Author's note: This chapter is the Landsmeet dialogue with description. The main story is going to be in the following chapters. I hope you enjoy.
"I underestimated you, Warden," Loghain admitted, kneeling in defeat. "I thought you were like Cailan, a child wanting to play war. I was wrong. There is a strength in you that I have not seen since Maric died. I yield."
Erin Cousland sheathed her dual swords, wiping the sweat off her brow as she lowered her hands. Her slender form trembled as she fought to calm her jagged breathing.
The duel had been a violent one. Erin had been forced to move very quickly to avoid Loghain's vicious swipes at her stomach. She had attacked him in a flurry of movement; most of her blows had bounced off his armour, and then retreated before he could retaliate. She had used her knowledge of poisons well, using bombs to not only weaken him, but to make quick escapes when the air was covered in mist. The last of the venom was falling from her blades.
During the fight, she had seen glimpses of Alistair reaching for his sword on more than one occasion, either to throw it to her, or to enter the fray himself. Then it would seem that he remembered what the duel meant, and would reluctantly lower his hand.
Erin had finally managed to disarm Loghain with a wild swipe kick. It had been intended for either the man's face or... more delicate areas, but she instead made contact with his wrist. His blade had gone sailing into the air, and Erin used the distraction to flank him, kick the backs of his legs in and then drew her blades to a scissor hold about his neck once he was on his knees.
Panting as furiously as she was, and seeing himself defenceless, Loghain called out.
"I accept your surrender," she announced quietly, still breathless. She nodded slowly, her single braid swaying as she moved her head.
"I didn't just hear you say that," Alistair objected, shock and outrage was evident in his voice. "You're going to let him live?! After everything he's done? Kill him already!"
"Wait! There is another option," Riordan interjected, approaching everyone from the doorway from which he had watched the duel.
Alistair's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He had a very good idea what the Orlesian was about to propose, and he didn't like it one bit. A glance from Erin showed that she too knew what was about to be said. He had to admit that her calm expression was more than a little unsettling.
"The teyrn is a warrior and a General of renown. Let him be of use. Let him go through the Joining," Riordan offered.
"Would that even work?" Erin asked, shooting Loghain a distrustful glance. "He's not exactly loyal to us."
"What does loyalty matter? We are what we are," Riordan shrugged. "The Joining binds us to the darkspawn. You know this. If you were to forswear your oath and leave today, you'd find yourself in the Deep Roads or the Blight Lands, given time. You'd seek them out, or they'd seek you."
"The Joining is often fatal, is it not?" Anora asked lightly. "If he survives, you gain a general, if not you have your revenge. Doesn't that satisfy you?"
Alistair looked from Anora to Riordan and then to Loghain, finally resting on Erin, his Erin. Her face showed that she was giving the proposition serious thought. He couldn't believe that she was even considering allowing Loghain take the Joining. He knew he had to speak, remind them of what this man had done, and bring them to their senses.
"Absolutely not!" he shouted, making Erin flinch in surprise. "Riordan, this man abandoned our brothers and then blamed us for the deed! He hunted us down like animals! He tortured you! How can we simply forget that?!"
Erin turned to face him slightly. Her blue eyes were a startling contrast to her skin, still pale despite the months since Ostagar. However, the most startling thing was the determination that shone from within those blue fires, and it was against him.
"Riordan has a point, we should put him through the Joining," Erin stated with an unbreakable calm, as she always did when he became emotional.
"Joining the Wardens is an honour, not a punishment!" Alistair argued. "Name him a Warden and you cheapen us all! I will not stand next to him as a brother. I won't!"
"So that's it? You or him?" She asked.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly as she spoke, but her eyes were telling him a different story. To him, they were telling him how foolish she thought he was being... juvenile.
"He's being childish," Anora interjected, picking up on that vibe. "How many generals do you think Ferelden has? We can't afford to lose one of them to Alistair's tantrum if we want to survive the Blight."
"Oh, but we can afford lose a king?" Alistair countered. "And the entire army who was abandoned at Ostagar? Whose tantrums cost us to lose all that, I wonder?"
He looked over and saw that nothing he had said had swayed anybody. He had somewhat expected Riordan to stand with Joining Loghain, and Anora would want her father to live. Erin was the one he needed to agree with him. If she stood with him, then everyone would follow, just like through the past months.
But, her eyes were turning cold. She was distancing herself from this... from him. She was going to let Loghain live.
"I didn't want to be king. I still don't. But..." Alistair steeled himself for what he was about to say. "If that's what it takes to see Loghain get justice, then I'll do it. I'll take the crown!"
"Listen to this!" Anora shrieked in amazement, though Alistair figured he could hear a hint of panic. "Can't you see how disastrous a king he'd be, putting his own selfish desires above the needs of the country. You can't seriously support him."
Erin blinked and looked to Anora. She did nothing but stare at the woman for a moment. She turned her head towards Riordan, though the fellow Warden did not speak. Loghain returned her gaze, content, understanding and unafraid, when she faced him.
She finally looked back to Alistair. Their eyes connected, as they had done on countless times, but there was no familiar feeling in the silent moment between them. Erin's eyes were cold, calculating, and impartial.
Alistair's silent pleas for support were not going to touch her. She was going to decide with that detached perspective that she somehow possessed.
"You're right," Erin concurred finally, turning back to Anora. "Anora, take the crown."
"You're siding with her?" demanded Alistair, his angry tone hiding the pain that was threatening to strangle him. "How could you do this to me? You of all people?"
Erin cocked her head in his direction, looking at him from the corner of her eye. How many times had she done that to spare him the brunt of an angry face? He'd lost count.
"I'm trying to do what's best for Ferelden," she stated bluntly.
"This isn't just about kingship," Alistair protested, his voice breaking as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
His shoulders sagged as he realised that her face was only tightening. Her body was tensing and her chest was still as she held her breath. Her hands were shaking as she tried to remain composed.
"I guess I always knew I didn't deserve happiness," he conceded sadly. "I just... didn't expect you to agree. Especially in front of all of Ferelden."
"That's not true!" Erin objected.
She turned to face him fully. Her eyes sparked with a passion, but she quenched it before Alistair could tell what it was for. She was chewing her lip and trembling from head to toe.
She was such a fighter, trying not to give in to any weakness, trying to be brave, strong. It was one of the many reasons that he loved her as deeply as he did. It was surreal to see this characteristic of hers being used on him. Surreal and all the more painful.
"Isn't it? I don't know. I'm not sure what's true anymore," he murmured quietly. "All I know is that I can't let this pass. Not and still live with myself. I guess I don't have any choice, do I? I'm leaving."
"I'm afraid it's not so simple as that, Alistair," Anora piped, breaking the eye contact between the two Wardens.
"You already got what you wanted," Alistair shot at her spitefully. "Your murdering father gets a place in the Grey Wardens. What else could you want from me?"
"Your life, unfortunately," she replied calmly. "As long as you still live, rebellions can be raised in your name. Our land cannot endure another civil war. I must call for your execution."
Erin took a step towards Anora. She also blocked Loghain from him, intentionally or not. If he was going to strike Loghain, he would first have to strike her down. Even as the woman was shredding his heart, he couldn't raise a hand against her. By doing nothing, he'd still have the tattered ribbons of himself when she was done. If he hurt her at all, he knew he wouldn't even have that much left.
"No. You owe me a boon. Let him go, Anora," Erin muttered to the woman, though Alistair had given up trying to discern her emotions.
"This is what you would ask?" Anora questioned, astonished at the request.
Erin didn't turn to glance at Alistair, as he had hoped. Her red hair swayed as she nodded in confirmation.
"Very well. Though, I think it a mistake," Anora agreed reluctantly before turning to the Templar. "Alistair, you may leave on condition that you swear before this Landsmeet that you renounce all claim to the throne for yourself and all your heirs."
"That's what it'll take, huh?" Alistair shrugged resentfully. "Fine. I don't want anything to do with this place or any of you people. Ever. I swear it."
He was about to walk away when he noticed Erin was looking at him, again. She had given him little in saving him from execution, and he had been content to leave with that as his last memory of her. However, she looked like there was still something she wanted to say, and he decided that he'd beat her to it this time.
"I... I guess this is goodbye. I had no idea it would end this way for us," he noted dejectedly.
"Don't go," she spoke though her tone betrayed the fact that they both knew there was nothing either of them could do to resolve this.
"This wasn't my idea. I had these dreams..."
He trailed off as she closed her eyes and turned her head away from him. She was cringing at his words, she didn't need to hear them, and she didn't want to hear them. They were nothing more than a bitter reminder of what they were losing.
"They don't matter now. Take care of yourself."
Erin raised her head in time to see Alistair walk out of the Landsmeet chamber. She saw Duncan's shield resting on his back, a gift she had given him moments before they had come to the Landsmeet.
He had been surprised that she had remembered him mentioning that he'd had nothing of Duncan's to remind himself of the man. It had made him all the happier when she assured him that she remembered every conversation between them, before he realised that also meant his embarrassing attempts at being suave. Then he had blushed as he always did when he got self-conscious.
She would never see that blush again.
Erin heard Anora addressing the nobles of the Landsmeet. She thought her name was mentioned, but she didn't pay attention. She was just waiting for the meeting to be over. She'd let Riordan take care of Loghain's Joining.
She had other things that she needed to do.