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9:25 Dragon
It was quite strange.
The palace was quite at night, he could hear almost nothing. If he concentrated hard enough he could hear the winter wind blowing. It was peaceful. He could think without the distractions of leading a country.
Tonan Theirin, the first son of Maric Theirin and brother to Cailan Theirin looked at the empty halls, trying to let the reality of it all sink in. He was king now. His father had disappeared at sea a month ago and was presumed dead. His father best friend and adviser, Loghain Mac Tir spent the entire month looking for him. But now, after the coronation and Maric's funeral here he was.
He was the favourite. His father taught him how to rule, how to fight, how to navigate politics. Tonan was scholar by the best scholars in Ferelden, the Free Marches and even spent a year with the Cousland family.
He was happy, content as a child to him his father immortal. A living legend, who was larger than life a man who drove out the Orlesian Empire after decades of occupation. The warrior king, he went to bed with these stories fresh in his mind. Even when he was in his teens, he enjoyed the stories of his father. But with his disappearance those stories stung when he heard or read them.
He was twenty one years of age. He was king, the crown fit, the people loved him the Bannorn bowed to him and respected him. But he couldn't bring himself to accept it. How can he replace his father as king? A man who won the hearts and minds of all of Ferelden, united them as Calenhad had done and drove out the Orlesians. Tonan had won no great battle, he didn't earn the title of king. He inherited it. He did not feel worthy to wear the crown. He felt that his brother would resented him for it.
Cailan his younger brother didn't resent him, but he never talked to him after the coronation. Cailan got their mother's love for books. As a child he would read fables and fairy-tales, when he was older he took to learning the swords so he could one day place his name into such books.
He was treated by the nobility as a fool, a simple man. Cailan wasn't a fool or simple, he just wanted to forge his own path. Something Tonan was envious of. Cailan was free to make his own decisions. He wasn't the heir to the throne. But Tonan got the feeling if he did become king instead of him then he would die young in some battle.
A sound echoed in the hall, and a door creaked open. Bare foot steps echoed about, he knew who it was and he knew why she exited the room.
"You'll catch your death out here." She said with a soft, kind voice.
Tonan turned around and saw her, Anora, the future Queen of Ferelden. She was hearing her sleeveless tunic, highlighting her features and exposing her legs. Her lips were pursed and her hair, while usually tied up in some fashion of another was down and messy. She had woken up to find her future husband gone from their bed.
"Sorry, I couldn't sleep." He smiled to reassure her. But she saw through him.
"It's Maric again. Isn't it." She asked softly her lips returning to their normal form.
If it were only the fact of missing his father. How could he tell her that he was having doubts about being king? The coronation was a few days ago and the funeral for his father was only yesterday!
Anora gracefully made her way to her lover and gently wrapped her arms around him. "You don't have to suffer alone. My father shares in your grief and I am here to talk to. You know that. I love you." She said as if a whisper.
Loghain knew his father for a long time, during the Orlesian Occupation. He helped the Maric in his efforts to kick the Orlesian Empire out of Ferelden. Perhaps talking about his father will help him fully accept the crown, and maybe learn more about his father back when he was younger.
"Alright then. I shall see your father in the morning." He kissed her, it was sweet, just like their first kiss.
She gave him a smile. That smile. It made him happy, more sure of himself. She was his strength.
"Let's go back to bed then." She whispered.
The next day he was up early. He couldn't get to sleep his mind still conflicted about being king. He knew his duties well and how to preform them, but, it just did not feel right to him. There was so much expected of him, there was murmurs at court about an heir to secure the family line. Another thought for another time, it was best not to think about that just yet.
He stood in front of the wash basin, the water was cold, the way he liked it. He splashed the cold liquid on his face, its icy touch made his body tremble with the cold and just like that he felt a bit refreshed. Looking in the mirror next to the basin he could see the signs or tiredness on his face. The dark circles under his eyes was clear, anyone who saw them would assume he had been having trouble sleeping.
If Anora saw them she would worry. He didn't want her to worry she would doing that when she becomes Queen.
It was strange to think that a man who was raised from a commoner to Teyrn would sire a daughter would then go onto marry the king. Many at court did not like the idea of "common" blood mixing with the royal bloodline. A Teyrn was nobility, but many saw Loghain as a simple commoner even though he was a hero who helped drive out the Orlesians.
Tonan knew this and didn't care what they thought, he loved Anora that was all that mattered in his eyes. Maker spit on anyone who spoke differently.
He dressed himself in his finest Ferelden made suit, he put on his fir cloak to keep the chill in the air out, and at least the cold might keep him awake. Anora had asked that the royal wedding be pushed back to the spring which was only a month or two away. Loghain agreed, he rarely seemed to disagree with his own daughter.
She had a way of getting her own way. When they were younger she had Cailan on leash so to speak, it was fun to watch, but she couldn't get her way with him try as she might. Ever since they were kids, Anora followed his lead because she couldn't get her own way. At first she didn't like it, but then she started to warm up to it. Loghain said it was good for her, being led by a person smarter than her.
Their adventures as kids got them into trouble at time, but he was good at making excuses, believable ones. Loghain wanted to arrange the marriage between him and Anora at a young age, but Maric told him to let them make their own way.
He spent a year with the Mac Tir's, he was about seven or eight at the time. There he learnt the ways of a tactician from Loghain. That's when he met Anora, Cailan visited time to time arriving with Arl Eamon, their uncle. After the year was up he left with Maric to study with the Cousland family. He remembered Anora crying, not balling like normal kids, it was silent tears.
They met when he was sixteen, at a tourney in honour of his sixteenth birthday. That's when he started to see her more as a lover than a friend. She felt the same way. After the tourney, Loghain spend more time at the palace meaning Anora would be staying as well. They used that time together to begin their relationship.
The memories were sweet, just thinking of them made his heart beat just that bit faster. But these memories alone could not dispel his thoughts on being king. Loghain would be waiting on him in his chambers. Best not to keep the Hero of River Dane, and soon to be father-in-law waiting.
Loghain was looked at a painting of Maric and Rowan, Tonan's mother, he looked sombre his heart was heavy with grief from his friends loss.
"After all the troubles and battles we fought our way out of. I didn't think you would die. Seems as if I was wrong, my friend." He said towards the painting as if it were Maric himself.
Loghain turned his attention to him now, he looked slightly embarrassed. Caught talking to a painting would look bad to some, as a sign of age or demonic possession. Tonan didn't judge Loghain was grieving in his own way and that was fine.
"Anora said over breakfast that you are having some trouble sleeping? I can hardly blame you. You lost a father. I understand how you feel." He said with a weak smile.
"It's more than trouble sleeping. It's..." He paused considering his words carefully. "I don't feel like I should be king. I didn't earn it, not like father did. I know that how succession is supposed to go, but still."
"Maric trained you as a warrior, bought tutors to teach you how to speak other languages, sent you to the Couslands to learn how to rule and sent you to me to learn military strategies. He was shaping you to become this lands new king. He wanted you to a better king than he was."
"But he was better than me. He defeated the Orlesians, he won the hearts of the people. He had something that made them do that and I don't have that!"
Loghain shook his head in disagreement. "You are your fathers son, trust me, you have what he had."
Maric, the hero king was a legend. Even with the training that his father had provided over the years he still felt, inadequate. His father was still loved by the people even though he was gone. Would the nobility listen to him? Could he rule a nation like he father had before him? All these questions left him feeling doubtful.
Loghain placed his hand on his shoulders and looked at him, his gaze was intense. "You are the king. Maric's grandfather believed that only a man who was unsure whether he could be a king, deserved to be a king. You have all want you need to be the king, if that fails you have allies. Your uncle Eamon, the Cousland family and myself and even Anora."
That was true, his uncle Eamon was the Arl of Redcliffe and a popular man with the nobility, despite marrying an Orlesian woman who became the Arlessa. He had years of experience as an arl ruling his lands, he even had allies with some of the banns. The Cousland family served the crown loyally, they were one of the oldest families in Ferelden dating back even before Calenhad had united Ferelden. That gave him some comfort, but still his doubts lingered.
"Thanks for the talk. It helped." He said. But not that much, he thought to himself.
Loghain gave him a wider happier smile. "You will see. In the coming days you will make for a better king than your father."
He hoped it was true.
"What are your plans then Loghain? Will you continue the search of my father?"
Loghain paused, and closed his eyes. "Yes." He sighed.
The next day started as any other day, waking up realizing that he had little sleep during the night, again. It came to no surprise to him. Anora greeted him with a worried smile before leaving with the Grand Cleric to plan the wedding. It was clear to him that everyone was worried, and that made him worry even more. With everyone's eyes on him the slightest sign of weakness could spark rumors, rumors that would lead to plotting, plotting would lead to a noblemen striking at him to rise above his station.
He shook his head violently, he was over-thinking things. That would never happen. Would it? If history had taught him anything is that king must be strong, otherwise other would capitalize on the weakness. Many kings had been overthrown that way across Thedas.
It would be bad if his reign as king would end in a similar matter. He didn't want to see Ferelden fall back into warring Teyrn's and Bann's. It would undo everything that his father fought to protect and undo the structure that Calenhad had set up centuries ago. He needed to be strong, strong not just for himself, but for all of Ferelden and her citizens. From the lowest freeholder, to the highest noble, he need to show them that he could—no, he corrected himself—He can lead Ferelden.
Today would be the first real test as king. The Grey Wardens were slowly rebuilding, Maric allowed their order to return to Ferelden when Tonan was just a boy. His father was allied with the Grey Wardens on a journey through the deep roads. Tonan barely remembered his father was missing at the time.
Warden-Commander Duncan had hoped to meet with Maric to discuss a recruiting policy with the Wardens. They had few numbers here in Ferelden, so few became Grey Wardens. Maric told him two years ago that a blight may occur in the future, though he didn't know when or how. A blight was a terrible thing, an old god would be found by the darkspawn and tainted by their corruption, and it would become an Archdemon it then lead a spawn to surge on the surface.
Four Blights had been recorded in the histories. Each one painted a grim tale. Many believed that they were all killed during the Fourth Blight, but, it was not so. The Grey Wardens knew, no one listen to them. Except for Maric. Maric believed a blight would occur, Tonan believed him. His father was not one to lie to him. When he did…it was heart breaking.
Duncan knew his father, he travelled with him into the deep roads many years ago. Tonan respected the Grey Wardens, they have an honoured place in Ferelden also the story of their heroism had given him much inspiration in past. Cailan was more interested in the Wardens than he was. Cailan wanted to ride into battle with the Wardens to stem the tide of evil.
Cailan loved his fascinations, sometimes Tonan thought that Cailan wished to join the Wardens. Not that he would blame him though.
Making his way to the throne room he caught a glimpse of Cailan, he was talking to one of the Wardens. A female elf. He could tell she was a Warden because of her uniform, the Grey Warden symbol was on her arm and breastplate.
Curious. Maybe Cailan was planning to join the Wardens after all.
The elven woman had dalish marking on her face. He had never seen a dalish before, he'd only heard about them from nobles who petitioned his father to drive them off their lands when the clans passed through Ferelden. Maric dismissed them and told them to let them be, he paid the nobles off as reparations.
He wondered what they were talking about, he wanted to walk up to them and over hear something. But he pushed the thought out of his mind and continued making his way to the throne room. There were other Wardens standing outside the room, there were wearing black cloak with the Grey Warden griffin insignia on their back. The cloaks were to guard against the growing winter winds in Ferelden.
Most of them seemed not use to the cold, Orlesians, perhaps? He knew that most of the Wardens numbers were made up of Ferelden's and the rest of Orlesians. Maric had given the Wardens an old abandoned castle in South Reach. There the order was rebuilding, slowly. In the past few years the Wardens had only recruited around a hundred men and women, though rumours said only half had survived the Joining.
As he passed the Wardens they bowed their heads. They knew he was king and showed him the proper respect.
He entered the throne room, in times of a Landsmeet they room would be filled with Arls, Teryns and Banns, to discuss matters big or small, settle disputes and rivalries. Maric had Tonan sit next to him during such a large Landsmeet. Some Bann, he couldn't remember his name, only that he had recently died, brought up the fact that Eamon had married an Orlesian. The Bann called Isolde all sorts of names, spy being the kindest.
Maric settled the dispute quickly, at a young age he admired his father charisma. He remembered the compassion in his father's face when he Eamon made his plea, it was a hard time for his uncle. But he persevered through it all.
Duncan stood in front of the dais, the man's dark skin was distinctive, many thought him to hail from Rivain, Tonan didn't really know if he did or not. The man wore an impressive black beard. It was short but impressive nonetheless.
He knelled as he walked up the dais. This early in the morning there was only one guard in the throne room, Ser Peares, A kind lad, if a bit…overzealous in his duties. He stood wary of Duncan, his stance showed he was ready to defend Tonan in case of an attack.
Tonan sat down on the throne, it fit him perfectly. Duncan continued to knell he looked up at him waiting for a sign to talk. Tonan lifted his hand and Duncan gave a curt nod.
"Thank you for allowing this meeting, your majesty." He started. "You have my sympathies for your father death. He was a good man."
"That he was." Tonan thought back to the last day he saw his father, there something about him then, he was acting odd. His last words were, "I have to do this, to pay off a debt." What did that mean? What debt?
Putting his mind back into the present he saw other Grey Wardens enter the room, they stood at the entrance waiting. The elven girl who was talking to Cailan before was there next a grizzled looking man, a Chasind perhaps.
"I am here to ask you if you could provide the Grey Wardens more recruits." Duncan said, his face seemed troubled, he didn't want to ask this in the first place.
The recruiting policy was more like asking for men. In the past, Maric had allowed Duncan the pick from the city's dungeons with the promise these men would not be punished for their past crimes. Tonan had an idea, a good one. The joining ritual was often fatal, was it not?
"Of course, I have an idea that might please you Duncan." He said.
Strange, he felt odd. A sensation running through him. He couldn't quite place it, the idea quickly came to him with no real thought involved. Could this be what it was like to rule? It felt like a rush was coming over him.
Duncan raised an eyebrow his interest pecked. "What idea might you have, your majesty?"
Tonan explained his idea in detail to Duncan. The idea was a simple one, to allow the Grey Wardens the right to conscript criminals from all over Ferelden. Duncan at first seemed uninterested in the idea but the more he thought about it the more he seemed to like it. The Joining was often fatal if the criminals died then it was okay, but if they survived they could redeem themselves.
"An excellent idea, your majesty." Duncan said. "Though I have my own terms, which I will discuss at a later date." Duncan bowed.
"Very Well."
Duncan rose and turned to leave the throne room. Today was interesting for Tonan, but a thought came to him. This was a chance to ask Duncan about his father.
"Before you go Duncan, a question." He said. Duncan paused and turned to face him.
"What question would that be?"
Tonan wasn't sure what he was going to ask him, sure he could ask what his father was like, but would Duncan's answer be the same as everyone else? Maybe, maybe not it was worth asking.
"What did you think of my father? You did work with him before this did you not?"
"Yes, I did. Your father was unlike any man I had known. But he was still a man, he had—faults—just like any other man."
Tonan smiled "just like any other man" that made his day. His father was just like any other man with his faults, it was a relief to hear that. Everyone else talked as if Maric was some superhuman man, but thanks to Duncan words he knew his father was just a man.
"Thank you Duncan." Duncan bowed one last time and left with his fellow Wardens. The matter of their recruits would be worked out in the coming days until then there was much to do.
"I am the king." He muttered to himself with a smile on his face. "Are you proud of me father? Sitting on your throne. I swear I will be a great king."
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