Alaric didn't arrive back for two more days. By the time he did, most of the damage had been cleared up. He raised an eyebrow at the broken table and the guilty look of both Alistair and Isla.
They hadn't spoken of the incident again. After their playing in the snow, things settled into a fairly normal routine for them. They spent their time together talking. Isla asked things that no one had ever asked Alistair before. And he had learned much about her as well. He could feel his feelings growing for her. She was so different from all the other girls. She never cared about the power or the nobles he knew. She asked his opinion on things from favorite color to food. She listened to his stories and asked questions that made him look at things differently. She was getting to know him and not the king. It was a nice change.
Isla loved listening to him talk. His face would light up when he joked and he would get animated. She could see the child he must have been. Her heart hurt when he spoke of his childhood and of the Wardens he had lost.
They were sitting down to eat when Alaric arrived. Isla bolted to the door and wrapped her arms around him. Alaric dropped his packages he was carrying and lifted her up in his arms. "Miss me?" He asked with a laugh.
"Always. Did you have a good time?" She asked kissing his cold cheek and then dragging him to a chair. She hurried and got him a bowl of the stew and pressed it into his cold hands.
"Yes. And it was informative. The storm has kept the others from looking for you yet, your Majesty. They seem to think you have holed up somewhere and are waiting it out."
"I suppose that is good news. We don't want anyone thinking Isla kidnapped me or that I'm dead. I suppose I will need to leave in the morning if the weather stays clear." Alistair said hating the thought of leaving. He was just Alistair here.
"I suppose it would be wise." Alaric said and then turned to the table. "So are either of you going to explain the broken table to me?"
Alistair cleared his throat and Isla looked down at the ground, both turning red. Isla sheepishly started. "I had a bad dream and Alistair was trying to comfort me and I might have done something to make his taint…" She trailed off as Alistair clasped her hand.
"Isla, go to your room for a minute, please. I want to talk to Alaric."
"You are not going to say it was your fault." She frowned at him.
"It was my fault."
"No it wasn't."
"Isla, do as the king commands." Alaric said interrupting them. Isla started at that. She had gotten so used to Alistair just being Alistair that she didn't realize she was arguing with the king.
"Forgive me, my king." She said and bowed her head to him.
"Is, don't. I wasn't ordering you as a king. I was asking cause this is hard enough without having to do it in front of you." Alistair stroked her face as she gave him a small smile.
Alistair sank down on a bench and held his head in his hands after she had left. He angrily ran his hands through his hair and looked back at Alaric who was waiting patiently. "I almost hurt her." He said and Alaric could hear the pain of his quiet admission.
"So your taint took over in your comforting of her and you broke the table? Was she injured?"
"Maker, no! I broke the table after I made her leave the room and lock her door. I didn't…I wouldn't…It was close to that, but I didn't…She said she wasn't hurt, just scared, but I don't know. I can't live like this. I can't hurt people like this." Alistair said and began pacing the room.
"You are a virgin as well, aren't you?" Alaric asked.
Alistair felt his cheeks heat up and nodded. "I was placed in the Chantry."
"And as such you don't take care of things yourself either?" Alaric asked. Alistair made a strangled noise and turned even redder. "How have you managed this long with the taint and not harmed anyone? It has to have a way to vent…Oh. The Blight. All the fighting. The templar discipline would help you control it for a time, but now that the fighting is stopped…"
"Can you make it go away? I don't want to hurt anyone, but to almost hurt Isla is…" Alistair shook his head.
"Alistair, are you sure this is what you want? The taint can be managed. You will just have to loosen your ideas a bit."
"I don't want to have to give in to it. I have always been so proud of my templar discipline. I could handle everything because of it, but now…I almost raped a girl I care about." Alistair turned to Alaric. "I'm sure. I want this gone. I can't be a Warden anymore, so why do I need to stay tainted?" Alistair was sad about this, but also a little relieved. He didn't like the idea of the calling.
"If you are sure, then we will do so tonight." Alaric nodded and turned to call Isla. She opened the door and slowly moved to his side. She wouldn't look at him or Alistair.
"I'm sorry. Both of you." She said quietly.
Alaric gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "You aren't in trouble, Isla. It's alright. I must ask something of you though."
"What?" She asked glancing back and forth between Alistair and Alaric. Both looked grim and sad.
"Two things, actually. Did Alistair hurt you?" He asked forcing her to keep looking at him. He knew she might be able to lie to Alistair, but she couldn't to him.
"No, Alaric." She said truthfully.
"Good. Now then, he has decided he wants to do the ritual."
"That…really?" Isla asked looking at him. Alistair nodded solemnly. "Alistair, I'm sorry. It was my fault, don't think that you…" She trailed off as he hugged her to him.
"It wasn't your fault and what happened is only the final straw. I have been fighting with my taint for some time now. I can't be a Warden anymore, Is. This is what I want." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. She nodded and turned back to Alaric.
"You need my blood, don't you?" She asked.
"Yes." Alaric answered.
"What? No!" Alistair protested.
She turned to him. "It has to be untainted blood."
"She's right, Alistair. Mine and yours after will always have traces of the taint in it." Alaric nodded.
"No! I won't let her be hurt for this. Its bad enough what I already did to her." Alistair grumbled and turned away missing the hurt look on Isla's face.
"There will be pain for you both, but it is the only way. And I will heal you after I have done it. She is in no danger, Alistair."
"What about the person from your ritual? Are they fine?" Alistair asked feeling horror at having to hurt Isla.
"Yes, as far as I know, Wynne is very much still alive and fine." Alaric said nodding.
"Wynne? You know Wynne?" Alistair asked shocked. "Wait…Wynne helped you with a blood ritual?" It didn't sound like something Wynne would do.
"Yes, she did. We were in love. The Circle forced us apart and then the Wardens happened. I sought her out after I escaped them. She helped me rid myself of the taint."
"You and Wynne? I…wow! I never would have thought she would…wait, does this mean you are the father of her child?" Alistair asked.
"Child? Wynne had a child? When?" Alaric demanded, frowning.
"I don't know…she told me about him once. Said the Chantry adopted him out. She never got to see him." Alistair felt horror for Alaric as he absorbed the fact he had a child out there somewhere. And then Alistair realized he had a cousin. He was getting more and more family by the day.
"She…never told me. I…must speak with her about this." Alaric shook his head. "I need to prepare the ritual. Will you allow Isla's blood to be used?"
Alistair looked at her as she moved to him. "Please, Alistair. Let me help you."
"You're sure she will be safe?" Alistair asked.
"I promise it. I would not risk her life." Alaric promised.
"Then let's do this." Alistair sighed.
"If you are ready, I will begin. Isla, go and get my chest from my room." Isla got up and disappeared into his room. Alaric sighed and looked over at Alistair.
"Why did you want to leave the Wardens? I asked Isla, but she said it wasn't her story to tell." Alistair asked.
"She could have, but I can see why she wouldn't want to. How much do you know about the methods of the Greys?"
"I know they do whatever they must." Alistair hedged. He had heard the tales of burning villages to the ground to stop the Blights.
"They act first and ask questions later. Anything to protect the Wardens." Alaric said bitterly. "I met a girl in a little village outside of the Warden's fortress. I was still in love with Wynne, but I could have somewhat of a life with this girl. I was sent out on patrol. Darkspawn raids were happening all around. When I came back, the village was gone. I asked what had happened, expecting the people to be at the fortress. The Warden Commander told me that the darkspawn had killed them all. I could tell it was a lie. The other Wardens wouldn't look at me. I snuck out that night and went to the village. It wasn't darkspawn, but it was taint driven. The people were the only ones dead. There were no darkspawn bodies. Just the villagers. Women, children, men. I stumbled upon the girl. She had been raped and then killed. Darkspawn don't rape their victims. I returned to the Wardens and confronted one of the newer recruits. He was always mouthy and enjoyed the darker side of the Wardens. He bragged about it. He had done some of it. A few others had helped. The Warden Commander found out and the rest of the Wardens moved to cover it up. They slaughtered the village, trying to make it look like a darkspawn attack. I killed the Warden and then fled. I never looked back. I began researching everything I could trying to find a way to rid myself of the taint. I can understand what it does to you. I have seen it first hand." Alaric trailed off and laid his hand on Isla's head. She had rejoined them and curled on the floor at his feet, laying her head on his lap.
"I…I'm sorry, Alaric. I can't imagine…Duncan said it was a heavy price to pay, but I never expected how much it is." Alistair said watching Isla silently cry.
"Not all Wardens are like that, Alistair. And there are ways to control the taint. But those Wardens believed nothing but Wardens mattered. Do not let their actions cloud your opinion of your companions. The Ferelden Wardens were different from the others. Duncan was a very good man and leader. You and the other Warden are proof of this." He stroked Isla's hair and motioned to the chest she had laid down by Alistair. "Let's begin. Isla, get the herbs out of my bags."
Alaric moved to the chest and opened it. He pulled out a silver challis much like the one used in the Joinings and a wicked-looking dagger. He removed a pouch and laid it on the hearth beside the cup and knife. Isla moved to him handing him the bundles of herbs. Alaric asked Alistair to start some water boiling. Alistair moved out to the well and grabbed a bucket of water unsure why they needed water, but he realized when he came back in, it was so he wouldn't have to watch him cutting Isla. Her dress sleeve was cut open and he was holding her arm over the cup catching the blood in it. She gave Alistair a weak smile as he came in.
"So do I even need to boil the water?" Alistair asked.
"Yes. Add some of this pack of herbs to it. Isla will add it to your bathwater in a moment. It will take me some time to perform the ritual on the blood before you can drink it. Here, Isla. That is enough blood for now." Alaric handed her a cloth for her arm and a healing potion. She held the cloth to her arm for a minute and then drank the potion. She moved and swayed for a moment. Alistair steadied her and helped her to another chair where Sampson rested his head in her lap and Farda perched behind her. She recovered and drew a bath for Alistair.
Alistair then rolled up his sleeve and held his arm over the cup. He felt sick as he noticed how much blood was already in it. "I have to drink it all?" He asked worriedly.
Alaric laughed and sliced into his arm. "No. You only have to drink a few drinks of it. The rest will be poured over you and poured around Isla. Don't worry about it now. I will walk you through it as we reach it." Isla returned and took the boiling water with herbs to add to the bath.
"Why does it have to go around Isla?" Alistair asked trying not to squirm as his arm burned. Alaric handed him a cloth and potion as well.
"It will keep the taint from actually getting to her." Alaric laid a hand on Alistair as he started to protest. "She will not be in any danger."
"I trust Alaric, Alistair." Isla assured him as she returned to the room.
"Now what?" Alistair asked as Alaric threw some of the herbs into the blood.
Alaric looked up at him. "You two will go and rest for a bit. I have work to finish." Alaric shooed them away.
"Um. We can't both go and rest in her room. I'll just…" Alistair started, but stopped when Alaric frowned at him.
"I don't believe I gave you a choice. Go. Both of you. Isla knows what to do." Alaric walked them to the room and wouldn't allow Sampson or Farda to go in with them. He then locked the door behind them.