Ashe

Ashe stared at the two women in front of her. One of them was staring back at her; jaw set and eyes hard.

Clearly not a fan.

She had shoulder length golden hair that framed her face nicely, and she was pretty enough, Ashe supposed. But she didn't feel the slightest bit threatened.

The other one was a bit younger – more beautiful, her hair a shade darker than her sister's. For they were clearly related. The fact that the younger one was prettier was probably why the first one had such a stern face.

But Ashe felt no more threatened by the younger one regardless. That one didn't even dare to look at Ashe's face, preferring to stare at her own feet instead.

They didn't have time to exchange any words, however. Ashe saw Alistair approaching from inside the room and at the sound of his movement the girls all but melted into the wall on either side to let him through. Though still silent, the younger one's nervous fidgeting made Ashe even more confused.

Is she afraid of something? Me? Or…

Alistair stopped right in front of Ashe. She'd noticed that he had looked annoyed when his eyes first landed on her but he'd quickly smoothed out his features.

"Your Worship," he greeted her. Ashe held her tongue from spitting out a demand for him to stop using her title. "I thought we agreed to meet again later tonight." His expression was stony. Was he really not even a little happy that she had sought him out?

"We did, Your Majesty." Ashe didn't miss when he blinked a couple of times too many as his title slid over her lips. He clearly didn't like it anymore than she liked his 'worship'-nonsense. "I just thought that I should let you know that I just had a very interesting conversation with Hawke."

She waited for her words to spark a reaction out of him, but she found herself disappointed. Alistair's face didn't change in the slightest.

"Oh? Well, I'm sure you will tell me all about that later over dinner, Inquisitor. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must rest for a bit to recover from the long journey." He motioned at the door, and Ashe – stunned beyond words – backed out and watched as if in a dream, or nightmare rather, as Alistair began shutting the door in front of her. The last thing she glimpsed before the wood slammed closed was the older girl's cold eyes, and her lips snarled upwards in an ugly, smug smile.

At a complete loss for what to do, Ashe returned to her quarters to await the evening.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ashe got dressed for dinner – nothing too fancy. She didn't really want to make an effort for Alistair now. She was a lot of things, but pathetic enough to blatantly try to get his attention was not one of them. Besides, she had no idea what to expect of him, anyway.

When she entered the private dining hall she used to host most small affairs like this, she was stunned yet again when she found not only Alistair seated at the table, but the two women from before as well.

Alistair rose from his seat as she entered, as did the women.

"Your Worship, I would like for you to meet Lady Lydia," he said and motioned for the older girl, "and her sister, Lady Corinne." The younger one still eyed Ashe as nervously as before.

The sisters bowed their heads in Ashe's direction. Not particularly interested in showing her their respect, obviously.

Ashe just stared at Alistair, not so much as glancing at the girls in greeting. "Okay," she stated flatly before she walked up to the table and sat down. She helped herself to the food and drink, ignoring the silence. It seemed apparent to her that none of them could figure out how to respond to her cold lack of common courtesy.

Good.

Not until Ashe had started to actually put food in her mouth did they sit down and Alistair started speaking.

"As I said before, Your Worship, I don't want there to be any ill feelings between us. Ferelden needs good relations with the Inquisition, as I know that you need ties to the crown."

Ashe chewed her food without responding. If Hawke was telling the truth, that Alistair wanted her to disband the Inquisition, none of this made any sense. But she kept quiet, inviting Alistair to keep talking.

"As I'm sure you have figured out by now, these ladies are the ones that Hawke claimed he saw leaving my chambers on the night I was going to propose to you."

Ashe allowed herself to look at the girls again. The older one, Lydia, looked sullen now, staring at the wall to the side. Corinne still looked like she was terrified.

"He wasn't lying," Alistair said, his voice steady, calm.

Ashe looked at Alistair again and raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying -" she began, but Alistair interrupted her.

"I'm saying they were there, yes. I was nervous, as one gets when he is going to ask the love of his life to give up all that she has built to become your wife. I was twitchy, and I spilled more than a little red wine on myself, I had to change my clothes. You've seen me spill things and trip over my own feet more than once, Ashe."

No more 'Your Worship' now?

"I'm fucking clumsy, and you know it," he said.

Had the situation been different, she would have laughed. It was true indeed that he was.

"Lydia and Corinne had the unfortunate timing to enter my quarters right at that moment." Ashe heard how his words dripped with venom, and Corinne looked like she was about to start crying, but a stern look from her sister made her drop her eyes to the floor and stay silent. Why was she so afraid?

Of course, if Alistair was telling the truth, he must have been livid at the unfortunate series of events that those girls had caused. Ashe was actually surprised that both of them seemed unharmed, if Alistair held them responsible for what had happened.

"He sent us away immediately, Your Worship." Lydia had opened her mouth for the first time, and her sweet voice was at odds with what her face had portrayed so far. But now she was the picture of demure and regretful.

Ashe would have to watch out for that one.

"My sister and I," she continued, "made some very unladylike remarks about the King on our way out, I'm terribly ashamed to say. We were only fooling around, trying to make each other laugh, didn't we Corinne?"

Lydia stared at her sister, who nodded eagerly in reply.

"Yes, I swear it, my lady!" she squeaked.

Lydia kicked her sister under the table. "That's no proper way to address the Herald of Andraste, Corinne! I'm appalled," she said, her hand dramatically over her collarbones as if offended.

Ashe wanted to roll her eyes at the charade.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Worship, please forgive me-"

"That's enough," Alistair said through gritted teeth. He looked as though he wanted to tear the girl apart, and not in a nice way, before he tempered his expression. "Hawke met them on their way out and when he saw the undressed state of me, he assumed too much. I'm sure he told you this earlier as well."

Ashe looked at him incredulously. Did he really believe that Greyer would speak to Ashe on his behalf, to paint Alistair in any sort of positive light?

She started laughing then, on and on, almost to the point of tears. She watched the color drain from Alistair's face with each passing second she didn't stop laughing. When she finally managed to calm down and breathe again, she looked Alistair dead in the eyes, still smiling. "Are you really that stupid, Alistair? To think that Hawke would change his story? Well, he did do that actually. But not in the way you wanted him to, I bet. Oh, Andraste," she said and laughed again, short and humorless this time.

Alistair was staring at her, his nostrils flaring and his jaw as clenched as she'd ever seen it. But she knew that rage wasn't really directed at her.

"Leave us," he snarled, and even though he was still looking at Ashe, there was no question in the room about who had just been sent away. Lydia and Corinne practically shot to their feet and left the room like two scurrying, little rats.

Left in the silence were only Ashe and Alistair, the former popping a grape into her mouth and staring at Alistair as if she dared him to continue speaking.

"What did he say to you?" Alistair sounded deadly.

"So now you wish to know. Fine, I'll tell you. He told me how he not only saw those girls exit your bed chamber, but how they were sore after you fucking them so hard, how I wouldn't be a problem in the future either, you had assured them. Never willing to let go of your little harem, apparently."

Alistair looked enraged but Ashe shut him down quickly when he looked like he was about to start shouting.

"That's not the worst part, Alistair, oh no. The worst of it all was what he claimed you said to him when you were on the road together on the way here. That I wouldn't last on my own if the Inquisition were to be disbanded, that you would be my only option then, that I would have to let you care for me as though I were a lost, little puppy dog. That becoming your queen would be the only thing left for me."

She expected vehement denials, perhaps some more shouting. She did not expect his eyes to soften, and a smile tug at his lips.

"Despite his efforts, there is nothing Hawke could have said that would make you realize more that he was lying about it all, Ashe," Alistair said. "I hope you know in your heart that I would never say such a thing about you, regardless. But more importantly, I could never had made such claims to him. I suppose it's time I drop this foolish act of me coming here to better diplomatic relationships. It's only you and me here now." The coldness from before was wiped from his face, and she felt goosebumps on her arms when he looked at her with that familiar glint in his eyes before he spoke again.

"I cannot offer you to become queen when I am – soon – not even king anymore."