Chapter 17; Spellwatch
Characters of the chapter
Cassandra Pentaghast, Lady Seeker of the Seekers of Truth
Fiona Grand Enchanter of the college of Magi
Iledia Agent of the Inquisition
Josephine Montilyet Ambassador of the Inquisition, head of the Inquisition's diplomatic corps, member of the Inquisition War Council, advisor to the Lord Inquisitor
Leliana Also known as Divine Victoria I, formerly known as Sister Nightingale
Rydeon Cadash Lord Inquisitor of the Inquisition, Lord of Skyhold
"We are making the preparations as you commanded, but it's proving difficult. You have given us only very sparse details on what we are to do when we go to Westeros. You haven't even told us when we are going to be moving out." A man said to Iledia as the two walked the halls and corridors of Skyhold. They reached the upper floor of the main hall, where they stopped.
"I'd like to give you a more definitive answer, but it's not just up to me. It all depends on how the war goes. I can't even say for certain that we will be going there at all. If the Twin Kingdoms lose we won't be." She replied. "And from the latest news I heard things are going very badly for them." She added.
"But… you still want us keep making the preparations, right?" The soldier asked uncertainly.
"What, yes, keep at it!" She told him firmly. "It's easier to undo ready preparations that prove to be unnecessary. Better than panicking and trying to call up the necessary resources when the need is upon us and we are unprepared."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, keep working as if we are going to go there. If that changes, I'll tell you then. Got it?"
"Got it. We'll do." He said, nodding.
Iledia paused, taking a moment to study his expression. "You're not sure about this entire business? Well neither am I. Going to Westeros, to work for the Dragon Queen? It doesn't seem like our fight. I did argue against it when the notion was proposed by the Inquisitor. But obviously my objections were ignored. Still, I'd much rather go home and attend to our troubles there. Goodness knows we have more than enough of them." She said.
"Then why are we here, doing this instead?" The man asked.
"Because he needs this of us, and we need each other. I disagree with this idea of his, but working together with him I've come to trust his judgment, enough to go along with it despite my reservations. I don't understand his reasons, but I trust them to become clear in time." She said.
"I know a lot of you don't feel the same way about him, but that's because you haven't worked with him directly." She added when the man gave her a skeptical look."You don't have a reason to trust him like I do. But I have seen what he fights for, why it's worth it. I know what is at stake. I believe in him, and you believe in me."
"You do still believe in me, don't you?" She asked.
"My Lady… we trust you with our lives. And our hopes for the future. If we did not then we would not be here now. We followed you in the beginning, we followed you throughout it all and we will follow you now. As you command, so shall we do, even if your commands occasionally strike us as strange. If you command us to go to Westeros and aid the Dragon Queen then this is what shall be done.
Iledia smiled. "Then I'm relieved. Relieved and gladdened. The loyalty and trust of each and every one of you warms my heart. More than anything it's that which has allowed to me to keep going. You give me hope where otherwise I'd have none, conviction where I'd only have doubts. I just hope that one day I can repay what has been given, so it will all be worth it."
She was about to continue when movement below her caught her attention. She saw an elven woman with short black hair walk with brisk steps across the hall, heading in the direction of the War Room. "Ah. There she is."
"Who is she?" The man asked.
"Grand Enchanter Fiona, leader of the College of Magi." Iledia explained. "She is here to attend to a very important meeting, one that could change a great many things."
"You have your instructions. If there are more details to work out, seek me out later, and we may discuss them. Now I'm afraid I must go." She said, straightening her back.
"Oh? Were you called to attend the meeting as well?" The man asked.
"No, but I intend to listen in either way. Some developments just cannot be ignored. I need to know how this goes." She said, beginning to leave.
"Are you sure my Lady? The Inquisitor won't like it if you do this." He called after her.
"I'm sure. He has need of me, remember? And he is not the kind of person to do me harm for something as simple as eavesdropping." She called back.
She made her way down the stairs, through the rotunda where Solas had once taken residence, across the main hall, through the ambassador's currently vacant office and finally down the corridor leading to the War Room. At the door to the War Room she halted, already able to hear muffled sounds coming from the other side of the thick boards. She raised her hands and the air above her palm began to ripple. She brought he hand over one ear, then the other. Her magic working, she became aware of small sounds: Insects crawling between the stones at her feet, wind blowing on the other side of the wall that thankfully the masons at Skyhold had gotten around to repairing at long last. More importantly, with her enhanced hearing she could make out the voices coming from the other side of the door. She leaned on a wall and began to listen…
"So, Lord Inquisitor, why have I been asked here?" Fiona asked, having already exchanged pleasantries with the Inquisitor. Josephine was also present in the room, but no others.
"There is a… proposition that you ought to see." Rydeon replied, handing her a stack of papers.
"Spellwatch...?" Fiona mumbled as she read the title. She read on, and as she did so her expression became one of shock and horror.
"You cannot do this…" She breathed.
"I know how this seems to you, but…" Rydeon tried to say.
"YOU'VE REINSTATED THE TEMPLAR ORDER! A COMPLETE VIOLATION OF THE TERMS OF OUR ALLIANCE!" Fiona erupted, cutting him off.
"Hold on! Nothing has been done yet! And these are not Templars. There are a number of things that make them entirely different!" The Inquisitor countered, raising his remaining hand defensively.
"How are they any different!? You're creating an organization specializing in monitoring and combating mages! How is this any different than what my people fought to overthrow!?" Fiona continued to fume.
"The first thing, if I am allowed to speak, is that this organization will not exist under the direct rule of the Chantry, but will be a specialist branch under the Inquisition." Rydeon said.
"Like that means a damn! You serve the Chantry yourself!" She shouted. Then she forced herself to calm a fraction. "Once that might have been reassurance enough. But now? You are in the service of the very institution that oversaw our oppression for centuries. You extend this oversight on us without our knowledge or approval. And now you would give yourselves a weapon that we cannot abide you having."
"The truth about the Inquisition's relationship with the Chantry is somewhat different than you seem to think." A new voice spoke up.
Fiona turned toward the sound and her eyes widened. "D-Divine Victoria? You're here?"
"Indeed, although officially I have not left the Grand Cathedral. It's easier to avoid unnecessary questions if I was never here. I think we both agree this matter should be handled with confidentiality. And so I trust you will keep our secret." Leliana said, walking to the table.
"But why are you here? You of all people?" Fiona asked.
"The Inquisitor felt that I should be, to offer personal reassurances and dispel any concerns that might arise. I agreed. As such I would point out that I have granted the Inquisition broad autonomy to act as they see fit. By the rules written in the treaty handling their transition to the Chantry's service I cannot issue a directive to the Inquisition, or imply such. I can advise and suggest, but in the end the final decision will always belong to the Inquisitor. My role in this is to maintain a very general oversight to point upcoming issues and ensure they continue to follow their charter, which is to protect Thedas as well as to work to create and maintain peace in our world."
"Is that so?" Fiona said, sounding rather skeptical. "It looks like it's true what they say about you. You've tricked the nobles of Thedas into believing that the Inquisition's power is contained under the sacred authority of the Divine, leaving their nations pacified and accepting of you. And now those nations seek to neither subvert nor destroy you, while in truth you are free to act as you see fit, just like it was during the Breach War. And I'd bet the Inquisition has the Divine's sanction whenever they need it, no? How devious of you. No matter. I don't mind that. There are other concerns that bother me far more right now."
"I understand that. But I would ask that you not reject us until you have heard our proposal in its entirety. I would point out that as Divine I have been very supportive of the freedom of mages. Supportive indeed to the claims to equality made by any group that has been pushed to marginalized positions through no fault of their own. I believe that mages have been unfairly stigmatized because of a few bad actors. As such I have no interest in reestablishing the old order. If you are willing to listen to our proposal you will find that the Spellwatch is simply a security measure aimed at those same bad actors I mentioned. Those who have done no harm and intend to do none we will leave be. To reassure you to that effect I promise that this will not happen without your cooperation. Getting that cooperation is why we called you here in the first place." Leliana said.
"I know that you have a progressive mindset, Most Holy. And that is a very agreeable state of affairs to us mages. But even if what you say is true, that the Inquisition is allowed to make its own decisions and that you have no intention of making this group what the Templars used to be, you will not be Divine forever." She said to Leliana. "If a Divine were to come along that wanted more direct control over the Inquisition, I can see her accomplishing her ends by appointing an Inquisitor subservient to her desires. And then all your promises, all your good intentions will be worth horseshit."
Josephine swallowed back her distaste at the crass use of language, then spoke: "The Inquisitor has already taken the problem you mentioned into consideration. That is why he has declared that when a new Inquisitor is to be chosen, it shall be the War Council that does the choosing, through unanimous agreement. The Inquisitor can recommend candidates, but the War Council is ultimately under no obligation to follow those recommendations. And once in office the new Inquisitor can freely choose the members of his War Council. As you can see the Divine is not involved in any stage of the process."
"Seriously? And what says the Divine to that?" Fiona asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She does not oppose the notion. As you pointed out they can get my support to their decisions when they have need of it. Much of the time. I still consider myself entitled to disagree, and I am still Divine. Just one that has very good relations with the Inquisition, trusting them to have the best intentions for all of us in mind." Leliana said.
"You don't think it too obvious a move, considering the circumstances? That you surrender the right to choose the leader of an organization that supposedly belongs to you. To say nothing of how skeptical I am that you would relinquish the power." Fiona said.
"Everyone knows that the role of a Divine is incredibly busy. This will be seen as an act of delegation. And the Inquisition began as an organization independent of the Chantry's rule, although admittedly they were empowered by a writ made by Divine Justinia. It makes sense to be respectful to that origin by granting them some autonomy." Leliana said.
"It's also true that the Inquisition is a body that can function only if the Inquisitor enjoys the full confidence of the War Council. It is that confidence that put me in this role during the Breach War, and that is how it should be in the future as well. That is a truth, one that the Divine and I have both accepted. If we could do so, others can as well." Rydeon said.
"That still doesn't explain how Spellwatch is any different from the Templar Order. If I am to give this thing my blessing, and I am not saying that I am, you better have some damn good arguments at the ready."
"Then perhaps we ought to begin by explaining the ideological differences between the two. Josephine?" Leliana said.
"With the Divine's approval Spellwatch will be assembled as a secular organization, rather than a religious one. We recognize that in the past the use of religious doctrine to justify the monitoring of magic has resulted in… misjudgments, with truly tragic consequences on all involved. This is why the Spellwatch will base its authority on secular laws of the nations where they will operate, and the dangers of magic already universally recognized, even by mages." Josephine said.
"You will find the details of our planned training regime on the papers you have." Rydeon pointed out to Fiona. "You will note that we intend to emphasize an impeccable moral core and adaptive responses to underlying circumstances. This is very different form the Templars, who focused religious instruction and single minded obedience, which resulted in inflexible responses, deaf to the complexities of the problems we face. In particular, at my urging, we will do our utmost to curb the notion that magical talent in and of itself is a sin."
"The Templar Order was also an organization that actively watched the mages, refusing to leave them unattended even for brief times, believing as they did that mages were utterly unwilling to self-regulate. Spellwatch on the other hand will content itself on passive observation, only interfering should the methods of mages prove deficient or should a mage organization engage in clearly unacceptable behavior and refuse to correct themselves. The primary responsibility to monitor mages will remain with the mage organizations they belong to. Of course should there be an existential threat that requires the attention of the whole Inquisition they will be fighting in support alongside our army, lending their expertise where it is most needed." He continued.
"There are also differences in how the ability counter magic effectively is achieved." Leliana said.
"How so?" Fiona asked.
"Well, by the recommendation of Commander Cullen the use of lyrium will not be a mandatory element of Spellwatch. Only volunteers will receive it from now on. The rest will achieve the ability to block magic through the use of weapons, armor and artefacts designed by Dagna, the Inquisition's arcanist." Leliana explained.
"And, uh, why have you bothered to go through this extra trouble exactly? Why not just give everyone lyrium?" Fiona asked.
"Because lyrium is highly addictive, and its prolonged use damages a person's mind as you well know. Furthermore the old Chantry used lyrium not only to give Templars their powers but to control them. The Commander knows personally how hard that hold is to break. As a mage it probably doesn't matter as much to you, but perhaps it will go some length to convince you that we have no intention of abusing anyone. Leliana said.
"And this brings us to what is perhaps the most important difference between the Spellwatch and the Templar Order." Rydeon said. "You see, it is our intention to have mages serving alongside non-mages.
For a moment Fiona was stunned into silence. "Are you making a joke right now? Because this not a good time for that."
"No joke. This is the main reason why we asked to speak with you. We are hoping to have participants from both the College and the Circles, alongside mages and soldiers assigned on behalf of the Inquisition. We have already been in talks with Lady Vivienne about this. Now we have sought you out to get your support for this as well." The Inquisitor said.
"But… but why? Why would you want to do this? And what on earth made you think that any mage would be willing to take part in this?" She asked.
"It will be a perfect combination in many ways." He said. "Mages will be seen to be willing to enforce the rules they have said they support, while at the same time their shared nature with other mages will make them less inclined to abuse the authority bestowed upon them. Likewise the presence of non-mages will reassure the general populace that they too are represented in such a vital organization, and that Spellwatch will not be turning a blind eye to criminal use of magic or demonic possessions, but will remain an effective group in its intended role. What's more, Spellwatch will represent a chance for mages and non-mages to come together in a common cause, and not simply in a temporary alliance dictated by convenience or a common threat. Working together, both sides will have a chance to develop an understanding of the hardships of the other. I believe that lack of that understanding is the underlying reason for all the rivalries and bloodshed between those who have magic and those who do not."
"Do you see? This way we can get one of the oldest and most recurring issues in Thedas attended to better than it ever has been. And this way mages will get an opportunity to show themselves as a positive force in Thedas and integrate themselves more closely with the rest of the world." He finished.
"I don't know…" Fiona said, directing her eyes back to the papers. Rydeon was nonetheless pleased that she didn't seem quite as reluctant as a few moments ago. At least she was not screaming about the Inquisition betraying her people now.
"You said that First Enchanter Vivienne has already given her support?" She asked.
"Well, she has not signed the agreement yet. She said that she will not do so until you have. She is not going to embarrass herself in front of other mages by supporting a potentially controversial move that is not going to happen. Provisionally she did express support for the idea, though. She has always been of the opinion that oversight over mages is absolutely necessary. To be honest she was the easier of the two of you to convince." Rydeon said.
Fiona could not help but smirk. "That sounds about right. And yes she would be."
Then she turned serious again. "Your proposal… is perhaps not as terrible as it first seemed. But that does not mean that I will be agreeing to this out of hand. As you pointed out, there are admittedly a number of differences compared to the Templar order. But I have not yet decided if this *Spellwatch* of yours is different enough. I'm sure you understand that with something like this I need to be absolutely sure. Sure that these are not Templars and will not become them. But the reality is that I couldn't give you my approval now even if I wished to. The College isn't a dictatorship. The senior enchanters decide together what to do. I'm just the first among equals. As such I need to talk this over with others and return to you with our response."
"Then by all means do so. But please make a decision soon. There are storms coming. I don't know when exactly, but I know they are coming, and I'd have us be prepared for them." Rydeon said.
"I'll see what I can do." Fiona said, nodding. "It's not going to be an easy thing to convince my people to approve this, you know. I guarantee that a lot of them will be more suspicious than I am. They will look upon this and see the Templars, no matter what you do to make it look otherwise. I'll calm those fears if I can, but I can't promise success." She added.
"I do hope you appreciate the risk you are taking. If this is mishandled, it could cause a panic among mages across Thedas. It could even start another war. You do see that, don't you?" She asked.
"We do My Lady. Which is why we have asked for your discretion. This information needs to be broken to the world slowly and carefully, so we can control the effects. We trust you will help us in this?" Josephine said.
"Yes. I don't desire another war. The first one was bad enough." Fiona said. "But understand this: My people will never go back to the way things were. You have promised me that isn't where this is going, and because of our past history I trust you. But I will be watching this very closely, and if things start to move in a direction the College cannot allow..."
"We understand." Rydeon said.
"Good. Then I will go and bring your proposal to the others, see what they make of this. I'll return to you with the results as soon as I'm able. Good day Lord Inquisitor. Most Holy." She said, then began to turn to leave.
"Wait. There's one more thing we need to discuss with you." Leliana said , holding up her hand.
"Leliana, are you sure you want to have this conversation now? It might be better to hold this off until later." Josephine said.
"And who knows how long we might have to wait for the next opportunity? You know how busy we have all been with everything that's going on. By the time we actually get our next opportunity the whole topic might have slipped into irrelevance, and I'm not about to let this thing go with a shrug." Leliana countered.
"What thing? What are you two going on about?" Fiona asked.
"It has to do with the Orlesian invasion of Westeros, and your organizations part in it." Rydeon replied.
"Oh. Ah. I see." Fiona said. "You know, when the Emperor approached us for mages I assumed he had already somehow secured your support. I did not think he would go so far as to deliberately defy the Inquisition's wishes. Clearly he was a far bolder man than I gave him credit for."
"Clearly." Leliana commented dryly. "But you could have asked us."
"I would have had I been suspicious. In hindsight I should have been. Why would an army of peacekeepers support a war for no clear reason? But the Emperor's envoys always underlined the need for absolute secrecy. I thought because they were afraid that word would reach Westeros."
"Reach them and us it would seem." Rydeon said. "We'd like you to recall your mages. Immediately." He added.
"I can't. We already have a deal with the Emperor, and Orlais has so far held up their end of the bargain. It would be an embarrassment for us to back away now, simply because you told us to. I know you do not like this, and I do apologize for going against your wishes. But it's done now, and we have to see it through. We are committed. And again I don't make these decisions myself."
"Gaspard is just using you. Surely you see that?" Rydeon said.
"We're using each other. That is the nature of bargains. We give him something and he gives us something in return." Fiona said.
"What did he give you?" Leliana asked coolly.
"For one thing he has compensated us handsomely for every mage we have sent with his army. Perhaps to the head of the Chantry this seems a worldly gain, what with the limitless pools of money you have access to. But for the College of Magi money is always tight. Enchantment is a good source of revenue but that can only go so far, particularly since the numbers of Tranquil have dwindled since the Breach War, and particularly since we only have some of them with us, now that competition has arisen." Fiona said with equal coldness in her voice.
"I didn't peg you for someone who would accept blood money." Leliana said.
Fiona scoffed. "If that had been all he had offered we might well have ended up turning him down. We are not mercenaries, and so gold is not quite enough to buy our lives, or the deaths of others. As it happens the Emperor understood this as well. And so he has promised gestures recognizing us as a legitimate organization of spellcasters. If we serve him well in his war he has even promised to consider appointing one of our number as his magical advisor, that in this era is a genuine position of considerable influence. This the College continues to need more than anything else. Our fellowship is a young one, one that arose from a rebellion that caused no small amount chaos in Thedas. We have earned some goodwill since, but our position remains a precarious one, particularly since you allowed your friend Madame de Fer to build her own organization as our rival, one that those who preferred the old order might be more willing to support over us. If she gets ahead we run the very real risk of being declared an illegal group, then destroyed. And even your influence won't be able to keep that from happening. Perhaps if you had not permitted her to do so it would not be necessary for us to court the support of nations to ensure our survival."
"Funny you should mention Lady Vivienne. Because Emperor Gaspard has made the exact same offer to the Circles as he has to you. He can't possibly give that to both groups." Josephine pointed out.
"No he cannot. And I know full well what kind of game he's playing. This way he'll get more mages to his cause and by making us compete for the same prize he will wring that much more effort from both sides. But so be it. We will outperform the Circle mages at every opportunity, and then we will be the ones to get the benefits." Fiona said. "But tell me, if you are aware of the First Enchanter's behavior, why haven't you gone after her as well?"
"We have. And I'm telling her the same thing. Both your people need to back off. Your presence in his army emboldens the Emperor and makes it that much harder to end this war. We don't need it, and we can't afford it either. It puts us in danger of greater threats in the future. It is a distraction, a disruption of our plans and against everything we stand for."
"If Orlais abandons its campaign then of course we will withdraw as well. But until then, for reasons I already explained I can't ask my people to return." Fiona said. "Inquisitor, you have done more for our people than can be easily expressed in words. And we have not forgotten that. When you need us in your future conflicts we will be there for you, as friends and allies. You are perhaps the only person in the world that can expect such support without negotiating for it first, all because of what you have done. But, at the end of the day, you do not own us. This decision was ours, and it has been made." She added.
"That's it? So you are just going to send your people to die? And kill?" Rydeon said.
"Everyone of us that signed on knew what was being asked of them. We're not in the habit of forcing our people to fight, so all of them were volunteers. A lot of them were actually people of Orlesian descent who believed it was their duty to go."
The argument might have continued further, but just then there was commotion behind the door. An angry shout of "You!" could be heard from the other side of the door, followed by a surprised shout by another person, then a loud thud of something hitting the wall. Curious about what was happening, Rydeon went to the door. Opening it he found Iledia pinned against the wall, Cassandra's hand squeezing the mage's throat.
"What the…? Cassandra, what are you doing?" Rydeon asked.
"It's good you're here. I was coming to see you and I found this snake lurking just behind the door. Spying on your meeting I think." Cassandra responded.
"Is this true?" Rydeon asked of Iledia, narrowing his eyes at her.
"More or less. Not… the wording I'd use though. Could you… tell your Seeker to let me go long enough to undo the hearing enhancing spell I have on? Please? It's really… quite painful when you're all shouting at me at this range." Iledia said, struggling for breath in Cassandra's grip.
Cassandra turned her eyes to the Inquisitor, who nodded to her. She released her grip and Iledia, gasping for breath, hastily raised her hands to her ears, withdrawing her spell.
"Whooh, heh, wow. I must say your wife is fast on her feet, Inquisitor. Quieter than I would've thought too. Of course I still might have caught her had I not been so focused on the sounds coming from the other side of the door. Unfortunately my spell amplifies all sounds, so one sound can still drown out another. I'll need to refine it." She said, rubbing her throat, laughing nervously.
"How much did you hear?" Rydeon asked coolly.
"All of it. Well, not the opening pleasantries. But everything that you or I might consider relevant." She said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"If I were in your position I would not be so glib about this. You have been warned about trying to spy on us." Cassandra said.
"I have, but today felt like an occasion I had to ignore those warnings. Based on what I heard it was well worth it. Very interesting information. But I do grant you that if you were in my position you would not be joking. I don't think you were blessed with a sense of humor at birth. Or at least you haven't had the grace of displaying it in my presence." Iledia replied
"I would not antagonize her. You might end up pinned against the wall again. And this time I might be less inclined to tell her to let go. I can't say I am any happier than she is about this. You are a guest here, which means you should behave yourself. Doing this when you were warned off makes me wonder if trusting you has been a mistake. And believe me, that is not something you want." Rydeon said as Cassandra glared at the mage.
Iledia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Inquisitor, if I was actually spying on you I would have sent someone else, someone you would have not caught in the attempt. I was eavesdropping, nothing more. And you need not be concerned. I have no intention of spreading the things I heard here. Not until you choose to make things public that is."
"And why should we believe any of that?" Cassandra said, continuing to glare.
"Because, as hard as it is for some of you to believe, I am on your side! As I have been for years! Honestly, after so long someone besides the Inquisitor could put some damn trust in me!" Iledia retorted.
"The way to trust is a long road to walk. You may find it longer than most who work for us, because of your history. And unfortunately incidents like this may not be entirely helpful in inspiring confidence in you." Leliana said as she walked through the War Room door, Fiona and Josephine right at her heels.
"If you want to talk about actions that don't inspire much confidence, I would point out that I wasn't even told that this meeting was going to happen. I had to learn of it through my own sources. You tried to keep it secret from me. It seems you are not being entirely trustworthy toward me, yet I should be so to you? And by the way I happen to know for a fact that Charter has agents watching me, so I am not entirely certain that the Inquisition is in a position to criticize." Iledia said with surprising calm, turning to the Divine.
"Well, when you put it that way…" Leliana said, rubbing the back of her head.
Iledia smiled. "At least with Charter I know it's nothing personal. If a Spymaster didn't watch everyone all the time she would be terrible at her job, and the Inquisitor would need a replacement. Professionalism I understand."
Leliana chuckled. "She always did have a professional attitude towards everything. That's why I named her as my replacement. Speaking of professionalism she has spoken quite highly of your joint operations."
"Thank you. Working with her has proven to be one of the more pleasant experiences of being allied with the Inquisition. Can't say I expected that." Iledia said.
Leliana turned to Rydeon. "As such Inquisitor I think we can forgive her this infraction. This time. She may have been poking around in matters that do not precisely belong to her, but I don't think she's plotting betrayal at this time."
"And you're so certain of that because…?" Cassandra asked.
"I'm good at reading people." Leliana said "She is on our side, provided our side is her side. She didn't appreciate being left out of the loop, that's all. She thought it irresponsible and potentially dangerous to her people, and she was curious as to what you had planned. Honestly if she didn't have an inquisitive nature would we want her going to Westeros?"
"No, I suppose we would not." Rydeon admitted.
"Then there is the fact that she already knows that she is being watched. She won't be trying anything while those agents are still in place. Now if Charter comes out and tells you those agents have suddenly fallen silent, worry then. But unless that happen, there's nothing to be afraid of." Leliana added.
Rydeon sighed. "Very well. We'll let this be. This time."
"Well, it's good to see we have voices of reason here." Iledia said with a smile. Then that smile faded as she saw Fiona and the… look she was giving her. It took only a few moments of that icy glare to make Iledia avert her eyes, choosing instead to stare at the wall. "Grand Enchanter… I don't believe we have met."
"No. But the Inquisitor has told me about you. You have a lot to answer for." Fiona said, her voice cold.
"I do. I am answering for it." Iledia said quietly, not moving her eyes from the wall.
Fiona scoffed. "Inquisitor, I must say your taste in companions grows ever more inexplicable. But that is your own choice to make. I believe I have to go now."
"I-I believe we still have things to discuss." Rydeon said.
"There really isn't. I'll bring your proposal for our leadership to consider. Given how controversial that is going to be I think that is the limit of what is decent for you to ask of us in one sitting. For the rest, speak with the Emperor, see if listens to you." Fiona replied before marching off without another word.
"Well… it seems that our talks have sadly been concluded. I think I should go as well. No offense, but the affairs of the Chantry can be left to their own devices only for so long." Leliana said.
"Yes, go." Rydeon said, looking somewhat deflated.
As she left Leliana gave Iledia a nod, which the mage returned. Then the Divine was gone as well, leaving Rydeon, Cassandra, Josephine and Iledia standing by themselves in the hall.
"Well… it could have gone worse. At least she is considering your idea. It was a very bold move of you, I must say." Iledia broke the silence between them.
"I take it you disapprove of this?" Rydeon said dryly.
"Oh I disapprove of anything even remotely like a Templar. My magic happens to be very important to me. At times it has been all I have. The thought that someone could just take it away from me… makes me uneasy. But on a purely pragmatic level I understand the reason for this. Not everyone can manage their gift, and some can do it far too well. And you need a weapon against Solas… and Tevinter." Iledia said.
"Don't take me for an idiot. I understood what you meant when you spoke about storms." Iledia cut in when the Inquisitor tried to speak. "You know as well as I do that eventually Tevinter will attack Westeros with the aim of taking it for themselves. If they do, then how long will Thedas stand on its own when the Imperium is channeling the power of two continents against them? And so you will be compelled to try and stop them. And in that fight you will need to balance the odds. You have mages of your own, and more as allies you can call upon. Yet for all that the Imperium has more, and Imperial mages generally trend towards the higher end of the power scale compared to southern mages, since my people don't limit themselves as much. And Solas… you don't even know for certain how much power you might need to stop him, so you need every advantage you can get. What better instrument to tackle both problems than a dedicated group that specializes in negating magic?"
"This is why you didn't want to tell me of your plan, isn't it? You were worried about what I might do behind the scenes when push comes to shove. Now that I know you are creating a weapon designed to be used against my people." Iledia said when the Inquisitor did not answer.
"I was. Was I right to do so? You tell me." Rydeon said.
Iledia folded her arms, looking at the ground. "I can understand the need to stop them, to fight them. The necessity of it. But I'll never be glad of the need. And you can't blame me for worrying that I'm being used, tricked into destroying the very thing I love."
"I am on your side, and so I'll keep your new weapon a secret. I'm just hoping that I'm not making a huge mistake in that choice. Fighting my own is not a sacrifice I give lightly. Make sure it will be worth it one day." She then declared pointedly. With that she left. Josephine excused herself shortly thereafter as well, having many more errands to run."
"I have always trusted you to make decision when one needed to be made. Even so having that Tevinter mage with us is one of the ones I have to disagree with." Cassandra said.
"Well on days like this I see where you are coming from. But she has proven to be very useful and might be more so later on." Rydeon said.
"But can we trust her? After everything she did? I don't care about her reassurances or what Leliana says. Can we really, truly trust her?" Cassandra argued.
"She's taking a chance on us. Maybe we should take one with her? It seems only fair." Rydeon offered. "But enough of her. There's only so much talk about mages I can stomach in one day. It's good to see you again, Cass. In all that commotion we didn't even have a chance to say a proper hello."
Cassandra smiled, bent down and kissed him on the mouth. "Maybe that was more like a proper hello to you?" She said.
"Very much so." Rydeon said, smiling himself.