The purple-haired Queen Henrietta looked to the academy entrance before her, with fear and trepidation borne of guilt within her heart. She remembered when she had felt this feeling before. Making handwritten letters to families of her fallen soldiers during the war. With one fallen soldier's, no, friend's, family she remembered acutely. Siesta's. This moment reminded her of that night, months ago, when she discreetly dropped in on the Sasaki household to deliver news of her demise.

Henrietta could feel the same guilt and shame she felt that night. This time, however, she found new emotions mixed within them. Hope. As well as fearful anxiety. What if the rumors were not true? What if Siesta would resent her? What if Siesta was different? These thoughts gave her body pause as she stood looking at the academy entrance.

"Your grace," Agnes, her surly, trusted personal guard with short, dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes, said, her voice breaking through her thoughts. Henrietta shook her head. "Are you alright?"

Henrietta took a deep, shaky breath as she gathered herself and put on a look of determination.

"Yes," Henrietta honestly answered as she decided to step forth.

Meanwhile, up in the girls' room, Louise and Siesta were raising one eyebrow each at Tif'narak, which signaled to her to continue.

"I need to go back to my home, at the edge of Tristain and Germania. I didn't realize until long after that I left something important behind," Tif'narak implored with her hands clasped together in a pleading gesture.

"Huh? We're supposed to make such a big journey because you're a forgetful ditz?" Louise snapped, annoyed at the towering, pleading elf before her.

She saw the elf immediately flinch upon hearing her words and tone, which caused Louise a small pang of shame that caused her to look away while trying to maintain her haughty demeanor.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't so important, so, please!" Tif'narak begged once more. A moment of silence hung over them all as considerations had begun. Once they had finished, Siesta was the first to speak up.

"I understand," Siesta began, having decided for everyone as she stepped forward and took Tif'narak's hands in her own. "We'll help you. After all," Siesta looked back to give Louise an imploring look as well, "you saved me, so it's the least we could do."

Louise, at first, tried not to look at the two pleading women before her. The longer they stared, however, the more her defenses were broken down until, finally, she relented.

"Ugh! Fine!" Louise exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It would sully my honor as a noble to not repay my debts!" Louise pouted, causing Tif'narak to look at her with stars in her eyes once more and Siesta to giggle.

Louise blushed. "I-it's not like it's a big deal, or anything, and if Siesta thinks it's a good idea…" she mumbled to herself. Siesta interrupted her pouting with a small peck on her cheek.

"Thank you, Missus Valliere," Siesta cooed into her ear, causing Louise to shiver and become weak for a moment.

She shook it off and looked to Tif'narak with determination, pointing at her.

"Yes!" Tif'narak exclaimed, straightening up.

"We shall leave tomorrow! Be ready!" Louise ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Tif'narak agreed as she quickly bowed to the three of them. "Excuse me!" Tif'narak left the room after that, causing the girls to breathe a small sigh of relief.

"Are you sure you can't feel anything from her, Zeratul?" Siesta asked the even more imposing Protoss within the room. At his being addressed, Siesta noticed, from the corner of her eye, Louise's face became slightly scrunched with disgust.

I am certain, Zeratul replied, shaking his head. This one has had much psionic training to keep herself closed from probing.

There was a moment of silence between the three once more, which was broken by Siesta throwing herself onto Zeratul. Zeratul, at first shocked, returned her embrace, much to the surprise of Louise.

"Thank you, Zeratul, for keeping her safe," Siesta said with warm gratitude.

Of course, Akhundelar, Zeratul replied with what warmth he could express as a Protoss. As he said that last word, Siesta pulled back, looking ashamed as she did. That moniker. "Tip of the spear", it meant. One who was destined to always protect the Void Mage. To always protect Louise. She had lost it. Lost its power.

I do not need psionics to tell that you are troubled, my Apprentice, Zeratul keenly observed.

Siesta nodded as she held up her left hand to show Zeratul the lack of runes upon it. Zeratul only needed to see it for a second.

I see… it seems the power of the Gandalfr has been lost, Zeratul noted. Siesta nodded once more, still keeping her eyes downcast in shame. I understand why this troubles you, but even before you possessed its power, you were a strong warrior.

"Thank you," Siesta replied, cracking a small smile at the old Nerazim's reassurance.

And I would like to take this moment to tell you, Zeratul began, causing Siesta to look up at him once more. My heart overflows with joy at seeing you once more. I have lost too many cherished friends, so to have one returned to me is truly a blessing.

"Stop," Siesta said with a shaky voice as she felt the sting of tears once more, "You're gonna make me cry." Louise's expression, unknown to Zeratul, had softened at this display. However, she still clung tightly to the bitterness she had been holding for Zeratul since that fateful night.

"Well that's nice for you two…" Louise grumbled just audibly enough for Siesta to hear, causing her to look at her wife with concern.

After a brief pause, a glare formed upon her face at the two of them as the dam built for her anger by the relief of Siesta's return broke.

"You did it again! You decided what was best for me! And you used Zeratul to do it! And you!" Louise was shouting, enraged, as she thrust an accusatory finger at the old Protoss, "You just… let it happen! Ignoring everything I was saying as you carried me away!"

"That's not fair, Louise!" Siesta retorted, now scowling at her wife. "You are so much more important to this world, to me, to Zeratul, to Henrietta, to SO MANY. You have a destiny! I was just here to protect you and help you fulfill it!" Louise opened her mouth to keep shouting, only for Siesta to continue, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made that decision for you. I'm sorry that I made you feel abandoned. I made what I thought was the best choice at the time to keep you alive and save this world."

"But-!"

"Can you honestly say that, had I not made that choice, we would have survived?" Siesta interrogated. Each of them were scowling at each other. Siesta, for Louise succumbing to her childishness that she thought her wife had long let go of. And Louise, for feeling infantilized once more.

"No, but-"

"It's that, right there," Siesta held up a finger as she continued to chastise the now angrily crying Louise, "our survival was less than certain, but I knew yours and Zeratul's would be guaranteed if I stayed behind."

"Still!" Louise shouted through her tears, "I was broken…" Louise's face bore a scowl no longer as it became enwrapped with pure grief, "I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, nothing mattered without you… I would have rather died by your side than go through that."

"But what matters," Siesta replied as she took her hands, dropping her own anger as she did and letting comfort and reassurance come through, "is that you didn't. You could have found another-"

"No!" Louise threw herself onto Siesta, sobbing into her as she did. "How can you even say that?! You're everything to me!"

"As are you, darling," Siesta whispered into her ear as she stroked her wife's hair.

"Then why… why did you-"

"Think about it, would you hesitate to do the same for me?" Siesta asked as she pulled away from Louise and had her jet black eyes meet her wife's tear-filled pink ones. It took a moment, but it looked as though realization dawned on the pinkette's face, which was quickly followed with shame.

I'm such an idiot… Louise thought to herself, knowing the answer to Siesta's question.

"Maybe," Siesta replied to her thought, causing Louise's attention to snap back to her. Siesta planted a tender kiss on Louise's head and gave her a loving look, "But you're my idiot." Siesta giggled, which Louise returned.

Feeling a wave of relief wash over them as they had talked their feelings out, Louise turned to Zeratul, an apologetic look on her face. Before she could say anything, Zeratul held up a hand to stop her.

I already feel your intentions, Executor Louise, there is nothing to forgive, Zeratul reassured her. Louise immediately went in for an embrace just as Siesta did, which Zeratul returned. She cherished this affection she'd never felt from him before.

Meanwhile, earlier, and at the base of the dormitory tower where Louise and Siesta's room was located, Henrietta was slowly making her way forward. She stopped, however, when a terrifying visage appeared to her from the tower's entrance. A, to her, colossally tall blonde elf, clad in black and red, had appeared and locked its crimson eyes upon her. Henrietta was frozen with fear, knowing the tales of the sadistic and powerful elves from her history.

"Stay back, your highness!" Agnes shouted as she jumped in front of her, drawing her pistol on the elf as she did. The elf, seeing this display, raised her hands. Strangely, from what Henrietta could see, a look of disappointment and exhaustion was upon the elf's face.

"I'm no threat," the elf spoke to the two, "I'm only here seeking the help of the Void Mage. Unless you're a threat to her, I'm no threat to you." The elf began side-stepping out of the way of the entrance to the tower as she said this.

"Don't move!" Agnes ordered, causing the elf to plant herself in place and give a confused look to the angry musketeer of Henrietta's.

"What do you want from me?! You want me to stay still or be out of your way?!" the elf shouted, frustrated. This commotion had started to draw several onlookers.

"Look! It's the Queen!"

"Wow! I guess she must be here for Siesta!"

"She looks as beautiful as I remember!"

These comments and more came from the small gathering of noble students that one would strain the definition of "crowd" to call it one. The elf, for her part, heaved a loud, annoyed sigh as she dropped her arms and turned to leave.

"Hey! Stop!" Agnes shouted to no avail. As she put her finger on the trigger, Henrietta reached over and lowered her arm, shaking her head at Agnes as she did. Agnes' face still bore the remains of her rage as she huffed and holstered her pistol. Henrietta, her fear now turned to curiosity and confusion, watched the elf walk over to the singular large tree in this area of the academy grounds and sit beneath it, leaning back against it as she did.

Curious… Henrietta thought to herself. Were these the dreaded elves she had heard of? The ones that nearly subjugated the entire human race were it not for the interference of Brimir? As she looked at this creature that did look imposing with her Protoss-like height and black garments, she found it hard to muster fear as she watched this being follow a butterfly with her eyes and react with delight when it landed upon her.

Turning her attention back to her original mission, Henrietta entered the tower and began climbing its familiar stairs to her best friends. As she approached, she began to hear muffled shouting she could hardly make out. As she got closer, and the shouting became more clear, she could not help but eavesdrop on the familiar voices.

"I was just here to protect you and help you fulfill it!" Henrietta could hear the familiar voice of Siesta through the door, causing her heart to flutter with anticipation. She wanted so badly to throw open the door right there and look into the eyes of her beloved friend, but she could hear, barely, more words being exchanged.

She considered for a moment, putting her ear to the door, but stopped herself for the sake of their privacy. She could hear some muffled crying and what sounded like a reassuring tone, and, when she found that the room was quiet for some time, she realized now was as good an opportunity as any, and knocked upon the door.

On the other side, Louise and Siesta felt an almost nostalgic bit of irritation at this. Just like the old days of being constantly interrupted by events and emergencies. They each gave a wry chuckle.

"Come in," Louise invited their unknown guest. The door opened to reveal Henrietta, a blank look on her face as she laid her royal purple eyes on the two.

Henrietta was unsure of how to react. She had thought of many possible ways she could, both if she did and did not see Siesta standing before her. But, in that moment, instinct took over her body as she marched forward and slapped both Louise and Siesta, in turn, before pulling them both into a tight embrace.

"You idiots!" Henrietta sobbed as she squeezed the two stunned and aching-faced women before her. After what felt like an eternity of the Queen letting all her relief and pain wash over her until she calmed down, she stood back, hands on each of their shoulders, and looked to them both with relief and warmth. "I'm sorry… I just…"

Both Louise and Siesta smiled back at her with equal warmth as they each took one of her hands.

"I know," Siesta said.

As Henrietta stared into the eyes of the former maid before her, she could feel her heart rate skyrocket. Just like it used to with Wales. She forced herself to break eye contact and look at Louise, sniffling and producing a handkerchief to wipe her face with before regaining her royal countenance.

"I had to see for myself," Henrietta informed, voice still shaky from her emotions. "The legendary Siesta Sasaki. Here. In the flesh." Siesta gave a self-conscious giggle at this. Henrietta had calmed her heart enough to look back at her returned friend. The two looked at each other, Henrietta with a sense of longing in her heart while Siesta felt merely relief and happiness that her friend was okay. Their eye contact was broken by Louise clearing her throat.

"So," Louise said as the two women staring at each other jumped and turned their attention to her. "As you can see, my wife is perfectly fine." At that word "wife" Henrietta's eyes widened with shock with her heart feeling a pang that was a combination of elation for her friends and a touch of jealousy.

"I figured, since you had the E'claire D'Amoure, that that might be the case, but hearing it aloud really puts a finer point on it," Henrietta said with a sheepish chuckle. Her euphoria for seeing her friends happy successfully beat out the jealousy, which caused her to give them both a wide smile. "Founders' blessings upon you both, Missus… uh…" Henrietta stopped, awkwardly, as she didn't know which name had been taken.

"We've just taken to calling each other Missus and us each keeping our own names," Siesta informed the struggling monarch before her, taking Louise's hand in her own.

"Oh! Very well, then," Henrietta laughed awkwardly at the two. "Now, listen," Henrietta began with a more serious tone as her wide smile turned to a solemn one. "Now that you're back. I have an assignment for you."

"Are you serious?" Siesta asked, straining against a suddenly building rage at the audacity of such a request.

"I-It's not an official mission, I promise! And I think you'll want to, as well!" Henrietta scrambled to say with reassurance as she saw the immediate shift in Siesta's demeanor. Her reassurance seemed to suffice as Siesta breathed a calming breath.

"Sorry, it's just… I just got back to her, and…"

"It's okay, no need to apologize," Henrietta compassionately replied as she shook her head. She took a moment before delivering her request to turn her whole body to Siesta. "I must request that you go home. To your family." Siesta blinked in confusion at her, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not asking that you abandon Louise, by all means, please, take her with you! But your family will want to see you, for sure." Henrietta pleaded with her.

"I understand," Siesta replied with no hesitation, "well, Louise?" Siesta looked at Louise with an imploring look. Louise felt an immediate pang of selfishness that pushed her to deny this. However, as she looked into her wife's eyes, the feeling evaporated.

"Of course, darling." Louise replied, after a moment's hesitation. The girls smiled at each other, and Henrietta felt the creeping sense of jealousy begin to poison her once more.