There were at least three idiots in the Arl's study on the following morning, and they were all yelling as if one knew better than the other. When should they call a Lands Meet? Should they march on the darkspawn now or later? Who should be king? Round and round they went as 'pop goes the weasel' repeated in Alyssa's head. Eamon wanted to put Alistair on the throne, which Bann Teagan agreed with, but Alistair flat out refused.

"Arl Eamon, you're already popular with the people," Alistair said, "and you have leadership experience! Also, I don't want to be king."

Eamon gesticulated, "You don't understand. If I came forward, it would look like a power grab and not what's best for Ferelden."

"What about you, Teagan?" Alistair said.

Teagan shrugged, "I have no bloodline to make a claim on the throne."

"Well, I don't want it!" Alistair yelled and turned away, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Have you met me? I don't want to be the person on the throne, makings decisions that affect the lives of others. That just isn't me!"

Eamon yelled back, "You don't have a choice in this!"

"It never ends does it?" Alistair turned his back.

Teagan tried to mediate, "Wait, Eamon. We shouldn't force him."

"Then what do we do? Let Loghain win; is that what you want?"

It devolved into an all-out screaming match between Arl Eamon and Alistair. In the cacophony, Alyssa's mind strayed back to last night when the group stayed at the castle. She didn't bother to stand on pretense by barring Zevran from her room, which was also why she was so tired for this early morning 'meeting.' "Silk sheets, soft pillows, firm bedding," Zevran smiled. "Finally, I get to worship my goddess in surroundings worthy of her."

"I dunno, dirt has its charms," Alyssa smirked.

He winced, "I know you don't really believe that." She shrugged but said nothing. "Tell me you don't really believe that..."

Alyssa laughed and flipped him over, so she was on top, "My first time was in a pile of hay in a barn."

Zevran laughed, "Are you quite serious?"

"Yup. I surprised the stable boy when I was...let's say reallocating some blankets and possibly a bucket of milk."

"How was it a surprise?"

"I fell on him when I scrambled up the ladder to hide in the loft."

They laughed, loudly and unencumbered, knowing that they were safe together behind guarded stone walls and in an ornate room with a fire crackling away. Two wine glasses were forgotten on a table near the fireplace, kept company by a mostly empty bottle. Alyssa traced her fingers down the tattoos on his chest. "You are so damn beautiful. Sometimes it catches me off guard."

Zevran smiled, "Do you know why making love to you is so marvelous?"

"My boobs?"

He chuckled, "That too." He turned her body until she was cradled in his arms. "The laughter."

Alyssa looked at him, askance, "Are you sure? I heard that laughter in the bedroom isn't always a good thing."

"It is with you," Zevran kissed her deeply, grazing her bottom lip with his teeth in a gentle bite. "The joy in you shines when your armor is removed. I could write poetry with my lips and testimony to your beauty with my fingertips. Now there is enough time to do this properly." He traced his hand from her shoulder, down her side, and stopped at her waist. They eased under the covers until Zevran was on top of her, kissing her, gently nibbling where her shoulder and neck met.

Alyssa didn't want to deflect with another joke, but it was too scary to say, 'I love you.' She arched her back and wrapped her arms around him, feeling the heat of his—

Arl Eamon slammed his hand on the big oak desk in the study, startling Alyssa out of her daydream. "If you would listen to reason, you would see that I'm right!"

A flash of silver caught her eye when the items on the desk shook from the strike. While the men continued to argue, Alyssa picked up a silver amulet in the shape of an Andrastian symbol. The front of it was cracked but forged back together quite expertly. Had it not been for the rough edge on the back, she would have never noticed. "Alyssa, please talk to him," Teagan said. He was the only one left in the room after Arl Eamon and Alistair stormed off.

She sighed, "I'm not going to manipulate him for you. He likes being a Grey Warden. He's good at it. Why not just let him be happy?"

"Because the very fate of Ferelden is at stake here! You don't understand how important this is."

"I do, I just don't care." Alyssa reached the door but was stopped by Teagan with one last plea.

"I realize you have more pressing matters with the Blight, but think about this. Do you believe that Loghain would honestly halt his armies so you and Alistair can continue your quest?"

This gave her pause. Teagan could be right about that since they already had Loghain putting a price on their heads and sending assassins to kill them. Even though that last part worked out, Alyssa agreed that it wasn't wise to ignore this. "Ok, I'll talk to him, but I promise nothing. If he tells me 'no,' that's it."

Teagan nodded, "It's all we can ask." He paced a bit and then spoke again. "One more thing."

"Yes," she said.

"The mage. What should be done about him? He did save Connor, but he also poisoned Eamon. A decision should be made."

Alyssa shrugged, "So make one. You're a big boy, I'm sure you can manage."

"As the injured parties, either my or Eamon's decision are impacted by what the mage did. You are impartial to this," Teagan said.

"Fine. Let him go."

Again Teagan stopped her from leaving the study, "That cannot be done. Who knows what other ills will befall those in his path. His fate must be decided in one way or another."

Alyssa pushed his arm from barring her path. "You asked for my choice. I gave it. I'm not a puppet for you to put words in my mouth. There is enough blood on my hands. I don't need any more." She called over her shoulder one last time, "We're not all called 'the mage.' He has a name. Use it."

Alyssa made her way to the guest bedrooms on the top floor in search of Alistair. "These fucking stairs…" she panted a bit when she got to the top step. Alistair's room was at the end of the hall, and if the maid was right, he retreated to it to get away from the Arl and Bann. She knocked instead of trying the handle. "Alistair? Do you have a minute? We need to talk."

Instead of Alistair, Leliana opened the door and ran past Alyssa. She looked like she was crying or at least very upset. Alyssa cringed, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Alistair shook his head, "It's fine. It's …it's not fine, but that's not your fault." He walked to one of the nightstands and poured himself some water from the bedside pitcher. "All this talk about the Landsmeet and Loghain has everyone upset. I don't suppose you have better news."

"Yes and no," Alyssa said. "They want me to convince you to be king. I told them I wouldn't push you to do something you don't want to do." She sat in one of the wooden chairs near the fireplace.

"I don't want to be king!" Alistair threw the clay cup at the wall, sending clay shrapnel and water spraying the room.

"….but how do you really feel?"

"Not in the mood," he said through gritted teeth.

Alyssa nodded, "You have a habit of throwing things. Are you sure you're not part Rivaini?"

He shouted, "Did you come up here just to antagonize me?" When he turned to look at her, he saw a silver chain draped across her fingers and an amulet dangling at the end. It caught the firelight, shimmering as it swayed gently.

"Look familiar?" She asked.

"Is that…." He stepped toward the amulet, taking longer strides when he realized, "This is my mother's amulet. It has to be." Alistair carefully lifted the palm of his hand underneath to feel the weight of it. Alyssa let the necklace drop gently into his outstretched hand. "By why isn't it broken?" He turned it over and ran his thumb over the seam at the back where it was repaired. "Where did you find it?"

"It was on the Arl's desk. When you all were playing 'biggest balls in the room,' the light bounced off it, and it caught my eye."

"Oh…" he looked down at the amulet and muttered, "Then he must have found the amulet after I threw it at the wall and repaired. He kept it….I don't understand why he would do that."

"Alistair," Alyssa stood up, "he cares about you. A lot of people do. I don't know why you can't see that."

He smirked, "I guess you could be right. We never really talked that much and then the way I left…" Alistair wiped the corners of his eyes, "Thank you. I mean it." Alyssa smiled and hugged him while he gazed at the amulet. "I thought I'd lost this to my own stupidity. I wish I had this a long time ago."

"Surprise," she said.

Alistair took half a step back and looked down at Alyssa with a radiant smile, "Did you remember me mentioning it?" She nodded. "Wow. I'm more used to people not really listening when I go on about things…"

Alyssa blinked, "Sorry, what? I zoned out there for a bit."

"Oh, very funny, ha-ha." His smiled faltered.

"What's wrong?"

Alistair left her embrace to rummage around in a nearby closet. When he finally pulled his head out, he thrust a small glowing scroll-shaped object in her hand. "I need you to do something, no questions asked."

She looked down at the object, "Wait, what—"

"Please?" He put his hands on her shoulders, "It's important."

Alyssa nodded, "Yeah, ok. What do you need?"

"Find Leliana, right now, wherever she is on the castle grounds and talk to her."

"What the hell am I supposed to say? She can't even look at me without thinking I'm possessing her or some crap."

"Trust me. Take that," Alistair pointed at the object, "and find her. If I'm right, you'll both be thanking me tonight."

Her eyes went wide, "Excuse me?"

"That's not what I meant," he turned her around and gave her a playful push out the door. "Go. Now."

"..but.."

"Trust me!" He closed the door behind her.

Alyssa groaned loudly and trudged down the hall back to the stairs. "Trust me, he says. Sticks a weird glowy thing in my hand and I just roll with it. I need new friends."