It was still noon, and Rhodes didn't delay, immediately asking Jaina to use teleportation magic.
With a flash of blue teleportation magic, the two headed to the Capital City of Lordaeron.
Rhodes and Jaina, who had been teleported, were welcomed by the court mages of the Lordaeron Kingdom, and word was sent to King Terenas.
Half an hour later, Rhodes and Jaina arrived at the palace together to meet King Terenas.
The old king warmly received Rhodes and Jaina.
"Baron Rhodes, and Jaina! You've come at just the right time, I was about to send someone to deliver a message to you!
You actually came yourselves; it seems you also received the news of Arthas' victory." At this moment, King Terenas was beaming, his face filled with a proud smile, as he was proud of his son.
"Then congratulations, King Terenas, it seems His Royal Highness will be back soon," Rhodes said, forcing a smile.
Your filial son is coming back!
I need to quickly sort out the immigration matter, otherwise, I'll find an excuse to get King Terenas to agree to send the ships and immigrants to a port near Dalaran first.
First, they should rendezvous with the Kul Tiras fleet to avoid being massacred by Arthas' army in the Capital City.
"Hahaha, so this is a surprise. A few days ago, I received a letter from Arthas. Arthas said the expeditionary force would arrive in Lordaeron in a month.
But while fighting on the continent of Northrend, he encountered a powerful mage who helped him achieve victory against the scourge.
And he will be teleporting back to Lordaeron with that mage today. Arthas asked me to invite both of you to his welcome banquet.
And he asked me to convey to you that he misses you and Jaina very much, and he insists that you meet him in the Capital City of Lordaeron," King Terenas said eloquently.
As soon as these words were spoken, Rhodes was stunned on the spot. What's going on? Arthas is coming today?
Rhodes' mouth twitched twice. What in the world is this mage? Could it be that the Dreadlord or the Lich King is up to some new trick?
Jaina, standing nearby, also looked at Rhodes with a shocked expression, then at King Terenas.
"Baron Rhodes, your western fleet might be able to depart a few days later. I want my son and his friends to embark on the western journey together.
You young people can communicate well, share common interests, and look out for each other. I think the great Titan Keeper shouldn't mind waiting a few more days!" King Terenas said.
If he didn't come up with a plan soon, Arthas' queen would truly be gone.
The Lordaeron Kingdom also had informants in Dalaran. Fortunately, these two hadn't officially established a relationship yet and hadn't done anything out of line, so Arthas still had a chance.
So this time, he had to make his son and Rhodes go to Kalimdor together, with his son as the commander.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The sound of bells echoed from outside the palace, along with the joyous cheers of the people of Lordaeron. Two guards also excitedly ran in.
"Reporting to the King! His Royal Highness Arthas has returned with his retinue and the mage Lord. I am waiting for your reception at the palace gate."
"Hahaha! Perfect timing, let Arthas in! His two friends are also here," King Terenas said with a smile.
At this moment, Rhodes' expression drastically changed, and he pulled Jaina aside.
He never expected that he would, by sheer coincidence, witness this epic event unfold.
What on earth happened! Why did Arthas return more than half a month early?
Outside the palace, Arthas, clad in black Saronite armor and a black robe, exuding a chilling aura, entered the Lordaeron Palace with only a small retinue!
Beside him were two Death Knights, Falric and Mavien.
The populace gave a warm welcome, and countless rose petals rained down. Arthas reached out and caught a rose petal, which then froze with frost.
Boom!
Arthas entered the palace with his two accompanying guards, plunged a magnificent ice sword into the ground, and then half-knelt before King Terenas.
This ice sword exuded waves of death energy, and a goat-headed skull demon was carved upon it.
Behind Arthas, a mysterious man in a scarlet robe, holding a staff, walked in.
Upon seeing Arthas' attire and the weapon in his hand, Rhodes knew that this fellow had been converted into a Death Knight.
The weapon in Arthas' hand was the famous frostmourne. This sword was originally rumored to have been forged by a Dreadlord, but was later changed in patch 9.0 to have been forged by the Runecarver under the command of Zovaal the Jailer.
"Jaina, if anything happens, immediately use the teleportation array, and we'll leave together," Rhodes whispered to Jaina.
The only quick way to escape now was Jaina's teleportation magic. Jaina nodded upon hearing this.
At this moment, Jaina also sensed that something was wrong with Arthas, because his originally golden long hair had turned ashen, his face was extremely cold, and his entire body emitted an intensely cold death aura.
At this moment, a voice echoed in Arthas' mind as he knelt on the ground: You no longer need to worry about your people, you no longer need to bear the weight of the crown, for I have arranged everything! (This sentence was not spoken by Arthas to his father, but by the Lich King to Arthas through frostmourne.)
"You, you are Arthas? My son, what, what happened to you?" King Terenas, who was about to greet his son, looked incredulous. Arthas had become like a dead man.
Arthas raised his head, removed his hood, revealing a pale face, ashen hair, and scarlet pupils.
He pulled frostmourne from the ground and walked towards his father.
He didn't even glance at Rhodes and Jaina the entire time. Just at this critical moment, Rhodes raised his hand and struck with a Thunderbolt Lightning.
"Be careful, King Terenas, he is no longer Arthas."
The Thunderbolt Lightning heavily struck Arthas' body. A green light glowed around Arthas, and a magical incantation lit up—this was the Death Knight's signature skill, Anti-Magic Shell.
Finally, a surge of Blood Power and a surge of Frost Power emanated from Arthas.
The Saronite armor, combined with Anti-Magic Shell, as well as the Death Knight's Blood Shield and Frost Armor, meant Rhodes' Thunderbolt Lightning did not harm Arthas in the slightest.
"Rhodes, my friend, I was going to talk to you later, about you joining my Eternal Legion!
You shouldn't interrupt my reunion with Father King," Arthas said, turning to look at Rhodes.
"Just as you said in Stratholme, you are not my friend, Arthas," Rhodes snorted coldly.
"Arthas, my son, what, what are you doing? Baron Rhodes, stop!" King Terenas still seemed unable to accept the fact that his son had changed.
At this moment, Arthas' two accompanying guards also removed their cloaks, revealing the same evil ice armor as Arthas. Falric and Mavien had also been converted into Death Knights.
And the mysterious mage following Arthas transformed in a puff of smoke into a monster about 5 meters tall, with a pair of giant bat wings, a bald head, and fangs in its mouth—it was a Dreadlord.
"Mysterious mage, you almost ruined our plan, but today is your day to die!" The Dreadlord in front of him let out a strange laugh!
Rhodes dared not be careless and immediately summoned all his assets: two angels, one of whom held the Emperor's Sword, three Golden Men, three Genie Lords, and even Soye, his trump card.
He took out a magic scroll and directly summoned seven Holy Light Elementals, then handed the scroll to Jaina.
The Dreadlord raised its hand and unleashed a Carrion Swarm; a large number of vampiric bats attacked Rhodes. At this moment, the seven Holy Light Elementals surrounding Rhodes emitted dazzling Holy Light, directly repelling the bat swarm.
Jaina, using a magic scroll, also summoned ten Fire Elementals to surround them.
Arthas nodded at the Dreadlord, then came before his father, grabbed his neck, and raised his weapon high.
"My child, what, what are you doing?" King Terenas looked at his son in disbelief, seemingly unable to comprehend everything that was happening.
"I have returned for only one reason, Father, and that is to claim your throne." Without hesitation, without any mercy, frostmourne pierced his father's chest.
The old king screamed and fell into a pool of blood!
To his dying breath, the old king could not believe he would die by his own son's hand.
On the other side, Rhodes engaged in a fierce duel with the Dreadlord!
"Rhodes, my good friend, and Jaina, my former lover, you once helped me. Now come and join my Legion of the Undying! I will grant you eternal, immortal bodies.
Jaina, you will become my Frost Queen, and together we shall rule the undead, rule the Eternal Kingdom of Lordaeron."
"Arthas said, looking at Jaina.
At this moment, deep within the prince's heart, a voice seemed to struggle. He wished Jaina wasn't here, yet he also wished Jaina was here, to be turned into an undead by him, to become his Frost Witch Queen.
"You desecrated Arthas' body; he died in Northrend long ago, didn't he?" Jaina commanded her ten Fire Elementals to attack the Dreadlord.
"Died in battle? No, no, Jaina, I never died in battle, I merely found eternity."