He was rather spry for an old man, wasn't he?

Elissa clenched her jaw as Howe spun behind her, throwing her shield under her arm to cover her ribs as his dagger struck. She made a point to twist her leg at an awkward angle just so he'd trip over her foot as she turned.

As he staggered and tried to straighten himself, she sunk back behind her shield, sword pointed over the tip. He hadn't even left a mark on her armor, and she had left little cuts along his arms and his legs. She was playing with him.

And by the look on his face, he knew it too.

"My dear Warden, I understand there's a, uh, certain beauty in revenge, but are we not here to accomplish something?"

Elissa's eyes flicked to Zevran for only a brief second, but the instant she looked away, Howe rushed her. His axe came down for her throat while he shoved his dagger up at her stomach. She stepped a fraction of an inch to the side, caught the dagger between her side and her shield, and dropped her own sword to grab his other wrist.

He jerked once, but her grip was like iron.

For the first time since their little duel began, fear crossed over Howe's face. He'd lost.

"Which sounds more ironic to you?" she whispered. One kick to his knee and he buckled, losing grip on the dagger even as she jerked his axe from him. As she crouched down with him, she grabbed him by his throat. "Killing you with my father's sword, or with your own weapon?"

There was no way Elissa was going to lose to him. She knew it before he even drew his weapons, knew it even as his guards and mages fell to her companions, knew it no matter how close his strikes came. He was far older, far slower, far weaker, but Elissa doubted he'd have had much of a chance even if they'd fought when he was at his peak.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something glint, and before he even knew what he was doing, Elissa's hand was there, twisting the knife from his grasp to hers, and she drove it into the side of his neck.

The look of utter shock, that was worth it.

"It must be terrible," Elissa said as she stood to retrieve her sword, "knowing how inconsequential I was growing up and knowing I killed you. What was I ever going to be, anyway? Your son's wife?"

He coughed as he fell forward and blood stained her boots.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you off that easily. Get up."

She grabbed him by the shoulder, forced him to sit on his haunches.

"I still remember the look on your face when my father told you Aedan wasn't going to marry your daughter. How disappointing it must've been when you were told only I was going to be sold off like that. Me!"

Elissa leaned out of the way when he coughed again. He was getting pale.

She sighed, shook her head. One deft hand plucked the knife from his throat and he gurgled, choking on his blood. He wasn't even looking at her anymore—his eyes had glazed over.

She stood again, gripped her sword with both hands. One clean stroke, and his head came free of his shoulders.

For several long seconds, Elissa simply stared at the lifeless body at her feet. This man she had grown up far too close to, this man that should've been like a second father to her, and he had betrayed them. He murdered her father, her mother, her nephew, her brother's wife, and for all she knew, those reports of Fergus being alive were wrong. It had been nearly a year since she'd last seen him, and it was entirely possible that even if he had survived Ostagar, he was dead now.

The darkspawn were moving north. The Blight was in full swing and the Bannorn was taking the brunt of it. If Fergus had somehow survived, it was more likely than not that the horde had caught up to him.

Elissa didn't even realize she was shaking until a hand fell on her shoulder. It was Leliana, expression soft, as she gently urged Elissa away.

"We need to go," she said.

Something about her touch, her voice even, sent something in Elissa reeling. It felt like the world snapped into clarity, and it was then she understood what had happened. That stupid spirit. Elissa hadn't even realized it happened until it let her go.

She looked back down to Howe's body and her stomach twisted. It was worse than she could've known. So many punctures, so many cuts and gashes, and he kept fighting. Elissa had toyed with him, fully aware there was no way he was going to best her, and it hadn't even been her fighting him.

It took every ounce of willpower she had to not throw up.

"Elissa."

Firm this time. It was what she needed.

"Let's get out of here."

The walk back to Anora's prison was short. Elissa had anticipated...something, but then, what could happen? They hadn't set the alarm off. They were extremely thorough in clearing every room in the dungeon so no guard could sneak away and raise it.

But this felt too calm. Something should go wrong. Something always went wrong.

As they rejoined Erlina in the small corridor, the elf knocked once, and Anora exited the room, wearing a similar getup to the ones the four of them sported.

Elissa inclined her head once as a show of respect and Anora said, "My thanks."

"Any reason in particular you're wearing that?"

"Because there are two kinds of people in this house: those loyal to Howe, and those loyal to me. If Howe's people find me, I'll be killed. And my people will insist on escorting me back to the palace...where my father may also have me killed."

Elissa gave her a once over, eyes narrowing. She looked like what she expected. A few inches taller than herself with disgustingly good posture only found in people of noble blood.

"And how do you know we won't also kill you?" Elissa asked.

Anora straightened a little, like she was rising to a challenge, and Elissa instantly felt insignificant. "I have faith in my husband's uncle...and in old friends."

Something was off about this entire interaction, but Elissa couldn't put her finger on it. There was no way Anora was referring to her; she expected Aedan, so she was likely referencing him. They had been friends up until her and Cailan's wedding, and that hadn't been so long ago. There was a very good chance Anora still considered them such.

After eyeing her for another moment, Elissa nodded. "Very well."

They barely made it ten feet before they were halted at the main gate.

So this is where everything went wrong.

There were six of them, and only four were armed. There were at least ten armed knights and just as many city guards, lined along the wall and the door, with that same damned knight as yesterday. What was her name again? Cauthrien?

"Warden," she said coolly. "In the name of the regent, I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Rendon Howe and his men-at-arms. Surrender, and you may be shown mercy."

This was absolutely absurd.

"Rendon Howe was holding your queen hostage," Elissa retorted.

"Don't be ridiculous," Cauthrien scoffed. "The queen is not being held prisoner here or anywhere else. Her father would not stand for it."

"Do you want to ask her yourself?"

"What?"

Anora stepped forward, motioning for Erlina to follow, and as soon as she opened her mouth, Elissa knew this had been a set-up.

"Praise the Maker you're here! This brigand tried to capture me!"

Elissa just made a face when Cauthrien looked back to her. What could she say? It was her word against Anora's, and this was one of Loghain's lackeys. Anora's word was law.

She looked along the room again. At least twenty enemies, if not more waiting in the other hallway. There was no way they were fighting their way out of this unless Elissa was blindsided by Hope, and she doubted that would happen. The spirit had a nasty habit of showing up when it wanted to, not when Elissa wanted it or needed its help.

It tried, but damn, it was bad at it still.

"As you wish," Elissa said, shrugging. "We surrender."

"What?" Alistair demanded.

Elissa glared daggers at him, and when he seemed to have gotten the message, she turned back to Ser Cauthrien. "If I give myself up, you'll let my friends go?"

"You have my word," she promised.

Elissa inhaled deeply, and then nodded. In one smooth motion, she unbelted her sword and handed it out to Leliana. Several of the guards reached for their own weapons, but she had no plan to attack them. Even Cauthrien stiffened a little.

"What is this?"

"Give it to Aedan," Elissa said. "I don't care who is arresting me. They're not taking our sword."

Leliana hesitated. She didn't want it. How would it look if she took it back to Aedan without Elissa attached? She didn't want it. She couldn't take it, but Elissa was looking at her still, expression dark and serious, and she had no option. She couldn't shoot her entire quiver fast enough to save them.

Reluctantly, Leliana accepted the weapon, and Elissa squared her shoulders, whispering a quick word of thanks.

As she stepped forward, Alistair said, "She's not the only Warden here."

"Quiet!" Elissa hissed.

He followed her, and Leliana could see him swallow nervously. Cauthrien's eyes narrowed as Alistair stopped beside Elissa. "I'm Alistair Theirin."

Understanding dawned on her face. "Maric's bastard?" At his nod, she turned to the man on her left. "Take them both."

Elissa whispered something to Alistair as the large man lumbered down the stairs, producing a coil of rope from his belt. Alistair was the first to be secured, wrists bound tightly at his waist, while another guard took his sword and shield. A third confiscated Elissa's shield, holding her in place until the first could bind her wrists as well.

The guard tried to shove them forward, but Elissa ducked and stepped aside.

"You gave me your word," she snapped.

Cauthrien paused for a second, looked at her and Zevran, and then nodded. On her signal, the stoic guards turned and marched out the gates, leaving them, Cauthrien, Anora, and Erlina in the foyer alone.

"Is that satisfactory?"

The guard shoved Elissa up the steps and she mumbled something, probably something stupid because it was followed up with a cuff across the back of her head.

Leliana didn't know what to do. There had to have been something, but all she found herself capable of doing was watching as Elissa and Alistair were led away. She had never felt so helpless. Of all the times to be unable to act, why did it have to be now?

It hurt to watch her be hit like that. It hurt to watch and know there was nothing she could do. If she tried anything, it was likely both of the Wardens would be killed and then they would be too, and Cauthrien just wouldn't care.

Anger flowed through her as she clenched her fist around the scabbard of Elissa's sword.

"You—"

"Relax, Orlesian," Anora said. "I saved our lives."

"You likely sentenced them to death," Zevran retorted.

"After we saved you."

Leliana couldn't believe any of this.