Elissa was wakened by the sound of soldiers scurrying about, seeming way more rushed than normal. It had been a week since she reached Redcliffe, and she knew this wasn't an every morning occurrence.
"Why hasn't someone woken the new recruit?" someone barked from a distance, obviously talking about Elissa
"I- I don't know, Ser!" came the reply. Elissa stood up in the long john's provided for her, which were way too big and almost falling off her small frame.
"You, girl! What are you doing, can't you see everyone is in their armor already? Are you stupid or just daft?" he didn't wait for a reply "Just get ready!" he roared at her, getting spit everywhere. Elissa rushed to put on her armor, desperate to find out what was going on. Once outside, she stepped into formation, eagerly listening to whatever Ser Perth had to say.
"Soldiers! Bann Teagan of Rainesfere has come back from Denerim with grave news. I fear the battle of Ostagar is lost, and Lothering has been taken by the darkspawn as well."
Elissa felt her stomach make somersaults as she took all of this in, anything else that Ser Perth said falling on deaf ears. Ostagar was lost. Fergus was in Ostagar, therefore Fergus may be lost too.
"Alaina!" Ser Perth yelled, and Elissa snapped out of her daydream, or rather, day nightmare, and realized that all the other soldiers had dissipated.
"Uh… Yes Ser!" she straightened up
"I need to speak to you in private." He motioned with his head for her to follow him over to the bridge. "Look, there are some weird things going on up at the castle, the other knights and Bann Tegan have been in there without contacting us since Tegan came back two days ago, which doesn't happen. I want to go to the castle to check it out but I dare not go alone. I need you to come with me, I've seen your prowess with the two handed sword and out of all these halfwit soldiers, you're the one I trust the most not to die, and the Arl's life may depend on us."
"Oh? I thought I was a 'moody princess' and therefore, by nature, not trustworthy." Elissa rolled her eyes
"I was commenting on your fighting skills, not your demeanor, princess. In any other situation, I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you." Ser Perth crossed his arms, challenging the girl.
"And who is to say that I wouldn't betray you in battle?" Elissa met his challenge
"Because, princess, in the real world, you need someone to watch your back. We aren't in Highever Castle anymore." Checkmate.
"Right, well even if I wanted to stay and be the Great Castle Detective, I have to get to Ostagar. My brother was there, I just need to-"
"If he was there he's most likely dead along with the Grey Wardens and King Cailan." Ser Perth interrupted
"Th-they all died? Even the King? And all the Grey Wardens?" Elissa's eyes widened in realization as she dropped her jaw.
"Did you not hear a word I said up there?"
"After you said Ostagar was lost I zoned out… I don't, I can't…" she furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head "I have to go to Ostagar. I have to see…"
Ser Perth grabbed her wrist "You aren't going anywhere, princess. You're my charge, and you're staying here. 'Great Castle Detective' or no, you will stay in Redcliffe."
As if on cue, Kip came running from the castle gates, barking angrily. Elissa tore her wrist from Ser Perth's grip as she knelt down to see what was troubling her Mabari. "What is it, boy?" she asked, and her hound barked in reply, running a few steps toward the castle gates and then looking back at her expectantly.
"What is it?" Ser Perth asked
"I don't know, but something at the castle isn't right. If I play Great Castle Detective with you, will you let me go?"
"It's not up to me it's up to the Arl, and he may be dead by now!" Ser Perth hissed through his teeth.
"What did you say?" Elissa questioned while standing up to face the knight, not sure she heard him correctly.
"Did I use my outdoor voice?" Ser Perth scowled "Look, keep this quiet, but the Arl took ill a few days ago, soon after Ostagar fell. We've sent Templars hunting for the Sacred Ashes of Andraste, but no word on that yet, and now we've lost contact with the castle. I would have gone myself but I have to watch over you."
"Are you trying to get romantic with me?" Elissa smirked
Ser Perth raised an eyebrow at her before throwing his head back in an uproarious laugh. "No, that is the one thing I'm not trying to do."
"Right, anyway, why are you keeping the Arl's illness a secret from the villiage?"
"Because we don't want to start a panic! Could you imagine what would happen if all of Redcliffe found out that the Arl was poisoned!" Ser Perth was keeping his voice low, but it was obvious he wanted to yell.
"Poisoned is it now? You can't even keep your own stories straight! I'm leaving for Ostagar tonight, and taking Kip with me. I don't trust being here even one more day." Elissa crossed her arms and tried to turn around, before Ser Perth grabbed her wrist again to stop her.
"Don't be an idiot! Don't come into the castle with me, fine, but you don't know what's out there in the wide open world."
"I'm not your prisoner! You can't keep me here against my will!" Elissa shouted, which brought upon looks from the villagers and soldiers in the vicinity.
"Keep your head down." Ser Perth whispered hoarsely. "If you aren't going to cooperate, I will lock you in the Chantry. True you are no prisoner, but if you have such little value for your family name that you will run off willy nilly towards a darkspawn burial ground, I have no choice but to treat you like one, if only to save you from yourself. Now you decide, will you help out with the mystery in the castle, or do you want to be locked away in the Chantry?"
"Fine, I will help you in the castle. I'll put Kip in the Chantry and then we can play detective. But know this, once we're done doing whatever needs to be done, nothing can keep me here. Not even the Maker himself. So when do we take off?" Elissa demanded, locking her eyes with his.
"Well we'll just have to see about that. I'll come get you before dawn. Be ready. Now go, and remember, you're on my territory, princess. You start anymore scenes like the one you did just now, there will be consequences." Ser Perth threatened, and then turned down the hill and into the village.
