Arthas sneered and closed the magic communication, but not before leaving one last sentence. "Save your handouts for the beggars. I must be going. Goodbye, farewell."
Staring at the disconnected magic communication, Anasterian was stunned. The Silvermoon Council was equally stunned. They had never imagined that he would be so arrogant. It was utter contempt! When had they ever been treated with such disrespect? This was simply a disgrace, an insult!
Emeriss gave Arthas a meaningful look. She couldn't guess what this man was trying to do. "You're just giving up like that?"
"Of course not. They won't be able to hold out. They'll come to me on their own initiative. For your sake, they must think I have dragons backing me." Arthas wrapped his arm around Emeriss's slender waist, burying his head in her hair and breathing in the scent of the natural forest.
"Is this what you call 'a fox borrowing a tiger's might' and 'a dog relying on its master's power'?" Emeriss blinked her beautiful eyes. The idiom seemed a little strange.
"Oh yeah? I'll show you what a dog in heat is!" Arthas's hands roamed all over the beauty in his arms. Her fair, jade-like skin was no longer the violet of a night elf.
"Does changing into this form make you uncomfortable? You don't have to accommodate me. As long as you're comfortable, it's fine."
His words sent ripples through Emeriss's heart. The man's casual remark had touched a soft spot within her.
"I'm not accommodating you! It's only like this because you're always shooting those dirty things into my body!"
"Then if you get pregnant, will you have a big belly like a human? Or will you just lay a dragon egg?" Arthas nibbled on Emeriss's long ear. This was a sensitive and soft spot for elves, and it felt exceptionally pleasant to the touch.
"Who wants to have your children, you shameless oaf!" Emeriss felt herself go a little weak from his touch. The thought of that ultimate pleasure sent ripples through her heart again. Being with Arthas was more joyful than the thousands of years she had lived before. She had seen so much, witnessing a human's slow rise to power, playing all sides, making threats and intimidations. This feeling was truly wonderful!
As for him having many consorts? That was not an issue at all among the dragon race. Could one even be called a dragon king without many consorts?
At that moment, an argument was erupting in the royal court of Silvermoon City. The negotiations had failed to reach an agreement, which spelled disaster for the High Elves! If they had to choose, they would surely sacrifice the chariot to save the king—protect the Sunwell. They would retreat key personnel to the Isle of Quel'Danas to preserve the spark of the High Elves. As for the commoners, the tens of thousands of them could only be abandoned.
If it came to that, the decline of Quel'Thalas would be inevitable. Furthermore, a royal court that abandoned its people would not be recognized. This was a measure of last resort, and using it would lead to endless future troubles.
"We must secure the Prince of Lordaeron's support! If the Horde breaches our walls, Quel'Thalas is finished!"
"The Sunwell must be protected! Your Majesty, lead us in a retreat to the Isle of Quel'Danas. There, we can fortify the Sunwell's defenses and deal a heavy blow to any enemy that dares to approach!"
"Your Majesty, please make a decision."
Anasteria was infuriated by these council members. They were pushing all the unpleasant tasks onto him, so that when things truly went wrong, he would be the one to bear the infamy! Damn it, what was the difference between being a king like this and being a scapegoat!
"If that's the case, then let's put it to a vote. A matter of this magnitude requires everyone's wisdom; acting as a tyrant is unacceptable. Let's vote. Those in favor of joining the Alliance and agreeing to the Prince of Lordaeron's demands, raise your hands. Those who oppose do not need to raise their hands. I will inform all elves of the results of your vote, so they will know of our decision. They will understand us."
Holy crap! The elders of the Silvermoon Council could not help but curse internally! If not for the inappropriate setting, they would have roared out loud. Each one of them suppressed the urge to swear, their faces flushing red and the veins on their foreheads throbbing. This was clearly a move to ruin their reputations! Who would dare to vote against it?
Voting no meant abandoning all the elves. Not just the commoners, but even some of the nobility might be forsaken. Such a thing could only be done in secret. Once exposed, they would be reviled by the masses, becoming objects of scorn wherever they went. Forget their status as council elders; whether they could even stay alive would be an open question!
There were no opposing votes; all were in favor. A cold smile touched King Anasteria's heart. He had finally won a round! He knew that his own son, also a prince, could only hide away in Dalaran. Wasn't this the handiwork of these old fools on the Silvermoon Council? Returning only to have his hands tied would be worse than developing his power elsewhere.
"Since no one objects, let's discuss the terms of the deal with the Prince of Lordaeron."
Barely ten minutes had passed, and Arthas was already preparing for a friendly match with Emeriss. But then, the magic crystal for communication began to glow with an intense light, signaling the urgency on the other side, as if they were afraid no one here would notice.
"It seems they couldn't hold out any longer. Go take care of your business first. We'll have plenty of time later." Emeriss pushed away the boy sucking on her nipple and gently smoothed her slightly messy hair. Using the Dragon Legion's intimidating power as a backdrop for Arthas was something only she could pull off.
Keristrasza also walked in. She paused for a moment, looking at the expressions on their faces, a mischievous smile playing on her red lips. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No." Arthas rubbed his nose and accepted the communication request from the arcane crystal.
"If you have something to say, just spit it out!"
On the other end, King Anasteria was stunned again. Damn, what a temper!
"Your Highness, we can talk again. Is it possible to lower some of your demands? We need the Alliance's support."
"Oh, really? You won't give me an Archmage, and you won't give me a Grand Magister. So what can you give me? Your Ranger Corps that can't use magic? Do I need a Ranger Corps? That's hilarious." Arthas let out a sneer, then turned to Keristrasza.
"Ambassador, please wait a moment. After I handle a small matter, I will go with you to meet the Red Dragon Queen."
Emeriss nudged her good friend's waist. Keristrasza caught on and said with a smile in her beautiful eyes,
"There's no rush, Your Highness. You could actually have the Red Dragon Legion help you. We would be more than happy to assist!"