A few days before we arrive in Denerim, we receive a letter by crow- Arl Eamon has set a date for the Landsmeet, and he invites us to stay at his Denerim estate where he will meet us. When we arrive, he greets us all briefly in the entrance hall. Then the doormen announce the arrival of Teryn Loghain and Arl Howe, whom we all have the misfortune to meet. Loghain has a scowl so deep on his face that looks like it's been there since the last Blight, and he's wearing the fanciest armour I've ever seen. So, this is the monster who abandoned Neria, Alistair, Duncan, King Cailan and all the others to die at Ostagar. Arl Howe, a paler, sandy-haired version of Loghain, glares disapprovingly at everyone. Arl Eamon looks just about as pleased as you'd expect to see them.
"Loghain. This is… an honour, that the regent would find time to greet me personally," he greets.
"How could I not welcome a man so important as to call every lord in Ferelden away from his estates while a Blight claws at our land?" Loghain sneers.
"The Blight is why I'm here," Eamon says seriously. "With Cailan dead, Ferelden must have a king to lead it against the darkspawn."
"Ferelden has a strong leader; it's queen. And I lead her armies."
Neria crosses her arms and glares at Loghain. "Considering Ostagar, perhaps we need a better general," she suggests drily.
Loghain eyes narrow. "And who is this, Eamon? Some new stray you picked up on the side of the road? And here I thought it was only royal bastards you played the nursemaid to."
Alistair rolls his eyes. "Well, you're admitting the 'royal' part. That's a start," he says under his breath.
"I am Neria, of the Grey Wardens," Neria says stiffly.
"You have my sympathies on what happened to your order. It is unfortunate that they chose to turn against Ferelden."
The gall. Neria obviously feels the same way.
"I do not accept the sympathies of deserters and regicides," she says, choosing her words carefully.
"You should curb your tongue!" Loghain snaps. "This is my city, and no safe place to speak treason. For anyone." He begins to pace back and forth slowly. "There is talk that your illness left you feeble, Eamon. Some worry that you may no longer be fit to advise Ferelden."
"Illness?" Eamon scoffed. "Why not call your poison by its true name? Not everyone at the Landsmeet will cast aside their loyalties as easily as you and these sycophants."
"How long you've been gone at court, Eamon. Don't you recognise Rendon Howe, Arl of Amaranthine, and Teryn of Highever?" he gestures to the man next to him.
"And current Arl of Denerim, after Urien's unfortunate fate at Ostagar," Howe adds snidely. "The regent has been… generous to those who prove loyal."
Neria sighs impatiently. "When does the Landsmeet begin?" she asks, trying to steer the conversation.
"Don't interrupt, churl. Your betters are talking," Loghain's guardswoman scolds.
Before Neria can respond, Loghain puts a hand up. "Enough, Cauthrien, this is not the time nor the place. I had hoped to talk you down from this rash course, Eamon. Our people are frightened. Our king is dead. Our land is under siege. We must be united now if we are to endure this crisis! Your own sister, Queen Rowan, fought tirelessly to see Ferelden restored. Would you see her work destroyed? You divide our nation and weaken our efforts against the Blight with your selfish ambitions to the throne!"
No, that's exactly what he's been doing!
Neria thinks so too. "You're the one who divided Ferelden!"
"I was not talking to you," Loghain's lip curls in disdain.
Arl Eamon finally speaks up again. "I cannot forgive what you've done, Loghain. Maybe the Maker can, but not I. Our people deserve a king of the Theirin bloodline. Alistair will be the one to lead us victory in this Blight."
Loghain snorts. "The emperor of Orlais also thought I could not bring him down. Expect no more mercy than I showed him! There is nothing I wouldn't do for my homeland," he proclaims, before stomping out of the room, with Howe in tow.
When he's gone, Arl Eamon sighs loudly. "Well, that was…bracing. I did not expect Loghain to show himself quite so soon."
"What we do now?" asks Neria.
"Calling the Landsmeet is only the start. Now, we must ensure that every noble there sees Loghain's duplicity. We have no small task ahead of us. We need eyes and ears in the city. Loghain has been here for months. The roots of all his schemes must begin here. The sooner we find them, the better we can turn them to our advantage. I would suggest looking around, perhaps find the nobles who have arrived for the Landsmeet; test the waters, see how many will support us. For this evening however, as your host, I insist you all join me for supper, and take the opportunity to rest well tonight."
I thought the guest quarters in the royal palace of Orzammar were luxurious, but what Arl Eamon's Ferelden estate lack in decorations, it makes up with sheer size; there's rooms enough that none of us would have to share if we wanted to, and as far as I know, it's just Neria and Zevran, and me and Leliana who are sharing rooms.
Now that we're back in Denerim, all I want is to finally go to the Alienage and see our family again, but Neria insists that we go together, and she already promised Ohgren that she'd help him find his old friend, Felsi, who's working in one of Denerim's taverns. I pointed out that she promised me we'd go to the Alienage if we ever made it back to Denerim, long before we met Ohgren, but she just did that thing where she sighs and goes, "Faellathiiii…"
So I let it go, for now. Just for the day. And then tomorrow, so help me, we are going to the Alienage. Surely it's been opened by now.
My plans are foiled once again. The next day, Queen Anora's own maid arrives at the estate, and she's waiting for us when we go to Arl Eamon's office to meet him and discuss our pre-Landsmeet plan of action.
"Ah, Warden Neria," Arl Eamon greets. "I trust you've made yourself comfortable."
Neria smiles. "Yes, everything's very nice, thank you."
"Good, because it's likely to be your last rest for a while. This is Erlina. She's—"
"I am Queen Anora's handmaiden," Erlina, a dark-haired elf with a heavy Orlesian accent interrupts to introduce herself. "She sent me here to ask for your help."
"Or perhaps the young lady prefers to speak for herself," Arl Eamon finishes belatedly.
Neria is confused. "Why would Anora ask us for help?"
"Ze queen, she is in a difficult position," the handmaiden explains. "She loved her husband, non? And trusted her father to protect him. When he returns with no king and only dark rumours, what is she to think? She worries, non? But when she tries to speak with him, he does not answer. He tells her 'not to trouble herself.'"
"Are you saying the queen believes Loghain killed Cailan?"
"My queen, er, suspects she cannot trust her father. And Loghain, he is very subtle, non? But Rendon Howe, he is privy to all ze secrets and… not so subtle. So she goes to Howe. A visit from the queen to the new arl of Denerim is only a matter of courtesy. And she demands answers."
"What did he say?"
"Zings no decent person would repeat. He calls her every sort of name, 'traitor' being ze kindest, and locks her in a guest room!"
Neria raises her eyebrows. "And Loghain would allow that?"
"King Cailan was like a son to him, and Loghain left him to die," Erlina waves her hand dismissively. "Does he love Anora more? Who can say? I zink… her life is in danger. I heard Howe say she would be a greater ally dead than alive. Especially if her death could be blamed on Arl Eamon."
"Even if he allowed her to be held captive, would Loghain kill his own daughter just to frame Eamon?"
Arl Eamon interjects at this point. "We may have no choice but to trust Anora. The queen is well-loved. If Loghain succeeded in pinning her death on me… I'm not sure that's a risk we can afford to take."
"So, what do you propose we do?"
"I have some uniforms," Erlina pipes up. "Arl Howe hires so many new guards every day, a few more will not cause much stir. I will show you to ze servants' entrance. We must slip in and out with my queen before anyone is ze wiser."
"…Alright."
"Thank you, my lady! I will go ahead to Howe's estate… Meet me there as soon as you can."
For this rescue mission, Neria brings with her all of our companions that could pass unrecognised as servants or guards: namely herself, Leli, Zev, and Ohgren. The rest of us wait with bated breath for news of their success.
A few hours later, Zevran bursts into Arl Eamon's office where Eamon, Alistair and myself are waiting, with Queen Anora following right behind him.
"Eamon," Anora begins, wringing her hands. "I may have done a terrible thing."
Zevran sneers openly at the queen. "What's this? She throws her saviours to the wolves, and now she has second thoughts?"
"What? What is it you might have done, exactly?" Alistair asks impatiently.
"What in Andraste's name has happened?" Arl Eamon says, alarmed. "Are you alright?"
"The Warden and her friends have been captured, I would probably have been too if my friend here hadn't whisked me away in the conflict," Anora confesses.
What? How?
"I am no friend of yours, your Highness," Zevran snaps. "If it wasn't for my Warden's express order to save you if anything went wrong, I would have been at her side in a moment!"
"And this may have been your fault? Maybe? Perhaps?" Alistair scowls.
"How could this happen?" Arl Eamon asks.
"Never mind that," Anora dismisses. "The question is how to free them. Ser Cauthrien will have taken them to Fort Drakon. Getting in will be no small feat, and getting out…"
The group quickly hatches a plan to get at least Morrigan and Zevran into Fort Drakon to rescue Neria, Leliana and Ohgren. I've been doing a lot of sitting and waiting the last few months, but this is the worst; I've never been waiting on Neria and her friends to break out of a prison. People don't just get out of prisons. With this in mind, words cannot describe my relief when the estate doors open and I see them all walking in, looking only a little worse for wear. Leliana looks pale and drawn, Ohgren is holding a rag to his bloodied nose and Neria is leaning on Zevran for support. I fling myself directly into her arms, and she winces.
I gasp. "Neria! Did they…did they torture you?" I ask in a whisper.
"No, no da'len, don't worry, they just… roughed me up a bit," she tries to reassure me.
"What about you, Leliana? And Ohgren?" I panic, darting from one to another. "They hurt you, didn't they?"
"Don't fret, kid, takes more than a blood nose to bother ol' Oghren."
"They didn't hurt me, it was just… I've been in a prison like that before… I had hoped I'd never see the inside of one again," Leliana says oftly.
"The arl wants to see you all as soon as possible," says Sten, all business as usual.
"Noted, Sten, thanks," Neria replies, laughing weakly and then wincing again.
