The Mournful King

XXIV. Epilogue

The sunlight playing through the curtains was warm as the scent of the sea wafted in by ocean breezes. The Silent felt better than he had in a long, long time. The skin of his back was still scarred from Gader'el's brand, but the dark mark had faded away and its power lingered no longer. Currently, he was a guest in Sarom's palace, but it felt almost like a home. In the harbor below, there was a ship waiting in the harbor to take him across the sea with Andraste. The journey to Arcem Caeli sounded like an adventure, otherwise he would have gladly consented to an elf-step.

But before they left, there was one little thing to take care of.

Lieren smiled faintly as Ekundayo steered Andraste into the room. The warrior-king was grinning fiercely and so was the Silent, which had clearly aroused some suspicion in the sorceress. "What on earth have you done?" Andraste asked, trying to keep a frown on her lips and failing. She looked happier than he had ever seen her, the weight that she had carried for her entire life finally lifted. 

"Well, someone has something he wants to say to you," Ekundayo said with a chuckle as the Silent stepped away from the window and towards her.

"Dayo, what are you talk—" Andraste started to say, immediately cutting off her sentence when the realization started to sink in.

The Silent had been practicing all day, trying to get used to having a tongue again. It was a painful, ugly process, but that light in her eyes made his heart leap. Shaping sounds felt strange and awkward. The awed smile he could see dawning across Andraste's face made every bit of discomfort worth it. "A-Andi...l-l-love...y-you," he croaked, stumbling on the words just a bit.

The sorceress almost leaped into his arms, beaming even as the tears welled up. "I love you too," she whispered. She tried to kiss him, but their smiles made it difficult. Instead, Andraste just rested her forehead against his.

Lieren and Ekundayo exchanged a look and slipped out of the room, leaving the Silent and Andraste to share their private moment. They had earned time alone after all the trials and tribulations along the way.

"Do we need to find you a new name?" Andraste teased quietly, linking her arms around his neck.

He shook his head. "N-no. I...l-like S-s-silent." It was a reminder of who he had become over the course of their journey together. Where once the appellation had been a badge of shame, now he looked on it fondly. It sounded better when Andraste said it. He would never be Benedikt Hustovi again, but he was at peace with that now. The bitterness had flown.

"Silent it is," she murmured against his lips, still smiling.

The Silent kissed her and then started to hum, one hand settling on her waist while the other caught her hand. "D-dance w-with-th m-m-me," he said, his speech still halting and slow. The words would come easily someday, but until then, it would be a labor of love. His face was starting to ache from his grin. It was a wonderful feeling.

They fell into an easy waltz as he hummed an old song he knew and moved with her to the archway that lead out onto a balcony overlooking the sea. There was just enough space there for them to follow the dance in each other's arms, in the warmth and sunshine. "I will never get tired of hearing your voice," Andraste said softly.

He chuckled. "P-promises," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

Not a day went by that he didn't feel grateful. This opportunity, this chance, was something that had almost been lost to them both. All the ugliness and pain was finally over, even if there were still rainy days and frustrations waiting in the future. The power of Deus and his minions was broken. The specters of Iona's pain were laid to rest. The world would move on, of course, but in this small moment, he finally let himself feel at peace.

"Are you sure you want to come to Arcem Caeli?" Andraste asked, a hint of nerves in her tone. "It's...I know it's a lot."

"Y-yes," the Silent said with confidence. He was unquestionably nervous about it, but he couldn't imagine not being with her. "I-I w-w-want t-to g-go." He guided her into a turn. "I w-want y-y-you."

She smiled and all the anxiety vanished, at least for a moment. "Oh, you're definitely stuck with me."

"G-g-good." The Silent stopped the dance slowly, pulling her flush against his chest. "L-love y-you."

Andraste brushed her fingertips across his cheek. "I love you too." She laughed. "We're going to be saying that until we're sick."

Many, many years had gone by without him ever thinking he would find anything like this. The idea of being with her and getting the chance to say it over and over again meant the world to him. He smiled, golden eyes bright. "F-f-forever. Al-lways."

"I like the sound of that," she whispered fondly. 

End.