Today's Quel'Thalas is no longer the de facto dualist system it was when the Silver Moon Council was in power. After the traditional nobles committed suicide and were suppressed several times, most of the power was returned to the royal family by Anasteria.
When Kael'thas came to power, the Sun King's authority grew stronger by relying on the foundation the old king had laid for him before abdicating.
Unless Kael'thas made a major decision-making error, the cabinet had no power to forcefully reverse any of his decisions.
Of course, Kael'thas is not the kind of arbitrary tyrant.
Most of the time, he will still discuss with the cabinet to deal with state affairs. Only when there are long-standing differences of opinion, he will use his affirmative vote as the king to make the final decision.
From this point of view, although his official position is almost the same as when he was the Speaker of Silver Moon, the power held by Prime Minister Darkan today has actually been greatly reduced.
As long as Kael'thas is determined, Sarlayan does not believe that the cabinet will reject his written suggestions regardless of shame.
If that day really happens, it means that this guy Darkan is starting to be dishonest again.
After talking about the deal with Fandral, Sarlayan naturally chatted with Kael'thas about the most noteworthy events in recent times.
Kael'thas: "Salayan, in your opinion, in this battle for the throne of Lordaeron, who will win the crown in the end."
Sarlayan shook his head: "I dare not jump to conclusions. Although there is a slight difference in military strength between the two sides, judging from the comprehensive strength in all aspects, they are still evenly matched."
"If this fight can eventually be resolved peacefully, Calia, who has more civilian support, is more likely to take office."
"But if the two sides are eventually forced to fight each other, it will depend on how the two major forces perform on the battlefield."
"besides……"
Sarlayan smiled meaningfully: "The stance of the Knights of the Silver Hand is also one of the key factors that affects the final outcome."
Kael'thas raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Do you think the Silver Hand will eventually take sides? Didn't they say they would choose neutrality between the two sides and only be loyal to the country and the people?"
A sarcastic smile appeared on the corner of Sarlayan's mouth: "Ha~ Just listen to this kind of words."
"It is true that Uther is a man of noble temperament, but he is now the leader of the Silver Hand. He cannot make decisions based on his own passion. He needs to consider the comprehensive opinions of the entire Knights."
"Because Arthas has become more rebellious and disobedient in recent years, many people within the Silver Hand are dissatisfied with Uther's teachings to Arthas."
"According to the intelligence sent back by Daniel Hunter from the King's City of Lordaeron, voices supporting Calia within the Silver Hand are gradually gaining the upper hand. If it comes to having to choose, the impartial and selfless Uther is destined to It is impossible to go against the will of the people."
"Silver Hand..."
Kael'thas relaxed his body and leaned back on the chair: "In the second Orc War, this elite unit showed extremely strong combat effectiveness and fighting will."
"Among the people of Lordaeron, the Paladins of the Silver Hand have always been synonymous with justice, attracting countless children to make joining the Silver Hand their lifelong ambition."
"As the spiritual flag of Lordaeron in a sense, their choice may indeed determine the will of the people and the final outcome of the battle for the throne."
Sarlayan added calmly: "Alsace is not stupid either. He can't just watch an ace army that can guide public opinion fall to Calia."
"Just a few dozen minutes ago, Valeera received the latest intelligence from Lordaeron."
"Alsace put on a show of repenting of his past mistakes and came to apologize to Uther in person for all his wild words and deeds in the past."
Kael'thas shook his head slightly: "At this point, can this kind of behavior with too obvious intentions really convince Uther, who has no sand in his eyes?"
Sarlayan smiled and spread his hands: "Of course the answer is no. Uther could see at a glance that Arthas didn't mean what he said."
"Uther's own attitude has not changed in any way. He still stands on a neutral position and has no intention of raising support for Alsace within the Knights."
Kael'thas smiled without surprise and said: "This is in line with Uther's strict character. Arthas, who has always been proud, will be furious, right?"
…
Just as Kael'thas said, Arthas, who had failed in "Corporal Rites", was furious in his palace.
"Who does he think he is! I lowered my profile and admitted my mistake, so why is he still unmoved?!"
The civil and military officials who chose to support Alsace were helpless regarding the irritable temper of this rebellious prince in his youth.
Some people secretly regretted it in their hearts, feeling annoyed that they might have chosen the wrong person to support. Prince Alsace did not look like a wise king.
At the same age, Varian Wrynn, who had experienced the assassination of his father and the destruction of his country, had already matured. During the period of living in Lordaeron, Varian showed maturity and stability beyond his age.
As the saying goes, comparing people to each other can make people angry. Compared with Varian, who was almost the same age at the time, Alsace was too stretched out.
Without Varian's jewels in front of them, Lordaeron's officials would have been able to accept the various inconspicuous performances of the still young Prince Arthas, but... people have to be compared to others, and goods have to be thrown away.
This is also the main reason why more than half of the civil servants chose to support Caliya.
They couldn't imagine what kind of weird direction the country's future would take if Lordaeron, which had begun to decline from its peak, encountered such an emotional king.
In contrast, Princess Calia's policy strategy is more stable and sustainable. Even if it cannot turn the tide and bring Lordaeron back to its peak, at least it will not make the situation worse.
Just when Alsace was incompetent and furious, in the princess's bedroom at the other end of the palace, Princess Calia, who was becoming more dignified and steady in front of outsiders, was reading a letter with a smile on her face.
Ever since she understood her inner world with the help of Sharlayan, Calia would often think of the high elf who helped her at the most critical moment.
As the saying goes, adding icing on the cake is worse than providing timely assistance.
As Calia gradually gained momentum, more and more Lordaeron officials, big and small, came to vote.
But in Calia's mind, the weight of these people is far less than that of the foreigner who came to her aid during her lowest period and pulled her back from the edge of the abyss - Sharlayan Deep Shadow.
After all, a princess is different from a prince, and no male foreign ministers are allowed to enter Calia's palace.
While Calia read the letter with a smile on her face, several female officials looked in surprise at the green smile on the face of the increasingly mature princess, like a pregnant girl.
After exchanging opinions with their eyes, seeing Calia finally finishing reading the short letter, one of the youngest women in gorgeous clothes stood up bravely.
"Your Highness, what is this letter?"
When she put down the letter and looked back, the smile on Calia's face quickly faded.
Although there was still a faint smile on her lips, a comparison with the previous one made it clear that this was just a formulaic expression for business use.
"It's nothing. It's just a routine letter of greetings from a friend far away. It has nothing to do with the current situation. You don't need to pay attention to it."
Now is the critical moment when the battle for the throne is about to decide the outcome, and Calia does not want to disrupt the overall plan because of her personal feelings.
After putting away some of the fluctuations in her heart, Calia quickly straightened her face and asked the young woman: "Lord Ansel, I heard that Alsace personally visited Sir Uther not long ago. What was the result?"
The young woman known as Lord Ansel, whose full name is Rosemary Ansel, is one of Calia's best friends. When she was only 16 years old, she inherited the title of Lord Ansel, who died heroically in the Second Orc War. Father's title.
In recognition of her father's meritorious service on the battlefield, Terenas specifically exempted Rosemary from the routine reduction that should have occurred when inheriting the title, allowing her to retain the title of earl and continue to serve Lordaeron.
Despite her young age, Count Ansel was the only heir to a small family, and she had received extremely strict training from her father since she was a child.
In terms of personal force, Count Ansel, who has reached the high-level elite level of combat power, can only be defeated by old legendary strongmen such as Uther, Mograine and Dathrohan. He is definitely outstanding among the younger generation of officers. of talent.
Whether it was because of his political philosophy or his personal relationship with Calia, Count Ansel did not hesitate to side with the princess.
As a hero of Lordaeron, she could not sit back and watch that immature "little brat" bring her beloved country into the quagmire.
Count Ansel sneered and replied: "The result is obvious. Prince Alsace returned without success. He is probably furious in his palace at this moment."
Calia did not accuse Earl Ansel of being rude to her brother, but just sighed with a wry smile: "Alsace... he is indeed not ready to succeed as king."
"Breathe~blow~"
After taking a deep breath, Calia closed her eyes and was silent for a few seconds. When she opened her eyes again, her aura was obviously different from the previous gentleness.
"We can't wait any longer. For the future of Lordaeron, we must quell this internal turmoil as soon as possible, which makes all countries laugh at each other."
"Lord Ansel, Lord Timara, Duke Lorton, please inform everyone."
The three female nobles whose names were called all felt Calia's determination, and immediately straightened their backs in awe and waited for the order.
Calia said one word at a time: "The plan is officially launched. Before Alsace has made up his mind, we will strike first and try to end this internal fight at the minimum cost."
"Yes! Your will!"
