Inside the palace, unaffected by the demigod's suppression, the vision continued. She needed to understand the sequence of events before she could make a judgment.
At the same time, she was curious: who else could defeat her?
Who else could make her so ugly?
Who was that prince? It sounded as if her future self was very interested in him. What secrets did he hold?
The mirrored memory played intermittently, then the image shattered, and the memory ended.
The three of them watched with furrowed brows, falling into a temporary silence. With the current fragmented information, it was difficult to analyze the full scope of the situation.
Even with Azshara's wisdom, she didn't know what to do for a while.
"What do you think?"
At this, Elisande seemed to recall a prophecy she had seen: the earth crumbling, continents splitting apart, countless citizens of the Kaldorei Empire dying, perishing in the burning flames.
And she would lead her people to seek refuge, eventually surviving for a very, very long time with the help of the eye of aman'thul.
She looked at the peerlessly beautiful queen, then recalled the queen in the memory, staring with a monstrous face. They didn't look like two different people at all.
The former Light of Lights had been cast down to mortality, becoming the most detested, ugly monster.
To live on with twisted hatred, what was the point of such an existence? It would be better to die!
She dared not say this, nor would she. To speak it would mean her life was forfeit; her colleagues in Suramar City would surely be delighted to attend her funeral.
It was Vashj, ever loyal, who bowed slightly to the queen and said,
"Beloved Majesty, since that prince has arrived, why not capture him and interrogate him? He might know things we don't."
Yes, this statement brought sudden clarity. Capturing that prince would reveal what this was all about.
Azshara's mood brightened instantly, and the endless pressure vanished in a flash, as if it had never appeared.
The Highborne groveling on the floor knew the witch had been enraged, and they didn't know which beast had angered their queen. That person must die!
"Very well, my Vashj, truly my favorite Head Handmaiden."
"Elisande, you will assist Vashj in finding that prince, whoever he is, and bring him back to me. Remember, do not kill him; I still have questions for him."
"Go now, do not make me wait too long."
Azshara waved her hand. Unless absolutely necessary, she would not leave the palace, or more precisely, she would not leave the Well of Eternity.
"Your will, my mission."
The two bowed, backing out of the door before turning to leave, showing their respect for the queen with the highest ceremony.
Long after they had left, Azshara clenched her slender yet shapely jade hand, where magnificent jewels gleamed with arcane light.
"Hmph! No matter who it is, no one will turn me into that monster."
"Power! I need power!"
Then, her golden eyes turned towards the Well of Eternity. Perhaps that powerful being who called himself Sargeras, and deemed himself worthy of being her consort, could help her?
The dangerous aura was still deeply imprinted in her mind. Not many strong individuals could make her feel death, and Sargeras was definitely at the top of that list.
"Perhaps I can communicate through Xavius?"
Half a day later.
After meeting the queen, Xavius emerged from the palace feeling a trace of anger. Not anger towards the queen, but a sense of failure because he hadn't been able to execute his plan to cleanse the world of lower races, leaving only the noble Highborne.
He went back and contacted The Legion again, but this time, they brought news that filled him with dread.
It wasn't death, but his most, most, most beloved Majesty desired a consort.
And the consort was trash, trash unworthy of the queen!
If he pledged allegiance to The Burning Legion, allowing The Legion members to enter Azeroth, then that trash would be destroyed.
He could even be helped to reach a higher level of power, becoming worthy of his queen. Then, Sargeras, the being whom the queen both feared and was infatuated with, would personally arrange his marriage to queen Azshara.
Allowing him to have his wish granted, to become the queen's intimate companion.
At this thought, he trembled with excitement.
A simp simping to the queen, and succeeding?
The queen was his! She had to be his! No one could take her away!
His mind, twisted by endless love, drove Xavius to take extreme risks.
Bypassing the queen to collude with The Burning Legion?
If it succeeded, it was revolution! If it failed, it was rebellion!
The queen would understand him, she surely would. This was all so his beloved Majesty wouldn't be defiled by some trash mortal!
Sometimes, having too many simps isn't a good thing.
Three days later.
Arthas retracted his hand; he had just learned the skill taught by the Shado-Pan Grandmaster.
He clasped his hands, performing a common monk gesture. For a moment, he felt a fleeting sense of déjà vu, as if he had traveled back in time.
Then he shook his head. He probably couldn't go back. Anyway, he had no attachments. This world was quite good. Perhaps if he had children in the future, he would feel even more rooted.
"Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster."
Zhu Quanfeng let out a hearty laugh, his round Pandaren figure endearing and simple.
"Your Excellency's strength is already extraordinary; I merely serve as a guide."
No sooner had he spoken than Xuen, the White Tiger demigod who had been driven away earlier, reappeared from who-knew-where.
Though still unyielding, this time he didn't actively seek a fight. He held his tiger head high, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity.
"The Emperor says you have five days left to leave Pandaria. If you don't leave, you'll have to stay here with us forever."
"He says he must protect his people and apologizes for your efforts in resisting the external enemy."
"This area is still surrounded by Sha energy, and it cannot be allowed to spread to other areas, otherwise it will be even harder to eradicate. Plus, there is the Mantid threat, so we cannot send reinforcements. I apologize."
This was somewhat surprising; would the proud Xuen apologize?
Only Arthas knew that this was the demigod's apology for being unable to protect this world.
If they could, they would certainly help. Their current inability to fight was precisely due to the Sha energy's influence.
Once they displayed negative emotions like anger, their entire being would be possessed by the Sha, turning them into puppets of the Sha.
"It's alright. Every race has its own responsibilities. I hope that when we meet again, you will have resolved the Sha energy and be living better."
"During this time, I'd like to visit the Mogu palace. That should be fine, right?"
Arthas didn't insist. He could only accelerate his pace now, focusing on finding the heart of Y'Shaarj.
"Of course. I will inform the coalition members. Your Excellency is free to do as you please."
Zhu Quanfeng continued to laugh heartily, his demeanor still simple and endearing. Although there might be some dangers in the palace, for a demigod, that was another matter entirely.