1I own Adam and his kid
The queen turns at the mention of her name. She smiles softly at the pair. "It's good to see you again, Leliana." Anora shifts her eyes to Adam. Her eyes become softer and her smile tender. "Adam…" she breathes. From behind her, a bundle rushes forward.
Adam crouches and embraces the bundle. "Daddy!" It yells happily. The small boy looks up at Adam, his red hair a mess on his head. Freckles paint his face. He smiles, his teeth white with the front one chipped slightly. He wraps his arms around Adam.
Adam hugs the boy and ruffles his hair. "How is my pup doing? Are you keeping up your studies?"
The boy grins. "Yep. Mistress Erlina says I'm her best student!"
Adam chuckles. "Is that so? Well let's see how much you know!" He stands and leads the boy into another room, winking at the pair of women.
Anora smiles. "He's like his father, full of energy." She turns to Leliana with a shrug. "Although Adam is special." Leliana stares at the queen, her arms crossed over her chest. Anora sighs and fidgets with her hands. "He told me about you, you know. Of your adventures, of your fights, of your lovemaking. Everything." Leliana's arms tighten and her fingers dig into her arm. "He apologized for it. He apologized for the apparent betrayal. Sleeping with another woman. Cheating on me. As if it were the greatest sin in the world." Anora shrugs. "You know how he is.
"If that was the definition of betrayal, then I cheated on him times over with Cailin." She smirks. "Always tougher on himself than anyone else." At this Leliana nods her head. Anora returns the nod. "I forgave him, although I had little need to, but he needed to hear the words." Silence stretches between the two. Anora sighs again. "I know you are upset with me. With me stealing your man. With me being such a shrew." She stares at the other woman. "To be honest, I thought the same of you. I still do, sometimes. I do now that he is out here with you, although he tells me that it is not like that. Still, I can't help but worry." Leliana nods again and loses the tension in her arms.
"I understand where you are coming from. I understand how you feel. And I forgive you." Leliana drops her arms and raises an eyebrow. "Those moments you had with Adam were special. I could never take that from you." She takes a step forward. "He chose you. He saw something in you that brought him to you. And he says he may not love you, but he still cares for you. He may not be the greatest at showing it," Leliana chuckles. Anora smiles and steps forward again. "But believe me, he still cares and a part of him will always belong to you. This shrew can never take that away." The women share a laugh.
A less awkward silence passes between them, before Anora speaks up again. "Did I ever tell you of how I met Adam? I was visiting Highever for the first time and I was hiding behind my father's leg and Adam walked right up to me and asked me to play. Such a forward child." She smiles at the memory. "We became fast friends. When we were eight, he kissed me for the first time. It was a simple thing, but he grinned like an idiot for the rest of the day, I'm told." Leliana laughs and nods her head.
"By the time we were teens, we were an item. As much of an item as two virgins could be. It was then I was told I'd marry Cailan. It hurt me, but it crushed Adam. He visited me late one night, climbing the trellis, and into my room. My father was furious with him when he found out! Adam professed his love. I did too, but I told him that it was a done deal. Then he asked me to run away with him."
Leliana's eyes go wide. "He said that?" She asks incredulously, a chuckle in her voice.
Anora laughs. "He did. We were to run away together. He'd become minstrel, and we'd travel around Thedas, just us and our 16 kids. We'd be happy and in love and far away from our parents and politics and everything. He was so idealistic." She sobers and casts her eyes downward. "I wish I took his offer." She says this so softly that Leliana strains to hear her.
"Obviously, that didn't happen. He wouldn't come out of his room for a month. I saw him again when he returned to court. Maker's Breath, but he was. . . Hot!" A blush paints the cheeks of the queen. "A shy and awkward boy turned into a cool and confident man. He was polite in public but would look at me with smoldering eyes. I couldn't keep the quiver out of my voice. He was so…" she gestures with vague hand movements towards Leliana. "You know."
The Spymaster smile turn rueful. "Oh, I know." A blush rises to her cheeks as well.
"After court, he pulled me into one of the empty rooms." Anora's voice becomes higher pitch and slightly strained. Her face turns beet red and she coughs slightly. "Let's just say he had... quite the reach, but I had flexibility." Anora fans her face, willing the blush to go down.
The silence stretches between them. Leliana drops into a chair, tension easing out of her body. She looks up at the Queen and smiles. "He really loves you."
Anora nods. "He does." She slides into the chair across from Leliana. "And I've told him that if anything happens to me, I choose you." She reaches across and grabs the stunned Spymasters hand. "You'd make a fine queen, Leliana. He'd grieve, but I know he'd be loyal and he would love you, as much as you still love him." She raises her hand to stop the flood of protests. "I know you still do. You wouldn't be so upset with me otherwise."
Leliana sighs. "I...I'm sorry."
The Queen smiles. "There is no need to apologise. You did nothing wrong. You just listened to your heart and there is no fault in that."
