--Aeridiel

Aeridiel kept his responsibilities as Ranger firmly in mind. The journey from Morningstar Village to Sunwell Plateau was long, and he meticulously followed the mission guidelines each day, never letting his guard down. Every three days, someone from Silvermoon City would come to inquire about his work; even the most foolish person knew the special nature of his missions. But sometimes he would laugh at himself—it was just delivering food to someone, what was so special about that?

Outside the entrance to the Sunwell Plateau was a long corridor paved with white marble, guarded at each end by two Farstrider. The entrance itself was similarly fortified, Aeridiel simply had to undergo their inspection. However, he disliked the process. The Farstrider responsible for the inspection would open his lunchbox to check for poisons and concealed weapons. During this time, Aeridiel could only wait patiently, tormented by the fact that his gaze would occasionally drift to the statue of Kael'thas standing in the highland entrance passage. The Prince seemed never to have left; Aeridiel had sworn allegiance to him, only to be heartbroken by his betrayal.

"Safe!" said the Farstrider Ranger. "She's waiting for you."

"May the Sunwell bless you," he said in his native tongue, exchanging greetings with the guards before picking up his bundle and continuing on his way.

Many had questioned the Regent's decision to allow the Quel'dorei of the Silver Covenant to make pilgrimages. That organization was affiliated with the Alliance, Quel'Thalas Alliance. Aeridiel had always believed this, until he later discovered that the Elf who came to the Sunwell Plateau had no factional divisions; they were all there to experience the blessings of the Sunwell. They ate and talked in the open fields, the atmosphere harmonious, their relationships no longer those of enemies. This was something Aeridiel had never imagined; he realized that the descendants of Dath'Remar had never been divided.

The deeper you go, the fewer Elf you see. Besides the guards, the number of people entering the Sunwell Tower each time must meet strict standards, as must the duration of their stay.

A group of Elf pilgrims were already waiting in line, but Aeridiel wouldn't join them. The person he was looking for was currently sitting in the courtyard, with two Ranger by her side, of course.

Aeridiel walked straight through the middle of them and came to the woman, unpacking the package in front of her: stewed lynx meat, a large brown bread for dipping in the broth, and roasted vegetables sprinkled with honey.

The other person smiled at him and said, "Thank you."

No matter what she says, he will not respond; that's the rule.

"I really like this food." Liandara carefully picked up a piece of bread and nodded repeatedly as she ate it.

"This smell reminds me of the inn in Silvermoon City, where I used to frequently meet my male companions. The owner, Veronalara, is a friend of mine, and she was happy to host me because my expenses often covered her entire month's budget."...

Every time they ate, Liandara would launch into a long, rambling monologue, mostly about her past. Sometimes she'd ask Aeridiel questions about trivial matters. Although the Elf Ranger always responded with silence, the woman's puzzled face would always shift to a satisfied expression, as if she had received the answer from her own mouth. But Aeridiel swore he hadn't uttered a single word.

"Before the Scourge invaded Quel'Thalas, my parents were arranging my marriage to the son of an Archmage. Such political marriages were common, but everything ended after Arthas arrived, and then Kael'thas betrayed me, so it all fizzled out. Did you ever have such a marriage?" Liandara looked at him curiously.

Aeridiel was completely taken aback when the Sunstrider woman suddenly brought this up, feeling as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Of course, he had someone he loved, and they were even engaged, but the Scourge Undead had dimmed everything that should have been beautiful, forever separating him and his fiancée.

For a moment, he forgot his duty and couldn't help but want to speak. If the Ranger behind him hadn't suddenly interrupted him, he might have already poured out his longing.

"Time's up," the Ranger guard said.

Aeridiel breathed a sigh of relief, watching Liandara being led to the Sunwell. The Female Elf would now enjoy an hour of pilgrimage each day. He, on the other hand, would have to take away the woman's leftovers. And so it went. If nothing went wrong, he would likely continue this tedious task indefinitely; rumors circulated that more Sunstrider would arrive on Isle of Quel'Danas. As long as no unforeseen events occurred...

"Aeridiel?"

As he was busy with his work, someone called out behind him. Aeridiel turned around, utterly astonished.

"Lord Halduron?" he bowed respectfully.

Halduron Brightwing was in charge of the defense of the entire Sunwell Plateau, and judging from his duties, he was a very busy man, while Aeridiel was just an insignificant figure among his soldiers. He really didn't know why Halduron had come to him, let alone why he knew his name.

"Someone wants to see you. Put down your work and come with me."

"May I know who wants to see me, sir?"

The high-ranking Ranger commander brushed his long, light blond hair from his forehead and said with a serious expression, "It's the Regent." Aeridiel was almost speechless with surprise, but of course, this was within Halduron's expectations, so he added, "For... a private matter."

Facing the high-ranking leaders of Quel'Thalas is something Aeridiel is not very good at.

When he was summoned, his first reaction was fear. He knew the importance of delivering food to Liandara Sunstrider on time. Indeed, he was a few minutes late a couple of times.

He was led all the way to the Sunfury Tower —with Halduron leading the way the whole time—and then, under the watchful eyes of a whole band of Spellbreaker, into the political center of Silvermoon City. Finally, when Halduron stopped in front of a lounge, he knew the journey was over.

This is a spacious and simply furnished room. The entire room is illuminated by candlelight. A thick, beautifully embroidered carpet covers the floor. In the center of the room stands a table and four chairs.

"The Regent will be here soon." Halduron said this and left, his brows furrowed in worry. Aeridiel didn't know why he was in such a hurry, and now wasn't the time to ponder that. His only thought was how to face Alleria with greater composure.

The chairs in the room seemed to beckon to him. After walking such a long way, he naturally wanted to sit down and rest, but without permission, he couldn't touch anything there.

Aeridiel nervously wiped his forehead every now and then. He had expected to wait a while; after all, the Regent had many matters to attend to each day. So, he spent the rest of the time calming his complex emotions. Only when he thought he was ready to meet the Regent did he realize he was completely wrong!

"Are you Aeridiel?" a melodious voice rang out.

Aeridiel turned his head. He expected to see a maid, but instead, he found Alleria standing before him. Of course, the highest leader of Quel'Thalas couldn't be without attendants. Standing beside the Regent was a beautiful woman clad in full blue and white armor. Her sapphire-like eyes flashed with sharp light. Her silver-white hair perfectly complemented Alleria's blonde hair. Behind them stood a high-necked Archmage in red robes.

"Your Highness!" Aeridiel's voice stammered with nervousness, "It's an honor... to meet you..."

The elven Female Elf were never revealed, simply nodded and gestured to a chair. "Sit down. Thank you, Halduron, for finding you and bringing you here."

Aeridiel shuffled over to the chair and sat down, her palms sweating. The Regent sat opposite her. The Female Elf and the Archmage accompanying her also sat down.

The Windrunner leader clasped his hands together, looking at Aeridiel and scrutinizing the Ranger's appearance. The Archmage, arms crossed, leaned back in his chair. Unlike the Regent, he seemed somewhat angry. Aeridiel recognized him; he was the elusive Archmage Rommath, one of the Regent's senior advisors. Recognizing him, Aeridiel immediately realized that the silver-haired Elf lady was Vareesa, the Regent's sister— the Ranger-General of Quel'Thalas.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you why you came here beforehand. This matter is rather delicate. I wanted to discuss it with you in person."

Aeridiel knew his eyes must be wide open. But he didn't care about his behavior anymore; he swallowed hard, desperately wanting to know why the Regent had summoned him.

"I heard you're related to the Archmage Elona?"

"Yes, she is my cousin." Aeridiel wondered why Alleria would mention his sister. Had something happened to her? Or was the Regent using the topic of family to help him alleviate his anxiety?

"Elona has worked on Isle of Quel'Danas for many years, guiding the Sin'dorei adventurers," the Regent continued. "I've heard that your family was once a noble family in Quel'Thalas, haven't you?"

Aeridiel nodded, his tension subsiding considerably. His heart had been pounding ever since he sat down. Now, his heartbeat had finally stabilized. However, the Archmage's glare still made him very uncomfortable. "Yes, but we are merely wealthy in our daily lives. We are not a noble family."

"I heard... your family once found you a partner?"

This was the second time he had thought of that past event today. If the first time it was because of something Liandara said unintentionally that brought it back to him, then what was it this time? The Regent was asking me about my past— Aeridiel understood.

"Yes, that's right. She was a woman serving in the military. We met and fell in love. We were planning to get married, but Arthas arrived not long after." He lowered his head and fell silent.

"Her name is Veronalara, right? You thought she was dead, didn't you?"

Suddenly, hope seized Aeridiel's heart. Why would the Regent and several other high-ranking officials seek him out? He certainly hadn't found Veronalara's body on the Death's Scar. "She... is she still alive?"

The Regent shook his head sadly. "Not so. She did die, she died defending the first line of defense in the battle against Arthas, but death was not her end. She was resurrected, enslaved, and finally freed, becoming a Forsaken."

Veronalara —his fiancée—had become Forsaken. Suddenly, Aeridiel began to tremble, thinking the Regent had played a cruel joke on him. He hoped it was a joke.

Rommath observed his reaction, Archmage's mouth, hidden beneath his collar, seemed to be chuckling. "See? I told you so. He'll just be devastated, feeling like the world has gone mad."

Aeridiel wanted to agree with Rommath, his hands gripping his trouser legs, his strong hands creating large creases.

"Veronalara is the hero who guards Quel'Thalas," Vareesa said.

"A hero?" Aeridiel trembled, barely concealing its sound. "She... became Undead."

"She is not the Undead we think she is, not the Scourge," the Regent said. Rommath looked even more annoyed. "You should have heard of the Forsaken, at least know their names. They participated in the war against the Lich King."

Tears welled in Aeridiel's eyes. "Yes," he said, "Your Highness, I have heard of it."

"So do you believe it?" Alleria's tone was one of pressing her advantage. "Veronalara was still a... good person after she died. She retained her true nature even after her transformation."

"This...it seems impossible," Aeridiel murmured.

These words seemed to be within Alleria's expectations, but when they actually came out of Aeridiel's mouth, the Regent still felt a pang of unease.

In a moment of desperation, Vareesa suddenly spoke up, "If we knew that Veronalara was still herself, albeit as a Forsaken one, and that she was still your lover, though perhaps no longer possessing her former beauty, and that you still had a chance to be together, would you want to see her?"

Aeridiel couldn't believe his ears; he stared at the Ranger-General, mouth slightly agape. How should he answer?

"Please answer this question." Rommath's deep, resonant voice rang out again, seemingly refuting the Ranger-General, yet also adding to her words: "She may still be your fiancée, but she is no longer alive, whether she retains her sanity or not. Her entire body is rotting, possibly even bearing exposed, bloody wounds. Before becoming Forsaken, she was a member of the Scourge, possibly committing unforgivable crimes in a state of unconsciousness. Now she stands before you, dragging her cursed body, wanting to complete that unfulfilled wedding with you. Will you say yes? Can you accept spending a night with a corpse?"

Vareesa wanted to rebuke Rommath immediately, but Alleria stopped her; the Regent also disliked the Archmage's words. But she couldn't dismiss Rommath. The important thing was Aeridiel's attitude.

The Ranger soldier felt a chill run through him, trembling uncontrollably. Every word Rommath had spoken painted a terrifying picture for him. He could only fear the sight of a monster, a monster he was supposed to spend his life with. Veronalara's face kept flashing through his mind, his smile etched on his vision. Then, that smile was faintly covered by a greyish-white hue, followed by dark spots. Her once smooth skin became dry, wrinkled, and festering sores.

No, that's not Veronalara. Aeridiel screamed inwardly.

"No, I don't want to! I'd rather she were dead, so that her most beautiful image would remain forever in my memory. Why are you telling me this? Why?"

This was definitely not part of the original plan. Alleria thought painfully. Rommath had already cast a victorious glance at her. The Ranger-General shook his head repeatedly, sighing helplessly.