Flushed

Her Royal Highness the Princess was so utterly floored, she even forgot to take the darn gift!

After a full ten seconds, she snapped out of her daze, looking up as if someone had just poured a bucket of cold water on her. With her left hand, she daintily lifted her skirt and executed a perfect curtsy. "My apologies, I've been terribly rude. Thank you, Duke Edmund, your gift is so utterly perfect, it quite literally took my breath away."

Beside them, a noble girl, clearly having zero filter, whispered loudly enough for half the room to hear, "Oh my God, if someone proposed to me with a rose like that, I'd say 'I do' on the spot!"

That unrestrained outburst sent a blush creeping up Princess Calia's neck, all the way to her ears. She spun around abruptly. "Uh, excuse me, I'm feeling a little… unwell. Please forgive me." And with that, she practically bolted.

The nobles were left with their jaws hanging open, looking like a school of fish caught in a net. Unwell? Are you kidding me? It was crystal clear that Lordaeron's most dazzling pearl, the Princess herself, had just been hit by Cupid's arrow!

At this moment, every bigwig present was shaking in their boots. The situation had just gone from delicate to downright spicy.

No king was a fool. Everyone could see that Stormwind, despite being flattened, was somehow still winning. How could it maintain its fighting spirit when the odds were stacked against it like a house of cards? Who was the brains behind the operation?

Lothar was good, no doubt, but Lothar's brilliance was still within the realm of human understanding.

Duke, on the other hand, was a different breed of cat. He wasn't exactly ancient, but he was bursting with courage, wisdom, strategy, and raw power. He'd stared down the demon king Sargeras, roasted orcs like marshmallows, and saved 50,000 elite soldiers with his ice ships… If all that was just campfire gossip, then Duke's relentless push for the Alliance's formation after arriving in Lordaeron had truly caught the attention of every single power player.

Everyone knew that without Duke's intelligence and uncanny foresight, the alliance wouldn't have been forged so quickly.

Everyone knew that without Duke as a safety net, the kings wouldn't have made those promises so easily.

Perhaps, without Duke, the alliance would still have formed, and troops would still have been sent.

But with Duke? This whole process had been put on warp speed, accelerated by who knew how many times!

What was the most pressing issue right now?

Of course, it was Stormwind, the kingdom that had lost its home. Without Duke's management, Stormwind would be nothing more than a scattered band of refugees and defeated soldiers. Even if the refugees survived, they'd simply be absorbed by the northern kingdoms, becoming mere cannon fodder in the war. Stormwind's destruction was, in a twisted way, a disguised war bonus for the other nations.

Stormwind, now just an empty shell, would become a puppet, pulled by the strings of various countries. How could it possibly have the freedom that Lothar now enjoyed?

Even if the other seven nations all packed up and went home, Lothar still had 50,000 elite soldiers ready to fight to the bitter end. That was the confidence that came from having your own people, your own fighting force.

In the eyes of the other kings, Stormwind, though landless, was a treasure trove, and Duke was clearly the most precious gem in that crown.

King Terenas stroked his long beard, a sudden thought sparking in his mind: a Duke and Calia pairing? Now there's an idea!

King Terenas cleared his throat. "Duke Edmund, our Lordaeron royal family is hosting a small, intimate gathering tomorrow night. Are you… available?"

Facing the piercing gaze of the King of Lordaeron, Duke felt a shiver run down his spine. Did I just overplay my hand?

"Uh, my apologies, Your Majesty," Duke stammered, looking genuinely overwhelmed. "I'm buried under more than eight hundred documents every day. There's been quite a backlog these past few days."

Terenas's eyes suddenly lit up, like a treasure hunter spotting gold. Not just him, but several other kings were now staring at Duke like hungry wolves.

Duke knew, with a sinking feeling, that he'd put his foot in his mouth again.

"Stormwind is truly blessed!" Terenas exclaimed, as if he'd just discovered the eighth wonder of the world. "My twelve cabinet ministers combined might not be able to clear 800 documents in a month!" He seemed to have found yet another reason to try and poach Duke.

A thousand thoughts stampeded through Duke's mind. Yes! In magic and strategy, he might be a seasoned veteran. But in politics, both in this life and the last, his sensitivity was a big fat zero.

Duke decided to play dumb, a strategy he was becoming quite adept at. After a round of awkward pleasantries, Llane mercifully pulled Duke away.

On a secluded terrace, with the door closed to muffle the banquet's din, the king, usually so composed, looked a little lost, a little lonely.

"Duke… I… I just want to say how truly grateful I am to you. Without your foresight, I might have perished long ago, and most of Stormwind City's soldiers and civilians would have met their end within the city walls. There would be no Alliance today."

"Uh, Your Majesty, hold on, are you…?"

"Just listen to me. You are a man of extraordinary talent. To be honest, I always thought I could give you anything you desired, but it seems I was mistaken. The Kingdom of Stormwind is… well, it's a broken ship right now. If you believe that joining another kingdom is a better path, I… I will give you my blessing…"

"Wait! Your Majesty! Hold your horses!" Duke interrupted, a rising panic in his voice. "Did you get the wrong end of the stick? I never once thought about leaving Stormwind!"

"But those are invitations from the mighty Kul Tiras, the undisputed naval power, and Lordaeron, the number one kingdom!" Llane countered, his eyes wide with disbelief. In his mind, Stormwind was nothing more than a sinking ship.

Are you kidding me? Duke thought, utterly aghast. I just got on the best ship, and now the captain's telling me to jump overboard?!

Only Duke knew that, in time, all the human kingdoms, save for Stormwind, would either be utterly decimated or left in ruins.

Duke couldn't keep his cool. He dropped to one knee. "Though I wasn't born a citizen of Stormwind, I love this kingdom. Here, I have a king who trusts me implicitly, and a commander willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me. Only here can I truly unleash my full potential. Your Majesty, if you still doubt me, you should at least trust your departed friend, Medivh."

"Medivh?" Llane seemed to snap out of a trance, hearing his old friend's name.

"Yes! You can see Karazhan as a legacy, or perhaps a pact. Medivh bestowed upon me Karazhan and a direct path to the supreme throne of the arcane world. In return, I am bound to protect the Kingdom of Stormwind. So, Your Majesty, don't overthink it. Even if I were to marry a noble lady, there would only be one more Duchess of Karazhan, not another prince of some other kingdom!"

Hearing this, Llane finally let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his shoulders.

Just then, Lothar arrived, accompanied by Archbishop Alonsus Faol. Lothar quietly slid open the glass door to the terrace, and Duke moved to open it further.

"Archbishop Alonsus has something to tell us."

Alonsus stepped inside, a gentle smile on his face. "I won't keep you long, but I believe what I'm about to share will be of immense help to you, and to the entire Alliance. First and foremost, the Kingdom of Stormwind is just. The Church of Holy Light will not only provide unwavering support to the Alliance, but after we defeat the orcs, the Church will raise funds among its faithful to support the reconstruction of Stormwind!"

This statement carried immense weight. Llane's Stormwind had practically lost its entire financial lifeline, so every bit of support was like gold.

"Thank you, Father," Llane said, bowing slightly.

"The second thing, and perhaps the most crucial," Alonsus continued, his eyes twinkling, "is that I have discovered a new way to wield the Holy Light. A very, very important way."