10. LA DAME VERNIE: AN UNWILLING ASSISTANT

Leliana met us in the courtyard at midnight. Sybille's guards said nothing as we went out the gate; apparently, there was nothing remarkable about Leliana leaving the palace late at night. "You will find Enrique at a place called La Dame Vernie near the west docks. He should done with the girl soon."

"A rough place?"

"Not really," she replied as we walked down the Holy Hill, toward the water. "It caters more to merchants and travelers of means, especially those with exotic tastes. They have many foreign girls, and elves."

"Couldn't we meet him somewhere else?" Alistair asked.

"You could," allowed Leliana. "But Yves would almost certainly hear about it, which you do not want, yes?"

I shook my head. Despite the late hour, the streets of the lower city were still busy; if anything it was noisier than during the day, with the drunken revelers emerging from the taverns. "You are sure we won't be noticed, here?"

"Not sure, no. It's quite possible, even likely that you will be seen going in, but two men going to a brothel is hardly worthy of note. Once within, well, the girls are paid to be discreet, of course, but every man or woman has a price."

He frowned. "Do you really think so? Everyone?"

She shrugged and said, lightly, "Some, like you and Aedan have prices too high for anyone to meet, I think."

"Prices are not always in money, my dear. We sold ourselves in return for help against the blight on a number of occasions." And Morrigan bought me too.

"I would not worry overmuch. If one of the girls or bouncers notices you talking to Enrique, they may think little of it. It could be a chance meeting, and it would be normal enough for Wardens to speak to one another."

"I suppose." I sighed. "It will have to do."

At last we came to a large woodframe building with a crudely exaggerated painting of a voluptuous woman on a sign over the door. "I will leave you here. They do not cater to women here, and I might be mistaken for competition." She laughed. "Good luck, my friends."

"You will be all right returning alone?" Alistair asked.

"You worry that someone will take advantage of a lone, defenseless woman? Fear not. No one will even notice my passing. And I have other business to attend to tonight." With a little giggle, she disappeared into the shadow of a nearby doorway..

We walked into the common room where customers sat at tables, while most of the women posed on a raised dais, awaiting a call. Other women mingled or danced with the clients. Food and drink were served by brawny men; I expected they also dealt with unruly customers. I wondered if they were available for hire, as well.

One of the burly men approached the table. "Which ones do you fancy, fellas? Or would you like a drink?"

"Just some wine for now, thanks, while we make up our minds." He shrugged and returned with a flask of wine and two cups, which we sat and drank in silence. We were not there long before a man who had to be Enrique de Alianca descended the stairs.

He was tall and lean, with long hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His hair and beard were the color of straw, and seemed slightly out of keeping with his brown eyes. Although handsome in a hard sort of way, I would not have described him as a beautiful man, but perhaps he had been ten years ago. I judged him to be no more than thirty, but the lines around his mouth suggested a face that scowled often. I rose to my feet and approached him.

"Enrique de Alianca?" I asked.

"Yes…", he gave me a guarded look.

"I am Aedan Cousland and this is Alistair. I must speak with you."

"An honor to meet you, Commander." He said, shaking my hand, though his manner remained suspicious.

"We must go somewhere private, perhaps we can get a room here…?"

He raised an eyebrow, "They aren't ordinarily used for conversation, but I'm sure I can persuade Petruche to rent us one. I am known here…as I gather you must know."

We obtained our room, after declining several offers of additional company and the three of us sat down on the bed, as there was no other furniture but a bedside table.

Enrique said, "It is late and I am tired, so please get to the point quickly. Why do you want to talk to me."

"I have something to say that is for your ears only, and I did not want anyone else to know that we were in communication, most particularly not Yves de Chambrais…Fadrique de Bosquenorte."

He inhaled sharply, though his features betrayed little. "Why do you call me by that name?"

"Because it is yours, though long hidden."

His mouth tightened. "I suppose there is little point in denying it, but when a man joins the Wardens, his past no longer matters, as you know."

"Not to us, no, but there are others back in Llomerryn that I doubt would see it that way. I believe there is still a fair price on your head." I caught Alistair's look of nausea out of the corner of my eye.

"So the legendary hero has sunk to blackmail? What is it you want from me?" He snarled and leaped to his feet. "Money? I do not think I could match Sancho's offer. You would have done better to jump me in the alley and get your damned price from him!"

Before he could draw his weapon, I held out my hand urgently. "I have no need of gold, nor do I wish to fight you. I need your help."

"And you ask it by threatening me, brother?"

I sighed. "I do, only because you can only help me if I tell you everything. And I cannot afford to have my story repeated. The…blackmail," the word tasted foul, but I could not deny its accuracy, "is to ensure your silence."

"And you could not trust my honor?"

"Not in this. Please sit down again."

Reluctantly, he sat back on the bed beside me. "This is about the Fifth Blight, isn't it? Yves was right about you."

I swallowed. "I suppose he was. Shortly before the siege of Denerim, one of my companions, a mage, came to me with an offer. She had found a way to slay the Archdemon and end the Blight, without the need for a Warden to die."

"How did she even know about that? Had you been telling your companions all the secrets of the Wardens?"

I shook my head. "No…I had only just learned why a Warden was needed to kill the Archdemon myself. As to how she knew…" I shrugged. "I can't say. She knew many things. But the core of her offer was this: if I could impregnate her, she could ensure that the Archdemon would seek the soul of the unborn child, not that of a Warden."

"So I take it you accepted this offer. But if this child died with the Archdemon…"

"It did not. The archdemon and the Warden die because two souls cannot occupy one body. But the witch said that a recently conceived child would not have a fully formed soul, and could absorb the 'untainted soul of the old god' and live."

His jaw dropped. "You let an old god back in the world to save your miserable life? What…" He shook his head in disbelief. "So the so-called Hero of Ferelden is not only a blackmailer, but a coward in the end."

It was Alistair's turn to rise to his feet in anger. "How dare you? Aedan risked his life for Ferelden, for Thedas every day for months and months. We were alone against the Blight."

"Yes, yes, I know the story. All very commendable, but he failed to do his duty in the end. Your loyalty is impressive, but then…it should have been you who died, shouldn't it?"

"Alistair had nothing to do with it; he didn't even know. I made the decision alone." Softly, I added, "Enrique…if there had been a way for you to save her, to make a life with her, how far would you have been willing to go?"

He stared at the wall for a few moments, then looked at both of us. "I see. Love is a poison that makes a greater fool of a man than wine ever could…but what's done is done. I take it that this girl that we have seen in our dreams is your daughter, then?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Well, it seems that you can deal with the problem easily enough by killing her. Unless…I suppose her soul might jump, like the Archdemon's." His eyes narrowed, "Andraste's blood, you don't expect me to do your dirty work do you? Were I eager for an end, I could always return to Llomerryn."

I shook my head vigorously "No, No, I would not ask that of anyone else." I felt Alistair's eyes upon me. Especially not you, my love. Please let me at least spare you, if it must come to that. "But is murdering children something that comes so easily to you? It does not to me. I can't, not without knowing what she is. I know what the Chantry says about the old gods, but that was many centuries ago. I can't murder a child just because she has power and might be a danger. And besides, I have no idea where she is."

"If you don't expect me to go after her, I fail to see how I fit into your plans."

"The dreams. Alistair and I have only started dreaming of her since coming to Orlais. You've likely had many more dreams, and can talk to other Wardens about their dreams. I hope to learn what she is, perhaps where she is, maybe even communicate with her, through the dreams. But I need more dreamers than just us two."

"To learn about my dreams, you have dredged up old demons to threaten my life." He snorted. "Very well. It seems I have little choice. But I have an appointment with someone early tomorrow morning and I will be short enough of sleep as it is. We will need to find a place where we can meet…discreetly to talk more."

"I look forward to it. Enrique," I added as he rose to leave. "I am truly sorry that I have put you in this position. I know—well, I can only imagine really—your pain…"

"Spare me your pity, Commander. We make choices and we live with the consequences." He strode out.