Chapter 2; Lord in the place where the sky was held;
Characters of the chapter
Rydeon Cadash Lord Inquisitor of the Inquisition, Lord of Skyhold
Cullen Rutherford Commander of the Inquisition army, member of the Inquisition War Council, advisor to the Lord Inquisitor
Charter Spymaster of the Inquisition, member of the Inquisition War Council, advisor to the Lord Inquisitor
Josephine Montilyet Ambassador of the Inquisition, head of the Inquisition's diplomatic corps, member of the Inquisition War Council, advisor to the Lord Inquisitor
"You're certain of this?" Lord Inquisitor Rydeon Cadash asked as he was making his way towards the War room for a meeting.
"There's really no chance of a mistake." replied the elven spymaster Charter, formerly an agent of the Inquisition, promoted to the rank of spymaster when Leliana had gone on to become Divine Victoria. "Something like this cannot really be hidden. And on that same note, I must offer my apology."
"An apology?" Rydeon asked, surprised.
"I should have paid more attention. I should have been able to notice this, before the invasion was in progress. The signs were always there. I simply didn't take note of them; my focus was elsewhere, and for that I'm sorry." Charter explained, clearly embarrassed of herself.
"I don't blame you." The Inqusitor said reassuringly. "No one caught it, not even the Twin Kingdoms, and they're under attack currently. And your focus was exactly where I would have it be. Solas is a far greater problem than anything the Orlesians can cook up."
"But it's my job to be aware of these things before anyone else is." Charter argued. She sighed loudly. "There are still days I think I'm the wrong person to replace Sister Nightingale, especially since I'm an elf. Normally I'd be the last person to bring up racial issues, but when working to oppose an elf that primarily has other elves as his agents... well it can undermine a spymaster's authority. Many of the people I've had to investigate have questioned my right to put them to question at all, since the grounds for keeping an eye on them also apply to me."
"I understand that Leliana left quite large shoes behind for you to fill, but honestly I think you have performed rather well. She must have thought as much also, since she recommended you. I think it's high time you stopped doubting yourself." Rydeon said.
Charter didn't say anything in return, instead simply considering the Inquisitor's words.
"As for your heritage… you rather clearly proved your loyalty right at the start, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's not every day a spymaster insists she should be investigated by a reliable outsider on her first day on the job. I don't see how you could possibly be suspected of anything after that." He continued when his spymaster didn't reply.
"And that was why I wanted that done. It was the only way I could do my job without having the shadow of suspicion hanging over my head whenever I did something. It seems that for some even that wasn't enough." Charter explained.
"Well, that may be a situation that will fix itself now that Solas has widened the pool of his recruiting to include the Promisers, although it won't make our job any easier. Now we have to be suspicious of elves and humans." Rydeon said. "But we can continue this discussion at the meeting. Now we should hurry, so we'll be on time. Being fashionably late hasn't been a thing in the Inquisition since the Winter Palace." he said then, his last comment earning a small laugh from Charter.
The War room was more or less the same as it had been during the Breach War, dominated by the large table where the map of southern Thedas was displayed, along with markers signifying the different operations the Inquisition had going on in different areas. Two other tables had been added to the sides of the room, one table bearing the map of Westeros and another one of Essos. To guarantee accuracy of the information displayed, both maps had been painstakingly acquired from archives of the locals. Upon entering Rydeon and Charter found Cullen and Josephine already waiting for them at their customary places. The Inquisitor and the Spymaster quickly took their places as well. Moments after another woman entered the room, going to stand at the left side of the main table, earning a hostile glare from Commander Cullen.
"What are you doing here?" he asked of the woman.
"You can relax commander. I'm here by the Inquisitor's invitation. I'm not sure myself why I've been asked here, but I suspect I will find out." The woman said, holding up her hand defensively.
"She is right, Cullen, on both counts. You can leave her be for now." The Inquisitor said, reassuring his commander.
"As you say, Inquisitor." Cullen said, calming somewhat, although he continued to direct sour looks at the woman.
Rydeon cleared his throat: "Well, I guess we should get started. The first order of business today is the Orlesian invasion launched against the Twin Kingdoms that the Spymaster has just informed me is in progress. "
Charter nodded in confirmation, while the other members of the war council exchanged concerned looks.
"What is the current situation?" Cullen asked.
"Well, it appears that the latest batch of reinforcements to the Corridor were not reinforcements, but the final assets of a large invasion force. My agents are still working to make an estimation of numbers, but a force in the high tens of thousands seems probable. Currently we are not certain who is commanding the Orlesian forces. As we speak Orlesian forces are emerging from the Corridor and heading down the coast of Westeros." Charter answered.
"It seems that the first battle of the invasion has already taken place at Eastwatch by the Sea. It appears that in accordance with our agreements with the Night's Watch, our forces took part in the defense of the fort. I regret to inform you our forces sustained several casualties during the battle." She added with a sigh.
Cullen shook his head angrily at the news, while Rydeon turned to the Ambassador: "Josephine, have you heard anything on political channels? Something about the Empire's motivations of invading now, or their justifications in doing so?" he asked.
"Nothing as of yet, although my people are not nearly as fast in their reporting as the Spymaster's." Josephine said, giving Charter a nod of compliment, which Charter returned. "However, it seems likely that the Orlesians have planned ahead and have already briefed their emissaries so they can bring other kingdoms up to speed. I don't expect we'll be in the dark for very long."
"Good, we shall know more of the Empire's intentions when that happens." Rydeon commented. "Do we know anything else?"
"I have heard some unofficial rumors that the Orlesians might be attempting to call this an Exalted March." Charter supplied. "I took the liberty of sending messages advising Divine Victoria of this possibility. I expect she'll issue a full denial, if these rumors are indeed correct."
"Good thinking, and I expect she will do that. She's not fond of having her authority misused in this fashion." The Inquisitor agreed.
"Meanwhile, I believe we should consider our own response to these events." Cullen said. "The Orlesians attacked our garrison and killed our people. That cannot go unanswered. The Inquisition army stands ready at your command, Inquisitor, in whatever capacity you require."
"I too agree that the actions of the Orlesians demand some kind of answer on our part, but I would argue that this response should be primarily focused at diplomatic actions against the Empire." Josephine joined in.
"At this time, any military retaliation on our part, however justified or limited in scale, would be interpreted as an act of war. That would kill any chance for us to work as mediators and bring a diplomatic solution to this issue, should we wish to do so. And in wake of such a retaliation everyone would assume that we have decided to ally ourselves with the Twin Kingdoms, which is an interpretation we likely want to avoid under these circumstances. I don't approve of the Orlesian Empire starting a war in this fashion, but the fact remains that they have been our steadfast allies for years. The Twin Kingdoms may become a valued ally and a friend in time, but for now they are a faction whose relations with us are neutral at best. To sacrifice our close relations with the Orlesians for such a questionable alliance would be a terrible move on our part." She then explained.
"I would have to agree with the lady ambassador this time." The spymaster gave her opinion. "If the Orlesians decide that we are their enemies, they'll try to oust us from our holdings within the Empire. And since the Fereldans have always been critical of our activities, they might be emboldened to try the same in such an event. Worst case scenario then is that we lose the bulk of our holdings in Thedas. And even in the best case this would leave our forces depleted and our alliance system in tatters at a time when we are likely to soon need both against our real opponents."
"I see. Thank you all for your recommendations." The Inquisitor said. "As it is, I agree, a military action is not in our best interests at this time. That said, I do believe there is something our troops can do as part of a mission of mercy. I have a response in mind, one that will make our stance abundantly clear. I'll consult each of you separately to work out the details, and then Josephine and I will determine the proper wording for a public declaration."
There was a chorus of nods from the people attending the meeting.
"Well, I think that's enough about the Orlesians for one meeting. We should move on to other topics of the day. Cullen, how is our military doing?" The Inquisitor asked.
"We are doing very well at the moment, all things considered." The Commander replied. "Our recruitment and training proceeds on schedule and our forces are doing their utmost to keep the peace. We have recently uncovered more elven artefacts. Those have been confiscated or destroyed as per our standing orders. The only thing we are lacking currently are significant opponents, although now that the Order of Fiery Promise has sided with Solas, that may change soon enough. Between our attacks and them succumbing to their own corruption, the Red Templars are all but gone. We still continue to run into the occasional Behemoth in the wilderness, but that's it. The Venatori threat has also passed with their retreat from southern Thedas and their civil war concluded."
"True enough." said the stranger woman. "Though I feel I must correct you. The Venatori civil war is still very much ongoing. The Reformers are still in the game, despite the defeats suffered. The recent events represent a change in tactics and overall strategy, no more. We would be foolish to assume that the Loyalist Venatori are defeated either, far from it. Their footholds in northern Thedas remain, and their presence in Essos continues to expand daily. And as we now know, they even have cells within the Twin Kingdoms."
"You would know such things better than I do." Cullen admitted reluctantly.
"Well, on the subject of Venatori in the Twin Kingdoms, what is the situation in Westeros, Charter?" the Inquisitor asked.
"The assassination plot against the Queen has been successfully uncovered and foiled. My agents are now following up on the secondary leads we have uncovered, sweeping King's Landing for any other Venatori operatives." the Spymaster replied.
"Good, that should wipe out most of their agents in the city, maybe as much as nine tenths. The rest will be scared into hiding until they have had time to rebuild their assets." the stranger woman said, nodding her approval.
"Are the Westerosi aware of the situation?" Cullen asked.
"Yes and no." Charter replied. "As far as we can tell, they know that something big has happened and that the Inquisition had a hand in those events, most likely due to the information exchange we had to arrange. However, I believe they are unaware what exactly happened, why, or who the other actors were besides us. With their spy organizations being as rudimentary as they are, I don't think we have to worry about them finding out unless we choose to inform them."
"Is that something we wish to do, your Worship?" she then asked.
"I'll get back to you on that." "Rydeon answered "The point seems moot as far as the assassination plot itself goes, but maybe they should be informed of the threat the Venatori represent overall, as well as other opponents that may become relevant to them in the fullness of time. If so, however, I will wish to do so personally, when the opportunity to do so arises, lest our warnings be ignored."
"Very well your worship." Charter said with a nod. "As it is, I do believe we owe our guest some thanks." she continued, looking at the stranger woman. "If she and her people had not interpreted the intelligence so astutely, this whole situation might have turned out very differently."
"It was a stroke of luck really." The stranger woman replied "I'm perpetually amazed of the incredible butterfly effect a single intercepted enemy dispatch can have. Regardless, I was happy to be of assistance."
"You may get another chance to do so as it happens." The Inquisitor commented "But first, Charter, continue your report, please."
Charter cleared her throat, and continued: "Well, beyond that incident we have continued to acquire portions of Lord Varys's old spy network. It's hard to estimate how much of the network we control currently, particularly since some of the older, more experienced agents are working for more than one faction simultaneously, maximizing their gains. We know for a fact that the crown of the South Kingdom controls a sizeable portion of the network, mostly through Lord Tyrion, while the North Kingdom seems to ignore this network entirely. Solas likely has some of these agents in his pocket, although we have difficulty ascertaining this due to the inherent subtlety of his operatives. We have also identified interest groups from Tevinter and Orlais actively contesting us for control, and if the Qunari do not have a comparable operation already then I suspect it's only a matter of time until they do."
"I assume you still disapprove of this acquisition of agents, Lady Josephine?" The elf then asked, noting the Ambassador's expression.
"You speak of spy networks and agents, but these are children we are talking about. I am not convinced that using them to spy for us is ethical. I don't think this is something we should be doing." Josephine replied, concern in her voice.
"I don't disagree with that. In fact I share your distaste for this." The spymaster said to everyone's surprise. "I would be hard pressed to involve children in such matters, no matter how useful or how good they are at their work. But they are already involved, and it would be foolish of us to discard such an obvious resource. Besides, if these children don't work for us, someone else is sure to claim them, and we have no guarantee they'll treat them as well as we have. We have already seen attempts to that effect, as I explained."
"Perhaps so." Josephine admitted reluctantly. "Still, it doesn't make me happy."
"I don't think any of us is exactly happy about these kind of choices, but the situation is what it is. Charter is right, it's better that they're with us rather than someone else." Rydeon said.
"On the opposition side of things we continue to have occasional run-ins with Solas's agents, with varying results." The spymaster continued. "I estimate that he is having his agents run reconnaissance on Westeros, but that region is not his primary focus at this time. As to what is, based on the amount of activity we have encountered, northern Thedas continues to be a strong candidate, particularly Tevinter and its surrounding areas. Also, I'm relatively certain that Essos is a second area of focus, though I'm not certain why." Charter said.
"If only I could have my agents investigate and confirm this." She added.
"Have you had any luck establishing a presence there?" Cullen asked.
"Sadly, no progress on that field." Charter said, shaking her head. "The Imperials have the region locked down just too damn tight, and most of the locals that matter aren't exactly sympathetic to our cause. I tried to have us establish ourselves in Braavos, where we might be better received, only for local Tevinter assets to go active and wipe us out. I have advised the Braavosi authorities that their city is infiltrated by a hostile nation in the hopes they can clean this up for us, but I'm not very optimistic. It was a bloody disaster for us. It will be some time before we are ready to try again."
"Keep looking for a way to get this done. We can't have ourselves be blind across an entire continent." Rydeon commanded.
"I hesitate to suggest it, but seeing as we have had no success in putting our own spies in there, perhaps the Imperium should be warned, at least of the threat of Fen'Harel." The stranger woman offered, leaving the room is shocked silence.
"Yes, I can see why you might want to hand over intelligence to the Imperium" Cullen said poisonously.
"I resent your implication." Woman replied coolly before explaining herself: "Currently we cannot operate in the region on any level, which means that we cannot check the activities of Solas or the Imperium. I too agree that Inquisition agents in Essos would be the ideal solution for us, but this has clearly been denied us. We have no confirmation that the Imperium recognizes the threat Solas represents, and so we have no confirmation that they will act against him. This would leave him to operate completely unchecked, which is something we cannot allow under any circumstances. If the Imperium were to be informed, I believe they would protect their interests, and we would get at least one of our enemies attended to. This would also have the added benefit of setting our enemies against each other, leaving us all the stronger for their infighting. It's not an ideal solution, but it would be an improvement over what the situation is now. The Imperium in Essos may be beyond our capacity to strike at currently, but this way the Dread Wolf might not have to be."
"No." Rydeon said bluntly. "Even if the Imperium listens to what we have to say and believes our claims, with their heavy handed attitude and ruthlessness I'm not convinced that they will solve more problems than they cause. Besides, it is all too likely that Solas is looking something in Essos to help him accomplish his ends. If the Imperium knows of him they might learn what he seeks as well. And if it turns out to be something retrievable, like an artefact, Tevinter forces will try to take it for themselves. I will not empower one enemy trying to fight another. There will be no informing the Imperium of anything without my express permission."
"As you say your Worship. I was merely making a suggestion." The stranger woman replied.
"Perhaps your agents could assist our own, get us information we need?" Josephine asked the stranger woman.
The woman considered. "Maybe, though I see potential complications. Many of my agents would be known thereabouts. We would have to be extra careful or we might end up with the exact same problems as your people. We would also have to establish ourselves closer to the continent of Essos. Can't have our messages constantly travelling between Tevinter and back, or the time delay will kill the utility of the information we get, not to mention the risk of enemy interception.
"Well, it may be that you will get a chance to do exactly that." Rydeon commented. "This brings us to the reason why I called you here."
"Which is?" The stranger woman queried.
"It occurs to me that while King Jon has people advising him on magical matters through his cousin Brandon and our man Kieran, Queen Daenerys has not yet chosen such an advisor for herself. With the peoples of Westeros coming into constant contact with us Thedosians and conflict with Tevinter looming on the horizon, I have a mind to provide her with one. It will be a friendly gesture on our part, one that should open the Westerosi royals to future dialog, while providing us an ear in the court of King's Landing and additional defenses for a potential ally against further Imperial schemes." the Inquisitor explained.
"A wise move." the stranger woman commented. "We should make sure that whoever we send is familiar with the Tevinter Imperium, and the Venatori if possible. Who did you have in mind?"
One by one the others at the meeting turned to look upon the stranger woman, whose eyes widened as she understood.
"What? You can't be serious." She stammered, momentarily dismissing the notion as ridiculous. "You are serious." She said in disbelief upon noting the serious expression of the dwarven man. "But… why me? Why not… anyone else?"
"You said you wanted to make amends." Rydeon said.
"And I meant what I said." The woman confirmed "This is just… completely different than what I had in mind."
"I would be remiss in my duties if I did not voice my concerns about this plan. It seems likely to bring us more trouble instead of less." Cullen protested. "That assuming she can be trusted with this at all." He added, directing another hostile glare at the stranger woman.
"Well, this might be the first and only time in all of history, but I must agree with the Commander, although I do think he is more suspicious of me than even I warrant." the Stranger woman replied. "This will be trouble for all of us, not to mention a huge inconvenience for me. I have my own concerns to look after, I really don't think I will have the time for this."
"Then I suggest you make time." Inquisitor Rydeon said firmly "You're perfect for this job, despite what you and Commander Cullen think. I could find no better, and I'm not about to start looking while you are still an option."
"That… and just how I'm the best possible candidate to this? Please do elaborate, because the answer eludes me." The woman asked.
"You're a skilled mage and quite knowledgeable when it comes to arcane matters. You know the Imperium and the Venatori better than any of us here, the very enemy the Twin Kingdoms are likely to end up fighting against in the near future. You have access to an extensive network of covert specialists, which is something the Westerosi generally lack, and through your network you know how to command as well, which is sure to come in handy. You want to do the right thing but you're not afraid to use underhanded methods to achieve your right things, which may be an attitude Westeros will need very soon. You're better for this task than any other mage in my service that readily comes to mind, with the possible exception of magister Pavus, whose work in the Magisterium is far too important for him to be distracted from it at this time." The Inquisitor tallied.
The stranger woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, an impressive record to be certain, if I do say so myself, but I still don't see how this can be made to work. Why would the queen agree to work with a Tevinter? She hates my people, and I'm sad to say she has every reason to. And if she knew the rest of it… I would never even be allowed within sight of their coastline."
"Well obviously there are things you can't tell her yet, not until you have gained her trust. Use a false identity, you already know how to make that work, as we well know." The Inquisitor replied.
"You wish me to deceive the Queen?" The woman asked, incredulous.
"For the moment that may be a necessary risk, so you will be given a chance to prove yourself. I will leave it on your discretion to determine when the time is right to reveal the truth, if indeed that day ever comes." Rydeon answered.
"If the Westerosi were to discover the truth on their own, if they find such deception in a supposed gesture of goodwill, it could cost the Inquisition a great deal of reputation, not to mention my head for me." The woman noted. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" She then asked.
"I'm sure. This is risky, but it's the only way I believe. I guess that gives the both of us the incentive to make sure that the truth doesn't come out until we wish it to." The Inquisitor said.
The woman gave a slight, annoyed groan. "I suppose it does at that. It seems I cannot dissuade you, so fine, I will do this. When, though? I suppose since this council has decided not to provoke the Orlesians, joining with the Queen while the war is raging is out of the question?"
"Correct" the Inquisitor confirmed. "We will wait until this war is over. Should the Twin Kingdoms still be around by that time, we will act as we have discussed. And if not, then there is no longer a point of sending a magical advisor to Westeros I suppose."
"So there is still a chance I won't have to entertain this ridiculous idea? That's good to hear." The woman commented dryly. "Just in case this does come to pass, you mentioned wanting an ear in King's Landing. Am I to be a spy as well?" she then asked.
"That would be counterproductive in this case, so no." Rydeon replied. "Send information back to us, but do so openly, and in a way that the Westerosi would be welcome to your writings at any time."
"Very well. I was thinking of using the name of Iledia for my identity this time. Will that work for you, spymaster?" The woman asked.
Charter considered. "Hmm… that name then… yes, that will work. It's known to our side but not the enemy. Perfect!"
"Excellent, it's settled then. I trust the Inquisition can assist me in creating a convincing backstory?" Said the woman, now named Iledia.
"We'll make sure that if anyone comes seeking answers, they'll find convincing facts." Charter said with a nod and a knowing smile.
"Very good. Now we have much work ahead of us, and we should get on it. We are done for the day, you may return to your duties." the inquisitor said. "Except you. There is one more thing I would like to discuss with you." he added to Iledia.
With that everyone except Iledia and the Inquisitor left. "So what is it that you wanted to say?"
"It just occurred to me that it is very likely you will have to fight your countrymen, and I wanted to make sure you are okay with that possibility. Are you comfortable with that?" The inquisitor said.
"You ask me that after you already made me agree to do it? That's fair." Iledia said sarcastically.
"I didn't mean…" Rydeon began to say.
"Of course not. You mean well. You always do." Iledia interrupted. "As to your question, I won't thank you for putting me on the spot, but I will be fine. I have had to fight my own people since long before anyone told me to do it, it's nothing new to me. It's also true that there are ghost in my past that I have been meaning to put to rest for some time. Maybe it's time I went and confronted them."
"I appreciate what you're doing, I truly do." Rydeon said.
"You'd better." Iledia replied, dead serious. "Now, if you would excuse me, Inquisitor, I have work to do, and it would seem, preparations to make." She continued, then left without another word.