Victoria Cousland is about to engage in a political marriage with the King of Ferelden, but second thoughts keep hauting her. She has to make a choise of love or duty.

The Choice

Nikolaj Büchert

It was early in the morning, almost six months had passed since the blight had been defeated.

Victoria Cousland, better known as "The Hero of Ferelden," was still deep within the dream realm this morning, however this didn't last much longer as she suddenly was shaken into the real world again.

"Good morning butterfly, have you slept well?" Leliana leaned over Victoria in the bed while greeting her welcome for the new day. She stared into the nobles deep green eyes while she gently brushed her golden-blonde hair.

"I have, though I do not mind waking to this sight." Victoria placed her hand on top of Lelianas while she pulled her closer with the other, they both closed their eyes when their lips met and enjoyed the moment of unity between their bodies.

"Ah!" Leliana sat up as soon as the kiss loosened, "What is it? Did I bite you too hard?" Responded Victoria in a teasing tone, to her girlfriend's sudden outburst. "No, no my love, but… Don't you remember?"

Victoria dug into her mind as she tried to reassemble the calendar she had inside her head. "Well, is it today I'm supposed to have an audience with Ban Rudolfo Van Tragh?" "No silly, that was yesterday." "Oh."

Too much whine the evening before had screwed her mind up; she also had a small headache.

"It's today you're marrying Alistair.."

That sentence echoed within Victoria's head, how could she have forgotten!

The door suddenly slammed open and Alistair, Fergus and two stranger faces stepped into the room. "Well, seems like you're up Victoria… Ahem, shall we… You know…"

Alistair was still as shy as ever when talking about the subject.

"Yes let's, I suppose you two will be the ones taking care of my dress?"

"We are!" Replied the two tailors, "we are the most skilled at wedding dresses in all of Denerim, you can compare our wondrous work with master Wade's!"

"I didn't know Wade make dresses" Leliana giggled, "Neither did I," agreed Fergus, "no, no, we simply mean that we are as skilled with dresses as he is with his craftsmanship!"

"Come miss Leliana let me escort you to the Hall." Fergus offered his hand to Leliana who took it and stood up. "I'll se you later little sister, we'll try to find your old friends among the guests in the grand hall." "Yeah, I'll make sure that Oghren behaves his drinking," added Leliana, even though she knew that was as close as you could get to mission impossible.

"I will go the chantry with Eamon to specify the last… Arrangements… I, uh, will see you later."

Alistair left the room too, he still had difficulties with talking to her. Victoria knew that Alistair was in deep love with her, but she had already turned him down two times and she had also made it very clear that the marriage only was a "political alliance" as such, to ensure the best rule of Ferelden.

She looked into the mirror and thought of all the adventures she had shared with her friends under the blight. How she met Leliana, her love, in the tavern in Lothering, How they together freed Sten from the cage and spared the live of the Crow Zevran.

"Well my dear, do you feel ready?" A familiar voice sounded from the door and Victoria instantly recognized Wynne, even though her hair had grown a bit. "Wynne!" She yelped and leaped onto the elderly mage and embraced her in a deep hug. "I didn't think you would make it! Wasn't it a long trip from Minrathrous?"

She released her embrace of Wynne and let her catch some air again.

"You forget that I am a mage my dear," Wynne winked at her.

"Ah, reunions, how lovely, I would almost tear if it wasn't because my heart was still made of rock." Another familiar voice interrupted them.

"Wait…"

Victoria looked closely at the dwarven woman who accompanied Wynne.

"Shale..?"

"Yes it is me! Though I prefer to be called Shayle now, it sounds less rocky!"

"Oh I see, got it…"

"…"

Shale hugged her. "Aww, I have missed it.. I mean you too." Victoria smiled by the open greeting from her ex-rocky friend.

"Well, come Shale I think these two men have some work to do with our Queens body shape, so we shouldn't get in their way.."

"Can't we just Cru…. No sorry I will behave." "Very good, we will see you later… My Queen."

Victoria thought back at the time where she solved the mystery of the Circle tower with Wynne and how they together found Shale in Honnleath just before going to Redcliffe.

"Ahem, my lady..?" One of the tailors poked her on the shoulder. "We are ready."

"Yes, ahem, but I'm not, not yet."

"We will wait here then."

Victoria grabbed a fresh bouquet of flowers and went into the palace gardens, she went to the little hilltop and placed the flowers on a small grave. "In memory of Ruff, the wisest of Mabaries and the most loyal dog in the world." Ruff fell during the siege of Denerim, she remembered the pain and the anger when she watched her best friends last breath, caused by a stealthed Shriek.

Victoria quietly sobbed, when a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.

"Cheer up missy, this is supposed to be a happy day!"

Victoria first saw the blonde beard and then recognized her friend Kodin Aeducan, king of Orzammar.

"Kodin! Is that you? When did you? I mean I never… That is to say…"

"You didn't expect me to honor the woman who won me the throne and restored my own honor! Of course I would come!"

She remembered helping Oghren with finding Branka, she had tried to avoid all the political intrigue in the Dwarven city, but by accident had stumbled across Kodin in the deep roads, who had been betrayed by Bhelen two years earlier, he had survived for a long time eating Spider and Stalker meat, and occasionally some Bronto too, but he had avoided the darkspawn as much as possible.

After he helped her and Oghren defeating Branka and destroying the anvil of the void he had come back to Orzammar to be cleansed of the reputation he had gotten and the assembly declared him king of Orzammar over Harrowmont and Bhelen.

"How does Orzammar fare?" "Orzammar fares well, trade flows and we won my family's thaig back!"

"How did you solve the 'warrior x casteless' problem."

"Well, I made joining the army legal for everyone in the city, and I elevated the old warrior caste into "general caste" now, so now the old warriors command the casteless armies! That makes almost everyone happy!"

"I see.."

Kodin could see something troubled his friend. He sat down.

"You look depressed, wanna share?" Victoria looked at Kodin and took a deep breath.

"It… It's about Leliana…"

"Ah, yes, saucy, heh."

"Please…. It's… Well I am…"
"You are afraid to loose her?" Kodin understood what it meant to loose a loved one, the betrayal from Bhelen had made him into the strongest Berserker warrior in Orzammar.

"Yes, even though we spend as much time together as possible I still feel her… Slipping…"

"You are not forced to marry Alistair…"

"Can I back out now? The whole country expects me as Alistair's Queen, at the landsmeet it seemed like the best solution, but…."

"Hah, you're getting cold feet beauty-queen! Listen to me; Do what is right for you, then the world can be concerned about secondly! That's how I survived!"

Victoria stared into the sky, she remembered the faithful day, the day of the landsmeet. Anora had backstabbed them, but with the support of Vaughn Kendells they won the election by that one vote. She had chopped off Loghains head and afterwards declared her Alistairs betrothed.

She remembered the shock of utterly surprise in Lelianas eyes, it hurt her just thinking about it.

"Thanks Kodin, I'll see you later." She left Kodin and went back to her room.

She remembered how much it hurt talking to Leliana after the landsmeet, she was so sad and disappointed but Victoria managed to convince her that they could stay together.

Leliana also knew that Alistair adored Victoria, but she hadn't known that Victoria didn't return the interest. This had only been sorted out recently when their relationship really hit the bottom.

After they had talked, their relationship had become a bit better again, but she knew that Leliana wasn't comfortable with the situation.

"Ah my Queen, finally back, now to the business at hand, yes? Please stand on that chair over there and my brother and I shall start making your dress!"

Victoria did as the Tailor asked and stared out in the room while they started to make the dress.

She has requested a simple dress, with roses made out of pink silk.

While standing there she could not stop thinking about the situation. This marriage had been an agreement for a long time and the people seemed to be pleased with hers and Alistair's marriage, but she just couldn't help but to regret it every time she looked at Leliana.

"Getting regrets warden?" She looked down at Red hair and the characteristic beard.

"Oghren, thank you for coming." "Of course, marriages may be for suckers, but as a fellow sucker I can't just turn my back on you right? Heh."

"I suppose not… But it is different for you now right? I mean you love Felsi; you didn't love Branka, like I don't Alistair… Won't the missing feelings destroy it?"

"Maybe, however in your marriage one of you at least loves the other… In my case neither wanted the other… Hey can I ask you something?" Victoria looked down at him, she hadn't expected any requests from him today.

"Do you need me to venture into the deep roads to find Felsi with you?" Oghren laughed back, "Mwahaha, enough with the cocky comments! I wanted t ask you…. Do you think I would be a good Grey Warden?"

Victoria's eyes widened and she turned her attention towards him again, "Uhm… Sure…" "Bah! I can see the 'no' in your eyes woman! I-" they were interrupted by a familiar antivan accent before Oghren could say any more; "I however think you would be the ideal grey warden my short friend!" Zevran stood in the door and watched his old companions; both he and Oghren had stayed in Denerim after the defeat of the blight, Oghren as a general of the Denerim guard, and Zevran as a combat trainer.

"Bloody antivan! Like I don't get enough of your comments at work!" "Hahaha I love you too Oghren, however I came her to say hi on the big day to my Queen!"

"Thanks guys, but-" "Second thoughts?" Zevran knew her too well, "Yeah, I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing…" "Well, I am an assassin, so I can offer you a quick way out while still keeping the throne!" He slapped Oghren's back while walking to their side, "sure, there is just that little problem that the king is our friend…" She smiled, whenever she was around them she knew she would have a laugh, that was why she spend much of the time, she didn't already use on Leliana and business, in the garrison.

"Just remember that I am above you in both rank and combat skill elf!" "Don't worry, if I wanted to engage in any physical means with you I wouldn't tell you!" "Why you little!"

"Please!"

Their arguing was yet again interrupted. Fergus was back in the room, he passed Zevran and Oghren and handed a rather large box to his sister. "I wanted to give you this.

"Please my queen don't move or we will screw it up!"

Victoria ignored the tailors and pointed at the bed. "Please brother place it on the bed and I will unwrap it when they are done, thank you…" Fergus placed the present on the bed and started unwrapping it himself, "Wait, what-" "I wanted to see your reaction…"

He opened the box, reached down and took a small mabari pub up from the bottom.

Victoria started crying while reaching out for it. "A… A puppy!" She held the pub in her arms while the tailors tried not to yell at her. "You always know how to do the right thing at the right time", she sobbed. "Well you are my sister aren't you?" "Thank you so much." Oghren and Zevran had left the room, the time for the ceremony was starting within an hour.

"Well I better follow them, I will see you in the chantry hall." Fergus was the one who would follow her up to her betrothed since her father was dead. Fergus had also remarried to a young girl named Bella who he met in a tavern in Redcliffe while visiting Ban Teagan.

"Yes, thank you!"

She looked at the dog in her arms, "you are going to be named… Luff! Like Ruff, but with an L after… After Leliana…" She could see that it was a female dog this time.

"Let me take that my Queen, and then please try to be still." The tailor took the dog and placed it on the floor, who immediately started searching for anything smelly.

Meanwhile Zevran, who had split up with Oghren to look for the other blight-companions, they were going to meet with the coming Queen before the ceremony. He walked by a room where he heard Leliana and Alistair argue:

"She and I love each other, and you can't just destroy that!" yelled Leliana at him, "I know I can't, but I'm just asking you to keep it private! I don't mind you two… Doing your… Business… But this royal house is hit with enough scandals without making it officially clear that my wife is a lesbian! And more than that; that her lover is an Orlesian spy!" *slap*

Leliana hit him over his face and furiously rushed out of the room unaware of Zevran's presence.

Victoria had been hard on Alistair upon finding his sister, out of irritation from him she had told him to look out for himself more, which he had confirmed with Oghren later on, maybe he was looking too much out for himself, but Zevran knew that Alistair always put his home, meaning Ferelden, as number one priority.

Eamon went into the room, Zevran hid behind a shelf before Eamon noticed him while passing by.

"I just saw the young bard; I guess your talk didn't end well?" Eamon placed his hand on Alistair's shoulder.

"No it didn't… Listen, do you really think she is a problem, I mean Leliana?" Alistair looked into his father figure's eyes. "You know what rumors, true or untrue, can do to a noble, or even a royal family, you have a history like that remember?" "Yes I know, but they just love each other so much…" "You're jealous?" Eamon tried to calm Alistair down. "Yes, you know how I feel about Victoria, and… Well, how she feels for me… She yelled at me in front of you once…" "I know, but remember your duty Alistair, it is a sensitive topic…" "Homosexuality?" "No Orlais, me and Isolde struggled a lot with it ourselves, and when the bard-" "Leliana…" "-Yes Leliana, isn't really linked directly to the bloodline she would do more harm than good, trust me."

Zevran left the place with the new knowledge, but he was unsure what to do with it.

Later on the blight-audience as it was called by the people started formally, Victoria greeted most of her old friends good day, and after some waving to the public they went inside again. The only ones who wasn't present was Morrigan and Sten- and for good reasons.

They all sat down at a long table, Victoria at the end with Leliana and Alistair by each side, while the old companions small-talked she noticed how Leliana and Alistair avoided looking at each other and this made her nervous.

"So, are you all three cool with the situation?" Oghren popped the balloon to the sensitive topic, neither Alistair or Leliana answered, so Victoria went ahead with a; " I guess." Which made the others look at each other, maybe they sensed the tension between Leliana and Alistair too.

After the Official meeting the party split up, Alistair left firstly and Leliana secondly after kissing Victoria on the cheek, when everyone but Zevran and her were present he dared approach her with his knowledge.

For the first time she could see such concern in Zevran's eyes as he told her of the situation he had seen from the shadows.

"I- I don't know what to say…" Victoria looked at him, "Only the shadows always know the truths my friend, I won't make your decition, but I wanted you to be avare of this, now I will take my leave.

"WAIT-" Victoria placed a hand on his chest, "I want you to do something for me…"

The ceremony began, "Wauw, I didn't know my sister could look that much like a woman!" Fergus commented her in her dress. Long and white, but simple at the same time, with a lot of pink roses. "Ha ha, let's get this over with…" "Still not coming to terms with it I see?" "No…" "Your friends the Antivan elf and the two dwarves haven't arrived in the chantry yet I'm told…" "I know…" "Well, just tell me when you wan to talk!" "…"

She looked down at the floor, the doors opened and they walked down the stairs. She and Fergus should walk all the way from the palace to the chantry, by the marked district, on a long golden carpet, so the whole city could take part in the celebration and get a look at their soon-to-be Queen.

When finally reaching the chantry they could hear the music and the singing from within, and "oversinging" them all she could easily recognize Lelianas beautiful voice, the voice she cherished and loved. The templars opened the doors and they stepped into the chantry, where all the nobles of Ferelden were squeezed together with her family and friends. Leliana was placed by the entrance, as far away from the altar as possible it seemed. Kodin sat in the front and snored in boredom, it seemed he had little respect for the human custom.

Alistair's eyes followed her all the way until they were standing on each side of the grand altar, just by the steps. The revered mother held a long sermon and recited some of the chant about Andraste's holy marriage to the maker.

"Alistair Theirin, King of Ferelden, I ask you; do you accept the makers will and bond yourself to this woman in holy marriage, until the maker one day wills to end it? If so, step up these steps as Andraste stepped up to the maker. Alistair didn't hesitate and stepped up the steps, stood beside the revered mother and turned to the crowd. "I Alistair king of Ferelden accepts the makers will."

The revered mother blessed him and turned to Victoria.

Victoria had been in eye contact with Leliana the whole sermon.

"And so I too ask you; Victoria Cousland, heir to Highever Teyrnir, do you accept the makers will and bond yourself to our King in holy marriage, until the maker one day wills to end it? If so, step up these steps as Andraste stepped up to the maker.

Victoria looked at the steps, the revered mother and then Alistair. She turned around and faced the crowd who gasped at her unusual behavior in a marriage.

"I can't!" Alistair whispered to her; "What! Isn't this something we can sort out later!" She faced Alistair, "I don't love you. I can't lie to the maker, I will never accept his will if it is this." Tears got in her eyes as she again turned towards the crowd. Kodin was clapping at the sudden action meanwhile Leliana had risen from her seat. Victoria pointed at Leliana, "I love that woman right there!" A loud gasp sounded from many of the noblewomen while the noblemen started to argue with each other about this scandal.

Victoria started to run down the chantry hall while the people rose by her bypassing. Some guards tried to stop her, but had forgotten that this Queen had combat training, she easily avoided ones grip and punched the other hard on the helmet.

She rushed to Leliana and took her hand. Leliana looked like a big question mark; a big HAPPY question mark. Wynne busted the doors open and stepped outside, Zevran stood by the door and handed Victoria her puppy, "It is all taken care of my friend!" "You are a sweetheart!" Victoria kissed him on the cheek and ran towards the gates. Some guards tried to surround them, but a small woman with a pair of huge gloves stepped in front of them. "Ah, it has been some time since I last crushed some skulls!" Shale screamed out in relief as she served a guard an uppercut.

On the other side of the gate Oghren waited with a horse, he handed it to the two girls while drinking some tomato juice, spiced of course. "Haha! I knew you would come to your senses, I said marriage is for suckers!"

"Where are we going?" Leliana grabbed Victoria around the wrist while holding the small pub. "Highever!"

Some days later at the docks of Highever Victoria and Fergus departed. "Well, I gotta say that planning was never your strongest feature, but I must admit that, that escape from the chantry ws made by a master!" Victoria smiled, "well, I didn't make that plan myself… It was Zevran." "Yeah, and planning isn't my strongest feature either! I guess that says more about you than me!" Zevran laughed in the background. "Take care little sister you hear? I'm sure if you died mother would return from the grave to punish me for not insisting on keeping you in Highever!"

They hugged a last time. "Come on, we have many harbors to cover, and we've spent enough time in this one!" Isabella gestured at them to get onboard.

Leliana kissed her warden when she entered the ship, "so, where are you taking us love?" "Well, I though there was a certain Orlesian capital you could show me, no?"

The ship departed, and with the three new passengers; Victoria, Leliana and Zevran, it headed for Val Royeaux.

17/08 2010