Today is the Lands Meet. Eri, along with the love of her life, Alistair, her best friend Zevran, and her faithful hound, Zero are just outside the doors of where the meeting is taking place. Eri stops from in front of the large double doors and turns to Alistair.
"Are you ready my love?" Alistair asks before Eri could say anything. Alistair watched as Eri's eyes floated from the ground, to his eyes, and back down to the ground again. He just looked at her, taking in her beauty.
She had shoulder length blonde hair, with braids on each side of her face, resting gently against her rosy pink cheeks. Her skin was a very light color and she had outstanding blue eyes. She also had two braids pulled back and tied behind her head, where it they made a beautiful horseshoe shape. On one side of her face was an intricate tattoo that was a bit darker shade than her skin. Beneath her golden blonde hair were pointed ears. Elf ears.
She was from the Alienage. Alistair remembers how the last couple of weeks have been hard on her. Ever since she saw Shianni, or her spirit of some sort when they were trying to get to the Urn of Sacred Ashes, she had been cing every few nights, because she feels she has let everyone in the Alienage down.
Alistair feels bad for his love, he truly did, but it had begun frustrating him. Seeing her this way had made his tolerance for the war wear thin. He doesn't know what's going in this Lands Meet, but he has a feeling it isn't going to be good.
"Alistair…" Eri finally says. Alistair studies her face knowing that something is wrong. She is usually way more confident than this and is never nervous.
"Yeeess?" Alistair asks in his cocky, but caring tone. Eri looks up at him and takes a step closer. "Kiss me… for luck." She looks up at him with her big blue eyes, begging. Alistair just smiles and leans down, puts his hand behnd her head, and kisses her.
"Okay. Okay. Let us go." Zevran says as he looks away and sighs. He liked Eri himself, more than a friend. He did not dare tell her of course, for Alistair would surely make him leave the group, and he really did not want to leave. Eri herself had asked him to stay, when the Crows had found him.
The two finally broke the kiss and looked at Zevran. "I guess you are right." Eri said, "Let's go."
Zero jumped up from where he was laying and went and stood next to Eri. Eri turned and walked towards the door and as she opened the door, she saw Arl Eamon up on an upper floor, looking down and talking to a large crowd of people. Eri listened as he explained what Loghain had done and how he must be stopped. The crowd just clappe as he made his point.
Then a voice was heard from the corner of the room. Loghain made himself known and everyone turned to look at him with shocked, and even fearful faces,
"A fine performance, Eamon. But, no one here is taken in my it. Loghain spat. "You would attempt to put a puppet on the throne and every soul here knows it!"
Eri began to take a step towards him but Alistair grabbed her arm and stopped her, waiting to hear just what Loghain had to say. "The better question is, who will pull the strings?" Eri heard enough. She walked forward, with her three companions trailing closely behind. The crowd moved out of the way, which revealed them to Loghain.
"Aaah! And here we have the puppeteer!" said Loghain as he looked at Eri, checking to see how well armed she was. Loghain continued, "Tell us, Warden: How will the Orlesians take our nation from us? Will they design to send their troops, or simply issue their commands through this would-be prince?"
Eri walked forward mad that he was bringing Alistair into this when he didn't even want to be king. As Eri and her group walked forward, guards blocked her path to Loghain. Loghain would just not shut up.
After several minutes of Loghain, Eri, and other people arguing, and after Anora showed up, Eri and Loghain started fighting.
Eri had beaten him easily. Loghain was on his knees panting, as Eri stood in front of him, victorious. "I underestimated you, Warden. I thought you were like Cailan, a child wanting to play war." Loghain then stood up as he continued talking. "I was wrong. There's a strength in you I haven't seen anywhere since Maric died… I yield."
Without hesitation she said, "You'll die foor what you have done."
From her left, Riordan walked up to her. "Wait! There is another option!" Alistair looked at Riordan, knowing that another option was just not suitable. He must die. Justice must be served.
"The teyra is a warrior and general of renown. Let him be of use. Let him go through the Joining." Eri was surprised to hear Riordan suggest such an idea. "You want me to make him a Warden? Why?" she asked.
As Riordan explained, Alistair got angry at the idea of not bringing Loghain to justice. Anora spoke up after Riordan explained. "The Joining is often fatal, is it not? If he survives you gain a general. If not, you gain your revenge. Doesn't that satisfy you?"
Before Eri could reply, "Alistair butt in, "Absolutely not! Riordan, this man abandoned our brothers and then blamed us for the deed! He hunted us down like animals. He tortured you! How can we simply forget that?" Alistair was on the verge of yelling.
"Alistair…" Eri said but was interrupted by Riordan. "You are not king Alistair. You do not have the full authority to tell us if he lives or dies!" Alistair was beyond angry now.
Alistair gave a death glare to Riordan and Loghain before replying, "Oh really? If no one is going to listen to me I might as well marry Anora, to see that there is justice done!" Alistair was practically yelling now, and tensions were building in the air.
Arl Eamon walked next to Anora and said, "I am holding you that to you Alistair. In all of Alistair's fury, he did not comprehend what Arl Eamon or himself had said.
When Eri heard what was said, he felt as if someone had kicked her in the gut. Quietly, tears rolled down her eyes as Zevran put his hand on her shoulder. She put her head down, so that her hair somewhat covered the sides of her face, but she didn't need to, all eyes were on Alistair.
Alistair didn't even realize what had just happened as he noticed Anora's shocked face. "Very well then." sighed Riordan.
Riordan walked towards Alistair an handed him his sword. "You do the honors, but be quick about it."
Anora walked over to her father and said her goodbyes, with tears in her eyes. Alistair forward after Anora moved out of the way, and mumbled under his breath, "For Duncan." He swung the sword and blood splattered everywhere, as Loghain's lifeless body fell to the ground. With blood all over his shiny armor, Alistair walked back over to where Arl Eamon was standing.
Anora stands up after leaning over her father's body, wipes the tears and blood off her face, and then walks up in front of the crowd gathered in front of her. Before she says anything, she motions for Eri to come up and stand with her. Eri walks up and faces the crowd with tears in her eyes. No one except her group back at camp knows about her and Alistair.
"And now, lords and ladies of Ferelden, there is still a Blight to defeat, and armies to gather. And I appoint this woman to lead s in both. We will not allow this land to be farther threatened by the Archedeon. Gather your forces and await the Warden's command." Anora's voice rang out through the room, the people listening intently.
"On the morrow, we shall begin our struggle against the greatest threat that Ferelden has ever faced." People from throughout the room started clapping as Anora continued talking.
"And we shall triumph over it, for we are Ferelden!" People were now cheering and clapping, now having a new faith that they can overcome this.
"And with a new King to rule beside me now… We shall protect Ferelden at all costs." When Anora said that, Eri's tears now spilled down her cheeks again, but she did not make a sound. Eri turned to leave, closely followed by Zevran and Zero.
Alistair finally realized what had happened.
He was to b wedded to Anora whom he can't stand.
He was shocked, but was more scared than anything that he may lose Eri, because of some stupid thing he had said. His eyes scanned the room, looking for her so that he can reassureher that he didn't mean it.
But all of Ferelden will soon be expecting him to marry Anora.
He finally saw her walking towards the door, a few feet away. Before he could say anything, she stopped walking and tuned towards him and finally faced him, and looked him in the face. He looked into her blue eyes and saw tears falling down her cheeks, like small waterfalls. Beneath the tears he saw hurt, heartbreak, and betrayal. When he saw her, he felt like someone had kicked him in the gut and stabbed him with a knife.
How could he do that to her?
"Eri…" he said, not quite knowing how he could say how much he loves her and that he didn't mean it. But before he could say anything else, she spoke, and her words broke her heart right in two.
"I hope you are happy with her." she gave him one last, heartbroken look, with a tear rolling down her cheek, as she turned and walked through the door and left.
Just when Alistair was about to go after her, Riordan came up and told Alistair to go and talk to Arl Eamon. People were already leaving as Alistair walked away from where he was standing. The large room was almost empty except for hi, Anora, Arl Eamon, Riordan, Loghain's corpse, the leaders from the different armies, and a few others.
Arl Eamon was busy talking to some other people, so Alistair just leaned against a wall nearby.
Great Andraste! What had he done? He had broken the love of his life's heart, and it was all his fault just because he got angry and spoke without thinking! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!