Her Sacrifice
(Author's Note: Had to get this out before it ate me. Hope you like it. It made me tear up a lot.)

All I could hear was the screeching roar of the enemy. I listened to the rumble of the stampede, listening as the darkspawn horde closed in around us. Alistair at my back, Leliana and Morrigan on my sides, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. It wasn't ever going to be enough. It was up to me or Alistair to finish this once and for all, and I wasn't about to let this country go without a leader. Without someone who understood what this country needed. Anora didn't have what Ferelden needed. She was blinded by her obsession with maintaining the lifestyle she was accustomed to.

Ferelden needed Alistair.

I listened to the sound of clashing swords and dying men. The dwarven army did what they could, but I knew that eventually things would fall apart. Enough have perished for our cause. I watched as Morrigan crumbled to her knees, her teeth gritted in agony as her mana drained tremendously. She looked toward me, her amber eyes drooping. "I can't hold it for much longer, Warden!" She called apprehensively to me. I slammed my blade through the throat of an offending hurlock before I watched the darkspawn swarm from all sides.

I watched as my men fell, one by one as they tried to hold the line. I watched as Sten fell to one knee, slamming his sword through one of the beasts before his eyes slid shut. He was losing power. Leliana was running low on arrows, and she already had several embedded in her body. My family was falling apart. I shuddered, spinning on my heels to decapitate a darkspawn before Alistair's back connected with mine. "We're losing the line, love." He called to me, and I knew that tone. I shook my head, this wasn't the end of Alistair Theirin. And in a moment of selfishness, I grabbed him by the edge of his armor and threw him to the ground. He shouted, hitting the ground with a clank of his armor. His father's sword slid free from his hand and he stared up at me with a narrowed gaze.

"Alixia!" He shouted to me, his eyes widening as my attention was fixated on the roaring dragon before us. Then I felt his grasp against my waist as me yanked out of my daze. He stared down at me, a fierceness in his gaze that I had not noticed before. "Don't you do this, you can still-" and I slammed my lips against his. I kissed him with all that I had, my hands resting on both sides of his face, my face crumbling into defeat as I gave him all I had. As I pulled away, tears fell from my eyes as I stroked his face lovingly. He shook his head, grabbing my wrists. "Alix...No. You don't have to do this. Please." I then pulled away, my white blonde hair swaying into my face. My hand moved against the metal of his armor, my eyes darting from side to side as I took him in. The last I would see of him. The man I loved, the man I had shared my entire being to. "Do not be frightened...My love." I whispered, a tear trembling down my face slowly. I then ran, my hand grabbing a hold of Maric's blade before I started for the archdemon.

"ALIXIA!"

I kept running, tears stinging in my eyes as I grunted with each foot fall. Then, I pushed off the ground, screaming at the top of my lungs as my sword slashed through the archdemon's neck, bathing my slender frame in blood. As my feet landed against the ground, the archdemon's body hit the ground feet from me. I sauntered over to the beast's head, listening to it's pain screeching. My face was angry, terrified, and accepting as I gripped the blade of the man that fathered the man I loved. The blade of a hero. Then, with a shriek, I plunge it right through the skull of the dragon, and light enveloped me. It was bright, white hot, and I could feel it engulfing my entire body. All I could hear was the sound of my heart racing in my ears and the sound of the darkspawn horde retreating, their pained calls surging through the air. I felt my body start to give as I held the hilt of Maric's blade. I could almost feel my soul being torn to pieces by the archdemon's essence. My body tremored as I tried to keep my grip tight against my weapon. My screams erupted from my throat, agonized and unrelenting. I couldn't tear my gaze away from my target to see Alistair's face crumble, his eyes glistening with the tears of pain and regret. He couldn't bear to see me like this, but I wasn't going to let him die. I had to do this. For him, for Ferelden.

Then, I was finished. A contented smile formed as the force of the blast knocked me yards from the archdemon's remains. My body slammed against the marble ground, bones breaking as I went.

I was finished. I saved Ferelden. I ended the Blight.

The last thing I heard before the darkness took me in was boots rushing to my side. I saw the glint of Alistair's crimson stained armor as he crouched before me. I listened as he cried out to me, his hand touching my face. He was safe. He was alive. I listened to the sounds of his whimpering, his frantic plea for me as he held me up. I couldn't see anymore as he smeared my blood against my face.

"No no no no, it wasn't-" He couldn't finish as he rested his forehead against mine, rocking my body back and forth. I had been selfish in wanting to keep him alive. I didn't want to live in a world where he didn't exist. Yet, now I was forcing him to live in a world without me. How cruel I was. "Alixia, it wasn't supposed to be this way." He whispered shakily, knowing that it was over now. I left him in that moment, my body giving up as it went limp in his arms. My chapter had finished in this story, it was up to Alistair to carry on the next.

Alistair shook his head, tears welling in his eyes as he brushed her white blonde locks from her face. Blood trickled from her mouth as he shook his head. The remaining members of their band of brothers slowly made their way toward their fallen leader. Sten stood over the scene, blood caking his towering frame before he fell to his knees. A moment of defeat for the qunari man. Alistair let the tears fall from his eyes as he shook Alixia's limp body. Riordan had told them that this would happen, that this would be the fate for one of them. Why did she do it? Why did she take the killing blow and leave him here without her? How cruel was she? He slowly looked up, shaking as Morrigan looked away, her staff still in hand before she slowly replaced it against her back. Then, she was gone, in a blink of an eye as if she had never been there at all. Alistair then turned his gaze to Sten as the stoic man shed no tears for her, but his stance alone let the King know that he was grieving. That the sorrow in his expression was enough.

"No!" A scream was heard as Leliana yanked an arrow from her abdomen and scurried toward him with tears in her eyes. She fell to her knees in both shock and fading strength. She was bleeding profusely from the many wounds she had sustained. "Oh Andraste, please." Leliana sobbed as her bloody hand moved to Alixia's head. Her thumb moved against her hair before her eyes connected with Alistair's. The man gritted his teeth as he laid his head against Alixia's, his arms gripping her still form. He sobbed, holding her against his chest as her arms moved with him, limp as her hands fell to his lap.

"...And should you perish...know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten..." He recited shakily, his voice trembling uncontrollably as hot tears trembled down his warn and grime covered face. "and that one day...I shall join you." He cried, closing his hazel eyes as he squeezed her tightly. He wished this all away. He prayed to the Maker that this was simply a nightmare. That he would soon wake from. However, as the moments ticked by and the scent of blood and death wafted into the man's nostrils, did he realize that this was as real as it could ever be. The woman he loved, sacrificed herself from her country, and for him. So that he could lead on. So that he could continue. She wouldn't keep her promises she had made to him. She would not rule along side of him like she had said. She would not travel to Highever to give Duncan the proper memorial like they had agreed. She would not be his wife. She would not bare his children. All things that could not have come to pass, regardless of their romantic hoping. One of them had to deliver the killing blow, take the last blast to save the world. She just beat him to the punch.

Selfish, selfish girl.

He pulled away from her, his hand stroking her chilling face as he felt her body slowly begin to chill. He shook his head, watching as Leliana broke down, sobbing as her head rested against Alixia's stomach. He knew that the redhead Orlaisian had fallen in love with the female gray warden. He remembered the day that Alixia had chosen him over her, yet her loyalty never wavered. Leliana had continued to remain one of her most trusted friends, and now, they both had to say goodbye to her. Slowly, Leliana freed herself from Alixia's body as I rose to my feel. I lifted her up into my arms, attempting to maintain some semblance of a resolve. Her hand rested against the edge of my armor while her other arm dangled toward the ground. Her legs swayed from side to side with each step I took. Her head fell back, her gorgeous white blonde hair swaying in the window as I carried her away from the battle field, wanting to find a place to let her rest before any arrangements could be made for her. As I went on, our band of brothers soon fell in step behind me. Leliana sobbed softly behind me, her face hidden by her hair as she moved along. Sten soon followed after, draping his sword across his shoulders.

As he made his way toward the castle at the center of Denerim, he watched as many of the citizens rejoiced over their victory. They shouted in joy and relief, until Alistair walked through their hordes, not a word spoken from him as he carried Alixia's limp form as if it were a warning. He looked to see Zevran drop one of his daggers, his eyes widening as he stepped toward them. He soon fell in step behind him, continuing in Alixia's entourage. Then Wynee moved toward Alistair, her expression somber as she rested her forehead against her staff. She then soon fell in line and walked with the rest into the main hall of the Denerim estate. Alistair's face had morphed into that of a man scorned. He would do what she wanted. He would fulfill his duty as King, just as she had commanded. One last command from his leader.

For you, Lady Cousland. Always for you.