Chapter 55

"Warden," Ser Cauthrien said, stopping them before they could enter the Landsmeet chamber. "I am not surprised it has come to this. And you, Alistair, had you been remotely worthy of being called Maric's son, you would already be at the Landsmeet."

"I would be there right now," Alistair shot back. "But here you are, interrupting us. I wonder whose fault that is...?"

Cauthrien ignored him and turned back to Aedan. "You tore Ferelden apart to oppose the man who ensured you would be born into freedom. The nobles of the Landsmeet will conclude that my lord is Regent and we can finally put this to rest." She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. "But I shall not let you enter and desecrate his name further."

"Cauthrien is it?" Leliana asked, stepping forward before Aedan could respond. "A good, strong name. Tell me, do you love your lord?"

"I... who are you?"

"Just someone who has been where you are now." Leliana smiled at her. She would have to take this slowly. "Would you do anything for him?"

"I would lay down my life for him."

"Would he do the same for you?"

"I... he doesn't have to."

"But would he?" she asked softly, stepping closer. "As he is now, would Teyrn Loghain come to your aid should you require it?"

"The Lord Regent is supposed to take into account the needs of the people of Ferelden as a whole before the needs of mere individuals."

"Your devotion is wonderful!" Leliana beamed at her. "Truly. It is rare to see someone so devoted to someone else's ideals so as to not even want something back for their service." Cauthrien ducked her head. "But please consider this: would the Hero of River Dane have let the war effort against the Darkspawn denigrate into arithmetic? Where the many outnumber the few? Maybe you personally do not care for his aid, but what of the little girls in villages with a ramshackle militia, who are waiting for their King to save them? Will you be the one to tell them that aid is not coming because their needs are outweighed by the many?"

"I..." Cauthrien shuffled her feet. Leliana smiled and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"It is difficult to see the faults of those we admire, mainly because we owe them everything and believe they can do no wrong." Cauthrien looked up at her, and in her eyes, Leliana recognised the flash of surprise and relief that came when someone else understood the pain. "We stay passive when we know we should act. We are afraid, and in our fear and inaction, we let the one we admire travel down a path of unrighteousness. And we lament our inability to steer them towards the right path. No?"

"I... I have had... so many doubts of late," Cauthrien said in a whisper before looking up. "Loghain is a great man! But his hatred of Orlais has driven him to madness!" She released a deep, shuddering breath. "He has done terrible things. I know it. But I owe him my life!" She shook her head. "I cannot betray him. Do not ask me to."

"Of course not." Leliana took her hands. "I understand. But do you not see? If left unchecked, how many more will he hurt? Will you take responsibility for not stopping him and allowing him to continue on his destructive path? How much will you see him fall, Cauthrien? Will you be there by his side when he becomes a twisted parody of himself, into something he himself would have hated? If not us, somebody he wrongs in the future will visit vengeance upon him. He has to answer for his sins before it's too late."

"I never knew duty could be so bitter," Cauthrien said with a grim chuckle and stepped aside. "Stop him, then. Stop him from betraying everything he once loved." Then she lowered herself on one knee and placed her right fist over her heart.

"Please," she appealed quietly. "Show mercy."

"Nice work," Alistair whispered in her ear as they entered the hall. Leliana nodded.

"Now it's all up to you."

"My lords and ladies of the Landsmeet," boomed Eamon's voice as soon as they entered. "Teyrn Loghain would have us give up our freedoms, our traditions, out of fear! He placed us on this path! Yet we should place our destiny in his hands? Must we sacrifice everything good about our nation to save it?"

Much cheering from the assembled nobles followed. When Loghain entered, however, slowly clapping, the hall fell silent.

"A fine performance, Eamon," he sneered. "But no one here is taken in by it." He came to a halt in the middle of the hall, meeting Eamon's gaze coldly. "You would attempt to put a puppet on the throne and every soul here knows it. The better question is, 'Who will pull the strings?'" His sneer morphed into a scowl when he saw their party approach the centre of the hall.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "Here we have the puppeteer! Tell us, Warden, how will the Orlesians take our freedom from us? Will they deign to send in their troops? Or simply issue their commands through this would-be prince? How much Fereldan blood does Orlesian gold buy these days?"

"Damn exchange rates," Alistair muttered. "I knew I should've taken maths more seriously."

Leliana stealthily stepped on his foot.

"The Blight is the threat here, Loghain," Eamon said firmly. "Not Orlais."

"There are enough refugees in my bannorn to make that abundantly clear," said one of the noblewomen.

"The south has fallen, Loghain," said another one. "Will you let the Darkspawn take the whole country for fear of Orlais?"

"The Blight is indeed real, Wulff," Loghain conceded. "But do we need Grey Wardens to fight it?" He looked about the hall. "They claim that they alone can end the Blight, yet they failed spectacularly against the darkspawn at Ostagar, and they ask to bring with them four legions of chevaliers." He paused. "Chevaliers! Once we open the borders to the Chevaliers, can we really expect them to simply return from whence they came?"

He then levelled a venomous look at Aedan, who smiled back and stepped forward.

"My lords and ladies," he began calmly. "I thank you for your time this morning. Matters of grave importance are to be discussed here at this assembly, and I beg you," he glanced at Loghain, "all of you, to lend me your ears."

Once the hall became silent, Aedan smiled at those present and held up a piece of parchment.

"This is a letter, rather, an unsent letter written by Duncan, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden to my father, Teyrn Bryce Cousland of Highever, asking for assistance in the coming Blight. I submit this to you for your perusal." He handed it over to a nearby noble. "Long had he feared that a Blight was brewing, and similar letters had been dispatched to every bann, arl and teyrn at regular intervals. Yet, we chose to ignore Duncan's call until it was too late. It was our collective negligence that plunged Ferelden into chaos, and thus, we must take responsibility for it." He looked at Loghain. "Are we in agreement on that, at least, Lord Regent?"

Loghain nodded gruffly, none too pleased at having to agree with the opposition. Leliana smiled.

"My next piece of evidence is a letter from an assassin sent to hunt us, as is the letter to the Tevinter slaver sending off elves from the Alienage for gold." Aedan handed off both letters. "You will, I'm sure, see the seal of the Teyrn of Gwaren on them. Despite the claims of helping Ferelden, the Lord Regent seems to be desperate enough to do so by any means necessary..." Aedan paused. "Even locking away and torturing people."

"The Warden speaks truly!" cried a noble. "My son was taken under cover of night! The things done to him... some of them are beyond even a healer's skill!"

"Howe was responsible for himself," Loghain countered. "He will answer to the Maker for any wrongs committed in this life. As must we all. But you know that. You were the one who murdered him!" Loghain spread his arms wide as he looked around the hall. "Whatever Howe may have done, he should have been brought before the Seneschal. There is no justice in butchering a man in his home."

"Indeed? Did you bring the soldiers of Orlais to the Seneschal, Lord Regent?" Aedan asked, a twisted smirk splayed across his face. "Surely they too, as believers in the Maker, deserved to not be slaughtered in war? You boast of not showing the Orlesian Emperor any mercy, yet you espouse justice and restraint? The wonders never cease!" He laughed aloud. "You are predisposed to violence, Lord Regent. No wonder you sent a maleficar to poison Arl Eamon in his house."

"I assure you, Warden, if I were going to send someone, it would be my own soldiers. I would not trust to the discretion of an apostate."

"Indeed?" snapped the noblewoman from before. "My brother tells a very different tale. He says you snatched a blood mage from the Chantry's justice. Coincidence?"

"Do not think the Chantry will overlook this, Teyrn Loghain," said the revered Mother, visibly incensed. "Interference in a templar's sacred duties is an offense against the Maker!"

"Whatever I have done, I will answer for later," Loghain said quietly and then turned to Aedan. "At the moment, however, I wish to know what this Warden has done to my daughter. You took my daughter – our queen – by force! What arts have you employed to keep her?" He jabbed his finger at Aedan. "Does she even still live?"

At that, Aedan crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I believe she can answer for herself."

"Indeed I can, Warden," said Anora as she swept into the Landsmeet hall amid gasps and muttering. "Lords and ladies of Ferelden, hear me. My father is no longer the man you know. This man is not the Hero of River Dane." There was such sorrow and compassion in her voice that Leliana couldn't help but be impressed. "This man turned his troops aside and refused to protect your king as he fought bravely against the darkspawn. This man seized Cailan's throne before his body was cold and locked me away so I could not reveal his treachery." She nodded at Aedan and Alistair. "I would have already been killed had it not been for the Grey Wardens."

It's done, Leliana thought to herself. With Anora now siding against her father, he Landsmeet would not require further persuading.

But when Loghain spoke next, his voice was low and the emotion genuine.

"So the Warden's influence has poisoned even your mind, Anora? I wanted to protect you from this."

She felt like this was her first glance at Loghain the father, the man, someone who could be saved. Then the mask was on again, and Loghain raised his head to address the crowd.

"My lords and ladies! Our land has been threatened before! It hass been invaded and lost and won times beyond counting!" The force and intensity of his person was on full display as he paced to and fro. "We Fereldans have proven time and again that we will never truly be defeated so long as we are united! We must not let ourselves be divided now! Stand with me, and we shall defeat even the Blight itself!"

It was truly moving. Even Leliana felt the hair on her arms stand on end. It was an impassioned declaration, a rousing call to arms. Just how tremendously charismatic a leader Loghain had been was encapsulated in that small speech and had it been on the battlefield, Leliana was sure it would have been answered by cries of support.

Here, under the scrutinising gaze of every noble in Ferelden, it was met by silence was Aedan Cousland merely clasped his hands behind his back.

"Friends, Fereldans and countrymen," began Aedan after a long pause and everyone leaned forward to catch his words. "Loghain Mac Tir, the Hero of River Dane, was an honourable man. I grew up respecting and admiring him and his many victories. Truth be told, I would have counting myself lucky to worship the ground under his feet." Aedan paused meaningfully, looking for a long moment at Loghain. "For Loghain Mac Tir is an honourable man. His gave his daughter to the king and his life to Ferelden, because he was an honourable man. You all said it, and it was true." Here he stopped and shook his head. Now, his words came louder, quicker and laced with venom. "Yet, he betrayed the Wardens and left the king to die. And Loghain Mac Tir is an honourable man! He allied himself with the murderer of my family, sold elves to slavers for gold, sent assassins after us, had political opponents imprisoned, tortured, poisoned or killed, and locked up his daughter to protect her! He believes he knows what's best for Ferelden, and he is an honourable man! His will is followed, he believes he is the state, but he is, as you say, an honourable man!"

Aedan stopped, breathing heavily, and let his gaze wash over everyone present. His shoulders drooped and he sighed. "I am not here to debate whether or not this is true. The facts are simple, ladies and gentlemen, and they are these: A Blight is upon us, and we can stop it. For that, I need your support, but I am, sadly, no honourable man. Will you still aid us?"

Silence in the hall. Then:

"The Wardens, I'm with the Wardens!"

"South Reach stands with the Wardens!"

"Waking Sea stands with the Grey Wardens!"

"Dragon's Peak supports the Warden!"

"The Western Hills throw their lot in with the Grey Wardens. Maker help us all."

"I stand by Loghain! We have no hope of victory otherwise!"

"I stand with the Warden! The Blight is coming and we need the Grey Wardens!"

Leliana could only smile. She felt Alistair take her hand and squeeze it gently. At long last, it was over. Ferelden had made its decision.

"Traitors!" Loghain erupted, purple with rage. "Which of you stood against the Orlesian Emperor when his troops flattened your fields and raped your women?!" He spun on Eamon and pointed. "You fought with us once, Eamon! You cared about this land once! Before you got too old and fat and content to even see what you risk!"

He then spat and glared at the assembly at large. "None of you deserve a say in what happens here! None of you have spilled blood for this land the way I have! How dare you judge me?!"

"Call off your men, Lord Regent," said Aedan calmly. "We can settle this honourably?"

"Indeed! I always knew it would come down to this, but I'll be damned if I let any of this lot decide my actions!" He pointed at Aedan. "I hereby challenge you to trial by combat! Now, will you step forward yourself, or have you a champion?"

"I do," Aedan replied instantly. "Alistair is my champion."

What?

"What?" asked Alistair. Leliana looked at him worriedly, but Aedan smiled.

"You gave me my chance, now I'm giving you yours," he said and pushed Alistair forward. "Go be a Grey Warden."

Loghain looked him up and down. Leliana could feel Alistair's discomfort even from a distance.

"A man is made by the quality of his enemies," Loghain said. "Maric said that to me once. I wonder if it's more a compliment to you or to me." He shook his head. "As the challenged, you decide the rules of engagement, Warden. So, what will it be?"

Leliana glanced at Aedan only to find the man smiling.

What's going on?

At long last, Alistair said, "Off with the armour." There was barely concealed rage in his voice, visible for all to see. "We settle it with our fists."

Loghain nodded. "It is you or me the men will follow. So let us fight for it."

"Yes. Let's."

Leliana swallowed.