Chapter 29: Leliana's Song pt1

Denerim-Market District

"You will speak no more…" Leliana pointed her arrow for Marjolaine's heart with a look of cold fury that unnerved Jenra. Marjolaine just stood there with no fear in her eyes, smirking at her as if she was daring for Leliana to shoot her. The marketplace patrons started to become aware of the incident and were starting to come over to see what the commotion was. This was bad; too much attention was being drawn to them and so close to the royal palace too. So far none of the royal guards were out but that would change soon and Loghain would know that they're here.

Jenra looked at Leliana. "Leliana, whatever your issue with this woman is you can't let that jeopardize what we came here to do"

"I would listen to your friend or will you let your hatred of me threaten the Grey Warden's mission?" Jenra looked at Marjolaine shocked, how did she know about them? "Don't look so surprised Warden, I may be stuck in this filthy country but I am not without my contacts" Marjolaine smirked; she was enjoying tormenting Leliana far too much. "Mmm, those eyes…that's the Leliana I know years in the Chantry couldn't erase the blood you have on your hands"

Leliana narrowed her eyes and fired her arrow. Marjolaine moved ever so slightly to dodge it and the arrow went into the market. This caused a bigger commotion now, the royal guards would no doubt come to investigate…they had to go now. "Leliana please listen to me…we have to go" Jenra said. "This woman is trying to get a rise out of you, you are better than this…better than her"

"How very naïve of you, Warden…"

Jenra glared at Marjolaine. "Shut up, you bitch!" he said angrily. "You don't know her and you never will, whatever she was in the past it doesn't matter she's a good person and an even better friend" Leliana looked at Jenra, it had been a long time since anyone believed that of her.

"She will use you, that simple pious girl…a friend, trusting and warm. All an act" Marjolaine said. "I know better than anyone just how deep her manipulations go"

"No…I'm not you, Marjolaine. I left because I didn't want to become you" Leliana said putting down her bow.

Marjolaine laughed. "Oh but you are me, you cannot escape it" she said. "Do you know why you were a master manipulator, Leliana? It is because you enjoyed the game; the power it gave you…you cannot change or deny this"

"I believe in Leliana, no matter what you say" Jenra pointed his sword at Marjolaine, usually he was against threatening women but this woman was a very special case. "You stay away from her, you try and torment my friends again and this sword will be the last thing you ever see"

"And that trust will be your downfall, mark my words Warden" Marjolaine walked away, which meant they could get away also. It was a good thing too as they heard the clanking of armor coming from the royal palace. Jenra and Leliana went into the alleys until things cooled down, while walking Leliana was very quiet.

"Thank you, I never had anyone speak about me like that before"

"I meant it, I judge people by their deeds not by their past" Jenra said. "You're a good person no matter what she says"

Leliana lowered her head. "That doesn't change the past…" she said sadly. "When I was a bard, I…I enjoyed the hunt, the power of manipulating those deemed weaker than myself, it was game that gave me life" Jenra found a secluded alley where they could lie low and where Leliana could clear her head…the meeting with Marjolaine really shook her. She sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"You remember the soiree in Val Royeaux I attended with Lady Cecilie?" Leliana asked. "That was where I met Marjolaine"

Marjolaine like Lady Cecilie was a wealthy widow and patroness of the arts. Leliana remembered being so enamored by her when she first laid her eyes on her; there was just something about her. She was so beautiful and elegant as well as mysterious, with an air of danger that was frightening but incredibly attractive. Marjolaine appeared to be interested in her as well, when she young Leliana wondered why…she was just a plain daughter of a maid and she was a noble. Maybe Marjolaine saw something in Leliana that reminded her of herself, it wouldn't surprise her, everything was about herself. Soon Marjolaine was calling upon Lady Cecilie and was a frequent guest at the Lady's estate, as the Lady was aging, Leliana frequently entertained Marjolaine.

"You two were close…"

"Very…" she said. "On a hunting trip, she gave me my first bow and taught me how to use it" In teaching her how to use her bow during that trip, Leliana accidentally wounded a hart the hunters were tracking. Leliana was too unnerved to end the animal's suffering. She watched in amazement as Marjolaine did so, blood on her face and clothes and never once did she flinch. After she finished she looked to Leliana and spoke. "Never delay the inevitable, if you can strike, strike…words I carry to this day for better or worse"

After the hunting trip…the door was opened and in that same summer, Leliana visited Marjolaine at her Val Royeaux estate and the widow began to teach her way of the bard: manipulation, subterfuge and combat. Always her teaching was subtle and disguised, easily assumed to be merely a lady's idle amusements. "Marjolaine was my mentor for most of my adulthood…she taught me the subtleties of The Grand Game" Leliana said. "She and I became lovers during this time…"

"If you and Marjolaine were close enough to be lovers, then how did it all go so wrong?" Jenra asked.

Leliana sighed. "I kept wondering myself…there was nothing to suggest things were bad in our relationship or perhaps I was just too naïve to see it" she said. "I guess it all started with that mission here…"


Denerim-9:28 Dragon

I remember...Marjolaine had given me clippings from a Fereldan book. A social dissection of Orlais, or some such:

"Orlais presents a veneer of opulence, but the aristocracy are committed to a system of social one-upmanship they call the game. Sprawling receptions delight friend and foe, while bards strike from shadow with insinuation, larceny, and assassination, often to the strange delight of their targets. Control of these auteur agents is yet another layer of the game.

"Auteur agent" I liked. The rest could not be more dry. Fereldans truly did not understand my world. And that, of course, was Marjolaine's intent. I had arranged my favorite associates and followed her to Denerim not for the promise of money, but for the excitement of toying with fools. I was her creature.-Memories of Leliana

It was nighttime in Denerim, guard were out doing their nightly posts overlooking the Market District. It was boring to say the least, the scum of Denerim was very quiet tonight which the guards jobs easier but some of them wish something exciting would happen. Little did they know in part of the city that excitement was happening right now. A guard charges an elven mage, he dodge the sword barely and hit him was a stream of flames. While the guard ran and screamed trying to put out the flames the elf ran away to get some distance and a dwarf charged in with an axe in hand and put the guard on his back. A young Leliana came in with a sword and ended the guard's life, no fanfare just quick and clean.

The elf was named Sketch, a bookish, nervous mage who is frighteningly capable when backed into a corner. Not the adventuring type, but as dangerous as the game of intrigue can be, it is still preferable to a life spent caged by the templars. Sketch despises the Circle of Magi. The dwarf was named Tug, He was brash, cunning, uncomplicated – an excellent frontline thug who doesn't ask questions and knows when he should leave the planning to someone else. Fiercely loyal to his friends, even as he gives them a hard time. A strange fit to follow a bard, although he'd claim there's no better view. Tug bears a Casteless brand but is unlike other casteless dwarves. His family in Orzammar, if he has any left, is untraceable.

To the side was Marjolaine, Leliana's bard-master who watched the whole thing laughing in amusement to the whole thing. She had finished her fight a long time age and was waiting for the other to finish up. In her company, Leliana met Tug and Sketch, and traveled with the pair across Thedas on dangerous assignments to gather and plant intelligence, among other things. Despite the danger of said assignments, they enjoyed a level of freedom most people would envy.

Marjolaine smirked. "Very nice" she said. "Months of planning, favors. Everything is waiting for us" Leliana, Tug, and Sketch gathered around. "We're here to show Ferelden how Orlais commands the game. Several jobs and a personal score of my own, but the rest of the night is yours"

Marjolaine came up to Leliana and whispered in her ears giving the bard a shiver of delight. "Think you're up for it, pretty thing?"

Leliana smirked. "You know I'm ready for anything"

"Of course you are, you're mine" Marjolaine walked away and looked back. "I'll be watching…don't let me down"

Tug chuckled. "Love to watch her go, returns me to the Stone"

Sketch shook his head in displeasure of his friend's dirty mind. "Ugh, focus"

"A little fun with the wigs of Ferelden, they won't expect it, not like in Orlais" Leliana said. "The clients want a little stealing…a few insults, and some good old revenge"

"Eyes open, we've got our targets…let's find them" The band went to work; they decided to do a little stealing first as it was the easiest assignment to do. They went around the central market stalls. The first chest was full of fine silks, wines and other items. Leliana shook her head. "Imports of Import? This Ser Wolly thinks he's clever" she said. "Let's put these to better use somewhere" The band's activity attracted the attention of the city guards, they made quick work of them…they had a timetable to complete after all.

"Well, the guard will be after us now"

"Good, bring 'em on" Tug said.

"Um, let's not…I would rather not spend the night mending broken bones" Sketch said.

"Hmph…spoilsport"

They went after a second chest, full of relics…ancient Tevinter or ancient elven like the whistle Marjolaine gave her on Leliana's first mission. "Renwold's Relics, as if he found them" She placed Ser Wolly's property into the chest…Renwold would have a hell of a time explain why Ser Wolly's items were in his chest. Leliana then took the relics; the mischief wasn't over just yet. In the distance they could hear the clanking of armor. Leliana took out her whistle and called some animals to serve as a distraction while they got away. The band headed for the last chest.

"Another look through the imports of import" Leliana planted the relics in the chest; the chaos this will cause among the Denerim's three largest merchants will be amusing to watch come tomorrow morning. She then took the jewelry that was inside; it seems this merchant had some blood on his hands…distasteful as was to take items from the dead they had a mission to complete.

With the stealing done, Leliana's band headed for their next assignment…the silencing of Jovi Merice, a pitiful rat of a man. His accusations had damaged the reputations of several Orlesian nobles and so he has fled Orlais and is seeking asylum in Denerim. On the way they saw a knocked out guard, no doubt Marjolaine's doing. He was outside of his safehouse, apparently locked out by his supposed allies…no honor among rats it seems. "There's our tattletale" Leliana said.

"Put him down, as a warning" Leliana came close and got his attention.

"Who?"

"Jovi Merice?"

Merice eyes went wide. "On no, I was supposed to be safe!"

"The nobles of Orlais send their regards" Leliana took out a dagger and gutted the man. As Merice dropped to the floor dying in a pool of his own blood, the band went to their last assignment for the night.

Leliana's story continues…Next Time! Review and Comment!