She turned, holding up a hand as two of her guards dropped hands to the dual blades each of them carried.  "Hold," she said in a soft voice.  "Please.  There is no need to kneel.  I am only queen by necessity and merit of prophecy.  Just call me Alexa."  She smiled as she waved the two guards back.  "I doubt he would come all this way, into the middle of the army, just for a chance at me, my friends.  He'd have to be suicidal."  She shook her head.  "And while I know orcs are ferocious in battle, suicidal is something I'd never use to describe them."<br/><br/>She shook her head.  "Champion Jurai, thank you for telling me.  I am sorry that we could not arrive sooner, but one of the rivers was in flood, and it took some time to get everyone across."  She shook her head sadly, her eyes rising to take in the skyline of the distant city.  "If the city is taken, then I will not waste countless lives attempting to take it back right now.  They have just taken it, they will be expecting an attack to reclaim it."<br/><br/>She waved a hand, and a runner came up, bringing a basket of simple fare.  Elsewhere in the momentarily stationary army, others were doing the same for the other survivors.  "Please, eat, refresh yourself, Champion.  You've done well, as well as could be asked for.  And while I know your race and mine do not have the best history, I do hope that it can be, for the sake of Terra, allowed to lie in the past where it belongs.  We cannot afford, with the current state of things, for old grievances to be aired."<br/><br/>She turned.  "Commander!" she called out, and a male in armor came to her side.  "Let it be known that any who wish to help fight off the demon horde will be accepted, be they orc, fae, human, or elf.  I will not be so foolish as to turn away willing warriors just because of old disputes.  And should one group or another within my army try to make trouble, they will be thoroughly punished for giving the demon army yet MORE opportunity to take our lands from us."  Her voice during the last section was strong, and carried over the entire assembly, her eyes seeming to flash fire.  "And should an OFFICER be behind such trouble, I will deal with their treachery MYSELF."<br/><br/>When the Commander bowed, she waved him away, and seemed to shrink again.  She shook her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips.  "So many of them," she murmured.  "So many of them fail to remember or realize that I was once nothing more than a simple guard lieutenant in a city in The Woods.  I draw on that when giving orders, because that's all I know.  I wasn't born to this.  I wasn't trained from birth, nor did I ever WANT something like this.  Please.  This goes for all my champions.  Just call me Alexa.  I fight because the prophets say Terra has no chance without me.  I would that it were different, but if this is how it must be... then so be it."