Chapter 80: Preparations
Delia woke to find herself in the small room of the Chantry where she had woken the previous day. Today was different, however, in that the mattress from her cot was laid on the floor, adjacent to a cot mattress where her handsome husband was still sound asleep. She lay there, simply looking at the way the sun's rays made his hair shine. It was amazing that the Maker would give them this opportunity to rebuild Ferelden while they enjoyed being a family.
Alistair's eyes opened and he grinned. "Good morning, love. How long have you been awake?"
She allowed him to pull her against his chest. "Only a few minutes. I was just thinking about how lucky we are."
He nuzzled her hair. "The luckiest people in the world, I imagine. Ugh…"
"What's wrong?" She pushed up and looked down at his face.
"We need to get up. There's so much to do today. I'd rather stay here, alone with you." He pulled her back to him and kissed her gently.
"Me too, love, but today you have to be king. Tonight you can be just Alistair again." She smiled teasingly and stood, offering a hand to help him up.
"Well, I suppose that will have to do." His eyebrow rose mischievously. "I'll just have to enjoy the fact that while I have to be the king, you have to be the queen. At least we can suffer together."
She slapped his arm playfully, earning a mock cry of pain from him. They laughed as they dressed. Once they were ready, the two walked hand in hand to the dining room for breakfast. Delia had hoped to have an opportunity to speak with Aeden over their meal about organizing the pyres, both for darkspawn corpses as well as their own dead, as well as helping the dwarves and Dalish to arrange proper burials for their people, but he was preoccupied with a certain bard. There would be enough time to have their discussion, she supposed, and the issue was moot anyway when Eamon and Teagan insisted on sitting with the two royals.
"There are many details that must be handled as soon as possible," Eamon stated as he sat. "Your coronation must happen as soon as it can be arranged, perhaps as early as tomorrow." As Alistair opened his mouth to protest, Eamon held out his hand. "No, Alistair, it cannot wait. The people need a king to lead them now more than ever. You also need to organize your council of advisors, especially your Chancellor." His eyes shone brightly, almost anticipating what Alistair's response would be.
"Ye-es, Eamon, I have been giving that quite a bit of thought, actually. My Chancellor needs to be a man who is well established in the Landsmeet, yet has an understanding of what my companions and I have been through to unite the country. He needs to have a mind of his own, yet be able to bend when it is in Ferelden's best interest. The people need to have a reason to believe in him as well, and be a person deserving of their respect. Someone who I feel has acted courageously and honorably, even when he himself was injured in the process." Alistair looked at the arl, and his gaze grew cold. "I know that you, Eamon, believe the position should rightfully be yours; however you have proven throughout my life to not act in the best interest of the country or for the people in it. You ignored King Maric's own wishes in regard to raising me, putting your wife's desires above the country's interest. You tried to manipulate me in the Landsmeet, intending for me to be your puppet king while you made all the decisions. But the one thing that is the worst, in my opinion, was kidnapping Delia in a misguided attempt to give her, almost as a present, to your brother. You broke several laws in the process with no regard to the consequences. Right now you are very lucky that I don't charge you with your crimes, but if you give me any reason to change my mind, I will easily throw you in the dungeon."
He turned his gaze to Teagan and his demeanor softened. "Teagan, you have, unfortunately, suffered throughout all of this as well. Eamon was blind to Isolde's schemes, and you have been denied the opportunity to live your life as you should have. I realize that her ruses denied you many chances for marriage, and that the one you felt would be best for you in particular. However, when Eamon attempted to force a marriage to Delia, you were honorable and rescued her, even at the expense of your own happiness. You also did everything you could to protect the Village of Redcliffe when the demon sent the creatures to attack and you fought courageously in the Battle for Denerim. You are a very skilled politician, a very learned man, and I trust you. I would like to offer you the position of Chancellor, and I truly hope that you will accept."
Teagan was surprised. He never thought that Alistair would want him to remain in Denerim once the Blight was defeated. After their rivalry over Delia's affections, he thought the warden would never trust his presence near his wife. Yet, once again, Alistair's thoughtfulness and insight surprised him, and the fact that he said that he trusted Teagan amazed the Bann. Alistair truly was acting as a king, putting aside his own enmity for the good of his country. Teagan was impressed.
With a friendly grin, Teagan cleared his throat. "I would be most honored, my King."
Alistair smiled back at him and shook his hand. "Good! Now, as for you, Eamon, I expect that you will be returning to Redcliffe. You have a great deal to rebuild there, and I expect that you can make arrangements to care for Rainesfere as well to assist your brother."
Eamon choked in astonishment. "Yes, Alistair. I… I will leave within the next few days."
"Excellent. That way you'll have some time to spend with Connor before he leaves for his training at the Circle of Magi. Oh, and I expect to have a report within a month about your plans for dealing with Isolde's crimes. Unless, of course, you feel it would be best for her future to be entrusted to someone else?"
"N… no, Alistair. I will handle her myself."
"Oh, and Eamon?"
"Yes?"
"As soon as I have my official coronation, you will address me more formally. Oh, and my wife and Chancellor as well. It will be very important for other members of the Landsmeet to see you giving us proper respect. We wouldn't want them believing that I am being manipulated, would we?"
"No… your Majesty."
Alistair smiled, but it wasn't a friendly, warm smile. It was a political smile, one meant to convey that he had made his point. "Good, that's resolved then. Now, it's time that my wife and I spoke to the Reverend Mother about arranging the coronation." He stood and held his hand out to Delia. "Come, my dear. We have many things to do."
The next several hours were spent arranging the following day's coronation with the Reverend Mother of the Denerim Chantry. Mother Perpetua agreed that the people needed their king crowned quickly to give them hope as they dealt with so much death and destruction. The ceremony would take place late in the afternoon, allowing time for a small feast to be prepared with whatever food could be found. Alistair left the Reverend Mother with twenty five sovereigns to help with the costs of the ceremony before the two returned to the dining room for a quick lunch.
Aeden joined them as they ate their soup. His smile revealed his own happiness, leaving plenty of room for Alistair to tease his friend.
"Soooo, can I assume you've had a… nice morning?" Alistair teased with a raised eyebrow. "Have you had a chance to relax? Have a chat? A walk in the garden perhaps? Hmmmmm?"
Aeden chuckled softly and blushed. "I assume you noticed my breakfast companion?"
"Well, it was sort of obvious. You two seemed to be enjoying your conversation."
Aeden nodded. "It's nice to not have to rush off to fight for once. We did take a walk in the garden. Leliana was explaining the meanings of various symbols and why they were in particular places. She's very knowledgeable about such things." His eyes seemed to look through his companions as his thoughts returned to their stroll. "You know, her voice is very relaxing, almost hypnotic. I could listen to her speak for hours…"
Alistair's laughter bellowed through the room. "Oh, my friend, you certainly are there."
Aeden looked at him in confusion. "And just where am I?"
He slapped his hand against Aeden's upper arm. "You, my good friend, are in love. There's no doubt… take it from someone who's been in your shoes," he smiled warmly at his wife, "and still feels the exact same way every day."
Changing the subject to the business of the day, Alistair asked Aeden to take several of their companions to check on the progress of the cleanup of the corpses around the city. The areas around the Chantry and the Palace needed to be the priority since the coronation would attract crowds of people and they didn't want any taint remaining. At the mention of the taint, Aeden's attention perked up.
"You know, thinking of the taint, have you been able to… sense me? I mean, since the archdemon fell, I can't sense you anymore, but I can feel the tainted bodies. It's really… strange."
Alistair looked at him with his eyes widening. "Actually, I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. I can't sense you, and I haven't felt any taint. I'll have to ask Wynne to examine me later today."
Aeden suddenly became very serious. "Thinking about the taint… Leliana and I took a walk to the Palace this morning as well. We have word from the guard concerning Anora." He looked around to be certain no one was listening. "Darkspawn infiltrated the tower where she was imprisoned. The guards tried to protect Anora and her servant, but when they killed the monsters it was too close to her door. The blood seeped under the door and before the men could stop them, Anora's servant had cleaned it, tainting herself in the process. Anora wouldn't believe the men when they warned her about the taint and suggesting that Erlina be removed, and now Anora has caught the taint as well. The blotches are spreading across her skin rather quickly, I'm afraid."
Delia was shocked. No matter how badly Anora had behaved, no one deserved to suffer from the taint's progression.
Alistair looked at his friend with concern. "Well, it takes care of the problem of what to do with her. I mean, we will need to be merciful. It simply wouldn't be proper to allow her to become a full ghoul. Will you accompany us there this afternoon? After we deal with her, you can check with our Dalish and dwarf friends to see how their funeral arrangements are going."
Aeden nodded slowly. "Alistair, you have to promise that you won't get very close to Anora. If she realizes that you could be tainted and killed, I wouldn't put it past her to try and infect you."
"Agreed. I defer to you in this matter. After all, you are the Senior Warden." His eyes danced teasingly, earning a well-deserved punch in the arm from Aeden.
Delia chuckled at their brotherly banter. "Well, if you two are finished, why don't we walk to the palace?"
The three left the room, followed closely by the two dogs. Aeden left them briefly to ask Wynne, Zevran and Oghren to join them. Of course, as they walked they were joined by a company of soldiers from the King's Guard. Alistair could no longer be allowed to walk through the city without a full contingent of guards.
The streets were bustling with soldiers and citizens alike, working together to care for the bodies of those who died in service to their country. Only specialized soldiers were permitted to handle the darkspawn. They wore protective gear that was especially enchanted to protect them from the blood. Pyres were already burning as the creatures were cremated downwind of the city. As Alistair and Delia walked past their people, they tried to speak to as many as possible to give each of them words of encouragement and appreciation. Their simple words meant a great deal to the people, and each performed their tasks with a bit more pride after their encounters with the king and queen.
When they reached the palace grounds, Aeden walked up to the guard to discern who was currently in charge. A guardsman named Gelis was the captain in command, and he was honored to escort the king's party to the prison tower.
It was obvious from the sounds they heard from all the way down the hall that Anora and her servant were already well on their way to becoming ghouls. The guardsmen were nervously attending to their duties, but were obviously not happy doing so. Alistair and Delia stayed far away from the door to Anora's quarters, but could see her through the bars of the door.
"Anora, I am very sorry this has happened to you. No one deserves such a horrible fate." Alistair was sincere as he spoke, but it meant little to the former queen.
"You… I am certain you found some way to send the monsters in here yourself," she spat at him. "You stole my throne! Wasn't that enough for you? But no… now you force me to suffer… to lose everything, even my beauty. Curse you, Alistair. You are no son of Maric's."
Gelis stiffened his back. "My lady, I would watch your words. He saved Ferelden from the archdemon with his own sword. I was on the roof of Fort Drakon and watched it myself. He died, and the Maker brought him back. The Landsmeet decided against you and it's too bad you cannot accept your fate. My men tried to tell you to stay away from the darkspawn blood, but you listen to no one."
Aeden put his hand on the captain's shoulder. "It's too late for her anyway. Anora, you have a choice to make. You can both remain in captivity and suffer until you completely turn into ghouls, or I can offer you each a merciful kill now. If you die by my sword you can be given a proper pyre, with all the respect the former queen deserves. If you turn into a ghoul, you will be burned along with the other darkspawn and there will be no mention of you. You will have simply disappeared, just like so many others."
Anora understood the gravity of his words. She would die either way, but she deserved to be remembered. "Warden, do I have your word that I will be given the respect of a proper pyre?"
Aeden nodded gravely. "Of course, my lady."
"Then I wish to be put to death now, while I still retain my humanity. I do not wish, however to have an audience as I die. Alistair, you and your wife must leave here now. I will not give you the satisfaction of watching my death." She stood stoically, her hands clasped in front of her.
Alistair nodded. "I will give you your privacy, Anora, but there is one thing I wish you to know before we leave. I take no satisfaction in your death. May the Maker have mercy on you both."
He took Delia's arm and led her away from the tower, leaving word with the guard at the entrance for Aeden to meet them in the Great Hall. Alistair took time to arrange for her pyre to be held that evening, trying to restrain his own feelings of disgust for the woman in check. She had, after all, been the Queen of Ferelden, and deserved her death to be recognized properly. He wanted nothing to interfere with the coronation, yet felt the people needed to see that the Blight had taken the life of their former queen before Alistair took the throne officially.
Aeden joined them after his deed was completed and the bodies cleaned and prepared in their funeral sheeting. No one would see the sword wounds, but the blotches from the taint would not be hidden from the crowds. Messengers were sent to post notices around the city of her pyre that evening. Once the funeral plans were completed, the final details for the coronation were dealt with.
The palace historian, a woman named Anna, brought Alistair's group to the treasure room. The crowns of the kings and queens of Ferelden were stored there, as well as the Theirin family sword and shield. Cailen and Anora's crowns were in the front, but Alistair didn't want to wear them. Their marriage had never been sound, and he felt that he wanted a better symbol of unity. Anna looked around a bit before she brought two other crowns to show him.
"I know these seem to be rather simple compared to some of the others, but the history behind them may be more to your liking. This one," she held out a man's crown made of silverite, "was made for Teryn Voric, husband of Queen Moira. Unfortunately, he never wore it because he was killed while Maric was still a baby and King Brandel was still on the throne. This one," she held out a matching woman's crown, "was Queen Moira's. She wore it for her coronation in Redcliffe while her husband's sat nearby on a silk pillow. It is said that they loved each other very much, but Moira was strong and wouldn't allow herself to fall into despair when the Orlesians killed him. She raised Maric on her own after he died. Such a strong woman… she seemed to give everything to free our country."
Alistair smiled broadly. "Yes, these are the crowns I would like to use. They are perfect symbols of our country's courage and my lineage."
Anna looked at him and nodded. "Your majesty, you know that you must have new crowns made for you anyway? It will be expected by the nobility. The people will understand that there has been no time to create them for your coronation, but certainly by next year's Landsmeet you must have them."
"That's fine, just remind me, please, and we'll see to it after we've taken care of our current situation. Please see to it that these are polished and ready for tomorrow."
"Yes, your majesty." Anna took the crowns and handed them to a servant. "Do you each have something proper you can wear?" She scrutinized the two before continuing. "Your armor is… perfect for battle, but not quite for ceremony. And my lady…" she looked at her dragon scale armor with distaste, "it just would be… unseemly for the queen to be crowned wearing armor, although yours is unique. Rather pretty, for armor. Do you have a dress perhaps? It would be more… appropriate."
Delia chuckled. "Yes, I understand completely, Anna. I have two dresses that would do, although I will check with my friend for her opinion as to which would be better." She turned to her husband. "Alistair, we have Cailan's ceremonial armor. Perhaps you would feel comfortable wearing that?"
He thought a moment and then nodded his head. "Yes, I would like to have him remembered, I think. Cailan's armor, Maric's sword and Voric's crown… I'll be a walking history lesson!"
Even Anna chortled at his quip as they left the treasury and walked to the king's study. Anna left them to arrange for rooms to be readied for the members of Alistair and Delia's traveling group in the wing that had been untouched by the fighting. Servants were scurrying throughout the palace, cleaning and rearranging to be certain all was organized properly.
Aeden excused himself to see to the dwarves and Danish needs, bringing Zevran and Oghren with him. Dusty happily joined Griffon in front of the fire in the study, and Wynne decided to take a nap, leaving Delia and Alistair alone with the dogs. The day had already been tiring, so they asked a servant for tea and decided to relax for a bit. Their companions would be joining them soon, and the evening promised to be significant.