Kael 'thas was in a miserable situation.
He never thought that things would turn out this way.
Right now, he was stuck in the middle, with no one on either side.
After Cuel Salas was invaded, Kael 'thas had a clear understanding that the era of isolationism was over. He didn't know what would happen in the future, but it was right to have a good relationship with Rotterdam.
On the other hand, it was also irrational to offend Duque, the smartest person in the entire alliance. Not only did he feel like his long-term emotional investment had gone to waste, but he also had an ominous premonition that came from fate. This made Kael 'thas very uncomfortable.
If he didn't want to play it safe, and wanted to see the situation clearly before making a decision, this wouldn't have happened.
If the previous vote had already been decided, Cuel Salas wouldn't have to be a clown.
He never thought that after Laing handed over the voting rights to Duque, the five heads of state actually completed five votes in three seconds, and all of them were against. This pushed Cuel Salas to the top of the wave.
After shouting out the word "abstain" with all his courage, Kael 'thas mouthed an "sorry" to Duque. He didn't know how much of Duque's impression of him would be restored by doing this, but if he didn't do anything, he would never forgive himself.
"It's okay." Duque didn't mouth it, but said it out softly. You heard at least half of the kings.
This made Kael 'thas feel awkward again.
Someone else was the one who was really embarrassed.
Terenas was forced to a dead end. He had never imagined that the alliance would be split because of a duke from a small country.
He was so close to being slapped in the face.
Of course, he could suppress the accusation of Duke Barov's rebellion for the sake of the alliance's harmony. That way, he would have to face a lot of opposition in the country. All his previous plans against Alterac would be for naught.
In fact, from the beginning, Terenas knew that it was impossible to completely annex Alterac in a short period of time.
So, from the beginning, he used a more indirect method, such as handing it over to someone who was trustworthy, talented, and seemed to be interested in peace and unity …
Unfortunately, it seemed that even the first step of clearing the obstacles for Lord Prestal's ascension to the throne was met with great resistance.
He really wanted to kill Duque. Why did the Stormwind Kingdom publicly announce that all the refugees would retreat within a year, and that they had no intention of touching any part of the Rotterdam Kingdom's territory at all? Yet, at this juncture, the Rotterdam Kingdom was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If Illucia was really Duque's woman, Terenas might be more wary, but no matter how many times he checked, the maids of Rotterdam swore that Illucia was definitely a virgin.
He really did not understand why Duque, who had no interest in Alterac, would protect Duke Barov.
Terenas Menethil gripped the King's Scepter tightly in his hand, the muscles in his face trembling, and he took three deep breaths. He still made a decision.
"According to the iron law of the alliance, I hereby, as the leader of the Rotterdam Alliance, declare that although there is no concrete evidence to prove that Duke Barov was involved in the rebellion against the alliance, the Barov Family of Alterac is guilty."
Yes! He was still guilty!
If he didn't announce it, all of his plans would go up in smoke. Lordaeron's losses in the war would be irreparable. Lordaeron, the strongest human kingdom, would lose all of its face. The price he paid to Zeon, the political capital he used to threaten Solas, and the consequences of forcing Dalaran to obey him would all go down the drain. He would have to bear all of it himself.
There was no turning back.
Terenas had no choice but to declare it, even if it meant offending many kingdoms and the most legendary hero of the alliance, Duke Marcus.
On the other side, Illucia's body trembled, but Duque held her hand. Illucia looked up in disbelief, and suddenly heard Duque's words.
"I express my extreme regret for this sentence, and Stormwind reserves the right to protest in the future."
Duque was going to go against Terenas.
"According to the alliance, the punishment for traitors will be decided by the leader …"
Terenas decided to ignore Duque's words, but in his heart, he was already a little afraid. Originally, he was going to sentence Duke Barov to death, because Duke Barov's influence in Alterac was just too shocking. If he did not clear the obstacles, he did not know if Lord Presto would be able to fully control Alterac.
His biggest mistake was to misjudge Duque's influence in the alliance.
Terenas stared at Duque, and saw the threat in Duque's eyes. His heart skipped a beat, but he gritted his teeth and changed his words.
"In the name of the leader of the Rotterdam Alliance, I announce that in view of the Barov Family's full support to the alliance, their crimes will be reduced. Duke Barov will be stripped of his title and demoted to a commoner, and all of the Barov Family's land will be taken away. Their land will be controlled by the future King of Alterac. Alex Barov and his family will be allowed to leave with all their belongings, but will be banned from entering Alterac for the rest of their lives. This is the final sentence! "
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Duke Barov seemed to have aged several decades in an instant. From a man in his twilight years, he became an old man with one foot in the grave.
At this time, Duque's voice rang out again, "What a regrettable sentence. Alright, I will also take this opportunity to announce that Countess Ilucia Barov of Stormwind will be granted the Redridge Mountain, Lake of Tranquility, and Lakeside Town. "
A slap in the face!
A direct slap in the face!
Even though Duque did not do anything, Terenas felt as if he had been slapped countless times by Duque. His face felt like it was on fire.
On the other side, he used his authority as the leader of the alliance to strip the Barov Family of their roots. In this era, land was the foundation of everything. As long as there was fertile land, the family, and even the kingdom, would be able to prosper forever.
Duke, on the other hand, followed the rules of the game of nobles, directly turning Illucia Barov from a nobleman with no roots, into a real noble in the truest sense.
Everyone could see that Duque was not willing to cut off the Barov Family's roots for Rotterdam, and was going after Terenas to slap his face.
No one understood why Duque would do this.
But at this moment, Ilucia, who was standing diagonally behind Duque, had tears streaming down her face.
She suddenly made a shocking decision. She raised her head and said loudly, "I announce that I, Ilucia Barov, will renounce the Barov family name."
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