Alistair sat hunched over the large wooden table with his forehead resting on his crossed arms. A plate of food which had only been picked at was pushed to just beyond his reach. He was dozing but the sounds of the waking castle prevented him from falling asleep. It wasn't even dawn and yet preparations for the final battle had resumed.

He wondered where Elissa was. She had not sought him out since presenting him with Morrigan's proposal. He had searched for her afterwards but her room had been empty and she had left no trace as to where she might be. That in itself was a worrying sign.

Alistair had sensed the change in her. The tone of her voice, the way she held herself, the look in her eye; none of that had altered. But something had shattered. Deep inside. She had come to him with Morrigan's proposal less than a half hour after Riordan's revelation. Her look, her voice, her smile; none of it suggested that anything was wrong. But he had felt that his Elissa was struggling.

So he had agreed to the ritual with minimal argument. Not because he actually trusted that Elissa thought it was the right thing to do; it was clear she didn't even trust herself. And neither was it because she was especially persuasive; he was too familiar with her silver tongue for it to have much effect anymore. It was far more simple than that. He had no particular wish to die.

There had been a time when he would have reacted in a different manner. Accused her of betraying the Grey Wardens. Scorned her cowardice towards fulfilling her duty. Threatened to denounce her if she persisted. But things had changed. Nothing was so black and white anymore. She had proven herself beyond doubt and if that meant that his loyalty to the Grey Wardens was no longer absolute then so be it. He would not hesitate to fulfil his duty but he no longer had the need to be defined by it.

It was a change that had not met with Morrigan's approval. His bruised body was proof of that. He had not revelled in any of her requests but neither had he protested any of them. It became clear that this was something she had not expected. Her inability to break his spirit had infuriated her and she had become increasingly demanding. He wondered now why she had finally stopped. Perhaps he had exhausted her repertoire.

He gave a snort of laughter. Andraste's sword, there's a thought.

"Do tell".

Alistair jumped as Leliana sat down on the bench next to him. His body ached with the sudden movement and he let out a groan.

"My, my, don't you look like you have a story," she raised an eyebrow.

He made a pretence of stretching as if he was cramped from sitting in such an awkward position.

"Alistair, surely you are not going to play this game with me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about", he reached over the table and pulled the plate of food back in front of him.

"Oh yes, let's pretend silly Leliana has gotten it wrong again", she giggled and stole a slice of bread from his plate. "You really are shameful".

Alistair could feel the blush creeping up his neck. It shocked him that she should think his relationship with Elissa could ever involve what Morrigan had made him endure.

"Leliana, is this really how you should address your King?"

"Oh come now Alistair," she tousled his hair with her free hand. "So formal. Are we not friends?"

He batted her away, trying not to wince as he did so. "Leliana, really. Some decorum would be appreciated".

"You are a Grey Warden until the Blight is finished" she shrugged, taking a bite of her bread. She paused while she chewed then flashed him a smile. "Then you will be my King".

"Wonderful. With subjects like you, who needs darkspawn?"

Leliana shot him a dirty look. "Is it wise to insult a former assassin?"

"It depends. Has Anora offered you a contract yet?"

She giggled in a manner which did not quite reassure him.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

"Wouldn't what, Alistair?" she widened her eyes in mock bewilderment.

"I knew we should have left you in Lothering," he muttered, manoeuvring his plate out of her reach.

"If I remember correctly, my liege," she stressed the two words, "it was you who convinced our Warden to accept my offer of assistance."

"Hmm." He took a bite from his own slice of bread. "Who was I to overrule the Maker?"

Leliana scowled at him in earnest and he had the decency to blush. He knew he had gone too far with his teasing. And regardless of whether she had been sent by the Maker or not, he was glad she was there to share the burden with them.

"Leliana." He reached over to his plate and held out the last chunk of cheese to her as a peace offering. She took it with the smallest of smiles and they sat in companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Alistair wondered again where Elissa was. He knew that given the choice Leliana would have preferred to spend time with her rather than him. It suddenly struck him how odd it was that Leliana had even found him. He had picked this part of the castle on purpose since childhood experience had taught him that it would be deserted as this time. But there was no reason why Leliana should have known that. If she was with him then it meant she had been looking for Elissa and failed. Something was very wrong.

"You were looking for Elissa, weren't you?"

"Yes but clearly you found her first," she stuck her tongue out at him.

For once he didn't blush. "How long have you been looking for her?"

"I don't know, an hour or so. It's a large castle and I wasn't sure where she would be. I was just wandering around really".

Alistair got to his feet. "We need to find her."

"But why? You must have seen her only a little while ago." Leliana also stood but her confused look showed that it was more as a reflex than anything else.

"No, I haven't. I haven't seen her since last night."

"But..." Leliana frowned as her confusion turned to suspicion. She studied him with an intensity that unnerved him.

"Leliana, it's not what you think. But we need to find her. Now."

The urgency in his voice seem to convince her that this as a discussion better continued at a later date. Amidst his genuine growing concern for Elissa, he offered a small prayer to the Maker that they would find her before Leliana decided to resume the discussion. The thought of explaining why he had spent the night of his engagement being seduced by a woman other than his betrothed did not fill him with joy. Explaining to a particularly talented assassin who was devoted to his said betrothed only added to the unpleasantness. And he outright refused to think how she would react if she ever discovered the other woman was Morrigan.

"I'll fetch the others. We'll meet you in the main hall." The distrust in her eyes remained despite her compliance.

Morrigan appeared at the doorway as if summoned on command by Leliana's departure. She was dishevelled and agitated, embodying what Alistair imagined was the folklore image of a Witch of the Wilds. Her look betrayed what Alistair had already begun to fear. There was only one for whom Morrigan would allow herself to look so concerned for. There was only one who mattered.

"She is gone."