Bioware owns Dragon Age and all the characters, I own Jaya, though...

The King's Rose
Chapter 5: Ambushed!

"Me? Dolled up? Oh, you're enjoying this, aren't you? I get wear heavy things and you get the lighter stuff." Alistair remarked, still not thrilled about the whole thing. "I bet this might be payback for all the times I thought you were pretty, huh?"

"Maybe. Just think of it this way: I have to deal with the 'good' and 'well-liked' Knight-Commander while I go visit Redcliffe and Orzammar to see how things are and you get to deal with the adoring public." Jaya reasoned, nearly growling at the 'Knight-Commander' part. "And, you have help here while little ol me has only Leliana and Wynne as company."

"Put that way, I truly wish I could go with you. I go insane during these things, you know that. Without Eamon and Fergus keeping me cool, I'd have gone gray!" Alistair admitted.

"Well, you haven't and I don't think a few grays would make you less handsome." Jaya teased, reaching up and toying with a few strands of his hair to prove her point. "Brother, be a dear and try to keep his mind sane... At least until I return."

"Can't promise that, but, I've done it before. Ahh, Arl Eamon. Ser, it is good to see you again." Fergus said, bowing to the elderly man.

"Fergus, you are Jaya's brother. No need to be formal." Eamon said as his wife strolled up to stand beside him.

"Lady Isolde, how good to see you again." Jaya said, smiling.

"And you too, my lady." Isolde said, eyes lightening at her attire. "Is that the gift from me?"

Jaya smiled and nodded. "Thank you again, Lady Isolde. I never thought I'd be happy to be in a dress again. It's funny, really. I told my mother that the last thing I wanted to wear was a dress, now look at me, wearing dresses and all those fancy things." She sighed as a man in armor entered. "Great. Early bastard." She mumbled.

Alistair chuckled and pulled her into a side-hug. "If you must mumble, love, do it somewhere.. quiet." He added the last part in a whisper near her ear.

Jaya giggled softly. "Dearest, if you keep that up, I'll have to have Caican guard my door." She teased before the man in armor walked up. "Knight-Commander Tavish?" She asked.

"My lady, I have arrived to escort you to Redcliffe, Orzammar and anywhere you see fit. However, we must make haste now if you plan to make it to either place in a timely arrival." The man stated, bowing.

Jaya smiled as she faced her love. "Well, that's my cue. I shall return soon to save you, dearest, from those tasks." She smoothed out a wrinkle on his collar and turning to face the man.

"I await your safe return. It's... Tavish, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Tavish bowed.

"I presume my betrothed will be safe in your hands?" He questioned.

"Yes. I shall see to it that not one scratch will mark her nor a single hair is disturbed." He answered. "Shall we leave, my Lady?"

"Yes. Leliana and Wynne, shall we?" She asked and just as Tavish was going to speak, she held a hand up. "These two are coming with me as not only friends, but guards as well. Not that you'll do poorly, just to keep my mind from worrying."

"Of course, ser." Tavish replied.

"See you soon, my love." Jaya said, smiling a little at Fergus's eye-roll before she turned and headed off with her 'guards'.

"Maker. She reminds me of Mother too much now." Fergus's whine was heard as they left.

Jaya got no closer to understanding Tavish as the Commander did her. Every time she stopped to take in a sight, Tavish thought she was tired and ordered people to stop and get her food or water. And when she tried to converse, the Commander avoided every question. She sighed from her seat on a stump in their camp as Leliana and Wynne walked up.

"Something the matter?" Wynne asked.

"I just do not get Tavish. I try to be friendly, he snubs me out. And when I want to smell a flower..."

"He takes it away and sees if it is poisoned. We have seen it." Leliana said.

"Exactly. I wish I could have stayed with Alistair now. Though I know Tavish from earlier. He was one that didn't accuse me nor the Grey Wardens of betraying Calian at Ostagar. I suppose that is good. But I may be betrothed to the king, but I don't need to be co-" She stopped as her eyes rolled back into her head and she had a very familiar feeling rise up. Luckily, Leliana caught her before she hit the ground.

"Jaya? Jaya!" Leliana shouted while Wynne used her magic to find out what was going on.

'This feeling! Darkspawn?! I know there are occasional groups... But this many? Why now? I don't have Alistair to really assist me.' Jaya's eyes rolled back to normal as she sat up, shocked when Wynne held her down. "Wynne. I'm fine... It was just another perk to being a Grey Warden."

Wynne blinked as Tavish looked relieved before Wynne spoke. "What do you mean? This never happened before."

"Well, only recently it has been happening." Jaya explained. "Alistair did say once a Grey Warden has started sensing the darkspawn, they will soon be able to sense you back. Luckily I have only recently started. There is a group heading our way... Though I am not equipped." She worried.

Leliana gave a small grin. "Go quickly into your tent, dear. I managed to 'borrow' your equipment from the armory in the palace."

Jaya chuckled lightly. "'Borrowed', huh? Well, I cannot complain." She darted into her tent and saw that Leliana had all of her armor: the superior drake scale set from Wade, Duncan's sword and dagger she retrieved from the ogre that killed the previous king and lead to her and Alistair's mentor's death. After slipping on the armor, she held the two items in her hand and recalled how Duncan became a father-figure to not only her but Alistair as well.

Steeling herself, she re-emerged just in time to dash towards a hurlock that had cornered Wynne against Leliana. Tavish and his fellow knights had managed to keep hurlocks and genlocks at bay while she had been inside. She mentally made a reminder to tell Alistair about this feat. Jaya did the splits to dodge two hurlock blades before using her two to cut both in the middle and quickly rose to her feet as she felt the tides slowly were not as they seemed and just as she turned to inform her troupe, she turned into a blade of a genlock assassin, shocked when the blade struck her back and exited through where her diaphragm was.

Wynne managed to use her Winter's Grasp spell and Leliana smashed the genlock as Tavish caught her. "We must retreat. Without Alistair and the others, we're outnumbered." Wynne then used a little magic to distract the darkspawn enough to give them the coverage needed to return to Denerim and the Palace.

Good thing I have it written out so all I have to do is copy/paste~ ^.^;
~~Skittles~~