Author's Note: this chapter also turned out longer than I thought. Oh well. I hope you guys like it. This chapter was difficult to write it was kind of hard for me to get into Bann Teagan's head.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age

Meanwhile in Denerim…

Bann Teagan Guerrin was not happy. The last couple of weeks had been… eventful, to say the least. First, he received word of the epic failure at Ostagar and then his brother Eamon had fallen ill, and now every bann in Ferelden had been called to Denerim by Teyrn Loghain himself.

None of this bode well in Bann Teagan's opinion.

"… and I expect each of you to supply these men," thundered the Teyrn from the balcony as blunt as could be. "We must rebuilt what was lost at Ostagar, and quickly." There was a pause. At the Teyrn's side, stood the now-widowed Queen Anora, Loghain's daughter. She stood regal and tall, Bann Teagan looked around at his fellow banns, all of which shifted in discomfort, their hearts disquiet. He didn't blame them.

"There are those who would take advantage of our weakened state if we let them. We must defeat this darkspawn incursion, but we must do so sensibly and without hesitation," Teyrn Loghain continued, obviously alluding to Orlais.

Bann Teagan frowned. Something about all of this did not sit right with him. The Teyrn's words made sense but his actions were rather suspicious, in his opinion. Loghain's story was that the Grey Wardens had sweet-talked King Cailan into a battle that he could not win and got him and everyone else killed. But that didn't seem right to the red-haired man. The Grey Wardens had always saved them from the darkspawn. Why fail now? And as for the king… the good Teyrn would tell them that he had no choice but to pull out his men, but the army had been utterly massacred with only a small handful of survivors, while the Teyrn hadn't lost a single man.

Bann Teagan smelled a rat.

He stepped forward.

"Your lordship," he began respectfully. "if I may speak?" The Teyrn gave him the go-ahead.

He gulped nervously but spoke loud and clear. "You have declared yourself Queen Anora's regent, and claim that we must unite under your banner for our own good," he began. The other banns around him all nodded or gave him strange looks as if to ask, "where are you going with this?" Even the Teyrn himself gave him such a look. "But what of the army lost at Ostagar? Your withdrawal was most… fortuitous." Bann Teagan cringed internally at the heavy accusation he was throwing the hero of River Dane. But that was the feeling he got. He wasn't sure he entirely believed Teyrn Loghain's story. What if he did just straight up abandon the king? If he did, then Teyrn Loghain was not a man he wanted to follow any longer.

He got a mixed reception from the other banns. Some gasped in horror, some hissed at him while others nodded in agreement.

The Teyrn paused for several long moments, his face unreadable. "Everything I have done," said Loghain rather calmly. "has been to secure Ferelden's independence. I have not shirked my duty to the throne, and neither will any of you!" Then where was the king? Almost everyone at Ostagar was dead and yet the Teyrn returns with a fresh army and dares to demand that they bow to him?! He did even bother to try to help?

No, Bann Teagan would not have it.

"The Bannorn will not bow to you simply because you demand it!" said the Bann with fire on his tongue, feeling much more confident. Oh, he had done it now. The Teyrn was angry with him now.

"Understand this: I will brook no threat to this nation... from you or anyone!" He roared as he stormed off, leaving the queen to calm everyone down. So that was the end of that.

He walked away from the whispery hubbub of nervous nobles.

"Bann Teagan, please!" called out Queen Anora from the balcony. The bann stopped and gave her his attention. He knew that she wanted him to give the Teyrn a chance. But he wouldn't. He saw how the bannorn had already started fighting amongst themselves over what happened at Ostagar.

Some agreed with Bann Teagan, while others thought that Teyrn Loghain was a good man, not prone to power-hungry stunts. Why would he lie about something like this?

Bann Teagan sympathized with them.

"Your Majesty. Your father risks a civil war. If Eamon were here…" If his brother were here, he'd sort this out. Eamon was a very popular man. People would rally behind him just as easily as they would the Teyrn.

"Bann Teagan, my father is doing what is best," the queen defended with a light shake of her head. The bann gave her a deadpan look.

"Did he also do what was best for your husband, your Majesty?" he asked her calmly. He didn't want to take out his anger on her. None of this was her fault, after all. Queen Anora looked away, guilt in her blue eyes.

Bann Teagan walked away without another word. Isolde had sent him word from the castle, and begged him to come to Redcliffe. Eamon was ill and in a coma.

The Teyrn would not get any access to the bann's men and he would make sure that he wouldn't see any of Eamon's either. If asked, he would simply say that they were not his men to give.

Bann Teagan left the castle and began the two to three day long trek to Redcliffe.

If only he knew what he would find there.

Author's Note: I'll be honest, the way I feel about Queen Anora is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I think Anora's a bit of a snake, but on the other hand, I feel a bit bad for her. Oh boy, the landsmeet is going to be loads of fun to deal with... 😒

Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Until next time everyone and happy new year

~ Darth Synkka