Author's Note: I'm here! I'm alive! Sorry for my absence, I finally managed to complete my first year of my MSc and it was CRAZY! Now that I'm off the hook I'll get back to my writing :) Anyway here's chapter 13, I hope you enjoy it - and if you do (or don't) let me know :D Oh and a big thanks (as always) to Natmonkey and Awinters25 for their help. My English would be dead without these gals. And to all of you mystery people who've decided to follow me ^_^
- Chapter 13: The Lovely Flower -
Getting to Tevinter was not an easy task for the captain of The Siren's Call. The Amaranthine Ocean was feared for its waves and currents, and only the bravest had dared to cross it. The sea was trying to have its way, but the Pirate Queen was as tough as she was stubborn – for three terrible days, she and her crew fearlessly tamed the wild sea and crossed it.
Her companions' situation, however, was a different one.
Elissa was not used to sailing in any kind of way – at least not since that fateful night at Cousland Castle, when she had lost her father and, with him, all the will she had to sail again. The waves crashing against the ship caused it sway dangerously. The Warden hadn't felt this sick since she'd been with child. Luckily, Isabela had provided a small wooden bucket to each of her companions as soon as soon as they crossed into the Amaranthine Ocean – and Elissa had been successful on filling it and throwing its contents out of her small window every now and then. She didn't even dare to go out of her room; she just lay in bed, praying to the Maker for the trip to end soon enough so she could eat and actually keep some food in her stomach.
Varric was torn between leaving his room and pulling the sheets over him and wait for the torment to pass. During the worst times, when the ship seemed to be on the verge of turning upside down, he caressed Bianca gently as if the crossbow was someone he had lost a long time ago; it seemed to comfort him in some way. On better days – there weren't actually good days, only days that seemed more tolerable than others – he climbed up the stairs and tried to be of some help on the deck; that is, if the weather didn't suddenly change and he felt compelled to go back to his warm, cozy bed. A dwarf's stomach can only take so much! he tried to convince himself.
Alistair, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to tempestuous skies and turbulent waves, as his duties as king had taken him overseas quite a few times. His life on board was the same as it had always been, except that this time he offered help in dire situations. He and Isabela were the only ones active on deck – apart from the crew, obviously – so whenever they got the chance, they liked to spend time with each other telling stories since their last fugacious encounter back in Kirkwall.
Alistair was in charge of taking food to his ill companions – mostly Elissa, since Varric came out of his bedroom every once and a while and sat at the table with them. The King had tried to talk to Elissa as he'd said he wanted to back in the Tellari Swamps, but she just shut the door in his face. While he stood there awkwardly wondering what to do or say, he could hear her gag. I guess I'll just have to wait until we reach land, he thought as he walked away.
"How's our princess?" Isabela asked him as soon as he stepped on the deck.
Alistair shrugged. "She's seasick. What can I say?"
Isabela looked at the young King from top to bottom. If she hadn't known his heart still belonged to that red-haired woman, she would not hesitate on asking him to join her in the captain's quarters. In that particular afternoon, the sea was not on its worst behavior like it had been in the morning, but Alistair kept his ensemble on: due to the arduous work of pulling sails, climbing up the ropes and many other things, he had a sleeveless white shirt on with his leather pants and boots. His hair was even messier, and all that combined gave him a charm powerful enough to sweep even the most cold-hearted woman off her feet.
"Hopefully she'll get better," the Captain replied. They were just about to leave the fearsome ocean and enter the Northern Passage, so calmer waters were to be expected. "Two more days and we'll reach land, I think."
Elissa was dehydrated. She needed Alistair's help to step off the ship and into the nearest inn the night they finally reached land. Those five days she had spent in that dreadful ship had taken their toll on her. Even though the last two were passed in calmer waters and she had managed to keep some food and water in her stomach, she was still sick and could use one day or two just lying in bed on firm land.
Varric had already gone to The Lovely Flower Inn – the nearest to the docks – asking for three rooms, since Isabela preferred the comfort of her own ship. The old woman that was at the counter handed him the keys, smiling, and the dwarf walked up the stairs in order to open each room.
Alistair helped Elissa climb up the stairs and into the small room. He put her in the bed, took off her boots and pushed the white blankets over her. Her face was pale but she showed signs of improvement – at least she could talk.
"Thank you," she whispered to him.
"You should just rest now. I'm going downstairs to get some food for you," Alistair said and then turned around to leave.
"Wait!" Elissa faintly said. When he turned around to face her she continued, "Do you mean real food?" A shy smile appeared on her lips.
Alistair laughed. "So you're well enough to joke around, huh?" She nodded and he stared at her. She's going to be fine. She's tough. "Do you have any preference for your dinner, my lady?" He bowed down jokingly.
Elissa signaled him with her hand to go away and he obliged. He closed the door behind him and went downstairs to join his companions, who were at the counter already eating.
"How is she?" asked Varric with a mouthful of some kind of chewed meat.
"Better, I believe," he answered simply. The waitress, who was the same woman who had welcomed them to the inn, came to meet him and he asked for some food for himself and some for his companion. The middle-aged woman nodded while taking notes of his request and then went to the back, probably the kitchen.
"What are your plans now?" Isabela asked him while cleaning her mouth on a small napkin. "We know Titus will be here, but where?"
The old waitress came back with a glass full of water and handed it over to Alistair, who took a quick sip before looking at Isabela to answer her question. "I'll have to look around, ask some questions—"
"You are going to ask some questions around town?" Isabela interrupted him. "Don't you ever stop to think?"
Alistair looked surprised. He wasn't getting what she was saying.
Isabela sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm talking to a kid... Alistair," she leaned closer to him so only he could hear her. Varric had a curious look on his face but didn't move because he understood what Isabela was trying to say to Alistair. "You're the King of Ferelden. People might recognize you and wonder why you're asking all these questions." She then returned to her place and pushed her empty plate away since she'd already finished eating. "Varric and I can take care of that. You take care of Elissa."
Varric nodded behind her in concordance, his mouth still full of food.
The old waitress finally came back with Alistair and Elissa's food. He took both plates upstairs and left one in his room before walking over to the room on the left. He knocked this time, remembering the awkward situation that had followed after seeing her… curves.
"Yes?" A faint voice sounded from inside.
"Is it safe for me to come in?" Alistair asked jokingly through the wooden door.
"Yes," Elissa answered with a weak giggle. Apparently she hadn't forgotten that situation either.
Alistair turned the door handle and walked into the room. Elissa was still in her bed, pretty much the same way he had left her a few minutes ago. He put down the plate in her night stand and said, "Your dinner is served, my lady."
Elissa smiled and looked at him with weary eyes. The dark circles beneath them were evidently caused by her fatigue. "So did we go back to the time when I was the leader and you were the follower?"
He sat on the bed at her side. "If I can have as good a time as I had back then, I'll gladly follow you." His eyes had a sweet look to them. He really meant it. She had no idea how much of his heart she still held and how much he longed for a single moment like those they'd once shared.
Elissa looked hungrily at the plate beside her. "I better eat that. Right?" She smiled again.
Alistair got up, a little embarrassed for what he had just said. Stupid, stupid, stupid. "Yes, you should!" he said trying to hide the sudden red flushing his face. "If you need anything just bang on the wall, I'm in the room right next to yours." Elissa nodded, already with a forkful of rice in her mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Elissa waved goodbye. She watched Alistair as he left and when he closed the door behind him his words hit her. Did he mean anything by that?
Elissa was so tired she didn't even wake up when Alistair walked into her room after knocking countless times on the door with no answer. She didn't wake up when he put her lunch on the night stand. She didn't wake up when he kissed her gently on the forehead. She didn't wake up as he collected the plate from last night's dinner and walked away, closing the door behind him.
Elissa woke up only when the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. She rubbed her eyes and thanked the Maker for that wonderful night – and part of the day – of sleep. Her stomach no longer hurt her, even though she was not fully recovered yet. She sat up in bed and noticed she had slept with her leather pants and green tunic on, the same clothes she had on yesterday. She took a deep breath and let the sunlight warm her skin. When she looked to her right, she noticed a piece of chicken and some potatoes on a plate on her nightstand. I guess someone took the plate from last night and left here my… lunch? The food was cold by now, so she got up, put her boots on, put her hair in a simple ponytail and decided to go downstairs with the plate in hand. She heard a wooden door opening up as she was starting to walk down the stairs.
"I see you're finally awake," Alistair smiled.
Elissa stopped in her tracks. "Are you stalking me?" she said jokingly, but with a serious enough tone to make Alistair stiffen his back.
He finally understood she was joking and laughed as he placed his arm on the door jamb. "I'm just worried about you, Liss."
"No. No, no, no." She gestured with her free hand as she got closer to him. "Varric already calls me Blaze. Liss is definitely not an option. Elissa."
Alistair put his hands up as a sign of surrender. "Fine, fine! I'm sorry, Lady Cousland, it will certainly not happen again!"
"Good." She smiled. "Well, I believe it is almost dinner time. Care to join me?"
"Sure."
They both walked to the counter where the old waitress was standing with a smile. "So here's our mystery guest!" she joyfully said. "Were you ill, dear?"
Elissa blushed at the woman's sudden friendliness. She wasn't used to being treated like that. As a woman of noble blood, people would always treat her with respect and reverence. But ever since she'd put a stop to the Blight, there was now a hint of fear as well. This woman, however, carried a sense of security and friendship which Elissa was not accustomed to, at least from a stranger. Furthermore, when she looked directly at the waitress's bright blue eyes and silvery hair, she reminded her of someone very dear to her, whom she had lost a few years ago: her mother.
"I… I was, but I'm better now, thank you." She managed to put a smile on her face after the initial shock. Were it not for the woman's chubbiness, Elissa could have easily mistaken her for her deceased mother.
"I bet you're hungry, then." The woman continued smiling. "I'll get you and your husband something to eat." She then turned to leave.
"He's not my—"
"Oh, I'm not her—"
But the woman had already entered the kitchen. Alistair's face matched Elissa's hair in color and he couldn't look at her. Maker's breath, if I turn to face her, she'll see me blushing and this situation will be even more awkward than it already is…! Why does that affect me so much?
Luckily for Alistair, Isabela and Varric entered the inn just at that precise moment, ending the silence between the two Wardens.
"I'm glad to see you on your feet!" Isabela said with a genuine smile.
"How ya feeling, Blaze?" asked Varric while positioning himself on the tall bench at Elissa's right so he too could get some dinner.
She took a deep breath. "Better, thank you." The old waitress had gotten to her too, but not because of the words she had said. Her assumption only made Elissa's heart ache a little more because she knew that her mother would also have assumed the same, if she were alive. She opened her eyes wide so that the tear that was forming could just go back to where it was coming from. "So, were you sightseeing?" Before letting any of them answer her question, she suddenly realized she had no idea where she was. "Maker, I don't even know where we are…"
"Qarinus, dear," Isabela answered, sitting at Alistair's left. "And as for sights, there really isn't anything worth being seen."
"We did gather some info, however." Varric smiled.
The waitress came back with two bowls of hot soup and put them in front of Alistair and Elissa, who quickly picked up their spoons. "I hope you like it! It's our special soup." She then noticed the presence of the pirate and the dwarf and still smiling, she asked them, "Soup?"
"Oh yes, I am starving!" Isabela said, looking jealously at the Royals and their tasty soups. She then pointed at Varric and told the old waitress, "For me and my short friend over there if you don't mind."
"Sure thing!" She walked back to the kitchen. Elissa and Alistair were so hungry they had already emptied half of their bowls.
Isabela frowned. "Isn't she overly happy?"
Alistair wiped his mouth with a napkin and shrugged. "So what did you find?" he asked trying to change the subject. He turned his head from left to right so he could hear who would talk first – Varric or Isabela.
"Good news is Titus is going to be here tomorrow, Prince." Varric told him.
Alistair waited for the sentence to continue, but since Varric remained quiet, he was forced to ask, "And the bad news…?"
Varric had a big smile on his face. He nodded to Isabela so that Alistair and Elissa, who was busy with her soup, would face her.
Isabela sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. "He's going to be at a ball…" She sounded disgusted.
"A ball?" Alistair asked. He put his spoon down. All his soup was gone.
Varric decided to let Isabela off the hook – she was already annoyed with the subject just by mentioning it. "You know – a place where people come to dance, eat, drink, and most of all gloat about all the things they possess that simple peasants can't afford."
The waitress came back and put the soups in front of Varric and Isabela. They both gorged themselves. They had been out all day gathering information and now they were starving.
"Can you get us in?" Alistair asked Isabela.
She nearly choked on her meal. "Me? Are you joking?" She cleaned herself with a napkin that was near her. "You're the King! You just have to make an announcement at the door!"
"Leave him alone, Isabela," said Elissa with a jocular tone, pushing away her bowl as she had already finished it. "He was alone all day. He's still living in his perfect fantasy."
"What makes you think I have been alone all day?" Alistair asked Elissa, lifting his brow.
She looked at Isabela and then at Varric. All of the sudden, they all burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Alistair looked confused. "What?" Do they actually think I'm that bad with women? The empress of Orlais wants to marry me. How difficult could it be?
Elissa got up off her seat and put a hand on Alistair's shoulder, squeezing it. She was still laughing and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Oh, Alistair…" She left a sovereign on the table as payment for the meals and as a tip for the lovely waitress before walking up the stairs to her room.
"Maybe you can find a lonely maiden at the ball tomorrow!" Varric added, eating and laughing at the same time, causing him to choke on his soup. Isabela quickly got up and hit him on his back, letting a piece of what looked like carrot fall on the wooden counter. "Thanks, Rivaini."
Their words hurt Alistair. I mean, I know I'm not a stunning gentleman that can sweep a woman off her feet, but by Andraste I can't be that bad… Can I? He got up, a little annoyed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Hey!" Isabela called him and he turned around to face her. "The ball is in the afternoon. Make sure you give our names at the door, would you?"
"Yeah, yeah." He shrugged it off and climbed up the stairs, leaving Isabela and Varric staring at him, wondering if they had gone too far.