Alistair strode down the hallway of Denerim Castle headed straight for his private chambers. It had been three weeks since he'd heard from his wife. Three weeks. Twenty one days. Five hundred and four hours….he didn't know how many minutes but would as soon as he worked it out. He was going insane not knowing where Daria was. She'd sent word, that she'd be home soon, but that was three weeks ago. Three weeks!

Oh they were having a discussion if she came home. When she came home. He couldn't think she wouldn't come back.

When he reached his bed chamber he stomped through the door with a huff and pulled the crown he wore off his head. He'd probably be sleeping on the couch in front of the fire place again tonight. It wasn't the same when Daria wasn't there.

Snorting a little at the gold crown in his hands he threw it across the room so it landed, spinning, on a hook he'd had installed on the wall opposite the bed. If his advisers knew he did that, they would probably faint dead away.

The king throwing his crown across a room to hang it up, instead of laying it on a velvet pillow, would cause a flurry of raised voices, spinning heads and general outrage. He shrugged out of his robes and pulled his tunic over his head.

"Your advisers would have a fit if they knew you did that." The soft feminine voice came from the bed behind him.

Alistair spun around in surprise. Hoping he hadn't started hallucinating. When his gaze landed on the bed, his wife was laying there wearing one of his tunics, as she often did when she was going to sleep. Her red hair was pulled to the side in a lose plait, tied with the blue ribbon he'd given her before she left. Her long legs were bare, she was reclining back against the head of their bed. A glass of brandy in her hand.

Her big blue eyes glittered when she looked him over. He knew that look. He thought, and couldn't help the small smirk that spread across his face.

"I've missed you my love." She said softly.

"What...How?" he couldn't seem to complete the sentence, he didn't want to move in case he was seeing things and she disappeared. Alistair's heart was beating hard in his chest and his breath came faster.

She put the brandy on the side table and held out her arms, Alistair slid across the bed, knocking them both onto the floor. Daria didn't seem to mind his enthusiasm, they both laughed as they got up and lay on the bed. He'd missed her so much. Her hair, her scent. The way she smiled when she looked at him. Even the way she argued with him.

"How did you get in here without the guards or servants seeing you?" he finally managed.

"Rogue, remember?" She said, her full lips tugging up into a grin.

"Yes, well, maybe we should retrain the guards. We don't want anyone else getting into the castle unannounced." He said now worried that if his guards could miss their own queen walking into the castle, they would miss a lot more as well.

"I didn't want them to see me, so they didn't" she said her face still buried in his shirt.

"My point exactly." Came the flat reply, Daria gave a muffled chuckle.

"Did you find it?" he asked.

"I did. But, I just got back. Aren't there more pressing matters we could attend to?" she leaned back against the bed head again and pulled him with her. Pressing her lips to his.

"Well, since you put it that way…" he said following her down and laying between her spread legs.

"I've missed you husband." She said in between kisses.

"I've missed you as well my love. Please don't do that again, no more time apart. It's just not right without you here."

Daria kissed him again and tightened her hold around his neck. Alistair lay full against her now, sliding his hand down her side until he reached the edge of the tunic she wore.

He yanked the end up over her body, baring her to him. The sight of her naked body had him hard in seconds.

"So beautiful." He murmured as he bent to suck on her rose coloured nipples. She slid her hand into his hair and arched up in pleasure when he bit her hard enough to sting, then licked the hurt away.

He kissed the skin in between her breasts then made his way to her neck, the stubble of his beard abrading her skin making her shudder slightly.

When he finally kissed her again, she was panting slightly and sucked on his lower lip. Alistair rubbed his hardness against her, making her gasp and teasing himself as well.

Daria dug her heels into the mattress and pushed herself up to rub against him. She ran her nails lightly down his back making Alistair groan.

Alistair rolled onto his back and shoved his pants down. When he'd thrown his pants across the room, Daria slid on top of him, rubbing her breasts against his chest. She kissed him like she thought about doing for the past months while she'd been alone on the road.

"I never want to leave you again." She said, then opened her legs and slowly took him inside her. Alistair arched up to drive himself further inside, making them both gasp.

"You will never leave me again woman." He said as she sat up and guided his hands to her breasts. He pinched and squeezed her nipples while she ground against him, squeezing him inside her.

He loved watching her this way. When she leaned back and braced her hands on his thighs he trailed his hand down her stomach to the apex of her thighs. He rubbed her clit the way he knew she liked making her moan and move on him faster.

He knew she was close and rubbed harder, when she gasped and arched, her inner muscles squeezing and releasing him, he grabbed her hips and thrust up hard again and again grinding into her until he came inside her.

She collapsed on top of him breathing hard, he played with her hair while they recovered.

"I love you Alistair." She said drowsily.

"I love you Daria." He said holding her close. Alistair dragged a blanket over them and left her to sleep on top of him.

When Alistair woke the next morning he was relieved that he hadn't had an erotic dream and his wife was indeed still in their bed with him. She was cuddled against his side, her head pillowed on his arm still sound asleep. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. His heart swelled in his chest as he gazed at her.

There was a discreet knock on the door before it opened. Considering no one in the castle knew the Queen was home, they wouldn't expect the King to be naked in bed with anyone at the moment.

His Uncle Teagan walked in and stopped when he saw them both laying there. Alistair held his finger to his lips to stop Teagan from waking Daria. It must have been weeks since she'd had a good night's rest. She wasn't usually such a deep sleeper.

Even though they were both covered with a thick blanket Teagan still flushed and looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry I had no idea the Queen was home." Teagan said as quietly as possible.

"Nobody does, she arrived home last night." Alistair said, trying not to disturb his wife. When she sighed in her sleep, usually a precursor to her waking up, he looked at the door then at Teagan. Who nodded in understanding, saying on his way out, "I'll get the kitchen to send up breakfast for you both." and left as silently as he could.

After Teagan was gone, Alistair lay there a moment longer and looked at his wife. She was the same, but different. He couldn't put his finger on it. Or maybe it was just that he'd missed her and he was happy she was back.

When she didn't wake up, he shook her a little.

"Daria?" when she still didn't wake, he shook her again, harder this time. "Daria!"

She woke with a snort her sleepy eyes unfocused and slightly bloodshot.

"Oh Alistair!" she said, realising where she was.

"You were sleeping so heavily I had trouble waking you. You must have been exhausted last night, you've never slept like that before."

Daria looked at her husband and sighed, "Yes I have. Before the taint I was always a heavy sleeper. You know about the dreams after the joining, when they started happening I stopped sleeping so heavily I guess."

"Ok, why have you…"Alistair stopped and looked at her again.

"You got rid of the taint in you?" he almost shouted. Excitement making him loud.

"Yes."

"How did it happen? Where did it happen?" His words came out in a jumble.

"Blood magic." She said watching Alistair closely for his reaction. Alistair had started to frown, so she hurried on.

"Well, we found what we were looking for in an old grey warden ruin, there was a book there about a ritual used to remove the taint from men and women who decided to leave the Grey Wardens. We had to find a mage that could carry out the ritual and even then we was unsure if it would work."

"And how is this ritual carried out exactly?" Oh dear. She knew that tone. Alistair was about to lose it.

"Well, I had to lay down while the mage did the ritual and spell." She said, hedging. When Alistair raised an eyebrow at her she took a deep breath and hurried through the rest,

"I lay down, the mage cut me here and here," she made a cutting gesture on both her wrists, "Then as I bled, the mage cleansed the blood coming from one wound while feeding it back into the other, so there was no chance...of…"she trailed off when Alistair's face went first red, then white.

When Alistair just sat there and stared at her she started to worry that he was catatonic. Finally when it came, the words exploded from him.

"But, you could have died!" He shouted looking sick.

"Alistair it had to be tested on someone, since I was the only warden there…" she trailed off, realising her reasoning was making him worse.

When she opened her mouth to try and explain Alistair held up a slightly shaking hand. "Just…just give me a minute." He said hyperventilating a bit.

"It worked out fine, I'm ok, alive and well. The chance of death was very slim. The mage was very experienced. She was very helpful."

Alistair put his feet on the floor next to the bed and lowered his head, Daria rubbed his back gently.

"Really Alistair I'm fine. It all worked out. The Mage, Merril her name is, came back with me. I thought you'd want to speak with her."

"With the taint removed from both of us, we might be able to have children." She said quietly. "I know your advisors have all told you to set me aside and find another wife so you can have children. Even though there's no guarantee, they think there's a better chance if you find a young fertile woman." Daria sneered a little when she said it. It hurt her to say it. But they had to address this. Maybe Alistair would rather a wife that he may be able to have children with. Rather than one everyone knew he couldn't have children with.

"Daria. I don't want another wife. I don't want anyone but you. You know that. These last few months without you here, I've felt like half of me was missing. I love you more than ten years ago. There is no one for me but you." He said tipping her chin up so their eyes met. "I also told those advisers they can go 'advise' somewhere else if they even think of bringing that up again."

He kissed her gently, then looked into her eyes when he pulled back.

"I don't care if we never have children. I will never have another." He vowed.

Daria still looked troubled but smiled. "Maybe we should hold off on telling everyone about how the taint can be removed."

Alistair nodded and reached for his robe. Throwing his tunic at Daria who held it up questioningly.

"Teagan came in while you were asleep. He's sending breakfast up for us both."