Hi everybody!
Sorry for the delay in posting, I have been really ill in hospital, and I'm trying to take it easy. I won't get into details of my health problems, because my health is 'fragile' at the moment and it depresses me to talk about it.
I want to thank all those of you who have included this fic in your favorites and have it on their alerts list, I am speechless at the amount of people who like the story! Thank you SO much! You all rock!
I also want to take this opportunity to thank my dearest friend Lady Callia Blackhawk, for her awesome help and suggestions on making this chapter better. She is an awesome writer herself, and one of my favorites, please be sure to check out her fics!
Special thanks go out to PheonRen, my darling friend and Beta! Thanks for putting up with my crap, and for making this chapter easier to read! Please be sure to check out her fics if you can, they are also on my favorites list!
I am sorry to say that this fic will be finished in about four or five chapters, or less...*sobs*, but the good news is that I am already writing another one based entirely on Dragon Age 2 and focusing on the Hawke/Anders relationship of course, hehehe!
Love you all, and your wonderful reviews!
Bioware owns! :D
Chapter 55 - Old Friends
Alistair was in the middle of an argument when Marian entered the room. He wanted to smile at her, but didn't want Meredith to mistake it for agreement towards her. He settled for a nod, and returned to the discussion at hand.
"Let me guess; that's your final answer?" He was annoyed at the woman and knew very well why she was refusing to help him out. For a moment he imagined what Jinx would do if she was there and the picture in his mind brought a smile to his face which made the Knight Commander even angrier.
"Three mages have fled to Ferelden, and you have intervened to protect them as if it is your right to do so. What other answer did you expect, Your Majesty?" Meredith's clear voice reached the walls and bounced back. Her face was impassive, but she was clenching and unclenching her fists, a sure sign that she was furious.
"A 'maybe' might have been nice." He crossed his arms and his smile deepened in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marian Hawke standing there with a smile on her lips.
Meredith's voice rose an octave. "I do not deal in 'maybes'. I deal in cold, hard facts - as should you. Perhaps when Ferelden next chooses a king, it will be one that takes his duty to the Maker seriously."
Without looking back, Meredith stormed out of the keep. Alistair crossed the space that separated him from Marian and took her in his arms, giving her a bear hug that made her laugh and hug him back.
"Look at you! The King of Ferelden!" Marian grinned up at him.
"Anora died, I kind of took the crown after that," Alistair chuckled. "Jinx and I are together again, and you should see my children, they are my pride and joy."
"I'm so happy for you, Alistair."
"So, a king now. That's something to brag about," Isabela chuckled. Alistair blushed and Marian burst out laughing.
"Grey Warden still, no doubt?" Anders's voice chimed in.
"You know very well that being a Grey Warden is not something you can run away from." He shook Anders's hand and suppressed a sigh. That was another thing that worried him from time to time. Being a Grey Warden felt more like a burden now that Jinx and the children were a part of his life.
"I was surprised when I read your letter, Alistair." Marian's voice broke into his thoughts. "Let's all walk to my place. It's not my uncle's home anymore and nearby. You are going to be surprised. What can I do for you, my dear friend?"
...
They all had had a delicious dinner, cooked by Orana, and had pretty much caught up on everything. Marian was giving Anders sidelong glances and Alistair smiled. He discovered he missed Jinx terribly and wished she had been able to come along with him. He was sure Marian and Jinx would hit it off, there was no question about it.
Teagan was chatting to Isabela and judging by the blushing going on, Isabela was clearly flirting around as only she knew how. He chuckled and his eyes flew back to Marian who was now asking Bodahn for some tea. He had to admit, the mansion she was living in was beautiful and very comfortable. Without thinking twice, he found himself agreeing to her suggestion that he and Teagan spend the night there. They would probably be better off if they had an early start the following day, rather than set off at the moment, as it was slowly getting dark.
Hawke's friends rose to leave, and they bid the King a safe journey back to Ferelden. Anders stayed behind, which came as no surprise to Alistair. He knew that he probably was living with Marian, their whole body language hinted at undying love and unbridled passion. He found himself thinking about Jinx again, and felt an erection coming on. He shook his head and a faint blush crept up his cheeks.
"What? I thought you were against mage slavery and in favor of their freedom?" Marian's words brought him back and he gave her a lopsided grin.
"I am, Marian. You know very well that there is nothing I would not do to ease their plight and burden. However, the reason for my coming here was to secure some help from the Free Marches. It seems there will be a war between Ferelden and Orlais, and not much can be done to prevent it, I'm afraid. I had a mad hope that somehow, you were the Viscount. I honestly also hoped that Meredith was not governing Kirkwall, but I see that I arrived too late." A sigh followed his words and the whole room fell silent.
"I'm sorry there isn't much I can do, Alistair. Though I confess I would love to see Meredith clamped in irons and sent off to the Tevinter Imperium or anywhere distant and desolate. The woman is a despot, and her treatment of mages here is appalling, for lack of a better word." Marian's cheeks flushed angrily and Anders eased himself closer to her and held her hand reassuringly. She turned and smiled at him faintly.
"Well, I can see how much trouble she is causing. I did, in fact, aid the three mages she referred to. They told me about all the atrocities templars cause here, and I felt absolutely nauseous after they were done. Jinx and I are doing the best we can for them back home. I'm afraid the king has no real say in the matter. The Chantry overrules the king in this case. But we are trying to kick the templars out of the circle in Ferelden. The imminent war with Orlais has interrupted this and other matters, I'm afraid. We can only focus on this threat at the moment."
"Are they invading Ferelden?" Marian's eyes clouded over with worry and Alistair shook his head quickly.
"Maker, no. The fights are breaking out around the borders so far."
"Well, we won't let her swoop down on us, will we Alistair?" Teagan commented, his eyes twinkling.
"Course we won't," Alistair retorted with a lopsided grin. "Swooping is bad."
...
Jinx didn't know what had woken her up, but she was wide awake, peering into the semi-darkness of her room, eyes darting around the room. She got up quietly, seemingly calm and composed, while her heart pounded nervously in her chest.
Dressing quickly in her leather armor, she made her way slowly towards the children's quarters, her leather boots making no noise on the stone floor. She very much wished Alistair was here with her. Even though she could not place what had woken her, she knew that there was something very wrong.
When she opened the door, she made her way to Alex's room first, then stopped at Trisha's before finally walking towards Elizabeth's. Her children were sleeping soundly, but she could not still the disquiet that filled her heart at the moment.
Something was very wrong.
Turning to walk back to her vast apartments, she felt a breeze and saw one of the balcony doors wide open. Her eyes narrowed and she inched her way towards the door, pausing only to flatten herself against the walls. She felt a little better when she finally succeeded in latching and locking the doors, but by now noticed there was not a single guard posted around her quarters or the children's quarters.
She felt some of the panic she had been pushing back starting to surface and turned to head down to the throne room, knowing full well that there were probably some guards stationed there. Then she crumpled into a heap on the floor.
A shrouded figure put the mace away and stared down at her quiet form, then gave a low whistle. Two more figures darted into the room and quickly scooped the queen up into their arms. The three figures then unlocked the balcony doors and stepped out into the night air, carrying the unconscious queen in their arms.
Little Elizabeth opened her eyes when the doors clicked shut. She cried out for her mother several times into the darkness.
There was no reply.
...
The trip back to Ferelden took longer than expected, for Alistair wanted to check out the border before finally heading back to Kirkwall and boarding the royal ship that would take him back to the docks in Denerim. He saw no threat, but then again it was the borders with Ferelden that were dangerous these days, not the ones with the Free Marshes. He thought about crossing the border to petition an audience with Celene, but then concluded that it would be pointless. The empress had always replied to his missives in a similar fashion. Always diplomatic. Always promising she was trying to quiet the mobs attacking the borders.
When the ship finally docked in Denerim, he had no idea the empress had had him followed and had taken his trip to the border as confirmation of the suspicions she had. The king was indeed plotting to declare war on her beloved Orlais.
Celene turned to eye one of the men who had come to her, alerting her that this was the case. He smiled back benignly and she cringed inwardly. Even though his information had been solid, she found that her dislike for the man had grown considerably. She issued orders to her army to travel to the borders and wait for her next orders, then quickly exited the room.
Eamon smiled as he watched her go. Then he went to his rooms and packed.
So far, everything was going according to plan. He hurried out of the city of Val Royeaux and found the trapdoor in a secluded area in the bordering forest. Then he made his way down and traveled once again into the tunnel that would take him right back to his old abandoned estate in the border.
He had an important package waiting for him.
...
Jowan turned to look at Kallia and smiled. She was his wife. He still found himself feeling dizzy with joy every time he reminded himself of this. His wife. For as long as they lived as two Grey Wardens could, he would wake by her side and go to sleep with her in his arms. He still could not believe his luck. His blue eyes roamed over her sleeping form and he thanked the Maker that she, at least, was sound asleep, unburdened by the nightmares they often shared when they slept.
He knew that very soon they would probably be called to Denerim to assist Alistair in a war. Marcus had traveled to the keep soon after Zevran had left alerting them to the news that there would probably be trouble with Orlais. Marcus had stressed that as Grey Wardens they could not get involved with political affairs, but as they concluded that Amaranthine would probably be invaded as it was an important northern port that was close to Kirkwall, they readied themselves to defend both the city and the keep. It was all a matter of waiting now.
Kallia stirred beside him and sleepily opened her eyes. He stared into them, his heart racing and melting at the same time.
She was so beautiful!
"Go back to sleep, love," he murmured, placing a tender kiss on her brow. "It's still very early in the morning and everything is quiet. Maker knows we probably won't be getting much of a good night's sleep anyway."
She snuggled back into his embrace and nodded her head, sighing blissfully before drifting back into a deep refreshing sleep, while Jowan continued to lay there, keeping a watchful eye on her as the minutes ticked slowly by.
Then, sleep slowly overcame him and his eyes closed heavily as he succumbed falling into a deep refreshing sleep himself.
...
Zevran was half kneeling on the grass floor, his keen eyes picking up the tell-tale signs that he was, in fact, being followed, just like his senses had warned him. He straightened himself up and peered into the forest, his eyes picking up other details. He knew he was in the Free Marshes, and close to Kirkwall, but not much else. Wasn't there a clan of Dalish elves rumored to set camp around the area?
He could not believe that they were sending such stupid people after him. He had killed a dozen Crows so far and felt rather good about himself. The only thing that was keeping him from feeling completely optimistic about the whole affair was the fact that he had not yet managed to kill their leader.
He took cover around a tree and counted his poisoned arrows and secured the daggers on his back. Next, he tightened his backpack on his lithe form and looked up the tree. His eyes travelled up the tree trunk to the branches ahead and he smiled. Then, he braced himself and started his climb upwards.
Once he reached his destination, he paused to untie his backpack and tie it onto the heavy branch he was leaning on. He flattened himself on to the branch and looked down and around, taking in all the details and discovering objects that would work to his advantage. Then he took his water skin out of his backpack and drank before putting it back. He then turned back to the forest and got as comfortable as he could while he waited. He heard some twigs snapping. The noise was coming from somewhere below, and he closed his eyes to focus.
When he opened them, he knew exactly where they were, and knew that there could not be more than three of them this time.
"Let the games begin," he whispered in an amused tone to himself.
...
Leliana knelt before the Divine, feeling completely elated, as she often felt whenever she was in her presence.
Even though she had been appointed her personal assistant for some time now, and held the title of Chief Seeker, she still felt privileged and unworthy on some days. She would continue to try to live true to her cause, as the Maker willed.
The Divine's voice reached her ears and she stood up and dimpled at the older woman who looked at her with affectionate eyes.
"There is a matter that needs attention, Leliana. I fear this is something you alone must deal with, though it pains me to send you into danger."
Leliana nodded but continued to smile, even though the Divine's whole demeanor indicated that the news she was about to deliver would most certainly not warrant a smile.
"I will do as you ask, of course, Your Grace." Leliana knew she was about to be sent into danger, but after traveling with Jinx and her companions knew danger all too well to allow herself to be frightened.
"Please, sit," the Divine said quietly, her wrinkled hand pointing to a chair next to hers.
Leliana did as she was told, waiting patiently for her orders.
"These are troubled times, indeed, and even more troubled news have reached my ears. There have been numerous reports coming from Kirkwall and I fear that Grand Cleric Elthina may be in trouble there. " The Divine kept the rest of the news to herself, as it included her own personal opinion of Elthina. She had always kept an eye on her, for she feared Elthina might want her position.
"Kirkwall, Your Grace? I thought Knight Commander Meredith was trying to keep peace there."
"Indeed. Although there have been troublesome reports that the Resolutionists in Kirkwall may be more powerful than they seem. This is why this matter is to be treated with utmost care. If Kirkwall falls to magic, all will be lost."
Leliana said nothing, though her eyes widened. Surely the rumors were wrong?
"I am placing this matter into your hands. I would like to help Elthina, for her life is in grave danger. You must travel to Kirkwall as soon as possible and try to urge her to come here. If Elthina were to die, Maker forbid, Kirkwall will be overrun. I trust you will deal with the matter the best way possible. I will let the Grand Cleric know that Sister Nightingale wishes to contact her in a missive."
"I will not let Your Grace down and will begin preparations to travel immediately," Leliana said, kneeling once again.
Divine Justinia held her hand out, and Leliana took it trembling. She bent to kiss it before straightening up once again and curtsying.
Then she left the room, walking quickly to her own room in the Great Chantry.
There was much to be done.
...
Alistair's eyes travelled down the path until they found what they had been looking for in the first place. The outer walls of the palace loomed up and he gave a sigh of relief. Soon he would be home to hold his wife and children in his arms. He focused on the future and resolved to take Jinx everywhere from this moment onward. He had missed her too much this time around.
The palace gates opened immediately for him as the scouts had spotted the king's banner in the distance, and he hurried his white steed into a gallop, while the people gathered around trying to catch a glimpse of their beloved king. He spurred the horse on like a madman, reaching the palace inner gates long before Teagan, and flinging himself to the ground as Fergus ran forward to meet him.
The grin on his face froze as he saw the alarmed, worried look on Fergus's face.
"Oh, Alistair. I'm so sorry."
"What? What is it, Fergus?" He said in a strangled voice.
"It's Jinx, Alistair, she has been taken. We've been searching for her for more than a week now."
Alistair felt his heart tear violently from his chest and break into a hundred different pieces.
...
