Hello,

So I've decided to revise this chapter and make it the Landsmeet chapter instead. I think I might have misspelled some names and what not...I seem to always switch Lohgain's or is Loghain's name around. I'm hoping that this chapter is better than what I think it is. It is different slightly than the game's Landsmeet meet because well frankly I like having Alistair's opinion in this chapter. It worked well with him not knowing anything that Shirl had discovered about Lohgain or Howe for that matter. Anyway, hopefully everyone enjoys this chapter and I will be making some slight revisions to Chapter 38 which was originally Chapter 37. Thank for reading and reviewing! Let me know if you notice any major grammar, story, spelling mistakes. I just really wanted to post this chapter and be done so I'm pretty certain I missed a few. Thanks again!

Prismelf

Chapter 37: The Landsmeet

Alistair stood beside Arl Eamon watching the procession of nobles filter into the meeting hall. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and scanned the faces of all those that were entering. Eamon and he had spent a good deal of time over at the Gnarled Noble tavern speaking to many of these very nobles the day before. In actuality it had been Eamon to do the most of the talking. Alistair had filled in his points when and where it was appropriate for the conversation, but he had mostly just sat in silence watching as Eamon worked his magic to stir doubts up about Lohgain.

Sighing in contempt Alistair turned his head away. Maker, take them all. I just want this to be done. To say that he was nervous was an understatement. I've faced darkspawn, dragons, demons and Maker knows what else. But when it comes to this, I'm not ready. Suddenly he missed Shirl. He had been told that she had returned sometime during the night from the Alienage. Both her and her hound had been covered in blood. When Zevran had broken the news that she had gone into the Alienage by herself two days ago, Alistair had thought to follow her, but then Eamon wrangled him out of his room as soon as he prepared to go find his fellow warden. From then on he had been talking with one noble or another. Never having the chance to go after Shirl.

At least was safe. But where is she now? He had been watching, hoping that he would see her enter the Landsmeet with the rest of the nobles, but she disappointedly remained absent.

"Your fellow warden best be here soon, Alistair. I'm afraid she might miss the Landsmeet and all of our efforts will be for not." Eamon stated suddenly rousting Alistair from his thoughts.

"I could go look for her." He volunteered, but Eamon was already shaking his head.

"No, it would not do for both of the Grey Wardens to disappear. Stay here, I'm certain she is just running a bit behind schedule is all." Eamon placed a hand on his chin and stroked his beard. His eyes were fixed on the banns entering through the grand wooden doors at the far end of the hall.

Alistair looked away from Eamon and let his eyes wonder the halls of his forefathers. It so hard to believe that my bro…Calian and Maric both stood in this very hall to direct Ferelden. And soon it might be up to me…He killed the thought before it could go any further. He had never felt like Calian and Maric were relatives, even if he was related to them by blood…they were not his family. The Grey Wardens had been more of a family than his own blood had been. Even Shirl, for all her jauntiness and nobility feels more like family than those ghosts.

"I have a wonder, Alistair; if you will indulge me for a moment before the last of the nobles arrive." Eamon turned and crossed his arms over his chest. Alistair cocked his head to the side and nodded.

"Of course," he replied meeting Eamon's eye.

"I have noticed some things of late that are of concern to me. I would have approach the subject sooner, but the time never seemed appropriate."

Alistair ran a hand through his hair. What is this all about?

"Forgive me for asking, but…how goes your current relationship with your fellow Warden?"

Eyes widening Alistair shook his head quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly. "Nothing...Shirl called it off…we are friends nothing more." He replied licking his lips. What has brought this on?

" She's an honest girl. I would expect nothing less from a Cousland." Alistair tensed sensing the intent behind Eamon's words. Eamon cared only for getting Alistair on the throne, though Alistair knew he was more like a father than Maric had ever been Eamon still had a duty to Ferelden and he would see it through.

Eamon stepped closer to him and lowered his voice. "I give you a word of advice. It is best that your current relationship with her stays the same. It will not do to make it look as if the Grey Wardens are trying to seize the throne of Ferelden for themselves." Eamon's eyes softened and his face slackened. "I'm sorry, my boy, but that is the way of things." He turned away heading back toward the balcony his back once again to Alistair.

Shirl said those same words to me just the other day. Then why did we start this? Why did we let it get to this? I can't help loving her, but she's never let her emotions get in the way. She had to have known that it would end this way…then why?

A loud voice boomed out across the assembly and Alistair jumped. The Landsmeet had begun.

Minutes turned to hours and Alistair could do nothing but stare. His hands twitched to his sword every time Loghain opened his mouth. Eamon held Loghain at bay, arousing his followers with every verbal jab and remark about Loghain's treachery to Calian, to him and Ferelden. But many of the nobles, Alistair were still standing with Loghain not against him.

Are they blind? He thought as another round of shouting started up between several of the banns. They are as bad as the dwarves. Nothing will get done this way. An idea at that moment flashed across Alistair's mind. He glanced at Eamon who had his entire attention directed toward Loghain. Alistair had been silent not saying a word to anyone or voicing his opinion. He thought of Calian's body left hanging exposed to the elements crushed and lifeless displayed like a trophy. Of Duncan a man who had been more like a father to him than his real father ever thought of being. All the Grey Wardens cut down and betrayed at Ostagar like a pet cow led to slaughter.

We trusted him. With his hand clenched around his sword hilt Alistair slowly backed away from Eamon and made his way toward the stairs leading to the main floor of the meeting hall. Loghain stood at the bottom of the dais. Smart enough not to stand upon the spot where the true king of Ferelden was suppose to stand during the Landsmeet.

As Alistair stepped off the last stair he turned his full attention on Loghain. His father's best friend and most trusted advisor. His normally cheerful eyes narrowed as he glared at the man responsible for the deaths of so many of his friends. "Enough!" Alistair snapped stepping out onto the main floor. The room went silent. Loghain shifted his focus to him his eyes twitched, but other than that no emotion played across his face.

"So Maric's bastard would speak." Loghain said cocking his head in mock interest.

"I'm not here as Maric's bastard son. I come as a Grey Warden." Alistair spoke through clenched teeth. Before Loghain could reply he pushed forward. "The Blight has come to Ferelden and you all stand upon the brink of total destruction. The darkspawn are a threat not to be over looked! But we do their job for them! We kill each other and slit each others throat in our sleep because we can not agree!" He turned suddenly pointing a finger at Loghain. "This man betrayed our king to his death! He then pinned that deed on the heads of the Grey Wardens the very same Wardens who gave their lives defending the king and the rest of Ferelden! What time their deaths have bought us you all have squandered arguing here! The Blight must be stopped or there will be no Ferelden to fight over!"

Shocked silence met his words, his accusations, and then suddenly hushed whispers broke out from those gathered. He tried to ignore them, but a few of Maric's bastard and Grey Warden scum did reach his ears.

Alistair scowled at Loghain, who started to clap very slowly and deliberately. "So Maric's bastard has a voice. Impressive and here I thought you would stay silent behind Eamon. You do realize that you throw accusations without proof. What proof do you have that I turned my back on Calian and the Wardens. I saw the Wardens turn on our king. I spared my troops the same fate…"

The great doors burst open cutting off Loghain's words. A figure dressed in shining silver armor with a sword and shield strapped across her back strolled into the hall with a large mabari warhound at her side. Alistair recognized her immediately. Shirl.

"What my fellow Warden says is true, but I have more than enough evidence to prove that you are the snake he claims you are." Shirl declared as she came to stand next to Alistair. Her face shone beautifully in the light of her radiant armor and her hair was like pale morning sunlight. Alistair blinked and looked quickly away from her directing his attention back on Loghain.

"Oh, and what proof would that be?" Lohgain sneered confidently.

Shirl held up documents in her hand. Alistair had not noticed that she had been carrying anything in her hands when she entered. He felt a slight blush creep up into his cheeks. He had been so focused on the way she moved and her beauty to see them.

"I hold here documentation that Loghain was selling Ferelden people into slavery." Alistair jerked his head in Shirl's direction.

Holy Maker, Shirl, that's a serious accusation. Even he never would have thought it of Loghain. Selling citizens into slavery was barbaric and illegal.

Shirl looked smug. "What say you to that, my lord?"

Oh boy, she's getting cocky. Alistair could not help the grin that pulled at his lips though. Her cockiness was one of the things he had come to love about her.

Loghain did not act surprised though the assembled nobles let out a collective gasp at Shirl proclamation. "I do not deny it. I did want was necessary to keep Ferelden safe. The money those slaves brought was enough to resupply our soldiers after Ostagar and to recruit more men to replace those that were lost."

"Oh so it was necessary to let Rendon Howe torture and kill innocent people too." Shirl snapped her amber colored eyes darkening. She crossed her arms and glared daggers at Loghain. "It was necessary for him to slaughter the entire Cousland household! Just so Ferelden could be safe!"

"The Couslands were traitors! They were selling information to the Orlesians! Their deaths were very necessary in order to make certain that Ferelden survived. Besides Rendon Howe was his own man. In control of his own actions. He has paid for his crimes with his life." Loghain spat back.

Shirl snorted and shook her head. Toby let loose a low growl at his master's displeasure. "Well, then what about imprisoning your own daughter? Was she a threat to Ferelden as well?"

Loghain looked taken aback. "What are you talking about, Warden? I have not seen my daughter for days. It was you, was it not that imprisoned her? Word I last heard was that she was being held at Arl Eamon's estate against her will."

"Actually, I'm right here and I believe I can speak for myself." Anora appeared seemingly out of no where to stand upon the dais behind her father. Alistair blinked. The queen of Ferelden was pretty, but a cold pretty. She was distant even more so than Shirl. But she still had a certain regal bearing about her. She commanded people's attention when she entered a room.

Not unlike someone else I know. He glanced at Shirl. Whose eyes remained fixed upon Anora.

"Everything this Grey Warden says…is true. My father left Calian on the field of battle, sold Ferelden citizens into slavery, let Rendon Howe torture and murder people and he had Howe hold me prisoner." Anora's voice was even calm and collected even though she was speaking out against her own father. Alistair shook his head.

She sounds rehearsed. Alistair could not help but feel that something else entirely was going on right under his nose. He glanced at Shirl again who stood just as impassive as ever. What do you have planned? He asked himself.

"Ah, Anora it seems that the Grey Wardens words have poisoned your mind." Loghain remarked sadly.

"It is not my mind, father, which has been poisoned." Anora replied. Was that a hint of regret in her voice? Alistair wondered if Anora could actually feel remorseful for anything in her life. She was the type of person who seemed to rationalize and logically think everything through before voicing her opinions.

"Enough of this!" Loghain snapped waving a hand through the air. "The Grey Wardens plan on turning my own daughter against me." He turned to address the whole assembly. "Can you all not see what is right before your eyes? We must protect Ferelden at all cost! To allow Arl Eamon to place a puppet on the throne and to let these traitorous Grey Wardens run our lands is ridiculous! Maric and I did not fight against the Orlesians all those years ago just to hand it back to them at the first sign of trouble. We can handle this and what we need now is a strong ruler! Not a simple minded pup, who will have someone else, pulling his strings, whether it is Eamon or the Grey Wardens."

Alistair tensed and his hand turned white knuckled around his sword. His eyes flickered over to Shirl. He saw her jaw was clenched and she dropped her hands which were balled into fists at her side.

"Then let the Landsmeet decide!" Shirl shouted. "What say you?" She asked turning a circle meeting everyone eyes.

"We side with the Grey Wardens!" Someone shouted. And then other voices rose. Until one by one everyone assembled shouted, "We side with the Grey Wardens! The Blight must be stopped!" Alistair stood in awe. His hand unclenched and he dropped it to his side. He turned directly to Shirl and smiled. Relief flooded through him, but it quickly vanished as he looked upon her. She had her head down and seemed to be looking at the floor and her arms were crossed over her chest again.

"Very well, the Landsmeet has decided!" A female voice rang out from off to Anora's right side. The Grand Cleric of Denerim stepped out from the shadows of a doorway in which she had been apparently awaiting for the Landsmeet to reach some type of verdict. The room went silent again and as they watched the elderly woman with care. "As the law requires, Loghain will have the chance to defend himself against the Grey Wardens accusations by rights of duel. Grey Warden," she looked at Shirl. "Who will champion your accusations?"

Without seeming to miss a beat Shirl opened her mouth to reply, but Alistair sensing what might be coming stepped forward. "I will." He stated boldly and pointedly he ignored Shirl's sharp intake of breath. The grand cleric's eyes shifted to him. Alistair willed himself not to squirm under that penetrating gaze. He felt like a small boy again getting caught raiding the Chantry lard after light's out.

"Very well, Alistair." She raised her hands and the nobles gathered on the main floor stepped back making a circle for the two combatants to enter. Alistair rolled his shoulders as he drew his sword and unhooked his shield. He spun around facing the outer rim of the circle and found Shirl standing almost directly behind him. Her face was red with anger and she mouthed the words, "What are you doing?" He shrugged and turned away from her focusing his attention back on Loghain.

"Are you ready, pup? Let's see how much of Maric runs through you." Loghain spat. Alistair took a defensive stance with his shield in front of him.

I will not let your words get to me. I will win this one not for Maric, but for Duncan and the Grey Wardens. He swore just as the grand cleric clapped her hands together.

"Begin." She commanded.

Alistair and Loghain circled each other. Each one looking the other in the eye both with shields held at the ready. Each one waiting for an opening in which to exploit. Alistair felt sweat starting to form on his back. He had never been really good at dueling when he was with the templars, but through his bouts with Shirl he had gotten better to the point were Shirl had lost a few rounds.

He shifted his stance slightly putting more weight on his back foot. Loghain must have sensed the shift for he lunged, shield in front of his body and sword held out in front of him. Alistair sidestepped the lunge and parried Loghain's sword with his own. Knocking the blade out and away, but Loghain had years of experience and just as quickly as Alistair had knocked the blade aside Loghain redirected the blades movement. He snapped out with his shield and sliced at Alistair's head with his sword.

Alistair ducked the sword and thrust his shield forward meeting Loghain's shield toe to toe. As the shields struck he pushed and slid his shield across Loghain's locking them against one another. Loghain slashed at his stomach as Alistair used the shields to roll away from the attack.

This is getting us no where. He thought furiously. Alistair parried another sword blow directed at his head again. He was on the defense and he needed to get Loghain on the defensive. Suddenly Alistair knew how to do that. As Loghain lunged again Alistair deflected the blow with his shield and slid to the side thrusting out with his own sword. Loghain knocked the blow to the side with his shield. Lohgain attacked again with another slash towards Alistair's head.

Alistair parried the blow and then stepped forward, just as Shirl had shown him. He smashed his shield into Loghain with all of his might. The blow reverberated up Alistair arm, but he felt Loghain falter. In that moment Alistair kicked out with his foot catching the older man in the knee. Loghain hissed and fell. Alistair threw all of his weight into his shield and bashed it into Loghain's, making the man crumble to the ground. Once on the ground he knocked Loghain's sword away almost too easily. And held the tip of his sword pressed against Loghain's throat.

"I yield," Loghain breathed. Alistair noticed that the man's breath was labored and sweat was pouring down his face. "Maker, you fight like Maric."

Alistair's eyes narrowed. "I didn't do this for Maric. This is for Duncan and the rest of the Grey Wardens that you let die at Ostagar." Anger boiled up within him. All the months of running dodging assassins and Loghain's men came rushing back to him. The memories of his Grey Warden friends sitting around drinking, talking, sparring and living pulled at his mind. He remembered every one of their names, their faces. He could see them still their smiling faces locked in an eternal grimace of death. Eyes dull and bugling with ashen gray skin and swollen tongues. No more laughter and no more nights spent in the company of people he felt were more family to him than his actual blood relatives. All of that had been ripped from him by the man, who lay staring up at him with Alistair's sword pointed at his neck. He could never bring back that feeling of belonging and he could never give them back their lives, but he could make certain that justice was found for them.

Without a second though Alistair plunged the blade through Loghain's neck. Blood spattered across Loghain's shining River Dane armor and seeped out onto the floor pooling around him. He sputtered blood dribbling out of his mouth, as he gasped futility for a breath that would never come. The general's eyes glazed over and he mouthed something, but with no breath left in his body the words were lost on all those assembled. His eyes roamed the hall briefly before settling on his daughter.

"Father!" Anora screamed and she threw herself off the dais to kneel next to her father's cooling body. Alistair flinched as he withdrew his sword and saw that she was kneeling in her father's blood. "What have you done?" She yelled at Alistair.

"I did what was necessary for Ferelden." Alistair shot the words at her knowing they were cruel, but in that moment not caring. Tears ran down Anora's cheeks in a rare moment of emotion as she gazed at her father's corpse.

"By right of duel and by vote of the Landsmeet, you Alistair Theirin are hence forth recognized as King of Ferelden." The grand cleric voice rang out over all those assembled. As Alistair glanced around at the assembled nobles he only saw one face that did not met with total approval. Shirl Cousland's body was rigid and her stance was defensive. She met his gaze openly and defiantly. She was not happy about what he had done. But something in the back of his mind told him he was okay with that. That she would forgive him one day.