BioWare owns all but my character's and her dog's names. : )
SPOILER: So now you know the visitor is Fiona from Mr. Gaider's books. There hasn't been confirmation from anyone working with Dragon Age that Alistair is indeed the baby at the end of the second book, but I say Maric was not the cheating kind, nor was he a rascal that had a lot of lovers. So, I am going with the implication that Alistair was no cleaning woman's child, and Goldana (that harpy) wasn't his half-sister after all, which would make me very happy indeed, the shrew.
And we have another surprise visitor coming soon as well. : )
Again, thanks for all your support, your feedback, and reviews. You have all been so great! Let the tale continue. : )
Kai felt as if she had had the breath knocked out of her, and the room started to spin for a moment. Fergus, sensing her shock, tightened his grip on her arm. She heard her voice from far away, "Your son, Alistair?" Kai couldn't quite believe she got the words out.
"Perhaps we all should sit down, especially, Kai," Teagan spoke from behind her. Fergus guided Kai to one of the benches for the long dining table in the room. The elven woman went around to the other side to sit across from Kai. Zev followed the mage and stood behind her; Kai knew it was his way of keeping an eye on their visitor. Mages couldn't cast spells if they couldn't speak. Kai knew Zev would have the woman's throat slit inside of a second if she so much as twitched with the beginnings of a casting.
Fergus sat himself next to Kai on her right and Teagan on her left. Eamon sat next to the Grey Warden mage. Kai felt her hands balled up on the table and made a conscious effort to flatten them out, looking at the softly tapered nails as if they belonged to someone else. "I have some very bad news for you then, fellow Grey Warden. The man you are looking for is dead. He died a hero, killing the archdemon and saving us from the Blight. Or did The Grey not hear of this?" Kai thought to be as blunt as possible to see the woman's looked at the elf across from her, whose face remained neutral except for the tears escaping the corners of her eyes.
"It confirms what I had heard around Ferelden. I knew there were two Gray Wardens against the Blight. But none from Orlais were allowed to come in after Loghain took over. The reports told us Riordan had snuck in, and then we lost track of him. We knew that one Gray Warden must have stopped the Blight, as it is only a Warden who can. But we have heard nothing further, and Anora ignores our requests for information or to be allowed into Ferelden. The reports mentioned one of the Wardens was named Alistair. That was the name Maric and I gave him, it means 'people's defender.'" The elf's voice choked, and she looked away for a moment. "It isn't a common name. I thought it might be him. I had hoped that Riordan, as the senior Warden, would have taken the blow. I see that is not the case." Her tears continued to fall unabated.
"I don't know whether to believe you or not. I live under a cloud of danger, constantly moving and trying to keep myself, my child, and those I love alive. How do I know you aren't some tool sent by the pretty little viper on the throne? Wearing a grey cloak with a griffon on it means so very little, and then you throw out a...a name that you could have heard anywhere in Ferelden?" Kai let one corner of her mouth quirk as the question tapered off.
"Kai..." Eamon began, but he cut off when the woman simply put a hand on his arm. Kai watched as she reached beneath the tunic she wore to take out a pendant, identical to the one Kai wore around her neck.
"There are only two of these in all of Thedas. I had them made especially by a jewelry crafter in Weisshaupt. I put one around my infant son's neck and the other I wear, always." She placed the pendant on the table in front of Kai's hands. Kai took off her own pendant, her lips brushing it before she took the other to hold them side by side. "If you know what to look for, there is lettering worked into the design. Mine says 'mathair' or 'mother.' His says 'mioruilt' or 'miracle' because he was my miracle." Kai looked up to see the elf was crying steadily now, tears pouring down her face making her cheeks wet. Kai felt her own tears as well.
"She is my mother? So Goldana's not my sister? Bloody hell, I am glad I that harpy Goldana wasn't related to me after all," Alistair's voice sounded amazed and relieved at the same time. He was taking this better than she was.
"Riordan died trying to get the archdemon to the top of Fort Drakon. I was going to take the final blow, Alistair stopped me," Kai's voice hitched. She still couldn't talk about it, even now. The woman reached over and grasped her hand, squeezing it.
"Mi' gra, my love," Alistair's voice sounded with regret for her pain.
"Perhaps someone should explain why Alistair, and thus I, myself, have been lied to?" She directed this in particular to Eamon, who looked uncomfortable. Kai could hear the cold anger in her own voice, "Eamon, why did you lie to Alistair about his mother?"
Eamon looked at his hands, and then at Kai. "Maric asked me to take care of him, to raise him." Kai carefully schooled her face at this statement, considering how Alistair had been raised. "His mother, no offense dear lady, was an elf and a mage and a Gray Warden. There was a pregnant cleaning woman, who had an older daughter. The woman gave birth, and she and the baby died. It seemed like the perfect solution. We would simply say that she was the mother. If any of the other nobles knew that the mother was a mage and an elf, it would have made more trouble for Maric. It would have made it almost impossible for him to rule. He would have spent his time being twisted around by any noble trying to use the information against him, and Ferelden would have suffered."
"And I asked Maric not to tell him who his mother was. That was part of my request," Fiona broke in.
"Perhaps you would like to explain that?" Kai nodded at the woman in front of her. "Oh, and I don't believe we have been introduced, how rude, I hope you will forgive me?" She found herself reverting to her training as a noble. It helped her have some control, otherwise she felt she might not be able to handle the emotional overload. "I am Kaidana Cousland, your son's lover and mother to his child. And you are?" Kai smiled.
"Fiona."
"Fiona." Kai tried the name out as if it were a foreign language. She felt her lips curving in a smile. "So, please tell me the story of how Alistair came to be, since the story he had was not even close." Fergus just reached for her hand and held it.
Fiona explained the trip to the Deep Roads, what had happened there, The Architect. Fiona told her how she and Maric had come to care for each other, love each other there. How the taint, for whatever reason, had left her blood. How she had found herself pregnant and how Grey Wardens were not allowed to raise children, any more than the mages at The Circle were allowed to do so. How she told them she had a good home for him. How she had taken him to his father, Maric, and asked him to make sure their son would not be stuck living a life without choices. Kai barely held back a cynical laugh at that, considering the choices Eamon made for him. He was not to be raised as competition for Cailan to the throne. Not like Maric, stuck being king when he didn't want it. Again Kai almost laughed, how things do go the way we don't want them to. Not like Fiona's being first a slave, then a mage, then a Grey Warden to escape The Circle. She wanted more for her son, and she worried he would not have it if anyone knew that not only was he Maric's bastard, but also who and what his mother was. Fiona just looked at Kai with tears running down her face.
Kai reached out a hand to comfort Fiona, until her mind latched onto something Fiona had said. Kai's fist hit the table with a loud crack, causing everyone to jump. "Gray Wardens aren't allowed to raise their own children? Is that what I am hearing, that the Gray Wardens won't let me keep and raise my child? Kai felt her blood flushing her face in anger. This was like no anger she had ever felt; it was a mother bear protecting her cub. "I am not about to hand over my child for someone else to raise because the Gray Wardens say so. I lost Alistair. I will not lose his baby too. So, you can go back to Weisshaupt and tell them they can go to hell. And by the by, my blood is no longer tainted anymore, so I don't know that I can be considered a proper Gray Warden. Furthermore, if they try to take my child from me, I will quit the Wardens. And if they come for me, I will flood Thedas in rivers of their blood!" Kai's face was a mask of fury.
They all stared at her. It was Fiona who broke the tense silence. "I would never allow it. It was the worst thing I ever did in my life. And I am not about to let that happen to my grandchild. I daresay that the people in this room wouldn't let it happen, either. You do have advantages I didn't have. You are not a mage or an elf. Have no fear, daughter." And Fiona reached for her hand and squeezed it. Kai returned the pressure, calming herself.
Kai picked up both necklaces and heaved herself up to go and stand by the fireplace, looking into the flames. She studied them, and now that she knew what she was looking for, she saw the script easily. 'Miracle,' yes he was, in so many ways.
"Beloved," was all Alistair said in her ear. "You are mine." She smiled and brushed it with her lips again before she slipped it over her neck and turned her aching lower back to the flames, rubbing the muscles there. Kai watched Eamon, Teagan, Fergus and Fiona all speaking quietly together. She walked back to sit down at the table next to Fergus once again. She took Fiona's hand and kissed it before opening it and placing her necklace in her palm.
"I am pleased to meet you, mother?" Kai smiled. I am sorry for my rather rude and abrupt manner, but raising an army to stop the Blight only to lose...to lose him has been difficult. Then for someone to show up claiming to be his mother when that was not the story we were told, well it is a little much to take in. I ask your forgiveness for my harsh behavior and my assumption that you meant to make me give up my child." Kai felt herself flushing with embarrassment. Being pregnant really made her emotional.
Fiona seemed to read her thoughts. "I remember what it was like to be heavy with child. Your emotions get very..."
"Unstable?" Kai asked giving a laugh. She was pleased when Fiona joined in.
"Yes, that is one way to put it." Fiona smiled.
"Maybe you two would like to sit and talk for a while? I think Fiona would like to hear about him." Teagan just smiled at them both. Ah, Teagan always so thoughtful, Kai smiled at him. Fergus helped her rise from the bench this time and led her to one of the big cushioned chairs sitting in front of the fire. Zev brought more pillows to put behind her aching back, but she found she had to get up again before she barely sat down. Her back was just aching so badly and sitting was not comfortable at all. She stood and put her back to the fireplace again, hoping the heat would ease the muscles.
Kai could see the pink edge of the dawn starting outside the windows. Before she could say anything it was as if a fist hit her in the stomach and left her gasping. "Kai!" Fergus yelled. Zev grabbed one of her arms. She felt water running down her legs and pooling at her feet.
"Um, Fiona, I think we are going to have to postpone our chat." But Fiona was already gesturing for the men in the room to come and help get Kai back upstairs. Fiona just put her shoulder under Kai's arm, while Zev propped her up on the other side, and they began walking her out of the dining hall.
"Looks like I showed up just in time to see my grandchild born," she smiled at Kai.