Wow, it's the final chapter. Thank you all for reading, alerting, reviewing, and most of all enjoying my story. I'm thinking of writing a sequel, so let me know if you think I should. I really appreciate every review from each of you and hope you will consider reading whatever I write in the future. I know I'll be looking for your stories!
Thank you, Liso66, for pointing out a major timeline error. I've corrected it here. I always appreciate the help I get from everyone who reads my story!
Chapter 82: A New Beginning
The day of the coronation was filled with the bustle of servants as they tried to make the great hall of the palace ready for the celebration. Flowers were gathered to decorate the tables and banners were hung making the otherwise drab stone walls flash with color. Trent and Zevran were kept busy with security details, but otherwise most of their companions were trying their best to stay out of the way. Teagan and Eamon spent time in the morning briefing Alistair and Delia on how the ceremony would be conducted and what political protocols would need to be followed. There were so many details to take care of and such little time that it made their heads swim as they tried to keep track of everything.
Lunch was the only time where they could relax and enjoy the company of their friends. Dairren, Aeden and Fergus spent the meal teasing each other and reminiscing about childhood adventured at Highever. Trent, Oghren and Sten talked about some of the weaponry found in the armory. There were some ancient swords found that had impeccable workmanship and the three discussed ways to create new blades with similar craftsmanship. Wynne and Leliana tried to decide how best to style Delia's hair while Delia looked to her husband to save her from their overzealous attention. Alistair just sat back and watched as his adopted family interacted until Zevran decided to sneak up behind him and plant a kiss on his ear. Delia laughed herself silly as Alistair tried to rub the memory out of his skin.
After lunch the group needed to prepare for the ceremonies. Alistair and Delia walked to their quarters and found that the servants had laid out their clothes and armor. Not waiting for servants to help them dress, Delia helped Alistair with Cailan's armor. Since it was designed to be not only protective but decorative, it was more complicated to put on and Alistair was frustrated. Luckily, Delia's presence and gentle hands helped to relax him, and he was ready relatively quickly.
Delia put her dress on. She had decided to wear her wedding dress, thinking that the white and silver would look the best with her husband's golden armor. Alistair tried to help her with the laces, but his hands were too clumsy to handle the ties, so he left the room to find Leliana. Luckily for him, Leliana was already on her way, and she entered the room and helped Delia with the laces and then sat her down to work on her hair.
The Royal Guard was already starting to mobilize in the courtyard. Each soldier had polished their armor and they gleamed in the sunlight, their tabards ruffling slightly with the breeze from the harbor. Trent stood with the commanders, making certain that each regiment knew their precise instructions.
Most of Alistair and Delia's group planned to be in the Chantry rather than processing with the royal couple. Aeden, Trent and Zevran would be with the two as their personal guard, along with the two dogs. Wynne had taken it on herself to give both dogs baths, much to the canines' despair, so their coats were shiny and brushed. Leliana had wanted to tie ribbons around their necks in the colors of the Grey Wardens, but when the dogs protested Aeden convinced the bard that the dogs, being more warrior than lap dog, should look like they were working rather than simply being accessories.
When the time finally arrived for the procession to the Chantry they all took their places in the courtyard. The Royal Colorguard led the way, followed by one regiment of guardsmen. Alistair and Delia walked behind them with their friends right behind them. Several more regiments acted as the rear guard. All in all, it was an impressive display. As they walked through the streets, the citizens of Denerim lined the streets cheering.
Alistair and Delia shyly waved at the people as they walked to the Chantry. Neither was prepared for the outpouring of emotion from the citizens. They knew how much these people had lost battling the darkspawn. So many were dead, and there was so much destruction that it had been overwhelming. Watching as the people rejoiced gave the couple a great sense of pride in their people's fortitude. As they made the final turn to enter the market district, a young girl tried to run up to Delia, but was caught by one of the guardsmen. The child was frightened and screamed, catching Delia's attention, and the queen walked to the soldier.
"Please, put the child down," she said softly to the guard.
"Your Majesty, it is against protocol. The child could be a threat…"
"No, put her down."
He set her down in front of Delia, the child wide eyed as the queen put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright, little one? Don't be afraid of the guardsman, he's only trying to protect us."
The girl, shaken and scared, tried to answer bravely, but her voice quivered. "Y… yes, my lady. I… I'm alright."
Delia smiled warmly at the girl. "What is your name, child?"
"My n… name is Rowena. My momma says I'm named after Queen Rowen."
Delia nodded. "Rowena is a beautiful name. Queen Rowen was a very interesting and wonderful person. It's nice to be named for someone important and meaningful."
Rowena smiled. "I brought you a p…present."
"Really? What did you bring me?" Delia knelt in front of the child with her hands on her knees as the child held out a bouquet of wildflowers.
"I picked these for you. I hope you like them." The girl was beaming with pride.
Delia took the flowers with a smile as Alistair, Aeden and the dogs walked up behind her. "These are lovely, Rowena!"
"I'm glad you like them. I wanted to give you something pretty today." The girl looked at the two war dogs as they approached, and she took a step backward in fear.
Delia looked behind her and saw the dogs. "Oh, the dogs are my friends. They won't hurt you. Actually, they both love children very much."
"I… I've seen mabaris before, but what is the other dog?"
"The mabari is Dusty. He is Warden Aeden's dog." Aeden nodded in acknowledgement. "This grey, furry dog is Griffon, a deer hound from the Frostback Mountains. He chose me to be his owner." Delia scratched him behind the ear. "You can pet them if you'd like."
Rowena reached her hand tentatively forward and gently patted each dog in turn. Both dogs wagged their tails at the child, making her giggle.
"Rowena, do you know what these white flowers are?" Delia asked the girl.
"Momma says they're Andraste's Grace. They smell really nice and you can dry them and make your closet smell fresh."
Delia smiled. "Tell your momma that they are one of my most favorite flowers. I will dry these back at the palace and keep them forever. This is one of the most wonderful presents I have ever been given."
Delia stood up and kissed the child on her forehead. Saying goodbye to Rowena, the royal entourage walked the rest of the way to the Chantry.
Every seat was filled in the sanctuary. The front left row was filled with the people Delia and Alistair considered to be their family. Wynne sat next to the center aisle, smiling proudly, with Dairren, Fergus, Oghren, Leliana and Sten to her left. As Delia and Alistair passed the front row, Delia handed the bouquet to Wynne to care for until the returned to the palace. The mage smiled as she smelled the scent of the Andraste's Grace and watched as the young man she almost considered to be her own son walked to the side of the altar. Because she couldn't fit on the bench, Shale stood in the front just in back of the royal couple, looking almost like a carved pillar. The front right aisle had Teagan and Eamon, with space left near the center aisle for Aeden, Zevran and Trent. They sat as the procession passed the seats. The two dogs sat in the aisle next to the front rows, Griffon to the left and Dusty to the right. Guardsmen took positions along the walls before the ceremony started, and Alistair and Delia were seated on ceremonial chairs in the front near the altar.
There were many readings from the Chant of Light followed by speeches by various prominent nobles. Alistair started to get restless. He could feel the eyes of all the nobles on him and he felt self-conscious and nervous. His fingers started to drum on the armrest of his chair absentmindedly. Delia gently put her hand on his to calm him. He looked at her and she smiled at him. There was something about her smile, her touch, that immediately calmed him, and he smiled back at her with gratitude.
Finally it was time for Alistair to receive his crown from the Blessed Mother. He knelt in front of Mother Perpetua as she asked performed the rite of coronation as it had been done since King Calenhad himself.
"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?" the Blessed Mother asked.
"I will," Alistair responded firmly and loudly enough to be heard throughout the sanctuary.
"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the will of the Maker and his Blessed Wife, Andraste, and follow the Chant of Light?"
"I will."
"And will you protect your people, the people of Ferelden, from all assaults of their enemies?"
"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. May the Maker watch over Ferelden and keep her in his care."
The Blessed Mother gently placed the crown on Alistair's head. "Rise and be recognized by your people, King Alistair of Ferelden."
As Mother Perpetua smiled, Alistair stood and received cheers from the nobles and guardsmen in attendance. Then it was time for Delia to receive her crown. She stood and gracefully knelt in front of her husband.
"Will you assist the King to cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all judgments?" he asked his wife.
"I will." Delia smiled at him.
"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the will of the Maker and his Blessed Wife, Andraste, and follow the Chant of Light?"
"I will."
"And will you protect your people, the people of Ferelden, from all assaults of their enemies?"
"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. May the Maker watch over Ferelden and keep her in his care."
Alistair took his turn to place the crown on Delia's head, and then he offered his hand to assist her to stand. "Rise and be recognized by your people, Queen Delia of Ferelden."
As she rose, he placed his hand on her chin and gave her a kiss before she turned to the audience to receive her own set of cheers. He took her hand as they stood in front of the assembled nobles as the new King and Queen of Ferelden. It was then time to walk back to the Palace for the celebratory feast. Alistair led his queen down the aisle of the Chantry, followed by their friends and family. The procession through the Denerim streets was longer, now that the nobles were added to the group, but the reception from the citizens was even more ecstatic than earlier. The people had their new king and queen, and it seemed they would follow the pair to the Black City itself!
Once at the palace, Delia sent a servant to take the bouquet to her chambers. The nobles entered the Great Hall and the festivities began. There were so many nobles who wanted the opportunity to speak to the new king or queen that the two barely saw each other during the event.
Delia specifically looked for her friends. Now that the archdemon was defeated and the Blight over, she worried what they would do and if they would leave her. As she found them and had a chance to speak to each, she was relieved that Zevran and Oghren would be remaining at the palace. Leliana would be staying for the time being, but was hoping that Aeden would ask her to join him in Amaranthine when he traveled there to create a new Grey Warden stronghold in Ferelden. Wynne agreed to stay at the palace until Delia gave birth, but then she planned to accompany Shale to Tevinter. The golem wished to find a way to return to her original dwarvan form. Hopefully they would find the proper magic to do that for her. Sten intended to return to his homeland to give his report about the Blight. Although it saddened Delia that he would leave, she knew his honor would never allow him to stay.
After socializing for some time, Teagan approached her. "Delia, we need you and Alistair to make an appearance on the balcony. The people are calling for you."
She smiled at him, and with a nod allowed him to lead her to her husband. Alistair beamed at her as she approached him and gladly took her hand from his chancellor. The two walked to the door of the balcony, but before the servants opened the door Alistair turned to Delia.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked with a serious expression on his face. "I mean, they're counting on us."
Delia put her hand on his cheek and smiled. "We haven't been ready for any of this, but somehow we've managed so far. The Maker will help us." Her hands suddenly flew to her abdomen. "Ooof! I think he just… yes, he just kicked me!" She took Alistair's hand and placed it on her abdomen.
His face brightened with a smile that reached from ear to ear. "I felt him! Maker, he's a strong baby!"
Delia looked at him with love in her eyes. "He's just like his father."
Alistair kissed her warmly and then looked into her eyes. "Well, I think it's time to see our people. It's a new beginning for us… for all of Ferelden."
The servant opened the door and as the king and queen walked onto the balcony the citizens erupted in cheers. Ferelden was indeed ready for a new era with the new King Alistair and his true love, Queen Delia.