For one of my best friends ever. Because you've always wanted your mage to marry your king.

Cheers and i hope you'll smile while reading this.

It's for you, Lexa.

(Laura)

Surprise

He opened the door and sighted, damn idiots, he was tired of this. when the blight was in full swing, nobody cared about them, he was beginning to miss that time. He chuckled, amused...what would Anna say? She'd most likely smack him over the head. Even now, even when he was a king she still continued to treat them like before. He stooped, distracted from his thoughts by the laughter coming from his rooms, well their rooms as he refused to sleep anywhere without her. It drove Eamon to despair and amused Teagan and the rest of their friends to no end that they refused to be anything else but a couple, despite the fact that he was a king now and she was still a mage.

Slowly he entered the room and found Anna and Leliana curled in front of the fireplace gossiping about something. They were laughing merrily and despite his tiredness he could not help but chuckle at the sight. Those two were thick as thieves and whenever they were gossiping like that it could only mean that they were up to no good and somebody's going to have a surprise in the morning. The laughter stopped and he was greeted by his love. He was bone tired but seeing her so happy and content reminded him that it was worth it, it reminded him that despite everything this woman was the world for him, the only one willing to die for him. He frowned as he remembered the day they killed the archdemon, the day when she paralyzed him with a spell and knocked him out of the way. She said she couldn't bear the thought of him dying, she said that he was more important than her, but she forgot one thing: She was the most important thing for him. Had she died...well, let's just say that he wouldn't have had much of a life left in him.

Smiling he turned his lips into her hand and kissed her wrist. As in sensing his tiredness she took his hand and pushed him into the fireplace chair then drooped in his lap. Curling her form around him she asked:

„What happened this time?"

Sighting deeply, he accepted Leliana's offer of a drink as she took her place in front of the couple.

„They want me to marry me"

At that an elegant snort escaped Leliana while a not so elegant "idiots"passed her lips. Anna shivered a little and he brought his arms around her. he knew she was disturbed by this and hated it that everybody kept pressuring them, But she also agreed to stay and fight for them.

''I said no...and well they didn't take it well. ''

''What do you mean? They never take it well''

''This time it was worse. Think it's time we get Zev here. ''

''Ok, but first tell me what went on? ''

''And offer him a more...permanent job...say...bodyguard or spy... '' At that she blinked and waited looking him in the eye, wayting for him to confess the rest...

''They offered me one or two proposals. Powerful families with lots of pull. They were less than satisfied when i politely declined. ''

''Politely? smirked Leliana? ''

''Well...in so may words: Hell. No. They might also be a little bit ticked that i implied the crows would be less than pleased if anything happened to either of us. ''

At that Leliana puffed into laughter and Anna squeaked trying to suppress her mirth. '

''What did you do? '' They both asked after managing to get themselves under control

''Well it's not a secret that Zev's an ex crow and that the crows are quite protective of you after

helping Ignacio during the blight...so...well i might have let it slip that Zev's coming to visit and that

Ignacio's in town. '' Laughter bubbled on her lips and it was a while before she could stop herself. It did not help that the fiend kept tickling her.

Sobering up, she mused ''...that can't be all, you wouldn't pull the crows card for that only''

''Well. ''he ducked his head hiding his face into her hair ''I told them that i don't care what they want, you're my best friend an my lover. '' At that he rose his head an kissed her tenderly on the nose before continuing.

'' I also warned them that since they refuse to let you be my queen, they might as well get used to the fact that you're going to be the only woman in my heart and my bed. Us being officially married would be great, but in the end it does not matter. I will not marry anybody else so they can either accept you or they have to accept that their king will not get another queen.'' He smiled slowly to her and closed his arms more securely around her as if afraid that somebody would snatch her away. Slowly he kissed her and whispered something into her ear that made her smile and giggle happily.

''That's not all you did'' a voice from the balcony chuckled.

In a move so fast that it was ingrate into his very bones Alistair switched positions with Anna, putting her into the chair and in the same move rising his longsword in the direction of the voice. He went nowhere unarmed, the nobles kept frowning when they saw him perpetually in some form of armor and always wearing a weapon, but years of training and constantly being on guard could not fade that easily and truth be told he did not want them to.

''Relax, my friend, i happened to be around when i heard the nobles were giving you trouble. Again. ''

''Zev, when did you? '' Leliana asked rising her eyebrow, somehow making the movement look like an annoyed invitation. Meanwhile Anna rose to her knees and from behind him she circled his waist whispering to his back. ''I'm OK, I'm fine, it's just Zevran, sweetie. '' Sighting he drew back his sword and took her again in his arms. Ever since the the assassination atempt two weeks ago he was extremely jumpy whenever he perceived she was in danger.

The assassin respnoded to the king's salute by nodding and to Anna's by winking. Even tough he knew Anna was Alistair's in every sense he still liked to poke the lad by flirting with her. Just to keep him on his toes he kept saying.

''And also, yes, I'll be your spymaster, bodyguard no, spymaster yes. I'm more dangerous when I'm not into the spotlight. Keep Leliana as a bodyguard. ''

''Hmm you have a point, '' murmured the bard, ''What do you say? '' she asked Alistair.

Seeming deep in thought the king nodded his assent. '' I also think it's the best solution, thank you my friend. ''

''Now, that this is solved, tell the ladies here why are you so eager to have me and Leliana around? it's not for our sparkly personalities my king? '' asked the former crow with a wicked smile.

Closing his eyes Alistair ducked his head and muttered.

''Well, they got me so angry that i told them to quit trying to marry me off because I'm already married... ''

''wha..what... ''

''Well, technically mages can get married, they're just not allowed to. Permissions and all that. But since we're both gray wardens...well mother Dorothea's marriage ceremony for us is official. '' He took a deep breath and continued, not sure how would she take the rest of what he had to say.

''As grey wardens we do not need to get any permissions except from our commander. That being you, at this moment, Duncan or Riordan during the blight. So basically, since Riordan was the one to actually hand me the rings i guess that the ceremony we had before the archdemon? well it is official. ''

She was speechless, she never expected this, she wanted to marry him, but got accustomed to the fact that they never could, she didn't knew what to do, she wanted to cry, to laugh and most of all to kiss him...so she did all three.

After a while, Leliana remarked. ''So while she can not be queen, she is in fact, your wife. ''

''Yeah, that's why we need you, '' he murmured, ''They might get ideas to make me a widower'' he murmured darkly. At that Zev chuckled. He rose from where he was standing and got Leliana with him.

''Let's go dearest, let's leave these two alone, that could never happen, sleep well. ''

That night they did not sleep, they were so absorbed into each other that they did not feel Hope* flickering around them. That night a new life was born.

Anna - Human mage, primal and restoration arcane warrior, battlemage and spirit healer

Alistair - hardened , king, guardian templar champion

*Hope is a spirit of a newborn

Finished for now, but i might get into my head to do a follow up, who knows. :) i hope you liked it, please review :D