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peopleofthedas2013-01-06 02:28 pm
i_paint_the_sky) wrote in peopleofthedas2013-01-06 02:28 pm
The Mistress, chapter 7/? (Rated M)
Crossposted to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
swooping_is_bad, dragonage_fic, and fandomfic
Title: The Mistress
Rating: M
Pairings: Starts with Cailan/Elissa, eventual Alistair/Elissa.
Summary: Elissa Cousland, the favourite of King Cailan, finds herself thrown from the political arena into something completely different as the coming Blight changes her world forever.
Read the rest of the story here
Chapter 7: The King and I
The ruins of Ostagar were immense and no doubt beautiful but Elissa barely spared them a glance beyond determining where her feet should tread. This was especially true as they neared the camp and a gleam of gold caught her eye. She had seen Cailan wear that armour many times and knew that he was waiting for them. Or at least he was waiting for the Commander of the Grey Wardens.
As they neared the bridge that would carry them to the main encampment, she turned to Duncan. “Does he know we are coming?” she asked.
“I sent word to the King and the Wardens that I would be returning with a new recruit but I did not reveal your identity,” he told her. “I did not want to risk compromising our safety … and I know that it is not my story to tell.”
Elissa nodded, grateful as always for his discretion. They continued to walk across the bridge with Barkspawn at her side and her gaze fixed on the King who stood waiting for them. She could see now that he wore King Maric's sword on his back, the shining blade of many a song. As they neared the middle, she saw Cailan take a few steps forward and then a few more. Soon he was striding towards them and she knew he’d recognized her.
Part of her wanted to run to him, to lay out her story before him and allow him to set all things right. But she didn't. She kept walking steadily until finally she stood before him and bowed. Beside her, Duncan did the same, while Barkspawn watched on impassively
“Elissa, darling, what are you doing here?” Cailan asked.
She'd been preparing for this moment ever since she fled the castle but suddenly all the words seemed to fly from her head and she had no answers.
“Your Majesty, I am afraid Lady Cousland is not here of her own volition,” Duncan said, filling the silence.
Cailan frowned. “What do you mean?”
Elissa pictured her father's face, squared her shoulders, and found the ability to speak once more. “My parents have been murdered by Rendon Howe, Your Majesty. His men would have killed me too, had Duncan not helped me escape.”
Cailan stared at her for a moment and she saw something in his face that she'd never seen before. But only for a moment and then everything was shock and fury.
“I cannot believe he would do such a thing, that he would think for a moment that he would get away with it,” the King declared. He closed the distance between himself and Elissa and brought a hand up to rest on her shoulder, the golden gauntlet meeting her now battered and dirty breastplate. “I am so sorry, sweetheart. I promise you, he will not get away with this.”
“What will you do?” Elissa asked, staring into his blue eyes. “What will happen to him?”
“I'll see him hang.”
The wave of relief which washed over Elissa was staggering and she found herself stumbling to keep upright. But then Cailan's arms were around her and even though the world was spinning, it felt for the first time like things might someday be right again.
“Thank you,” she whispered, letting her head fall forward until helmet met breastplate with a quiet clang.
Cailan held her tighter but did not reply. A few moments later he shifted, turning attention back to Duncan. “I had hoped to greet you properly, Duncan, and discuss our plans for the battle, but I am afraid this news changes everything. Perhaps tomorrow morning we might be able to meet?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. The Grey Wardens are at your disposal, always.” Duncan began to walk away. After a moment, Barkspawn followed reluctantly, sensing that Elissa would not be needing or wanting him for the time being.
Elissa listened to Duncan's footsteps until the familiar sound had faded away. Only then did she take a deep breath and straighten her spine. Cailan was looking down at her, his face as serious as she had ever seen. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could she shook her head.
“Please don't,” she told him. “Not right now, at least.”
He nodded. “Very well. Will you at least let me bring you back to camp and take care of you?”
She actually managed a smile, the first in so long. “Yes, Your Majesty, you may do that.”
Cailan smiled back and turned, offering his arm. She took it and they walked across the bridge, towards the bustling camp. Everywhere she looked, there were men and women, some in armour, others not. She even unexpectedly spotted a number of mages – Cailan must have requested their aid as well.
There was so much to look at but eventually her eyes were drawn to the largest and grandest tent of them all, the one they were heading towards. The guards and servants all bowed as their king walked past but as they did, their eyes all strayed towards her. She remembered enjoying that feeling once and wondered at how so much could have changed in so little time.
Mercifully, Cailan ordered a bath to be drawn and somehow a tub filled with warm water appeared not too long afterwards. For a moment she did wonder about how exactly this had been managed, but every thought in the world fled as she stepped in and let warmth envelope her body.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the water when she sensed more than heard Cailan's presence. Her eyes fluttered open to see him sitting a couple of feet away, watching her, out of his armour now and wearing a simple shirt and breeches. “Do you feel better now?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes, much,” she told him, looking down to see skin that was slightly wrinkled but mercifully clean. “Will you pass me that towel, Your Majesty?”
“Of course, my lady,” he said, passing it with even having to stand. Elissa almost laughed, until she saw the look in his eyes and almost shivered instead.
“Cailan ...”
He stood up and offer his hand. “Elissa, if you don't-”
She leaned over and pressed her lips against his. “I want this,” she whispered. “I need this, I need something normal.”
Cailan groaned with want and soon his arms were around her, pulling away the towel to give his fingers access to bared skin. Her own hands tangled up in his hair, as she closed her eyes and kissed him deeper, seeking solace and oblivion.
Bodies and moments began to blur together but eventually, somehow, Elissa found herself lying on a bed of furs with Cailan looming over her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and she could feel him pressing against her, almost but not quite inside. Her breath was ragged as she reached up and gripped his shoulders, her fingers curled, nails digging in.
She cried out, louder than intended, when he finally entered her. She closed her eyes tight and clung to him, letting waves of every emotion in the world pass over her, building and building until she thought she might actually scream.
She didn't, though only just barely. Instead her body collapsed down into the furs, still tingling with sensation and feeling completely loose, completely relaxed. Part of her was aware of Cailan collapsing beside her and kissing her gently, wishing her goodnight. Part of her realized this was the first time she would be literally sleeping with the King.
All of her decided it wasn't worth thinking about anymore and instead let sleep take hold again.
Elissa woke up early in the morning, jolted away by a half remembered dream. It took her a moment to remember where exactly she was and to whom the arm which lay over her belonged. She extricated herself from Cailan's grasp carefully and stood up, looking around for something to wear. She recalled that a robe had been brought to her last night, though she had never actually put it on. She headed for the next room and found it quickly, wrapping the garment around herself to keep the morning chill away.
She wandered back into the makeshift bedroom and stood beside Cailan for a moment, watching him. Part of her had always wondered what he looked like when he was sleeping. As is turned out, there wasn't all that much difference from when he was awake. He was a beautiful man, happy and somehow carefree. She wondered how he could do it.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention away and, out of new habit, almost had her rushing for her weapon. But then she remembered herself and where she was and so had composed herself by the time the servant appeared before her.
“My lady,” he said with a quick bow, “I am sorry to disturb you so early but I have a letter for you from the Warden Commander.”
She reached out and took the envelope he offered her. “Thank you,” she said. After a quick nod, the man left. Elissa sat down on the furs and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside.
“What does it say?”
She spun around with a small shriek at the sound of Cailan's voice. “Maker's breath,” she scolded, “you startled me.”
He only laughed. “I'm sorry, darling. What does Duncan write?”
“He says that we are ready to begin preparing for the Joining ceremony,” she told him, skimming the letter further as she did. “As soon as I am able, he wants me to go and find someone named Alistair, who is going to be overseeing the preparations.”
“Your first official order,” Cailan muttered. “And I'm sure you will do it well.”
Elissa sighed and stood. “You know I would not have chosen this path if I had any other option.”
Cailan looked up at her and nodded. “Yes but I know you will make the best of it and then some. You are quite a remarkable woman, Elissa.”
“Thank you.” She looked down at herself. “I suppose I should get back into my armour.”
“Yes,” Cailan agreed, “I'm the only one in this camp who gets the privilege of seeing you like this. Your armour should be in the back of the tent, alongside mine. I ordered it to be thoroughly cleaned and polished.”
“You are too kind, Your Majesty,” she said before walking back to find the armour which was indeed gleaming. When she walked back out, Cailan was dressed and sitting at a small desk. When she approached, she noticed that he carefully placed blank paper over the letter he had been reading.
“You look every bit a warrior, my lady,” he said, with a smile. “Ready to meet all challenges this day could throw at you.”
Elissa nodded, trying not to think of the fact that no challenge could match those she had already faced – and failing. “Have you met this Alistair?” she asked, suddenly needing a distraction fast.
“I have, actually,” Cailan replied, looking away. “He is... he seems like a very respectable young man. I think you will like him.”
She nodded again. “I should be off, I fear I have much to do today.”
Cailan stood up and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. “May Andraste watch over you,” he said as he released her.
“And you, Your Majesty,” she said before heading towards the tent flap and back out into the wild and crazy and cruel world.
Duncan's letter had said that she would most likely find Alistair around the northeastern part of the main camp. As she walked, she took in her surroundings even more than she had been able to the day before. The sounds of the camp were still so foreign to her, she wasn't sure she would ever get used to it. Or to taking orders, though so far she was doing fairly well with this first one as a Grey Warden – or rather a Grey Warden recruit. She would not be a full member until this ceremony was completed. Duncan had always been particularly vague about what exactly that Joining involved. Perhaps she would have more luck with Alistair.
As she approached the northeast corner of the ruins, she heard raised voices. Or rather, one man with a raised voice and another who was trying to answer the first's questions.
“What is it now? Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?”
The Circle. As Elissa drew closer she was able to see the two men, one of whom was indeed a mage. The other was a young man in Warden armour, who had to be Alistair. He was young, like Cailan had said. There was also something about him that seemed... familiar.
“I simply came to deliver a message from the Revered Mother, ser mage,” Alistair said. “She desires your presence.”
The mage scowled. “What Her Reverence desires is of no concern to me. I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders I might add.”
“Should I have asked her to write a note?” Alistair asked and Elissa began to wonder at the King's definition of very respectable.
The mage looked equally unimpressed. “Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner.”
“Yes,” Alistair said, “I was harassing you by delivering a message.”
“Your glibness does you no credit.”
“Here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you. The grumpy one.”
The mage scowled even deeper. “Enough,” he said, “I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way, fool.” He stormed past Alistair and only barely avoided running into Elissa. She turned slightly to watch him storm off. When she turned back, Alistair was standing in front of her.
“You know,” he said, “one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together.”
“What?”
“Uh, nevermind,” Alistair stammered, colouring slightly. “Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like mage to you?”
His face continued to redden. “No, I suppose not. Well, less being yelled at for me then, though the day is still young. Wait,” he looked at her closer, “I do know who you are. You're Duncan's new recruit, from Highever. I should have recognized you right away, I apologize.”
“My name is Elissa,” she said, having some pity on the man. While his respectability might be a bit on the questionable side, he was still her superior in rank. At least he was now.
Alistair beamed at her. “Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alistair, the new Grey Warden. Though I guess you knew that. As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining.”
She kept herself from adding that she already knew this as well, instead taking the opportunity to seek out the information she needed. “What can you tell me about this Joining?”
There was a shift in his face, quite obvious to anyone who knew what to look for. “Honestly, nothing,” he lied. “Uh... try not to worry about it. It will just distract you.
She looked at him and smiled as sweetly as possible. “Surely you can tell me something.”
His face was quickly turning crimson again. “I... look, I can't tell you much, alright? The Joining is... I wish I could forget it but I can't. I don't envy what you're going to have to go through.”
“Fine,” Elissa said, resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get anything out of him, at least not just yet.
They stood in silence for a moment, something which seemed to offend Alistair's sensibilities as he began to speak again. “You know,” he babbled, “it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?”
“Probably because we're too smart for you,” she said, a tinge of annoyance evident in her voice.
“True,” Alistair said, apparently not noticing, “but if you're here what does that make you?”
Elissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath before giving her painful honest answer. “Incredibly unlucky.”
“Ouch,” he exclaimed. “Anyhow, whenever you're ready, let's get back to Duncan. I imagine he'sa eager to get things started.”
“You don't have to accompany me, do you?” she asked, though she was not expecting a favourable answer.
Alistair only smiled. “Don't worry, I'll try not to embarrass you.”
Elissa shook her head slightly but started walking, knowing the only way that was likely to happen would be if her new companion learned how to keep his mouth shut.
Note: Right now would be a good moment to give a shout out to another Cailan/Cousland fic set in Ostagar which I quite enjoy and which, while quite different in characterization, was one of the initial inspirations for me to write this fic. If you enjoyed this chapter, I definitely think you would enjoy reading this story as well: In Loss, Freedom by runsinthefamily.
swooping_is_bad, dragonage_fic, and fandomficTitle: The Mistress
Rating: M
Pairings: Starts with Cailan/Elissa, eventual Alistair/Elissa.
Summary: Elissa Cousland, the favourite of King Cailan, finds herself thrown from the political arena into something completely different as the coming Blight changes her world forever.
Read the rest of the story here
The ruins of Ostagar were immense and no doubt beautiful but Elissa barely spared them a glance beyond determining where her feet should tread. This was especially true as they neared the camp and a gleam of gold caught her eye. She had seen Cailan wear that armour many times and knew that he was waiting for them. Or at least he was waiting for the Commander of the Grey Wardens.
As they neared the bridge that would carry them to the main encampment, she turned to Duncan. “Does he know we are coming?” she asked.
“I sent word to the King and the Wardens that I would be returning with a new recruit but I did not reveal your identity,” he told her. “I did not want to risk compromising our safety … and I know that it is not my story to tell.”
Elissa nodded, grateful as always for his discretion. They continued to walk across the bridge with Barkspawn at her side and her gaze fixed on the King who stood waiting for them. She could see now that he wore King Maric's sword on his back, the shining blade of many a song. As they neared the middle, she saw Cailan take a few steps forward and then a few more. Soon he was striding towards them and she knew he’d recognized her.
Part of her wanted to run to him, to lay out her story before him and allow him to set all things right. But she didn't. She kept walking steadily until finally she stood before him and bowed. Beside her, Duncan did the same, while Barkspawn watched on impassively
“Elissa, darling, what are you doing here?” Cailan asked.
She'd been preparing for this moment ever since she fled the castle but suddenly all the words seemed to fly from her head and she had no answers.
“Your Majesty, I am afraid Lady Cousland is not here of her own volition,” Duncan said, filling the silence.
Cailan frowned. “What do you mean?”
Elissa pictured her father's face, squared her shoulders, and found the ability to speak once more. “My parents have been murdered by Rendon Howe, Your Majesty. His men would have killed me too, had Duncan not helped me escape.”
Cailan stared at her for a moment and she saw something in his face that she'd never seen before. But only for a moment and then everything was shock and fury.
“I cannot believe he would do such a thing, that he would think for a moment that he would get away with it,” the King declared. He closed the distance between himself and Elissa and brought a hand up to rest on her shoulder, the golden gauntlet meeting her now battered and dirty breastplate. “I am so sorry, sweetheart. I promise you, he will not get away with this.”
“What will you do?” Elissa asked, staring into his blue eyes. “What will happen to him?”
“I'll see him hang.”
The wave of relief which washed over Elissa was staggering and she found herself stumbling to keep upright. But then Cailan's arms were around her and even though the world was spinning, it felt for the first time like things might someday be right again.
“Thank you,” she whispered, letting her head fall forward until helmet met breastplate with a quiet clang.
Cailan held her tighter but did not reply. A few moments later he shifted, turning attention back to Duncan. “I had hoped to greet you properly, Duncan, and discuss our plans for the battle, but I am afraid this news changes everything. Perhaps tomorrow morning we might be able to meet?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. The Grey Wardens are at your disposal, always.” Duncan began to walk away. After a moment, Barkspawn followed reluctantly, sensing that Elissa would not be needing or wanting him for the time being.
Elissa listened to Duncan's footsteps until the familiar sound had faded away. Only then did she take a deep breath and straighten her spine. Cailan was looking down at her, his face as serious as she had ever seen. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could she shook her head.
“Please don't,” she told him. “Not right now, at least.”
He nodded. “Very well. Will you at least let me bring you back to camp and take care of you?”
She actually managed a smile, the first in so long. “Yes, Your Majesty, you may do that.”
Cailan smiled back and turned, offering his arm. She took it and they walked across the bridge, towards the bustling camp. Everywhere she looked, there were men and women, some in armour, others not. She even unexpectedly spotted a number of mages – Cailan must have requested their aid as well.
There was so much to look at but eventually her eyes were drawn to the largest and grandest tent of them all, the one they were heading towards. The guards and servants all bowed as their king walked past but as they did, their eyes all strayed towards her. She remembered enjoying that feeling once and wondered at how so much could have changed in so little time.
Mercifully, Cailan ordered a bath to be drawn and somehow a tub filled with warm water appeared not too long afterwards. For a moment she did wonder about how exactly this had been managed, but every thought in the world fled as she stepped in and let warmth envelope her body.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the water when she sensed more than heard Cailan's presence. Her eyes fluttered open to see him sitting a couple of feet away, watching her, out of his armour now and wearing a simple shirt and breeches. “Do you feel better now?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes, much,” she told him, looking down to see skin that was slightly wrinkled but mercifully clean. “Will you pass me that towel, Your Majesty?”
“Of course, my lady,” he said, passing it with even having to stand. Elissa almost laughed, until she saw the look in his eyes and almost shivered instead.
“Cailan ...”
He stood up and offer his hand. “Elissa, if you don't-”
She leaned over and pressed her lips against his. “I want this,” she whispered. “I need this, I need something normal.”
Cailan groaned with want and soon his arms were around her, pulling away the towel to give his fingers access to bared skin. Her own hands tangled up in his hair, as she closed her eyes and kissed him deeper, seeking solace and oblivion.
Bodies and moments began to blur together but eventually, somehow, Elissa found herself lying on a bed of furs with Cailan looming over her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and she could feel him pressing against her, almost but not quite inside. Her breath was ragged as she reached up and gripped his shoulders, her fingers curled, nails digging in.
She cried out, louder than intended, when he finally entered her. She closed her eyes tight and clung to him, letting waves of every emotion in the world pass over her, building and building until she thought she might actually scream.
She didn't, though only just barely. Instead her body collapsed down into the furs, still tingling with sensation and feeling completely loose, completely relaxed. Part of her was aware of Cailan collapsing beside her and kissing her gently, wishing her goodnight. Part of her realized this was the first time she would be literally sleeping with the King.
All of her decided it wasn't worth thinking about anymore and instead let sleep take hold again.
Elissa woke up early in the morning, jolted away by a half remembered dream. It took her a moment to remember where exactly she was and to whom the arm which lay over her belonged. She extricated herself from Cailan's grasp carefully and stood up, looking around for something to wear. She recalled that a robe had been brought to her last night, though she had never actually put it on. She headed for the next room and found it quickly, wrapping the garment around herself to keep the morning chill away.
She wandered back into the makeshift bedroom and stood beside Cailan for a moment, watching him. Part of her had always wondered what he looked like when he was sleeping. As is turned out, there wasn't all that much difference from when he was awake. He was a beautiful man, happy and somehow carefree. She wondered how he could do it.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention away and, out of new habit, almost had her rushing for her weapon. But then she remembered herself and where she was and so had composed herself by the time the servant appeared before her.
“My lady,” he said with a quick bow, “I am sorry to disturb you so early but I have a letter for you from the Warden Commander.”
She reached out and took the envelope he offered her. “Thank you,” she said. After a quick nod, the man left. Elissa sat down on the furs and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside.
“What does it say?”
She spun around with a small shriek at the sound of Cailan's voice. “Maker's breath,” she scolded, “you startled me.”
He only laughed. “I'm sorry, darling. What does Duncan write?”
“He says that we are ready to begin preparing for the Joining ceremony,” she told him, skimming the letter further as she did. “As soon as I am able, he wants me to go and find someone named Alistair, who is going to be overseeing the preparations.”
“Your first official order,” Cailan muttered. “And I'm sure you will do it well.”
Elissa sighed and stood. “You know I would not have chosen this path if I had any other option.”
Cailan looked up at her and nodded. “Yes but I know you will make the best of it and then some. You are quite a remarkable woman, Elissa.”
“Thank you.” She looked down at herself. “I suppose I should get back into my armour.”
“Yes,” Cailan agreed, “I'm the only one in this camp who gets the privilege of seeing you like this. Your armour should be in the back of the tent, alongside mine. I ordered it to be thoroughly cleaned and polished.”
“You are too kind, Your Majesty,” she said before walking back to find the armour which was indeed gleaming. When she walked back out, Cailan was dressed and sitting at a small desk. When she approached, she noticed that he carefully placed blank paper over the letter he had been reading.
“You look every bit a warrior, my lady,” he said, with a smile. “Ready to meet all challenges this day could throw at you.”
Elissa nodded, trying not to think of the fact that no challenge could match those she had already faced – and failing. “Have you met this Alistair?” she asked, suddenly needing a distraction fast.
“I have, actually,” Cailan replied, looking away. “He is... he seems like a very respectable young man. I think you will like him.”
She nodded again. “I should be off, I fear I have much to do today.”
Cailan stood up and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. “May Andraste watch over you,” he said as he released her.
“And you, Your Majesty,” she said before heading towards the tent flap and back out into the wild and crazy and cruel world.
Duncan's letter had said that she would most likely find Alistair around the northeastern part of the main camp. As she walked, she took in her surroundings even more than she had been able to the day before. The sounds of the camp were still so foreign to her, she wasn't sure she would ever get used to it. Or to taking orders, though so far she was doing fairly well with this first one as a Grey Warden – or rather a Grey Warden recruit. She would not be a full member until this ceremony was completed. Duncan had always been particularly vague about what exactly that Joining involved. Perhaps she would have more luck with Alistair.
As she approached the northeast corner of the ruins, she heard raised voices. Or rather, one man with a raised voice and another who was trying to answer the first's questions.
“What is it now? Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the Circle?”
The Circle. As Elissa drew closer she was able to see the two men, one of whom was indeed a mage. The other was a young man in Warden armour, who had to be Alistair. He was young, like Cailan had said. There was also something about him that seemed... familiar.
“I simply came to deliver a message from the Revered Mother, ser mage,” Alistair said. “She desires your presence.”
The mage scowled. “What Her Reverence desires is of no concern to me. I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders I might add.”
“Should I have asked her to write a note?” Alistair asked and Elissa began to wonder at the King's definition of very respectable.
The mage looked equally unimpressed. “Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner.”
“Yes,” Alistair said, “I was harassing you by delivering a message.”
“Your glibness does you no credit.”
“Here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you. The grumpy one.”
The mage scowled even deeper. “Enough,” he said, “I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way, fool.” He stormed past Alistair and only barely avoided running into Elissa. She turned slightly to watch him storm off. When she turned back, Alistair was standing in front of her.
“You know,” he said, “one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together.”
“What?”
“Uh, nevermind,” Alistair stammered, colouring slightly. “Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like mage to you?”
His face continued to redden. “No, I suppose not. Well, less being yelled at for me then, though the day is still young. Wait,” he looked at her closer, “I do know who you are. You're Duncan's new recruit, from Highever. I should have recognized you right away, I apologize.”
“My name is Elissa,” she said, having some pity on the man. While his respectability might be a bit on the questionable side, he was still her superior in rank. At least he was now.
Alistair beamed at her. “Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alistair, the new Grey Warden. Though I guess you knew that. As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining.”
She kept herself from adding that she already knew this as well, instead taking the opportunity to seek out the information she needed. “What can you tell me about this Joining?”
There was a shift in his face, quite obvious to anyone who knew what to look for. “Honestly, nothing,” he lied. “Uh... try not to worry about it. It will just distract you.
She looked at him and smiled as sweetly as possible. “Surely you can tell me something.”
His face was quickly turning crimson again. “I... look, I can't tell you much, alright? The Joining is... I wish I could forget it but I can't. I don't envy what you're going to have to go through.”
“Fine,” Elissa said, resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get anything out of him, at least not just yet.
They stood in silence for a moment, something which seemed to offend Alistair's sensibilities as he began to speak again. “You know,” he babbled, “it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?”
“Probably because we're too smart for you,” she said, a tinge of annoyance evident in her voice.
“True,” Alistair said, apparently not noticing, “but if you're here what does that make you?”
Elissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath before giving her painful honest answer. “Incredibly unlucky.”
“Ouch,” he exclaimed. “Anyhow, whenever you're ready, let's get back to Duncan. I imagine he'sa eager to get things started.”
“You don't have to accompany me, do you?” she asked, though she was not expecting a favourable answer.
Alistair only smiled. “Don't worry, I'll try not to embarrass you.”
Elissa shook her head slightly but started walking, knowing the only way that was likely to happen would be if her new companion learned how to keep his mouth shut.
Note: Right now would be a good moment to give a shout out to another Cailan/Cousland fic set in Ostagar which I quite enjoy and which, while quite different in characterization, was one of the initial inspirations for me to write this fic. If you enjoyed this chapter, I definitely think you would enjoy reading this story as well: In Loss, Freedom by runsinthefamily.