The fallout over what happened was fast. The templars were smart, though, sending a friendly face two days after what happened. Gawen knocked on my office door, announcing a trio of templars arrived. "He calls himself Ser Cullen, sir."

"Send him in, Gawen. But only him."

Cullen walked in a few moments later. I stood to greet him but didn't offer my hand. To say I was still angry would be an understatement. I gestured to the seat opposite so he could sit. I didn't offer refreshments. He could say what he wanted then he would go. I merely sat and waited for him to begin.

"You've caused some problems."

"Perhaps. But it is your people that committed the crimes. I merely rectified the situation."

"She is now Tranquil, Uht…"

"You will call me 'Ambassador' or 'Lord Uhtred' while you're in my office, Ser Cullen."

"Very well. She is now Tranquil, Ambassador, and must therefore be returned to the Circle for her own safety. They may leave of their own volition, but you have effectively kidnapped her."

I leaned forward. "Think I don't know that she's now Tranquil?" I growled, "But if you think I'm returning her to your Circle, the only way you're doing that is through me and then dragging her out. Because, trust me on this, you won't be getting her without a fight. You bastards took her soul, what made Solona… her. All that's left is a shell of what she once was. I look into those eyes now and see nothing." I slammed the desk and roared, "Nothing! Is that what you wanted?!"

"She was a blood…"

I slammed the desk again as I stood up to loom over him. "No, she was not! She was a Grey Warden. She was one of the heroes of the Blight. She was a mage of tremendous skill, and all you've done is take that away from her."

"Then we are at an impasse, Ambassador. The Templar Order will not let this situation continue."

I took a moment to sit down, leaned back and grinned, the sort of triumphant grin where I knew what was coming. "Of course, Ser Cullen, of course. That is why I will be returning to Ferelden in a short while. You see, I will be reporting this incident to the King of Ferelden, who, need I remind you, is the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, though if Warden-Commander Alistair has returned, I will report that to him. Suffice to say, I think both will be incredibly unhappy with what has transpired here. A citizen of Ferelden, a Grey Warden no less, kidnapped and made Tranquil. No, Solona will be joining me on the voyage, and it is in Ferelden that I will return her to the Circle. At least there she will be returning home."

He looked uncomfortable at that entire revelation. "I will need to report this to my superiors."

I returned a dismissive hand gesture. "Do as you wish. I really don't care." I leaned forward again. "I will be kind enough to give you a warning, Ser Cullen. If any of your order, and I mean any of your order, knocks on my door again, they will die. Do you understand?"

"You can't…"

"I just did." I stood and gestured to the door. "You may go now and report this to your superiors. If they wish to argue, they can send me a letter. It will make good kindling for my next fire."

Cullen looked ready to argue, but I simply sat down and picked up a letter. No idea what it was about, but I was through talking. I heard him sigh as he departed, the door clicking shut and the front door eventually closing. Gawen eventually popped his head through. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"Not really. I've kicked off quite the storm but, right now, I honestly don't care."

"Care for a drink?"

"With my current mood, I don't think that's a good idea. But thank you."

"Of course, my lord." He looked ready to leave but stepped in and closed the door. "I am sorry, lord."

"Not your fault, Gawen. Heavily armed templars… Nothing you could have done."

"I mean about the Lady Amell, lord. She is… She is a shell." He sighed. "She used to laugh all the time. I miss that sound already."

"Me too."

"When do you depart, lord?"

"Within the week. Don't worry, I have plans in place for when I depart. You won't be left alone."

"You're serious?" Hawke asked, and I'm sure she wanted to burst into laughter at the idea.

"Look, the people of Ferelden who now call Kirkwall home know you. You're a familiar, comfortable face. I'm not asking you to actually be the ambassador. But just meet with them on occasion, keep them happy. Let them know I'll return eventually, hopefully with someone better suited to the job, but matters at home have taken me away for the time being."

"And how long do you think you'll be gone?"

"If we sail directly to Denerim, it's a few more days than Amaranthine. Then I'm taking Solona to the Circle Tower, I'm taking Bethany to Val Royeaux because…" I sighed, Hawke understanding why. "So we'll sail back here from there." I totted up the days in my head. "We'll probably be gone a month."

"And only Bethany is going with you too?"

"Doubt anyone else wants to come, and considering the circumstances, I don't blame anyone for not joining us."

She'd been living with me for a couple of weeks by now. After hesitating because of what happened with Solona, I think she realised I needed her now more than ever, because to be honest, despite the brave face I put up in front of templars and others, I was a wreck. One of my best friends has been taken. The worst part is she still stood in front of me, but what made her, the essence and soul of a person, had been ripped away. It was like she was a ghost.

She was hesitant about taking the next physical step in our relationship too, much like I was. I won't say it happened by accident. I'd had a bad day, mostly when trying to converse with Solona. I was sitting back in my office, trying to sort out my mind. Bethany walked in, provided some comfort, one thing led to another, and our first time was her sat on my desk. We enjoyed it immensely and I think we both felt relief that we'd finally done it.

Nerves and hesitancy gone, we agreed there was no point doing it one time then stopping, but with everything going on in the background, we would keep things quiet until we were truly alone.

As for Hawke, she'd all but given her blessing already, though I'm sure she knew she had no choice in the matter. Bethany had been hesitant about moving in, but admitted she didn't want to sleep alone anymore. I helped her during those early nights when she suffered nightmares. Even though there wasn't a Blight, she still carried the taint. So she did wake occasionally, needing the comfort of the Dragonborn. The best thing we realised was her talking about it, as although I'd never experienced them, Solona had them during those early days, so I could tell her what I'd been told before.

"Just make sure you keep her safe," she finally said.

"What do you take me for?"

The smirk told me… "Someone who occasionally finds himself a world of trouble."

I returned a rueful grin, but a hearty chuckle. "So you'll do it?"

Shrugging, she said, "Sure. I don't see a problem. If any major disasters happen while you're away, I'll leave them in your 'in' tray."

Rising to our feet, we sealed the agreement with a handshake, Hawke offering to move in the day the three of us would depart. That was acceptable, and from what she suggested, she would move into the embassy with her mother, and they would then move into better accommodation upon our return. From what Bethany had told me, they now had enough money to purchase their ancestral home. Of course, she quickly reassured me that her home was at the embassy with me, not with her mother and sister. "I am my own woman, after all," she added.

I'm sure Solona would have been excited about boarding a vessel back home to Ferelden, perhaps believing we'd run into a few old friends and we'd have a lovely time out. Instead, she simply stood at the side of the ship as it pulled out of dock, not an ounce of joy on her face or in her body language. I couldn't help but sigh, feeling Bethany grab my hand.

The week passed rather slowly. I barely tried to talk to Solona now. She was gone and I found no joy in talking to whatever was left. I could see Bethany was upset by what happened too, though she did make a bigger effort to talk to Solona. But it was a hard slog. Anything that made Solona unique was gone.

I spent a lot of time on deck, either going through practice drills with sword and shield, or leaning against the side and staring out across the sea. Bethany would join me in those moments, wrapping her hands around one of my arms, leaning into me. I'd just kiss the top of her head, hearing her giggle. It was at those moments I could at least forget.

"Wonder what will happen while you're gone?"

"I honestly don't care. I'm sure Aedan won't be particularly happy I went and picked a fight with templars, but once I explain completely, I'm sure he'll understand. If not… Well, sacking me will only please me."

"Well, if you are relieved of your duties, we'll just have to find our own little place in Kirkwall."

I gave her a sideways glance. "Are you thinking things already, Bethany Hawke?"

She feigned being shocked. "Me, thinking things? By the Maker, Uhtred, we've just started this journey." Then she laughed and kissed my cheek. "How about Bethany Dragonborn?"

"Well, that's certainly something to think about!"

Taking a regular ship back to Ferelden instead of a navy vessel, Bethany, Solona and I had to share a cabin, which put a dampener on the burgeoning physical aspects between Bethany and I. I think it was about the fifth night, where I had Bethany in giggles as I teased her, when Solona stated in that flat voice of hers, "If you wish to be intimate, I won't mind."

That put an immediate end to our shenanigans. "No, it's fine," Bethany said quietly, and I could hear the tremor in her voice.

"Do you feel nothing at all?" I had to ask.

"I merely want to return home to the Circle."

"The one in Ferelden?"

"That would be preferable. I do not want to live in the outside world. I know my kind are not welcome outside the walls of the Circle. Within, I will be safe and comfortable. I can keep myself busy with work."

"Do you remember what we shared?"

"Of course, Uhtred. My memories remain intact. We were intimate many times. Even with Leliana. I remember it being very enjoyable."

"Do you still love me?"

"No. I no longer experience that feeling."

I felt Bethany squeeze my shoulder, tapping her hand to let her know it was fine. I'd expected the answer having learned all I could about Tranquil. But any idea of being intimate died with that conversation. Neither of us felt like it after that.

I believe even the crew were relieved when we finally sailed into Denerim harbour. From the side of the ship, there was evidence the city was still being rebuilt, but having spent at least eighteen months away from the city, there were definite signs it was well on its way to recovery.

Once we'd docked, the girls and I grabbed our few bags, as all of us had packed light, and headed into the city itself. While scars remained, the city was healing, the noise a reminder of earlier visits before the darkspawn attack. Weaving our way through the crowds, we ended up on the main thoroughfare towards the royal palace. In the square outside, a new statue now stood. The three of us came to a stop before it. It wasn't a flamboyant statue, simply a sign of thanks towards all those who had defended Ferelden against the Blight.

Approaching the palace gates, I knew the guards wouldn't know me, and as I wasn't expected, I knew they were going to be a pain in the arse. Of course, they crossed their spears and prevent my immediate access. "Who are you?" one of them asked.

"Lord Uhtred. Ferelden Ambassador to Kirkwall of the Three Marches. To my left is Bethany Hawke, a Grey Warden. To my right is Solona Amell."

"She's Tranquil," one of them exclaimed.

The two guards then shared a glance. "Lord Uhtred? But you…"

"What?"

"Nothing, lord. It's just we didn't know."

"It's fine. It's a surprise visit. Are the king and queen in residence?"

"Yes, lord. Please, go right in."

Well, that certainly went far better than last time. I guess I did look like a lord, making sure I'd dressed in my finest clothes, while Bethany wore their Warden garb. Solona had dressed in robes, stating they were comfortable for the journey. I don't think she thought herself as a Warden any longer. The gates were opened and the three of us walked towards the main doors, another guard opening one for us to walk through. Entering the main hall immediately, it was rather empty of people, servants busy cleaning but no sign of Aedan or Anora. Our arrival must have been noticed, though, as Eamon quickly appeared from one of the hallways ahead.

"Good to see you, Dragonborn," he stated as we grasped hands.

"You too, Eamon. You're looking well."

"Well as can be expected, and I'm not the only one. I'm sure you've seen the city?" I nodded. "Still some way to go, but most of the rebuilding has already taken place."

"Your family?"

The face did fall slightly. "Connor is now at a Circle tower. It was the right thing to do. He needed to be trained properly. Isolde and I… We plan for another child. Or maybe even children." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm sure you're not here to talk to me, Uhtred. You're here to see the king. He hasn't mentioned…"

"It's a surprise. Plus, I have a lot to tell him, I guess. Particularly recent events."

His eyes fell on Solona, and if he noticed her condition, his eyes said nothing for now. "Come. He'll be delighted to see you. Anora too."

We walked and talked, Eamon asking after Solona, remembering them, while I introduced Bethany at the same time. Eamon knew about Leliana, of course, but could see the affection between Bethany and I, so knew not to mention her name. I'd asked Bethany not to say too much until I'd had a chance to sit down and chat with my brother.

Eamon walked us to what I remember was the study, knocking on the door as he gestured for me to wait. "I have a visitor, sir."

"Oh, who is it?"

Eamon gestured for me to walk in. I couldn't help smile as Aedan forgot himself completely, striding towards and wrapping me in a tight embrace. "Uhtred!" he nearly cried. In fact, I think he was on the verge of it.

I hadn't seen him in over a year. I'll admit I nearly let loose a tear or two as well. "Your Majesty."

He let me go and stood back. "Now don't start that shit, Uhtred!"

"Of course, sire."

"Aedan. To the Dragonborn, I am always Aedan."

I dipped my head. "As you wish, sire."

Bethany started to giggle, so I had to introduce her, and Aedan wasn't dumb. "Are you with Uhtred?"

"I am," she said, wrapping her arm around mine, leaning her head against me. Aedan just met my eyes and grinned. Again, he was smart enough not to mention Leliana. Then his eyes fell on Solona and his shoulders slumped slightly.

"Is she…?" He couldn't even get the question out.

"Something we need to discuss, Your Majesty. I mean officially. A matter of state."

He nodded. "Of course, Ambassador. We will discuss it as soon as possible."

I was expecting us to take a seat, but we found ourselves escorted down the hallway towards another room, wandering in to find Anora nursing a baby. She looked up as we entered, the smile immediate at seeing her husband, though it broadened upon seeing me and the others. "Uhtred!"

I dipped my head again. "Your Highness."

"I've warned him already, Ani. He won't listen to you either."

"Ani?" I asked, already laughing away. Aedan just gave me a shove before I approached Anora, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Nice to see you again, Anora. Now, between you and me, was he really worth it?"

"He gave me our son, Uhtred." The love in her voice for him was… It was actually a reminder. I'm sure my face fell for a moment, so she just kissed my cheek. "And it's nice to see you too."

"Okay, what's his name?"

"Duncan Bryce Aedan Cousland."

I turned towards the king and embraced him immediately. "Both would be honoured, Aedan," I said quietly. Leaning back after a few seconds, I asked, "So how's fatherhood?"

"Fantastic. Probably easier than running a kingdom. But I'm sure you don't want to hear me complain about that. I have a question. What the hell are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see all of you, but why are you here and not Kirkwall?"

"It's one hell of a long story, that I should probably share over dinner. You've received my correspondence?"

"Of course. I'm aware of most major events."

"I can expand on that, of course, but I'm sure you have plenty of questions too."

"Where are you staying?" Anora asked.

"No idea. We've literally stepped off the boat and came straight here."

Anora looked at Aedan. "Then I'm sure we have plenty of room free."

"One room or more, Uhtred?" Aedan wondered, insinuation dripping from his tone.

"Two. One for Bethany and I, the other for… for Solona."

He nodded, hearing my tone, before he escorted us himself towards the guest quarters, a couple of servants arrived rather quickly. Bethany and I were shown into one guest room, the other servant escorting Solona to hers. If any noticed she was Tranquil, they were smart not to mention it. Aedan suggested we make ourselves at home, as he did have a bit of work to do, but that he would see us at dinner in a couple of hours.

Before he left, he couldn't help giving me another hug. "Damn good to see you, Uhtred."

"You too, Aedan, you too."

Closing the door to give us some privacy, Bethany and I had to take a look around the room, as it was simply enormous. Aside from the massive bed, which looked big enough to fit six people, there was a large desk, four chairs with a table in the middle, and through another door, what would be considered a wet-room, basically where we could wash or relieve ourselves. Only palaces and the grandest of mansions had such rooms.

Bethany couldn't help herself, eventually sitting back on the bed in what I would call a rather seductive pose. "Ever had sex in a palace, Uhtred?"

"A few times. You?"

"Never. Maybe you could take my palace virginity?"

"Bethany, if I'd known you had this naughty streak in you, I'd have bedded you the day we met."

"Consider this making up for lost time then," she retorted, making sure she undid buttons of her blouse to suggest I should shut up and join her on the bed.

We did, and enjoyed ourselves so much, it took a knock on the door to announce dinner before we finally stopped. After dressing, we wandered the halls, and I had a vague idea of where we were heading, though it had obviously been a long time since I'd been to the palace. A servant eventually found us and escorted us to the right room. Solona was already there, looking at us and mentioned she had heard noises from our room, guessing we were being intimate. It was stated so bluntly, it took all the romance and fun out of it.

The meal was exquisite, as expected, and I spent a good couple of hours answering all of Aedan's questions. Anora was just as attentive, and it was clear from the start the pair made a bloody good team. More than that, though, was the fact they were hopelessly in love with each other. Such a contrast to the Aedan I remember, the young man who bedded a different girl every weekend, and never gave matters of the heart a second thought.

After dinner, Aedan and I retired to a room where we could talk in private, Anora suggesting she and the girls could amuse themselves. Taking a seat by the fireplace, Aedan walked over with two glasses and a bottle of something, opening it and pouring a couple of fingers that looked and definitely smelled like strong liquor. Leaning back in the very comfortable chair, I closed my eyes and appreciated the near silence. It was the first time I'd felt properly relaxed in a while.

"How's married life?" I wondered.

"I always wondered if I'd find true happiness. Thing is, I'd give up the crown tomorrow. Means little to me, I did it as it was the right thing to do at the time. But Anora? I'm not sure what I'd do for her."

"So you're in love with her then?"

He laughed at my sarcastic tone. "She thinks she might be pregnant again already." Now it was my turn to laugh. "What? Is it wrong that I find my wife utterly desirable as well as beautiful?"

"No, I'm happy for you... Just, do you give her a rest?"

"Oh, don't let the innocent look in her eyes fool you, brother. Once that door to our bedroom closes… Well, I won't go spilling secrets about my wife, but…" He tapped the side of his nose, both of us laughing away. "I only have one regret. I'm sure you know what I'm going to say."

"I do, so I'll ask after Fergus instead. How is he?"

"Well. He's engaged to be wed." He must have noticed my surprised glance. "He grieved, Uhtred, but he found a companion rather quickly, and it's helped mend his heart. She's a good woman, and it's clear they are deeply in love."

"Good for him."

"Will you visit him?"

"Perhaps. I wasn't planning on spending too long here, then we're heading to Vigil's Keep. Don't suppose you've had word from Alistair?"

"Only to say he was heading to Weisshaupt. Why?"

"I was hoping to see him, actually. Haven't seen him since I departed Amaranthine the first time."

"Then I'm afraid you will be disappointed. I don't believe he has returned. Because he's been absent so long, I've made Howe Warden-Commander of Ferelden." I know I definitely looked surprised after that. "The hatchet is well and truly buried, Uhtred. Howe is not his father. I've invited him here more than once, and as we've got to know each other, what I do know is that Nathaniel is a good man, and has made an excellent commander. He's loyal to Ferelden and the Grey Wardens. That is what matters."

"If he's not there, then I may as well head to the Circle Tower."

"Ah, I was going to ask what happened. I assume it's a long story?"

"You receive my correspondence about the Deep Roads expedition?"

"Only recently, but yes."

"I had to leave Solona behind as she was feeling unwell the night before we were leaving. We were gone roughly three weeks in total. I was told by Gawen, my head servant, that templars took Solona from our residence within the first two days of us leaving?"

"What?" Aedan asked flatly, and I knew he was angry.

"I have no idea what gave them the idea they had jurisdiction. Embassy land is sovereign of the nation that is housed there. Therefore, Kirkwall sent their templars onto foreign soil."

"And they obviously made her Tranquil. On what charges?"

"Blood magic and apostacy."

"Okay, the second one is bullshit. She was a Grey Warden and they don't belong to the Circle. The first one… Has she performed blood magic recently?"

"She only ever performed it that one time at the Circle Tower prior to her recruitment."

"So it's either bullshit, or someone picked her as they have an axe to grind against you or… her family?"

"You think they went after her because she's an Amell?"

He shrugged. "Merely providing suggestions, Uhtred. What I will do is write a letter to the leader of Kirkwall… Who is it?"

"You can message the viscount but the real power lies with the Knight-Commander of the Templars."

"Very well, I'll write a letter to both of them, asking them for an official explanation of events."

"That's not all. I may have caused problems when I took Solona back. I didn't kill any of them, but they received the full power of my Thu'um. Threats may have been made."

He reached across, grabbing my forearm. "Uhtred, you have my full backing regarding this matter. If anyone believes they can push Ferelden around, they are going to learn very quickly that we will defend ourselves to the last."

"Anything else?"

"I'm resigning, Aedan. I am not an ambassador. For the love of the Nine, please send someone else in my place!"

That made him laugh. "Well ahead of you, Uhtred. You will be replaced. Since you've arrived, depending on when you want to go back, you can escort our new ambassador. I assume you won't be staying here?"

"No, I'll head back to Kirkwall with Bethany."

"Very well. I'll give you a role. How about…" He twirled his hand as he thought, then clicked his fingers. "Ah, how about a military attaché? Add to that, you can be in charge of security at the embassy and of the ambassador. Gives you an excuse to act all tough and mean, perhaps wield your sword occasionally."

"Sounds much better than what I've been tasked with doing so far."

"Any other plans?"

"I'm taking Bethany to Val Royeaux after we drop Solona off. The latter originally wanted to go there first, but now that she's… how she is, I doubt she'd feel any excitement. Bethany was interested, so I offered to take her instead."

"Do you love her?" he asked abruptly.

"Who? Bethany?"

"Who else will I be talking about, dullard."

"I'm not sure how to answer that without sounding…" I knocked back my glass, allowing Aedan to refill it before I continued. "Yes, I do love Bethany, but it's not the same as Leliana. That was…" I sighed. "That was life-long, til death do us part love. The same as Alexandra. What I feel for Bethany is the same as… I don't know. It's still new, I guess. I love spending time with her, love the intimacy, love who she is, but…"

"If Leliana returned to your life, your choice would be obvious and immediate?" I nodded. "So what will you do?"

"Well, Leliana made her choice. So I will, for want of a better word, settle. The one thing in Bethany's favour is that she wants and can have children."

"Leliana couldn't?"

"No. She told me during those months we spent at her villa. She thought I would leave her because of it. To be honest, having children has never bothered me, but if given the opportunity, I'd like my own. So Bethany is keen, though she's obviously a Warden now, but you seemed to have had little difficulty."

"Not for lack of trying." I gave him a look and we both laughed again. "But you want children?"

"Yes, but not until all the trouble in Kirkwall is dealt with. As I told you earlier, something is brewing, but I'm just not sure what, and the outcome is unknown. Just my luck, I thought I'd settle into a rather boring life there, and instead wind up mixed up in all sorts of shenanigans."

"Do you ever want to come home?"

"No. I've made a life for myself there. And as long as you do replace me with someone, and I don't mind the sound of the role you'll give me otherwise, I'll be content to remain indefinitely."

"Just don't drag Ferelden into a war, and you've done a good job."

"I'll try to keep my nose relatively clean."

We eventually spent three days in Denerim. During that time, we caught up with some old friends. Wynne was still working as the arcane advisor to the crown, and the first thing we had to do was tell her about Solona. Wynne was terribly upset and angered by it. Solona said she understood why, and I knew Wynne's heart was broken. We spent a good few hours catching up on our lives since we'd last seen each other but, without Solona, it wasn't really the same. Heading to Eamon's estate, I had a rather pleasant reunion with Ser Cauthrien, who had sworn her allegiance to the man himself, and worked as the personal bodyguard to his wife, Isolde. Wandering into the alienage, I was pleased to see there were some changes, the overall condition better than when we were last there, though that was only due to most of the alienage having been destroyed during the darkspawn attack.

But most of my time was spent with Aedan and Anora. I wasn't particularly comfortable when offered to hold their child, Bethany appearing to be natural, and the looks I received from her suggested she was already having a lot of thoughts. Solona was offered the chance to hold the baby, and while she did hold it, there was no depth of feeling at all. When the baby began to cry, she simply handed it back to Anora, stating she was unsure how to help.

Aedan offered the chance of journeying by carriage to the Circle, but I wanted the freedom that riding by horseback brought, so after we bought supplies, the king and queen escorted us to the gates of the palace to see us off.

"When will you return again?" Aedan asked after our long embrace.

"I'm not sure. I can always do another surprise visit, or you can just summon me if you need anything."

"We'll certainly keep you updated about any further children, Uhtred," Anora added.

"Think you can name one after me?"

"We're hoping for a girl actually," Aedan stated, "If it's a boy… Maybe one of its middle names."

As I turned to leave, he just had to get in his final jab. "Oh, and Uhtred, try not to drag Ferelden into a war against Orlais if you're there. We're still recovering, after all."

I turned, performed a theatrical bow, figuring I wouldn't get away with openly flipping off the king, before I joined the two girls as we wandered towards the main gates. The city was certainly alive once again, and I could only hope that, if or when I returned, the city would be even better than it was before the attack.

Our mounts were some of the finest I'd seen, the stable-hand stating they were some of the best available, and that the king had told him that we could take them to Orlais and wherever we wanted after that. I figured that, if possible, we could take them back to Kirkwall. Traveling by horseback would be much better than walking everywhere.

The roads being clear, making it to the Circle only took us until sundown. Taking the boat across, we were greeted by some familiar faces, but when Irving saw Solona, I think the old man nearly wept. "What happened?" he asked.

"What happened was wrong, Irving," I said, and he no doubt heard my tone.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure yet. It's something I am to get to the bottom of."

"I merely wanted to return home, First Enchanter," Solona stated.

I noticed the old man close his eyes at how flat her voice sounded. There is no doubt he had a space in his heart for her from before. Seeing her like this was doing to his what it had already done to mine. Breaking it. "You'll be safe here, Solona. Very safe," he said, taking hold of her, "Do you wish to say goodbye to your friends?"

Solona hugged me but there was no feeling in her embrace. She wished me goodbye, doing the same to Bethany. Irving then took her by the hand, asking a templar to grab her small pack, and she disappeared from view and my life without a backwards glance. Bethany grabbed my hand and we walked outside. It was only when we'd crossed the lake to the opposing shore and mounted our horses that I finally wept.

We camped not far from the mountains, and our moods meant all we did was cook some dinner then go to bed. I held Bethany close and, it was probably the wrong moment, but I needed to tell her that I loved her. I needed to feel something after what happened. She turned around and kissed me, admitting she loved me too.

That made us feel a little better, and having finally admitted our true feelings, we made love under the stars. It was a nice way to end a rather emotional day.

The sun was high in the sky by the time we were crossing the mountains. Only when Orlais was spread out in front of us did we come to a stop and take in the view.

"Well, this alone is worth the sore arse," I muttered. It had been quite a while since I'd been on horseback and my crotch was paying for it.

Bethany was delighted with the view, letting her know that Val Royeaux was even more spectacular. But we were in no hurry, descending the mountain slowly and making camp not long after reaching level ground. I'll admit I did have memories of my original journey with Leliana long ago, but they were only moments as I did see the occasional reminder of that time, though it did feel like a lifetime ago, to be honest.

It took a few days to make the capital, as although excited to finally be heading there, the natural beauty around us meant we spent a lot of time exploring along the way. Money wasn't a problem as we all had plenty of coin, particularly after the expedition. And I wasn't worried about the length of time away, Hawke aware that we could be gone for up to a month, if not longer.

Entering Val Royeaux itself did bring back plenty of memories. Bethany knew of Leliana, but I still hadn't broached that subject completely with her, as I didn't know how to tell her without making it sound as bad as it would be. I loved Bethany having admitted it only recently. But I was still in love with Leliana. I always would be. And if she showed up, stating she wanted to resume our relationship, I would have to make one of the most difficult choices of my life. I know I didn't want to ruin the relationship with Bethany in any way. It's… difficult to explain, I guess.

Tree lined grand boulevards were but one natural feature of the city. Shops sold the finest delicacies, and we stopped more than once. Though Bethany received stares, as she still wore her Warden emblems, once I told people who I was, doors were suddenly opened faster, smiles broader, and they definitely liked us spending coin. We stayed in one of the grandest hotels in the city. It cost us plenty of coin, but again, we had more than enough to spend.

We spent a week wandering the city. And we did end up going to the Grand Cathedral during one of those days. It was while sitting in one of pews with Bethany that I explained a little more. I told her enough that she knew how I felt about things, but that I definitely loved her too. As I said, it was difficult to explain.

"You loved her?" Bethany asked quietly.

I met her eyes. "I still do." She looked ready to say something, so I added, "But she made her choice. She chose the Maker over myself. Guess a man can't really compete against a god."

Bethany chewed on that for a couple of minutes. "I guess you went through a lot together."

"We met just after Ostagar. She was a sister at the Chantry in Lothering."

She clicked her fingers in surprise. "Why didn't I ask before? She sounds Orlesian, yes? But she's from Ferelden?"

"Aye, but why?"

"Because I know her!"

"You do?!"

She gave me a tight hug. "Of course. She was always full of stories of her life. Certainly kept Hawke and I enraptured more than once. I always thought they were just stories. Sure, with an element of truth, but I never thought…" She kissed my cheek. "No wonder you loved her. I always thought she was beautiful."

"So…"

She started to laugh. "Did you think I would be awkward?" I nodded. "Well, I can understand why, but I don't know why I didn't think of it to start with."

"I'll admit it's the only reason I didn't want to come back to Orlais. It's a painful memory."

"Guess that explains your arrival in Kirkwall too."

"I met you though. That was the best thing."

We left Val Royeaux a couple of days later, finding a ship that would take the pair of us and the horses back to Kirkwall. It was the same old story; once they knew who I was, they bent over backwards to accommodate us. I'm sure the coin we paid also helped, but dropping a name or two definitely opened doors. Wardens were popular in Orlais anyway. They didn't have the same battered reputation that they had in Ferelden, despite our victory over the Blight.

Our return journey to Kirkwall took longer than our original journey to Denerim. It was further away, and we did encounter problems with the wind from time to time. But the western part of the Waking Sea was calmer at least, certainly calmer than the approach to the ocean to the east, where the ship we'd been on rode the swell rather well, but one sill needed their sea legs to survive.

I'm sure our journey took around ten days in total, as we did receive a strong wind the closer we approached Kirkwall. Were we excited about our return? To be honest, I don't think so. I didn't really consider it home, or at least not yet, but I was doing my best to make it feel like that. Bethany felt about the same, though casually mentioned making the embassy 'our' home.

It was late afternoon by the time the ship had docked and we finally stepped onto dry land for the first time in over a week. After all that time, it took a few minutes to regain equilibrium. I'm fairly sure the pier was swaying the first couple of minutes. I paid a dockhand to take care of our horses, being told where we would find them. I figured we could use them whenever we found ourselves leaving Kirkwall next.

Heading back into the city, I quickly realised I'd missed it more than I'd probably care to admit. We all agreed to head to the embassy, figuring Hawke was probably desperate for our return. We found her in my office, fast asleep on my desk. I was a bit mean, slamming my palm onto the desk, causing her to jerk awake. She looked around before finally looking at me. "You son of a..." She got to her feet and hugged her sister first, before she looked ready to give me a smack for no doubt giving her a fright for a moment but she shook my hand, I think grateful we'd returned.

"How have things been here?" I wondered.

"Quiet. No sign of Bartrand. Varric is still pissed about all that went down. Everyone else is alive and healthy."

"What about the embassy itself?"

"As I said before you left, any major issues I've left for you to deal with."

I sighed. "And are there any?"

"No, Uhtred. As I said, quiet."

"Smartarse."

"I hear the tavern calling. I know you've just returned, but considering I haven't seen my sister in a few weeks, I'm hoping…?"

I glanced at Bethany, who nodded eagerly, no doubt wanting to catch up with her sister. "Let's go."

I'll be honest, after a couple of tankards, it was like we'd never left.