Author's Note 3: We're back with part two, and this time it's from Elissa's perspective. Her story will run parallel to Aedan's up to the point where they are both in the same place (Highever). Once there, I'll still be changing perspectives from chapter to chapter. While Elissa's tale is more or less a story of a girl confined by her rank and gender, it will still be wonderful to see how things progress for her. Mind you, I already have a plan in place and I know where I want to take her and what is going to go on for most of the story. I might throw myself a curveball, of course. Writing tends to be like that from time to time.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2 – Always Causing Trouble
Elissa crouched behind the counter, wide eyed and terrified. It was just like her to put herself in such a dangerous situation on such an important night. If she got caught, she knew she'd get skinned alive. The movements of three others traveled easily across the room to where she desperately tried to remain unseen. Despite her years of practice at remaining undetected, she felt her breathing coming less evenly than she would have liked. The stress of the situation was wearing on her, and she fought off the urge to let out a frustrated bellow. Instead, Elissa remained silent and still, waiting for a moment to quietly slip out of the kitchen with the fresh loaf of bread she had stolen.
Technically, she was in no real danger, but she dreaded the scolding her Nan, now the cook, would give her if she got caught. Elissa had been caught once before, and she did not wish to repeat the scolding that immediately followed. She also had no desire to give up the loaf of bread. Her Nan had a short temper, for sure, but she was also one of the best cooks in all of Ferelden. To Elissa, the bread was more valuable than gold.
But if Nan did catch her stealing on the day that King Maric and Prince Cailan were due to arrive in Highever, there would be hell to pay. So she stayed crouched for what felt like forever, until she heard her Nan order two of the kitchen staff to the larder, where the large roast was. Their footsteps echoed through the large kitchen, and still she waited. Once they opened the door, there was a cry of shock and outrage, and she heard the incessant barking of her Mabari Warhound, Snitch. Almost immediately, the kitchens were all in an uproar, and Elissa took her opportunity to slink across the kitchen unseen, and make her way out into the large, open corridors of Castle Cousland.
She happily made her way through the castle, munching on the bread she had stolen, and listening to the slowly fading shrieks of anger that rang through the halls. Nan's voice sure could carry a long way when she was angry, Elissa mused as she rounded another corner and came to a halt just before a large, heavy oaken door. She put her ear up to the wood, and listened closely. There was no sound coming from inside the room, so she opened it slowly, and slipped inside. Once the door was closed, she made a loud whooping noise.
A shout of surprise, followed by a crashing sound greeted her ears. Elissa turned to see her father, Bryce Cousland, no longer in the large chair behind his desk, but instead on the floor, glaring at her. "How many times," he began. Elissa mouthed the rest along with her father. "Must I tell you not to do that?"
The Teyrn rose, and massaged his behind tenderly. "I assume you've a reason for interrupting me while I am working?" His tone was serious, but Elissa knew better. Her father hated doing the tedious amounts of paperwork that came with being the second most powerful man in Ferelden, and he was always glad when he was interrupted by others, even if it was just her coming to annoy him, or wait until a catastrophe like the one in the kitchens had resolved itself.
"Nothing in particular, father," Elissa said dryly. "Just coming to make sure you don't work yourself into an early grave."
Bryce was still giving her a stern look, but it did not reach his eyes, which were alight with amusement. "Very funny." He sat back down. "So you made Nan angry again." It was not a question. Bryce had been a troublemaker himself when he was younger, and he knew all too well just what manner of mischief his children always seemed to get into. Elissa, of course, was the worst of them all. She had a particular proclivity for ending up in places she was not supposed to be.
"I would never do such a thing," Elissa said, breaking off another piece of the loaf she had and putting it into her mouth.
Bryce looked from her, to the bread, and back again. "Naturally," he said conspiratorially. There was a lull in the conversation as Bryce resumed reading the... whatever it was he was currently occupied with. He eventually pulled out a blank sheet of parchment paper, and began to write a response to the document he had just read. While he wrote, Elissa crossed the office and sat in one of the chairs facing her father's desk. Her back was against one of the arms, and her legs were draped over the other. All in all, it was a very inappropriate way for a lady of her stature to sit, but she didn't care. It was the same reason she had no ladies in waiting fussing over her. Elissa had always been tomboyish, despite her natural beauty.
"The way I see it," Bryce said after a few more minutes of silence. "You have two choices." He raised his eyes from the paper and met his daughter's eyes. "You can share some of that bread with me, and we can enjoy ourselves until the whole thing is blown over. Or, you can refuse to share, and I will be forced to explain to Nan what has transpired."
Elissa snorted, and broke off a large chunk of the loaf of bread. She sat up straight and leaned across the table to hand it to her father. He took it gratefully, and took a large bite. "Nan does make the best bread in the Kingdom." Elissa nodded sagely in agreement.
A strand of her russet brown hair had found its way out of the ponytail that held it away from her face, and she swept it over her right ear. "Another thing," Bryce said as he finished his portion of the bread. "You might want to change into something more presentable. The breeches and tunic are fine when you're not attending any public events, but you are a high-born lady, and since the King is joining us this evening, it would be best if you were in a dress when he got here."
It was Elissa's turn to glare. While she enjoyed looking pretty, like any girl, she disliked her inability to maneuver properly while wearing dresses. Still, she knew she had to, and her dresses were the finest in Ferelden, and she always looked lovely in them.
"I don't know, father. I think I could catch the eye of any young lord in attendance dressed just like this." She wiggled her eyebrows merrily at her father and giggled. They spent the next hour or so bantering lightly and enjoying the day, finishing the bread as they did so. Once it was gone, Bryce sent Elissa to prepare herself for the meal that evening.
Four hours after being dismissed by her father, Elissa sat at the vanity in her bedchamber, running a brush through her hair. She had been dressed in a deep blue gown with green trim, colored to perfectly match her forest green eyes. The maids had been relentless in their quest to make her gown fall perfectly. And once they were sure it was, in fact, perfect, they went about applying makeup to her already pretty face to accentuate her natural beauty until she truly shone. The process had been long and arduous, but even Elissa could not argue with the results. She looked stunning, and she was well aware of it.
All that remained now, was her hair, and one of the elven servants had stayed behind to help her put her hair in order. Once it had been brushed back and straightened, Adriel, the servant who had stayed, began to gently curl her hair so that it cascaded down past her shoulders in smooth, glossy, waves. Elissa smiled to herself. Maybe dressing up wasn't so bad after all.
"You look lovely, lady," Adriel said.
Elissa only nodded her agreement. She dismissed her servant with a word of thanks, and then made her way to the large staging area, where she, Fergus, and their parents would meet King Maric and his son, Cailan. Cailan was perhaps four or five years older than her brother, Aedan, which only made him about six and a half years older than she was. Given that Cailan was rather famous for his womanizing, she would have to be sure not to give him any ideas. Aedan had been very worried that she might find his charm and wit attractive when he last sent her a letter. She, of course, had explained that anyone who spent his time fantasizing about riding griffons to war against darkspawn instead of preparing to become the King of Ferelden would more than likely be uninteresting to her.
Unlike Aedan, she had never met Cailan. She had very seldom left the confines of Highever, and since Aedan had been sent off as a squire to Teyrn Loghain, King Maric's closest friend, it only made sense that Aedan would have met the Prince at one point or another.
The castle was all in an uproar. Servants ran this way and that, many of the Banns that pledged their allegiance to Highever were arriving, as were Banns sworn to other Arlings. The sheer number of nobles that were arriving for Fergus' wedding was overwhelming. It seemed to Elissa that every person of rank in the Kingdom planned on attending the wedding ceremony that would then carry over into the Harvest Festival.
She had to admit, her father had done a very good job in organizing the event. The castle had been prepared meticulously, as there would be many members of the nobility residing within Castle Cousland's walls. Those that would not have room here would stay at the finest inns in Highever.
When she did arrive in the Entrance Hall, she found Fergus talking amicably with several young men that she recognized as the children of the local Banns. Of course, there was a strange silence building in the hall as she made her way towards her eldest brother, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why. Fergus turned to her, and his eyes widened in surprise before he smiled sweetly at her.
"Hello there, little sister," he said fondly. He immediately drew her into a very loving bear hug, completely forgoing protocol at such a formal occasion. It was very like Fergus, or anyone else in their family (except their mother) she mused.
Elissa hugged him back, and kissed him on the cheek. "Excited?" She asked. "It looks like the whole of Ferelden is coming to your wedding."
Fergus frowned thoughtfully. "Actually, I'm terrified," He said. "I have to impress all of these people with this wedding. After all, it will be one of the things they judge me by when I first take over the Teyrnir. The prospect of somehow embarrassing myself makes this whole thing a great deal more nerve-wracking."
Elissa stuck her tongue out at him. "Why don't you leave the embarrassment to Aedan and I? I am sure we can conjure up plenty of that over the next month."
Fergus groaned with a great deal more intensity than was strictly necessary, and he put the back of his hand to his forehead in mock concern. "Why must I be cursed with two insufferable siblings?"
"You know you love us both!" Elissa protested sharply.
Fergus nodded to her and smiled. "Truer words were never spoken. Keep a sharp eye about you tonight, sister dear. You will be the envy of every young noble here."
Elissa gave him a quizzical look. "I really look that pretty?"
He nodded. "You look beautiful, Lissie."
She scowled. "That nickname-" she began.
"Don't fight it," Fergus said, cutting her off. "Even Aedan calls you Lissie, and he's actually scared of you."
She harrumphed playfully, and crossed her arms. And before either of them could throw another quip into the conversation, they were assailed by the arrival of their mother: Teyrna Eleanor Cousland. "Elissa," Eleanor's voice was very icy, and Elissa had some semblance of an idea as to why. "Would you care to explain to me why your ever-faithful Snitch made his way to the kitchen larder and ate half of one of our roasts?" For good measure, she fixed Elissa with a stare that would have stopped a charging force of cavalry.
"I... couldn't say, mother. I wonder what he was doing there." For her part, Elissa tried to sound as innocent as humanly possible. And she guessed that if anyone else had asked, they wouldn't have known she was lying. But with her mother, it was always a different story. Somehow Eleanor Cousland could just tell when any member of her family had done anything they were not supposed to have done. Elissa knew this all too well, because she was usually the one getting reprimanded. Fergus seldom broke the rules, though he could be confided in and would often help her plan her misadventures. Aedan, of course, had spent relatively little time with his family over the last few years, and therefore never had the chance to be coldly scolded by his mother. That left Elissa to fill the gap left by both of her brothers, and they were big, mischief laden shoes to fill.
"Uh-huh," Eleanor said in a tone that spoke volumes about how much she believed the lie. "In the future, would you mind keeping a closer eye on that whirling furball of rampant destruction? Nan is trying to cook for most of the nobility, and the closer we get to the wedding, the more people the kitchens will have to prepare food for. I'd appreciate it if we didn't have to feed the King any trail rations while he was here."
Elissa nodded, knowing better than to make a smart remark. "Yes, mother, of course."
Eleanor held her daughter's gaze for several more long moments, until she was sure her point had been made very, very clearly. When Eleanor could see that her point had been made, she allowed her icy persona to fade. "You look lovely tonight, dear," she said it with a smile. Elissa smiled back at her mother. Then Eleanor gave her daughter a mock-stern look. "Don't go causing any more trouble tonight, am I clear?"
Elissa feigned ignorance. "Why would I need a reminder of such a thing?"
"You are impossible, dear." Eleanor said with a sigh.
Elissa chatted happily with her mother and brother for several more minutes, occasionally greeting and speaking with the arriving guests. Tonight marked the first night that members of the nobility would arrive for the wedding. It was two weeks before Fergus was to wed Oriana, and the nobles would trickle in until the ceremony was due to start. And while there was a lot taking place to look forward to, she was anxious for Aedan to arrive. However, she knew that he would be one of the last people to arrive, Gwaren was a long way away, and Loghain would keep Aedan hard at work as long as possible.
After what felt like forever, Elissa heard the blaring trumpets that announced the King's arrival. All at once, the talking died down as the assembled nobility waited to greet their King. The anticipation built until Elissa caught the first glimpse of Maric. Tall, blond, and handsome as ever. Cailan followed close behind him, flashing a charming smile in her direction.
She did her best not to flush. Aedan had been correct in saying that he was a charming fellow, but she knew better than to swoon.
The rest of the evening passed in a pleasurable blur, and Elissa couldn't remember eating a better meal. For her part, she did her best not to cause much trouble, and managed to succeed for the duration of dinner. The assembled nobility were even being mostly pleasant, sensing that a wedding (or perhaps just this wedding, or maybe just tonight) was not the place to maneuver for favors. Elissa wondered if the good nature of the proceedings would continue. Something told her that it was impossible.
She awoke the next morning to urgent knocking on the door to her chamber. "Come in," she mumbled sleepily as she sat up. Adriel, the elf girl who had attended her the night before, entered and began laying things out for her to wear that day. Elissa groaned. "Do I have to get up?"
Adriel glanced over at her. "Oh, yes my lady. The Teyrna was very clear, and she said you had to be up and ready to join the King and the Prince for breakfast." Adriel looked worried, as if she expected Elissa to punish her somehow for waking her.
It made Elissa mad that most elves that lived in human cities expected to be treated in such a fashion. It was foolish, and Elissa had never seen any elf that was truly inferior to a human. She knew that they would never be regarded highly, but that did not make them less than anyone else. It bothered her. Her father had always gone out of his way to see that the elves in Highever were treated properly, so Adriel mustn't have been in Highever long.
She rose and allowed the elf to start fawning over her. Which was ridiculous, because she knew how to put clothes on. There wasn't anything she could do about it, however. Once Adriel had helped her dress (she wore a pale blue gown), Elissa found herself sitting once again before the vanity as the serving girl applied makeup to her face.
"How long have you been in Highever?" Elissa asked, genuinely curious.
Adriel squeaked, and in her haste to answer, she stumbled gracelessly over the words. "Not long at all, lady. I was hired on as a servant for the wedding and the festival."
Elissa nodded thoughtfully. Adriel's response had confirmed her suspicions about the elf girls demeanor, and she figured it was best to set things straight between them. "Adriel, there isn't a need for you to be so nervous and jumpy here. Elves are treated well in Highever, father sees to that."
Adriel fixed her with a blank look, as if the words hadn't really been spoken. Elissa gave her a warm, friendly smile. "I mean that, you'll be treated with fairness and respect so long as you're working here." The elven woman still looked as if she couldn't believe her ears. Instead of speaking immediately, Adriel busied herself with Elissa's hair, obviously afraid that the kind words would fade into nothingness if she dared to speak.
Her maid elected to stay entirely silent for the remainder of her duration in Elissa's chambers, and when Elissa was ready to join the gathering for breakfast, she departed in a hurry.
Elissa joined her brother, parents, as well as the assembled members of the nobility that had previously arrived for breakfast. The meal was delicious, yet simple. Standard fare, but prepared to the point of perfection. Nan had done it once again, Elissa thought. It would have been a fine and proper meal, if she hadn't inadvertently taken the seat next to Cailan. When the Prince sat, Elissa did her best to appear very interested in her breakfast, though it did not last long.
"My lady," Cailan said as he smiled at her. "You look lovely this morning."
She inclined her head politely, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Aedan had been correct, then, Elissa mused as she smiled back at Cailan. The Prince was fond of his women. And it seemed that he didn't care much whether or not people knew him for it. To her, it seemed that Cailan was doing his utmost to seduce her with that cocksure grin of his, and the smolder in his eyes. While he was indeed handsome, she knew that he wanted nothing more than to make her one of his conquests. She wouldn't let that happen, of course, not unless he put in a great deal of work. And at that point, she'd be so much more than just one of his conquests.
Nevertheless his advances continued, and Elissa fielded them with courtesy, all the while being sure to keep the conversation formal and friendly. Around the table, her family, the King, and the rest of the nobility were engaged in somewhat more serious conversations.
It figured of course. The assembled nobility of Ferelden. The perfect time to play politics. So much for things being peaceful during a wedding.
Author's Note 4: Quick! Tell me what you thought in a review! Or else I might get very sick. Or die. Or something. None of those things are good. Reviews are love. Reviews are life. Also stay tuned for the next chapter in this gripping tale. We're going back to Aedan for chapter 3!