A year later, they'd never fallen asleep angry. They'd gone to bed fighting mad, spent days arguing over edicts and policies until everyone else left the room, but she never turned away, and he never pushed a choice on her. Their biggest disagreement by far was what to do about the growing mage issues throughout Thedas. He was in favor of stronger Templar control and more restrictions on the Circles who rebelled. She was more liberal, looking for a solution with enhanced mage freedoms. Whenever a report of a new flare-up crossed their desks, which was happening more and more frequently these days, they rehashed their points to exhaustion. But they never grew exhausted of the discussion or each other.

And even Teagan, the most frequent audience for their debates, had to agree that it was good for the kingdom. They sharpened their arguments to the finest points, but also learned to respect the other side through their love for the other. It made the decisions that were made moderate, understanding, and Ferelden avoided some of the problems that plagued other nations who took sides or didn't act at all. Not all of the problems. The Tower of Ishal was a scar that many in the country still bore.

But always, before they slept, they put aside their differences and curled into each other. Neither Alistair nor Elissa ever forgot that their days together were all the more precious that they might never have happened. They would end sooner than they wanted. Angry nights were a waste of the gift they'd given themselves.

Eventually they knew they'd have to part from each other, for a time. The life of royalty involved separation. So far they'd restricted their wanderings to day trips, either together or separately, to ease the transition. They quickly learned each other's strengths outside of battle and knew where they were more use apart and when they needed to be a team. She excelled at the more dangerous diplomacy, as Zevran called it. When the time came for careful threats that would be believed or a hard guard that wouldn't be questioned, she had the heart for both. He was better at the soft face, the open hand, and most supplicants left his presence without realizing how little they'd won for how much they'd given.

When it came to physical fights, they always worked best as a team. They were blade and shield together, switching roles as easily as they shifted their feet, and enterprising criminals learned to give Denerim a wide berth. She was never out of position again, and he never held back.

The Crows had cautiously treated with them, as Leliana predicted, and they went about in moderately less fear for their lives. Elissa was always wary. Zevran had given her a much clearer idea of the honor of assassins than he'd meant to in their year of travel, but no attacks came. Quietly they let the Crows operate more frequently in the kingdom without reprisals in an effort to gain some rapport. It seemed to work, and a modicum of trust grew between the guild and the royals. This was reflected in the generousness of the Antivan diplomats, who ceded a little more than they had previously when they dealt with Ferelden. Zevran had even taken a tentative trip to Antiva, openly, and though Elissa fretted over him the entire time he was gone, he came back safe and unmolested, except on his own terms. They had no illusions that they'd always be trustworthy, given the treacherous political game of their leadership, but it was a start.

Leliana was an occasional visitor, even somewhat of an agent for the Crown. Of course, her loyalty to the Divine came first, but their interests weren't unaligned. Alistair pressed for more cooperation with his sister who was also a Sister, and Elissa saw the wisdom in it. When Leliana was named the Left Hand, she got two notes of congratulations from them. The official one was effusive and proper. The hidden one said only Left hands must be clever and sharp. Watch you don't cut yourself, Nightingale. She showed up a month later and took great delight in demonstrating her new, left-handed dagger skills and unmarked skin.

And then someday came, and Alistair was leaving for the Free Marches. Trouble with mages, with Qunari, with everything, were starting to boil up in the city of Kirkwall. Ferelden was seen as a stable country, the voice of reason that might calm the waters, and they all agreed diplomats wouldn't be enough. Alistair's touch was needed, and so he had to go. Teagan would join him, and Zevran and Wynne would remain with her in Denerim. It wasn't perfect, and Alistair was especially jealous that Teagan's new wife would accompany them while he remained in solitude, but he bore it up as well as he could. Which was to say not well at all.

He sulked in their rooms the day before he left. They'd taken the day off of ruling and holed up together talking. Mostly talking. She tried to make him smile, and sometimes succeeded, but it was clear he was having more trouble with leaving than either of them had expected. "It seems cruel that I have to go now. Can't these bloody Qunari find some other place to park themselves threateningly?" he asked. He placed his hand on her stomach protectively, and she laid her hand over his.

"Think of it this way. If you go now, you'll miss all of the parts where I'm nauseated and get back just in time for the fun." He frowned, confused. "I'm told that certain parts of me will get a lot more enticing the farther along I get," she said and arched her back against the bed.

His eyes sparked interest, and he got marginally less grumpy. "That might be worth something. I guess. But I don't trust Zevran while I'm gone. He'll let you take far too many risks."

She sat up at that. "I'm pregnant, not broken. I can still do things." He leveled his eyes at her, and she flopped back. "Fine, I'll only do boring and safe things until you get back. But then we're going to go on a patrol together. I'm not letting you keep me cooped up in here like an invalid."

"Just remember who's going to be fetching and carrying for you when your feet are swollen and sore," he said. "Dutiful husbands have rights, too. And proud fathers. She's going to be the smartest royal baby in history, you know."

"She?" she said. "You think so?"

"Oh, definitely. A girl, beautiful and strong just like her mother."

"Let's just hope she's less interested in stable boys than her mother was, or you'll never get any sleep."

He looked at her in horror. "Why would you make me think about that? I guess this does give me more time to plan ahead. Perhaps some kind of dungeon." He furrowed his brow in mock thought, and she smacked him.

He captured her hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed her palm slowly, and she shivered. "That's another good reason for you to go now. I've already got the baby. You're no longer necessary to the process."

"I may not be necessary, but I can be extremely beneficial." He winked. Tears sprang to her eyes, and he sobered. He stretched out next to her and folded his arms around her tightly. He kissed a tear that slid down her cheek.

"I'm going to miss you," she said in a choked voice. She tried to laugh. "Our people confirmed Isabella is up there. Don't let her talk you into anything scandalous."

"Only you have ever been able to talk me into anything even close to scandalous," he said. She rolled toward him in the circle of his arms and kissed the corner of his mouth. He looked into her eyes, which reflected the fear in his own. "I won't do anything risky either. I'm coming back."

"I know," she said. "My husband is too good of a man to leave me alone." He wept at her faith in him, and when they kissed it wasn't goodbye but a promise that they would never have to say it. Whatever their end was, it would be theirs together. Sword and shield, left and right, soft and hard, head and heart, they were only truly whole together. He rode the next day with her watching from the battlements holding her hand to her lips and their future in her body. But she also traveled with him, nestled permanently inside his soul, and there was no greater joy in Thedas than that.

A/N: Here we are at the end! Thank you so, so, so much to all of the people who have read, followed, favorited, and especially reviewed this story. So many of you have been enormous helps to me, even more than you know, though a few may recognize some of their own clever ideas woven into the story. This was my first ever attempt in life at writing a romance - as you can see by the fact that there wasn't as much romance as I'd intended - and I struggled mightily with finishing this story. It got to the point in the middle where I wondered if I would be able to do it at all, but you all filled me with the purpose and drive I needed to get it done! There are things I love about it, things I would change if I could (including a truly embarrassing number of typos in that middle section where I was writing late into the night to get it out), and things that didn't work out quite as I intended. Still, I hope it was satisfying on some level for everyone who read. And if it was satisfying on every level, then you are more appreciated than you know!

Regardless, I'm happy to be here with you all now. This was my second long story on here, and it went much more smoothly than the first. I hope the idea fairy will strike me soon to get a third one started! As always, any and all feedback is welcome, especially constructive criticism. I'll also take story ideas if you have something rattling around that you want to read but would never write. Thanks again, and long live the King and Queen!