Dragon Age: King in Exile

Part One

King Cailan has written Alistair into the succession and is ready to recognize him publicly. Loghain will do almost anything to keep that from happening. The darkspawn give him the perfect opportunity. Alistair/Cousland, featuring F!Tabris.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from Dragon Age belongs to me.

Alistair Theirin had always known what it meant to be the king's bastard. Unimportant. Unwanted. He wasn't to dream of fatherly love, of palace larders, or of soft royal beds. He should be grateful for everything he was given, no matter how little it was. Alistair had accepted that, and had never imagined life could be different—not until six months ago, at least. That was when everything changed.

His templar training had been going as well as it could, all things considered. They hadn't managed to coax any real religious fervor from him, but he shone when handed a sword and shield. His attitude got him in trouble more often than not, but the chantry never missed out on a chance to show off their best and brightest. That was the only reason he was permitted to participate in the tournament.

Alistair relished the chance to exercise his skills against some new opponents, and he was even more excited once he heard the commander of the grey wardens would be in attendance.

His instructors were right about one thing—he had no ambition to become a templar. He enjoyed the training but hated the quiet and seriousness and prayer. He hated, most of all, the idea of killing mages, no matter how much the chantry had tried to dehumanize them. He would do nearly anything to avoid such a fate. So he gave the tournament everything he had. He wasn't interested in impressing the nobility that was in attendance, nor the king, nor the grand cleric. He only had eyes for the warden commander.

Though he didn't win the tournament, he had performed well and fought with spirit and determination. He studied Commander Duncan's expression, hoping that he had made an impression. When he was told the next morning that he had a visitor waiting for him, he was sure it must be Duncan. Hope surged within him that his wish to leave the templars might come true.

But when he entered the room, he didn't see a tall, dark Rivaini. He met a face that was nearly a mirror image of his own.

"I've always wanted to meet you," Cailan said, smiling.

Oh, Maker. Alistair dropped to one knee. "Your Majesty," he said, his heart racing.

"Please," Cailan said, reaching down to pull Alistair to his feet. "We are brothers, after all."

"It's an honor," Alistair managed, before blurting out, "Why are you here?"

"Well, Alistair," Cailan began, ignoring his brother's discomfort, "Like I said, I have always wanted to meet you. I longed for siblings when I was younger. But that was not to be." He paced across the room.

Alistair held back a frown, wondering if this was just some whim of the king's, to meet his mysterious bastard brother.

"I would like to get to know you," Cailan said. "Truly. I would have gotten you out of the chantry sooner if it hadn't required so much politicking." He laughed at Alistair's baffled expression. "You don't see yourself as valuable?" Cailan asked, and smiled. "The chantry does. But that is beside the point."

Cailan paced. "I have been married five years and have no children. You are the only person who shares my bloodline. Simply put, Alistair, I want to acknowledge you as my heir."

Alistair felt as if the world had fallen out from under him. He couldn't catch his breath.

"Damn it," he faintly heard Cailan murmur. "Should have eased into it like Anora said."

A firm hand pressed against Alistair's back. "Breathe," Cailan said. "I know this must be a shock to you."

"I—" Alistair squeaked out. "I was always told I had no claim to the throne. That I could never aspire to it," he said, quickly adding, "Which was fine! I never wanted to rule anything!" His heart was racing, palms sweating. He looked up into Cailan's eyes, totally bewildered. "Why in Thedas would you ever want me?"

Cailan betrayed little surprise at Alistair's outburst, only giving his brother a wry smile. "I've had my eye on you for some time," he told him. "I've seen that you're a good man who cares about things that matter. You're honest and trustworthy and give your all if you find something worth your while. You're smart, though you hide it well—which may be a family trait," he said, smirking. "You have every quality that will make for a good king if it comes to that. That's why I want you as my heir."

Alistair was beyond bewildered now. He'd never been told he was good for anything except swinging a sword. He was absolutely terrified at the idea of ruling the country. But there was a part of him, deep inside, that longed for the brotherly relationship that Cailan seemed to be offering. He'd wanted to be part of a family for so long.

"Take some time," Cailan said gently. "I know you'll need to get used to the idea. I can come visit you again tomorrow and we will begin making plans."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Alistair said, relieved.

"Cailan," the king corrected. "Call me Cailan. We are brothers, after all." He smiled.

"Cailan," Alistair agreed, and smiled back despite his discomfort. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The king clapped him on the shoulder, and he was gone.

Alistair slid down into a chair and stared at nothing, his mind racing a million miles a minute.

He huffed a quiet laugh. Well… I did want to get out of the chantry.

Bryce Cousland, teyrn of Highever, thought nothing of the king requesting a meeting with him. He had always tried his best to help Cailan when possible, especially once the young man lost his father. His own son, Fergus, was of a similar age and the two had long been friends.

He was surprised, however, when Cailan sprung a plan on him that centered around bringing his bastard brother to court—under Bryce's tutelage.

"You wish me to mentor this young man?" Bryce Cousland asked, looking across the table to his king.

Cailan took a sip of wine. "Alistair needs to learn about court etiquette and behavior before I throw him to the wolves, so to speak."

Bryce's eyes crinkled, his lips curving into a smile. "Court isn't quite as bad as that. This isn't Orlais or Antiva."

"Perhaps, but it will be hard enough for him already. People know he is a bastard and will treat him as such, despite being named my heir. He's learned too much subservient behavior in the templars and thinks far too little of himself. He needs to learn how to command the respect he deserves as my brother and heir."

Bryce nodded, his mind racing towards several conclusions. "If you think he can learn that from me, then I will be happy to tutor him, and in running a teyrnir besides. I suppose you are working on Loghain?"

Cailan laughed. "You see right through me, Bryce. Yes, the teyrnir of Gwaren would be perfect for him, if he does not succeed me on the throne. It is rather an uphill battle with Loghain, I'm afraid. But I do believe that with time, Alistair will convince him of his own merits. He is an excellent young man," the king said, adding slyly, "And he will make a lucky young woman an excellent husband one day."

"You're speaking of Elissa," Bryce said bluntly, never one to talk in riddles. He leaned back in his seat. "Are you asking me to betroth my daughter to him, sight unseen?"

"I did not say that," Cailan replied carefully. "But it would be a good match."

"I won't marry her off to someone I don't know," Bryce insisted. "Even if he is a prince."

"I'm not going to order it of you," Cailan reassured him. "But I want you to consider it. Meet him, mentor him, and see what you think. I guarantee you will not be disappointed."

"Very well, your majesty," Bryce said with a sigh, understanding what was expected of him. "How long will you give me before you wish to bring him to court?"

"I'd like to present him at the next spring landsmeet. Perhaps he could study with you until then? That will give you the large part of a year."

"That isn't a great deal of time in the grand scheme of things," Bryce warned.

"Long enough to give him a start. He can pick things up quickly when he has a mind to."

"I guess I'll see that for myself soon, won't I?" Bryce laughed, shaking his head. "Only you would come up with such a scheme. And no doubt you will pull it off as well."

Cailan smiled widely. "With your help, I will! Thank you, Bryce. This takes quite a burden off my mind," he said, reaching across the table to shake hands. "Now, have you heard anything new about these darkspawn rumors?"

After so many monotonous days in the chantry, Alistair was overwhelmed by how quickly things changed. Within a week he was removed from the chantry and taken to Teyrn Cousland's Denerim manor to be outfitted for his trip. He spent a fortnight in a whirlwind of shopping trips and meetings, being introduced to a select few people who were close to the king.

He met the stern and taciturn Loghain, who all but ignored him. The elegant Anora who kissed his cheek and called him "brother". A few arls and banns who were good at keeping secrets. And then before he knew it, he was traveling to Highever, riding between a teyrn and a king and wondering how in Thedas he got there.

Before long, Cailan left him in the Couslands' hands, to learn about court life and ruling a teyrnir. But it didn't take long before Bryce's hearty kindness and Eleanor's motherly ways had made him feel more at home than anywhere he'd lived before. And their beautiful daughter Elissa didn't hurt matters one bit.

Every day he worked harder than he'd ever worked at the Chantry, trying to soak up as much information as possible. He tailed Bryce and his heir Fergus as they went about their daily work, drilling facts and figures about Ferelden with Brother Aldous in nearly every spare moment.

When he had time to himself, he chose to take it in the training yard, practicing his swordwork with Fergus and, surprisingly, Elissa. "My mother fought in the rebellion," she had said, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "So why shouldn't I learn as well?" Like her mother, her true talent seemed to be with a bow and arrow rather than with sword and shield, but she was insistent that every warrior should know both. With her help, his aim became better than it had ever been under the trainers at the Chantry, who had once called him hopeless with a bow.

Alistair became closer to all of them as the time passed, feeling as if they were the family he'd never had. He delighted in little Oren, exchanged brotherly jibes with Fergus, and happily accepted the parental treatment he received from Bryce and Eleanor. But Elissa… no, his feelings for her were not brotherly at all.

A few months into his stay with the Couslands, they all went to Denerim for the fall landsmeet. Alistair was relieved to learn that he would not be presented to the court until the spring, but wondered at the many secretive conferences between Bryce and Cailan. He and Cailan had become closer, exchanging letters while he was away and now spending as much time together as they could without raising the suspicions of the landsmeet. Alistair was quietly introduced to a few more members of the nobility that Cailan trusted, slowly setting him up for success when he was presented in the spring. Many of the nobles knew of Alistair's existence, but few were aware of what Cailan was planning.

One of Calian's plans, however, had already come to fruition. Alistair and Elissa were told that Bryce and Cailan had signed a contract of betrothal for the two of them, which would also be announced at the spring landsmeet. Alistair looked at Elissa to gauge her reaction, and by the blush and hint of a smile on her face, he thought she might not be averse to the idea.

While their families were busy with the landsmeet, Alistair began to woo her in little ways, bringing her small gifts of flowers he found or holding her hand sometimes when they were alone together. By the time they returned to Highever, they had progressed to shy kisses and cautious caresses when they knew they wouldn't be seen. In truth, they were both inexperienced with love and passion, each sheltered from the world in different ways.

They were growing together, living in a bubble of their own happiness, until the news broke a few months later. Rumors of darkspawn had become fact, and all landowners must gather their troops for an attack in the south.

Alistair's lessons in ruling took an entirely new turn as he watched Bryce preparing his teyrnir for the possibility of war.

Armies were assembled, plans were formed, and the days moved forward in a steady rhythm until the eve of Fergus and Bryce's trip to Ostagar. Alistair had campaigned long and hard to be allowed to join them, but Cailan had been firm that there was no point in him naming Alistair as heir if he was going to immediately risk him in battle with the darkspawn. Instead, he and Elissa had been given the task of running the teyrnir in Bryce's absence.

Alistair understood the reasoning, but he still felt the need to work out some of his frustrations on a training dummy the morning Fergus and Bryce planned to leave. On his way back to his chambers, Alistair was stopped by Bryce's voice calling to him.

"Your highness," he said, and Alistair was immediately aware that something was afoot. In the privacy of the family, Bryce had always called him by his name, not his title.

Alistair approached, seeing the teyrn with another gentleman that he did not recognize.

"Your highness, I would like you to meet Arl Howe of Amaranthine. He will be riding with Fergus and I today—that is, if his men aren't delayed again."

Alistair inclined his head towards the arl, but didn't make the deep bow he would have made a few months ago. "Arl Howe, a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Your highness," Howe replied, and while his formal bow was correct, there was something in his voice that made Alistair uncomfortable. Howe turned back to Bryce. "Is your daughter here as well?"

"She is around here somewhere," Bryce said with a smile.

"She should be coming in from the training yard any minute now. She was almost out of arrows when I left," Alistair said with a smile.

Howe glanced at Alistair with narrowed eyes, but Bryce missed the look entirely. "There she is now," the teyrn said, looking behind Alistair. "Pup," he called.

Elissa approached slowly, putting a placid smile on her face.

"Delightful to see you again, my dear," Arl Howe said.

"The pleasure is mine, my lord," she replied, but there was no warmth in her voice.

"My son Thomas was asking after you the other day," Howe said. "Perhaps I can bring him by sometime."

"He is sixteen now, is he not?" Howe's smile became strained, but Elissa's placid one stayed the same. "Please tell him I said hello."

"Of course, dear," Howe said.

Bryce cut in. "You two had better go get cleaned up in time to say a proper goodbye to Fergus. Go on now." He smiled.

Elissa's smile turned real. "Of course, Father," she said, and turned to go with Alistair following along behind her.

As they walked away, Howe turned to Bryce with amusement. "You treat them like a pair of children. You know Elissa is old enough to be married by now."

Bryce laughed. "Old habits die hard, my friend. Old habits die hard."

When Alistair and Elissa had bathed and dressed, they learned that Fergus would be taking the Highever soldiers ahead while Bryce waited for Howe's troops to arrive.

As they prepared for Fergus to leave, Alistair teased to keep the atmosphere light, hoping he could ease Oriana's apparent worry. Oren didn't realize the danger, only got caught up in the excitement, begging his father to bring him back a darkspawn sword.

Fergus left at midday, and the afternoon and evening were restless and subdued. Alistair was glad to go to bed that night, if only to escape the worry that permeated everything. He only hoped it wouldn't seep into his dreams as well.

A/N: Hi all, I hope you enjoy this new Dragon Age story. I've had this in the works for a while. I will probably be updating about once a month, since I like to keep a buffer of a few chapters between what I'm posting and what I'm writing. This is a rehash of DAO, but I'm trying to keep it fresh with some lively characters, some new twists, and by focusing more on what's different than what's the same as the game we all know and love. Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you are enjoying the story! Your words brighten my day and keep me motivated!