Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.
"I gave her an engagement ring—along with the dead body's finger it was still attached to. Love is cemeterial."
― Jarod Kintz, My love can only occupy one
Chapter 10:Til Death Do Us Part
"Maker keep us, Maker protect us, Maker keep us, Maker protect us..."
"Will you stop that already?!"
"Maker keep us, Maker protect us..."
"Nola, if you don't knock it off right now, I swear I'll knock you out!"
A moan of pain threatened to escape from Zoë's lips as the familiar voices of Nola and Shianni echoed in her ears. The last thing she remembered was a vengeful Vaughan having returned to the Alienage with his friends right in the middle of the wedding with vulgar intentions for the women. She'd tried to protect everyone else, practically begging him to take her instead of Shianni and the other girls, but Vaughan had just laughed and refused, claiming that it wouldn't be much of a party with only one elven woman for him and his friends to play with. Then, one of his friends had suddenly smacked Zoë hard across the face and knocked her unconscious.
"Oh, thank the Maker you've finally come to!" Shianni breathed, throwing her arms around the older girl."We were so worried!"
Zoë moaned, rubbing her temples and looking at the others in concern."Is everyone alright?"
"For the moment we're all just scared, but unharmed." Valora said, biting her lower lip nervously."They locked us in here to wait until that bastard is ready for us!"
"Then we need to get out of here." Zoë said urgently."And fast at that."
"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath!" Another elven girl snapped."The door is locked and solid! Not to mention the fact that we are nothing more than five unarmed women! How can we possibly even hope to find a way out of here without getting caught?!"
"Maker keep us, Maker protect us, Maker keep us, Maker protect us..." Nola whispered nonstop in prayer from where she was kneeling by the door. Zoë frowned at the obvious fear in her friend's voice as she prayed, and somehow managed to keep from telling Nola that there was no point in praying to a pathetic shemlen god who probably wasn't even listening or caring about the elves in the slightest. It was as clear as day to Zoë that all five of them were on their own here, as they always were really.
"Great, now this again." Shianni muttered with a sigh. Zoë knew Shianni would never back down without a fight, but the redhead wouldn't last a minute against any of the humans who'd taken them and so it was up to Zoë to protect her fellow elves from these lustful humans.
The elf who had snapped at Zoë just a moment ago gave a deep sigh and tried to reason with the other women."Look, we'll just do whatever it is they want us to do, go home, and try to forget any of this ever happened."
"She's right." Valora nodded."It'll be a lot worse if we resist."
"It'll be a lot worse if we don't!" Shianni argued.
"Someone's coming!" The third elf pointed toward the door.
"If you see an opportunity, take it." Everyone except for a still praying Nola nodded in response to Zoë's words as the door was swung open and several guardsmen walked inside led by the captain.
"Hello, wenches." The captain sneered."We're your escorts to Lord Vaughan's little party."
"Stay away from us!" Nola screamed, jumping up to her feet and glaring at him.
Before anyone could even blink, the captain had pulled out his sword and thrust it right into Nola's stomach and through her back. He roughly yanked the blade out, smirking as Zoë fell to her knees to catch the falling dark-haired elf's form in her arms. She watched in horror as Nola coughed up blood and desperately gasped for air once last time, the dying elven girl's blood staining Zoë's wedding dress as if it had always been a dark red crimson color instead of a pale white one, before her head fell back and her eyes shut as death slowly claimed her. The others girls gasped, backing away in shock and fear over what they'd just witnessed. Even Shianni looked like she was ready to throw up.
"You son of a bitch, you killed her!" Zoë shouted, tears of both anger and grief rolling down her cheeks at the sight and feeling of her dead friend's life slipping away in her arms.
The guardsman shrugged like Nola's life meant nothing."I guess that's just what happens when you try teaching whores some respect." He started giving orders to his men."Now, you grab the little flower cowering over there in the corner while Horace and I take the homely bride and the red-haired drunk." He pointed at Zoë."I suggest you two bind the last one. According to Lord Vaughan, she's the scrapper."
"Don't worry." One of the guards smiled as they backed Zoë into a wall."We'll be perfect gentlemen."
"Now, you heard the captain, missy. You'd best behave like a good little wench or else you'll end up like your stupid friend over there." The second guard jabbed a thumb at Nola's bloody stiff.
"Try it!" Zoë hissed."I'd love love to see what parts you lose in the process!"
The first guard laughed."Horace was right; she is a scrapper!"
"Um, hello?" The two guards twisted around to see Soris standing by the doorway with a small sword clutched tightly in his hands and a crossbow strapped behind his back. Zoë gave a triumphant smirk at the sight of her cousin but immediately frowned as she wondered where he'd gotten the weapons from and how he managed to get inside the Arl's palace in the first place.
"Oh look at this!" The first guard laughed again."It's a little elfling with a stolen sword!"
Soris rolled out of their reach when they tried to grab him and slid the sword across the floor to Zoë who swiped it off the floor with a wicked grin on her face as she saw the two guards turn pale with obvious fright.
"Oh, sod." The second guard muttered, shaking his head with a nervous gulp.
"Time to die!" Zoë declared before charging at them with a scream of pure hatred. The two guards both barely jumped aside in time as she thrusted the sword toward both of their throats and quickly spun around on her heel next to Soris, who'd taken out the crossbow from behind him and was already aiming an arrow at the first guard. The second guard drew his sword and swung at Zoë's neck, the female elf quickly spinning out of the way and kicking him hard in the shin. She managed to connect her sword with his, the two of them desperately trying to throw the other off balance.
With a loud shout, Zoë suddenly head butted her foe, swiftly shaking away the pain it brought to her skull due to his helmet and then raising her leg in a powerful kick to the chest that knocked him to the floor. She ran up to him, kicking him roughly in the back when he tried to get up and pinned him down with her knee. A strangled cry of agony escaped the guard as Zoë's sword plunged into his chest and through the floor boards, blood spilling beneath him and all over Zoë, but she simply couldn't bring herself to care about anything other than killing these humans for what they'd done to her people.
"Cousin, help!" Soris cried, barely able to keep the remaining guard at bay with his arrows. Zoë lunged for the guard, kicking away his sword and hitting him in the head with the pummel of her sword. She then slashed him right across the face, smiling dangerously at the sound of his bloodcurdling scream as his left eye was now gone and blood splattered from his face. She paid no attention to the complete look of horror on Soris's face at what she was doing and grabbed the screaming guard's arm, pulling him closer and shoving her sword into his stomach. A mix of a groan and a gasp came from deep within the guard's throat as his bloody form slowly fell to the floor.
"I can't believe they killed her!" Soris gasped, looking down in horror at Nola's lifeless form lying on the ground. He turned to Zoë, concern written across his face."They...didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"
"I'm fine, Soris." Zoë replied, kneeling next to one of the dead guards to loot his body for more weapons. She took a few daggers for herself and paused briefly, staring at the small sword Soris had tossed her and then giving him a questioning look."Where did you get a sword and crossbow from anyway? We both know you've never been much of a fighter and elves aren't exactly allowed to carry weapons."
"That Grey Warden, Duncan." Soris answered. Zoë had almost forgotten how she and Soris had met him shortly before the wedding ceremony was supposed to begin. He was an old friend of Hahren Valendrian, having met him nearly twenty years ago while trying to recruit Adaia but changed his mind when Valendrian convinced him not to. For a shem, he seemed polite and honorable enough, but the female elf had other things to worry about at the moment so she quickly put aside all thoughts of the Grey Warden."He gave me and Nelaros his sword and crossbow, but that's all we have."
"Nelaros is here?" That certainly got her attention.
"He's the only reason we came here in the first place. He lost it on those who wanted to do nothing but 'hope for the best'. Even Hahren Valendrian had lost all hope and I...had no idea what else to do." Soris hung his head sadly as he spoke, clearly ashamed of himself for having even considered giving up on his cousin, sister, and bride. Zoë stood up and clasped a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He slowly looked up at her and she gave him a small smile.
"You're here now, aren't you? That's all that matters."
"Thanks. I couldn't just let him go alone."
"Where is he now?" She asked, going over to loot the other dead guard's body for more weapons.
"He's guarding the end of the hall. Once we get to him, we can figure this all out together."
"Lead the way, Soris." Zoë gestured toward the door."I certainly don't know which room is which in this place."
"This way." Soris beckoned for her to follow him and Zoë threw one last sad glance toward Nola's bloody corpse before exiting the room with him.
"What's this?!" A shem jumped at the sound of the door being kicked open and twisted around to see Zoë and Soris."I don't recognize either of you two elves! Wait a second, is that blood all over you? You're bandits, rebels, outlaws! Just wait until the guards come and-agh!"
The shem abruptly fell to the floor with a thud when an elven servant suddenly struck him in the head from behind. The elf scowled down at him and looked up to give Zoë and Soris a wry grin."You've no idea how long that shem's had it coming." He stated coldly.
"Oh, I think I can imagine." Zoë said with a smirk."I'm Zoë by the way, and this is my cousin, Soris. I take it you work here?"
The elf nodded."Name's Adwen. I'm the cook's assistant. Aren't you one of the girls they brought in today?" Zoë nodded."If you're looking for the others, Lord Vaughan took them to his room. I'd hurry if I were you; he's not exactly...gentle with women, especially elven women."
"So I've heard." She grimaced."It's probably a good idea if you leave this place right now. I can't promise things will be pretty once we find that lecherous bastard."
"You don't have to tell me twice." The elf was already running for the door."I hope you give Vaughan everything he deserves when you get to him."
"I intend you." She stated firmly, waiting until the elven servant was gone then giving a nod to Soris as a sign for them to keep moving.
"Damn it!" Zoë hissed as they reached the dining room which was full of off-duty shem guards. One of the guards jumped up from his seat and glowered at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Where did you get a weapon, elf?" He demanded, pointing at the daggers in Zoë's hands.
"Uh-oh." Soris said, backing away.
"You better talk quick, scum!" Another human growled.
"Sod it!" Zoë exclaimed. In a flash, she'd grabbed a kitchen knife from the table and flung it at at one of theshems, blood spattering from the now gaping wound in his throat as he crumbled to the floor. She punched another guard in the face, making him drop his sword and stunning him long enough for her to spin around and kick him in the neck. A smirk crossed her lips when she left his neck snap upon impact. The other guard tried to stab her in the back, but dropped his weapon with a yelp of pain when Soris shot an arrow into his arm. It was the momentary distraction Zoë needed to twist around and quickly slash the shem across the chest.
"Maker's breath, how big is this damned palace!" She shouted in vexation.
"This way, hurry!" Soris said urgently as he and Zoë had almost reached the end of the hall where Nelaros was waiting for them. They came to an abrupt stop, however, at the appalling sight before them.
Nelaros'd barely turned to face them when a sword was suddenly plunged right through his back and chest, piercing his heart as well. Zoë watched in horror as her fiancé fell to the floor, dying as soon as the sword had been yanked out from his body. The captain of the guards, the very same shem who'd killed Nola, sneered in disgust when he saw the other two elves standing in front of him and two of his men. He pointed at them with a look of contempt on his face.
"See?" He asked his men."I told you there would be more. Elves always run in packs like nasty rodents."
"Should we keep the knife-eared bitch alive?" One guard flicked his head at Zoë.
The captain shook his head vehemently."They killed our boys, so she gets to die too."
"You killed Nelaros!" She screamed lividly.
The captain laughed loudly."He squealed like a stuck pig when he died. Let's see if you do too, wench."
Zoë let out an enraged scream as she practically pounced on the captain, knocking away his blade and starting to stab him multiple times in the chest, reveling in each and every cry and grunt of agony that escaped his lips as she continued her assault. The other two guards scrambled to help their captain, but one of them fell dead to the floor when two arrows from Soris hit him in the back while the other one received an arrow to the chest that killed him instantly. Soris hurried over to his cousin and somehow managed to pull her off of the dead captain.
Tears ran down Zoë's cheeks and she hastily brought up a hand to wipe them away but only succeeded in smearing more blood across her face. Her wedding dress was soaked in the blood of Nola, Nelaros, and all of the shems she'd killed so far, along with the precious golden ribbons she'd used to tie up her long, equally gore-covered strawberry blonde hair. She willed herself not to cry; she'd only known Nelaros for less than a day and yet already she'd begun to grow so fond of him and enjoyed the idea of possibly sharing a future with him only for it all to come crashing down because of Vaughan Kendells and his lustful appetite and thirst for revenge.
She thought of Nola, such a sweet, pretty young girl who she'd been friends with her entire life, always so kind and caring toward anyone she met, even when she barely had anything for herself and her father Tormey. Dole filled Zoë's entire body as she couldn't bring herself to picture Tormey's reaction when he found out his beloved daughter, his only child was dead, having already went through the pain of losing Nola's mother just a few years ago not long after Adaia had died. Nola deserved so much better than to die at the hands of a shemlen. She also thought of Nelaros, laying dead right in front of her after dying while making sure she and the other women would be able to make it out of here alive.
If the Maker really did exist, then Zoë prayed to both Him and His bride Andraste and whatever gods the Dalish might have honored that both Nola and Nelaros and any other elf who died an undeserving because of Vaughan Kendells would finally be able to rest in peace once she found and killed that shemlen noble for what he'd done.
Zoë untangled Soris's arms from around her and knelt down beside Nelaros's lifeless body, putting a hand over her mouth to muffle a gasp when she spotted a golden wedding ring sticking out of his pocket. She slowly reached out with a shaky hand to take the ring and slipped it onto her finger before pressing a kiss to her dead fiancé's cold forehead. She heard Soris choke on a sob and felt him place a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered softly and Zoë just lowered her head and put her face in her hands as she fought not to cry.
They stayed there for a long minute or two before slowly standing back up and making their way further through the palace to make sure that Nelaros's sacrifice was not in vain.
A bloodcurdling scream rang through the entire palace, causing Zoë and Soris to both freeze in place as they looked at each other in worry as the scream sounded a lot like it belonged to Shianni. When another scream followed just a second later, the two elves bolted toward the source of the sound, stopping in front of a locked wooden door that they both instantly knew led to Vaughan's room. Zoë growled loudly when she heard yet another scream that was this time followed by sadistic laughter. She felt her blood boil as she slammed her elbow hard against the wooden door, shouting words even she herself couldn't hear or understand because of how angry and determined she was to break down the damned door.
Every single nerve inside the elven girl practically snapped at the lurid sight that greeted her when she'd finally managed to kick the door open; Shianni lay battered, bruised, bloody, and naked on the floor, her wrists and ankles held down by two of Vaughan's friends while Vaughan himself was on top of her with his pants undone and forcing her legs around his waist. Tears ran down Shianni's face and when she turned to look at her cousin, Zoë saw nothing but red, a scream of pure fury escaping from her lips loud enough to make Vaughan and his two friends go pale with fear while Soris backed away from her, looking horrified.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY LITTLE COUSIN, YOU BASTARDS!" Zoë screamed at the top of her lungs, her face flushing with anger as Vaughan and his two friends did as they were told and scrambled away from Shianni. She fell to her knees beside Shianni, grabbing the redhead and pulling her into a tight hug as she felt Shianni's tears stain her already blood-soaked wedding dress. The enraged elf was literally shaking with fury and suddenly found it extremely difficult to breathe properly. She looked up at Vaughan, hearing his two friends gulp nervously when they saw the murderous glint in her dark brown eyes.
"I'm going to kill you, shem." She stated calmly."And I'm going to make you scream in pain like you've never screamed before while I'm doing it."
"All right." Vaughan said shakily, putting his hands up."Let's not get too hasty. Surely we can simply talk this over."
Zoë cackled with laughter that held no humor behind it, her expression like that of a madwoman as she threw her head back while laughing then gave the human noble a frighteningly calm look."Then talk." She smiled sweetly and inclined her head to the side.
"Please," Shianni whimpered through tears, clinging desperately to Zoë like a lifeline."... just get me out of here. I want to go home."
Zoë unconsciously stroked the sobbing girl's red hair, continuing to stare at the humans in front of her with a sweet, innocent, little smile."I'm listening, human. Please make it quick."
Vaughan cleared his throat nervously."Here's our situation; you are obviously quite skilled in battle and if we fight now, I've no doubt you'll be able to kill all of us without even trying." He straightened up a bit."My father won't let that go. Your pigsty of an Alienage will be burned to the ground. Or you can just turn and walk away right now with forty sovereign added to your purses."
"Forty sovereigns?" Soris gasped. No elf had ever lived to see that much money, let alone earning some of that for themselves.
Vaughan nodded."You take take that money and leave Denerim tonight with your family. No repercussions and you can go wherever you like."
"No repercussions?" Zoë repeated softly.
"No repercussions." He promised.
"But what about the women?" Soris questioned."Will you let them go too?"
"The women stay. They'll all go home tomorrow, slightly worse for fear, and you'll already be long gone." He replied."That's the deal. Take it or leave it."
"That's a very tempting offer." Zoë said, slowly untangling herself from Shianni and going up to Vaughan. The nobleman smirked and offered her his hand to shake to seal the deal and she smiled sweetly back while starting to give him her hand when she suddenly punched him in the face instead, breaking his nose."Sadly, it's not tempting enough for me."
Still smiling sweetly, Zoë kicked Vaughan to the ground and took out a dagger, ignoring his desperate pleas for mercy as she got on top of him and plunged the dagger deep into his chest. She twisted it around a little, enjoying the scream of agony it drew from him and then yanked it back out and stood up, leaving him to die in a pool of his own blood on the cold marble floor.
Vaughan's two friends were shaking with fear, having backed into a wall and looking close to tears as she slowly approached them. They were soon dead at her feet too, though how she'd killed them she couldn't recall. The dagger fell from her hand as she felt Shianni pull her down to her knees in a hug, sobbing and begging to go home. Zoë said nothing, only held the redhead close to comfort her and examined her shaking, bloody hands with bloodshot eyes.
She'd been well aware of what she was doing as she took out all of Vaughan's guards but only once Vaughan Kendells himself was finally dead did Zoë Tabris realize that she was a coldblooded killer.
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Next up: Chapter 11:All In This Together