Sappy, yes, but dangit, this is my headcanon until DLC proves otherwise! Spoilers of course.
Prompt: I've survived worse
King Alistair's wife had been missing for too long. Gossip made rounds in the court like a snowball rolling down a mountain, picking up dirt and twigs and other filth the longer it rolled.
He kept them at bay as best he could. All the court knew at the moment was that the "Hero" was dealing with Grey Warden business. It was a practiced move that even Leliana might have been proud of. It reminded the court subtly that the Hero had saved their ungrateful lives while also holding a kernel of truth.
At least, he hoped it was the truth. She'd told him that she was leaving to speak to Avernus about the Calling. But she'd been gone so long that she could have made the trip to Soldier's Peak and back to Denerim several times over now.
And no word from her. Not a single letter. And then there was this whole Breach madness to deal with. He dearly wanted his wife there for his own sanity and comfort. To ensure that she was safe... to have the benefit of her counsel as he dealt with foolish mages and stubborn templars... and the growing power of the Inquisition in Orlais.
But the Inquisition was a smaller worry. He had not known Commander Cullen personally, but he knew him by reputation and Leliana, whatever her faults, would keep a careful eye on this Free Marcher woman who was the titular head. But still, he would have liked to have Elissa there to talk through the decisions that must be made.
Days turned to weeks. Weeks into months. He missed her with every breath... but he almost became used to the absence.
So when the Queen of Fereldan turned up in his bed one morning (the morning he was supposed to hear about the decision for the new Divine), he might be forgiven for falling out of bed with a startled yelp that brought the guards rushing into the Royal bedchamber.
"It's me!" The woman in the bed said in annoyance as the guards brought swords to bear on her. "Good grief, Ronald, I kissed your baby at his naming ceremony."
Ronald the guard blanched. "Y-your Majesty! I... I did not expect... You've..." He trailed off, glancing at Alistair who was still sitting on the floor, dumbstruck. His fellow guard nudged him with an elbow and, with hurried bows, they both left and shut the door behind them.
Silence fell into the room. Elissa looked over at him on the floor with a smile. "Are you going to stay there or are you going to greet your wife properly?"
Alistair found his voice and slowly stood to his feet. "You've been gone for months and you just show up in the middle of the night?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Like I've always done? I didn't want to wake you."
Alistair paused. She was right. That's what her habit was, when dealing with Grey Warden business that took her out of the city.
"But I haven't seen you in..." he said a little bit plaintively.
"I know, darling," she said soothingly, crawling to the edge of the bed to stand and wrap her arms around him. "I've missed you too..."
And then they were too busy showing each other how much they missed the other for Alistair to demand an explanation.
Sometime much later, Alistair freed his arm from beneath his wife's head and propped himself up to look at her.
"Where were you?"
She frowned prettily and he had to stop himself from kissing her again and once again losing the thread of his thoughts.
"You got my letters right?"
Alistair blinked. "Letters?"
"I wrote—twice at least. Once, when I was leaving Soldier's Peak and the second, not that long ago, after Leliana's people managed to find me."
"I never got your letters, love."
"But..." She growled in frustration and slipped out of bed, making a distracting image as she crouched by her bag, which he could see now that she had just tossed on the floor. "Here! I made copies." She said triumphantly, coming back to the bed and sitting on it to hand Alistair the letters. He opened them up, frowning as he recognized the code they'd established a few years ago. To anyone that intercepted the letters, they would appear as simple, domestic news between a husband and wife. To Alistair, however, he could see that she was reporting on the latest research that Avernus had uncovered.
He lowered the letter. "I never received these," he said. "Who did you send as a courier?"
"A Crow apprentice." At his incredulous look, she shrugged. "Zevran owes me. I figured them trustworthy enough, but apparently not."
"He could have fallen foul of bandits or off a mountain," Alistair pointed out.
"We should send some people to check," she agreed. Then she smiled at him. "I'm surprised you worried so much. I've survived worse than a little trip across Thedas."
He couldn't resist. He pulled her forward and kissed her again, softly this time without the desperation of moments before. "I will always worry."
She touched his cheek. "And I will always return to you."
