Chapter 192 – Calm before the storm

Makatza was on edge, after her allergic reaction wore off she was left tense and twitchy. The dinner went reasonably well and they were having a brief, casual soiree before the meeting. She sipped her wine and pressed her hand against her forehead as she tried to gather the strength she needed for the rest of this evening. Varric looked up at her and tilts his head, 'hey, Petal. Is everything okay?' He asks softly as he places a hand on her hip.

She breathes in deeply and forces a smile on her face, 'yeah, yeah, you know how much I hate these sorts of things,' Katza says simply. 'Hasn't gotten any easier since being in Office,' she adds. Looking around the hall she could see Aveline's guards at the entrances and exits, the shadow of one on the roof, and Aveline herself through the hall. It was comforting but at the back of her mind something was wrong. 'Where's Fenris?' She asks simply.

'There was a disturbance at the yard,' Varric reminds her. 'He'll be back soon, till then you've got me,' he assures her. 'What's the matter? You're not feeling well?'

'Not great,' she admits as she sips her wine again. 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere,' Makatza says as she sees the idea pop into his head. 'I think I'm going to sit down though,' she said as she felt her limbs go a little weak. Typical, been planning this for months and some stupid allergic reaction is going to make it a massive drama. Fuck's sake, she thought to herself as she sits on the nearest chair. Varric asks a servant to get her a glass of water and she takes it gratefully.

'Lady Lorias, you look under the weather, has the duties of Office finally become too overwhelming?' Lord Crewe said as he spotted her sitting, drinking water.

Makatza tilts her head and simply looks at him. 'No,' she states bluntly.

'Ex...Excuse me?' He stutters.

Makatza doesn't break eye contact and her features harden. 'I said, no,' she repeats. Lord Crewe falters, it was a direct answer and with her tone it left no way to twist her words. Normally she was so careful with what she said. 'Is that all?' Makatza asks wanting this man to leave her alone. She wasn't in the mood.

'I'm just saying that if you're already feeling the pressure, perhaps you should-'

'Oh Maker Almighty, I get it!' Makatza snaps as she stands up. 'Enough is enough. You don't want me in Office, congratulations. Join the rest of the club I'm sure you've all got self pitying jackets and badges. The fact is, I'm here. I'm doing an fucking fantastic job and you can kiss my ass!' She hisses. 'If that's all, please leave your complaint with Seneschal Bran and I'll make sure to throw it on the fire in the morning.' Makatza sits back down and blatantly ignores him until he gets the hint and walks away with his tail in between his legs.

'That wasn't very Viscountess like,' Varric teases as he lights his pipe. Makatza groans and rubs her temple.

'I'm tired of doing things the Viscountess way. Let me do things my way and it'll be a lot quieter,' she complains as she feels her head thunder. Even her mana wasn't able to remove the ache and pain. 'Where's Fenris?' She asks again having forgotten in her annoyance, she just wanted a hug and to feel better. Varric assures her that he'll be back soon and privately hoped that he would be. True to his word, Fenris was back a few moments later, a little damp from the bad weather outside. He spots Varric before he sees Makatza and walks over to the dwarf.

'Hey, Broody,' Varric greets having walked a couple of feet away from Katza to speak to him. 'She's not feeling well. Something going on?' He asks. 'People are starting to notice that she's not her normal self.'

Fenris sighs a little and nods, 'she had a reaction earlier,' he explains simply. 'I will look after her,' he said seeing the dwarf realise what he was talking about.

'Alright, alright, I'll keep people off her back. She only has to last a couple more hours,' he says musing on the thought of the council meeting. Fenris pats him on the shoulder and walks over to where Makatza was still sitting down sipping her water. She was looking over to where Elgon and Ciere were lying next to her throne, the sight making her feel happy.

Fenris places a hand on her shoulder making her jump, 'oh, it's you,' she says in relief as she stands up and hugs him. He raises a brow, she normally avoided most physical affection when she was being Viscountess. It wasn't the most comfortable hug, he was wearing his armour and she had to be careful of his sword on his back.

'Are you feeling well enough to be here?' He asks softly as he returns her hug in a very chaste way, aware that people were watching.

'I'll last. I just feel really tired,' she admits. Fenris was about to reply when her Seneschal came over to let her know that the council hall was ready for the meeting. Fuck! I don't want to do this! She mentally screamed but thanked Bran on the outside. 'Well, let's get this over with,' Makatza says as she pulls away and brushes her dress down. 'Everything okay at the yard?' She asks calling Elgon and Ciere over to her side as she began to walk out the room.

Fenris walked just behind her as they left, leading the other nobles and guild leaders to the appropriate hall. 'Yes, everything is fine. Just a rather pent up stallion attempting to kick out his stall,' he says simply. Something wasn't right and it wasn't the fact that Katza was hiding her incident from him. Every instinct screamed at him and he looked around the hall they had walked into. He places a hand on her lower back and steers her slightly to the left as he looked at the right side windows. 'Be on guard,' he murmurs into her ear as she walks towards her seat. Makatza tenses and nods, hearing the seriousness in his voice.

It was about an hour into the meeting and things weren't going well. Nobles were speaking over one another, there was a clear divide in seating even though Makatza had tried to mediate that. Everyone was shouting to be heard and it was all grating on Makatza's nerves something wicked. The complaint that was being shouted the loudest was about equality. Equal pay, equal rights and such. 'That is quite enough!' Makatza says firmly as she stands up, leaning her hands on the table as she looks at them all. 'The next person to interrupt me will be escorted out the meeting. Do I make myself clear?' The silence that greeted her words was enough of a confirmation. She takes her seat and nods, 'very well. Now, in regards to the equal rights. Let me tell you a story. The Qunari uprising was triggered by two elves who had murdered a guard. Now, you would think that elves are to blame. Well you're wrong. The guard had forced himself upon their sister, so they took matters into their own hands as everyone they had asked for help, had refused to take them seriously. This is due to the inequality. With equal rights everyone will be treated to the same benefits and disciplines, no matter of race or status. In the long run you can see that this will be a good thing for everyone. What you may call, the workers, will feel listened to and safe, knowing that they are too being looked after. And yourselves as business owners and land owners, partners and such will be reassured that you will have very little trouble when it comes to their complaints. Pay your workers fairly and you will earn their loyalty and effort, we as a city need to set an example that everyone is equal -'

'Even the mages?' Lord Crewe says simply as he looks at her. 'You are a mage, are you not? Yet here you sit, instead of in the Gallows like any other.' The rest of the table look at him in wonder, the Viscountess had always followed through with any decisions she made and he had just interrupted her. 'I am just wondering when this equal treatment will come into place in this plan of yours.'

Makatza steeples her fingers and tilts her head while looking at him, Fenris gently touching her shoulder as Elgon and Ciere begin to growl at the man. She calms them down with a wave of her hand and looks at Lord Crewe. 'No. I am not a mage. I am something much worse,' she states not caring about how it sounded. 'As for the mages, I have been talking to the Grand Cleric Elthina and Knight Commander Meredith-'

'And nothing as of yet has been resolved,' Lord Crewe says with a smile.

Makatza breathes in deeply, dear Maker, please stop me from slapping a bitch, she prays. She clears her throat and smiles at him. 'Well, thank you for your enlightening comments, Lord Crewe. They were so constructive and brought much in the ways of resolution to the matter. Now, please don't resist when the guards remove you from the Keep, or it will hurt,' she says simply waving her hand to a couple of Aveline's men.

Lord Crewe stood up, 'how dare you! I am a respected member of this city, I have every right to be here- take your hands off me!'

'You are a toddler, and until you act like a decent member of society I will not tolerate your behaviour, goodbye, Lord Crewe,' Makatza says simply nodding at the guards who had paused for a brief moment. They grab him firmly and pull him from his place at the table. His shouting and threats echoed down the hall as he was removed. Makatza waited until she could hear no more and then turned to those who were left. 'My apologies,' she says sweetly, her head pounding painfully. 'Shall we continue? Does anyone else have anything to say about the equality rights? Anyone?'

Makatza paused in her own sentence and felt Fenris stiffen behind her. There was complete silence except the twang of silk, almost barely perceptible. She felt Fenris' hand push her but she had already begun to throw herself to the side. An arrow pinged off of Fenris' gauntlet as he blocked the shot. Snatching the arrow out the air he looked at it and then worked out it's trajectory. 'Varric!' Fenris snapped, the dwarf disappeared. Guards ran over to Makatza and shielded her with their metal covered bodies as she was pulled from the table. Fenris began giving instructions but swore as another arrow hit him, this time from a different angle. The nobles and guild leaders were being herded towards the door but it was clear as to who their real target was. Fenris snapped the shaft of the arrow that stuck out his lower back, the pain intense with the edge taken off by his bracelet. There was a cry from the rafters and a man dropped to the floor dead, Varric having found him.

'Fenris!' Aveline called as she saw the wound, only slightly bleeding.

'Protect Makatza, leave!' He commands. Aveline pauses for a brief moment before nodding and running over to the large pile of bodies that were keeping Makatza covered. She makes her way through the huddle, they were aiming for a servant's door.

'Aveline!' Makatza says annoyed, this was all going a little far. It wasn't as if she hadn't been hit by an arrow before. This was all just a normal day. 'Where's Fenris? Elgon, Ciere?' She asks a little worried about them.

'Your wolves have hidden themselves rather well and Fenris is locating the assassins with Varric's help. We need to get you out of here before you get hurt as well,' Aveline says instructing her men.

Makatza stopped in place despite their best efforts to keep her moving. 'As well?' She states making Aveline's face pale. 'What does that mean? Who's been hurt?-' She breathes in deeply, allowing her wolf side to assist her as she closes her eyes. She can smell blood, fresh. A mental map appeared in her mind, it swept over the table and the largest source was the man on the floor, dead. But there was something else, a more familiar smell, being overpowered by the large amount already spilled. Her mental map moved as she heard the sounds of weapons clashing, the grunt and movements of clothing. It was then she realised that she could smell Fenris' blood.

'Shit! Katza, no, you can't, not here-' Aveline said in a panic as she saw the look on her face.

'Everyone out. Now,' Makatza hisses as she looks at the Guard Captain. 'That's an order,' she snaps as her canines begin to lengthen. Aveline grinds her teeth but order her men out the room as soon as possible, watching them filter out the servants door. The nobles and other civilians had already been evacuated. Makatza turns around to face the hall, now the target was unguarded and the men that had appeared in the room all changed their priorities.

'Katza!' Fenris took the chance of distraction to remove the man's head from his shoulders and take care of one of the assailants. She was aware that Fenris was saying something else to her but she wasn't listening. Her mana was sinking into every part of the room, she searched out every heartbeat and took control of them. There were cries of pain as her magic took control of their bodies, she strode into the middle of the room and clicked her fingers. Varric and Fenris could only watch as various men and women were dragged from the shadows by an invisible force. They were all dressed the same and she tilts her head as she allows one of the women to be dropped to the floor.

'Fenris,' Makatza says glaring at the shaking assassin. 'Find out what she knows,' she states simply. Fenris nods and spins his sword in his hand with ease before sheathing it and grabbing her, his brands light up and the woman screams.

'We're just contractors! We were hired!' She says almost instantly. Looking around she could see the rest of her group writhing in pain. 'We were hired by a third party!'

'A name!' Fenris demanded.

'Crewe! Someone called Crewe!' She yelped as the elf holding her became horribly close. Makatza's eyes narrowed and there were shrieks of agony as her mana crushed the lungs and hearts of the men she held hostage. The woman began to sob, 'we didn't know... we didn't... we were just told to aim for the woman with the crown and elf that was with her,' she says pleading. Makatza dropped the bodies and the woman couldn't help but look over at them, their eyes and tongues bulging out their heads, blood dripping from their lips. She whimpered and shook her head. 'Please, have mercy.'

Makatza looked at the assassin. 'I am not the one you should be asking. It is not my mercy you require,' she states.