That You May Always Remember Me
From the Fade I crafted you,
And to the Fade you shall return
Each night in dreams
That you may always remember Me.
~Threnodies 5
Prologue
He saw her run past him out of the corner of his eye: a flash of hair, metal, and blood. She was darting, sword raised, straight for the Archdemon. He wanted to go with her, be by her side when it happened, or maybe even deal the blow himself, but he simply wasn't fast enough. Before the thoughts could form in his mind she had pierced the dragon. A deafening shriek and a flash of light followed. Alistair shut his eyes and shielded his face, praying that Morrigan had been telling the truth, that last night hadn't been for nothing, and that Elissa would live.
The top of Fort Drakon eventually grew silent and all present cautiously raised their eyes to see the scaly beast lying dead, but the other Warden was nowhere to be found.
Morrigan hadn't been fighting on the fort's roof, Elissa wouldn't allow it, and the witch disappeared before Alistair could forcefully shake an explanation out of her. Search parties were sent out but every one came back without information and Alistair's hope began to run dry. When the other Wardens eventually sent word they didn't question what had happened to the woman now being referred to as the Hero of Fereldan – they already knew. They offered condolences and promised that her sacrifice would be remembered.
Alistair only spoke of her death once: when he gave her eulogy. After that everyone learned not to speak of the legendary woman around the King. His advisors told him he needed a queen, and though he initially fought the suggestion tooth and nail, he was eventually convinced to marry Anora. After all, he had no interest in ruling and Anora wasn't half bad at it, and her presence at his side would only serve to strengthen his reign's validity. Anora had to be convinced of this arrangement as well, especially after the death of her father. She ultimately resigned to the fact that she didn't have many other options.
The wedding was lavish but the marriage was quiet. They mostly kept to themselves, eventually developing a mutual respect and maybe even the inklings of affection. Despite what Alistair had initially thought when the Blight ended, life went on, and it wasn't an entirely bad life either.
He would always see Elissa in his dreams, though: bright, smiling, and beautiful. At first he'd wake up feeling like he had lost her all over again, but he eventually began to see it as a blessing that she wasn't gone from his life entirely. It became the best part of his day. But 10 years after the Archdemon's death something happened. It was the first time he saw her when he was awake.