"I need to prepare some things. The Horde's logging in Ashenvale has severely affected the local ecosystem. I will try to communicate with the Horde Warchief again. If this continues, war will break out sooner or later. Lordaeron's intention is also to send the Horde to Northrend to avoid war."
Tyrande wasn't really prepared to meet Arthas. She knew she hadn't figured out how to face him, what to say? Her mind was still reeling. She was usually at ease when dealing with other matters, but here she felt a bit flustered.
Maiev was silent for a moment. She suddenly looked up at the High Priestess, drained her wine, and laughed.
"You're afraid to see him, aren't you? You misunderstood, and now you're a bit embarrassed, right?"
"There's some of that reason in it."
Tyrande nodded, not denying it. There was no need to lie; she was indeed a bit flustered. She really wanted to rest, to relax. She had too many heavy responsibilities.
If Arthas came, he should help her, assist the Night Elves in restoring the ecosystem, right?
The future might not be peaceful; she had already received a warning when she prayed to elune.
Two days later.
The City of Hope held a wedding: their Prince Arthas married his Minister of Finance, Onyxia.
The wedding was hastily arranged but far from ordinary. The sun shone brightly that day, and the winds were calm. In the restored ecosystem outside the city, reindeer, wild boars, and other animals appeared, stopping to watch, as if the whole world was paying attention to this wedding.
The speed of it surprised not only Arthas but also Onyxia, the bride, who hadn't even reacted.
Yesterday, she was still full of anger and questions. Which woman was Arthas going to marry this time?
Was it a Night Elf, or a Naga from the sea, or perhaps any of the Chromatic Dragons?
Yet, this morning, while still asleep, her mother brought her a wedding dress and told her to put it on, saying it was her wedding day and she was the bride.
This completely flustered Onyxia; she didn't react for a long time. She had spent her life scheming against others, and now she was given such a huge surprise?
"You don't want to be the bride? Then I'll find someone else?"
Sinestra picked up the wedding dress and was about to leave, but was stopped as soon as she turned around.
Onyxia snatched the wedding dress and quickly put it on, still somewhat dazed. She didn't have much romantic history with Arthas, aside from initially questioning him and getting beaten up; other than that, their interactions had been quite pleasant.
"How could it be me? Is that what His Highness meant?"
"Yes, Jaina and Sylvanas both knew and deliberately kept it from you, wanting to give you a surprise.
From now on, serve your master well and take care of him for me."
Sinestra felt a little sad; her daughter was getting married after all. Her heart felt somewhat empty, a fact every mother must face.
"Why are you crying? Are you planning to leave?"
Onyxia didn't understand her mother, saying such things on a joyous day; it was very inappropriate.
"Silly child, I'm just happy for you. How could I leave?"
Sinestra wiped away tears from her eyes, just feeling a bit emotional. She wouldn't leave, couldn't leave. She would always guard her master, having witnessed history and unforgettable glorious achievements.
Where there is happiness, there will be unhappiness.
Sure enough, Vereesa was kicking small stones by the river, for some unknown reason. Arthas getting married was a great thing. The High Elves had changed their name to Blood Elves after the Scourge event and still depended on the Lordaeron Alliance.
The Alliance leader was getting married; she should be happy, or at least calm. How could she be unhappy?
This feeling was very strange, so strange that she couldn't understand it.
"Vereesa, where are you? Come back and help."
The communication stone on her waist rang. This was a recent alchemy gadget that allowed direct communication within a certain range, similar to a mobile phone.
"Second Sister, I'm out buying something. I'll be right back."
Vereesa hung up the call and was about to return when she saw Blood Knight Liadrin approaching.
Her weapon was propped on the ground, and her gaze calmly swept over the river adorned with flowers. Red lanterns hung from the streetlights on both sides of the river, making it look very festive.
"Do you have something on your mind, Vereesa? You seem to be in pain."
Liadrin was here as a Blood Elf representative, procuring supplies and undertaking some manageable tasks, exchanging service to the Alliance for resources.
This was already a blessing; races not part of the Alliance didn't even have the qualifications to accept quests. Moreover, it was rumored that the Alliance was considering accepting Trolls, which made it even more alarming.
It wasn't that someone was interested in female Trolls, but simply that they felt they could be utilized.
Trolls were, after all, a very ancient and primitive race, and had been deeply rooted in the local area for thousands of years. If they could be subdued, that would naturally be best. If not, and they blocked the Alliance's path, then they would have to die.
Vereesa didn't care about political matters. She only helped her sister look after the tribesmen who had left Quel'Thalas and joined the Alliance.
These tribesmen joined under the name of the Windrunner Family, which could be said to be refugees, or the private property of the Windrunner Family. They wouldn't live idly here; they had to join the army to fight, or provide support in logistics. As long as they weren't dead, they had to work to prevent reasons for exclusion.
Racial harmony was not so easy to achieve, only to do one's best.
"I'm fine. Why are you here? Aren't you attending the banquet?"
Vereesa smiled brightly. She hadn't yet decided what to do next, leaving it to her sister's arrangements. Living in the City of Hope was very comfortable. Perhaps next, they would conquer the entire territory of Lordaeron, and then he would be crowned king?
At that time, Second Sister Sylvanas would also become queen!
An Elven queen in a human kingdom, it seemed rather comical.
This had never happened in human history, nor could it.
Simply because Elves lived too long; kings might have changed a dozen times, but the Elven queen would still be as beautiful as ever. This accumulated experience would be enough to influence a kingdom's discourse, and it might even be seized by the Elves.
Therefore, human kingdoms could consider intermarrying with Dwarves and Gnomes, but would never consider intermarrying with Elves or Trolls.
Of course, this was for royalty. For Highlords or private individuals, there were no restrictions. If conditions allowed, marrying a female demon was also possible, provided one could handle it.
Liadrin also showed a bitter smile. She wasn't troubled by Alliance matters, nor by Arthas's marriage, but because their prince actually thought of going to Outland to find a solution.
It would have been possible to solve the problem by coming to Lordaeron, becoming a part of Lordaeron, and enjoying the unique so-called world soul's favor. Although it couldn't completely cure the Arcane addiction, it could suppress it, making the craving for magic less intense. After a period of adjustment, they could resume normal life.
But the prince was unwilling, and Lor'themar, who governed the Blood Elves as Regent, also objected.
Once incorporated into Lordaeron, wouldn't that mean they would never be able to restore their nation?
They would only become a part of it, then continue to linger and struggle until assimilated?
Racial identity allowed them to reside, but not to be absorbed and assimilated. This was an act of national suicide; they would rather die in battle than commit such a humiliating act.
But seeing their people go mad day by day, if a new energy source wasn't found, they would all eventually go insane, which would also mean the destruction of their nation and race.
At this point, she began to consider the possibility of joining Lordaeron. She had already missed the chance to save her teacher and fellow countrymen during the Undead Scourge. This time, she didn't want to miss it again.
"I was thinking, His Highness Arthas is truly a charming and capable man. It's truly an honor for Lady Onyxia to marry His Highness!"
These words made Vereesa a little wary, and a hint of suspicion appeared on her delicate face as she tentatively asked.
"Although it's not very appropriate to ask this, you know I'm not one to beat around the bush. I want to ask you, have you fallen in love with my brother-in-law? Do you want to marry him?"
Is it 'like' or 'fallen in love'? That is the question.
Liadrin was somewhat taken aback, completely unprepared for such a question, and for a moment, she didn't react. She truly didn't mean that.
Compared to Sylvanas, or even Vereesa, she couldn't compete. Even if there was another to marry, it should start with Tyrande and Azshara, right?
Tyrande gave Arthas a lovely daughter, and even if it was according to the Moon Goddess's instructions, they were still husband and wife, and she should be given a proper title.
Excluding these two, there were still plenty of females waiting to marry Arthas.
Lady Vashj, Ranger-General Vereesa, Scarlet Crusade Commander Bridget, Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza, and so on. It really wasn't Liadrin's turn.
She gave a bitter laugh, looking at her extremely cautious friend, and could only say with a wry smile.
"No, I don't have that idea. I'm just thinking about whether I should persuade Lor'themar and Prince Kael'thas. Our people are weakening day by day, and I can only watch helplessly. Can you understand this feeling?"
"Now, our people number less than 100,000 and are decreasing daily. If this continues, we will truly go extinct! The prince took away a large number of mages and warriors, leaving behind the old, weak, and sick. Not only do they have to resist the Undead Scourge, but also deal with our people who have become insane. If this continues, we will truly perish."
When this topic came up, even Vereesa didn't have a good solution. This was a political issue, not something that could be shifted by personal will.
Although she hadn't asked her second sister Sylvanas, her attitude was that anyone who could marry into the Windrunner Family would be brought over for protection. At least with a family title and the Queen's status, they wouldn't have to worry too much about being bullied here.
Sylvanas also commanded an army, and she wasn't some delicate weak woman. If you angered her, she would kill.
Jaina wouldn't object to this, and neither would Arthas. They were both his wives, so he would definitely help his wives, not outsiders.
Compared to the kingdom's subjects and his wife, his wife was naturally his own. This was the person who would bear his descendants; it was obvious whom he would help.
"There's nothing to be done about that. The Alliance can't just forcibly annex Quel'Thalas, can it?"
"If anyone is willing to come, then let them come. During this time, the Windrunner Family hasn't stopped sending people back. They don't know how to be grateful; they only know how to take. Lordaeron doesn't support idlers. Even Orcs can survive here, so you should know that some things can't be forced."
"My brother-in-law said it very well. What was it? Oh, right, 'Let go of the urge to help and enjoy a life of moral decay!'"
As Vereesa spoke, she burst out laughing.
It was truly hard to keep a straight face. The words were crude but the reasoning was sound, just a bit funny.
Moreover, restoring the population was actually very simple: just have a lot of children. Female Elves live very long, having ten or eight children is not a problem, and their golden period of fertility lasts for three to four thousand years.
It's just that in the past, when the environment and life were good, they were unwilling to have children.
Raising children is also a very annoying thing; it's better to fully enjoy life, anyway, they don't need to exert themselves.
It's still the same saying: as long as your mindset doesn't slip, there are always more solutions than problems. Don't complain about everything; it's meaningless.
Listening to this, Liadrin also laughed. Although it was very funny, she felt the statement was very correct.
Yes, let go of the urge to help and enjoy a life of moral decay. Moral decay is not a bad thing, not a capital offense, and not a crime.
She had seen her share of pretentious tribesmen; she could only say, 'Good riddance!'
Sometimes, one has no choice but to help, and must help.
Somewhat speechless, but it could only be so.
"Thank you. Talking to you for so long, I feel much better. You are right, help one if you can. The Lordaeron Alliance doesn't support idlers; that's also correct. They have no obligation to support them.
Liadrin deeply agreed. Wasn't there a storm brewing in the noble circles recently?
They said His Highness the Prince was too harsh on the nobles, that he shouldn't confiscate their land, and that things should return to how they were, giving the nobles back their land and continuing the feudal system.
Those people had been babbling for a long time, but none of them actually stood up.
Perhaps some did stand up, but then mysteriously fell into the water and died.
Such coincidences, at this time, always lead to wild speculation.
Vereesa exhaled and turned to walk towards the newly built Hope Estate. That was her brother-in-law's new residence, near the sea, not far from the forest, with excellent geographical conditions.
Today's wedding was held there. Besides inviting nobles, other races were also invited, including representatives from the Naga, Gnomes, and even Trolls.
Dragon representatives also came, and today, two very special guests arrived.
Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza and Green Dragon Queen Ysera. They stood there, incredibly conspicuous.
Especially the Red Dragon Queen's heroic and mature aura, her tall figure standing there—any man who saw her couldn't help but take a second look.
People bumping into walls were everywhere, showing how great her charm was.
From the moment she entered, Alexstrasza's gaze never left Arthas, as if she was carefully sizing him up.