Right was frowning at him as Anduin paced through his sitting room, just making him feel more aggravated than he already was. He finally turned to her, exasperated, and demanded, "What?"
She just shook her head and turned towards the door. "I'm going to get the Prince, don't do anything stupid."
"That's literally everything I do in your opinion," Anduin reminded her as she left, going to slump against his desk
It didn't take him long to arrive, looking as perfectly put together as always, and Anduin felt his emotions settle a bit as he gazed at him. No matter how horrible Wrathion could be, there was something about being near him that made Anduin just feel better.
"Since you have RIGHT concerned about you, I can only assume something is very wrong." Wrathion spoke as he strode in, the door closing behind him (Anduin assumed Right and Left were standing guard with his own outside). "And since you never do well bottling things up, let's just get it out of the way."
Wrathion sat down on the couch and motioned for Anduin to join him and Anduin, of course, did. He laid his head down on Wrathion's lap and closed his eyes as clawed fingers undid his hair tie, then stroked through the loose locks.
"Do you know who the Lich King is, now?" he whispered, so close that of course he felt it when Wrathion tensed.
"I...have heard rumors. I assure you, I did not keep it from you out of maliciousness."
"It's okay. I know why everyone hid it. At least, why the people who cared about me did." Anduin opened one eye, wanting to see if he could catch Wrathion looking awkward at the mention of feelings, again. "But it just...it HURTS. This whole time he's been up there, basically alone, probably being tormented by that Light's damned helmet, and I didn't even know. I couldn't even appreciate just how fully he sacrificed himself to save us all."
"That's one reason he did it, my king, so others would not suffer from the knowledge. I don't doubt that you were in his mind, your safety in his thoughts." Wrathion kissed his forehead, fingers kneading at Anduin's shoulders, now. "He is one of the people who made you who you are today, for that he has my gratitude. But we mustn't forget that he IS the Lich King, and all that entails."
"I don't want to believe he'll turn into what Arthas was."
"I know, and you don't have to. That's why I'm here, Anduin, to plan for all the bad things that should never make their way into your mind."
Out of all of the infighting that Sylvanas was present to hear over Gallywix's little listening device, she was gratified to be listening to this one. Already it had escalated further than any of the others, with Greymane in a particularly volatile mood.
"Perhaps you're no longer fit for your position, the responsibility is obviously too much for you."
"Excuse me? You do not get to decide if I am capable of being king-"
"Not King of Stormwind, but we can decide if you should be High King of the Alliance."
"I was wondering if we'd get to this. You think you'd do such a better job at it than I would, Genn?" Wrynn spat the name out, a thrill going up Sylvanas' spine at the barely concealed anger behind it. She had always wondered what Anduin Wrynn would be like when he lost that tight hold on his temper-his father had always been delicious to watch in a rage.
"Yes, I would! I wouldn't be pandering to the HORDE as they try to DESTROY us!"
"Perhaps we should break?" Their Pandaran representative was there today, Sylvanas realized, though oddly not Velen.
"Ach, no, let him say his word. Would ye be building a wall around all the Alliance now, Greymane? Hiding behind ye shoddy craftsmanship, pretendin' the Horde cannae get in?"
Sylvanas' head fell back, a satisfied smirk forming. Moira was there, and no Velen, and Wrynn the only one likely to stop a confrontation...if he wasn't already part of it. If only there was a way for the goblins to plant a device that would capture images, it would be perfect.
"Warchief-" Sylvanas held up her hand.
"Not NOW, Nathanos." But she still motioned him closer, and silently he came, obedient as ever, to kneel beside her and listen with her.
"I made mistakes in the past, but I learned from them! I won't let the Alliance be destroyed the way Gilneas was, no matter what you want."
"I don't want the Alliance destroyed! I want peace!" Wrynn replied. "The Horde is not the Legion, they are not monsters!"
"How can't they be, when they're led by that-that Banshee?"
Nathanos made a displeased noise and Sylvanas lazily rested her hand on his head, rewarding him for it. It WAS displeasing, hearing that beast talk about her as if he weren't the one to wrong her so recently.
"If you feel I'm not fit to lead the Alliance, then so be it. We'll put it to a vote."
The conversation broke off into too many to follow at that point, though the one thing Sylvanas knew was that this vote would happen. She knew it would make little difference, Greymane had been acting as though he were High King for months.
Now that Anduin had told a few people outside of his trusted circle what his plans were, the momentum was carrying him away. He had multiple meetings scheduled, including what he knew would prove to be grueling ones with the House of Nobles, but today's was one he was both dreading and looking forward to in equal measure.
Anduin took a deep breath, calling in the Light to steady himself, then continued into the room. Baine was already there, alone, and Anduin relaxed.
"It's good to see you."
"And you, Anduin. It has been some time since we could meet."
Anduin grimaced at that. He hadn't been able to risk calling on Baine, not with the way the Alliance was. He'd had to rely heavily on Wrathion and his Blacktalon Agents to even get to this meeting.
They exchanged pleasantries, sharing the tea Baine had set out, the comparatively smaller cup Anduin was given reminding him of their early meetings in Theramore.
"I...need to ask your opinion on something," he finally said, during a lull in the conversation.
Baine nodded, as if he'd been waiting for something like that, and Anduin felt bad that they couldn't just have social visits anymore. At least, not yet.
"I need to know how you think your Warchief would react to Stormwind pulling out of the Alliance."
It seemed that the next few seconds happened in slowed time for Anduin: Baine's shocked look, his cup tumbling to the ground as he made no attempt to catch it. In other circumstances, it would have been funny.
"You...what would Stormwind even do?"
"Declare neutrality." Anduin spread his hands out in front of himself, shrugging. "I'm going to approach the Kirin Tor and others in similar positions, establish trade agreements and the like, though Stormwind's lands are largely self-sufficient when not supporting large military campaigns."
"I doubt the Alliance would simply let this happen."
"I'm not High King anymore, they've made it very clear they see humans as little more than cannon-fodder, and, well, I think they'll let it happen assuming we'll come crawling back needing protection from the Horde."
Baine frowned, kneeling to clean up the mess he'd made and obviously thinking through the scenario. "Sylvanas takes great pleasure in the any instability within the Alliance and anything that frustrates Genn Greymane. This would give her both to enjoy." He paused, then gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "In fact, worded correctly, she might even be willing to give official support to a neutral Stormwind, in order to keep them from gaining the satisfaction of you returning as supplicants."
"I wasn't even thinking of asking for that, but...it would certainly get a reaction out of Greymane."
They smiled at each other, Anduin relaxing a touch more. "How has she been, as Warchief? Better than Garrosh but worse than Vol'jin, I've been assuming?"
"In a way. In other ways she's better than any we've had, and worse. For some reason, she has taken Vol'jin's last wishes more seriously than anyone expected. It is...not a bad time, to be with the Horde." Baine sat back down, regarding Anduin. "It would be even better, if our people had fewer enemies to worry about."
He could admit the tension was getting to him and praying just wasn't helping. As much as the Light attempted to soothe him, it didn't help his body's nervous energy after he had to move onto other tasks.
Anduin went to the practice yards, largely empty at the odd hour, and tried to run through a few exercises with Shalamayne. Just as always, it felt awkward and unnatural in his hands, his arms tiring too soon and making him have to keep up a steady stream of healing energy just to keep going.
He'd been trying and trying to get better, to embrace more of the type of fighter his father had been, but it only left him feeling like a failure. Others told him if he took the Paladin vows, it would grow easier, but he knew in his heart he wasn't meant to be a Paladin anymore than he was meant to be a warrior.
Carefully placing Shalamayne aside, he wandered through the training weapons left in their racks, hands skimming over a few and contemplating what to try, until he came upon the bows and arrows. He gave a soft smile, remembering the training in his youth, when many refused to acknowledge outloud that he would never have his father's build, but still trained in weapons that didn't require the same sort of strength.
Picking up a bow and a quiver of arrows, he moved towards the targets and took a few shots. He wasn't great, obviously out of practice, but he could already tell with a sinking feeling he was significantly better than he had been with the sword. He could feasibly get some hits in with the bow.
The next time he felt that same unrest, he left Shalamayne behind in his quarters and picked out one of the bows from the rack again. And the next, until he could see his own steady improvement.
Normally, these times were quiet, and he was mostly alone. A few guards during their off hours would appear, but kept distant from him to avoid whatever awkwardness could come. But when Anduin decided he would make the training a part of his day, Wrathion suggested that he take advantage of being an early riser and go in the morning, and there was one other person in the yard more often than not.
They ignored each other, politely, at first, but after a few days Anduin could feel the other man's eyes on him. He started glancing at him, as well, attention caught by just how good the man seemed to be with a bow. He could shoot dead center, easily, but also seemed to practice different patterns and shooting from different angles. He was clearly a professional, probably part of the recalled Stormwind forces that were still waiting to find out WHY they'd been recalled.
"You should shift your back foot," were the first words the man said to him, watching Anduin blatantly.
"Like this?" Anduin moved his foot just a little, then waited.
"A little more." The man came up beside him. "May I, your majesty?"
Anduin nodded, allowing the man to adjust his stance, then his hold, the angle of his body, until Anduin was fairly sure he'd been doing everything wrong the whole time.
"Now try."
This time it was easier to make an accurate shot and Anduin grinned. "Thank you….You wouldn't happen to have any other advice, would you?"
The man's name was Tyrathan and he was a hunter. He hadn't been an active member of Stormwind's forces when they started being recalled, but had been curious and came anyway once he'd heard some of the rumors. He mainly hunted wolves and bandits in Elwynn in his spare time and Anduin didn't feel quite so bad taking up some of it.
During the lessons, they sometimes chatted and Anduin couldn't help but let some of his feelings about the endless conflict against the Horde come out. In Tyrathan, he found a kindred spirit, someone who agreed the Horde were not monsters and that peace was possible. Apparently he'd had a friend in the Horde, someone who had surprised him with how well they fit together, and it made Anduin think of how many more humans could learn what they already knew, that the Horde races weren't as different as they seemed.
Life continued for Anduin, with all the ups and downs that included, his circuitous plans (which, he could admit, were only so complicated because Wrathion had a hand in them) pressing ever onward.
When he visited in Dalaran, and let Khadgar know of his plans, Khadgar had just sort of...regarded Anduin. He'd shifted awkwardly under Khadgar's gaze, feeling for all the world as if he were a small child again.
"That...sounds very much like you," was the eventual conclusion, Khadgar's smile reasserting itself. "You've always been willing to risk much for peace, this isn't any different. Though, you must realize how vulnerable you'll be."
Anduin nodded, shifting closer. There were very few people left in his life who had been around when he was younger, Khadgar was one of them-and outside of his position in the Kirin Tor, Anduin had hoped for his approval just because.
"I'm securing trade agreements and non-aggression pacts already. And have been quietly moving my soldiers from Alliance-held areas."
Khadgar set his hands on Anduin's shoulders, squeezing. "And you shall have those from Dalaran. And what assistance I can give, in keeping this process peaceful."
"Thank you. It means a great deal to me, to have your support."
"Again and again, the Alliance and Horde forge unity against a common foe, and again and again it is shattered for foolish reasons." The sadness on Khadgar's face was one Anduin knew was reflected on his own. "Nothing that has been attempted before has ever stopped this process...perhaps this is what needed to happen, something that shakes up the very world order."
"I hope so."
