The morning of the coronation dawns bright and clear. Duran lies in bed awake but unmoving, luxuriating in the feel of soft sheets, the warm, lithe naked form of Leliana curled up next to him, and the glorious knowledge that there are absolutely no darkspawn to fight today.

He knows there are still things to be done; the city - no, the kingdom, needs rebuilding, as do the wardens. There are nobles to bully, policies to be discussed, and most immediately, a nervous soon-to-be monarch to steady as he receives the blessings of the chantry on this, the first day of his official reign.

All of these matters are important, and he knows that soon he's going to have to pick up the reins of his new life and responsibilities; but just for a space, he's content to enjoy the fruits of his victory: the powerful, heady sense of accomplishment, the anticipation of new challenges ahead, and most of all, the soft, familiar scent and warm, sweet weight of the woman whose arms and legs are wrapped around him and whose head rests gently on his shoulder, auburn hair flowing down to tickle his cheek and ear..

After a short interval, he feels Leliana shift and turns to look directly into her clear blue eyes. As he watches, they crinkle up into a smile, and then she's kissing him, one hand coming up to cradle his face, and the other snaking down beneath the sheets, and then one thing leads to another and it's another hour before they make it down to breakfast.

The world can wait a while longer.

A/N: …and with that, we come to the end of our story for now. Thanks to everyone who's followed along for the ride, and especially for everyone who's commented. I appreciate the feedback, and I'm glad you all enjoyed this, especially you, Judy – wish I could respond to your comments via PM!. Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I really like these characters and will probably try to write about them again in the future. After all, there's all of Awakening to do, and then Orzammar might need some help, and there's always the chance of a visit to Kirkwall. But for now I want to wrap up a couple of loose ends with other stories before Mass Effect 3 comes out and I become completely debilitated. Again, thanks to all who read and reviewed, and I sincerely appreciate your time and interest. Bye for now!