Honor

Fergus was on his knees with his head bowed low inside the small Highever Chantry. He never considered himself a religious man by any means…but like any other person who walked upon Thedas, he was truly at the end of his rope when he had to make requests to a higher power. He had been sending a bounty of prayers heavenward since dawn, hoping that if the Maker really existed, he would take pity upon his family and intervene in some way…any way.

He heard the Chantry door open and shut quietly behind him. He did not turn his head to the patron who was slowly stepping towards him, he plainly continued his unending mumbles of the chant.

The person delicately kneeled beside him, waiting patiently for Fergus to finish his verses. As soon as the Teyrn finished he did not bother to face his visitor, he simply stared up at the small marble statue of Andraste that stood before him.

"They say that a man at his most desperate becomes a true follower of Andraste and the Maker." His companion mused.

"I am quite desperate." Fergus agreed quietly, still staring at the statue. "I hope the Maker does not think my pleading is any less than sincere because of it."

His visitor laughed softly in response. "The Maker takes all requests and prayer with heavy consideration. You have no worries about your prayers not being heard."

"Well, I guess that is a bit reassuring." Fergus smiled and finally turned to face his guest. "Surely you have better things to do than to keep me company, Lady Leliana."

Leliana flipped her red hair lightly to the side. "Your sister is worried about you. You have skipped your morning meal and have shut yourself in the Chantry since early dawn."

"I'm surprised she remembered me while she is being lavished with the attentions of the King and his most trusted advisors."

Leliana smiled. "She keeps everyone in mind. Which also brings me here because I wanted to formally apologize for what Zevran did to your watchmen that first night."

"There is nothing to apologize for. All that was hurt was only their pride. Although it did show how vulnerable our castle defenses are." Fergus let out a quiet laugh.

Leliana laughed with him. "May I ask you what you have been praying so earnestly for?"

"I came here because I was hoping the Maker would help show me a way to help her." Fergus admit. "For the past few weeks, I've been feeling pretty useless when it comes to tending to her needs."

Leliana tilted her head in question. "What do you mean, Teyrn Cousland?"

"I am Elissa's brother. I've been able to read her like a book since we have been children." Fergus sighed, rolling his stiff neck. "Ever since the King has been in Highever, I can see her arguing with herself. Whenever he says something to make her laugh, she immediately stops in the middle and looks as if she has done something wrong. I've tried to ask her if she wanted to talk about it…but she refuses to do so."

"Ah…I see." Leliana nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that Elissa is still feeling much guilt about the possibility of the child's father. Have you been praying for Elissa's turmoil?"

"In a way. I have been praying to the Maker to let the King be the father of the child."

Leliana's eyes widened. "Andraste's mercy, Teyrn Cousland! No disrespect, but that is quite a selfish request to ask of the Maker."

"Yes, I know." Fergus frowned and returned to gazing at the pale marble figure. "I will not pretend that I am fine with the prospect of Nathaniel Howe being the father…I realize I am prejudiced to the Howe family. But if Elissa's baby were the King's child, it would solve so many of our problems…"

Leliana could not help to concur to the Teyrn's statement. She had arrived at Highever just a few days ago herself. Denerim Palace has been in chaos since Alistair had snuck out with Zevran a few weeks ago. Chancellor Eamon and the Denerim bannorn have been in a hectic fit when they discovered the King was missing that morning. Luckily, she was told of their plans before they left. Alistair had begged her not to tell anyone where they were headed until the next day.

Wynne took the news of the King's disappearance quite easily, as if she were expecting it to happen. However, the Chancellor was stressed beyond comprehension…Leliana couldn't think of any situation where she had seen Eamon so flustered.

In order to quell a sea of rumors of the King going rogue, the Chancellor announced that the King would be taking an extended visit to Highever on business with Teyrn Cousland. Wynne decided to stay behind in Denerim to settle matters in Alistair's absence.

They haven't heard much word from Amaranthine. According to the Seneschal's most recent correspondence, it seems that he is completely unaware of the situation. Which means that Nathaniel has been wisely keeping the news to himself. The last thing Ferelden needed was a political struggle between Highever and Amaranthine.

"Let us pray that Elissa will go with what is best." Leliana suggested as she linked her fingers together to commence her own prayer. "She has gotten as far as she has by following her heart…I trust that she will make the best choice in the end."

Fergus couldn't help chuckling at Leliana's optimism. "I believe Elissa following her heart has gotten us all into this mess. I have a feeling somewhere our father and our mother is looking down at me and laughing in relief because they do not have to worry about such matters anymore."


"I will be leaving for Highever today, Nathaniel." Anders announced while they ate their morning meal.

Nathaniel simply grunted and kept his attention to several ledgers that were scattered about him on the table. He had barely touched his food.

Anders sighed and kept his fingers busy by ripping apart a roll of bread into small pieces about his plate. Vigil's Keep has become so empty as of late. Oghren and Sigrun were both on visit to Orzammar to become emissaries on behalf of Ferelden. Velanna has gone to Denerim due to Wynne's sudden request. Apparently the King was gone on an extended visit with Teyrn Cousland and Wynne needed another mage to assist her in her advising duties since she had her hands full of royal matters the King has left behind.

Anders knew Wynne did not request his own assistance because he has been entrusted with the duty as the Warden Commander's healer. However, the Keep was now too quiet with only the presence of Nathaniel and the Seneschal.

Mealtimes have been quite tense in the past few weeks as well. Nathaniel barely spoke and would always bring his papers to the table in order to work while he ate. Since the Seneschal never ate with them to begin with, Anders spent most of the time having a one-ended conversation with Nathaniel. He never thought that he would miss Oghren's atrocious table manners to liven up dining hall.

"Would you like to come with me? You can see how Elissa is faring." Anders offered.

Nathaniel gave another grunt as he kept his eyes glued to one of the many parchments that were scattered before him.

Anders frowned as he recalled the night Nathaniel had snuck away in order to see Elissa. The mage had figured that it was safe to assume that Nathaniel had found out about Elissa's condition. However, when Nathaniel arrived back at Vigil's Keep, he gave no admissions or clues to what he had discovered. Rather, he went back to running Amaranthine on behalf of the Commander as if nothing had happened. Anders also noted that Nathaniel was looking a bit haggard as well. His black hair was loosely tied in the back and his face was covered in dark stubble due to being unshaven for so long.

Nathaniel's detached demeanor for the past several weeks has been exasperating the mage. Anders let out a breath of frustration and decided to confront the issue without shirking about it.

"You know…" Anders leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms. "By my estimation…Elissa should be giving birth very soon."

Nathaniel snapped his head towards Anders and the parchments fell from his fingers. "Wait…what?"

"Well, I'm glad that got your attention." Anders smiled smugly, glad that he finally got a proper response.

"When is she due to have the child?" Nathaniel demanded, glaring at Anders.

"Unfortunately, I don't have an exact date." Anders responded. "Judging from my last visit, she should be due any day now…which is why I'm going to head out to Highever. Can't tell you how long it'll be though, I'm a healer but not an experienced midwife by any means."

"Is there going to be a midwife present?" Nathaniel asked, suddenly getting a feeling of dread from Ander's admission.

"I'm sure there is. Even though it's something that's being kept secret, I'm sure the Teyrn would not stand by and allow one lone healer to bring the Cousland heir into the world." Anders ruminated.

Nathaniel pushed his chair away from the table and rubbed his hands on his face. Elissa was going to be giving birth to the child soon…and he still didn't know what stance he should take with the circumstances. He turned to Anders. "So…you know that I know about her child then?"

"Yes…luckily for you that the others don't know anything about all this. They just believe that you have been in a foul mood because Elissa is away." Anders inclined his head.

"And you also do not know if the child is mine or the King's?"

Anders shook his head. "There is no way of finding out until after the child is born."

Nathaniel looked at Anders with a confused expression. "How so?"

Anders slapped himself on his forehead. "For Andraste's sake, she couldn't tell you this either? Ugh…okay…right." Anders sighed and looked Nathaniel squarely in the eye. "There is a ritual called the spell of birthright that can be done after the child is born. It is how one can determine a parentage. One of the components necessary for the spell is a small sample of blood from each party."

Nathaniel cringed. "Isn't that…blood magic?"

"Very minor blood magic." Anders explained, annoyed at the reaction that mirrored Elissa's. "The point is, we can find out who the father is with the ritual."

Nathaniel sank into his chair and stared at the ceiling. If resorting to blood magic was the only way to determine the parentage of the child, then Elissa must truly be backed up against a wall. "Does the King know about this as well?"

"I don't know. I was going to find out as soon as I got there." Anders replied.

Nathaniel remained silent for a while. They could hear the low muffled sounds of the guards pacing back and forth outside the Keep. Nathaniel kept his gaze on the ceiling. "Anders…what do you think I should do?"

Anders was taken off-guard by Nathaniel's question. "What do I think?"

"Yes. Tell me truthfully."

Anders chewed on his lower lip as he pondered over his opinion. "I don't believe…I can really say…"

Nathaniel let out a smirk. "I think we all know how everything should be resolved. The baby should be the King's. It would put Elissa on the throne as Queen. Ferelden would receive an heir."

"Regardless of your wonderful sanguinity, all of that is moot if the child doesn't belong to the King." Anders answered honestly.

Nathaniel sighed and kept his gaze upwards. "I haven't been able to sleep at night…I keep wondering if the child is mine."

Anders didn't know how to reply to his statement. His heart went out to his comrade, wishing that such a situation didn't befall on him.

Nathaniel thoughts drifted towards his father. If Rendon Howe was still alive, he would have commanded that Nathaniel claim the child to be his. Such a progeny would further the glory and reach of the Howe name. For the sake of greed and power, Rendon Howe had massacred the people of Highever and murdered their beloved Teyrn and Teyrna.

The Howe name was now tainted and associated with betrayal. The irony, Nathaniel sighed to himself. From when he was young, his father had drilled the ideals of honor and duty into him. Those principles have molded him into what he was today…he always chose to be honorable, whether it was in battle or in love.

Nathaniel slowly straightened in his chair and faced Anders. "Give me one of your small empty vials."

Always prepared, Anders reached into the small pack on his belt and handed Nathaniel a small crystal bottle. "What do you need this for?"

Nathaniel took out a small dirk from his ankle strap and slashed a small cut into hand. Anders winced as Nathaniel dripped his blood into the vial. After filling it halfway, Nathaniel quickly sealed it with the cork and handed it back to Anders. "Will this be enough for your ritual?"

"Quite enough." Anders replied, accepting the vial delicately.

"I am going to ask you for a favor, Anders. You're going to have to go to Highever on my behalf."

"What? You're not coming with me?" Anders asked.

"No. I must stay here." Nathaniel took out his linen kerchief and wrapped it around his cut. "But as I said, you will have to help Elissa on my behalf."

Anders got up from his seat and approached Nathaniel. He took the rogue's hand and did a quick healing spell to close the wound. "Don't you want to be there for the birth of the child?"

Nathaniel looked at his hand after Anders had healed it. The slash had disappeared and the only evidence of the wound was his kerchief which was blotched with red. He gazed up at Anders who was staring at him with an expression of concern. "I am asking you this favor as a friend and not as a Warden. Will you help me?"

Anders grumbled and scratched his head. "The last time somebody said that to me, I ended up knee-deep into this mess." He straightened and gave a reluctant grin. "Oh well, if I'm already this far in…I might as well jump in all the way. What do you need of me, Nathaniel?"


Elissa wistfully gazed out her window, watching the snow fall gently to the courtyard below. The fireplace in her room was blazing hot and she had took the covers off the window to take a breath of fresh air. As she looked out over the gray horizon, she couldn't help worrying over Nathaniel. She hadn't seen or heard from him since that night when he climbed through her window.

Anders had sent her a correspondence to make her aware that he would be visiting soon. Anders made no mention of Nathaniel, which led her to believe that he hasn't spoken to anyone about it. The dull pain of guilt ran through her as she recalled the hurt she saw in his eyes that ill-fated night.

"That was quite a sigh you've let out."

Elissa turned to see Alistair grinning at the doorway. He carried a large trencher of food in his hands.

"I was wishing for a bit of freedom…that is all." Elissa smiled and slowly rose from her chair. Her belly has gotten so big that she was having difficulty getting about.

Alistair quickly rushed over and took her arm for support as she walked towards her bed. He held the tray of food with his other hand against his hip. As Elissa leaned back into her pillows, he set the platter upon the covers. "You know, it's very un-kingly for you to bring up our meals like this." She noted with humor.

"Ah, you sound just like the cook in the kitchens." Alistair sat himself on the bed as well. "It's still fun to watch them all stutter in protest while I wrestle the serving tray away from them."

She looked at the food he had brought up. There were squares of yellow cheese and thick slices of black bread. There was also carving slices of various meats like pheasant and lamb. The kitchen staff also added a small bowl of fruit preserves. Alistair must have relayed her cravings from earlier that morning. "Sorry to say that there isn't any rabbit in this meal. Zevran has taken Dog out to do a little hunting. They should be back soon if you're still desiring it."

Elissa shook her head. "The cook must think of me as a glutton. You all shouldn't spoil me like this, Alistair. I will become too large to get out of bed."

Alistair waved her off and handed her a wooden plate. "I will not allow you to get to that state. Besides, I think the cook loves the fact we enjoy her meals so much. You are quite justified to eat what you want to eat…after all it is what our child wants as well."

Elissa glanced up to see Alistair give her a loving smile and felt her heart jump…followed by the immediate pang of remorse. She quickly looked back down at the food and picked up a knife. "Well…I am feeling quite famished…but I don't think I will be able to eat all this on my own."

Alistair ignored her brief face of awkwardness. "Don't worry, I will make sure that none of this goes to waste! If anything, I believe I'm the one who is on the route to become too big to get out of bed."

Elissa rewarded his reply with a laugh and helped herself to some food. As they ate, Alistair noticed the thick book at the side of her bed. "Are you finished reading all that yet?" He asked with his mouth full.

"Just about." Elissa bit into a savory piece cheese and bread. "I still haven't read anything about any female Wardens giving birth."

"Wynne said that there are a few wardens that have done it." Alistair said thoughtfully. "Perhaps they kept silent about it or weren't notable enough to mention in Brother Genitivi's research."

"The book is still quite interesting. It briefly mentions Duncan as well."

Alistair knit his eyebrows. "Duncan? How? Isn't that book about female Wardens?"

Elissa reached over to her bed stand to retrieve the book. She flipped through the pages and found the pieces that mentioned Duncan's name. "He is referenced in the writings with the Grey Wardens Fiona and Genevieve. Apparently he has traveled with them for a time."

"Really?" Alistair was genuinely interested and took the book from her. As he read the short passages about the young Duncan, his expression softened with remembrance. "It is difficult to think of Duncan as a man of my age…to think he has gone through so many adventures that I did not know about."

"You have gone through quite a bit yourself."

Alistair chuckled quietly as he read over the passages again. He lifted his head and looked at Elissa. "Have you…thought of what you will name the child…when it is born?"

Elissa felt her face color at his question. "I've…I've given it a little thought…but nothing set in stone."

Alistair cleared his throat with embarrassment. "If you will allow me to suggest…would you…let me name our child if it is a boy?"

Elissa watched Alistair clumsily distract himself by thumbing through the book in his hands. His endearing awkwardness made her smile. "Did you want to suggest we name him Duncan, if he were a son?"

Alistair shook his head, which surprised her. "Almost. If I may suggest, could we name the child…Bryce Duncan? I think that would be nice. I remember your father when you all visited Redcliffe. He was a very kind man. I would like to think our child would be most appropriately named after the two men who have brought you into my life."

Elissa was speechless from his request. She didn't expect such words to cause so much happiness and grief at the same time. She flinched from the two staggering emotions and dropped her eating utensils onto her lap.

"Elissa? Are you okay?" Alistair quickly took hold of her hand.

"I…no…" Elissa could not give a coherent reply. She glanced up and saw Alistair's face creased with anxiety. She would have to tell him the truth that had been gnawing at her soul for the past few days. "Alistair, we need to talk."

"What's going on?" He asked, still worried for her sudden look of agony.

Elissa's blue eyes pierced into his. "It is about the child. There is something I will need from you in order to find out the child's true parentage. It involves a magic ritual…"

"Another magic ritual?" Alistair growled. "The last time you said these same words, I ended up in bed with Morrigan…it took me months to recover from the nightmares. No, no…absolutely not. I refuse."

Elissa shook her head. "It's not that sort of ritual. It's a spell that requires a small amount of blood in order to determine the true father of the child."

"So it's blood magic then?" Alistair grimaced. "This request keeps getting better, doesn't it?"

"It is necessary in order to find out who the father is." Elissa insisted.

Alistair continued his denial. "It is not necessary. We do not need to resort to blood magic. I already told you that I don't care who the child belongs to…I will claim it for my own."

Elissa tightened her grip on his hand and felt herself slightly quiver. "Nathaniel deserves the right to claim the child as well." She explained softly.

Alistair paused and cast his eyes down in frustration. He remembered when Nathaniel had stormed into his study and had declared his love for Elissa. The act that was so foolish and honorable at the same time…and it made Alistair feel a twinge of envy for the man who was so confident he felt it only fair to give warning to his rival.

Alistair nodded in acquiescence. "I guess…you're right. It's the right thing to do. How will we go about doing this…ritual?"

Before Elissa could answer, they heard a knock coming from the hall. "Lady Elissa, Warden Anders has been spotted and is arriving at the city gates." Ser Gilmore spoke loudly to be heard through the thick wooden door.

"Ah, good…send him in right away." Elissa replied back.

"Yes, My Lady." Ser Gilmore affirmed and they heard his footsteps echo away into the corridor.

Elissa began to skirt herself off the bed. "This is good timing. Anders will be the one to assist us with the spell. He would be better to answer this question than I could."

Alistair got up and assisted Elissa to her feet. After she regained her balance, he kept his hands on her arms. "Elissa…no matter what happens, I am not going to let you go." Alistair avowed, keeping his eyes locked to hers.

Turbulent emotions flooded through her being. Everything seemed to be coming at her so hard and so fast that she felt herself losing to the tide. Elissa smiled sadly up at the man who was holding her gently. "Alistair, I…"

Suddenly, a sharp slash of pain ripped through her abdomen and made her fall to her knees. Gasping from the blinding pain, she clutched at her stomach and doubled over on the floor.

Panicked, Alistair gripped her shoulders. "Elissa! What's wrong?"

The pain was overwhelming and terrifying. The child is coming! Her instincts were all screaming in unison. Elissa's vision began to blur as she grabbed at Alistair's hands. "Get…Anders!" She cried.


A/N: Thanks to everyone for being so sweet and supportive ^^ I love you guys!

Our little inside joke: Vegas Odds: 2:1 Alistair's Baby, 5:1 Nathaniel's Baby; 500:1 Ander's Baby; 1,000,000:1 Oghren's Baby *rolls the dice to decide the ending* XD