A Knight in Shining Armor

Fergus had found Elissa in the stables playing with the mabari puppies with a stable boy. He quickly strode over, hoisted her over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes and immediately headed back towards the castle. Elissa flailed her arms and legs, punching her fists into her brother's back to try to make him let her go, but it was no avail. Alistair quietly followed behind them both, to make sure that no harm would come to Elissa.

Fergus dropped his sister onto her feet in front of Teyrn Bryce Cousland and Arl Eamon Guerrin…both of them shocked at Elissa's disheveled appearance.

"By the Maker…what has happened to you, pup?! You're filthy!" Bryce immediately bent down to wipe the dirt off her cheeks.

Before Elissa could answer, Fergus crossed his arms and scowled at his sister. "She slipped away from us when we weren't looking. I have been looking for Elissa for Maker knows how long. I found her playing in the stables with the mabari puppies. One of the stable boys was with her."

"He's not a stable boy!" Elissa fumed, glaring at Fergus. "His name is Alistair…and he is my friend!" She pointed to Alistair who was trying to respectfully keep his distance.

Bryce's head immediately turned towards the quiet boy trying to blend into the background. Eamon sighed and walked over to Alistair and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now, son. Is this true? Were you playing in the stables with Lady Cousland?"

Elissa groaned when Eamon mentioned her title. Her father hushed her and stood up to observe the boy himself.

Alistair simply nodded, not meeting Eamon's gaze.

Eamon shook his head. "Now Alistair, I know I have raised you better than this. You have caused much panic for our guests."

"Yes, Arl Eamon. I apologize…I did not mean to worry the Couslands because of my selfishness."

"Don't apologize!" Elissa yelled and Arl Eamon lept a bit in surprise. Fergus and her father were used to her outbursts and simply sighed at her shout. She immediately ran over to the Arl and tugged at his sleeve. "Please do not fault Alistair for any of this! This is all my fault! I was the one who ran away and made him take me to the stables to play with the animals."

Bryce couldn't help smiling a bit as he walked over to his daughter and placed his hand on her head. "I am in agreement with my daughter, Eamon. This is not the first time she has run off somewhere and got herself into a bit of a…mess. Don't be hard on the boy, I believe this is mostly Elissa's doing."

Fergus couldn't help nodding in the background in agreement. They both knew how Elissa was.

"But it still falls on us that we failed as hosts to have your daughter fall to this…condition." Eamon tried to say as delicately as he could. Elissa was not only covered in dirt but her hair was full of twigs and leaves and her dress was torn and smelling of stable muck.

"Ah, my friend." Bryce couldn't help to cough to cover a chuckle. "I am a bit embarrassed to say this is not the worst I have seen my daughter."

"You should have seen her on last year's harvest festival." Fergus muttered. "How she fell into the barrel of Chantry wine. The Chantry sister was furious at us for a month."

"Or the celebration of the King's birthday in Denerim…she somehow found her way into the palace larder, got chocolate all over herself, hid under one of the decks and came out covered in ants." Bryce couldn't help but to laugh at that story.

Elissa tugged on Eamon's sleeve again. "Please, Arl Eamon. Don't blame Alistair. He was looking out for me, I swear it."

Eamon gave Bryce a questioning look and Bryce answered with a slight nod. Eamon sighed and turned back to Alistair. "I'm sorry, son. I shouldn't have blamed you for all this. But you should have done the right thing and immediately come get us when you found her."

Alistair nodded solemnly. "I understand, Arl."

"And YOU, young lady." Bryce took hold of Elissa's chin and held it up so she could meet him in the eye. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Look how much worry you've caused our hosts! And just look at yourself! You have caused much trouble for this poor young boy…"

"It was no trouble at all, Teyrn." Alistair interrupted and everyone turned to him in surprise, especially Eamon. Alistair was not prone to speak out. "Lady Elissa wasn't any trouble at all. I apologize for not bringing her to you sooner."

Elissa watched her father smile gently and clap his hand on the boy's arm. "He is trying to take a blow for you, pup. Isn't he quite a knight in shining armor?"

Elissa met Alistair's amber eyes with her blue ones and gave a wide grin. "Yes, I agree!"

For the entire week, Elissa could not be apart from Alistair. Every morning she immediately snuck away from Nan and ran over to the stables to wake Alistair up. Even though her parents would not allow her to wear the old trousers she loved, they relented and let her wear linen dresses that was meant more for play rather than elegance. Even Nan conceded and tied her blond hair into a ponytail because a braid would get in the way of her play.

The Arlessa was annoyed but kept to herself about the Teyrn's daughter and Alistair playing together. She could not make Alistair do her duties while he was busy entertaining the Cousland girl.

Alistair even showed signs of smiling while with Elissa. Each time he showed her the most mundane things in Redcliffe, her blue eyes widened and brightened as if he was the Maker himself. He found himself joking with her, to get her to laugh with him. Her laughter was some of the best music he has ever heard.

Today, he would be showing her how to fish. He borrowed two fishing poles from one of the servants and they both headed down to the docks.

Bryce and Eamon were gazing out from one of the rooms of the castle, both of them were watching Alistair and Elissa walking towards the village docks, each holding a fishing pole and swinging a bucket between them.

"I wished to find Alistair in better care, my friend." Bryce broke the silence, watching his daughter chatter away and laugh.

Eamon sighed. "My wife dislikes the boy…she suspects that he is mine. I cannot tell her the truth."

"I understand that you cannot." Bryce frowned and turned to face him. "But a stable boy, Eamon? Even you can see that this is not right."

"What else can I do?" Eamon replied wearily. "The boy is unaware of his origins. Maric made the handful of us swear that we would not tell anyone where he came from."

Bryce turned back to the window. He lost sight of the children. "Perhaps I should take him back with me to Highever…"

"You know you cannot do that, Bryce." Eamon sadly sighed. "Loghain would think you will try to usurp the crown from Cailan by using Alistair."

"Politics." Bryce muttered in disgust. "This is a child we're talking about. I have no interest in usurping any crown. I am loyal to Ferelden and it's King."

"Loghain will think that you will try to get Alistair together with your daughter, as he has done with his daughter Anora and King Cailan." Eamon gently said, understanding Bryce's aversion.

Bryce did not answer, instead he continued to look out the window.

"My wife is insisting I send Alistair to the Chantry to train as a templar." Eamon confessed. "I am beginning to think this may be the best option."

"The Chantry?" Bryce repeated, surprised. "You would send him off to a life of servitude and celibacy?"

"Considering how he is faring with me…" Eamon slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I am ashamed how he is being treated…and I cannot correct it easily. At least at the Chantry he would have a bit more freedom than he would here. And nobody would suspect his background."

"Wouldn't you miss him?"

Eamon did not hesitate to answer. "I would. I love the boy, even though how my wife has been treating him…he is good and obedient. I want to do what is best for him…even if Maric did not request it from me."

Bryce did not reply to Eamon. He looked down at the courtyard and saw his wife politely listening to the Lady Isolde's stories. Eleanor had confessed that she had no more love for the Arlessa than Elissa had.

He sighed and continued to gaze out the window. "We will be leaving Redcliffe tomorrow, Eamon. I am a bit homesick."

Eamon nodded and rejoined his friend at the windowsill. "That is too bad. I wonder how the children will take it."