Chapter 40: Beginnings and Ends
Alistair walked back into the Dining Room. He looked all over the room for Delia, but didn't see her anywhere. Ser Trent was sitting at the table they had shared for their meal speaking to Wynne, so Alistair decided to talk to him.
As he neared the two, he cleared his throat nervously. "Ser Trent, I am looking for Delia. Did she come back here after her walk with Bann Teagan?"
Trent frowned slightly. "No, Alistair, I haven't seen her return. Is everything alright?"
"I'm afraid Teagan may have upset her. I need to find her. If you'll excuse me…" He started to turn, but Wynne put her hand on his arm.
"Alistair, perhaps Zevran would have an idea of where she is. He… followed Delia when Teagan took her out of the room."
Alistair thanked Wynne and started to look for the elf. He spotted him near the entrance to the room, and as Zevran saw the warden looking at him, he motioned for Alistair to follow. Zevran led Alistair into Eamon's study and shut the door behind them.
"Alistair, before you say anything, I must tell you that I followed the esteemed Bann and our lady Delia as they walked in the garden. It would seem the Bann is quite jealous of you, and for good reason I believe." Zevran smiled knowingly at Alistair, making the warden blush. "I also witnessed your… encounter with the man. His actions have also infuriated me, by the way. I will not permit him to hurt our lovely friend any more than you would."
Alistair's shoulders drooped. "I know, Zev. You care for her as much as I do."
"Yes, I am aware that you overheard my conversation with her earlier." As Alistair was about to protest, the elf put out his hand to stop him. "No, no, there is nothing to feel badly about. You did not intend to listen to our conversation, whereas I had every intent to listen to the Bann. You and I are of a like mind, that Delia has the right to decide who she desires. If the whims of our resident sex goddess do not include me, it simply proves that fate is a fickle whore!"
Zevran laughed at himself, and seeing Alistair looking grim he quickly calmed. "Delia has returned to her quarters, and I believe she needs your company. Go to her and calm her, but also keep watch over her as I believe our friend Bann Teagan may feel compelled to take some form of action to retain her here in Redcliffe. I shall speak to Aeden about leaving at first light. I believe the faster we leave the castle, the safer our lovely lady will be."
Alistair took the elf's arm in a warrior's handshake. "Thank you, my friend. Tonight you have proved to me that I can trust you. We both are working toward the same goal." He released the elf's arm and turned to the door. Just as he put his hand on the knob, he turned back to Zevran. "Keep your eyes open. We all need to be vigilant."
Alistair opened the door and hurried to Delia's room. As he neared her door, he could hear her crying. He was unsure of what to do. Women were such a mystery to him, and Maker only knew what to do with one that was crying! After taking a deep breath, he smoothed his doublet and gently knocked on the door.
"Delia? It's me… Alistair. Can I… may I come in?"
He heard the crying stop, and then the door opened slightly. "What do you need, Alistair?"
He poked his face into the opening. "I was worried about you. I needed to be sure you were fine. Please allow me to come in."
She opened the door and motioned for him to enter. "I must look frightful, but I am fine." She shut the door after he crossed the threshold.
Alistair turned to face her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You? Frightful? Not in this dress. Beautiful, beguiling, amazing… but never frightful." He smiled warmly.
Delia blushed and turned away. She walked to the chairs next to the fireplace and sat in front of the fire. Alistair followed and sat in the other chair.
"Why does it have to be so complicated?" She looked sadly at Alistair. "I never wanted to hurt him. Teagan is a good man. He deserves to be happy."
Alistair took her hand into his. "You deserve to be happy too. Do you think that marrying Teagan would make you happy?"
She looked at the floor. "Last year I would have said yes without a moment of hesitation, but now…"
"Is it because of the events with Eamon? Or is it… something else?" His eyes searched for an answer, and when she wouldn't look into his eyes he kneeled in front of her and lifted her chin, forcing her to regard him.
As she looked into his eyes, the warmth of his gaze captivated her. "I… I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. As his lips left hers, her eyes opened slowly and looked at him with a softness he had never seen before.
"Delia, I have… never felt anything like this before. You have become the shining light in my life. Being a warden may have given me a purpose in life, but having you here… with me… has given me a reason to be alive. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe this feeling is… love. Is there any possible way that you might… love me too?"
Delia's smile gave him his answer. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. "Alistair, I was beginning to believe I would never hear words like those from you. Yes, Alistair, I believe that I… love you too."
He broke into a smile that seemed to light up the room. "Good to know. Now, if we can just get past this awkward, embarrassing stage…"
Delia put her finger on his lips. "Didn't we have this conversation once before? I believe it ended with you blushing some distance away from me… I don't want you any farther away from me than you are right now."
He chuckled and pulled her to standing, his arms tightly encircling her waist. "Then I suppose another kiss might be in order?"
As their lips touched, another knock on the door made them separate. "Who is it?" Delia called.
"Actually there are several of us. May we come in?" It was Aeden.
"Of course. Please enter," replied Delia.
The door opened and in came Aeden along with Trent, Wynne and Zevran. The elf eyed the two luridly and then spoke. "Ah, I am disappointed with you, Alistair. I would have expected you to already be in bed with the delicious Delia."
Both Alistair and Delia blushed while Trent clenched and unclenched his fist as he glared at Zevran. Aeden cleared his throat as he shut the door.
"Um, I am sorry to interrupt your… conversation, but Zevran filled us in on your talk with Teagan. I am so very sorry to have not been able to prevent that… experience. We will not allow him to speak to you in that fashion again. In the meantime, Zev and I agree that we should leave at first light. I've already explained to Eamon that we must continue our quest for the support of the Dalish and the Dwarves. I apologized for our sudden need to depart, but said I worry about the coming snows." He flashed a smile at his fellow warden.
"Yes, Zev and I talked about leaving here quickly." He smiled gratefully at Aeden as well as Zevran.
"I have everyone packing as we speak. Hopefully it won't take very long for anyone. As far as surviving the night is concerned, Wynne assures me that she is already packed. Delia, I want her to stay with you tonight, along with Dusty. That will ensure your safety overnight. I have already asked the castle staff to pack food that we might take with us to eat as we ride." He looked at his friends. "Now, I suggest we pack quickly and get as much sleep as we can. Tomorrow will be stressful."
Trent took his daughter's hand in his. "Are you alright, Delia? I've been… worried."
She smiled at him warmly. "I was quite upset, but Alistair calmed me. I feel much better, but will be even better once we leave this castle. Thank you, Father." She kissed him on the cheek.
"Alright, I think we men should give the women some space. I'll take Dusty for a quick walk outside and then send him to you." Aeden started to lead the men out of the room, but Alistair paused.
He walked over to Delia gently brushed a stray hair from her face. Gently he leaned down and kissed her one last time. "Be safe tonight. Know that you own my heart, my love."
Delia put her hand on his cheek. "And you own mine. Sleep well."
He nodded and left the room with a smile on his face. The men went to their rooms to pack and sleep.
Wynne helped Delia change from her dress into her sleeping tunic and then to pack the few belongings that were out in the room. She noticed the extravagant brush set and asked about it.
"They belonged to Eamon and Teagan's sister, Rowena, who was married to King Maric," Delia replied.
Wynne nodded knowingly. "I met her, once, a long time ago. She was such a lovely woman. It was very sad when she became ill. Maric was never the same man after she died."
"Yes, Teagan spoke a great deal about his sister last summer. I would have loved to have met her. She was quite formidable, from what I understand."
The two quickly completed the packing. Soon there was a bark at the door, so Delia allowed Dusty into the room. The mabari settled himself in front of the door, and the two women shared the bed. Sleep eluded Delia for quite some time, however. The events of the evening kept replaying in her mind, but once she was able to put Teagan out of her mind, the soothing image of Alistair helped relax her into slumber.
When the first rays of the sun crept through the window, Delia woke Wynne and the two brought Delia's pack along as they walked to Wynne's room to collect her pack. Dusty accompanied him, glaring at any guards that dared even to look at the women. When they arrived at the stable the horses and cart were already prepared thanks to Trent.
They were just about ready to ride out of the castle when Teagan hurriedly approached. Suddenly Delia had Alistair on one side of her and her father on the other, both men with their hands ready to grab their swords. Delia tried to relax them both as Teagan walked up to her.
"So, now your plan is to leave without even saying goodbye? I suppose I deserve it…" He looked at her, his eyes revealing the pain he felt.
"No, this has nothing to do with you, Teagan. We must attend to the Grey Warden treaties before the snows make it impossible to travel." She tried to be reassuring, but her voice quivered.
"You are too kind, my dear. For what it is worth, I am sorry for my behavior last night. I hope you will accept my apology." He reached for her hand, and although both Alistair and Trent gave her warning looks, she allowed Teagan to kiss her hand. However, when he tried to turn her hand over for a more intimate kiss to her palm, she pulled her arm away.
"It is time to say farewell, Teagan. We will see each other again before the Landsmeet, I'm certain. In the meantime, I wish you well. May the Maker watch over you and help you to find the path that He intends for you."
Teagan stepped back as she mounted her horse, followed by the others. "May the Maker watch over us all. Come back to Redcliffe safely, my dear."
He watched them sadly as the group rode away from the Castle. His heart left him as he watched Delia until she was too far away to see any longer. In his mind, he had ruined any chance he had for happiness. He turned back to the doors of the castle, knowing that his duty called him back to Rainesfere. The decisions his brother needed to make regarding Isolde and her treachery would be difficult, and although Teagan knew Eamon would appreciate his presence he also knew, in his heart, that he needed his own time to grieve what he had lost.