"There must be another option," Elizabeth insisted as she followed Cassandra through the camp, past the requisition table. Cassandra placed a bag on one of their packhorses, securing it tightly with a leather strap. It was dawn, and they were scheduled to leave for Longbourn within the hour. "What if Jane and I go alone?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes. She'd answered Elizabeth's concerns with measured restraint while the five of them had eaten breakfast, but now Elizabeth could tell her patience was wearing thin. "Your fighting skills have improved, but I am not about to let the Herald run off without better protection," she said. "Besides, Leliana will want me to speak with Warden Blackwall personally."
Elizabeth folded her arms. "Fine. Then the three of us can go, and Varric and Solas can head back to Haven," she suggested. She was not particularly eager to see Cassandra interact with her mother, but perhaps it would minimize the damage. There was always an off-chance that the sheer number of titles the Seeker held would shock her mother into silence.
"Solas is our only accomplished healer, and Varric is staying with me until we are able to track down Marianne Hawke," Cassandra said.
"Oh, come on, Seeker," Varric complained, looking up from the pony he was brushing. "I like to at least pretend that I'm here voluntarily. It happens to help me sleep at night." Cassandra ignored him, opening a half-packed sack near her own tent.
Elizabeth ran a hand over her face as she watched the Seeker layer dried meat into the bag. "Okay, what if you go by yourself, and-"
"Elizabeth," Cassandra said, exasperated, as she turned to face her. "I realize that your relationship with your mother is … well, complicated-"
"On the contrary, it sounds rather straightforward," Solas said, sounding amused. Varric barked out a laugh at that.
Cassandra shot them both a glare before returning her gaze to Elizabeth. "-but we will only be there for two nights. I believe we will all survive."
Elizabeth wanted to reply, but she could only let out a frustrated noise as the Seeker turned back to packing.
"I don't get it, Blaze," Varric said as he walked towards her. "You lived there since Ostwick Circle fell, right? Going back for two nights should be easy."
She hesitated, thinking back on some of her mother's more choice rants. Several involving elves came to mind, and she forced herself not to glance at Solas. "Mama has a lot of opinions about… things," she replied. "And I'm also terrified to see how she's reacting to Jane being proclaimed the Herald of Andraste. My father keeps joking that she's trying to marry her off to Duke Gaspard." Elizabeth mouth dropped open as an awful thought struck her. "Maker's breath. I hope he's joking." Then her expression relaxed again. "No, wait. Mama hates Orlesians."
"Right, she's Fereldan, huh?" Varric asked. He shrugged. "I guess I can't blame her for holding a grudge."
"No, it's not because of the occupation," Elizabeth said. "She actually used to love the idea of Orlais. Father is half Orlesian himself, on his mother's side. His second cousin is Duke Bastien de Ghislain, and before I went to the Circle, she'd make us all speak Orlesian at the dinner table. But then Mama tried to use Father's family connection to make a match for Jane at the Orlesian court, and well…" She winced. "She was not very good at the Game."
Varric smiled. "Just for research purposes, which subject would get a bigger reaction from her? The Civil War or growing elven tensions in Halamshiral?" Elizabeth gave him a hard look, and he laughed. "Relax, I was kidding. I'm not going to make you uncomfortable in front of your family. Not on purpose, anyway. You know I have about a hundred stories I can tell instead." He crossed his arms and frowned. "So, uh, completely unrelated question. How does she feel about Kirkwall?"
Elizabeth groaned and looked up at the sky. "This is going to be a disaster."
Once Elizabeth accepted that the Seeker could not be dissuaded from her plan, packing did not take long. There were reports of aggressive bandits to the north, so they ended up on the more southern route, avoiding the Imperial Highway and, more importantly, Redcliffe, much to her relief. With Jane needing the help of a large group of mages, Elizabeth knew that she would most likely be seeing the rebellion sooner or later, but all things considered, 'later' sounded preferable. Her thoughts since the Conclave had become more sympathetic towards the rebellion than they had been previously. However, she still believed that the timing was terrible. Kirkwall was still a smoking ruin, and in the wake of that catastrophe, focusing on templar abuses was a mistake. The Order was only the hand that held the key. It did not create the mages' cells, nor did it have the power to destroy them. That distinction belonged to the Chantry alone.
The southern path was rougher and barely wide enough for two horses, but with the positive feature of being almost entirely devoid of bandits. While Varric scouted and Jane spoke with Solas about his journeys, Elizabeth found herself falling in line with Cassandra. The Seeker did not speak at all, which was fine with Elizabeth. She found herself lost in her own worried thoughts, barely listening to the conversation ahead.
On the morning of the day they were to arrive at Longbourn, Elizabeth pulled aside her sister while the others packed up the campsite.
"Do you think we should warn Solas?" she asked in a low voice.
Jane looked at her blankly. "About what?"
"You know," Elizabeth said. "About Mama." Jane's brow furrowed and Elizabeth fought the urge to roll her eyes. "About Mama and elves ."
"Oh!" Jane exclaimed, placing a hand on her own cheek. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that. You… you don't think she'll say something awful, do you?"
Elizabeth stared at her sister for a moment, wondering briefly what sort of alternate version of their family she'd grown up in. "Of course she'll say something awful, Jane. That's what Mama does."
"I'm sure she won't," Jane replied, not sounding sure at all. Her eyes widened. "Oh! We'll tell her how he saved our lives. Then she wouldn't dare say anything."
Elizabeth snorted. "With spirit magic? That will go over well." Magic was another touchy subject with Lady Trevelyan.
Jane let her hand fall. "Well, Father would stop her before she did anything stupid, wouldn't he?"
"Are you willing to bet on that?" Elizabeth asked. Jane chewed on her lip without replying. "I just think you should talk to him before we arrive."
"If you're so sure, why don't you talk to him about it?"
"Because he doesn't like me," Elizabeth said. "He'll take you more seriously."
Jane gave her sister a look. "You mean you don't like him ."
Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Those aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, you know."
"Well, if you don't like him, why do you even care what she says?" Jane asked.
Elizabeth sighed. "If Mama wanted to insult Solas because he's Solas , she and I would miraculously agree on something," she replied. "But, no, she'll want to insult him because he's an elf. And it's not right, Jane. You know it isn't."
"Lizzie, I just-" Jane began, but her voice trailed off as Varric approached them. They both fell silent.
"Sorry to break up this top secret Trevelyan meeting, but the Seeker says we're ready to go," he said.
"We'll be over in a moment," Elizabeth said. She glanced back at Jane before retreating to her horse. "Just think about saying something, okay?"
That there was no runner at the gate to announce their arrival was the first sign that something might be amiss. Elizabeth and Jane exchanged confused glances; usually their father sent out Doris when visitors were expected. It was unlike him, but Elizabeth thought that perhaps with family he did not want to stand on occasion.
The second was that she counted only four blonde heads coming out the front door to greet them on the gravel. She counted her mother, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia- and no one followed.
"That's strange," she said to Jane under her breath.
"Jane!" Lady Trevelyan cried out cheerfully as they approached. "Oh, I'm so glad to have you safe and home at last."
"Temporarily ," Elizabeth added.
"Of course, of course," her mother replied, sounding a little giddy as she helped her eldest daughter from her horse. She glanced up at her second daughter. "And Lizzie, it's so nice to see you too!" She turned back to Jane. "Oh, dear Jane. We have been in such a state!" She hugged her tightly as Elizabeth and the others descended from their own mounts.
The sisters greeted their family and introduced their companions. Elizabeth made sure to introduce Solas as the healer who saved Jane's life, even though her mother was barely paying attention.
"But Mama," Elizabeth said evenly, after the niceties were over. "Where is Father? He's not ill, is he?"
"Oh, not at all! He's away," Lady Trevelyan said, waving her hand.
"Away where?" Jane asked.
"Visiting," Lady Trevelyan said vaguely. Elizabeth looked at her curiously. It was not like their mother to be reserved.
"He's visiting his cousin," Mary finally said, and the glare that earned her from Lady Trevelyan did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth, who raised her eyebrows.
"He went back to Ostwick?"
"No, no," her mother replied, looking toward the house with a forced casual air. "He's gone to Val Royeaux."
Elizabeth exchanged a shocked look with Jane. "Val Royeaux?" she asked her mother. "You don't mean that he's visiting Duke Bastien, do you?"
"Oh well, yes, I suppose I do!" Her mother twisted her hands. "What does it matter, Lizzie? People visit their cousins all the time!"
"But I thought we didn't acknowledge that side of the family," Elizabeth said.
Lady Trevelyan laughed nervously with a glance at their guests. "'Didn't acknowledge that side'! What a strange sense of humor you have. Why would we not acknowledge our Orlesian cousins? The very idea! Well, then, let me get you all inside. Doris, could you lead our guests' horses to the stables? Oh, perhaps there are a few too many. Could you- Solas was it? Could you help her?"
Solas began to step forward to do so, not realizing what her mother was implying, and Elizabeth stopped him hastily. "Oh, no, allow me," she said to him and her mother. "Mary and I can get the horses. Doris can help you with the guest rooms." She gave her younger sister a significant look, grabbing the reins of two of the horses before her mother could protest. Mary joined her and they began to walk away.
Once they were out of earshot, Elizabeth stepped closer to her sister. "Why is Father visiting Duke Bastien all of a sudden?"
"He didn't tell you in his letters?" Mary asked with some surprise. "Mama is trying to marry Jane off to Duke Gaspard. I mean, Emperor Gaspard." She looked behind them nervously. "Don't call him Duke in front of her."
"Maker's breath," Elizabeth muttered. "I didn't think he was serious! Why would he agree to that ? And why would she want to? I thought Mama hated everything about Orlais!"
"Yes, she did, back when they were all snubbing her," Mary explained. "But Jane is all anyone in Val Royeaux can talk about. We've been getting invitations to these elegant parties, and Mama keeps telling us times have changed." She paused as they reached the stables, tying one of the horse's reins to a post within reach of the trough.
"She hasn't made him any promises, has she?" Elizabeth asked. For a chilling moment, she could only imagine trying to explain to Cassandra and Leliana that her mother had haplessly thrown the Inquisition's support behind the losing faction of the Orlesian civil war.
"No, I don't believe so," Mary said. "Though Father wrote to her that he's bringing a surprise guest with him. Mama is convinced it's Gaspard. She's hoping that they will get here before Jane leaves, but they haven't reached the mountains yet."
"Well, that's a relief. He'll almost certainly miss us then," Elizabeth replied, patting her horse firmly.
The halls of Longbourn were empty when the sisters returned from the stables. Elizabeth went up to her room, dropping her sack in the corner, planning to repack it with better supplies before leaving. It was strange to be back, to see her bedroom so untouched by the events of the past month.
She went to her armoire and opened it, letting her gaze drift over the tunics, robes, and dresses within. Most of them were not fit for substantial travel, let alone fighting. She was on the verge of giving up when her eyes landed on the Circle robes she'd worn when she returned home, which at least had an enchantment for protection, though it was not strong enough to act as armor. She supposed it would be counter-productive for the Chantry to give mages robes that could properly defend them against templars.
She pressed the thin cloth between two fingers, feeling the material. It wasn't exactly made for the outdoors, but perhaps with Harritt's help, she could create some light armor from it. The idea of repurposing something from the Circle for fighting sent a rebellious thrill through Elizabeth's veins, and before she could think better of it, she'd laid the deep blue outfit out on the bed to pack.
A knock at the door made her start. "My lady?" Doris asked from the other side.
"Come in," she replied. Doris entered, carrying two buckets of water, followed by the cook's son, who carried two more. As she watched, confused, they pulled the big washing basin from her wall to the center of the room and began pouring their water in. "Thank you, Doris, but I didn't call for a bath," she said.
"No, but Lady Trevelyan said that you and Lady Jane were to receive baths first thing," Doris replied.
"Of course she did," Elizabeth said. Still, this was one proclivity she could forgive. The streams in the Hinterlands had been icy and far too large for her magic to warm them, making bathing quick and uncomfortable, and the baths at the Circle had been public and awkward. In the time she'd spent living at home, she'd come to appreciate a hot bath. She let them fill up the basin without further complaint.
Doris stood as she finished and nodded at her. "We'll be back with the coals in a moment, my Lady."
"That won't be necessary," Elizabeth replied. She stepped towards the tub and moved her hand over it, casting fire lightly in the steel bottom until the water was steaming and then curling her fingers to kill the spell. The servants exchanged distinctly uncomfortable glances as they left, and Elizabeth felt a little guilty as she barred the door. She was tired of hiding her magic at home, though. The shadow of the Circle's return loomed over her more each day, and it was bringing out a defiant side of herself that she did not even know existed.
After a moment's consideration, she went to her bag and retrieved a handful of dried Elfroot leaves, knowing she could spare that much. Steeping them in the water would relax her muscles, and she also enjoyed their herbal, piney scent. She stirred them in and stripped her clothes. As the scent floated through the room, she stepped gingerly into the tub, letting the steam rise around her. Sliding down and leaning back, she had to admit to herself that this small luxury might be worth the trip to Longbourn, provided that nothing else went wrong.
In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to knock on wood after such a thought.
"Lizzie?" someone said on the other side of her door.
She recognized Mary's voice and frowned. "I'm bathing, Mary."
"Oh, I'm sorry. But..." her sister trailed off and then cleared her throat. "Lizzie, it's Mama."
Elizabeth sighed, sinking further into the warm water. "Can't it wait?"
"I don't think so," Mary replied, nervously. "She, um." There was a pause. "The elf you arrived with. She's… she's put him in the servant's quarters."
Elizabeth froze, gripping the side of the basin. The servant's quarters at Longbourn were abysmal rooms, small and dank and not at all set up for guests. Even Doris and the cook's family lived in two large huts outside the property. "She didn't. "
"I told her that you and Jane would be upset, but she said there wasn't enough room for everyone, and as an apostate, he couldn't be used to much better accommodations." As Mary explained, Elizabeth climbed out of the bath so quickly that at least a bucket's worth of water splashed on the floor.
"Bullshit," Elizabeth growled, grabbing the Circle robes from her bed and tugging them over her head with some difficulty. "What about the attic?" she asked in a muffled voice, the fabric resisting her damp skin.
"Mama is saving it for Father's guest."
"But they're not even here yet!"
"Yes, but you know Mama," Mary replied.
Elizabeth did. Pulling her arms down, she finally won the war against the now damp Circle robes and opened the door.
"Oh!" Mary exclaimed, looking her over.
"Where is she?"
"Last I saw, she was downstairs, by the fireplace. But you're …" Mary choked on the next word, glancing at Elizabeth's chest nervously, "...soaking wet." Elizabeth glanced down, noting that, once damp, the robes did cling to her chest, making it scoop down in the front in a more revealing manner. She pulled at the fabric awkwardly, which actually seemed to make things worse, and then gave up with a huff.
"Maker's breath," she muttered. "Never mind. It's fine." She pushed past Mary and headed for the stairs, hearing Mary whisper something about Andraste and perseverance behind her.
Her mother was indeed at a small writing desk by the fireplace. When Elizabeth stormed into the room, she jumped to her feet.
"Lizzie!" she exclaimed, staring at her in horror. "What in the world are you wearing ? We have strangers in the house!"
Elizabeth crossed her arms, feeling the water drip from her hair. "Did you give Solas a room in the servant's quarters?" she asked.
"I- well, that is-," Lady Trevelyan stuttered. "I gave him the only free room left," she said innocently. "That it happened to be in the servant's quarters-"
"What about the attic?" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, well, we're saving that room for your father's guest," Lady Trevelyan said, her eyes brightening. "I don't suppose Mary told you about-"
"Mama, we'll be long gone by the time they arrive," Elizabeth said. "You can use it for Solas now, and the guest later."
"I know that's the plan ," Lady Trevelyan said, tittering. She sat back at her desk. "But you never know how these things work out, do you? Now, Lizzie, you really should go change-"
"We are only here for two nights . You know that. We were very clear in our letter," she said.
"Well, we don't know when your father is arriving," Lady Trevelyan argued. "It may be before that, or it may be after. Doris might not have enough time-"
Elizabeth squeezed the bridge of her nose and grit her teeth. By her estimation, they'd been at Longbourn for less than an hour, and she already wanted to set the whole damn place on fire. "Fine. Fine," she said tightly, removing her hand. "Solas can have my room. Jane and I will share."
"Have your room!" Lady Trevelyan cried. "A stranger and an elf! I don't think that's appropriate-"
"I don't care what you think," Elizabeth snapped. "And if I even hear Doris whisper that you tried to move him back, I will tell Father about the time you tried to marry me off to the son of a Tevinter magister." Lady Trevelyan closed her mouth tightly, having no response, and Elizabeth spun on her heels, heading towards the servant's quarters.
Solas was seated on a hay mattress on the floor when Elizabeth entered. The tiny room was dusty and cold, and Elizabeth scowled, feeling the weight of her mother's insult anew. He stood as he saw her, his eyes widening as they travelled up her body before he looked away sharply. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her cheeks flush, and reminded herself that he'd healed her chest injury at Haven.
"I apologize," Elizabeth said evenly. "I was in the bath when I was alerted to my mother's… behavior."
"Ah," Solas said simply.
"Gather your things," she said. "I'm bringing you to a new room."
He turned to meet her gaze, pointedly keeping his eyes above her chin. "I appreciate the offer, but there's no need to trouble yourself," he replied. "I am an apostate. I have dealt with much worse conditions than this."
"I don't care if you slept with wild dogs before Haven," Elizabeth replied heatedly. "I'm not going to let Mama treat a member of the Inquisition like this." Solas paused, but after studying her face, he seemed to accept that this was not up for debate. He put the few items he'd unpacked back in his bag and grabbed his staff, following her out of the room.
They climbed to the second floor in silence before Solas spoke. "Your mother told me that there were no other rooms available."
"Well, we had a sudden vacancy," Elizabeth said dryly as they reached her door. She opened it and stepped in, the scent of elfroot swirling out of the still warm bath. Solas looked at the bath and then at her damp hair and robes in surprise.
"This is your room," he realized.
She smiled archly. "Well spotted, Donnen Brennokovic."
His brow drew together in confusion. "But where will you sleep?"
"In Jane's room," she replied. When he began to protest, she shook her head and interrupted. "Honestly, we prefer it that way."
Solas looked at the bath and the bed, then let his gaze drop to the floor. "That is … very generous of you," he said. "Though it is not necessary."
Elizabeth sighed. "Solas, you're a member of the Inquisition. You came to help, knowing what the risks were. I'm a mage, too, you know. I'm not blind to the dangers you've put yourself in." She pushed some of her damp hair away from her face. "I won't let my mother-or anyone else- treat you poorly." It was a slippery slope, one she'd seen play out at the Circle. At first, people allowed minor transgressions to go by without comment, and eventually the offenses became more and more severe. She didn't like Solas, but she had no wish to see him made Tranquil or forced into a Circle.
"How would you stop them?" Solas asked in a rhetorical voice, his eyes still on the ground.
Elizabeth huffed. Of course Solas couldn't let this go without a dig at her magic. "I may not be as powerful as you, but I'm stubborn," she replied. "I'd stop them." Solas looked up, and she was confused when she saw the familiar glint of disapproval in his eyes. She wasn't sure what she'd said wrong, and was about to apologize when he turned away, facing the windows.
"Thank you," he said, softly.
An awkward silence followed. "Well," Elizabeth said. "I suppose I'll let you get settled in." She began to move towards the door. "Oh, feel free to use the bath. I barely got to." Solas continued to look out the windows without replying. She closed the door behind her and exhaled as she leaned against it, wondering how she was supposed to make it through the next two days.