Disclaimer: Thanks to all the fine folks at Bioware for creating The Dragon Age Setting (Thedas)/universe/video games. They own everything here, including the characters, the inspiration for this story, and the background of the character of Evelyn. I'm only playing around in their universe for awhile.
Chapter One
Evelyn slowly walked back to her estate in Hightown. It had been a long day, as every day seemed to be lately. There was so much that needed her attention, so much that she hadn't thought about before went into the day-to-day administration of a city. She felt as tired and beat from trying to take care of political matters as she ever had fighting darkspawn in the Deep Roads or slavers along the Wounded Coast. She quickly began to realize that this would require a different kind of fortitude, but fortitude just the same.
Normally, when she felt like this, she would go to the Hanged Man, hang out with her friends, get slightly tipsy, then find her way home. That wouldn't do any longer. It would be inappropriate for the Viscountess to be seen carousing about. Propriety was one thing that her mother tried to stress and she wasn't going to dishonor her mother's memory by giving in to what she wanted to do, rather than what she should do. Perhaps she'd spent too much time doing what she wanted for far too long.
She found the current situation to be slightly amusing, even ironic. Once again, a mage was in charge of Kirkwall; a development that harkened back to the days when it was part of the Tevinter Imperium. Not bad for a city that just last week was threatening to destroy every mage in sight.
Evelyn herself was technically still an apostate, although she was proclaimed Viscountess. There was no formal decree from the Divine concerning her freedom, and perhaps within Kirkwall's city walls, she was considered free, but what about elsewhere? Then again, perhaps being Viscountess just meant that here was one apostate that could easily be located. After all, having never been a part of any circle meant that there was no phylactery that could be used to track her. Being a public figure almost ensured that the Templars wouldn't need one.
At the entrance to her estate, she paused. She leaned her head on the door, her hand on the doorknob, and allowed herself to wonder what her mother would think of the shambles that seemed to be her life now. She took a deep breath and tried to release the tension of the day. As she opened the door, she was greeted in the foyer.
"There's a rather important looking letter that's come for you, my lady," he bowed, "I've put it in the usual spot."
"Thank you, Bodahn."
"Aye, my lady."
What now? Evelyn thought. She made her way to the desk. She found the letter and when she saw the seal on the reverse, she caught her breath. Slowly, she broke the seal and read the letter. As she did, her hands started shaking and she felt her eyes fill with tears. In her hands, she held the greatest irony yet.