This is my first attempt at writing Fan Fiction but I love the game so much, 'what if' stories keep swirling around my head! Any liberties I have taken are my own, everything else belongs to Bioware/Dragon Age and I thank them for creating such a wonderful game to get lost in!
Need to say a big thanks to Asha'man X for pointing out my error with the surname of my female mage. I needed her to be from the Cousland line but for some reason my brain said Amell ;)
Chapter 1.
After everything she'd been through at Amaranthine, the miserable journey back to Denerim and the communal decision to push through the night because of the rain, to reach home that much sooner, Lyssa was bone weary. She knew her companions and fellow Grey Wardens felt the same although some of them didn't have as much waiting for them as she did.
The first question she asked of the guards on arrival at the royal palace, gave her some sense of ease. The King had not yet arrived back from the Bannorn but an advance scout had reported it could be as early as tomorrow morning.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she would have some badly needed time to herself, to try and figure out how to tell him, and work out what she should do next.
Dismissing her troops, she advised them they had the next few days to themselves, to enjoy with their families or seek out whatever comfort they chose at Denerim's many brothels. Given the coin she had distributed, she suspected the Pearl would do good business. Oghren wandered off, muttering about getting dry and then whetting his whistle. Lyssa smiled fondly as she knew exactly what that meant. Drinking himself stupid, singing some very off-key and dirty songs until someone poured him into his bed. It was a familiar routine.
She took a deep breath and entered the Palace. Servants who had been waiting to relieve her of her wet cloak and backpack scurried around, informing her that a hot bath had been drawn in her quarters and the fire was getting established. She almost bounded up the stairs, eager to feel warm for the first time in a week.
Gently declining assistance from eager maids, she closed her door and felt utter relief at being totally alone. She leaned back against the door and shut her eyes, drinking in the peace. The fire finally drew her close and she suddenly couldn't wait to get warm. Shedding her mage-robes and undergarments as fast as she could, wincing as some of the wet fabric tore, she started towards the bathing room. As she passed the vanity mirror she stopped, shocked for a moment. The part of her that could no longer be denied and only very cleverly hidden drew her hands, stroking gently. An impossibility she had been told, yet here it was, in plain view.
She gazed out of the window, thinking back to the time she had realised. They'd dealt with the darkspawn incursion on Vigil's Keep, saving who they could and had travelled on to Amaranthine itself, to try and offer what aid they could there. She'd started to feel sick and assumed she had picked up something from the refugees, Maker knew how much they were suffering themselves. She'd tried to shrug it off until the day she'd fainted back at Vigil's Keep. The apostate Anders, one of the new Grey Wardens was an adept healer and she finally submitted to his insistent examination. His news was a shock to both of them and for a time she swore him to reluctant secrecy. She eventually had to share the news with those closest to her as they could see something wasn't right and they were starting to worry. She couldn't answer their inevitable questions, as she simply didn't know how to feel or what to think. They all agreed, however, to keep the news to themselves much to her relief.
With one last stroke, Lyssa sighed and headed for the bath, easing herself in to the hot water. She gritted her teeth against the pain, as feeling started to come back into cold extremities, but finally was able to lie back and languish in the feeling. She tried to calm her mind using techniques taught to her by the Circle, to be able to block out all else and focus on the spell they were casting. It helped somewhat but every time she stopped, thoughts crowded back in. Eventually the water lulled her into a half doze and she woke with a sudden start with the water rapidly cooling. She hoisted herself out, wrapping herself in a clean bathing sheet and wandered back into the bedroom and the fire. She carefully lowered herself to the rug in front of it and basked in the glow, brushing her hair out as it dried. Again she found herself slipping into a light doze and jerked fully awake at a knock on her door.