The night before they reached Denerim, Alistair and Elissa sat next to the fire. It was beginning to get late, so when they turned in for the night Elissa thought there'd be no better time.

"Alistair, I have something for you."

"Oh?"

Elissa handed him the item she had found in Redcliffe.

"This... this is my mother's amulet. It has to be." Alistair said, looking down in disbelief. "But why isn't it broken?" He looked up at her. "Where did you find it?"

Elissa looked at the amulet. "I found it in Arl Eamon's study. It was in his desk."

"Oh, the arl's study? Then he must have... found the amulet after I threw it at the wall. And he repaired it and kept it? I don't understand, why would he do that?"

"He must have known you would return to Redcliffe at some point. Perhaps he meant to give it you one day." Elissa said, looking at him. "You must mean more to him than you realize, Alistair."

"I... guess your right. We never really talked that much, and then the way I left..." Alistair sighed. He looked at Elissa. "Thank you. I mean it. I... thought I'd lost it to my own stupidity." He looked back down at the amulet. "I'll need to talk to him about this. If he recovers from his... when he recovers, that is. I wish I'd had this a long time ago." Then, a thought crossed his mind and he looked back up at Elissa. "Did you remember me mentioning it?"

"Of course, Alistair. Family is always one of the most important things you can have. When I saw it, it looked just as you described. I knew you'd want to have it."

Alistair smiled and blushed a bit at that. "Wow. I'm more used to people not really listening when I go on about things."

Elissa smiled. "I like listening to you. You're special to me, Alistair."

Alistair looked at her surprised, then sarcastically said with a smile, "Is this the part where the music starts and we begin dancing? Because I'm game. Where's the minstrels?"

Elissa laughed a bit at that. "I'm sure we could ask Leliana to assist."

They laughed for a moment, then as their laughter subsided they looked at each other for a moment.

Elissa blushed and smiled. "Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?"

Alistair chuckled. "Not unless they were asking me for a favor. Well, there was that one time in Denerim, but those women were... not like you." He looked at her, brow raised in curiosity. "Why? Is this your way of telling me you think I'm handsome?"

Elissa blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You know you're handsome, Alistair."

Alistair shrugged. "Maybe. It doesn't hurt to have a pretty girl say that, though. Beats being run through with a sword any day!" He looked at her, a coy smile spreading. "So... is this the part where I get to say the same?"

"You don't have to." Elissa said, blushing so much that she hoped he wouldn't be able to see it.

"Well, then perhaps I shall wait til a later time then." Alistair chuckled.

Elissa stuck her tongue out at him playfully and went to their tent. Alistair wasn't far behind, Leliana having offered to take watch.

"So, Alistair. If you were raised in the Chantry then, have you never...?"

Alistair took off his armor and set it aside. "Never..? Never what? Had a good pair of shoes?"

Elissa looked at him as she set her armor down. "You know what I mean."

Alistair shrugged and grinned. "I'm not sure I do. Have I never seen a basilisk? Ate jellied ham? Have I never licked a lamppost in winter?"

Elissa sat down on her bedroll and rolled her eyes, pulling her hair free from its bun. "Now you're just making fun of me."

"Make fun of you, dear lady? Perish the thought!" Alistair replied, his grin growing as he took a seat on his bedroll. "Well, tell me: have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?"

Elissa rolled her eyes, ignoring her blushing. "No, I can't say that I have."

Alistair sighed in relief, not realizing how flirtatiously he had asked that question. "Good. I hear it's quite painful. I remember one of the younger initiates did it on a dare, once, and there was pointing and laughing... oh, the humanity."

Elissa smiled a bit and started to brush her hair. "I see."

"I, myself, have also never done it. That." Alistair said, realizing what she was hinting at as he watched her brush her crimson locks. "Not that I haven't thought about it, of course, but... you know."

Elissa looked at him. "Never had the opportunity?"

Alistair shrugged. "Well, living in the Chantry, is... not exactly a life for rambunctious boys. They taught me to be a gentleman, especially in the presence of beautiful women such as yourself. That's not so bad, is it?"

Elissa stopped brushing her hair and looked at him. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Alistair nodded. "Of course you are, and you know it. You're ravishing, resourceful, and all those other things you'd probably hurt me for not saying."

Elissa set her brush back in her pack and crawled over to his bedroll, sitting back on her knees as she looked up at him. "I'd never hurt you, Alistair."

Alistair's face softened. "Nor I you." They sat there looking at each other for a moment before Alistair cleared his throat. "We should get some sleep, lest your risque talk makes my ears blush."

Elissa smiled. "You're already blushing, Alistair." She reached up and kissed his cheek before returning to her own bedroll. "Good night, Alistair."

Alistair smiled, before laying back. "Good night, Elissa."

"Elissa, wake up!"

Elissa sat up with a start, panting. She put her hand to her head, trying to catch her breath. She looked over at Alistair, seeing he had come over to her. He looked so worried. "Sorry... still not used to the dreams..."

Alistair sighed in relief. "I don't think you ever get used to them."

Elissa looked at him. "I had another dream about the archdemon..."

Alistair nodded. "So did I. And I got the feeling at the end, there, that it saw us. Was aware of us. Whatever you want to call it." He sighed, rubbing his neck. "Could have just been my imagination, though, I suppose." He looked at her. "What do you think?"

"I agree..." Elissa sighed. "And I think we need to be extra careful."

"I thought we were already being extra careful. Does that mean we have to be extra, extra careful now?"

Elissa nodded.

Alistair groaned and rolled his eyes. "Great. And there I was, enjoying my nap." He looked up at Elissa and sighed. "I guess one thing is certain, at least, isn't it? It's official. This is a Blight."

"I guess it is..." Elissa sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well, we should try to get back to sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Alistair nodded and started to get up, but Elissa stopped him.

"What is it?"

Elissa grasped his hand, looking up at him. "Alistair, about what you said in Redcliffe... Why did you keep your birthright a secret?"

Alistair looked at her, surprised. "You never asked?"

Elissa looked away, letting go of his hand. "I'm hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me."

Alistair grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "No, please don't think that. It's not that I didn't trust you. It's..." He sighed. "Please, let me try to explain."

Elissa looked at him.

Alistair looked down at their hands, finding comfort in holding hers. "The thing is, I'm used to not telling anyone who didn't already know. It was always a secret. Even Duncan was the only Grey Warden who knew. And then after the battle when I should have told you... I don't know. It semed like it was too late by then. How do you just tell someone that?"

"I guess I can understand that." Elissa said, rubbing his hand with her thumb.

"I... I should have told you anyway. It was important for you to know." Alistair said, looking up at her. "I guess part of me liked you not knowing."

"You liked me not knowing?" Elissa asked, smiling a bit at that. "Did you think I would treat you any different?"

"That's what people do." Alistair said, sighing. "They treat me differently. I become the bastard prince to them instead of just Alistair. I know that must sound stupid to you, but I hate that it's shaped my entire life. I never wanted it, and I certainly don't want to be king. The very idea terrifies me."

Elissa smiled as she reached up to touch his cheek. "It doesn't sound stupid at all, Alistair."

"For all the good it does me. My blood seems certain to haunt me no matter what I do." Alistair looked at her. "I guess I should be thankful that Arl eamon is far more likely to inherit the throne. If he's alright." He sighed. "I hope he's alright."

"We'll do everything we can, Alistair, to make sure he pulls through." Elissa said, hugging him. "I promise."

Alistair hugged her back and sighed. "Thank you."

Elissa sat back and looked at him.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I... I guess I was just hoping that you would like me for who I am. It was a dumb thing to do."

Elissa smiled and squeezed his hand. "Alistair, I like you and not because of your blood. That doesn't change who you are as a person and I like who you are."

Alistair looked at her surprised. "Oh, I... oh. You see, I didn't know that." He smiled at that. "I guess it's kind of a relief that you know now." He cleared his throat and stood. "You should get some more sleep. I'll take next watch."

Elissa watched as he left their tent and smiled. 'So what if you're the son of a king? That doesn't change who you are, and it doesn't change how I feel about you, Alistair.'

As she settled back into her bedroll, Alistair relieved Sten of his watch and took his post. He pulled something from his pocket and looked at it, smiling. 'I'll give it to her tomorrow night.'