A/N: This is a chapter not about Fenris and Hawke. Plans must be laid please forgive the interruption.
…no, you can't do this! She cried following after the man. I won't let you do this!
Alistair turned around and glared at her. He's my son. I am king and I can do what I want.
Her face fell. Momentarily overcome with grief it was soon replaced by anger. I will not allow this! You will not destroy what I have built I will kill you first!
She summoned the arcane energies around her to shield her and then released a force wave outward knocking back all of the guards. Stalking up to the prone king she put her boot on his chest plate pinning him down. He looked at up at her with fear in his eyes, a demon clutching at her back smiling wickedly down.
You will not allow this! She growled raising her sword above her head.
No! Faith, wait! His voice pitiful and terrified.
But she did not wait, she plunged the sword down with all her might into his breast plate. The sound of screeching metal and the smell of fresh blood still fresh.
Faith woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed clutching her sheets. Her heart was pounding so hard it deafened everything else in the room. She thought it would simply leap from her chest in a shower of gore. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Nathaniel still slept soundly beside her.
With a sudden need to make sure her son was still here she slipped from bed fastening her robe while she walked to his room. She tried not to run, to show her panic. Her hands shook when she reached for the handle. Opening the door she nearly fainted in relief when he was still sleeping soundly in his bed.
Leaning against the door frame she rubbed her eyes with her hands. It was just a dream. She told herself over and over again. It had been so vivid, so real. She knew deep down he wasn't that cruel. He wouldn't do that to her. He didn't even know and she wanted it to stay that way.
Teryn looked up at her from the floor beside his bed. Faith knelt petting the hounds head when she entered the room. Pressing her forehead to the hounds.
"Good girl. You'll protect him." Her response was the hound licking her face.
"…mommy…" was a sleepy voice from the bed. Her son was sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes.
"Go back to sleep darling." She said soothingly.
"Why is mommy scared?" he asked she didn't know how he knew but he did.
"Mommy had a bad dream." She said coming to lay down beside him she cuddled him close "that bad men came and took you away."
"no bad men take me away, I stay with mommy forever." He said hugging her.
All she did was hold him close. He fell asleep quickly and she soon after.
He was woken by a child jumping on his bed just after dawn. Brenden was always up early, if he did not wake him up in the morning if usually meant he was causing mischief elsewhere in the keep. He was keenly aware that his wife was not in bed with him.
"Morning brat," Nathaniel rolled over, yawning "where's your mother?"
"My room." He answered crawling up to the headboard and sitting with his ankles crossed, "mommy is scared bad men coming to take me away. You won't let them will you daddy?"
Nathaniel looked at him. More nightmares. He felt guilty that he was never awake to comfort her. "I don't know." He answered "Have you been a good boy?" he asked keeping his tone light.
"Very!" his face brightened up.
"Oh? So that wasn't your artwork Seneschal Varel found on the wall in the throne room?" he asked.
"No…yes but Teryn helped." Brenden said looking sheepishly at his hands.
"I won't tell." He whispered kissing the boy on the cheek "I thought it was funny."
Brenden smiled broadly at him. He came forward and gave Nathaniel a hug. Nathaniel sighed, ruffling the boy's hair.
"Will mommy be alright?" He asked.
"She'll be fine." Nathaniel told him reassuringly "you go get dressed and we'll get you fed." Rising after the boy Nathaniel dressed for the day, about the time Faith had walked in the door.
"Morning Mommy." Brenden said running back to his room.
"Don't run in the halls." She called after him. Shaking her head she smiled faintly at Nathaniel, "Morning."
"Brenden told me you had bad dreams again."
"Yes…" she sighed "it seemed so real. I killed him this time. I really did it." Her face a mixture of worry and relief. Nathaniel pulled her into an embrace. He kissed her hair holding her close.
"Don't worry so much. He won't. I hear Queen Anora is with child herself, he has other things to worry about than a child he doesn't know about." He felt her shutter in relief.
"I know. What disturbs me is not that he would take him is that I was willing and able to kill him for it." She admitted.
"Doing what it takes to protect your family is not a sin." Nathaniel said pushing her to arms length and holding her face "It isn't. It just shows your dedication as a mother. I'd kill him too if he tried to take him away from us."
"Thank you." Faith said reaching up and grasping his hands. "We should get ready, we have a long trip to plan."
He frowned. "I am not looking forward to going back to Kirkwall."
"Look at the bright side, we get to see your sister and your niece." Faith said diplomatically.
"Don't throw your logic at me." He said playfully, he thought about it "Will he be okay staying with Delilah alone?" he asked.
"Brenden will be fine. Teryn will be with him, to keep him out of trouble. He's an independent boy. I'm more dependent on him than he me." She responded from behind the changing screen "He's never been unaware of the danger of our lives Nathaniel. He's a smart boy. He's figured the Warden's out already."
"Do you think he knows?" he asked when she stepped out dressed for the day.
"What he knows is that you are his father." She replied "He doesn't care who sired him. What he cares about is that you are being his father, but to answer your question he does. I've not hidden it from him. Someday he may think to pursue it, but I leave that to him."
"Every day you surprise me with how easily you allowed yourself to become a Howe. I see my family's future brighter with him."
"I see everyone's future brighter with him." She replied.