Playing Family

"I caught another one!" Elissa happily shouted as she pulled a small fish out of the water.

"That's good, hurry up and place it in the bucket with the others." Alistair helped her untangle the fish from her line.

She dropped the newest fish into the bucket and watched in fascination as their scales flashed in the water.

"What are you so entranced at?" Alistair asked as Elissa continued to stare at the caught fish.

"I was thinking that the biggest fish would be the papa fish, the second biggest would be the mama fish, and all the other small ones are the babies." She said, bending down to place her hands on her knees.

"That's quite silly to think that. They are not really a family." Alistair said, staring out at the water.

Elissa sat down next to Alistair. "It's not silly. Have you ever played 'family'?"

"No, what is that?"

"It's when you pretend to be a family. I made Fergus play it with me all the time. He always played the dad and I would play the daughter." Elissa wrinkled her nose at the memory. "It was annoying. He just thought it would be a good way of bossing me around."

Alistair turned to Elissa and gave a rare smile. "That actually sounds quite fun. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone around here to play that game."

Elissa nodded thoughtfully and got up. She brushed off her blue linen dress and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay! Then let's play! I can be the mother and you can be the father!" Excited at the prospect of a new game to play with Alistair.

Alistair was hesitant. "What do I need to do?"

"Pretend to be the father!" She walked over to one end of the dock. "Pretend I'm your wife who just got home from the market." Elissa began to imitate her mother's elegant stride as she walked over to Alistair slowly. "Hello, darling. I am finally home! I have missed you."

Alistair stared at her blankly with no reply.

Elissa stared back as she waited for him to play. "Are you not going to say anything to your wife, my dear husband?"

Alistair uncomfortably shifted where he sat. "I don't know how to reply. I've never had a mother or father."

Elissa paused. Alistair sounded lonesome again. He had explained to her before that his mother had died when he was born and the Arl had been raising him…but he was by no means his father.

"I'm sorry, Alistair. I didn't mean to depress you." Elissa sat back down next to him, her legs dangling off the docks like his.

"It's fine, really." Alistair gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I can't play this game with you. I don't know how a husband would act."

Elissa gazed across the water thoughtfully. "I've never played the wife myself. I was trying to copy my mother. Like I said, Fergus only played it with me and he always made me the daughter."

Alistair sighed and turned to Elissa. "Okay then. What would your father do if your mother returned from the market?"

Elissa thought about it for a moment, tapping her finger to her cheek. "He would welcome her back and kiss her, I suppose."

Alistair immediately turned red and turned away. "Oh, I see…well, it's a silly game anyway."

Elissa teased. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Have you ever kissed a boy?" Alistair countered defensively.

"Of course! I kiss my father all the time. Sometimes Fergus too."

"That doesn't count. They're family." Alistair said.

Elissa closed her eyes and got back into her character. "Dear, I came back from the market! I have missed you so! Have you missed me?"

Alistair stared at Elissa's face, her eyes were shut as she smiled expectantly. A small breeze blew from the water and rustled through Elissa's tied up hair.

He swallowed nervously and slowly brought his lips onto hers. Elissa opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into Alistair's.

They broke apart, both of them silent after receiving their very first real kiss. They both began the chuckle nervously and then found themselves doubled over in laughter…laughing over absolutely nothing more than how absurd and awkward they both felt.

Elissa's first kiss tasted of salt and sunshine. And she would always remember it.

Elissa did not take the news of their departure very well. She begged her mother, she cried in front of her father, but neither of them changed their minds about leaving the next night. Her parents and brother were relaxing in the common room, trying to wait out Elissa's hysterics.

"Elissa, honey. You realize we cannot stay here forever! We live in Highever, not Redcliffe." Eleanor tried to soothe her daughter's crying.

"B-but! It's too short…I w-want to stay longer…" Elissa hiccupped, rubbing her red eyes.

"We could just leave her here. I'm sure the Arl and the Arlessa would not mind the whiny brat…Maker knows we'd get a relief of it back home." Fergus said sarcastically, paying no mind to Elissa's weeping and continued to read a book in his hands.

Eleanor shot her son the 'now-is-not-the-time' glare. Elissa's bawling started again and she buried her face into her mother's lap.

"What about Alistair then?" Elissa choked out. "He'll be lonesome without me!"

"I'm sure Alistair will be fine. He was just fine before we arrived, he'll be okay after we leave." Bryce lied as he patted his daughter on the head. "Besides, you can always write correspondences to each other when you are back in Highever."

"It's not the same." Elissa moaned into her mother's dress.

"Darling, you know we all have duties to get back to in Highever. Including yourself. Of course we have to go back and see all the people we love. But this does not mean we will never see Redcliffe again." Eleanor stroked Elissa's back.

Elissa slowly stood up and rubbed at her red face. Her mother and father looked expectantly at her since her tears had stopped. "I'm going to wash my face." She simply stated and slowly wobbled out the room, disorientated from her crying fit.

The Teyrn and Teyrna both sighed in relief. Bryce turned to his wife. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It is quite saddening…she got so attached to Alistair in such a short time. It's most likely because we do not have many children her age around the castle. And Lady Isolde…" Eleanor couldn't help to give a slight shudder. "She is not kind to him…and even Elissa knows it."

"Both of them will be fine." Bryce assured Eleanor, wishing that it was true.