Halduron had noticed something was amiss with Aethas nearly as soon as he had come through Rommath's portal from Dalaran. Reports from the city had been chaotic at best, the Divine Bell cluttering up the square and being the focus of Lor'themar's anger giving no explanation at all for what was happening. Seeing Aethas leaning over to heave for breath as he gasped out an explaination to Lor'themar over the treachery and purge that had followed was nearly painful, the young Archmage usually being so exacting with his personal composure in what Halduron could understand was a bid for greater respect but personally thought toed the line of trying too hard.
Afterwards, when Lor'themar's fury had calmed into calculation, Halduron had been sure to take Aethas aside. He had been surprised that Rommath had stormed the city to save the younger Archmage he so often butted heads with, but was glad nonetheless. Halduron knew Aethas was a dreamer; an idealist who was now being harshly disillusioned but the underhanded actions of others.
Aethas was shaky, and as soon as they were safely in the Spire he leaned heavily on Halduron, the Ranger-General taking it in stride. Halduron had been expecting Aethas to have some kind of break, the composure he was trying to hard to maintain cracking visibly as he removed his mask to breathe more easily.
Seeing that Aethas was in no state to look after himself, Halduron steered him into the room Lor'themar kept as a private drawing room near his office. Settling Aethas down onto one of the very comfortable couches, Halduron went over to the sideboard and poured him a generous glass of wine.
"Here," he said, pressing the glass into Aethas' hand and while being ready to make sure the shaken Archmage didn't drop it, "drink some of this."
Being handed the glass seemed to draw Aethas out of his reverie because he focused on it, and then on Halduron and the room they were in. "Halduron," Aethas said, seemingly alarmed with the realization of where he was, "we're in the Regent's private drawing room."
Halduron laughed warmly, the absolutely scandalized tone of Aethas' voice giving him hope that the Archmage was bouncing back, "He won't mind," Halduron assured him in an effort to forestall Aethas' attempting to get up and leave, "and to he honest, you look like you could use a glass of very strong, very good wine," Halduron smiled and nudged Aethas' hand and the wineglass in it towards the Archmage, "which Lor'themar happens to keep handily around," he finished conspiratorially.
Aethas still seemed shaky, but he settled back into the couch and sipped at his glass of wine. Halduron sat next to him, smiling encouragingly at him when he looked over at Halduron and otherwise trying to exude a sense of companionship. Aethas soon finished his glass of wine, holding it by the stem when it was empty and rolling it slightly between his fingers.
"I couldn't do anything," Aethas said quietly, contemplating his empty wineglass and giving the impression that he'd much rather be confessing this to an empty room. Halduron stayed put, though, and stayed silent. He had been waiting for this, knowing that Aethas would have to express his thoughts eventually and wanting to be sure he had someone with him when he tried to face them.
"I didn't even know our portals had been used, there were no reports of disturbances…" he trailed off, sighing, "I didn't know anything until Lady Proudmoore confronted me."
Halduron reached out and put a comforting hand on Aethas' arm, as the Archmage continued, "Now the people who followed me to Dalaran and the Kirin Tor are in the Violet Hold, and I have no idea what went on aside from Garrosh Hellscream paying to acquire what he wanted with our blood." Aethas bit out Garrosh's name, his temper finally rising.
"Aethas," Halduron said, "We'll get them back. We'll find out exactly who is responsible and see that justice is done. You know we will." He spoke with a surety that Aethas looked skeptical about, but Halduron had seen the look on Lor'themar's face when Aethas had related what had happened, and he knew his friend well enough to know what it meant. They would have justice.