A/N I finished Origins and was upset at the ending, so I wrote my own. Here's the story I wanted for my elf mage Warden. I have only played Origins all the way through, so I have no idea how much I'm messing with the rest of canon.
"All I ask is that you listen to what I have to offer, nothing more." Morrigan stated calmly.
Though my head was still reeling from her words, I replied, and rather calmly I thought, "Very well, what is your plan."
"What I propose is this:" She said, moving to sit on the bed, "Convince Alastair to lay with me. Here, tonight. And from this ritual a child shall be conceived within me. The child will bear the taint, and when the archdemon is slain, its essence will seek the child like a beacon. At this early stage, the child can absorb that essence and not perish. The archdemon is still destroyed, with no Grey Warden dying in the process."
"So the child becomes a darkspawn." I said flatly.
"Not at all." She replied, looking up at me. "It will become something different. A child born with the soul of an Old God. After this is done, you allow me to walk away...and you do not follow. Ever. The child will be mine to raise as I wish."
"Why Alistair. Why not Riordan?"
"Even if I thought Riordan could be convinced, he is unsuitable. I need one who has not been tainted for long - It must be him, and it must be tonight."
"Will the child be evil? What will it become?"
"Allow me to say that what I seek is the essence of the Old God that once was and not the dark forces that corrupted it. Some things are worth preserving in this world. Make of that what you will."
"The child won't be hurt will it?"
"Ignoring that after but one night it could barely be called a child...no, it will not be hurt. It will be changed."
"Andraste's blood, Morrigan. What a choice." I turned towards the fire, raking my hand through my hair. "Either I face battle tomorrow knowing someone will die - and there's a good chance it could be me or Alastair - or I stand by as you have a child with the man I love…there's hardly a good choice here is there?" I sighed, "Nothing has been what I expected from today, that's for certain."
I stared into the flames, willing for the world to pause, for more time to think. For the universe to stop placing more lives and kingdoms at stake that I was affecting every time I thought I had one thing handled.
Suddenly, like kindling catching a spark, it struck me...
"What if…" I turned from the flames to look Morrigan in the eye.
"Morrigan, how much do you love me as a friend?"
"I...care about you." She said hesitantly. "I knew nothing of friendship before we met, yet I have come to truly value yours. Still, I cannot allow that to influence what needs to be done, friendship or no. This means too much to me."
"You said what you cared for was that the soul of the Old God not be lost. Would you be willing to accept it if this essence was not lost but was not yours"
"What do you mean by that?" She asked warily.
"Does it have to be you?"
"What?"
"Does it have to be you who performs the ritual? Who bears the child?" I began pacing at the foot of the bed.
"Well, it would have to be a female mage of not inconsiderable power. With the ability and knowledge to perform the ritual. And to become pregnant." She replied cautiously.
"Yes...yes, I figured as much. Still, I assume the ritual contains something within it to guarantee conception in a woman. I can't imagine that your cycle has been exactly...regular, what with the past months of fighting and uncertainty."
I turned to look at her again.
"Is there any reason it couldn't be me?"
Her gaze shuttered. She continued to look at me as I continued.
"The kinds of magic we use are different, true, but you and I are both skilled mages of similar power. Assuming that the ritual contains some magic that would guarantee conception, my own fertility should not matter. The ability to actually carry a child to term would be more in question, but I can't imagine why the taint would affect that. So is there any reason it can't be me?"
"This is my purpose. This is what my mother intended when she sent me with you. She was the one who first gave me the ritual and told me of what I was meant to do. Did you not wonder why she saved your life? Why she aided you? This is why. You wish me to forego this? To abandon what I was sent here to do?"
I let out a long sigh, glancing at the flames before turning back. "I know...I understand the weight of what I ask. And that it cannot be easy for you to even discuss this with me, having come this far. I see now that you have intended this to be the end result of joining us - of joining me - on this journey thus far."
"That...isn't the only reason" She interrupted quietly. A faint emotion flickered quickly through her eyes before she blinked and it disappeared.
"And I am grateful for that. I don't blame you, Morrigan. I've trusted you at my back these many months, and you've proven that my trust was not misplaced. You've saved my life a hundred times over, not just at Ostagar. Other motivation or no, I could hardly find fault with you for it, not now. But please consider: Your mother is no longer here. She has no hold over you. Her wishes need no longer affect your own. Letting me perform the ritual will still ensure that the soul of the Old God that inhabits this demon will remain in this world, that it will not be forgotten, as you desire. But the burden will not be yours. You will be free to do as you wish. Free of expectations from your mother, and of any obligations to Ferelden or the Blight or...me."
I crossed my arms across my ribcage, as though that would somehow ease the knot in my stomach.
"And, yes, I know I ask this of you because much as I wish to pretend otherwise, I am a selfish creature. The alternative - either alternative - you must know, is nearly unbearable for me. And so I am asking you - begging you - as your friend, allow me to do this in your stead. Teach me the ritual."
"You would truly go this far for the man who has set you aside?"
"I...yes. I love him. Whether he chooses me to be with him or not, I still care for him. I don't want to see him die. And it would be no less painful now than it would have been before to watch him lie with another, even...especially...a friend.
"And you are not put off by the idea of using blood magic?"
"Although I was raised in the Circle, I can't condemn it entirely. I believe it is wrong to use blood magic to control another person. But to defend oneself? To save others? Magic is a gift, with the potential to be misused, it is true. But blood magic is not inherently worse than any other kind. So no, that part of the ritual does not bother me enough to stop me from completing it."
"And what do you intend to do with the child?" She challenged, still stone-faced
"I cannot make any promises about what would happen with the child. Truthfully it is not my decision alone. The child would be the firstborn of the next king of Ferelden. My duty to the Wardens commands that I remain in Ferelden while the order recovers from this Blight, assuming our success tomorrow. Beyond that, I do not know where I or this child or this soul fits into the future of Ferelden. But I would do my utmost to do as you say you wish for this child, to teach it to respect that from which it came, regardless of what happens to me."
Morrigan paused, staring into the fire for what seemed like an eternity, considering. I felt every one of my heartbeats pound in the silence as I waited for her response.
"Very well." She said at long last. "I will teach you the ritual..."
I barely caught myself from letting my jaw drop.
"However, you must convince him. He must be willing. And the ritual must be performed tonight."
"Yes...of course. I... I will go straight away." I took a few steps towards the door before turning back.
"And Morrigan, my friend...thank you. I know what this costs you, and I will never forget what you are doing for me."
She nodded once gravely, and I turned once more towards the door.
«¤»«¤»«¤»«¤»«¤»«¤»
A few moments later I found myself standing in front of Alastair's door. I wrapped my arms around my chest, giving my elbows a few brisk rubs and inhaled a long breath. Exhaling sharply, I let my arms drop and knocked on the door.
"Come in." His voice called from the inside.
I opened the door to see him standing by the bed. His eyes brightened as he registered my appearance, and my pulse quickened a moment even as my heart clenched remembering our conversation after the Landsmeet.
"I see you can't sleep either." He remarked warmly before he, too, seemed to remember our earlier discussion and his tone lost some of the warmth. "I saw Morrigan outside your room earlier...and the look she gave me...that was icy even for her. Is something up?"
"You can't sleep? Are you alright?" I grasped for the easy distraction, fidgeting with the amulet at my neck.
"Not really," He responded, exhaling. "All these men look at me and... I see it in their eyes I'm their king. Suddenly it feels so real." For a moment it was as if nothing had changed between us while I listened. But the feeling lasted only a moment.
"But now you're changing the subject." He said. "This isn't about me. It's about Morrigan. I'm tired but I'm not stupid. What did she want?"
I released the amulet at my neck, straightening my shoulders. "Alastair we need to talk."
"Oh." He frowned, crossing his arms, "This is what I get for becoming king. Everyone always brings you the bad news. So what is it? Rats running amok. Cheese supplies running low? I can take it."
I lifted my chin and looked him in the eyes. "I love you. You know that right?"
He blinked for a moment. "I...I had wondered if that was still so, after…" A note of tension began to creep into his voice. "Why are you telling me this? Why are you being so ominous?"
"What if I told you there was a way to avoid dying tomorrow?"
"With the archdemon right? If you mean running away...I can't do that. But you... don't mean that, do you? What is this about?"
"There is...a magic ritual. It could mean that no one needs to die tomorrow in order to defeat the archdemon. But it requires...well...you. Or your participation at least."
"Something Morrigan cooked up, no doubt." He snorted. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to sleep with me. Or her, I suppose."
He grinned at that, "Well given those two options, I think we both know that's an easy decision. Sleep with you again? That's hardly a chore." The light in his eyes dimmed, though, when I didn't respond to his levity.
"Why? What kind of ritual is this?" He asked, his voice picking up tension again.
"It's some kind of ancient magic. Flemeth's. Something akin to blood magic if I'm being honest, although I don't entirely know yet." I looked away, fidgeting with one of my rings.
"Blood magic? You're asking me to assist you with blood magic? Do you even know what you're asking for? I trust you but...I don't know if I can agree to that. It's a lot to ask." He looked back at my face and must have read something there for he asked, "There's more though, isn't there?"
I nodded slowly. "I won't lie to you. The ritual will produce a child. It is designed to ensure conception in the mother. The child will carry the taint of the parent. When the dragon is killed, it ensures that somehow, the essence of the Old God gets absorbed from the archdemon into the child. It would kill any of us, an adult, but not one at such an early stage"
"You're asking me to do some ancient blood magic sex ritual with you in order to have my child?" He asked incredulously.
I turned slightly away from him, staring at the door, crossing my arms.
"I'm not asking you for your heir. Once this battle is over I will leave to focus on rebuilding the Wardens. I can make the child seem to be another's convincingly enough. Zevran might claim it if I asked...or I'm sure I can find...well never mind that for now. Suffice it to say that I'll make sure the child doesn't jeopardize..."
"What? No!" He took my shoulder, whirling me around to face him. "You can't offer me something like that and then just walk away. I'll do it. I'll do the ritual. Maker knows there's few things I could refuse you anyways, but Andraste's blood! It's everything I most desired but thought I couldn't have and everything I didn't know I feared in one breath. You have to know...you must...how much it's been eating me walking away from you. My heart breaks again every time I look at you and yet I can't stop memorizing your face knowing what we face tomorrow. You can't ask me to have a child...a family...with you...and then watch you disappear. If we have a child together - If we can have a child together - I want you to be my wife."
"Alastair…" I said gently, removing his hand from mine. "I was angry at our conversation after the Landsmeet. But it was not an...incorrect...decision. I know I lashed out at you. I was hurt and angry. I'm still...hurt. But I understand why you did it. If you'd talked with me about it, I'd likely have even come up with the same conclusions myself."
"Does it matter now? This changes everything."
I looked away from him, staring at the wall over his shoulder, wrapping my arms around my middle. "I would not be a popular choice for your wife. I am a mage and an elf. And a Warden. Any one of those things would make me unsuitable as your wife, but all three? The nobles will be revolting before the crown is even on your head. My duty is first and foremost to the Wardens. Yours isn't. Not anymore. It's to the country, and I won't jeopardize that."
"That doesn't matter to me. And the nobles agreed with you at the landsmeet. You practically had them eating out of your hand, and that's even without Anora's support. Truthfully you have far more talent in diplomacy and leadership than I ever could. What's the worst they could possibly say about you?"
"As a Warden my influence is one thing. In that context they're willing to tolerate it, and even then only just. As the wife of the king, it's quite another. The people would wonder how I attracted you. They would likely question if I am using magic to seduce you. They might even accuse me of using blood magic to control you. They would question your decisions and wonder if I am behind them even if I were to remove myself so far from politics that I could not fulfill my duty to the Wardens. They would look down on me as an elf, say nasty things about me and the child behind your back, and possibly to your face, and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it if you wanted to maintain peace with your political allies. Your heir's blood would be considered tainted by my elf blood. It's best for you and for Fereldan if I walk away."
"No." He said. "My duty as king is to provide the next heir, to make sure that a civil war like this one doesn't happen again. This child will fulfill my obligation as king. Or one of them anyways. I can worry about the ruling part later. I don't know how I managed to let you go the first time. I won't do it again. Not if there's the possibility of a child. I want you to be my wife. I don't want anyone else."
"Alastair…"
"Please don't ask me to let you leave. Not after this. Marry me."
"I...You're absolutely certain?"
"Yes."
"Then...I'll marry you. And...have your child."
Alastair swept one arm around my back, drawing me towards him. My back arched back as his lips crashed down onto mine. I stopped breathing. His lips met mine, firm and warm, as my pulse lept in a rush of adrenaline. It was like bathing in fire, flickering through my veins, hot, vibrant, and exciting, coursing out of my every limb to reach him. I felt his breathing hitch and accelerate, occasionally lifting strands of my hair from my cheek. A small noise escaped the back of his throat, and my lips parted under his.
His hands came up to cup my cheeks, drawing me ever closer to him until our bodies pressed together. My arms drifted to his shoulders, resting then clinging as my dizzying world narrowed only to him. It felt like coming home. I felt the rough prickle of his stubble graze my cheeks as the smell of him, a soft musk of woodsmoke, fresh leather, and clean sweat enveloped me, unfurling my senses.
Feeling the pounding of our combined heartbeats, I had to force myself to think, to bring myself back to the room. Much as I wanted to continue, the thought of what still needed to be done forced me to slow down. My arms dropped from his shoulders as I slowly pulled away, his lips holding mine back for one last moment before releasing me.
He rested his forehead against mine as we both caught our breath.
"I promise I'll make sure you won't regret this." He said quietly.
I replied by catching his lips again in a brief kiss before pulling away.
"Come then" he said, taking my hand and pulling me towards him before wrapping his arm around my waist. "Let's go see what Morrigan has for us then."
To Be Continued in two more parts...