Epilogue
"We did it! I'm impressed, aren't you?"
"Of course I am! But then again, I am a confirmed formidable woman, so it was to be expected, right? Did you see that the queen invited my father here today? I didn't even know! She's… she's okay, I guess. You know, for a noble…"
"And you went ahead and made Shianni Bann of the Denerim Alienage. Between the two of them, I foresee a lot of interesting Landsmeets on the horizon."
"Or they'll become the best of friends, you never know!"
"Anyway, I can't wait until all of this official business is over. I can't wait to be alone with you."
"Hmm, this sounds interesting. I have to go meet my adoring public right now, but I'll meet you upstairs later? We have a lot of… celebrating to do, not mentioning all of the time we lost while I was bedridden because of my injuries… we really need to make up for all that lost time, don't you agree?"
"Just go, you sly little minx, or I'll scoop you in my arms and run away to have my way with you right now!"
"Is that a promise?"
She burst into his room and ran straight to the double doors leading to the balcony.
"Alistair, come, you have to see this!"
She opened the doors wide and stepped out onto the balcony. He could hear the deafening roar of the crowd still massed in the courtyard. Kallian waved emphatically and heads began turning in their direction, the word spreading until everyone was looking their way.
"Look at that!" she said excitedly, raising her arms up in an exaggerated salute. The crowd roared its approval, cheering loudly.
"Look, look!"
She lowered her arms and the crowd's cheers lessened. Then she raised them again and the roars of happiness grew even louder than before.
"I'm the Hero of Ferelden!" she yelled, and the crowd went wild, applauding and cheering.
She took his hand in hers and dragged him by her side, raising his arm with hers.
"I love this man!" she yelled again, turning him to face her and kissing him passionately, eliciting even louder cheers from the crowd and leaving him out of breath, his face flushed and his head spinning.
"What's gotten into you?" he asked, laughing breathlessly.
"This! Do you know what this is, Alistair?" she asked, revelling in the crowd's cheers. "That's power! Freedom! No one can stop us and no one can touch us! Not even the nobles are above us now! We can do anything we want!"
"And what is it you want to do, my love?" he asked, lightly caressing her cheek with his fingertips. She leaned into his touch, smiling.
"I… I want to stay here for a while, in the castle. Anora has offered us hospitality and she's going to teach me the basics about ruling an arling before sending me to Amaranthine. I'm going to be an arlessa, Alistair! Well, sort of… Warden-Commander Kallian Tabris, Arlessa of Amaranthine! That does have a nice ring to it, don't you agree? I'm going to order nobles around!" She laughed.
"Then I'll go with you. Although I would like to go to Highever first, do something in Duncan's honour… that is, if you don't mind…"
"No… no, of course not! We'll do that first. I mean, who's going to say no to us now?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I heard you right."
Kallian was standing with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the leader of the Wardens recently arrived from Orlais. The Senior Warden was looking down at her with an air of barely concealed contempt.
"I said no, you cannot go run some errand in Highever. You are to join us now and come to Amaranthine to help the Wardens take possession of the arling."
"I'm sorry, how did you get the impression you were in charge?"
The woman sighed.
"Warden Tabris, you have been named Warden-Commander of Ferelden by default. You have not even been a Warden for two full years. Surely you can see the wisdom in naming someone who has had a little more… experience in charge of the Wardens now that more of us are here."
"Oh, I see the wisdom in that all right," Kallian retorted. "What qualifies you as more experienced, exactly?"
"Well…" the woman said, looking slightly taken aback. "I've been a Warden for almost ten years now, I already am Senior Warden…"
"So you're old," Kallian interrupted. The woman's eyes flared with anger.
"I lead an expedition into the Deep Roads..."
"I lead three expeditions into the Deep Roads. I went further than anyone before me except a couple of dwarves who are now dead. I killed a broodmother."
"I killed dozens of darkspawn!" the woman yelled, quickly losing her calm.
"I killed four hundred sixty seven. Yes, I counted. Oh, and one Archdemon. How many of those have you killed?"
"Yes, and how did you survive that, exactly?" The woman's tone was harsh, and accusatory.
"I don't know!" Kallian retorted, her temper finally showing. "Maybe the Maker wanted me to stay alive so I can keep arguing with stupid, old Orlesian Wardens!"
The woman stepped back, inhaling sharply. Then, an amused, surprised grin played on her lips as she looked past Kallian at Alistair.
"She's a little bit crazy, yes?"
"You have no idea," he answered, nodding. "Just be glad she hasn't punched you yet."
"Well, you've got attitude, I can see that. I think I like you." She extended a hand. "Leonie Caron, senior Warden. I look forward to serving under you, Warden-Commander. Take your time in Highever. You deserve some fun, it seems."
The Orlesian Warden winked at her before turning to leave.
"That was risky, Kallian," Alistair said, watching the woman walk away. Kallian didn't turn to him, her eyes still on the Orlesian.
"What can she do to us, Alistair? We're Ferelden's Grey Warden heroes. They can't demote us, and they can't throw us out. The Grey Wardens' standing in Ferelden is much too fragile. They need us here, and they know it. You have no idea of the kind of power in our hands right now, do you? I do. I've been on the receiving end of that power all my life. I have to say, it feels good to be the one wielding it for a change."
"Well, aren't you tiny and in charge?" he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I like it. It does all kind of wonderful things to me to see you so… decisive." He bit at her earlobe and smiled as her breath caught.
"You're a very naughty man, love…"
"Are you going to punish me, Warden-Commander?" he whispered, breathing the title in her ear like it was the sweetest of compliments. He trailed his tongue along the edge of her pointed ear, pleased to feel her shiver in his arms.
"You bet your sexy ass I will…" she whispered, melting into him. "Let's begin by making you carry me all the way back to my room in your arms, because I think my knees are not working very well…"
They were back on the road and he had never felt such freedom in his whole life. It was just the two of them, the open road and blue skies, one fire and one tent. Even the dog had stayed in Denerim, where the kennel master wanted him to sire some mabari puppies. A lot of the crown's mabari dogs had died in the war.
She was cooking something over the fire, having very firmly refused his offer for help. His cooking wasn't that bad, but somehow not letting him cook had become this running gag for so long that it was like second nature not to allow him near the cooking fire. Fine, then, if it meant that he could sit idly by and watch her as she stirred the contents of the pot, he wasn't about to complain.
"You know what I just realized?" she said, watching the bubbling pot closely, "We're completely alone. Not one person around to bug us or ask us for anything… No one to hear us." She threw him a sly look and a lopsided smile, "We can be… as loud as we want."
"Oh really?" he said, sitting up eagerly. "Do you plan on some screaming happening tonight?"
"Well… there's that thing we haven't tried yet that apparently drives men insane with pleasure but… you need to take a bath first." She wrinkled her nose. "You've been stewing in that armour all day long and I'm not putting my mouth down there if you don't wash it first."
The wooden branch he was using as a fire poker fell to the ground, utterly forgotten, as he stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.
Put her mouth… down… there…
It took some time before the meaning of the words actually made its way through his brain. When it did, he was suddenly on his feet, his hands clawing at buckles, pieces of armour falling around him at a rate he would never have thought himself capable of. Then he was sprinting to the small river.
He came back, cursing, to pick up his bar of soap and was off again in a blur.
He came back again, cursing louder, and grabbed his towel before finally heading to the quickest bath in history.
Kallian was still bent over the cooking pot when he came back to camp, the spoon still halfway to her gaping mouth, watching him running around in nothing but a towel, her gaze surprised and not just a little amused.
"Time for bed!" he exclaimed.
"But… we haven't even eaten yet."
"Bah, who needs food?"
"I still need to go wash myself…"
"Nah, you're fine! You smell very nice."
She sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine, then," she said with a little satisfied smile as Alistair threw himself inside the tent.
"Men…" he thought he heard her murmur amusedly before getting in.
"This is a nice place," Alistair said, looking around.
Kallian stretched against him, nuzzling his neck sleepily. "You're kidding, right?"
They had arrived in Highever the previous night. The teyrn had welcomed them to his lands, approving of their project after some discussion on the cost of the operation. He had pointed out some places he believed could be appropriate and had promised to look into hiring some workers.
They had explored Highever's coast for the better part of the morning. They had stopped moments before in a small clearing overlooking the sea for a picnic. Somehow, in a matter of minutes, the picnic had become a naked picnic, then a passionate lovemaking session. Alistair had absolutely no idea how all of it happened and he was certainly not about to admit he had any part to play in that chain of events. No… not at all.
"You want to build Duncan's monument here? How are you going to be able to meditate without thinking about everything we just did?"
"Maybe I won't… but then again, it doesn't need to be a bad thing, right? It's like… a celebration of life… a homage, really. Duncan would approve."
"That is disturbing on so many levels…"
"Think about it. We could be starting a tradition here. Each year we would have to come back here and… pay our respects…"
His hands roamed over her body, enjoying the feel of her naked skin against his as he nibbled at her earlobe and felt her melt against him under his caresses.
"So not fair…" she whispered.
He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed in contentment, nestling by his side. They lay there in silence for a while, basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun.
"Do you really think he would approve? Duncan, I mean?" Kallian finally whispered.
"Of all the sex?" Alistair scoffed. "I was mostly joking, love. Obviously we are going to find another, more solemn place to…"
"No, I don't… it's not what…" She sighed, her fingers lightly caressing his chest. "What I mean to say… well… do you think he would approve, you know… of me?"
"Approve of you? He did approve of you. He deemed you fit to be a Warden recruit. That's the highest approval…"
"No, not me like that… I mean… us? You know, me with you? I know he was like… like the family you never had and I think… well, I just wondered if…"
Alistair tried his best not to laugh, with limited success.
"Is that the Hero of Ferelden, the slayer of dragons, the elf who unified the nation I hear struggling for words? You're so cute!"
She smacked him half-heartedly.
"Well, my family approves of you… that must feel nice, right?"
"Well… yes…"
Alistair stayed silent for a while, thinking it over, "Do you remember the day we met?"
"Huh… funny you should ask, I don't remember at all… oh, wait, wasn't it the day I was told by a king I was one of the most important people in the world, and by a quartermaster that I was dressed preposterously for a servant, all in the same hour? Oh, oh, and wasn't it the day I chocked on some tainted blood and had to start killing monsters for a living? Yes… it's vaguely familiar…"
"Well, who's being overly sarcastic now?"
"Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "Please continue."
"You know, before I met you that day, I came across Duncan. He had probably just left you a few minutes before that. He told me to 'be nice' to you. Then I said something absolutely witty and clever and not at all whiny and he said that… that I had to be 'especially nice' to you, because… you had been through a lot."
"Huh. So you're just following orders then?"
"Yes, that's right! You had orders to kill the Archdemon and stop the Blight, and my orders were to be especially nice to you. I have to say, I think I did exceptionally well on my mission and you… well, you did an acceptable job under the circum… ow!"
She was pummelling his chest with her tiny fists, crying out in outrage. He caught both her hands in one of his, laughing breathlessly.
"All right, all right! Listen… You're beautiful, and feisty, and strong. You did everything you had to, working relentlessly, to almost single-handedly stop the Blight. Never in the whole history of Thedas has a Blight been this short. You're kind, and you're brave. You fight for what you believe in… and you're just a little bit crazy. Approve of you? Maker, he would have loved you. I think maybe he would have kept you for himself."
"That's… very sweet… and a little gross. He was old!"
"Hey, but still sexy, or so I hear! Who could resist that beard?"
She laughed softly, shaking her head.
"All right, let's get dressed. We still need to find an appropriate place before tonight."
"Yes. This time, however, please try to keep your tiny little hands off my manly, muscular body. We need to find a place that will not be desecrated by your lusty thoughts!"
She raised her eyebrows at him, looking like she was about to retort, but an amused smile curved her lips before she could feign being indignant.
"Oh, I'll try to restrain myself."
He couldn't believe it. He found the perfect place.
They were on their way back from Highever and had spent the whole day walking through a very dense forest. As the sun started to set, their hopes of finding a nice place to camp were rapidly fading when they came across a breathtaking clearing. The ground was all soft grass, moss and little white flowers. The leaves of the trees surrounding them were just beginning to take on their bright autumn colours. The light of the setting sun was filtering through the branches, creating rays of light across the clearing.
That had to be a sign, certainly. Was it the end of that bad timing curse?
Kallian clutched at his hand, gasping softly.
"Look at that, Ali… isn't it just perfect?"
"Yes… just perfect." Unbelievably so, in fact.
"And look! A river!" she said, crossing the clearing. "Right down there! This is a perfect spot to set up camp!" She let her pack fall to the ground and knelt to open it.
"Yes… a perfect spot… Kallian, wait."
She stopped unpacking her tent and threw him a questioning glance.
"What is it?"
He went to kneel by her, taking her hand in his, gently removing both their gloves.
"There's something I need you to do for me."
"What? Make the fire?"
"Uh… no."
"Mend your socks?"
"No!"
"If it's that thing we did the other night, you know the drill. Bath first."
"No, it's not… wait, is it an option?"
She arched her eyebrows with that lopsided smile on her lips and he mentally shook himself. Focus.
"I need you… to remove that ring."
"What ring?" she asked, confused. "Oh, you mean my… my non-wedding ring? I don't even know why I still have it, I guess it's just like a… a memento or something… why, does it bother you?"
"Nothing about you bothers me, love. It's just… well, I need to ask you something and I kind of need that finger to be free for that…"
"Wha…" Her eyes suddenly went wide as she looked back at him, and he had to bite back a smile at the incredulous shock on her face. Her fingers closed around the ring and she began pulling at it, gently at first, then more and more frantically.
"It's… it's stuck! I can't get it off! I'm trying, I'm trying, I swear!"
He laughed at the trace of panic in her voice. "Stop pulling at it so hard! Here, give me your hand. You just need… a little help."
He took her tiny hand in his, gently running a thumb over the small golden band.
"You and me… we had lives, before we met each other. We had some good memories, some bad, some… truly awful. We bore the marks of these past lives… scars, on the body and on the soul."
He brought her hand to his lips, gently flicking his tongue over the ring, and he heard her breath catch.
"When I met you, I was about to lose everything that meant anything to me. And you… you thought you had already lost everything, and yet you were standing so tall, tiny as you were, jutting your little chin up every chance you got, reminding everyone that you were still there, that you belonged. I clung to you, to your strength, and haunted and broken as you were, you lead me back, you brought me up with you."
He flipped her hand and gently kissed her palm, moving slowly to lick around the base of her finger. She held herself absolutely still, but he could feel her hand trembling in his.
"You asked for my help and I gave it to you, without restrictions. I watched as you fought this darkness in you, as you struggled to become not only the person you had to be but also the person you wanted to be. In your time of need you turned to me and I knew… I knew what kind of man I wanted to be. I want to be the one you need, the kind of man who is worthy of a formidable woman like you. You made me want to change, to strive to be better. I fell in love with you so deeply, and it was… effortless."
He slid her ring finger in his mouth until his lips were wrapped around the ring, and he suckled on it gently, feeling it glide off her finger. Taking it from between his teeth, he put it in her right hand and closed her fingers over it. His other hand came up to her face to gently wipe the silent tears that were falling from her wide eyes without her even knowing it.
"We taught each other that some things are better left in the past. They are not forgotten, but we learned to rise above them, to draw strength from them as we draw strength from each other. And you, you showed me that we can make our own future, our own destiny… our own happiness. So… here I am."
He took out the little wooden box. "Uh… would you, maybe… stand up?"
She scrambled to her feet, sniffling and grinning widely, trying to stifle her sobs. He took a deep breath and opened the little box, handing it to her.
"Kallian Tabris, I love you. I can't live without you… You already know I would do anything for you. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I want nothing to stand in the way of our love, nothing that could separate us. So, would you… maybe… do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
"Yes. Yes, yes, yes!"
She tackled him to the ground, kissing him senseless. Gasping and laughing, he struggled to catch her hand and slid the engagement ring on her finger. She pulled back a little to look at it in wonder.
"I love you," she whispered, leaning on his chest to kiss him again.
"Ow, ow! Armour! Big metal plate armour, digging in my back!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me help you take it off, then…"
"So, what now?" he asked.
They were almost within sight of Vigil's keep, walking hand in hand. Their escort and guide (Mhairi, right?) was walking a little ahead of them.
"Well, now it's you and me forever, happily ever after, right? Find some new Wardens, rebuild the order, live in a castle, spend our many riches, order some Orlesians around…"
"Right…"
"What? Something's missing?"
"Warden-Commander!" Mhairi shouted. They looked at each other, feeling the familiar pull in their blood.
"Darkspawn…" Kallian mumbled as they both drew their weapons. "Of course, there's darkspawn. Are you happy now?"
Alistair smiled.
"I couldn't be happier."
The end
Author's notes: So did you guess what the challenge was yet? :)
Here it is: The challenge was to give Alistair a happy ending where he stays a Warden (does not become king) and stays with the Warden (here, Tabris). So what do you say? How did I do? Did I succeed?
This story is so much longer than I thought it would be when I started it, and now I'm almost sad that it's over. I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm completely amazed by the response it got. I want to thank everyone who reviewed, I never had such a massive, positive response for a story before and it made me so, so happy!
To all my readers, I hope you enjoyed the ride!
A big thank you to Lorrain, one of my amazing reviewers, who did an adorable artwork of Kallian! You can find the link on my profile!
You will also find on my profile a link to a commissioned portrait of Kallian and Alistair by the ever amazing Dasque!
A very special, heartfelt thanks to my beta, Epiphany sola Gratia. This story would not have been the same without her. I took certain risks I would never have tried if she didn't have my back. All remaining mistakes are my own and I take full responsibility for them. She's an amazing writer and I enjoyed working with her very much!
Next on my to-do list is a story involving Zevran, so stay tuned!