The ship creaked and groaned as it rode the waves back to Denerim. There was joyous laughter, tankards raised in multiple toasts and reminiscing of past adventures. The mess tables below decks were crammed elbow to elbow with people, platters of food, and tankards of ale.

Elanna sat next to Alistair, on the end of one bench. She nursed a single tankard of ale, barely touching it. She let the conversation wash over her, enjoying the warmth that Alistair supplied, and not really contributing aside from the occasional laugh and smile as Ari, Alistair, Anders and Nathaniel told tales of long nights on the road.

Alistair leaned over and murmured, "Are you alright?" in her ear.

Elanna nodded, touched him lightly on the knee. "I just need some fresh air."

He ran his thumb over her knuckles and gave her a smile. "Take your time."

Elanna ducked her head as she headed through the portal to the upper deck. The night air was cool on her face, she lifted her gaze up to the skies and a smile curved her lips as she stared up at the stars. She rubbed her arms, her fingers brushing scars old and new on her biceps.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it?" Ari said softly as she emerged from the shadows. The dark blue robes swishing against her legs. "I was one of the few lucky ones that had access to a small window. Every night...I'd just look up at the stars. Of course it was only a limited view." She paused and let out a sigh. "My first night out of the tower, I kinda understood why the dwarves got scared that they'd fall into the sky."

"It's a big, beautiful world out there." Elanna leaned on the railing, staring over into the foaming phosphorescence of the ocean. "I have spent so many nights out under the stars, that it feels comforting." She rubbed her lower lip with a contemplative finger. "I didn't think I was going to get out of that dungeon. I thought I had seen the skies for the last time. I thought I had seen many things for the last time, and I felt nothing but regret."

Ari nodded in understanding, leaning against the railing she looked down on her hands. "I'm glad we got to you in time. Alistair wasn't making it easy. He can be downright stubborn." Ari paused lifting her head she studied Ela. "The mission...concerning Anora...?"

"What do you want to know?" Elanna asked, her eyes narrowing, shoulders stiffening.

"Nothing." Ari sighed and turned to look out in the ocean. "She is dead. Alistair is safe. Unless of course he pisses someone off. There is nothing more I can do for him." She reached up and rubbed her face. "Are you planning on leaving once we return?"

Elanna remained silent for a time. She studied Ari thoughtfully. "You care very much for him, don't you?"

Ari nodded her head slowly as her breath hitched. "To be brutally honest, I still love him." She paused and let out a soft sigh. "But it feels different now. Maybe with a touch of bitterness that the only reason I'm not with him is because I'm a Mage. Don't get me wrong, I love Nathaniel and I have an inkling that it'll be two weddings. But it doesn't mean I don't want him to move on and be happy."

"Mmmm." Elanna turned to stare out at the inky darkness of the surging ocean. She took a breath in. "I'm not in love with him. Not yet. But there is something there. I would be disappointed if he cannot come to terms with his past, nor if there would be enmity between us if something did come to pass between Alistair and I. My life has been solitary thus far, and I would be exchanging that freedom for a life in the public eye." She glanced back at Ari. "I would be saddened if the few friends I do have, feel they cannot talk to me."

Ari smiled and tugged her robe tighten around her body. "Didn't I tell you? You're stuck with us now. And you do realize what I'm going to say, eh?" Ari grinned and stepped closer to Ela. "I was right that you two would be good for each other. Sometimes taking a step back gives you perspective."

Elanna held out her hand toward Ari. "I know not what future lies between Alistair and I, but I thank you for your friendship."

The awkward gesture was rather endearing really….

"Alistair didn't tell ya... I'm a hugger." Ari grinned and wrapped her arms around Ela giving her a slight squeeze before quickly pulling back. "I better return downstairs, Nathaniel is probably going to start wondering where I am."

Elanna gave a grunt when she was hugged, and patted Ari nervously on the back. When the other woman brought up Nathaniel though, Elanna's expression went a little uneasy. "I owe him an apology." She grimaced. "I have treated him poorly for actions that were not his own. He helped save my life."

Ari smiled and nodded. "You two were in the same boat. Can you believe he wanted me dead at some point? Watching him overcome himself... it was strange. Of course I did a lot of spying on him in bird form. For uh... reasons?" She said a blush staining her cheeks.

"Uh huh," Elanna said drily, her eyebrow arching in amusement.

"What are you both talking about?" Alistair's voice interrupted their interlude.

Elanna smiled. Actually smiled, at the sight of him. She leaned back on the railing. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Ari grinned at Alistair a teasing glint in her eye. "We were talking about your obsession with stinky disgusting cheese."

"Really? Because it sounded like you were talking about spying on me." Nathaniel remarked behind Alistair.

"That's not really a thing, is it?" Elanna innocently made a liar out of Ari when she wrinkled her nose at Alistair.

Alistair laughed, his voice booming over the deck. He approached Elanna, his eyes drawn to hers, and leaned on the railing next to her. His voice went husky, and a little bit sexy, "Do you mind if we discuss matters other than my preferences for cheese?" He leaned forward and whispered something in Elanna's ear. She went a little pink. There may have been mention of something...academic.

She cleared her throat. "Apparently I have matters I need to discuss with His Majesty."

Alistair beamed innocently. "Important matters." He caught Elanna's hand in his and tugged her toward the captain's cabin, vacated for the use of the King of Ferelden.

Elanna sent Ari an apologetic look.

Ari smiled in return and turned her attention towards Nathaniel. "Bed?" She asked softly as she moved closer to him.

The flagship of the Denerim fleet was quite richly appointed for a warship. Alistair's cabin was no exception. It was like a tiny little apartment. Elanna stared around her in wonder as Alistair closed the cabin door.

She turned to study him. He was not wearing his armour, dressed more modestly in the garb of a sailor. A simple shirt and breeches. She felt a little more on equal footing here.

"Would you like something to drink?" Alistair asked, gesturing to the table. Several bottles clinked softly in their holders.

"Thankyou, no. I'm quite alright."

A tiny little recline sofa sat in one corner, overlooking a large window. This was the library. No really. A tiny bookshelf was bolted to the floor, the doors latched shut. Alistair moved toward the sofa and held out his hand toward Elanna.

A brief pause and she joined him, moving slowly toward the seat. He did not let go of her hand.

"How are you feeling?" He entwined his fingers in hers.

"Are you asking because you want to have sex with me?" Elanna asked bluntly.

Surprised, he laughed. "No." He coughed to cover up the laughter. "No. I do actually care. I brought you here so we might have some time away from the others." His eyes crinkled with amusement. "If it so happened that you wanted to make love, I'm sure I could rise to the occasion."

Elanna let out a decidedly unmistakable, unladylike snort. She clapped her hand over her mouth.

Alistair paused and blushed. "Erm … I mean … not rise. Although the situation would clearly necessitate 'rising'. I just wanted to assure you that, in the aforementioned meaning of rise, I wanted you to know …"

She shut him up with a kiss. It was chaste at first, tasting of ale and the bread and cheese they had partaken of for supper. Then hands started touching. His big, broad palm skimmed up her thigh. Her hand, the one not still held in his, curved over his neck, her thumb sliding over his rough jawline. When her fingernails slid up into his hair, he groaned and … well ...just sort of pulled her onto his lap. His hand had curved over her thigh and she was deposited squarely … right … there.

She wriggled and broke the kiss just enough to whisper, "Speaking of rising."

Alistair cleared his throat, and that rather adorable blush swept up his face again. She used the hand behind his head to pull his lips forward again. The kiss deepened. Her tongue traced the curve of his lips before they opened again and they tasted of each other with increasing desperation.

The rocking of the boat. The rather intoxicating effect of his lips. His hands on her butt. No wonder it took her a little longer than usual to gain a sense of equilibrium. Every single sensation was tugging her further into the murky depths of desire. Hell, she was even grinding on his lap. Grinding! She hadn't done that since she was a teenager.

"You are blushing." His voice was husky. "I thought that was my curse. I didn't think you could blush."

"You make me blush." Elanna cupped his face in her own scarred, calloused palms.

"Good." His hands traced up her spine. "Back to my original question. How are you feeling?"

Elanna studied his honest, open face and had to smile. "Thanks to your friends, I am better than I ever hoped to be."

"Good." His eyes kept dropping to her lips. "I really am glad to hear it."

"Alistair?" Elanna frowned slightly, hesitating a moment.

His gaze met hers. "What is it?"

"Why do you not want to break the betrothal?"

Alistair chewed on the inside of his cheek, his thumbs caressing circles on the tight muscle of her back. She lowered her hands from his face to his chest, his delay making her uneasy. Was he about to tell her that actually, yes, he did? She hated it. She had never been an uncertain person. What was it about this man that was making her uncertain?

"At first, I did. I was angry that Teagan had forced me into the position of allying our families and I didn't even know who you were," Alistair said finally. "But then you intrigued me. Hell, you seemed to laugh at me. You didn't give a damn that I was the King. I had met so many fawning young ladies pushed into my path by hopeful parents that I had despaired. And then that day on the road when you saved my life. I realised that I wanted to be your match, I wanted to be yours."

Elanna blinked, confusion in her eyes. "You … wanted to be mine?"

"Yes." Alistair brought up a hand and touched her cheek, his thumb tracing over her cheek, and then her lower lip. "Very much. But then you left and I believed you did not want me."

"But I … "

He stilled her words with a touch. "Let me finish. I only wished to say what was in my heart and in my head."

She nodded mutely.

"When I discovered that you had been captured by the Crows the rage in me was great. Here was this woman who had entered a false betrothal to save my life because my friends wanted me safe. I couldn't have let you remain there and remain who I am. I would have become a lesser man had I let others go in my stead.

Alistair took her hand in his, pulling it close to his chest.

"And I heard Nathaniel and Ari speaking on our journey there. I realised we had met as children."

Elanna frowned again. "I don't remember."

Alistair smiled. "No. I wouldn't have thought so. You stopped Cailin from hitting me. I had been warned so often not to strike the Princeling, I had gotten in so much trouble when I had, that I figured just to let it happen. It would be over all the sooner and I wouldn't be in trouble. But you came flying in on that beast of a horse and just lit into him. He didn't want to admit he had been beaten up by Elanna Cousland, he never said a word as to how he got his injuries. You held out your hand and helped me up. Gave me a handkerchief."

Elanna studied his features, trying to see the boy in the man before her. She was still mystified. "I remember the incident, but …"

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with a gentle touch. "You thought I was a stable boy. Hardly a surprise."

Elanna scowled fiercely. "That doesn't matter. I would have preferred any stableboy to a King if that King were Cailin. They were trying to sort our betrothal then, but my beating him put paid to that."

Alistair laughed softly, his voice a rumble in the dim light. "Do you think you could prefer a King now, if that King were I?"

Elanna's expression cleared and a faint smile curved her lips. "Perhaps." She leaned forward and rested her brow on his. "Yes. Yes, I think I might."

He kissed her fiercely, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. He held her closer. She made the first move, tugging first her shirt over her head and tossing it aside. She wore no bra or band.

Elanna yanked at the hem of his shirt and Alistair leaned forward while she pulled it up. He lifted his arms. The cuffs caught on his wrists and instead of untangling it, she caught his wrists and held them behind his head. He looked at her, surprised.

Elanna leaned forward and brushed a kiss over his lips. Her fingers trailed down his bare chest, nails lightly scratching until goosebumps rose on his flesh. He drew in a sharp breath when she traced across the hard ridges of his lower belly. She still held his wrists in a light grip, but now released them, tugging off the shirt to drop soundlessly to the deck.

Alistair cupped his hands over her neck, kissing her fiercely, before sliding them over her shoulders, then down the silky skin of her chest to cup her breasts. The rough skin of his palms created a frisson that peaked her nipples. He plucked them between thumb and forefinger, bringing a shudder up her spine that he felt in his groin.

She rested her hands on his chest and closed her eyes against the sensations, taking a slow breath and releasing it as his hands left her breasts and traced the ridges of her abdomen, and down the lean muscles of her thighs. The backs of his fingertips trailed back up her inner thigh and she held her breath. Close. So close. And he teasingly skimmed past her groin and around to her butt. He flicked his fingers in a move that bordered on ticklish and instead made her squirm. The bastard. She heard him chuckle. Two could play at that game.

Elanna opened her eyes, and met his gaze. His eyes were intense, alight with amusement. She had never made love with a man who liked laughing as much as he did, despite everything. She used just one finger, the one she had drawn back a thousand bowstrings with, the one with a scar all the way down one side where she had been sliced in hand to hand combat with a Qunari merc. She used that one finger, and traced his lower lip. His smile faded. Her lips followed her finger, pressing lightly over that kiss swollen flesh. Her finger traced his jaw, her lips following. Down to his throat.

He tilted his head back and his breath caught as she closed her lips over his thundering pulse. Licks, the drag of teeth and at the base of his neck, the sudden suction that would leave a mark and no doubt earn him some snickers. He didn't give a damn. He realised what she was doing; her finger was giving him a tantalising heads up where her lips were going to follow. Maker's breath, she was going to kill him. He had forgotten to breathe in the past minute and his head was spinning. The fingertip was now dragging over his left nipple and it was making his gut clench. When her lips caught up and ... oh hell ...there they were, he was going to have to stop this before he embarrassed himself. She was squirming on his lap, and oh boy had he 'risen to the occasion', risen so bloody hard it hurt.

She placed a single kiss over his heart, and then brought her lips back to his, letting that finger trace down his abdomen. His hands tightened on her thighs, then slid back to her arse. He liked her arse. Hell, she liked it. It was a good arse. And she was forgetting what she was meant to be doing. Oh right. Making him lose his mind. Better get on that.

She nearly laughed. 'Get on that'. Then figured, why not.

Her groin slid into his and gave a nice little bump and grind that left him moaning into her mouth. She bit his lower lip gently.

"Are we going to get to the good bit, or shall we just dry hump on the couch like naughty teenagers?" Her voice held a note of honeyed huskiness that she couldn't stop. She really didn't want to stop.

"While that idea has merit …" Alistair mumbled, his eyes unfocused as she, well frankly, she dry humped him again. "...and if it gets too much better I might just pass out."

Elanna did laugh then. She couldn't help it. He made her laugh. So few people made her laugh. It died on her lips with a gasp when his hand curved over her groin and his fingers pressed insistently into the damp heat there, the fabric between them a barrier, but not much of one.

"What do you like?" he asked huskily, his lips a breath from hers.

He was alternating between slow circles over her clit and sliding all fingertips the length of her groin and back up to circle again. But he wasn't … quite… there. She shifted and curving her hand over his, guided him to the … Maker's bloody breath …. right there. She rode his hand with slow movements, her brow pressed to his. Her eyes drifted closed and their breaths mingled as he teased and tantalised her, almost … everything was drawing tight. She had long since lost any sense of time or where the everliving fuck she even was. Sounds were coming from her lips that had no resemblance to actual speech.

Alistair watched her come undone in his arms. She was bowed back, and it was only his arm that kept her grounded. Her lips were in an 'oh' of desire, her breath coming in gasps. Her hands were curled on his shoulders, barely hanging on. He wanted to stop, wanted to be inside her when she came, but no. No, he wanted to see her scatter into pieces and know he had been the cause.

And when she came, it was with a loud cry that almost echoed. He figured others heard it, but he just didn't give a damn. She collapsed bonelessly against him, her breath coming in gasps, washing over his neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her voice was rich with laughter when she finally spoke.

"Grinding like teenagers it is."

Alistair chuckled, hitching slightly when her hand drifted down to splay over his heart. "I suppose so."

They sat quietly for a few moments longer, his fingers trailing patterns over her back. Elanna pressed a kiss over his heart again, and slowly stood up. Toeing off her boots, she tugged at the strings at her waist and let the pants drop, watching Alistair's face with a smile on her lips. She stepped forward. "Come on, I'm not going to sex you into a coma while sitting on that couch. Bed please." She held out her hand.

Alistair took it, and she tugged him upright. He brought her up for a kiss, before her fingertips scritched their way down his chest, abdomen, tangling in the light dusting of hair above his groin, and found the strings of his breeches. She pulled them playfully, breaking the kiss.

"And I'm not making love to you with your boots on," she drawled.

He hurriedly yanked them off, and with a pull, tried to undo the strings. He stared down in horrified fascination when one string snapped and the remained resolutely closed. Elanna dissolved into laughter at his expression, holding onto her stomach as he stood there, a lost expression on his face, a broken string in his hand and a tent in his breeches.

"Lucky I'm royalty," he said drily, dropping the offending strip of lacing. "Or this might be really embarrassing."

Elanna strode, naked, to the tiny desk, opened a drawer and removed a tiny dagger. She returned and quirked a smile at him.

"Trust me?"

Alistair held up his hands helplessly. "Implicitly." He cleared his throat. "Mostly." He peered down at the tent that showed no sign of collapsing and his lips twisted in a moue of uncertainty. "Don't cut anything I won't be using later."

Elanna bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from laughing while the dagger hovered over his lower belly. She inserted a finger in the waist band and tugged forward. The dagger sliced the lacing neatly. Showing off a little, she flipped the dagger in her palm, and with a fast, underhand motion tossed it toward the table, where it neatly pinned a map pinned on the wall behind it. She still had her hand on his waistband and had no real indication of letting go. Instead she pulled him toward the bed by it. He followed willingly.

Elanna released him when they got to the double bed, attached firmly to the wall with the odd little wooden rails to stop them rolling out when the sea got too wild. With a gentleness that belied their earlier fervour, they lowered to the bed, their lips tasting of each other. He shucked the breeches and Elanna's hand first cupped him and then closed over him with a firmness that made him catch his breath. She pulled him over her, and he settled between her thighs.

"Sex me into a coma, huh?" he said softly. "So how does that go?"

"It usually starts… " She hooked her leg over his hip, opening to him. "... a little like this." And guiding him into her heat, she rolled her hips and took him in with a quiet moan of pleasure. He took his weight on one elbow, his other hand sliding into the tangled strands of her hair. He kissed her gently.

"I think I like it," he murmured, rolling his hips into a slow thrust.

She stretched her arms up to wrap around his neck, one remaining there, while the other trailed down his spine to curve over his own rather spectacular arse. She squeezed. He grunted.

*Slap!*

The skin of his butt pinked nicely as his eyes opened wide in shock. She grinned at him. "Giddy-up."

The laughter had him nearly losing his place. Steadying himself, he yanked her thigh higher and began to rock into her with increasing speed. She held on, back arching, hips rolling to meet his in a rhythm that was new to them both. At times they didn't quite get it right, but they were new to this. When he pulled her on top, she sat up with her eyes gleaming in the low light, and she well and truly rode him into submission. He could do little more than clutch at the sheets, clutch at her, groan and kiss her back fiercely when her lips came close enough.

Her fingers danced over her clit, certainly he hadn't the presence to take care of it, but he dimly reminded himself that next time … he lost of track of his thoughts as she did something with her hips that made lightning shoot down his spine. He groaned as she swiped her tongue over his nipple. What the hell was that? Should that have even felt good? Gods it felt good.

When he came, it felt like everything exploded, all at once. And his vision blurred. He was pretty sure he said her name. Maybe a few times. He hoped he hadn't just invoked the Maker as well, because there is no way in hell he wanted him intruding at this moment. She collapsed on him a few moments after, and her weight was a surprisingly welcome one. She was no lithe little maiden, but lean and solid. He wrapped his arms around her and realised after a moment of her back vibrating that she was laughing.

"Hmmm?" he said with a mumble. "What's so funny? It didn't feel funny."

She propped herself up on one arm and he cursed her powers of recovery. He wasn't even certain he could move. "It felt very, very good." She ran her fingertip over his lips and he kissed it. "But you shouted out 'Andraste's tits!' just before you came." Her eyes crinkled in amusement at his horrified expression. "I was rather hoping you preferred my tits. They are less divine, but certainly more corporeal."

He rose a hand to cover his eyes, a flush creeping up his chest. She watched it with fascination. So it really did start from all the way down there. That was going to be really distracting knowledge when he was fully dressed. When he groaned in embarrassment, she wrapped her arms around him and slowly slid to his side.

"You are just lucky you are the King," Elanna whispered in his ear.

He lifted up his hand and peered at her. She smiled.

"Or that might have been really embarrassing?" he asked.

"Uh uh." She shook her head.

He rose a brow in query, tucking her against his side, their legs interwined. His hand rested easily on her hip. She touched his cheek gently, tracing his cheek bone with her thumb.

"That was pretty embarrassing." She kissed him briefly. "But we couldn't have had sex on the bunks below decks. Aside from the audience, it is really uncomfortable."

Alistair laughed, despite himself. "So I'm lucky I'm the King?"

"Mmhmm." Elanna's eyes closed, her hand resting over his heart while she listened to the steady thrum of it's beat.

"Yes. Very lucky." His own eyes closed while the rocking of the ship lulled them to sleep.