It had been about a year and a half since Queen Azariah Theirin had left Denerim on her crusade to find a cure for the calling that plagued wardens. Alistair obviously couldn't go with her since his duties as King kept him there, but he had made sure to send his best and most loyal soldiers with her to guarantee her safety. A few of the wardens had even joined her as well, including Nathaniel Howe, since he had insisted because he and Azariah were good friends.

One afternoon, Alistair was standing on the balcony that connected to his bedroom and looking out over the scenery down below. From his vantage point, he could see the entire city, and even the fields surrounding it outside the walls. He wasn't even looking at the scenery, though, because he was too lost in his thoughts about his wife; he missed Azariah terribly. They wrote each other letters frequently and he would get at least one from her every week, but it just wasn't the same as having her around. "Azariah, why did you have to go?" He whispered to the sky.

"She's not here?" A familiar accented voice asked behind him, and he turned to see Zevran standing there in the balcony's doorway.

"Zevran? What are you doing here?"

Zevran walked onto the balcony and stood next to Alistair. "You know Leliana is with the Inquisition now, yes?"

"Yes, but how does that answer my question?"

"If you let me finish, I will explain. Apparently, the Inquisition had made an agreement with the Crows to take out a Venatori mage, and when the crows saw me nearby, they obviously tried to kill me; in the confusion, I… accidently murdered one of Leliana's agents. So, I then sent her a letter and told her that I'd take out the target instead, and at a much lower cost than the Crows were asking for, friend prices, you know?"

"You had just murdered one of her agents, and you were still asking for money?"

"Hey, a reasonable amount of money! Besides, if the Inquisition could have afforded to pay the Crows for the target, they could afford to pay me."

Alistair rolled his eyes but smiled as he thought, 'Same old Zevran.'

"Anyway, after taking out the target, I decided it might be fun to tease the Crows a bit, so I sent them a letter, informing them that I had stolen their target out from under them. Of course, they did not take the news well and sent people after me… again, but naturally, I killed them, too. One of Leliana's friends in the Inquisition then help set me up to be put on a noble's ship, and I came here, to Denerim. I figured since I was here, I'd drop in on my old friends and see how they were doing, which makes me ask once again… Azariah's not here?"

Alistair frowned and looked back out over the city. "No."

"Where is she? I have not heard from her in quite some time… I'm starting to think she's forgotten all about me."

"I doubt that. Azariah has a very good memory."

"…You do know where she is, yes?"

"Of course I do… she's out west, in the Frostback Mountains."

"What is she doing there? Shouldn't she be here, with you?"

"Yes, she should, and I really wish she was… but I couldn't stop her when she left…" Alistair sighed, "I really miss her…"

"Why did she leave?"

"We found out that there may be a cure for the calling, so she left to follow up on the leads… she's been gone for more than a year, now." He sighed.

A few hours later, Alistair was in the throne room for a court session and was listening to the nobles talking over each other's ideas and thoughts, and he was just sitting there, holding his head up with his hand and slumped in the throne.

"Alistair, you could at least try to seem interested." Eamon scolded him.

"I don't feel like it…" He suddenly stood up, which caught everyone's attention, and said, "I'm leaving. Eamon, I'm sure you can do this." He then turned and walked out, his head bowed sadly.

"Alistair…"

After the court session was over, Eamon headed upstairs and went right to Alistair and Azariah's room, and entered without knocking. He saw Alistair sitting on the edge of his bed and just staring down at the floor with his hands folded in front of his mouth. "Alistair?"

"What?"

"What's wrong? I know you don't like dealing with courtly matters, but you've never just gotten up and left before."

"I don't feel well…" Alistair said and collapsed back onto the bed, now staring at the ceiling.

"Do you have a headache?"

"…Heartache, more like."

"Oh." Eamon sighed, "You were thinking about Azariah again."

"…"

"I know you miss her, Alistair, we all do…"

"No, you don't know! I haven't seen Azariah in over a year, and it's killing me! When we got married, we promised to always be there for each other, but she's not here!" He whined, "I just want her home…"

Eamon just sighed, not sure what to say to that, when there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

One of the servants opened the door and poked her head in. "Pardon the intrusion, but I have a letter here for King Alistair."

Eamon walked over and took the gold trimmed envelope, "Thank you." The servant bowed her head and left as Eamon walked back to the bed. "You have a letter… from Azariah."

That jerked Alistair out of his trance and quickly sat up, snatching the envelope, and Eamon joked that he shouldn't be so grabby. Alistair tore open the envelope and took out the letter; these letters were one of the only things keeping him sane. Eamon saw that Alistair wanted to read the letter in private, so he left, and Alistair started reading.

Dear Alistair,

I hope this letter finds you quickly and safely. I am writing to let you know that I have amazing news! I got a lead that I may not only be on the trail of finding a cure for the calling, but maybe even for the taint itself! If this turns out to be genuine, then it could not only save thousands of lives, but it would also mean that I'm going to be home sooner than expected! That is why I am praying to the Maker that this is the real thing!

I also want to tell you that I received your last letter. I am glad to hear that everyone is alright; with all this chaos in the world, I can't help but worry about my friends. Let them know that they are in my prayers, and I hope for their continued safety.

I really miss you, Alistair; you're in my dreams every night, and I want nothing more than to be with you again, how I wish that I were. There are nights when I lay awake at night, craving your touch, and imagining that you're the one who is giving me pleasure. I know, I shouldn't be writing such things in a letter, but I can't help it; I miss you so much.

With all my love, your wife,

Queen Azariah Theirin

Alistair sighed after reading that and laid back down, re-reading it, especially the last paragraph where she mentions pleasuring herself while thinking of him. That thought turned him on and he bit his bottom lip as his hand travelled down and started rubbing himself through his pants, and he moaned at the friction. He then pushed his pants down a bit so he could grip his growing erection and stroke it properly. He closed his eyes as his head fell back and he pictured that it was Azariah who was pleasuring him. He could see it so clearly; he pictured her at the end of the bed, her hand running up and down his erection, her beautiful baby blue eyes looking up at him and filled with lust. The image of her only turned him on more and he could feel his cock twitch as he got more excited. "Azariah…" He growled as he sped up his pace, getting desperate for release. "Fuck Azariah!" He felt the muscles in his lower body tense and he cried out as he thrusted his hips forward and came. After the last waves of pleasure were over, he sighed and collapsed completely onto the bed, panting. 'This is torture! I need her!'

Roughly a month later, Alistair was in his and Azariah's room, looking over some paperwork, when there was suddenly an urgent knocking on the door, "Your Majesty!" Came the voice of Azariah's lady-in-waiting, Amathyne. (Yes, the same Amathyne who was the daughter of Landra's lady-in-waiting, Iona; Azariah had taken her in when she and Alistair moved into the palace).

"What?" He called, and she opened the door.

"Queen Azariah is home!"

"Really?!" Alistair asked, excitedly, and when she nodded, Alistair quickly rushed passed her and down the stairs as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. When he got to the palace gates outside, he saw Azariah's carriage riding up with her guards surrounding it. The driver halted the horses in front of the gates and got off to open the door and let her out.

"Azariah!" Alistair said happily as soon as he saw her and ran over, giving her a passionate kiss.

She laughed and said, "Wow! Well, hello to you, too, Alistair! Yes, I'm home, and I'm here to stay… for good, this time!"

"Good! You had better!" He teased as he hugged her. "We have so much to talk about! Let's get your things upstairs and we can talk as you unpack, deal?"

"Deal!" With that, the two of them left and went upstairs while a few of the servants grabbed her things and followed them. When they got to their room, they had the servants bring Azariah's things in, and then said they could leave. Instead of unpacking when they left, though, Azariah fell back onto the freshly made bed with a sigh of contentment. "It feels so good to be back!"

Alistair smiled warmly and walked over, lying on the bed next to her. "Did you miss me?"

"More than anything!"

"Good, because I missed you, too." Alistair leaned down and kissed her gently. "I am never letting you leave again… not without me, anyhow."

Azariah smiled, looking at him lovingly. "I know. It feels like it's been forever, doesn't it?"

"Longer than that." Alistair sighed and kissed her again.

Azariah sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck as she deepened it, and moaned when his tongue slid into her mouth and met hers. She felt Alistair move a bit so he was now half on top of her and pinning her to the bed; that's when she stopped him, "Wait, wait…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She replied with a gentle smile. "I just think there's something you have to do first before we start making up for lost time."

"What would that be?"

Azariah gently pushed Alistair off of her and got up off the bed, going over to one of her bags and digging around in it before pulling out a vial, filled with white liquid. "Do you know what this is?"

"…A white liquid?"

"Not just any white liquid! What I hold in my hand, is the cure to the taint itself!"

"You're kidding!" He said, shocked, his eyes wide. "You actually found a cure?!"

"Yes!"

Alistair smiled. "Wow! That is… I…I'm at a complete loss for words! I… you're amazing!"

"Thank you, but… you know, it wasn't just me." She laughed. "I had help, from Nathaniel, especially; I mean, if it wasn't for him, I may never have found this at all."

"I still think you're amazing! That's one of the reasons I love you so much!"

Azariah blushed and looked away a bit. "You give me too much praise, but thank you." It still amazed her that even after being married for more than ten years, Alistair still had the ability to make her feel like a crushing teenager. She then cleared her throat and said, "Here, this vial is for you. Drink."

"How do you know this works?"

"It worked on me." Azariah replied with a smile, and that reassured Alistair, so he opened the vial and drank the liquid quickly.

"You could've warned me about the awful taste…" Alistair said, looking disgusted, and then noticed the trash bin Azariah had moved in front of him with her foot. "What's that for?"

"You'll see in a minute…"

Alistair looked worried now before suddenly feeling sick, he grabbed the bin, and vomited blood into it. "Urgh!" He groaned when he was done.

"There, you see?"

Alistair slowly got up and asked, "So that's it? I'm cured?"

"It will take a couple days for the taint to completely wash out of your system, but yes, for the most part, you are cured."

Alistair smiled, "I love you, Azariah!"

She just laughed and shook her head, "I love you, too."

That night, after Azariah had gotten settled back in a bit, she and Alistair were sitting on their bed and sharing a drink.

"It's so good to have you home, my love!" Alistair said happily as he nuzzled into her neck.

"It's so good to be home!" She replied and cuddled closer to him, and he chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They sat that way for a couple minutes in comfortable silence before Azariah said, "Alistair?"

"Hm?"

"When I was away, did you… miss me?"

"Of course I did. You know I did."

"What I mean is, did you ever… think about me and imagine that I was here with you," Her fingers traveled down to the hem of his pants, lingering on his belt buckle. "And touching you?"

"Oh." He said in realization. "You're asking me if I masturbated and thinking about you while you gone."

"That's the blunt way of putting it, but yes." She laughed.

"Yes, I did… a few times, actually." He suddenly gasped at feeling her hand grip his cock and start running her fingers up and down along it.

"You know, we've been apart for such a long time, and I've missed you too…" Azariah purred right in his ear before nibbling on his earlobe playfully.

"Damn Azariah…" He panted in reply.

"In your fantasy, did you imagine me sucking your cock?" She asked in a sexy whisper, and he shivered before nodding. "Do you want me to now?"

"Yes!" He hissed and thrusted his hips up against her hand in a desperate need for more friction. "You're such a dirty, little minx!" He growled as she took off his belt and unsnapped the button on his pants.

"You love it!" She purred, and looked down at his fully erect length as it was freed; she leaned down and licked it from base to tip really slowly. "You always taste so good." She then flicked her tongue across the head, and he hissed as she did.

One of the things Alistair both loved and hated was how Azariah knew just what to do to drive him crazy; she knew all his weak points, and would always use that knowledge to her advantage. She knew how to draw out his release until he was to the point of insanity, or how to set him off quickly. (That was especially useful when they had quickies in an empty room, or even a closet… which happened more often than you would think). Alistair reached down and threaded his fingers through Azariah's soft, dark brown hair before gripping it urgently and putting a bit of pressure on it. "Azariah, please stop teasing me. We haven't made love in months and I really don't want to be kept waiting anymore."

Azariah looked up at him with a smirk, "As you command, my King." She swallowed almost all of his length at once, and he couldn't stop the loud groan that escaped his lips as his head fell back against the headboard. He started cursing and moaning her name over and over again, and she hummed in approval. She ran her tongue along the underside of his cock and sucked, and after a few minutes of that, he tumbled over the edge of ecstasy. Azariah hummed happily and swallowed everything that Alistair gave her. She then pulled back and looked at him, "Did you enjoy that?"

"Very much!" He said with an almost dreamy expression on his face and pulled her towards him, and kissing her. As they kissed, he suddenly pinned her to the bed and said, "Now, I want to be inside you." She nodded in agreement, looking up at him lustfully as she licked her red lips to entice him further. Alistair growled and made short work of the rest of their clothes, and slammed his once again hard cock inside of her, causing her to cry out with a mixture of pain and pleasure. "I'm sorry, my love." He apologized. "I just can't wait anymore, and Maker, you feel so good!"

"It's okay, don't apologize. I've waited so long for this! So, don't hold back!"

Alistair let out a feral growl as he pulled out and slammed back in, and moaned her name as he did so. "Fuck!" He cursed and started going faster. "Azariah!" The two of them soon established a rhythm and were starting to rock the bed from the force of their urgent lovemaking.

"A-Alistair!" Azariah cried. "Oh, Maker, Alistair!" After a few more thrusts, she was sent over the edge, "Oh, Alistair! Yes, yes, yes!"

"Azariah!" He shouted as he filled her up, and after the both of them calmed down a bit, he pulled out and laid down next to her, still panting heavily. He then looked back at her and smirked, "Welcome home, my love!"

Azariah laughed and gave him a kiss, and cuddled up to him. "If I'll always get mind-blowing sex as a welcome home gift, I might leave more often!"

He quickly grabbed her and held her close, "Oh, don't even say that! I am never letting you out of my sight again! I'll give you anything you want, just please stay!"

Azariah had meant that to tease him, but she realized all it did was scare him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I guess that was kind of a cruel joke." She kissed him again. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." He said with a sigh of relief and pulled her even closer before kissing her passionately. "I love you so much."

"I love you so much, too." Azariah kissed him back, and before she knew it, he was on top of her again.

"Ready for round two?" Alistair asked teasingly.

"Already?"

"Hey, we have a year's worth of lovemaking to make up for."

Azariah laughed, "True!" Alistair kissed her neck and Azariah sighed contently as she felt them being joined again.

––

Skip forward a couple weeks, Alistair woke up in the morning to see the door leading to the balcony was open and the light breeze was causing the curtains to flutter. He got out of bed and threw on a pair of pants before going out to the balcony, and he saw Azariah leaning forward against the railing and looking out at the scenery. "Azariah?"

She looked back at him and smiled before turning around and kissing his cheek. "Good morning!" She sang, obviously in a very good mood.

"Morning!" He replied with a smile. "What's got you so happy?"

"I have news!"

"Oh? Tell me!"

Azariah took her husband's hand and placed it against her stomach, and said, "We're getting a new member to the family!"

Alistair's eyes widened, but so did his smile. "Really?! We're going to have a baby?!"

"Yes!"

"This is wonderful news!" He said and hugged her. "We've finally been blessed with a child!"

"Yes, we have!" Azariah replied happily as she hugged him back. "I'm so happy all that time apart was worth it!"

"Me too!" Alistair said and placed his forehead against hers, and wasn't ashamed to admit he was crying tears of joy, "I love you so much, my beautiful, amazing wife!"

"I love you, too!" Azariah kissed him happily.

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Hey everybody! I just came up with this idea after playing Inquisition for a bit, and thought it would make a good story! Please let me know what you all think! Thank you!

Nice reviews make me happy! :D