Chapter Seventy-Nine: Pater Patria
The treaty was drawn up in a day and ratified by the monarchy and merchants of Antiva without great examination. Apparently they had been watching from the royal palace, and had an even better of the destruction wrought by the cannon of the Océane than we did.
With our job done and our borders secure, it was just a matter of getting the hell out. In the end, it took longer to move our war reparation payment of a billion sovereigns than it did to move the Army.
A full week to move the gold and silver, in fact, because we had to find a place to move it all to. In the end, we kept part of it in the Crossroads in our fort beyond-the-eluvians, and kept the rest of it in what was supposed to be a water cistern for the Mont de Mars. No chance of anyone stealing from either place undetected, and Aurelia put up magic barriers to be sure.
By contrast, our army left Antiva in a single day, our forces withdrawing through the eluvians and leaving only a single one behind, which would be moved to an embassy in Bastion. The Navy stayed off the coast of Antiva City for a little while longer, buying up useful ships and naval supplies.
We left behind a large fund for the Prince of Rivain to use to defend the Calabrians, whom were less than amused that we had agreed to withdraw from their territory. They cheered up a little when I informed them the Prince would be buying firelances from us soon.
Overall, things began moving very quickly indeed.
The Army of the Alba returned to Troy for three days' leave, while preparations were made at Fort Ticonderoga at the western border with Ostwick for our arrival there. And for those three days, the most bizarre reports came in. Strange happenings from all over, from many of the realms around us and on the sea.
Yet I did not have the time to fully consider these, not until Ostwick was conquered. So I rested up, and when our leave was over, went through the eluvians to Ticonderoga with the Highlanders.
There, Shokrakar and the Valo-Kas were waiting for us. They had been harassing the Ostwickers since the war had begun, scouting the paths through the mountains with some of our best Avvar trackers, raiding and observing to gain intelligence.
For almost all that time, they had been faced with the Long Watch, Ostwick's small standing army, mostly under the command of Evelyn Trevelyan.
I brought through only my personal brigade's three regiments, and kept the rest of the army in Troy for the moment. All the better to move through the rough terrain, especially as my personal troops were Avvar Highlanders and Tiberian legionnaires.
The Valos-Kas showed us the way, and we made rapid progress, circling around Last Mount and arriving in Val Ost from the north-east. The valley looked very much like Valhalla; mountains on one side, the sea on the other, a bright green plain stretching out between them. The only difference is that Val Ost's mountains were truly worthy of the name, and the plain wasn't heavily forested.
We encountered no enemy troops, which was expected where combatants were concerned, but there weren't even any scouts looking for Shokrakar. That was strange, but we pressed forward, south towards the capital.
At the first defensible hill, I ordered a fort constructed to protect the single eluvian we had brought through, for the rest of the eluvians to be brought in, and for the Army of the Alba to follow up. Then, leaving behind a regiment to complete that task, we advanced rapidly on Ostwick.
We got right outside. There was no resistance at all. The double walls were not manned. There was no army waiting outside of them. The city gates were open.
To say I found this suspicious would be a huge understatement. The whole situation screamed trap.
I stood with the troops outside the walls, outside of bow range, in a line of battle and cannon deployed, waiting. By nightfall, I expected to have the rest of my army with me, so time was very much on my side. No need to go running into the jaws of something that looked too good to be true.
But sometimes, things are exactly how they appear.
After about an hour of preparedness for battle, someone finally made an appearance. Three someones, to be exact.
A Grand-Cleric, a Templar and a Mage. It was obvious from a distance too; big hat for the cleric, big Templar flaming sword on the Templar's armour, Circle robes and staff for the mage.
Marcus, Asala, Cormac and I watched the three leave the city from the middle of our battle line. Cormac ordered a platoon at the Highlanders' front rank to take aim; the mage was still a real threat to be taken seriously.
The three approached, nice and easy, before stopping about a hundred paces in front of us.
I commanded the others to stay and joined them, not particularly afraid of the Templar or the mage given my weapons and magical immunity. No one objected.
The Cleric was an older woman, the Templar a middle-aged well-built man, the Mage was thin young woman who looked slightly gaunt. They all had similar faces, green eyes and brown hair. There was an air of familiarity around them that I understood at once.
"Well, you're all Trevelyans," I chuckled as they got into earshot, "Or I'm from Timbuktu."
I'd love to explain what Timbuktu is... but it's been so long, I can't recall. The three in front of me at the time obviously didn't have an idea either, and glanced at each other in confusion.
"I am Grand-Cleric Madeleine Reynholm," the priestess said, "This is Knight-Commander Golan Drader and Sorana Trevelyan, a representative of the loyal Circle of Magi."
"Cousins to the Trevelyans then?" Marcus asked, "I am aware of the Reynholm and Drader families, they appear in the marriage records of some Tevinter dynasties."
Magisters and their bloodlines...
"Chantry loyalists," Marcus added in clarification, speaking to me, "Even the mage, it seems."
That was unusual in Thedas, but neither unheard of nor unusual for Ostwick in particular.
The Grand-Cleric scowled at my Tevene brother-in-law. "That is irrelevant, magister," she said flatly, before looking to me, "We come to inform you that the leadership and armies of the Teyrnir have fled to Starkhaven. Ostwick is an open city, its territory yours... for the moment."
My eyebrows migrated northwards. I had not thought such an outcome was possible... certainly not without us hearing about it. Yet apparently the Ostwickers had pulled off a spectacular false information campaign, yet another reminder that the ingenuity of less technologically advanced societies is never to be underestimated.
"I presume the Teyrn expects to get all of this back in a peace deal," I said, "That's presuming that he can win."
"Bann Trevelyan argued that better terms would only come if Ostwick resisted," the Grand-Cleric replied, "But that resisting alone was suicide. So the plan to rally the Long Watch and all volunteers to Prince Vael was concocted." A plan she clearly disapproved of.
The Long Watch was the name for Ostwick's small but professional standing army. Technically it was more of a police organisation, but it did double duty.
"If this is a trick, there will be great bloodshed, lowlander," Cormac growled from beside me, "The sky itself will fall on you, the Lady shall will it so."
The Lady of the Skies, that is, not Lady Andraste... though the distinction was blurring somewhat in our ranks. But that's a matter for a whole other book, frankly. The Grand-Cleric did not seem to understand which was being talked about, probably having never met or paid any heed to the Avvars before.
"It is no trick," Knight-Commander Drader replied, far more politely than I would have expected, "The nobility have fled, either to Starkhaven or their estate-houses. Many of the common folk have went to relatives in the countryside too. The city is yours. All we ask is that you leave the Circle loyalists alone."
"We want no part in your libertarianism," the mage Trevelyan added.
Heat rose to my face... they had denuded their city of government and protection, likely unleashing the worst criminal elements in the process, until word of our arrival came. And now, they were making demands.
"You'll be taking a big part," I replied with a grin, "The Teryn of Ostwick and the rest of the nobility has abdicated their role in government by fleeing and leaving no secular authority behind. As there is no Libertarian leader or group which can put into power to set up a democracy, Ostwick is hereby annexed as a province of the Trojan Republic."
A veil of dread fell over the faces of the party in front of me, eyes falling and prayers muttered sotte voce. Clearly, this was a scenario they hoped not to see.
"Mages and Templars present will be offered a choice; join us, be taken as prisoners of war until the end of the war, or be expelled to Orlais," I continued, speaking directly to the mage, "I am sure the Madame de Fer in Montsimmard will appreciate the presence of reinforcements, but be warned, if we catch any of you fighting against us, you'll be summarily executed for violation of military parole."
I looked at the Grand-Cleric directly, because this next part was for her.
"You are not to incite rebellion," I said sternly, "Your status as a cleric will not protect you. By joining a war of annihilation against us, Ostwick has forfeited its sovereign rights. We do not reward attempted genocide with equitable peace terms. You will personally bless my choice of military governor, publicly, and the elections to follow."
The priestess met my edict with fiery resolve.
"I cannot," she replied, "I refuse. You are … worse than apostates. You fly the banner of liberty in a mockery of Andraste's own, and destroy everything her Chantry has built. Even if it costs me my life, I will condemn you."
Truth be told, I was more reluctant to kill a Grand-Cleric than I was willing to admit, particularly as the Conclave of the Chantry was right around the corner. But luckily, that very event gave me an out.
"Then you may condemn me elsewhere," I replied, "Go to the Conclave in Ferelden, make your complaints directly to the Divine. Perhaps she will hear you. We do value her opinion, perhaps she can convince us to restore your sovereignty. But not here."
In case you didn't catch that hint, I was annexing Ostwick as a bargaining chip... Yet in truth,
"We have already sent a delegation," the Grand-Cleric retorted, "And I will not leave the people without spiritual guidance."
"Then you will die a martyr," I shrugged, "And by inspiring resistance in the people here, you will get many, many of them killed. I don't want that, you don't want that, and it will not result in my defeat. It doesn't need to be an arduous journey either, we can transport you via our portals to Amaranthine, and you can take whatever you need."
I stepped up to them, casually.
"I understand that you have the most impressive Chantry complex in the Free Marches," I concluded, "Since your effects are likely stored there, you can show us the way. Now."
The pure hatred in the Grand-Cleric's mind was obvious in her twitchy gaze, but she wordlessly turned and began walking away. The others with her got the hint, the Knight-Commander glancing at me and then at the firelancers behind me.
Their cooperation secured, for the moment, I ordered the line of battle reformed as an urban assault column. There was still a chance the whole song and dance was bait for a trap, after all.
That day was the only time I met the three envoys, and they are of little consequence, but I mention their names for a specific reason; all three would die at the Conclave, from the madness of Corypheus wielding the power of the Dread Wolf.
The Chantry complex of Ostwick was and remains the most impressive on the continent. It contains a hospital, hospice, food distribution centre, the Circle of Magi compound and the largest chanter cathedral on Thedas with the exception of Grand-Cathedral in Val Royeaux.
But it's even more impressive than the Grand-Cathedral for a particular reason, which is that it is genuinely devoted to the flock it serves. Yes, it has the marble and gold you would expect of the Chantry, but instead of being surrounded with a grand plaza, it was surrounded by gardens. These spaces were well kept, the marching grounds of many chickens and a number of goats, with flowers providing ample fodder for beehives.
All of which was a legacy of the Qunari invasion, centuries before. In order to save their asses, many Ostwickers had converted to the Qun, only to find their city reclaimed by the forces of the New Exalted Marches. While execution was the fate prescribed for those that did not convert back, the Grand-Cleric sent to Ostwick in the aftermath made sure the people had every reason to return to the fold.
Much of the land around the Chantry complex was given over to gardens as I describe, for the purposes of healing the broken city. It was a hugely successful move, and Ostwick has remained a hotspot of loyalty to the White Divine ever since.
It was simultaneously beautiful and useful, a true testament to what the Chantry used to be.
As such, it suited my purposes perfectly.
Our occupation of Ostwick began with our seizure of all government and public buildings. The rest of the Army of the Alba came out of the eluvians to provide the numbers. I ordered the brigades under Cormac and Aoife to march out in parallel to seek out resistance in the countryside, and to return in a few days. They would find none.
In the mean time, I had my companions join me in the Chantry gardens of Ostwick, under the pretence of viewing the cathedral and the gardens. They knew the score, they came dressed in casual clothing, bringing no weapons or documents. Armen and Ciara even brought a small cask of ale and some mugs.
We walked around a little, checking out the sights. The cathedral had been gutted, anything of any value removed. I wondered if it was the Chantry who had done it, to protect their wealth, or the Teryn, trying to fund his war efforts. We never really found out.
In the end, we had benches from the cathedral brought out, arranged them in a circle at the exact centre of the main garden and then dismissed our mixed guard of Avvars, Tevinters and Grey Wardens. They would surround the space, but were well out of earshot.
Perfect.
We all sat down in the most visibly relaxed way we could, again keeping up the pretence. But we were all business.
"How goes preparations for removing me from power?" I smiled falsely, "Are we ready to pull off this trick yet or not?"
Time to go around the house. I looked to Leha. First thing is first.
"Logistical matters have been completed," Leha replied, "We have the papers required already printed, and the proposals have already been circulated."
Building a new order while making it look like someone else's idea took a lot of paperwork, if you weren't going to use word of mouth to spread it. All sorts of memos had been making the round at my behest.
It was all Leha's idea, though, and a brilliant one at that. She had effectively created a fake narrative of back and forths, based on arguments already heard on the floor of the Assembly before my own coup d'etat. It was confusing mess, on the outside anyway, designed to prevent anyone from remembering who the hell had come up with what particular solution.
Armen was next.
"The mages are unaware of what is going to happen," Armen smiled, "They won't interfere."
After the escape of Anders, keeping mage fingerprints off what was going to happen was absolutely essential to the success of the enterprise.
"None of the High Command seem to know either," Ciara agreed. She had been assigned to snoop around the various Army and Navy command locations, ostensibly as my eyes and ears. If word of a plot against me had come to any loyal officers, she would've been the first point of contact for them. No one had come forward with information about an attempt to overthrow me.
And finally, I looked to Julie and Tam.
"How close are you two to being ready?" I said, looking to Tam and Julie, "You have the most difficult job, I know, and with the kids coming soon..."
The pair exchanged glances, Julie frowning as she turned back towards me.
"We need to move up the schedule," she said, "We want to do it before..." Before anyone got themselves born, is what she meant.
That was very soon indeed, in other words. Their hurry was understandable enough, Tam knew very well the requirements on time and effort that would be placed on all of us. Placing more of our duties on the shoulders of a new government would give us that time, though we had also hired nursemaids to help.
"That makes sense, I wouldn't want to still be in charge by then either," I agreed, "Though I'll likely have to finish the war before I can come home."
The prospect of serious time away from the battlefield or holding court like a despot was beginning to sound like heaven, even if it was to be a heaven filled with the cries of infants and unpleasant smells. The messy part of family. I was exhausted, and it was beginning to show.
"I doubt we'll have time later to launch a coup, true," Julie continued, "But that isn't the only reason we need to move up our schedule."
"My love, have you not been reading the intelligence reports from the OSS?" Tam said, "The unusual reports?"
Feeling like something had clicked in my mind, I sat up and racked my brain for such reports. Truthfully, I had been concentrating on Starkhaven and its allies, prioritising intelligence about that theatre of operations and relying on Mariette to inform me of anything else I needed to know.
But I did skim the summaries of other arenas, particularly Orlais and the ocean.
"Templars are taking over parts of Orlais that aren't on the front lines of the civil war," I thought aloud, that fact being the foremost strange thing that I could recall, "They've moved into the southern Dales, and they're out in the blight desert out west too."
The others didn't know what I meant by that, given their blank stares. Though perhaps it was more surprising that the Templars were still a force to be reckoned with.
"Which is strange because the free mages have already escaped to Ferelden," Julie explained, for the benefit of Ciara, Armen and Leha, "And the main force of Templars has moved through Sulcher's Pass, since we control Gherlen's Pass on the Orlesian side. Since it's summer, they'll have no trouble getting through."
"I think the reason Haven was chosen for the conclave was because the pass is close," I added, "The Divine could cut off any rebellious Templars' supplies, and force them into conflict with the Fereldan Royal Army."
"Does Ferelden still have an army?" Leha snorted into her ale mug, "Last I checked, they were dead on the banks of the Hafter, with lots of holes in them from our firelances."
I smirked and raised my mug to that, though there was a caveat to it.
"Remember that they only put that army together at short notice," I replied, "And winter was approaching. They couldn't have sent everyone they had." That said, we had dealt a crippling blow, which was to have significant consequences for the near future.
"There may be more Templars or free mages in the country than remaining Fereldan soldiers," Tam stated, "The Templars from the Marches were recalled from Starkhaven, sailed from Cumberland and landed on the Storm Coast."
This wasn't news, I was aware that there was going to be a showdown around Redcliffe, if the Conclave fell through. There had already been skirmishes before the Divine had called the truce.
"So, the Templars are not acting as they should," I said, "I'm not sure any of that is a reason to rush our plan?"
"What's concerning is that a Tevinter force is on the way to Ferelden as well," Tam said, producing the note, "It seems a Magister Alexius has sailed with a legion, and his ships were last spotted at Estwatch."
I nodded. "I did look into that. Alexius is one of the leaders of the small liberal faction," I said, "They'll probably try to stick their fingers into the Mage war, but there's no way they get there in time to interfere. Aurelia gave me a big speech about how they're useless and it was nothing to worry about. " She'd be eating crow about that one, not long after.
Neither Tam nor Julie spoke for a moment, which put me on edge.
"What am I missing?" I asked.
"The Grey Wardens," Tam stated, "The Order in Orlais and Ferelden has begun to act... strangely."
I didn't read anything to do with the Grey Wardens. I had those reports passed on to Tam herself. She was Commander of the Grey, after all. I knew that if there was a problem, she would come to me if the Wardens needed help.
I opened my hands, as if to say "Let's hear it".
"Strangely doesn't begin to cover it," Julie warned.
"What are they doing?" Armen asked, intrigued, "Hopping on one leg strange, or plotting the end of the world strange?"
"More like getting ready for the end of the world strange," Julie said, before gesturing to Tam, "Tell them."
Tam shot a disapproving glance at Julie rushing her, before sighing and giving in. "The Wardens in Orlais are conscripting people in large numbers, enough for an army, and they're angering both sides of the civil war doing it. They aren't responding to messages any more," she explained, "And the Order has disappeared from Ferelden entirely. Warden-Commander Andras left a steward in charge of Amaranthine and locked her Wardens up in Soldier's Peak, like they were under siege or something. They aren't replying to messages either."
That brought a single terrifying thought screaming to the front of my mind, making me want to jump out of my seat and issue a whole new set of orders to our armies.
"Do they think it's a Blight?" I asked, "Because that would be really bad right about now."
Tam shook her head. "They would've informed the rest of us," she said, "The Orlesian Order reported that some of their people were hearing the Calling far earlier than they should, and that the problem seemed to be spreading."
"The Calling?" I asked, my confusion evident.
"Grey Wardens only live for twenty or thirty years after joining, remember?" said Tam, her face going pale as she spoke, "Succumbing to the Taint begins with nightmares... then you begin to hear music and whispers, and you begin to want to seek out the darkspawn and the Old Gods. Most Grey Wardens go to the Deep Roads for a final battle when this happens."
"But the Orlesians decided to raise an army instead," Julie added, her frown growing, "And they've been spotted in two places; the western desert of Orlais and the Frostback Mountains near Sulcher's Pass..."
In other words, exactly where the Templars had been spotted.
"Well that can't be a coincidence," I said, "Have you heard this Calling Tam? Do they expect you to run off to help?"
"Over my dead body," Julie declared, a statement I agreed with entirely.
Tam shook her head again; she was not hearing death-by-corruption coming. Truth be told, I was hoping that her new immunity from magic would prevent such a thing. This confirmed that, and I sat a little easier knowing that she wasn't going to suddenly become suicidal in two or three decades.
"I don't think you're properly considering the possibilities," Armen said, matter-of-factly, "Wardens fight darkspawn, Templars fight mages... but Templars also fight demons, which come to this world through mages... and the darkspawn have mages."
He span his staff and conjured a spark, seemingly out of boredom, and the crack of the air ripping around it echoed off one of the walls beyond. How he was so calm in suggesting such a thing, I did not know, but Ciara was equally non-chalant.
"So what?" Ciara shrugged, "Are you saying there's a darkspawn-demon outbreak in the Deep Roads?"
Holy Baby Jesus, that was not the thing I wanted to hear. And ironically, it wasn't too far from the truth. Demons that could do all sorts of otherworldly shit coupled with darkspawn which could taint anyone they touched was a combination to respect the power of, even if both had significantly less sway over me than others.
"The thought had crossed my mind," Tam admitted, "Either way, we can't be tied up in a political quagmire with all of this going on."
"Understatement of the century," I agreed quickly, "We'll move the timetable up as soon as possible. Are your Wardens and the others ready to go?"
"They are," Tam replied.
"The Free Orlesians are with us too," Julie added, "And I have prepared the necessary items. Not easy to do secretly, but the goldsmiths were given a respectable cover story. We are ready to go."
"I'll make the arrangements," I said, "Which leaves one thing."
"Indeed," Tam agreed, before she turned to Ciara, Armen and Leha, "Would you three leave us? We will talk with you separately later. We will move in a week's time, begin preparations."
The three of them got up without a word further. Leha departed at once. Ciara ran over and hugged Tam, then Julie, and departed with Armen.
I exhaled and finished my drink. This next part wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Julie, for this to work, we are going to need to maintain a certain... neutrality from politics," I began, "The whole point is that the people take government into their own hands again through people they choose."
Julie gave a single nod. "I couldn't agree more," she said, "The revolution would mean nothing if it was just you ruling us in reality. We need elections and a new chancellor as soon as possible."
Tam and I looked at each other. Julie wasn't getting the message. "You can't be involved either," I said, "You can't continue to lead the Libertarians. You can't be a candidate for Chancellor."
She straightened up in her seat at once, with some difficulty given the back pains she'd been having.
"Why?" Julie responded at once, "It's my right as a free citizen to run for office. I was not proclaimed Empress, and I would refuse such a position." Her implication being that not having been involved in a seizure of power like that, she wasn't seen as a threat to democracy... which was a piece of self-deception on her part.
"It is your right," Tam agreed, "But no one would believe you were independent of either of us. For the same reason, Armen and Ciara cannot stand either for the same reason. We could control the National Assembly through any of you."
"I think I've proven myself independent of you," Julie retorted, "I may not have organised the breakout of Anders, but I sure as hell didn't stop it. If that doesn't prove my independence from Sam at least, I don't know what could."
"Not everyone believes you did that without his agreement," Tam countered, "Some think it was a plot to keep the Chantry's demand for blood from tearing apart our society by giving all sides something to be happy about." Those who wanted Anders punished saw that he was duly convicted, and those that wanted him freed saw him escape with little effort on our part to find him again beyond the first day.
Which is probably why Julie had stood by and let it happen. It really did solve a problem for us... except that most people don't like compromises.
"The Anders case brings up another problem," I added, "You made a decision for the entire country on your own, because you believed you were right. Maybe you were, but it can't happen again. You're a revolutionary and the revolution is over."
Julie's eyes flashed with anger.
"The revolution is not over until every last human, elf, dwarf and qunari is free," she said, "And they have a voice in the government of their countries."
"They have a voice in ours," Tam replied, perhaps a little too quickly, "Or they will when we are done."
"Not telling us that there was a plot to get Anders out wasn't exactly very democratic ," I added, "We can't let the courts just be ignored by anyone with friends who can get them out of trouble."
"It'll be different from now on, because the courts we'll set up won't be a bad joke," Julie retorted, "There was no time for Anders to prepare a real defence or bring forward more witnesses. It was not justice."
"It was the best we could do under the circumstances," I sighed, not entirely disagreeing with her, "Though I must admit, Velarana ordering me to convict still burns."
Julie crossed her arms, eyes wide and looking right at me saying 'I bet it did, you idiot'.
"The issue is that all three of us cannot run the State," Tam said, bringing us back to the real subject at hand, "Sam overthrew the government. Julie you overthrew one government and defied the courts of another. And my own part in our own plot here will make me unsuitable to be Chancellor, if I ever wanted that. The three of us together represent more power than any other combination of citizens."
"We could command obedience until our dying day," I nodded, "But that would defeat the whole point of what we've done up until now. We need to use that power sparingly, only when necessary. That means none of us can be involved in the work of the Assembly, once the new order is established."
Julie wrung her hands. I could tell we were hurting by our insistence, like she was damaged or not good enough in some way... not good buttons of hers to push. But it was necessary.
"What I can do is move people to act," Julie said, "I cannot command the Army, or the Wardens, or gain admiration from all sections of society. Our plan doesn't strip you of all that, yet you would strip me of the right to use what I have in service of what we believe. If I step back... what else do I have?"
At last, a question I could answer with real conviction.
"Julie, your greatest gifts aren't in this political crap," I said, "You're a genius. You took drawings and an alchemical formula you found into a book and turned them into a reality. You'll likely be the richest woman in the world from other useful things you'll bring into this world. You can achieve plenty without being elected to any office."
I stopped without thinking, not wanting to say the next thing...but I forced myself to.
"To be honest, politics brings out the worst in you," I concluded, "The same way it's brought out the worst in me. Look at the things I've had to do since taking power. Did I really have to sack Ansburg? Threaten Antiva with the same treatment? I believe so, but how do I know? Without some power to restrain us, we can never know. We can just assume we're right and keep on going. We'll both lose our souls."
Perhaps I already had lost mine.
After all, I had used great force to annex or subjugate a laundry list of formerly sovereign states. Yes, I did so all because they had created a coalition to kill all of us and take our technology. Only Starkhaven and its puppets stood in the way of us ending that threat. It was all I could do to hope that combined with our own regime change, that we could create a lasting peace.
But I would have destroyed Ansburg a thousand times to stop the Qunari or Vael killing, or worse, capturing my family, and I remain convinced that the alternative to my policy would have been one or the other. The tyrannical shits of the world needed a sharp shock.
I have no idea what was going through Julie's head, as she looked up at the sky, not saying a damn word. Tears began flooding down her cheeks.
"Is that how you see me now?" she asked, "Must I put my fate in the hands of others?"
In other words, powerless to control her destiny.
This was dangerous for other reasons... Julie had a trauma about powerlessness that motivated everything she did. It was something I only realised the depth of at that moment. Even if it was ridiculous to believe she would be powerless in the new order without political office, she did.
In Orlais, only high political office could protect a person from the petty tyrannies of the nobility. From rapist chevaliers, thieving taxmen and murderous judges. Her upbringing didn't acknowledge wealth as safety... because in Orlais before my arrival, it wasn't. The 'nobles' of Troy might not have had titles, but they could eventually have made peace with the existing world order and she would have been nothing but a liability in that event.
Tam and I bolted to her at once. I kneeled down in front of her, to get to her eye level, while Tam sat down and embraced her.
"We don't hate you," Tam soothed, "And you will be master of your own fate, I promise you."
Tam would soon be the only person able to assure that.
"We all will be," I said, "This is not about us any more. We did what we had to be to make sure that you and I and Tam and the babies and our friends are safe. Starkhaven can't possibly stand against us now, the people we led out of Orlais will not let us dictate to them forever. Time to let them rule themselves."
"We can always intervene if they make too big a mistake," Tam added, "We have made allowances for that."
That broke the camel's back. Julie knew the details of the plan, and knew that Tam was speaking the truth. She wiped her eyes and nodded rapidly. "Okay," she said, calling upon her Americanised Common, "You win."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apologies for the delay, work has been hell. This chapter is being split up to keep the length down.
Review response for the guest reviewer called 'Well': Gotta say I really appreciate the review. You've more or less spotted the problem; Sam is becoming what he was trained to fight. But I would point out that he has realised it, and had begun to take action before this chapter... He's set up a coup to remove himself from power while making it look like a popular movement that did it. Now as you can see, he is following through.