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--1--
Anora Mac Tir was nothing if not resourceful and intelligent, and she was even cold when need be. But even she had a hidden side, a side that only came out around one person- Celeste Cousland. The girl was five years her junior, and at thirteen years was already Anora’s height. She had chestnut hair that she wore in a single long braid, and eyes a blue almost as dark as the night sky. Celeste spent most of her time outdoors training with a waraxe or indoors studying with the finest tutors in all Southern Thedas.
When Anora was around the girl she felt protected and understood, something that even her father could only manage part of the time. But today she was visiting her with a heavy heart. Cailan Theirin stood beside her, taking in the estate of Highever in with wide eyes like he did everything.
Anora led Cailan to the training grounds, finding Celeste there; clad in the leather garb she wore under her armor, waraxe in hand, she was wiping sweat from her brow with the back of a gloved hand. When she caught sight of Anora her face split into a massive grin and she placed her waraxe on the weapons rack, waving the pair over. She took her gloves off and then the helmet that she wore, her hair plastered to her head with sweat. “Anora! You should have sent word that you were visiting! I would have waited before doing today’s training!”
Anora’s cheeks turned red and she pretended to be very fascinated by the hemline of her dress. “This is Cailan Theirin, the new King of Ferelden.” She introduced, watching as Celeste bowed deeply. “He is my betrothed, and we are going to be married in Denerim posthaste.” The girl’s head snapped up at that and she straightened, eyes turned as hard as diamonds.
“No.” She stated simply. “No, this- this pretty boy, this pretty boy is not good enough for you.” She half-snarled, “You deserve better.”
Cailan laughed, “Better than the King of Ferelden?” He looked down at her, eyes full of laughter. “And who exactly would be better than the King of Ferelden?”
Celeste grinned, “I would be.” She looked up at him but with a look that made him almost feel small. “I, Celeste Cousland, challenge you to a duel for the hand of Anora Mac Tir!”
“No, no you don’t Pup!” Fergus shouted, running to her with his toddler in his arms. “I am so sorry ser King, my sister thinks herself clever.” He bopped her on the nose teasingly and she growled. “Please forget about this, she’s not serious.”
“Yes I am, brother!” She retorted, indignant. “I will be the one to marry Anora! I swear on the Maker!” She glared at Cailan. “So, will you duel me, son of Maric?”
He laughed at her until he cried. “I’m sorry, Lady Cousland, but I have a rule against dueling those that are shorter than my shoulders.” He turned to smile at Anora but found her gaze on Celeste. “It seems that Anora was not meant to be your wife after all.”
“Coward.” Celeste spat at the ground, her Mabari running up to them and growling at Cailan. “He’s not worth the effort, Ser Barker.” She told the dog, stroking his fur before turning to Anora “My Lady, I am afraid that I find myself in a mood so sour as to be ill company- I will not take up any more of your time with unpleasantness.”
“Celeste, wait…” Anora commanded softly. “I- I had wanted to know if you would do me the pleasure of being my Maid of Honor.”
Celeste laughed and started to walk away, her braid coming undone in the wind that suddenly coursed through the area. She turned her head towards Anora and smiled sadly, “The only wedding of yours that I wish to attend is the one where I am the groom, my dear.” And with that she entered the castle, leaving Anora dumbfounded and lost.
“Well, that was interesting.” Cailan laughed nervously. “Is your sister always like that?”
Fergus shook his head, smiling at his son. “She’s usually very quiet…” he pursed his lips. “I have no idea what’s gotten into her!”
Anora stayed silent, wishing beyond all hope that something would happen so that she would not have to marry Cailan as her father wished- but it was a foolish hope, and a hope that would toss aside all of her ambition to be Queen.
--2—
“The Couslands are dead.” The messenger informed Anora in a hushed whisper. “Arl Howe’s men invaded their estate and killed everyone inside.” The messenger’s lips trembled. “We- we have confirmation that the child Oren and his mother are among the dead, as well as the Arl and his wife… nothing on the status of the Lady Celeste or her brother Fergus.”
Anora’s heart turned to ice- Oren was a child, an innocent! How could Howe command such a slaughter? And to the Couslands, a family known for their sheer Fereldan spirit and loyalty! “So we do not know if Celeste or Fergus are alive?” She asked the messenger coolly. “Find out- the Couslands are a family completely loyal to this country and I will not see them all killed.”
The messenger left and Anora picked up a necklace she had gotten from Celeste as a wedding gift- it was made of pale lavender pearls from Antiva, with a chantry symbol charm in the center. She held the chantry symbol to her lips and held back the sob that threatened to leave her- Celeste, dead? Surely not! It had been five years since she had seen the girl, but she could not have died! Surely the Maker would not allow one such as she to die!
“Word from Ostagar.” A new messenger announced, handing Anora a trio of letters. “I was also instructed to tell you that ‘when all this is over, a Grey Warden shall grace the Queen’s chambers and steal her heart’” the messenger was red as they relayed the message. “I was told to say that by a very beautiful woman with sorrow in her eyes.”
Anora scoffed at that and looked at the third letter before almost crying out in relief- the handwriting was Celeste’s fluid script. The messenger stood there awkwardly as Anora read, learning that Celeste was indeed alive, and was now a Grey Warden. She plead for Anora to find Fergus… she also wrote that she had once more challenged Cailan to a duel, but Cailan had been too shocked to respond.
“This Grey Warden woman…” Anora started, eyeing the messenger. “Tell me, what did she look like? Spare no details.”
The messenger coughed. “She was beautiful, Queen Anora…” they sighed gently. “As tall as the king, with strong muscles and very short chestnut hair, and a mabari hound by her side. She had tattoos on her face and a fresh wound on her arm, barely a month old, I’d wager.”
Anora smiled to herself and dismissed the messenger, breathing in the smell of Celeste from the letter- Chantry incense, leather, sweat, and elfroot healing salve… a smell she had not breathed in for years. Out of the envelope fell a pressed flower- Andraste’s Grace, if she remembered correctly. She picked the flower up and placed it on her desk before sitting to read the letters from her husband and her father.
--3—
Dead. Celeste was dead, and so was Cailan.
Her father had declared himself Regent, and even in her mourning and rage she knew that she would not be able to lead well in the state she was in. She paced her chambers and tried not to cry, no, she would not cry until Ferelden was secure, an even then… she was Queen, she could not afford sentiment when her country needed her.
--4—
“Celeste is alive, my Lady.” Erlina told Anora through the door. “Your father may have locked you here, but surely she can be used to free you! She seems very capable… and very beautiful… and tall…”
Anora scoffed. “Have her rescue me- I will not be kept prisoner in my own home.”
--5—
“Anora?” The voice was soft, melodic as it called to her. “Anora, are you in there?”
Anora stood up, clutching Celeste’s letter to her chest. “Celeste? ‘tis that you?”
A laugh of joy. “Yes, ‘tis me… Are you hurt, dear one?”
“No, I am fine…” Anora breathed out, a hand against the door. “There is a magical barrier keeping me inside… the caster is most likely with Howe.”
Celeste growled. “Howe? Howe is here?”
“Kadan, this Howe is the one who killed your family?” A low and rumbling voice asked.
“Oh, we will have fun keeping his guards away so you may kill him, my friend.” A woman cooed.
“Even the Crows do not stoop so low as to kill children, so this man is scum in my eyes…” A second man joined in.
“We will be back, dear Anora.” Celeste growled. “I have a nephew to Avenge. Morrigan, Sten, Zevran- let’s go kill that sick bastard… and then maybe I’ll get a kiss from the Queen, if I’m lucky.”
--6—
The door opened and Anora found herself face to face with a woman she scarcely recognized, a woman accompanied by a trio of oddities. The woman dropped the massive waraxe in her hands and knelt in front of Anora, her breath heavy and her armor soaked in blood. She lifted her head and looked into Anora’s eyes, removing her heavy helmet to reveal a face much more mature and lovely than Anora remembered. “We have come to save you, my Queen.” She grinned and stood. “The years have only served to make you more beautiful, Anora…”
Anora walked to Celeste with slow steps, the necklace from Celeste clutched in her hands tightly. “You’re a full woman now, Celeste…” She whispered, stroking the tattoos on her face, “You’re so tall now, so strong and brave… I thought you dead, until Erlina told me you lived…”
Celeste kissed Anora’s hand reverently, a small smile on her lips instead of an impertinent grin. “I could never die so long as you lived.” She turned to her companions. “These are my friends, my Queen- Sten, a Qunari soldier; Zevran, an assassin your father sent to kill me; and Morrigan, the truest friend I have ever had and daughter of Flemeth.”
The trio nodded at Anora, the Qunari watching Anora with level eyes and the girl simply raising an eyebrow at her. “Celeste, my friend, we must depart before Howe’s men realize that he is dead and the Queen freed.” The girl spoke up. “And we must return you so that you may resume grooming Alistair for the Landsmeet.”
Celeste laughed. “No Morrigan, seeing Anora has changed my mind-“ She scooped Anora into her arms and grabbed Anora’s things from the bed. “And that man has no place in my new plans.”
--7—
“Marry me.” Celeste said bluntly once they were alone in Eamon’s Denerim estate. “Anora, please.” She was dressed in a gown of Grey Warden blue accented with silverite, and her eyes were pleading. “I love you, I always have, and I know a mage- I know a mage who can use his gifts to give two women a child made from the essence of each.” Her face was open and pleading. “Anora, I love you so much… and I love this country… and by the Maker, I will do whatever it takes to keep this country safe from civil war and the Blight, and that means giving you a spouse… if not I, then the bastard son of Maric.”
Anora thought for a moment, thought hard and long about what she wanted and how to get it. She wanted a safe Ferelden, and a unified country, and she wanted to keep the throne hers. But she also wanted Celeste in her life. Those times that she had thought Celeste dead had been torture… and it seemed that her heart had made up her mind for her. “I will marry you, Celeste.” Anora vowed, her heart melting at the way that the other woman’s face split into a wide smile at her words. “Come, let us go to the Landsmeet- I will meet you there, my betrothed.”
--8—
Loghain Mac Tir lay on the floor, defeated and bloody, but still alive. Celeste stood over him, clad in Cailan’s armor, a grim expression on her face. When asked what was to be done to the man, she looked straight at Anora and declared that Loghain was hereby conscripted into the Grey Wardens, to serve the very order that he had betrayed.
When the Landsmeet was over Celeste gave Anora a chaste kiss. “I will see you after I have slain the archdemon.” She promised. “For now, I must oversee the troops, and ensure that nothing goes wrong in your Father’s Joining.”
“Come back to me safely, my betrothed…” Anora whispered. “I do not wish to be widowed a second time.”
Celeste laughed. “As if an archdemon could kill me when I have you to come home to!”
--9—
Celeste Cousland dressed in her formalwear, the navy strapless gown and darker blue coat with silver edging making her feel completely at ease. Ser Barker laid by the door, a huff escaping his mouth when she left the room. Her wife was in the Throne Room, listening to complaints from Banns and Arls, a hand on her baby bump and irritation on her face. Celeste entered the room and kissed Anora gently and rubbed her belly. “I’m off to Antiva, my love.” Celeste whispered, “Some new research came in that I must investigate posthaste.”
“Come back to me safely, my Love.” Anora whispered. “I do not wish for our daughter to be missing a mother.”
Celeste laughed. “As if anything could kill me when I have you to come home to!”
