Damned if I Do: Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Chapter 12: Imperial March

A full company of knights met us a mile out of Lordaeron City.

In their full ceremonial regalia, in case their purpose wasn’t entirely clear.

“My prince!” The head knight leapt from his saddle, kneeling before Arthas. “It is an honor to welcome you back to Lordaeron.”

“Samson.” Arthas clapped the man on the shoulder. “I see you made captain while I was away. I couldn’t ask for a better escort into the city.”

The man swelled with praise, his black spruce mustache near exploding with masculine pride. “And I could not ask for a better duty, Prince Arthas.” At Arthas’ wave, Samson rose into a smart salute. “My men and I are here to escort you into the city. The way has already been cleared.”

“Excellent.” Arthas nodded, hopping off his gryphon and rustling through his saddlebags. “I thought that his majesty would be preparing something like this, so I have drawn up plans for a simple procession.” He handed a few pieces of parchment to the captain. “It’s one of the standard formations.”

Samson looked over the diagrams, then gave a bark of laughter. “I believe this is a standard parade set up for the Silver Hand, your highness.” He smiled though, tucking it into his belt. “But my boys will adapt to it easy enough. The first company will be honored to march with you.”

Arthas laughed as well, waving a hand. “You spend enough years with an order of paladins, and you begin to forget how to march in a triumph. Still, I am gladdened to hear that your men are up to the task.”

“Shall we have horses or gryphons brought for the rest of your party?”

Arthas hummed, turning towards Prince Kael’thas. The rest of the Dalaran party, myself included, had essentially formed a circle around the high elf.

“Gryphons, I should think.” Kael drummed his fingers against his saddle. “The goal is to show unity, is it not?”

“My thoughts exactly.” Arthas nodded as he swung back up into his own saddle. “Which is why I’ve placed you next to me in the procession. I believe you already have plans for your own delegation.”

“Indeed, though we shall have to shift slightly.” Kael’thas raised an eyebrow. “I had not thought you would bring us into the city as equals, Prince Arthas.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw some of the knights shift as well.

It seemed that even Lordaeron was not entirely committed to the alliance.

Maybe Arthas’ unity tour was even more necessary than I expected.

But Arthas only smiled. “How can it be an alliance of equals, If I should seat myself above my counterparts?” He waved to the city. “Lordaeron is my home, and I welcome you to it not only as a Prince of Quel’thalas, but also as my friend and ally.”

I saw Kael’thas stiffen slightly at that, though he covered it gracefully. After a few days in close proximity to him, it only took me a second to figure out why. Now, he would have no choice but to set Arthas as his equal when visiting Quel’thalas, or else snub him. Knowing Kael, he probably wondered if the whole thing was some clever rhetorical trap that he’d stumbled into.

Knowing Arthas, the big idiot meant every word.

Still, to deny the offer would be an even worse offense, so Kael’thas put on his best smile and turned quickly to organize our procession.

“Little will change. We certainly have not the time to rework the planned spells, however, I shall now require Magus Rhonin to lead the working.”

Rhonin nodded. “It won’t be a problem, Archmage.”

“Excellent.” Kael’thas nodded as Captain Samson sent a man back to the city to acquire the correct mounts. “You and Vereesa shall ride directly behind the Prince and I.”

Vereesa Windrunner dipped into a short bow on the back of her own gryphon. “At your command.”

“And since it’s bound to be a show, feel free to show the world your undying love for each other.” Kael’thas didn’t roll his eyes, but I could tell it was a close thing. “It was clear to see you have been dying to lay hands on each other the entire trip, so by all means, now is your chance.”

Vereesa and Rhonin both blinked, looking at each other. The Magus was quick to lean over and take his wife’s hand though. “If you think it’s a good idea, we’d be honored to.”

“If there is one thing I’ve learned about humans, it is that you are all desperate for a good love story.” Kael’thas smiled. “How fortunate we brought one.”

A chuckle ran through the crowd of apprentices, but Rhonin and Vereesa took it in good humor. From there, the only thing to do was switch to a gryphon from my dragonhawk when the stablehands came out.

The girl squawked sadly, bumping her head against my shoulder as I jumped off.

I laughed, catching my bug-bird-snake around her beak. “There, there.” I pressed my forehead against the ruff of her feathers. “I’ll be back for you when you ride out again. No way I’m letting a gryphon carry me the breadth of kingdoms.”

Behind me, the gryphon squawked, clawing at the ground in annoyance. But my beautiful little dragonhawk only gave a laughing trill, before pushing me towards my remount.

The gryphon, thankfully enough, was well trained enough that he didn’t dump me off the moment I was in the saddle.

“Yes, you’re very pretty.” I rolled my eyes as the big bird puffed his feathers out, tossing his head like a prized mare.

Atlas never gave me backtalk like this.

The gryphon was also clearly used to parades, because he got into formation easily enough. There were five apprentices in the procession, since only Kael’thas didn’t have one of his own. With Rhonin and Vereesa in front, we set up in a simple 2-3-2 formation behind Prince Kael and Arthas. The knights formed up on our flanks, with a company of footmen in similar ceremonial dress lined up at our backs. The head of each line carried a bugle in lieu of a blade.

Thank god I could use the Light, otherwise I might have gone deaf.

At Arthas’ word, we started forward into the city. The mages around me all called up simple arcane servitors. Usually invisible, Jaina and the others instead formed them into pretty shapes that darted around the procession in trails of light as we entered the city gates.

Along the sides of the road, a crowd had already formed. The looked like farmers from the surrounding villages, filling the space from the outerwall to the inner gates of the city.

Arthas needed only to raise his sword in the air, and a cheer went up.

The arcane servants flashed up into the air the moment we made it to the inner gate, spinning overhead in a riot of color. Behind us, the footmen sounded a simple march, the noon sun flashing bright across every burnished breastplate.

Around me, the other mages threw out simple spells, toothless things robbed of any power, that twirled through the air in complex patterns before sputtering out.

The crowd loved it. From balconies, women and children threw flower petals by the basketful.

I waited until we’d passed under the first arch to do my part, just as planned.

Light and Void did not make good party tricks. The sun was already bright overhead, and I didn’t want to kill anyone. There was, though, one thing that the two of them were very good at.

Taking a breath, I conjured up a single mote of Light and Void, setting them spinning around the tip of my index finger. From there, I summoned five more. Even with my practice, the pattern quickly began to destabilize.

Which was when I threw them up into the air.

The spells formed a spiral, shrieking up through the sky before exploding in a cacophony of light and sound. Each one was different, owing to slight changes in the amount of Light and Void energy I’d used.

Boom, instant fireworks.

I chuckled at the thought, here I was, using the phenomenal powers of the universe to make pretty colors in the sky.

At least the kids seemed to like it well enough.

In that way, we made it to the palace.

Arthas turned his gryphon around at the top of the steps to the palace’s courtyard. Here, I could see members of what I assumed were the royal guard standing at attention in front of a massive gate wrought with complex patterns.

I turned around to see that the crowd had followed in our wake, filling the square in front of the palace.

Arthas really was beloved by his people.

We waited there, throwing magic and fireworks as Arthas continued to wave. From his expression, he didn’t seem to be basking in their attention, so much as letting them know he saw them. I bet if we had more time, he would have ridden down and continued to mingle among them, reaching out to touch hands and shoulders like I’d seen him doing during the march itself.

Of course, we weren’t here to glad hand people, and after about a minute, Arthas finally let the royal guard escort us into the palace courtyard.

The doors, however, didn’t shut. Instead, everyone was treated to the sight of King Menethil descending from the palace in full armor, to greet his son.

Really, it was a touching moment, especially as father and son stepped out of the gates of the palace to give a speech, something no doubt rehearsed.

I tuned it out after the third line about ‘unity in times of hardship’. Really, I was far more interested in the other people who’d come out of the Palace along with the king.

“Muradin, is that you?”

I turned just in time to see Jaina hop down from her mount to embrace a stocky dwarf with a copper beard.

“Aye, lass!” The dwarf laughed, clapping Jaina on the side. “And good to see you, it is! I was near pulling me own hair out from the waiting.”

Jaina took a step back, smiling as palace servants came to take our mounts. From the corner of my eye, I saw Arthas leading Kael’thas out onto the steps for his own address. This one, I knew, was not rehearsed, but the elven prince had hundreds of years to hone his skill at oratory.

“Waiting? Oh, but we’ll have time to catch up in a moment; first let me introduce my friend and fellow apprentice, Taylor.” Jaina grabbed me, nearly pulling me over. “She’s half the reason this whole thing is happening to begin with.”

“Taylor, was it?” The dwarf looked me over, sizing me up. His voice was a deep rumble that for some reason reminded me of Scottish. “Muradin Bronzebeard, at your service!” He thumbed a fist into his chest. “And a friend of these two louts is a friend a’ mine.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. “Likewise.” I nodded. “I don’t suppose you’re also a prince or something like that.” I glanced over my shoulder. “We seem to be collecting them, these days.”

Muradin laughed again, slapping his belly. “Well, I suppose, I suppose. I’m kin to King Magni of Ironforge. Not quite a prince, though. We dwarves reckon things differently than the human kingdoms do.”

“Still, it makes sense how you all met each other.” I nodded.

“Oh, aye. Taught the little bugger to fight too!”

Jaina and I laughed at that, good blackmail material for later. “I don’t suppose you’re here to join our little parade through the Alliance?”

“I’d love nothing more, lass.” Muradin shook his head. “But I’m already near a month overdue for my voyage to Northrend. Once I heard about the tour, why, I couldn’t but wait for Arthas to show back up in Lordaeron.” He gave a good-natured huff. “Thought he’d be a mite faster about things, though.”

“It took some doing, getting everyone here,” I said.

“Oh, aye.” He stroked his beard. “The pulse of this land runs hot. I wish you the best of luck in holding us all together.”

“We’ll do our best.” Jaina nodded. “Best of luck on your voyage.”

“Pah.” Muradin waved a hand. “I’ll be riding with the lot a’ yah up to Stratholm at least. Still, let me introduce Taylor to the rest of the Menethil clan.” He waved towards the steps of the palace, where the Queen and the Princess still stood. “I reckon Queen Lianne is eager to catch up with ye as well, Jaina.”

“Well…” Jaina turned her head, winding a strand of hair around one of her fingers. “I wouldn’t know about that.”

Muradin chuffed, waving the two of us along towards the doors of the Palace proper. I saw Princess Calia staring at me with barely disguised annoyance. She didn’t look happy to be here.

Well, we’d only be in Lordaeron for a few days, so I’m sure she could contain herself for that long.