A/N: My attempt at update. Lol I really hope that this picks back up for me, and you as well. It seems that I've hit a slump. If I can't get over it, I'll probably put this story on hiatus. Sad face. I don't want to but I guess things like that happen. Let me just say before you read this, I'm aging Oren to about ten where curiosity is at its greatest. Haha You'll understand.

When Two Are One

"If things were perfect, we wouldn't have met."

"No Oren, like this."

"Auntie Ray…why are you teaching me this?"

"Trust me boy, you'll thank me someday."

Raina smiled at her nephew as they exchanged cards. "Why do you always win?" Oren asked her. Her heart swelled as he talked to her. He had innocence that she only wished that she could have back. She leaned forward and ruffled his dark brown hair. She gave him the trademark Cousland smirk that she knew he would definitely grow into later if he was his father's son. Together they sat in the middle of his room, legs crossed and within reaching distance. Fergus was going to kill her. Well, only because his mother wouldn't have him learn such a game. Maker, she was Antivan. Didn't she know how to have a little fun?

"Because I cheat, darling," she told him in a matter of fact tone.

"Do I want to ask what you're teaching my son?" Raina looked up to see Fergus in the doorway. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She winked at him before she lifted a hand to her mouth to stifle the chuckle that was coming out.

"How to cheat!" Oren exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. Raina tried to hush her nephew but it didn't work. Fergus pursed his lips.

"Now what do we say about cheating?" He asked his son.

"It's bad. Like lying," the young boy responded. His fingers fumbled with the front of his shirt as he looked to the ground. He scuffed his shoe against the floor and Raina sighed.

"Oren, I have a proposition for you," she started.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy hearing this," Fergus commented. Raina stuck her tongue out at her older brother and pulled Oren to her.

"There's man named Alistair wandering around, probably in the gardens," she told her nephew before she wrapped her arms around him, "I'll teach you proper sword play if you give him a hard time. Maker knows you won't learn it from your father." The older man let out a scoff as his son giggled. Oren nodded in agreement before her scampered off to find him.

"Oriana will have my head," her brother told her as he moved to extend a hand to offer her help to her feet.

"Probably," she agreed, "But in the mean time, I shall enjoy moments like these." Fergus shook his head and there was a moments pause between them. Raina realized that her brother wanted to say something but probably couldn't find the right words for it. She balled up her right hand into a fist and playfully punched his shoulder. "You heard about the little mess with the Howe's didn't you?"

A 'tsk' escaped him. "I know everything that goes on in these walls, Sis. Thought you would have figured that out with that escapade you had with Ser Gilmore." Raina felt herself blush.

"Yes well, you were quick enough to get him sent away," she replied. Fergus shrugged one shoulder. "Don't think I've forgotten about Iona." She wiggled a finger at him.

His eyes widened and he placed a hand over her mouth. "Silence," he told her, "We shall not talk about she who must not be named." He pulled his hand back and she laughed.

"Agreed," she replied.

"Is everything with Nathaniel going to come back and bite you in the ass?"

It was Raina's turn to shrug her shoulders. "Perhaps," she replied, "But when don't things like this do that?" He nodded in agreement. "We'll be having another visitor in a few days," she added, "That's when we'll know precisely how bad things really are."

"You know I'm here if you need me," Fergus told her. Andraste's ass he was giving her that look. This time trouble wasn't her fault. She sighed and patted his shoulder before she walked out of the room. She knew he would always be there. That was what big brothers were for. She paused out in the hallway and turned half her body to look at him.

"I know," she replied with a small smile, "I'm going to check on your son. I hope he hasn't given Alistair cause enough to leave early." Fergus let out a throaty laugh and waved her off. Raina headed to the gardens. She couldn't shake the feeling of foreshadowing from that conversation. Her gut told her something big was going to happen and she had never been one to ignore her instincts. It was her heart that wanted her to shoo away all bad thoughts. One thing she did know was that she wanted to hear what this Zevran had to say.

She stepped back outside into the garden area where earlier that day she had succumbed to Nathaniel's charms. She wanted to hear the banter of two children for her entertainment mostly because one really wasn't a child but what she had found was the two of them laughing together. Oren was whispering something into Alistair's ear and when he spotted her, her nephew froze and looked like he had been caught with one of Fergus's dirty books. "Ssh," she heard Alistair say, "She's coming." Oh, wasn't that a bit obvious? Oren took off, laughing as he did so and Raina shifted her weight from one foot to the other and stuck her hip out as she looked at her betrothed.

"Whatever he told you, it wasn't true," she remarked.

Alistair grinned. "Well," he started as he walked towards her, "I'm sure there's always more to the story." One eyebrow cocked upwards. "Remind me to tell you the lamppost story."

"Alistair Theirin you were not talking about dirty things with my nephew!" She exclaimed as her mouth hung slightly agape.

"He asked first."

Children.

Alistair had stayed with the Couslands up until the day that the Crow had been expected. Teagan and Eamon had encouraged him to stay but he knew that he would eventually have to return to his duties back in Redcliffe as he readied for his time as a Bann. He watched as Raina sparred with her nephew in the training grounds of the castle. He watched the wide smile spread across her face before she smacked Oren's side with the training sword. She offered him words of advice and the child nodded as if he understood. He figured that it was never too young for a boy to learn the sword, but he had never expected to see a woman be his teacher. Not that he was saying anything bad about it of course, he was all for it. It just proved that Raina Cousland was not like the daughters of other nobility. She was definitely no Anora. Thank the Maker.

Oren whirled around and hit his aunt in the leg with his sword. Raina let out a surprised cry and picked the boy up in her arms before she gave him what looked like to be a vice grip hug. She put him down and made a motion for him to go. He was probably going to share the good news about him beating her to his father. Alistair had often thought of how things would have been if he and one of his siblings had a relationship like the Cousland offspring did. Well, considering his options, he didn't know how that would have turned out. He glanced back at the dark haired woman as she spotted him. She lifted a hand and gave him a small wave before she headed his way.

"That was some match," he commented and gave her a small smirk as he did so.

Raina let out a light laugh. "Yes well, he has to learn some day," she said before she moved closer to him. "Oriana wants him to be a scholar but the boy has potential to be a great warrior."

"What does Fergus think of it?" He asked.

"Fergus wants his marriage to work," she replied and grinned a bit. "Supposedly women know best." She let out a long whistle. "Though sometimes I wonder with Ana." She poked him in the chest with her finger. "Just remember that golden rule in the future and I'm sure we'll be just fine." Before Alistair had a chance to make a comment, the horns blared from the castle. They had a guest.

"Some entrance for a Crow," he muttered. Raina shook her head and smiled as she moved past him.

"Maybe he likes to make an entrance," she teased before extending her hand out to him. He gladly took it and they headed off to see if their guest had indeed been of the expected kind.

Raina watched the blonde elf leaned down a bit to bow to her father. "My dear Teyrn," he greeted Bryce. "I have the news you asked of." The youngest of Bryce and Eleanor's children found herself anxious to hear. "Several attempts have been made on the Kings life but all have failed. None have been so bold as yourself to hire a Crow, that I am sure of, but the gossip in the town speaks of the King readying a divorce to the Queen."

"That's a lie," Alistair started.

Zevran cocked up an eyebrow as he glanced at him. "Oh?" He asked, "I suppose you know this yourself? Has King Calian invested his trust in his half brother or should I go on?"

"Where did you hear this from?" Bryce asked.

"Ah well, the maids know everything that go on in those walls," Zevran continued, "They say it is the Empress of Orlais that will be the new queen." An unexpected gasp escaped Raina.

"The scandal," Fergus commented as he shook his head. "It's all starting to make sense."

"Can someone please explain it to me then?" Alistair asked. Raina watched as her father sat down at his desk. She didn't like the look that had taken over his features.

"Think about it," her brother started, "You might be a Theirin but some might argue that you have no claim to the throne. Rumors do say that it really is Anora that rules. With the war with Orlais so fresh in everyone's minds…" He didn't need to continue with that thought. "Especially when Anora's father is the man that helped drive them back. They really would do anything to stop it. With the information you shared about Nathaniel and Anora…Well, the Howes do have some position since Rendon has been growing in status among the nobles."

"They intend to have Nathaniel and Anora rule together," Bryce said what everyone was thinking.

Zevran shrugged one shoulder. "Who better than a Hero's daughter and a notable man to rule after the King dies?" He asked. Who better, indeed. "Sounds like a perfectly reasonable conspiracy to me, no?"