A Hawke Proposes to His Princess

She giggled and curtsied to Midnight. "Nice to meet you, Midnight. I hope we can be very good friends. Just like you, I love Hawke too. Would you mind if you and I can become friends?" Midnight came over and sniffed Elayne, he started at her hair and worked his way down. When he was done he looked at her and sniffed her face again. He looked from Hawke to Elayne and back to him. He put his head on Hawke's shoulder, "I love you too, Midnight."

"Now Midnight, I'm going to ask you one more question. Would you mind if Elayne could sit on you, you don't have to if you don't want. She won't get on you unless you allow her too, how about it, buddy?" Hawke knew that this was the one he wanted to see.

Midnight had already accepted Elayne, which totally shocked and filled him with joy. It was very important for her and Midnight to get along, they were both family, and they were very dear to him. Midnight frisked around them, when Hawke looked at Elayne he could see that she was nervous, she kept nibbling her bottom lip, which he found was quite adorable. He grabbed her hand, and turned her towards him. "Are you nervous?"

She started to shake her head no but then nodded, "a little, yes."

"Elayne, this is very important to me. I need you to relax, he can sense your nervousness. You have no reason to be, all you're going to do, if he allows it, is just sit on him. You're not going to ride him, I'll teach you how he and I communicate when riding later. For right now though, all you have to do is sit there. If he allows it, will you allow it?" He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, the kiss was just long enough to get her to relax. Hawke looked at Midnight and noticed him settling down now that Elayne was relaxed. She nodded to him that she was ready,

He scratched Midnight under his chin when he came back to Hawke, "so how about it bud, will you let her?" Midnight nuzzled him one more time, then he went down on one knee to allow her to get on. Hawke took her hand and helped her get on Midnight since there was no stirrups. He kept one hand on her and one on Midnight. She comforted and stroked Midnights head. It seemed to him that Midnight was enjoying her attention. When Midnight was done he got back down on one knee and Hawke helped her down.

Midnight and Elayne looked at each other while she scratched and petted him. "Thank you, Midnight, for allowing me to sit on you without your master. I am honored, you are such a strong, fierce, noble horse. I will cherish this moment forever. And I hope that someday you will allow me to ride you." Once more Midnight put his head on Elayne's shoulder, "I love you too Midnight." Midnight bobbed his head and took off at a run across the field.

When she turned back around to him, she had tears in her eyes. When Hawke raised a questioning eyebrow Elayne grabbed his arm and gave him a hug. "Thank you Hawke, do you realize what an honor that was? He's such a magnificent, intelligent horse, I could feel his strength when I was on his back. He really is a noble horse, just like his master." She gave Hawke a peck on the lips, and they walked back hand in hand to the others. She was beaming.

When they got back and sat down Bryce came over and patted Hawke on the shoulder. "So young master Hawke, I have a business proposition for you. I have three chargers of my own and their all fillies. I would love to breed them with yours and to sweeten the deal I'll even let you pick a colt out for yourself when their born. How does that sound?"

Hawke looked at Bryce considering it. Midnight wasn't just a horse, he was family. He had been thinking about finding a filly for Midnight, so they could breed, but he was leery about getting a full-grown horse that had already been trained. He had been wanting a colt to train like he had Midnight. He looked over at Elayne, "what do you think," he asked her.

She looked askance at him, as if he had lost his mind, "why are you asking me, Midnight's your horse."

He looked at her and took her hand in his, "because when you accepted my proposal you became a partner with me. Anything that happens concerns the both of us now, and I value your opinion. Also, the fillies belong to your family, what kind of horses are they?" During his conversation with Elayne, he had seen Bryce nodding his head in approval and smiling.

Elayne was pleased that Hawke valued her opinion, that he was including her in this. She considered his question, but she wanted to know something first, "what do you mean, what are they like?"

Hawke considered how to respond, Midnight was a very special and intelligent horse, he had known that from the moment he seen Midnight as a colt, he could see it in his eyes. "You've seen Midnight, you've been near him, you've seen how he interacts with you and me. Basically what I'm asking, are they like Midnight?"

Elayne considered this for a minute, to be honest she'd never really paid much attention to something like this. She'd ride the horses but when it came to anything else, she'd let others deal with it. She looked at her father for support since he's the one that raised them.

Bryce nodded his head, "Hawke, I understand your question. Are they like Midnight, no, but then you interact with him differently then we do our horses. But they are intelligent horses. I have an idea, after we go to Redcliffe we can come back this way, and you can go with us for a visit and check the horses out for yourself. In fact why don't you and your family come for a visit for a couple of days?"

Hawke considered this, "I would love to, but I won't make a decision about the family without talking to them first." Bryce nodded, and they went back to talking about other things. Eventually Fergus and Carver joined them, and they all sat there talking and joking with each other. His mom finally popped her head out, asking him if he could get the tables together. He went to the back shed with the other guys following him, and they took out two more tables. They set them all in a triangle, he thanked them then went to see how else he could help. He was shocked to see Carver with him, Carver detested doing things like this. Hawke nodded to him, expressing his thanks and both went inside to see how they could help.

When they walked in, the house was ablaze with succulent mouth watering aromas. He looked over at the table and saw a couple steaming large bowls with Fereldan potato and leek soup, large platters of venison with apples stewed in brandy sauce and off to the side he saw one of his favorite desserts and he looked up at his mother and grinned. It was a white pudding, called Blancmange in Orlais, with white chocolate curls and strawberries on it with strawberry sauce dribbled over it.

Leandra raised an eyebrow when she saw Carver, but that could wait. She had the boys start taking the food out and putting them on one of the tables. Bethany came out with plates and cups while the guys brought out all the food and drinks. Once everything was out Leandra announced that the food was ready, and they could help themselves.

When everyone was seated with their food, Elayne and Hawke, holding hands, went to stand in the middle. "Elayne and I would like to thank everyone for being here on this special day, the day I asked her to marry me and she said yes. We invite you all to eat, be merry, and have fun."

As they walked back he looked down at her, thinking how lucky he was with her in his life, he felt like he was in one of his sisters fairy tales. He knew that he had been given a gift, in the same week he met Elayne, they fell in love and then got engaged to get married. It seemed too good to be true, but he wasn't willing to jinx it with negativity.

Once everyone was done and the tables cleared off Fergus came over, he had spied some musical instruments in the shed, so he asked Hawke about them. They went and gathered them, as it turned out a few of the soldiers could play. They moved the tables so anyone who wanted to could dance. Since there were so many men and only four women, needless to say the women definitely didn't lack for dance partners.

He was sitting there holding hands with Elayne as she leaned against him, enjoying each other's company when Bethany came running up to them and looked at him with a lute in her hand.

"Hawke, my wonderfully sweet loving brother, could you please sing a song for me, please," she pleaded as she offered him the lute.

Elayne sat up looking at both him and Bethany in surprise, but she didn't say anything as she watched the exchange between brother and sister.

"Bethany, you know I have no problem when we're alone, but I'm not going to make a fool of myself with so many people around."

"You won't make a fool of yourself Hawke, you've got a beautiful voice, and besides they are your family now. Pretty please brother," she asked with a cute pout that she knew her brother couldn't refuse.

Grumbling to himself he grabbed the lute from his sister and started tuning it as she squealed in delight and went to sit down by their mom. By then everyone was watching him as he got comfortable, trying to ignore them as he started strumming the lute.

Elayne sat there staring at him in shock when he started singing in a beautiful rich baritone voice that stirred her soul. She knew this song, Dane and the Werewolf.

Let me sing of heroes and honor lost and found,

Of monsters and men in all forms,

Of Dane, hunter without peer,

Feared by the forests of Ferelden,

Who one autumn morn spied

A hart of pure white in beam of warmest sun,

A prize for huntsman's spear.

Through the greenwood they ran, hart and hunter

Bringing the stag to spear at last in a long-forgotten grove,

Heedless that the chase had waked a hunger in the golden wood,

A werewolf, a creature with mind of man,

Lured by the hunt and come forth to lay claim

To the hart as rightful tribute

Drawn by the scent of cooling blood.

In the silence the two hunters held.

Dane, spear-armed against the wolf with all his brood,

Knew with sinking heart he was lost

Steeled for the winding roads of the Fade

Then the beast spoke, human-like in voice,

"You have taken this stag from my woods, and my pack

But nothing comes without a cost."

The wolf pack circled, ever closer, and he

Who felled boars and bears with his bright blade

Knew fear. They spoke his name in roars

Like gravestones, offering a beast's bargain.

"Die here, huntsman, alone

And forgotten, or take my place amongst the wolves

As I take your place amongst man."

Thus was a bargain struck,

And Dane the wolf pack served in wolfen form,

And the werewolf to his family sped, as Dane,

One year and a day all told.

But some things cannot be repent,

Some coinage cannot be unspent,

When hearts are wagered, a fissure rent.

When he was done, everyone was clapping, whistling and cheering him, making his face turn red from all the attention. Elayne looked to him, and he noticed she also had tears in her eyes. "I didn't know you could sing, that was beautiful Hawke," she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him and brought her mouth to his.

She grabbed him and pulled him out to start dancing, as they danced he couldn't help but think of their first kiss. When he looked down at her, the flush in her face told him she was remembering also. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head looking at her.

"I remember that first kiss, I wanted so badly to make you mine even then," he said quietly to her. She reached up putting a hand behind his head, pulling him down to her. When their lips met, a spark went through them, igniting their bodies on fire.

He groaned, lifting his head, "Elayne," he said breathlessly. "If this is what being with you for the rest of our life is going to be like then I never want it to end. Being with you is a sweet torture, one that I will gladly live with. I love you Elayne Hawke."

"I love you too Arik Hawke and I can't wait to be your wife. Makers Breath, I hate tradition. I wish there was a way we could run away and get married."

"As you said, it can't be done, but I have an idea. Let me work it out in my head and then I'll let you know. In the meantime lets enjoy the rest of the night."

He felt a tap on his shoulder, when he looked over he saw Bryce standing beside them, "may I have a dance with my daughter please?"

Hawke bowed, grinned at them and passed her hand to her father. Bryce took Elayne's hand and they started dancing. "You know he truly loves you, don't you? The way he looks at you, everyone can see it. I'm happy for you daughter, the kind of love that you guys have is one that people dream about having. Not only did he risk his freedom, but he risked his very life for you says so much. Bethany told us what had happened, that your heart had stopped, and that it was Hawke's healing, determination and love that brought you back and kept you with us, and he almost died doing it. That right there tells me more about that young man than flowery speeches I've heard from some others asking for your hand."

Elayne was stunned, she hadn't heard the specifics of her injury or healing but hearing this. She looked at her father, "what do you mean?" She asked shaking.

"You mean he didn't tell you?"

"No dad, I didn't want to know, I never asked. I knew it was a serious injury, but I didn't realize it was that serious. What do you mean he almost died?" The last part she squeaked out. She started getting dizzy, felt a tightness in her chest and throat, her breathing was becoming erratic, she was sweating, she told her dad she needed to sit down, to get some air. When she sat down she tried to breathe normally, tried to get her heartbeat to quit racing so fast, she tried everything she could think of but nothing was working.

She needed Hawke, no sooner did she think of him then he was there at her side, and her heart stuttered. He looked her in the eye, put his hands on her head, she felt a warmth run through her like she'd felt before. Her body shuddered, he put his lips by her ear, "Elayne, listen to me please, focus on my voice. It's going to be ok. Lets slow down your breathing, inhale, now exhale, keep doing that, there you go. Now you're heart, put your hand on my chest and feel my heart. Feel the way its beating, now put your other hand on your heart, you feel the way its beating? That's too fast, focus on the beat of my heart until yours is beating in time with mine. There you go my love, can you feel it, feel the way its beating in time with mine. Slow and steady." Then he lowered his mouth to hers and when he lifted his head she saw him there, everything coming back into focus.

She stared into his deep blue eyes, her hand going to his face as she became aware of everyone standing around staring at her, confused, "what happened," she asked softly.

He looked at her, "I don't know, I think you had a panic attack. What were you doing before this happened?"

"I remember my dad talking to me about you, about how much you loved me, then he started talking about the accident, how I had died, and you almost died. And I remember asking him what did he mean, I remember starting to panic, I felt a tightening around my chest and throat like someone was squeezing them, I started getting dizzy, I couldn't breathe, that's all I remember. Hawke, what did my dad mean when he said." That's as far as she got before Hawke put a finger under her chin, his mouth touching hers until she was relaxed again.

He lifted his head and put both hands on her head, looked her straight in the eyes, "we'll discuss that later. Just stay focused on me, I need to check you out." Hawke looked at his mother and the Cousland's when he said that. He barely heard them telling everyone to give them room and move back, the music starting up again. He was too focused on Elayne.

Once again she felt that warm feeling run through her with a tingling sensation following it, but it lasted longer. She saw that he had his eyes on her, but they seemed to be staring at something beyond her. She started to say something, but he whispered for her to hang on, his voice sounding far away. After a few minutes she saw his eyes focusing on her again. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her, she felt his love, his soul, his heart pouring into her with that kiss. She felt whole, she was one with him, she literally felt his love for her. When he lifted his head everything was the way it should be, she was content, happy, at peace. She put her head on his shoulder, feeling herself relaxed, content. He picked her up putting her in his lap, and she snuggled against him.

She saw her parents coming towards her with worried looks on their faces. They looked at Hawke, and he asked them to sit for a moment. "Elayne is ok, the way it sounds and looks, she had a panic attack. Is she prone to those?" They shook their heads, he went on. "With what's happened in the last couple of days it wouldn't surprise me."

Hawke looked down at her, "I know you have questions and I swear I will answer them, but you need to rest."

He looked back at her parents, "I'd like to keep her close to me just to make sure everything will be alright, that can either be with you guys or I can take her to my place," he felt her stir against him, and he looked down at her.

"I want to stay at your place, please Hawke?" He looked at her parents, and they nodded, he saw the relief in their eyes, they were just glad she was going to be ok.

He looked at his mom, "can you get me that white pouch that's in our medicine chest, please." He looked back at her parents, "she'll be ok, yesterday took a lot out on her and I don't think she's fully recuperated from that yet. But I will make sure she gets the rest," he said firmly as he looked back down at her.

He took the pouch from his mother and thanked her and put it in his pocket. When the Cousland's asked about it, she told them they were just sleeping herbs, she had needed them when she first lost Malcolm. Hawke saw Eleanor reach over and comfort his mom and that reminded him of a question Bryce had asked him.

"Hey mom, Bryce asked us if we wanted to go visit them for a couple of days when they come back through after going to Redcliffe. I told him I would talk to you guys about it first, I want to go check out some horses he has. And honestly I think it would be a good idea if everyone got away from here for a few days. Crop season is over with, we've already sent our goods to Lothering and I will get a couple of people in town to feed the animals twice a day. In other words, there are no excuses." His voice had a hint of command in it, which meant he wasn't taking no for an answer. His mother looked at him, considering him. Eleanor practically begged Leandra to come visit. She laughed and nodded. He looked at Carver and Bethany, and they said yes. They were both giddy at the prospect of just getting out of here for a while.

Bryce cleared his throat to get Hawke's attention. "Instead of having someone from town come out here why don't I have a couple of my men stay here. I'm pretty sure they won't hesitate to help out." A couple of Bryce's men stepped forward even before Bryce finished. Hawke looked at Bryce and said he'd consider it. They would discuss details later.

He noticed Elayne was being awfully quiet, and when he looked down at her, he saw she was asleep. He still found it amazing he had this beautiful creature in his arms and life. Hawke looked up at everyone, "seems it's going to be an early night for us, but please don't stop on our account. I want everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun."

He looked at Eleanor and asked if she could put some clothes and whatever else Elayne would need in a bag for him to take with them. After she hurried off, he stood up and whistled for Midnight. When Midnight came over he nickered a greeting to Hawke, sniffed at Elayne and nuzzled her.