A/N: The next few chapters are going to be sorting out everyone settling into Haven - sounds a bit dull, but there's two big and only recently united factions to sort of merge into one Inquisition, it doesn't happen overnight. This is the Inner Council meeting Madanach and the fallout thereof.

Quite a bit of DA fandom seems to think Alistair and Cullen would be natural buddies, but tbh, other than both being blonde Ferelden warrior Chantry boys, they're not actually that similar. Cullen had a stable home, but despite missing it, willingly gave it up to join the Templars and fully committed himself to it. He's also serious, introverted and very focused on the job. Whereas Alistair's outgoing, cheerful, will befriend anyone... but left an unhappy home with no real family ties behind, didn't want to be a Templar, and was secretly resentful of the whole Chantry. There's no actual reason why they'd get on. I've taken advantage of that. :D

The second half takes a bit of a detour into Elisif dealing with these kids who were picking on Maia, because Elisif and Madanach do not believe persecution is a normal part of childhood, not their baby's anyway. Fortunately they've got someone prepared to be diplomat, and it's not Josie...

Summary: Madanach's arrival was always going to cause a stir and the one most likely to raise a fuss predictably does just that, and comparisons to another warlord husband of a spiritual leader abound. But not everyone's being unreasonable, and not everyone sees villain and little else, and one unexpected ally turns out to be just the person to allay Haven's fears.


The Lord Herald Consort, albeit not officially titled yet, followed Elisif into the Chantry, Maia in his arms, the little girl instinctively cuddling closer into him as she looked pensively around at the Chantry. It wasn't a big building, but it was the biggest one in Haven, had its fair share of statues, including an inevitable one of Andraste… oh, and one of her husband. Maferath the Hypocritical Traitor, deep in mourning for a wife he'd sold out to her foes personally.

Madanach could just feel people comparing him, had felt it even as he made his way through Haven. Maia had seemed oblivious, but he'd noticed. Devout Andrastians all seeing the Herald's husband and seeing not devoted ally but traitor in their midst. Him being a mage was likely just confirmation in their eyes.

I'm not the jealous type! I don't care you love her more than me, I'm used to that! I'm an ageing battlemage barbarian, everyone who's not a Reachman has hated me for most of my life!

But no one would ever believe him. Madanach sighed and wondered if he should start working on illusions to make the lights flicker and thunder sound whenever he walked into a room. If they were going to think him a villain on principle, he might as well have some special effects, right?

Elisif was up ahead, joined by Cassandra (still glaring at him, although it turned out she did that to half of Haven, especially Varric, who'd shared all sorts of Seeker Pentaghast anecdotes on the ride up here), Leliana (now she was nice – friendly, charming, reminded him of Eola, he could find it in himself to spare a lot of time for Leliana) and two others who'd just joined them. One woman in her late twenties in fine gold silk and matching gold jewellery who was really rather pretty and presumably the famous Josephine about whom Varric had been very forthcoming and whose comments had nearly led to Borkul pushing him off the carriage at one point. Madanach really did want Borkul to be happy, of course he did, hadn't he essentially bought Borkul's beloved younger sister off her father before she could be forced into marriage to a rival chieftain? However, he had a feeling the bride-price for someone like Josephine would make even the Mournful Throne shiver.

Kaie, start calling in debts and doing some financial wizardry, we're going to need the cash. Kaie had apparently gained a reputation as a brilliant financier who was manipulating half the nobles in the Empire and beyond with loans and investment from the state-owned Bank of Markarth, and Madanach didn't entirely understand how you could loan the same thousand septims out to three different people at once and suddenly have three thousand septims, but Kaie assured him it would all be fine as long as everyone didn't all want their coin at once. It made him nervous but right now, it was not his problem.

No, the problem was the blonde Fereldan soldier with a stern look on his face, probably around Elisif's age or a little older and with no love in his eyes for Madanach. This would be the notorious Commander Cullen, who Varric had also been very forthcoming about. He'd been the Knight-Captain of the infamous Kirkwall Circle, notorious as the worst of the Circles and the one that had eventually spawned the rebellion, and Varric had been positively gleeful to tell Madanach that he'd once personally heard Cullen say that mages could not be their friends and were not people like anyone else.

Madanach took one look at the man and knew instinctively that they were never going to be friends. Especially given that Alistair, a man Madanach was really far too fond of for anyone's good and who definitely did think mages were people and was really really bad at not being friends with them, was bounding up to Cullen, grinning.

"Cullen-wullen!" Alistair cried, arms outstretched. "You haven't changed a bit! Apart from the ruff, what's up with that?"

Cullen's appalled expression was something that Madanach would treasure for a long time. A very long time, because it occurred to him that the fun-loving ever-cheerful personality of Alistair Theirin was the polar opposite of stern, self-controlled Commander Cullen, with the definite potential of driving the former mage-taker up the wall.

This was going to be glorious. So Madanach sat back and watched, quietly whispering to a confused five year old that Cullen and Alistair clearly had been Templars together, but perhaps Cullen hadn't exactly liked Alistair that much and found him annoying but Alistair didn't quite realise that, or maybe he did and liked teasing Cullen.

"What, like you and Cicero?" Maia whispered, and his daughter was perhaps a bit too perceptive for her own good.

"Possibly, or like you and the twins," Madanach murmured back. "Except I secretly don't mind Cicero that much. I don't think it's the same with Cullen and Alistair."

Sure enough, Alistair was trying to hug Cullen, or pat him on the back at least, and Cullen was visibly appalled and trying to get away from him, to no avail. Alistair was combat-trained and strong and determined and was even now ruffling Cullen's hair as Cullen tried vainly to get out of the hold Alistair had on him. Josephine appeared to have no idea how to react, but behind Madanach Borkul was chuckling, and up ahead Elisif was clearly trying not to laugh, Cassandra was making that disgusted noise that seemed to be a trademark of hers by now, and Leliana… Leliana had her hand over her face, barely managing to hide the giggling.

"Get off me!" Cullen cried, trying in vain to fight Alistair off. "Leliana… Leliana, call him off!"

"He's not a dog, Cullen!" Leliana protested, grin not fading for a second. "He's just being friendly!"

"We're not frie-!" Cullen cried, only for Elisif to step in.

"Alistair!" Elisif called out. "That's enough! Grown-ups are talking now."

"But Alistair is a grown-up!" Maia whispered.

"Yeah, but he's not really acting like one right now so your mama's gone for her mother voice," Madanach told her, putting Maia down and leading her to join the main group, where Alistair had finally released Cullen and retreated to stand behind Leliana, pouting at Cullen.

"So I shouldn't put you in a room together then?" Leliana said, amused. Alistair looked revolted at the very thought, and Cullen's expression turned to one of genuine horror.

"Maker no, I shared a room with him in Kinloch Hold before the Wardens took him away," Cullen said, shuddering. "He was insufferably cheerful then as well. He's a morning person! I can't share quarters with a morning person!"

"And if you hadn't routinely stayed up past midnight staring into a candle flame or trying to memorise the Canticle of Transfigurations, you might have actually had some energy in the morning!" Alistair said, glaring as he folded his arms.

Madanach rather sympathised with Cullen at this point, because he wasn't a morning person either and needed at least one cup of tea to feel even vaguely human, which was a bit of a problem when faced with a five year old who tended to wake up at the crack of dawn, but mercifully she was usually content to cuddle and talk which Madanach could just about manage.

"I'm gonna regret this, but put him in with me," Borkul sighed. "Think I got the cabin next door to the Herald's, if Alistair's sharing with me, means Cicero won't be. All I ask is no singing before breakfast, and you better not snore, Theirin."

"Been three years since anyone was last in a position to check, but no, I don't think so," Alistair sighed. "All right, I'll get moved in. Elisif, need me for this or am I dismissed?"

"Wait by the door," Elisif told him, anxiety briefly showing. Clearly she wanted all the allies she could muster for this meeting. Madanach inched closer to her and carefully positioned himself between Maia and Cullen. He didn't think she'd be in any danger, but all the same, it paid to be careful. Cullen's eyes finally fell on him, the angry question on his lips dying as he saw Maia staring up at him while huddling close to Madanach, and it occurred to Cullen who the strange man with a protective arm round Maia might be.

"Commander. Ambassador," Elisif was saying nervously. "This is Madanach. My husband. Maia's father. We found him, thank the Eight. And we've got the mages' assistance, the vanguard's arriving as we speak. The rest will be here within a fortnight. Madanach, these are the Inquisition's ambassador and military commander, Josephine Montilyet and Cullen of Honnleath."

"It's a pleasure," Madanach purred, genuine smile for Josephine and an entirely pleasureless grimace for Cullen.

"Oh, the pleasure is all ours, my lord, we're honoured to have you and little Maia here and we needed the mage rebellion's help," Josephine said, actually dropping a curtsey – Borkul had been right, she truly was adorable. Not his type, but he found himself liking the woman already.

"What was their asking price, as if we can't guess," Cullen sighed. "How much freedom are we giving them exactly?"

Madanach glanced at Elisif, aware of Leliana doing the same, and Maia staring up at her mother curiously. Behind them, Borkul had stood to attention, hand subconsciously shifting to Volendrung, and Alistair had likewise moved nearer. All eyes on Elisif, and then it was Cassandra glaring at her.

"Tell them," Cassandra said, eyes narrowing. "Tell them what you told the Grand Enchanter, with the Queen of Ferelden herself to witness."

"Herald?" Josephine asked, concerned. "What does she mean? What did you tell her?"

"Herald..." Cullen said, warning note in his voice. "What did – Maker's Breath, tell me you didn't."

"I promised them freedom," Elisif said, slowly straightening up as the courage of her convictions strengthened her, stubborn to the last in defence of what she knew to be right. "I told them the Inquisition would support their cause if they helped us, that any lands or organisation I preside over will recognise mages as full citizens with the same rights and freedoms as any other. No Circles. Mage children raised by their parents alongside everyone else in their community, with other mages to assist with their training. Magic's a gift of the Eight, not a curse, and if that's the mages' price for their help, I have no problem giving them what they should have had all along."

"We don't worship the Eight!" Cullen cried, face flushing red as he tore at his hair. "Maker's breath, Elisif, what have you done? The Chantry will destroy us! That's if uncontrolled magic doesn't do it first."

"We're quite capable of controlling our magic, and don't talk to my wife like that!" Madanach snapped, at the same time as Leliana observed the Chantry wasn't capable of anything of the sort right now, and Josephine protesting that they needed mage assistance, they would have had to promise something.

"Not everything they asked for!" Cullen cried. "Maker, I knew we should have asked the Templars."

Maia cried out in alarm, clutching at Madanach's kilt and Elisif lost her temper, stepping forward to challenge Cullen.

"Fiona is in the right, and I am done arguing with you!" Elisif snapped, Thu'um in her voice making the Chantry shake. "I am no hypocrite, to negotiate one rule for my ahmul and kiir and another for everyone else! Question my Thu'um and my honour again and I'll..."

"Maia, go and stand behind Alistair," Madanach said in Tamrielic, recognising what words of the dragon tongue slipping into casual speech invariably portended. "No, don't argue, just do it, there's a good girl. Elisif. Elisif!"

"WHAT?" Elisif growled, turning on Madanach with fire in her eyes, even as Maia had retreated to watch from where Alistair was standing.

"He's not worth it," Madanach murmured, switching back to Thedosian and speaking softly and gently so as to calm her down but loud enough Cullen and the others could hear. "Yes, I know you could have him on his arse and execute him in about five seconds, we all know that, I think he knows that too, and his head would look lovely on the gates of Haven, but this is not worth killing him over, not when he's going to back down in about five minutes and acknowledge the power of your Thu'um. He's outnumbered and knows it, and if he walks out, I will take over his job and run your army for you." This was accompanied by a grin aimed at Cullen, who was positively snarling at Madanach right now. Annoyed, Cullen turned to Cassandra for an opinion.

"You were there, you couldn't possibly have agreed with this!" he cried.

"Yes, I was," Cassandra said firmly. "And I did not and do not. But I do support it. We cannot afford to second-guess our people, Commander. The Herald did as she thought right, as we all knew she likely would do. You cannot tell me you are surprised."

"I'm surprised by the damn maleficar on her arm!" Cullen snapped, gesturing at Madanach. "Don't tell me he's not dangerous, I read the reports on the aftermath of the MageGuard's handiwork!"

"He is my husband," Elisif growled. "And fear him if you will, but he is NOT as dangerous as I am!"

That did seem to get through to Cullen, who stared into Elisif's eyes and saw the truth of it in them, because while Madanach was easily irritated, he could control his emotions – as a mage, he had to. He'd back off, plot revenge or a fightback, but he'd do that as a strategist, doing what needed doing but no more, although he might well enjoy himself in the process. Elisif on the other hand – Elisif was a good person, slow to anger, reasonable, calm… but strongly moral, strongly principled, and her wrath, once roused, would annihilate you. Cullen had seen her type before in the Circle. They made the best mages… and the worst abominations. And so he backed down.

"I suppose it is too late to argue now," he sighed. "And we did need their help. I just… Herald, there will be consequences. You will have made enemies, and they won't all openly declare themselves."

"Don't worry, I'll find them," Leliana promised. "You worry about defending Haven, Josie can deal with the ones who turn up ranting at us – don't look at me like that, Josie, you dealt with Marquis DuRellion admirably – and I will find the ones who smile to our faces and plot when our backs are turned."

Leliana found herself treated to a broad grin from Madanach.

"I do like her, Elisif," Madanach said to his wife, who was smiling herself by this point, having appeared to have calmed down. "Leliana, you ever need my help, you just let me know, I have a son-in-law who is excellent at resolving problems on the quiet, you ever need him, he's all yours."

"Cicero?" Leliana laughed. "I know him, he's adorable. He's been helping train some of the new recruits, his skills are impressive..."

Elisif coughed politely and they both subsided, and Elisif turned her attention back to Cullen, anger gone but still looking sombre.

"I know it won't make me popular, Cullen, but I'm not setting my principles aside when I don't even have to," Elisif sighed. "We went there to rescue my husband and obtain the free mages' assistance with the Breach. We succeeded. And I saw a vision of what happens if we fail in restoring peace and fixing the sky. Cullen, the consequences if we lose are horrific. Every single person in this room, dead. The sky, gone. Wild demons everywhere, a sixth Blight, all Thedas and for all I know, Tamriel too, under the rule of the Elder One behind all this. Haven was destroyed, Cullen, levelled by an army of corrupted Templars. I don't know if there's time to save them, but if not, we need to be ready."

"The Templars are not going to listen to the woman who offered the mages freedom, I can tell you that now," Cullen said bitterly. "But I suppose we could at least try to reach them. Leliana, could you send scouts to try and find them?"

"I've tried but they're in the old Seeker fortress at Therinfal Redoubt, they're heavily armed and dangerous, and the news we've backed the mages will likely get there first. They'll kill Inquisition people on sight and won't trust any strangers. I can't risk my scouts without troop support," Leliana sighed.

"If you send Inquisition forces, they'll take that as a declaration of war!" Josephine protested. "It could provoke the very attack you fear!"

"Hire mercs then, the Inquisition's good for the coin, right?" Madanach said wearily. "What about that Qunari, The Iron Bull? Isn't he a mercenary captain?"

"Yes," said Elisif, seizing on that. "We'll send the Chargers to look into it – Leliana, can you send some people discreetly in support? I don't think we can negotiate, but if they're going to turn on us, we need to know just what to expect. As for Haven, we need to shore up the defences, or find somewhere safer to go."

"I'll see what I can do with regards to the trebuchets, but in all honesty, if we're attacked in force, we're in trouble," Cullen sighed. "Haven isn't a fortress. But I can have some caches of supplies hidden out there in case we need to leave in a hurry."

"And I'll look into securing promises of support in case we lose everything," Josephine promised. "I have contacts in Orlais, I know families who had children taken to the Circles. They might be able to help, particularly if we can provide news of their children. We might find another home quicker than you think."

"Thank you," Elisif said, relieved her inner council were still behind her. "I don't know what this Corypheus is planning but we need to be prepared for anything. The consequences if we fail are the literal end of the world."

Josephine didn't react to the name with anything other than mild surprise and Cullen the military man didn't think to question his higher-up's information, but Leliana looked up sharply, and Cassandra reacted with nothing less than shock.

"Corypheus? Are you sure?" Cassandra demanded.

"Yes, he was the Elder One behind all this in the future," Elisif said, a little intimidated by the disbelief on Cassandra's face. "Madanach in the future wrote me notes, he outright said Corypheus was the man behind all this. Apparently he's a..."

"Former Tevinter magister turned darkspawn, even claiming to be the first," Leliana said, voice hushed. "I know the story. It's not widely known. The Wardens had him locked up for years. But Elisif… he's dead."

Madanach's notes had said something of the sort – Varric had claimed to personally have witnessed Corypheus's death. But he'd somehow come back, although no one had known how. Elisif told this to Cassandra, but the Seeker still looked sceptical.

"Elisif, there is no known magic that allows for immortality and resurrection, and we have a witness to the death right here in Haven," Cassandra said, pursing her lips. "Unless that dwarf was lying to us. All the same, the known aftermath of Hawke's adventures in that Warden fortress Corypheus was trapped in tallies with his story, and Varric seemed very certain. Still, we will question him again."

"No, I will," Elisif said swiftly, a bit concerned as to the direction this questioning would take. "He might be mistaken, or… it was Corypheus, I swear it! Something must have happened to preserve his life or his spirit or… something!"

"Did you… see him?" Josephine whispered. "In your vision?"

"No, I… no," Elisif admitted. "But Madanach was there, he wouldn't lie to me or tell me it was Corypheus if he didn't believe it!"

"A future version of me," Madanach said quickly, as all eyes turned to him. "But I saw the notes Elisif brought back, was reading them all on the way here. It's detailed, it's my handwriting, even got my seal, but I never wrote any of it. It's a little disconcerting… but with the stakes as high as that, I wouldn't have wasted my time writing down anything I didn't know to be true. Not to Elisif. The version of me who went to his death to buy Elisif time to get home and stop it all would not have wanted to sabotage that by sending her back with falsehoods. So I say we keep an open mind, give my wife the benefit of the doubt and start looking for leads. Maybe the original is dead but we can't rule out someone using the story, can we?"

"An ancient darkspawn magister would be a hard thing to impersonate, but stranger things have happened," Josephine admitted, and Leliana was looking thoughtful.

"A cult of Corypheus, venerating his name – the Venatori seemed to think their Elder One was real, but it's possible they might have a High Priest claiming to hear Corypheus's words, a Herald of Corypheus if you will. We cannot rule it out. I will have people look into it," Leliana promised.

"And I'll get Bull to investigate Therinfal and ready our defences," Cullen sighed. "Even without Corypheus, we know the Templars will have it in for us now. We need to be ready."

"And I need to have a word with that dwarf," Cassandra said grimly. "He had better not have been keeping secrets!" She swept out of the Chantry, and with that, the rest of the inner council also took their leave. They all had things to organise after all.

"I swear it was Corypheus," Elisif whispered, starting to doubt herself now. "You told me, you wrote it down, you wouldn't have done that if you hadn't thought it was true!"

"I know, love," Madanach murmured, taking her into his arms. "I know."

"I believe you, Mama!"

Maia, now that the grown-ups were no longer talking, had come to rejoin her parents, cuddling her mother and staring up at her adoringly, convinced she could do no wrong. Elisif couldn't help but smile, bending down to pick up her little one.

"Thank you, sweetie," Elisif told her. "I'm not sure the others did though."

"No, but they're looking into it anyway, taking precautions against attacks and known sources of opposition, and Leliana came up with a plausible means of reconciling your story with a dead Corypheus according to Varric who, by the way, is not necessarily a reliable source of information. I don't know if it's exactly the truth, but I also know that where you're concerned, anything can happen." Madanach glanced down and indicated his own weapon and armour. "For evidence of which, look at me, practically raised from the dead. Strange and impossible things happen to you all the time."

Elisif couldn't deny that.

"So you don't think they think I'm crazy then," Elisif said, hoping they didn't. Cullen hadn't looked entirely convinced and Cassandra had seemed downright sceptical.

Madanach shook his head.

"No. They might not agree but they're not arguing and they're taking you seriously. Elisif, cariad, they're doing what you tell them. You weren't wrong when you said this was your Inquisition. Your word carries weight here. You're a true leader to these people."

Maia was cuddling her and all Elisif could think was why the true leader's little girl wasn't being treated like the princess she was.

"I want to find these kids who were picking on Maia and have a word with their parents," Elisif said fiercely. "I think I need to speak to Enchanter Vivienne when I can as well."

"I think so too, but not tonight," said Madanach, leading her away to where Alistair and Borkul were chatting, Alistair claiming he'd hardly ever killed anyone, apart from all the darkspawn… and the demons… and the apostate blood mages in Kinloch Hold… and the crazy dragon cultists that used to live in the Temple of Sacred Ashes… and the crazy Dwarven paragon in the Deep Roads… and Venatori cultists who'd murdered his father… and Borkul was just laughing and patting him on the back telling him not to worry, he'd fit in just fine in Madanach's court, some of Madanach's best friends had met him in prison. "Maia, why don't you help Alistair and Borkul find their cabin and help them settle in? Your mother and I should probably go after Seeker Pentaghast, make sure she doesn't actually kill Varric."

"No, she can't kill Varric, he's funny!" Maia cried, appalled.

"We'll make sure she doesn't, darling," Elisif soothed as she put her down. "Now off you go and show Alistair his quarters, and we'll meet you there later."

"OK!" And with that, Maia was off, running for the door and loudly telling Alistair to come with her, she'd show him around. And to his credit, Alistair just smiled, picked up his pack and didn't once mention to Maia he'd been here before as he and Borkul followed her out.

"It's going to be all right, isn't it?" Elisif said hopefully, glad to see her child happy, for now anyway.

"It is," Madanach said, cuddling her as he led her out. "But probably not for Varric if we don't catch up with him."

"We should definitely do that," Elisif said, quickening her pace. Maybe he'd inadvertently undermined her in front of her advisers… but for all that, he was still her friend.


They found Varric being pinned to the perimeter fence just outside the Singing Maiden, clearly having been hauled out of the tavern by an angry Cassandra.

"I swear I wasn't lying!" Varric protested, hands raised. "Corypheus was – is – dead!"

"Then why does the Herald think he's behind the Divine's death? Answer me, dwarf!" Cassandra shouted.

"I don't know, why don't you ask her?" Varric cried. "She's right there with Mr. Herald, talk to her!"

"Cassandra, put him down!" Elisif cried, appalled. She didn't want Varric tortured! Mercifully, Cassandra acquiesced, letting him go, although her suspicions were not assuaged.

"He's sticking to his story, Elisif," Cassandra said, narrowing her eyes in Varric's direction. "And his description of Corypheus's remains was… disturbingly precise. Are you sure..."

"Yes," Elisif said, gritting her teeth. "I'm sure. Varric, this is really important. Are you sure Corypheus was dead? That when, wherever, you found him, you really killed him?"

"We killed him!" Varric cried, turning pleading eyes on her next. "Elisif, I swear. We found the guy in an old Dwarven ruin, where he'd been locked up by the Wardens for who knows how long. Hawke woke him up and we killed him. Fire, arrows, magic, stabbing. Bethany was there too, she'll confirm everything when she arrives."

"Thank you, Varric," Elisif whispered, feeling hope drain away. Varric might be given to embellishment for the sake of a good story, but Bethany Hawke, from what Elisif had seen and heard, was not. Bethany was calm, sensible, level-headed, responsible… and would never have knowingly left a magister darkspawn like Corypheus alive. Either the information from that future was misleading… or something very strange was going on.

Cassandra let Varric go, standing back as he escaped back to the pub, clearly drawing the same conclusions Elisif had, although she didn't seem happy.

"I will speak with Bethany Hawke when she arrives," Cassandra sighed. "If her story matches his… Elisif, I know you couldn't have heard that name from any other source, but it is possible that vision you had..."

"It was no vision, it was no trick of the Fade, you saw me disappear!" Elisif snapped. "I was really gone into the future, the whole thing was real!"

"I know," Cassandra said, but there was doubt in her eyes as she tried to reconcile a Herald she trusted with facts that contradicted her. "Well. No matter. We will find out what is going on. Leliana will turn something up. And in the mean time we have a Breach to close. Our focus must be on that."

Elisif didn't disagree, and with that Cassandra took her leave, leaving a frustrated Herald wondering if she was going mad.

"Varric might make things up, but Bethany's honest and she can probably tell if something's dead or not," Elisif said, despairing. "Madanach, what if all that information I brought back's just flat out wrong?"

Madanach put his arms around her, kissing her hair and holding her to him.

"Hey, I wouldn't write all that to us both if it wasn't true. If it was speculation or a rumour, I would have said. If I said Corypheus is behind it, he's behind it."

"Despite being dead?" Elisif whispered. "How?"

"Then we look for ways in which his memory or things he set in motion before dying might come into play… or ways in which he might have survived all that without anyone realising." Madanach stepped back and turned her to face him, and he looked concerned. Elisif slowly realised that perhaps things had just got more dangerous than they realised.

"What, you think he faked his death and survived somehow?" Elisif gasped.

"I don't know, but if he could, he might well have done," Madanach said sombrely. "Who knows what powers an ancient darkspawn magister might have?"

The power to survive an onslaught involving Bethany Hawke, Marian Hawke and Varric Tethras was not something Elisif wanted to hear about Corypheus possessing. She'd clearly have to ask Varric and Bethany both about their encounter, see if she could figure out any way he might have survived.

"Worth asking Alistair too, or Blackwall," Madanach murmured. "They might know something about how the Blight works. Eola's research might turn up something, but we don't have proper research facilities here and you know what this place's response is to anything it doesn't understand."

Elisif was beginning to get the picture all too well. All the same, she almost hoped she was wrong. She'd far rather be wrong than have to deal with a virtually immortal darkspawn.

"Herald! My lady, may I have a moment of your time? And… greetings, my lord. It is good to see you again, although I have heard tales from Redcliffe that you no longer recall meeting me?"

Both turned to see a Chantry mother with dark skin and an Orlesian accent approaching. Mother Giselle was seeking them out.

"Wait, you met him?" Elisif said, surprised. "He came to visit the refugees personally?"

"I… did?" Madanach said, confused. "I suppose I must have done… I mean, yes of course I did, Elisif, I'm a caring humanitarian, you know that!"

"Of course," Elisif said, amused, putting her arms around his waist. "Mother, I'm afraid what you heard is true, thanks to Magister Alexius's time magic, Madanach doesn't remember being Enchanter-General any more."

Giselle was shaking her head sadly. "The perils of dangerous magic, but I suspect you know that," she sighed. "You always gave the impression of being in control of yours, and of your people. Many in the refugee camps feared you, but you did help. You brought much needed supplies and you hunted food for us. You brought healers. You saved lives, Madanach. And if your price for this was any information we might have on the rogue templars and mages who had been causing the trouble in the first place, I was happy to tell you the Templars mostly attacked from the west and therefore might be based out along the west road somewhere, and that to the north of the crossroads was a wood known for its arcane provenance called the Witchwood, that a band of apostates might well feel at home in."

The exact locations of the rogues' base camps, laid waste before Elisif could even get there… because Madanach's MageGuard troops had got there first and dealt with them. With Mother Giselle's help.

"So if you knew the MageGuard were trustworthy, why call us in?" Elisif said, raising an eyebrow. Mother Giselle just shrugged.

"Because it seemed to me that if the Inquisition and MageGuard were both trustworthy, they would be better off working together, and that if one party were not, the other could deal with the problem far better than I could," Giselle said, and Elisif at this point made a mental note to never write the priestess off as unintelligent or above politics, because calling in the Inquisition as insurance against a possibly unreliable MageGuard was really quite bright of her. "My lady, I told you then I would rather the fightback be led by Andraste's true Herald than by apostates whose history with the Chantry was one of mutual mistrust. I was not going to have you left out. Of course, I did not know at the time Madanach here was your husband… but had I done, that would only have been one more reason to bring you in."

"So you're all right with me as long as I'm not in charge of operations, she is," Madanach noted, amused more than anything else. It wasn't an uncommon reaction, after all. Giselle merely inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"A true leader needs to be a unifying force, loved and respected by all," Giselle said. "Mages are not trusted, my lord. Maybe that is unfair on the majority, but it is what we have. In time, this could be remedied, but we do not have that time. Far better for the Herald to be the leader we need, and for you to provide any aid she might require, hmm?"

Which was fine with Madanach, who had come here solely to find Elisif in the first place, and if she was going to get herself embroiled in the local politics, he certainly wasn't abandoning her to it, and he told Mother Giselle this.

She looked pleasantly surprised by this attitude, clearly having expected resistance – really, Maferath had a lot to answer for.

"You do surprise me, most noblemen and commanders I meet tend to sideline their wives, where they're involved at all. You continue to defy expectations, Lord Madanach, but then I should expect nothing less. Neither of you are what could be called conventional. For you, that is a strength. Leaders should not be normal. But… your defiance of convention is impacting on your child. That is what I wished to talk to you about."

"She's being picked on, I heard," Elisif growled. "Who are these children and where are their parents?"

"And is it the magic or not being Andrastian or something else entirely?" Madanach added. "Helps if I know what exactly I need to shout at them for."

"That is the crux of the matter," Giselle admitted. "But it is also not as bad as you fear. The matter was brought to my attention, and I responded by ensuring our teaching moved away from demonising mages using their powers for good, and targeting only those who would misuse their Maker-given gifts, and on welcoming our new mage allies when they arrived. I also spoke with the parents involved. Most were horrified their children had been targeting yours. Even those who did not entirely trust mages or were concerned at the potential worship of heathen gods saw the wisdom of not antagonising someone who could have them thrown out of their homes. There is however, one family – the family of the ringleader. They are from Kirkwall, witnessed the destruction of the Chantry firsthand, and they fear magic. I fear their son has been taking it out on your daughter."

Elisif looked at Madanach, and both looked at the sky and saw early evening. Early enough to speak with this family.

"Where are they," Elisif said, taking Madanach's hand in hers. "Let's speak to them."


A/N: Next chapter is a little bit of a detour while Elisif and Madanach make a few things clear, and then a certain someone else wants to speak with them about Maia as well. A certain someone else in Orlesian hennin who's not pleased about Elisif's attitudes to free mages. ;)