A/N: Thanks so much again for your comments and support ^^ This fiction is getting longer than I anticipated and I wish I could go back and merge the first couple chapters together (but I'm feeling too lazy to do it ^^;;). Next chapter will be mature again, so don't say I never warned you!

Advice

"Thank you so much for your help, Wynne." Elissa gave the mage a grateful smile. "I don't know what we could have done without you."

Wynne smiled softly and ran her head on top of Elissa's head. It was an affectionate gesture a grandmother would make. "You are very welcome. It was quite a coincidence. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you and Oghren storm inside the chantry."

Elissa and Wynne walked amicably around the small chantry gardens. Nathaniel was still in bed, under orders to rest for one more day. Wynne had healed many of his broken bones and she wanted to make sure that her hard work wasn't ruined by his impatience.

They had left the room to give Nathaniel and his sister Delilah some time alone. By the most coincidental of events, Anders had somehow run across Delilah on the market streets. Elissa knew from her own experience about how joyful it was to be reunited with a long lost sibling. She decided to leave the two to get reacquainted in private. Anders and Oghren have wandered off about the city, getting ready for their next destination. Valenna was preparing herself for her upcoming joining into the Grey Wardens.

Wynne recalled the moment when Elissa had burst into the chantry and begged her to save Nathaniel. It was rare to see Elissa looking so scared. She had seen her angry many times…but never terrified. It was obvious that her newest comrade meant a great deal to her.

Wynne cleared her throat. "I can see you and your new companion have gotten quite close."

Elissa's pale face reddened slightly. "Nathaniel…we're fellow Grey Wardens now. He's a friend."

"My…you keep your friends quite close, don't you?" Wynne teased.

"I was tired…I crawled into bed with him…I swear by Andraste's name that we were just talking…" Elissa stuttered, knowing how silly she sounded.

Wynne placed her hand on Elissa's shoulder. "I'm just playing with you, child. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Elissa smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, Wynne."

The old mage watched Elissa bend down to admire a well tended bed of flowers. Elissa had lost weight, Wynne observed, she hasn't been eating. By the dark circles around her eyes, it was plain to see she hasn't been getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, she had recently seen Elissa's same symptoms in someone else as well. The King was looking quite malnourished and exhausted when she last saw him a few days ago. It didn't take a royal scholar to figure out that the two issues were related to one another.

However, Elissa had a faint rosy tint back into her cheeks today, Wynne noted to herself. Was it most likely due to the Howe boy?

"My dear…" Wynne spoke slowly, unsure if she needed to discuss the topic with Elissa. "You have seen Alistair recently, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have." Elissa didn't turn to Wynne, instead she kept her gaze on the cheerful faces of the flowers before her.

"I assume he informed you of the most recent…situation he has been dealing with?" Wynne asked, staring down at the flowers as well.

"His search for a queen to bear him an heir? Yes, he did tell me that." Elissa's voice remained monotone, with no hints of anger or sadness.

Wynne nodded to herself. When he arrived back at court, Alistair had not spoken a word to anybody about his short visit at Vigil's Keep. Leliana had inquired on how Elissa had been faring and she received nothing more than a quiet grunt in reply. They all had assumed that Alistair had gone to Vigil's Keep to speak with Elissa, but judging by his reaction, it was most likely an unpleasant reunion.

"You sound quite undisturbed at the news." Wynne said quietly, clasping her hands together. "I was expecting a different reaction due to the fact you were both joined at the hip just a few months ago."

Elissa slowly stood back up. "Things change, Wynne. It's not something that makes me happy, but it's unavoidable. Ferelden needs Alistair…and I cannot be the one to be by his side."

Wynne gazed at Elissa thoughtfully. The young girl had become hard and rigid from the reality of the weight of Ferelden on her slim shoulders. It was saddening that girls at Elissa's age had their heads full of marriage and babies, but Elissa herself knew very well that it was dream beyond her reach.

Wynne thought about how Alistair had suddenly tried to leave the palace a few days back.

"Alistair! What do you think you're doing?" Wynne approached the young king at the palace stables while he was preparing the saddle for his horse. Chancellor Eamon had rushed over and begged Wynne for her assistance with Alistair.

"I'm going to Vigil's Keep." Alistair stated with a determined look on his face.

"Why are you doing that, Alistair? You cannot suddenly leave the palace…you're the King." Wynne rested her hand on top of his, to stop him from preparing his steed.

"I…I need to see Elissa." Alistair's voice rose with frustration. "I must see her now!"

"Calm down, Alistair." Wynne replied in a low voice, trying to soothe him. "Why do you need to see her all of a sudden? Did something happen?"

Alistair turned to look at Wynne, his eyes full of pain. "Eamon spoke to me this morning. The bannorn are insisting that I…that I choose a Queen before the next season is over. They apparently want a royal heir as soon as possible."

Wynne nodded. "That is no surprise. Ferelden would be lost without the royal bloodline. The bannorn would be concerned since they serve you."

"To hell with bannorn!" Alistair angrily yelled, startling his horse. "I don't want some random woman they find suitable to bear my child! I want…I want Elissa!"

Wynne felt a surge of pity for Alistair. She always felt a connection to the young king because she always imagined her long lost son would grow up to be just like him. However, as a royal advisor, she had to make sure that he keep the best objectives in mind.

"Alistair…I know it is difficult for you. But you must understand why Elissa left to begin with."

Alistair's shoulders slumped. "I…I can't believe she left the palace without saying goodbye to me."

Wynne nodded. "It was hard for her as well. But you must empathize that Elissa understood her duties not only as the Warden Commander but as a noble as well. It is her duty to support the crown and the people of Ferelden."

"Then she should serve Ferelden as Queen!" Alistair stubbornly argued, knowing full well what Wynne's reply would be.

Wynne gave Alistair a sad smile. "How can she support you as Queen when she is unable to do the most important duty required of a Queen?"

Alistair remained silent and dropped his hands from the horse bridle in defeat.

Suddenly a page boy burst into the stables and waved them both down. "Your Majesty! I have a message from the Chancellor!"

Alistair and Wynne glanced at each other in question. Alistair nodded at the boy. "What is it then?"

"The Chancellor said that you will be leaving for Vigil's Keep today. He requests that you give him some time to assemble the soldiers to accompany you into Amaranthine." The page boy relayed, still out of breath from his run.

Wynne had to sigh at Eamon's message. He must believe that Alistair leaving the palace was unavoidable and apparently is sending an army as an escort to insure that the King will return.

Alistair, however, was suddenly elated to receive such news. "Thank you. Will you return to Eamon and tell him I will wait for his word."

The boy bowed in response and ran out as quickly as he ran in. Wynne turned to Alistair who had a gleam of hope in his eye. "I'm going to see Elissa. Maker help me, I miss her."

She reached over and affectionately held her hand to his cheek. "Alistair, the best advice I can give you is do not hold any expectations from what is to come. Elissa knows her duties very well...as should you."

Alistair returned Wynne's affection with a sad grin. "Believe me, Wynne. I know. I am not that much of an idiot." He furrowed his brow. "I simply wish to see her one more time. That is all."

Wynne nodded in understanding. "Do what you must and return safely back to us. Make sure to tell me if she is looking healthy and well…if not, I will rush over to Amaranthine myself to coddle her, as I should."

Alistair finally laughed at Wynne's demand. "I will do that. Knowing our Warden Commander, she is most likely paying more attention to kicking arse than her own health."

Wynne sighed at the memory. She had arrived in Amaranthine under the guise to assist the city with it's recent issues in mage policies, but her real goal was to make sure that Elissa was doing well after her meeting with Alistair.

Now she was unsure of the situation at hand. It was apparent that Elissa was still hurt from her meeting with the King…but the Howe boy has thrown his mix into the lot. And from what Wynne had observed, Elissa harbors feelings for her current companion. Wynne did not know whether she should encourage her newest fraternization or advise her to let it be. Everything has gotten much more complicated than she had imagined it to be.

Elissa interrupted Wynne's inner turmoil. "I'm glad that Nathaniel and Delilah have found each other again. He hasn't seen her since he left for the Free Marches several years ago."

"Oh…yes." Wynne replied, snapping out of her reverie. "He is quite a nice young man…at least compared to Arl Howe. I suppose we should be grateful that he has grown to be quite different from his father, don't you agree?"

Elissa smiled in response. "Yes. I am glad for it as well."

Delilah was fretting over Nathaniel like a mother hen. As she adjusted his blankets in bed, he couldn't help to be in disbelief that Delilah was present and in front of his very eyes. As he looked at her, he could not help to realize that she had grown up to look exactly like their long departed mother.

"I still can't believe you're here, Delilah." Nathaniel repeated as she fluffed up his pillows.

Delilah stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh? Do you still believe me to be an apparition from the fade, Nate?"

He chuckled. "Well, I'm slowly coming to terms that you are real and truly in front of me."

Delilah smiled. "I should say the same. I was so worried that you were dead in the Free Marches."

Nathaniel shook his head in despair. "I cannot believe Thomas is dead."

She nodded sadly. "Father knew the risks of sending Thomas out to the midst of the civil war. He was so young and foolhardy at the time…I still miss him so."

Nathaniel clenched his fists. He knew very well what his father had done to Thomas…he had done the same to Nathaniel when he was sent off to the Free Marches. His father seemed to think of his children as expendable when it came to furthering the Howe name.

Delilah wandered over to the window and gazed down. "I'm still very surprised to see Elissa alive and well. I'm glad for it…I was so worried that she had perished during the blight attack."

"Well, you know Elissa's stubborn personality just as well as I." Nathaniel relaxed and smiled at Delilah's observation. "It takes more than a mere archdemon to rid Ferelden of Elissa Cousland."

Delilah laughed and turned to her brother. "You are still smitten with her, aren't you?"

Nathaniel straightened himself. "What…What are you talking about?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Oh, come off it, Nate. I knew you were moony over Elissa Cousland years ago. I caught you staring at her with those wistful eyes so many times. I must confess it took me a while to learn to stomach it when I was a child."

Nathaniel sighed and laid back into his pillows. "I guess it was obvious to everyone except for Elissa herself then."

Delilah tilted her head. "Are you going to pursue her once again, brother?"

He hesitated. "I am not sure. I have declared my feelings to her…but I do not know if she is ready for them."

"Ready for your feelings?" Delilah crossed her arms and leaned against the window sill. "Why wouldn't she be ready?"

"In the years that I have been away, Elissa has found…companionship…in someone else." Nathaniel admitted uncomfortably. He has never spoken to his little sister about romance.

"Is she still with this person?" Delilah asked, intrigued.

"No. They are no longer together."

Delilah flashed a carefree grin that resembled his own. "Then what is stopping you then? You never seemed like the type of person to hold back, dear brother."

"She is the Warden Commander." Nathaniel said softly. "I am now a Grey Warden. Elissa takes her job very seriously. There is not much we can do in terms of…romantic matters…while there are darkspawn attacks continuing in Ferelden."

Delilah observed her brother who was awkwardly fidgeting in bed. He had grown up to be quite a handsome man, she thought to herself. His black hair had grown long and was tied with a thong in the back. He has filled out quite impressively…she never recalled their father being as a strapping man and wondered if Nathaniel got it from their mother's side. His steel gray eyes, like her own, were still as piercing as ever. She recalled all those times in the past where daughters of the bann had vied for his attention. But he had always ignored them…his eyes were always only for Elissa.

She thought about her husband and her darling son. She warmed at the thought of Nathaniel also finding such bliss with familial love. Delilah wondered why Elissa Cousland hasn't fallen for her brother's charms as of yet.

Delilah walked over to the bed and pat Nathaniel gently on his head. She gave him the best sisterly advice she could think of. "Nate…You have lived most of your life to make others happy. Why don't you try something different and find your own happiness?"

"It would be much easier…if my happiness wasn't being held hostage in somebody else's hands." He murmured and leaned his head against his sister's side.