Serena kept her seat as Faren and the others left. She remained silent as I prepared myself another plate of food. The conversation we'd just had caused my food to go cold and some of those delectable dishes were best when they were nice and hot. Once I'd taken my seat, and managed to get in a few swallows from my plate, Serena offered me a smile. It wasn't a smile she'd ever given me before. It was fake, disingenuous, and clearly self motivated. I knew Serena well enough by now that I could tell when she was being genuine with me, and when she wanted something. This was clearly the ladder.

"How's your father, Merida?" Serena asked. The way she said it was almost genuine, but her tone was off and it hinted that she knew the answer already.

"He's as well as one can hope to be at his age," I responded with a smile. "Much better than any human could hope to be at his age."

Serena nodded and tittered, "That's fair. He's getting on in his years, though. I was surprised Bhelen came along when he did. Your mother and father must have been surprised by his arrival."

I only shrugged, "Bhelen was a blessing. He's growing into a very accomplished enchanter. Dagna believes he'll soon rival her in his prowess with lyrium."

"And he's not as adept at politics as he would have been thanks to you," Serena winked. She was referring to how Bhelen manipulated the Assembly and certain events in the game to cause the dwarf noble, me in this case, to be banished from Orzammar.

"Oh, he's just as adept of a politician as I am," I explained. "I made sure of that. He's been learning since he was little and he accompanies me when I meet with nobles and when I attend meetings with the Assembly. I want him to be as capable as possible."

"You're not afraid he might try to bring about a similar situation as he did in your origin story?" Serena asked, a hint of confusion in her otherwise nonplussed tone.

I shook my head, "Not at all. I love Bhelen, and he thinks of me as his dear sister and as the closest thing to a mother that he has. I've given him all the attention and care that he could want. He has no plans on hurting me physically or politically, I'm quite sure. In any case, even if he did want to, who among the dwarves would believe anything anyone tried to frame me for at this point? I have too much favor with every dwarf on Thedas for them to believe I would do anything so duplicitous."

"You've certainly endeared yourself to your people," Serena mused. She looked at me with a subtle quizzical expression, "I suppose you've resigned yourself to the inevitability of becoming Queen, then?"

I paused and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly before responding, "I honestly never considered becoming Queen until after we retook Aeducan Thaig."

Serena laughed, "Are you serious? What were you, ten at the time? You were already a Paragon, and you'd rearranged Dwarven society by creating the Surface Caste. You honestly didn't think you'd be Queen after all of that?"

"I was nearly eleven, and no, I hadn't," I admitted. "I had lived my life with the idea that Trian would be King and I simply wanted Trian to like me and consider me good counsel. It wasn't until the day before we retook Aeducan Thaig that Trian revealed that he was going to remain there and step aside from consideration so that I would have an easier path to becoming Queen. I honestly would have preferred if things had stayed the way I was hoping they would."

"You don't want to be Queen?" Serena asked. For the first time in our conversation, the surprise and confusion in her voice were genuine. "Why not?"

I balked at her, "What do you mean? Look at everything I have to deal with now just as a princess. I've reclaimed the thigh, helped manage the battle at Ostagar, I oversee much of the dealings concerning the Surface Caste, and I can't even walk the streets of my home without fanfare."

"Yes," Serena said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I can see how horrible that could be."

"I mean it!" I insisted. "I don't get any time to myself. My entire day is spent in service to my people and others from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. And even then I don't sit idly by. I practice my magic and powers in the Fade. Out of all the Fated, I've never stopped working or training since I was a year old. But I keep my smile up, I keep pushing forward, I give everyone that beacon to light their way day in and day out."

"Why?" Serena asked curiously.

My expression changed to one of almost heart break, "Because if I don't, who will? This is a dark and dangerous world. People need someone to give them hope; someone who will point to a better way of life and lead them to it. They deserve that chance."

Serena remained quiet for some time before she let a dry huff of laughter escape her, "And here I was always thinking that you were just one big ball of positive energy, when in reality you were just as tired and exhausted as the rest of us."

"I wish I was the person people think I am," I sighed. "I wish I could live up to the idea they have of me. But it seems like every time I achieve a goal, every time I hit some marker that think will make things easier, something happens that forces me to make more plans, more contingencies, and to work harder. First it was Trian, then the Thaigs, then Ostagar, and now Solas and Seven. I just want to know when I'll finally be able to relax for a few years."

"Well, if you ask me, I think you're already acting like a real queen," Serena offered in an encouraging and surprisingly sincere tone. "You set the bar for every one of us, Merida. And we all end up falling short, but end up further than where we would have if we hadn't been trying to keep up with you. Me most of all."

I look at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Serena sighed, "I see you as a rival. Every accomplishment you make, I try to replicate. I want to keep up with you. So far, you're ahead. You were born as royalty, I had to marry into it. You became a leader of your people, I had to work to gain respect with mine. You'll no doubt be named Queen when your father passes or abdicates, so I'm trying to become Queen as well."

"You're trying to be Queen?" I asked in shock. "Didn't Alistair relinquish his right to the throne as part of the deal that allowed you to marry him?"

Serena nodded, "Yes he did. I, however, did not. I am still a Cousland; the second most powerful family in Ferelden. Alistair has been acknowledged by his father as a legitimate son so that the marriage could happen. I now control Amaranthine and I'm building it into the world's largest port city. I've been meeting with nobles to garner their favor, and I have met with King Maric to be able to make you an offer out of… friendship."

Everything Serena said had added up in my head. When she mentioned friendship, the equation fell apart. It wasn't friendship she was about to make this offer out of. I narrowed my eyes conspiratorially, "Friendship? Or aspiration?"

"Both," Serena admitted bluntly. "It's my hope that you will accept this offer, and in return back myself and Alistair as Maric's chosen heirs."

"This sounds less like a gift and more like a bribe," I couldn't help but state.

"I hope you'll see it more as a gift," Serena shrugged. "It's something I think you'll be able to work with and it will open some interesting avenues for you in the future once things settle down. And before I tell you what it is, understand that I am only able to offer it because King Maric himself has given his permission to make this offer. On his behalf, of course."

"Of course," I said with a mixture of curiosity and hesitancy. "What is it you're offering, then?"

Serena's smile turned wicked and predatory, "The Teyrnir of Gwaren."

I stared at her for some time as I processed the idea, "I'm going to ask my questions that I'm certain you have answers for. But I will ask them all the same to cover my bases."

"Please do," Serena bowed her head.

"How can I be given the Teyrnir of Gwaren?" I began, not really letting a moment slip as I continued asking questions. "Doesn't the Teyrnir belong to Anora now that her father is dead? And can a dwarf rule over a human Teyrnir? Where would that put me in Ferelden Hierarchy? I can't imagine many humans being happy about a dwarf suddenly outranking all but the royal family. And when you say that the Teyrnir is mine, does that mean it's mine until I pass, or that it's mine and is passed along to my successors?"

"All excellent questions," Serena nodded. "As far as the how is concerned, I met with King Maric and Anora. I pointed out that Anora doesn't want to bother with running the city, and that she shouldn't have to worry about it once she becomes Queen. So offering it to one of Ferelden's greatest allies and a future Queen would solidify relations between our two peoples. It took a bit of nuance and convincing, but they eventually agreed and said that I should make the offer while I was here for Trianna's wedding."

"King Maric has admitted that naming a dwarf as a Teyrn would be a first, and it would set a unique precedence among the nobility; but his advisors have said that it shouldn't be too difficult to establish since Ferelden already boasts dwarven citizens, and the king may ennoble any citizen he pleases."

"I'm not a citizen of Ferelden," I couldn't help but point out.

"I think that's more of a matter of semantics," Serena waved the detail off. "As far as how long it would be yours, the title would act as any noble title does and would be passed down through your bloodline. So it would be yours in perpetuity."

"And in return for the Teyrnir, you would want me to do what?" I asked, not certain how I felt about her ignoring the point that I wasn't a Ferelden citizen and thusly couldn't rightfully hold a title.

"You back my position when I push for Alistair and I to be named as King Maric's heirs," Serena stated.

I stared at her doubtfully for several moments, "You are offering me the Teyrnir of Gwaren, a noble title which currently belongs to Anora who is only agreeing to this proposal because she believes she won't need to Teyrnir since she is becoming Queen. At the same time, you want me to accept the offer with the caveat that I back you as the choice for Maric's successor, which would then leave Cailan and Anora with the Teyrnir of Gwaren to fall back on."

Serena made an attempt to interrupt me but I held up a hand to stop her as I continued, "Furthermore, you dismiss my concern that I am not a citizen of Ferelden and may not even be able to hold that title if Anora contests it. It seems that you're offering me gold from someone else's purse and expecting them to be alright with it. There has to be a detail you're leaving out, or some contingency that you haven't shared to make this work."

She shook her head as she smiled wearily at me, "I suppose I deserve that. It would seem like I'm handing you a poison apple, but I assure you that isn't the case. Once Anora realizes that she's lost the crown and the Teyrnir, I will be ready to offer her the Arlet of Amaranthine which will have been built into much more than it used to be."

"And you think she'll be content with going from a Teyrness and prospective queen to an Arless?" I asked skeptically.

"Better an Arless than a corpse," was Serena's bold reply. "We both know that Anora is not one to sit idly by and be snubbed like this. But if she has a thriving Arling to soothe her wounded ego, I would like to think that she would take it and be content."

"You honestly don't believe she would be plotting your downfall from Amaranthine?" I asked.

"She can plot all she likes," Serena snapped. "If I can get a whiff of it, then I'll have no other recourse than to have her executed. Otherwise, I'll be happy to show her favor."

"I think it's unwise to put someone who will be antagonistic toward you in charge of your largest port city," I suggested. "She'll use that income and influence to work against you."

Serena smirked, "Then I suppose the kingdom will simply have to find another city to build up as its primary port. I hear of a fine port city in the southeast that has potential."

She was referring to Gwaren. I had to give Serena credit, she had thought this through. However, there was the lingering detail of my citizenship. I sat back and considered everything for a time while I ate my food. The prolonged silence seemed to please Serena since it meant that I was thinking things over. Fortunately for me, I was thinking over the world's lore, and Gwaren had some special lore concerning dwarves.

I dabbed my mouth with a napkin and corrected my posture, "The biggest problem is the fact that I am not a citizen of Ferelden. I'm an ally at best. If there came a time of doubt, Anora could easily point out the fact that I cannot control a Teyrnir since a non-citizen cannot hold a title. However, there is a method by which I can control the city without any chance of reprisal on Anora's part."

"And what might that be?" Serena smiled, eager to see that I was looking for a way to make it work.

"Will you trust me enough to back my idea?" I asked, not giving anything away just yet.

"I haven't heard your idea yet," Serena said with confusion.

"But do you trust me enough to agree to my idea even without hearing it?" I pressed. "If you wish to be the future Queen of Ferelden, this would be an excellent first step in proving that you trust the person who will be your closest, and most powerful, ally."

Serena seemed hesitant for only a moment before she nodded, "I trust you, Merida."

"Call for the King," I said. "I'll tell him what we've agreed to and you only have to worry about supporting my idea."

Again Serena was hesitant, but she eventually nodded. She stood and left the room to instruct a guard to bid King Maric join us in the meeting. It took some time for Maric to arrive, but he did eventually come. Between Serena's initial message and Maric's arrival, Serena tried pressing me to divulge some details about my idea but I only ever responded with 'Just trust me'. The prospect of trusting me to ensure her plans came to fruition made her nervous, and proved that her trust in me was surface level at best. She was taking this chance because she was desperate and had no other real choice.

We both stood as a servant came in and announced Maric's arrival, "King Maric of Ferelden!"

The two of us curtsied as Maric entered the room and cast a curious glance at us, "I was told that I was needed for an important decision. Princess Orodum, can I assume this has something to do with the gift my daughter in law has offered you on my behalf?"

"It is, Your Grace," I responded with a bow of my head. "Would you like to sit and discuss the matter with me?"

Maric kept a stern expression for a moment before letting it melt away into the kind demeanor I was more familiar with, "It would be a pleasure to discuss matters of state with you again, Princess. You always surprise me."

Serena and I sat back down as he took a seat across from us.

"I hope I can continue to do so in this conversation," I replied with a playful smile.

Maric chuckled, "Oh, I have no doubt you will. So, what is it that we need to discuss? Did Serena give you all of the details?"

I nodded, "She did, Your Grace. However, there is a problem with the offer that I cannot see any way around."

"And what might that be?" Maric asked, seeming intrigued.

"Merida isn't a citizen of Ferelden," Serena cut in with a tone that suggested she hadn't considered the idea. "You might allow her to rule Gwaren, but by our laws, she wouldn't be able to hold the title of Teyrn. Should any of the nobles protest, they would be in their rights to call for her being ousted from the city."

"I think that is a problem easily solved with a Landsmeet," Maric offered. "Princess Orodum has curried a great deal of favor with her Surface Caste and standing beside us at Ostagar that the majority of nobles would have little issue with her being named Teyrn of Gwaren."

"It's not the majority I would worry about, Your Grace," I said carefully. "It's the minority that I would concern myself with. I wouldn't want to cause any hard feelings by being promoted above most of the nobles in the land out of nowhere."

"Then I take it you have a suggestion or a solution?" Maric pinched his chin and arched his brows with anticipation.

I nodded, "In fact, I do. Are you aware that Gwaren was originally a dwarven outpost?"

Marric nodded, "As I recall, it became the city it is because a former Teyrn of Gwaren asked the dwarves to build the city and port so that the dwarves would have access to the sea lanes on that side of Ferelden."

"Correct," I nodded in affirmation. "However, the Teyrn never actually paid the dwarves for that work. The Teyrn took control of the city, but the dwarves were not fairly compensated for the work."

"It's a bit late to ask for payment for work done almost four hundred years ago," Maric chuckled.

"I agree," I tittered. "If we kept that up, the debts would pile up on both sides and it would end in bad feelings and conflict. I'm not asking for compensation for Gwaren's construction."

"Then what are you asking for, Merida?" Maric used my first name. He was making this more personable. That was good. He would call me 'Princess' if he wanted things to remain formal, but by calling me by my name I knew that he was willing to hear out my proposal with an honest mind to considering what I said.

"In order to avoid any ill feelings by ennobling me above your own people, I would like to purchase Gwaren for my people," I smiled brightly.

Maric stared at me in silence for a few tense moments, "You wish to purchase the Teyrnin of Gwaren?"

"Not the title," I clarified. "Just the city and its lands. It was a dwarven outpost to begin with, then became a city built by dwarves. Now it will be a city ran by dwarves and considered a dwarven thaig."

"It avoids any hard feelings on the part of the nobles, puts a large mercantile city in the southeast, and secure the dwarves as steady trade allies and a buffer against any threats from the south east," Serena quickly added, catching on to the idea. "It also means that the dwarves will have supply lines we can use stretching across the whole of Ferelden."

"It would also mean that I will have given up two pieces of the country to foreign powers," Maric retorted. "I've given Ostagar and its surrounding lands to the elves. Would you have me give up Gwaren as well?"

"You wouldn't be giving it away, you would be selling it back to its original owners," I clarified. "And I believe you could spin the loss in a positive way. You will be remembered as the king who gave the elves a homeland, and who bolstered the dwarves by giving them an outlet for trade. The king who united Ferelden and her allies for all time. It also wouldn't hurt that the price for Gwaren would be in the millions of sovereigns. That could do a great deal of good for Ferelden's citizens."

"Fair points all," Maric mused and nodded slowly. "I doubt you would like to pay all of the gold up front, however. How would you suggest paying for the city and what would we do with its current population?"

"Allow the current population to remain where they are," Serena said quickly. "The dwarves mostly wish to remain underground. Since the city would mostly be run by the Surface Caste, they would hire the humans to do business for them during the time they are underground."

I nodded in agreement, "That's how it would most likely work. If the humans wish to leave, we will pay for the homes they leave behind so they can have some coin to travel wherever they wish to relocate to."

"And the payment method?" Maric asked, his tone still considering the idea.

"Made in four ways," I offered. "First, we would give you ten percent of the total cost up front. The city and its lands would be given over after the ten percent is paid. After that, we pay another forty percent over the next thirty years in annual installments. The remaining fifty percent would be paid in general labor. My people would dedicate themselves to creating better roads across Ferelden which would link each of Ferelden's cities and town together. Better roads means faster, more reliable transportation which will increase Ferelden's economy, and her emergency and military response readiness."

"You'll offer millions for the city and only pay half of what you offer?" Maric asked, noting that half of what I would offer would come into the form of labor.

"Your Grace," Serena quickly interjected, "trust me when I say that the roads alone would be worth the city. No other country on Thedas has paved roads linking their cities together. This would put Ferelden ahead of the others by leaps and bounds. The money itself is really what you're getting on top of the infrastructure."

"Is that so?" Maric asked as he looked between us. He nodded as he considered the prospect. "I suppose I can see how you would be right. Would you mind if I added a caveat to the proposal?"

"I'm always happy to entertain alternatives," I smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

"I will agree to the proposal in full as you've stated," Maric said. "However, to incentivize the work on the roads, the remaining gold that you owe for the territory once the installments have begun to be paid will be forgiven after work on the roads has been completed."

My eyes widened in disbelief, "Meaning we would not have to pay whatever still remained once we've finished the roads?"

Maric nodded, "Indeed. However, I don't want this to affect the quality of the roads just so you don't owe as much."

"You should know better than that, Your Grace," Serena chided the King playfully. "When has Merida ever done anything but to completion and satisfaction?"

Maric chuckled, "That's true enough. Very well, Meirda. I will agree to your offer. I'm glad Serena was able to propose the idea in such a way that allowed you both to come to this outcome. I think that this will benefit both of our peoples in the long run."

"Your generosity in offering the territory to begin with, as well as giving us a way to mitigate the cost was a welcome surprise, Your Grace," I bowed my head. "I'm certain my father and the Assembly will be overjoyed with the opportunity."
"And if they're not, I'm certain you'll convince them to be," Maric laughed. "Now, before we put pen to parchment, I have one last stipulation."

Serena and I both looked at him curiously, "What's that?"

"You will let me escort you through the festivities tomorrow," Maric told me. "We can enjoy the ceremony, look at how Ostagar has been coming along, and discuss things in detail."

I gave him a resigned smile, amused that he would want to bother spending so much time with me on a day like that, "Of course, Your Grace. I would be honored.

And Serena would have her plan in place. I had to wonder if Maric suspected anything. He was a cunning man, and he could put a number of situations together to come to a conclusion. After all was said and done, I might have to ask if he'd known then what was going on.