Author's Note: Sorry for taking this long to update this story. I will try to make more regular updates in the future.
Home?
Alyssa did materialize in a bedroom, but it was definitely not her own. At least not the same from the one she knew. It was much larger, and more lavishly decorated. She was still in Quel'Thalas, but it was not the same war ravaged and impoverished kingdom. This was the pre-Scourge one, strong and prosperous, where arcane magic flowed in abandon, wealth and prosperity was shamelessly flaunted, and the people were happy and carefree. 'Curious', she thought as she approached the balcony. Instead of overlooking the court of the Sun, like she expected, the balcony stretched out to a place that in her own timeline was abandoned, save for the malfunctioning arcane guardians and the wretched. But that was before, now she was greeted by the lavish park and the emaculate buildings surrounding Dawning lane. There were no wretched or ruined arcane guardians, but just regular folk going about their business. It was late in the evening, Dawning lane, the surrounding buildings and the park were lit with magical bright crystals, arcane purple though, and not green, indicating that they were not fueled by fel magic. She saw people locking the buildings and heading towards Falconwing square. 'So they are public sector buildings, just like before the war. Those people are civil servants who had just finished their late shifts and are now joining the festivities at the square. But what are they celebrating? And why haven't my memories being altered to remember this timeline? Is this Nozdormu's idea of punishing me for changing the timeline? To tiptoe my way through all of this, always worrying that a slip of the tongue might have me branded as insane?', she wondered. Falconwing square was decorated with many different colored lights, balloons, wreaths and lanterns, and the people were drinking, singing and dancing. Alyssa noticed a small leather bound book with golden writing on the desk under a window, and she went to pick it up. "Princess Alyssa Sunstrider's calendar", it wrote in the front. There was a red silken ribbon attached on one end. She opened the book at the marked pages and read.
Eve of Founding day
Noon:
- Arrival of the Guardian Clan and the Eastern Kingdoms' royalty and nobles.
- Formal Lunch.
Sunset:
- Prayer at the Cathedral to commemorate those fell during the long journey.
- King's speech at the court of the Sun, followed by dinner and celebrations.
Mid Evening:
- Diner with the nobles and the clergy
Founding Day
Morning:
- Breakfast
Mid morning
- Parade
-Initiation of the three day Festival
Noon:
- Barbecue in the Royal Gardens.
Early Evening:
- Dinner and Ball.
'Hm...looks like a full schedule', Alyssa chuckled and put the calendar down. She felt really tired, and thought it prudent to take a hot bath and go straight to bed, leaving the exploration of this whole new world for the next day. An hour later, she was fast asleep.
She was in Kalimdor again, at the edge of the forest, near the makeshift docks. Chromie had disappeared, only Illidan was there. And he was kissing her just like before. Only this time, his hands left her waist and hair, and started to explore her body. She was writhing and moaning against him, her hands tracing the rippling muscles of his arms, chest and back. He growled in her mouth, and started to trace hot kisses along her jawline and neck. He lifted her up against him, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pinned her against the tree, grabbed her white linen robe with both hands, and ripped it off her. She gasped, as the cool air of what will later be called "the Bay of Storms", caressed her body, sending chills up her spine. Illidan's mouth captured her nipple, while his hand squeezed her rear.
His other hand copped her other breast and his thumb rolled around the nipple. Alyssa moaned and arched her back at him, encouraging him to continue. His hand left her breast and travelled south tracing her toned abdomen, resting between her legs. He stoked the inside her thighs and started to to rub and press her sensitive spot over the thin white cotton fabric. Alyssa whimpered, and started to grind her body against his hand. His clever fingers increased their pace and soon Alyssa felt the world explode around her.
Alyssa woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. 'Wow, where in the nether did that come from? He is ten thousand years old now, that is if he is still alive, and madly in love with Maiev. What is wrong with me?', she shook her head and got up. It was dawn, so she figured that there was no point going back to bed. So she got ready for the day. There were a lot of things she needed to do, the most important being to discover how different this new timeline was from her own. It was obvious to her that there was no Scourge invasion, did that mean that her grandfather was still alive and ruling Quel'Thalas? Were her parents still alive? She might even see them as soon as she leaves her rooms, she needed to be prepared for that, and not look very surprise or over emotional. If Arthas did not march against Quel'Thalas, was Sylvanas still the Ranger General? Did Lor'themar never lose his eye? Is he still Sylvanas' second in command? And where does that leave Halduron? Third in command and patrolling the borders of Zul'Aman? Or Lor'themar may be doing that. One thing's for sure, they would definitely be much happier, away from the bureaucracy and boring politics, doing what they were born and bred to do for centuries. What about Rommath? Is he still here in Silvermoon, or in Dalaran? Did Liadrin make the transition from Priestess to Paladin? So many new things to discover, Alyssa couldn't wait. She walked to her walk in wardrobe to look for a day dress. She picked the least extravagant and changed quickly. 'Do High Elven princesses walk around with their hair down? Well this one does.', she shrugged as she brushed it to smoothen it a little, put on a comfortable pair of slippers and walked out the door. 'New world, here I come! I wonder how long I going to last before I end up at the Silvermoon Institute for the Profoundly Bewildered. Would they lock a princess in there, or will they confine me to my room? Or in an attic with the windows magically sealed? They may not want to risk exposure, so the palace dungeons it is.', she chuckled as she walked towards the end of the corridor.
A ramp spiraled down to the ground floor, and Alyssa walked down towards the main palace, the only part that was still left standing in her timeline. She knew that the library was still there, the location hasn't changed in eight thousand years, since Dath'Remar founded Silvermoon City and built the palace to house his large family. She sighed. Large? Yes! Cursed? Most definitely! Her entire dynasty and about a third of the Quel'Thalas' population was plagued by a mysterious illness, that was first contracted when they landed at the shores of Lordaeron. The exact source still remained a mystery. Many went mad and died within weeks. Others, like the Sunstrider bloodline, lived only for a few thousand years and died suddenly after spiraling towards madness for months. That was how Dath'Remar and his children died so many years ago. Thankfully, Anasterian was immune to the disease, but not his two eldest sons. They died before they reached the age of five thousand, and all their children were born with the disease, thus making them unfit to inherit the throne. Who wants a king or queen who goes insane and dies suddenly? Only Anasterian's youngest, inherited his father's immunity, and everyone had high hopes for him to continue the blood line and rule, when the time came. But all he wanted to do, was to leave Quel'Thalas in order to test his talents and powers to their limit, while bedding every female that crossed his path. And he lived like that for centuries on end, much to his father's dismay. Until a raven haired warrior stole his heart and mind.
She was Quel'Thalas' finest, an amazon, born in a small farm near the borders of Zul'Aman. Her parents, a retired Warrior and a Ranger, didn't have much, but they did everything in their power to not deny their precious daughter anything. She lived a happy life with her elderly parents, she was quite content spending the rest of their lives with them. She had not decided what to do with her self yet, so she helped them around the farm. Until the Trolls came. Resources were running low within the borders of Zul'Aman, and the farm across the lake looked quite tempting. Surely, the small Elven family will not starve if they stole their grain and animals. Aren't all of them wealthy? They could buy more and survive the winter or at least whatever passed as winter within the borders of Quel'Thalas. Zul'Aman could be buried under a thick blanket of snow and ice, razor sharp winds could be howling around the huts and zigurats, and Quel'Thalas, only a few meters away would be enjoying a mild spring. So no, the Amani Trolls had no qualms ambushing the "rich" Elves, locking them in their own emptied pantry, and stealing their entire livelihood. They could cry to their king for compensation. It was early morning and the young Elf was sent to Tranquillien by her parents, to sell some eggs in the market in the hopes that she would capture a young man's eye.
"Stay for a few days dear, spend some time with your friends, take a nice stroll around the market, have some fun, my love, you don't need to spend all your time here with us, you need to mingle with people your own age from time to time, we will be fine, we can manage the farm during your absence.", her mother urged her.
"Go child, enjoy your self for once, we can take care of things.", her father added. So she mounted her Hawkstrider and rode off to the town. She had a lovely time. She sold her eggs, met up with her friends and flirted with some eligible bachelors. Time flew by and it was time to leave. She knew that something was wrong as soon as she approached the farm. It was dusk, and everything was dark. The lanterns were not lit, and there was no smoke coming from the fire place. She tethered her Hawkstrider and run in the house. It was dark, cold, and empty, her parents were nowhere to be seen.
"Minn'da, Ann'da?", she called. No response. 'They must be at the storeroom or the stables', she reasoned. But the stables were completely void of life, the animals had disappeared and not only she didn't find her parents at the storeroom, but the grain was gone. Dread crept up the young Elf's spine, she knew that something horrible has happened to her parents, the Amani border was just across the lake, too close for comfort. 'But there hasn't been a raid in decades, not since way before I was born, why would they decide to attack now?', she wondered, as she frantically continued to search for her parents. She returned to the house to light a lantern and get her father's sword, so that she could continue to search for them at the cherry orchard. There was no sign of them in the field or the small pasture. The next step was to ride to the Farstrider Enclave, close by, to ask for help. After she lit the lantern, she went to the fire place where the sword usually hung. But it wasn't there. And neither was her mother's bow and quiver. The only other thing around the house that was sharp enough to use as a weapon was the meat cleaver in the pantry. So she run there, but found it locked. She turned the key and pushed the door. But the door didn't open all the way. Something was behind it. She managed to squeeze in, and illuminated the room. The shelves were completely empty, the smoked ham, and ducks that were hanging from the sealing were gone. And so were the sausages, the beef jerky and the cheeses. She turned the lantern towards the floor to see what was blocking the door. And she screamed. Lying in a pool of their own blood were her parents, pierced by Amani arrows. They were wounded and locked in the pantry so that they could not run for help, giving time for the Amani to return to their camp. And they bled to death. She screamed for hours over their bodies, shaking and hugging them. It took everything she had to get up, grab the meat cleaver, mount her Hawkstrider and ride to Farstrider's Enclave for help. The Rangers were immediately mobilized, they combed the area, and identified personal items and animals that belonged to the unfortunate family in the nearby Amani camp. The culprits were immediately surrounded and promptly slaughtered. Justice was done. But the young Elf could not return home. It wasn't fear that prevented her from doing that, but all the happy memories she had shared with her beloved parents in the small farm, and knowing that there will be no more of them was just too painful. So she sold the deeds, and moved to Silvermoon city.
'Had I been there, had I been trained as a warrior just like my father, I would have been able to help them fend off the Trolls. I was good with the sword, I should started the training four years ago when I became of age.', she mentally chastised herself. Training as a Ranger, like her mother, was out of the question, she was terrible at it. So she signed up for Warrior training. And she trained for years, day and night, for hours on end with no breaks, no distractions. She fought time and time again against the Amani, and even travelled to other lands to offer her assistance wherever it was needed. Trolls had many tribes and their numbers were great. Their settlements spanned from Zul'Aman to the north, all the way to Zul'Gurub in the South. Lordaeron was plagued by them, as Trolls would occasionally pour out of the Hinterlands and attack the settlements at Hillsbrad Foothills. Stromgarde suffered as well, since the Arathi Highlands were well within the Forest Trolls' grasp. The Khaz'Modan Mountain Trolls, harassed the Dwarves to no end, and even the Kingdom of Stormwind suffered from raids by the Gurubashi Trolls from Stranglethorn. And the young warrior unleashed hell upon all of them. She lived like that for centuries, returning to Quel'Thalas on occasion, to deal with the Amani whenever they decided to stir up trouble. Until she visited Dalaran. She did not want to go. She had better things to do, like stab Trolls across the Eastern Kingdoms. But she was a Knight General now, one of the most high ranking Elven officers, and with high rank, came great responsibility. Like attending pointless and boring festivals and parties that promoted cooperation and friendship between the different races of the Eastern kingdoms. So here she was, at the Purple Parlor of the Violet Citadel, mingling with the Magi of the Kirin'Tor. She was even forced to forgo the red and black plates, mail and leather of her uniform, for a formal gown. It was long and red with gold trimmings, the colors of Quel'Thalas. The neck line was too deep for her taste, only two thin straps were holding it in place, and it clung to her curves a bit to tight for her liking. It was backless, opening from the knees down and touching the floor, a tail of red silk trailing behind her. Her hip length silky black hair was pulled up in an elaborate pony tail, and a golden circlet with a ruby stone was fastened around her head, covering her forehead partly. She was a perfect specimen of Elven beauty, but she would rather be wearing her armor and leading her troops against the Trolls. She heard that the Prince of Quel'Thalas would be making an appearance, and that triggered her curiosity. In all the centuries she had served the king, she never once laid her eyes upon the crown prince. Either he was not there, whenever she reported at the Sunfury Spire, or he would visit when she was elsewhere. He has fought against the Trolls on occasion, but they never where at the same place, the same time. So when he was announced she craned her neck to get a glimpse of him.
"Arch Mage Crown Prince Kael'Thas Sunstrider of Quel'Thalas", a guard announced. And the most gorgeous Elf she has ever laid eyes on, walked through the doors. She could have been knocked over by a feather. Yes, her race was blessed with good looks, but this was just ridiculous! It wasn't just the beauty of his face that stunned her. It was everything about him. Tall, muscular, confident, but most importantly, friendly and approachable. He smiled as he walked up to Aegwyn to bow and kiss her hand. He then started to mingle with all the guests.
"Knight General.", she heard a voice behind her. Arch Mage Antonidas, a member of the council of six, approached her. "You told me that you have never had the chance to meet the Crown Prince of your own homeland. Allow me to rectify this omission. Come with me please.". The General groaned inwardly and followed him. What could she possibly say to the Prince? She would make a fool of herself, she was but a commoner who rose through the ranks out of pure talent. She had no idea about etiquette and politics, she was a warrior first and foremost, bowing to royalty and making small talk was just not her thing. Especially when she found said royalty extremely attractive and way out of her league and reach. He was not one of her peers who she can woo to her bed with a single glance. Should the nobles back home got wind that a lowborn General got involved or even flirted with the Crown Prince, they would make her life difficult. And king Anasterian would be forced to demote her or even expel her from her order. And where would that leave her then? Being a warrior was all she knew. They were now before the Prince. He was deep in conversation with Arch Mage Modera.
"Prince Kael'thas. Allow me to introduce you to one of your most revered war heroes, Knight General Lana'thel Trollreaper.", Antonidas introduced Lana'thel. Kael turned his head and his eyes grew wide upon sight of her. 'By the Sunwell, she is a goddess! No mortal female can possibly be this beautiful. She is exquisite, a vision of heaven. Where did she get those eyes? They are like flaming sapphires! And those hair, black is a very rare color in our race, she is truly blessed to have such a beautiful obsidian shade. How can a warrior keep it so long and silky? Clearly she's got more than warrior skills under her belt, if she can maintain her appearance so well. And I would definitely want to get under her belt.', he sniggered inwardly at the last thought. Lana'thel curtsied, dipping low before him, much to Kael's delight as he got a clear view of her ample bosom. 'Impressive, most impressive indeed! Her entire body is absolutely divine!', he smiled at her as she looked up and locked her eyes with his.
"Your Highness!", she whispered. Her voice sounded like music to his ears. Sweet, melodious and cultured.
"Knight General Trollreaper! It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have heard so much about your victories over the Trolls. You truly are worthy of the title "Trollreaper". You make our people extremely proud to have such a brave and powerful daughter within our family.", Kael dipped his head and brought her knuckles to his lips. The wet warmth of his sensual lips, sent chills up Lana'thel's spine. 'Light, her skin is like silk', Kael mused as he held on to her hand, placing his other hand on top of her's. "Please, walk with me, and tell me all about your great victories over the Trolls.", he smiled at her, and lead her towards the terrace, hanging from her every word.
Alyssa smiled as she recalled the story of how her parents met all those years ago, a few months before the start of the first war. Kael'Thas pursued her relentlessly, but Lana'thel was not one to surrender so easily, especially to someone with the Prince's reputation with the ladies. She may have been smitten by his good looks, his kindness towards others, his willingness to help those in need, and the vast knowledge he was eager to impart to whoever asked, but she did not surrender to him. At least not immediately and definitely not completely even after their union. It was a stormy affair, they often clashed heads about everything, but they would make up really fast.
She finally arrived at the library. It was still very early in the morning, no one was around. She went to the history section and found the two documents she was looking for. A journal about the history of Azeroth, and the genealogy of the Sunstrider dynasty. She scanned through the second journal first, in case she run into another member of the royal family. Dath'Remar was still the founder of Quel'Thalas and the Sunstrider dynasty. And he was still king? She looked at the rest of the names. So many new additions, and so many still alive.
'How is this even possible? Aren't we all cut off from the World Tree? In the original timeline Anasterian was the oldest of our kind, at the age of three thousand, and he was pushing through his last century. What could have possibly happen to prolong everyone's life? Did they discover an alternative? Does that mean that Illidan and Maeiv are still alive? Did he have something to do with this? That would not surprise me, he is very cunning and resourceful. Hm, so many new things to investigate.' That made Alyssa very happy, having so many of her very very very old relatives alive, also meant that Illidan stirred them away from the hill between Tirisfal Glades and Silverpine forest where the disease was believed to have started. Two names made her absolutely ecstatic. Her parents were still alive and well. However, the journal did not inform her about their whereabouts. 'Is Ann'da is still in Dalaran and Minn'da still fighting Trolls and Orcs all over the Eastern Kingdoms just like before the third war? And where are Illidan and Maeiv?', she wondered. She picked up the second journal to find out, and began to scan through it. But she didn't go far in her reading.
"Alyssa, what are you doing up so early?", Alyssa looked up, and her heart stopped. She may have just discovered that he was still alive, but to see him standing before her, was truly a great shock for her. There stood Prince Kael'Thas Sunstrider, her father. Last time she saw him, she was only seven. It was right after he was forced to destroy the Sunwell, and was preparing to march south with a great portion of the army, to join the rest of the Alliance forces in the war against the Scourge. He looked very different back then. Pale, thin, depressed and broken. But now he was the embodiment of health, power, beauty and confidence. And he looked very happy and content. He was leaning on a pillar, hands crossed in front of him, smiling lovingly at his daughter. Alyssa run and hugged him, almost toppling him over.
"Ann'da...!", she cried and buried her face in his chest, sobbing. Kael was stunned.
"Woah sweetheart, what's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.", he asked concerned, and cupped her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He frowned at something and leaned down to her. "Something is different about you. I detect a different kind of magic from you. The kind that emanates from time distortions. Have you been be visited by the Bronze Dragon flight last night.?", he asked her. Alyssa bit her lip. She should have expected that, Kael was one of the most powerful sorcerers of his time, of course he would detect something like that. She needed to tell him, she trusted him, she knew that he wont tell anyone. He would be fascinated by it and he could help her a lot with this timeline with all the different family members she was going to meet for the first time and all the changes in history. She didn't have to worry that she will be changing history, that has already happened. This was the present, the future has not happened yet.
"Ann'da, I will tell you everything, but you need to promise me that you will not speak a word about this to anyone.", she implored her father.
"Of course, honey, you can trust me. Come, lets sit at one of the private studies, I'll cast a spell, so no one can overhear us.", he smiled at his daughter and they headed towards one the studies. As soon as he casted the spell, he sat at the couch next to her.
"All right love, tell me what happened.", he said. And Alyssa recounted everything that transpired the day before. That was after she informed him about Azeroth's alternate history. Kael was beyond stunned. Devastated would be a better word. How could he have screwed up his and everyone else's life so much in the other timeline? He was the crown prince, the heir of the throne, and not only he wasn't there when his kingdom and his father needed him the most, but he led a significant portion of his people to a wild goose chase at a different world. He was responsible for the death of his beloved Lana'thel and so many of his closest friends. He became an addict, attacked the Draenei, a race that had already suffered a lot at the hands of the Legion and the fel Orcs. He captured a being of pure Light and had his people do unspeakable things to him. He even allied him self with an eredar and tried to help him enter this world, betraying thus his people and the rest of Azeroth. It's no wonder that Lor'themar declared him a traitor, signed his execution order and demanded his head. He deserved it. He put his head in his hands and groaned. 'By the Light, how could I have turned into a power hungry, crazed fel junkie? How could I be responsible for the loss of lives of so many of my people and my beloved? How could I just abandon my only child in a ruined kingdom and go chasing waterfalls?', he asked himself. He felt a small hand on his back.
"Don't be so hard on your self, Ann'da. Those were different times, desperate times, full of violence, evil and despair. There was no leader or general who hadn't made colossal mistakes during those times. The Legion and the Scourge were attacking almost at the same time, while the Horde and the Alliance fought more with each other, than with the real enemies of Azeroth. Everyone went crazy back then, starting with Arthas Menethil. And our people suffered the most, because we had our racial addiction to deal with on top of everything else during those dark times. You had to deal with a lot. The death of your father, the destruction of your kingdom and the Sunwell, and when you tried to make things right and help the Alliance against the Scourge, you run in to that inbred bigot, Garithos, who not only treated you very badly, but also tried to execute you all. You believed in Illidan and followed him, but Illidan was not able to even help himself by then, his mind was gone, thanks to his imprisonment for ten thousand years and the fel magic of Shadowmoon Valley. It was the same magic that messed with your mind and common sense, and your addiction forced you do the things you did in Netherstrom. All that made you vulnerable to Kil'Jaeden's manipulation. You were not in your right mind.", she whispered words of comfort at her father. Kael sighed and took his daughter's hand.
"Sweetheart, no words can ever describe the gratitude I feel towards you. By revealing Illidan the future, you saved thousands of lives. The Eastern Kingdoms stand. And the races of Kalimdor are faring well too. You should be proud about what you did for us all, I know that I am. Now about this timeline. It looks like Illidan did change a lot of things for the better. Our ancestors did not land at the shores of Lordaeron, but at the island of Quel'Danas. It was our first home. Our king and Illidan created the Sunwell, and then they headed to the mainland and founded Silvermoon city after the Highborn pushed back the Amani. It was less bloody though, they did manage to strike a deal with the Trolls, whose great empire had crumbled years earlier. Since their population was so much smaller than ours due to warfare and famine, they agreed to settled in the south east. Their borders start south of the Farstrider retreat and end just north of Tyr's Hand. The lands east of the Farstrider Enclave belong to them. That didn't stop them from raiding over the years. They may no longer be responsible for the death of your grandparents, but we still fought with them many times. Your mother still became a Warrior after Illidan's suggestion. He was visiting the Farstrider's Enclave, and was patrolling with them very close to hour grandparent's farm, when they spotted the Amani lurking too close to the farm. And they were pushed back. However, it appears like we are about to clash with the Trolls once again. Our scouts say that they are stirring up trouble, something about a new leader organizing them. Reports from all over Azeroth are the same as well. The Trolls are uniting under a single leader. And that is never a good thing. There are many similarities with the alternate timeline. The Orc invasion you talked about? I'm afraid that it did came to pass, though this time Stormwind never fell. Illidan spearheaded the defensive, along with Anduin Lothar, Alleria Windrunner, Tyraleon, your mother, me, and many other nations and races. Twice, they were pushed back, and in the end we did place them in interment camps for their own good, just like in your timeline. Until a young Orc, Thrall, from the Frostwolf clan came out of Alterac valley and freed them all. They all sailed for Kalimdor, and never bothered us again. Illidan did mention that he knew that the human Mage Medivh was possessed by Sargeras, but could not separate him from him, no matter how much he tried. In the end Medivh sent every minion he had to fight and distract him, while he opened the Dark Portal. He did however stop Ner'Zhul from opening so many portals to other worlds, thus keeping that world from breaking apart. He never did explain how he knew that the dark Shaman was going to do that, but he did say that any such attempt would have destroyed the planet. He went after the Orc, but he escaped to another world. ou already know what happened to him, right?", he raised a knowing eyebrow at his a daughter.
"He escaped to the Legion's home world, where Kil'Jaeden ripped him into pieces and then tore his soul apart, turning him into wraith, and then imprisoned him in Northrend. Does that mean that Arthas became the Lich King?", Alyssa asked. Kael smiled and shook his head.
No, my dear, and I'm surprised that such a thing happened in your timeline. Arthas was always too good and pure of heart to lose his mind and become corrupted. Nothing like that happened here. There was never a Scourge invasion. We never heard from Ner'Zhul again. Now I know why. Come to think about it, Kel'Thuzad disappeared all of a sudden about twelve years ago. I suspect that Illidan had something to do with this. The Legion did try to invade ten years ago, but we took care of that with Illidan and his demon hunters spearheading the assault", Kael informed Alyssa.
"How did that happen? Was Archimonde summoned with the use of the book of Medivh? How was it taken from Dalaran this time? In my timeline Arthas sacked the city to get it. Did someone steal it?", Alyssa asked.
"It appears so. We have yet to discover the culprit. At least we managed to push the Legion back. It was awful Alyssa, a lot of good people died.", Kael shuddered, as he recalled the battle at Mt. Hyjal.
"So what is happening now? This is Azeroth after all, there is always doom lurking around every corner.", Alyssa was wondering if Deathwing has showed his ugly face.
"Well, about ten years ago, right after we defeated the Legion, Illidan and his people left Quel'Thalas again in search of Xaxas. He said that he suspected that Neltharion is planning something awful, and it would be wise to stop him, before things get really ugly. We haven't heard from them since. But we always hope that they will show up for Founding Day.", Kael informed his daughter.
"Well, lets hope they come this year. I would love to meet up with Illidan again, and see how much he has changed. Well, since things are going so well in Azeroth you might as well, tell me about what nations are still left standing in Azeroth, and who are their rulers. Also, I need to know the names of all of my new relatives, and see their pictures if possible. I'm also supposed to know the royal council, the nobles and the commanding officers of our army and navy.", Alyssa stated.
"Well, you know that Dath'Remar is the king, and not my father. Ha! I cannot even imagine your grandfather on the throne. Anyhow, our family is quite big, so the ruling council is primarily comprised by the senior members of our dynasty. And you have to be at least a thousand, to join. So I'm out. Thank the Light!", they both chuckled at that, and Kael went on to provide Alyssa with all the names of the great aunts and uncles who comprised the ruling council, "Your mother is still the Knight General of our Warriors, Sylvanas is the Ranger General, and Liadrin is the Matriarch of the Knights of the Light.", Alyssa raised an eyebrow at that. 'Knights of the Light, not Blood Knights. That's good.', she thought.
"So we have Paladins, how did that happen this time?", she asked her father.
"Well, since we begun to stir away from worshiping Elune, and became closer to the Light, many of our people heeded its call. And when Sir Uther the Lightbringer, begun training Paladins, many of our clergy went to Northshire Abbey and learned from them. Liadrin was the first to go and eventually became head of the new order here. Almost all of the races have them now. Except for the Kaldorei, Orcs, Trolls and Goblins. As for the nations and their leaders. Well, lets see. There is Lordaeron, King Terenas is the ruler, while Arthas leads the armed forces. He is married to Lady Jaina Proudmoore, and they have two daughters. Calia fell in love and married Liam Greymane, the Crown Prince of Gilneas. Genn is still the king, and yes, most of them have turned into Worgen, including the entire royal family. Unfortunately Illidan was not around to prevent that, I reckon he decided that preventing a cataclysm was a much bigger priority than animal control...haha! Alterac still stands, king Perenholde rules it. After the first war, Anduin Lothar rebuilt Stromgarde, retook the Highlands, and became king of the Arathi. He married a Stormwind Warrior from a high ranking nobble family and their daughter commands his army now. Ironforge is ruled by Magni Bronzebeard, the Dwarves of Grim Batol did resettled at Aerie Peak. The Blackrock Dwarves are doing quite well at the Blackrock Mountain, Illidan managed to prevent them from digging too deep, so they did not wake up Ragnaros and all the horrors you described, And the lands around it are left unscarred, just forests and green fields everywhere. No Burning Steppes, Searing Gorge and Badlands in this timeline. Or Blasted lands for that matter. Gnomeregan was lost, most of the Gnomes moved to Ironforge, Gelbin Megatorque is their leader. Stormwind has recovered from the first war, the entire land is prospering. Llane Wrynn is the king, Illidan managed to brake Gul'Dan's control over Garona Halforcen, so the Human king was never assassinated. Taria is the queen consort, and Varian the crown prince. There was no Mason's guild riot in this timeline, since the city was never destroyed, Tiffin is very much alive, they have Anduin of course, and a daughter, Alana. Oh, and Varian also has a younger sister, Elena, she is married to Prince Edmond, Perenholde's eldest son. She has a twin brother, Steven, he is married to Tess, King Greymane's daughter. The Kalimdor rulers are the same as the ones you told me from your timeline. Thrall is still the Warchief though, not Hellscream. Garosh rules the Mag'har Orcs in Draenor. A lot of Draenei left Draenor with Velen, and settled at the islands off the western coast of Kalimdor, South East of Nordrasil. As for the Goblins, no one really cares who rules them. Each cartel has a different gang lord." Kael shrugged at the last bit.
"Are we still part of the Lordaeron Alliance?", Alyssa asked. Kael nodded.
"Of course, in this timeline Garithos was banished from Lordaeron for daring to openly criticizing Prince Arthas and Jaina for being very friendly with us. I heard that he is not welcome anywhere. He found a place south of Grim Batol, by the coast, and built a shack there.", both Kael and Alyssa laughed at that.
"So these are the major key players of this timeline. Now let me show you pictures of all your relatives, before you make a fool of your self.", and Kael spent an hour helping his daughter learn all the names of her relatives and learning some details about them. Then, they went to look for Lana'thel and have breakfast with her. They both agreed that it was a good idea to inform her about the alternate timeline, she could really help Alyssa, when Kael was not around. Seeing her mother alive and well and not an undead Darkfallen servant of the Lich King, was overwhelming for poor Alyssa. She jumped at her and hugged her tightly refusing to let go, while sobbing uncontrollably again. It took an hour for Kael to disentangle his daughter from her stunned mother and explain to her what happened. Thankfully, they were in an empty parlor at the time, and no one witnessed all the drama. Needless to say that Lana'thel was shocked and appalled that she was turned into a San'Lyen by the Lich King, but understood that there wasn't much she could have done to prevent the destruction she caused, while under the Lich King's thrall. She agreed to help her daughter not make a fool of herself with the rest of the relatives and the guests by not remembering crucial details of each and everyone's lives, or blurting out something completely wrong and inappropriate. It was nearing noon, and they all went to get ready before the guests started to arrive. Alyssa's outfit was sprawled on the bed for her, and her maids helped her get ready. Red and gold robes with matching accessories, no surprise there, the color of Quel'Thalas. Alyssa walked to the throne room flanked by her parents who constantly whispered what was expected of her, how she was supposed to greet the king, her grandparents and the rest of the relatives. Dath'Remar looked surprisingly good for a fifteen thousand year old Elf, and so did his royal consort, Maelena. Alyssa and her parents bowed before them, then the ruling council and finally Anasterian and his wife, Arleana. It took all of Alyssa's control to prevent herself from running to hug her grandparents, she had missed them so. She met her grandparents from her mother's side, Maedonar and Tylza, for the first time. They were amazing. Kael, Lanathel and Alyssa took their place next to them and her two uncles and their families and waited for the first guests to arrive.
"High General Illidan Stormrage, Supreme Commander of the forces of Quel'Thalas, head of the Demon Hunter order, and co leader of the Guardian Clan.", the guard announced.