More DA fic: A bit of AU

Title: Duty
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 766
Characters: Elissa Cousland, Alistair, Riordan, cast
Pairings: Alistair/Cousland
Spoilers: For the Secret Companion.
Notes: I tossed off most of this AU ficbit a couple of weeks ago; I was out of sorts about something else, and since I couldn't fix that, I decided to fix things for Alistair and Elissa instead. I wrote the first draft in literally an hour, then let it settle for awhile, coming back to polish a few times, trying to decide whether I really wanted to let this much of my id out the door. But, hey, what's a little id between friends? So here we are.

( The armies had gathered at the gate, and Elissa Cousland stepped back to survey them all: Soldiers of the Bannorn and knights of Redcliffe, five legions of dwarves, Dalish warriors bristling with bows and arrows, a team of mages standing off to one side. And her own companions, the friends and trusted souls who had gotten her this far... all except one. )