Chapter Text
Alistair missed the handrail by two centimeters, a detail he cursed profoundly as he plummeted towards the water. He awaited the splash, along with the feeling of cold water seeping into his clothes, the drowning misery of defeat. He was already planning how drunk he was going to get when a hand swooped from the skies and grabbed him, pulling him onto the deck in one swift move.
“By the Maker! You can always get another boat to Ferelden!” His rescuer snapped, while Alistair tried to place where he had seen his face. After a few minutes of scouring through memories of templar training, realization slapped him.
“Ralph! By the Maker! What are you doing here?”
“Wait… I’ve seen you before… Alistair! I had a post here, but I’m going to see my family! What are you doing trying to leap onto boats?"
“Well… Love is the reason I nearly took a bath. Crazy, stupid love. She’s on this boat, but I don’t know where. I don’t suppose you’ve seen an elf? Brown hair and eyes?”
“No, I haven’t seen her, sorry. Look, I’ve been meaning to apologize for the way I treated you during training.”
“Don’t. I understand. It must have looked like I put on airs.” Alistair told Ralph absentmindedly as he searched the deck for Wraith. After a few minutes, he saw a woman in a cloak, a blue scarf covering her neck.
“Excuse me.” He muttered to Ralph as he pushed past him to Wraith. Walking towards her, he decided that some swooping wasn’t bad, if the right people did it. Her cloak fluttered in the wind like a butterfly’s wings, her hood was pushed back by said wind. Alistair pulled put his flower’s which looked like a nug had tried to crush them, but had been cuddled by Leliana before it could get any further. Reaching for her shoulder, he tapped it, anticipation building in his chest. She turned, her fingers entwined.
“Yes Alistair?”
Of all the outcomes Alistair had predicted, Wraith expecting him was not one of them. He tried to cover his surprise by shoving the flowers in her face.
“Whoa Alistair! Let me have a look.” She took them, her eyes dancing with a hidden delight as she studied them
“Hmm… let’s see… red carnation, daffodils and an anemone flower. How lovely.” She whispered, mostly to herself
Alistair cleared his throat, “I chose those for a reason. the red carnation is there because my heart does ache for you. The anemone flower is there because you are beautiful, and the daffodil is there because you thought your love was unrequited and because you are my sunshine.” Wraith smiled at that, as she placed the flowers in her bag.
“Thank you Alistair.”
Alistair smiled, waiting for her to take the lead for a few minutes. After that, his annoyance started to show. Why hadn’t she kissed him? He waited a few minutes longer before he gave up, sweeped Wraith off her feet, despite her protests and halfhearted struggling, and kissed her.