The rest of the trip to Denerim passed without incident. Once they finally arrived in Denerim, Loghain greeted them but as she expected in went sour very fast. After the exchange of some harsh words Loghain left and she was free to relax in her room for a while. She needed it. The past few days had really taken a toll on her. She laid down on the bed and Max jumped up with her and rested his head on her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
She awoke to someone knocking at the door. She looked out one of the windows at the sun's position. She must have been asleep for a few hours.
"Come in." she yelled. Alistair appeared in the doorway.
"Eamon wants to talk to you. He says its urgent." he said with a worried look.
"What is it?" she asked
"He won't tell me." he replied. Keira quickly got out of the bed and followed Alistair to Eamon's study. He stopped in front of the room and ushered her in then closed the door behind her. Eamon was standing next to an elven woman with black hair. She was the Queen's handmaid and she needed Keira's help saving the Queen from Arl Howe.
"Would Loghain actually kill his own daughter just to frame you?" she asked Eamon.
"He did try to have me poisoned." Eamon pointed out.
"Then we'll help." she sighed.
"Who will you take with you?"
"You have suggestions?"
"The assassin, Leliana, and Wynne." he replied.
"I can agree to those but you have to explain to Alistair why he can't come along." she sighed
"Of course." Eamon said bowing his head. Erlina ran off to the Arl of Denerim's estate and Keira followed her out of the study.
"What did Eamon say?" Alistair said. He'd been leaning up against the wall the waiting for her.
"Why don't you go talk to him yourself and find out." she replied. She felt sick as walked to the guest wing to inform her friends. She hadn't spoken to Zev since the night she yelled at him and she wasn't sure how he was going to take this. She found all of her friends sitting in one room around a small table of wine and food.
"Leliana, Wynne, Zev, we need to go save the Queen." she said standing in the doorway.
"Why the sod do you always take those three?" Oghren asked.
"Because we need to sneak into the Arl of Denerim's castle with out drawing attention to ourselves, which Leliana and Zev are very good at" she replied leaning on the door jamb. "and Wynne we may need just in case Anora is hurt. Morrigan is good at blowing people away or freezing them but she doesn't know healing magic." she pointed out.
"What about the rest of us?" Oghren asked
"Well Eamon wants Alistair to stay here because it could get dangerous, and you, Shale, and Sten would simply stick out like sore thumbs." she replied. Oghren snorted and mumbled something about nug lickers under his breath. Keira rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"We need to leave soon so the three of you need to get ready quickly. I'll meet you at the front doors." she said as she turned and left. She walked down the hall and made a quick stop in her room to pick up her weapons before heading down to the front doors. It didn't take long before her friends appeared. She pushed the big wooden doors open and led her friends to the Arl's estate.
Keira closed her eyes. She really should have seen that one coming. She rescues the queen and how does she repay her? By telling Ser Cauthrien that Keira had kidnapped her. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"I will surrender my arms if you let my companions leave." Keira said keeping her voice level.
"Fine. Loghain only wants you locked up anyway." Ser Cauthrien announced. Keira turned around and looked at her friends.
"You cannot be giving up so easily!" Wynne stated.
"I have too. Ser Cauthrien has more men than we do. Besides if I let our best rogues get captured who will come save us?" Keira said trying to make a joke. None of her companions even smiled. They all gave her harsh looks.
"Just get out of here before she changes her mind and then come find me in Fort Drakon. I think you two can handle that." she said looking at Leliana and Zevran.
"I don't like this, but I promise I will come for you." Zevran said looking in her eyes.
"I know you will, but for now just get back to Eamon and tell him what happened." She stated. She watched as her friends disappeared through the door just behind Cauthrien and her men.
"Throw down your daggers." Cauthrien commanded. Keira reached behind her and unsheathed both daggers and threw them in front of her.
"Now your bow and quiver." She commanded again. Keira quietly complied and threw her bow and quiver on top of her daggers. She looked up at Cauthrien and watched as she nodded to one of her soldiers behind Keira. She stood staring as she heard the man behind unsheathe his weapon and hit her in the back of her head with the pommel of his sword. She remembered thinking that rug under her was softer than expected before she blacked out.