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Tal'sar crawled into bed, pulling her wife, Elyssaria, close to hide the shaking of her hands. Her heart thundered in her chest even as she closed her eyes and did what she could to sleep."Tal?"A whine rose low in the orc's throat. She slowly opened her eyes to look into the firey, unseeing eyes of her lover. "Yes, Elly?""Are you alright?"Tal'sar sighed, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm scared," she confessed. Her voice was barely a whisper.The elf tucked a strand of red hair behind her wife's ear. "I know," she said gently."I know in my heart that this is the right thing," the orc continued. "But I still . . ." She groaned, aggravated at her own perceived weakness. "Fuck. I can't serve under her. I just can't.""I know, love." Elyssaria kissed her wife's nose, smiling when it scrunched up beneath her lips. "You know I'm here.""I know." Tal'sar tensed, as though trying to curl in on herself. "But the Horde is all I know. It's all I've ever known for as long as I've lived. I've fought for their cause since I was old enough to hold a sword. They know me. They respect me greatly. I was a war hero, Elly, and now . . ." She sighed, bowing her head. "Now I'm a fugitive.""But you aren't alone," Elyssaria assured her. "I'll be right here beside you the whole way. The King is a just and understanding man; I know he won't turn you away. And the Horde still thinks you're one of them — surely there are others who feel the same way about what's happening." Her hands roamed over soft, scarred skin; a small comfort in the quiet darkness of their Dalaran apartment. "You'll find them. Or they'll find you. But either way, you will be far from alone in this."Tal'sar smiled a bit. "Thank you.""Of course, my dear." The elf chuckled. "My war hero turned revolutionary." "King Anduin," Elyssaria said firmly, standing tall before the human man. "I come with a message from the Honor's Heart."The King eyed her curiously. "Honor's Heart? I'm not sure I've heard of them.""They're a new contingent of orcs who have decided to defect from the Horde, Your Majesty."He blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Alright," he said slowly. "What is it, then?"She gave a quick, quiet sigh to brace herself. "I've been in close correspondence with their leader, Tal'sar, during my time in Dalaran. We met before the defeat of the Burning Legion. She is a strong, capable fighter with years of experience and a mind as sharp as her blades." She couldn't help but smile. "She is a loyal and kind woman, and I believe that she and her fellows would be an asset to the Alliance."Anduin stared at her for a moment, quiet, considering his options. "The orcs are a strong people," he said. "I've spoken with a number of them over the years, and have found them to be, for the majority, quite respectable. One of their former leaders, Thrall, continues to be one of the most trustworthy men I've met in my life." He scratched idly at his chin and neck. "Tal'sar, you said her name was?""Yes, Your Majesty.""I think I'd like to meet her."Lord Greymane visibly ruffled with a scowl. "My King-""Genn," Anduin chided, "with all due respect, I believe that I am the one in charge here." He turned back to face the elf before him. "Tell Tal'sar that I'd like to meet with her. I'll arrange for a ship to meet her in Suramar, and you will escort her through the city to the Embassy, along with a small squadron of guards. Not because I don't trust your judgement, just so that those who see her don't freak out, you know?""Of course. That's perfectly understandable.""Good to hear." He smiled. "I look forward to meeting her." "Are you okay?""Yeah. Just, um. Nervous.""Hey, it'll be alright." Elyssaria kissed Tal'sar's cheek. "Captain, how long until we arrive?""We should be docking in a few minutes, miss."The orc sighed, adjusting her gauntlets. "Here goes nothing," she said, forcing a small laugh. She leaned her head on her wife's shoulder and closed her eyes with a sigh. "No turning back now.""I'm so proud of you, Tal," the elf said softly, placing one hand on the small of her lover's back. "I can't wait to fight alongside you once again."The warrior smiled. "Me too." She opened her eyes, staring at the deck of the ship, trying to ignore the anxious churning of her stomach.The ship slid gently into the city's port. Tal'sar pulled up her hood, taking her wife tightly by the hand. Elyssaria gave her a reassuring squeeze as they disembarked and were surrounded by seven armoured guards."You've got nothing to fear," the elf reasoned. "You've done nothing wrong. You're here for diplomatic purposes; nothing more.""I know." But I've killed people wearing that same armour with no remorse.The journey to the Stormwind Embassy was quiet. Each of the guards mounted a horse, as well as Elyssaria, who pulled Tal'sar up to sit behind her. (Theirs was considerably larger than the others.)The city was, in all honesty, beautiful. They passed through a pair of arches, and just barely caught a glimpse of Lion's Rest before they turned into the Cathedral Square. Tal'sar waved to a couple of children playing with foam swords outside the orphanage, but they were ushered back inside before they had a chance to properly reply."Looks like we're going to have ourselves an execution," someone said loudly.Elyssaria took Tal'sar's hand and held it, steady and firm. "Ignore them," she said, voice low. "They're just trying to get a rise out of you.""I know." It was hard to speak around her heart in her throat.They took a less-populated road through the Dwarven District before arriving in the main square. The people around them hushed, murmuring amongst themselves; "Who is she?" "What's an orc doing here?" "I'll bet she's a spy." "Leave it to a fuckin' Demon Hunter, eh?"Elyssaria's grip tightened. She set her jaw and glared straight ahead, fel magic threatening to flow freely from her eyes. She pulled her mask from her bag and secured it around her head before taking the reins once more. The group dismounted and one of the guards brought the horses back to the stables. The rest continued with the elf and the orc down to the Embassy, where the King was already awaiting their arrival. He glanced up from his conversation with the Prophet Velen as the two entered the building."High King," Elyssaria said proudly, "I present to you; Tal'sar, chieftan of the Honor's Heart Clan."Tal'sar stood tall for a moment, then stepped forward. She knelt before the human king. "King Anduin Llane Wrynn," she said in accented Common, "I am here on behalf of a sect of orcs who once proudly served the Horde. Recently, however, with the death of Warchief Vol'jin, and his decision to appoint Lady Sylvanas Windrunner as the new Warchief, we have found ourselves at odds with our own people. I'm sure you know that her actions are unforgivable. My wife tells me that you said to her yourself that she has lead the Horde to a place without honor, and I agree wholeheartedly. It is for this reason that I have founded (in secret) the Mak'osh-shomash — the Honor's Heart Clan — and have come to you today to pledge allegiance to your Grand Alliance on all of our behalf.""How many are you?""Several hundred strong, although some of our members are still children who have joined alongside their families. The majority are capable and willing to fight, and all are willing to serve your cause by any means they can achieve, including the young, old, and disabled.""I don't think we're quite desperate enough to enlist your children in this war just yet," the King chuckled. "But you seem determined to maintain your integrity. Elyssaria has proven herself to be a rather upstanding member of our ranks, going out of her way to reveal the demons who had infiltrated my father's funeral, and so I trust her judgement." He held out one hand, which Tal'sar took hesitantly, and pulled her to her feet. "I welcome you to the Alliance, Tal'sar. I'll make a formal announcement very soon, and then you may bring your people to Stormwind so that they may officially join our ranks."The orc sighed, relieved. "Thank you, High King. We won't let you down.""I'll hold you to that," Anduin said with a smile. "Unfortunately, however, I must return to my duties for now. We will speak again soon.""Of course. Thank you again."Tal'sar turned to watch him go, then faced Elyssaria, who was barely holding back her grin, and took her face in both hands to kiss her on the mouth."I'm so fucking proud of you," the elf whispered when they broke apart. "I love you so much.""I love you too. But I guess this means I'm not a war hero anymore, hm?""No, not a war hero. You're something better than that now.""And what's that?""You're my hero."