-12 years ago-

It was the screams that woke her. Living in the tower, it wasn't an uncommon thing to be awoken in the dead of night by the nightmare of a fellow mage. Usually it was easy to ignore, they were so common it had become second nature to simply return to sleep without so much as a seconds thought. Tonight though was different. Rumour had it that tonight some of the Circle's most elite mages were gathering in the utmost reaches of the tower to decide on where the Circle's alliance should lie.

Somehow, Teyrn Loghain had managed to sway the support of a great number of mages to his cause. Had Wynne and her apprentices not returned from Ostagar to condemn the man, he would have likely won an outright victory. Now it fell to the First Enchanters Uldred and Irving to battle it out as to whether they should continue to encourage the Regent or instead offer loyalty to the Wardens.

So when the screams sounded that night, Romy couldn't help but take notice.

Never before had she heard anything like it. Thirteen years she'd spent lying in a Circle bed and never before had the voices belonged to so many for such a long time. The sound reverberated along the stones of the tower, seeming to grow in strength as they finally reached her ears, gaining more momentum from the mass of people, all of whom screamed as though they were facing their final moments.

She couldn't bare it any more. Romy frantically shot up to her feet, racing across her prison to the door, crying out for any of the Templars that might be guarding her door. Soon, beyond the noise, came the rugged sound of keys being twisted and turned as their owner desperately searched for the one that could open the lock.

Ser Baven was likely once a handsome man, but in the recent years his face had taken on the tell-tale trademarks of lyrium addiction. His pallor matched that of a ghost, his eyes were hollow and vacant and even his night black hair seemed to drain of colour. "Ser Baven," Romy asked as the Templar threw open the door, "I heard the screaming. What's happening?"

In an instant, his already frustrated face contorted even further in disgust as he thrust an accusing finger towards her. "Was this your doing? Had you planned to do this all along, you and Jowan?"

Romy took a step backwards. Ever since Jowan escaped, both Templars and mages alike looked on her with scorn and mistrust. The people she had called her friends found excuses to avoid meeting her and when anything went awry the blame seemed to be pinned on her. In spite of that, it had never gotten any easier being the focus of everyone's negative attentions. She let out an exasperated sigh, "Done what?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know. Your kind are killing any Templar they can get their hands on."

Romy's mind stopped as she tried to process what he was trying to tell her. What … how… "But why-"

Baven interjected, "you're all filthy blood mages." He quickly drew out his sword, attempting to close the distance as Romy stared on in a bewildered panic, "the Circle should not exist, your kind should be put to death as soon as you can start wielding magic."

For a second Romy moved to try and assuage his fear, that they had lived in peace for so long without too great a problem. Baven, however, had other ideas and could not bring himself to listen to any more of the traitor's words. With a heavy grunt, he lunged towards her, swinging his sword haphazardly.

With a second to spare, she managed to throw herself out of harm's way, ricocheting off a bookcase to safety. In a blind haze of panic she shot out her hands uttering the first spell that came to mind, a paralysis jinx she had only read about. A jet of red light erupted from her hands and threw Ser Baven's limp body several metres away, to the other end of the room. He barely had time to collide with the floor before Romy had run to his side.

"B…Baven?" Romy quietly muttered, gently shaking his shoulders. For a horrifying moment she thought she'd overdone it, killed the poor man. The guilt was quickly welling up inside her. Never before had she so much as endangered another person's life and even if the man was trying to kill her, he didn't deserve being so violently assaulted. As she scrambled back, the slow and very weak movement of his chest caught her eye. It was barely noticeable, but still it was enough to reassure her that she hadn't killed the man. Breathing a sigh of relief Romy edged towards the door.

Something was wrong, very wrong. After Jowan she'd been relocated to the Templar's wing to undergo constant supervision should it turn out she too was a blood mage. In all that time she'd never heard nor seen the place so empty. There were always Templars about.

Romy pushed away the few strands of golden hair that had worked themselves loose of her bun, whilst in the fray. If she stepped out, they could probably have her killed but at the same time … what else could she do. It seemed that the screams were getting less frequent yet they were somehow becoming more desperate.

She wasn't sure where she was running to, but it seemed her feet knew. In a matter of minutes she found herself stumbling through an open doorway into the main gathering point of the first floor. There stood a good half of the Circle, all of whom appeared to have suffered some way or another and several of which were sporting nasty wounds.

Across the room, her eyes locked with the Captain of the Templars at Kinloch Hold. As he emitted a low growl, it drew the attention of the silent crowd, who all turned in unison to see Romy edge further in. The horrified stares of her fellow mage drew her eyes to her arm that was thinly covered in a layer of blood. Almost as soon as she noticed the nick across her forearm did a pain shoot through her body. It amazed her that she had not noticed it before, it was deep and had slowly run down her arm, warm and sticky. Before she could fully return her gaze to the Captain, her peripheral caught sight of those around her edging towards their weapons.

Quickly raising her arms in a mock surrender, she cried out "I swear I'm not a blood mage. Ser Baven just tried to kill me." Whilst nobody proceeded to attack her, many hands wavered unable to trust her. For what seemed like an eternity, they stood there locked, unwilling to do anything.

It was Wynne who finally broke the impasse, moving her way across the crowd from the young child she had been comforting. Her motherly eyes met Romy's own bloodshot grey ones, "I believe you dear." Romy almost let out a laugh with relief. Of course she did, that woman had tended to her since she had been a child.

"I'm glad someone does."

AN: Anyhow, I got pondering what would happen to the alternative potential Wardens if they survived beyond the Origin story and so this story was born. I like to think that all 7 potential Wardens were born for greatness and so I decided to run with what could happen for the mage.

Alongside this I'll be sorting out a playlist so each song should work out with one chapter. watch?v=mTwjUE60HG4&list=PLecwzXKaemi-mlYRV-83STToGMFukPCcg