A/N: So here we are with the final chapter at last! It's been a long journey to get this story done, and I can't believe we're finally here! Thanks to everyone who's read this far and stuck with the story, I really appreciate everyone reading my labor of love for Dragon Age :).
Extra special thanks as always to those who have reviewed for me, especially those of you who have been kind enough to review multiple chapters: WolFang1011, Lethal Dragon, XZanayu, Candle in the Night, and guest Judy. I'm really grateful to you all for taking the time to review my story and let me know what you think!
Please REVIEW the last chapter everyone! The 250th reviewer will get a gift fic if it ever reaches that point!
Thanks again to everyone for reading along, and I hope that everyone will read the sequel when I start it - I hope to have the first chapter for the sequel posted by the end of the month.
Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything Dragon Age related, I own Ayla and the rest of the story.
Note: Some of the wedding ceremony was adapted from a blog on Tumblr that had created a head-canon of Ferelden wedding ceremonies, as there's no actual canon I could find for the ceremony. I can't recall the name of the blogger, but all credit for those parts goes to him/her.
Chapter 57: Keeping Promises
Alistair wasn't precisely sure what he'd expected the bond to feel like, but whatever he'd been imagining was nothing close to the reality of it, which had completely caught him off guard. Part of it, he realized, was the fact that there had always been a tiny part of him that still doubted she could feel about him the way he felt about her. It was a ridiculous part of him that he'd repeatedly tried to quash with the obvious facts, which included her repeated declarations, but he'd never fully succeeded in getting rid of it, no matter how sure the rest of him was – until now, that is.
Now, he could feel for himself precisely how she felt for him, in a way that words could never express, the strength of her love – and her desire. He'd already figured out that the warmth, like a comforting blanket wrapped around him, was her love for him. And it was there, always, from the moment the spell had been finished, a soothing, steadying presence. There had been a few times already where it had grown more intense, washing over him like a wave, but it had never diminished, not once, which gave him confidence like he'd never before felt.
Then, of course, there was the desire. It had been immediately obvious when he'd felt the blazing heat just what that had meant, especially when it was accompanied by the flare of lust in her eyes. The fact that she'd felt it that much just from something he'd said had been surprising – and enjoyable. And he was already having trouble controlling how his own desire reacted to the feeling of hers, and they were still only in the process of stripping off his armor. He was both curious and a little nervous to find out just how much more intense it could become, he thought as the last piece of his armor finally dropped to the ground.
He heaved a sigh of relief at the heavy weight of the armor being gone as he stripped off his cotton undertunic, Ayla backing away a few steps to start removing the dress she'd worn to the celebration. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look in that dress?" he asked softly as it began to slip off her shoulders, his eyes tracking the path of its fall as it exposed her bare breasts and luscious body to his hungry gaze, her smallclothes and garter belt around one thigh being the only things she had worn beneath.
"I think you mentioned it once or twice already." There was a tone of amusement in her voice, even as he felt another wave of warmth wash over him. He looked up from the length of her gorgeous legs and that garter belt that never failed to catch his attention to find her smiling at him, eyes glowing. Her expression shifted subtly as he reached for the waistband of his leggings, heat bursting over him as her eyes flared. "You looked very handsome in your armor, by the way, but you look even better out of it."
He grinned at her as he slipped off his leggings and smallclothes, finally standing naked before her. "Do I now? Should I –"
He cut his words off abruptly when she basically leapt right at him, catching her in spite of his shock. He couldn't quite suppress his moan at the feeling of her soft, silky skin against his as she wound her arms and legs around him. Her smallclothes were the only barrier that kept him from feeling all of her; his already insistently throbbing erection was currently brushing against the soft cloth as she hooked her legs around his waist, pressing her mouth to his throat. And Maker, was he ever aroused; the lust was consuming and all-encompassing, rocking his body.
There had been many times already when they were together that he thought there was simply no way he could want her more, and she kept proving him wrong. This time, with the way the blazing flames of her desire only drove his higher at the thought that he could arouse her this much, so that he barely knew which one of them was feeling what anymore, had him harder than he'd ever been. He was certain he was on the verge of exploding, the pressure building through his body as he felt himself swell further yet just from the feel of her lips, teeth and tongue as they worked hotly on his neck. Her mouth trailed up to his earlobe, taking it gently between her teeth and tugging, making him gasp as she rocked her hips against him.
"Ayla, love," he panted, struggling for some sort of control as the flames spiralled ever higher in him like an inferno, "this is – it's – almost too much . . . I'm not sure I . . ."
She trailed her mouth back down, sinking her teeth into the juncture of his neck and shoulder, sucking hard on his skin following the bite, and his breath came out in an odd strangled noise, his knees nearly buckling. She pulled her head back, saying breathlessly, "Yes, you can. We both can . . . ohhh," she moaned lowly, her head tipping back.
His hands had kept wandering while she was talking, seemingly of their own volition, and one of them was now threaded in her hair, kneading the base of her neck, while the other had squeezed her buttocks, his fingers sliding beneath her smallclothes to get a more thorough grip. He nearly yelped from the next flare of heat that came from her, like he stood too close to the sun now, as she squeezed her legs tighter around him, affording her more leverage to grind against his achingly painful length.
His mind little more than a haze now, he did have just enough presence of mind left to decide that he'd better put her down on the bed now before he dropped her. He stumbled over to the large bed they'd been sharing since the battle, landing on top of her as they fell. He would have pulled back to give her a bit of room to breathe, but she wasn't having any of it, her arms and legs tightening around him to keep him there on top of her.
"You're mine," she growled at him, gripping his hair tightly in her hands as she squirmed and wiggled beneath him, rubbing her body against his, driving him to distraction. "Truly and totally mine now."
"I am," he agreed hoarsely, reaching for her hands as she trailed them down his back now, scraping, kneading, and pinching. He quite simply couldn't take it anymore, so he pulled her hands off and pinned them to the bed, ignoring her struggles to get loose. He could feel the intense spike in her desire when he did that, and he filed the information away for future notice. He remembered a crack Zevran had made once about the use of rope in the bedroom, but right now he wasn't interested in stopping long enough to look for any sort of tie. Next time, he thought hazily.
He leaned down, still keeping her hands pinned, and kissed her deeply, yearning for the intoxicating and heady taste of her. She pressed up against him as much as she could as they tasted of one another, nibbling, sipping, sucking, their tongues swirling around one another, even as their bodies slid together with the achingly pleasant friction of her breasts and taut nipples against his chest. "My love, my mate," he gasped against her mouth as her strong legs tightened around his body again, her hips grinding against him until he thrust involuntarily and rather frantically against her, feeling the wetness of her even through her smallclothes.
"Please, Alistair," she begged him breathlessly, and the fire was blazing so hotly between them now he knew it would consume them both soon, whether they were ready for it or not. The pressure was rising through him so strongly he didn't think he could hold it much longer, his breath coming now in ragged bursts as she panted and moaned beneath him.
He let go of her hands, pulling back from her enough to reach between their bodies and abruptly rip her smallclothes from her, uncaring that he had ruined another set, not wanting to separate their bodies long enough to remove them properly. He slipped two fingers in her, groaning at how wet she was for him, at the silken heat of her that he adored. She let out a half-strangled scream as he stroked his fingers deeply within her, a noise that sent a bolt of electricity straight to his groin. Or was it that her hand had closed over him, making him freeze in place? He was suddenly quite certain he would explode if she moved her hand even a fraction of an inch.
"Ayla . . ." his voice was little more than a croak as he struggled to keep his lust in check, to keep the pressure from bursting forth as he slipped his fingers out of her, "don't . . . I can't . . ."
Her soft hand released him, giving him a little room to breathe again as she demanded, "So just take me already –"
He cut her off by slamming into her abruptly, loving the way her eyes widened and she gasped softly as she arched up to meet him. But he froze when he was buried fully within her, the tight heat of her clenching around him, feeling suddenly unable to take the intensity of their shared desire, his body already coiling tight as she shuddered beneath him. Need was coursing through his body, boiling and violent in its urgency, and he sucked in a few more ragged breaths, realizing how incredibly close he was to losing control entirely. "I won't . . . last long . . ." he managed.
"I won't . . . either . . . so just move . . ." she got out between gasping breaths. He could feel the truth of her words in the way she was spasming around him, so he began stroking in and out of her slowly, not sure that his addled brain could manage a faster speed at this moment.
The fiery heat and the intense pleasure were growing too much, becoming electric shockwaves that were shuddering through his body, as Ayla scraped her nails all the way down his back. She reached his buttocks and squeezed firmly, pushing his hips into hers as her back bowed up tightly against him, his name leaving her lips in a keening cry, and that was it. Unable to take the pleasure anymore when he could feel the ecstasy humming through her body as well as he could feel his own, he somehow thrust even deeper into her, letting out a guttural groan, his entire body clenching as the pleasure burst through him with all the subtlety of an explosion, dimming his vision as he collapsed on top of her.
He thought he might have passed out, because it was several minutes later before any sort of awareness returned to him. Realizing how heavily he was laying on her, he rolled over, bringing her with him, not bothering to pull out of her or separate their bodies in any way as he settled her on top of him, their legs tangled together, his arm snug around her waist. She peeked up at him, smiling slightly, and a bubbly feeling swept over him along with the warmth of her love. Contentment, maybe? "Mmm. Alistair . . . I love you."
He cradled her face in his hands, smiling brightly back at her. He felt incredibly drained and yet so utterly happy and at peace that he didn't even care if it felt like he couldn't move to save his own life right now. He pressed his lips gently to her forehead. "And I love you, with everything I am."
"I know," she answered softly, her hand looping up around the back of his head to tug him downwards as she kissed him slowly, sweetly. "I can feel it."
"Is it always going to be like that?" he asked her as he laid his head back down, and she laid hers against his shoulder. "Because that was almost too intense."
"I'm not sure. Nobody really discusses that aspect of bonding," she replied with a slight chuckle, which made him smile. "But probably. We'll learn how to control it better, though, I'm sure, once we are more used to it."
"I hope so," he replied fervently, stroking her back with his free hand. "I was already having trouble controlling myself around you in public before. Now that I'll be able to feel you wanting me too, I'm not sure I'll be able to be discreet at all."
"I assure you I won't mind in the slightest." She gave him a slow, wicked grin when he looked down at her, and he could feel the heat of her lust flaring up again, causing him to groan softly.
"And I thought you were trying to kill me before," he grumbled.
She smiled as she traced circles on his chest, the feather-light touch of her fingers both soothing and distracting. "Well, as I said before, it wouldn't be a bad way to go, would it?"
He grinned, feeling indescribably light and happy as he met her gaze and the sparkle in her eyes. "No, but I'll need a little time before you try to kill me again."
"Take all the time you need, my love," she replied, her fingers massaging his chest gently now as she sent him a sly grin. "I'll know when you're ready again."
He laughed softly. "I imagine you will." The bond, he thought as he rubbed gentle circles on her lower back now, was more than he'd ever expected, but he had to admit that so far he found it quite enjoyable. She was truly his, now, at least in the way of her world. Now he would just have to make sure that it was official here in Ferelden, as well, because he wanted them together in every way that it was possible for them to be, always.
Aedan sighed as he fixed the last bit of his ceremonial armor in place again. It was the day of his wedding to Anora and his coronation, and as much as part of him had been eager to get it all over with, he found that there was another part of him that was dreading the whole thing. He knew he couldn't back out on it now, though. It was far too late for that.
There was really no point in putting it off, either, though he'd considered doing so before. It would make Anora suspicious if he asked for a delay, as there was really no reason for one. Besides, most of their companions were only planning on staying long enough for the weddings and were then going to go their separate ways, so there was no use in forcing them to stay around any longer.
He'd taken the time to speak to everyone as much as he could over the last couple of weeks when he wasn't making plans with Anora or directing the recovery efforts, and had found out what they were all planning to do. Sten, of course, would be heading back to his people, now that he had his missing sword Aedan had gotten Bodahn to track down. Zevran was certain the Crows would come after him eventually, in spite of Taliesin's defeat, so he planned to be on the move as much as possible after leaving here. Leliana had been asked by the Chantry to go back to the Urn of Sacred Ashes and set it up as a sort of pilgrimage spot. Oghren had been given a place in the Ferelden army, apparently not having any interest in returning to Orzammar, particularly not when there was a dwarven woman on the surface he was interested in pursuing. Alistair and Ayla would be moving on to Amaranthine after their own wedding to begin setting up the new Warden headquarters for Ferelden as soon as word came down from Weisshaupt that everything was ready. Wynne was the only one who would be staying, having agreed to his and Anora's request to take a position at court as an occult advisor.
It would be odd once they all left. He'd gotten very used to having everyone around all the time over the past year; they'd basically turned into an odd family of sorts. He'd already been lonely enough with Morrigan gone, but he knew it would only be worse once everyone else was gone too, with Anora and Wynne being the only ones around that he really knew. On the plus side, however, he'd received word from Morrigan just a few days ago as to where she'd gone and where he could find her if he could get away.
Well, actually, Ayla had received word on where she was and had passed it on to him when no one had been listening. He knew he had to be careful at keeping his relationship with Morrigan a secret; he didn't want to hurt Anora, nor did he want to ruin his opportunity to make things better in Ferelden. As such, he would have to find a good reason to leave Denerim and go visit Morrigan after the wedding. His hope was that he could use visiting the new Warden headquarters in Amaranthine as an excuse, as soon as Alistair and Ayla made it there, that is. It would be an excellent reason to leave, and there was no real reason that Anora would need to accompany him, nor did he think she would really want to. He would just have to hope that the timing worked out, because seeing Morrigan again was the first thing he'd had to look forward to in weeks.
He checked his reflection in the mirror in the corner of the room, deciding finally that he looked well enough, and tried on a smile. It was convincing enough, he supposed. A knock came on his door at that moment, and a voice called from the other side, "My lord, the ceremony will be starting soon!"
"I'm on my way!" he called back, turning from the mirror and heading towards the door. It was time he stopped wallowing, he thought, and embraced the choices he'd made. He could keep the promises he'd made to both Anora and Morrigan, and he would, no matter what.
He followed the guard that had come to fetch him through the castle's hallways and to the main hall where Anora's coronation had taken place. The room was even fuller than it had been a few weeks prior; it was standing room only, nobles and soldiers packed in along both sides of the aisle that led up to the dais at the other end. All of the balconies were full, as well. The Revered Mother was already waiting at the altar that had been set up on the dais, he saw, facing out over the room, and two ranks of soldiers lined the stairs below her. He made his way up the aisle as quickly as he could, having come in one of the side doors.
Alistair and the others, he saw, were all waiting on his side of the room, the side that was to his right as he came in, at the front of the crowd just below the dais. They were all wearing the outfits they'd had on at Anora's coronation, and Fergus stood with them, too. He would be leaving for Highever soon, likely at the same time all the others would be leaving. He nodded at them as he went past; both of his brothers gave him encouraging grins, and Ayla and the others all wished him good luck. He went up to stand just to the right of the altar, facing out over the crowd below, waiting for Anora to enter.
Once he was in place, the Revered Mother waved to the two guards standing at the double doors at the other end of the room, and they pushed the doors open wide, revealing Anora waiting on the other side. She walked slowly up the aisle towards Aedan, who found that he couldn't quite stop staring at her. Her golden hair hung loose for once, held in place only by her circlet, spilling over the shoulders of the white lacy dress she wore, its long skirt accented with gold trailing along behind her. The bodice was low-cut and well-fitted, and she fairly glowed as she approached the dais.
Aedan swallowed a bit at the surprising and unwelcome flash of admiration and desire he felt as she mounted the steps towards him. It wasn't something he'd expected to feel, and he tried to quash the emotions down, even as he smiled at Anora. He took her hand in his, the gauntlets being the only part of the armor he hadn't put on, as they faced the Revered Mother, and the older woman began by reciting a bit of the Chant of Light before addressing the crowd, which had fallen completely silent. "We gather here today in the eyes of the Maker to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If any person can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Unsurprisingly, no one in the crowd said anything, and the Revered Mother continued on. "So too, Your Majesties, I must ask that either of you inform me if there is any reason why you may not be joined together in wedlock this day."
"There is not," Aedan and Anora said together.
"Speak your vows to one another now," the Revered Mother prompted.
Aedan turned more fully to Anora, lifting both her hands in his and meeting her eyes. "Anora, I swear unto the Maker and Holy Andraste to honor, care for and love you the rest of my days. " And he would, he thought, just maybe not in the way she expected.
She squeezed his hands, smiling softly at him. "Aedan, I swear unto the Maker and Holy Andraste to honor, care for and love you the rest of my life."
They stepped towards the altar, the rings they'd picked laying in front of the Revered Mother as she chanted, "Maker, bless these rings, that those who wear them, that give and receive them, may be ever faithful to one another, remain in Your peace, and live and grow old together in Your love, seeing their children's children prosper and thrive." She handed the rings to them, and Aedan slipped Anora's on her finger, while she did the same with his.
Finally, the Revered Mother came around the altar as they knelt before her, placing her hands on both their heads and speaking more of the Chant as she blessed them, declaring, "Here you kneel before me, in the sight of the Maker. From this day forward, your lives are intertwined. No longer shall you shall walk your paths alone, but you shall walk side by side, hand in hand." After speaking a few more lines of the Chant, she declared, "Rise now, together as one in the sight of the Maker."
They stood up as the Revered Mother backed away, and she continued, "I pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Maker. You may now seal your troth to one another with a kiss."
Aedan turned Anora gently back to face him, and dipped his head to kiss her softly. He'd meant it only to be a chaste kiss, but when she leaned into him, he couldn't stop himself from deepening it just a little, pulling her closer to him as she tasted him in turn. He was surprised once again to find that the kiss, while not giving him the same electric feeling as Morrigan's did, was still pleasant and more enjoyable than he'd expected it to be; quite similar, in fact, to the way he used to feel when he kissed Anora. He'd not really expected to feel anything when kissing her, now that he was in love with Morrigan; perhaps this would not be quite so simple as he'd thought, he mused before pulling back.
He smiled at Anora, trying to cover his surprise, noting the light blush across her face as she smiled at him in turn, before they turned and waved to the crowd below, who burst into cheers and applause.
Once the crowd had quieted down, the Revered Mother went on to perform his coronation while Anora waited just to the side. He knelt at the Revered Mother's feet, taking the same oaths to protect and govern Ferelden and its people that Anora had just taken a few weeks ago, before receiving his blessing and having a circlet placed upon his head, as well. Once that was done, she gestured to him to rise and greet the crowd, as Anora had.
The crowd assembled below cheered once more as he waved to them, Anora coming to stand at his side. Once the cheers had died down, he addressed everyone waiting there in the main hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for your support. I will do everything in my power to serve Ferelden and all of you by Queen Anora's side. I am most grateful for this opportunity, and I hope to be the King that Ferelden deserves. We will come out of the Blight stronger than ever before, I promise you."
The crowd broke into thunderous applause once more, and after everyone had quieted again, Anora declared the start of another celebration, suggesting that everyone help themselves to the feast and dancing set up in the palace's ballroom. The crowd began to disperse a bit at a time, as Anora took Aedan's arm and he led her down the steps to mingle with everyone and receive the well-wishes of everyone who had attended.
The fact that they were well and truly married now, and he was indeed the King as he'd planned, began to slowly sink into Aedan's brain as he made the rounds with Anora at his side. What was going through his mind even more, as he couldn't help but notice the brightness of her smile or the brush of her breasts against his arm, was that it was going to be far more difficult than he'd suspected it would be to keep his feelings for Anora simple. Still, no matter what happened, he would keep his promise to Morrigan, he vowed to himself. Whatever it was that he felt for Anora was still but a pale shadow of his feelings for Morrigan, and he would keep it that way.
"Oh, for the Maker's sake. Really, you two? In the dining room?" Aedan's voice, half-amused, half-exasperated, broke through the pleasantly fiery haze Ayla was currently experiencing due to Alistair's mouth being halfway up the inside of her thigh. She sighed as Alistair abruptly jerked his head back, embarrassment washing over the desire he'd been feeling. It hadn't taken her long after the bonding to learn what his embarrassment felt like; it was sort of an odd stinging sensation. She'd had a few opportunities already to experience it firsthand in the weeks since, she reflected, smiling wryly at the memories.
Alistair straightened up, face flaming, and turned towards Aedan, who'd entered through the door that was a little off to the right and just behind where Ayla was currently sitting on the edge of the long, heavy oak table. "Sorry, Aedan," he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Oops," Ayla said mildly as she shifted the top of her drakescale armor back in place, lacing it together. Alistair's attentions had originally started a little higher up before he'd moved down between her legs. It was a shame that they'd been interrupted; she'd been good and wound up only a moment ago. She still was fairly aroused, but it was at a manageable level now that Alistair's embarrassment had cut through their desire. He was now very studiously not looking at her, she noted, amused, clearly trying to control himself.
Which made sense; this time around it had actually been his fault. She'd come into the dining room looking to get a little bit of food after her sparring session with Zevran before she had to go change into her dress for their wedding. Alistair had been there eating already, and he'd been the one to make the idle comment of how much he was looking forward to seeing her in the wedding dress that Leliana had insisted she get made, and how much more he wanted to take it off her afterwards.
The tone with which he'd said it and the look in his eyes had sent lust snaking all through her body, and she'd felt the immediate heightening of Alistair's desire following that, leading her to tell him that she would need help getting out of her armor first. After that, any hope of control between them had snapped, leading to her current position on top of the dining room table. Not that she regretted it at all, just the interruption. Unlike the Arl, Aedan wouldn't judge them for this, she knew.
"Oops?" Aedan repeated incredulously, coming around to the other side of the table as Ayla slid off the edge. His lips were twitching as he looked between the two of them, shaking his head. "By my count, that's the fourth time you've been caught outside of your room in the past few weeks. And those are just the ones I know about."
"Those are the only ones," Ayla replied, rolling her eyes. "And the first three times were just kissing." Alistair made a slightly strangled coughing noise, and she smirked at him. So, okay, maybe there had been a bit of groping involved too, and the time Zevran had been the one to stumble on them a week ago, her hand might have been inside Alistair's leggings, to his complete mortification. Still, all that was relatively minor compared to what people could have found them doing.
"That may be so," Aedan answered, nodding, though the glance he slid Alistair's way showed that he wasn't completely fooled. "But you realize that you need to get a better handle on this, right? You can't be doing this out on the road."
"We won't be, I swear," Alistair said quickly, shaking his head rapidly. "Do you think I would put her in danger like that?"
"Or that I would put him in danger?" Ayla added, slightly irritated now. She and Alistair had already talked this over and come up with a few ways to control themselves better when they weren't somewhere safe, but since they were, none of that applied right now, as far as she was concerned. "We're working on it, and it's only because we know we're safe here and there's no real consequence beyond embarrassment that we're not controlling it completely."
"Okay, okay." Aedan held up his hands in a calming gesture, obviously sensing her irritation. "Still, the dining room? You couldn't have found somewhere better?"
"Oh, well, this was a complete accident," Ayla admitted, shrugging. "I had no idea Alistair was here before I came in. We were just getting something to eat."
Aedan snorted, obviously struggling not to grin. "Oh, I can see that."
"She means actual food!" Alistair protested, the flush on his face deepening and his embarrassment ratcheting up a few more notches. "See?" He pointed at the plate of half-eaten food he'd abandoned when Ayla had come in, and the plate she'd made next to it that she hadn't touched yet.
Aedan laughed, clapping Alistair on the back as Ayla shook her head at him, unable to stifle a smile herself. "Don't worry, brother, I'm just teasing. It might be best if the two of you stay separate for the next few hours, though. I don't want to have to be the one to explain to the Revered Mother the reason why you're late for the wedding."
Alistair sighed, glancing apologetically over at Ayla. "He's right, love." She nodded in agreement; she knew it was probably best if they avoided temptation until after the wedding was done, since they did have a tendency to get carried away lately.
Alistair crossed over to the table to grab his plate, looking at her. "You said Leliana has your dress in her room?"
"Yeah, she wants to help me get dressed and do my hair," Ayla replied, shrugging. The bard had been so enthusiastic about it she hadn't been able to say no.
"All right, I'll take this up to our room then, let you finish eating here and go get changed. I'll see you later, at the altar." He smiled warmly at her, and she felt a rush of love wash over her as he closed the distance between them, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. Clearly conscious of Aedan watching them, he backed up before she could deepen it, casting her another apologetic look, and left the room.
Ayla crossed her arms as she leaned against the table, frowning at Aedan. "You owe me for that interruption, you know that, right?"
"Well," Aedan pointed out, smirking, "I am the one who instructed him on how to do that in the first place, remember?"
"Ah, right, fair point," she conceded, grinning. She'd almost forgotten about that fact. "In that case, we'll call it even. Seriously, though, next time just do me a favor and back out of the room if you see us, okay?"
"You do know that not everyone will be so accepting of that sort of thing in Ferelden, right?" Aedan asked her, his tone and expression sobering abruptly.
Ayla shrugged. She knew Aedan was only mentioning it because he was concerned for them, but she no longer cared what others thought of their indiscretions. Alistair was well and truly hers now, and as far as she was concerned, there was no reason to hold back anymore. They were married, or very nearly, and there should be no cause for concern to their reputations. "Honestly, I don't care what anybody else thinks about it. We're married, or we will be in a few hours, and it's no one's business anymore."
"I suppose you have a point," Aedan agreed. "Just maybe not where everyone eats, then?" She couldn't help but laugh at that, nodding, and he turned to leave as well. "I'll see you there," he added at the door. "And Ayla? Take good care of him, and yourself, when you leave, all right?"
They had finally received word from Weisshaupt, and planned to leave within the next couple of days for Amaranthine so that Alistair could take his post as the new Warden Commander. Some other Orlesian Wardens had apparently been sent on ahead already, and would be there by the time they reached Amaranthine in a few weeks. Though Ayla was looking forward to getting back in the swing of things, she would miss everyone that they were leaving behind, and she suspected Aedan would be lonely once they'd all gone. She smiled at him. "Of course I will, Aedan. Thanks," she said quietly as he returned her smile before leaving the room himself.
She sat down at the table to eat her food quickly before going to find Leliana. There was still quite a bit to do in the next few hours before her wedding to Alistair, and it was time she got to it, she decided.
"You look beautiful," Leliana told Ayla, beaming at her as they stopped outside the double doors into the main hall.
"Thank you," Ayla answered her with a smile, "but it's really all your doing. The dress and the hair were all your ideas."
"It is not my doing," Leliana protested. "They are merely ways to accentuate your beauty. You are glowing, anyone can see it. Alistair will love it; he will be unable to take his eyes off you, even more so than usual." The bard gave her a sly grin, and Ayla laughed.
"Well, I hope you're right," she replied, brushing her hands over the skirt of the dress, feeling slightly nervous. "And thank you for the help, really."
"What are friends for?" Leliana said simply, before opening the doors and slipping through. "I will see you inside."
Ayla waited outside of the door as the last couple of stragglers passed through into the hall, smiling at her. Alistair was already inside, waiting at the top of the dais by the altar as Aedan had been, in his ceremonial armor. He still wasn't really a fan of it, but when she'd told him that she was, he'd agreed to wear it, not having known what else to wear in any case. She hoped he liked the look of her in the dress as much as she liked the look of him in that armor.
She glanced down at the dress again as she waited; it was made of white satin that clung to her body, overlaid by silver lace from top to bottom, giving it an ethereal sort of look. Though the satin bodice underneath was low-cut in the front and dipped even lower in the back, the lace had been designed as a sort of over-tunic with long sleeves, covering her skin and yet not at the same time. Leliana had curled her hair, gathering some of it up with a silver comb, while leaving the rest to trail over her back down to her waist in a riot of curls. The only other ornament she wore was Alistair's locket, which she never took off unless absolutely necessary; her ring she'd had to remove so it could be blessed and given back to her during the ceremony. She hoped that the overall effect looked as good as Leliana claimed it did; she couldn't help the slight nerves she felt.
The doors were finally pushed open from the inside by the guards, and she made her way up the aisle towards Alistair. There was a small crowd gathered on either side, only a fraction of the crowd that had attended Aedan's wedding. All of their companions were there, of course, as well as Fergus, Aedan's brother, and a few other people they had met throughout their travels or befriended here in Denerim. Anora, too, was there, standing by Aedan's side, and Ayla felt a twinge of sadness that it was not Morrigan there; it didn't seem quite right that way. She did her best to push her sadness away at the absence of her sister, focusing instead on Alistair, watching her from the altar.
His gaze had been fixed on her since she'd entered, and as she got closer, she could see the dazzling smile on his face as he waited for her, and feel the warmth of his love twining around her. There was a little bit of heat spiked through it, as well, but at the moment, it was mainly love and happiness that she felt coming from him as she made her way up the steps, careful not to trip over her skirt, before she joined him at the top. He took her hand in his, beaming down at her, hazel eyes shining, and she smiled up at him in turn. Goddess, but he was so handsome when he smiled like that, she thought a little giddily.
She paid little attention to what the Revered Mother was saying, only enough to make sure she responded when she needed to, her focus mostly on Alistair throughout the ceremony, and the love she could see and feel coming from him. The ceremony was identical to the one that Aedan had been through just a week before, including the short vow that she and Alistair spoke to one another before returning their rings to each other's fingers. The adoration in his eyes was so clear while he slipped the ring onto her finger once more that she felt a slight blush passing over her cheeks as she did the same, before they knelt for their blessing.
Finally, the ceremony was over as he pulled her to her feet and the Revered Mother pronounced them husband and wife. Alistair bent his head to kiss her, and she slipped her hands into his short hair, pulling his head down closer to hers as she gave into the urge to taste his mouth thoroughly, not caring who was watching as she sucked on his lower lip, heat flaring through her. He groaned softly, his hands sliding down her back, and just before they reached the swell of her bottom, the Revered Mother cleared her throat loudly, causing some laughter to come from the people below. His hands halted abruptly and Ayla could feel the sudden sting of his embarrassment again as she pulled back reluctantly.
"Sorry, my love," she whispered, realizing she probably shouldn't have pushed him in front of everyone, but he shook his head, smiling at her, the embarrassment gone as quickly as it had come.
"Don't worry about it," he murmured back to her, taking her arm and leading her down the stairs towards their friends. "We'll just . . . continue that later."
After they had spent the appropriate amount of time greeting everyone who had come and participating in the small feast that was set up for them, he was true to his word, taking her promptly back to their room as soon as they could politely manage it and helping her out of the dress as he'd promised, finishing everything that they'd started earlier.
Later that night, they lay curled in the bed together, Ayla tucked firmly into Alistair's side, her left arm and leg lying over his body while his left arm was wrapped snugly around her waist. She lifted her hand up, studying the ring he'd given her, now safely back where it belonged, and smiled up at him, unable to believe how far they'd come. "Did you ever think this was where we would end up when we first met?" she asked him softly.
"Maker, no!" he said, shaking his head. "It would never have occurred to me that I would be so lucky. When we first met, I would never have even dared to dream that someone like you would ever want to marry me." She felt the sudden sadness that swept over him at this remark; it was the first time since the bond she'd experienced the feeling, but she knew from the bone-deep, aching cold of the sensation that was what it had to be. Before she could say anything, the feeling was gone, though, and he smiled at her, squeezing her waist. "Obviously, though, I was wrong. I somehow succeeded in charming you into loving me."
"You did indeed," she replied fondly, smiling back at him. "Besides, I thought I told you that I am the lucky one? Stumbling upon such a handsome, charming man who was so willing to help a complete stranger, despite knowing nothing about me?"
He frowned down at her thoughtfully. "Speaking of that, I never did keep the promise I made to you that first night, did I? You kept your end of our deal, helping me defeat the Blight, but I never did help you find your way home."
"Don't be ridiculous," she snorted at him. "Of course you did, you just happened to find me a new home. You know my home is with you now."
He stared at her in shock for a moment before pulling her up to kiss her fiercely. "You really mean that," he said in wonder as he pulled back, and it was a statement, not a question; she knew he could feel the conviction and love behind her words. "Still, even if you don't want to go back, what about your brother?"
She felt sadness pass through her at the thought of Mardin, and Alistair squeezed her tighter in response, obviously having identified the feeling as well. Her brother was the only thing that she truly missed from home; the rest of it she was quite certain she could do without. But she had no idea what she could possibly do about it, until a sudden thought struck her. "Well, Flemeth did say I would be able to talk with him again someday. I don't know how, but she hasn't been wrong yet."
"Then, I'll make you a new promise," Alistair vowed, brushing his lips over her forehead. "I'll help you find your brother, instead, or at least talk to him somehow. Whenever we have the chance, we'll check with everyone we come across, mages, the Circles, anyone we can. Somebody has to have some idea of how we can talk with him."
"Are you sure?" she asked him, frowning. "You'll have more than enough to do, rebuilding the Wardens –"
"I'm sure," he interrupted her, firmly. "Anything you need, love, I will find the time to help with, I promise you that."
"Thank you," she murmured, her heart swelling with gratitude and love for him. "And I will always be by your side, to help you with anything you need, you know that, right? We'll do it all together."
"Together," he agreed, beaming down at her before dropping another kiss on her lips. "Always." She laid her head back down on his chest afterwards, contentment stealing over her. She was home, and she would find her brother, eventually. Now that she was finally, truly, with Alistair, she felt sure they could deal with anything that came their way, no matter what it might be, together.