Thank you for visiting my new story! It's been dancing around my head for a while, so here it goes! This may be the only chapter in first person, past tense. I'm still trying to hammer out the details…I'm also trying to cut back on my overly poetic language that often occurs despite myself for this story. Suggestions in regards to the perspective and use of language are greatly appreciated!

Hopefully shorter chapters will lead to more frequent updates, but sadly, no promises. I am Queen of Procrastination… Next chapter will hopefully address the plot of the story.

Written with the aid of the melodious tones of Sherwood, and the most decidedly not comforting "Blah Blah Blah" by Ke$ha. It haunts me still…

Disclaimer: Ferelden isn't mine. Tis just a sandbox I play in.

PROLOGUE: PROMISES

The moment that simple circlet of gold that divided my lover and I so very harshly was lain upon his bowed head was the happiest moment of my life thus far.

The impossibility of our love made its existence almost laughable; who could have ever thought that a Dalish elf that owned nothing more than the skins on her back and the blades in her hands would become the lover of the shemlen king to be? And that they, side by side, newest members of a dying order, would climb over a thousand bloody corpses discarded by political machinations to lay their dirty hands upon the throne of Ferelden and then go on to slay one of the greatest creatures ever known?

Absurd. Completely and utterly absurd. I could not help but hear the whispers that constantly hovered on the edges of the lips of every shem, elf and dwarf that I encountered. The tales of the arch demon's defeat were unbelievable enough, the rumors of romantic entanglement could not be true, simply because the ocean of difference and defiance of centuries of fact.

That didn't change the delicious truth of the matter.

I loved Alistair and he loved me. Simple words for a simple fact. Our love was baptized in the blood of those that defied us, our passion forged in the fires of combat. Vows of loyalty and servitude to one another were sworn under the ever vigilant eye of the moon and the comforting gaze of a campfire, the stars the witnesses at the marriage of our hearts.

I swore to be by his side, no matter what the universe decided to try to butcher us with. I was all honey and stone, sweet and unshakeable. He in turn promised me the sun and land, all that he could never provide. He bathed me with foolish smiles and adoring gazes. We contemplated running from the burden that hissed through our veins; dreamed of finding a little farm in Orlais and living on wild hare, cheese, sin and love. But the nightmares came for us both, and we shouldered the struggle with the petulant sighs of children.

We soon discovered promises made with love are made to be broken when Riordan told us of the sacrifice that must be borne by the Warden whom slays the arch demon. He promised us both his life to protect ours, but Alistair and I knew that promises made in the name of duty and dependence on circumstance are ever more fragile. Morrigan gave us no promises, but rather a chance, and for that I trusted her.

We scarcely had the time to scrub the blood from our armor before the band of gold was hammered out and shoved atop Alistair's head. My hands prickled with the intensity of a thousand needles as my approval rang with that of the masses as he rose to meet his people. Pride straightened my spine, lit fire in my eyes. Here was the uneasy former-templar that had finally managed to learn to fit into his armor. An unwanted bastard, now raised to king.

And he was all mine.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Please give feedback, especially if you didn't like it, so I know what to change! I promise plot appears later on, but I caution you: there will be angst. Lots and lots of angst.