CCBug had the brilliant idea of honoring the 100th reviewer for her story Redemption by giving that reviewer a guest appearance in the story. I thought this was a great way to honor a story's faithful readers/reviewers. So with her blessing I am borrowing her wonderful idea for my story A Girl In King Alistair's Court and now I'm going to continue the tradition with this story too. This chapter's special guest will be Tess15216 who was this story's 100th reviewer. Thank you Tess, I hope you like your Dragon Age doppelganger.

Chapter 14

"Sweet sweet fantasy baby, when I close my eyes
You come and take me, on and on and on
It's so deep in my daydreams, but it's just a sweet sweet fantasy baby

Images of rapture, creep into me slowly, as you're going to my head
And my heart beats faster, when you take me over
Time and time and time again, but it's just a fantasy"

Fantasy by Mariah Carey

Due to Sabrina being so weak it took the group two days to reach the Keep and when they rode through the gates they had an extra person with them. While traveling back they came across a young warrior that had been defending her family's farm for three days against the darkspawn. Her entire family had been killed and only due to her superior warrior skills had she managed to survive. Unfortunately she had been tainted during her battles and now the only way for her to survive was to be put through the joining.

Varel greeted them in the courtyard. He helped Sabrina down from her horse and studied her for a moment before continuing. "Welcome back, Commander, you look tired. Let me help you to your room."

"Thank you, Varel. I'd appreciate that, but first we must see to the joining for this young woman that has been infected by the taint," Sabrina said with a weak smile.

Varel looked up at the pretty, young warrior that had ridden on the back of Tristen's horse and after he dismounted he helped her down. Tristen helped the weakened warrior over to Varel. "Let me introduce you, Varel this is Tess Dufray. If you could get the joining ready for her as soon as possible that would be great."

Varel nodded, "It's a pleasure to meet you Tess and welcome to Vigil's Keep. Please follow me." He turned and they all headed through the main doors into the throne room.

A short time later after all the preparations had been made, Sabrina stood before the new recruit, held up the joining cup, recited the sacred words and then handed the cup to Tess. The warrior took a gulp then clutched at her head as she swayed unsteadily on her feet before she fell backwards.

Anders went over to check on her. He smiled up at Sabrina, "She's fine, Commander. She is going to make it."

Sabrina nodded wearily then stumbled slightly as the room began to spin. Tristen grabbed her immediately and scooped her up into his arms just as she passed out. He looked at Anders questioningly.

"Between the blood loss and the poison she is very weak and she should have been in bed for the past two days not riding on a horse. It's going to take time for her body to completely repair itself. Take her to her room and I will work on her some more," Anders said.

xxXxx

Tess had been at the Keep for two weeks now and had barely seen the Commander. Tess had heard that she'd had quite an ordeal in the Wending Woods and that it had physically drained her. It must have been one hell of a hard trial because from what Tess had seen, the Commander couldn't take on a single Hurlock let alone the Archdemon. Even though the Commander was too weak to physically impress Tess she did have the love, respect and loyalty of those that fell under her command and that spoke volumes about her character.

The Commander had asked to see her after she had recovered from her joining. She'd gone to her rooms apprehensively but relaxed when Sabrina had given her the Warden's pendant and welcomed her to the Order. She seemed pleased to have Tess as a Warden. She was sitting up in bed, still weak and recuperating, but took the time to explain that she understood the pain of losing her family and if she ever wanted to talk her door was always open. Everyone in the Arling knew the terrible tragedy that had befallen the Cousland family and even though Tess wasn't one to share her feelings it had touched her that Lady Cousland would make such an offer.

Once the Commander had been cleared by Anders to start working again, she had made her way out to the training ring several times when Tess would be sparring with Tristen or Oghren. The Commander would observe for a while and then give instructions to her trainers before heading back to her office. Tess could tell that there was a history between Sabrina and the dwarf and that there was a strong friendship between the two. Tess remembered hearing that a dwarf had been one of the Blight companions so she could only assume it had been Oghren.

Tess could also tell there was something between the Commander and her second in command, Tristen Theirin, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what. The way Tristen looked at her was with love and devotion, but she couldn't tell if that was as one friend to another or as a lover. The Commander, whenever she was around Tristen was always friendly, open and warm, but there was something underlying there that was unreadable.

Tess thought the Commander was crazy if she wasn't sleeping with Tristen. She had heard that he was the King's twin brother and he was as incredibly handsome as King Alistair, but with the shoulder length blond hair and the goatee it made him a bit more edgy. He had that roguish charm that Tess found unbelievably sexy and when he smiled that mischievous grin of his, it made her stomach flip and her knees go weak. She knew just by looking at him that he had to be a fantastic kisser. She would give anything to find out.

This morning she had come out to the practice ring to work out on a wooden dummy before everyone else arrived to train. She had been going at it for a while when she heard a low whistle behind her.

"What did that poor dummy do to deserve such harsh treatment from you?" Tristen said with that sexy grin of his and she felt the air rush out of her chest.

"Aaah, well it made some smart remark about my butt being too big so I had to show him who was boss," Tess said with a smile.

Tristen laughed, "Well then the dummy must be blind to make such a rude comment about your behind. It's perfect the way it is. As a matter of fact I would have to say it's one of the most perfect bottoms I have seen in a long time."

"Aaah, thanks," she said as she tried to catch her breath and suppress a giggle. He had noticed her butt and he thought it was perfect.

"Well, are you ready to train?" Tristen asked, then he grinned again, "If you're lucky, you might even get me flat on my back. Then what will I do?" He asked mischievously and winked at her.

Take a deep breath and think clearly Tess.

They slowly began to circle each other, Tess made the first move and lunged quickly with a short jab with her sword, Tristen easily side stepped her, spun around and hit her with his shield on her arm. She staggered a bit, but remained on her feet.

"You aren't going to get me on my back with that kind of move. Now concentrate, Tess," Tristen said teasingly.

She cleared her head; she focused on reading his body language in order to read his attacks. She lunged, he parried, she swung, he blocked and then when he lunged forward a little too deep she side stepped him. It caught him off balance, and she brought the blunt side of her blade down on his arm and shoulder. He growled as he swung his sword around and hit her in the back with the broad side of his blade, but as he pulled away the tip of it caught the upper part of her bare arm and sliced through the tender skin.

She cried out in pain and when Tristen saw the blood dripping down her arm, he waved her off and halted the match. He walked over to her and pulled off his gauntlets so that he could closely examine the wound. He gripped her arm and the heat from his touch set her heart pounding like a drum. He put his hand around her waist and led her over to the side so he could see to it.

He quickly cleaned and wrapped the wound. He smiled at her again "All better, I'm sorry about that. I never meant to mar such beautiful skin."

She looked at him as her heart raced even faster, "You think my skin is beautiful?"

Tristen reached out, tucked a stray blond hair behind her ear then slid his hand under her chin and lifted her face up to his. "Well, it has to match your beautiful face," he said and he closed the distance between them as he captured her mouth with his. He kissed her hard, the small force of his teeth on her lower lip, the gentle biting and pulling made her head spin. He slid his tongue into her mouth and he tasted so good as his velvety tongue explored her, tasted her, devoured her. He held her so close; the heat of his skin setting hers ablaze.

A whimper escaped her lips as his fingers curled into her hair; she pressed her hips against him and felt his strong desire for her. He wrapped one arm around her waist pulling her hard against his throbbing member while his other hand cupped her neck as he deepened the kiss even further.

His lips left hers as his tongue trailed a path down her neck. The feel of his lips on her skin caused a moan to rip from her throat. She couldn't get enough of him and she had never wanted anyone so badly.

His mouth found hers again as his fingers slid down to her waist and slipped his hand into her leggings, expertly pushing her small clothes aside and his fingers drove into her slick hot folds and she gasped from shock and pleasure.

His fingers moved in and out of her, her head dizzy and….

"Hello, Thedas to Tess, did you hear me? What did that poor dummy do to deserve such harsh treatment from you?" Tristen said ripping her from her fantasy. Damn it!

"Aaah, well it made some smart remark about my butt being too big so I had to show him who was boss," Tess said with a grin.

Tristen grinned, "Well remind me never to get on your bad side. Are you ready to join me in the practice ring?"

Much to her dismay Tristen was a perfect gentleman for the entire sparring session.

xxXxx

It took Sabrina another week before she had all of her strength back. During the first week of her recovery, her Wardens would visit her everyday to keep her company. Zev never left her side and every time Tristen entered her room to discuss warden business, he would see Zev comfortably perched beside her on the bed. Tristen was not a jealous man and he actually liked the assassin, but for once he would like to come into her room and find her alone. He needed to talk with her about what had happened before she had left for Highever, but he also wanted her to have her strength back before he brought up the subject.

He just wanted to be alone with her. To talk with her, tell her about his day, to see that radiant smile of hers and hear her laugh at his jokes. He just wanted to reconnect with her again. Well, that wasn't all he wanted. He fantasized about holding her in his arms, the sweet pleasure of her lips as they melted against his, the scent of her as he nibbled at her ear and whispered how much he loved her and then proceeding to take his time showing her so.

She was up and about the second week but still on light duties. Her strength was returning slowly but she was still hesitant about being alone with him and kept any conversation superficial unless it was about the running of the Order. Tristen was getting increasingly frustrated and in a moment of irritation had snapped at Zevran about being ever present. The assassin had merely looked at him for a moment, his expression neutral before he'd sighed and took pity on him. Zevran had come to like Tristen and with what Sabrina had told him, how she spoke about him, he could plainly see how things truly stood. Without breaking her confidence, the elf had told him that Sabrina was still working things through. Zevran had smiled and mentioned that patience would sometimes be rewarded. Tristen had taken that to heart and as his manner relaxed around Sabrina, so did hers.

By the end of the third week when she was almost completely back to her old self, she surprised Tristen when she asked him to join her for a walk in the field behind the Keep. He agreed readily and with her arm looped through his, she led him out the back gate. They walked for a while as they discussed Warden business, the letter from Alistair letting them know they had made it back to Denerim safely and eventually the business with the Architect.

When they found an old oak tree that provided plenty of shade, Tristen laid out the blanket Sabrina had brought along, so that they could sit down beneath it. For the first time in a very long time he was at a loss for words and very nervous.

She took his hands gently, "Tristen, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to talk to you. I couldn't think of much when I was first recovering, then... I needed to work through everything that had happened. I..." Tristen just shook his head interrupting her.

He took a deep breath and looked into her deep green eyes. He swallowed hard, knowing it was now or never, and then began, "Brin, I want you to know that I am so sorry that I didn't tell you about the connection between Alistair and me. I would never betray you or the trust that you have placed in me. I wanted to tell you about the dreams and I started to several times, but I just didn't know how to do it without making it sound like I was some crazy stalker. The whole thing is so strange and weird to me, let alone trying to explain it to someone else," he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

He couldn't help himself and pulled her into his arms and ran his fingers through her hair as he looked into her beautiful face. "I have never been more frightened in my life than when I carried you out of that mine. I knew there was a real possibility that I might lose you and I couldn't imagine not having you in my life, Brin. I need you to know that I love you and not because Alistair loves you. I love you, Brin. I love your strength, I love your compassion, I love your ability to forgive, I love the crazy way you look at the world, I love your feisty nature and even your stubbornness, I love your humor, I love the way you sing off key," a wicked grin spread across his face as he continued. "I love your dirty mind and I especially love all the tantalizingly good uses you put that mind to. Pure and simple, Brin, I love you…I love everything about you…"

Before he could finish Sabrina slid into his lap and straddled him, she cupped his face in her hands and looked directly into his eyes, "You used your dreams to save me. You came after me to get me away from Denerim. You used the knowledge from your dreams to try and help me heal from all the pain. You used the information from your dreams to love me like no man has ever loved me. I know you didn't betray me, Tristen because I know your heart. You're a good man, a good man that I want to spend the rest of my life loving."

Tristen felt his heart leap in his chest at the same time his stomach completely flipped, "W-what are you saying, Brin?"

She smiled and leaned in so that her lips were only inches from his as she whispered, "I'm telling you Tristen Theirin that I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you."

That was all Tristen needed to hear, his hands slid to the nape of her neck as he pulled her to him so that his lips captured hers in a searing kiss that caused such a slow, but pleasurable burn. Tristen delved into her mouth with his tongue, invading her, tasting her –so sweet, so divine. It sent a shiver of helpless need through him and the familiar stirring surged through his groin that had the ache of pure desire as it seized him. He knew they needed to stop now. She had just sent his head reeling from her declaration of love and he desperately wanted to claim her as his, but now was not the time or the place. He pulled back from the intoxicating kiss, "Brin, now is not the time…"

She didn't give him a chance to finish before her lips were on his again, her tongue hungrily slipped back into his mouth – so eager, so needful. The delicious feel of her hot velvety mouth and her supple body pressed against his was completely breaking his resolve. He had no will power left when it came to this woman. All of his senses and logic completely went out the window when she was around and all he wanted to do was please her in every way.

Tristen's hands slid up and down her back as his fingers nimbly undid the laces of her dress, pulling it down off her shoulders to expose her soft wonderful breasts. She leaned back to give him better access and sighed in pleasure as he bent his head to taste her. He lavishly cared for her breasts with little bites, then laved them with his tongue. He took one hard nipple into his mouth and devoured it while his other hand massaged the other. He stroked and teased her with his mouth until she cried out with need.

His hands moved to her hips and he pushed her against his now throbbing erection and she moaned as she eagerly ground her hot center against him as she too sought release from the growing pressure. He had missed her so much, yearned for her for so long that he knew he wouldn't last long, but he urgently needed to lose himself inside her.

"Brin, Love, you are too much. Oh Maker, I need you," he gasped.

Brin met his gaze, her eyes flashed with heated desire and she pulled his tunic over his head then pushed him back and leaned down to him. With a smile she pressed her hips even harder against him, as she bent down and her lips were on his skin. He moaned, tipped his head back as he reveled in the feel of her body pressed against his, the soft caresses of her lips as they kissed, licked and sucked their way along his jaw and down his neck to his chest. Her teeth and tongue played and teased his nipples mercilessly. Her long tresses trailed over him, tickling and teasing him further. Brin! He pressed her more forcefully against him and he could feel her heat through their clothes. He didn't think it was possible, but he grew even harder. Her touch, her scent was beautiful torment. Brin, my beautiful Brin please…

"Tristen, I need you…now!'" Sabrina pleaded urgently as her fingers tugged at the laces of his trousers. She moved to one side as she pulled his pants down and Tristen kicked them off along with his boots. He pulled Sabrina back to him and made quick work of removing her dress completely, growling as he saw her panties. Tristen felt the painful throb of his member and knew he couldn't wait any longer, his body was thrumming with frightening need so he simply tore the delicate fabric away from her.

"Please, Tristen, I need to feel you deep inside me," she begged as her tongue swirled against his skin before she captured his mouth again.

Tristen rolled her onto her back, hovering over her for a moment before her hips urgently rose to meet his. He gasped as he parted her slick wet folds and plunged deep inside her core. He drew back and buried himself to the hilt as he sealed his lips over hers, his tongue moving with hers as he drank her in – his need for her overpowering, consuming and burning right through him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back to take him in more and more each time. She was so wet, so hot and so tight that for a moment his vision blurred as her slick core surrounded him. She whimpered with pleasure and Tristen let his restraint go as he melted into her.

Tristen drove into her harder and Sabrina clung to him as her nails dug into his back. Her body, so soft, so perfect, yielded for him again and again as he thrust deeply into her. Her hips rocked with him, each time squeezing her muscles around him, making him gasp.

He looked down at her, she was stunning, so unbelievably beautiful that it shocked him that she was now his, that she loved him, "Oh Brin, my love, you are so incredible," he moaned as he slid in and out of her, the fiery pressure building within him building stronger and blinding him to anything but their joined bodies.

Their rhythm became frantic as they moved together harder, his body gliding against her swollen nub, she moaning his name as her hips met his thrusts and her inner walls clenched around him. Tristen cried out, gasping and panting as he tried to postpone the inevitable, wanting to give her as much as he could.

"Ah! Ah! Oh Maker! Tristen my Love!" Sabrina screamed as she went over the edge, writhing beneath him as the waves of intense pleasure crashed over her again and again.

Tristen was drowning, his head was spinning from her scent, his body lost in hers and he rode out her orgasm desperately as he descended on her one last time, claiming her sweet mouth with his. She kissed him back fervently, urgently and he felt her begin to shudder beneath him once more. She cried out his name as she peaked for the second time, clinging to him as her body convulsed around him, milking his length relentlessly and this time he was helpless to resist and he spilled deep into her, an untamed cry erupted from his lips as the wave of unbearable bliss poured over him.

Tristen buried his head in her neck as he tried to catch his breath and regain his thoughts. All he could feel was the rapturous delight of two individuals becoming whole once more. She loved him – true and lasting. Wrapped in the cloak of her love Tristen felt perfect and divine, safe, and warm, valued and most of all, deeply loved.

After a very long time, Tristen gained his senses, and he began to discern the world around him and he could feel the steady breathing of his beloved beneath him. He lifted his head and searched her face. She smiled her radiant smile at him.

"Brin, I love you" he whispered lovingly as he nuzzled her and kissed her soft lips.

"I love you too, Tristen," she sighed back. He held her tightly to him, he never imagined how incredible hearing her say those three little words would make him feel, but he now felt he could do anything, overcome everything with her by his side.

Author Notes – I wanted to thank everyone for your reviews and for adding this story to your alert and favs list. Please continue to share your thoughts with me. It's wonderful hearing your thoughts and comments.

Tess - Was it good for you?

I also want to thank Goddess Beta One – RandomWittering and Goddess Beta Two –Jinx1983 for their fantabulous beta-ing skills, for your support and for being such a great sounding board. This chapter is so much better because of your wonderful skills. You ladies are the best!