"So I guess we're heros now, huh?" Liao asked.
"Looks that way, yeah," Alistair responded.
"I'm not sure if I understand it fully. All we did was our duty. We did what he had to do, for the survival of everyone. Do you think in a year's time anyone will even remember?"
"Of course they will, it's not every Age that a Blight is thwarted."
"That worries me, actually. I don't want to be remembered as some glorified figure. It feels strange."
"What else would you want to be remembered as?"
"I don't know. Why do people need to remember me at all? It's probably best to just be forgotten."
"That's a strange thing to say. People need heroes to look up to you. You accomplished a great deed that will inspire others to follow in your footsteps. Isn't that a good thing?"
"It's not a bad thing. I'm not worried about that though. What worries me is, now I sit on some sort of pedestal of morality and righteousness. What if I make a mistake? A hero holds great power, whether they choose to wield it or not. What am I to do with that?"
"You won't make any mistakes, and even if you did, nobody expects you to be perfect."
"What about the power though? Power corrupts doesn't it?"
"It can, but it doesn't have to. What's with all the questions anyway? What's really on your mind?"
"Wasn't Loghain a hero to these people before we came along?"
"He was. Before he turned his back on them all. Before he killed their king and destroyed the other Wardens."
"So what made the hero turn into a villain?"
"How am I supposed to know? I really don't want to talk about him."
"It just has me thinking. Loghain was a dedicated soldier, he believed so greatly that his cause was just. He wanted to protect Ferelden at all costs, even if it meant sacrifices. He betrayed those he was supposed to save. And yet, he was not held accountable for those actions. Do you remember how Ser Cauthrien defended him to her last dieing breath, even when she knew all about his evil deeds? How can a hero inspire so much blind devotion? Even now I am sure people still think he was a great man."
"Anyone who believes that is an idiot, quite frankly."
"Loghain was our enemy and the reason we had to rise up and unite the land. If the hero hadn't fallen, new heroes wouldn't have had to fix his mistakes. In a roundabout way, we are only here because Loghain failed. What happens when we fail? What new heroes will rise up to replace us?"
"You assume that we must fail then. Are you afraid that all heroes must turn into villains? There's plenty of examples that would refute that. There are many different kinds of heroes, Liao."
"Are there? I guess I've never worried much about heroes before. I always figured they were exaggerated and their stories were always written in a good light. People don't want to hear about fallen heroes, full of flaws and weaknesses.
I don't want to become something I'm not. I'm just someone who killed an archdemon and saved a nation, it's really not a big deal. If suddenly I have to worry about expectations to be a good little hero all the time, well, I think I might go insane."
"You won't have to worry about that, you're already a good person. The quest is done, now all we have to do is rebuild the Wardens and live out the rest of our years. Our hero days are over, aren't they?"
"Maybe. Who is to say another Blight won't happen in our lifetime or some other conflict will present itself? I think I will look forward to getting away from all this hero worship stuff before people start thinking I am some kind of god."
"I won't argue with that," Alistair was relieved to end the conversation. Discussing the moral decisions made by Loghain were never high on his list of fun things to talk about, "Don't you need to get ready for dinner?"
"Ah, yeah. How about you, do you need anything?" Liao asked.
"I think I can manage alright on my own, but thanks for offering. Don't wait up for me. I'll catch up with you in the dining hall, alright?"
"Sure, see you in a bit then."
Liao was finding their living arrangements at the palace to be a minor nuisance after spending months camping in the middle of no where with her companions. It used to be easy to share and store their equipment and other necessities in one space rather than splitting up amongst a few different rooms. She did, however, enjoy having a cozy bed to sleep in instead of a lumpy bedroll on the ground
Her companions had been split up amongst 3 different rooms. Wynne and Leliana (and occasionally Shale when the mood stroke her) shared a medium-size room with a bath. The boys: Alistair, Zevran, and Sten, had been put up in one of the barrack-like rooms set aside for Fereldan army captains. Oghren had opted to stay with the Fereldan army recruits since signing on board with the army, despite his officer status.
The Warden-Commander had been treated to a room of her own, with her own four-poster bed and a small lounge area for visitors. It was one of the rooms that would have been reserved for ambassadors or other visiting foreign dignitaries. She had quickly learned that it was not socially acceptable in Ferelden for one to share their bed with someone they weren't married to, which had made things slightly awkward given her relationship with Alistair. Many could assume the two were close enough to be a couple but neither had acknowledged it in a public manner.
Early in the day, Liao had decided she would try something different for the celebration banquet. While she hadn't wanted to dress up for the nobles during the coronation, she was more than willing to try her hand at dressing up for the dinner party. Leliana had suggested many different dresses and accessories to her over the course of the past few weeks, all of which Liao had taken little interest in during their stay at Denerim Palace. At one point, Leliana had bought an outfit for her elven friend and had refused to be compensated for it, saying every girl deserved to have one formal outfit. She had been particularly excited about the matching shoes that she had gotten to go with it; they were of an Orlesian style with tapered heels that subtly complimented the Fereldan dress. The colour scheme of the silken fabrics were that of spring, light blues, vibrant greens, and canary yellow that would suit Liao's complexion and eye colour.
This was the outfit Liao chose for the evening though she had slight difficulty figuring out how to lace up the fashionable waist girdle that Fereldan women seemed so enamoured with. Eventually she figured it out and proceeded to slip on the cute, but completely impractical, shoes. She examined herself in the looking glass for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to approach her braided hair. She opted to pull her hair up, braids included, in a small bun at the back of her neck. It was surprising how noticeably pointed her ears appeared when they weren't covered up. For a moment she pondered what it would look like if she were able to wear earrings like the Orlesians that prowled the Denerim marketplace. After adding a few light splashes of perfume that Wynne had given her, the elven Warden felt satisfied with her appearance. She was quite eager to see the astonished expressions on her friends' faces.
Liao walked the short distance down the corridors that led to the dining hall. The large , open room had been set up with long wooden tables near the walls with the middle being mostly cleared of any furniture. The banners and draperies that adorned the walls were bright in colour. They depicted the symbols of the Grey Wardens, a griffon, and those of the Fereldan royal crest, featuring two lions and a crown. The main table at the head of the room was covered with plates, food, and plenty bottles of various alcoholic beverages.
The young elf scanned the room for familiar faces and saw a few that she recognised. Being her typical shy self, however, Liao looked around the edges of the room for a quiet place to wait for the beginning of the meal. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed another elf that she had met briefly before in the Alienage and had fought alongside with briefly during the battle to reclaim Denerim. Intrigued by the presence of a city elf at a formal, mostly human gathering, Liao decided to approach the other woman.
"Shianni, right?" She asked in a soft tone, as the other elf seemed to have a cautious look on her face.
"Yes. Oh! It's you, the Warden. Forgive me but I cannot remember your name," the red-haired girl said with a hint of embarrassment.
"My name's Liao, it's good to see you again," Liao said. "I didn't expect to see any other elves here besides servants."
"Yeah, I wasn't initially the one invited. Elder Valendrian was supposed to come to represent the Alienage but I don't think he has any interest in fancy parties so he gave the invitation to me instead," Shianni explained.
"Well, that was kind of him," Liao said.
"Yeah, I think he wants to train me to be the next hahren (elder), even though I'm still quite young. Guess it doesn't hurt to rub shoulders with all the important shems (quickling, reference to how quickly humans age in comparison to elves) early, huh?" Shianni added.
Liao was surprised to hear elven words, she hadn't heard her own language very much since leaving her clan and the city elves only used it sparingly, "Ah, very good. You'll do a great job as hahren. But here's a word of advice, and I mean no offense, but calling humans 'shem' or 'shemlen' is probably not a good idea. Most of them don't know what it means and they'll think you're insulting them."
"Ah yeah, sorry, it's a bad habit," the other elf apologised, "Hey I don't suppose you could teach me some Dalish words sometime could you? It's so rare for us to run into our Dalish brothers and sisters when we're cooped up in the city."
"Sure, I'd love to though I don't know how much longer we'll be staying in Denerim," Liao was excited to have someone to talk to, especially someone interested in her culture.
"Just give me a quick run down of all the insults then," Shianni laughed.
"If I knew some, you'd be the first to know, lethallan," Liao smiled.
"That's 'friend', right? And I was just joking about the insults, ha ha!" Shianni seemed more at ease now. "Oh, who's that good looking she- er, human? He looks familiar."
Liao glanced in the direction that Shianni had indicated and saw Alistair approaching the pair. "That's Alistair, a Warden like me. He fought with us at the Battle of Denerim, remember?"
"Vaguely, I try not to think about that battle often. Too bad he's human, he'd be quite the catch, hey?" Shianni said suggestively.
"He is," Liao smiled.
"I am what?" the blond templar grinned.
"You're look quite dashing in that fancy tunic, that's what," Liao complimented him.
"Me? What about you? Maker's breath, I've never seen so you so dressed up before! You look absolutely ravishing," he said with astonishment before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
"Ma'arlath (I love you)," Liao said in response.
"And I you," he said back.
Shianni cleared her throat to indicate that she was still present, "Figures, all the good looking ones are human and taken."
"Oh, sorry," Liao said., "Alistair, do you remember Shianni from the Alienage?"
"She's the feisty one that we helped out right?" he recalled.
"Yeah, that's me alright," Shianni laughed, "So when is this meal going to start? Can we skip to the drinking already?"
"Hopefully soon, I'm famished!" Alistair said, "Oh look, Leliana and Wynne are already here. I'm going to go join them at the table while you two finish whatever it was I interrupted."
Before Liao could protest he had already wandered off.
"So, you and the human, eh?" Shianni asked with interest.
"Yeah.." Liao felt herself blushing slightly.
In a quieter, more concerned voice, Shianni said: "You do know why elves don't normally mate with humans right?"
"I know there are social barriers, sure," Liao responded, "But it's not much of an issue for us. We're Wardens, we kind of don't have to follow normal social conventions."
"Yeah, but aside from that," Shianni began again, "Elves and humans can only produce human offspring, you know? It's kind of why we in the Alienage stick to arranged marriages with others of our kind."
"Whoa, offspring, who said anything about offspring? It's early days yet for us," Liao replied, "Besides, the Warden-lifestyle isn't exactly family-friendly."
"Yeah, I guess not. Still, it's something to consider. Just as long as you already know. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt, lethallan," Shianni said affectionately.
"I appreciate the concern," Liao reassured the other elf, "Anyway, let's not dawdle here. I'm getting hungry now."
"And I am getting thirsty!" Shianni agreed as the two made their way over to the table where most of Liao's companions had settled in.
The meal was a feast of meats, vegetables, soups, and side dishes made from local Fereldan produce. Liao had never seen so much food in one location in all of her life and from the expression on Shianni's face, neither had she. The humans and the occasional surface dwarf didn't seem too fussed by the display. The cutlery and dishes were made of a stylish porcelain and the goblets and tankards depicted similar rustic artwork that could be seen throughout the palace. There was an ample supply of extra alcohol for the guests with several kegs at the back of the room to replenish any beverage made available with the meal.
It didn't take long for the large hall to fill up with loud noise. There was the occasional outburst from the exceptionally drunk like Oghren and Zevran but otherwise everyone was busy engaging one another in small groups of conversation. Everyone seemed to have so much to talk and laugh about except for the queen herself, who looked quite disconnected from the rest of the room.
Liao thought briefly about engaging her highness in some sort of discourse but couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say to her. Besides, Leliana and the other women kept badgering Liao for details of a personal nature and she was having a difficult time fending them off as wine began to relax her nerves. Zevran joined in with the ladies and managed to distract them with some his past exploits as a lady's man (or man's man, depending on the story) in Antiva. Shianni in particular was quite enamoured with him until he revealed one of his more disturbing stories which led the group to leave the table and seek out a more interesting storyteller.
At this point in the evening, people were beginning to mingle amongst the various tables and dessert was being placed out around the room. Most of it was small, finger-sized food that could be eaten while wandering about such as sweet biscuits and scones. Sten, who had been especially quiet for much of the whole event, spoke up only to indicate his disappointment that there wasn't any cake available. Liao found it amusing that the large Qunari man had quite a strong sweet tooth and tried explaining to him that there were pies and many different biscuits for him to try instead. He was only slightly satisfied with this revelation though and remained sulking in a corner for the rest of the night.
Oghren was beginning to make a scene with his excessive alcoholic consumption and was challenging anyone to a drink off. A few Fereldan army officers were foolish enough to humour the dwarf and found themselves quickly being scolded by their higher ranking officers. Zevran took up Oghren's challenge though and the pair attempted to sing an old Antivan drinking song in a mixture of slurred Dwarven and Dalish. Neither knew the words well enough in Common let alone in the other languages and it didn't have the infectious result that they had hoped for. It did, however, encourage the band of minstrels and troubadours to take to their instruments to drown out the obscene sound.
"Finally! I can show off my new shoes on the dance floor," Leliana giggled. "You can come dance with me, Liao!"
"I can't dance, Lel," Liao reminded her human friend. "Besides, isn't it awkward for two ladies to dance together?"
"In Orlais, it is perfectly acceptable for dance partners to be of the same gender. Is it not the same here in Ferelden?" Leliana asked, looking a little worried.
"Don't worry, I'll come dance with you, Leliana!" Shianni piped up and the pair of them disappeared into a crowd that was beginning to gather around the centre of the room.
"That's a relief, I really don't want to worry about dancing if I don't have to," Alistair said to Liao now that it was just the pair of them at the table.
"But I thought you could do a good Remingold?" Liao laughed, remembering how the pair had plotted to distract the darkspawn at Ostagar with interpretive dance, to which Duncan hadn't been very supportive of.
"Hey, a darkspawn wouldn't know the difference. Anyway, that was a total bluff. I'm surprised you even remember that," he said in response.
"Of course I do, don't you remember the exasperated look on Duncan's face? That was priceless," Liao laughed.
"Yeah," Alistair said less cheerfully, "That was the last time we saw him."
"At least he had a good laugh at our expense before.. you know.." Liao tried to keep the conversation moving in a positive way.
"Maybe we could talk about something else?" he asked.
"Sure, what did you have in mind?" she knew better than to talk at length about the former Warden-Commander.
Alistair looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "Not here. Let's find some where more private to talk."
Liao looked at him with a bit of confusion, "Are you upset that I mentioned Duncan?"
"Ah, no. That's not it. But there, uh, is something else I do want to talk about but it's just too loud in here right now," he suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable, maybe even a bit nervous.
"The courtyard is probably empty right now, we could go out there if you want?" Liao suggested.
"That could work," he said as Liao led him through the crowded dining hall and out towards one of the gardens behind the large, stone palace.
There were only a few lit torches set up around the courtyard but the light from the palace's windows managed to illuminate the cobbled footpaths. There weren't any other guests outside to bother the two Wardens. Dusk was turning into evening and the first few stars and a half-moon dotted the sky above. Because it was autumn, there weren't many flowers in bloom but there was the occasional rose bush that made its presence known with its distinctive scent. The breeze that filtered through the garden was light but chilled and warned of cooler weather to come.
Liao shivered slightly as her body adjusted to the temperature difference between the fireplace-laden palace to the empty courtyard. Alistair instinctively undid his cloak's clasp and draped the garment over the elf's thin shoulders.
"Thanks," she said. He had been really quiet since they had come outside and it felt nice to break the silence. "Are you feeling ok?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to spend a moment alone with you is all," he said.
"Well, here I am," she smiled. At that moment she smelt a recognisable floral scent, "Hey this rose bush smells familiar," she bent down to investigate the velvety red flowers more closely. The smell was both familiar and invigorating.
"Those are the same kind as the one I gave you before the Landsmeet, do you remember?" he asked.
"Of course I do," she said, standing closer to him. He wrapped her up in his arms and the two stood there for a moment in silence as they remembered the day when they had become more than simply two Wardens trying to stop the Blight.
"Hey, look at this. Do you know what this is?"
Liao had been too busy pacing back and forth, ranting and raving about her own problems that she had barely acknowledged Alistair's presence. His outlandish question caught her completely off-guard and she was too dumbfounded to think of a witty response. After a long, awkward pause she finally noted the object in his hand and said, "That's a rose."
"I picked it in Lothering," he said casually, clearly oblivious to the sudden shift in topic, "I remember thinking, 'How can something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come eventually with their taint and just destroy it, along with everything else in Lothering. I couldn't bear that so I've kept it in my pack ever since," He stopped to look at her reaction, realising that maybe he was crossing some sort of barrier that separated casual conversation from personable conversation. He was hoping it wasn't completely inappropriate to express the feelings he had longed to share since they had left Ostagar so many months ago.
"What do you intend to do with it now?" Liao asked, still mentally trying to figure out what was going on. She suddenly felt as if the conversation was beginning to pull her into unfamiliar territory. She couldn't quite identify the emotions she was beginning to feel at that moment. The sensation in her stomach was completely foreign and new. Hadn't she had multiple conversations with her fellow Warden over the course of the last few months without feeling this ridiculous before?
"I thought that I might... give it to you, actually, if you like. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing whenever I look at you," he was still holding tightly onto the stem of the deep red rose, though his grip seemed slightly shakier than when he had first presented it to her.
"You do?" Liao asked, it had been the sweetest compliment she had ever heard but she had no clue how to respond. This is silly, why are we both so nervous all of a sudden? she thought. She took a few steps closer towards her friend, intending to accept his gift, but when her out-stretched hand brushed against his she could feel herself blushing fiercely, "Thank you, Alistair, I really don't know what to say."
"I'm glad you like it," he smiled but continued talking in an attempt to put her more at ease, "I was thinking..here I am doing all this complaining and you haven't exactly been having a good time of things as of late yourself. You've had none of the good experiences of being a Grey Warden since you're Joining, not a word of thanks or hint of gratitude from those around you. Our journey so far has been full of nothing but death and fighting and tragedy," he sighed softly, "And I thought, I thought maybe I could say something to change that. I wanted to tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amongst all this...darkness," now it was his turn to blush in a ridiculous fashion. He sincerely hoped the words sounded just as good out loud as they had in his head, "I guess it was, uh, just a stupid impulse. I don't know. Was it?"
"No, not at all," she quickly assured him. She placed her hands on his briefly before taking the rose and its scent washed over her like a gentle breeze. She merely stood in front of Alistair wondering what to do next.
The young elf could nearly hear her own heart beating but she was no closer to understanding why her body was responding in the way that it was. A few moments ago she was at breaking point with everything that related to the Blight and the upcoming Landsmeet. Now she felt like a shy child that could barely string an entire sentence together. How could one person affect her so greatly when she was in the fieriest of moods?
The human seemed satisfied at calming his companion down. It pained him greatly to see her so upset and he felt slightly responsible for having placed the mantle of leadership, with all its endless responsibilities, upon her shoulders. He had tried to be as supportive during their quest to unite the cultures of Ferelden as possible but knew he could be trying harder to help Liao out.
Now she was about to have a mental breakdown just before the biggest decision she was going to have to make. Deciding who should rule a human nation that the Dalish girl had no interest in was difficult enough. She was also responsible for the fate of her closest friend and if the roles had been reversed, Alistair was sure he'd be just as upset as she was that afternoon.
Liao cleared her throat to break the silence, "Um, I guess I'll find a vase for this rose then? Yes, that seems like a good idea. Do you intend to hang out by my door all day or are you going come in and make yourself comfortable? I don't have any where else to be, so, you're welcome to keep me company, if you wish," she turned around and spotted a flower vase on the nightstand near her bed that was full of local wild-flowers, "Ah, here we go!"
"If you'll have me, then I'd love to spend some time with you," the templar said, still feeling as if he was being too forward and direct but Liao didn't indicate that it was bothering her yet. He glanced around the small but familiar guest room. It was very similar to the other guest rooms in Arl Eamon's estate. The rooms were designed more for sleeping than for entertaining guests, however, and there was only the bed and a small chair by the vanity to sit on. Well, you've gotten this far without screwing up, may as well go for the bed, he thought.
Liao was busy pulling out the current flowers in the vase and replacing them with the single rose that Alistair had just given her. It kept her mind busy at least, she was unsure as to how to entertain her guest but she knew she'd rather hide in her room all day than deal with more Ferelden politicking. It was as good as an excuse as any to get some much needed personal time, albeit it wouldn't be spent quite entirely alone as she had expected it to.
"Hey, you're bed is way more comfortable than mine," Alistair commented as he stretched out on the double-sized bed.
"You're not going to keep your dirty boots on in here are you?" Liao asked in a disapproving tone. "Those linens were just put on that bed this morning."
"Er, yeah, good point. Sorry. It's a bit of an odd habit, not having to be dressed up ready to fight darkspawn all the time. Plus the stone floors are so cold around this place," he said while unlacing his boots. Liao sat down on the bed across from him while he did so. She was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time, "What, is something on my face?"
"No, silly," she smiled but kept looking at him all the same.
"Well, what is it you see then, my lady?"
"I see a handsome human man sitting in my bedroom who must possess some sort of magical power to diffuse my temper so easily," the words came out before she even had time to think of them, it felt as if she were running on pure instinct rather than calculated logic.
"It's true that templars do know a thing or two about magic but we're not trained in the art of culling tempers," he laughed. In a more serious tone he said, "I just didn't want to see you so upset, Liao. I know you're under the most stress out of all of us lately and it isn't fair. We're supposed to be out there killing darkspawn, but we've been stuck playing diplomat since we rescued Anora."
"Don't I know it," Liao sighed. "I've still not reached my decision yet, if you were wondering. I'm sure that's all you came down here to discuss after all."
"That was the plan, yes. However, it seems there isn't much else to do today and you're pretty much the only person I can stand to talk to around here," he said, remembering how the rest of their companions had treated him with casual disregard during lunch. "Er, not to say that you aren't important. Because you mostly definitely are important. To me at least, if I may be so bold."
"You may. And while we're being so bold here, perhaps we should just be honest with one another, yes? You've been holding onto that rose for awhile now, several months in fact. Is there anything I should know about?"
"I-, well, it's been rather hard to just say it, you see. You're not the easiest woman to approach. For one, your quite beautiful. Secondly, you tend to keep everyone at arm's length, which I guess makes sense as Dalish aren't taught to trust humans easily. And weren't you and Zevran sort of involved at some point?"
"You're still being evasive," she pointed out, "I can wait all day for you to spit it out, you know."
"I wouldn't mind spending all day in bed with you," he said slyly. "But you deserve to know how I feel. So here goes," he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. When he opened them again he looked directly into Liao's small, emerald eyes, "I know it.. might sound strange, considering we haven't known each other for very long, but I've come to..care for you. A great deal, actually. I think maybe it's because we've gone through so much together, I don't know. Or maybe I am imagining it. Maybe I am fooling myself, it's hard to tell. I've never felt this way about anyone before."
Liao was relieved to hear him reveal his feelings first. She hadn't realised she cared about him that much until recently. After she had broken down into hysterics after dealing with the elven slavers in the Alienage, he had be the only person to calm her down. While she got along with nearly all of her charges, Alistair had always been the only one she could really talk to for much of the journey. He was the only one that knew what she was going through after the Joining and what it felt like to have haunted dreams about Archdemons. More than that, he had never judged or critiqued her progress as she tried to adjust to the world beyond the familiarity of her clan's traditions. He had come to rely on her greatly but he probably didn't realise how much she had come to depend on him in return.
"It's the first time I've ever felt this way about someone as well," she said in a whisper. 'I'm not sure whether I should be thrilled or terrified but I do know one thing for certain. I couldn't manage every day of my life without you. I need you at my side, and not just against the darkspawn. I mean, that is, to say, I care about you very much. I've never been in love before, not really anyway, but I imagine it must feel very similar to this."
"Now that we've gone through the awkward moments, what's next? Where do we go from here?"
"I really don't know. We can't get too carried away, can we? There's still the Landsmeet to deal with in the next few days. Then we have to gather the armies together to push against the darkspawn. Do we even have time to pursue our personal desires right now?"
"I'm willing to make time if you are," he offered.
"I don't think it's up to us to decide that. Races and nations are depending on our success, there's just too many other things to consider. You of all people should understand the importance of duty and how it must take precedence over everything else," she insisted.
"Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much? Come on, don't let me down now. We've slain hundreds of evil creatures and now you're suddenly too afraid of your own heart? That doesn't sound like the Liao I've grown to know," he urged.
Liao felt foolish, she had grown so used to dealing with others' problems and had spent so little time focusing on herself and her own needs. Now she suddenly had the opportunity to pursue something she greatly wanted and she was shying away from it, "I must sound stupid to you," was all she managed to say.
"Of course not, don't say that. You've given up so much to help us all. Why don't you let someone take care of you for once?"
"I can take care of myself. Everyone is counting me. Count on Liao to save us from the Archdemon, count on Liao to choose your ruler, count on Liao to do all your errands. Never fear, she's here to do what everyone else is too scared to do," she could feel the emotions from earlier showing themselves again. She was angry and tired of being everyone's heroine. All she wanted was some peace and quiet, maybe some time to mourn the loss of Tamlen, maybe the chance to re-unite with her clan. But everyone demanded so much from her, she had no time to even think for her own well-being. "Nobody's cared about my feelings so far, so why should you start caring all of a sudden? You're just worried that I'll make you king, come in here trying to coax me into making a decision that benefits you. Well it won't work. I am nobody's puppet. I am just me. A girl cut off from her home and her family and cursed with the darkspawn taint. I don't want all this pressure!"
Just as it was all going so well, too Alistair sighed, he glanced over at Liao and saw the tears on her face briefly before she turned away. What could he have possibly said to set her off? Perhaps he was being too selfish and should never have said anything. She was still just as distraught as when he came into the room earlier, maybe even more so now. "I'm really sorry, do you want me to go now and leave you alone?"
"No," she said so softly that he had to lean in closer to hear her, "But I don't want you to see me like this either."
Instead of responding with words, Alistair hugged his elven friend closely. He didn't know what else to say anyway, but at least he could make her feel comfortable and safe. "If you need to fall apart, I'll be right here to hold you together," he whispered in her ear.
She hugged back and held onto him tightly, "Did you mean all those things you said earlier?"
"I meant every word of it. Please don't be upset," he slowly pulled away from her so he could look her in the eye, "Let me help you through this, alright? We're in this fight together."
She nodded but still felt ridiculous for crying in front of him, "I meant what I said too. I think I'm just feeling too many things all at once. Stress, despair, fear, love. It's all a bit overwhelming."
"Speaking of overwhelming.." Alistair wrapped an arm around Liao and leaned in to kiss her gently. It was a brief kiss but it was enough to calm both of their nerves. She made no attempt to pull away so he gave her another, slightly longer kiss which she reciprocated happily.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he laughed softly, still holding her smaller body in his arms. "Maker's breath but you are beautiful."
She only smiled in response, though she could feel her cheeks warming slightly. Liao felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was now free to be herself and do as she pleased. She leaned back onto the bed to stretch and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Alistair asked as he turned to face her in her new position.
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know, but by the Creators I have never been so happy before," she giggled uncontrollably at nothing in particular.
"I'm glad to hear it!" he smiled at her and she motioned for him to come closer.
"I don't intend to leave this bed today, do you?"
"Your desire is my command."
"Then it is my desire that you stay here with me. Nothing else matters today."
Liao stood on her toes and turned around to kiss Alistair briefly. When they parted, he held her left hand and looked into her eyes before taking a deep breath, "You look absolutely stunning tonight, you know that? Maker's breath but there is no luckier man in all of Thedas than I. You know I love you, right?"
"Yes, silly, I love you too, " she smiled.
"That's good because I want to ask you something important. I don't know the Dalish custom for this so I'll do it the only way I know how," he began. The young templar dug through a pocket hidden by his tunic and produced a small, shiny object that reflected the light from a nearby torch.
"In the human tradition, when a man wishes to marry a woman, he gives her a ring that symbolises their eternal love. I had this ring crafted for you and I hope you will accept it. I know this seems really sudden but I didn't want to wait any longer since our lives are already shortened enough. Liao, would you honour me by marrying me?"
Liao was bewildered, the human custom was unfamiliar to her but it wasn't hard to figure out how important this decision was for the both of them. She didn't even have to take a moment to think of her response, "Yes, I will marry you, Alistair." She didn't know what more to say, she could feel her face beaming with joy.
"Really? Andraste's flaming sword, she said yes!" he exclaimed at nobody in particular and nearly forgot in his excitement to place the glittering ring on her finger. The ring featured a pattern of leaves in alternating gold and silver that were the same shape as the ones in the Brecilian forest from where Liao had been born and raised. She didn't take notice of the detail at that moment though. Instead, the happy couple embraced one another and allowed the excitement of the moment to wash over them.
Eventually the pair made their way back to the dining hall which was starting to resemble more of a dance hall than a place to grab a meal. The lutes and other instruments provided a festive background music. The crowd made it difficult to find where the rest of their friends might be but within moments Wynne had spotted the couple.
"Where have you two been off to? You missed Oghren taking up Bann Teagan's challenge," she asked but when neither of them could figure out how to respond, she added, "Oh it wasn't that interesting really, but the expression on the bann's face was adorable. I'm not even sure where they found a whole keg of pickle juice anyway."
Before they could say much, Teyrn Cousland approached the small group. "I've been looking for you guys all evening," he said.
"Sorry, we've been a bit busy," Alistair said, "I'd be happy to talk with you after I make a bit of an announcement."
"Announcement?" Wynne asked as she instinctively looked at Liao's hand and noted the new piece of jewellery, "Oh!"
Teyrn Cousland managed to pull off an ear-splitting whistle that paused the entire room, even Oghren had stopped dancing on a table and looked nearly ready to fall over. The musicians and stopped and every head turned to look at the dark haired Teyrn, "They're all yours now, Warden."
Alistair felt embarrassed to have the attention of so many, including the queen of Ferelden, but the joy of the evening pushed him onwards like adrenaline during a tough fight, "I just wanted to announce that Liao has agreed to accept my hand in marriage. A ceremony will be held at Amaranthine in the near future and we would be happy to have some of you as our guests," he paused for a moment while cheers and shouts of congratulations were made, "I'd also like to propose a toast to the future . I look forward to rebuilding what was lost at Ostagar. For the Grey Wardens! For our Warden-Commander Liao!" The room roared with approval and the clanking noise of tankards and goblets. The music began again with a new fervour and dancing commenced.
Almost instantly, Liao found herself surrounded by Leliana, Shianni, Wynne, and others women who were excited for the soon-to-be-bride. She didn't catch sight of Zevran or any of her male companions and she would have preferred to not be fussed over. Teyrn Cousland used the moment to pull Alistair aside to have a quick chat before he too was swarmed by strangers wishing him well. When everyone eventually gave Liao a moment to catch her breath, the young elf was approached by her quiet friend, Sten.
"I have decided," the qunari stated.
"Decided what, Sten?" Liao asked him.
"I have decided now is a good opportunity to return to my homeland. The Blight is done and my quest for the arishok is done. There's no reason to linger," he continued.
"I thought you were going to visit Amaranthine with everyone else before you left?"
"It is not necessary. A ship is ready to sail north from the local port. I have already booked passage for the hound and myself."
"I.. don't know what to say, Sten. I think I will miss having you around. You're one of the finest warriors I have ever met."
"Perhaps I shall see you again one day. Until then, may you always find the path you seek. Farewell, kadan," the large qunari said definitively before leaving the room. Liao had come to respect him over the past year but knew it was unwise to argue with his wishes. There wasn't anything left to do though later Leliana told Liao she should have hugged the half-giant goodbye. Somehow the elf didn't think Sten would have appreciated that.
After some more time had passed, Alistair and the Teyrn of Highever returned to Liao, who was just beginning to feel a bit tired from all the day's activities.
"You look like you have something to say," Liao said to Alistair as she tried to suppress a yawn.
"I do. The timing isn't ideal but Fergus," Alistair indicated the Teyrn informally and casually, "has asked me to stay at Highever for a short visit. I'm not sure if you remember, but Duncan was from Highever and I think it would be a good opportunity to pay my respects."
"That sounds alright, but when are you planning to go?" she asked.
"Tomorrow morning, if possible," Fergus Cousland added helpfully, "I had already planned to leave tomorrow since my sister is supposed to be returning from the Free Marches and we had already arranged on the day to meet. It would be ideal if Alistair left with me. I regret that this falls on the day after your engagement and I understand if you two don't want to do this so soon."
"It's important to you, right?" Liao asked Alistair directly, "I mean, we're going to be so busy soon that we won't have the time to leave Amaranthine often. This is probably the best time for you to do this."
"It is, but I will make it up to you some how," Alistair agreed, "I won't take any longer than a week. It will give you time to settle in at Vigil's Keep and maybe Leliana or Wynne can help you with all the wedding stuff."
Liao thought about it a bit, she wasn't thrilled about being separated from her closest friend, now fiancé, for any amount of time but she knew how much it meant to him to give Duncan a proper funeral. She also suspected that as the Arlessa of Amaranthine, it would do her well to honour the wishes of high-ranking nobles like Fergus Cousland, especially when he had just given so much to the Wardens.
"Ok, I'll allow it," she said finally. To lighten the mood she added: "Teyrn Cousland, I only ask that you keep him out of trouble."
"You may call me Fergus, my lady," Fergus shook her hand in the way nobles did when they agreed to things, "And don't worry, he'll be under my ever-watchful eye."
"Thanks, Liao," Alistair said, "Perhaps we should get some rest soon then and spend what's left of our evening together? I can help you get ready for your move to Amaranthine tomorrow."
"I'd appreciate that," Liao said, "I'll just go say good night to her highness before we depart. No sense in being rude."
"Retiring for the evening?" Queen Anora asked the elven Warden-Commander as she approached her.
"Yes, your highness," Liao bowed her head to show respect. "We'll be leaving for Amaranthine tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to properly say good bye to you then, so I wished to say it now."
"That's thoughtful of you, most people don't care enough to tell me anything," Anora seemed more distant than usual and overly sober given the recent celebrations. Her guards were watchful of her from afar and no subjects, servants, or anyone in particular was spending time talking with her. It occurred to Liao that the Ferelden queen looked rather lonely.
"Of course I care, you were an integral part of our success against the Blight," Liao reminded the human queen, "I will not be forgetting you any time soon."
"Thank you, Commander," Anora chose to address Liao by her rank rather than her name, "I heard about your engagement tonight. I would offer my congratulations if the man was more deserving of your affection."
Liao wasn't sure if the queen was being sarcastic or serious but she decided to shrug off the comment, "Thank you for your thoughts. Your highness, if I may speak frankly here, you look like you've not had a very good time this evening."
Anora sighed and looked directly at Liao, "It's nothing. I've just got too many things to worry about and my mind has been elsewhere. I've never been really good at parties anyway. But it is getting late, is it not? I shan't keep you up with my lamentations."
"Yes, it is," Liao said, "Queen Anora, it has been a privilege to serve with you. If you ever need anything from the Wardens, or from me, don't be afraid to ask."
"I doubt I will need anything but I'll remember the sentiment all the same. Good night, Warden-Commander," with that the queen rose from her throne and followed her guards out of the back of the room, presumably towards her chambers for the night. Liao did similar and was relieved to have survived the social event without too many blunders.
The next morning, Liao saw Alistair and Fergus Cousland off at the Denerim gates as they left for Highever. In the afternoon, she packed her belongings and met her companions at the same gates. Wynne, Zevran, Leliana, and Shale were to travel with her via a caravan route to the coastal Arling. Within a few hours they caught their first glimpses of Vigil Keep's towering stone structure. The sun was setting behind one of the towers when Liao thought to herself: So this is my home now. I've never had a home before. This will be interesting.