Author's note – this chapter is based on a parody-character. Alternate Warden.

X

Lord Aedan Cousland, Warden-Commander of the Grey of Ferelden and Arl of Amaranthine

xxxXXXxxx

i.

If there is one thing Aedan has learned with the Blight is that people are often comfortable in their commodity, relaxed in their own little world, with their little wishes and sins and not even explosions on their doorstep push them into being useful.

He also learned a good sword and veiled threats work awesomely to get people moving.

Learn with him, kids.

ii.

"You are not going to marry the miller's daughter, Aedan Cousland!"

"Why not?"

"For one, she's thirty years older than you. For another, she's married and pregnant! No."

"You never let me do anything!"

Bryce looks inside the room, stares at the scene for a moment and then, deliberately, turns tail and flees.

Eleanor frowns. Coward.

iii.

Fergus is all Aedan wishes to be when he's younger. He's strong, fast, just and dutiful. He's good looking, managed to get one amazing woman without even trying (all the while evading a good crowd of other eligible ladies without them managing to cut any piece of him) and, overall, the best warrior he has ever seen.

He doesn't see the rest until he's older.

Fergus is going to be the next Lord Cousland of Highever. He's strong because his people are looking. He's just because ninety-nine percent of the rest of the world isn't and someone has to stand while others kneel. He's dutiful because duty was hammered into his very bones since a child for years to no end.

As Aedan relaxes into his place in the world as second son, he looks at his brother and swears to never treat him as anything else than his amazing brother.

iv.

He glares at the two women like he once glared at the man who insulted his father in the tavern. To the man who said his mother's place was certainly not with a sword on her hand. To the girl who said Fergus would never amount to anything more than a puppet ruler.

"Lord Aedan?"

Oriana is afraid, he knows; she's not sure of what she's doing, dropped at she was in this corner of the world. Hearing these two chickens clucking about her like she's some sort of stray dog, isn't going to make her feel better. And Aedan might not know her but this is the woman chosen for his brother, the one who will make Fergus happy. His sister. A part of his family.

Family is everything to him.

"It's Aedan," he replies with a smile, dropping the glare in an instance. "Or brother. Come to think of it, brother's better. I always wanted a kind sibling."

v.

Aedan punches Duncan when he suggests leaving his parents behind to bleed to death. His dagger is between his fingers before the Warden-Commander can try to repeat the offer and the older man understands that he will only leave that room if the remaining Cousland family does as well.

"You will be a Warden," he declares to Aedan.

"Only if they get out alive." The warrior grinds his teeth as he settles his father onto his back. "And if they don't, you won't either."

vi.

Aedan Cousland is hardly a coward. He enjoys his own wellbeing and that includes not being killed because Cailan forgot he is playing his games with real live people instead of his toys. In that moment, he prays fervently that someone keeps the King unconscious until the battle is over or he will kill them all.

vii.

Don't drink it, this is a bad idea, don't do it, Cousland.

His parents are alive and this is the price he offered.

The dark blood is pushed through his lips.

viii.

When Aedan meets Morrigan, he likes her immediately. She has a way to despise him that's oddly reassuring and honest, the way she raises her little nose and stares up at him before proceeding to tell him he's the less intelligent being this side of the ocean. It's refreshing since most people remember he is a Lord and swallow their insults.

"Stop staring at my breasts, Warden."

"In my defense, they're staring right back at me."

There's also that, yes.

ix.

"Dear Maker, Dane. You're a better leader than Alistair and you don't have opposable thumbs!" Aedan murmurs in vaguely disguised horror.

His mabari rests his head against his legs in commiseration.

x.

Isolde is used for fuel for the spell that will save her kid, the Tower is clear of abominations with an efficiency bordering on ruthless and the werewolves get turned into humans as soon as Aedan can convince the elvhen leader to fall into his own sword, so to speak. The dwarves receive a long bout of Aedan laughing when they suggest him to lose his time traipsing over the deep roads in search for someone who's likely dead.

And when all of this is done, the Warden-Commander rallies all the Redcliffe soldiers, both Templars and mages because it's a bloody Blight and they won't have anything to study or guard if the country goes up in flames and drags the newly transformed humans into a foundry to get sharp blades.

There's a dragon gunning for their heads. They can do their power plays when he's not about to get killed.

xi.

"I am not playing the Landsmeet."

"How do you think you'll manage to have the Crown's support, Cousland?"

The pretense of Eamon respecting him had gone out the window the second he understood that the second Cousland son simply wouldn't play his games. Frankly, they were dead boring.

"Simple, you," the following words start with an 'o', end with a 'd' and rhyme with 'old bastard'. "I am going to ignore you all exist, going to talk with Loghain, tell him I couldn't care less about the bloody throne and tell him I'm going south to kills spawn. Cheers."

"You won't have your revenge," Eamon slides in as a last resort.

"Of course I will," he declares with a smirk so pronounced that a blind deaf man lacking half his proper mind would be able to see it. "I believe in not wasting my time, you see."

That's why Zevran's staying behind to slit Howe's throat as he sleeps, after all.

xii.

"I'll be the one to take the last blow."

Riordan stares at the two younger wardens firmly, almost expecting any possible rebuttal to his statement. The Cousland boy smiles, a smile that is a little twisted and reminds him of the black haired woman that follows him around.

"What?" Aedan comments. "Are you expecting me to argue? I like living."

xiii.

Aedan Cousland doesn't have commitment issues. He just prefers to keep well away from anything connected to marriage and being a proper husband. Morrigan follows that discovery with a pointed 'who would want to marry you, anyway?' and Aedan swears there and then there is no other woman for him.

When he tells so to Eleanor, she retorts, in no uncertain terms, that his issues are immense and certainly not from her side of the family.

xiv.

As he faces Urthemiel, Aedan realizes he could have killed Duncan with his bare hands.

xv.

"You are the Warden Commander?" Nathaniel yells from his cell. "You? Who had that stupid idea! You spent your teen years sleeping in the middle of wheat fields because doing anything else other than sleeping was boring and hard work."

"I'm also your boss from now on," Aedan confirms. "Surprise."

xvi.

When he reenters Highever, it is with his arm over his father's shoulders and his hand clasping his brother's.

xvii.

"I hate you."

It is the very first thing Alistair tells him once Fergus makes his way to Denerim as the Lord of Amaranthine.

"I'd hate me too if I was married to Anora," the Warden states bluntly. "You'd know that no one would mind that you, at any point, would have strapped on a pair and tell the world you didn't want to do any of this. Fergus would have made a good king."

Alistair straps on a pair and tries to punch him.

Aedan neatly sidesteps and trips him into his Chancellor.

xviii.

She didn't call him Duncan. She didn't call him Bryce.

Thank the Maker.

He has his own dark hair with a skin so pale it makes his look like someone handwashed him against volcanic rock. The eyes are Morrigan but the structure is all his and his brother's and father's and he feels like hugging this kid who is so like poor Oren. Who is so like himself.

"You're my father." Those lovely eyes narrow a little. "Mother says you are weird."

Aedan nods seriously. "Your mother is very right. She's also addicted to weird."

There's a pause. There's an abyss between him and this kid who he should have been able to see grow, to hear cry, to caress and hold and look after. Aedan kneels in front of him, not even bothering to hide his tears.

"Did you want to meet me?" Kieran asks. Funny. The Commander can almost swear to hear his heart breaking. He swallows tightly before whispering a yes, strangled and almost muted.

His son grins, taking over the Commander's heart with a hold not even the Archdemon would be able to break.

xix.

"You are not taking the Calling."

"I am not taking the Calling. You will keep me in an attic and feed me pieces of meat through a hole and purify the taint every now and then with the blood of innocents and virgins."

Morrigan's face comes closer in the darkness, her hands gripping his hair and a ferocity in her gaze which spelled death for many a man.

"You are not taking the Calling," she repeats. "I won't ever let you."

Aedan kisses her. There's no other way he can say thank you over and over again.

xx.

"We need you to rebuild the order. Again." The Commander waves the letter from Weishaupt with one hand, rolling his eyes skyward. "Only with more flowery language than anyone would ever need. Seriously. Do they know I'm on the fifteenth year here? It's not like I can keep rebuilding stuff from scratch! That's hard work."

"Aedan," murmurs Nathaniel' long suffering voice. "You love being the Commander."

"Without a raise! Seriously, hard work without being paid properly is just stupid. How about couple dozen more sovereigns per hour? I could do much with that."

He makes a pause, looking at his people, the ones who have kept by him through all those years, through magic and deceit, through flame and blood. A long look tempered by a half-smile. This is his place, after all, and this is also his family.

"Who's up for a little more work?"