Chapter Fourteen: Game of Heirs

Previously: Blood

 

Fergus Cousland paced the royal sitting room in dismay. The King was thankfully absent, no doubt off drinking with Riordan to recover from the day's excitement. Elissa calmly sat by her fireplace, watching her brother explode.

 

"Our King has a sister," he said.

 

"Yes," Elissa replied coolly.

 

"The King has a sister," Fergus repeated, as he couldn't fathom the words coming out of his own mouth.

 

"Yes."

 

"The King of Ferelden has a blood sister, Elissa, and you failed to mention that for months!" the Teyrn finally roared.  

 

"In my defense," she replied casually, "his sister was a laundress in the market district, and a mother of five children, all under the age of eight. I didn't think she'd be your type, until I discovered that you've recently developed a taste for untitled, penniless women." That last part was said with a bite, as Elissa's eyes narrowed slightly.

 

"This changes everything," Fergus rasped, running his hands over his shaved head. "How old is she?"

 

"Older than Alistair but still young enough to remarry and have children... though not too many," Elissa assured him. "Isolde says the royal physician has confirmed she is in very good health. 

 

"I have to tell Anora," Fergus realized, stopping in mid-pace.

 

"No, actually," his sister suddenly snapped. "You have to tell me what you were thinking, courting the daughter of a traitor!"

 

"Elissa," Fergus said, rubbing his temples, "our union could've gone a long way towards healing this country."

 

"Your union would've put power back in the hands of that wench," she spat. "I don't know what spell she has over you and Alistair, but it ends now."

 

He snorted. "You don't outrank me yet, sister."

 

"But I will outrank you soon," she replied, defiantly rising to her feet to face him. "Make no mistake, my lord, whatever stupidity you do now can simply be undone later. Marry the wrong bitch and I will annul that marriage. Use your rank to defy me and you will lose that rank. Oh, yes," she sneered, when he visibly tensed. "Favor our enemies in any way and you will join them in exile. You can even take Anora's place in the fucking Tower, for all I care."

 

The doors opened and in entered Alistair, Arl Eamon, and to Elissa's disgust, Anora.

 

"What fresh hell is this?" the future Queen snapped.

 

"What?" Alistair asked, blinking. His tone was clipped. "You can surprise me in open court with my sister, but I can't grant you the courtesy of a private audience?"

 

Elissa hadn't been avoiding Anora, but she didn't want to see or speak to the woman, especially not in the presence of these three. The men seemed bound and determined only to see what they wanted when they looked at the former Queen, and she was tired of trying to get through to them.

 

"I felt it was time we formally met," Anora said, smiling. She was every bit as beautiful as Elissa imagined, but to her surprise, the woman's voice wasn't high and girly. It was low and throaty.

 

"Did you?" Elissa asked, blinking irritably.

 

"I know you think I'm the enemy," the former Queen began graciously, "and on behalf of House Mac Tir, I offer sincere apologies for the part my father played in the massacre of your family."

 

Elissa's eyebrow went up, baffled by her audacity. "And will you apologize for his treason as well?"

 

"He has already paid for his treason, my lady," Anora gently reminded her.

 

"Oh, yes," Elissa said. "Not with any help from you, of course, even though you had the authority. Tell me, Anora, when your father returned from Ostagar with his men and armor perfectly intact -- and your husband, the King, notably absent -- did you stop to question it or were you too busy being relieved?"

 

She could see the men tensing behind the former Queen, who remained remarkably calm.

 

"My lady," Anora said calmly, much like a seasoned negotiator, "I understand what you're trying to do, but Goldanna is not a Theirin. She and Alistair share a mother, who was a scullery maid."

 

Elissa scoffed. "You must have me confused with the Arl of Redcliffe. I don't give a fuck about Theirin blood. That 'scullery maid'  was not merely some anonymous, faceless broodmare. Her name was Fiona, and I can already tell she was better than all of you. Her blood deserves every bit as much as consideration as Maric's."

 

Anora was not discouraged. In fact, she was completely unfazed. "Lady Elissa," she said, in that annoyingly polished manner, "your brother and I have both been widowed. Our parents are both gone. He was robbed of his birthright, and I have lost my crown. We understand each other."

 

Elissa chortled. "Your father's treachery cost many a woman their husbands and parents. Fergus can go understand one of them."

 

 Alistair chuckled without thinking, then quickly recovered when everybody looked at him.

 

When gentleness failed, Anora took the tough love approach. "My lady, two Grey Wardens cannot have children."

 

Elissa relished her next words. "Then it's a good thing Goldanna has five."

 

Shocked silence ruled the room as her true motivation was laid bare. The men exchanged stunned looks with each other. They were always surprised whenever Elissa solved a problem without bloodshed.

 

Anora's mask of composure crumbled. "You can't be serious," she hissed.

 

Elissa's tone was wickedly delicious. "They are young. They can be taught propriety and politics. And again, there are five of them, which all but secures Alistair's line. It's like his sister gifted him a dynasty. And when she marries my brother, that dynasty will only grow."

 

Anora was appalled. "Those children are mongrels," she argued, recoiling. "They don't have a drop of royal blood."

 

Elissa cocked her head to the side. "And neither do you. See how that works?"

 

Anora looked at Fergus for help. His jaw tightened as he squarely met her gaze, but said nothing. Though silent, their eyes said much. And Elissa felt a great weight fall from her shoulders as everyone finally revealed who they really were.

 

"There will be others, I suppose," Anora conceded softly.

 

"There will not."

 

All heads turned toward Alistair, who finally stepped forward.

 

"Anora," the King began, "it seems the terms of your release were unclear, so allow me to rectify that. You swore your only care was the well-being of this country. Ergo, your assigned duty is to counsel me in matters of state. Your duty is not and never was to remarry -- I don't care if he's a swine herder."

 

The former Queen was visibly appalled, but wise enough to hold her tongue.

 

"Your duty is not produce children either," he ruthlessly continued. "That ship sailed when you spent years failing to give my brother an heir. Breed so much as a single bastard, and back into the Tower you go."

 

He dismissed her with a gesture, and she bowed slightly before leaving.

 

Arl Eamon lightly clapped the King on the shoulder. "I will redraft the royal decree pertaining to her release," the older man said. "And if it pleases you, draft a new one instating your sister's children as royal heirs."

 

Alistair sighed in relief. "Yes, my lord. Please have them moved to the palace immediately."

 

"Isolde and I will take good care of them," the Arl assured him. "We will arrange for nannies and tutors at once."

 

He left, gesturing for Fergus to follow, leaving the Wardens alone.

 

Several minutes of silence passed before the King said softly, "You could've told me."

 

"You didn't want to hear it," Elissa insisted. "You never liked your sister very much."

 

"Because she only cares about money," he reminded her.

 

"And now you have loads of it," she pointed out.

 

Alistair chuckled, shaking his head. "She's a laundress, Elissa. She's not fit for court."

 

"You're a stable boy," Elissa countered, without missing a beat. "You learned and so can she. Besides, once she marries my brother, he will whisk her off to Highever to rebuild our ancestral home. It'll be years before you see her again."

 

His eyes clouded over. "That'll be hard on the children."

 

She came close to touch his arms. "We will be their new parents. It'll be hard at first, but children are even better at adapting than adults."

 

He met her eyes. "This is no small decision. There will be talk, objection even." He paused. "I'm trusting you."

 

Elissa shrugged. "If any noble protests your kingly right to name your own blood as successors, I have a very simple solution."