There and Back Again Ch. 069-070

I finally started begging when he kissed down my neck, past my collar bone, and began circling around one of my nipples, nipping and licking the flesh of my breast without touching the aching tip. He had to restrain my hands again as he switched and gave the other breast the same treatment; I'd determined to get relief by myself, if necessary, but he held me down. I struggled briefly, feeling his chuckle against my skin.

"So impatient, love! Maybe I need to give you another massage so you can relax."

I knew if I had to live through another naked massage I'd spontaneously combust; my string of expletives at the suggestion made him laugh harder.

"Or not. I'm getting there, you know."

He lifted up so my legs weren't trapped; I had them apart, my arms reaching for him in a split second. He ignored me and lowered his head, taking a nipple into his mouth as his hand slid down my stomach to finally get where I needed it. His touch was light, but I swear between the foreplay, him biting my nipple, and his single questing finger between my nether lips, I had a small orgasm. It was unsatisfying, though, somehow, and I needed more.

He quirked an eyebrow at me while I shuddered, and I was too aroused even to blush. He settled onto his knees between my wide-spread thighs, and I hoped he'd finally get rid of the stupid pants; instead, he wiggled down further to lay staring at my hairless mound.

"You're so beautiful, Sierra." Alistair touched his tongue gently to my thigh, now liberally covered in my juices. "Mm, and you taste good, too."

Embarrassed, I tried to pull away; he held my legs in place and stroked his tongue from my opening to my clit before sucking the hard pearl into his mouth and lashing it with his tongue. Bashfulness forgotten, I reached down to run my hands through his hair and pull his face closer. He kept worrying at my clit until I stiffened and shrieked, then proceeded to lap up the copious fluids pouring out of me as I came.

The orgasm was amazing, of course, but I still wasn't satisfied; I needed something in me, and I knew exactly what I wanted. Using my grip on his hair, I pulled until he laid on top of me. Somehow, without my noticing, he'd shucked his trousers, and it seemed his patience was finally at an end; he slid into me, groaning as he hilted inside me, and then kissed me savagely. I could taste myself on his lips, and it turned me on more. Mind you, finally filled with what I'd been missing for weeks, I wouldn't have cared if he were covered in gore, as long as he kept kissing me, kept sliding delightfully into me.

He thrust slowly, but it was enough; filled, clit being rubbed by his pubic bone each time he thrust, I gasped and shuddered and writhed and let him drive me over at his own pace. When we came together, it was so intense, my vision greyed out at the edges and tunneled down to one image: Alistair's gorgeous face, flush with exertion, contorted in ecstasy and possession, laying claim in the most primal way possible.

Chapter Seventy: Match-Making

When I was finally able to think again, we were still joined, Alistair's face buried in my neck, his weight on his elbows to avoid crushing me. He attempted to roll off me, but I held on, wrapping my arms and legs around him.

"Stay. Just for a minute. Please?"

"You can't even breathe down there."

"Can so, or I wouldn't be talking. I just...I like feeling your weight on me. It feels so safe."

"Yes, you're safely being crushed to death." His tone was half-joking, half-worried, but he stayed, holding himself above me with what seemed like superhuman effort. When I finally relaxed, he rolled onto his side, pulling me with him to cuddle up against him, legs intertwined. My hands were still shaking, my pulse pounding, and I breathed slowly, trying to calm down.

"That was..." I couldn't think of a single word that would suffice.

"Intense? Profound? Impassioned?"

"Nice. Putting that Chantry education to good use, I see."

He stroked my hair absent-mindedly. "Well, yes. I might as well use it for something, I suppose."

I giggled. "I'm sure the Grand Cleric would be so proud right now."

"Especially if she could see us like this." He gestured down at our naked, entangled limbs.

"If she saw us like this, she'd no longer be a problem; she'd have a stroke and die."

He laughed. "Have I told you I love you? Not just for," he gestured again, "this, but because you're willing to wander down these ridiculous paths in my imagination with me." I felt him kiss my hair.

"So I'm guessing you've been talking to Zev some more? Taking charge like that..."

"Too much? I'm sorry if I-"

I interrupted. "No. It was wonderful. I like commanding Alistair. It just seems like something Zev would have encouraged."

"Not exactly. I mean, he never stops talking about sex, and he's certainly mentioned the utility of massage in love-making enough times, but...I guess I'd sort of been day dreaming about what I would do with you if I ever got the chance. Call it payback for that day, in Denerim, when you teased me for so long..."

I giggled. "If that's all it takes to trigger something like this, I'm going to tease you more often, I think."

"Minx."

"Yeah, well, what can I say? You're irresistible. And funny. And gorgeous. And not bad in bed, overall." I sat up and leaned over him, running my eyes down his chiselled physique before settling on his member, again - or still - erect.

"Not bad?" He sounded hurt.

I grinned and winked. "I think you could benefit from some practice."

***

In the morning, I woke to find Alistair watching me. I smiled and blushed, and he leaned over to kiss me softly.

"Good morning," I rasped, voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning, my love." He kissed me again, and I snuggled into the kiss dreamily.

"Any morning I get to do this," I began, punctuating each word with a kiss, "is a good one."

He pulled me to lay with my head on his shoulder, my leg coming up to cross his naturally. "You're going to have Duncan recruit Loghain, aren't you?" He didn't sound angry, just curious.

I took a deep breath, suddenly anxious. "Yes."

"Why?"

I went up on my elbow so I could look down at him. "Because someone is going to die to kill the Archdemon, and I don't want it to be you. Or Aedan."

"Joining the Wardens isn't meant to be a punishment. Loghain killed almost all of our order; why would you want to fight alongside him?" His brow furrowed, but truly in confusion, not anger.

I sighed. "It isn't a punishment, Alistair, but it isn't a reward, either. The Wardens take everyone. Did Duncan ever tell you the circumstances of his conscription?" He shook his head. "He was recruited from the gallows. He killed a Grey Warden. Not on purpose, exactly - he was trying to rob the man, and got caught - but he did it, all the same. The Wardens take everyone, even those who murder Grey Wardens, if they can be useful. And Loghain could be useful. If nothing else, as one more body to put between you and the Archdemon in the pecking order."

"Do you know why he did it? Why he abandoned Cailan and the army?"

"Not really. In game he just says he did what he thought was right. Honestly, I think his paranoia about Orlais drove him mad. And he believed Cailan was going to sell out to Celene. There were rumours he was going to put Anora aside and marry the Empress. Loghain was wrong, to do what he did...but I've come to realise he actually did believe he was doing what was best, misguided as he was."

Alistair pulled me down to lay against his chest again. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I can...I can live with that. Although I hold out hope he'll be killed in the battle."

I laughed. "Fair enough."

"Do you think Cai...Theron will allow it?"

"I think Duncan can be persuasive when he needs to be."

Alistair snorted, and we settled in to snuggle quietly, at least until my stomach started growling again. We'd eaten all the food Alistair had liberated from the kitchen, so reluctantly I crawled out of bed.

Alistair ran interference while I scooted down the hallway in rumpled clothes to reach my own bedroom. I was thankful that all of us had been given rooms in the same guest wing. Eamon was the only one who I really didn't want to see me like that; things were already antagonistic enough between us. No one else would have been upset, but still, we wanted to control how we informed everyone of our renewed relationship; being caught wearing yesterday's clothes was not the way we planned it.

I was tired, but thanks to my Grey Warden stamina, I'd be able to function. I was going to need one of those little potions for discomfort, though, and I didn't have Zev around to ask, so I had to find something somewhere else. I cleaned up quickly and donned my armour, deciding I'd see if I could steal one of Wayne's bottles, or if not, head down to the village and hope someone there sold them. And that no one saw me limping on the way there, especially Alistair. I liked what we did - especially when he made me ache - far too much to risk him getting nervous about hurting me.

After snagging an apple, a hunk of bread, and a large slice of cheese from the main hall which was, thankfully, empty but for a handful of servants cleaning up, I found Wayne in the training yard, as usual. He grinned at me good-naturedly when I complained of being sore from sparring the day before. He gave me an interesting look, but didn't hesitate to rummage through a cabinet and hand me a vial filled with brownish-red liquid. I tipped it back, returning the empty vial, and felt the almost-immediate relief soak in.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but don't you have a mage travelling with you? A healer?"

I flushed. "Well, yes, but I hate to bother her with such minor things..."

He rolled his eyes. "Who're you hiding from, deary?"

"What?"

"Healers, in my experience, are never 'bothered' by being asked to heal. So you're trying to hide your injuries, either from her or from someone she might tell. So, which is it?"

I hesitated. "Both?"

He laughed. "I'm guessing I should stop prying and just give you instructions for how to make your own, hmm?"

I flushed again and nodded; he spent the next half hour teaching me how to dry and grind elfroot, and the half-hour after that teaching me how to recognise it. I almost asked him where he trained in herbalism, but managed to clamp my mouth shut before the question escaped. I thanked him profusely, giving the old scamp a kiss on the cheek; he chuckled and patted my shoulder as I left. I finally headed back inside to have a late second breakfast. Having to hide my Grey Warden appetite was getting annoying, and I ended up splitting my meals, hoping no one noticed that I kept eating twice.

Most of my companions were in the main hall, either eating or digesting their breakfast; I sat down between Alistair and Tomas and grabbed myself a plate. I felt Alistair's hand brush my thigh, and struggled not to blush. Tomas gave me a strange look, but I just shrugged. It felt weird, being all together but without Aiden or Zevran, and I said as much; everyone agreed, Alistair even going so far as to admit that, at times, he missed the Antivan's jokes.

Theron was there with Blake in tow, and the youngster enthusiastically regaled me with tales of his fabulous room - actually a small storage closet with a tiny window, cleaned out for the occasion - and of learning from Theron. He'd managed to help the king into his armour once, and was excited to try again later. I smiled indulgently, glad that it seemed the kid enjoyed his newfound profession. He'd apparently run into the Arlessa while on an errand, and I was pleased to hear that she ignored his existence entirely. Maybe she'll learn yet.

Teagan arrived and invited me to visit the orphanage with him; I squeezed Alistair's hand surreptitiously before running off to change out of my armour and drop off the supplies I'd been given by Wayne. The Bann offered me his arm as we walked down into the village, and I took it with a laugh.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just...there's not a lot of chivalry where I come from. Half of the women back there think it's a terrible offense if a man holds the door for them - they say it infringes on their autonomy or something. So I'm just not used to the way men are in Ferelden. It constantly surprises me."

"Does it bother you? Men holding doors or offering their arm?"

"No, not at all. It's sweet. And makes me feel all girly, which is sort of weird, but nice."

He laughed. "Girly? You don't usually feel girly?"

"Before I came to Ferelden, I hadn't been in a skirt or dress in...years, anyway. A lot of years. And I was fat. I didn't feel girly, and certainly no one treated me that way. It just surprises me sometimes."

"Well, I hope you aren't offended, because every nobleman in Thedas is going to treat you like that - even the pigs like Vaughan Kendalls. The unmarried ones will flirt with you, even if they aren't actually interested, and-"

"Like you?" I interrupted.

He flushed, and then laughed. "Caught me. Though I'm embarrassed at having been found out. As I was saying, the married ones will try to win your favour to marry you to their son."

"I still don't understand why."

"Because you're a beautiful woman?"

"I wasn't fishing for compliments, you know. I mean, why me? I'm no one. Not even a Fereldan. Not a noble. None of them could marry me, even had I the desire."

"You wouldn't be the first woman elevated to nobility through marriage. Not to mention that after the Landsmeet you could be elevated on your own. If you even need to be - you are, after all, a Cousland."

I blushed. "Oh, you heard that, did you?"

"You call Aedan 'brother' all the time."

"Oh. Um, yeah. Woops."

"Why are you ashamed of that?"

"I'm not!" I ran a hand through my hair. "I just...I don't have proof. Aedan may accept me, but I'm not so naïve to believe that anyone else will. I don't know the first thing about being a noble in Ferelden, except that apparently acting haughty is expected. I don't know the politics, and I wouldn't know where to start at running a household, never mind anything bigger than that."

"You might be surprised. The Landsmeet will believe what Theron tells them to, especially if Eamon and Aedan back him up. And you said you're a business woman, right?"

"Consultant. I get brought in by large businesses that are failing, to see if there's anything to salvage. If I say no, they close down; if I say yes, I have a period of time and a budget to see what I can accomplish. Either way, I put myself out of a job and have to start again."

"And you don't think that would enable you to see to an Arling, for example? Analyse the business, the trades and farms and workers, fix what doesn't work, cut your losses when necessary...you'd probably be a better Bann than I am. My Seneschal has to do most of that for me. And Loghain probably doesn't even know what products his Teyrnir trades."

"Lumber," I muttered.

"See? You're already one step ahead."

"Why are you telling me this? It won't even matter."

"Look, consider yourself forewarned. Assuming you manage to stay here in Ferelden, I think it's safe to assume you'll end up with a title of some sort. Maybe as a Cousland, or maybe on your own, maybe through who you marry. But a title is almost a guarantee, for service to the Crown if nothing else."

"I don't want a title! And I'm not going to marry some Bann, or something."

"No, you won't. You'll marry a Prince."

I stopped and turned, gaping at Teagan. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"I saw you last night, going into Alistair's room. Mine's just down the hall, you know."

I blushed, cheeks crimson. "Oh?" He nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh. Damn. Uh...listen, could you not, like, tell anyone? We will soon enough, but I think Aedan should get the chance to hear about it first."

"I'm pretty sure I was the first to hear about it, actually."

If I had thought my face was burning before, now it was a flaming inferno. "Teagan!"

"Sorry, my Lady. Couldn't resist."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Trust me, it's fine. I'm thrilled for you both, actually. You'll be good for each other."

I smiled gratefully. "I hope so. But he's not a Prince."

"Yet."

I rolled my eyes, and we walked the rest of the way to the orphanage in silence.

We spent another enjoyable morning playing with orphaned children. From the way they flocked to Teagan when we arrived, it was clear he spent time there often. It took a couple of enterprising girls all of thirty seconds to have him sitting cross-legged on a tatty blanket in the middle of the floor pretending to have a tea party, and I couldn't help but watch and laugh. A couple of the children I'd met before had actually found parents - usually childless couples living on a farm or some such - and been adopted; a few new orphans had moved in to take their places. I spent most of the morning trying to feed a one-year-old who wasn't fond of the nasty cereal stuff they were apparently supposed to eat; feeding the little ones took a lot of time for Bella and Kaitlyn, and I gladly freed them up for other things. Teagan gently mocked me for making train noises as I encouraged another spoonful down, not that any of them knew what a train was and why it would help.

Bella and Kaitlyn were wonderful with the children, and I was entirely pleased with my suggestion that they run the orphanage. The place was clean, cheerful, noisy, and full of youngsters who clearly felt no fear, only love. But aside from watching the children, I noticed Kaitlyn spent a fair bit of time watching Teagan when she thought no one was looking; Teagan, for his part, seemed to be pretending he didn't know, but from the slight flush, I could tell he was aware. Once I caught her looking, and she saw me noticing; I winked, and she flushed and bolted into the kitchen.

Recalling a line from the epilogue in game, I followed her, picking up a dishtowel and drying dishes as she washed.

"So, Teagan's certainly a handsome man, isn't he?"

She flushed a more crimson colour than before. "Is he? I suppose..."

"Oh, you hadn't noticed? Hmm. Likely story." I grinned.

"I know my place, my L-" I gave her a dirty look, and she interrupted herself. "Sierra. He's nobility. I'm a commoner."

"You might be surprised, Kaitlyn. Just today he was telling me that I wouldn't be the first woman to be elevated to nobility through marriage if I played my cards right..."

The jealous look on her face was clear confirmation of her feelings, if nothing else was. "Oh I'm sure, you'd have a chance."

"He didn't mean marriage to him, Kaitlyn. I'm spoken for, actually."

"I...oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." She trailed off, and I grinned at the relieved expression. "I'm just a girl! He'd never look at me like that."

"I think he might, actually. You're beautiful, and resourceful, and doing a wonderful job here. He clearly loves coming here. I think you have a very good chance, actually."

"He's so wonderful with the children...I can just imagine him as a father. There aren't many men I could say that about."

"You can say that again. Anyway, just don't sell yourself short, okay? Give him a chance; he might surprise you."

"If you say so."

I grinned, and she gave me a small smile in return. We went back into the playroom, to find Teagan crawling around with half-a-dozen kids climbing on or dangling from him, as he roared and pretended to be a monster. Kaitlyn and I burst out laughing as he finally collapsed, having been 'vanquished' by a bunch of toddlers.

Finally disentangling himself, he and I bid the children goodbye, much to their dismay. Bella smiled as she settled the group down for a story; Kaitlyn walked us to the door.