A/N: Thanks so much to JayRain and MsBarrows for letting me bounce ideas, it's been very helpful. It's taking a bit longer to set up for the funny bits than I'd intended, but please bear with me – setting up for the jokes is important. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, it's really made my weekend! Speaking of that, I'm back to work tomorrow and as such updating pace on this will slow down. Thanks again for the encouragement and the lovely constructive criticism I've received; I really do appreciate it.
And just a quick reminder - Alistair in this A/U is not a Grey Warden. He was an officer in Arl Eamon's forces at Redcliffe. He was not at Ostagar. He joined the Grey Wardens as a Blight Companion after the Defense of Redcliffe, which was their first stop after Lothering.
"Andraste's Flaming Sword, these people are as bad as everyone was during the Blight," Alistair muttered as he looked through the paperwork on his desk.
"In what way?" asked a familiar voice. Alistair looked up and smiled as the Teryn of Highever, also known as his friend Fergus, walked into the study. He stood and clasped hands with the man.
"Fergus! When did you arrive?" Alistair asked.
"A few hours ago. I've presumed on your hospitality and your barracks and have refreshed myself and settled my men," Fergus said.
"No presumption, my friend. I know your Denerim residence still awaits repair," Alistair said.
"And it will continue to wait until my workmen are done repairing Highever Castle or until all needed repairs are made in Denerim. I can stay in the palace. The people of Denerim can't. Their homes come first. Now, what had you swearing when I walked in, hmm?" Fergus asked.
"The nobles, the merchants...well, everyone, really. They want me to solve every one of their problems, even the ones they could solve themselves if they just put a little effort into it. I expect to be asked to get a kitten out of a tree any time now," Alistair said. He gestured to a pair of armchairs placed near the study's fireplace and Fergus gratefully took a seat.
"Well, surely that happened at Rainesfere as well? They certainly try to do that to me at Highever," Fergus said as he settled into the comfortable chair. Alistair leaned back in his own chair and considered that, then shook his head.
"Not really, no. Father must have trained them out of it," Alistair said.
"I'm sure. We Couslands have tried to do so at Highever as well, but the terynir is large enough that it will never fully stop. The situation you find yourself in now is probably Anora's doing, although the Blight didn't help," Fergus said, steepling his fingers and tapping his chin.
"Anora? How so?" Alistair asked.
"Anora is a very competent administrator. Of course, she knows that, and that makes her have the attitude that no one can possibly do anything better than she can," Fergus said.
"Yes, I have noticed that. I don't even make suggestions about Denerim anymore, but to be honest, I don't need to. She's the reason that Denerim is being repaired as quickly as it is. I had my doubts about making her the Arlessa of Denerim, but it has turned out well. I'm glad you suggested that," Alistair said.
"It's a good compromise. Removing her from the succession to Gwaren limits her power, but you needed someone to take over the Denerim arling, and giving it to her shows you mean her no ill will while at the same time putting her where you can keep an eye on her. As a bonus, you're using her skills. If she weren't overseeing the rebuilding of Denerim then you would have to do it," Fergus said.
"Right. Well, I'll never be friends with the woman, but she is useful, and she is certainly frighteningly competent," Alistair said.
"Thing is, she's right about doing things better than everyone, up to a point," Fergus said. Alistair raised a brow and waited for Fergus to continue.
"She probably does do things better than most, because she never lets anyone make their own mistakes and learn from them. The problem is, when you do that, then people keep coming to you for help instead of handling anything themselves, and you get overwhelmed," Fergus said.
"And they're so used to doing that they never think of trying to figure things out for themselves.…Maker's Breath, that's why everyone did that all during the Blight, too!" Alistair exclaimed.
"Very possibly, yes. From what I've seen, our new Arlessa of Denerim has the city well in hand, which may be needed now, but I doubt she'll stop doing that when the city is rebuilt. Loghain is like that, too. I'm sure Gwaren is a very well-run terynir and I'm equally sure that Anora and Loghain have no time for themselves because of that," Fergus said.
"Whereas Highever is different?" Alistair asked, and Fergus nodded.
"Yes, it is. Do not mistake me, Highever is also a well-run terynir, but it is probably not the well-oiled machine that I imagine Gwaren to be. Of course, it's much larger than Gwaren, which breeds its own problems, but by and large my philosophy, which was my father's as well, is to put competent people in positions of authority and then let them get on with their jobs. This is why I can take the time to spend several months touring Ferelden ogling women," Fergus said, which made Alistair laugh.
"Hardly ogling," he chided, although the smile on his face as he said it rather ruined the effect.
"Yes, yes, we are looking for an 'oh so proper' wife for Your Majesty," Fergus said.
"Yes, we are," Alistair said, although doubt crossed his features as he said it.
"Do you even know what that is?" Fergus asked.
"Not really, although I'm quite certain that it won't be a woman like your sister…no offence," Alistair said.
"Oh, none taken. So…what happened there, anyway? You have never spoken of it, and I'm certainly not going to ask Elissa. Feel free to tell me to sod off if you still don't want to talk about it," Fergus said.
Alistair sighed. He didn't, particularly, but it had been long enough. And it might be important that Fergus know so that he could better help Alistair find a wife that he could stomach for the next 50 years. Maybe even someone he could like.
"Well, we got…involved…fairly quickly. During the Blight we all thought we could die at any time. It makes you skip over some of the 'getting to know you' time that you'd otherwise take, you know? Danger speeds things along…makes you miss things you would otherwise notice," Alistair said.
"Such as?" Fergus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Please know I mean no disrespect to your sister when I say this," Alistair said, but Fergus waved off his disclaimer.
"I've known my sister since she was born, Alistair. I am certainly not blind to her faults," Fergus said.
"Good…well, actually, some of it comes down to what we were just talking about. She thinks she can do everything better than anyone else. Back during the Blight, she just ordered everyone around, and they let her! Sure, at first I let her too – after all, defeating the Blight was a Grey Warden matter, and she was a Grey Warden and I wasn't, so there you go. But Daveth was a bit senior to her – just a month, if I recall, but senior is senior – and half the time she didn't even consult him on anything she did, she just did it," Alistair said.
"That does sound like Elissa. She never did take Father's lessons about delegation to heart," Fergus said.
"Well, she had been making some decisions that I didn't particularly agree with, and I let her know about it," Alistair said.
"Bet that went over well," Fergus said dryly.
"Yes, very," Alistair said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "She let me have it, and shortly after that she took up with that damned elf. I was heartbroken at the time, but I've had some time to think about it. She didn't want a partner; she wanted a loyal follower, like her marbari. And while marbari have many excellent qualities, I have no desire to be one. I'm no one's bitch," Alistair said with a low snarl.
"You most certainly are not. Well, I would have been happy to call you brother, my friend, but such was not to be," Fergus said pleasantly.
Alistair flushed. Somewhere in that little tirade he'd forgotten he was talking to Elissa's brother. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't be sitting here insulting your sister," Alistair said.
"You're not, really. That's what she's like, and you've been very diplomatic about it, all things considered. But enough about my sister – what is the plan for our tour?" Fergus asked.
"Father has been organizing it. He is at a meeting with Anora at the moment, but he should return for the evening meal. He will have details, but the short answer is that we'll make a sunwise circle around Ferelden, starting at Dragon's Peak. I know we have stops planned at all the arlings and the larger holdings in the bannorn. Father has a list. Oh, there's also going to be a small fete here at the palace in three days' time to celebrate the repairs being finished in the Market District. At least that's what I think Father said it was for. I must confess I have been spending so much time trying to clear my desk before we go that I have not paid all that much attention to the details of the trip," Alistair said.
"Well, we can wait to discuss it in more detail until the evening, then. Now, let's see some of this paperwork. Perhaps I can give you some advice as to how to teach these petitioners to fend for themselves, hmm?" Fergus said. Alistair gratefully agreed and they moved to the desk. Fergus looked at the stack of petitions and frowned.
"Send for some refreshments, would you? We may be here for some time. Andraste's Pyre, Alistair, you must learn to delegate!" Fergus exclaimed.
"Father tells me the same thing. But hey, I got you to help me, didn't I? Don't hit me, I bruise easily!" Alistair said, ducking out of Fergus' way as he aimed a smack at the back of Alistair's head.