Summary: After they saved the elves in the alienage, all that Airam and Zevran wanted was a single day off. Airam even postponed examining the old books and journals they found in the Warden storehouse - I think that says it all. They planned a date, that was supposed to start with a dinner and end with their first night together. Unfortunately, the Crows decided to finally show up. During the fight, Zevran could only watch as Airam and his former lover fight to death. Airam won, of course. But everything has consequences...
Thanks to all my readers and followers, especially those who reviewed and/or faved the story. It means a lot to me. Extra help and hug to my wonderful beta Shebasdawn for her endless patience with my 'English'.
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The new kid was a typical human: big, dumb, and arrogant. The bets were he wouldn't survive the first month… but right now, it would be a miracle if he survived until tomorrow. One would think a whole week would be enough to get the basics of who's who and the survival rules. Unless you were an idiot. Like this newcomer. At first his recklessness was refreshing, perhaps even a bit endearing – but it was getting old very quickly. When you are at the very bottom of the food chain, you don't call the third-ranked a dirty knife ear. You bow your head and act politely. And work hard, using every opportunity to move up the ladder. Perhaps he should leave the fool to his sad fate. Then again, interfering would piss off Matteo… Ah, temptations! He could never resist them.
"That's enough. Fun's over."
The two boys who held the human's arms hesitated and glanced at their leader. Matteo's face darkened. "Stay out of this, Zevran. It's none of your business." He punched the human again.
Zevran got up from his bunk and nonchalantly walked over to Matteo. "I made him my business," he said, flashing a smile at him.
The kids from the nearby bunks scurried away, pulling their blankets with them. The third-ranked against the second-ranked, that could turn bad pretty fast. A few bolder ones were already making bets.
Matteo looked around, frowning. Zevran's smile widened. He knew what was going through Matteo's thick brain - ignoring a direct challenge like this would ruin his position in his little gang, but on the other hand, fighting Zevran would be different than beating an untrained civilian brat.
Despite the risk, he would've chosen the fight, Zevran was sure of that - if not for Chiara. "Stand down, both of you," she demanded, as she flounced to them.
"It's none of your business," they both snapped.
"Until the teamwork part of tomorrow is over, yes it is." Chiara crossed her arms. "I won't let you debilitate yourself and endanger my points and ranking over something that pathetic."
"At least you'd have an excuse," Matteo muttered. Zevran snickered.
Chiara pressed her lips together. She didn't say anything else, but her freckles paled – a sign that she was truly pissed off. And it wasn't strategic to piss off the top apprentice, infamous for her kicks. Not the night before the test.
Matteo must have come to the same conclusion, because he rolled his eyes and gave the sign to his goons to drop the boy. "This isn't over yet," he said in the threatening tone, kicking the boy in his belly as a good-bye.
"I'd hope not," Zevran said sweetly, before turning to the brat, who was now curled at his feet. At least he was smart enough not to make any more wannabe witty comments. "Get up," Zevran ordered, but didn't offer his hand.
The boy scrambled to his feet. He could barely stand, but he held his head high. Good. Zevran nodded toward the door and the boy obediently followed him out. Perhaps he wasn't completely dumb after all. Zevran led him to the opposite end of the yard, where the training dummies stood. At this late hour, it was empty; anyone with half a brain tried to lick the wounds inflicted from drills or punishments today and get ready to survive tomorrow.
"I'm Zevran," he said curtly.
"Taliesen Baines," the boy replied. "My father-"
"-gave you to the Crows," Zevran cut in. "You'd do better to forget him and your previous life, kid. You're not 'Baines' anymore. You're the Crows' property now. If you pass the training, you'll get the name of the Grandmaster who owns our House: Arainai. If you fail, you'll be dead. The latter is far more likely if you continue the way you have these past few days."
"Better to be dead than be like one of the allenatores," Taliesen muttered defiantly.
Zevran shook his head. "I also thought that, once," he said, not unkindly. "You'll find out that nothing is better or more important than your survival. Today I helped you. But make no mistake, I'm not your friend. There is no such thing as friendship. Friendship, love, sympathy - it's all lies the strong use to manipulate the weak. And the weak fail and die. If you want something, you need to fight for it - and win. If you want someone to help you, you must pay them."
"How? I don't have any money."
"It would be useless to me anyway. What I want is an ally. I'll teach you the rules and give you extra fighting lessons to catch up faster. Everyone your age or size has a couple of years of training. You're like a toddler to us. Remember that the next time you want to pick a fight. In return, you do what I say. You'll be my extra eyes and ears," he explained. "And do my chores," he added with a grin when he saw the boy's nonplussed expression. There would be time to explain the finer points later. "Deal?"
The boy stood there, chewing his bottom lip. "Deal," he said finally.
Zevran nodded. "Good. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow you'll be polite, humble, and eager to please our allenatores. No more calling names, no more picking fights. Stick with me whenever you can. If you can't, emulate – do what others do. Never stick out."
"I understand." Taliesen didn't move toward the flophouse. "I don't believe it," he muttered. "Do you? That there's no such thing as friendship? That it's for the weak?"
Zevran looked away. "That question could get us both killed," he said softly. "If you want to survive, don't let anyone suspect you have feelings."
oOo
Zevran slid out of bed, wrapped the fluffy, warm bathrobe - courtesy of Erwin - around him, and sneaked onto the balcony. Everything was peaceful, all sound and light muted by the snow gently dancing down from the black sky. The bathrobe wasn't enough to shield him from the icy Wintermarch air, but he didn't mind. He leaned against the railings and took a few deep breaths.
Taliesen is dead. After all those years. After all they went through, first during their trainings and then during their service. Dead. Because of him.
I chose you. Look me in the eye and tell me you'd have chosen differently.
Back then he'd doubted for a moment. He'd wondered what his choice would have been. But there was no point in lying to himself anymore: he would have chosen differently, and not in the way Airam thought. He wouldn't have save them both - he would've chosen Rinna. Taliesen… Taliesen was an ally. And partner. And lover. Someone he took for granted would always be at his side - without ever pausing to think what that truly meant.
"Perdonami, tesoro," he whispered. "I failed you."
The wind picked up, and the gentle dance of the snowflakes turned into a frenzy. The bathrobe was thoroughly soaked, and his bare feet started to protest achingly against the icy cold floor tiles. With a sigh, he returned inside.
As he toweled himself off, he observed Airam's sleeping form.
Could he leave? Could he turn his back on Airam, walk away and continue his life elsewhere? Zevran slumped into the armchair. Live without Air? Impossible. He might as well carve his heart out and try to live without that.
But he could not stay with Airam, either. That, at least, was clear. If he stayed, he would inevitably fail him, hurt him, ruin his life… watch him die. No. Even he wasn't that selfish.
So this was it – this was the choice. His life, or the life of his crazy kid. What mattered more to him?
I promised his grandpa to stay with him.
Yes, he did promise that, didn't he? That was… two months ago? A few days before the Oath Ceremony, yes. Aadishwara suddenly appeared at his door and said that as it was, Airam had zero chance to survive the Blight. He explained all about why it had to be a Grey Warden who killed the Archdemon, and about the obliterated soul of the hero. Since there were only two Grey Wardens in Ferelden, one of whom was a human and an heir to the throne, and the other one an elf mage with a problematic origin, it was easy to guess who would have the honour this time.
Then, while Zevran was still trying to catch his breath, Aadishwara explained his complicated, unlikely, insane plan to save his grandson. It involved magic amulets and complex spells and rituals; Zevran didn't understand much of it. But it was a one-time solution. If something happened before Airam killed the Archdemon, and Shwara had to use it, there would be no second chance, no backup plan. Zevran's task was to make sure it didn't come to that. Airam might say Zevran wasn't his bodyguard anymore, but it wasn't true, at least not until the end of the Blight.
Never had he been happier that his job wasn't finished yet. There was still time. And there was always a chance he wouldn't survive the Blight, no? If he did… perhaps he could find a way to back out of this relationship without hurting Airam. He should start the very next day, before it - brasca! The date! He completely forgot about it! They were supposed to go to dinner tomorrow. And afterwards… Of course, he couldn't let that happen now. He couldn't play at being a happy couple when he knew it was not to be. No matter how much he wanted it - how much they both wanted it - he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he abused Airam's trust like that.
Zevran cursed. The Crows are right - feelings are a burden. Things are so much simpler when you don't care. You glide on the surface of your days, taking pleasure when and where you can, no ties, no worries. Why do people care about love so much when it only causes confusion and pain?
oOo
The plan for the next day had been to explain everything to Airam the first thing in the morning. Yes, Airam would be mad at him, maybe even sad and disappointed, but... surely even a crazy kid like him must see that it was for the best, no?
But he abandoned it the moment they woke up and Airam wished him good morning. He knew then that he couldn't bear it. Not now, not ever. And so he pretended everything was fine. Airam was not fooled, of course. Throughout the morning, he'd deflected every attempt at private conversation, which was ridiculous, he knew - sooner or later, he'd have to face Airam and explain himself. All this delay would only make it more difficult.
"Surely you have more important stuff to do besides talking to me, no?" he snapped at Airam, when he attempted to start a conversation for the tenth time. The hurt look in Airam's face was more than he could stand. With a curse, he turned and walked away.
He meandered around the back alleys, trying hard not to think about the mess he was creating with this silliness. It was past lunch time when he grudgingly decided to return to the Erwin's house, mostly because his nose would fall off if he stayed out any longer.
As he was crossing the square in front of Erwin's house, he saw a figure leaning against a lamp, obviously waiting for something. He tensed for a moment, almost expecting another Crow attack, but then he recognized the fiercely red beard sticking out from under the woolen scarf.
"You're fucking up," Oghren said instead of welcome.
Zevran flashed a brilliant smile at him. "Oghren, my dear friend! Have you been waiting for me all morning? I must say I am surprised - pleasantly, of course-"
"You're fucking up badly," Oghren cut in. "You're going to ruin both of your lives like this."
"Well, thank you for your expert analysis, but-"
"Yeah, you may call me that," the dwarf cut in again. "I already fucked things up that way twice."
Was this Oghren, giving him relationship advice? How ridiculous could this day get? He should joke and leave. Instead he moved closer. "What happened?"
"Nothing much. I was a selfish, arrogant idiot, that was all. I thought I knew what was the best for everyone - Felsi, my family, Branka…" Oghren shrugged. "It turned out I was wrong."
"What do you mean?" he asked, curious to find out more. Felsi… the name rung a bell. Ah, yes - one of the maids at the Spoiled Princess, the inn near the Tower. Maybe she was the mysterious love Oghren had referred to back in the alienage?
"I never bothered to ask what they thought about us. I thought I had it all figured out, found the best solution for everyone - our families, me, them - and they had to agree with me."
"Your families?"
Oghren belched. "Yeah. Me and Felsi were together, but our families had other matches for us. I agreed," he explained vaguely. "I believed it was best for all. All the good things and bad things that came of it were all my decisions, or so I believed. Until I read Branka's diary and found out I'd never known my wife at all." He laughed and took a long swig from the bottle. "Pretty nasty wake up call, let me tell you."
"And you are telling me this, because…"
"Because I got another chance. I could make the same mistake as before and run away, hiding my cowardice behind the arrogant claim it's for Felsi's good. Or I could learn from the past and do things differently this time. Give it a serious try. That is what Airam says."
Ah… so that's what all Airam's discussions with Oghren had been about.
"Thought you needed to hear it, too." The dwarf scrambled to his feet, swaying a little. "Do what you want."
And he staggered away.
oOo
It wasn't all your fault… Only someone with your ego would say that. Please, at least don't take away my right to take my share of the guilt.
That was what Rinna's ghost had said when he faced her in the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Strange to hear it now echoed by Oghren… or Airam's words to Oghren.
Was it truly so terrible to try and shelter the one you love from bad things? How could something like that be arrogant? Although… He had to admit that if Airam tried to make decisions for him he wouldn't be grateful, either. Even if they were meant to be for his good and protection. He sighed. The thought of this talk with Airam turned his blood into ice as efficiently as Airam's spell, but there was no avoiding it. He must do it. Explain himself.
Perhaps Airam would help him understand.
oOo
Airam wasn't in his room. And he wasn't in the library or parlour, either. Maybe he'd gone to play with Rask. Zevran was on his way out to check when he met Leliana.
"You aren't with Airam?" she asked, frowning. "Don't tell me he went alone!"
"A romantic dinner for one?" Zevran chuckled. "No, I don't think he would do that. But, we will be leaving soon."
She stared at him with a panicked expression. "You mean you don't know?"
"Don't know what?" he asked sternly, trying to suppress the sense of panic rising in his gut. If this was a joke, it was a bad one.
"Arl Howe captured Queen Anora; her lady in waiting, Erlina, ran to Eamon for help, and he, of course, sent a message to us. Airam was the one to receive it - neither me nor Erwin were there at the moment, or we would've stopped him. But I was having our regular diplomacy lesson with Alistair, Erwin was going over invoices with Forbes, and the others -"
As if any of that mattered now. "Leliana. Where. Is. Air?"
"He went to Arl Howe's dungeons to save the Queen."
oOo
His first instinct was to run after Airam, but that wouldn't be wise. In fact, it might make things even worse and more dangerous. Slim as it was, there was still a chance that Airam wasn't in danger. Rushing in now, without knowing the situation, would only make the Arl and his guards aware that something was going on. Breathe, Zevran. He would be fine. After all, he was far from the crazy, reckless kid he'd been when they'd first met, no? Even though this didn't exactly validate that…
Nevertheless, it was better to be ready. Erwin sent a message to Airam's grandfather; he also sent several street rats to discreetly snoop around the Arl's estate and immediately report back anything unusual. Leliana went to check with 'old friends' to see if she could get any useful intel about Arl Howe's security. The rest of them could only wait. And try to stay sane.
The latter was becoming increasingly difficult with each passing minute. Zevran had resupplied all his poisons and smoke bombs, and had sharpened his blades, and still no news. He was moments from running off to start a killing rampage at the Arl's house when a maid announced a visitor - a certain Riordan Byrne, Grey Warden.
"I know him!" Alistair said. "He's… was, one of Duncan's friends. They were both from Highever, and Joined at the same time. But what is he doing here? He serves in Orlais, in Montsimmard."
Zevran exchanged a glance with Erwin. When they'd captured Loghain's spy in Redcliffe, he'd told them the regent had imprisoned 'Orlesian Warden conspirators who'd tried to sneak into Ferelden'; they'd tried to look into it, but found nothing besides vague rumours. In some versions, there was only one Warden, who had come directly to Loghain; in others, a whole group of Wardens had been massacred at the borders and the few survivors thrown into dungeons. That one would now appear… interesting, at least. Better to stay alert.
But it was hard to see the pitiful, broken shell of a man that shuffled into the room as a threat - or as a warrior. He was barefoot, body wrapped in a torn and heavily soiled sleeveless brown tunic that barely reached to his mid-thighs, arms and legs full of scars, burns, and bruises of all colours; several fingers and toes were missing, and few others were crushed to a pulp. His grey, sunken eyes darted nervously around the room as if he expected to be attacked at any moment.
At the sight of Alistair, the man's lips widened into a scary, toothless grin. "It is you! So the kid spoke the truth? This is the headquarters of Grey Wardens?"
Alistair ran to the man, and gently helped him into an armchair. "By the Maker, Riordan! What happened to you?"
Riordan's eyes darted to Zevran and Erwin. "Is this the headquarters?" he insisted. "Are these Grey Wardens?"
"We are in the house of Erwin McLam," Alistair explained, pointing to Erwin. "He's not a Warden, but he's our ally. You are safe here, and can speak freely."
"The kid you mentioned," Zevran said, going right to the most important thing, earning himself a disgusted look from Alistair. "What did he look like?"
"Young, pale, and with violet hair. He said he was the Warden Commander and told me to come here."
"Yes, he's indeed the Warden Commander of Ferelden," Zevran confirmed. "When did you see him? What happened? How did he free you?"
"Not now, Zevran. He needs healing and rest." Wynne hurried over to the man and gingerly inspected the stumps on his hands. "Well, we should start by getting you cleaned up," she said in that wannabe encouraging voice healers use when they don't want to admit it's beyond healing. "Come, lean on me."
He didn't move, looking from Zevran to Alistair. "If the Grey Wardens want to bring down Howe, why are you here?" he asked suspiciously. "You will need everyone you have to defeat him."
"We're not trying to bring him down, Airam sneaked in there alone to-"
"To get some information," Zevran cut in before Alistair could reveal the truth. How could they know the man was telling the truth? Zevran had seen enough victims of torture to know they would readily do anything to make it stop. For all they knew, Airam had already been captured and this was part of Howe's trap to lure them out. "If you could tell us-"
"I said, not now, Zevran," Wynne snapped. "Look at him! The poor man is half dead. Any questions will have to wait until he gets at least basic treatment." She turned to Riordan, who cowered in the armchair as if expecting a blow. "Please, come with me," she said more gently.
"Maker! What must they have done to him, to be afraid of Wynne," Alistair muttered as they watched the Warden shuffle after her.
Zevran didn't reply. He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to think about the horrors that happened in torture chambers.
Not while Airam was out there.
oOo
"Did you have anything to do with this, assassin?" Aadishwara asked the moment he stepped into the lounge.
The four of them - Zevran, Leliana, Alistair and Erwin - had been pouring over a rough sketch of Arl Howe's estate, Leliana pointing out the guard posts and possible weak spots they could use, when the old mage burst in, almost throwing the door off the hinges, surrounded by a familiar icy aura whirling around him, his eyes black as coals.
"Leave him be, Shwara, he-" Erwin started.
"Yes. I did," Zevran cut in. "We… had a… difficult morning. I think that was the reason he left alone, yes."
Aadishwara crossed his arms. "Is it related to the Crows' attack yesterday?"
"Yes. And before you ask, no, I did not have anything to do with that. Besides being their target, of course."
There was a tense moment of silence, everyone looking from him to Aadishwara and back as if trying to decide whose side they should take if a fight started. Then the old man nodded, and the icy aura dissipated. His eyes remained black, though. "All right. I trust you - for now."
He turned to Alistair. "And you. Let me tell you something - I will not lose another member of my family for your country and line. Do you understand?"
Erwin, Wynne and Leliana all tried to protest at once, but Aadishwara ignored them, fully focused on the soon-to-be-king. "If something happens and I need to use the magic of the- the magic. I'll take him with me to Rivain, whether he likes it or not, and you'll be free to kill the Archdemon yourself. Are we clear?"
"Not really," Alistair replied with a nervous chuckle, but quickly relented under the mage's stern gaze. "Well, now that you're finally here, we should return to the rescue plan."
oOo
Half an hour later they had a solid plan to get to the estate without being noticed. They were about to start getting ready when one of Erwin's rats reported in - their guide through Denerim's underground shit canal. A while ago, he said breathlessly, an elven lady - dressed too pretty and neat for an elf - left Arl Howe's estate in the company of a dozen or so soldiers. Ser Airam was nowhere to be seen. But, a few moments later there was a sudden strong storm with lots of lightning, and when it was over, the leader of the soldiers had been furious when he'd realized one of the soldiers and the elven ladies were missing.
The elven lady must have been Erlina, the Queen's handmaid," Erwin said, when he'd paid the boy and sent him to the kitchen to get a snack for doing such a good job. "She was supposed to lead Airam into the estate. But if she was captured, why take her away? Howe's dungeons are one of the worst in Denerim, second only to Fort Drakon's. Even the palace dungeons are not that horrible - or so I've heard. I hope I'll never have a chance to find out for myself."
"Maybe they weren't Howe's soldiers," Leliana suggested. "But then, why was the Queen not with them? Unless…"
"Unless she was the soldier who went missing," Zevran added. "After a sudden thunderstorm."
Aadishwara cursed. "Flemeth's daughter! I knew it was foolish to just let her go!"
"Is that so?" a haughty voice drawled from the doorway. They all turned to find Morrigan standing there like a goddess of triumph, with a very upset maid peeking from behind her back.
"I apologize, Master Erwin - I told her you were busy, but she wouldn't listen to me at all!"
"That is all right, my dear," Erwin said distractedly. "Don't worry about it. You may leave now. But don't let anyone else in under any circumstances."
"Wait," Morrigan commanded. "Before you lock the door, bring my… guests."
The maid pressed her lips, but obeyed; a moment later, an elven lady and a female soldier in a full plate armour entered the room.
"You can take off that helmet. Masks and lies will not help you anymore." Morrigan said derisively, before turning to Zevran and raising her eyebrow. "So. You finally decide to show your true colours and throw the Warden to the wolves. I'd always warned him this moment would come. Although, I admit I was wrong about you in one thing - I assumed you would kill him yourself. Sending him off to an obvious trap like that must be a new low even for a Crow."
Zevran ignored her; if he paid any attention to her blabbering, he would have to murder her. Especially since she'd perfectly summed up his feelings for the past few hours. He focused on the human lady instead. She was fair and blond, with her father's strong nose and firm lips, defiant chin and cold, calculating eyes. It wasn't the face of a sweet, innocent princess - it was the face of an experienced politician and ruler. The face of person who wouldn't hesitate to crush her opponents.
Such as a naive and young, but increasingly popular and powerful, Warden Commander.
"Your Majesty," Erwin said with a small bow. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Erwin McLam, the owner of this humble house. It is a great honour to have you visiting us." He led her to one of the armchairs and sat opposite her. Erlina hesitated for a moment, then warily moved slightly behind her mistress.
The rest of them sat back down, as if this was just a normal afternoon tea with the queen. Except there were no teacups and cookies on the table, only random papers with plans and maps. Leliana nonchalantly collected them and put them away.
"We are so happy that you are safe!" she said, smiling innocently. "When we heard the outrageous news that Arl Howe had captured you, we were all so worried. Would you please tell us what happened?"
"Thank you," the queen replied. It was quite impressive how quickly she was regaining her composure. "Arl Howe accused me of treason and imprisoned me in his estate. I sent Erlina to ask Arl Eamon for help."
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I do not understand. What basis would Arl Howe have to accuse you of treason? And why would he imprison you in his own dungeons instead of Fort Drakon?"
"I started to question some of his decisions, and demand explanations for actions of his that had certainly brought him profit but had escalated the conflict in Ferelden and caused more riots and other problems. That sly snake! I got some evidence that he was involved in slave trade, shipping our citizens to Tevinter - but making it look as if it was done on behalf of my father. Could you believe the impudence? My Father! Who loves this country more than his life, more than his - anything in the world!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "However, before I got the chance to present my evidence, he accused me of treason, and imprisoned me in his estate."
Leliana nodded sympathetically. "I see. But surely the Regent would not believe such accusations?"
"I don't know what he told Father; he had me arrested and transferred to his estate while Father was not present at the Palace. I do not think he would believe Howe's lies, but I could not risk it. That is why I sent Erwina to Arl Eamon. I did not know he would turn to the Wardens for help."
As if, Zevran thought. The fact that Eamon supported the Wardens was a well known fact; a shrewd politician like her would not miss it. He was mildly disappointed that she would come up with such a half-baked story. Civilians would perhaps buy it, but bards and assassins? Not a chance.
"We are happy that we could be of service," he said, careful to keep his doubts out of his voice and face. "Since you are here, I assume the Warden Commander's rescue mission was successful. But why isn't he with you?"
Anora fidgeted in her chair. "There were… complications. He indeed succeeded in unlocking the room in which I was being held, and I left with him, undercover. However, as we were leaving the estate, we ran into a group of soldiers. He surrendered himself in order to protect me. The soldiers were going to take us away, but your friend here intervened."
"Oh, isn't she cute!" Morrigan laughed. "Leaving out all the gory details - trying to protect your sensitive souls, no doubt. I, on the other hand, have no such qualms, so let me add a few things. First, there was a magical barrier in front of her door. Airam had to hunt down and kill the mage who put it up - and the Arl, in the process - to bring it down. Unless the maid is an apostate, she could not leave the room by herself.
"Second, when Airam cancelled the barrier and let the queen out, she was already wearing an armour. How thoughtful of Howe to leave a full set, and a weapon in her room, don't you think?
"Third, it was not 'a group of soldiers', it was her daddy's most trusted lieutenant, Ser Cauthrien, who was there with the single intention of arresting the Warden. And when he pointed out the Queen was with him, she threw him to the wolves. She said it was him who abducted her. After which they arrested him for treason."
The Queen paled. "I had no choice! I cannot be certain that Ser Cauthrien does not believe Howe's lies and is still loyal to me."
"If you thought Ser Cauthrien was with Howe, why did you accuse him of abduction?" Erwin asked. "She would've known you were arrested. Surely you didn't think that if she believed you were guilty of treason, she'd buy the story that another enemy of the state was abducting you from your prison. Please. You're far too clever for that. You had to realize this would be added to your charges - so your best option was to stick with the Warden and help him fight. And please don't try to say that the daughter of General Loghain, the lady who fought against giants in West Hills only a few years ago, can't fight."
"Cauthrien was taking you back home to daddy," Morrigan said. "If she were with Howe, she'd have taken you right back to your cell. Or to Fort Drakon."
"But I could not have known that when she was arresting the Warden," Anora protested. "I do not deny I can fight, but the two of us, against Ser Cauthrien and a team of her soldiers? We would have been killed."
"Nonsense," Zevran snapped. "Airam, most likely. But you? No. The worst she'd do is take you back to your cell. But I, like our friend here, I have no such qualms. In fact, I am trying to find a single reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now. And you know what? I can't find it."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Aadishwara muttered.
Anora swallowed. "I… I might be of assistance," she suggested feebly. "If Father put the Warden Commander into Fort Drakon, I could be used as leverage to get him out."
Erwin laughed. "Yes, of course. And then everyone would see that the Wardens are just as evil as Loghain always claimed. Traitors and criminals, not stopping even from abducting the Queen. Ten days before the Landsmeet."
"The Landsmeet!" Aadishwara burst out. "I swear, if something happens to Airam, I will go the Landsmeet. And I'll kill each and every noble asshole there!"
Zevran nodded. "I'll go with you. But there is still time for that. First we should go tear down that fort of theirs. Yes?"
"Alright!" Erwin clapped his hands and got up. "This will be a more difficult operation than the previous one. We need a solid strategy. But first, our guests." He turned to Anora and Erlina. "Since you are not certain the Regent does not believe you're a traitor, we cannot risk your returning to the Palace. Allow me to offer you my protection until the Landsmeet."
"That is very kind of you," Anora said, bowing her head. "However, it is not necessary. I shall-"
"Ah, but we have to insist," Zevran cut in with a feral grin. "Do not worry. You're in good hands here. We'll make sure no one abducts you this time. Yes?"
For some reason, she didn't look reassured. In truth, she looked positively mortified. Good.
Erwin left for a while, then returned with four of his servants, who led the ladies out. "They're mages," he explained, when he saw their questioning look. "Apostates working with the Mage Collective, to be precise. They'll take them to one of the safe houses - just in case her daddy decides to raid this house. Now then. Let's show Loghain why arresting our Air was a bad idea."