Varric, Sebastian, Anders, Isabela and Hawke were just returning to Hawke's estate to celebrate successfully completing a high-paying job when Bodahn handed Hawke a letter. After reading it Hawke gaped at it for a few seconds before speaking.

"The King of Ferelden wants me to meet him in the keep" he said.

"His name was Alistair, wasn't it?" Isabela asked, "I think I tried sleeping with him once."

Hawke gaped at her, "your kidding."

"This was before he was a king, and he declined. I'm not entirely sure he swings my way." Isabela frowned.

Hawke chuckled, "everybody swings your way, Isabela."

Isabela furrowed her brow, "what-"

Varric interrupted her, "well ,lets go, I've always wanted to meet a king."

...

When they entered the Viscounts Keep Sebastian let himself fall a little behind. He wasn't eager to draw attention to himself in front of a ruler that he may one day need to make an allegiance with. He was sure if another ruler found out about his right to the throne, and his intention to take it back even though he had had years to do it, they would be unimpressed and it might ruin future relations.

Even so he still gaped when he saw the man. He was so...so...attractive and masculine and-

Oh Maker, give me strength to overcome my depravity. He was sure it was his abstinence from sex that made him grow so warm and weak in the knees so quickly. It had to be.

He looked away quickly, and prayed that he wasn't blushing. As they neared the man he continued to look elsewhere, and when they stopped moving he looked all around the keep, the ceiling, the floor, the windows. And he felt like an idiot.

"Let me guess: that's your final answer?" Alistair was saying.

"You declare your Circle of Magi free, as if its your right to do so, and thus stir up every mage outside of your kingdom. What other answer did you expect, your Majesty?"

Alistair shrugged, "a 'maybe' might have been nice."

Meredith scowled, "I don't deal in "maybes". I deal in cold, hard facts - as should you. Perhaps when Ferelden next chooses a king, it will be one that takes his duty to the Maker seriously." with that she turned on her heel and stormed out of the building.

Alistair frowned, "well. That was awkward."

"That's just Meredith's idea of Kirkwall hospitality." Hawke told him.

"Really? Kirkwall brutality must rip the skin off your face, then." the king said grimly.

"This is the Champion of Kirkwall." the well-dressed man standing next to the king told him.

"Right! I'm Alistair, uh... King of Ferelden. And this is Teagan, my uncle. Sort of."

Teagan gave a small bow, "I'm actually Teagan. I'm only sort of his uncle."

"Say... weren't you a Grey Warden once?" Anders suddenly said.

"That's the rumor. Wait, weren't you...?"

Anders chuckled, "that's the rumor."

"Huh. I guess we get around." Alistair said.

"How did a Grey Warden become a king? Aren't we supposed to be neutral on political affairs?"

Alistair rubbed the back of his head and laughed quietly, "yes well...suffice to say that Weisshaupt is less than pleased with me."

Isabela pushed her way to the front and placed a hand on her hip, "so you're a king now? Moving up in the world!" she smirked.

Alistair furrowed his brow as he tried to remember who she was, suddenly it hit him. "Isabela, right? You look... different."

Isabela laughed, "don't we all? When we met in Denerim I was...on the run, we'll say. I'm easily recognized when I look like this." She ran her eyes up and down his body appreciatively, "I suppose borrowing you for the summer is out now?"

Alistair chuckled, "uh, well, I... your not my type?" he suggested.

"Oh? And what is your type?"

Alistair's eyes immediately shot to where Sebastian was standing, oblivious to the conversation, then he mentally cursed himself. If nobody saw that it would be a miracle.

"It's a secret." was all he said.

Isabela smiled knowingly, "I see."

Alistair coughed, fuckity fuck-fuck, he thought and turned to the Champion, "I was hoping we could talk. Would've been better timing before being emasculated by Meredith, but I'm not picky."

Hawke chuckled, "things are looking up! It's not often I get called on to meet with foreign leaders."

"I know you came here from Lothering. A Fereldan refugee that did well for himself, against all odds. I have to admit. I was hoping your influence in Kirkwall might be of use. Besides the Gray Wardens being unhappy with me, things haven't been going well with Orlais. Without a viscount here, however, there's only the knight-commander to deal with." Alistair scowled, "so much for forming an allegiance."

"You were having an argument about mages?" Hawke asked, referring to the conversation he had walked in on.

Alistair sighed, "yes, well, apparently I don't feel the same way about mages as the Chantry does. So we're in disagreement. That means they get nasty. They're like that. And Orlais...well, I'm sure you know Ferelden and Orlais aren't the best of friends."

"Mages have it better in Ferelden?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose, "sadly, Its quite a difficult endeavor to convince people that not all mages are raving lunatics, so they have some leniencies, but not much. And the chantry likes to put up barriers when I try to offer suggestions on how to alter templar training."

Hawke raised an eyebrow, "aren't they in your kingdom? Why not just kick the templars out?"

"Ha! Easier said than done!"

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't try." Anders grumbled

Alistair narrowed his eyes at the mage, "I never said I hadn't." he sighed and returned his attentions to Hawke, "we'll see what comes of it. Ferelden had a Blight to contend with, remember? We're not exactly at our strongest. Besides, templars do have their uses. Not all mages play with teddy bears and healing spells."

Hawke shrugged, "what happened with Orlais? Is there to be a war?"

"I hope not!"

"You're more optimistic than I am." Teagen said grimly.

"Empress Celene is doing her best. Orlais isn't the most stable place right now." Alistair said.

"What's happening in Orlais?" Hawke asked.

"Oh, the usual. Attempted assassinations, uprisings, fancy parties with stinky cheeses. There are plenty of people who think we should resolve the differences between Orlais and Ferelden. But pretty much everyone else in Orlais has a hate-on for us, some Orlesians think it would be grand to get their lost province back, the Chantry is angry about the defiance of their rules in regards to mages, and the wardens are unhappy with both me and Darryn Amell."

"But Weisshaupt is in the Anderfels." Anders pointed out.

Alistair shrugged his shoulders, "I've heard that many of the nobles in Orlais are taking the problem with the wardens personal and are using it as another reason to start another war with Ferelden."

"Wait a second, Darryn? I thought he had disappeared." Hawke said.

"He did, he came back about a year ago and took over his post as Warden Commander at Vigil's Keep. The lad that had replaced him gave up his title readily, but that's a Howe for you." Alistair said with no small amount of disgust.

"Nathanial? A Warden Commander? Oh, I would love to see that. He isn't exactly the most charismatic sort, I can't imagine anyone taking orders from him." Anders chuckled.

"So, how exactly did Darryn piss off the Gray Wardens?" Hawke asked.

"Well your not really supposed to disappear for years on end without contacting the Wardens. They weren't too impressed, especially when he expected things to go back to how they were before he left." Alistair sighed, "I'm half surprised we haven't received word that the Wardens are planning to attack."

"Well, we won't let them swoop down on us, will we?" Teagen smiled.

Alistair grew serious, "that's right. Swooping is bad."

Hawke frowned, "do you really think there's something I can do?"

Alistair frowned, "sadly, it may be too late. Meredith got wind of my arrival sooner than I'd hoped. I was kind of hoping you would have some influence with her. There really needs to be a Viscount here, hasn't it been three years?"

"You know, with your help there could be a viscount." Hawke suggested.

Varric scratched his chin thoughtfully, "It's not a terrible idea, really. A lot of people would benefit from Hawke running this town."

"Namely, yourself." Anders said.

Teagan frowned, "that's asking a lot."

"It's tempting. But I'm sorry to say that my support won't mean much without the support of the templars. I suppose it doesn't matter. I was hoping to have your help before Meredith got wind of my arrival, but that's done now. What you can do is protect Kirkwall. It will take someone like you to keep it from falling apart." Alistair said.

Hawke frowned "protect Kirkwall from what, exactly?"

Alistair nodded in the direction Meredith had left, "you ask me, the biggest threat to this city just walked out the door. But maybe that's the ex-templar in me talking."

"Wouldn't a templar think that a Knight-Commander acting as Viscount is good for a city?" Hawke asked.

"You don't know many templars." Alistair laughed.