Caveat : I haven't read The Calling. I tried to reference the events in that as little as possible while still giving Alistair information. I did refer to David Gaider's posts on timelines from BSN so hopefully its all good on that front. Apologies as always if I've erred on any salient points.
Edit - I've tweaked some of the dialogue. Hopefully its now clearer and easier to follow. Thanks for everyone who's reviewed and please prod me if I fall into my bad habits again!
...
"I feel fine." Teagan pressed his lips together to stop the smile when Gwyn frowned at him. "Really my lady, I'm fine."
"We don't have time for Teagan to lay about in bed. He's well enough for this."
"But ser." Gwyn sighed and nodded when Alistair lifted his eyebrow at her. "Yes ser."
"Now if that's settled?" Alistair glanced around the room at the other occupants. No one had any other objections. "I'd like to know what's going on. Who told the Banns about my mother?"
"Isolde. Alfstanna told me what was brewing and I." Teagan stopped when Alistair smirked at him. "I'm not allowed to speak to a fellow Bann?"
"No, no. Nothing wrong with 'speaking' to a fellow Bann. Nothing at all." Particularly not when the fellow Bann was a woman like Alfstanna.
"Hmm." After eyeing him for a moment, Teagan let it go. "As I say, Alfstanna, told me the Banns were, aware, of your parentage and that someone was stirring them up. It wasn't too difficult to narrow it down to Isolde. From what I could find out, while she was in Denerim with Eamon she let a hint drop in Bann Ceorlic's ear. That was enough. He's a Loghain apologist, as you know, and just looking for an excuse to cause trouble for you."
"Excuse me ser? He didn't question it at all?" Gwyn knew it wasn't her place, but thought this was important enough to interrupt.
"No, he appears to have seized on it eagerly. I'm sure Isolde was very convincing." Teagan knew what Alistair would want to know. "Your father promised your mother you wouldn't be told. That he'd raise you as human."
Alistair frowned at that. "Why?"
"Sorry ser, but is that a serious question?" Gwyn was surprised Alistair needed to ask. "I'd do the same if I had a baby with a human. Give it a proper life, not be treated like its nothing because its an elf."
Alistair supposed he could see a mother wanting to do that. "If that's true, why Eamon? His wife's brother? That seems a little, inconsiderate."
"Maric trusted Eamon to look after you." How many arguments had they had about Eamon's way of caring for Alistair? Too many. Teagan wondered if he'd have been better to have insisted on taking Alistair to his own home and raising him. Too late for regrets now.
"He did his best." That loyalty seemed hollow now but was instinctive. Alistair had believed for so long that Eamon had done his best raising him. Now he wondered if believing that had stopped him from thinking too closely about the way he'd been treated.
"Did he? I don't think he did, but it hardly matters now. We have more pressing issues to deal with." Teagan tried to move the conversation back where it was the most useful.
"Yes, of course. The Banns." Unable to sit still, Alistair paced the room, thinking it out. "The Banns are in uproar, civil war is threatening, no time to be worrying about the past."
Teagan watched him for a few moments. Poor bastard, he'd done nothing to deserve this. Alistair would have been much better off if that Warden had named Anora to rule alone. Much better.
"I still believe things will settle if we get you out of the country. Without a figurehead, any support for you will have to dissipate. Anora is capable, she's proven that, and the Banns should accept her as ruler. They want civil war as little as we do. Of course by coming here you've made it a lot harder to actually get you away safely."
"Why would Eamon send his men to kill me? It doesn't make any sense." Alistair still wanted to believe it was a mistake.
"I wasn't aware he had until you mentioned it. Isolde was behaving erratically and as I was intending to travel home, Eamon asked that I bring her here. Then events overtook us and we've been trapped."
"When did Alfstanna tell you about the Banns?" Alistair wondered how a messenger had reached him so quickly.
"The day I sent the message to Anora. I sent her home, this is hardly the place for her and she has Waking Sea to deal with."
"And you lived to boast of it? Did she at least give you some bruises?" The idea of Teagan telling Alfstanna what to do was, well, funny, and Alistair had to smile.
"Very funny. I didn't put it to her quite that way. I managed to convince her to leave for a while, and Alfstanna did want to tend to her own people." When Alistair's eyebrow lifted Teagan shifted but refused to be embarrassed. "Anything else is hardly your concern."
Alistair settled for a smirk. "Is Eamon siding with the Banns in this? Do you think he'd do that?"
"Eamon will do whatever he thinks will gain him the most benefit." How long had Teagan wanted to say that aloud? "It would seem a losing battle, one man against the whole of the Bannorn. The king can't keep power without their support and if enough of them withdraw it, you'd either have to step down or gather your own supporters and fight."
Alistair put his thoughts into words, thinking aloud. "So, you're saying, Eamon would rather kill me than chance I'd lose a battle with the Banns? Assuming I'd even gather enough support to start a fight in the first place? Even if I had stayed in Denerim to make a stand, he could have thrown his lot in with them and not me."
"Begging your pardon sers?" Gwyn had listened to them discussing this and she thought the answer was clear. "Eamon knew who your mother was when he put you forward to rule, yes?"
"Yes." They spoke at the same time, then Teagan shook his head and spoke. "Yes, he knew, but I'm not sure why that's relevant?"
"If I can work that out ser, surely the Banns could too? Best to kill Alistair so they don't think about it too much." Gwyn waved a hand to emphasise her words. "Even if he did take their side, they'd realise eventually. He's responsible for putting an elf on the throne of Ferelden." The waving hand gestured across her throat.
"I hadn't thought of that. Well done Gwyn, beautiful and intelligent." Teagan grinned when she flushed. "That means if Eamon learns Alistair is here he'll try again. He'll keep trying until he succeeds."
"He's in Denerim?" Gwyn tried to picture a map in her head.
"Gwyn. No." Alistair could almost see what she was thinking. "You're not going to Denerim to kill Eamon."
"But ser."
"No." He saw that stubborn expression, the one he'd seen in the Brecillian Forest. "I said, no. I'm in Command, aren't I?"
"You." After slamming her fist on the table she jumped to her feet. "Yes. Ser." With that Gwyn turned and stormed out.
"Very well done Alistair. Never reason with a woman, give them orders, that'll work very well." Teagan waited until Alistair was glaring at him instead of the door before finishing. "That was sarcasm in case you missed my point."
"You don't know her, she's, stubborn as a Mabari once something gets into her head. I wouldn't put it past her to sneak out even after I told her not to go." Alistair worried she'd get hurt or, Maker forbid, killed.
"As much as I hate to say it, Gwyn may be right. We may have no choice but to kill Eamon." Teagan had never thought to hear himself say that. Kill his own brother. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"I'm sorry Teagan, this is my fault. I should have gone to the Vigil. Curse it!"
"The Vigil? Vigil's Keep? The wardens? Yes. Perfect. Even the Banns would think twice about attacking you there. Is that there where Gwyn came from?" That would explain how Alistair managed to find himself such a useful companion.
"What? Yes. She's one of Howe's scouts, he sent her to fetch me." Something Alistair was grateful for every day.
"Clever of him. Well, we can do no less than to follow his advice. You'll take Gwyn and go Vigil's Keep. I'd suggest going up this side of Lake Calenhad and along the top of Ferelden. Much faster and you're less likely to run into Eamon's men."
"Run away?"
"Maker, yes, run away. We'll all be much safer with you out of the country. Take a boat somewhere. I'd suggest the Free Marches but I hear they're having problems there. Antiva or Rivain perhaps?" Teagan could see Alistair wanted to refuse.
Alistair paced again, thinking about it. Running away seemed, cowardly, but here he was being presented with that as his only real option. "Tell me about my mother."
"Your mother?" That seemed a little strange. "Why?"
"Just tell me what you know."
"Fiona, was a warden and came to Ferelden with Genevieve. She travelled with your father and the other wardens into the Deep Roads. I believe that's where they became, involved." Teagan tried to remember what Eamon had told him.
Genevieve? "Duncan knew." Halting suddenly Alistair turned to face Teagan. "Duncan knew didn't he?"
"I'd assume so. I can't say for certain." Teagan could see that was more distressing to Alistair than the idea that Eamon wanted him dead.
"You said 'was' a warden, is she dead?" Better to think about his mother than Duncan. What Duncan might have known and not told him.
"I don't know. Its possible she's still alive." Teagan could see Alistair was disturbed by what he'd heard. "They did what they thought best Alistair, all of them."
"Yes. I'm sure they did what was best for them. Never mind me, what I might have wanted."
"You heard what Gwyn said, she'd make the same choice." Teagan thought Alistair saw it as just one more thing he had no control over. Poor bastard.
"She'd give her child to a stranger to raise? A stranger who'd give that child as little care and attention as possible before sending him off to be caged by the Chantry! I don't think so. In fact I'd go as far as to say she'd kill anyone who suggested it." Alistair thought he knew Gwyn well enough to say that.
"Fiona gave her child to his father. Gave you to Maric to raise. Anything that happened after that is his fault, not hers. She did what she thought she had to."
Something seemed, odd, to Alistair. "Why did Maric give me to Eamon? His wife was dead. There was no reason for him to hide me away."
"I don't know." Teagan had his suspicions but wouldn't voice them to Alistair. Did Maric worry about the succession? Cailan was older but that meant nothing. If Alistair had grown up better suited to ruling, more capable, there may have been problems. It was impossible to know for certain with Maric long dead. Eamon may know but it was doubtful they'd find out from him. "I'm sorry Alistair but I don't know."
"Alright." There was little point badgering Teagan for information he didn't have. "I think you're right. As much as I'd prefer to fight, its best I leave."
"It is. I know that's difficult to believe but it is." Relieved Alistair had seen reason, Teagan, let out his breath.
"What about you? Eamon will find out his men are dead."
"True. However, I'm not a friendless, former king with no resources. I have my own men and some support from other Banns. Eamon may try to kill me but he'll try at risk of his own life. Once you're on your way to Vigil's Keep, I'll take my men home to Rainesfere. If we make it safely, Eamon should have the good sense to leave us alone."
"Am I allowed a night of rest before you throw us out into the cold?" Decision made now, Alistair felt better. Even if he didn't like the decision, it was still a decision and that was something.
"Of course. My men have locked Isolde in her room and I've set two of them to watch her. She shouldn't bother you again."
"She bothers me because she's right in one way. I killed her son. Whether justified or not its still a horrific thing." Thinking about Connor still made Alistair angry, at the futility and waste of it. Poor child hadn't deserved his fate.
"I know Alistair, but don't forget Isolde's choices caused the problem in the first place. She bears some of the responsibility for what happened. I think that's why she's so determined to punish you, so she can forget how guilty she is."
. . .
"I've agreed with Teagan that its best if I leave."
"Yes ser." Gwyn could see he wasn't happy about it. "Its best."
"I know that. I am just tired of leaving other people to face my problems. First Anora and now Teagan." Sighing, Alistair leaned back against the door.
"Ser. Alistair. If you stay, they'll kill you. Kill me, kill a lot of people. Is that what you want?"
"No and that's why I'm leaving." Once again he was trapped by events beyond his control. "Curse this. I didn't want to be king. Did you know that?"
"No ser, I didn't." Gwyn held her hand out to encourage him to come closer. He did thankfully and sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand between his. "Why didn't you want to be king?"
"Who in their mind would? I wanted to be a Grey Warden, its the only thing I ever really wanted to be. Being king, much like being a Templar, was forced on me."
"Oghren said you wanted to be king. Asked to be made king."
"Did he mention I was angry at the time? Very angry in fact." Her head shook. "I didn't think so. Caethes, she recruited Loghain and I wanted him dead. I lost my temper and when they wouldn't execute him, I took the throne so I could do it." Alistair hadn't quite realised he had a temper until then. It had surprised him as much as Caethes when he'd lost it that day.
"You didn't though, he killed that Archdemon didn't he?"
"He did. Died very heroically. Which is probably better now for Anora but at the time it made me even angrier. People forget you see and now they'll only remember him as a hero, not that he abandoned us at Ostagar, tried to have Eamon killed, sold Ferelden citizens into slavery and caused a civil war."
"Loghain wanted Eamon dead? Why ser?" Gwyn couldn't remember that she'd heard that before.
"To keep him out of the way and avoid the trouble that did happen. We cured Eamon and he called a Landsmeet." Alistair still shuddered thinking about Haven and the people there.
"Ser. I know I wasn't there and all, but did Loghain say why he did it?" He frowned at her. "Only I'm thinking, what if it wasn't for that reason? If Eamon is willing to kill you off to save himself, might there be other things he'd do as well?"
"Jowan, the mage who poisoned Eamon, he said Loghain told him Eamon was a danger." At the time they'd assumed it was a lie told to Jowan to ensure his cooperation. Why lie though? Jowan was on his way to execution, surely offering him his life should have been enough?
"Could be he told the truth. Do you reckon Loghain knew something about Eamon? Something maybe no one else knows?" Gwyn knew nobles kept secrets, maybe some had bigger secrets than others.
"Its possible but it sounds a little unlikely. If Eamon was truly a danger why not publicly denounce him, have him brought to the Seneschal in Denerim?" Alistair sighed, this was pointless. "It doesn't matter now. We're off to the Vigil in the morning, which I'm sure will please you."
"Yes ser. Morning ser?" Gwyn tugged on their clasped hands, pulling him closer. "You reckon you'd like to share the bed with me?"
"I'm not sure. How much room will you take up?" It seemed a shame to kiss that smile, he saw it saw so rarely. Alistair did it anyway, some things were worth sacrificing for.
"Not too much, I reckon you'll manage." Gwyn loved hearing Alistair laugh, even if it was only a quick laugh at her silly joke.