, but also destroyers and cruisers for defense against pirates. These ships held the lifeline of maritime trade between Kul Tiras and Lordaeron. At this moment, Daelin Proudmoore's decision seemed partly to protect his daughter, partly to gain the upper hand in maritime trade, and perhaps there was another reason. A few days ago, Terenas had suddenly received a report that Orcs had seized many ships and left the continent. This should have been good news, but Terenas couldn't help but think of the prophet who could transform into a raven, the one who spread doomsday prophecies. It was as if the Orcs knew something beforehand and were fleeing. Terenas suddenly began to worry about the future of the kingdom.

"General Daelin's love for his daughter is understandable," Terenas replied, then looked at Karlain, wondering what Dalaran planning.

"Antonidas, the Speaker of the Kirin Tor Council, has decided to send mages to investigate and study this catastrophic plague."

Karlain's words shocked Terenas and Ashvane, as this amounted to expanding exchanges between the two nations. Their expressions were exactly what Karlain had anticipated. The mage, who was about the same height as Ashvane, smiled again, "Please don't forget, Your Majesty. It was initially the Council Master who reminded you to be constantly vigilant about the plague within Lordaeron."

"I should listen to Lord Antonidas," the old King said with a wry smile.

"Your Majesty!" A soldier burst into the council chamber. "Lord Uther requests an audience."

Terenas stood up, this time without intending to sit down. "Very well, envoys. We have talked long enough and it is time to rest. I have arranged for you to rest at the embassy. If you have any further questions, please come back later. Now I must go see my subjects."

Uther paced back and forth in the palace's training grounds, wondering if his request to meet the King there was presumptuous, but he trusted Terenas would understand that he was helping the King. A short while later, Terenas arrived.

"You truly saved my life, Uther. Those two emissaries almost killed me with their tongues. I can't even imagine what will happen when emissaries from Stromgarde, Quel'Thalas, or even Stormwind Kingdom arrive here."

"Their arrival may be a few days away, but for now, you'll have to put up with my deadly tongue."

Terenas burst into laughter; it was hard to imagine him laughing under such circumstances. "Your tongue is different, Uther. You will tell me the answer, not ask me questions."