Hey there, reader. I'm the author of this little fanfic, Jo. So, this is my first DA: O fanfiction, it's one of my all time favorite games, so I'd thought I'd take a crack at it.
Mainly, I aim for ToW to center around f!Cousland and Leliana's adventures following the Siege of Denerim. ToW is going to just be a compilation of one-shots detailing their tales! There will be some continuity, but other than that, just fluffy, fun-filled, action! I'm still a bit iffy on whether or not smut will be a thing. But, I've taken enough of your time as it is. Enjoy~
It is over.
It is finally over.
After months of harsh recruiting, bloody high-stakes dwarven politics, and grueling ongoing battles against the darkspawn—we had done it.
The Archdemon lies slain, Alistair and I stand tall—and very much alive—and everyone I could love and care for are happy and breathing; standing with me here in this very throne room.
'Well…' I feel the bright smile adorning my lips falter. Quickly I regain my composure, casting my eyes to the King, glistening in his golden armour, who has seemed not to notice. 'Morrigan.' It takes everything I have learned as my few months as a Warden to keep my sigh internal. 'I swear by the Maker's breath Morrigan, I will find you.'
"So!" Alistair's boisterous exclamation startles me from my thoughts, bursting beside my left ear. I turn to smile at him. "The Hero of Fereldan." He laughs, an amazed smile stretching across his face. "If you can accomplish that feat within the span of a few months, by Andraste, what will you accomplish in the next five years?"
I chuckle. "I pray to all that is holy that I accomplish nothing."
His laugh joins mine, his smile slipping into that silly, though admittedly charming, smirk of his. "Ah, but alas! We both know that trouble refuses to leave your side."
I shake my head, giving the vast coronation room a wistful look. He sighs thoughtfully, causing me to turn back to him.
""Well, seens as we are not under the scrutinizing eye of our adoring public- for the moment- tell me: what do you plan to do, now that this is all over?" Alistair light eyebrows raise, the sincere glint in his pale blue eyes telling me that this was my Alistair, the bashful, virgin Grey Warden—and not newly crowned King Alistair.
"Actually, I was thinking of amassing a great and staggering military campaign and leading the next Exalted March against Orlais, in the name of my mother and father." Our eyes lock for a few moments. I have to fight of the grin pushing its way into my façade, daring Alistair to break first.
It seemed that we were in a stalemate, until the right corner of his mouth twitches from the firm line it had adopted, and a small laugh sputters through. I grin triumphantly.
"Truly?" My smile softens. "Perhaps after a week or two of making sure things settle correctly here, in the capital… I must admit, the call of the open road beckons still."
Alistair nods, crossing his arms across his chest, causing his armour to clank against itself in protest. "I presume you'll be dashing off into the sunset with a certain lovely, redheaded bard?" His smile is gentle and teasing.
"Precisely, your grace." I laugh at his eyes rolling in feigned annoyance.
"Well, whenever you depart, just know: that you will always have a bed and place here. A spot will be reserved for you in my court. For whenever you finally choose to settle down; Leliana too, if she so desires. Her skills and knowledge as an Orlesian bard would make useful here in the palace." The King casts a quick glance to the small crowds still lingering in the bustling throne room.
"Thank-you, Alistair."
He looks as if he is struggling to find the words to something as he casts another nervous gaze around the two of us. I stay silent, allowing him to find his thoughts.
"Granted be that these first few weeks will be extremely full of pointless, and dull, royal appointments that by obligation I must attend while Anora makes all of the decisions—my door is always open to you, Serah." He reaches forward, and I feel my chest begin to warm as I mimic him, grasping the underside each other's forearms. "I was not joking when I said that the Wardens and Eamon's family were all that I had." He takes a deep, anchoring breath. "You, in the short span of just a few months, have shown me that I am much more than stuttering royal bastard; you helped me through Duncan's death, as he was like a father that I never knew; and you took on the leadership of the Grey Wardens without so much as a blink of an eye, while I cowered in uncertainty at the seemingly impossible tasks that had been laid before us."
His eyes swim with unshed tears and twinkle with unspoken affirmations, and I feel mine do the same. It was rare that we'd ever have a moment like this.
"You showed me how to take up arms and steady myself to save an entire kingdom from a doomed fate. And even after all of this, you stayed by my side and became the one person I could trust above all else. You, Serah Cousland, are my best friend and no matter what, that place at my side will always be yours."
I stood there before my comrade, my King, and my best friend, with a brilliant smile splitting my cheeks as I fought off a torrent of tears. "I—Alistair that was-"Shaking my head, I cut myself off, swallowing the happy sob bubbling up my throat. Quickly I regain hold on my wave of emotions. "I love you too."
At this, his facial expression comes to mirror mine, and he unleashes a full on belly laugh, completed by throwing his head back and nearly howling. "I'm glad you knew where I was going with that. After that first bit of my speech I sort of lost what point I was trying to make."
Scoffing, I bat his hands away, breaking our embrace, and cross my arms defensively across my chest. "Nice of you to ruin one of our few and fleeting intimate moments, your majesty." I send him a faux glare.
Alistair winces at the title. "That'll take some getting used to." He sighs in content, turning to face the room full on, everyone to enraptured by their own conversations to notice the movement. "Well, Grey Warden, I shant keep you a moment longer. You have adoring fans eagerly awaiting your glorious presence." He chuckles glancing over to me, sending me a playful smile. "I'm sure Eamon would just love to begin teaching me how to be a king. Farewell, Warden."
I watch him slip away, a small smile taking perch on my lips. By the Maker was I glad to have a man like Alistair in my life, especially after losing my father.
Father. Mother. Highever. The words bounce around in my head as I turn to the crowd, beginning to see if I could find my next obligatory conversation as the Hero of Fereldan. If only Fergus were—Fergus! I begin to frantically search the crowd. Surely, with all this fuss he would've heard. I step forward, toes hanging over the edge of the stairs leading down from the throne.
The Wilds would never have bested him, he's a Cousland! And my all the stars, there he is, at the very front of the crowd watching me with that same all-knowing grin on his face. The same one from the day we had parted. My smile splits into a painful grin, and I nearly sprint down the steps, and fly into the strong arms of my long-lost brother.
"Fergus!" His name nearly falls from my lips as a sob.
I feel more than I hear his throaty chuckle. "Serah, dear pup."
"Fergus you have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive!" I laugh, pulling away to look up into his still smiling face.
"Oh, I believe I do, dear Sister." He reaches up and cups my cheek, brushing away a tear that had escaped with the pad of his thumb. My heart nearly bursts with happiness, as the warmth floods my chest once again.
"I wanted to go and look for you, but I-" He holds up a hand, stopping my sentence.
"Even if you had, I fear it would have been for naught." He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "A few of the men from my scouting party, and I, had been abandoned in the Wilds shortly after Ostagar." His eyes harden from the memories. "No doubt the abandonment taking place because of Teryn Loghain's hand. We were lost for several weeks. We had to take up with a non-hostile band of roving Chasind, who led us out of the Wilds." He glances down at his feet, but then back up to meet my eyes, that near-perfectly mirrored his. "Even then, it took me several weeks to reach Highever, where you were making waves in the Landsmeet, and I learned of that bastard, Howe's betrayal."
Fergus' eyes flare in anger, and tears threaten to spill over. My mouth drops open, I had nearly forgotten. "Brother… I am so sorry about Oren and Oriana."
"It's quite alright. I just wish I could-" His voice breaks, and immediately my arms find their way around his waist. "It's just great in itself that you survived, that you're here." I could hear the tears in his tremulous voice, once more having to fight off those of my own. "It's more than I could possibly ask for."
I must get him away from these kinds of thoughts, or surely he will lose himself in this pain. "Well," I pull away, smiling, and take his hand, tugging him along as I push our way through the crowd. "Come, there is some I'd like for you to meet. I've had enough of this saddening talk." I glance over my shoulder to receive Fergus' watery, though grateful, smile as he complies willingly.
"Who is it, pup?" I try to ignore the stabbing pain that shoots through my chest, at how much he sounded like Father when he used my nickname.
"Well, in the absence of Mother and Father, I suppose you'll have to do, when it comes to matter of the heart." I toss a teasing smile to him and continue to pull us forward, only stopping when she fills my vision.
How lovely she looks in her fine evening gown, her "noble-like" clothing that she had "borrowed" from Marjolaine's wardrobe. Well, that was the explanation she had given me, as I unaware that she had owned anything but leather armour.
Even now, after all this time, my heart still stutters when we lock eyes across the room.
Behind me, Fergus has seemed to catch on. "Oh, so it's those kind of matters of the heart." He chuckles as we come to a stop before the bard, whose eyes have not left mine.
"So, is it finally my turn to be grace with the presence of the ever-so brave, Heroine of Fereldan?" She giggles, a sound that shouldn't nearly be as musical as it seems to my ears. "It looks as though you have brought company, my dear." There is a mischievous twinkle in her icy-blue depths as she casts my brother a glance, a small smile playing at her pink lips.
"Leliana, this is my-"
"Pup, I am a grown man, I believe I can introduce myself." He pulls his hand away from mine, and steps up to my side, sending me a sly wink. "Good evening, my lady." He bows his head curtly. "I am Fergus Cousland, acting Teryn of Highever, Serah's older brother."
Leliana's smile stretches, causing my breath to catch in my throat, while she returns his formal greeting with a curtsey. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, my lord. My dear Serah never ceases in her tales of childhood about the two of you. She's told me many things."
He laughs. "All good things, I'd hope?"
"Nothing but, Brother." I flash him a grin.
"But, I am Leliana, my lord, your sister's beloved lady." I have to fight of the blissful grin, at hearing her say those words. They never ceased to have that effect on me.
"If I may, how did you two happen upon each other?" Fergus wonders aloud, cocking his head slightly to his left.
My bard smiles thoughtfully and meets my eyes, reaching a hand out to run it down the length of my arm. Even through the metal plating of the heavy chainmail that I wear, I could still feel the warmth of her touch as though it were against my bare skin. I don't I will ever tire of the emotions and sensations she makes me experience.
"I'd like to say that I believe the Maker brought us together. Though, I've been travelling with her for quite some time." She pauses, humming in thought. "I left with her just before Lothering fell to the Horde, I think." She sends me a knowing smile.
Fergus nods. "So, just after the Battle of Ostagar, it seems. Quite a long time, I trust you genuinely feel for my baby sister?"
My eyes widen and my head spins in his direction. "Fergus!"
"Now, now Serah. I am being a proper older brother." He raises his dark eyebrows at me, a child-like glint in his eyes.
Leliana chuckles, folding her hands just below her stomache. "Yes. Quite so, I'm afraid. It seems as though you'll have to make due with me becoming your sister-in-law." She sends him a winning smile.
"That would be something to rejoice, in fact, my lady. Having a woman as lovely as you in my family would make me the envy of the land."
"My, Serah," She laughs, gently wrapping both hands around my upper arm, pulling me to her side. She sets her chin upon my shoulder. "You never told me what a charmer he was. Now I see that it runs in the family."
Fergus releases a genuine, rolling string of laughter. "Well, now that's a change. Up until she was 16, my sister was a bumbling fool when it came to women." His laughter settles into a stretching grin. "The only thing she had grace with were those two-handed swords of hers."
Leliana lets out her own laugh, and I can't help but sulk, feeling the embarrassed heat rise to the tops of my cheeks. "It couldn't have been nearly as bad as I was when I was attempting to tell her of my feelings for her. I was stumbling over my words like an illiterate Chasind wench; I must make such a shameful bard."
This pique's Fergus' interest of her even more. "So, you're an Orlesian and a bard?" He pauses to chuckle. "Perhaps I should watch the food and drink you serve me for supper, when I stay with the two of you."
I turn to him after a moment of comfortable silence between the three of us, subtly leaning into Leliana. "Well, as we have quelled the Blight and the civil before they began, what do you plan on doing now?"
In that instance, his entire demeanor changes, and his face sets with well-though determination. I scowl slightly in confusion to his reaction.
"I had actually wanted to speak with you about that, Serah."
I square my shoulders and face him more fully, still keeping contact with Leliana. "What is it Fergus?"
"I have a proposition for you, and before you say 'no' I want you to listen to everything I have to say."
Leliana shifts to pull away. "Perhaps I should leave you two to speak privately?"
Fergus stops her with a gentle smile and an out stretched palm. "No, please stay. You are family now, you have every right to voice your opinion in matters such as these." He looks back to me, his deep set mossy-green eyes once again mirroring mine. "When I left for Ostagar, you were but a pup. And now you stand before me as Commander of the Grey in Fereldan. Part of your newly ordained responsibilities is rebuilding the Order,"
Realization dawns on me before he can finish. "You're wishing to join?"
"From what I understand is that in order to become a Grey Warden, you must stand ready to sacrifice everything to stand before the dreaded Blight." His eyes harden and he raises his chest proudly. "Those sacrifices have already been made for me, even before I could withstand them. Now I stand hardened, before you with even more skills than the ones you knew me with."
"B-brother," I gape at him. "you have no idea what you're asking—you may not even survive the Joining."
"And?" He sighs, locking our gazes together. "If I don't I'll have joined my wife and child by the Maker's side. If I do, then I'll be serving my more than deserving sister and protecting my homeland with every bit of my strength."
Beneathe the surface of his gaze, I can see the gleam of his pain, which now gave him strength, and the sincerity of his wishes. He, my ever-protecting older brother, has nearly lost everything. As much as it pained me to think on the possibility of losing him to the darkspawn taint… it pained me even more to keep something from him he so obviously desires.
Who was I to deny him this?
"Fergus…" I sigh, hanging my head in defeat. "If you truly wish to join, then I Serah of the Grey Wardens formally welcome you into the Order." I lift my head, and pull my arm, gently, away from Leliana to give my brother the Wardens' salute.
"Thank-you, Commander." He returns the salute, bowing deeply before me.
"We'll perform your Joining after you obtain a vial of darkspawn blood," I pause for a moment, thinking amongst the noise of the nearly forgotten crowd around our trio. "and if there are any other warriors, or even mages you deem fit, they are welcome as well. You will need a vial of blood for each of you. We'll do it before I leave Denerim."
Fergus sends me a grateful and blindingly bright smile. "Thank-you, Sister. Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare myself." He turns to Leliana, giving her a respectful bow and a fleeting smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Leliana."
She returns his gesture with a curtsey of her own. "As to you, my lord."
My brother nods to the two of us, and slips away, disappearing into the crowd.
"Well," Leliana gives me a look as I turn to face her fully. "you two could've practically been twins."
I chuckle. "Mother said that as well. Especially when were younger."
"I have to admit though: you're the good-looking one." She smiles playfully, and I roll my eyes. "It may be silly of me…"
I look at her, reaching down to weave our fingers together. "What is it, my love?"
"It's just… this all seems so… unreal." She runs her thumb along my palm, sending the ticklish sensations up my arm.
"What do you mean?" I cock my head at her curiously.
"This!" She casts her pale-blue gaze around the room, her lovely red eyebrows raised incredulously. "It's almost like a story—a fairytale. The beautiful heroine relinquishes the Kingdom from a great and powerful ancient evil. Despite all the odds."
I smile teasingly at her, pulling her ever-so slightly closer. "Now, all I need is to ride off into the sunset with an unearthly beautiful woman." I raise an eyebrow at her. "I wonder who could ever fill that role"
Leliana giggles as her face inches closer, lips lingering just a breaths width from mine. Unconsciously, I lick my lips, eyes hovering on hers. "I have a few ideas." Her accent mesmerizes me, and we sit there in a warm trance, wrapped in a content silence, for but a few moments. I find myself dreading to face the surely uproarious crowds that lie before the palace's walls.
"You should know that I am ridiculously proud of you, Serah."
I smile, lifting one of her hands to places the softest of kisses across her knuckles. "Thank-you. The same to you, Leliana."
The smile lazily stretched upon her lips does not falter as she drags her eyes appreciatively down my body before her. "You may be a woman, love, but you looks absolutely dashing in the heavy chainmail armour that you wear."
I give her a look. "So full of compliments tonight, you are Leliana."
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be? The Blight has been defeated. Teryn Loghain has now known justice. I am finally free of looking over my shoulder for fear of Marjolaine. And to top it all off: I have a wonderful and beautiful woman on my arm, and in my bed." Her hands leave mine reluctantly, to gently cup my face and tug it towards hers.
Smiling, I meet her kiss with earnest, reveling in the distinct honey taste of her lips as they move against mine languidly. However, I dare not forget of our surroundings.
"As much as I'd like to continue that," I chuckle as she is the one to pull away first. "I'm afraid I've kept you long enough as it is." Leliana releases me from our embrace, to step back and crouch down, gathering her squeaking nug into her arms. "Go to our other friends, my Warden, I'll be here when you return, after I put Sir Snuffs to bed."
I laugh rolling my eyes and her beloved pet nug, as she sends me a wink a takes her leave. I watch her weaving through the crowd, affection warming my body as she stops to spare a few words with Wynne.
This feeling in my being… it was one I had not expected to feel ever again.
Happiness.
What a wonderful thing.
Leading up until the night before the Siege of Denerim, I had nearly lost all hope. Even if we had amassed such an impressive army, uniting peoples who had not even been in touch for well over 500 years, we still had to march that army through a sea of surging and bloodthirsty darkspawn. I thought that I had lost everything—my home, my family my title—but then Morrigan stood there in front of the fireplace, swooping in with her child and it's soul of an Old God, and though I would ultimately lose her… everything didn't seem as dark as it had once been.
As I had been told, I make my way to my companions, and take a short moment to speak with each one of them, learning of Oghren's promotion to general, Wynne's position a mage-adviser to Alistair, and even inviting Zevran and Shale to tag along on Leliana and I's upcoming travels—which the both happily accepted.
I bid Sten farewell, and he even embraced me, calling me a hero in his own—Qunari – way, and internally mourned at how empty the room seemed in Morrigan's absence. I have expected her to appear at my side and make some snarking reply at how petty the celebrations for one woman were. I closed my eyes a moment, promising myself not to torture my heart with the thoughts.
As I head for the guard, by the balcony door, telling him I was ready to face the masses, I can't help but to think again:
It's over.
The balcony doors fly open, and a skull-rattling cheer nearly collapses my ears drums, and I smile into the Fereldan sun.
Maker, it's finally over.