Chapter 145: Loghain
He did not bother waiting for the heralds to announce him. He did not wait for the guards to open the door. He simply asked the winds to blow just enough to fling open the doors so that he and the rest of his party could enter. He had tried to be polite, to do this the right and official way, but after seeing the death of Ser Cauthrien and the waste of even more lives to preserve and protect a corrupt regime that used slavery and murder to stay in power, he had seen enough.
Alim Surana had had enough.
Since he had arrived in the capital he had been attacked, arrested, beaten, tortured, and condemned as a traitor. All of these things, though extremely painful had been a waste of valuable time, the Archdemon continued to send its army north, killing and destroying as they went.
The warden shook his head.
Loghain had wasted enough time; his power mongering had cost far too many innocent lives. Whatever happened today, the civil war would not continue, the Blight was raging…
It was time to end this madness, and get down to business.
Shayle remained close to the doors, just in case the Teyrn had any more tricks up his sleeve, the golem would welcome the chance to 'squish' anyone foolish enough to try and start trouble here.
As for Alim, all he cared about was settling matters here, this was not about revenge against Loghain, even though he could not deny that he did not have at least some desire for that, his time at Fort Drakon had been enough to kindle that fire, but no, the darkspawn came first.
Despite his personal pain, what he had seen in the dead trenches and in the ruins of Lothering had been enough to keep him focused on his goals.
He had expected surprise from the lords and ladies as he flung open the doors. He had wanted to get their attention right for the beginning. He had expected to enter and find the Landsmeet a cacophony of debate and posturing as the leaders of Ferelden tried to come to a consensus of what to do next.
Instead he found total silence.
The lords and ladies stood silently mesmerized, staring down towards the throne. The warden spotted Arl Eamon dressed in a heavy set of chainmail, the master of Redcliffe had decided it best to appear a warrior at this meeting, with the blight gnawing at their doorstep, he had wanted to make sure that his fellows understood the threat that Ferelden now faced.
Alim had read a little of the speech that Eamon had been preparing, it was fiery and meant to stir a sense of national pride in the lords, yet now, even Eamon was silent, staring down at the throne and the man that now stood on the dais, having just addressed his fellow lords.
Alim looked up, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the speaker, no longer did he wonder why the Landsmeet had fallen as silent as a Nevarran crypt.
Teryn Loghain turned as the warden and his allies made their way into the room, once again clad in his gray Orlesian battle armor, the Teyrn's cold avian eyes pinned the elf with a look dripping with both venom and disdain.
He did not respond to the man, not yet, this would not be a battle of swords but of wits, he needed to know what had been said, before he committed himself to his own gambit.
The Teyrn of Gwaren was no fool. He had risen from nothing to the height of power here in Ferelden, only a fool would take the man lightly
Alim paused a few feet away from Loghain, he let Loghain get a good look at him, if for no other reason to reveal to the arrogant noble that his trap outside this room had failed and his agents were either dead or on their way to the dungeons.
If Loghain noticed or cared he did not show it, his hawk-like features remained fierce with a cold intensity, no shock, surprise, or fear was presence there.
He did not respond to the wardens' presence until all the lords finally realized who it was had entered, and who was at the elf's side.
Alistair said nothing; he merely glared at the Teyrn, the man who had left their brothers to die so ignobly in Ostagar so many months ago.
Loghain sneered at both of them, and only then chose to speak.
"AH!" he called out so that all in the chamber could hear him, "And here we have the puppeteer!"
Alim did not respond, he could guess what Loghain had just finished saying to the lords of the Landsmeet, likely more drivel about the wardens being pawns of Orlais, and that Arl Eamon was trying to put Alistair on the throne as a puppet ruler. The Teyrn seemed convinced that Eamon and Alim were plotting against Ferelden, that they intended to turn it over to their neighbors and therefore force their country back under the yoke of the Empire.
What would be the point? Alim thought.
What did it matter who sat on the throne, especially if all of Ferelden was tainted and crushed under the Archdemon's feet?
Was Loghain so blind to that threat? Did he thing the darkspawn some minor threat that could be brushed away easily? Alim had seen the horde in the dead trenches, the massive swarm of darkspawn warriors.
He wished he could have brought those images back to the lords. He wished that they could have seen the Archdemon before them in all its dark tainted glory. Yet, he could not, he could only try to convince them to try and save themselves.
His elven ears twitched.
No matter what this arrogant armored prick said.
"Tell us warden," Loghain continued, "How will the Orlesians bend us to their will? With they send their troops, or simply issue edicts through this would-be prince?"
Alim sighed heavily, outside thunder rumbled, responding to his frustration.
When he spoke it was with as much iron in his voice that he could muster.
"I do not like to repeat myself, Your Grace," he said respectfully, "So…this will be the last time I say these words…"
His eyes narrowed, he pinned the Teyrn with a lethal stare.
"I. Do. Not. Serve. Orlais. I was born in the Denerim Alienage, before I went to the Circle I lived in the village of Lothering…"
He raised his hand, pinning the man with an accusing finger.
"A village that is now gone because of your inactions, Your Grace."
Loghain said nothing; he simply sneered and stood silently.
Alim turned to address the other lords.
"It is not the forces of the Empire that should worry us," he called out, "The darkspawn horde continues its advance, that is all that has concerned me these last few months. The darkspawn are the threat that we must stop, not the soldiers of the Empress."
He turned back to Loghain.
"The Blight is our enemy, and it must be stopped."
From above Bann Alfstanna of Waking Seas spoke up.
"There are enough refugees on my land to now make that perfectly clear," she said.
"The south has fallen, Loghain," Arl Wulfe said with no small amount of despair in his voice, no doubt the loss of his sons to the monsters still weighed heavily upon him.
He glared down at his fellow noble.
"Will you let darkspawn take our whole country out of fear of Orlais?"
"The darkspawn are a threat Wulfe," the Teyrn agreed, "I just don't believe that we need grey wardens to fight it. They had always said that only they can end the Blight, but they failed spectacularly at Ostagar."
Alistair tensed behind Alim, the mention of the battle that had killed so many of his brothers still fired his blood, Leliana laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, the look she gave him was enough to stop him from doing anything rash.
There would be time for anger later, now…they needed to have patience.
Loghain strode up to Alim, it seemed almost comical the powerfully armored Teyrn compared to the small elven mage, yet Alim was not intimidated he did not step back, or give any ground to the Teyrn of Gwaren, he met his gaze and refused to back down.
"I'm not sure why you did not bring the reinforcement at Ostagar like you promised, Your Grace," he said with a slight lowering of his elven ears, "Perhaps you had a legitimate reason, maybe the battle was futile? Your actions since that time however are what concerns me more, not just your ignorance in dealing with the Blight."
Alim's frown deepened.
"You allowed Rendon Howe to torture innocent men just to silence them against your rule."
"The warden speaks the truth," the Bann of Dragon's Peak shouted, "He saved my son from Howe!"
The man shook his head.
"When I saw my boy's legs, they are damaged far beyond anything I have ever seen, beyond even what even the most skilled healer could fix."
Loghain's brow furrowed.
"Arl Howe was his own man," he said dismissively.
Alim glared up at him.
"You deny that you had anything to do with what he did?"
Loghain did not answer the warden's accusation.
"If Howe was committing crimes against his fellows, he should have been arrested, taken before the Seneschal."
Alim tried not laugh.
Howe had been at the Teyrn's ear, what lord or guardsman would have dared try and arrest him.
Loghain's point was ridiculous.
Yet, the Teyrn was smart enough to try and turn things back on the wardens.
"Yet you murdered him," Loghain growled, "Tell me warden, where is the justice in murdering a man in his home?"
Alim's smile turned predatory, Loghain had made an error and he was not above pouncing on it.
"Likely the same place as selling elves to Tevinter to fund your war."
Several gasps filled the chamber, it was clear that most of the lords and ladies did not know about this.
The Bann of Dragon's Peak seemed especially angry.
"Selling elves?" he gasped, "What is the warden talking about Loghain?"
For the first time, Alim sensed a bit of…emotion in the Teyrn, beyond the anger and intensity that always seemed to radiate off the man.
Fear? Shame? Alim had heard that the Teyrn had led a company of elven soldiers during the rebellion. His reaction suggested that he had known about the plot, even had Alim not had the signed letter they had retrieved from the Tevinters it was clear that the Teyrn was not going to try and lie his way out of what he had done.
Loghain shook his head.
"Do you think that wars are like they are described in the tales," he sighed, "You think all matters are decided with flying banners and battles of honor?"
The Teyrn shook his head again.
"War is cruel," he said flatly.
"That does not justify what you did," Alim growled, "Enslaving your own people."
He sneered at the Teyrn.
"How Orlesian of you," he taunted.
Fury flashed behind Loghain's eyes, for a moment it looked like he wanted to leap on the warden, strangle him with his bare hands.
Yet, somehow, the Teyrn regained his composure.
"You speak of crimes warden," he said, "Yet what of your crime? What of your kidnapping of our queen?"
Alim snorted at that.
"Kidnapping?" he spat, "I was protecting her from you, and your lieutenants."
Part of him wished that he had taken Cauthrien's sword, which he could have thrown it at the man's feet, more proof what Ferelden had lost because of this man's paranoia.
It might sound strange but he found that he mourned Ser Cauthrien; the knight had gone to her death believing in this man, begging that they show him mercy. Such a woman could have been valuable in the war against the Blight.
The thought made him shake his head.
Her death was a tragic loss.
"When you murdered Arl Howe," Loghain continued, "You took my daughter by force! What have you done to her warden? Does she even still live?!"
"I can answer that question myself, Father."
All eyes turned as Queen Anora entered the chamber, looking as regal and powerful as Alim had ever seen her.
The Queen turned from Loghain and addressed the lords around them.
"Lords and ladies of Ferelden hear me," she demanded, "I come here today to confront a grave injustice."
She pointed towards her father.
"This man is no longer the Hero of Riverdane. He abandoned my husband, your king on the battlefield of Ostagar, and then conspired with others to steal his throne, even before his body had gone cold."
"Listen to the Queen," Alim called out, "Loghain can no longer be trusted."
If the Teyrn was angry at his daughter's betrayal he did not show it. If anything he looked sad, disappointed to hear her speak the words that tried so hard to condemn him.
Loghain, suddenly looked very tired, but he did not abandon his war, it was likely the only thing that he had left.
"So the wardens have gotten to you as well, Anora," he said sadly, "I had hoped to protect you from this."
He turned to address his fellow lords again, tried to rally them behind him, one last time.
"We do not need others to defend our homeland. We did not need outsiders to drive the Orlesians from our land. We Fereldans have risen to meet any challenge that has stood before us. Stand with me now, and I promise you, we will be able to defeat even the Blight itself!"
Once again the hall fell silent.
Alim had to admit, it was a good speech, and impassioned speech, but Loghain had painted himself into a corner, his actions over the last few months.
The warden could not believe that after so much, that the lords and ladies of Ferelden would simply fall back in line because a few passionate words.
One by one the lords voiced their opinion, and with each one, Loghain's ire grew.
"Waking Sea supports the wardens."
"Dragon's Peak supports the wardens."
"The Western Hills supports the wardens, Maker help us."
A few lords spoke up in Loghain's defense, but most of these were either neighbors of Gwaren, or lords that Loghain had put on the throne after crushing the previous lords and ladies during the war, but overall Ferelden seemed to agree.
"We support the wardens," a lord cried out.
"The Blight is coming. WE need the grey wardens."
Alim turned to Loghain, his face blotched with red, his eyes filled with anger and disbelief."
Alim did not crow or mock the beaten Teyrn.
He simply stared at him…coldly.
When he spoke it was three words.
"It is over."