Alaric turned and watched Alistair as her door shut quietly. Alistair cringed when he heard a choked sob come from the door. "I suggest you ask your questions quickly. She will not be docile for long." Alaric said with a sigh and sat down across from Alistair. "And before you start pretending, I am aware you were awake for all of our conversation in the room with you."

"So you were a Grey Warden?" Alistair asked leaning on the table and watching the man with the strangely familiar face.

"Yes." Alaric answered calmly.

"Were? As in past tense?" Alistair pressed.

"Yes."

"You cannot simply stop being a Warden." Alistair protested.

"Yes, I can and did, Alistair."

"You mean because you left them, right?"

"No. I no longer have the taint. Some of the effects of it are lingering, but the early death and madness leave with it. I can also no longer sense them, nor they me."

"How?" Alistair asked stunned. As much as he had loved being a Warden, he was desperate to do away with the taint. It plagued him. The taint drove him to things he didn't want to do and made it so he might not be able to have the heir that Eamon so desperately needed him to have.

"I will not lie to you, Alistair. It is a blood ritual." Alaric raised an eyebrow at Alistair's shocked and horrified look. "Seeing as you and the other Warden are still alive and the demon is not, I would assume you found a blood ritual yourselves."

"That was different…I didn't want to…you are a blood mage! Is she under your spell? The animals your familiars?" Alistair demanded rising up.

"I am not a blood mage, Alistair. I beg you don't do this. Isla is not known for taking kindly to those words and I guarantee she is listening."

"I cannot allow you to live. I will not allow you to control my mind as you have her. I will free her. Did she even fall or was that your tale when you stole her away?" Alistair asked summoning his templar powers that he hadn't used in years. Alaric didn't resist as he drained his mana. Alaric collapsed to the floor with a grunt of pain. And suddenly Alistair had a knife pressed to his neck.

"Release his mana, now." Hissed Isla.

"You will be free of him once I have finished him." Alistair tried to reason with her.

"If you do not free him, I will kill you." She vowed coldly. "Release his powers!" She said pressing the blade tighter to his throat. He did and Alaric slowly stood back up.

"Isla, put the knife down." Alaric tried to sooth her. "He wouldn't have killed me. He was reacting out of fear."

"No, you were right. I never should have brought him here. Cast a sleep spell on him and I will take him far away. I'll take him all the way back to Denerim. You can flee and be safe. I did this to you. I'll make it right." She vowed. Alistair slowly raised his hand, moving it towards hers.

"Alistair, just wait. She won't hurt you." Alaric tried to calm them both. He closed his eyes as Alistair gripped her wrist and twisted it painfully, jerking it away from him, and throwing her over his shoulder. Isla hit the table with a thud and the bowl shattered, stabbing through her dress and into her back. She whirled then and shoved Alaric out of the way as Alistair advanced on her. Alaric barked a sharp command and Sampson whined, but didn't join in the battle.

"You just put a knife to my neck. Do you know what the penalty is for that?" Alistair asked reaching out and grabbing Isla. She feigned fear and let him tug her to him. Once he had a hold of her she crumpled going limp. He tossed the knife in an effort not to stab her. Isla rolled out of his grip and slammed her palm into his nose. Alistair stumbled back as pain made him go blind. "You broke my nose!" He cried as blood spurted through his fingers.

"You will not harm Alaric!" She said sharply as Alistair sat back down.

"Isla, that is enough! You are both injured now. Sit down and I will heal you. And so help me if either of you makes a move towards the other I will freeze you both." Alaric scolded and quickly cast healing spells, easing their pains. He sighed and sat down across from both of them. Isla and Alistair glaring at each other.

"Isla." Alaric said drawing her attention to him. "Apologize to the king. And then bring him a towel to clean up the blood."

"He was going to kill you! He was hurting you. I won't allow…"

"Isla!" Alaric snapped.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I should not have put a knife to your throat even though you were…"

"That is enough." Alaric said frowning at her. She hung her head and fetched a towel for Alistair. He then turned to Alistair. "I am not now, nor have I ever been a blood mage. No one is enthralled here. And you are free to leave when you wish, but you should know that the storm is bad and I will not allow Isla to leave with you now."

"I am not some child who needs a nanny!" Alistair protested.

"Do I look like a nanny?" She snapped at him. All her awe of the king gone in his cruelness to Alaric. She roughly shoved the towel at him. He took it and mopped up his face and hands.

"Not any that I have seen, no. Perhaps if I had one who looked like…sorry, joking. Don't hit me again!" Alistair said earning a grudging smile from Isla.

"I'm sorry about your nose." She said suddenly contrite again.

"And I'm sorry about hurting you. Before and just now. And I'm sorry for going all Chantry on Alaric. You two have taken care of me and I should have listened first and acted later." Alistair sighed.

"Now that we are all friendly again, perhaps you would like to ask something else?" Alaric asked as thunder shook the house. Isla whimpered and moved instinctively closer to Alistair. He turned and watched her as she trembled against him, looking out the window.

"It's alright, Isla. You are safe here." Alaric reminded her. She pulled her eyes to him and nodded slowly. She blushed as she looked up at Alistair and shifted away from him.

"So this ritual you mentioned. Does it require someone's life?" Alistair asked. He wanted to tease Isla about the thunder but he could see she was truly frightened. He wished she was closer to him still, but she had moved over to the hearth and was wrapped around Sampson who sighed and nudged her gently.

"No. It isn't worse than the one you or the other Warden took part in, I'm sure." He said raising an eyebrow at Alistair.

"Well, if you had met the woman you would have known that it was a very bad ordeal, but luckily one I didn't have to take part in." Alistair looked over to Isla who was looking up at him with disapproval and curiosity plainly written on her face.

"So you were spared because of a blood ritual?" She asked and then bit her lip as she realized this line of questioning was what had led them to the point she had held a knife to the king's throat.

"I…uh, yes. It isn't something that is common knowledge though." Alistair said feeling uneasy. He had always thought the ritual was a bad idea even if he hadn't wanted his friend to die.

"Forgive me. Alaric says I'm more curious than a cat and someday it will get me in trouble. Are you going to have me punished for putting a knife to your throat?" She asked.

"No, Maker's breath! You were protecting your…" Alistair trailed off unsure what their relationship was. It bothered him that the thought of them having a relationship was bothering him. He had only known her for a few hours and already she had kidnapped him, said she was a bit obsessed with the Wardens in general, and held a knife to his throat. He really needed to find a wife soon or give in to the many offers of the lesser reserved women of Ferelden.

"I am in a way her uncle, I suppose." Alaric answered and smiled knowingly at Alistair. Alistair felt his cheeks heat up and look away. "If you wish for me to remove your taint, I will. But it is something you will have to decide on your own and I will not share the secrets of it with anyone. As much as I dislike the Wardens, I will not allow them to be harmed through this."

"You could do that…and I would…"

"Live a normal life? Yes. As far as I have been able to tell the stamina and hunger remain, though they are not quite as strong as they once were. But it would still make you stronger than a normal man. I have lived for forty six years since I first became a Warden, and still feel as strong as I did when I removed the taint."

"What would it involve? The ritual, I mean." Alistair said wanting to know all about this before he decided. He wasn't sure why he trusted Isla and Alaric, but he did.

"It would involve me slicing your arm open, mixing your blood with someone who is pure of the taint, along with some herbs and potions, and then I would say a spell in private. After you would have to drink the blood. And I will not lie, the taint leaving is every bit as painful as it was taking it in. And worse you will think you are dying as black blood will ooze out of you. Forgive me, Isla. Perhaps you should retire." Alaric said looking over at her as she gasped horrified. She shook her head.

"I am staying out here. The king will be taking my room." She said and laid her head back on Sampson's back as thunder shook the house again.

"I cannot kick you out of your room." Alistair protested.

"I insist. I brought you here, and it's not like the king of Ferelden can sleep on the floor." She said with a laugh.

"I have before." Alistair said smiling at her.

"Still. I would rather be out here tonight. Sampson will be my pillow, won't you?" She laughed as the dog rolled over. She rubbed his belly as he noisily grunted in joy.

"I will warn you now, your Majesty, there is no arguing with her. She is quite stubborn about most things." Alaric said smiling at Isla fondly.

"Sad, but true." She said with a dramatic sigh. "If you two are needing to talk privately, I can go and start a bath for the king."

"I…" Alistair felt odd about asking her to do something for him. He had always hated the servants waiting on him, but somehow Isla doing it seemed worse.

"You can make it up to me by telling me about your adventures." She offered sweetly.

"I cannot refuse such a pretty girl anything." He said smiling at her. She hopped up and kissed Alaric on the cheek.

"You will be alright?" She asked looking at Alistair out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, child. The king will not attack me again." Alaric said smiling up at her. He gently stroked her cheek. She smiled at him and started around the table for her room.

Alistair reached out and caught her arm as she moved past him. She looked down at him startled. "I haven't thanked you for saving me. I would have been killed if you hadn't come along. I am sorry for the way I acted earlier. I will not hurt Alaric, I swear it. And please call me Alistair. Both of you." She smiled at him shyly and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek and then hurried out of the room. Alistair touched the spot surprised. No girl had ever kissed him before.

Alistair had been sent to the Chantry when he was young and raised to be a templar until Duncan found him and recruited him. He had always been to shy around the girls after he had left the templars and then with the Blight business, he hadn't had time to worry about them. And now that he was king he was supposed to be finding a wife. Girls had tried to tempt him, but he was far to disciplined to give in to them. And he was a hopeless romantic who believed in and desperately wanted love.

"She is special." Alaric said after she had left the room. "I will miss her when you leave."

"What? Why?" Alistair asked confused.

"She will go with you. Her time to return to the world has come. You have a part to play in it. I had hoped it would be later, but the Maker's will." Alaric sighed.

"Right…" Alistair said frowning. He had come to accept Leliana's talks of the Maker, but it was hard to overcome years of training.

"Do you wish to speak of something else?" Alaric asked.

Alistair looked at the man then and frowned. He had a flash of him as a younger man, with golden hair that matched his golden eyes. "I know you, don't I?" Alistair thought hard and then gasped. "Aric?"

"Yes, Alistair. I was Aric to you. You have grown into a fine young man."

"I…they said you weren't real. And then you just stopped coming and…" Alistair sputtered. Aric had been his childhood friend. His only friend really. He only came when no one was around. He taught Alistair things, played games with him, comforted him when he was sad. But then he had just vanished.

"They sent you to the Chantry. I couldn't very well go to you there. But I did continue to watch over you." Alaric asked.

"So you were real?" Alistair asked trying to understand this.

"Yes, I am real." Alaric chuckled.

"Why would you watch over me?" Alistair asked puzzled.

"Do you know much about your father's family?"

"No." Alistair said shaking his head.

"Maric had a brother. The boy ended up being a mage. He was taken away to the Circle where he excelled so much they sent him to the tower in Trevinter. He was recruited into the Wardens when he was nineteen. He was kept a secret from the people."

"So this is why he let the Warden's back in?" Alistair asked trying to understand this.

"Maric always did know that some things were a necessary evil."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Alistair asked.

"Because I am that brother. Maric asked me to watch over you when you were born. And I have tried to do so all your life."

"I…you…are my uncle?" Alistair asked shocked. He had family? His sister hadn't wanted anything to do with him except for his money. He did see his nieces and nephews when he could, but other than that, Eamon and Teagan were his only family.

"Yes. I wanted to take you away from them, but I didn't think I could give you a better life, with me being an apostate and all." Alaric said watching Alistair. He had loved Alistair from the first moment he had seen his tiny golden face.

"I have an uncle…wait…does that mean Isla is my cousin?" Alistair asked frowning. Finding family that wants you is great, but if it meant Isla was family as well…

"She is no relation to either of us." Alaric chuckled. "I did find her washed up on the shore with Sampson. Her parents were killed and the man who did it hunted for her. I hid her to keep her safe. Her purpose wasn't fulfilled yet. And now her time to return to the world is here."

"Come with us when we leave. I can make you an advisor or something. No one needs to know that you are a mage. I cannot believe I would find you after all these years." Alistair said reaching across the table to clasp Alaric's hand.

"I cannot. But I will come and visit you. My place isn't at your sides. This is something you must do on your own."

"You speak as if we are going off on an adventure." Alistair said nervously.

"That is for the Maker to decide, Alistair, but life is an adventure. I know your life has been hard, but you have turned into a good man despite all the set backs. Your father would be very proud of you. I am very proud of you. Your father loved you, Alistair. I know you must have wondered that. I would go to him after I left you to tell him of you. He was upset when Eamon sent you away. It is the real reason why Eamon no longer went to court. Isla is coming back. She doesn't know this, and I need to keep it this way, at least for now."

"Do you know who her family is? She mentioned brothers, but you just said her parents were killed."

"She mentioned them, did she? Good. I knew she would start to remember on her own. Yes, I know who she is and yes her brothers are still alive. I didn't know that at the time I took her. But even if I had, they were in no position to watch over her. She will remember and be reunited with them. But I must ask you to keep these things secret as well. She has to do this on her own. Will you take her with you when you leave? Find some reason for her to remain with you in Denerim?"

"She is from Denerim?" Alistair asked.

"No. But she needs to go there."

"You aren't going to explain it, are you?" Alistair asked narrowing his eyes at Alaric as the door behind him opened and Isla entered the room.

"You will understand in time." Alaric laughed and stood up. "This old man is going to bed. Goodnight, my dear." Alaric kissed her forehead and retired to his room.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted." Isla said looking shy again.

"Does he always speak so cryptically?" Alistair asked with a sigh, trying not to notice the way Isla's hair curled from the dampness of the steam or the way her night dress she had changed into clung to her.

She smiled a full smile then. "Yes. Infuriating, isn't it?"

"You could say that." Alistair grinned at her. She reached back and quickly unbraided her hair and ran her fingers through it. She bit her lip and turned back to him.

"I don't know how to be around people and I tend to mess things up. So I apologize now if I offend you, sire. I'm better with animals." She sighed.

"I think other than the knife incident, you're doing fine. I don't like to be treated so stiffly. You have treated me like a normal person. It's refreshing." Alistair grinned at her as she blushed.

"Sorry." She said with a shrug.

"So you're a ranger, aren't you? I have heard about them, but never seen one before."

"Yes. I had a way with animals all my life…Wow, that is strange. When I talk to you I can remember things. Anyway. Alaric noticed it and found a Dalish man who agreed to train me properly."

"So that is why you wear the Dalish armor and carry Dalish blades?"

"Partially. I have other armors, but the Dalish is so lightweight and easy to move in." Isla shrugged. "You should go and bathe."

"Do I smell that bad?" Alistair asked with a laugh.

"Oh! No, your Majesty! I just thought you would be sore and…Forgive me. I've offended you again."

Alistair clasped her hand, quickly bringing it to his lips. "I was teasing you, Isla. You are rather cute when you are flustered though." He laughed as she managed to blush brighter and look confused, pleased, and irritated all at once.

"Uh, huh. Well, if you need anything, I will be out here. I put some of Alaric's clothing out for you. You both seem about the same size. I can wash what you are wearing tonight and it will be dry tomorrow, if you want."

"No, thank you. I can handle it. I meant to ask you before, where is my armor?"

She looked down and chewed her lip. "I…might have forgotten to grab it when I brought you home." She looked at him quickly and her apology died on her lips as he grinned.

"Thank the Maker! I can finally find something that I choose." Alistair stood and moved to the door. He turned back to Isla and bowed his head to her. "Thank you, Isla. For everything." She nodded unable to find words to say. She felt strangely warm as he looked at her and moved to her bedroll Alaric had left out for her.

"Can you believe we spoke with King Alistair?" Isla asked to Sampson as he curled around her. Sampson huffed unimpressed. "Well, I think it's amazing. Night, Sam, night, Farda."