I am back-ish, I had not posted here in a while and figure I post something. I hope you will enjoy the first few chapters.
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Warden Deedo Surana drugged herself through the streets of Denerim, tired, hungry, and filthy. She needed to get back to Arl Eamon's estate, and quickly; wanting nothing more than to be back in her lover's arms again. Days had passed since her surrender to Ser Caurthrien and a quarter of Loghain's men, following the rescue of Anora, Ferelden's Queen.
'This armor is horribly heavy; I am sore from head to foot. Almost there… just a few more.'
Her thoughts paused as she leaned against the wall of the estate. Mustering up some strength, she made way to the doors. Moving at a steady pace through the halls, she heard the faint sounds of arguing coming from the study at the end of the corridor, and a guard exited said room closing the door behind him. She was clearly able to put faces to the voices she was trying to decipher.
She felt an all-too-familiar nudge to the back of her leg, followed by a whimper of worry. Removing her helmet, she knelt down, giving her fuzzy friend a hug and a good scratch behind his ears.
"I missed you too, arguing about my rescue?"
With a bark and a nudge to her cheek Tengu looked back at the door.
"I am going to go in there; can you let the others know I'm safe?"
With another bark he jumped and wiggled his nub of a tail. Deedo placed her beloved necklace around his neck and headed for the door, placing her helmet back on in the process. Upon entering the room she first spotted Anora, who looked worse for wear and was eyeing Alistair, who leaned over the desk. A tired-looking Eamon rubbed his temples, and Zevran cursed to himself, pacing about the room.
"When are we going to send another contingent? Or do I have to go myself?" Alistair was fuming, pounding his fist on the oak desk, sending several papers clamoring to the floor as if to dodge out of his way.
Removing her headgear as she approached the desk, Deedo calmly stated just loud enough to be heard,
"Why do we not, and say we did?"
"What?" Zevran and Alistair echoed in further frustration. Anora stood with tears in her eyes and Eamon raised his head in surprise. They all looked at the little elven mage - all of whom thought needed rescuing - standing among them.
Alistair turned her to face him, and, with tears brimming, he gently cupped her dirty sweat-ridden face with his hands. He thumbed her face as looked her up and down, seeing a small bruise on her forehead.
"They didn't… You are not..?"
He could not bring himself to say what his mind had been reeling with since her capture, and could not think to bring it to life even as she stood before him. She placed her hand on his, assuring him she was indeed well. "I am well my love; just tired and hungry," she said with a weak smile. They continued to embrace, ignoring all who were in the room.
Zevran hurried to inform the others that she was back, smiling brightly as he left. Anora gestured to Eamon before she, too, left. "Would you please have the Warden speak with me when she is ready?" She stole a look at the couple before she exited for her chambers.
"My love, could you have a bath drawn for me, and food - I need to speak with Eamon?" she asked, slowly taking a seat and stripping the remaining armor she had on. Alistair kissed her forehead and saw to her needs.
"I am glad to see you are safe my dear, I would have hated to try to stand in your friends' way, especially Alistair; he was on his way out to get you the day you were taken. It took Wynne to get the boy to listen to reason." Eamon said smiling and helped her with a few of the straps from her armor.
"Thank you, I know I heard talk of a few spies that showed up one night, I hope they made it back safely?" She placed the breastplate down on the floor with a clunk and an even greater sigh of relief.
With a nod, Eamon acknowledged his men's return. "I know you are tired and in much need of rest, so I will make this brief. Anora wishes an audience with you; I feel that it will be best if we keep our eyes on her, we know not what she has planned."
With a grunt Deedo pulled off her last boot, wiggling her toes for some well-needed air.
"Yes, she will have to wait, Queen or no Queen. I am glad she got the message of my capture, through."
Nodding his agreement once more, Eamon helped her to her feet, and she reached down to clean up the mess she'd dropped on the floor.
"Leave it there; go and rest. "We will talk later, good-night Warden." Eamon ushered her towards the door.
Deedo bowed and headed out of the door, "Oh, Warden?" Eamon paused at his desk.
Deedo turned quickly to Eamon, who continued to speak. "He does love you a great deal, they all do. That was all; good-night."
She smiled and left the room for food, then her much-needed bath, being greeted by her relieved friends, who hugged her and who offered plates of food as she made her way to her chambers.
~~\\/~~
A two-day rest proved to be enough time to face Anora. Alistair stayed in her room since her return, Maker knew, Deedo would have preferred to stay in bed snuggled safely in Alistair's arms. After much protesting and a tug-of-war with her bed gown, he finally gave up the fight and let her prepare to see Her Arse is a Royal Pain, Yes? or 'harpy' for short.
"Alistair, that's not nice; she was your brother's wife." Deedo threw a pillow at him, after he dubbed her with a new title.
"She is, and you know it: have you seen the way she's been looking at me? Chills me to the bone." He muttered as he helped lace up her bootstraps.
"Do you know why she wants an audience with you?" he asked, pulling his boots on before escorting Deedo out of the room and up the hall to Anora's bedchamber.
"Not a clue, maybe she wants to thank me for saving her. Who knows, but the second I find out I will be sure to let you know." They shared a quick kiss before parting ways.
~~\\/~~
Standing in front of the Queen's room, Deedo chuckled before knocking.
Harpy's Den, I have to remember to tell him that.
She knocked and waited a moment before the door opened, revealing Anora's handmaiden.
"Ah, Warden, my lady is at her desk. I wanted to say thank-you again for her safe return," Erlina gushed in her thick Orlesian accent, as she showed Deedo into the room, before closing the door behind her with a sound click.
Anora stood and walked around the desk, offering Deedo the seat nearest the fireplace.
"My rescuer, I am in your debt. Please have a seat. I cannot thank you enough for getting me out of that horrible place." She eyed Deedo as one would do a painting.
"You are most welcome. You wished to speak with me? I do apologize for the delay; I needed a little time to readjust." The Magi bowed her head slightly as she spoke.
Anora smiled shyly. "Yes that is understandable. I am almost afraid to ask you for your assistance again."
Deedo bowed her head again. "I will be happy to help you anyway I can, Your Majesty."
Anora stood and went over to fix cups of tea for the two of them, speaking as she went.
"I was hoping you would say that, so I shall get right to the point. I would like you to help me secure my place as Queen."
Deedo raised an curious eyebrow. "I see - you wish me to speak on your behalf during the Landsmeet?"
"Yes, who do you really think had been running the Kingdom these past five years - Cailan?" Anora chuckled slightly, putting another drop of honey in her cup.
"Right, but what about Alistair? He is of Theirin blood, as was his brother Cailan. I'm sure that is your only reason for being Queen." Deedo's eyes narrowed at the woman's back as she questioned her.
It stunned Anora, as the realization that the elf girl would dare to remark in such a tone. True, she was betrothed to Cailan at a young age due in part to being the Hero of River Dane's daughter, her father having been instrumental in their betrothal. After she had gotten safely back to the estate, it had also dawned on her that she could, in a matter of a few votes, lose her crown; the crown she had worked on for years, a role in which she had grown accustomed to, to the bastard of King Maric's, her dear, departed father-in-law.
'Time for plan B.' Anora thought bitterly.
Anora was shaken up just a bit by the words of a woman who could shift the tides, so to speak; carrying a tray of cakes with the tea, she placed it down on the table nearest their seats, attempting to keep what was hers.
"Precisely, and I was also wondering if you could, in some way, convince Alistair to wed me. It would benefit us both." She handed Deedo a cup, all the while waiting for her to digest the proposal.
This was not funny in the least. Deedo looked into the cup for a few thoughtful minutes, finally finding the words that she needed to not insult the Queen.
"How exactly would this be a benefit to us?"
Anora placed her cup down and dabbed her mouth before answering.
"For one, it would help aid the Wardens, who have already been dubbed traitors to the crown by my father. Second, it will still sway the nobles against my father; remember he did have me locked up," she said, adding the last statement for extra incentive.
She could see that her words were working, knowing the Wardens - having being reinstated due to Maric's word - could properly be exiled now that they were seen as the enemy, supposedly killing her husband.
Deedo, on the other hand, placed the cup down and started to finger the collar of her robe, looking for her necklace.
Anora was right; thanks to Loghain they were seen as the traitors, and had been - and still were -hunted by his lackeys. Her father did throw her to that vile man Rendon Howe. This was giving her a headache.
'Harpy does not begin to describe her any longer!' Deedo thought wickedly; she wanted something that was going to come at a very heavy price.
Deedo closed her aqua eyes and drew a deep breath. "I cannot believe I am even considering this," she said to no one in particular.
Deedo spoke as she rose from her seat "I will see what he has to say."
Deedo hung her head, feeling weaker than when she had arrived back at the Estate. Getting up, she headed to the door, not wanting to spend another moment longer in the company of 'the snake', as Deedo now thought of Anora.
"Thank you for thinking it over; please let me know his decision," Anora smirked as she watched Deedo close the door.
"Now all we do is wait." Anora giggled and continued to nibble her cake.
~~\\/~~
As Deedo closed the door she headed to Eamon's office to inform him that his suspicions were correct. The idea of Anora with Alistair nauseated her and made the throb in her head worse.
'He did say she was giving him looks, did she have this planned from the start? Was her capture even genuine?'
Her mind was going in several different directions, and she hardly noticed that she entered the room muttering incoherently she flopped into a chair next to Eamon's desk.
"She wants to marry him," was all she managed to get out at last, with a slow giggle that built up into hysterical laughter. Eamon, Wynne and Alistair tried their best to calm her.
"She wants to marry you." Tears trickled down her cheek, "That…**** had been planning this all along!"
Deedo got up and headed to the courtyard; she needed to destroy something. Following on her heel, Alistair went to gather further information.
Eamon sat in the chair Deedo had just vacated and popped up quickly with a hiss. The chair was frozen solid.
~~\\/~~
"Love, what do you mean she wants to marry me? That's impossible - did we not do enough by bringing her Cailan's armor from Ostagar?"
"Maybe she saw it as a warm gesture. From what I gathered she needs you on the throne due to your royal makeup and it will be a benefit to us both."
Deedo lobbed a fireball at the straw dummy without looking, making a few of the others on the training grounds scatter. She quickly put out the fire with ice, mouthing apologies as well.
"Benefit who? Damn that, I will not marry her, I'll go speak with Eamon." Alistair left to do just that.
"We are traitors to the crown, unfortunately she would be a benefit." Deedo whispered to the winds.
~~\\/~~
Day of the Landsmeet. Location Denerim.
Deedolett Surana had pronounced Alistair Theirin King, after a debate from both sides he accepted the role he never truly wanted and his fellow Warden and friends felt that this is the right thing to do.
"Lock Anora up, I will figure out what to do with her later." Alistair rubbed his hands over his face and with a heavy sigh knew there was still more to do.
"I hope what you do with me will be the same as you did for my father. Curse you and your wench!" Anora spat as she was dragged to her room until further notice.
A few hours later Deedo and the seven others that traveled with her were talking about the next course of action against the still looming Blight.
Alistair mutters to himself, obviously distracted, not acknowledging the servants or other nobles as he passes in the hall. He feels her presence on the other side of the oak doors, placing a hand on the handle, gripping the cold metal squeezing it tightly with a gauntleted hand.
*Maker I do not wish to do this.* Taking several deep breaths before walking through, he was greeted with a warm hug and kiss, his heart started to race and he could hear it in his ears.
*Maker please forgive me for what I am about to do.* His thoughts of what he needed to do, for duties sake, kept him from embracing his lover and best friends touches he grew accustomed to.
"Congratulations, you're Highness." She purred aquamarine eyes search for a thank you.
"What is the matter love?" she spoke a little softer.
He gently grabbed her hands from the back of his neck, looking into her eyes ashamed of what is to come, turns away closing his eyes drawing a deep breath,
"We need to talk."
The 'Talk' lasted less than five minutes, leaving her feeling incredibly ill. She reluctantly agreed accepting his words with a heavy heart. Realizing all eyes were on her, not missing a beat, she kept her back to the group, clearing her throat;
"I am heading to the market for supplies; we march out in the morning as our 'King' instructed." Deedo stated flatly.
Heading to the door on her left she exited the room, un-faltered, making sure the door was completely closed behind her, she looked around like a scared child.
*Oh dear Maker* checking her feelings; embarrassment, disbelief and anguish were all in full play, legs feeling like jelly, her breathing ragged she walked to the middle of the room hugging herself, sliding to the floor with tears pouring from her eyes. Covering her face in her hands muffling the sobs she laid in the floor and curled into a tiny ball.
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Thanks goes to lisakodysam and Erynnar for helping me, and cheering me on *hugs*
Modifié par DeedoSurana, 05 juin 2012 - 09:58 .
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