A shorter update than usual. I realize in the game you get other companions but for the purposes of my narrative, I had Neria recruit only Anders and Nathaniel. I tried to write Nate as a cross between courtly flirtation and big brotherly sweet. I think he's quite the gentleman and worthy of his own fic.

Chapter Ten

A lot had happened for Neria in Amaranthine. She had dealt with all challenges that faced her, as Alistair had said she would, but she still felt as if so much more had to be done.

Things were starting to settle down again in the arling with both human and darkspawn enemies dealt with. Anders had been asked to go back to the tower and give a lecture on the Architect, though he swore he would be back. Nathaniel was staying with his sister, Delilah, and her husband, Albert. Neria had taken a room at the Crown and Lion Inn trying to decide where next she should go.

She desperately wanted to go to Teagan, but in more than two months not one letter had arrived from him. Part of her had no idea what he wanted, part of her was afraid she already knew.

She was downstairs in the common room, eating dinner with Nathaniel, who had come over every night the past week. She knew Nathaniel was worried for her. The open hostility that had characterized their first meeting had ended up developing into a warm friendship. Nathaniel, despite a bit of darkness in him, was a decent, noble young man and Neria enjoyed his company.

He was joking with her and trying to coax her into eating. Near them, a merchant from Denerim was talking to one of the locals.

"…Relief effort. She's Maker sent, I swear. It's been good for business, too, transporting all these goods, well, now that the Pilgrim's Path has opened up again," he said. "Bann Regina's a good sort and I heard she was being courted by Bann Teagan. He's a nice one, too. We need more nobles like them, who remember that nobility has a second meaning."

Neria started to choke, coughing, gasping, Nathaniel slapping her on the back trying to help dislodge the piece of cheese she had been eating. She managed to cough it out and then stood up to confront the merchant.

"Please, what did you say about Bann Regina? And Bann Teagan? They're seeing each other?"

"Why should you care, knife-ears?" said the merchant scowling at her.

Behind her, Nathaniel didn't really understand her distress, but he bristled at the racial slur tossed her way. The merchant's companion put a hand on his friend's arm and spoke.

"That's the Hero of Ferelden, Jacob. She and the Grey Wardens saved the city."

"Well, pardon me then." He didn't sound very contrite, but Neria didn't care. Her mind was reeling from what he'd said. "Yes, word around Denerim is the pair has been seeing a lot of each other."

She swallowed convulsively, her stomach roiling.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she gasped.

She ran out of the inn and Nathaniel followed her. She leaned over and vomited into the bushes on the side of the building. He pulled her hair back from her face with one hand and held her forehead with the other.

After she had composed herself, he offered her a sip from his wineskin and she took a drink, swished it around her mouth and spit it out to get rid of the nasty taste in her mouth, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Are you ill, Neria?" Nathaniel asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

She shook her head, tears slipping out of her eyes. She leaned her head against Nathaniel's shoulder and he put his arms around her, patting her back, reassuringly.

"Oh, Maker, it's happened again," she whispered to herself. "I have to go. I have to go to Denerim. I can't leave it like this. By the Maker, if he is going to do this to me, he'll look me in the face and say it. Alistair at least had the courtesy to do it to my face."

"King Alistair? Neria, what's going on?"

"I have to go, now." She went to the stables and started to put a saddle on Eilir. "I'm going to Denerim. Now."

Nathaniel grabbed her arm.

"Don't be a fool. You can't go anywhere tonight, let alone Denerim. We'll need supplies and it's too late to get any. Come on, let's get you up to your room and you can fill me in on what's going on here.

"There are darkspawn still out there, they were routed, but they aren't gone. The roads, especially at night, aren't safe still. Besides, I don't think your head is in the right place to protect yourself out there right now."

Several hours later she was sitting in her room, her head on Nathaniel's shoulder, spent. She had told him about everything from Cullen to Alistair to Teagan and Nathaniel had quietly listened to it all, or pretended to, and she was grateful to have someone to talk to.

"Can I be honest here, Neria?" Nathaniel asked. She nodded. "For starters, you're not responsible for Cullen. You didn't cause the revolt that drove him mad. And his fixation on you—that wasn't your fault. You didn't encourage him."

She shook her head. "I didn't encourage him, but I did like him. I just knew it was wrong."

"Alistair was unfortunate. He should have been honest with you so you could have made an informed choice about being with him, but it's done now. You say you don't have any more bad feelings?"

"No more. We actually had a good laugh the last time I saw him."

"This Teagan sounds like a nice enough fellow from what you say. I don't know why he hasn't written you. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding? My advice would be to not go down there, flying at him half cocked without hearing his side of this. Rumors are just that—rumors. They very rarely tell the whole truth. You should've heard some of the ones I was getting about you."

"Ten feet tall and shooting lightning from my eyes?" she giggled.

He smiled. "Made you laugh, now that's more like it. Now, if we're going to travel to Denerim in the morning, I suggest it's off to bed with you, Commander."

"We? Why would you want to come with me, Nathaniel?"

He poked her playfully in the ribs and made her giggle again.

"Someone has to have your back, Commander."

"Thanks, Nathaniel, this's really been eating me up. It's not the first time I'd heard something like this and it's been on my mind for a while. Things were so unsettled here and I couldn't do anything about Denerim. We'll go tomorrow."

"Neria, you're a good person. I thought I was going to hate you, but you turned me around, saw something in me I didn't even see myself. You set me free and allowed me to redeem the name my father dragged through the mud."

"I didn't do anything, Nathaniel. You're the one who redeemed your family name. And why bring this up now?"

"Well, I just wanted you to know, even if this guy turns out to be a complete ass, you deserve better."

"Like whom?" she asked, skeptically.

"Well, for one, Anders has a crush on you. Of course, you'll have to wait until he finishes puberty. In the meantime, there's always me."

Shaking her head in mock dismay, she opened her door. "Your rivalry again. I swear I never know when you two are joking or not."

He bent and quickly kissed her cheek before walking out the door.

"Good night, Commander," wafted over his shoulder back to her.

With a confused little half-smile on her face, she went to bed.