Hawke mission (Marina chooses to go with Hawkes to tell the news to Leandra)
The Hawkes arrive home and they see Leandra arguing with Gamlen.
"My children have been in servitude. Servitude! For a year. They should be nobility!", Leandra, throws her hands in the air, frustrated.
"If wishes were poppy, we'd all be dreaming.", retorts venously Gamlen. Hawke gets closer to his mom and he places a comforting hand on her shoulder
"This is the way things are Mother. Gamlen can't change it now.", he says trying to appease his mother's anger.
"You don't need to talk to her like that, Gamlen", I said, trying to avert his focus to me.
"Stay out of this Antivan! As if housing this lot isn't enough, I must house you as well!?", he shouts at me.
I have always hated conflict; his heated words reminded me somewhat of my parents' arguments. What would I give to hear them fight again over my mother's cooking skills.
Hawke notices I'm frowning due to his words and his dashing smile soon turns sour. He doesn't like the way Gamlen is talking to me and confronts him face to face:
"Don't you dare talk to Marina like that! You bastard!"
Gamlen gulps nervously due to the difference of sizes between him and his nephew. Hawke was like a giant, a gentle one, but a giant, nonetheless.
"Hawke, calm yourself! Gamlen, don't speak to Marina like that! She's family now.", Leandra tries to stop the fight before it even starts and scolds her brother's actions. Gamlen goes quiet and turns his back on us. Hawke calms himself and looks at me:
"Are you ok Marina?", he asks worriedly.
"Yes, I'm fine Hawke. I've been told worst.", I laugh sadly.
"Worst? Who was it?", as if it wasn't possible for Hawke to get angry, his eyes turned cold and he looked at me with an intensity that I wasn't used to.
"It doesn't matter Hawke, it's all in the past. But thanks for worrying about me". I smile assuredly at him.
"Of course, I worry about you. After all I…!", as Hawke gets closer to me and almost reaches me with his hand. We're distracted by Leandra that starts arguing with Gamlen once again. Hawke stops himself, gives me a sad look and tries to stop their fight. They're arguing about their father's will which stayed at the vault of the Amell. Eventually they separate and Hawke, the twins and I reunite in the living room.
"Maker, what a mess. I want to make things better for Mother.", Bethany sighs sadly.
"Me too, but some of what Gamlen says…I'm having a hard time hating him. Playing caretaker for someone else's life, stuck in their shadow…that's no way to live.", answers her twin.
I didn't want to see them sad, so I give them an idea. "We should go the Amell's vault and take the will from the slaver's hands.", I propose.
Their eyes gain some shine and they start to get hopeful. Hawke looks at me and says:
"That's a wonderful idea Marina. I think mother said we can get in through the old cellar of the estate."
Bethany shows a key: "Mother gave me the key; we can get through in Dark town."
Carver excited for once in his life, throw his hand in the air. "What are we waiting for then?!"
We arm ourselves with our weapons and healing potions and we depart for Darktown.
In the vault
We all get into the cellar and we avoid the beartraps in the floor. We try to make as less noise as possible, but the floor is made with old wooden boards that creak a lot.
As we inspect every corner of the room we were in, a door is opened abruptly and we're suddenly surrounded by slavers.Carver and Hawke slash and bash them while Bethany and I attack from the back.
While Bethany burns her enemies I [shoot arrow after arrow/freeze them to the ground]. Soon enough, there are only corpses left on the ground and a lot of blood in our clothes.
As they inspect the bodies to see if they have any loot, I separate from them and enter a small poorly lit room. In the middle of it, I see a chest. I [open it with my lockpicks/freeze and break the lock]. Inside the chest there's a letter.
Hawke appears behind me, "You found it! Good job Marina!", he pats me happily on the back.
The twins appear and notice the letter. "So that's it! Grandfather's will?", asks Carver.
"Mother needs to see that as soon as possible.", says Bethany.
"Let's just take it and be done with it.", dismisses Carver as he leaves the room.
"I don't think there's any point in delaying the news.", says Hawke.
I save the letter inside my pouch and we leave for Gamlen's house.
Gamlen's house
We all get home and deliver the will to Leandra, who decides It's best to get an audience with the Viscount.The letter said thatthe estate and the heritage stayed in the Hawkes's name.
Gamlen leaves the house and the Hawkes celebrate with each other. I decide to relax a little bit and I kneel next to Aegis, Hawke's mabari. Poor thing needs some pets now and then.
As I scratch his belly and he pants happily, Hawke kneels next to me and pats his mabari on the head.
"Marina, thank you so much for your help. You didn't need to help us, yet you did.", he smiles in my direction.
"It's the least I could do. After all, you've saved me.", I answer skeptically.
"We did it because we wanted to help you. You're important to us.", he takes my hand slowly into his and gives me a pair of earrings he saw in the slaver's vault. They were small white roses.
I gasp and I ask him: "What's this?"
"This is for you Marina. I…I saw them and thought of you. I want you to take them.", he blushes and places them in my hands. As he offers me the earrings, I touch my own. My seashells that I never took off, not even to bed.
I thank him, sadly "Thank you Hawke but I can't use them."
"Why not? Don't you like them?, Hawke sadly asks and holds my hand.
I try to explain: "No, no! I love them but these earrings are one of the few possessions I have from my home. They were a gift from someone important, on my 18th birthday."
Hawke sadly closes my hand around the jewelry and stands up, "Keep them. That person must be really important to you…huh. What a lucky guy."
He leaves disheartened and Marina lets one tear fall on the earrings and remembers the person that gave her the ones she was wearing. "Mãe, tenho saudades tuas."