Chapter 18
Alistair stood in front of the entrance to Vigil's Keep and immediately realized he was dreaming by the glowing mist that seemed to envelope everything.
"You said you wanted to know about the night your son died Alistair. I must warn you, the truth will not be easy to look at." Fiona said as she walked towards him.
She pointed to the version of herself walking down the road.
"I had come from Weisshaupt Fortress to meet the one responsible for killing the Architect. Marlena had accomplished what should have been done years ago and I was sent to meet her and monitor how she was ruling the arling. I never dreamed…." Fiona stopped talking. The memories of holding her dying grandson still haunted her.
Alistair and Fiona stood several feet away from the stairs and he watched as Marlena and Eamon fought.
"I did not get this far by being stupid Warden Commander. I don't know how you even conceived this child but there is no possible way it could be Alistair's. You were unfaithful with the man whose father massacred your family."
"I never slept with Nathaniel Eamon! This child was already inside me when you saw me comfort Nate. He found his father's journal and broke down when reading it."
"I am telling you this now, do not attempt to communicate with the king. He never wants to see you again. Stay here and have your bastard. I will make certain Alistair finds a wife who will stay true to him and know her duty."
"You mean a wife who will be just as easily to control as Alistair."
Alistair watched as the image of Marlena. She was wearing what looked to be a tunic dress and her hair was long, below her shoulders. She had one arm protectively around her swollen belly her eyes glared at Eamon.
"She looked so beautiful."
"Most women expecting tend to have a certain glow. Marlena was half way into her eight month."
"What did she mean by comforting Nathaniel?"
"When Marlena was recovering she told me Nathaniel had discovered one his father's journals and he broke down when reading it."
"What was in the journal Fiona?"
"Rendon Howe was planning the destruction of the Couslands for many years Alistair."
"I'm well aware of that but surely Nathaniel was not that surprised over his father's depravity."
"Nathaniel was sent away to the Free Marches for many years Alistair. He had no idea of what his father was capable of."
"There has to be more to this."
"Indeed there was Alistair. Marlena read the journal. There were entries about her. Rendon Howe apparently harbored some very…dark desires for her. He had no intentions of killing her that night. Howe was planning to capture her and take her away to an undisclosed location and…"
"Don't say it!"
"It hurt Nathaniel to realize he never really knew his father. She comforted him and Eamon deliberately misconstrued what he witnessed for his own gain. Your child was already inside her but let's get back to that night shall we?"
"The only person I have been with was Alistair Eamon!"
"I know about the Wardens and how they lose their ability to conceive. The chances are very slim with one Warden and virtually impossible with two. You slept with Nathan for your own selfish gain."
"Get it through your thick skull. She was comforting me Eamon. I found evidence that my father had intended to lock Marlena up and…brutalize her." Nathaniel said as he ran up the stairs.
"A likely story." Eamon scoffed.
"Loghain was right about you. You are an opportunist. You should have taken the throne."
"Enough! Alistair wants nothing to do with you. Stay in your part of Ferelden."
"We will be done when I say we are done!"
Alistair watched as Marlena grabbed Eamon's arm as he descended the stairs and he violently yanked it away which caused her to trip and fall down the stairs.
He watched in horror as she screamed.
"Commander!" Nathaniel rushed over to her at the foot of the stairs as a stunned Eamon looked on.
"Anders! Velanna!" Nathaniel yelled
He watched as people came running and recognized Anders from when Marlena had conscripted him.
Seneschal Varel, a female dwarf, and numerous recruits came running towards them. A Dalish female mage knelt beside Anders.
"She's bleeding. We need to get her up."
"No!" Marlena cried out. "It's too soon!"
Alistair covered his mouth and watched Marlena scream as Varel and Nathaniel picked her up. He saw the blood stain on her dress and looked down at the puddle of blood on the floor.
"Chancellor Guerrin. I think its time you leave." Eamon turned to see Commander Garavel glaring at him.
"I…I never meant…." Eamon began.
"Please leave! The Crown has no authority over the Wardens."
Nathaniel came out of the room and grabbed Eamon. "She had only six more weeks left!"
"She was that far along?" Eamon's eyes widened. "She was….telling the truth."
"Get out Eamon! Go back to your puppet king. We will care for our Commander."
"I'll escort him to his carriage." Garavel said. "Come Chancellor your men are waiting for you."
"Alistair!" Marlena screamed.
"I was coming up the road when I saw Eamon's carriage ride by.
I rushed over towards Captain Garavel and introduced myself and I have to admit… I was shocked when he said his Commander had fallen and had gone into labor. I immediately offered my assistance. Garavel took me to the room she was in. I saw the mages were trying desperately to heal and stabilize her and the baby…but it was too late. The fall tore the womb."
Fiona went over to Marlena and squeezed her hand.
"Alistair!" Marlena screamed. "Why don't you believe me?"
"You must stay calm." Fiona pressed her hand against Marlena's forehead.
"Please save my baby." Marlena grabbed Fiona's hand.
"Shhhh." Fiona said gently."
"Oh Maker!" Marlena screamed
"The baby was coming too fast." Fiona remembered as Alistair witnessed the birth of his son.
Alistair dropped to his needs. "He's not crying! Oh Maker! He's dead. My son died from the fall."
"No Alistair. Keep watching."
Fiona cleaned up the barely moving infant, and wrapped it in the blanket.
"My baby! What is it?" Marlena said in weak voice.
Fiona looked at Anders and Velanna and gently helped Marlena to sit up more then continued to heal her.
"You have a son Commander." Fiona put the infant in Marlena's arms.
"A boy." Marlena cried as she touched the cheek of her baby "He has Alistair's eyes."
Alistair gasped when the baby opened his eyes and revealing their amber brown color. It was eerily silent as the baby seemed to be looking at her with questioning eyes. Velanna started to cry and Nathaniel put his arm around her.
"I'm sorry Marlena. The fall was too…much for him."
"No!" Marlena started to cry as she watched her son take his last breaths before closing his eyes.
"She still bleeding!" Velanna and Anders rushed to Marlena as Fiona handed the baby to Varel.
"Marlena! Come back to us." Fiona ordered.
"I'm coming." Marlena mumbled as she closed her eyes. "You will not be alone my sweet boy."
"Marlena!"
They mages swarmed around her as Nathaniel and Varel escorted everyone out.
"You are not going to die Commander." Anders stated.
"Stop! I have had enough!" Alistair cried.
"Marlena lost so much blood and was unconscious for nearly a week. I realized then she wanted to die. We eventually had to do the fade ritual. I volunteered to go and found her sitting there holding her son, not wanting to let him go. Her grief was so great, it brought back the spirits of her parents. They implored her to go back, that it was not her time. Finally the spirit of her sister-in- law came over to her and promised to take care of him. Marlena finally handed the baby to her and her parents kissed her goodbye."
"Oh Maker. Forgive me!" Alistair hugged his knees and rocked back and forth. "I should have believed in her."
"She recovered but a part of her died when her son died. And then it was discovered that she somehow lost her ability to sense darkspawn. My theory is that the taint somehow became diluted when she was pregnant."
Fiona looked Alistair who had covered his face with his hands.
"The damage was already done to her reputation. Marlena could no longer rule Amaranthine effectively so she retired from Grey Wardens and left Ferelden."
Alistair found himself standing at the dock. He watched as Marlena hugged her brother and Sandra before boarding the ship that was bound for Antiva where she was to meet Leliana and Zevran.
"Its time to wake up Alistair." Fiona held out her hand and he took it. Suddenly everything blurred and swirled around him.
…..
Alistair sat up and gasped for air.
"She was going to name him Duncan, Alistair." Fiona said as she helped him up. "But as she recovered, her resentment towards you grew." "I can't blame her for that." Alistair sighed. "I let her down."
"And you let yourself down" Fiona added. "Why did you believe Eamon Alistair? After all that she did, you chose that one moment to doubt her love. In a sense you were like Maferath, jealous when you did not need to be."
"I ask myself the same question everyday Fiona. I ask myself why I believed Eamon. And not a day goes by when I don't think about my son and Marlena. I never stopped loving her you know."
"Of that I have no doubt but Marlena is with Teagan now and they both have a second chance at happiness."
"I don't think I'll ever be able to let her go."
"Alistair if you love Marlena like you say you do then you have to let her go. She's having Teagan's child and they love each other. You need to move on Alistair and accept the past. Most of Eamon's sins can never be wiped clean, but there is one I can help release you from. Once you are free of it, you will be able move forward."
"What are you talking about?"
"I am referring to Anora. She is a dangerous woman who is holding you back and needs to be dealt with. Once you are free from her you will be able to fulfill your destiny."
"What destiny?" Alistair laughed
"What are you getting on about?" He continued
"That mage Anora has with her is a blood mage and I believe all those pregnancies that were supposedly lost never existed to begin with."
Fiona watched as Alistair dropped the goblet as he turned to look at her.
"If what you say is true, I want her dealt with. Immediately!"
…..
Marlena looked up from the list she was going over when Teagan came into the room.
"It's done." He sighed. "Except for a few pieces of furniture and the library, every else has been taken out and will be sold and the money donated to the Denerim orphanage."
Teagan put his arm around Marlena as he sat next to her.
"I know this wasn't easy for you. No matter what Eamon has done…to both of us, he is your brother."
"I keep trying to remember the years when he was a good man. When I see the relationship you have with your brother. It makes me wish…"
"Fergus is your brother now."
"I know." Teagan smiled as he put his hand on her belly. "I'm looking forward to all the fishing and hunting we will do."
"I'm sure you are!" Marlena laughed.
"So what did you do today?"
"I ordered all the furniture for the nurseries. I got fitted for my wedding dress as well as ordered some dresses for when I start to show. I sent thank you notes to all the well wishers and played with Rowan and Bryce for the rest of the day."
"And did you eat?"
"Yes Sandra made sure I ate." Marlena kissed him.
"Good." Teagan looked down at the box sitting on the floor. "What's that?"
"Oh I forgot. That's something I want to return to the Wardens. Will you take me to the Warden Compound in a couple of days?"
"Of course I will. What are you returning?"
"That's my sword." Marlena said. "I'm no longer a Warden and it belongs with them. Fergus has the daggers my father gave me that are on display with the family sword. And I have a couple of daggers and swords that will be sent to Redcliffe and Rainesfere."
"Can I see it?"
"Go ahead. I don't remember if you had seen Vigilance."
"Vigilance?" Teagan lifted the lid, and pushed the cloth away.
"Maker!" He slowly lifted the sword from the box; his hand nearly dropped it from burning frost that it emitted. "This is extraordinary. I've…never seen a sword like this."
"It was crafted from an ancient dragon bone I had found during my travels."
"Are you sure you want to return it?"
"I'm no longer a Warden. I should have given it to Nathaniel before I left for Antiva."
"Alright." Teagan placed the sword back in the box and kissed her. "We'll take a trip to the compound in a couple of days."
"Thank you. Now let's go to the dining room for supper. We can play with the children for a bit afterwards and then retire for the evening, enjoy a bath, ravish each other." Marlena traced Teagan's lips with a finger before he pulled her into a kiss.
"You read my mind."
He put his arm around her and they left the room.
…. ….. … ….
Alistair paced around the door to Anora's wing as Fiona and Wynne looked on.
That afternoon Alistair had guards follow Erlina to one of the back alleys and corner her when Anora was out. She had confessed to everything.
The mage and bodyguard were from Tevintor. The mage was a powerful maleficarwho would take Erlina's blood when she needed the power to do Anora's bidding. And none of the babies Anora claimed to have lost…existed. Two Templars from the Chantry joined him with Wynne and Fiona.
"It was amazing how Erlina confessed." Wynne still looked shocked.
"She was tired of her blood being used." Fiona said.
"Her sentence will be light." Alistair said. "Now let's get on with this."
Alistair looked at the Templars and kicked the door of the Wing open.
The guards in charge of the wing were obviously enthralled and lunged for them and Alistair's fury was great, he killed both of them.
When they reached Anora's door, he kicked it open and drained mana from the mage as the templars smited the room.
"He knows!" Anora screamed as she ran to the window. Wynne and Fiona cast two spells on her causing her to be disoriented and paralyzed.
Alistair fought the mage with every ounce of strength, until he finally beheaded her.
"Search her rooms!" Alistair commanded.
He walked over to Anora who was being put in restraints.
"Anora Mac Tir Theirin, I am hereby placing you under arrest for employing a maleficar. As King of Ferelden, I hereby nullify our union."
"You will never get away with this!" Anora spat.
"We just Anora and Erlina has told us everything that has transpired since Eamon brought you back."
"That bitch!"
"Take her to the dungeon. I also want every single servant of the palace questioned as a precautionary measure."
"Yes your Majesty." The templar said as Alistair's guards came running in.
Fiona and Wynne watched as Alistair left the room.
"This should have done a long time ago." Wynne said.
"Its done now and that is all that matters." Fiona replied. "He can forge his destiny on a new path."
"After he finishes grieving what he's lost." Wynne replied.
…. . . . . . . . .. …..
Teagan and Marlena rode to the Warden compound and was surprised to see the extra guards patrolling the Palace District.
The compound was across from the palace and Marlena watched as she saw Grey Wardens heading to the palace.
"There's Nathaniel!" Madeline pointed to him standing by the compound door as the carriage pulled up. He turned to see Marlena and Teagan and smiled when he came up to them.
"Hello Nate."
"It's good to see you." Nathaniel hugged her after Teagan helped out of the carriage.
"Nathaniel turned to Teagan and offered his hand. "I hear congratulations are in order for the two of you."
"Thank you." Teagan shook his hand and watched as a wagon road past him. Teagan and Marlena both gasped when they recognized Anora as the one who was chained up. She was screaming, crying, and mumbling incoherently.
"What in the Maker's name?" Teagan started to say as he watched the wagon road away.
A/N Two Chapter left and an eventual Prequel about Marlena's adventures in Antiva before returning to Ferelden.