A.N.: This tale starts three days after the Landsmeet where Alistair proposed to Lanie and is done first person from Elandria's viewpoint.


I must have moved again.

"Please, my La-Warden," said Ciannata. "You must stand still or I will stick you with the pins."

Why am I putting myself through this-all this fuss and dress up? The answer to that question is easy. I'm doing it to please Alistair. I'm currently standing in a guest bedroom at the palace in Denerim where my newfound serving woman is attempting to corral me into a "dress worthy of a queen." I had scoffed at that comment from Ciannata earlier, as there is one thing I'm not, and never will be, is a queen.

It has been three days since the banns of the Landsmeet and Alistair and Eamon had worked out the conditions under which Alistair and I will be allowed to marry. Alistair will stay king and Kellin will be acknowledged as heir. I will be Alistair's wife with no title, nor be allowed to publicly bear the Theirin name. Alistair had been a bit upset about some of the various conditions at first, more on my behalf, I believe. He is so careful of my feelings as I think he is still a little unsure in our relationship after our long separation. Even though I had never stopped loving him, or he me, the almost four years apart are bound to have left their mark on both of us, and we will have to discover these new facets and foibles to each other's personality in the days and months ahead. He did calm down when I told him it is fine with me and that I will have the only three labels I care about; wife, mamae, and Warden.

Alistair wants to have the wedding as soon as possible. I think he is afraid the banns will change their minds. As I don't want that to happen either, I am perfectly happy to have the wedding quickly. The sooner the better in my opinion, I can't wait to get the whole occasion over with. I just wish I didn't have to be dressed up, made up, and ornamented like some high-priced worker from The Pearl. I wish I could wear my armor or even a set of comfy mage robes. However, Alistair's specific request is that I wear something pretty. How can I not do this small thing for him?

Thus, I have been enduring a round of fittings with Ciannata and her assistants for the past two days. This is the last one as tomorrow is the day of our wedding. I think even Leliana would approve of my planned attire for the affair. Somewhere Ciannata managed to find a bolt of cloth of a shade of blue that exactly matches my eyes to use for the base color of the dress. The ornamentation on the bodice and sleeves is in red and silver. Ciannata wanted to use gold with the red, but was informed, with no small disdain, that gold was a color for royalty, which I did not rate to wear. A shame really, I think the gold would have looked fabulous. Even though the dress is from neck to floor as is proper, it is cut close and shows every curve of my frame. Something else I'm not used to or comfortable with, but for Alistair's sake, I suppose I can make it through one day wearing it.

In one thing, I put my foot down and did get my way. The actual ceremony is private and will be held tomorrow afternoon. Only Alistair, Kellin, Torin, Lanaya, Wynne, Eamon, Isolde, Teagan, and I will be there. It will be officiated over by Sister Theohild of the Denerim Chantry. I just hope I don't end up married to a side of bacon or some other meat product. Alistair had gotten such a kick out of the sister's changes to the chant when we were passing through Denerim fighting the Blight that when he said he wanted her to do the ceremony, I just couldn't say no.

The actual ceremony will probably be the easiest part of the day for me because in the evening there is to be a large reception with all the nobility invited. With so many of the nobles in town for the Landsmeet, it is almost guaranteed that the palace will be crowded that night. No one wants to take the chance of insulting the newly re-confirmed king by not appearing at the celebration.

I'm so not looking forward to it. Growing up in the mage tower, racing around Ferelden as a Grey Warden, fighting the Blight, and then living in the forest with the elves does not do much to instill social graces in a person. Being an elf and not a noble only adds to the stress. I know I have been much too formal and carried myself too stiffly when I have been forced to interact with the nobility these past days since my return to Denerim, but I can't seem to help it. Alistair tells me to relax and be myself. He has the advantage there, as he has been doing this for four years now and knows that, with Maric's blood flowing in his veins, he truly belongs here. I'm like some kind of wild animal let in among the gentle, civilized folk, and they won't let me forget it either. Over the past three days, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) insults when Alistair isn't around have already started. Not that I really expected anything else and not that it bothers me. I would put up with a lot worse than mean-spirited slurs and slights to be able to be with Alistair. I learned a long time ago how little words can hurt if you refuse to acknowledge what is being said. I never realized what good training the templars at the tower had given me with their sneers and innuendos or how useful I would find it in my life. This is not the first time I have been able to ignore and shake off insults that may have crushed the spirit of a person not brought up in this manner. Maybe I should send the templars at the tower a thank you card.

As soon as Ciannata is done torturing me-I mean, helping me out of my dress-I throw on a loose tunic and pants along with drawing on my boots so I can head down to the salle by the armory to meet Alistair. He has been spoiling me. The past few days I have had a selection of clothes and footwear delivered such as I have never seen in my life. Leliana would absolutely be ecstatic. I also quickly braid my hair up so it will not be in the way while we are sparring. I am currently awaiting a new set of armor from Master Wade. He has promised me something special, but refuses to divulge any details. Knowing Master Wade as I do, I'm sure it will be something spectacular. Evidently, he and Herren had left Denerim for Amaranthine after the battle that was fought here damaged their shop so badly. They had returned to Denerim two years ago and once again run a flourishing armor business in the market district. Their constant bickering does not hide the true affection between them. Alistair and I had agreed to spar today without armor.

Once I am dressed, I pick up Spellweaver in its sheath and attach it to my back. I still cannot believe I once again have it in my hands. I missed this sword so much the four years it hung on the wall in Alistair's quarters. It makes me smile to think he held on to it for so long. I am a lucky woman to have earned his love. As I stride through the passages heading for the salle following the directions Alistair has given me, I am careful to acknowledge every person I see. I'm working on getting the servants to address me as Warden instead of my Lady (especially as if any of the real ladies heard them, they would shriek bloody murder, I'm sure). I'm trying to learn all the servants' names, but as there are so many, this is something that will take time.

The worst thing about traveling through the palace are all the nobles. I carefully give the little bow that has become my trademark greeting to everyone in rank above commoner and below arl, ignoring the snide comments I hear as I walk away about my state of dress and my sword on my back. How little did I realize what I was letting myself in for when I agreed to marry Alistair. Not that he isn't worth it. Don't get me wrong. He is worth everything to me.

On entering the salle, I note the four pairs of palace guards who are working out at the other end of the large chamber. This is a serviceable room, longer than it is wide, carrying the scents of sweat, oil from armor, as well as burnt candles. There is an area with a few mats where unarmed combat can be practiced. A table stands along the wall in the middle of the room filled with bits and pieces of armor and weapons that can be used by anyone who doesn't have their own. There are a few dummies set up here and there for those that want to practice with a less challenging opponent. I walk a short way into the room to an area where we will be able to engage each other without coming into conflict with anyone else wishing to use the salle. I lay Spellweaver aside and start a series of exercises to warm up my muscles. In the past few years, my sword work has come a long way. I will never be a fighter able to smash my way through opponents, but there aren't many that would be able to get through my defenses either. All the steady work with Torin and Kaneath has sharpened my offensive abilities to at least above average. Not bad for a mage, if I do say so myself.

Finishing my exercises, I unsheathe and pick up Spellweaver. I can almost feel the hum of power contained in the sword as it accepts my hand on its hilt. The fire rune on the sword causes a fine red gleam to shine all up and down the blade. I swing the sword through the air in a gradually faster figure-of-eight pattern that works all the muscles around my shoulder girdle. When I reach three-quarter speed, I pull back to half and continue to twirl the blade, changing arms, and listening for the comments I expect to come from the back of the room. The human guards do not realize I can hear every word they say.

"Isn't that the king's pet elf?" says one of the guards as he and his partner take a break. "Think she can do anything with that sword but spin it in circles?"

Well, I've been called worse things than the king's pet elf the past few days. King's whore is one of my least favorite. I guess I can live with pet elf.

"I think you are right," says his partner. "Little thing like that, hard to believe she killed the Archdemon. I don't see how she can lift that sword much less do anything with it."

Don't let appearances deceive you, gentlemen, I think to myself.

"Can you believe the king is actually going to marry her?" states the first guard. "I mean I can understand why he would want her in his bed, but to actually marry an elf? What's this world coming to?" he asks with a shake of his head. "I don't understand why he doesn't just keep her on the side. No one would object to that."

I struggle to keep my face neutral as though not overhearing this comment. Maybe pet elf isn't any better than whore.

His partner replies, "Well, she is the Hero of Ferelden, that has to count for something."

"It got her into the king's bed, didn't it? Why does she need more reward?"

I quench the flare of anger those comments cause as I think to myself that actually I was in Alistair's bed (as they so quaintly put it, bedroll would have been more appropriate) long before any of this Hero of Ferelden fuss started.

"Old Daneth, who retired from Maric's Shield, says that now he believes King Alistair is really King Maric's son because King Maric always had a thing for elven woman," pipes up another younger guard trying to impress his fellows.

"You, louts. Shut your traps about your betters and get back to business. Javin, if you go into a fight with that sloppy shield work, you won't have to worry about having time to run your mouth, you'll be dead," an older man said, obviously in charge of the group.

The door to the salle crashes open at this point as Alistair enters through it followed by two of his personal guards. Everything is right in my world again as his eyes light up when he sees me.

The guards hurry to offer their cross-armed salute to the king, which he acknowledges as he crosses the room to me. "Hey," I say as he bends his head down to give me a thorough kiss. As the kiss deepens, I mold my body to his regardless of the watching guards, and I feel his undeniable delight in the response of his body when I do so. "You keep that up, and we'll be practicing a totally different type of swordplay," I say softly to him when he lifts his head.

His brown eyes smolder down at me with barely contained fire. "You just wait until tomorrow night," he promises.

A shiver traces its way down my spine at his words. We have been playing this touchy-feely game, almost a sparring match itself, between us ever since our meeting outside Denerim where he had learned I wasn't dead. It's almost become a silent dare, who can take more of the teasing. I must admit I'm getting anxious for tomorrow night. It's been four years since we have been together, and there has been no one else for me in all that time. I'm more than ready to be with him again. Alistair is the one who has insisted that we wait for the wedding. If it had been up to me, the teasing would have ended days ago.

"So, are you ready to begin?" he asks as he steps back to unsheathe Starfang.

"Are you?" I counter. This will be the first time we have sparred since I arrived at the palace. "Let me find a shield I like. You warm up some." I head to the middle of the salle to the table to sort through the available equipment. I find a small shield like the one I have been using when working with Torin. By the time I return to Alistair and get the shield settled to my satisfaction, he is ready to start.

"Defense pattern 1," says Alistair. "Remember it?" he asks.

"Of course I remember it," I say. "You beat it into me for months. How could I forget? How fast?"

"Lady's choice," he says.

I look at him with a gleam in my eye. "Full speed, variant 2," I say in challenge.

Alistair had devised a series of patterns when he was training me years ago. He takes on the offensive role while I try to defend against him. Defense pattern 1 was the very first series he had taught me. Variant 1 put in some harder moves, and variant 2 was the most difficult and the longest. We had just started really working variant 2 before our confrontation with the Archdemon, so I hadn't ever completed the whole pattern against him. I had usually only made it about halfway through before having to bow to his superiority and never at full speed.

He just smiles at me with a lifted eyebrow. "Interesting," he says and then flows into his first position.

I take a cleansing breath, settle in my defensive crouch, and nod at him to begin. He comes at me in a flash. The first crash of his sword against my shield reminds me just how strong he is. The moves and positions flow past in a steady stream as I channel my magic to my muscles and let them take over, spinning and blocking through the pattern. Alistair and I dance together, weaving through the moves, as sword and shield meet time and time again. Finally, almost at the end of the pattern, I falter. My shield doesn't quite make it into position, and I see him pull his stroke and back off.

"Well, you have improved," he says as he stops his attack, sheathes Starfang, and draws his arm across his forehead to redirect the sweat about to run into his eyes. At this point, we both are breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "You couldn't have stood up against that attack four years ago."

"I've been working with Torin and his father over the past few years," I say. I slowly pull myself back up into a full standing position while struggling to regain my breath as the magic-enhanced strength and speed of my muscles fade away. "Torin is quick, but I've forgotten how strong you are," I say to Alistair. "I'm going to be sore tomorrow."

He leans over and whispers in my ear, "I'll be sure to rub everything that hurts and make it feel all better."

"I'll hold you to that," I reply.

As I move to return the shield to the common items table, I see our sparring has generated the attention of all the guards. I'm not certain if it is because of Alistair or me, but I nod in the direction of the older guard who had stopped his men from talking. He nods back. I turn and make my way back to Alistair. As I'm walking across the salle, I have to hide my grin as I hear the older guard say, "That's what shield work is supposed to look like, Javin. Were you watching?"

As I reach Alistair once again, I say, "I need to head back and get a bath before dinner."

"May I escort you back to your room, milady?" asks Alistair as he offers me his arm.

"I would be honored, Ser" I answer with a slight incline of my body towards him and a lilt in my voice, "I feel though in the interests of full disclosure that you should know that I am no lady."

"I certainly hope not," he says for my ears only.

After my bath, I head for Alistair's suite, accompanied by my faithful mabari, Gabriel. Kellin has been installed in the adjoining series of rooms that used to belong to Alistair's queen. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but it's not like I can ask Alistair to move out of his suite just because he used to share it with his first wife. Once we are married, I will move into Alistair's rooms with him. Neither one of us wants to follow the convention of separate chambers, especially as this arrangement allows Kellin to be close. Torin has the small bedroom that used to belong to the queen's maid as he has officially been titled Guardian of the Prince and is in charge of Kellin's security. I had to go to Alistair to get that concession. The council wanted to appoint an older man who had been in the Royal Guards for years to head Kellin's guard detail. Alistair agreed with me that Torin should be in charge as he knows about the Lenayath vows that exist between Torin and Kellin. Alistair declared Torin Kellin's Guardian, making him separate but in charge of the rest of his guards. I'm not sure we've done Torin any favors though. He will have to earn the other men's respect as not many will want to follow the orders of a nineteen-year-old elf.

I would have liked for Vanora to have come with us as well when we left Lanaya's clan, but she wished to remain with Kaneath. I certainly can't begrudge her that. She deserves some happiness after losing her husband so tragically. As such, we are currently searching for a nursery attendant for Kellin. At three, he is beginning to be quite a terror.

"Mamae," he yells as I come into the room, and I am about knocked off my feet as he barrels right into me wrapping his arms around my waist.

I know I shouldn't, but I laugh at him as I gather him into my arms for a hug. "Kellin, how many times have I told you not to do that?"

He grins up at me with his father's smile, says, "Sorry," and my heart melts.

"What have you been doing today?" I ask my son as I ruffle his hair.

"Torin took me on a picnic," he says brightly.

"Did you have fun?" I ask, but my question is ignored as Alistair comes through the adjoining door from his suite and must be greeted.

"Father," Kellin cries flinging himself at Alistair just as he had done to me. However, his arms can only reach to about the top of Alistair's thigh instead of his waist. Kellin is greatly enamored of his father as it only took one meeting for him to wrap Alistair around his little finger. I'm beginning to think our son has inherited his grandfather's legendary charisma, as no one seems to be able to stand firm when it comes to Kellin. I shudder to think how spoiled this child will be.

Alistair reaches down, picks the little boy up, and crushes him to his chest in a hug. As it was only about a month ago that he found out about his son and just since we've arrived at the palace three days ago that he can see him every day, I know it touches Alistair deeply to be around him, especially after the loss of his daughter and his belief that he would never sire a living child. Looking at the two of them, it is obvious that they are father and son. Kellin will always be marked by his elven heritage by the pale sky-blue eyes he inherited from me, a shade of blue not seen in humans. However, his facial features strongly resemble Alistair's. Kellin's hair is lighter than Alistair's, somewhere between his chestnut blaze and my ash blonde lightness with twinges of copper. I cannot control the swell in my heart at seeing the two of them together. The fact that the three of us will actually be a family still seems like a dream.

Kellin is chattering away to Alistair, who listens most seriously.

Torin joins us to take Kellin saying, "Come, my prince, let your mamae and father go to dinner."

Kellin, the little manipulator, turns to Alistair, "Father, I wanna go with you, please?" I avert my head to hide my smile, already knowing where this is going.

"What a good idea," says Alistair. "Then I won't have to listen to all those boring grownups at dinner, will I?" Alistair beams down at Kellin like he has discovered a new variety of cheese.

"Alistair," I say quietly. "You are spoiling him horribly."

"Nonsense. A boy should share a meal with his father every once in a while. Maybe we should have our own private dinner just the three of us," suggests Alistair.

"That would be lovely, but not tonight I think," I say. "The night before the wedding, remember? I believe there are quite a few guests here all ready who are expecting to see you."

"And you," he is quick to add.

"If you say so," I reply, though I know that none of the guests are here to see me. Most of them would like nothing better than for me to conveniently disappear, leaving Alistair and Kellin behind.

The little rugrat, I mean, our son, gets his way and is carried the whole way to the dining room by his adoring father as we are surrounded by Alistair's guards. Torin, Gabriel, and I trail behind, just listening to the two of them chattering back and forth, discussing everything from what we were having for dinner (strong preferences for cheese and cake) to when Kellin could have his very own mabari puppy (at least 5 years old).

My mind returns to the remarks of the guards in the salle today as well as the various comments I have overheard in the days since the Landsmeet. I am more and more disturbed as I consider the situation through dinner. Alistair and Kellin have a wonderful time, even indulging in a food fight before the meal is over, and when they gang up and both start throwing carrots pieces at me, I must defend my honor by returning fire with my peas.

After we finally get Kellin settled for the night, Alistair and I are left with some time alone. The past two nights, we have spent this time talking about things that have happened since we parted and just enjoying being together once again. Tonight, I have a serious matter to discuss with Alistair.