Wynne's Atonement - Alistair/Fem-Cousland
Title: Wynne's Atonement
Characters: Alistair/Fem-Cousland, Wynne, Leliana
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Dragon Age. Bioware owns Dragon Age and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.
Summary: She apologised to Elissa and now it was time to apologise to Alistair, unfortunately, Alistair isn't easy to apologise to…
Timeline: During Origins, after Wynne's confessed she is happy for Alistair/Warden
Warning: Just for the conversation…
Author's Notes: This happened (TWICE) during Orzammar - Now, I'm not sure if it's just my game (because I always leave Redcliff/Haven for last) or if that's how it supposed to be but it's just unintentionally funny that they are having this conversation in the middle of the Deep Roads. (Good thing nothing like this happened to Anders *snickers*)
Follows 'Wynne's Mistake'
'Wynne's Atonement'
"Alistair, may I have a word?" Wynne asked, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't attract the other two women as they scouted ahead looking for traps and danger. She had tried to talk to Alistair back at the camp after she had confessed to Elissa that she had been wrong about the two of them but unfortunately, it seemed fate was not on her side as Alistair had become everyone's errand boy, much to Elissa's amusement and Alistair's annoyance.
"Sure, you can have many," Alistair told her cheerfully. Wynne couldn't stop the smile from tugging at her lips. She hoped her son was like Alistair in many ways, cheerful despite the bleak future.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Wynne said. Alistair turned his head to regard her.
"Sorry, for what?" he asked.
"About making judgement about you and Elissa's relationship when you were starting out. I thought she would end up hurting you that I told her that it would probably be best for the two of you to end it," she admitted. She braced herself for a rant or a tantrum only to get something unexpected.
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to get to me," Alistair softly admitted with a small smile. She frowned before understanding dawned on her.
"She told you," her eyes wandered over to Elissa's lithe form resting against the wall before she peered round the corner before signalling it was clear for them to continue.
"We try and not keep secrets from each other," Alistair admitted ruefully. Wynne could see the flash of guilt before he cleared his throat. "We made the promise after I revealed myself to be a son of King Maric; needless to say, she wasn't very impressed with my hiding it even though she understood."
"And to remind you, she likes to use 'My Prince,' when she addresses you?" Wynne ask, amusement slipping into her tone. Alistair chuckled wryly.
"Her way of keeping me in line," he said and she chuckled.
"You know, I think you make her very happy," she confessed. He looked startled at the change of conversation before he narrowed his eyes.
"Not this again. I'm ready this time." He braced himself and she laughed.
"I just wanted to say that this was something good, for both of you. Being a Grey Warden isn't easy. I'm glad you found each other," she admitted sadly. Alistair nodded, getting it.
"Oh, yes, I bet you are, indeed," he agreed, still not giving up his wariness. He was on to her; her frail old lady act wasn't going to work on him this time round.
"Cherish this. It may not last." He faltered, staring at her with unguarded eyes that told her that he feared that it wouldn't last, that one of them would die against the Darkspawns or Archdemon and it broke her heart for him.
"And?" his voice cut into her internal thoughts. She shook her head.
"That's all I had to say." He arched an eyebrow.
"Really? No pinching my cheeks? No making me blush?" Wynne huffed out a laugh.
"Of course not. I like you, Alistair. You deserve to be happy." He was determined.
"Not even pinching my cheeks a little?" he asked incredulousness clear in his voice.
"Pinch your cheeks?" Elissa stopped in mid-step, turning to look at Alistair with a confused expression. She had obviously been tuning in and out of the conversation behind her, more intent on sensing the Darkspawns that lurked nearby. "What are you talking about?"
"Wynne is saying how happy she is for the two us," Alistair spoke up. Elissa frowned as she peered at the older woman over Alistair's shoulder before looking at her lover.
"That doesn't explain why you are confused to her not pinching your cheeks," she reminded him.
"He is confused that I am not trying to make him blush like I usually do when it comes to conversation regarding you," Wynne explained as she stood next to them. Leliana choked on a laugh as Alistair paled; Elissa crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.
"Conversations regarding me, huh?" she asked. "What kind of conversations?"
"Just how lovely you are," Alistair hurried out.
"About the time I caught him gazing at your hips when you were walking," Wynne spoke up at the same time. Leliana's choking increased as Alistair groaned.
"My hips?" the rogue asked, confused before understanding dawned on her. "Oh…right," she cleared her throat while Alistair fidgeted, looking off to the side looking very much he wanted a hoard of Darkspawns to come charging round the corner at that very moment.
They stood in silence, broken only by Leliana's sporadic cough/laugh when Elissa frowned. "It still didn't answer my question to why Alistair thinks you pinching his cheeks would make him blush."
"Oh," Wynne chuckled. "Because all the other time I tried my hardest to make him blush except today I was trying to say how happy I was for the two of you. Alistair found it a little hard to believe that I wasn't trying to get a blush from him. I think he was half-expecting me to pinch his cheeks to get some redness into them."
She watched as a look she knew very well crossed Elissa's face and she had a feeling she knew what was coming next.
"Well, I guess it depends on what cheek you want to pinch," Elissa told her with a mischievous smile, eliciting an adorable confused expression from Alistair and badly supressed laughter from Leliana as she turned her head away, covering her mouth with her hand. Wynne just arched an eyebrow, intrigued when it came to the young woman before her. Elissa winked. "I find myself enjoying Alistair's more…firmer cheeks."
Wynne fought the smile that threatened to break free, pressing her lips into a stern line as she tried to look disapproving at the rogue but she was finding it hard to do so, especially when Alistair caught on to what Elissa was eluding to and to her delight, turned a wonderful shade of red.
Elissa cackled with delight. "See! All he has to do is think about it and he's blushing!" Giving up her stern appearance, she started chuckling as Alistair glared at his lover.
"You - naughty - wicked - evil - woman," Alistair grounded out, trying to think up an appropriate word to describe Elissa's evil side right now but seemed to be too flustered to keep his head on straight.
"Oh Alistair," Elissa cooed as she moved in closer to the annoyed warrior, a smile playing on her lips. "Don't you know what they say about naughty, wicked, evil woman?" She asked. Leliana managed to control her laughter enough to hear the answer.
"…no," he admitted. "What do they say?" he asked, almost eagerly and Wynne shook her head, wishing she could feel sorry for the young man who had gotten himself ensnared by a woman who knew her mind.
"We tend to be naughty in bed." She winked as she side-stepped him, walking on as she took up the lead.
Wynne turned her heard to see the red-haired bard was now laughing freely as tears ran down her cheeks at the sight of Alistair's gob-smacked expression before she shook her head.
"Now dear, you have to admit you walked into that one," Wynne told him as she took his arm, turning him around so they could follow Elissa with Leliana taking up the rear as she tried to keep her laughter under control.
It was time like this, watching as Elissa stood at the mouth of another cave with a loving smile playing on her lips as she watched Alistair, swaying slightly on her feet, that Wynne felt hopeful for the future…and that they would find a way to survive just to be with each other.
And she could only hope that she would still be a part of their lives for the future to come.
The End