"I would like to propose a toast to our guests of honor tonight," Bann Ferrenly said as he stood and raised his goblet high into the air. Uh oh, here it comes. The simple dinner that Elissa was expecting for the day after their arrival had become … complicated … once Bann Ferrenly learned that the Grey Wardens, and Elissa in particular, had accepted his invitation. Now, instead of a dozen or so people sitting around one table, they had a veritable banquet with over a hundred guests, all of whom wanted to meet Elissa and the other Wardens. Teagan had taken Elissa aside and apologized – he had no idea that the once-simple affair would turn into an extravagant event. Elissa had just shaken her head and smiled wryly, reassuring Teagan that she wasn't offended. It was actually somewhat reassuring that there were banns and arls who felt that her company was worth an impromptu formal gathering such as this.

But, here they were, all of the Ferelden Wardens and Erna (once it became a huge affair there was no way they would leave her behind), sitting at the head table, surrounding Bann Ferrenly as he began the toast to start off dinner.

"My friends and welcome guests, I have been blessed by the Maker himself on this night. Sitting with me are people who gladly put the needs of Ferelden - nay, all of Thedas, ahead of their own. They have saved us time and again from bandits and darkspawn and have lived to continue to safeguard our people!" That's not a bad start, actually, if a bit theatrical. Elissa let her eyes wander as much as propriety allowed. Many of the nobles assembled seemed transfixed, although some were already bored by the dramatics that were on display. I can't say I blame them. Very few of the nobles gathered looked outright unhappy, but they caught her attention as they unsuccessfully tried to hide their glares toward the head table. Vaughan Urien happened to be one of them. Elissa made a mental note to warn the other Wardens of his presence and turned her attention back to the bann.

"One of these brave souls requires his own commendation. He personally saved me from bandits several years ago, and I wanted to let him know that I have never forgotten the kindness he bestowed on me in my hour of need. It greatly pleases me to see that the Grey Wardens have seen in him the same qualities that brought him to my aid on a long, dark stretch of road so long ago. Thank you, Anders, and may the Maker watch over you." Anders stood briefly and bowed to the now-applauding room before sitting back in his chair. Elissa was surprised to see that he actually looked a little flustered. He's not used to being called out for his good behavior. Elissa smiled at him then turned back to Ferrenly as the noble waited for the applause to die down.

"This good man's commander is known to all of Thedas by now," he said, and turned so that he was partly facing where Elissa sat. "This woman, the Hero of Ferelden,"

One.

"The Defeater of the Blight,"

Two.

"The Warden-Commander of Ferelden,"

Three.

"The Arlessa and Savior of Amaranthine,"

Nice. He put those two together. He should be done soon. Elissa glanced at the other Wardens to see Anders silently counting the titles himself, Oghren grinning, Nathaniel just barely not rolling his eyes, and the others looking like they were about to fall over in shock. Erna and Ragnar were particularly wide-eyed.

"Friend to the King and sister of the Teyrn of Highever,"

Ouch. I hope he doesn't emphasize that any more.

"And a particularly lovely and gracious woman in her own right,"

Huh. I wasn't expecting that. Anders grinned at her with a raised eyebrow and Oghren snickered. At least those two will keep my ego from inflating.

"May I present to you, my friends, Lady Elissa Cousland!" Elissa stood, making sure to keep a pleasant expression on her face, as the nobles burst into applause again. She briefly curtseyed to the room before walking to Bann Ferrenly and standing next to him. He put his hand on the small of her back and, while they were waiting for the applause to settle, asked her, "Will you say something, my lady?"

"Of course, Bann Ferrenly." Elissa let the applause die down and then raised her goblet. She then raised her voice to address the assembled guests. "Please, just call me Elissa." She smiled as several of the nobles present laughed. Anders said something under his breath then winced as Nathaniel shifted. It looked like Nathaniel had kicked him under the table. "Friends and fellow countrymen, I thank each and every one of you for your assistance during the past few years. You have not only lent your own soldiers and arms to help us defeat the blight, but you also assisted us when Vigil's Keep and the city of Amaranthine were assaulted not so long ago. Without your generous aid, one of our country's finest cities would never have recovered; as it stands, Amaranthine is rebuilt far better than it was before the blight and the keep is coming along quite well. I am truly humbled and honored to live and serve in this great country." At this, she put the goblet to her lips and drank, signaling to the room that they should do the same. She made her way back to her seat and lowered herself gracefully as applause broke out again.

Ferrenly turned to the side and made a motion with his hand, and servants came pouring into the room carrying covered trays. They served each table in turn, starting with the head table, and lifted the lids to reveal delicious-smelling entrees of lamb and fish and vegetables. Elissa could practically see the other Wardens' mouths watering. Surprisingly, she wasn't hungry, although she made a token effort to eat the meal in front of her. I must have eaten too much before the party.

Teagan leaned over to speak to her quietly. "Your men are still hungry?" His voice held a tone of disbelief. "I thought after that early dinner at the estate that they wouldn't be able to finish the meal here." Indeed, the Wardens were all eating faster than the servants could put food down on the table. Nathaniel and Erlina were managing to show proper manners, but even they were eating quickly, clearing their plates of anything edible.

Elissa smiled into her plate. "They might need to eat again after we get home," she replied. "It's a Warden thing."

Teagan chuckled. "And here I thought it was just Alistair who ate like that. You're not wolfing down your food," he pointed out.

"I'm actually not hungry." Elissa was still surprised about her lack of appetite. Maybe it's nerves. She took another forkful of food and looked at it. "It's unusual - normally I'm keeping up with Oghren." The dwarf in question was thoroughly enjoying his meal, washing it down with large amounts of wine. He was definitely keeping the servants busy. Teagan chuckled again and returned to his food.

After dinner, Elissa made sure to mingle with all the assorted guests, answering questions and generally allowing herself to be led around the party by Bann Ferrenly. Nathaniel accompanied her much of the time, excusing himself every now and again to make sure that the other Wardens were enjoying themselves, or in the case of Oghren, not overdoing the drink too much. She liked Bann Ferrenly; he was a large, boisterous man with a large, boisterous beard to match and a head full of unruly black hair. She suspected that no matter what he did, the fuzzy mop on top of his head was going to stick out at all angles. Once he got over the theatrics, he was actually quite easy to talk to and shared a number of amusing stories with her and his other guests. He also was adept at steering conversations to safe topics if they became awkward, which Elissa greatly appreciated. She had been trained to do such, but had stopped practicing the art years before in favor of speaking her mind. The Bann's assistance was remarkably helpful in keeping her from inadvertently offending his guests.

While mingling, the bann would also murmur the relationships between nobles to her, which she also found quite helpful. As the night wore on, she found herself greatly reassured that many of the nobles seemed to acknowledge Nathaniel as a Grey Warden first, and his lineage seemed to only be a secondary concern. Some nobles even seemed impressed that Nathaniel would join the Grey Wardens and work willingly under Elissa's command. Neither she or Nathaniel was inclined to inform them that he had been conscripted.

Bann Gilmore was one such noble. "My lady," he said politely as Bann Ferrenly introduced him to Elissa. He raised his eyebrows briefly when the bann introduced Nathaniel, but quickly recovered. Once he learned that Nathaniel was not only the second-highest ranking Warden in the country, but that Nathaniel was also sincerely offering him apologies and condolences for the death of his eldest son, he relaxed considerably.

"There's no need to apologize to me, ser Howe," he said. He peered intently at Nathaniel as he spoke. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I do understand that you were out of the country when Highever was attacked by your father's men and that you were not involved." He changed the subject. "How do you like being a Grey Warden?"

Nathaniel answered immediately. "There is nothing else that I would rather do, my lord," he said, his tone and expression sincere. "I think that it is quite possibly the best use of my time and skills. It has truly been an honor thus far." Lord Gilmore looked pleased with Nathaniel's answer and clapped him on the back before turning to Elissa.

"I must ask you one question," he said cautiously.

"Absolutely, my lord. What is it?"

"Did you … did you see my boy? Do you know how he …?" Lord Gilmore's eyes were a little misty as he asked the question.

Elissa put a hand on Lord Gilmore's arm and stepped in a little closer to shield his face from view of the room. "I did. He was a hero, my lord. He personally led the group of men who barricaded the castle doors with their own bodies to buy me time to escape." At that, Lord Gilmore stood a little straighter and a look of pride entered his eyes. "Rory was my best friend in that entire castle. I will always miss him." Elissa stepped away to give Lord Gilmore his personal space now that she was assured he wouldn't lose his composure.

"Thank you, my dear," he said. "He was always fond of you as well. We were proud your family held him in such high regard." He smiled sadly at Elissa, then changed the subject. "I shouldn't keep you from the other guests. I hope we can speak again soon." The exchanged their temporary good-byes and moved farther into the room.

Nathaniel excused himself at this point to cover more ground, so to speak, and Elissa continued making the rounds with Bann Ferrenly. They spoke to several more people before Ferrently grumbled under his breath, then pasted on a fake smile.

"What is it?" she asked quietly but didn't require an answer. Vaughan Urien was walking toward them, his expression disdainful and his eyes menacing. She raised her voice. "Arl Urien, it is good to see you again." For Ferrenly's sake, she hoped that this meeting would be reasonably peaceful. Judging by the amount that Vaughan was swaying, and the reek of alcohol on his breath, she doubted this would be the case, but it was nice to hope.

She needn't have bothered. "So iss the bitch who ssaved uss all!" Vaughan slurred, his tone mocking and angry. He was also speaking too loudly, if the mutters and stares of the surrounding guests were any indication. "Ssso bloody sspecial," he continued, his voice rising in volume as he sneered.

"I will remind you that you are a guest in this home," Ferrenly started to say angrily, but Elissa put a hand on his arm and shook her head. Let him have the rope he needs to hang himself. She turned back to Vaughan and kept her voice calm and pleasant. "Arl Urien, surely we can be civil..."

"I don't go by Urien. That ba...basstard ..." Several gasps sounded around them. Vaughan's father had been a well-respected and popular man; Vaughan was not earning himself any friends this evening. "That basstard was too much of a boot-licker, juss like all of YOU." He pointed in an indiscriminate direction. "I'm Vaughan Kendallsss...an' don't you forget it!" He faced Elissa again, his eyes unfocused. He looked her up and down with a leer on his face. "Ssslut'ss prolly not even good for the only thing women're good for," and he swayed a little. "I bet she'sss got ssscarss everywhere."

"Enough of this!" Bann Ferrenly was angry. He motioned to one of the guards stationed in the corner of the room. "Take this idiot away and let him sleep it off at home. I don't need fools here who cannot control themselves." He looked at Vaughan with disdain as a pair of guards came and grabbed the drunk man's flailing arms and began to drag him off.

"You're not gettin' rid of me ssso eassily!" Vaughan shouted as he was led unceremoniously out of the party. "You'll get whass comin' to you bitch! And the Howe brat too!" The guards started walking faster as Ferrenly turned to Elissa. Vaughan continued to shout insults and threats as he was dragged away, his voice growing quieter with more distance, and the party returned to normal.

"I apologize for the outburst, Lady Elissa," he started to say. Elissa shushed him and smiled.

"It's all right, Bann Ferrenly. I dare say that Arl Kendalls caused his own troubles this evening." The observation made the bann laugh.

"This is true, this is true." The Bann took Elissa's elbow and steered her toward another part of the room. "You haven't had the chance to speak with Arl Wulff yet, have you?"

At the end of the night, after they all returned to Teagan's estate and had eaten yet another meal, they got ready for bed. Elissa had developed a slight headache, so she was lying in bed quietly while Nate finished preparing for bed. He slid into bed beside her and pulled her against him, stroking her hair.

"Tonight went better than I thought it would," he admitted quietly. "I think that we have fewer people angry with us than we thought."

Elissa nodded. "Definitely. The ones who are angry with us are really angry, though, so we need to watch them. Did you notice Zev was there? He was dressed as a servant."

Nathaniel chuckled quietly. "I knew there was something I hadn't mentioned yet. He told me to let you know to expect him at the meeting tomorrow. Apparently he wants to join you when you and Teagan go to the palace."

"Hmm, that's actually a very good idea." Elissa snuggled into Nathaniel's chest and put her arm around his waist. Her eyes were so heavy she thought she might fall asleep at any point, despite her headache. "We will see what tomorrow brings, I suppose." She let her eyes close and drifted off as Nathaniel continued to stroke her hair.