A Noble Decision

By the time Anders and Fergus had rushed into her chambers, Elissa was curled up on the floor, writhing in pain. A pool of blood was slowly forming around her, the skirts of shift were soaked in dark red splotches. Alistair was frantic, gripping Elissa's hand as if she was dangling from a cliff. Elissa bit down on her lower lip to keep herself from screaming, so hard that the bitter iron taste of blood bled into her mouth.

"Help her!" Alistair shouted, his eyes half-crazed.

"I don't understand…she should not have gone into birthing like this so quickly!" Fergus quickly reached down to take hold of Elissa's other hand. "There wasn't this much blood when Oren was born!"

Anders tried to keep a cool head as he deftly went through his bags for a draught to stop her hemorrhaging. He turned to the doorway and saw Ser Gilmore and Leliana speechless from shock. "You!" He yelled at Ser Gilmore. "Hurry and bring us the midwife, this child is most likely coming whether we like it or not."

Ser Gilmore nodded in haste and ran out of the halls to do his bidding.

"Leliana, come here and assist us!" He ordered briskly as he finally found the potion he'd been searching for. "I'm going to need another set of steady hands."

Leliana quickly stepped over and Anders handed her the bottle. "What do you need me to do?"

"Get Elissa to drink it down. We need to stop the bleeding." Anders then turned to Fergus. "Teyrn Cousland, please get us some hot water and clean linens!"

Fergus' face was creased with worry but he did not refuse the mage's orders. He let go of Elissa's hand and sprinted off towards the kitchens.

Anders bent down to observe Elissa's condition. "Your Majesty…if you cannot stay calm, I will have to ask you to leave as well."

Alistair frantically shook his head. "Nothing can tear me away from her side! How can you be so cool-headed about this?"

"One of us has to be!" Anders snapped, feeling his jovial nature slip away from the stress. "Hold her head up so Leliana can get her to drink the draught."

Alistair complied and gently supported Elissa to sit up. She was still too delirious with pain to respond. "Here, Elissa." Leliana tried to say as sympathetically as she could. "Make sure to drink every last drop."

Keep it together…Anders thought to himself, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as he could. As soon as you start to panic, then we're really in trouble. He willed his hands not to shake as he observed the blood pooling around their knees on the stone floor. Fergus was right about one thing…this was not something that would occur with a normal birthing. He felt an unpleasant memory creep back into his mind, which he had worked so hard to keep away.

Elissa had finished the draught and still felt the horrible pain surging from her abdomen. It felt as if a hundred knives were slicing away at her from the inside. Alistair did not even flinch as she crushed his fingers with every slash of agony.

"That draught you drank should stop the bleeding momentarily." Anders said, wishing Ser Gilmore and Fergus would hurry. "How does it feel, Commander?"

"Don't…worry about…me…" She gasped, biting back a scream. "The…baby?"

Anders didn't reply and looked at both Alistair and Leliana. "Help me get her onto the bed."

They both nodded and lifted Elissa gently off the floor, while she twisted in their arms. They were both covered in her blood, but neither of them noticed as their focus was on Elissa and her distress. Her bleeding was slowing but it was not stopping. Anders began to dig for another potion in his pack, cursing the fact that he had to go through such an experience again.

"This must be quite a shock to you, isn't it?" Wynne asked as soon as they left the Commander's rooms. They could hear her already rushing about her chambers, preparing for her immediate departure to Highever.

"Yes, it is." He agreed as they walked down the corridors. "I never would have thought that the Commander wouldn't know who the father would be. What a great dinner show this will turn out to be!"

"I was actually referring to Neria Surana." She casually replied.

Anders froze in place while Wynne continued to step ahead. She stopped and turned around when she noticed he was no longer walking by her side. He gave her a pained look. "You know about Neria?"

"Indeed I do." Wynne nodded. "Most of the senior enchanters were aware of what happened. Although it was certainly a difficult secret to maintain."

Anders sighed and rubbed at his neck awkwardly. "It's been a while since I've heard that name. Neria's situation wasn't the most pleasant by any means. Dare I say it was the main reason why I ran from the tower for the seventh time."

Wynne let out a sad sigh. "Neria's story was truly a sad one. I never thought I would see the same circumstances unfold before me yet again. I am getting much too old for this."

Anders looked at Wynne with suspicion. "Why didn't you tell the Commander what happened?"

"I could ask you the same question." She responded, folding her hands together and held them behind her back.

"Well…because…you know. It didn't end well. I couldn't be the harbinger of bad news twice in one night." Anders sheepishly admit.

Wynne nodded in agreement. "Don't worry. I couldn't bring myself to tell her for the same reason. She seems very…happy."

"Yes…I didn't think I would ever see the sight of the Warden Commander dancing around like that." Anders chuckled remorsefully.

After a few moments of thick silence, Wynne spoke up. "We will do our best for Elissa. If she is intent on having this child, the most we can do is use what we have learned in the past."

Anders shook his head in despair. "How will we be able to do that? Neria was surrounded by the most gifted mages in all of Ferelden and that didn't do her any good."

"We will try." Wynne repeated firmly and stepped towards the younger mage. She placed her hand on his cheek in an affectionate gesture. "Elissa means a lot to you as well, does she not? We will do what is best for everyone. Perhaps what happened to Neria will not repeat with Elissa."

"Here is the midwife!" Ser Gilmore shouted as he half-dragged in a frazzled looking woman who was clutching a worn leather bag to her chest. Anders snapped out of his reverie as the midwife timidly walked into the room.

"Thank the Maker." Leliana murmured as she smoothed back the hair on Elissa's forehead.

"Wh…what is going on here?" The woman was confused and her eyes widened as she saw Elissa on the bed. "Isn't that Lady Cousland? She is with child?"

"We greatly require your assistance, madam." Ser Gilmore explained, still panting for breath. "As you have just observed, Lady Cousland has suddenly gone into birthing and is in horrible pain."

The midwife took a deep breath as she gathered her surroundings. Her eyes widened as she saw the trail of blood on the floor and on the bed. She tossed her bag to the side and rushed over to the bed to observe Elissa. "So much blood…this is not good."

"Not good? What's going on?" Alistair demanded, looking anxiously at them both.

"I do not know of the circumstances or how long she has been carrying." The midwife nervously glanced at the mage. "But with this much blood loss, we may…lose both Lady Cousland and the child. I have never seen this before."

"What?" Alistair and Leliana both shouted their reponse in unison.

"I've seen this before." Anders replied quietly. Everyone reacted as if he had yelled it.

"When have you seen this?" Leliana asked, shocked at Anders' reluctant admission.

Anders glanced uncomfortably the midwife, who was positioning Elissa to prepare for the birth. "When I was at the tower, there was one elven mage who was carrying and stayed at the tower for care. It was only when the child was ready to be born when she went through such difficulty. Like our Commander, it was sudden…and so much blood."

Everyone's faces were identical masks of horror as Anders continued his explanation. "One of the mages who assisted the birth believed the struggle was because of the child."

"The child?" Elissa whispered.

Anders gazed at her with a serious expression. "The mage…her name was Neria Surana. She was a Grey Warden."

Alistair shook his head angrily. "You knew of another Grey Warden that birthed a child and you didn't say anything about it?"

"I did not want to mention anything because it did not end well." Anders stated, giving Elissa an apologetic stare. "I'm sorry, Commander. I should have told you the truth, but I did not want to cause you further torment than what you were dealing with."

Elissa felt an ice cold shiver run down her back. Her pain instantly numbed from the shock of the realization. "What happened?"

"Because of his parentage, the child was…cursed." Anders explained, grimacing from the memory. "The mage that was assisting in the birth had a theory. She said that all bodies are naturally unable to handle the Grey Warden poison. I didn't understand it myself until I underwent the joining and discovered what it was. Your womb is rejecting the child so violently because it is also carrying the taint."

Elissa paled and Alistair fearfully asked, "What…happened to the mage Warden?"

Anders felt his heart sink at the remembrance. "She…is no longer with us."

"And the child?" Elissa questioned with dread in her eyes.

Anders shook his head. "The child lived, but I don't know what became of him. The templars took the child away as soon as he was born."

Fergus ran in with a pot of hot water and several linens draped across his arms. "Here is what you needed!" He set them before the midwife before running back to his sister's side. "Are you okay, Elissa?"

Elissa managed to give her brother a weak smile. "Don't worry, Fergus. I'll…be fine."

The midwife turned to Anders and whispered. "The child must come out. We may have to resort to drastic measures…either to use a birthing hook or to cut it out."

Alistair heard the woman's words and faced the mage with blazing fury. "I will not allow Elissa to be sacrificed!"

At those words, Elissa immediately grabbed Alistair by his neck to look him in the eye. "Alistair! You will promise me this!"

"I am not promising to allow you to die!" He shouted his denial.

Another searing bolt of pain coursed through her being. She felt the warm and alluring darkness try to overtake her consciousness. She struggled for breath but did not take her eyes away from his. "You said this was our child and that you would love it! Swear to me, Alistair! Do not let our child die, even if I am lost because of it! Swear it!"

He shook his head. "I…can't!"

"Swear it!" She begged, wincing from the torture slashing from inside of her.

Alistair hesitated…but then reluctantly nodded.

Leliana choked back a sob. Fergus sank to his knees. Ser Gilmore cast his gaze away, unable to watch his mistress's last moments. Anders remained silent, his face twisted with grief.

"Thank you." Elissa said softly and sank into the inviting reach that drew her blissfully away from the pain and into the pleasant darkness.

"I have returned!" Velanna called out as soon as she entered the Keep. Her voice echoed through the cavernous entry hall. She shut the massive door behind her, looking about for any signs of her fellow Wardens.

"Well…don't you all come out at once." She sarcastically muttered and looked around. The Keep was empty save for a few silent guards. Normally Anders would at least rush out to welcome her back. Things have gotten quite stale without the Commander around.

She decided to check and see if Nathaniel was in his study. Ever since he was temporarily placed in charge, she found him more dreary and serious than ever. Although his work ethic was quite admirable for a filthy human, she thought to herself.

She walked through the corridors and found Nathaniel's chambers. "Acting Commander, I have returned." She announced loudly before pushing the door open.

Nathaniel was at his desk, ignoring the parchments before him, and staring out the window. He almost jumped as Velanna burst in. He quickly turned to see the elf stride in and raise her eyebrow in her usual haughty manner. "Velanna…You're back?" He rubbed at his eyes. "I didn't hear any word that you would be returning so quickly."

"Nice to see you are so excited to see me." Velanna flashed her teeth and crossed her arms. "Adviser Wynne requested I return to Amaranthine after a bit of an accident."

"What did you do?" Nathaniel's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Velanna shrugged. "There was an overly grabby noble that was present at a bann's meet. I simply put him in his place the only way I knew how."

Nathaniel sighed. "That you would. Who was it?"

"A lecher by the name of Vaughan." She waved in disgust.

"Oh, Vaughan." Nathaniel recognized the name. "A lecher, he is that. I never cared for him much and I can say I'm glad for whatever you have decided to do with him."

Velanna gave him a coy smile. "Just a little incident with a bit of flame, is all. His hair may eventually grow back."

At her reply, Nathaniel let out a burst of laughter. Velanna smiled smugly and crossed her arms. "Well, I'm glad to have amused you enough to break you out of that depressing rut."

Nathaniel couldn't help being amused by the elf's bluntness. "I didn't realize my happiness was such a concern amongst you all."

Velanna gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "You must think of us as stupid as Anders. You were so miserable that your very presence made a room frigid with cold."

Nathaniel sighed and rubbed his face. The thick stubble scratched against the palm of his hand. "I guess I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping everyone away."

"If you keep acting like a sullen Chantry shut-in, the Commander will end up leaving you." She smirked.

Nathaniel returned his gaze at the sky outside. The winter clouds had cleared, making way for the bright blue sky. He had been reminiscing on how much the blue matched Elissa's eyes...and was wondering if he would ever be able to revel in their beauty again. He let out a small sigh. "That is nothing to worry about. The Commander has already left me."

"What? Are you jesting?" Velanna stopped short, her self-satisfied expression was quickly replaced with confusion. "Aren't you both together? You do not have to hide it from me, everyone knows it…even the Seneschal."

Nathaniel's face looked weary as he turned back to Velanna. "No jesting. We were never really together to begin with."

Velanna shifted awkwardly. "I…apologize. I believed you were both romantically involved…of some sorts."

"So did I." He murmured. "But your apology is accepted."

Velanna quickly changed the subject and placed her hands on her slim hips. "Where is Anders anyway?"

"He is with the Commander over at Highever." Nathaniel went back to straightening the parchments on his desk.

Velanna blinked. "What? Isn't the King also over at Highever as well? What is Anders doing over there?"

"To check on Elissa. She is ill, after all." Nathaniel lied smoothly.

"And you are not there because…?"

"Because Elissa has entrusted me to watch over Amaranthine and the Wardens." He responded cleanly as he got up from his chair. "At the moment, the most I can do for Elissa is lessen the burden she carries. I'll only add to her problems if I stay glued to her side."

Velanna gave Nathaniel a slow smile. "You are quite the chivalrous one, aren't you?"

"Believe it or not…it's how I was raised." As if to accentuate his point, Nathaniel snapped his ledger shut. He walked over to Velanna and held out his arm. "Now that you've returned back from Denerim, how about we have ourselves some supper in celebration for your return?"

"I suppose." Velanna relented and grudgingly threaded her arm through his. "I do admit, I have been craving roasted meat ever since I lit Vaughan on fire. Peculiar, isn't it?"

A/N: A quick note, I got so many responses about the last chapter with Elissa's birthing XD I was wriggling with a need to reply because I wanted to post the next chapter right away, but as you can see there is a reason I made Elissa go through such a sudden scary experience (Although I loved Lorlei24's explanation! Of course it's a magical baby! ^^) I normally keep two chapters ahead as I post them so I can make any last minute changes XD

I love all your helpful hints and constructive criticism! =D I'm so sorry I had to keep you all in the dark like that, Ooo I wish they would allow me to respond to my reviews T_T

Also, I am planning a story with Anders after this is over (hence the lead-in for this chapter ^^) So I would love any additional Anders love you can provide if I post it later down the road. ^^

Thanks for all your positive input! Next chapter is the last! *Cheers...annnnnnnnddddddd falls asleep on laptop keyboard* ~_~