Chapter 43

Sometimes, situations arose where one couldn't act, no matter how much one wanted to, where exercising control was the only way to go about things. But Alistair never realised his capacity for self-restraint was so great. Every instinct told him to stick his sword through Loghain's face, but he held himself back, telling himself that Aedan was feeling the same.

It was hard to read the man from body language alone. He had a smile on his face, his hands clasped behind his back. He didn't fidget, but stood like a rock beside Eamon as Loghain strutted up the steps of Eamon's town house, flanked by his lackeys. He knew that this was an inevitable confrontation, but that did nothing to prepare him for the sight of the man he so loathed standing a mere couple of feet from him.

"Loghain," greeted Eamon carefully. "This is... an honour, that the regent would find the time to greet me personally."

Loghain smiled cordially, though his eyes gave away the venom his voice hid. "How could I not welcome a man so important as to call every lord away from his estate while a Blight claws at our land?"

Alistair had a few choice things to say about that topic, but he stopped himself when he felt Leliana's hand upon his own. He glanced at her and she shook her head imperceptibly.

"The Blight is why I'm here," Eamon responded without missing a beat. "With Cailan dead, Fereldan must have a king to lead it against the Darkspawn."

"Fereldan has a strong leader: her queen. And I lead her armies."

"Considering Ostagar, perhaps we need a better general."

The barb came not from Eamon, but from Aedan, and Alistair looked at him proudly. Loghain also turned his gaze towards Aedan and hummed.

"Ah, the Warden recruit. I remember you." He stepped closer. "You have my sympathies for what happened to your order. It is unfortunate that they chose to side against Ferelden."

Aedan's smile turned into a smirk. "I'm sorry, but the Couslands have a policy of not accepting sympathies from deserters, traitors and regicides."

The man to Loghain's left guffawed, probably in an effort to defuse the situation.

"Really, Eamon, I thought you only played nursemaid to bastard royals. I wasn't aware you took orphaned nobles under your wing as well."

"Ahh, you recognised the royal part," Alistair cut in. "There's a start."

Loghain, however, wasn't amused.

"You should curb your tongue," he growled. "This is my city and no safe place to speak treason." He turned and scowled at Eamon. "For anyone."

He then walked over to Eamon himself. "There is talk that your illness left you feeble, Eamon. Some worry that you may not be fit to advise Ferelden."

Eamon crossed his arms over his chest. "'Illness?' Why not call your poison by its true name? Not everyone at the Landsmeet will cast aside their loyalties as easily as you and these... sycophants."

"How long have you been gone from court, Eamon?" Loghain replied and Alistair could feel the smirk in his voice as he walked over and placed a hand on the shoulder of the man who accompanied him. "Don't you recognise Rendon Howe, Arl of Amaranthine, and Teyrn of Highever?"

Alistair's eyes snapped to Aedan, his stomach falling out at this revelation. He'd heard of what the Arl of Amaranthine had done, but didn't know what the man looked like. He had slaughtered the Couslands, who were his friends, in an effort to grasp power. Aedan would have known him on sight.

How are you so bloody calm?

Howe bowed lightly upon being introduced.

"And current Arl of Denerim," he amended smugly, "after Urien's unfortunate fate at Ostagar. Truly an embarrassment of riches."

"Too many titles for one man," Alistair said before he could stop himself. Howe shrugged good naturedly.

"The regent has been... most kind to those who are loyal."

"Enjoy your moment," Aedan told Howe directly, smiling. "It will end soon enough."

At that, Loghain's other companion, a woman clad in brigandine, bristled.

"You are either very bold or very stupid to threaten the teyrn before witnesses."

Aedan chuckled and looked straight at her. "You must have me confused with someone who gives a fuck what the witnesses have to say."

The woman snarled and went to draw her sword, but Loghain stopped her.

"This is not the time or place, Cauthrien," he said quietly and she stood down, nodding. Then he addressed Eamon directly. "I had hoped to talk you down from this rash course, Eamon. Our people are frightened. Our king is dead. Our land is under siege. We must be united now if we are to end this crisis!" He shook his head. "Your own sister, Queen Rowan, fought tirelessly to see Ferelden restored! Would you see her work destroyed? You divide our nation and weaken our efforts against the Blight with your selfish ambitions to the throne."

While he did manage to sound convincing, Alistair didn't buy into crocodile tears anymore.

"What efforts can there be when you outlawed the Grey Wardens?" he snapped. "We were the only ones who stood any chance and you know that!"

"Your half-brother depended on the Warden's prowess against the darkspawn, and look how well that ended," Loghain sneered. "Let us talk of reality and not tall tales. Stories will not save us."

"Legends don't burn down villages either, but here we are," Alistair responded.

"I cannot forgive what you've done, Loghain," Eamon said sadly. "Perhaps the Maker can, but not I. Ferelden needs a king of the Theirin bloodline, and Alistair will be the one to lead us to victory against the darkspawn."

"Right," Alistair muttered as Leliana gave his hand a squeeze. Aedan glanced at him but said nothing.

Loghain stepped forward and stood nose-to-nose with Eamon.

"The emperor of Orlais thought I couldn't bring him down," he said slowly, chewing out every word. "Expect no more mercy than I showed him. There is nothing I would not do for my homeland."

Aedan snorted. "Other than being a decent human being, clearly."

Loghain snarled at him but turned around swiftly and walked away, Cauthrien following closely behind. Howe stuck around fractionally longer to smirk at Aedan before also following the leader. Only once they were out of the house did Eamon relax and exhale deeply.

"Well, that was... bracing," he said calmly. "I didn't expect Loghain to show himself quite so soon."

"But he has," Aedan replied as they walked to the Arl's sitting-room. "We should start gathering our intelligence soon if we are to convince the people of his treachery."

Alistair marvelled at Aedan's control over his emotions sometimes. He himself was still fuming, but Aedan had apparently moved on.

"And we shall do exactly that," said Eamon as he ushered them all into his sitting-room. "But we must talk strategy first."

However, their talk was interrupted before it could even begin as an elven woman was shown in, claiming to be Queen Anora's handmaiden. Alistair knew she was bad news as soon as he laid eyes on her.

Oh, how right he was.