King Alistair was seated in his court around a large table with various nobles seated around him, these nobles were members of his royal council, each had been personally handpicked by him to ensure that his nation was governed efficiently, though this was not always the case.
To his left and going clockwise sat Enchanter Lecturm, the Circle of magi's voice on royal politics, Lecturm was little more than an ambassador, his voice was required in all matters magical but little else, he fidgeted and shuffled constantly, he was uncomfortable in the presence of non-mages. Then there was Commander Kaleb, Kaleb was originally a noble from the city of Highever, Tyern Fergus Cousland has personally recommended him for his leadership during the Siege of Denerim some time ago, under his leadership a portion of the city had managed to whether attacks from the darkspawn and some of its citizens were safe there, he had been in high regard in the city ever since. In return for his efforts Alistair had made him commander of all Ferelden's army, Kaleb sat quietly, cold eyes analysing everything and everyone to discern some possible threat. Then there was Horatio Roland's, the kingdoms Master of Coin, he was solely responsible for the economy of the country, Alistair was no good with money so he had granted Horatio autocratic powers over the nations money. This proved to be a wise choice as he had established newer trade links with many foreign nations and Ferelden had grown quite rich under Horatio's strict policies, true to his post he sat with a confident pose, fine clothes making the other councillors seem to be paupers. And finally there was Orgnolf Harrowmout, nephew to the king and official ambassador to Ferelden from Orzammar, one of Alistair's first acts was to improve relations with the Dwarfs, Alistair had been to the Deep Roads and seen the hell that threatened their race on a daily basis and declared that they would no longer suffer alone.
'The fact of the matter is your majesty' Roland spoke in a luxurious tone 'Orlais has been withdrawing trade links from the country's northern border, if we wish to have the funds to recover from the Blight we shall have to find out why this is so'
'What of your contacts in Orlais?' Alistair asked.
'Nothing my lord, all the answers they get are saying it's the wishes of the ruling caste, personally I say there's something funny going on, never thought an Orlesian would turn down coin'
'Send your agents to investigate this, we need the money desperately, Lecturm, how are things at the circle tower?'
'Calm your majesty, we have recovered from Uldred's uprising and a new generation of apprentices comes to bolster our ranks. There is peace among the Circle, though it will be some time before we are back to full strength.'
'I heard recently there was some escapes of sorts'
Lectrum shifted nervously 'Ah well, you see... there was a minor infraction by some delinquents, but they have long since disappeared and there is nothing worth worrying about'
'Tell us more'
'Well, there was a group of individuals that escaped the Circle one night, we don't know how; it would appear that from the evidence collected the escapees seem to have been practising blood magic'
There was an air of suspense around the room; everyone present had heard sensationalised tales of blood mages and the mere mention of such a concept could make the most fearless man jump at shadows. Lectrum wisely spoke again.
'But-But this is mere rumour and speculation, nothing I've heard from the tower yet verifies such a claim.' The rest of the council calmed down slightly, Alistair then turned to Kaleb, he did not need to ask.
'I have found nothing to indicate that the Orlesian forces plan to attack us your majesty, the border forts report no unusual activity and there has been no messages calling for a mass movement of arms, but still' Kaleb hesitated nervously.
'Still?' Alistair raised an eyebrow.
'I just don't trust them sir, think of it, they have never been in a more perfect position to attack us, the Orlesian empire is still the largest in the world, they have considerable manpower and their nation has been relatively untouched by the Blight, they also are our only lifeline for economic recovery, they have absolute power over us'.
'What a ridiculous assumption Kaleb' Roland butted in 'if Orlais took over the nation again they wouldn't gain money from trade'
'If they took over they wouldn't need it! They would have access to all our resources, especially our coin!'
'Silence!' Alistair roared, the entire council chamber was silent except for the sounds of the city outside, Alistair knew that Roland and Kaleb did not like each other but such was their skill in their fields that to replace either of them would be a useless endeavour.
'I know that Orlais have power over us, but they are our only chance of recovery, so I belive we are forced to give them the benefit of the doubt, but nonetheless I would keep carful watch on Orlais in future Kaleb'
'Of course your majesty'
'Good, and now for some no doubt lighter news' he turned to the Dwarven ambassador, 'Orgnolf, tell me, what goes in the realm of Orzammar?'
'Things in the city are going fairly well, though as ever my uncle has to deal with small minded nobels and power hungry fools'
Alistair nodded he himself had experienced the cloak and dagger affairs of Dwarven poltics.
'But we have had some minor problems with the Darkspawn, more so then usual, they appear to have become more intelligent, they are planning more raids and our soilders struggle to hold them back. Personally I think that Paragon Audcean is being far too bold, he lacks the patience necessary to mount an effective campaign, and we simply need more recruits'
'Tell Krieger if he asks I can send the wardens in, and I know we have promised to aid the Dwarves but with all the Orlesian trouble I don't have the resources to spare'.
'Funny you should mention that your majesty, because I received word recently that Paragon Krieger is coming to visit Denerim to discuss the matter'.
Alistair shot up immediately 'Krieger's coming! He's coming back!' Alistair momentarily forgot his royal manners and cheered excitedly, though he did not relish talking about the Dwarves with Krieger, he had not seen his best friend for months now. But then he soon realised he had acted improper and recovered himself.
'Yes well, this is certainly a momentous event, have the criers sound this immediately, the people will be please to know that their hero is coming back, have the guard stand on alert'
'Of course sire'
It was clear that there would be no more matters of governance attended to today, all council members knew that once King Alistair was in one of his excitable moods then there was no talking sense into him. His supporter's believed this almost childlike enthusiasm was a part of the king's charm; his opponents maintained that it was part of his foolishness. Briefly after the council had left the chamber Kaleb snuck back in, hoping to catch the king in a calmer mood. He found Alistair with a grin of enthusiasm upon his face.
'Sire, regarding the council meeting, I still think it would be wise to send spies to the Orlesian court to gain information, I simply can't trust Orlais'
Still smiling, Alistair gave a brief nod that indicated he approved, and then wandered off out into the palace; his closest aides knew that he went down to the taverns to socialise with the commoners at this time.
Kaleb had very good reasons to be watchful of Orlais.
Val Royux
Leliana hopped slowly from shadow to shadow on the buildings of the industrial district of the city, whilst night had fallen and it was pitch black, she had painfully learned that it was never wise to take chances with Marjorline, the memory of her dear friend Sketch still fresh in her mind, she pursued her task with grim determination. She left her knapsack with all unnecessary provisions in a quiet rooftop above a tavern, it was dark and out of sight and she could easily slip into the tavern should things go wrong. Her armour gripped tightly against her flesh as she judged which equipment would be necessary, it was an easy enough task, just slip in, get the information and slip out, but she couldn't help feel a sense of dread, her old mentor was as sly as an Antivan fox and twice as cunning, somehow she felt this wasn't going to go smoothly, which was why she ensured she was prepared. She had her armour especially enchanted to make it durable yet as flexible as possible; she was going to ensure she was never within striking range of any blades. She also had potions that would temporarily increase her speed and stamina, but these had to be used only if it was dire enough, a side effect of them was a horrible draining effect once it wore off.
Once she had decided what equipment she needed she slipped with catlike agility onto the rooftop of the warehouse, she hugged the floor as two individuals approached. These were not mere hired thugs, these were well trained elite men that crept past, their mouths firmly shut and their eyes vigilant for any sign of danger, to give Majorline credit, and she only had the best when it came to soldiers. Leliana decided to leave them alive, because they would demand pay when the night's work was done and she knew how notoriously cheap her old mentor was. She opened one of the windows and slipped down onto the supporting timbers. She silently crept across them as she surveyed the scene.
There was a group of men; all finely clad centred on a table in the centre of the warehouse, talking to them was her old mentor Marjorline. Leliana recognised her perfectly, the thin lined face, the jet black hair and the same glow of sinful pleasure in her eyes, it would appear that Majorline's paranoia had not diminished. Around the border of the building were heavily armed guards, on top of various piles of crates were crossbow armed henchmen looking at the roof, one nearly spotted Leliana and she was hugging the wooden beam for several agonising minutes before the man looked away.
'Welcome gentlemen!' Majorline cheered, the silky politeness of her voice doing well to mask her malicious intent, 'I invite to take part in the greatest imperial advancement of this age! We have a golden opportunity before us and I say we would be a fool not to take it, I speak of course of the rebellious colony of Ferelden, as you know, we Orlesians have rightfully owned Ferelden for nearly a hundred years now, before that rebellious oaf Loghain and his peasant army managed to beat us!'
There was much disgusted snorts around the table; it would appear Orlais was still smarting about its legendary defeat.
'But I am here to tell you it does not have to be this way, for moths I have been spreading details of Ferelden's weakness, it is so damaged from the Blight it will take decades to recover! I say we take Ferelden while it's downtrodden. You have no doubt heard of the Hero Of Ferelden, the famed Krieger Auducan, he had many plans to forge strong alliances with the kingdom of Ferelden, make no mistake gentlemen, if we do not strike now Ferelden will be stronger than ever. The Maker has given us this opportunity and we would be fools to waste it!'
There were mummers of agreement from the gathered nobles, Leliana dared to lean closer and recognised their faces, they were wealthy court nobles, and many had influence over the empress.
'You have all been invited here because you have gained favour with empress Celine, she will listen to you, if you can persuade her to grant armies to your cause Ferelden will be ours. Think of it, in addition to our empire's coffers being swelled you will gain much prestige with the Empress, this be useful for the Grand Game, no?'
The gathered crowed looked positively ecstatic, Leliana knew she had to return to Ferelden as soon as possible, her chance was spoiled when one noble spoke out. The man who she had stole the documents from shifted to Majorline and spoke nervously.
'Majorline, I lost the documents to a thief today, some hooded bandit, I fear that word of our conspiracy has been leaked.'
Majorline did not react with fear in the slightest, she simply chuckled, 'why yes, i wondered when she was going to get involved, isn't that right, Leliana!'
Leliana froze as she realised her name was being shouted in her direction, and all eyes were focused upon her, she had only a few seconds to dodge as a score of arrows flew in her direction. She lurched painfully off the scaffolding and landed on the floor in an elegant stance. The guards aimed their crossbows, pleased at such an easy target until Majorline held up a hand, they stopped immediately.
'Well, well, hello pretty thing' Majorline scolded, using Leliana's old nickname, 'I see we are still making reckless decisions' she smiled. Leliana stood still, glaring at her old mentor, her only movement was to draw two daggers and place herself in a combat ready stance.
'Not talking to me today, oh you disappoint me, don't you wish to make a comment on my grand plan, it's quite a devious one is it not?'
'It'll never happen!' Leliana warned 'I know the King of Ferelden and I guarantee he'll be informed of this, I can also guarantee he'll tell Empress Celine of this conspiracy, which won't look too good for your accomplices'
There was a general murmur of fear behind Majorline's back; they were beginning to think that this plan may not seem like such a good idea after all. She sensed this and ordered her men to attack; they charged her with swords raised. Leliana ducked under the first one and then stabbed him in the gut, the second one lunged at her with his sword raised but Leliana countered by jumping high above him and slicing of his arm, he fell down to the ground clutching his wound before Leliana silenced him for good. She then began to run towards a pair of soldiers, she skilfully rolled and then jumped in between the two; they were bought down with blades sticking in their throats. The guards were hopelessly outmatched, their clumsy and predictable fighting style woefully slow compared to the lighting fast acrobatics of their target. But for all her skill Leliana realised she would soon be killed by the superior numbers of the guards, they obviously knew this as well and began charging her in earnest. Instead of fighting she jumped and dodged, hoping to get a chance at Majorline. She ducked the slice of one blade, rolled and stabbed a man in the groin, then jumped on his shoulders and leapt even higher into the air, landing quite close to Marjorline; she sprinted, eagerly anticipating the chance to slay the one who caused her so much pain. But she was blocked by a wall of shields, she tried valiantly to jump over them but these were skilled men, one of them managed to catch her leg mid flight and slammed her down to the ground, she landed in a crumpled heap on the floor and barley managed to roll out of the way of the blades. Blood leaked from a wound in her forehead and she was heavily disorientated, Majorline laughed cruelly.
'Close pretty thing so close! Yet so far as always!' she mocked.
Leliana growled angrily, but she realised she could not hope to kill Marjorline in these circumstances, she reluctantly began to run back to the entrance of the warehouse, there was no sense getting herself killed. Her head wound was bleeding and her perception of the world around her had weakened, this was evidenced when she miscalculated the distance she needed to jump and tumbled headlong into a group of guards, they fell down in an almost musical chorus of clattering armour plates, Leliana was in real danger, she had to escape soon. She grabbed the potion she had saved for the situation and downed it vigorously.
It was as if time seemed to slow down, all the movements of the guards looked even more clumsy and slow, Leliana did not waste a second of this advantage. She ran forward onto a pile of crates and began the climb to the roof, by now the guards had covered all exits except that one. With her years of practice and the potion enhancing her it was understandable why the guards had difficultly hitting her. Leliana leapt from one wall of crates then somersaulted into the timbers supporting the roof. The guards had no idea where she was now and they scanned the roof frantically, Leliana knew she shouldn't, but the opportunity to settle an old grudge was just too promising to miss. Leliana un-slung her bow and notched an arrow, before she did so she coated the tip with the poison she had bought in the market that day. The arrow flung straight and true and hit its target.
Majorline screamed and fell to the ground with an arrow in her shoulder, unfortunately Leliana's damaged perception ensured she could not hit her head, but she had been close. The guards followed the arrow path and fired a replying volley into the timbers, Leliana dodged them and shimmied up to the windows on the roof, she began to run across the rooftops in a dissatisfied mood. She had not been able to kill Majorline, but she had nonetheless caused great damage, that poison was a special type of poision that ensured wounds by it wound never properly heal, it was a spiteful weapon, and Leliana would not of wished its use on anyone but Majorline. Her bad mood lifted as she realised she was only one cart ride from Ferelden; soon she would be reunited with Krieger again.
Leliana slipped back into her hiding place above the tavern, she quickly changed into a noble's dress for her journey, it was not unheard off for a cart driver to refuse passage to armoured individuals as they feared they were running and the pursuer would chase them, Leliana could ill afford to take such a risk. She entered the inn with the knapsack tied around her shoulder, she recived a few suspicious looks which she ignored as she went to the innkeeper.
'Is there anywhere i can hire a cart dear sir?' she asked, slipping the bartender a few silvers to ensure she would get accurate information.
'You're in luck ma'am' the innkeeper grinned, eyeing the coins 'Dean over there just got back' he said, pointing to a rugged looking individual at the other end of the tavern. Leliana thanked the man and bought some food and ale for the journey. She then went over to Dean and explained her desire to leave the nation.
'Ferelden eh? Where in Ferelden?'
'The capital Denerim, if you please'
'I can get anywhere, for the right price' he grinned, Leliana flashed him a few sovereigns and he quickly agreed.
'I'll pay this much again if we can get to Denerim as quickly as possible, with no questions asked'
Dean practically dragged her into his cart, as the cart took off into the night Leliana began to feel the draining effects of her potion, but nonetheless she was happier then she had ever been in a long while.
She was going to a nation where she would be safe, she would be reunited with her good friend Alistair and her love Krieger, and she had embarrassed her greatest enemy. It was hard to be worried of anything at this time, even Majorline.
