AN: In which Teagan is very sneaky, in a good way!
Chapter Eleven
Two months later the season was done and most of the nobles had returned to their estates. The Guerrins would be leaving tomorrow, but Teagan had a mission that morning.
After Vaughan had been dealt with, he'd hoped Neria would return to something of who she had been prior to the attack, but she hadn't. As the days progressed, she slipped deeper into her melancholy and he wasn't sure how to pull her out of it. The only time she returned to something resembling the woman she had been was when Gwyneth occupied her time and mind.
It wasn't a perfect solution, but he had asked for and received a gift for Neria from the Couslands. It had been ready for pick up that morning though Fergus and Leah had already departed for their teyrnir. Teagan had promised to visit them next summer and was looking forward to it. Highever's milder climes and fresh sea air might be just what Neria needed to throw off this melancholy if she wasn't completely well by then.
To be fair, Teagan knew it was more than the rape that was troubling her. It was the baby growing inside her. Not only did she not know who the father was, but Teagan had found no solutions yet for the situation she was stuck in.
When he returned to the estate, the maid informed him that Neria was with Gwyneth in the nursery. Grinning at the look she would doubtless have on her face when she saw what he had, he entered with his hand behind his back. Gwyneth was having a tea party with Neria and Anders and she raced over to him when he entered.
"Papa! What do you have behind your back?"
"I have a little present for Neria," he said.
He set down the squirming mabari pup in front of Neria and the little ball of honey colored fur yipped and crawled into her lap. Gwyneth squealed with delight and immediately wanted to hold him. Teagan plucked her up.
"You're too young for a mabari yet, Gwyn. You can have one when you're older. He isn't imprinted yet, Neria, and I thought maybe…." Teagan said. "The Couslands said he was the pick of the litter. And, well, he's one of Muffin's…."
Biting her bottom lip, tears slipping out of her eyes she picked up the squirming puppy and held him.
"He's beautiful, Teagan," she whispered.
The puppy yipped and licked the moisture off her face then squirmed to be let go. She set him down and watched him waddle over to the middle of the room and squat, urinating on the floor.
"Well, we'll have to break him of that…." Teagan grinned sheepishly.
Next, he waddled over to Ser Pounce-a-Lot who hissed and puffed out his tail. The puppy barked and tried to chase after the cat, which ran to Anders and slipped into the bag he always carried the cat in.
"On that note, I think its time to say goodbye," said Anders, standing.
Neria stood and hugged him.
"Thank you, Anders. Maybe I'll see you next Landsmeet."
"Maybe. If I can stand traveling with that Orlesian harpy. I swear she brought me this time just to get on my nerves."
"Well, I for one am glad she did."
"Indeed, I missed you, too." He grinned and winked mischievously at her. "Whenever you're ready to dump the old man there, just call me."
"I'm standing right here!" Teagan sighed.
Neria, Anders and Teagan never took such teasing seriously. It was just the younger man's way to express his feelings in a way that saved face for them all.
Next, Gwyneth held out her arms to hug him and Anders took her from Teagan for a moment, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Be good for Teagan and Neria, poppet," he said.
"I will, Uncle Anders."
Teagan walked Anders to the door and the mage paused.
"You've been really good through this, Teagan. I know it doesn't seem like much, but she is improving. Just be patient with her."
"I will."
"Good, otherwise I'll have to come back and light a fire under you!"
Teagan grinned, but he had the distinct feeling the mage was being quite literal.
Two weeks later they were settled back in Redcliffe. The journey home had been a trial for Neria, as her morning sickness combined viciously with motion sickness, necessitating several stops so she could be sick. Once home and in familiar surroundings, Teagan could tell Neria felt more comfortable.
That feeling didn't last long. At about four months along, she could no longer hide her pregnancy and she woke every morning in a cold sweat imagining this was the day Greagoir would arrive in Redcliffe to take her baby away. It got to the point Teagan began to worry about her sanity.
It was starting to affect her daily schedule, making her short with everyone until the servants who never before had complaint began to take the issue up with Teagan. As seneschal, and one of Teagan's oldest friends, Andrew was the one who broached the sensitive subject.
When he had closed the door to Teagan's study and afforded them some privacy, Andrew got right to the heart of the matter. That was something Teagan always appreciated in his friend—this ability to cut through all the niceties and get to the heart of the issue.
"Teagan, we've been friends a long time and I've been asked by everyone here to…."
Sighing, Teagan put down his pen and placed both hands on his desk. "I realize she's been difficult…"
"Difficult? Teagan, that's putting it mildly. She's obviously miserable and it's making everyone around her miserable. I've known pregnant women to get a little…well, emotional, but she's beyond that. And she's a mage."
"A mage afraid to use her magic."
"Is that the entirety of her problem? I know she can use her magic. When we took that trip to see to Rainesfere last week, she was dropping fireballs down on that small band of darkspawn without difficulty."
"She's lost fine control," he explained.
"And that's all?"
"No," Teagan frowned, not wanting to bring this up with anyone, but he trusted Andrew. "She's afraid the Chantry will take the baby."
"Why would they do that?"
"Well, I realize it's not common knowledge, but she told me Circle mothers don't get to keep their babies. Upon birth they're taken and placed somewhere else, presumably in the Chantry."
"But she isn't a part of the Circle anymore. She's here, in Redcliffe. And she's with you—it's your child, too."
"It's still a possibility. It's why she hasn't wanted a child before now." A new thought insinuated itself into Teagan's mind. "What do you think of Neria, Andrew?"
He shrugged. "You know how I feel. She's smart, hard working and loyal. A lovely girl, normally very pleasant to be around when she isn't being…well…a bitch. Most people here in Redcliffe really seem to love her. I understand she was instrumental in saving the town from the demon that was plaguing it during the Blight."
"Yes. The villagers have long accepted her. They still tell tales in the tavern about her and the night she and her companions ended the undead menace. I've loved her ever since I brought her back to Rainesfere, maybe even before that. I've wanted to marry her for years, but she's never agreed to it. But now…. Perhaps this will put her mind at ease and I can finally…."
Grinning, Andrew nodded. "And the babe, should the Chantry come sniffing around, will have legitimacy. They won't be able to take it from its father unless it becomes a mage."
Teagan couldn't stop the broad smile spreading over his face. "Stick around, Andrew, I'll need a best man."
In the back of his mind was also the thought that another man had thought he would be able to take her and abuse her without consequence because she lacked that legal status. Admittedly, Vaughan was insane, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Vaughan had expected it was his due as any nobleman because Neria wasn't his wife. Everyone understood that she was his partner in all ways except on paper, but still Vaughan had taken her without fear of reprisal, believing her simply Teagan's mistress.
If this protected her, and by extension her child, in more ways than one, then surely she would agree to the union.
Teagan found her in the garden, admiring the roses. Her mabari pup, which was always at her side, was tugging on the hem of her skirt trying to get her to play with him. Gwyneth was pulling weeds nearby with a huge hat on her head and her little hands stuffed into a pair of Neria's gardening gloves. Seeing them there, in such a scene of domestic happiness, it was hard to believe this was the worried young mother who was driving the castle staff crazy.
He came up behind her and put his arms around Neria, palms resting on the swell of her belly, his chin on her shoulder. She smiled and placed her hands on his.
"I hear you've been out of sorts, love," he began.
"I know, I'm sorry. I apologize as soon as I say or do something, but I know that doesn't take back what I've done. I've just been so worried. And before you say it, I know that's no excuse either."
"I think I have a solution to that," his voice was hesitant. Always before, she had turned him down. "Marry me, Neria."
She frowned. "I thought you were serious. That's not even funny, Teagan."
"Am I laughing, love? I'm serious." He was aware of Gwyneth watching them now. "Marry me. The babe will have both a father and a mother, and the Chantry won't be able to take it unless it's a mage."
She paused and actually seemed to be pondering it. Gwyneth came over to them, frowning.
"Is the Chantry going to take the baby?" she asked.
"No, they won't. I have a plan to stop them, if Neria agrees and marries me," Teagan couldn't stop grinning.
"Mama, are you going to marry Papa?" Gwyneth seemed delighted with that idea.
Neria's jaw dropped.
"That's…tricky! Damn you, Teagan!" She wriggled out of his arms and knelt down in front of her daughter. "No, I won't let the Chantry take the baby and neither will Teagan. And I suppose…." She stood and regarded him. "I'll marry you, Teagan, but you'll regret this."
"Somehow, I doubt that, love. I'll summon Mother Hannah and…"
Her brows knitted together and she shook her head. "Oh, no, Arl Teagan, you don't get it so easily. I want a real wedding, with banners and music and flowers and a nice new gown and cake," she said, punctuating each word with her finger poking into his doublet.
Gwyneth squealed, clapped her hands and raced into the castle yelling "cake, cake" at the top of her lungs.
Neria huffed, but didn't seem as displeased as she intimated.
"This is going to be quite the scandal, Teagan," she sighed.
He put his arms around her. "I know, won't it be wonderful? And I want you to plan the biggest, most ostentatious wedding ever. Invite all our friends and all our detractors so they can celebrate, or have their noses rubbed in it!"
"Perhaps, when we go to Denerim for the after harvest Landsmeet?" she suggested. "We could winter there and I can have the baby."
"Whatever you would like," Teagan acquiesced. She could have whatever she wanted if it meant she would finally marry him.
There was another reason for going to Denerim. She didn't like it, but she had to admit that she would feel safer if Anders was there to attend to her. She knew women gave birth every day to babies without a mage present, but this was her first and she was a Grey Warden. She had no idea how that would affect the pregnancy.
But what if the templars came before then? Or took her in Denerim? She didn't feel safe.
"Perhaps you should summon Mother Hannah," she said.
"Neria?"
"We can get married here, so it's legal and then have a second ceremony in Denerim with our friends in the fall? Can we do that?"
"We can do whatever we want, love."
The preparations took a bit longer than expected and it was actually the next afternoon that saw Teagan and Neria standing before Revered Mother Hannah and several of Redcliffe's citizens who had gathered in the chantry, and formalizing their union. Not the most romantic of circumstances, but Teagan didn't mind. The peace of mind this would bring to Neria more than compensated for any informality of the ceremony. And they weren't exactly the most conventional couple anyway.
There was a wedding feast spread in the main square in front of the chantry on several long tables. Several of the villagers had some real skill at playing instruments and so there was music and dancing, although Neria just watched as Teagan held onto his niece's hands, her little feet placed on his, and danced around with her.
Teagan even saw that the old elven man who had found Neria in Denerim had come to Redcliffe to live and he was delighted to be able to thank him again, inquiring after his health. Andros still seemed sad, but was accepting of the situation, and had maybe gained a measure of peace.
When dusk arrived, torches were lit so people could continue the revels.
Teagan was sitting watching the dancing villagers, Gwyneth sleeping in his lap, her little head pillowed on his shoulder. Neria was under his arm, the excitement of the day and the relief it had brought to her mind finally having taken its toll on her, and she was sleeping, her head pillowed on his other shoulder. Her mabari pup lay curled in her lap, her fingers holding him loosely. Nan moved over to take the child, but he shook his head with a huge grin and she smiled back at him as she returned to her seat.
He wanted to enjoy this closeness with his little family as long as he could.
A bit later he nodded to Nan who took the sleeping child from him and he gently shook Neria, trying to wake her. She was so exhausted she didn't rouse and he smiled. Carefully he picked her up and began the walk up the hill toward Castle Redcliffe, Neria's puppy, Cookie, following at his heels.
Setting Neria down on their bed and the puppy on his pillow nearby, he went to the nursery and tucked in Gwyneth with a kiss to her cheek. Then he returned to his room.
Neria lay sleeping still, and it seemed for the first time in a long while she wasn't disturbed by bad dreams. He pulled off her slippers and robes and tucked her under the sheets. Then pulling off his own garments, slipped in beside her to hold her as she slept.
