I tried.

I tried so hard to tell myself that Magister Livius Erimond wasn't worth all the angry thoughts, nightmares, and tears. I thought if I could just convince myself of that, then I could sleep through the night.

But Adamant was too recent. I watched so many soldiers die to demons on the battlements. I witnessed a good warden commander die for me. I watched an archdemon break an age-old fortress and throw myself and my companions into the fade. I personally had to tell a man I had come to respect to sacrifice himself so that we may escape from the nightmare that engulfed us in the fade. I had watched too many good men and women die for no reason other than Magister Livius Erimond.

Even as we rode up the mountain back to our home in Skyhold, I could not convince myself that he wasn't worth it. We had him with us. I would be called on to judge this man, Adamant and the fade fresh in my memory, and the only thing I could think of was how terribly I wanted this man to suffer.

So when I found myself in the Inquisition's throne, surrounded by my advisers and closest friends as he was brought before me, I couldn't even think of mercy. My thoughts were blackened with how much I wanted to see this man endure his worst nightmare.

It seemed, though, none of my usual options would do the job. Exile would send him right back to Corypheus. Execution was too painless, and exactly what he wanted. I would never trust him to work, and there was no guarantee that a jail cell could hold him forever. And none of those options would have brought him anywhere near the terror or pain so many had experienced that night.

But I knew exactly what would.

I hated myself as the words left my mouth. Who was I to force this fate on another human being? Josephine's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she heard my verdict. I could not even bring myself to look at Cullen or Solas, though Madame de Fer caught my gaze with a subtle nod of approval.

I was afraid Dorian would hate me for this.

But as his impending fate loomed over him, I got exactly the reaction I wanted from Magister Livius Erimond. His eyes grew wide in horror and he thrashed against the guards holding him.

I sought the one set of eyes that needed this even more than I did, and saw them hard with grief and satisfaction. After all, Varric had lost a good friend to this man. One of many deaths that I was responsible for because of Magister Livius Erimond. If nothing else came of this, then at least he would experience the nightmare he forced on us that night.

After all, there was nothing a Tevinter Magister of the Venatori would fear more…than Tranquility.