Chapter 76: The Royal Thing
The wardens and their allies made slow progression down the old road from Kadash Thaig. Much like everything else involving the fallen dwarven empire the road was in poor repair, no one came this way anymore so it was unlikely that anyone cared to keep it services.
Shayle did not seem to mind. She knocked down trees and moved collapsed pillars out of the way.
The golem seemed almost happy, having gotten the answers she had sought for so long.
She was in such a good mood she even permitted several crows a chance to flee before falling upon them with her hammering fists.
Alim shook his head.
The golem must have been in good mood.
Sten trailed behind them, the Qunari had been unusually quiet since his trouncing by the elf the other day, not sulking exactly, but reflecting on what had happened.
Alim had wanted to talk to him, let him know that there were no hard feelings between them.
Leliana advised him not to.
"Let Sten think on what happened dearest," she whispered, "He needs to understand that what he did was not okay. He needs to remember his place among us."
Alim considered what she said, it made sense, but at the same time, he did not want to risk having an angry Qunari at his back.
That could be lethal in the wrong situation.
Truthfully, he had not wanted to fight Sten, the big man was damn useful. Had he just come to him about Ostagar, Alim would have told him that he intended to go to Redcliffe first. It was along the way, and Alim had promised to help him find his damn sword.
The whole leadership duel had been unnecessary and wasteful in his eyes. If one of them had been slain…?
Well, at least it had not gone that far. Alim held onto his position and Sten had been put in his place.
The elf sighed, he still intended to help his friend find his missing blade, he did not get the whole Qunari soul/sword thing, but he was willing to see that the blade was important to the Qunari, and besides…he had given his word.
What was a man without his word to a friend, his father taught him that.
Soon the tree line began to thin, and before them sat the shores of Lake Calenhad.
Alim was shocked, he had not realize how far they had come, how quick travelling under the mountains could be.
It was yet another thing that the darkspawn had taken from the people of Thedas, yet another thing that they needed to be punished for.
He would gladly see to that punishment, the beasts deserved no less.
Alim took the lead as they found the road again, now moving south towards the road to Orlais, and just before it, Castle Redcliffe.
Alim smiled, the sun felt warmer than it had in months, spring was still a ways off, but it was starting to creep into the air.
Alim welcomed its coming, the world waking again, and the return of spring and summer storms.
He welcomed their coming as well; they were power that he could draw on in the coming months. It was power that would come in handy when they faced the Archdemon.
It…it had been a hard winter for the wardens and their allies, but now…it seemed that their troubles were behind them.
Those things were definitely starting to look up.
They would likely reach Redcliffe tomorrow if they were lucky, the day after if they were not.
He smiled to himself.
With luck they would be able to take shelter at Castle Redcliffe tomorrow, and begin discussions with the Arl shortly after that. The wardens had allies, proof that they could stand up to the horde, now they needed the nobility to get on board.
They had to find a way to end this civil war, Loghain either had to surrender to the nobles or get onboard with everyone else, and soon…
…while there was still something left of Ferelden to save.
It was all that mattered now.
Their duty demanded it.
It would be done.
IOI
Alistair began to grow more and more nervous the farther south they went, in the distance he could just make out the mountain pass, the red cliffs that had given his former home its name.
The former Templar realized that he was out of time. He had avoided this for so long, but once they were in Redcliffe, someone would tell Alim and the others the truth about him, and if they did that, it is likely they would not forgive him for staying silent for so long.
He…he had not even told Morrigan and the two of them had been sleeping together for quite a while now. How would she react to what he had to say?
Hopefully she would not get angry and turn him into a toad.
The former Templar shook his head.
He needed to come up with a decision; by the time they reached Redcliffe it would be too late.
They need to know.
No they don't.
Better to get it all out in the open.
Yeah right.
Better they hear it from you than someone else.
Better for who?
Just tell them you soddening coward!
Alistair sighed.
Maker save him, this was going to be very, verrrrrry unpleasant.
He could just feel it.
Alim was not going to like this.
IOI
"Hey Lim!"
Alim looked back from his spot walking beside Leliana.
He smirked at his fellow warden.
"Hey what?" he called back.
Alistair gave him an uncomfortable chuckle.
"May…uh…may we…um…speak for a moment, just the two of us?"
The elf's ears twitched.
"Warden things?" he asked.
"Sort of," the former Templar responded.
"Want me to get Theron?"
"No…um…this should remain between us, at least for now."
Alim rolled his eyes.
Maker, the man was like a little girl some times.
Leliana giggled, and he kissed her on the cheek.
"I'll be back," he promised.
"I'll be waiting," the bard purred.
Alim shook his head.
He both hated and loved it when she used that tone with him.
It made him feel all…warm and squishy.
The thought of that made him chuckle.
Maker, I'm in serious trouble.
He wove his way past the others to where his fellow warden was waiting for him. Alistair…well…he looked more nervous than Alim had ever seen him, more nervous than he had been in the circle tower and the deep roads combined.
Alim felt a small knot starting to form in his stomach.
"Ah you're here good," Alistair said nervously, his words coming in an excited rush, "It is good to know, especially after everything that we have been through. You need to know what to expect, I owe you that much."
Alim smirked and crossed his arms.
"If this is when you tell me you're in love with me, I'm afraid you're going to be very disappointed. I'm with Leli now, but you could try Zev. He might be up for what you have to offer."
Alistair's eyes widened.
"What! No! That…that is just…it is not what this is about! Maker Lim, why do you have to say such things?!"
"Because I thought it funny, and I like watching your face turn red," the elf said, "So…what has got you in such a snit?"
The former Templar shook his head. Alim's little joke hand done nothing to boost his confidence.
He took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure.
Okay," he said, "How do I tell you this…hmmm?"
Alistair cleared his throat while Alim tapped his foot impatiently.
"We…we are going to be coming into Redcliffe soon," he said, "You know that I lived there, before I was sent away to the chantry at age ten. My Mother was a serving girl there."
Alim nodded.
"So you said," he replied.
Alistair pursed his lips.
"There is more to the story though," he said.
He realized that he would have a hard time just coming out and saying what he needed to say, and as always fell back on humor when he was in trouble.
"I'm a bastard," he said flippantly, "and before you make any jokes I mean the fatherless kind. Arl Eamon took me in and agreed to look after me, as a favor to my father."
Alim's ears twitched.
"So you know who your Father is?"
Alistair nodded.
"At least I know who I was told my father is…or was," Alistair shook his head, "It would have been a bit of scandal of anyone found out."
Alim nodded.
"So you aren't the Arl's son? That would have been the most logical choice for him letting you stay in his castle."
"Perhaps," Alistair agreed, "But no, Arl Eamon is not my father. I don't look anything like him; you will see when you meet him tomorrow."
Alim's ears twitched as his mind worked. Not the son of the Arl, well, that meant quite a few possible scenarios…
None of them good.
"So your father was a member of the nobility, married to I bet."
Again Alistair nodded.
"Was he blood to the Arl?" Alim asked, "That is the only reason I could think of that an Arl would take in a bastard orphan."
Alistair winced.
Alim cursed under his breath.
"No offense." The elf added quickly.
The former Templar gave him a sheepish look; in truth he had been called a lot worse things in his time.
Bastard orphan was likely the nicest of them.
"None taken," Alistair sighed, "No, my father… he wasn't blood to the Arl but he had married the Arl's older sister, hence the problem."
Alim quirked his lips, he did not know much about the noble families of Ferelden, but Arl Eamon of Redcliffe was fairly well known, even to the mages. Irving had likely been grooming him to be first enchanter after he retired, so Alim had gotten a larger political education than most in the tower. So, He knew about the Arl, his brother Teagan…and his sister Row…
A bell went off in the elf's head.
Alim frowned, his ears lowered slightly.
HE glared at Alistair.
He had put one and one together, and he did not look pleased.
Alistair winced under his cold gaze.
"Your Father was married to Rowan Guerein?"
Alistair swallowed hard and nodded.
Alim's ears lowered further.
"Ali…if…if you are going to tell me what I think you are going to tell me, if this is some kind of joke?"
"It…it isn't," his fellow warden admitted, "Arl Eamon took care of me because…well…my Father was…was King Maric. Which…which made Cailan my half-brother…I suppose."
Thunder rumbled overhead.
Alistair waited for the lightning bolt that would strike him dead.
Surprisingly it never came.
IOI
"Soooo," Alim sighed, reigning in his temper, "You're not only a bastard, but a royal bastard!"
Alistair chuckled nervously.
"I should probably use that one more often," he smirked, "It might defuse the situation before it gets blown out of proportion."
Alim's mind ran faster than it ever had before, digesting what his friend had just told him.
Alistair was a son of Maric. He was a prince of Ferelden.
How nice of Alistair to throw this problem in his lap.
How bloody nice indeed.
IOI
"I take it that this secret was known in Redcliffe?" the elf asked.
"I was not discussed," Alistair admitted, "Most people had me pegged as the Arl's bastard, but Duncan knew, and Arl Eamon, and his brother Teagan. I was born after Queen Rowan passed away, so at least that was not a problem. I can't say she would have been happy about her husband choosing to lay with a servant girl."
"Probably not," Alim admitted.
The elf's expression had turned thoughtful now.
Alistair took that as a good sign.
At least he was not going to get fried by a lightning bolt.
"Does Loghain know about you?" Alim asked.
"Probably," Alistair admitted, "He was King Maric's best friend. I can't imagine his friend and king having another child escaped the Teyrn's notice."
"I suppose not," Alim admitted.
"So," Alistair said, "There you have it, I'm a…"
Alim never let him finished.
He wacked him in the head with his staff.
"Owwww," the former Templar cried, his hand came up to rub his wounded head.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
Alim glared at him.
"For being a dumbass," the elf spat, "Damn it Alistair! Don't you know what this means?"
"That I should have taken your staff away before telling you?" he suggested dryly.
Alim silenced him with an extremely icy glare.
The elf could give Wynne a run for her money when he wanted to in that department.
His expression turned more serious, but quickly split into a wolfish grin.
His fellow warden did not like that look, he did not like it all!
"Cailan is dead, Ali," the elf said, "Having you on our side…"
The elf's smile widened.
"We can use this to our advantage."
Alistair's eyes widened, his face filled with panic!
"No!" he said sharply, "No, no, no, a thousand times no, I was taught very early on that there was no room for me to starting fermenting rebellion against the crown. I have the blood of a commoner and I'm a grey warden to boot."
The former Templar sighed.
"If there is an heir to be found its Arl Eamon, he might not be of royal blood, but he is very popular with the people, and he was Cailan's uncle, which means he has more than a passing reason to see Loghain pay for what he has done."
IOI
Alim considered this.
He saw one flaw in Alistair's logic.
The nobles likely saw him as a threat to Cailan's rule, that was reason enough to keep him isolated, but the situation had changed.
Cailan was dead, and the Theirin bloodline all but extinct. The Orlesians had been quite thorough exterminating Alistair's great aunts, uncles and cousins, by the end of the occupation, only Maric remained, and he had had only one son before his queen died.
Well…one son by his queen anyway.
Alistair likely had the strongest claim to the throne. He was of Theirin blood, and a strong warrior.
Ferelden needed both in these troubled times.
Whether he could make that claim a reality remained to be seen.
Alim would discuss it with the Arl…privately.
He gave his friend a harsh look.
"Any more secrets about you I need to know?" the elf asked.
IOI
Alistair chuckled.
"Besides my obsession with my hair and an over fondness for cheese, no…the royal thing is just about it."
""I suppose that is good," Alim sighed, "Though you are going to have a lot of explaining to do when we reach Redcliffe."
Alistair laughed nervously.
"I'm more concerned about how I'm going to tell Morrigan," he admitted.
Alim smirked.
"That will not be a problem I think," the elf said,
"Huh?"
The elf pointed behind them.
Alistair turned around.
A large black crow was watching them.
Before their very eyes it transformed into a very angry looking witch of the wilds.
Morrigan's amber eyes burned into Alistair.
He chuckled nervously.
"Hi,' he squeaked.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Hello fool," she growled, she looked at Alim.
"I scouted ahead as you asked Alim. The way appears clear."
"Thank you Morrigan," he said.
He gave the two lovers the warmest of smiles.
"Well I have work to do," he said clasping his hands, "You two play nice now, I think you have a lot to talk about."
"Lim?" Alistair almost whimpered.
"Gotta go," he smirked, "Good luck lover boy."
He spun around and headed up towards Leliana and the others.
He suppressed a chuckle.
Poor Alistair, he thought.
Hopefully the maker would gift him with some good luck, given how Morrigan was glaring at him…
He likely needed it.
The elf continued to digest what Alistair had told him.
What their prince had told him.
Alim found himself really looking forward to meeting with Arl Eamon.
They had much to talk about.