No joke, yeah, these chapters are getting longer and longer! Ugh.
The Day Before
Lenny sighed heavily as he threw the ball into the wall yet again, waiting for it to bounce back to him before catching it and throwing it once more. It was one of the few things he had left from his childhood: a leathery red ball with messy black stitching that might have been a gift from his parents, if he could remember much of them.
It had been a week now since the Commander had met and spoken with the Architect, a week of planning and preparations, a week of hard work, finally drawing to a close, for tomorrow they would attack the Mother's lair.
Lenny and Olivia had been tasked with receiving a shipment due in at the docks today, but it was late and they had been left in one of the outbuildings along the docks to wait where it wasn't quite as cold as the weather outside. All week it had been cold and the work hard; with so much to do, they had barely had a minute to catch their breath. He wasn't actually sure what to do with the spare time they had been given now, hence the ball throwing.
"Len, please," Olivia spoke softly, as she rubbed her temples.
"Sorry, love." He caught the ball and placed it down on the rough wooden floorboards next to his leg. "Headache? he asked, as he tilted his head slightly, watching the weariness on her face.
"I'll be okay, it's just the cold," she said with a reassuring smile, as she pulled her cloak closer to her face, wrapping herself up in it.
"You think we'll be w-waiting here much longer?"
"I hope not," she replied, shivering a little. "I'm not even sure why the Commander couldn't have sent others to pick up this shipment instead of us."
"She trusts us. And the Qunari don't w-want this poison falling into the wrong hands," Lenny answered as he leaned his head back against the wall.
"I suppose. And it is good to be away from all of the crazy elves. Neri and Velanna are just…" She sighed. "All week I've had to listen to Neri screaming at the soldiers as she flings spells at them, while I was trying to make sure the gates and walls are ready for a potential attack, and if I so much as look at Velanna she gets suspicious and starts questioning me."
Lenny chuckled. "Velanna is… not so bad once you get past the h-hostile exterior. She can be s-surprisingly sweet. As for Neri… well, she was t-tasked to do that by the Commander, and she isn't the craziest elf I've ever m-met."
Olivia arched a brow at him. "I find that hard to believe, but do tell."
"There was an elf in the Alienage I grew up in," he started, rubbing his hands on his legs to warm them up. "Her name was Aena." He looked up at his wife with a sad smile. "She was one of the f-few elves that didn't bully me. She, too, was quiet and kept to herself. She apparently h-had a Dalish parent, but they had abandoned her and so she had ended up in the city with her other parent. She was always a little s-strange; she believed so strongly in the Elven Gods, always muttering about them, telling others in the Alienage that they spoke to her, that s-she was immortal. Nobody believed her, and they all thought her m-mad. Perhaps she was." He stared down at his lap, chewing his lip slightly.
"One day, she c-climbed the Vhenadahl, right to the highest branches, and then just... jumped. I w-will never forget the look on her face. She was smiling. Almost smugly, so certain that she would li-live. She didn't make a single sound on her way down. I… I can still hear the sound of her body shattering as she hit the g-ground." He shuddered.
Olivia sat forward in her chair, her face crumpling with grief. "I'm so sorry, that's horrible."
"It was." He sighed. "She n-needed help; instead they b-bullied her and told her to leave. It's why I left for the Chantry, actually. I remember thinking t-that the Creators were c-cruel; I had hoped that the Maker would prove to b-be more forgiving. I was wrong, and that is how I ended up a Warden."
"I never knew that," Olivia replied softly.
He nodded thoughtfully. "Despite Aena's a-apparent craziness, she was the sweetest elf in the Alienage. She u-used to bring me flowers when I was sad. Which was often," he admitted with a weak smile. "Looking back o-on it, I think she might have been a mage, and that there were d-demons whispering to her. I guess we'll never know now though.
"My point is, love," he looked Olivia in the eye, holding her gaze, because he could with her, "that even though you think Neri is dangerous and crazy, she is still a g-good person underneath. You should give her a chance."
"I… don't know if I can."
"Try, ma vhenan."
"You know my past, Len. I want to believe you, I want to see what you can see, but every time I see her, I see her smiling over that ogre corpse. I see her standing stone-faced as you lay dying at her feet…"
"Do you know what I s-see when I look at her?"
Olivia shook her head.
"She smiles, she laughs louder than most h-here, but it's to hide the hurt. She has been through so much, ma vhenan. She g-grew up a sheltered Circle mage who suffered h-horrible abuse, got thrown into the Wardens during a-a Blight. She did what she thought was best in a t-terrible situation. I'm not saying she hasn't made m-mistakes, but her motives were not wrong. She is good."
"I know what she's been through… And I know I've overreacted at times, I just-"
"Try? She is our sister, like it or n-not. You may have to count on her someday s-soon, or her you."
"I'll try," she said quietly as she hugged herself close again.
He got to his feet and came to stand between her legs. He cupped her face and she leaned into him, those dark brown eyes of hers staring up at him, full of warmth and adoration. He tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, smiling softly down at her. "Ma'arlath," he whispered.
"I love you too, Len," she said, with a smile just turning the corners of her lips. He leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss, missing the way she tasted of honey and smelled of lavender. All week they had been too busy to spend any time together, and suddenly he welcomed the boring wait for the cargo to arrive.
…
Sigrun repeated the motion of running her whet stone along the curve of her axe, removing the dents along her prized weapon. She had spent much of the day cleaning and making sure all of the weapons in the armoury were ready. The Commander feared an attack on the Keep, and with good reason; these intelligent darkspawn were unlikely to sit idly by while the Wardens killed them all.
Maintaining weapons like this reminded her of her days in the Legion. Down there you only really had the one good weapon; anything happened to it and you had to use whatever the darkspawn had on them, often rusted old swords, half broken and brittle with age. She'd had this little axe ever since she left for the Legion, and it had served her well.
Oghren was opposite her, testing out all of the armoury's battle-axes. He kept swinging them around, clearly a display meant to impress her. And maybe it did a little bit; he was strong. But she didn't have to tell him that. He still stank like stale vomit, after all.
She dragged the stone back up her blade before checking it in the candle light, a smile lighting her face when she saw that it was perfect, pristine even.
"Heh. You're pretty good at that," Oghren said, his voice deep and gruff, a clear attempt to flirt, yet again.
"You're going to turn it into another innuendo, aren't you?"
"You could whet my sword any day, woman," he said before snickering.
She sighed. "Fine, Oghren. You win. Take me. Take me now."
He stared at her, slack-jawed. "Er…"
"Why the hesitation? I want a big helping of that secret recipe of Oghren's. Served hot."
"Uhh…"
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What? I grew up in the slums of Dust Town. You think I haven't had my fair share of dusters?"
His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words formed on his lips.
She grinned. "I knew it. You're all talk, Oghren. Deep down, you're scared of women."
He huffed and glared at her, but still couldn't form a reply.
"It's a pity, I was just starting to warm up to you, too," she said nonchalantly as she very meaningfully whetted her axe for him.
He stared at her, eyes wide, and she could barely hold back her grin.
"Agh! Woman, what do you want from me?" he grumbled, as he turned away from her to look back through the battle-axes.
She stopped whetting her axe and sat back on her stool. "A serious talk, for once."
He turned to her, a grin on his face. "Oghren's gonna get serious all over-"
"Oghren!" she snapped, a frown on her face. "Why are you constantly so obscene? Do you really like me, or are you just obnoxious?"
He groaned, rubbing the side of his face. "What's with women's preoccupations with talking about feelings? Yeah, I like you! I thought it'd be obvious."
Sigrun blinked twice and then cleared her throat. "Well, good." She frowned slightly. "But what about Felsi… don't you have a kid with her?"
Oghren groaned. "Damned woman. Yeah, I got a kid with her." He sighed. "But I'm a Warden now, ain't no point tryna stoke that dying fire."
"A kid is hardly a dying fire…"
"So I'll write some letters or something. Bah. Are you done yapping?"
She snorted. "Well, maybe we can talk more later then."
"Later after we… you know?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and she sighed heavily. "What?" he asked. "Could be we all die tomorrow, saucy lady. How would you rather spend your last night of living?"
"I'm part of the Legion, Oghren, I'm already dead."
"Heh. You really know how to get a guy all hot and bothered."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Maybe, I'll consider it, if you leave your door unlocked tonight and bathe first. No promises though."
He grinned broadly. "Knew you'd come around eventually."
"Don't get cocky. You can save that for tonight."
…
"Not a soul or darkspawn in sight," Maxime sighed as he leant lazily against a tree.
Rafael looked up at him, quirking a wicked half-smile. "Are you just speaking out loud for fun, or did you have a point, Max?"
Maxime gave him a slow smile. "Well, there's a spring not far from here… we could, you know?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Rafael snorted and shook his head. "The Commander gave us a job to do; it's not like you to disobey an order," he sardonically chided.
Maxime feigned offence. "You wound me. I'm not disobeying orders, just not devoting my full attention to them," he hedged playfully.
"And if we get into that spring together, can you honestly say you'll be devoting any attention to keeping an eye out for trouble?" Rafael retorted with curved lips.
"Maybe like a tiny bit," Maxime said on a laugh.
Rafael kissed the mage passionately, his hands kneading at his hair, eliciting a groan from the red-head. He pulled back slowly and chuckled as Maxime stayed with his head back against the tree, his eyes closed in blissful surrender. "I think we both know that's a lie," he murmured into the mage's neck, planting delicate kisses on his skin.
Maxime nodded his head. "It's been too long," he complained.
Rafael inhaled sharply and looked up at the mage. "I know, but we've both been so tired."
Max smiled lopsidedly. "Tired doesn't quite cover it; shattered, bone-weary, exhausted, on the verge of collapse, would be more accurate," he groused.
"I may not agree with her letting the Architect live… especially after it was responsible for so many deaths and your kidnap," Rafael said with a frown. "But attacking this Mother's lair is the best news we've had in ages. We need to kill her and fast."
"I agree; they all need to be dealt with. It may seem cruel but the darkspawn… they're always going to need us, our blood in order to become intelligent, right? How can we even consider letting creatures like that live?"
Rafael ruffled his hair, exhaling slowly. "The Commander listened to our arguments, Max; I pray she heard our concerns. If she didn't… well, at least I'll be there if the creature makes another appearance."
Maxime frowned. "You plan to kill it with or without her consent?"
"I… don't know."
Max cupped his cheek. "She could hang you for that insubordination. Please, don't do anything rash, mon amore."
Rafael leaned into the touch, feeling weary. "If the Architect is there, Max..."
"Promise me," the mage urged.
Rafael sighed heavily. "Fine. But if he goes to attack us then I am stabbing that fucker right in the face."
Max smiled. "Make that twice in the face, for good measure; you didn't see Keenan… or the state Neri was in."
"I know." Rafael leaned in close again. "The Architect threatens us all, Max. I won't let him hurt you."
"Nor I you."
They kissed again, soft and sweet, and then Rafael moved closer, his thigh pressing between Max's long legs. Their kiss deepened, hands sliding into hair and around hips, dragging them closer together.
Rafael pulled back, breathless, a smirk playing on his lips. "How far away did you say that spring was?"
…
Neri didn't enjoy the whole 'planning for war' thing, but she did like helping others to prepare for it, so Arietta had made her train the solders most days; that pretty much just involved hurling insults or spells at them. Such hard work required regular breaks, of course, hence why she had stolen a moment away with Anders. They were sitting under her favourite tree in the gardens as Pounce and Barkspawn played together in the grass. Anders' head rested in her lap, a lazy smile on his face as she stroked his hair.
"Bet you never expected the Wardens to be such hard work," she mused, as she picked up another grape from the bowl and fed it to him.
"Yes, such hard work," he retorted, opening his mouth for the next grape. She snickered. "My mouth is parched, you know," he complained.
"Let me fix that, immediately," she murmured as she leaned down and took his lips in a kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth to taste the lingering sweetness of the grapes. She moaned, and his head lolled back further so she could deepen the contact.
"Why do that?" Justice asked, startling them both. Neri sat back up, looking at the spirit with a tilted head.
"Kissing, you mean?" she inquired, eyebrow arched.
"Yes. What purpose does it serve?"
"It's…" Neri frowned. "Does it need to have a purpose?"
"I do not know. Perhaps? There must be a reason for it."
"It's to show affection," Neri explained.
"It's nice; you should try it sometime," Anders said with a smirk, crossing one leg over the other. "Although, you might struggle to find anyone willing to kiss that face of yours."
"Does my face repulse you?" Justice questioned. "I have noticed many give me strange looks, and Rafael still seems disgusted by my very existence."
"Who would have thought walking around in a man's body would gross people out," Anders snarked.
"It was not my choice..." Justice began with a weary sigh.
Neri gave the spirit a sad smile, her fingers threading back through Anders' hair. "I think Raf's mostly disgusted because Kristoff was his friend… your appearance probably doesn't help much though," she said up to the warrior.
Justice shifted, pacing slightly, armour clinking with each stride. "Nathaniel mentioned changing bodies should this one get too decomposed. I do not know how I feel about that."
"Well, we kill a lot of stuff; it wouldn't be too hard finding you a new corpse," Neri pointed out, popping a grape into her own mouth.
"Nathaniel said as much, but they are not just bodies; they were people once. I see their memories, their feelings and thoughts. It feels wrong to take another, willingly; ending up in this body was mere accident."
Neri leaned back against the tree, stroking Barkspawn as he came to nuzzle against her. "Well, you might need to if you're planning on sticking around; you won't be much good to the Order as a puddle on the ground."
Justice sighed. "True enough."
"Hey, can you possess animals?" Anders asked, as Pounce came to snuggle up on his stomach.
"I believe I could, yes."
Anders pulled the cat in to his chest as the spirit eyed Pounce curiously. "Well don't try!"
"I would never force my will upon the living; such a thing is for demons," Justice said resolutely, but then a frown settled over his face. "But I would like to stay and help. This world is… " His frown deepened. "I have grown accustomed to it."
Neri tilted her head, watching the corpse as he twitched a little. "You don't miss the Fade?"
"I am less certain every day," Justice admitted, staring down at the ground. "Is it wrong of me to want to remain here? Only demons want for things."
"Oh yes, how demonic, wanting to help. How could you?" Anders said with a chuckle.
Justice scowled. "And if it is more than that? If I want to remain for… other reasons?"
Neri and Anders shared a look. "And what reasons are those?" Neri asked.
"I have experienced things in this world, seen things. I know now that there is no objectivity here. I want there to be, that is what justice should be, but your world is subjective, always changing. I find myself confused, uncertain at times but wanting to learn more. And I am drawn to things in this world, like the song this ring makes." He turned the ring on his finger, staring intently at it. "I always believed spirits and demons were so very different, but what if we are merely two sides of the same coin?"
"You think 'cause you like this world and because you're less rigid about morality now, that you are slipping toward becoming a demon?" Neri concluded.
He shifted uncomfortably. "I fear it, yes."
She snorted. "Well, do you want to possess me or Anders here?"
Justice looked mortified. "Of course not!"
"Then, does it matter if you've changed?"
"Spirits are eternal; they should not change," Justice objected.
"But you have; you've been humanised. That doesn't make you a demon, Justice."
"You certainly don't seem like any demons I've ever met," Anders added. "Most are better looking than you, for one."
"I…"
Neri massaged Anders' head, kneading his scalp and he moaned softly. "If anything you can be more just now that you've experienced the Fade and this world. Don't you think?" she asked the spirit.
Justice sighed. "Perhaps you are right."
"Of course I am." Neri grinned. "Now, I wanted to ask you about your-"
"Desist!" Justice snapped, lifting a hand. "You are as bad as the dwarf with your questioning."
"Oh come on, I just want to know if you can-"
"I am leaving," Justice announced before walking away.
"Cutting me off like that wasn't very just!" Neri called out.
"Much in your world is not just," Justice retorted.
Anders laughed in her lap and she grinned down at him. "Bit rude, really."
"So was the part where he interrupted us, love."
Neri tucked her curls behind her ear and leaned down and kissed him once more. It was only then that she felt the tingle of another Grey Warden returning to the Keep and began to grin against Anders' lips.
"I will be right back," she said quickly, untangling herself from him.
"Was the kiss that bad?" he replied with a pout.
She rolled her eyes. "I will make it up to you, soon, I promise," she said as she legged it across the garden.
"I'll hold you to that," he called before settling back against the tree to eat the rest of the grapes.
…
Nathaniel had been writing to Delilah regularly since they had found one another again. But he had been too busy to write to her this week, thus she had decided to come to see him in person instead. He felt guilty that she had come all this way just to see him, but she wasn't having any of it.
"A good thing I did come," she said, her tone unimpressed. "You are marching off to war tomorrow!"
He groaned. "It isn't war, Delilah. A simple battle, one well planned."
She pursed her lips. "We all know plans can fall through, Nathaniel."
"We'll be careful, Sister. Please don't fret."
"Fret," she scoffed. "I am not fretting, dear brother. Some notice would have been nice though; I am pregnant. Imagine if I had chosen to ride all the way here tomorrow instead of today, only to find you gallivanting off with our dear Commander. I would have been most displeased," she said, her voice full of mirth as her lips curved into a smile.
He blushed slightly. "Apologies, Sister. I will make sure to write to you more often."
"I should think so," she said primly, teasing him. "Just because you're a Warden now doesn't mean you can forget your nobleman's manners."
He smirked. "Of course not, my lady."
She giggled. "Oh stop. You can give me a tour of our old home instead; I'd like to see what the Commander's done with the terrible décor." She took his arm and he led her through the yard.
"The décor wasn't that terrible before," he muttered.
"It was dire!"
He chuckled. "Well, don't expect much of an improvement; there are still scorch marks on some of the walls."
"I don't know, sounds like it might add character at least."
…
Arietta's daggers glanced harmlessly off of Varel's armour, and she spun back, a wild smile on her face.
It had been the Seneschal's idea to come out into the yard to train; apparently Arietta had been working far too hard recently and needed a break. She had, naturally, refused, but he had insisted on at least a sparring match to limber her up for the inevitable fight with the Mother. That she had agreed to.
Varel was faster than she had thought he might be, and much stronger too, but he was a little predictable; he favoured certain moves, old soldier training patterns. Even so, that greatsword of his was deadly and she had to be quick on her feet to avoid getting severed in half.
"Very good, Commander," he called out as her blades connected with his armour again.
"You're not so bad yourself, old timer," she teased, a grin on her face.
He chuckled, hefting his sword once more to swing at her. "A mixed compliment."
"Still a compliment though." She twirled away from his furious swings, ducking under them to stab at the backs of his knees. He grunted from the force of her hit and staggered forward. She brought her dagger to his neck, lightning fast, panting hard. "I do believe I win this round, Seneschal."
"I concede," he said breathlessly. "Well fought, Commander."
Arietta pulled her dagger back and helped the man up, a smile broad across her face. "Thank you, I needed that."
He nodded nobly. "I am happy to serve." He rolled his shoulders. "If you'll excuse these old aching bones though?"
She dipped her head, still smiling. "Of course; we will talk more later."
She sheathed her daggers back on her belt and then wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Brava!" someone called a little way's away, drawing Arietta's attention. She knew the woman at Nathaniel's side even before Nathaniel approached with her and gave introductions.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Commander," Delilah said, her voice sweet and polite, eyes cheerful. She was practically glowing, Arietta noted, remembering the news of her pregnancy.
"And you," Arietta replied. "I believe congratulations are in order; I heard you were with child. "
Delilah grinned in that way that all mothers did, so full of pride, it made Arietta's heartache to know that she would likely never experience such a feeling.
"Thank you! In truth, I'm terrified," she laughed. "And excited, and well, I rather don't know what to expect."
"You'll be a wonderful mother, 'Lah," Nathaniel murmured, squeezing his sister's hand softly. She smiled up at him and leaned into his shoulder.
"You know, I still can't believe you two are friends now," Delilah said, smiling, "considering my brother's failed attempt to assassinate you."
Arietta laughed. "I met one of my most loyal friends because he was sent to kill me; befriending would-be assassins seems to be a hobby of mine." Delilah and Nathaniel chuckled softly.
"Thankfully, assassins aren't her only loyal friends," a voice said from Arietta's left.
She turned, her heart skipping a beat as Alistair removed his helm, grinning goofily at her. She squealed, running and then leaping straight into his arms. He nearly fell backwards at the force with which she slammed into him, but he managed to keep them both upright as he wrapped his arms tight around her, breathing her in.
"Maker, I've missed you," he gushed, his breath hot against her ear.
Arietta had tears in her eyes as she clung to him, not believing he was really here. "I've missed you too," she practically sobbed, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
He pulled back, and she dropped to the ground, standing on her tip toes as she leaned against his chest, a grin on her face. "You look beautiful," he whispered, voice thick with emotion.
She blushed, tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, smiling coyly. "I'm all sweaty," she moaned.
"And I have helmet hair," he pointed out, making her giggle and try to fluff up his flattened hair, missing the little quiff he usually sported. "But you're perfect anyway."
She smiled weakly, tears threatening to spill. "As are you, love."
"We'll, uh, leave you both to it," she heard Nathaniel mutter, Delilah's laugh echoing across the yard.
Alistair leaned down and kissed her, soft but eager, and she melted into him, moans leaving her mouth at the long overdue contact. His hands were tight around her waist, pulling her flush against his cold armour; she shivered, another moan leaving her lips.
"Alibear!" Neri shouted out, interrupting them.
Alistair groaned loudly, shaking his head. "I told you not to use that nickname!" he complained.
"Better than Alismount though, am I right?" She winked at him.
Alistair blushed furiously, glancing awkwardly at Arietta. "Yes, much better than that."
Neri snickered. "What you doing here then?"
"It's great to see you too, Neri," Alistair drawled, making the elf laugh.
"You know what I mean, ass."
"That's no way to treat your king," Arietta scolded, holding back a laugh.
"Oh sod off," Neri chuckled.
"I came to help," Alistair finally answered. "I know you're going to fight the Mother tomorrow; I want to lend you my sword."
"We've already got plenty of swords," Neri teased.
Alistair rolled his eyes. "I meant my arm as well."
"Just the one arm?" Neri quipped.
Alistair groaned. "Maker, give me strength." He looked down at Arietta who was snickering. "How do you put up with her every single day?"
Arietta smiled, blue eyes sparkling. "Easily: I pawn her off on the other Wardens or let her shoot spells at the soldiers."
"Hey!" Neri protested. "Is that why I've been on training duty all week?"
Arietta sniggered into her hand, and then looked up at her husband. "Love, as much as I want you here, I also don't want you in danger…"
He looked hurt at that. "I might sit, looking pretty, on the throne most days, but I still train in the yard every morning. I haven't lost my edge in a fight, love."
Arietta worried at her lip. "We can discuss it later," she said softly, and Alistair sighed.
"Universal for: 'you're not coming, end of'," Neri helpfully provided; Arietta glared at her.
"I should introduce you to my Wardens," Arietta said, smiling up at Alistair.
"Oh alright, but then I am having you all to myself," he replied, tugging her close again to kiss her softly on the lips.
"Word of warning: don't let Max do the introductions; he takes like an hour!" Neri laughed as she left the two of them to 'catch up.'
…
Coline checked over the jars of acid once more. She hadn't been feeling herself ever since Charmaine had told her of her father's true nature. She kept focused, busy, not wanting to think about any of it; if she did she was likely to lose her mind. Over and over again she had been used and abused; it was all she knew, all she ever expected. She doubted she would feel normal until her father lay dead at her feet. But even then there was no guarantee, was there? Would her world suddenly stop spinning and snap back into place, to the way it had been before?
She wouldn't know, not until her father was dead, but in order for that to happen she would need to get an invitation to Fergus' wedding. There was only one person in all of Thedas who would be able to convince the Commander to let Coline attend, and she was walking across the yard now.
Coline was on her feet, approaching the elf before she even realised what she was doing. "Neri!" she called out, wincing slightly at the desperate tone in her voice. She reined in her emotions, slipped the mask of cool indifference back over her face. She would never convince Neri she knew what she was doing if she was an emotional mess.
"Might I speak with you a moment?" she asked when the elf stopped and gave her a curious look.
Neri nodded, one eyebrow arched inquisitively, a slight smirk playing about her lips.
Coline cleared her throat and pulled the elf to one side. "I need a favour from you," she began, her voice sounding perhaps a touch too authoritative.
Neri seemed to pick up on that, tilting her head with a frown forming between her brows. "Sounds more like you're gonna demand something of me," she retorted.
Coline let out a long sigh. "I didn't mean… I apologise. This is not easy for me to ask and I have little I can repay you with. Perhaps if you wanted things to be more interesting in the bedroom, I could-"
Neri held up her hands, looking alarmed. "Coline, what the shit? If it's a favour then it's a favour, you don't need to repay me." The elf shook her head. "What is this about?"
Coline blushed, and then cleared her throat. "My father. I need to attend Fergus Cousland's wedding so that I can assassinate him but Arietta refused me."
"Well, no shit," Neri deadpanned.
She straightened her back. "I have done this before – I know how to make it quick and quiet. I will not ruin the wedding. I had wanted to explain as much to the Commander but she asked me to leave her office."
Neri laughed loudly. "Asked you to leave, did she?" she snickered. "Are you really surprised? You want to murder someone at her brother's wedding. This isn't Tevinter where a party without at least one murder is considered dull, you know."
Coline felt her chest tighten; if Neri wouldn't help her she wasn't sure what she would do. She had to kill him. She had to. "It has to be at the wedding," Coline implored. "I do not know when I will next get to go back to Orlais or when I could catch him off guard to do such a thing. He will be distracted at this wedding, thus it is my absolute best chance to do this cleanly. I would not ask this favour of you if I had other options; I do not like being indebted to anyone." It was too close to be controlled by someone, being under their thumb, being owned by them, and she had experienced enough of that on the streets to never ever want it again. She was her own person, she would be free of her past, she would rid herself of the hold her father still held over her, of the pain he had caused her and so many others.
"I get that…" Neri sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "But it's still murder, and if something goes wrong it could mess up this Ferelden-Orlesian alliance thing."
"It won't go wrong. I will plan it meticulously," Coline said, practically begging now.
"I don't know, Coline…"
"Please, I wrongly murdered Charmaine's mother and now she is in danger from my father; he will kill her. I must stop him, I must make amends."
"How noble of you," Neri drawled, and Coline felt a sudden urge to see that wicked mouth of hers stretched wide with a ball gag. She shook her head slightly, clearing such thoughts.
"Will you help or not?" Coline snapped, folding her arms.
Neri rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'll help," she sighed, making Coline's shoulders sag in relief. "You'll only do something stupid if I don't, right? At least this way Arietta will know exactly what you plan. And she will want to know the plan. Every detail of it. Maybe if you plan it with someone…" Neri rubbed her chin, and then her eyes locked onto something behind Coline and a wicked smirk spread across Neri's lips.
Coline felt her stomach drop as she slowly turned and realised who Neri was staring at. Of course she would pick him.
"Nathaniel!" Neri called before Coline could stop her. The archer gave them a curious look and then approached. Coline cursed under her breath, turning back around to hide the blush on her cheeks. It was absurd that she got like this around him. She did not feel. She did not get attached. She was not intimate with anyone. Ever. She just couldn't - wouldn't - do that. She wasn't capable. Wasn't willing. So why did her body respond like this every time he was near? It had even been the cause of her losing that damned archery match, she was sure of it.
"You wanted me?" Nathaniel asked. Yes, her subconscious supplied most unhelpfully.
"You're attending Fergus' wedding, right?" Neri asked, a twinkle in her eyes still.
Nathaniel glanced between them both wearily and nodded. "I believe so, yes."
"Perfect! You can help Coline here assassinate her father," Neri said with a broad grin.
Nathaniel balked at that. "I can?"
"Yup! I think it's the only way Arietta will agree to let Coline assassinate her father at Fergus' wedding; she won't want to just leave her to it."
"Aren't you also attending this wedding?" Nathaniel asked. "Could you not also assist with this?"
"I could. But I can't say I'm too good at plotting assassinations – good at avoiding them, perhaps, or just not getting killed, but actually planning one? Not my thing." There was a knowing smile on the elf's lips and Coline wanted to strangle her pretty little throat. She was leaving words unspoken, but Coline knew 'And besides, watching you two work together will be way more fun.'
"I will help, if you wish it of me," Nathaniel said softly. Coline finally looked at him, scowling.
"I don't want to owe you for this. I-"
"You won't owe me. I know what it's like to not know who your father truly was. Maybe if I had seen what my father was sooner, I could have stopped him from destroying our lives. As is… perhaps I can simply help you to stop your father from ruining more lives."
Coline opened and closed her mouth a few times. And then nodded her head, relenting.
Neri clapped them both on the shoulder. "Excellent! I will inform the Commander at some point. You two best get planning. I recommend going somewhere out of the way, a quiet secluded spot so nobody hears about your plotting. And I heard scented candles were good for planning assassinations." She walked off, snickering and Coline glared at her back.
"I… cannot plan with you today, Coline," Nathaniel began. She turned to look at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. "My sister is at the Keep at the moment and I expect I will be busy giving her a tour of the place for much of the day."
"Your sister… I heard you reconnected with her, that is good," Coline said, sounding like a tongue-tied teen.
Nathaniel smiled and she was nearly knocked off her feet by it. "She is with child. I'm going to be an uncle," he said proudly. "We've lost so much, it is nice to have this… to have her, to see her so happy."
"I shan't keep you from her then," Coline said with a small smile.
"I'd like you to meet her, actually."
"You... would?"
"Of course. She's meeting all of the Wardens. I think she wants to make sure I don't get hurt," he said with a wry smile and a shake of his head. "Sisters… they never do stop worrying."
She nodded shyly and he gave her his arm, which, reluctantly she took. Surprisingly, she welcomed the heat of his body touching hers; it was so different to her usual reaction of disgust that she was struck entirely dumb by the entire thing. Maybe working with him wouldn't be quite so terrible.
…
Alistair, perhaps, hadn't paid as much attention to the tour and to the Wardens and staff he was introduced to as he should have – but it wasn't his fault! Arietta was very distracting. Her cheeks were rosy from the bitter cold outside clashing with the blazing heat of the Keep, her chestnut hair wild and untamed, falling around her face in soft waves, her bright blue eyes, framed by long dark lashes, her pink lips, always smiling. She was as breath-taking as ever, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
All evening he had stayed at her side, watching her interacting with the men and women around her, being shown around the Keep, when all he wanted to do was drag her to the nearest bedroom and rip that armour off of her.
He was at the dinner table now, staring at her instead of eating the meal in front of him; she was laughing with Oghren about the good old days, as all of the other Wardens mingled and ate amicably. It was how he had remembered his time in the Wardens, back before everything went so horribly wrong. It brought a smile to his face to see the Order like this again: the comradery, the teasing and the laughing; this was how it should be.
Neri snapped her fingers in front of his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. He frowned at her. "What?"
"This is a proper stew, not like that shit you tried to call food during the Blight."
"Hey, for all your complaining, you still ate two bowlfuls every night."
"Ate is debateable; more like I choked it down with copious amounts of Oghren's brew."
"Oh and like your cooking is any better? You gave us all food poisoning the one time you tried! At least I didn't nearly kill off all the remaining Wardens of Ferelden."
She snorted, grinning at him. "I did not nearly kill us all off! You had a belly ache that night and wouldn't stop crying about it!"
He pouted at her. "It really hurt!"
She rolled her eyes, still smiling. "It's good to have you back, even if it is temporarily."
He bumped his shoulder into hers. "I knew you missed me."
"I never said that."
"You implied it."
She shook her head. "Oh eat your damned stew already," she said as she shovelled more into her own mouth.
Arietta tapped her glass from his side, rising to stand over the table. "Alright you lot!" she called out, trying to sound serious. "Tomorrow some of us march for the Mother's lair. I expect you all at the gate, bright and early, ready for a long trek and a tough battle. You've all worked hard and I'm proud of you – so let's enjoy this last night together and hope that our reunion meal is not short a single seat when this is all over."
Her Wardens cheered, raising their glasses, and she smiled down at Alistair; he kissed her hand, a bright smile on his lips too, and she suddenly felt much better about everything. Having Alistair back at her side had bolstered her, stopped her from feeling so exposed and lonely. He was exactly what she needed; the strength and support she required to see this through to the bitter end. They would win. They would end this darkspawn threat. And she would be with him again, in Denerim, back on the throne where they both belonged.
A/N: Yay, surprise cameos! And yay, even more new followers! Hello! And thank you for reading! And as always my thanks to Lys for the beta!
So, there is a smutty chapter next which I will only be posting on AO3; I shall try to put it up on Sunday. Up to you guys if you read it, yeah? Gonna be some sweet loving with Ali and Ari, Max and Raf and some kinky stuffy with Neri and Anders. So you can pick and choose what you read etc. If you don't read it, you won't miss much. Just some extra character interaction and feels along with the sexy times.
This fic is approaching 10,000 views and 150 reviews now! Thank you! :3 What would you all like as thanks? An extra fic/scene that you always wanted to see from Sacrifices? Maybe all current reviewers want to ask one question each which I will answer for you... I dunno? I still owe my darling Grey Warden Dragonborn a gift fic cause I am slow as shit. But yeah, milestones are worth celebrating right? So get in touch! Review review review. I shall reward you ;)
