The ride back to the castle was one of the longest rides I had ever experienced – and Highever castle was not even that far away! After the exchange of pleasantries between myself and the King, I had then been introduced to the rest of his companions: Bann Teagan, whom King Alistair had introduced as "sort of his uncle"; the ginger haired woman, whose name was Leliana and had been one of the heroes who had accompanied my brother and the King on their quest to defeat the Blight; and finally the elven man, who had called out from the crowd, who had also been one of my brother's companions during the Blight. I had taken this all in with a polite smile on my face, that I was quite sure that everyone with the possible exception of the woman, Leliana, had not thought much about the courtly politeness that hid how I had truly felt.

As we allowed our horses into a gentle walk, King Alistair moved his horse alongside mine and with his hazel eyes sparkling in good humour said with a laugh, "I'm not usually a very good rider, my Lady."

I arched an eyebrow at his comment. It was obvious that the man was not an expert rider like some of the other members of his company but he had kept his seat enough to have been able to surround a lone woman on her horse. He laughed when I pointed this out to him, and I could not help but feel my lips twitch with a smile of my own – he had a nice rich laugh.

"It is very kind of you to say so, Lady Elissa but I fear that I've inherited my family trait of not being a competent horseman – it's only pure fluke that I'm still riding the horse upright!"

Silence soon followed as we rode together, and I took the opportunity to appraise him for myself. He had changed a little since our ill-advised meeting in the Chantry or so I thought. He was a lot taller that I had thought, and he was quite well built and yet he had the same good natured coloured eyes and a smile that matched that made him look all the more handsome.

I groaned internally at the final thought; when had I begun to think of him as handsome? I swallowed a lump in my throat. I felt like a bird in a gilded cage already; ready to be passed to my next owner. Regardless of how tall, how handsome, how kind he may appear to be - I still did not know the man, and I did not really wish to get to know him when he was going to take me away from all my hopes and dreams in the name of politics, just so he could have a Queen: a pretty ornament to dangle off his arm, to share his bed and birth his children when there were many, many other young ladies of noble blood who would gladly wish to fill the position.

I let out a soft despondent sigh. I knew of course why the King would wish to put forth a suit for my hand in marriage. My family line was one of the most noble and ancient bloodlines in Ferelden. In centuries past, House Cousland had been second only to that of the King – and our daughters and sons had often been sought as a potential match for the children of the monarch, but things were different now; the late King Cailan had married his Queen who had virtually been no more than a jumped-up-commoner whose father had only been awarded the Teyrnrir of Gwaren because Loghain Mac Tir had been King Maric's best friend.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the King looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. I smiled politely in enquiry.

King Alistair flushed, and smiled a little shyly. "I apologise for staring at you, my Lady, but I can't help but wonder if we have met before?"

I could feel my heart beat furiously in my chest as it was clear that he referred to our meeting in the Blight just hours after the defeat of the Archdemon. I turned to him with a polite smile and with a shake of my head I replied that he was mistaken.

"I'm pretty sure that I have met you before, my Lady." He said with a shake of his head, his tawny coloured hair shifting slightly with the movement. "I'm not as great with remembering a face like Aedan is but I don't think that I would forget yours, especially after…" King Alistair trailed off with his cheeks flushing in a rosy hue as he took a quick glance back towards the rest of the party before turning back to me. "Well, you know…after that moment in the Chantry."

To this day, and as my husband likes to point out whenever he feels to be particularly cruel, the split second that I had to make the decision that would lead me down the path that I soon found myself on was not an easy thing to do. As my youngest brother, Aedan, had constantly loved to point out: I was a terrible liar, and yet before I could stop and think about the consequences I had opened my mouth and replied in my most courtly tone, "I fear that you are mistaken, Your Majesty, but it was not I who you shared that moment in the Chantry with for I was not even in the capital at the time." I chose the moment to move Anamara closer to him, as I leant forward with a conspiratorial whisper, "Please don't tell my brothers but I was with my betrothed."

He pulled back quickly, jerking his horse away from mine as he looked at me in shock. "I…I didn't know that you were betrothed, my Lady." He stammered, "I…Why was I not informed of this? Why didn't your brothers tell me before I –"

My heart twisted uncomfortably at his distress. "My brothers don't know."

"So you're betrothed to a man who neither of your brothers are aware that you are betrothed to?" He asked with a guarded expression on his face, that I was not certain if he believed the web that I had just started to weave or not. He turned to look at me with a guilty but kind smile as he said, "I guess I can understand the need to keep it a secret, my Lady. Is he quite unsuitable for someone of your status?"

I could only nod as my heart gave another twist when his bright hazel eyes regarded me with compassion and pity. He let out a sigh, "I don't know what you think of me, my Lady but I promise you that I will not take you away from the man you love – not when there has been a lot of grief already."

"T-that is most kind you, Your Majesty." I croaked, finally finding my voice.

"Please, call me Alistair." He said kindly, "I'm rather tired with the whole 'King' thing."

I returned his smile hesitantly.

What had I gotten myself into?

"You look lovely, my Lady." My young maid, Sopha, exclaimed as I twirled around; the dress silks swishing softly against my legs. I returned her smile with a shy one of my own as I became aware of how low-cut and tightly fitted the bodice and corset of the dress actually was. As if reading my thoughts Sopha added, "It isn't as revealing as you think it is, my Lady."

I nodded as I moved to the small dressing vanity that held my perfume, cosmetics and hair brush. "I am glad that you are here Sopha," I said as I reached to pick up the hair brush.

"Of course you are, you would have taken the dress off and would have put one of that hideously drab brown dress that you're so fond off." The elf said with a small smug smile as she plucked the hair brush from my grasp.

At the lightest, almost feathery touches of the comb brushed through the thick auburn tresses of my hair, I closed my eyes and drifted dreamily in thought. The ride back had not been as bad as far as introductions went, and the King…Alistair had been quick to talk, quick to laugh and quick to smile. And yet, I still felt guilty for my lie.

"Is it true, my Lady that the King will be at the banquet tonight with two of the heroes of the Blight?" Sopha asked before adding shyly, "It is a pity that your brother will not be attending."

I sighed sadly as I too missed the presence of my younger brother. If there was anyone who would have understood the turmoil that I was feeling, it would have been Aedan. My younger brother and I were closer in age than the five year separation that lay between Fergus and me. It was probably because of this that we had always been close as the ease of our companionship had always seemed a lot easier compared to the relationship that we both shared with our elder brother – for I could share my thoughts, my hopes and dreams with my younger brother without the fear that I would have them ridiculed or dismissed. It had after all been under the support of my younger brother that I had gathered up the courage to persuade my Father and Mother that I would only marry for love, despite my twenty-one years of life, and allow me to undergo the tutelage of the healers at the institute in the capital.

And yet, during the short visit that my Grey Warden brother had allowed himself as a homecoming, all my younger had spoken about was the King and how deeply Aedan had admired and even loved him like another brother. With a sinking feeling, I wondered what Aedan would have said if he was here with me right now. Would he hate me for purposefully deceiving his friend or would he understand how I felt?

I would not know until my brother arrived back from his venture of Amaranthine, and by the time that he would arrive, it would be too late to make amends with the King.

It was awkward sitting between my brother and the King whilst my brother stood on my right and spoke the official words that would open the banquet in the Maker's, the King's and his guests' name. On my left, King Alistair sat straight-backed, his hazel eyes clouded in thought as he looked out into the crowd of guests that was made up of nobles, knights and Chantry folk. It had been most odd, I thought, that the King had not spoken to me since we had arrived back at the castle earlier this afternoon when he had been most talkative on the ride back to Highever. Indeed, he had barely mustered a polite greeting, and the smile that he had displayed had been cool – it had not been the bright hazel coloured eyes that had warmed me several hours previously.

My stomach knotted again as I wondered if perhaps he had spoken to Fergus, and had discovered that there was no unsuitable betrothed but if that was the reason behind his behaviour that did not seem to explain why Fergus's behaviour had remained as jovial as it had been in the last few days. I shook my head; it must be something else that had caused the slight change in the King's mood.

I turned to offer a small smile of thanks to the serving girl as she placed down a glass of wine in front of me feeling a little more reassured, I did not know the King well after all, and the King may have been feeling too tired to speak to someone whom he didn't know. Yet, as I stole a glance at the tawny haired man, I could not help but feel as though my reasons were not as reassuring as he spoke to everyone else but me.

Soon after the last course of dinner had been served and cleared away, and my brother gave the order for musicians to be brought in and the tables and chairs to be pushed aside for the dancing to begin he had then turned to me and asked me to open the night with the first dance. Not wishing to remain seated next to a man who had ignored me all evening, I had given my brother a bright smile and took the proffered hand before moving onto the dance floor.

As the third dance began, I could not shake off the growing feeling that there were eyes on me but it would not do for the Teyrn's sister to arch her head around her dance partner, and so I had to wait until my partner whirled me around so that I was in a better position to search the crowd. My stomach gave another unpleasant twist when I locked eyes with a set of cold hazel eyes. I swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in my throat but before I could do much to remedy the situation the music picked up and I was whirled again to the opposite side of the room although nothing could get me away from those watchful burning eyes.

A little time later – albeit what seemed as though it was a lot longer than that, the song had finished and I had taken the opportunity during the shuffle of partners to escape the stuffy hall and grab some fresh air out in the courtyard. A guardsman on duty bowed his head with a muttered "my Lady" as I passed him on my way towards the stables.

A soft wicker of acknowledgement came from one of the far stalls as I entered, and Anamara's grey head poked out from her stall. "Hello, my darling." I murmured as I reached out to stroke her under her neck. "I am afraid that I don't have anything to give you. I've been at this dreary banquet for several hours."

"I'm glad to see that at least you don't take exception to the horse," King Alistair's voice called out in the darkness which caused me to jump in shock and Anamara to snort at the unfamiliar voice. "But it appears that you have taken an exception to me!"

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