Chapter 37: Court Life
"Send this off to the Nightingale, immediately."
The Inquisition agent bowed his head as he took the letter; his empty hand went to his heart.
"As you command, Holy Sister," he said before executing a smart military turn and heading out into the hall.
Natalya Song smiled slightly. She had come to enjoy the reverence that the common soldiers showed her, and it did not stop there. She had become…something of a minor celebrity here in the capital. The nobles and merchants that frequented the corridors of power were understandably curious about the Inquisition and its Herald. She had already attended three salons in her honor as the ruling class of Ferelden tried to understand what was happening in the south. In these places, she applied her bardic talents well, she told tales of her brother's victories in the Hinterlands. How it was through his just leadership that their fledging organization was restoring peace, protecting the small folk, and waging a successful war against the Breach and the fade rifts that opened in its wake.
For that was her endgame after all, her uncle's words returned to her, how no one would take the Inquisition seriously until it had a strong leader at its head, she could not agree more. When the time came, and it would, to choose an Inquisitor, she intended to put her brother forward, and winning over the hearts and minds of the people was the first step in accomplishing that goal. After all, he was not only the Herald, with power over the rifts, he was a seasoned battle commander, and a proven leader, his defeats during the mage rebellion did not take away from that, the fact that he survived those setbacks were proof enough that he was the most logical candidate to rule, and where her brother went, she would not be far behind.
She knew what it took to make a man powerful, she had seen it in her lord father and his allies, and she knew how to serve powerful men. When the time came, she would serve her brother well.
Of course it was not all parties, sunshine, and rainbows. Civilization was nice with its parties and hot baths, but it was also the home of the darkest of shadows. As the eyes and ears of the Inquisition to the royal court in Denerim, she was now likely the only thing keeping the Ferelden nobles off the Inquisition's back. Their organization was doing what it could to put an end to the chaos caused by the wars and the breach, but that did not mean that they were safe. Chaos provided opportunity, and it set off plots and scheming. It was now her job to make sure the schemes did not get put into motion, and make sure that none of them bore fruit. She and Binder had already stopped two assassination attempts, the Nightingale's network here was impressive, and between her own skills and Binder's, both the assassins and the plotters had been dealt with. Yet with each victory, the job was becoming more dangerous, more dangerous, and becoming increasingly more difficult every day, especially now that Arl Teagan was now actively seeking allies to help him regain his home.
The Tevinter arrival in Redcliffe could not have come at a worse time, she realized. When the Inquisition had reached out to the mages it had looked like they were reaching out to Tevinter as well. The chantry mothers were now crying foul, and the more-faithful of the leadership was listening. She had Binder keeping an eye on them, especially the mother who had verbally attacked her when she had first arrived, but even someone as skilled as the Nightingale's agent could not keep an eye on everyone at once.
Song steepled her finger before her face, her brow furrowed in thought. Any joy she might have had being back in civilization was muted by the troubles that swirled around her. The Inquisition's position was not as secure as she would have preferred it to be. The breach remained, and with the Tevinters now actively working in Redcliffe, the situation was grim.
She had sent off several messages to her brother, advising him on what was going on, and her advice on how to deal with it. She also wrote to her cousins, eager to get their take on the situation. It never hurt to have an extra set of eyes, having three pairs was better still, She knew that Leliana would be reading those letters first, but there was a chance that something might slip through, a piece of information those in the Inquisition leadership did not want her to know. She knew that she was not necessarily trusted, and that distrust made people suspicious. Her cousins were hopefully even now making friends, friends that would not realize that they were still openly corresponding with her. Any affection that the three could gain among the Inquisition was useful; it would allow her to see more than she could on her own.
The thought made her smile slightly.
She had made a mistake when she had first come here, she realized that now. She had been hoping to recruit an already established Trevelyan to her side. Uncle Van would have made a powerful ally, but like most of the lords and merchants here in Denerim he had a stake in seeing things remain as they were. He had no interest in rocking the boat, so to speak. She now believed that she should have gone after the younger members of the family from the start, those with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The idealism of youth was necessary; it helped bring about swift change. She had already sent off several letters to cousins in the Trevelyan family. The young men and women in their extended family might welcome the challenges the Inquisition had to offered, they were likely no different than the three she had recruited here, all with their own motivations. Byron wanted glory, and to make a name for himself. Evelyn wanted revenge for the slights she had suffered in the circle. She had no love for the Templars or her own people, which made her a useful ally should the mages prove unreasonable and unwilling to work with them. She would not complain overmuch if they turned to the Templars to help seal the breach. Rhaena was…
She chuckled to herself.
Rhaena was smart, that was obvious, and useful, but she was also a scandal waiting to happen. The girl's curiosity and playful attitude would make her many friends and admirers. She was also quite beautiful, which was useful in itself. Knights and lords would bend over backwards to win her favor. Her naivety and innocence could cause problems later if some of the lordlings within the Inquisition started fighting over her. She had warned Nicholai about that in her first letter, hopefully her brother would find a good place for their sweet little cousin within the Inquisition ranks, a place where she could serve, and not cause too many problems; a place where she might here things, things that she could pass on to her beloved cousin, Natalya.
She sighed and looked out the window of her room. The King and Queen had been generous. They had offered her full diplomatic protection and quarters. The palace had also provided her with the means to finally make secure contact Ostwick, and her lord Father. She had sent off two letters, one to Bann Pieter, explaining the failure of her original mission, and the second to her lover, Ser Oliver Pentaghast. What her father's reaction to all this would be, she truly could not say. She hoped that he would come to see the value in supporting the Inquisition; the Bann was a smart man, a man who knew a good opportunity when he saw it. He had taken a chance on supporting the Hawke family's rise almost ten years ago, and had profited greatly from it. She hoped he would be as open minded here.
Yet, so far, she had received no reply, no angry rebuke about finishing her mission, or praise for finding a way out of it. That silence was disturbing to be sure, but not so disturbing as the silence she was receiving from her lover.
She had written Oliver twice in the last year, and he had written her back once. The letter had been full of flowery declarations of love and a desire to have her back in his arms again. She had read that letter several times while on the hunt, and it had been the perfect motivator to keep herself going.
She felt worry begin to nag at her. They had made so many plans together, why would he not respond to her now, especially after everything she had done for him in the past. Her elimination of several troublesome family members had put them in a far better position to ascend to the throne, once King Markus died. She had hoped that he, above all others, would understand what she was trying to do in the Inquisition. If Nicholai sealed the breach, and she shared in the spoils of that victory, their future together would no longer be in doubt. Even if father did not recognize her as his true born daughter, what noble family could possibly refuse having the Holy sister of the Herald of Andraste as one of their members? Why would they not wish her to join?
Yet…her beloved remained silent…why?
Did he not understand that she was doing this for them, for the future that they would have together? She had gotten a taste of what the royal life was like recently, it had only whetted her appetite for more.
The king and queen had invited her to sup with them. It was the kind of invitation only a fool would refuse. After their initial conversation at the memorial of the Fifth Blight, Queen Allegra had grown more open to her being here. She likely still did not trust her, but she was at least willing to believe that the Inquisition was not working with the Tevinters.
She had gotten the queen's attention, now she had to reassure the king, make sure that he understood that the Inquisition was not an enemy.
She had been brought to the royal apartments, rather than one of the palace's many dining halls, this of course suggested that the king wished to speak with her alone, it a more personal setting with fewer prying eyes, she took that as a good sign.
She arrived to find something that most in Ferelden rarely saw. Most would expect the king and queen to live in blissful luxury, gold and silver plated furniture, adorned with the finest silks and furs. Alistair and Allegra's home while no peasants' hovel and a…lived in feel, she could sense that this was indeed the place the two had spent their time together and had done so for the last seven or eight years of their marriage. She could certainly see the appeal, she did not feel as…on guard as she had as she stood before the royal court. Here she could talk and know that she would be listened to; this was not the place for lies. This was not a place to impress the nobles, it was a sanctuary where the king and queen could relax and be together. Comfortable well-worn chairs, a shelf of books, some of them looking a bit ragged but still well cared for. The plates and goblets that they drank from, were nicer than most, but were clearly meant for use not show, she noted that the king's cup was slightly chipped on one side, yet he claimed to prefer that above all the others.
The memory made her smile.
King Alistair had a humble sense of humor, and was not above making jokes about himself. Most of these she believed to entertain his wife, and remind her of exactly who she had married. Outside these rooms, Alistair was a hero of the Blight, and a colossus among men, here he could be just a simple man, a friend to his wife, her lover, and father to her children…
…Children that joined them shortly after she had arrived.
The arrival of the Theirin children impressed her most of all. Most nobles chose to live apart from their progeny, let them be raised by governesses and nursemaids. From the way the children reacted to their parents, it was clear that the king and queen chose to keep their family close, and put it first.
The sight made something stir in Natalya's breast, her maternal instincts awakening, perhaps, a longing for a royal family of her own. The children she would one day have with Oliver, she was still young, and would be able to give him many heirs when the time came.
She hoped that her union would be as fruitful as Alistair's was with his Allegra.
There were five of them in all. The oldest Prince Duncan looked about eight or nine, which made sense since he had been born during the first year of their marriage. Prince Anthony, the second born, shared many features of his father and elder brother, both of the prince's looked like Alistair, the only exception being that their hair was far redder than the king's, the result of their mother's blood of course. Princess Cassie, age seven, and the eldest daughter curtseyed before Song, a curtsey that the bard returned, very polite this one was, and even at such a young age considered very devout. These were the three children that most of Ferelden were most familiar with, and had been most pleased with their births. King Maric had only produced one child with his Queen Rowan, and then after the fruitless reign of King Cailan and Anora MacTir, the people had welcomed the arrival of royal heirs into the palace once more.
The youngest of the siblings Princess Portia, age three, and Prince Eamon, age two, had been born after the period that most Fereldans referred to as the troubled times. Alistair had left the kingdom for almost a year, searching for his father, who at the time, had been believed to have been found alive. Queen Allegra had ruled during this period as queen regent, with their friend Warden Alim Surana acting as protector of the realm, and Chancellor Eamon Guerein advising her. The main source of the troubles had come during an event known as the Crowned Mabari Rebellion. King Alistair had always had enemies, but his popularity with the people had protected him. Some had seen opportunity in the king's leaving the country, despite her warden protector. Those enemies found a leader in the year 9:37 Dragon.
A pretender, calling himself Maric the Younger had come to Ferelden with his family from Orlais. Despite his Orlesian blood, he quickly found allies in King Alistair's enemies. He claimed to have been the grandchild of the late King Brandol, along with his teenaged sons and daughter, and almost four hundred swords at his back, these men and women, known as the Crowned Mabari mercenary company had made a lot of trouble for Queen Allegra and her family. Even going so far as plotting to overthrow Alistair and put Maric the Younger on the Ferelden throne. These troubles had persisted for quite some time, the Crowned Mabari were dangerous, especially the false Maric's younger boy, Vickon, many a tale and song was written of Vickon, also known as "Vickon the Violent's" plots and schemes against Alim Surana and his friends. Schemes that were finally ended by the returning King Alistair and his warden elf friend, along with the mad prince's life.
But it was not the past that Song had come here to discuss; it was to win the future. She drank politely with the king and did her best to answer his questions. After dinner, and after the queen and led her children off to bed. The king asked Song to join him for a more private discussion in his study. It was during this meeting that he informed her that he intended to aid his Uncle Arl Teagan in reclaiming Redcliffe from the mages. He now believed that Grand Enchanter Fiona had lied to him.
The king intended to see the mages answer for what they had done.
He said he offered this news as a courtesy, he saw the good works the Inquisition was doing, and he had no desire to see their reputation harmed by supporting the wrong side in what was to come.
Natalya had smiled and thanked him for his concern, even though her mind was now spinning like a whirlwind.
She was not sure what Nicholai was planning to do about the mages, but she now knew they were running out of time, it would take a bit for the king to gather his forces and march on Redcliffe, but when he did…
That night Natalya had composed an emergency letter, the same one that had just left with Binder.
Despite the pleasures of the capital, Natalya cursed silently to herself. She hated the fact that she was so far from the Inquisition leadership. Whatever happened with the mages, she was determined to return to Haven and her brother's side, let Montilyet find someone else to whisper in the king's ear.
History was on the move…
…And she would be damned if she would be left behind.
One thing was certain, she would be returning to her brother's side…
…This…she swore.