Dragon 9:25, Autumn

Some years prior to the Fifth Blight of Dragon 9:30

"Two more moves and I have you." Aedan spun the freshly captured queen in his fingers. He slouched deeper into his armchair, the familiar scent of Antivan leather filling his sinuses. "Don't let your father catch you making moves like those," he said, the pitch of his voice still awkwardly between boy and man.

Across on the other side of the chess board was a stumped Anora, sitting in an identical armchair with forehead in hand. She eventually knocked over her king piece, signalling her resignation. "It should have worked! She's the most powerful piece in the game!"

"You're too aggressive with it," Aedan explained in a matter of fact tone. "Putting the Queen in a centre square is usually a bad idea."

Anora's ears reddened and she deflected with a pout. "It's a stupid game anyway. Far too rigid. Nothing like the real world."

The young lord of Highever let out a chuckle. "You should stick to what you're good at, then. Bookkeeping and sucking up to men with silver hair," he teased.

"Economics and politics, Aedan. Economics and politics." She glared at her friend, and then at the board. Her eyes softened, along with her voice, "Another game?"

Aedan allowed a grin. "Sure," he replied simply.

The library door burst open, a blond-haired youth sprinting inside. The twenty-year-old man-child was huffing and puffing, face red from exertion. He regained his breath. "You two are still playing that game? Come outside! Fergus and I are going hunting, down in the woods." He looked to Aedan first, pleadingly.

Aedan disliked hunting. Your boots were muddied and your legs ached. But you couldn't say no to such an earnest young man. He relenteded with a nod.

The blond boy turned to Anora, hands on hips and standing as proudly as he could manage. "Fine," she replied, her voice filled with exasperation, "But nowhere with too many hills. That is my condition."

"Deal." Smiling from ear to ear, the man-child ran off as fast as he had entered, "Meet you two in the courtyard!" And then he was gone.

Anora's forehead fell into the comforting cup of her hand once more. "Almost two full years have passed and still at times I find it hard to believe that he truly is my husband."

Aedan's laughter filled the room a second time.


The pair, changed into sturdy leather hunting gear, made their way across to the stables, where the house kept their most well bred horses, reserved exclusively for the royal family and their guests. The rest of the party, already waiting by their mounts, were chattering away under the midday sun. Aedan could count from afar an extra set of horses reserved for the two of them.

Cailan waved eagerly as they approached, but it was Fergus who spoke first. "Little brother! We were starting to wonder if you'd tricked us and gone back to playing your little board game," he said to Aedan.

"How could I ever possibly decline an invitation from the future King of Ferelden?"

"Oh, don't remind me," Cailan grimaced.

Adriani, the youngest Cousland, suppressed a giggle. "It is an honour to be blessed by your presence, Your Majesty." She curtsied.

"Not you too." The young prince groaned and straddled himself atop his mount as if in an act of desperation. "We're here to hunt, lords and ladies, so let us hunt."

The others followed suit, bar one.

"Is something the matter, Cateline?" Anora asked.

A moment's hesitation and uneasy eyes, before Cateline replied, "I'm afraid I have never ridden before."

"Never?" Fergus blurted loudly, earning him a look from Adriani. "Uh, I mean, well," he scrambled, "Then how do you hunt?"

"I never have."

A pause.

"Hunting for leisure isn't very popular amongst Orlesians," Anora explained. "You will be fine, dear. Aedan will take good care of you, won't he?" She turned to the boy in question, an ever so slightly dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Of course, I will," Aedan replied, straddled almost at attention, "Of course. You can ride with me." He offered a hand to the young lady, sixteen years old and his elder by two. She took it, allowing him to help her onto his mount in a side-saddle position behind him, reservedly wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hold tight," he said over his shoulder, ignoring her frankly pleasant scent, sweet and citrusy, and the familiar heat simmering in his chest. She held tight.

"Good." Cailan looked on to the lush woods on the western end of the royal estate. "Then let us be off!" He tugged on the reins, darting off in search of prey.


Fergus unleashed an arrow, hitting an unsuspecting hare square in the head. He let out a satisfied grunt. "That makes thirty." He ran down the hill to retrieve the carcass and back up again to the top, where Adriani was sitting cross legged on the grass, her eyes stuck to the miniature canvas she had brought along, filling in the details of the sunset sky in front of her with red-orange water paint.

"Poor thing," Adriani remarked with regret, the majority of her attention still devoted to her work in progress, "We must be sure not to waste a single bite for dinner."

"A quick death is a good death, or so they say." Fergus set down his bounty and sat himself beside his sister. "Speaking of poor things."

Adriani finally looked up from her work, and she saw it. The sight of Anora scolding a sheepish Cailan in the distance, fifty meters or so to the north. She giggled. "That's rather unfair on Anora, wouldn't you say? So often you make her out to be some sort of a domineering despot, but she does have a good heart, you know."

"If you say so."

"I do say so, and besides, she even helped cover up your bumbling mess earlier, regarding Cateline."

"But she's never been riding before. Ever! How was I supposed to react?"

"Learn when to hold your tongue, dear brother. Silence is at times just as effective a tool as eloquence."


Aedan treaded carefully across the rocky riverbed with Cateline close behind. He'd caught nothing so far, despite two attempts on a particularly quick footed fox. Archery had never been his thing.

"This is something that your people do often?" Cateline inquired, hopping over a particularly large puddle.

"Oh yes, my people love to hunt. Although I must admit, I find it to be a little boring."

"You do not think it cruel? To needlessly end the lives of such innocent creatures?"

Aedan stopped for a moment and lowered his bow, turning to face Cateline. He shrugged. "Survival of the fittest, I suppose. Although I would think that you would be well acquainted with the notion. Orlais is famous for its Great Game, after all."

The young lady's emerald green gaze held his with an intensity that caught Aedan off guard. The rest of her features were soft and unassuming, but it was those eyes that could disarm him at will, boring into his very soul. "You need not remind me of the Game," she said with a hint of bitterness, "Every Orlesian is a player, willingly or not, let alone the eldest daughter of a duke."

By 'Orlesian', she was referring to the upper class, of course.

"How is it in your case, then?" Aedan gripped the handle of his bow tightly, "Are you a willing player, or are you being dragged into something that you have no desire to be a part of?"

Cateline raised her eyebrows in surprise and Aedan knew that the girl's cheeks had turned pink underneath her thick Orlesian blush. She parted her lips to reply, when something else, over and behind Aedan's shoulder, caught her attention.

Aedan knew it could only be one thing. He spun around and swiftly raised his bow, taking aim at the fox from before. It was chewing something colourful, wild berries, no doubt, several metres ahead on a tree branch and blissfully unaware of its impending death. The shot was certain, he had it now.

"Run!" Cateline shouted.

The fox jerked its head toward the pair. Aedan released the arrow. It dodged the projectile by a hair's width and darted off deeper into the woods, leaving only a short trail of berries behind.

"What in Maker's name was that?" Aedan blurted, an ugly expression crossing his face. Cateline pursed her lips. "Never mind," he said, waving her off, "The sun's almost down. We had better head back if we're to return in time for dinner."

The young girl nodded and followed Aedan back the way they had come.


"And who caught the bear?" Bryce Cousland asked after swallowing down a particularly chewy piece of meat.

They were at the dining hall now, all sitting at a table that spanned the length of the entire room.

"I did! Got it right between the eyes, too!" Cailan exclaimed proudly through a mouthful of game.

"Foolish, if you ask me," Anora interjected icily, "We would have been in trouble if you'd missed."

Cailan's smile was all but gone, his eyes lowered to the contents of his plate.

Eleanor, Teyrna of Highever, took a sip of her wine. "But he didn't," she said, "And now we get to enjoy a hearty meal, thanks to him."

"The heir apparent, should know better than to-" Loghain stopped abruptly upon seeing the look he was getting from Eleanor. He groaned, taking a large gulp of wine before turning to Cailan. "Nice shot." The man sounded sincere enough.

The young prince's smile returned and he took another oversized bite of his dinner.

"Don't forget about my efforts," Fergus said. "I caught thirty hares."

"That's almost a quarter of a bear," Adriani teased.

Fergus shrugged, raising a brow, "That's still more than what Aedan came back with. Five hours in the woods with nothing to show for it? I am sorry, brother, but that's just embarrassing."

Aedan stole a glance toward Cateline, who was trying her best to act as if she were oblivious to the conversation, slicing her meat with refinement. She eats meat! Why is she so against hunting!? He sighed. "What can I say? Killing small animals isn't exactly my area of expertise."

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten that you'd chosen to specialize in board games. Forgive me." Fergus grinned.

Aedan glared at his brother across the table.

Loghain chuckled before his expression turned into something more serious. "There is nothing for you to be ashamed of, Aedan. Wars are fought by soldiers, but they are won by generals. The both of you," he motioned to Fergus and Cailan, "could learn a thing or two, and much more, about that."

Feeling a little reprimanded, the future teyrn and king fell silent and returned to attacking their meals.


Bryce couldn't help but smile at the sight of his family and friends dining together. For decades, they had come together at the royal estate in private, at least once or twice a year, to share stories, experiences and lives with each other. To spend time together, with just about the only people who they could treat as equals, without having to worry about rank and protocol, or about being taken advantage of for political gain. His only regret was that Maric could not join them this time around. The king was attending a meeting to help unite the Free Marches. No doubt Maric was wishing he were back here with his family, poor chap. "And how did you find your time in the woods, Cateline? I understand that it was your first time going on a hunt."

"Yes, it was a pleasant experience, my Lord." Cateline replied, omitting her true opinions.

"Please, dear, call me Bryce. We are family, now that you are officially Aedan's betrothed."

Cateline blushed. "Thank you, Bryce."

"Your Highness!" A voice rumbled down the hallway leading to the dining chamber. It was Tolward, the estate's hulking and grey haired butler, bolting down toward them. He stopped abruptly, as per protocol. "A message, Your Highness, from the coastal guard." A bead of sweat rolled down the old man's temple.

Cailan raised an inquisitive brow and outstretched a hand, where Tolward placed a piece of parchment. The prince unrolled it easily, the bright yellow seal, reserved only for emergency messages, having already been broken by the butler. His expression turned grave, his skin pale and his voice shaky, uncertain, "It seems father is lost at sea."