Chapter 3 third chapter

"You take on such a responsibility," his father said. "I'm proud of you, Arthas." During the week Jaina Proudmoore spent with the Menethil family as guest of honor, Responsibility has become a mantra.Muradin's training with Arthas began, and just as the dwarf had warned earlier, every fight and stroke must be strictly required to go all out.In addition to the sore muscles all over his body, there were occasional bruises from Muradin's loud slaps, as punishment for not taking the requirements seriously.Not only that, but just as Arthas feared, Uther and Tenaris had decided that it was time for the Prince's other training to begin.

Arthas had to get up at dawn every day, wolf down the bread and cheese for breakfast, and then start the morning riding lessons under Muradin's guidance.The training ended with a march on foot, and the twelve-year-old prince was always tired and out of breath.Arthas even privately wondered whether it was because of the dwarves' special love for rocks that they could climb rocks like they were on the ground. After going home to take a bath, there are intensive lessons in history, mathematics and calligraphy.After lunch, he and Uther spent the entire afternoon in the church praying, meditating, and discussing the nature and precepts of a paladin.The exhausted Alsace always fell on the bed after dinner, so tired that he didn't even have the energy to dream.The only time he saw Jaina was at meals.She was always glued to Kalia like glue, talking privately like a thief.enough!Alsace finally couldn't bear it anymore!Inspired by the history and politics lessons that had been pumped into his head, the prince went to meet his father and Uther, and offered to escort Jaina the Honorable to Dalaran.

Of course he wouldn't say that he just wanted to be lazy for a few days.Tenaris was very pleased that his son had learned a sense of responsibility, Jaina was also beaming, and Arthas himself got what he wanted.All the best! So in that early summer with bright sunshine and blue sky, Prince Arthas Menethil and a blond girl who was looking forward to the wonderful, walked through the blooming and vibrant woodland, and embarked on a beautiful journey to the magical capital. There was a slight delay in their departure, and Arthas began to notice that Jaina was not in the habit of being punctual.But so what, Alsace is not in a hurry.Of course, it was against the rules to be alone, and Jaina's handmaiden and two horsemen escorted them.However, the servants always hang behind knowingly, so that the two young masters can chat privately to enhance their friendship.After a short ride, they stopped for a picnic.During a lunch of bread, cheese, and wine-and-water, an Alsatian bodyguard approached him.

"Your Highness, with your kind permission, we will spend the night in Amber Mill. We will continue to march towards Dalaran the next day, and we are expected to arrive at nightfall." Alsace shook his head, "No, we will continue to move forward. In Hillsbrad Camp in the area overnight. So Lady Jaina can reach Dalaran tomorrow morning." He smiled at Jaina. She smiled back, but Arthas noticed a flash of disappointment in her eyes. "Your Highness, are you sure? We originally planned to let the locals provide hospitality, instead of wronging the lady to spend the night in the wild." "It's okay, Kaivan." Jaina said, "I'm not made of ceramics." Arthas smiled Grinning his mouth, he secretly rejoiced.Let's hope she still thinks that way in a few hours.

While the squires pitched their tents, Arthas and Jaina went out to visit.They climbed up and looked far away, and to the west was the countryside of Tarren Mill, and they could even see the tower of Baron Silveraine's castle in the distance.Dalaran is faintly visible to the east, while the Sanctuary is more clearly to the south.In addition to this shelter, there are several similar places.Orcs have been rounded up and held here since World War II.Tenaris had explained to Arthas that this was more merciful than simply killing them.Besides, the orcs seem to have fallen into a strange state of malaise.When people stumble upon and hunt them down, the orcs invariably put in the least resistance and are caught.

They ate a simple dinner, the staple food was barbecued pork rabbits, and they went to rest soon after nightfall.After making sure that everyone was asleep, Arthas put on a short coat over his breeches, quickly pulled up his boots, and just in case, he fastened a dagger to his belt, and went quietly to Jaina. "Gianna, wake up~~" he whispered. She woke up, neither speaking nor frightened, her eyes shining in the moonlight.He gestured a finger to his lips, and moved back to make her sit up.Jaina whispered, "Arthas? Is something wrong?" He grinned, "Let's go on an adventure together?" "What adventure?" Jaina asked, tilting her head.

"Trust me~" Jaina looked at him for a while, then nodded. "Okay." Jaina slept in her clothes like everyone else, so she only had to put on her boots and cloak.She stood up, brushed her hair casually with her hands, and nodded. Jaina followed Arthas, up the ridge they had explored earlier in the day.Climbing at night was more dangerous, but tonight the moon was bright and they did not miss their footing. "There is our destination." He said and pointed. Jaina took a deep breath, "The Orc Shelter?" "Have you visited it before?" "I haven't, and I don't want to." He frowned in disappointment. "Come on, Jaina. This is our chance to see the orcs, aren't you curious?" Jaina's expression was hard to see in the moonlight, but her eyes were clouded like deep pools. "I... they killed my brother Drake." "They also killed Varian's father, a lot of people. That's why they put them in the asylum. It's the best place for them. A lot of people resent my father for raising taxes to run these shelters, but...seeing is believing. I didn't get to get a good look at Doomhammer when he was locked in the dungeon, this time You can't miss this opportunity." She was silent, so Arthas finally sighed. "Okay, I'll take you home." "No," she said suddenly, surprising him. "Let's go." They rolled down the hillside without a sound. "Well," Arthas said softly, "I noticed their patrolling patterns during the day. It should be no different at night, maybe even less frequent. The orcs are all listless, and I guess the guards are not worried about them either. Possibly escape. That would be very good for us." He gave Jaina a reassuring smile. "In addition to patrolling, there are always people stationed in those two sentry towers. They are the ones we need to pay attention to the most. However, since the shelter is built against the mountain wall, I hope their attention will be mainly on the front and not on the front." Not the back. Now, when this guy finishes his lap, we'll have plenty of time to get up close to that wall and take a closer look." They waited for the bored-looking guard to wander past, and then waited a little longer . "Pull the hood up," said Arthas.Their blond hair is too easy to notice.Jaina looked a little nervous, but excitedly did what Arthas said.Fortunately, both she and Arthas were wearing dark cloaks that were easy to conceal.

"Ready?" She nodded. "Okay, let's go!" They slid all the way down, quickly and quietly.Arthas held Jaina until the guard on the tower turned to look the other way, then motioned her to run.They were careful not to let the hood slip off, and they only took a few steps to reach the wall of the shelter. The shelters are rudimentary but effective.They are all built of wood, essentially logs tied together, with the sharpened tops buried deep in the ground.Through the gaps in the so-called 'wall', the curious boy and girl can see clearly what's inside. It was not easy to see clearly at first, only a few tall figures could be vaguely distinguished.Arthas turned his head to get a better look.Yes, they are orcs.Some lay on the ground, curled up under blankets.Some walked aimlessly back and forth, like animals in cages, but without the obvious desire for freedom of trapped animals.It looked like a family over there, male, female, and a child.The female orc, thinner and smaller than the male, held a small object on her chest, which Arthas realized was their baby.

"Wow," Jaina said next to him, "they look... somber." Arthas snorted, and immediately realized the need to be quiet.He glanced quickly at the sentry tower, but luckily the guards heard nothing at all. "Melancholy? Jaina, these beasts destroyed Stormwind. They wanted to wipe out all humans. And they killed your brother! By the light, don't pity them." "But... I didn't know they had Babies." Jaina continued, "Did you see the one with the baby?" "Of course they have babies, and mice can have babies." Arthas replied angrily.But what can you expect an eleven-year-old girl to think?

"They look harmless to humans and animals. Are you sure you should keep them here?" She turned her head to seek Alsace's opinion, her oval face was white and bright under the moonlight. "It's too expensive to keep them here. Maybe they should all be released." "Jaina," he said as nicely as possible, "they're murderers. Even if they seem lazy now, who can guarantee release What will happen in the future?" Jaina sighed softly in the dark and stopped answering.Arthas shook his head, they had watched long enough, the guards would be back soon. "Prepare to retreat." She nodded, stepped back and followed him quickly up the hill.Arthas glanced back and saw the sentinel turning this way.He lunged at Jaina, wrapped his arms around her waist and pushed him to the ground beside her. "Don't move! The guards are watching!" Although she fell to the ground suddenly, Jaina reacted sharply and immediately remained motionless.Covering himself as carefully as possible, Arthas turned to look in the direction of the guards.At such a distance, he couldn't see the other person's face clearly, but the person's posture showed boredom and fatigue.After waiting for quite a while, the guard finally turned in another direction, and Arthas could almost hear his own heart beating like thunder.

"I'm sorry just now," Arthas said, apologizing to Jaina, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?" "It's okay." Jaina smiled at him. Soon after, they returned to camp to rest separately.Alsace looked up at the starry sky, satisfied. Had a really good day today. The next morning, they arrived in Dalaran.Although I have heard about it, this is the first time Alsace has visited.Mages are secretive, powerful but unassuming.Arthas remembered Khadgar accompanying Lothar Anduin and Prince Varian Wrynn (now king) to Tenaris, bringing warnings of the orc threat. Khadgar's presence added weight to Anduin's argument, and that was what had to be done.Mages of the Kirin Tor are generally not involved in secular politics. Similarly, secular political activities such as invitations to receive members of the royal family are rarely performed by the Kirin Tor.Arthas and his entourage were allowed into the city only because Jaina was there to study.Dalaran is a beautiful city, even more magnificent than the king of Lordaeron.The city is so steeped in magic that it appears impossibly clean and bright. Several elegant towers tower into the sky, the base is made of white stone, and the purple spire is covered with golden ring decorations.Shiny stones swirled and swirled around the tower, and the stained glass windows reflected the sun's rays.The garden was in full bloom, and the fragrance of exotic flowers made Alsace almost dizzy.Perhaps, it is the endless fluctuation of magic power in the air that brings such a feeling. They rode into the city, and Alsace felt that he was dressed in ordinary clothes and dirty, and almost regretted sleeping in the wild last night.If he rested in Ambermere, at least he could have a bath.That way, though, he and Jaina wouldn't have the chance to spy on the asylum. He glanced at his girlfriend beside him.Her vermilion lips parted slightly, her blue eyes widened with excitement and shock.Jaina turned to Arthas, a smile on her lips. "How lucky I am to be studying here, isn't it?" "Of course." He smiled.Jaina hungrily drank every drop of water as if she had been in the desert for a whole week.And he... asked for nothing.Apparently he didn't have her fondness for magic. "I heard that outsiders are not welcome here." She said, "It's a pity. It would be nice to see you again." She blushed, and Alsace forgot the unhappiness the city had brought him for a moment, and said it from the bottom of his heart agree with this.How nice it would be to see Miss Jaina Proudmoore again. It's... awesome... "Come on! You dwarf bitch! I'm going to grab your pigtails, you--wow~~" The dwarf, who was taunting loudly, took a shield blow in the face and hit him The face of the helmet made him stagger back a few steps.Arthas swung his longsword, grinning triumphantly beneath his tightly bolted helmet.But suddenly, he flew into the air and landed heavily on his back, only seeing a bearded head galloping towards him.There was no time to raise his sword to parry, Arthas snorted, drew his legs to his chest and kicked out, hitting Muradin in the stomach.This time it was the dwarf's turn to fly backwards. Alsace jumped up quickly, his movements clean and neat.He charged at the master who was still lying on the ground, hitting him hard and hard until Muradin screamed.Alsace never thought that he could really hear this sentence - "I surrender!" Alsace used all his strength to stop the move, because he lost his balance due to too much force and staggered back.Muradin lay motionless, his chest heaving violently. Arthas was suddenly terrified. "Muradin Muradin!" There was a warm chuckle from under the auburn beard. "Well done, boy, that's great!" He struggled to sit up, and Arthas reached out and helped the dwarf to his feet. "So, you were serious when I taught those unique moves." Muradin happily waved his hand. Arthas was relieved, and smiled happily at the dwarf's praise.Some of the skills that Muradin taught him were also repeated in the Paladin training courses, and even went further.As for the others—hey, he didn't think Uther the Lightbringer would kick someone in the stomach, or fight with the broken wine bottle beside him.In addition to fighting or fighting, it seems that Muradin thinks that Arthas Menethil should know all the ways of fighting. Arthas was fourteen now, and he practiced with Muradin several times a week, except when the dwarves were on diplomatic missions.The first dozen or so times, Arthas was bruised, bleeding, and limping.He stubbornly refused treatment, insisting that pain was part of the training.Muradin agreed, and the way to do it was to treat him harder.Arthas never complained, even when he wanted to, even when Muradin scolded him and beat him when he was too exhausted to lift his shield. And thanks to this spirit of not complaining and not admitting defeat, he finally got double rewards: success in his studies, and the respect of Muradin Bronzebeard. "Yes, sir, I have studied hard." "Good boy, good boy!" Muradin stood on tiptoe and patted him on the shoulder. "Now, let's call it a day. You've had enough beatings today, you can take a good rest." He blinked while talking, and Alsace nodded in agreement.Actually, it was Muradin himself who was being beaten today, but he looked as happy as Arthas.Gratitude for the dwarves rose suddenly in the prince's heart.Despite being a stern instructor, Muradin was one of Arthas' favorites. He whistled and strode towards his residence, but a sudden noise made him stop in place. "No, father! I don't want it!" "Callia, I don't want to say any more. This is beyond your control." "Father, please, don't do this!" Alsace quietly moved towards Calia's room step.Through the half-closed door, he eavesdropped worriedly.Tenaris usually dotes on Calia very much.What on earth did he want Kalia to do now that she begged so much, even using a nickname that she and Arthas had stopped using when they were adults? Callia was sobbing intermittently.Arthas couldn't listen anymore, he opened the door. "I'm sorry, I just overheard, but... what's going on?" Tenaris had been behaving strangely lately, and now he was staring angrily at his sixteen-year-old daughter. "It's none of your business, Arthas," Tenaris growled. "I told Callia to do something for me, and she will do." Callia threw herself on the bed, crying.Arthas was completely bewildered, looking from his father to his sister.Tenaris walked out the door cursing.Alsace glanced back at Calia, and followed his father in pursuit. "Father, what's the matter?" "Don't question me! It's Kalia's duty to obey her father!" Tenaris strode through the door into the drawing room.Arthas recognized Lord Darval Prestor, a young nobleman whom the king admired.There were also several visiting wizards from Dalaran, none of whom Arthas knew. "Go to your sister and tell her to calm down. I'll come over as soon as possible." Arthas gave the three visitors in the room one last look, nodded, and walked towards Calia's room.Her sister remained where she was, but she cried a little less.Arthas could do nothing but sit awkwardly on the edge of the bed. Callia sat up with tears all over her face. "I'm sorry to show you...seeing this, Arthas...but...maybe...maybe this is better..." "What does my father want you to do?" "He wants me to marry me. I don't like People." Alsace blinked, "Carly, you are only sixteen years old, not yet married." She wiped her red and swollen eyes with a handkerchief. "I said the same thing. But my father said it's okay, we can get engaged first, and then marry Lord Prestor as soon as our birthday comes." Alsace suddenly realized that his sea-green eyes widened, no wonder Prestor would be there Here..."Well..." he said awkwardly, "he has a high status, and... it is said that he is also handsome. At least, he is not very old." "You don't understand, Arthas. I don't care about his status Or appearance, or even character is not important. The problem is that I have no choice at all! I... I am like a thing... like your horse... not a person. I'm giving it away as political commodity..." "You... don't you love Prestor?" "Love him?" Her bloodshot blue eyes narrowed angrily. "I don't even know him! He never Not even the most...well, what's the use...I know, the royal family and the nobles have always been like this...we are pawns...but I didn't expect that the king would--" Neither did Arthas.In fact, he never gave much thought to his marriage with his sister.He was more interested in training with Muradin and traveling on Invincible.But Kalia was right, political marriages were common among nobles. He never thought that the royal father would sell his daughter just like that... like a breeding mare. "Callia, I'm sorry." He said sincerely, "Is there anyone else? Maybe you can convince the royal father to choose a more suitable person...one you also like." Calia shook her head in pain, "It's useless. You heard that too. He didn't ask me at all, and he didn't advise Lord Prestor...he just ordered me." She looked at him imploringly. "Arthas, promise me that when you become king, you will not do this to your children." Children?Arthas wasn't ready to think about such things at all.Not even his favorite...well, there was one...but he never thought of having her..."And when you get married...my father can't order you like he ordered me. Make sure you really Cares about that girl...and she cares about you. Or at least, she is willing to share life...and bed with you." She cried again, but Alsace was already shocked by the sudden fate.He was only fourteen now, but he would be of marriageable age in just four years. He suddenly recalled the few words he had heard before, those words about the future of Menethil's bloodline.His wife is about to become his mother, and he must choose carefully, but not ungratefully, just as Kalia demanded.His parents clearly cherish each other.Although married for many years, there is love in every smile and frown.Arthas wished he could do the same.What he wanted was a partner, a friend, a... He frowned, what if he couldn't do it? "I'm sorry, Kalia. Maybe you are luckier than me. It might be worse to have the freedom to choose, but not to choose what you really want." "I would rather exchange... death!" "I I think we all have our share of responsibility." Arthas replied in a dark voice. "You want to marry the person appointed by the king, but I have to marry the person the country needs." He stood up suddenly, "I'm sorry, Kalia." "Alsace? Where are you going?" He didn't answer, but It was straight out of the palace and ran to the stables.He couldn't wait to call the groom over, so he saddled Invincible himself.Alsace knew that this was just a temporary escape, but he was only fourteen years old, so temporary escape was also a solution to the problem. The horse is galloping with galloping hooves, and its gleaming muscles reveal elegance.He bent over Wudi's back, the white mane brushing against his cheek.Alsace laughed heartily, he had never ridden so happily, at this moment, man and horse seemed to be one.He'd waited long enough, and all the patience it took from seeing it born to finally being able to ride it was worth it.They were a perfect match, and Invincible wanted nothing more from him, nor would he want anything more from him. As long as the prince takes it from the stable, and it takes the prince from the kingship.They... walk together. The moment of excitement that Alsace loves has arrived.To the east of the capital, near Barnier's farm is a stretch of hills.Invincible was galloping, the heavy stomp of the horse's hooves sank deep into the ground, and he rushed up the steep mountain with the swiftness of walking on flat ground.It turned and sped along the narrow mountain path, splashing gravel under its hooves.Together with Alsace, two hearts are flying in excitement.Alsace directed the stallion to turn to the left, cross the embankment and rush up the shortcut to Barnier Manor.Even though this was the first time Alsace let him leap forward, Invincible leaped forward with all his strength without hesitation.It was a glorious moment, a heart-stopping moment!The man and the horse rowed across the sky, landed safely on the soft grass, and then jumped up again. Invincible!