Ch. 1
"Let us go somewhere more private," Morrigan said in a deep voice hinted with a tinge of what Evanesce thought to be teasing.
The Witch spun around strolling out of the Warden's door. She turned and looked back at her two straying teammates.
Evanesce was starting to regret making this deal already. She looked quickly at Alistair, whose hand she had been grasping for the last few minutes. She didn't want him to go, but…this was the best.
"I'll be back," he whispered.
Evanesce squeezed the Templar's hand. She stared up at him before giving him an assuring smile.
"Well are you going to come or are you going to stand there gawking at one another. Tis quite boring waiting on you," Morrigan said tapping her foot.
Alistair took a few steps away from his love and closer to the Mage. Morrigan grasped his wrist and tugged him closer to her.
Evanesce held on to her loves hand until the Witch had pulled them to their arms conjoined length causing their grip to break. She returned to the door and pulled it to. Morrigan paused and her eyes met those of her friend's.
"It will work," she said before shutting the door.
Evanesce stood staring at the exit with wide eyes. She was unsure what to do, or say, or think.
It took her a long while to break her statue stance and move across the room. She poked the fire with a stick, and breathed in the deep smell of burning wood. She returned the poker to its spot and stared into the flickering flames.
Damn she was uncomfortable. She had to get this armor off. Quickly, the Warden shed the gloves, boots, and breast plate of the deep pink Dalish armor she called her own. She began to work on the clasp of the lower armor, but it wouldn't budge.
She sighed. The latch had been bent in battle and she hadn't been able to remove it without assistance since. Alistair had always been able to pull it off without problem.
Oh Alistair.
No, she wouldn't think of where he was right now. She would only think of getting the insufferable piece of clothing off.
Maybe she could go seek the help of Leliana or Wynne. No. She remembered Wynne taking off early and Leliana waving goodnight as Evanesce and Alistair left the meeting with Riordan. She certainly couldn't recruit the help of Zevran or Oghren. They were well…men, and…not her man.
Alistair.
'Maker please,' she begged internally. The clasp gave seconds later and it hit the ground with a loud thud, leaving Evanesce in her under clothes. The Warden sighed gently in relief before flopping on her bed in exhaustion.
She needed rest because tomorrow…it was it. Her actions…her teams actions were deciding the entire fate of Ferelden.
It had been almost a year since Arl Howe had sieged her home and murdered her family. A whole year since Duncan had saved her and made her a Grey Warden. A whole year since she had first laid eyes on Alistair arguing with a mage. Looking back at it now…she had loved that man from the minute she laid eyes on him, staring down at the angered magister with those gentle eyes and sarcastic smile.
Oh Alistair.
No. She refused to think about where he was spending the night. She denied to imagine him and Morrigan, being…together.
No damn it no.
She buried her face in her hands and bit her lip.
She needed to go to bed. That's it just some rest.
She leaned over in the bed and pulled the covers up over her chilled skin. She longed for warmth entangling around her body, but she had to settle for the embrace of her sheets and the fire.
Evanesce forced her eyes shut. She tried to turn off her mind, but that task was not so successful.
Immediately images of Morrigan, half naked and beautiful, sliding on top of Alistair, whose eyes flickered around her face, analyzing her magnificence as she leaned closer, filled the Rouge's mind.
The Warden flipped on her other side quickly. She raised herself on her elbow and gasped out. The images popped, washing her concentration back into the real world. She gazed at the fire blinking as the bright light burned her eyes. Maybe the stinging of the flames would prevent her from thinking.
She was regretting this. Oh Maker why? Why had she giver the love of her life over to her friend? Why did she think this would be a good idea?
Alistair, Alistair was going to be King, and Evanesce, Evanesce was going to be his queen. They were going to be married, but yet she just sold him off like…like he was some kind of bargaining chip. And for what? For her own life? She'd gladly give her life for Alistair. But…she knew he'd do the same for her.
She couldn't loose Alistair. She wouldn't. She loved him too much.
And what if it was her whose body was to destroy the Archdemon? What would Alistair do? How would he feel without her?
She didn't want to be without him. Ever. No matter what.
And that is why they were doing this.
Morrigan and Alistair's demon baby would be a cost to pay to keep each other, and they both knew it.
Even if the idea of its creation drove Evanesce wild.
She began to think of the conversation she and Wynne had had early in her and Alistair's relationship. 'Love is ultimately selfish.' She remembered those words like it was yesterday. Evanesce had argued that the two could handle themselves and that everything would be fine. Wynne had then mentioned something that stuck with her now. The choice between Alistair and the rest of the world.
"I don't want to have to make that choice," Evanesce had whispered.
Later Wynne had decided that the couple could handle their problems. But was she right?
Hadn't they just made a selfish choice that may in the future be a danger to everything, just to stay together? Hadn't if she been a commoner and not eligible to be queen wouldn't she had chosen Anora whether or not she was the best choice? Just to keep Alistair close. Yes. She knew she would have. She would give up the world to be with her Templar forever.
And that was why she urged him to lay with Morrigan. Anything was better than losing him. Anything. Even this.
Evanesce took a breath and rolled back over, turning her back to the flickering orange manifestations of heat. She pulled the covers close as she relaxed against the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut.
Relax.
A deep even breath washed her worry away allowing her mind to click off.
