What Lies Behind The Throne Chapter 9/?? Part One

What Lies Behind the Throne Chapter 9/?? Part One

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- Credit, as always, to my beta readers, @razerathane and @bluvixen who are always ready with their comments and telling me when I’m being harsh on myself.

- Chapter rating: Teen

- Chapter summary: While wandering around Denerim with Anora, Roselyn stumbles upon an impending riot taking place outside the Alienage. With recent events in mind, she takes on Maric head-to-head making known how she disapproves of his treatment towards the elves.

Three weeks later. Month: Late Solace

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One freedom Roselyn was afforded in Highever which she was not in Denerim was the freedom to explore the city unaccompanied. In the palace she could only venture to the locations considered ideal for a princess. She was not allowed down in the servants quarters or the kitchens and she was flanked everywhere she went by ladies-in-waiting unless she was with Alistair or Anora. If she wished to go into Denerim for whatever reason, she was to be accompanied by a fully armoured guard.

It was different and unfamiliar to be kept so close and deemed so precious. She knew, of course, that she was a commodity. Maric and the court believed she potentially carried the first royal grandchild, or would soon enough. She was something Maric could not risk being damaged or stolen away - not that Roselyn thought the people of Denerim would attempt that by any means. While she saw little of them, they appeared to be as much like the people of Highever; going about their daily business and too preoccupied by their own lives to have any concern to the goings-on of their ruling monarch and his family.

Leaving the palace and exploring the new city was something Roselyn was desperate to do. Life had returned to normal at the palace and daily council meetings, lessons, and petitions took Alistair from her side for most of the day. Roselyn often found herself alone and had to find someway to amuse herself. Alistair pulled himself away from his duties as Prince when he could, but his breaks were short and never planned. When he found her - if he found her - their intervals were brief before he was off to the next meeting or lesson.

Aside from a daily ride she took with Alistair if he could spare the time, with Anora, or just with guards and her ladies-in-waiting, she spent all her time in the palace. She felt cooped up and caged. She explored the gardens as much as possible while the weather was good with Roo, she knew her way through the palace now and did not get turned around. In Highever she was given responsibilities, opportunities to help her father with business and resolve disagreements. Here she was expected to languish away, a woman of leisure until she was pregnant and then her freedoms would be restricted even more.

She broached the subject once with Alistair, suggesting she could sit in on the council meetings. He agreed this was a good idea but would be unlikely to happen. Maric kept the council very closed and restricted to the closest men in his company. When she explained Anora once told her Queen Rowan used to sit in on the meetings, he went very quiet and the discussion was nipped in the bud by uncomfortable tension.

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