Author's Note: The story follows the storyline of Dragon Age Origins, beginning with the dwarf noble origin.

All the characters from the game belong to Bioware and the original characters to me.

I want to mention that I have used a good bit of dialogue directly from the game, which I do not take any credit for. My intention in that usage is not to claim those dialogues are my work, but to expand upon them and use them as a basis for the original story progression turns I will eventually give this tale.

Reviews are much appreciated!

Chapter One

The night was chilly and the skies painted in hues of ebony, deep blue, and streaks of orange. Sereda lay awake, as she did nearly all her nights, watching the endless sky shift and change. She had hoped the pain would recede, ebbing away slowly like blood from a freshly gouged wound. But it didn't. It festered and burned, and she was forced to relive it every night, a waking nightmare that played on loop, spinning through her mind till it reached the same eventual climactic conclusion.

...

"Trian has begun to move against you." Bhelen shifted his feet and took on a concerned gaze. His serious tone worried her. Bhelen was rarely ever so grim; he was the brother she counted on to make her smile. And he had certainly never said anything like this before.

"I never thought his much-proclaimed honor would allow him to actually act on his jealousy," Bhelen continued. "Big sister, Trian is going to try to kill you." The room seemed to take on a sinister gleam, every lamp, bookcase, and jewel seeming to mock her. Sereda scoured the room, hoping to find a glass of water. Or something much stronger.

Her eyes bore into Bhelen's, hoping to find some trace of amusement, willing this to be an elaborate ruse he had planned, a farce where he would soon break into a grin and say something like, "Trian will indeed kill us all…from boredom!"

But nothing came. No punch line. No laughter.

"What?" Sereda finally forced herself to ask.

"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't overheard him giving orders to his men." Bhelen said. He paused, seeming to consider his words carefully. "Trian's decided you're a threat to his taking the throne. Maybe he's right." Sereda exhaled, her breath shallow and ragged. This was ridiculous. It wasn't as though Sereda was any stranger to dwarven politics; she had studied her lineage in great detail, been schooled in history, and had firsthand witnessed the subtle double crossings that went on daily at court. But Trian? Her own brother?

"How am I a threat to Trian?" she asked softly.

"He fears what you are becoming, in the eyes of the people and the Assembly," Bhelen said. Still absurd, but unfortunately believable. Their father, King Endrin, had made a practice of bringing Sereda to court and even allowing her to give her opinions on important court matters at times. She was no manipulative diplomat, but her blunt honesty and empathetic stances had earned her respect in the court, and she knew that she had her father's favor. As for the Assembly, it was hard for her to truly tell, but she had gotten the impression its members had found themselves developing an affinity towards her, though she was not overly traditional in her outlook.

Bhelen spoke, as though reading her thoughts: "Trian's the named prince, but only the Assembly can proclaim a ruler. It would be unusual for the Assembly to ignore the king's choice, but it does happen."

"The founder of House Bemot became a Paragon and king in one move from the Assembly, and he was a commoner," Gorim said. Sereda glanced at Gorim; he had remained silent thus far and she had begun to worry he would not give his opinion in front of her brother. His face was stoic and impenetrable but his eyes showed specks of consternation. She knew he would protect her with every fiber of his being and be proud to have her crowned. But then they would never be able to be truly together, be married. It was going to be an uphill battle even now that he was her second in command and she a princess; tongues would wag, the nobles would surely say Lady Aeducan had married beneath her. Sereda frowned at the thought. She couldn't care less about caste; Gorim was her love, her soul, the integrity within her that she would have lost years ago if not for his gentle reminders of who she really was deep within.

"The first Aeducan king wasn't even part of the house's leading family," Bhelen continued, forcing her thoughts back to the matter at hand." His mouth turned upwards in a wry smile. "If you win glory against the darkspawn tomorrow, it will only strengthen the case for you as the next heir." Sereda's eyes caught Gorim's, beseeching him to speak, to give his honest opinion. Tears prickled her eyes at the mere thought of being forced to kill her own kin and she willed them away. She had to stay strong.

"Permission to speak freely?" Gorim asked, staring at her.

"Of course, my friend," she said.

"Trian would make a terrible king, but no one wants to say it. Killing him now makes your house stronger and saves a great deal of bloodshed later," Gorim said. Sereda nodded.

"You're right. But still, let's wait," she said. "See what Trian does."

That was the beginning. The beginning of the end, and she had been an unsuspecting fool. Sereda stared into the sky; it had turned a rich ebony, hiding its secrets deep within its folds. Even then, Sereda remembered achingly, though she trusted Bhelen implicitly and believed that Trian may try to kill her, she had been willing to wait and let him make the first move. She couldn't have conceived of wishing harm on a brother for any amount of power or glory. And Gorim; they had not even gotten the chance for a last night together.

She sat on her bed, shoulders shaking. A light knock sounded at the door, then two quick ones. It was their sign. She tiptoed to the door and partially opened it; Gorim slipped in. He looked at her for a long moment.

"I am sorry it has come to this, my lady," he said quietly. Sereda looked at him silently, feeling hot tears sting her eyes. Then she let herself fall into his arms, sobbing as quietly and with as much dignity as she could muster. She felt him kiss the top of her head, then forehead. Gently, he tilted her head up and kissed her lips.

"My heart, I know you. I know you would sooner die than kill a brother, but look at this objectively. This is not only about you, but about Orzammar. You would make a better ruler for the people. If what Bhelen says is true and Trian plans to kill you to secure what is already his, what does that say about the way he will lead?" Sereda breathed deeply, trying to calm her thoughts. On one hand, Gorim was right. It was the only logical choice. On the other hand, it was still her brother they were talking about. Slowly, she exhaled.

"You are right. I cannot allow myself to be weak if Trian makes his move. But it is just so abhorrent to me that it would come to this. If he would only have spoken to me, told me that he fears my interference, I would have backed off as much as I could. It is true that we have never been close. But surely Trian knows that I would never directly act against him."

"You are a devastatingly charming woman, my lady," Gorim said, his mouth turning upwards into a sly smile. Hands reaching out, he held her close. "Irresistible, some would say. Perhaps he feared your charm would enrapture both the people and Assembly till they'd unanimously flail and beg for you to be queen."

"Is that so?" Sereda asked, allowing a small grin to escape. "Sounds wonderful. So when I'm queen then, I suppose that same charm will make some unsuspecting noble fall desperately for me and ask me to marry him." Gorim abruptly drew back, hands dropping from her waist. His face was calm but his eyes were fiery pools of molten lava. She could practically feel the heat burning through her.

"And you would have to say yes," he said. "It would only be appropriate." Sereda pulled him back towards her and looked up at him.

"Never," she said. Her blue eyes were clear, vulnerable in their sincerity. Reaching up, she kissed him deeply, feeling his tense body relax against hers. His lips burned her skin, traveling downwards. She reached to tug off his armor when sounds of movement came from the hallway. Gorim pulled away, breathing heavily.

"Dear heart, we mustn't be caught together, not tonight. There is too much at stake tomorrow. We must be as alert as possible." Catching her look of disappointment, he sighed. "I wish things were simpler. If only we could…but this is no time for such talk. Tomorrow we mark the first day of your command in battle. Let's show everyone you're a force to be reckoned with." Sereda smiled.

"We'll have a training workout some other time then," she grinned. With a quick last kiss, Gorim let himself out the door. Sereda lay down on her bed, thinking about the next day and all that was still unknown.

...

She suddenly heard a sound from one of the tents and quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Apparently not soon enough.

"Still awake, huh? Yeah, I've had those nights. Dreams of the archdemon still troubling you?" Alistair. He walked up next to her where the flask filled with water lay and picked it up, drinking deeply.

"Yes, that too, I suppose," Sereda said vagely. She had tried to keep her life before being recruited as a Grey Warden as private as possible. It was no one's business but her own. She felt a bit of guilt as well, knowing full well that her motivations to fight against the Blight fell a bit short of worthy.

"So…not the Blight. I don't suppose this has anything to do with those pretty sandals we saw the ladies wearing in Redcliffe, does it? Because I'm sure we could get you some. Now that we've saved their village and all. Maybe a pair for me too, while we're at it." Alistair gave her an overtly cheery grin, which immediately deflated when she weakly mustered a chuckle.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good at comforting people. Makes me nervous and act all…strange," he said, shifting awkwardly. He sighed. "You were remembering Orzammar, weren't you? You never talk about it, you know. I've wanted to ask you about whatever it is that happened…but I didn't want to intrude." Sereda propped herself up and tossed a few twigs into the fire, fanning the flames.

"You know it all already, really. Princess of Orzammar, brother betrayed me, exiled forever. What more is there?" she asked sullenly. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. She waited for Alistair to get up and return to his tent. He didn't.

"Come on. You can talk to me. I promise I won't blackmail you. Well, not for an amount you couldn't pay anyway," he said. She managed a smile.

"Well. If you really want to know," she said. Alistair propped himself onto his elbows and looked at her expectantly.

"My younger brother Bhelen had convinced me that our older brother, Trian, was going to kill me. Bhelen's claim was that Trian saw me as a threat to the throne and quite honestly, it was an assertion I could believe. I had made myself ready to strike at Trian should he try to assassinate me. What I hadn't expected was Bhelen's betrayal…"

...

Sereda felt her senses tingling, awake and sharp. Adrenaline was coursing through her body from fighting darkspawn. The others had been surprised that she had actually seen any darkspawn at all in those areas of the Deep Roads and were a bit apologetic but she had relished it. Her blade slashing oily darkspawn flesh felt good. It was an enemy she could unabashedly and unapologetically destroy, without any qualms or sadness. Not like Trian, whose signet ring she had found with the henchmen who had tried to kill her. She had mercilessly hacked at them all, one by one, screaming for Gorim, her friend and fellow warrior Frandlin Ivo, and the scout to let her take them down alone. It was shocking to her that it had actually happened. At least her small group had managed to figure out how to get the Shield of Aeducan after that; it would look good for her that she had acquired it in case of trouble. She prepared herself to find an ambush from Trian any moment.

The moment she approached the rendezvous point, she knew that something was wrong. There was an unnatural stillness in the air. The lack of sound made her skin crawl. As she got closer, she saw it. A body. Trian's body. She inhaled a sharp intake of air and ran over.

"By the Stone, it's Trian!" Gorim exclaimed. Sereda fell to her knees, bending over her brother's body. This wasn't right, how could this have happened? Had Bhelen done this, trying to protect her? But then, why didn't he tell her? Perhaps someone else had murdered Trian, a lord hoping to weaken the Aeducan name, an angry friend, a—

"Someone's coming!" Gorim said, interrupting her thoughts. Sereda stood up, tense and ready in case the murderers hoped to attack her as well. Instead, King Endrin strode in, Bhelen, Lord Bemot, Lord Meino, and Lord Harrowmount in tow. Their gaze traveled from Trian's body to Sereda's face, gauging, judging.

"My daughter. Tell me this isn't what it looks like," King Endrin said, his face pale with dismay.

"It's not, I assure you," Sereda said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She felt her heart racing; this was all wrong. Trian hadn't attacked her. Who had killed Trian? What was going on?

"Do so. Before my heart tears itself apart," King Endrin said softly.

"She killed Trian, just like he said she would!" Bhelen said, hands wagging emphatically. Sereda turned to him in shock. She found her vocal cords constricting, rendering her speechless. Bhelen? Bhelen had set her up?

"There are witnesses. Ask them what happened," Lord Meino interjected.

"My lady is innocent!" Gorim declared loudly. Sereda took in Gorim's expression. He was staying as calm as he could but Sereda could tell it was taking all his willpower not to strangle Bhelen where he stood. For her part, she felt as though she were trapped in a maze where all exits systematically eluded her. One by one, she watched as the scout and Frandlin Ivo both declared she had walked in and seeing Trian, ordered the group to attack him, killing him in cold blood. She heard Gorim screaming and cursing at Frandlin Ivo, Harrowmount declaring that she must be bound and taken in front of the Assembly, her father's voice asking if she had anything more to say. Sounds, cacophonous sounds, unreal and displaced. She heard her voice whispering "I am innocent," then growing silent. It was a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. How could it be anything else? She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of chains being attached to her wrists. Silently, she allowed herself to be led off to Orzammar, no longer a favored princess returning to a safe haven.

...

Alistair was looking at her with an expression she had never seen on his face before. Something akin to horror.

"I'm so sorry," he finally said. "I know that's not enough, not nearly enough for what I mean, but it's all I can think to say." Sereda warmed her hands against the fire, prodding it with a twig. Stars had appeared all across the sky and it had an uncanny, bejeweled appearance to it. As though it were alive.

"And then Duncan came and rescued you, huh," Alistair said. Sereda smiled bitterly. She had been rescued, alright.

"In a manner of speaking, yes..."

...

Sereda sat in a corner of the prison, hunched over her knees. Her long blond hair had filled with grime and dust and her wrists ached from the chains. Her mind had turned traitor and filled with memories of her laughing alongside Bhelen, playing pranks together on Trian, teasing and challenging each other while sparring. She had always had a soft spot for Bhelen that she had not for her older brother. Lately, she had even begun to wonder if she could confide in Bhelen about her hopes regarding Gorim. It had seemed that he truly adored his older sister.

Some adoration, she thought sadly.

Strong footsteps echoed through the prison corridor and she swung her head up. Gorim. She stood up as fast as she could and clutched the bars.

"You've got ten minutes ser," she heard the prison guard say.

"Of course. Leave us alone, will you please?" Gorim replied. As the prison guard retreated, Gorim hurried towards her.

"My lady…" he said, his voice choking with emotion. Sereda closed her eyes, feeling his presence near her. So close yet so far.

"I would have come sooner had they allowed it," he said softly, "how are you?"

"I was worried for you."

"And I for you, my heart. I bring little but bad news though." Silently, Sereda listened as Gorim told her how Bhelen had taken Trian's place in the Assembly and introduced a motion to condemn her, how the Assembly had voted for it to pass, how deep Bhelen's machinations must have lain in order for what had just happened to have become possible. Sereda felt her pain intensify and fill with bloodlust.

"I'm going to kill him," she said roughly, teeth grinding on each other. She tasted something acrid in her mouth, vinegary and sour. The aftertaste of hate, she thought to herself dryly.

"I don't know that you'll get that chance," Gorim said. "My knighthood is to be stripped and name torn from my family records. Still, I will be allowed to attempt some sort of life on the surface. Lord Harrowmount moved for a similar exile for you, but Bhelen's supporters overwhelmed him." Gorim paused, eyes searching Sereda's.

"You are to be sealed in the Deep Roads to fight darkspawn until you are overwhelmed and killed," Gorim finally said. Sereda scoffed.

"The cowards weren't strong enough to kill me themselves."

"That might have been Bhelen's first mistake. There may still be a chance. Duncan and the Grey Wardens are wandering within the Deep Roads, in tunnels connected to those you are to be left in. If you survive long enough to find the Grey Wardens, you may be able to escape with Duncan." Gorim clutched the prison bars and shook his head angrily.

"I begged to go with you and fight at your side, but Bhelen's pet nobles wouldn't hear of it." Wouldn't want grant me the peace of a last night in my lover's arms, Sereda thought. No, that would be too humane.

"I'll be all right," Sereda said, though she knew nothing would ever be all right again. She wasn't even sure she truly wanted to survive. Perhaps it would be best to let the darkspawn kill her and feast on her carcass. Peace. An eternity of peace. Gorim was staring at her miserably. There was so much she wanted to say to him and never would be able to now. So many hopes and dreams, shattering like flesh upon the execution block.

"I know you will but still…" he said, longing permeating through his voice. Rich and warm, like honeyed ale cider, soothing yet tinged with a sorrow so deep it tore Sereda's heart. They were silent for a moment, hearing the voices of things left unsaid linger somewhere in the space between the prison bars. The sound of coughing filled the space; the prison guard was returning, most likely already worried he had given them more time than allowed. If the nobles decided he was conspiring or giving the accused any undue assistance, he would no doubt soon find himself where Sereda now stood. Gorim sighed. "But our time is up. May the Paragons guide your sword and the Stone hold you up."

"Wait, please."

"We have no time, my heart."

"Just hold me one last time," Sereda said. Her voice cracked. She forced herself to quell the onslaught of tears she felt overflowing within her, the tornado of loss threatening to overpower her. Gorim's eyes shone bright, filming over with unspent moisture.

"The guards won't keep quiet about something like that. Your family will know…"

"Who cares what people think now?" Sereda's nails gripped the prison bars, turning white. She knew that she only had a few more moments of sanity left in her and they had to count. In some ways, it hadn't even sunk in yet, the enormity of what was happening, of what had happened.

"As you say, my dearest one," Gorim said. Reaching through the prison bars he wrapped his arms around her waist and Sereda sunk her head into the crook of his arm, willing herself to disappear into his embrace. If only she could die now…

They clutched each other for a long moment, then slowly, unwillingly, parted.

"I must go now. I will always love you, my lady," Gorim said. Sereda closed her eyes, basking in the lingering echo of his words in the air. She heard slow footsteps walk away, hesitate at one point—perhaps he had turned around—and then grow further. She kept her eyes tightly closed, not wanting to open them and find that he was gone. In the darkness, she crawled on her hands and knees and scrambled for the corner of the cell, resuming her crouched position. You've won Bhelen, her mind rasped, you've won. I hope it was worth it.

...

Sereda stared at the vast horizon. The skies had begun to show signs of awakening, pastel pink and orange hues streaking across the pacific blue canvass. Alistair seemed to have been rendered speechless. Meanwhile, morning sounds of her other companions yawning and rumbling awake began to come from the surrounding tents.

"We will find Gorim," Alistair finally said.

"It's the only hope that keeps me alive," Sereda replied and stood up. Dusting herself off, she headed towards the lake to bathe.

...

Author Statement: As I imagine many others felt, my PC and I were heartbroken to find Gorim married in Denerim. Quite honestly, I simply could not believe it. During that walkthrough, I literally felt as though the only motivation my dear dwarven noble gal had to live was the hope of finding Gorim on the surface. So I raced and searched and when I found him, I literally made my character run to him. (Yes, yes, laugh if you like. I won't mind ) The ensuing conversation made me feel as though I had gotten slapped in the face and my saddened dwarf spent the rest of her walkthrough with severe emotional issues. I couldn't help constantly feeling like it was so out of character for Gorim, loyal and trustworthy Gorim, to flip his emotions like that. I just had to come up with a reason, a valid reason, why Gorim would do that. For my sanity's sake! So as it goes on, this story will explore and elucidate reasons why Gorim felt he had to marry so soon and has an unexpected twist waiting for everyone wanting to see Gorim and Lady Aeducan together again! Also explains a possible reason why he would be willing to return to Orzammar and be her second-in-command again at the end. ;)