AN: Addai's wonderful story "The Arrangement" got me thinking, what if Loghain did have a son in addition to having Anora? A match between a Cousland daughter and Mac Tir son would be interesting politically at least, and would sure as heck complicate the DA:O story if you use the Cousland origin. So without further ado, here is my first foré into Fan Fiction.
I own nothing. Bioware owns all. And a special thank you to Addai.
Prologue – Lost in Thought
Gareth Mac Tir stood in his late mother's morning room, it was early in the day and he felt a need to be close to his mother's memory. When she was alive, the room was always filled with warmth and life. His mom said it was because the morning sun filled the room with the promise of a new day.
Gareth later realized that her presence was what gave life to the room. Without her, the room was simply a room.
Gareth remembered sitting in this room with his older sister while Mother told them stories. She told them tales of fancy and she told them about the Mac Tir history, about their father at the River Dane and their grandfather, whose name he bore, leading the rebels in the Southron Hills. The thing he remembered most though was the faraway look in her eyes when she spoke of their father - Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir. The faithful husband, and caring father, who was forever absent and forever wore mask.
Once Mother died, life revolved around the palace in Denerim. As they grew up, Anora followed her father around like a shadow; Gareth became King Maric's squire and a friend to Prince Cailan. Cailan was good hearted and they got along well, but Cailan had a habit of ignoring reality or at least not being interested in it. Lore, flights of fancy, and knights of old were his passion, his ambition, and frequently his downfall. So Gareth became Cailan's protector – of sorts. Given his Father's relationship with the King, the irony of his relationship with Cailan was not lost on Gareth.
His thoughts continued to wander and he thought of his sister Anora, soon to be Princess Anora, and how she was truly their father's child. Like both of their parents, she was strong, very smart, and crisply efficient. However, she never learned to temper those traits with warmth or kind words and now she wore the same mask as their father. Anora and Cailan's marriage would be a good match, Gareth thought. He was quite sure his sister could handle administering a kingdom. Cailan would need that.
Gareth shook his head slowly, looking out the window. He thought about the examples of his father, of King Maric and of Prince Cailan. One day he would be Teyrn. How would he rule when his time came?
Then he remembered something his mother had told him – some leaders rule by strength of arms, some by strength of mind, and some by strength of heart, but the most memorable and effective leaders use all three. Gareth, in the silence of the empty room, promised his mother's memory that he would use his heart every bit as much as his might and his mind.
With that, Gareth softly closed the door.
