Title: A Rose by Any Other
Summary: Elissa Cousland was left alone after the battle with the Arch Demon. Anora became queen as Alistair had not survived the slaying of the Archdemon. She was appointed to Warden Commander and sent forth to oversee Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. Her tale was not over at the slaying of the Archdemon, and despite he wishes to fade into the pages of history she had a duty to attend to. Along the way some old friends join her and some new friends aid her in her newest duty. She has yet to see what the Maker has planned for her, but she will face it. (Follows Awakening loosely.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or any of their Characters, I make no money from this piece of writing. I only own the attitude of the main character and some of the plot.
Scroll One: You're A Big Girl Now
I do hate sitting around and waiting.
A beautiful young woman sat in a study on the other side of an ornately decorated desk. Her hair was a deep crimson in color, pulled back in a simple bun atop her head. Her eyes, like jade pools, were scanning the room in boredom. She was clad in powerful silver armor, with a matching set of boots and gloves. A worn dagger rested at her hip, she traced a finger absentmindedly over the hilt. Her cherry red lips were set in a firm line.
The sound of the door opening caused her to turn her head, her demeanor was one of impatience. A shorter beautiful blond woman entered the room. She was clad in a beautiful and expensive silk dress a crown atop her head. Her hair was braided and wrapped in twin circles at the base of her neck. Her blue eyes looked to be apologetic as her pale lips opened to speak.
"I apologize for taking so long Elissa." The woman blushed a little.
Elissa nodded her head and sighed. "A queen's work is never done, correct Anora?"
Anora nodded her head and moved gracefully, each step fluid. She sat in the chair behind the desk and folded her hands as she rested her elbows upon the wood. "A duty you would have had to endure." She remarked.
Elissa thanked the Maker for small favors it seemed. Anora seemed to grow more weary each day. "Yes, I shall trade you my life of killing darkspawn for your never ending paperwork and meeting with all the Teyrn and Arl." She countered dryly.
Anora sighed and placed her hands flat upon her desk. "Elissa, I think," She paused unsure, and letting the dry humor brush off her shoulders, "I think you should oversee Amaranthine. You are its Arlessa and the Warden Commander. They need you now, as we have settled most disagreement among the nobles."
The name Anora had granted her had taken like a brush fire to a dry forest and spread its flames all over the land. She appreciated it, as it was not given to her by her dead love. He had left her a note when they parted angrily after he had denied Morrigan, 'just in case' he had told her in their brief goodbye before his heroic, albeit idiotic in her eyes, end.
Elissa nodded her head and sighed. "I have not been to Amaranthine in many years. I may need a guide." She replied and agreed all in one simple sentence, as was usual now.
"I have acquired a young woman who knows the lands well to guide you to Vigil's Keep." Anora replied keeping the conversation simple.
Elissa gave a bow of her head and rose. "I shall take my leave then." She moved to the door and turned to Anora. "We shall investigate what the remaining darkspawn are concocting." She opened the door and stopped at Anora's soft voice.
"May you find some peace in your coming adventure. Bann Teagan shall come to check up on your progress shortly." Anora wished her well without wishing her to be happy, which was an illusion at this point in their life. Both women knew this.
"May your days grow easier for you. Wrinkles so early on your face would be a tragedy." Elissa joked quietly and a ghost of a smile rested on her face before it turned emotionless once more as she left the study.
Anora sighed as she began to work on some paperwork that needed her approval before plans went underway. She knew both she and the Warden Commander had much healing left to accomplice before peace, and the fantasy of happiness could be found. Teagan had been appointed the woman's adviser in the absence of a husband or her father. He was turning out to be a valuable asset, and Anora found herself once more thanking the Warden for wisdom that was usually found in the woman.
Elissa had returned to her lavish rooms and packed the few belongings into her pack. She would be leaving soon. She had to escape the halls, the halls that haunted her with thoughts of what could have been had things gone differently in the battle. Or the night the wrong choice had been made. She hoped battling darkspawn would give her a reprieve from her endless onslaught of regret and sadness.
Sanest thing I've ever done. Those five words haunted her mind day in and day out.
She had not had many moments alone to think. So much had happened since that day a few weeks ago. The man she loved, their King for no more than two weeks, had died to save the world. He had perished in slaying the Archdemon which had lead a Blight against their lands. He had refused to take their companion Morrigan up on her deal. He had refused to sacrifice one night in sin to save his life, and was now dead.
Anora had taken up the throne with his death and was very graceful about it. After a long few months of rebuilding and changes, Anora sought her out for a talk. The had spent hours conversing over past mistakes and decisions. Anora had realized that Alistair would have learned to make a possibly wonderful king if he had lived. He sacrificed himself for his country, and any King worth his merit as a ruler would have done the same. Anora was still upset about the death of her father, but rationally thought about the position the Warden was in now. She was alone in the world, her brother was busy running Highever and rarely sent missives to reply to his sister.
Her family was butchered and her whole life changed. She was not given a moment to pause to mourn, not once. She was forced into a destiny to save the world, and she fought hard to see the world changed and safe. The only thing she had ever selfishly done on her journey, appointing Alistair King, and then herself as his queen, had been dashed.
She had explained to Anora she named herself his would be queen because she loved Alistair and would not want to part with him. She did not want the title, but had truly felt that Alistair was the ruler Ferelden needed to see them through the Blight. She had allowed Alistair to kill Loghain, because he had caused so much hurt and knew her love wanted to right the wrongs that he felt were his to redeem.
Anora had come to understand the Cousland better, she was a fighter, raised to make important decisions, and could make note-worthy ones when need be. Unfortunately during the rush with the impending Blight looming over her heads her decisions were rushed and made to fix the problem at hand to the best of her ability. No one thought that the woman, new to the Grey Wardens, still young in her years, would make some bad choices. Isolde's death and the use of blood magic to save time and the people of Redcliff weighed down on her mind constantly when she heard talk of Eamon and Connor.
Anora began to respect woman a great deal, she had everything thrown at her and had done as she had thought best, and had for the most part saved Ferelden far better than they had imagined. She had not done it alone and relied on her friends input greatly for help. She did not wish for power and instead tried to delegate it. After her anger at the Cousland had abated a bit and she learned more about her, she had realized this was a woman who had been thrown the problems of a country. She had saved it when she had next to nothing for which to live.
Anora swore that she would make sure she would do all in her power to help the woman she was becoming almost friends with. Anora had needed her help in rebuilding the lands and keeping peace at her succession to the throne. The Warden had even admitted publicly that Anora was the best choice as ruler in the wake of all Ferelden had lost to the Blight. She would see the lands restored and peace into their war laden lives.
The only thing that bothered Anora was how emotionless the woman had become. Zevran was the only member from their mismatched band of adventurers to stay by her side. He rarely left the woman alone. Anora had asked her once if Zevran was her lover. She had replied in a cordial manner. 'Zev is merely my constant annoyance at the moment. I believe Alistair had told him intentions once Riorden had failed and forced him into acting as my permanent babysitter.'
Anora had nodded her head and noticed that the Antivan Elf would interject or move to take her away from anything that would even remotely upset her. He had once threatened to dismember a noble for calling her the 'Hero of Ferelden.' She had claimed that title belong solely to her dead love. She refused to acknowledge anyone who dared call her by that title. Anora knew the woman was struggling to make it through each day.
Anora had told her she was the same way inside after Cailan had been killed at the Battle of Ostagar. The very one that had changed the course the youngest Cousland would take. Anora had spoken to her about this very subject many times, she had merely waved it off and changed the topic. There was much more wrong in the world than her depression. The darkspawn were not retreating and a feeling in her bones told her that something was amiss. She almost itched to get out into the fighting again, she needed the thrill of battle to feel alive. Without Alistair she felt dead inside.
It made me think of you. His voice filled her mind once more and she glared at the wall.
He was a complete and utter oaf. He had died so she would live, and for what? A life without the man she loved, and a land who could do nothing but praise her for things she was beginning to regret ever happened. She wished nothing more to return to the Deep Roads and fight off darkspawn until she died. She wanted to see Alistair with the Maker and smack him across the face good and hard, and toss that blasted rose at his face. She had never been in love before, and it would figure that the first man she had ever felt anything for would die to save her damned life. She loved and hated him for all that he was.
As she opened the door, she looked at the mirror to see how she had changed. She had lost much weight in her time at the castle, her body more limber and less hard than she had been the last time she was in the palace before the final battle. Her skin color was paler still if that was possible, and her dark freckles shown even more. She wished to be rid of the blasted things. Alistair had claimed that the little brown spots made her look endearing.
She shook her head and eyed her enchanted bow, the one that would have slain the Archdemon, strapped to her back with a quiver of arrows. Satisfied she would not be seeing this place anytime in the near future she shut the door. A lone tear fell from her faced and landed silently upon the threshold unnoticed. She was a big girl, and big girls never cried. She would forever deny she had ever shed a tear that day. A tear that held within it the murder of her family, the death of innocent people, the murder of a king and her people, and the sacrifice of the man that refused to let go of his grasp over her heart, even in death.
AN: I have edited this chapter a bit more and swapped some things around a bit. No big content change though. I Also this story will follow Awakening a bit for about the first three chapters, chapter four through six will take some references but once we hit seven its all BRAND new territory. I've got three written and am in the process of editing it now, four and five have been outlined and six has been tenatively decided upon. There are not many Anders Cousland fics and I wanted to add one where she was not Queen, and Alistair was not alive. I wanted one without the direct influence of our favorite Templar Warden King. I have not written a fic about Dragon age before so this is my first attempt. I hope you enjoy what I will offer to the fanbase. In addition there will be sexual encounters in later chapters, so you have been forewarned. Hence the M rating.