Title: Through His Eyes
Characters: Hints of Alistair/Fem-Cousland, Calian, Duncan
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Dragon Age. Bioware owns Dragon Age and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.
Summary: He had always kept an eye on his little brother, this time was no different.
Timeline: During Ostagar
Warning: Er…slight spoilers for 'The Calling' if no-one has read it. Just some small ones, I won't spoil it for you!
Author's Notes: I think I'm developing a kink here -_-
Through His Eyes
King Calian Theirin wasn't as a stupid as people thought he was. He was more than willing to put up with that appearance because it helped him to keep his position. Even his own wife thought he was a simpleton, which he was more than happy to keep the charade up with her.
He only married her because his father and Loghain had wanted to join their families together. He knew of Loghain's little secret, he had found his father's journal not long after his father been declared missing at sea, dead, and he made sure to keep the knowledge hidden.
Everyone thought he didn't know about Alistair. The fact is, he knew about Alistair for a long time, ever since his father had gone to the Deep Roads and came back, maybe a little lighter than when he left.
He had hidden when that elven Grey Warden had come, he had been curious only to be…surprise at the little present she had brought. He wasn't shocked, he had heard the rumours but unlike others, he knew it just was rumours when it came to his father. His father had been in love with a woman before his mother and only married his mother for the sake of politics.
He had been delighted with the news before being stunned when they all agreed that it was better for the babe to be sent to another family to live. He had always wanted a sibling and to have that dream snatched away had been unbearable.
He had been careful to keep it from his father, just as his father had been careful to keep it from him but it hadn't stopped Calian from tracking his down his little brother and watching him from a distance.
He had been delighted to see Alistair grow up under the care of Arl Eamon as a happy child but that delight soon turned to horror, then fury when Arlessa Isolde had managed to ensnare the older man's heart. She had believed the rumours of Alistair being a bastard child of Eamon and made Alistair's life a misery.
How many times he had wanted to rage at the woman whenever she was polite to them, how many times he had wanted to go up to his father and demand that he bring his brother home to where he would be safe and loved?
Calian had never gave a damn what the other nobles thought, he only pretended to in order to prevent a civil war but he had believed that he would have been able to protect Alistair from the scorn of the Nobles if they ever found out about Alistair's inheritance.
When he heard that Alistair had been sent to the Chantry to become a Templar, he had been so furious he had wrecked his room. His baby brother would have been forced to become a Templar, to take the rites and forever be banned from learning love, from having a family of his own.
His father had been wise enough not to mention Calian's mood, though his betrothed had wanted to know why he was in such a foul mood. He just told her he was having a bad day and stayed out of her way.
When he heard of the blight, he had gone to Duncan and immediately allowed the Grey Warden to come back to Ferelden, much to Loghain's distain. But he knew that it was a blight, even though he put up a false bravo that it wasn't. He needed to keep the morale up as much as he could but he knew that he wasn't going to live through tonight, something deep within him told him that yet he was at peace with it.
Because he knew his legacy was safe.
He watched from the distance, vaguely nodding in time whenever someone said something, smiling at the appropriate moment.
His attention, however, was focus on the sight before him. A celebration was being held in the honour of Elissa Cousland for surviving the Joining and becoming the newest Grey Warden. And she was currently sitting next to Alistair in front of the fire, her hound on the other side.
Alistair, his baby brother, they looked so much like each other that Calian found it hard to believe that no one could figure it out but he supposed it could be explained away. Alistair, while muscular, was actually leaner than him. His blonde hair was a shade darker and was short whereas his was long.
But they were both similar in personalities, they both liked to act dumb. He could see the flicker of interest in Alistair's eyes whenever he learned something new, mentally filing it away, but he would pretend that it went over his head forcing the person to explain everything in fuller details. It was a sneaky way of gaining information but it was fail-proof.
People could never resist trying to lord it over you that they knew something that you didn't and they enjoy speaking slower, giving more information. Feed their ego and they would spill everything.
But she…she at least had some suspicion, Calian knew it the moment he saw her light blue eyes narrowing, darting between his and Alistair's face, her brows furrowed lightly before she shook her head, dismissing it. She would figure it out, either that or Alistair would tell her.
He chuckled lightly at the dazed expression on his brother's face whenever he would look at the young Cousland. He was beginning to be smitten with the young woman, and if he wasn't wrong, he had a feeling she was developing feelings for him.
It was hard not to see it; they were always in reach of each other. He had seen her laugh for the first time when Alistair said something with a stupid grin on his face. The surprise followed by awe when Elissa had burst out laughing had told him. It made his heart swell to see that Alistair just might be able to experience love.
Oh, he knew of the cost a person paid when they became a Grey Warden, they gained so much but they also gained loss. But looking at them, he had the strangest feeling that they would defy what everyone knew about Grey Wardens.
Calian remembered the time Arl Eamon had tried to suggest Elissa Cousland as a new bride due to him and Anora failing to produce a child within their marriage, believing it to be Anora fault. He didn't tell the older man that they weren't interested in having sex with each other. They would retort to it at least once a week in hope that one attempt would provide them a child but so far, they had no luck.
Anora wasn't as innocent as everyone, including her dear father, believed her to be. She had her fair share of affairs and he knew that she had developed feelings for another noble. He hadn't mentioned anything to his wife because it was her business.
Calian had dismissed having Elissa Cousland as his mistress and eventually bride. For one, she had been too young at time and contra to the rumours; he didn't go for barely legal teenagers. Second, the moment he had seen a picture of her, he knew. Right there and then, he had a feeling that she would be a perfect match for Alistair if they were ever to meet.
When he had met her after Duncan brought her to Ostagar, he had silently thanked the Maker, and his father, for guiding Duncan to her and bringing her to his brother. He would need her to face the uncertain future, just as she would need him.
Looking over to his side, he saw Duncan was sneaking scraps to the young Rogue's hound who had managed to sneak away without his mistress seeing him. Calian covered a smile as Duncan would glance around to make sure no-one was watching him before slipping a piece of meat off another noble's untouched plate and his hand darting under the table.
The dog would take the meat and lie down; enjoying his treat before nudging Duncan's thigh in hope he would get another. Calian noticed Elissa was now looking around for her missing hound before she spotted him and rolled her eyes.
"Damon," she ordered. Damon stood to attention, looking over his shoulder with a dog version of a sheepish expression. Duncan also blanched when the young grey warden shifted her glare to him before looking at her dog and pointed firmly to her feet.
Alistair had covered his mouth as he tried to muffle his laughter, obviously failing as she would shoot him glares every now and then. Damon whimpered before he slowly made his way over his mistress, after getting a pat on the head from Duncan.
Calian watched as Elissa knelt down in front of her dog, scolding him for a moment before he licked her cheek, cutting her off. The look on her face was priceless as she rolled her eyes, her dog wagging his tail happily and Alistair snickering.
It was strange to see his brother so happy…yet it made his heart swell to see this sight, for too long Alistair had been shrouded in darkness.
He listened patiently as the men bickered over where to put their men for the upcoming battle and the one thing they were stuck on was who to send to light the torch for Loghain's men to flank the Darkspawns.
Each name would come up before being dismissed by another man, over and over. He could see Duncan getting antsy and he didn't blame the Grey Warden. He was getting annoyed too then an idea came to him and it made him feel lighter.
"I want Alistair and Elissa to light the torch," Calian spoke up. The group descended into silence as they stared at him.
"Are you sure, my King?" one of the nobles asked. "Surely having more Grey Warden out on the battlefield gives us an advantage." Calian shook his head, fear twisting his stomach at the thought of his brother out on the field, fighting. He wouldn't be able to concentrate without worrying like a brother.
"It would be better. This way they can sense any Darkspawns that may try and attack Ostagar in a different direction. Alistair had learned to sense the Darkspawns but Elissa is still too new. She would be a vital asset to him."
He watched as the Nobles shared a look and remembered the rumours of Alistair's birth. Many theories have gone into who the father was. He knew the rumour that Alistair's mother was a servant, a rumour he helped to keep going in order to protect Alistair.
Anger burst through him at the thought of those ignorant Nobles were scorning Alistair just because they didn't know of his father.
"Is there a problem, gentlemen, regarding my plan?" he asked, his voice hard with anger. That got the men's attention and they shook their heads.
"No, my lord, it's fine," all of them stumbled over each other, trying to placate him. He gave them a short nod.
"Then it is agreed, Alistair and Elissa will light the tower," he confirmed. The men nodded before stepping back and heading over to the other table to plan their strategies. Calian sighed as Duncan stood next to him and it reminded him that he never had the chance to thank the older man for everything he had done.
"Duncan," the Grey Warden turned to look at him. "Thank you for conscripting Alistair into the Grey Warden, for saving him from a life of a Templar." The look on Duncan's face was priceless and Calian swore to memorise that moment.
"I…yes…your Majesty," Duncan tipped his head, still stunned. Calian just patted Duncan's shoulder and the older man looked at him.
"And thank you for being a father when others have failed," he told him with a sad smile as he looked in Alistair's direction to see his arm was being tugged by Elissa as she pointed in a direction with a smile, the shadows that danced in her blue eyes were still there but they were being held back by the young man who was smirking with amusement.
"Should I ask, my Lord?" Duncan asked, a wry smile curling his lips. Calian had a feeling he already knew how he knew.
"I just hope he will not let his chance pass him by, both of them. The darkness still needs light within it," Calian murmured to himself before he turned back to his map, leaving the Grey Warden concerned before his dark brown eyes turned in the same direction the King had once been looking in and his gaze softened a fraction.
"Yes, every darkness need light," he agreed before both men returned to the mission at hand, knowing that if – when – they failed, their legacy would still carry on within the two newest Grey Warden, who will bear the fate of the world on their shoulders.
Their only hope was; their friendship – and maybe romance – would be enough to keep them strong and together.
The End
Don't ask where this came from, I have no idea! But I did think that Calian and Alistair would be similar in personalities and if you did the DLC 'Return to Ostagar', you talk to Calian's right hand man, he says that Calian knew that it was a blight and that he knew he probably wouldn't survive that night, it was a bit unsettling (I did have to wonder if he followed his father's footstep and had a chat with Flemeth).
And colour me stupid, but I actually didn't twig Calian and Alistair were brothers until Alistair told my character, I just thought they looked similar until then.
Sneaky game.