Hello to Aragaurn and Oleander's One! Thanks for reading! :D As always, thank you so much to those that take the time to review and follow the story. It really means a lot to me.
Just a short chapter this time, I just thought it ended naturally as I was writing.
Nug Pancakes is the property of Bioware.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The Keepers decided unanimously that Cori's predicament presented rather a good excuse to get drunk. Varel and Thibault brought up several bottles of ale and wine from the cellar, while Anders, Cori and Nate brought plate upon plate of food to one of the dining tables. Oghren went up to his room to fetch a few of his speciality brews.
They had been drinking long and hard when Anders proposed a toast. "To Bann Esmerelle! Maker help her, because when Cori gets hold of her, she'll rip her head off and shit down her neck!"
"Hear hear!" The rest of the Keepers cried.
Sigrun was officially inducted into the Keepers, and expressed an interest in becoming a Grey Warden to Cori. Cori told her to approach Nate when she was sober.
Oghren launched into his usual repertoire of drinking songs. "No, no, no!" cried Sigrun. "They'll never remember them! Let's start off with something simple!"
"Nug sits in the mud. Nug wiggles his ears. You catch the Nug, he slips away! Nug gets to live another day!
Nug sits in the mud. Nug wiggles his toes. You hook the Nug, he slips away! Now the Nug runs off to play!
Nug sits in the mud. Nug wiggles his nose. You tickle the Nug, he laughs away! Now the Nug sits on my plate!"
"Psssht!" mumbled Oghren incoherently. "Children's rhymes!"
"You tickle the Nug, he laughs away! Now the Nug sits on my plate!" Anders continued to sing, giggling uncontrollably.
"Exactly!" slurred Cori, pointing at Anders, to which they all laughed in agreement.
After draining most of the wine, ale and Oghren's lethal Legacy White Shear, the Keepers decided to call it a night. Justice, the only sober one amongst them, bade them goodnight and went up to his room.
For the rest of them, merely rising from their chairs presented a logistical challenge. In lieu of an intelligent solution, they decided to sleep at the table, and folded their arms to rest their heads upon.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Sometime during the night, the doors to the dining hall were rudely and loudly pushed open. A few of the Keepers stirred.
One of the Keep soldiers, used to the sight of Wardens passed out on the dining table, addressed Varel. "Is the Arlessa here, Seneschal?"
"She's here somewhere…" he mumbled.
Nate, who was awake, shook Cori's shoulder. Cori mumbled then giggled. "Heh, heh. Come closer, sexy…I have a little something for you, big boy…!"
Nate cringed and whispered in her ear. "We're not alone, my love. But I appreciate everybody knowing I'm a big boy!"
Cori snapped awake. "Oh! Erm…" she tried to focus on the two soldiers standing at the end of the table. They were both smiling and blushing. Then, as her vision resolved, she realised there was only one.
"Yes, Godric?" she asked, with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Forgive me for waking you, Your Grace, but Captain Aiden is here with a prisoner. He is asking to see you urgently."
"A prisoner?" asked Cori.
"Yes, Your Grace," replied Godric. "It is Bann Esmerelle."
"Yes!" cried Anders. "Don't start without me! I'm going for a piss." He pushed himself up by his elbows and lurched out of the room.
Cori addressed Godric. "Erm…will you give us 5 minutes to…prepare ourselves? Then send them in to the main hall. Thank you."
"Of course." Godric bowed and exited, closing the doors.
Nate helped Cori to her feet. "We'll need you too, Varel," said Cori. He groaned and pushed himself up. "Try your best to look officious."
The Keepers trudged next door to the main hall. It was in darkness. Cori lit the braziers with a Flame Blast. She, Nate and Varel headed for the dais at the head of the room, and stood there, trying their best to look severe. Anders returned, looking very excited - as were Sigrun and Oghren.
Godric was merciful and gave them 15 minutes. Captain Aiden and some of his men entered the hall, bowing as they approached. Bann Esmerelle was pushed along by one of the soldiers. Her hands were bound behind her back. She glared murderously at Cori. Cori smiled cockily and winked at her.
Captain Aiden addressed Cori. "Arlessa, forgive this interruption at such a late hour, but I thought you would want to deal with this matter immediately."
"It's quite alright, Captain," she replied. "In fact, I commend your actions. Please tell us of your findings."
Aiden bowed. "Lord Guy and Lady Packton, after intensive questioning, confessed to their involvement in the plot against you, Arlessa, and implicated Esmerelle as the ringleader, as I had suspected. My men and I raided her estate and arrested her. She has not yet confessed, but we found damning evidence against her.
A diary, containing details of your movements, written in her hand. Several phials of arsenic and belladonna, which were kept in a Valise also containing clothing. Under questioning, her lady-in-waiting told us she had packed the Valise for Esmerelle's trip to Vigil's Keep next week. However, she denied knowledge of the phials. It is unlikely a servant would have the means to acquire such items.
We also found a diary containing the movements of Warden-Commander Howe. I surmise that based on this evidence, she meant to assassinate both of you."
Varel stepped forward. "Bann Esmerelle, any attempt or plot to assassinate an Arl or Arlessa constitutes High Treason." He turned to Cori. "Arlessa, the right of high justice is yours. She may be put to death."
"Oh, no," replied Cori, walking towards Esmerelle. "She's not getting off that easily. Bann Esmerelle, for conspiracy to murder your Arlessa and the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, I sentence you to life imprisonment in the lower dungeons of Denerim Prison. Never again will you see daylight."
A sound like a cracking whip reverberated around the hall as Cori delivered a vicious back-hand to Esmerelle's face. Everybody gasped.
"That," growled Cori, "is for all of the victims of your past indiscretions, and for having the temerity to think you could outwit the Grey Wardens of Amaranthine!"
Captain Aiden sneered at Esmerelle, satisfied that at last justice would be done upon this evil woman.
Cori called over two of the Keep's soldiers. "Throw her in the dungeon for the night," she commanded. "I think Nate's old cell would be appropriate, don't you, dear?" she asked, turning towards Nate. He nodded, a wicked smile on his lips.
Cori then addressed Aiden. "Captain," she bowed, "once again I am in your debt. I insist that you and your men spend the night at the Keep after your exhausting investigation. We have plenty of beds to spare."
Aiden and his men accepted gratefully.
As the soldiers led Esmerelle away, Cori walked up to her and stood in front of her. "One more thing, Esmerelle. This is for making me think my sex life would be ruined by having to sleep in the Keep for Maker knows how long!" Another vicious blow connected. "Take her away!"
Oghren sidled up to Nate, now confident he could make suggestive comments without being struck. "One night without, and she goes insane, huh?"
"A few hours without, actually, Oghren. Yes, I'm a lucky man indeed."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The next morning after breakfast, Aiden and his men took Esmerelle directly to Denerim. The tired and emotional Keepers piled into what was now Varel and Nate's office, although Cori occasionally borrowed their desks.
"Welcome to my first meeting," grinned Nate. The Keepers applauded.
He continued. "Now that all this nonsense with the nobles is resolved, we can crack on and do what we're supposed to do. We're going to the Wending Wood. Cori has heard reports of several wagons being ambushed on the main trade routes to Denerim, and also reports that darkspawn are involved.
It'll take around 2 days and nights to get there, but the weather should be fair, so we should be able to pack fairly lightly. I would like to set out at around noon, if there are no objections?"
There were none. Sigrun raised her hand. Nate laughed. "You don't need to do that, Sigrun. Just ask."
"Well, Commander, I have spoken to Cori about the possibility of becoming a Grey Warden. She said I should take it up with you."
Nate looked at her evenly. "Did she warn you of the risks?"
"Risks? No."
"I didn't want to step on your shoes, Nate." Cori smiled.
He smiled back, then his expression became more serious. "Sigrun, to become a Grey Warden, you must undertake a ritual. There is a chance you will not survive it."
Sigrun frowned. "Oh. How much of a chance?"
Nate shrugged. "It's hard to say. Some people succeed, and some don't. There are official records kept, at Weisshaupt, and I suppose I could request a copy. But it would take a month or two for it to reach us, assuming they even reply in the first place."
Sigrun looked thoughtful. "What is this ritual? What happens?"
"I'm sorry, Sigrun, but I can't tell you that," replied Nate.
"May I think about this?"
Nate nodded. "Of course. In fact, I would prefer that you did, rather than making a rash decision. Perhaps while we are away you can think about it. But you may give me your decision whenever you like."
"Alright," nodded Sigrun. "Thank you."
"One more thing," said Nate. "Anders, before you begin packing, I'd like to speak to you…about that problem you were having."
Anders raised his eyebrows and nodded. Cori was dying to ask what the problem was, then thought that maybe it was a 'man thing' and thought better of it.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Cori, feeling slightly ashamed, but justifying to herself that she was doing it out of concern for her friends, peered out of a window, spying on Nate and Anders, who were talking outside. Her interest was piqued even further when Justice joined them, who began talking to Anders.
An awe-struck expression came over Anders' face, then he beamed and hugged Justice and Nate, before punching the air in triumph.
That's how Nate reacted when he hugged Justice that time, mused Cori. What is going on between them?
She had no more time to think on this, as she had to go and pack. She and the rest of the Keepers met at the gate at noon, and began the long trek to The Wending Wood.