Alistair looked down at the package in his hands. It was wrapped in coarse cloth and tied with twine. The package was a gift for her. After all this time, after all that they had been through, he was still nervous about a simple present. Alistair gripped the package tightly and forced himself to walk forward. He had seen her eying it in the market in Denerim soon after they arrived, but he was still so very nervous that she wouldn't like it. Why wouldn't she like it though? It was just like her, or so he thought, beautiful and practical. He moved slowly, one foot in front of the other. Morrigian had already questioned him about the package and that did not make this easier. He just wanted her to leave him alone with his nerves, not make snide comments about how it probably wouldn't even fit their fearless leader.
The thought that it wouldn't fit her didn't bother him as much as the thought that she wouldn't like it. Maker! He had even measured her armor while she was asleep just to make sure he got the right size. Yet still he worried, and Morrgian's comments didn't help his confidence. Alistair slowly walked to her room in Arl Eamon's estate. He prayed to Andraste that she was there and he did not have to go searching for. Just walking up to that room, package in hand was hard enough. He could hear her voice in the hallway.
One foot in front of the other, he walked until he reached the doorway. Her door was open. He peered in and saw her sitting on the sofa with her mabari on her lap, taking a sip of something form a mug, before going back to speaking. Riordan was sitting next to her, listening to her tale. She laughed, tossing her head back. Alistair thought about how beautiful she was when she laughed. He heard Riordan speak, "You really gained the support of the city guard by roughing up men in taverns?"
She shook her head, her eyes gleaming with impish humor, "Sort of. One of them was actually a brothel. The proprietor was so pleased that she even offered their services at a discount in return."
Alistair looked at the image before him. It was something that would have been downright bizarre if they weren't Grey Wardens and she wasn't who she was. Before him sat a Dalish elf in full armor, complete with longbow propped up next to her, but she was also cuddling a rather large mabari war hound in her lap. Sitting to the other side of the mabari was a well armed, somewhat scruffy looking man who was also in leather armor; though much more elaborate then hers. He was sitting, chatting merrily with her. To most the Dalish were cold and unwelcoming, but she was the opposite to him, though she still was a very violent person. Alistair gulped and forced himself to walk into the room. He wished she was alone, but he was afraid to wait, that he wouldn't have the courage to give it to her if he did. Alistair also knew that it was going to be hard to get her alone during the day. She was constantly meeting with someone about some fine point of how to deal with the Landsmeet, gathering evidence, or getting into fights in back allies. No, it would have to be now; now was good enough.
The dark haired elf looked up at the noise. She grinned wickedly, "Lethalin, I'm glad you're here! We were looking all over for you earlier. Riordian wanted to be filled in on how exactly we managed to do what we've done so far and I was hoping you could fill in some of the details I missed."
Alistair tried to walk forward, but his feet didn't work so well. He looked down at the package, closed his eyes, and mustered the courage to walk around the room to where she was sitting. Riordan watched the two of them with interest. He was still trying to figure out exactly what their relationship was and if he should say anything about it. Alistair looked at her and blushed. She looked up at him and wondered to herself if something was wrong. He looked so scared.
Alistair fumbled with the parcel in his hands. He gulped. Eventually he regained the courage to speak, "Well I know you don't have many things," he looked from the armor, the long bow, to the dog - those as well as a single lovingly preserved rose were her entire worldly possessions, "and you're always borrowing my shirts, so I got you this."
He presented the package to her, and she opened it. Inside was a deep blue tunic with very subtle embroidery on the hems as well as a rearing grey griffon embroidered over the heart and a pair of loose brown trousers to match. She took it in her hands and looked it over carefully; it had been resized to fit her small frame and it was a the same tunic she had been looking at since they arrived in Denerim. Reshalya leaped up, kissed Alistair passionately, knocking the dog on the floor in the process. "Ma'sirinas! Thank you, just…. Thank you! How did you know?"
Alistair smiled and looked pleased with himself, nerves finally going away, "I saw you looking at it in the market, every time we passed."
She held the tunic close to her chest and just looked contented . It was perfect. Riordan watched the two of them and cleared his throat. Reshalya blushed pink and Alistair turned crimson. They both sat down, and the dog resumed his position between his mistress and the senior Warden. She held Alistair's gift lovingly in her hands. Alistair put his arms around her waist and drew her in towards his chest so that they were sitting with her back against his chest.
Riordan looked at the mabari, elf and man; the three of them needed to have a long talk, but now was not the time, "How did your traveling companions deal with you two?"
Alistair responded hurriedly, "They usually ignored us until we finished and then continued on like nothing happened. The teasing always came later."
Riordan nodded, deciding this was sound advice, "What happened at the Circle of Magi?"
Reshalya pat Alistair on the thigh, "That one you get to explain."