I Should Go There

The so-called trap was really just a small contrivance.

With no hunter to help him and no suitable magical device, Kael'thas had not learned any such magic himself. He needed to find out how often the Troll rogues appeared without being discovered. After thinking it over, he could only resort to the simplest method and his physical advantages.

He and Liadrin found some pebbles, larger than grains of sand but not by much. Then they scattered them at a suitable density outside the entrance to the Amani Catacombs. Because the pebbles were so small, the grass concealed almost all of them, so the Troll rogues could not spot them.

Kael'thas and Liadrin hid in the grass behind the cave and watched in secret. The excellent hearing of the High Elves proved its worth then. The cave sloped downward, so even if the Troll rogues came out in Stealth from the start and their footsteps on the grass were nearly inaudible, the tiny pebbles on the grass would still roll downhill. The sound was faint and perfectly normal, and the Trolls would never imagine it was a trap.

By listening to the pebbles, Kael'thas and Liadrin gradually determined how often the Troll rogues appeared.

Just as Kael'thas had hoped, perhaps for the sake of secrecy, they did not come out in groups but operated one at a time. Unexpectedly, these Trolls did not operate during the day, but at night. They began setting out one after another in the late afternoon, as evening approached, and only gradually returned the next morning. For most of the day, the Trolls made no moves.

Kael'thas was relieved in secret. For one thing, the Troll he had encountered by chance that day had just come out. For another, their daytime scouting had gone undiscovered.

Still, changing his body clock was rather painful...

On the day they decided to act, Kael'thas and Liadrin had to make sure they got enough sleep during the day. Then they sorted out their equipment, took water for recovery, and set off for the Amani Catacombs full of energy.

Meanwhile, elsewhere that same night,

"Alleria!!"

In a magically soundproofed room in Sunfury Spire, where anger sounded in his voice, Kael'sala tore the secret report in his hand to pieces, his face cold.

News that the young female priest had left her post had finally leaked out. Without even needing to think, Kael'sala naturally knew where she had gone. Alleria, fortunately I took precautions...

He was glad of the arrangements he had made regarding the priest, but he burned with anger at the betrayal of the person he trusted most!

Just as Alleria understood him, he of course understood what she was thinking. He knew she meant well for him, but how could he possibly back down...

Kael'sala's life had always been filled with loneliness and oppression. He had given up too much already. From the day he made his choice more than two hundred years ago, he had devoted his life to lies and false honor. He had left his family, abandoned his surname, and followed in the Sun King's footsteps. In that dark age, he had learned to be a beacon guiding his subjects, a prince full of hope and wisdom...

Kael'sala had never regretted his choice. For Quel'Thalas, he had willingly sacrificed all of it, but that did not mean he liked it. So when Prince Kael'thas was born fifteen years ago, he felt the truest joy, because that child was destined to inherit the title of Sun King and save him from the mire.

He was the future king of all elves, the one who would change Kael'sala's fate...

So Kael'sala gave all his hopes and love to the child. Like a jewel, the child frantically absorbed all the beauty around him as he slowly grew. He was healthy and handsome, and under Kael'sala's care, his brilliance showed itself little by little.

"Big brother."

Those were the first words he spoke, not "Your Highness" or his false name. Kael'sala would never forget that clear voice, still carrying the sounds of infancy. It lasted only an instant, but the affection in Kael'thas's big blue eyes gave Kael'sala his first abundant reward-a familial bond he had never truly enjoyed before!

This is my little brother...

At last, it felt real to Kael'sala. Yes, he had a little brother. One who belonged to him alone, one of a kind, a little brother he had shaped and raised with his own hands... a little brother who embodied everything beautiful, the closest to him in the world.

And so Kael'thas became the most beautiful treasure in Kael'sala's heart.

For the first time, Kael'sala allowed himself to love someone without reservation. At the time, he had no unusual thoughts; he simply loved him like an older sister.

But... when had it begun? When had things started to change? Kael'sala did not understand either...

All he knew was that, on that night, when he heard Kael'thas say he wanted to go to the Ghostlands, he felt as though he had lost something. Then, as if possessed, Kael'sala went to find that powerful Arcane mage and arranged for him to meet Kael'thas.

And then Kael'thas stayed, just as planned...

Why had he done that?

The next day, as he saw the young priest off, Kael'sala looked at the tearful girl and suddenly understood! He... simply... did not want Kael'thas to leave him...

He, or rather "she," had unknowingly placed Kael'thas above a little brother!

Once he understood, those bitter, aching feelings erupted like a volcano and could no longer be held back...

This was an impossible love, a love that would be cursed...

He pondered and suffered, grieving alone in the dead of night...

Kael'sala controlled himself. He did not want to hurt anyone.

But he failed. When Kael'thas told him he had feelings for a girl, Kael'sala pretended to be angry to hide his embarrassment, but the flames in his heart erupted!

It isn't my fault. It's heaven's will...

Because Kael'thas is attracted to me too. Yes, attracted to the real me...

That was what Kael'sala thought, and at last he decided to act on his ambition...

No one could stop Kael'sala once he had made up his mind...

Many people wanted him to obediently remain a prince for the rest of his life, but Kael'sala did not. He would rather reclaim his own position, and possess Kael'thas in a different way...

So he... resolved to make some preparations for the future...

"I think I should go there..."

Kael'sala walked to the window and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky, biting his lip as he murmured to himself.

He was worried about that priest, so he had to go and see for himself. Many things were only just being prepared, and Kael'sala did not want another woman to snatch Kael'thas away before his plan succeeded...

He, Kael'thas, belonged to Kael'sala... He had before, he did now, and in the future... he certainly would too!!

Boo-hoo, His Highness is so scary today!!

In the same room, what Kael'sala had failed to notice was that another figure was hiding beneath the table, trembling with tears in her eyes...