Authors Notes: Finally an update! Shout out to MoonSword1994 for giving me a hand in this chapter.


The scent of betrayal

Loghain sat in the rocking chair, trying to soothe six month old Ellie to sleep. She had just had her feed and Loghain ordered Evie back to bed. He had proved to be a very hands on father, playing with her, bathing and changing her. Evie remarked to Anora, that they seemed to go into their own little world at times. He made a concious effort to be a better father the second time around. He failed Anora in so many ways, even though they had a close relationship, he didn't want to make the some mistakes with Ellie.

He held on to his daughter until she gave in and fell asleep. He didn't move her immediately, just enjoying the feel of her sleeping form in his arms. He closed his eyes to relax, smelling the sweet scent of her hair. A loud crash and raised voices caused him to snap open his eyes. He put Ellie in her cot before stepping out of her room, into the hallway, stopping to listen. He watched as several armoured men marched up the stairs towards him. Immediately recognising them as the royal guards.

"Loghain Mac Tir, you are here by arrested for the charge of Treason and attempted Regicide," Some of the guards grabbed him, while an other stormed into their bedroom. He tried to move when he heard Evie's screams, "Let her go!" He yelled, only for him to be hit in the head with a heavy object. His vision went blurry and all he heard before he passed out were the desperate pleas of Evie and the screaming from Ellie.

Later he woke up in a dark cell, his mind still a little foggy. He tried to sit up, realising that a shivering form lay next to him, "Evie?"

"Yes. What's going on?" She moved closer to him, trying to warm herself up. He realised she was only wearing her shift that she wore in bed.

"I don't know. They charged me with Treason and attempted Regicide."

Evie winced in pain, holding her chest, "Ellie must be over due a feed. I'm over full."

"Can I help?"

"Unlikely, unless you want to drink lots of breast milk."

"If it helps," He smirked.

Evie turned to her husband, his face barely visible in light of one solitary candle, "Really? We are stuck in a freezing cold cell and you want to get naughty."

Loghain was just about to retort when the door to the dungeons opened. He got up walking to the cell door. Maric appeared in front of him, on the other side, "What the hell is going on, Maric?"

"We have found evidence that you planned to kill Cailan and myself."

"What?!" Loghain couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Is that why my wife was dragged from our bed, dressed in nothing but her night clothes? Why we were dragged away from our screaming child?"

"I'm sorry, Loghain. The nobles have pushed me into this."

Loghain scoffed, "Be thankful that I'm locked in here. I'd really like to kill you. Can you get some clothes for my wife before she freezes to death," He walked away from the door, sitting next to Evie, wrapping his arms around her cold body.

Maric walked away, storming into the study, find Howe waiting for him, "Howe? I told you to have Loghain arrested. I didn't mean for you to have Evie dragged out of bed with very little on!"

Howe sneered, "That little whore is obviously in on it."

"Watch it, Howe," Maric warned, "I don't want either of them coming to harm."

"It's no time to be sentimental. We need to find evidence against the Couslands."

"This is no longer you're concern, Howe. Now if you don't mind," Maric signalled for Howe to leave, who did so with a grunt of annoyance. Maric sat down wondering how it had ever come to this. He had his own friends thrown in the dungeons, he just hoped he didn't live to regret it.

Cailan walked into the study, confusion etched into his handsome face, "Father, you had Loghain and Evie arrested?"

"Son, Howe found evidence against them."

"Have you told Anora?"

"No, I haven't," Both men turned to see Anora storming in, her like thunder, angry and red, "I think she knows."

"What have you done?!" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Anora," Maric tried to soothe, "They have proof. They plotted to kill you too."

"Bullshit!" She screamed so loud it made Cailan and Maric jump slightly, "What would they gain from doing that? Don't you dare tell me its about power."

"There is proof of their plots. What are we supposed to think?"

Anora picked up a glass vase and threw it at Maric, who just barely dodged it, "When my father has proved his innocence. I'm going to make you wish, you were never born!" She stormed out of the room, still muttering angrily.

"Anora!" Cailan called after her, "Where are you going?"

"To get my sister and then I'm leaving," She angrily replied, before she disappeared out of view.

Anora arrived in Highever with Ellie in her arms. She knew her little sister was missing her parents, the normally happy baby, grizzling a lot. She left the carriage, greeted by Bryce and Eleanor, "What do we owe the pleasure, your majesty?" Bryce bowed to her slightly.

"I'll explain while we are indoors. It will not make pleasant news," Anora passed Ellie to her nurse, before following the Couslands into their sitting room.

"So what's going on?" Eleanor asked worried.

"My father and Evie have been arrested. Attempted Regicide."

"What?!" Bryce barked out angrily, "What in the maker is Maric playing at?"

"I Don't know, but we cant let them languish in that cell."

Bryce paced the sitting room, hands on his hips, deep in thought, "I must go to Denerim. I'll talk to Maric, make him see sense."

Eleanor hugged her husband tight, tears slipping down her cheeks, "Get them back, love."

"I'll do what I can, sweetness," That night Bryce rode to Denerim, determined to get his daughter and son in law back.


Loghain sat and listened to Evie cry, guilt eating him up inside. Although they were innocent of what they had been accused of, Evie wouldnt have been dragged into it if they weren't married. He hated it when Evie was in pain, full of breast milk and unable to feed their baby. He knew there was only one way that Evie would get out of there and that was for him to confess to everything. Evie would be mad at him, but he had to get her out, regardless of what happened to him.

A guard slipped some meagre scraps of food through the bars, giving Loghain a filthy look before turning to leave, "Wait! I wish to speak to the King. I have information for him," The guard walked away, leaving Loghain no idea if he get Maric to speak to him.

A short time later, Maric walked into the dungeons, stopping at the cell door, "You wanted to speak to me," He said coolly.

Loghain rushed to the door, "I confess. I've been plotting to kill you," He saw the alarm in Maric eyes before he turned away to see Evie getting up.

"Loghain, what are you doing?! She asked desperately, as the door to the cell opened.

"I'm getting you out of here."

Evie gripped on to Loghain as the guards pulled her away, "No, I'm not leaving you!" She started to sob as her grip on her husband loosened. "Ellie needs you, love. Now go," He kissed her quickly before she was dragged away, crying and screaming, calling his name. It was hard to hear her distress, but it was the right decision. His enemies may get him, but they were not getting Evie. He looked at Maric, bile raising to his throat, "I hope you're happy," He sneered before he sat down on the stone floor, leaning his head against the wall, wondering if he'd ever get to see his wife and daughters again.

Evie sat on her bed, in her room at Highever, staring into nothingness. It had been 3 months since Loghain had confessed to attempted Regicide, in that time she had discovered she was expecting again. In what should have been something joyous, Evie just felt sad, Loghain wasn't there to share the excitement of a second child. She knew he would be thrilled at having his third child, his second with her, another sibling for Ellie.

The door to her room opened. Turning to see who it was, she saw her father walking over to her bed. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms, "It's not good for you pup, cooped up in this room all day."

"What else could I do? Everyone thinks I've plotted to kill their king," Her tears dropped from her cheeks into her father's tunic unhindered.

"We know its not true. You don't care what people think about you, so why start now?"

"It's Loghain, Papa. He's locked away, alone. My husband has no idea that I'm having another child. We haven't been married that long and Ellie is only little. Why do people keep trying to destroy us. What did we ever do?"

It pained Bryce to listen to his daughter's sobbing. She was right, people seemed set on destroying them. She was caught up between his enemies and Loghain's, having done nothing to deserve being in that position, "I'll do what I can pup. I wont let Loghain die in that dungeon," He settled his daughter to sleep before leaving the room. He had to go to Denerim, confront Maric and find out who brought this so called evidence against them.