Lordaeron.

Uther leant on the balcony overlooking the city as the moon rose in the night's sky, reflecting on recent events as he found himself unable to sleep. He'd been invited to stay the night in the royal apartments, and while he was deeply honoured, he was racked with doubt.

'What did I do to deserve such an honour of being brought back by the Aspects?'

While it was true he had defeated the Lich King and the Cult of the Damned, and had lead the defence of Azeroth in the so-called War of the Aspects. He'd still given in to the darkness within and had become the new Lich King, leading a devastating campaign in Northrend, and laying the groundwork for the very invasion he had been brought back to combat.

"Trouble sleeping, my lord?" a voice said, and he turned to see Calia poking her head into his chambers.

"A lot on my mind, that's all." He jested, ushering her to stand beside him on the balcony. "I take it you are in a similar position?"

"I... I was never meant to rule,"she sighed, putting both hands on the railing to support herself. "I thought I'd just be a princess all my life, watching as my father, brother, and maybe even nephew took the throne. But after Arthas... The people don't want him as their king, and my parents are too old to have another son, so the crown must come to me as there's no one else."

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

"And my neck will never be as strong as my father's." she laughed without much humour.

"You are stronger than you realise, and I believe that in time you will be seen as equal to the greatest kings of Lordaeron, including your father."

Calia blushed at the compliment, distracting herself by looking out over the city.

"I must ask, how did Terenas take the news of my fall?" he asked slowly, his desire to know almost quelled by the grim nature of the subject for both of them.

"It almost broke him," she admitted, "you weren't called 'the Lightbringer' without reason, and to hear that you'd fallen into darkness made him doubt his own convictions. Tirion and Alonsus counselled him tirelessly, persuading him not to fall into despair, but it was another grim turn in recent years that left him weakened."

"Your mother's passing?"

"And what my brother did, he was starting to have hope again when news of Deathwing's defeat reached us, but..."

"I understand," Uther sighed, leaning heavily on the balcony railing. "I saw hope in his eyes when I entered the throne room this afternoon, think he'll have hope again?"

"Things are darker than ever now, I will do what I can to lift his spirits, but it falls to you to..."

There was a loud crash, and both figures froze, looking toward where the sound had originated.

"Father!" Calia breathed, sprinting inside again with Uther close behind.

They exited Uther's chambers to find the soldiers stationed in the corridor outside slain where they stood, and the doors to Terenas' bedchamber smashed open. Uther picked up one of the fallen guard's weapons and stepped into the king's apartment, stopping dead in his tracks at what he saw.

A figure in battle-scarred and blackened armour was advancing on the king, weilding a broken sword like a dagger in one hand; when Uther entered the figure froze, and slowly turned to face him.

"Hello, old friend." The malice-twisted face of Danath Trollbane grinned at him. "Time has not been kind to you."

"Fate has been far crueller to you." Uther replied, feeling Calia standing behind him, peering around to see where her father was. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Danath laughed. "The Alliance of Lordaeron resisted the Horde's invasion, so precautions must be made to ensure history does not repeat itself; and seeing how easily Stormwind fell after its king was slain, the Herald decreed the same would work here."

Terenas was backed into a corner, the once mighty king looking very weak and frail in just his bedclothes.

"If you want to sew chaos in Lordaeron, kill me not him," Uther challenged. "Slaying Terenas will only strengthen the Alliance's resolve to fight. Remember what happened when Lothar fell?"

This caused a flicker of uncertainty to cross the corrupted Danath's face, but it quickly showed malevolent resolve again.

"A general falls and another rises to take his place, a king falls with nought but a disgraced son as his heir..."

Calia stiffled a gasp of shock as Danath's eyes turned toward her father again.

"Danath! You were a good man once!" Uther took a step closer, raising the sword he weilded. "A fearless warrior and brilliant tactician who stood for the ideals all men should strive for, if you have truly fallen so far as to slay a defenceless man in his bedchamber, I will feel little remorse in cutting you down where you stand."

"Then you'll be stabbing me in the back, for I will not fail the Herald, I have never failed him."

"Who is the Herald?"

"The one who will bring this world to its knees, before Sargeras snuffs out all life once and for all." He growled, moving closer to the defenceless king. "I will not fail him."

"It is not too late to turn away from the darkness, Danath, you were once a good man, a cunning strategist and a fierce warrior for the Alliance, but to me you were a close friend." Uther tried not to sound pleading. "I know you are part of the Legion's vanguard, sent to weaken Azeroth's defences to make their conquest easier. But you can still turn back to the Light..."

Danath closed the distance, holding the broken blade to Terenas' throat, Calia whimpered in fear behind Uther, while her father remained motionless and kept a calm demeanour despite the immediate danger.

"The Light abandoned us on that forsaken world!" Danath spat at Uther. "It left us to die when the Legion came for us, and it... Didn't save her from..."

"Alleria?"

"She managed to escape, but they caught her and... Executed her." Danath's hand shook with repressed emotion, the blade tickling Terenas' throat.

"She's not dead, the Legion lied to you!"

"How would you know? You weren't there!" Danath yelled, but the doubt was clear in his tone.

"She managed to escape and return home, she warned us of the Legion's coming." He gave his fallen friend a warm smile. "She's the reason the Alliance was ready for the invasion, before the Lich's agents spread discord wherever they could."

"I... How do I know you're not lying?"

"I fell from the Light too," he admitted. "I became the Lich King, and did things that will give me nightmares for years to come."

"How did you redeem yourself?"

"Alleria. Seeing her again, knowing she was alive and back from that hell you were trapped on, it snapped me out of my dark thoughts, and in death I was redeemed."

"How are you here if you died?"

"I am still trying to understand why the Aspects were able to bring me back, even with their power... My sins were many and great, I should have remained dead."

"There is still hope, for both of you." Calia said softly.

Danath moved the blade closer to Terenas' throat, before waivering and lowering his arm to his side.

"The Legion... They broke us, after Alleria, they broke our spirits, tortured our bodies, bent us to their will..." Danath's eyes were brimming with tears. "Turalyon prayed for our salvation, but it never came... All those years imprisoned taught me something I will never forget."

"And what is that?" Uther asked cautiously, also lowering his weapon and stepping closer, his other hand holding Calia back.

Danath suddenly spun and plunged his broken blade into Terenas' stomach, the old king's eyes widening with shock and betrayal.

"The Legion cannot be resisted forever." The fallen hero hissed. "Sooner or later this world will fall, better to spare innocents suffering by delivering a quick and painless death."

Uther closed his eyes and summoned the Light to aid him, a glowing hammer appeared in his free hand, and before Danath could react he slammed it down on the corrupted man. When the Light touched his skin the younger man screamed in pain, but the force of the blow quickly knocked him to his knees.

"Kill me, the Light will judge my actions once I'm gone. There will be no redemption for me in this life." Danath looked at the ground as he spoke, presenting the back of his neck to Uther.

Uther looked to Terenas, who had slumped against the wall but was still alive, one bloodied hand clutching his bleeding wound.

"Do it." His king commanded, blood droplets flecking his lips. "The Light will have mercy on his soul, but the living will not."

Uther hesitated as he raised the sword to strike, indecision racking him with conflicting beliefs as to what the just fate of Danath Trollbane should be. Calia rushed to her father's side, pressing her own hands to his wound while saying in a pleading tone;

"Please hold on, father, please."

Danath gave one final look up at Uther, showing remorse for what he had done, but also how deeply the darkness had consumed him.

"Danath Trollbane, for the crime of regicide and murder, I, Uther, Paladin of the Silver Hand, Knight of the Wyrmrest Accord, sentence you to death."

Trollbane hung his head, again showing Uther his neck to make his execution easier to carry out. Uther brought the sword down, but instead of slicing his head off, he slammed the pommel against the back of Danath's skull, knocking him out instantly.

"You didn't kill him!" Calia exclaimed.

"I will not carry out an execution while my king lays dying," Uther knelt before his monarch, his hands pushing Calia's off the bleeding wound. "Go find help quickly, I will do what I can to heal him."

"I'm not leaving him!" she pleaded.

"If we both stay he could wake up and kill us all, find some guards to imprison him immediately," Uther barked at her. "Go!"

She hurried from the room, fearful of his sudden rage, her hands still soaked in her father's blood.

"Hold still while I try to heal you." He said, his tone softening as he addressed the king.

"Don't. Let me die." Terenas wheezed. "Let my death be the rallying cry for Lordaeron. The Legion want my death to weaken our resolve, prove them wrong."

Uther's hands began to glow softly.

"I order you to let me go!"

"I'm keeping you alive long enough to say goodbye to your daughter." Uther fought back, his glowing eyes meeting his king's. "Arthas may not be here, but she is."

"Arthas... I put too much pressure on him, expected too much... Perhaps I am in part to blame for Stratholme."

"Arthas is solely to blame for that atrocity, and in time he may redeem himself." Uther said softly. "All fathers place too much pressure on their children, you are not responsible for the decisions he made."

"Tell him... When you see him again, tell him I forgave him... For all his mistakes."

"I will."

At that moment Calia came back into the room accompanied by four royal guards, all of whom froze at seeing their king dying and Danath Trollbane unconscious before him. Uther turned his head, not moving his hands from Terenas' bleeding wound, to give the soldiers commands;

"Bind him securely, cover his head, and put him in a cell until I say otherwise. No one outside this room must know who he is or what he has done."

"But..."

"Do it!" Calia yelled, her emotions bursting out in that single command, as she moved to her father's side.

Two of the guards bound Danath's hands, while a third covered his head with a pillowcase. Once the prisoner was securely bound, the three guards carried him from the room, while one remained behind.

"Father! Please don't go." Calia cried as she moved closer to him. "I'm not ready."

"No one ever is, my child." Terenas smiled weakly, his face growing paler. "Have faith in yourself, and you will go far."

The princess' head drooped as she was overcome with grief.

"No king rules forever, and I have ruled this land for almost six decades," he breathed, his breathing slowing as his life ebbed away. "It is time for a new monarch to rule this changing world... Calia, my only daughter, know that I have faith in you, and knowing you will succeed me fills me with pride..."

"Father..."

Terenas' head slumped forward, and his eyes clouded over as his final breath escaped his parted lips. Uther pulled his hands back and adjusted his position, so that he was kneeling before his fallen friend and king.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning the city bells rang a mournful tune to denounce the death of the king, and when the people gathered outside the royal keep, Calia stepped out to address the masses; Uther hung back and kept out of sight, this was her moment to shine and shape her future as the Queen of Lordaeron.

"People of Lordaeron, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that your beloved king, my father, is dead." Calia said loudly and clearly, her voice carrying across the quieted crowd, who let out a collective gasp at the news. "It pains me further to confess that his death came at the hands of a Legion assassin."

Further gasps and insesent whispering broke out, but Calia raised her hand to quiet them again;

"The Legion hoped that with my father's murder we would be disheartened, and fractured, making us an easier conquest for their burning crusade. But if we let this tragedy dishearten us, then we have already lost."

There were murmurings at this, but Calia pressed on, clearly fighting to keep her emotions in check as she spoke;

"I will not be broken, I will not let the Legion win with such duplicitous acts as assassination, and I know that my father's last decrees were to rally the kingdoms of the Alliance of Lordaeron for war for the survival of Azeroth, acts that I... As your future queen, will not shrink from the challenge."

The chatter became more hopeful in tone at this pronouncement.

"All those willing to stand against the Legion and fight for their homeland, their people, and their world, I ask that you step forward and join the concerted effort to push the Legion back. Now I realise that my position as a woman of royal birthh makes me a poor leader in a time of war, but it will not be me to lead this charge. I leave that responsibility to the Knights of the Silver Hand, an order whose leaders were close friends to my father, and will fight to avenge his death, and lead their people to victory."

The crowd erupted into applause and cheering at this bold proclamation, and Uther slowly stepped forward until he was standing at Calia's side.

"I believe in the Light, and I know that even in the darkest hour it is there, for we once thought the great Uther the Lightbringer lost to darkness, but if he can come back, then Lordaeron can rise from this tragedy to show the Legion that they will never break our spirit!"

The cheering became almost deafening, but over the screaming crowd Calia made one final statement, which the people eagerly echoed;

"For the Alliance!"

They slowly retreated inside again, and once they were back in the throne room, Calia visibly shrunk at seeing the vacant throne that her father had occupied only the day before.

"The people are with you, your grace." Uther bowed his head, causing her to let out a nervous laugh.

"If we weren't at war I'd ask you to stay and advise me, but your presence will be vital on the front line..."

"Summon other noble ladies to court, let them advise and counsel you until this war is over," he said gently. "It is foolish to rule alone, a wise ruler surrounds themselves with wiser people to guide them in times of difficulty."

Before anymore could be said, a guard entered and bowed to Calia, quickly informing them;

"A messenger has arrived from King Anasterian, he wishes to speak with you urgently."

Uther and Calia shared a confused look, before a shocking realisation hit them;

"If this messenger is from Anasterian, who sent the other one to summon Sylvanas?"