Zeriah wiped a lock of hair out of her face as she strode out to meet her husband. Alistair looked regal in his golden armor, but his face was full of worry. His handsome features relaxed when he saw her unharmed, however. The king was accompanied by some of his personal guard, along with a small squadron of Templars. The chantry had been practically licking his boots ever since they found out he had almost become a Templar. Zeriah bowed her head, while the rest of her party knelt before Alistair.
"It looks like I'm a bit late. It's unfortunate, really. I miss the whole 'darkspawn killing' thing. And the near death experiences. And sleeping on the cold, hard ground." he joked. Zeriah rolled her green eyes at him.
"At least you got to share the cold, hard ground with me." she pointed out. He grinned at her and she couldn't help but return it. Her husband turned to Varel with a concerned look in his eye.
"I came to give the Wardens a formal welcome, but I was waylaid on the road by one of your soldiers. What is happening here?" he asked. Varel sighed.
"What darkspawn remain have fled, Your Majesty. The Grey Wardens who had arrived from Orlais appear to be either dead, or missing." he explained. Alistair looked at Zeriah.
"Missing? Since when are darkspawn taking prisoners?" he asked. Zeriah shrugged. If she had any answers she would have been on her way home hours ago.
"I don't know, love. Everything about this is strange. One of the darkspawn talked, Alistair." she answered, whispering the last into his ear. His brown eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded, understanding her need for discretion. If the chantry knew about a talking darkspawn there would probably be trouble.
"It is strange. You are all right though, yes? Unharmed?" he asked. She nodded.
"I almost wasn't, but Traven and Anders here saved me." she admitted. Alistair glanced over at their friend.
"Yet another thing that I owe him for. Traven, someday you will have to allow me to repay you somehow. I feel perpetually indebted to you." he said. Traven shrugged.
"She's important to me too, Al. I won't let anything happen to her." he replied. Alistair smiled and Zeriah poked his armor.
"So are you going to be staying here with me? It can be like old times, but with beds!" she suggested. Alistair groaned at her.
"I wish. Why would you even tempt me like that, you little minx? Unfortunately I have to keep my rear end firmly in the throne in Denerim. I wish I could stay with you, love." he said wistfully. She had been expecting that answer. "You have quite the task ahead of you, Zeri. Unfortunately, you're on your own for now." Zeriah nodded as Oghren burst forward in an outrage.
"What am I? Chopped nug liver?" he grunted.
"From the smell of it, that's not a bad guess." Anders quipped. Oghren glared at the mage, but turned back to Zeriah.
"I came here to join the Wardens, and from the looks of it, you could use the extra hands. Where's the giant chalice? I'll gargle and spit!" he roared. Zeriah's lips twitched toward a smile, but she schooled her expression and arched an eyebrow.
"You're not allowed to spit." she commented. Oghren chuckled.
"Good. Spitting is a waste of fine liquor." he replied. Zeriah rolled her eyes at him.
"Whatever you say, Oghren." she answered. Anders snorted.
"Joining the Wardens, eh? Well good luck with that!" he said. The head Templar who was with Alistair stepped forward.
"King Alistair! This man is a dangerous criminal!" she cried. Alistair shrugged.
"Oghren's a bit of an ass, but I don't think I'd go that far." he remarked. Zeriah laughed softly.
"She means me." Anders sighed. Zeriah raised an eyebrow as Traven stepped forward.
"You can't have him, Rylock." her friend growled. Zeriah watched the two as they got nose to nose with each other.
"I should take you too, Amell. You're an apostate now, and that gives me the right to bring you in." she snapped. Zeriah's jaw dropped.
"He is a Grey Warden, Ser Templar. He belongs with us, not any Circle." she said, stepping in. Rylock glared down at her.
"You can keep him. The other, however, is an apostate who we were in the process of bringing to the Circle to face justice." she retorted. Anders laughed.
"The things you people know about justice would fit into a thimble!" he muttered. "I'll just escape again, anyhow." he pointed out. The Templar shook her head.
"Never! I'll see you hanged for what you've done here, murderer." she threatened. Anders' eyes widened.
"Murderer? Last I checked I was not one of the darkspawn who swung the sword but...oh never mind." he grumbled. He seemed so defeated.
"It seems there isn't much to say." Alistair decided. He looked at Zeriah, who held an unspoken defense on the tip of her tongue. "Unless you have something to add, my wife?" She nodded.
"Anders will be remaining at Vigil's Keep to join the Grey Wardens." she replied calmly. Rylock was outraged.
"What? Never!" she screeched. Zeriah frowned at her.
"I hereby invoke the Right of Conscription." she said, speaking the binding words that would keep Anders safe from any Templar.
"No!" Rylock yelled. Alistair raised a brow at the woman.
"I believe the Grey Wardens still retain the Right of Conscription, Rylock. And as she is not only the Queen, but also the Commander of the Grey, I'm going to have to say yes to her request." he pointed out glibly. Zeriah fought the urge to giggle. It looked like Rylock's eyes were going to pop out of her head. Surprisingly the woman swallowed her anger.
"If...If Your Majesty feels it is best." she grumbled. The Templar stalked back to her men. She would be trouble.
"Hah! Way to go, kid! Welcome aboard!"Oghren said drunkenly. Anders blinked as though trying to process what was happening.
"Me? A Grey Warden? I...thank you. For what you did..." he mumbled. Zeriah nodded.
"You will be safe in my company." she promised. He looked genuinely grateful. She hoped he would survive.
"Congratulations, Ser mage. I look forward to fighting at your side." Mhairi said quietly. Alistair touched her arm gently.
"If you have everything under control, love, I think it's time for me to go." he murmured. She pouted at him as he embraced her.
"I don't even get a goodbye ravishing?" she whined. He chortled with laughter.
"Maker, you talk to Zevran too much. Sadly I need to return to Denerim so I can deal with the trouble we've been having in the Bannorn. But as soon as I am able, I promise, I will come back to you." he assured her. She tilted her head up and rested her head on his chest, studying his features. His eyes had more creases around them than when they had first met, but being the only thing standing between your country and destruction did that to a person. His time as king had made him seem tired, but she knew that a young, lively heart still beat in his broad chest.
"I'll miss you." she said. He kissed the top of her head.
"And I will miss you. Being apart will be excruciating. But hopefully it won't be for long. I love you." he replied. She smiled softly.
"I love you too." she answered. He lowered himself to her height and kissed her, a passionate reminder of what would await her when they were reunited. She watched him walk away for a while before turning back to her companions with a sigh. She probably looked as weary as her husband did.
"Commander, I think we should start by preparing the Joining for this evening." Varel said. Zeriah closed her eyes. She had nearly forgotten.
"Let's get into the Keep first, and then we can talk about that." she agreed. As the party walked through the Keep, she noticed a dwarf studying the walls as people milled about him. She stopped listening to whatever Varel was saying and drifted over to him.
"Commander." the dwarf commented as she approached.
"Please, call me Zeriah." she answered.
"Voldrik Glavonak." he replied. He stopped his inspection and turned to her. "These walls are shit." he said plainly. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh?" she asked. He nodded.
"The foundation is weak. The stones are too old. It's garbage." he grunted. She nodded.
"Is there anything you can do about that?" Zeriah asked. Voldrik snorted.
"Of course there is, if I had the men, funds, and material. I could make this place impenetrable." he said, and she had a feeling he wasn't boasting.
"Tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to get it for you." she agreed. He studied her, then, nodding to himself as he finished.
"I'll need eighty sovereigns to do some hiring and purchase material. Beyond that, I'll let you know." he decided. She handed him the money he needed and turned back to her party.
"I don't want something like this happening again." she said with a shrug. A young soldier ran up to them then.
"Commander, I don't mean to bother you, but there was a prisoner captured a few days ago. He broke into the keep and killed two wardens before we pinned him down. What would you like us to do?" he asked, his voice squeaking slightly. She frowned.
"Take me to him." she decided. "Varel, you can take the others inside, I'll be there shortly." Varel nodded and waved for them to follow. Traven and Delnan stayed behind, and the trio followed the young soldier into the dungeon. Zeriah could see a figure huddled in the shadowy corner of the cell. She heard a soft laugh.
"If it isn't the great hero. Conquerer of the Blight and vanquisher of all evil." the figure said. Zeriah knew that voice, but she couldn't place it. "Aren't you supposed to be ten feet tall with lightning bolts shooting out of your eyes?" he asked. Zeriah frowned.
"I see my reputation proceeds me." she said, trying to figure out where she knew his voice from. He laughed again.
"It does. I know you best as the one who killed my father." he grunted. Her eyes widened as her memory hit her.
"Nate? Is that you?" she breathed. Nathaniel Howe stepped forth from the shadows, and he looked exactly as she remembered, though significantly angrier.
"You lost all right to call me that when you murdered my father, Zeriah." he snapped. Her surprise faded to anger and she glared at him.
"Your father deserved a lot worse than what I gave him, Nate. Do you not know what he did to my family?" she hissed. Nathaniel's glare faltered, and for a moment he looked completely lost.
"I-I heard rumors, but they couldn't possibly be true! My father would not do such a thing, Zeriah." he defended. Zeriah opened the cell door and stepped right up to her old friend.
"Your father purposefully delayed his troops so that they could stay behind in Castle Cousland and murder my family. I was awakened in the middle of the night to the sounds of screaming. Your father's men slaughtered Oren. They raped and killed Oriana. All of the servants, the soldiers, dead because of your father. I watched my father's blood flow over my own hands because of a wound your father gave him. My mother stayed behind to die so that my father would not have to die alone. Do not presume to tell me that your father would not do this. Do you want to know what he said to me right before I killed him, Nate?" she asked. Nathaniel shook his head.
"No, Zeriah, I-" he stammered.
"After he reminded me that he had murdered my family, he told me that he had also killed Kierrai. When I ran him through, as he slid off my blade he said 'I deserved more.' I feel inclined to disagree, but what do you have to say about that?" she asked. Nathaniel blanched. He had always had a soft spot for Kierrai.
"Kierrai is dead?" he breathed, looking deflated. She snorted.
"Of course not. He was bluffing. She's fine. But even after all of the atrocities he did commit, he still thought he deserved better. Your father was a madman, Nate. The world is better off without him." she said drily. He sighed in relief at the news that Kierrai lived, but then he frowned again.
"Maybe he deserved what he got, Zeri, but what of Thomas and Delilah? Why did they have to be killed as well?" he retorted. Zeriah frowned. She had not heard that they were dead.
"I had not heard about Delilah, Nate, I am sorry. She was a wonderful person. Thomas, however, probably brought it upon himself, and you know it." she pointed out. He sighed.
"It's true. So, what do you plan to do with me? Shall I be executed for what I have done?" he asked softly. She studied him for a while. Nate was a smart man, and quite skilled. He may have killed a few people, but she couldn't say that her hands were clean of innocent blood. A fitting punishment popped into her head.
"I want you to join the Wardens." she said simply.
"Are you joking?" Traven asked.
"This man was here to kill you, Zeriah." Delnan added in disbelief. She shrugged.
"So was Zevran. Most of my best friends have tried to kill me at one point or another." she reminded them.
"What if I say no? Will you kill me then?" Nate asked. She shook her head.
"If you say no, I'll conscript you. You will join us, one way or the other. Your answer will tell me how easy it will be." she explained. Nathaniel studied her with his steely gray eyes.
"Me. In the Wardens. You must be absolutely mad, Zeriah, but I won't question you." he said quietly. She smiled at him.
"Good." she replied. "Let's start the Joining, shall we?"