Something pushed against Alistair's face over and over. Something soft, plush. It didn't take him long to figure out someone was kissing him all over, just as he had done to Tess the day before. He couldn't open his eyes because she was kissing him so often so fast. He reached up and blindly found her arm, and her kisses slowed. She carefully planed each kiss. Her lips were so soft, so tender, and she made his face tingle.
"Maker…" he murmured. Surely this was the best way to wake up in the morning.
"Actually, I am not the Maker!" she said optimistically.
He smiled and peeked at her with one eye. Without giving any warning, he grabbed her with both arms and pulled her over his body and next to him, and he held her firmly against him. "Oh, blast!" she muttered in defeat. He laughed into her hair. "Don't you dare tell anyone I was ambushed by a sleeping man!"
He giggled and squeezed her tight. "This is amazing, Tess," he told her. "I want to wake up like this every day."
"You want to be smothered with kisses in your sleep every day?"
"Oh, Maker, yes!" he said into her face. Her fingers twitched at his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. "Shall I call for the witch?"
"No need. The witch is here." Morrigan was suddenly there indeed. "'Tis complete." She set a bottle of lyrium potion down dear their heads and walked away. "You are both making me ill!"
Alistair grinned. "Two birds with one stone. I could get to like this."
"Is this always going to happen?" Tess asked.
"As long as you wake me up with a kiss, or forty," he teased, "then I will feel like cuddling." Her fingers clenched again, and he wrapped his hand around hers. She flinched yet again within his hand, and he reached above his head until his fingers found the tiny bottle. He watched her as her mouth closed around the tiny rim. Her throat move as the blue liquid disappeared from the bottle.
He took the opportunity to press his lips to her cheek, lingering as long as she let him. To his surprise, she didn't stop him. She reached around and held the back of his head. "I have never wanted to wake up solely to see someone before," he whispered, brushing his lips against her silky skin. Her face turned in toward him a bit.
"I have never not wanted to leave a man when he fell asleep, before." Her fingers grabbed what they could at the back of his head. "You are ruining me, Alistair. Assassins aren't suppose to be soft."
"Really? You feel awfully soft from here."
"Oh, shove it! This is your sodding doing!" she gently pushed him. He laughed and curled around her, squeezing her again.
"Would you two stop your intimacies so we can move on?" Morrigan yelled over.
Alistair turned his head to yell back: "We're not naked!"
"Is that even permitted? Two Grey Wardens…"Morrigan trailed off.
Alistair grinned. "What? Caboodling?"
"Oh, Maker!" Tess muttered.
"Fraternizing," Morrigan said flatly.
"That's it! I want out!" Tess quickly got to her feet. "The Archdemon can kill himself!"
"What?" Alistair laughed. "And Morrigan, no. There's nothing wrong with fraternizing." He sat up. "Tess. Where are you going?"
"To find water while you two verbally maim my vicious reputation." She looked back with a smile.
"No! Not without me."
"I just had lyrium. Finish your quarrel!" she called as she walked away.
"No, no, no! You're not really going to leave me here with her, are you?" he whined.
She looked back again. "I am."
"You upset her," Morrigan smirked.
"Oh, shut up!" Alistair snapped. He got to his feet and looked around. The sun was still a bit orange; it wasn't very late in the day yet. He walked the opposite direction Tess had gone to relieve himself, then he wandered, not wanting to return to camp when it was only the apostate waiting there.
He also felt a little naked without his sword or shield. He found a broken branch about the length of his sword and carelessly hit trees and tall weeds as he walked. And he thought of Tesslyn.
Was he pushing his luck with her? Recalling their talk last night, and how he'd wrapped her up and just held her when she woke him up? How serious was she about not wanting him to love her more than just a friend?
"So, tell me if you've heard this one," her voice rang out. He turned, already wearing a smile. "This girlish pirate assassin gets recruited by a bunch of men in dresses -"
He grinned. Her stories so far all turned out good.
"- and then she accidentally runs into the very same Prince she's been working so hard for five years to…elevate."
He lost his smile. "I do not want the throne, Tess."
She held up a finger as she walked nearer. "But he is not what the assassin plans for. He turns her insides to jelly, which now puts her at an impasse on her mission." She paused. "I told you I was trained by an Antivan Crow, yes?"
"Yes, you did," he recalled.
"He told me, the First Rule of being an assassin is never get involved. Don't make friends and don't fall in love. Morrigan has a point, emotions complicate things." She looked out at the forest. "I do plan to put you on the throne. But at this rate…what happens to me then? Assassins aren't good leaders. I suppose I could…just go back to the way I was."
"And what if I want to remain a Grey Warden?" he asked.
"That would make things easier on me. I would still be alive in ten years," she said lightly.
He frowned, apprehensive. "Have you been watching me for five years?"
"Longer, when I've been in the country. Before I was fourteen, I was simply curious to see what you'd do with your birthright. But after the mess with Loghain riddled me, I knew he would only stop if someone who didn't idolize him like a lost puppy was king. Seeing you at the Chantry and at Redcliffe, I knew it was you. It has to be. You're the only person who defies having others restrict his freedom to choose so empathetically."
"Please tell me this isn't what you're really doing!" he groaned.
She frowned, clearly conflicted. "I really wanted to wait as long as possible to tell you. But it's better you know now, than…" her eyes trailed away. "Than later. Than having things continue how we've been acting, and having you feel betrayed."
"Wait. Before you say anything else, you were trying to kill yourself when we met! How can this be a real plan?" he asked.
"It was a plan. I did not expect Howe to massacre my family, though. That alone was enough to make me want to throw the whole plan out. Duncan was able to conscript me because I was too upset to fight him. Can you try imagining my side for a moment? I'm ready to give it all up, and the Maker suddenly delivers me right to you. As soon as we reached Ostagar, Duncan's first order was Find Alistair. And then you talked me off a ledge. You." She met his eyes. "You will likely have no choice, Alistair. I can't let you deny your position when you could put a stop to the rest of the Loghains in Fereldan. In the past five years, I've been home twice – no, I've been in Fereldan twice, for a month each. I have played lovers, bards, Chanters, I've broken into houses to seduce people in various ways to get knowledge and approval and support-"
"Tess, I do not want the throne," he insisted. "It's always been made clear to me that it was never in my future. I'm content not being king. I hate leading. I hate being responsible for people."
"You do fine with me," she tried to point out.
He sighed. "It's different with you. I like you. When you woke me up like that…I can still feel it, my skin still tingles. You're an exception because I like you. And you're one person, you are not an entire nation full of…starving people, and quarrels over titles, and petitions and refugees and…keeping the peace. I'm not good at leading."
"You led Jory and Daveth well," she commended. "And you are my inspiration for continuing. I'm not talking about finding the king, I'm talking about your friendship. The kind of friend you are."
"And helping a pretty girl because I like her shape and how she giggles qualifies me to be a good kinghow?" he asked.
She raised one brow slightly higher. "You can't pull that over me, Alistair. It's not just physical, you know that. You carried an assassin to help her."
"That still doesn't make me a king."
"No, your father made you a king. Future king. Maric knew where babies come from, believe me. Otherwise, Cailan must have seemed like pure magic." She looked away for a second. "Cailan knew. He knew I was in Orlais to try to convince Celene to support Fereldan under your rule. That whole marriage blessing he gave us was for when you take the crown. He stubbornly made me promise to take care of you. To marry you and take care of you and make sure something like Loghain never happens again to the king." She grimaced. "Sodding bastard was thousand times more clever than I ever gave him credit for." She met his eyes. "He fought with Duncan because he wanted to die fighting beside someone he trusted. He willingly went to his death for you…for us." She let out a deep, disappointed sigh. "The tower was supposed to be safe. Blast him! He bloody sent us there. He was trying to make sure we survived." She sighed again. "Long live the King."
"You had better be ready, boy," Alistair recited her words at the end of the bridge. "You were talking about this, about making me king. Dammit, Tess." He didn't like this one bit.
"I told you, you wouldn't like it. You may even hate me for it."
"I still like you, but I hate your idea." He growled and whacked a tree sharply, breaking the stick. "Great. Just…fantastic. Can we stop talking about this? Please?"
"As you wish…my Prince."
His eyes flew to her. She wore a sweet, alluring, come-hither look on her face. He knew it was a play, too. He tried not to smile. He still didn't like the idea of being king, but dammit if she wasn't trying to sweeten him up so he'd reconsider. "Have you been saving that?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes large. "It's been driving me mad! You have no idea!" She seemed genuinely happy. Carefree, no forced smile. He hadn't seen her so loose before.
He couldn't hold his smile in any longer. "That is not funny," he said with a goofy grin.
"But it is!" She was so excited she could barely contain herself. "It feels so good that you know that I know!" she gushed. "I am never letting you live this down! Especially all that manly giggling at Ostagar!" every word was rushed with glee. She leaped away with her arms out. "Eyyy oooh ba ya dabum," she belted out, dancing away from him. Her mabari romped over to jump around her, just as excited.
"Is that your victory dance?" Alistair mused. As much as he didn't want this woman in particular trying to make him king, he absolutely adored seeing her like this. She was silly and fun, and her voice was just as lovely as she was.
"You think I should do this after I slay the Archdemon?" She glanced back at him.
He laughed a little. "I'd pay to see that."
She was grinning like it was stuck to her face. "It's part of an Orleasian nursery rhyme. I am a little wyvern and I'm still kind of young, mama says I'm clumsy but I think it's all fun, I like to hide in bushes and chase the butterflies, and sometimes I trip over but I don't really mind, Eyyy oooh ba ya da bum, Eyyy oooh ba ya da bum!" she belted, shaking her hips and dancing in circles with her dog.
"Chase butterflies?" he echoed, unable to wipe the smile off his own face. "And you're singing this about me?"
She looked at him as she danced away to this music in her head. "Eyyy oooh -"
"Yes, eyyy oooh," he chimed in, following her.
"Nicely done, Your Majesty." She incorporated a deep bow into her dance.
"Even better!" he joked sarcastically. "Do you know any other Orleasian nursery rhymes that remind you of me?"
"No. Well, yes! Sort of! But it has flowers in it. Throw my petals to the King, My flowers lie before…" she froze. "Er, well, that actually rather sounds like a consort's song, or something. Not a child's farewell."
He laughed. "That explains a lot about Orlais, actually."
"A little too much," she said with wide eyes.
"Weren't you looking for water?" he teased.
"Hm?" She turned in such innocent query that told him she had completely forgotten. "Oh! Yes! But then I started looking for wood to make a new bow, and then I saw you."
"I've never seen you this happy," he marveled.
She paused. "I think I used to be…before everything."
"So…what's new?" he asked.
"I…you know that I know that you're a prince?" she guessed with a shrug.
"Likely," he said dully. "Is it really that exciting to you? Honestly?"
"It's not the fact that you are a prince, it's that I don't have to pretend like I don't know anymore. It's a hard secret to keep, you know. And I wasn't so sure that you even knew."
"Am I more attractive as a prince?"
"You're forgetting, you've always been a prince to me. This is not new information for me. The only new thing is that now you know that I've always known."
"You're avoiding the question, Tess," he joked seriously.
She laughed. "Oh…" she sighed. "I am still attracted to you. Your brother didn't have half of your body. I'd much rather have you with me."
"And…what part of my body is attractive to you?" he asked slyly.
Her eyes narrowed. "I see what you're doing here."
He grinned. "Stop deflecting. It's just us, anyway."
She stared at him, eyes first, then her gaze traveled down his body. "Your buttocks."
He even blushed a little. "That explains what you did in the compound."
She smiled shyly. "I do like your bottom a lot. And the bulge of your groin. I also happen to be attracted to large shoulders, and you have them." She paused, looking distracted. "And your arms. And your thighs…and calves…Oh Maker! I need to find some water!" She immediately turned and walked briskly.
Alistair couldn't stop smiling. "Wait! Hey! Tess!" He went after her, but she didn't slow or stop. He picked up his pace. "Tesslyn. Wait." He stopped her in her tracks by enveloping her in his arms from behind. "I'm sorry," he told her, doing nothing except hug her.
"One day, you will know the torture of wanting someone like this. You can only know it by lying with someone." She rested her head back on his shoulder with closed eyes. "It's like a knot." She took his hand and folded into a fist. "It itches from inside." She brought his fist down to rest just above her womanly parts.
He was tempted to touch her, to slip his fingers between the weave of her makeshift dress. He did want to touch the hair at her center, wanted to hold her hips… He flattened his hand against her, and she gave a quiet gasp.
He put his lips to her shoulder and slid his hand up her arm to lock his arms where he had originally hugged her. "Not here. I'm not…not yet. But someday, when we have a moment to breathe and have a bed, and no swooping witches, you can show me how torturous I am to you."
"For the record," she said a little breathlessly, "Cailan could never make me feel this way."
He smiled and pressed his mouth to the side of her head. "Good."
"This severely complicates things, Alistair."
"Oh. The king thing."
"You're awfully thrilled about this, Alistair. People will start thinking you want the throne!" she said.
"Cute. What part is complicating?" he asked.
"Fereldan needs you."
"So do you."
"Therein lies the complication."
"If it comes to that – if – you could take it, too."
"Oh, right. You think those glittering pisscoat nobles in the landsmeet would let a murderous pirate wench on the throne? With this mouth? Not a sodding chance! I'd have to smash in all their gleamin' jewels just to show 'em I was serious!"
He giggled. "I'd put you on the throne with that mouth."
"That would go over – wait." She turned her head toward his. "Too? Like, together?"
He smiled at her easy distraction. "Mm-hm. If you're bound and determined to put me on the throne, I am taking you down with me."
"Hey, now, no threats."
He grinned into her shoulder. "You think I want to spend the rest of my days in a silly coat listening to glittering pisscoat nobles over whose side of the land the top of a tree belongs to? No way. If you make me do this, you are utterly suffering with me."
"What a punishment."
"If you want the throne alone, be my guest."
"I mean, what a punishment to be married to such a wonderful man."
"Of course you did," he giggled.
"I did," she insisted. "No one else has ever done so much for me...Alistair?"
"Tesslyn?"
"There's no water around here, is there?"
He laughed. "No, I don't suppose so. Lothering's river runs east to west."
"Blast! Were you just going to let me wander all giddy and singing and frolicking through the woods like some elf?"
He laughed harder. "I honestly wasn't thinking about water." He closed his eyes. "Can we go back to bed?"
"Lothering is still two days away."
"And we have all day left. Is it too much to ask just to cuddle?"
"Morrigan is still here. She will oppose the idea."
"Do you oppose it?:
"No. I like it when you hold me."
He groaned. "And I'm hungry."
"Me too."
He sighed. "Fine." He planted one last kiss on the crook of her neck before letting her lead him back to camp.