Chapter 3 already? I am impressed at myself xD I vaaaaaaaguely know where this is heading now, and I expect it to be much much longer than Last Rites... The world without an Anders is a strange one...
Warning: Hawke is going to be a strange and complex beast... Which I often struggle to write. Hopefully it goes well... xD
SO much love to everyone's who's favourited this already, you lot keep me going!
Picking Up The Pieces Chapter 3
Sebastian was reeling from the revelation about Kirkwall's viscount. Hawke seemed far too relaxed than he, as they went through the motions of diplomacy between the two cities.
They were finally left alone for their evening meal, a fine spread of sweet meats and fresh produce that could probably feed the whole of Dark Town for a week. Sebastian had devoted a great deal of time in Starkhaven attempting to rid the city state of its poverty. As far as he'd seen, Hawke had done no such thing in Kirkwall.
"Hawke..." Sebastian began tentatively, staring across at the other man.
"Sebastian." Hawke raised an eyebrow and seemed almost mocking in his tone.
"Why did you not say in your invitation that you had become viscount?" It was a simple enough question, and Sebastian was careful to keep the accusations out of his voice, but he was finding it difficult to separate this Hawke from the one he had fought with his last night in Kirkwall.
"Sebastian... I wanted to make sure you'd come. I know we did not part on the best terms those years ago, but we were good friends once." He gave Sebastian a look. "I have missed you."
There was no argument for that, and once again Sebastian felt a sharp stab of guilt. He had been so very selfish. Yes he and Hawke had their disagreement, but he had fled and left Hawke to pick up the pieces. Hawke had lost someone he loved, and there was no excuse now for how Sebastian had responded.
"I... I'm sorry Hawke..." He said quietly.
Hawke smiled. "Think no more of it. Things have changed now, we will move forward." His eyes moved over Sebastian's wrist, and the prince suppressed a shudder as Hawke saw the leather band, still there after all those years. There was a steely glint in his eyes, and Sebastian moved quickly to get away from any potentially awkward conversations that would come with it.
Sebastian raised his glass to Hawke. "To you then Hawke, and your esteemed position. You have yet to tell me the story of how you achieved it!"
"Then I shall tell you now! Do you remember Knight-Commander Meredith?"
As Hawke began to recount the tale of how he became viscount and vanquished the mad Knight-Commander, Sebastian tried to push other thoughts out of his mind. Despite his apology and supposed rekindled friendship with Hawke, he simply could not shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right...
As night fell Sebastian left Hawke at his office ("Got some things I've got to take care of here.") and was greeted by a small group of guards to escort him to the house in High Town he had been given as lodgings.
"Sebastian." Aveline was among them, her face grave.
"Aveline. You don't have to accompany me; I am more than familiar with High Town!" Sebastian rolled his eyes at the pomp and ceremony of it all.
"You haven't been in the city for 3 years Sebastian. You will need a guard if you don't wish to get killed." She replied curtly, motioning for her guards to follow at a small distance to give them some privacy. "I was trying to tell you earlier. Things are not the same here."
Sebastian frowned. "You never told me what had happened to the others. Hawke was too busy telling me of his epic battle with Meredith to tell me."
"Isabela and Merrill have gone. After Anders... he started sleeping with Merrill, then Isabela too. Hawke has changed. He could always be rude, but now he's malicious. When Merrill found out that he was being unfaithful she was heartbroken... Isabela was just angry. She finally found that ship she wanted, she took Merrill with her and no one's seen them since."
To say he was surprised was an understatement. "But Hawke... he loved Anders!"
Aveline raised an eyebrow. "Don't even think about saying it was because he was grieving or anything like that. Maybe for the first month or so, but after a year you've got to get your act together or you're just damaging the people who care about you."
"But..." He started.
"No Sebastian." She held up a plated hand. "I lost my husband to the Blight. I did not become a selfish prig because of it. Whatever this is, it's more than grief."
Sebastian nodded. "But... It just seems so out of character for him."
"Perhaps it was always his character. Perhaps Anders was all that was holding that back. Or maybe we just never saw it because we were too busy focussing on that apostate who wouldn't shut up about mage rights..." Aveline looked sad and regretful; she missed her friends it seemed.
Sebastian moved the conversation on. "What about Varric? And Fenris? What of them?"
"I haven't seen Varric in months. He still lives at the Hanged Man, but he's dived into his work with the Merchants Guild and no one see's much of him now. He and Hawke don't get along anymore." There was probably a story behind that... Sebastian hoped he'd be able to see Varric to get it, it was clear Aveline was in no mood to tell it.
"And Fenris? Fenris seems to be the only one out of all of us who thinks that Hawke is still a super nice guy." She sighed and shrugged. "Maybe it's his warped sense of loyalty. All I know if it wasn't for my guards and my family, I wouldn't still be in Kirkwall. The place is a mess."
Sebastian chewed his bottom lip. He KNEW something hadn't felt right. "I'm starting to wonder why he's invited me here in the first place."
They'd reached the door of Sebastian's temporary lodgings. It was one of the nicer Kirkwall houses, his attendants from Starkhaven already inside awaiting his return. They stood facing each other, and Sebastian saw the sadness etched on Aveline's face that he hadn't seen at first. She was tied to a city she wanted to leave, it couldn't be easy.
"All I will say is this, be careful Sebastian. Things aren't the same." She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze and he smiled at her.
"Thank you Aveline. I shall see you tomorrow?" He was hopeful. Aveline had been the best thing about returning so far.
"Hanged Man in the evening? It's the only time I can spare. We might even catch Varric."
"I'll be there." He waved his goodbyes as the red head turned and signalled to her guardsmen to head back to the Keep.
That night he found it difficult to sleep, he felt uneasy being in this borrowed house. He felt uneasy being back in Kirkwall in general, what Aveline had said about Hawke did not help. He wanted answers, yet he would not be able to confront Hawke without him knowing that Aveline had said something to him. He was not willing to risk Aveline's job over this. Not yet.
Tomorrow he was free to do as he pleased until the evening, he had planned to visit the Chantry and see the Grand Cleric again. Now, at the reminder of his old friends, he wanted to see if he could see Fenris again.
The last time he had seen the white haired elf was when he'd threatened him at the tavern, just after Anders. He had regretted never apologising for what had happened, and now was better than never.
His exhaustion eventually caught up with him, and he fell asleep with his hand on the leather band that kept him grounded while everything else seemed to be up in the air, waiting to come crashing down.