Author's notes: Public view on events in the next chapter or so.

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In the immediate aftermath of the carnage at the cathedral, Alterac lost a significant chunk of its meager military force. Of the forty or so royal guards that teleported in with Kyle to confront the demon, only nine survived, reducing the order down to barely a third of its strength. Twelve rangers were lost, including one ranger captain of Quel’Thalas, and more than a score of town guards gave their lives to evacuate the worshippers. If not for the timely intervention from both clerics and court mage, the death toll would’ve been much higher.

Valoghan had conjured up healing supplies and cleansed wounds from any Fel corruption, while cathedral priests and supposedly even a choir boy wielded the Light to heal the survivors and drag them away from death’s door. As penance for his perceived failure, Bishop Falric almost exhausted himself to death channeling the Light to heal the valiant defenders. Such was his conviction that nine brutalized guards had their limbs regrown before King Kyle ordered the bishop to rest, eat and drink under armed supervision.

That only four noncombatants were killed was a miracle and a testament to the sacrifice of the Alteraci defenders, but with the current situation most people understandably couldn’t appreciate the fact.

A cathedral, one just consecrated nonetheless, had been violated. The presence of a paladin of the Light did not stop demons from manifesting on holy ground, or reveal their insidious presence. The faith of the pious bishop Falric seemed as useless in banishing the fiends, just as faith did not shield Uther and Arthas from infernal deceit.

Shame clawed deeply into Uther at that fact. Not until Kyle’s court mage lifted the subtle veil that the demon had cast on him did the paladin realize all that was wrong with his encounter with Arvitas. The insinuations that his dulled senses ignored, the leeway the not-merchant had given himself as he interacted with Arthas, even the simple fact that Uther never knew what Arvitas and his ilk sold.

“Granted, that brand of demons are far more potent than anything humans…like us, can muster,” the mage Valoghan consoled with inappropriate blandness. “Unlike the simple brutes summoned during the Second War, these are expert infiltrators, likely far more experienced at worming their influence into impossible places for far longer than all the lives of the Church of the Light combined.”

The fact did little to assuage the guilt and humiliation the paladin bore. Ultimately the fact remained that faith had not been enough, that the Light he and the church bore was not bright enough to push back the shadows of Fel corruption.

“I will bear full responsibility for this,” Uther swore when was cleared to present himself before Alterac’s royal court. He ignored the fact that a noticeable space was created around him as he knelt further than usual from the throne. Or the grim-faced guards that shadowed him with bows and spears, or the increased presence of rangers and royal guards around the throne room. Uther couldn’t blame them for their wariness, not after what had transpired.

Kyle leaned forward in his throne to sigh. “The responsibilities are not yours to bear, Lord Uther. As Valoghan had said before, these…dreadlords are of a strength and cunning that the Alliance has never faced before. I mean this as no offense, but the Church and its paladins are wielding the Light as a hammer and shield so far… Hammer and shields are useless when seeking and combating a poisoner.”

Uther could only grit his teeth and accept the words without protest.

“And to risk sounding like a heathen? If unrepentant criminals can walk into a sanctified church to offer half-hearted confessions without the Light smiting them at the doorway, then a demon waltzing in with his intentions hidden shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.“

The paladin frowned at that poor comparison, but the theological distinctions between them would have to be put aside for a later discussion. Preferably with an archbishop present.

Kyle ignored the mild shock from his court at his heresy with a light shrug, and then leaned back into his throne. “Rather than unjustly and conveniently dumping the burden of fault on you, Lord Uther, Alterac will seek out the real culprits to this infiltration. The fact remains: Demons disguised as merchants were trying to subvert a paladin of the Light, along with the crown prince of Lordaeron for reasons yet unknown. Demons disguised as Stromgardian merchants.” 

The royal court quickly shifted to that topic with murmurs of concern that disquieted Uther as he rose up and stood aside.

And Uther found out why, as he was briefed about the finer details of the gnoll incursion that occurred earlier. Hearing that it truly was a massive horde was somewhat unexpected, but what truly surprised the paladin was what the Alteraci found on the gnoll leader.

“Initially, we’re sure that King Thoras is not responsible for that. Besides, I’ve had it on good authority that gnolls barely understand the value of gold. Initially, I hadn’t thought Thoras to be responsible, but now with this ‘Arvitas’ claiming to hail from Stromgarde…”

Uther found himself frowning and rubbing at his beard as processed the king’s words and the insinuations it carried. “Someone is trying to instigate a conflict between Stromgarde and Alterac.” Perhaps Thoras himself, if the demon truly had its claws in him…

“That is the conclusion we’ve come to,” the steward Pelton replied with a troubled nod. “Attempts to trace the origins of the coins have met with failure. Expertise sought in Khaz Modan, Gnomeregan, and the Kirin Tor have all simply come up with the result that the coins were newly minted. And now with the demon infiltration…”

“Someone really wants us to look east,” Kyle said with annoyance, and the murmurs in the throne room rose again. “And we’ll have to; Arvitas Rahm declared himself a Stromgardian with some ties to the king. If Thoras is truly acquainted with him, then either he’s compromised or complicit. Or it could be someone in his court, which might make things more tricky.”

“A simple letter won’t do,” the steward Pelton muttered aloud. “Vulnerable to interception, or ‘lost’ along the way.”

Colin Feldon, the marshal who wore his fresh scars proudly and still had a thick wrapping of bandages around his mangled left arm, grunted with irritation. “Then we can’t trust them to receive a delegation either.”

“A powerful intermediary would be required,” the gnome finished with a frown. “Powerful and with unquestioned authority.”

Kyle gave a glance to his court mage, who took a second before shaking his head. “My…superior is still busy with the…hunt. Though, perhaps you could reach out to Ko- Krasus?”

“Would the Kirin Tor involve themselves in this?” someone voiced.

“If not as an organization, then at least Krasus would surely be involved in a personal capacity,” Valoghan said with certainty. “With his experience, I’m sure he’ll have the appropriate tools and retinue to ward off any demonic ambushes.”

“That’s true…” Kyle hummed. After some seconds of silence, he spoke up again, sweeping his gaze across the throne room. “We’ll need to act quickly, while news of the atrocity remains unclear. It’d also serve to solidify our narrative on events.”

Uther grimaced at that. Kyle had declared the official view on events had been that though undetected until the king’s challenge, the demon had been weakened by Bishop Falric and Uther’s repudiations to allow Kyle to engage it in combat. The news was also skewed to emphasize just how dangerous the demon was that it walked into holy ground unharmed, not how ineffectual the Light was against it.

That Arthas had been possessed or driven insane was left untampered. Great as that shame was, it’d be worse if Valoghan hadn’t found any sign of Fel subversion and the prince was truly in control of his senses when he attempted to attack Kyle.

Kyle caught the paladin’s look and sighed. “We cannot have the common people despair or panic at having their faith be shaken apart. The enemy is trying to sow chaos, and I will not allow them this meager victory.”

Uther wanted to protest such a lie being cast, but the mage-king flashed a glare that brooked no argument. “You will relay the news to the church as well as the Knights of the Silver Hand, get them to rethink their application of faith. Let the strengthening of the Light be your penance, Lord Uther. We’ll probably need all the help we can get in flushing out demons…or if the worst comes to pass, fighting off whatever plans they’ve concocted.” 

Kyle Daelam was erring on the side of caution, Uther realized. He was cautious with Stromgarde when he had every reason to declare war (even if his kingdom was in no state for it), he sought no compensation nor satisfaction for Uther’s own negligence, he made no move towards using Arthas’ momentary weakness against Lordaeron.

Either he’s a far more considerate king than his peers, or the king of Alterac viewed the demon’s intrusion as heralding something very dire indeed.

But then again, if demons were truly running rampant with schemes to terrorize the Alliance, maybe wary restraint was what was truly needed.

The paladin gave a curt nod. “You have my word. I will bring the matter up with my order as well as the archbishops, and then present the issue to King Terenas.”

As soon as he checked with Valoghan that he and Arthas were truly free from corruption. They’d also have to retrace Arvitas’ steps, to ensure that the demon hadn’t left a trail of corrupted towns and villages in Lordaeron.

“Good. Your word will add more weight to our report. Please assure King Terenas that Alterac will not be levying any charges on Prince Arthas beyond what we’ve already agreed upon.”

Uther nodded. Even with the knowledge of being enthralled, Kyle showed severe restraint by only barring Arthas from entering his realm until he became sworn in as a paladin and proved himself to be a steadfast servant of the Light. By that extension, Uther too would no longer be welcome in this mountainous kingdom until that happened. 

Terenas would no doubt find a way to repay the generosity, which might be what Kyle had intended.

A dry smirk suddenly crept up Kyle’s face. “He’s free to find other methods to verify Valoghan’s arcane findings, of course.”

Uther very much doubted that; right now, he had to admit that the church needed a better way to wield the Light before it could even try to claim the ability to discern Fel corruption. Just like how Archbishop Alonsus Faol created and trained the Paladins of the Silver Hand to wield the Light in battle against all things foul, a new order would likely be needed to root out the more insidious threats.

“Now, on to other related matters, Ranger Captain Ariande, you’ve sent your letter to Quel’Thalas? Right. Now what are the chances that the orcs might be involved in all of this…”

Alterac’s royal court continued its session, and Uther forced his worries away to focus his attention on the developing scene. He’ll have to check on Arthas after this. While shame and guilt filled Uther, his squire had been devastated after he realized what had been inflicted on him and what he’d almost done.

*****

Jaina gingerly knocked on the door before entering the guest room. She found its lone occupant sitting dejectedly on the bed, a bowl of half-eaten food beside him.

“Arthas?”

Hollow blue eyes looked up to peer at her through unkept blonde hair that seemed as faded as his spirits. “Jaina.”

Giving a nod to the guards behind her, Jaina stepped into the room, but kept the door open. After all that had happened, privacy was the price to be paid for the polite treatment of a prince who had attempted regicide, Fel corruption or not. Jaina still found it surprising that if not for Uther’s own vehement agreement with the court advisors, Kyle would’ve been happy to just let Arthas roam freely.

As Kyle might put it, leave it to an upjumped peasant to ignore courtly formalities for the sake of more common niceties. The fond thought almost made the novice smile.

“Why…are you here?” Arthas asked softly, the words laced with self-loathing instead of accusation. It was heartening and depressing to know that he took his unwitting subversion so hard. On the one hand, the remorse the prince felt proved Kyle’s words true, that Arthas didn’t really know what he was doing. But on the other, it broke Jaina’s heart seeing Arthas so dejected like this, seeing him be more of a hollowed husk than the lively boy she knew. 

Jaina regarded her old friend with a sigh. “You’ve not finished your lunch.”

“I shouldn’t be afforded such luxury,” Arthas answered, his gaze shifting away from hers with shame.

Rather than trying to assuage him directly, Jaina took a different approach. “It’d be more of a fuss for Kyle if he imprisoned the crown prince of Lordaeron in the dungeons,” she retorted dryly, inflecting a bit of lightheartedness to her words.

“I tried to kill him,” he whispered, as if that made all the sense in the world.

It was impossible not to roll her eyes. “You were influenced by a demon, Arthas. You know that, Kyle knows that, everyone knows that.”

“But I-”

“You did not let it happen,” she preempted.

Arthas’ eyes met hers again, and Jaina winced at the self-loathing that radiated from it. “Then I was so weak that it still happened.”

“Arthas, not even Uther knew he had demons traveling with him. They stood with everyone in a cathedral. These are far more powerful demons than what the Church is used to.”

And it mildly annoyed Jaina that once more only Kyle seemed to hold the only scraps of knowledge about these dreadlords. Pelton had been clueless about it, as were the elven rangers who had centuries of defending Quel’Thalas from outside threats. The court mage, Valoghan, shared some knowledge of the demons’ natures, but it was clear that her friend had a far greater grasp of what they were facing than anyone else.

Jaina let out a soft sigh before silence could fully settle between the two of them. “Arthas, please. This was but a moment of weakness. You can rise above it.”

In response, the prince gazed down at his palms. “But…how can anyone trust me? How can I trust myself?”

Feeling her annoyance gnawing at the back of her head, Jaina took a bit of effort to stop herself from snapping a reply. “Because Kyle’s experienced mage has made sure of that.”

With a heavier sigh of growing irritation, Jaina knelt down before the prince to look him in the eye. “What happened was a tragedy, but it’s not your fault Arthas. You were enthralled-”

“But Uther-”

“Uther was not the intended target,” she finally snapped out, and then immediately softened her tone. “You were. You’re the beloved crown prince of Lordaeron, how much more damage could be done if your mind was puppeted compared to Uther’s? How much more chaos would unfold if you were made to sow doubt and strife to fracture the Alliance?”

Arthas did not reply immediately, which Jaina took as a good sign that he was mulling her words instead of curling back into his self-pity.

“Arthas,” she attempted once more, “you are not at fault here. Don’t take this all on yourself. The demons tried to fool you. They might have had partial success, but the fact remains that their plans for the moment were ultimately foiled.”

The novice lightly rested a comforting hand on the prince’s shoulder before rising to her feet. “Kyle believes that there are more of them lurking out in the world.” It was heartening to see Arthas look up at her again, with dim embers of resolve in his eyes. “If you blame yourself for being weak, then work to correct it. Become a paladin that would be proof against another attempt at your mind. If the demons show up again, show them that you’re ready for them.”

It felt dirty cribbing from Professor Herwig’s lecture in correcting one’s mistakes, but seeing that the words did the job in slowly strengthening Arthas’ resolve justified it in Jaina’s opinion.

“You’re right. Thank you, Jaina.”

She smiled as some of the old vibrancy Arthas had returned to him, even if it coalesced into angry vindication. Remembering Kyle’s concerns about single-mindedness, she added, “don’t lose yourself in that, though. You’ve people who love you, a future as a king… Don’t abandon what you have just so you can have vengeance on the demons.”

Again Arthas went thoughtfully silent before nodding. “Thank you, Jaina.” She hoped it meant that he gave her advice some serious consideration.

Jaina stayed around to attempt a lighter conversation, but after it was clear Arthas needed time to think, she said her goodbyes and turned to leave.

“Jaina?”

Jaina paused to turn back to the less-despondent prince. “Yes, Arthas?”

She was confused by his sad smile at first. “Thank you… And I wish you and Kyle all the best.” Jaina felt her brows shoot up her forehead and her heart suddenly pounding a bit too fast. “Arvitas… The demon said…made me think that you were being made a hostage, that Kyle was forcing you to…love him. It forced me to believe that I had different ways of saving you from him.”

As Jaina continued to stare at him, Arthas let out a soft self-deprecating chuckle. “The signs were false, I see that now… But I also see that I stand nowhere close to him, even before all…this, am I right?”

“I…” She gulped before forcing out her admission. “I’m sorry, Arthas.”

In contrast to Kael’Thas’ devastated expression back then, Arthas smiled. “Don’t be. He can protect you far better than I can.”

“I can protect myself,” she immediately responded.

Another chuckle left his lips, which Jaina found was becoming less than amusing now. “I’m sure you can. But Kyle’s a mage as well. He knows you better than I ever can…” Then the prince winced. “I’m sorry for my words against Kyle, the insult-”

“You weren’t in command of your senses,” Jaina waved off, never once considering how his disparaging use of the word ‘mage’ offended her…at least after she realized Arthas had been enthralled.

This time, when the silence settled between them in full awkwardness, Jaina took the chance to finalize her goodbye and hastily left the room. Her mind worried about whether the guards heard their exchange, and then worried even more about the extent of the truth of Arthas’ sudden insight. 

Jaina forced herself to ignore the fact that her heart was beating faster, and didn’t dare verify that her cheeks were warm. She’ll need to find the time to have a private talk with Kyle. As she entertained that notion, she shoved away a flash of very real worry as she strode through the palace halls and unconsciously rubbed at the crystal hanging off her bracelet. 

Would she take rejection as well as Kael or Arthas?