"You know, my magical friend you have to go across the lake sometime?" Zev said from the bar stool next to me, "You can only sit here and drown you sorrows for so long. Shanti will have to meet that big mean Templar some day!" With that said he got up to sit with the eight year old. He was so good with her, always making her smile and laugh. 'Uncle Zev' she called him, for a long time she would slip up and call him father. Heaving a sigh, I walked over to the group. We made a motley crew; the mage, the elf, a dog, and my beautiful girl. She looked so much like he father; she had his sandy blonde hair and his eyes.
"Mumzie, uncle Zev said I get to meet my papa! Is it true? Is he handsome just like Uncle Zev or Uncle Alistair? I wonder if he likes sweets like me, and maybe he will let me sit on his shoulders!" The joy in her voice made my heart ache. I smiled down at her bright smiling face and hugged her to me.
"Your father will love you, he just might not show it the way you want. You need to give him time, don't be sad if he acts strangely or says things that might hurt your feelings… He is mad at mommy not you." I told her placing kisses on the top of her head and on her cheeks. Setting her back down I stood, paying the tab I took Shanti's hand and we set out for the dock. "Zev, are you coming to the tower?" I asked.
"Ah, my lovely warden I shall stay here. There is a lovely young maiden who wants to learn all about an Antiven Milk Sandwich." He wiggled his eyebrow at me chuckling all the way back in the Spoiled Princess. I sighed So much for friends sticking by me! I said to myself. The ride to the Tower was filled with chatter from Shanti and the boat driver who seemed confused as to why 'Hero of Ferelden' was bringing a child home with her. Every once and a while he would shoot me a questioning glance and I would either shake my head or look away; when we got to shore he pulled me to the side.
"She is yours isn't she? But the eyes look so familiar," His eyes widened. "It can't be, that is forbidden." He looked at me like I sprouted a new head and it was singing the chant. "I'm right aren't I?" I nodded then quickly retreated with Shanti in tow.
"Momma, why was that man looking at me funny? Does he know you? Maybe he knows papa! He could tell us where to find him!" She nearly yelled in her excitement.
"Ducky, he knows me and your father. He has worked on that boat for a long time, but love I already know where to find your papa." I hope, "But we will not be staying here for too long, remember Uncle Alistair wanted us to live in the castle with him. You get to live like a princess, and you will see little Collin every day." I told her, "You know how much you like playing with your cousin." Alistair had this mad plan that Collin and Shanti were meant to be and had to spend as much time as they could together. Seeing as he was going to have them married when they are old enough. 'I am king,' he would tell me, 'I will do as I please!' Even though Shanti was almost two years older than his son, he wanted then together.
We made our way up to the big doors, those doors always made me feel like a frightened child here for the first time. It was always hard to fight the need to run as far away as I possibly could. I guess it was one of those fight or flight kind of things. When we walked in we were greeted by a familiar face, though she looked older than before it was still the same Wynne. She gave us both hugs and kisses on each cheek.
"My, my child how you have grown! I could scarcely recognize you, I mean look at all that pretty hair!" Wynne beamed down at my blushing little girl, "Last time I saw you Collin had convinced you to cut it all off. That was what two years ago?" Wynne laughed when Shanti giggled at her. "Now my dears, would you like some rest or food first?" Nodding when we both said rest.
"Wynne, I hate to ask you, but do you by chance know where to find Cullen?" I asked her after I laid Shanti down for a quick nap. "I don't want to be a bother, but I have to talk to him before he runs into her, or sees her without me around to explain..." I trailed off, when the Templar in question came around the corner. Wynne looked over her shoulder to see why I had stopped talking and with a small smile and reassuring squeeze of my hand she walked down the hall.
"A-Amel, w-what are you doing back? I thought you were to be an adviser to the king?" He asked awkwardly when he spotted me.
"Yes, well... Um... I will within the next few months. I actually was on my way to see you, or at least Wynne was going to tell me where to find you when you showed up." I told him, "You see I need to speak with you about something important..."