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Elissa arrived at Highever the next night. The sun had begun to set on the horizon, making the re-built city walls glow in a faint orange hue. From the outside, it looked like Fergus had kept his word and repaired the buildings to their former glory. She smiled in relief and placed her hand over her stomach protectively. "Looks like we're home." She murmured to her child and she nudged her horse forward to the city gates.

"Who goes there?!" A guard shouted upon the walls.

"I am Lady Elissa Cousland, sister to Teyrn Fergus Cousland!" She replied, stopping at the bridge leading to the entrance. The iron gate was down, blocking her entry.

She heard the guard almost stutter as he yelled to his fellow guards. "O-Oy! It's Lady Cousland! Open the gates!"

She heard several guards shout in surprise and then the gates slowly opened, allowing her passage into Highever. She rode in and was immediately surrounded by several soldiers…happily cheering at her return. She blushed at the attention and was ecstatic to recognize several faces.

"Lady Elissa Cousland! Thank the Maker, you are well!" One guard opened his helmet, revealing his red hair and gave her a wide grin.

"Ser Gilmore! You are alive?!" She cried at the soldier, near falling off her mount in shock. "I thought you had perished during the attack!"

"It takes more than a troop of Howes to kill me." Ser Gilmore laughed and motioned to the others. "Make way everyone, let Lady Cousland through! She is here to see the Teyrn!"

Grateful for their welcome, she gave them all a brilliant smile. The horse trotted down the cobblestone streets as Ser Gilmore escorted her down towards the castle. She looked around her surroundings with marvel. Any evidence of Arl Howe's attack was gone. The buildings and the streets were rebuilt beautifully…it looked exactly as it did before the city had fallen. It gave her a warm feeling of pride to know that the people of Highever were so resilient.

"You haven't seen Highever since it began it's rebuilding, haven't you, My Lady?" The soldier asked, smiling at Elissa's awe.

"I am more surprised at how you have survived." Elissa responded in disbelief. "Where have you been?"

Ser Gilmore shook his head. "It is not a heartwarming tale…After the attack on Highever, many of us were taken prisoner by Howe's men. We were all sent to a prison near Waking Sea under the guise of traitors. I was not released up until a season ago…the Teyrn had found us. Apparently he had been searching for as many survivors as he could." He explained, his voice radiating gratitude towards his Teyrn.

"I am so glad that you are here. I believed that all of the people of Highever were lost to us." Elissa reached down and held her hand to the soldier. Ser Gilmore immediately took it and gave it a small squeeze.

"I swear my loyalty to the Couslands, My Lady. We will all stand behind you until the very end."

Elissa felt reassured by Ser Gilmore's pledge. Warden Commander, Arlessa of Amaranthine, Hero of Ferelden were simply titles that had been rewarded for her duties…in the end, her true identity would remain being Lady Elissa Cousland of Highever. No matter who the father was, her child will also be a Cousland of Highever.

As they approached the castle, a familiar shout came from the doors. "Elissa!"

"Fergus!" Elissa happily waved at the Teyrn running up to her horse. She quickly dismounted into his open arms and hugged him tightly. "I missed you so!"

"So have I! Would it kill you to send me a correspondence?" He chastised jokingly and turned to Ser Gilmore. "Please take the horse to the stables. I will see to Elissa's comfort from here on."

The solider bowed low in reply and led the horse away. Fergus and Elissa walked hand in hand into the castle. Inside, she could not help to gape at what she saw. Like the city, the castle looked just as it did before that fateful night. She had to swallow back the tears and the memories came flowing back.

"What do you think?" Fergus asked, smiling at his sister's reaction.

"It's so beautiful. It looks exactly the same as it was before…" She whispered, looking at the furnishings and tapestries. "Everything is just how it looked before the attack. How were you able to rebuild everything so quickly, Fergus?"

Fergus led his sister to a chair and sat her down. "Beautiful, isn't it? But I cannot take all the credit for this. The king has been quite generous with his support. What should have taken several years, the King has helped us accomplish this restoration within several months."

Elissa paled at Fergus' explanation. "Alistair…I mean, the King? He helped us?"

Fergus gave his sister a soft smile. "Very much so. He has sent massive amounts of workers and funds our way to help bring Highever back to it's former glory. He had personally came by several times to oversee the progress. I tried to protest the generosity, but he had insisted upon it. He said the Hero of Ferelden deserved to have her home back. He's quite kind, isn't he?"

Elissa bit down on her lip to keep her tears at bay. "Very kind." She agreed.

"Yes, well…seeing how you turned down his proposal, I'm surprised he didn't burn what was left of the castle down to the ground." Fergus joked and he sat down on the chair across from hers.

She gave him a sad smile in reply. "He's a good King. I'm glad that he is the one on the throne."

"As am I. Much better than Loghain, that's for bloody sure." Fergus snorted and sat back on his chair. "Now tell me, why have you suddenly arrived at our doorstep? I just received word from a runner in Denerim. The King is informing the bann of a massive celebration being planned at the palace for your newest victory over the darkspawn."

Elissa looked into her brother's eyes with a worried expression. "Fergus, I came because I am in need of your help."

Her brother quickly leaned forward. "What is it? If it's anything I can do within my power, you know I will do it, Elissa."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. If she couldn't depend on her brother in a situation as dire as this, then she had no one else to turn to. She opened her eyes and gave him a firm stare. "Fergus…I am with child."

Fergus did not react to the news…on the contrary, he was frozen in place. After several minutes, his brow slowly arched in question. "With child? How…how are you with child? How did this happen?"

Elissa let out an exasperated breath. "Fergus, do I really need to inform you where babies come from?"

Fergus closed his eyes in confusion and put up his hands. "Wait, wait. Didn't you turn down the King's proposal because Grey Wardens are unable to bear children?"

"Yes…they normally are. This shouldn't have happened…but it did. This is nothing short of a miracle." Elissa explained.

His eyes snapped open followed by a wide grin. "This is wonderful news, Elissa!" He rose from his chair and extended his arms. "You! With child! And mother was terrified of you becoming a spinster! It is the King's, is it not? My word, a Cousland child will inherit the throne!"

Elissa grabbed Fergus' arm. "Brother, you need to let me finish…this is not the good news as you may believe it to be!"

Fergus gave her a perplexed expression and sat back down in his chair. "What? What are you talking about, Elissa?"

Elissa cast her eyes down. "The child…it could be the King's…but it could also belong to another as well…"

Fergus remained silent for a moment and ran his fingers through his chestnut hair. "So…you do not know who the father of the child is?"

Elissa nodded, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry, brother. I am not certain that this child belongs to the King or the other man."

Another moment of silence passed between them and then Fergus let out a baffled laugh of disbelief. "I cannot believe my little sister is such a little minx. I guess I should take back the jest about you becoming a spinster." He then gave her a hard stare. "Who is the other man?"

Elissa had been dreading this part of her confession. "You will not like what I have to say…but you must hear me out to the end. It is…somebody that you would not expect."

Fergus blanched. "My word, Elissa. It wasn't…Oghren, was it?!"

"What?! Of course not!"

Fergus sighed in relief. "Thank the Maker. Then who is it?"

Elissa pursed her lips. "The child could also belong to…Nathaniel Howe."

Fergus blinked in shock. He brought his hands to his face and shook his head. "I…I think I would have preferred the drunken dwarf."

Elissa reached over and took hold of Fergus' hand. "I know it is difficult for you to understand, but Nathaniel is now a Grey Warden…he helped me with so much, Fergus!"

"His father killed our family and ruined Highever!" Fergus roared, his voice echoed against the walls.

"I know that, but Nathaniel had nothing to do with what his father has done! He was in Free Marches when it occurred. I swear to you…Nathaniel is a good man and he has saved my life many times throughout my fight against the darkspawn. If Nathaniel wanted to kill me, I would have been dead by now."

"Wasn't Nathaniel Howe that boy who always made those doe-eyes at you?" Fergus rubbed at his temples, trying to recall Nathaniel's face.

"Yes." Elissa nodded sullenly. "He was the one who confessed to me before he left for Free Marches."

"Oh Maker." Fergus muttered as he lifted his eyes upward. "So the Cousland heir could possibly be a Howe. Lovely."

Elissa tightened her grip on her brother's hand. "Fergus, I need to stay hidden here. No one can find out about this child until we can determine who the father is. You of all people would know how this will cause terrible political turmoil if it is discovered."

Fergus gave his sister a pained look. "Yes…I know. This will not only affect Highever, but it could also affect all of Ferelden."

Elissa leaned forward. "I need to protect my child. Will you help me, Fergus?"

Her brother let out a huge sigh and took both her hands into his. "My word, Elissa…you never stop making trouble, do you?" He let out a strained chuckle. "Andraste's mercy, let us pray that we can get through this together. After all, you are carrying the child that will inherit the Cousland name."

"You're hiding something, Anders." Nathaniel stated quietly.

"What?! No, I'm not! What could I possibly be hiding?!" Anders stuttered his denial.

The Wardens have all safely arrived in Denerim. Wynne had immediately led them to the palace upon their arrival and quickly ordered the servants to see to all their comforts. As soon a page boy urgently whispered a message into her ear, Wynne had excused herself and promised to return shortly.

They all attempted to relax in one of the palace's parlor rooms. Oghren immediately made himself at home by breaking open one of the untapped barrels of wine that were stacked by the entrance. Valenna stretched herself out on one of the heavily cushioned benches. Sigrun was inspecting the various pieces of art that were placed around the room.

Anders had been staring out from one of the windows when Nathaniel confronted him with his accusation.

"You have been jittery since we left Amaranthine. I have traveled with you long enough to know that you only become like this when you are hiding something. Out with it. What do you know?" Nathaniel glared at the mage.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Anders insisted, trying to keep his attention on the palace grounds outside the window.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something about Elissa, aren't you?"

Anders felt a lump in his throat. Nathaniel was much too observant for his liking. He cursed himself for making such a promise to the Commander. "I'm not hiding anything."

"I'm going to find out sooner or later, Anders. You might as well save yourself the trouble and tell me what is going on this instant." Nathaniel warned.

The loud sound of the door creaking open had saved Anders from digging himself into a deeper hole. Everyone looked over to the doorway to see Zevran and Leliana stride in with wide smiles on their faces.

"Ah! The Wardens are all here. It's good to see you all again. We were sorry to leave Amaranthine so quickly in order to give the King the good news of your victory." Zevran bowed low to the room. "We thank you for joining us for the celebration in your honor."

"Thank you for having us." Sigrun replied courteously.

"Well…it is good to see you have made yourselves at home…" Leliana said as she looked over at Oghren, already drunk on the storage wine. "Wynne had just told us that the Warden Commander will be unable to make it."

"Yes, quite a shame." Nathaniel agreed and gave a searing look at Anders. "She is currently visiting Teyrn Cousland in Highever."

Leliana did not catch Anders' cringe. "Yes, I'm a bit sad, but it's good that she is visiting her brother. But it is no matter. This is a celebration for all of you Grey Wardens of Ferelden. Even though I am a bit sad Elissa could not be here, it will be festive, nonetheless. Is there anything I can get for you all at the moment? The palace servants are preparing your rooms as we speak."

"Actually…yes." Nathaniel stepped up to the bard. "Do you think I could get a private audience with the King? I would like to discuss certain matters regarding Amaranthine with him."

Anders sucked in a breath. He was sure that a conversation between Nathaniel and the King would not go over well…with or without the knowledge of the unborn child that Elissa was carrying.

"I'm sure I can arrange that. Why don't you come with me and I can walk you over to his study?" Leliana looked over at Zevran who was already shamelessly flirting with the stoic Valenna. "Keep the Wardens entertained, will you, Zevran?"

"I absolutely shall." He replied with his usual flair and went back to his attempts at romancing the elven mage.

"Let us go then." Leliana smiled at Nathaniel and led him out of the parlor.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Anders let out the breath he had been holding in. "That stubborn fool…everything is already complicated enough without him confronting the King about other matters! Maker help them both, I do not envy Nathaniel or the King at this moment." He muttered, thinking of Elissa's condition.

Oghren belched as he refilled his mug with more wine from the casket. "What're you blubbering about, you sissy little freak? I wish I were either one of them! I bet the Commander is quite hot and heavy in the sack…hic."

"Yes, right…whatever." Anders leaned back out the window and looked up into the sky. "Ugh. I hope the Commander knows what she is doing."

"Why is Elissa unable to attend the celebration?!" Alistair demanded and pounded his fist on his desk. Several scrolls rolled off the surface and fell to the ornate rug.

Wynne's face was perfectly calm as she gave her explanation. "Elissa has gone to be with her brother for a while. She is a bit ill and would like to recover in Highever."

Alistair quickly rose from his chair. "Elissa is ill?! Then I will leave for Highever at once!"

Wynne stepped into his way and laid her hand on his chest. "Alistair, be calm. It is nothing more than a minor sickness."

The young King shook his head in frustration. "No. I'm tired of constantly being held back when I need to see her! I am going to see her right now!"

"Your Majesty, I must insist that you stop this selfishness this instant. I have checked on Elissa and she is in no danger. At the moment, she wishes for nothing more than to be left alone." Wynne spoke firmly. Even though she hasn't spoken any lies, she felt the guilt from holding back the entire truth.

Alistair stopped at her determined stance. He hung his head in defeat and let out an discouraged sigh. "Eamon has been pushing for Bann Alfstanna's sister to become Queen. I swear, the woman is a shrew in the making." He paused and lifted his eyes at Wynne. "Elissa is still angry with me…isn't she?"

The old mage shook her head. "No, she is not. But please trust me when I say that you should leave her be…at least, for a little while. I will speak with the Chancellor and try to delay any…engagements…as long as I can."

Before Alistair could respond, a small knock had interrupted their conversation. "Your Majesty, I have one of the Grey Wardens here with me. He wishes to speak with you on matters regarding Amaranthine." Leliana's voice was muffled through the closed door.

"Come in." Alistair replied and then turned to Wynne. "I will be grateful for whatever you can intercede on my behalf with Eamon. But I will speak to you later about Elissa. I am not going to give up so easily."

The door opened and Leliana ushered Nathaniel into the study. Wynne's eyes widened as he stepped in. She had not expected this confrontation to happen so quickly.

"Nice to meet you, Warden." Alistair warmly greeted Nathaniel by extending his hand. "It is nice to finally meet one of the newest recruits that the Commander has collected to protect Ferelden against the darkspawn."

Nathaniel nodded his head politely and shook the King's hand. "It is an honor, Your Majesty."

Alistair turned to Wynne and Leliana. "Well, since the Warden would like to speak to me in private, why don't you both go on ahead and see to the other's comforts? I will join you in a bit."

Wynne hesitated. A meeting between the two men would not bode well. Nathaniel was looking very determined about something. "Very well…please call for us as soon as we are needed." She bowed reluctantly and left the room with Leliana, slowly closing the door behind her.

"Well then…" Alistair turned to his guest and gave him a disarming smile. "What are the matters you need to speak to me about…er…Ser…"

"Howe." Nathaniel replied, clasping his hands behind his back. "Nathaniel Howe."

Alistair did a double take. "Howe? As in the family of Rendon Howe?"

"Correct, Your Majesty." Nathaniel kept his expression impassive. "I am Rendon Howe's oldest son. I have been in the Free Marches during the fight against the blight."

Alistair scratched his head with bewilderment. He was shocked that Elissa would enlist a Howe to the Grey Wardens. She had been the one who had exacted revenge against the former Arl of Amaranthine. He believed that she would have hated everything associated with the Howes because what Rendon had done to Highever. But Elissa was never the type to be predictable. He let out a breath and gave Nathaniel a small grin. "Well now, since the Warden Commander recruited you herself, that would mean that she has full confidence of your abilities, I wager."

Nathaniel inclined his head. "I have known Elissa since we were children. She has given me a chance to redeem my family's name."

Alistair caught Nathaniel's casual use of her name. He could not stop himself from inquiring. "Ah…you have? I take it you were both…close?"

Nathaniel stared straightly into the King's eyes. "Yes, we were. We still are."

Alistair leaned back on his desk, trying to quell the small feeling of suspicion that he got from Nathaniel's response. He could have sworn that Nathaniel had given his answer as if it was almost a challenge. Alistair crossed his arms and nodded to rogue. "What did you need to speak to me about, Warden?"

Nathaniel kept his straight stance. "I wanted to speak to you privately about a personal matter involving Elissa."

Alistair narrowed his eyes. "What about Elissa?"

"I would like to talk to you as man to man…not Warden to King." Nathaniel requested, his eyes unwavering.

"Very well. You are free to speak your mind." Alistair granted, his face apprehensive.

Nathaniel nodded. "I have been in love with Elissa Cousland for years. I am in love with her now. I am very well aware of your past together and know that she still holds feelings for you. Because I tend to do things more honorably than my father…I would like to give you fair warning. I will be pursuing Elissa…and I will be asking her to be my wife."

A/N: Thank you all for your input! (Some of them had me laughing so hard because I really have been sorely tempted to just end it with Anders!) I believe I now have a good general idea on the upcoming ending. Thank you all so much for your support =)