A/N: Yes, I know this has been a long wait for an update and I am sincerely sorry. I hope this makes up for it. I altered some of the dialogue from the game for this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty: Of Quests and Kings

The party had already started by the time Yvaine had made her way to the guest room she had been put up in; for the last four hours she and the others had been assisting the castle staff in preparing for the party Bann Teagan had agreed to host at Yvaine's suggestion. She had not minded in the slightest, if anything it was a brilliant distraction from her troubled thoughts concerning their next move, since she had yet to flesh out a plan. Everyone had suggested Denerim but she was hesitant, Loghain probably knew by now they were still alive or would soon, and it was very risky for them to venture to his nest.

"This one is beautiful!" exclaimed Leliana, drawing Yvaine from her thoughts. "What lovely beading, and the embroidery is excellent. You'd look gorgeous in this color, Yvaine." The bard held up the lavender colored dress, admittedly the dress was lovely and from what Yvaine could tell, Leliana had found a matching pair of shoes.

"Are you sure it isn't too . . . much?" asked Yvaine as she ran her fingers over the silk fabric, some of the strands catching on her calloused fingertips. "I mean, the last time I wore a dress was . . . a long time ago."

Leliana gave her a horrified look as she practically shoved the dress in her arms. "Then this is the perfect dress for you, it'll make you feel and look like a true Queen," said Leliana with a suggestive wink. "And you must let me do your hair, I'm sure I can do something to bring out that pretty face of yours."

"Yvaine is not some doll for you to play with," said Morrigan from the doorway. She walked into the room, her hips swaying in a seductive way. "She is a woman and is perfectly capable of dressing herself, Leliana."

"Well, some people appreciate others pampering them after a rough week," argued Leliana as she pulled out a yellow dress from one of the wardrobes in the room. This guest room had apparently served the purpose of housing Isolde's discarded or out of fashion dresses, which seemed to be no easy task given by the sheer number of wardrobes present. "And what about you, Morrigan?" asked Leliana haughtily as she pushed some hair out of her face. "Do you plan on gracing the people of Redcliffe with your cheery disposition?"

Morrigan looked as if she were going to laugh at the mere suggestion, though she somehow managed not to. "Don't be a fool," she said dismissively. "Why would I want to interact with these people? They mean very little to me and I to them, so 'twould be best for everyone if I simply stay in my quarters and do as I please. I'm sure Alistair above all others would appreciate my absence."

"Morrigan, you surely don't mean that?" asked Yvaine as she started removing her top; even though it had only been a short while, she no longer had any shame in getting undressed with people watching, at least if they were women. "Come on, you deserve some time to relax, after all you did to help out Connor."

"And his shrew of a mother," spat Leliana as she too started to remove her clothes. "She's the kind of woman who reinforces the negative views the people of Ferelden have about Orlesians. Do you plan on enacting your revenge plan tonight, Yvaine? After all you did tell her it had to be a public place, and this party is open to all of Redcliffe."

Yvaine smiled wickedly as she slid her pants down. "I don't want to spoil the festivities just yet, Leli. And Morrigan, do you plan on studying that tome for the rest of the night?"

The witch nodded as she started to unlace the back of Yvaine's dress in preparation for her. "This would seem to be an opportune time to at least start, as it would seem I have the evening to myself." She opened the dress some and lowered it so Yvaine could step in with very little trouble. Yvaine was surprised but pleased by Morrigan's actions and quickly stepped into the dress, not wanting to put upon Morrigan more than was necessary.

"It's not as heavy as I thought it would be," admitted Yvaine as she put her arms in the sleeves while Morrigan went around to the back and began tugging on the stays. "Leli, I think you were right about this being my color."

"I'm never wrong," said Leliana happily as she too stepped into her dress, though she did not have the help Yvaine did. "Now what should we do about your hair?"

"'Twould look best with some of the strands around her face tied in the back with a ribbon," whispered Morrigan, though Yvaine and Leliana both heard her. "At least, that is just my humble opinion."

"And an excellent idea," said Yvaine with a bright smile. "Are you positive that you won't come to the party, even if it's just for a little while?"

The witch did not speak right away; instead she focused on the task of cinching Yvaine into the dress, though she was smiling as she did so. "I might be persuaded to," she said at last. "Though only for a little while."

When the ladies finally did arrive down at the party, there was already music playing and people dancing as well as plenty of others eating and drinking. It reminded Yvaine of the parties her parents used to hold in Highever, everyone having a lively and wonderful time as they discussed the hunt or joust they had witnessed earlier that day. She desperately missed those parties, along with countless other things about her parents, but tonight was not about mourning tonight was about having fun and celebrating with the people whom had survived. It was not long before someone asked her to dance.

"Lady Yvaine," said Connor, now dressed in Ferelden formal wear. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

Yvaine tried not to laugh; this was too precious, though she knew the boy was serious about his request. Instead of telling him 'no,' she curtsied deeply and smiled at him. "I would be honored to dance with you, my lord."

Connor smiled as she put her hand atop his and they made their way onto the dance floor, where the minstrels were playing a fast paced song that Yvaine was unsure of whether or not she could dance to. She had learned to dance of course, but she rarely had the opportunity to practice any of the skills.

"I must warn you, I don't think I'll be a great dance partner," whispered Yvaine to Connor as they lined up with the other dancers.

"Don't worry," said Connor with a grin. "I'm probably worse."

The music started and Yvaine immediately stepped in time with the music, surprised that already she remembered so much about dancing, and followed the others as they clapped and spun around. She was unaware of a certain pair of eyes watching her from a shadowy corner.

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" asked Fergus as he approached Alistair's position on the wall. Both of the men had dressed in somewhat formal clothing for the occasion, though they had both decided against wearing anything to restricting, after all they might have to break up a fight at some point. They, like many others in the room, were watching Yvaine dancing with Connor, it was quite apparent that they were eager to watch nobles dance among common folk.

"Yes, she certainly does," said Alistair wistfully as he watched her bounce around. "I had no idea she could dance so splendidly."

"Yvaine's a woman of many talents," said Fergus proudly as his sister took Connor's hands and spun with him. "She also has a knack for sewing and embroidery, so if you have any tailoring problems, she's the woman to go to."

"Is there anything she can't do?" asked Alistair with a laugh.

"Paint," said Fergus immediately as he took a sip from the goblet in his hand. "And she's terrible at jousting, falls off her horse almost every time though she'll never openly admit it. She can ride a horse just fine and can use a sword while on one, but something about the lance just throws off her balance."

"At least she's won tournaments," said Alistair as he watched Redcliffe's mayor cut in and start dancing with Yvaine. "Duncan recruited me at a tournament, actually."

"I guess you must've impressed him," said Fergus as he watched Leliana get dragged onto the dance floor by a young man. "As Yvaine did, apparently."

Alistair laughed at the assumption. "I doubt I did, I lost every bout," he said, shaking his head as he recalled that day. "I thought for sure he was going to pick one of the others to recruit, but when he announced my name I was stunned, I never thought he'd want to recruit me. He told me later that it was because of my spirit that he chose me, thought it was good to have Wardens with heart rather than brawn."

"But now you have both," said Fergus, nudging him with his shoulder. "So, when are you going to propose to my sister, hmm? I suspect it must be soon, since you've already told her that you love her."

"I would, but we haven't even kissed yet, so I think it would be more appropriate to wait until that has happened before proposing," said Alistair, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to ask Yvaine to be his wife. "Do you think she'd like to be Queen? I mean, I'm sure Eamon's going to bring up putting me on the throne at some point, and I'm not sure if I could do it without her. Putting me as leader usually ends up with people lost in the woods and me without my pants."

Fergus laughed at the ridiculous image. "Then we're lucky that Yvaine's leading us," he said once he was able to breathe. "But in all seriousness, you and she would make excellent monarchs. Our father and mother groomed us both from a young age in the ways to rule, and though I'll never tell her, Yvaine was always better at it than I; so much better in fact that many people in Highever hoped my father would name her heir over me."

Alistair was surprised that Fergus was openly admitting that his little sister was a far better ruler than he when he would have to return to reclaim Highever where he was expected to be Teyrn. "Yes, but did she want to be Teyrna?" he asked slightly dejected. The last thing he wanted to do was ask her to be his wife and possibly the Queen of Ferelden when she did not want any kind of power position.

"I don't think she ever expected to be one," said Fergus as he accepted a refill from one of the elven servants. "My mother was hell bent on marrying Yvaine to some noble lord, much to Yvaine's horror."

"Did anything serious ever come from your mother's plans?" asked Alistair nervously, he had already heard about Dairren but he was not sure there was not someone else.

"Not that I can recall," replied Fergus with a shrug. "I know Thomas Howe was a contender though Yvaine shot him down repeatedly, and some knights had inquired about courting her, and a few of the noble families in the Free Marches as well. Though she had many proposals, Yvaine's currently only involved with you and no one else."

Alistair relaxed considerably, he was relieved to know that there was not any foreseeable obstacle between him and Yvaine, so he could have a relationship with her without having to worry too much. "Then I guess that just leaves the problem of figuring out when and where to propose to her," said Alistair happily.

"Then if I were you, I'd do it now," said Fergus with a sly grin as he pointed at the dance floor. "Because if you don't I'm certain Teagan will."

He looked over and saw Yvaine being danced across the floor by Teagan whom was far too comfortable with where his hands were positioned for Alistair's comfort.

"Excuse me, Fergus," said Alistair sternly as he squared his shoulders and braved the crowd to make his way to Yvaine and Teagan. He saw them spinning around in time to the music, a pleased smile on Yvaine's face though he was sure it was just to be polite, and Teagan was holding her extremely close. "Excuse me," he said, tapping the bann on the shoulder. "Might I cut in?"

Teagan looked surprised for a moment before he released his grip on Yvaine, brazenly kissing her cheek before he left to go dance with another woman. Alistair glared at him as he took Yvaine in his arms then wiped the spot where Teagan had kissed her, eliciting a chuckle from her.

"Jealous are we?" asked Yvaine as she spun in place with Alistair.

"Is it terrible of me that I am?" he asked, kissing her where Teagan had.

Yvaine smiled as she leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Not at all, if anything it's sort of sweet. You know, Alistair, I didn't expect you to be one for dancing."

What he was doing suddenly dawned on Alistair as the tempo quickened, as did the people moving around him much to his dismay, since he was unsure of how the dance went.

"Don't worry," whispered Yvaine as she began pulling him with her, showing him where they needed to be going. "It's just like sword fighting, only in better clothes."

Alistair chuckled as Yvaine started to push him in the direction the other dancers were moving, he could feel himself getting nervous and he glanced down at his feet only to end up stepping on Yvaine's.

"Don't look down," she whispered, having barely winced when his boot crushed her foot. "Look in my eyes the entire time and just listen to what I say. Now, step forward off your right foot two paces to avoid the knights behind you."

He obeyed her command, glad that she was putting the dance in terms he could understand; at least he would not look like a complete blunderer.

"Spin and move left, sword coming up on your flank," she said and he spun them around to the left effortlessly. "Good, now stand still while I check the perimeter." Alistair stood stock still as Yvaine let go of his hand and spun around him before catching her by the waist and pulling her against him. "Improvising, good thinking," she said with a cheeky grin. "Now push forward to the other side of the field then retreat back to this position." He followed her instructions to the letter, not dropping his eyes to look at his feet for a second as they glided over the dance floor and back to their original positions.

"Move to the center of the field and lower me so I can avoid enemy blades," she said quickly and he obliged, moving them to the center and dipping her with little trouble. Suddenly the music stopped and he brought her back up on her feet, wondering why everyone was clapping and cheering.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Alistair, he normally only heard clapping and cheering when he fell or dropped something.

Yvaine shook her head, a wide smile on her face. "No, not at all, you were fantastic, Alistair! That was a terrific dance."

Alistair smiled back, he wanted to credit Yvaine entirely but he knew that would be false modesty, he actually had been in control of his movements for most of the dance he merely followed her guidelines. Still if he had thought about this as a dance instead of swordplay, he was sure he would have made an absolute fool of himself, and that was the last thing the people of Redcliffe needed to see. He looked back at Yvaine, her beauty captivating him once again, while she was always beautiful tonight she looked radiant and before he could think twice he pressed his lips to hers in a blissful kiss. For a moment she stiffened but quickly relaxed against him and kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck as his encircled her waist; their troubles and surroundings were forgotten in the sweet euphoria of their first kiss.

When they parted they were smiling at each other, but they quickly realized that everyone in the room was staring at them; some appeared surprised while others were wondering what had just happened. Yvaine and Alistair both blushed though they were hardly sorry for their actions.

"What?" he asked the crowd. "You expected me to resist?"

Laughter worked its way through the crowd and soon the awkward situation was defused and before long one of the servants announced that it was time to eat. Yvaine, Alistair and their companions were seated at the head table with Teagan, Isolde, and Connor though it was difficult for Isolde to hide her anger that they were sitting with them at all. The elven servants came by with dish after dish of food, serving whomever wanted which dish before moving onto the tables below where the citizens were dining.

"A delightful feast, Teagan," said Yvaine as she cut into the roast boar. "It's amazing all you could accomplish in just a few hours."

Teagan chuckled warmly before taking a sip of wine. "Actually, this is all because of you and your companions, Yvaine," replied Teagan as he put down his goblet. "The people of Redcliffe are eternally in your debt and this is the least we can do to thank you for your actions." He paused, his eyes fixed on Katelyn as she ate and laughed with her little brother. "Such a sweet and delightful woman."

Yvaine looked in the direction he was starring and saw Katelyn and Bevin. "You know, you could always ask her to dance, surely there's no harm in that," coaxed Yvaine slyly. "She's a very sweet girl and probably wouldn't mind being asked to dance by a dashing bann."

"You make a compelling argument," said Teagan, winking at her. "Perhaps after supper, I'll see if she wants to dance with me."

"An excellent idea," agreed Yvaine and she went back to eating her food, glancing every so often at the people around her to see what they were doing. Wynne was sitting with the mages and the latest Warden recruits, though they had been invited up to the large table, they had declined and said they wanted to spend what little time they had left with their fellow mages. Leliana and Fergus were talking animatedly, both trying to coax Sten into their conversation but the Qunari refused to participate, instead he focused his attention on Gawain; he would feed the Mabari pieces of his dinner whenever he thought no one was looking. Alistair was thoroughly enjoying his meal, though he would glance at Yvaine and smile at her whenever he could afford it. Connor and Teagan were talking together as well, discussing various topics though never dwelling on any that might bring up unpleasant memories; Isolde was strangely quiet. Yvaine thought that she was still displeased about having to share the head table but this was different, it was like she was nervous about something.

Without warning, Isolde stood up from the table and moved so she was standing with her back to them, the hall became quiet when people saw her.

"I want to thank you for coming to this celebratory banquet," she said, her voice shaky and unsure but she pressed on. "The people of Redcliffe deserve a time of celebration after all you have endured; and tonight, we do not only celebrate Redcliffe's release from unprecedented evil, but . . . we also celebrate . . . our new king, Alistair." There was a loud clamoring from the crowd and even those behind her were surprised at her admission. Isolde held up her hands and silence resumed. "Let me explain, the stable boy whom used to wander this town, who you all assumed was my husband's bastard, is actually late King Maric's son," said Isolde calmly, her confidence seeming to rise with each word. "He dines with us tonight a hero, but before tonight he was not treated as such, especially not by me. I feared that the rumors were true and allowed my selfish pride to cloud my judgment so I made Eamon send him away to the Chantry. What I did to him was wrong, and my treatment of him before that was worse." Then she turned around to face Alistair, whom was looking at her with a mix of amazement and shock. "Alistair, I am deeply sorry for my past treatment of you and humbly beg your forgiveness."

Alistair looked at Yvaine who merely shrugged, while she had planned on Isolde making her public apology that night, she had planned on it being possibly after dinner. Alistair rose from his chair and smiled kindly at Isolde. "I accept your apology, Lady Isolde, and freely give you my forgiveness." Then he looked at the crowd who were all looking at him with immense interest. "What Lady Isolde has told you tonight is true, I am Maric's bastard son, and I give you my promise that if I am able to reclaim the throne from Loghain, I will do all that I can to ease Ferelden's suffering after this Blight."

The crowd cheered and applauded Alistair; already he was beloved by the people of Redcliffe, now he would just have to win over the rest of Ferelden. The mayor stood up and raised his mug of ale high in the air.

"Long live King Alistair!" he shouted, his mug directed at Alistair before it shifted to Yvaine. "And long live Queen Yvaine!"

The people followed suit and repeated his sentiments several times, Yvaine was surprised that they had already accepted her as their possible Queen when Alistair and she were not even married yet. She looked up at him and he winked, so she rose from her seat and stood beside him, both waving at the crowd as they cheered.

Yvaine tried to suppress her laughter as Alistair dragged her out of the hall, after a few goblets of wine she was starting to feel its affects, and found the whole situation particularly amusing. She was pulled towards a door she vaguely remembered led to the front courtyard and wondered briefly what Alistair had planned if he was taking them away from the party so soon. He remained tight lipped no matter how many times she pestered him and repeatedly told her to be patient. When they were finally outside, he took her over to a large tree on the other side of the courtyard; he positioned them so they were facing each other beneath the old tree.

She looked up and smiled, this was the tree she had fallen off of and where Alistair had saved her when they were children, it was also where she had kissed him. "Alistair," she said, not yet drunk enough to not know something important was about to happen. "This is where we fell in love when we were children."

Alistair nodded and she could see his ears turn a brilliant shade of red. "Yes it is," he said, his voice slightly hoarse and his hands shaking as he took hers. "You have no idea how many times after that I came out here and climbed this tree just to relive that memory, Yvaine. You were the first person to treat me like an equal, and I treasured that for many years; even when people treated me terribly, I clung to that memory because I knew that somewhere there was someone who cared and that not all people were the same."

"I didn't realize that meant so much to you," said Yvaine quietly, averting her eyes from his gaze. "I treated everyone like that, no matter their rank, I just assumed that it was what was expected of everyone. I didn't know that people were treated horribly, like you were."

"And that's why I fell in love with you," he said, cupping her cheek so she would look at him while he spoke. "You are a kind and beautiful woman, Yvaine, in both body and soul; there is not a more virtuous or fearless woman in all of Thedas. I know we have not known each other long, nor have we courted for a decent length of time, but none of that matters to me now; I've seen the woman you are, Yvaine and I'll be damned before I lose you again." He paused and pulled something out of his doublet; in the moonlight Yvaine could see that it was a dark pink rose. "I picked this at your aunt's house in Lothering," he admitted quietly. "And I somehow convinced Morrigan to enchant it so it'll remain like this for a long time. Anyway, I remember thinking 'how could something so beautiful, exist at a time where there's so much ugliness and despair?' I don't know, I probably should've left it alone with the others, but I couldn't bear to leave it; the darkspawn would just come and destroy it with their taint."

"So here it is," said Yvaine with a slight chuckle, trying to ease some of the tension she felt brewing.

"So here it is," echoed Alistair. "And here we are, though I never thought for the life of me that I would ever get to see you again. This rose . . . well, I think the same thing whenever I look at you, actually. Finding you in this darkness has been the single bright spot in this whole mess, Yvaine, every time I've wanted to quit and turn this over to someone else, I've looked at you and felt like I can do this. I can be King, I can lead an army, and I can be a husband to the woman I love."

Yvaine was stunned, she knew she should have seen this coming but at the same time she thought that Alistair would have waited for a better time to ask her to marry him. "Alistair, are you asking me to marry you?" she asked, her voice breathless as she spoke.

Alistair chuckled nervously. "I guess I am in a roundabout way," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I wish I had more to offer you than this simple rose, I mean, you deserve your weight in gold and a mountain of jewels but . . . I have none of that to offer you. Regardless of that, will you Yvaine Bethann Cousland agree to be my wife?" He offered her the rose, fully expecting her to flat out refuse his offer, but he saw her hand reach out and take the rose him from him.

"Yes, Alistair," she said, her voice gentle as she held the rose close to her chest. "I love you, more than there are stars in the sky."

"And here I was thinking I was the only one good at coming up with corny one-lines," he laughed, not so much making fun of Yvaine as out of relief. "You know, I think we are perfect for each other."

Yvaine made a sound of agreement as Alistair pulled her against his chest. "I just have one question," she said as she gently touched the velvet petals of her "engagement ring."

"And what is that, my dear?" asked Alistair, blissfully happy.

"Who told you my middle name?" she asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Alistair grinned nervously. "Oh, that came from Fergus, I asked him during dinner after I told him what I planned on doing tonight."

"It was incredibly bold of you to ask me to marry you," she said, reaching up and caressing his cheek gently. "Especially since you've only kissed me once."

He clued in on her hint. "Well then," he said, his voice husky and lips very close to hers. "I guess I'll have to change that." Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Yvaine awoke the next morning, a little confused as to why she was in a bed rather than her bedroll but she quickly remembered that she and her companions were staying at Redcliffe Castle as Teagan's guests. She sat up, letting the silken quilt pool around her waist and she glanced over at the night table, smiling when she saw the rose lying there. Carefully she picked it up and held it in her hands, her fingers drifting over the soft petals and the smooth stem; she had seen these roses most of her life growing in her aunt's garden, but none had meant so much to her as this one. Nor had any man meant so much to her as Alistair did, yes she might not have known him for long, but at the same time she felt like she had known him her entire life. It was only appropriate that they get married, throne or no throne.

"My lady," came a voice outside the door. "My lady, it's Valena are you awake?"

"Yes, Valena," said Yvaine, quickly putting the rose in her pack nearby. "You can come in." Apparently Isolde had little use for her handmaiden now and was allowing her to serve Yvaine while she was here, not that she minded; Valena was a sweet girl and fun to talk to.

Valena opened the door skillfully, as her arms were laden down with a metal tray which held what Yvaine could only guess was her breakfast. She was surprised that she would be eating in her room, but then again after the party the previous night, the kitchens might not be ready to serve a large breakfast.

"I trust you slept well, my lady," said Valena pleasantly as she set the tray down and started opening the curtains, allowing light to fill the room. "When you've eaten and dressed, Bann Teagan and Arlessa Isolde have requested that you and your companions meet them in Arl Eamon's room to discuss a matter of great importance." She paused when she came to the wooden tub. "Should I call some servants to bring you hot water for a bath? It must have been a while since you've had a proper one."

"Do I smell to you, Valena?" asked Yvaine with a teasing grin as she exited the bed, lamenting for a moment the loss of heat.

Valena's face turned a bright shade of red. "No! That's not . . . no! I didn't mean to imply . . ."

Yvaine laughed and put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "Calm down, Valena, I was only teasing you. A hot bath would be lovely but I took one yesterday, by the way, do you know if my companions are awake yet?"

"I believe your brother and Miss Leliana are having breakfast together in her room," replied Valena. "And the Qunari is out with your dwarf friends talking with them, and the mages have been called to Arl Eamon's room. Your dog is still in the kennels though I can go fetch him for you."

"And Alistair?" asked Yvaine lightly.

"I believe he's waiting outside your room," said Valena, glancing at the closed door. "He said he was guarding you but I think he just wants to speak with you."

Yvaine did not argue with Valena, instead she gestured for her to leave, which she did. She almost expected to hear Alistair knock on the door but he did not, so she made quick work of getting dressed, changing into a clean tunic and breeches before slipping on her armor. They would most likely be leaving today and head to Denerim, or at least in that general direction, despite being in Redcliffe for a number of days, they were low on supplies and that was the nearest market. She sighed as she finished putting her armor on, the last thing she wanted to do was be near Loghain and Howe but at this point it was unavoidable.

"Yvaine, are you decent?" came Alistair's voice through the door.

"Yes, Alistair, it's safe to enter," she said with a smile and the door opened to reveal Alistair in his armor as well. "I see we had a similar idea."

"Yes, it would appear that way," agreed Alistair as he sat at the table where her tray of food was waiting. "I remembered you mentioning that we would probably be heading for Denerim after our business concluded here, and since Teagan is calling us to discuss something important, I'd say our business is almost done. Did you sleep well? Any nightmares I can chase away?"

Yvaine smiled at him as she picked up one of the small pies and bit into it, almost moaning at the taste of strawberry, though she managed to restrain herself. "No nightmares that I can recall," she said before taking a sip of milk. "I don't think we're near enough darkspawn just yet. I'm sure that will change here shortly, but for now I'm enjoying my dreamless nights."

Alistair grinned as he picked up one of the other pies. "Well, enjoy it while you can, that's all I'm going to say on that subject," he said then he furrowed his brow. "Yvaine, there's something I wanted to ask you?"

"Well, we're already engaged, so what is it?" she asked before taking another large bite of the pastry.

"While we're in Denerim, there's . . . someone I want to look up," he said, his words a little hesitant as if he were unsure of what they were. "You see, I have a sister who lives there, and I, well, I wanted to introduce myself to her."

"Goldanna, right?" asked Yvaine, remembering the vision in the Fade.

"Right," replied Alistair. "Well, when I first joined the Grey Wardens I decided to look up my mother and on some list it mentioned that she had a daughter, Goldanna. I never got the opportunity to find out more about her before Ostagar happened and I was hoping, now that I have a chance, I might look her up."

Yvaine smiled sweetly at him. "Of course we'll go find your sister, Alistair, I mean I'd kind of like to meet my future sister-in-law and I want you to have some kind of family connection. If you'd rather not involve everyone, it could just be you, me, and Fergus that go find her."

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. "Perfect, a small family gathering, I can't wait," he said excitedly then he frowned a little. "Yvaine, I was wondering something, do you think we should tell Teagan and Isolde that we're engaged? I mean they'll know after we get married obviously but something's nagging at me not to tell them right now."

"I was wondering the same thing too," she admitted. "I think since we're both thinking along the same lines, then it would probably be best to not tell anyone while we're here and wait until we leave before telling our friends. Though you've obviously let Fergus in on your little plan, so we just have to pray that Andraste will keep Her hand over his mouth."

"Now that would be the day," laughed Alistair and he stood up. "Anyway, now that you've had some breakfast, I think we should find out what Teagan wants to discus with us, don't you?"

Yvaine nodded as she stood up as well. "Let's go."

Outside of Arl Eamon's room, Yvaine saw her brother, Leliana, Sten and Gawain already waiting for them; apparently whatever Teagan had to say needed to be said in front of Alistair and Yvaine. They silently acknowledged each other, though Fergus did grin like an idiot at Yvaine as they entered Eamon's room. Teagan was standing by Isolde whom was clutching her hands, apparently in prayer, as the mages including Wynne and Morrigan cast a spell over Eamon's prone form. When nothing happened, Isolde collapsed into sobs.

"I am sorry, Bann Teagan," said Irving as he looked at Eamon. "But whatever has made him ill cannot be reversed by ordinary magic. These mages and I have tried everything we can think of, unless a miracle happens, then I'm afraid the arl will never waken from his slumber."

"Ten-ten t'ere is-s-s only one t'ing no-o-ow that can save 'im," sobbed Isolde, her Orlesian accent more pronounced. "Andraste's ashes."

Teagan shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Isolde, we've been through this, no one even knows if Andraste's ashes actually exist and we've wasted enough manpower trying to locate them as it is."

Isolde's eyes met Yvaine's. "Then send Yvaine," she said, her voice thick with sadness as she spoke. "Surely she'll be able to locate Brother Genitivi, after all she was able to save both Connor and the Circle of Magi. This must be a sign from Andraste, it must be Yvaine who is meant to save Eamon."

"Excuse me, but what exactly is going on?" asked Yvaine, wondering if her companions were as confused as she was.

Teagan turned around to face Yvaine and her companions. "It would seem that whatever the demon did to my brother has left him comatose, we thought that perhaps his body was just waiting for his soul to return which is why he did not wake immediately. Though it would appear that it did something else to him, hence why we asked the mages for an evaluation, but none of their magic seems to be helping him."

"Which is why we must send a party to locate the Urn!" insisted Isolde as she moved to sit beside Eamon. "Only the ashes of Holy Andraste can bring my Eamon back to me."

Yvaine managed to not call Isolde out on her hypocrisy, instead focusing on Teagan. "Teagan, let's say I accept this quest, where would I even begin looking for something that no one has seen for ages?"

"There is a man," piped up Isolde. "Brother Ferdinand Genitivi, a Chantry scholar whom has made it his personal mission to find Andraste's ashes and bring them back to the people. He has a home in Denerim where he stores his findings; the last time we spoke he said he was on the verge of a breakthrough. You must go to him, Yvaine, and find out if he has located the Urn yet."

"Is this the only way we can save Eamon?" she asked, her question open to all in the room.

Irving spoke up next. "I'm afraid that it is, should it be found, as we mages are unable to reverse the demon's damage. You do not have to do this, Yvaine, you can send someone in your place to find this man and the Urn."

Isolde leapt off the bed, her red hair flying everywhere. "No! I know now that it must be Yvaine who does this! Andraste showed me the truth when She sent Yvaine to save Redcliffe, you cannot go against divine prophecy!"

"Something tells me the arl's wife has finally lost hold of reality," muttered Morrigan so only Yvaine could hear and she was inclined to agree with the witch. There was no such indication that anything divine was at work here, just the rambling of a desperate woman, but they did need Eamon on their side if they had any hope of winning the war.

"What do the rest of you think?" asked Yvaine, turning to her companions.

"The sobbing woman is crazy," said Sten rather bluntly, earning him a harsh glare from Isolde. "We should not try to find this relic, it could be nothing more than a wild chase."

Morrigan laughed. "I'm starting to like you, Qunari. You at least have some sense."

Yvaine ignored Morrigan's barbed comment and looked at the others. "And you lot?"

"I think if there is a chance to not only save Eamon, but to bring Andraste back to Her people, then we should most certainly look for the Urn," said Leliana passionately.

'Knew I didn't have to ask her opinion,' thought Yvaine as she turned to her brother and cousins.

"I think it's pretty desperate, but if there's no other alternative, then we have no choice," said Fergus with a small sigh, their cousins and fellow Wardens agreeing with him.

"The choice is entirely yours, Yvaine," said Wynne gently but firmly. "Eamon might be one man, but finding the Urn would help a great many people if we are able to bring it back with us. If not then we will seek an alternative, I'm sure there must be some old magic that can help us."

"You know my feelings on the subject already," said Alistair calmly. "We should chase this lead, find out where we end up, and if we have a chance to save Eamon then we should do it."

Yvaine nodded her thanks to everyone and she thought about it herself, while she knew it would be wrong to let Eamon remain in this state when there was a possibility of saving him, she did not know how reliable their cure would be. If it existed, it might be impossible to reach and if it did not, then where did that leave them? They would waste a great deal of time if they chased down every possible lead and they would not be able to gather the army they needed to defeat the Blight. Still, without Eamon, they hardly stood a chance against Loghain and Howe.

"Alright, I'll go and speak to Brother Genitivi," said Yvaine and Isolde smiled brightly at her.

"Thank you, Yvaine, you have no idea what this means to me," she said, tears spilling down her face once again.

"I'm not doing this for you or for anyone else for that matter," said Yvaine sternly. "I'm doing this because it's what's right, Ferelden needs Eamon's help and without him we don't stand a chance at survival."

"Fine," said Isolde haughtily. "There are some papers referring to Genitivi and his home in the arl's study, please go collect them before you leave. I will remain here by my 'usband's side and pray that you return successful." And she went to her knees and laid her head on her hands, already deep in prayer.

Teagan sighed heavily and signaled for everyone to leave the room, when they were outside and away from Isolde, Teagan spoke. "I know you plan on departing today, so I will not keep you any longer from your preparations. Feel free to ask for whatever you think you'll need and we will accommodate you, I will have your horses and weapons waiting in the courtyard when you are ready. Safe travels, my friends, Redcliffe awaits your return."

Those who were from Ferelden crossed their arms against their chests and bowed to each other before heading off in different directions: Teagan to his rooms, Yvaine to the arl's study, and her companions to prepare for departure. Once Yvaine was in Eamon's study, she let out a shaky breath; she could not believe that she just agreed to go gallivanting off on some wild goose chase to locate something no even knew actually existed! It was beyond insane, but here she was, gathering maps and letters that might lead to this Brother Genitivi and hopefully to some recovery for Eamon.

She rummaged through the papers on the desk and found what she was looking for, mostly they were crude maps of Ferelden indicating where the Urn might possible be, which seemed to be southwest of their current location. Yvaine folded the various pieces of paper and stacked them as best she could, figuring that it would be foolish to leave even the smallest letter behind in case it held some secret. She started going through the desk drawers looking for more letters and possibly some ribbon she could tie the ones she had together, when she heard something heavy move in one of the drawers as she went to close it. Cautiously she looked in the drawer to see if she could find what made the sound then started moving some of the contents around. Her fingers brushed against something smooth and then she found a chain, she pulled on it and brought to light a beautiful amulet. The face was made of white enamel, with Andraste's holy symbol engraved in silver, the whole thing was set in a gold back with a gold chain.

'Alistair's mother's amulet!' she thought excitedly and she immediately put it around her neck, unable to think of a better hiding place. She was worried for a moment that it would become tangled with her locket but she knew she did not have a better place to hide it. Quickly she put the desk back in some kind of order before fleeing the room.

Alistair was just stepping out of his room with his pack when she came running up to him, a wide grin on her face and he paused for a moment to wonder what she had discovered.

"Alistair," she said, obviously breathless from having run a fair distance to catch him. "I found . . . I found . . ."

"You found what? Another world in one of the wardrobes?" he asked with a wry grin and she scowled up at him before composing herself and pulling at the thick chain around her neck. Blessedly it was not tangled with her locket and when she pulled it off her neck completely and showed it to Alistair, his face was devoid of all color. "Is that . . . no, but . . . how?" he stammered as she took the amulet. "My mother's amulet. Where did you find this, Yvaine?"

"In a drawer in the study," she said when she managed to catch her breath. "I was looking for more letters when I stumbled across this and it matched the description you told me, so I though it was about time you had it back."

Alistair did not know what to say, so in lieu of words he pulled her into a bone crushing embrace, not even caring that their armor was digging into their exposed areas. He felt her wrap her arms around him and return his gesture. "Thank you for this," he whispered in her ear. "I thought I had lost this forever, but here it is." He finally released her and brought the amulet up for a closer inspection; he could see very faint lines running across it probably from where it had been smashed then repaired. "I wonder if the arl did this."

"I don't know," said Yvaine, though she kept it to herself that she doubted that Eamon cared enough about him to actually fix this for him. "I guess you'll have to ask him when he recovers."

"Right," he said before putting the amulet on, hiding it under his tunic. "I'll make sure to ask him. Thank you again, Yvaine, I wish I had had this a long time ago."

She smiled at him before heading to her room to gather her things together.

When Yvaine arrived down in the courtyard, she saw that Teagan had been true to his word; their horses were already saddled and their weapons were freshly polished and repaired, wrapped in cloth awaiting their owners. Yvaine handed her large pack to Bodahn then put her smaller one in one of the saddlebags of her horse, eager to be heading off again.

"Warden!" called someone and she looked around to see a lanky man running towards her. "Warden, wait!"

"Yes, can I help you?" she inquired as the stranger stopped in front of her.

"You're a hard woman to find," he said at last. "Oh, I'm Levi Dryden by the way, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Warden."

Yvaine smiled at Levi, unsure of why exactly he was here. "Is there something I can help you with, Levi?"

Levi nodded, a big grin on his face. "Well yes, actually what I have to tell you will benefit both my family and your Wardens if you're interested."

"I'm interested," replied Yvaine. 'I wonder what he has to offer,' she thought.