When I Look at You (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Unexpected

As the daylight began to wane, Alistair and Una reluctantly packed up what little was left of their picnic. They went back to the camp, hand in hand, looking more relaxed than any of their companions had ever seen them. Everyone seemed refreshed, Una thought, looking around the fireside at all of them.

When dinner was finished, Wynne came to sit next to Una. "My dear," she began, "I have not yet given you my gift."

"Really, Wynne, that's not necessary," Una began to protest.

"But I want to. So hush now," the mage scolded gently. "It's a story, actually."

"Is there a moral?" Una eyed the older woman askance.

"That will be for you to decide. Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom. This small kingdom was under the thumb of another, larger kingdom, and had all but given up. All but the members of a very small, ragtag, but very valiant army. One of the warriors in this army was a woman—a young lady of great fire and determination. She was lovely, as well, but few noticed that because she was such a fearsome warrior, and she wore her fearsomeness on her sleeve for all to see. In battle, she was usually in the midst of the fiercest fighting, and she rarely obeyed the orders of the commanders, always striking out on her own. Often, she managed incredible feats because of this, but several times she and her companions were nearly killed. At last, one of the commanders, a young man of skill almost as fearsome as her own, and with a temper to match, took her in hand, pointing out all the people she was endangering by her actions. The young woman was angry, and the two of them had a battle royal in which neither would concede and neither showed any sign of giving in. Eventually, the young woman faltered for just a split second, and the young man won the contest. After that, a change was noticed in her. She listened more, quarrelled less, and began to change from a warrior into a soldier. She never did admit that the young man had beaten her—she always claimed to have let him win. And maybe she did. He was quite handsome, after all." Wynne looked affectionately at the girl at her side. "Eventually the ragtag army won their war, beating back the larger kingdom and reclaiming their own. The young man and young woman settled down together, and I believe lived happily for the rest of their lives. As Teyrn and Teyrna of Highever." Una smiled. "Your mother was famed across Ferelden for her wild ways, for her skill in battle, for her untameable spirit. Until she met your father, that is."

"I never heard any of that," Una said. "They wouldn't talk about it. When my father and I were alone, he would hint occasionally that I had no idea what my mother was capable of, but ... why wouldn't they tell me?" she wondered.

"It could be that Lady Eleanor didn't want you growing up as wild and headstrong as she had been."

"Thank you, Wynne. It's nice to hear about the days when they were young, to know that maybe I'm more like her than I ever thought. I just wish I could share some of these moments with her."

"I'm sure she does, too, my dear."

Later, Una lay in Alistair's arms in their tent, feeling his breathing slowing against her. "Thank you," she said.

"Hmm?"

"This was the best birthday I ever had."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm."

"I never gave you my present."

She pushed herself up on her elbow, straining to see his face in the darkness. "I thought the whole day was your present."

"Kind of," he said. His hand reached out, pushing the curtain of her hair back from her face. "But I wanted to give you something else. Something to keep."