Surana slid her fingers over her father's cold eyes to close them, then dipped the cloth in water. The perfume she had sprinkled in wafted up to sting her nose when she wiped the dried foam away from her father's mouth.
She didn't cry until Daeron found her, but at the touch of his hand on her shoulder she sobbed.
"Do you ever think for a moment and say to yourself, look there, it is an elf marrying the King of Ferelden?" Shartan murmured.
Daeron looked away from the dais, where Surana was stiff-backed and glaring at the Grand Cleric. "It only works because it's her. Everyone's happy with this."
"Because Cavan is, of course." Shartan kept his eyes on his sister. The Grand Cleric had given in and was now saying the prayer over the still-standing Surana, who would not bow to be made Queen. "Padre would have hated to see this day."
Daeron took his lover's hand and Shartan leaned against him. Cavan held Surana's hand aloft; the Landsmeet cheered for their new queen and under this, Daeron heard Shartan sigh, "But dear Padre never knew him. Cavan is a good man at heart. Madre would have been proud of Ana."