by Milton Garby
Anora's face turned sour and her fist angrily clenched at the mentioning of that base-born usurper. "Alistair seems like a good man. But that does not make him king material. Ferelden doesn't need a good man, it needs a strong ruler. He is untested and unwilling. Alistair could destroy everything Cailan and I have done." Anora stated firmly, but honestly. "I, however, have ruled this nation in all but name for almost five years. I am what this nation needs, not Alistair."
"Well, it seems to me that your father has been doing a fine job of destroying everything you and Cailan have done all by himself, with your authority no less." Aedan rebutted sternly. "You think that just because Cailan happened to have the misfortune of dying that the mantle of rulership falls to you? This isn't Orlais, in case you've forgotten that. You and your father have spent so much time looking down on others from your high positions that you've forgotten what it's like to be amongst our people." Aedan's scolding of both her and her father as well as mentioning her husband's death caused feeling of anger to erupt in Anora but she kept her composure. "And while you were standing around letting your father trample on every right we Feredans hold sacred, Alistair was in the Deep Roads, the Brecelian Forest and in the Temple of Sacred Ashes wading through demons, darkspawn and every kind of enemy in creation fighting at my side, and helping me gather the strength necessary to defeat the Blight."
"I have no doubts that Alistair is a great warrior and Grey Warden." Anora agreed. "But do you honestly think he has what it takes to rule this country? I have my doubts. Could he really live up to the legacy of Maric the Savior?"
"Alistair didn't grow up in a castle, it's true." Aedan agreed. "But look at Calenhad the Great. He was poor dog handler before he united Ferelden. The same was true of King Maric. Alistair has lived amongst our people, and thanks to your father, he knows what it's like to be hunted and persecuted. And despite everything that been mounted up against him, he was still there fighting for Ferelden in her time of need." Aedan smiled impudently. "Personally, I think Alistair is more of Maric's son than Cailan ever was."
Aedan's disrespect for her husband's memory made Anora want to slap the Warden for his impudence, but she maintained her self-control. She would not show weakness in front of Aedan. Anora Mac Tir would not be pushed around by anyone.
"What do you say we cut the self-worthiness bullshit, Anora?" Aedan finally relented. "I won't deny that you've been a capable administrator for the past five years, but there are many in the Landsmeet who aren't happy with the authority you gave your father, and there are also many who will want to see Maric's son on the throne." Aedan was finally getting down to business. "You and I both know this. So, why not simply marry Alistair, and everyone gets what they want."
Anora was taken aback by such a suggestion. She was still a recent widow and hasn't had proper time to mourn her husband. Anora did love Cailan in her way, but it was still more of a sibling love than anything else. Now Aedan wanted her to marry his brother? "Ignoring the fact that the man looks so much like Cailan, my recently deceased husband, if you remember. My main fear is that he will govern like Cailan, but he does have royal blood, which to some is more important than practical matters."
"So when your father had his men murder Bann Grainne of Wintersbreath for burning her own crops that was him being practical?" Aedan reminded. "Burning the king's grain was the charge I believe."
"Is this even something Alistair would consent to?" Anora questioned. "Would he be willing to set aside his freedom?"
"Unlike some people I've met, Alistair actually takes the Blight seriously." Aedan answered. "Trust me, he will consent to this."
"If this is to happen he must promise to stand aside and allow me to continue to rule on my own." The queen's request caused Aedan to flinch irritably. "It is my understanding that governing does not appeal to him anyway. If he is willing to rule as king in name in only, then that is an arrangement I can live with."
"Too fucking bad, Anora." Aedan shot down her proposal like a turkey. "That's not how it's going to work. The instant you had the throne to yourself the kingdom went to shit. If Alistair is to be crowned alongside you, he has to share in that responsibility." The Warden explained. "Your marriage has to be a nightmare for the both of you."
Anora could see that there was no persuading Aedan. His loyalty to Alistair was noble but misguided. But if it meant retaining her authority as queen, she would have to comply. For now. "To marry Cailan's brother." Anora sighed. "I suppose stranger things have happened. Is this it? I marry Alistair and you agree to give me your support in the Landsmeet?"
"There is one more condition, Anora." Aedan revealed insidiously. "I still want your father's head on a pike. That's non-negotiable! His crimes are too severe to be ignored."
Anora was completely stunned by the very suggestion. How could he ask such a thing of her? "My father is the best war leader in all of Ferelden, and a hero to its people. Surely you can see the benefits of having him as a general once he is deposed?"
"I watched all the loyal soldiers and your husband die at the hands of the darkspawn from the Tower of Ishal, Anora. I saw the look on the faces of the elves he was selling into slavery. So, No. I don't see the benefits of having such a man serving as a general. He must die." The intense look of hatred in Aedan's eyes could have burned a witch at the stake.
"Then…that is how it must be." Anora relented sadly. "We have an agreement then, Aedan?"
"We have an agreement." Aedan confirmed with a strange grim happiness.
"I trust you'll keep your end of the bargain, Warden." Anora said bitterly. "Next comes the difficult task of dealing with my father. That will be no small feat, I assure you. But of course you know this." Aedan noticed the disingenuous tone in her voice and that sly look in her eyes as she turned to leave.
"Anora." Aedan called warningly. "I've been having to clean up your father's mistakes since the moment Howe killed my family. And you only turned against him when he threatened your bid for the throne. I am not a man to be crossed a second time. And don't forget, you may have been educated by my mother, but I was raised by her."
Anora left Aedan's room and stormed down the hallway. She was beginning to think that relying on the Grey Wardens to secure her throne might be a mistake. She couldn't allow Alistair's idiocy to destroy everything she had built for Ferelden for the past five years. And the fact that he was backed by a very volatile heir to the powerful terynir of Higever made the situation direr. Alistair from what she had seen and heard from Cailan was a naïve oaf of a man, not that much different than Cailan himself, and if he did become ruler he'd be more inclined to listen Aedan's violent and irrational counsel rather than her own. Perhaps her father was right, at least in this instance; should Alistair take the throne it would be the Warden ruling not hers. She couldn't allow that. Alistair's stupidity and Aedan's recklessness would destroy Ferelden. Not to mention Aedan was completely erratic, he had absolutely no respect for authority and set on strong-arming her into this possible marriage. She would not be bullied nor would she be dissuaded. So for the sake of her country and for the sake of maintaining her sovereignty she would have to do something drastic. The most important thing her father taught her was "A country conforms to its ruler, not the other way around."
After Anora had left Aedan resumed his drinking and drawing. His mind and hand left the images of those he hated and traveled to those he cared about. His mother, his father, Fergus. Orianna. Oren. Morrigan. These last few weeks she had been very distant from him, and whenever he tried to ask her why she would push him away. He couldn't shake the need he had for her away. He needed to finally tell her how he truly felt.
Aedan put on a simple shirt and silently made his way to Morrigan's room. After Aedan rapped on the door and asked to be let in. Morrigan hesitantly allowed him. Morrigan's room was simple enough. Aedan noticed the mirror he had given her was resting on the night table and glittering in the dim fire light. "Is there something you wanted, Aedan?"
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br /> "Yes, there is." Aedan answered softly. "Morrigan, ever since you asked me about how I feel about you, you've been avoiding me. I cannot ignore this any longer."
"I've already told you that I don't want to..."
"Please, let me finish." Aedan insisted. "Tomorrow may definitely decide the fate of this nation. After that everything is uncertain. I don't if I'll be alive after it's all done, or if I'll be killed fighting the darkspawn. So, please hear me out."
Morrigan wanted him to leave so badly, but her heart wanted him to stay. She needed to hear his words. "Very well, Aedan. But I promise nothing."
"At the Temple of Sacred Ashes and at Howe's estate you heard me say that avenging my family was my only reason for living."
"Yes, and from what I've seen I believe it."
"I lied, both times." Aedan confessed. "For a while it was true. But then you became my reason for living." Morrigan felt her heart skip a beat. "Morrigan, I love you. No matter what you may think of love, or what may happen to me after tomorrow, please know that."
Morrigan tried her hardest to fight back her emotions, but the more she fought the more her feelings shone through. "Aedan, please." She practically wept. "You must stop this. You don't know what it is you're saying."
"No. I do know what I'm saying, Morrigan." Aedan insisted as he gently cupped her face in his hand. "And I swear that when this is over, I'll spend every day I have in me with you. I'll show you that love is real."
Morrigan was drawn by the intensity of his determined, yet gentle blue eyes. Damn him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right now. To feel his warm embrace and love. Morrigan embraced Aedan and cuddled her head into his chest and tried hold back her tears. "I want that more than you could possibly realize." The witch whispered. "But I can't. Please, please let this go. It can't be."
Aedan still couldn't understand. "Why? Why can't it be? Is it because I'm a Warden or that I'm a noble?"
"No." Morrigan answered truthfully. "You are the most perfect man I have ever met. And any woman who thinks otherwise is not worthy of you. 'Tis me. I want nothing more than to have life with you, to wake every morning and find myself in your arms and spend my days with you. But 'tis not to be."
"Why can't it?" Aedan urged. "You are not a woman to let anything get in your way, no matter the opposition. It's one of the things I love about you. So why can't it be unless you don't want it?"
Morrigan bit her tongue and forced back the answer. "Please, Aedan. If you love me, then please wait. Trust that I will give you the answer when the time is right. I will explain everything."
Aedan couldn't stand to see how much he was hurting Morrigan. "Very well, Morrigan." Aedan relented. "I won't force this. I will wait until you're ready. Only because I love you. But please know that everything I've said is the truth."
Aedan quietly left the room. Morrigan slumped against the door until her face fell into her knees and quietly wept to herself. She felt her heart breaking inside her chest, she did love him and he loved her. But Aedan of all people knew that what a person must do always comes before their own feelings. All she could do now was hope that Aedan would forgive her.
The Day of the Landsmeet….
XoXoXo
Today was the day. The fate of their nation would be decided by those who safeguarded it, and they would choose who would lead them against the Blight. And if they were going to be the saviors of this country, they needed to look the part. Which is why Aedan took Alistair too Wade's Emporium. "Why are we at an armorer's when the Landsmeet is only hours away?" Alistair asked anxiously. Ever since he woke up this morning he felt like he was just a small surprise away from having a heart-attack. It wasn't enough that the Blight was almost on their doorstep, and the fact that he may actually become king of a whole nation, but he woke to the delightful surprise that Aedan cut a deal with Anora last night and arranged for the two of them to get married! As in "husband and wife" married. To his brother's widow no less! Aedan was able to convince him that this was the best course of action, his humility could be the perfect counter-balance to her pride, and it would cement the peace. Maker, he hated that was almost always right.
"I figured that if you're going to be made king at the Landsmeet, you may as well look the part." Aedan answered as he waited for Wade to bring the finished piece.
"That's a little optimistic, don't you think?" Alistair countered. He still didn't know if they could pull this off. "I mean, I doubt everyone's going to be thrilled to put a bastard on the throne."
"Well, that depends on what said bastard has accomplished." Aedan sighed. Wade finally came in through the back giddy as a girl in a dress, whereas Herren, who was wheeling in the veiled final piece, had a forlorn look of agitation plastered on his face.
"Here it is, ser." The master smith practically squealed. "The materials you brought me were breath taking and they worked amazingly! This will undoubtedly go down as one of the highlights of my career!"
"Oh, good!" Herren's voice was laced with dismal sarcasm. "You can put that down on the paper work, too. When we file for bankruptcy."
"Silence, Herren!" Wade demanded. "The Warden asked me for a set fit for a king! And no Fereldan King will be anything less than glorious if I have anything to say about it!"
Wade pulled the veil off and revealed a set of armor the likes of which Alistair hadn't seen before. The armor was charcoal black with gold highlighting, featuring engraved Mabaris on the fauld. The pauldrons were shaped into the forms of snarling Mabari heads, the boots were engraved with the symbol of the Fereldan Templar Order and the image of the Griffons were stamped on the gauntlets in honor of the Grey Wardens. The cuirass was reinforced splintmail which gave protection against arrows and would glance off sword blows. There were also some strange inscription delicately etched into it. "Are these protective enchantments?" Aedan asked very impressed.
"Well, I have a friend of a friend who is rather good at protective spells." Wade answered bashfully. "And since this man is a descendant of the Calenhad the Silver Knight, I thought I would try to measure up to that legendary armor he wore."
The final piece was the helmet, which was a piece of Fereldan at all on its own. It was designed in the shape of a Mabari head, with the wearers head was to fit in its snarling maw. The entire piece screamed Fereldan pride, while also detailing everything that Alistair is. Templar. Warden. Fereldan King. Alistair couldn't believe that Aedan arranged such a maginificent set for him. "Where did you get the material for this?"
"You remember the scales I fleeced off that High Dragon?" Aedan answered. "Well, I gave those scales to Wade and commissioned him to fashion this armor for you."
"And without even paying us, I might add." Hahren whined under his breath.
"Silence, Heren!" Wade snapped. "We are making art for the future king! I will not accept the king's gold for merely performing my craft!"
"But why do I need this armor?" Alistair questioned. "My armor….My brother's armor has served me well. And I haven't even been elected king yet."
"Because, Alistair, you need to stop being a ghost of someone else and living in another's legacy." Aedan's wisdom was actually profound. "When people see you Cailan's armor they think you're him, or you're trying to honor his memory. Others may want you on the throne simply because you're Maric's son. Instead, show them who you truly are, what you've accomplished, and let that be the king that rules over us."
Once again Aedan was right, but this time in the best way. "You're right, Aedan. I do need to stop letting other people's expectation and legacies define me. I never gave a damn about Maric in the first place. Anora thinks she could just push me off to the side, but that's not who I am, not anymore. It's time the whole world saw me for who I am."
"Then put the damn armor on!" Aedan insisted. "We've got a Landsmeet to win!"
Wade was truly a master of his craft, the armor fit Alistair so perfectly it was like a second skin, and its weight was so evenly distributed it felt like it
weight nothing. Alistair donned the mabari-shaped helm and realized that this armor felt more…natural than wearing his brother's armor, it didn't feel like he was trespassing on another, but strangely like he was shedding his own skin. "There is one last thing I that I think you should have."
Aedan handed Alistair a veiled object with an unusual sense of deference. Alistair unveiled the giht and was almost brought to tears, something he promised himself not to do again, but these were tears were too joyful to be held back. It was a silverite shield and despite being worn and battle-scared it still shined with a bright luster. On the face of the shield was painted a Griffon standing rampant regardant, with a silver dagger in both talons and flaming tongue. "This…this shield. It belonged to Duncan."
"Riordan told me of the cache of weapons that was hidden in the city." Aedan explained. "I recognized that as Duncan's. You once said you had nothing to remember him by, so I thought you would be the most appropriate person to bear this shield."
"Thank you, Aedan." Alistair sniffed as he wiped away his tears. "I shall always treasure this gift."
"Wear this and your armor proudly as we redeem our names and the Order of the Grey in the Landsmeet. And we will both prove we are our father's sons." Aedan's pride and charisma radiated off of him like a halo.
With this new found sense of self-confidence Alistair walked with his head held high, and for once in his life, embraced his right to be king.
At the Royal Palace of Ferelden….
XoXoXo
The two Grey Wardens and their companions walked the street with utter surety and, for the first time since they arrive in this city, without incident. Some of the citizens of the city, humans, dwarves and elves alike even came out and greeted them as heroes. But Aedan felt that it was undeserved, they still haven't saved the country yet. The Fereldan Palace did not possess any of the comforts or grandeur one would expect in the seat of royalty, like in Orlais or the Free Marches. Fereldans preferred practicality over beauty and held opulence in contempt, so the palace was built more like a fortress than a house of royalty. Built upon a high hill with powerful walls, thick barricaded doors and mighty towers standing proudly. The seat of Fereldan kings also reflected their might.