Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my other stories, but I had to write this down. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Bla bla, I don't own the characters or the setting.


It was a story Elissa had heard more than a thousand times. It was the first story she had heard as a child and when she died it would likely be the last words on her lips. It was the story of the noble Cousland family. She was a child of Cousland, the royal blood of the Highever nobles was running through her veins. Her father and grandfather had fought in the Orlesian wars and won, her brother Fergus was a skilled warrior and had already brought honour on their house by marrying the lovely, Oriana and fathering a son. Elissa's twinbrother, Aedan, was likewise looking for a wife and had a promising future, fighting for the Cousland guard and carrying on the Cousland bloodline.

Elissa was worthless. She had been born blind, much smaller than Aedan and had spent her first years stuck in the nursery with her nursemaid. Nobody, not even the family physician had expected her to survive infanthood. But despite yearly colds, infections and stomach bugs Elissa had survived. Nobody could say that she had thrived, but she had reached adulthood. Indeed it hadn't been a happy youth or childhood, hidden away like a family secret. She was their shame, their black mark in the history books. Sometimes Elissa was sure that her mother wished she would have died when she was younger, that it would have been better if Elissa would have simply disappeared, leaving them with two healthy boys and a clean record. Elissa sometimes agree with her. There was no promising future waiting for her, no courtships, no career.

Her days were spent in her converted nursery, next to her parent's room, singing to herself or asking one of the servants to read to her. She had requested to learn handicrafts that she could do without her vision but her mother had refused, saying that it was above a lady of Cousland. To Elissa, life was a boring, protracted affair and she didn't know how many more years she could take. If she had had her vision, she would have perhaps dared to run away, building herself a life outside the protective, imprisoning castle walls. But the truth was, Elissa was scared. She was scared of the outside world and she couldn't imagine being in an environment that she didn't know the outline of.

Elissa was on her way to the kitchens when she heard Aedan's voice call out to her. For once she was walking without the help of a servant but was rather tracing the wall next to her, the path to the kitchen etched into her memory.

"Lissy," she heard her brother say, "father and Fergus are joining the king at Ostagar. They're leaving me in charge!" Without seeing his face, Elissa knew that he was bursting with pride. She found herself feeling happy for his sake even though she knew that being alone with him and their mother would be torture. Next to their mother, Aedan had always been her most enthusiastic tormentor.

"That's nice, brother," she said softly, "is father still in the main hall?" There was no answer.

"Are you nodding?" She asked eventually, after hearing Aedan's cruel laughter, Elissa shook her head and kept walking. She was used to it. When reaching the junction she turned to the right instead of the kitchens to the left. She wanted to talk with her father.

Teyrn Bryce Cousland had always had a soft spot for his daughter. He hadn't seen her sickliness, her blindness and her ability to keep up with the other children. He had nipped lovingly at her hay-colored hair, kissed the forehead between her unseeing blue eyes and had taught her the alphabet despite knowing that she would never read. He had made sure that she had gotten as much food and clothes as her brothers. Elissa knew that she was probably still alive thanks to her father. And she would miss him when he went away to war.

She kept tracing the wall and made her way smoothly towards the main hall. She knew when to turn, when to lift her feet higher and which cobble stones were loose. Very soon she found herself by the door of the main hall.

She pulled the heavy door open and walked right into a solid, armor-clad chest.

"I'm sorry, Ser," she said in panic, instinctively knowing that whoever it was that she had walking into was important.

"That's okay," a dark but warm voice answered, "you must be Elissa." He took her wrist and led her forward.

"Elissa," she heard her father's voice call out and she stepped forward to clasp his overly familiar hands. A scar over the left hand and on the right hand his little finger was missing.

"Father," she greeted and smiled in the direction of his voice.

"I see you've met Duncan, my pup," he said, and gently turned her around so that she was facing their guest.

"I'm honored to be a guest at your house," Duncan said, "even though I come during dire times."

"What is happening, father?" Elissa asked but Duncan was the one who answered.

"I don't know how much your parents have shielded you, sera," he said, "but darkspawn are gathering near Ostagar, we need all able men that are able to join us against the arch demon." He must have seen the worry that Elissa supposed she was showing on her face, because he quickly added. "I am sorry to cause you such alarm, sera, but it is good to be afraid. It is indeed very dangerous times and we need to be ready for things to get even darker before dawn comes."

It was a series of screams and cries that woke Elissa up the next night. She called out for her old nurse maid who still slept in her room but received no answer. She tried again. Nothing. She heard a shout from her brother Aedan's room.

"My lord! The castle is under attack!" Under attack?

Elissa burst into tears. She got up but tripped on her sandals, her fear making her clumsy.

"Mama," she called out in panic, "mama!" It didn't matter that the mother had never answered her call. Elissa felt like a little child again, scared of the invisible monsters she fought in her nightmares. This time the nightmare was real and no loving parent was there.

She stood up again, grateful that her wobbly knees seemed to still carry her. She had presence enough to get her robe and tie it around her body; she wasn't about to roam around the castle looking indecent.

She stepped out of her room, plastered against the stonewall. The hallway sounded empty but she walked slowly down it until she reached the bedroom of Fergus and his family. The door was open.

"Fergus?" Elissa called out as she took a few careful steps into the room, "Oriana? Ore…aaah!" She tripped over something solid and landed face forward into a puddle of a warm and sticky substance. She reached in the dark and found to her distress that she was laying on top of someone. She reached for the face. She gasped.

"Ori… Oriana?" Elissa gasped. She tried to roll over and get away from the body that had once been her sister-in-law but it only made her roll into a much smaller body.

"Please don't be Oren!" She groaned, tears trailing down her cheeks but a quick swipe with her hands over his familiar facial structure confirmed her worst fears. She sat up and pulled the body of her nephew in her arms.

"Oh Oren," she cried, "what did they do to you?" She could have stayed there on the floor hugging his body, but she heard quick steps in the hallway and threw Oren's body away and crawled to hide behind the trunk that Oriana had kept her books.

"What about the Teyrn?" she heard one of them said, Elissa recognizing the voice of one of the guards, "please tell me he's okay."

"He's badly hurt," another voice replied, "he was on his way to the kitchens I think. I sent young Aedan and the mistress there."

The steps disappeared before Elissa was able to call out and tell them that she was there. Her father was alive. So was her mother and Aedan. With her heart in her throat, the girl scrambled to her feet again and stepped out of the room. Her heart broke at the thought of leaving her beloved nephew and his mother on the floor but she had no choice. She carried on.

Thankfully her path was clear, her mother and brother had cleared it of people and despite falling over debris and dead soldiers she made her way to the kitchens relatively safely. When she had reached the kitchens she heard her mother's voice in the pantry.

"Andraste's breath," she heard her mother say, "what is happening? You're bleeding!"

"Father!" She heard her brother say as well.

"Eleanor," she heard her father's voice reply, he sounded hurt, "Aedan… those men just attacked. Where is everyone? Elissa? Fergus? Oren? Oriana?"

"They are all dead," her mom replied, "darling Oren! Everyone!" Elissa heard her mother reply as she made her to the pantry.

"I'm not dead," she said as she reached the room and went inside.

"Elissa!" Her dad exclaimed, he sounded happy.

"Papa," she said, swallowing her tears, trying to be brave, "papa, are you very hurt?"

"Don't worry about that, darling," he said even though she heard the pain in his voice, "come here, child." Elissa went forward and felt relieved when Aedan's hand grabbed hers and helped her to her knees. Her father took her hand and as soon as they touched Elissa let her tears fall.

"Father," she croaked, "has the world gone insane?"

"No, my child," he said and stroke her hair, "just our part of the world. The king has to hear about this." Every word sounded forced and it was clear that he was in a lot of pain.

"Once Howe's men break through the gates, they will find us and kill us!" Her mother said, "The servants' gate is right over there. We must flee together! Now."

Elissa winced, her father's grip on her hand almost painful.

"The castle is surrounded," he said, "I'll never make it."

"I'm afraid the teynr is right," a voice said, combined with the sound of a sward being sheathed. Elissa recognized the voice as being Duncan's, "they still don't know about this exit but they will find out soon and when they do the castle will truly be surrounded."

"We need to do something now!" Elissa heard her mother said.

"I am sorry, your ladyship," Duncan said, "your husband is badly hurt and we need to move fast."

"Eleanor," her dad said, "take our children and leave."

"Bryce," Elanor said, her voice thick with tears, "I can't leave you."

"Eleanor!"

"No, Bryce. It doesn't matter what you say. I'd rather die by your side than leave you."

"Please Duncan," her father's voice was pleading now, "save our children. Protect what is left of my family."

Everything turned black for Elissa. Pure, dark, panic.

"Please, papa," she whispered, "please don't make me leave." She couldn't hear what the others were saying but felt strong hands place themselves on her shoulders and pull her upwards. The last thing she would remember from that day was letting go of her father's hand and being cradled in strong warm arms that weren't her brother's. Then Elissa lost consciousness.