The Scarlett Lady was a well-kept tavern, despite its location near the docks. The owner was respected and had her boys with her to handle any unsavoury patrons. When Marie approached the bar and displayed the hilt of her family's sword the stout woman simply nodded and gestured for Marie to follow. She lead her down the hall to the furthest back room where a soldier with no visible coat of arms stood outside. To Marie's surprise, he didn't ask for her weapons. Anora still trusted her. The guard opened the door for her and she stepped into the large but dimly lit room. Armchairs were scattered around, three finely weaved rugs were thrown across the floor and at the back, sat on a lounger, was Queen Anora Theirin. Her smile when she saw Marie was genuine, if weak. She gestured to one of the chairs closest to her and Marie sat, her back too straight to touch the chair.

"I'm sorry about what happened in Highever, truly I am," Anora began. Marie couldn't meet her eyes.

"Did you know it was going to happen?"

"No! I swear by the Maker, neither my father nor I knew what Howe was planning until it was too late," the Queen insisted, her expression full of horror, "what he did...even to poor Oriana and her boy, I would have strung him up and I know Cailan would have felt the same."

"Yes, he said so when I told him what happened," Marie replied, almost smiling at the memory of Alistair's brother. Anora's gaze turned to her lap.

"I suspected you might have seen him...before he..." she murmured, "how was he?"

"Bright, optimistic, naive," Marie confessed and Anora smiled sadly.

"The usual Cailan," she whispered. Marie allowed the Queen's thoughts to linger on her late husband for a little while but the questions she wanted to ask could not be quelled.

"If you knew the truth, why wasn't Howe punished?"

"I told father I wanted him hanged...but Howe has him convinced they were plotting with Cailan to give Ferelden back to Orlais...given your father's open support of wider trade with them it didn't take long to persuade mine that Bryce was committing treason," Anora explained.

"My father was no traitor! Highever is a port town, of course he would push for stronger trade links!" Marie cried. Anora help up her hands in surrender.

"I know that, Marie, I know that neither Bryce nor Eleanor would have ever betrayed the crown but my father...I think..." Anora was visibly struggling to hide her emotions, "...I think my father is going mad...he is obsessed with Orlais, he sits awake all night in his study looking at maps, trying to predict where they'll strike...he thinks the Grey Wardens are supporting them...and all the while Howe is manipulating him, whispering poisonous words into his ear..." Marie's hatred of the man seemed to grow with every word she heard spoken about him but his final goal still eluded her. Anora predicted her thoughts, just like she used to.

"He wants the Howe family on the throne," Anora spoke with both hatred and fear, "I think he's going to try and prove my father mad, then with the Couslands and the Guerrins gone, his family have the strongest claim to the throne."

"The Landsmeet will see he is responsible-"

"How can we be sure? If things continue like this my father truly will turn mad and then Howe will be able to blame every tragedy on him...your family's massacre, Eamon's murder, Cailan's death..."

"And did Loghain kill Cailan?" Marie had to ask, even if it caused the Queen pain.

"He was deceived by Howe's lechery and aided by Cailan's foolishness...but he gave the order to retreat," Anora finally admitted, "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him for that." Marie surprised herself with the sudden urge to comfort the Queen, even if it meant defending the man who had spent the last few months hunting her down.

"...it might have done no good," she began and Anora looked at her with confusion, "to charge at that time, there were darkspawn in the tower...I don't know how long it took to light the beacon..." she admitted, unwilling to add anymore.

"Marie, the Orlesians ruined his life, they held him down and made him watch as they raped and murdered his mother..." Anora whispered and Marie couldn't help wincing. She knew Loghain had suffered before joining the rebellion, she never knew exactly how much.

"What would you have done if it had been Eleanor, would you have ever trusted them again?" the Queen asked. Marie eventually shook her head. As much as she wanted to hate Loghain and everything he stood for, she knew that with his memories she would feel the same. Finally allowing herself to slump back in her chair, Marie released a sigh of frustration.

"My first concern has to be the Blight," she told the Queen.

"Which is why you've been gathering mages and dwarves, amongst others?" Marie looked up in surprise and Anora gave a weak smile.

"Cailan found Grey Warden history fascinating, what little he found out he would tell me about, including the treaties," the Queen explained, "luckily such things seem to be beneath Howe's notice at present." Anora stood and walked over to a curtained window.

"I don't know who at court I can still trust except a small few, Alfstana is loyal to both of us, Bryland has also spoken out for you, hardly surprising as his uncle was a warden...the others, I just don't know...if only Bann Teag-"

"Do you know where he is?" Marie asked desperately, "or Fergus?" Anora shook her head.

"I wish I did, Teagan was missing even before Eamon's death and Fergus has not been seen since he went scouting in the wilds," Anora replied with a sigh. When the candlelight caught her face Marie could see all the weary lines on Anora's eyes. All of this had aged the Queen and in that moment Marie's heart genuinely ached for her old friend. Anora's words echoed her own feelings.

"What I would give to go back to the old days, when you and I were just the daughters of Teyrns and all we had to worry about was who our fathers would marry us to..." the Queen murmured. Marie smiled and shook her head.

"As if it wasn't sewn up with you and Cailan before you were born." The Queen's eyes flooded with pain as she turned back to the window.

"We should have been so suited to each other...he had the heart and the optimism, I had the brain...if only I hadn't been so focused on becoming a Queen instead of becoming a wife and a mother, he wouldn't have needed to consider Celene, he wouldn't have taken all those other women..."

"None of them bore children, Anora," Marie stood and came to her friend at the window, "you can't blame yourself for the situation you were left in."

"But I could have taken a stand, been a Queen, instead of letting Howe take the throne from underneath me," the Queen quietly berated herself, "I failed Cailan, I failed you, all of Ferelden." When she paused, Marie gently took her hand.

"There's still time to put it right, you work from the inside and I will bring the rest of the country together against the Blight."

"The Wardens are lucky to have you," Anora told her old friend.

"I'm not fighting for the wardens, I'm fighting for Ferelden. "

...

Many questions were asked at camp, the answers not as intriguing as some companions might have hoped. Anora had agreed to support their actions against the Blight and Howe, even with Alistair in the picture. As the others began to retreat to their beds and Shale began her watch, the two wardens sat close by the fire.

"I can't just forgive Loghain for what he did," the blonde warden told his companion.

"None of us can...but things aren't as black and white as we thought," Marie replied.

"I'll happily slit Howe's throat for you," Alistair offered and Marie gave him a dark smile.

"Thank you but no, i want that pleasure all for myself," she replied, "I want to stick my dagger in his throat and watch him choke on his own blood." It made her wonder what kind of woman she had turned into but she knew she meant every word. Howe would die horrifically at her hand. She didn't know when it would happen but it was a certainty. Alistair didn't look concerned. He understood.

"May I make a request, my dear, as to our next move?" Wynne asked as she sat beside the wardens. Marie hadn't known the mage was still awake and wondered if she had overheard the young Cousland's dark words. She gestured for Wynne to continue.

"The Tower will undoubtedly be affected by everything that has happened, I would like to speak to Irving and Gregoir as to where we stand," she requested.

"Howe holds Redcliffe and Highever, he'll have men near the tower," Alistair pointed out.

"Anora said he's spread himself too thin, each stronghold of Howe's only has the minimum garrison, he won't have the men for patrols that far from his borders,," Marie responded and when both companions nodded in agreement, she continued, "It's settled then, we go back to the tower, it will be good to see how ready the mages are to aid us against the blight."

...

The restoration of the tower was proceeding faster than Marie expected. Surprisingly, the templars were being lenient with the use of magic in repairs. Marie had thought the recent use of blood magic would have put them more on edge. Perhaps Gregoir was a more calming influence on his knights than she had initially assumed.

"Wynne!" One of the younger mages greeted and embraced their lady companion. Wynne smiled and examined their surroundings. The hall was certainly in a better state than it had been.

"Petra, it's good to see you," the older mage spoke softly, "how are the children doing?"

"As well as they can be, considering the circumstances," the redhead answered and Marie noted the tired lines on her young face. Just from looking around the entrance she could see that, though restoration was well underway, the nightmares from the waking hours still kept many from sleep. A nervous glance here and there, the slight jolt whenever shoulders touched. It would be many years before they could truly feel safe again. Marie felt an aching sympathy for them at that thought, to be terrified of yourself and what you were capable of was to live constantly in a cage of your own making.

"As you're staying overnight, I'll show you to your quarters," Petra gestured for the group to follow. Wynne went first, followed by Marie. Leliana accompanied them, she had not been with them when they had liberated the tower and was curious as to the aftermath. When the rooms were offered, the bard insisted on sharing with her warden friend. After freshening up they began to walk towards the library. Upon entering the ancient room they were greeted with smiles from the young scholars who were busy taking inventory. One face, however, caused Wynne's relieved expression to turn into disbelief.

"...Solona?"

...

Can't believe how long it's been since I updated. No much action in this chapter but at least we finally meet Solona Amell. Look out on my profile for her origin story 'Revolution: Blood Ties' coming soon. If you review then the next chapter will be here faster!