Chapter Forty-Seven

Wedding in Dalaran

Alistair arrived separately with little Duncan. Cullen and I being in the Wedding party meant we needed to be there early.

Asthan and Alstus greeted Cullen by each kissing him on the cheek. Asthan started, "Welcome! The groomsmen are all getting changed through that door – you'll find a garment bag with your name on it…"

"Mom gave us your measurements so it should fit – but if not, mom is the best Tailor at the wedding so she should be able to make alterations… but saying that, she also likely got your measurements right too…" Alstus grinned.

I smirked, "It may be a little tight fitting – but you'll certainly look hot in it."

Cullen flushed bright red as the twins began laughing. Asthan said, "Thank you for designing the outfits by the way. Bella wouldn't let us see the dress, but she was over Dalaran in love with it. Said it was the best thing she'd ever seen and would likely keep it for the rest of her life."

I smiled, "I'm glad she liked the design – I was a bit worried it would be too simple in some places and too opulent in others. But she is a beautiful girl and she's my daughter now, so I wanted the best."

Cullen gave me a confused look, "You made the dress?"

"Heavens, no – I just designed it. I couldn't make the dress and the gifts. I drew out the sketches for the wedding parties outfits and sent them to my specialty shop here in Dal. The shop specializes in getting things that I make – potions, clothes, and a few other things. All the things sold in those shops are exclusive items. The only places allowed to carry my stuff that aren't my shops are places that get permission – like my boys alchemy shop sells a few of my recipes. My shop has always been famous for the fact that it's affordable too. I have a habit of undercutting most market prices by accident. I set a price that I believe is fair for labor and material – most people have higher prices and are unwilling to lower them. I know most people believed that the pricing in my shop was due to my status as a pariah…"

Alstus snorted, "Not anymore – they think you're magnanimous for not changing the prices even when you became a hero. Your shop became more famous after the battle with N'Zoth last year. Did you even realize that you calling on King Anduin and Jaina once saved them from a kidnapping attempt by Sylvanas when the Shadowlands first were exposed?"

I sighed, "I uh… may have known and called on him… to keep her from getting him…"

"See – if people knew that you knew then they would be supporting you in any way they could – even buying your items in your shops." Another voice cut in. I turned to Khadgar who was perhaps the most accomplished of all living wizards and one of the most powerful Magi in Azeroths' history.

Khadgar currently acts as the leader of the Kirin Tor and Leader of Dalaran. I shook my head, "Don't tell them – I need no credit for it."

"The Kirin Tor already knows, but we will keep it to ourselves. I came to speak with the grooms – if I may?"

I nodded and Cullen headed to get dressed in the outfit while I headed to go get into my dress.

When I saw Cullen in the suit, my mouth went dry – Elune guide me, but the man was perfect in the cloth and leather with the half-cloak…

My dress was crimson and styled to be a hooded dress – it was all very formal. My sons stood on either side of the Alter – and I could see Alistair sitting next to Lor'themar in the front row on the left. He wore his kingly armor and Duncan was half-asleep until he caught sight of me.

I winked at my baby and Cullens' arm tensed where I held it. Duncan cooed and reached for me. I gave my other sons a questioning look as I made my way down the aisle – it was their day after all. They both smiled and nodded at once, so I scooped up Duncan when I reached that aisle. Cullen relaxed.

I think he thought I was winking at Alistair…

As we got to the end of the aisle, we parted to the proper spots. Bella was breath-taking as she began her own way down the aisle. Her dress was a single-shoulder A-Line waist with an asymmetrical hem. Her hair had grown in the last few months – the barbers in Azeroth were amazing with all things hair and she had it piled in curls atop her head with a few loose strands framing her face.

The veil she wore was lace and the swirling and floral patterns on it matched her dresses train nicely. She held white roses and light blue flowers to match the theme of the wedding.

I was so happy – my sons were getting married! I wouldn't have cared what Bella looked like in any case – so long as she loved them and made my boys happy then dam it, she was perfect.

The official for this wedding was none-other than King Anduin. The man was so happy to have been chosen – priest wasn't necessary for a wedding. So long as there were witnesses then really anyone could officiate a wedding in Azeroth. Since the Regent-Heirs of Quel'Thalas were the ones getting married, then of course word had spread through both the Horde and the Alliance. I could even see a few people from the Shadowlands Covenants here.

That surprised me greatly – I didn't know those people were allowed to leave the Shadowlands.

Kyrestia the Firstborne of the Kyrian Covenant had come in person – she was their leader; a woman with beautiful blue wings and skin who wore white.

The Winter Queen from Ardenweald had sent one of her Night Fae; I was surprised she didn't send Ysera reborn. Even Revendreth had sent a Venthyr… vampire-like people.

This wasn't to mention Baroness Draka from Maldraxxus had come in person.

When the Ceremony ended, we did the whole 'pictures' thing. Alistair approached us and Cullen tensed.

Alistair… noticed and said, "With how he's been glaring at me since this morning… you must have told him?"

I flushed, "I… well, yes… I'm sorry."

"Don't be – we planned to tell him in a year anyway, right? I think that it's better coming from you anyway."

My sons looked confused. Alstus asked, "Uh… something going on, mom?"

I coughed, "Uh… well… Alistair suggested…"

"I didn't want to lose your mother – so I suggested sharing her with Cullen. Like you boys are doing with Bella. She's stubborn and…"

"Say no more – we all know how mom gets when people include her," Asthan grinned.

I stuck my tongue out. "It isn't nice to tease your mother."

Cullen chuckled, "Tell that to my sister – she teased my parents all the time."

Alstus said, "Okay – so he suggested sharing… what's the issue?"

"Cullen was raised with just… thinking one-on-one relationships. And I don't fault him for that – you both know that this kind of thing works only when everyone involved agrees so… Cullen has decided he has a year to make me fall so completely in love with him that I feel the same. Alistair will be waiting in the wings until then and… well… I feel guilty and like this is all just… you know what? Let's drop it – this is your wedding!"

Asthan shrugged, "If you say so – but so you know… something will have to give eventually."

I nodded with a sad smile – I already knew that. Alistair kissed Duncans' forehead and lifted him from my arms.

Cullen snaked a hand around my waist. Alistair said, "I've told her – and now, I will tell you. I won't make her choose between us, Cullen. I know she loves us both and that it would kill her to pick one or the other. I will admit that it makes me very jealous to think of her in your arms – but I can't bring myself to act on that jealousy because I know I would lose her in a heartbeat… and I love her. Do I hope she will come back to me? Yes – I hope so. We already have the Landsmeet in favor of our marriage if I can just get her to agree… in fact they keep harping on me about pursuing her. I will be happy if she comes back to me even if that means you come with her – and I will admit to some curiosities that I've already told her about after her… affair with Lyna."

Asthan and Alstus both choked at how open Alistair was being – or maybe about their mother having an affair?

Cullen looked stunned, "You would really share her?"

He snorted, "If it meant keeping her with me – in heartbeat. I already asked her to please not take more than me and you in that case and she says that won't be a problem. Now we just need to cut down her other self-sabotaging habits… I don't know about you, but I don't like seeing her talk down about herself."

I flushed, "Elune… if you are going to talk about this, can I be excused? We're at my sons' wedding – this isn't the time or place."

Alstus said, "I think this is better than the entertainment that we paid for – please continue."

Asthan nodded with a smirk, "Besides – We're leaving for the honeymoon in like… 20 minutes anyway. We've already done all the other wedding stuff – pictures, gifts and cakes and such."

Bella giggled and agreed with her new husbands. I groaned, "Alistair – you promised me a year."

Alistair smirked, "And you'll get that year, love. I won't interfere until Justinian next year – I'm just making my position in this known. I still love you – and Maker forbid, but no one else will marry me unless you get married to someone else first… and maybe not even then at this point. The Landsmeet met again two weeks ago – and you and Azeroth were on the hot topic list. Ferelden is being underestimated right now – but the people that Azeroth sent to do the training of people have improved our might already. Eamon says that Redcliffes forces have dramatically improved. Ferelden is also advancing technologically thanks to the Gnomes and the Goblins. The Dwarves were appalled at our 'sub-par' smithing technologies so your uncle insisted that we be taught better. Also, I got an interesting visit from Lord Regent Lor'themar Theron…"

"Oh for… Father!" I cried out. Cullen looked amused, "What did the Regent Lord want?"

Alistair gave a grin, "To threaten my life, of course – I was seeing his daughter and still have plans to try and keep her in my life…"

The man in question came sauntering up with a large chest carried by two men behind him. I crossed my arms and leveled a glare at him, "You threatened Alistair? What next – do you plan to threaten Cullen too?"

"No – I like this Cullen man better," he said smoothly. I rubbed my temples, "Dare I ask why?"

I could see the curiosity on Cullen, Alistair any my sons' faces too. Lor'themar smirked, "He defended your honor. Speaking of; I take it that this young man here is Lord Rutherford?"

Cullen extended his hand, "I am, Lord Theron."

"You may call me Father. This is for you – designed by my daughter and made by my personal smiths at Sunfury Spire."

I groaned, "All he did was punch Kayn – that's not such a great thing, father."

Alistair chuckled and adjusted our son in his arms, "Sounds good to me, Tara."

I shook my head. Cullen looked amused but his curiosity must have gotten the better of him. He peaked into the chest my fathers' men carried. His breath hissed at the 4 sets of armor – made with golden brown vulpine fur from Bastion. The leather had come from purple-grey Dreamrunner horses… also from Bastion.

The metal came from Ardenweald – just like his weapon set… it was Phaedrum; a lovely silver metal with a light blue reflective sheen.

He swallowed, "This is… I'd appreciate if you could tell me that it didn't cost nearly as much as…"

Lor'themar grinned, "Oh not at all – because I had Inas gather the skins and furs in person and I already had the metals and cloth from when I helped out a little. All it cost me at that point was labor. I spent only a few hundred coins."

I coughed – no point telling Cullen that a few hundred coins was likely gold coins and only so cheap because it was fathers' personal smith. I saw Father wink at me – he knew that I knew.

I sighed, "I'll keep these at my place – I told father that you wouldn't need these for almost a decade… I'll make sure they are well tended. Are they enchanted?"

I knew my voice sounded tired – I had been drug through a ringer today.

Father gave me a bright smile, "You told me he was a mage-hunter; it's enchanted against all magic damage types. It will also reinforce his stamina while he wears it and it's enchanted against melee damage. An arrow might do something, but not a dagger or sword."

Cullen gaped, "If I didn't have a uniform as a Knight-Captain… I'd be tempted to start wearing these now."

Alistair nodded, "That does sound cool."

Duncan squirmed in Alistairs' arms – reaching for Grandpa Lor'themar this time. My Father obliged with the biggest smile.

I snorted and held a hand out to the armors in the chest – disguising them as Knight-Captain armor, "Simple spell – I can remove it later."

He shook his head but said, "Then I will wear these often."

"Good – they are enchanted to be bound to this ring – I had it made based on a design from my dear daughter. She says that it is a Templar design. The armors can be found using that ring if you lose them in any way." Lor'themar smiled.

I sighed, "Father – you can be a bit much."

Cullen sniggered.

The rest of the wedding was over so we saw the grooms and the bride off for their honeymoon at that point.

And then, Cullen and I headed back to Kirkwall.

Cullen smiled at me, "It was… nice to meet your sons. They seemed happy."

"They love Bella quite a bit. I think they may have a bit of Dragon still within them – it was like they knew at once that she was theirs."

He jerked, "What do you mean by that; that the Dragon…?"

I coughed – I had meant to avoid this with both Alistair and Cullen. If I told Cullen, I would need to Alistair. "W-well… uh… Dragons… know their mates and who would make the best mates. An example would be that the side of me that is a Dragon has decided it likes you and Alistair to the point that it wants to keep you… both of you. For Asthan and Altus they saw Bella and never looked back – being a dragon is listening to your baser instincts; kill the threat, mate with that one, hunt the prey and the like. You and Alistair… I was drawn to both of you at once. If I listened to those instincts, I would have marked Alistair as my mate when I slept with him – essentially marrying us in the eyes of any animal, shifter, or dragon – and still come to you to get you as well. The thing that marks me as more than a baser animal would be what held me back from doing just that."

He blinked, "Y-You… your instincts are telling you to… take us both?"

I nodded, "Alistair doesn't know just how close I came to marking him that first night. When you and… when we made love in my office; I almost marked you. It's a small nip – hardly enough to draw blood – but it will release a marker that wards off anything less powerful than the strongest mate… me in this instance. I doubt an Archdemon would bother you much."

He looked completely floored and I worried that he would make the – logical – jump to where this would leave our relationship when the one year mark hit. My heart thundered in my chest as I watched thoughts and feelings cross his face.

He stumbled over to the chair by my bed – I had teleported us here after all.

He spoke, "There was never a chance to have you without him was there?"

"Had I not met him, there would have been; but… with the way things played out… again, this isn't something he knows. I hadn't planned on telling either of you that once the Dragon makes a choice, there is no real choice. My bedding Lyna happened before I had 'been claimed' by both mates."

His head shot up, "Claimed? How did we claim you?"

"With Alistair… it happened the usual way – a bite hard enough to draw blood. Oh, he was horrified over that and doesn't know what that meant for me. I'm not sure exactly what happened with you – it's been in place since our first time together. For me… there is no going back or moving on even without the vow I made to Elune." I sat heavily on my bed, hanging my head, "I… I refuse to claim either of you; ever."

Cullen frowned, "What…? Why wouldn't you claim us? You say we're your mates but even if we said yes to you, you wouldn't…"

I sighed, "It's a biological thing among the Dragons, Cullen – linked directly to our reproductive systems. If I claimed you, you wouldn't father kids with anyone other than me or another dragon that claimed you. Alistair wasn't supposed to be able to claim me – Elune called on his dragon blood and… I don't know what happened with you, but I don't doubt for a second that my Ethereal Adoptive Mother had a hand in that too. I don't know, Cullen. I've never had a mate before – there was a time when I thought it might be Kayn that my dragon would choose; but… that didn't happen. I understand if this information has… changed your mind about courting me. This isn't something you could have expected or…"

"You're saying that only King Alistair or I could father your children now?"

He had interrupted me. I nodded, "Unless a dragon male takes a fancy and his dragon half actively chooses me; that is… correct. A dragon has to choose their mate to be able to claim their mate. It isn't well known knowledge. If a male dragon liked me but his dragon half didn't choose me… no claim."

He looked blankly at the wall before him. His face was an impenetrable mask – and I worried. What was going through his mind?

He stood, "I need a little time – I'm not breaking things off… I just need… some time." And he left – he didn't even look back.

At least he closed the door – I didn't want my guards to see my tears.