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Dailisa wrote most of her innocuous correspondence at the huge table in the dining hall of the Vigil. Her private letters were written in her office, of course. No one needed to see her letters to Alistair, to be sure. She liked to do it this way because it made the table into a bit of a social gathering place, and let her wardens know that she didn't think herself too fancy.
On this evening, she was answering her brother's last letter, while Nathaniel made arrows and Anders was doing some writing of his own. Dailisa assumed the rest of her motley crew of Grey Wardens were doing who knows what, elsewhere.
After a good bit of quiet companionship, Anders said, conversationally. "So, when are you two going to sort out whatever it is between you?"
Dailisa froze, her pen poised above the parchment. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Nathaniel had stopped moving as well.
"What are you on about, Anders?" She replied in what she hoped was a casual manner.
The mage shut his book and heaved an exasperated sigh. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. I've seen the way each of you looks at the other when you think no one is looking."
He stood, gathering his things and began walking to the doorway, talking as he went, while Dailisa and Nathaniel watched him. "I'm just saying, you need to get it sorted out before someone else sees it." Anders turned back toward them. "You know, like the King." With that, he breezed out of the dining hall, leaving the two wardens gawking after him.
After a few moments, Dailisa cleared her throat and started gathering her things, while Nathaniel did the same. In silence, they both walked toward the doorway.
"He's right, damn him."
Dailisa was nearly to the door when Nathaniel spoke. She turned toward him to say...something, but he crossed the distance between them and said, "No. You once told me that you were going to have your say about something that needed settled between us, now I am going to have my say about something that needs settled between us."
She looked up at him and nodded, saying nothing.
Nathaniel took a deep breath, giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "Anyone who has ever heard you talk about the King knows that you love him. I would not insult you, or your honor, or my own by hoping for something between us. But the mage is right-I feel..." he stopped here, unsure how to proceed.
Dailisa looked both sympathetic and terrified. "Nathaniel. You don't have to say..."
The archer grabbed her arm and stared down at her, intently. "Yes, I do. I'm not going to give you a flowery speech or beg you for anything. I want only to know if, if what this is that I feel- is it something that's between us? I only want to know if you feel..."
Nathaniel was interrupted as Dailisa rose onto her toes and kissed him. It was obviously meant as a simple kiss, maybe to shut his mouth, but it lit the ember that was smoldering between the two of them and he wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss, passionately and thoroughly.
After a bit, he let her go and looked down at her, not quite smiling.
"That's all I wanted to know. And it's enough."
::**::
Dailisa was in her room, having just crawled out of her practice gear. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, pulling on a pair of cloth leggings that she wore with an old tunic of Alistair's, as her night clothes, when her bedroom door was thrown open. She jumped up and grabbed her practice sword off the floor near her feet before she realized who it was.
Alistair Theirin leaned against the doorframe in dusty leathers, his blonde hair sticking up every which way, and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, that's an interesting welcome, dearest wife of mine."
Dailisa dropped the weapon and ran to embrace her husband.
"What in the Maker's name are you doing here?!" she asked into his chest.
He laughed and gathered her up, kissing her about the face and neck before holding her at arm’s length to look at her. "Maker, you're a beautiful sight. Am I interrupting?" He asked this only half playfully.
"Only me trying to put my pants on." Dailisa stops to appraise the King of Ferelden. "Eamon doesn't know you're here."
Alistair grinned wickedly. "Nope. Teagan does, though. I'm not to stay long, I have my orders, but I got your letter and..." He shrugged helplessly, "I had to come."
"She buried her head in his chest, smelling road dust and Alistair. In a very small voice she said, "I kissed him, Alistair."
He grew serious, and led her to the bed, where they both sat on the edge. "Your letter sounded as if the two of you were set to run off to Antiva and become pirates if I didn't come and save you."
Alistair gathered his wife into his lap and said, "Talk to me. Tell me about it."
Sometime later, Dailisa had moved to sit cross legged on the bed facing Alistair while he still sat perched on the side of the bed with his elbows on his knees.
"I could go talk to him."
Dailisa blinked. "What in the Void would you say?"
He shrugged slightly. "Well, I would say, 'Hey, I hear you love my wife, and she maybe loves you too. A little. She loves me best, though, sorry, Mate."
That shocked a laugh out of Dailisa. She grew serious again, then spoke.
"I do love you, Alistair. You make me happy and the thought of not having you as my husband is horrible and terrifying. I just don't know how to sort out this...I don't know why I feel this way, or how to sort it out."
Alistair pulled his boots off, tossing them aside, then scooted back on the bed to stretch out. "Darling, there are so many things that lay between you and Nathaniel Howe that I was actually...well, if I'm to be honest, I was afraid. Either that one of you would kill the other, or that you would run off together to Antiva to become pirates."
Dailisa made a face at him. "If I were going to be a pirate, Alistair, of course I would take you with me."
The king grinned at her. "That's good to know, Love." He looks thoughtful. "We could share you, I suppose. I don't like the idea and I doubt he would be overly fon...OW!"
He was interrupted by Dailisa leaning over and punching him in the thigh.
"Dear Maker, I can barely handle you. Also, he's moody."
Alistair pulled his wife to him, to lay on his chest. He put his arms around her and said, "This is something that we can live with, my love. Unless you are worried that he will want more than you can give him."
Dailisa shook her head. "No, love, he is a good man; an honorable one. He would never say another word about it if I don't bring it up."
Alistair wore a thoughtful look. "But you worry about him."
His wife lifted her head to look at him. "Yes, of course. I have you. What does he have?"
::**::
Alistair walked softly out into the Vigil's practice yard, again in his traveling leathers. He watched Nathaniel hit the center of the target three times in a row before he cleared his throat and said, "You're very good." The archer whirled around, a look of annoyance on his face that changed smoothly to the carefully blank "court face" that every child brought up in nobility could conjure as protection. He set his bow down and said politely, "Your Majesty, yes?" He made no move to kneel, however.
This seemed to please the king and he nodded. "Word travels quickly in the Vigil, then. With aim like that, you can only be Nathaniel Howe. Can I have a word?"
Nathan looked openly wary. "Of course. Shall we walk, your Majesty?" He began to walk toward the king who fell into step with him.
"Please, just Alistair." He hesitated for a moment then added, "Do you love her?"
Nathaniel stopped and turned to look at the king, his face pale, his grey eyes narrowed. He was silent for several moments, then curtly said, "Yes." and began walking again.
Alistair thought about this for a few moments of his own before saying, "I wasn't sure whether I wanted you to say yes or no." Nate hmmphed and they walked in silence for a bit.
The king said, "Can we go somewhere and drink? I think we're going to need it."
"Let's go to the kitchen. There's ale there, and no one will bother us. I think they're all afraid they'll be put to work."
Alistair laughed.
A bit later the two men were seated at a small table in the Vigil's kitchen, sharing a bottle of ale and laughing at something said. As the laughter died down, Alistair said abruptly, "She loves you, as well, you know." Nate carefully set his cup down and studied the king frankly. Alistair peered into his own cup, not looking up.
Nathaniel shook his head and said, "I almost wish she did not. Almost."
Alistair snorted. "I offered to share her with you. She basically told me that I was too big a handful and that you were too moody."
Nathaniel snorted as well. "I have given her reason to think me moody."
Alistair let go of his cup and leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and exhaling. "We're in an odd position, you and me. I am not a jealous man, but I have never loved another person as much as I love that beautiful, frustrating, talented and wonderful woman. All the way here, I kept thinking about how it would be to feel this way about her and not be able to have the knowledge that she was mine. The fairytales don't really seem to address this sort of thing."
Nathaniel frowned. "My...feelings for her are separate from, or maybe even, in spite of, everything else involved. This might sound flippant and glib, but things are the way they are. Anyone who's ever heard her talk about you knows how much she loves you, and how much she honors her marriage. These things are part of why I love her and to change or take away from those would change the very core of who she is. She is your wife, Alistair, and I am content to have her as *my* Commander."
Alistair looked skeptical. "You would never want anything more?"
Nate shook his head. "No. Not given what it would cost her."
The king smiled slowly. "Then can I ask you to protect her?"
Nathaniel laughed heartily. "Have you seen her wield a sword, man? She could cut me in two, and has threatened to a few times."
Alistair grinned ruefully. "I know she can. Who do you think spars with her at court? No one else will go near her. But in seriousness, Nate, she says she's never seen anyone as good with a bow as you are, and that's high praise coming from her. You can spot and neutralize a problem before it ever gets into her line of sight, yes?"
The archer nodded, still smiling. "I am pretty good. And I do watch her. I would do anyway, she's my commander. But...yes. I do, I will continue to keep her as safe as I am able. From all threats, great and small."
He looked at Alistair and cocked his head. "I'll admit that I was a little worried that you were going to want to hit me. But then I saw you and thought to myself, 'Nate, that bloke is too good looking to want to mess his face up."
The king of Ferelden smirked and answered, "Well, I was going to, then I saw you and realized that I was much better looking, and thus had nothing to worry about."
Both men laughed, then Nathaniel sobered. "You trust me, then?"
"Of course I do. You love her."
"That I do."
Alistair leaned forward and refilled both cups with the last of the bottle of ale and raised his in a toast.
"Well then. To what the fairytales don't tell you."