How do you Love Someone- Dragon Age

Prologue- Waking Up

Darkness had settled over the camp once all was set up; Morrigan camped out away from everyone as per her usual way. Sten walked the hill watching for intruders, Chestnut my beloved mabari laid by the opening of our camp. Alistair was tending to dinner, much to Leliana's dismay. Zevran was playing with his daggers watching as I walked back from the stream. Wynne was mending Alistair's shirt mumbling unhappily by her tent tucked away behind the main row, and Oghren was Oghren.

"Hey Akaviri, come here!" I looked over to see Alistair standing up from the fire that held tonight gurgling dinner. I walked overseeing Alistair holding in his hand a blood red rose.

"Here look at this, do you know what this is?" he reaches out and gives me the rose.

I raise my eyebrows and smirk at him.

"Is this a trick question?" I fill my voice with humour, though curious to where this is heading.

"Yes absolutely I'm trying to trick you, is it working? Ah I just about had you, didn't I?" he replied back with the same amount of humour filling his voice, he leans back raising his lips into a smirk that makes me smile.

"You've been thumbing that flower for a while now." I finally let my curiosity seep into my voice. His voice drops as he speaks next.

 "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'how could something so beautiful exist in a place filled with so much despair and ugliness?'" He stops to think about his next words, Chestnut barked and started to chase down a stick that Sten had thrown.

"I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would have come and their taint would have destroyed it, so I've had it ever since." I smile at the sentiment that he was telling me, thinking that this man had a sweet way with his words.

"that's a nice sentiment, Alistair." I feel happy that he was sharing this with me. He smiles and looks down before raising his head and looks at me.

"I thought I might give it to you actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same when I look at you, Viri." I smile at my nickname.

"Thank you Alistair, that's a lovely thought."

"I'm glad you liked it, I was just thinking... here I am doing all this complaining, and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself. You've had none of the good experiences of being a Grey Warden since your joining, not a word of thanks or congratulations. It's all been death, and fighting and tragedy. I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this... darkness. I don't know, maybe this was just a stupid impulse, was it the wrong one?" he looks at me with slight concern, I smile hoping to put his fears to rest.

"No, it wasn't. Thanks, Alistair."

"I'm glad you liked it. Now... if we could move right on past this awkward, embarrassing stage and get right to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it." He smiles his sweet smile; I laugh before replying, not honestly know what to make of it. 

"Sounds good! Off with the armour then!" he blushes a deep red before stuttering his reply.

"Bluff called! Damn! She saw right through me! I'll be... I'll be standing over here until the blushing stops. Just to be, uh, safe. You know how it is." I hum in response before turning away to tell Sten that I did see him throw that stick for Chestnut.

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"I'm going to marry Anora."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do, you may be a noble but you are also a mage, and I can't marry you."

"But..."

"No buts, I never should have let our love go as far as it did, in the end it means nothing. Now if you excuse me, I need to talk to Eamon about the final battle and then the wedding."

"Why are you still playing the puppet Alistair, you had no wish to be king, now you let Eamon dictate your life! Why?"

"That's none of your business, now if you excuse me I have things that need to be done."

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"Knight-Enchanter Cousland!"

"What?" I growled after the rapid knocks then the door startled me out of my sleep, a dream I was quite thankful to awaken from. "The Knight-Commander says that they are ready to depart for the conclave soon. Sir are you alright? You're crying." I gingerly touch my cheeks to find that the templer was right. "I'm fine, just a bad dream. Tell the Knight-Commander I will be down soon, oh, and please let's just keep this as our little secret." I smile warmly at him, hoping he will leave me be, thankfully he bows and departs with a mummer of the agreement.

It's been five years, why won't the tears stop?