Three candidates for the future Queen of Stormwind

The Horde and Alliance are on a collision course to war. Anduin seems determined to follow the example of his father and take his place on the battlefield among his soldiers. While heroic — also like his father —  this puts Anduin in danger, grave danger. Is there another kind? (In case you missed it, this is a reference to a classic movie called A Few Good Men).

This post will contain spoilers for Before the Storm. If you haven’t read the book, I’m questioning some of your life choices. It’s a fantastic story. Stop reading this post and go read it. I’ll be here when you’re done.

All caught up? Good.

Stormwind needs an heir

Were anything to happen to Anduin, Genn Greymane would take over the Alliance. But as Genn himself says, he’s an old man. Stormwind would soon fall into squabbling and vapid nobles with enough intrigue and backstabbing to make the Nightborne proud. Anduin needs an heir. If we assume Azeroth works much like our own world, for the heir to be legitimate, Anduin needs to marry. He needs to find his queen.

So just who are his choices?

The obvious choice

The most obvious choice is Princess Tess Greymane. While Gilneas is no longer a functioning kingdom, Tess is of royal blood. Genn is even so bold as to suggest her, his own daughter, for an arranged marriage. Anduin dismisses the idea stating his belief Tess would be disinclined as well. Tess has spent Legion as one of the Uncrowned in the sewers of Dalaran. After the events of the Legionfall campaign, she joins the Shadowblade, proclaiming:

Though all rogues step in the shadows, it is of vital importance that my status remains truly secret. However, the threat is to great. We are so close to taking the Legion down… and I want to take a greater role in it.

Tess then becomes a champion for the Shadowblade, but it’s clear she wants to keep her status and identity hidden. With the Legion defeated, perhaps she would ready to step out of the shadows.

The opportunistic choice

In Before the Storm, Anduin states he has no intention of marrying a woman he doesn’t love. It’s rather difficult to fall in love with someone you’ve never met and until the gnomes invent a T.I.N.D.E.R. device, meeting the King of Stormwind isn’t something just anyone can do. The novel shows Valeera is Anduin’s personal spy. She has direct access to him. He can talk to her without his guards or advisors around. He reveals thoughts to her he could reveal to no one else. This kind of access and unfettered communication has sparked more than one romance in the past.

Valeera also represents an interesting political choice. Her loyalty is to House Wrynn, but she wears the traditional red clothing of the sin’dorei. While she doesn’t consider herself part of the Horde, she is still a Blood Elf. We’ve already seen what someone like Moira could do for the dwarves in bringing the once hated Dark Iron’s back into dwarven society. The former  elves of Quel’thalas were once allies of the humans, and almost members of the Alliance if not for the events surrounding the Divine Bell. Valeera could make joining the Alliance a politically acceptable option for the only significant Horde presence left in the Eastern Kingdoms after the Battle of Lorderon. If Dark Iron and Bronzebeard can live side by side so can the sin’dorei and ren’dorei.

She shares many similarities with Tess. Both women are part of the Uncrowned and value their independence. They like to move in the shadows unseen. The difference here is the possibility of a romantic feelings developing between Valeera and Anduin. Once people fall in love, they do things they would have never considered before. Without eyes full of love, I can’t see Valeera being any more open to the position of Queen of Stormwind than Tess.

Those eyes of Valeera, those emerald, fel-stained eyes pose yet another issue. Were Anduin and Valeera to fall in love, marry, and produce an heir, what kind of child would it be? Is the fel addiction of the sin’dorei passed on to the children or will Valeera have the golden eyes of the Sunwell sin’dorei next time we see her?

The story choice

In Before the Storm, Calia Menethil reveals she married a commoner, a footman of Lorderon. They had a daughter. She was raised by her father “away from Lorderon and ignorant of her birthright.” The plan had been to acknolwedge the marriage and the child once Arthas was married off, likely to Jaina Proudmoore.

Arthas had other ideas. Calia escaped Lorderon and the Scourge. Her husband lived in Southshore, and for a time they were a family again. This time, it was Sylvanas and the Forsaken who had other ideas. During their attack on Southshore, Calia was separated from her husband and daughter. She never saw them again.

It is indeed likely Calia’s daughter and husband, neither of them named, didn’t survive the Forsaken’s attack, but it’s also possible Calia’s daughter survived. She would be about Anduin’s age and probably resemble her mother. While too old for him, Anduin was taken with Calia’s beauty. She reminded him of Jaina, another woman he has fond feelings for. Were Anduin to meet Calia’s daughter, I have no doubt he would be smitten right away.

A marriage between Anduin and the last remaining Menethil would unite Stormwind and Lorderon, their child heir to both kingdoms. Calia’s daughter would have still been quite young during the attack on Southshore. Perhaps in those happy years between the Scourge and the Forsaken attacks, her parents revealed her true identity to her, but perhaps, as parents are prone to do, they were waiting until she was older. She doesn’t know her true identity at all and that will be revealed later. Could she even be a current NPC in game? A woman around 20 years old with blond hair and beautiful looks, or perhaps she may be discovered later?

So who will it be?

While these all have potential, Blizzard will take the story where they want… which could be something we’ve guessed at or something entirely unexpected. Without an heir to the throne, what do you think is in Stormwind’s — and Anduin’s — future?