Thanks so much for the great response to the last chapter - you all blow me away! Apparently I'm not the only one who thought the Queen's maid needed to be taken down several pegs.

Once Kylon had left, Judith finished getting dressed. She chose the comparatively modest set of drakeskin armor Master Wade had made for her. The soft blue leather hugged her body but wasn't quite as revealing—or battle-damaged—as the Dalish-style set. Or as obvious a reminder of her mage status as her robes.

She twisted her hair into its usual knot, scavenged the last of the fruit and cheese off of the previous night's dinner tray, and headed out into the hallway, hoping to find Alistair quickly. Instead, she nearly ran Riordan over as she turned a corner.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly, stepping back. "I really need to learn to look where I'm going."

"It is no trouble, being run into by a woman such as yourself," he said, bowing slightly. Fereldan by birth he may be, she thought, but his manners were pure Orlesian.

When he made no move to go, but simply stood there, looking at her, she sighed. Of course her day wasn't going to go as planned. "There seems to be something on your mind, Riordan."

"We have a few things that should be discussed, yes," he said.

"Should we have Alistair along for these? Are they Grey Warden business?"

He shrugged. "Not entirely, no. It is you who appear to be in charge of the plan for defeating the Archdemon, is it not?"

"That does appear to be the case," she said. "What's on your mind?"

"It seems to me, since you are embroiled in the politics of the nation, that I should scout ahead and listen for the bulk of the horde, while you remain here and make certain there is a Ferelden left to save, eh? Then we will meet at Redcliffe."

"Why Redcliffe?"

"It is the closest large settlement to the horde. I do not think they have the cohesiveness or the leadership to travel too far afield." He smiled, his white teeth flashing. "They are darkspawn, after all, no?"

"Sounds reasonable," she admitted after a moment's thought. "All right, then. Do you need anything before you set out on your scouting mission? I'm sure Arl Eamon won't mind you stocking up before you leave."

"I will speak with him when I am ready to go." He hesitated, then said, "There is one more thing I wanted to mention to you, sister."

"Which is?" What was with these people catching her in the hallway to talk about things? Couldn't anyone ever say 'I see you're busy, let's talk later'? Judith tried to hold on to her temper, waiting for Riordan to speak up.

"This may be a bit delicate."

"I don't think there's a lot of time for delicacy, Riordan. Whatever it is, please, just blurt it out."

"As you wish, sister." He bowed slightly, one arm clasped across his chest. "It is my understanding that you have begun a relationship with a member of the city guard. Is this correct?" Judith nodded, one eyebrow raised. "If it is what you both wish, there is a possibility he could be made a Grey Warden."

Judith's brain felt frozen. Daniel a Grey Warden? She'd never considered the possibility. She didn't even know how to do that. Automatically, she said, "We don't know the Joining ritual."

"I do." Riordan studied her for a moment, then said quietly, "I will be leaving late this afternoon. If he wishes to undergo the ritual, find me before then." He bowed again and went past her, toward Arl Eamon's study. Judith stood in the hallway for a long moment, unable to get her mind to work through that idea. At length she sighed, shaking herself, and continued down the hallway, still looking for Alistair.

She found him in the last place anyone else would expect, but the first place she'd looked. Sitting in the small Chantry chapel, hands clasped, staring up at the statue of Andraste. He didn't look up as she came in.

Judith took a seat next to Alistair, bumping his shoulder with her own. "You know I can't give you any more time," she said quietly.

"I know."

"How did it go with Leliana?"

"Better than expected," he said, but Judith could see the shiny trails of tears down his cheeks.

"And?"

"And what do you want from me?" he shouted suddenly, standing up. "The woman I love said I'm free to marry someone I despise. So that's just peachy, right? Everybody happy now? Everybody but Alistair, of course, but when has that ever mattered to anyone?"

"What do you want from me?" Judith said. "I'm trying to hold an entire nation together. Do you know what Loghain was doing? He was selling the elves. Selling them, Alistair! How can we let someone like that stay in power? How can we allow his daughter to remain in power unchecked? We've spent all this time enforcing these treaties, asking the dwarves, the mages, the elves to help fight for a nation that treats them all … horribly, to be honest. How can we ask them to fight without also promising that the Ferelden they save will be a true home to them? Do you think Anora will do that? Because I don't." She stood up, gripping his shoulders and looking into his eyes. "You are closer to me than any family I've ever had, Alistair. It hurts me to make you do something I know will make you unhappy. But we are Fereldans, and I must ask you to do this."

Alistair swallowed hard, closing his eyes. "You're right. I know you're right. But …"

"I know." She threw her arms around him, holding him close, feeling the big body shake against her as he tried to hold in more tears. "Anora knows how to run a country. How to handle money, how to deal with people from other nations, how to make decisions. But you know how to rule your people. Who knows that better? You've been amongst them your whole life—at Redcliffe, in the Chantry, in the Forest, in Orzammar, at the Circle, in Lothering. You've worked and fought at the side of the common people of this nation, as one of them. If anyone can unite them, it's you."

He took a deep breath, shuddering, and stepped back. "You make a convincing point," he said. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "All right, where's this Landsmeet, then?"

"Alistair, there's one more thing."

"Oh, I always like to hear that," he said, sounding more like himself. "What?"

"It's just … How do I say this? You are a sweetheart. Idealistic, kind … trusting. Anora's going to chew you up and spit you out."

"Um, thanks? So let me get this straight: you're telling me that I'm needed to unite the nation, but I won't be able to because I'm a squashy cream cake, albeit with very firm muscles."

"I'm saying the rest of you has to be as firm as the muscles," she said, grinning. Alistair was extremely proud of his physique. And rightly so, she had to admit. "I would ask if you can, but there's really no choice. You have to be stronger, smarter, and faster than she is. Starting pretty much now."

"But no pressure," he murmured. "None at all. So what now?"

"We're meeting with Anora. Ready?"

"Right. What do you think?"

Judith got up and went to the door of the chapel. She pulled it open and found a giant slab of silverite pointed directly at her. The hard dark eyes of the woman wielding the sword glared at her over its gleam.

"Going somewhere, mage?" Ser Cauthrien said.