A/N: I finally have a new chapter for you all! I'm very sorry for the delay, had some more family emergency things crop up as well as regular real-life business that delayed this chapter for a bit. I hope to get the next one up sooner to make up for it, especially as it contains a scene I've wanted to write for a while. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the long awaited Landsmeet chapter - there should only be about 7 more chapters after this one if my plan holds up.

Thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, and read the story so far - I'm glad you're liking it although I would love to hear from you as well!

Extra special thanks as always to my awesome reviewers: Akakoken, WolFang1011, Candle in the Night, and Ioialoha. Hearing from you always makes my day!

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Disclaimer: As always, I don't own original dialogue and characters of Dragon Age, just my own character and the rest of this story.

Chapter 51: The Landsmeet

Aedan slowly sat up, carefully holding his head in his hands. He didn't even have the energy to groan; his head was throbbing painfully, as though his brain was trying to burst free of the confines of his skull. His mouth was as dry as though as he'd swallowed wool, and he could remember little of last night after he'd found the Arl's wine stores. He'd thought the wine had been a good idea at the time, but now he was sincerely regretting it.

The door to his room crashed open at that moment; well, maybe it just opened, but with the way the sound reverberated through his aching head, it might as well have been a crash. "Aedan, are you awake?" Alistair asked, peeking around the corner of the door.

"Unfortunately, yes, I am," Aedan muttered, not letting go of his head.

"Ah," Alistair grimaced sympathetically, coming over to the bed and handing him a glass of water. "I thought I'd make sure you were up before I went to get Wynne to fix that for you. We have to leave soon for the Landsmeet."

"Yes, the Landsmeet." He took a much-needed drink of the water. He knew he needed to get up, but he didn't think he could move right at the moment. Alistair was already turning to leave, but he held up a hand to stop him. "Wait. Do you . . . know what happened last night?"

Alistair had turned back at his call, and nodded in answer. "You were getting drunk alone in the dining room when I found you. You thought Morrigan and Anora both hated you."

"Right." Aedan remembered it now; the frustration and despair that had driven him down there, that had forced him to find anything to take his mind off of what had happened. "And did I tell you why?"

"Yes. I was a little surprised to hear you were marrying Anora rather than Morrigan, and that you were going to be king, I have to admit." Alistair then proceeded to tell him the entirety of their conversation last night, and once he was done, studied Aedan for a moment, frowning. "You're sure, though, that this is what you really want?"

Am I sure? His brain was a little fuzzy as it worked through his answer, but in the end, he nodded slowly, grimacing at the pain that throbbed anew through his head as he did his best to explain, picking his way carefully through the words. "Yes. I want to stay in court, to able to make a difference for Ferelden. And Morrigan won't stay with me, won't marry me, if I do; I already asked her. So I would have to marry another woman for political reasons anyway, and if I am going to, it might as well be Anora. There was a time when I wanted to marry her, before she said yes to Cailan. And Morrigan had said yes to being my mistress, to seeing each other when we could, before last night. So yes, I think out of the choices that I have, this is the best way to go."

"So, your plan is to leave the Wardens, then, once the Blight is over?" Alistair asked carefully.

"Yes," Aedan admitted quietly. "I'm sorry, but I think I can do more for Ferelden this way. So you'll have to take over being Warden Commander, I'm afraid."

"Me?" Alistair stared at him incredulously. "Be the Warden Commander? Do you really think I can?"

"Yes," Aedan replied firmly. "I think you can and I think you should. And I think it's what Duncan would have wanted."

"Duncan would have wanted me to be Warden Commander, huh?" There was a faraway look in Alistair's eyes as he considered it, before he suddenly nodded and met Aedan's gaze again, smirking. "So this was your true plan, Your Majesty?"

"Ugh, no, don't call me that," Aedan frowned at him. "Especially not you, when I'm taking what's yours by right."

Alistair snorted. "Why is it mine by right? Because the man who accidentally fathered me and wanted nothing to do with me just happened to be a king? No, thank you. I'll stick with being a Warden. That I know I did something to earn." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and looking faintly embarrassed. "Anyway, if someone has to take my supposed birthright, I'd rather it be you than anyone else. At least I trust you to do what's right by Ferelden."

Aedan smiled, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days with the trust his brother had just placed in him. At least someone believed in him and agreed with his plan. "Thanks, brother. I'll do my best to live up to your trust. And it's good to know that at least somebody agrees with my plan."

"Of course. Like I told you last night, I've got your back, whatever you decide to do. And if you're worried about Morrigan and Anora, don't be. They just needed time to think, I'm sure."

"I hope you're right," Aedan said softly. "Now, can you please find Wynne for me before my skull splits open?"

Alistair grinned. "Of course. I'll be right back." He turned and left the room, leaving Aedan alone for the moment; he didn't bother to move from his place on the bed, merely continued to sip his water slowly.

Alistair returned only a few minutes later, but instead of Wynne, it was Morrigan who followed him into the room. Aedan felt frozen at the sight of her, unable to move when his love's unreadable gaze met his, as Alistair said, "I was on my way to Wynne's room when I ran into Morrigan. She insisted on coming along when I said I needed a healer for you." Before Aedan could find the wits to respond, Alistair continued, "Anyway, I need to go finish getting ready myself. I'll meet you in the front hall when she's done."

He'd closed the door behind him and Morrigan had crossed the room and reached the side of the bed before Aedan found his tongue again. "What did he tell you?"

"That you foolishly drank yourself into a stupor last night," Morrigan replied calmly, "even though you knew this Landsmeet of yours was this morning, and now you need a healer so you may attend."

"Okay, yes, it was foolish," Aedan mumbled, not meeting her eyes because he was afraid of what he would – or wouldn't – see there. "But . . . I thought you hated me and I had nothing left to lose, so I –" he abruptly stopped talking as she laid her hand gently on his head and he felt the warm glow of her healing magic pass through him, taking the pain away with it. He looked up at her, sudden hope flooding him. "Was I wrong?"

Morrigan sighed in exasperation, shaking her head at him, though her eyes held a warmth he hadn't expected to see again. "Of course you were. Why would you think that I hated you?"

"Because you left me alone!" Aedan exclaimed, hating himself for the weakness of his words but unable to stop them from tumbling out right now. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me anymore!"

"I left so I could be alone to think, as I told you," she replied quietly. "Do you think that if I truly did not want to be around you anymore, that I would not have said so directly? Have I ever not said what I truly thought?"

"Well . . . no," Aedan admitted, thinking of all the times she'd disagreed with him or been angry with him, when she'd told him bluntly, in no uncertain terms, exactly what she thought. "But . . . you seemed upset about Anora, and . . . I know it might have been sooner than you'd expected, but I thought you'd agreed and understood that I would have to marry for political gain. But then with your reaction, it seemed as though you must have changed your mind and I . . ." He shrugged, realizing now that he'd probably overreacted last night. "I didn't know what I was going to do if you had."

"Do not worry, I have not changed my mind." She met his gaze, sure and certain, and his heart overflowed with warmth and relief. "As I told you, I am not entirely ignorant of such matters. When you said you were going to wed for political gain, I suspected all along that you meant that Anora woman. And I believed I had accepted that fact, but when I heard her talking of it to her maid, it . . . was harder to hear than I had expected it to be. Especially when she talked of how you had asked her to marry you once before."

"I did, and I am sorry if hearing of it hurt you, but . . . it was a long time ago," he said, trying his best to explain it to her, to make her understand. "I was young, and I thought what I felt for her then was love, but I know now that I have met you that it was not. It was merely a shadow of what I feel for you. So please, Morrigan, tell me that I have not lost you, that you still will be mine when you can."

She nodded slowly. "I have had my time to think matters through, and I am certain now. What I promised you before is still what I want, though it may be harder to deal with than I had expected. I . . . want you, whenever I can have you."

"Thank the Maker," Aedan breathed, before he pulled her down into his lap and kissed her, softly, tenderly, wanting to savour the moment as much as he could. After a long moment, he reluctantly pulled back, knowing he had little time to spend with her right now. "As often as I can manage it, I will be with you, I promise you."

"I know you will." She smiled gently at him, a smile that warmed him from the inside out, as he felt certain it was a smile only he got to see, before she went on sternly, "Do not expect that I will heal a drunken headache of yours again, however. If it occurs again, you will simply have to suffer through your foolishness."

He grinned, feeling so much better now, in both body and heart, that he could scarcely believe it. "Of course, my lovely witch. Whatever you say. Now, I do need to get to the Landsmeet. Are you coming along?"

"No, I think not." Morrigan shook her head as he stood up, setting her down on her feet so he could go get changed. "I see no need for my presence there, and I would rather not be present to hear the announcement of your betrothal to another."

"Ah, of course not. I'm sorry," he apologized. He hadn't thought of that aspect of it, only that he wanted her there. She waved off his apology as he went on, "Then I will see you when I get back. Soon, I hope."

She nodded, leaving the room as he quickly cleaned himself up as best he could and put his armor and sword on. He hoped he would not need them, but it was better that he was prepared for the possibility. When he arrived at the front hall moments later, it was to find Alistair, Ayla, Wynne, Zevran, and Leliana waiting, all of them dressed for possible battle as well.

"Oghren and Sten didn't want to come," Alistair explained when he arrived. "Oghren said he'd had enough of arguing noblemen in Orzammar, and you know how Sten feels about non-qunari politics."

"Morrigan wasn't interested, either," Aedan answered, and saw the brief flash of understanding in Alistair's eyes as he nodded. "It's probably just as well we have a smaller party, anyway. Having all of us there might have been seen as too much of an intimidation tactic."

Before he could continue, Anora entered the hall, looking weary but determined, her head high and back straight as always. "The Arl has gone on ahead, and I will follow shortly," she informed him. "You must leave as soon as possible, however. My father will waste no time in wresting the proceedings from Eamon, and he will need your help."

He met her gaze, searching for any sign that she was angry with him because of what they'd discussed last night, but he could see none. "Are you prepared?" he asked her quietly, and after a moment's hesitation, added, "Are we still in agreement?"

She nodded, firmly, and he nearly sighed in relief as she replied, "I am, yes. And we are. I will see you there, my betrothed, and may the Maker smile upon you."

He gave her his best formal bow. "May He smile upon us all." Nodding to her, he turned to the others. "Let's get to the palace as soon as we can, and get this over with." He led them out of the estate and towards the Landsmeet, at long last.


Aedan sighed inwardly. They had made into the palace itself without any incident, yet he couldn't say he was surprised when they entered the main hallway just before the Landsmeet chambers to discover Cauthrien waiting for them. She was blocking their path with only five men this time, her hand on her sword as she stood in the middle of the blue carpet that led up to the doors of the Landsmeet, glaring at them.

"Warden, I am not surprised it has come to this," she said scornfully to Aedan, before turning her freezing gaze on Alistair next to him. "And Alistair. If you were even remotely worthy of being called Maric's son, you would already be in the Landsmeet, wouldn't you?"

Aedan winced as he heard the expected snarl behind him; any moment, he thought an angry black panther might spring past him, especially considering Cauthrien was the one who'd taken them to Fort Drakon. But instead, all he heard was Alistair whispering, "Easy, love. Remember, you can't lose your temper here," and Ayla's huffed reply of, "Fine. Even if she deserves it, I won't rip her head off her shoulders."

Cauthrien, apparently oblivious to the danger she'd just been in, was continuing, "You have torn Ferelden apart to oppose the very man who ensured you were born into freedom. But do not think you will get past me to desecrate the Landsmeet itself. The nobles of Ferelden will confirm my lord as regent, and we can finally put this to rest, once you are gone."

"Honestly, Cauthrien, have you so little honour that you would stoop to this now? Or so little trust in your lord's chances that you have to prevent us from entering the Landsmeet?" Aedan watched her mouth tighten with a small measure of satisfaction. He knew that Cauthrien was a decent woman, that it was her blind loyalty to Loghain making her act this way, and that was the only reason he hadn't given the signal to attack; the only reason he was going to try to talk her out of this course before he had to kill her. Still, she'd been an awful annoyance, and it would be nice to take her down a peg or two. "I think you and I both know, Cauthrien, that he's no longer the man he once was. Do you really not see what he has become?"

Cauthrien frowned, the sure certainty in her gaze wavering just a little. "I'm aware that he has changed . . . it has been difficult for him to realize his own countrymen would turn against him."

"No more difficult than it was for us to accept that he'd try to kill us," Alistair muttered, and Aedan nodded his agreement. He'd grown up on tales of the hero general, besides being close with his daughter, and to have that same man send soldiers and assassins after them had been a hard blow.

Cauthrien, either having not heard Alistair's statement or deciding to ignore it, went on, "I'm not surprised he is bitter. But he is still a great man. One of the best Ferelden has seen."

"Would a great man let Arl Howe torture his subjects?" Aedan demanded when Cauthrien's attention was finally focused on him again.

"You think war is simple, don't you, Warden?" Cauthrien snapped, crossing her arms as she faced him. "You only fight monsters. No one sheds a tear over the death of an ogre. Torture is an ugly business. But sometimes it's the only way to learn what your enemy intends. And it is much harder to tell who the enemy is when all of them look like you."

Aedan shook his head, wondering just how many of Loghain's crimes Cauthrien would be willing to justify. But he did not want to kill her merely because she was loyal to the man, and he could tell she wasn't keen to fight them either, or she would have attacked already. So, determined to make her see reason, he pushed on, saying, "Oh? It was hard to tell whether or not Oswyn Sighard was his enemy, when Loghain had him imprisoned and tortured for merely hearing that he turned around on the battlefield rather than save Cailan? He didn't know if his own daughter was his enemy or not when he allowed Howe to imprison her? He's sold his own people into slavery to fund his civil war and tried to have Arl Eamon killed. How can you keep supporting him, Cauthrien?"

Cauthrien stared at him, wide-eyed, a tortured look building on her face before she threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, you are right. Loghain is a great man, but his hatred of Orlais has driven him to madness. He has done terrible things, I know it, but I owe him everything. I cannot betray him, do not ask me to!"

Aedan tried to ignore the desperate plea in her voice and the sting of his own conscience, knowing what he was about to do to Loghain, as he said gently, "It would not be betrayal if you simply allowed me to attend the Landsmeet as planned, to stop his hatred before it grows worse."

He waited with bated breath as Cauthrien stared at him for a long moment, the struggle on her face clear, before she dipped her head finally in acknowledgement and defeat. "I wish I had died at Ostagar rather than live to see this moment. Stop him, Warden. Stop him from betraying everything he once loved. Please . . . show mercy. Without Loghain, there would be no Ferelden to defend."

Aedan merely nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak, and Cauthrien stepped aside, gesturing to her men, allowing them to pass. Without looking back, Aedan strode forward to the double doors, pushing them open as he reached them, the others following him into the Landsmeet chamber. The room was filled with the nobles of Ferelden, who lined the balconies along the wall on both sides and the carpeted stone floor below. Most of the noblemen and women were dressed in their finest silks, but others were outfitted in their finest armor, polished until it shone, meaning they would not be out of place dressed as they were.

Aedan made his way through the hall towards where Loghain stood at the front, weaving his way through the crowd with the others following behind, as Arl Eamon's voice boomed from the balcony above. "My lords and ladies of the Landsmeet, Teyrn Loghain would have us give up freedoms, our traditions, out of fear. He placed us on this path, yet we should place our destiny in his hands? Must we sacrifice everything good about our nation to save it?"

Eamon's speech was met with cheers and claps from some of the crowd, though others remained silent, and the crowd went completely silent when Loghain stepped forward. "A fine performance, Eamon," he drawled as he slowly clapped with fake enthusiasm, "but no one here is taken in by it. You would attempt to put a puppet on the throne and every soul here knows it. The better question is 'Who would pull the strings?'"

By this time, Aedan had reached the front of the crowd and was about to respond to Loghain when the general spotted him first, crying out, "Ah! And here we have the puppeteer! Tell us, Warden," Loghain continued before Aedan could get a word in edgewise, "how will the Orlesians take our nation from us? Will they deign to send their troops, or simply issue their commands through this would-be prince? What did they offer you? How much is the price of Fereldan honour now?"

Aedan stopped a few feet away from Loghain, facing him head-on, holding his head high and not flinching from the angry heat of the older man's glare as he replied, shrugging, "Well, if I was actually trying to sell out my countrymen to Orlais or if I had even spoken to an Orlesian in the last several months, I might be able to tell you. But as it is, I've been far too busy fighting the soldiers and assassins you've sent after us as well as the darkspawn that you seem to be content to ignore to even have time for this imagined betrayal of yours. I'm really more concerned at the moment with the Blight threatening Fereldan's doorstep to worry about Orlais, Loghain, and so should you be."

"There are enough refugees in my Bannorn now to make that abundantly clear," Bann Alfstanna called from the balcony to Aedan's left as other noblemen shouted in agreement.

"The south is fallen, Loghain!" Arl Wulff added, looking no less devastated and exhausted than he had a few days ago in the tavern when Aedan had seen him, and discovered that his entire arling had fallen to the Blight. "Will you let darkspawn take the whole country for fear of Orlais?" the Arl finished, and Aedan watched closely to see Loghain's reaction.

"The Blight is indeed real, Wulff," Loghain answered agreeably, before raising his voice and shouting to the assembly in general, "But do we need Grey Wardens to fight it? They claim that they alone can end the Blight, yet they failed spectacularly against the darkspawn at Ostagar, and they ask to bring with them four legions of chevaliers."

"Answer the question yourself, Loghain," Aedan interrupted the general, ice in his tone. He was as sick of hearing the Wardens slandered as Alistair was. "Have you heard of any Blight defeated without the Grey Wardens? Because if you have, do let us know how it was done. Surely, if Blights were so easy to defeat, the Wardens would never have been created in the first place. And the reason why the Wardens were defeated at Ostagar was because they were expecting help that never came."

Loghain glared at him fiercely, but recovered easily enough, asking, "Why do you not explain to us, Warden, how you expect to win with just the two of you? Or would you insist we open our borders to these Orlesian Wardens with their chevaliers? And once we open our borders to the chevaliers, can we really expect them to return from whence they came?"

Time for a change in tactics, Aedan decided. He wouldn't get far arguing about the Orlesians with Loghain; distrust of them ran too deep in Ferelden anyway, nor could he explain just how Wardens defeated darkspawn. He briefly considered bringing up Cailan, but Loghain had had ample time to come up with a defense for that by now; best to hit him with something he wouldn't be expecting. "Perhaps our fellow countrymen should be less worried about what the Orlesians would do to them, and more worried about you, Loghain. Since I have right here the proof that states you've been selling Fereldan citizens into slavery to fund your war."

"What's this?" shouted another nobleman from the balcony, outrage dripping through his tones as the noise in the crowd swelled. "There is no slavery in Ferelden. Explain yourself!"

Loghain turned to the balcony, addressing the outraged nobleman directly. "There is no saving the alienage. Damage from the riots has yet to be repaired. There are bodies still rotting in their homes. It is not a place I would send my worst enemy. There is no chance of holding it if the Blight comes here." Turning back to Aedan, he added frostily, "Despite what you may think, Warden, I have done my duty. Whatever my regrets may be for the elves, I have done what was needed for the good of Ferelden."

"You forget, Loghain, I've been in the alienage too," Aedan returned evenly, crossing his arms as he stared the man down. "The damage is not nearly so bad as you claim, and the elves I spoke to were less than pleased to be losing their friends and family members to slavery. But let's talk about your regrets some more, shall we? For instance, do you regret having a blood mage poison Arl Eamon?"

There was just the slightest flare of alarm in Loghain's eyes that Aedan only caught because he was watching so closely. Otherwise, Loghain was perfectly calm and scornful as he replied, "I assure you, Warden, if I were going to send someone, it would be my own soldiers. I would not trust to the discretion of an apostate."

"Indeed?" Alfstanna called from the balcony again, and Aedan just barely managed to restrain his smile. She couldn't have timed her support any more perfectly, and now the Chantry would know what Loghain had done, as well, as she continued, "My brother tells a very different tale. He says you snatched a blood mage from the Chantry's justice. Coincidence?"

The Grand Cleric herself strode forward to the balustrade, glaring down at Loghain as she snapped, "Do not think the Chantry will overlook this, Teyrn Loghain. Interference in a Templar's sacred duties is an offense against the Maker."

"Whatever I have done, I will answer for later. At the moment, however, I wish to know what this Warden has done with my daughter." Loghain pointed an accusing finger at Aedan, and all eyes in the hall followed the gesture.

"What have I done with her?" Aedan demanded incredulously, wondering if Loghain really had lost his mind. "Besides protecting her from you and the man you allowed to imprison her, you mean?"

"You took my daughter – our queen – by force, killing her guards in the process," Loghain snarled at him. Throwing his hands up in the air, the general shouted, "What arts have you employed to keep her? Does she even still live?"

"I believe I can speak for myself," Anora stated as she swept into the room from the door behind Loghain, off to the right of the throne. Aedan could hear gasps from the crowd behind him, and nearly rolled his eyes. Trust Anora to make the most dramatic entrance possible.

Anora stopped at the front of the room, in front of Loghain who was staring at her speechlessly, folding her hands in front of her as she called out, "Lords and ladies of Ferelden, hear me. My father is no longer the man you know. This man is not the hero of River Dane." She pointed her finger at him as she continued passionately, "This man turned his troops aside and refused to protect your king as he fought bravely against the darkspawn. This man seized Cailan's throne before his body was cold and locked me away so I could not reveal his treachery. I would have already been killed, if not for the Wardens and their companions, and this Warden in particular, Aedan Cousland."

Aedan nodded, turning to the crowd to address them as well, knowing it was time to deal the finishing blow. Loghain was done for. "The queen speaks the truth – when we rescued her, she was in fear for her life from the same man who slaughtered my family, while her own father did nothing to save her."

"So the Warden's influence has poisoned even your mind, Anora?" Loghain asked heavily, staring at his daughter. "I wanted to protect you from this." Before Anora could reply, he'd turned to address the crowd, raising his voice as he called out, "My lords and ladies, our land has been threatened before. It's been invaded, and lost, and won times beyond counting. We Fereldans have proven that we will never truly be conquered so long as we are united. We must not let ourselves be divided now. Stand with me, and we shall defeat even the Blight itself!"

Aedan held his breath, knowing that now was the time the nobles would reveal where their support lay, and praying that he was right; that they'd collected enough evidence, and Loghain was truly finished. He nearly sagged with relief as the voices began to rain down from the balconies above.

"South Reach stands with the Grey Wardens."

"Waking Sea stands with the Grey Wardens!"

"Dragon's Peak supports the Wardens!"

"The Western Hills throw their lot in with the Wardens. Maker help us."

"I stand by Loghain! We've no hope of victory otherwise."

"I stand with the Warden! The Blight is coming; we need the Grey Wardens!"

The Maker had answered his prayers, Aedan thought gratefully. Only one vote in favour of Loghain; he could not have hoped for a better outcome. Now he just needed to get Loghain to accept it. He turned from the crowd back to the general. "It appears the Landsmeet has ruled against you, Loghain. Now would be the time to step down gracefully."

"Traitors!" Loghain snarled, turning in a circle as he shouted at the gathered noblemen. "Which of you stood against the Orlesian emperor when his troops flattened your field and raped your wives? You fought with us once, Eamon." He pointed accusingly at the Arl, who simply stared down at him, pity in his eyes as Loghain ranted on. "You cared about this land once. Before you got too old and fat and content to even see what you risk. None of you deserve a say in what happens here! None of you have spilled blood for this land the way I have! How dare you judge me!"

He's really lost his mind. Aedan watched the soldiers who were gathering behind Loghain warily. He needed to diffuse the situation before it turned into an all-out battle. "Call off your men, Loghain, and allow us to settle this honourably." He stared at the man, willing him to see some reason, at least.

After a long, tense moment, Loghain nodded shortly. "Then let us end this. I suppose we both knew it would come to this. A man is made by the quality of his enemies. Maric told me that once. I wonder if it's more a compliment to you or me." He had a faraway look in his eyes, before they suddenly sharpened into focus as his gaze returned to Aedan. "Enough. Let the Landsmeet declare the terms of the duel."

It was Alfstanna who took it upon herself to set the terms, leaning over the balcony to state, "It shall be fought according to tradition; a test of arms in single combat until one party yields. And we who are assembled will abide by the outcome."

"Will you face me yourself, or have you a champion?" Loghain demanded.

Aedan turned to look at Alistair, who was waiting behind him along with the others. Alistair nodded in answer, determination stamped on his face. "The right to face you belongs to Alistair," Aedan said, turning back to Loghain. "He is the one you have wronged the most."

"Then let us test the mettle of our would-be king. Prepare yourself!" Loghain shouted, as he strapped on his shield and drew his sword, backing up to the open area of the hall, just in front of the thrones and away from the balconies.

Aedan moved back, passing Alistair as the other nobles in the hall drew back to allow more room. Alistair caught his arm as he went past; Aedan stopped to face his Warden brother questioningly. "Do you have this?"

"Yeah, I've got him," Alistair answered grimly, anger blazing in his eyes as he stared past Aedan at Loghain. "It - won't be easy, though, so keep an eye on Ayla for me, okay? Make sure she doesn't lose her temper."

"Of course," Aedan agreed. "Be careful."

Alistair merely nodded in reply as he moved towards Loghain, strapping his own shield on and drawing his longsword. Aedan reached the spot where their other companions waited, quickly and quietly asking Zevran and Leliana to go keep an eye out for any signs of treachery, before he finally stopped next to Ayla. She was standing straight, watching Alistair's back as he walked towards Loghain, and though her face was expressionless, he could see the tenseness of her shoulders. "He'll be fine," Aedan whispered to her. "People tend to underestimate Alistair; Maker, even he underestimates himself sometimes. Loghain won't know what hit him."

Ayla didn't even glance his way, her eyes never leaving Alistair as he and Loghain began to circle one another. "I know. But if it looks like he's truly in danger, you'd better not try to stop me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Aedan answered sincerely. He'd learned his lesson last time; it would take a far braver man than him to get in the path of an enraged Ayla. He glanced at Wynne over his shoulder; the mage nodded in answer to his unspoken question. Should Ayla lose her temper, Wynne knew what to do just as well as Morrigan did. He turned back to the fight, watching his brother, hoping it wouldn't come to that.

He didn't see which of them struck first, but suddenly there was the clash of steel-on-steel, and the fight was on. Both men were equally effective at shieldwork; nearly every blow of Alistair's was blocked by Loghain's shield, and vice versa. They were nearly matched in weight and size, as well, making it more difficult for either of them to knock the other off balance. It was Alistair who managed it first, though.

Loghain was just a touch slow in recovering from the last swing he'd sent Alistair's way, and Alistair was quick to take advantage, moving even faster than Aedan would have expected. He slammed into Loghain's side with his shield, catching him low and heaving his weight up, sending the older man tumbling to the ground.

Loghain, however, was quick to recover, and though Alistair swung down hard, trying to catch him down on the ground, the general moved just barely out of the way of the swing. Rather than getting up, however, Loghain slammed his sword up before Alistair had moved back, sliding it home in a gap in Alistair's plate armor. Alistair grunted in surprise, freezing for a second, and Aedan heard Ayla gasp in horror. He chanced a quick glance at her; she was tense, her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide, but they weren't yellow, so he quickly turned his attention back to the fight.

Before anyone else had time to react, even Loghain, Alistair had already moved; he'd twisted with the sword still in him, slamming Loghain's hand with his shield at the same time, causing the general to lose his grip on the sword. Alistair skipped back a few steps, yanking Loghain's sword out and tossing it at the other man.

The general sneered as he quickly regained his feet and advanced on Alistair, clearly expecting him to be weakened and slow from the blood dribbling down his armor. And indeed, it appeared as though he was; Aedan watched, holding his breath, as his brother's moves became slow and sluggish in response to Loghain's swings.

It was just as the general was smirking, as though he saw victory on hand when Alistair stumbled, that everything changed. Suddenly, Alistair's shield slammed up like a striking snake, catching Loghain just under his chin, and the general fell back a few paces, dazed. And Alistair was suddenly almost twice as fast as he had been before, moving like a whirlwind, raining blows down on the now dazed and stumbling Loghain.

Aedan grinned with pride; even he hadn't expected Alistair to force Loghain to underestimate him, allowing the older man to grow arrogant before suddenly attacking with renewed force. A few more hard blows and slashes were all it took before Loghain was on his knees in front of Alistair, a sword point at his throat. Good for you, Alistair. Get your vengeance, now.


Fighting Loghain was difficult, but then, Alistair had expected it to be. The man wasn't a renowned Fereldan hero for nothing. It was rare that he fought someone with exactly the same style, as well, so it had taken him a few moments to truly get Loghain's measure. And, he admitted, he hadn't expected that attack from the ground; it was the first time anybody had managed to stab him from that position. But it had given him the opportunity he'd been hoping for.

He could see in Loghain's eyes that he was expecting that blow to be the end of it, and had he been fighting anybody but a Warden, and an enraged Warden at that, it probably would have been. But Alistair's adrenaline was so high and his ability to fight while wounded so ingrained, along with his Warden stamina and strength, that he'd barely felt the blow. The look in Loghain's eyes, however, had given him an idea. He'd deliberately played the wound up, making it look as though he couldn't fight effectively, and waited for his chance.

Loghain gave it to him, leaving himself wide open for a split second when Alistair faked a stumble, and he launched into action, striking up with his shield, pouring all of his rage at the loss of the Wardens behind the blow. When Loghain reeled back, dazed, Alistair gave him no time to recover. He attacked mercilessly, giving full rein to his anger, his grief, his burning desire to see the general pay for his betrayal. It only took a few more blows before he had Loghain down on his knees, Alistair's sword at his throat.

Alistair halted for a moment, wanting to make sure no one was going to stop him, and also a little curious as to what Loghain might have to say for himself now. The general eyed him for a moment, dull acceptance in his gaze along with a touch of confusion. "How could you move so fast with a wound like that?"

Alistair shook his head. "If you'd ever bothered to learn anything about Wardens, instead of assuming you knew it all, you'd know the answer to that."

Loghain merely nodded in response, before saying, "So, there is something of Maric in you after all. Good."

"Forget Maric," Alistair snarled, annoyed. This had nothing to do with the father he'd never known, and everything to do with the only father he had known. "This is for Duncan, and for the rest of the Wardens."

Since no one had protested, or told him to stop, Alistair swung the sword, delivering the finishing blow with all his rage behind it. All he could see at that moment was Loghain turning away from the battlefield, leaving all of the Wardens to die, and so it felt like justice when his swing took Loghain's head clean off, sending it arcing through the air before his body hit the ground.

It felt less like justice, though, when he turned and Anora ran past him to her father's body, tears streaking down her face. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty in the face of her grief; Loghain had been her father, after all. He wiped his sword off with a cloth as he walked slowly back to the others. He could see, now, how easy it could be to lose oneself to vengeance, and promised himself he wouldn't do it again; he didn't like how it felt afterwards.

"Don't feel bad," Aedan told him softly as he reached the others. "It had to be done, and Anora had agreed that he needed to pay for his crimes beforehand."

Before Alistair could reply to that, Ayla came over to him, standing directly in front of him. He smiled faintly down at her, relieved that she'd kept her promise to him to not lose her temper and control here in the Landsmeet. He'd been worried that she would accidentally shift and put herself in danger when everyone found out what she could do, and so he'd made her swear not to come unless she was sure she could keep her cool. But she had, even though he'd been injured, and it was more than he'd hoped for. He was surprised, though, when she didn't return his smile, instead scowling at him before she suddenly slapped him. Not hard, but just enough to sting.

"What was that for?" he protested, holding his cheek where the slap had hit and looking down at her in shock.

"For pretending you were hurt worse than you were and making me worry that you would lose!" she snapped at him, and he could see the worry lurking just under the fury burning in her gaze. "Do you have any idea how hard that was for me to watch and not lose control?"

He had heard her alarmed gasp; it was one of the things that had spurred him on to fight harder, in fact. "I'm sorry, love," he said softly. "It was the best way I could see to win the fight. I didn't do it to worry you."

She sighed, shaking her head, the flash of temper gone as suddenly as it had appeared. "I know." She pulled him down to her level and kissed him gently, first on the lips and then on his stinging cheek. "Now let Wynne heal you before it does become a problem."

He nodded and went past her to where Wynne was waiting; she cast the spell as soon as he reached her, laying her hand over the bleeding gap in his armor. He could feel the warmth spreading through him, pulling the wound together and dissipating the pain as she frowned at him. "That was remarkably reckless, Alistair. You are lucky that it worked."

"Yes, I know," he replied, wondering how many more people were going to scold him. Fortunately, Wynne didn't say anything further, merely finishing her healing as Leliana and Zevran returned from the balconies where they'd positioned themselves to make sure none of Loghain's soldiers tried to interfere.

By the time Alistair's wound was fully healed, soldiers had borne Loghain's body away and Anora had regained her composure, walking back over to Aedan at the same time as Arl Eamon reached them from the balcony.

"So it is decided," the Arl declared as he stopped in front of them, glancing between Alistair and Anora. "Alistair will take his father's throne."

Alistair glanced briefly at Aedan, who nodded. Now was the time to tell the Arl what they'd truly planned. "No, my lord, I'm sorry," Alistair said quietly, causing Arl Eamon's gaze to snap to him. "I'm afraid that's not what we decided."

"He refuses the throne," Anora said quickly, before the Arl could reply to him. "Everyone here has heard him. I think it's clear then, that he abdicates in favour of me."

Arl Eamon scowled at her. "I hardly think you're the appropriate person to mediate this, Anora. Warden Cousland, will you help us?" he asked, turning to Aedan.

Aedan nodded. "Yes, I can settle this." He and Anora briefly exchanged glances as the Arl asked,"As the arbiter of this dispute, what is your decision? Who will lead Ferelden?"

Aedan turned to look at the crowd that was now gathering around all of them, raising his voice as he declared, "Anora will lead Ferelden, with myself at her side as her husband."

There were shocked gasps and murmurs ran through the crowd like wildfire as Anora stepped to Aedan's side, addressing the nobles as she gestured to Aedan. "My husband, the king-consort, the general of my armies, and the hero who will save Ferelden from this Blight. My first act as queen must be to insist on receiving Alistair's oath, before all the Landsmeet, to relinquish all claim to the throne for himself and his heirs."

"Oh, I never wanted it," Alistair blurted out, then realizing how informal that sounded, amended, "I mean . . .yes. Of course. Happily, in fact."

"And now, lords and ladies of Ferelden. There is still a Blight to defeat and armies to gather, and I appoint Aedan Cousland to lead us in both," Anora stated, her voice strong and sure as she laid a hand on Aedan's shoulder. "We will not allow this land to be further threatened by the archdemon. Gather your forces and await the command of the Wardens. On the morrow, we shall begin our struggle against the greatest threat Ferelden has ever faced. And we shall triumph over it, for we are Fereldan!"

The room filled with cheers and shouts as the other nobles added their agreement; Alistair caught Arl Eamon's eye, seeing the disappointment and anger lurking in his gaze before Eamon swept from the room. He sighed. He hoped that the Arl could forgive him one day for deceiving him, but as Ayla slipped to his side, giving him an encouraging smile, he knew he could not have done anything differently. He was free at last from the burden of his birth, and now the Blight was the only obstacle left between him and the future, the life, he wanted. He slid an arm around Ayla's waist, squeezing her lightly, determined that they would get through it together as they had everything else so far.