Author Note: Helloooo, my little songbirds, to Chapter 2 of my crossover fic. First and foremost, I want to express my utmost gratitude to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favourited. I love all of you! Not naming any names, of course. *Cough* Phantasmatis Rubramentum *Cough* ^-^

And now, sur avec le spectacle commence!

Viola stirred and mumbled in her sleep. I glanced at her and watched as she batted her nose.

"Humph," I said to myself. She really was the oddest of creatures. She mumbled a lot in her sleep. Most was incoherent ramblings but I could some snatch of intelligible conversation. She spoke of forbidden cravings and what she called 'red-drink'. and when I cared enough to lean closer, I heard her mutter the same name over and over breathlessly. Vicente, Vicente, Vicente.

Viola, without warning, shot up in bed, hands reaching for her double-ended dagger. She waved it wildly in front of her, eyes shining luridly as a vicious snarl uncoiled itself from her throat. I disguised my slightly alarm beneath a composed mask. In all honesty, I still couldn't believe that she was even capable of speech. Not that she seemed dumb, not at all, but she reminded me of some endangered beast. She was like the Halla the Dalish revered. She was as wild as the wind and as timid as a rabbit. She made me remember a beautiful flower I'd once come across in the Wilds. It was a striking violet colour with a black stem and white at the edges of the petals. It was beautiful, but you couldn't touch it. Razor-sharp thorns jutted out defensively from the stem. She reminded me of that; she was beautiful to look at, only there was no getting close to her.

"Oh, you're awake. I'm glad. I thought you might not wake up," I admitted.

Viola narrowed her eyes at me and didn't lower her weapon. She kept it pointed at my throat and I was reluctant to move. I reckoned I could chop her arm with the side of my hand before she had a chance to move, making her drop her weapon. The only problem was that I didn't know how fast she was. She was an assassin so, presumably, she'd be a master of stealth and speed. In the end, it only mattered if her speed was more important than my strength or vice versa.

I decided to take my chances and try and defuse the situation with friendly conversation before it spiralled into violence which would only lead to either my death or Viola's.

"There's some porridge on the windowsill if you want some," I said, waving a hand casually towards it. I watched triumphantly out of the corner of my eye as she lowered her dagger and sniffed the air experimentally. "It's got brown sugar on," I added.

She walked gingerly towards the bowl, rolling her shoulders and rubbing the back of her neck as if it was sore. She didn't seem to notice that she was only wearing her small clothes. Either that, or she didn't care. She stirred the porridge tentatively and I had to bite back a laugh at her weary expression. She shot me a filthy look and I sobered immediately.

"Ú-aníron den," she said. I cocked my head to one side. I was fluent in elvish here, in Ferelden, but I knew nothing of the elven language in Tamriel. At my puzzled expression, Viola sighed and shook her head, muttering under her breath to herself. "It means I don't want it," she explained.

"Ah," I said. "And why is that?"

She folded her arms with an irritated expression and furrowed her brow as deeply as she could which only succeeded in making me want to laugh again.

"I do not trust you," she stated, a little plaintively.

"Viola, I paid the most experienced healers in Denerim to come and make sure you were well. You were in quite a bad state of affairs when I got you. The guard had been particularly ruthless to your face."

I handed her a silver mirror and she held it up to her face after a moments hesitation. I felt bad when I saw her eyes widen at the sight of her cut lip and the sore-looking shadow of her black eye. She looked much better compared to how she'd looked when the guard dragged her in. She still looked beautiful, only it was a different kind of beauty. A sort of twisted, warped beauty.

She touched her black eye gently and I felt goose-bumps raise on my arms when I imagined how much it must've hurt her. With a resigned sigh, she placed the mirror face-down on the bedside table.

"Why did you aid me when you know nothing of me?" she asked, looking out of the window where she could see the elven children fencing with their twigs.

"I have a hunch," I said.

She raised her elegant eyebrow at that and let out an uncharacteristic snort which startled me, to say the least.

"A hunch? Pray tell, what is this hunch, hmm?"

She rested her chin on her hands and tilted her head to the side in mock interest. I almost laughed at her. Almost. I wasn't yet ready to let my guard down around her. After all, she was still a lethal assassin. Though she had not killed me yet, there was no telling with her.

Still, she reminded me of Alistair. Alright, a rather cold, cynical, dangerous Alistair but Alistair nonetheless. I sensed the youthful purity and innocence still resided in her but she buried it down deep and wore her detached and frosty exterior purely for amour.

"I have a hunch that you will be a mighty hero," I said before chuckling. I slid a sideways look to her and was taken aback to see the barest hint of a smile flicker across her lips before she pressed them together firmly, smothering it.

"Been there, done that," she said breezily, but I caught the smallest whisper of pain in her voice. Whatever she was talking about had obviously been difficult for her, in some way. I was intrigued to find out what. Not meaning to pry, I assure you. I simply wanted to know whether I could guide this lost soul to salvation or whether she was caught too tight in the grasp of darkness.

"What do you mean, Viola?" I asked gently, moving slowly towards her. She was still looking out the window and I thought I saw the sheen of tears but it was gone too quick for me to be sure.

"I…there is nothing to say."

I risked putting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze to which she looked genuinely shocked. Truth be told; I had no idea why this girl interested me so much. But what I'd said to her was the truth; I did she would be a mighty hero. Depending on whether or not I could convince her to join the Grey Wardens, of course.

"You can trust me, Viola. Nothing you can say will shock me, I promise," I said in a fatherly tone, knowing that this way the best way to get her to open up.

Sure enough, she wiped her eyes and raised her chin in defiance, eyes not meeting mine in the manner of a naughty child.

"You know the Champion of Cyrodiil? Did you hear of that around these parts?"

I nodded.

"Yes, I remember. In Tamriel…" I trailed off.

The pieces were finally falling together.

"Yes, well, you're looking at her."

I slapped a hand to my forehead and cursed.

"Oh, Maker. Why didn't I guess?"

Viola bit her lip worriedly, looking like a little girl when she did that, especially when she widened her eyes. She looked so defenceless, it was almost inconceivable to me that she could be an assassin, let alone the Champion of Cyrodiil. Yet looks could be deceiving. Most certainly in Alistair's case. He appeared to be a ruggedly handsome young man, strong and mature. And yet when he opened his mouth all that would come out would be some long, disjointed squawk about cheese. He was infuriating at times.

"Imma naer," Viola whispered. I'm sorry.

I shook my head and then again. A third time. I felt so stupid at not having thought of the possibility that she might actually be the Champion of Cyrodiil. But still, what a miracle it would be if she was a Grey Warden…

"How did you become an assassin, then?" I wondered aloud. Viola jumped as if I'd asked for the best way to gut a human.

"It's a long story." She evaded the question lightly.

"I have time," I countered.

"Not enough time," she shot back and I had to grin at her quick wit. She would get on well with Alistair, I thought.

"I'm pretty sure I-"

"Ser! Ser! Grey Warden. Ser!"

The timing truly couldn't have been more perfect.

Swallowing down whatever curse I had building up inside me, I turned to the human guard who had interrupted our little conversation. He was panting and bent over, bright red in the face. I waited patiently until he'd hungrily gulped down enough oxygen and was able to speak.

Meanwhile, Viola discreetly preserved her modesty with a sheet from her bed.

"Yes?" I replied tautly.

The guard stood up, well, halfway with his hands on his knees. He looked up at me and gasped a little before he miraculously opened his mouth to speak. And about time too, I thought.

"Lady Elise is in the Alienage, Ser, and she wants the fate of the knife-ear to be ruled."

I was outraged. She was being condemned in public, in the middle of the Alienage? It was animalistic. Surely people knew better.

"The court has dragged itself to the Alienage then, has it?" I questioned angrily, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The guard looked puzzled and I inwardly rolled my eyes at this dumb plank of a man. Viola did the same, only she tapped her foot in irritation. I nodded at her with a brief smile and could've jumped for joy when I saw the corner of her mouth lift in a little grin. Maybe she was thawing after all.

"Uh, no Ser. It's just another guard and Lady Elise."

"What? You mean to tell me that she's not being judged in front of the court?"

"N-no, Ser. Lady Elise explains why the accused should be killed and the criminal pleads for their life."]

"Did you make that up just now?"

"No, Ser. We, me and the other guard, have to decide whether the knife-ear is guilty or innocent."

At this, the guard smiled and I only knew what that meant. My blood sang with rage. Despite my normally tranquil temperament, I was trembling in fury at the injustice of it all. Viola however, didn't. She seemed calm, maybe even a little bored, and seemingly resumed to her fate.

No. I was not about to let that happen to her. Not an innocent, like I could tell she was deep down inside.

"You mean to tell me that you are deciding whether she lives or dies? You, the utter imbecile, a pathetic, foolish excuse for a man?" I hissed.

The guard looked surprisingly hurt but I was in no mood for feeling sorry for him. I clenched my fists, dredged up every bit of hatred and radiated it towards him through a glower. Viola acted as my shadow, doing the same next to me. With her towering height, midnight black hair and strange, sultry eyes, I was positive the effect was much more powerful with her.

"Please bring the elf outside with you, Ser," the guard snapped before turning on his heel and walking smartly out the room.

I let out a shaky breath and looked at Viola. I thought she'd looked scared or at the very least alarmed. She simply looked so uninterested. It was then I realized that no emotions was her armour. She bottled up what she was really feeling in order to not get hurt. She was smart, I had to give her credit.

"We'd best be moving then, Viola," I said. She didn't answer but nodded and moved to grab her dagger. At that moment, she noticed she was in her small clothes. She didn't seem particularly fussed but she stared at me until I clocked onto what she was doing and turned around so she could pull on her shadowy violet armour.

"Alright. I'm ready," she said and I moved to go outside when I felt a tap on the back of my hand. I faced her, mouth pursed curiously. She was stood biting the skin around her thumb, a habit I hated and one Alistair often did.

"Le hannon. For everything," she said. I thank you.

I nodded formally but was secretly more pleased that I could say. Viola sure was full of surprises. The very fact that she'd thanked me what more than enough to convince me that she wasn't the bloodthirsty savage that the guards no doubt thought she was.

When we got outside, I was dismayed to see that there was quite a crowd surrounding Lady Elise and her fool guards. I led her through the crowd of elves who all patted her sympathetically and whispered wishes of good luck to her.

Lady Elise was a short woman, miniature in comparison to Viola, with long waves of red hair that was pulled into a messy bun. Perhaps she would've been attractive had it not been for unattractive frown that she sported. She glared at Viola with the most intense hatred I've ever seen and frowned even deeper, if it were possible, when she saw me stand protectively by Viola's side.

The taller guard that stood on Lady Elise's right began to speak.

"You're sure that this is the elf that attacked you?" he said.

Lady Elise looked at him drolly.

"You tend to remember blue elves when they attack you, yes," she said in an irritatingly high voice.

The guard I'd insulted stepped forward and unfolded a piece of parchment. He took a deep breath, as he was in the habit of doing.

"Viola Uriel Sanguinaria , daughter of Nells Llendo and Rayn Sanguinaria, have been charged with the attempted murder of Lady Elise. How do you plead?"

Viola gave the briefest of sighs, shoulders hunched and it dawned on me that she wasn't going to even try to plead her case. She caught my eye and I shook my head. She squared her shoulders suddenly, rising to her full height and meeting the men unflinchingly in the eye.

"Guilty."

No! Oh, Maker. Maker. She'd pleaded guilty; and there was nothing now I could do to help her. It made me sick to my stomach to imagine the poor girl rotting away in a prison cell until she was executed which most likely would be brutal and excruciatingly painful. She was innocent. I was sure of it. Not of the attempted murder, I knew, but of the murder of innocent people. Somehow, I could just tell that there was not a drop of innocent blood on her gentle hands.

"In that case; I hereby condemn you, Viola Sanguinaria, to death. You will be escorted by arm guards to Fort Drakon were you will wait for your execution. Bind her, Emile."

The taller guard stepped forward and bound her hands together. And she simply let them, without even the tiniest of resistance. It was as if any fight within had been beaten out of her. The guard began to lead her away and she turned her head and gave the biggest, most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Except she had tears in her eyes.

I racked my brains for something that would save her. I could think of nothing. Unless…

"Wait!" I ran over to them. "I hereby conscript this prisoner into the Grey Wardens," I announced proudly.

Lady Elise shrieked like a harpy and both guards exchanged looks.

"You can't do that! She's mine," she cried, practically tearing out her hair. The guards reluctantly unbound Viola and she stood by me. "No! She's my property. I will cut off her ears and feed them to the dogs!"

Lady Elise launched herself at Viola who nimbly danced out of the way. She smiled when Lady Elise went flying, landing face-first into a pile of mud.

"Ha ha! You hear that? You can't touch me!" Viola sang, skipping delightfully around the guards. The guards shook their heads, picked up a screaming Lady Elise and left the Alienage, much to everyone's joy.

I stopped Viola's little celebratory dance and looked at her seriously.

"I'm absolutely serious about you being a Grey Warden, Viola. You understand that, right?"

She nodded slowly, if a little hesitant. Not that I could blame her.

"What does it mean?"

"It means that you won't be able to go back to Tamriel. You won't have any family apart from the other Grey Warden's, you understand? You'll be dead to them," I explained gently.

Too soon, Viola started shaking her head and backed away.

"No. I will never leave my family. Never. I'd rather die.""Viola, you will die if you don't become a Grey Warden. The guards will kill you if they see you again and you're not a Warden. I'm giving you a choice over life and death, for the Maker's sake! Now do you understand or not?"

I was being harsh, I knew, but I couldn't help myself. I needed Viola to understand the importance of becoming a Grey Warden, and what it entitled.

"I understand," she spoke softly. Then she gave me a huge grin, showing her fangs. "I say we give it a whirl."

Next stop- Joining the Grey Wardens! I wonder if Viola will have a crush on a certain adorable Grey Warden? I wonder...

Hmm. It's suddenly struck me that I saw 'I wonder...' a it should be my catchphrase?

And if you've ever played Morrowind, you'll know that Nels Llendo is the Highwayman who asked for a kiss if you come across him on the road. I thought it'd be kind of cute for Viola to be the daughter of the hero in Morrowind and the Highwayman. Yup.

Stay tuned for the next installation. Please R and R! ^-^

xx