The lines of scouts were endless all morning as plans came together for the Inquisition's return to Skyhold. Missions for the dozens of new Orlesian allies Evelyn and Josephine procured during the peace talks flooded in as the morning grew longer. Leliana got little sleep within Gaspard's Villa last night after she and Josie returned alone with escorts. Cullen refused to halt his work, Idalya refused to look her in the eye, and Evelyn made herself at home in the Winter Palace.
She built a makeshift desk out of an old barrel, combing through the massive pile of parchment that kept accumulating through the night. New and enthusiastic partners of the Inquisition, who all had issues they deemed urgent, were awarded priority by Evelyn to prove the Inquisition's commitment to Orlais.
Every missive got ridiculous as she proceeded through the stack: guests insulting food, private trysts with servants, secret bastard children. It was valuable information for a bard, but Leliana and the Inquisition's responsibilities were much greater than minor facets of the Game. Dumping the papers on the top of the barrel, she reached into a side pocket of her plum jacket to pull out a folded piece of parchment, running her fingers over the broken extravagant seal of Starkhaven.
Varric,
I hope when this letter reaches you that the Maker has blessed you with good health after what befell you at Haven. My daily prayers fill with thoughts of your men now resting at the Maker 's side. It was a tragedy that occurred but not surprising the Maker would exert his will against an organization that turned away from his Chantry.
I did not know how to react when I received your letter. After these years, I assumed Corypheus to be a distant point in history. It appears my father's blood magic has once again corrupted and murdered the innocent. Night after night, I kneel in prayer to the Maker to right the evil my father took part in. The Maker's voice has remained silent as many in Thedas flaunt his words and teachings. I believe his back is turned to his children.
This breach you describe is an affront to all Andrastians. It is our responsibility as Corypheus ' liberators, to return him to the Fade. All unchecked magic, allowed to simmer and corrupt, will explode and destroy the world. This was the deplorable lesson I learned from Anders. We must march against these Venatori and Templar abominations as Andraste once marched against the Imperium.
Against the wishes of my husband, I reached out to contacts in Kirkwall and discovered large procurements of magical items of great power. Used together these items would cause a catastrophe of an unimaginable kind. The travel of the blasphemer items appears tied to a Trevinter man by the name of Erimond. Along with those items he appears to have collected one more thing: Varric- I have located the Grey Wardens. They are in the Western Approach and we need to know why they're there. There are reports of massive swells of magic coming from the desert. We must know why.
I am not sure what to believe about your 'Herald of Andraste'. If you follow the Maker's words and steps, we must be his guiding hands to stop this insanity and save Thedas once and for all.
I am on my way to your Skyhold immediately.
-Marion Hawke Vael
The Spymaster exhaled, her breath harsh from her sore and throbbing lungs. Her eyes retraced over the words to discern a secret meaning. The discovered Wardens were a relief, but it meant now they would discover why they disappeared. Having Marion Hawke involved now added another complication to the growing list.
When she and Cassandra were desperate to have someone lead the Inquisition, they traveled to Starkhaven. The Vael's declared the Left and the Right Hand of the Divine entering Starkhaven to recruit their queen as an act of war. Cassandra had gone as far as kidnapping Varric and dragging him to the Conclave hoping Marion would follow so they could state their argument. Hawke hadn't taken the bait. Varric had told the Seeker, as much, as she lugged him from Kirkwall with their newly recruited Commander in tow.
Marion's guilt over Anders' actions in Kirkwall clouded her beliefs on magic and the outside world. She spent time after Kirkwall, hidden inside her castle, funneling money into the repairs for areas Anders destroyed in his fury. Varric accepted her money and their secret partnership to repair Kirkwall was a fruitful one. No one questioned how the meager writer came up with funds for the city.
People were so desperate that no one dared question free money even if the coins had the crest of Starkhaven imprinted on the copper. Cassandra was furious that Marion chose now of all times to come to their aid. She ignored them at a critical time. Leliana saw Cassandra's mind wrestling with the thought that Marion accepting their invitation could have somehow prevented the Divine's death.
The Spymaster was so lost as she stood next to the empty barrel in silence. In the same night as Evelyn's betrayal, she'd almost died by the hand of a mage she hadn't seen in a decade. After her confrontations with Morrigan and Evelyn, Leliana lost it when Dal volunteered to head out to the Western Approach with Marion. It would remove her from the protective umbrella of the Inquisition, which under Evelyn's leadership might not be that secure. But Leliana knew great harm would come by Marion's hand if she discovered who Idalya was. She was not the type to take anything she considered an abomination lightly after her experience with Anders.
Dal's fury had cut her to the core, even if it wasn't unexpected. The girl struggled daily, and it was only a matter of time before her anger spilled out into Skyhold. She did not begrudge the Warden her anger, she earned it. Though the answer to how to address her friend's immense anger was not clear. Having Idalya alive was good for Thedas and the Inquisition, but the Spymaster wasn't expecting the crippling loneliness her guilt instilled in her soul.
She only heard the elf's footsteps as he was upon her. She cast her eyes up, shocked by the creased lines of worry etched into Solas' face.
"Nightingale." He addressed her. "A moment of your time?"
Leliana didn't need to ask what he wanted to speak about. Idalya. She carried the same weight on her features as she worried for the young Warden. She tucked her parchments beneath a weary arm, then followed the mage towards the forest line. Dried leafs cracked and snapped under her boots as they pushed their way through the dense foliage. At a small clearing in the forest, the mage stopped turning to face her, his concern growing.
"I need to ask something about Idalya. I need an honest answer to help her."
Leliana was cringing in her sore chest as she poured over all the questions she could not answer for the elf. Her face was blank as she refused to let him see her sweat.
"What was the Warden's mental state like before she died?"
That was expected. She felt her features fall as the truth Solas presumed showed through her expression against her will. The edges of her eyes burned as tears threatened to swell up and escape. The mage sighed, his hand rubbing roughly against the top of his bald head.
The Spymaster took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "What's wrong?" This was her fear since she heard Idalya scream as the magic poured life back into her skeleton. It was one thing to bring a body back to life, but completely another to bring someone's soul and emotions back into the waking world.
Solas hesitated as he watched the Spymaster's body language go from blank to frayed. "The events in Halamshiral have affected the girl profoundly. I have concerns about her being able to continue serving her purpose."
Only a fool would miss the level of affection the mage had developed for the lost Warden. At first, she found herself jealous of the mysterious mage. After watching him step out to protect and assist Dal, Leliana accepted that Solas would never harm her. Dal always found comfort in her teachers whether her mother or Duncan. She understood the heartache that following and assisting the Warden was and she didn't envy Solas as he tried to speak of her struggles unbiased.
"This doesn't leave here." She waited until the mage nodded in agreement. "She was broken. By the time she faced the Archdemon, she'd lost everything and gained nothing in return. Years after holding her lifeless body, I still couldn't see the truth staring me in the face. It wasn't until I saw her living and breathing once more that I understood- she wanted to die." She inhaled far into her chest cavity as her heart pounded.
"I always assumed it was an accident. She took the blow because she saw the opening and didn't hesitate. I am older now. That day played out the way she planned it. We lived another day while she and Archdemon were laid to rest. She ended the demon and her suffering with one final strike of her sword."
Solas' face was expressionless as he listened to the first honest thing the Spymaster had shared about the Warden.
She couldn't distract herself by his reaction. "She had... nightmares. That's how the Wardens know it's a Blight is through their dreams. The other Warden traveling with us would wake frightened, but it was nothing like hers. Her screams echoed through the camp, hysterical that the Archdemon was coming for her. We'd pack camp and leave with haste to ease her mind that the darkspawn weren't hunting her down."
Leliana wiped a stray tear from her cheek as she struggled to keep her voice steady. "I failed her. We all failed her. She was so young, and we looked to her for everything, Solas. She never complained, never said no. She kept giving more of herself until her body was lifeless on the charred ground. None of us realized how much we cared and needed her until it was too late. She decided to die without consulting us because that is the responsibility we handed to her. We convinced ourselves she was invincible and the Archdemon would fall over dead at her feet like magic. She never forgot she was mortal though. She knew the cost of failure."
Speaking pained her, Evelyn's betrayal spinning her far harder than expected. To force open these gates to allow her guilt and grief to flood her spirit might be enough to break her. Solas' shoulders slumped as she'd talked, the weight of her words affecting him more than he expected. The affirmation that the Warden wasn't stable before her death could be helpful for the elf. They both needed to acknowledge that her current condition might keep deteriorating.
"It is, as I feared." His voice was far away, speaking from another time. "Do you think she expects to die while fighting the Archdemon?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation from the Spymaster.
"We must find her a reason to live." There was no disagreement on that point. Both wanted her to live, needed her to survive their final fight.
"Does she know?" Leliana was avoiding the question. It should have been her to speak to Idalya. After their last words to each other, she couldn't handle facing the Warden and voice the apologies that words were inadequate for before breaking her heart.
"Yes, she knows. She did not take it… well." The mage looked frustrated. "What is Inquisitor's plan?"
"As far as I can tell, it is to punish Dal while showing her power. If she has her way, Knight-Captain Barris will never step foot in Skyhold again."
Leliana awoke early that morning to a flurry of activity in the Gaspard's villa. Dressed in her hooded jacket, she exited her room, her quiet footsteps turning to soft thuds on the wood as her pace broke to a run. Around the corner, she found most the Inquisition's Templar at ease outside the front doors in full armor. Evelyn wore a thin dressing gown with a fur-lined coat wrapped around her. Hair flowing in the surrounding breeze.
She stood next to Ser Barris as she barked out orders to the Templars. The Spymaster observed that the Commander, nor Ambassador was nowhere in the vicinity as the Inquisitor carried out her orders. On her words, the Templar turned and marched towards the main highway away from camp.
"What's happening? Is it the Venatori?" How could the Inquisitor issue orders like this without consulting her advisers?
"Oh, it's you." Evelyn seemed confused. "I presumed you were Cullen come to judge my actions, again." She blew air out of her nose in frustration. "I realized the Inquisition wasn't using our Templar resources when much of Orlais desperately needs their help. The Knight-Captain will lead a group across the country as they show others the value of the Inquisition in keeping the peace."
"You mean, flex your power at them." The Spymaster was furious. How dare she sendoff resources without her knowledge?
"Same thing." Evelyn shrugged as she watched the Templar shrink in the distance. "Plus, keeping them holed up in Skyhold is a distraction for those who have more important things to worry about in these chaotic times."
Leliana was seconds from exploding. The Inquisitor wasn't blind to the devotion the young elf had earned from those who lived in Skyhold. Unable to phrase words, she stormed off back into the villa to wake Josephine, so they could argue over who would inform Cullen.
Her eyes focused as she watched the elf who looked defeated from the info she shared about her closest friend. "I don't know what Evelyn's plans are, but I can tell you Barris and Idalya are in great danger if we don't follow through with what she demands." She shook her head, a rare moment of vulnerability shifting over her. "I don't know how we will run everything without Evelyn."
Solas creased his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
"Evelyn. She's staying with Gaspard in Orlais."
The mage's eyes flared to life as his anger was plain. "She has the mark, the only one who can close the rifts… She can't stay here!"
"Cullen, Josie, Cassandra, and I tried to argue those points with her last night, but she will not listen. We must find some way to carry on without our soldiers and allies growing suspicious though we already have deserters from our Ferelden ranks. Turns out our soldiers aren't interested in fighting their own countrymen on the orders of an Orlesian. Corypheus must be our priority, we must destroy him, and we must do whatever it takes to make sure it happens. Even if Evelyn is not part."
A billowing cloud of crackling magic formed around Solas as his breathing grew labored. In the blink of an eye, the mage fade stepped away and disappeared from the clearing in the wood. This was ridiculous. Everything was complete insanity and if she left the world spin away from her, she'd fall from the side.
Today was a new day in the Inquisition. The camps were packed, and it was time to make the march home to the new future Evelyn set in motion as she watched the blade slide into Celene. She worked her way out of the woods as the soldiers trekked by, the Commander's biting commands echoing across the field.
As much as things changed, their chance of victory might be born from what stayed the same.