Slowly she woke up early in the morning, feeling weak and tender, she let her legs fall down to the cold stone floor, that caught her attention and brought her back from sleepiness. It must have been a dream, it had at least been a good and funny. This was one she was going to definitely cherish. She heard the capital's daily activities outside the palace. She always forgot that Alistair's room was in the south corner, centered towards the city. Probably on purpose, to feel more connection to his people. She laid back in the bed and closed her eyes again, but couldn't really keep them that way, with the sun's strong light roaming through it. When she finally realized she was not going to be allowed a few more hours of sleep, she reluctantly sat up once more and stood up.

Diana could see the manly figure sleeping in the bed still, he must have taken of his night tunic, because she was shocked when she saw his naked back, not revealing more then half of it, the shading of it also made her noticed that he was still fit even so long after the Blight. Curious. Her hand instinctually went to her belly when looking the father of her child. If she just hadn't been so emotional, she never would have done what she did. It was strange that she was carrying another mans baby, when she loved another. Who completely resents her at the moment. He hadn't even seen the growth, and Diana was afraid that would push him away even more. Zevran had no idea how much she wanted to see him, still after all this. She was just a silly girl, who was in love.

So many times she had felt so disgusted with herself and regretted that night more then ever, but she had accepted it. She remember the first time the baby kicked, that was when the love for it brewed. It became real that very instant, and she stopped hating herself. This was probably the only chance she had of having a child. Even if it wasn't with the man she loved, she would still have it. Alistair had been so kind towards her and when he found out the baby kicked, he almost left all the duties he could to Eamon until he felt it to, which didn't take to long. He already loved it greatly, she could see it in his eyes whenever he was near her.

They have already discussed names, Aurelia if it is a girl, Duncan if it is a boy. She knew Alistair wanted his children, if it was a boy to be named after him. And Duncan was a fine name. She chuckled when she remembered how Alistair laughed that it would be the two Dds or the two Aas, a very strange and simple joke. Then Alistair remembered that the mages told him that they were expecting a girl, so yes, Aurelia would come in the world around two months. Her little girl. The maidens had already prepared Diana's room to be comfortable when the child would be born, and the room next, that was previously a study was changed into a magnificent child room. With small toys and a lovely crib. It still needed to get fixed, but it should be done in two months.

Diana shook her head by thinking all of this and staggered to the wardrobe. She changed from her nightgown to a very comfortable cerulean silk dress, and tried reaching for the door when a loud knock banged at it.
"You useless excuse for a servant. 'Tis two people were supposed to be up now and being the ignorant little twat you are, you couldn't even succeed at the simplest task." Diana blinked her eyes, it had not been a dream? She grinned and opened the door. A very scared servant was standing there, hovered by tall, dark-haired witch.

"Always the friendly one." She chuckled at Morrigan.

" 'tis wench was not paying attention, and she needed to learn her place." She frowned.
"I will go outside, do wake up the king when I'm gone." Diana said friendly to the servant whom nodded and disappeared in the room.
"Idiot." Morrigan sniffed at the door.

"Now, now, Morrigan, be nice. Not everyone can handle your insults." She winked at the last part.

"Have you eaten anything?" Diana asked while they slowly walked in the corridor, basked in sunlight.

"No, nor am I hungry, or feeling the desire to eat."
"Well, I need to eat something or Alistair will kill me. I am eating for two so..." She smiled and rubbed her belly. She gazed Morrigan's face from the corner of her eyes. She had only seen this similar expression once before and it was the night in Redcliffe. Morrigan looked troubled.

They walked down the stairs and reached the main hall, where the maidens hurried to her side.

"I'm fine." She scowled at all of them, and asked them to do breakfast and to bring it to the gardens. She wasn't allowed to do anything herself anymore, which bothered her. She never was the person to rely on servants, she mostly did the servitude for herself, just like her mother.

The guards hurried towards the western gate door, that led to king's private gardens. It had finally started to look green, since spring was nearing and all the darkspawn stench had been removed.

They walked and sat down on the bench, right next to the fountain, shaped as Andraste.

Nor Diana or Morrigan talked for the first minutes, just looking at the wonderful piece of nature that was slowly growing.

"So why did you come back now Morrigan, after so long?"

" 'tis is the time." She simply said.

"Time for what?"
"We need to speak...about your child." Diana eyes flickered, a nervous bubble was building up in her belly. Why was she constantly remembered of the event in Redcliffe?

Morrigan stood up and bit her lip.

"Morrigan, you are making me nervous."
"I'm sorry." Diana's heart skipped a beat, the witch had never apologized before and not so sincerely. Oh, if the apostate actually apologize like this before saying what she needs to say, it was bad.

"Sorry for what?"
"For being the bringer of yet dark news."

"I need to ask some questions, and if you cherish your life, you would do well to answer them with honesty." She sat down again next to Diana.

"I suppose I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not if you wish to live."

"Start asking then."
"Has anything strange transpired since the Blight? 'Twould you call abnormal?"
"I'm still having nightmares, and as you saw last night, so apparently I'm having seizures as well. And there has been another thing."
Morrigan raised her eyebrows.

"I really don't know how to say this, but it appears that some of the darkspawn are still active, and I was with the wardens from Orlais and Zevran. When we attacked them, I was caught in a trance with the ogre. It didn't attack me neither did I." Diana's voice was meek, realizing now when she told Morrigan of all this, how many strange things that had occurred.
" 'tis as I suspected." The witch whispered.

Now Diana's heart was pounding so fast and hard, she could even hear it in her ears, and her stomach started to hurt by all this.

"I do have what you people call it, confession to make." Morrigan paused before continuing;

"When I left that night in Redcliffe, I never did. In the night I flew back and walked in your room, only to find you and the assassin sleeping entwined with each other. Eurgh, that particularly memory makes me want to vomit."
"And?" Diana couldn't breathe, somehow she knew what would be coming next.

"I took some hairs from your head and put in a potion that would allow me to become you, I also had a potion for him to make Alistair hm, more accessible."

"You went to Alistair's room and let him think it was me? And had sex?" Diana whispered.

"Yes, very much so."

"But..."
"I couldn't accept your answer, so I did it on my own. Surely this can't be a shock to you?"
Diana looked at her flat stomach.
"How is that possible?"
"Your child's essence ruined it for me."

"What?"

"I thought you would have realized by now. You didn't die that night, because I did perform my ritual, and was close to your battle."
Diana looked at her...her heartbeat was erratic and sweat was forming on her palms and forehead.

She couldn't believe it, she hold up a hand to silence Morrigan.
"You mean, your plan backfired?"
"you could say that, the essence of the dragon should had been lured to my child, but since you were carrying one at the same time, it got drawn to yours. 'I would guess the reasons 'twould be that yours were older and you were closer."
"B-bu-but-but you sa-said that yours would re-remain unharmed at the ear-early stage." Diana couldn't really form a sentence properly.

"Yes."

Diana was trembling, she couldn't focus. This was another bad dream, this can't be true! So many things she needed to know. She couldn't see and the last thing she remembered was being carried by Alistair back to her room.