"Your Majesty, may I have a moment of your time?" Dorian asked as he timidly approached the relaxed king with a formal bow.
"Hmm?" acknowledged Alistair as he pulled himself away from the balcony's ledge of the library with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, it's you. The Tevinter. …Listen, if you wish to discuss religion or the politics between our two nations…well. Frankly, I'm just not in the mood, so…"
"Ha! No, nothing like that, I assure you."
"Oh. Well then," the Ferelden smiled. "Shoot."
"As I understand it, your significant other is…a man?"
"Oh." There was a small laugh to break the tension. "That. Yes, the Prince-Consort of Ferelden is a man. Were he a she, then it'd be Princess-Consort, wouldn't it? Sweet Maker, he'd hate that even more than being called Queen." There was a shudder to his voice as he was completely serious. "Do you want to speak to him? I'm sure he's around here somewhere griefing his cousin."
"No, no, I was actually hoping to ask you on…well…how you came to be married at all. To him, I mean."
"You mean to ask me how I got away with being married to another man for the past ten plus years as king rather than marrying a woman to make little royal babies with? Or something less invasive like who picked out the flowers and cake for the wedding?"
"I apologize if I have offended you, your Grace. You see, where I come from, that sort of relationship is only accepted if it is purely sexual. One would never dare to tie the proverbial knot with someone of the same gender." Though the grey eyes did wander off to the side. "Not without becoming a pariah, though I did hear the flowers and cake at your ceremony were quite marvelously."
"They were! There were little griffons made of spun sugar and the flowers hid the smell of all the mabari hounds running around. Izzy and I also weren't born in Tevinter, so those rules didn't exactly apply to us."
"But the requirements for nobility are basically the same no matter what country you're in."
"I was also raised in a barn."
"…I understand the south is a bit more primitive than…oh," Dorian hesitated. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Completely serious and, according to the rumours, with the dogs at that. Then I was taken in by the Chantry until the Grey Wardens raised the rest of me in basically another barn. Okay, so it wasn't really another barn, but the stench! And none of them had any sugared griffons. Can you believe that?"
"But then you met your beloved during the Blight, if the stories are true."
"Indeed, so after being raised in a barn, a Chantry, and then equally smelly place, I met the love of my life," Alistair counted on his fingers. "It was the best thing that had ever happened to me and I wasn't about to let being king take him away." Another grin plastered itself on his lips. "Besides, he was actually mostly raised as a noble and is far better at this sort of thing than I am. If given the chance, I'd let people call me their Queen if it was more covenant for them. It doesn't bother me nearly as much." Dorian laughed, highly amused at the conversation.
"I'm sure being king isn't all that bad. You're at least allowed to tell the other stuffed shirts to shove their traditions up their arses."
"And don't forget the sugared griffons!"
"That goes without saying!"
"We were also owed a favor for killing the archdemon as well and you did help defeat Corypheus. If you're wondering if that's enough to tell the other stuffed shirts to jump off a bridge if you're looking to marry their Inquisitor, you probably have enough leverage by now. I mean, there was also a dragon involved. They do love it when you kill a dragon." Dorian blushed at the mention of any future plans, pressing his lips together in fear of having said too much already. "If your heart's in the right place don't let trivial matters get in the way," he was encouraged before the king caught a glimpse of his husband walking underneath on the ground floor. "And if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend too."
Alistair ran as quickly as he could down the spiral staircase to embrace Izarre Cousland from behind for all see. They teased each other while whispering secrets and snickering at inside jokes. Those around lowered their heads at the sight of the pair walking arm-in-arm as they wore their visible matching rings without shame.
From inside of the mage's robes, an amulet on a gold chain was removed; a duplicate of his own bearing the Pavus family crest with the name of his amatus engraved on the back.