Prompted by the following post on imagineyourotp over on Tumblr:
"Imagine your OTP having never met at all. But one day as Person A is walking throughout the park, they spot Person B just a few feet away. Person A stares at Person B, feeling the strongest connection, or as if they've met each other somehow. Person B looks towards Person A and their eyes widen, unmistakably feeling that same connection." In this version, Elissa didn't fight quite so hard against Eleanor's plan to marry her off to Teagan, and she's with her husband defending Redcliffe following Eamon's poisoning-and she hasn't heard yet about the attack on Highever. Aside from the "married" and the "not a Grey Warden" parts, this is 100% my Elissa from A Warden's Duty and I think I broke my heart writing this. As always, I'm playing in Bioware's sandbox here.
Elissa was one of the few who ventured outside the chantry each day after the attacks that came from the castle, helping to care for the injured and to give those beyond saving a clean death. She'd fought herself, the first two nights, until an injury of her own had led to Teagan pulling her aside and privately forbidding her from endangering herself further. In any other situation, such a restriction would have sent her back to the battlefield faster than any call to arms, but she had to admit that in her current state, she was more useful as a last line of defense here than she was risking herself outside each night.
It was nearly noon, and she had just finished restocking her supplies to go out and finish tending to the bodies of today's dead. They had to be burned, and quickly, or else the fallen corpses of Redcliffe's own villagers would rise along with the rest of the monsters to attack.
"I can't imagine what you think of my brother's home, my lady, if you think that Rainesfere is gloomy," she heard from behind her, and turning she gave her husband a tired smile.
"The sun shines here at least," she grinned, or tried to, at least. "Which is more than I can say for our side of Lake Calenhad."
"That is true," he granted her, then noticed her packs. "Heading back out for the afternoon, love?"
Elissa nodded. "Someone has to go help Murdock, and if I can't be out there at night, I'm going to help clean up in the day, at least."
Teagan reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and gave her a quick kiss. "Be careful out there, hmm?" he asked as he collected her pack for her and helped her get it settled around her shoulders and out of the way of her sword.
"Where's the fun in that?" she teased, kissing him again and then turning to go.
She wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings, and as she pulled open the doors to the chantry she ran bodily into the young man on the other side. They each stood there agape for several long moments, neither speaking, their eyes locked.
"I… I'm sorry, ser, I should have paid more attention," Elissa finally stammered, but still she couldn't break away from his gaze. A few inches taller than Teagan, warm brown eyes, light brown hair with just the barest tint of red that might have been his own color, or might have just been dried blood—it didn't even matter. She tried to shake the fog from her head, but all she could do was stare at this perfect man and wonder how and why she felt that she should know him.
After an eternity he smiled sheepishly, scratching at the back of his head. "Have we met, miss? I can't help but feel that I've seen you before."
"Madam," she corrected absently.
"Oh." The sound of that one syllable made Elissa's heart break.
"But yes?" she began tentatively, catching herself just before she reached forward to brush fingers against his face as if to test if the man before were real. "I… I mean no, I'm sorry but I don't think so." Once upon a dream, perhaps…
It was his turn to stutter. "Oh, erm… well, do you know perhaps where I can find Bann Teagan? I was told he was in the chantry, but not what's happened here."
Elissa glanced back guiltily, looking for her husband. "There," she pointed toward the disassembled altar. "I'm sorry, I'd stay to help Teagan explain but my help is probably needed outside."
Her perfect man nodded, and gestured for his companions to go ahead of him. "I'm sorry," he said suddenly before going in himself. "I never asked your name, madam."
"Lady Elissa Guerrin. And you?"
"My name's Alistair, my lady."