Short One Male Warden
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age.
Alistair was just about to knock on the door to Aunn's room at Eamon's Denerim estate when Morrigan's near-hysterical – for her anyway – words stopped him.
"And Riordan is just too old and something must be done!"
Alistair judged that this was just the tail-end of whatever she'd gotten herself so worked up about.
"I know, I know," Aunn said soothingly. "And believe me, I'm not planning to die. I'll work something out, don't worry."
"I'll hold you to that," Morrigan said, right before flinging open the door. She shot him a glare four times as icy as normal that almost made him turn around right there and go back to sulking in his room before stalking off down the hallway.
Alistair closed his eyes and took a deep breath before taking the plunge and knocking on the still-open door.
Aunn, who was polishing her precious Shield of Aeducan, looked up. From the surprised look on her face, she clearly hadn't expected him. To be fair, if he hadn't just heard the news about Loghain, he wouldn't have expected to be here either.
"Listen, Aunn, can we talk?" Alistair began hesitantly.
Aunn switched her attention back to the only emblem of her family she'd had for most of their journey. "That depends. Can you remember that I've asked you to address me as 'Lady Aeducan' now that I've gotten that tragic misunderstanding that resulted in my exile all cleared up?"
Despite having had this conversation with her many, many times since they had left Orzammar and thus knowing just how futile it would ultimately prove to be, Alistair couldn't help the sigh of frustration that escaped him nor could he help saying, "Oh, by the Maker! When are you planning on stopping that?"
"Whenever I happen to get exiled again," Aunn answered primly. "Of course, I don't really see that happening anytime soon, but you never know. But surely you didn't come here just to discuss my various idiosyncrasies, particularly as you've made it quite clear that I'm a, what was it? Oh, right: a 'morally bankrupt power-hungry disgrace to the Grey Wardens.'"
Alistair eyed the ceiling, feeling rather foolish at having his own hastily-chosen words echoed back at him. "Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh. But to be fair, you wanted to make Loghain a Grey Warden! Being a Grey Warden is supposed to be an honor, not a punishment."
It took Alistair a moment to realize that the reason Aunn was staring incredulously at him was because she had, in fact, become a Grey Warden because of a punishment.
"You do know that the only reason I'm a Grey Warden is because I thought it would be a more effective way to fulfill my sentence as a political prisoner, right?" Aunn asked rhetorically. "The situation has changed, obviously, since apparently there is such a thing as gratitude but the fact remains that I became a Grey Warden as a punishment for killing my brother."
Alistair waited for her to protest her innocence. She didn't. "But you didn't kill him, right?"
"I didn't say that," Aunn said neutrally.
That threw him, he had to admit. "So wait…" Alistair trailed off, stunned. "You did kill him after all?"
"I never said that either," Aunn told him. "Besides, roughly fifteen minutes after my little brother took the throne, he discovered that Harrowmont had actually killed Trian, framed me, and tried to convince everyone that Bhelen framed me, so he could get our father to name him his heir. And to think that he almost got away with it, too." She shook her head ruefully.
"W-what?" Alistair sputtered. That wasn't quite the way he remembered things. "That's not what happened at all!"
"It is legally. And how do you know, anyway?" Aunn challenged. "You barely met Bhelen or Harrowmont and didn't know anyone else involved."
"Harrowmont, though I admittedly did not know him well, seemed like a good and honorable man and everyone we spoke to – while they couldn't tell us much on either candidate's positions – was either accusing him of being a usurper or agreed with my analysis," Alistair countered.
Aunn snorted. "Yeah, 'good and honorable.' Maybe if you don't count the fact that he believes the casteless don't exist and should have been killed at birth as an act of mercy."
"Wait, he what?" Alistair wondered how he had missed that. "And your brother doesn't?"
Aunn shook her head. "His only heir's mother is casteless. Or was, I guess. And Harrowmont would have been a weak ruler anyway. His supporters were deserting him left and right, he couldn't even get me a trial despite the fact that he had both law AND tradition on his side, and for all his supporters kept accusing my brother of poisoning our father, Harrowmont was the only one who had the opportunity."
"But why would he poison your father?" Alistair was, if anything, even more confused. "I heard that they were friends! Hell, even you and Bhelen confirmed it."
"They were close, yes," Aunn allowed. "But despite this, pinning patricide on his opponent helped his cause. Given my father didn't want Bhelen to succeed him, he may have even approved."
Alistair was quiet as he tried to process all of this. Finally, he asked, "Why do you like Orzammar again?"
"I'm just as 'morally bankrupt', remember?" Aunn reminded him cheerfully. "You may not have known either candidate, but I knew both very well. Harrowmont would have gotten nothing done because everyone knows Bhelen wouldn't have give up gracefully and would have staged a rebellion. My brother gave up far too much to be willing to accept defeat at that point and his supporters were fanatical. Bhelen, Ancestor's help him, could very well end up saving us from ourselves…if the nobles and warriors don't outright revolt first. Still, the only way I could justify picking Harrowmont would be if I was willing to put my personal issues with Bhelen above the good of Orzammar – much as you did with Loghain – or if I were to want the throne after Harrowmont inevitably died in a few years. He always liked me and I would have been the only way he could have taken down Bhelen, so he definitely would have named me his successor."
Alistair decided to ignore the implication that he was willing to put vengeance on Loghain over the good of Ferelden. It wasn't even true, really. He was still willing to be king and had Loghain survived the Joining they would have been just as strong as they had been before, numbers-wise. Besides, wasn't staying out of the battle and not risking his life the more responsible and – dare he say it – kingly thing to do anyway? Of course, now the situation had changed and more Grey Wardens were needed. Even if he wasn't actually a Grey Warden anymore, he could still help. Of course, trying to explain that to Aunn would have gotten him nowhere, so instead he asked, "So then…why didn't you?"
"I've decided that I'd rather be a Paragon," Aunn declared. "I suppose I could be both, but I rather like traveling and the movements of monarchs are rather restricted."
"Well, at least you have realistic future plans," Alistair said dryly.
"They are, aren't they?" Aunn agreed, completely ignoring the sarcasm. "I'm also fairly certain that, due to the time-consuming nature of politics, I'll be the first noble-born Paragon. Although I really hope that people don't think forming my own House means I'll no longer be an Aeducan, because if anyone even tries to suggest that…well, it won't end well for them."
"But what about the Grey Wardens?" Alistair wanted to know.
Aunn blinked. "What about them? All this is after the Blight ends, of course. It's not like I'm being irresponsible or anything."
"The Grey Wardens will need to be rebuilt," Alistair said seriously.
"And that is so not my problem," Aunn said flatly.
"But you're one of the last Grey Wardens in Ferelden!" Alistair protested.
Aunn shrugged. "So? Frankly, that sounds really, really boring and should Riordan survive this then he can recruit for awhile until he goes to Orzammar. If not…well, Blights are hundreds of years apart so we're really in no rush. If it takes awhile for the Ferelden Grey Wardens to be rebuilt, then so be it. Or you can do it, I guess," she suggested.
Alistair looked downcast. "I can't. I am not longer a Grey Warden, remember?" he asked dramatically.
Aunn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Deny it all you like, I can still sense the taint in you. Besides, the reasons for your 'quitting' are not longer valid; Loghain did not survive the Joining."
"I know," Alistair said, nodding solemnly. "And that's why I'm here."
Aunn arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do go on."
"While I am still not pleased that you would want to have such a heartless puppy-murdering bastard in the Grey Wardens, since he will not, in fact, be joining-"
"Wait, wait, wait," Aunn cut him off. "I agreed to let him join us and completely ignored your little hissy-fit about it – which couldn't even wait until the entire Bannorn wasn't there to witness what happens when their new King doesn't get his way – but since he didn't survive, it's all forgiven? You DO understand that it's not my fault he died, right?"
"Clearly he wasn't worthy of being a Grey Warden," Alistair sniffed. "But then, I could have told you that. And I did not have a hissy-fit."
"Really?" Aunn asked rhetorically. "Because that's not the impression I got. Of course, I may be biased so if you'd like a second opinion, we could always ask Anora, Riordan, Morrigan, Wynne, Loghain before he died, Eamon, any of the Banns, anyone else who happened to be in the room…"
"Alright already, I get it," Alistair grumbled. "I already told you why I was upset."
"Yeah, yeah, I was trying to taint your love affair with the Grey Wardens," Aunn said, sounding bored. "Why in the world Wynne didn't bother you about all of that Epic Legend that was the Grey Wardens is beyond me. All I cared about was the griffons and she yelled at me for that!"
"Really?" Alistair was surprised. "That's strange. I love griffons, too. Who doesn't?"
"And just like that, I am that much closer to forgiving you," Aunn told him with a slight smile.
"Forgiving me?" Alistair couldn't believe it. What did he have to be forgiven for? "I'm not the one who-"
Again, Aunn interrupted him. "Is capable of looking at the big picture and putting aside personal feelings to stop the Blight?" she supplied. "I quite agree."
"I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have done that and I knew you needed me," Alistair finally apologized, sounding resigned.
"Would you still be here if Loghain had survived?" Aunn demanded.
"…I'd recommend taking what you can get," Alistair advised honestly.
"Will do," Aunn agreed.
"So will you let me rejoin your cause and aid you in destroying the Archdemon?" Alistair implored.
"That depends. I didn't go through all this trouble to put a hitherto unknown illegitimate prince on the throne just for you to die a week later, you know," Aunn warned him.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going to try to die," Alistair promised.
"That's what I wanted to hear," Aunn said, sounding satisfied. "So tell me, how would you feel about sleeping with Morrigan? It might save the world…"
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