This was inspired by a misunderstanding in real life, where Mum said Dominic and I thought she said Dominique. It kinda grew from there. May be more to come, might be a one shot, so watch this space.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, sadly.
Growing up Hawke
Dominique Hawke has never been good enough.
Her father wanted her to be a mage, but she wasn't one. He says he loves her anyway, but as soon as her little sister Bethany is revealed to be a mage he spends all his time training her.
Her mother wanted a son. She never says as much, but it's in the name she gave her eldest daughter. She pronounces it Dominic. As a child, she tries to be a boy to please Mother. She cuts her hair short, plays with the boys, and calls herself Dominic. Mother thinks it's a phase when she's a child, it's just something all children do, but as soon as she has a real son she starts spending all her time with him.
As she grows up, Dominique becomes bitter. She hates and envies Bethany's magic, because of the time that her father spends with her because of it. She hates and envies Carver's gender, because he can come home dirty and get his hair ruffled and a warm smile, but she gets a lecture about family reputation when she comes home dirty and Mother sighs about the difficulty of finding a suitable husband for a girl like her.
But she could never hate Carver or Bethany. She dotes on the twins and resolves to be the best big sister she can be.
It is her ambition to join the Templars, though she would never turn her family in. Her mother would see it as betrayal, but she is tired of catering to Mother's whims.
XX
Bethany Hawke has always been coddled.
Her father spends all his time with her, training her to use- and hide- the gift she can't decide whether she loves or hates, and she sees her elder sister Dominique is jealous. She sees the hateful glares that Dominique gives her when she is with her father, and as a child she thinks it's because Dominique hates her. But as she grows up she realises it isn't her that Dominique hates, but her magic.
Her mother worries for her, keeps her hidden away from the world, and she resents her as much as she loves her. She resents the leash that she is kept on, that is so often put into the hands of Dominique, and she tells Dominique that she doesn't have to watch her. In reply Dominique looks at the house bitterly.
"Of course I have to," she says. "What would Mother say if I lost you?"
It always comes down to Mother. Mother's coddling of Bethany means that her family cannot settle down, and that she has to hide her gift. Bethany begins to think that her magic is not a gift but a curse as the years pass, and if the Templars came she would go with them willingly. She doesn't tell Mother, not after all she's done for her, but she tells Dominique.
She can tell Dominique anything.
XX
Carver Hawke has always been overshadowed.
He envies his twin sister so much he can barely stand to look at her. Bethany has magic, and this makes his father spend all his time with her, training her. He wants magic. But he doesn't have it. He cannot settle down because of Bethany, because she is young and untrained, and she struggles to control her outbursts.
He idolises Dominique. Dominique is a strong and successful warrior, and as she understands how he feels, because she feels the same way. While Father trains Bethany, she takes him aside and trains him with the sword. She tells him that though he cannot be a mage, he can make a name for himself elsewhere. She tells him that she wants to join the Templars when she is old enough, and would take him with her if he wanted. It thrills him to discover that his sister is just as unhappy as him.
Mother seems to love him the best. He knows how bitter Dominique is about this, and doesn't flaunt it in her face. He doesn't want to upset his sister. Even as a child, he sees the difference in how they are treated. When he comes home with muddy clothes and scraped knees, Mother smiles fondly at him and says that boys will be boys. When Dominique comes home with muddy clothes and scraped knees, she gets a lecture about how it's bad enough that she plays with swords but if she ever hopes to marry she ought to think about how she presents herself.
Carver is upset when this happens, and doesn't understand why there is a difference. Mother tells him that he'll understand when he's older and looking for girls and Dominique says that Mother just wants a 'proper' daughter to flaunt, as she cannot flaunt Bethany in case her magic is discovered.
XX
When King Cailin starts recruiting for his army to defend against the Blight, Dominique is twenty-one and Carver and Bethany are eighteen. Mother isn't happy about it when Dominique declares her intent to join, but when she announces she is taking Carver with her, she hits the roof.
Carver is ecstatic though. She is packed already and has packed his things too. She calmly hands him what she has packed for him before she tells Mother and tells him that if she has forgotten anything he'd best go get it while Mother rages at her. So when he emerges during the argument and says he is ready to go, she swings her own pack on and they say goodbye to Bethany (who is proud of both of them) and leave.
It feels wonderful to be free. There is no Mother; no Bethany (though neither blames the girl for their constant moves; they'd do anything to protect their little sister) to keep them back from making friends in the army, and make friends they do. It is the first time they have been judged entirely on their own merits in their whole lives. They aren't even judged as siblings. They are put in different companies (something Loghain started- siblings are too attached to each other and liable to risk everything to save the other) though they still spend a lot of time together when not training or on patrol and introduce each other to their friends.
They write to Bethany to keep her updated, tell her they are at Ostagar, and that they are going to end the Blight here. Carver manages to make it sound like he's going to do it all on his own. Dominique tells him he has the skill to do it and he glows with pride. Then she adds that he isn't ending any Blight without her at his side and he laughs.
"I'd never dream of depriving you of the glory," he assures her.
XX
Both Dominique and Carver are prepared to die defending their King- but when Loghain betrays Cailin and the hoard overruns Ostagar they think of Bethany and Mother. Together they run back to Lothering, just in time. They have to fight their way past darkspawn to get home and barely save their family. Then they hit the ground running.
When the ogre charges, Carver doesn't think.
Well, he does think. He thinks about Dominique and how proud she is of him, he thinks of Bethany and how much he loves his sister, he thinks of how he wants to something which would attract Father's notice, and he thinks of defending Mother, who relies on him and Dominique.
He charges in, and his last thought is for Dominique.
I'll see you at the Maker's side, sister.