Chapter 6

A/N: YAY two chapters in one day AND it's now complete.

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The line of well wishers was never ending. Emily stood behind her brother and his new wife as they accepted the congratulations as one by one the wedding's guests stopped to talk to the happy couple. She kept her eyes trained on the back of Fergus's head, refusing to search for Alistair in the crowd.

Emily was almost positive he had attended the ceremony. One man had arrived late, ducking into the main hall at the last moment. She only been able to catch a glimpse of blonde hair before the man disappeared into the crowd. From that time forward she could swear she could feel his eyes on her.

Their parting late this morning had been awkward. It had been her fault, she knew that. Alistair had tried to talk to her after Deyna left with Emily's request for a few more minutes. He had tried to ask her again to marry him; tried to do it properly although the effect was thrown off by his nakedness. She had seen the hurt in his eyes when she refused to answer him.

As Emily retrieved her discarded dress and clutched it to her chest she babbled about inconsequential things like the dress she would be wearing to the wedding and the tortures of a formal hairstyle. She knew her ramblings weren't making any sense as she jumped from one subject to the other with hardly a breath in between. For the first time in all the years she had known Alistair, it was she who was flustered while he sat calmly watching her. She had barely been able to tie the sash of her dressing robe before rushing out of the room. She grabbed Deyna's arm as she passed, hurriedly ushering the astonished servant into one of the nearby guest rooms.

Now she stood waiting for an opportunity to slip away. Seeing her chance she stepped forward to whisper in her brother's ear, the words getting lost when she glanced up to see Alistair standing before them.

"Congratulations, my lord," he was saying to Fergus although his gaze held Emily's. She shook her head imperceptibly, silently begging him not to cause a scene. With a grin and a raised eyebrow he bowed to the bridge. "My lady, I only hope my bride is half as joyous as you are this day."

Alistair moved on without a backwards glance. Emily let out the breath she was holding and found her voice, quickly telling her brother she needed some air. Stepping out of the main hall she made her way through the crush of people, sighing in relief when she entered an empty hallway. Letting her feet guide her she found herself at the kennels.

Lucas barked happily when he saw her, jumping around enthusiastically when she opened the door and let him out. Ensuring that the door was firmly closed behind him, Emily sat on the ground, her back against the stone wall. The faithful mabari followed, laying his head in her lap.

Emily ran her hand down the large animal's back, drawing comfort from him.

"It is not like me to run away from something," she remarked. "But lately it seems like all I do is run away."

Lucas whined and she sighed.

"Alistair has asked me to marry him."

The dog's tail wagged and he lifted his head letting out a happy bark.

"Yes, I suppose I should be happy. And I am happy. But I don't think Alistair has realized that our lives together would never be normal."

"What if he doesn't want a normal life?" Alistair asked appearing from around the corner. He leaned a shoulder on the hard surface and crossed his arms.

Emily froze for a moment, not looking at him. She kept her gaze on Lucas, her hand resuming the rhythmic petting.

"We would never have children," her voice caught and she bit her lip.

"Children aren't necessary."

"And my life is on the road now. I am a Grey Warden; I have an obligation to rebuild the order. He once told me he didn't want to travel. And we'd never have a proper home. I don't think I could settle down to a nice quiet life."

Alistair moved to kneel in front of her. Putting a finger under her chin he forced her to meet his gaze.

"I want you. I want you to be my wife. I will always have a proper home because my home is with you. If that is following you are the countryside carrying your bags or helping you rebuild the order, I will be happy."

Emily stared at him, wanting with her very being to believe him. Years ago she allowed herself to dream that they would be together forever. She allowed herself to get caught up in the unspoken promises of a prince who could not guarantee anything. Because of the love she held for him she respected his wishes and refused to put him on the throne believing that by her action they would have a chance to be together. Then she watched him shatter all those dreams, unable to convince him to trust her. Looking at him now she realized her reasons for saying no were just excuses. She was scared.

"How do I know I can…trust him?" She whispered, her throat aching from the effort of speaking past the lump in her throat.

"Because that man who left you standing the landsmeet chamber was an idiot. He was stubborn and idealistic. He didn't realize what you felt for him was true. That man has grown up, he has seen the world and he's realized that things aren't black and white. He….I love you. I am so sorry I hurt you. Please…give me a chance to prove I will never leave your side again."

Emily closed her eyes, the tears she was holding back finally slipping down her cheeks. She grasped his wrist, turning her head to kiss the hand that was gently cupping her face. She was tired of pretending she didn't love him anymore. She was tired of going to bed without him, tired of waking up alone, tired of living without him. Hating him took too much effort.

"Yes," she finally said smiling through her tears.

"Yes?" Alistair parroted in astonishment.

"You can't change your mind now." Emily teased feeling lighter than she had in years.

"No, it's not that," he answered quickly. "I just expected more groveling. Maybe some swordplay or-"

Emily stopped his flow of words with her mouth her arms going around his neck to pull him close. Finally after losing her parents, ending a civil war, stopping a blight and becoming a hero…she was home.