Chapter 248: Facing the Black Dragon Princess

"Who are these people...?"

Bolvar wanted to ask about their identities, but he quickly noticed that Jaina Proudmoore and his old acquaintance Reginald Windsor were among them.

He couldn't directly question the King, but he could ask Windsor.

Varian's expression was grim, and his pace quickened significantly. Bolvar could only speed up to follow behind His Majesty, then turned to Windsor to ask what was going on.

Windsor, who had been questioned, ostracized, and eventually imprisoned by the Dark Iron dwarves, harbored deep resentment toward Bolvar. So, he didn't hold back his mocking tone, venting his long-held frustration and at the same time helping Bolvar Fordragon finally understand the current situation.

"This is impossible!"

"Lord Bolvar Fordragon, please mind your words. Are you questioning His Majesty?"

Under normal circumstances, Bolvar would have cursed Windsor on the spot. But now, the missing King had returned, and he had brought Jaina Proudmoore of Theramore with him. The King's hand never left the hilt of his sword, and his stance clearly indicated he was prepared for confrontation.

"Countess Katrana Prestor is a black dragon?"

Bolvar Fordragon still couldn't believe it. Or rather, he simply didn't want to admit it, because doing so meant he had been a complete fool and bore a large part of the responsibility for the current state of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Although Bolvar, who had remained in Stormwind the entire time, was unaware of just how bad things had become, Windsor was more than happy to inform him.

Meanwhile, Ethan, who had been pretending to be uninterested on the side, chimed in with a few additional jabs. While he was in Goldshire, he had heard plenty of gossip about the conditions in various regions, like Westfall and Duskwood being almost completely out of Stormwind's control, with the capital seemingly indifferent to their struggles. If things continued like this, those regions—while still human-inhabited—would no longer be true territories of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

As Bolvar listened, cold sweat covered his back. He still hoped this was all just scare tactics, that Windsor was exaggerating. But reason told him it was all true. This was the state the Kingdom was in now. As Regent, having led the kingdom to such a point, he bore undeniable responsibility.

Lost in turmoil, Bolvar didn't even pay attention to Ethan's identity. He simply followed along with a grim expression.

Although it was called a keep, Stormwind Keep was a complex facility. It housed barracks, government offices, archives, a library, and gardens. As the kingdom's sole heir, Anduin Wrynn had begun taking part in state affairs during his father's absence, preparing to inherit the throne, assuming his father would never return.

Now that Varian had returned to Stormwind himself, Anduin's path to the throne would have to wait. But for now, the young prince had no idea. He was currently learning from Countess Prestor how to handle administrative affairs.

Katrana Prestor was an excellent tutor, and their lessons were going smoothly until the sound of hurried footsteps disrupted them. Anduin looked up from a pile of documents and turned his youthful face toward the Countess beside him, silently asking what was happening.

"It seems our lesson must end."

The young Prince Anduin didn't realize what she meant by "end." He simply thought something had come up, and they wouldn't continue today.

Just as he was about to speak, a group of people rushed in. Leading them was the man he hadn't seen in a long time—his father, King Varian Wrynn.

"Father."

"Anduin!"

Varian saw that his son was safe and let out a sigh of relief. But the very next moment, he noticed Katrana Prestor standing beside Anduin.

He didn't immediately draw his sword or shout something dramatic like "Don't hurt my son!" Instead, he called to Anduin with the calm demeanor of a father returning home after a long absence.

Unfortunately, Onyxia—disguised as Katrana Prestor—was a cunning black dragon. Just as Anduin got up to run into his father's arms, she reached out and pressed the young prince back into his seat.

The strength in her hand shocked Anduin. He had never imagined that Countess Prestor, who had always acted like a noblewoman, would possess such force. He also didn't understand why she was stopping him.

"Let go of my son, you damned black dragon!"

Seeing this, Varian knew there was no chance of extracting his son smoothly. He decisively drew his paired swords: Shalamayne (Shadowmourne and Shadow's Edge).

Onyxia glanced at the soldiers following their King, many of whom had already drawn their weapons. Then her gaze fell on Bolvar Fordragon.

The Grand Duke of Stormwind showed hesitation. Though he wore a weapon, he had not drawn it. Bolvar, dressed for official duty, didn't carry his usual greatsword and shield. He had only a standard one-handed sword at his waist, mostly ornamental.

"Perhaps there is some misunderstanding here, Your Majesty."

"Enough, you damned black dragon! You think you can still deceive your way out of this with pretty words?" Windsor could no longer hold back. The moment he saw Onyxia, he wanted nothing more than to charge forward and cut her down. If he had the necessary tablet in hand, he would have already rushed up to expose her true form.

He also wanted to mock Bolvar again: Was this idiot still unsure? Did he think all of this was fabricated? Was he really about to defend the black dragon?

Windsor knew this could not be allowed. Onyxia had an extensive network within Stormwind. If this devolved into a shouting match, even King Varian would find it difficult to resolve cleanly.

He turned to Ethan, his eyes asking: What about that method you said could force Onyxia to reveal her true form?

Ethan understood that it was his turn to act. He didn't want their dramatic dragon-slaying entrance to turn into a farce of nobles yelling at each other, so he moved forward, pushing aside the two guards standing before him. These soldiers were doing their job admirably, forming a solid defense line with their armored bodies, and Ethan had to struggle to squeeze through.

Onyxia watched as a young man stepped forward from the opposing crowd, not understanding his intentions.

"Who are you?"

"Just a passing mage."

Ethan spread his hands. He held no weapon, signaling that he meant no harm, yet Onyxia could feel an overwhelming hostility radiating from him.

Just as Onyxia was wondering what he planned to do, a subtle but dangerous magical fluctuation spread from Ethan. Almost instantly, a beam of blue magical energy shot directly toward her.

A direct attack?

That was the question on everyone's mind. Windsor had expected Ethan to use some complicated spell to dispel Onyxia's transformation, not... this? No incantation, no buildup?

Isn't that a bit lacking in finesse?

Not only were the others stunned, but Onyxia was also momentarily confused. She had never encountered someone who attacked so abruptly. She casually threw up a mana shield to block the beam, but to her surprise, a hidden chain embedded within the beam slipped past her shield and shot toward her neck.

"What is this...?"

Onyxia didn't know what it was, but she immediately sensed a repulsive aura from the chain and absolutely didn't want it to touch her. Her first instinct was to Blink away, but to her shock, the spell failed.

"What's going on?"

That brief delay was all it took. The chain was already upon her. With no time to dodge, she raised her hand to block, allowing the chain to wrap around her wrist.

The chain was thin, no thicker than a finger. One end was now coiled around Onyxia's slender wrist, and the other was held firmly in Ethan's hand. She couldn't believe something so small could trap her.

But instead of focusing on the chain, she should have been asking why her Blink had failed.

Aside from Ethan and Loki, only Jaina understood the reason.

From the moment they arrived, the mage from another world had cast a spell that pulled everyone into a separate space, isolated from the outside world. Within this sealed dimension, the spatial rules were completely different from the ones they were used to. Until they understood those new rules, standard teleportation spells were rendered ineffective.

At that moment, Ethan gave the chain a slight tug and calmly said something that made Onyxia's face change dramatically:

"This chain is called Onyxia's Reins. It was prepared especially for you. In just a few minutes, you'll be completely bound by this item. You know, catching a black dragon as a mount is a pretty cool thing to do."

As long as Onyxia remained in human form, she wouldn't be able to break free from the chain. If she wanted to escape, she would have to reveal her true form.

(To be continued.)