.xxxi.
When they enter the Aureum Stellata the next night, the bartender immediately sizes them up and waves them into a back room, swiftly closing the door behind them. Sebastian is watchful, well aware of the possibility of betrayal, even though it seems unlikely. Primus had seemed to ready for revenge, he knew the fire that burned in that young man's eyes very well. He sees it in the mirror all the time.
Everyone else is present, even Fenris and Merrill, who wear heavy hooded cloaks to hide themselves, and are surrounded by the others at all times. Thankfully, the clenching sensation that often appears at the base of his spine indicative of danger is absent.
"So far, still alive," comments Bela, but he doesn't miss how her hands twitch for her daggers, eyes flicking towards every noise, every drunken shout of the patrons a room over, every subtle shift of her companions.
"Don't jinx us, Rivaini," warns Varric, looking just as uneasily vigilant as she is.
Anders scans the room, empty except for them and a round warped wood table, large and lopsided. "We've been here for a while..."
"That's actually a little comforting. If they were truly trying to capture us, they would have sprung the trap by now-" Sebastian starts, but Fenris raises his hand sharply, motioning them to be quiet.
"Someone is coming."
Al they fall silent, not moving a muscle, footsteps on wooden planks echo down an unseen corridor, opposite of the door they'd entered through. A panel swings open, and Primus appears, one other with him, a woman it appears, dressed in dark, billowing clothes with a mysterious air, shrouded in shadows. All that is visible of her face under her low hood and mask is a pair of lips, dark red, and turned down at the edges.
"You came," Primus observes, looking at each of them in turn. "I'm pleased. I had hoped I would have your help."
"What is your plan, Magister?" Fenris asks, removing his hood and standing tall. The unknown woman's jaw drops, and she gasps audibly. "Deus mea!" She stares at Fenris, who barely spares her a glance. "Lyrium bellator." Primus does not look as shocked as his companion, but a little confused. He had obviously not expected the man under the cloak to be an elf.
"And why do you bring this praesumptor with you?" Fenris questions, gesturing to her.
Primus frowns. "This is my associate. She will be aiding us, an expert in her field. Before you fortuitously arrived, I had intended to confront Danarius by myself. She called you the lyrium warrior...?"
"A priorbus captivum-" the woman answers, "de Magister Danarius. Fugitivus." She looks-angry? If possible, she frowns even more severely.
"Fenris?" Carver looks to Fenris with brows knit in confusion.. "What is she saying?"
"She knows who I am."
His confusion is replaced quickly with decisiveness, immediately stepping forward, hilt of his sword flashing in the lamplight. "In a good way or bad way?" He is obviously prepared to act should the answer be 'bad'. Everyone else tenses, readying in the same way.
"You have nothing to fear from her, as I said, she is an associate. She will help us ascertain the best way to go about our plan. And," he turns to the woman, "Let us speak in Common, so as to understand each other."
"Of course," she speaks in heavily accented words, nodding her slightly. Her eyes are not visible, but Sebastian swears he can feel her visually picking apart each and every one of them.
"I was under the impression the Praesumptor are thieves," Varric states. "Why help us crash someone's party? What's in it for you?"
"I go where there is work. Where there are things to be taken. I do not care what you do to this magister, but my employer has promised my pick of any and all property om the premises," answers the praesumptor curtly. Her air of superiority reminds Sebastian of the Starkhaven nobles, haughty and irritated to be bothered with anything they did not deem of being of the utmost importance.
"I say we take what help we can get," Isabela says. Carver relaxes a little, but does not leave Fenris' side.
"I have more invitations, but only a few. It is best we enter with a small compliment of people, so as to be discreet as possible." the praesumptor informs them, drawing several identical pages out of her billowing sleeves, bound together with twine.
"You stole these?" Aveline asks with an obvious twinge of disapproval as she takes the roll.
"I prefer 'borrowed'," is the quick reply, with a sly smile. "I think these guests will be happy to have you attend in their stead."
"She may have done these people a favor," Merrill says, taking an invitation from Aveline and investigating, dainty fingers turning the paper over in her hands. Anders looks over her shoulder, nodding. "We should try not to harm any innocents, though."
"There are no innocents to be found here, I assure you," Fenris scowls, scanning an invitation of his own.
"You, you and you," the praesumptor points to Varric, Anders, and Sebastian, "You will be the easiest to bring into the party, undetected. "A dwarven nobleman, a magister, and a prince."
"How did she know that?" Sebastian whispers, mildly uncomfortable.
"She can tell," answers Primus with a satisfied half smile.
The praesumptor nods in agreement. "I will make sure to find the fastest way to him with minimal injuries."
"I will send you the proper attire," Primus interjects. "We have only a few more days until the event. Sollemnia will bring the clothes to your ship. You will come with your invitations and meet us here on the night of the event. Then, we will separate, and go it different groups to his masquerade. It is the best way to avoid detection. From there, we will use the information she has gathered to find your Hawke." He stops there, though for a moment his mouth stays open as if there was more to be said.
"A costume ball? Of course," Carver sneers under his breath. "Bunch of flowery shit in this country. What are the rest of us supposed to do, sit on our thumbs?"
"It would be unwise to attempt to sneak you all in," Sollemnia explains, seemingly with a shortening temper. "However, should you chose to, you may stay somewhere close by in the event that assistance in required."
"Then the rest of us will pick a place to wait," Aveline assents. "We'll meet up once you get Hawke clear of the danger and head to the ship."
"Then it is settled. Now, it is better that we do not spend much time together, so as to avoid suspicion." He bows, preparing to leave.
"Wait. When you last saw her, Hawke," Fenris asks, pausing before forcing out the rest of the question. "How was she? Had she been harmed? Is she..." He doesn't finish the question, unable to form the words.
Primus looks looks to the woman at his side as if debating whether or nor he should answer. She simply watches Fenris with intent, frowning. "When I first encountered her, she was wearing a collar. A magic dampening collar. He led her away on a chain after she begged for my life. She did not seem to harmed, physically, anyway."
Fenris stares at the floor, eyes flashing with anger.
"Sollemnia snuck into the estate later, after I had hired her, and told me she had seen Hawke again." He gestures to her. "Tell them what you told me."
"She..." Hesitation. Sebastian's gut clenches. Is it so bad that she fears to tell them? "She is in a dire place. If we are not successful, it is my understanding that the magister intends to perform the same ceremony of lyrium bonding on her," Sollemnia risks a look at Fenris, "as she did to you."
All the color drains from his face. Varying expressions of horror cross their faces; Carver hisses "What?!" mingling with Aveline's huff of disbelief and Bela's "Oh, balls."
"We will be successful," Primus assures. "I will not see another killed in his monstrous experiments." That vengeful fire, flashing, burning... "We should part now. Safe travels." He again makes for the exit, his companion with him, and then they leave the way they came. The praesumptor gives Fenris several last admiring glance before disappearing behind the panel with her employer.
Before they can speak, the door across the room opens, and the surly looking bartender waves them back out.
When they return to the ship, everyone sorts of drifts away to their own corners, struggling under the weight of realization. If they did not understand before, it has suddenly become stark, the danger that Hawke is in. Fenris did not speak much of the ritual that fused him to his lyrium burden, but they all knew what it had done to him memory, what it had done to him.
Sebastian finds a quiet nook of the ship to be alone. Above decks, not even the usual sound of raucous card games can be heard, just dreading silence, anxious anticipation. He bows his head, large hands wrapped around his dog-eared copy of the Chant.
"Maker," he entreaties, "please protect her. She is a good woman. I know not your will, but surely this is not what you intend for one of your most devoted servants. Please-" He stops mid-sentence as something scrapes on the wall behind him. He turns and there Fenris stands, face stony and unreadable. Without speaking, he comes over and drops to his knees next to Sebastian, clasping his hands and bowing his head.
They pray together.
Author's note: I apologize again to you guys for being late! I made some important plot tweaks, and I didn't want to post again until I was sure of the direction I was taking with this! And wow! You guys really responded to chapter 30, and Hawke's letter! Guess I better keep heaping on the angst:)
Lyndoita: Wow! I'm totally blushing right now I'm really happy you've enjoyed it. I'm still working on clarity, with no beta it's difficult to tell what you guys will infer and what I need to make more explicit, but I'm doing my best! Welcome to the party!
Fireyrose00: And welcome to you too! If you know what her motivations are, then no, she wasn't too submissive, given she really couldn't do much outside of play her part.
Avatarfan444: AH! I love seeing your reviews! :D I'm glad you were moved by the last chapter. I was hoping to get sorrowful down without being contrived. And yeah, Danarius is scum. I seriously hate him more and more every time I write him. There will definitely be sneaking around. If only glasses and laser beams existed in Thedas.
MC: I totally did not make that connection, but now that I think about it, it does seem like that. Both women are in a situation where they are sure they won't ever be escaping. Also I am totally flattered that you linked the two:3
Scarliatta: More you shall have! I'm not done just yet!
I totally love you guys btw. Soon to come: Alba can't catch a break with a butterfly net! If you don't absolutely despise Danarius by now, you might be him! I will personally come to the house of every person that gave Fenris back and fight them physically! Stay tuned!