All of the required parties, feasts, and speeches were done, and the royal palace was finally starting to quiet down. Most of the visiting nobility had returned to their respective estates, yet Fergus still found himself unable to leave Denerim. For one, he wanted to give his people plenty of time to wipe all traces of Rendon Howe's presence from Castle Cousland. The thought that the man had taken over his home caused Fergus to seethe with anger every time he thought about it. However, there was more keeping him in Denerim than that. There were also the promises Jessimyn had extracted from him before she left.

It almost made him proud to think of how easily she'd manipulated him into getting her way. Growing up, Fergus had always been the one interested in affairs of state, in the workings of the noble classes, and in the art of manipulation. He was always the one who had participated in his father's lessons, while his sister had seemed more interested in her weapons and her suitors. Perhaps she had paid more attention than he thought. Or maybe she really had grown over the past two years.

And so he waited. Fergus wanted to make the king come to him, and it was a little over a week after his sister had left that he was rewarded for his patience. Fergus made his way to the king's private sitting room to answer his summons. He was almost grateful to Alistair for waiting so long to call on him, since it gave him time to prepare what to say. Upon entering the room, one of the king's servants served them both drinks. Alistair seemed to be in no hurry to ask the man to leave, but neither would he speak with him present. After what seemed like an eternity, the two men were alone.

"You wished to see me, Your Majesty?" Fergus asked, keeping his voice casual.

"Yes, I..." Alistair frowned, choosing his words. "I want you to know that I am grateful to the support you have shown me, as well as for the support I expect from you in the future. But I am wondering if there was something you... needed of me."

Fergus grinned. "You're wondering why I am still here, when most of your arls and banns have already returned home."

"I am curious," admitted the king. "I know that you have been away from your home for a long time, and I'm sure there are pressing matters to attend to in Highever. Was there a reason for your delay in returning?"

"I've just been concerned, Your Majesty. You see, with Loghain's death, I am the only teryn left in Ferelden. And while I enjoy being second only to you, I worry that the other nobles might find that dangerous, especially considering who my sister is."

Alistair frowned, and Fergus continued his speech. "I think you should appoint another teryn of Gwaren, preferably one of the southern arls who supported you in the Landsmeet. I think Arl Wulff would be suitable. His words carry great weight with the southern lords, and he could be as powerful an ally as I can be. And while he sadly lost both of his sons, he also has two daughters. I think you should consider marrying his eldest, Lyrina."

The frown remained on Alistair's face as he spoke. "You do seem determined to marry me off, it would appear. Why is that? And why her? I don't know her well, but she doesn't seem to be a terribly remarkable woman."

Because she's who Jessimyn picked out for you, Fergus thought but did not say. "If you make her father a teryn, she's the logical choice. Look, I'll be honest with you. I've heard talk from many of the nobles, some who have come to me directly, who have said they think you and Jess should marry. These are men and women who know nothing of the relationship between the two of you, yet they see her as the best choice. If you wed the lesser daughter of an arl or a bann, many will wonder why, and you will not be able to explain it away without betraying secrets it seems the two of you wish to keep. However, if Lyrina is the daughter of a teryn, she becomes equal in standing to my sister."

"At least as far as titles go," said Alistair absently, and Fergus was pleased with this response.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'm sure you'll agree that no one can truly compare to Jessimyn Cousland."

Alistair frowned and chose not to respond to that. Instead, he said, "But why so soon? Am I not allowed time to get used to being king before I have to get used to being husband as well?"

"I'm afraid not," said Fergus. "Especially if producing an heir will be as difficult as you seem to think it will be. No, I think it's best to marry as soon as possible. And I think it's especially important to marry before Jess returns from the Andefels."

The king regarded the teyrn for a long time, but Fergus showed no sign of agitation. Alistair sighed. "Jessimyn asked me to trust you, but this is something I need to think on."

Fergus nodded, "Of course, Your Majesty. In fact, I suggest you talk it over with Arl Eamon, as you seem to value his advice. I'm sure he'll agree that this is the best course of action here. But do not wait too long. If you marry Lyrina while Jess is away, there will be less chance of a scandal, since my sister won't be in the public eye. There will also be less chance of jealousy from your new wife, who would likely see a Cousland as competition. No, the sooner you go through with this, the better."

"I... you have given me much to think on, Fergus. I think I will speak with Eamon about it."

Fergus smiled and rose from his chair. "A wise decision, Your Majesty," he said as he bowed graciously and excused himself from the room. When he returned to his sitting room, Fergus informed his servants that they would be leaving soon and to being preparing their things for the trip back to Highever. He sat down, recalling his last conversation with his sister.

"But why Lyrina," he had asked. "She's such a dull, timid woman. Pretty enough to look at, sure, but not much more than that."

"That's what Alistair needs, don't you see? If he finds himself with a strong, outspoken wife, he's more likely to defer to her, to let her lead. If that's what I thought was good for him, I would have tried to convince him to marry Anora. No, what he needs is a woman of high standing who will bear him as many children as possible but otherwise stay out of his way."

"Someone who will not try to steal your influence over him, you mean?" Fergus asked with a sly smile. "Someone he can be with but who will not stop him from being in love with you."

"Do not think me so cruel as that, Fergus," protested Jessimyn. "I want him to be happy, I do. But I also want him to be a strong leader. He needs someone who will support that and not try to take his power away from him. And I have no illusions that he will not grow to care for the woman he marries. But no, I don't want him to be with someone who will try to turn him against me, either."

So he had allowed her to talk him into going to the king with her idea. She had been convincing, but Fergus had had time to ponder her plan before meeting with the king, and he'd realized that Jessimyn's ideas, though a little naive, did not necessarily conflict with his own. In fact, he could fulfill her wishes while twisting them to accommodate his own. The best part was that Jessimyn would be gone for at least a year, if not longer, and she would have no way to interfere with what he had planned. No, it looked like everything might work out exactly as he wanted.