Alex paced her room and spoke out loud to herself as she tried to cram all of these facts about Nevarra into her head. "Nevarra is west of the Free Marches, south of the Tevinter Imperium, and north-east of Orlais. It use to be part of the Free Marshes but has expanded over the last two centuries to become a power to rival Orlais. The Nevarrans, unlike the rest of Thedas, don't burn their dead. They're like the Egyptians and have humongous tombs. Most Nevarran leaders have been members of the Pentagon…Pentecost…Pentaghast! The Pentaghast clan, the hunters of dragons. The College of Magi is in…Cucumberland? No…ummm…Cumberland! It's in Cumberland, which is a huge trade city on the Minotaur River? No, the Miniture River? Meander River? No! Crap! The, uhh…Mini…Mina...Minanter! Cumberland is located on the Minanter River!"
Alex sighed heavily, going over the small parchment of study notes she'd written, trying to burn all the information she could into her head while she waited for Darrian.
"How in the hell does Alistair expect me to remember all this? Maybe if I had a week or two to study, but two hours? I'm dead. That's it; Eamon is going to see right through me. I'm a dead woman. That's all there is to it. I'm dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. D-"
A sudden knock came at her door and it caused Alex to jump back in surprise.
"You ready for lunch, Contess-, I mean, Alex?" Darrian's voice asked through the door.
"Oh my God, Darrian, don't do that!" Alex gasped as she quickly stashed her notes up her sleeve and opened the door. "You damn near gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry about that." Darrian smiled sheepishly.
Alex sighed as she shook her head. "No, that's okay, Darrian. I'm sorry, I overreacted. It's just that I'm so nervous."
"Nervous? About what?"
"Everything! This lunch, looking presentable to Eamon, trying to remember everything about…uh, about…" Alex stuttered as she frowned at the confused look the elf gave her. 'Shit! I can't tell him I was studying about Nevarra. I'm supposed to be from there!'
"Remember everything about…What? Proper Ferelden etiquette? " Darrian inquired.
"YES! That's it!" Alex smiled, thankful for his unknowing support in her charade.
"Well, I imagine that the court in Nevarra is somewhat different than it is here in Ferelden, but I'm sure the basic principles are the same. Just try not to insult anyone or use the wrong fork and you should be fine."
xXx
"Ah, there she is." Eamon smiled reluctantly and stood as Darrian escorted Alex towards the table. "I told you there was nothing to worry about, Alistair."
Alistair smiled at her as he sat back down and gave a small sigh of relief. "We were slightly worried you might not show. I'm glad you could make it."
Alex bowed slightly to everyone as Darrian pulled out her chair for her. "I'm so sorry for being late; I didn't mean to worry anyone."
"Well you did." Giselle huffed. "It's extremely rude to keep your host waiting, especially when he's the king. Don't they teach you anything in Nevarra?"
"I beg your pardon." Alex apologized as she plastered the best fake smile on her face that she could muster. "I would've been here sooner but I'm afraid it took me longer to get dressed then I had assumed. Had I known you would be so worried, Gazelle, I would've sent word."
"It's Giselle," the red-head huffed indignantly.
"Yes, well…" Alistair said as he tried to relieve some of the tension in the room. "Now that we're all here why don't we eat? I'm sure everyone is more than a little hungry by now."
"An excellent idea, Your Majesty," Eamon agreed and he clapped his hands to signal the servants to begin lunch.
"So, tell me, Contessa, how has your stay in Denerim been treating you?" Eamon inquired.
"Oh, just fine, thank you. I have to confess though, Ferelden is far lovelier than I had imagined. The books I've read don't do it justice."
Eamon smiled. "I'm glad it's to your liking."
"Yes, especially since all the other visiting nobles keep complaining how everything smells like wet dog." Darrian laughed.
"Indeed," Eamon remarked as he cast a scolding glance towards the Warden. "I'm curious though, My Lady, just where in Nevarra did you say you were from?"
"Where? Umm…I'm from Cumberland."
"Cumberland is it? I hear that's where the College of Magi is, is that correct?"
"Oh, umm…yes. You are correct."
"Is it true that it is made of gold?"
"Well, sort of." Alex smiled as she tried to remember all she'd read. "It's true that it is golden, but only gold-leafed. The entire structure itself is made from stone masonry."
"Is it true that the Nevarrans bury their dead?" Eamon asked.
Alex nodded and said, "Why yes. Some of the wealthiest Nevarrans begin construction of their own tombs when they are quite young. Some of these tombs become incredible palaces, complete with gardens, bathhouses, and ballrooms. They are breathtaking. It's a shame that they are kept only for the dead."
Alistair was impressed with her crash course on Nevarra and when no one was looking he winked at her.
"I think it's barbaric to bury the dead," Giselle said.
Alex gave her a cold stare and said, "Some cultures believe that burning your dead is cold and insensitive. We must learn to accept other cultures' beliefs and learn to tolerate them if we hope to get along with each other."
Darrian raised his wine glass and said, "Here, here."
They all raised their glasses to the salute even although Giselle did so reluctantly.
Eamon was about to ask another question about Nevarra when Alistair interrupted him, "I think that's enough questions for now, Eamon. I'm sure you didn't arrange this luncheon just so Alex could indulge you in your studies of Nevarran culture." Alistair smiled.
Eamon nodded. "Yes, you're quite right. Please forgive my curiosity, Contessa."
"Think nothing of it." Alex smiled as she cast a grateful glance towards Alistair.
"So tell me, Alistair, how is it that you defeated the Archdemon again?" Giselle asked as she smiled seductively as she brushed her hand against his arm.
"W-well, it wasn't just me. Darrian was there too, along with Morrigan and Z-Zevran." Alistair stuttered slightly. He continued to blush as Giselle began to rub her leg against his under the table.
"Ah, yes, the Hero of Ferelden." Giselle smiled politely at Darrian before she returned her attention towards the king. "Everyone knows his version of the story, as it is in every tabloid from here to the Anderfels. However I, my dear King, am so much more interested in your version of the tale," she purred as she rubbed her leg farther up his leg.
All of the sudden there was a loud thud against the underside of the table.
"Y-yes, well…I, uh…"
"Is everything alright, Alistair?" Eamon asked as he noticed the younger man's face contorted in slight pain as his face began to redden even more.
Alex noticed his strange behavior as well and quickly cast a glance towards the other woman. What on Earth was she doing? 'Or maybe I don't want to know?'
"Y-yes, everything is just fine, Eamon."
"Perhaps you'd like to lie down and we could continue this at a later time, when you are feeling more refreshed?" the elder man suggested.
Giselle smirked suggestively. "Yes, maybe some time in bed would you do you some good?"
Before he knew it Giselle's foot expertly rubbed between Alistair's thighs, which in turn shocked him so much that he quite literally fell backwards in his chair. Not a second later, Darrian was at his side.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped his friend up. "Maybe I should walk you to your room after all?"
Alistair nodded as he suddenly needed to be as far away from the red-headed vixen as soon possible. "Yes, that sounds good. Thank you, Darrian."
Alex watched as Darrian helped walk Alistair back towards his room while Eamon and Giselle got up out of their chairs.
"Excuse me, Ladies, but I'm afraid I must take my leave." Eamon bowed before he left to follow the other two men.
As soon as the three men were out of earshot Giselle turned towards Alex and gave her the iciest look she'd ever seen.
"I suggest you cut your losses and leave as soon as possible, Contessa." She sneered. "It's obvious which one of us is the better choice. Do you honestly think the king would stoop so low as to marry some backwater trash like you when he could have the pleasure of me as his queen? I think not."
At first Alex's eyes were wide in shock, unable to believe the audacity of the other woman. That soon faded, however, as her eyes narrowed in almost a blind rage.
"First off, who are you calling trash, you gold digging tramp!" Alex growled as she pushed herself up against the table. "Secondly, unlike you, I'm not some two-faced vamp here to trick Alistair into marrying me! You think I care about being queen? Puh-lease! Alistair is a good man and he deserves a good wife which I am sorry to inform you won't be you. If I were lucky enough to marry a man like him it most certainly wouldn't be because he's king! Last, but not least, if you EVER so much as raise your voice to me again I will have to personally demonstrate to you some of the moves you saw in the sparring ring earlier today!"
By now the two women were face to face and so close to one another that their noses were almost touching. Giselle's eyes went from wide-eyed fear to calm and calculating. "Thank you for proving my point, trash," Giselle said as she jammed her boney finger into Alex's shoulder.
Alex whipped her hand back to smack the smart-mouthed woman's hand away, but before she could make contact someone else had grabbed her by the wrist.
"I do not think that this is a wise decision." Zev cooed into her ear. He had walked by when he'd overheard the two women's animated conversation. "While I would agree that this woman deserves to be punished, I'm afraid that doing so would reflect badly on you."
"I wasn't going to hurt her!" Alex hissed. Zev raised an eye brow. "Well, not much. I wouldn't leave any marks. Somebody needs to teach that condescending wench a lesson!"
"Yes, again I am inclined to agree with you. However, I imagine that Alistair would not be too happy to have to visit you in the tower-Which is exactly where you'll be sent if you continue this line of action."
Giselle laughed haughtily. "I'd listen to him if I were you. He sounds pretty smart, for an elf."
Zev raised an eyebrow at the woman's remark, but ignored her none the less. "Come, we shall work off your rage towards this woman in a more productive way, say in the sparring arena."
Alex was about to protest and argue that knocking some sense into the woman WAS a productive thing to do, when Zev surprised her by lifting her up over his shoulders and carried her way.
Zev rounded a corner with Alex still on his shoulder when he noticed a body that was in the middle of the hallway. Zev put Alex down and the two of them ran up to the collapsed man. Zev rolled the man over and was shocked to see that it was Eamon.
Alex fell to her knees and check the side of his neck for a pulse. She lifted his lids and saw the pupils were dilated. She looked up at Zev and said "I think he is having a heart attack."
Just then a servant rounded the corner and Zev yelled, "Go get Anders and let the King know that Eamon is sick."
"Yes, ser," the servant said and darted off.
Alex had tilted Eamon's head back and opened his mouth. She put her ear to his mouth.
"What are you doing?" Zev demanded.
"I am checking for breath." Alex replied.
She then pinched Eamon's nose, covered his mouth with hers and blew until Zev saw Eamon's chest rise. She breathed into his mouth again.
Zev heard the sound of pounding footsteps and turned to see Darrian and Alistair approach.
Alex then leaned over Eamon's chest and placed one hand on top of the other. She pushed down on the center of Eamon's chest. She did this over and over again. She then went back to Eamon's mouth, pinched his nose, covered his mouth with hers and breathed in twice and then she resumed chest compressions.
"By the Maker, what is she doing?" Darrian asked.
"I don't know, but she seems to know what she is doing so let her work," Alistair said.
For the next five minutes Alex worked on Eamon – repeating each step. Finally Eamon began to cough. He opened his eyes and looked up Alex. She smiled at him and said, "Welcome back."
"Maker, what happened? I was walking back to my room and felt a huge pain in my chest. I remember collapsing, but that is it," Eamon said.
Alex continued to check Eamon's vitals as she answered, "Eamon, I think you had a heart attack."
"A heart-a-what?" Alistair asked.
"A heart attack. That is when there is a sudden interruption of blood being supplied to the heart, typically resulting from an obstruction of one or more of the heart's arteries. A heart attack is often characterized by severe chest pain," Alex replied. She looked at Alistair and said, "He needs to be moved to his room. He is going to need plenty of rest and remain stress free for a while."
Just then Anders came running up. He saw Alex assist Eamon as he sat up. "What happened?" Anders asked as he approached the group. Zev quickly explained what had happened. Anders looked at Alex and asked, "Are you a mage?"
Alex laughed, "No, I am a doctor. I preformed a medical procedure called Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR for short. I think if you examine him Anders you will find that several of his arteries in his heart are blocked."
Anders knelt down beside Eamon and asked him to lie back. Eamon did as instructed. Anders raised his hands and slowly moved them across Eamon's chest. He paused, gave a brief nod and a shocked look at Alex. He continued his examine and then said, "She is correct, Eamon. You have several blocked arteries in your heart. Her medical procedure probably saved your life. We need to get you back to your room so that I can heal you," Anders said with awe in his voice.
Eamon looked at Alex and said, "I can't thank you enough for saving my life."
Alex smiled at him and said, "I'm glad I was here and able to help."
Three of the royal guards plus Zev moved Eamon on to a stretcher and carried him to his room. Anders turned to Alex and said, "We need to talk. I want to hear all about this procedure and any other ones you know."
Alex laughed and said, "Well that will only take four years of pre-med, three years of medical school and a couple years of residency, but I would be happy to share what I can."
Alistair walked over to Alex and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Alex for saving him. At times he is a royal pain in the arse, but I don't know what I would do without him. It was amazing watching you work on him."
Alex laughed and said, "Oh that was nothing. I do some of my finest work with a scalpel in my hand."
Darrian said, "Seriously, where did you learn to do that?"
Alex looked at them for a moment and then said, "Don't you have doctors here?"
"Nothing like you, they are mostly mid-wives and nannies that have learned how to take care of people when there isn't a mage around to heal," Darrian said.
"Well, where I come from a physician is someone everyone goes to be healed and it takes years of schooling," Alex replied. She paused and then continued, "The procedure I did today anyone can learn. I could teach it to both of you," Alex said.
"Really? That would be great," Darrian said.
"That is the second person from Ferelden I've saved. I do good work," Alex said with a laugh.
Darrian looked at her questioningly and asked, "Who else have you saved?"
Without thinking Alex said, "Morrigan."
"Who did you just say?" Darrian demanded.
Alex looked to Alistair for guidance, but it was Darrian that spoke, "What the hell is going on with the two of you? The two of you have been hiding something since Alex arrived in Denerim and now you tell me that you have saved Morrigan! I demand to know the truth," Darrian exclaimed.
Alistair took his friend's arm and said, "Let's head to my study were we can talk in private."