Kirkwall

Alistair noticed a raven hop down behind a crate and Bethany stepped out. "It's about time you got back!" she said as she hugged both of her brothers and Varric. She only smiled at Anders. "Let's get back to the house," she said quietly. They walked right past the compound where the Qunari had been sequestered. It made Bethany shudder.

"Well, now, that doesn't look like trouble about to happen," Alistair said under his breath as the started up the stairs.

"The Viscount's son ran off to join the Qun," Bethany said quietly. "But, Aveline went out and dragged him back."

"No shit?" Varric asked.

"No shit," Bethany answered to everyone's surprise that she had copied Varric's language.

Once they were out of earshot of Qunari, city guard and Templars, Bethany turned and grabbed Alistair's shoulders. "We have company. Loghain and a bunch of wardens just showed up a few days ago. Says he wants to talk and that's all … but I don't know."

"Right. Mind if I sneak into your place, Varric?" Anders obviously didn't want to run into a 'bunch of wardens'.

"They're staying at the Hanged Man, Anders." Bethany looked around and didn't see anyone. "Change into your cat and Varric can carry you in."

"Whoa. Me? Carry a cat into the Hanged Man?" Varric just shook his hands. "Nope. He'll just end up in someone's cook pot."

Bethany huffed. "Fine, I'll carry you into the back bedroom in our house and you can hide there."

Anders looked around. It took several times for him to get the proportions right, but eventually, they started back on their way with a furry orange tabby under Bethany's arm. The tail was a bit short, but it was good enough.

They were all surprised when they rounded the corner and saw the old Gamlen hovel. Even the outside of Gamlen's house looked nicer! There weren't any piles of trash outside the door and it smelled distinctly better. Leandra must have been cooking a good meal. Once they got inside, it was even nicer! With Athenril's help, Gamlen bought the neighboring house and they knocked a doorway in a shared wall between the two places.

It was a good thing, too, because the Hawke family had increased in size by one. The Hawke family had a cousin.

…..

"What?" Cassandra got up and shuffled through her papers. "We have no record of a cousin to Alistair ... or rather the Hawke children."

"Then, your records are wrong about this … too." Varric loved living on the edge. At Cassandra's glare, he continued, "While we were in forced exile, Aveline noticed a note to Gamlen about some 'Gem of Keroshek'. She followed it up through a long and convoluted mess and found Gamlen's estranged daughter, Charade."

"We had information that Gamlen had been married to a woman, but she kicked him out." Cassandra sat back down.

"Right. Gamlen was obsessed with finding this stupid Gem. Spent the family fortune on it … hence why he was penniless. Mara, his wife, found out she was pregnant and didn't want the child to have anything to do with Gamlen, so she left him before Charade was born." Varric shrugged. "Turned out Gamlen never looked for the Gem again after Mara left him." Then, Varric laughed. "But! Charade found it. Gave it to Gamlen. He gave it to Leandra … said that Charade was the only gem he cared about."

"Is that how they bought the apartment next door?" Cassandra was looking all dreamy eyed.

Varric cursed that he wasn't better with the touching romantic tales. "Nope, Leandra still has it."

The Seeker changed the subject. "So, Loghain was waiting for the Champion?"

"Right … as they walked through the door …"

…..

"Maker." Loghain stood up from a chair. "You look more like Maric's brother, if he had one, than his boy." Fortunately, he was alone. The other wardens must have been back at the Hanged Man. The man looked years older than he did in Lothering all those months ago.

Alistair took a deep breath and looked around at all the apprehensive faces around him. The ones he'd arrived with as well as Leandra, Gamlen, Charade and Aveline.

Bethany pushed forward and dropped the cat Anders into the back room and shut the door. "Be a good boy, Pookie," she whispered. "No peeing on the bed!"

That brought a smile to Alistair's face and cracked the tension a bit. "So, you waited around all this time to see me, I understand."

"Yes. I …" Loghain took a deep breath and looked around at everyone staring at him. He narrowed his eyes a bit.

"I'll help put all your stuff away," Aveline said.

"I'll help Mother in the back room," Bethany said as nodded for Leandra to join her.

"I guess I'm going to the back room," Leandra said.

"Come, Charade, let's go get that bread for dinner," Gamlen said as he and Charade left through the front door.

"I'm not going anywhere," Carver said as he crossed his arms and stood beside Alistair.

"Me, either," Varric said as he sat in a new chair at the new dining table.

"Very well." Loghain stood to his full height. "I apologize, Alistair. You need to come home."

Carver and Varric just laughed.

Loghain raised an eyebrow. "That was not a joke."

"No? You run us ragged for almost a year and now you bless my brother with permission to come home? If that's not a joke, I don't know what is." Carver actually pulled his sword. "Why? So your toadies can assassinate him?"

Before Loghain could pull his sword, Alistair put out his hand, a look of surprised appreciation on his face. "Let's hear what else he has to say, Carver."

"I'm not the only one looking for you. The Guerrins want to encourage you to return and bed one of the noblewomen in Redcliffe until you put out a Theirin heir who isn't a mage." Loghain kept his hand on his sword hilt.

"How did you find me?" Alistair asked.

"The Grey Wardens are mostly ineffectual, but they do have a network. After he lost some old warden maps to Varric and a miscreant warden to you, Stroud sent a bird to me at Soldier's Peak. I set sail out of Highever and here I am." Loghain sat down, apparently assured that Alistair would keep his crazy brother under control.

"I thought the Grey Wardens were based in Vigil's Keep," Varric said.

"Cousland gave it back to Ferelden and took the Peak instead. We caught Nathaniel Howe trying to assassinate Devon Cousland for killing his father, Rendon. Devon and the Howe girl, Delilah, set him straight and Fergus backed his ascension. The Landsmeet voted to make Nathaniel the Arl." Loghain took a deep breath. "Anything else?"

"Everyone take a seat." Alistair walked to a cupboard and found a bottle of something amber and four glasses. He poured out four half-glassfuls and set the bottle in the middle of the table. "I have no idea what this is." He picked up one of the glasses and sniffed. "Smells like wine." He sipped it and got a surprised look on his face as he pushed one toward Loghain and handed one each to Carver and Varric. "The quality of spirits in this place has gone up since I was last here … months ago … thanks to you and your bounty hunters." Alistair smiled. "Okay, the Guerrins want me only for my ability to procreate. Why do you want me to return to Ferelden?"

"To marry my daughter … and be the King of Ferelden," Loghain said firmly. "The Bannorn are an unruly bunch, but you are the last in a line that has carried the luck of Ferelden for centuries. Many blame your exile as the reason that the Blight got all the way to Denerim before it was curtailed."

"I'm certain they blame you as the reason that the Blight got so far," Carver downed his wine and poured himself more.

"They do." Loghain twirled the small amount of wine left in the bottom of his glass. "I deserved execution. The younger Cousland beat me fairly in a duel during the Landsmeet. Then, an Orlesian warden suggested that I take the warden's noxious Joining. At first, Cousland just wanted to have me marched to Fort Drakon, but Anora convinced him that I would be useful."

Carver set his glass down. "Alistair read that all previous Grey Wardens died when they killed the Archdemon, yet you live. Are you sure you didn't botch it?" Alistair loved how much his little brother needled Loghain.

"So, you're going to make me confess another of my bad decisions," Loghain mumbled as he reached for the bottle and filled his wine glass to the top. "Let me preface what I'm about to say by telling you what happened."

When no one moved, he added loudly enough for everyone outside the room to hear, "You all may wish to find a seat for this." Once everyone was seated … and Gamlen and Charade came back in from obviously listening at the front door … he continued, "Yes, much more comfortable than trying to listen at a door." Loghain took a long drink. "Cousland was surprisingly insightful. He knew why I agreed to the ritual that kept me alive after I killed the Archdemon."

Alistair's inner alarm bells all went off together. "Ritual?" He sighed. "Morrigan."

"The Landsmeet happened a full two weeks before we got to Redcliffe." Loghain stretched his legs out.

"Redcliffe? I thought the big battle was in Denerim." Aveline sat forward.

"It was. The damned Orlesian gave us poor information about the location of the darkspawn horde." Loghain stopped any interruption. "I really don't blame him all that much. By then, the Archdemon was harrying the dreams of the wardens with all sorts of diversions. Anyway, en route to Redcliffe, Cousland had been given the key to the royal chest at Ostagar. The horde had already pressed on, so we stopped there first."

"Maker, it must have been horrible." Carver put his head in his hands.

Alistair put his hand on his brother's shoulder, but didn't say anything to Carver. To Loghain, he asked, "What was in the chest?"

Loghain poured another glass of wine from a new bottle that Leandra set on the table. "Letters … along with this." Loghain pulled out a sword from his pack, still in its sheath, and pushed it over to Alistair. "It belonged to your father. Devon thought you should have it and I agreed."

Alistair pulled the striking dragonbone sword out. There were three gems across the hilt and numerous runes were etched into the blade. "This is beautiful," Alistair whispered. "But, you know I use a sword with a different set of enchantments, I'm sure."

"It doesn't matter what the runes are for, boy! It belonged to Maric and you're his only heir." Loghain downed his wine and shoved the glass away. "Cailan was planning to use it to kill the Archdemon, because that idiot Duncan listened to his Orlesian masters and kept warden secrets away from us! Until we made it to Redcliffe, none of us knew that the death of the Grey Warden who slew the Archdemon was certain because of why Grey Wardens were created to begin with!" He slammed his fist down on the table.

Aveline narrowed her eyes. "And, why was that? Assuming you're not going to listen to your Orlesian masters."

He smiled at her. "When the Archdemon dies, its darkspawn essence seeks out the nearest darkspawn … so, it can reform at a later time. The Grey Wardens essentially become darkspawn so the one who made the killing blow … and was thereby the closest to the beast at the time … also attracted the essence. Souls would collide, thereby killing both and ending the Blight." He crossed his arms. "There, I've told you a grand secret that I could have mostly gleaned from the bloody history tomes if I'd be wise enough to do it."

"Did Devon order you to make the killing blow?" Bethany asked.

"No, madam, we were told that the honor is usually reserved for the most senior warden … so, Riordan said he would." Loghain leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, obviously reliving that horrid time. "That evening, the witch came to my bedroom. I was depressed that I might be leaving my daughter alone to handle the entire country and Morrigan offered me a way to still stay alive if I were to be the one to make the killing strike. I agreed to it."

He sighed. "I sit here in proof that it must have worked. Riordan went to the top of the Malve Tower next to Fort Drakon and jumped on the Archdemon when it flew past. Before he fell to his death, he ripped one of the wings as he slipped off. The Archdemon fell and was trapped on top of Fort Drakon. Many of the allies that Cousland and the others had recruited died. By that point, everyone who could get up through Drakon was on that rooftop … even Eamon, Irving and Greagoir. We got the beast down, but not dead and Cousland called a stop to the attacks. He looked at me. We had already argued about the situation and I convinced him that it was my duty and my penance. Everyone saluted me. In that moment, I realized just how much the Grey Wardens were vitally necessary to Thedas. I'd been a fool to listen to Howe. Even so, I prayed to the Maker to survive … and I did."

"Shit." Everyone turned to Varric. "Just … shit."

"He says that a lot," Bethany explained.

Alistair took a deep breath and stood. He paced a moment and looked at the sword in his hand. "I remember the Wardens' motto: In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice. I never realized the extent of that sacrifice."

He looked at Loghain. "So, you're telling me that either I get kidnapped by Eamon to create a 'proper' heir or marry Anora and create a 'proper' heir with her." He slid the sword into the sheath. He walked over to Loghain and dropped to one knee. "No. It's time to end the tyranny of Calanhad in Ferelden. There have been more lousy Theirins than good ones. Anora needs to find another, more worthy mate. Do you understand?"

"I can hear Anora take a breath of relief from here," Carver said quietly. "Right now, I'm not certain that Ferelden could survive the Exalted March for putting a mage on the throne."

Loghain looked into Alistair's eyes for a long moment. "I think I do, boy." He slapped his thighs and stood, offering Alistair a hand to also stand. "Now, I need to be about some assignments here and then going to bloody Weisshaupt for rounds of interrogation about why I didn't die. Avoid any entanglements with Eamon."

Alistair took Loghain's hand and stood. He nodded at the last statement and then grinned, "I kept away from all your bounty hunters."

"And that bounty was awfully enticing," Gamlen mumbled. When the family glared at him, he added, "Not for me! If you recall, I did get swept up in it all."

Loghain picked up his pack and walked to the door. He turned. "Alistair, be true to yourself then. Thanks to the strangle-hold of the damned Chantry abuse of mages, you're the first Theirin to be able to get out from under the yolk of succession." He smirked. "I'll try to help Anora get over her disappointment."

And, then he was gone.

"Well, I didn't expect him to be so anti-Chantry in regards to mages," Bethany said.

"Looks like a good time to go to the Deep Roads!" Varric said, after which all the glares were trained on him.

…..

"Loghain said that Ferelden nobility would actually make Alistair the King of Ferelden?! There is something drastically wrong in that country." Cassandra paced around, hitting the top of Varric's chair every time she passed by it. Then, she stopped in front of his chair. "I know it's late. We can get to the Deep Roads tomorrow, Varric."

"Thanks! I was about to ask." Varric yawned, put on his coat, picked up Bianca from the guard at the door and went back to the Hanged Man.

…..

The Seekers didn't march next to him anymore, but he knew they were likely in the shadows. He checked in with Corff before he went upstairs. Corff slipped him a message. The two Seeker guards were still there, outside his door. He went inside, made sure no one was hiding in his room and read the message:

"Are you sure you're all right? Carver and Bethany are doing all they can to hold me back from rescuing you. Fenris has threatened to tie me up. Bethany's bird eyes have been keeping a lookout and she tells me they keep you from morning until after dark. Dammit, this isn't your fight, Varric. If they want me, I'll walk right into the estate and give myself up to the brand. I sent Isabela back to Ferelden a while ago — she has work to do — you know what I mean. Check on Mother and Charade … Gamlen, too … and Bodahn and Sandal. They should be able to live in the Amell estate and not huddle in Gamlen's hovel. Damn Chantry! Maker, I hate this!

—Alistair"

Varric had a feeling it wouldn't do any good, but he penned his reply to Alistair:

"I've only gotten as far as Loghain showing up after Ostwick. Seeker Cassandra seems to be believing it so far. She should! I haven't even embellished … well, not much. I've got my own keg of ale and they feed me better than you ever did. I jest. I'm beginning to think they really don't want to make you Tranquil. It may be worse. The world is crumbling around them and they're desperate. They might be wanting you to lead something. I'm still fine. DO NOT SHOW YOUR FACE IN KIRKWALL!

—Varric"

He slipped it into Bodahn's Thursday hidey hole and went to bed.

…

AN: So good to hear from you, Judy! And, thanks for the kind words! See you all next week!