Dragon Age

A Thedas Tale

Ch 1 – Western Hills

Some days, it seemed like nothing could go according to plan. She'd taken a small shuttle from the Peacekeeper's bay planetside to meet with an informant. He was secretive and paranoid, demanding she come alone or he wouldn't be there. True to her word, she'd gone alone to meet up with Thorton but when she arrived at his coordinates only his corpse greeted her. And it didn't have much to say. There had been fresh spore not too far from her informant's gnawed on remains. It was obvious what his fate had been; now she would have to find some other means of obtaining information on the damned sith lord. On top of that, this morning she'd finally figured out what the strange feeling she'd been having for the past week was. The small life force within her was now strong enough for her to make sense of. She was pregnant.

Pregnant. That had been quite a shock and unexpected, though not unwelcomed. Master Kyrian Wythe was her fiancé as well as the Commander of The Peacekeeper. He hadn't liked the idea of her going alone, but he had faith in her abilities. And he should, she'd saved his ass more than once. That wasn't pride, it was simply stating a fact - not that she didn't tease him a time or three about it, for it was not in her nature to keep silent when a good ribbing could be had.

Normally, jedi did not have children…could not, but only because the food produced at the temples was infused with reproductive blockers. But, they'd been away from the temple for some time and had run out of the supplies the temple had stocked the ship with and had been forced to pick up more supplies along the way. She hadn't even thought about the consequences of eating outside food, until now. She'd wanted to have a family with Kyrian, but they'd planned to wait a few more years. That it was coming sooner did not bother her. What did bother her was she knew their child would be under close scrutiny by the Council. She had one of the highest midichlorian counts that they'd ever recorded and since she had been orphaned not long after birth, nothing was known of her lineage. Any child she had would fall under the Council's watchful eye.

The shuddering of her ship pulled her from her thoughts. She peered through the cockpit permaglass and her eyes narrowed. Lightning and plumes of what appeared to be colorful gas had surrounded her ship in less than a blink. It was the lightning that had struck her ship and rocked her back into reality. Alarms blared and her hands flew over the controls trying to gain control of the malfunctioning systems. "Peacekeeper, come in!" Silence greeted her. "Peacekeeper – do you read?" More silence. "Damn it! Peacekeeper – Kyrian, please respond. Some kind of storm just dropped down on me and took out my systems." Nothing she did jump started her ship. "Stay away from the storm. Do you hear me, Kyrian? We cannot risk the Peacekeeper. Oh shit…."

Her mouth fell open when a jagged tear formed in the middle of the colorful gas. Her ship rocked hard and hurtled towards the tear, being sucked into along with the colorful gas. She flung out a wave of power to push her ship away from the rip, but it was as if she was little more than a bothersome, ineffectual gnat. Lightning poured from the maw, striking her ship multiple times, the alarms and lights went out. "Backup power is failing. I'm being sucked through some kind of tear. Life support is offline. I need to conserve oxygen. I love you, Kyrian." She doubted the ship had enough power left to relay her words, but she could only hope.

A loud, unending, roaring sound and sonic booms tore through her head like daggers. She shielded herself and the shuddering ship with a burst of power and then closed her eyes to focus on slowing her bodily functions.

-BREAK ONE-

Gallagher Wulff pulled up the reins on his horse and held up his hand to halt his men. The sky to their right had gone from blue to green to a color almost purple, reminding him of a bruise. Wind whipped around them and the horses stamped their feet in agitation. "What kind of sorcery is this?" he mumbled.

"My lord! We should pull back," Dakon said over wind that had started to howl.

Rain pelted down, each drop stung with the force of its hit. Lightning flashed to the right, arching down to strike the land, the ground shuddering with each boom of thunder. Gallagher's mouth fell open when he saw the sky tear like an open wound. His horse backed up and tossed its head. A plume of colorful mist bled through the rip and some kind of object hurtled through. He raised his hand, twirled his arm and pointed away from the phenomenon. He wheeled his horse around and dug his heels into his mount's sides. As soon as they cleared the rain and wind he turned back around to see what was happening. These were his lands and he could not just stand idly by if his people were in danger.

They heard the impact of whatever it was that had fallen from the sky and could see black smoke in the distance. He glanced from the smoke back up to the sky to see the tear closing as if it had never been there. The sky remained purple where the rip had been, but the lightning soon stopped and the wind and rain began to slowly ebb. "Come. We need to know what fell from the sky."

"My lord…." Dakon said, wanting to warn against the idea, but the Arl was already gone. He nodded at the other men and kicked his horse into a run to catch up with the man he'd sworn fealty to.

Gallagher slowed his horse when he caught sight of twisted, metal debris. He followed the debris towards the smoke and found something he had no real way of describing. There wasn't much left of whatever the metal object had been - its frame had shattered, what remained of it defied explanation. He dismounted and moved closer to the ruinous wreck. He noticed something that looked somewhat like a chair, but little else was recognizable. He blinked when he caught sight of a body not far from the largest chunk of debris. A woman…but how…how could anyone have survived? Had she been inside of whatever that was? Or had she just had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

He knelt down next to the body and gently turned her over onto her back. He would not abuse a lady, even in death. He sucked in his breath when he caught sight of her face. She was stunning, even smeared with soot. He did not recognize her face, not that he knew every single person on his lands, but he made frequent visits to his people and her face was not one he'd ever seen before. Her hair was light, he thought it might have been blonde, but the soot made it hard to know for sure. Her clothing was like nothing he'd ever seen before. She wore some kind of tunic that left her arms bare, but for a single band of gold that she had around her left upper arm that appeared to have a cat's head in the middle of the band. She had a matching gold band around her throat and matching gold cuffs on her wrists. It was obvious the woman came from money. The pants beneath the tunic were form fitting and she had feminine thigh high boots, trimmed in gold, that had armor plating bucked down her legs from her knees to the tops of her feet. He could not imagine ever using gold for armor plating, the metal was too soft, perhaps it was an alloy mix, but he knew little of smithing.

He pulled off his leather glove and held his hand out under her nose to feel for breath. Her breaths were too far apart for him to feel them right away and at first he thought he was mistaken on feeling her breath. He released a slow breath of relief when he realized she was alive. He wasn't sure how she got there or how she survived, but such beauty did not deserve death. Mayhap, he had been too long without a wife, but he would love to have such a treasure at his side.

"My lord, does she live?" Dakon asked quietly.

"She does, Dakon." He pulled his glove back on and slid his arms under her to pick her up. He rose to his feet and carried her to his white steed. "Dakon," he said turning to the younger man beside him. "Hand her up to me…gently."

"Of course, my lord," he said taking the woman from the Arl's arms. She was breathtakingly beautiful and he felt a little light headed until he realized he'd been holding his breath. He blinked when the Arl called his name sharply. Color flooded into his cheeks and he handed the lady up to his Arl. He cleared his throat and mounted his horse. There was little doubt in his mind what had happened today would never be spoken of outside of their small group. He also had no doubt that the Arl would have them dispose of all the debris so that no one would stumble upon it and draw attention to it. Thankfully, whatever that had been had crashed in a secluded area.

They returned with the Arl to the castle and as expected they were ordered to return to the site in question and destroy the debris. With a nod the men departed.

The majordomo and house keeper followed him up the wide, stone stairway to his chambers. They said not a word when he carried her through door that led to the adjacent Arlessa's chamber and lowered her down onto the bed his past two wives had used.

He turned to his housekeeper. "Darlinda, send a couple of your girls up. I would like the lady to be refreshed when she awakens. Have one of them remain with her – the elf, Sharyn, if you will. I want to be notified the moment she rises.

"Yes, my lord," Darlinda replied with a bow of her head. It had only taken one look at the lady on the bed to understand why the Arl laid her where he had. She pursed her lips to hold back a grin. The look on the large man's face spoke volumes. If he had his way, that woman would be the next Arlessa of West Hills.

Gallagher returned to his chambers and stepped behind the folded screen to remove his protective armor. "Winston, please see that I have a bath drawn and my armor cleaned."

"Yes, my lord," Winston stated with a bow of his head even though he could not see the Arl and then departed to perform his duties. He was not pleased that the Arl had put the woman in the Arlessa's chamber. She might have died a few years back, but he'd had a soft spot for her and it was not his place to say anything to his Arl. Mayhap, she will be married or want to return home after she awakens and the Arl would pursue her no further….and all would stay as it was.

After a refreshing bath, Gallagher tied his pants, buttoned up his doublet and pulled on his knee high, black leather boots. He gave his doublet one last tug to straighten it and headed for the Arlessa's bed chamber. He opened the door and caught sight of a leg before the gown was pulled down the unconscious woman's legs. "How does she fare?" he asked as he moved closer to get a better look at her. A breath slipped from his lips. She was a sleeping beauty…and blonde as he had suspected. He was thankful now that he'd kept his previous wife's clothing. The fit wasn't perfect, but it was adequate for now.

"She has not awoken, my lord. I do not know what ails her, but we have made her as comfortable as possible," Darlinda informed him.

He nodded his head. "I expected nothing less." He caught sight of the elf seated on the opposite of the lady's bed. "You may return to your duties, Darlinda. Have dinner brought up to the room, I will be staying here a while longer."

"Yes, my lord," she said with a bow of her head. She took one last look at the woman on the bed and then departed. She wondered if the lady would be a kind Arlessa or a stern taskmaster. She didn't have a stern look about her, but looks could sometimes lie. She chuckled under her breath. She was quite getting ahead of herself. He had said nothing of marriage, but his actions spoke louder than any words could.

He pulled a chair from in front of the fire over to the side of the bed and lowered himself into it. He raked a hand through his shoulder length, brown hair and leaned forward. He gently swept back a small lock of hair that had rested against her cheek. She looked to be about ten years younger than him. She was old enough to be taken seriously but young enough to still bear several children. His gaze ran down her figure. Her breasts were large – she may not even need a wetnurse. Her hips were wide enough to look as though his babes would pass without issue. He was a large man and his last wife had died birthing his son.

He shook his head. She wasn't even awake and he already had them married and having children. A man wants what a man wants. His brows furrowed. He did not even know if she was married. If she were, he would see if her husband would be willing to sell her to him. Not as a slave, but as a wife. She was sure to give him beautiful children.

The smell of food drew his eyes to the doorway. "You are relieved to eat your meal, Sharyn, then return to this chamber and resume your duty to the lady," he told the elf.

"Yes, my lord," Sharyn said with a bow. "I shall return posthaste." Her feet carried her swiftly out the door. It wasn't often the Arl paid her much attention and it felt awkward to be alone with him. Not that he'd ever tried anything with her. He was honorable for a human lord. But he was very big and his voice was very deep and frightening, even if he didn't intend it to be. Regardless, he had her loyalty without a thought. When he'd caught two of his soldiers harassing her and not accepting her answer of 'no', he had the two men publically lashed and exiled from his lands. She would never have expected him to have done what he did, but she owed him a debt she could never repay.

He shook his head when the skittish elf flitted out of the room. He'd tried to make her feel comfortable, but somehow always failed in the deed. She had been born in the castle. After her parents died from illness, he'd had Darlinda take over her care and train her to be a lady's handmaiden. She'd served his last wife, Freya, without fail. She had quickly become Freya's favorite handmaiden. She was the last of his wife's handmaidens left at the castle. The others had married and moved on, but he was glad that she'd stayed on.

He thanked the servants when they'd moved a small table next to him and settled the two trays of food on it.

It was the smell of food that brought her out of her meditation. She jerked up into a seated position and looked around, disoriented by confusion. She looked down to find out why she felt so restricted. A stiff band of material encircled her ribs. "Where am I? Where are my things?"

He blinked and looked up into her face. She'd moved faster than he had been able to track with his eyes. Her words, however, made no sense. "Forgive me, my lady, I do not understand what you have said."

She pursed her lips and reached back to untie the offending garment and lay it on the bed next to her. She breathed a sigh of relief. She pointed to the gown. "My clothes."

It was obvious she was not used to wearing a lady's attire. He pointed over to a stand that had been placed in the room. Her armor had been cleaned and now rested on the stand.

She followed the direction he pointed in and saw her armor, her weapons on the dresser behind it. But that still didn't explain where she was. Then it came back to her…the tear…she'd been sucked into through the tear and somehow survived the crash. She rolled out of the bed and ran to the window, but she could not see anything unusual.

She turned around and nearly bumped into the very large man. She looked up and pointed up at the sky. "I want to see the sky."

He could not understand her words, but did understand what she meant. He held the crook of his arm out to her. When she slid her arm through it, he realized she did, at least, know some proper protocol. "Follow me, my lady, and I will show you the sky." He walked her to the stairs and then glanced down. She was not wearing slippers and he doubted his former wife's would fit her. He swung her up into his arms and carried her down the circular stairs. A servant opened the door for him and he carried her out the door so that she had a view of the sky. A sky still bruised by what it had gone through.

She had been caught off guard when he picked her up, she'd wanted to refuse but common sense caused her to hold her tongue. The floor had been cold and unforgiving. She wrapped her arm around his neck to old on as he descended the stairs. The room they'd entered looked as old fashioned as the room they'd been in. Everything was made out of stone, or wood or metal. There were no electronics of any kind. Even the most backwater planets she'd been to had some kind of electronics. This place was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

When they stepped outside she looked back over his shoulder and blinked when she realized she was looking at a castle. A castle….she hadn't even thought they were real…just stories. She blinked. Sweet hell – wherever she was - it was a land lost in time…a land with no refreshers. When he came to a stop she looked up at the sky and saw the purple discoloration, but no sign of the tear she'd come through. "Shit… she murmured.

Her tone told him all he needed to know about the word she'd mumbled. "I'm sorry if you were hoping for a way back home, but I'm not displeased that you are here with me." He heard her belly growl and saw the flush creep into her cheeks. "Come, we shall adjourn to the keep and feast. My belly is as hungry as yours," he admitted.

Back in the Arlessa's room he settled her on the bed enough to pull the chair Sharyn had used up to the table next to his. He picked her back up and settled her in the chair.

She looked into his piercing blue eyes, grinned and shook her head. "I can walk, you know."

He had little doubt she was saying something about being carried. "Mayhap, I just enjoy holding you." Unless the sky ripped open again she was here to stay and needed to learn the language. He began by pointing to each type of food on the platter and telling her the word for it. As they ate he pointed to other items in the room and named them for her.

Within a few weeks she knew enough of the language to communicate. She's always been a quick study and as a diplomat she'd learned close to twenty languages. She'd also learned by then that there was no one like her here. There were magic wielders called mages that drew upon the power of the dream realm…the fade to use magic…or at least that was how she understood it. Mages were feared and locked away in circles to practice their magic and keep the people safe from them. Would they try to do that with her if they found out she was different? She was uncertain what to tell him, because from his point of view it would be unbelievable.

At some point during the day she would retire to the gardens to meditate under a sky that now showed no signs that anything had ever happened. The tear never reopened and if it ever did she had no way of reaching it. On top of that there was no guarantee the tear would lead back to her when…it could lead to another, more alien when. This place…this land was her new reality – one that was hard to get used to. The worst was sitting on a chair with a hole in it over a large bowl to take care of business…and no water, sani-cleanse or toilet paper to use. She'd had to resort to collecting and washing large leaves every few days, because she refused to reuse a rag. After a couple of days of sitting the leaves wilted just enough to become soft but not fall apart. She could only hope that either there wasn't a winter here or that it was short in duration.

Three months later, Gallagher had asked her to marry him. She liked him, she'd even come to care about him. He was a kind and generous man. And truth be told, she was attracted to him. But a part of her still longed for what could never be. It was too painful to close that chapter of her life, but the baby growing inside her is what pushed her to honestly consider his offer. Regardless, she would not consider marrying him without telling him the truth about where she came from and what she was. It was not in her to deceive him even if telling him was the biggest gamble she'd ever made. There was every chance he would cast her out and she had no place else to go.

As expected, he was alarmed at first; though he showed no signs that he would send her packing. She showed him her lightsabers and what they could do. She explained the differences between what she was and what a mage was. Her people drew on the living energy around them. There was no fade, no spirits, no demons…at least not in association with her powers. She explained about where she came from and how her sky ship was pulled through the tear into his world. Once she'd answered as many questions as she could in a way that he might understand she then told him about her fiancé and the baby she now carried. That gave him more pause than anything else she had told him. But, in the end, he told her he would claim the child as his own whether she married him or not. Those words, more than anything else he'd said, melted her heart and she accepted his offer.

The banns were posted and four weeks later they were wed. She'd met their neighbors, the Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland of Highever and their young son Fergus. The Tyrna, Eleanor, was a couple months farther along in her pregnancy than she was. Gallagher was telling everyone how excited he was about being a father again and her heart went out to him. Never once, even in the privacy of their bed chambers, did he ever bring up the fact that he was not the baby's biological father. To him the baby was as much his as if he'd sired it himself.

Nobles came from all over Ferelden to witness their nuptials, as was customary if there were no pressing issues. Arl Eamon and his new bride Isolde and his younger brother Teagan, Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, his wife Teyrna Celia and their young daughter Anora, along with several other Arls and Banns. The king of Fereldon, Maric, had also come for the wedding and brought his four year old son, Cailan, along with an entourage of knights. Being in the presence of royalty was nothing new to her, as a diplomat, her services were often needed to help settle disputes or sooth ruffled feathers. She did not bow or scrape to nobility, but she did show a modest deference if warranted.

There was an odd bit of tension between Eleanor and Maric. Neither made it obvious, but her senses ran deeper than the eye could see. There was a story there, though she doubted she'd ever discover what it was. She developed a fast friendship with Eleanor during her stay. She had a lot in common with the woman who also knew a lot about battle. They shared stories, though she was careful to make sure her own stories aligned with what was common in this age. Sith became mages, ships were water ships not air ships and the like.

At one point during the stay the women started sparring with daggers, each having a very different style. They eagerly showed each other the methods they had learned to broaden both of their abilities. When she switched to swords, Maric challenged her to a sparring match. Everyone expected her to gently turn him down or let him win, but she did no such thing. When she disarmed the king and swiped his feet out from under him with a low, twirling kick, she held her hand out to help him back up. He had accepted her hand, laughed, bowed to her and told her she needed to get with him and show him how to fight like she did before he went off to find a drink.

She'd earned a lot of respect from those that had witnessed the match. Even her own soldiers saw her in a different light now. She knew they had thought she was daft in the head after watching her do her flips, bends and movements on the strange fur covered wooden beam that had been made for her and even more so after watching her swing her arms and legs at a hide covered wooden dummy. She had grinned, knowing they finally understood that her movements had a purpose and could be used in a fight.

Gallagher had sighed in relief when he realized his wife, Staria, had earned the king's respect rather than his ire for showing him up in front of the other nobles.

Four weeks later, their guests left and she'd promised to keep in contact with Eleanor. Which she did. A few days after their departure she sent a messenger off with her first correspondence to the Teyrna. She figured the messenger would arrive about the same time as the larger party and thought Eleanor would get a kick out of that.

In the privacy of their chambers she continued to hone her powers and lightsaber defenses. Her husband seemed to enjoy watching her. So much so, indeed, that he would toss her on the bed and make love to her until they were both exhausted. There was no denying that she missed Kyrian, but over time she'd come to love the man that had become her husband. It wasn't the same kind of love that she had for Kyrian, but it was a love of caring and contentment. He was a good man and a thoughtful lover. That he was taller and wider than anyone else around him just meant that he was a mountain she could climb and she did so often.

A couple of months later their daughter was born. She had recently received a missive that Eleanor had given birth to a boy that they'd named Kael. She wrote back and told her about the birth of Lorianna. Three weeks later another missive arrived, this one delivered via royal knight. King Maric requested the honor of having their children betrothed. She'd discussed it with her husband. It was obvious he was pleased with the match, but she could not bring herself to force her child to wed anyone. She replied back to the king stating that while she was pleased with his generous offer, she wanted her daughter to choose her own husband. She did, however, hope that they would be able to have their children spend time together over the years to see if feelings developed between them.

Several weeks later she received a similar letter from Eleanor and replied back telling the same thing she'd told the king.

After Lorianna turned two years old an entourage of knights escorting young Prince Cailan arrived at the keep along with a missive from the king. They stayed for two months before starting their long journey back. She and her husband had been impressed with the young prince and both agreed that boy must lead a lonely life to give so much attention to a toddler. It was quite obvious he'd been bowled over by their daughter's cherubic beauty and charm, even as young as she was; she had a way with people and the young prince was no exception. He'd been willing to do whatever she wanted, even if it meant playing with dolls or playing make-believe. The following year it was their turn to bring their daughter to the royal castle for a couple of months. She accompanied her daughter, while her husband stayed to maintain the land.

A similar arrangement had been made with Eleanor, which allowed her to spend time with her best friend. Two months out of a year was not nearly long enough, so they agreed on three months. It was as much for themselves as their children.

It was during the journey to the royal castle that she realized she was with child again. Not one child – but two life forces could be felt. She would be having twins.

Much to her surprise, Gallagher allowed her to name their son Kyrian. She didn't make the request because she was pining over a lost love, but because she had robbed him of his daughter and giving her son his name was the only thing she could do to pay back, in some small way, what she'd taken from him. Her husband had understood her rationale and supported her in what she felt she had to do. Their daughter she named Laura Rose.

She started training her daughter at three years of age, shortly after the birth of her twins, though she'd started showing signs of being energy sensitive at a much younger age. The mind had to be mature enough to have a basic understanding before training could begin.

Over the years she'd developed a caring relationship with her husband's other children: Wilhelm, the oldest, Izot, his daughter, and Berchan, the youngest of his children with his previous wives. It hadn't taken them long to warm up to her. She had been twenty five when she met Gallagher and he had been thirty. His eldest had been fifteen, and left shortly after meeting her to return to squire in the king's army; his daughter six and his youngest son, Berchan, had been four. She had discovered that having children in your teens was commonplace here, likely because many did not live to old age. From what she had seen so far, old was considered to be between forty and fifty and few lived past sixty. Where she came from the average human lived to 110, with some living past 120. Jedi, if they were not killed in battle, could live up to 25% longer than the average of their species; the midichlorians in their blood replenishing their health and helping to prevent illness ensured a longer life.

She trained both Izot and Berchan in her style of fighting. Though they were children, she wanted them to know how to defend themselves, even if they found themselves weaponless. The training was all it had taken to win Berchan's favor. Izot required a bit more finesse, but diplomacy was her job and she was damned good at it. Before long, the younger two children were calling her mother. She didn't mind. This was her life now and they were her family. The children had accepted Lorianna and the twins without thought. They loved them dearly and Izot loved to mother the little ones.

But, Berchan, like his older brother, left when he turned fifteen, to squire to a lord in the king's army. It would be years before his squiring was up and he could return for anything more than a visit. That was not something she was looking forward to with Kyrian.

By the time Angelia was five it was obvious she had stronger feelings for Kael than Cailan, but she continued the visits with prince, because a five year old could not truly know their heart and she did not want to close any doors for her daughter. She supposed her daughter favored Kael simply because he was more daring and eager to help her find ways to get into trouble. Cailan was more reserved and cared more about books and fantasy adventures to real life adventures.

She had begun Laura's training at three and her son's training at four because he had been far more excitable as a toddler than his sister had been. She and her husband had quickly realized that there would be no hiding the fact that his youngest children were different with the household staff. So, they'd carefully explained who and what the Arlessa and their children were and emphasized the difference between being a jedi and being a mage. She hated parlor tricks, but she showed them her power. There were no hand signs, no spoken spells, no staff and no colorful plumes of magic, just things moving on their own. She held no link with the fade and was in no danger of being possessed. Since she'd practiced shielding her mind since she was a child and it was one of the first things she taught her children.

They had utmost faith in their staff's silence and knew everyone of them would protect the family with their lives without a thought. There was no household that would treat them with even half the respect they got from the Arl and Arlessa. Here, they were part of the family. A paid part, but family all the same and many of them had grow up here. Up until the day they'd explained things to the staff, Sharyn was the only person besides her husband who knew who and what she was. She'd developed a close bond with the elven woman and she was rarely far from her side. She'd helped her adjust to a new life after she first arrived and she was the only handmaiden she'd allowed her husband to assign to her. She did not need personal servants, but she did need a friend and Sharyn filled the spot nicely.

-BREAK TWO-

"You are more beautiful that your mother," Cailan blurted out, his cheeks burning.

Lorianna looked up from the book she'd been reading aloud to Cailan about a Prince riding a gryphon and leading the grey wardens on an epic crusade. She smiled at him, her dimples peaking out. "Just wait until I'm grown up – I'll really knock your socks off," she teased. She knew she was pretty, even at only six years old. The looking glass could not tell a lie – unless it was magical.

He blinked. She spoke in the same odd manner as her mother, but it intrigued him rather than put him off. When he'd first been told he was to visit her when she was a baby, he'd done so grudgingly. He knew his father thought she'd be a good match for him. But what interest could a six year old have in a two year old? But she was nothing like he imagined her to be when he met her. She could talk nearly as well as him and was quick witted. She was more like a short child than a baby. Her pale blonde hair, similar to his own, was tied up on either side of her head and hung like small horse tails. Her large eyes were sky blue with darker blue rings around them and every time she smiled, charming dimples popped out. He found himself willing to do anything she wanted to make her happy, whether it was picking flowers, playing with her dolls or sneaking in the larder and stealing cookies. Before his two months were up he knew he would accept a betrothal if one could be agreed upon. She was far more fun than Anora. Each year, he was more drawn to her in the time they spent together. And despite Loghain pushing at his father for a match, he knew his father was still hoping a match could be made with the Arl's daughter. "Then I'll have to make sure I always carry an extra pair when I'm near you," he teased.

She arched a brow and flashed a dimple. "Only one pair? I fear you will find yourself more barefoot than not."

"Is that so bad?" he shot back. "I used to run barefoot all the time as a child."

She pursed her lips. "Just watch where you step."

He grunted. It was Ferelden and dog dung peppered the land. "You have a point," he conceded. It was far from the first time he'd stepped in the unmentionable, barefoot or otherwise. Unlike most girls of noble stature she did not wear dresses. In this way, too, she was like her mother, who preferred to wear tapered, form fitting pants with a knee length embroidered tunic, belted at the waist. And, like her mother, if she left the house, she did so with a dagger on each hip.

"Oh, there you are," Anora said drolly as she stepped into the chamber and caught sight of them sitting in the pillowed, oriel window. She pursed her lips and frowned. Her father wanted her to marry Cailan, do whatever it took to make him want to marry her, but how could she when he seemed enamored by that child? She didn't particularly want to marry him, but doing so would make her a princess and that was something every girl wanted to be.

Cailan looked over at the Anora. She always seems so aloof. She was fifteen to his ten, but looked and acted older, with her dark blonde hair pulled back tightly in a bun, her walk slow and deliberate, a matronly dress, her hands held out in front of her and her nose all but in the air. She was pretty enough, but if he had to choose between her and Lorianna, there was no choice. He spent a lot of time with Anora now that she and her father were staying in Denerim, but he did not like her interfering with his time with Lorianna, he didn't get to see her very often. He was looking forward to next year when it was his turn to go visit her at West Hills. "It appears that we were lost, Lor…and now we have been found." He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It would have been nice to have been lost longer." He grinned at her giggle and looked back at Anora. "It is time then?"

She inclined her head. "Yes, your highness. The Arlessa sent me to inform you that they would be leaving shortly. You must make haste, Lorianna." She bit back a grin. She would have a little over eight months without the child's interference before he trekked off to Western Hills. She didn't dislike Lorianna. She was too nice to dislike and if her father wasn't pushing her so hard, she wouldn't have cared if Cailan and Lorianna became betrothed. But she would do what her father wanted and that meant the girl was an obstacle. "It was nice spending time with you, Lorianna. I will leave you two to your farewells." She inclined her head to Cailan and departed.

"I hate it when you have to go," he sighed wistfully. He knew he wasn't the only match lined up for her and he wanted to ask her how she felt about him, but she held his heart in her hands and he didn't want to risk it bleeding. Unlike Anora, she didn't treat him with deference. To her he was only Cailan, friend, playmate and co-conspirator. That was another thing he loved about her. She liked him for who he was. He could be himself around her and she didn't judge him. If she thought he was wrong she was not afraid to tell him and if she needed him to look at something from another prospective, she was good painting the picture she wanted him to see. There was no deceit, no putting on airs and no games…at least not the mental variety. She treated the servants kindly, asking rather than ordering or doing for herself when she was in a position to do so. She took the time to get to know them and they adored her. The only person who didn't adore her was Loghain, but he suspected that was only because Loghain wanted to see him with his daughter.

She set the book beside her and took his hand. "You'll be in West Hills before you know it. I've got a new mount and I can wait to test him against yours!"

He grinned. "No more ponies for you?"

"No more ponies. I call him Shadow, because when he runs all you see is his shadow," she told him with a grin.

His blue eyes sparkled. "Challenge accepted, my dear. My Minstrel against your Shadow!"

Her smile widened. Cailan called his gelding Minstrel because his buttocks sang far more than they should. But he was fleet, so he was forgiven. She nodded. "To the winner goes a boon. You have eight months to figure out what that will be."

He already knew what he wanted it to be. A kiss. Freely given. "So let it be."

She grazed her fingertips against his familiar cheek. Not only because she knew him well, but because someone else close to her wore the same face. If it weren't for the fact that Kael's hair was golden blonde, they could pass as twins. "You should ask your father if he will let you get to know your brother. I think you'd get along well together."

He blinked, his hand tightening on hers and shook his head. "I don't have a brother. I wish I did, it's infernally boring here by myself."

She tilted her head and looked at him with confusion. "You mean you don't know about him? That's not right; you have the right to know him. He's family."

His brows drew together. "What are you talking about? Who do you think is my brother?"

"I -," she frowned. "But he wears your face…Maric's face. I know I'm not wrong," she said with a shake of her head.

"Lor…" he groaned. "Who?"

She blinked. "Oh – Kael."

Kael. He knew that name well. It was the name of the other proposed betrothal. The other boy she spent time with. "Kael is a Cousland – Bryce is his father. You must be mistaken." While he wouldn't put it past his father to seduce Eleanor, he could not picture her straying from a husband she loved.

She shrugged and shook her head. "Am I ever mistaken?" she asked matter of fact.

His lips pulled into a frown. She did have a way of knowing things. It was what made him comfortable sneaking around with her, because she always seemed to know if someone was nearby so they could make a fast getaway. "Well, there was that time -" No, that didn't count. She'd told him ahead of time they would get caught, but she'd talked him into it anyway. "I suppose not," he replied when she arched her brow at him. "But Eleanor would never…"

"Eleanor would never what?" she asked curiously.

Sometimes it was hard to remember she was only six years old. "He looks just like me?"

She nodded her head emphatically and squeezed his hand. "If you stood in front of a mirror you would be seeing him. The only difference is that he's got golden blonde hair, lighter than his mother's."

He'd overhead much over the years, there wasn't else to do when he found free time. If she was right, then there must be a story behind the affair. And he intended to try to find out what it was. "What's he like?"

She pushed a strand of wavy, pale honey colored hair behind her ear. "He manages to get me into all kinds of trouble. He doesn't listen to me as often as you do, so we find ourselves getting scolded more often than I like. And oh boy, Nan is the best at it. She knows how to make someone feel this big," she said pinching her fingers close together. "But, he takes the blame for it each and every time without a thought." She laughed softly. "And well he should, since we wouldn't have been in that pickle if he'd have only listened to me."

If Kael had golden blonde hair it was doubtful Bryce was his father. Bryce had reddish-brown hair, as did his older son, Fergus. Eleanor had dark blonde hair. His father had light blonde hair, as did he. It was far more likely for Eleanor to have a lighter blonde haired child if his father had sired the child. But surely someone would have noticed if the child looked like Maric. And servants were known for their gossiping ways. Then again, the servants are treated well at Highever and may well value their position more than gossip. He would have to look into her claims. "Then he should learn to listen to you more often."

She gave a firm nod. "He should," she agreed quickly. She hadn't a clue what she set into motion. She did not understand the ramifications or why things were the way they were. She only knew that family had the right to know each other. She also wasn't sure why no one else seemed to see what she did? Perhaps, people saw only what they wanted to see or believe. She squeezed his hand. "I should go before mother has to come looking for me."

"I know," he said quietly. With her hand still in his, he led her from library alcove to find her mother.

-BREAK THREE-

She reined Shadow in once they'd reached the spring. Unlike with that first race she'd had with Cailan, she never again held her gelding back. She'd only held him back that first time because she was curious as to what Cailan's boon would be. She had been surprised to find out that it had been a simple kiss, freely given. So she acquiesced and brushed her lips against his. To that end, Cailan was the giver of her first kiss and from that time on, he'd found a reason to kiss her each time they got together. Not that she minded, in fact, the older she got the more she liked them. This year he had surprised her when his tongue stroked hers. She wasn't blind, she had seen people kissing like that – even her parents, but it had never occurred to her to kiss in that manner until Cailan's fervent kiss. But that kiss had awoken something in her and she wondered what it would be like to kiss Kael in such a way. She looked over at Kael, grinned and threw her leg over the saddle to dismount.

She didn't know if anyone else knew about this spring, but she considered it her spring. Cailan and Kael were the only two she'd ever showed the spring to. She hadn't even taken her siblings here. She loved her siblings, but this was a special place to her. A place for her to get away and have some me time. She'd been willing to show Cailan and Kael because they weren't here for long, so she still had plenty of me time. Though, she never left the keep without Legion, her mabari hound, at her side. If she didn't take him, her parents would have forced her to take a guard and that simply wouldn't do.

Earlier this year, Cailan had acted strangely at the spring. Normally, they threw off their clothing and hopped into the warm bubbles without a care. This time he flushed and stammered and wouldn't join her until she turned her back to him. She did so, but she could not stop herself from peeking and when she saw that part of him standing proud as he removed his trousers, she understood why things had been awkward for him this time. When he kissed her this time it had been different too. There had been an urgency that was lacking before that made her body heat up. When her body had slid against his slick muscles, she felt sensations she'd never felt before.

She loved him, maybe not in the same way as she loved Kael, but she trusted him and it hadn't occurred to her to push him away, not when her body was warm and achy. His hands had skimmed over her body, send small spirals of heat through her and when his head dropped low to draw the tight bud of her nipple into the heat of his mouth she was lost. She remembered how he'd sat her on a small, flat rock ledge and told her he wanted to try something he'd heard about. By then, she was putty in his hands and when he pulled her to the edge of the ledge and spread her thighs, she didn't think anything of it. Sweet stars, what his lips and tongue had done to her. At first it had been only pleasant until he hit something that had sent torrents of pleasure washing over her. She had gripped his head, holding him prisoner against her until she fell into an abyss she never knew existed. But still, there was an empty ache and when she'd told him he'd smiled softly at her and said he could relieve that emptiness if she'd allow him to make love to her. And so she had. What started out as painful had become something beautiful that gave her a very different kind of pleasure.

Cailan had formally asked her to marry him while he was buried deep in her heat. But she couldn't. Not yet. She had to be sure of how things stood with Kael before she could make that choice. He'd told her he understood and would not push her for an answer, but he had continued to court her publically and make love to her privately. They had taken each other's virginity and that would always mean something to her, he would always have a place in her heart, no matter how things turned out. She knew he loved her, he'd told her so as often as he could, as far back as she could remember. He'd told her he knew he wanted to marry her when he'd first met her and that would never change. And she loved him. It would be a good match. Perhaps, not a true love match on her side, but a love match all the same. It was far more than most people were able to have. Except – she loved Kael in the same way Cailan loved her. But Kael loved her like a sister and not a woman.

She was fifteen now and that had happened when she was fourteen. While her mother assured her she had plenty of time, it was customary for girls her age to at least be betrothed, and most girls married between fourteen and sixteen. She knew she would have to make a decision soon, especially since Loghain was still pushing Anora on him and he couldn't hold out forever or he'd offend his father's friend.

She took a deep breath and focused on the present. She pulled her clothing off slowly, starting with her boots and pants. Her breasts had grown far larger since she'd last visited the spring with Kael. And she'd hoped he'd finally see her as a woman that he could love as much as she loved him. She watched the heat build in his bright blue eyes with each piece of clothing that fell to the ground. She felt herself go lightheaded and realized she'd been holding her breath. She inhaled sharply and slowly unbuttoned her tunic after her dagger laden belt hit the ground.

Kael had been fighting his feelings for Lorianna for years. He knew his parents wanted the match, but he also knew his king wanted a match with Cailan. Who was he to stand in the way of the Prince and his King's wishes? He was only a spare Teyrn heir. In the past, focusing on the fact that she would be the Prince's bride had always cooled his ardor, but today that failed to happen. His body roared to life and no amount of will could keep his arousal and need for her in check. One look at her and he knew he could no longer fight what she made him feel and one way or another he would know if she felt the same for him this day. He removed his doublet, followed by his shoes and then untied his pants and stepped out of them. He looked at her intently as he stood proudly before her. He looked for any sign of disgust or anxiety, but saw none. He felt himself thicken when her gaze lowered to his arousal.

When she rubbed her thighs together he wondered if he was affecting her in the same way she was affecting him. When her gaze lifted to meet his any concerns he had faded. Her sky blue eyes were glazed with a burning hunger that matched his own. He pulled her into his arms, pressing her body against his with a groan as he captured the back of her neck and claimed her parted lips. His tongue met his halfway and he nearly lost all reason. While he still had control he pulled back to look into her eyes. "I'm through fighting what I feel for you, Lor. I love you. I always have." He loved her too much to make love to her without the intent to marry her. He dropped down to one knee his gaze fell to her fleece covered mound. He swallowed hard and forced his gaze upwards. "I have known you and loved you all my life. There has never been anyone for me but you. It was not my place to love you when our King chose you for the Prince, but I will no longer step aside, not if there is a chance I could have you as my own. Will you, Lorianna Sky Wulff, consent to be my wife?" This was not how he'd ever imagined proposing to her - in naught but his birthday suit. But they'd come to a point of no return. He was either going to make love to his betrothed or he would make love to her as a friend that he loved with all his heart. But he had to know before things went any further, if only to try to protect his heart from further pain.

She looked down at his golden waves of hair, her heart slamming in her chest wanting to hear what was coming as much as she wanted to feel his breath and the touch of his tongue against her. She met his molten blue eyes when his gaze lifted to meet hers. "Kael Bryce Cousland – you have had my heart since I was two years old. And I should be furious at you for never showing me how you felt about me, but honestly – right now I am relieved to hear words I never thought to hear fall from your lips. There is nothing in Thedas that would stop me from marrying you. I only ask that you allow me the courtesy of telling Cailan in person before we announce our formal betrothal."

He wrapped his arms around her hips and laid his head on her lower belly. She would be his wife. "I will grant you that," he murmured. Though he knew it would be hard not to shout the news from top of his lungs everywhere he went. He wanted the world to know how much he loved his betrothed. And he was not known for his patience. But for her – he would try. He turned his head and kissed her lower belly. His hands slid down the backs of her thighs to spread them wider. He lowered himself, to rest his haunches on his calves, and drew a path down her belly with his tongue to her pale honey fleece. He'd never even kissed another woman until her, but he'd found a rather interesting book in his grandfather's library that showed him a great many things he intended to do with his betrothed.

His hands slid up her thighs to separate her soft folds. He rubbed his thumb over the bud that was swollen for him. She moaned and slipped her hands through his hair. He allowed her to feel the heat of his breath before his tongue flicked around the area the book said pleased a woman the most. He felt her hands grip his head with a frustrated cry and he gave into her need. His hands roamed over her thighs and the firm mounds of her ass while he made love to her with his lips and tongue. When her body stiffened he thought he might have done something wrong until he felt her hands grip his head tighter. Her cry of release was sweeter than any minstrel's song. He slowly eased his movements as the book had said until she shied away from him. He kissed her soft fleece and then her belly before he rose to scoop her up into his arms and capture her lips.

He carried her to the spring and lowered them into the water's heated embrace. He was more than grateful for the years of training that had honed his muscles. Carrying her might have been more awkward if he'd been a scrawny lad. As he lowered her, she wrapped her legs around his hips. He groaned at the feel of her heat pressed to his arousal. He gripped her ass and rocked her against length until they were both trembling with need.

He slowly sank into her tight heat. She stiffened a moment from the discomfort and then relaxed against him. He felt her muscles stretch around him, clinging to every inch of him, and a pleasure unlike he'd ever felt before. He would stay buried in her forever if he could. Now he knew why his brother and his new wife slipped away so often. He regretted that he only had these three months with her and that he would have to leave her behind for another year. He pushed the thought back. Next year they would post the banns and be married shortly thereafter. She was worth the wait.

The pleasure was too intense and too new; he knew he would not be able to hold out much longer. When her body stiffened and clenched him like a fist he flew over the abyss with a harsh cry of release. He was relieved when she followed him over; riding him hard until he'd spent himself in the depths of her heat. They clung to each other as their bodies cooled and their heartbeats slowed.

Now that he knew the pleasure of being in her arms, knew that she loved him as much as he loved her , and knew that she would be his wife, there was no way he'd be able to keep his hands off of her. There would be no keeping their relationship a secret. But he'd explain why they were waiting to post the banns. He knew their families would understand. And if she were to grow round with his babe, they would marry sooner, regardless whether she'd told the Prince or not. His child would not be born a bastard just because of some sense of loyalty. He was willing to give her the time she requested, but that was where he'd draw the line.

They'd spent a lazy afternoon at the spring making love while Legion dashed around chasing squirrels and their mounts grazed. After they'd finally dressed, he noticed one thing that differed his betrothed from his brother's wife and his mother. After a long day in the bed chamber the other women would be walking funny for some time, not so with his Lorianna. Her body was honed and long hours in the saddle had her muscles well used to being mounted. As much as he loved the mastery she had of her body and her nearly inhuman agility, it would have polished his pride if she'd walked funny like the other women did. Then again….oh yeah…the tradeoff was worth it.

When they returned to the stables, she shooed away the stable lads and they brushed down their horses before heading into the keep. Like Staria, she preferred to do for herself whenever possible and the servants – er staff respected them for that. In fact, over the years he'd taken a page from her book and started doing more for himself. It gave him a better sense of independence and the Highever servants…staff, as his betrothed referred to them, appreciated their lightened work load.

As he grew older some of the women that worked for them had started flirting with him and in some cases throwing themselves at him, but his heart had already been claimed and he could not bring himself to even consider their offers. There was only one girl for him and now she was his. He knew who and what she was, he'd known as far back as he could remember. And he knew that if others found out what she was they would fear her and call her a witch or a mage, but she was neither. Regardless, he would defend his wife with his life. He also knew that she, her mother and her younger siblings had fought alongside the Arl and his soldiers to defend Craighorn Keep from the Avvar and Chasind.

Whispers spread like embers about glowing blades and witches of the hills that could kill or send men flying with nothing but a thought. The Wulff's went to battle with their heads covered; no face or name was ever put to the Witches of the Hills. The Witches of the Hills were becoming just as feared as the Witches of the Wilds, which helped reduce the number of chasind and avvar that were willing to raid their lands.

As expected, their families took the news of their betrothal well and respected Lorianna's need to tell Cailan face to face rather than send a missive. He had formally asked the Arl for her hand and was granted leave to wed her.

Knowing the young couple would not wait until marriage to lay together Gallagher held a private ceremony in the keep's chapel to wed them. They would post the formal banns and have a large wedding after his daughter had spoken to the Prince. It was good that the whole Cousland family had chosen to come for this year's gathering. It would have been a shame if his friend had missed his youngest son's wedding. He looked from Kyrian to Starlynn and then back to his son. His gaze shifted and he caught Bryce's eye. He gave the man a knowing wink. It looked as if their families would soon have a second tie to bind them together.

Kyrian took Starlynn's hand and stepped forward. "Before my brother runs off with his new wife, I'd like to granted to right of a formal betrothal to Starlynn Jade Cousland." He blinked when the room grew silent and feared that he may have overstepped his bounds. He sighed in relief when a chorus of laughter ensued.

Bryce had, indeed, been caught off guard by the declaration. Usually such things were handled by the parents. But he respected that his future son was willing to speak for himself. He looked over at Gallagher. After receiving his nod he returned his attention to the young man before him. But there was something that needed to be said before he could agree to the betrothal. "There is something you must be made aware of before I can answer your request."

Starlynn frowned. "He already knows, father."

"Do the Arl and Arlessa?" Bryce asked pointedly.

"No," Kyrian replied. "I only just found out before the wedding. I've had no chance to talk to them about it."

Bryce raked a hand through his hair. "Then I shall be the one to break the silence. It is something I should have made known before Kael and Lorianna were wed, but it is not something I think of very often and it has never made any difference to me."

Staria tilted her head as his meaning became clear. "Are you referring to Starlynn being a mage?" she asked curiously. It had never been an issue for her.

Bryce blinked and looked at his wife. When Eleanor shook her head he turned back to Staria. "How did you know?"

Staria rubbed her forehead. "Bryce, you know I'm different. My family is different. We've never hid that from you. I sense things. I've known for several years. Just as I was aware that the dalish elf, Rhonwynn, was a mage. I presumed she was there to instruct Starlynn. I have no more care if she is a mage than you have with Kyrian and Kael being jedi."

Bryce swallowed hard. "Being a jedi is nothing like being a mage. A mage has a connection to the fade – jedi do not. There is always a risk of…"

"Your daughter is strong, Bryce. I have faith in that. With power, be it physical or mental, there is always risk of corruption. Nobles, jedi, mages – any of them could fall to that corruption and become twisted beings. Even mundane people have a dark side they can fall to, causing as much evil as anyone with power. No one is exempt. It is the heart and soul that are the moral compasses that guide us. Stay true to that and there is nothing to fear."

Bryce grinned at her. "You are very good at what you do." He turned to Kyrian. "I shall grant you the right of betrothal. Gallagher and I will attend to the formalities, son."

There was a round of hugs and back slaps. He was only thirteen and she twelve, but he loved her still and could not picture himself with anyone else, nor did he want to. Her light-gold burnished brown hair and emerald eyes had captivated him the first time he saw her. When the light touched her hair it shimmered as if it were a living thing. No one was more beautiful than Star in his eyes.

"You rascal!" Laura teased as she punched her brother's upper arm. "You never told me you planned to do that. I'm your twin, you dolt! You don't keep something like that from me."

He rubbed his arm and grinned. "Sorry, Laura. I didn't intend to keep it from you. I didn't exactly plan it. We always knew we'd be together, but we only just talked about it ourselves prior to the wedding. Guess that just leaves you to find a man."

"Bah," she scoffed. "I'm Laura Rose Wulff and I don't need a man to tie me down. There isn't a man alive that could tame me."

Gallagher laughter roared through the room. "That's my baby girl!"

"Doubt a dead one would be much fun," Kyrian teased.

Izot patted her pulled back brown hair and grinned. "You will change your mind in due time, little sister."

"Here, here, Izot. Do not put notions in your sister's head," Gallagher gently scolded. It was no secret that his elder daughter enjoyed a good tumble and many a soldier had seen to her needs. Thankfully, naught had come of it yet, nor would it. A healer in Elmridge had given his wife herbs to prevent pregnancy and she, in turn, shared them with their eldest daughter. The birth of the large twins had been hard on her and he had been unwilling to risk losing another wife to childbirth, especially not one he loved as deeply as he loved her. In the fifteen years he'd known her, she'd barely aged, while the years were showing on him. But he did not begrudge her the blood in her veins. He knew she would outlive him and he would not have to watch her die. That was a small comfort.

-BREAK FOUR-

When the three months were over it had not been easy to watch her husband leave to return to Highever without her. But she had an obligation to fill and she could not shirk it. She loved Cailan too much to just send a missive with the news. It would certainly have been easier for both of them if she had done that. She was under no illusion the pain they would both endure when she told him about Kael. As much as she enjoyed spending time with him, she was not looking forward to hurting him.

Instead of focusing on the pain she focused on training with her siblings until her mother gave her the title of jedi knight. It did not have the same meaning for her that it did for her mother, but then she never knew that life. Still, it felt like an accomplishment and she didn't take that lightly. Since they did not have the materials needed for her to make a lightsaber of her own, her mother took one of hers apart and had her put it back together and gifted it to her. She had been stunned that her mother had been willing to give up one of her lightsabers. But she knew, for the first time in years, her mother had hopes of recreating the weapon for her younger children. She finally broke down and started talking to a few of the dwarves that lived in the Western Hills who believed they might be able to make a power source out of lirium. Of course, she never told the dwarves what she needed the power source for and they didn't ask.

Her mother had told her she had everything else she needed. Metal, wood, glass and gems were plentiful – it was the power source that she'd been unable to come up with since there were no batteries or solar panels here. She couldn't even imagine the wonders her mother had talked about before falling through the sky. At times she found herself envying everything her mother had seen, but her life was here and she couldn't imagine giving up everything she had for skyships and speeders. It was hard to miss what you never had.

Since her training was over she spent time with their people, mitigating their needs and helping where she could, relieving some of the burden from her mother's shoulders now that she could. When winter set in her family went on high alert. The avvar were far more likely to raid during the winter storms. They were a large, brawny folk who thrived in the cold.

Wilhelm had returned to winter at the keep, but Berchan was still squiring under one of the king's lords and did not have leave to return. She had not gotten to see much of her older brother growing up, he came to visit infrequently. Which wasn't a bad thing to her way of thinking. Whenever he returned he spent most of his time carousing with the soldiers, drinking ale and bedding the castle's staff. She was more than sure some of the staff's children were his. Though, that was never brought up. Interesting enough, there were no new children the last few years. She was pretty sure her mother had something to do with that. She was likely offering the same herbs to the staff that she had to take to keep from birthing more babies. Her mother had given her a pouch of the herbs as well, but there was no longer any need for her to take them with her husband gone.

A few weeks later, she, Legion and her younger siblings had gone to collect some winter berries. They were very sweet and could be dried and ground into a power that could be used all year long. It was on their way back from the brambles that her senses went on high alert, she wheeled Shadow to the left and gave him his head. She could hear Kyrian and Laura fast on her heels and Legion began barking the closer they got to the presence she felt. She slowed her horse and came to a stop when she saw a large group of avvar. With her face grim she pulled the lightsaber from her belt and flipped it on. She was making a stand and her intent was clear. She called Legion back to her side. They would fight as a group.

One of the large men stepped forward and held his arms up. "So the rumors are true," he said in a voice deeper than her father's. And that was an accomplishment.

Shadow pranced and tossed his head. She laid a hand on the side of his neck and sent a calming wave to him. "That we are well protected? Then, yes, the rumors are true. I do not wish to kill you, but nor will I allow you to raid our lands."

He grinned. "I do not wish to die, little one. We did not come here to raid. We wished only to see if the rumors were true and I can see that they are," Gavorn replied.

She was not certain if the large man was mocking her or not, by calling her little one, but it mattered little either way. "Do you care to enlighten me on what you've heard or do you prefer vague riddles?"

His lips quirked. She was a feisty one. She would make a good wife. "Vague riddles have their uses, but not here. We wished only to ascertain the truth of the Witches of the Hills and so we have. I can feel your power from here and it is unlike anything I have ever felt before. My clan will cease its raids." He was silent for a moment. "I am called Gavorn Ar Tazor O Redhold."

That was a mouthful. "I am Lorianna Sky Wulff of Craigorn Keep. If you are ceasing your raids then it is a unique pleasure to meet you. I have never been able to meet one of your people before."

"Alive," he corrected quietly. He held up his hand. "I do not say that out of bitterness, but out of respect for your capabilities. I am the clan augur and I wish to speak to your clan chieftain."

Her brows drew together. "My clan chieftain? Do you mean the Arl of Western Hills? If it is he you wish to speak to, then you will have your chance to do so in a few minutes. He approaches at a fast pace and he is not alone." She could feel him coming, no doubt her mother made him aware of their arrival.

"Do you scry the future?" he asked intrigued.

She shook her head. "No, my senses are more developed than most peoples. I sensed your arrival as I sense the arrival of my parents." Just as she could also not sense any deceit in him. She switched off her lightsaber and held her hand out to her siblings so they would lower their weapons. "Trust in what you feel. He harbors no deceit."

"That would be the thane's job, not mine." He tilted his head as he studied her. "You sense a great deal, little one."

"I am only little because you are very large," she pointed out. "And, yes, I do sense a great deal, large one." Though, she was uncertain what he meant a thane or what a thane's job was.

He did not wish her to get the wrong idea. "I mean you no disrespect." He scowled at the men snickering behind him.
She knew her parents would arrive in moments and did not wish them to get the wrong idea and attack. She dismounted and approached Gavorn. "My parents will arrive momentarily. Do not touch me lest they think you are restraining me, but I have no wish for them to believe you to be a threat. By being near you I am showing them that I trust you and they will lower their weapons." She shrugged. "Or they will lower them out of fear that you will harm me…either way works. I wish to avoid needless bloodshed." She motioned her brother and sister forward.

"As wise as you are beautiful," he said softly.

Kyrian and Laura moved their mounts in front of their sister and the avvar men to form a protective barrier between their parents and the men.

As expected, their father and mother rode at the front of their soldiers, Wilhelm and Izot at their heels until their parents came to a stop. Wilhelm moved his mount to the right of his father, Izot moved hers to the left of their mother and the soldiers fanned out.

"What is going on here?" Gallagher bellowed.

Lorianna straightened her shoulders. "They came in peace and they wish to parley with you, father. I sense no deceit in them. I sense sincerity in Gavorn, I sense humor in most of them and discomfort in the man to the back right. I believe he needs a laxative."

The man in the back flushed as his friends burst out in laughter. Gavorn tried to hold the laughter back, but failed after a brief moment. "She sees the truth of it."

"You came here for the sole purpose of talking to me?" Gallagher asked suspiciously. He trusted his daughter's senses, but no avvar had ever wanted to talk with him.

Gavorn shook his head. "No. We originally came here to find the truth of the Witches of the Hills. That truth has been found. Our clan will raid yours no longer."

Gallagher grunted. He had not expected to hear that. "So you wanted to tell me you will not raid us?"

Again, Gavorn shook his head. "No. Your children could have told you that. I wanted to talk with you to propose an alliance of marriage and get your permission to kidnap Lor-i-ann-a Sky.."

"Sky is fine," she said when he stumbled over her name. She turned to look up at him. "But what do you mean kidnap me?"

"I am augur – shaman of the clan. I have a high rank, comparable to your own. The match would not be a bad one," he informed her.

She blinked as the meaning of his words sank in. "Match – you mean you want to kidnap a wife and you want that wife to be me?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Gavorn. I am already married. You will have to seek another wife."

"Would you be willing to set him aside or would you prefer for me to kill him?" he asked curiously.

"What? No! I love him and were I not married to him I'd be marrying the Prince of Ferelden. I am simply not available," she stated firmly.

He nodded. "Then your worth is known. Would you prefer marriage to our chieftain? He is the clan leader."

"No," she said with a laugh.

"Then you will not let me kidnap you?" he asked a final time.

She couldn't help it, she giggled. "No, Gavorn."

He nodded. "Then I accept your wishes and will not kidnap you." His gaze rose to the mounted chieftain. "Do you have another daughter or son you would be willing to use for an alliance with our clan?"

Wilhelm froze. It was within his father's rights to arrange a marriage for him, but he wanted no barbarian wife.

"I might be willing," Izot blurted out and pointed to the blonde giant to the left of Gavorn. "But I would wish to get to know him first."

"Izot…" Gallagher warned.

Lorianna knew the look in her sister's eye. "Tell him to meet her by the large oak tree in the valley below the castle when the moon is high. There's an old, abandoned settlement there," she murmured quietly. She had no intension of letting her older sister go alone, but she knew her sister would go to crazy lengths if she wanted something bad enough. The least she could do was protect her. If she was willing, a match would not be a bad idea. Though, she honestly couldn't picture her sister going native and painting her body.

He gave a slight nod to the Sky witch. The man in question was Azur Ar Brosna O Redhold, the chieftain's brother. It was an acceptable match. And while he still wanted nothing more than to steal the sky witch under the cover of the night, he would keep his word. Moreover, she was just as likely to end his life if he tried.

"I appreciate that you were willing to talk to us, Gavorn. We will have to consider your alliance further before deciding if it is something we can do. We will send you word when we have made our decision," Staria replied in her husband's stead. There was no need for bloodshed this day. Something her daughter had obviously picked up on. It was plain as blue bantha milk that she'd been protecting the avvar from them.

If the Witch of the Hills spoke for the thane, then she must be the thane's wife. He was a lucky man to have the strength of her behind him….a strength that was passed to three of their children. Gavorn nodded. "Have your messenger carry a blue flag and he will be able to pass through unharmed. We will be there until the winter's thaw and the buds bloom." He turned with his men to leave. He did not like the deception, but if the two came to care for each other and wanted a betrothal the thane of the hills would be more likely to accept the alliance.

When the avvar departed Lorianna mounted Shadow and followed the small army back to the keep. She corned her sister in her bedroom as soon as she could and explained the meeting she'd lined up with her chosen avvar.

Izot threw her arms around her baby sister. "You are the best!"

She hugged her back. "Of course I am," she teased. "But just so you know – you will not be going alone. Legion and I will be going with. I don't expect any trouble, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Izot laughed and clapped her hands. "I'm not complaining. I'm certainly not afraid to go alone, but I don't mind the company. But…if we go inside one of the huts…don't follow.

Later that night, when the moon had risen high they exited the keep through a back passage that only her family knew about. They put a hand over their trained mounts so the horses knew to keep quiet while they saddled them and slipped out into the star studded dark.

The avvar stepped out of the shadows when they approached close enough to be seen. His clan was not far off, but he'd come alone. The woman had peaked his interest when she'd pointed to him. He helped her down from her mount and took a step back. He had been willing to do his duty by his clan for an alliance, but now that he'd seen her up close the idea had more appeal to him. She had long, thick brown hair and had one dark blue eye and one light brown eye. That added to her appeal and would increase her worth to the clan. People with unmatched eyes were considered favored by the gods.

Lorianna moved the horses away, cleared away a large patch of snow so that they could forage on the long grass beneath. She started a fire and settled on one of the hard benches around the fire pit to give them as much privacy as she could.

A couple of hours later they went into a cabin and she sighed and poked the fire with a stick. She wished Kael was here. She smiled and looked to the right when she felt a familiar presence.

"I did not know you would be here," Gavorn murmured when he saw her looking his way. That was true enough, but he'd hoped she would come. He did not suspect that he could change her mind, nor would he try. "I wanted to make sure they were safe. They are mating?" he asked when he did not catch sight of the couple.

She poked the fire once more. Sparks plumed up. She enjoyed watching the sparks dance before they winked out. "Yes, they are in the cabin to the left," she said motioning to the afore mentioned cabin.

He nodded. Then things were going well. He found a dry spot near the fire and rolled out a fur. "Will you lay with me?"

She blinked and shook her head with a chuckle. "My husband would not approve," she said with a grin.

Heat burned in his cheeks. No one had ever managed to embarrass him before. He cleared his throat. While the notion was definitely one he'd accept, it was not what he meant. "I did not mean in that way. There is something I want to show you…above the covers…" again heat poured into his cheeks. "We will lay with our backs on the fur, there need be no touching. I just wished to share something with you that brings me solace when I need it." He sat down on the fur. "Come," he said as he held his hand out to her.

When she joined him on the fur he motioned her to join him as he laid back. "Many seasons ago I saw the sky tear open. It turned purple as if it were bruised and then tore as if its skin were ripped by a sharp blade. Colors bled from the gash along with something I have no words for. By the time we made it over the mountain all we found was a charred area on the ground. The sky remained bruised for days before she healed. But ever since that night I find myself looking up at her, wondering what she will do next. By studying the sky during the day I can see pictures in the fluff of her cotton. She is even more beautiful at night. If you look closely you can see pictures the gods have drawn in the sky. See?" he said pointing up and to the right. "That one looks like a spoon. On nights when I see the spoon I know we will have a successful hunt the following day."

She smiled. That was a romantic thought. It did not seem practical to her, but belief could go a long way to making something happen. "My mother has told me about the day the sky tore open." She found herself trusting the giant of a man. There was something comforting about him. Perhaps, that something is why he became the shaman. "What you saw fall through the tear was my mother's sky ship. She called it a shuttle. My mother came from the stars. Someplace far, far away. We are not witches, you know, regardless what anyone says. We are human, but more than human. We are jedi. Our kind have always fought injustice and protected the weak. We speak no spells; we have no connection to the fade. We are not mages and not witches. We are something all together different."

This was why he'd hoped to find her hear. He wanted to know more about the power he felt coming from her. "So your kind does not become abominations?"

She shook her head. "Look at the spoon again. My mother calls it the big dipper, because it is shaped like a dipper. But if you look at the bigger picture it looks much like an animal. It even has legs. Mother calls it the great bear."

Gavorn was stunned. Now that she had pointed it out his eyes were no longer wide shut. He saw the great bear. "I cannot believe I did not see it before. I came here to teach you and you have become the teacher. Our hold-beast is a great bear. She is the revered totem of our clan. If she is healthy then we are healthy. The spoon that is part of the bear speaks the truth." He sat up and studied her as she rose and crossed her legs. "I would like to see more of you."

"I'm not taking my clothes off for you," she teased.

Heat crawled into his cheeks. She'd done it again. "That's-" he cleared his throat when his voice cracked over the word. He found the suggestion too appealing for comfort. "That's not what I meant. I would like to speak with you more."

She bit her lip. She did not want him to fall in love with her; she did not need to add another heart to break. But maybe he wouldn't, maybe he'd only asked to marry her because of the power he'd felt in her. Or maybe he'd done so out of duty. "I like talking with you, Gavorn. I like hearing about your culture and your beliefs. But if we continue our friendship, I think it best for you not to delve too deeply into my people and my people's beliefs. I would feel a deep regret if anything I said led to ripples in your belief. The life of my people is very different and different can bring change, welcomed or no. That is why no one but my family knows about my people."

"Yet you have told me about your people." She had trusted him enough to speak the truth to him. There was something he had to know. "If you husband returns to the lady or forsakes you and your prince cannot marry you would you consider allowing me to kidnap you?"

"Returns to the lady?"

"The Lady of the Sky takes the spirits of those who have fallen," he explained.

"Oh." She did not want to think of anything happening to Kael or Cailan. "Gavorn, you would not want me. I do not have the same beliefs you have – I never will. There is no one on this planet save my mother and two of my siblings that have my beliefs. Having me in your clan would only cause dissention and that is not what I want for your clan. It would be painful to know that I have hurt anyone by being different – or caused you pain."

She was a warrior with a gentle heart. The two did not often blend together. He was also aware that she had not told him no. "What is a planet?"

She smiled, looked over at the dancing flames of the fire and rubbed her chin. "That is something no one here understands yet. That knowledge may be a few hundred years away and I doubt you would believe me if I told you."

He mulled over her words for a moment. She had stood between him and his clan and her family to protect him. She had opened his eyes and given him another way of seeing something that meant a lot to his core beliefs and she'd spoke to him about something no one but her family knew. And he wanted to learn more. More about her…more about her people. It was his duty as shamen to learn anything he could. It was truth she spoke, the more he knew the more his beliefs could change. But nothing stayed the same forever. If you did not change and adapt, you did not survive. "I would believe," he said quietly.

She released a slow breath. "You do not know what you ask, but I will tell you. If you think me insane, perhaps you will not ask more questions you do not want to know the answer for," she warned. "A planet is essentially a round rock in space with a living core that fuels it. Like a rock in a stream that slowly loses its sharp edges by the force of the water, so too does a planet become round by the forces around it. There are day and night cycles because the planet is slowly turning, facing the sun in the morning and away from the sun in the evening. And no, despite the planet being round we are in no danger of floating off into space; it is the force of gravity that keeps our feet planted. It is the same gravity that causes something you drop to fall to the ground rather than float away. And I think I've blown your mind enough for today." It was the simplest explanation that she could come up with.

He knew of the physical realm, the spiritual realm and the realm of the gods, but he never really gave it much thought past that. But what she said about day and night made logical sense. "What about the sun? Is it a planet too?"

She shook her head. "No. The sun is a star." She pointed up into the night's sky. "Those blinking lights that make up the dipper and the great bear? Those are stars like our sun, but they are very, very far away, so we do not see them like we do the sun. The sun is the closest star to our galaxy."

That was another unfamiliar word. "What is galaxy?"

She bit her lip. "That may be more than you wish to know."

He shook his head. "No. I would know of your galaxy."

"A galaxy is a group of planets that orbit or circle around the sun. It is the moving around the sun that causes the change in seasons. It is why we have planting season, harvest season and winter. I can see by your frown that this was an even harder pill to swallow."

"Pill?" he asked, his voice cracking over the word. She had been correct she had blown his mind, but in doing so she'd given him much to ponder.

"Sorry, they had medicine pills to swallow where my mother came from." She waved her hand. "It was just a saying. Harder pill to swallow meant something was unbelievable. Bitter pill to swallow meant receiving bad news."

He nodded only half listening. "So, if our sun has planets around it then each of those suns – stars up there could have planets and other beings living on them?"

She nodded, impressed with ability to extrapolate details. He was actually a very intelligent man. "And now you know. We are not alone out here in space. As I told you before, my mother came from one of those other galaxies and there are far more species than just humans, elves, dwarves and qunari out there." She glanced over at the cabin just before the door opened. Legion, who had planted himself at the door now moved over to her side and settled on the fur. She stroked his back. "Are you ready to go now, Izot?"

Izot smiled and nodded. "We've decided to continue getting to know each other."

Azur's eyes narrowed on Gavorn. "I was not expecting to see you, augur."

Gavorn rose and gave a helping hand to Lorianna. "I came to ensure you were safe. I had not intended to stay until I saw Sky." He looked down at the witch – no, jedi. "May I speak with you again?"

Lorianna nodded. "If you think that is wise, then I would not be opposed. You and your men should be safe enough to settle here for awhile. No one comes to this place anymore because they believe this place to be haunted by the dead and the fire cannot be seen by the keep or the patrols. If someone does approach you, you may tell them I have given you leave to remain here for the time being."

She swung up into the saddle and patted Shadow's neck. "Come on, Izod. The morning comes too soon and it would be suspicious if I did not rise at the cock's crow."

"Fine…fine…" she mumbled and let Azur toss her into the saddle. She leaned down to graze her lips against his. "Until later, mountain man." She wheeled her mount and took off towards the keep.

"Good night, gentlemen." She turned her horse around. "Get her, Shadow!" And with little more than the press of her knees he was off.

-BREAK FIVE-

After planting season she started the long journey to the Royal Palace in Denerim. Since her father had fallen ill with a fever her mother had elected to remain behind to see to his care. This time, it was her little sister that accompanied her. She'd once asked her mother why her and her sister's names were so similar. Her mother had told her that Lorianna was her mother's name and Laura had been her dearest friend and giving her daughters their names was her way of keeping their memories alive. Now it all made sense, her mother had lost everything when she had been pulled through the tear and she didn't blame her at all in wanting to keep some part of her past alive. Her mother was a strong woman. She adapted, endured – she never complained. Well, occasionally she griped about the lack of toilet paper, which is something she would have loved to have had as well. She moved her black gelding closer to her sister's palomino gelding, Dragon. The palomino laid his ears back and snorted. "Get over yourself," she said as she sent a small burst of calm in his direction. "Have you given any consideration on who you will wed?" she asked her sister.

"Ha! Nothing has changed, Lorianna. Just because I'm supposed to be finding a husband, doesn't mean I will. I will not let any man rule me. I'd die a spinster before I let that happen."

Lorianna quirked a brow. "Do you think Kael would try to rule me?" Let him try.

Laura tilted her head. "If your safety came into play, perhaps – but he's head over arse in love with you. He's far more likely to bend over backwards to please you. Besides, he and Cailan practically grew up with you – they know better. I have no one like that…I'm not even looking."

Lorianna pursed her lips to keep them from smiling. "You know, they say it is when you are not looking that you find what you are seeking."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm. Not. Seeking. A. Man," she said, emphasizing each word.

"Oh?" Lorianna's brow arched. "Do you prefer the ladies then?" she teased.

"For fuck's sake – shut up!" Laura growled, but couldn't stop herself from shuddering. The thought of being with another woman did not appeal to her. But nor had she ever met a man that she had the slightest interest in, no matter how many of her father's soldiers came forth requesting her hand.

Lorianna chuckled. "Someone's been spending too much time with Wilhelm."

Laura turned her attention from the passing scenery to look at her sister. "Yeah? Well at least I am not sneaking off in the middle of the night to meet with an avvar."

"Clever girl," she murmured. "It's not like that – or it's not like that for me. Gavorn and I are sharing stories about our peoples. He has some fascinating beliefs. None that I would ever come to believe in, but it makes them no less fascinating for me.

"You have three men that love you and I cannot even find one," she said with a shake of her head.

"I thought you weren't looking," she shot back to tease her little sister.

"I'm not and that's beside the point. It's not as though I'm hideous," she pointed out.

"No, you're beautiful and you know it. There are a whole line of soldiers willing to fight each other for your hand," she reminded her.

"It's not the same. They have no love for me – they only seek to raise their own station. That is not something I'm willing to accept. You have a romantic love – three romantic loves. Men who would fall to their knees for a smile from you." She shook her head. "I'm not against love…I'm just as romantic at heart as you are. If I found someone who could make my body sing, sweep me off my feat, yet still treat me as an equal…" she released a slow breath. "I'm done talking about impossible feats." A sense of unease came over her and she pulled Dragon to a stop. She turned to look at her sister and found her sister had also stopped, her gaze locked onto the west. "Shall we check it out?"

Lorianna nodded, turned Shadow to the right and gave him his head. She could hear Dragon and their entourage of soldiers close on her heels. She sensed determination, anger and hint of desperation. She also sensed greed and malice. She could see a fight in the distance and she slowed Shadow to get a feel for the battle. Two men, armed with a bow and crossbow were fighting off what appeared to be a large group of bandits. Now she understood the two very different sets of emotions. As they approached the battle her sister propelled herself from the saddle, over the top of Dragon's head, twisted in the air and landed between the archers and the bandits, daggers drawn. And so it begins. She propelled herself from the saddle and landed next to her sister, her lightsaber ignited with a hum.

At first they'd had to dodge arrows and bolts as the two men tried to help them, but they seemed to realize they were doing more harm than good and apparently lowered their weapons, because they no longer had to deal with the incoming arrows.

Sebastian blinked and looked down at the dwarf who only shrugged. Out of nowhere two women had dropped into the fray, their movements little more than blur. They saw weapons fly out; take a man down, only to return to the hand of its owner, who would catch it in mid-swing to take out another man.

"Wish I had a chair about now," Varric quipped, "to enjoy the view."

"I've never seen anything like that. The way they move. Did you see the way their daggers returned to them?" Sebastian asked his companion, stunned by what he was seeing.

"That was hard to miss," Varric replied.

"They must be mages - or apostates." He shook his head. That didn't seem right, for one they did not carry a staff, though one held a glowing sword.

Varric shook his head. "I don't think so. The only things I've heard coming out of their mouths is coordination strategy and they're glad we're no longer shooting at them."

"I did wonder about the lack of spells." His mouth fell open when one of the women held her hand out and two men were propelled into a boulder and crumbled onto the ground. He shook his head. What he was seeing was the work of a mage, but they did not act like mages.

The last man fell to his knees in surrender and the women lowered their weapons and took a step back. "I surrender. Have mercy. We shouldn't have attacked you."

Sebastian looked down at Marlin, a man that had been traveling with them that had bled out into the dirt, and raised his bow. "How many have you killed in the name of greed? May the maker have mercy on your soul, because you will find none here." He loosed an arrow that buried itself, shaft deep, in the man's neck. The man gave a strangled cry, grabbed at the protruding feathers and fell to the ground, eyes glazed.

Lorianna turned and frowned at the man. "The man had surrendered. Why kill him?"

Sebastian turned and raised his bow when he heard the approach of several horses.

"They are with us," Laura told him. "Our horses were faster than theirs or they'd have helped."

He lowered his bow and turned to face the women. "The man showed no mercy to Marlin when he surrendered," he pointed to the unarmed man that had been run through. "He was not going to change his ways – he only sought to save his own skin. A man with no mercy deserves no less." He looked from the light blonde woman, who appeared to be the leader to the golden haired vision with eyes as green as a brilliant emerald. She was dressed in pants, supple, soft, thigh high leather boots and a purple tunic, split at the hip, with gold trim and embroidered with golden thread. They appeared to be nobility according to the crest on the horse's blankets, but they were not dressed like the nobles he was used to seeing. Then again, they did not fight like any noble he'd ever seen before.

"Dakon, please have one of the men attend to Marlin – the unarmed man. He is deserving of a proper sending. Have the rest of the men take anything of value from the dead to purchase mounts for the two gentlemen."

"Right away, my lady," Dakon said as he dismounted and waved the other men into action.

"Gentleman – I could get used to that," Varric said with a grin. "Varric Tethras, born and raised in the good city of Kirkwall, at your service," he said with a slight bow.

Sebastian cleared his throat and forced his gaze to leave the golden vision. The light blonde was also stunning, though she had sky blue eyes, rather than the striking emerald. The resemblance between the two women was undeniable. "I am Sebastian Vael – exiled Prince of Starkhaven. We appreciate your timely assistance." Though he still had far more questions than answers about what he'd witnessed.

Exiled Prince, now that was interesting. "It would seem you both are a long way from home. I am Lorianna Sky Wulff. It is a pleasure to meet you and our duty to help where we are needed." She glanced over at her sister when she remained silent and noticed her gaze locked onto the prince. That too was interesting. "The silent one is my sister, Laura Rose Wulff." She ignored the pinkening of her sister's cheeks. "If you do not mind me asking, where are you heading?"

"Denerim," Varric said as he twirled a bolt between his fingers before slipping it back into his quiver.

She nodded. "Then you shall ride with us. We are heading to Denerim too."

Varric blinked. Him on a horse? "I would rather walk," he said, declining the offer.

"Nonsense, just hang onto my waist and don't look down. You'll be fine. I promise," she said gently.

Varric looked up at Sebastian hoping the human would back him up, but it was very apparent by the look on his face that he intended to do whatever it took to spend more time with the silent sister. He was at the mercy of choirboy's hormones. He released a slow breath and nodded. This was not going to end well. The ground was a long way down.

Laura blinked and shook her head to clear it. What the hell just happened to her? "Please come with me, Seb. You are welcome to share my mount. Just don't try to mount him without me with you. He's…a one woman horse," she warned.

Sebastian grinned when he saw that her mount was as golden as she was. Fitting. She watched her sister mount Shadow and hold her hand down to the dwarf. It was obvious she'd used a bit of power to help pull him up behind her. The look on his face was priceless. Even the dwarves in the Western Hills preferred to walk, though some rode small, sturdy ponies.

Dragon's ears pinned back when the prince got too close. She stroked his long, arched neck. "Shhh…my sweet, he's with me." She sent a wave of calm through her touch.

It was obvious she had a way with animals. The horse seemed to calm dramatically under her touch. When she turned to mount he handed her up into the saddle. When she removed her feet from the stirrups he mounted behind her. He could feel the energy of the mount beneath him. It felt good to sit a horse again. And now that he was not in battle he was thankful he was not wearing armor. It would have been a shame if he'd missed out on the feel of her pressed against him. "You have a way with him."

His accent sent shivers down her spine. "Your accent is as beautiful as you are." She blushed. "I didn't mean to say that out loud. Forgive my wayward tongue."

It pleased him that she liked how he looked and the way he talked. "I'd rather encourage it," he admitted honestly.

She laughed. "You are shameless, Seb."

Perhaps, at times. "Does that bother you?" he asked curiously.

"So long as you mean what you say, then no," she told him point blank.

"I will always speak the truth to you," he murmured in her ear. While that might not have always been the case in the past, the words felt true coming from his lips.

She shivered when his breath tickled her ear. "That is good, considering I have an uncanny ability for sensing bullshit," she warned.

He chuckled. "Then my bullshit will remain in the pasture."

She laughed. "I like you. I think we'll get along just fine – which is good since we've got a long journey ahead of us. And as for your statement, I do have a way with him. I rescued Dragon from an abusive master. I healed him and earned his love."

That was commendable. "Do you make a habit of rescuing males and earning their love?"

She brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. "I think you would be the best one to answer that question."

He grinned. She was a little spitfire and she was as good at banter as she was at keeping him on his toes. When the horse jumped a small hole in the ground, he tightened his arm around her to keep her safely against him.

She smiled softly. She'd practically been raised on horseback, but he didn't know that and maybe it wouldn't have mattered. It could be he was just a gentleman.

"Are you married?" he asked quietly when she relaxed back against him. He hadn't bedded a woman since his parents hauled him off to the chantry. Not that he had lacked opportunity; he just lacked the desire to continue behaving as he had. That was when he'd realized he had fallen so low just to get his parents' attention. Bad attention had been better than no attention – at least until they'd carted him off to the chantry. Despite being a changed man, the woman in his arms was far too tempting to resist. He wasn't sure why he asked if she was married; at this point he'd have bedded her regardless.

She leaned into the arm that supported her and tilted her head to the side to look up at him. "Are you interested?" she challenged with an arched brow.

He looked down into her sparkling, emerald eyes and lowered his gaze to her slightly parted lips. He knew he might end up getting smacked, but there was only so much temptation a man like him could take. He lowered his head to capture her lips, his tongue slipped between them to tease and stroke hers into a response. And her response nearly made him lose all control.

She'd never been kissed before, never thought to be and she was caught off guard by the heat that fired through her veins with the touch of his tongue. Her hand slipped through his hair as a hunger she didn't know she had was unleashed.

He slipped the reins into the hand of the arm that held her to free up his other hand. He cupped the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as he regained control of the kiss. His fingertips grazed sown the length of her neck and slid along the sweetheart neckline of her tunic. As his hand slid down over her tunic, she arched against him and her breast overfilled the palm of his hand. With a groan he massaged it and rubbed the tight peak hidden beneath the tunic. Her soft moans were fanning flames that threatened to spread out of control.

It was the barking of a dog that pulled him back to his senses. He lowered his hand to her waist and pulled back to brush his lips over hers.

"Sweet hell, I want you…" her eyes flew open and her cheeks grew warm. Her damnable mouth. "I didn't mean to say that out loud," she said as she turned her head to face forward once more.

He grinned. Her accidental slips were charming him. He couldn't help but wonder who was seducing whom. He lowered his mouth to her ear. "I want to taste every inch of you. I want to bury myself in your heat and make love to you until you cry out my name when you come for me." He grazed his teeth against her ear. When she moved uncomfortably in the saddle he commiserated, he was just as sexually frustrated as she was.

He knew just what to say to make her need him more and the damnable ache he'd given her was nearly unbearable. "Promises…promises," she said in a voice she barely recognized.

He drew her back against his arousal and rocked her against it. "There is only truth in my words," he murmured. The trip to Denerim was going to be far more enjoyable than he'd anticipated. He'd always had a way with the ladies and for awhile it had become something he was proud of. But there was something different about the woman in his arms, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She wasn't like the other ladies, she wasn't coy and she didn't play games. Her responses and words were stated honestly, even if she didn't intend to state them. That seduced him far more than he'd expected. "Why are you going to Denerim?" It wasn't his business but he was curious.

"My sister needs a private word with Cailan," she said simply.

She referred to the Prince by his first name. Interesting. "Are they close?"

She frowned. This wasn't going to be the usual type of visit and it bothered her that Cailan would be hurt by it. "More than close. Ever since she was two, Meric has sought a betrothal between Cailan and Lorianna, but mother insisted she make her own choice. Bryce and Eleanor Cousland also sought a betrothal to their son, Kael. Every year she'd spend a few months with each of them getting to know them. In the end, though she loved them both, she chose Kael; but refused to announce it until she had the chance to let Cailan know. That is why we are here. It is not a visit any of us will enjoy this time. I hurt for them both."

That was not what he'd expected to hear. "I've never given my heart to anyone. I can't imagine the pain they will soon feel."

"Nor have I. And maybe that is part of the reason why. An arrangement like that will bring only pain and pain and I are mortal enemies," she admitted. "Every man that meets her seems to want to give his heart to her. There is something about her that draws them to her."

"I have no intension of giving my heart to your sister," he teased.

"Only because you don't want to give your heart to anyone," she pointed out.

He frowned. Was that true? Just because he hadn't loved didn't mean he couldn't love, did it? He'd like to think he was capable of love. He'd loved his parents…once. He loved his grandfather –but that was not the same as giving his hear to someone. Maybe she was right, maybe he hadn't loved because he was afraid to be hurt the way his parents and older brother had hurt him. "Do you want to give your heart to someone?" he asked curiously. Wondering what her reasons were.

"Why, do you want my heart for your own?" she teased with a grin.

And now she'd managed to flummox him. He'd intended to give her a flippant answer about how he didn't need love, but he couldn't force the words past his lips. 'I…' words failed him and he shook his head in stunned disbelief. Somehow she'd managed to tilt his world and he didn't know what to do about it. No. She was nothing more than a stunningly beautiful diversion. For some reason that thought did not give him the solace he was hoping for.

She took the head shake as a no, he didn't want her heart. She tried to ignore the pang that thought caused. "I was teasing. The truth of it is I don't want to be tied to a man that doesn't love me enough to let me be me. I'm not exactly little miss housewife material. I don't want to stay at home and bake bread. I want to be out there, righting wrongs and helping people in need. I want to protect those that are mistreated. I want to help settle disputes, help people rebuild their lives, even if that mean helping them rebuild a torched barn or teaching them how to defend themselves against those that would take advantage of them. What man would ever want that kind of wife? None. I accepted that a long time ago." She'd tried to make the words sound as nonchalant as she could, but they sounded hollow to her ears.

He mulled over her words. She was right; most men did prefer their wives to stay home where it was safe. Was that what he wanted? Unless he owned a farmstead and worked the fields, he would be gone a lot and that meant he would not see his wife very often. Is that the kind of marriage he would want? Or would he want her with him so he could make love to her every night, wake up to her every morning, talk with her every day? He supposed that depended on if love was involved. In noble marriages, love was often not a consideration and both had lovers on the side. But was that what he wanted in a marriage? It was not something he'd ever stopped to consider before. Now that he was exiled he did not have to marry for convenience. He was free to do as he wanted. Marry who he wanted. Live a life he wanted. He just wasn't sure what kind of life he wanted to live. He'd been forced into the chantry then given aid to escape. He had a clean canvas now and it was up to him to decide what his life's painting would show. Her words…what she wanted out of life, was noble and honest work. It was the kind of work the chantry should do if they would do more than just spout pretty words. Words carried great power, but they often did little for need. The life she wanted was a life could see himself living and nothing was stopping him from living that life now. History showed there were a lot of women that fought for what they believed in. Even Andraste picked up a sword and fought for change. So having such a woman at his side was far more appealing than having one waiting at home. "Not all men feel that way."

Her brows rose. She had not expected him to say that. "Is that so? Then I challenge you to find me such a man and I will consider giving my heart and loyalty to him."

-BREAK SIX-

He leaned her against his arm and tilted her chin so that he could brush his lips against hers. "I'm such a man," he murmured against her lips.

She cupped his cheek and grinned. "Then that is my rotten luck, because you don't want my heart – you just want in my pants," she teased, purposely keeping her voice light so he wouldn't see how the words she spoke bothered her.

He blinked. She had a strange way of talking. He did, indeed, want to get her out of her pants, but how had she come to the conclusion that he didn't want her heart? Was it because he'd hesitated? "I never said I didn't want your heart – I just don't want to see either of us getting hurt." Why had he said that? That had never bothered him before. But in the past his women had been little more than a one night tumble and he wasn't sure if he'd be so quick to walk away from her. She made him feel far more than he ever had and he wasn't sure if she wasn't already getting under his skin.

She stroked his swarthy cheek with her fingertips, trying not to fall into his bright, piercing blue eyes. "In order for one to be hurt one must first care. Are you saying you think you could come to care for me?"

"Yes," he said in a strangled voice. He swallowed hard. "I think I already do."

She smiled softly up at him and brought his head down to kiss his forehead. "Good, because I care about you too and unrequited feelings are a bitch." She could just imagine one day telling their children how she fell in love with their daddy on the back of a horse after she saved his ass from bandits. A giggle burst from her lips.

She cared about him. Now if he could only wipe the silly grin off his face. "What?" he asked when she laughed.

She waved a hand in negation. "Don't ask. It was a fanciful, whimsical thought. You won't think it's funny and you may just run for the hills. So let's just leave that bit of nonsense for later."

He pursed his lips. Now she'd made him all the more curious. "I won't run for the hills, Laura. Tell me…"

She shook her head. "Please don't…I can't…"

He lowered his mouth to her ear. "I have ways of making you talk…"

She shot him a smirk. "Not on the back of a horse, you don't."

That was a challenge he couldn't resist. He glanced to the right. Lorianna and Varric were deep in conversation and not paying any attention. Good. He settled the reins over the pommel and moved her hair over her shoulder so he could kiss her neck. He gently nipped it and soothed it with his tongue. He kissed a trail up her neck to her ear and trailed his tongue along the shell before he took the lobe between his teeth for soft nibble. "Tell me…" he crooned as his left hand slid along her inner thigh under her tunic. He groaned when his fingertips grazed over the heart of her and slowly slid up her belly to discover she wasn't wearing any smallclothes. He cupped her breast and drew his thumb over the tight peak. Her sounds of her moans thickened his arousal. He rolled her nipple between his fingers and gently plucked it. "Tell me…" he said thickly.

She cried out softly, needing his touch. "You don't play fair…"

"All is fair in love and war…" he murmured against her neck. His hand slid down over the flat of her belly and slipped beneath the cinched waist of her pants. A ragged breath escaped when he fingers slipped through her silky curls, but the saddle impeded further exploration. He pulled her up so that she was sitting on his inner thighs and groaned when his fingers slipped between her wet folds. He was careful to avoid the swollen nub…that he was saving for tonight. His fingertip teased her, using her essence to slicken it. That was when he discovered the small membrane at the bottom of her well of pleasure. He was surprised to find that she was a virgin; she was far too passionate for him to have believe that. He'd never taken a virgin, he'd never wanted to. But he wanted her. And there was something primal in knowing that he was the only man who'd touched her.

He carefully slid his slick finger into her tight heat and trembled with the need to bury himself in her. He found the spot he was looking for and thrust his finger against it as he captured her lips, swallowing her cry of pleasure. "Tell me..." he murmured against her lips.

"If I tell you …you'll stop," she panted softly.

He had no intension of stopping whether she told him or not. Right now he cared more about her pleasure than his own and that was a new realization for him. "I won't stop."

With each thrust the pleasure grew, she didn't know what was going to happen, but she couldn't bear it if he stopped. "I…imagined telling…our children one day…ah….how I fell in love…" she panted... "with their father …on…ahhh….the back of a horse after…after…" she could not stop the moan, "I saved his ass from…from bandits. It – it was just…"

He did not feel like running for the hills. Even if it was just a thought and not real her words of love made his heart feel lighter. His grandfather was the only person who had ever loved him and he'd needed to hear those words more than he realized. He silenced her with a kiss and quickened the pace of his hand. He groaned when she clenched around his finger as she stiffened in his arms. Sweet maker, he wanted to be inside her right now. The kiss muffled her cry of release. He gradually slowed his movements, but remained inside her until her muscles stopped their rhythmic quivers.

He slipped his hand from her pants and raised it to his nose. His mouth watered from the scent of her nectar. He slid his finger into his mouth and twirled his tongue over it to capture her taste. This small teasing was all he could have right now.

Watching what he'd done and seeing the heated promise in his blue eyes had caused her core to clench. "You didn't run for the hills…" she said softly, unable to hide the wonder in her voice.

He grinned at her. "What would our children think if I ran? That would not be a very flattering ending to the story," he teased.

Her cheeks bloomed with color. "You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

He winked at her. "Not when you blush so becomingly when I tease you about it. But I should point out that you will not be telling any stories to our children, lest they are conceived first…and that may take a great deal of trying."

Her mouth fell open and slammed shut. She'd walked right into that one. "You're quite the Clarissian." She saw the confusion in his face and realized that was one of her mom's words, not something said here. "Rake…heart-breaker…lady's man…charmer…"

The smile slipped from his lips. That was one of the reasons he'd been exiled and carted off to the chantry. "A man can change."

She quirked a brow. "Can he?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Laura," he murmured.

She bit her lip. "But that won't stop you from making love to me, will it?"

"No," he admitted. "Only you can stop that."

Could she make love to him and not have her feelings towards him grow? She wasn't ignorant. He was a prince, exiled or not, so he would never be hers. More important, she would never tolerate a traditional noble marriage. She wasn't the type of woman to share. She shook her head. She'd never wanted to get married; she never wanted to submit under any man's rule. Why did he have to come into her life and turn everything upside down? Regardless, she wanted him."I won't," she told him quietly. "One night…that's all I can give."

He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and then her lips. Then he had one night to make her change her mind. One night to show her that one night will never be enough. "Then I will have to make sure it is a night you will never forget."

She turned to face forward again. That was what she was afraid of. "Were you at Redcliffe?" she asked, changing the subject.

He blinked at the change of subject. "Yes, we were. Varric wanted to establish some trade contacts to broaden his network across Ferelden."

"Are you in business with him?" she asked curiously.

He chuckled. "No – I had my own network to broaden."

"Which would be…." She replied, pushing for more details.

He released a slow breath. "The nobility. I told you I was an exiled prince of Starkhaven. And since my family is familiar with the nobility in the Free Marches, I figured my best chance at obtaining noble connections would be in Ferelden."

"Why did you choose Ferelden over Orlais or Antiva?"

"The nobility of Orlais are…complex. They play games I want no part of. They will greet you with a smile and send an assassin to stab you in the back. As for Antiva? That is where the assassins hale from. There are many reasons for me to avoid that country," he explained. He wouldn't put it past his family to hire assassins to make sure he was never seen again.

She was curious as to what those reasons would be, but let it go for now. "How did you meet up with Varric?"

One corner of his mouth lifted in a half grin. "We met at a tavern in Kirkwall called the Hanged Man."

She smirked. "That doesn't sound like a very hospitable place."

"You would be right about that, it's in Lowtown. Marlin took me there. He said Varric was the dwarf to see if I wanted information. When he learned I was going to Ferelden, he decided to come along. Marlin joined us to see how Ferelden differed from the Free Marches. Marlin is – was a mage from Kirkwall. From what he told me, that was not a place any mage wanted to be. That is why he did not carry a staff." He paused for a moment. "I notice that you do not carry a staff either."

"Me? Why would I? The only thing I could do with one is beat someone over the head with it," she chuckled. "I'm actually pretty damned good at pole sparring."

"Pole sparring?" That was not something he was familiar with.

Right. It was not something anyone here - or apparently anywhere, had heard of. "It was something my mother taught us how to do - with two staff-length cylinders of wood, smoothed to a shine. We stood atop a balance beam – that is a large log that is flattened along the top, the width of your foot, covered in hide and raised about two feet off the ground; we sparred with the poles until either someone's pole was knocked from their hands or they fell. It is good training for balance and agility."

He couldn't even imagine such a thing, but maybe it explained the way the sisters moved. "The way you and your sister fight – did your mother teach you that as well?"

She grinned. "She did. That particular fighting style relies heavily on balance and agility."

His training was more a joke than anything else. His parents didn't want to waist the resources training a second spare. It was his grandfather that showed him how to use the bow, but a bow was only useful at a distance. "Would you be willing to train me? A bow is not very useful in close quarters," he admitted.

"I can teach you the basics," she said hesitantly, "but it requires patience and persistence. Give me that and I am yours – I mean I'll mentor you." She rubbed her heated cheeks, thankful that he could not see them.

He couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his lips. No woman had ever charmed him like she did. He was not in a hurry for this journey to end.

Lorianna scanned the small clearing. The light was fading fast and there was no reason to risk injury to the horses. She pulled Shadow to a stop. "We'll camp here for the night. I hear a stream not too far off, so we will have water. She dismounted and used her power to lift Varric down from the saddle. She pretended nothing had just happened as she untied the bow from her saddle. She strapped on the quiver and looked over at her sister who had just strapped on her own quiver.

"Lorianna and I always hunt up game while the men pitch camp. You can join us or the men, whatever you prefer."

He had seen the bow strapped to the saddle and was curious how good she was. "I'll hunt with you."

"So will I," Varric said with a groan. "I need to stretch my legs. I think they've disowned me."

Lorianna nodded. "Legion, protect the horses." She grinned when he whined. "Sorry, boy. With four of us going, we need you more here, so the men don't have to watch over the horses. We'll be back soon."

"I'll cover the east and north, you cover the south and west," Laura told her sister.

Lorianna nodded. "Sounds good to me, it will let me check out the stream I hear." She grinned. "Sebastian, you're with me. Varric can accompany my sister."

-BREAK SIX-

Sebastian frowned but nodded. He had little doubt that Lorianna had seen enough to make her concerned for her sister. He tilted Laura's chin up and grazed his lips against hers. When her arms slipped around his waist a small smile played on his lips as he hugged her back. She felt so good pressed against him that he didn't want to let go. When she pulled back he reluctantly released her and returned Varric's wave as the two set off. He sighed and turned to face the sister and nodded to her. He looked back over the direction Laura had gone and then followed Lorianna.

The fact that Sebastian had looked back let her know more about what he felt than any words he could have said. She scanned the area as they proceeded west.

"I imagine you have questions regarding my intentions towards your sister." There was no use prolonging what was to come.

"I did, but you've already answered them," she said with a grin.

He blinked in confusion. "I have said nothing."

She shook her head. "You didn't have to. When you looked back you had a look on your face that told me everything I needed to know."

"What kind of look was that?" He hadn't realized there had been any particular look on his face. He just hadn't like the idea of not going with her. He'd wanted to make sure she was safe. Which was ridiculous considering she hardly needed his protection.

She wasn't about to tell him what he felt, because some things were best if you discovered them yourself. "I know you are not just using her for a tumble." She grabbed an arrow and shot to the right without looking. "After what Varric told me…well, you can imagine my concern," she said as she bent over to pick up the hare. She plucked out the arrow and wiped it on the grass, before returning it to her quiver.

He just blinked when he saw her shoot her bow without even looking. Even the best archer could not do that. Archery was a visual skill. "Varric is a story teller, he likes to embellish. I cannot tell you if he embellished my past. It is not a past I am particularly proud of now, but just know that a man can change."

"I know that. Were that not the case, my arrow would have landed between your legs." She tied the hare to her belt and continued heading west.

He swallowed hard. He did not doubt it for a moment. "If you know this, why did you require my presence?"

"Because I was not certain until you looked back. To your left," she said, pointing to the large pheasant that blended into the shadows. She remained silent while he took aim and fired. "Is it so wrong for me to want to get to know the man who is going to take my sister's innocence?"

She must have extraordinary hearing, because he never would have known the bird was there. He used a leather strip to tie the bird's foot to his belt. "I have no intention of hurting your sister."

Her smile was wan. "The road to hell is often paved with good intentions. My sister is not a tavern wench; she's lived a sheltered life by choice. Ever since she was a child she's sworn to never marry, never give up her independence and never let a man rule her or try to change her. And until now, no man has interested her."

"I know," he said quietly. "She told me. She is a remarkable woman. I have no desire to dim her light."

She nodded. He spoke with sincerity and she sensed no uncertainty or deceit. "Even so, once that line is crossed – there can be only two outcomes. Happiness or pain. She will not be able to keep her heart free from…entanglements. I only ask that you take that to heart before you bed her."

"Those words come from experience," he said gently.

Yes. They did. If she had known Kael loved her – if she'd even thought she'd have a chance with him, she never would have made love to Cailan and their hearts would not have become as entangled as they were. It would end only in pain for them now. "They do – and the cost I'm paying is high. If I could keep her from paying that price, I would. I realize nothing is ever certain…all I ask is that you tread lightly."

"Of course." He studied her for a moment. "It is obvious you are nobility and the name Wulff is familiar, but I cannot place it."

"My parents are the Arl and Arlessa of the Western Hills, which is located south-west of the Arling of Redcliffe.

"Western Hills….Arl Eamon suggested that should be my next stop. We were heading there when we were attacked. When Marlin was killed we decided it was best to head to Denerim instead, since we lacked the numbers to make the journey safely." His gaze narrowed on her when she shot her bow a second time without looking. "When the servants discovered where we were going they warned us of the Witches of the Hills. I did not think much on it until…"

She frowned. She knew exactly where this was going. "There are no Witches of the Hills. There never have been." She fastened the hare to her belt.

His brow rose. "I have seen you use magic – or something very like magic."

She could not bring herself to lie to him, but nor could she tell him the truth. She didn't know him well enough to trust him with her family's lives. "Whatever you think you saw – that is not something I'm willing to talk about. I don't know you well enough to trust you with my family's lives. I said as much to Varric when he asked. All I will tell you is that there is nothing magical about us and I will ask that you not speak of it to anyone outside of our family."

"Fair enough," he said with a nod of his head. When they turned south he caught sight of a pheasant and loosed an arrow. It wasn't much further when he sighted a doe.

She placed a hand on his arm and pushed down so he would lower his bow. "We do not have the supplies to salt the meat and we will not be staying here long enough eat something that size." She paused. "You said you were an exiled Prince. Are you willing to tell me what happened?"

He shrugged. "I was a second spare. My parents had no need of me, nor did they wish to deal with me. Eventually, they had me carted off to the chantry to force me to take vows to become a brother. That was not what I wanted, so when the opportunity arose to escape – I did. I ended up in Kirkwall, met Varric and Marlin…and here I am."

It was obvious there was far more to it than that, but she could hardly expect him to open up with her when she refused to do so with him. "I'm sorry, I cannot imagine parents like that." Her parents had told her the truth about who her sire was, she had wondered about him, but she felt no connection to him. Gallagher had loved as much as he loved all his children and no one but the three of them knew the truth. There was no point, since her birth father would never be able to claim her. She could not begin to understand the kind of childhood he must have had.

He shook his head. "They are no longer a part of my life." He watched a fish arch out of the stream as they approached it. He pulled back the bowstring and let the arrow fly. It pierced the fish and imbedded in the rocks in the stream. He would have to get wet to retrieve it, but it was worth it. Fish would be a welcome change in the fare he'd been eating.

Lorianna grinned held her hand towards the arrow; the arrow, fish in tow, arched back out of the water and into her hand. "I have a better idea," she said as she handed the impaled fish to him. She took a long leather string from her pocket and handed it to him. "I will toss fish up onto the bank. Kill them so they do not die slowly and string them up."

He looked at the fish on his arrow and just blinked. But, as before, he'd heard no spells being cast. That only begged the question – what was she if she was not a mage? He pulled the arrow from the fish, wiped in on the grass and slipped it back into the quiver. He ran the leather string through the fish's mouth and out through its gills. A large fish launched itself out of the water and landed near his feet. He pulled a small, ornate knife from its sheath to kill the gasping fish before stringing it next to the first. Five more large fish landed on the bank before she rose.

"Between our haul and theirs, we will have enough for tonight and some to breakfast on. Give me a moment and we will return to camp." She pursed her lips. "You too may wish to find a bush. The trench is not a pleasant experience." She turned away to conduct her business behind the privacy of a bush. The men will have already dug a small trench behind the camp. It was safer than venturing too far from the fire at night, but it was not private. The men might not care, but she did. And the smell…best not to think about it. The trench would be filled in with dirt when they left, and before long there would be no signs that they'd ever camped there.

He had returned from his own jaunt to a bush and was picking up the string of fish when she returned. He followed her in silence for a bit, mulling over everything he'd been told. "Will the Prince ask for Laura's hand after you refuse his troth?"

That was a curious question. One she'd never thought of before. She knew Anora was being pushed on Cailan, but she also knew an alliance with her family meant more than an alliance with Anora's, despite the fact that her father was only an Arl and Loghain was a teyrn – her family was of noble blood and a powerful family. Loghain had been given the title by Meric, but was only a commoner by blood. "Perhaps, if we hadn't….no, I don't think he will. There is too much between us for him to turn to my sister. It is far more likely that he will wed Anora, Teyrn Loghain's daughter. Loghain has been pushing Meric for the alliance since we were children. He may also choose to remain single, until he is king there is no need for him to wed."

He nodded. He didn't care to examine too closely why her words eased him. His parents hadn't cared enough to try to arrange a match for him. For that, at least, he was grateful.

By the time they returned to camp the tents were up and the fire was belching sparks in the ring of stones. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air. "Any kills you make along the way can be given to Johns; he preps and cooks. We never leave home without him – he's that good." She untied her kills and set them on the skin next to the cook. She looked over at Nett who was oiling the raw skins and rolling them up to be tanned later. The soldiers were sitting around the fire, talking in a comforting drone. No one strayed too far from the fire at night, the fire kept the mosquitoes and the predators at bay.

She settled down next to Varric so that Sebastian could sit next to her sister.

"The stories I could tell about you and your sister…" Varric chuckled and held his hands up in surrender when she sent him a cold, warning glare. "I wouldn't use your names. Think about it. Two sister apostates, leaving the safety of their home, braving the might of the templars to fight the scum and tyranny that plague the unfortunate." He rubbed his chin and shrugged. "It's a work in progress. It would be interesting to see how the story ends. Do the sisters stay together? Does one of them marry an exiled Prince and return to his lands and help him retake his throne? "

Sebastian frowned. "There is no throne to take back – it was never going to be mine."

A small grin pulled at Varric's lips. "Lighten up, choir-boy. It's only a story. Anything can happen. Like the older sister marrying the King of Ferelden, reining in the nobility and granting rights to the downtrodden. Two strong, female apostate heroines that will shape the lives of future generations to come. I can see it now."

Lorianna blew her bangs out of her face. "I'm going to Denerim to tell Cailan that I'm marrying Kael. I'm never going to be queen, Varric."

Varric shrugged. "You never know how thing are going to turn out, highness."

She blinked. "Highness?"

"Well princess was already taken," he said as he pointed to Laura.

"Enough, Varric! I'm not marrying, Seb!" Laura growled before she jumped up and ran into the inky black of the night.

Sebastian's hand rose to his heart. Her words had felt like daggers. "Your pardon," he said quietly and rose from the fire. He did not want her out there by herself, regardless of how capable she was. It didn't take long before he heard a thunk followed by a swishing noise. He followed the sounds to see her flowing around a tree, kicking at it with complex, agile movements.

"Leave me be," she said, though she did not look at him and did not stop her furious assault on the wooden victim of circumstance. She was a chaotic mess inside. Everything she'd ever believed in about herself had been thrown into upheaval. She'd never wanted any man. She'd never wanted marriage. She'd never wanted children. She'd never wanted to lose who she was. And now…in the course of a single day, nothing was as she thought it was. She cared about a man. She wanted a man – almost desperately so. She was thinking about what it would be like to be married – have children. And the man that twisted her all up inside would be gone from her life once they reached Denerim. If this was going to happen to her, why him? Why someone that would be forever out of reach? Was she some kind of cosmic joke?

The restrictive pressure of his arms came around her. She turned into him, slightly to the left, and pulled him over her right shoulder. She used a small burst of power to lighten his landing.

He blinked when he found himself flat on his back, surprised that nothing ached. "Remind me not to try that again."

Breath rushed from her lungs and she dropped to her knees next to him. "I'm sorry," she said when he sat up. "It was my fault; I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Was she referring to tossing him on his backside? "What was your fault?"

"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head. It was too personal to talk about.

He raised his knees and rested his forearms on them. "Is the idea so horrible to you that you would vent your ire on a tree?"

She blinked. "What are you talking about?" He'd really lost her with that comment.

His brows drew together in pain. "You made your displeasure with me known – rather loudly back at camp. Everyone is quite aware that you will never marry me."

"That," she said with a soft sigh and looked down at her fidgeting hands; she clasped them tight to still them. "It wasn't right what Varric was saying. You're a prince and I'm a…."

"An Arl's daughter?" he finished for her. "

"Precisely," she said with a firm nod.

"Unless thing have changed in the last few months, you are of noble birth," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "Regardless, he was pushing something that could never be." Sebastian shouldn't have to deal with that kind of pushing, it would just make things more awkward between them.

What had happened between their horse ride and the hunt? "I thought…" He'd thought there was a mutual interest between them…maybe something special. How could he have been so wrong? He rose and dusted his backside off. "I must have been wrong." He turned and headed back to camp. He stopped a few yards away. Despite the pain of her rejection he did not feel right leaving her alone out here. A quiet sob reached his ear and he raked a hand through his hair. Why was she crying? None of this made any sense to him. He felt like a dog chasing its tail.

He turned back around to join her. He settled next to her and pulled her onto his lap. He held her while her tears dampened his tunic. "Laura, what's going on? I don't understand any of this."

"Neither do I," she mumbled and gripped his tunic in two fists, giving it a firm shake. "Why you? Of all the men I've ever met – why you? I knew what I wanted out of life. I was content with that. I reveled in that. Then you come along and challenged everything I thought I knew about myself." She shook him again. "You made me think about things – want things I'll never be able to have. You'll leave once we get to Denerim and I'll be left with…with – I was mad at me, Seb. Mad that I have a weakness."

He kissed her forehead to keep from smiling. She did care. She may not want to care, but she did. No woman had ever called him her weakness before. It was humbling. "Admitting you have a weakness shows strength. Turning that weakness into a strength shows wisdom."

She shot him a frustrated glare. "How am I supposed to do that?" It wasn't exactly like learning a new skill that practice would perfect.

One corner of his lips curled up into a lopsided grin. "By embracing the weakness and building upon it."

She couldn't keep the smile at bay. "And how do you suggest that I embrace that weakness?"

"I can think of a few ways…" he murmured with waggle of his brows.

She shook her head and laughed. "You are incorrigible, but not all together wrong. Let's say I took your advice and embraced my weakness. How do you propose that I build on it?"

He lifted his hand to brush his fingertips down her cheek. "Embrace that weakness a little closer with each passing day and practice. Lots of practice."

"Really," she inquired with an arched brow. "Sounds like a recipe for a broken heart to me."

His hand slid forward to cup the side of her neck, his thumb caressed her cheek. "Do not be afraid to take a chance. If you succeed, you will have what you want. If you fail, you grow wiser. You are stronger for it either way."

"Perhaps. But it is only a fool's errand if both are not willing to take that chance, and Varric said…"

His dark brows furrowed. "Varric said. Varric is a story teller, prone to exaggerations and even lies to make a make a story more compelling or scandalous. Even if he spoke the truth, it is your opinion that concerns me. Is that what you think? That all I'm wanting is a convenient tumble until we reach Denerim? That I feel nothing for you? That may have been true in my past, but…this is me taking a chance. When you spurned marriage to me…that hurt. It felt like you'd raked your claws across my heart. If I didn't care, I'd have been relieved when you shouted those words, not hurt. Take a chance with me, Laura. I'm willing to take a chance with you."

She placed a finger over his lips to hush him. She did not sense any deceit in him, that wasn't the problem. "If that is true, then listen to what I'm about to say before you decide that. As I said earlier, I will give you one night, free and clear. But if you want more – if you want us to take the chance that we can be more together, then you need to understand something about me. I know what relationships among the nobility are like. While my father is faithful to my mother, he was not faithful with his previous two wives. And that is compounded with Royalty. I won't live that kind of life, Seb. I don't share. If I take a chance on you – I will remain true. But I expect the same in return. If you touch another after you touch me - there is no coming back from that. Ever. If that is something you can accept, then I am willing to take a chance."

What she said was true with most marriages. Sometimes the wife was allowed discreet interludes, sometimes she wasn't, but a man could always step out, discreet or otherwise. The man he used to be might have been accepting of that kind of marriage, but the thought of another man touching her caused fury to burn in his blood. With that realization he knew that he already thought of her as his. "May I speak now?" he mumbled against her finger.

She flushed and lowered her finger. "I suppose it's only fair," she teased.

"I am more than familiar with noble marriages. My parents had an arranged marriage. I'm not looking to repeat their mistakes. I've already sewed my oats and I put that life behind me when I fled the chantry. It is past time for something real. When I look at you – when I touch you – when I talk to you, I feel things I've never felt before. I need to know if this is real. And Maker help anyone that touches you, for he will find no mercy in me," he growled.

A shiver raced down her back and she pulled him down for a heated kiss.

He broke the kiss when her belly growled and rose with her cradled against him. He carried her back to camp so they could eat before the food was wrapped up for the night.

She sat back when her belly was sated and turned her attention to Varric. "I owe you and everyone an apology for my outburst. Seb and I have come to an understanding that I am at peace with now."

"Does that mean I'll be invited to the wedding, princess?" Varric asked with a sly grin.

"If we wed, then yes…I would like to see you there. What kind of friend would I be if you missed that chapter of your story?" she teased.

Varric nodded. "A poor one, I'd wager." He rubbed his knuckles against his tunic and looked down at them. "It's hard being right all the time."

Lorianna laughed. "Sorry, Varric. I'm still not going to marry the king of Ferelden. Not even for your story."

His hand flattened against his heart. "You wound me, highness."

She patted his arm. "I'm sure you'll survive, my friend. Not even the famous rogue and story teller, Varric Tethras, can be right all the time."

Varric shook his head. "Ye of little faith. Your story has only just begun, highness."

She stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm afraid it's done for the night. We rise early. I suggest you tuck in too. Sleep well, everyone. See you on the flip side."

Laura watched her sister disappear into her tent, took Sebastian's hand, rose and led him to her tent. The man had promises to keep.

Varric grinned and relaxed back against the log, studying the flickering flames. He was glad he'd decided to come along on this adventure. He couldn't help but wonder how this story would play out. But he intended to keep his ear to the ground after he returned to Kirkwall; because he had a feeling this story was a long way from being finished. It would be his grandest series yet.

-BREAK SEVEN-

It was eight days before they made sight of the royal palace. There had been days that Lorianna wanted to peel the armor off Shadow and just run, but with bandits preying on travelers, she didn't want to risk Shadow's life on the need for speed. As it was, Shadow's armor was lighter than that of the other horses. He'd been a special gift from her father. He was not the standard heavier built breeds that populated Ferelden. He was trim, long legged, clean of feathers, his face slightly dished. He was built for speed and endurance, not hauling mounted knights. But the time did allow her to get to know Sebastian and Varric better. The dwarf was a font of information, kept them entertained at the campfire and was sassy to boot. She liked him and she would miss him when he left their party. She knew he would be heading back to Kirkwall after he took care of his business in Denerim. What concerned her more was what her sister was going to do. Was she going to go to the Free Marches with Sebastian or was he coming back to the Western Hills with them? Or…would they ride off together who knows where? Neither had spoken of what they intended to do. Perhaps, they did not know yet.

Their ride through Denerim was slow with frequent stops as she stopped to talk to the children and town folks she's gotten to know over the years. She looked up and soon saw Cailan, atop a white steed, and several knights approaching them. Spotters would alert him to her arrival and he always came out to meet her ever since he was old enough to sit a horse.

The knights spread out to allow the party through them and took up their places at the rear. Cailan swung his gelding around to ride next to her. He held his hand out and grinned when she took it. "You grow more beautiful each time I see you."

"Thank you, highness," Varric said with a grin. "Sometimes I just don't feel appreciated enough."

Cailan blinked and looked at the dwarf that was seated behind her, shook his head and returned his attention to Lorianna. "I imagine you have will have an interesting story to tell this visit and I am a man that loves stories."

She squeezed his hand. "You will hear far better stories from Varric," she motioned to the dwarf with her head, "then anything I have to tell you, Cailan."

He looked back at the dwarf again. "Well then, Varric, you will have to regale me with your stories."

Varric chuckled. "That I can do, your highness." Life could take some strange turns. A surfacer dwarf that lived in a tavern in Kirkland's Lowtown was hobnobbing with nobility and royalty. That would keep him ass-deep in stories for awhile.

Cailan led them to the stable and helped Lorianna remove Shadow's light armor plating and helped her brush him down. The stable lads would see to the other mounts, but he knew she liked to take care of Shadow herself. She had ever since she got him.

As soon as the chore was complete her pulled her in for a hug and brushed his lips across hers. "I've been counting down the days until I could see you again."

"I've missed you too," she said as he led her into the castle. She dismissed her men to find their rooms and get cleaned up. Unlike her, they hadn't taken advantage of every stream they came across.

Cailan looked at the young woman standing next to Lorianna. "Laura – wow, you're all grown up now and as beautiful as your sister." He hugged her and grazed his lips against her cheek. He smiled when he saw the man at her side pull her back against him. "You have nothing to worry about with me, I see her like a little sister. She even put frogs in my bed once – said she was trying to loosen me up."

"Don't forget the swamp slime in your boots," she teased.

Cailan rubbed his forehead, his cheeks flushing. The feel of the slime sliding up between his toes had been horrendous. "I have tried to forget that."

Laura laughed softly. "Sorry, Cailan – ah hell, no I'm not. The look on your face was priceless."

No doubt it had been, but he'd gotten her back. "As was yours when I told you that I'd just found out that your father had agreed to the match between you and my father, to ensure there would be at least one strong Theirin-Wulff alliance."

That had been a particularly low blow on his part. No that she'd ever held it against him, she thoroughly deserved it. "I was furious with my father after that. But I deserved the tongue lashing my father gave me when I confronted him. My outburst made him actually consider the match and to this day I do not know if he is teasing me about that. I have no desire to be Maric's queen."

"But you are willing to be Sebastian's?" Varric chuckled. "The irony is beautiful, princess."

Laura pursed her lips at Varric's outburst and noticed the confusion in Cailan's eyes. "Cailan, I'd like you to meet Sebastian Vael, exiled prince of Starkhaven."

Cailan's brow rose. He'd heard about that, but never thought to meet the lothario. He inclined his head to the other prince. "Your reputation proceeds you," he said with a cool tone. He could not help being concerned for Laura, he spoke in truth that he considered her a younger sister.

Sebastian's cheeks heated and he inclined his head to Cailan. "A man can change."

"Can he?" Maric asked from his position lounging against the doorway.

Laura's cheeks flamed. How long had he been there? Had he heard her state that she didn't want to be his queen?

Sebastian cleared his throat and bowed. "Yes, your majesty, he can."

Maric strode into the room and folded his arms over his chest. He was not about to let Laura remain in the company of such a man. "That is something you will need to prove. You have a sennight to post your bans and marry Laura Wulff, here – in the palace, within a month from the date of posting. You will not touch her until such as time as you are wed. If that is not something you agree to, then I will send a missive letting Gallagher know that I agree to the alliance, she will become my queen and I will post the bans immediately."

The silence that befell the room was deafening. Laura may have joked about not knowing if her father had been serious….but now she knew he had been and her heart twisted with pain. "Maric…don't do this….don't force him to-"

Maric raised his hand to silence her. "The alliance has already been agreed to. Whether it is finalized is between Prince Vael and myself, either way you will be wed in a month's time. You will have two guards flanking you at all times. If you leave their sight before you wed - you will wed me immediately, bans or no. Do we have an understanding?" It was hard to keep from grinning when he saw the sparks shooting from her eyes. He knew her well enough that there was no doubt she was fuming over the choice being taken from her. What she would come to understand was that few people ever truly had free choice, from the poorest beggar to a king. Regardless, she was a stunning young woman that he would welcome into his bed. Marriage to the minx would not prove disappointing.

She felt like she was standing on the precipice of a yawning chasm. "May I have a word with you…alone, Maric?" she asked in a strangled voice.

Sebastian shook his head and broke free from the shock that had frozen him in place. "No." The look in the king's eye showed plainly the man wanted her and he was not willing to let her go. He did not want to go a night without her in his arms; he did not want to face a lifetime without her light to warm him. He had not been able to keep his heart at bay when he touched her. Each day he spent with her had strengthened his feelings for her. This was not how he imagined things would turn out. He had intended to woo her slowly and propose to her in an extravagant manner. But nor could he fault the king for forcing the choice, not when an alliance was on the table. That he was willing to allow him to marry her at all showed that the king did, indeed, care about Laura. "There is no need, Laura. I accept Maric's edict." He took her hand and knelt down on one knee.

He heart squeezed painfully. This was not what she wanted. She didn't want him to feel he was being forced into marriage with her. "Oh…Seb…"

There was little he could do to still the trembling of his body. "Will you, Laura Rose Wulff consent to be my bride…and become an exiled princess of Starkhaven?"

"…not like this."

"Are you refusing my troth?" he asked tightly. He knew she was skittish about marriage and that their time together had been limited, but they'd run out of time. He could only hope that she would choose him over the king.

She shook her head. "No – but you shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for me."

One corner of his lips pulled up into a small grin. "Marriage is not a sacrifice. Losing you would be. You are the light that warms my heart and guides my soul. Will you wed me?"

"Yes…" she whispered through a tight throat.

He smiled, rose to a stand, and turned to face Maric. "Thank you for allowing me to make her my bride."

Maric's lips tightened, but he nodded. "If you hurt her in any way, you will not live to regret it. That promise I make to you, Vael."

"Understood, your majesty. Please see that the bans are posted and missives sent out. But I want a private wedding this eve."

Maric laughed. "Are you afraid I will woo her away from you before your troth is finalized? Or do you not wish to wait a month to bed her?"

He inclined his head to the king. "You see too well, your majesty."

The king nodded. "It will be done." He nodded to his guests and departed the room.

Cailan shuddered and released a pent up breath when he father disappeared from sight. "For a moment I feared my little sister would become my mother."

Lorianna hugged her sister and Sebastian and congratulated them before giving her attention to Cailan. "Cailan, we need to talk."

His heart stilled but he squared his shoulders. "Then come with me," he said as he held the crook of his arm out to her. He led her to the wing that held the family quarters and then up to his chambers. By the pain in her voice he suspected what he'd hoped to have happen in his chambers would have to remain hidden in his dreams. He turned to face her and took her other hand. "What did you need to tell me?"

Now that it was time to tell him, she found the words hard to force out. She loved him too much to want to hurt him like that. She looked down at their clasped hands for a moment and then took a deep breath before she raised her gaze to meet his. "You know I love you….I would give anything not to hurt you…." Again her words failed her and she swallowed hard.

The 'but' that hung between them crushed the last of his hope. "But you intend to wed my brother," he said, having forced the words past his tight throat. He cleared his throat. I will remain unwed until the time that I take the throne. If you are still wed, then I will marry Anora, as my people will want to see a me wed for the sake of an heir." He squeezed her hands. "But I need a promise from you, Lor. I need to know that if anything happens…if you find yourself – uh…free that you will return to me and become my wife." He released her hands and cupper her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "I love you. That is eternal, nothing will change that and I know I can make you happy. You are the only woman I want at my side. If I have to wed before you are free to return to me, I will set her aside to have the only woman I will ever truly love."

She was stunned that he would even want her after she wed another. She rose up on tiptoe to kiss the tears from his cheeks. Her heart as bruised as his. "Are you sure about that, Cailan?"

He did not try to hide the pain of his shattered heart. There would be no lies between them, not even in this. "As sure as I breathe. What we would have together would be glorious…a romance to span the ages. Stories of our love will give hope to lovers everywhere…that love can endure and thrive despite the challenges we are given."

She smiled softly. For as long as she had known him, he'd always looked at life in a way that was uniquely his own. But who could resist the picture he painted? "You have my promise, Cailan. If – if anything happens, I will return to be your wife."

He brushed his lips lightly against hers. "That's all I needed to hear. I will be content for now."

"What about Anora?" she asked gently.

He shook his head and took her hands once more. "If I have to wed her, she will not be heartbroken if I set her aside. We have become good friends, but she professes no love for me. She is but doing her father's bidding….and, I suspect, she covets the prospect of being queen," he admitted.

She frowned. She wanted so much more for him that that. "Is there no one else?" At his cocked brow she flushed. "I just – I want to see you happy."

"If ever we have our chance together, I will be. Until then, I will be content. It is as much as any man can hope for, given the circumstances. I don't suppose you will let me make love to you before you leave to wed another?" He did not expect her to accept what he was offering, but he had to try.

She shook her head. "I would no sooner do that to him than I would do that to you if we were getting married."

He nodded. She was right. He would not want her to make love to Kael one last time before marrying him. "Then let us return to the others, the bed is too close and you are too tempting," he admitted.

-BREAK SEVEN-

They had a small ceremony for Sebastian and Laura. Mother Perpetua presided over the wedding. The party lasted late in to the night. The following morning she had Cailan take them to the stables so that she could purchase a mount for Sebastian. She would have purchased Varric a stout pony, but he declined, saying he'd have no use for one in Kirkwall and didn't want to risk it getting stolen or eaten.

The first horse they were shown was a grand, white gelding whose name was Zolton.

Sebastian shook his head over the noble mount. "You've got to be kidding," he mumbled beneath his breath. "I appreciate the thought, but we do not need that kind of attention drawn to us."

They were then led to view two more horses that Maric had been willing to part with…a bay and a chestnut with white stockings. In the end, it was Dragon that chose his mount. His wife's surly horse did not tend to get along with other horses. He tolerated Shadow, but seemed to prefer to be alone. Or that was the case until they saw his head drooped over the stall wall of a neighboring horse. The two were mutually grooming each other's necks.

"Damn me," Laura murmured in surprise. "What about that one?"

Cailan looked in the direction she was pointing and just blinked. "I'll be damned. That's Titan. I've never known him to get along with any gelding. He was – er…gelded late and so far is proving unreliable around other males. Considering the knights prefer geldings, we've not been able to do much with him." He studied the dark gold and white patched gelding with the flaxen mane and tail. "He comes from good lines. He's fast, has decent endurance and he's well trained. But he can be a handful around other males, so I'm not sure he's what you're looking for."

"Can we take a look at him?" Laura asked curiously.

"Of course." Cailan tied a rope to his halter and led him out of the stall.

Sebastian looked him over appreciatively. He was built like Dragon, of medium bone and lacked feathering. He had a wide chest and a well muscled rump. He looked like he would be more suited to fast sprints rather than long endurance runs – and a fast sprint could be the difference between life or death. Most of the horses in Thedas had closer ties with draft stock, their heavier bone allowing them to carry a fully armored knight great distances. While Titan was not as refined as Shadow, but he was just as sturdy as Dragon. And he didn't need to carry an armored knight. He didn't like wearing bulky, heavy armor. He preferred to be swift on his feet.

He ran a hand down the gelding's neck, along his back and over his rump. He handled each of his legs, looking for any signs of shying or irritation. Cailan was correct, the gelding was well trained. "Would you be willing to part with him?" Sebastian asked the other prince.

"If you're sure about that…" Cailan hesitated.

Sebastian nodded. "I am. He looks like he'll be able to keep up with my wife's horse," he sent a quick wink at his wife, "and they get along. A man takes what boons he can get."

Cailan looked over at Lorianna. "Truer words…" He turned his attention back to the dark haired prince. "Consider him yours. I think my father would be relieved with this arrangement." He handed the rope to Sebastian so the man could lead his horse back into the stall.

"I will repay you for Titan," Sebastian told Lorianna.

She shook her head. "Sorry, Seb…but no you won't. You are my brother. Family owes family nothing. Consider him a wedding gift, if it sooths your ego." She grinned. "Besides, the bandits purchased the tack – I figured they owed you at least that much." She'd stayed up late with Cailan to catch up with him on the past year, so he was familiar with what happened on their journey to Denerim.

Sebastian nodded. "Thank you, Lor. You are a gracious sister." Regardless, he would find a way to square things with her.

-BREAK EIGHT-

Over the next few weeks people began pouring into Denerim to bear witness to the wedding. It was the largest noble gathering Denerim had seen for some time, surpassing even the landsmeet. The Couslands arrived before the Wulff's as their journey was far shorter. Lorianna was happy to Kael, but she was careful to keep their touching to a minimum when Cailan was around. There was no need to rub salt in the wound. Wilhelm was the only Wulff that did not make the journey. While the raids had lessened, they could not risk their keep falling while they were away. As a gift, Maric released Berchan from his military obligations, so that he could return home afterwards with his family.

Whispers from wagging tongues made their rounds after Cailan and Kael were seen side by side. Kael's hair was golden blonde, his nose a bit smaller and he was a couple of inches taller, but other than that they were the mirror image of each other. There was no denying Theirin blood ran in his veins. The attention their king was paying to the second eldest Cousland affirmed their suspicions. No one, however, allowed their whispers to reach the King's ear and if the Cousland's heard, they did not let on.

The wedding was held in the great hall. Braziers of flickering candles lent a comforting ambience. Mother Perpetua presided once more as she had during the private ceremony. Everyone had turned out in their finest, eager to witness the nuptials.

Gallagher walked is youngest daughter down the aisle to give her into the Sebastian's care. He would have preferred an alliance with the Theirins, but he could not complain about her wedding a prince of Starkhaven, even if he currently did not have his family's support. That the man appeared to care about his daughter was a boon. He and Staria had been stunned when they received the missive telling them that their daughter was to be wed in a month's time. Their youngest daughter had always been adamant about not getting married, which is why he'd proposed the alliance to Maric. When he'd presented the dowry to the prince, the prince had declined stating he'd already received the dowry in the form of a fine steed, so he'd given the money to his daughter, who had used her coin to purchase the mount.

When the ceremony ended, large tables were brought into the great hall and servants were quick to fill them with food and drink, while minstrels sang. The merrymaking had lasted well into the night, bride and groom, however, made their escape much earlier.

No one had been surprised to learn that Kyrian and Starlynn were betrothed. The young couple was inseparable - it was obvious the pairing was a love match and that made them all the more adorable. At one point, they too disappeared, likely to get away from all the fawning ladies – or, perhaps, it was only to raid the larder for cookies. Who could say what really happened once they quit the hall.

Lorianna was careful to include Cailan in whatever conversation she was having; she even saved some dances for him. She did not want him to feel left out; he was still one of her closest friends and didn't want to lose that. What did surprise her was the fact that Maric had claimed a dance with her. He did not seem in the least put out that she would be marrying Kael. He had asked many questions about her and Kael, as if he wanted to get to know Kael better. No doubt because Kael was his son. That was not something she'd ever brought up to Kael. They were her suspicions and even if she knew for sure, it was not her place. She loved Eleanor and Bryce and didn't want to cause any discord between them.

Anora was a little harder to include. She wasn't rude, but she wasn't the most outgoing of women. And she appreciated that Kael had taken the time to dance with her. Cailan had assured her that Anora was a different person when she wasn't in public. She wasn't exactly fun, but she did loosen up a lot more. She would have to take Cailan's word for that.

Kael pulled his wife into his arms for a dance. It was obvious she was exhausted. "You should go lay down."

She nodded. "I will. I can barely keep my eyes open." She yawned. "Maybe, I'll sleep in tomorrow."

Maker knows everyone else will, but he doubted she had it in her to sleep in. "I doubt it," he said with a grin as he maneuvered them towards the doorway that led to the guest wing.

Anora caught up with the couple before they reached the door. "If you do not mind, I will walk her to her room. I wish to have a word with her."

Kael nodded and brushed his lips against his wife's forehead. In truth, he had not intended to walk her to her room. They were not publically wed and he had no desire to besmirch her name. She would come to Castle Cousland after harvest season, they would have a ceremony and she would remain as his wife.

Anora thanked him and walked away with Lorianna. She remained quiet for a moment and then looked over at the woman that had been her rival all her life. A rival, but never an enemy. She had never been able to bring herself to dislike her. She wanted to, on principle, but she was a good and caring woman and that she admired. "Cailan told me what happened," she said quietly. "I know he's in love with you. I've always known. But I am a practical woman. I don't need fawning adoration from a man. I am content to be his friend. If we should someday wed, then we will have a better marriage than most nobles could hope for. It may not be a love match, but it will be a comfortable one."

She wasn't quite sure why Anora was telling her all of this or why she'd even sought her out. "Why is it that you've never taken the time to get to know me? We've known each other for years."

Anora rang her hands together. "I – my father was pushing me hard for the match. He made sure I understood that you were my rival, not my friend. I've never been one to gainsay my father. He is an intimidating man. I think he's probably one of the only men I can't handle. He is like a tidal wave."

She nodded. "I get that. Fathers are not like other men. It's like they will always see us as their little girls and it's hard for them to treat us any different."

A small smile played on her lips. "I couldn't agree more. I want you to know that I have never disliked you, despite anything father might have told me. I could see what kind of person you were by how you treated those around you. When we were little, I wanted to be like you – but…father always told me I needed to be strong like a pillar so that the people would respect me and look up to me as their future queen. Maybe he was right. If they do not see me as a friend, they will be less likely to question my decisions."

She could see some wisdom in that, but she would never wish to live her life like that. She didn't want to earn respect out of intimidation or fear. She wanted to earn respect on a personal level. "Your father is not wrong…exactly, but I could never live my life like that. There are gentler ways to earn your people's respect. My people know that I am both compassionate and fair. They know that I would not ask them to do something I would not do myself. I am a part of my people. They are my family and they know they are cared for. In this way, I win their hearts and loyalty, just as they have earned mine. Your father is an aggressive, driven man. I am only aggressive if I have been given no choice. You don't have to be like your father or me. Discover who you are and be true to that."

Lorianna took Anora's hand when they stopped in front of her chamber door. "I know change can be as scary as it is exhilarating. Be the woman you want to be…even if it means you have to start being her when your father is not around. That's okay – if that's what it takes to build your confidence and understand of who you really are. I'm not saying it will be easy, but I'm saying it's worth discovering."

Anora patted her hand. "Thank you. You have given me a lot to think about. And…I'm sorry I never took the time to really know you. I hope – I hope that can change."

She smiled at the other woman. "Me too. Does that mean I will see you in the morning?"

"It does," Anora said with an incline of her head. "Good night, Lorianna." She turned to head to her own chambers.

Lorianna grinned when she watched the other woman walk. "Anora – why don't you start with that walk? No one is watching, you don't need to walk in arrogant, slow motion."

Anora stopped and looked back at the princess in surprise. "My father said it showed poise and confidence."

Lorianna shook her head. "It is a supercilious walk, pretentious even. It makes you appear unapproachable and can annoy those that have to walk with you. Look at how the noblemen walk. Do you see any of them walking like that? No. Does your father? Does the king? There is no reason for you too. If you want to be seen as strong, then walk with strength and purpose, not like a docile, arrogant woman. And for maker's sake get out of that hobbling dress once in awhile, loosen up and learn to have some fun. Wait! Come here." She hurried into her chambers and pulled an extra set of clothing from her bag. It might be a little large in the bust on Anora, but since it could be pulled down and belted, it would look fine. And since her clothing was embroidered with golden threads, she would still look noble.

"Here," she said, handing the other woman a pair of leggings and tunic. "You can look good and actually be functional. Wear them tomorrow – just make sure to belt it and have at least one sheathed dagger at your hip. We will go riding in the morning. There is a clearing that Cailan and I go to – it's where I taught him to fight like I do. I'd like to teach you too. It uses your adversary's strength and size against them. Every woman should know how to protect themselves and not have to rely on some man to do it. That is…if you are willing to learn."

Anora took the clothing offered to her. She felt a thrill of excitement that she hadn't felt in a long time. She was sure her father would not approve, but Lorianna was right. She was an adult and it was time to be less her father's daughter and more an independent woman. It was time to find out who she was and who she wanted to be. "I'm willing. And thank you. I am looking forward to the morrow. I wish we had become friends sooner. I was foolish." Friends. Besides Cailan, she really didn't have any. The women she talked to she wouldn't trust out of her sight. This – this was a new experience for her. Now she understood why Cailan had always been so drawn to Lorianna. There was both strength and compassion her. She drew you in and made everything seem like an exciting adventure to be had.

She shook her head. "You were a biddable, dutiful daughter seeking to please her father. But you are no longer a child. Now you can be an independent, strong woman with a mind of her own."

Anora held the clothing to her bosom. "You are younger than I, yet you are wise beyond your years."

"That was my mother's doing," she admitted. "Almost everything I've learned I've learned from her. She taught me to test the bounds of the impossible, to know my strengths and weaknesses and turn those weaknesses into an advantage. She taught me to hone my instincts and trust in them. She taught me that strength can be found in compassion, empathy and mercy. Most important was something she did not teach me, but something I learned through her teaching. I learned who I wanted to be and that gave me peace as well as a confidence I'd never known before. My mother is a remarkable woman."

"As are you," Anora replied. "Time for me to tuck in if I am to rise in the morn. Sleep well."

When Anora left, she removed her clothing and wiped herself down with the rag next to a basin of water. She wanted a bath, but she was too tired to order one and wait for it to be filled. She crawled into bed and drifted to sleep almost immediately.

Before the light of dawn was filtered into the room a raw pleasure tore her from the land of dreams, awakening her to the warm, agile caresses of her husband's tongue. Her hand slipped through his soft, golden waves, caressing the only part of him she could reach as the pleasure built up within her. "So close…" she murmured. She felt his hands grip her hips tighter as his tongue danced more aggressively over her swollen bud of need. Her soft moans became a hoarse cry when the pleasure burst into ecstasy.

She was beyond ready for him when he crawled up her body and sank into her still pulsing heat. He made love to her like a desperate man. She locked her legs around his hips and met each hard thrust halfway; missing his touch as much as he'd missed hers. He captured her lips, muting the cries of their release.

He rolled them onto their sides, but remained buried in her tight, gripping heat. His hand traveled up the length of her thigh, which was resting on his hip, to settle on the mound of her backside as the dawn's light filtered in through the windows. He kissed her forehead. "Missing you has been an agony, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I could not bear waking you when I arrived. You are my wife; you should be in my arms every night. The waiting is torture."

"I know," she quietly agreed. "I talked to my parents after they arrived. Now that the wedding is over they will be posting the bans for us. My parents and I will be leaving with you. We can marry once we return to Cousland Castle. I don't have to wait until after harvest."

There were no other words that could have filled him with as much joy as he was feeling now. "One month…I can wait one month." He reluctantly withdrew from her. "I need to return to my own chamber, lest tongues wag."

"Let them," she murmured, not wanting to let him go.

He brushed his lips across hers and rolled out of bed. "Sorry, my love. I have no intension of tarnishing your name. But I cannot wait until this farce is over and I no longer have to hide the fact that you are my wife."

She stretched. "We will be going riding after breakfast," she told him as she admired his backside before the view was lost when he pulled up his pants.

After he buttoned up his doublet and pulled on his boots, he leaned down to kiss her. "Then I will see you soon."

She watched him leave and then rolled out of bed to use chamber pot. The chair, stationed over the pot, was lined with soft material to keep your posterior free of splinters. When she was finished she covered the pot, washed herself down again and pulled on her clothes. Tonight she would order a bath and she was sorely looking forward to it.

Cailan pulled her aside after breakfast. "My father has spoken to your father and Kael's. He had your bans posted this morning," he stated quietly. "Since all who would attend your wedding are already here, he told Mother Perpetua that you would be wed in one week. The wedding will be held here."

She looked down at the floor. This – this was not something she wanted. She never would have hurt Cailan by having him there when she wed another. "I'm sorry, Cailan. We were going to wait. You should not have to witness-"

He waved a hand in negation. "I would not lie and say that I am okay with this. It is like a dagger in the heart. But you are my best friend and I would not wish to miss such an important day in your life. While I do not wish any ill on Kael, I cannot hope but that someday we will be standing in front of Mother Perpetua to join our lives."

What could she say to that? "I should speak to Maric."

He shook his head. "While you may have a better chance than most at swaying him, he is very pleased by your match. You may not be marrying the son he had intended you to marry; you are still wedding his son, as son that is second in line for the throne."

"What?" His words had shocked her like nothing else could have. "That's not possible. Kael knows nothing about Maric. Maric has never acknowledged him as his son and heir. That is not possible."

He took her hand. "I've have discussed Kael at great lengths with my father. It is possible. After Kael was born, my father formally signed an edict claiming Kael as his son and future heir. While everyone assumes he is a Cousland, his birth name on record is Kael Bryce Theirin. He may not technically be a bastard, as he was not born without a father. But he is a royal by-blow that has been legally acknowledged. He told me there are three copies of the edict. He sealed one in the chantry archives – to be read upon his death, one in his vault, the other he gave to Eleanor. Do with this information as you will. I trust in whatever decision you make."

Varric was closer to being right than she'd ever imagined when he told her she would wed the king of Ferelden. Not that Kael would ever be king. Far too much tragedy would have to occur for that to happen - tragedy she did not want to face. "I – I can't risk tearing their family a part for something that will never have any further bearing on their lives. What I don't get is how it happened." She felt the heat climb into her cheeks. "Well, I know how, but I do not understand why. Eleanor loves her husband. It is the kind of marriage most nobles can only dream of. I just can't see her cheating on him with anyone, even a king. Did he tell you how it came about?"

His lips tightened in anger. "In this case, I do not approve of my father's actions, but my father will do what he has to for the kingdom. He needed a spare heir and did not wish to wed another that would balk over his elven…proclivities. When whispers of a treasonous scandal reached his ears, he did not believe them, but he had to act on what he'd heard, so he confronted Eleanor about her husband's actions. There was no way for her to prove they had not conspired against him. The evidence, though father knew it was false, was damning. He told her he would manifest the proof needed to negate the rumors if Eleanor would agree to allow him to father a child on her. I honestly do not know if she ever told Bryce what happened or who Kael really is. If he did not already suspect, he probably does now after seeing Kael, myself and my father together."

Her hand rose to rub her temple. "I never thought he'd be capable of blackmail."

"I said as much to him and he told me sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the good of the crown. He was not proud of what he'd done. I think it sickened him to some degree, but he needed a spare heir and wanted that heir to be of high-ranking noble birth that would be raised in the manner befitting a king. The spare was safely tucked away and unknown. If our family was attacked, there would still be a remaining heir of Theirin blood to ascend to the throne. I also found out that he was not my only brother. A year after Kael's birth, a low-born mistress birthed him another son. He gave the bastard son to someone else to raise. When I found that out I sent a man to keep tabs on him. I have been kept updated on his life. His name is Alistair. He was raised to know who he was, but chooses not to use the Theirin name, which, undoubtedly, kept him safer."

Not one by-blow, but two. She couldn't help but wonder how many more there were that were never found out about. "Since he wasn't raised a noble, do you know what his life was like?"

Cailan nodded. "Eamon raised him until he was ten. You may have seen him at some point and not realized it. But when Eamon married, his wife could not handle the rumors that he was Eamon's bastard and forced Eamon to send him away. Eamon sent him to the chantry. I know my brother was not content there, but there was nothing I could do. I cannot risk exposing him and putting him in danger. The last missive I received said he was in training to be a templar. Perhaps, he has found something to believe in at last." He shrugged. "At least that is what I hope."

Cailan dropped her hand when Anora walked into the room. He was surprised to see her dressed like Lorianna. In fact, he was sure that was one of the outfits he'd seen Lorianna where. He cocked a brow at her curiously.

Lorianna grinned. "That looks good on you, Anora. You look like a woman ready to take charge and ride."

Anora looked from Cailan to Lorianna. She was not blind, she'd seen them holding hands, but she also knew that there was only friendship in the touch, at least on Lorianna's part. The woman simply could not keep her eyes off her husband for more than a few minutes if he was nearby. A smile pulled on her lips. "I feel like a new woman wearing this, like a butterfly spreading its new wings for the first time." She shot a quick glance at Cailan and cleared her throat. "I cannot thank you enough for taking the blinders off. I see much more clearly now. I love my father, but it's time I found out who I am."

"Good to hear. Cailan," she said, turning to the man next to her. "Why don't you join us? We're all going to the clearing for some relaxation and training."

Cailan grinned. "Only you would use those two words in the same sentence and make it sound possible." He took a step back from her when Kael, Laura, Sebastian, Berchan, Izot, Fergus, Varric, Kyrian and Starlynn joined them. He forced himself watch when Kael dropped a quick kiss on her lips. He swallowed hard. It was not a pain that would ever go away, but it was one he would become intimately familiar with if he wanted to continue to see Lorianna. "So it is to be another noble youth family outing," he teased. "Allow me to fetch my weapons and I will meet you at the stable."

-BREAK EIGHT-

Due to the stubbornness of their horses, Laura and Sebastian took up the rear position when they left the stables. "How does he feel under you?" she asked her husband.

"Thank you, again. Titan is – well, I've never ridden a finer mount. He feels like Dragon. He is light of foot and responds as if he already knew what I was going to ask of him. I can feel the power in him, like he's coiled and ready to spring into action."

She bit her lip. "There is something you need to know, because I want no secrets between us. My father paid me back for him after you refused my dowry. Titan is my dowry."

His lips tightened and he nodded. "Your father is a clever man." He'd been neatly outwitted by the man, but he'd earned his respect.

Once they reached the clearing they released the horses to graze, the others split off and began to spar in pairs. Varric sat down and leaned against a tree to eat an apple. He had little interest in sparring, he had come for the story.

Lorianna spent her morning with Anora, teaching her the basics of self-defense. At one point she'd called Fergus and Sebastian over to join them. Fergus had a few training sessions with Kael, but by in large he'd been too busy with his duties to spend much time on it and Sebastian had only been training for the last six weeks, so both were relatively new to the fighting style used by her family. She sparred with deliberate and slow movements with them to point out point out mistakes made as well as when to counter effectively. It was easier for Anora to see the mistakes being made rather than just experience them.

She spent more time with the trio and then split them off in pairs. For now, she sparred with Anora. While size ultimately did not matter, it did make learning a bit easier when your partner was of a similar size. An hour later it was obvious Anora's strength was waning and she called it quits for her. The two women sat against a tree watching the others spar with each other. "If you wish to keep the training up, we can come out here every morning, if you like." Legion settled between her legs and laid his head on her thigh. She stroked him absently.

She watched the others train for a few moments before replying. "I would like that. It's exhausting, I won't lie, but it also makes me feel good." That was very true, but she also liked being around them. She had always held herself away from everyone in the past. But now, she almost felt like she belonged…that she was a part of something and she didn't want to give that up.

She patted Anora's knee. "It will get easier in time, once you build your stamina. When it is time for us to leave, Cailan will be able to continue your training. I've been training him for years. He threw me on my backside once." Of course, she'd been distracted by a couple of squirrels that had been playing tug-o-war with a colorful ribbon they'd found. But, all was fair in love and war.

Anora smiled at her friend. Was it too soon to call her friend after the way she'd treated her in the past? It didn't matter, that was how she saw her now. "I always wondered what you and Cailan were up to when you left the keep."

She chuckled. "I bet you thought we were up to no good."

"You probably were," Varric agreed. He laughed when Lorianna stuck her tongue out at him.

"That might have crossed my mind on more than one occasion," Anora admitted. "The magically disappearing sweet-treats Franny was always grumbling about surely did not disappear on their own…and just as surely did not randomly appear in my room."

Lorianna flushed. "I am remarkably skilled at not getting caught. But, I was the one that placed some in your room. I knew you wanted them as much as we did, but I was pretty sure you would never come with us to sneak them."

"I wouldn't have back then, but I might now," she replied with a grin. "Back then I saw you as children. I was five years older than Cailan and ten years older than you, but I did appreciate the stolen sweets," she admitted.

"Watch that shoulder, Fergus! That's a dagger, not a sword in your hand!" She turned back to Anora. "Daggers are new to both of them. Fergus keeps trying to swing it like a sword and Seb is trained with a bow, so neither know how to use a dagger properly. They both have the basics down for the most part, but neither are flexible enough yet for the more advanced moves. Kyrian! Laura! Team up. I want you to show Anora what two people trained in the art can do. No daggers – just your sharp wit."

"Funny. Can I drop him on his ass?" Laura asked with a laugh.

"If you can," Kyrian shot back.

Everyone stopped their sparring and turned to watch. In a blink, arms and legs were moving in what appeared to be a choreographed dance, bodies twisted to avoid blows or flipped back out of the way. Their bodies flowed around each other, perfectly attuned to the other's slightest movement.

Sebastian took a step forward when a kick landed against his wife's side, but she stepped into it and pivoted, intending to toss her brother to the ground. He followed through on the momentum and twisted from her grasp, landing back on his feet. After a few more minutes, they conceded a tie. Only because they were already exhausted by all the sparring they'd done, of course.

Sebastian had never actually seen what his wife could do. He and Varric had seen the girls fight the bandits, but the bandits did not know how to counter their fighting technique. But to watch it performed by one as equally talented had been impressive. He doubted he'd ever be that good, but if he even developed half her talent he would be content.

Anora released a slow breath. "That was like some kind of dance, like everything was well rehearsed. They simply….flowed out of the way as if they were made of air. That was amazing! Are you that good?"

Lorianna laughed. "On my better days."

"Bah – don't listen to that bullshit," Kyrian retorted. "Only mom might be able to beat her and that's not a wager I'd place."

"Don't let mom here you say that, Kyrian!" Lorianna said with a shake of her head.

They all settled on the grass to enjoy the bit of peace they had left before they had to return to the keep for lunch. "It's too bad Oriana didn't decide to join us," Lorianna told Fergus.

"She told me that while I was out playing she was going to take Oren to the kitchen and help Fanny make cookies. Besides, she hates watching me spar – she's afraid I'm going to get hurt," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"I can't believe how fast Oren is growing. Every time I see him it's hard to believe how much he's changed."

Fergus chuckled and slapped his knee. "We thought the same thing about you. Every time you came to visit you were almost unrecognizable. And the looks Kael gave you when you weren't looking could have set the keep on fire. We had a running wager going on when he'd give in and actually kiss you." He looked over at Cailan and felt the heat creep into his cheeks when he saw the man's naked pain. "Sorry," he mumbled and cleared his throat.

"Who won the wager?" Varric inquired.

"Nan, of all people, if you will believe it. Uh – she's our lead cook and as sour and bossy as all hell," Fergus explained.

Varric chuckled. "Sounds like she knew more than she let on."

Izot brought her knees up and rested her arms on them. "The auger gave me a message for you before his clan had to move to their summer camp. He said he'd look at the stars each night and would be comforted knowing that no matter how far away you are that you were still looking at the stars with him and one day he will kidnap you, even if he had to leave the clan to do so."

Berchan laughed. "Sounds like somebody is in love with my little sister." He flushed. "Somebody else."

This conversation was getting decidedly uncomfortable. "Are you still seeing Azur, Izot?" she asked quickly to change the subject.

Varric's brows rose and his interest peeked when he noticed she changed the subject.

She nodded. "I am and I don't intend to stop seeing him. He stayed behind when his clan moved camp."

Kael settled a hand on Lorianna's forearm. "Wait. You never told me about the auger. And just why would he tell you about kidnapping you? Was he threatening you?"

Izot laughed. "Not hardly. Avvar make arrangements with their chosen wife and her parents to kidnap her. It is part of their marriage ceremony. They have to prove to the wife's parents that they are capable men."

Kael shook his head. "This avvar – the auger. He wanted to kidnap you to make you his wife?"

"Why didn't you say anything to m – us?" Cailan asked with a frown.

Lorianna shook her head. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, I just didn't think about it. He asked me if he could kidnap me several times. But he never would have done it unless I agreed. He respected the Witches of the Hills too much to force the issue. We became friends. That is all."

Anora's brows rose. "Witches of the Hills? Are they anything like the Witches of the Wilds?"

Lorianna glanced at her brother and sisters and laughed. "Not at all. There are rumors of powerful witches that protect the Western Hills. Apparently, they are masked, no one knows who they are and there have been no reports of them harming anyone accept for those that raid the Hills." She shrugged. "But those are only stories - whispers around campfires. Who can say what is fact and what is fiction? Stories tend to be born on the wind and take on lives of their own."

Varric grinned. She was right about that. Especially, when he told the story.

"We've allowed the stories because they help curtail the numbers of raids we have," Kyrian added.

"It's obvious he doesn't see you as just friends if he still wants to kidnap you," Kael pointed out. "And why haven't I met him?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "You never met Gavorn because his clan only winters near us. You are not here during the winter and neither is Cailan. There was no way either of you could have ever met him. Trust me when I tell you he may want marriage, but he is content with friendship." He did not look like he was going to drop it and she released a slow breath. "He thinks that I am one of the Witches of the Hills. I let him believe that because it made things easier. He will not force the issue because one, he respects me and two, he believes I can kill him with only a look if I wanted to. Thus, he is content with friendship. End of story."

Kael nodded in understanding. The auger must have been powerful enough to sense his wife's power. Either way, he was glad she would not be returning to Craighorn Keep. And when she visited, he'd be with her. End of story.

"Are you going to let Azur kidnap you?" she asked Izot.

Izot shrugged. "He's amazing and I enjoy being with him – there's been nobody since him, but we come from two different worlds." She looked at the others, because they wouldn't understand. "It's not like I'm nobility and he's a peasant, though that is not far from the truth. However, it goes far deeper than that. The core of the avvar beliefs are very different than my beliefs. And we have many decisions to come to an agreement on before we think of marriage. Will we live with his clan or mine? Or half the year in one and half in the other? Or do we run off into the sunset together and make our own futures? How will our children be raised? With his beliefs or mine? And fuck me; let's not even think about how my dad will react." She shook her head. "We are not taking any of those decisions lightly. Do I want him to kidnap me? Yes, if we can work everything out."

Well, sweet damn. Her older sister was growing up. "I commend you for what you're doing. It looks like you have everything well thought out. And you're right, dad will probably blow his top – then again, he might just be relieved at the idea of you getting married and be pleased. Either way, I'm sure mom will prod him in the right direction."

Cailan looked up at the sky to judge the time. "We should be getting back, dinner will be served soon. Franny won't leave the food out for long. If we miss it, we'll have to wait for supper, unless we are willing to brave a scolding. Which, I am not," he admitted.

-BREAK NINE-

Each morning they rode out to the clearing and practiced their sparring until noon. Each afternoon they raced their horses to give them some exercise and then went to the Denerim market to spend money. Each evening they would spend time with the elders, as they jokingly called their parents. At the end of the week, there was another lavish wedding. Kael Cousland and Lorianna Wulff were formally wed. The non-familial guests left shortly thereafter. The families stayed on for a couple of more days before they left, amidst tears and round after round of hugs. It was hard leaving everyone behind. It always had been for her. Even Loghain had come around and was more pleasant ever since he learned she was going to marry Kael and not Cailan.

After her parents returned to the Hills, they would send a wagon with much of Lorianna's things, though some would be left behind for her visits. Lorianna had promised to send regular missives to Cailan, Anora and her family. Sebastian was returning with his wife to Craighorn Keep. They were losing a daughter, but gaining a son. An honor guard had take Varric to the dock so that he could take a ship back to Kirkwall.

It only took four days to get back to Highever. It was unfortunate that her family's arling was at the ass end of Ferelden. At least there was no adjustment period for her. She'd lived at the Couslands three months every other year. She was as familiar with it as her own home, which it now was. The only downside was that she only had four sets of clothing since she'd given one to Anora. That meant she was washing clothes more frequently than she liked. When she found that her clothes were returned to her closet in a clean state she hunted down who was responsible. She had been assigned a lady's maid. Once she heard the elf's plea, she could not turn her away. Dinari would be sent back to the alienage and her dream of working in the keep would forever be lost to her.

She already knew the working of a keep, it was not much different here than at her own home and since she was more than familiar with the running of the Cousland Keep, there was nothing left for her to learn. And since she was the wife of a spare, her time was her own. At least she had Legion. He was a piece of home that would always be with her.

Kael had told her that when he turned thirteen the king had absolved him from any military obligation. The missive claimed he owed the Couslands and that was his way of repaying them. Lorianna didn't say anything, but she suspected he was absolved to keep him safely out of harm's reach. Regardless, she was thankful. She could not imagine staying at home while he went away to play soldier. She shook her head to return to the present to continue picking herbs with Dinari that she would dry and put around their bed and in their dresser drawers. The dried herbs would keep the bugs away and she did not like bugs.

She stilled when a deep sense of dread washed over her. Pain. Overwhelming pain. "No…" She handed the large bowl to Dinari. "Please see that these are placed in the sunlight. I – I have to go. Thank you," she said as she took off at a run for the keep, Legion whining at her heels.

Dinari leapt up and ran after her mistress, the bowl clutched tight to her bosom. She'd never seen her mistress so distressed. It was like she was a tower of strength and nothing bothered her. To see the color drain from her face was almost more than she could bear. She'd come to care for her mistress a great deal over the last many months. She was kind, compassionate, always eager to help anyone who needed it, regardless of their station and was more than willing to do for herself. She's never met a noble quite like her before.

Dinari set the bowl on a side table and ran through the castle and out the side entrance that led to the training grounds to find Kael. When she saw him she waived her arms above her head and shouted out his name until he turned around to look at her. She doubled over to catch her breath. "Something is wrong with my mistress. She is in great distress. You must-" But he was already running back towards the keep. She smiled. The love they had for each other warmed her heart and gave her hope that someday she would find a love like that. She hurried back to the keep, but didn't even try to catch up with Kael. She was simply too winded.

He looked for her as he ran through the keep and up the stairs to the family quarters. He found her in their room, dressed for travel, throwing clothes in a cloth bag. "Lor – what is going on?"

"I have to go…" she mumbled.

He took the bag from her hands and turned her around to face her. That is when he saw the tears that wet her cheeks. "What happened? Where do you have to go? I don't understand."

She gripped his forearms. "Cailan…something happened. There is great pain. I cannot bear it. We must go." She pointed to a second bag at her feet. "I've already packed your things."

He nodded. "We'll go. The soldiers will be ready within two hours. We will take our leave then," he assured her.

She pulled back from him. "I'm sorry. Follow behind with your soldiers, if you must, but I'm leaving now. Something is dreadfully wrong and I will not delay." She swung her bag over her shoulder, pulled her bedroll from the closet and hurried out the door.

No way in hell was he letting her ride on ahead without him. He grabbed his bedroll and the bag she'd packed for him and hurried down the stairs to find one of his parents so that they would know what was happening. He found his father in the study, explained what happened and told him he could send soldiers to follow, but they were not waiting and then he rushed from the study before his father could get a word in.

When he reached the stable he noticed his horse was ready to go. The armor was lacking but he knew she was in a hurry. And it was just as obvious that she knew he'd come with her. He swung up on Taibor's back and they were off to the North Road. He felt bad for Legion and Taltos, who were built for swift charges, but not endurance runs. But he had little doubt the warhounds would find them. They always had.

She was forced to rein Shadow in so that he husband could keep up. She would worry too much for his safety if she left him in the dust. When dusk set in she looked for a place to camp overnight and spotted a small clearing not far from the road. She dismounted and laid out their bedroll while he got the fire started. They did not have to go far into the line of trees behind them to find a couple of nesting pheasants. He carried the carcasses and she gathered the eggs. She didn't watch while he plucked and gutted the birds – not that she was squeamish or anything. She could handle blood and gore – just not with something she intended to eat.

One of the birds was roasting over the fire; the scent was like a dense cloud of heaven around the camp, which caused her belly to growl in anticipation. The other one was cut in half to feed the dogs when they arrived. The eggs would make for a tasty, if small breakfast. But that didn't matter; they'd be reaching the castle before the noonday meal.

After they were finished they could feel the air around them growing heavy. It was going to rain and they didn't have a tent with them. They quickly dug a small trench around their bedroll so the water would not creep onto their bedding. When the first drops spattered against them they crawled onto their bedroll and pulled a large, oiled skin over the top of them.

As a newly married couple, boredom did not come into play. Ingenuity did, however, because they could not risk tenting the blanket too high. Sleeping on a wet bedroll in wet clothes held little appeal, even to a young, adventurous couple.

With naught but her belt removed, the flap of his pants untied and hers pulled down to just below her backside, he was able to spoon around her, his hand having full access to stroke his wife's glorious body that was hidden beneath her tunic. He made love to her twice before sleep overtook them.

Thankfully, the rain had stopped by dawn's rise. Because, let's face it…riding in the rain was as appealing as sleeping in it. After seeking out a bush, she wiped down a stone and placed it near the edge of the fire to cook the eggs. She tossed one egg to each of the dogs, which had caught up with them in the middle of the night, and she and Kael polished off the remaining eggs.

They shook out the bedding, rolled it up and tied it to the back of the saddles before breaking camp and hitting the road again.

An hour into their ride she sensed they were not alone. There were five people on the left and the malignancy made her shudder. She maneuvered her horse around his to keep him on her right side. "Bandits ahead. You'll see them in a moment. Stay on my right side and keep moving." She did not have time to play around with the idiots.

She saw the overturned wagon on the left hand side of the road and as they approached a man stepped onto the road and waved his arms, crying for help. She honored him with a one finger salute and sent a powerful burst of energy that picked up the wagon, she then brought her hand down and the wagon shattered against the ground. She pulled the lightsaber from her belt, ignited it and threw it towards the man that had flagged them down. His head tumbled from his body a moment later the body fell and her lightsaber returned to her hand. She continued running without looking back.

He was stunned. He knew what she was capable of, but she always showed restraint and mercy, but what he'd seen – there was no mercy in that. "That was so unlike you," he told her when he could not hold the thought back any longer.

She could understand his reticence. "Did you notice the fresh mounds on both sides of the road? We were going to be two more mounds added to their growing collection – or at least that was what they intended. I could not, in good conscience, leave them alive to kill the next family unfortunate enough to be traveling to Denerim. Nor did I have the time to fight them, round the survivors up and march them into Denerim, where they would have likely met their fates dancing on the gallows. I'm sorry if that sounds cold or cruel, but whatever is happening in Denerim is far more important to me right now than showing compassion to murders."

Now that she had explained, he understood her rationale. Had he the power, he would have done the same thing; he had just been surprised she had done so; she was by far the more compassionate of them. "That wasn't what I meant. I have no qualms about their deaths. I would have killed them without thought to serve justice. I was just surprised that you did."

She weaved around a rut in the road. "I would have preferred things to have been different, but the closer we get to Denerim. I don't know, Kael….the sense of loss and pain grows stronger. It cries out from all directions. Whatever is happening, more than just Cailan is being affected."

And that worried him. Was Denerim under attack? If so, they were not prepared. Even their horses were unarmored for the sake of urgency. And if not that, was an illness sweeping through the city? There was no way to tell what awaited them in Denerim.

As they approached the city they heard no signs of battle. They skirted around Denerim to the castle's rear entrance, as horses were not allow through the town square. They knew their progress was being monitored and the guards opened the gates to allow them entry without a qualm. What had surprised her was the fact that Cailan was not riding out to greet her as he always did.

Instead of taking Shadow to the barn she headed straight for the portcullis, which rose as they approached and she leapt off his back when they reached the castle entryway. She spotted a maid, moving far slower than they were wont to do. "Where is Cailan?"

"The king is in his chambers," she replied in a voice still imbued with shock.

Lorianna shook her head. "I wasn't asking about Maric. I want to know where Cailan is."

She held her hands up and took a step back. "Please, my lady, just go to the king's chamber, you are expected."

Lorianna frowned and looked up at her husband. This was most odd. "Thank you," she told the maid and hurried towards the family's wing. They took the circular stairs two at a time. Her head swung to look at Cailan's door as they passed it, but continued on to the Maric's suite of rooms. She knocked on the door waiting to be admitted. Had it been Cailan's room, she'd have walked right in like she always had, but she was not so brazen as to do that to Maric; she would have been mortified if she had and he was not alone.

The door opened but before she could take a step in she was being crushed against the hard wall of a chest. It took her a moment to realize that Cailan was the man crushing her and something was very wrong. His body was trembling; there was a thick cloud of fear, sorrow and pain that was nearly suffocating. She hugged him back.

"I need you right now. I'm glad you're here," he said in a gravelly voice. "I did not expect my missive to reach you so quickly – or at least not for you to get here so quickly."

She pulled back enough to look up into his eyes. She gently wiped the tears away. "If a missive was sent, we likely left before it arrived. I could sense your pain – I had to find out what happened. I had to be here for you."

Cailan blinked. "Then you don't – you don't know?" He nodded to his brother, took her hand and led her into the sitting room to a group of chairs in front of the fireplace. He settled next to her, but did not release her hand. "My father…" he cleared his throat. "My father sailed out to Wycome, in the Free Marches, to help with peace talks to settle disputes between the ruling lords. He never made it to Wycome. He was lost at sea. Two days ago he - he was declared dead and I…there was a coronation…I'm king. Loghain would not accept what happened; he sailed out to search for my father." He gripped her hand tighter. "I didn't want this, Lor. I was in no hurry to be King…to marry someone else." He raked his free hand through his pale blonde hair. "The banns were posted this morning for my marriage to Anora. But I meant every word I told you. If something happens-" he shot a quick sidelong glance at Kael. "If something happens to Kael, I want you to be my wife. Anora is my friend, she will never be in want, but you have always been my heart."

Kael frowned. He did not appreciate hearing words of love to his wife from another man's lips. "Do you intend to do something to hurry that along, Cailan?" he asked in a dangerously soft voice.

Cailan straightened his shoulders. "Of course not. You are my b…my friend – you are like a brother to me. She chose you and I accept that. I would never wish for any harm to come to you, nor do I wish any pain upon her."

She was in shock. Maric was a charming rogue and he'd always treated her with love, as if she were his daughter. His loss was a painful blow. "Cailan I-"

He shook his head; he couldn't bear to hear 'I'm sorry' one more time. "There is more. He loved you, you know. He couldn't stop talking about you. In his heart, you were the daughter he never had. There were a couple of edicts he had archived – to be opened upon his death. One of those I sealed; only to be opened upon my death. The other granted you the title of Teyrna of Denerim. It has already been recorded. Since my father could not legally have you as his daughter, he granted you the title and your own wing in the Royal Palace. The keep is as much yours as it is mine. Fitting as it used to be the Teyrn of Denerim's keep."

She rubbed her forehead with her free hand. "This is too much. It's surreal." She shook her head. "Would it be better for you if I just used the Teyrn of Highever's Estate in Denerim? Since it's just south of the Royal Palace it will not be far away." She had no desire to hurt him by forcing him to see her with Kael frequently.

His brows drew together. "No. This is the seat of the Teyrnir. You are expected to be here. I have no issue with that; it will be good to have you – both of you nearby, especially right now," he admitted.

She covered his hand with her other hand. "We will always be here for you if you need us."

A small smile played over his lips. "Is that you swearing fealty to me?" he teased.

She shrugged. "If that is how you wish to take it. Swearing fealty between us is nonsensical and weak. The bond we have is far closer than any oath of fealty could ever be. You know I'm here for you."

He nodded. "I know. And don't you ever call me 'your majesty'. I will always be your Cailan, being king has no bearing on that. I don't want that kind of formality between us – and I do not care if tongues wag. I suspect we are all strong enough to deal with that."

She grinned. "If that is your wish, y-" Her smile broadened when she saw his finger wagging in warning. "-Cailan."

He squeezed her hand and released it. "Now that you have eased my suffering, you should check on Anora. She is distraught over her father leaving, fearing he will face the same fate as my father. I have not been in any condition to ease her worry – but I think spending time with you will ease her as it has eased me. Kael, please stay with me awhile longer."

She rose when Cailan did and hugged him before leaving the men alone to find Anora.

-BREAK TEN-

The first week consisted of the new Teyrna and Teyrn of Denerim accepting fealty from the local nobility. By the end of the first week a wagon arrived bearing much of their belongings from Highever. Bryce and Eleanor received the missive a day after they had left for Denerim. The missive had explained the king's death, Cailan's ascension to the throne and Teyrnir being granted to Lorianna and Kael.

The wedding of Cailan to Anora was a grand extravagance. Once again the palace was filled and the local inns overflowed to see their good king wed. Within a week the guests went home to their lives and normalcy settled back over Denerim.

They visited one side of the family each year. In 9:26 they visited West Hills, in 9:27 they went to Highever. In 9:28 they returned to West Hills, where both families had come together to witness the wedding of their children, Kyrian and Starlynn. It was about that time that Lorianna and her family began to sense a strange darkness that none of them understood, but because they could not locate the cause of it, there was nothing they could do.

In 9:29 they briefly visited Highever, by 9:30 they knew what the darkness they felt truly was. Darkspawn. In such a time of unrest, Lorianna could not leave Denerim, though she was sending her army with Cailan. It frustrated her to remain behind. The battle would need her. But it had been Cailan's request that she remain behind and keep order. Kael, however, received a missive from his father asking him to return to Cousland Castle, as he and Fergus were going to be leading their army to join up with Cailan's to stop the darkspawn.

It had not been easy watching him leave. She worked herself to exhaustion to fill the void of his absence, but there was nothing she could do to make the nights easier to bear. She made sure to attend every meeting that Cailan and Loghain had to discuss strategy for the coming war. Loghain's fanaticism did not sit well for her. He refused to entertain the notion of have Orlesian troops back them up. Even bringing all her diplomatic skills to bear, she could barely budge him from his stance. Something about him made her uneasy, but she could not put her finger on it.

Before the men left with the troops, she pulled Cailan aside. "Don't do this, Cailan. Don't go." A cold chill swept down her spine and she rubbed her arms to try to warm them."I don't like what I'm feeling," she murmured.

He pulled her into a hug. "We don't even know if this is a true blight - if it's not, then this is my only chance to ride into battle with the Grey Wardens."

She gripped the front of his doublet. "There is more at stake than the glory of battle! I can't lose you…Ferelden can't lose you." She shook her head. "I don't agree with anything else Loghain has said, but I agree with him on you staying here."

He knew she'd never liked or trusted Loghain. And even though his father had trusted Loghain, he never discounted her feelings. He made nice to Loghain, because of his father and because of Anora – but he was also wary. He did not trust him blindly as his father had done and that was because of Lorianna. He loved her and trusted more than anyone else. "What I'm doing is for Ferelden. Keep in mind that you will be wed to the king of Ferelden someday. I have a lot to come home for," he teased. "Destiny must be fulfilled."

"Varric…" she mumbled and released a slow breath. Varric and his stories – but this was not a story. This was real and there could be devastating consequences. "I'm not okay with this, Cailan. I love you. I-" His lips silenced her. They moved sensually against hers, but he asked for no more.

Those words meant more to him than any other words could. His hands moved up to grip her shoulders. "I love you, Lorianna. I will be home before you know I'm even gone. I promise you that."

Her forehead dropped to his chest just above where her hands gripped tight to his doublet. She looked over at the doorway to see Anora walking in. "He won't stay," she told her quietly.

Anora looked from Cailan to Lorianna, both clutching each other. She was actually thankful Cailan was in love with her friend. She had little doubt that his love for Lorianna was the only thing that kept him from seeking pleasure outside of their marriage, not that he sought pleasure within their marriage. He had refused to touch her, as he had any woman. At least she did not have to suffer the disgrace of an unfaithful husband. But she'd been hoping that his love for the other woman would keep him home where he would be safe. She, herself, wasn't in love with him, but she did care about him a great deal. "I know. I thought if anyone could change his mind it would have been you."

Lorianna rolled her eyes and gave Cailan's doublet a hard shake. "It would appear that he holds the Grey Wardens in higher esteem than me."

His grip tightened on her arms until she looked up at him. "Don't ever think that. I know where my heart lies. As dreams go – you far surpass the Grey Wardens. I'm not going because that dream means more than you. I'm going because it is my duty as King to protect my country from any threat. I cannot expect my army to give all if I am not willing to fight alongside them and do the same. And I happen to know a certain woman who showed me what kind of man I wanted to be."

"Damn you…" she murmured. "Using me against me. That's not fair." Clever too. He tended to act as an unassuming man with his head in the clouds; he preferred people to underestimate him – it gave him an advantage he could use if needed. But he'd never acted that way around her. She knew the real Cailan.

He grinned. "Must I also point out that on more than one occasion you have told me that all is fair in love and war?"

She pursed her lips. "Yes, but that applies to me – not you."

He chuckled. "Be that as it may, you cannot lay that at my feet - you neglected to tell me that part," he pointed out.

The next morning he rode out with Loghain and his army – Ferelden held its breath.