A/N: I am terribly sorry about the wait for this story all the time… This chapter is much earlier than I usually would post, huh? Anyways, I was thinking, after I post this one, I will post the next chapter soon after before school starts… University takes a lot of your time and I intend on finishing in 3 years or less… so that's a lot of classes haha.

As always, thank you all lovely readers for reading, following, liking, reviewing, etc... !

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The characters and locations don't belong to me; they belong to Bioware and EA and I'm simply using them to fuel this thing called my muse.


.: CHAPTER VIII :.
The Start of a New Life

The long journey to Lothering lasted ten days, and Katharyne was surprised that the elf's company was quite pleasant. He was caring and would do his best so that she would be comfortable. They arrived at the outskirts of Lothering before sundown. Zevran slowed down the horse to a trot as he turned to her.

"Before we arrive in Lothering, search in my pack. There is a potion in there from an apostate mage friend of mine. It will turn your hair blonde. Your hair might be shorter but your face is still on some coins, so this is just as an extra precaution."

Once they arrived in Lothering, Zevran left her with the carriage and started bartering. He was able to secure a three-room furnished dwelling on the outskirts of the village by the next day. He explained that the previous owner was a celibate man who had passed away without any heirs, leaving a farm and its land to Arl Leonas Bryland of South Reach. He had been able to acquire the land thanks to the new law and the bit of money that they had.

"The Arl expects us to work for the land and pay the tax like other villagers, however…" Zevran had said as he helped her out of the carriage, having unsaddled the horse and parked the carriage in the stable.

"How am I supposed to work the land? I am with child, in case you have not noticed." Katharyne laughed as she held on to his hand and stepped off the carriage.

"I saw a tavern on our way through the village but that is no place for a lady… Especially a pregnant lady" The elf said as he grabbed the packs from the back of the carriage. They made their way towards the small dwelling, a three-room farmhouse with a crumbling roof, four windows and white stone frame.

"A tavern? How difficult must it be? Pouring and serving meads, ales and spirits? It cannot be that difficult." She stated as he opened the wooden door for her.

"But it is no place for-"

"A lady. Yes, I know" Katharyne finished. "But I am but a peasant now and must do what I must for my child and I."

Katharyne looked around the dwelling. She stood in the middle of a rectangular room with two doors to her left, a stove at the back next to a window and a wooden table with three chairs. Zevran simply nodded as he dropped her pack in the only room that had a door, the farthest at the back next to the cooking area. She stepped into what seemed to be her quarters now and noticed a straw bed in the corner next to a window and a small mirror on a dresser. The whole dwelling smelled stuffy and there were cobwebs in every corner.

Over the first few weeks, Katharyne and Zevran managed to repair the roof and make the dwelling much more livable. And after a few moons, Katharyne had been able to settle in her role as tavern maiden but could only take care of the lower level of the place as she was getting bigger by the day. Because the patrons adored her, the tavern owner Danal or his daughter Ava didn't mind running the drinks upstairs if it was needed.

"So, Eleanor… When is that child due?" Danal asked as Katharyne grabbed the tray of drinks and a pitcher of mead he was handing her.

"Oh… It must be in a few days, Maker only knows!" She chuckled as she balanced the tray on her arm and held the pitcher tightly.

"You should be in bed, resting then!" Ava exclaimed.

"Oh, nonsense... I can still walk. Besides, Leandra said I can still work as long as I can walk with no problem!" Katharyne explained as she walked over slowly to serve the drinks.

"How will we even be able to recognize you without that belly of yours, Eleanor?" One of the regular patrons exclaimed, raising a few chuckles from the other regulars.

"Oh, I don't know dear ser. We will soon find out, I presume!" She replied cheerfully as she walked to the next table to drop the mead pitcher, wincing a little, feeling a little bit more pressure on her stomach than usual.

She waddled back to the bar and grabbed a few jugs of mead to bring them to the waiting patrons. As she walked, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach but decided to ignore it. She took a deep breath and kept walking, giving the patrons their ale. As she waddled back to the bar, she slipped on a liquid and one of the patrons grabbed her before she fell to the ground.

"Eleanor, are you alright?" The man asked as the tavern fell silent.

"Did anyone spill their drink?" She asked as she fumbled to get up to walk back to the bar, feeling another sharp pain in her stomach.

"Eleanor… Your legs are wet." The patron who caught her said as he stared at the back of her green skirt.

"Wet?" She looked down. "Oh no… No no no… It's time." She whispered as her face twisted in pain, dropping her tray to the ground to clutch her stomach. Danal almost jumped over the bar as he ran over to approach her.

"Everyone out! Ava, close the tavern! I need to bring her to the Hawke farm" He exclaimed as he motioned his daughter over and the patrons started filing out of the tavern. He grabbed her by the shoulders and walked out of the tavern. "Garrett, get your mother and sister. Eleanor is giving birth!" Danal barked at the tall dark haired and hazel eyed man that was sitting underneath a tree near the Hawke farm, on the outskirts of Lothering. He nodded and ran ahead of them. He came out of the house a few moments later, followed by Leandra and Katharyne's new friend, Bethany and her twin Carver. Garrett and Carver brought her into the house, leaving Danal outside. They laid her down gently on a bed in one of the closest rooms, on a thick blanket and pillows.

"Alright now, Eleanor… I'll take a look and see how far along you are." Leandra said in a soothing voice as she raised her legs gently before Bethany laid a cloth over her. Katharyne nodded as it was done, hissing in pain.

"You seem to be quite far along…" Leandra observed before turning to Bethany. "My girl, go fetch some hot and cold water! And quickly! Carver, help your sister! Garrett, stay by Eleanor's side." Katharyne could hear Leandra shouting orders but her vision was blurring through the pain as she screamed when she felt another sharp pain. She felt a presence next to her, a large rugged hand grabbing hers. "You're fine, Eleanor… Mother's here… We're here." She heard Garrett Hawke's voice whisper as she clutched his hand.

"N-No… I must… Alistair… I want to tell… Not yet…!" She whispered between breaths, screaming in pain. She squirmed and held onto Hawke's hand until her knuckles were white. Bethany laid a cloth of cold water on her forehead and patted down the perspiration on her brow.

"Eleanor, you must push every time you feel the surge of pain" Leandra explained as she did everything she could to help, at the foot of the bed. Katharyne nodded and pushed as she felt another spasm of pain. She pushed each time there was a surge of pain, feeling feverish through the agony. "One more push, Eleanor!" She heard Leandra's voice.

"Who's Eleanor…?" Katharyne whispered in her delirium before she pushed one last time, feeling the baby slip out of her. She fell back on the pillows, panting loudly. She felt Garrett patting down her brow, heard shuffling around but no crying.

"Why… is there no crying?" She asked weakly. "No… Why isn't my baby crying…?" She cried out as Hawke held her tightly. "Let go, Garrett… Let me see my baby!" She screamed, shaking.

She saw a faint green glow through her blurry vision and finally hear short cries from her newborn child.

"Congratulations, it's a boy" Leandra said as she handed the infant to Katharyne.

Katharyne smiled as she held her son, stroking his soft golden hair gently. She heard the Hawkes leave the room and she started nursing her son. As soon as he was done, they both fell asleep within moments. Katharyne woke up a few hours later, finding a basket next to her bed with her son sleeping peacefully in it.

"You're awake, I see" She heard a voice say in the corner of the room. Katharyne looked up and noticed Garrett sitting in the corner, reading a book.

"I should leave..." Katharyne said sitting up in the bed.

"My mother said you weren't to leave until she said so." He replied, looking up from his book.

"But I'm intruding… I should have never accepted Bethany and your mother's offer to help"

"No buts. You know we're your friends and we don't mind." He stated simply as she argued.

"But this is your room, is it not?" She asked, still trying to get out of bed. Garrett sighed, pushing her gently back under the covers. "Yes, but you are no trouble." He added as he sat on the side of the bed.

Katharyne nodded as the baby started to squirm. She reached down to bring him to her breast once again. She turned back to Garrett who simply stared at her suspiciously.

"Who's Alistair?" He asked. "Is he the father of your child?"

"Yes…" She nodded.

"Who are you really?" He asked again.

"What? I'm Eleanor…"

"No, you're not. You were puzzled by your name during your delirium." He stated matter-of-factly.

"W-What? No no… It must have been because of the delirium…" She answered meekly as she burped her child.

"Your hair might be shorter and blonde, but your eyes are a mint green… And your nose is very much like our late queen." He added, having brought out a silver and holding it up to her for comparison. "You're Katharyne Cousland, our late queen… Are you not?" He whispered.

She couldn't hide it any longer and nodded slightly. "Is the child the reason you ran away…? Because he is the child of that Alistair?" Garrett asked.

"Yes… No… An Antivan Crow was hired to kill me and instead decided to spare me… Alistair is my childhood friend, the love of my life and… and Cailan's half-brother…" She stated as she put her child back in the basket.

"Half-brother…? That's news to me…"

"No one knows… it's a Theirin secret… Cailan doesn't know that I know…"

"The Antivan Crow you mentioned…Did you mean the elf who comes and goes from your farm? I thought he was a merchant"

"Yes, it was Zevran." Katharyne confessed. "Please… Hawke… Garrett, please keep all of this a secret." She begged him.

"Of course. It's not my secret to tell. But won't the villagers talk? That might have negative repercussions…"

"Let them talk…" She said as she looked down at her sleeping son, enjoying a moment of silence.

"Do you want to marry me?"