Chapter 24: Family Honor

Gamlen's House-Night

Gamlen was looking pale, paler than he's ever looked as Bethany went to give Leandra the will. "He forgave you, Mother. Grandfather left you everything" Leandra looked at the will while Gamlen started to squirm; with every page Leandra was relieved. When she left Kirkwall all those years ago, she left on bad terms with her parents. The last thing she heard her parents' voice was her father disowning her and her mother weeping. Then the relief turned to anger toward her brother, when Leandra was pregnant with Ericks Gamlen was her only confidant. He was the one to encourage her to follow her heart and elope with Malcom. For her own beloved brother to lie and betray her like this when she and her children needed him hurt more than anything.

"Er, ah, I should…maybe…"

"To my daughter Leandra and all children born of her…the estate in Hightown and all associated revenues…"

"Oh, it gets better Ma" Ericks said. "Check out the part where Gamlen is left only a stipend…to be controlled by you"

"Gamlen, how could you?"

Gamlen frowned. "Don't you dare, Leandra! You left willingly" he said angrily. "What happened to 'Love is so much more important than money…?'"

Leandra frowned. "It is!"

"You didn't even come home for the funeral!"

"How could I? The twins were only a week old!"

"We all have out burdens. Mine was looking after a life you abandoned" Gamlen said. "How long was I supposed to wait?"

Ericks crossed his arms. "I doubt you let the ashes get cold"

"I took care of Father, I stayed! But on his deathbed, all he could talk about was Leandra" he said. "Look, Sister, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it, but I did. And there's nothing I can do to get it back"

Leandra just sighed, anger even for her brother was exhausting and not worth it. The only thing that mattered was now was the pain she felt for years was lifted off her shoulders. No one, not even Gamlen could take that away. "I don't expect that, Gamlen. It's enough to know Mother and Father didn't die angry" she said. "I'll petition the viscount for rights to reclaim the estate. Maker willing, you'll have your 'house' back within weeks.

"You don't have the coin or standing to even get an audience with the viscount"

Ericks smirked. "Don't be too sure about that, Uncle" Leandra and Gamlen looked at Ericks. "There's an expedition coming up soon, and Betty and I have enough coin to join it" he said. "We'll make due despite you trying to fuck over your own flesh and blood"

Gamlen just scoffed. "And I thought I was the bad gambler" he said. "Many like you have tried to make a name for themselves in this city and many have failed miserably"

"You've got to be someone in this city to live in that house again"

"Then I had better get started" When the sun rose the next day, Leandra would make good on her promise.


Viscount's Keep

The Hawke family was in line at the Keep trying to get audience with the Viscount through his seneschal. Apparently claims to nobility was a very common case here in Kirkwall, some succeeded but most were failed or seen as a joke to be dismissed. The attendant called for Leandra. "Wish me luck" She went into the office while Bethany and Ericks waited outside.

"Do you think Mother will succeed at appealing to the Viscount?" Bethany asked.

Ericks sighed. "Who knows?"

"The documents have the Amell seal on it, surely that must mean something"

"Maybe…but seals and documents can be falsified" he said. "We know that first hand from running with Athenril"

"I can't believe Gamlen stole Mother's entire inheritance" Bethany said shaking her head. "I mean, I can believe it…that's the worst part" She looked at her brother, and memories came rushing back to her. When they were young in Lothering, she was bullied by the neighborhood girls…something about having all of the other boys' attention despite wanting to keep to herself. She would ignore it and keep her head down but eventually Bethany lost her temper and almost burned one of the girls with her magic. She went to her older brother, and he almost beat her. Ericks came running and fought off the boy. He always came to Bethany's rescue despite her causing him so many problems. "I would never turn against you"

"Don't make any hasty promises"

"Joke all you want, but you make Gamlen look like the toad he it" Bethany said. "You know, when we went to look for that will, I thought we were doing it for Mother, for what she lost"

"I didn't realize how much it would mean to me, to know I had grandparents who didn't hate me"

Erick chuckled. "They might have been all right with the Ferelden thing, but just imagine if they knew about your special talents"

Bethany rolled her eyes. "You're such a wretch" she then sighed. "I was just hoping it would be different this time. Here, in Kirkwall" she said. "We're not running away again, we're coming home"

"You don't exactly sound happy, Betty" Bethany wished she could do more for their mother. Leandra hadn't been the same since their brother's death, she still has nightmares of that day and sometimes Bethany could hear her mother holding conversations with Carver and Malcom…when she wasn't crying herself to sleep. Thinking about what she lost was killing her slowly every day. That's why Bethany was up for storming the estate; maybe reclaiming some of what her mother lost would help her.

"Carver…I wonder what he would make of all this?" Ericks asked.

"He would hate it here with all the sneering nobles" Bethany said. "No doubt he would have gotten himself arrested the first day if not for Aveline"

"And he would have wanted in on the expedition, anything to make a name for himself" she then sighed. "Sometimes I still can't believe he's gone"

"Can you imagine if we'd grown up here? Been nobility?"

"Had grandparents who bought me Orleasian silk dresses and gave you the family broadsword"

"I'll stick to my daggers, thank you…I like being light on my feet" Ericks said.

"Father was a good man, but …Mother gave up so much" Of course if Leandra never eloped, she probably wouldn't have been able to resist the Templars. If they were born in Kirkwall, Ericks and Carver would know nothing of Bethany except for a name the Circle kept in her file.

"All I know is if Ma does get us that mansion, I don't want to call anywhere Uncle Gamlen is 'home'"

Bethany giggled. "Has he moved that bowel of porridge since we've been here? It's been a year" she said. "I can't remember what it was like to have a place of our own"

"I might even take the Circle if they'll give me a clean bed and my own sheets" The door opened and Leandra came out. From the look on her face the meeting went well. "Mother?"

"The estate is ours" Bethany and Ericks looked at one another, that was quick. One look at the seal was enough to convince the Seneschal of their rights…the Amells still had influence even if their family had fallen.

"So when do we move in?" Ericks asked.

"Technically, the house is property of the viscount, since its 'owner' died without and heir" Leandra said. "If we went there now, we would just be squatters" Next would be for the viscount to acknowledge their rights…if he does this than they can get back more than the house, they can get back their family name.

"I couldn't do anything for Carver, but with luck, I can at least give us a home" The family went home, until the decree from the viscount came they were stuck at Gamlen's house. But it was fine, not even Gamlen could ruin this moment.


Starkhaven, the largest city in the Free Marches, sits on the bank of the great Minanter River. I remember my visit to the city quite clearly. I was taken up the river by barge—a cumbersome vessel that moved at a stately pace—and disembarked by the city's central square, an impressive space with marble fountains and surrounded by kingly estates.

Starkhaven's wealth was truly a sight to behold. A path paved in granite led up to the grandest building I've ever seen. My guide indicated that this was the residence of Starkhaven's ruler, Prince Vael. We supped at the table of my guide's closest friend. I was presented with a variety of dishes from the region. One in particular stood out: fish and egg pie, Starkhaven's most famous dish. Three deboned fish, caught just that day, were cooked in a porcelain vessel with boiled eggs, dried fruit, spices, and thickened cream, all topped with a light crust. Superb!—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi

Hightown

While heading back to Lowtown, the family noticed that there were far more guards on the streets than usual. They spotted Aveline overlooking the whole thing with a stern look on her face. "Avi!"

Her head turned. "Ericks, Bethany, Leandra…what are you here?"

"Just heading back home, Aveline" Leandra said. "We had an appointment at Viscount's Keep" They told her of what Ericks and Bethany found at the Amell estate and what they tried to do this morning. "So we're just waiting for a decree from the viscount"

"The return of the Amells, that will certainly have the nobles in Hightown talking" Aveline said. "Just be careful, the nobles here are a treacherous lot…maybe even more than the rest of Kirkwall"

"What's going on here, Avi?" Ericks asked. "You expecting an invading army or something?"

"No, not an army…but it is concerning" she said. "How much do you know about Starkhaven?" Starkhaven is the largest city in the Free Marches and one of the wealthiest. The city has imposing walls: a curved mountain of earth crowned with concentric rings of tall gray stone. On the northern side, the Minanter River rushes through the water gate. The city itself is glimpsed from afar as a glory of marble palaces set on green hills and ringed by broad boulevards.

It is a place of wealth and opulence, with many kingly estates with fountains and granite paths. Large sections of the city are decorated in fine materials like marble and gold. The royal palace in the heart of the city is made of marble, and the path to it is paved in granite.

"Beautiful city, though I haven't been there since I was a child" Leandra said.

"It's not very beautiful these days, the Vael family, the ruling family in Starkhaven has been murdered recently" Leandra and Bethany gasped. Before the Vaels came to power, Starkhaven was ruled in quick succession by a number of petty warlords; some were genuine bannorn, but others were little more than bandits. Tired of the constant petty raiding and warfare between Starkhaven and neighboring cities, the original Lord Vael organized a peaceful protest against "King Ironfist," the low-born, self-declared "king of Starkhaven." Hundreds of Starkhaven's most prominent citizens fasted for ten days and nights on the steps of the chantry, their numbers increasing every day. When his soldiers began deserting in droves at this example of piety, Ironfist surrendered his sword to the templars and left Starkhaven forever.

In gratitude, the people of Starkhaven demanded that Lord Vael be king; he refused, however, saying he had no right to that title. He was instead proclaimed prince of Starkhaven, and his family has ruled there ever since. They remain devout, dedicating at least one son or daughter per generation to become a cleric in the chantry.

"The current son of the Vael family is here in Kirkwall to live in service of the Chantry" Aveline said. "Whoever killed the rest of family will not stop until all of the ruling family is dead"

Ericks sighed. "Which means Kirkwall is directly in the middle of a shitstorm"

"Correct, forgive me for asking you of this Leandra but I will need to borrow your son and daughter for this" she said. "We will be the security detail for Prince Sebastian Vael while he's in Kirkwall"

Protect the Exiled Prince! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!