Chapter 25: Family
"Good evening, Serah. Welcome to House Trevelyan."
Natalya smiled slightly, having grown up serving in the true House Trevelyan in Ostwick; she had a very hard time taking this place seriously. Far from palace-like estate, the Ferelden seat of House Trevelyan was part warehouse and part merchant's dwelling, hardly a spot for true Trevelyan nobility, which was of course exactly what it was.
She had slipped into Denerim unnoticed; the bulk of her Inquisition escort remained outside the city, and would not officially arrive until tomorrow, when she would have her audience with the king.
Tonight, she had other matters to attend to, namely serving house, and putting her own plans in motion.
Denerim's House Trevelyan was just off the main docks of the city, not surprising considering that Lord Van Trevelyan had made the bulk of his wealth in trade. Even inside the building you could not escape the smell of the docks outside.
Binder the man assigned to watch her by Sister Leliana remained a few steps behind her, his hand never far from his dagger. He had been assigned to protect her of course, but also to report her movements back to his mistress, the Nightingale; it was a task she did not even try to deny. Sister Leliana was a skilled spymaster, and even if Natalya had tried to mask her movements it likely would not have worked.
Besides, if she succeeded this eve, all of the Inquisition would benefit, just as much as she would in the long run.
No, she had a healthy dose of both respect and fear for the Nightingale; she had no desire to cross her.
The perky little blonde that had met her at the entrance could not have been more Trevelyan had she tried. Her hair and eyes were the same color as Nicholai's, and her nose and mouth clearly marked her as having Trevelyan ancestry.
She was probably about eighteen or nineteen, which likely meant she was Lord Van's youngest, his daughter Rhaena, if her contacts were correct that was.
Being so late in the day, only one other person was present in the merchant's home, a young man, probably in his early twenties, sharing enough similarities to the girl to likely be an elder brother. He sat at a small table, servicing a suit of armor, dented in places, but clearly well-cared for.
The armor, she recognized from her travels, was clearly not made for war, it did not show the damage one would find on a knight's war suit, the damage suggested heavy impacts from a lance or weighted training sword. It was the kind of suit a tourney knight might wear.
Not a bodyguard then, she thought, perhaps Lord Van would be more open to her offer than she had thought.
"How may we help you today?" the girl who had met her at the door asked.
Natalya dropped into a curtsey.
"I am Natalya Song," she informed the girl, "Agent of the Inquisition, and I have come to speak with Lord Van."
The young girl's eyes widened, the boy paused in his work on a dented shoulder pauldron.
"Oh Maker," the girl almost squealed, "You are her! You are the one who serves the Herald of Andraste!"
Song tried not to look pleased.
It seems that her brother's name was not the only one getting passed along these days.
Good.
The girl was practically beaming at her; the young man had put down his armor, and was watching the exchange.
"I'm Rhaena, Rhaena Trevelyan," the girl said, "This is my brother Byron; we are most pleased to meet you Lady Song! We…"
"RHAENA!"
The booming voice stopped the girl in her tracks, she jumped slightly; a small yelp escaped her throat.
She looked behind her sheepishly, towards an open door in the back.
"Yes Father?" she murmured.
"Do not let my brother's bastard be any later for her appointment than she already is."
Natalya frowned.
That, she realized, could only be Lord Van himself, younger brother of her father Bann Pieter, and…in the most basic sense of the word…her uncle.
Natalya frowned, not pleased with the lord's use of the word 'bastard.'
It was accurate, but that did not mean that she had to like it.
The girl stepped aside, her expression that of a cowed Mabari pup.
"You may enter Lady Song," she said shyly, "Maker go with you."
Natalya motioned for Binder to remain out here with Rhaena and her brother. She did not think that she had anything to fear of Lord Van. He had accepted her request for an audience, and had offered her his protection as host.
Hopefully, she thought, the Lord was not as…fickle…as Bann Pieter claimed he was.
Lord Van had left Ostwick many years ago to make his fortune. Hopefully he remained open to new opportunities. The Inquisition offered much for House Trevelyan, now they just needed to be brave enough to reach out and take what was there.
She had first suggested this meeting while working in the Hinterlands with Nicholai. It wouldn't hurt to have a few more Trevelyans in Haven. The Inquisition needed help, and by reaching out to the family, they would have access to agents that cared about Trevelyan advancement as much as she did.
When she had first mentioned meeting with Uncle Van to Nicholai, her brother had all but laughed at her.
"I thought you were trying to get back into our father's good graces, not piss him off more."
Natalya had winced.
"The family had wanted to bring uncle Van back into it for years," she reminded him, "This could be our chance to do that."
Nicholai had sighed then.
"Okay," he said, "I won't try to stop you, but you might want to reconsider this. Uncle Van is as stubborn as father is, and there is years of bad blood between them."
The mage gave her a worried look.
"You don't want to get on the bad side of either of them, Nat. Trust me on that."
She had promised him that she would consider his advice, but promised nothing. Now, while he was in Val Royeaux, trying to bring the mothers over to the Inquisition's side, she was here in Denerim, confronting the black sheep, or perhaps, black horse of the Trevelyan family.
Hopefully, she thought, he would be reasonable.
Hopefully.
IOI
Once upon a time, Van Trevelyan might have understood what they were trying to do.
According to the rumors she had heard growing up, Van Trevelyan had first fled to the sea to escape his duty as a Trevelyan. Traditionally, the third child of House Trevelyan was offered up to the chantry, so that the relationship that the family had always maintained with the servants of Andraste could continue.
Back then, the boy had been slated to join the Templars. Grandfather had already had his heir and his spare, so Van's destiny was set. The death of Bann Pieter's elder brother made grandfather think twice about sending the boy, but by that point it was too late.
Van Trevelyan had already decided that he was not going to obey. He fled to a merchant ship and never looked back.
Eventually he married the daughter of one of the captains he had served, and together, the two of them had built up the trading business that Natalya had heard so much about over the years. Their marriage was equally fruitful, with the girl giving him seven children, or so she had heard. Given the younger Trevelyan's success, one might have expected that the family would have forgiven his leaving, and invited him back, if only to share in the success that he had made for himself.
One simple fact prevented that return.
Van Trevelyan had not forgotten his family; he had been paying very close attention to what was going on in Ostwick, particularly what was happening with his elder brother. He was well aware of the fact that his elder brother only had a single heir to his name, Nicholai's younger brother Stefan. A mage could not inherit a title, and Natalya would have to be formally recognized if he wished for her to take up the title of Bann, which would likely never happen given the political climate in Ostwick.
So, Van Trevelyan had written to his brother with an offer.
He offered up his eldest son Braydon to serve as a spare heir.
If anything happened to Stefan, Braydon Trevelyan would return to Ostwick and take up the role of Bann when Bann Pieter passed. Van Trevelyan thought that a perfectly reasonable solution to a possible problem.
Bann Pieter disagreed.
He angrily wrote back to his brother, swearing by Andraste's pyre that he would never do such a thing. Ever since, that time, a war of words had raged between the two brothers, neither of them willing to give an inch on the matter.
Though Natalya did see her father's point, she recognized the fact that House Trevelyan did need to continue beyond her father. Perhaps he feared that if he let Cousin Braydon in, then his other brother might decide to harm Stefan in some way, to hasten his son's path to power. It was a reasonable fear, but if anything had happened to Stefan, she would have been the one to deal with the culprit, as she always had.
Now, here she was, walking into the presence of her uncle, hoping to gather Trevelyan reinforcements to help further the family's interests in the Inquisition. Father would never have approved, but at the same time she saw that she had little choice.
Things were moving too quickly to handle herself; she needed help to keep this cart from going off the road.
Her uncle would be able to aid her with that provided he looked beyond his issues with her father.
The Inquisition was a grand opportunity.
It would be a shame to waste it.
IOI
Her uncle's chambers were what one might expect from a man who had spent so much of his life at sea. Despite a few treasures that had likely been gathered in his travels the room was fairly empty, typical for a man who was always on the move.
Lord Van sat in a large worn out looking arm chair by the fire, his hands steepled before his face, his sea worn brow furrowed in deep thought.
She was about to approach when she realized that they were not alone.
A tall woman stepped out of the shadows, not blocking her path exactly, but clearly reminding her to go no further.
Natalya paused.
It seemed that his lordship was not so trusting after all.
The woman was at least six feet tall, and she was built like a warrior. She was beautiful in her way, but it was a harsh beauty her green eyes were cold and stern. Her blonde hair was neatly arranged into a series of braids that seemed more about function than fashion; the woman's hair was braided to keep it out of the way in battle nothing more. The green and yellow gambeson she wore bore no sigil, but around her neck was a small gold pendant, a pendant bearing the Horse sigil of House Trevelyan.
The woman carried no weapon, with the exception of a fine wooden staff, a single triangular shaped crystal mounted at the tip, a crystal that flickered with a soft blue light.
The sight stopped her in her tracks.
She had not expected to find a mage here; perhaps his lordship had taken up with the mage rebellion. It seemed unusual, but not impossible for the unpredictable man.
Lord Van did not even bother to turn around, but she thought she heard him chuckle.
"I always figured that my brother would send an assassin one day," he mused, before leaning back in his chair.
"Never figured that when that day came, she would come through my front door, asking to speak with me."
Natalya tried to smile, but kept one wary eye on the mage.
She curtseyed and tried to keep this meeting on track.
"Lord Van," she said respectfully, "Uncle…I am Natalya Song."
Again the older man chuckled.
"I know who you are girl, and I know what you do."
He stood up from the chair, like her father he was a very large man, over six feet tall, perhaps closer to seven.
Unlike her father, he looked as strong as one of this trading ships, a youth on the sea was not easily abandoned, his build suggested that he retained the strength of his youth, despite the many years since.
The mage at his side was only slightly shorter than him, her eyes never leaving Natalya's.
He placed a large hand on her shoulder.
"This is my daughter Evelyn, formally of the Ferelden Circle. I would advise you not try anything foolish around her."
The old man gave her a nasty smile.
"She has harsh ways of dealing with people."
"I have not come here to harm anyone, my lord," Natalya said bowing her head, "I am here on behalf of the Inquisition, and of your nephew, the Herald of Andraste."
Lord Van snorted at her words snorted and turned away, taking his seat again by the fire.
"Yes," he hissed, "I heard mention of that, "My brother's golden boy got himself chosen by the Maker, now he thinks he is Andraste's prophet."
He shook his head.
"I seriously doubt the chantry shares that view. At this rate he will end up being burned as a heretic before the year is out."
Song tried very hard not to frown; this was not going the way she had hoped. Lord Van had a reason to be bitter, but she had hoped that he would be smart enough to understand what the Inquisition was doing, what a wondrous opportunity it offered for their family.
"I have come here with a proposal, Milord," she said pushing on, "I had hoped that you would at least consider it before dismissing me outright."
Lord Van snorted as he returned to staring into the flames.
"I'm listening girl," he said, "So far I'm not impressed."
Song pursed her lips. She fought down the urge to leave, if her uncle would not listen, there were bound to be other Trevelyans who would. Ambassador Montilyet had already offered to use her contacts to reach out to the family, but she had hoped to have some of the family on board before she went hunting allies in Ostwick. Bann Pieter would not be pleased after everything that had happened. She had hoped to have Uncle Van's compliance first, but if that was not possible…
Natalya shook her head.
No, she thought.
No, she would not abandon what she had come here for, not until she said her piece.
She would push on, despite what the bitter old bastard thought.
"Nicholai Trevelyan is the Herald," she informed him, "I have seen the breach in the sky, and the rifts that form in its wake. I have faced demons in the Hinterlands at his side, and I have seen him close those rifts with powers that are beyond any mage in Thedas."
"What sort of power?"
Natalya paused; the question had come not from her uncle but the mage at his side.
Evelyn Trevelyan's gaze bore into her cousin, as if trying to pull out the knowledge she sought.
"The power of the Maker of course," Natalya said, "The power given to him by Andraste as she saved him from the Conclave's destruction, as she helped him out of the fade."
The girl's father chuckled.
"Never thought my brother's assassin would turn religious fanatic," he sneered.
"It is not fanaticism Milord, it is loyalty."
She stood up a little straighter.
"Your nephew is, as we speak in Val Royeaux, gathering the support of the chantry. Once that is done we shall gather the support of the mages, the Templars or both. When that is done we will assault the breach, and with Nicholai's power we will seal it, and with that victory we will show all of Thedas that a new power has risen, a power that will reshape the very world around us."
Natalya smiled slyly.
"The Inquisition is growing," she said, "But we still need allies, men and women of vision. The rewards to such people will be great. The original Inquisition brought Thedas the Templar order and the Seekers of Truth. Men and women who wielded great power."
She paused letting her voice turn seductive.
"Why should our house be left out? We have been struggling for years to be greater, but I fear that we have reached the limit to what our friendship with the chantry can give us. Eventually a new arrangement will need to be made with the mages and Templars. The Inquisition is in the best position to decide what that arrangement will be. We should be a part of that Milord…
"House Trevelyan should be a part of that."
Lord Van said nothing he simply kept staring into the flames.
When he finally spoke it began with a sigh and a shake of his head.
"Thedas will never let what you desire come to pass girl," he said, "I've seen enough evidence of that in my travels. The lords and ladies of Thedas will rise up against and bind your Inquisition like a horse, either that or they will corrupt it, fill its ranks with people that suit their needs, not yours."
Lord Van snorted.
"I have my own sources girl. I have heard the news coming out of the Hinterlands. What are you all right now? What is your Inquisition? It is just a pack of washed up sisters and zealots hiding on a mountainside, you don't even have a proper leader. Once the shock wears off, no one is going to take you seriously."
He leaned forward.
"Without an Inquisitor, you are doomed to fail."
Natalya smiled slightly.
In that she and her uncle agreed.
An Inquisition should not be ruled by a council, it needed a singular vision.
It needed an Inquisitor.
It was one of the many points that House Trevelyan could help with, provided she found allies.
She knew who she preferred to take the job, now she just needed to convince others.
IOI
Lord Van listened to her offer, but was unwilling to commit, Natalya slipped out of his home after sunset, pulling her hood up over head.
"Milady?" Binder asked his expression curious.
Song sighed.
"I had hoped for more," she said shaking her head, "I suppose I should not be surprised though…my uncle has a business to protect, he has no desire to take chances that might upset his investors."
Natalya frowned deeply and turned away heading back down the docks.
"We should return to camp," She said, "I want to get some rest before we meet the king tomorrow."
"As you say Milady."
IOI
Had she looked back as she walked away she might have noticed two pairs of eyes watching from the window of Van Trevelyan's trading house.
Rhaena and Byron Trevelyan stood there, saying nothing to each other, but clearly both of the same mind. They had been listening closely to what passed between their father and their bastard cousin.
Both of them clearly had their own opinions on the matter.
The sound of footsteps behind them caused the two to turn, their older sister Evelyn stood there, her staff in hand; her grim expression unreadable.
The younger Trevelyans looked away clearly not wishing to speak their mind; their older sister had only just returned the family after spending much her early life in the Circle.
They did not know how she would react to what they were thinking.
Rhaena returned to her desk, she had many things to file for father before she retired. Byron went back to trying to repair his armor, it was his last suit, and tourney season would be starting soon, provided the breach and its rifts did not consume the world first.
The mage said nothing, her eyes narrowed as she thought of what she had heard.
When she spoke, it surprised both of her siblings.
"It was…a…interesting proposition, our cousin offered us."
Both Byron and Rhaena looked at each other.
Rhaena's face broke into a wide sunny grin.
Their sister was right.
It was an interesting proposition.
It most definitely was.