Part XII
The small woman, Edalweiss, had left a short time ago to tend to some errands while Alistair stayed behind, still unsure about being caught out in public. Muirghein volunteered to remain as well, in order to keep Alistair company, or so he was told. In truth, Alistair suspected the creature was spying on him. There something behind those fishy eyes that he didn't trust. Every demon, no matter how nice it appeared to be, had their own agenda, why should this one be any different? So the two eyed each other suspiciously from across the small room.
The thing had certainly been bold in it's approach, Alistair thought. Muirghein seemed to try adamantly to make gestures of friendship toward him. But he wasn't going to be so easily fooled. No amount of playful rubs or cute little dances through the air were going to sway him. Demons were not to be trusted, and that was that. And if the demon couldn't be trusted, he knew he had to remain wary of Edalweiss, too.
She was Nevarran, or so she said. But she didn't act like any other Nevarran Alistair had ever met. Most others from Nevarra tended to fall into two distinct categories: Elitist snob, or scruffy barbarian. And Edalwiess definitely wasn't either of those. Although, he'd never been there, himself, he had heard all sorts of stories from those who had, and none of them painted a very interesting picture of the place.
On the other hand, she also said that her mother was Fereldan and she spent a lot of time here when she was a child. She'd even been living in the country for a few years, now. Maybe, Alistair thought to himself, she was the type of person that comes out when you mix Ferelden with Nevarra. If that was the case, it was quite obvious why it didn't happen more often. Nobody could be that happy and bubbly all the time without having something seriously wrong with them.
The hours seemed to drag by slowly as the two of them waited, neither one acknowledging the presence of the one across from them, yet both making it perfectly clear that each was closely watching the other. And there they sat, silently passing the time until Edalwiess' return.
As soon as the steady sounds of thumping feet on wood could be heard, Muirghein sprang up from his spot and swished through the air, headed straight for the door. Alistair was reminded of how Leo would react each time his master would return after being away. The fish swirled and swooped back and forth in anticipation with a bright gleam beaming in his eyes. He became more excited the closer the footsteps got, until they were coming from just the other side of the door.
When the door opened and the small woman stepped inside, Muirghein could contain himself no longer and quickly pounced on Edalwiess, smothering her with his fishy body as he wrapped himself around her in what looked like a big warm hug.
"Gmmph!" Edalweiss gasped, surprised by the attention while the fish squeezed itself against her body. "Alright, Muiren! I missed you, too, but you don't have to suffocate me." she was finally able to say after catching her breath.
Satisfied that she had been properly greeted, Muirghein next shifted his focus the knapsack Edalweiss had slung over her shoulder. He buried his face deep inside, inspecting the contents for any delicious treats she may have brought for him, very nearly tearing the thing from the poor woman's shoulder in the process.
"If you eat everything I brought back I won't be able to make any pies." she warned the creature who instantly stopped his rummaging and his fishy head popped out of the knapsack as if to ask "Just one treat?"
"Fine. You can have a small snack now. But only one." she relented, much to the joy of Muirghein who dove right back into the sack, coming back out a few seconds later munching on a mouthful of ripe delicious apples.
"He sure does like to eat." Alistair noticed, gesturing toward Muirghein who was still busy gulping down the sweets apples.
"It's his favorite pastime." Edalwiess replied as she removed the knapsack from her shoulder and set it down on a large wooden table that stood in the tiny kitchen.
The rumbling in Alistair's stomach reminded him that it had been a while seen he, himself, had last eaten. "I don't suppose you brought anything for me in that sack?" he asked a bit sheepishly.
"Maybe..." she answered coyly. "But from what I heard while I was at the market you might not need it."
"What are you talking about? What did you hear?"
"It looks like you don't get to be the king anymore. You've been replaced."
"Replaced?" Alistair asked, more than a little shocked by what he heard. "They can't just replace me, I'm the king. Dwemer would never let them get away with that."
"That's your friend, right? Isn't he supposed to be some kind of big hero or something?"
"I told you, he's the Grey Warden. He's only saved this country more times than I can count...and I can count pretty high."
"Uh-huh." Edalwiess said, unphased. "Well, whoever he is, he wasn't able to stop them from putting someone else on your throne. There's going to be a coronation for someone named Anora."
"Anora?" Alistair gasped. "That bitch!"
"You know her?"
"You might say that. We've had our dealings in the past. She's not terribly fond of me after what I did to her father."
Edalweiss' ears piqued up with interest, "her father? What did you do to him?"
"I killed him." Alistair replied sternly and without remorse.
"That's awful!" Edalweiss exclaimed. "Why would you do something like that?"
"Believe me, he had it coming. He was responsible for the deaths of thousands of men, including nearly all the Grey Wardens in Ferelden. Only Dwemer and me escaped. And we wouldn't have made it out if we hadn't been rescued by Flemeth."
"Still, I wouldn't like you much either if you killed my father."
"There has to be some mistake." Alistair said as he sat down to think. "I'll bet Anora was behind the whole thing. Bloody witch never wanted me on the throne in the first place. It would be just like her to pull something like this. I need to find Dwemer and find out what's really going on."
"Do you know where you can find him?"
"He's staying at the royal palace. I have to get back there."
"Are you sure that's a smart idea?" The small woman inquired with what appeared to be genuine concern. "I mean, what if you're spotted by those men who were after you?"
"That's a risk I'll have to take. I was never any good at doing things the smart way, anyhow."
"I can't say I'm surprised by that." Edalwiess quipped with a sly grin.
"Hey!" Alistair shot back. "That isn't what I meant."
The vote had been taken and there was nothing left for The Warden to do. He tried to find the source of the conspiracy to remove Alistair from the throne, but he had failed. The entire affair left a bad taste in his mouth, one that he couldn't get rid of no matter how much ale he consumed. And seeing as how the royal palace was about to pass into the hands of someone else, anyway, The Warden felt it was time for he and his witch to leave.
The pair quietly packed up their belongings without saying much of anything. Morrigan was aware of her husband's thoughts and feelings, almost as if she were having them herself, not that they were incredibly hard to decipher in the first place. He'd been moping around ever since the landsmeet. Whenever she did try talking to him, his responses were mono-syllabic, if he even said anything at all.
She was tempted to scold him for his sulking, but chose not to. Instead, she gathered up her and Seth's things and placed them in the various packs and sacks they had carried with them from the cottage in Highever. After she finished with each pack, Morrigan would call for one of the palace servants to bring it down to the small cart that awaited them at the front gate. As much as she hated riding in the infernal thing, she understood her warden's caution. At least it gave them an adequate means of transporting both their items and their son, who was still far too small to make such a long trip without the benefit of the cart. Still, it would be three dreary days at minimum for the three of them, along with Leo, to make the trek back to the cottage; their home, which, having been neglected for this long, was no doubt becoming more overgrown by the minute.
And even though neither of them spoke it, both The Warden and Morrigan knew there was one last task to attend to before they were completely free to return home. But the witch feared the task of tracking down Alistair might not be as simple as her warden hoped it would be. To her knowledge, he had never been on his own for this length of time before and it was anyone's guess as to what kind of condition they would find the wayward former king in, if he was even still alive. The witch didn't want to admit it to anybody, least of all herself, but she couldn't help feeling concerned for Alistair's well being.
The very idea of it infuriated her. But try as she might, Morrigan found herself repeatedly hoping for Alistair's safe return. Although, what happened after they did locate him, she didn't have the slightest clue. Still, she quietly grumbled to herself, cursing Alistair for his irresponsible manner.
When all their belongings had been packed away and loaded onto the cart, The Warden, with Seth in his arms, and the witch made their final preparations to leave. After seeing that nothing was left behind, The Warden hoisted his young son into the cart and gave a loud whistle, altering the mabari, who came barreling down the steps from the large main doors, that it was time to go.
As Morrigan climbed into the cart, refusing any assistance from her warden as she did, they spotted Fergus as he made his way toward them, having just come from a meeting with Arl Eamon and Bann Teagan. The look on his face was a somber one as slowly walked down to steps to the courtyard where the cart was.
"All packed up and ready to go, I see." was his greeting to his brother.
"I figured it was best to get an early start. I want to get as much ground behind us as I can before nightfall." The Warden replied.
"Lucky bastard. I wish I was joining you, but I have to remain her until after the coronation. Anora wants to have a meeting with the ranking lords after the ceremony. She would probably like to have you there as well."
"Nobody can have what they want all the time, not even queens." The Warden retorted with a bit a smugness.
"Or Grey Wardens, for that matter." Fergus quipped in response.
"I have to get back home, there are things I have to do there." The Warden replied, brushing off his brothers comment. "She's just going to have to have the meeting without me this time. I'm done fixing everyone's problems for them. From now on, their on their own."
"So you're going to limp back to Highever with your tail between your legs, is that it?"
"Stuff it, Fergus. I don't need this right now." The Warden huffed. "Besides, it's not like there's anything left I can do. Bryland won and that's all there is to it."
"You're right, quitting is probably best. It certainly is easiest. But what about Alistair?"
"I'm going to track him down before I leave Denerim. He's not the most subtle guy there is, so it's not like he'll be too hard to find."
"That isn't what I mean. You and I both know he's the rightful king. He's the one who should be on the throne and not Anora."
"So what? It's not like I can do anything about it. It's too late. The landsmeet made its decision. They want Anora."
"I see." Fergus said. "So you're just giving up, then?"
The Warden made no reply. Instead he shot his brother a look that confirmed what the Teyrn feared. The fight had completely disappeared from The Warden's eyes. Never before had Fergus seen his brother look so defeated.
"Fine. Have it your way. But I'm not giving up yet. If we can prove that Alistiar was set up, they'd have no choice but to reconsider."
"Don't you get it? There's something much bigger at stake here than just Alistair. Someone has gone through an awful lot of trouble to make all this happen and I doubt they're going to let it be undone so easily."
"That isn't going to stop me from trying." Fergus replied. "Look, Dwemer, I know this has been very rough for you. Alistair is your friend. I get it. If anyone knows how much you hate losing, it's me."
"I hope you can do a better job of it than I did. But be careful. I have a feeling that something big is about to play out."
"Like what?" the teyrn asked.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that Bryland couldn't have done all this on his own. He had to have help from somewhere." The Warden answered. "Think about it. We've known for years that he wanted to get his hands on more of the northern bannorn; ever since Lothering was lost to the darkspawn. But Bryland was always a good arl. Hell, he even put his support behind Alistair as king. That means something had to change for him. Whether he's helping them willing or not, I don't know. But without knowing who his benefactor is, there isn't not much anyone can do. And right now I have more important concerns."
"Like taking care of that pregnant wife of yours?" Fergus asked while a sly smile crept across his face.
Morrigan and her warden stared at each other in shock, wondering if the other had somehow let the secret slip. "Oh, don't act so surprised." Fergus said. "The way you've been treating her like she was fragile, it wasn't too hard to guess."
"'Tis entirely your fault." Morrigan hissed at The Warden. "Did I not tell you that your constant doting was neither warranted nor required?"
"Don't worry, you two. Your secret is safe with me." the teyrn reassured with a slight chuckle. "In any event, I'm needed at Arl Eamon's estate. There are some things he wants to go over before the coronation this evening. You best be on your way before you get dragged even deeper into this mess."
With that, Fergus grabbed his brother's shoulder and gave a good squeeze before turning to his nephew and saying, "You keep these two out of trouble for me, alright?" while playfully mussing the boy's hair. With a final wave, Fergus turned back up the stairs and headed back into the palace.
"Do you even have the slightest clue where we might find Alistair?" the witch asked after Fergus had left.
"I know he still has to be somewhere in Denerim. He wouldn't have left the city." The Warden answered as he lifted the last of knapsacks into the cart and prepared to climb aboard. "Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll find him close by."
"You have no idea." Morrigan quipped, pointing her slender finger at two figures approaching through the main gate.
"I'll be damned." The Warden muttered as his eyes caught the pair walking towards him.
Sure enough, it was Alistair and a companion. The Warden squinted his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he saw, but there was no denying it. It was Alistair. He was with a small woman who didn't seem to be much bigger than a child. It didn't take long for The Warden to recall that it was the same woman they'd seen a few days ago outside the Gnawed Noble tavern; the one who caused all the commotion.
"It seems Alistair has found a stray." Morrigan quipped with a smirk.
"Dwemer!" Alistair called out when he saw his friend. "Maker, am I glad to see you."
"We were just about to go looking for you. Some things have happened in the past few days." The Warden replied as he held out his hand, which Alistair accepted and gave a good stiff shake.
"I heard." Alsitair said. "So it's true that the landsmeet decided to make Anora queen, then?"
"I'm afraid so. I tried to stop it, but wasn't able to. I'm sorry, Alistair."
"It's not your fault, Dwemer. I'm sure you did all you could to prevent it."
"I wish felt the same way."
"Are you not going to introduce us to your companion?" Morrigan asked.
"Where are my manners?" Alistair said, having almost forgotten the woman with him. "Dwemer, Morrigan, this is Edalweiss. She's been a really big help to me. I owe her a great deal."
"Ah, the 'kicker'." Morrigan noted. "I remember you."
"She certainly has a way of getting her point across, that's for sure." Alistair replied, looking down at Edalweiss.
"My, Alistair, you do have a way with the ladies." Morrigan teased sarcastically. "However are they able to resist such incredible charm?"
"You're so big!" Edalweiss chirped admiringly at The Warden, who towered over her small frame.
"And you're...not." he replied with his usual facetious demeanor.
"I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate. After all, he appears to be all in one piece." Morrigan said as she looked Alistair over.
Alistair's face turned to one of utter surprise, "Do my ears deceive me? You almost sound like you were worried." he gasped.
"Bah!" Morrigan shot back while she folded her arms is disgust, as if she were repulsed by the very idea. "I can assure you 'twas not out of any concern for your safety. I merely despise the thought of having to search all Denerim for your miserable carcass."
"So I was right." Edalwiess said, looking back up at Alistair. "You do annoy everyone you know."
"Oh, I do like her." Morrigan announced while beaming a broad smile.
"I guess it must be pick on Alistair day." Alistair grumbled. "What a comfort."
"Welcome back, buddy." The Warden teased as he wrapped his arm around Alistair's shoulder and gave a few stout shakes.
Just then, Edalweiss caught sight of the small boy who was desperately trying to hide from view behind his mother. "How precious!" she exclaimed.
Turning her attention to Seth, she asked, "And who might this handsome young man be?"
"Mutha...?" Seth muttered shyly as he ducked behind Morrigan.
"That's Seth." Alistair informed.
"He gets bashful around strangers." The Warden added.
"And they don't get much stranger than her." Alistair quipped to his friend, which was soon followed by a loud "Yeow!" as Edalweiss let him know of her displeasure with his comments.
"Stop kicking me!" He shouted at her.
"Stop being a big jerkface!" she hollered back.
While Alistair hopped around trying to shake off the throbbing sensation in his shin, Morrigan turned to her warden. "Now that we have found Alistair, might I inquire as to what you intend to do next?" she asked.
"Next...we go home." he replied flatly.
"Go home?" Alistair gasped. "I don't understand. What about Anora?"
"What about her? She's going to be the new queen. I thought you hated being king, anyway."
"I do. Or at least I did. But it's not like I have anything else to do." Alistair said while he rubbed his chin and thought. "I suppose I could head north to Vigil's Keep with the other Grey Wardens, or maybe even get back into the Templar Order."
"You don't sound very enthused about it. I figured you'd be ecstatic about getting your life back."
"Funny isn't it? I thought I would be to. I would even daydream about not being king anymore, but now that it's actually happened..." Alistair paused as his eyes fixed on The Warden. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get my throne back."
"I'm sorry, Alistair." The Warden replied. "But I can't help you. I have things of my own that I need to deal with."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The Warden cast a glance at his witch. Her brows bent down into a cold scowl that said Do not dare tell him! "Morrigan is pregnant. I need to take her home." he said, ignoring her warning and causing her to glare even harder at him.
"That's all well and good for you. But what about me? What about Ferelden?" Alistair questioned as his confusion grew. He'd never known his friend to give up so easily, especially when so much was on the line. "You can't just walk away. Dwemer, I need you."
"I'm sorry. You'll have to do it without me this time. I'm done fixing everyone's problems. It's time I started focusing on my own."