A/N: Written for a prompt over at dragonage_kink meme over at LJ. Anon wanted multiple Wardens, so I decided to run with. Welcome to Noblesse Oblige, or "Two Noble Idiots' Flying Circus", as I liked to call it when I started writing it. It was meant as a parody in the beginning, but as I continued to write it, it became increasingly serious. Funny how one's story can get out of someone's hands pretty quickly, eh?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just some of the ideas in here were spawned during my playthroughs.
Noblesse Oblige
-o.O.o-
Alistair felt a bit useless, as he found himself in yet another skirmish with the Darkspawn in Korcari wilds and the two latest additions to the Grey Warden recruits managed to command it once again without any problems. He allowed himself to take another look at them, once the fighting was over and the group of recruits started to speak quietly among themselves again.
Elissa, the human archer, had been probably the most pretty woman in the whole camp at Ostagar - tall and slim, dressed in fine leather armour, posture showing up she's used to be in charge. She wore her dark red hair in one of the least practical hairstyles he's ever seen but surprisingly it didn't negatively influence her archery (at least he hoped so; he would hate to perish just because she didn't see a darkspawn approaching because her hair got in her eyes). She had a tattoo on her face, mostly hidded from the view due to the hair hiding it, and the biggest green eyes with permanent look of wonder in them. The wonder seemed to be dimmed now, and when underlined with black circles under her eyes, she looked as if she hadn't slept properly for days, if not weeks.
Sereda, on the other hand, had been typical dwarf warrior with her battleaxe - she too was pretty, light red hair and blue eyes, her face bearing a tattoo as well, but unlike Elissa, Sereda was proudly showing it off. When she first arrived to camp with group of Grey Wardens, he asked about the meaning of the tattoo (since when it came to dwarves, they were too practical to have meaningless tattoos). "That's easy," she answered as if it truly had been the most understandable thing in the world. "See the circle on my forehead? There are three smaller circles around it. That's mother Stone, Ancestors and Paragons. The lines around eyes," she pointed, "are to protect our sight, and keep it true even in darkness of Deep Roads. And the lines on my lips and chin - they symbol our lips are sealed, and should we go down, Darkspawn won't hear us cry." She fell silent after that, and Alistair was unable to get anything more out of her that day. The other Wardens told him they found her in the Deep Roads, and that she was exiled, but nothing more. It only made him more curious.
Anyway, here they were in the Korcari Wilds, and the two of them somehow managed to divide command between them. He, Ser Jory and Sereda usually charged to fight, while Elissa and Daveth covered them from afar with their arrows, taking down emissaries or Darkspawn archers.
They all worked well together, and Alistair found himself hoping they will survive the Joining which should take place that evening.
-o.O.o-
"Seriously, Jory," snapped Sereda, "if every dwarf was as brave as you, Orzammar would already be overrun by Darkspawn ten times over!"
'Ouch,' thought Daveth with a wince. That went straight for the stones, which, considered it was a dwarf who said that, was quite understandable. Jory was annoying, that was true. He would pride himsef over being chosen as a Grey Warden recruit but complained constantly - first it was not being made Grey Warden immediately after his arrival to Ostagar. Then it was the wait for other recruits to arrive. Then it would be over being made to go to the Korcari Wilds and do some work for the Grey Wardens. Now it was the Joining itself.
Elissa was silent, watching the exchange, her eyes jumping between people who spoke. In the end she just barked: "Silence!" her voice was so commanding that both of them jumped and turned to face her. "Don't take me wrong, you two," she added conversationally, "but we are supposed to work together, right?"
Duncan chose that moment to enter the old temple, sucessfully silencing them all. Jory lost his nerve and tried to run away, forcing Duncan to stop him by all means necessary. Daveth went down, his body unable to accept the Taint. Sereda and Elissa survived, if only barely.
The fact they were sent to light Tower of Ishal instead of being allowed to fight in the battle annoyed them all, but at least the women got to attend the war council. There was something they weren't telling him, but he was so angry at his step-brother and Duncan that he didn't think of it until it was too late.
-o.O.o-
'Tis was most amusing to watch the Wardens argue. Morrigan was curious about how were they supposed to defeat the Blight when they had problems to agree on anything. The human Warden, Elissa, seemed to be all beauty and no brain, Alistair seemed to be all muscle and no brain, and Sereda seemed to be all brains and no morals.
Yet as the group recruited a red-haired woman one Archdemon short of a Blight and a Qunari murderer, she was wondering what by the Fade did her mother get her into this time.
-o.O.o-
"So, not really sure how to say that but... there is something I need to tell you both."
"We are not going to like that, are we?"
The whole conversation didn't get any better from that, thought Leliana. Although the stormy exchange of "I'm King Maric bastard child", "speaking of which, I'm daughter of King of Orzammar, framed for her older brother's murder", "oh, we got confessions time? I'm the only known survivor of Cousland Castle massacre, and daughter of teyrn", "why haven't you told me before?!" and "well, you didn't ask right back at you" sure was something which sounded like picked out from a really cliché play.
-o.O.o-
"I'm the rightful teyrna of Highever, and you will show me respect!"
Their little group stopped to stare at Elissa. The young woman, usually a picture of pretty bubblehead was now standing perfectly straight, her head high, her gaze strong and proud. Even the previously disdainful arlessa suddenly seemed to have the air knocked out of her, trying to keep her composure by saying that she would stay to exchange pleasantries and blah blah blah, but Morrigan wasn't exactly listening to her. The woman was on the edge of hysterics, her voice high so much it grated on her already too strained nerves - but watching the change in their pretty leader (well, one of their leaders) had been much more interesting. Sereda had been smirking by the exchange while Alistair, that fool, seemed to be rather taken aback, just like that preachy old hag from the Circle or that delusional Chantry sister. Sten, on the other hand, seemed to not to think anything.
Now bann Teagan's question whether he and Elissa didn't meet before made sense.
When it was decided that bann will follow arlessa into the castle, Elissa was urging him not to do that. The authoritative persona remained, as she tried to reason with him, and he argued back. For a moment it seemed he will kiss her, as he gripped her shoulders, staring intently in her eyes. It didn't escape their attention that he slipped his signature ring on her finger, instead of simply giving it to her. She followed him with her gaze as he followed the arlessa before she looked at them and gave them an innocent smile.
"What?"
-o.O.o-
"You can't be really considering using blood magic!" cried Alistair.
Sereda shruged her shoulders. "And why, by the sodding Ancestors, not? She's willing, there's a mage willing to perform the ritual and mage willing to go the Fade to repair what she managed to get broken. What's not to like about that?"
"I do not think she should be let off so easily," interjected Elissa. She had been giving the arlessa a nasty glare ever since it came to the light that Connor was a mage and arlessa tried to hide his magic - with the said magic backfiring pretty badly, endangering not only the whole town, but the whole Guerrin family as well. As a Fereldan noble, whose parents fought against Orlesians during the rebellion, she sure wasn't fan of Orlesian nobles - this only adding to the previous dislike. She once again stood like a commander would, arguing her point with such fervour that Sereda agreed in the end, the two of them exchanging a look before Sereda, Alistair, Wynne and Sten left for the Circle to ask for assistance, leaving Elissa and the others to keep an eye on the possessed boy.
Morrigan thought it curious how much time Elissa spent by speaking with Teagan, though - always in plain sight but out of hearing range, always blushing brightly when he gave her a smile and said something she couldn't make up.
The pretty bubblehead got another layer in her character during this wild adventure, and it wasn't even finished yet.
-o.O.o-
Sereda was tired of being treated like crap by most of the Dalish elves in Zathrian's clan. She understood it was difficult for them that they lost quite a few hunters to the werewolf curse but in her mind, that still didn't give them any right t be such asses about accepting help graciously, if not gratefully. So when Sarel continued to needle them about Dalish elves plight for about half an hour, she just exploded.
"You know, if this is how you treat anyone who offers you help, no wonder you are on your own," she snapped, making all the elves around the fire to snap their attention to her. "You think you are the only one with patent on loss?" She snorted. "You think losing Arlathan and Dales was bad? Try to keep on losing your home for over thousand of years, having the darkness stealing it by inches every single day, because of something you idiotic topsiders did. And tell me - do you care that my people are losing their home?" she asked but without waiting for a reaction she continued, her voice becoming more and more growly by each word. "You do not - so why, by the Paragons, should I care about you losing yours?"
She stood abruptly, reaching into her pack to take some tome out of it and tossing it at Sarel who caught it as it hit him in the chest. "Some easy reading for you, topsider," she said, stomping towards their camp.
There was stunned silence for a moment, before sound of someone's clapping made them all jump. Elissa sat there, bright smile on her face, clapping her hands. "Let me congratulate you, Sarel," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm, "for you are the first one who managed to make her loose her temper. Now, if you are finished with insulting us, I believe we better leave for our own fire, since there are better things to do for us than listen to your taunts, such as," she paused thoughtfully before continuing with another bright smile, "such as saving your clan!"
They were followed by continued silence, no one really looking at them. Elissa went to the tent she shared with Sereda; the dwarven Warden was already lying down, facing the wall, when her human companion entered. She wasn't sleeping, but after some time when neither of them spoke, they finally fell asleep.
The next day, they were preparing a breakfast when Elissa whined in her bubblehead voice. "Do we really need the elves?" Sereda just rolled her eyes at her, smirking, secretly appreciating the gesture. "Sadly, we do. If for nothing else then because of the fact that one archer won't be enough to make the Archdemon into pincushion."
"Must they be so mean? I mean, we got several clans travelling around Highever, and none of their storytellers had been so rude," complained Elissa, brushing her hair from her face. "I lost many people as well, and still do not get around biting hands offering me help."
"Must be because there are no hands offering to help, my dear woman," suggested Zevran with a smirk. Both women turned to him with murderous glares, and he quickly excused himself. Not even a skilled assassin was brave enough to withstand wrath of two women combined.
Even (or maybe especially) when he was right.
Later, Elissa asked Sereda what the tome was about. It was book Stalata Negat, commentary of Shapers on the neverending fight against the Darkspawn, under the ground where the topsiders' never seemed to walk, and thus didn't care about.
-o.O.o-
"Why, by the Stone, must I of all people, pass some idiotic tests of yours to see urn of dead prophet of god of yours?" snapped Sereda. Guardian, obviously unused to such displays, blinked at her, confused. "You must prove yourself worthy..." he started but Sereda once again interrupted him.
"Sod it, I'm not going anywhere!" she barked, stomping out of the Gauntlet, grumbling something about her Ancestors being ashamed of her. Guardian, Alistair, Zevran and Wynne looked after her with gaping mouths before they turned to Elissa, who had been ostensibly studying the nails on her right hand. Tossing her hair back she looked at them with wide eyes and said: "I didn't do it."
-o.O.o-
When they brought the ashes to Redliffe, arlessa decided to throw a huge celebration for Arl continued state of "alive-and-kicking". And most of the ladies in the group seemed to run into terrible problem - there was gala to attend and they had nothing presentable to wear. Sereda suggested that according to ancient dwarven customs they could wear their armors and weapons, and if they can't look pretty, they can at least look menacing. It was quickly shot down by Leliana and Elissa (as Wynne or Morrigan would wear what they always wore, they took their leave as soon as it was decided they are going to attend). Leliana wanted to wear some pretty shoes, and Elissa just said: "I wanted to be pretty for Teagan."
And since arlessa seemed especially smug when she invited them for the feast (Elissa blamed it on the dressing down she delivered to arlessa before), the situation seemed fairly grim - it was doubtful she would actually lend them any of her dresses. Sereda saved the day in that - sometimes it really paid to be a dwarf and make dwarven associates. She asked her friendly dwarven merchant, Dwyn, for help. And he had absolutely huge collection of noble female dresses - bigger than any of them ever seen in the past. He also managed to get them a make-up case, all of it for a bargain (just because Sereda was a dwarf and all that).
And they were looking absolutely amazing, for all the trouble they went through with this.
Elissa was beautiful, opting to pull her hair out of its usual hairdo and letting them flow freely around her face. Teagan sure though so, as he couldn't keep his eyes (or hands for that matter, as he kept on asking her for dance after dance) off her. Sereda watched them, leaning against wall, shortly thinking of the man she thought she loved, and how well that turned out. Obviously, nothing says "I'll love you forever" better than "well, I got hooked with the first pretty woman I've met, got married and now have child on the way with her - but hey, would you like a discount?" Before she could get too gloomy, though, Dwyn appeared and all but dragged her to the dancefloor, grumbling something about how surfacers didn't have any idea how to dance properly. They danced, taught others the dwarven dances, drank, ate, danced some more, everyone laughing and having good time, celebrating life.
When Sereda and Elissa went to their shared room, both of them were so giddy and giggly they were unable to let all the excitement go and go to sleep for a very long time.
They also managed to get the bloodmage who poisoned Arl Eamon in their custody, Elissa arguing with the Arl and half of their group for quite a long time before she said she will invoke the right of conscription, if she'll have to and they yielded. When pressured about her reasoning, she just gave the asker one of her wide-eyed looks and quipped: "Well, it was worth of annoying Arlessa!"
Secretly, she told Sereda she just wanted to ensure the man got second chance on setting things right, because his intentions were good. Also, having around another mage couldn't hurt.
No one felt the need to point out that the way to hell is nearly always made by good intentions.
-o.O.o-
"Tell me, why exactly do we need dwarves?" grumbled Sereda. She had been grumbling like that all the way from Redcliffe, so no one but Elissa bothered to answer her anymore. "Because no one can remove head from a body of a Darkspawn better than bunch of you pissed-off dwarves," she said patiently. She was obviously rather amused by that, Zevran thought, because as far as he remembered, they had exactly this kind fo talk back in Brecilian forrest.
He carefully kept quiet.
-o.O.o-
Sereda was fuming. Throwing her lot with Bhelen seemed like the best way to proceed, since from what she heard around Orzammar, he was more radical than Harrowmoth, and thus exactly what the Wardens needed - but right now she would like nothing else than to strangle him, especially since he made her go into that blasted Aeducan thaig. Again.
She hated that place, for it brought way too many memories back.
As they walked behind Vartag, she pulled at Elissa's hand. "Play annoying and stupid," she hissed at her. "Otherwise it won't end well."
"Yes, ma'am," murmured Elissa, her eyes already getting that innocent and wonder-struck look again. Bhelen won't know what hit him.
-o.O.o-
"Who would have thought? My big sister, coming back from the dead and playing Grey Warden..." started Bhelen, obviously intent on being smartypants - but before he could continue in the same mocking tone, Elissa interrupted him, her eyes big as she spoke. "'Big sister?' But she's the same height as you are?"
"He means 'older sister' - but it's impolite to call woman old, you know. We got manners here," Sereda answered patiently with the same practiced ease as Elissa played the stupid.
"Oh, and I thought my older brother called me 'little sister' because I was head shorter than he was. Oh," her eyes widened, as if she just realized she led the conversation astray. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, Prince Bhelen," she curtsied quickly and then seemingly turned her attention to one of the paragon statues around the room, standing in front of it like a small child would; pursed lips, her hands behind her back, hip cocked to one side, head leant in the other direction as she studied it. Everyone else nearly facepalmed when they saw that, because it was damn clear it won't be all.
And as usual, they were absolutely right.
Elissa had a gift to interrupt conversation between Sereda and her brother exactly in the moments when it would probably escalate up to the physical violence, her laughter breaking the tension with its childishness. "Oh, Sereda and being Queen? You silly! That would be too much paperwork - but being commander of Orzammar forces? Much less paper work and much more actual work - do they make the nobility here so silly, that no one actually noticed that?"
"Well," Sereda shruged, enjoying the way Bhelen reddened. "Our family in particular was special that way."
The final piece was when Bhelen tried to rub Sereda's exile and lack of caste in her face. Elissa once again interrupted them. "Since she spent so much time on the surface, she's practically one of them?" she repeated, her eyes big and full of question marks as she turned to Sereda. The dwarven Warden rolled her eyes. "When you are a dwarf and go to surface, you automatically loose your caste. So - I may not have the brand, but all in all, I'm the same as the brands." At Elissa's puzzled frown she added. "That was an insult."
"Oh!" Elissa slapped her forehead, closing her eyes dramatically. "I never get those dwarven insults right!"
When they were leaving, Bhelen called after Alistair. "Tell me, Warden, are..." he searched for proper way to voice his question, "are all the Wardens so... childish?"
Alistair replied with his face completely straight. "Not all of them - we are just that special here in Ferelden."
He closed the door behind himself just in time to see Bhelen banging his head against his desk while mumbling something about need to stage a coup.
-o.O.o-
"Ruck will aswer questions of the pretty lady."
Sereda was sickened a bit at the sight of the dwarf. To survive in the Deep Roads for longer times you will have to eat Darkspawn meat, they always said. And this... this man just confirmed it. The Taint could be felt in him rather strongly, yet differently from Darkspawn or her fellow Grey Wardens. Elissa was sitting by him now, speaking to him in hushed tones in which one usually speaks to shy children to lure them out of their shell, and the tainted dwarf was looking at her like as a small boy would look at pretty woman.
She and Oghren, the disgraced husband of Paragon Branka, would kill him but Elissa would not let them, her eyes begging Alistair for support. He never could stand the puppy eyed look she obviously mastered during their journeys, so he supported her stance that they let the dwarf live.
They left, leaving the human noble alone for a minute with Ruck. Elissa leant down and kissed the tainted dwarf on cheek. "Once the Blight is ended, and I will be alive, I will come back for you, Ruck."
Ruck looked at her seriously. "Ruck will not forget the pretty lady," he said solemnly, "even if she makes promises she can't keep."
It nearly broke Elissa's heart when she thought about it later.
-o.O.o-
Sereda was seriously tempted by Branka's offer of golems. After all, who never wanted to have a whole army of those? And Branka was a Paragon, too, so listening to what she demanded would be the most natural thing in the Deep Roads. But Caridin was also a Paragon, and he was pleading her to destroy the Anvil, for no one knew better how unworthy of the sacrifices the ability to make golems was than him.
She looked at her companions. Alistair looked helpless, Oghren looked like he would murder something (or someone) any second, Morrigan just shrugged and Elissa gave her one look - her eyes full of compassion usually reserved for orphaned children before she nodded towards Caridin.
They destroyed the Anvil, and part of Sereda wondered whether she just doomed her people with that.
-o.O.o-
Back at surface, Sereda was quite content with herself. Bhelen was smug when they made him King - but part of that smugness fell down, when it was she who laid the crown on his head. It was quite clear that he got the message; remember who made you a King, little brother.
The originally planned to go to Denerim, after they were finished in Orzammar, to check on several businesses they had running there, when Elissa said: "I need your help with getting into my family castle."
There were people who spent their lives in service to Couslands rumoured to be still alive in the castle, and Elissa wanted to get them out, as well as possibly get some evidence over what truly happened that fateful night.
After all, King Cailan promised her justice, and her family promised their servants their protection. The possibility to get some evidence against Loghain (since without his knowing the whole attack couldn't be possibly staged) was also good motivation, but no one wanted to point that out to her.
-o.O.o-
To say that after the Highever mission (as Sereda decided to call it in her mind) Elissa was exceptionally withdrawn would be an understatement. It was a hard blow for her to find her home so defiled; paintings of her family mostly damaged beyond repair, most of the valuables taken away, most of the people she knew already dead. The ones who survived this long were accompanying them now, travelling to Redcliffe as quickly as they could. All of them were in bad shape, but far worst was the only surviving knight, Ser Roland Gilmore.
Elissa would spent most of the time in the carriage, helping Wynne to take care of him; washing his wounds and replacing his bandages. Leliana asked one of the survivors about their imprisonment - Howe's men liked to torture the prisoners for fun, and Ser Gilmore was viewed as the most funny of all of them, since he was one of the commanders, second only to Lady Elissa once the Lord Cousland would be away. Only Elissa made it out of the castle, both her parents murdered that day.
When they reached Redcliffe, she would divide all her time between taking care of Ser Gilmore, being with Teagan and planning for the Landsmeet with Eamon. The other Wardens had seen her enough but the rest of their companions were starting to worry about the young noble.
Her eyes were getting that maniacal glow the had seen in the eyes of murderers, and none of them would want to be in Howe's shoes when she got close enough to him.
-o.O.o-
Sereda had been in the Redcliffe village, at Dwyn's, when the call to come to castle as soon as possible came. The rest of their group was already gathered in Eamon's study, listening to the arl as he was explaining the plan for the Landsmeet.
"We will have to leave in two days," he finished the planning. "Finish all business you have in here - there's no telling how long the Landsmeet will take, and how quickly we well return here.
The Wardens met each other's eyes. The time for proper action has come.
-o.O.o-
The Wardens and Eamon were standing in the hall of his Denerim estate (Cousland estate had been taken over by Howe, Elissa learnt, so she couldn't stay there) when Loghain, Howe and Ser Cautrien marched in. There had been exchange fo rather sharp words when Cautrien interjected (and interrupted Elissa) with an insult.
"Do not interrupt your betters, churl."
Now that was quite enough, Alistair thought, as he saw Elissa stand with even straighter back than he thought possible, as she looked at Cautrien down her nose (even if she was shorter than Loghain's lieutenant) and freezily replied: "Churl? It takes one to know one, right, Cauthrien?"
All of their companions were snickering when the enemy trio marched out of the estate, although Zevran couldn't help but think that the pretty Warden just made herself an enemy.
-o.O.o-
Elissa was a bit awed at how recognizable she was to the nobles they met with in Gnawed Noble. Some of them voiced their condolences, some of them mostly ignored her, some of them - mostly those nobles from southern parts of Ferelden - just told her to go away. And unsurprisingly - none of them was willing to voice their support to the Wardens.
Yet.
It came to a rapid turn when they returned to Eamon's estate and found the Queen's maid talking nervously with the Arl.
Sereda could see the holes in the plan suggested pretty quickly - short look Elissa's way showed that the other noble realized the mistakes of the plan as well - yet both of them decided to follow up on it - they will get in the Howe's estate, free the Queen and get her out of the place. Yesterday way too late already.
They argued about who would be the best companion for the quest - Sereda wanted to keep Elissa in safe distance from Howe, but since Elissa was the only one who could possibly navigate them through the estate in case of problems, it was decided that Elissa, Sereda, Oghren, Jowan (for he had the statture fitting a guard, unlike the other mages in the group) and Zevran will enter the place, disguised as Howe's guards, walk all around the estate and get the Queen out. Easy as that. Quickly in and quickly out, thought Zevran with a smirk. Quite a quickie.
It only showed how little they knew about irony of fate yet again.
-o.O.o-
Sereda could see how tense Elissa was. Only the iron self-control Elissa got beaten in her during the Blight made her not to jump at every shadow, at every clank of armour, at every sound of someone's breathing, while they were walking through the dungeon under the Arl of Denerim's estate.
If they thought the Deep Roads, or Soldier's Peak was bad, they really should have seen this coming.
Elissa had been once again reminded of how the dungeon's under the castle of her family looked once Howe took over - the feeling of desperation, pain and death overpowering everything else. There were chambers full of torture devices, several weak looking prisoners, and to Elissa's great surprise, one of the tortured prisoners had been her friend, Oswyn, son of Bann Sighard.
He didn't recognize Elissa when she first spoke to him, not until she softly sang him a merry children's song. Tears streamed down the cheeks of the tortured young man, as the youg woman hugged him carefully, helping him to sit up. "Elissa," he whispered. "He... he told me you are dead, together with your family..."
"I'm not dead, Oswyn," she replied him softly, minding the presence of the others. "No thanks to Howe, no thanks to Loghain." She turned towards Jowan. "Can you do anything to strenghten him for a bit, so we can get him out of this place? At least temporarily, before his father can take care of him properly?"
The bloodmage nodded his agreement, casting a simple spell of healing at least some of his injuries and strenghtening his muscles. "I can't do anything more," he apologized. "I'm no healer, and anything I could do would probably only hurt him further."
"Lets find the mage who keeps Anora's room locked, so we can leave this place," suggested Sereda. Elissa turned to the young noble. "Oswyn," she started gently, "I need you to stay here for a short time, before we find the mage. We will return for you afterwards, and bring you to your father."
Oswyn tried to argue with her, but in the end he relented. "I hope you will keep your word, Cousland," he whispered, Zevran's sensitive ears catching on the words as they left the room. "Just keep your word."
-o.O.o-
Sereda thought that every grudge can be solved. Peacefully, rather peacefully, violently or super violently. This one, between Elissa and that oily looking guy Howe, was amongst those which could only end super violently; the man trying to mock her fellow Warden, only to have every attept at insult handed right back at him.
"Yes, I can see it in your eyes, that spark in eyes of Cousland, which always hindered me..."
He managed to break Elissa's bow, when he assaulted her and she used the wooden weapon as her last line of defense. He still ended with her dagger in his gut, spitting blood as he threw some infamous last words her way. "I deserved... more!"
Elissa barely staggered out of the room, before she fell to her knees and started throwing her insides out. Sereda and Oghren went to look around the place, while Zevran held Elissa's hair out of the way - there were more rooms in this complex, and in them held could be found an elf, who had been kept in here for months for breaking into Arl's estate for the bastard stole his wife and cousin at the day of their wedding, as well as a lyrium addled templar, who had been begging for his sister as he forced his ring into their hands, before he returned to his crying.
Elissa meanwhile returned for Oswyn, Jowan keeping her company to cast a spell here and there, if neccessary. It showed as a good safety precaution, because as Sereda, Oghren and Zevran led the Queen from her room, they were accosted by Ser Cauthrien and accused of murder of Rendon Howe.
Sereda wanted to fight, every single cell in her body was for the fight. But they were outnumbered, and with Oswyn, Elissa and Jowan unable to fight because they had to support the tortured noble, their chances were similar to that of a snowball in the midst of Inferno spell. At least the human didn't seem to know about Elissa being here as well, because she spoke of only one Warden, not two Wardens.
"You do not know the whole tale," she said to Loghain's Liutenant with a tired sigh. "I will go willingly."
She just hoped that her companions will break her out of the fort soon enough, if the look in her jailor's eyes spoke of anything.
-o.O.o-
The Landsmeet was about to start any day, when the Wardens managed to gather enough support of the nobles (thanks to Elissa and very grateful Bann Sighard), as well as damning evidence of Loghain dealing with Tevinter slavers.
It was still curious to watch Alistair and Anora interract, as the two agreed to marry for the greater good, for the good of Ferelden.
"I just hope we did the right thing, with pushing for this alliance," said Elissa to Sereda the day before the Landsmeet. "I would never forgive myself, if I doomed them to lifetime of misery."
"Don't think about that, Liss," replied Sereda with peace and calm she didn't truly feel. "We all have our challenges and duty - and Alistair's just happened to be this."
But still, by Ancestors, she hoped everything will end well. The dwarven politics may have cured her from any inclinations towards romantics and stuff, but small part of her still held to the hope that the one true love still exist. Even if it sometimes takes a while to appear.
-o.O.o-
Elissa fet more alive now than she felt in... well, in a very long time, apart from several memorable occassions. Attending Landsmeet - this was her life, being part of Fereldan nobility. When Cauthrien knelt in front of her and asked her to show mercy to Loghain, though, she felt a wave of anger, bigger than anything she felt before, rising in her.
"'No Ferelden left to save without him'? Wrong, Cautrien," she spat. "It's with him when there is not Ferelden left to save." She stormed to the main door to Landsmeet chamber, the rest of their group barely keeping with her, the familiar air straightening her back, as she weaved through the nobles to the centre of the room, where Eamon argued with Loghain. It was time for her to speak, her voice clear.
"Lords and ladies of the Landsmeet, please, hear my words. You may have recognized me as daughter of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland, Elissa, and I come here to warn you about following Teyrn Loghain."
Alistair watched his pretty fellow Warden to spin the play - explaining about what happened to her family, and why they are here, opposing the Queen's father.
The Teyrn didn't take the opposition with calm, that was clear. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for Ferelden!" he spat at the Wardens, his face becoming increasingly red with anger.
That was when Elissa started to list the evidence. "Is that so, Teyrn Loghain? You mean you wouldn't sell people to slavery? Let people be kidpnapped and tortured by your own men? Send assassins and apostates after them? Well? Just tell us, Teyrn Loghain," Elissa paused to maximize the dramatic effect, just how far are you willing to go?!"
It shouldn't be so gratifying to see him waver on his feet, when he accused them of hurting the Anora, only to have her make dramatic entrance, swaying the still hesitating nobles in their favour. Sereda dueled Loghain afterwards, the relief at her victory seeping from her in waves afterwards.
After months of hiding and looking in every shadow in search of assassins, they were finally winning.
-o.O.o-
Next weeks were filled with letters and messages being passed all around the Ferelden, as the young generals (Elissa and Sereda) were busy organizing the troops, drawing plans and discussing strategies nearly non-stop. Ocassionally, one of them would receive a letter which held no special seal - but to them, those were the most prescious letters of all.
Elissa's hand was trembling as she held the latest letter in her hand, reading the words written on the parchment over and over.
Dearest Elissa,
every letter, every word of said letter, I receive from you is like a dream come true. Your absence near me is heavy on my mind, but I'm harbouring hope that once the Blight is over - as it surely must be, and soon - we will be given chance to enjoy each other's company again. It is my understanding that you will return to the home of your family and rebuild it, and for that, I would like to offer you my assistance, as I'm no stranger to rebuilding what had been destroyed.
Please, stay safe,
Teagan
Sereda fared no better than that. Hers was not so sweetly worded but the words still brought her comfort.
Sereda,
you woman better count me in that army of yours. I left Orzammar, bloody sick of fighting the Darkspawn, but Ancestors help me, if I will let you face the horde alone. We are going to kick those bastards back where they belong, and then, girl, I'm throwing you over my shoulder and making an honest woman out of you.
Dwyn
"Do you think there is going to be happily ever after for us after the Blight?"
"There better be - Ancestors, if anyone deserves one, it's us!"
Neither of the women dared to remind each other that no Warden who defeated the Archdemon lived to tell the tale of his victory.
-o.O.o-
It came as a swift kick in the balls when Riordan delivered the news about why exactly the Grey Wardens are needed. The three of them staggered out of Riordan room, Sereda and Elissa clearly went to search for Dwyn and Teagan, to say their respective farewels before they head with the rest of the army back to Denerim.
Alistair went to his room, only to back into the corridor again, when he saw Morrigan of all people waiting for him there.
He never told Sereda or Elissa what exactly happened afterwards, but the results were clear.
-o.O.o-
The next morning, as soon as the sun rose above horizon the army was on the move. Elissa looked to be in surprisingly (well, considering the circumstances) cheerful, as she bid Bann Teagan a formal farewell, before he will join them with reinforcements at Denerim. Sereda made her farewells with Dwyn in much more cat calls quality - one moment she was calmly talking to him and next, she had been clashing her lips against his in a forceful kiss.
"Touch any other woman when I'm gone and by the Stone, I myself will skin you alive!"
"Woman who has fire in her - reminds me of Branka," mumbled Oghren, earning himself a smirk from Zevran. "Just what every berserker out there needs in his life."
Alistair himself had been rather pale, but being the King leading the united armies together with his two generals, he couldn't let his agitation to show, even if both his fellow Wardens knew him well enough to know that something is not right.
-o.O.o-
Elissa and Sereda were ready to die for a very long time now. It was rather easy to submit oneself to the Taint - and what was Taint, if not death, after all? But this, the destruction caused by the Darkspawn on the city of Denerim snapped Elissa's calm.
Sereda almost didn't recognize her in the screaming woman who shot arrows at everything that moved. Part of her thought that the human noble had always been a bit off since her family died (what a nice and correct way how to say 'murdered nearly in their sleep by someone who was supposed to be a friend') but in all the rush and desperation to gather enough allies in the shortest possible time she got it 'stabilized' and only in extreme conditions the untreated shock seemed to seep through her self-control.
Like now. The sight of burning city reminded Elissa so much of her burning home that she nearly got herself killed several times, until Oghren of all possible people punched her and yelled at her to bloody calm herself down.
Surprisingly, it worked.
The way to Fort Drakon had been as clean as could be expected, thought Sereda. And on the top of it, the Archdemon.
-o.O.o-
The Archdemon was dying. The Darkspawn around knew it, the beast itself knew it, the Wardens on top of Fort Drakon knew it. Alistair, who had been left at the gates to stop more Darkspawn from entering the city, knew it.
And he had been afraid. What if Morrigan's rital didn't work? What if it would work, but his comrades would still die? Would it actually be worth the price?
At the same time, the Archdemon finally dropped to its proverbial knees. Elissa had been knocked to the ground by a shriek, Zevran leaping to her help, Oghren slashing his way through the masses of Darkspawn with his battleaxe, Jowan and Wynne easing his way with their spells. And Sereda saw an opening, opening to the ending of this Blight.
Reaching for a sword, since it would be much more convenient than her battleaxe, she run towards the dying dragon, forcing herself not to listen to desperate cries of her fellow Warden.
Stabbing the sword into the beast's head, she allowed herself one short thought about Dwyn, and then the release of Archdemon's energy flung her in the air, and she lost consciousness.
-o.O.o-
Several weeks later the whole country rejoiced in new royal couple being crowned - King Alistair and Queen Anora. As they slowly walked up the stairs to kneel in front of the Grand Cleric, Elissa and Sereda had been standing by the side, amongst the other nobles, poking each other in the ribs and being proud of themselves.
When the royal pair called them forward, to thank them for all their hard work to defeat the Blight and give them a boon, Elissa was quite sure what she wants. After all, she promised Alistair to be there for him and Anora, to get them out of Eamon's influence (and from Isolde's, she thought grudgingly) - so asking to be only allowed to serve the Crown further was an opening all of them wanted. Not to mention it would also give credibility to her house, discredited through lies of Rendon Howe.
Sereda, for herself, asked for help in pushing the Darkspawn in Deep Roads further into the darkness, further from Orzammar. Being made Paragon by the Assembly, the only living one now, she was supposed to form her own noble house now, and sure would prefer it not to be shot to ashes as soon as she formed it, because the whole thaig had been run over by Darkspawn.
It was good to be alive, even if neither of them knew how it was possible. But now, they had the chance of their happy ending.
"What are you going to do now, Elissa?"
The human noble seemed to think the question over for a moment. "Apart from getting married to Teagan, helping Fergus to rebuild Highever and be a Chancellor?" She smiled. "I made a promise in the Deep Roads, you see - I need to keep it."
Sereda returned the smile. Of course, the blighted dwarf. If nothing else, the Deep Roads will definitely be much more interesting with the human noble around. The 'deep lords' will not know what hit them.
She allowed herself to be paraded around now, the crowds eager to see Hero of Ferelden, the dwarf who killed the Archdemon and lived to tell the tale. She allowed her eyes to linger at one of the dwarves in the crowd and smiled. Dwyn. Her new First and also her husband to be. Because honest woman, that's what she is going to be now.
A/N: This is end for Origins - but really, I think that Awakening calls like sirine.
Notes: You can find the tattoo Sereda has on Dragon Age nexus - once there, look for "Hand Drawn Tattoo -Use with CS" by Zolariel. The 'story' is something I just made up, tho.