Disclaimer: I do not own Bioware or Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Wanda was in her bed, still thinking about her friends, the Avengers, Vision and what she had seen, when spending the night with Fenris. She got up and put on a robe and went downstairs to see that Marian and Leandra had already begun eating their breakfast as she sat down, taking a piece of the pie.
"Did you sleep well, Wanda?" Marian asked.
"As well as I could, I suppose." Wanda shrugged.
"If you will never find your way home, know that this family will treat you as if you were our own." Leandra said.
"Thank you." Wanda said.
"I know we can't replace your brother or the Avengers… but we'll do our best for you." Marian held her hand. "You're now as much my sister as Bethany is."
"I've seen how you and that elf look at each other." Leandra said, referring to Fenris.
Wanda sighed. "Honestly… I do care about him but… I don't belong here. I just… I'm not sure what to do. He hates mages in general but he doesn't fear me or Bethany that much. I understand he lets his feelings get the better of him, when magic is concerned and I am trying with him. But…"
"You think this may not go anywhere, assuming you can get back to your world." Marian said as Wanda nodded. "I was in relationship with someone back in Lothering. He left to join the King's army, when I was 17."
"Did he ever come back?" Wanda asked. Marian had grim look in her eyes as it hit Wanda. "I'm sorry."
"His family got a letter three months after he left that he had been killed by Orlesian spies at the borders of Ferelden." Marian said. "I cannot tell you how to live your life, Wanda but my advice is, don't dwell on what you have lost. Cherish what you have right now, even if it may not be much. Who knows, maybe you'll find more people and things you will care about. We're happy to have you here. We may not replace your friends and family but remember that you're not alone."
Wanda smiled before Marian came to the desk, going over the letters that had arrived last night before one of them piqued her interest.
"Who exactly is this man?" Wanda asked as she accompanied Marian to the Chantry.
"You remember that noble you saw at the Chantry, who put up the bounty on the Flint Company? Sebastian Vael?" Marian asked and Wanda's eyes lit up in recognition.
"The one who paid you." Wanda said as Marian nodded as they entered the Chantry to see Sebastian again talking with Grand Cleric Elthina.
"I thought it would end here." Sebastian said, frustrated as Wanda noticed that he was talking with a thick Scottish accent. "That young lady, Hawke, she decimated Flint Company. No survivors. Yet… Now that I know who sent them, it's harder to see their deaths as justice."
"Death is never justice." Elthina said, shaking her head.
"I…" Sebastian stopped as he turned to them. "Marian. We were just talking about you."
"Saying good things, I hope?" Marian asked.
"Hawke asked diplomatically." Varric said in a storyteller-like tone.
"You know, I hate it when you do that." Marian glared at the dwarf.
"Hawke muttered in an angry aside to the dwarf. Varric said in the same tone, not flinching at the look Marian was shooting him as Wanda chuckled.
"If, ah, you two have a moment?" Sebastian asked as they turned to him again. "I've learned who hired Flint Company—the Harimanns, a noble family of Kirkwall. They were my parents' allies. It's hard to believe they betrayed us like this."
"Who exactly are they?" Wanda asked as Sebastian turned to her.
"Wanda, correct?" Sebastian asked as Wanda nodded. "Lord Harimann used to be a good man, but he became rather strange in his dotage. He died last year. His daughter took over the family. Lady Johane Harimann. They say she's become quite reclusive of late."
"Why did they turn on you?" Wanda asked.
"Money? Power? It's hard to say. Lady Harimann was always jealous of my family for being royalty when hers were mere nobility. But I can't imagine that pushing her into outright murder."
"Is there any peaceful way to resolve this?" Marian inquired, trying to avoid violence.
"If you treat the Harimanns like you did those mercenaries, you could start a war. Go carefully, Sebastian." Elthina agreed.
Sebastian nodded. "I must speak with Lady Harimann and find out what drove her to this madness. But I am the last of my line. I should not go alone and make myself a target."
"Why is everyone looking at me?" Marian asked sarcastically as Varric, Isabela and Anders were trying to resist the urge to snicker and Aveline rolled her eyes.
"I don't know why Choir Boy didn't yell, "Hawke to the rescue!" That's clearly what he was going for." Varric jested as Wanda chuckled.
Over the time, Varric had been calling their companions by nicknames he thought would fit their pasts and personalities or so on, save for Aveline. He called Carver "Junior", for being a younger brother, Bethany was "Sunshine" for being so sweet, Isabela was "Rivaini", as in a pirate from Rivain, Anders was "Blondie" due to his blonde hair, Merrill was "Daisy", presumably for innocent, cute and naïve she could be, Fenris was "Broody" due to his brooding personality or "Elf" and Sebastian was "Choir Boy" due to being a man of faith. He would occasionally call Wanda "Scarlet" due to her dress and the color her powers would have and Wanda was somewhat flattered by it.
"Again, your interest in my plight humbles me." Sebastian bowed.
Sebastian led them to the estate, but something was off. Firstly, the door was wide open and second of all, Anders could sense a rift in the Veil, which meant one thing. Spirits, or worse, demons.
"That's strange. The door is wide open." Sebastian shook his head. "And not a single guard posted. This is not the Lady Harimann I remember…"
They carefully walked through the estate until they saw Lady Harimann's daughter, whose behavior was quite… off.
"More! You ladies son of a bitch! What's taking so long?" The woman yelled at a keg of beverage.
"Flora?" Sebastian demanded, staring in disbelief.
Flora did not even react, as if neither Sebastian or anyone else was there as she continued her drunken plight. "Why does no one in this house care what I want? More wine! Or I swear, I will drown you in the dregs!"
"That sounds familiar. I don't envy anyone in this household tomorrow morning." Varric said.
"She doesn't even see us. This is no normal wine." Sebastian said as they all nodded. Something off was going on here.
They carried on through the house and discovered Lady Harimann's son, who was acting strange as his sister. He was standing at a vat of melted gold with an elven servant pointing a knife at a serving girl.
"More logs! It must be molten!" The man called out as he looked at the servant with the knife. "You! More coins. I want every scrap of gold in this house!"
"P-Please, messere…" The servant begged.
"There's nothing to fear. You'll be beautiful." He then looked at his servant. "Pour it over her!"
"Don't!" Sebastian yelled. "You'll kill her!" Like his sister, he did acknowledge their presence. "He can't hear me."
The elven servant did and when he tried to stop them, Sebastian punched him across the face and the girl took the opportunity to escape. Anders sprayed the molten gold with ice before someone would get hurt.
"We must end this madness." Sebastian said. They entered the bedroom and saw Lady Harimann's husband and an elven servant girl on bed and Marian, Wanda, Sebastian and Anders groaned, immediately walking away and looking away from the sight of the couple engaged in… their private activities.
"I wish there was a way I could erase this from my own mind." Wanda muttered. That mental image was going to be stuck in her head for a while as they left the room, as she wondered whether she could erase what she had seen a moment ago without giving herself a permanent damage by using her mental powers on herself, with most of them, save for Isabela, disgusted by what they had just seen. Isabela actually chuckled, amused. A pirate girl, who liked to drink and sleep around with various types, men and women, would certainly be amused at the sight.
"I beg your pardon. I did not mean to expose any of you to such things." Sebastian said remorsefully. He was a man of faith, devoted to the Maker and Andraste and such things would violate his beliefs.
They walked down into the cellars and found all three Harimanns waiting when they made it downstairs. "Turn back. There is nothing here for you." Lady Harimann said.
"We just want to know what's happening." Marian pleaded.
"You shall not enter." Flora said. All three Harimanns fell to the ground as though someone had cut the strings holding them up. Shades began to form, coming out of the walls.
Anders threw a fireball, burning the shades as Marian attacked the desire demon, while Wanda restrained it before Sebastian shot it in the head with his bow.
They made their way down the cellar through a rather extensive labyrinth. Marian made herself a mental note to tell Bodahn and Sandal to check their estate for any secret doors in the basement as they all were stunned by finding a hidden cavern that seemed like a hideout for cultists. How could something like this exist beneath the city? Why did something like this exist beneath the city? It looked Tevinter, by what Marian and the rest had assumed, save for Wanda, who was not from Thedas. The place was very old and the Veil here was so thin it was almost like breathing the Fade, which would explain the demons and ghosts.
Sebastian turned out to be fairly good with the bow he carried. The man was clearly disturbed by what they were finding, but was holding up well enough. He had barely blinked when Wanda fired hex blasts.
Lady Harimann was near an altar, talking to a desire demon. "Starkhaven will not submit. I put that idiot Goran Vael into the prince's seat, but the other families won't heed him. I must marry him to Flora and solidify our hold. But I need more power."
"I've given you much." The desire demon said in a seductive manner. "Your desires run deep. You've already traded your husband and your children. What more can you offer?"
"What bargain have you made?" Marian demanded.
"Who is this? Who are you? How did you get here?" Lady Harimann's eyes widened, when she saw… "Sebastian…?"
"You were my mother's friend. How could you murder her?" Sebastian demanded, reaching for his bow.
"Such an ugly word." The desire demon said. "I prefer 'removed the only obstacle between her and her dreams.'"
"This was your idea." Sebastian glared at the demon, who smiled.
"I could create such desires if I wished. But it's far easier to nurture those that already exist. The desire for power is easy to find. You and your friend both possess it, do you not? You both wish to rise." The demon said.
"Not if it meant selling out my family." Marian sneered.
"How loyal were your friends to you? Everyone has a price. Everyone wants something." The demon continued.
"Do not listen to her." Marian ordered.
"Oh, such a pious soul, masking so much ambition. Are you so different from my lady? You yearn for the same lands, the same power…"
"I am the rightful heir! She is a usurper and murderer." Sebastian countered.
The demon moved towards him just slightly. "You swore to put aside worldly goods and ambitions. But they couldn't stop you from wanting them."
The demon was good at trying to sway Sebastian. Wanda stepped up as she blasted the demon back. "That's enough from you."
Fenris, Marian and Isabela pulled out their swords, attacking the demons, who had emerged as Wanda and Anders used their powers. The demons were relentless but Wanda and Anders managed to vaporize them as Lady Harimann fell back, dead.
"Let us return to the Chantry. I must pray for Lady Harimann's soul." Sebastian said tiredly as they were going up until they faced Flora.
"Sebastian. I am so, so…" Flora sighed. "Sorry is such an inadequate word. When I think what Mother made us do…" She shuddered. "What those creatures made us do…"
"We were friends, Flora." Sebastian reminded.
"It was like a cloud came down on me. All I could feel or think was what the demon allowed." Flora said, her eyes getting wet.
"Don't blame your mother. The desire demon made this happen." Marian said as Sebastian gave her a grateful look. It wasn't the complete truth but at least it would make Flora's pain easier.
"I doubt many people will be so forgiving." Flora said. "If it takes every last coin my family owns, I will make reparations to everyone we've wronged. Starting with you, Sebastian. We weren't the only ones vying for Starkhaven. If you face more opposition, you have my support."
Sebastian sighed. "It will not make up for what happened."
"No. That's true." Flora nodded, having the decency to look ashamed.
Sebastian was leaning against the railing in the Chantry, staring down at the foyer, his expression emotionless. "I had hoped prayer might cleanse me of the desire demon's touch. But I still hear her voice so clearly. I feel like I've bathed in filth that will never come off."
"You acted honorably. Why are you ashamed?" Marian asked as she and Wanda leaned net to him.
"The demon didn't lie. I used to be bitterly jealous of my brother. I wanted to be prince. Now, everything he had is mine. And he lies in ashes. I keep asking myself, "Do I want this because it's right, or simply to have what I never thought I could?"" Sebastian mused.
"You're the heir, aren't you?" Wanda asked.
"I'm the youngest son of three." Sebastian said. "My parents were… rather traditional. They wanted the heir and the spare, and I was left in the cold. They put me in the Chantry to prevent my competing with my brothers."
Wanda's eyes flashed red. That was just… wrong. "Wait. I thought you believed in the Chantry. Are you saying they forced you to?"
"At first." Sebastian nodded. "But it was the best thing that could have happened. I was a wild boy, a shame to my family. The Chantry made me a man." Wanda wondered whether Howard should have sent Tony to a private school or church or something like that, when he was younger. "It's odd. When I wanted to rule, I would have been terrible at it. Now that I might be decent, I don't know it's the right thing to do."
Wanda chuckled. Sebastian started to remind her of Tony, how he had been once upon a time and Steve personality-wise nowadays.
"It is the wisdom not to want power that lets you use it wisely." Marian said as Wanda remembered the words. It was what Marian's, Carver's and Bethany's father Malcolm used to tell them. If only Thanos had followed these words.
"You didn't feel what that demon stirred in me. It cannot be right to lead any army to Starkhaven with such doubt in my heart." Sebastian managed a smile. "I owe you more than I can say, to both of you. I will offer my service to you here before I move on."
"We're friends, Sebastian. You don't need to feel like you owe us, if you want to help." Wanda said.
"You have a good soul. It was truly the Maker who led you to me." Sebastian smiled.
Present
"Starkhaven." Cassandra said.
Leliana narrowed her eyes. "If he has sought refuge with none less than the prince, there may be little we can do without destabilizing that entire region." She shook her head. "Though Prince Sebastian's loyalty to the Chantry is well known. I am not convinced."
"You have people there?"
"Of course."
Cassandra nodded. "Send some of your birds. If we could just get the chance to talk to the man…" She sighed. "Or perhaps see what the Prince may know."
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