** DOUBLE AWARD WINNER IN THE PROSE FICTION AWARDS 2017**
Imagine finding yourself in Azeroth for real, a parallel universe of the game World of Warcraft and knowing of certain events about to occur. What would you do? Who would you trust? And would...
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The Prince was a most amiable and gracious host. In giving Sarah the tour of the Keep and its grounds she found her sombre mood being lifted. Genuinely interested in what she was being shown, she asked many questions, which skilfully deferred the young noble's curiosity from her gaming.
It was wonderful to see parts of the royal residence which had never been depicted in-game. Corridors which seemed to stretch for miles were lined with suits of armour positioned periodically along the halls. Banners, tapestries, coat of arms - each whispering of their place in Azeroth's history, adorned the passageways.
Enormous life-sized portraits of the House of Wrynn were suspended on the walls which led to the royal private quarters. She marvelled at the stoic nobles in all their finery as they held themselves in the most archetypal poses. Names which she was vaguely familiar with were finally given faces.
She listened politely as Anduin delivered a detailed genealogy starting with King Landen, who ruled the human nation of Azeroth prior to the opening of the Dark Portal. It was his Court Conjurer, a certain Nielas Aran, who fell for the charms of the Guardian Aegwynn. Their dalliance begat Medivh, who later became Khadgar's mentor.
Sarah fought to hide the smile which crept upon her face at the mention of the silver-haired Archmage. The young Prince coughed politely into his hand as he too tried to conceal a smile; his assumptions of the "relationship" between the alien woman and the Archmage having just been confirmed.
Next he gestured to the images of King Adamant III and Queen Varia, parents of Llane I. Sarah was at least more familiar with King Llane and his Queen, Taria, not only from her reading some of the lore but also from the movie version of Warcraft. Not that she was going to mention that particular transgression. A few speculative connections from Warner Bros was not a discussion she wished to embark upon. At least, not with the next heir to the throne.
This of course led to his father, Varian and Queen Tiffin, his mother. Sarah smiled warmly at the portrait. They were such a handsome couple. Varian did not have his facial scar at that time and he was younger, perhaps even a little roguish looking. The artist had captured a definite glint in his eyes. Queen Tiffin on the other hand was a striking woman. Not your typical noble beauty, but she would nevertheless have held your attention in her day. Wearing a plum coloured gown, and with her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, she stood next to Varian, her hand resting delicately on his forearm. Her green eyes looked straight ahead, and fixed the viewer with a gentle, yet insightful stare.
It suddenly came to Sarah's attention that the Prince had fallen silent. She turned to face him and noticed he looked longingly at the portrait in front of them. Sarah was aware that his mother had been slain by the Stonemasons guild who rebuilt Stormwind after the city's decimation in the Second War. Furious that their contract was not honoured by the nobles and therefore their pay not forthcoming, the guild rioted. One of the casualties had been Anduin's mother. She took a rock to the head when it was thrown at the deceptive nobles. Ironically, she had been one of the few who had fiercely advocated the Stonemasons be paid their dues. The guild disbanded shortly thereafter and later became the Defias Brotherhood, led by the notorious Edwin VanCleef.
