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It seemed like ages since she had attended court (and truthfully it had been a number of years since her last court attendance). Sitting on the throne beside Alistair, dressed in uncomfortable clothes and a corset to boot made Elissa ache for her Warden Commander garb.
In those clothes she felt like herself. What she was wearing now made her feel like a child awkwardly playing dress-up and not succeeding very well at it. Elissa’s discomfort must’ve been more than obvious because Alistair discreetly grasped her hand before abruptly ending court, saying they would reconvene in an hour or so.
Elissa held back a sigh of relief until everyone had filed out and the doors were firmly shut behind them. She glanced at Alistair, giving him a weak and tired smile. It amazed Elissa that even after all these years apart her husband could still read her so well. He truly was an amazing man.
“Elissa there is no shame in easing yourself back into your royal duties,” Alistair said, running a thumb over her scarred knuckles.
She sighed. “I understand that Alistair, but it’s ridiculous for me to be so nervous when just a few months ago I was in the Deep Roads killing hurlock emissaries with barely a flinch on my part.”
Alistair chuckled. “It’s good to know your stubborn streak is as strong as ever.”
Elissa side eyed Alistair, but soon found herself smiling and on the verge of laughter. It was near impossible to stay angry at the man for very long. Especially when he was doing everything in his power to make her as comfortable as possible.
It took Elissa a few minutes to get to a point where she felt ready to face the court again. She looked in Alistair’s direction and nodded. He understood right away, much to her amusement.
All Elissa could think as the court piled back in is 'Maker I love that man'.