Daniella

I am in my room packing up my belongings when Alistair comes in.

"There you are! I was looking for you after the Landsmeet," I say. "Where did you go?"

"I've been thinking…" he begins. "We need to talk."

"Okay," I reply warily.

"I'm not reconsidering my decision to become king," he continues on. "I…I believe I can do it, because you believe I can. You have always believed in me." His voice drops to a whisper. "That is why this is so hard."

My blood feels like ice in my veins as I wait for him to continue.

"My being king, that raises some questions about us."

"What kind of questions?" I ask, puzzled.

"First, I know that you have never desired to have a 'common' life. Marriage and children are not part of your agenda."

"Yes, but…" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"And even if they were, there is the fact that both you and I are Grey Wardens. As king, I'll be obligated to have a child. But both of us have tainted blood. The chances that we could have a child together…well, I've never heard of it happening."

"An heir?" I bark out on a mirthless laugh. "That is what you are worried about…providing an heir to the throne?"

"I have to face up to my duties as king."

"Alistair…"

"I can't run away from it anymore."

"Alistair!" My head is reeling. It is true that I never desired to be a traditional wife and mother, and I know that Alistair is aware of this. But I also thought that he loved me in spite of that. Could I have been so wrong?

As we walk back in to camp, Alistair pulls me aside. "Here, look at this. Do you know what this is?"

I stare at the flower in his extended hand. Fearing a joke at my expense, I say, "Your new weapon of choice?"

He laughs. "Yes, that's right! Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Feel my thorns, darkspawn!" He mimics an evil laugh. "I will overpower you with my rosy scent!"

I laugh. "Sounds like as good a plan as any, right now." I look at him questioningly. "Is this for me?"

He turns more serious. "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So, I've had it ever since."

He pauses, looks at his feet. "I thought that I might give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you. I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this…darkness."

My heart is galloping wildly in my chest, but my voice sounds normal to my ears. Mostly.

"So, are we married now?"

He laughs. "You won't land me that easily, woman! I know I'm quite the prize, after all," he declares, in a tone that indicates he clearly thinks otherwise. "But…if we could move right on past this awkward, embarrassing stage, and get right to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it."

"Sounds good," I reply, matter-of-factly. "Off with the armor, then!"

My fellow warden blushes to the tips of his ears. "Bluff called. Damn! You saw right through me." He chuckles nervously, backing away. "I'll just be standing over here. You know, until the blushing stops. Okay, then."

"I love you more than you know," he says, as if reading my thoughts. "More than I ever thought possible. But I have to face what this means for us…for our future."

"Are you sure this is the right time to be having this conversation?" I ask him. I concentrate on keeping my hands at my side and quell the impulse to shake him until his teeth rattle around in his empty head. If ending our relationship is his first kingly decree, then maybe I was wrong about his ability to rule, after all. "We don't even know if either of us will be alive after tomorrow."

"If I don't end it now, I fear I never will be able to. I'm sorry, but I have no choice."

I consider arguing, but I recognize the determined expression on his face. There's no sense in debating this any further right now. I know his sense of duty is driving his decision, and that he feels miserable about it. I also know that despite his proclamations, this doesn't really change anything. I love him; he loves me. With the archdemon still remaining to be slain and a blight to be stopped, I can't really consider much beyond that at the moment.

"Fine," I relent on a sigh. "Should we both manage to avoid becoming dragon fodder tomorrow, I shall flee stealthily in to the night and you shall never have to see me again. Happy?"

Before he can reply, I hear someone clear their throat from the doorway. "Yes, about that…"

I turn to see Riordan standing there, looking uncomfortable. "I am sorry to interrupt."

"Not at all," I tell him. "We were quite finished." I give Alistair a glare. "What can we do for you?"

"I wanted to speak to the two of you, alone." He enters the room. "What do you two know about how an archdemon is slain?"

"You mean there's more to it than just chopping off its head?" Alistair deadpans.

"Have you ever wondered why the Grey Wardens are needed to defeat the darkspawn?" Riordan asks us.

"I always assumed it had something to do with the taint in us," I reply.

"That is exactly what it involves. When the archdemon dies, its essence passes through the taint to the nearest darkspawn and it's born anew in that body. But if the archdemon is slain by a Grey Warden, then its essence travels in to the Grey Warden instead."

Alistair and I exchange wary glances. "Well, that doesn't sound very healthy," he quips.

"The essence of the archdemon is destroyed, and so is the Grey Warden," Riordan informs us solemnly.

"Meaning…the warden who kills the archdemon…dies?" Alistair asks softly. There's no hint of amusement in his voice now.

"Yes. It is the only way."

"Of course it is!" I snort. "You didn't really think it was going to be as easy as uniting an entire country, defeating a horde of darkspawn, and slaying an archdemon dragon, now did you?" I say, as much to myself as to either of them.

Riordan gives me a quizzical look, but continues. "If possible, the final blow should be mine to make. I am the eldest, and the taint will not spare me much longer. But if I fail, the deed falls to one of you. The blight must be stopped now."

"Great. Fantastic. Thank you for that information. And if you have no more cheery news to pass along, I think I will retire for the night." I head for the door, but can't resist one parting shot. "Well, look at it this way, Your Highness," I say to Alistair, who still appears stunned by this revelation. "At least you won't have to worry about the inconvenience of my presence after tomorrow."

It's a low blow, and I know it, but I'm too exhausted and disheartened to care. I hear him plead, "Daniella," as I walk out the door, but I don't turn around or stop.

I cross the hall and enter my chamber to find Morrigan standing there. "You should not be here, Morrigan. I am in no mood for verbal jousting this evening," I tell her as I unbuckle my breastplate.

"I have a plan," she tells me. "A way out. A loop in your hole."

I sigh. "What are you talking about?"

"I know what happens when the archdemon dies," she tells me. I am surprised by this, but I keep my face a neutral mask. "I know a Grey Warden must be sacrificed, and that sacrifice could be you."

"Your concern for my well-being is touching. Truly."

She scoffs. "It is not concern that brings me here. But I do offer a way out for you and your fellow wardens." When I say nothing, she continues. "A ritual…performed on the eve of battle."

"What kind of ritual?" I ask, skeptically.

"Convince Alistair to lay with me, here tonight, and from this joining, a child will be conceived."

"What?" I laugh. "Are you serious? Have you gone mad?"

"Hear me out!" she demands crossly. "The child will have the taint. When the archdemon is slain, its essence will seek the child rather than one of you. At this early stage, the child will not be harmed. The archdemon is destroyed, and no Grey Warden must die in the process."

"And why would you do this, hmm? What's in it for you?"

"I conceive a child…one that will be born with the soul of an Old God. You allow me to walk away and promise never to seek me out. I will be free to raise the child as I see fit."

"Morrigan…" I sink wearily onto the bed. "This plan has so many holes in it; I don't even know where to begin. What makes you think Alistair would ever agree to such a thing?"

Morrigan perches on the edge of the bed, beside me. "He loves you," she states simply. "Do you not think he would do this to save your life?"

"Ah, I see your information is not entirely current. Our future king ended his relationship with me earlier this evening."

"But you could still convince him," she tells me. "I've seen the way you two look at each other. It is sickening. Or did that all disappear in an instant?"

I ignore that last bit. "Convince him to have sex with you in order to father a child he will never see? I doubt it. But it doesn't matter, because I would never ask him to do such a thing."

"Why not?" she demands, angrily. "You just said he ended things with you. Why do you care? Use him to spare your life!"

"I don't expect you to understand." I speak softly, exhaustion cushioning my every word. "I would give my life for Alistair. He would do the same for me. It has been that way since this thing began." I look at her. "You should know. You were there from the start." She has the decency to look away from my gaze.

"Now I think perhaps there is a reason the two of us survived. It is Alistair's destiny to be King of Ferelden and unite the country once the blight is over. It is mine to slay the demon and sacrifice my life." I shrug. "To tell you the truth, I do not mind overly much. I look forward to seeing my family again…mother and father, and Fergus." My brother's name coaxes a smile from my lips. "I will die as a Grey Warden, in battle. It is an honorable way to go."

Morrigan stands. "I will not pretend to comprehend your fascination with honor and duty…either of you," she proclaims. "But I can see you will not change your mind."

"No," I confirm. "I will not."

"Then there is no reason for me to remain here any longer." She walks to the door, but pauses on the threshold. "I wish you luck tomorrow, for all of our sakes," she says, and then, she is gone.

Alistair

I watch helplessly as Daniella storms from the room. "She's a little angry with me," I explain.

"Yes, I gathered as much," Riordan replies with a raised eyebrow. "I am glad it is you that has earned her wrath and not I."

"Thanks," I mutter.

He claps me on the shoulder. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be upon us before you know it."

As I enter the hallway, I see Morrigan in Dani's room. I linger in the shadows, overhearing enough of the conversation to gather the pertinent details. I am waiting around the corner when Morrigan strides by and grab her arm. "It is just I!" I hiss as she reaches for her staff.

She squints at me in the gloom. "What are you doing, you buffoon?" she demands.

"Get in here!" I drag her to my chamber by the arm I am still gripping. She shakes my hand loose as soon as we are over the threshold, and I close the door. We stand glaring at each other for a moment.

"Well?" she insists.

"I heard you talking to Daniella," I tell her. My mind is still reeling from what I heard. I'm not exactly sure what I hope to accomplish with this encounter.

"Yes?" Her reply is suspicious.

"Is this true? That your ritual would mean that…neither of us would die?"

"Don't tell me…noble Alistair is afraid to die? Unwilling to give his life for his love?" she mocks.

"No! That is not it at all!" I stride angrily around the room. "I heard what she said to you. I know she intends to take the final blow for herself! I will not allow her to do it!'

Suddenly, some of the force goes out of me. I lean against the bed post. "But she has always been quicker than me, in mind and in body. I do not have confidence that I can finish it before she does." My voice drops to a whisper. "I cannot take that chance."

Morrigan shakes her head. "You two are pathetic. So, what are you saying? You want to perform the ritual with me?"

I do not answer at once. I cannot believe I am contemplating this. Being…intimate with Morrigan? Creating some kind of demon child? My mind and body rebel at the notion. But then, I keep seeing images of Daniella…my Daniella…lying broken and unmoving beside the archdemon's carcass and Maker help me, but it is more than I can bear.

"Tell me about this child," I whisper. "Will it be…evil?"

"Evil?" she laughs. "What does that even mean?" When I just stare, she relents. "It will not be darkspawn, if that is what you are asking."

"And you do not plan to use it against me in the future?"

She scoffs. "I do not care anything about politics. Rest assured that if you do this, you will never see me or the child again."

"All right," I say, and wait for lightening to strike me down, but none comes. "I will do it."

She stares for a moment as if expecting me to change my mind, and then she shrugs. "As you wish."

"So, what do we do now?"

She again gives her mocking laugh as she reaches for me. "Come now, Templar boy, I know you know what to do. I could hear you quite well all those nights in camp when you were doing this very thing with your fellow warden."

The firelight casts shadows on the outside of the tent. Inside, we lie naked, half-covered by the bedroll, Dani's back pressed against my front. My callused fingers lie lightly on top of the impossibly soft curve of her hip.

We spend most nights this way now…together…since we've given up our attempts at being discreet. We were the only ones who believed our ruse, anyway.

I lean over and kiss her collarbone, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair. "Maker's breath, but you are beautiful." I can't see her smile, but I sense it.

We are getting better at the lovemaking. In the beginning, there was a lot of awkward fumbling and hesitant exploring. But I am learning how to kiss, where to touch, and when to tease in order to make my lover's breath catch and her pulse quicken. In this new journey, my desire to please has served me well. Dani has become quite proficient, as well. In this, as in all things, my Warden is a quick study, especially when she has enthusiasm for the subject at hand.

"I am a lucky man," I say, to myself, but also aloud.

In a voice just this side of wakefulness, she says, "I love you, Alistair."

"And I love you, too. Always, and forever."

"Always, and forever," she affirms, as she drifts off to sleep.

I am yanked from my reverie by the sight of Morrigan's hand reaching for my shirt. But then I think, "Yes! I will just think of Dani, and pretend that it is she and I here, and not horrible, wretched Morrigan." But even with my eyes squeezed tightly shut, as soon as Morrigan's fingers touch my skin, my treacherous nerve endings send thousands of the same signals to my brain; "Not her! Not her! NOT HER!" Not Dani's touch, which is always so loving and gentle, unlike Morrigan's rough and demanding one. Not Dani's lips, which always taste so sweet compared to Morrigan's wicked ones. And not my love's kind and noble heart, beating in time with mine, rather than Morrigan's evil one.

But even as I compile my list of miseries, my traitorous body is responding to Morrigan's touch. Then she is on top of me, and although this is completely different than anything I have experienced before…not physical intimacy as a gift, but as a punishment…at least it is over quickly. She rolls off of me immediately, thank the Maker.

"See, now, was that so bad?" she asks as she rises from the bed, and I shudder. She laughs as she pulls on her robes.

"You had better be telling the truth, Morrigan, or so help me…" I say as I raise myself up on one elbow.

"Now, now, there is no need for threats. Do you think this was all a trick to get you in to bed?" She laughs again. "Your lives have been spared, I assure you."

I flop back on to the bed. "Then go." I sound defeated, even to myself. "I do not want to see you ever again."

I sense a moment's hesitation, but then I hear the door open and shut. I fear that the memories of this encounter will keep me from sleep for all of my days, but instead, I am slumbering within moments.