I am so sorry this took so long for me to post! Work... always getting in the way. And I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. I very much appreciate it and I look forward to giving you the rest of this story! Anyway, enjoy! :)
Chapter Seven
Before Hawke was able to receive her tour, she was stopped outside of her door by a short, elderly human who fell into a deep bow at the sight of her. Fenris immediately released her hand and moved slightly to the side and behind her. He fell back into the submissive stance Hawke had seen from all the slaves she had met thus far. All the progress she felt she had made dissolved away in an instant. Her heart cracked just a little more as Hawke realized just how far they had to go. Frowning slightly, she decided to let it go for now and turned her attention to the older man.
"I am Garin, Mistress. I was the house keeper for the late Mas... I mean, for your predecessor. I would be honored if you would permit me to serve you as well." Though she was not sure how it was possible, Garin fell into an even deeper bow than before. Hawke thought she saw a slight tremble beginning to run through the man as his old bones fought to hold the position. Stepping forward, Hawke placed a tentative hand on Garin's shoulder. He flinched so hard at her touch that she thought for a moment those bones had finally shattered. -What did Danarius DO to these poor people that they are so terrified of me?-
"Garin, please stand," Hawke bent down to one knee so that her face was level with the crown of his bent head. She continued to speak in a slow soft voice as if speaking to a scared child, "You will meet not pain by my hand. You have nothing to fear from me. I am not Danarius. And it is I who is honored to have you serve me here in this place."
Behind her, Fenris watched her in fascinated silence. -Who is this foreign woman?- He wondered for what felt like the thousandth time. He didn't understand her actions. This was a magister, their owner and Mistress. She should not be on her knees before a house slave. This was not the proper way. There must be a trick. Despite his protesting mind, Fenris did not speak to her. He was curious to watch his new, strange Mistress continue.
Hawke waited patiently for Garin to absorb her words. She would stay on her knees all day if that is what it took for the people of this house to understand her intent. She would not continue the actions of that dead monster. Things were going to change. The old man's shoulder began to shake as he fought to keep his sobs silent. Slowly, Garin tilted his head up to cautiously look into. Hawke's eyes. She immediately smiled brightly and stood. As she did just moments before, she offered her hand to this man to help him stand. Unlike Fenris, Garin stood without touching her, but a small smile shown through the still falling tears.
"Thank you, Mistress. I do not deserve your great kindness."
"Nonsense. You are as much a person as I am and all people deserve kindness. I would as a favor of you though, if I may."
Garin instantly dropped back into his bow, though this time it seemed straighter, prouder. "Of course, Mistress. Anything you require."
"Well, I suppose I have two things to ask of you. First, stop calling me Mistress. Call me Hawke, please. Second, I am about to go on a tour of the estate with Fenris. Could you ask all the members of the house to meet me in... the most convenient room in the mansion in an hour so that I may meet them all in person."
"Oh my! Of course, you would like to inspect your new possessions. I forget my duties, Mistress! I will gather all of the slaves into the main dining hall at the time you have requested."
Hawke sighed heavily, "Remember, Garin. It's Hawke, not Mistress. And you are not possessions. But thank you. I will see you in a hour's time."
Without saying another word, Garin quickly left to complete his task. Unbeknownst to Hawke, with every slave the old man gathered, word spread through the estate of the odd Mistress and her ways. A kind of cautious excitement spread through the house as they all prepared to meet her.
Danarius' estate seemed massive to Hawke as she was guided through another endless corridor. She travelled outward from the master suite and was shown bedroom after bedroom, several lounges and two separate ballrooms. According to Fenris, this mansion was considered fairly small by Tevinter standards but that she now owned land throughout the Imperium, though he did not know of all the locations. Every room was extravagant and felt overdone compared to Hawke's standards. Gold gilded everything and horrid tapestries covered every available wall. She hated it all and made mental notes to change things starting as soon as possible. Eventually, Fenris lead her to what he announced was the guest wing which he assured Hawke was separate than the main quarters that they had just explored. -What in Thedas would I need with so many rooms on my own? I though those WERE the guest rooms before...-
"Hawke!" Merrill ran at Hawke from a doorway as she passed. Wrapping tiny elven arms around her, Merrill squeezed her and mumbled incoherently of how happy she was to see Hawke okay and walking. Wincing and she peeled Merrill's hands off of her still smarting back, Hawke looked up at the rest of her companions standing in the hall.
"It is good to see you too, Merrill."
Behind her still, Fenris was once again in a state of shock at the manner and actions of his Mistress. Unable to decide on a proper response, he just stared stunned at the elf woman embracing her. Surely his Mistress would reprimand this woman and then life would make sense again.
"Glad to see you up and kicking, Hawke." Varric crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with a smirk.
"Yes, Hawke. Without you around, we run out of trouble to start pretty quickly." Isabela swayed over to a luxurious chair along the wall of the hall and spawled out. Hawke heard a slight intake of breath behind her. This made her chuckle. Fenris had been condemning of Isabela's... easy... ways in the beginning. A flicker of reckless hope flashed through Hawke. -Fenris will be gambling, and losing terribly, with Isabela and Varric again in no time at all.-
This Merrill had backed away from his Mistress finally, but no punishment had come for her lack of propriety. Now, the innocent looking elf was staring over at him with an expression Fenris could not place. Several times, her mouth opened as if to speak; however, she would just wring her hands and look back at the Mistress. As he looked around, all of his Mistress' companions seemed to be avoiding his gaze or sneaking glances from the corner of their eyes. Even the proud warrior who he knew had stood guard over the Mistress' bedroom was staring shyly at the floor.
An awkward silence fell over the group as they seemed to be waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. This surprised Fenris. Ever since this group had come into his home with a severely injured new Mistress, each one had been a whirlwind. The house slaves had been running since the moment they had arrived handing out orders for supplies to heal and aid their leader. Now, they were staring at her like lost children. This thought caused Fenris to frown. -How can these weak people protect the Mistress? They can barely fend for themselves!-
As Hawke floundered to find the words to reassure her friends, Fenris surprised her by stepping up level to her and bowed. "Mistress, the slaves of the estate are gathering to meet you as we speak. It is of course your time to spend as you please. However, you had seemed quite interested in inspecting them. After your approval, they can then continue preparing the feast celebrating your victory. They would not wish to disgrace you with ill prepared food, Mistress."
"Oh! Yes, I had almost forgotten! Wait... Feast? What feast? They don't need to worry themselves with making me a special meal! I have already upset the balance of this household enough as it is." Seeing her escape, Hawke nodded at each of her friends in the hall and began walking back the way she had come. Although she was unsure whether this was the right direction to go, she could not bear the looks of pity any longer. They had all agreed that this was the bast course if action, but it was harder than Hawke had anticipated to not see Fenris as he was before. She had to stay strong no matter what. She had come to Minrathous with a mission and she would see it through.
Following behind Hawke as she almost ran from the corridor, Fenris weighed what had just happened. The looks he had received were suspicious and put Fenris on edge. These people, including his Mistress, were hiding something. Upon coming to this realization, his reaction was a mix of relief and, to his surprise, betrayal. Relief because this was something he was used to. Secrets and well-spoken lies were the norm in his life and he now felt he had a handle on how to respond. Betrayal because sometime during his brief time of knowing her, his Mistress had begun to convince him she was different somehow. -Mages are all the same...-
