Saitada left the fancy armor on its rack, and went for the more practical plate. She added a small handaxe to her belt before picking up her shield and heading to the door. Gorim was waiting just outside. She gave him a quick once over and noted that he'd added a crossbow to his weapon harness. She gave him a nod of approval. "Time is rusting."

The mood among the soldiers was excitement as she walked through them. Here and there she stopped to hand out a smile, compliment, or a quick instruction to fix an errant strap. Her father was dressed in his armor, and she struggled to keep the worried expression off her face. Even surrounded by guards, he had no business on the field. She sighed, and walked to join him.

Duncan and the other Grey Wardens were already there. She gave them an approving look and noted that they'd acquired armor for their new recruit. The casteless dwarf looked a bit nervous at the company he was keeping, and his fingers kept touching the mace at his side as though assuring himself it was still there.

Harrowmont stepped forward, his voice ringing through the stone tunnels. "Trian and his men will clear the way for the Grey Wardens to descend into the easternmost caverns. Those caverns are still infested by the worst of the darkspawn. We cannot risk our own troops there."

"Understood, Lord Harrowmont. We should be able to sense the darkspawn and avoid them once the way is open." Duncan's voice was steady, and his face calm. A man doing his duty, rather than a man seeking glory. There was a mild pang of disappointment that she would not be with the group escorting the wardens. She had a feeling watching Duncan go into battle would have been a sight to behold.

"May the Paragons favor you, and the Stone catch you if you fall." Endrin's voice sounded strong. She didn't even want to think about how many potions he must have down that morning.

Her elder brother raised his maul above his head as he turned to his men. "Come, men, glory awaits!" A cheer answered his words. Saitada hoped it was for him rather than the mission. She didn't miss the joyful look on Edir's face as he strode behind her brother. The Grey Warden's joined the procession.

Harrowmont's voice came again, a little quieter this time. "Bhelen, you and your men will second the king, clearing the main road." Saitada's eyes narrowed slightly. That wasn't the plan Trian had mentioned to her earlier.

"Don't you think it looks a little... cowardly to allow these humans to take our place where the fighting is thickest?" Bhelen looked crestfallen. And yet there was something... Saitada shook her head.

"Are you questioning the battle plan?" Harrowmont asked, his face betraying his irritation at her younger brother.

"Of course not. I'm sure your caution is for the glory of us all."

"Enough, Bhelen." King Endrin glared, and Bhelen shrunk in on himself slightly before his father's eyes. "Take your men and make ready. Harrowmont and I need to have words with your sibling."

"Good luck, my sister," Bhelen said. Saitada turned, eyes following him as he left. Something was off.

Harrowmont gave her a fatherly smile. "Your father has a special mission for you."

"In the eastern Deep Roads, there is a secret door carved into the stone." Endrin's eyes were bright as he looked at her. Part of her wanted to throw up her hands in frustration. A blight, yet another assassination attempt on her elder brother, and her father was playing favoritism games now? No wonder Bhelen had looked out of sorts.

"The door leads to a thaig abandoned long ago by your ancestors. The darkspawn have made it impossible to reach," Harrowmont said.

Endrin laid a hand on her shoulder. "My father believed that the shield of Paragon Aeducan remains in that thaig, under the stones of the central room. Reclaim the shield, and glory will be yours!" It should be Trian's, she thought to herself. He needed it, now more than ever.

"The Shield of Aeducan would be quite the find." Perhaps she could finagle some way to present it to Trian. Maybe some kind of ceremony as they reclaimed the Thaig? She forced her attention back to Harrowmont.

"We've sent two scouts ahead to make sure the tunnels are cleared, but be careful. One of the scouts will meet you at the first crossroads you come to; the second will be further in. When you get to the door, use your signet ring to open it. Questions?"

Yes. Few she could ask before this many ears. What were you thinking came first to her mind. "Where do we go from there?"

"The crossroads where you meet the first scout will be the rendezvous point. There, you can present the shield to the lords and demonstrate the strength of Aeducan!"

"May the ancestors watch over you, my child." Endrin's smile trembled just slightly, and she gave him a respectful bow. Stone, if he kept this up, the assembly really was going to try to stick her with that blasted crown.

#

She entered the cavern, heading in the direction Harrowmont had given. Gorim held his silence until they were some distance away from any ears. "This sound a bit..."

"Rehearsed? Orchestrated?" Saitada shook her head. "Idiotic?"

"I think the king is a little concerned you might just decide to join up with the wardens after all." Gorim tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword as he followed her into the cavern.

"I hope that is all there is to it." She ran a hand over the back of her neck. "It's not. There is something else. I'm missing something here." She narrowed her eyes. "Could father actually want the council to name me to the throne?"

"Is it that outrageous a notion?" Gorim asked. "My lady, I know your feelings on the matter, but you cannot deny how many of your people want to see you on the throne."

"I can do more for them behind it," Saitada said. "Where my hands aren't bound. And I will not see Trian's birthright taken from him." She sighed. "It would destroy him." She shook her head then cocked her head to one side as she heard a scraping sound.

Gorim caught the motion, and put a hand to his sword. She drew her own, and together they moved to face the approaching genlocks.

#

Her smile was warm when she recognized the man waiting for them in the crossroads. Frandlin Ivo returned her smile. "You made it, Commander. Did you run afoul of any darkspawn?"

Saitada shrugged. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

"We didn't expect any activity in these tunnels at all. Once I finished scouting the tunnels, I hid here to avoid the darkspawn. Most tunnels are dead ends. The one we want is swarming with those fiends. It's going to be a fight."

"I didn't get a chance to speak with you after the proving the other day. Your performance was exceptional." She kept her features steady as she observed him. Most people, upon being complimented by their princess, smiled or blushed. Ivo, however, turned slightly green.

"Your gift of the helm was amazingly generous." He turned away slightly as he spoke. "I will treasure it always. May today's battles bring us even more glory." He swallowed, and then his voice became brusk and businesslike as he turned back towards her. "I'll take rear guard. Shall we move?"

Saitada exchanged a quick look with Gorim before she continued to head into the tunnel. She'd have to examine the oddity of Ivo's behavior later, she thought to herself as the genlocks began to move towards them.

#

The scout popped up from behind a couple of rocks. "You're here! I thought the darkspawn had got you for sure."

"I'm not that easy to kill," Saitada said. Any lightheartedness she might have felt at the start of this little expedition had long since faded. Something about this whole thing smelled wrong.

"Then I'll make sure I'm behind you if we're swarmed. We want the tunnel ahead, but there are darkspawn tracks all over it. Be careful."

"I thought these tunnels were mostly abandoned," Saitada said as she continued down the tunnel. Gorim had shifted his position to rear guard. Her lips twitched slightly. Her second could read her like a book.

"Well, abandoned isn't vacant, apparently. Still, two months ago, we couldn't get within a mile of this place. I'll follow your lead, Commander."

#

They'd made it almost into the thaig before the mercenaries showed themselves. Their leader swaggered forward. "So glad you could finally join us," he said, opening his hands and spinning around to indicate all the men with him. "We feared you'd gotten eaten by darkspawn. Turns out the shield isn't quite as easy to retrieve as I was led to believe. I wager you know where it is, though." He hooked his thumbs into his weapon harness before leering at her. "So maybe you tell me where it is, and I don't let my boys have a go at you before I kill you."

Saitada rubbed her forhead irritably as she examined their numbers and positions. "The shield's a metaphor. It's in all of us." If they weren't going to be serious about this, neither was she.

The leader smirked at her. "Oh. She's a funny one. Just what I needed. Now kill these idiots." He started to draw his sword, and the bolt from Gorim's crossbow caught him between the eyes.

Saitada's smile was fierce as she raised her shield and charged. She felt a slight jolt of surprise when Ivo charged beside her. The two of them spun, back to back, slicing through the mercenaries foolish enough to have tried to stand their ground. Gorim followed them in as the scout drew his own crossbow and started taking potshots.

Her eyes caught sight of the man aiming the ballista, and she gestured to Gorim before moving across the field, drawing the fire. She threw herself to the ground as the bolt fired, tumbling back to her feet in time to drive her sword into the stomach of a mercenary. Ivo blocked an overhand blow with his shield before taking the sword arm off his opponent just as Gorim reached the man working the ballista. Gorim brought his shield up and simply slammed into the man, crushing him between stone and angry warrior. Saitada caught a crossbow bolt on her own shield before closing with the last of their attackers.

She dusted herself off, then smiled. "Nice work," she said, looking over her companions. Gorim had a small scrape on his forearm, and Ivo had the start of what would be a rather impressive black eye. She wondered for a moment why he wasn't wearing the helm she'd gifted him. The scout was untouched. "Let's find this shield and head home."

#

The puzzle was slightly more annoying than difficult. Stone slid back, revealing their prize. "That's it. We've got it!"

It was rather unimpressive, Saitada thought to herself. The scout echoed her thoughts aloud. "It doesn't look like much."

"The skill of our crafters has come far since then," Ivo said, shooting her a look as though he expected her to be offended by the scout's words. "But still..." A trace of awe entered his voice. "The Shield of Aeducan."

Saitada picked it up. She was surprised by how well balanced it was, despite it's plain appearance. "It's a symbol; that's all."

"If it helps rally the troops, it's a good thing," the scout said.

She nodded agreement. It should be Trian here. "Enough talk. Where is the rendezvous point?"

"Back in the direction we came from, at the crossroads," the scout replied.

"To the crossroads!" Gorim said, sheathing his sword.

#

Gorim fell into step beside her. He held out his hand, showing her the Aeducan signet ring. "I found it on the mercenary captain. It's Trian's."

"Then it was stolen."

"My lady..." He sighed. "If Trian really were scheming against us, this would be the perfect place for an ambush. We've got the shield, and we're all alone out here."

"Trian is my brother. He would never do anything like that."

"I wish I had your confidence." Gorim was about to say something else when the scout stepped towards them.

"What's that you're muttering about?" the scout asked. Gorim's eyes widened at the impertinence.

"Keep your mind on the mission," Saitada's voice was sharp enough to make Gorim jump.

"Right you are, Commander," the scout replied nervously, falling back to put both Gorim and Ivo between himself and the princess.

#

They came around the corner and stopped dead in their tracks. The bodies of a dozen dwarves were strewn around the chamber. Saitada let out a wounded cry, and ran to one of the bodies. She knelt down beside it, then gently cradled her brother's head.

"By the Stone," Gorim said. "It's Trian!"

Ivo drew his sword and looked around. "It must have been a darkspawn attack."

The scout shook his head. "This doesn't look like darkspawn. No bites, no scratches, no mutilation."

Gorim moved to stand next to his princess. Her eyes were bleak as she gently closed Trian's eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, and stood. "We need to warn my father," she said.

He heard a sound, and put a hand to his sword. "Someone's coming." His eyes widened when Bhelen led the King's party into the chamber. He shot a glance at Saitada, and saw realization darken her eyes.

Endrin looked at the body on the ground, then back up at Saitada. His face paled, and he took an involuntary step towards her. "My daughter. Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

"What does it look like?" Saitada said, her voice empty, her eyes fixed on Bhelen.

"It looks like you killed our brother, you monster!" Bhelen said. Gorim didn't miss the slight gleam of satisfaction in the man's eyes.

He stepped forward. "My lady is innocent."

Harrowmont held up a hand. "Ser Gorim, your loyalty makes you a useless witness. It falls to others to tell the story. You, scout, what happened here?"

The scout edged away slightly, then squared his shoulders. "Trian and his men were here early. It seems they'd done battle with the darkspawn. Lady Aeducan came up to them, all friendly-like, but when we got close, she ordered us to attack!

Gorim looked back at Saitada. She remained silent, her eyes never leaving Bhelen's face. Harrowmont looked towards the other member of their party. "Frandlin Ivo, you are a good and noble man. Did the scout speak the truth?"

Ivo swallowed. "He... he did, my lord. It was... terrible. Prince Trian didn't stand a chance. Afterward, my lady stripped his signet ring."

"You treacherous bastard!" Gorim said, reaching for his own blade. He was stopped only by the slight shake of Saitada's head.

Endrin's voice was sharp. "Silence, Gorim. Do you have anything else to say, my daughter?"

"I'm sorry, Father."

"As am I," Endrin replied.

"Bind her," Harrowmont ordered. "She will be judged before the Assembly. To Orzammar!"

#

She stared at the other side of the cell. Crude messages, insults, and prayers had been carved into it by many hands over the years. Here and there, a few of the condemned had even approached wisdom. Her fingers traced over one message in particular. 'I go to a warrior's death'.

A gleam of brighter light interrupted the dimness, and she heard the guard's voice. "You've got ten minutes, ser. Orders and all. You understand."

The second voice she knew well. Of course. Leave us alone, will you please?" Gorim asked.

"Yes ser."

She stood when Gorim came to the door of the cell. "My lady... I..." He met her eyes. "I would have come sooner had they allowed it. How are you?"

"Trian is dead. How do you think I am?" She sighed, then looked back at him. "I was worried for you."

"And I for you, my heart. I bring little but bad news, though. Bhelen has taken Trian's place in the Assembly. He introduced a motion to condemn you immediately, and it easily passed. He..." Gorim drove his fist into the wall. "He had fully half the Assembly ready to vote on something completely against tradition and justice! He must have been making deals and alliances for months, if not years."

Saitada found herself giving a small laugh. "You have to respect Bhelen's ability to play the game."

"He's more clever than either of us ever thought. Some of the lords, especially Harrowmont are suspicious of Bhelen's instant rise to power. They are rallying, but far too slowly. The Assembly has already sentenced both of us."

Saitada nodded. She knew her fate the moment Bhelen had led her father into that chamber. No use worrying about it now. "What's going to happen to you?"

"My knighthood will be stripped, my name torn from my family records..." He sighed, then shook his head. "but I will be allowed to attempt some sort of life on the surface." She smiled. He didn't. "Lord Harrowmont moved for a similar exile for you, but Bhelen's supporters overwhelmed him. You're to be sealed in the Deep Roads to fight darkspawn until you are overwhelmed and killed."

One of her shoulders twitched. "The cowards weren't strong enough to kill me themselves."

"That may have been Bhelen's first mistake." He leaned forward. "Lord Harrowmont gave me access to see you so I could tell you this: Duncan and the Grey Wardens are still in the Deep Roads, in tunnels connected to those you are to be left in. If you survive long enough to find the Grey Wardens, you may be able to escape with Duncan."

"That's all the chance I need." She drew herself up, and saw Gorim nod.

"Our time is up. May the Paragons guide your sword and the Stone hold you up."

"The same to you, my friend."

"I will always be your man, my Lady Aeducan."

The guard walked towards the cell. "They are ready for you now."

#

She was led to where Harrowmont was waiting. The man had aged a dozen years since the last time she'd seen him. Her thoughts went to her father for a moment, and then she drove those thoughts away. The guard shoved her forward. "Here is the prisoner, Lord Harrowmont."

"Having been found guilty of fratricide by the Assembly of Orzammar, you are hereby sentenced to exile and death. Your name is, from this point forward, stripped from the records. You are no longer a person, nor a memory. You are to be cast into the Deep Roads with only sword and shield, there to redeem your life by fighting the enemies of Orzammar until your death. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?" Harrowmont's tone was formal, but his eyes were wet.

Saitada only shook her head. "You call this justice?" Her gaze went to each of the guards. None of them could meet her eyes.

"I would have prevented it if I could. Everyone should have the right to face his accuser and defend himself. Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't do this. For your father's sake."

For a moment, she considered remaining silent. How could her father even begin to think such a thing? "I didn't kill Trian." She said it more for Harrowmont's sake than anything else.

Harrowmont looked into her eyes, and his own widened before becoming angry. "I believe you. That means Bhelen planned this from the start. Believe me, I will spend the rest of my days making sure Bhelen does not profit by his deeds. Your father asked me to give these to you. This sword and shield are of fine dwarven make. Strike a blow at our enemies."

Saitada strapped the shield to her arm. "How is my father?"

"He is old and this tragedy has hit him hard. He will rest better now, though, knowing the truth."

"Tell him..." She sighed. "Tell my father I went to a warrior's death."

"I will. Open the doors and let the condemned walk through." He paused, then continued. "May the Stone accept you when you fall."

She smiled at him, then turned to the gate. She held her head up as she strode through. Grief would have to wait. A blight was coming.