Ghislaine and Leliana exchanged glances and struggled to contain their mirth. Maebh crossed her arms and scowled. "What?"
"Oh!" yelped Ghislaine. "Nothing! We were just... unaware that you were …" she stifled a giggle. "Entertaining a visitor."
Maebh stepped aside and admitted them to the room with as much dignity as she could muster. She decided to just ignore the mussed state of her hair, her clothes, and the bed. "Well, what's done is done. Come, help me get dressed for the ball. And Leliana, I did not know you had arrived!"
"Just last night," Leliana informed her, helping Ghislaine to take Maebh's ball gown out of the closet. "The snows have already started, I had to add an extra two weeks to my journey to ensure that I would arrive here in time. In fact, I would have been here earlier in the week but was delayed by a sudden squall."
"So you got here just in time to witness my humiliation at the hands of the dwarven king," Maebh acknowledged bitterly as she began to strip off her undergarments and pull on fresh ones.
"That was most unfortunate." Leliana frowned, laying the gown out.
"Tell me, was there ever a good reason to crown him? Or was it just the lyrium talking?"
"What an ass," Ghislaine said angrily, nearly tearing the seam as she unlaced it. "Why would he do such a thing?"
Maebh shrugged and held out her arms to be dressed. "He probably did think it was a compliment. As for why he thought it was an appropriate thing to bring up during a diplomatic feast I'll never know."
Leliana's frown deepened. "I may have some information which will help illuminate that point." She and Ghislaine carefully raised the gown over Maebh's head. "This morning, Empress Celene invited King Bhelen to break fast with her. From what I understand, during their meeting she spoke a great deal about Alistair's modernizing influence on the country. Your name, in particular, came up as a possible reason for this progressive movement."
"Mon Créateur," groaned Ghislaine. "She had intended for something like that to happen! But why?"
Maebh shook her head. "Because she's still trying to orchestrate landing herself a Theirin husband. So any wedges she can lodge into the marriage of Alistair and Nora are to her advantage. ."
Even Leliana looked surprised at this. "How could you know such a thing?" she questioned.
"Because she was playing the same game with Cailan before he died." Maebh chewed a nail until Leliana pushed her hand away from her mouth. "He never actually told me this, of course. I learned of it through correspondence I found after his death."
"Does the queen know?" Leliana asked as she tightened the laces on Maebh's bodice. "She seems genuinely fond of the Empress."
It was Maebh's turn to laugh. "Well, I know I haven't told her. But don't worry, no child of my father would honestly consider the Orlesian monarch a friend. And speaking of Orlesian friends, may I apologize for Renaud's behavior? I honestly don't know what came over him. He's usually so polite..."
Ghislaine and Leliana exchanged glances again. "You do not know," Ghislaine said softly, "about his history?"
Maebh stopped and thought. "I know he's from a town called Churneau, his father died when he was young and his mother remarried. Oh, and that he was training to be a chevalier before he joined the Wardens."
"That is all true," Leliana conceded as she fetched a brush and hairpins from the vanity. "But there is more to the story. Renaud's mother did not just remarry, she remarried one of the most powerful nobles in all of Orlais: Marmion de Montgast."
Ghislaine nodded solemnly. "They say he is second only to the Empress herself in riches and influence."
"He's never really said much of anything about his stepfather," Maebh said, carefully seating herself at the vanity. Nervously, she arranged her skirts and eyed herself in the mirror before reaching for a brush to begin working out the knots in her hair. "I wonder why that is?"
Leliana sighed and took the brush away. "Your hair is not a darkspawn, you don't need to attack it. That's how it becomes raggedy." Gently, she began to brush Maebh's hair. "Let me ask you something, Maebh. You've never really shared much of anything about what your life was like in the Tower. Why is that?"
"It just..." her mind shied away from the memory. The isolation, the confinement, the constant fear. "It just never came up."
"It never came up because you don't like to talk about it," Leliana chided. "You don't like to talk about it because it was a miserable period of your life and it is painful to discuss. That is what Renaud's life was like with his stepfather."
"Hm," Maebh began to gnaw on a fingernail as the pieces fell into place. "I guess that makes sense."
"Enfant insolent," Ghislaine tutted, pulling her hand away. "I know, I shall lacquer your nails. And they will be so beautiful that you will not chew on them anymore!"
"You'll... wait, what?" Maebh asked, baffled.
"Un moment!" she trilled happily, skipping toward to the door. "I must go fetch it!"
Leliana continued quietly brushing her hair until Ghislaine had left. "I must confess, I omitted some details."
"What sort of details?" Maebh asked as she sorted through the jewelry Anora had lent her for the week. Maebh had briefly considered wearing the moonstone set, but then remembered that she had received both pieces as gifts during adulterous affairs with Anora's husbands. To wear them at an event hosted by her sister seemed wholly uncooth.
Leliana glanced at the door one last time before continuing. "About Renaud's past. I did not know if Ghislaine knew the whole story, and did not want to divulge such things in her presence without his knowledge."
"But," Maebh tried to turn to look at her, but Leliana pushed her to face straight. "Why tell me, then?"
"You are lovers, are you not?" Leliana said matter-of-factly. "It seems the sort of think you should be aware of."
Maebh blushed. "Well... uh, yes. I suppose we are."
"What I wanted to tell you is how he came to be a Warden. You see," Leliana took a dab of hair oil and began to work it through Maebh's tresses. "His stepfather had arranged a marriage between Renaud and one of the Empress' cousins. Everybody agreed it would be an excellent match. Aurélie was so very beautiful and good-natured and kind, and Renaud is so very handsome and quick-witted and generous. And, by all accounts, the two got along very well. All were pleased."
"What happened?" Maebh asked as Leliana began to plait her hair. "She didn't die, did she?"
"Oh, no." Leliana assured her. "In fact, Aurélie is alive and well and living in Val Royeaux still. No, what happened was Renaud met a poor girl who sold flowers outside the Chantry, named Dielle. He was purchasing flowers to decorate his father's grave when she was attacked by some wretches who wished to steal her meager earnings, and perhaps do her even greater injury."
"He wouldn't be the first to marry a woman he didn't love for political reasons," Maebh pointed out as she handed Leliana a jeweled hairpin.
"That is true. However, this was no mere infatuation. In the course of a few weeks he fell madly, deeply in love with Dielle. And she with him. They could not bear to be apart, not for the Empress, not for his stepfather, not for anything." Leliana secured the plait and began on another.
"So what did they do?" Maebh asked, wondering if Leliana ever told tales of her own star-crossed love.
"Renaud determined that the one thing keeping them apart was his status and the wealth he stood to inherit. He also determined that the best way to lose both that would not disgrace his family or leave him unable to wed his love would be to join the Grey Wardens."
"Oh, Maker, don't tell me she's dead," Maebh said, feeling slightly ill.
"No, she's not dead, either," Leliana laughed. "Maebh, not every story ends in a pile of dead bodies."
"Humph," Maebh frowned. "Most of the ones I know do."
"Anyway," Leliana continued. "Renaud escaped from his stepfather's estate and made his way to the Warden headquarters in Val Royeaux. They considered it odd that this privileged young man would be so desperate to join their ranks so quickly, but as you Wardens are a practical folk they decided to not ask too many questions and welcomed him as a brother. As soon as he was able, he went back to the Chantry to find his beloved Dielle."
"Was she there?" Maebh set aside a garnet ring and earrings to match.
"Yes. And when he told her what she had done, she began to laugh in triumph. You see, Dielle was not a flower-seller at all. She was a bard who had been sent to seduce Renaud in order to break up his betrothal to Aurélie. The plan was merely to reveal their affair in a public way in order to disgrace him. The fact that he made himself ineligible for any noble match was a coup she did not anticipate."
Leliana pinned the second plait.
Maebh sighed. "How awful."
Leliana nodded. "He returned to the Wardens, utterly broken-hearted. They offered him purpose and freedom such as he had not known in his stepfather's house. He threw himself into his work, and it is widely known that he has not taken a lover since. Well, until you, I suppose," she smiled mischievously. "Although that part is not so widely known yet."
Maebh rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't tack on a 'Happily Ever After' to that story just yet. It may still end in the piles of dead bodies if my father ever finds out." She pulled out a few garnet necklaces and tried to determine which would suit her attire best. "Is this why he doesn't like bards?"
Leliana finished with the final plait. "Possibly. I cannot say for sure. I have heard, however, that he has no such disdain for assassins," she pointed to the necklace on the left.
"I suppose they are more straight-forward," Maebh conceded as Ghislaine returned with the lacquer.
It took what felt like ages but was probably closer to half an hour, but eventually Leliana and Ghislaine stepped back and eyed her critically. "Hm," Leliana mused. "Passable enough."
"I just wish I had thought to start the warmed oil treatment on her hair weeks ago," Ghislaine fretted.
Maebh scowled. "You are both aware of the fact that I am not some kind of Orlesian show dog, correct?"
"Tell us what you think," Leliana pulled her over to the full-length mirror.
The woman who looked back at her from the mirror was almost unrecognizable. Her hair shone in the firelight like finely polished ebony, braided in a style similar to Anora's customary double-buns but much more elaborate, with jeweled pins winking from here and there. Two garnet and silver earrings dangled from her ears, accentuating her neck and making it seem graceful instead of skinny. Her skin was porcelain smooth, an effect helped by some lotions Ghislaine had insisted she use for the last several weeks. A matching garnet pendant hung so low it was nearly between her breasts, and seemed to glow like a beating heart.
The neckline of the bodice was so flattering that if Maebh didn't know better, she would assume that something had been added to her undergarments to make her appear more voluptuous. It was sprinkled with gems that gathered at the center and thinned as it skimmed her bust line to the shoulders, which were trimmed with rich fur that had been dyed scarlet.
The gown was made of fine silk that draped in a way that made her look elegant and curvaceous all at once. It skimmed her body to approximately the knee, where it flared out into a train that Anora assured her was all the rage in Orlais, though it had seemed imminently impractical to Maebh when she had been fitted for it. She turned slightly to see just how long the silly thing was when she noticed how low it was cut in the back, revealing her scars, and how flatteringly the gown hugged her bottom. "Oh, my," she said feeling a bit dizzy.
"The Empress will have quite a hard time catching the King's attention after you appear, Commander," Ghislaine giggled.
Maebh rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he will have no eyes for anybody but his honored wife, my loving sister," she said primly. "Besides, Anora had a gown made for herself out of ice blue silk that is at least as becoming on her as this one is on me."
"Ah," sighed Leliana. "Mac Tir's Beautiful Daughters! The story almost writes itself. But wait!" she snapped her fingers. "One last item." She went to the wardrobe and fished out a length of rosy silk gauze. "Here, wrap this around yourself like so," she explained, draping the fabric across Maebh's elbows so that it hung low across her back. "In case you get cold."
Maebh looked at Leliana, skeptical. "I hardly think this will keep me warm."
"Non, non, stupide," Ghislaine teased. "It is to draw attention to your... assets."
"Is there any asset I have to which this gown is not drawing attention, if not making up out of whole cloth?" Maebh demanded, feeling uncomfortable already in the coming appraisal of the guests.
"Commander, you have earned that derriere, walking from one end of this country to the other." Ghislaine lifted her chin defiantly. "There is no shame in being proud of such a trait."
"If you say so," Maebh said, not convinced. "Come, let me help you two get ready."
"Oh, no, Maebh," Leliana said, spritzing her lightly with perfume. "You go on ahead. Ghislaine and I will be along shortly."
"But-" she tried to protest, waving the rose and bergamot-scented mist from her face.
"No," Leliana interrupted her and began leading her towards the door. "Our attire is not nearly so elaborate, and we are much more familiar with dressing for such events. Besides, you must mingle with the other guests! Go on now."
"I don't want—" she tried again, trying to resist Leliana's push at her elbow.
"And that is why you must," Leliana said calmly, cutting off her protests yet again. "Off you go!" With that, Leliana firmly shoved her out the door, taking care to not wrinkle the gown.
Maebh tried to walk quickly to the Landsmeet Chamber. The ball had not yet truly begun, but perhaps they were already serving wine. Her hurried steps lead her to discover that the slit on the right side of the skirt that was so high it nearly exposed her hip. She desperately wished to clutch it closed, but that would only wrinkle the dress and earn her even more of Anora's wrath. She gritted her teeth and endured.
Renaud was seated on a bench right outside the chamber, using a length of rope to play tug-of-war with Sal. He looked up as she approached, and was nearly pulled off-balance when Sal took advantage of his distraction and yanked.
He managed to catch himself before he fell, appearing oddly graceful even while being pulled off balance. Maebh laughed behind her hand, trying to keep her composure. "Your roguish reflexes have their advantages, do they not?" she quipped, arching an eyebrow.
"Mon belle, at this moment simply being able to see feels like all the advantage one could ever hope to possess," he replied, bowing gallantly and kissing her knuckles.
She was tempted to bite her lip, but remembered the stain that had been so carefully applied by Ghislaine and opted to let her giggle escape. "You clean up well yourself, you know," she informed him. A grin lit up his face as he stood straight, allowing her to take in what he was wearing.
His attire was not like what the nobility of Ferelden typically wore when not in armor. Instead of loose-fitting striped pants and a multi-colored vest, Renaud was dressed all in black. He wore a long black velvet jerkin over black, tight-fitting wool trousers tucked into knee-high black leather boots. Under the jerkin, which was embroidered with the Grey Warden crest in silver on the left side, he wore a white linen shirt with an elaborate jabot and cuffs. He had recently shaved, and his hair had been combed in such a way as to make it look as though it just naturally fell in a thick wave to the side.
"So you will be escorting me, yes?" Maebh asked.
He nodded. "I would rather we continue the discourse we had begun earlier," he said in a perfectly neutral tone which would not attract the interest of anyone overhearing their conversation. "However, we must do our duty."
Maebh took a deep breath, and tried to quell the fire in her belly that flared at the thoughts his words inspired. "No sense wasting any more time," she said grimly and took Renaud's offered elbow.
The Landsmeet Chamber had been utterly transformed. The palace staff had done an excellent job of erasing the room's utilitarian, and often rather bloody, daily purpose. Soft blue and gold banners draped the walls, accented by glittering garlands and glowing oil lamps. A string quartet was playing on the far side of the room, but the dancing had not yet begun in earnest.
Maebh tried to continue into the chamber, but Renaud held her back. "We must be announced," he murmured.
"Annou—what?" she asked.
Before he could answer, a liveried servant pounded the butt end of his elaborate, decorative staff on the floor and declared in a booming voice, "Warden-Commander Maebh Mac Tir, escorted by Warden Renaud de Montgast!"
She could feel Renaud tense as the entire assembly turned to gawk. It was all she could do to not simply turn around and run out of the room. He began to curse under his breath.
"What is it?" she murmured as they progressed into the room, smiling and nodding.
"That is not my name," he said tersely. "De Montgast is the family name of my stepfather. I have always kept my father's name, de Blassenville."
He led her to her father. "Brother," he nodded at Loghain.
"Commander," Loghain nodded to Maebh.
"If you'll forgive me." With that Renaud turned and stalked off, shoulders tight with anger.
"What inspired that?" Loghain asked, amused, as he took a sip from his wine goblet.
"I have no idea." Maebh shrugged, tugging the silk gauze back up to her elbows. "How come you're not wearing your armor?" It was strange to see Loghain in the Landsmeet Chamber while wearing the brightly-colored finery normally seen on the other Banns. He seemed smaller and less important without his gleaming plate.
He scowled. "Anora said there was to be no armor or weapons at the ball."
Maebh looked around and realized he was right. Not a single guest was bearing arms or armor. "How odd," she said.
He snorted. "It's more civilized she said. We'll see how civilized it is when an assassin shows up or Fergus takes offense at something Alfstanna says or anything else that can go wrong at these ridiculous things."
Maebh accepted a goblet of wine from another liveried servant. "Maybe it won't come to that. Maybe dressing like civilized people has a civilizing effect."
He looked at her skeptically. "Like your foppish friend? Yes, he appears to be quite civilized," he remarked as he gestured over her shoulder.
She turned to see Renaud arguing heatedly with one of the Empress' entourage. "He was insulted about the way we were introduced. He said they used his stepfather's family name."
"You mean he's not truly the spawn of de Montgast?" Loghain actually sounded impressed. "A point in his favor. De Montgast is a pig. Out of curiosity, what did he say he want to be introduced as?"
"De Blassenville," Maebh said, nodding at a northern bann whose name she could not recall.
Loghain frowned and shook his head. "Don't know it. Another point in his favor, that means his family wasn't involved enough in the occupation to become known to me."
"Father, do my ears deceive me? Or are you actually warming to him after all? We shall make a Warden of you yet," Maebh said, smiling.
"Don't count on it," he glowered. "You look nice."
She was taken aback. Unless her memory failed her, she could not recall another time when her father complimented her appearance. "T-Thank you. Anora picked it out."
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a troop of Riviani fire dancers. Maebh looked at Loghain and tilted her head towards a secluded alcove. "I need to tell you something," she said quietly, and turned to lead him.
When she was satisfied that nobody was paying attention to them, she turned to face him. "Leliana told me that Bhelen thought what he said at the feast was a compliment."
Loghain shook his head. "Not even Bhelen is that dense."
"Maybe not under normal circumstances, but when the Empress had been extolling the virtues of our 'progressive lifestyle' to him at breakfast, she may have planted that seed. She's trying to cause problems for Nora."
He stroked his chin. "It does appear that way. Not that you're helping that any."
Her temper flared. "For your information, even though I firmly believe it's none of your business, I have not... been with him in over half a year. And we officially ended things last night. You can't blame these things on me anymore. If they're having problems, they may just have an unhappy marriage all on their own." She crossed her arms and scowled.
"Maybe, I do not 'blame' you for anything." Loghain drank deeply. "I blame the Empress. And, to a slightly lesser extent, Eamon."
"Eamon," Maebh growled, temper increasing. "He and I have much to discuss." Nodding smartly, she turned and set off to find the treacherous Chancellor.
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A/N: Betaed by the marvelous LotheringRose, whom I finally drove to drink. Yes, yes I know. Two updates in less than a month. What is this world coming to?
Orelsian translations:
Mon Créateur: My Maker
Enfant insolent: Insolent child
Non, non, stupide: no, no stupid
derriere: backside
Mon belle: my beautiful