A/N: Thank you for all the new follows and reviews! It has been such a pleasure to see the exponentially growing interest in my version of the story! It will be picking up again after this chapter; I promise.

Chapter 34

Aria and Bethany stood hand in hand at the altar while the Grand Cleric blessed the body in the closed casket before them. Gamlen, who stood on Bethany's other side, had locked the lid at Aria's request. She didn't want anyone else to see Mother like that, and especially not Bethany. When Aria returned to retake her seat at the front of the Chantry's pews before the altar, her eyes swept the enormous crowd.

It seemed half of Kirkwall turned out for Mother's funeral. Her friends occupied the first row, then she recognized some of the merchants. Hubert was there, along with Lady Elegant and Worthy. Aria was even more surprised when she saw a few Dalish at the back of the Chantry; Keeper Marethari inclined her head sadly when her eyes met Hawke's. She crossed her forearm over her heart and bowed, as did the three or four other elves she had with her. Then, they took their leave. It was dangerous for Dalish in the city. Slavers preferred the wild ones. Aria was humbled that they'd even come, and so quickly. How had Marethari known?

The service ended and the people filed up to Aria, Bethany, and Gamlen to offer their condolences. The nobles especially viewed Fenris with open curiosity as he stood just behind Aria, her silent support. What felt like years later, the last people filed out of the Chantry and it was just Hawke's inner circle that still remained, along with Bethany's guard and the Grand Cleric.

"Your Mother was well-loved, but I think that impressive turnout can be attributed to support for you, Hawke," Elthina said as the cloistered sisters rearranged the Chantry's seating arrangements. She watched Aria's reaction closely, as though it was an important detail.

"I am humbled, Your Grace," Aria politely replied, her eyes going to Gamlen, who was assigning pall-bearers. They would have to carry the casket out to the waiting ox cart, which would take it to the crematorium near the cemetery. Fenris, Anders, Donnic, and Aveline stood around the pretty ebony wood box. "Excuse me," Aria said, taking up the lead on carrying it, Gamlen on the opposite side.

They carried it out to the cart and Donnic, Anders, and Aveline went with Gamlen. Bethany watched from the top of the Chantry steps as the ox cart driver led them away. Aria and Fenris joined her, along with Isabela, Merrill, Varric, Bodahn, Sandal, and Orana. The streets surrounding the Chantry were still very crowded, and people still came up to the Hawkes as they returned to Aria's estate.

Aria was thankful to be in her own home, with a locked door between herself and the public. She decided to venture out to her rather small backyard, something she hadn't done since the first week she'd moved in, almost three years ago. She'd never had a reason to go out there, as she was hardly ever home, it always seemed.

The sight that greeted her eyes brought her to her knees. Her Mother had been very busy over the years, renovating the small space between the neighbouring estates. A regal fountain that stood about seven feet high adorned the center of the space. It was a sparrow hawk, like the ones in Lothering's fields, and it had a bouquet of stone flowers in its white marble beak. It clutched a bucket in its talons, which served as the source for the fountain's flow of water. The pool surrounding the beautiful stone statue was about knee deep and twelve feet in diameter.

There were low benches all around the lawn, which consisted of the most luscious looking grass Aria had ever seen before in her life. Rose bushes and hibiscus, honeysuckle and tiger lilies grew in carefully maintained pockets throughout the space. The high stone fence was covered in morning glory vines; the types which only opened in the moonlight.

"Oh...Aria..." Bethany breathed as she followed her sister outside onto the veranda. "This is... This is stunning."

"Mother did all of this. I...haven't been out here in years. That is no lie," Aria reverently whispered.

"I didn't even know this existed back here," Fenris's voice sounded behind Aria as she rose to her feet.

"I'll definitely be spending more time out here," Aria replied.

"May I take some of these back to the Circle with me?" Bethany chimed then, tears in her soft brown eyes. She gently cupped a large, periwinkle-hued rose and breathed its scent deeply.

"Take as many as you need," Aria replied. She then circled the fountain, and she saw a bronze and copper plaque on the other side of it. Aria brushed her fingers over the shining surface as she read it.

May fortune smile upon ye, those brave in nature and stout of heart.
The Hawke Family:
Malcolm & Leandra
Aria
Bethany
Carver

Orana came and Bethany asked her to fetch her some pruning shears and a vase. The servant girl came back but a moment later and helped Bethany clip some of the finest specimens from the garden. Aria left her to the task and went with Isabela and Merrill to one of the Hightown fashion boutiques. She intended to purchase some new clothes for Bethany to take with her back to the Gallows. Aria didn't know if that was allowed, but she didn't care. If need be, she'd employ Anders's help in smuggling them to her sister. Bethany had to borrow some of Aria's abundant black clothing for the funeral service as she had no mourning clothes of her own. The dress Bethany had decided on was too long and Orana had to put extra pins in the bodice to keep it from slipping off the mage.

"She's so...thin. I worry for your sister," Merrill said as they left the shop, their arms laden with several bags of clothing.

"I know. I plan to make an inquiry," Aria bitterly agreed.

"I doubt they'll even let her keep these," Isabela lamented, her eyes voraciously surveying their fashionable loot.

"They will," Aria said, her tone steely.

Isabela chuckled at this, while Merrill darted a few paces ahead of them, inspecting the cracks in the stone of the road. They returned to the Hawke Estate a couple hours later and prepared for the wake. Fenris had gone to run some of his own errands and promised to meet them later at the Hanged Man.

"So, you and Fenris, hmm?" Isabela said as Bethany went behind the screen to change into some of her new clothes. She asked Aria to throw the robe she'd worn to from the Gallows away. The templars couldn't very well take a naked mage through the streets.

"What of it?" Aria asked, wary of how the templar guards seemed to perk up at the juiciest parts of their conversations.

"That taut, controlled body. The brooding demeanor and intense gaze. I hear he still wears the shackles from his life in bondage, under his clothes. You know what they say about men like that, don't you?" Isabela continued, and Hawke could feel her cheeks reddening at this turn of conversation. Maker, she didn't need Knight-Commander Meredith to know about this.

"You'd think I'd learn. Alright, Isabela, what do they say?" Aria humoured the other rogue.

"Yes, what do they say?" Merrill chimed from her perch on the bed, intrigued.

"He can't find a saw!" Isabela gushed, and from behind the screen, Bethany giggled. Isabela chortled with her, then snorted. "I had you there! You thought I was going to say something dirty!"

One of the templar guards coughed to conceal his own laughter, and his partner thumped him across the chest. Isabela winked at Aria and strode over to both of them.

"How good at finding a saw would you be?" Isabela purred in the ear of the one who coughed, dragging her finger down his breastplate.

"I know my way about a tool shed," the templar replied.

"Oh my," Isabela purred.

"Isabela, do please refrain from assaulting the guards," Aria chirped, smiling apologetically at the both of them.

"They don't look like they mind," Isabela cooed, slithering between them and giving them her trademark sultry gaze.

"Perhaps when we're...off duty," the more stoic of the two templar guards said.

"I might hold you to that," Isabela murmured, then returned to the chair beside Aria.

"For what it's worth, sister, I am happy for you. I like Fenris. And it takes a strong man indeed to put up with all the fire you throw at him," Bethany said as she emerged from behind the screen. She wore a gorgeous, simple gown of dark muave, the bodice laced with emerald green cord. She slipped into a pair of white leather sandals Aria never wore, the kind which laced all the way to the knee.

"You look lovely, Bethany," Aria said, deflecting the conversation away from talking about Fenris. It still felt...new and fragile to her, as though speaking about this relationship with him would make it end.

"Oooh, I like that color on you!" Merrill gushed.

"May I keep it?" Bethany asked Aria, warily glancing at the guards.

"I'm throwing out those clothes you came with. Yes, you may keep it. And whatever others we brought for you," Aria said, her silent challenge to the templars now issued.

"I never thought... I never thought we'd get here," Bethany said after a tense moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, looking through her closet for something to wear herself. Isabela watched over her shoulder, shaking her head as Hawke's fingers sifted through the dresses and other clothes that hung in her closet. Aria elbowed her just hard enough to force her a step back and Isabela giggled.

"I didn't think we'd get the estate back. I didn't think I'd ever live to see the day where our family would be well-off again. But here we are..." Bethany's gaze took in the lavish surroundings of Aria's room. "You may think you failed, but I don't. You never fail to keep a promise."

Aria turned to look at her sister and crossed the room to hug her. They both fought tears and Aria offered her sister a smile before she went back to rummaging through her closet.

"Sod it all to the Void," Aria groused after a moment. "A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear."

Merrill giggled then. "You're so silly. There's plenty to wear."

They collectively laughed and Aria finally entrusted the grueling task of selecting an outfit to Isabela. She may not be able to trust the other rogue completely in all things, but she could at least count on the Rivaini temptress to pick out something that looked good. Aria sat on the bed between Merrill and Bethany while Isabela toiled at the closet.

"I won't stay long at the Hanged Man tonight," Bethany softly said. She shared a look with Aria that explained it all. Her eyes darted quickly to the guards and back. Aria nodded.

"I understand. I will try not to be out too late," Aria responded, fidgeting with the whet stone she'd snatched off the nightstand.

"No, do stay out. I feel as though…this is disrupting your life greatly and I don't want to—"

"Nonsense. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again," Aria cut in.

"Well, I will be here for another five days… And I kind of just want to bask in this luxury for a little while," Bethany diplomatically stated, and Aria understood the message. What Bethany was trying to say without actually coming out and saying it, was "Don't come home tonight—you've got a man." Aria was happy that she and her sister still had that deep connection, where it was what they didn't say that was the actual conversation. She was also happy that this particular conversation wouldn't give Knight-Commander Meredith any more leverage. Bethany always had her wits about her, and being in the Gallows seemed to have honed that aspect of her personality.

The Hanged Man wake was supposed to be a private affair, but half of Kirkwall crammed into the dingy little bar. Thankfully, Aveline set up a patrol for it and Varric's room was restricted access. Inside, only their small fellowship convened.

Aria next to Varric, who headed the table. Bethany sat to her right and Fenris sat to the right of her. The templars stood off to the side behind Bethany. Aveline and Donnic sat at the other end, with Merrill, Isabela, Bodahn, and Orana on the other side. Aria had demanded that Bodahn and Orana be present, because they had been an integral part of Leandra's last couple of years of life. Anders told Varric he'd be in later, once Bethany and the templars had left. His underground work made it too risky for him to be there. Gamlen would also be arriving late, as he was having a special urn made for his sister's ashes in their family vault.

Varric had set up an altar behind where he sat at the table. At the center of the altar rested the portrait of Mother that she and Bethany recovered those many years ago from the estate. Surrounding the portrait were a wreath and two bouquets. The rest of the altar was littered with several rows of shot glasses, already poured and ready for the drinking.

Once everyone was accounted for, they all settled down and Varric began the traditional praise of the deceased.

"I'm not too good at these things and most of the time, they're just one more excuse to drink myself stupid," Varric glibly stated as he stood at the end of the table and briefly looked back at the portrait. "But this time… This time I really feel it. Leandra Amell-Hawke. It's funny to say her full name because I've heard her called Mother so much, my inner monologues called her Mother too."

Bethany squeezed Aria's hand under the table and they leaned on each other, beaming at Varric.

"And a fine Mother she was!" Varric continued. "I mean, a story doesn't get any better than the one that belongs to Leandra Hawke. She turned down the life of luxury she'd been born into to live one in comfortable poverty for the sake of love, the love of an apostate no less. She bore three children, the shining reputations of two of them I can personally vouch for. She survived the Blight, survived being a refugee in a city that hated her, and most of all, she helped so many others survive in the process."

Varric turned and strode up to the altar, snatching a shot once he reached it. He held it up to the portrait. "Here's to a life that was damn well lived!" Varric downed the shot, setting the empty glass upside on the edge of the table before he returned to his seat.

They all clapped and laughed together, and then Aveline cleared her throat. She stood and walked up to the altar, snagging the next shot in the line Varric had started.

"Leandra took me in like her own and she didn't even know me. I told her I didn't want to be a burden once, and she took the remark as a grave insult. She helped anyone, regardless of station or race. If it weren't for her, I might not even be here right now."

Bethany's grip tightened around Aria's hand and they both fought tears together.

"To Leandra Hawke—the biggest heart to ever beat in Kirkwall!" Aveline saluted the portrait with her shot and downed it, then set the empty one on the corner next to Varric's.

To Aria's surprise, Fenris stood next and went to the altar. He looked at the portrait for a moment, his back to them. Then he took his shot and turned to face them.

"I had the privilege of spending many an afternoon tea with Leandra. I found her to be a fascinating source for living history pertaining to this strange city. I was also always humbled by the love she bore for her family. While her passing may be a tragedy, her life was a blessing that will leave a lasting legacy behind. To Leandra!" Fenris said. He downed the third shot in the line and placed the empty next to Aveline's.

Merrill popped up next and didn't move to the altar right away. She looked over at Aria and Bethany and smiled first. "The first time I saw Leandra, she was petting a kitten in the Lowtown Bazaar. I was new to this city and not once had I seen anyone show a stray cat affection," she chirped, then approached the altar. "She was a lovely person and she never once made me feel…less than equal. Here's to you, lethallan." Merrill tossed back her shot and followed the pattern laid out by those who paid their respects before her.

Isabela rose next and went to the altar. She took her shot, downed it, but held the empty glass in her fingers. "I'm sodding terrible at these things so I'll just say this: I wasn't as close to her as most of you, but we did share one of the same loves. That woman had killer fashion sense when it came to shoes!" She set the empty down next to Merrill's and blew a kiss to Leandra's portrait before returning to her seat.

Bodahn stood and went up there next and he spun the shot glass back and forth between his fingers as he spoke. "Mistress Amell was…one of the kindest, brightest, most loving people I have ever known. With all the trouble Lady Aria got up to, Mistress Amell never once missed a beat. She often reminded me of my own mother and I hope that she now rests peacefully." He quickly upturned the shot and placed it next to Isabela's.

Orana took her turn and gracefully approached the altar, her jewel-like green eyes sparkling with as yet unshed tears. She lifted the shot in one slender, small hand and sniffed it first. She sighed and looked at Aria. "When Mistress Aria rescued me from my former master, she told me to go to her home. I finally managed to get there, and it was the Lady Leandra who opened the door. She took me in without hesitation, made me a meal to eat, and gave me a bed to sleep in. It was the softest bed I'd ever slept in. And I had never had anyone prepare a meal for me before. I don't understand the cruel things that sometimes happen in this world, but…Leandra made it that much brighter for having been in it." The little elven girl downed the shot, her nose crinkling in distaste. Aria and Bethany both chuckled at this and applauded when she put the empty shot glass upside down next to Bodahn's.

Bethany gently pushed away from the table, her hand slipping out of Aria's after a quick, reassuring squeeze. The templars looked nervous as she went to the altar and stared at the portrait. She delicately picked up the next shot glass in the line, then turned to face the group.

"There are so many new faces at this table from the last time I spent any time here," she began, her cheeks already wet from tears. Still more fell as she continued, "And that is testament to her openness, to her kindness, and to her uncanny ability to see past our outward appearances. Human, elf, dwarf, mage, soldier, servant… She didn't see what the rest of the world told her to see. She saw what really was. I hope that all of us can learn from her, so that we may honor her in our daily routines."

Varric scoffed at that last. "Routines? Sunshine, you have been away too long!"

They collectively laughed and Bethany continued once it had subsided enough. "We went through a lot. We lost everything, except love for our family. And I want to say this for the benefit of all: Mama's passing was not something that any of you can fault yourselves for. She would never blame you. She would tell you to live your lives to the fullest, love with all your heart, and do good, always. Cheers, Mama! And thank you!"

As Bethany took her seat once more beside Aria, the rogue was crushingly aware that she was the only one who by rights was obligated to speak, and hadn't. She turned and looked at the portrait of her mother in her youth, so similar to how Bethany looked now. Aria finally stood and made her way slowly to the altar, cupping the shot glass full of clear liquid gingerly to her chest. Finally, she turned and faced them again, fidgeting with the vessel in her hand.

"Mama died in my arms," Aria softly stated, her eyes downcast. "I know it's something that is going to haunt me for the rest of my life, but at the same time, I experienced something so rare, something she wished she could have experienced with her own parents. Her last words to me were…were…" Aria fought the sob that rose and she heard Merrill whimper, then sniffle. "She said she loved me and she was proud of me. That woman used her dying breath to say that, and I can't think of a higher honor a parent can bestow upon their child." Aria drained the shot and turned to the portrait again, her eyes streaming tears. "I love you, Mama."

Everyone stood when Hawke turned back around towards them. They took their turns embracing Aria and Bethany, then Isabela, Merrill, Varric, and Fenris started whittling away at the remaining shots. Aria and Bethany stood together and took another shot as well. Bethany soon took her leave and winked at Aria before she disappeared outside Varric's door with her templar jailers.

"That's bloody insulting," Anders said next to Aria's ear, shocking her with his sudden appearance.

"Maker's breath, where were you hiding?" Aria spun to face him, her heart still recovering from the jolt he'd given her.

"In the closet. Cliché, right? The templars didn't even bother checking it," Anders replied, engulfing Aria in a hug.

"They're too busy gathering intel on me to send back to Meredith," Aria darkly stated, throwing back another shot of moonshine.

"Ah, so that's how she's justifying it to herself. Reconnaissance," Anders puzzled aloud.

"Letting Bethany out of the Gallows?" Aria followed his thought train.

"Yes," Anders replied, then guided her to a corner in the room where they wouldn't be overheard. "Listen, I know the timing is terrible, but I need your help. Tonight."

"Does it involve the templar you were extraordinarily ill at ease with in my house yesterday?"

He had the decency to look surprised for a moment, but it quickly passed. "It does."

A mixture of dread and hatred washed over her as she remembered the silent vow she made to herself regarding Bethany's obvious plight in the Gallows. She was being ill-treated, and Aria wasn't going to stand for it.

"I'm in," she flatly replied, downing another shot. "Say when."

"When what?" Fenris's voice cut in and Aria jumped. His eyes were cold as they landed on Anders, the hatred he'd buried for Anders the past few weeks returning to the surface.

"Meet me at my clinic in an hour," Anders icily stated, taking one more shot before he made his leave.

Fenris watched him go, his seething fury evidenced in the slight flaring of his brandings. He rounded on Aria then and she almost wilted under the cold rage of his gaze.

"You don't have to come," Aria whispered, looking away from him. Her eyes met Varric's and he started to make his way over.

"Yes, I do," Fenris quietly snarled. "I'm not letting you go into any fray of his alone."

"And what fray is that?" Varric nonchalantly entered the conversation.

"Anders has something important that has to be done tonight. You coming too?" Aria snapped, the bite in her tone much harsher than she had intended.

Varric smiled. "Now why would I pass that up?"