Chapter 9 : Pyrrhic Victory
Alistair stood in the castle chantry, a wooden box on the ground before him. They had told him the queen's remains were inside. The poor sailor who had been forced to bring it was almost lynched at the port in Denerim. Alistair heard it had taken many templars to calm the crowd. The sailor had come straight to Denerim from the Seheron port. The box smelled strongly of burnt flesh and hair.
Alistair stared at the box for twenty minutes. The body had already been looked at by several people including the Grand Cleric. Lyssa's rings and other jewelry we still attached to the charred flesh. Alistair had asked to be alone with the body. The castle had been cleared of everyone except for Teagan, who Alistair asked to stay behind. Teagan stood just outside the chantry doors, waiting to pay his respects.
Alistair took a hesitant step forward, willing himself toward the box. The acrid smell was overwhelming, permeating the air throughout the Chantry. Alistair forced himself to smell it, to remember it. The anger in his chest built with each breath as he imagined burning the whole island of Seheron to the ground.
When Alistair was close enough to the box to see inside he stumbled to the ground. His hands gripped the side of the box and he clenched his eyes shut. But he had to see. He had to know for sure. Alistair leaned over the box and looked at the body. He convulsed at the smell and the sight of it. He had seen death many times before, but this was too much. The skin was blackened and cracked; blood had boiled out of it, creating a sludgy crust around each fissure in the skin. The face of the body had been burned off, leaving only a gruesome grimace to remind everyone that the burnt thing had once been alive.
Alistair wretched, but his stomach was empty. He was glad he had not been able to eat anything since yesterday. He turned back toward the box and slowly lowered his hand, gently touching the charcoal flesh of one of the fingers. He carefully twisted the wedding band around. As Alistair twisted the ring as gently as he could, the flesh underneath crackled and fell in small flaky particles onto the remnants of charred clothing that still adorned the body. It was Lyssa's, he could not deny that. He had had it made especially for her. The simple band had a delicate griffon carved into it.
But it was not this ring Alistair was looking for. He lifted the tiny finger on the hand looking for another ring. He was searching for the mysterious ring Lyssa had worn since the day they had defeated the Blight. He had suspected who the ring once belonged to, but he never asked. He looked at the finger but did not see the ring. He carefully lifted the other hand and saw two other rings, gifts from friends. Gifts Lyssa felt compelled to wear when she went out lest the givers see her without them and be hurt. But no tiny ring on the little finger.
Alistair carefully checked the burnt remnants of the clothes and found nothing. He lowered himself close to the permanent grimace this body now wore and felt around the neck. His mother's amulet was not there. There was still some hair left on the head of the corpse. It had clearly been tied in a bun the way Lyssa wore hers. The bun was now a charred crusty ball attached to the back of the skull. When Alistair touched it, it broke away, revealing a small amount of unburned hair at its core. The hair was not quite the right color, but it was close. Alistair picked up the burnt hair and carefully pulled it apart, looking inside. He found nothing. Finally, Alistair lifted the small tuft of soft hair from the middle of the bun and brought it close to his nose. He inhaled gently, trying to discern the smells other than those of the fire. There wasn't even a trace of Highever in the hair.
Alistair let the hair drop back into the box. He stood up and walked over to one of the pews, where he sat, resting his head in his hands.
Teagan peered in and saw Alistair sitting at the pew. He slowly entered and approached the box. The smell hit Teagan in the gut and he clamped his hand over his mouth to keep from being ill. He looked down into the box then quickly moved away. He sat down heavily next to Alistair in shock.
"By the Maker, who could do such a thing?" Teagan asked.
Alistair sat in silence thinking. He looked up around the chantry, his eyes falling on the candles on the walls. He looked up at the altar and at the large tapestry behind it, an image of Andraste.
"I need a fresh corpse," Alistair said suddenly.
Teagan looked over at Alistair. "Alistair... are you okay?"
"They have been torturing people all day in the dungeons. I wish they would stop. I hear the sounds in my sleep. It seems every other person they bring in here is a mage or a traitor. I don't think they know what they are doing anymore. But they are sure to have killed one by now. The corpse won't be missed. If only I could get it up here without being noticed," Alistair mused aloud.
"Alistair, I think you need to talk to someone. You're frightening me. And I was made into a marionette once by my nephew, so when I say you're frightening me, I really mean it," Teagan said nervously.
"It isn't her," Alistair said walking to the doors that led into the main hallway.
"What do you mean it isn't her? Why would they send a fake? It makes no sense. And she's wearing the wedding ring you gave her. I'd recognize that anywhere," Teagan said moving next to his friend.
"She only hides the things that are irreplaceable. She told me that once. There isn't enough room for the rest. It would be too obvious," Alistair said looking around the hallway. "Where is everyone?"
"They have left, remember? You asked them to, said that you wanted them to give you space to grieve. The castle has been cleared to give you privacy. But don't get any ideas, the templars numbers have doubled now that those who were sent to the circle tower have returned. It's like a bloody revival out there. Alistair, please, explain yourself. Apparently I don't speak in your secret tongue," Teagan said exasperated.
Alistair grabbed Teagan and led him down to the dungeons as he spoke, "My mother's amulet. Irreplaceable. Morrigan's ring, also irreplaceable. Her wedding band could be remade if it was ever stolen. But those keepsakes, they are like the cloth I carry. If I died, I know that cloth would be on me. If I died without Lyssa by my side, it would be the last thing I looked upon as the life left my body. She hides these irreplaceable things when she travels. She hides them in her hair, tucks them in like a little treasure. I've watched her do it many times. She has this little pouch," Alistair said, smiling at the memory, "and she tucks it in there. She also keeps a poultice in her shoe, but that's beside the point. The things, her irreplaceable things, they weren't in her hair, and they weren't on her body. And the hair... it wasn't the right color. I don't know why they would fake her death. Of all the things the Q'unari have done in the last few days, that makes the least sense of all. Maybe they didn't know... but it means two things to me."
"She is still alive," Teagan began, "and…"
"Yes, and I need a corpse," Alistair said as they arrived at the dungeon.
"I still don't understand that part," Teagan said.
"Because, if I am dead, then no one will stop me from leaving the castle," Alistair said gleefully. He glanced around, looking for guards.
"Uh, Alistair, there is a flaw in that logic," Teagan said.
Alistair pulled a key from his pocket. He opened one of the cells and gently touched the prisoner. The body lay face down on the floor, cold and motionless to the touch.
"I thought so. Bloody templars. They don't know when to stop. Help me with thi... Sten?" Alistair suddenly stopped, looking at the cell across the way.
Sten approached the bars of his cell. His face had been beaten badly but he seemed in good spirits. "It is good to see you well kadan. I was worried."
Alistair ran to the cell and unlocked it. "I have been trying to get down here for two days now. I even asked one of the girls to try to sweet talk her way in. The templars have gotten a lot better at ignoring that type of thing since I left them."
Sten stepped out and hugged Alistair. Alistair blushed at the uncharacteristic display of affection from the huge man.
"Have they drugged you?" Alistair asked as he felt the breath crushed from his lungs.
"Perhaps. I feel... strange. The food maybe. It makes me... feel things," Sten said, releasing Alistair and looking down at him, "I would not talk to them. They said they had ways of making me talk. The beatings did not work. Depriving me of food and water did not sway me. Then they started feeding me. The food tasted strange. That's when I realized how much I love you. I need to tell you that. And Lyssa. I love Lyssa too. And Duncan. And Connor, and puppies, and"
"Sten... are you going to be okay?" Alistair asked taking a step backward.
Sten looked down at Alistair. His face began to contort in ways it wasn't used to. "They said the queen died. That is why they left. Out of respect. It is not true, is it?"
Alistair stared up at the big man who seemed on the verge of tears. He quickly raised his hands trying to ward off the onslaught of emotion. He did not want to have to deal with a depressed Q'unari. He wasn't even sure he could handle a loving Q'unari.
"No, no, no! She's not dead. Look, Sten, I need your help carrying this corpse upstairs. Then we can go find Lyssa. And you can tell her how much you love her. Do we have a deal?" Alistair asked.
Sten looked down at the corpse Teagan was trying to drag out of the cell. He walked over and slapped Teagan on the back heartily. Teagan coughed as the breath was knocked out of him.
"Teagan! You are also kadan. I have not said it, because I think it is wrong to have so many human kadans. Even I have my limits. But inside, you are kadan," Sten said touching his chest over his heart as he said the last words.
"Good to hear it," Teagan said gasping for air. "What on earth did they give him?"
"Maker only knows. This is the work of the templars. I haven't been paying attention to them really. Not since I pulled them from the Circle Tower. Perhaps that was a mistake. When this is all over, remind me that I need to have a little chat with the Grand Cleric," Alistair said. He watched Sten walk over and grab his sword off the wall. Then Sten picked up the corpse and slung it over his shoulder effortlessly.
Alistair looked around him. None of the prisoners were conscious.
The guards probably knocked them all out before they left, Alistair thought, just in case… or just for fun.
"That will make this easier," Alistair muttered to himself.
Alistair picked up a huge maul and swung it into the bars of the cell Sten had just vacated. The bars screamed under the blow. Alistair swung the maul again, this time aimed at the lock. The square iron panel surrounding the lock bent, and there was a loud snap as the mechanism within broke.
"Whatever you have cooked up, you had better do it fast. I don't know how long the Grand Cleric will keep everyone out of the castle," Teagan said as Alistair put the maul down and wiped his brow.
"Let's go then, back into the castle chantry," Alistair said climbing the stairs.
They all piled in the chantry and Teagan gagged at the smell permeating the room.
"Couldn't you have picked somewhere else to do whatever it is you're going to do? This smell is horrible," Teagan said covering his nose with the crook of his elbow.
"No, it has to be here. Sten, drape the body over the box there," Alistair said running up to the wall and pulling down the tapestry of Andraste.
"Will you let me in on this plan of yours any time soon then?" Teagan asked as Sten carefully positioned the corpse over the box.
"Such a senseless act," Sten said lowering his hand to touch the cheek of the charred corpse in the box.
"Yes," Alistair said walking up with the tapestry tucked under his arms. "The Q'unari did it."
Sten shook his head. "No. A Q'unari did this. There is a distinct difference, kadan."
Alistair nodded. "Yes. Of course. You are right. We will find out who did this. But first I am going to need some torch fuel. And hurry, Teagan is right. The Grand Cleric won't trust me alone in the castle for long."
Sten stood and marched out of the chantry. Teagan walked up beside Alistair who was carefully tucking the tapestry around the bodies.
"Are you planning on burning something?" Teagan asked.
Alistair began undressing and putting his clothes on the new corpse.
"You are going to fake your death?" Teagan asked surprised.
"Yes. If they think I am dead, they won't look for me. I can head into Seheron unimpeded. It also might disrupt the plans of whoever is behind this. Clearly I was meant to remain alive. If I am dead, it will cause turmoil here. If we are lucky the plot, whatever it is, will falter. Perhaps the traitor will even make a mistake reacting to my death, and unknowingly reveal themselves. In either case, I do not wish to remain in the castle. This is my way out. Can you see if there are some templar robes in the back room there?" Alistair asked Teagan
Teagan nodded. He went back into a small chamber behind the altar. Sten came forward and watched Alistair carefully take off his wedding band. Alistair touched the platinum ring and lifted it to read the inscription inside.
My friend, my lover, my fellow Grey Warden. Always.
Alistair slipped the ring onto the dead man draped over the box. As he looked up, Sten handed him a heavy jug with a cork stopper in the top. Thick liquid sloshed around inside the jug as Alistair popped the cork out. The strong scent of fuel filled the air as Alistair poured the fuel liberally all over the tapestry and the two bodies. Teagan came out carrying a sisterhood robe.
"This is the best I can do," he said handing the robe to Alistair.
"Well that's just perfect. Oh well, I just need to cover up until we get outside," Alistair said tossing the robe on.
"It's quite fetching," Teagan teased. "I know I'd pray with you."
"Shut up," Alistair said as he grabbed a candle and tossed it onto the two bodies.
The bodies caught fire quickly, the tapestry acting like a kind of wick in a candle. Smoke began pouring into the huge room. Alistair looked up at the pillar of smoke, quickly rising from the two bodies to the top of the several story room, then looked back down at the bodies. The corpse from the dungeon was already burnt beyond recognition.
"We need to go. Come, there is a secret exit," Alistair said pulling them along.
"Really?" Teagan said surprised.
"Yes. Lyssa built the damn thing herself if you can believe it. Took her five years. She showed it to my on our fifth anniversary. I think she did it on a lark really. She was bored, all the Queenly things she had to do. I swear she was just pretending she was trapped in some deep, dark dungeon and performing some great escape in her mind. Actually, I'd be surprised if there weren't several tunnels out of here. All I know about is this one. Anyway, I couldn't use it before. The Grand Cleric would never stop searching for me. And I wanted to get Sten out of the dungeon. Now things are all set," Alistair said leading them down a hallway into the kitchens.
Teagan shook his head and chuckled. Alistair led them to a dusty old broom closet. In the corner of the closet he pulled carefully on one of the stones. It slid out easily. Alistair reached his hand in and pulled something. They heard a loud click and Alistair stepped back after her replaced the stone in the wall. He pulled up several old floor boards to reveal a hidden hatch. He pulled the rope and the hatch opened easily.
"If you get into trouble Teagan, remember this. You have to unlock it first, or it won't open," Alistair said climbing down into the hole.
"I'm not coming with you?" Teagan asked.
"No. If they find this exit, they are not likely to believe I killed myself. You have to cover it back up, and then give the best performance of your life. You'll want to do it fast before the whole castle burns down. Tell the Grand Cleric you tried to smother the flames with the tapestry, but it was too late. I was so grief stricken I took my own life. After a little while, a few days maybe, you can leave this way. You can mostly cover it up, so they might not find it for a while, but if you disappear, they will be looking. I'm headed for Amaranthine, then to Seheron. You may join me if you wish, and you are able, but you must give me at least a day's head start," Alistair said. Sten was already crawling down the ladder.
"How do I explain Sten?" asked Teagan.
"Well, right now it looks like he escaped. They'll probably think twice before leaving a Q'unari unguarded like that again," Alistair said chuckling. "I'll make sure they believe it was an escape. You just take care of yourself. If they ask about Sten, say you thought you heard something, but you were too busy trying to put the fire out."
Teagan bent down and took Alistair's hand. "Stay well my friend. I will find you when I can."
Alistair reached up and put his hand on the back of Teagan's neck, pulling Teagan's forehead to his. "And you. Remember, if things get too hairy, leave. We will need you if we are to repair this mess when I get back. And I would miss our card games."
"Heh, yes well, that would be sad wouldn't it," Teagan said pulling back. "Farewell Alistair."
Teagan replaced the remaining boards over the hatch and he heard Alistair pull it close. He heard the latch lock and he put a bucket over the spot where the boards came up. Teagan turned around and ran all the way to the front of the castle. He glanced in the chantry as he passed it; the flames already leapt several feet into the air.
Teagan reached the front door panting. He yanked it open screaming at the top of his lungs, "Please, help me! You must come quickly. The King has lost his mind!"
He turned and ran back towards the castle chantry, several templars following him, as well as the Grand Cleric. She had been standing just outside the front door. At the entrance to the chantry, Teagan collapsed and began weeping. He thought of the moment he had heard Lyssa was dead, and in his mind, he pictured watching Alistair light himself on fire over the corpse of his beloved. The tears and grief came easily when he imagined these things. It was not pleasant, but he let himself fall into the thought completely. As his body was wracked with sobs, the Grand Cleric placed her hands on his shoulders and cried out.
"Andraste's mercy! What has he done?"
"I tried to stop him! He had torch fuel! The tapestry... I couldn't smother the flames! Oh Maker why?" Teagan cried.
The Grand Cleric stood and walked slowly to the burning bodies. The flames were belching a thick black smoke, and the wretched smell of it was overpowering. The templars were forming a line and buckets of water were being passed forward. By the time the Grand Cleric got close to what was once a wooden box the first splash of water was being poured on the flames. She stared down in disbelief.
"This can't be happening," she said, tears coming to her eyes, "It..."
She stared at the body of her King.