Here we go, chapter two! AU fanfic following the childhood of Eilonwy Cousland.


Chapter Two

The next morning, the sun peeked in through my curtain windows, which alerted me it was time to get out of bed and greet Prince Cailan and Lady Anora. I groggily got out of bed put on the fancy dress my mother had laid out for me. It was a deep purple brocade with gold trim and more ties and buttons than I liked. Soon after, I had heard a light knock on my door and an elven lady in waiting entered the room, catching me trying to untangle my hair from the buttons on the dress.

"Here, Lady Eilonwy," she said softly. "Allow me to help you."

I sighed and stood as still as I could while the blonde-haired woman gently loosened my hair from the dress. "There we go, milady," she smiled as she carefully laced my dress. "Now, it is time for me to do your hair."

She took a jeweled comb from my vanity and gently began combing the tangles from my hair. Everyone said I looked just like Mother did when she was small; Fergus took more after Father. I could feel the servant girl braiding and twisting my hair into some elaborate style, keeping in time with whatever the current fashion was. I fidgeted in my chair as she finished with my hair and laid out the shoes I was to put on.

Finally, we were finished and I jumped out of my chair and dashed quickly out the door.

"Where do you think you are heading off to so fast, young lady?" my mother inquired, grabbing ahold of my shoulder and stopping me in place.

"Mooother," I whined. "I want to go play."

"Eilonwy, please do try to behave today," my mother sighed. "You will be meeting our Prince today."

I nodded reluctantly and we headed down the castle stairs together to the dining hall where Father, Nathaniel, and the rest were waiting.

"Ah, there's my pup," Father smiled. I grinned in return and rushed to hug him good morning. He laughed and swung me upwards in an embrace.

"Have fun scaling the castle without me Ely?" Fergus asked sullenly. I could tell he was sore at being left out of last night's misadventure.

"Oh, you wouldn't have had any fun, Fergus," I replied as Father placed me back on the ground. "You're afraid of heights, remember?"

Fergus flushed red with embarrassment; he hated being reminded of such a girlish fear. I held back a giggle and looked at Nathaniel; he too was struggling to hide his laughter.

"For the love of the Maker," my mother sighed with exasperation. "One would think I gave birth to two boys."

"All right children," Father said, holding back a grin of his own. "Stop tormenting your mother."

After our meal was finished it was time to go and await the arrival of the royal party. The sun was uncomfortably warm and my dress itched. I shuffled in place, waiting not so patiently for their wagons to pull up. Soon we all heard the clip-clop sounds of the oxen as they neared the castle.

Loghain stepped out of the carriage first, a tall man in glittering silver armor. His face was all hard lines. A small girl, who seemed to be about my brother's age, stepped out of the wagon next. She had blonde hair twisted in a braid around her head and she stuck very close to Loghain; her eyes darted around and looked at us each individually as if to size us up. I assumed that was Anora. She wore a long light pink dress and her gray-blue eyes were sharp and intelligent. Next out stepped a young boy with long, fine blond hair and golden brown eyes. He looked to be about my own age and it seemed to me he was looking around the castle with the same sense of excitement that I had when I first arrived. This boy I assumed to be Prince Cailan. A smattering of guards stood close by, watching everything with beady eyes.

"Teyrn Loghain, welcome to the Arling of Redcliffe," Arl Eamon said and walked forward to greet the man in silver armor. "This is my wife, Lady Isolde."

Loghain looked at Lady Isolde with distrust and barely disguised hate but Isolde did not back down: she held her gaze on Loghain. Finally Loghain grunted a greeting and looked away.

"Teyrn Cousland, it is good to see you again," Loghain said. He stepped over to clasp hands with my father.

"Teyrn Loghain," my father replied with warmth. "I trust the journey faired you well?"

"Ah, yes," he nodded his head in agreement. "Except a long journey with a restless boy is never easy, you know."

"Yes, yes I know quite what you mean," Father laughed in reply. "You've met my wife, Eleanor. This is my eldest, Fergus, and my daughter Eilonwy."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Teyrn Loghain," my brother said courteously.

I felt suddenly very nervous to be in the presence of a hero and legend of Ferelden. My tongue felt thick and heavy; my mouth was suddenly dry and coarse. I had cast my eyes downward, unable to meet his steady gaze.

"Ah, it would seem our pup is tongue tied this morning, your lordship." I could hear the laughter in Mother's voice. I heard the rustling of footsteps as people shifted around.

"Greetings, Teyrn Loghain. This is my eldest, Nathaniel, my middle child Delilah, and my youngest son Thomas," I heard Arl Howe say.

Soon the pomp and ceremony was over and we children were left to our own devices, except for Thomas who went with the adults.

We all shifted nervously, except Anora, who seemed content to read by herself in the corner.

"Well, just because I am a prince does not mean we cannot play together!" Calian suddenly burst out eagerly. "I know, we could play Knights and Dragons!" He continued to gush, his own excitement aglow in his eyes.

"Yes, let's," Fergus replied. He sent a smirk my way. "Ely can be the nasty old dragon."

"I'm not a dragon Fergus Cousland!" I exclaimed, stomping my foot for emphasis. "You be the dragon!"

Cailan watched on in what seemed to be utter fascination. Perhaps he had never seen a sibling squabble before, I wondered to myself.

"We'll draw sticks for it," Nathaniel interrupted. "Whoever draws the shortest stick has to be the dragon."

"All right," I replied cautiously. I really didn't want to play as the creepy dragon. "Anora, are you coming?" I asked, tentatively, as we headed outside.

"Hmph," was the only reply I had gotten. Well, if she thinks she's too good to play with us, then she's the one who'll be missing out on all the fun! I thought to myself.

"Aw, do not mind Anora," Cailan shrugged good-naturedly. "She just does not play well with other children. She is nice, though, when it is just us."

Once we were outside Nathaniel grabbed five sticks and broke one in half. He grasped them tightly in his fist and held them out for us to pick.

Cailan picked first, got an unbroken one and sighed in relief.

"Okay Ely, it's your turn next," Nathaniel said, his glee filled eyes met mine.

I closed my eyes tight and grabbed a stick. Slowly, I opened them back up and gasped in delight! My stick was unbroken!

After that my brother grabbed a stick and it was also unbroken. I had hoped he would be the dragon: it would have served him right for teasing me again.

"Oh Maker, this is silly." Delilah spoke up. "Young ladies don't play Knights and Dragons."

"You just don't wanna be the dragon, 'Lilah," I taunted.

Delilah's eyes widened in indignation. "Well!" She huffed. "At least I pay attention in lessons and do not speak like a commoner would, Ely!"

"Eh, for the love of the Maker 'Lilah just draw a stick." I laughed. Mother was always commenting on how I spoke as well. I could hear her voice chastising me, even now.

"Young ladies enunciate their words, Eilonwy. Noblewomen speak carefully and choose their words wisely, Eilonwy." She would always say. She was always nagging me. I hated it when she nagged. Delilah was just like mother, but smaller. Mother would have probably rather had Delilah as a daughter.

Delilah sighed in frustration and hastily grabbed a stick. It was shorter than mine. Ha! Served her right too, for being such a spoilsport.

A smile spread across Prince Cailan's face. "All right, Lady Delilah. You run and chase us and we will fight back with our swords!"

"Well, how does a dragon behave?" Delilah asked curiously. "I have never seen one before. I hear they're big and scary and they breath fire like a mage!"

"See, 'Lilah. You'll do fine. You're already pretty scary." Nathaniel taunted his sister.

Delilah gasped. "Mayhap I will just eat you first, Nathaniel Howe!" .

We all laughed. We already had a stick each to use as a sword so I lunged at Delilah.

"I, Ser Ely The Brave, will slay ye old dragon!" I proclaimed, brandishing my sword at Delilah.

She shrieked and hid behind her brother who laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

"Delilah." He gasped between giggles. "The dragon does not hide behind the knights! You growl and lunge back, like this!" He said as he lunged at me with a fearsome growl.

I laughed and lunged back. "Nay, ye shall not defeat me, Dragon! I have Cailan The Mighty King and Ser Fergus The Noisy with me!"

And with that Nathaniel lost all composure and fell to the ground, laughing so hard tears came.

"Ser Fergus The Noisy?" Fergus asked. "Why do I get the horrible name, Ely?"

"Because you're noisy," I said simply. Prince Cailan was laughing too as he stepped forward.

"I, King Cailan The Mighty, will slay you, dragon, and grab glory for all of Ferelden!" He said as he pretended to stab Nathaniel.

"Hey! No Fair." Nathaniel laughed. "Ely distracted me with humor." He got up from the ground and chased Cailan, both of them laughing. The rest of us joined in and we raced into the castle, a mad game of chase. None of us knew who the dragon was anymore but it didn't really matter. Even Delilah was running and laughing now.

Our laughter echoed in the hallways as we dashed about. Suddenly I spotted Teyrn Loghain and froze in awe again.

Nathaniel caught me staring. "Aw, Ely, go on, speak to him," He urged.

"Nah, she's too scared," my brother taunted. "See, Nate? Look how pale her face is. You were wrong; Ely's too scared to ever be a warrior."

I felt my face heat up with a mixture of fear and embarrassment as Teyrn Loghain looked on in with a look of mild amusement on his face.

"What's this?" Loghain asked, his brow raised in inquiry. "You wish to be a warrior, girl? Do you have what it takes to handle that sort of training?" I looked over at Nathaniel but he wouldn't meet my eyes. I felt like they were all laughing at me now. How dare they! I was Eilonwy Cousland and I refused to be laughed at!

"I will!" I shouted, my gaze locked firmly on the Teyrn. My clenched fists shook in fierce determination. "I will become a warrior, just you wait and see! I'll be the best warrior in all of Ferelden and I'll serve in the king's army and be a great hero just like you!"

I ran from the room then, my face wet with tears from my outburst. I kept running, even though I heard Nathaniel call my name. I ran and ran until I reached the stables where I collapsed in a heap. The hay was soft and poked through my dress. I don't know how long I laid there, like that, face buried in the hay; tears and snot dripping from my face.

"Sometimes, when I'm here alone, I do that too," I heard a small voice say. It was the stable boy that had caught me and Nathaniel last night.

I rubbed my nose on my dress sleeve and peered closely at the boy. His clothes were rough but not torn. His short blonde hair was messy but clean and his bright golden eyes shone like drops of bottled sunlight.

He had a piece of cheese in one hand and a golem doll in the other. His face was smudged with a line of dirt, like he had been playing or maybe working in the fields and his looked filled with loneliness.

"Would you like to play with me?" I asked suddenly.

"Uh. I can't. I'm not allowed." He shifted nervously. "I'm sorry miss, but I should go," he muttered before darting off through the stable doors.

"But wait! I didn't even get your name," my words trailed off; he was already gone. What a strange boy, I thought to myself. I wonder how long he was watching me cry into the hay before he spoke. It felt like I had been hiding here for hours.

"Ely? Are you in here?" I recognized Nathaniel's voice calling for me. I rubbed my face one last time to hide evidence of my tears. I stood up and straightened my dress before I called out to him.

"Aw, Ely, look at you," Nathaniel said with a smile. "You're covered in hay."

Nathaniel helped me pick all the hay from my dress and my hair before we both headed back to the castle together. I felt better now but I was still mad at Fergus for teasing me in front of the Teryn.

"You know, Fergus was real worried about you," Nathaniel said. "He was looking all over the castle for you, but I knew where you'd be hiding." I could hear a tone of smugness in his voice.

"Hmph. Well, serves him right then," I replied. "And if you knew so well, why didn't you find me sooner then?" I teased lightly. It was so easy, talking with Nathaniel. It was like talking to my shadow.

"Ely," Fergus exclaimed when we reached the castle doors. He rushed up and hugged me tight. "I thought you ran away or something happened, you were gone so long. I'm sorry Ely!" My brother's eyes were filled with genuine concern and I suddenly felt guilty for what I had said to Nathaniel about him a few minutes before.

"Eh. Don't be such a girl, Fergus," I replied, awkwardly. I rubbed my neck to ease the ache that had started to form.

"Hey! You're the one that stormed off crying after shouting at the Teyrn!" he replied.

"Well, that's only 'cuz you teased me!" I said in return, my voice rising. "You always tease me Fergus, it's not fair!"

"Well, that's 'cuz you're my sister. I have to tease you or people might think I like you or something," He said.

"Tha-that doesn't even make any sense!" I huffed and marched into the castle. I could hear Nathaniel howling with laughter behind me.


Hope you enjoyed chapter two! Review if you would like. Chapter three will be up once I get it back from my Beta and fix it up!