Well it seems I kinda went back against my word; I have been going through a lot lately and it's hard to find the inspiration to write, so I hope this will be good enough for the moment and I'll publish the next chapter as soon as possible. Thanks everyone for being so patient! :)
It didn't seem long ago when her father would take herself and Bethany to get their first mage robes at the Wonders of Thedas for training. He made sure they looked like ordinary clothes, but still protected them from any back-firing magic. Hawke always remembered how much the Tranquil proprietor would scare her with his monotonal voice, and even when she visited the shop years later, it was that same Tranquil.
But she knew now that she had to lay low for the moment; news about the mage and templar battle would soon reach the rest of Thedas, if it hadn't already, and she hoped she wasn't immediately recognised by some of the civilians.
As the frigate approached the Denerim docks, she stood on the main deck, her hands gripped tightly onto the railing. She was worried about being recognised, and with people demanding that she would be executed for what had happened in Kirkwall. Of course, she would be hunted down and that didn't terrify her. But she did not want to put anyone in danger because of her actions, especially not Fenris or Winter.
"Don't worry Hawke, the public would be too busy paying attention to their beloved royalty and the rest of the Grey Wardens to even notice you and your companions," Alistair appeared beside her, a reassuring grin on his face.
Hawke smirked, putting on a brave face as she always did, "I'm sure they won't notice the strangely dressed woman and her elven companion."
"Fenris does ah…Stick out a bit."
"You don't say?"
"Can't you simply dye them black? Like that dwarf boy back in Kirkwall?" Alistair asked dumbly, obviously not knowing the circumstances as to why Blaize's markings were black instead of white like Fenris'.
Hawke chuckled, "If you want to try and touch Fenris' markings, be my guest. But if you lose a vital organ then don't come running to me."
"Ah that…Magical fisting thing he does. Isabella mentioned it to me I believe," Alistair smirked.
"Isabella tells a completely different version of Fenris' 'magical fisting thing' to what it actually is."
A sharp cough came from behind the pair, "You could always hide in the crates."
Trinity rolled her eyes as she turned to Katherine, a mischievous smirk on her face, "I was actually planning on running through Denerim, stark naked with nothing but a greased nug."
"Speaking from experience?" Katherine replied coldly, an eyebrow quirking upwards.
Maker this woman is such a buzz-kill, thought Trinity. How could someone like Alistair even be in love let alone married to someone like her?
Pushing that issue aside, Trinity grinned once more, "Wouldn't you be so lucky," she replied smugly, causing Katherine to scowl, "Besides my point; Bruiser, Fenris, Winter and I will just try and act like refugees that you rescued, if that is alright with you?"
Katherine simply nodded and scoffed before going back to ordering her wardens about, like she had done the entire trip.
"She isn't always like this, you know," Alistair sighed, "My wife just needs to get warmed up to you, that's all."
"It's not as if I'm going to whisk her beloved husband away for months of hot, passionate sex in Antiva," Hawke jested, but Alistair blushed from ear to ear. Hawke laughed heartily before re-joining Fenris, Bruiser and Winter who were waiting for her.
"Maker…"
The crowd gathered to greet their beloved King and Queen of Ferelden was much bigger than they expected. Someone was bound to recognise them; but there was no looking back now. All they would have to do was to keep their heads held high and to not let their nervousness get the better of them.
As the main focus stayed on King Alistair and Queen Katherine, alongside her grey wardens, Hawke and her small entourage stayed with the supply cart as if they were just hired hands. But Fenris' keen elven hearing picked up a few of the conversations amongst the civilians;
"Isn't that the mage that arrived a year back with that huge group of people? I swear I could recognise that red hair any day."
"Ooo isn't that elf handsome, but what's with the tattoos?"
"Ugh, it seems the Queen is palling-up with freaks again."
Without drawing too much attention, Fenris simply glared down at the gossipers, causing them to instantly back down from their idle gossip and keep their focus on the royal arrival. Maker he wished this little parade would finish soon; they were almost at Denerim castle gate but the way men leered at both Hawke and Winter enraged him, and he was on the verge of removing their vital organs very soon.
Finally they all reached the castle gates and they soon closed behind the group as they entered the castle. But trouble was already kicking off;
"Carver, why won't you speak to me, you stubborn ass?" Hawke demanded, marching right up to the grey warden who was dressed in his warden armour.
"Why should I? It's not like I will ever see you again after I leave for Amaranthine," he replied coldly.
"You didn't have to stay back and try and be the big hero!" Hawke snapped, standing up to her brother who towered over her.
"Emma lath…Hawke; please stop fighting," a babbling Merrill started to speak but was instantly pushed gently back by her husband as he drew his sword, pointing it towards his sister's throat.
"You are the one responsible for what happened at Kirkwall, and everyone knows it."
Hawke quirked an eyebrow upwards as she placed a hand on the flat-side of the blade, "You know that is complete bullshit, but if you want to end me now, do so."
Everyone seemed to tense around them, not taking the step forward to stop this potentially fatal sibling dispute. Merrill clung onto Carver's arm, begging him not to do it and trying to pull him away, but he stood frozen to the spot, the tip of his blade inches away from his sister's throat. Fenris' markings flared viciously, a snarl on his face as he glared at Carver as if he was daring the warden to strike down Trinity. Bruiser has sensed Trinity was in danger and bounded over to her side, growling protectively. The Hawke sibling's eyes never left one another's, both too stubborn to give in first.
"That is enough!" Katherine demanded, "Carver; step down and go to the warden barracks immediately."
Carver hesitated for a few moments before cursing himself and stomped off. Trinity sighed with relief but the obvious heartbreak of her brother's hatred towards her obviously affected her badly; Fenris could see her hands shaking as one hand gently hovered over her throat where Carver's blade had almost slashed. Hawke knew that deep down, this was Carver's own way of trying to get over the fact that he may never see his sister again; he was just like it the first time she had met him since he became a grey warden, and that was during the qunari attack.
"I am so sorry, Hawke," Merrill sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around the back of Hawke's neck.
Hawke simply smiled, hugging her brother's wife back; "I doubt we will ever see each other again when you two leave tomorrow, but I will write to you when I can."
"Ma serannas, ma lethallan. I will miss you Hawke," Merrill grinned, wiping away a tear before running off to catch up with Carver, who had stormed off to the barracks.
"So sibling dispute over with, shall I show you around the castle?" Alistair smirked, bowing courteously as Hawke simply chuckled, putting her usual sarcastic persona back into action.
"Well…Let's see how Ferelden royalty live," Hawke smirked as she, Fenris, Winter and Bruiser followed Alistair's lead.
Fenris had wrapped a protective arm around her waist, as if he was declaring to the rest of the castle that Hawke was his and his only. He felt uneasy when being in new places, and if he was going to be living here with Hawke and Winter, he needed to make sure no harm would come to his little family that he had fought so hard to protect.