After the Battle

Queen Proudmoore stood once more in the hall of Stormwind Keep, staring absently at the courtyard off to the left where people rested.

Soon, she heard heavy footsteps. Varian had arrived. This time, a Night Elf followed behind the King, his purple hair cascading down his head and dressed in the attire of an SI:7 agent. Jaina did not know who he was, but the Night Elf stopped three steps away from Varian.

Jaina tilted her head slightly and smiled. "I'm glad you agreed to see me, Your Majesty."

Varian did not return her smile. For a while, the twitching corner of his mouth seemed to be telling Jaina, "Say what you came to say."

The female mage guessed that Varian had something more urgent to handle, and that he was only receiving her now out of diplomatic courtesy. "Regarding the Forsaken..."

"Shaw has already investigated it. Someone wanted to provoke a war between the Alliance and the Forsaken. The Alliance will not fall for it."

Jaina stood frozen, staring at Varian. Calling her surprised would not have been quite right; she was more puzzled than anything. Where had the King who flew into a rage whenever the Alliance suffered the slightest harm gone? Southshore had been attacked, yet Varian was doing nothing? He was not even sending additional defensive forces? All the words she had prepared on the journey, as well as her defense of the Forsaken, had been for nothing.

"A wise decision." Jaina forced out those four words. She also noticed that the eyes of the man on the throne were trembling slightly, as though he were holding back his anger and hoping Jaina would leave quickly.

"Then I shall take my leave." The female mage turned and departed Stormwind Keep. Even after she had gone far