Chapter 36: Auld Lang Syne
We two have run about the slopes
and picked the daisies fine.
But we've wandered many a weary foot
Since auld lang syne.
01:01 Wintermarch; 9:32 Dragon
The palace was full to bursting for First Day celebrations. Though the revelries had taken place the night before, every seat in the banquet hall was occupied for the more subdued luncheon the following day. Most of the noble guests would be leaving within a day or two. Thankful that she wouldn't have to face the crowds – and the speculation – for much longer, Solona heaved a sigh of relief as she took a seat.
"It's a bit much to take in, isn't it?" Teagan Guerinn mentioned from beside her, rising to tuck in her chair. "I remember coming here as a boy for First Day, tagging along while my brother was paraded around to every eligible heiress."
"It's certainly different from the Tower," she agreed, giving him a nod of thanks as he returned to his own seat. "Ringing in the new year for us always seemed more...ritualistic. There were always secret parties afterwards, among the templars and mages alike, but I was always content to sleep through it all."
"I wish it could be that way for myself sometimes," Teagan confessed. "I find that I'm either having to attend a party or throw one of my own each year. And I'm not yet at the age where I can claim an ailment to get out of it."
"You could always find a way to make yourself sick," Fergus Cousland suggested from her other side. "Rotten food or some such." The younger noble paused, considering his words and staring at the soup in front of him. "But I suppose you wouldn't want to be ill on a holiday, either."
"Food poisoning should only be an option if you have a close relationship with your chamber pot," Solona teased gently, earning a chuckle from Fergus. She liked the elder Cousland. He shared a cheeky sense of humor with his brother, a trait that had won Solona's friendship during their travels.
"You're a bit like Alyssa," Fergus admitted with a sigh of remembrance. "Always reminding me why a bad idea is...a bad idea."
"I wish I could have met her," Solona mentioned. "The three of you were close growing up..."
"She was betrothed to Nathaniel Howe, correct?" interrupted a noble from across the table. Solona couldn't quite place a name with the face, but the woman was head of one of the northern banorn.
"Unofficially, yes," Fergus confirmed with a frown. "Which makes his father's actions all the more deplorable. Nate had no idea what had happened and his grief over Alyssa is genuine."
Solona nodded, agreeing with her friend. She had heard the story of the ranger's return to Vigil's Keep, hell-bent on revenge for his own family with no knowledge of the massacre at Highever. Had Nathaniel not joined the Wardens, he may have lived the rest of his life a broken man.
"He's doing well at the Keep," she interjected, earning an open stare from the woman across from Fergus.
"I forgot you've seen him more recently than I have," he recalled with a nod. "I'm glad to hear he's found his place with the Wardens."
"Practically the Warden-Commander's right-hand man," continued Solona. "The skills he acquired in the Free Marches serve him well in training recruits, and his knowledge of the area has been a great boon. He seems to be happy with where the Maker has placed him. The Wardens at the Keep are a tight-knit group."
"Like a family, of sorts," Teagan agreed. "There are so few Wardens in Ferelden, I'm surprised you didn't join yourself, Enchanter Solona."
"I know I'll always have a family of sorts with our local Wardens," she admitted. "But my place is here for now, with our king."
"And I'm glad for it," Fergus proclaimed, leaning over and giving Solona a fraternal peck on the side of her head. "It gives him great comfort to have at least one companion who hasn't abandoned him."
Solona smiled weakly, focusing her attention on her meal as she wondered exactly how much Aidan had confided in his brother. The only one who had truly left was Morrigan, and she knew his former lover's absence still gnawed at the king's heart. She could sympathize, to a point, being away from Cullen. But knowing she would see him again, and being able to finally write to him openly, was not a privilege Aidan could claim to have.
The witch had chosen duty over love, not unlike Alistair had done when becoming Ferelden's Warden-Commander. Not unlike Aidan himself when he had decided to marry Anora. As an idea began to root in Solona's mind, her smile brightened and she turned her attention to Fergus.
"Thank you," she told him quietly as the conversation around them turned towards more mundane topics. "You just gave me something new to consider to help Aidan."
"Glad to be of service," he replied, lifting his glass and tapping it to the side of her own. "I love my king, but I miss my little brother."
**Author's Note**
Don't worry. I'm still writing.
Chapter/lyric credit: "Auld Lang Syne" by Robert Burns