Summary: Alternate Universe. The Blight doesn't happen. Kallian Tabris is married to Nelaros in Highever and is lady-in-waiting to Elissa Cousland. Elissa has less than two months to find a husband before her parents choose one for her. In Denerim, Kallian investigates something for Fergus. Back at the Palace . . .

Part 11

While people might not have noticed the flush to her cheeks, they certainly noticed her coming in on Nathaniel Howe's arm. She ended up counting it as a blessing.

After King Cailan's speech far fewer were willing to approach her and the interruptions decreased drastically. They stopped all together when Fergus joined them with Oriana and Oren in tow. Apparently, an obvious friend of the family who was a Knight of Gwaren and the son of an Arl was too heavy competition.

"Father's teaching me to use a sward!"

"Is he now?" Nathaniel smiled. "He's a good person to learn from."

"That's sword, Oren," Fergus corrected. "Just the basics, of course. Teaching him how a real sword isn't a toy."

"And Auntie is going to teach me how to ride a horse!"

Elissa sputtered her drink into her goblet. As she wiped the dribble of wine off her chin she saw Oriana's eyebrows crawl up into her hairline. Both Oriana and Fergus shot looks at her.

"Oh really?" Oriana crossed her arms. "And just when was 'Auntie' about to inform 'Mother' and 'Father' of this plan?"

"Ah," she gave a small nervous laugh before continuing, "I was . . . going to inform you this very evening."

"Hmm, I'm certain," Oriana said.

Maker, but the woman could certainly glare a person into a bout of guilt.

Elissa cleared her throat and bent down to mock-whisper to Oren, "That was supposed to be a secret between us."

"Was it?" Oren tilted his head. "Oh . . . I forgot."

"You forg- . . ." Elissa's head drooped.

She heard Nathaniel laugh, "It's good to see your family hasn't lost its sense of humor. Should have figured you would be up to some shenanigans, Lissa."

"I am not up to any shenanigans."

"It's shenanigans," Oriana replied flatly.

Elissa looked pointedly at her, "I am simply wanting to teach my nephew the proper way to ride a horse. Is that so wrong?"

Fergus wrinkled his nose, "You weren't planning on having him learn to ride that beast of yours, were you?"

It was Elissa's turn to glare, "Have him ride Ferren? Maker's Breath, brother, do you take me for an idiot?"

A mild shrug of his shoulders was followed by a smirk, "Well, not an idiot. Simple-minded, perhaps. Pig-brained, certainl- Ow!"

Elissa's well placed shot to Fergus' arm brought a round of chuckles.

It felt good. The three of them together again, joking and jibing. With Oren and Oriana there it felt even more like family. For a moment, she dallied with the idea of Nate truly being family and she didn't find the notion displeasing.

In The Alienage

"Are you certain? How old did she look?"

"Hard to tell as she's skin and bone," the old elven lady said, "but I'd say she's not older than eight or nine winters."

Kallian's heart thumped hard in her chest. This was it. This would be the answer to it and the implications made her head spin.

"Can you get us in there?"

"Kallian, no," Nelaros hissed.

"We have to get her out of there, Nelaros. Every day she stays in there-"

"I know!" He put a hand on her shoulder. "But we should go and tell him and his family and-"

"There isn't time for that," she gently pushed his hand away, "and I swore to him I wouldn't tell anyone, especially his family. So we do this tonight or we never do this at all."

He stared at her hard. She could tell he disliked the danger she was about to put them in . . . put herself and their baby in. The pinch of his lips told her that he knew she was right. Tonight's ball had everyone in Denerim drinking, including on-duty guards.

"Alright, but once we're in there if there's any trouble you let me handle it."

Smiling at him softly, Kallian squeezed his hand in silent thanks.

"I can get you in there," sweat started to form on the old woman's brow, "but if my lord finds out I helped . . . "

"Trust me," Kallian's smile was almost feral, "if we get through this you won't have your lord to worry about ever again."

Later at The Palace

". . . and that was round about when she promptly put me on my rear," Fergus grinned at Elissa. "After that none of us could argue about her skill with a blade."

Elissa shook her head, "Listen to him, Nate. It used to be that he would claim that he let me win."

"Must be the wine," Nathaniel agreed, "that or he just wants to be the first to claim that only you are capable of beating him thus arbitrarily putting him on the tournament rankings without actually taking part in the tournament."

"Ahha!" Elissa pointed a finger at Fergus, "That would be it then. See? Trying to take advantage of your sister's fortunes."

"Please, if I was so desperate to garner a ranking I would have come about it honestly," he paused before drinking, side-eyeing Elissa, "and I would have beaten Lord Uhlig to boot."

"A boast that can only be proven if tried," Elissa waved a hand dismissively. "Lord Uhlig is nothing to sneer at."

"Why didn't you take part in the tournament, Fergus?" Nathaniel asked. "When I saw Lissa's name on the list I thought for certain you'd be on there as well."

"Well, I would have, but . . . "

Oriana spoke when Fergus hesitated, "It was generally agreed that keeping an eye on one Cousland sibling during the tournament would be more than enough for the Royal Guard to handle."

"The Royal Guard? Why would- . . . oh!" Nathaniel's eyebrows raised slightly. "That's right. I had heard. Was it truly an assassination attempt?"

"It was," Elissa nodded once, "and we still don't know who was behind it."

"To try such a thing against Teyrn Cousland," he shook his head, "I can't even imagine."

"Lady Kallian stopped the bad elf from killing Grandfather."

Elissa had to blink once and look down at her nephew with raised eyebrows. His words were spoken so plainly and so innocently that Elissa couldn't find it in herself to correct his mode of address. More than that, she almost didn't want to correct him. She apparently wasn't the only one as both Fergus and Oriana paused and hesitated he same way she did.

"Oren . . ." Oriana gently put a hand atop his head.

"Lady Kallian?" Nathaniel looked at them in askance. "Who is . . .?"

Fergus gave a soft sigh and then looked at Oren, "Lady-in-waiting you mean, Oren."

"She's still a Lady though, right? But I don't know what she's waiting for," he tilted his head. "Is she waiting for Auntie to find a husband?"

It was Oriana who barked out a loud laugh before covering her mouth with a hand. Elissa's mouth pulled into a flat line and Oriana raised a hand asking for forgiveness.

"Great," Elissa sighed, "even Oren is in on it."

Fergus was trying not to laugh, "Well he isn't too far off is he?"

Elissa was about to retort, but Nathaniel cut in, "I'm sorry, but I was under the impression that the Grey Wardens thwarted the attempt."

"The Grey Wardens were there," Oriana said, "and their presence aided in stopping him, but it very much was Elissa's lady-in-waiting who stopped that Crow's blade."

Elissa's eyebrows furrowed, "Is that what they're saying here in Denerim? That the Grey Wardens stopped it?"

"That's what I had heard from Teyrn Loghain and from others," Nathaniel shrugged a shoulder lightly, "or at least that seemed the obvious conclusion to make."

"It was Kallian and not the Wardens," Elissa frowned more, agitated that her father's savior was being brushed under the carpet.

"I suppose it's easier for people to believe it would be the Wardens and not an elf," Fergus added, also sounding bitter.

"An elf?" Nathaniel paused in thought, "I suppose that would be hard for certain sorts to swallow. And she is your lady-in-waiting?"

"I prefer to call her my friend and minder," Elissa admitted, "at least I hope she wouldn't mind me calling her friend."

"I don't think she'd mind that at all, sister."

Elissa blinked again at Fergus' serious tone. He gazed at his goblet looking worried and pensive. That spike of suspicion hit her gut again. Just how much did Fergus care about Kallian? Her gaze went to Oriana. She hadn't noticed anything as her attention was on Oren who was giving a most prodigious yawn.

"Oh dear," Oriana affectionately rubbed Oren's head, "looks like it's time for this little noble to get to bed."

"But mother-"

"No buts, Oren," Fergus interrupted, snapping out of his gazing, "Remember, the sooner you get to bed the sooner we can go to the market tomorrow morning."

Oren's eyes went from sleepy to wide in an instant. He grabbed his mother's hand and started to pull.

"Time for bed then!"

Oriana's eyebrows quirked up and she looked at Fergus, "Oh Maker, what did you promise him?"

"Psh, it's nothing," he idly motioned with a hand. "Just a shield his size is all," then he muttered into his goblet, "and a new practice sword."

"Mother, come on."

Resisting her son's tugging Oriana sighed in exasperation, "Fergus, really . . . "

"It won't be anything more than what I got at his age. Besides that Oren and I will make a day of it." Fergus leaned closer to her, "You'll also have the day to yourself to do as you please, shop as you please, without having to be a minder."

Oriana also leaned closer, looking upset. "If that was an attempt at a bribe," the look lifted and the smallest of smiles appeared, "then it worked rather well."

"Thought you might like that."

And there, the look Fergus and Oriana shared. How could Elissa even think for a second that Fergus was committing adultery when he was still obviously enamored of his wife? The confusion of it was starting to make her mind numb. That or the day was finally catching up with her.

"Before we head off," Oriana was saying, "Let's say our proper goodnights and goodbyes."

Corralling Oren around to face Nathaniel, she extended a hand to him, "Ser Nathaniel, it was a pleasure meeting one of Fergus and Elissa's childhood friends. You will indulge me in more tales of my husband's embarrassing exploits next time?"

"If only to give you more to lord over him, Lady Oriana," he graciously took her hand and kissed the back of it. Fergus audibly huffed at the open conspiracy, but he grinned all the same.

"Please, it's just Oriana," she squeezed his hand before patting Oren on the shoulder. "Say goodbye, Oren."

"Will you come and visit Highever, Ser Nathaniel?"

"Well, Highever and Gwaren are rather far apart, Oren," he replied, "But . . ."

While Elissa knew what the first part of his answer would be she couldn't stop the flitter in her heart when he added a 'but'. For a brief second Nathaniel's eyes glanced over at her catching her gazing at him. She pulled her eyes away quickly and covered her reaction with a drink from her goblet.

"I will see if I can make some time this summer when the weather is warmer for speedy travel."

The flitter became a full palpitation. He wasn't deciding to visit just because of her, was he? It was likely he simply missed being in the company of family and wanted to make up for lost time. That would be logical. Though the thought of him being there and the chance to have some moments alone with him lead her mind to a few blush inducing notions.

"There's definitely room enough in Cousland Castle to have you, Nate," Fergus said.

He smiled at Fergus, then smiled down at Oren, "I suppose that's settled then. Hopefully, Teyrn Loghain will be able to do without my . . . presence . . . in-"

When Nathaniel's words trailed off oddly, she saw that his gaze was drawn off somewhere behind Fergus and Oriana. A noticeable quiet had began to cut into the hall and in that quiet she heard a voice roughly call out.

"Your Majesty!"

Whatever conversations people were having quickly stopped and all eyes were drawn to the caller.

"Is that Bann Teagan?"

Even as Fergus said it, Elissa recognized him as well, but there was something severely wrong. He was armored and looked battered and beaten with his arm in a poorly made sling. Dirt and dried blood smattered him from head to toe and he walked with a severe limp.

She saw the king immediately cut through the crowd and get to Bann Teagan just as he fell to a knee. Others came forward - her father and Teyrn Loghain - and without much thought she followed Fergus as he also weaved through the onlookers. Nathaniel not far behind. As she neared she saw that there were two knights with Bann Teagan, both in similar states. Their faces looked gaunt and haunted.

King Cailan didn't stand on any ceremony and got to a knee to hold Teagan up by his shoulders, "Uncle! What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Not who," his rasp of a voice was barely heard from where Elissa was standing, "what."

The King shook his head, "What do you mean?"

Bann Teagan looked near to tears, the knights behind him bowing their heads, "My brother, your Uncle, he . . . Redcliffe Castle has fallen!"

AN: Yes, I am back. Yes, this is continuing. Yes, I have an ending in mind and it will get there. Comments, questions, and creative critique always welcome.