Musky scent filled her nose as her eyelids were forcing her to wake up. Her mind had awoken, the body had not, as when Adria tried to move, she felt the prickling of contact but wasn't able to do anything. Her vision was groggy and she had a headache that pounded in her head. It was keeping her awake.

She noticed him then, sitting uncomfortably in his chair, soundly sleeping. Morning was coming, she could tell as the light from the sun started to reflect in the room. But Adria didn't care about that, she hadn't seen the a sunrise since she saw her parents murdered by this man's father.

Betrayal and hurt settles like an wildfire in her gut, sorrow refreshed anew. Her parents were dead, her brother and his family was dead...her entire family was gone, and no one would know what truly happened and Rendon would be made Teyrn. She would never let that happen, no matter what, that man will die by her hands one way or another.

"I swear to you father, I will not rest until Rendon Howe lies dead at my feet, and that Highever will be restored to its former glory!" Adria said shakily to her father, who was only smiling at her,

"You are a Cousland to bone and heart, my sweet, sweet girl." Bryce's voice was fading, and Adria remained by his side. She would not let her father die, betrayed by his friend on a stone cold floor.

"You have to go, Adria! They are coming!" Her mother said frantically, as Duncan was trying to pull her away. Adria refused to move, she couldn't tear her eyes from her father. Her father was dying, how can they force her to leave him? Conscript her into the Wardens wouldn't make a damned difference. The door to the kitchen was broken, it would only be a matter of seconds until they would come.

"Adria, we have to go!" Duncan roared.

"It's to late." She whispered back, snapping her head to him, "they are already here, and I have a promise to keep."

"Adria..." Her mother whimpered desperately, wanting her daughter safe, not here. Not this fate.

The door banged open, and it only took seconds before the Howe soldiers located the party. Duncan stepped besides Adria. He neither looked angry or disappointed with her decision, but was staring daggers at the men in front of them.

"Tell the arl we found them!" One of the soldiers shouted.

Duncan drew his sword, Adria her daggers and her mother remained by her husband's side, tears dropping silently on his pale cheeks. He had passed away. Her father was dead...With trembling hands, her mother closed his eyes and cradled his head and kissed his forehead,

"I will join you soon, my beloved." She whispered. She took off the Cousland crest ring at Bryce's finger, and stood up slowly.

"One more move, and we will kill you." One of the soldiers spat, almost poking her with his sword.

"You take care of my daughter you hear me? I refuse to see her joining us in the Fade." Eleanor turned her head to Duncan, who nodded.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Adria had look of pleading in her eyes as she knew suddenly what her mother would do.

Eleanor threw the ring, and Duncan caught it.

"What did you do?" The soldiers were beyond stupid.

"Be safe, Adria!" Her mother whispered. Eleanor drew her hidden daggers and with a scream she charged at the soldiers who were taken aback, but as soon as the ones who didn't die regained their senses they cut her down.

Adria stared at Nathaniel. Last time she had seen him, they had been engaged in more carnal pleasures. Many years had passed since that night, and oddly she wasn't angry at him. She knew Nathaniel was a good man, and could never be involved in a crime such as this. She didn't want to think otherwise, she didn't want to believe otherwise.

There had to be a reason why Rendon sent him away to the Marshes for so long. Nathaniel was always the softer one of the two brothers. The more polite, shy and kind. She never understood his fascination he held for Rendon, as he was always treating Thomas with more favor. Maybe Rendon knew what they did that night, and saw him as a liability for future plans to take over Highever. Nathaniel would not had let it happen.

She groaned as she slowly regained the ability to move her arms and legs. She wondered why she was sent here, why did Rendon send her to Nathaniel?

Her groan woke Nathaniel up, and he stared into her chocolate eyes. He could see them sparkle. Behind those deep colored eyes lies grief and sorrow. The silence was deafening and you could cut the tension with a knife.

"Nathaniel..." She breathed, her eyes leaving his face.

Hearing his name on her lips felt unreal.

"Adria...Are you feeling better?" He asked tentatively.

"In what sense?" She whispered, anger fueling her words.

"Am I feeling better after my parents and brother are dead? Or am I feeling better after being tortured by your father and his petty soldiers?"

He didn't respond, as he didn't know what to say. Nathaniel's head was filled with questions. Somehow he didn't want to ask his father about it, he wanted to here it from Adria.

"I don't know what happened here. I got sent here by my father and I found Highever like this. I don't know what to make of it." He glanced at Adria, his voice curious and silent as if not trying to upset her.

"Your father made my brother go with the Highever army the dawn before he attacked us. His soldiers infiltrated and slaughtered everyone in the castle. My brother is probably dead as well as a few soldiers of your father went with him. We had barely any protection and I was trying my best to keep my mother out of harm's way but when we found my father she refused to leave his side and got killed right in front of my eyes."

"Your father didn't even have the bravery to face us himself but sent his soldiers to do his work for him." Adria was breathing hard, her knuckles clenching.

"I will not weep for them, they wouldn't want that, but I will not rest until your father get the fate that he deserves."

"My father is honorable, he is a good man, why would he lie to me, why would he betray his own friend if it wasn't for Ferelden? He said he had proof that Bryce collaborated with the Orlesians, to nestle in Ferelden."

Adria laughed, her eyes dead of emotion and her laugh was filled with bitterness, "do you think there is anything honorable about how he achieved his goals to get more power and political influence? Don't you think that if he was truly a good man, he would have brought the proof to the king and my father would have a trial?..." There was a tense silence and Adria continued in a whisper, "there is nothing that can justify what he did here."

"Its true my father had connections with Orlais, but who doesn't? Its for trading purposes. He did not collaborate with them for power or to overthrow the king."

"And if you truly believed him," She indicated him as Rendon, her voice laced with fury, "you would not be here saying that you don't know what to make of this situation."

"Adria, listen-" He was cut off by her, her raspy voice, being much more fierce;

"No, you will listen! I know you Nathaniel. At least I knew you, do you really believe that my family was involved in something that would be treason to the very nation they protected?"

Nathaniel held no answer for this, he had suspicious feelings about his father taking over Highever from the moment he stepped into the castle. But it was his father, he was good and honorable.

"I need to write a letter to the king, he would help me," Adria spoke after a moment.

She didn't know...

"Adria, the king is...dead. He fell at the battle of Ostagar by the darkspawn, the army of the king and the Grey Wardens are dead."

"What?" She hissed, her eyes blinking with confusion and grief.

She slowly got out of the bed and Nathaniel took a few steps back, allowing her to have her space.

"That can't be true. He can't be dead..." Her voice was trembling, the hurt of the news stung her.

"He is." Nathaniel said in a serious tone.

Adria walked up to him, and was inches from him, she was so beautiful even with all the changes that was happening in the world, "I need your help, I cannot do this on my own. I made a promise to my father, a promise I intend to keep."

"Adria, he is my father, you cannot ask this of me."

"I can and I will."

"Are you still craving so much for his approval that you refuse to see the truth, Nathaniel? You are worth so much more, you are a good man, and if you stay here, you will be turned for the worse."

"He would not lie to me, he wouldn't." Nathaniel said, more trying to convince himself then her.

"Wouldn't he?" She asked, her eyebrow raised.

"You can't ask this of me, Adria, don't...please."

Adria walked up to him, and was inches from him, she was so beautiful even with all the changes that was happening in the world, "I need your help," she repeated, "I need to free Duncan, and escape. Your father will face justice, but I can't do it here."

"You are asking me to do the impossible."

"No, I'm asking you to help me and Duncan escape. The truth will come out Nathaniel and I know that you are a honorable man, you would not let it be my fate to stay here..."

"You can't ask this of me," Nathaniel took a few steps back, his heart was beating frantically.

There was a knock on the door and Adria moved back to the bedside, her features changing into a protective stance as she waited for who it was at the door.

"Ah, Nathaniel, settling in your new room yet?" Her eyes shot up, Rendon Howe was here, and right outside the door.

AN: Thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. have to admit my muse quickly disappeared as it came when I sat down to write the second chapter, since the more interesting stuff will happen in the future ones.