The sound of clattering hooves drifted through the bedchamber window. Another group arriving at the castle, and from the many mingled voices that reached her ears Elissa guessed it was a large one. They sounded happy, the talking interspersed with bursts of laughter, but it only made her shoulders knot with tension. Soon she would appear in front of these strangers as their teyrna, and one by one they would drop to their knees before her and declare their loyalty. That was the plan, anyway. She couldn't quite shake the fear that they would reject her and refuse to swear their oaths.

She ran her hands over the silken bodice of her gown, wondering whether she should discard it for another one. She really shouldn't. Dresses this elaborate required another's help to put on, and she didn't want to call back the servant again. The poor girl looked harried enough without her indecisive mistress making life more difficult. Everyone had spent the day in a flurry of preparation, hurrying to get the castle ready in time for tonight's ceremony.

To keep her trembling fingers busy she continued to fiddle with the fabric, all the while cursing this sudden and uncharacteristic bout of uncertainty. There really was no need to be nervous. She was used to official ceremonies, having taken part in them all her life. Even in spite of her attempts to deny it, she knew tonight was different. Those occasions had been presided over by the teyrn and teyrna of Highever, and Elissa was accorded automatic respect because she was their daughter. Here she had yet to prove herself.

Taking a seat in front of the mirror, she studied her reflection with a critical eye. She had agonised over every aspect of her appearance, and not out of simple vanity. She had left her hair loose as queens often did at their coronations. Her gown was crimson, a colour that had always complimented her. It was a bold choice, but she had made her selection carefully. Not many could afford red silk. It underlined her power and prosperity without being ostentatious. On her head she wore the ultimate symbol of her authority: her coronet.

There was movement behind her in the mirror, and she was forced to conceal a small start of surprise as Loghain appeared at her shoulder. She was not used to him moving so quietly. Apart from when they retired to their private rooms in the evening, he was very rarely out of armour. Tonight he had set it aside in favour of a stiff white tunic and black breeches. Even important ceremonies could not tempt him to wear anything more elaborate. Concealing a smile, she thought that he had probably dressed in similar clothes for his daughter's wedding and coronation.

"How do I look?" she asked, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Immediately she wished she could snatch the words back. A stilted compliment from Loghain would do nothing to calm the unpleasant fluttering in her stomach.

He regarded her seriously for a moment before replying, "Like a teyrna."

She turned to face him properly, beaming up into his face. She had not expected him to seize upon the one thing that would make her feel better. "Thank you," she said warmly.

"It's only the truth."

"Knowing that you truly believe that is what I find so comforting."

He returned her smile briefly before saying, "Before we go, I have something for you. A messenger from Highever arrived with this."

Elissa was on her feet the moment she heard "Highever". She was expecting a letter but the sheaf of paper Loghain produced was far too large for that. A quick examination revealed that there was not just one letter but several. Of course her family couldn't condense everything into one missive: once Fergus found out their parents were writing he would want to have his own say, and Nan would certainly not allow any of them to leave her out.

Loghain shifted almost uncomfortably and asked, "Would you like to be left alone?"

Her fingers itched to break the seals and begin reading, but instead she set the letters aside for later. Their guests were expecting them and they should not be kept waiting. She shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "We have a ceremony to attend."

In a strangely formal gesture he offered her his arm. She took it, grateful for a steadying presence. They made their way downstairs through strangely deserted corridors. The castle still hummed with activity but it was largely concealed, confined to the kitchen and the rooms where servants laid out bedrolls for the evening.

The hall was packed full of people, even more crowded than it had been during their wedding feast. They fell silent as Elissa and Loghain appeared in the doorway, parting to let them walk to the two great wooden chairs on the dais. While Elissa took her seat, Loghain remained standing by her side. His empty chair symbolised his absence from the teyrnir and his firm stance beside her the absolute trust he placed in her to rule it in his stead.

"Lords and ladies," he began, voice ringing clear in the absolute silence of the room, "I present Lady Elissa Mac Tir, the new teyrna of Gwaren."

At the pronouncement a woman approached the dais and dropped to one knee, repeating the words of the ancient oath. When she rose another took her place, and after him another, until everyone assembled had pledged their loyalty. They swore to acknowledge her authority as teyrna and her right to govern in the teyrn's absence, whether it be temporary or permanent. Afterwards, Elissa rose and made her own promise. "I will always endeavour to be worthy of your loyalty, and to govern with wisdom and fairness."

A round of polite applause, intermingled with a few whoops and cries, greeted her words. The oaths made, Loghain gave an order for the feast to begin. As they took their seats at the head table, servants arrived with great platters of steaming food. Elissa's stomach gave an embarrassingly loud snarl. Nerves had prevented her from eating all day, and now that the ceremony was over she was suddenly famished. She was suddenly grateful for Loghain's preferences when it came to food. At any other table the dishes would have been chosen to impress the guests, but he always ordered hearty meals. A mouth watering smell sent her reaching for a beef stew, and she ladled it onto her plate with as much restraint as she could muster. Once she had eaten enough to take the edge off her hunger, she leaned back in her chair and asked quietly, "How do you think it went?"

"It couldn't have gone better."

She smiled. "Truly?"

"Truly."

After everyone had eaten their fill and the empty plates had been cleared away, the mood became relaxed as people took the opportunity to speak with rarely seen friends. Elissa and Loghain separated to work their way around the room. She went from person to person, thanking them for their attendance and graciously accepting their compliments. Some seized the opportunity as a chance to air long held grudges or ambitions in the hope that Elissa could help them reach a satisfactory conclusion. At any other time she would have found it an annoyance, but tonight she was pleased that they were coming to her with their problems rather than Loghain.

There was only was person she wished to avoid, but unfortunately he seemed intent on talking to her. She suppressed a small shudder as Howe approached her. She had taken an almost irrational dislike to him as a child and had never quite been able to rid herself of it. Unreasonable prejudices aside, he was an old friend and comrade of her father's, not to mention an arl in his own right, and she would treat him with due respect. Even so, she couldn't help the way her flesh crawled as he took her hand and brushed his lips against it.

"Elissa," he greeted warmly. "It has been years since we last met. Perhaps you don't remember me?"

"Indeed I do, Arl Howe."

He put his hands behind his back and smirked, and Elissa knew he was preparing to pull something embarrassing from his memory. "The last time I visited Highever you were half the size and hounding your brother with a wooden sword. You are quite changed, I see. You have grown into a lovely young woman."

Elissa was spared the pain of having to make a bumbling reply by Loghain's appearance at her shoulder. "Her skill with a sword has improved, I promise you."

Howe raised an eyebrow, his smile taking on a sarcastic edge. "Is that so?"

"I assume you've heard of Bann Dolan's disgrace? Elissa apprehended him personally."

"How commendable. I've always thought Elissa's talents to be rather... unique."

The tone of his voice could leave her in no doubt that this was not intended as a compliment. Women could serve in the army and act as guards in cities and castles, but they were in the minority and looked down on by men such as Howe. Even her mother, a battle maiden in youth, disapproved of Elissa's martial training when it seemed to stand in the way of her finding a husband. A sharp retort had almost tumbled from her tongue before she could stop it, but she managed to contain herself. It was not wise to insult guests at important ceremonies, no matter how much she wished to. Instead she smiled sanguinely and excused herself, pleading the need to attend to her other guests.

Alone, she scanned the room, surprised to see it was almost empty. Most people had left, either to return to their homes or to find a place to sleep in the castle. Apart from Loghain and Howe there was only a small group of men tucked away in a corner, drinking and laughing. The conversation with Howe had soured her evening, and she had no desire to mingle with her increasingly drunk guests. Instead she slipped outside quietly, foregoing her cloak despite the chill in the air for fear of being discovered. Almost without thinking, her feet took her in the direction of the garden.

The discovery of the garden had been a complete surprise. Ruled by such a no nonsense man, she hadn't expected the castle to have much in the way of decoration. For the most part it didn't, but the garden was an exception. It was intimate, separated from the rest of the grounds by a tall wall and a wooden gate. Privacy was a precious and all too rare luxury. This place was isolated; what few sounds drifted over from the castle were muted.

Slipping through the gate, she had to pause a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Once she could see she set off down the path. During the day the garden was a riot of colours and scents. By night the colours were dulled, but lit by the gentle glow of a few scattered candles it possessed its own magic.

She settled herself on a stone bench that one of the servants had padded with cushions in preparation for tonight. Placed far from the path, it was mostly concealed from view by a willow tree and surrounded by fragrant white flowers. It was a place for lovers to slip away from the world for moment or two. The thought started a low throb of loneliness in the pit of her stomach.

She should be elated. The punishment of Dolan (no longer a bann) had clearly sent the desired message. There had been no challenge to her authority, not the slightest sign of discontent. She was pleased, but the achievement was dulled by a melancholy that had been plaguing her for days.

It had a lot to do with the change of season. They were sliding into autumn, the days growing gradually but unmistakably cooler. It was the time to embark on journeys, before the deep cold of winter set in and the roads became more difficult to travel. That meant that Loghain would leave soon. It couldn't be avoided. A man of his position could not afford to stay away from the palace for long, and he had already been at Gwaren a month.

She was clearly capable of running the teyrnir, and the business with Dolan had shown that she could handle a crisis. There was no reason for him to stay.

The truth, which she had been trying to avoid all day, was that she would miss Loghain and not just because he was the only man of equal social standing in the castle. She would miss him. They had spent more time together over the past fortnight. Since Dolan's capture Loghain had included her in everything. Every time he needed to ride out to address a tenant's concerns or investigate a piece of his land, he invited Elissa to join him and she invariably agreed. What little spare time they had was also spent in each other's company. Once he realised that her interest in the rebellion was genuine, he was more than willing to talk about his experiences. To her surprise, he often inquired about her own, relatively dull, past. It was a comfort, almost a relief, to be able to talk about her family when she missed them so much.

She had been extremely surprised to discover that this taciturn man possessed his own brand of dark wit. He never failed to startle a laugh out of her when she least expected it.

Soon she would lose their daily rides over the land and evening talks, the rapport that was steadily growing between them. She would be left at Gwaren, her only real company Viola and the ever busy Nevan. Maker knew how long it would be before Loghain returned; she was certain she wouldn't see him again until spring at the earliest.

"Are you hiding, Elissa?"

She jumped, heart hammering. Somehow she hadn't noticed Loghain's arrival. How she had missed his hulking figure in such a confined space she wasn't sure, but she was determined not to let him see he had startled her twice in one night. "Not at all," she said evenly. "This is merely a temporary retreat."

He snorted. "I've never heard that excuse before." He paused for a moment, and when he spoke again his voice was serious. "May I join you?"

"Of course," she said, startled that he was asking permission. She moved over, giving him space to sit next to her.

Once seated, it was a long time before he spoke. Elissa wanted to break the silence, but she sensed he was on the verge of an announcement and didn't want to delay it. Finally he said, "I received a message from Cailan today. He wishes to know when I will return to the capital."

"Surely it must be soon," she said mildly, heart sinking.

He hummed in agreement. "I have been away longer than I intended." He fell back into silence, drumming his fingers against the stone as he thought. "I have a good seneschal," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "He has managed admirably so far."

She raised an eyebrow. "Am I not yet competent enough to run the household?"

"You're capable," he replied absently.

"My lord should not be so free with his praise," she said drily. "My head will swell."

This startled a bark of laughter out of him. "Would you like to come with me?" he asked suddenly.

For a few second she could only blink in surprise. "To Denerim?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"But – I – Why? I thought your purpose in dwelling so long at Gwaren was to ensure I was prepared to run it."

"I underestimated you," he said bluntly. "I see now that you would be wasted here. There are more opportunities for you at the palace. I understand if you would prefer to stay here." His voice changed, becoming distant. "I know you entered this marriage under the belief that we would spend a lot of time apart. If you don't wish-"

Elissa's response surprised even herself. Since the wedding night, when ancient custom had demanded that they consummate their marriage, they had shared only a few chaste kisses. They slept in the same bed but never touched, and she hated the chasm that existed between them every night. Their wedding night had not at all resembled the frightening stories told to her by several women at Highever and, despite the disparity in age, her husband was certainly not unattractive. Thinking of the many times she had reached out to him only to pull back made her furious with herself. She had pursued Dolan without fear, perhaps with relish, yet she could not do this. In this area she was hopelessly inexperienced ,and she had no idea how to bridge the distance between them.

She would never be able to understand what propelled her forwards. Perhaps it was the elation of having every bann and arl under Loghain swear loyalty to her. Perhaps it was the knowledge that Loghain considered her valuable enough to want her in the capital. Before she could second guess herself, she swiftly raised her face and pressed her lips to his. Her heart hammered erratically a, for an awful moment Loghain sat frozen and she feared that she would be pushed away. Then his lips warmed and began to respond to hers. This was not the restrained embrace of their first night; this was harder, almost demanding, and Elissa felt heat pool in her belly. He brought a hand up to curl around her hip, caressing her through the fabric of her dress. When they drew apart he left it there.

Loghain regarded her silently, face half hidden in shadow, eyes unreadable. When he spoke, however, his voice was coloured by quiet amusement. "Am I to take this to mean you're coming, or were you enthusiastically bidding me goodbye?"

"I'm coming," she said firmly.

He nodded approval. "You will do well at court. The Couslands have always been popular; you will forge friendships easily."

"Or alliances, perhaps," she suggested, lips twitching.

"Perhaps," he agreed lightly.

"So your true purpose becomes clear. A gentle word from the teyrna may find favour where the stern teyrn cannot."

"Maker help the man who thinks you gentle. I'm sure Dolan will not make that mistake twice."

"Hush," she murmured, lifting her face to whisper conspiratorially in his ear. "Arl Howe would be scandalised to hear you encourage me so."

He grunted in dismissal. "Howe's sanity must be called into question if he can't see your value." He trailed his fingers over her bare shoulders and neck, leaving a tingling trail in his wake. "I, on the other hand, am not so foolish as to fail to appreciate you." Taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, he tilted her face and caught her lips in a firm kiss. A thrill of excitement ran through her at the thought that he had been the one to initiate this embrace. Up until that moment she had been harbouring a barely acknowledged fear that he simply did not want her. Loghain broke the kiss to say quietly, "Perhaps we should retire."

She nodded and said a little breathlessly, "I hope one of our guests has not claimed our room."

"I'll throw them out of the window," he muttered darkly.

"That wouldn't do," she said, laughing softly. "We should stay here."

"Here?"

"Why not?"

"It's cold." It was a half hearted objection. He had already wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He bent to press his face against her neck, lips seeking out the sensitive skin there.

Elissa tangled her fingers in his hair, urging him on, and murmured, "Then it falls to my husband to keep me warm."