Final chapter! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this story. I promise that I read every review at least twenty times, mostly because I can't believe how nice you all are! I hope you have enjoyed "Lion's Heart", and I also hope that you will keep your eyes out for the sequel, "Lion's Torment" (coming soon!).

Auriana

Auriana didn't sleep again that night, instead staying awake to see to the recovery of Lunarfall after the invasion of the Burning Blade. Although terribly concerned about Lieutenant Thorn, Auriana was reluctantly forced to attend to her duties elsewhere. At her command, the forests surrounding Lunarfall had been thoroughly searched, leading to the capture of a number of straggling orcs. They had been immediately confined to the Lunarfall stockades, where they would be kept awaiting interrogation.

The corpses of dead orcs were quickly piled up and unceremoniously burnt, though the fallen Lunarfall soldiers were treated far more reverentially. Their bodies, including the brave Baros Alexston's, were carefully ordered and covered with shrouds, ready for transportation back to Azeroth. There was no graveyard at Lunarfall. Instead, Auriana always saw to it that the bodies of Alliance servicemen were sent home to their families.

Mercifully, there had been less casualties than she had thought there might be, and none of them had been civilians. It seemed as if the Burning Blade had been more concerned with the Heart than anything else, and had slipped in and out of Lunarfall like lightning. Most of the damage had been done to the structures of Lunarfall by the rampaging rylaks, and Auriana knew it would take some time to rebuild. She organised her able-bodied troops to clean up the garrison, clearing away the debris and fallen masonry, and shoring up the most dangerous areas. The last thing Auriana needed was for a wall to collapse upon her men while they were trying to re-establish Lunarfall's defenses.

Most of her soldiers were exhausted from the late hour and the fighting, and Auriana was careful to organise her men into work groups and spell them when necessary. She gave no such quarter to herself, however, pointedly ignoring the burn of tiredness behind her eyes. Auriana couldn't shake the anger and sheer personal offense that she felt at having her garrison attacked, and she would be unable to rest until she was satisfied that Lunarfall was safe. She had paused only to bandage her wounded arm roughly, and she refused all offers of relief as she worked tirelessly into the bright light of day and on into the afternoon. It was twilight by the time Auriana allowed herself to stop. She had channeled all her anger and pain into the recovery effort, but it seemed as if she had barely tapped into the simmering ball of emotions that lay heavily in her stomach.

As the first stars began to twinkle in the endless Draenor sky, Auriana finally ordered her men to stand down. There was still work to be done, but Auriana was mostly satisfied with the progress that had been made, and instead turned her attention to mourning. Although there was no graveyard at Lunarfall, there was a well-tended memorial. It was a simple thing, more a collection of rocks than anything else, but it was made with real love. Each rock in the memorial had been inscribed with the name of a dead soldier, and placed with great care and reverence. As the dull purple twilight faded into the true back of night, Auriana lead group of her men in a solemn candlelight vigil to say farewell to those who had fallen in the invasion.

Auriana always added the rocks to the memorial herself, after every great battle, so that she might never forget the true cost of war. She led a quick and simple service for the few assembled soldiers, knowing that nothing she could say would ever be truly adequate. Most of those in attendance were the closest friends of those deceased, chief among their number Lieutenant Thorn. Auriana spoke quietly but earnestly, thanking each of the fallen soldiers for their service and commending them into the Light. She was no priest, but she hoped that her genuinely heartfelt prayer might be enough to protect the souls of her fallen men as they made their final journey.

After Auriana had finished speaking, the morose crowd slowly dissipated, until Auriana stood almost alone. She looked surreptitiously to her left, and saw that Lieutenant Thorn also remained, staring fixedly at the small grey rock bearing Baros Alexston's name. The Lieutenant was still in her worgen form, and Auriana realised with a start that she had not returned to her human state since the invasion.

"I'm sorry," Auriana said uncertainly. "I didn't realise that you and Baros were close. He died bravely."

She kept her eyes focused forward, knowing that Thorn would not likely appreciate any overt displays of sympathy.

"I appreciate your concern, Commander," Thorn growled stiffly.

Auriana sighed. She couldn't exactly criticise others for not showing emotion, but even she could recognise that Thorn's repression of her feelings was likely unhealthy.

"It isn't wrong to grieve, Thorn," she said, frowning.

Thorn simply grunted, but to Auriana's surprise, she spoke again a moment later.

"He was… sweet," Thorn said, her voice almost a whisper. "All he wanted was to care for me. I was flattered, but convinced myself that I didn't have time for the distraction of a romantic entanglement. I… I regret it."

Auriana turned her head at Thorn's admission, surprised by her sudden candour. The Lieutenant's bowed head was illuminated by the flickering glow of her torch, and in her worgen form she looked terribly grim and sad. Auriana's heart broke for the Lieutenant, and she wondered if Thorn would ever truly recover from such profound regret.

"I really am sorry, Thorn," Auriana said, unsure of what else she could possibly say. "I think it would be prudent for you to take a day off from your duties tomorrow."

"It's quite alright, Commander," Thorn said, straightening her back. "I will not abandon my post."

"I would hardly consider taking time to grieve abandonment. Please, Thorn. I insist. Take the time to honour his memory," Auriana said, both stern and compassionate. "As much as I consider you invaluable, the garrison won't fall apart in a single day without you."

"Very well, Commander," Thorn sighed, relenting more easily than Auriana might have suspected. "If you don't mind, I'll take my leave now, then."

"Of course," Auriana murmured, her eyes following Thorn as she retreated into the darkness.

Auriana didn't follow Thorn right away, instead keeping her own silent vigil over the Lunarfall memorial. She read each name silently to herself, recalling the faces of each and every one of her men who had given their lives for the Alliance. She didn't know how long she stood there, reminiscing sadly on the past, though at some point the names of her men blended with those of the others whom she had lost, including Kinzie Swiftspanner, her parents, and her dear friend Darion Hailey.

As she lost herself in her troubled thoughts, Auriana abruptly came to the realisation that she and Thorn were remarkably alike. Both of them tended to have a single-minded focus on duty, shunning any open display of emotion, and now it appeared that they had both let their fear and stubborn natures get in the way of their own happiness. The complicated relationship between Thorn and Alexston bore an uncanny resemblance to Auriana's relationship with Darion, and, she realised with a start, her relationship with Varian.

While Auriana was unable to deny her feelings for the King, she had sought to bury them deep, much like Thorn had done with her feelings for Baros Alexston. Lieutenant Thorn, however, would now never get the chance to change her mind, and the thought hit Auriana like a battering ram. Her heart quickened as she probed her own emotions, and she slowly came to the realisation that she never wanted to be standing in Thorn's position again, grieving endlessly over what might have been.

As a woman who prized control above all things, it was somewhat of a surreal experience to be seriously considering abandoning all her dearly held principles and carefully constructed barriers for the sake of her wild heart, but Auriana finally realised that some things – some people – were worth the risk. For the first time, Auriana's fear of losing Varian overcame her fear of fully embracing him, and she realised there was only one place in the entire universe that she truly wanted to be. It took all the courage that she had, but Auriana nevertheless gathered all her power and teleported herself home to Stormwind.

Much to her embarrassment, she burst in upon the Varian and Anduin as they were taking dinner. In her sleep deprived state and with her desperation to speak to the King, she hadn't really thought about what time it was in Stormwind. Like the watchful warrior he was, Varian shot to his feet as she rematerialised, his eyes widening in great surprise as he recognised her.

"Auriana!" he exclaimed. "I… what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to intrude," she said quickly, "But I was wondering if we might speak. Er… alone."

Her bone weariness combined strangely with her nervous excitement, and Auriana suddenly felt almost giddy.

"I…" Varian started reluctantly, only to be cut off by Anduin.

"We were just finishing up, anyway," the Prince interjected smoothly. "I have some ah… reading… to do."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Auriana said gratefully, well aware of the fact that Anduin was granting her the time she needed to speak to his father.

The Prince acknowledged her with a friendly nod and made his way from the room without further comment, save for a significant sideways glance at his father. Varian watched his son go, his face unreadable. For a long moment, neither the King nor the Commander spoke.

"You look terrible," he said finally, turning to face her.

He folded his arms across his barrel chest, his gaze pointedly travelling from her wild hair and the heavy dark circles under her eyes, to the hastily bandaged wound on her arm.

"I haven't slept in… oh, about twenty hours," Auriana said wearily. "The Iron Horde attacked Lunarfall last night."

"What?" Varian demanded, his brow furrowing. "What happened?"

"We recovered an artifact of some significance in Gorgrond. The Burning Blade were none too pleased, and conducted a raid to retrieve it," she explained.

"Casualties?" the King asked seriously.

"Less than there could have been," Auriana said. "Lunarfall is well defended, but they came in the early morning, we were largely caught unawares. As I said… it wasn't an invasion, but rather a raid. They retrieved the artifact and left."

"I assume you'll be hunting them down?" Varian asked.

"Of course," Auriana said darkly. "No one attacks the heart of the Alliance on Draenor without reprisal."

"As it should be. It seems as if you have everything well in hand, so I must ask… why are you here, Auriana?" Varian asked, his sharp eyes narrowing. "I appreciate your concern for your garrison, but surely you didn't need to come all this way at night just to discuss the attack… such a discussion could have waited until morning, and you likely needn't have come in person."

"No, you're quite right. I didn't need to come all this way. I… uh… I actually came here to say something else," Auriana said slowly.

She took a deep breath, gathered her courage and walked slowly towards her King. Varian went very still at her approach, the tension in his powerful muscles visible even through his tunic. Auriana moved until she was barely an inch away from him, reaching up with a shaky hand to gently touch the line of his strong jaw. Varian's breathing quickened, and he gently clasped her hand with his own. Auriana paused, only to throw caution to the wind a second later as she rose on her toes to kiss him.

Varian growled against her mouth, and drew her hungrily into his embrace. Auriana kissed him fiercely, and she eventually lost track of time. The only thing in the world to her right then was him, and Auriana didn't doubt that seasons could have passed outside without her knowledge. Varian, too, seemed lost in their passion, until he abruptly pulled back, his strong features clouding in confusion.

"Stop," he said heavily, carefully holding her at arm's length. "What are you doing? You can't just use me for comfort every time something goes wrong in your life, and then disappear the next day, knowing how I feel about you. It isn't fair, Auriana."

"No," she protested vehemently, stepping back and withdrawing her hand. "No, no, you're right, it isn't fair. But... that isn't why I'm here."

She sighed, but gave him a small, hopeful smile.

"I know what I'm good at, Varian, and it isn't… well, this..." she said slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. "I can stare down a pit lord or a lich without batting an eye, but when it comes to my own heart… I must confess that I'm afraid."

She shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot and stared down at her hands.

"Sometimes I wish that I was someone like Anduin, or Kinzie. That… that I was someone open, and trusting, and unafraid of the depth of my own feelings. I've always been… well, cold, I guess, but after Theramore… I was worse. I thought it easier to remain closed. People leave. People let you down. People… die."

Varian opened his mouth to reply, but Auriana held up a hand.

"Please," she said pleadingly. "Let me speak. I'll never get it all out otherwise. Theramore… Theramore broke my heart. I lost everything that day, and I never wanted to feel that way again. I thought the answer was to become hard, so that I would never again feel such pain. It's the same way I've dealt with my fury, by shutting down and closing myself off."

Auriana realised that she was rambling somewhat, but she was determined to make Varian understand.

"If you remember… my friend Darion… he loved me, I think, but I could never bring myself to take a chance on him. He tried so hard make me see what I was missing, but I was too stubborn and fearful to understand. After he died… I should have honoured his memory, I should have learned the lesson he was trying to teach me, but I didn't, and I've come so close to once again making the same mistake."

Auriana shook her head, irritated by her own recalcitrance.

"I've had plenty of chances to learn, but it wasn't until today that I realised… being hard doesn't help. Holding myself back from the people that I… that I care about doesn't make losing them hurt any less. It just means I miss out on all the good," she said quietly.

She looked up at Varian hopefully, praying that he would understand what she was trying to express so stumblingly.

"I don't understand. I thought you turned me down because you had concerns about my being the King," he said stiffly.

"Excuses," she said truthfully, waving a hand. "Well… that isn't precisely true. Everything I said to you in that room is still relevant, I suppose, but… I wasn't being entirely honest. The truth is, you scare me more than anyone I've ever met, and yet… I find that I can't walk away."

Auriana smiled tentatively, and titled her head to one side.

"The night that we spent together… was the best night of my life," she said sincerely. "I shouldn't have hesitated afterwards as I did, and I certainly shouldn't have run from you. You think I would have learned, after Darion… after I missed out on something that could have been wonderful."

She shook her head ruefully.

"I don't want to do that again. I don't want to miss out on… on you…" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Varian stepped forwards, breathing heavily. She placed a soft hand on his chest, holding him at arm's length.

"Don't toy with me, Auriana," he growled.

"I'm not," she said quietly. "I want this. I want you."

"I'm still the king," Varian pointed out. "That hasn't changed."

"I know… and I have some... conditions, I guess you'd call them. If we do this, it's a secret. No-one finds out. I've worked very hard to get to where I am and I'll not risk my command. You don't send me flowers, or tokens of your affection, or treat me some fragile little snowflake of a noblewoman. You treat me just the same as any of your other commanders. I am who I am, Varian, and I'm very good at what I do. I won't change that for anyone, not even you. I won't ever stop fighting, and you'll just have to learn to live with that," she said firmly. "And if you can't… well…"

Auriana could feel the colour rising in her cheeks, and she gazed up at him defiantly. If he refused, she knew it would break her, but she had finally come to understand that she would rather have taken the chance than to have forever wondered.

"Can I say something now?" Varian interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her rambling tirade.

He caught her hand, and pulled it away from his chest. He took a final step forwards, until they were once against standing toe to toe.

"You are stubborn, and pigheaded, and far too guarded," he said.

Auriana blinked in surprise. Of all the things she had suspected he might say, she hadn't prepared herself for that.

"All true," she stammered, "But I don't see…"

"You are the most incomprehensible, frustrating person I have ever met," Varian continued.

"I… I honestly don't know what to say to that," she said nervously, ducking her head.

"Oh, I think it is well and truly time that you stopped talking," Varian growled firmly.

Auriana frowned, confused, only to have her heart leap wildly a second later as he took her face gently in both hands, and kissed her passionately. She matched his desperate ardour with her own, tangling her hands wantonly in his long hair.

As before, it was some time before they broke apart, each breathing heavily.

"Is that… what does that mean?" she said breathlessly.

"My beautiful, impossible woman… does it really need to be said?" Varian said roughly, his face more serious than Auriana had ever seen.

She grinned up at him shyly, lifting with tentative joy. Varian smiled broadly in return, and for the first time Auriana saw a resemblance between the King and his bright young son. He instantly looked years younger, and Auriana realised that she very much wanted to make him smile that way as often as she could. Varian wrapped her gently in his arms, and Auriana rested her head gratefully on his chest. As his strong and steady heartbeat sounded against her ear, Auriana felt an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over her.

"You should know," Varian said softly, "In the interest of full disclosure… both Jaina and Anduin are aware that our relationship is not... strictly platonic."

"What?" Auriana asked, shifting in his arms slightly. "I had thought you might tell Anduin, given… well, given that he's your son, but… Jaina…"

"I apologise. I promise you, I didn't say a word… rather both guessed. I am apparently more obvious than I believe myself to be," Varian said regretfully. "Jaina is, however, one of my oldest friends. She said she would keep our secret, and I believe her. Does… does that change things for you?"

Auriana frowned and bit her lip. She, too, trusted Jaina's character, but the thought of someone else knowing about her personal affairs was disquieting. Varian looked down at her worriedly, and Auriana was surprised to see genuine fear in his eyes. Not so long ago, even a week ago, Auriana might have been tempted to use Varian's confession as an excuse to run away, but she was now determined to see this relationship through to wherever it may lead.

"No," she said, letting out a long, slow breath. "It doesn't. I can't say that I would consider it ideal, but… no, this doesn't change things. I want you, Varian."

Varian looked unconvinced, and so she reached up once more to kiss him, hoping to impress on him that she had no intention of running. Her kiss was evidently persuasive, however, for when she finally pulled away, Varian was smiling once more. To her great surprise, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms. He lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing, and Auriana wrapped her arms around his neck in delight.

"So," Varian said seriously, though his eyes were unusually bright. "You mentioned that our last night together was the best night of your life. Is that correct?"

Auriana's cheeks warmed and she buried her head in his shoulder, making Varian laugh. He took off determinedly for his bedchambers, and Auriana felt herself thrill at the thought. Her tiredness suddenly vanished, replaced by a heated yearning that threatened to set her blood on fire. The heat in her veins only intensified as Varian looked down at her a moment later and grinned wickedly.

"I'm going to take that as a challenge," he said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. "Let's see if we can do better, shall we?"