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Fergus stood among nobles, people that he had been around all of his life, people that he had grown up with, and known through his parents. In another life, he would have walked among his peers with his wife, exchanged pleasantries about his son, and the world would have made sense. But the world had not made sense for quite some time, and Fergus could not come face to face with the loss of his family just yet.
Fergus was not a man given to great emotion, he is Fereldan after all. The rebuilding and planning of Ferelden, and Highever give him little time to think about such things. Usually when it is time to sleep, he literally collapses into bed, having spent so much time planning the actual work of rebuilding the city and the country. But now, here, with this moment to catch his breath, there is a hollowness that is inescapable.
All eyes turned to the front as the Hero of Ferelden entered, looking decidedly un-mage like, and with no staff in sight. A blue dress had been selected, clearly to highlight Solana's very blue eyes. The dress itself, in keeping with Fereldan styles, is close fitting and demure, with a slightly lower neck to better expose Solana's decollete. Her dark hair is swept back, revealing a surprisingly delicate and graceful neck. A few errant strands of hair have liberated themselves, and to Fergus this is oddly endearing. She is accompanied by a pretty redhead, attired similarly, but in a much lighter hue, almost as if to not detract from Solana. She walked among the nobles, and many tried to catch her attention, and once she looked right at Fergus. Inexplicably he felt a little shy, perhaps because he had been staring at her, and when he turned to look, she was looking away and speaking with some other noble.
Fergus felt a some air might be in order, he cheeks felt a bit warm, caused by the wine of course. Somehow a bit of the rose garden had survived; one small rosebud seemed so tightly closed, as if afraid to show itself. Fergus bent down to look a little closer, it was tiny so neat that Fergus felt compelled to pick it. However the rose was armored with thorns, and before he could pluck the flower he had numerous cuts and scratches. Fergus smiled as he appraised his hand. Then he felt a soothing warmth, and the cuts faded away.
"I don't believe that the blossom wished to be picked" Solana smiled shyly as she took his hand to appraise her work.
"No, it appears to have some teeth." Fergus replied, watching Solana look over the front and back of his hand.
"Well your hand looks much better now, try to stay away from pointy ends." Solana told him impishly.
As she turned to walk away,Fergus decided that he wanted to hear her talk some more.
"Are you a healing mage?" he called after her.
Solana turned to look to look at Fergus uncertainly.
"No...well, I know basic healing...obviously I just healed your hand, but healing is rather difficult, and I am really not a very good mage."
"Oh you really are having me on, I mean you are the The Hero of Ferelden!" Fergus exclaimed.
"Well, all that I really do is make things explode, I'm very good at that. But that's easy and dangerous to anyone near" Solana replied. "I also can make you and the air around you very hot, or very cold, and while that is all very showy to see, for a mage it's not very difficult"
"It all sounds impossible to me" Fergus looked at her wonderingly.
"Hmm, let me show you the difference between a healer and a primal mage." Solana looked over at the rose bush and plucked one of the flowers that had already opened. "Here, pull all of petals off this rose."
Fergus did as he was asked, ripping all of the petals off till just the center remained.
"Now, can you put all the petals back exactly as they were before you ripped them off?"
Fergus looked at the shredded petals in his hand.
"No. I cannot"
"So it is with healing, and a person is so much more complicated then a rose." Solana took Fergus hand in hers.
"I can see the cuts on you hand, therefore I can imagine the skin coming together as if it had never been penetrated, but if the cut were deeper, and perhaps through your chest...well...I don't even know what is behind your chest, not exactly anyway, to make it come together and be healed."
Solana dropped Fergus's hand looking a little sheepish.
"I really lack control, when I get angry things sometimes catch fire...I mean, I mean, that rarely happens..." Solana hastened to assure Fergus.
"If I see you get angry I will make sure I am not in your way." chuckled Fergus.
"Well...I should be getting back to the reception...speeches and..." Solana shook her head slightly. "I should be getting back"
"Fergus"
Solana looked at him questioningly.
"Fergus, that's my name"
"Yes, you are the Queens brother, Teryn of Highever. It is wonderful to meet you...I have heard of you of course." Solana nodded to Fergus. "And I am Solana..."
"The Hero of Ferelden." interrupted Fergus.
"Just Solana, please" She reached out her hand to shake his.
As she turned to go, Fergus called out."Would you join me for a walk outside the city gates, in perhaps three days at mid afternoon...we could meet at the city gates?"
Solana gave him a long look. "Of course, yes, I would like that." Solana smiled at Fergus, and then turned away to join Leliana.
Leliana smiled at Solana, as she took her arm. "I came to check on you, but you seemed to be doing just fine" Leliana giggled.
"Well yes, I am just mingling...like you said." Solana looked at Leliana out of the corner of her eye, and shook her head.
"Yes, because mingling means going outside with one person in the rose garden." Leliana smiled.
Solana smirked at Leliana and led her to a corner.
"I would really like to know if what Zevran is up to" Solana said with a sigh.
"You have only to ask, my lovely Warden"
Solana spins around into Zevran, and breathlessly says, "Maker, you really need to teach me how to do that"
"I would be happy to, but first you have to learn how to pick my pocket, without me feeling it. I suspect we could work on this for many months, you will be a master if you can pick my pocket with the smallest amount of clothes on my body." Zevren looked at Solana appraisingly. "Do you think you could learn this?"
"No" chuckled Solana. "And I suspect that you would never allow me to master it anyway, you would leave yourself with less and less clothes or some such nonsense"
"You wound me, my dear, but I will let you console me another time, now I have a small amount of information for you, and a request."
Zevran lowered his voice. "There are those that are more inclined to Anora's rule, then the rule of another Theirin. And there is a network passing information from and to Anora. This is not surprising, what I have been able to gather is that there is someone on the inside willing to do her bidding. Of course, we need to know who this is, and I will find this person, but we also need to know who holds the assassin's leash, just getting rid of the tool does not stop the job. And now that Alistair is married, it is not only him that we must concern ourselves with. What we need to know is two things...who in Bannorn is holding the leash, and how ambitious is our new Queen."
"Are you sure about this?" Solana asked tightly.
"Absolutely, I am almost completely positive of who the inside person is, and I plan on making contact tonight."
"Zev, have you talked to Alistair?" Solana asked.
"I did not, and I am requesting that you speak with him, but I have to ask you to not make his Queen aware of any of this. At least not until we know more about her...we can't afford to assume anything about anyone."
Zevran put his arms around Solana. "I know this is hard for you..."
"It's ok, Zev, we just crowned him, I don't care to crown another one." Solana smiled sadly. "I would never wish him hurt, no matter what has happened between us. I'll speak with him."
"When he and the Queen arrive, after they have made the rounds of the nobles, I'll distract the Queen, and you can speak with him then." Leliana let them both know.
"Oh and look they have arrived."
Solana turned to Zevran, but he had faded to the shadows.
Alistair and Elissa arrived to many cheers and much fanfare. Everyone wanted to touch and talk to both the King and the Queen. Elissa looked very comfortable talking amongst the nobles. She had grown among most of these people, and many were old friends of her family. Solana had to admit that Alistair looked like he belonged. Eamon standing at his elbow always whispering to him, perhaps about who everyone is, and how they should be treated. Solana could see some strain in his eyes however, and she was loathe to add to his discomfort.
Once everyone has a chance to greet the King and Queen, Leliana went to distract Elissa.
Solana hurried over to Alistair and beckoned him to the side.
"Alistair I need you to be on your guard, one of the courtiers or servants may be a spy for Anora, and they may be here to kill you and your wife." Solana told him with the lowest voice possible.
"What" Alistair looked at Solana incredulously. "How do you know this?"
"Zev has come into some information...I know this sounds insane," started Solana.
"Yes it does. Do you believe it, and do you have any idea as to who it would be?"
"I do not, but Zev does, and he is working on this for us...for you, but he didn't tell me who he thought was involved." Solana whispered.
"I'm the King, don't you think I should know something like that?"
"I don't think he wanted to come to you unless he had some proof to present you, but he was adamant about one thing, please don't mention any of this to the queen." Solana whispered urgently.
"Why? Does he think she has something to do with it?
"I don't know Alistair." Solana smiled slightly. "I'm sure he just wants to protect her...but really Alistair, what do we know about her? We have no idea what she did during the blight, and she seems a bit...secretive."
"Sooo, is that why Leliana is paying so much attention to her, to find out more about her...pumping her for information?" Alistair gave Solana a small smile.
"Alistair, I... we just want to keep you safe, and here is the dinner bell...go take your place."
Fergus watched Alistair and Solana part. Just for a moment, she looked so sad. Fergus wanted to move to her, but he knew that he could not. At least not yet.