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* IKissYourHand: Somewhat surprisingly, ''not'' used in a romantic way. As the companions are exchanging farewells at the Battle of Denerim, Alistair is so at a loss for what he should say to Wynne that he resorts to this instead.
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* IKissYourHand: Somewhat surprisingly, ''not'' used in a romantic way. As the companions are exchanging farewells at the Battle of Denerim, Alistair is so at a loss for what he should say to Wynne that he resorts to this instead.
to:
* IKissYourHand: Somewhat surprisingly, ''not'' used IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: Oghren, in a romantic way. As the companions are exchanging farewells at the Battle his role of Denerim, PapaWolf, delivers this warning to Alistair is so at a loss for what he should say to Wynne that he resorts to this instead.regarding Elissa. Alistair thinks it's fair.
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* AlternateContinuity: Slightly. Although the story largely follows the game proper, there are points where it goes off on its own tangent.
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* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Set up at the Landsmeet and launched in the final chapter of the original story.
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* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Set up at the Landsmeet and launched in the final chapter of chapter.
* PerspectiveFlip: The story is told from theoriginal story.point of view of Alistair, who is the game's {{Deuteragonist}}.
* PerspectiveFlip: The story is told from the
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* {{Diary}}: The whole first story and the non-epistolary parts of the second are told in the format of Alistair writing in his personal journal.
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* {{Diary}}: The whole first story and the non-epistolary parts of the second are Is told in the format of Alistair writing in his personal journal.
* FamilyOfChoice: Since Elissa's entire family is murdered prior to her introduction, she grows to view the companions this way. Leliana even comments on iduring her RousingSpeech; see TrueCompanions, below.
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* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions, but also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus the PowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions, but also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust ThePowerOfTrust plus the PowerOfFriendship ThePowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
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* WebSerialNovel: ''Shadow and Rose'' alone clocks out at 125,000 words in forty chapters.
* WeddingDay: The final chapter of the first story.
* WeddingDay: The final chapter of the first story.
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* WebSerialNovel: ''Shadow and Rose'' alone clocks out at 125,000 words in forty chapters.
* WeddingDay: The finalchapter of the first story.chapter; TheyDo.
* WeddingDay: The final
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A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
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* OrphanedSeries: ''Shadow and Rose'' is a CompletedFic; however, it was intended as the first in a possible series, with the immediate sequel to have been called ''Crown and Quill''. This was to have been an epistolary fic, composed largely of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during ''VideoGame/DragonAgeAwakening''. Due to assorted difficulties with the writing as well as increased commitments to other projects, the author has canceled the sequels, and ''Shadow and Rose'' leaves the reader with the impression that everyone lives HappilyEverAfter.
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* SheCleansUpNicely: Played straight and gender flipped; the party members are expected to dress for dinner at the Arl of Redcliffe's estate in Denerim. Arlessa Isolde sends formal clothing for each of them to wear. The trope specifically comes in when ''Morrigan'', of all people, [[ThrowTheDogABone acknowledges that Alistair looks "decent."]]
to:
* SheCleansUpNicely: Played straight and gender flipped; the party members are expected to dress for dinner at the Arl of Redcliffe's estate in Denerim. Arlessa Isolde sends formal clothing for each of them to wear. The trope specifically comes in when ''Morrigan'', of all people, [[ThrowTheDogABone [[PetTheDog acknowledges that Alistair looks "decent."]]
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Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC. The author also intends a third story to eventually take place, following a TimeSkip which brings the reader to the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''; this story is planned to have a revolving point of view, rather than being strictly Alistair's narration.
to:
A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC. The author also intends a third story to eventually take place, following a TimeSkip which brings the reader to the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''; this story is planned to have a revolving point of view, rather than being strictly Alistair's narration.
DLC.
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* CompletedFic
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* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: [[spoiler:Alistair has known this about himself for a while, but has to find a way to confess the truth to Elissa before they go to Redcliffe.]] Later, Eamon springs the reveal on the rest of the party.
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* BlahBlahBlah: Alistair has a tendency to hear this whenever the Grand Cleric is speaking during the last few chapters.
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* FlirtingUnderFire: Alistair gets in a bit of this when they're clearing the undead out of Soldier's Peak. Morrigan tells him to do it later and keep moving.
* MarryForLove: What Alistair wants to do, eventually. Eamon, however, thinks he should concern himself with other matters.
* MissingMom: Alistair has never known his mother, a fact which crops up in the narrative now and again. Eventually, Eamon reveals that [[spoiler:he has no idea who she was; readers who are familiar with DA lore most likely do, however]].
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Set up at the Landsmeet and launched in the final chapter of the original story.
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* WebSerialNovel: It surpassed 75,000 words at the halfway point, and that's just the first story.
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* WebSerialNovel: It surpassed 75,000 ''Shadow and Rose'' alone clocks out at 125,000 words at the halfway point, and that's just in forty chapters.
* WeddingDay: The final chapter of the firststory.story.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Among its other goals, the fic tries to work out what became of certain characters following the Battle of Denerim. It explains why Bodahn Feddic departs for Kirkwall (setting up his presence in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'') and provides explanations for the future activities of, among others, Brother Genitivi, Sergeant Kylon, and even [[spoiler:Goldanna]].
* WeddingDay: The final chapter of the first
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Among its other goals, the fic tries to work out what became of certain characters following the Battle of Denerim. It explains why Bodahn Feddic departs for Kirkwall (setting up his presence in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'') and provides explanations for the future activities of, among others, Brother Genitivi, Sergeant Kylon, and even [[spoiler:Goldanna]].
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* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: At Orzammar as in the game, and then a second and third when [[spoiler:Alistair is crowned king, and some while afterward when Elissa is crowned queen following their wedding. They each receive a CoolCrown as a wedding gift.]]
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* {{BFS}}: As in the ''Warden's Keep'' DLC, Starfang, the longsword forged from star metal. Alistair notes that it's almost as long as Elissa is tall.
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* {{BFS}}: As in the ''Warden's Keep'' DLC, Starfang, the longsword forged from star metal. Alistair notes that it's almost as long as Elissa is tall. [[spoiler:Regrettably, it's destroyed when she uses it to kill the Archdemon.]]
* GoodIsNotSoft: [[spoiler:After Alistair is crowned, Elissa persuades him to release Anora from the tower, and to allow her to inherit her father's title as Teyrna of Gwaren in exchange for her oath of fealty. Anora is then sent back to Gwaren with an escort of two dozen Templars... who, under the direction of Knight-Commander Greagoir, are ''very'' loyal to the Commander of the Grey and who have been privately commissioned to quell any potential rebellion from Anora's supporters.]]
* TheGoodKing: [[spoiler:Alistair, once he accepts that the kingship of Ferelden is his destiny, determines that he will strive to be this. With Elissa as TheHighQueen, they become a very popular RulingCouple.]]
* TheGoodKing: [[spoiler:Alistair, once he accepts that the kingship of Ferelden is his destiny, determines that he will strive to be this. With Elissa as TheHighQueen, they become a very popular RulingCouple.]]
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* [[spoiler: HiddenBackupPrince: Alistair wonders in his journal, at one point, if this being his position in life is the reason that Cailan chose him to accompany Elissa to light the signal fire on the Tower of Ishal - if he was specifically being kept out of the fighting in case Cailan died.]]
to:
* [[spoiler: HiddenBackupPrince: Alistair [[spoiler:Alistair wonders in his journal, at one point, if this being his position in life is the reason that Cailan chose him to accompany Elissa to light the signal fire on the Tower of Ishal - if he was specifically being kept out of the fighting in case Cailan died.]]
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* [[TheLadysFavor The Lady's Favor]]: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever."
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever."
to:
* [[TheLadysFavor The Lady's Favor]]: TheLadysFavor: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever."" [[spoiler:After the battle with the Archdemon, they have an extremely similar moment but with their positions reversed.]]
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever.
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* [[spoiler: OfferedTheCrown: Not so much "offered" as "told that he has to take it or the country is pretty well doomed."]]
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* [[spoiler: OfferedTheCrown: Not [[spoiler:Not so much "offered" as "told that he has to take it or the country is pretty well doomed."]]
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* [[spoiler:TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: Alistair spends a bit of time in his journal lamenting that he sees himself as this, but that he's got no choice about becoming king if he wants to get Loghain out of power.]]
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* [[spoiler:TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: Alistair TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: [[spoiler:Alistair spends a bit of time in his journal lamenting that he sees himself as this, but that he's got no choice about becoming king if he wants to get Loghain out of power.]]
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A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
to:
A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
DLC. The author also intends a third story to eventually take place, following a TimeSkip which brings the reader to the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''; this story is planned to have a revolving point of view, rather than being strictly Alistair's narration.
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** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection. [[spoiler:Marrying Alistair, of course, promotes her to Badass Queen, and once they're engaged, Oghren upgrades his pet name for her to "Queenie."]]
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** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection.an AffectionateNickname. [[spoiler:Marrying Alistair, of course, promotes her to Badass Queen, and once they're engaged, Oghren upgrades his pet name for her to "Queenie."]]
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* IKissYourHand: Somewhat surprisingly, ''not'' used in a romantic way. As the companions are exchanging farewells at the Battle of Denerim, Alistair is so at a loss for what he should say to Wynne that he resorts to this instead.
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* AFatherToHisMen[=/=]AMotherToHerMen: What Alistair originally proposes for the future with Elissa after their relationship becomes official. Once the Blight is over, he wants them to rebuild their numbers, essentially becoming father and mother to a new generation of Grey Wardens in Ferelden. It doesn't work out that way, but they both enjoy the idea for a while.
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** The night before the Battle of Denerim, [[spoiler:Alistair asks Morrigan why Flemeth saved Elissa's life at Ostagar, since - being female - she couldn't participate in the dark ritual. Morrigan says that the only reason Flemeth ever gave was the fact that Elissa was very polite to her on their first meeting.]]
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The story is roughly halfway completed at present. A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
to:
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* ArrangedMarriage: Arl Eamon attempts to make one for Alistair and [[spoiler:Anora]]. Worse, he tries to get Elissa - Alistair's actual LoveInterest - to persuade Alistair to go along with it.
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* BadassPrincess: Elissa; since a codex in the game indicates that Highever is actually a {{principality}} within Ferelden, she technically holds the rank of princess even if it's never used formally.
** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection.
** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection.
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* BadassPrincess: Elissa; Elissa again; since a codex in the game indicates that Highever is actually a {{principality}} within Ferelden, she technically holds the rank of princess even if it's never used formally.
** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection. [[spoiler:Marrying Alistair, of course, promotes her to Badass Queen, and once they're engaged, Oghren upgrades his pet name for her to "Queenie."]]
** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection. [[spoiler:Marrying Alistair, of course, promotes her to Badass Queen, and once they're engaged, Oghren upgrades his pet name for her to "Queenie."]]
* CombatByChampion: As seen as an option in the game, Elissa chooses to have Alistair duel Loghain in her stead at the Landsmeet. She points out that she's avenged her family's deaths, and now it's Alistair's turn to do the same.
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** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish. In Orzammar, they do it again so that one half of the party can appeal to Bhelen for his support, while the other can work with Harrowmont.
to:
** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish. In Orzammar, they do it again so that one half of the party can appeal to Bhelen for his support, while the other half can work with Harrowmont.
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* LoveEpiphany: Alistair realizes that he's in love with Elissa at one of the most inappropriate possible moments, but it's treated with reasonable gravitas and actually [[ItMakesSenseInContext makes sense in context]]. His earlier epiphany, when he first realizes he has romantic feelings for her, is almost {{played for laughs}}.
to:
* LoveEpiphany: Alistair realizes that he's in love with Elissa at one of the most inappropriate possible moments, but it's treated with reasonable gravitas and actually does [[ItMakesSenseInContext makes make sense in context]]. His earlier epiphany, when he first realizes he has romantic feelings for her, is almost {{played for laughs}}.
** Later still, as in the game, Elissa retrieves Duncan's shield from the Grey Warden warehouse and presents it to Alistair.
* TakeAThirdOption: As is an option in the game for the female Human Noble, Elissa does this at the Landsmeet, regarding the future of Ferelden's crown.
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* WebSerialNovel: It surpassed 75,000 words at chapter 20 and isn't anywhere close to finished.
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* WebSerialNovel: It surpassed 75,000 words at chapter 20 the halfway point, and isn't anywhere close to finished.that's just the first story.
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** Informally, Oghren occasionally calls her "Princess" both as a mild taunt and as a sign of affection.
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* LikeASonToMe: Alistair's relationship with Wynne. This is indicated in party banter in the game, and expanded on in the fic.
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* LikeASonToMe: Alistair's relationship with Wynne. This is indicated in party banter in the game, and expanded on in the fic.fic. She invokes the trope word for word at the Battle of Denerim.
** Gender flipped with Oghren and Elissa. Oghren concedes to Alistair that he thinks of Elissa like his daughter, complete with PapaWolf threats toward her LoveInterest.
** Gender flipped with Oghren and Elissa. Oghren concedes to Alistair that he thinks of Elissa like his daughter, complete with PapaWolf threats toward her LoveInterest.
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* AmazonBrigade: Whenever the party splits up, the group led by Elissa consists of all females (apart from Toby the dog).
to:
* AmazonBrigade: Whenever the party splits up, the group led by Elissa consists of all females (apart from Toby the dog). This leads to a bit of head scratching among the companions when she leads the group to [[spoiler:rescue Queen Anora from Arl Howe's estate]], until Eamon explains that there's a reason (the required armor wouldn't have fit any of the men).
** RealLifeWritesThePlot: The author explains that on her first playthrough, she misunderstood the directions for this particular quest and thought that she was ''supposed'' to have an all-female party. The mistake amused her, so she used it in the fic.
* BadassInDistress: Elissa, [[spoiler:when imprisoned in Fort Drakon,]] although this is not actually shown since Alistair isn't there.
** RealLifeWritesThePlot: The author explains that on her first playthrough, she misunderstood the directions for this particular quest and thought that she was ''supposed'' to have an all-female party. The mistake amused her, so she used it in the fic.
* BadassInDistress: Elissa, [[spoiler:when imprisoned in Fort Drakon,]] although this is not actually shown since Alistair isn't there.
* GoodCounterpart[=/=]EvilCounterpart: Elissa and Anora are sort of set up to be this. They are both beautiful, intelligent young noblewomen, the only daughters of the only Teyrns in the whole country (and thus the highest-ranking women in the realm). Wynne comments that she's surprised they weren't raised as playmates or, at the very least, ''introduced'' to each other at some point in the past. The trope is at least partially subverted, however, because while Elissa is very much good (being a scion of the Couslands, who are the BigGood of Ferelden), Anora isn't evil; she is, however, shown to be manipulative, shrewd, and self-preserving. Of course, the reader is reminded that [[UnreliableNarrator Alistair isn't the most objective narrator]] about ''either'' of them.
* TheHeart: Elissa becomes this for the rest of the companions. It's especially noticeable when [[spoiler:she's captured by the enemy]].
* KillEmAll: Oghren's strategy suggestion for [[spoiler:rescuing Elissa from Fort Drakon]].
--> '''Oghren:''' Just break everyone's skull and let that Maker of yours sort 'em out.
--> '''Oghren:''' Just break everyone's skull and let that Maker of yours sort 'em out.
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* TheMenFirst: Although it's made pretty clear that the entire party will go to great lengths to protect Elissa, she doesn't hesitate to put their safety ahead of her own.
to:
* TheMenFirst: Although it's made pretty clear that the entire party will go to great lengths to protect Elissa, she doesn't hesitate to put their safety ahead of her own. [[spoiler:When the women of the party go to rescue Queen Anora from Arl Howe's estate, Ser Cauthrien recognizes the Queen, who claims she's being kidnapped. Elissa realizes that her companions are massively outnumbered, and surrenders peacefully rather than risk them being killed.]]
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* TrueCompanions: As in the game.
to:
* TrueCompanions: As in the game. Leliana points this out during her RousingSpeech in Denerim, when everyone is bickering about [[spoiler:Elissa being taken prisoner]].
--> '''Leliana:''' We may not always get along, and that's okay, because - well, families are like that. And whether any of you want to admit it or not, that's really what we are.
--> '''Leliana:''' We may not always get along, and that's okay, because - well, families are like that. And whether any of you want to admit it or not, that's really what we are.
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* DancesAndBalls: Arl Eamon hires musicians to entertain the companions when they stay at his estate in Denerim. The author likes to refer to this as the "Fereldan dance party" scene.
* DefrostingIceQueen: It takes Alistair quite a while to realize that Morrigan has become this toward Elissa; for a long time, he assumes that her words of friendship are part of some ploy. Then he sees her [[spoiler:panicked expression when Elissa almost dies in the Deep Roads]].
* DefrostingIceQueen: It takes Alistair quite a while to realize that Morrigan has become this toward Elissa; for a long time, he assumes that her words of friendship are part of some ploy. Then he sees her [[spoiler:panicked expression when Elissa almost dies in the Deep Roads]].
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* HomeBase: Soldier's Peak, once cleansed of its demons and animated corpses, becomes this for the party. They spend the winter there, rebuilding it into a home for the future generations of Grey Wardens.
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* HomeBase: Soldier's Peak, once cleansed of its demons and animated corpses, becomes this for the party. They spend the winter there, rebuilding it into a home for the future generations of Grey Wardens.
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* PrinceCharmless: Morrigan calls Alistair this in one scene.
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* ReluctantRuler: And Eamon worries that the Landsmeet can see it.
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* SheCleansUpNicely: Played straight and gender flipped; the party members are expected to dress for dinner at the Arl of Redcliffe's estate in Denerim. Arlessa Isolde sends formal clothing for each of them to wear. The trope specifically comes in when ''Morrigan'', of all people, [[ThrowTheDogABone acknowledges that Alistair looks "decent."]]
-->'''Alistair:''' That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
-->'''Morrigan:''' Do not grow accustomed to the phenomenon.
-->'''Alistair:''' That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
-->'''Morrigan:''' Do not grow accustomed to the phenomenon.
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* WebSerialNovel: It's in the process of becoming one, having surpassed 75,000 words at the halfway point.
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* WebSerialNovel: It's in the process of becoming one, having It surpassed 75,000 words at the halfway point.chapter 20 and isn't anywhere close to finished.
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* YearInsideHourOutside: In a way. While the group is in Orzammar, Elissa realizes that Dagna's description of how long it would take to reach the mage tower isn't quite right, and comes to the conclusion that a day in Orzammar is roughly equal to two days above ground.
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* YearInsideHourOutside: YearOutsideHourInside: In a way. While the group is in Orzammar, Elissa realizes that Dagna's description of how long it would take to reach the mage tower isn't quite right, and comes to the conclusion that a day in Orzammar is roughly equal to two days above ground.
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* YearInsideHourOutside: In a way. While the group is in Orzammar, Elissa realizes that Dagna's description of how long it would take to reach the mage tower isn't quite right, and comes to the conclusion that a day in Orzammar is roughly equal to two days above ground.
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* EverybodyCanSeeIt: During the period where he CannotSpitItOut, it's made clear at different points that Bann Teagan, Morrigan, Wynne, Leliana, and Zevran are all very aware of Alistair's feelings for Elissa.
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* EverybodyCanSeeIt: EveryoneCanSeeIt: During the period where he CannotSpitItOut, it's made clear at different points that Bann Teagan, Morrigan, Wynne, Leliana, and Zevran are all very aware of Alistair's feelings for Elissa.
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* BerserkButton: As in the game, Loghain is very much this to Alistair. So is anyone disrespecting Elissa, as first seen when Goldanna calls her a tart; it's later a button he shares in common with the entire party, particularly Zevran and Oghren. And Maker help you if you have any ideas about actually ''harming'' her.
to:
* BerserkButton: As in the game, Loghain is very much this to Alistair. So is anyone disrespecting Elissa, as first seen when Goldanna calls her a tart; it's later a button he shares in common with the entire party, particularly Zevran and Oghren.[[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe Zevran]] and, later, [[PapaWolf Oghren]]. And Maker help you if you have any ideas about actually ''harming'' her.
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* CanineCompanion: Toby, Elissa's mabari warhound
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* BuffySpeak: Alistair is given to this periodically, usually as an indication that he can't find a better way to describe something. He refers to Wynne doing "mage-y stuff," calls the patch of land where Shale is located "garden-y," and observes that Elissa at one point "looks very thinky, if that's a word."
* CanineCompanion: Toby, Elissa'smabari warhoundMabari warhound. Humorously, she claims to leave him in charge when she has him stay behind at Soldier's Peak while she's away.
* CanineCompanion: Toby, Elissa's
* EverybodyCanSeeIt: During the period where he CannotSpitItOut, it's made clear at different points that Bann Teagan, Morrigan, Wynne, Leliana, and Zevran are all very aware of Alistair's feelings for Elissa.
* FriendlessBackground: Morrigan, as in the game, comes from this. Because she and Alistair don't like each other, he doesn't pay much attention to it usually, but it comes up at one point on the way to Orzammar. When Elissa and Leliana are sitting by the fire talking and giggling, he notices Morrigan watching from a distance looking as though "she wanted to be part of what she was watching but she didn't dare. Or maybe she just didn't know how."
* TheMenFirst: Although it's made pretty clear that the entire party will go to great lengths to protect Elissa, she doesn't hesitate to put their safety ahead of her own.
* TakeThat: Alistair gives a minor one to the BeautifulDreamer trope.
-->'''Alistair:''' I probably shouldn't watch her sleep, it's a little creepy.
-->'''Alistair:''' I probably shouldn't watch her sleep, it's a little creepy.
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* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions, she also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus the PowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions, she but also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus the PowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
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Aimo gave me permission to use this picture she drew of a scene from the story
Changed line(s) 46 (click to see context) from:
** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish.
to:
** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish. In Orzammar, they do it again so that one half of the party can appeal to Bhelen for his support, while the other can work with Harrowmont.
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Aimo gave me permission to use this picture she drew of a scene from the story
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[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alieli_9350.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Art by [[http://www.aimostudio.com Aimo]], used with permission]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Art by [[http://www.aimostudio.com Aimo]], used with permission]]
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None
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* TheLadysFavor: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
to:
* TheLadysFavor: [[TheLadysFavor The Lady's Favor]]: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions; she also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus ThePowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions; companions, she also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus ThePowerOfFriendship the PowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
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I forgot that Blue Eyes isn\'t a trope. My apologies.
Deleted line(s) 23 (click to see context) :
* BlueEyes: Elissa has them, a fact on which Alistair comments more than once. As his attraction starts becoming more pronounced, he notes that they're "almost like lyrium."
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* InnocentBlueEyes: Elissa has them, of the HeavenlyBlue variety; Alistair comments on this more than once. As his attraction starts becoming more pronounced, he notes that they're "almost like lyrium."
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* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each chapter title is the name of an object found in the game, such as a weapon or piece of armor. Usually they have some connection to what happens in the chapter (e.g., "Wilhelm's Special Brew" is the name of the chapter where Shale joins the party), but sometimes they're chosen more randomly.
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* IronWoobie: Elissa. She's got the weight of the world on her shoulders, almost literally, but is determined to put the well-being and happiness of her companions above her own concerns. Until her HeroicBSOD, her silent suffering is only definitely recognized by Alistair and, to a lesser extent, Wynne; he's unsure if the other companions realize just how much she hides her pain.
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''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8571442/1/Shadow-and-Rose Shadow and Rose]]'' is what happened when @/LadyNorbert decided to tell the story of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' from a [[PerspectiveFlip different point of view]]. Because this is a narrative of the events during and after the game, '''there are spoilers here.'''
Alistair, [[spoiler:bastard half-brother of King Cailan of Ferelden]], records his thoughts and experiences beginning with his becoming a Grey Warden. The story utilizes the Human Female Noble origin, thus introducing Alistair to the Lady Elissa Cousland, with whom he falls in love.
The entirety of ''Origins'' is laid out in the narrative, including all of the additional DLC campaigns (e.g. ''Warden's Keep'') which can be played during the course of the adventure. Party banter is expanded on to create greater relationships between the non-player characters, and while some parts of the actual game are truncated for the sake of the narrative, others are fleshed out. An effort is made to incorporate the ''Dragon Age'' franchise as a whole, including references to the novels and a comic strip authorized by [[WordOfGod David Gaider]] of a deleted scene from the game.
The story is roughly halfway completed at present. A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
----
!!Tropes present in this fanfic include:
* AdaptationExpansion[=/=]CanonWelding: A form of it. The majority of what takes place in the stories also happens in the game; but in some cases, rather than choose one option or the other, the possibilities are merged. Details from the non-game aspects of the acknowledged canon are often utilized.
* AmazonBrigade: Whenever the party splits up, the group led by Elissa consists of all females (apart from Toby the dog).
* BadassPrincess: Elissa; since a codex in the game indicates that Highever is actually a {{principality}} within Ferelden, she technically holds the rank of princess even if it's never used formally.
* BattleCouple: Alistair and Elissa
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Alistair is pretty quick to figure out that this is the reason the other companions are so attached to Elissa, but it takes him a little longer to realize that it's his own case as well.
* BerserkButton: As in the game, Loghain is very much this to Alistair. So is anyone disrespecting Elissa, as first seen when Goldanna calls her a tart; it's later a button he shares in common with the entire party, particularly Zevran and Oghren. And Maker help you if you have any ideas about actually ''harming'' her.
** Elissa has one in the form of anyone trying to hurt her companions, or harming innocents for their own selfish gain.
* [[BestHerToBedHer Best Her To Wed Her]]: Elissa remarks to Alistair that she once told her father she could never love a man who could not defeat her in honorable combat.
--> '''Alistair:''' How did his lordship respond?
--> '''Elissa:''' I believe his exact words were, "I look forward to your spinsterhood, pup."
* {{BFS}}: As in the ''Warden's Keep'' DLC, Starfang, the longsword forged from star metal. Alistair notes that it's almost as long as Elissa is tall.
* BlingOfWar: The gold armor Alistair acquires during the ''Return to Ostagar'' DLC quest. Upon seeing him wear it afterward, Sten inquires if the quest was actually a shopping trip. [[spoiler:It's the hereditary armor of the Theirin kings.]]
* BlueEyes: Elissa has them, a fact on which Alistair comments more than once. As his attraction starts becoming more pronounced, he notes that they're "almost like lyrium."
* CanineCompanion: Toby, Elissa's mabari warhound
* CannotSpitItOut: It takes him a while.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Both Sten and Morrigan (much like in the game) express their annoyance over the fact that Elissa seems to have this. She responds by calmly giving them the option to wait in the camp if they don't want to help. Eventually they just start swallowing their irritation out of their friendship for her.
* ConvenientEscapeBoat: Used in Haven, to get Brother Genitivi away from the cultists as quickly as possible.
* DaddysGirl: Elissa describes herself as having been this, in so many words.
* {{Diary}}: The whole first story and the non-epistolary parts of the second are told in the format of Alistair writing in his personal journal.
* DorkKnight: Alistair, of course, and to an arguably greater extent than in the game, since here he's the narrator.
* DueToTheDead[=/=]MeaningfulFuneral: Seen in Ostagar and at Redcliffe; Alistair ruminates on both instances.
* FacePalm: Elissa does one when Alistair gets caught leaving her quarters at Soldier's Peak in the morning.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: When the party spends the winter at Soldier's Peak, Elissa throws herself into overseeing all the renovations to the old fortress and actually seems happy, despite everything she's been through in the past few months. Wynne confides to Alistair that she thinks it's all just a massive distraction, and she's worried about what will happen when the Warden finally has to face all of her pain. [[HeroicBSOD Cut to an incident later in the spring...]]
* GreenEyedMonster: Alistair has moments of this, such as when Bann Teagan flirts with Elissa. When the party meets Zevran and he offers to warm her bed, Wynne has to restrain Alistair from drawing his sword.
* HeroicBSOD: Elissa has one in Orzammar, when she purchases a souvenir for her nephew Oren only to belatedly remember that the child was murdered along with the rest of her family. It takes her at least half a day to move past the breakdown.
* HerosMuse: Alistair invokes this when confronting Father Kolgrim in Haven; he considers pretending to agree to the madman's terms, but then thinks about what Elissa would do in his place and chooses that course of action instead.
* [[spoiler: HiddenBackupPrince: Alistair wonders in his journal, at one point, if this being his position in life is the reason that Cailan chose him to accompany Elissa to light the signal fire on the Tower of Ishal - if he was specifically being kept out of the fighting in case Cailan died.]]
* HomeBase: Soldier's Peak, once cleansed of its demons and animated corpses, becomes this for the party. They spend the winter there, rebuilding it into a home for the future generations of Grey Wardens.
* IronWoobie: Elissa. She's got the weight of the world on her shoulders, almost literally, but is determined to put the well-being and happiness of her companions above her own concerns. Until her HeroicBSOD, her silent suffering is only definitely recognized by Alistair and, to a lesser extent, Wynne; he's unsure if the other companions realize just how much she hides her pain.
* LadyAndKnight: KnightInSourArmor Alistair behaves very much like this toward LadyOfWar Elissa, even though she's at least as competent a warrior as he is (if not moreso).
* TheLadysFavor: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever."
* LetsSplitUpGang: The party separates a few times into smaller groups for various reasons; for example, only Elissa, Alistair and Wynne go on the mission from the ''Return to Ostagar'' DLC.
** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish.
* LikeASonToMe: Alistair's relationship with Wynne. This is indicated in party banter in the game, and expanded on in the fic.
* LoveEpiphany: Alistair realizes that he's in love with Elissa at one of the most inappropriate possible moments, but it's treated with reasonable gravitas and actually [[ItMakesSenseInContext makes sense in context]]. His earlier epiphany, when he first realizes he has romantic feelings for her, is almost {{played for laughs}}.
* MaleGaze: Alistair is annoyed early on by Daveth, who "enjoys walking behind Elissa" for obvious reasons. This is before Alistair has any serious attraction to Elissa of his own; he apparently just dislikes the lack of courtesy.
* MembershipToken: As shown in the game, Grey Wardens receive the Warden's Oath, a special pendant, as a token of their membership in the order. It has a much more pronounced usage in the fic than in the game; among other things, it's tied into a spell used to defend Soldier's Peak in the absence of the companions.
* MementoMacGuffin: When Alistair first meets Elissa, she wields the ancestral sword and shield of the Cousland family. Although she does later upgrade to a better sword, she refuses to use any other shield. Ever.
** Although Alistair doesn't initially understand why she does it, Elissa [[spoiler:cuts off one of King Cailan's braids before they give him a funeral pyre. He later learns that she thought Queen Anora might want a token of remembrance of her husband.]]
* NiceToTheWaiter: And everybody else she meets. Alistair notes that Elissa's habit of being polite to everyone seems to save them a lot of trouble; he also observes that a lot of people are surprised by it and wonders if Ferelden has "really fallen so far as a society".
* ObliviousToLove: Alistair takes a bit of time to figure out that his feelings for Elissa aren't as one-sided as he assumes, even with Leliana trying to tell him as much.
* [[spoiler: OfferedTheCrown: Not so much "offered" as "told that he has to take it or the country is pretty well doomed."]]
* PeerlessLoveInterest: How Alistair sees Elissa, whom he describes at one point as "the most magnificent woman in the world, possibly the most magnificent woman (except for Andraste) who has ever lived." [[SarcasmMode Not that he's biased or anything.]]
* ProperLady[=/=]SilkHidingSteel: Outside of battle scenarios, Elissa is very much this, as befits the daughter of a Teyrn.
* SadClown: To a lesser extent than in the game, because in his private writings Alistair doesn't feel as much of a need to hide his pain behind silly one-liners. He's still shown being this in the company of the others, but it's made pretty clear that most of them (as in the game) don't enjoy it. Only Elissa finds him genuinely funny; in fact, Alistair is usually the only one who gets her to laugh at all.
-->'''Morrigan:''' 'Tis the wonder of our age, Alistair. Of all the women in Thedas, you have somehow managed to light upon the ''one'' who finds you more amusing than annoying.
* SecretKeeper: Elissa is the only one to whom Alistair confides the truth about his lineage, mostly because he's afraid that she'll hear it from someone else while they're in Redcliffe. Wynne also becomes this later, when she guesses his secret and Elissa confirms her suspicions (because she knows Alistair trusts Wynne); both women then do an admirable job of keeping it quiet until Arl Eamon blows the secret wide open for everyone else.
* ShipperOnDeck: Leliana seems to be this for Alistair and Elissa from a very early point. Wynne becomes one too, eventually.
* SpareToTheThrone: The trope is name-dropped early in the narrative, when Alistair ponders [[spoiler:his role as the King's bastard half-brother]].
* TheStationsOfTheCanon: Because the fic is a retelling of the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', it at least touches on every significant quest and several side quests present in the game.
* TalentedPrincessRegularGuy: Alistair's commentary in his journal suggests that this is how he sees Elissa and himself. He does grow more confident as time passes, however.
* TeamMom: Elissa is something like this for most of the crew, although Wynne (Team Grandma?) takes on the role for Alistair and Elissa herself.
* TrueCompanions: As in the game.
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions; she also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus ThePowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
* UnreliableNarrator: Alistair, to an extent. Most of his detailing about events is accurate, but he records very few flaws or criticisms concerning Elissa. Considering his feelings for her through most of the story, it's possible that he just doesn't ''see'' any flaws in her.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: It happens - Alistair just doesn't know it. [[spoiler:At various times, he notes the presence of what he assumes to be a random animal, such as a dog or a crow. This only happens at moments when Morrigan is not in the group. The observant reader may figure out what's really going on; Morrigan changes shape in order to follow Alistair and Elissa without their noticing. She needs to protect the former because of the dark ritual, and ''wants'' to protect the latter because that's her only friend.]]
* WebSerialNovel: It's in the process of becoming one, having surpassed 75,000 words at the halfway point.
* WhenSheSmiles: The first time Alistair sees Elissa smile, he thinks that he could "stand to see it more often." He does note, however, that she has good reasons for not smiling much.
* {{The Wise Prince}}ss: Elissa has many of the trope's attributes.
* [[spoiler:TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: Alistair spends a bit of time in his journal lamenting that he sees himself as this, but that he's got no choice about becoming king if he wants to get Loghain out of power.]]
----
Alistair, [[spoiler:bastard half-brother of King Cailan of Ferelden]], records his thoughts and experiences beginning with his becoming a Grey Warden. The story utilizes the Human Female Noble origin, thus introducing Alistair to the Lady Elissa Cousland, with whom he falls in love.
The entirety of ''Origins'' is laid out in the narrative, including all of the additional DLC campaigns (e.g. ''Warden's Keep'') which can be played during the course of the adventure. Party banter is expanded on to create greater relationships between the non-player characters, and while some parts of the actual game are truncated for the sake of the narrative, others are fleshed out. An effort is made to incorporate the ''Dragon Age'' franchise as a whole, including references to the novels and a comic strip authorized by [[WordOfGod David Gaider]] of a deleted scene from the game.
The story is roughly halfway completed at present. A sequel, ''Crown and Quill,'' is planned to pick up where the first story ends. This second story will be largely epistolary in nature, presented in the form of letters exchanged between Alistair and Elissa during the events of the ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' expansion DLC.
----
!!Tropes present in this fanfic include:
* AdaptationExpansion[=/=]CanonWelding: A form of it. The majority of what takes place in the stories also happens in the game; but in some cases, rather than choose one option or the other, the possibilities are merged. Details from the non-game aspects of the acknowledged canon are often utilized.
* AmazonBrigade: Whenever the party splits up, the group led by Elissa consists of all females (apart from Toby the dog).
* BadassPrincess: Elissa; since a codex in the game indicates that Highever is actually a {{principality}} within Ferelden, she technically holds the rank of princess even if it's never used formally.
* BattleCouple: Alistair and Elissa
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Alistair is pretty quick to figure out that this is the reason the other companions are so attached to Elissa, but it takes him a little longer to realize that it's his own case as well.
* BerserkButton: As in the game, Loghain is very much this to Alistair. So is anyone disrespecting Elissa, as first seen when Goldanna calls her a tart; it's later a button he shares in common with the entire party, particularly Zevran and Oghren. And Maker help you if you have any ideas about actually ''harming'' her.
** Elissa has one in the form of anyone trying to hurt her companions, or harming innocents for their own selfish gain.
* [[BestHerToBedHer Best Her To Wed Her]]: Elissa remarks to Alistair that she once told her father she could never love a man who could not defeat her in honorable combat.
--> '''Alistair:''' How did his lordship respond?
--> '''Elissa:''' I believe his exact words were, "I look forward to your spinsterhood, pup."
* {{BFS}}: As in the ''Warden's Keep'' DLC, Starfang, the longsword forged from star metal. Alistair notes that it's almost as long as Elissa is tall.
* BlingOfWar: The gold armor Alistair acquires during the ''Return to Ostagar'' DLC quest. Upon seeing him wear it afterward, Sten inquires if the quest was actually a shopping trip. [[spoiler:It's the hereditary armor of the Theirin kings.]]
* BlueEyes: Elissa has them, a fact on which Alistair comments more than once. As his attraction starts becoming more pronounced, he notes that they're "almost like lyrium."
* CanineCompanion: Toby, Elissa's mabari warhound
* CannotSpitItOut: It takes him a while.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Both Sten and Morrigan (much like in the game) express their annoyance over the fact that Elissa seems to have this. She responds by calmly giving them the option to wait in the camp if they don't want to help. Eventually they just start swallowing their irritation out of their friendship for her.
* ConvenientEscapeBoat: Used in Haven, to get Brother Genitivi away from the cultists as quickly as possible.
* DaddysGirl: Elissa describes herself as having been this, in so many words.
* {{Diary}}: The whole first story and the non-epistolary parts of the second are told in the format of Alistair writing in his personal journal.
* DorkKnight: Alistair, of course, and to an arguably greater extent than in the game, since here he's the narrator.
* DueToTheDead[=/=]MeaningfulFuneral: Seen in Ostagar and at Redcliffe; Alistair ruminates on both instances.
* FacePalm: Elissa does one when Alistair gets caught leaving her quarters at Soldier's Peak in the morning.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: When the party spends the winter at Soldier's Peak, Elissa throws herself into overseeing all the renovations to the old fortress and actually seems happy, despite everything she's been through in the past few months. Wynne confides to Alistair that she thinks it's all just a massive distraction, and she's worried about what will happen when the Warden finally has to face all of her pain. [[HeroicBSOD Cut to an incident later in the spring...]]
* GreenEyedMonster: Alistair has moments of this, such as when Bann Teagan flirts with Elissa. When the party meets Zevran and he offers to warm her bed, Wynne has to restrain Alistair from drawing his sword.
* HeroicBSOD: Elissa has one in Orzammar, when she purchases a souvenir for her nephew Oren only to belatedly remember that the child was murdered along with the rest of her family. It takes her at least half a day to move past the breakdown.
* HerosMuse: Alistair invokes this when confronting Father Kolgrim in Haven; he considers pretending to agree to the madman's terms, but then thinks about what Elissa would do in his place and chooses that course of action instead.
* [[spoiler: HiddenBackupPrince: Alistair wonders in his journal, at one point, if this being his position in life is the reason that Cailan chose him to accompany Elissa to light the signal fire on the Tower of Ishal - if he was specifically being kept out of the fighting in case Cailan died.]]
* HomeBase: Soldier's Peak, once cleansed of its demons and animated corpses, becomes this for the party. They spend the winter there, rebuilding it into a home for the future generations of Grey Wardens.
* IronWoobie: Elissa. She's got the weight of the world on her shoulders, almost literally, but is determined to put the well-being and happiness of her companions above her own concerns. Until her HeroicBSOD, her silent suffering is only definitely recognized by Alistair and, to a lesser extent, Wynne; he's unsure if the other companions realize just how much she hides her pain.
* LadyAndKnight: KnightInSourArmor Alistair behaves very much like this toward LadyOfWar Elissa, even though she's at least as competent a warrior as he is (if not moreso).
* TheLadysFavor: Gender flipped with Alistair's rose; played straight with the white runestone Elissa gives him before they separate for the first time since meeting.
* LapPillow: Alistair and Elissa have a moment like this, while he recovers from a concussion during the purging of the mage tower. He refers to the incident as "the nicest head injury ever."
* LetsSplitUpGang: The party separates a few times into smaller groups for various reasons; for example, only Elissa, Alistair and Wynne go on the mission from the ''Return to Ostagar'' DLC.
** This is utilized later in the story to cut down on the writing time somewhat. At one point, Alistair leads half of the companions into the Frostbacks to find the village of Haven, while Elissa leads the other half to the Brecilian Forest to meet with the Dalish.
* LikeASonToMe: Alistair's relationship with Wynne. This is indicated in party banter in the game, and expanded on in the fic.
* LoveEpiphany: Alistair realizes that he's in love with Elissa at one of the most inappropriate possible moments, but it's treated with reasonable gravitas and actually [[ItMakesSenseInContext makes sense in context]]. His earlier epiphany, when he first realizes he has romantic feelings for her, is almost {{played for laughs}}.
* MaleGaze: Alistair is annoyed early on by Daveth, who "enjoys walking behind Elissa" for obvious reasons. This is before Alistair has any serious attraction to Elissa of his own; he apparently just dislikes the lack of courtesy.
* MembershipToken: As shown in the game, Grey Wardens receive the Warden's Oath, a special pendant, as a token of their membership in the order. It has a much more pronounced usage in the fic than in the game; among other things, it's tied into a spell used to defend Soldier's Peak in the absence of the companions.
* MementoMacGuffin: When Alistair first meets Elissa, she wields the ancestral sword and shield of the Cousland family. Although she does later upgrade to a better sword, she refuses to use any other shield. Ever.
** Although Alistair doesn't initially understand why she does it, Elissa [[spoiler:cuts off one of King Cailan's braids before they give him a funeral pyre. He later learns that she thought Queen Anora might want a token of remembrance of her husband.]]
* NiceToTheWaiter: And everybody else she meets. Alistair notes that Elissa's habit of being polite to everyone seems to save them a lot of trouble; he also observes that a lot of people are surprised by it and wonders if Ferelden has "really fallen so far as a society".
* ObliviousToLove: Alistair takes a bit of time to figure out that his feelings for Elissa aren't as one-sided as he assumes, even with Leliana trying to tell him as much.
* [[spoiler: OfferedTheCrown: Not so much "offered" as "told that he has to take it or the country is pretty well doomed."]]
* PeerlessLoveInterest: How Alistair sees Elissa, whom he describes at one point as "the most magnificent woman in the world, possibly the most magnificent woman (except for Andraste) who has ever lived." [[SarcasmMode Not that he's biased or anything.]]
* ProperLady[=/=]SilkHidingSteel: Outside of battle scenarios, Elissa is very much this, as befits the daughter of a Teyrn.
* SadClown: To a lesser extent than in the game, because in his private writings Alistair doesn't feel as much of a need to hide his pain behind silly one-liners. He's still shown being this in the company of the others, but it's made pretty clear that most of them (as in the game) don't enjoy it. Only Elissa finds him genuinely funny; in fact, Alistair is usually the only one who gets her to laugh at all.
-->'''Morrigan:''' 'Tis the wonder of our age, Alistair. Of all the women in Thedas, you have somehow managed to light upon the ''one'' who finds you more amusing than annoying.
* SecretKeeper: Elissa is the only one to whom Alistair confides the truth about his lineage, mostly because he's afraid that she'll hear it from someone else while they're in Redcliffe. Wynne also becomes this later, when she guesses his secret and Elissa confirms her suspicions (because she knows Alistair trusts Wynne); both women then do an admirable job of keeping it quiet until Arl Eamon blows the secret wide open for everyone else.
* ShipperOnDeck: Leliana seems to be this for Alistair and Elissa from a very early point. Wynne becomes one too, eventually.
* SpareToTheThrone: The trope is name-dropped early in the narrative, when Alistair ponders [[spoiler:his role as the King's bastard half-brother]].
* TheStationsOfTheCanon: Because the fic is a retelling of the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', it at least touches on every significant quest and several side quests present in the game.
* TalentedPrincessRegularGuy: Alistair's commentary in his journal suggests that this is how he sees Elissa and himself. He does grow more confident as time passes, however.
* TeamMom: Elissa is something like this for most of the crew, although Wynne (Team Grandma?) takes on the role for Alistair and Elissa herself.
* TrueCompanions: As in the game.
* UndyingLoyalty: Elissa, much to Alistair's consternation, not only demonstrates a great deal of kindness to her companions; she also places a lot of trust in them even when he doesn't. Fortunately, the PowerOfTrust plus ThePowerOfFriendship equals them developing this for her.
* UnreliableNarrator: Alistair, to an extent. Most of his detailing about events is accurate, but he records very few flaws or criticisms concerning Elissa. Considering his feelings for her through most of the story, it's possible that he just doesn't ''see'' any flaws in her.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: It happens - Alistair just doesn't know it. [[spoiler:At various times, he notes the presence of what he assumes to be a random animal, such as a dog or a crow. This only happens at moments when Morrigan is not in the group. The observant reader may figure out what's really going on; Morrigan changes shape in order to follow Alistair and Elissa without their noticing. She needs to protect the former because of the dark ritual, and ''wants'' to protect the latter because that's her only friend.]]
* WebSerialNovel: It's in the process of becoming one, having surpassed 75,000 words at the halfway point.
* WhenSheSmiles: The first time Alistair sees Elissa smile, he thinks that he could "stand to see it more often." He does note, however, that she has good reasons for not smiling much.
* {{The Wise Prince}}ss: Elissa has many of the trope's attributes.
* [[spoiler:TheWrongfulHeirToTheThrone: Alistair spends a bit of time in his journal lamenting that he sees himself as this, but that he's got no choice about becoming king if he wants to get Loghain out of power.]]
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