Author Notes: Happy valentine's Day y'all. This is a present from my side to all my readers with special thanks to ninaluvsathena for the beautiful review.

Happy reading.

The life of a king was never an easy one and Alistair already knew that. What he did not know, however, was the amount of difficulty he would have to face in order to lead a nation. But, as always, he had little to worry about considering that fate and Arl Eamon were determined to show Alistair the ugly truth of being on top.

'You have no friends', 'It is your duty', and 'There is no room for personal feelings' were some of Arl Eamon's favorite statements and Alistair had come to despise his luck. Almost everything Arl Eamon had to say was true. There was no room for personal feeling, especially when personal feelings were about justice and fair play. And it was his duty to see to it that the nobles were content even if it was at the cost of the common people, so that Ferelden could remain united. The one thing that Arl Eamon had been wrong about was friends. Alistair had friends, well, a friend, actually. Every night he would seek out his new friend when he was no longer needed in court, and let off all his pent up frustration. In this new friend, Alistair found solace, peace and, best of all, he had found profound strength. Nothing in the world – not money, not power, not even the most seductive woman – could match the kind of comfort this friend could offer. Absolutely nothing could hope to take the place of liquor in Alistair's life. Ah yes, liquor was indeed every man's best friend, especially in tough times.

After sundown, his majesty was usually found in his study, not reading, not working, but drowning himself in self-pity. Tonight was a special night, however. Tonight warranted that some of the best spirits be consumed, for it was on this day a month ago, that his angel, his beloved had left him all alone to face the hardships of life. She had forsaken him, left him bereft of happiness, of hope and of love after having promised to hold him, to sooth his pain and to support him when he needed it. Although he had felt her loss since the day she had left, today was exceptionally difficult. No matter how hard he tried, his memories seemed resolute on reminding him of her –

"Alistair!" said a familiar voice.

"Alistair, wake up. You're late for the ceremony," the man said. It sounded like Teagan but Alistair could not see him. It felt unreal, like it was all happening in a dream. A few moments of silence followed and then suddenly, Alistair felt like he had been thrown into the chilling waters of the Amaranthine Ocean. He could feel himself moving his arms and legs, trying to remain afloat, and when his eyes finally fluttered open, he could see Teagan peering down at him.

"Thank the Maker that you've awoken," he said, while heaving a sigh of relief, "Come on, there is no time. Everyone is waiting for you at the grand hall."

Alistair was still disoriented. He couldn't tell where he was or why he was cold and wet. He was trying hard to recollect what had come to pass and how he had ended up where he was, and slowly it all started to come back to him. He remembered trying to meet Solona and he remembered how she had refused his advances. It had all started playing back in his mind. Solona said she was about to go to the Circle and then all went black. The last thing he could recall, was hearing the words 'I'm sorry'.

'Had she truly left?' he wondered.

He was still too groggy and failed to notice that a whole bunch of servants had rushed inside and that he was being dragged over to his room. Within minutes he was bathed and he was clothed in some of the finest fabrics, ones that smelled like exotic flowers and felt like silk. On top of it all was the king's ceremonial armor, made of metals that shone like gold and were studded with precious stones. And when he was ready, a huge mirror was placed before him so that he could appreciate the finery, for now, he truly looked like a king.

But the thought recurred, 'Had she truly left?'

"Yes, that's good. Now let us be off. The Revered Mother awaits as does the entire nation," said Teagan, and His Majesty-to-be was escorted into the grand hall. The ceremony was quick and with Arl Eamon's guidance, Alistair pulled it off with grace. No one in the crowd could suspect that their king was actually prone to bouts of clumsiness, especially when racked with anxiety, such as, during his coronation.

All was proceeding well. Nobles and dignitaries alike were pleased to see that their nation had a new ruler and Alistair waved at the crowd, as if in appreciation of their support. However, he was actually searching for Solona. He could spot each and every one of his companions, but she was nowhere to be seen.

People had gathered in the hundreds before the royal palace to see their new ruler. They rejoiced when he had shown himself and then the entire afternoon had gone by as His Highness made his first public appearance. Still, she was missing.

When nightfall came and everyone in the castle found themselves relieved of the pressures of conducting such a grand ritual, Alistair sought Teagan and decided to find out where exactly Solona was. Could she truly have left?

"Teagan, could I have a moment?" Alistair asked, still unsure.

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said.

"Well, I…was wondering if you know where Sol…I mean, the Warden Commander is," Alistair asked, trying to seem as casual as possible.

"Oh, she left for the Circle early this morning. But, I thought you already knew this, Your Majesty," Teagan replied and his words had left Alistair stunned. She had indeed left.

A multitude of thoughts raced in Alistair's mind as he tried to calm his frenzied self. Was he dreaming? Was this a nightmare? 'Please, Maker, let this be a nightmare!' he hoped. But he did not seem to wake from it and with every passing minute, a sense of despair loomed, growing ever larger and edging ever closer to him. So caught he was in his emotions that he did not realize that Teagan was calling out to him again.

"Your Highness!" he said, firmly and when Alistair's attention seemed to have returned he said, "I forgot to give this to you earlier today," and produced a small wooden box.

"A servant found this in the morning, lying somewhere beside you while you were still asleep. It has your name on it," Teagan said and handed the box over to him.

Alistair was still too shaken to say anything to Teagan and accepted the box without a word. The box was familiar. It belonged to her and she had carved his name on it. Unthinking, he opened the box only to be left shattered. For within the box lay the object that she would never part with, an object that he had presented to her and one that she adored. The rose – the thing that had symbolized their love until then – was now dead and grey.

He could take no more. He closed his eyes shut and gulped down every last drop of wine in his glass, trying not to think of the rose, of her. But memories were a curse and she was the only thing on his mind. The more he thought about her, the more it angered him; the more it angered him, the more he drank; the more he drank, the more numb he felt.

'No more!', he thought.

So many days he had spent thinking of 'why' and 'how' she had left him, so many days he had wasted wondering about how he loved her, that he was disgusted. She meant so much him, but even so she had left him. However, there was no point in wallowing in sadness any longer. He was not a simple boy in love with a girl. He was king and there were more important things to focus on. Since Solona had so callously pushed him out of her life, he felt it just to repay her in kind. And so it was decided. Once the wine in the jar was finished, he threw the jar to the wall and swore never to mention her again. Never again. From that moment on, Solona Amell meant nothing to him.

Author Notes:

I hope I didn't spoil your mood with this :D .

A few parting thought's from Alistair (in present day context and in light of the developments of this story) :

Couples celebrate one day in a year, single people celebrate the other 364.

Thanks for reading and I am still open to critiques and reviews.