Joining the Horde

Alleria returned to the Sunstrider Royal Court with a heavy heart. Rommath told her that the Prince's attitude could be summed up in eight words: anyone but the Alliance.

Upon hearing the news, Alleria almost jumped for joy and shouted, "Long live the Sin'dorei!" But the thought of Liadrin becoming Countess calmed Alleria blood. What was Countess? It was a title close to the political center. Of course, even so, Liadrin didn't have any real power to manage affairs, which was why Kael'thas formed the Blood Knights and placed her in command.

Is the Prince creating a force that can oppose me?

Alleria pondered carefully; she couldn't possibly oppose the establishment of the Blood Knights. This force's duty was to maintain the safety of Quel'Thalas, and nominally, they would also be under her command. Moreover, Alleria had witnessed the power of the Paladin; they played a significant role on the battlefield. For the sake of the kingdom, she had no choice but to accept.

But are the people willing to accept it?

After parting ways with the Archmage, the Regent spoke alone with Liadrin for a while. After a brief exchange of pleasantries and congratulations, they got straight to the point. Rommath had said that the luminous being called "M'uru" possessed its own consciousness and radiated the Holy Light, indicating that it wasn't an object like a magic crystal. Alleria reminded Liadrin that if she absorbed M'uru's energy, she would be handing her fate over to Kael'thas; the prince could take M'uru away at any time if Prince so desired.

The Countess's expression was somewhat conflicted at the end; she said nothing, but the regent knew she had accepted it. If the Holy Light could replace magic and help alleviate her Fel Addiction, she would definitely accept it.

"Elder sister?"

Vareesa appeared in front of Alleria without her noticing, and Aurelia realized that she had been lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

What is Prince Highness's attitude?

She wanted to answer, but didn't know how. Alleria blinked and tentatively asked her sister, "Vareesa, you'll always support me, won't you?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course, we are family."

"If I..." Alleria seemed a little agitated. Explaining everything was indeed very difficult, so she needed to see what the attitude of her closest people was first. She beckoned to her sister, who moved closer. The older Windrunner whispered a few words in her sister's ear, which made Vareesa panic.

"What?" The Ranger-General thought she had misheard. In an instant, her blue eyes flashed with a mix of emotions: anger, surprise, confusion, and utter incomprehension. Vareesa wanted to question Alleria, but seeing the sorrow on her sister's face, she swallowed her words. Her face was pale, and her voice was weaker than before. "Why?"

There was no other choice.

"But didn't you say you had already contacted King Varian of Stormwind City? Weren't we supposed to join the Alliance? How could this be..."

"The Alliance is certainly the best option, but Prince Kael'thas refused."

"Then there's no need to go looking for our former mortal enemies!"

"Keep your voice down!" Alleria snapped. Vareesa's chest heaved as she looked at her sister in disbelief, finding that the other was just as terrified as she was.

She was terrified of the guilt that would come from her family, while her sister was worried about whether she would get her support.

"Don't we have any other choice?"

"To be honest, sister," Alleria walked to Vareesa's side and gently took her hand. "I never had any hope for the Alliance from the beginning, not only because Prince Kael'thas has a grudge against the Alliance, but also because of the Night Elf, the culprits who drove our ancestors from their homeland ten thousand years ago. They've joined the Alliance too. Do you think we can work peacefully with them?"

"So your goal has always been..."

"The Horde," Alleria said for Vareesa, uttering the word they both hated. "We have no other choice. The Horde has established itself in Kalimdor. Their Great Chief Thrall fought against the Burning Legion and ultimately triumphed. Believe me, sister, the Horde is different now."

"But what can they do to help us?" Vareesa pressed. The tension in Alleria's mind finally eased; the fact that she asked this question meant that Vareesa had accepted her idea.

"They are indeed far from us, but Sunsail Anchorage has been restored, and we can trade with them to replenish the kingdom's treasury. Moreover, if we are lucky, we may even receive powerful military assistance from the Horde."

"And what about them? What will the Sin'dorei gain by joining them? If only we benefit, I'm afraid the Horde won't agree."

Alleria smiled and continued, "They'll gain a foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms." Vareesa blinked, still not understanding her sister's meaning. "The Horde doesn't have a single foothold in the Eastern Kingdoms, nor any reliable or powerful force. Our involvement will give them an absolute advantage over the Alliance in the north of this continent. If Thrall isn't an idiot, he couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

Vareesa gave a bitter smile after hearing this. She took a deep breath; the fresh air made her realize her brain was oxygen-deprived, and her hands were trembling slightly. There was still something that needed explaining, something that Alleria needed to answer for her. Vareesa didn't ask; she knew her sister would tell her.

"I know you're thinking about Father and Mother, Vareesa." Alleria gently touched her sister's face. "I'm very sad too. I know this decision might make you hate me and subject me to your condemnation, but we're not just Windrunner anymore. We can't just stay in the forest. We have to think about the future of the entire kingdom. I'm the Regent, and you're the Ranger-General. We can't be as willful as we used to be."

"You've really changed, sister." Vareesa's voice trembled slightly. "I just want to know, you haven't forgotten our dead parents, have you? Tell me, you haven't."

"Of course," Alleria nodded firmly. "I haven't forgotten, I've never forgotten!"

Vareesa suddenly reached out and hugged her sister, replying in the voice the two sisters whispered to each other, "Then I support you. I will always support you, sister."

"With your support, I have nothing to fear, sister." Alleria closed her eyes, embraced Vareesa for a long while before letting go, and smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Vareesa. I can finally focus on persuading those stubborn and foolish nobles."

"The biggest obstacle to this matter is not the nobility," Vareesa reminded.

Alleria nodded nonchalantly, "Don't worry, even Rommath can't stop me."

"No, not Rommath."

"Prince? Prince Kael'thas's energy is all in Outland."

"He's not Prince, sister."

"What is that?" Alleria's smile gradually froze.

"It's... it's Sylvanas, it's my second sister!"

The Regent was speechless for a moment, his pupils slowly dilating as he wondered what Vareesa meant. What did this have to do with Sylvanas? Another Windrunner family was not currently enthusiastic about politics, nor did she even care about the Sin'dorei. Why Vareesa so uneasy because of her?

"You and your second sister... I'm probably the one suffering the most, sister."