Chapter 2

2 years later

Caleb awoke with Allison lying next to him and his arm lying over her exposed stomach. He watched her sleep and smiled to himself. The two had been seeing each other for the past few years and Caleb had been finding himself waking up in her bed in the run down building. It used to lead to an argument with Shianni, but now she rarely talked with Caleb about it. Caleb felt that it was because now that he was eighteen she didn't really care what he did as long as he didn't kill him self.

"Good morning," Allison had turned over while he had been in thought.

"Morning, beautiful. You know I wouldn't mind just stay here the whole day looking at you,"

"You're horrible," the two leaned towards each other. Just before the kiss Caleb heard a crash from the lower levels of the building.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Caleb sat up in the bed and ran a hand through his newly short hair. He looked like the King from one of the portraits from earlier in his reign. He tried to listen for anything coming from downstairs. He put his clothes on and grabbed his sword and walked next to the door. Allison also got dressed and out of bed.

"I think someone's downstairs,"

"You're just paranoid,"

Caleb was about to check the building when guards burst through the door. Caleb held up his sword to try and hold them off. He was able to keep them back for a few seconds until one got through. The guard bashed Caleb in the head with his shield knocking him to the ground. He tried grabbing his sword but one of the guards put shackles on his arms, "You'll hang for kidnapping the princess you bastard,"

"What do you mean princess?"

"Shut it, the king will decide your fate," the guards took Caleb out of the building. Caleb was still dazed due to the hit to his head but he knew that they were probably taking to the royal palace. It all started to come back to him when he was taken into the throne room. He was on his knees with his arms shackled in front of him. He saw the king and the queen on their thrones, he also saw Zevran the captain of the guard. King Alistair was looking down right at him, "Why did you kidnap my daughter?"

"I didn't kidnap her and I didn't know she was the princess,"

"I'm supposed to believe that you wouldn't recognize your own princess," he was yelling at this point. Caleb could tell that the king would have no problem killing him right now.

"What is your name young man?" the queen had a much calmer voice than the king.

"Caleb, your majesty,"

"Do you know the first templar of the chantry? Ser Thomas I believe his name is,"

"Yes, he trained me,"

"Than maybe we should bring him in,"

"Put him in the dungeon until Ser Thomas arrives," King Alistair had calmed down a little but anger was still in his tone.

Caleb sat in the cell for a few hours before he heard someone coming. He looked up to see the princess at the door of his cell, "Are you alright?" she was wearing some royal attire, much different than the commoner clothes Caleb had gotten used to seeing her in.

"I'm great; I knew my life was missing something I just didn't think it was a blow to the head, being put in a dungeon, and getting lied to, that's the best part,"

"Caleb, I'm sorry, it was just better if you didn't know,"

"You lied to me for two years Allison, oh I'm sorry it's Eleanor isn't it,"

"I said I was sorry," Caleb could tell she was about to start crying.

"Well that just makes it all better doesn't it?"

"Fine, if you're going to be that way than you're going to act than fine you can rot in this cell for all I care," she was on the verge of tears and ran back down the hall. He sat back against the cell wall and sighed already regretting yelling at her.

Another few hours passed before another person came to his cell. This time it was Ser Thomas, he came with a couple of guards. The stopped and at his cell door, "The king has agreed to release you into my custody, let's go," the guards opened the cell door and shackled Caleb's arms.

"Really, we need to do this?"

"We do this with all prisoners; you will be released when you are off of the premises,"

The guards escorted them out of the palace. When they were outside the gate the guards took the shackles off of him, than he and Ser Thomas walked back to the Alienage. Thomas took Caleb back to Shianni's house where she was waiting at the door, "Where have you been, gone all night and half today, what did you think it would do to me?" Caleb felt like a child again, coming home after getting in some sort of trouble he probably caused.

"I'm sorry Shianni; I didn't want to go to jail,"

"I always tell you to let me know where you are, a note or something,"

"I know,"

"Come on in, both of you. Ser Thomas you and I should talk," the two men went inside the house, "Caleb something came for you, I put it on your bed,"

"Yeah," Caleb went to the next room to see what she was talking about. He got to his bed and on top of it was a black suit of armor. On top of the armor was a note. Caleb couldn't recognize the writing, but he did recognize one part of it: his name.

He walked I back into the main room of the house and sat down at the table with the other two, "Ser Thomas do you know what any of this means," he showed him the note.

"I've seen this writing before, during one of my trips to the Free Marches,"

"Shianni, there's something that I've always wondered,"

"What?"

"Where does my name come from? I've never been able to find it in the elven language,"

"I don't know what language it's from but it was on a note that was in the blanket that you were rapped up in,"

"The Free Marches, you say,"

"Caleb, I don't want you going off to the Marches by your self,"

"What if I go with him?" Ser Thomas spoke still looking at the note.

"What?"

"I'm going to Val Royeaux to meet with the templars in Orlais, I'll take him that far and he can make it the rest of the way,"

"I don't know," Shianni was like a mother to him and he knew that it would be hard for her to say good bye.

"I can do it. With Ser Thomas' training and all that I've learned in the Alienage I'll make it there and back in one piece,"

"Let me think about it," She stood and walked Thomas out of the building, "Thanks again for bringing him back," she yelled after him, "It's getting late Caleb, let me sleep on it, I'll give you an answer in the morning,"

That night Caleb snuck out of the house and made his way out of the Alienage. He was having trouble sleeping and thought that instead of lying in bed he would try to make amends with the girl he had snapped at earlier that day. He made his way through the empty streets to the palace gates. When he arrived at the gates he saw the usual two guards stationed at the front gate. He made his way to a nearby alley and found a familiar whole in the wall. He crawled under it and checked for a patrol before crawling all the way through.

Once he was through he knew which balcony was the outside the princess's room. He made his way to the other side without detection. He climbed up to the balcony and tapped on the door. He heard a voice from inside the room, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Caleb," a few moments passed and the door was opened. Eleanor was standing there with and elegant purple sleeping gown.

"What do you want," there was a mix of anger and surprise in her voice.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier, I shouldn't have yelled at you. If I'd been in your position I probably wouldn't want anyone to know either,"

"Well I should have told you but I guess I just liked you not knowing and treating me like a normal person,"

"I'll take that as an apology,"

"I never said I was sorry but I do forgive you," the two embraced the other in their arms for a few minutes.

Caleb broke it off, "I should get back home,"

"Why don't you stay here tonight?"

"I'm leaving for Orlais tomorrow and I owe Shianni a good bye,"

"Than good-bye," before Caleb climbed back down Eleanor kissed his cheek and smiled at him before heading back into her room.

Caleb spent most of the next morning gathering all his things from around the house. Shianni had agreed to let him go, so long as he was with Ser Thomas until Val Royeaux. He looked at the armor and tried to decide whether he should wear it or not. He figured that he should just in case they run into any trouble on the roads.

The armor was all black including the boots and gauntlets. It was a lighter armor, not as bulky as some of the armors that he had seen. It looked almost like his clothes except for a few plates sticking up where his arm went up to his shoulder. He moved around in it and it felt so natural like it was made for him. He grabbed his sword and put it on his back and went to say good bye to Shianni.

He had heard the door open a couple times when he was putting the armor on and standing next to Shianni were Corthal, Azatae, and Ser Thomas. Caleb wanted to get through it as quickly as possible but he also want to remember this moment. He hugged Azatae and Shianni, and Corthal shook his hand and told him "Good luck", before he left the house Shianni hugged him one more time. She was reluctant to let go and Corthal had to get her away from Caleb. As Caleb and Ser Thomas were walking away Caleb turned one more time to wave and saw a tear in Shianni's eye before she went inside.

The two arrived at the city gate and were stopped by the guards standing there, "Let us through this instant young man, I fought against the last Blight, I helped save this city and I expect to be able to leave it when I so desire," seeing Ser Thomas this furious brought a smile to Caleb's face. He loved to see that the old templar still had a fire burning down in him.

"Sir, we have been given instruction not to let him pass by order of the king himself. We have sent word for him just as he instructed so you will have to remain here for the time being,"

"You mean me?" that part confused Caleb, "I thought you talked the king out of killing me,"

"I don't know what this is about but all we can do is wait for him to get here,"

It was less than an hour before the king arrived. He came almost alone; there was someone in full armor behind him, "Your majesty there's no need to take me back to the dungeon, in a minute I'll be outside the city on my way to Orlais,"

"That's part of why I'm here, I want to apologize for imprisoning you, my daughter told me everything, which leads me to the other reason, she has asked me if she could go with you," the person behind him stepped forward and took their helm off revealing it to be Eleanor, "and I said yes, on the condition that, Caleb, you promise me that you will not let any harm fall on my daughter,"

"You have my word, nothing will happen to her,"

"Good, guards let them through,"

The guards opened the gate, Ser Thomas and Caleb walked through. Caleb looked back to see Eleanor hugging her father than running to catch up with the other two.