Goldana

CONTENT:
Rating: Mature
Flavor: Adventure/Drama
Language: yes
Violence: no
Nudity: no
Sex: no
Other: none

Author's Notes:

This ended up pretty short. Next bit is gonna be longer.

Goldana

==#==

They'd crept out early after breakfast, Alistair and Bannon. Alistair figured there'd be fewer assassins at that hour, and it seemed a good bet. The streets were quiet, the light subdued.

At the market square, things were busier. Someone was driving a flock of geese towards the butcher, others were sweeping their stalls or unrolling their awnings. Some dwarf was arguing with a sharp-nosed woman. Apparently, he was losing.

"You know, they say Denerim Market is the biggest in the land; you can get anything here." Alistair glanced at Bannon. "I got pickpocketed once."

The elf looked at him.

"I see that look."

"What look?"

"Don't even think about it."

"About what?"

Alistair stopped and faced him. "That look that says 'It would be totally funny if I pickpocketed him now, just after he mentioned getting pickpocketed here.'"

Bannon chuckled. "I wouldn't do that."

"What? Not prank me?" They continued on. "The guy who tied the Paisley Monstrosity to my shield?"

"And you didn't notice for - how long?" Bannon grinned, then turned serious. "But that wasn't me. That was Zevran."

"Uh huh. You know, for the sake of our friendship, and the Grey Wardens... and, you know, the fate of the entire world - I'm going to pretend I believe you."

"That's - uh, nice."

"But don't think, after all this is over, I won't get you back for that." Alistair stopped at one of the less-busy-looking merchants. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Goldana? The laundress?"

The man waved in a vague easterly direction. "Wright Street. Across from the cobbler."

"Um, thanks." Alistair looked at his companion. "You know-? What's that?"

Bannon was frowning at a piece of folded paper. "Oh, nothing." He crumpled it and tossed it over his shoulder. "What were you saying?"

"Do you know where the cobbler on Wight street is?"

"Yeah, I think so." Bannon took the lead, continuing their conversation. "So does this mean no royal advisory position?"

"Oh no, no, no, my little friend. Don't think you're weaseling out of that. And don't think it will grant you clemency from my wrothful wrath."

"Ooh, sound scary," Bannon commented. "I can't wait to see it."

Alistair laughed quietly. They left the market and headed into the streets that led towards the docks. As they drew closer to their destination, butterflies fluttered in his stomach. What was he nervous about? Goldana was his sister, his only family left. It'd be good to see her again.

Well, the laundry was easy enough to spot. It had a wide doorway and stone walls. Outside were piled canvas bags. Two thin tow-headed children worked on hauling them inside.

Alistair didn't realize he'd been standing there gawping until Bannon jostled his elbow. "You sure you want to go in?" the elf asked him.

"Yeah, yeah. Just trying to work out what to say." Alistair swallowed dryly, and they went inside.

There were a couple of younger kid running around, and a woman fussing with a toddler, mopping his face and straightening his ill-fitting clothes.

"G-Goldana?" Alistair stuttered. She looked so much like Mother. Just her hair was more pale, her hands redder, chapped. She looked so old, haggard even. Not like the young woman he remembered. He tried not to compare her to the desire demon.

"Drop off is dawn to half noon, ser," she said dully, not looking up. "Pickup is three to dusk. Rush can't be done faster than noon and costs twice and a half. If you're looking for other service, this is the wrong place."

"Uh... Goldana, it's me. Uh, Alistair."

She startled at that, looked up, flinched back. "Alist-?" She stood, blinking.

"Um, yes. Hi." So glad he rehearsed this several hundred times.

Goldana turned to the children. "Kerin, take your brothers in the back. Watch them while you're sorting."

"But, Mom!"

"Now, Kerin!"

The little girl huffed and went to the toddler, grabbed his hand. The other boy, only a year? two? younger, protested. "Why do I got to-?"

"You'll do as your told!"

The children scampered out the back. Goldana turned on Alistair, arms folded. "What are you doing here?"

"I... well, I... came to see you." He noticed Bannon fidgeting next to him, and he took hold of himself. This was his sister! Goldy. "I've missed you. And you didn't make it back for Mother's funeral."

"No, I had to work. That's what servants do," she stressed.

"Well, yes, I know. I understand. I just thought..."

"That when you're king, you'll need a royal laundress?"

"You know about that?"

Bannon leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Alistair, everybody knows about that."

"Oh. Right." He took a breath. "And why not? You're my sister. Or half, anyway, and there's no reason you can't live in the castle."

"Oh, a real castle," she sneered. "Where laundry tubs are made of gold. And I can have a job there. How generous, Ser Highness. And do you have jobs for my five children, too?"

I'm an uncle! Some dopey mabari-brained part of his mind grinned. "I don't see why not," he said. The castle was certainly huge enough, wasn't it? For children.

"And my crippled husband? Are you going to take him in, too? If he hasn't drowned himself in a bottle by now."

"I'm sorry to hear. But I don't understand. Why are you angry? I just want to do something good for someone."

"After you destroyed our lives?"

"I-? Me? What did I do?"

Goldana shook her head. "Mother was never the same after they dumped you on us, some bastard the king didn't want underfoot. Did he give a damn about ruining a good woman's reputation?"

"Mother? Dumped? Wh-?" What as she saying? His mother... wasn't?

"What? All this time, you believed she was the king's whore?"

"I- no! I mean... not like that." His mother... wasn't. His mother. "He was the king! And her husband was gone..."

"You - " she swung her finger at him like a sword- "ruined us! Now you think you can just come in here and offer me a position as your servant? Cleaning your royal shit out of your royal smalls? And I'm supposed to be grateful?"

Bannon edged closer. "Come on. She doesn't care about you. You don't owe her anything."

She glared at him. "And what do you want, knife-ears?"

Bannon straightened, bristling with weapons.

Goldana didn't care. "They can dress you up in armor, but you're nothing but fodder for war. You're going to die, like all the other plague-ridden elves in the Alienage. And good riddance!"

Alistair could see Bannon clenching his teeth, all to avoid saying something to his sister. Who wasn't even his sister, apparently. He stepped forward. "That's enough!" He glared at her, and she stepped back. "You know, I thought I had a kind, loving mother and sister, and a happy little family, but I can see that was all a lie, just like the rest of my life!" He turned and stormed out with a, "Let's go."

He blindly took off in a random direction. Bannon trotted after him to catch up. "Alistair, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" He stopped and faced the elf. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. Her I am getting all mushy and maudlin over my family - a family that seems wasn't even mine! While all this time, your family's been trapped in that Alienage, and..." His face crumpled. "I'm so stupid!'

"No, Alistair, you're not."

"I am! We should go check on your family right away." He clenched his jaw in determination, and turned towards Eamon's estate. "Come on."

==X==