- A new message from Amarantine, Your Majesty. - said a butler and handed a letter to the King of Ferelden.
Three years after… the coronation, Alistair still found himself excited and impatient to open each letter he received form the Warden Commander Arja Amell. After she took over the command of the Vigil keep, he had to have the information on the events there and requested her to write him a letter every now and then. He should have known better hoping to keep in touch with her. She made it a rule to write a report to "His Majesty" every two weeks. The reports were brief and unemotional. At first, she enumerated the attacks of the Darkspawn and casualties, then, after the Wardens defeated one more major threat, reports turned into a two-line letters stating nothing changed or an occasional group of hurlocks was eliminated.
This one was not an exception.
Alistair contemplated writing a reply asking her about her life, but he knew there would be no use: she only cited her reports and evaded every personal question. One of the letters in the very beginning of the Architect campaign in which he squarely inquired how she was doing was returned with a comment: "I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty, but you seem to have misplaced the letter". He got the message, angrily torn the paper sheet and decided that if the mage wanted to be so stubborn he should let her.
Only it was not so easy. After the Landsmeet he came to put an end to their relationship and she was stunned by what he said. At first, she seemed to be truly surprised. She told him that as far as she knew, no one could order the King around. She sounded bitter saying that but when he offered her to be his mistress, she laughed in his face. He was so angry that moment, he smashed one of her presents against the wall.
She laughed some more, stating he learned nothing from his life. Then she burned the remnants of the statuette into dust and with a swift move of her stuff made it fly out the window. He just stood there dumbfounded as she patted him on the shoulder and left, saying his future wife had better be able not only carry his children but tolerate him as well.
They did not talk since except for the night before the Final battle, when Arja came to his room without knocking on the door, almost catching him thumbing with a white rune she gave him along with the perished statuette.
- What the hell! Do they not teach you to knock in the Circle? - Alistair shouted, aggravated at almost being caught contemplating their past.
- Oh, forgive me, Your Highness! - she sarcastically said in a high-pitched voice playing a scared naive girl.
This, obviously, made him even angrier. But she didn't let him intervene.
- Your humble servant - I mean myself, of course, came to ask what we are going to do tomorrow? We only have Riordan and me to kill the blasted monster. If your Majesty does not mind, I suggest we should spit.
- What happened to your memory, woman? Since when can I not do that? I am a Grey Warden! I have been one longer that you did!
- Riiiight… Except you are now on your way to reign and if you die, so does the chance for Ferelden to have some decent future. - Arja looked him squarely in the face and sneered.
- You do not know that! - Alistair muttered through clenched teeth. He knew that she was right, but her arrogant attitude and audacity eliminated the chance he would agree.
- Oh, yes, I do. And so do you. I hope that this is why you hopped at the path to throne do eagerly. I mean I hope the reason for your regal ambitions is not just vanity. - she shrugged.
She was so cold and indifferent as if the fact that it was barely a month since they last shared tender moments in the camp was nothing to her. Perhaps it was.
- I am not going to listen to such nonsense! - he shouted, totally losing his cool. Arja smiled.
- Get the hell out of here!
- Oh, I am not finished, Your Majesty… -she started, but he was having none of it.
- You think I care? Get out, or I will throw you away!
- No, you won't. - she said, forming a ball of ice-blue matter in her palm. - Listen here, whiny boy. Morrigan and I know how to increase our chance of killing the Archdemon by half and not risk the fate of Ferelden. This will include a little inconvenience on your part, you can call it sacrifice or whatever, but if you care a little bit for Ferelden, you will do it. You already made me eliminate one more potential slayer of the bloody creature for the sake of you pride, so you kind of owe Ferelden a little more and you ass on a big golden chair!
He was awe-struck, when he realized the mage was ready to attack him, but when it sunk in, the barrier was crossed. He caught her chin in his fingers, not caring a bit for the bruises he was likely to leave.
- I am listening, mage. I will do what should be done and you will never dare talk to me with that condescending manner of yours. Understand?
- That's the attitude. - She was unfazed by the outrage. - Follow me, Morrigan will explain everything.
He followed her to Morrigans bedchamber. He did not ask her anything. He did not object what Morrigan said. He wanted her to see what he was capable of and how resolute her could be. Only when Morrigan suggested they started the ritual, he turned to the leaving warden and sarcastically asked:
- So you are not going to watch? Or partake?
Arja never turned or answered as she left.
The next day was a blur. Morrigan disappeared. They divided the rest of the group into two parties: Arja took Wynne, her dog, Vertigo and Sten. Alistair was left with Leliana, Zevran, Oghren and Shale. Arja's group found their way to the beast first. When Alistair next saw her, Wynne was healing her wound as she applied healing potion to the cut on Vertigo's back.
Then there was coronation, other festives, but Arja just chose her boon and left for Amaranthine along with Vertigo. They barely said a couple of words to one another, but after the battle the mage distanced herself from the King, adopted a very respectful and detached manner of communication as if they never met before. Alistair expected more acrimonious remarks and was caught off guard by the lack thereof. He could only reciprocate the attitude at the moment.
Now he remembered that she was as detached when he paid a visit to Vigil's keep. She sank on her knee, bowed her head and spoke to him in short phrases, each of them starting with his title. None of her new recruits except Oghren had any idea that they were acquainted let alone intimate.
The life of a King was filled with events: cities to visit, battles to win, negotiations to hold… Alistair managed to forget about her at first. When he found himself reminiscing the past, he took to study governance. He got himself so busy that Teagan and Eamon asked him to loosen his life. He never listened, as having his mind full with tactics and war theories helped not to be bored to death during the long evening balls set up to introduce him to every noble woman in Ferelden and facilitate the search for a new Queen. Alistair surprisedly found out that noble women were all more or less like Isolde, which did not help him grow affection towards them. They never had anything bad happen to them (bless the Maker for that, of course) so even the most intelligent of them seemed to him so far off the ground he wondered if they ever looked out their windows. And he perfectly knew that it was his newfound status, not himself, that made them eager to get to know him. When he was a bastard, he was sure, any of them would look at him like Isolde did - as if he had been undeserving. He missed the camp and the aura of equality that was present there. The Blight did bring people together after all.
And now, he mused looking at the report, it's been three years since he rose to power and two years and a half since he last saw her. When they defeated the Architect he was on a trip to the opposite end of Ferelden and by the time he finally got back it seemed too late to pay a visit to Vigil's Keep. Not that he wanted to go there that much.
He was undecided. He got his mind set on marrying a woman and raising children but could not choose the proper one. He did not compare them to Arja - there was nothing alike between the former Circle mage and noble ladies he met so the comparison lost its point. He simply considered all the options he had - there were a lot to choose from - but none of them made him want to stop the search. He liked to think it was the process than was so appealing to him. Rumor had it the King was too engrossed in his studies and cares to build his life, and it only added to his popularity. Alistair enjoyed the approval of commoners more than the urges to be a proper ruler he often got from the nobles. He was in no hurry, as he once declared to Teagan.
Teagan and Eamon did not approve of the fact that Alistair neglected this responsibility, but had no influence in the matter. They only hoped that one of the events they held would bring a lady nice enough to the ballroom and eventually result in royal marriage. The forthcoming event was the three-year anniversary of the defeat of the Blight and the counselors had a long argument on whether or not they should invite the Warden Commander. They did not doubt the role of the Grey and the Hero of Ferelden in the victory and it finally seemed peaceful enough to ask Arja Amell to leave Vigil's Keep but Eamon insisted that her presence will only further distract the King considering their ended relationship. Teagan stood by the diplomatic matter of the disrespect they would show the Grey if they ignored them once again. Even though the Grey did not represent any state, they still were a power to keep in mind and revere. In the end, they had to resort to the king's decision.
Alistair only nodded to Teagan when he mentioned diplomatic order and asked him to send the invitation to the Wardens, inviting not only his former ally but all the Warden who would be eager to come to the celebration.
It was not surprising, that she did not mention the celebration in her report and preferred to answer to Teagan. But what was in her letter still was a blow to what they all expected. The letter was quite informal and even heartfelt as Alistair learned when he demanded Teagan gave it to him, not quite believing what his counselor was saying.
She was glad to hear from Teagan and hoped he was happy with his new wife (how did she even know?). They Grey were grateful for the invitation. The Commander assured Teagan of her highest consideration of the King's will and stated the Grey were to appear at the celebration. The delegation of five wardens from the Vigil's keep was to arrive at the palace a day prior to the celebration. The delegation will be headed by deputy Warden Commander. Arja Amell did not bother to come. She was leaving the Keep a week before the event for Antiva.
Alistair tried to conceal his discontent and succeeded for the most part. He got used to people of the highest titles and wealthiest families almost jump to his words and the rejection no matter how mildly it was put stung him. On the second though, there was nothing extraordinary - Arja could not care less for the unspoken code of nobles, being a mage brought up in the Circle and a Warden free from the King's power. She showed that many times during their travels and Alistair was for some reason glad to find that she did not change.
- Teagan? Correct me, if I am wrong, we do not have any major plans for the next week? - Eamon did not like where this was going, when Alistair finally looked away from the message for Teagan, cast a glance at the opened envelope at his desk and asked this question.
- Well, no, Alistair.
- Good. I am going to pay a visit to Vigil's Keep and get acquainted with the deputy Warden Commander. And lady Amell herself. It's been a long time and I do not the Grey to be neglected.
- Are you sure, Alistair, - asked Eamon. - There is no urgency in this visit, we could plan it out, you can return with the wardens after the celebration..
- Or they can come with me. I can also pay a couple of visits to the arlings along the way. It can be useful to see how people live there when their rulers are not prepared to show off their perfection.
- You study too much, Alistair, - sighed Eamon. - Are you sure it is not because of…
- Arja? - asked the King. - Because of her as well. I haven't seen her for three years and she made a lot for me and the kingdom. I definitely want to see how she is doing.
- A trip to visit your fellow comrade. I see. - Eamon hesitated to ask a personal question and Alistair was not going to help him out.
- Exactly. I am going to travel incognito. Teagan, ask the Guard captain to select three best guards who are smart enough not to give out who we are and tell them to pack. We are leaving the day after tomorrow.
