For ease of writing – I couldn't be arsed writing 'she' all the way through and making it confusing – the Warden here is Lady Elissa Cousland. My least favourite Origin, but it had to be Cousie to make sense with the canon ending.
Lots of requests for this – anon, Briminick (Cullen idea was perfectomundo but I has a plan for them in future!), Guest, PoisonHarley – so thank you!
VERY IMPORTANT A/N AT THE BOTTOM PLEASE READ IT THANK YOU I LOVE YOU
Love Is An Open Door (Frozen) - Alistair & Elissa Cousland
The archdemon was gone. Loghain was gone. Alistair was going to be King. And they were alive. Both of them were really alive – Morrigan's ritual had worked. If Elissa had any doubts about the witch, she owed her both her own life and his.
And now here they were, in Denerim Palace, nobles and commoners alike sweeping around the Great Hall as the celebrations got into full swing. Elissa couldn't remember the last time she'd worn a dress, never mind been out of armour. She felt slightly uncomfortable in the soft skirts after so long in rough wool and sharp metal, and she could tell her future king felt similarly in his fine silk tunic.
If there was anything else making her uncomfortable, aside from the silks, it was the unspoken words between her and Alistair. They'd been close for a long time now – they'd been sharing a bedroll for months – but now he was to be King, at her making. And she was to be Commander of the Wardens in Ferelden. Where did that leave them?
As if he'd read her mind, Alistair's large hand gently clasped her shoulder.
"I know this might be difficult," he mumbled, and Elissa's heart almost skidded to a halt. He surely wasn't going to tell her to leave? "But…" He sighed. "I understand that the Wardens need you, and I know you have to take over from Duncan… what with the archdemon gone, and all… Have I told you yet how great that was, by the way?"
"Yes."
He blushed again, rubbing his neck. Elissa flinched – she hadn't meant to answer so coldly. "Look, I don't think they'd like it –" he motioned to the nobles on the terrace, "- if you stayed… Eamon especially wouldn't."
"… What are you trying to say?" It couldn't be. He couldn't be. He wasn't going to turn around to now, after all they'd been through, after all his promises, after all –
"I want you to stay anyway." Alistair's furious blush increased tenfold at what she assumed must have been her astonished gape. "That is, if, if, you know, if you want to."
She wondered, briefly, is he was joking. Shaking her head in wonder and laughing breathlessly, she took Alistair's big hand. "Okay," she breathed, "can I just, say something crazy?"
Alistair looked puzzled, but shrugged. "I love crazy," he chuckled.
Elissa pulled him away from the crowd, happiness threatening to overflow from her every breath. She'd lay awake every night for weeks fearing that each day she saw him might be the last, and now he wanted to know if she'd like to stay. "All my life has been a series of doors in my face," she sighed, "and then suddenly I bump into you!"
Alistair seemed to have caught on, and was grinning from ear to ear. "I was thinking the same thing!" he gasped. "'Cause like, I've been searching my whole life to find my own place – and maybe it's the party talking… or the chocolate fondue…"
"But with you –" cried Elissa, turning to face him.
"But with you, I found my place!" said Alistair, clutching her hands.
"– I see your face!"
"And it's nothing like I've ever known before – love is an open door!" they cried simultaneously, running through the palace and laughing like schoolchildren, to the dismay of the house staff. "Love is an open door!" they shouted, skidding down the freshly polished wooden corridors. "Love is an open door!"
Elissa giggled, pointing at him wildly. "With you!"
"With you!" replied Alistair, smiling broadly at her.
"With you!"
"With you!"
"Love is an open door!"
They paused to catch their breath by a study of some kind. Catching each other's eye, they burst into laughter.
"Do you think they'll be…" asked Alistair, nodding toward the Great Hall and rolling his eyes.
"Annoyed? Probably," sniggered Elissa, clutching her sides. They'd been under so much, for so long. It was good to let it all out and act like children again. Alistair had wandered to the open window, and he nudged her shoulder as she joined him.
"I mean it's crazy –" he began.
"What?"
"– We finish each other's –"
"Sandwiches!"
Alistair widened his eyes, apparently perplexed. "That's what I was gonna say!" he gasped, before giggling boyishly.
"I've never met someone –" called Elissa over her shoulder as she bundled up her skirt.
"– Who thinks so much like me," Alistair joined in, gaping at her as she hoisted herself out of the window and onto the roof.
"Jinx!" they shouted raucously in unison. "Jinx again!"
The blonde man shrugged, following her onto the slates. "Our mental synchronization," they agreed, "can have but one explanation –"
"You," said Alistair, grabbing her wrist suddenly and yanking her close.
"And I," chuckled Elissa.
"Were –"
"Just –"
"Meant to be!"
"Say goodbye…" sang Elissa leaning into his chest dramatically in a false swoon.
"Say goodbye…"
"To the pain of the past!" they cried. "We don't have to feel it anymore!" And it was true – she had a home. She had her revenge on Howe. She had Alistair. And Alistair had his birthright. He had Elissa. Life was blissful, and Elissa, for the first time in a long while, didn't see an end. "Love is an open door!" they bellowed, running across the rooftop, scattering tiles. "Love is an open door!"
"Life can be so much more," they agreed, stopping at the very edge of the roof –
"With you!"
"With you!"
"With you!"
"With you!"
Swinging themselves back through the window, Elissa and Alistair sprinted down the polished marble staircase, laughing uproariously at the startled faces of the elven servants.
"Love is an open door…!"
Stooping short of the door back into the Great Hall, they two fell to their knees, panting for breath. Laughing between gasps, they found themselves leaning on each other, her head tucking beneath his chin as it always did.
Alistair's voice came, surprisingly tender, to her ear.
"Can I say something crazy?" he murmured, taking her hand gently and looking her in the eye – a faint watercolour splash of pink coloured his cheeks that had nothing to do with exercise. "Will you marry me?"
Elissa's heart stopped momentarily as she stared at him. A thousand thoughts seemed to race through her mind at once – but, what, why, can we, how, when, really, no, we can't, king, queen, marry, Alistair – but only one seemed to be loud enough to hear with any clarity. "Can I say something even crazier?" she chuckled, breathlessly. "Yes!"
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Urgh. Not very happy with this. I can't write hetero fluff. Let me know what you think.
In defence of my own Cousie, she was nowhere near so Mary-Sue as Elissa here. She was Briana Cousland, the complete pushover who always looked for the best in everyone and spent far too much coin on refugees than she should have. Then I made my Dalish elf and she was much cooler. Zevran romance yeaaah….
A/N's (aka the bits when I talk to you guys cuz I luvs ya)
Vain Hydra – Glad to hear it, twas most fun to write! Your reviews make me feel very good about myself, so thank you :)
Briminick – Don't you worry, I like having my plate added to! However Kiss The Girl was quite an early one, Chapter 4 to be precise :L Part of Your World is Chap 34, and I'm hoping to get Under The Sea or Poor Unfortunate Souls done soon!
THE VERY IMPORTANT A/N I MENTIONED
SO we're coming up to 50 chapters. YAAAAAY I'M SO HAPPY YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HAPPY I AM! :D:D:D 50 chapters, over 150 reviews, and I normally write drabbles so this is huge for me guys. So, what I'd really really like is a cover picture for this fic. If any of you guys do art, or graphics, or whatever, or you know someone who does, it would mean the world to me to get a proper cover by one of you! If you're interested please let me know as it would mean the world to me and may be a great way of getting your/their artwork out there! Thanks guys!
Up Next: When it comes to picking sides, you need to say whether you're in, or out.