The Grey Wardens' Leader

2.1 - Fake

Creepin' by Eric Church
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Alistair sat on a built in bench that had a window looking out of it. He rested his hand on the glass, thinking of Avril.

Anora rested a hand on his shoulder,"You have Cailan's smile, but you haven't smiled much lately...You love that other Warden, don't you?"

He scoffed and looked back at the woman before standing up,"Is that even a question? Of course I love her. I'm sure that I always will. The only reason I wanted to be king was so that I could stop being selfish for once, take responsibility."

"The wedding hasn't happened yet, Alistair, you can go back to her."

"Can I?", he smiled despite obviously being temporarily depressed to say the least.

As he walked out of the bedroom he called back to his bride to be,"I'll sleep elsewhere. See you tomorrow, I'll be the guy at the altar..."

*

    Avril's companions sat in the back at the wedding, attempting to avoid being seen. Whereas the young elven woman couldn't even show up, it hurt her too much to do so.

   Leliana looked over at the groom; he looked like someone just slaughtered his family right in front of him. He looked...physically ill. The warrior looked like that at any given moment he would throw up all over Anora.

   Avril pushed open the large double doors, her blonde hair disheveled and her eyes darting around the room that had filled with gasps upon her arrival. Her face flushed a deep crimson as she spoke softly,"Stop, please..."

   She wasn't sure that they had heard her, but the room was so quiet that the guests could hear her laboured breathing from all the way in the front row.

   Alistair gently pulled his hands from the bride's, only for her to snatch them into hers once again. The blonde with pinned up braids glared daggers into her husband-to-be, her velvet voice going nearly unheard,"Don't embarrass me, Alistair. You agreed to marry me for the sake of Ferelden, and that's what you're going to do."

   The former Templar looked away and mumbled,"I can't..."

"Tell me, child, why do you come here to bring this ceremony to a halt?"

"I'm in love with him...That goofy, cheese loving, hair obsessed, quirky, weird man should be with me...I never knew of love before I met him, for I had never given nor received it. I'm forever indebted to him for all that he's done to me, but I need to be selfish, just...one more time..."

   Leliana reached behind the pew and grabbed the young woman's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Avril gave her a knowing look, but the red head had to look away as it hurt to much to see one of her best friends look so broken.

"Alistair, if this is truly what you want, then I'll leave. I'll pack up with Jett, Morrigan, and Leliana, and just leave. You won't have to see me ever again, and this I swear."

The blond muscular man looked over at his fellow Grey Warden, yanking his hands away from the woman standing across from him,"Avril..."

The elven woman stared at him pleadingly, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't dare blink as she was scared she might miss his reaction to her words.

Alistair smiled and ran down the aisle, sweeping her up into his arms,"I love you, always..."

   The sandy blonde snaked her arms around his neck, pressing their foreheads together as she stood on her top toes. She meant every word that she had said, every last one of them. And although her lover didn't say much, she knew that he loved her more than most things in the world. Maybe not fine cheeses, or his hair, but most things.

*

   Avril woke up early the next morning, staring out of the window in the room she was staying in inside the castle.

   Somehow, Anora wasn't really mad at her. More than anything, she was embarrassed. She had to think about what those people thought of her, because she was ruling their land, they had to listen to her.

   While Anora's pride sure is hurt, the Warden's wasn't. After all, Alistair took a whole two seconds to decide who he would rather be involved with.

Word count: 726