Chateau of Bastien de Ghislain – Iron Lady

Lucina POV

"I hope she will be all right," she sighed as they left the Chateau. Already, she was regretting leaving Lucina there alone. "She looked so nervous."

"It's a sign that she is aware of how important this is," Solas told her, smiling reassuringly. She still sighed. "I would be more worried if she were confident."

"Perhaps one of us should return. The Game is…" A load on nonsense that would devour you alive.

"I would not worry too much." Solas became thoughtful. "Based on the tidbits I have heard, and my observations, I would suspect Lucina is someone who would do quite well in this Game, no matter what she herself thinks."

"And that is?"

"We have a talented mage who survived and thrived in your Circles, Cassandra, who grew up with a stepmother who, at the kindest, appears to have been abusive, and a family who looked down upon her for something she could not help." He shrugged. "In my experience, those are the people who learned how to hide behind a smile and a polite word. Useful for the Orlesian Game, yes?" She nodded reluctantly. "What needs to be watched is how much she hides. The mind has its limits and, given the war, it would not surprise me if she was fast approaching it."

"If you are trying to reassure me, it isn't working." She groaned, rubbing her temples. "Now I am going to be fretting over her constantly."

"That is because you are a kind person, Cassandra, for all of your bluntness." She gave him a dirty look and he laughed. "She will be fine for now. Fuss like a mother hen later."

"I do not cluck!"

"Lady Trevelyan of Ostwick, representing the Inquisition." Why did they announce that name? Why? I was already so incredibly nervous. Now, I was just more so!

"What a pleasure to meet you, my lady!" A masked man came up to greet me, bowing in respect. I returned the gesture, hoping I didn't mess things up. Ah, I should have had Samantha remind me of proper etiquette in these situations. "Seeing the same faces at every event becomes so tiresome." So, I was the new toy? Marvelous. "So, you must be a guest of Madame de Fer, yes? Or are you here for Duke Bastien?"

"I received an invitation from Madame de Fer," I answered politely, giving a warm smile. I knew enough of the Game to not show how nervous I was in front of strangers. "It is such an honor."

"It certainly is!" A noblewoman came up then, voice light with cheer. "I have many curious tales about the Inquisition," she told me. I could not see the lower half of her face due to the strange ruffled collar she wore. How was that comfortable? …Then again, this was Orlais. I doubted that entered their minds. "I cannot imagine even half of them being true."

"I am certain there are exaggerations. Is that not part of the fun?"

"Too true!" She laughed, clearly delighted. "Ah, this Salon shall be fun with a new player on the board!"

"Bah, the Inquisition is just a load of pig shit, so why should it be fun?" That derisive voice belonged to another nobleman, descending from the staircase. He was the only one I had seen so far with a weapon. "Washed up sisters and crazed Seekers. No one can take them seriously." He came to stand in front of me, spitting at my feet. I simply wondered how his hat stayed on his head. "Everyone knows it's just an excuse for political outcasts to grab power. We know what your Inquisition truly is."

"I am sorry, good sir, but I fear you do not." I made myself keep my head up as he came to snarl in my face. I had faced far scarier. He had nothing on a zealot, screaming and raving as they tried to kill the apprentices. "I am certain it is a difficult concept for you to understand, but we are simply trying to restore peace and order to Thedas."

"The outsider, coming to restore peace with an army!"

"Well, do you have a way to fight the demons without soldiers?" I smiled politely. "Truly, I am interested in hearing the words of someone of such great knowledge."

"Bah." He dismissed my words with a wave of his hand. "If you were a woman of honor, then you would step outside and answer the charges."

"How so?" He stepped back, reaching for his weapon. Was he asking for a duel? "Oh, sir, this is not going to end well for you." I was a mage, and I stopped hesitating at killing when I had to burn a cousin of mine alive to protect a child mage. Killing a stranger was far, far easier than listening to them beg for mercy with the knowledge that I could not afford it if I wanted to protect the apprentices.

"Bah, you little-!" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by his sudden transformation into an ice statue. It edged the line of morality on magic, yet I could not help but be fascinated at how it was crafted to perfect encase him, and not cause harm.

"My dear Marquis…" a light voice gently scolded. "How unkind of you to us such language in my house, to my guest." I felt my eyes widen at the mage who gracefully descended the staircase, the picture of calm and power. Someone knew how to make an entrance and, since this was Orlais, it would not surprise me if she set it up just to make an impression. "You know such rudeness is… intolerable." She gave me a small, welcoming smile as she came to stand near me. All the other guests were watching us with bated breath.

"Ah, M-Madame Vivienne!" Oh, he could still talk? This spell became much more fascinating, and the control all the more impressive. It was still morally grey, but something like this would be very useful for dealing with unruly prisoners. "I humbly beg your pardon!"

"You should." She moved to stand in front of him, looking him in the eye. "Oh, whatever am I going to do with you, my dear?" She turned to face me, and I felt the pressure of everyone's eyes. It took everything I had to not shake from nerves. "My lady, you are the wounded party in this unfortunate affair. What would you have me do with this foolish, foolish man?"

"If you forgive me, Madame de Fer, but I fear I do not have an opinion." I shrugged. "I have heard far worse from others, so I would not call me wounded at all. Please, do as you wish."

Madame de Fer smiled slowly, facing the nobleman. "Poor Marquis," she cooed, cupping his chin before snapping her fingers and dismissing the spell. "Issuing challenges and hurling insults like some Fereldan Dog Lord." The nobleman coughed, breathing deeply. So, the spell made it more difficult for them to breath? "And all dressed up in your Aunt Solange's doublet." She pointed to it for emphasis. "Didn't she give you that to wear to the Grand Tourney?" She shrugged, placing a hand on her hip. "To think, all the brace chevaliers who will be competing left for Markham this morning…" She trailed off for emphasis, letting the words sink in. "And you're still here." The man's head drooped. "Were you hoping to salvage your damaged pride by defeating a prominent member of the Inquisition in a public duel? You are mistaken twice over, my dear. My guest is a mage, and a powerful one." O-oh, I was not that powerful… "Oh, but perhaps it was not a mistake at all, and you were hoping she could end the shame of your failure." The man had no reply and I felt horribly sorry for him. I should've come up with something. Even death would have been more merciful, I think. "Do run along, my dear, and give my regards to your aunt." The nobleman scurried away, like a kicked dog with his tail between his legs, and the crowd tittered in glee. Yes, I made a mistake. I should have picked something.

But I could not let it show. I was here for a specific purpose, and I had to give a good impression, somehow. "I must say, I had hoped my first impression would not be so dramatic," I murmured. A ripple of laughter washed through the room and I hoped I did not make a mistake. "But, please, let me be polite, Madame de Fer." I bowed. "I am Lucina Trevelyan, younger sister to the Herald of Andraste. She was greatly pleased at receiving your invitation, but thought I would be more able to keep up with your illustrious guests." Did that work? Did I say the right things?

I would like to think so. Certainly, the mood of the room was warm, and Madame de Fer did not look put out as she faced me with a smile. "And I am delighted you could attend this little gathering, my dear." She gestured for me to follow her and I did with a polite smile. "Come. We simply must get you a mask before it begins."

"I thank you for your generosity and kindness." She led the way down the hall and I noted the beautiful paintings on the wall. "These are lovely."

"Aren't they? Dear Bastien adores them." She stopped by a window, open to let the cool breeze in and faced me. "Ah, that was quite fun. You do well, for a newcomer." I hoped that meant I did not mess up too badly? "They shall be gossiping for weeks about you and the Inquisition." I really hoped that meant I didn't mess up!

"Is the marquis going to cause more trouble?" I asked softly, letting my guard down a little. I was still feeling sorry for him. "My sister has so much else on her plate."

"Do not fret, my dear." She smiled slowly again. "His aunt is the vicomtesse of Mont-de-Glance. Not a powerful family, but very well-respect and very devout." Now I was convinced she set this up. "Alphonse will be disowned for this. It's not the first time he's brought his aunt disgrace, but I'm sure it'll be the last. To insult you is to insult the Herald, after all." It worked out too perfectly, after all. "And, after such a public humiliation, I expect he'll run off to the Dales to join the Empress's war effort, either to make a good end or to win back a modicum of self-respect."

"I see." I smiled slightly. "Well, I must say, your salon has far exceeded my expectations already!"

"I'm glad to keep you entertained, my dear." She laughed a little before studying me closely. "Yes, I am glad to arrange a face to face meeting. It gives a much better impression of an organization than simple rumors."

"Oh?" Was she…? "Are you offering your aid, Madame de Fer?"

"Please, darling, Vivienne will do." I assumed that meant 'Madame Vivienne' and I would continue thinking that until told otherwise. "And yes, I am." She shrugged again, and crossed her arms, the picture of amicable logic. "With Divine Justinia dead, the Chantry is in shambles, and only the Inquisition has even a chance of restoring order and sanity to the frightened populace." She smiled again. "As the leader of the last of the loyal mages, I feel it is only right."

That one line told me a lot of things. She was a loyalist, she likely wanted the Circles back, and she might not get along with Samantha. "I must warn that my sister has a… biased view of the war."

"I imagine so. Everything I've heard of Samantha Trevelyan shows that she is quite protective of her family, and goodness knows the rumors that reached her." She shrugged. "So long as she restores order, my dear, I can bite my tongue." I had a feeling she'd be more passive-aggressive, but I appreciated the sentiment. "Now I will concede the mages who follow me might not be enough to deal with the Breach with sheer might, assuming they would even agree to something so foolish. However, there are many books we saved from the Circles that can assist in determining methods to help the populace fight the demons themselves, so that your sister is not so stressed." I smiled, realizing what she was doing. Conceding a weakness for a show of vulnerability was a trick I had seen used many times by Samantha's mother to endear herself to a person. By mentioning my sister, she hoped to invoke my own want to protect Samantha. "I also know every member of the Imperial Court personally, and will be more than happy to help dear Josephine in arranging important meetings." That would get us gold, supplies, and influence, and would allow Josephine to work on other, more troublesome nobles. "In addition, I am a mage of no small talent." That was true. You couldn't become a First Enchanter without having the skill and power to back up the title.

"That is quite true." I smiled warmly. "I believe the Inquisition shall be happy to have you, Madame Vivienne. I thank you, again, for your generosity."

"You are too kind, my dear." She smiled back. "Now, if I may ask a question of my own?" Hmm? "I must admit to being surprised that the Herald let you come, given that protectiveness I mentioned." Ah!

"W-well, I might have also asked to come?" I felt my face prick with a blush and ducked my head. "I… um… I read your dissertation on how the Amirita Vein could turn a regeneration potion into something that affected a group." I glanced up shyly and noticed she looked a little surprised. "I also read your paper on Felandris being used to increase the potency of the healing mist portion to revive the unconscious and the paper where you proved a way to distill ambrosia from the Felicidus Aria with only a quarter of the roots and three times the potency." I made myself smile, even as my face burned. I must be close to glowing! "I have also read a great many others, so I just had to seize the chance to meet you in person."

"I'm flattered, my dear." The smile she gave me had more warmth than the previous ones. "So, you are a student of alchemy?"

"Yes, I am." I raised my head, feeling a little giddy. I was afraid she'd find me weird for wanting to meet her for those reasons! "I use it in tandem with my study on Bounded Fields."

"Ah, now that is ever a fascinating subject." She gestured and a servant appeared from the shadows with a gold mask. How long had they been there? "Come, tell me about it and your projects as we return to the others. We mustn't leave them waiting long, yet I am curious on how you combined the two."

"W-well…" Hesitantly, I took the mask and slid it on. It felt heavy on my face, but both Madame Vivienne and the servant smile. "I originally used it as a means of creating a safer environment for experiments, and it was from there that I extrapolated some theories…"

Thankfully, I did not horribly embarrass myself at the Salon, and I even received a couple of invitations to attend some others, for some reason. I told them I was honored and would consider it greatly, but my duties would have to come first, which I think went over all right? Certainly, no one gave me evil looks as they left. Madame Vivienne invited me to stay at the Chateau for the evening, and she would accompany me to Haven in the morning for safer travels.

All of this meant I should be in my guest room, resting for the journey. However, I discovered the library here and was currently hiding among the shelves, a little wisp summoned for light as the night grew ever darker. I didn't really care, though. I hadn't seen a library this huge since Ostwick Circle fell and sitting here reading made me feel like I was finally 'home' and 'safe'. It wasn't too selfish to want that feeling, was it?

"Ah, so you are the source of the light that has the servants tittering about?" I squeaked and jerked my head up at the voice, only to smile sheepishly and hide behind the book when I realized it was Madame Vivienne. "My dear, you really should be resting," she chided, walking towards me. I hastily stood up, dropping my head at the scolding. "It won't do for you to be exhausted, and there is not a person in Thedas who can make puffy eyes look good." I giggled a little. "What caught your interest so much?"

"Um… It's the Fasciculus Chemicus," I whispered, bringing the book up for her to see the title for herself. It was written by a magister of Tevinter, so it was really rare outside of the Imperium. "I was reading this before the war, and never got a chance to finish it."

"That's right. Ostwick had a copy." She knew Ostwick? "Oh, I stayed in the Circle for a time, my dear. Did you know Senior Enchanter Lydia?" Ah! "She was a dear friend of mine."

"She was my mentor, and encouraged me to research Bounded Fields when everyone else thought it a pointless endeavor." Every time I faltered, she was right there. "She was almost a mother to me." I missed her so much.

"I never met a wiser soul or a kinder heart." Yes… but that was what… "I understand one of her own students killed her when Ostwick Circle rebelled?"

"It fell, Madame Vivienne. The majority of us wanted no part in it." I sighed, drooping. My eyes burned, but I bit the inside of my cheek and swallowed the tears. I wasn't… allowed to cry. I survived when others did not. I didn't deserve to cry. "But yes, that is true. The student was Michelle. I tutored her." I had also been the sole witness to her begging a hug of comfort from Lydia and using the action to blast a hole straight through her abdomen. I couldn't save her. "The Circle had its flaws, but it needs to be restored. Where else shall mages find sanctuary in a world that has all the reason to fear us now, thanks to the war?"

"If only more would see the truth in that." She sighed, shaking her head. "I swear Fiona should've retired a while ago. What was she thinking, calling for the vote then? Anti-mage sentiment hadn't been so high since the Imperium itself ruled with the Kirkwall Chantry explosion, the assassination attempt on Divine Justinia…" She tsked. "Ah, but this is not a conversation for so late in the evening. If we are not careful, it shall be so late, we might as well call it 'morning'." This was probably very true. "Have you enjoyed the book, though?"

"Ah, yes, I have!" I glanced down at the page I was at, though, and tentatively showed her it. "I was confused by this line, though?"

"Let's see…" She studied the words before nodding. "Ah, that is because of the previous step here. This herb is well known for its healing properties, but when prepared like this, the poison hiding in the seeds becomes released, so you must neutralize it."

"Oh, that makes sense." I hadn't known its seed were poisonous. "I shall have to remember that."

"It is a nasty little thing that can sometimes catch alchemists off guard. I have known many experts who have accidentally poisoned themselves because of it." I could see that easily. Alchemy was a dangerous line of research. "Now, my dear, I must insist on you going to rest." Ah, yes, I should. "I will have some servants pack this and some other books I think might interest you." Wait, really?! "It should be fun, supervising experiments again." She… was going to let me learn. She was going to help me learn. It was… it was just like being back in the Circle. Some part of me pointed out that she likely considered this to endear herself to Samantha, but I honestly didn't care. I would have books again!

"Thank you kindly!" I gave her my brightest smile, barely checking the urge to jump up and down in delight. Oh, this was wonderful! Ah, but before I get too excited… "Would you mind terribly if I did a quick run through? There is another mage, Kost, who loves reading." I was not sure if Solas would like any books here or not. I certainly did not know any of his preferences, other than he disliked tea and loved sweets.

"And you wish to find books he might like?" I nodded, smiling even as my stomach knotted. Maybe he would forgive me a little? It was a childish and shallow attempt, but I had to make up for whatever I did to make him hate me. "I see no problem with that if you promise to go to bed." I giggled, but nodded. "Goodness, it's like dealing with rambunctious apprentices again."

"I live to please, Madame Vivienne." She laughed a little at that. "I shall be right back with a list!"

And I dashed off, racing through the shelves and picking out any with titles that looked interesting. Hopefully, I would be right on some, yes?

Author's note: And Vivienne recruited. With her good sides all showing because Lucina respects her highly (a good trait for getting along with ANYONE) and because Lucina believes many of the same things Vivienne herself does, which increases Vivienne's approval by a lot. Vivienne is shown to be a skilled alchemist in her personal quest, hence why Lucina has read some of her papers.
Ambrosia is an ingredient from DA2, needed for the Elixir of Heroism potion. And Fasciculus Chemicus is an actual book.

Next Chapter – Back in Haven with Deidre