Finding Nathaniel Howe in the dungeon had been an unexpected surprise. The venom he'd spewed at her about murder and betrayal brought back painful memories of her own losses, the grief she thought she'd successfully suppressed. She knew he had no idea of what his father really was. It had been soooo worth the look on his face when she invoked the Right of Conscription. It was a risk to conscript someone who wanted you dead, but she didn't care. She was sick and tired of needless death and if she were completely honest with herself, part of her was intrigued by him, more then she cared to admit. It would be interesting to see what he did with his reprieve. Would he slit her throat in the dark of night? Or would he be an honorable Grey Warden and try to restore the family name?

Slowly as they unraveled the mess of tangled knots that plagued Amaranthine, they'd gotten to know each other better. She listened to his musings regarding his past with an empathetic ear and given him mementos from his past: the Howe family bow and Delilah's letters. He accepted them with a nod of thanks. Gradually he realized she wasn't the monster who had murdered his father in cold blood, merely an ordinary human forced to make sometimes insane choices under extraordinary circumstances. Though he didn't still fully understand what exactly had happened with his father, his bitterness and rage slowly coalesced into a grudging respect for the Warden Commander. More importantly, Elizabeth had given him something more precious than all the jewels in Ferelden: hope.

For Elizabeth's part, she came to rely on Nathaniel an indispensible wingman in battle. Being the tank meant getting and keeping the attention of the enemy fixed on her, often leaving her rear vulnerable to attack. Though she was usually alert enough to deflect attacks from the rear, Nathaniel made sure to keep an eye on her blindside, using his bow to quickly and lethally dispatch any enemy foolish enough to try and stealth up behind Elizabeth for an attack. Somehow Elizabeth knew he'd always watch out for her. Part of her was comforted by that, even relished it.

And so it happened one day Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Anders and Oghren were in the city of Amaranthine, hunting down smugglers. A sizable gang of thugs confronted them and a battle inevitably ensued. Elizabeth was at the forefront, laying damage to the bulk of the gang. Anders stayed behind, concentrating on healing and shooting arcane bolts when he could. Oghren stayed near Anders, busy killing as many as thugs as possible and trying to keep the mage from harm. Nathaniel found himself fighting back to back with Elizabeth, keeping the enemy at bay. He'd drawn out his daggers because his bow was useless with fighting in such close quarters. He caught sight of sudden movement from the corner of his eye. A mage, who'd kept himself concealed until that moment stepped out and began casting a fire spell. Nathaniel had no idea of what the casting time of the spell was, but Elizabeth's back was to the mage and she still had her hands full with the enemy in front of her.

"Commander!" he shouted. "Mage behind you!"

Time seemed to slow down for what happened next. Nathaniel nocked an arrow to his bow. Aiming for the mage, he let loose the shot just as an enormous fire bolt erupted from the mage's hands straight at Elizabeth. Seeing no other recourse, Nathaniel launched himself at Elizabeth, shoving her bodily out of harm's way. His arrow buried itself into the mage's forehead, which then fell to the ground dead with a comically surprised look on his face. The huge bolt of fire hit Nathaniel squarely, pain radiating throughout his entire being as he was thrown several feet back and landed the ground with a sickening thud.

Then everything went black.

Nathaniel gradually regained consciousness. Was he dead? Opening his eyes, he was rewarded with the sight of Elizabeth. Seated in a chair next to his bed, she was hunched forward onto his bed asleep, her head carelessly laid on top of her folded arms. Strands of hair had worked loose from her chignon, making her seem frail and vulnerable. He couldn't help but move his bandaged hand and gently caress the top of her head. She stirred.

"Nathaniel," she mumbled in her sleep. "Need you. Don't die on me."

His heart contracted painfully.

Finally shaking herself awake, Elizabeth blinked several times and snapped back to reality.

"Nathaniel, you're awake!" She flashed him a joyous grin.

He tried to speak, but managed only a croak. "Water, please."

"Of course," She jumped up, glad to have something to do. She filled a glass with water and with her arm supporting his head; she brought the glass gently to his lips.

"How long have I been out?" Nathaniel asked his voice still rusty.

"Three days," Elizabeth replied, easing him gently back onto the bed and placing the glass out on the table. "We're at the Lion and Crown Inn."

"Was I badly hurt?"

"Anders has quite outdone himself in terms of healing magic. He was able to heal most of your injuries. So it would seem you are mostly intact, but you still need a few days of rest. I've sent word to Varel that we will not move until you've had adequate time to recover."

Something had changed between them. Whatever it was, he wasn't sure.

He caught her hand in a surprisingly firm grip. "Call me Nate."

She blushed, than nodded. Taking her hand back she turned and began meticulously folding linen bandages in neat little squares.

"Nate," she said after a moment. "I want to ask you something. Why did you save me? You could've let me take the hit. Maybe I would've died. You would've had your revenge for me killing your father."

His temper immediately flared. "You think I possess so little honor, that I would?" He said through gritted teeth.

Her brow furrowed. "No, that isn't how I meant it."

There was a long pause and then he settled back with a sigh. "I couldn't let you die Elizabeth," he said finally. "I believe our cause is good and just. I've come to care for you…as a friend. Truly, I would follow you to the ends of Thedas, if need be."

She took a moment to his words sink in. "Nate, I thank you for what you did," she replied solemnly.

"You are welcome."

Nathaniel continued to gaze at her. She looked…indecisive, as if she were pondering some momentous decision. Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders and sat gingerly on the bed. His breath hitched as she leaned over, her face very close to his. At first he thought she meant to kiss him on the cheek, but at the last second she softly pressed her lips to his. Nathaniel lay still in shock for a second then groaned, tangling his fingers in her hair as he deepened the kiss. Time stopped for both of them. Lust hit him brutally. He wanted her under him, naked, gasping his name as he…

A sudden knock at the door had Elizabeth out of the bed like a shot. She kept her back turned, seemingly busy folding linens again. Anders opened the door and stepped in.

"Ah, you are finally awake Nathaniel!" Anders said cheerfully. "How do you feel?" Anders moved to Nathaniel's side, placing a quick hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

Elizabeth was blushing furiously. "I will take my leave of you then Nate," Elizabeth murmured, refusing to meet his eyes. "I am glad you are better. Rest well." She left with all due haste.

"Huh," Anders said. "That's strange."

"What is, Anders?" Nathaniel shut his eyes, silently willing away the rather substantial tent pole that had suddenly appeared. He hoped that Anders would not notice.

If Anders did, he mercifully didn't comment.

"The Commander. She never left your side these last three days. Insisted on changing your bandages and feeding you broth herself. I had to practically shove food down her throat myself. I threatened to turn her into a toad if she didn't comply."

"Did she?" Nathaniel found that very interesting.

"You're a hero, Howe," Anders replied with a grin as he checked over Nathaniel's wounds. "And ah…the Commander seems to have taken a very personal interest in your recovery."

Nathaniel struggled to keep his voice level, choosing to focus his attention on a rather interesting speck of dust on the wall. "Our relationship is strictly professional. Anything else would be highly inappropriate. "

"You keep telling yourself that, Howe." Anders chuckled as he eased Nathaniel up. "Time to change your dressings now."

Eventually Nathaniel recovered enough so they were able to slowly travel back to Vigil's Keep. When they got back Elizabeth gave strict orders that Nathaniel was to stay abed until Anders deemed him completely recovered as well as hourly reports on his progress. Oddly enough, she never came to see him, preferring to pass any message through Varel. This sudden reversal in her behavior baffled Nathaniel, but he respected the distance she placed between them. When Nathaniel began to complain loudly that he was bored and sick of staying in bed, Elizabeth countered by assigning various Grey Wardens to sit by him and entertain him in shifts.

A very loud and obnoxious burp woke Nathaniel up. Oghren was in his room, his chair tilted dangerously back against the wall and nursing a jug of foul smelling ale. And was that a book of poetry in his hands?

"Dwarf," Nathaniel said grumpily. "Why are you here?"

"Commander's orders," Oghren replied. "She bribed me with a bottle of rare Antivan brandy and promised to let me set up a still. That and she said I'd be scrubbing the privies for the month if I refused."

"Ah, the carrot and the stick," Nathaniel muttered sardonically. "Clever."

"Anyways, she said I was supposed to read you this book of poetry to pass the time."

"Maker. Please don't, Oghren."

"That's what I said! Sodding women and their crazy ways. Anyways, I have a better idea. Why don't I recite some much more interesting poetry that I know…it goes like this…There once was a wench from the Bannorn..hernamewasKate…"

Elizabeth's multiple roles as Queen of Ferelden, Commander of the Grey, and Arlessa of Amaranthine weighed heavily on her shoulders. It effectively isolated her from the rest of the Keep, unable to be anything but the hero of legend who had singlehandedly slain the Archdemon and lived to tell about it. To listen to some of her more ardent fans, the Warden Commander was so invulnerable that arrows bounced off her like mere raindrops. Though the situation in Amaranthine was mostly restored, trade was flowing smoothly and the city was free of smugglers, lately it seemed that the burden of leadership and responsibility were weighing especially heavy on her of late. She smiled less. She barely touched her food and lost a great deal of weight. There were dark circles under her eyes. She couldn't sleep and took to prowling the battlements at night, gazing moodily into the distance. Varel's gentle attempts to bring attention to her current condition were met with antagonistic silence. She'd only stared coolly at Varel until he stammered an apology and ran off. Risking the Commander's ire was not a good idea. But Elizabeth's legendary control was fraying. It was only a matter of time before the situation exploded…then one day it did.

She was meeting with Captain Garavel and Seneschal Varel regarding the training of the Keep soldiers. Nathaniel leaned against the wall with his arm crossed, content to stay in the background as Elizabeth instructed Captain Garavel to emphasize combat training exercises that developed strength and stamina.

"As you say, Commander," Garavel nodded.

"Beg pardon, Commander," Nathaniel interrupted suddenly, "But I think the soldiers would benefit from agility training exercises as well."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, indicating her temper was on the rise. She was never less then professional when it came to dealing with colleagues. Today however would apparently be the exception. Yet he provoked something within her. A longing to be reckless. To throw caution to the wind. Usually she ruthlessly tried to bury it, though apparently not at this particular moment.

"No offense, Nathaniel," she spat, taking up the metaphorical gauntlet and throwing it with a very loud thud at his feet. "But while you were prancing around the Free Marches, one of us actually used this same training to defeat an Archdemon."

Nathaniel stalked over and slammed his palms on the edge of the table, staring directly at her. "You doubt my ability to effectively down our enemies?" he asked calmly.

"I'm sure your 'abilities' are adequate enough," she sneered. "I'm just saying that without strength and stamina, rogues like you go down faster than a two silver Antivan whore."

Captain Garavel's mouth opened in shock at the Warden Commander's crudity. "Commander!"

Nathaniel took a breath, struggling to master his temper. "I believe you are overreacting, Commander."

She glared daggers at him. "Am I?"

"Yes."

"As females are prone to do?" she bit out angrily.

"That's not what I meant, Elizabeth."

Her fists clenched. "You bow twirling, broody pompous jackass!"

"Why don't we cut to the heart of the matter, Elizabeth!" Nathaniel yelled, his familiar use of her name shocking everyone in the room. "You don't eat, you don't sleep! You are cracking under the pressure but your head is too far up your ass to see reason! At this rate you'll end up being a liability to the people who serve under you! You…you elitist, hubristic, non-delegating diva!" he shouted, his chest heaving.

The room was suddenly silent, the collective breaths of everyone in the room was hitched. Elizabeth was well aware of the murmurs of the servants and soldiers who'd overheard the yelling and crowded into the meeting room. Elizabeth closed her eyes, pressing her hands to her forehead. The dull headache brewing all day had erupted into a full blown migraine. She was tired and suddenly she didn't care anymore.

"I am done here," she muttered sullenly, refusing to meet Nathaniel's eye as she stalked from the room.

It was the middle of the night when Elizabeth knocked quietly at Nathaniel's door.

She thought she heard rustling, the scrape of someone getting out of bed. Someone cursing soundly after bumping against the furniture. It was a moment before the door opened. A sleepily tousled Nathaniel glared at the interloper who had the gall to pound on his door at this ungodly hour, then surprise lit his features when he realized it was Elizabeth.

He opened his door a bit and she stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this…early morning visit, Commander?"

She noted that though he had hurriedly put on pants, the laces were undone and hung low on his hips. He wasn't wearing a shirt.

She strove for a formal tone, as if it were perfectly normal to go barging into a subordinate's quarters predawn. "I came to apologize," she said. "I…yesterday was the third anniversary of my parents', Orianna's and Oren's deaths. I usually handle it better than this, but with all the stress lately…it's been difficult. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I'm sorry too." Nathaniel wasn't sure what else to say. "I shouldn't have yelled at you in front of everyone like that."

"Awkward, is it not?" she slid a glance at him.

"Indeed," he said after a moment, then changed the subject. "You've been avoiding me."

"I need to go to the city of Amaranthine on some business," she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "You mentioned you wanted to see your sister Delilah. I thought we could travel together and kill two birds with one stone."

Maker, was that was a dark trail hair arrowing from the taut muscles of his belly leading into his...? Elizabeth gulped.

"I see," he said wryly. This couldn't have waited until after the sun came out?"

"The shops open early," she said stubbornly.

He smiled. "May I be permitted to at least gather my things?"

She blushed. "Umm, yes. I'll turn around while you…get ready."

"Such modesty," he chuckled. Resolutely she turned her back to him and stared at the wall while she heard the shuffling of clothes being put on and gear being packed.

Nathaniel laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm done. You can look now," he said in an amused tone.

"Stop smiling like that before I feed you to the darkspawn," she grumbled.

Opening his door, they quietly made their way from the Keep. The morning chill made her clasp her cloak more tightly to herself. The sun was starting to rise, bathing everything in a pleasantly pink light. They walked companionably in silence and made good time. By midmorning the city of Amaranthine loomed before them. After they passed the main gate, she stopped.

"Let's go look for your sister. Once we find her, take as long as you need to spend time with her. I keep a small apartment here in Amaranthine, you can find me there when you are ready to go back to the Keep."

She handed him a slip of paper with the address written on it. Nathaniel took it from her hands, his fingers lingering warmly on hers for a moment longer than necessary. Reluctantly pulling her hand back they continued to stroll the marketplace, scanning for a female who might resemble Nathaniel.

Nathaniel spotted his sister the same time that Delilah spotted him.

"Nathaniel, is that you?" Delilah ran over and enveloped Nate in a tight hug.

Elizabeth took a step back to allow them privacy.

Delilah inclined her head towards Elizabeth. "Nathaniel, is this is a friend of yours? Why don't you both come in for tea?"

"I..uh…will leave you to catch up in private," replied Elizabeth hastily. "I will finish my errands in the meanwhile. Good day, my lady. Nathaniel." Executing a formal bow, she strode off.

Delilah arched an eyebrow. "Was that Elizabeth Cousland? She is the Warden Commander?"

Nathaniel took her arm into his. "Indeed, dear sister. Let us go inside and talk. I have missed you so much."

Elizabeth stretched luxuriously out in her tub. The water was cold and her skin was completely wrinkly but she didn't care. She was free, no care or responsibilities, at least for a few hours. She was going to give herself a facial and eat a ton of chocolate in front of the fire with a steaming mug of tea dosed liberally with copious amounts of fine Antivan brandy. Then she was going to read a deliciously trashy, smutty novel she'd nicked from Sigrun.

A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. She wasn't expecting anyone. Surely Nathaniel was still visiting with his sister, spending the night under her roof at the very least. She got out of the tub, hastily donning her rattiest, oldest most beloved robe and grabbed her dagger. She stepped into a corner, concealing herself in the shadows.

"Come."

The door opened. "Commander?" Nathaniel stepped in cautiously.

"Nathaniel, I was ready to stab you." Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. "Why are you here?" she said suspiciously. "I thought that you would be spending time with your sister."

"She…ah…lacked enough space in her house to accommodate me. Also, she tires easily since she is pregnant. I didn't want to put her out."

"Oh. What are you doing here then? Why didn't you engage a room at the Inn?"

"I needed to talk to you about my father. Delilah said he was not…what I thought him to be. He was a greedy, traitorous son of a bitch. I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

Unconsciously Elizabeth walked over and took his hand in hers in an instinctive gesture of comfort. She shook her head. "No need. It has been tough for both of us. Why don't we talk more about this later?"

He nodded mutely.

Suddenly she remembered she was wearing only a very thin robe that didn't cover much at all. The temperature in the room rose by ten degrees as she felt Nathaniel's insolent gaze rake her from head to toe. She instinctively stepped back.

"This is improper Nathaniel. You shouldn't be here."

"I want you," he said gruffly.

She wanted him too. But she couldn't. She was married to Alistair. Though it was a political marriage of convenience, she had duty and responsibilities to think of. She had to defuse the situation, get him out of there before something untoward happened.

"I understand you are grateful for all that I have done for you," she said, deliberately pretending to misunderstand him. "Often men mistake gratitude for some type of misplaced affection. Come Nate, let us be friends and have peace between us."

He wasn't moving, just looking at her. Was her ruse working? Pasting a fake smile on her face she patted him on the cheek then squeaked in surprise as he advanced upon her roughly yanking her against his body.

"You think all I feel for you is gratitude? Well you are wrong, milady! I want you as my lover. In my bed. On your back. On your knees." He stared at her steadily without flinching. "Or whatever position I desire you in."

The unwanted image of herself spread underneath him, vulnerable to his mouth and hands came unbidden to her mind. She flushed.

"Nate," she whispered. "Please." She could feel his erection through the thin robes.

"I cannot," she said at last.

"Have you never been selfish just once in your life Elizabeth?" he whispered into her ear, then nipping at her earlobe.

"No." She turned her head away, trying to escape his soft, questing lips. "Too many people depend on me."

"You know what I think? Hmm?" He said softly as he continued to kiss her. "I think the Hero of Ferelden harbors a secret desire to be utterly and completely dominated in bed."

He untied her robe and pulled it apart, baring her breast to his smoldering gaze. He took a cold nipple into his mouth and licked it, sucking on it until it stiffened.

"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped.

She tried to disengage from his embrace, but was no match for him as he flipped her onto the bed with no apparent effort and immediately climbed on top of her. He easily held her hands captive over her head. She tried to struggle, but it was half-hearted. Her resistance only inflamed him more, as he leaned down and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Forcing her mouth open with his tongue, he dominated her until she finally capitulated with a moan, feverishly kissing him back.

"Nate," she panted.

"We can pretend that I am taking you against your will, if that is truly what you desire," he whispered as he kissed his way down her body. Her nipples were red from his the scrape of his goatee. He moved lower, swirling her navel with his tongue. Forcing her legs apart, he kissed the silky skin of her thigh. Elizabeth nearly bucked off the bed. He parted her and slid a finger into her heat.

"Maker," she groaned.

"You are wet, Elizabeth," he said softly.

Her only answer was to turn her head and moan. He moved lower and started to nibble on her toes, working his way up slowly. By the time he moved up to her thighs, she was steaming, desperate for him to put his mouth where it really mattered.

"Nate, please!" She was reduced to begging, she didn't care anymore.

"Just a bit longer, Elizabeth. Be a good girl and you'll get your reward."

She growled at him, threatening to do evil things to his manhood if he didn't hurry. He only laughed. He moved up and kissed the inside of her thighs, continuing to kiss and lick everywhere but where it mattered most.

Frustrated, she bucked under him.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Lay still, Elizabeth, or I'm stopping."

She glared at him but subsided.

"Good girl."

Finally, what seemed years (to her) later, he spread her nether lips apart and licked her, moving to her clit and gently suckling it. She nearly jumped off the bed, the sensation was building…she was so close, hovering over the edge of a precipice. Nathaniel slid three fingers into her and continued to suck and lick her clit, pushing her over the edge.

"Nate..." she gasped as she shivered in ecstasy. Her head fell back in exhaustion.

The sight of her coming for him, his name on her lips, knowing HE was the one that made her respond that way had him fumbling with the laces of his breeks. Elizabeth moaned restlessly underneath him, panting eagerly for him to be inside her. Bringing out his throbbing erection he stroked himself once. He placed the head of his cock just at the entrance of her slit then he tortured them both by rubbing the tip against her. They both moaned, the pleasure quickly building up. Elizabeth twined her legs around his legs, urging him inside her. She moaned in relief when he finally penetrated her.

"Oh Maker!" he groaned.

She was so tight and hot. Levering himself over her he took her mouth in a bruising kiss. He adjusted the angle of his thrusts as he rode her hard and fast, eliciting even more frantic cries from her. Another orgasm tore through her and she cried out his name again. Her inner muscles clenched, milking his cock until he could hold back no longer.

"Elizabeth, no I've got to…" he gasped as he felt himself orgasm and spent himself inside her.

For long moments, he held himself over her as he tried to regain his breath.

Then he gathered her in his arms kissed the crown of her head. Her eyes were already closed as she nestled into the crook of his arms.

Nathaniel Howe had quite simply and utterly fallen head over heels in love with the Warden Commander and Queen of Ferelden. He shut his eyes, not wanting to think of the implications of that. But for the moment he held his love in his arms. And that had to be enough for now.