The woman's blade kissed his throat stopping with precision, a threat and mercy. The Warden had allowed him his life if only for a moment. He looked up into her blue eyes. They were misted as if tears were trying to well up in them. He had remembered the girl all this time from the war camp. He had thought her a kid who was chasing stories and glory of battles they didn't know the cost of just like Cailan. Just not the same ones.
Loghain stared at the map of Ostagar in front of him. The perimeters were fairly defensible and if they were able to keep the darkspawn from breaking off and going around them, they would have a good chance of seeing tomorrow.
Not that he thought this was a true blight.
"Teryn…" the voice of his guard interrupted his thoughts. He looked up feeling the itch of irritation crawl under his skin. "There is a woman outside saying she needs to speak to you. I think it has something to do with the king."
Of course, Cailan would want something now. Loghain thought, bitterly.
"Very well," he said, rising from the table. When he walked out he wasn't expecting (but should have, knowing Cailan's fascination with the grey wardens) Duncan's newest recruit and her warhound. He had remembered that she was polite and knew her manners towards those of higher ranks than herself. Overall he had a favorable opinion of her. More so than some of the others he had met like Duncan. The man encouraged Cailan's foolhardiness in a reckless way. Manipulating him into doing what the senior grey warden had wanted. Even going so far as to call upon the Orlesian Wardens.
A grave mistake in Loghain's opinion. It hadn't been all that long ago that they had fought the masked menaces out of Ferelden.
He pushed that aside and looked at the woman. "You are the newest grey warden, correct."
The black haired woman nodded, the mabari behind her let it's tongue lull out contently. "Yes my lord. I'm Lia."
"A pleasure. You seem to have impressed his majesty upon meeting him. "You have manners that most don't have."
"No, Ser." She responded. "I just wanted to meet you. I was raised on tales of the Hero of the River Dane and I really wanted to meet you."
"Ah." He said out loud. "Then am I to regale you with stories of battles?" It had irritated him slightly that she would interrupt his planning to pester him like this but also he had forgotten the feeling of someone recognizing him for his deeds. And even then they wouldn't come to his face to meet him.
"No Ser. Perhaps after the battle, but I am sure you have things you must attend to. I was excited to speak with you." She ducked her head embarrassed.
"Perhaps once this battle is over you may find me and I will allow you a few questions." Loghain wasn't sure why he wanted her to see him again but she did look excited. She bowed and for a moment he thought he saw a familiar script on her left shoulder but quickly dismissed it as an illusion of his eyes.
"Thank you, Teryn Loghain."
"Let us hope our king is amenable to hearing wisdom so we may make it out after the battle today. So if you are the praying type, You should pray."
"And if he isn't?" It had been the first impertinent question the woman had asked. He felt a small amount of amusement from it but he simply replied to her.
"Then simply pray."
It had been the final time he had seen her before last week when he met her outside. He still thought she was a child but a more capable child when they arrived with Arl Eamon. She had kept her tongue when the two men argued. But her blue eyes cut into him icily.
He had found himself surprised that it had affected him in any manner, let alone the sinking feeling in his heart. He had even scolded his Lieutenant Cauthrien for her snide remark to Warden Lia when she had finally spoken with a cold tone.
The next time he saw her was when she bursted through the door just minutes ago, documents of whatever evidence she had found against him in her hands. To his utter amazement she had sidestepped every single thing he threw out. No matter what he said to defend himself, she had expertly turned his words around on him. Even his daughter had turned on him in favor of her.
He watched as the nobles one by one voted against him. He had lost, but he still had one last way to save his country. He had challenged her to combat, and she had accepted. He had not expected her to be as good as she was.
The ensuing fight had been swift and brutal. She had not pulled her attacks but landed them precisely on thicker parts of his armor, winding him. She disarmed him and rested her blade at his neck. That was how he had ended up in this position.
"I yield, Grey Warden." He had no other choice but to yield. She was not the child that he once thought her to be. He had not seen her likeness since Maric had passed. He missed having someone like his old friend around. He had even told her as much. He had stayed quiet as the most senior grey warden gave the woman the option of making him a grey warden. He would give her his fate and merely waited to see what she would do.
"I will not kill you." Her words were like a fresh wind in the summer, unexpected and pleasant. Maric's bastard son did not seem to think so as he shouted. "No absolutely not. Thalia, this man left us to die."
Loghain and Anora froze at the same moment the Warden's name had left the blonde's mouth. Anora stepped forward and looked to the older woman.
"Alister, I can't kill him." The black haired Warden gritted her teeth. Her hand going to her left shoulder
"Is this any time to be…" Alister froze as Loghain's fist hit the ground a frustrated yell leaving his mouth. The older man could no longer bring himself to look up at the girl. He was close to 15 years her senior. He had not known.
Anora's voice caught everyone's attention. "You...your name is Thalia Cousland?" Anora hoped beyond hope that she was indeed Thalia Cousland. Her father's life would be secured if it was so.
The woman hesitated before her resounding answer was. "I am."
"Your…" His daughter began.
"I am." The curt reply made Loghain clench his fist. How many times had he wronged this woman. The one person besides his daughter that should have been under his direct protection and he had been her attacker. "I knew when we met in Ostagar. It's why I can't kill him."
"What is going on?" Alister shouted at the woman.
Loghain took it upon himself to remove his gauntlet. On his forearm was the sloppy fast written name of Thalia Cousland. Alister took a step back looking at his friend. "Why didn't you say something? You yelled at me about keeping the fact that I was of royal birth."
"Would you have listened to how hard all of this has been?" The woman seethed grasping her left shoulder tighter. "I was trying to be a good friend. You had lost Duncan and were lost in your grief. How could I put another problem on your shoulders?"
Alister looked away and the other lords and ladies had not spoken a word. Loghain would not look up at her and Alister and Anora was shocked into silence.
Finally, Thalia spoke. "I cannot pass judgement on him Alister. This is one decision that I need you to make."
The blonde licked his lips, his feelings no longer certain. For he still harbored the rage that he had prior to this revolution. In fact, he would see Logain dead on the floor by his own hand, but he knew that should he kill this man, this traitor, that he would lose his best friend. The woman who had shouldered not only his pain and problems but all of those in camp.
Thalia had befriended Morrigan and killed the witch's mother, for the apostate's safety even though the warden had liked Flemeth.
She brought along Lilianna, even though the woman sounded crazy and accepted her for everything she told Thalia.
She had released the qunari from prison, found Sten's swords and regularly engaged the man in debates that the two seemed to enjoy.
She had forgiven her would be killer and even lied to the crow's face when asked about it.
She brought along the golem when she had free reign over her actions and even found out about her past, if only a little.
Thalia had helped the drunken dwarf and wingmanned him to a woman after this fight was over.
She had helped an aging mage find her first apprentice and reconcile with him.
She had done all this and helped all of the people on the treaties. However she had never once complained. No she never once divulged how hard it was to make every decision. To fix all the problems knowing it took her one step closer to this moment.
Alister sighed. "I will take my place at Anora's side as king. Just as we discussed and as my first action as king. I claim your life, traitor." He unsheathed his sword causing Anora to cry out but was held back by the teryn's Lieutenant, Cauthrien. Thalia backed up into Sten's chest but her eyes were on the man who had not risen from the ground. Alister pressed the blade under the Teryn's chin and made him rise lest he be cut. Once the man was standing, he made Loghain look at him. "Your life is mine and I give it to her."
He handed the blade to Thalia, who looked at Alister confused.
"You are unworthy to become a grey warden but the punishment for your crimes would fall on her if I killed you. So you will be stripped of your title and all your lands. They will be given to Lady Cousland to do with as she sees fit. Your life is hers and your actions are hers. And when she dies, if you are still alive, you will follow her with your death."
Thalia for the first time that any of them had seen began to cry. It was silent and unnoticeable as she lowered her head all except the shaking of her shoulders.
"Are there any who would deny this man his punishment?" Anora spoke behind Alister and no one uttered a word as the once Hero of the River Dales slowly approached the weeping woman. That was probably more due to the fact that the Elven Assassin and the qunari were glaring daggers at the assembled nobles daring someone to speak against their friend.
He bent the knee in front of her and pledged his life in her service. Truthfully he thought that this was too good for the traitor that had killed his mentor, his father figure. But as he looked at the woman who had become his best friend, he knew that it wasn't about Loghain or even himself. He let the man live because he didn't want to be the one to push her over the edge.
He had no doubt in his mind that she would have gone to the deep roads when she was no longer needed if he had killed Loghain. One final act for Feraldan.
Alister decided he would never forgive Loghain for what he did but he would move past it for her.
Thalia looked down at the man who pledged himself to her and nodded her consent, unable to form words lest she openly cried in the landsmeet. Thankfully Emaon seemed to round the crowd up and began discussing battle plans.
Loghain stood by her side as she fiddled with her armor and didn't depart from it until they were packing up to make it to Red Cliff. Alister had stayed with the group and journeyed with them. He didn't speak to Loghain and didn't acknowledge his presence. But he stayed and honestly Thalia had expected less.
She had expected Alister to kill Loghain or leave her for being his soulmate. Not that she thought Alister was that petty but because wounds such as the ones that Loghain had inflicted on him were hard to heal and jagged. She knew that well especially after Loghain had hired Zevran to kill her.
At night when they bunkered down for camp, Loghain approached her. "Perhaps we should have that talk I promised you all those months ago."