NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64
While the rest of the Alliance began their march into Gilneas, the Alteraci expedition force returned home to great, though somber, fanfare. At the head of the column, plain-robed warpriests led a train of wagons, each bearing a casket containing the valorous dead who gave their lives during the defense of Dalaran. Each casket had its owner’s name boldly carved into all sides, along with the veneration of their deeds in facing twisted men and Fel demons.
As incense trails and soft hymns filled the air, the spectators lining the main road of Alterac City hung their heads in respect for the fallen that passed them by. A few sobs could be heard, the kin and close friends of the dead breaking down at recognizing their father, brother or spouse. The priests broke away from the sobering parade then to offer consolation while guiding the bereaved to follow after the procession towards the cemetery.
Fortunately, the procession of caskets was short, a little over a dozen dead Alteraci soldiers. To well-connected merchants and the tavern rumor-traders, this was considered a miracle compared to the carnage that the other Alliance forces had suffered. Against corrupted Gilneans and demons, the vaunted legions of Dalaran and Lordaeron had taken horrific casualties, with friends of friends of friends telling of the Alliance’s dead having to be piled up because even the magi needed time to open new graveyards, or the priests lost their voices commending the dead to the Light.
Even without the rumor-mongering, many recalled the bloodshed of the Second War, of the senseless violence their late king Aiden Perenolde sought by siding with the orcs and pitting Alterac against the Alliance. At least this time the legacy of the fallen would not be tarnished with shame.
There was silence as the convoy of caskets passed through, and then, after a significant gap, a wave of cheers began to roll forwards. Underneath it was the crunching of hooves and armored boots as the Alteraci warriors paraded into the city. The mood lifted, and colorful ribbons and flower petals were flung in the air as the Alteraci army made their return. Spearmen marched in precise formations with polished spears and shields, their repeater bows - Alterac’s signature weapon - slung behind their back and still visible enough.
Behind them the proud hussar-knights trotted with long lances swaying in the sky. The heavy thuds of Hollanders followed after, their cockpit canopies lifted open to allow the spectators to view the beaming gnome pilots within. Though they were technically still engineers of Gnomeregan, the gnomes wore Alterac’s heraldry just as their warmachines did, and its people treated them as such.
It was the same reception for the elven ranger-captains that led the elite Alterac rangers. The more natural browns and greens colors of the rangers’ uniforms - though cleaned of its usual camouflage of dirt and debris - highlighted them clearly among the parade of bright colors and shining metal. And however haughty they might have once been regarded, Ranger-Captain Ariande and her peers were still smiling proudly, if somewhat a little more reservedly compared to the average soldier.
The noise subsided a little, but noticeably enough, when a small formation of murlocs managed to make a decent attempt at marching. Wielding gleaming tridents and solid round shields, the fishmen seemed to take in their surroundings with as much nervous curiosity as the crowd beheld them. However softened it was, the people still celebrated the murlocs’ presence. After all, it was their aid that had saved the lord admiral and princess of Kul Tiras, and they did so representing Alterac, which was all the reason that was really needed to cheer them on.
The cheers grew again as the bystanders of Alterac City finally caught sight of the near-mythical royal guard. For most of them, it was the first time they craned their heads up and laid their eyes on the gleaming probe constructs that the king’s own warriors rode on. Captain Lora sat gruffly as her steed hovered silently, though many would ascribe her demeanor as the dwarf being her usual cantankerous self, instead of the embarrassment of having to ride the construct with legs splayed in public.
The cacophony of pride and joy spiked into a wall-trembling roar as finally the young king of Alterac, the mage-king, King Kyle, came into view. Standing atop one of the infamous four-legged spider constructs, Kyle struck a dazzling figure in his exotic golden armor, completely unbothered by the movements of his chosen mount. The mage-king waved with one hand to the jubilant populace as the golem moved smoothly across the road’s cobbled stone surface without leaving a mark despite its size and supposed weight.
His other hand held onto that of his betrothed who stood beside him, the much beloved Kul Tiran princess Jaina Proudmoore. She wore a simple dress of modern Alterac’s gold and blue, along with highlights of green to mark her Kul Tiran heritage. While the couple seemed underdressed for what a normal royal engagement might require, the Alteraci didn’t consider their appearance a faux pas.
After all, just as everyone knew of their king’s eldritch eccentricities and warrior spirit, every Alteraci knew also of the princess’ hard work out in the lakes and rivers to civilize the murlocs. Thanks to her efforts, fresh fish became a new staple in the local diet, and despite being strictly controlled fishing was now a far safer, far more lucrative line of work. Her presence throughout most of Kyle’s reign further endeared her to the Alteraci, who saw in her a stalwart ally amidst a time of corrupted neighbors, one that had fought off demons no less.
That the princess and their king were engaged came as no surprise at all. In the minds of many, the union made total sense. If anything, many cheered on the couple as if they had just married, instead of only just being betrothed.
The raucous noise continued as festivities truly began. The soldiery were dismissed to partake in the celebration as they reached the palace gates. The hussar-knights and Hollander pilots would drop off their mounts in their barracks first before joining their fellow infantrymen. Only the king, his queen-to-be, their royal guard, and the murlocs actually vanished into the palace.
By royal decree, the kingdom of Alterac would celebrate their part in the Alliance’s great victory for a week. Casks of elven wine and dwarven ale would be distributed to every settlement, paid for from the royal coffers. At the same time, no taxes would be collected for the month, while farmers, miners, builders and other essential workmen under the realm’s employ would receive a bonus to their wages for working through the festivities.
While its neighbors began campaigning in earnest, the kingdom of Alterac sat back to enjoy a much deserved respite after playing such critical parts in the Alliance’s preservation. It would return to its insularity until the Alliance sought its aid, or the mage-king had to point out another hidden and nascent threat to the world again.
*****
“I’m glad the murlocs took to the parade well,” Lora admitted to her king as she walked after him into the palace proper.
Kyle let off a short chuckle. “Well, they’re probably struggling to take in the fact they were in the midst of so many humans without having their lives threatened. We’ll have to spread stories of their good behavior, and then we can slowly push for more integration. The fishermen already trust the murlocs well enough, so we can maybe work on welcoming murloc traders and patrols.”
The dwarf gave a noncommittal grunt. As weird as it was actually dealing with the slimy fishmen as equals, they turned out alright so she was inclined to restrain her prejudice and trust her king.
“We’d need to find a way around their diet though,” Jaina commented as she walked hand-in-hand beside him. The two were all smiles and grins whenever they stole glances at each other. The sweet displays of young love made Lora vaguely nauseous.
“Yeah…it’d be a problem for the local cat population if they were allowed into villages and towns right now. We’ll have to explore new flavors that might be superior to the murlocs’ palate.”
“Hopefully it’s not going to be as disgusting,” the princess replied with clear distaste, and Lora sympathized. While it was the least grotesque approach, the whole cat oil alchemy still felt wrong somehow. And the smell…
An excited shout interrupted the royal entourage from entering the throne room as Kallum came running into view. “Kyle! You’re back!”
For a moment, it seemed as if the boy would tackle his brother, but Kallum suddenly skidded to a stop just a foot away from Kyle. His excitement fell way with wide-eyed uncertainty as his attention shifted towards Jaina.
“Oh, er… Princess Jaina. I mean-”
“It’s alright Kallum,” Jaina reassured with a gentle smile. “You can still call me Jaina. There’s no need for formalities now all of the sudden.”
Kyle grinned at his younger brother. “Yeah, there’s not much that’ll change… I mean, Jaina’s already a queen, isn’t she?”
That earned a snort from Lora and coughs from the royal guard in the know, while Jaina swatted at her betrothed with a mild glare.
For his part, Kallum mirrored his brother’s grin and nodded. “That’s true. Except that soon she’ll be a proper queen.”
The icy gaze from Jaina suppressed any witty addition from Kyle, just in time for more footsteps to turn the corner. The moment of humor was quickly replaced with a warm reunion as Kyle’s parents appeared, relief obvious in their tired smiles.
“Welcome back, son.”
Lora gave a discreet signal for the royal guards to give the family reunion some privacy. They slid away towards the hall’s entryways as the king was gently admonished by his parents, and Jaina was welcomed into the family with warm hugs and teary smiles.
Thankfully, Pelton showed up to distract Lora from the laughter and happy noises. The gnome did not share the general excitement in the air, instead appearing cool and collected as usual. “Is the king busy?”
“Family moment,” Lora answered simply.
“Ah. Well, I guess we can give them their moment.”
“Nothin’ important?”
Pelton shrugged lightly. “Nothing that won’t keep until tomorrow or so. I’ll check back on Kyle later.”
The steward and the captain of the guard exchanged nods, but before Pelton turned to leave, he paused to cast an inquisitive look at Lora and the other guards. “The rumors about Kyle summoning…new things…?”
Of course he’d want to ask about that as soon as he could.
“Oh, they’re real,” Lora answered with a slow nod.
“All of it?”
“Giant walking monsters that swept the ground with fire?”
Pelton nodded.
“Flying things that’re faster than gryphons and spat more lightning than a mage’s thunderstorm?”
He nodded again.
“The skies turned dark from a floating mountain of gold?”
The steward nodded a final time, and Lora let out a tired sigh. “I’ve seen ‘em all with my own eyes. We all did.” She glanced at the other royal guards who stood nearby, and they nodded along. “He could’ve practically won the whole thing by himself.” The dwarf scoffed as she broke into a grin. “You should’ve seen the faces of the kings and commanders.”
Pelton didn’t join in the snickering, instead opting to frown with concern. “Did they question Kyle?”
“Eh, they tried to, but after that showing, I think they were too scared to do anything but politely ask.”
“Were you there to listen in?”
“Only a bit of it. Kyle was going on about trying not to scare the other kings shitless.” More snickers broke out, but again Pelton didn’t join in.
Lora paused before giving the steward a look. “Ye’re expecting trouble?”
“Maybe? I’ll need details from Kyle to be sure… But with our king about to be wedded, there’s bound to be scheming afoot from the other kingdoms.” Pelton’s frown actually deepened. “Human politics have a tendency to get unnecessarily messy at times…”
“Maybe ye’re overthinking it?” Though considering that it’s sort of his job to look out for Kyle in the arena of stupid politics, Lora’s words were free from disdain.
“Maybe,” Pelton echoed. “But I don’t think King Terenas would like having the central power of the Alliance shift away from Lordaeron. Or his court. Was King Anasterian there? Did you see how he react?”
Eugh. Politics.
Lora was about to roll her eyes when she spotted Kyle waving at his family as they started to walk away. Jaina was still with him, and they were still clasping hands. Judging from how the couple kept grinning at each other, and how they seemed to slink down the hallway, the captain of the guard sighed softly.
“I’ll get back to ye in a bit, Pelton.” Lora picked a couple of guards to join her in following after their king and queen-to-be. “Gotta make sure our king isn’t…interrupted.”
The steward followed her gaze to the couple, and then smirked and excused himself. “Good luck,” he offered, and Lora sincerely accepted it. As the king and the queen-to-be disappeared into his room, the royal guard shadowing them kept a cordon a few feet away from the door to turn away any servants.
Surprisingly, the couple were very quiet. Bracing her mind for the worst, Lora took a careful step towards the braced bedroom door and strained her hearing as best as she could.
Nothing. Not so much as a rustle.
And then she remembered that the mage-king of Alterac liked teleporting people all about, and Lora slumped with exasperation. She tested the door and found it locked. Then she rapped her gauntlet against it, earning no response.
The stupid boy probably whisked her to someplace else. Hopefully it’s someplace safe…
Still, she’d have to ask Pelton to lecture Kyle about privacy and common bloody sense. On the bright side though, Lora wouldn’t have to accidentally scar her mind listening to humans going at it.
“They better be back before dinner,” she muttered with annoyance.
“We might have to bring it up for them,” a guard chipped in a bit too cheekily. Lora glared at him for bringing the implications of that to her mind.
“If that happens, I’ll have ye explain it to the parents and Kallum.”
Author's notes: I think I got one chapter left in me, but at the same time I'm tempted to just end it here. Will see how it goes next week.