Author's Note: Thank you to everyone reviewing! It is always much appreciated to hear you guys' feedback on the story/plot. I'm planning on wrapping it up before we hit chapter one billion, but thank you as always for hanging on for the ride. As a side note, there isn't actually (as far as I know) an oath they say in-game to pledge allegiance to the crown, so I had to improvise.
Chapter 79 - The King's Speech
It had been years since Anora had smelled the coppery scent of blood. Certainly not since she had married Cailan, and began her tenure as queen. But now the smell invaded her nose as her father's blood splattered across her, the red sticky droplets soaking into the gold embroidery of her silk gown. It was most definitely ruined, and for the briefest of moments Anora wondered if the Warden had any nice clothing left, if the rumors were true about the predicaments she and her companions often found themselves in.
It was a few more precious moments before reality caught up to her again and she realized the situation she was now in.
Rising from the floor where she had kneeled at her father's side, she heard voices for the first time since before the duel, it felt. A jumble of noises and sounds she couldn't decipher until Eamon's voice broke through her thoughts suddenly.
"So it is decided. Alistair will take his father's throne-"
"Wait, what? No?" Alistair turned to Serena, confusion and nervousness reading clearly all over his face. "When did this get decided? I mean… we decided that?"
Anora smiled inwardly, ready to press her advantage. It was a trait shared by her and her father. The ability to sense weakness, and pounce on it. "He refuses the throne! Everyone here has heard him. I think it's clear, then. He abdicates in favor of me."
"I hardly think you're the appropriate person to mediate this, Anora." Eamon turned to the Warden then, as did most of the assembly. Anora found herself rankled by that, even though Serena was a Cousland… a teyrn's daughter, or sister, as it were, was definitely second to the queen in standing, wasn't it? The way the assembly turned to her for a decision… Anora truly hoped that wasn't indicative of the way things would go for her.
"Warden, will you help us?"
Serena nodded firmly, as if she had been expecting this. "Yes. May I have a word with the... with Anora, please?"
At that, Anora saw Alistair blanch and it was an effort for her to keep the smug smile that was tugging at her lips at bay. Perhaps the Warden did have some sense after all.
"Serena?"
"I'll speak with you in a moment, Alistair," the brunette replied quietly, her face blank. Anora followed her a short distance away, her sudden elation evaporating quickly.
"What makes you a better choice than Alistair?" Serena asked briskly.
"Surely that's not a serious question," Anora replied, slightly taken aback. "I have been the ruler of this nation in all but name for the last five years. I can lead Ferelden." Her eyes glanced over at the hulking armored thing that had just finished beheading her father. "Alistair can't."
"If you give him the crown, then you've only bought us a brief pause in this civil war," the blonde continued, trying with all her might to sound earnest. "It will resume at the first opportunity and it won't end until a new dynasty holds power."
The Warden, however seemed unconvinced. "Alistair has shown himself quite the exceptional Warden. Who is to say he won't excel further as King? He would have my help, and guidance from his uncles, should he want it."
Anora frowned. This was a point, but she needn't concede it. "And he'll need it. He can't hold the throne on his own, and everyone here knows it. Opportunists will forever be watching him, waiting to grab power-"
"You couldn't hold the throne yourself," Serena said with a casual shrug. "You ruled well in peace times, but with the Blight knocking on our door... admit it, you allowed your father to take control." She raised an eyebrow and Anora felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Perhaps we need a King with true fighting experience, now that we find ourselves in a time of war."
"You promised me your support," Anora said through gritted teeth. "What is this, Warden?"
"Is it worse than turning us over to Cauthrien, I wonder?" There was another shrug that infuriated Anora as she stood facing the armored woman, her own dark eyes trying to bore themselves into the Warden's. Serena's depths gave nothing away, however, and Anora found herself staring into the eyes of an equal.
"I gave you my support when I thought, perhaps, you two could rule together."
"Together?" Anora spat. "Are you daft, Warden? You couldn't possibly expect me to rule beside the man who killed my father!"
Anora regretted her tone as soon as she said it, as whatever nobles that hadn't already been turned around to stare at the two women. Like night and day they must have appeared, though Anora had to admit they both had a dramatic streak and a flair for working a room to their advantage. It was a pity they were obviously on opposite sides of the coin flip this time, however.
"Yes, obviously, things have changed significantly since then."
"How significantly, I do wonder." Again Serena's eyes were shut to her. It was like staring into two icy, glacial pools, and then trying to decipher meaning from them. Despite that, Anora knew there was something, perhaps many somethings, that the Warden was not telling her.
"So, you'll put him on the throne, then." It was no longer a question, and Anora didn't know why she even bothered to utter the words. She wondered absently if they would allow her to stay in her rooms, or if they would put her in the drafty north tower. Surely they wouldn't place her in Fort Drakon as a political prisoner...
"Yes."
"And what of me?" Anora said quietly. "What shall you have them do with me?"
"I don't know, Anora. It isn't my opinion there that matters," Serena replied, equally quiet. Her usual fiery, passionate nature was quelled now, with the death of Loghain. She simply seemed tired to Anora, and tiny bit relieved, perhaps, to have it all done. "I know what it is like to lose a parent. I'm sorry for your loss." With a curt nod, she turned and strode back the short distance to where Eamon and the others waited.
Anora stood staring after her, her mouth slightly parted, bewildered. How had the tables turned against her so much in such a little span of time? The Warden and her companions had only been in the capital for a few weeks at most, and here the assembly turned to her for answers, over its rightful queen.
Shaking her head, perhaps to clear it, though she rather thought that impossible, Anora set her shoulders and followed, joining the others to hear the fate of the land she had always called home.
"As the arbiter of this dispute, what is your decision, Warden?" Arl Eamon's armor caught a bit of the light coming down from the above as he raised his voice, so all could hear him clearly. "Who will lead Ferelden?"
"I have decided that the duel results shall hold, and Alistair will be king." Serena turned towards Alistair then and nodded, as slowly she lowered herself before him to rest on one knee. "I bow to you, my king."
"Oh, please, don't do that, Serena-" Alistair whispered, his eyes filled with emotion. He reached out and pulled her to her feet once again. Speaking much louder this time, he said, "I believe it is time to announce our engagement to the realm, love."
There were gasps from those nearby as Alistair straightened up to his full height, ready to address the entire Landsmeet as King for the first time.
"Many know Serena Cousland as the Warden. As one of the fabled Grey, who survived Ostagar and rallied the different peoples of Ferelden to form a grand army, one intent to fight the Blight that now besieges our land."
"It was at Ostagar that I met her, a mere Warden recruit, hurting from the loss of her family. We survived the onslaught there, only to find ourselves in greater and greater dangers since. Through it all, Serena stood tall. It was during this journey that I fell in love with her, and it is with a full heart that I declare now, to all of you, that she has gracefully consented to accept my hand in marriage. I present to you, your future queen!"
The applause was deafening. Serena felt a smile tug at her lips for the first time that day, the worry and doubt that had plagued her now slowly draining itself from her body. She glowed with her love with Alistair then, as around them various banns and arls showered them with well wishes.
"In lieu of my father, I gladly accept the honor of being first to say congratulations to you both, your Highness!" Fergus called, coming forward to shake Alistair's hand heartily. "And may the Maker smile upon you this day and all days!"
"Here, here! Though I would appreciate some advance notice next time," Eamon added. At that, Serena felt her cheeks redden guiltily.
It wasn't long before Eamon had settled the assembly once again, intent on restoring order to move along the proceedings. The jubilation over the news of their impending nuptials was likely the first good news many of the people had heard in days, possibly weeks, since the darkspawn had come from below. But now the landholders were once again focused, and many were already lowering themselves to one knee in preparation.
"By blood, by oath, I swear to you. My king, my liege, our protector of this land. So shall it be by Waking Seas, by Dragon's Peak, or Highever plain. My allegiance stands to you this day, and ever shall it so remain."
There didn't seem to be an inherent rhythm to the pledge, as each landholder seemed to repeat the oath at their own speed, each ending at a different time. As Serena gazed over their heads, she wondered how many of them remembered five years ago when they had made this same pledge to Alistair's half-brother, Cailan. Then she saw Anora.
The former queen stood rigid, her eyes narrowed dangerously as the rest of the assembly turned to gape at her. The silence stretched on until Eamon stood, striding over to where Anora stood alone.
"Anora, the Landsmeet has decided against you. You must now swear fealty to our king, and relinquish all claim to the throne for yourself and your heirs." He needn't add the or else.
Serena eyed the former queen expectantly as around them the others began to rise once again. It was not often that Anora looked at a loss, but when she had spoken to Serena just minutes before, the queen had looked quite shaken at the turn of events unfolding before her.
"If you think I will swear that oath, Eamon, you know nothing of me." Anora's eyes scanned the crowd, Serena thought maybe to see if there were dissenters among them. But the assembly simply stared back, placid. No help was coming from them, and if she wanted to stand up to the crown, she would have to do it on her own steam. "I'm the rightful ruler of this land, no matter what this Warden says, or what the outcome of a silly duel has decided."
Eamon shook his head, exasperation reading clearly across his features as he turned away from her. "We cannot leave Ferelden in a state of civil war. We must have unity. If she will not swear fealty to you, Alistair, and renounce her claim to the throne, she is a threat to us all."
"Put her in the tower for now, then," Alistair replied. He frowned, as if the words had a particular taste to them he didn't quite care for. "If I fall against the Blight, then she can have her throne. If not… then… we'll see."
"You would still give me a chance for the throne, after all this?" Anora's eyebrows were in her hair, her face momentarily confused as she couldn't seem to comprehend Alistair's decision.
"I said if I fall, Anora," Alistair shot back. "If I fall, the throne falls to you. I won't kill you while there's still a chance that could happen." He rolled his eyes, frowning still at his half-brother's widow. "Someone has to take this Blight seriously."
"That is uncharacteristically wise of you, Alistair."
"Yes, well, don't let it get around. I have a reputation."
"Very well then," Eamon said, signaling to two helmeted guardsmen. "Guards, if you would please take Anora to the tower."
"I can walk on my own, thank you!" Anora screeched, shaking off the two men. "I use to live here, you know." Throwing one last icy glare Serena's way, she marched out of the room, the two guards flanking her on either side.
"Your Highness, would you address the Landsmeet?" There was a short pause as everyone turned to stare at Alistair once again. Serena nudged him forward with her shoulder.
"Oh! That would be me. Yes. Right, um." Alistair cleared his throat as he stepped up on the nearby dais, tugging Serena after him. "I never knew him, not really, but from all I've heard of my father, what defined him was his commitment to protecting this land."
Serena nudged him again, lightly this time. "Alistair, the Blight…"
"I was getting there!" Turning back, he smiled nervously at the crowd. Serena couldn't help but notice how different he was speaking about her to the group, about how they'd met, how they'd gotten here… he had been honest, and passionate, and that had easily offset whatever nerves he'd been feeling. She silently wished he could channel that passion into this speech.
"Anyway, the Blight. Yes. I may be Maric's son, but I am also a Grey Warden. I took an oath. I swore I would stand and fight the darkspawn, no matter the cost to myself. I cannot break that oath just to wear the crown. I have to go with my fellow Wardens to face the Blight."
"However, when the Blight is over, I'll come back and take up my duties… whatever they may be… as king. Until then, I name Arl Eamon as my regent." Stepping back, he nodded as Eamon bowed gracefully in his armor.
"I can do Maric's memory no less honor than you do. I accept. And may the Maker bless your efforts against the darkspawn." Bowing again, he stepped aside, his short speech done.
My fellow Grey Warden, Serena Cousland, will, I hope, take Loghain's place as the commander of my armies." Turning now to Serena, he smiled, and she could see he wanted to take her hand. "Shall we finish this thing together?"
"I could do no less, my king."
Smiling, he turned back to the landholders. "Everyone, get ready to march. It's going to take all of Ferelden's strength to survive this Blight."
A swell of applause started again, starting with Eamon and moving outwards among the crowd. Serena saw her brother's smiling face from nearby, beard and all, and she felt a tug in her chest.
She wished their parents were alive to see what they had accomplished. Fergus and his men had almost single-handedly protected the south from darkspawn raids as she had solved nearly every other problem in the realm. She wished her parents could see the ring on her finger, her mother especially. That they could know she loved a man, as much as her parents had ever loved each other, and that she was loved in return. And that soon they would have their own child to worry about…
Glancing at Alistair, she felt butterflies in her stomach. How would she tell him? Perhaps she should take a page out of Alistair's book and just blurt it out on the road to Redcliffe Castle. She smiled at the memory, hoping she would have a better opening than that. Turning her attention back to her king, she smiled. Whatever happened, he at least looked the part.
"There have been Blights before," Alistair called. "And Ferelden has survived. It will be a difficult road we must now walk, but we will face it. And we'll defeat it!"
Serena found him in the library that night, of all places. Sitting haunched at a large wooden desk, his armor removed, pouring over a group of maps, Alistair raked a hair through his dark blonde hair.
"We saw them in the Dead Trenches, but that was weeks ago, months really. If we made it all the way to Denerim with weeks to spare…" Alistair frowned, tapping his finger on a spot near Ostagar. "The horde could be anywhere in Ferelden by now."
"Very true," Serena said softly. Padding into the room, she sat down in the plush chair beside him, running a hand through his hair. It was soft, almost like cat's fur, as she pushed it through her fingers. "Riordan will find them, and then we'll have a better idea of where to mount our first assault."
"You're thinking it'll be a multitude of battles then? Like Ostagar?"
"I think it would be best. In one all out assault… I'm not sure what our chances are." Serena pulled up one map, her hand tracing the line that represented the boundaries of the ruins of Ostagar. "We had… what? Fifty Grey Wardens at Ostagar? Had Loghain not quit the field, things may have ended much differently, of course… but that was chaos. Cailan had much better success with the smaller, frequent battles."
"You're my commander, love," Alistair replied. "Besides, when you look at what Fergus has done with barely a unit of men-"
"And what we've done with, what, 10 people and a dog?" Serena added.
Alistair laughed, the stress of the last few minutes breaking across his features. "Exactly! I'd take Peanut in a fight against the archdemon any day."
"He certainly smells worse."
"So, what brings you to the library? You've got a look about you that says you didn't just come here for the dusty smell of these old maps."
Serena blanched. "I… I just… I wanted to congratulate you, on the whole becoming king thing."
"Couldn't have done it without you, my dear." He reached over and clutched her hand to his cheek, pressing a kiss to the ring she wore. "You ought to congratulate me on my engagement."
"Oh yes, your bride is very pretty. A bit fat, though."
"Fat?"
Serena nodded, seeing her opening. "Yes, and she'll only get fatter."
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know, I think she works out quite a lot-"
"Because... because she's going to have a baby," Serena interrupted. The words came out in a rush. So much for not blurting it out.
"What?"
"I… we… we're going to have a b-baby, Alistair."
"What?"
"...I'm pregnant."
"What?"
Serena frowned. "Please stop saying what."
"But the… is that… oh." Alistair blinked a few times, his face utterly bewildered. "A baby?"
Serena nodded. "I've been sick, and Wynne came to check it out. I've been… my stomach has been more sensitive because inside it is a little baby."
"Oh, Maker's breath."
"You… you aren't angry, are you?"
"Angry? No! No." Alistair ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just… I mean, I thought… I knew Eamon and the rest… they'd expect an heir, you know? And with the taint in our blood, I just… I never thought it would be possible. Every Grey Warden I knew who had children had them before they took the Joining..." Unexpectedly he reached out and placed the hand on Serena's stomach. "So there's a baby in there? Right now?"
"Right now," Serena said, smiling gently. "Getting bigger, I suppose. I think that's what babies do. They get bigger and bigger and then they come out eventually."
"Wow. Wow. We… that's our baby. Our baby! I'm going to be a father! To a baby!"
"I'm glad you stopped saying what."
"When is it… when do you think it'll come out?" Alistair's elation slowly seemed to be evolving into the same worries Serena felt. "I mean, with the Blight… what do we...?"
"I have quite a few months to go, Wynne said. The better part of a year, I think." Placing her hand on his, she squeezed it tight. "I can do this. And honestly… if we don't kill the archdemon, baby or no baby, it won't matter. There won't be an us, or a them, or a Ferelden. This will have all been for nothing."
"You're right. You're… you're always right." Alistair sighed heavily. "I just… this adds a whole level of worry, you know. You can't be on the front lines anymore, Serena." He placed a finger over lips to stop her protest. "No, I just won't have it. Killing the archdemon is one thing, but I won't endanger the lives of my wife and my child fighting thieves in some back alley. It's not worth it, and you know it."
"So I'm meant to do what then?"
"You're Commander. You'll... command people."
"And what will you do, then? Fight all my battles for me?"
"I'm king," Alistair said. "I'll… do kingly things. You know it's really too bad you aren't king, then I could be the one carrying the baby around…"
Serena poked him in the stomach playfully. "I suppose we could always kill the archdemon by having it laugh at you to death."
"Oh, I don't know. I heard pregnancy is supposed to make you glow..." Alistair's face broke into another grin. "I still can't believe it, you know. We're going to have a baby. Did Wynne know if it was going to be a boy or a girl?"
Serena shrugged. "If she did, she didn't tell me. I can't even feel it yet... if it weren't for me wanting to eat everything in sight-"
"And we're Grey Wardens on top of it-"
"Which means our normal is to eat like a pack of starving wolves."
"I shudder to think how much the baby will eat, having us for parents." Alistair squeezed her hand. "A baby! Maker's breath. No matter how many times I say it... Do you think we should tell the others?"
"I was just thinking about that. Eamon would want to know, I'm sure of it. You heard his "advance notice" comment earlier. Ugh." Serena shook her head. "And Alim and Morrigan will know soon enough if Wynne could sense it." She sighed. There was so much to worry about these days. As much of a blessing as this baby would be, it was coming at quite a price already as well. "I suppose we should. They've all been with us for ages now. They feel as much like family as Fergus does."
"Yes, it's amazing what taking down a couple dragons together will do for securing that friendly bond between companions, eh?" Yawning wide, Alistair moved to stand, pulling Serena up gently with him. "I think I've had enough speechifying for one day, however. Maybe in the morning. After breakfast."
"...Or maybe lunch."
"That's the spirit, my dear. Food first, shocking news and awkward congratulations second."
"Agreed." They headed down the hallway to the room they shared, hand in hand.
"Hey Serena?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"Hey Alistair?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you, too."