Chapter 28: Templars
"Knight-Captain Cullen to see you, Your Excellency."
Solona looked up from her paperwork with a frown. This was…most unexpected, she had sent word to the Gallows to have Meredith come here, and the Knight-Commander had sent her Captain instead.
The Viscountess rolled her eyes; she thought that she and Meredith were beyond childish games.
It seemed that the jackal was still pouting, oh well; Solona was not going to give her the satisfaction of being angry about it.
She told the servant to send Cullen in.
The Knight-Captain looked uncomfortable as he stepped into her office. Hawke had told her about the man's encounter with that demonic possessed recruit outside the city, and how extreme the Templar's view on magic was, but he also said the Knight-Captain was not all bad, after Hawke had rescued that recruit Keran, the Knight-Captain had allowed the boy to stay in the order, and had even paid her cousin the bounty that Keran's sister had promised him.
Not a bad man, Hawke had advised her, but a wounded one.
She knew that she needed to be careful. Wounded things could be dangerous; they lashed out even at those who would try to help them.
"Your Excellency," Cullen said standing at attention.
"Knight-Captain," she said with a tilt of her head, "Where is Knight-Commander Meredith? I sent for her."
The Templar shifted nervously.
"She…she sends her apologies," he began, "But her duties within the Gallows make it impossible for her to attend right now."
Solona's eyes narrowed in anger.
"So the Viscountess of Kirkwall is expected to await the Knight-Commander's presence when she is ready? I take it that I serve at her whim now?"
Cullen looked panicked.
"No, Your Excellency," he stammered, "the Knight-Commander…"
"Is playing games again," Solona frowned.
"No…I…I'm sure that it is not like that! She…"
"No matter," Solona said dismissively, "Have a seat Knight-Captain, we have much to discuss."
Cullen was shocked by how quickly the woman's demeanor had changed.
"You…you wish me to stay? I…I thought that you…"
She rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"If Meredith expects you to lead the Templars here in Kirkwall, then you should at least stay and learn how, please, be seated."
Cullen sat, still looking like an animal caught in a trap.
Solona almost chuckled.
It was likely Meredith had told Cullen that she would send him away in a fit of pique. Solona did not intend to give the woman what she expected.
She had hoped the little peace offering a few weeks back would have been enough to improve their working relationship, apparently that was not so.
She smiled at Cullen.
"Would you like something to drink Knight-Captain? We have water, tea, or wine."
No, thank you, Your Excellency," he said, "I'm still on duty."
She nodded.
…To business then.
"The Knight-commander wishes to thank you for your aid in dealing with the Starkhaven situation," he began, "The increased patrols have been helpful."
"You sound surprised," she said with amusement.
"The Commander believes you to be a little…obtuse where the chantry is concerned."
Solona laughed.
"I have nothing against the Chantry Ser Cullen," she said, "My family has always been good Andrastians. It is fanaticism and extreme measures that bother me."
Cullen shifted uncomfortably.
"The Knight-Commander does what she thinks is necessary."
"And what do you think Ser Cullen?"
"Your Excellency?"
She leaned back in her chair, fixing the young knight with a cool stare.
"I was there in the chantry the night we found Karl Thekla and those Templars. The mage's death sickened you; I saw it in your eyes."
Cullen ground his teeth.
"The man should not have been made tranquil, that act was against chantry law," he admitted, "but it does not change that mages are dangerous. I endured weeks of torture during the Blight. Uldred and his followers' depravity knew no bounds. Those mages sought to drive me mad, and they nearly succeeded."
The young man's eyes flashed with fury.
"But I beat them, I did not break, but then the warden came and freed the circle, freed them despite the fact that some of Uldred's supporters likely remain hidden within the circle's ranks. Lord Aedan should never have allowed any of those mages to survive! Uldred might have planted demons in them. We have no way of knowing, they could even now be waiting to pounce."
The Viscountess gave him a sympathetic look.
In truth, she felt sorry for the poor man, if she had endured what he had faced, she would likely hate mages as well; however, she refused to accept that extremism was the answer. A common ground could be found between Templar and mage, if either side was just willing to give a little.
Of course, the Templars had an edge in that argument. They had Divine Beatrix backing them, whatever the Templars and Seekers did right now was considered the Maker's gospel, and anything that a mage did to resist was considered wrong, the actions of damned souls.
It was not fair, nor was it right.
She did not think Cullen a complete and utter fanatic, but he could turn into one if he was not careful. Solona did not think that she would be able to reach Meredith; the Knight-Commander's belief was too deeply entrenched, but Cullen…
…perhaps she could reach Cullen.
She gave the Templar a sad look.
"Magic does not make a person evil Ser Cullen," she said, "Ambition and cruelty is not exclusive to mages. I have seen much of such evil in my travels."
"Your travels?" he said with an arched brow.
Solona laughed.
"That is right, you are not a marcher, you may not know my history. I left Kirkwall at the age of seven, and lived abroad for almost ten years."
Her eyes turned thoughtful.
"I saw much in that time. I made many acquaintances, including several mages, both from the circle and apostates."
"Such…friendships can be dangerous Your Excellency," Cullen warned.
"I said acquaintances," she corrected him, "not friends."
"My apologies," he replied.
Solona hated having to make that clarification, the mages she had known deserved better, but it was necessary to keep up her appearance of simply being a soft-hearted noble woman, a mundane, soft-hearted noble woman.
She needed to stay in character, though she hated it.
"I had as little to do with mages as I could," she lied, "It was safer that way."
"Wise of you," Cullen agreed.
"So I have heard," she said with a frown, "There was this one Templar, a Knight-Captain outside of Val Foret. He had a bad habit you see, he enjoyed tracking girls with even a touch of magical talent, promising to let them go if they would lay with him."
"Maker," Cullen said shaking his head, "Such people are a disgrace to the order."
"In that we also agree," she admitted, "He tracked this one girl to a village when I was passing through. He came on to the girl, and she responded by burning off his eyebrows, he fled red-faced and shamed at how the girl had embarrassed him."
Even the Templar was hard pressed not to smile at that...
"He had not drained away the girl's mana first?" Cullen sounded surprised.
"I don't know the affairs of Templars Ser Cullen," Solona said smiling, "Your ways are a mystery to me, just as the ways of mages are a mystery to me."
Another lie true, but a necessary one…
Cullen seemed genuinely interested her story now, which was what she had intended.
She had never told anyone about the incident in Val Floret before.
It was time to get it off her chest.
"Did the girl flee?" he asked.
Solona's face turned sad.
"She should have," Solona admitted, "that night the Knight-Captain came back with two full squads of Templars. He had convinced them that the girl had threatened the town that she was plotting to destroy it with her coven of blood mages."
At the mention of blood mages Cullen tensed, but did not respond right away. Solona let he recover before continuing her tale.
"Did they take the girl into custody?"
Solona's eyes flashed with anger.
"No…no, they did not," she said, "They put two crossbow bolts in her chest."
IOI
Solona shuddered. She…she still had nightmares about that night. She and Alec had been packing to leave; they had not known how close those Templar squads had been.
Livia had been outside getting the horses. In truth, she should have killed that Knight-Captain, or at least put him to sleep until they had fled, but she had gotten cocky, Andraste save her, she had not even told them she had been attacked until late that evening, by that time it had been too late. Livia had made a mistake, she had been savoring the fact that she had run him off.
That had been a grave mistake.
Liv…her friend…her poor sister, they had felt like sisters, after so many years of training together. Solona had wanted to run to her aid, to blast the Templars away with her magic.
Alec held her, even though his heart must have broken at the sight, he did not intervene.
There was nothing they could do for Liv.
Andraste guide them, but he knew.
Livia had not gone down without a fight. She shot fire at the Templars, cursing them for cowards, for needing so many to attack a single young girl. She had chased off the Templar bolters, but by then one of them had went back and gotten his horse. He put a lance through her. Still, she did not give up, she crushed him inside his armor, and still she did not fall.
Her eyes had been flaring with magic, but not once did she glance towards where her father and friend were hiding. The Templars knew about her, but she had kept them safe…
…Right up to the very end.
Another Templar smote her, Liv had staggered, but still did not fall. She refused to falter, let them all come!
Another bolt struck her in the chest.
She finally fell to her knees; she sat there in the mud gasping. She was still alive, still trying to hang on to the threads of her life.
The Knight-Captain who she embarrassed walked up to her taunting her.
She spit blood in his face, and giggled at him.
In his rage, he slit Liv's throat, her body fell into the street, her eyes staring at nothing.
Solona and Alec could do nothing for her; all they could do was simply stand there…and watch.
Both had had their hearts ripped out that day, Liv had been one of them. She had been…so full of life, so brave. Bethany's arrival had helped, but she would never replace Livia in Solona and Alec's eyes.
It was not fair Livia should have lived; she should be living in the Viscount's Keep right now. She should have spent her days teasing Solona about Sebastian and how this man or that man interested her.
Instead she died like a dog in the streets of Val Floret. After her death the Templars had hung her body up for all to see, they put a sign around her neck. It read:
Maleficarum…BEWARE!
Solona hated leaving Liv like that, but what could they do? Alec was in shock, angry and broken, and Solona was not much better.
All they could hope for that Livia understood that she would not have wanted them to die trying to cut down her body.
Their lives had mattered to her; she likely would not have wanted to see them lost just to cut down her body.
Solona and Alec had fled that night; they fled all the way to Val Chevin. They had left Liv hanging there.
Neither would ever forgive themselves for it.
IOI
Solona shook her head.
"That poor girl died that day, she died because she sought to protect her virtue, and I'm sure those Templars were hailed as heroes for her death. They may have even got commendations from the Revered Mother of Val Floret. Tell me Ser Cullen, does that seem right to you? Should a man be rewarded for murdering a girl who refused his advances?"
Cullen looked down at the floor, he clearly did not agree.
He looked the Viscountess in the eye.
"Are you certain she was not conspiring against the town?"
Solona almost threw her hands up.
Maker…he had missed the entire POINT!
Still…she needed to remain in character; she could not let the Captain know her true feelings.
She sighed.
"I…I don't know," she said, "But even if she was, shouldn't she have been brought in for questioning? Should they not have at least given her a chance to surrender? Did she truly deserve to die like that?"
Cullen shook his head.
"I was not there Your Excellency," he said, "I can't say for certain."
Solona shook her head. She hoped that Livia would not think her a coward for what she was about to say.
"Perhaps…you are right."
IOI
The two spent the next hour talking business.
Apparently, an apostate elf-blooded human from the alienage had fled to the Dalish, the Templars wanted guardsmen to back them up when they went to claim the boy.
Solona refused.
She had made an arrangement with the Dalish. If Kirkwall left them alone, they would leave Kirkwall alone. Let this boy stay with the Dalish, if he lost control, the elves would kill him, and that would be the end of it.
Beyond that, they spoke of the new security measures that Meredith had proposed. There had been some problems with the Fereldans in the refugee camps outside the city. Supposedly, apostates, who had fled the blight, were stealing food and medicine, threatening their fellow refugees.
The Viscountess knew that this could not be tolerated, but did not want to turn into another Meredith Stannard.
Solona understood that these mages needed to be policed. She offered guards to escort the Templars. If a mage surrendered, they would not be harmed. Solona was even willing to repatriate them back to Ferelden, the circle in Ferelden needed new talent, and she was willing to offer them that.
Cullen did not think that Meredith would agree, but Solona did not care.
If she wanted to dispute the Viscountess's plans then she should have come to speak with her.
Yes Solona was willing to help the Templars maintain order, but she was only willing to go so far.
She had sent Cullen back to the Gallows with a warning.
She would not allow the Templars to butcher some innocent mage that was not causing problems.
Any Templars caught brutalizing the refugees would be sent back to the gallows. If one of them murdered one of the refugees, they would be brought back to the city in chains, tried, convicted, and hanged for it.
Cullen was shocked by this.
"You would kill a Templar for doing his duty?"
I would see a criminal executed for violating his oath and vows," she clarified, "The Templar order exists to guard the circle and chantry. Anyone who kills without provocation is a threat to my city, I will not allow that."
Solona leaned back in her chair.
"I appreciate what your order does Ser Cullen," she said, "But Meredith is not the Maker, or Andraste, her will is not gospel outside of the Gallows. She must understand that mages are people too. They can be dangerous, that is true, but like all dangerous things they must be respected. Please take that message back to the Knight-Commander; I don't want any…misunderstandings."
He shifted in his chair, likely imagining what Meredith would say to him.
Solona suspected that it would be nothing good.
"Mages are weapons," he said, "They are not people."
She gave him a wry smile.
"Then respect them as such, you would not throw a fine sword in the mud. A little respect can go a long way Knight-Captain, remember that."
Cullen nodded; he rose with a slight bow to the Viscountess.
She nodded at his respect; at least he was a little better than the Knight-Commander.
He paused at her door.
"Yes," she said.
He glanced back at her.
"I'm curious Your Excellency," he said, "That mage-girl in Orlais, did you know her name?"
Solona felt a nervous twitch run through her.
Oh…how she longed to tell him the truth.
Her name was Livia, one of the bravest and kindest girls I have ever known. She may have been a little fool hardy, but that was no excuse for how she died.
Alas, she could not say that.
"I don't know who she was," she lied, "And that is likely the saddest thing of all, to die unmourned, while your neighbors buy your murderers drinks."
Solona crossed her arms.
"That girl deserved better Ser Cullen. I feel sorry for her, just as I feel sorry for you. Neither of you should have endured what you suffered. The only difference is that you survived your ordeal. Will you learn from your experience, or will you make the same mistake that the people that tortured you made?"
Cullen was speechless, but Solona did not stop there.
"I think you have a good heart Knight-Captain, don't let it turn black. Don't become what you hate."
He looked away then; she could see the emotions warring on his face.
"Is that all Your Excellency?" he asked.
"I think it is," she replied, "Until next time Ser Cullen."
The Templar fled her office. Meredith would likely not be happy with his report, but if she wanted to further her own agenda, she should come herself.
Solona leaned back in her chair.
That had been stupid, but she could not help herself. She still had high hopes for Cullen.
Meredith needed someone in the Gallows to put the break on her…zeal.
Cullen could do that.
She could almost see Liv standing there, grinning at her.
I think you are a little sweet on the boy Lona," Liv seemed to say, "Oh the horror, sweet on a Templar!"
Solona chuckled.
It pleased her that she could still think of her lost friend happily. Liv was far more than the circumstances of her death.
The Viscountess promised herself that she would never stand by idly again; she would never let another mage die so ignobly.
Her conscience demanded it.
Liv's memory demanded it.
Solona would see it done.
