Starkhaven had held up quite well in the face of the battle. Some of the buildings along the outer walls had minor damage, but that could be easily taken care of when everything was settled. The citizens of the city eagerly pledged their fealty to Prince Sebastian: Goran had never been popular, and rumors had circulated that an uprising against the false prince had been in the works for a long time. In fact, there were many nobles who had refused to pledge their forces to Goran's cause, nobles that they had found in the castle's main dungeon for their loyalty to Sebastian. As soon as they were discovered, they were released, and they pledged their houses to Sebastian and Kierrai's rule.
The months after the battle were spent cleaning up the city and cementing alliances to paper. It seemed that every noble Kierrai had met on their journey through Starkhaven showed up at the castle, with the exception of a few that needed to be executed as traitors. Soon, the city that Kierrai hadn't seen in over ten years was just as bustling and fast-paced as she remembered.
Merrill's funeral had been the hardest part of all of it. They had buried her in the Dalish tradition, planting a tree over her body: life springing from death. To everyone's surprise, it was Zeriah who sang a haunting melody in the language of the elves. When her song had finished and everyone's eyes were overflowing with tears, she had explained that Keeper Lanaya had given her a Dalish songbook in gratitude for helping her clan. The group spent the rest of that night drinking and sharing stories of their memories of the Dalish mage, leaving a full mug on the table for their absent friend in Starkhaven tradition. That night there was laughter and tears in equal abundance, even from those who hadn't known Merrill as well. Zeriah and Alistair had returned to Ferelden and their child just after, but had promised that at least one of them would be there for the coronation.
The days leading up to the coronation had Sebastian running about the palace like a madman. Kierrai did her best to calm him, but she realized that finally getting what he had worked for was a frightening prospect. Her biggest surprise came when she was told that she would be getting married again, this time in a public ceremony. This news was delivered to her by Sebastian's chosen advisor, Wilnan Kerr.
"Wil, I don't see a point to this. We've been married for years! We have a daughter!" she protested. One of the things she had loved about her first wedding was the intimacy of it all. It had just been Kierrai, Sebastian, and their closest friends. Wilnan held out his hands.
"Kierrai, the point is tha' it'll bring tha people of Starkhaven together for a pleasant occasion! Don' think of it as getting married, jus' think of it as renewing yer vows!" he begged. She glared at him, but gave a short nod.
"Weddings take a long time to plan." She pointed out. The mischievous spark in her friend's green eyes grew as a smirk crossed his face.
"Well, lass, it would, if Cor hadn't been plannin' for it for months now." He said. Her jaw dropped.
"What!?" she exclaimed. At that moment, Corstine glided into the room and kissed her husband's cheek.
"Dear girl, I've been pullin' strings for this wedding since you first met me. I knew tha' if and when Seb took the throne, the public would want a wedding!" the tall woman admitted. Kierrai groaned.
"I assume you already have the dress made and everything, right? When are we doing this?" she asked hesitantly. Corstine's eyes sparkled in amusement.
"The day of the coronation." She replied. When Kierrai opened her mouth to respond, a high-pitched cry interrupted her. She quickly stood and rushed to Talyssa's crib.
"Wil, you may be excused. I have to feed my daughter." She said dryly. Wilnan's face flushed as he hurriedly bowed and exited the room. Kierrai sat down and unlaced her dress so that she could feed the baby. Corstine went right on with her reasoning.
"I know it may seem like a lot fer one day, but this way everyone will be there!" she explained. Kierrai rolled her eyes.
"Fine, Cor. Where am I getting a dress?" she asked again.
"I believe I can answer that." A familiar voice said. Kierrai looked up to see Orana standing before her.
"Orana! You're back!" she said cheerfully. The elven woman smiled broadly.
"I am, my lady, but only for the coronation and wedding. I fear I cannot stay far from Carver for very long." She said, a slight blush covering her cheeks. Kierrai gaped at her.
"Carver? You mean…Congratulations, Orana, I am truly happy for you." She said fondly.
"Kierrai, I know that Belaver was supposed to be on guard, but Lord Kerr told him that you were feeding and he sent for me to-Orana?" Aranys said as she entered the room. Kierrai smiled at the fact that the guard was finally calling her by her first name. Orana turned to Aranys and studied her. For a moment Kierrai thought the two might begin fighting based on their tense stances. Orana surprised everyone by embracing the slightly taller woman. Aranys returned the hug awkwardly.
"Aranys, I wish you and Fenris the very best." Orana said sincerely. Aranys raised an eyebrow.
"Truly?" she asked. Orana nodded.
"If he hadn't rejected me, I don't think I ever would have found Carver." She admitted. Aranys let out a relieved sigh.
"Glad I am to hear it. Good luck to you both." She said, her tone still slightly awkward. Orana bowed her head graciously and turned back to Kierrai.
"I've been working on a dress since I left you, my lady. I have a feeling it will have to be loosened in the chest, but it looks as though you are back down to your usual size everywhere else." She explained. Kierrai glanced down at her body. Her breasts had become much larger since her pregnancy and subsequent childbirth. They were nothing to rival Isabela's, of course, but they were ample. She looked back at her friend.
"Can I see it?" she asked quietly. Orana nodded and left the room, obviously ready to show it off. Talyssa hiccupped and pulled away, causing Kierrai to beam down at her. Talyssa's eyes were still the blue-grey of a newborn, and Kierrai hoped that they would become the striking Vael blue, though Sebastian said he wanted her to have her mother's warm brown. Her hair was loosely curled to her chin and thick, and the exact color of Kierrai's own locks. The baby gurgled happily at the attention she was receiving, bringing a smile to everyone's faces.
"She's a sweet one." Corstine noted. Kierrai laughed.
"Yes, I hope she stays that way. If she is anything like her parents, we are going to have quite a handful to deal with." She replied. Corstine chuckled.
"I think you'll be fine. Although, Maker knows you've gotten my own Falyn ta act jus' like ye." She told her. Kierrai grinned sheepishly.
"Yes, I apologize for that. Maybe my demonstration all those months ago wasn't the best idea, but I really wanted to win her over!" she apologized. Corstine waved her off.
"It's fine, lass. I'm glad my girl will be able to defend herself." Her friend laughed. Kierrai smiled at her and gently set Talyssa in her crib as Orana reentered the room with a large garment bag.
"Close your eyes, my lady. Aranys, Lady Corstine, will you help me?" Orana ordered. Kierrai felt her clothes being removed by her friends as she stood with her eyes shut. The fabric felt smooth against her skin, and by the time it was buttoned up the back, she could tell that it clung nicely to her waist. It was a little snug around her chest, but Orana would take care of that easily. "Open." Orana said. Kierrai gasped at what she saw in the mirror.
The dress was closely fitted to her from her chest to her lower thighs, where an intricate lace overlay caused the skirts to fall from her body like a waterfall. It had a train that fell behind her, but it wasn't obnoxiously long. The dress was cut low, showing her ample cleavage as well as her beautiful collarbone. Its sleeves clung to her shoulders, and they were made of a gorgeous, transparent lace that was fitted to her arms until just past her elbows. She turned to see that the back of the dress bared her skin to the middle of her back, but for a single button at the back of her neck that drew some of the lace across the tops of her shoulders. Kierrai felt tears fill her eyes as she stared at the beautiful creation.
"Orana, this is perfect." She breathed. The elven woman smiled proudly.
"I thought you would like it. It has a simple elegance that is suited to you." She agreed. Orana took the measurements of her chest into account and helped her out of the gown. Kierrai was sad to take the thing off, even though it was very impractical for any sort of fighting. As Orana left with the dress, Kierrai smiled. She supposed she was open to this wedding idea after all.