Soundtrack:

King and Lionheart ~ Of Monsters and Men (Realin and Alistair's Theme)

Kiss From a Rose ~ Seal

Keeper Marethari motioned for the two of us to sit. Alistair glanced at me, following my lead. He only knew what I had told him of the Dalish. And I really hadn't gone over etiquette with him.

"I understand from the Hunters that Realin helped you gain your throne."

He glanced over at me again. "That she did. She's been a true friend and great ally. I really don't know what any of us would have done without her. She's saved my life more times than I can count."

"And he's saved mine just as many times," I added, to let Marathari know that I didn't just protect him.

"My point being without Realin, things would have turned out differently, I'm sure. It's because of her that the civil war was ended and the Blight defeated. I've rewarded her personally for it but I wish to extend the honor to her people."

I looked at him, a puzzled look on my face. What was he doing?

"What do you mean?" Marethari asked, just as puzzled.

"I wish to grant land to the Dalish for their part in the siege of Denerim."

I was completely shocked. I also forgot how to breathe for a moment. I was sure my face mirrored Keeper Marethari's.

"You wish... you wish to give the Dalish a... a homeland." Her voice betrayed the same shock I was feeling.

"The Hinterlands north of the Kolcari Wilds including Ostagar will be yours. It's rugged land and there's much to work out. I hope it'll be a first step to our people working together. I believe that one of your Keepers had a dream of peace between mine and the Dalish." Alistair had remembered everything I'd ever told him of the Dalish. Our search for a place to call our own. The reason we wandered. My father's wish for the humans and Dalish to be at peace with one another. I can't even begin to tell you how much his words meant to me. To my people.

"Of course." Emotion colored Keeper Marethari's voice. "I must speak to the other Keepers, but I am sure they would accept your offer just as I do." She reached over and took Alistair's hands and I could see the tears of joy in her eyes. None of us ever expected to live to see this day. I expected the Dalish would continue to wander, holding onto the tale of a homeland as we did our legends and gods. "I cannot thank you enough for this."

"It's the least I could offer your people."

"The Creators smiled upon us when they guided you here."

We stood and went outside. Tristan stood when we came outside and Marithari turned to me.

"I am sure your clan will want to embrace you once more and see that the stories are true."

"There are two I know will want to see me," I said with a smile.

I turned and walked into camp with Tristan at my side. Alistair stayed with Keeper Marethari to discuss, I assumed, the land the Dalish would be receiving.

I was aiming to go see Hahran Paival when I was surprised by someone jumping on my back. There was only one person who would ever do that to me. Well, two but one was dead. I twisted around and we wrestled a moment before I had Merrill pinned to the ground.

"You get me every time!"

I grinned and helped her to her feet.

"I'd heard the others saying you'd come home. I didn't think they were true until I saw you and a Shem talking with the Keeper. My heart sings to see you well."

"As does mine."

"Realin! Realin!"

I turned to see Braylyn racing towards me.

"Realin!"

I threw my arms open and she jumped into them. We embraced like sisters do when they hadn't seen one another for some time. I was overjoyed to see her. When I killed the Archdemon, I had thought I never get to see her again.

"How are you, little sister?"

"I am overjoyed to see you alive and back." Braylyn was five years younger than me, born on the day our father and brother died.

"I am happy to be back. I truly thought I'd never see you again."

My mother came running towards us.

I reached out and she took my hand, my other arm still around my little sister. "Mother."

I saw the tears of happiness in her eyes. "My heart sings to see you alive. We had heard all the Grey Wardens had been killed at Ostagar. And then we heard a few had survived and aided Zatherian's clan with the werewolves. We hoped you would have been one of them." She stroked my cheek. "I don't know if I would have been able to handle losing another child." I wasn't about to tell her that she almost had.

"I'm too stubborn to die," I said instead. "And Fenarel keeps telling me I have the luck of the Creators."

Elise laughed. "That you do, emma lath, that you do. You get that stubbornness from your father." She looked down and saw Tristan, who looked up at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and tail wagging.

"That's a great first impression, boy."

Tristan barked. I had to chuckle.

"I see you finally got one of those Shemlen warhounds you wanted as a child."

"I saved his life at Ostagar. He sought me out after the battle and has been at my side since."

"I hear they are loyal beasts."

"Yes." I scratched the hound behind the ear. "Tristan has been very loyal." I saw the look on my mother's face and I could feel the color drain from my face. "I..."

"Your brother would have been honored that you named your wardog after him." She patted my cheek and Braylyn stroked the top of Tristan's head.

"Realin, who's the Shem you arrived with?" My sister suddenly asked.

"I was wondering that, too," Merrill added. "He keeps giving you the same looks Tamlen used to give you."

I gave Merrill a look. She knew? Why didn't she tell me? "You knew and you never told me?"

"Um..."

Braylyn laughed. "Apparently the whole camp but you knew."

"All of you could have said something!"

Merrill laughed and Braylyn looked over at Alistair. "He's definitely giving you the puppy eyes."

I was avoiding looking at Alistair. I knew once I did, he would only look away, like he always did when I caught him staring at me. And I was afraid that he would be looking at me like they were saying he was. "Braylyn!"

Elise laughed. "Oh, Realin. You are exactly like your father. Although I'm not sure if he'd approve of that." 

I felt my cheeks flush and I looked down. "He wouldn't have to since we're not together."

"I think someone should inform him about that," Merrill said with a giggle.

I gave her a look.

"Go see Hahran Paival," Elise said. "I'm sure he will be glad to see you."

~~~

"Realin charged at the Archdemon, dodging its bite and dealing a deadly blow," Hahran Paival was telling the children the story of the defeat of the Archdemon. I smiled and leaned against a tree. "But that blow wasn't what killed the Archdemon."

"How did she kill him?" a little boy asked.

I pushed off the tree and walked over to them. Most of the children were too young to know who I was or even remember me. "She sank her blade into the Archdemon's head."

Hahran Paival turned as I spoke.

"But that blow nearly cost Realin her life."

The children gasped.

"But they say she was too hardheaded to let it kill her and Fenarel always told her she had the Creators' luck."

Several giggled and Paival himself smiled.

"And the Shemlen threw a big party to celebrate her victory."

"What happened to Realin?" a little girl asked.

"They say she returned to her clan for a short time," Paival said. "But that is a story for another time."

"Awww."

"Run along, children.

The children ran off to play and Paival turned to me.

"My heart is overjoyed to see you again, Realin." I was sure he missed my smartass take on his stories.

"As is mine. I see Fenarel brought back the tale of the Archdemon's death."

"He said he was on that tower with several Hunters and saw you deal the killing blow himself."

"He also saved my life so that I was able to do so."

"He left that out."

"He would."

"So you nearly lost your life in that battle? Fenarel thought that the energy blast and knocked you out. Said you really gave one of the Shems a scare." I remembered Alistair calling my name and begging the Maker to spare me.

"So I've been told. That energy blast is what nearly killed me. Took me at least a week to recover, with the aid of magic."

"How long will you be among your clan?"

"A week or two. I needed to be among my own people after so long among the humans."

Paival smiled. "You shouldn't forget where you came from. I am glad you chose to return to your clan despite all the fame you have gathered among the Shemlen." He looked past me. "Speaking of Shemlen."

I turned to see Keeper Marethari and Alistair walking towards us. Braylyn and Merrill were behind them, both giggling like little girls.

"Elise said you would be here," Marethari said. "I have to say your friend here is much more charming than Duncan." I'm sure my amusement showed on my face. "Why don't you show Alistair around the camp. He is very interested in our ways."

I nodded. "Ma nuvenin, Keeper."

~~~

I showed Alistair our halla. Poor Pol nearly fell over at seeing him, thinking he was there for him. He managed to squeak out an apology once Alistair informed him of his mistake. Eventually, we found ourselves in an area well out of earshot from any of the other Dalish.

Alistair suddenly and gently took my arm. "Stop. Can I talk to you? I need to talk to you," he said. "About us."

"There's nothing left to talk about."

"There's a lot left to talk about, Realin."

I had my back to him and I crossed my arms. "If I might remind you of our last conversation on the topic, you're the one that said there couldn't be an us." Why did he suddenly want to talk about us? It only hurt for me to even think about it, let alone talk about it.

"Well, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said what I did after the Landsmeet."

"Well, you did. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because I wanted to tell you I was wrong to have said what I said. I let someone else influence me. Someone that should not have. I... I'm sorry."

I turned and glared at him. I think I now understood Teagan's reaction to my telling him Alistair and I weren't together. And why Teagan told me the story of Maric and Katriel. "And again why are you bringing this up? Now? And here?" Had Teagan told him the same story as well?

"You do have a thick skull, don't you?"

"Give me a reason, Alistair."

Alistair gave me a look. "Realin, I was wrong to tell you that we couldn't be together. At all. After you killed the Archdemon, I was sure I'd lost you. I never want to have that feeling again. Ever. Nearly losing you made me realize how stupid I was to let you go. To let someone who didn't understand influence me like that. Someone who I thought should have understood. I never want to lose you like that."

"Do you want to know the reason I was coming home, Alistair? It wasn't just to return my roots. I was hoping by the time I returned to Denerim, you would have had the noble wife you so desperately needed and I wouldn't have had to watch you marry her." I started to turn away but Alistair placed his hand on my cheek to prevent me from doing so. He looked at me the same way as he had on our first night together.

"I want you to be my wife." Oh, he had the nerve.

"That's not funny, Alistair!"

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Oh? And what was it meant to be?"

Alistair smiled and shook his head. "Realin, I just asked you to marry me and you think I'm joking about it? I don't want anyone else. I want you. Only you. Hang what Eamon thinks I should do and who I should marry."

"And what about that heir you so desperately need? What happened to Grey Wardens don't have children together?"

"There has to be a way around that. I mean Morrigan found a loophole regarding the Archdemon."

"You are unbelievable!"

"I don't want anyone other than you." He took my hands. "Marry me, Realin. Right here. Right now. I will marry you in front of your people."

"I'll not be married to you under Dalish law only to have you marry someone else under Chantry law."

"Then I'll marry you under Chantry law as well."

I just looked at him. This had to be a cruel joke. He rubbed his thumbs over my knuckles.

"I love you. I realized there was something special about you from the moment we met, like I'd known you all my life. I've cared for you since the day we met. I realized that I truly loved you when we went to the Tower of Magi to free Connor. Truthfully, when I kissed you in that temple I thought you were going to hurt me. I thought 'How could a Dalish possibly love a human?' But it happened and it was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. Breaking it off was the worst decision of my life. And I beg you to forgive me for that. When...," He paused a moment before continuing. "When I thought that Morrigan's ritual failed, I felt as if my world had been torn to shreds. My heart torn from my chest. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. My life means nothing without you."

"You are forgetting that I have chosen to remain with the Grey Wardens. And that you made me Commander of the Grey."

"I know. Why cannot the queen be both those things?"

"You are so full of..." He kissed me before I could finish the sentence.

"I know, Realin," he said with a smile when he broke away. I actually forgot what I had been saying. "You've told me that several times."

"What of the people of Ferelden? I may have killed the Archdemon but I do not think they will accept an Elven queen."

He smiled. "They will accept it as a symbol of an alliance between the humans and the Elves. You and our companions, and Keeper Marethari, will be the only ones the wiser."

"You weren't discussing details of the Dalish land, were you?"

"I was asking her and your mother's blessings. And I did want to give your people a homeland of their own."

"You truly wish for me to marry you?"

"Of course I do! I love you with my entire being, Realin." It was slowly sinking in. Alistair was crossing every single unwritten boundary now by asking me to be his wife. He was doing what his father almost did. And I was risking the scorn of my people. Alistair then went down to one knee, still holding my hands. "Realin Mahariel, will you be my wife?"

I smiled at him. "I accept," I whispered. "I will."

His face split into a wide and goofy grin before he stood and took me into his arms.

~~~

It didn't take long for the entire clan to hear not only that Alistair was actually the King of Ferelden and that he'd granted the Dalish a homeland but that he was taking a Dalish wife. As I had predicted, many did not approve of the union. But Marethari reminded them of my father's wishes to have peace with the humans. Many accepted our union only because of Marethari's blessing. And Alistair had been serious for once when he'd said he would marry me in front of my people. Which was why I was sitting in the araval I had once shared with my family with my sister and mother placing flowers in my hair. I was wearing my mother's wedding dress. And I might add this was the first time I'd worn one since I became a Hunter at sixteen. It was a pale red, the Dalish wedding color, and reached just past my ankles. Which meant I wouldn't have to hold the skirt when I walked.

As Braylyn did the finishing touches, Elise took my face in her hands. "Your father once said that we should venture into the Shemlen world and learn their ways. To find a way to make peace with them. His want died with him but I know he would have been so proud of you. He would have been so proud to see his daughter venture into the world of the Shemlen and become a Grey Warden. And gain the Shems' respect. In truth, I feel he may have seen this union as a true step towards peace." She smiled. "You have brought so much honor to the Elvhenan."

I smiled.

"You look so beautiful, Realin." She wiped a tear away. "I wish your father and Tristan could have been here to see this."

"Thank you, Mother."

Braylyn opened the door at the knock.

Keeper Marethari poked her head in. "Paival and I gave Alistair a crash course in Dalish weddings. Everyone is ready." She chuckled. "Although I think the young man is quite nervous."

Elise took my hands. "Are you ready, emma lath?"

I felt like a swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach, but I nodded. "Yes."

~~~

Twelve female Hunters escorted me to my wedding. I know twelve of the male Hunters were escorting Alistair. The Hunters turned aside and made two rows. We would have to pass between them to the waiting Hahran Paival. Alistair and I walked towards each other.

He smiled at me and took my hand. "You look so beautiful," he said.

I smiled.

Together we made our way between our honor guard to Hahran Paival. Paival blessed our union in the name of the Creators. He wrapped a red cord around my left hand and his right hand as a symbol of unity. We sealed our union with a kiss and my clan cheered. We turned and Paival presented us to the clan as husband and wife. It would be a bit strange to refer to Alistair as my husband. I could see the looks of pride on Keeper Marethari, Elise, and Braylyn's faces. I smiled and looked at Alistair. He was returning the smile and looking the happiest I had ever seen him. And my heart was whole again.

Translations:

Emma lath ~ My love

Ma nuvenin ~ As you wish