"Where will your soldiers come from?" Terenas asked pointedly.
The kingdom was important, and so was his son. But compared to his son, the kingdom's legacy was clearly more important. If he lost a son, he could have another. If the kingdom fell, it would truly be gone.
"I fought a bloody battle against the Naga at the Solliden Farmstead for three days and nights. The corpses left behind were enough to fill Shangke's estate. I can summon some Naga and Gnolls to help, and then we'll have to find a way to recruit the rest of the forces,"
Arthas said, sharing his thoughts. It was a choice born of necessity.
"Hahaha, how ironic. Your Highness, what have you made of Lordaeron? Lordaeron is the strongest kingdom, yet now it must rely on the ugly and evil Naga and the savage Gnoll beasts. If you have no shame, we still do!" Sir Shangke immediately began to taunt him. Such a good opportunity; if he missed it, he'd have to wait another year!
Before Terenas could speak or the other nobles could laugh, Arthas sneered and said, "Very well. Since Sir Shangke has spoken, he must be donating his entire family fortune to the kingdom for military provisions. I'll thank you in advance. Father, I'll go make preparations. The military situation is urgent."
Without waiting for Terenas to respond, Arthas left with his people.
Only the Green Dragon Ambassador, Emeriss, turned as she left and looked at the ashen-faced old knight, her red lips parting slightly.
"Foolish mortal, you have no idea who you are opposing! From this day forward, your relatives, your subordinates, and your lands will be hunted by the Green Dragonflight. The moment you leave Lordaeron will be the day you die! You can try me if you don't believe it. Heh, foolish mortal."
The nobles who had been preparing to mock Arthas for his naive political maneuvering all shut their mouths. They knew the power of Dragons. Forget Dragons, even a Whelp that wasn't fully grown could destroy a village, to say nothing of an adult Dragon. It was simply a nightmare!
Hunted by a Dragonflight? The very thought was a nightmare. The question that followed was, when did Arthas get involved with the Dragons? How could those arrogant Dragons possibly stand up for a prince?
After leaving the council hall, Marlene came to greet him, her stunningly beautiful face holding a gentle smile.
"Your Highness was quite irritable today. Did something displease you?"
Arthas told Marlene what had happened in the council hall, giving her full, pert buttocks an indiscernible squeeze. "Do you think I'm very childish in my political tactics?"
Marlene shook her head and reached out a delicate hand to gently stroke Arthas's hair, her expression becoming very tender. "No, Your Highness's strength is far greater than Sir Shangke's. In the face of absolute power, any conspiracy or trick is a laughable charade. Your Highness must have a clear understanding of this, hold true to your heart, and not be led astray. That is enough."
Hearing the encouragement from the beautiful, mature commander, Arthas laughed heartily and leaned in to say, "Go and prepare the military supplies. Tomorrow, we will set out to seize and take over Shangke's estate. I want to make these people who oppose me feel fear. That way, when we cross the sea in the future, we can secure more resources. They'll be desperate to send me away from Lordaeron!"
"Yes. Your command is my will," Marlene said with a smile before leaving, the sway of her waist causing her pert rear to trace an astonishing arc.
Just as Arthas was about to find his good friend Varian's mother to vent some steam, he heard his own mother's handmaiden summon him.
Arriving at the palace garden, he saw his mother, Queen Lianne, sitting under a tree with Queen Taria, drinking tea. She beckoned him over.
"You lost your temper in the council hall? You didn't give your father any face, you know," Queen Lianne said, affectionately pulling Arthas down to sit beside her and kissing his cheek. She was growing closer and closer to her son, sometimes unable to stop a certain taboo thought from rising.
"Father has to maintain the overall stability. The kingdom cannot fall into chaos. There always needs to be one person playing the good guy and one playing the bad guy. They are nothing but parasites on the kingdom, not worth mentioning. Mom, you can just help me explain it to Father later," Arthas said dismissively. As long as he didn't rebel, he could do whatever he wanted. He had been well-behaved before because his strength wasn't that great, and living a quiet life was the stable choice—having tea with his mother, chatting with his sister, and taking liberties with his aunt when she visited.
Queen Lianne covered her mouth and giggled. "You, you're getting bolder and bolder. Alright, I'll explain it to your father. When are you leaving? Will you stay a few more days?"
Beside them, Queen Taria blushed and picked up her teacup to hide her embarrassment. Arthas was rubbing her calf, the man sending her mating signals. The thought of her husband's thick, long cock made her feel a little wet all over. In her heart, she hoped the man would stay a while longer. She was in the prime of her life, and her desires had been reawakened. She, too, longed for the nourishment of Arthas's cock.
"I leave tomorrow. I'm going to raid that old bastard Shangke's estate!" Arthas stated his plan, including the subsequent effects and his preparations for crossing the sea.
Queen Lianne's eyes flickered. Not long ago, her younger sister Priscilla had visited and told her about Arthas's affairs. She knew her son was building his own fleet and had even hired a goblin to manage it. The two sisters had told each other everything, including the fact that her sister had slept with her son. Her sister's advice was to fully support her son in crossing the sea to establish a territory on another continent, a place that would be Arthas's own domain. Then, it would be perfectly natural for a mother to visit her son, and if something were to happen, there would be no need to be discreet. Wasn't that a good thing?
This suggestion tempted Queen Lianne. She did indeed want to have sex and mate with her son. Especially since her son's cock was already so thick and large. She was a woman, and she had desires too. After being granted eternal life, her love for her son had reached a pathological level. Coupled with their mother-son relationship, it was only natural that she would spare no effort to support her son's ambitions!
Once he had his own territory, he could do whatever he wanted. As for Lordaeron? She would not let anyone have a chance to touch it! She had even eliminated Terenas's illegitimate son. No one could threaten her son's position, absolutely no one! Even if they had no such intentions, they could not be left alive. Such was the cruelty of royalty; one's fate was determined at birth.