Thanks to Witchy Bee for the beta, and letting me talk her ear off.

-o-

Anora woke up alone and was glad of it. Alistair would probably want to talk about their interlude, but she didn't know what she could say about it. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed.

She didn't really remember what it had been like with Cailan at the beginning, but she did not think it had ever been this strange. It was hard to be sure. Her memories of him had collapsed into a single package in her thoughts, and she couldn't always pull apart the separate moments any more.

The door edged open, and Alistair snuck into the room, fully clothed and wide awake. Anora rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and checked the window, confirming it was barely dawn. He froze when he saw her move. "Hey," he said cautiously.

Anora sat up, yawning. "Good morning," she replied.

He coughed. "You're awake."

She blinked at him. "As are you."

Alistair kept his back carefully to the wall. Anora wondered if he thought she might do something to him if he turned his back on her, or if this was just a warrior's reflex in times of stress. Either way, it was very strange. It could never have been this strange with Cailan, she decided. He glanced at her as he knelt to pull on his boots. "I'm going riding," he explained.

"Right now?" She looked at him more closely and asked, "Why?"

His eyes didn't quite meet hers, but lingered somewhere around her chin. He tied his laces with a firm tug. "Because I'm restless, and it's a beautiful day."

"Fine," she said.

"Great," he said.

Anora frowned. "You're not going alone, I hope?"

"I'm taking Nya's dog," he said. "And the Keening Blade."

The Keening Blade was the King's favorite sword. It was enchanted, and when wielded it made a weeping sound like a... well, like a person of either gender, apparently. He always spoke of it like it was a person, but it most definitely was not one. Anora gaped at him.

Alistair laughed. "I'll be fine, Anora," he said. "I've slain a high dragon. What could possibly threaten me in the forests of Denerim?"

What could possibly happen to me? Cailan had asked, when she'd expressed concern. They'd have to kill every single Grey Warden in Ferelden to get to me. I'll be fine. This before he'd been ripped apart by an ogre. Anora closed her eyes tightly. "You have to bring guards, Alistair," she insisted. "You're the King now."

"Well, if you think it's so important, you get them," he said, as he breezed out of the room. "I'll try to survive until they arrive."

Anora groaned. By saying that, of course, he'd just made it her responsibility if he went and got himself killed. She forced herself out of bed and found some acceptable clothes, pulling them on as fast as she could. Before she followed after him, she ran a comb quickly through her hair, gritting her teeth as it caught in her tangles.

-o-

"You came," Alistair said, when she found him in the stables. His voice lifted on the last word, and she wasn't sure if that meant he was happy to see her, or scared, or just surprised. Anora couldn't help but think that, no, she hadn't, actually, but she kept that to herself, and smiled faintly.

"You really shouldn't go out alone," she said. "Your honor guard will be here shortly."

Alistair nodded. He started to speak, but her eyes met his and he lost his train of thought. He bit his lip. "Why don't you join me?" he suggested.

The tendons of her shoulders tightened. "If it pleases you," she said, feeling outmaneuvered.

He had very large hands, she thought, as they stood there assaying each other. Her eyes fell to his sword, resting silently in its scabbard. It looked rather unremarkable when the glowing blade was hidden.

Alistair broke the silence, clearing his throat as he rested his hands on the stall in front of him and nodded at the large sorrel horse inside. "This is my horse," he told her. Anora crossed her arms over her chest and regarded the animal obligingly, as Alistair put his hand through the bars of the stall door to pat the sorrel's nose. "I made friends with him when I was sleeping here. His name is Captain Thunderhooves."

Anora glanced at him. "I really think it isn't."

"Maybe it wasn't before," Alistair said, shrugging, "but I'm the King, so it's definitely his name now."

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, Anora turned and saw the honor guard she'd summoned had arrived. The leader, Ser Horace, bowed stiffly to her. She nodded back at him, keenly aware that she was without her makeup.

"Please saddle Bellezza for me," she said, holding her chin steady, "and his Majesty will be riding, uh, that one."

Ser Horace gestured to two of the guards, who began to prepare the horses. Anora placed her hand on Alistair's arm and guided him out of the way. He shifted his shoulders, wriggling, until her hand slid down his arm, and then he wordlessly took her hand in his. She sighed and left it there.

Bellezza was a dappled gray mare with white fetlocks and a small white star in the center of her forehead. She had been a gift from the Queen of Antiva some years ago and was a creature of exceptional breeding and temperament. Alistair's horse, on the other hand, was a warhorse of mixed blood. His legs were too long for his body, and his mane was in desperate need of trimming. He skittered away from the guard who tried to saddle him.

"You can see why I like him," Alistair said, as the horse butted his head into the guard's chest and knocked him back on his heels before yielding, standing still as a saddle was finally placed on his back. As he was led out, the sorrel whinnied. It sounded like a laugh, and Alistair chuckled. "I think we have a lot in common."

"Do you now?" Anora asked, laughing a little. She examined the horse. "That's very interesting, Alistair. Did you know that Captain Thunderhooves is a gelding?"

Alistair flinched, and she regretted the jibe immediately, but there wasn't any way to take it back. She flushed, feeling out of control, but Alistair turned it into a laugh. "Yes..." he drawled. "And it's really remarkable that he reached his current rank, despite his handicap."

"You're hilarious," she said, rolling her eyes as she smiled slightly. She shook her hand free and reached up to straighten her hair. It was difficult without a mirror, and she floundered.

"Here, let me help you," he said, as he stepped behind her and grabbed fistfuls of her hair in his fingers. She moved to stop him, but he had already split her locks into three pieces and started to pass them through each other deftly, and she dropped her hands.

"Why do you know how to braid hair?" she asked.

Alistair grunted. "I'd rather not say," he said. That only made her more curious, but for once Alistair was not sharing. Anora stared ahead of her, stiffening her neck, as he pulled on her hair, tugging her gently from side to side. Her scalp tingled as he worked the braid down her back. "It's done," he said, after a few moments. "I can't do your fancy bun things, though. I'm not quite that much of a girl."

Anora ran her hands down the plait. "This is fine," she said, as she tied the end off with a ribbon. She took a deep breath and managed to relax a little.

When Bellezza was ready, Anora took the reins from the guard and placed her foot in the stirrup, swinging easily into the saddle. She watched as Alistair tried to copy her, failed, and then tried again. A guard offered him his hands, and Alistair finally made it onto the horse's back.

Poor horsemanship ran in the family, apparently. Anora smiled to herself. She clucked to her mare and they stepped outside, Alistair and Captain Thunderhooves in tow.

Nya's mabari was napping on a pile of hay outside the stables. Alistair slapped his hand against his leg and whistled. "Pain, get up, boy," he called. The dog lifted his head. "Come on, Pain. We're heading out."

The dog shook himself as he got to his feet and trotted up to Alistair, following along beside him as they walked out of the courtyard and out onto the path that led into the forest, a section reserved for royal hunting parties. The honor guard, now on horseback, followed behind them at a distance. Anora turned to Alistair, eyebrow cocked.

"The dog's name is Pain?" she asked, bemused. "Is that meant to inspire fear, or pity?"

"I don't really know," Alistair said, shrugging. "Nya named him." He gave her a lop-sided grin. "I think I may have mentioned, but Nya was a bit of a mess."

"Oh." Anora's shoulders hunched inwards as she stared steadily between Bellezza's twitching ears. She felt a flush crawling up behind her ears. "That... came up, yes."

Alistair froze, realizing what he'd said. She felt his eyes on her and evaded them. He took a deep breath and pushed his horse closer to hers. "Anora... um... about last night."

Anora tensed again, feeling heat in the pit of her stomach. She still didn't know what to say. Alistair's gelding nickered to her mare and pressed his face into the other horse's neck, but her husband was silent. He didn't seem to know what to say, either.

Eventually he settled on, "Are we okay?"

Anora frowned. "I'm honestly not sure what you're asking me."

"I just..." Alistair looked down at the ground, finding Pain, and he watched the mabari scamper along beside them for a moment. "It was kind of a big deal for me," he said. "For us. And I guess it was something like I expected, in some ways, but in other ways, it... wasn't."

Anora huffed and looked away from him. "You are a poet, your Majesty," she said. "We should turn your words into a sonnet, truly. A love song for the ages."

"Please don't make fun of me right now. I'm afraid I've spoiled everything." His voice was soft and open. Alistair wrapped the excess length of the reins around his wrist and watched her.

Anora sighed. "We're fine, Alistair," she said, turning back to him. "Everything is fine." He relaxed a little, and she pointed at his hands. "You shouldn't tie yourself up like that. You'll get into trouble if your horse bolts."

"Right." Alistair dropped the reins and rearranged them properly, fitting his thumbs into the leather, as his gelding tossed his head, annoyed. He looked up into the trees, smelling the forest air. She looked up too, watching the light play between the leaves. The two horses fell into stride together, walking at a leisurely pace.

Alistair turned to her and took a deep breath. "Anora," he said. "I have to ask..."

Anora cringed. She had hoped they were done talking about this, but then, it was always a mistake to assume Alistair was done talking. "Yes?"

"When you said I could be with someone else, and you said you didn't care..." His face twisted into an expression she didn't recognize. "Did you mean that?"

"Of course." She swallowed and clucked to her mare, wondering if a change of pace would make the conversation go away. "I don't pretend that we're in love, Alistair."

He flicked his reins, urging Captain Thunderhooves to keep up with her, and opened his mouth slowly. He was about to say somethingindelicate, she could tell, and Anora braced herself. "Did Cailan ever..." he began.

She sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it with you," she said, "but yes, Cailan had dalliances."

He considered this. "Well," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I won't."

Anora laughed. "You say that now," she said, "but eventually you will grow up, I'm sure, and you will learn someday that you actually enjoy sex. I have it on good authority that most men do." Alistair blushed at this, and she smiled. "You will also learn that there are lots of pretty young women that enjoy having it with the King, in all sorts of interesting ways, and you may change your mind."

He sat up straighter in his saddle and shook his head. "I don't think I will," he said, looking decidedly disturbed. She felt his eyes burning holes into her skin. "Would you?" he asked. She turned to glare at him. "With someone else, I mean."

"Goodness, no, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you about it." She glanced over her shoulder at the guards while Alistair stared at her. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Since it's treason?"

He seemed confused at the double standard, and she sighed again. There was still so much he didn't know. "You are the King," she explained. "You're the one with royal blood. I'm just a vessel. If I were to couple with another, it confuses the issue of your heirs." He nodded, his eyes wide. She added, "I could be hanged."

"Oh!" Then after a bit, he said, "That's not really fair, is it?"

"Life is hardly ever that, your Majesty."

He frowned as he mulled over all of this new information. Pain barked at a rabbit, and after checking back at them, the dog raced after it, running far ahead. Alistair looked at her, his hazel eyes sparkling with sincerity. "I won't," he said again. Anora looked away.

-o-