Chapter 16: Last Minute Disasters
Solas knew the steps. He stood beneath the Grand Arch: an enormous construct at the top of an incline that overlooked the lake, reviewing the words he wished to say in his vows in his head. A tent was kept at opposite sides of the lower hillside: one for the man and one for the woman. Guests would sing and musicians would begin to play and when the drums started the two would emerge from their tents and meet in the center and then ascend the hillside together. Flower petals were strewn about from a previous bonding ceremony earlier that morning between two clan keepers and Solas had taken care to observe the intricacies of the ceremony as best he could.
"Pre-bonding jitters set in yet?" Alarion asked, taking a brief pause to catch his breath and laughing at his own joke.
"I take it that is common for most young couples?" Solas replied. What he felt could not quite be called 'jitters' by any means. No, instead it was something else akin to fear or unease, but as to why he could not say. There was something amiss, but he could not quite put his finger on what it was.
Alarion chuckled again. "Oh yes. Most, I'd say. Even some of the older ones. I once had a fellow pass out at the top of the hill. Embarrassed his partner and his family, that's for certain. But he learned to laugh at it after a time. And now I always keep smelling salts on me when I perform a ceremony," he said, pulling the small bottle from his pocket to show Solas. "Though you don't seem like the sort to fall unconscious. No, I think we won't have much to worry about. We're not likely to get rain at this point and the weather seems fair enough."
Solas glanced at the soft clouds overhead. "Yes, it should be a fine day for a bonding. Are you comfortable with my additions to the ceremony?"
"Yes, yes, I have memorized the words and have the ribbon here," he said, pulling it out and inspecting it briefly before tucking it back inside his ceremonial robes. "It's amusing. I've heard of this sort of thing before, but it isn't used much in these parts. Tevinter does something similar, I believe. Something else it appears they stole from the elves," he drawled, shielding his eyes from the sun as he gazed across the lake where a bunch of crafters were working on a rocky outcropping on a small island. "Oh, it's coming along nicely."
"What are they working on?" Solas asked, tilting his head in curiosity. Large pieces of wood were being assembled, but the structure's form eluded him.
Alarion's eyes crinkled as he smirked. "Did she not tell you? Oh, best not to ruin the surprise then. It's Clan Lavellan's traditional send off and one of my favorites, personally. Though the flowers are lovely too," he commented, picking up a petal from a nearby boulder. "Did you see the ceremony? I do adore when-Oh." Alarion's note of surprise came when he glanced at someone approaching from behind. His lip turned down in a sour expression and Solas followed his gaze.
"Is something the matter?" Solas asked, turning to see what had pulled him from his remarks.
"I do believe that is the new keeper of Clan Lavellan heading our way. I doubt he wishes to offer his congratulations. Let us see what this brings," Alarion grumbled before affecting a polite smile.
The man who approached wore the blue and green colors of Clan Lavellan laced with red detailing in his keeper's robes. He was a few inches shorter than Solas, and wore an expression of grim disapproval as he surveyed him. Solas felt a thrum go out from his staff as he set it into the grass at their feet. His brown hair was pulled back behind his head in a knot. Solas guessed he was about the same age as Lavellan from his appearance. When the man spoke, he did little to conceal the coldness in his voice. "What is going on here, Alarion?"
"A bonding ceremony, Ferran," Alarion replied, dispensing with the use of titles in response to the young keeper's rudeness. "I take it you have come to fulfill your duty as keeper of Clan Lavellan and bless this union?"
Ferran's lip drew back in a snarl. "This union is unlawful and you know it. I agreed to have Varitan's union annulled to reinstate the arrangement he had with Haladavar for his daughter's bonding. She should not be bonded to this Fen'Harel, no matter what the other clans desire as proof of his word," he said, glaring at Solas.
"I'm surprised you agreed to such an idiotic plan, Ferran. Especially in one where you risk much to gain little. There was a time when you would have asked for her hand, had she not ended things with you first. So let's not pretend this is an unselfish request on your behalf. You favor my niece: a powerful and influential woman in her own right. I would think if you wished to regain her favor once more, seeing as your little 'arrangement' with Varitan and Halladavar was rather poorly received, you might consider supporting her decision instead. After all, we all know Clan Lavellan is only around today because of the Inquisitor's influence and power. Or have you forgotten the events at Wycombe so soon?" Alarion said, unthreatened by this younger man's attempts to circumvent the ceremony.
Ferran flushed and his ears reddened. "We have not forgotten. That is why I cannot sit by and allow one of our own to bond with the Dread Wolf. As her keeper, it is my duty to protect her from Fen'Harel."
"Yes, a strictly noble sentiment I'm sure. What was the plan? Sell her to Varitan in the hopes it would drive her back to your arms instead? Your partner is not yet one year dead and you try this?"
Ferran's nostrils flared. "Yes, as a matter of fact, my sentiments are purely in my responsibility as Keeper to Clan Lavellan."
"Oh yes," Alarion interjected, not even bothering to hide his contempt for the man before him. "Ousting your keeper and mentor by preying on your people's fears. Yes, we all know who was responsible for that. Do yourself a favor, Ferran. Leave. Before my niece sees you and rips out your eyeballs."
"I will not leave until this ceremony comes to a stop! I will not allow this union to take place!" Ferran shouted, sparks flying out of the end of his staff.
"I believe," Solas said, stepping forward and narrowing his eyes at Ferran. "That you are in no position to argue against such a union. Clan Lavellan agreed upon the appointed Ambassador and the terms of the alliance. As did the Ambassador herself. You cannot overrule the decision of the Council, as per Dalish law. And the attempt to do so is a flagrant abuse of power. Not to mention, an insult to the Ambassador. That I will not tolerate."
Ferran tightened his grip on his staff, eyeing Solas warily and calculating his response carefully when Alarion cut in.
"Do not forget who Fen'Harel is, Ferran. Leave now and be grateful to keep your life," Alarion said with a note of warning in his voice.
"You spit on our traditions and then have the audacity to lecture me!?" Ferran snarled, raising his voice so that others nearby turned to look in his direction. "I do not give my blessing for this union. From here on out, the Ambassador is banished from Clan Lavell-!"
All at once the words froze on his lips and he struggled to speak, making strange choking sounds.
Solas rested a hand upon his shoulder and magical energy pulsed between them. "Listen to me very carefully," Solas said, keeping his voice low. "If you do anything further to hurt the Ambassador or her reputation, I will kill you. As I imagine that would make my intended quite displeased on her bonding day, I will let you leave this once with your life. But make no mistake, if I hear so much as a mention of you banishing her or sullying her good name, I will find you. Now take back your words and leave us in peace."
Ferran's eyes darted back and forth and then all at once he regained his breath and nodded his head. He bowed his head, sweat dripping down his neck before he turned tail and hurried away.
"Idiot," Alarion cursed under his breath. "Well, at least it wasn't Haladavar again. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him today. It makes me nervous." Shaking the thought from his mind, Alarion ushered Solas to the tent. "Come. Show me the motions for the knots again. I want to be sure I get it right."
The reason Haladavar was nowhere to be seen by the Grand Arch was because he had attempted to kidnap his daughter. The attempt did not succeed and resulted in him receiving a number of bruises before he was tied up like a roast pig. Trissa admired her handiwork with knots as she stepped back from the large man now tied to a tree. Hamin and some of the other Sentinels searched the nearby woods for any other potential attackers while Leliana helped Lavallen fix her dress and makeup. It had not been a long fight. Luckily the dresses had not been ruined, though Josephine fretted over her hair being frizzy after all her hard work to get the style she wore.
"Do you know why your father would do this?" Leliana asked, a bit shame-faced when she realized she had kicked the Inquisitor's father in the shin.
"He doesn't want me to bond with Solas. Though I have to say, kidnapping isn't quite how I thought he'd try to stop me. I only hope Solas is alright."
"Well, let us make our way to the Grand Arch to see how things are coming along. Perhaps some of the guards might keep an eye on your father until after the ceremony?" Josephine suggested.
"But him in the cell wagon. I'll deal with him tomorrow. But Hamin, can you make sure someone keeps an eye on him?"
Hamin nodded and waved a few of the other Sentinels over to lead him to the cell wagon for safekeeping.
Josephine put a hand on Lavellan's shoulder as they took her father away. "I'm sorry. Those things he said… They were unkind. And undeserved."
Lavellan agreed silently, but couldn't quite pull back to her earlier spirits.
When they arrived at the tent meant for her Josephine left to help tend to the details of the celebration, leaving her alone with Leliana, Keela, and Vina. They offered her kind words of support and even shared stories on their own family members disapproving of their partners at one point in time or another. It helped some, and she felt better by the time a visitor came to her tent.
"Is this a girls-only party? Or are handsome dwarves allowed to visit?" Varric said, poking his head into the tent and sliding in.
"Only if you're here as our entertainment," Leliana returned, tucking a flower behind his ear.
Varric laughed, but his smile fell when he saw that the Inquisitor was not happy to see him. Plucking the flower out of his hair, he shifted uncomfortably from side to side for a moment before asking the ladies if they would give him a moment alone with the bride.
The women giggled as they left and Leliana threw out a comment of "Get out all your last minute confessions now, Varric" before the tent flap closed behind her.
Varric waited until they had gone, twisting the hibiscus blossom in his fingertips as he thought about what he wanted to say. Rubbing the back of his head, he gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm guessing from your frosty greeting, you heard about what I said to Chuckles."
"Yes. He told me you don't approve of our bonding. So I take it you aren't here to offer your congratulations like you pretended earlier."
He winced and sat on a footstool with another heavy sigh. "Yeah. I suppose I deserve a little frostiness then, don't I? Well, I just wanted to offer you something I didn't have: a warning. I know it's probably too late now. Shit, I probably should have said something ages ago, but I kept my mouth shut. Didn't want to go digging into anyone's private business. Didn't want to lose a friend by prying into things I shouldn't be prying into." He rubbed his chin and looked up at her cold gaze for only a brief moment. "Listen, I just wish someone had told me what I'm about to tell you. Would've saved me a lot of sleepless nights and a drinking problem. Don't go chasing after someone who doesn't deserve you. You're the Inquisitor! A hero of Thedas in her own right. And Solas is…" Varric shook his head. "I don't know, to be honest. I don't know what to believe about him. But I know how much he hurt you when he left. And I know you wouldn't be marrying or bonding or whatever it's called for the sake of some alliance unless you wanted to be with that person. So you must love him. And I get that love doesn't see reason, but if I could offer this hard-earned advice: don't love someone who is only going to break your heart. He did it before. He doesn't deserve another chance." He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at her.
For a moment she was quiet, not knowing what to say. When she spoke, it was not with anger, though a part of her did want to lash out against everyone sharing their opinion about her decision to bond with Solas. But watching her father hauled away after trying to kidnap her had stolen all the fight from her body. "I can't help loving him, Varric. No more than you can stop yourself from loving Bianca even now. When Bianca came to us asking for help, you didn't hesitate. Even though you knew it might be dangerous. You helped her, even though you had your doubts about her story."
"Yeah, but that's why I'm telling you this. Learn from my mistakes. Don't give him the power to hurt you again. Because this is dangerous! You know it! You know what he's after. If he gets the idol, it will corrupt him just like it corrupted Bartrand and everyone else. You can't follow him down this path. He'll get you killed. Or worse! Please. Just listen to me. It doesn't have to be like this. I was a fool, but you're smarter than me. Don't do this."
"Maybe we're both fools, Varric. But we're fools who believe the best in people. I know you don't think Solas deserves another chance. And maybe I'm wrong. But I believe in him. And I think he needs help doing this right. Or maybe I just can't stand the thought of letting someone I care about face off against an unknown evil alone. I'm not running away from this, Varric. I'm staying."
His face contorted in anguish before falling into despair as he hung his head. He sighed and then shrugged, defeated. "I just don't want to have to lose another friend. After Hawke… You're just not the same after you lose someone you're that close to. My friends, they're not the same. It hit all of us hard. Fenris especially, but even Daisy changed. I just… Don't want to lose you too."
"You could have a little faith in me. I haven't died yet. And we've fought demons, dragons, gods, and titans. I'm not so easy to kill."
"But that was also back when you had a magic glowing green hand. Things are different now." He glanced down at her stomach and then back up at her face with a sad expression. "Daisy told me about the baby." He didn't say anything more, but he didn't need to. Her pregnancy did change things. Possibly in ways she hadn't yet considered.
She drew a protective arm around herself. "If Bianca had shown up and married you instead of her husband, would you have been better off?" Her words were not asked in cruelty or malice. Merely curiosity.
"Hell if I know. Who can say?"
"I don't know. But I would hazard a guess that a part of you wishes she had chosen to stay at your side. And I am choosing to stand with Solas at his side. Through whatever may come. I hope that this does not mean I lose your friendship, Varric."
He shook his head and breathed in deeply. "You really believe in his cause? Didn't he threaten to reduce the world to ash? To destroy everything and everyone?"
"Look at the world, Varric. It's already falling apart: old gods returning, rumors of a new Blight, titans shaking the earth, and all manner of other insanity has already started. If we can restore what was, then maybe we can fix the natural balance. I cannot claim there will be no fallout, but I do not believe that it has to end in devastation. I refuse to believe that. And I will do everything in my power to prevent it and save this world all over again, as many times as it takes. You know that, Varric. I would not side with him or support his plans if I did not think there was hope."
Varric looked at her sadly, but resigned. "No. No, you're just like Hawke. Diving into trouble because that's what you're meant to do. Andraste forgive me, I hope you're right about this."
"I am still me. Still the same person as always. Please, Varric, trust me and have a little faith that we can save the world again." She held out her hand and he hesitated for a moment before taking it. Pulling him into a hug that caught him slightly off guard, she knelt and buried her face in his shoulder. To her surprise, he returned the hug and the tension left her shoulders as relief coursed through her. She had needed this. She had needed someone to offer a kind gesture to soothe her.
Varric pulled back, a small, sad half-grin on his face. "Well, I guess I'm betting on you again, Inquisitor. Just make sure I don't lose that bet." He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Look, I should go. I'll stick around and watch if I can find a spot to see from. But I think I need to get out of here before an angry elven god appears. Good luck, Inquisitor." With that he nodded his head and slipped out of the tent.
The emptiness of the space pressed in around her and she suddenly felt very alone.