A/N: I just want to extend my thanks to everyone who is reading this story.

I also want to extend my thanks appreciation to 'Suna Chunin', Mike3207, Lady Cougar-Trombone, Janizary, Lethal Dragon, and Helena L for taking the time to write a review for the last chapter. It means a lot to me, your support keeps me and this story going.

War of the Laurels

By Spectre4hire

11: Anora

She didn't belong here.

After everything she did.

No, she corrected herself. It was all the things she didn't do. That was why she felt so uneasy being here. Despite all the good memories she had of this place, they were somewhat blemished now.

The Queen felt like a trespasser. She had visited this place many times, but they were always there to greet her then. Now, the estate was all but deserted, save for a few servants and guards who the Queen had selected personally.

She wouldn't allow the estate to fall into disarray so the servants she assigned here were tasked to make sure it was taken care of. To clean, and to preserve the family's legacy and their history, Highever was lost, and no doubt many of the Cousland priceless heirlooms had been put to the torch. There were a few residing within this estate, including tomes and portraits that the servants would care for.

Anora wouldn't allow the estate to fall into Howe's hands so she chose guards loyal to her to stand vigilant to make sure he wouldn't seize this property for himself. He may have declared himself the new Teyrn of Highever, but she would not allow him to take this estate. His mere presence on these grounds would only soil the memory of the Cousland family.

They deserved better.

The ache was still there. She missed them. Bryce and Eleanor Cousland meant so much to her. Now, that they were gone, she was only beginning to realize how much they had meant. She missed their wise council. She missed their calming presence. They're unwavering support to her. They were two of the very small number of people who Anora trusted unconditionally.

This small act of preserving and protecting their estate in Denerim was all she could do.

Pathetic, she chastised herself. She was the Queen of Ferelden, and yet unable to properly punish Rendon Howe for his foul acts against the Cousland family. For as long as he had his army, he was beyond even her reach.

At the moment all Anora could muster were the palace guard and a regiment of Gwaren soldiers her father had left behind. She couldn't even call on the city guard, by the law they served the Arl of Denerim, and not technically the Royal Family. It was an oversight that Anora believed needed to be fixed.

She stepped into the study half expecting to be greeted by Bryce and Eleanor, like the countless times before. The Teyrn would give her a friendly smile and kind words while his wife, the Teyrna would embrace Anora like she was her daughter.

Instead she was greeted by silence, and ghosts. The servants had started a fire in the hearth, but other than that the room for the moment looked relatively untouched. The desks of the Teyrn and Teyrna faced the two high windows that were on either side of the fireplace to allow plenty of sunlight to brighten up the room. Above the fireplace, on the mantle was the bow that Eleanor had used during the Rebellion and above that was a family portrait.

It was an older portrait. Fergus and Edmund were younger, the former on the cusp of manhood, looking at Edmund she realized he looked just as he did when she first came to live in Highever all those years ago. He was handsome with his confident smile, which looked playful as he stood shoulder to shoulder with his older brother. Behind the Cousland boys stood the Teyrn and Teyrna, the former had his hand on Fergus' shoulder, while the latter had one on Edmund's. The parents' eyes shimmered with pride and affection at their two children.

I have failed you, she thought numbly. Looking up into the faces of those who she considered being her second family and now three of them were dead while the fourth was on the run. She bowed her head, not wanting to look at the faces of those she disappointed. Not wanting to meet their eyes.

It was all too much for her to take.

She backed away.

I don't belong here, she realized. I shouldn't be allowed here.

"Your Majesty?"

Startled by the sudden voice that interrupted her musings, she regained her composure before turning around to greet the familiar voice. She knew at once something was wrong when she took in Luwin's uneasy stance and nervous expression.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your Majesty," he bowed his head. "We need to talk."

"What is it, Luwin?" She asked, taking in his nervousness, she thought that the news couldn't be good. Her heart instinctively going to the conclusion that something had happened to her father, or to Edmund and Oren. "Has something happened?"

The Seneschal looked around the room. "Can we talk?"

A part of Anora wanted to leave this room and estate. Yet, seeing Luwin's state she realized that whatever he wanted to talk about had to be important for him to personally come to see her. She also knew that by all accounts it was probably safer to discuss this sensitive information here, since she was surrounded by servants and guards whose loyalty to her could not be questioned.

"Very well," she acquiesced, taking a seat on the same sofa that she and Eleanor had always sat on during her visits to the estate. They sat close so that the Teyrna could fondly hold Anora's hand like a proud mother, giving her an encouraging squeeze in her grip or a soothing pat when the two would talk about life's often difficult situations.

It was on this sofa that Eleanor had comforted Anora when she had discovered Cailan's infidelity to her. It was Eleanor who comforted her through the confusion and ache that had swelled at the news of her husband's liaisons. It was here where Anora confessed her fears of being barren and unable to provide Cailan a rightful Theirin heir.

Enough, she clamped down on the flood of memories that were swelling within. She couldn't allow herself to become distracted or nostalgic. Not now.

He looked grateful as he took a seat on the other side of the sofa. His expression remained troubled as he brought his fidgeting hands to rest in his lap.

"We have found Edmund and Oren."

"Truly?" Anora asked pleasantly surprised at this bit of good news.

"They are with Bann Loren."

That surprised her, she knew he was one of the stronger Banns in the Bannorn specifically the western portion, but Loren's reputation did him no favors. It was known that he was loose with his allegiances. Surely, Edmund would have known about the Bann's unfavorable reputation: So why had he gone with him? She found herself wondering.

Luwin seemed to sense her confusion. "Your Majesty, when Howe attacked Cousland Castle and killed the Couslands there were other important casualties."

"Others?" Anora asked. She had been so shocked and grief-stricken at the death of Bryce and Eleanor that she hadn't thought about the others who had perished that night.

"Yes," Luwin revealed, "Lady Landra and her son, Dairren."

Anora recognized the names. They were Loren's wife and son. Now, the thought of Loren allying with Edmund didn't seem so risky. Their alliance was perhaps stronger now due to what Howe had done to them. Loren commanded a good number of knights, militia, and men-at-arms. He was an older man and his fighting days seemed behind him, but if he allowed Edmund to use them…

No, it wouldn't be a problem. She wouldn't allow that scenario to play out. There was no need for it.

This couldn't be a problem.

Her father was returning and he was going to set things right. With the strength of Gwaren and Highever behind her father, Howe would finally be punished. Highever would be returned to Edmund and Oren.

This nightmare could finally end. There would be no civil war. They could then focus all of their energy and strength in thwarting this darkspawn threat once and for all.

It was the reminder of her father's return to the city that calmed her. Hearing about the disastrous defeat at Ostagar and the death of her husband and Fereldan's King had only added to the pain that Anora was already feeling due to the loss of Eleanor and Bryce.

The grief hadn't overwhelmed her like it says in the stories when a wife lost her husband. She mourned him, but her world hadn't shattered with him. It had dented, it had been shaken, but it could be repaired. She'd miss him, but she would move forward. She had to. Ferelden still needed her.

"Your Majesty?" Luwin broached through her musings.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking to see her seneschal was still uneasy. "Is there anything else?"

"Rendon Howe has left the city."

"That is not surprising," she replied. He had probably taken his army and headed back to his Arling in hopes of rallying his supporters and preparing himself for her father's return. He must have known he wouldn't be safe in Denerim with her father's pending return.

To think that justice was coming closer to being leveled on Howe for the heinous acts he committed against the Couslands was enough to stem some of the guilt that had been eating her up inside. That guilt had only festered in her time at the Cousland's estate in Denerim.

"It is said he is not returning to Vigil's Keep," Luwin informed her.

"What?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "Where would he be going? Amaranthine?"

"No, your Majesty," Luwin sighed, further highlighting the concern that was etched in his features, "It is said he went to treat with your father."

"That's not possible," she shook her head. She hadn't expected the bold move. The risk didn't seem to play into how she perceived Howe's endgame. She was sure he would return to his Arling, return to where his support was strong, and try to hold out in an attempt to avoid the rightful justice that was coming for him.

This move to see her father was not made by someone who feared for his life or the consequences from his actions. It was made by someone who was confident that an agreement could be reached.

What could Howe possibly say that could convince her father to side with him?

"Your father needs Howe's men, your Majesty," Luwin tried to defend her father's actions. "There is unrest in the Bannorn. The darkspawn threat only grows in the south."

"No," Anora shook her head. This couldn't be happening.

All this time she had never seen Howe as a threat. He was a nuisance, nothing more. A pest at the present, but insignificant in the grand scheme, but now if he had successfully treated with her father; he was a greater danger then Anora could ever have imagined.

"Is that all?" she asked, but judging by the Seneschal's countenance she was sure there was something, and it wasn't good.

"No, there is one more thing," Luwin cleared his throat. "It seems that Teyrn Loghain got into a heated argument with Arl Bryland during their return march to Denerim."

"What?" Anora failed at hiding her surprise. This was the first she had heard about this. "When did this happen?"

"Days ago," Luwin scratched his graying goatee. "But I only received the letter today."

Without even knowing what the two had talked about, Anora understood the importance of this argument and the ramifications that could be felt throughout Ferelden. On the outside she tried to retain a calm demeanor, but on the inside the news of her father arguing with Bryland had her deeply troubled.

"What happened?" She couldn't jump to conclusions, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking on what Luwin had just told her about Howe going to treat with her father…

"Arl Bryland brought up his complaints on Arl Howe," Luwin explained. "The Arl was furious at what Howe had done at Highever and demanded justice."

The implications of what happened next hit Anora hard. No, please father. She wanted to be wrong, so very wrong.

"Your father dismissed Bryland's complaints." Luwin seemed to sense her despondence giving her a sympathetic look. "Claiming Leonas was acting out on old grudges."

"Arl Bryland left with the strength of South Reach," The Seneschal paused in his report. "The forces of Highever left with him too."

She now perfectly understood why Luwin wanted to meet with her before her father arrived. This news was devastating. Arl Bryland wouldn't have left her father if he believed Loghain would punish Howe. No, he left with the Highever forces because they had realized her father wasn't going to.

She felt numb. She needed to return to the Palace. She needed to try to salvage this situation. Surely, she could have a messenger reach Arl Bryland before he acted brashly. To have him know that she wanted Howe punished just as much as he did. This can be fixed.

"Your Majesty, I fear we are on the cusp of civil war."

"What have you done, father?"

It was the question she had wanted to ask him ever since his return to Denerim. It had been two days since he arrived to the capital of Ferelden.

She found him in his private study in the Royal Palace. He was thankfully alone. Anora didn't want to have this conversation with an audience. She needed to voice her growing concerns with some of his most recent choices.

He looked up from the table. He lofted a sigh, looking tired and annoyed as if it was beneath him to inform the Queen of Ferelden about the decisions he was making.

"Only what is necessary."

"Necessary?" Anora was taken aback by not just her father's answer, but the sincere confidence in his tone, "Necessary for what?"

"To keep you on the throne," he answered, leaning on the table.

She stepped closer to see her father had sprawled out his old maps of Ferelden. Unsure, how to respond to her father's answer she stayed quiet. She knew the hard truth in his words. The rumors she had already begun to hear when Cailan was alive, the unrest with the nobility.

"Did you think that your detractors were just going to stay silent and remain in the shadows now that the King is dead?" The scorn in his voice caught her off guard.

"I am the Queen," she didn't know what else to say. She knew it sounded weak and foolish, but it was the truth. She was still the Queen of Ferelden. She wouldn't say it out loud, but deep down she knew her father was right. Her power was slipping. Many of Ferelden's nobles would ignore her authority now that Cailan was dead. To them she was nothing but a commoner masquerading as one of them.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Come Anora, you're smarter than that," he chided. "Have you forgotten the whispers?"

Commoner, barren, these were the first that came to her before she stopped that line of thinking. "I haven't forgotten."

"Then you should have expected that these same people will move boldly to try to remove you from power," a hint of disappointment in his tone.

She didn't like it, but she could see truth in her father's reasoning. It did make sense. She didn't want to lose her title as Queen. She had sacrificed so much to achieve it. To only lose it now and to be left with nothing that was an outcome Anora could not accept.

"These men are stuck in the past," Loghain clicked his tongue in annoyance. "They care more about their ancestors then their progeny." He tightened his grip of the table's edge. "We're not all given that kind of luxury."

These were words that Anora had often heard from her father growing up. He would talk about how commoners had a better understanding on how to move forward and to make Ferelden stronger than any nobleman. Unlike nobles, commoners couldn't afford to look backwards.

The past had nothing to offer them. It was the future they sought. It was the hope for change, the chance to alter fate, the willingness to try to take risks. They weren't satisfied with the status quo, they always sought improvements. That was the outlook Ferelden needed, her father would always say.

Loghain tapped his finger on the Redcliffe Arling portion of the map. "Eamon had been marshalling his forces and supporters, but I put a stop to that."

"What did you do?" She shouldn't have been surprised by Eamon's response. He always had been a very vocal opponent to her marriage with Cailan. There had even been whispered rumors that he had been seeking an Orlesian bride for Cailan, and even fainter whispers that he was still seeking one before Ostagar.

"The problem has been resolved for now," he answered vaguely, but she didn't miss the glint in his eyes. "His forces have scattered and his position has been severely weakened."

She nodded, but despite her father's reassurances there was still some uneasiness in her stomach at how he resolved the situation. She would speak to Luwin and have him find out about Redcliffe and Eamon.

"Are you satisfied, Anora?" There was a waning restraint in his voice. It was clear that he wasn't pleased with his choices being so thoroughly questioned and scrutinized by her.

Anora had suspected this reaction from her father. She knew him well enough to know that this conversation was never going to be easy or comfortable for either of them.

"What of the Couslands?" she asked, no matter how much truth she saw in her father's logic; there was no excuse he could give that would allow her to accept what Howe did to them.

She could still remember seeing Howe riding side by side with her father when he returned to Denerim two days ago. It had taken all of her discipline and strength to remain composed and civil around him when she greeted her father. As well as to tolerate his increasing presence in the Royal Palace, he had taken to following her father around like a stray mabari pup.

"How can you side with Howe after what he did?"

"A hard decision," Loghain agreed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "but a necessary one if we are to control the unruly Bannorn."

"So Edmund and Oren must be killed for our alliance with Howe?" Anora asked, aware of how sharp she sounded and the disapproving tone in her voice, but she didn't care.

He stiffened. "What would you have me do?"

"Return Highever to them." It was the simplest and most ideal solution. How could he not see it?

"You would have me declare war on Amaranthine for the favor of a boy?" His civil tone cracked, warning her that it was not wise to continue.

"The rightful heir of Highever," she corrected him.

"We are at war, Anora," he explained. "We need the strongest allies if we're to secure your reign, your claim to the throne."

"Not like this," Anora said, shaking her head. She didn't want her reign to be secured on the bodies of Bryce and Eleanor, built on the ashes of Cousland Castle. She couldn't stomach that legacy.

"And what about the forces of South Reach and Highever?" she threw back at him. She had lost her composure and mentally chastised herself for the colossal slip.

He sent her a withering look. "Those forces will return to us," he said, annoyance seeping into his tone. "Once they taste defeat under the leadership of that boy they will scurry over each other to come back to us to plead for forgiveness and swear fealty."

She was fairly certain that boy that her father was referring to was Edmund, "and what of their fates?" Seeing her father's stony look, she clarified, "Edmund and Oren?"

"That isn't important now," he dismissed, waving his hand. "The only thing that is important is that with Howe's forces we can secure your claim to the throne. The Bannorn will fall in line, Anora. You must trust me. I will deal with the darkspawn threat."

I want to trust you, father, but she was composed enough to know not to speak of her doubts out loud.

"Very well," she said, the words tasted sour in her mouth, but the last thing she could afford was to alienate her most ardent and powerful supporter in her father. She needed him to keep her as Queen, to control her armies, and to keep her safe.

This wasn't over, she silently vowed. She was determined to make Howe pay for what he did. For now she needed to play the supportive daughter and formidable Queen to the public.

In private she would do everything in her power to make sure Highever was restored to the Couslands. She didn't want to betray her father, but neither could she betray Bryce and Eleanor. She was certain given time that she could persuade her father to turn on Howe. She just needed to be patient and wait for the opportunity to present itself.

A/N: In terms of the cover photo, I know not very original or creative, but it's the best I can do with my very limited skill in that area. Hopefully, DA wikia doesn't mind.