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

The King's Rose
Chapter 19: Most Holy?

Not long after the word for a Landsmeet was sent, nobles from across Ferelden gathered to find out why their King and Queen would have another meeting.

Jaya tucked a stray hair up and looked at her reflection before meeting her husband's look. Her bruises stood out more with her hair up and there were the marks from the collar she had worn, small scrapes showing the outline. Her wrists were in a similar state. The one feature that stood out, however was the large cut on her jaw, from her cheek bone to her chin, apparently from a weapon like a whip or something. "I look worse for wear." She said, standing and fixing the gown before sealing the emotions that were starting to boil over and took her husband's arm as they made their way into the hall where the meeting was to be held.

"King Alistair and Queen Jaya Theirin!" A guard announced, bowing when the couple strolled in, taking a double take at the queen's appearance.

Eamon walked up. "All have gathered, Your Majesties. May I now inquire what this is for?" He asked.

Alistair looked at Jaya, who nodded and he strolled forward. "Lords and ladies, your queen was abducted from Highever not long ago and was held in Fort Draken until she was rescued. While in the prison, she learned that there are conspirators against not only me, but herself." He looked around. "Bring in Anora Theirin, Ser Ryorick Gilmore and Bann Teagan Guirren." He ordered, the guards escorting the three in, who were shocked to see Jaya behind Alistair. "The looks on your faces show you seem, not relieved, but shocked that your queen is here."

"Your Highness... I can.." Anora began.

"Silence, Anora. You lied under oath that you would not harm the queen nor I. You did just that by joining forces with Bann Teagan and Ser Gilmore and plotting to have her imprisoned." Alistair said, earning gasps of both disbelief and shock from the meet. "You never took into account that you also endangered the heir to the throne. Your Queen, lords, ladies and Your Grace, is with child and had to endure the Fort's elements in such condition."

"I-I-I had no idea she was with child, Alistair." Teagan gasped.

"You knew, Teagan. We told you at our wedding that she was expecting." Alistair informed, seeing the Revered Mother's eyes darken before she spoke.

"Is that true, Your Highness?" She asked Jaya.

"It is, Your Grace. I am five months along." Jaya informed. "If you want proof, I would suggest asking Wynne the mage from the Circle of Magi. When we were visiting my brother at Highever, I stepped out to take a breath of fresh air, only to be ambushed and kidnapped. Me and another, Leliana the bard, were prisoners and overheard that Anora wanted to claim the throne by keeping me imprisoned and bargaining your king with me." Jaya calmly walked to be beside her husband, looking up at the Revered Mother.

"Summon these two. I wish to know." She stated as Wynne and Leliana were escorted in. "Wynne, tell us the truth. Is the queen with child?"

"That is correct. She is indeed five months along. If I may assess her condition?" Wynne asked, getting a nod as she used her healing magic to find out how the child was. After a tense moment, she sighed and smiled. "The child is unharmed, thank the Maker."

Gilmore met Jaya's eyes. "I... I never.."

"Do the accused have anything to say in their defense?" The Revered Mother asked.

Anora held her head high, showing her defiance. "I did nothing of the sort. I swore feality." She stated.

"And am I to believe the king and queen are lying?" The Revered Mother said before the doors opened. "Her Holiness?" She gasped.

A regal elderly woman strolled towards the royal couple, bowing ever so slightly. "I must offer my thanks for your missive, Your Majesty. Had I known how the kingdom here did not trust it's own leaders to a point like this, I would have never looked at all kingdoms and questioned them. I am Divine Beatrix III." Justina said. "Now, Anora Theirin. I have a very good understanding that you once were queen, with the late King Cailan as your husband, but ran the country. Upon his death, you refused to vow feality to King Alistair, which is not only against the law, but against the Maker Himself. He gave us what we follow and He does not like it when His children are refusing it."

"Most Holy, I..." Anora stated.

"And you interrupt those above you. Your Highness, I must also extend my apologies for any endangerment you suffered. Wynne, you may now heal those wounds. I have seen enough." Beatrix said, placing a hand gently on Jaya's shoulder before walking towards Anora, Gilmore and Teagan. "If their Highnesses will allow it, I would recommend these three be sent to Val Royeaux to learn why they should not go against the Maker's chosen leaders."

Jaya glanced at Alistair and both nodded as Alistair spoke. "Your Perfection, we would be glad to allow it. An honor to meet you." He said, bowing slightly, Jaya following suit.

"Now, I will take these three with me and will depart in due time. I must also extend my congratulations on the news of the queen being with child. That child may be chosen for a great destiny." She said, smiling.

Jaya smiled back before catching a shimmer of silver from Anora's hand, not taking a second to think it through, grabbed her and shielded the Divine, the thrown dagger embedding itself in her ribcage. A few screams and gasps sounded throughout the hall as it happened, the Divine holding her up.

Guards quickly grabbed a now angry Anora. "You wretched little bitch! You stole MY throne! Defamed MY father's name! Made ME the bad guy! Maker spit on you! I deserved that throne!"

"Shackle her and toss her on the boat to Val Royeaux! Make sure she cannot escape! Throw those two as well!" Alistair ordered as he knelt next to his wife and the Divine. "I'll take her from here." He extended his arms and took Beatrix's place by holding her. "Don't you dare leave me, love." He whispered against her forehead as Wynne knelt down next, with Zevran beside her.

"Zevran, when I begin healing, pull the dagger out slowly until I tell.."

"Y..Yank.." Jaya's harsh breathing whispered, her eyes unfocused. "I..It... hurts." She winced when Zevran barely placed a hand on the dagger. Her left hand rested in Alistair's right and it tightened the instant the Crow pulled the weapon out, blood seeping through the material of her gown and quickly pooling on the ground.

Wynne focused on healing her while Fergus took her so Alistair could dismiss the Landsmeet. "I think it hit a lung.. Can't be sure at the moment while I'm focusing on keeping her blood in her body." She explained. "Zevran, hold this on the wound tight while I see if it did."

Zevran nodded. "Of all the times I've helped her, this one will be the most memorable. That woman was faster than even myself. Shocking that she managed to draw faster than I could see. Luckily, Jaya had seen it."

"I bet if she had half a second more, her own dagger might've been out to deflect the other." Fergus added, knowing that it would've been true.

Wynne frowned. "I was correct. It did hit a lung, though I will have to make sure. Let's get her to a more private place so I can see for sure the damage." She said as she and Fergus took Jaya towards the bedroom before shooing him and undressing her, hearing her whimper at the loss of warmth. "Shh, child. I know you feel cold. As soon as everything check out, I'll go retrieve Alistair for you." She promised and pulled the cloth away to see that the wound was deep, but the taint inside her had began slowly healing it. She threw the cloth into a nearby basin full of water and took another with antibiotic as she used her free hand to scout the depth of the wound to see how long she'd be bedridden. Wynne chuckled to herself at that, knowing full well Jaya refused to be bedridden when there were things to do. Sighing, she was glad it only skimmed her lung and had not gone deeper, only hitting the rib and muscle surrounding it. A knock sounded and she recognized Alistair's knock. "No need to knock, Alistair. Come in."

He entered the room and closed the door, taking a seat besides Wynne. "So?"

"It did get to the lung, but only scratched the surface thanks to it hitting the rib and muscle surrounding it. The taint has begun helping her heal, but the loss of blood has left her weak. She'll need to be in this bed for at least two days, three tops." Wynne explained, smiling at Alistair's look of disbelief. "I know, she'll want to be up and about by tomorrow. She'll also need warmth until she gets a little more blood flowing. I promised her I'd get you to warm her up."

"That's so reassuring. Putting me in charge of keeping her warm." Alistair teased lightly.

"Either that or I'll go get Caican to do it." Wynne threatened halfheartedly.

"That dog might get her too warm." Alistair sighed. His wife was proving to be very accident-prone lately. "Tell me this is a apart of the whole pregnancy where one seems to always hurt themselves."

"Well, it could be. Each woman has different symptoms. Jaya might just be one that happens to hurt themselves." Wynne nodded, grinning at his frown. "Just keep her by you. You can do that, right? At least until the children are born." She dropped the hint that there would be more than one.

"I'll tr... wait... children as in... more than one?" Alistair stuttered, getting the elder mage to nod and smile.

"That's what I said, young man. I hope your ears work fine. She's having twins. I would've said something, but there was too much going on." Wynne informed, finishing up her business and standing. "Just hold her until the color returns or she wakes up. You could tell her that there will be twins, or wait until she's fully healed. Call if anything changes." She bowed slightly and left the room.

Magic is magic. Twins will be coming! I can't wait to write about them.

A/N: Edited it since Divine Justinia, in this, is still Dorthea and Beatrix is the current Divine... I had to look that up...
~~Skittles~~