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“Inquisitor dear, have you been feeling alright since your return from Haven?” Vivienne asked from Val Royeaux.“My Anchors and the foci remain calm,” Briseis answered, knowing that everyone would worry after she'd claimed the Orb of Destruction. “I haven't been ill, nor have I been experiencing anything to cause concern.”“And how is Felassan progressing with the translations?” Leliana queried“It's taking some time, but we are asking him to recall a language he hasn't seen in nearly three thousand years,” Briseis replied. “I'm not sure how deep he is into the translation, but he will inform me once he's done. In the meantime, Bull is still going through Justinia's journal.”“I'm being respectful and skipping over anything that feels too personal,” the Iron Bull assured Leliana and Cassandra. “Some of the messier details will have to wait until the Boss leaves.”Briseis rolled her eyes. “I'll return to the children's campfire after we finish here so I can brief the Seekers on Denerim,” she informed them and then glanced back at the map, her focus now on the Free Marches. “Has there been any word from Henri?” she inquired.“We've heard from Keeper Deshanna, Henri will return to Skyhold with the findings within a fortnight,” Charter informed the Inquisitor. “Sera has also landed in Wycome and... met your clan.”Josie slid two letters across the table, one of which remained sealed. “This is the account Keeper Deshanna sent to me, but to summarize, many in your clan were quite taken aback by her, though the archers and more adolescent members of Clan Lavellan were quite intrigued with her,” she informed Briseis.“Hopefully she's not going to have them pulling pranks around the camp. What's with the second letter?” the Inquisitor asked.“Your Keeper says that it is from your mother and your siblings,” Josephine replied. “Your Keeper's letter was addressed to me, but I dare not open such private correspondence.”Briseis smiled. “Thank you for that,” she replied, looking to her husband. “What about Nathaniel? Anything from the Deep Roads?”“Word from our outpost near the fissure is that they have helped the Legion cut a path from the Heidrun Thaig to the Ortan Thaig, some of which had been cleared by Warden Philippon during her Calling,” Cullen replied. “When the Legion parted ways with them, Nathaniel was heading in the direction of Caridin's Cross, here,” he said, pointing to the map. “I've already arranged for fresh supplies to be there waiting for him.”“I believe the nearest thaig in the vicinity is Kul-Baras,” the Inquisitor recalled. “Fiona said that the Architect used the thaig as a base years before the Amaranthine Conflict.”The Commander nodded. “If Nathaniel thinks Velanna knows this, he could catch up to her there or intercept her along his way.”“Let's hope he finds her alive and in one piece either way,” his wife replied. “What about Xenon's request?”Charter gestured to the letter box, made of black lacquer and inlaid with lapis lazuli and pearl, sitting in front of her on the War Table. “His courier delivered this last night,” she explained, passing it to the Inquisitor. “There was also a note for whomever received the package on your behalf. The box is a gift for you – an apology for the delay, and the contents are for your eyes only, to do with as you see fit.”“I was starting to worry that he'd forgotten to send this to me,” Briseis replied as she inspected the box. Its patterns reminding her of a starry night sky, and it had a brass latch with a tiny lock. There was a small space underneath and she slipped her fingers through, pleased when she felt the key present. She hummed. "I've never seen anything like this. It seems very old, but it's beautiful. And has there been any response to our inquiry about Knight-Commander Meredith's alleged remains?” she asked as Cullen bristled at the sound of the woman's name, the matter still being very uncomfortable for him.“The Carta are pursuing a lead,” Leliana answered her. “And not just on our behalf. Supposedly there is another party that has recently expressed interest in acquiring them.”The Inquisitor huffed. “So we'll likely end up in a bidding war if they're recovered?”“It's possible, but I'm already seeking out this interested party,” the Spymaster answered. “There are few who research or have interest in red lyrium, so it should not take long.”“As for the Knight-Commander's true remains, Varric sent word that they have been safely removed from the Gallows as of last week,” Cullen added. “As a precaution, he has his people keeping track of where she is being taken. And for once, Bran didn't object to his course of action. He also says that he will write to you soon and hopes we'll have a chance to visit Kirkwall sometime to help keep him from dying of boredom.”“It's not even spring and our year is already filling up,” Briseis laughed. “Is it always like this, Vivienne?”She could absolutely hear the Grand Enchanter smiling. “It is when you're doing well in the Game, darling,” Vivienne replied. “But you should not get complacent. You can fall as quickly as you have risen and too much is at stake for a great many people, even more than it was with Corypheus. And that applies to all of us. For better or worse, every one of us is part of the Grand Game now. We should not ruffle more feathers than necessary.”“Don't tell Sera that,” Bull cautioned.Vivienne let out a mischievous giggle. “I might, just for the fun of it,” she replied.Briseis chuckled once before frowning with thought. “But what about the person who managed to remove her? Has anyone talked to them?”“Varric has arranged for him to come to the Grand Cathedral so we may speak with him,” Leliana told her. “He should be arriving next week and I'm very interested in how they managed to accomplish such a feat.”
The Seekers were still in the great hall when Briseis returned from securing the letter box in her chambers and she had to stop them when they made to rise from their seats as she approached. Aro was wearing sparring leathers and his dreadlocks pulled back from his face, revealing a lengthy scar along his neck that she'd not noticed before. “How is your morning?” she asked everyone.They all nodded as they were finishing their breakfast. “Vaughn and I was just heading to the training yard,” Aro replied, watching her curiously as she sat across from him and stole a slice of bacon from one of the serving platters.“We want to say again that we appreciate your allowing us access to the Temple of Sacred Ashes,” added Seeker Wallace. “All the news we heard while at the border was of how terrifying the explosion and the Breach were, but seeing the damage it caused for ourselves really put it into perspective.”Briseis nodded at her. “It was everything you heard and worse,” she replied. “Open and unchecked, the Breach would have swallowed Thedas whole. When Divine Victoria led me outside to see the Breach for the first time, it was like waking up to a nightmare. I'm sure Varric's book will exaggerate much more dramatically than I can when it's published.”Aro leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed. “I look forward to reading it,” he replied. “But why did you wish to speak with us, my lady?”“Ah yes. As you know, I'm set to visit Denerim in a few weeks,” she reminded him. “This morning, the Divine requested that I meet with Her Grace Muriel, the Grand Cleric of Ferelden, while I'm in the city.”“Do you know why?” Aro asked.Briseis inclined her head. “I do, but I've been instructed not to disclose the reason until we arrive at the Chantry,” she explained. “I would be acting as Right Hand in this matter, so you and the Seekers will be accompanying me during this trip.”“And the Commander?” he inquired.“Cullen will be coming along as well,” she replied. “This trip was prearranged and there are some Inquisition affairs to deal with while we are there. He'll be keeping himself busy while I'm tending to the Grand Cleric's concerns.”Seeker Vaughn leaned forward in his seat. “How long will we be in Denerim, Inquisitor?”“A week, two at most,” she replied. “I'll do my best to make sure you have plenty of time to enjoy the city.” Briseis turned around when she heard the door to Josie's office opening as the others emerged. Dorian saw them and nudged Cullen, thrusting his chin in her direction as she waved them over.“Good morning, gentlemen,” Aro greeted them while Dorian sat beside Briseis. “The Inquisitor was just telling us about the trip to Denerim. I hope you don't mind our tagging along.”“Not at all, perhaps we'll have a chance to finish our game,” Cullen replied before glancing at his wife. “Josephine is currently sending word to adjust our accommodations.”Briseis shrugged at she got to her feet along with the Seekers. “Well, His Majesty seemed a bit surprised that we were traveling with such a small retinue at first, so he shouldn't fuss about ten extra guests,” she replied, turning to Dorian.“I have some work upstairs if you want to keep me company and work on your research?”Dorian's expression brightened. “I'll meet you up there shortly,” he replied and sauntered off. Briseis was sitting on the bed with the letter box, Harea curled at her feet as she was trying to organize its contents when Dorian arrived in her chambers, carrying his books and a flagon of cider. “For later, of course,” he assured her. “I know it's still too early for you; perhaps with lunch since Clara said she's testing one of the recipes Ignis sent her. And Cullen said he'd come eat with us.”The Inquisitor watched as he set his books and his notes on the bed. “You've thought of everything,” she mused, leaning against the headboard. “Aside from always enjoying your company, do you know why I wanted you to come hang out with me?”“You want to know all the delicious gossip in Skyhold,” he answered without looking up.Briseis confirmed his guess with a nod, patting the spot beside her. “Everyone always acts like it's soooooo inappropriate to gossip with me since I'm Right Hand of the Divine now,” she confirmed.Dorian removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed beside her, frowning. “To be fair, you are the second highest-ranking member of the Orlesian Chantry,” he reminded her. “Who's really going to tell you who's knickers have been found under which beds or behind the third shelf in the library?”She leaned against the bed and grinned. “Hopefully my very favorite person in the world outside of my husband,” she purred.Dorian chuckled and patted her head. “Of course I will. So about the library...”They'd been gossiping while occupied with their respective tasks to the point that Briseis's neck had begun to stiffen when they heard the door below them opening as Cullen and Helios came upstairs with Ashara. “Maybe I should bring my work up here as well,” he thought aloud as they vacated the bed and Briseis assisted her handmaiden with setting up their lunch.“To be fair, something tells me that nothing would get done if you were allowed to just hole up in here all the time,” Dorian pointed out as Ashara blushed beside the Inquisitor.Briseis giggled. “We take our duties very seriously, Dorian,” she informed him, inhaling blissfully. “Smells incredible.”Cullen walked over and lifted the lids from their plates, awestruck. “Maker, are these dumplings?” Cullen asked.“Miss Clara was really excited to make one of the dumpling recipes Monsieur Lunettes sent along,” Ashara told them. “If people like these, she'll start prepping to make his roast tomorrow.” She blushed, clapping her hands over her mouth. “I'm not sure she wanted anyone to know!” she squeaked.Dorian flashed Ashara a bright smile. “Don't worry, we won't tell her you said anything,” he assured her, winking as he sat down. “But I'll make sure I have some red wine at the ready.”Ashara's shoulders relaxed as she dipped her head and headed down the stairs. “We should arrange to visit Scientia again since we're going back to Val Royeaux for Summerday,” Dorian suggested.“Well Ignis did say that I have an open invitation,” Briseis informed him. “He would just need advanced notice, especially if it's a large party.”“Which shouldn't be difficult since he's consulting with Leliana on the taint and the Starscourge,” Dorian pointed out. “For now she's sending everything he tells her to Queen Sayuri, but she'll give us the full report when she, Cassandra and the College of Enchanters make their visit.”“How long before that happens?” Cullen asked, biting into one of his dumplings.“The full moon of Justinian,” she replied as he gave a very loud and appreciative hum at the filling of ground pork, chives and mushrooms before dipping the rest into the accompanying sauce. “We have to go to this place,” Cullen insisted between bites to her amusement. “Did he give Clara the recipe for that dessert he made for you?”She shook her head. “And I wouldn't dare ask it of him, knowing how many years he spent trying to master it and why,” she replied. “But he did send the recipe for those chocolate croissants and one for an orange cake.”“I may go beg her to make the croissants for breakfast tomorrow after we eat,” Dorian thought aloud.“Aren't you staying after lunch?” Briseis replied before lifting a dumpling to her lips.Dorian thought for a moment. “I'll come back after check in with Bull,” he replied. “He's likely in the sparring yard with the Seekers right now.”Cullen groaned. “Please ask him to try not to break another shield while teaching them how to block against a Qunari,” he pleaded. “They still have yet to repair the last one he shattered.”“Speaking of that, what have your father and Maevaris been saying about Seheron?” the Inquisitor asked. She had not forgotten Fen'Harel's interest in simmering events in the north and now this was the most current matter in their hunt.“They know the Imperium is watching, but there haven't been any confrontations thus far,” Dorian replied, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. “In fact, they haven't even bothered us; it's like they're... waiting for something.”The Commander sat back in his chair. “What does Bull think?”Dorian's frown deepened. “He's thinking the same thing,” he said. “It'd been years since he'd been to Seheron before that joint mission, but Gatt warned him that the Arishok didn't seem keen to sit idle for too long. On our end, the factions within the Magisterium are at odds about how to proceed, but this gives the Lucerni a chance to exercise some influence.”“Has there been any activity from the Venatori lately?” she asked.“Not really,” he answered. “Father told me that almost everyone is focused on the Qunari, so some of their underhanded machinations have likely been tabled.”“Have Mae and your father begun vetting someone to take Alexius's seat when you succeed your father?” Briseis queried.“We've narrowed it down to two candidates,” he replied, taking a sip of cider. “Which reminds me, I'd like one of them to visit Skyhold if they'll accept and you have no objection.”She quirked an eyebrow. “Oh? But why one and not the other?”“Nothing's wrong, I promise,” he continued. “But since Bull and I are staying here while you two are in Denerim and I need to meet this one in person since I don't know them, inviting them here is the obvious solution. Leliana already had intel on them, which is why I'm comfortable sending the invitation.”Briseis and Cullen glanced at one another and nodded. “Set it up,” Cullen told him.Dorian smiled and stroked at his mustache. “Excellent! I'll have Mae send along a stockpile Carastian candy for you and Josephine to fight over as well. May the odds be in your favor.”“Not against Josie,” Briseis replied. “Just have Mae send a box to me personally.”
Cullen had returned downstairs with the the mabari for drills while Dorian went to check in with Bull as she continued pouring through the Black Emporium's records from the Storm Age. She'd begun to grow bored when she reached the entries for 7:79 Storm and found the book at long last. The title and language were listed as 'Unknown, likely pre-Neromenian' but it was the buyer's last name that fascinated her. She placed a bookmark to hold her place before carefully locking away the letter box and heading downstairs, just in time to spot Dorian returning to the great hall and waved for him to follow her to the War Room. Josephine looked up from her writings as they walked by, frowning with concern as Dorian waved for her to follow.“You found something, didn't you?” he asked as she secured the room once they were inside. He activated his crystal as she set the open book on the table and waited for Leliana to respond as Josephine began to read the open page.“Inquisitor?” Leliana answered after the chiming ended.“We have a lead,” the Inquisitor quickly said. “The book was purchased by someone named - ”“Titus,” Josephine finished with her before she looked up, slightly embarrassed. “I was just reading that particular entry.”Dorian's face darkened as he read the passage for himself. “Fuck,” he growled.“What? Do you know this name?” Briseis inquired.“Yes,” he replied. “The family supposedly died out during the Black Age, but then one of them, Aurelian, resurfaced when Radonis's predecessor gave him a seat in the Magisterium sixteen years ago. Oddly enough, he disappeared a few years ago, so many have presumed that he is dead as well.”“I've heard the name as well,” Leliana added after being silent for several moments. “I did not encounter the man for myself, but you know people who have. For now, we need to put this matter on hold until you get to Denerim.”Briseis cocked her head. “Why?”“Because that will give us time to have Varric and Isabela meet you there and for me to discreetly get word to Alistair,” the Spymaster replied. “They will have the information that we need. This is the best lead so far to find out what the Siccari are truly after until Felassan completes the translations.”Briseis nodded, moving her personal marker over Denerim. “Varric will no doubt give us a spectacular recounting of the events. And I expect he'll be thrilled to get out of Kirkwall.”“Most certainly,” Josephine confirmed. “In the meantime, I will arrange for Isabela's lodgings. Alistair and Sayuri would be more than willing to accommodate her, but her... activities require some discretion. Especially now that you are Right Hand of the Divine.”“And this a better lead than you think,” Dorian added. “Aurelian Titus had run afoul the Black Divine shortly before he disappeared. I'll need to talk to my father; this could be the key to uncovering the Grand Cleric we've been looking for, but this needs to be handled carefully. Will we also have to shelve our investigation into Astrid because of this?”“No, the surveillance on her is vital for us. Eyes must remain on her, no matter what develops,” Leliana answered as Briseis, Josephine and Dorian turned around when they heard pounding on the door.“We'll get back to you, Leliana,” Dorian said and quickly deactivated the crystal as the Inquisitor strode over to answer the door for her somewhat confused husband.Cullen's brow wrinkled. “I was coming to find you, but someone told me you'd come this way,” he explained. “Everything alright?”Briseis grinned before she gave him a swift kiss. “Yes. We have a lead and I'll explain in a bit,” she replied. “What's going on?” Her gaze drifted over his shoulder as he stepped inside and her smile widened at the man accompanying him.“Good to see you, my lady,” Thom chuckled as he entered the room properly, dressed in a set of brand new Grey Warden heavy armor and clearly smiling, even despite his beard.“Thom! You're back!!” she replied brightly as Thom nodded to Dorian and then froze when he set eyes on Josephine, who was clearly struggling between remaining professional and rushing into the man's arms. “We'll all head up to the rookery since Charter needs to be filled in as well,” Briseis told the Ambassador, practically dragging Dorian to the door. “Come see me later?”Josephine understood immediately. “Of course, Inquisitor.”
“Have you read the letters from Clan Lavellan yet?” Cullen asked, wincing as she worked at a tight muscle in his shoulder.“After I left you all in the rookery,” Briseis replied. “Mamae says Revassan is on his way to being as good a hunter as our grandfather was and Eir is trying to improve her regenerative potions. They're excited to meet you while we're in Halamshiral this summer. In fact, the same can be said about many of the clan.”He grunted again as pressed a little harder into his skin. The muscle screamed against the pressure, though it was followed by relief as her fingers moved across the fibers. “Really?”She laughed at his astonishment. “Apparently Mamae made quite the case for you when she returned,” she went on. “A couple of our elders have even said they're willing to talk to you.” He felt her shifting above him. “But there are... mixed feelings among the clan about my dealings with the Chantry.”“You mean about your being Right Hand of the Divine,” he clarified.“It's no surprise,” Briseis replied, sliding off her perch on his back. “Everyone knows the score, so it was to be expected. But with word spreading about Cassandra moving the Chantry in a different direction, some are reserving judgment, at least until the Arlathvhen.”Cullen rolled to face her. “And what about Wycome's deal with the Lucerni?”“The first trial run is already in progress to determine route safety and travel time,” she explained, “but both parties are deploying scouts to find any means that may be safer or faster. Keeper Deshanna is hoping to contact other Dalish clans along the way to update them about the Arlathvhen and negotiate for their assistance.”He sat up from the bed and walked over to the balcony door. “Could our forces be of benefit in any of this?” he asked her, glancing at their snoozing mabari. “Since we're pulling back in some areas and we're not going to need as many hands for renovating Skyhold, I mean. Even though the Inquisition's original purpose is finished, most people are still wanting to help Thedas; maybe this way they can be of some use.”“Dorian would be a better authority on that,” she advised, rising from the bed to join him outside. “I've told him before that he'll get any help he needs, but it can't hurt to ask him.”Cullen rolled his shoulders and stretched, pleased at his body's relieved tension. “I'll talk to him after breakfast in the morning. Maybe then he'll have more information on the Titus family.” He reflexively pulled her into his side when he felt her standing next to him. “Good catch on that. This is shaping up to be exactly what we needed.”“Well, until we know what the text actually says, it's not much of anything,” Briseis replied, placing her hand on his chest. “We still need the translations to make sense of all this. Thankfully we have plenty to occupy our time until then.” A slow sigh escaped her as they gazed at the clear night sky. The moon hung low enough that it seemed to touch the peak ahead of them even as stars seemed to twinkle harmoniously around it. She felt grounded by the cold stone under her feet and the warmth of Cullen's flesh beside her and chuckled.“Hm?” he asked, looking down at her.Briseis smiled. “You're really warm,” she told him. “I wonder if it's your Avvar blood.”Cullen laughed as she led him back inside. “Could be,” he replied, kissing her as they returned to bed.“Speaking of your blood, when are we meeting up with my sisters-in-law?” she asked him.“Ah, they're arriving in Denerim a couple of days after we arrive,” he answered when she snuggled in close. “Seems the entire family is using this as an excuse to visit the city, so you'll get to meet Edric this time. A full guard will escort them from South Reach; Mia and Rosalie will also have guards while they're in Ostwick.”Briseis's lips curled. “Making it clear that we protect our family?” she queried as she closed her eyes.“Absolutely,” he said. “Training tonight?”She nodded her head once against his chest. “This time with Mythal.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Three Weeks Later
“Lady Inquisitor, Commander Rutherford, there's word from the Royal Palace,” Jim said, handing the missive to Briseis before saluting Cullen as they rode through the city gates mid-morning. Cullen was on guard as onlookers watched for a glimpse of the Inquisitor's small procession, many of them gawking at her and Godric as they rode past before he glanced over at his wife, who had been taking in the sights. She took the scroll from Jim, who nodded to him as he fell back to his place in the procession, and watched her break the royal seal to read Alistair's message, seemingly written in his own hand. “What news?” he asked her.
Briseis looked over at him. “Varric and Isabela are delayed until this evening; seems they hit some nasty squalls east of Highever,” she informed him and then chuckled as she continued reading. “The suppliers you're meeting are waiting near the shipyards, so you may run into them on your way back and there's some nobles wanting to talk with you about Ylenn Basin during the feast tonight. But in the meantime, the Grand Cleric is insisting that I come meet her at once, so I'll take the Seekers with me after we've gotten settled and met with our hosts.”
“Then at least we'll have some things resolved before they get here and our family arrives,” Cullen muttered, glancing up at the overcast sky. “I hope the rain waits until after dinner.”“Yes, though I would have preferred time to visit the Alienage first,” she replied, handing him the message to read.Cullen frowned. “The Alienage is on the way to the Chantry, if you want to at least stop by,” he mentioned to her.Briseis thought for a moment. “I should probably wait until there aren't ten Seekers at my back,” she told him as she glanced back at Aro, riding with the Seekers a few paces behind them and motioned him over to inform him of their itinerary.“We'll be waiting for you outside the palace,” the Seeker replied before falling back to tell the others. Briseis heard a snort beneath her and she scratched at a spot near the base of Godric's antlers as a few of the onlookers giggled and stared in fascination as they crossed into the Palace District and their final destination.Though the Royal Palace had been fully repaired since the events of the Fifth Blight, Briseis could tell which towers had been modified or rebuilt in recent years. The newer stone still had some gleam against the silver-grey sky, some concealed by the red and gold banners bearing Ferelden's sigil and that of Queen Sayuri's family, the Couslands. A steward in red and gold livery, along with a dark-haired noble who looked vaguely familiar and an olive-skinned brunette who held a small girl by the hand, stood waiting for them at the base of the steps as Cullen and Briseis halted and dismounted. She shuddered briefly as barking got everyone's attention when Harea and Helios hurried down from the wagon behind them and stretched their legs before scampering over to help greet the reception. The toddler giggled at them and waved to the mabari as her mother looked cautiously at her husband.
Briseis spoke to them in Elvhen as they approached just as carefully to sniff at the little girl, who beamed when Harea nuzzled at her before moving on to nose at the others while Helios took his turn to examine the child, letting her pat his head as he followed his sister and then stood alongside Briseis and Cullen.
“What did you say to them?” the noble inquired.“I told them to be gentle when saying hello,” Briseis replied.He nodded approvingly. “Vakarian was good with children as well,” he said to her surprise as he held out his hand. “I'm Teryn Fergus Cousland,” he said, introducing himself as he gestured to the olive-skinned woman beside him. “This is my wife, Lena and our daughter, Eleanor.”“It is nice to finally meet you in person, Your Lordship,” Briseis replied, shaking hands with him and the teryna before little Eleanor decided to gleefully latch on to the Inquisitor's leg, forcing an embarrassed Fergus to apologize as he pried his daughter loose.“There's no need for an apology,” Briseis laughed.“Our nephew Aidan reacted in a similar way when he met her at Skyhold,” Cullen replied as Fergus swept the girl onto his shoulders and led them inside while the steward instructed servants to attend their luggage.“Still, I am very sorry. She's always been a friendly child, but that was unusual,” he said as Eleanor began tugging on his hair. “I'll be taking you directly to the throne room; Alistair and Sayuri are very happy you've arrived and want to see you immediately. They've been looking forward to your visit for weeks.”Briseis smiled. “So have I; I've never been to Denerim myself, but I'm liking it so far.”“Not missing the opulence of Orlais?” he quipped.She laughed again. “Ferelden has its own elegance and this is a welcome change from all the pomp and the masks,” she replied. “And the machinations of the Grand Game. Fereldans have always been direct in their dealings with the Inquisition, which is something I appreciate.”“We're not devoid of political intrigue, I assure you,” Fergus cautioned her. “Especially not lately, what with the things Warden Stroud revealed at Nicolas Chastain's judgment. While it was good of you to send word to Alistair before he heard it from another source, it has been controversial nonetheless.”“I expect this will be something that is discussed at dinner tonight?” Cullen asked.The teryna nodded. “That and your appointment as Right Hand of the Divine,” Lena advised in an Antivan accent. “People are curious. On the part of the ladies of the court, they are curious to see how you will dress while you are here.”Briseis grinned at that. “I can promise that they won't be disappointed.”
The doors of the throne room opened to reveal an impressively expansive room with ceilings nearly as high – if not higher – than those in the great hall of Skyhold. Galleries lined each side of the room with tapestries adorning the walls behind them, save one space she noted that held a large carving of a man battling wolves. Briseis also made note of the gasps when she was announced 'Right Hand of the Divine' as the herald drawled on announcing all of them, including Harea and Helios, as they proceeded the length of the hall, observed by several members of the court who were in attendance. The herald had just finished announcements when they all paused just short of the dais and knelt before Alistair and Sayuri, who sat on a pair of large, high-backed chairs that each had a mabari's head carved into the top. Alistair bade them to stand as he scrambled to help a grinning Sayuri get to her feet as she placed a hand on her growing belly and Briseis giggled.“I have a feeling the Commander will behave the same way when it's your turn,” Sayuri warned the Inquisitor when they embraced while Cullen and Alistair shook hands.“I don't doubt it,” Briseis replied, glancing at her husband. “How are you feeling?”“Mornings are getting easier,” she replied, smiling at Harea and Helios as a pair of deep and very loud barks were heard from the doorway off to the left. They all turned to see two huge male mabari slowly approaching them and Briseis's eyes grew wide as she looked towards Harea and Helios, who eagerly barked in response and rushed over to meet them.“Their father?” Cullen asked, appreciating the size difference between them.“Yes, Krios is my partner,” the Hero of Ferelden replied as they watched them wrestle a bit. “The other is his brother, Wrex, who is Alistair's. We didn't bring them to Skyhold only because they hate the snow.”“We're glad you've come,” the king told all of them, nodding to the Seekers before turning his attention back to the Inquisitor once the mabari had settled down. “Right Hand of the Divine? Congratulations?” he asked, seeming to wonder if she was happy with her new appointment.Briseis gave a wry smile and chuckled as she nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”“You've done well as Inquisitor, so I expect you'll do well as Right Hand,” Sayuri assured her. “But I was hoping you and I could talk privately before you're consumed with your duties?” She glanced over at Cullen and Alistair. “Don't mind me stealing her away so abruptly.”“Yes, of course,” her husband replied, placing a hand over the one she held over her belly and kissing her before he led Cullen and the Seekers in a different direction.Briseis followed the queen to a large, well-lit sitting room that was completely empty, save one woman standing with her back to them as she gazed out the window. Briseis halted when the woman turned to face her. “Well, this is a surprise,” she observed as Morrigan nodded to her.“Kieran has never been to Denerim, and Her Majesty is an old friend who invited us to visit,” Morrigan explained looking to the queen who sat down in the nearest armchair. “Though the Empress was displeased I accepted the invitation, as she believes you are attempting to lure me into becoming your Arcane Advisor.”The queen seemed to consider the prospect. “That was not the plan, but consider the position yours if you want it,” she replied. “And you're always welcome here for as long as you like, despite Celene's wishes. Has she found a husband yet?”“You know I have never had interest in the idle gossip of a royal court,” Morrigan tartly replied. “Leliana would be a better source of information in that regard.”“You're no fun,” Sayuri pouted as she turned to Briseis. “Will you cast your wards?”The Inquisitor obliged her request and Sayuri relaxed, her gaze flicking between the two mages. “I wish to ask you about Skyhold.”Briseis's brow knitted, confused as she turned to Morrigan who seemed just as surprised by the topic. “What would you like to know?” she queried as she and Morrigan sat on the sofa.“It belonged to your people in the past?” Sayuri inquired.Briseis nodded. “In Elvhen, it's known as Tarasyl'an Te'las,” she answered carefully. “To translate, 'the place where the sky was held back.' Why do you ask?”The queen placed a hand on her belly. “Alistair and I knew the chances of having a child of our own were slim as we are both Wardens,” she told them. “But we still tried for years with nothing but heartache after heartache and disappointment after disappointment to show for it. That was why I went on my search, which I meant to resume this year, but then we visited Skyhold and I began to suspect I was pregnant a few weeks later.”Briseis thought back to Alistair and Sayuri's visit to Skyhold and the several times she'd seen the queen watching Aidan and the other children. “You believe that you were in Skyhold at the time of conception?” she asked her as Morrigan's golden-yellow eyes flicked to Sayuri, clearly interested in the answer as well.Sayuri nodded. “I felt that there was great power there,” she said. “But is its magic powerful enough to produce a living, healthy child of two Grey Wardens?”“The Veil is thin in Skyhold; the magic within as old as Thedas itself. But the magic is calm and protects the keep from evil, though spirits are still attracted to the fortress,” Briseis confirmed for her. “If your feelings were strong enough, perhaps a spirit did hear you.”“Those spirits whose presence I felt the strongest were often benevolent,” Morrigan added. “Likely a reflection of those who dwell within its walls. 'Twas wise for many reasons to make certain the fortress remains in the Inquisitor's possession. Now that Skyhold's location is known to Thedas, it must be guarded against any who would abuse its power and she is suited to the task.”“You have done it justice thus far,” the queen told Briseis, who inclined her head. “Speaking of the Veil, I understand you recently returned to the Temple of Sacred Ashes?”Briseis sat back against the sofa. “We needed to make certain that the primary rift at the Temple was not at risk of opening again,” she explained. “Over the thousands of years, the Veil has been severely weakened and the Breach certainly made things worse.”The queen narrowed her eyes. “How weakened is it currently?”“Dagna is currently reviewing everything we've learned to determine the extent of the damage. It will be a few weeks before she knows for sure,” the Inquisitor answered. “We found two rifts in Ostagar, but they are now closed and we've been scouting every area where we originally found rifts in search of anomalies. But the Inquisition has been working on this in earnest since we rescued Stroud.”“Is the Divine aware of this?” Sayuri inquired.“She has been kept informed every step of the way, but is satisfied that this remains an Inquisition matter,” Briseis replied. “Once we know, we will disclose everything.”The queen nodded, seeming content with what she's been told. “Very well, I know you have other matters to deal with while you're here, so you should get to it. But I would like to talk about this more,” she said. “There's a steward outside who will show you to your room. But should you need any help, you have it from me.”“I promise I'll wait before I send you on any missions,” she teased as Sayuri laughed. Briseis grinned as she got to her feet, exchanging a look with Morrigan, who clearly wanted to speak later as well. Once she exited, the steward then led her up to the third floor, where a suite similar to her apartment in the Grand Cathedral awaited her. There was a large bed covered with heavy furs with a thick chestnut headboard and an opened door beside it that led to an adjoining washroom with a bath tub that looked promising. Across from the bed, a stone fireplace was freshly lit, keeping the room cozy as she stepped deeper into the room. She was surprised that all of their things were already put away until Cullen's arm went about her waist as he pressed a kiss onto her cheek.Briseis hummed contentedly at being in his arms. “The mabari?” she asked.He chuckled. “Still playing outside with their father and uncle,” he replied as she turned to face him for several rapid kisses that left her head spinning. “Aro said he and the others will meet you outside in an hour.”“Good,” she said, smiling against his lips. “You're very happy to be here, aren't you?”He melded their lips together again. “Yes. My parents brought us here for a week once for a Summerday festival when I was a boy; before I left for Templar training,” he replied as they sat on the bed. “Before that, we'd never gone further than Edgehall, so Denerim was a marvel to us. It still is for me.”She smiled. “I think I'll like it here,” she told him. “It has a lot of personality, just like the people.”“I had hoped you would enjoy being here,” Cullen whispered as he nuzzled at her the juncture of her neck and shoulder. “By the way, I know we don't have time right now, but that tub is big enough for two...”Her eyes brightened. “Sounds like you've thought of the perfect way for us to unwind later tonight,” she mused.“I personally think so,” he declared, stealing a few more tender kisses. He was lowering her onto her back when her sending crystal chimed from within its pouch, causing him to groan. “To work then, my love?”“To work, emma lath.” Briseis sighed while she reluctantly shimmied from his embrace to respond to the chiming. “Hello, my dearest,” she said as the crystal glowed.“Hello, sweet girl,” Dorian replied. “How's Denerim?”Cullen leaned in over the crystal. “Quiet for now, we've only just gotten settled. Is everyone ready?”“We're ready,” Leliana confirmed. “How is Morrigan?”Cullen turned to his wife, surprised at news that the Witch of the Wilds was also in Denerim. “She is well and that was actually the first thing I intended to bring up,” she answered. “She and Kieran are here at Sayuri's invitation and Morrigan was waiting for us after the reception. We will have a chance to speak during the feast tonight and I also informed the queen that we're close to determining the extent of the Veil's damage.”“How is she?” Leliana asked earnestly.“She's clearly thrilled with her pregnancy and Alistair is even more adorable with her,” Briseis giggled. “I'll talk more with her during the feast as well.”“Speaking of, Varric and Isabela will arrive later,” Cullen added. “For now, I'll meet with our contacts in the shipyard while the Inquisitor and the Seekers attend matters at the Chantry.” He paused for a moment, glancing over at Briseis. “Is the Grand Cleric certain of this information?” he asked. “This could be a fool's errand.”“Muriel is well known for being quite meticulous,” Leliana rebutted. “If she's certain of what she has found, it is worth looking into.”Briseis frowned at rehashing this debate. “So if this is true, what's the plan for if we do find them, Your Holiness?”She bit back a giggle as she heard Cassandra rolling her eyes through the crystal. “Too much has been forgotten, hidden or erased already to everyone's detriment,” Divine Victoria stated. “We will not repeat those mistakes. Follow the lead she gives you and we will determine the next steps once you verify the facts.”“As you will. I'll have an update for you when I return this evening,” Briseis assured her. “Dorian, has your guest arrived?”“He will arrive tomorrow, though all preparations have been made,” he answered. “His length of stay will be determined once he's here, though I expect maybe a week, two at most.”Charter cleared her throat. “There is also a messenger en route to Denerim with Henri's report for you. He should arrive in the next day or so,” she chimed in. “The instructions are for the report to be hand delivered to either you or the Commander. We can discuss it further after you've reviewed his findings.”“Hopefully by the time he arrives, I can give this my undivided attention,” the Inquisitor replied. “I'd like this resolved before everything starts this summer.”“Then the best way to clear our time to confront this is to get started,” the Commander suggested. “We'll take off after we've wrapped this up.”
They'd entered the main vestibule a few minutes before she was to meet the Seekers when Briseis paused just near the main entrance when a familiar pair of curious brown eyes got her attention.“Hello, Inquisitor,” Kieran politely said in his raspy, but now deeper voice when she approached to greet him. “Mother told me you would be visiting while we are here. I'm sorry I didn't get to see you at the Winter Palace, so I wanted to make sure I got to see you this time.”He'd grown taller since the wedding, standing more than half a head above her now. “I'm sorry we didn't get to visit as well, Kieran,” she replied. “You've grown since we last met.”Kieran's smile was just like his mother's: full of mystery, wonder, and mischief and Briseis motioned for Cullen to continue on as she allowed the lad to pull her aside just before they entered the courtyard. “I'm going be tall like my father, but Mother says that I'm much smarter,” he went on, causing Briseis to laugh aloud despite herself. “He is a good man, but still nervous when he talks to me.”Briseis understood at once. “Do they know that you're aware?”He blushed a little. “I didn't tell Mother that I still know some things from before,” he quietly answered her. “And it's funny to watch them be awkward.”“Do you like him?” she asked.Kieran nodded enthusiastically. “He's very nice,” he replied. “So is she, but she doesn't need to be scared this time,” he whispered.“Who doesn't?” she asked him.“The queen,” he replied in a much lower voice. “Hope promised to help. She said that the baby would be healthy.”Her eyes widened as she recognized what the youth was implying. “To attract such a spirit is quite the accomplishment. Even more given the reason.”He went pink about the ears. “Mother said she was her dearest friend and was always kind to her,” he replied. “But she looked sad when I met her. Hope said this was the one thing she really wanted and that we could help.”“That was an incredibly magnanimous thing to do,” she told him. “Will you tell her?”Kieran shook his head. “It would upset her. Just tell her not to be scared,” he requested before returning to the main hall.She was still smiling when she returned to Cullen, who was waiting at the base of the steps. “Everything good?” he queried.Briseis nodded, glancing behind her to where Kieran had been standing. “That is a really great kid,” she mused as they drew near where the Seekers were mounted and ready along with a handful of Inquisition guards.“We're able to accompany you since we'll be heading in the same direction most of the way,” Cullen told her as he helped her atop Godric and then climbed his own mount before she gestured for their party to ride into the city. The sky remained overcast, but the air had grown heavier and further implied rain later in the day as they rode through the Palace District and turned onto the main road leading towards Denerim's Marketplace. They paused near the Alienage when she dismounted upon seeing a few of the residents lingering at the entrance and spoke with a teenage girl to request that she inform their hahren that she would be visiting the next day when she is less encumbered before they continued on to the next intersection where she and Cullen shared a kiss before he continued on to the shipyards while she and the Seekers made for the Chantry, which had also clearly had some renovations since the Blight. Much of the stone for the outside wall was very new and as they halted outside the entrance, she could tell that some of the wooden framework and roofing appeared more recent.Aro came alongside her as she dismounted and leaned in. “Nervous about your first assignment as Right Hand?” he asked her.“Let's just hope this isn't as terrifying as sealing the Breach,” she replied as they approached the large wooden doors, where the Grand Cleric stood, flanked by a pair of templars who saluted upon their approach.“It is good to see you again, Your Grace. Thank you for inviting us here,” Briseis politely said when she stood before the petite, portly woman. Muriel's personality and appearance had reminded her of a middle-aged Dagna when they first met in Val Royeaux and Briseis had found herself liking the woman immediately, even more when she learned the Grand Cleric knew some Elvhen.Muriel nodded courteously, her green eyes alight with excitement. “Andaran atish'an, Lady Lavellan-Rutherford. I'm glad you've come, da'len,” she replied while the templars opened the doors for them. “I apologize for sounding so pushy, but this is not something we should allow to slip away. This would be important for the Chantry and this is the best lead we've had in Ages.”“Begging your pardon, Your Grace, but what is 'this' exactly?” Vaughn inquired as she led them inside. “Most Holy instructed the Right Hand not to say until we arrived here.”Muriel led them up a flight of stairs beyond the inner sanctuary. “Best explained in my office, young man,” the Grand Cleric replied over her shoulder. “Don't worry, we're almost there and then all your curiosities will be satisfied.” She paused at the landing and frowned at the number of people behind her. “There's entirely too many of you,” she thought aloud, looking at the Seekers. “Which one of you is in charge again?”“That would be me, Your Grace,” Aro replied as he stepped forward.The Grand Cleric gestured to he and Briseis. “The two of you should be sufficient; everyone else can wait in the sanctuary,” Muriel said as Aro bade the others do as she instructed. “And do not be rude to my templars,” she called after them, only continuing after they'd disappeared from view. “Ah, much better. Too many people means too many chances someone will talk too much,” she said when they arrived at her second-floor office and opened the door to reveal an impeccably tidy room. Well-organized bookshelves lined both walls, though a very fireplace jutted out on the left side, the mantle adorned with Alamarri artifacts that looked to date back to the early Exalted Age. A sturdy walnut desk sat ahead of them with two armchairs before it as she and Aro approached to see a rather large book with worn binding and ruined pages sitting on top, surrounded by several neat stacks of handwritten notes. Muriel swiped at a speck of dust she noticed as she smoothed the back of her robes and finally took her seat, gesturing for them to do the same.“Straight into it then,” the Grand Cleric finally said once they were seated. “How familiar are you with Andraste's personal history?” she asked the Right Hand.“Her mother was Brona, her father Elderath,” Briseis answered. “There was also a half-sister, Halliserre, who mysteriously died when she was young. Maferath was her husband and she adopted his three sons who formed Orlais, Nevarra and the Free Marches, though she also had two daughters of her own.”Muriel smiled approvingly. “Very good,” she replied, gently pushing the book in Briseis's direction. “But as you know, it is the daughters that are of interest. In the years after Andraste's death, one daughter's bloodline – that of Ebris – has been extinguished for certain. As for the other daughter, Vival, her lineage has been lost to time since she and her husband went into exile... but then half a year after the Conclave, this book appeared in my office.”“And you believed you've found a lead to direct descendants of the Maker's Bride?” Aro whispered with a reverence Briseis had never heard from him.“Possibly through the maternal line, yes,” the Grand Cleric replied. “As you can tell, the book is damaged, but I took great care with restoring its contents since it came into my possession. It contains a list of daughters who had children, and leads all the way up until the end of the Steel Age. Since I received it, I've been tracking down any records that could be found, but the trail goes cold around 9:08 Dragon.” She gestured to the notes neatly stacked on her desk. “These notes are everything I've learned up to that point.”Briseis raised an eyebrow as she carefully examined the book. “Do you know who sent you the book?” she asked.Muriel shook her head. “I walked in one morning and it was waiting for me,” the Grand Cleric replied. “Everyone here was questioned, but no one could attest as to where it had come from or who had delivered it.”Aro frowned as he eyed the book and then looked up at the Grand Cleric. “What is it that you are asking us to do?” he queried.She raised an eyebrow. “Who is this 'us' you speak of? It is the Right Hand who will be given the task to find Andraste's descendants. And it will be hers alone,” Muriel informed the Seeker as she pointed to the Inquisitor. “Your only task, young man, is to observe her in her duties, not hold her hand.”Aro's eyebrows reached into his dreadlocks as the Grand Cleric spoke again to Briseis. “This is a task given to you by myself and Most Holy, the Divine Victoria,” Muriel said. “Will you do this?”“I will,” the Right Hand replied as she got to her feet.The Grand Cleric got to her feet as well stuffing the book and her notes into a satchel that she handed over immediately. “Good. Now, be sure to keep this safe and to review the contents thoroughly,” she advised. “Good luck, young one.”
Aro exhaled noisily as they exited her office when she dismissed them. They were nearly back to the sanctuary when he finally spoke. “So she's a bit spicy,” he quickly said. “But exactly how do you expect to find them?”“The traditional way,” Briseis cheerfully teased, “though as a mage, I do have means to expedite the process. And no blood magic will be required.”He grinned at the sass in her tone. “Do you taunt the Commander like this?”“Sometimes,” she replied, flashing a smile. “But I'm also the only one who can get away with it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
She was just putting away everything the Grand Cleric had given her when she heard the door opening behind her as Cullen slipped back into their rooms accompanied by their very tired mabari. “I heard that you'd returned not long before we did,” he said as he crossed the room to her.Briseis closed the chest, casting protection spells as she secured the lock and turned around to see Harea and Helios resting on the bed. “Obviously they had a great time,” she observed. “But had I known you were so close behind us, I would have waited for you.” He cast his arms wide as she fell into them with ease. “How were the shipyards?” she queried as he nestled her close.“The stone we need has been secured and will be headed to Skyhold by the end of the week, along with all the additional supplies we need for construction,” he replied with a kiss into her hair. “Varric and Isabela arrived while I was there and are now getting settled down the hall, but Varric says they will stop by to visit soon. I'm actually surprised at Isabela; she's still her brazenly randy self, but she's also really hard up about this. Whatever happened with Titus, it was enough to shake her up quite a bit.” He leaned back to gaze into her hazel-green eyes. “We need to be careful moving forward.”Briseis rose up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. “We will be,” she promised. “But I have a feeling this conversation is going to be worse dropped on us than when the Wardens told us about the Architect.”“Let's stick to the plan for now: find out what happened,” Cullen recalled, leading her to curl up in his lap when he sat down. “Dorian said that his father and Maevaris are sitting in on this since she was involved; Halward said she became quite upset when he told her that Aurelian Titus is involved. Alistair kept his cool when we arrived and he was glad to see Varric and Isabela, but I could tell his mood was changing.”“So the reason for this meeting is sinking in for him,” she deduced.He nodded. “But now it's your turn,” he said. “How did your meeting with Muriel go?”Briseis chuckled. “It went well even though she kind of snapped at Aro,” she replied. “But her research seems sound. I was able to look through it a little when I got back here, but I'll see what I can find in the Fade and then get into it a little more after I return from the Alienage tomorrow. Everything is getting put to the side once Mia, Rosalie and the others arrive though.” Her eyes lit up. “I'm excited to see them again.”“So you like your in-laws?” he teased.Her smile widened as she leaned back to look at him. “I do,” she replied sweetly, “along with the reason that I have them.” Briseis's hands cradled his face. “Ma'sal'shiral,” she whispered quietly, causing Cullen to wrinkle his brow curiously. “The love of my life,” she translated before his lips crashed down on hers as he stole her breath the same way he'd done the first time he kissed her.“As you are mine,” he replied, between kisses. They only parted with great reluctance when they heard someone knocking. “Should we come back?” Varric called from without.“Definitely not,” a woman's voice argued. “If they're in the throes of passion, I want to at least listen.”Cullen rolled his eyes as Briseis giggled before he touched his forehead to hers and rose to answer the door, accompanied by Harea and Helios. A second later, he stepped aside to reveal Varric, who was standing next to a voluptuous, brown-skinned woman with hazel eyes whom she recognized at once.“Ohhh, I get it now, Curly,” Isabela said as she confidently strolled into their room, her eyes never leaving Briseis. “No wonder you've been on your best behavior recently. Mages are loads of fun in the sack and she's definitely the type that would have you wrapped around her little finger.” Varric rolled his eyes and laughed as Cullen rubbed at the back of his neck.“Behave yourself, Rivaini,” the dwarf warned her. “Give her time and Sassy will have you in the same predicament. Half of Orlais was kissing her ass after one night.”Isabela got to within arm's reach of the Inquisitor and flashed a smile. “Delicious as she is, I'll kiss more than that if she lets me,” the woman replied.Briseis inhaled the aroma of sea air and spice as she pressed a finger to her lips. “Are you threatening me with a good time?” she coyly asked, closing the distance between them with a mischievous smirk.The Admiral's smile widened as she turned back to Cullen, who was eyeing his wife curiously before Briseis winked at him. “Oh I like her. A good girl with the right amount of naughty,” Isabela purred. “Sassy is the perfect nickname, Varric. I think I'll keep it.”“Whatever you want, Rivaini. As long as you behave,” Varric replied as he sat on the sofa and plied the mabari with his attention as they ran between he and Isabela.“I promise nothing,” she replied as she plopped down in an armchair, draping her legs over the side and absently scratching Helios's ears.“Would you like some wine, Viscount Tethras?” Briseis offered as Varric made a face when she used his new title.The dwarf groaned loudly. “I'd prefer something stronger, if you have it, Inquisitor,” he bandied back at her. “You know, when I was looking for an excuse to get out of Kirkwall for a few days, this was definitely not the reason I would have chosen.”Isabela's hand shot up as she watched Briseis preparing glasses of whiskey. “If this is going to be the topic of discussion right now, please make mine a double, Sassy,” she requested.“Only because you were sweet enough to say 'please' to me,” Briseis replied over her shoulder. “Say it again and I'll make yours a triple.”Isabela laughed. “If it wasn't painfully obvious that you and Curly over here only have eyes for each other, I'd take you up on that,” she answered, as she grinned at the Commander as she accepted the generously poured glass Briseis handed to her. “But now I really like you.”Varric grinned with satisfaction. “I told you she'd have you in the same predicament,” he chuckled taking his drink as well.“Do you hear me complaining?” Isabela answered, as Briseis handed Cullen his drink and sat on the arm of his chair. His arm possessively curled around the Inquisitor's hips as she chuckled. “Ma'sal'shiral,” Briseis reminded him as she kissed his cheek before raising her glass. “All of that can keep until later,” Briseis said. “For now, I'm glad to see Varric again and to finally meet you in person for myself, Isabela, so let's just hang out and play some Wicked Grace and Diamondback until it's time for dinner.”Isabela drew her deck of cards from a pocket near the split near her thigh before Varric could even reach for his. “I like how you think, Sassy,” she said, winking at Cullen as she began dealing. “Don't lose your clothes, Curly,” she teased. “Or by all means, do. It's been a rough few months at sea and you'd be a sight for sore eyes.”
The sky was darkening outside when a steward stopped by to inform them that the feast would begin shortly. Cullen saw Varric and a tipsy Isabela out half an hour later as Briseis entered the closet to retrieve their clothes and accessories for the evening. He leaned back against the door, watching while she hung his doublet on the privacy screen next to her gown. “Are you ready for this?” she queried as she turned around.“Talking to strangers for half the night? No, not really,” Cullen replied, frowning as he sat on the bed in front of her. “The good thing is they're far less likely to grope me than the Orlesians.”“Smart on their part,” Briseis replied as she headed into the wash room and when he followed, he saw the large stone tub filling with hot water thanks to her magic as she loosened her hair.“This tub really is the perfect size for two,” she mused while adding a few drops of oil into the steaming water before disrobing. “Care to join me?”“I thought we were waiting until later tonight?” he inquired, enjoying the feel of her bare skin beneath his hands.Briseis chuckled as she submerged herself in the water. “To unwind, yes. That plan has not changed,” she assured him as she rose above the surface and made herself comfortable. “But we should still get cleaned up before the feast and this is the most efficient way, so...”He smiled at her and began stripping down, not unaware of her watching him with a broad smile on her face as he sank into the tub with her, his muscles feeling instant relief as he noted the clean, herbal scent on the water while her sponge drifted across his skin.It was not the first time Briseis had done this, but Cullen was always enamored by the reverence with which she washed his body. Her gaze always focused and – even before they were together – loving as she moved the sponge over his shoulders and arms, even during the worst nights of withdrawal when she guided a cool cloth over his skin. She looked up and saw him smiling as she moved to his chest. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him.“Every time you've done this for me,” he answered, guiding wet hair away from her shoulder before running a hand along her jaw. “Even before, you were always so focused. And you always seem to enjoy it as much as I do.”Briseis gave a shy smile as her cheeks filled with color. “I like taking care of you,” she replied with a kiss before moving to his torso. She had great care not to tickle him, and Cullen let himself relax as she continued. She took her time as always and he was feeling fully refreshed when she finally told him to rinse himself off.“Feeling clean?” she queried after he'd re-emerged from beneath the water's surface.He cleared the water from his eyes and took the second sponge before she could start on herself. “Very,” he answered and planted a kiss on her lips. “But now it's your turn.”Cullen gestured for her to lie back against the tub as he took the same route on her body as she'd done with his. He took care near the scars she bore, having memorized all of them one night when he'd asked about them as she drifted to sleep in his arms. His gaze lingered on the one on the right side of her chest, a reminder of the attempt on her life over a year ago. He placed a kiss over the indented surface where the bolt had struck her before moving between her breasts and further down her body. Briseis hummed contentedly at his ministrations and he grinned when he saw her watching him intently as he placed her left leg over his shoulder, slowly guiding the sponge over her calf.“That's called teasing,” she giggled, causing him to laugh as he leaned in to kiss her.“Just giving you something to look forward to later,” he innocently explained as he tickled the base of her foot before setting it back into the water.When they'd finished, he stepped out first, wrapping a towel around her before he draped another around his waist and followed her back into the bedroom. Briseis's warming spell had them dried off at once as she sat down beside him, her eyes concerned when he saw his thoughtful expression. “What is it?”He was quiet for a minute. “You can't be there when I talk to Alistair and the others,” Cullen reminded her regretfully as he held her eyes. He stopped her before she could object. “I know you found the lead on Aurelian Titus, love. And I know you want to follow it...”She sighed. “But it's still part of the Siccari plot and I still have to remain as uninvolved as possible,” she finished, touching the scar on her chest. “You were thinking about this while we were in the bath, weren't you?” she said.Cullen nodded. “And I need the crystal tonight so Leliana and the others can listen in while I talk to them,” he added as she fell back on the bed. “You know we'll tell you anything that's important for you to know.”Another disgruntled sigh. “I know, I still hate being sidelined though,” she replied.He leaned over Briseis, cradling her cheek. “You may not be on the sidelines for much longer,” he assured her. “Leliana thinks we're close to figuring out what they're after.”Briseis gave a slow nod placing a hand over his. “Well since you'll be talking with them after the feast begins dissipating, I suppose I can get everything ready for us to unwind later,” she mused as Cullen smirked at her.“Yes, you can,” he replied, letting her up so they could dress. Within the hour, Cullen was dressed in black trousers and a crisp white dress shirt with his solid black velvet vest with the Inquisition sigil in gold threading on the left breast and collar, while Briseis wore a gown of black and purple silk with silver cap sleeves and a draped neckline with detailed embroidery of the night sky along the bodice and around the skirt. Her hair was loose, the wavy length held behind her pointed ears by matching clips bearing the sigil of the Inquisition and giving full attention to Cullen's necklace around her neck.Briseis approached him, her hands smoothing over the soft velvet he wore while he inhaled the scent of lilies from her scented oil she'd just applied. “No one is sexier than my husband,” she murmured as his arms went about her.“And no one is more beautiful than my wife,” Cullen replied with a quick kiss that started to evolve into more just as quickly before their attention was diverted by their mabari at the door, eager to get to the feast.Cullen turned to face them, looking at Helios in his formal black and gold bow tie collar and Harea in white halla leather with amethysts. “Wanting to show off your collars?” he inquired as the pair barked happily when he opened the door. Briseis kissed him again as she stepped out past him and he closed the door just as she set the wards over their room.“I can see that the four of you intend to make quite the entrance tonight,” Varric said, regarding them as he stepped into the hallway wearing a open-chested shale-grey silk shirt with white embroidery at the collar, black trousers and boots and a solid black coat bearing Kirkwall's sigil on the lapels. “The Iron Lady would be proud, Sassy, you look spectacular. Pretty sharp there as well, Curly.”“Looking pretty good there yourself, Varric,” she replied. “Maybe I should let you escort me in tonight.”Varric chuckled. “And start rumors of an affair between the Inquisitor and the Viscount of Kirkwall?” he pointed out as they began walking towards the great hall.“An affair does sound much more scandalous,” Cullen said as his wife laughed.“Exactly. Even Chuckles would have to wonder how long this has been going on,” Varric pointed out. “What's going on with him anyway? He still biding his time?”“It looks that way, though I'm not certain how we should feel about that,” Briseis confirmed, surprised at the turn of subject. “We do know that he's paying attention to whatever the Qunari are planning on Seheron.”The dwarf bristled at the mention of the Qunari. “Is that why we're having this discussion later tonight?”“Not exactly,” Cullen answered while another door opened ahead of them as Isabela emerged from her room wearing a slinky, thin-strapped gown of shimmering deep sea blue and gold with a small train and a plunging neckline to accentuate her ample cleavage. “Finally get to wear this thing after having it tucked away for years,” she explained to their slack-jawed faces as she approached, throwing a mischievous look at the Inquisitor. “The two of you get any sexier together and I'll be sneaking into your room later.”“On second thought, I think I'll let her escort me into the great hall,” Briseis told her husband, who went bright red.“You're Right Hand of the Divine, my love,” Cullen reminded her. “And you two would kill every man in the room if that happened.”Isabela grinned. “If we kill them, do we get their stuff?” she queried as Briseis began giggling.Varric shook his head. “I'll accompany Rivaini, if only to avoid a massacre,” the Viscount stated.“But that doesn't mean we can't walk in together,” Briseis mused, winking Isabela.
The music in the great hall was lively as they drew close to the doors, which were held open as the doormen watched Harea and Helios leading their entrance. Briseis and Cullen's hands were laced together as Isabela and Varric walked alongside them, each of them eyeing the nobles who were already present. Arlessa Kaitlyn Guerrin was the first to spot them, gawking from where she stood with her husband, Arl Teagan who turned about and did a double-take as did Fergus and Lena Cousland while talking with Edmund Middleton, the Bann of West Hill. Several others who had visited Skyhold were also mingling about the room, a few she and Cullen recalled being present for Chastain's judgment.“Isn't that the Bann who had the drinking contest with Bull at our engagement party?” Cullen asked Briseis as he glanced over at a man who was eyeing Isabela with wonder and awe.Briseis chuckled, recognizing his flaming red hair. “Yes, that's him,” she confirmed. “They had to carry him out of the Herald's Rest, but he held his own for the most part.”“He held his own against a Qunari? Oh, this will be fun,” Isabela hummed audible enough for the three of them to hear. “I'll be good since we have business later,” she assured them, “but then all bets are off.”“Don't behave too much,” Briseis prodded her as she spotted the Seekers near a table, dressed in formal attire bearing the Seekers' sigil. Aro nodded towards them as Isabela leaned in. “Can you tell me about him?” she asked.Briseis bit back a smile while she watched more servants set out the evening's offerings of roasted venison, duck, boar, fish and lamb along with a variety of vegetables, breads, fruits and cheeses. “He likes cooking for fun and is the de facto leader of the Seekers of Truth. But anything else you'll have to discover,” she replied.“Ah, our honored guests have arrived at last!” they heard Alistair call out, getting their attention when he and Sayuri entered from the opposite side of the room accompanied by Wrex and Krios. The crowd parted and bowed as they walked past, Sayuri in an elegant, flowing gown of bright red satin with gold beading that accentuated her growing belly, a golden circlet over her red tresses while Alistair was dressed in a jacket of black and crimson with gold threading, a gold and ruby crown over his blonde hair. A servant approached, handing Alistair a goblet of wine, as the other servants began passing goblets around. Once everyone had a drink in hand, the queen opting for water during her pregnancy, Alistair raised his goblet. “We are glad to welcome and host good friends in Denerim tonight,” he continued before turning towards the other nobles. “Let us feast!!!”Cheers were raised from the back of the hall and the music resumed, livelier than any she'd heard during soirees they'd attended in Orlais. “I've always wondered how they party in Ferelden,” Briseis said to the Fereldan monarchs.“I hope we didn't disappoint,” Alistair replied. “We've been to parties in Skyhold and they were an experience.”“We took inspiration from your wedding reception, actually,” Sayuri replied. “No particular seating arrangements; just letting everyone enjoy themselves, though there won't be any of those spectacular butterfly bombs to liven things up. However, I expect Isabela will have a heated game of Wicked Grace going in the next hour.”The pirate grinned. “I do have my cards ready and a few players in sight,” she told him. “I'll let some of them keep their clothes. By the way, Queenie, you're looking fantastic,” she told Sayuri. “I'll bring you a gift next time I'm in port.” She eyed a cluster of nobles hovering nearby as they waited for audiences. “Seems like you're not the only ones clamoring for our attention tonight.”“When are we ever?” Sayuri inquired as she looked about. “But since I'm one of the ones giving this party, I would dine with the Inquisitor before she gets swarmed.” She locked arms with Briseis, who allowed herself to be led away with Harea and Krios following them.Isabela leaned in towards Cullen and Alistair. “Whatever you two have done, they're going to outsmart you,” she sang as the two women found a dining table just out of view.Alistair folded his arms. “We haven't done anything,” he retorted a little too quickly.Varric wasn't buying it either. “You're keeping them out of this tonight, aren't you?” he asked, looking between them.Alistair sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't want anything stressing Sayuri out right now,” he explained, looking at the Commander. “And Cullen only said that Briseis has to stay out of this, but not why. I'm guessing we'll find that out later on.”“Well don't be shocked if they do tell each other whatever bits and pieces of this that they know,” the dwarf warned them. “The two of you really should have known better.”
Guards kept onlookers at bay as they sat at a table and began plating up their food. “Everything alright?” Briseis asked as she sliced venison, boar and duck for both of them.“Alistair has asked me to refrain from the discussion later tonight,” the queen explained, plating up vegetables and bread for them. “He said that you are abstaining as well?”“I am,” Briseis confirmed, making sure they were out of their husbands' line of sight. “It is a conflict of interest for me, so I'm being kept in the dark as much as possible. What little I know came from a lead I found while investigating another matter.”Sayuri took the plate Briseis offered and picked up her utensils. “Strangely, I'm of the opinion that maybe it is wise we don't discuss it too much,” she confessed, lowering her voice, “but can you at least tell me what this has to do with Aurelian Titus?”“To be honest, I don't know if it's directly him,” the Inquisitor replied, her voice just as low as she spooned gravy over her venison. “The name only came up while I was searching for someone who purchased a book from the Black Emporium. But when it did come up, both Dorian and Leliana got concerned, hence why they need to talk.” They ate silently for a moment before she spoke again. “You may be right that we should stay out of this. And there's something else I wanted to ask you about anyway.”That piqued the queen's curiosity. “Oh?”“I had a chat with Fiona a few weeks ago and she said something to me that I found interesting. All of the Warden-Commanders are supposed to know where the Old Gods are imprisoned,” Briseis said as she leaned in very close. “Why does Nathaniel Howe think that you are not privy to that information?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Because I'm truly not,” Sayuri replied honestly. “In fact, I believe that information may be completely lost now if the First Warden doesn't know.”Briseis was flabbergasted and grateful that they were well hidden from view. “How is that even possible, unless Nathaniel wasn't being forthcoming that night?”“I believe that Clarel may have been the last Warden-Commander to know before she died at Adamant,” the queen explained. “And my technical elevation to the position was rather short notice once Duncan was killed at Ostagar. As for Nathaniel, I've never known him to be a liar, but that doesn't mean the First Warden wouldn't instruct him to do so. Has there been any news about him?”“He was near Caridin's Cross, likely headed towards Kul-Baras when last we heard,” the Inquisitor answered. “He thinks Velanna went there in search of the Architect. Speaking of, Fiona apparently asked if Alistair ever had any contact with him.”“He didn't, but why would she want to know that?” Sayuri asked. “She wouldn't come near Alistair while we were there for the wedding.”Briseis frowned. “She and Duncan encountered the Architect about thirty years ago. The Wardens would have known, they gave a full account to Weisshaupt,” she replied, telling the queen all that Fiona had told her as they dined. “I didn't push because I didn't want to scare her,” she concluded, taking a bite of the salad on her plate, “but she's leaving out details. And I suspect that it was somewhere around this time that she was cured from the taint.”“But even she isn't exactly sure how that happened,” Sayuri replied, leaning back in her chair, right hand over her full belly once they'd finished their meal. “That's part of why I'm so worried about this little one.”The Inquisitor smiled reassuringly, recalling her talk with Kieran. “Then let me assuage that fear. Because you should replace it with hope. You must,” she emphasized in a low voice. “While powerful, Spirits of Hope are not easy to attract to this side of the Veil, even from within Skyhold. But when one does appear, it can do great things.”Sayuri's eyes widened, her right hand tensing as she sat forward, moving her hand slightly to the left. She remained perfectly still for several moments before standing and crossed to the Inquisitor, unceremoniously grabbing Briseis's left hand and placing it on her belly. “Please tell me you feel that,” she begged desperately.Briseis stared around, making sure they were still hidden from view as she focused, finally feeling the very tiny flutter, which grew stronger underneath her fingers as the violet hue of her Anchor glowed. She closed her eyes and tuned out the ambient noise around them to listen for a moment. Her face was impassive as she looked up at the queen and got to her feet, her hand steady on Sayuri's belly. “How much do you wish to know?”“Whatever you can tell me,” the queen pleaded, growing desperation coating her words.“Ferelden will have its princess,” she finally whispered as Sayuri's eyes lit up. “Her heart is strong; steady and kind, like that of her mother, though she may be more mischievous. Her father will be thrilled with her, but you may want to take it easy with the strong-smelling cheeses – for both your sakes.” Briseis turned to Krios, who was already at attention and gave a simple bark, fully understanding his duty.The Fereldan queen laughed. “I have noticed that my stomach is more upset after eating them recently,” she replied before her smile broke. “Are you certain of what you've told me?”“Ask me again when she is in your arms at the beginning of August,” Briseis grinned just before the queen disappeared from her side. She sat and waited patiently, taking only a couple sips of wine before she stood again, moving to where she had a better viewing of the room, spotting Alistair talking with Fergus as Cullen appeared at her side. “What just happened?” he asked his wife.
“A little glimpse into the future, courtesy of the All-Mother,” she replied, smiling as the queen approached Alistair. When she was close to him, Sayuri simply put his hand over her stomach and whispered in his ear, causing his eyes to light up. Onlookers watched and the music ceased as Alistair sank to his knees, gently pressing his forehead against the queen's belly for long moments before he placed a kiss there and looked up to her with the most earnest smile on his face as he rose. He twined a hand with hers as a goblet was held in the other, raised as high as he could reach. “To the Queen of Ferelden!!!” he joyously shouted before he kissed his wife and raucous cheers erupted throughout the hall.
“Ferelden will have a healthy princess to celebrate at the end of the summer,” Briseis quietly explained to her husband as his eyebrows shot up. “One that is growing strong in her mother's womb. I felt her spirit for myself. A Theirin through and through.”His arms were around her instantly. “News that will be most welcome in Ferelden,” Cullen sincerely replied.Briseis leaned into him. “It is something to be celebrated,” she agreed. “And perhaps the news that they have a healthy child on the way will make your conversation easier later tonight.”“Did it come up while the two of you were talking?” he asked, leading her to a quiet place where they could talk more freely.“Briefly,” she honestly replied. “But we didn't get into depth with it since I needed to ask her about something else, which ended up leading to what just happened.”“Which was?”“Why she doesn't know where the remaining Old Gods are imprisoned,” Briseis answered. “Nathaniel said the Wardens don't know where to look, but according to Fiona, the First Warden and the Warden-Commanders are all supposed to know where they are. But she was never told and now she believes that those details may be permanently lost since Clarel's death.”His brow furrowed. “If this is true, then the situation with the Grey Wardens may be more crucial than we thought,” he whispered in her ear. “Should the Veil be sundered with two Old Gods unaccounted for and they awaken in the chaos...”“I know. Blights could start and the darkspawn could gain a foothold before anyone even knows it's begun,” she finished his thought as she glanced at the royal couple. A chill enveloped her and she turned to him. “We have to do everything we can to keep that from happening.”“We will,” he promised her. “And I have a suggestion to start. We need to bring them all to the table to put their conflict to rest.”“With everything on our plate, can we make time?” she challenged.“Yes,” Cullen firmly said. “We deal with this at the same time we disclose Dagna's results.”“The Exalted Council,” she realized as he nodded.“We can extend an request for the Wardens to attend, the First Warden most importantly. And if there's one thing that can get them all to sit down, it's that this scenario is a real possibility,” he quietly pointed out. “And that allows us the time we need to put everything else to bed, even if we have to skip out on a few social events to get it all done.”Briseis seemed to think on it. “Let's hope this can wait until after she's had their child,” she whispered. “And that we find out why Weisshaupt seems to have gone dark. I'll try to talk with Her Majesty about an actual sit-down later while you're dealing with Alistair, Varric and Isabela.”
His arms tightened around her. “Then this is our way forward,” he said, looking up to see Alistair waving them over. “And here's our chance to get started.”
Five Hours Later
She hurried out of the adjoining bathroom, wrapped in a short, forest green robe when Cullen and Helios returned to their room, calling for her. His thoughts had been deeply troubled since leaving Alistair and the others, but he was quickly set at ease when he saw her emerge. “Are you alright?” he asked.“Yes, I'm fine,” Briseis replied, concerned when he closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. “After Sayuri retired for the night, I took Harea outside for a bit and then came back here. But she and I talked about the Exalted Council after I was done being swarmed by the other ladies when you all left. She's on board with the idea of mediation and will participate after she's given birth and had time to recover.”“That's good to hear. We'll need her voice to help resolve this,” he replied as she looked in his eyes.“Long night?” she worriedly asked, wards going up immediately.He took her hand in his. “You could say that,” he replied, tugging her back towards the bed. “More pieces have fallen into place, but the way this is shaping up...” He let out a loud sigh and held up the sending crystal. “Dorian and Leliana are waiting. We need to talk to you.”Briseis turned his face towards hers. There was a disquiet in his eyes unlike any she'd seen before, further growing her concern. “It's that bad?” she queried. He needn't say anything more as she put her arms around him and slowly exhaled as he returned her embrace and then guided her to sit with him on the bed. Cullen could feel her tensing as he activated the crystal. “We have a working theory, but it leaves us with no choice,” he told her while they waited for Dorian to respond. “There are things you need to know now. We need Mythal.”She watched the mabari settle on the floor in front of them, somewhat guarded. “Why?” Briseis asked as the crystal glowed.“Settle in, sweet girl,” Dorian's voice replied. “Because this is a lot, starting with another Witch of the Wilds.”Cullen thought his wife's eyes were going to pop out of her head when they grew large at the news. “Morrigan has a sister?” she squeaked.“Named Yavana, but the more appropriate term now would be 'had,' Inquisitor,” Leliana replied. “Alistair killed her.”“She's dead?” Briseis clarified. “Does Morrigan know? Where was she all this time?”“Morrigan knows,” Cullen replied. “Alistair also saw fit to have her present tonight. As for where this sister was, she was somewhere near Antiva.”The Inquisitor got to her feet. “Felassan did tell me that he encountered Flemeth up that way at the end of the Exalted Age,” she replied, quickly catching on to the real reason they needed Mythal. “And because Yavana is one of Flemeth's daughters, you're thinking Mythal may be able to fill in some gaps.” Briseis let out a sigh. “Tell me what you know.”“Yavana resided in the Tellari Swamps,” Dorian slowly answered. “Guarding a refuge for dragons. Isabela, Varric, and Alistair met her when they went searching for Maric Theirin.”Briseis turned to face him then. “Alistair's father? The former King of Ferelden?” she clarified incredulously. “I thought he died twenty years ago?”“He went missing while on his way to Wycome,” Dorian corrected her. “It was very big news, even in the Imperium, but there had been rumors for years that Maric was still alive, so Alistair had Isabela and Varric assist him in finding out the truth. That's how they found the refuge – the Silent Grove – and Yavana.”She frowned, turning over his words as she paced the floor. “What led them there?”“Maric was captured by the Antivan Crows,” Leliana continued “but escaped with Yavana's help. According to what Yavana told Alistair, Maric made a deal with Flemeth years ago and assisted Yavana in awakening one of the great dragons housed in the Silent Grove to fulfill his end of the bargain.”Briseis padded across the floor a few times. “H – how would he be able to help her wake a dragon?”“The descendants of Calenhad Theirin – Maric, Cailan, Alistair, and now his child – are said to have the blood of dragons in their veins,” Dorian answered her.“So there is power in their bloodline,” Briseis concluded before she turned and held up her hands. “If you think I know the reason behind their bargain, you're mistaken,” she told them. “Aside from the venture to Arlathan Forest, I know as much as anyone else about what Flemeth and Mythal may have done over the Ages.”“We figured that, which is why we need to talk to her,” Cullen assured her. “But while he was with Yavana, Maric was captured by Aurelian Titus.”“The one whose ancestor bought the book from the Black Emporium?” Briseis asked.He nodded and she watched her husband's face darken. “His Majesty suffered a fate worse than death at his hands: Titus held Maric captive, using his blood to power a device that augmented his magic.”“For how long?!” she inquired, horrified.“No one is certain, but Alistair said it looked like he'd been captive for years when they finally found Maric,” Leliana replied.“I assume Alistair did not leave his father in that state?”“He didn't,” Cullen told her. “Along the way, they got some help from Maevaris and the Qunari, we'll get into that tomorrow, but at the end, Maric Theirin killed Titus – in the Fade.”“That leads us to Astrid,” Leliana chimed in. “We suspect we know why she is so interested in reversing Tranquility: Aurelian Titus. He is a Dreamer, like Felassan.”Briseis sat down on the bed and closed her eyes. “So he was made Tranquil when Maric killed him?”Cullen bristled and took a deep breath. “That's the reason for his disappearance, but we think whomever is using the Siccari has him,” he slowly said, the tone in his voice making it obvious he still wasn't certain he believed the words himself. “We also think that Titus may have encountered the Elder One shortly after he escaped from his prison.”“What they saw in Titus's dream – of a restored Imperium, the Chant and the Qun purged from Thedas – it makes him the type of person Corypheus would want to recruit – with or without the Old Gods,” Dorian pointed out.Briseis felt herself becoming lightheaded. The room blurred at her gaze, but the mabari lying near her feet remained unfazed. Cullen shifted beside her, murmuring something she could not hear. She blinked at him several times and swallowed hard before regaining her senses. “How did everyone react when you told them that Titus may not actually be dead?”“They weren't happy, but they know they are all targets now,” Cullen replied, concerned by his wife's reactions to what she was hearing. “Alistair is already tightening security for the queen and Morrigan will accept Sayuri's offer to become Arcane Advisor to the Fereldan court.”Because she and Kieran are both targets now as well, Briseis realized as she nodded and gripped the hem of her robe. “What about Varric, Isabela and Mae?”“Maevaris and my father are going to meet with the Black Divine,” Dorian answered. “The return of Aurelian Titus is not something Nihalias wants to discover by surprise. They're both increasing their protections as well.”“As for Isabela, she will stay with Varric for a while when they return to Kirkwall,” Leliana replied. “There will be more to discuss tomorrow after you've returned from the Alienage and the Divine wants to speak with the two of us after council.”“And in the meantime, I need to have a conversation with a certain All-Mother,” the Inquisitor said, after a long moment.
Cullen placed the sending crystal on the bedside table after disconnecting and frowned at her. She was staring absently at the wall across from her, only stirring when he touched her arm. “So much for unwinding tonight,” she muttered.“We still can; we don't have to go into the Fade right now,” he whispered. “Besides, I think that perhaps some time together would be ideal before we get into this further tomorrow.” His brow wrinkled hopefully. “We can still unwind tonight if that's what you want?”Briseis gave a wry smile. “I don't care how bad the news is, there will never come a time when I don't want my husband naked with me in a tub of hot, steaming water,” she replied. Cullen grinned at her, kissing her hand when she took the one he offered, and leading her back into the bathroom as the mabari followed, settling near the door. A simple wave of her hand brought the water back to an ideal temperature as they began to undress and Cullen couldn't help his gaze going back to the scar over her right breast. She saw him staring and squeezed at his hand. “Come,” she whispered, guiding him to the tub. Cullen stepped inside first, unable to deny how relaxing it felt as he held out a hand for her to join him. She meant to sit beside him, but he tugged her over to lean back against him.“I would have you close,” he told her, pressing a lingering kiss onto her left shoulder. Briseis's head leaned back against his chest, closing her eyes and he placed another kiss against her temple while watching her absently draw a glyph along the surface of the water. At once, a gentle current swirled around them and they gradually began to put away the tensions of the night. Cullen had his eyes closed, lazily twining his fingers through hers when he felt her bringing their hands to her lips. “A copper for your thoughts, husband,” she said quietly, placing a kiss on the back of his hand as she turned around.“Right now they are of how much I love you,” he answered her, his free hand moving across the skin at her shoulder. His fingertips grazed the skin at the back of her neck and she hummed softly and melted into his touch.“The same as mine then,” she replied, kissing him as he pulled her closer and all that could wait until later fell away. Cullen let her straddle him, their hands separating to explore freely as he tilted her head backwards, his lips moving from her and along her jawline leading to his favorite spot behind her ear. The hum of want he desperately sought from Briseis came at once, followed by a squeak of surprise when he tightened his grip on her waist and stood up from the tub with her in his arms. He marched them back into the bedroom as she cleared the tub with her magic and eagerly snatched towels off the wall when he growled that he intended to dry her off... by hand.She tossed one of the towels onto the bed when they were close and he set her atop it before wrapping one of the others around his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his golden curls and Briseis couldn't help being distracted by them until he started carefully blotting at her own thick waves, his hands well-practiced in their care since they'd become lovers before moving her neck and shoulders. Once again he paused over the scar at her right breast and again his lips found the mark and followed the towel's path left to the other side of her chest. Cullen leaned in, tauntingly close to her as he finished and moved downwards between her breasts. His linger was long against her abdomen and the curve of her hips but then his tongue laved up a drop of water clinging near her left inner thigh, making her gasp and giggle.“That tickles,” she told him.Cullen couldn't help thinking of their first night together when she said that. “Just wait,” he replied and her heart fluttered in her chest as he proceeded to dry her legs. There were still a few droplets lingering in his hair as she curled her fingers through while he patted her feet dry and Cullen laughed when he caught her off guard by tickling the bottom of her right foot. She grinned mischievously as she responded in kind by tickling him about the waist before he seized her lips again and she pulled him to lay atop her. She hooked her leg behind his left thigh when he rocked against her, the cloth around his waist brushing against her as bare skin. He shifted them further onto the bed and then guided her Anchored hand to help him shed the towel at his waist, leaving nothing between them.He propped himself up on one of his forearms. “May I?” he breathlessly asked.“Do absolutely anything you want? Yes!” Briseis cried out, pulling him down again.He retreated near the edge of the bed, guiding her already open legs further apart. is hand slid down her torso, knuckles of his hand tracing the soft flesh as his eyes followed them yet lower. She was already dripping when he slipped a finger into her heat and he was transfixed watching it dip in and out of her while his thumb gently massaged her clit. Briseis moaned softly, growing wetter as her toes kneaded at the furs atop their bed and he heard her breath stutter each time he pressed his lips to her inner thighs, still watching his fingers work. After a couple of moments, it wasn't enough for him any longer, but the loud gasp that came when his tongue made contact with her folds had him humming his satisfaction.She grew dizzier as her hips rolled against his tongue and she felt one of his arms wrapping itself around her thigh, holding it in place as the other leg was gripped at the ankle and opened further. Cullen took his time, alternating between licking and sucking at her until he felt the tiny trembling of her legs growing stronger. The grip on her legs tightened, her hips moving faster and she was nearly lifting herself from the bed as the temperature around them rose higher. Magic built and he felt the tingling begin to build. He was fully ready, his cock aching to near displeasure, but he would have patience. This is always his favorite moment and he knew it was worth the wait.A bright, orange glow erupted to the right of him as he heard Briseis's song of climax beginning. Her voice and scent were high on the air even as he held her in place and lovingly guided her through it all and savored it as her body tensed, overwhelmed with pleasure. She slowly sank back down onto the bed moments later, her Anchored hand resting against her sweaty, heaving chest as she struggled to breathe as he lay beside her.“You're beautiful like this,” he leaned in and whispered, licking his lips.Briseis's head turned towards his, a slow, tender kiss shared between them as he pulled her over to straddle him again. Her hazel-green eyes burned with ardor for him, rendering him unable to resist tugging her down for another kiss as his hips curled up towards her. His cock brushed against her swollen and sensitive folds, nearly slipping in as she matched his movement. “I need to ride you,” Briseis pleaded.“I was hoping you'd say that,” he replied, propping up on one elbow as he rocked against her again. Her inhale was sharp this time, her eyes tearing up with desperation as he moved to her ear and whispered for a final time, “may I?”“Yes,” she moaned, her voice breaking on the word as she desperately nodded against his shoulder. Briseis's mouth fell open as he slowly began to fill her and Cullen leaned back to see the satisfied smile blooming across her face when she was fully settled on him. One hand cradled her neck and curled through her still-damp hair while the other held a firm grasp at her hip. She shifted back and forth once, her walls trembling around him as she lifted herself upward and then down again before he lifted his own hips to meet her.It wasn't lost on him that while their intent had been to unwind, they seemed to be winding themselves tighter and tighter by the heartbeat as they took their time. Cullen could see the muscles of her abdomen tightening as she moved, the rise and fall of coin at her neck as she breathed. He felt the fingers of her left hand threading through his, the ring he'd given her pressing against his skin as their hands were clasped together. Briseis's breath caught as he tightened his grip in her hair and at her hip as she moved back and forth against him while he pistoned upwards to meet her.She began to cry out as it built up again; her magic so strong that it prickled in the air around them as the room grew hotter and brighter. The sounds she made were so soft at first, one of their most jealously guarded secrets: her beautiful aria, consisting of notes no one else could – or would – ever draw from her. He began to move faster, needing to encourage the melody to become faster and louder as he sat up, nipping at the soft skin at her neck to push her over the edge. The song became a cry of his name as she came and the energy washed white-hot over their bodies as Cullen rolled her onto her back. Her leg hooked around his and he felt her entire being tingling beneath him when he thrust into her again. He would swear he felt the magic around them filling his bloodstream, more potent than any vial of lyrium the Chantry had ever given him when he looked into her eyes.Her gaze was just as arduous as it had been earlier. “Let it go, my love,” she coaxed him.And he couldn't refuse to heed her request, though Cullen did all he could to steady her as began to move again. One last thrust had his cock pulsing, filling her as she took all he would give. He rested on his arms, pressing his lips to hers as he ground his hips down, stiffening against her when he'd given all he had. He was utterly spent when he withdrew from her as they both patiently waited for their hearts and breaths to slow, eventually climbing beneath the sheets and clinging to one another.“Another copper for your thoughts, husband?”Cullen tilted her chin up to kiss her. “Still of how much I love you,” he replied. “Though now, other concerns seek to return.”“Our conversation earlier,” Briseis understood with a sigh. “I was already certain that Mythal and Flemeth had done some... questionable things, but why they would have Maric and Yavana to wake a great dragon?” A horrifying thought entered her mind, her body tensing. “We battled more than a few dragons while going up against Corypheus,” she recalled.“Don't worry, I doubt you've encountered her – she'd likely be much larger than a high dragon. And this was not just any great dragon they awoke,” Cullen slowly replied. “This one is said to be the Queen of Dragons. But no one has seen her since her awakening as far as anyone knows.”“That's – comforting and disconcerting at the same time,” she replied. “I suppose such a dragon would find someplace remote to nest. But she's likely had offspring since being awakened; should anyone stumble across her lair or even where she hunts...”Cullen pulled her close to him. “Our people in the field know to send word of any dragon sightings reported wherever they are,” he reminded her before a yawn escaped him. “Should something happen, we'll know about it, but for now, let's focus on getting some answers from Mythal.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“You needn't worry about the Queen,” Mythal assures them at once when she arrives to meet them at the Well of Sorrows. “She and her clutch are safe, nested in a place well out of anyone's reach.” “But why would you have them wake her?” Briseis asks.Mythal stares at her reflection in pool before them. “To protect her and her children that hatched a year later,” the All-Mother replies quietly. “She was heavy with the eggs when she took refuge in the Silent Grove and Great dragons are as powerful as they are rare. The precious few she has given birth to are vital in restoring their numbers. It was only a matter of time before the grove was discovered and she and her young would have been slaughtered or otherwise exploited had they remained there.”“Did you know of Yavana's death?” Cullen inquires of her, not at all surprised when Mythal nods.“We went to the Silent Grove and tended to her remains,” she answers. “Leaving the body of a Witch of the Wilds out in the open was foolhardy on Alistair's part.” She slowly steps into the vir'abelasan, closing her eyes. “I temporarily reinforced the enchantments that protect the Grove to insure that the other dragons remain asleep, though some did wake as a result of the Breach.” The water sways with her as she spins on her heel to face them, seeing their alarmed expressions. “You have already tended to them.” Mythal informs the pair.Briseis descends into the waters to join her. “How long will the protections hold?” “Long enough. But much is misunderstood about what happened with Calenhad. The deal that was struck was one that he proposed.” Mythal tells them. “And what were the terms of this bargain?” she demands, immediately concerned.“In exchange for the power that now courses through their veins and united Ferelden, the members of the Theirin bloodline were to aid in protecting the remaining dragons of the Silent Grove,” Mythal replies. “When Calenhad drank the great dragon's blood, it bound him and his descendants to this covenant.”Cullen watches them from the edge of the pool. He dares not set foot in its waters. “It seems Alistair has not fulfilled their end of the bargain. What happens if the protections fail?”The Elvhen goddess shakes her head very slowly and turns to Briseis, marveling at how it often feels like staring into her own reflection. It strangely makes her feel uneasy in a way neither of them have seen before. “Measures have already been taken,” she answers, guilt clouding her words. “You must wake. Morrigan is coming and she is not alone.” “We agreed that the compulsion would not be used on her,” Briseis reminds the All-Mother.“And it was not,” Mythal emphatically replies. “This was set into motion long ago.”Briseis turns to her husband who is just as confused as she is, though he disappears from the Fade, clearly having heard Morrigan's arrival. She turns again to Mythal. “We're not done with this,” she warns.The goddess nods, not looking at her. “I don't doubt it,” she replies solemnly. “But it will keep. For now, do what you must.”
Briseis's eyes opened just as Cullen opened the door, bowing for a confused Alistair as he entered followed by a troubled Morrigan. The king's face went deeply pink when he saw the Inquisitor still in bed, covered only in a sheet, and Alistair turned towards the fireplace immediately, voicing his apologies. Morrigan paid no mind, looked over at the Inquisitor, her eyes resentful as she swept past Alistair and withdrew a very small vial from a pocket near her heart.“This is what we will need,” Morrigan said coldly as she set it on the desk and began to cast wards.The Inquisitor pushed to the edge of the bed, murmuring her thanks when Cullen handed her a robe to pull around her naked body. “I'm dressed now, Your Majesty,” she said, dipping into a curtsy when he turned to face her as she crossed the room, seeing the sealed vial filled with nearly-clear liquid. She took it in hand and turned to face them as Morrigan stared at her, wearing the same anguished expression she wore when they found Kieran in the Fade with Flemeth. “What is this?” Briseis slowly asked, holding it up.“The last time Mythal will ever use my son,” Morrigan hissed as the Inquisitor closed her eyes, plopping down in the chair.Alistair's confusion got the better of him. “Mythal?” he inquired, approaching the Inquisitor sitting at the desk. “The goddess? What is she to do with any of this?” He rounded on Morrigan. “What is in that vial?” he demanded.“Kieran's tears,” Morrigan answered him, the pain evident in her voice. She looked over his shoulder to Briseis, watching as the Inquisitor began to understand... and grow angry. “But you did not know of this,” she suddenly realizes.“I didn't,” Briseis confirmed on a slow breath, carefully setting down the vial.Alistair's patience wore down rapidly. “Why the hell would she know? What are you talking about?”Morrigan turned to face Alistair. “Kieran was not born merely to house the soul of an Old God,” Briseis told the monarch standing before her. “And your being his father is no coincidence. This is by design.”Alistair sank into the chair across from Briseis. “Wait,” the king said, looking from her to Cullen. “You know that I'm Kieran's father?”“Yes, Your Majesty,” Cullen immediately replied, looking back at the Inquisitor. “We have only known for a short time and we understand the need for discretion; far better than you currently realize.”The king merely nodded, seeming satisfied with Cullen's assurances for the moment. “But why do you have his tears?” he whispered, still floored as he looked at his son's mother, curious for her answer.“'Twas a matter of sentiment on my part,” Morrigan admitted, a little smile warming her features even as she met his eyes. “He was not even a week old when I collected them. A way to remember my – our – son when he was untarnished by this world.” She steeled herself, prepared for his insult. When none came, Morrigan's expression sobered as she then turned back to the Inquisitor.“But now the voices of the Well say that because of his lineage and the time when they were collected, there is enough power in them. And since blood magic is firmly out of the question for obvious reasons, this is the best way.”Alistair looked between them again. “What voices from what well?” he asked, his eyes hard when he looked at the Inquisitor, his knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip on the chair. “What have you done?”“And enough power in them to do what?” Cullen further demanded.“She did nothing. 'Twas my mother and Mythal,” Morrigan sharply told Alistair. “I did not realize it then, but they needed the Grey Warden I laid with that night to be you. Not just to draw Urthemiel's soul, but to produce a son of a Witch of the Wilds and a descendant of Calenhad Theirin. Kieran was meant to be a means to preserve both family lines should you never have had another child and I refuse to be Mythal's host. Though he no longer carries Urthemiel's soul and will not be your heir, he yet has a purpose.”Alistair and Cullen caught on to the implication immediately as the king growled and Briseis was reminded of when they'd first met in Redcliffe. “But why do you keep bringing up an Elvhen goddess?” he inquired.Morrigan glanced to Briseis while Cullen shifted uncomfortably, watching as Alistair curled his hand into a fist on the arm of the chair. “If I've been manipulated, I'm at least owed an explanation,” he angrily spoke into the silence.Briseis looked into Alistair's eyes and sighed. “You're absolutely right,” she replied, inclining her head towards her husband. Cullen eyed her, concerned though he crossed the room, rummaging through a trunk to produce a small silver flask that bore a lion's head – a gift from Dorian, given the day Cullen married Briseis. He took a swig for himself before handing it to Alistair.“Drink,” Briseis advised.The king sniffed at the flask before glancing at Cullen. “It's only whiskey, Your Majesty,” the Commander assured him as Briseis rose from the desk and stood near the fireplace. “You'll likely want something stronger before this is over.”
“I suppose that could have gone worse,” Cullen said as he wrapped his arms around his wife.She leaned her head against his chest, staring out at the night sky still affording them a precious few hours of sleep. “Alistair deserved to know after everything he's been put through. But I am relieved that he didn't try to strangle me or run me through,” Briseis replied and turned around to face him.“So am I,” Cullen admitted. “But I wasn't looking forward to the consequences of fighting Alistair if he decided to attack you.”She shuddered at the thought. “What was it he said? 'At least Mythal didn't pick another manipulative bitch?'” Briseis sighed and then snorted with laughter to Cullen's surprise. “I suppose I should be grateful for that, but asking if this somehow makes me Kieran's grandmother was the best part.”“I did struggle not to laugh when he said that,” Cullen admitted.“But he does have something of a point,” she conceded. “At the very least, Mythal is Kieran's spiritual grandmother, and that carries some obligation.” Her hazel-green eyes darkened. “We'll have a lot to work out tomorrow. This will likely delay our return to Skyhold by weeks.”His brow wrinkled as he led her back to the bed. “Yes,” Cullen replied. “But it gives Dagna the time she needs to finish her report.” He pulled her down to lay beside him. “And your clan isn't too far away. Perhaps we could visit them?”Briseis's eyes brightened at the idea as she tucked herself in closer to him. “That would be nice,” she replied, yawning. “It'd be a chance to directly check in on the investigation into who attacked mamae's caravan.”They gradually drifted off, each of them in their own thoughts as they held one another until sleep found them again at last. She is sorry for what everyone had gone through because of the machinations of Flemeth and Mythal, so angry at the All-Mother that she does not wish to see her now. Her thoughts don't go far as she wanders the halls of the Royal Palace. There has been little time to fully explore the grounds, so she allows the spirits to guide her to those places still unknown to her and the stories carried within its stone walls.
The Fade warps into silent corridors of the palace and she finds the throne room, unable to help feeling that strange sensation she'd felt just before walking in on Corypheus's ritual. She sees a well-dressed man and a woman in the throne room, waiting as a dark-haired man dressed in Grey Warden armor approaches them. She follows the man at a distance and closes in to just a few feet to observe as he places a small bundle in the other man's arms. Curiosity gets the better of her and she moves closer to see the bundle is actually a tiny infant... with blonde hair. The man holds the child in his arms and looks to the woman – an elf Briseis immediately knows despite the slight toll time has taken in the present – before she takes the child, calming him when he briefly stirs as the man sits on the dais. She passes the child back to the Grey Warden and sits as well, quietly telling him that their child is not to be another heir, nor is he to live in squalor in the alienage. He is to be human, to have the normal life his parents yearn to have. Briseis studies the child in the Grey Warden's arms, a tiny hand resting on the griffon and now knows why she had that feeling: that was not to be the child's fate.“Though I suspected an elf, I never knew who his mother was,” Mythal quietly says, coming alongside her. “But now I know why I felt our People in his blood.” “Why are you here?” Briseis asks.Mythal smiles at her wryly. “There are things you now need to know,” she answers as the Fade warps to the Battle of Ostagar. They stand beside Flemeth as she observes the battle deteriorating in favor of the darkspawn with Morrigan safely behind her at a distance. Her daughter had observed their strategy earlier, returning to inform her that the Warden-Recruits that had visited them earlier were tasked to signal for reinforcements. The bright orange flame illuminates the battlefield before her and she sees Loghain not far from her – betraying Maric yet again as he leaves the field and Cailan's forces are overwhelmed, falling to the darkspawn. Magic engulfs Flemeth then, knowing that the last of the Theirin bloodline – along with the woman he seemed to desire – would soon be destroyed if she did not intervene.“Go at once. I will meet you at home,” Flemeth tells Morrigan over her shoulder as her body changes and she takes to the sky. Morrigan hesitates and watches, always in awe when she took this form, before she takes flight herself, the small raven headed back into the Korcari Wilds. When Flemeth reaches the tower, she sees them, injured and overwhelmed. Her gaping mouth opens, a blast of flame expanding that of the beacon's until it incinerates the darkspawn that have incapacitated them. Flemeth then descends and shifts back into her human form to make certain that they yet draw breath – as does the mabari – before she looks again to the battlefield below. They are all that remain as the rest of Loghain's army finally disappears from view. She will meet him shortly, but they must be taken to Morrigan at once if they are to survive and if she is to make it to the encampment ahead of the army.There is no protest in her daughter's eyes when she arrives with the injured, stabilizing them with magic as Flemeth settles them in the hut and tells Morrigan that she has one last errand to attend... alone. She chooses the raven for herself this time, swift and discreet as she barely makes it to the camp ahead of her unsuspecting host. Flemeth is already in his tent, settled into a chair when he enters and Loghain halts when he realizes that he is not alone. He spins about and he draws his sword, his eyes widening with recognition when he sees her.“Maric never should have trusted you,” she snarls, just loudly enough for him to hear her. “I warned him that you would betray him for as long as he knew you.”“And he should have killed you when we first laid eyes on you,” Loghain retorts, crossing the room to hold the blade towards her.Flemeth raises an eyebrow as she stands, his blade threatening to pierce her breast. “And then you would be dead and Ferelden would still be beneath the heel of Orlais,” she reminds him. “Cailan wanted to hand Ferelden over to Celene; I could not allow that,” Loghain replies. “As for Maric, your words of a Blight haunted him throughout his reign. He obsessed over them and the Grey Wardens, then passed it down to that fool he called a son. I dreaded the moment when Duncan came to Cailan with the news and he was all too eager for it.” He tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword. “But now that I will be named regent, I can lead my country down a better path. One that ends in Ferelden free of the influence of undesirables such as you.”She narrows her eyes, “And what path is that?” she demands, stepping towards him. “One that ends with you wearing the crown? To finally have all that once belonged to the name Theirin.” Loghain keeps his sword trained on her, though he is reluctant to do the deed.Flemeth closes in and studies his icy blue eyes carefully; barely a thrust on his part would snuff her out. “That is what you want, but none of this is your plan,” the Witch of the Wilds realizes. “So to whom have you sold your nation in exchange for power?” “I have sold nothing,” Loghain answered defensively. “I have secured our true freedom.”His eyes widen with pain as the hilt of his sword is engulfed in flames before he can react and Flemeth snatches a thin chain from around the teryn's neck. She clasps it in hand for closer examination, noting the small disc with a glyph etched into the center. “Interesting. This is very old magic,” Flemeth says, feeling the enchantment emanating from it. Her golden-yellow eyes flick back to Loghain and she grasps at his throat. “Who are your masters in the Imperium?”Loghain struggles against her, surprised when he cannot break her grip. “The alliances I have forged in exchange for ending the Theirin line guarantee that Ferelden will be saved. They will send aid against the darkspawn. They have given their word.” Flemeth scoffs, shoving him away. “They have another way to deal with the Archdemon while I quell those who would question my rule,” Loghain continues as he reaches for his neck, scarlet marks beginning to show where she'd held him. “And once they succeed, my allies will come for you. They're more powerful than you've ever been.”She laughs at that. “You truly are a fool. There remains only one person who could even match me, and he seems content to sleep yet a while longer,” she says. “But your machinations are of no consequence. Your plan has already failed.” “I watched Cailan die with my own eyes,” Loghain smugly argues as he watches her turn to leave.Flemeth opens the tent flap and sees the Tower of Ishal still smoldering in the distance. She looks at Loghain over her shoulder, tossing the necklace at his feet. “And yet...” she whispers to herself as she flies home thinking of her hut, her daughter and the two young Grey Wardens that now need her attention. Morrigan goes to scout the Wilds when she returns and tends to their guests. Once they are stable and in the deep sleep she casts on them, Flemeth opens the chest beside the fireplace, pulling out an old book to set it on a nearby table. She exhales slowly as she flips through the grimoire, searching for ways to buy the precious, yet necessary time, seeing as hers was finally running out.By the time Morrigan returns with news that the darkspawn horde is preparing to move towards Lothering, Flemeth realizes there are no more options left. Alistair, Sayuri and Vakarian depart the Korcari Wilds with Morrigan, despite her protests, now in their company a day and a half after the events of Ostagar. She sends her daughter with the Wardens, optimistic that they will reach the village ahead of the darkspawn and once they are well and gone, Flemeth goes back inside to give the stew Morrigan had mentioned a stir before opening the chest again. She retrieves the grimoire, along with an amulet that she'd never wanted to use. There will be others fleeing the Blight, perhaps one would lend their assistance – in exchange for hers.
Next Morning
The extra hours that had been granted them were a blessing and they only stirred when a servant knocked on their door early in the morning, as they'd requested. Cullen rose to open the door, accepting the tray that had been delivered with a word of thanks, setting it on the table just in time for her to uncover their breakfast and begin pouring coffee.“Did you confront her?” he asked once he'd pulled out the chair for her and stolen a kiss.Briseis frowned as she stirred cinnamon into her coffee. “I started out wandering the Palace, but there were more revelations before it was done,” she told him, taking a sip as he sat across from her. Cullen frowned, dipping a slice of toast into the yolk of one of his eggs. “It's relevant to what we need to discuss when I get back, so it can wait until then. For now, let me enjoy wondering why you Fereldans love beans with your breakfast.”He burst into laughter in the face of her skepticism. “Beans are good for you, love,” he reminds her.“But with breakfast?”He nodded before biting into his toast. “The extra energy comes in handy when doing late-morning chores,” he replied as he gathered up a spoonful. “Or satisfying insatiable lovers,” he added as he held the spoon out to her temptingly. “Given the day we're both about to have, I don't see how that could hurt.”Were it anyone else other than you... she thought to herself. Instead, she simply looked into his wondrous golden eyes and opened her mouth for a taste. “Savory, and a little salty from the bits of bacon,” she said, her hand covering her mouth as she swallowed her bite. “I still think it's weird to eat beans for breakfast.” Cullen saw her still covering her mouth and reached out, moving to stand. She did as well, having decided his claim should be put to the test.
She was fully dressed and making her way outside with Harea in tow when Briseis stopped short as she arrived in the courtyard. Several guards awaited her and as she descended the steps, she could see why: Alistair stood there with his mount, a dark grey Fereldan Forder, seeming to have been waiting for her with Wrex beside him. The mabari bounded towards one another and the king couldn't help his amusement as Harea wrestled with her uncle. His attention turned back to the Inquisitor, frowning at her concerned look.“Good morning, my lady” he said politely, though his tone seemed nervous. “I understand that you intend to visit the Denerim Alienage today?”Briseis dipped into a curtsy when she was close enough. “Good morning, Your Majesty. Yes, I'm visiting the alienage today – headed there now, actually.”Alistair raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder. “Alone?” he clarified, gesturing for her to rise. “And on foot?”“Going on foot gives me a chance to get to know the city,” she countered as Harea returned to her side. “And I'm not alone.”He frowned at her. “You do not have a proper escort. Where are the Commander or the Seekers?” he sternly inquired. “What of your guards?”“A large party or a bunch of guards would be intimidating,” she explained. “I prefer these visits without the burden of an entourage.”“I see,” Alistair replied, tapping the toe of his boot against the stones. “Well I regret to tell you that I do not approve of your walking about my city without an escort. I shall have words with the Commander when we return.”Briseis stepped back from the king in surprise. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?”“I believe you heard me,” he answered her and then motioned for someone to return his horse to the stables. “It is improper for you to wander the city alone, so I will accompany you myself.”Briseis studied him for a moment, realizing his motives. “Alone?” she queried. “And on foot?”Alistair nodded curtly as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his hair, waving his guards away. “We're not alone, as you have already pointed out,” he replied, gesturing to Harea and Wrex, who seemed eager for this adventure.“Not that I can't protect us both, but are you armed?” she curiously asked.He patted the longsword at his hip. “The ball and chain wouldn't allow me to do this otherwise,” he told her. “Come, my lady. The city awaits.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The silence was awkward between them as they made their way through the Palace District, pausing from time to time and allowing Harea and Wrex to sniff at whatever had caught their attention. The streets were busy, but quiet this morning and Briseis was so deep in her thoughts that it caught her by surprise when the king abruptly tugged at her left arm just as she was walking into the street, causing her to look up to see a carriage riding past them. She glanced down at where he held her arm and then back up at him just in time for him to release her as though she'd burned him.She couldn't bear the tension any longer. “Your Majesty,” she quietly began.He sighed loudly. “Alistair,” he reminded her.Briseis gave a watery smile and nodded. “I wasn't certain if it were still acceptable for me to be informal,” she replied, holding out her Anchored hand. “I'd get it if you felt otherwise now, and I understand how you feel, especially after everything you've been put through.”“You're not responsible for any of that,” he said slowly as they continued across the street. He lowered his voice then. “Nothing Mythal and Flemeth did is on you. What you and Mythal do is another matter entirely.”Another nod from her. “I know,” she said. “This business with the Silent Grove is an impossible situation,” she said, matching his voice. “I will not use you or Kieran to do this, so I will find another way or make one on the way there.”“No,” he replied. “I will help you, if only to keep my son as far removed from all of this as possible. That seems to be what Morrigan wants and though I've never been a father to the lad, I'm inclined to agree with her. So I will aid you, but not to wake any more of the dragons.”“That was never my intention, even if it were anyone else's,” Briseis replied. He finally offered his arm, relieved when she took it as they kept walking. “Does Most Holy know about this?” he asked her.Briseis frowned. “Not yet,” she answered. “While the Divine knows I have Mythal's orb, it is better that she has plausible deniability about other details in the event that this ever comes to light. But she is well informed of our movements.” She halted just as the alienage came into view. “I need to tell you that I learned something last night that you and the queen will want to know. It's part of what we've been looking into, so I'm inviting you to join us for our meeting when we return to the palace.”Alistair seemed worried, but chuckled and gave her a small smile. “See? You're already better at this than Flemeth. You're open and honest about needing to tell me bad news later.”Briseis couldn't help but to laugh as they approached the walls of the alienage and a young male elf waited for them at the gates. “Who goes there?” he demanded, though he realized who it was when he saw the mabari. Alistair removed his hood and the elf dropped to his knee, recognizing him. “Your Majesty,” the boy said as he pushed the gate open, his bright blue eyes flicking to Briseis. “Hahren said to expect you today; that you were bringing the Inquisitor. She's at her house, preparing herself.”“Ma serranas,” Briseis replied as they entered. It wasn't as dilapidated as the alienage in Val Royeaux, but the buildings all seemed worse for wear compared to some of the other parts of the city she'd seen. Harea was cautious, but eager and eventually followed Wrex's lead in greeting people who were tending to their daily chores, prompting others to step out as well to see who had come to visit the alienage. Some began whispering among themselves excitedly in Elvhen, but the usual wary expressions were seen from a few others though most seemed to pay the king no mind. “Come here often?” Briseis queried.“Shianni is a member of my court, but she doesn't come to the palace very often,” Alistair explained, waving to a woman doing laundry alongside her daughter who Wrex and Harea went to greet. “So I come to visit her regularly and address any concerns or problems she has. She will usually come to the palace when I ask it of her, so I'm wondering why she didn't make it last night.”Briseis hummed, but said nothing as they neared the vhenadahl at the center of the alienage. The tree looked in need of some attention, though the base of the tree was laden with a few small offerings. There were not as many as she would have anticipated from an alienage of this size as she stared around. “How many elves did you say remain here?” she queried, placing her left hand on its trunk.“Four hundred, seventy-two, though our numbers will grow before summer's end,” a woman's voice replied to her left. Briseis turned to see an Elvhen woman, slightly taller than she with silvery-red hair approaching from a comfortable looking home. She gave a small curtsy to Alistair, who nodded to her politely, before turning to the Inquisitor. “Hahren Shianni, meet Briseis Lavellan, the Inquisitor.”“I got your message yesterday,” Shianni told the Inquisitor as she warily observed Briseis channeling magic into the tree, “and I apologize for not being able to attend the feast last night, but I had marriages to negotiate last night.”Briseis glanced over her shoulder as she continued her task. “There is no need to apologize, hahren,” she replied. “Your duty is much more important than coming to dinner. But you say there are less than five hundred elves living here?”“Not many elves remained here after the Blight as you know,” he told her. “The subsequent food shortages sent them elsewhere. Even less remain now since the Breach.”“Where did they go?” she asked.“Many chose to remain in Ferelden, but moved to Amaranthine, Edgehall or Highever,” Shianni replied as they continued to watch. “Others still went to Halamshiral and Rivain.”Alistair eventually felt others drawing near and stared around as the elves began to make their way towards the vhenadahl, watching curiously as Briseis poured her magic into its trunk. Briseis could feel the tree responding to her touch and the trunk seemed to rise up and touch her hand as its vitality returned, the branches above beginning to sprout bright, verdant leaves that livened up the surrounding area. The bark of the tree warmed under her hand and she slowly stepped away as some of the elves stepped past the king to marvel at the vhenadahl's new growth while others disappeared into their homes, returning with more gifts and a few subtle glances at the Inquisitor.“It has felt this alienage's losses,” she explained to answer the questioning looks Alistair and Shianni were giving her. The hahren said nothing, but gestured them towards her home, encouraging them to follow her. Shianni's house was cozy and warm, reminding Briseis of Lydia's home in the Ash Quarter as she watched the hahren lifting a steaming teapot from the hearth.Briseis nibbled at her lower lip as Shianni poured tea for the three of them and Harea and Wrex settled themselves near the fire. “Has there been much violence?”“We implemented strict penalties for crimes committed against the alienage, though I regret to say that many are intimidated into not reporting attacks, especially when it's nobility,” Alistair solemnly answered her. “But thanks to your friend Sera and her friends, some of those suspected of attacking the alienage have met with some misfortune in one form or another.”“The Jennies are very good that way,” Briseis said, remembering that she needed to do drops for them tomorrow.Shianni eyed her curiously. “You're one of Jenny's friends?”“Jenny and I are friends, yes. I helped aim that pie at Arl Teagan during my engagement party,” she replied to Alistair's amusement. “And they were a huge help in Halamshiral when Chastain assaulted the Ash Quarter. I'd heard that there was a mixed reaction to what was revealed at his judgment, but I was surprised to see it firsthand last night. I really didn't expect those two banns to nearly come to blows about it.”“There are still many at court who supported Loghain,” Alistair explained to her. “They won't act against the crown, but I remember where their loyalties lay during the Blight.”Briseis couldn't help noticing Shianni's expression darkening when Loghain was mentioned. “I'd heard that before as well. When I first met her, Threnn was adamant in her defense of him.”“I thought I'd seen her walking around a few times while I was in Skyhold,” he replied. “I think she still resents my sending her to the Inquisition.”“She believes you did it to get rid of her,” she told him.“Well, that's not entirely why,” he admitted. “When Leliana requested her, I thought a change of scenery would be to her benefit. Her loyalty to Loghain is admirable, though misguided.”Shianni's hand curled into a fist. “There's nothing admirable about anyone's loyalty to that evil bastard,” she spat bitterly as she glared at the king. “Did you forget how he quarantined the alienage during Blight so that he could have our people sold off to Tevinter?”Briseis nearly choked on her tea as she looked at Alistair, who confirmed Shianni's statement. “He was working with a slaver named Caladrius to smuggle captured elves to the Imperium,” Alistair explained. “When we found him, he attempted to bribe Sayuri and I with proof of Loghain's complicity, but we killed him and took the evidence.” Alistair watched her, seeing the wheels spinning behind the intense stare of her hazel-green eyes. “What? What did I say?”“Do you still have that evidence?” Briseis asked him.The king thought for a moment. “I believe so, yes,” he replied finishing his tea. “Sayuri would know for certain.”“How many were taken and how many were recovered?” Briseis asked Shianni.“Nearly two hundred were taken,” the hahren replied, her voice strained. “The last seventy to be shipped were found and recovered. The others... seem to have disappeared without a trace. So many families taken away”The Inquisitor scowled and shook her head, standing up. “We're going back to the palace now,” she told Alistair to his surprise. “Hahren Shianni, if you would accompany us so that we can continue our conversation?”“And little Eleanor has been begging to see you,” Alistair added, attempting to sweeten the deal.Shianni grinned and arched an eyebrow before glancing at Briseis. “Will you object if we speak in Elvhen? For da'len Eleanor's sake?” Shianni asked the king, making it clear that her compliance hinged on his answer.The king sighed. “As long as you're not talking about me,” he replied as Wrex followed him to the door.
“How soon will the bondings you spoke of take place?” Briseis asked Shianni.The hahren smiled slightly. “The first will be later this spring,” she replied. “And there are others to hopefully discuss in Halamshiral,” she replied“Then you will come to the Arlathvhen?” Briseis asked her optimistically.“That remains to be seen,” Shianni told her, tempering the Inquisitor's reaction. “I have had letters from some of the other hahrens. All of them speak of your work with the Marquise of the Dales in Orlais and of Clan Lavellan's success in the Free Marches.” She looked from Alistair to Briseis before she spoke again. “They say you mean to unite the clans and the alienages. But to what end?”“Cooperation among our people,” Briseis answered. “The Marquise and I share a vision of our people – united and free once again – and thriving as a part of this world. But we need to know one another if we are to save ourselves and thrive again.” “To thrive... again?” Shianni repeated.“You say that there are four hundred, seventy-two elves dwelling in your alienage,” Briseis pointed out. “How many lived there before the Blight began?”The hahren frowned. “More than two thousand, though my predecessor once said that numbers in the alienages across Thedas had been decreasing for some time,” she replied. “I assume it is the same with the Dalish clans?”Briseis nodded her confirmation. “What are you saying? Then a-are our people dying?” Shianni asked, shocked at what she was hearing. Alistair looked over his shoulder at them, concerned at the distress in her voice.“Not if we choose another way,” Briseis answered. “But we have been separated for far too long. The People coming together again is our best chance.” “But you clearly see a need to work with the humans and other races,” Shianni replied, almost accusingly. “You lead the Inquisition, married to a human and Right Hand of the Divine.” “Thedas does not belong to the Elvhen alone anymore,” she bluntly told the hahren. “That is a truth that must be acknowledged and accepted. But that does not mean we must remain a ghost of what our people once were. We can thrive again and do so with aid from those who would support us, despite those who would destroy us, regardless of how rounded their ears are.” Shianni was silent the rest of the way to the palace, but as they arrived, she finally turned to the Inquisitor as the gates opened before them. “Then I shall come to Halamshiral this summer for the Arlathvhen,” she told Briseis. “I will see for myself what your words are worth.”“They will be worth plenty, I assure you,” the Inquisitor promised as they stepped inside the gate. “And much for all to learn.” Briseis paused a moment. “There will be more to speak of at the Arlathvhen, some of which will be difficult to hear,” she warned. “But it must be heard.” Alistair turned to them as they entered the vestibule. “Give me an hour to find that evidence,” he told Briseis. “Shall we meet in the library?”She gave a nod and gestured for Shianni to follow her. “This arrangement between you and the Marquise, could we reach a similar accord?” the hahren inquired.“We can,” Briseis replied as a page led them to the library. “I will come to the alienage again tonight while the palace sleeps. I still want to talk to everyone there.”Shianni nodded. “I will have everyone make ready after I've visited with ma da'len Eleanor.”
Cullen arrived as Briseis perused the cartographer's section for the appropriate map. “Alistair informed me that you asked him to be present for council,” he informed his wife, frowning. He placed the sending crystal in the center of one table. “What's going on?”“A lot, my love,” Briseis replied as she approached, greeting him with a kiss just as she returned with a heavy scroll that she set in a nearby chair and began pulling others away from a nearby table. “Will you help me push these together, please?”Cullen glanced warily at her as he complied, his concern growing when Morrigan arrived a few minutes later, her expression wary as she watched Briseis unfurling the large map on particular tables before she began to flit around the room in search of objects to use as markers. Alistair arrived soon after with Sayuri on his arm, both surprised at the makeshift War Table that had been assembled. “Should I have the Seekers summoned?” he inquired, setting one of the high-backed chairs at the table.“Not just yet, Your Majesty,” the Inquisitor replied, casting wards as Cullen activated the sending crystal. “Much of this information is still need-to-know.”Sayuri looked up at her, a worried expression in her big brown eyes as she sat down. “Alistair told me you wanted to speak with us and says that you've suddenly become fascinated with Loghain,” she told Briseis. “But why?”“Because I believe his actions during the Blight to be part of the larger plot,” she answered as Dorian's voice came through the crystal. “The Divine and Grand Enchanter will be along shortly, but Leliana is here,” he announced.“We have some guests,” Briseis began. “Their Majesties are here along with Morrigan. More pieces have fallen into place.”Leliana spoke next. “What has happened?” she asked.“Flemeth confronted Loghain after she rescued you from the Tower of Ishal,” the Inquisitor answered as she leaned over the high-backed chair in front of her and looked to the monarchs.Their eyes widened, as did Morrigan's while Briseis moved from the chair to set a marker over Ostagar. “That's where she went that night?”“As you know, Maric and Loghain met Flemeth years ago. But she also warned Maric that Loghain would betray him at every turn, each time worse than before,” the Inquisitor explained.“And she was right,” Alistair said darkly.Briseis nodded to the king. “More than you realize: Loghain confirmed that he knew it was a true Blight, but he was working with someone from the Imperium who was allegedly sending aid and had another way to subdue Urthemiel. In exchange for the crown, Loghain was to wipe out the Theirin bloodline.”Sayuri stroked her belly. “And he thought he'd succeeded when Cailan died.”“You witnessed this in the Fade?” Leliana asked Briseis.“I did,” she replied, looking at Alistair again. “Flemeth knew you were Maric's son when you arrived to collect the treaties from her. You look a lot like him.”Alistair shifted awkwardly. “Er, thanks?” he replied.“But did she ever discover who was he working for or for how long?” Cullen asked.“No, but Loghain was wearing a pendant bearing a glyph that implied someone in Tevinter,” the Inquisitor answered as she began setting the markers as they had been when they first reviewed everything while in Val Royeaux. “He would not name them when she asked, but he warned that they would come after her once they'd dealt with the Archdemon. But after talking with hahren Shianni, I suspect that his efforts to have the Denerim alienage enslaved were part of the agreement.”“How many elves were taken before they were stopped?” Dorian asked.“Two hundred, though seventy were recovered,” she answered. “Shianni said that it was like the others just disappeared. She also said that many were related.”“Families – which are used as leverage for Siccari,” Leliana said. “And using their contacts across Thedas, they could transport them however they want. It's good we stopped them when we did.”“But Caladrius had to answer to someone,” Briseis said, directing her words to Alistair, “did you ever find out who?”Alistair shook his head, setting the documents on the table “That's why you needed this evidence,” he realized, watching Cullen pick them up. “You think he may have been working for the people you're after.”“And that the contents will give you the name you seek,” Sayuri finishedCullen perused some the documents, frowning when he looked up at them. “Well if it was Aurelian Titus, there's no mention of him here,” Cullen told them all, his voice trailing off as he looked through the others. “But... a few of these pages appear to be coded...”“Have a courier bring them to me in Val Royeaux,” Leliana requested.Morrigan cleared her throat. “I will bring them myself,” she stated. “I should arrive in the rookery by midnight. In my absence, all of you are responsible for protecting Kieran,” she declared to the others present in the room.“You know we won't allow any harm to come to him,” Briseis told her as Sayuri nodded along.“We will take all care,” Alistair promised her. Morrigan nodded curtly to them, taking the pages with her as she swept from the room.Alistair redirected the conversation. “While we are here, we should discuss another matter. Earlier today, I informed the Inquisitor that I will fulfill my family's duty to the Silent Grove. For obvious reasons I would see this done as quickly as possible, so we will depart for the Free Marches after Morrigan has returned.” He set a marker over the location of the Silent Grove. “With Isabela returning to Kirkwall with Varric, we'll need another means of getting there discreetly.”“She's also taking my sisters to Ostwick along the way,” Cullen informed the king. “If we were to disembark with them, we can make our way from there.” He looked to Briseis. “If we travel the coast, we'll follow the caravan's path.”Briseis glanced up at Alistair, who was frowning. “It will take several days to get there if we travel the coast,” he objected.“Maybe not, at least as we progress,” she replied. “We can make the ambush site at least three days after arriving in Ostwick if we ride hard. By then, I will hopefully have found a way to expedite our path to the Silent Grove.” She looked wistfully at Arlathan Forest as her gaze traveled along the path of markers set across the map, her trail stopping just west of Perivantium. “Dorian, are you looking at the map?”“Yes, sweet girl?” the Altus replied as Cullen looked at her curiously and moved to stand beside her.“Look west of Perivantium,” she instructed. “Just before the junction in the Imperial Highway.” There was a moment of silence before Leliana's sharp gasp was heard, making it clear she had looked as well. “I'll have the nearby agents diverted there immediately,” she quickly said.“It'll be easier if someone in the Magisterium knows you're out there,” Dorian cautioned. “I'll notify Mae and my Father after we're done here.”“Maker's breath,” Cullen whispered, tapping his finger over the spot she'd noticed. He glanced at her warily. “How have we missed this for so long?”Alistair and Sayuri looked at the two of them, confused. “Is there a problem?” the queen asked, peering at the map.Briseis shook her head. “No, it is a lead on another incredibly sensitive matter the Inquisition has been dealing with since Corypheus was defeated,” Cullen explained.“This is all coming to a head, sweet girl,” Dorian chimed in.“Good,” Briseis replied, staring at the map. “But let's handle what's in front of us while Leliana's people see what they can find. Hopefully they'll have something by the time we've addressed the Silent Grove.”“Very well, but what of the Seekers?” Alistair inquired as there was some small commotion on Leliana's end. “Will they be tagging along for this adventure?”
“Inquisitor?” a mellow Rivaini voice said, pulling her out of her thoughts an hour later.Briseis blinked as she turned around to see the Seekers entering, with Aro watching her cautiously as they approached. “Are you alright?” he asked.Her brow wrinkled for a moment before she nodded. “I could use a nap,” she replied with a rueful grin as she looked around at the other Seekers. “You got here faster than I expected.”Aro raised an eyebrow. “We were already headed this way when we ran into King Alistair on his way to the throne room,” he told her as she reached for the sending crystal. “I figured you'd send for us before long. Anything we should know?”“You're about to hear it directly from the Divine,” she answered him as she activated the crystal. “But our return to Skyhold has been delayed as we're leaving for Ostwick in two days.”Divine Victoria's voice came through a second later. “The Grand Enchanter and the Left Hand are present as well,” she began. “Have the Seekers arrived?”“We are here, Your Perfection,” Aro replied. “Your Right Hand says that we are to go to Ostwick?”“That is correct,” the Divine told him. “Recently we received word that there have been disturbances coming from what remains of the Ostwick Tower. It is unknown if demons or maleficarum are behind this, so I am requesting the Seekers investigate and resolve the matter.”“And will the Right Hand be joining us for this mission?” he asked.Briseis shook her head. “Yes, as will Cullen since he's trained as a templar,” she replied, “but afterwards, I will be tending to an Inquisition matter while the rest of you sail to Antiva City.”“Why there, my lady?” Seeker Wallace inquired of her.“The Antiva City Circle of Magi is on the short list to be among the first Circles reinstated,” the Grand Enchanter's voice drawled. “While this is still several months away, there are some issues that will need to be addressed. First Enchanter Luisa is requesting the Right Hand and the Seekers evaluate the tower's current readiness and meet with some of the templars who have volunteered to be stationed there.”Aro looked over at Briseis. “We will do as we are bid,” he answered for the others. “How are we traveling to the Free Marches?”Briseis grinned. “My sisters-in-law are sailing there with Varric and Isabela as they return to Kirkwall,” she answered. “Cullen is currently asking Isabela if she is willing to take on a few extra passengers.”“And you think she'll agree?” Valerie, the Orlesian Seeker, asked.“If not, we have an alternative already in place,” the Inquisitor told them. “But as this will be a personal favor to the Divine, I'm fairly certain she'll agree to the proposition.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So... no work today?” he asked the next morning as they lounged in bed.Briseis huffed with amusement. “Just a couple of drops for Red Jenny, which can be done while we're out today,” she confirmed as she stretched out against him. “But before I went back to the alienage, I got a head start on Muriel's research; I'll pick it back up while we're sailing to the Free Marches. Mia and the others are arriving this morning, right?”“Yes, just after breakfast,” Cullen replied. “They were supposed to stay at one of the inns just outside the marketplace, but Sayuri wouldn't hear of it when I told her they were coming. Our guards are meeting them at the city gates to bring them here.”She rolled into his lap excitedly. “I can't wait to see them.”Cullen chuckled, putting his hands around her waist. “You can't wait to see Aidan,” he corrected.“Neither can you,” she pointed out, leaning down to kiss him. “And I'll get to meet Edric this time since he couldn't make the wedding.”“Speaking of family, have you written to tell Asvhalla that we're coming?” he replied, securing her against his chest as she relaxed into him.Briseis nodded against him. “I sent the raven on my way back from the alienage last night,” she answered as they heard a knock at their door. Cullen reluctantly released her to answer the door while he wrangled their mabari, who were eager for their breakfast. A couple of hours later, they were out in the courtyard, Briseis all but bouncing as she saw the carriage passing through. It had barely come to a stop when Branson emerged as he struggled with Aidan, who was wriggling furiously to get free of his father's grasp as they exited. “Bwee!” he screamed as he was finally set down and began to toddle over to a laughing Briseis as fast as his little legs could carry him.“Aneth'ara, sweet boy,” Briseis cooed as she knelt down to scoop him into her arms. He'd grown since the wedding and she struggled just a little to adjust to his weight as she settled him on her hip and Branson hugged Briseis from the side before embracing his brother.“There will be no getting him down for a nap now,” he laughed as Aidan reached over to Cullen's cloak, gleefully pulling at the fur. “Ello, Cul!” the toddler said brightly.“Hello, -argh!- Aidan!” Cullen replied, wincing when the toddler accidentally grabbed a handful of his hair while the others exited the carriage. Marianna and Rosalie were out first, followed by Ella and Barrett, who made a beeline for the mabari. Mia emerged at last, accompanied by a tall man with strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes that she introduced as her husband, Edric. “I should have known this would happen when I pointed you out to him,” Rosalie giggled as she hugged her sister-in-law.Briseis couldn't help smiling. “It was totally worth this greeting,” she replied. “We've missed all of you. Are you excited about your trip?”Rosalie couldn't help blushing and neither of them failed to notice Cullen pretending not to listen in. “Yes, but I was hoping you and I could talk privately later?”“I'd like that,” Briseis answered as Aidan finally contented himself to snuggle against her as Edric got a moment to speak to her. “It's nice to finally meet you,” he told her. “I hear I missed quite the wedding. And a lot of snow.”She had to laugh as they all started up the steps. “Yes, but Vivienne, Dorian and Josephine pulled out all the stops and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves despite the weather,” she replied. “But we would love for you to visit Skyhold. All of you are welcome anytime you wish.”“I'll keep that in mind,” Edric replied, glancing back at his son, who was enraptured by Cullen telling him of the Grey Wardens. “Barrett couldn't stop talking about it for weeks, especially about you and your mount. He seems to have taken your mother's advice to heart when it comes to his own horse.”“Mamae will be pleased to hear it,” Briseis told him. “Did he tell you about the Iron Bull?”“Constantly,” Edric laughed, accentuating the crow's feet at his eyes. “His other favorite thing to talk about was the sparring match between he and Fenris.” A steward was waiting in the vestibule to lead them to their rooms and by some miracle, Aidan drifted to sleep just as they made it to Branson and Marianna's room. They all agreed to meet up once he'd awakened from his nap and so Rosalie took advantage of the free time to speak with the Inquisitor while Mia dragged their incredibly nosy brother away to show them the kennels.Rosalie was quiet as she and Briseis found their way into the garden and once they'd found a bench she leaned her head back to feel the warmth of the sun. “Laurent de Ghislain has been writing to me,” she said softly.Briseis hummed as she relaxed against the bench. “I see,” she replied. “Vivienne spoke highly of you to him and His Grace told me of his interest when I met with him in Val Royeaux. Have you written him back? When did he start writing to you?”“Shortly after that,” Rosalie answered, her cheeks growing pink as she pulled a letter out of her pocket. “I have written him back and he knows that I'm visiting the Trevelyans, but he still wishes to meet me.”“The Ghislain Estate is very lovely,” Briseis promised her. “I'm certain that you'll have a good time while you're there should you choose to go.”Rosalie's golden strands glinted in the sun as she shook her head. “He wants to visit South Reach,” she replied to Briseis's surprise, handing her the letter. “His Grace is very charming and likable in his letters, but what kind of person is he, really?”Briseis read his letter, finding it to be quite respectful, honest and endearingly sweet. “He, of course has a great deal of responsibility as the leader of the Council of Heralds and they are duties that he takes seriously,” she replied once she'd finished reading and handed it back. “But when I've talked with him without the pretense of titles and duties, he's a very well-mannered, humble and quiet person, except when talking about something he really enjoys. He and Bull had a rather animated conversation when they were talking about the upcoming Grand Tourney. Laurent also asked me to tell you that he enjoys riding, as well as painting and fishing. Clearly you both have a fondness for nature.”Rosalie giggled. “He's told me of some of the plants that he's found around his estate,” she replied.“Then it seems you're at least becoming friends, which is a nice start to anything,” Briseis mused, causing her to blush even more. “Are you thinking about agreeing to his visiting you?”Her sister-in-law was thoughtful then. “I already did,” she replied, her blush deepening. “I still want to meet Bann Trevelyan's son and Marquis Etienne, but Laurent – His Grace – is the only one who has actually offered to visit me.”“Have you heard from Etienne?” inquired.Rosalie shook her head. “Not recently, though he said that he's hoping I will visit his villa in Lydes this summer,” she replied.“Sounds like you'll be busy for some time,” Briseis observed. “But you'll have time to think on it while we're crossing to the Free Marches.”Rosalie looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”“Ah, we'll be sailing with you tomorrow,” Briseis explained. “We have some matters to attend for the Inquisition as well as the Chantry.”“Is what you're doing dangerous?” Rosalie asked her, now deeply concerned.“Only if we're not careful, which we will be,” Briseis assured her. “We'll also check in with you while you're with the Trevelyans.” She chuckled suddenly and Rosalie was confused again. “People don't talk to me about this stuff anymore,” Briseis explained. “Mainly because I'm the Right Hand of the Divine now. Dorian has to tell me all the good gossip in Skyhold these days, so feel free to tell me anything and everything.”
Cullen was pacing before the fire when she returned an hour later. “Well?” he inquired.Briseis raised an eyebrow. “She's fine,” she assured him, taking a seat on the sofa as she removed her boots. “But I did tell her that we're leaving with them tomorrow.”He crossed the room to sit beside her. “Does she know that we're bringing the Seekers?”“I only told her that we had matters to attend in the Free Marches,” Briseis replied, stretching out across his lap.“Did you tell her about Alistair?” he asked while his hand trailed down the length of her green vest.“Of course not,” she replied. “No one can know that until we've already left.”“But you're not going to tell me what she wanted to talk about.”She sat upright then, her face close to his. “Now what kind of sister-in-law would I be if I broke her confidence?” she chided.Cullen thought for a moment and sighed, rubbing at his neck. “I'm just worried about this,” he explained. “But you're right, I shouldn't be asking you to do that. It's not fair to put you in that position, so I'm sorry. ”“I accept your apology,” Briseis said, smiling as she gave him a peck on the lips. “But I can tell you that Rosalie is handling all of this quite well. She also knows you're concerned and will talk to you about it if you aren't overbearing. Her words, not mine,” she added when he gave an annoyed snort.“I'll try,” he grumbled, pressing their heads together. “But if you say she's handling it well, that's helps to put me at ease. Mia said that everyone wants to go to the market for the afternoon, so I'll talk to Rosie then.”She leaned in for another kiss. “Good, because so do I,” she gushed. “We're all having dinner with Alistair, Sayuri, Kieran and Isabela tonight. And I stopped by Varric's room on my way here; he said he'd love to come out with us today.”
They kept as low a profile as they could as they wandered through the markets. Edric chatted with Varric and Cullen as they kept Barrett and Ella occupied with stories about Hawke while Branson accompanied the others perusing every stall that caught their eye. Briseis took advantage of the opportunity to make her first Red Jenny drop near a merchant who was selling bolts of fabric before finding them at a general goods stall to put in for provisions that would be sent to Skyhold, along with extra supplies she felt would be needed in the Free Marches.“How did I let you convince me that you and my brother aren't about to walk into something terrifying?” Mia asked her. “Rosie says that some of the herbs you bought are used for making poisons.”“It's true some of them can be used for that,” Briseis answered as they regrouped with the others and started down the street. “But, when cooked down and used in low doses, some can also help with nausea while at sea.”Varric chuckled. “You're also making some grenades and... a couple of Buttercup's flask recipes?” he asked her, looking through some of her other wares.“A couple that will come in handy where we're going,” she answered him “I'll make a little bit of everything later tonight.” Rosalie looked interested as Briseis grinned at her. “And yes, I will show you how. But it's better to have them and not need them, you know?”The dwarf nodded. “I remember. Having a few extra flasks really saved us in the Forbidden Oasis.”Ella's eyes grew wide as Briseis glanced back at Cullen, who was deep in conversation with Rosalie. “The Forbidden Oasis?” the girl queried, showing off her missing two front teeth.Varric winced. “That's ah... a long story, Shortcake,” he replied. “How about I tell you a little later?”“That'd be excellent,” Mia replied. “I think Edric would like to sit in for that.”Briseis leaned in towards her sister-in-law. “Let him know I'll tell him the real story later,” she said. “How oculara are made is disturbing, so Varric will need to tone down the parts that may unsettle her.”“Thanks for the warning,” said Mia. “Any warnings about these suitors that are now after my baby sister?”“There are some very powerful men seeking Rosalie's hand, and not just in Orlais,” Briseis cautioned. “The Trevelyans are not without influence, especially within the Chantry.” She leaned in close then. “Cullen and I won't be in Ostwick long, but the Inquisition will have an agent at the Trevelyan estate and others throughout the city. Should you feel unsafe for any reason after we've gone, you need only enter any tavern and request a 'Lion's Right Hand.' Inquisition agents will get you home safely.”Mia's eyes were filled with worry. “And if it's not safe to go back to South Reach?”“You will be taken directly to Skyhold. Edric, Branson, Marianna and the children will meet you there when you arrive.” She sighed at Mia's surprised expression. “We had Josie's family guarded when assassins were sent after her and my clan has also been targeted in the past, so we take protecting family very seriously.”“And what about you and Cullen?”“We'll have been notified immediately if something happens,” Briseis assured her as everyone was distracted by a mummer performing just outside of the market. She turned to Cullen, who was still standing beside Rosalie when he looked over at her as she mouthed the word, “Jenny” to him and slipped down a neighboring alleyway to make her second drop. A human boy was digging around near the drop site and she cleared her throat to get his attention. “Looking for something?” she asked him when he recognized the sigils on her vest.The boy shrugged, rubbing the toe of his shoe into the dirt. “Your friend Jenny said she used to bury stuff back here,” he replied. “And that she thought you glowed when you met her.”“I wonder if she still thinks that,” Briseis chuckled, realizing that he meant Sera as she handed him the package. “Can you do me a favor? Let her know that Quizzie wants to play where the Crows nest in a couple of weeks.”He nodded as he saw the bag of coins she offered. “I can remember that,” he replied.“And tell her I'll bring the pies if she brings the cookies,” she giggled. “We're long overdue for a little fun.”The boy gave her a toothy smile and took off as she emerged onto the street to find Cullen was waiting for her. “All done?” he asked.“Yep,” she replied. “There was someone waiting this time and they know Sera, so I asked them to send her a message for us since we'll be nearby.”Cullen eyed her suspiciously. “Hoping to cause some mayhem in Antiva?”“We've had to be on our best behavior at Skyhold for months, so forgive me if I've missed getting up to mischief on occasion,” Briseis pouted as they joined the others. “How was your talk with Rosalie?”“She's definitely got a good head on her shoulders,” he said, glancing to where his sister walked ahead of them. “And she didn't hesitate to remind me that our parents raised us not to be dazzled by a person's wealth and titles.”She winked at him. “I was hoping that she'd say that part,” she replied. “I also told Mia the plan for if something goes wrong in Ostwick.”“Good,” Cullen said, threading his fingers through hers. “It was a good idea to have them ask for a drink in a tavern. I heard that Flissa and Cabot created the recipe to go along with it.”“They did, I got to try it last week” she confirmed. “It's made with whiskey, honey, muddled blackberries and lemon juice. While I hope they never have to order it, they'll at least enjoy the drink, especially if it's chilled.”It was starting to grow dark when they returned to the Royal Palace for dinner and Briseis held Varric back just as everyone was returning to their rooms to rest. “Any word on the transportation of Meredith's remains?” she whispered.“Next thing I hear, they should be somewhere near the Fields of Dumat,” he replied, following her and Cullen back to their room. “They're hoping to extract the red lyrium idol from her body.”“Wait. What?” she said, spinning around to face him.“How do they plan to do that?” Cullen asked, shutting the door behind them.“The plan is to use a potion that will weaken the lyrium enough to pull it out of her,” Varric explained, looking at Briseis as she sat in the armchair. “Some secret Dalish recipe?”She raised her eyebrows at that. “That's a new secret to me,” she replied. “I'd have told you about it a long time ago if I'd known this. But what happens to the Knight-Commander's body?”“It'll be taken to Bianca to study briefly and if it's clean of red lyrium, we'll give the remains back to the Chantry for proper burial.”Cullen seemed to approve of the decision. “And the idol?” he inquired.“Bianca has constructed a vault to hold it,” Varric answered. “It'll already be there if they succeed in removing the idol from Meredith's body. As long as they put it in the vault immediately, there shouldn't be any problems.”Briseis hummed. “But can the idol be destroyed?” she asked.“That's what we're going to find out,” the dwarf replied. “Rest assured Sassy, I want that thing gone as badly as you do. It drove both Bartrand and Meredith batshit crazy for as long as either of them had it. If there's a way for it to be destroyed safely, we'll find it and in the meantime, we're destroying any red lyrium still in the Gallows and making sure it hasn't spread anywhere else around the city.”“You'll let me know if you need help with the idol?” she asked. “Not really sure what I can do, but if there's anything, I'll do it.”“You know I will, Sassy,” he replied as he withdrew a deck of cards. “But you're not supposed to be worrying about work right now, so let me go get Rivaini so we can have a short game of Wicked Grace before dinner, huh?”
Next Afternoon
Briseis cast a small orb of Veilfire overhead with a snap of her fingers as she and Cullen descended into the cargo hold of the Siren's Call II. While the others had made for the cabins shortly after setting sail, they'd chosen to linger on the frigate's deck, enjoying the salty air as they made certain that the coastline was completely out of sight before making their way below. Isabela had secured a great deal of cargo to transport for what would be her final voyage for some time, and they had taken full advantage of the situation to smuggle the most precious of cargo.“It's safe to come out, Your Majesty,” Briseis spoke into the darkness ahead of her.He'd nearly found his way to them when he fumbled for a moment with a crate that threatened to crash down on him as he stumbled into the light. “Alistair,” he corrected her once he'd found them. “It was starting to get really cramped back there. Are we well and gone then?”“We are and we have the wind so far,” Cullen confirmed, watching as the king twisted his torso left and then right. “My sisters and the Seekers are now aware that you're on board.”“And how did you explain my being here?” Alistair asked them,nodding to everyone gawking at them from the galley. Mia looked up warily as she assisted the cook with chopping vegetables, watching as they made their way to the deck.“We've explained that you have a personal interest in the Inquisition's mission further north and have offered to assist us, but that we had to get you out of Ferelden quietly,” Briseis replied.He quirked an eyebrow at her. “So a vague version of the truth?”“Yes, vague versions of the truth have become a more unfortunate necessity over the past year,” she answered glancing down at her Anchors. “We tell people as much as we can without putting ourselves or anyone else at risk, especially when it comes to loved ones.”“Don't worry, I get it,” Alistair replied, leaning against the railing to see the choppy waters below. “It's also a price that comes with being a king. I can't imagine what it's like for a goddess.”Briseis wrinkled her nose at that before she glanced over at her husband. “I should probably start delving into the Grand Cleric's research,” she said softly, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Will you show him his cabin? It's next door to Varric's.”“I'll join you soon,” he replied, stealing a kiss on the lips before she walked away. Alistair came alongside him.“Doesn't like being called a goddess, does she?” he asked.Cullen shook his head. “She's as mortal as we are. You saw her bleeding on the floor of the Winter Palace the same night she was granted Mythal's power,” he replied as they watched her wave to Isabela before going below deck.“We thought the same about Flemeth,” Alistair pointed out. “How do you know that she didn't survive the assassination because of what she is?”“I don't, but I honestly don't care how she survived,” the Commander replied.The king chuckled. “Believe me, I understand,” he told Cullen, staring out towards the grey clouds looming in the distance. “When Sayuri survived the killing blow against Urthemiel, I didn't care about how it happened. And when I hold my child for the first time, I won't care then.”“I doubt I would either,” Cullen said. “Briseis says Ferelden will have a princess?”Alistair couldn't help smiling. “I had been hoping for a little girl,” he admitted. “What I'm not looking forward to is fielding every noble house in Thedas that will be pressing us for a betrothal once she's born.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cullen saw her at the table, buried in Muriel's research while the mabari snoozed on the bed when he finally returned a couple of hours later. “He's all settled in now,” he said when Briseis looked up. “We stayed out on the deck for a bit until Isabela warned us that the rains would be rolling in soon, then we spent some time with Mia and the others over in the galley. Dinner will be ready in a bit, so I went to check on Godric and Phobos.”“They're not happy, are they?” she guessed as she stretched her neck from side to side.He smirked a bit, accentuating the scar on his lip. “No, but Phobos is calmer than Godric,” he advised as he sat across from her. “You may want to go down there.”“I'll go after dinner. What are we having?”The smirk turned into a bigger smile. “Chicken stew and rice,” Cullen replied. “It smells delicious walking towards the mess hall.”Her mouth was watering immediately. “I can understand why, chicken stew sounds delicious,” she said.“This isn't just any chicken stew,” he boasted. “Mia has the cook helping her to make our grandmother's recipe; I haven't had it since I last visited South Reach.”Briseis rose from her chair and rounded the table to where he was sitting. “Ooh, a family recipe!” she chirped. “How long do we have to wait?”“Maybe another hour,” Cullen replied, pulling her into his lap. “She had yet to add the wild rice when I left.” He looked at the notes scattered about. “How's it coming with all... this?”She sighed. “I'm working on how and why the trail went cold a second time, but it seems deliberate so far,” Briseis answered. “It's like an abrupt dead end, but Muriel is very thorough with her research to fill in the gap between the Steel and Dragon Ages. Hopefully the answers I need will be somewhere in her notes once I've gotten them organized.”He thought for a moment. “Do you at least know where the trail went cold?”“Possibly eastern Orlais from the look of things,” she answered, glancing out the port-side window to see that the storm had not found them yet.He groaned. “It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the Grand Game is somehow involved in this dead end,” Cullen muttered. “What about asking Briala?”She frowned. “Briala likely would have been but a small child at the time,” she replied, “far too young to remember anything. Germain might know something, so I'll get a letter to him when we arrive in Ostwick. But I guess I should take a break for now since it's almost time for dinner,” she thought, glancing at Harea and Helios. “How about we check on Godric and then take these two out on the deck for a bit before the storm fully rolls in?”Briseis inhaled appreciatively at the stew's comforting aroma as they strolled past the galley and deeper into the ship where their mounts were being kept. Godric perked up a little at the sight of her and was eager for her attention, though he made his displeasure clear when she told him that he could not go outside since they were at sea.“I know, lethallin,” she soothingly told her Swiftwind as she began to brush his antlers. “But we'll go for a very long ride once we've arrived at our destination in a few days.” Harea gave a little bark and Godric leaned down to nose at her. “And they can keep you company, just like always,” Briseis promised as she fed him several treats and kissed his nose as he nuzzled at her once again before they headed back upstairs.The mabari nearly ran them over as they made for the main deck to see the skies darkening with rain-laden clouds, sniffing around at everything in sight. “We'll clean up after them,” Briseis promised Isabela, who was still at the helm.“I know, because I'll toss you both overboard if you don't,” Isabela replied as her gaze flicked to Cullen. “One of the crew said your sister is making dinner?”“Our Gran's chicken stew,” Cullen proudly replied. “Should be nearly done now.”The pirate grinned. “Good, because I'm starving,” she told them as they heard the rattling of chains. “The waters here are still a bit shallow, so we'll drop anchor until after everyone's eaten.”“What of the weather?” Briseis inquired, looking cautiously to the sky.“Doesn't have the makings of a tempest yet, but I've sailed through my fair share of storms,” Isabela answered as she left the helm to go below deck. “Worst case scenario, we remain here for the night; I'll know for sure when it's closer. We'll be safe for now since we're still in the bay, but tomorrow, we're headed north.”Cullen was just turning around when he saw Briseis beginning to wander towards the bow of the ship with the mabari ahead of her. “Ready for dinner?” he called.
They took another turn around the deck after dinner, heading back inside just before the rain began. Briseis was still raving about the stew when they finally returned to their cabin after checking on their mounts for the night. “That was delicious!!!” she gushed as Cullen kept smiling at her as they undressed. “I have a feeling that trying to work out the recipe is going to keep Aro occupied for the rest of the trip.”He watched as she pulled her grey cotton shift over her head. “The herbs are what's going to confuse him,” Cullen told her. “It's a particular combination and too much of one or the other will throw off the flavor. But Mia and I are really glad that you enjoyed it.”She bit her lip and skipped over to where he was standing, letting him take her in his arms. “It was soooooo good!!!” she replied, rising up to kiss him. He stole several more before stepping back to pull on a tunic and his cloak. “Where are you going?” she asked.“To check with Isabela before we go to bed,” he explained as the rain seemed to grow heavier outside. “I want to know if she's going to try and sail us through this so I can tell Mia and Rosalie.”He kissed her again before heading out with Harea and Helios following him and Briseis turned her attention back to the still-open trunk behind her. What she needed to do tonight would be risky enough while at sea, but a tempest could put them all at risk. It was a relief when Cullen and the mabari returned, completely drenched, but with news that Isabela had chosen to wait out the storm. He glanced warily at the censer sitting beside her on the table, though he already knew the plan.“We're staying here, but the storm will toss us about,” he cautioned as he knelt to look her in the eyes. “Burning incense may not be the best idea.”She dried the three of them off with the flick of a wrist. “I was hoping that wasn't the case,” she said after a moment, cradling his face in her Anchored hand. “But Abelas told me that I can steep the herbs and drink them like tea if we're left with no other option; it will just take a bit more time to have an effect. I'll still have to ward off our cabin for everyone's safety.”He placed a kiss in her palm and another on her forehead. “Should I keep watch or do you want me with you?”Briseis grabbed at his cheeks and pulled him down. “I always want you with me,” she firmly replied, her lips joining with his. “There will never come a time when I don't.”She couldn't resist kissing him again when his lips curled into the smirk that she adored. “Then I'll get us some hot water and a pair of mugs.”Cullen returned a few minutes later to find her fiddling with the pouch of herbs. “I ran into Aro while I was in the galley,” he warned. “I think it'll be better for me to keep watch at first in case his curiosity gets the better of him.”Harea's bark was low, but sharp as she and Helios leaped onto the bed. “I feel that much safer with you two helping Cullen to watch over me, lethallan,” Briseis replied as she began steeping the tea. She was just pouring it into the mugs a few minutes later when a bright flash of lightning caught her attention from the window. “It's going to be a rough night,” she mused.“More than you know. Rosie could never sleep through storms,” he told her.“There's sleep tea in the purple pouch in my bag,” Briseis replied. “I'll take some to her and Mia while I wait for this to cool.” She'd barely gotten the words out of her mouth before there was a knock at the door with Cullen opening it to reveal his younger sister.He stepped aside to let her in. “I'm sorry to come by this late,” Rosalie said, clearly distressed as she looked up at her brother. “First time at sea and I can't sleep because of the storm.”Cullen gave her a squeeze. “You don't need to apologize, Rosie. I haven't forgotten how you don't like storms,” he replied, watching his wife rummaging through her bag as he gestured towards the chair. “We were just talking about that and Briseis has some tea for you.”Rosalie eyes lit up. “Your friend – the strange boy with the hat – he just said that to me in the hallway,” she said. “I didn't even know he was aboard.”Briseis and Cullen looked at one another. “You saw Cole?” Briseis clarified.“At least I thought I just saw him,” Rosalie replied as Briseis handed her a small pouch, “I'd almost forgotten until you mentioned the tea.”“Did he say anything else?” Cullen asked, placing the pouch in her hand.Rosalie thought for a moment. “Just a little advice for me,” she slowly said as she smiled at the aroma of the tea blend. “It makes me think of your mother,” she told Briseis.“It's as close to her recipe as I can get,” Briseis admitted. “There's enough here for Mia as well if she wants some.”“Do you want me to walk you to the galley?” Cullen asked his sister.Rosalie scoffed at him. “I'm a big girl, Cully,” she giggled as she stood up. “I'll manage to find my way.”Briseis couldn't help giggling as she walked her sister-in-law out, but once Rosalie's footsteps had faded away, she was spinning on her heel to look at her husband as her wards went up. “Cole?” she called out.“The Wolf did not realize how good you were at keeping things secret,” they hear him say as he stares out the window. “It makes him wonder how well he really knew you – but he... admires it all the same.”“That's his problem,” Briseis said dismissively. “Cole, what does he know so far?”“The howling from Ferelden is deafening, its chorus sings of the Inquisition and the Seekers sailing to the Free Marches,” Cole replied, turning round.She closed her eyes slowly. “Then he has spies in Denerim,” she realized. “And he knows we're not in Skyhold.”“Dorian, Bull and Thom will need to be on their guard,” Cullen added. “Where's the crystal?”“It's in my bag,” Briseis answered him as she turned back to Cole. “Is he after Skyhold?”Cole shook his head. “It is not time yet,” he replied. “He keeps his secrets still.”“Is he aware of our destination?” she pressed.Cole looked up at her. “The howling also sings of a Lion's sister visiting Ostwick, a viscount returning home, and of a king held in the Right Hand's grasp,” Cole cautioned. “The king is what has him truly vexed.”A smirk came to her face. “If he's so curious, he has but to request a parley and ask me himself,” she replied.“He knew you would say that,” the boy replied. “That's why he asked me to help. He only wants to know when.”“Tell him that I'll find him before we've arrived at our destination,” Briseis answered. “But I have an appointment to keep tonight.”An exasperated huff was heard behind her. “You're not serious?!” Dorian's voice yelled through the crystal in Cullen's hand.“I'm quite serious,” she replied, reaching for her tea as Cole disappeared. “But it's not happening tonight and it's a chance to find out what he's been up to as well. We've heard little since we started tracking the places he has Briala ferrying his agents.”“And he knows she won't be alone,” Cullen chimed in as he watched Briseis take a sip. “We can discuss this with the others in the morning.”
“Took you long enough,” Felassan says when they finally meet him at his hideaway in the Emprise Du Lion.Briseis folds her arms. “Says the Slow Arrow of all people,” she dryly replies. “Where's Abelas?”The sentinel appears just as she asks the question. “Here, my lady,” he says, nodding to Cullen.“We were delayed because we just learned that Fen'Harel knows we're sailing to the Free Marches... and that we have the king of Ferelden with us,” Cullen begins as he explains the situation both Ancients tense at the mentioning of the Dread Wolf.“How did he find out?” Felassan inquires.Briseis grimaces. “It seems he has agents in Denerim,” she explains. “Cole – the spirit of Compassion that helped to calm you when your Tranquility was reversed – alerted us that Fen'Harel is aware of our current movements. He doesn't know exactly where we're going or why, but he is interested. And it does not seem that he knows I have repaired and fully claimed the Orb of Destruction.” Briseis adds for good measure as their shoulders seem to relax with relief. “We've already warned Dorian and the others in Skyhold, so they're on guard,” Cullen assures them. “But according to Cole, he does not seek to take the fortress. At least not yet.”Abelas stands before her. “What will you do?” he asks of Briseis. “I've arranged a parley with him,” she tells them. “Cullen will be with me when we meet and I'll give you all the messy details afterwards.” “And the Fereldan king?” Felassan asks her. “What about him?” Cullen replies.“Did the Wolf ever meet him?” Abelas specifies.Briseis nods. “Solas was with me when I recruited the mages in Redcliffe,” she tells them. “Why do you ask?”“He may be at risk then,” Felassan cautions. “The Wolf may seek his answers from another source, believing that you would not be as forthcoming.” She rolls her eyes. “The irony of that will never be lost on me,” she mutters. “But would he risk making his presence known to someone who would definitely be against his ambitions just to find out what we're up to?” Cullen queries. “It would depend on how badly he wants to know,” Felassan replies. “It may be prudent for me to watch over him.”“How would you do that?” Cullen asks skeptically, folding his arms. “You've been drinking Fade-blocking tea pretty much since you've been restored.” Felassan looks at them all sheepishly. “I... stopped drinking it a month ago,” he confesses to their astonishment. “You what?!” Briseis replies. “So you've just been running free in the Fade all this time and no one knew?” “Yes and that's precisely the point,” Felassan tells her. “I still have the occasional mood swings, but I have regained full control over my magic. And my solo excursions have helped me to do that. But the best part of having been awake for so long is that I had time to learn a few tricks, including how to conceal my presence in the Fade. Once I see the king, I'll be able to keep tabs on whether or not the Wolf tries to get answers from him in the Fade.”Abelas spoke then. “While you do have better magical control, do you think you can control your emotions should Fen'Harel show himself?” Abelas inquires of him.Felassan's face is like stone at this question. “I will have to if I am to keep Briala safe,” he says firmly and Briseis knows that this is the end of the discussion. He will not be refused and she looks to Cullen, who just shrugs.“We will all need to be concealed at first,” she finally says. “There's no need to alert Alistair to our presence if it isn't necessary, nor are either of you to reveal yourselves. And should Fen'Harel be there and becomes aware of your presence, both of you are to wake and quit the Wilds. As your exposure would pose a risk to Briala, I will make certain that she is safe and that you know where she is being taken. If you agree to this, then we can proceed.”
Abelas does not hesitate to agree alongside Felassan, who immediately cloaks them all. She thinks of Alistair just as they find him standing before the full-length windows in what Briseis assumes are his apartments in the Royal Palace. In the bed along the far wall, Sayuri is resting comfortably while she watches him with the small bundle in his arms as the sound of bells tolling and people rejoicing are heard in the distance. He jiggles the child gently and he sways back and forth, cooing at his sleeping daughter as he turns around.
“I think everyone will thank the Maker that you look like your mother,”
they hear him tell the infant as he presses his lips to her forehead.
“He can't hear us, can he?”
she whispers to Felassan.
“Thankfully, no,”
the elf replies as he gives a low whistle. A second later, Sulahnera appears on his shoulder, crooning as Felassan strokes her wing and speaks.
“The dreams of a king need protection,”
he tells the bird.
“Alert me if you sense the Wolf's presence.”
Sulahnera brushes her head against his cheek and gently nips at his ear before she stretches out her bright violet wings. A second later, she flies over to the headboard, making herself comfortable as Felassan give an approving nod.
“She will come to me should the Wolf enter his dreams,”
he tells them, glancing at the queen.
“Or hers for that matter. And she can also wake them if the need arises.”
“Why didn't she wake you before Fen'Harel struck you down?”
Briseis inquires.
He smiles ruefully.
“I wouldn't let her,”
Felassan answers, gazing at Sulahnera as she preens herself.
“Her continued existence is another secret that I've kept over the years.”
He turns to face the others.
“Well, now that that's all done, shall we find something a bit more interesting?”
“What do you have in mind?”
Briseis asks him, taking one last look as Alistair carefully places his daughter in her mother's arms and climbs onto the bed next to them. They fade from her sight as Felassan grins at her and Cullen.
“Once upon a time, Mythal took to the battlefield...”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ghilan'Nain's latest creations – griffons she'd called them when she presented them to the court – deftly ascend above the clouds despite their size, racing across the night sky in tight formation. Abelas gleefully and uncharacteristically throws his head backwards as Felassan rides alongside him, looking below to observe their ground forces, a visible swath of white as they sprint across the fields on the back of their halla.Felassan calls Abelas's name, getting a portion of his attention. “According to His Highness June, Cad'halash and the closest thaigs are evacuated, save members of the Warrior Caste who have agreed to help,” he shouts over the wind howling in their ears. “They have already begun their offensive and the Mining Caste has shown them tunnels to further ambush the enemy.” “Has His Highness heard from the princess?” Mythal's sentinel asks, hopefully.Felassan shakes his head. “He has not, but given the nature of her mission, that is for the better,” he replies to Abelas's frustration. “Andruil is only to make contact if her party has been sighted hunting Anaris's slavers through the Deep Roads.” “Has Anaris been sighted?” Abelas inquires. “June has not seen him at the head of the siege since the beginning,” Felassan growls. “The defenses have kept his siege weapons from breaching the thaigs themselves, but Anaris's slavers have continued to capture travelers who choose to risk those routes through the Deep.” Felassan bares his teeth. “If he is here...” “We need him alive, Felassan,” Abelas says, finally locking eyes with him. “We cannot risk killing him.”They simultaneously sense battle bubbling its way to the surface, even from their extreme height. As they begin their descent, the halla tighten their formations and within seconds, the griffons' talons plunge into the soft soil, completing a flawless landing. Anaris's forces – malformed and scaled – come pouring onto the field, the ground shaking violently from the fighting in the Deep Roads, evidence of the Warrior Caste expelling them from the thaig as the retreat seems to be halted. Abelas and Felassan give no order for attack, they are content to wait.June's reports throughout the siege have reported that this army engages in battle as though guided by a singular will. Their master – wherever he may be – recognizes that his forces are caught between two armies. Though unnecessary to voice the command to his thralls, Anaris's arrogance overpowers him and he is unable to resist the urge. “Attack,” his voice echoes on the winds as Abelas and Felassan watch the army's temperament shift as they obey the command without hesitation or question. Abelas's fist arises, a signal to those around him to hold fast. Felassan is growing impatient as the army bears down upon them until he feels the tingle of her barriers. The sky becomes a cloud of bright orange and purple, its source radiating from the west, illuminating the night as a roaring blast vibrates through the air around them.A paling of flame and lightning descends and erupts near the center of the horde, the perimeter trapping those who are still emerging from the Deep Roads and forcing them to risk the barrier or retreating back underground. With the advancing force now cut off from its support, Abelas roars loudly as he sweeps his hand forward, causing those around them to advance forward. The griffons positioned at the rear of the field ruffle their feathers before beginning their ascent, preparing to cut off any escape.The vanguard hurries into the fray with Mythal leading from the front, hand outstretched as her spells slice a path directly to the center of the battle. Some of the opposing army divert to intercept her as the entrapped horde push against the paling, the weakest screeching as they are crushed by those behind, disintegrating them in the process. Where they fail, others trickle their way through, the agony of flame and electricity mere shadows of what their master has forced them to endure. Felassan and Abelas overtake the forward advance, spying a pair of Spellweavers focused on Mythal. The sentinel charges them, his griffon rearing back to ensnare them with her front talons just as a blast of flame speeds towards the queen. Mythal redirects the flame upwards when what is left of the bodies are flung forward, igniting upon collision and careening towards the paling. They burst into ashes as Felassan and Abelas reach their queen.“Are you injured, Your Majesty?” Felassan yells to her, casting an ice spell to incapacitate an archer taking aim at him.“Nothing that won't heal quickly,” she calls back, halting her griffon to command another sentinel beside her to lead the vanguard. Reaching for her hair, which has been almost completely loosened from the braid she'd been wearing when they'd last seen her, she shakes it free, eyes focused on the rippling arcane energy emanating from her paling and then to the sky.Abelas moves to her right flank as the vanguard presses ahead. “But now he will know that you are here.” “And will hopefully take the bait.” Mythal adds, gently caressing her mount's smoky grey feathers, fingertips conveying her request. The griffon croons once, his expansive wings unfurling and lifting them into the air, the heat of magic allowing them to hover at a safe distance as she surveys the battle. Abelas and Felassan rise alongside her, observing the arcane explosions illuminating the field, some in bright orange or green, others in purple or pale white as remnants are strewn carelessly, some flung in the direction of Mythal's paling. Felassan's amethyst eyes track one corpse as it blasts apart landing atop one of the smaller mounds of remains that have formed along the barricade. He glances at the queen, who is hesitant to give the order and Felassan knows why. He coaxes his griffon close to hers as she turns to face him, knowing he will give her the painful and unspoken truth.“They are already dead, Mythal,” Felassan tells her. “They heed only his voice.”Her eyes close defeatedly, nodding once. They open again once she steels herself to give the order. “Then we do what we must,” Mythal commands, shifting atop her griffon. “There will be no escape left for him tonight. And should he take the field, I will challenge him myself.” “As you will, Your Majesty,” Abelas promptly replies, following her lead and descending back into the battle. Scores fall beneath her spells, matched with her griffon's ravaging of any unfortunate strays that land in its grasp. The smells of blood and bile choke the air, battle turning in their favor when a violent crack! is heard beyond the paling, accompanied by turbulent rumblings that startle the landscape. Thick plumes of smoke billow out of the Deep Roads as Felassan whips around, facing the entrance and witnessing the cloud pressing against the paling, those few remaining behind it screeching desperately to escape. The barrier's energy fluctuates erratically and Felassan screams for those around him to fall back, sensing vile energy being carried in the dark clouds that emerge from the Deep. He hears Abelas doing the same, their forces converging upon them as Anaris's voice is carried within the current – a twisted scream of the queen's name, chorused by the corpses of those who'd fallen in his service.Felassan and Abelas furiously search the field for Mythal, horrified when they behold her flitting several yards from the weakened paling, a gentle pat prompting her griffon to land. Felassan cannot help the dread overtaking him as the queen gracefully dismounts, sending her reluctant griffon to join with those gathered at the outskirts of the battle. She strides towards the barrier, halting just steps away when black flame snakes out of the Deep Roads, consuming everything as it creeps ever closer, and dissipating at the edge of the paling, clearing the mounds of bodies. Abelas commands one of the sentinels to hold and wait for his signal as he and Felassan charge towards Mythal, reaching her when Anaris and his guard step out of the depths.Mythal raises a hand, strengthening the paling as the Forgotten One reaches the perimeter. “You dare to abduct the Children of the Stone? To corrupt them and our people, turning them into these abominations?” her whispered fury carries on the wind as she slowly steps forward with them following just behind her.Anaris laughs. “What does it matter? The Children of the Stone are not of our kind,” he mockingly says even as the smoke continues accumulating around him. “Though your son helped them repel my forces admirably, I knew they would not risk their offensive without outside support. I had hoped that it would be you.” He caresses the barrier playfully before lifting his dark brown eyes to hers. “You have no right to judge me, pretty queen.”Abelas and his griffon shift, ready for attack until Mythal raises a hand to give them pause. “I have every right,” she brazenly counters. “It is my duty to give the People justice.”Anaris's smile is knowing as he watches her. “And we both know how you relish your duties,” he taunts, his magic pressing against her paling. Before she can react, the queen is shot clear of the battlefield, disappearing from Felassan's view. More of the Forgotten One's deformed army swarms out of the Deep Roads as Felassan hears Abelas's infuriated bellow beside him, rallying their forces to attack. The smoke, now released from its confines, billows outwards across the field as Felassan drops to the ground and hurries forward, conjuring a spell to push it back towards the entrance.“Find her!” he yells to Abelas, who nods and takes to the sky. The beating of his griffon's wings aiding in diverting the smoke before he is lifted out of view as their army clashes with that of Anaris. Six other sentinels surround Felassan, assisting him to clear the smoke and guarding as he recovers briefly, clutching at the ground as his fist curls around a ragged, petrified root blasted free of the ground. When he rises to his feet, Anaris and his guards are directly ahead of him across the field. A duo of griffons continuously dodge out of reach as their riders rain magic, and Felassan seizes the chance to corner the Forgotten One.The sentinels fall in behind him, blazing across the field as one of the riders notices them closing on Anaris. Felassan gives her a nod, encouraging their distraction and the rider summons her strongest lightning bolt, targeting the ground beneath Anaris. The sentinels around Felassan shift into lines on either side, pushing ahead to begin their attack. Lightning strikes just near Anaris's feet, stunning him as the first of the sentinels arcs into the air, slaying one guard with the others falling in rapid succession. The Forgotten One glares at the perimeter of Mythal's sentinels as Felassan approaches.Anaris wrinkles his nose. “Do you intend to fight me, Slow Arrow?” he jeers over the clashing of steel and arcane magic.“Naturally,” Felassan replies as the sentinels proceed to engage the remaining horde. “But don't worry, I promise not to kill you.”Anaris scoffs as he draws his curved, ornately-wrought longsword. “Let us not pretend that you have the power to kill me.”Felassan raises his arm, his focus triggering the gnarled tree root to grow and elongate into a staff he points at the Forgotten One. “Whether or not I have the power is a matter of debate,” he cautions. “But at the very least, I owe you pain for what you did to her.”His steps are light and swift as he advances, and Anaris swings his spectral blade parallel to the ground. A projectile of flame bursts from its tip and Felassan feints left at the last moment, heat caressing his cheek though he deftly evades the blast. His left hand flings a barrage of razor-sharp ice shards towards Anaris, who is forced to conjure a barrier to shield himself against the onslaught.Anaris's shield vanishes at last and he touches the right side of his face. Felassan grins upon realizing the defense was not fast enough when the Forgotten One slowly pulls his hand away to reveal tendrils of blood weeping from the slanted, razor-thin slit now decorating his jowl. “You dare?!” Anaris bellows, his brown eyes glowing furiously.“Yes. I do,” Felassan menacingly responds as he lunges, shoving the staff forward. Anaris parries the advance, closing the distance between them. His elbow connects with Felassan, who clutches at his jaw as he stumbles back several steps. His recovery is swift, though he dodges a second blast of flame thrown directly at his face on the next charge. Felassan's reflexes compel him to swerve right, swinging the staff as though an extension of his arm, and he is rewarded when the bulbous front end slams against Anaris's left outer ear with a sickening crunch.Anaris erupts with voluminous fury, the sound of his roar echoing across the bloodied plains, ceasing the battle around them. Felassan's stance wavers in the wake of the resulting tremor and the Forgotten One surges, his sword raised to strike. Felassan interrupts the downward slash, lifting his staff and Anaris is preparing another blast of magic when shadow overtakes them as Abelas and his griffon crash to the ground, the sentinel leaping from her back to join the fray.“The queen?” Felassan inquires.Abelas gives a short nod, drawing his gladius. “She is unharmed,” he answers.“But not keen to take the field again?” Anaris taunts them. “He did not say that,” Mythal retorts, emerging from behind the griffon's wing. Anaris rounds on her as she steps forward, scrutinizing his injuries. “It seems Felassan has gotten the better of you,” she proudly observes.Anaris glares at her. “He was more than I expected,” he begrudgingly admits as those surrounding them back away. “Though over time, he would not have proven contest.” “You were a fool to underestimate him,” Mythal replies, circling him as she readies her own spectral blade.Anaris trains his weapon on her. “It is not a mistake that I intend to repeat.”Mythal gives no warning, unleashing a tempest of lightning to stun Anaris as she lunges at him. She closes the space between them, her sword slinging upwards and the Forgotten One is caught off guard, losing his back footing. He staggers as Mythal readies another spell, releasing a javelin of ice and he reacts just in time to conjure a barrier of flame. Steam erupts from the collision of their magic, obscuring them aside from sparks and flame illuminating their duel until Mythal stumbles backwards, quickly heeling cuts along her right arm and cheek. Anaris emerges as well, blood dripping from the length of his blade as he charges at her.Mythal slashes at him and he feints to her right, avoiding the bolt of energy she arcs in his direction and rushing at her again. She shifts sideways half a step, swinging her blade across the horizon to slice at his torso, and Felassan relishes the smile on her nearly-healed face when Anaris's agonizing scream fills the air around her. Mythal turns round to face the Forgotten One again, showing him his blood on her sword and Anaris's eyes fill with rage. He Fadesteps to her, a fist crunching against her left jaw as his other hand grabs at her neck.“I told you I would not repeat that mistake, pretty queen,” Anaris snarls at her, his free hand cradling her face in a sickening mockery of affection. Abelas and Felassan are poised for attack, hesitating when they hear Mythal's gasping against the fingers curling tightly around her throat. Anaris turns his eyes back to her before licking the side of her face and grins as she struggles to recoil from him. “You are as powerless against me as you have always been. And now we have the proof.” “You prove nothing but your own weakness,” Mythal angrily rasps against his grip as he is forced to release her when electricity engulfs her skin. She shoves him away from her, picking up her sword as she advances on him again. Anaris attempts to blast her across the field again, but Mythal is able to withstand his magic and is only knocked back a step as he scrambles to his feet, his face livid.“Then the whore would do battle,” he finally growls, his eyes glowing as his thralls begin convulsing around them. Abelas and Felassan rally their forces to make ready even as Anaris's army all raise their weapons in unison and begin slaughtering themselves. Mythal steps back carefully as they tumble to the ground in droves, the stench of their corrupted blood thickening the air as it streams towards Anaris allowing him to siphon its power. His entire being writhes as bones crackle and elongate, skin blistering black as the corruption takes over.Felassan and Abelas take positions beside her, ready for her instructions. “Abelas, I need you and the griffons to maintain the perimeter,” Mythal urgently tells him, still watching as Anaris's corrupted form grows larger and more grotesque. The blackened skin erupts into thick plating that hardens over his entire body. Spikes begin jutting out of Anaris's once-handsome features as the skin at his jaw tears to reveal rows of serrated teeth.“You are only to intervene should he attempt to flee.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” Abelas shakily replies before his mount quietly lands beside him. He is about to step away when Mythal catches his wrist, giving a tiny squeeze. Abelas says nothing but to bow over her hand before reluctantly pulling away to mount his griffon. Felassan watches as Abelas takes flight, signaling the other riders to follow. “Move our ground forces into the Deep Roads,” she instructs Felassan over the loud beating of griffon wings. “Exterminate any that remain of Anaris's forces and then find my son within Cad'halash.”He is hesitant to obey her orders. “I would not leave you to fight him alone!” Felassan fervently objects before Mythal grabs at his right arm.“You must,” he hears her say to his mind as she touches the bulb of his staff, causing it to glow green. Felassan means to object again before she fixes him with a look that makes it clear her command will not be challenged further as he feels her begin to pull magic from the Fade around them. “I will join you below when it is done,” she tells him as energy converges around her, “now go.”Felassan growls and finally motions to those surrounding him, leading them towards the entrance to Cad'halash as he relays Mythal's orders. He ushers them all into the Deep Roads, holding to cast one final glance back at his queen as the hulking frame of Anaris lumbers towards her. Felassan's amethyst eyes grow wide when he feels her drawing even more power from the Fade as a pair of leathery wings burst from between her shoulders. Anaris stops short as Mythal doubles over, sinking down to her hands and knees even as her extremities grow larger and her skin erupts into dark purple scales. Felassan hears her scream deepening into a terrifying screech that shakes the ground as a tail emerges near her hind legs and swings wildly, knocking him backwards and slamming the giant doors to the Deep Roads shut. He is almost back to the doors when one of the sentinels ahead yells loudly that there is fighting further into the tunnels below and Felassan is left with no other option than to continue with his task.Felassan turns and hurries to catch up with the forces ahead, not hesitating to enter the fray when he reaches the front lines. He swings the still-glowing staff, surprised at the jet of ice that shoots out and strikes one of the deformed beasts at the fore of Anaris's forces. Felassan repeats the movement, this time willing fire to burst forth and chuckles at Mythal's enchantment of his new favorite weapon. He is battle-drunk when they finally rendezvous with the Children of the Stone nearly an hour outside of Cad'halash, and he takes the time to calm himself during the final approach to the thaig. June's face is awash in relief when Felassan enters and kneels before him, but the prince's features quickly turn to concern when he realizes that his mother is not among the arrivals.“It is good to see you all safe,” June hastily says as Felassan rises to his feet. “But where is Mamae?”“Battling Anaris when she sent us to you, Your Highness,” Felassan promptly answers him as June runs a hand over his face. “Abelas and the griffon riders remained to prevent any escape. But she is deeply concerned for you and for the princess. Has there been any word?”June frowns, motioning for Felassan to follow him. “There's been no trace of Andruil and we have scouts watching for anyone approaching from the Deep Roads,” the prince explains as he leads Felassan through the Cad'halash Commons and deeper into the thaig. “With that said, there have been fewer abductions in recent days, which I assume is thanks to her handiwork.”The Commons are largely in tact, though the bombardment during Anaris's siege leaves large chunks of stone and debris scattered through it's pathways. The Smith and Artisan Castes are already hard at work, occasionally approaching June for input on repairs. “There is more news, but it should wait until Mamae arrives,” They are near the outskirts of the thaig when he pauses again, eyeing the glowing staff in Felassan's hands. “This is just the thing to help occupy the time while we wait,” June says, gesturing for him to hand it over. A little smile comes to his face when he senses Mythal's magic within as he opens the way to his workshop.Natural flame awakens as they stroll the lengthy corridor that leads to June's forge, which is completely dark aside from the lyrium that is infused throughout the outer layer of stone. “I shut everything down to avoid drawing attention in the event of a breach,” the prince explains as they halt in the center of the room, a small console rising up from the floor. June traces a glyph on the stone slab and the coals of the forge begin to glow green as Veilfire comes to life. He crosses the room to a heavy stone door on the far side of the room that opens slowly to reveal three sentinels with weapons at the ready until they see the prince and kneel.“Your Highness,” Isene says as they and the other sentinels remove their helms. “She is safe,” he assures the prince as all three nod to Felassan when they get to their feet. June nods in relief as Rilah emerges, one hand protecting her very large belly as he curls a hand through her strawberry curls. Her lyrium-blue eyes reflect his relief just before her attention turns to the staff in his hand.“Mamae blessed it for Felassan,” June explains to Rilah before handing it over for her to examine. “I already have ideas.”Rilah smiles approvingly at the feel of the wood. “So do I, but I will let you go first,” she replies, handing it back before she greets Felassan with a relieved hug.“How much longer?” he asks her. “Soon. Very soon I hope,” she brightly replies to his amusement.“But where is Mythal?” Rilah hastily queries as she looks around, realizing that her mother-in-law is indeed missing.June begins stoking the verdant green flames of the forge. “Still on the surface, Vhenan,” he answers his bondmate. Rilah spins about to face Felassan, who begins to brief the couple on the events of the battle above as June busies himself modifying the staff, occasionally filling in the gaps regarding events below the surface. Rilah sits on a stone bench, distressed when Felassan tells them of Anaris's transformation and Mythal's instructions until a great commotion heard from outside. Felassan grabs a sword from the nearest rack as he follows Isene to the workshop's entrance. He takes position as the sentinel pulls the door open and Felassan lowers his blade when he sees several of the Children's warriors surrounding Abelas, who collapses with a gravely injured Mythal in his arms.Isene calls out to June as Felassan lifts the queen from Abelas's desperate grasp, Fadestepping the length of the hallway while Isene assists Abelas in scrambling to his feet and leads him and the others into the forge. June begins summoning healing spirits when Felassan enters with Mythal as Rilah clears the nearest workbench and then retrieves several heavy shards of lyrium. Abelas musters his strength and approaches the Child of the Stone, relieving her of the burden as she directs him to place the shards at different points around the table.“What do you mean to do?” Felassan inquires as she stands next to June.“The Stone knows that Mythal fought for its Children,” Rilah explains to them as she places a hand on the shard nearest to her and looks at June. “In turn, the Stone will aid to save her life.” The first shard glows as a beacon, followed by the others that begin to blink in sequence, each growing brighter. The Fade vibrates on the air as the pulses synchronize causing the shards crack and liquefy, slowly trickling towards the queen's body. They fill and cover the deepest of Mythal's wounds as spirits flood the room and surround the table, reaching out to the All-Mother. The bright blue liquid absorbs their magic and Mythal's mahogany skin knits together, healing her visible injuries.“But why does she not wake?” Abelas urgently demands, realizing that he has also been healed by the ambient magic as it finally calms.“Mamae was nearly beyond saving when you arrived,” June answers, still shaken as he presses an earnest kiss on his bondmate's lips. He then strides over to stand before Abelas. “What happened up there?” Felassan is quick to notice the sentinel's fists are balled at his sides. “She'd taken her dragon's form to battle Anaris after sending Felassan into the Deep Roads,” he explains. “Her Majesty overtook him easily at first, but he was able to draw further power from the blood of those who had served him. The corruption enraged him as she attempted to subdue him, and Anaris called down a storm, scattering our griffons. Though I could not see her, I could feel the desperation and heat in her magic. By the time we dispelled the storm, Anaris was turning to ash and Her Majesty had been ravaged...”June claps a hand on Abelas's shoulder. “Then it is good that you brought her in time,” he finally says. “But if his body was turning to ash...?” “He left me no choice but to destroy him,” Mythal grumbles as she gingerly rises from the table. Felassan, Isene and Abelas kneel as she calls her very relieved son into her arms. The queen is smiling as June steps away to speak with one of the warriors, who excuses himself while Mythal greets Rilah and takes her hands, squeezing them in gratitude. Her smile widens when Rilah places her hands over her abdomen. “Their arrival will be a blessing our peoples shall celebrate together. The Stone and the Sky will support you while you bring them forth.”Rilah is overjoyed as she embraces her mother-in-law. “When this war is ended, our families must come together,” she presses. “I wish to prove that our peoples are able to build a future together.” “Then first we must end this war,” June says behind them. “Jetek is gathering the Assembly, but we've had word from Dirthamen about Falon'Din and the Wolf.” Mythal turns around to face him. “What has happened?” she urgently asks. “They have found remains at one of Anaris's outposts,” June informs her. “Most, if not all, match those who are said to have gone missing in the last season. And they learned the location of Anaris's main hold for his slaves and likely the source of his control.”“What is their next step?” Felassan inquires.June inclines his head. “Gilly has joined them with a dozen units of fifty griffons each,” he says, clearly concerned about his youngest sister. “She and Falon'Din will lead the main assault while the Dread Wolf infiltrates the fortress.”Mythal carefully leans against the table, deeply worried for them. “Does he know what to look for?” “He believes so,” June tells her as Jetek returns, “but if Anaris returns before their attack, it could make things more difficult.” The warrior nods to him curtly. “The Assembly is ready,” he tells June.
The Assembly hall of Cad'halash is as large as the throne room of the Amaranthine palace when they all enter to see members of each caste seated together along each side of the room. At the far end sits Rilah's uncle, Rerys, leader of Cad'halash, and Felassan is shocked when he sees Andruil standing next to him at the main dais, clearly fresh from her own battles. The huntress all but runs to her mother, clearly having heard of the queen's injuries. “I am fine, my little rogue,” Mythal assures her daughter as Andruil grips her hand, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “This hunt has agreed with you,” she tells Andruil as she looks her daughter over, healing her injuries.“She arrived to the Assembly with our scouts just after Jetek was sent to bring you all here,” Rerys explains behind Andruil as he bows at the waist to the Elvhen queen, despite some disapproval from the nobles in attendance. Their murmuring is seemingly quelled when Mythal and those with her bow to him as well. “You have my gratitude and that of my family for bringing her here safely,” the All-Mother tremulously replies, squeezing Andruil's hand.The princess gives her mother a big smile as the doors behind them open again. “The hunt has indeed gone well, Mamae,” she announces, piquing her mother's curiosity. “And it has yielded me a great prize.”Felassan hears the heavy chains dragging across the stone floor as the fruits of Andruil's hunt through the Deep are brought before the Assembly. Though he wears the same smirk he'd had the night of the summit at Ghilan'Nain's celebrations, Anaris seems ever much more defiant as he is brought forth. The Assembly rages at him, jeering and spitting on him as he is escorted through and ultimately forced onto his knees before the dais. “I'd caught some of his slavers days ago,” Andruil tells the Assembly, circling her prey. “The others we captured have been given to your Warriors, but imagine my surprise and disappointment when one of them was suddenly possessed by the prey I truly wanted to hunt. But I have negotiated for him to be presented in Arlathan before I deliver him to Kal-Sharok for the final judgment” “Our king agrees that Your Majesty will judge alongside him,” Rerys tells Mythal. “Thus your entire court is invited to be present.” He rises from his seat, approaching the queen. “It seems that those who would succeed us wish for better relations between our peoples. As a mother and a queen, you must be pleased.” Mythal turns to Andruil and June, her smile brightening with pride. “Indeed, no mother could be prouder of her children,” Mythal replies before the Assembly, eyes on Rilah and June. “They give us much to celebrate.”
Some time Later
Mythal's joy is palpable, seeming to extend even into the city itself as the court readies itself for celebration. It is the first time in over a century that the entire family would be in the capital at the same time since the war with the Forgotten Ones had begun. Elgar'Nan has seen to all their duties before she returned ahead of June and Andruil, so they retire to their chambers and are rarely seen for nearly a moon until Ghilan'Nain and Falon'Din arrive, informing them that the Wolf has affairs at his stronghold in the southwest before he comes to the capital.“Unfortunately he will miss the return of June and Andruil,” Mythal laments, crestfallen upon hearing the news.“Worry not, Vhenan'ara,” Elgar'Nan replies, his hand on her cheek giving her some reassurance. “We can delay the main celebrations until his arrival to the palace. As a large part of why we have achieved such victories thus far, it is only fitting that we should wait for him. For now, we will enjoy being reunited with our children.”Gilly nods in agreement. “How long until the others are here?” she queries.“Sooner than you think,” Dirthamen's voice says behind her as Ghilan'Nain lights up and spins around to greet her elder brother before the twins heartily clasp arms. “They will arrive when the sun reaches its next zenith.” “I've made certain that all is ready for their reception,” Sylaise adds as she takes the chance to shamelessly embrace their younger sister, despite Gilly still wearing her armor. “This is the largest of our victories thus far.”Mythal glances to Ghilan'Nain, sensing that her daughter wants to talk with her. “It will be a joyous moment when all of us are together again, but now I wish for some time on the balcony with my newly-returned Gilly – after she's put away her armor.”The youngest princess squeezes her mother's hand and then embraces her father before she takes the eluvian back to her apartments. “Don't wander too far, my love,” she advises him seductively. “We're not done yet.”Dirthamen makes a face. “We heard that, Mamae,” he informs her.“Good, now you know how you and your siblings began,” Mythal shoots back to her son's feigned shock as Elgar'Nan and Falon'Din try not to smirk and Sylaise just walks away.
Gilly looks well rested and relaxed when she finally meets Mythal on their balcony overlooking the sea, dressed in loose-fitting, pale blue robes that match the afternoon sky. “Happy to be home, sweetheart?” Mythal asks, surprised when she sees Felassan accompanying her daughter.“Yes, Mamae, I am,” Ghilan'Nain replies as Mythal guides them to sit with her. “I will visit the forest below to tend the halla during the eventide.”“They began calving just after I returned. The little ones are very curious,” Mythal says, to Gilly's delight. “But they do not have their horns at birth?”Her daughter giggles. “They will come as they grow bigger,” she explains to her mother. “But I can't wait to see June and the others.” She glances up at Felassan. “Is it really true that Andruil captured Anaris in the Deep Roads while you and June lifted the siege of Cad'halash?” “It is,” Felassan confirms for the princess. “And it is also true that all of you will be taking him to Kal-Sharok to present him to the Dwarven king. While there, he will be judged for his crimes against our people and the Children of the Stone.”Gilly looks troubled and Felassan can no longer hide the concern he'd felt when she had first come home. “What has happened, Gilly?” Felassan asks.She turns to Mythal, an unspoken plea in her chestnut eyes and the All-Mother embraces her, but becomes uneasy upon feeling what Ghilan'Nain remembers. “You are certain?” she asks her daughter and Ghilan'Nain nods once as Mythal leans back to see the distress in her daughter's chestnut eyes. “Mamae, do you believe me?” Mythal pulls her daughter into her arms again. “I believe you,” she tells her daughter. “For now, say nothing to your father or your siblings . Not even to June. You did the right thing in telling me,” Mythal assures her as they stand. “Put this from your thoughts and go greet the halla, asha'lan. Elgar'Nan and I will join you below.” Ghilan'Nain turns to Felassan, giving a weak smile which he returns before she makes her way from the balcony to the forest floor. He carefully looks to Mythal who approaches the balcony's edge.“The time has come for you to be loosed, my Slow Arrow,” she tells Felassan.He comes alongside her, expression wary. “What did she tell you?”Her eyes are glowing when she turns to him. “That the Wolf will betray us.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The rattling of the ship's anchor being pulled from the water drew Briseis out of her slumber the following morning, opening her eyes to see Cullen staring out the window. He sat on the bed beside her once she'd gotten his attention and couldn't resist running a hand along her cheek. “Are you alright?” he asked after a kiss.“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she told him, sitting up against the headboard as the mabari curled up beside her. “You seemed pretty shaken when we saw how injured Mythal was after her fight with Anaris.”Cullen couldn't deny her observation. “Solas told us he couldn't kill the other Evanuris because the first Elvhen didn't die easily,” he finally said. He stood again, walking back to the window. “That means whatever Anaris did to inflict those injuries had to require powerful magic.”“The same can be said for what June and Rilah did to save her,” she hummed. “Dwarves obviously had something akin to magical talent before the Veil. But they really were taller! Rilah had to be maybe a head shorter than the golem at the Black Emporium!”“Yes, but that's not what concerns me,” Cullen replied, not letting her change the subject as he looked over his shoulder. She rose from the bed and crossed the cabin to stand beside him. “It can't be with everything we're up against. There's no way to replicate what Rilah and June accomplished in this time.”He didn't resist with Briseis turned him to face her. “And you're worried because you've already seen me clinging to life more than once?” she queried.“It was nearly impossible not to imagine that being you on the table,” he confessed. “That you look so much alike made it all the worse.”She understood immediately. “I know,” she replied. “But allow me to use your own words against you: we need to focus on what we can do. And after what we saw last night, we can do a lot.”He noticed the gleaming in her eyes that always came when she had inspiration. “You already have ideas?”Briseis smiled and turned around to glance at the mabari. “We can talk about that during Council, but let's take them out onto the deck first.”
The air was brisk as they stepped out into the morning and she and Cullen wave to Isabela, who is already steering them towards the horizon. “Looks like you had a rough night and not for enjoyable reasons,” she teased.“I wouldn't exactly put it that way,” Briseis coyly replied. “But it was educational. And we all survived the night.”“That was never in doubt,” the Admiral replied as she squinted her eyes, clearly becoming cautious. “And I'll still get you to Ostwick on time, but it seems we have a bit of company right now.”Briseis's eyes lit up as they turned towards where Isabela was staring and spotted the pod of orcas swimming close by. One of them breached the surface, splashing back into the sea as they seemed to be coming closer. She all but ran towards the bow of the ship when she spotted a second pod approaching. The orcas occasionally surface for air near the ship as they all converge, but what fascinates Briseis is the sounds she hears from below. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the clicking and singing below the surface.Cullen joins her at the bow, a smirk coming to his face when an orca turns on its side as it leaps high above at the water, landing with a dramatic splash. “I think I know some of this lot,” he suddenly realizes.“Really?” Briseis replied, turning towards him.Cullen nodded as another peeks just above the surface before descending back into the depths. “I think they may be the same ones I saw on the way to Kirkwall,” he explained. “There weren't this many and they kept their distance back then, but they display the same curiosity.”Briseis watched as one of them begins to swim in circles a few meters away, a small amount of blood bubbling to the surface near the orca's tail after it dives below again. She kneels by the railing, her heart stopping when the orca does not surface for several moments and the rest of the pod goes quiet. Cullen drops down beside her, pulling her in close as they wait. The waters are quiet for a time, but then the singing commences again as the pod begins emerging; the one Briseis was worried for surfacing last – with a very energetic newborn calf alongside her.Cullen couldn't help beaming as his wife's face lit up at the sight of the pod coming together to welcome the calf into their ranks. “En'an'sal'en!!” Briseis gushed as they all surface one last time before taking a deep dive, coming up again nearly a mile away from the ship.“In all my years at sea, I have never seen anything like that,” Isabela said as she came alongside them and leaned over the railing. “Orcas have come up to my ship plenty of times, but none have ever lingered long enough for that. Anyway, I'm off to the galley since your really yummy Seeker has decided to make omlettes for breakfast.”Briseis couldn't help smirking. “You're in for a treat then,” she replied. “Aro uses the Rivaini method.”Isabela quirked an eyebrow, grinning lasciviously. “If he's good at it and the eggs are as fluffy as they're supposed to be, I may show him why I named my ship the Siren's Call.”
Three Days Later
“I thought you were taking a break from Muriel's research today?” he asked when he entered the cabin in the mid-afternoon and saw her writing while surrounded by several open books.She looked up at him as she set down her quill. “I am, but this is going to Dagna and Sandal,” she explained, flexing her left hand. “Everything I can remember that Rilah did while she and June were healing Mythal. Something in all that may help them with creating their healing rune.” She waited a few moments for the ink to dry before folding the letter and sealing it, then stood up from the table to stretch. “It also may not hurt for them to meet Felassan and Abelas; they may have some input on how to compensate for the Veil being in place.”“That's not a bad idea,” Cullen replied, watching Briseis putting away her research. “By the by, I just spoke with Isabela. She says we should be arriving in Ostwick tomorrow.” He saw the apprehension in her face as she turned around, realizing what he implied. “I know it's usually a good thing to have the wind...”“But it also means we've run out of time,” Briseis finished. He nodded, clearly as ill at ease as she was. “And we put Alistair at risk the longer we delay.”Cullen sighed as he sat on the bed. “I know,” he replied. “So when shall we do this?”“No choice but to do it tonight,” she answered him. “But we still need to decide where to meet him.”“What are you thinking?”Briseis settled herself on his lap. “The first place that pops into my head?” she offered.“The plan?”She shrugged. “Lie by omission, just like he did,” she replied. “Alistair is assisting us with a lead on who tried to kill me at the Divine Ball. He doesn't need to know about the Silent Grove or Aurelian Titus. That should be enough to satisfy his curiosity.”Cullen hummed, leaning his head against hers. “And if it isn't, we have enough going on between Ostwick and Antiva to keep his attention.”She wrinkled her brow, a bit confused. “What do you mean?”“Henri's investigation,” he reminded her. “We know that some of team remained in the marshes to continue investigating and that a few of them are his agents. Perhaps they've given him some information we don't know yet?”“Excellent point,” Briseis grinned at him before leaning closer for a kiss as she got to her feet. She nearly stumbled pulling him up with her, but he caught her about the waist at the last second.“I have you,” he assured her once they were steady.“I know,” she replied before she lavished him with more kisses. “But aren't you working with Aro this evening?”Since witnessing the Siege of Cad'halash, Briseis had been devoting more and more time training in the Fade with Abelas. For himself, Cullen had realized that he needed to explore the limits of his Anchor, and that he couldn't be seen using templar abilities without lyrium while in Ostwick, so he'd convinced Aro, Vaughn and Wallace to teach him techniques used by the Seekers. His previous training combined with the Anchor had given him surprising advantages, and he regularly found himself having to downplay how quickly he was learning to avoid suspicion.“He's making dinner for our last night at sea, so I'm sparring with Vaughn,” he told her as they exited the cabin. “Coming up after you visit Godric?”“Of course.”
Cullen's sparring session lasted until the sun had fully set that evening, and it was late by the time they returned to their cabin. They chose to spend most of the night in the galley thanks to Aro's spicy fish stew, followed by an intense game of Wicked Grace courtesy of Varric. They were tense with thought of what awaited in the Fade and hovered close to one another as they dressed for bed. He was helping Briseis loosen her hair and she leaned into his touch after his fingertips grazed the skin at her neck. She turned around and moments later, her wards were going up as they undressed again.“I think that's a good way to clear our heads before we fall asleep,” she giggled breathlessly as she slowly lifted herself from atop him half an hour later.“I was thinking the same thing,” he replied after catching his breath and turning over to face her. “Do you think he's already waiting?” he finally asked.Briseis tucked herself in close to him. “It doesn't matter,” she replied, looking up at him as the mabari got comfortable at the foot of their bed.“Are you using the herbs?”She shook her head. “I'm thinking that I shouldn't since it's Felassan's blend,” she explained. Something tells me Solas would recognize it if I used them tonight. We'll keep our cards as close as we need to.”“Fair point,” he agreed. “But I also think you should appear alone at first.” Briseis leaned back to look at him, astonished at his idea, but he tugged at a loose strand of her hair. “You won't be alone per se, you just won't have any human company.”She realized what he meant. “That would definitely throw him off,” she mused. “And if he decides to abruptly change the venue?” she queries.He rose from the bed and opened his personal trunk, fumbling for a second before he comes back to her, wearing her phylactery. Cullen took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he clasped them over the brightly glowing vial of her blood.“I'll find you.”
If anyone were to ask her, Briseis would never be able to explain why Dragon Island is the first place her thoughts wander to when entering the Fade. Her mind perfectly recollects the scent of salty air from the Storm Coast mixing with the rains along the pathway and is finally accompanied by the aroma of prophet's laurel luring her to the island's peak. The trees around her are still void of life as she squints up at the two Dwarven statues, still wondering what lay within the depths of the cavern they guarded. After a moment and satisfied that this is an acceptable venue for what lay ahead, she prepares to make her presence known using the suggestion Mythal had given her the night before: call the Dread Wolf with his own magic.Briseis clears her thoughts, concentrating on the green flicker of her Anchor before she releases a single flare of magic that reaches as high as the Black City hovering overhead. Her nightgown is replaced by the red and black robes she'd worn to brunch with the Dowager as Briseis watches her magic ripple across the Fade, a beacon sent through the expanse with herself at the epicenter. Within the spell is carried a simple message.
Here I am, Fen'Harel.
It is not long before Briseis hears the thunderous howl given in response echoing through the space around her, followed moments later by footfalls too heavy for a single man. She opens her eyes to find a large wolf prowling the path towards her, towering nearly a foot overhead with fur blacker than darkest night and six bright blue eyes watching her menacingly. The beast has paws that look to be larger than the claws of a grizzly bear and fangs larger than her hand when the wolf opens its gaping maw at the sight of her. It rushes at her, pausing a few paces in front of her, though she does not move.A low growl is heard behind her, followed by the sensation of an overwhelming – yet familiar – presence rising at her back. Briseis's eyes never leaves the wolf as her hand stretches out, letting her fingers curl through the lion's thick mane as he steps around her. Equal in size to the wolf before them, he rubs his head against her side as he moves past, his gaze never leaving the wolf who sniffs in their direction. A snarl is given by the wolf, though he is taken aback when an equally-threatening roar returns the greeting.“If you want to have a conversation with me, it will be face to face,” she tells the wolf, watching as he sits on his hind legs. Blue eyes blink at her as a cloud of magic engulfs his massive frame and Solas emerges, dressed in green robes that flowed about him as he moved towards her, frowning at the lion still standing between them. “You seem to have taken a liking to theatrics. First your summons, now this?” he observes, craning his head to look at her. “You've been spending far too much time in Orlais.”Briseis can't help smiling. “Fair enough,” she says, waving her hand over the lion as Cullen takes its place, glaring at Solas. “Letting her transform you, now? What would the templars say?” the Dread Wolf taunts him. “Are you so desperate to cling to her at all times?”Cullen is smug as he glances at Briseis when she comes alongside him. “No, but I meant it when I told you that you would never be alone with her again,” he smoothly replies.Solas clenches his jaw as he glowers at him, preparing another retort before Briseis interrupts their exchange. “Had I known that you wanted to trade barbs, I would have invited Dorian and Vivienne for this,” she chides as the Dread Wolf redirects his attention to her. “I was under the impression that you had questions?” the Inquisitor replies calmly as he narrows his eyes, his suspicion clear to her amusement.Solas rubs his bald head as he eyes Briseis closely. “The Inquisition had little interest in the Free Marches,” he recalls. “What draws you there now?” “I'm not just the Inquisitor anymore,” she silkily replies. “Lady of Skyhold and Right Hand of the Divine are my new favorite additions when heralds have to announce me.”He inclines his head as he places his hands behind his back. “Yes, word has reached me that Cassandra has made you her Right Hand. Her speech is said to have been quite moving. A noble gesture on her part, to be sure.”She scoffs at his remark. “You know Cassandra; how devoted she is to her faith and how seriously she takes her duty to the Chantry,” Briseis reminds him. “Do you honestly think she would choose a successor to her former post for purely symbolic reasons?”Solas acknowledges her point. “Then your appointment does come with responsibilities?” “Cassandra is not the type to allow her Right Hand to be idle,” she informs him. “And allows me to go places I could not as just Inquisitor.” “It also gives the impression that the Inquisition is under the Chantry's control,” he growls at her.Briseis inclines her head. “Which admittedly solves a lot of problems,” she confirms. “For her and for me.”
“Why Ostwick then? And why have the Seekers following you around?”
The Inquisitor gives a weary sigh. “Naturally, not everyone is happy with a Dalish mage now being second-in-command of the Chantry, which has been in disarray since the Conclave. And the Lord Seeker has oversight of the Right Hand. I'm sure you can deduce the rest.” Solas seems to accept the explanation, though he is obviously still skeptical. “Now what is it you really wanted to ask?” “The King of Ferelden would not leave his wife at such at time if the matter were not important,” the Dread Wolf observes.She tsks at him. “That is not a question,” she advises. “And what time do you refer to?” she inquires. “Word has begun to spread that the Fereldan queen is with child,” he replies matter-of-factly. “But what could you have possibly said to draw her husband away from her?”She tilts her head, though her eyes never leave his face. “Have you no theories?” Briseis cryptically inquires.The Dread Wolf's eyes her warily. “How much have you told him?” he demands. “About what?” she asks with a quizzical smile. She can see his annoyance beginning to surface and relents after a moment. “If you're wondering if I have told him about a certain Dread Wolf's plan to sunder the Veil, you can relax,” she assures him to his annoyance. “I haven't had the heart to break that news to him. Not just yet.”
“Then what is the reason for his departure?”
Briseis folds her arms and looks to Cullen, who nods. “His Majesty has matters of state he would prefer to have settled sooner rather than later and would like to see them tended as quietly as possible,” he answers. “It just so happens that some of his dealings are with parties of interest in the assassination attempt at the Divine Ball and he has offered to make introductions.” “But now it's our turn for questions,” Briseis adds, advancing on Solas before he can probe further. “Did you hear that an Inquisition caravan bringing my mother back to Wycome after our wedding was attacked by a group of elves?” The Dread Wolf realizes another reason for her trip. “I have heard the whispers,” he carefully answers.
“You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?”
He is clearly affronted by what she seems to imply. “I have told you that I do not mean your clan any harm,” he replies, looking her in the eyes.“The caravan carrying her mother was attacked, not the clan,” Cullen counters, stepping alongside her. “Which implies that the reason is much more personal.”“I would not order such a thing,” Solas adamantly states though Briseis glares at him. “Believe me or don't, but I think you know the truth when you hear it.” “I used to think so,” she scoffs as he winces at the bite of her words. “Can you honestly say that there are not those within your ranks that would go rogue?”He is silent for a moment. “If your mother was attacked in my name or by my people, it is something I will not tolerate,” he insists solemnly, though not entirely to her surprise. “I am willing to lend aid in finding those responsible, if you will allow it.” The Inquisitor seems ready to refuse his offer, but Cullen stops her from speaking. He turns his head away, whispering in her ear as Solas waits patiently. Briseis is clearly surprised by her husband's words, but agrees in the end, and nods. “We will accept you assistance,” Cullen finally says.“What information do you have about them?” Solas asks him.Briseis produces the mask, handing it to her husband. “They wore these,” Cullen tells Solas as he draws close enough to take the evidence. “All made of ironbark, all with the same markings.” “But I have never seen anything like them,” Briseis explains to him. “Nor had Keeper Deshanna when asked.”Solas traces the lines on the mask. “So you do not believe they are Dalish or that these are just mere bandits?” “None of them had vallaslin when the masks were removed,” Briseis replies. “One who spoke did so in Elvhen, but our scout could not understand what was said. And there have been no additional attacks by this group as far as we know.” “Will you grant me time for further investigation?” Solas requests of them.“How much time?” Cullen cautiously inquires.The Dread Wolf halts his examination of the mask and looks up at them. “A week, perhaps a few days more,” he says.Briseis finds part of herself willing to grant the latitude he requests, but she is not without caution. “You have until we reach Clan Lavellan,” she finally replies. “You are going that far north?” he queries studiously.“For a short time,” she answers him mildly. “Clearly you have forgotten what my clan means to me if you think I would waste a chance to see them again. Speaking of the north, that leads to my next question. Have you heard anything about the growing tensions between the Qunari and Tevinter?”Solas frowns at the question. “I might have,” he answers. “But I'm fairly certain that you've heard a great deal from Dorian.”“You're not as good at being evasive as you used to be,” Briseis tells him. “You most certainly have a much closer eye on the situation than even the Imperium.”The Dread Wolf gives a cryptic smile of his own. “But why I should tell you anything?” he replies. “You have a vested interest in what the Qunari are planning, do you not?” Cullen argues. “If they are intending to start a war, it'll only be a matter of time before it spreads across Thedas. I expect you want that as much as you wanted the destruction of the Conclave.”Solas raises his eyebrows at him. “Go on.”“I haven't forgotten your distaste for the Qun, nor the countless debates you and Bull had about it,” Briseis presses. “We know you cannot afford to let them succeed,” she steps towards him again, “and that I'm in a position to hinder them.”The Dread Wolf is quiet for some time, his eyes gazing just over her shoulder. “I need time to consider,” Solas replies in his most civil tone as Cullen gives a curt nod. Solas turns to leave, but Briseis stops him.“One last thing,” she calls after him. “Those responsible for attacking that caravan, whether they are your people or otherwise, will be dealt with by my hands.” “If they are my people, I shall deal with them, ” Solas assures her.Hazel-green eyes narrow at him. “They attacked my mother,” she coldly reminds him, making it clear that it is not a request. Solas rubs at his head again before he nods. “Ma nuvenin,” he replies, taking his leave.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Do you really think he'll tell you anything?” Dorian gushed through the crystal after Briseis and Cullen finished telling them about the meeting with Solas.Briseis glanced at Cullen beside her. “He's already told us something,” she replied.“How do you figure, my lady?” Thom's voice inquired.Briseis could practically hear Leliana smiling as she spoke from Val Royeaux. “His response when the Inquisitor said he was watching closer than even the Imperium,” the spymaster replied. “His agents are likely already on Seheron, maybe even Par Vollen at this point. How much are the Ben-Hassrath going like that?”“Not at all, and Solas better hope his people aren't stupid enough to get caught because the Ben-Hassrath will definitely enjoy finding out who they're working for,” Bull replied with just a hint of amusement. “The Salasari as a whole doesn't take kindly to spies. The worst they'll hope for is being converted to the Qun or killed outright.”“What are you thoughts, then?” Cullen asked him. “Should we send word to the Qunari?”Bull is quiet for a moment. “Solas won't be able tell us anything if his people are exposed,” he advised. “And it's not in our interest for them to learn the Inquisition is monitoring the situation from the outside. I'm thinking we do nothing... at least for now.”“I agree,” Leliana replied, “but I suggest we make sure our doorstep is clean.”“What do you mean by that?” Josephine inquired.“I think I know,” Charter replied. “It will need to be done much more discreetly this time.”Iron Bull seemed to catch on. “The Reds and I will handle this,” he added. “The less the rest of you know for the time being, the better.”“I honestly don't think I want to know,” Briseis replied. “Do what you three do best, but be careful.”“We will,” Leliana assured her. “How long before you reach Ostwick?”Cullen rubbed at the back of his neck. “Hopefully midday,” he answered. “The weather's been fair for most of the crossing, but it seems that will begin to change. Has there been any more information about activity at the Ostwick Circle?”“Yes, Commander and none of it good,” Vivienne sighed. “A group of templars was deployed to scout the tower in advance of your arrival.”Briseis saw Cullen's fist clenching at his side and she placed her hand over his, relieved when threaded their fingers together. “Was anyone harmed?” she asked.“No, their orders were to observe, but not engage,” Cassandra told them. “Everyone returned safely, and they will tell you more when you've arrived at the Trevelyan estate.”“Why there? Shouldn't we go to the Chantry first?” Briseis asked.“Once Bann Trevelyan learned that you and the Seekers were being sent, he did not hesitate in offering to be your host,” Leliana explained, “and his estate is along the route leading to the tower itself. The Grand Cleric will meet you there.”
The legendary double walls surrounding Ostwick were impressive when they came into view as the Siren's Call II sailed towards an archway in the city's outer wall. The slate grey stone was as thick as Briseis was tall as they passed and when she looked up, she saw rows of thick metal spikes that were designed to close off access to the city, which sat atop a bluff overlooking the Waking Sea. The sky was already pale grey, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder heard over the sea and Briseis watched the figures carrying torches across the top of the wall as they hurried to bring the watchtower braziers to life.Cullen appeared at her side with Harea and Helios rushing past her towards the front railing, wriggling and pacing excitedly as the ship arrived into the bustling harbor, which had nearly a dozen ships already in port. Dockworkers milled about, transporting cargo hither and yon as fishmongers along the wall boasted the freshest catches of clams, oysters and several varieties of fish Briseis hadn't seen since she'd left the Free Marches. The others began finding their way above deck as the ship was guided to the nearest vacant dock and finally came to a halt. “Where's Alistair?” she asked, watching the gangplank being lowered.“Concealed among the guards for Mia and Rosalie for now,” Cullen replied, watching the Seekers beginning to disembark. “We'll only need to keep him hidden until we're out of the city to avoid attention.”Aro paused alongside them. “Not like we won't have that anyway,” he warned as he walked past them, directing their attention towards the steps leading up into the city – and the party of a dozen guards and templars, along with a Revered Mother and a steward wearing livery of House Trevelyan making their way towards the docks.Quite the reception, Briseis thought to herself as Varric approached them. “That's quite the welcoming party, Sassy,” Varric warned them. “There's no chance of us keeping a low profile now.”“Us?” she repeated, looking from him to Isabela in confusion. “Then you are not departing for Kirkwall immediately?”“Can't,” Isabela sweetly answered as they followed the others onto the dock. “I have an appointment to keep before that. We'll be here for at least two days, but I'll be remaining in the city; you're not roping me into helping you with whatever's in that Circle tower.”Mia and Rosalie approached with half a dozen Inquisition guards at their back, one of whom winked at Briseis. “Cully, is this really necessary?” Rosalie warily inquired.Briseis couldn't help her amusement as Cullen frowned at his sister before Rosalie's golden eyes darted around, seeing how most everyone near them had stopped to observe their reception. “We're not taking any chances,” he told her flatly as they moved in front of the others to join Aro as the Revered Mother stepped forward. Rosalie's gaze returned to her older brother and she nodded, now realizing the gravity of the situation.“Lady Lavellan, Seeker Zivai, we are grateful that Most Holy has sent you to us,” the Revered Mother said, unable to mask the sincerity in her voice. “I am Mother Alicia. Grand Cleric Sabrina bids you welcome to Ostwick and has eagerly awaited your arrival.”Trevelyan's steward approached next, his attention given to Rosalie. “As does Bann Trevelyan, Lady Rosalie.” he steward added, causing her to blush. “I am Alton Fuchs, head of his household. House Trevelyan is most grateful that you have accepted their invitation and they insist that you all be guests in their home while you are here.” The steward furrowed his brow when he spotted Varric. “Viscount Tethras, yours is an unexpected, but welcome presence,” he said respectfully. “Lord Trevelyan will be pleasantly surprised to find you among his guests this evening.”A clamoring was heard behind them before Varric could reply, and Briseis couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as they watched Godric and Phobos being guided off the ship. Phobos was clearly agitated, but Godric was incorrigible as he eagerly searched around for Briseis. When he finally spotted her, he shook himself free of the crewman attempting to lead him and trotted over to her, stomping his hoof angrily as he poked at her with his nose.“I think unexpected is going to be an understatement before this is over,” Varric told the befuddled steward after Briseis extended her apologies and excused herself to calm the hart while the rest of their luggage was carried towards a wagon that had been commandeered on their behalf.“Does the estate have an open field?” Cullen urgently inquired as Phobos was led to him in a thankfully less dramatic fashion.“Your mabari and your mounts will have plenty of room to run,” Alton assured him, gesturing for them to follow him when Briseis returned with a much calmer Godric, who was nuzzling at her after a generous handful of treats. “There is a carriage waiting at the stable for those who would prefer not to ride.”Mother Alicia seemed as though she would have preferred the carriage, but reconsidered when she saw Briseis mounting Godric and took to her own horse. Briseis glanced over at Cullen, who only shrugged. “To work then, love?” he asked after a kiss to her cheek.“It would appear so,” she replied before watching him and the others queue up to follow the carriage. Aro lingered until she gestured for him to go on ahead before falling in alongside the Revered Mother, who couldn't seem to take her eyes off Godric. “He's not usually so dramatic,” Briseis assured her.Alicia gave a tiny smile. “I thought Her Grace was being facetious when she said you rode a hart,” she replied. “But she didn't say that he had such... personality.”Briseis giggled. “That's because he didn't strut for the Grand Clerics while we were in Val Royeaux. But his attitude is what made me like him the moment we met,” she replied, scratching at the space between Godric's antlers as the hart tilted his head back with a contented grunt. “And he's just such a handsome fellow.”“Does he not enjoy sea crossings?” the Revered Mother asked as the drawbridge leading beyond the inner wall was lowered.“He doesn't like prolonged confinement in general, but luckily he'll get to run as much as he wants later,” Briseis answered as the hart's ears perked up excitedly as they finally entered the city. Ostwick was nearly twice the size of Denerim as they passed through, but Ferelden's influence was everywhere, prompting Mother Alicia to point out various notable landmarks such as the teryn's castle on a high bluff overlooking the city, the Chantry and the city's alienage, which she intended to visit at first opportunity. She was asking questions about the spacious market square at the heart of the city when their procession came to an unexpected halt. Briseis and Alicia craned to look around the carriage and then trotted up to the front, accompanied by Cullen, Varric and Aro, to see Alton speaking with a small company of men.“They serve Marshall Keath, the Teryn of Ostwick,” Mother Alicia explained. The guards were already riding away when they reached the steward. “What news?” she inquired.“His Lordship wished to verify that all of you have arrived. I was also obligated to inform him that Viscount Tethras is in our company,” Alton replied. “They did not insist upon bringing you to him, however he will likely be visiting the estate in the immediate future.”“I assume we should make haste then?” Briseis asked, receiving a curt nod as he continued leading them towards the northern gate. She glanced up at the sky, hoping the rains would wait until they reached their destination.
The expanse of farms and colorful fields outside of the city kept their attention for the two hours of their ride, but Briseis tensed as the spires of Ostwick's Circle, located near the foothills of the Vinmark Mountains, came into view and brought her back to the purpose of their visit, even as Alton quickened pace when they turned onto the road leading towards the Trevelyan's home. Cullen and Aro fell back to listen as Briseis attempted to question Mother Alicia, who informed her that she was forbidden to say anything at the Grand Cleric's insistence, much to their collective frustration. By the time they'd arrived in the courtyard, the temperature was dropping quickly and the air had begun to grow heavy as the entirety of House Trevelyan, along with Grand Cleric Sabrina stood waiting for them. Briseis glanced in the direction of the tower once again as footmen approached to assist those in the carriage while she, Cullen and the others dismounted and joined Mia, Rosalie and Varric for introductions. Bann Trevelyan was quick to introduce his wife, Eloise and his sons, Maxwell and younger brother Jonathan, to them all and Briseis couldn't help finding both to be quite striking, bearing the auburn hair and russet eyes of their mother, with the height and sharp features of their father. The bann's heir was polite in greeting Rosalie, and the pair seemed to become quite cordial in their first few moments to everyone's relief.“Bann and Lady Trevelyan, while I must thank you for your generous offer to host all of us while we are here, I must also ask your forgiveness,” Briseis quickly said, tearing her eyes from the scene.Lady Trevelyan stared between her husband and the Inquisitor in confusion. “I am not certain I understand, my lady,” the bann replied, his attentions being diverted as one of the Inquisition guards stepped forward.“She means me, Malcolm,” Alistair interjected, removing his helm. Malcolm Trevelyan knelt at once, as did the rest of his confused reception though Alistair bid them rise at once. “Lady Lavellan has taken great care to avoid drawing attention to me for the duration of our journey, but she did so at my request.”“You need not apologize for bringing a king into our home, Lady Inquisitor,” Lady Trevelyan replied, righting herself. “It is a great honor for His Majesty to be our guest, but it would be best if we were to go inside, lest the rains begin at once.”“Yes, of course,” Briseis answered as Bann and Lady Trevelyan led their guests inside. Briseis fell in alongside Grand Cleric Sabrina with Mother Alicia, Aro and Cullen following close behind them. “It is good to meet you again, Your Grace,” Briseis began.The Grand Cleric sighed. “Though I wish it were under better circumstances,” Sabrina replied with a shrewd look as they entered the foyer and saw Alton descending the stairs for a brief exchange with his lord while Lady Trevelyan gestured for the newest arrivals to follow her up the stairs. “I know there is much you want to ask,” the Grand Cleric went on, “but it would be better if you all got settled first. Lord Trevelyan has allowed us the use of his study for the purpose of briefing you all on the situation. We can meet there when you are ready.”Dread began to engulf Briseis as she and the others were led to their rooms in pairs. “Your things will be brought up shortly and Alton will show you to Malcolm's study when you are ready to meet with Her Grace,” Lady Trevelyan informed Briseis as they were finally shown their room for the duration of their visit, which was thankfully next door to Mia and Rosalie.Briseis pulled back the drapes, revealing a large green field spread out against the rising slopes of the mountains beyond. Patches of violet, azure and bright pink peppered the expanse before her and she lifted the small latch to unlock the windows. The thick clouds overhead still seemed reluctant to deliver the rain they threatened as she pushed the windows open, and Cullen's arms went about her waist as she breathed in the scent of flowers growing heavy on the air.“Godric and Phobos are going to love this,” he whispered in her ear.“I think so, too,” she replied, turning to face him. “And I'm still feeling a bit energized.”Cullen took her by the hand. “So am I, and I bet they are as well,” he answered. “We should take them out and let them run until this evening.”They grinned mischievously at one another and she gave a nod, twining her fingers in his hand. He quickly pulled her towards the door, surprised when they found Alton standing there, poised to knock. “Lady Lavellan, Commander Rutherford, I trust that everything is to your comfort?” he asked.“It is, but we are headed to the stables,” Cullen explained. “As you saw, our mounts were not keen on their confinement while we were at sea. We saw the field outside our room and hoped to lead them there.”Alton nodded, clearly recalling what he'd seen at the docks. “That is a favorite for our mounts to run and graze,” he replied as he gestured towards the stairwell. “Lord Trevelyan's study is just below your room, so you will be able to see them during your meeting. Will you be wanting to begin when you return?”“Yes, and anyone who will be accompanying us to the tower should be present,” Briseis answered. “No one is going into this situation without all of the facts. We shouldn't be more than an hour.”The steward seemed surprised, but appreciative when he nodded. “I will make certain that everyone is assembled when you return, my lady.”
Godric was still frolicking across the field when she and Cullen arrived to find Grand Cleric Sabrina, Mother Alicia, and the Seekers waiting for them as they entered Bann Trevelyan's study an hour later. Half a dozen templars were present as well, and Sabrina explained that they served the local Chantry and were the recent scouting party to Ostwick's Circle, having served there before the Conclave. As for the tower, it had been abandoned after word arrived that Samwen, the Circle's First Enchanter, had been killed along with Evelyn Trevelyan at the Conclave, but recently a merchant caravan headed for Kirkwall reported seeing lights coming from the tower itself, prompting Sabrina to send a small party to investigate and notify the Grand Cathedral.“And the templars you originally sent, they are presumed dead?” Aro inquired after Sabrina's explanation.“There has been no word or trace of them since I sent word to Val Royeaux, so yes,” Sabrina replied.Cullen glanced at his wife, who seemed ill at ease. “But you said that you saw demons on the grounds?” he asked. “How many?”“The place is crawling with them, Commander. Despair demons and wraiths were everywhere from what we could see,” another templar answered. “There's no telling what could be inside on the upper floors.”“These demons couldn't have just shown up on their own,” Briseis thought aloud, looking to the templars. “Despite the tower declaring itself neutral, there had to be differing opinions about the war. Was there any conflict?”The templars all looked at one another. “It was tense at times, my lady, but Knight-Commander Landon and the First Enchanter kept the peace,” one of them replied.“What about after the Conclave?” she pressed.“I went to the Circle to inform them of what had taken place,” Sabrina explained. “He and I agreed that everyone would be given safe passage due to concerns that things would likely deteriorate after hearing about the Conclave. No one wanted what happened to Kirkwall happening in Ostwick, and allowing everyone to leave was the safest option.”Aro folded his arms. “Where did everyone go afterwards?”“The loyalist mages retreated to the Circles of Montsimmard and Hasmal with a few of the templars,” the first templar explained. “Others accepted the amnesty offered by the Grey Wardens or joined with the factions at Redcliffe and Therinfal Redoubt. Most left the tower without conflict,” he emphasized, “but when a few decided they wanted to linger and settle old scores, Knight-Commander Landon remained to try talking them down. That was the last anyone has seen or heard of those who stayed behind.”“I find it peculiar that the demons have only recently been discovered. Has anyone been on the grounds or inside the tower itself since it was abandoned?” Cullen asked the templars.One of the templars shook his head. “Not to our knowledge, ser,” he answered. “but it's been quiet since everyone left, that's why it was odd when someone reported activity though it is possible that bandits or some unsuspecting scavengers may have tried entering...”“But until we go inside, all we have is speculation,” Aro finished, looking to Briseis.Briseis sighed. “Assuming the worst, anyone who remained or has set foot in that tower is dead,” she mused. “That may be why the demons are there; the Veil tends to be weaker in places where there has been bloodshed.”“Lady Lavellan, this is your operation. How do we proceed?” Vaughn inquired.She glanced over at Cullen. “We'll head for the tower first thing in the morning,” she answered. “When we arrive, we'll clear the exterior and then work in teams of nine to clear the each floor, and hopefully we can learn what has truly happened inside.”“Who will accompany you?” Aro asked, as a knock came to the door, followed by Alton's voice.“Cullen and I will have Seekers Vaughn, Wallace and Hyde, along with four of the templars while you lead the second party,” she replied as one of the templars opened the door. “We will regroup in the tower's library and no one is to wander off on their own.”The steward cleared his throat upon entering the study. “Your Grace, I'm here to inform you that the Teryn of Ostwick, will be joining us for dinner,” he told her. “The baths have been prepared for everyone who has recently arrived, but I would suggest that Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford retrieve their mounts quickly; the rains are finally beginning.”
Cullen shifted in the armchair, Dorian's flask in his hands as he watched the storm raging outside and the sounds of rain violently pelting the windows as Helios snoozed beside him. Over his shoulder, Briseis was in a deep sleep, having shut her eyes from exhaustion almost as soon as her head hit the pillow when they'd finally retired for the night. The meal had been pleasant enough, with Bann Trevelyan proudly boasting that the boar served for their main course had been hunted by his sons as the conversations around the table flitted between matters of state and upcoming events leading up to the Divine's Renaissance. After dessert, Alistair, Varric, Teryn Keath, the bann and his sons took their conversation to the bann's study while he and Briseis returned to their room. He was as tired as she was, but knew sleep would not come for a while tonight (if it came at all) in the wake of what lay ahead of them, so he'd decided to break out his chessboard to hopefully distract his mind from what had been bothering him most of the evening.Less than seven years had passed since that night in the Gallows, fourteen since Kinloch. He had not thought to set foot inside a Circle of Magi ever again, but Cullen had done all he could since then to find some semblance of peace. He'd found it and more, thanks to the woman sleeping behind him, though it was undeniable that the memories still plagued him occasionally. And they'd come roaring back in force since he found out what was waiting for them, making him wonder if his new confidence had all been a facade...Making him wonder if he was still as weak and broken as he had been for years. If he was truly worthy of her or the mark on his hand...“Lost while you were lost. Never broken, not weak,” he heard a familiar voice whisper behind him before he saw the wide brim of a hat casting a large shadow on the far wall. Cullen had partly expected this, but now he wasn't sure what to say.“Cole...”“'It won't work; I will stay strong,'” Cole continued, echoing his words when the Warden found him in Kinloch. “Weak and broken couldn't keep going, couldn't break the free of the chains. Would still think they were monsters, helped Meredith kill them all with no thought of suffering. Broken wouldn't care about Cole, but you were sad because nobody should be forgotten.” Cullen gazed back at their reflection in the window and saw Cole sit beside Briseis before glancing at the window as well. “Broken would never write back to Mia. You stayed strong for your sake, for everyone. I'm glad they protected so you wouldn't break.”Cole never failed to confuse him, but Cullen was utterly lost when he rose from his chair to face him. “What are you talking about, Cole? Everyone was dead! How could anyone have possibly protected me?!” he replied, keeping his voice low as not to disturb Briseis.In the blink of an eye, Cole was standing beside him. “'I heard him calling. They try his mind, try to break it, but he will not yield. He still clings, prays, squeezes the coin with all his might. Won't let them hurt him anymore. Won't let them kill him,'” the boy cryptically answered, his voice becoming determined. “'Keep them out; keep him safe until someone stops them. If I help, he won't be lost forever. He'll have some left and he can come back.'” He reached out and grabbed Cullen's arm. “It sustained, like you wrote to Greagoir, just not touching like Cassandra.”“Faith?” Cullen rasped, recalling his reports to his former Knight-Commander.Cole nodded slowly and looked into his eyes. “Lost while you were lost, took time to remember. But won't leave you again. You let go of anger, kept the pain inside. You can let it out now.” He glanced out the window then. “It's quieter out there.”He was completely drenched when he returned, but Cullen couldn't deny how much weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders as he stripped out of his sopping wet bedclothes. Briseis was still asleep, but a pair of towels and a fresh change of clothing had already been set out for him. By all rights, he should have been exhausted by the time he sat before the fire, rubbing at his still-damp curls, but he'd found himself more invigorated than he had been in years. It only magnified a thousand fold when he felt a warm blanket being draped around him and her soft lips against his cheek.“Did you leave something out there?” Briseis queried as he pulled her down beside him.“I did,” he answered after long moments.
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The sky was still overcast as Mother Alicia strode around and in between them all, carrying a censer that bathed them in the scent of burning sage that mixed in with the earthy floral scent as they all knelt while Alistair, Varric, and the others looked on after an early breakfast the next morning. Grand Cleric Sabrina stood before Cullen, Briseis and the others, her hand outstretched as she offered blessings for their safe journey to Ostwick's Circle, as well as fervent prayers to the Maker and Andraste to grant them courage as they confronted all that may lay in their path. When she was done, Mia and Rosalie hurried over to bid farewell, with Rosalie handing out small pouches of extra potions for everyone as Cullen had a word with those who would be guarding his sisters. The templars and Seekers had already taken to horse while Briseis once again had to refuse Varric and Alistair's offer to join them.“You both have larger responsibilities to Kirkwall and to Ferelden,” she told them firmly.“It's nothing that either of us haven't done before, you know?” Alistair protested.Briseis shook her head. “All the same, I like my eyeballs where they are and I like living, so I can't let you come,” she answered. “I'm not stupid enough to piss off Bianca Davri or Sayuri Cousland, meaning that you two aren't coming to storm a demon-infested Circle tower with me.”“I never thought I'd see a goddess afraid of anything or anyone,” he whispered under his breath as he helped her to mount Godric.Briseis grinned at him. “Goddesses outrank kings in case you forgot, so what I say goes anyway,” she sweetly replied as he gawked at her. “Stay here and behave yourself, Your Majesty.”He stepped back as she nodded her thanks and urged the others onward, joining Cullen and Aro at the front of the procession as they turned north onto the main road, heading towards the Vinmark Mountains. As they rode closer, Briseis realized that Ostwick's Circle had actually been built in the shadow of the mountain range, accessible by a narrow path that would be obscure to most travelers. They were a couple of miles from the tower when she sensed a thinning in the the Veil, and Godric and the other mounts made it clear that they were not keen on proceeding any further.“This was about has far as our mounts were content to go last time, too,” one of the templars, who was named Maurice, murmured as they all halted and dismounted. She consoled Godric for a moment before he nuzzled at her and took to the forest while some of the Seekers and templars drew away from view, presumably to relieve themselves after the ride, returning to tether their mounts and recheck supplies. A few moments later, they were hiking towards the high wall that surrounded the tower. They were almost to the gate when Briseis noticed that the air was just as quiet and still as Ostagar had been, making her increasingly wary of what they would find.The courtyard seemed largely in tact as they lingered near the gate, save the overgrowth of what had surely once been a well-tended garden of flowers, herbs and vegetables. By Briseis's count, there were some thirty demons beyond the orichalcum-coated gate with most being demons of despair, fear and rage. Though they idled as they usually did near a rift and the Veil felt nearly as thin as it had been near the Breach, there wasn't so much as a tear in her line of sight.“There's a bunch of them grouped together near the middle,” Briseis whispered, “Perhaps I can open a rift large enough to draw them back without us having to fight them.”Aro seemed wary of the suggestion. “Would doing that alert those inside to our presence?” he asked.“Possibly, but if we were to simply attack them, there's a risk of injury before we even get inside the tower,” Cullen answered. “Banishing them will at least thin out their numbers.”“How much will this drain your magic?”She shrugged. “It won't take much effort, considering how thin the Veil is here,” she assured him. “But I'd have to open the rift right away to prevent them having a chance to attack. And just so we're clear, don't expect me to banish every demon that may be inside the tower. ”Vaughn grinned. “Not wanting to make it too easy for us?” he replied as she smiled back.“That'd be no fun for you guys,” Briseis said. “Alright, then let's get this gate open.”
They scouted the area for any remaining demons while Briseis rested on a stool just outside the greenhouse, picking some royal elfroot from a plant she'd found. “Never seen anything like that. Does it cause you pain?” Wallace queried when she approached.Briseis glanced down at her hand and then to the Seeker. “Not like it did when I first got it, but I've gotten used to the tingling. Still makes me hungry though,” she replied, reaching for her snack mix before holding the pouch out to Wallace.The Seeker picked out a cluster for herself and nodded her thanks. “These are really good,” she said, even as the spice caused her already dusky cheeks to gain a bit more color. Briseis laughed as she tucked the elfroot leaves into her herb pouch and glanced towards the tower, her smile gradually fading as she stared around the courtyard and the tower itself, thinking of the carnage she'd seen in the past.“It's almost like nothing even happened here,” Wallace whispered, bringing Briseis out of her own thoughts.“That's what's bothering me,” Briseis replied quietly. “I would have expected to see more than a neglected garden and demons out here.”“As did I,” Wallace said, “but there appears to be no exterior damage to the tower and even this greenhouse has been largely untouched. Do you think something more could be at play?”Briseis raised an eyebrow. “Possibly, but we need to get inside if we're going to find out what.”
The doors yielded easily when Cullen and Vaughn pushed them open, but everyone was on guard as they reached the center of the vestibule to see for themselves the destruction that had been wrought inside the Ostwick Circle. Dried blood was still visible in the grout around sigil of Circle of Magi tiled into the floor, with more blood streaking the walls and tapestries around the room. One of the statues of Andraste had been obliterated, its pieces strewn about, some having ripped through the walnut double doors opposite the entrance. There were no signs of life as they searched the apprentices' quarters, occasionally finding potions or lightly damaged tomes until a templar named Carrie alerted them to some recently-deceased remains stuffed under one of the beds.“He's been dead maybe a day,” Cullen observed once the bed had been moved.Maurice stepped forward for a closer look. “That's Marco!!” he told them. “He was one of the templars Her Grace sent to investigate when we heard about the tower. He'd served here as well, but moved to the Ostwick Chantry after the evacuation.”“There's a stab wound underneath his arm here,” Aro pointed out as he carefully assisted Cullen in turning over Marco's body. “If his killer was able to get this close, he may not have perceived them as a threat.” He turned to the templars.“Remind me how many mages and templars remained behind for this... altercation?”Maurice shifted nervously. “Marco told us that by the time the tower had been fully evacuated, both sides were evenly matched,” he answered. “There were at least twenty on either side.”Briseis looked up from examining Marco's stab wound. “Did Marco say how long it took to evacuate the tower?”“Two days,” Maurice replied.She stood and leaned against one of the bunks. “What about the others who left the Circle?”“Those headed to Montsimmard and Hasmal left the same day we did,” Carrie explained. “Those who decided to join the Wardens were to leave the next day. And supposedly tensions got worse overnight, so those who wanted to head for Redcliffe and Therinfal left with them.”Carrie looked over at her fellow templar furtively, though Briseis caught the glance. “And what aren't you saying?” she demanded.The two templars continued their unspoken conversation for a moment before Carrie turned to her. “The real reason no one ever came here to find out what happened is because Knight-Commander Landon ordered everyone to stay away,” she replied as Maurice glared at her.“When did he give this order?” Cullen pressed.“After Her Grace was summoned to Val Royeaux to convene with the Grand Clerics,” Maurice told them. “The Knight-Commander dispatched eight of us to accompany her, but the order wasn't given until we'd departed for Orlais.”“Marco also said that after everyone who was evacuating was gone, Landon sent the remaining loyal templars to the Ostwick Chantry and told them to keep everyone away at all costs,” she finished. “He wanted the city protected in case he wasn't successful at stopping them.”Cullen glanced at his wife. “And the tower went quiet after that until recently,” Maurice concluded.“What was Grand Cleric Sabrina's reaction to hearing of this order?” Aro inquired.“Her Grace understood his wanting to keep the city safe, though she was not happy about his instructions to stay away,” Carrie answered. “And since there too few of us left here, she could not afford to spare anyone to investigate the tower until she was left with no choice.”Cullen frowned with thought. “I can't entirely say that I blame her for not wanting to risk anyone while it was still quiet,” he finally said, “but she has to have known this place was going to be a problem eventually.” He glanced around the room, seeing that the infirmary was just ahead. “Let's check for any additional supplies and find out what happened here.”
They were able to salvage a few healing potions and tinctures from the infirmary, as well as finding a few more books in the teaching rooms before Cullen, Briseis and their companions made for the second floor to sweep the laboratories and mages' quarters, while Aro and his party continued to the third floor to clear the great hall and the kitchens. After they dispatched a pair of revenants and an arcane horror that ambushed them in the dormitories, Vaughn and one of templars remained with them to investigate the room while Hyde and Wallace continued to the laboratories with the other three templars. They'd only been gone a few minutes when Cullen poked his head out of a senior enchanters' room, beckoning for her to join him.“Find something?” she asked when she found him sitting on one of the beds in the spacious room, a deeply concerned look on his face as he held a small book out for her. She sat on the bed opposite him, opening what she realized was a journal belonging to a mage named Laila. From the early entries, Briseis gathered that Laila had been brought to the Circle when she was nine years old, but an eagerness to learn had helped her to swiftly surpass most others in her age group. Recognizing their potential, the First Enchanter had she and Evelyn Trevelyan roomed together, leading to a close friendship, with both passing the Harrowing only days apart. Afterwards, Samwen had begun training them personally and they advanced them to senior enchanters in the span of a few short years.“So she and Evelyn were favorites of the First Enchanter?” she mused, looking over at Cullen, who had been keeping an eye on the templars outside.“Skip to the entries just before the Conclave,” Cullen whispered to her as he got up to watch the others as they continued sifting through items in the dormitory before shutting the door. She did as he asked, learning that Samwen and Knight-Commander Landon had met with Laila and Evelyn two days before Samwen and Evelyn departed for Ferelden, but the pages that likely held the details of their conversation had been ripped out of the journal. Briseis twisted around and spotted the open space above Laila's bed before she looked at Cullen, who held the lost pages. He gave her the missing entries and sat down across from her, watching as she read. She looked up afterwards to see him holding a pair of vials that looked a lot like the one that was concealed beneath his armor. “Landon allowed the First Enchanter to take them from the tower's vault?” she whispered.“Yes. This one is Laila's,” he replied as he handed one of the phylacteries to her. The glass was warm in her hand, but it was the brightness of the liquid within that had her attention. “She's still alive. And somewhere nearby,” Cullen continued, despite her focus being strangely drawn to the second one.“And this one is Evelyn's?” she mused as he gave her the other phylactery, letting her compare the two. It was no surprise that the blood inside was cold and didn't glow, as Evelyn had been killed at the Conclave, but Cullen was surprised when Briseis rose to her feet with a puzzled expression as she read the last hurried entry, dated six days after the Breach had opened. “They were planning to escape when the Conclave failed, but why wouldn't Laila leave?”“All the more reason we need to find her,” Cullen replied as he led her out of the room. The others were waiting for them, having salvaged what little was still useful before passing the common area and into the laboratories. Wallace, Hyde and their party were already waiting when they reached the end of the hall, ahead of the First Enchanter's quarters.Hyde huffed his frustration. “We've tried everything we can think of, but something on the other side is keeping us out,” he growled.“We think we know why,” Cullen replied, gesturing for them to back away as Briseis stepped forward, reaching up to the barriers that kept the door sealed. “Laila!!!” she hollered, sensing that the mage was on the other side. It was quiet for a minute though she sensed the door's defenses being amplified. “Laila, I give you my word that no one is going to hurt you. We just want to know what's wrong here.”Wallace turned to Cullen. “Who is Laila?” she asked.“She's a mage that survived whatever took place here,” he explained, holding up the brightly glowing phylactery while his wife continued to appeal to the door. “We're hoping that she can tell us what happened and how to fix it.”It took several minutes of pleading and a promise to enter alone before Briseis could feel the enchantments being removed after a lingering silence. She placed her hand over the doorknob before turning to the others.“She could be responsible for this?!” Vaughn protested.“Based on what we've found, that may not be the case,” Briseis replied. “Cullen will explain, but if she were to panic and attack us, it ruins any chance of finding out for certain.”
Briseis carefully pushed the door open, closing it quickly behind her before she held up her hands carefully. “It's just me, Laila,” she called out. “You can come out.”“You are the Inquisitor?” a small voice echoed around the room as Briseis felt the wards being put back into place.“Yes, but my name is Briseis,” she replied, stepping into the center of the room.“You are the Herald of Andraste,” the voice finished. “Can't imagine that the Chantry liked the idea of an elf holding that title.”Briseis chuckled, realizing that the mage was keeping herself cloaked. “They've gotten used to it. But they have more to take in now since I'm also Inquisitor and Right Hand of the Divine,” she replied. “That's why I'm here. The new Divine has tasked me with finding out what's happened at this tower...”“What caused the Conclave to fail?” the voice urgently interrupted. “Why did Evie and Sam have to die?”The Inquisitor is bewildered. “Have you not heard the stories?” she queried.“I have,” Laila replied tersely. “But I would prefer for you to tell me yourself, starting with why a Dalish elf was attending.”“How do you know I'm Dalish?”The voice hummed. “You don't talk like those who live in the Alienage.”The use of Elvhen piqued her curiosity. “My clan's Keeper was concerned about what would happen, so she sent me to observe,” Briseis responded in kind. “The day it happened, some mages and templars had a confrontation outside the Temple of Sacred Ashes, which allowed me to sneak inside while everyone was distracted. As I was looking for a place to hide, I heard someone calling for help and that led me to disrupt the ritual that caused the explosion.”
“What of Evie and Sam?”
“No one even knew that I was there, so I never met either of them,” Briseis replied. “Aside from myself and the person performing the ritual, everyone who was at the temple, including Divine Justinia, was killed.” There was silence for a moment. “And the person responsible?” the voice asked in Common Tongue. “Who was it? Are they dead?”“His name was Corypheus; one of the Magisters Sidereal,” Briseis told her. “His goal was to become a living god and restore the old Imperium.”
“What kind of ritual?” Laila queried.
“One meant to tear down the Veil in its entirety,”she answered, looking over at her left hand. “The artifact being used during the ritual left a mark on my hand that allowed me to close the Breach and other rifts that opened as a result.”“Which is how you were able to dispatch the demons outside. But how did you close the Breach?” Laila eagerly asked.Briseis realized that Laila was near the desk, but allowed the mage her comfort. “With the aid of the rebel mages,” she replied. “Their magic added to the Anchor helped me to close it.”“Then it is unfortunate you brought only templars,” the mage commented, her voice deflated.Briseis shook her head. “There is a theory that their power could have been used to weaken the Breach to the same result,” she countered.“If what you say is true, there may be a chance to save this tower,” Laila replied, making herself visible at last though she kept her barriers up. “For my brother's sake.”“Your brother?” Briseis repeated. “Samwen was your brother?”The other elf shook her head and brushed a light brown strand of hair away from her face. “Knight-Commander Landon,” she replied to the Inquisitor's astonishment. “That we were related was one of the biggest secrets between us, Evie and Sam because we worried about reprisals if the Chantry were to discover it.”“But weren't you supposed to leave after the Conclave fell apart?” Briseis pointed out. “We found your journal and the phylacteries. But why are you still here?”“No one here really thought the Conclave would succeed, but Evelyn and Samwen felt the need to give it a chance, so they didn't refuse Divine Justinia's request to attend,” Laila explained. “Sam named me acting First Enchanter as you know, but the balance that held this tower together was hanging by a thread even before he left. When word reached us about the explosion, that thread snapped and discord began to spread throughout the tower with an ease that was almost unnerving. We evacuated the tower, but after almost everyone was gone, Landon wanted me to go to Montsimmard, but I refused.”Briseis finally lowered her hands. “You didn't want to leave him here.”“I knew that if I left, it would be the last time I saw him,” Laila replied. “The templars and mages that refused to leave were already primed to fight.”Briseis cleared her throat. “I shouldn't be the only person to hear what you have to say,” she cautioned. “If you're alright with it, we should go upstairs to the library. Those outside the door are not the only ones who came here with me and some of them were templars in this Circle.”
Worry filled Laila's deep green eyes. “Which ones?” she nervously asked.
“Maurice and Carrie are upstairs with some of the Seekers,” Briseis informed to Laila's slight relief.
“I should like to see them again,” Laila recalled. “They were both good templars.”
“What about Marco?” the Inquisitor asked. “We found him downstairs, but he'd only died recently.”
The green eyes darkened. “He is why this tower has suffered,” Laila answered.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cullen had been pacing outside the door since the moment she went inside, worried about whether or not the silence from inside Samwen's quarters was more to their benefit or detriment when he felt the magic guarding the door begin to weaken. A tiny click stopped him in his tracks as he nodded for the others to prepare themselves, and his hand closed over his sword before he slowly turned to see the door being pulled open behind him...“Be calm, husband,” Briseis advised, slowly reaching out to let her left palm rest over his breastplate. Cullen had never been so relieved to stay his hand as when he felt her phylactery grow warm in reaction to her touch. The grip on his blade relaxed, and he gave a short nod to assure the Seekers and templars that she was herself. His relief slowly changed to concern when he saw the focus in his wife's eyes as she pulled the door slightly shut. “We may want to give her a little space when she comes out,” she suggested.“What has she told you?” Cullen asked her as he and the others backed away a few paces.She shook her head. “Not much, but I expect she'll tell us everything once we've found Aro's party.” she replied, opening the door and allowing Laila to cautiously emerge, her green eyes flicking nervously towards each them as Briseis introduced them all.“Am I a prisoner?” Laila quietly asked, to which Briseis shook her head.“No, though I understand your concern better than you think,” she replied. “The fact is that you are the only witness we have right now, so there is a lot we need to ask you about.”The mage said nothing as she fell into step with the Right Hand. Everyone else followed behind them while they climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, finding Aro and his party already there, cleaning their weapons after having dispatched a small number of shades that had been waiting for them.“I wondered when you'd get here,” Aro said as they entered the library, falling silent when he saw Laila. “Who is this?”“This is -”“Laila,” Carrie and Maurice said in unison. “She is one of the senior enchanters of this Circle,” Maurice finished.Briseis nodded. “She'd taken refuge in the First Enchanter's quarters when we found her,” she explained after making the remaining introductions. “But she is able to tell us what's happened here since the Conclave.” She stared around, lamenting that a library nearly five times the size of Skyhold's, had been all but completely emptied, though she hoped for time to peruse its remnants later as she redirected her focus to their more urgent concern.Aro was frowning as Briseis had Laila to sit at one of the few tables that hadn't been destroyed and gestured for him to join her near some of the shelves. “Has she told you what happened here?” he inquired.“Not yet,” Briseis replied as Cullen joined them. “But I know first hand how tedious it gets when you have to repeatedly tell people how you survived a magical catastrophe, so I thought it best she only have to tell us once.”“Do you think that she caused this?” her husband asked her.Briseis shook her head. “No, at least not in a way that is malicious,” she told them. “What's more is that she thinks we may be able to save this place.”“How so?” Cullen asked her, looking over at Laila.“She implied it after asking how I closed the Breach,” she answered. “The Veil is weak here, but the Anchor is not reacting as though there were a rift in the immediate area. Let's just hear her out and we can decide what to do afterwards.” She took a moment to observe the other woman, unable to avoid thinking of Stroud's gaunt appearance when she'd rescued him from the Nightmare. “It's obvious that she's been through a lot in the last three years, so keep that in mind while we question her.”
Laila still seemed nervous, even as Briseis took her own seat, with Cullen and Aro on either side of her. The others sat or stood around the table, giving them space while still close enough to act if necessary and Briseis couldn't help but remember waking up to Cassandra and Leliana glowering over her. “Laila, are you ready to talk to us?” she carefully asked.The mage slowly placed her hands on the table. “Yes,” she replied.“It has been three years since the Conclave,” Briseis began. “Why has the tower been silent all this time?”Laila's expression was pained. “It was a failsafe to contain the situation,” she slowly replied. “We didn't want anything to escape or for anyone to put themselves at risk in some foolish rescue attempt.”“What was your role at that time?” Aro inquired.“First Enchanter Samwen named me to act in his place while he was attending the Conclave,” Laila replied.He frowned. “Knight-Commander Landon and Grand Cleric Sabrina were aware of this?” he asked.“The Knight-Commander knew the week before Samwen and Evelyn departed for Ferelden,” she told them. “Evelyn and I had worked closely with First Enchanter Samwen and the Knight-Commander oversaw most of our work himself, so we were all friends as well as colleagues. As for Her Grace, she found out when she arrived to tell us of the Conclave's failure. That was when she and Landon agreed to my suggestion that the tower be evacuated.” She looked to Maurice and Carrie. “Those departing for Montsimmard left the same night you all accompanied Her Grace to Val Royeaux.”Maurice and Carrie nodded, confirming the truth of what she'd said. “And we only know what Marco told us about what took place afterwards,” Maurice replied. “He said that there was a confrontation between some mages and templars?”Laila's eyes darkened again at the mentioning of Marco. “He lied,” she said bitterly. “It was... rigid before the Conclave as you know, but after we told everyone what had happened, tensions worsened quickly. While the evacuation progressed, we learned that Marco had been baiting both sides, but before we could confront him about instigating conflict, he left with those who were headed to Hasmal and Weisshaupt.”“Then how did he come to still be in Ostwick when Grand Cleric Sabrina returned?” Wallace asked her.“He came back here,” Laila replied, bristling. “That's when things got worse. That last night, we – Landon and I – were trying to diffuse an altercation between a handful of mages and some templars. Just as we got it under control, we learned that some of the apprentices had been brought back and were held captive upstairs.”Cullen leaned back in his chair, as did Aro. “Why?” the Seeker demanded. “For what purpose?”Laila seemed reluctant to answer until Briseis urged her to continue. “Their Harrowings,” she finally replied to everyone's horror. “There had been a concern that the Wardens wouldn't just take the apprentices so the morning they left, apprentices that were of age were given the opportunity to undergo the rite. Ten of them volunteered and succeeded, with others choosing to delay until arriving at Hasmal since some were still undecided about joining the Loyalists and others wanted more time to prepare. One of them managed to escape and alerted the Knight-Commander and I of what was happening.”“And the Knight-Commander's response?” Aro demanded.“I accompanied him to the Harrowing chamber to confirm what we were told,” she replied, her voice shaking. “But the other templars and the remaining mages followed us.” Her eyes were distant, as though reliving it all as she spoke.“All I could smell as we got closer was lyrium and blood,” she continued, covering her hand with her mouth. “When we reached the chamber, Landon had to cut down a pair of templars guarding the door before we got it open. What we found... what they'd done was an abomination. Marco and two other templars were inside, Harrowing apprentices by force. Those who refused had been made Tranquil; the few who agreed and succeeded were being forced to kill those that failed and became abominations,” she whispered through her fingers.Carrie choked out a gasp of disbelief. “And that's why you blame Marco?”Laila looked at the templar sharply. “When we arrived at the Harrowing chamber, he was forcing Millie to submit to the rite. She was in tears struggling against him; screaming with terror while he was forcing her hand into the bowl of lyrium.”Color had drained from Carrie's face. “She was always scared of demons or even the thought of being possessed,” she recalled. “But she was only eleven years old!”Cullen's hand slammed onto the table, causing Briseis to flinch. “The Chantry would never sanction a Harrowing for a mage that young,” Cullen added, furious at what they were being told. It was rare to see him so angry. “The earliest a mage has been Harrowed that I know of is sixteen. Even on her worst day, Meredith wasn't that cruel.”Aro ran a palm over his dreadlocks, looking to the Seekers and templars behind them, most of whom were appalled at what they were hearing. “What happened next?” Briseis asked.Laila's eyes slowly closed. “A few of the mages and almost all of templars said that what Marco had done was too far over the line and that they didn't want anything more to do with Circles, the templars or the Chantry. They declared for the Wardens; the apprentices and Tranquil went with them, they were going to remain in Hasmal. They all gave their word that they would say nothing of what happened here. The templars who still wished to serve said the same and Landon sent them to Ostwick, telling them to protect the city. I saw them all through the gates before going back to the Harrowing chamber. I do not know what has become of them since then.”She let out a stuttered breath. “When I got back, Millie was still unconscious and curled up on the floor as Landon and Marco argued,” she continued. “But then I noticed there was a blue shimmer on Millie's fingers.“Was she..?” Cullen urgently interrupted her.Laila nodded. “Yes. She was in the middle of her Harrowing and no one noticed...”He was horrified, knowing the dangers of Harrowings that went too long. “How long had it been between when you and Landon first arrived in the chamber and when you returned after sending the others away?” Laila opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again, reluctant to answer. “How long?!” Cullen pressed.“Long enough,” she replied after a long moment. “But I was unconscious before I could try to get their attention. When I awoke, Millie and the two templars were dead, but Marco was gone. And Landon was standing over me.”“Then Knight-Commander Landon – he is alive?” Maurice asked.She bristled again. “He... is possessed,” she replied frankly. “I don't know what happened, but when I awoke, he was poised to kill me. His eyes were different, darker than usual. But he stayed his hand at the last moment and told me to get out, that the time had come.”“To use the failsafe?” Cullen realized. “What exactly did you do?”Laila glanced at Briseis. “This spell we created was meant to be used as a last resort should a Harrowing go beyond our control or something like what happened with Jessimerre were to occur,” she told them. “It seals off this tower, but it required two of us. Additionally, the spell confines anyone who enters until the situation is rectified. An unfortunate caveat that was not entirely unexpected.”“So that means we're also stuck here until we fix this,” Vaughn muttered. “But Samwen and Evelyn were already dead. How were you able to cast the spell?”“That's why you needed Evelyn's phylactery, isn't it?” Briseis recognized as Cullen set them on the table.She nodded as she stared at the vials. “Yes. We worked it out so that even using one of our phylacteries would be sufficient,” Laila explained. “But as a First Enchanter, Samwen's was kept at the White Spire and had been destroyed. Knowing that, Sam and and the Knight-Commander took mine and Evelyn's from the vault right before he left for the Conclave.”“He wanted you to be ready in case the worst should happen,” Aro concluded.Briseis leaned back in her chair. “What demon has possessed the Knight-Commander?” she asked.“One that had been stalking this tower even before Samwen left, though we did not realize it,” Laila earnestly replied. “It was subtle in its attack and called itself Discord when it confronted me after I'd sealed the tower.”“This is not a demon I've heard of before,” Briseis said after a moment before glancing to Cullen and the others around her, who all shook their heads as well.Laila stared directly at her. “When Marco began his instigations, he went after the easiest of wounds to open: the fact that a mage was assumed to be responsible for what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes,” she explained. Cullen glanced at his wife, seeing the twinge of guilt flashing across Briseis's face. “But it spread like a disease, one that thrived on repressed anger. Before long, mages and templars that had usually gotten along – or at least been civil – were at each other's throats about slights that were imagined or long since past, even amongst each other.”Briseis rose from her seat and began to pace. “That sounds like something akin to a rage demon, though more subtle and probably more powerful,” she thought aloud. “I know of some of the more unique demons in the Fade. It may be that Discord is one of them, although I seriously doubt it's on the level of the Nightmare or the Forbidden Ones.”“The Forbidden Ones are real?” Hyde asked her.Cullen nodded as he turned to face the Seeker. “She encountered Imshael in the Emprise Du Lion,” he replied, “though that was well after this tower was sealed.”“There is a second demon as well,” Laila interjected. “It came just after the Loyalists left. It's able to make itself look like anyone,” Laila replied. “The only reason we knew something wasn't right was because it tried to pass itself off as Samwen when we first saw it.”Cullen ran his hand over the stubble on his chin. “We've heard of this before,” he said as he glanced at his wife. “Do you remember that demon the Chargers encountered when you sent them to Therinfal?”Briseis wrinkled her brow. “Krem said it took on his likeness, along with those of Cassandra and Bull when they found it,” she recalled. “I asked Solas about it once and he said it was probably an envy demon. From what he said, they go after people who are in positions of power or leadership.”Laila nodded. “But we already knew that Samwen was dead,” she continued. “We defeated it, but no one was able to kill it. It was actually how we deescalated the situation between those mages and templars that were about to fight; we all had to work together.”“But why did you wait so long to signal for help?” Briseis queried.“Mainly because I haven't been able to free Landon,” she admitted. “Even when I've tried to confront Discord in the Fade, something keeps them tethered. In the meantime, I've prayed that people would stay away, and they mostly have. But occasionally bandits, mercenaries or scavengers would fall upon this tower and either seek to take it over or find anything of value – occasionally upon the word of a templar in Ostwick,” Laila answered.“So Marco was sending people here?” Maurice demanded. “Did you kill him?”Laila shook her head. “Marco had never set foot in the grounds after that night,” she answered. “But then a week ago, he led a group of templars here, saying that someone had seen lights inside the tower. That was the first time something has ever seemed to worry Envy and Discord and they killed all of them except for Marco after they were told.”“I won't lie, I was glad when Marco realized he was trapped here like everyone else he'd sent for the demons to torment,” she said, not hiding the bitter satisfaction in her voice. “Then yesterday, they pretended they could free Marco if he swore to bring you a message, but Discord killed him before he could leave. Neither had never used a weapon before, but they have used various methods – including me – as a means to prey upon anyone unfortunate enough to come here.”Briseis paused in her pacing as Cullen and Aro also got to their feet. “And are they using you as bait right now?” she inquired.“They are waiting for you,” she answered. “Particularly Envy; some who have come here spoke of you and the Inquisition. It fears a confrontation with you as much as it relishes the idea of becoming you.”They all looked to Briseis. “Then I won't keep them waiting much longer,” she finally said after a moment. “But first, let's go over what we know or can deduce about these demons and then we can decide how to handle them.”
An hour and a half later
Cullen tries to focus on the stone beneath his feet and the air in his lungs as they headed for the top floor with Laila leading them as they climbed to the top floor of Ostwick Tower. Aro and the others were behind them, quiet and somber as though they were preparing themselves for what was about to happen.The scent of blood and lyrium still lingered in the air around them and the Veil grows drastically thin as they near the Harrowing Chamber. They seemed to start moving in slow motion as the memories of being captive inside Kinloch begin to flash through his mind, threatening to consume him until he feels Briseis's hand clasping at his and the extra bit of warmth now coming from the vial he wore close to his heart.Laila hesitated as they reached the ebony doors that led to the chamber. “I've not been inside since the tower was sealed,” she cautioned them. “I do not know what they've done since then.”“Only one way to find out,” Briseis replied, nodding to Vaughn and Hyde while she and the others drew their weapons. The Seekers pushed on the doors, hesitating briefly before hurriedly shoving them fully open and collapsing as the odor of rancid flesh overwhelmed them. Cullen heard retching sounds behind them was near to vomiting himself as he sensed his wife pulling from the Fade before the more tolerable aroma of eucalyptus and sage set everyone's nostrils at ease. “This wouldn't be the first time I've had to block smells like this,” Briseis replied.“Thank you so much for that,” Wallace breathed with relief.Cullen planted a small kiss on her temple as they finally entered the Harrowing chamber. The stench that had assaulted them did not do justice for the scene within as they observed the thick globs of blood and entrails splattered on the walls and columns. Dark red filled the gaps in the cracked stone floor that he was certain would never be fully cleansed of the blood that had seeped through. Fresher corpses, likely belonging to the templars that had sent ahead of them, seemed to lead the way the center of the room where a plinth stood waiting, holding a white crystalline bowl filled with bright blue liquid. He saw Briseis moving on his left, and turned to see her walking towards the plinth before Hyde stopped her.“We need to make sure the room is safe first, my lady,” Aro reminded her. She nodded once and Aro set about ordering the Seekers and templars to secure the room before returning to where she waited with Cullen and Laila. “Are you certain of this, Lady Lavellan?” he asked, unable to conceal the apprehension in his smooth voice. “I still think that this – what you've suggested – is too dangerous.”“Confronting Discord in the Fade is the only way to defeat the demon without killing the Knight-Commander,” she replied, repeating the same answer she'd given when he and Cullen first objected in the library. “And my undergoing the Harrowing won't be any more dangerous that it has been for every other mage that's had to go through it. That's how this started, it may be the key to ending it.”“And if the Envy demon appears?” Aro challenged her.“We must defeat them both to liberate this tower, so if it chooses to appear in this chamber instead of to me in the Fade, do not hesitate to destroy it,” she answered.The Seeker then looked to Cullen. “I know you disapprove as well,” he said. “Surely you can convince her not to do this?”Cullen looked at his wife and shook his head. “Aro, would that I could,” he replied. “Even before she was my wife, it's never been easy to watch her walk into the fire. But the saving grace is that I will be right beside her while she does. And that there are enough of us here to challenge any demon that may attack.”Aro looked at him incredulously. “And what about you? You no longer take lyrium, Commander,” he pointed out. “How do you expect to stand against this?”Cullen's eyes hardened with determination. “The same way I survived what happened at Kinloch: Faith,” he replied simply. “I'll do what I must to keep my wife safe.”The Seeker was still wary, but knew when it was pointless to argue any further. “Very well then,” he said once Vaughn nodded that they were ready.Briseis said nothing at first other than to look up at the staff in her hand, noting the faint glow in the Eye of Mythal as she surveyed the room. Her thoughts kept bouncing from what Cullen and Vivienne had told her of Harrowings to reconstituting the Well of Sorrows as she stared back at the bowl of lyrium. “I think the best way to draw the demon out is likely to treat this like it's real,” she told them before she turned her gaze to her husband. “You probably have the most experience with this of anyone here, so you'll oversee the rite. What do we need to do?” she asked him, holstering her staff.Cullen couldn't hide the worry in his face as he thought of the numerous Harrowings he'd been part of over the years. The relief he'd felt each time a mage succeeded, and the the conflicted feelings when those that failed were put to the sword, sometimes at his own hand. He'd dreaded this moment since the first time she'd smiled at him in Haven, but now that it was here, he knew he needed to give her the best chance at success.“Seekers Zivai, Wallace and Hyde, as well as Laila, Ser Maurice, and myself will keep watch over the Right Hand,” he instructed. “Everyone else should be positioned in a circle around the center the room to keep watch for any demons who would try to interfere.”Those he'd chosen closed in around Briseis for further instructions as the others began to surround the room. “I'll recite a passage from the Chant of Light first and then you only need to place your hand in the bowl to begin,” he told her. “We'll be here to make sure you do not become possessed.” He leaned his forehead against hers and brushed his hand along her cheek. “I know you can handle yourself, but I'm not going to be able to resist getting more anxious the longer it takes. Try not to take longer than an hour, please,” he requested of her.“I promise to be careful,” she assured him before turning to face the plinth and taking a few deep breaths. “Okay,” she said. “Let's begin.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cullen took a moment, observing everything around them. The Seekers and templars that stood around the room and even Laila, who stood a few feet away, stared around as they waited for the rite to begin. The First Enchanter's anxiety seemed to be shared around the room, producing a feeling of great discontent. He couldn't help thinking it didn't bode well for his wife's success as he turned then to Briseis, watching the shimmering, bright blue liquid illuminate her features before his attention was drawn to the faint beam of light coming from overhead. He followed it upwards to the chandelier that hung above them. Beset with several crystal lenses that appeared adjustable, it focused sunlight that poured from the glass ceiling, currently limited by the cloud cover outside and only focusing on the bowl of lyrium.He couldn't help thinking about all those mages he'd seen brought to their Harrowings or brought himself, and how frightened many of them had been. Several times, mages had promptly chosen to be made Tranquil just ahead of the rite or had failed and had to be slain, and he wondered how much the fear of magic had contributed to their fates. This was a chance to show how the climate needed to change and so he chose a passage from the Chant that would inspire and empower them all to be at their best. “Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter,” Cullen said loudly, quoting the Canticle of Benedictions. “Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.”Briseis grinned. “Well chosen, Commander,” she whispered to him as she stepped towards the crystalline bowl, leaning over while reaching her left hand inside. The lyrium was thick and cool when her skin first made contact with it, but it surprised her when the liquid brightened and became warm as it seemed to eagerly coat her fingertips and then her entire hand. She only had a second to look over at Cullen again before being lured into the Fade, and he gave an encouraging nod as she closed her eyes and surrendered.Cullen caught her in his arms and guided her gently onto the stone floor, careful to avoid the lyrium that coated her hand. “The Anchor has always been attractive to denizens of the Fade,” he cautioned the others. He glanced around at the worried faces of his brothers and sisters of the Chantry who were responsible for helping him to protect her. “But I chose that verse because that's who she is and who we all need to be now. For her, for this tower... and for the templars,” he continued.“But you are no longer a templar,” Maurice pointed out.“I may no longer be part of the order, but that does not equate to my having forgotten the importance of its duty,” Cullen replied. “Nor have I wasted the time I have been with the Inquisition or failed to recognize the flaws in our function before the rebellion. We have allowed magic to rule us through fear for too long, even I am guilty of it. But now, we have a chance to set things right and to help shape a better future for the templars, the Seekers, and the mages. One where we all shoulder the responsibility of magic as we truly should: together. Be vigilant,” he encouraged them.Those surrounding them drew arms and turned to face the outside of the room, steeling themselves as they stood on high alert while Aro sent Hyde, Wallace and Maurice to make another sweep. “Rather controversial words, but there is truth to what you said,” the Seeker said to Cullen as they both watched Briseis dreaming. Aside from the occasional clinking of metal as someone moved or shifted their weight, the room had been largely quiet, as it always was during a Harrowing. All they could do now was wait.But it had always been the waiting that gave Cullen the most anxiety whenever he'd been present for the rite. Despite it being Briseis and having guarded her while she dreamed many times, this felt no different – and yet very different. He used to keep a hand on his sword while apprentices were being Harrowed, and he could not resist the urge to do so now as he stared around the room before turning to watch her. She looked as she always did while she slept, though he became concerned when he saw the rapid movement of her eyes as she dreamed. His concern rapidly became high alert when he saw Laila bristling.“Briseis reacts the same way when the Veil gets thinner than it should be,” he observed, getting to his feet as those surrounding them became tense. He did his best to ignore the stinging in his left hand, grateful that the glamour that kept his Anchor concealed was still holding. “Is Envy coming?”There was not enough time for Laila to answer before the sounds of fighting were clearly audible and drew closer as they heard something slamming hard against the doors followed by high-pitched barking.“Curly?!” Varric hollered to Cullen's surprise and dismay, “I seriously hope you're in there and can get these doors open because whatever you're doing in there has us in a lot of trouble out here!!!!”Cullen nodded to Aro urgently, and the Seeker had Hyde and Wallace accompany him as he motioned to two of the templars nearest the doors. The others readily flanked him as he gave a nod and the templars pulled the doors open, allowing Harea and Helios to rush inside while Aro, Wallace and Hyde assisted Varric and Alistair in beating back nearly a dozen demons that had pursued them to the Harrowing chamber. The doors were pushed shut just as a bolt from Bianca whizzed through, killing a shade that was nearing the threshold.“And there are more behind them,” Alistair warned once he'd caught his breath.“Locs, don't you know to make sure you kill all the demons before you get to the top?” Varric wheezed as he nodded to Aro, who was cleaning demon ichor from his sword.“We thought we had,” Cullen sternly answered from behind them as he greeted the pair of eager mabari. “And you know she's going to be livid when she finds out that the two of you are here,” he warned.“Well blame them,” the dwarf replied, nodding at Harea and Helios, who were now nestled protectively on either side of Briseis. “You and Sassy had been gone maybe an hour before we noticed them trying to dig their way under Bann Trevelyan's gate to follow you.”“Doubtless they get that from Vakarian. He was rather insistent about following us to the roof of Fort Drakon when we fought the Archdemon,” Alistair added, watching the Seekers and templars preparing defenses. “But since we're here, we'll help hold off the demons while she's... wait, what is she doing?” he asked when they reached the plinth. His concern grew when he saw Laila, the mage curiously raising her eyebrows as she looked from Alistair to Cullen. “And who's this?!”“Your Majesty, this is Laila. She was the acting First Enchanter of this Circle when the tower fell silent,” he answered. “Laila, meet Alistair, the King of Ferelden. Along with him is Varric, the Viscount of Kirkwall.”Varric stepped around for a look as well before turning to Cullen, thunderstruck. “Curly, please tell me that we haven't walked in on Sassy's Harrowing?!” he said as Alistair warily awaited an answer. “W- what the fuck would drive her to do this?”Cullen pinched the bridge of his nose as they heard another wave of demons gathering outside. “I'll have to explain later; first we need to handle what's outside,” he replied before Alistair raised a hand to halt him.“You'll be of no use to us if you're distracted with worry about your wife,” the king stiffly told him upon hearing the doors rattle on their hinges behind them. “Stay by her side and watch her. We'll handle this, and then you're going to tell us everything that is going on here.” He leaned in before continuing. “And should something go wrong with this, you're likely the only one who has a chance at giving her pause,” he muttered under his breath.The thought unnerved Cullen as Alistair and Varric went to join Aro near the entrance when he caught movement beside him and grabbed Laila's arm when he realized she meant to follow them. “What are you doing?!” he hissed.She narrowed her eyes. “This is my tower and my responsibility,” Laila reminded him, shaking free of his grasp. “I cannot and will not sit idly while others rectify my mistakes.”“As First Enchanter, overseeing Harrowings is your responsibility as well,” Cullen replied as the doors rattled louder, causing the templars and Seekers to make ready. “Helping to keep watch over her is not sitting idly.”
Laila's resolve wavered at his words before she reluctantly nodded, granting him some relief in all this. Harea watched him kneeling beside Briseis and the low growls that came from both her and Helios gave caused him to hesitate as the rattling of the doors finally ceased. Cullen spun around to see that some of the Seekers and templars had cautiously lowered their weapons, only to raise them again when they all felt the low tremor beneath their feet. Helios nosed at his sister before rising to guard Cullen as the commander drew the Blade of Vengeance and Laila cast her barriers around those nearest the doors.
“Steady, boy,” Cullen soothingly said to the tense mabari standing in front of him. His eyes darted carefully around them until Harea whined, drawing attention to Briseis's now-rapid breathing. He's only just reached his wife's side when her Anchors flickered violently as a voice breached the silence.“You are intruders here,” the voice bellowed in a harsh and scratched voice from outside.The templars hesitated in their stances. “Knight-Commander Landon...” Carrie said with a quaking in her voice.“The First Enchanter's treachery against us is revealed,” Landon's voice continued. All eyes turned to Laila as Cullen noted that she remained steadfast, though her fists closed at her sides as she focused harder on keeping her barriers steady around them. “This is how it begins,” she cautioned them. “It sows mistrust to gain power over its victims.”“She yet again conspires against my will, but it will end as it always has. Their screams will serve to remind you why this continued resistance is unwise; how deeply it wounds me, sweet sister.”Aro and Maurice whirled on her. “Sister?!” the templar repeated as Aro walked back to the plinth, his eyes on the First Enchanter.“He is your brother?” he asked.She slowly closed her green eyes. “We share a mother,” she confirmed. “We kept it secret so that we wouldn't be separated; Samwen and Evelyn are the only ones we trusted enough to tell.”“But you said that the Knight-Commander – your brother – is possessed by Discord,” Cullen replied. “Isn't he the one Briseis has to confront in the Fade to save him?”“Yes and that is the demon I was hoping she would be confronting right now,” Laila's eyes opened with dread and plopped down next to Briseis. Cullen seemed to worry at first, but relaxed when Harea seemed to pay her no mind. “I'd incapacitated him in the First Enchanter's bedroom before you all found me,” she explained.“Why would you do that?” Alistair demanded from behind them.“When I realized who they all were and why they were here, I knew this was the best chance to end this,” Laila answered. “After I told you all what happened and Lady Lavellan suggested the Harrowing, I hoped that he would remain unconscious for a while longer to keep the demon in the Fade. If he's awake, then perhaps it is Envy who...” her face blanched as she doubled over in pain before she could finish and looked up, pointing at two templars who had begun fighting.Cullen and Aro turned around to find Varric trying to break up a skirmish between Carrie and another templar. “He was trying to silence Laila!” Carrie warned them as she struggled. “The demon is influencing him!!!”“Liar!!” the other templar insisted as he swung his fist, just missing her. “It's you doing that!!!!”Laila groaned painfully as she watched the templars being separated. “Landon, stop it!! PLEASE!!!” she screamed.Aro was about to say something as he handed Laila the vial of lyrium Maurice provided, but then abandoned his question when they were distracted by the crackling of magic. Cullen turned to see Briseis's Anchors flaring again, though she remained unconscious. “Is that normal?” Aro urgently asked him.“While Briseis was unconscious after she first acquired the mark, it would flare erratically in response to the expanding of the Breach,” Cullen recalled, kneeling to take her hand. “Now, it reacts when a rift is nearby or when she opens one herself. But this has never happened while she was asleep.”A loud wail filled the room, followed by a pounding on the door. “Laila!!!” Landon's voice called from beyond the doors, though less harsh than before. “I cannot hold this!!!” he desperately implored. “The demons that were out here... they are gone. Wha – whatever you are doing in there, it must be working!!!”Laila made for the door, but was stopped by Alistair when they heard the agonizing grunt from outside. “Discord seeks to take hold again!” Landon warned. “Do not stop!!! You must finish it, even if I must die!!!!”Cullen shuddered as the Veil thinned even further, noticing that Alistair and Laila reacted to it as well. He looked down when he felt Briseis's hand tightening around his as her Anchors flared again and he heard the rift opening on the far side of the room. It had barely opened a second and he heard Wallace yelling behind him as five rage demons and a quartet of shades emerged. A perimeter of ice mines appeared as the rift was closed as swiftly as it opened, and the Seekers moved in to confront them with aid from the templars. Cullen felt his wife's hand relaxing in his and he looked up when Helios snarled beside him, getting Harea's attention as she barked furiously at a rage demon slithering their way.Cullen rose to his feet, his hand burning as he lifted his sword when he saw movement in the corner of his eye. “Stay with your wife,” Alistair commanded and drew his sword, nodding gratefully at Laila for her barriers. She glanced worriedly at the door again, and Cullen couldn't help but have empathy for her as he looked down at Briseis again when fingers slowly curled around his. A thought occurred to him and he waved Laila over.“There's only one way Briseis can free your brother and finish the Harrowing,” he told her, watching the rage demon gliding towards Alistair. “We need to incapacitate your brother again.”Laila cast Winter's Grasp on the demon, freezing it when she saw Varric taking aim. “That would mean either going out there to confront him or letting him inside,” she pointed out, watching the bolt strike the demon's abdomen. “Doing that could put all of us at risk if the demon manages to exert influence over someone again. And there's the risk of having to kill Landon if something goes wrong.”“True, though we weren't aware of the extent of its powers then,” he countered as Varric and Alistair went to help finish off the remaining demons before they regrouped. “But that's another reason we need to do this.”“Do what?” Aro queried, popping the cork on one of Rosalie's potions while Laila tended some of the other minor injuries.Cullen glanced around at all of them, knowing they would likely hate the idea. “We need to incapacitate the Knight-Commander again if Briseis is going to free him of this possession,” he replied.Aro picked up on his idea right away. “That would mean engaging him directly,” he said, clearly apprehensive about the concept.“Is that really wise, Curly?” Varric asked warily. “If Sassy is already up against Envy in the Fade, do you really think she needs to have Discord thrown into the mix?”“Probably not,” Cullen admitted. “But the only other way to get rid of Discord would be to kill Landon. No one wants that, but I cannot see any other option.”“What about silencing him?” Alistair offered up, looking to those around them. “It's been a long time since my training, but is it possible that the lot of you can collectively keep the demon within him at bay?”Wallace turned to him, surprised. “You trained as a templar, Your Majesty?” she asked, clearly impressed.“Yes, though I was recruited by the Wardens before I could take the vows,” the Fereldan king answered. “I remember some of it, which is why I think silencing the Knight-Commander will work. We know that he is able to assume control of his body at times. If we can suppress the demon long enough, he could give us some answers on how to destroy the demon possessing him.”“There's only one problem,” Vaughn chimed in. “This demon has already shown that it can manipulate the templars, even from beyond the doors.” He turned to Maurice, Carrie and the others. “It would have to be silenced as soon as they're opened if we're to avoid having them turned against us.”Cullen nodded at Aro. “Whether this happens or not is your call, Seeker Zivai,” he reminded him. “The Right Hand is currently unable to make the choice and you're second-in-command for this mission.”“I've never witnessed or heard of a Silencing being done to this magnitude,” Aro replied. “And we cannot know what effect it would have on his body and mind. At best, this idea works and we learn exactly how he came to be possessed and how to confront the demon...”“Do we even want to know the worst?” Varric inquired.Aro shook his head. “I wouldn't rule out it being enough to draw the demon itself into the physical world or even taking over his body completely,” he answered grimly. “Worse still is if this doesn't work at all. But given the risks to the Knight-Commander, this is not entirely my decision.” He approached Laila, his eyes filled with empathy. “What would you have us do?”Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “You're asking me?” she clarified, fidgeting nervously.“You are the First Enchanter for this Circle of Magi, as well as his sister,” Aro pointed out. “You should have a say in how this is handled.”Laila was quiet for several heartbeats as she considered the risks to her brother and to those who had put themselves in danger for their tower. “Landon would not want this tower to keep suffering for his sake. And far too many have died because of this already,” she finally replied, her voice shaking. “It's time for this to end, for better or for worse. Silence him.”Aro nodded somberly before he turned back to his brethren. “Vaughn and Hyde will open the doors,” he instructed. “We will begin to silence the Knight-Commander as they do so, beginning with myself and the templars to avoid them being compromised, and then the other Seekers until we're able to suppress the demon's influence. ”“And if this isn't enough?” Cullen inquired.“Then we pray to the Maker that your wife wakes up in time to help us,” Aro told him as he followed Vaughn and Hyde to the doors.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cullen shuddered as he watched Aro standing ready as Seekers Vaughn and Hyde positioned themselves on either side of the doors, steeling themselves as they and the others made ready to engage the entity that awaited them just outside the room. Wallace,Varric, Alistair and Laila kept close to he, Briseis and the mabari, the last line of defense should the others be overwhelmed by Discord. He watched as each of the templars drank vials of lyrium to boost their abilities, still somewhat surprised that he felt little, if any, temptation for the substance. His attention then turned to Helios and Harea, who practically vibrated with tension as they remained fixated on the door, and he watched them rise onto their hackles as Aro gave a swift nod for the door to be opened.Cullen offered a silent prayer as he watched Vaughn and Hyde pulling at the doors, finally allowing them all a glimpse of the possessed Knight-Commander. The man was likely a few inches shorter than Cullen as he entered their view, his paled, curdled visage bearing testament to his possession, though there was barely time to react to his appearance as Landon staggered forward, struggling against Aro's attempt to silence him.The Knight-Commander winced in pain and Cullen glanced over at Laila, his stomach twisting as she watched in agony while her brother entered the room. The doors were closing again as Carrie, then Maurice began to silence him as well. Vaughn and Hyde joined in the assault, causing Landon to stumble forward, but then he paused in front of the templars, serpentine eyes glinting as he smirked at one who wavered when Landon searched his face.“Stay vigilant,” Cullen encouraged the templars, watching the demon search among them for anyone who could be swayed. They held fast, aided by the added silencing that came from the remaining Seekers, but Discord's hold on Landon remained all the same. He was just approaching where Alistair and Varric stood ahead of him when Cullen, recalling how he'd had to silence Felassan, discreetly began to target the Knight-Commander as well. His amplifying their silencing had an immediate effect, causing Landon to let out an agonizing wail as he sank to his hands and knees a few feet from the dais as the others closed in, leaving no escape.Helios crept towards the Knight-Commander slowly as Landon cautiously rose to sit back on his heels, sucking in air as he raised his hands in surrender before turning to the others around him. He gave the templars familiar to him a courteous nod before clearing his throat. “Discord is kept a bay for now,” he gasped, his now normal green eyes staring desperately at Laila. “How long can this suppression hold?”“We will hold for as long as necessary,” Aro urgently replied, stepping into Landon's view, his sword pointed at Knight-Commander's chest. “But we need any information you can give us. How do we destroy this demon?”Landon shook his head. “It will only be defeated in the Fade,” he told them to their disappointment. “And despite the effort, Discord struggles against your efforts even now, meaning that we have little time. This suppression has given me some strength, and I am using what I have to keep the demon from entering the Fade presently.”“Why?” Laila asked him from beside Cullen.The Knight-Commander looked to where Cullen sat next to Briseis. “While Envy will not anticipate the challenge she presents, it will challenge her as well. I fear that if Discord were to intercede, they will overwhelm her, despite the power she possesses,” he warned. “Someone must fight them alongside her if they are to be defeated.”“Then what do we do, brother?” Laila asked him desperately.Cullen couldn't ignore the tingling in his hand any longer. “I enter the Fade and help my wife,” he said aloud before looking around at the others. Aro scowled, clearly disapproving of the idea. “I accompany her in the Fade regularly, so I've had to learn a few things as a result. I'm not as powerless there as you may think,” he replied to the Seeker's skeptical glare.Aro was still not convinced. “Have you ever gone up against demons such as these?” he challenged.“She and I have both encountered far worse over the years,” Cullen answered. “And as I stated before, I will do what I must to protect her; she and I can handle things in the Fade.” The Seeker stared at Cullen, with the mabari alongside him, suddenly realizing why the Commander was so sure of this course of action.“Very well,” Aro gruffly replied. “What do you need from us?”Cullen's grip on Briseis's hand tightened. “The demon must remain suppressed at all costs; it is the best way to afford us the time we need.” He turned to Laila, hesitant in his request though necessity overrides apprehension. “How are you at sleeping spells?”The mage squared her shoulders attentively. “Such spells require great care and experience,” she replied, giving him some relief. “Evie, Samwen and I became well practiced in their use over the years. I only need a moment to prepare the proper wards.”
Cullen blinks as Laila casts her spell, and is relieved to find that he is still in the Harrowing chamber. He turns to see that Briseis is not beside him and he gets to his feet, desperation growing when he sees her across the room backing away as she fired spells a large, spindly demon that stands at more than twice her size. Cullen watches as she Fadesteps behind the demon when it lunges at her with vigor, and he draws his sword when he sees that the demon's over-pursuit has caused it to stagger in his direction. He steps forward with his blade poised at what passes for the demon's neck just as Briseis's lightning cage crashes down around it and she steps back into view. She is initially cautious in her approach as she observes him and immediately lowers her barriers upon recognizing him for certain.She's within arms reach before either of them can form the thought. “It has tried to impersonate you several times,” she explains to him before turning to glare at the demon, its piercing shriek echoing through the chamber as it struggles against the cage, shaping itself into the various Seekers and templars that accompanied them. “Rather poorly, but enough to piss me off.”“And how are you sure that it's really me?” Cullen asks her, putting his sword away.“The same way you're certain that I'm your wife,” Briseis replies, reaching for his left hand. “Envy is unusually deceptive, but also cowardly and elusive, especially for as powerful a demon as it is. I've been unable to destroy it because it flees each time I see through its deception. So I've been forcing it to stretch its capabilities to exhaustion so that I can capture it.”Cullen glances over her shoulder at the demon, now posing as Carrie, continues struggling against the cage, though it seems to watch them carefully. “And that is why you opened the rifts?” he asked her.Briseis nods. “Yes. It didn't take long to realize that it was Envy that I was confronting, but I knew Discord was nearby,” she admits, the regret evident in her voice. “It was my hope to draw it here as well. After I trapped the other demons that were outside the Harrowing chamber, Envy attacked again and some slipped back through when I tried opening another rift, so I figured it was best for me to simply capture it here. Is everyone alright on the other side?” she asks him.“There were a few injuries, but everyone is fine,” Cullen assures her to her great relief. “But why are you here now, emma lath?” she asks him urgently. “You're supposed to be keeping watch while I'm in the Harrowing. What's wrong? It hasn't been more than an hour, has it?”Cullen shakes his head. “No, but we have let the Knight-Commander into the chamber,” he informs her, filling her in on what's currently happening in the waking world.
“So Landon is using his strength to keep the demon inside him while the Seekers and templars suppress its possession?”
“To buy us the time we need. Discord can only be defeated in the Fade, and there was concern that you would be overwhelmed fighting them both, that's why I'm here,” he explains, though she grows concerned when he continues with a small grimace. “And you should know that Alistair and Varric found their way here,” she gives a huff of annoyance, “and they brought Harea and Helios to the tower. Apparently our mabari were not pleased that they'd been left behind, but they've been guarding you since they arrived.”Briseis's irritation calms, albeit slightly. “I can't be upset with them for that, then,” she mutters, “but Alistair and Varric know they shouldn't be anywhere near this!” “They're already prepared for you to chastise them once you've woken up,” Cullen replies with a grin, which becomes serious again. “But first, we need a plan to finish what you've started. The templars may not be able to hold for much longer.” Envy snarls at them, now bearing Aro's visage. “It will free us from your cage when it arrives,” the demon shrieks in the Seeker's voice, its head turning towards Briseis. “And I have seen all we will need to know of you both. Our Inquisition will accomplish great things when we have taken over.” “Know us?” Cullen repeats.“Envy intends for itself and Discord to usurp our lives. To corrupt the Inquisition and the Chantry to suit their own agendas,” Briseis explains before turning to stare at Envy. “If Discord knows what we intend, it may begin to resist them even more,” she tells Cullen after a minute of thought. “You're right,” he concurs, “but you and I can help draw the demon to this side of the Veil. I think I have an idea. If you can open a rift long enough, I will be able to assist them in fully suppressing it, and then you can draw Discord through.” Briseis nods approvingly and draws her staff, pointing it at the demon. “I fear you have not seen as much of us as you think, but you will see plenty soon enough.” She glances at her husband out the corner of her eye as the Veil stirs around them, becoming nearly nonexistent as the Eye of Mythal glows in Briseis's staff and they are finally able to see those in the waking world. As she looks around, the templars are nearly spent and even the collective strength of the Seekers shows signs of waning, though they maintain the circle around Landon, who is also clearly exhausted and seconds from succumbing to Discord's will. Her eyes turn to Laila and Alistair, both of them shuddering while Varric holds Bianca at the ready.Cullen can feel the demon's resistance to being forced into the Fade and he glances at Briseis, now entranced just as she'd been in the Arbor Wilds. Sensing that she is ready to ensnare the demon, he rallies the Seekers and templars for one last push. Aro meets his gaze, astonished at how thin the Veil had become before Cullen urges him and those around them to pour the last of their energy into this final silencing.The Knight-Commander cries out and Cullen looks up to see him collapse to the floor, depleted of strength by the demon's expulsion as Laila rushes to his side. Briseis stretches out her left hand, struggling to close the rift while she draws a resistant Discord back into the Fade. Cullen again silences the demon and it wails in fury as it is forced back across the Veil and the rift is sealed.They are both taken aback when the gargantuan slime that is Discord's true form emerges, covering itself in plates that are engulfed in black acid. Three slits open in its carapace, two creating a pair of large reptilian eyes that glow with interest, the third as a corrosive slit parting to smile maliciously at them as one of its heavy arms swings outward. Cullen gathers Briseis in his arms as he dives out of the way, slamming into the floor as the arm passes over their heads. It swings at them again and Cullen rises, swinging the Blade of Vengeance to arrest the demon's attack. Briseis sees the flicker of pale blue spreading across the blade and throws a javelin of ice ahead of her husband to freeze the demon, exposing an open space in its plating. Cullen thrusts the sword forward, exploiting the weakness as the demon shrieks before its expression turns to horror and its entire body is petrified.Briseis scrambles to her feet as Cullen pulls the sword free, both of them staring at the demon in confusion. “I didn't do this,” she informs Cullen before he points out that Envy has been ensnared in the same fashion, its features twisted in fear. “I did,” another voice echoes around them. Cullen and Briseis turn to see Mythal standing behind them, her eyes glowing and her face a mask of barely-restrained rage they have never seen in her as she approaches. “These demons... I have sought them since Flemeth became my host,” she seethes. “You know them?!” Briseis asks, disappointed in her own surprise.Mythal slowly nods. “For now, I have rendered Envy and Discord powerless and your Harrowing complete,” she tells her, turning her attentions back to the demons. “You will have no further obstacles in freeing the tower.” “Although?” Cullen presses the goddess, lowering his sword.“But tonight, there will be a duty that must be performed by the two of you.” she replies.Cullen steps forward, now deeply concerned when he has a headrush that reminds him of his first draught of lyrium. He steadies himself and reassures Briseis that he is well as they look expectantly at the All-Mother. “What do you mean?” he demands.“There is a long-standing petition against them,” Mythal answers, turning to them with an expression icy cold as her normal hazel-green eyes meet those of Briseis, who now understands and is immediately wary. “You said it was never to be done flippantly,” she objects, reminding Mythal of her own words. “Why now?” “Their crimes go far beyond what has happened in this tower,” Mythal counters angrily. “And because this time, it is I who petitions for justice and vengeance.” She softens her expression pleadingly. “Will you hear of this?”
Cullen's eyes opened first and he was only just sitting up when Briseis stirred beside him. Her hand immediately went to scratch Harea's ears when the mabari began eagerly nuzzling at her palm. They both looked up at those surrounding them, all staring at them nervously except for Laila, who approached without hesitation.“Is it done then?” she asked Briseis anxiously.“Envy and Discord have been neutralized,” the Right Hand confirmed, slowly getting to her feet. She and Cullen glanced at one another uneasily before she turned to the Seekers and templars. “We can break the seal on this tower without interference, but I'll need your help to do it.”“What kind of help?” Maurice cautiously asked.“The same kind she needed when the mages helped her to close the Breach,” Cullen explained.Aro stroked at his chin as he eyed the commander. “So you want to use that method to dispel this tower? How would that work?”“The mages' aid allowed Briseis to generate the same amount of magic that was used to open it,” Cullen replied. “In this case, we would nullify the magic to break the seal.”“Is this dangerous for you?” Laila asked Briseis apprehensively.Briseis shook her head. “Not nearly as risky as the Breach, and that took more mages than this tower can hold,” she assured her. “The spell you used is powerful, but confined to a much smaller space, so the number of templars and Seekers present should be more than sufficient.”“Don't think I've forgotten the blast that happened afterwards, Sassy,” Varric said from behind her.Briseis cringed at the reminder. “That's why I was hoping you would take Laila, Alistair, Landon and the mabari out of this room,” she replied. The dwarf gave a relieved nod before he and Alistair began assisting the Knight-Commander and the others into the corridor while Briseis directed those remaining to surround her as she stood just beneath the chandelier. “You will need to focus past me,” she instructed, echoing what Solas had said to the mages as she braced herself for the added power of those around her. “Allow my will to draw from you.”Her staff was poised as Cullen, the Seekers and templars all drew their swords and it took only a few heartbeats before the first of their swords shone with a milky-white gleam as she felt their power beginning to expand. Drawing on it was not dissimilar to how she'd pulled magic from the mages as she twirled her staff, and their power was not suffocating as it had been when she'd fought templars in the past. Instead, she felt it – and them – bonding with her and her magic in common cause. Aro glanced around briefly, watching the gleam from their swords brightening the room the higher they lifted their blades before bringing them down as one as her staff connected with the floor. The Eye of Mythal pulsed brightly as their combined will pushed back against the seal with such force the tower itself quaked and sent them all staggering. Briseis heard clinking above them when the tremor calmed, calling attention to the chandelier overhead that was swaying wildly as a result of the spell. It swung high to the left just as she looked up, snapping the loop that attached it to the ceiling as it began to fall.“MOVE!!!!!!” she screamed at the others, rushing at Cullen and Wallace who were closest to her as everyone else dove out of the way. A pair of agonizing screams married with the crashing of the chandelier's impact with the floor as Cullen caught Briseis about the waist, pulling Wallace with them as they hid behind a nearby pile of debris. They finally emerged, finding Vaughn pinned beneath the chandelier by his right leg while Aro knelt next to an unconscious Maurice, impaled through the lower abdomen as blood pooled around him.“He pushed me out of the way,” Aro rasped as Cullen checked for Maurice's pulse. “Is he..?” “Not yet,” Cullen replied with urgency. “But we need to get this thing off of them both right away.” He and Aro positioned themselves on either side of Maurice and had Wallace and Hyde stay close to Vaughn, keeping both men stable as the others lifted the ruined chandelier. Briseis cast Resurgence once they were clear, and there was a collective sigh of relief when Maurice finally gasped for air as his injuries began to mend and Vaughn slowly stood up with assistance from Wallace and Hyde, gingerly putting weight onto his leg as he did so before Briseis staggered from the amount of mana she'd used.Cullen was at her side, steadying her before she lost her balance and leading her to sit down. “Are you alright?” he asked, looking her over.“I just need a few minutes” she shakily assured him as she reached for her snack pouch. “Maurice was seconds from bleeding to death.”“Then it's a good thing that we had a Knight Enchanter with us,” Aro said behind Cullen. “I'm beginning to understand why they're so respected among the mages. But are you certain that what we did was successful?”Briseis turned towards the doors as the sound of Varric's yelling and pounding filled their ears. “We'll know for sure when we try to leave this place,” she replied. “If it did, you'll get to listen to me yelling at a viscount and a king on the way back.”
Eight Hours Later
They were swift in their return to the Trevelyan estate just after nightfall, their arrival most marked with the astonishment that Laila and Landon had returned with them. Rosalie instinctively rose to the opportunity to exercise her herbalism talents and sent potions and poultices intermittently while they'd debriefed into the night with Divine Victoria, the Grand Enchanter and the Divine's Left Hand. Varric's salvation from Cassandra's wrath for his impulsiveness was that Briseis had already yelled at him, and Isabela's arrival with news that they would depart the following morning with the Knight-Commander and his sister, who would meet a ship bound for Val Royeaux. Carrie and Hyde were selected to join them, and at the end of the meeting, Aro suggested all six templars be submitted for potential Seeker training, as well as accompanying the party to Antiva the following day. Briseis gave her full support for the suggestion, though she recommended that Maurice and Vaughn delay departure until they'd fully recovered from their injuries. The meeting ended when Maxwell arrived to inform them that breakfast would be brought to their rooms shortly, and Briseis watched her husband carefully as they headed upstairs.She was just shutting the door to their room when Cullen sank into the chair he'd posted near the window the night before. He was naturally still apprehensive about what was expected of them tonight as Helios approached him slowly, nosing at his hand to earn himself a few absent-minded ear scratches while Briseis pulled another armchair alongside her husband's, staring out the window for a few moments before breaking the silence. “Talk to me,” she implored him, hesitant to touch him though he reaches out to hold her hand in his own. She tensed at his touch initially, but relaxes when he feels his grip become more reassuring as she responds in kind.“Will we need to do this while in the Fade physically?” he asks, slow to meet her eyes. When he does, she can see the very real worry carried within them. Briseis was afraid then, concerned that maybe he'd reached his limit. She waited for him to pull away, but he surprises her when his grip tightens. “I don't want what happened to you before to happen again.”She brushed her free hand across his head. “My main concern is your reaction when she told us,” she replied, bringing their hands to her lips. “I don't want anything happening to you either. What was that?”“It felt similar to the flashes I got from Felassan when we reversed his Tranquility,” he admitted. “But this time... the amount of anger was nearly blinding. And considering how my hand was burning, I believe they may have been impressions from Elgar'Nan. So do you think we'll physically have to go?”She was hesitant for a moment. “We might, but she wasn't clear on that,” she answered carefully. “With the Nightmare, I was already physically there and knew all the reasons it needed to be destroyed. But this... all of it feels different. She could have just killed Envy and Discord right then.”Cullen nodded, considering everything he'd learned about Mythal. “But she chose to petition us and gave us time instead of insisting that it happen right away. Any idea why?”“None, but whatever else she feels these demons are responsible for must be serious,” she replied, rising when she heard the knock signaling that their dinner had arrived. He remained at the window, gazing at the stars outside and only rising when he heard the door closing as she voiced her thanks. She was lifting the lid on his tray when he saw how her hands were shaking and took them in one of his own, turning her eyes back to his when she gazed out the window. “You can stay out of whatever this is if you feel you aren't ready for it,” she told him quietly.Cullen shook his head. “Though I know she wouldn't put you at risk because of your symbiosis, I won't deny being concerned. And I would not sit idly to let you do this without me... again,” Cullen replied firmly. “You're not leaving me behind. Not this time.”