Free Marches, Starkhaven, Guardian 2012, the present day
Sebastian was slightly confused and a bit irritated to be distracted from the documents he was reading. It wasn't a common behavior for Hawke to rush from the depths of her dearest lab and to drag him in with an almost manic gleam in her eyes. Allowing himself to be pulled in patiently he wondered what kind of trouble she stepped in this time.
Not like it was the first time.
Yet, this time it was something bigger, darker. Sebastian even didn't realize how severe it was in the beginning.
His guts twisted uncomfortably as he stared into the computer screen, processing the information. He was puzzled and terrified by his fiancé's actions at once. "What is it Marian? Is that…Dear Maker, what have you done?!" He has exclaimed in shock. How could she break into Chantry's databases? How could she do it, making him her unwilling crime partner?!
"Seb, baby, I know I should have not…I guess, but please read the files! Yes, that paragraph. Check here and there too. It's insane. And something is terrible off if you connect the facts together." Marian nervously fidgeted around.
Sebastian could admit he wished he was able to delete the creepy information from his mind. He really wanted to unsee those clinical pictures and cold terms of what they were doing to people, their most trusted followers, no less. To have a piece of a concentrated lyrium inside of a human body was a slow poisoning, a painful drug addiction. What for?
No, the Chantry had to have a good reason for that. A reason, he, a simple believer failed to see. He couldn't doubt his belief. The Chantry was their mother and father and led them wisely through their life path. He can't doubt them so easily.
Right?
He tried to focus at Reeley's case before him. His first thought was to inform the Chantry about it and to allow them to deal with whatever happened there. But immediately he realized it was not an option. Despite of the revelation none will look kindly at Hawke for hacking Chantry's secrets. Marian will be arrested, high status or not, and probably he will meet the same fate sooner or later. Not only he didn't want her to get in trouble there was a question of their reputation as well. Just to imagine the royal family arrested and put under trial, what will it do to his people? They will turn their backs to him and his good name will never be clean again. He will be not able to excuse them out of this. Even not with all of his connections. Sebastian didn't wish for such a future.
Not to mention her pregnancy.
They looked each at the other in uncomfortable silence; Sebastian is still freaked out and Marian still nervous, biting at her fingernails.
"So, what will we do now? We can't leave it like this. You know that, there is something very wrong, I can feel it. Don't you?" She blurted, giving him a miserable gaze from her place before the computers. She pressed a few buttons to leave the hacked site, deleting any trace of her all over it on her virtual way out.
"Marian, do you realize what have you done?... If you only could keep your hands to yourself, your inability to stop leads to troubles every time at new! Why do you have to run head first into every hole you can see?" Sebastian hissed angrily. Marian flinched, looking mildly guilty.
"Seb, you are over reacting. I am a pro. Stop making such a deal out of it."
"Overreacting? Are you aware of what you are saying? Marian… You are not an adventurous mercenary anymore. Wake up! You are not in Kirkwall anymore. You are an almost a princess now. And you are carrying our child. A CHILD! Do you understand what does it means? Do you?!" He was close to screaming in the end.
Marian raised terrified eyes on him. She didn't consider the child that now was in the picture. A thought that her actions may fire back at her child or her new bright future somehow escaped her mind. She averted her gaze and returned to nibble on her abused nails again.
"You are angry. I get it babe, I have screwed up. Do you want me to delete all the information I have saved? Yet, are we really allowing this…'Reeley' to freely wander around?" She protested wearily.
Sebastian glared at her. He considered it before answering. "I don't know. Let me think about it. Where from did you get the chip?"
Hawke said "Oh, I got it from Gustavo, an old elf. He owns the "Small Treasury". It's on the left side of the market, between the new furniture place and that brand children fashion shop."
The Starkhaven prince took out his mobile and called his secretary with a defeated sigh. "Good evening, Addira. Yes, everything is alright, I just have a few changes for tomorrow's schedule. Please tell Lukas I want to see him tomorrow in the morning. Cancel whatever meetings were scheduled till noon." He waited for her to check with the man. "Eight and half o'clock? Yes, sure, that will be good. No, I need nothing else, thank you. Good night to you too."
Despite of Marian's hot objections he forbade her to continue her investigation, taking the unpleasant duty on himself. He didn't want her involved more than she was, wishing to keep her and the baby she carried safe.
Needless to say there wasn't any cuddling this night when they went to bed. After another, this time shorter argument followed by screaming and doors banging Sebastian ended sleeping on the cough in the quest room.
Three days later, the head of Starkhaven Royal security, Lukas Shainn, placed a very detailed report on his table. Lukas served him for years, sufficient and quiet, a man he could trust. He was one the best, keeping things strictly discreet, true professional.
The report contained Zaties's testimony (the poor lad met an 'accidental' end soon after, same as the antiquity shop owner), photos and analyses of a found under piles of garbage dried remains that were identified as Arthur Reeley by comparing the DNA samples they have managed to obtain. The reason of Reeley's death was clear; his head was broken by something heavy from behind. The body was dead about a month ago and of course it didn't possess any lyrium chip inside.
He went cold; realizing that whoever was in their house weeks ago wasn't the real Reeley. Still he did look like the real thing which was creepy. What was it? A fantastically successful make up? A plastic surgery? Or maybe a shape-shifting mutation?
The last thought left him with sweat rolling down his temple. A shape shifting mutant, running free and pretending to be a powerful figure in Chantry hierarchy? That couldn't be good, Marian was right. Sebastian was tempted to contact the Chantry at this point again but knew it will be unwise of him. He'll have to capture the imposter himself.
Closing the report he stared at it for a while. Then he pressed the phone line button and asked his secretary to get him Lucas. They'll need a plan.