It was the middle of the night when the dark figure crept into their room, hiding in the shadows. The figure was a master of stealth, but not as good as Nathaniel or Elissa, which is why the intruder soon found his pulse point at the business end of a dagger and a large angry man holding the pommel.
"You have fifteen seconds to state your business before I end you," Nathaniel whispered threateningly. Elissa swung out of bed, pulling her own dagger from under her pillow, and silently padded over to the pair. She was ready for anything.
The figure held up his hands and let his face be seen in the moonlight. "It is good that you are alert, my friends. Teagan's guards are good, but not good enough." At the sound of the voice, both Elissa and Nathaniel relaxed. Elissa put her dagger down on the table and sat heavily in the nearest chair, as she was still weak from her illness. Nathaniel took a second longer before finally sheathing his weapon.
"Why are you here now, Zevran?" Nathaniel continued whispering. "What's going on?" He straightened up, sitting in one of the other chairs, and indicated a third for their elven friend to sit in. "Has something happened?"
"Not yet, but it is about to." Zevran's voice was also hushed and laced with a sense of urgency. "We have finally made a breakthrough in gathering evidence that Vaughan is behind everything. But we need more proof, so I have devised a plan."
Elissa raised an eyebrow before she realized that the men in the room would not be able to see it. "What sort of plan?" she whispered.
"I cannot tell you now, my dear. But suffice to say that Alistair has agreed to it and we need you to come with us tonight to the palace."
"We?" Nathaniel sounded curious and a little suspicious. "Who else is involved in this? Why do we need to go to the palace?"
Elissa saw Zevran's form shift forward in the shadows. "So far, those involved include you two, myself, Erlina and Alistair. He has agreed to provide me with his most trusted guards, all of whom I have personally checked as well. He said that you would remember Anora's room the last time she stayed in the palace?" At this, Elissa's eyes widened.
"You plan to put us into her old cell?" Granted, Anora's cell was actually an enormous and well-furnished room. It did happen to have a locked and barred door and sat at the top of a tower in the palace, however. It might have been lavish, but it was still a prison.
"Just so." Zevran's form shifted back into the seat. "We need to keep you two safe. We also need to make sure that your location and activities are accounted for every second of every day between now and the Landsmeet." His tone shifted to one of command, which was unfamiliar to Elissa's ears but she found it suited him. "You need to pack whatever you can carry stealthily and get ready to leave in the next ten minutes. Erlina and I will take care of the rest."
-0-0-0-
They were packed and dressed just in time for the door to reopen. Elissa could feel Nathaniel tense at her side as three shadows entered the room. Zevran's voice sounded first. "Erlina and I brought a friend, my dear."
Elissa grinned, even though she knew Zevran couldn't see him. "Well, don't keep me in suspense, Zev."
The tallest shadow detached and came up to Elissa before embracing her in a tight hug that was full of curves and perfume that smelled remarkably like Andraste's grace. She knew who it was even before the shadow whispered, "Hello, beautiful," with a smile in her voice. She returned the hug with an intensity borne of I missed you so much and I didn't even realize it as she smiled into her friend's hair.
"Leliana!" She kept her voice to a whisper but it was challenging, given her level of excitement to meet her old friend again. "What are you doing here?"
Leliana giggled softly. "I am to be you, of course. I had just arrived at the Chantry to stay there for the wedding when I ran into Alistair. When he informed me that my skills were needed to help my friend, I could not refuse. Besides, I have heard that I will be wearing some beautiful custom dresses."
Zevran whispered, "We have decided that your illness was lucky – did you know you have decided to wear veils to hide the pock marks until they fade?" At this, Elissa chuckled. She would never have bothered with such a thing; she could barely be bothered to wear makeup, preferring instead to let her facial tattoos serve as decoration.
"Clever. I like it. And Erna will be thrilled that her work has not gone to waste." Elissa smiled in the darkness. "I did pack a couple of dresses, just in case, but the rest are still in the armoire." She hugged her friend one last time. "Who will be Nathaniel?"
"Alas, Nathaniel has decided to go home and check on his dear sister." At this, Nathaniel gave a start. "Not to worry, my friend. I have posted extra men to watch over Delilah and Samuel, and one of them looks like you from a distance. The deception should hold for a week."
Elissa nodded and detached herself from Leliana, finding Nathaniel's hand in the dark and squeezing it. "All right, Zev. Let's go."
-0-0-0-
Thankfully, Zevran had arranged for a plain covered carriage to pick them up a few streets away from Teagan's estate and take them close to the palace. This was good, since Elissa wouldn't have been able to sneak all the way to the palace from the market district. Walking normally for any distance would have worn her out this soon after her illness, and while she was excellent at stealth, it required more energy than walking.
They stopped frequently as it was; each time, Nathaniel would frame her against a wall or in a corner and hide them both from view until her exhausted trembling would stop and she would silently nod to him to let him know she could move forward again. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they arrived at the carriage and silently climbed into it. Zevran climbed up next to the driver and they rode for several minutes before alighting from the carriage and repeating the process. It was only another two blocks and another two times that Elissa needed to rest before the palace gates came into view. Alistair was waiting just inside the gates with two of his men.
He nodded to Nathaniel before grabbing Elissa's things, shouldering the bow and quiver, before indicating that Nathaniel should hand his over too. "So you can carry her," he whispered. "She looks all done in." Nathaniel only hesitated briefly before giving his gear to Alistair and Zevran, then immediately knelt so that Elissa could climb on his back. He stood as soon as she was reasonably comfortable and nodded at Alistair, who turned and led them into the palace. Zevran and Erlina fell into place behind the others and kept watch.
Elissa was so tired that she failed to keep track of the corridors that they took, save to notice that the palace had its fair share of secret passageways. They walked quietly and unseen through the palace, Alistair's tread being louder than the others combined even though he had taken his boots off and was walking in his socks. Elissa thought bemusedly that it was a good thing Alistair didn't normally depend on using stealth. She finally recognized where they were when Alistair ushered them out of one of the secret passageways and they emerged right at the tower stairs. He pointed up and led them all to the top of the tower, which was several stories high. Even with Nathaniel's considerable strength, she could feel his muscles start to tremble from carrying her weight. She kissed the back of his neck to silently thank him for carrying her and he squeezed her legs in response.
Alistair got out a key and unlocked an iron door. It swung into the room noiselessly and they all entered the room before he turned around with a sigh of relief. "Well, the first part is done," he said and smiled. "Welcome to your home for the next week."
Nathaniel carefully set Elissa down and despite being carried up the stairs, she still sank into the sofa cushions as if she'd just run several miles with full armor on. He sat by her, putting a hand on her knee, and she covered his hand with hers while Zevran and Erlina and Alistair put their belongings down in the bedroom area. As they did this, she looked around.
The room was huge and circular, the austerity of the gray stone walls and floors tempered by numerous tapestries, paintings, and rugs of fine make. Elissa and Nathaniel sat on a sofa in a living area with a couple of shelf units filled with books, a low table, and chairs. There was a large four-poster bed on the far wall and a curtain beside it, past which Elissa caught a glimpse of a tub and washstand. The room was almost exactly as she remembered from the only other time she had been in it, when she had visited Anora while the former queen was imprisoned. It may have been a prison, but it was a nicer space than the room that she and Nathaniel had shared at Teagan's estate. "I don't believe this has changed at all," she murmured, and Alistair smiled at her.
"I saw no reason to change things, except to get it cleaned. It hasn't been used in the last year or so and I thought it had held up well." He came closer to them and sat in one of the chairs on the other side of the low table. He picked an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table and bit into it. "I'm sorry we're locking you up like this, but Zev assures me that this will be the best way to ensure your safety. We're leaving your weapons here in case the worst happens, and Zev and I fully trust the men who will be guarding you." He leaned forward. "If you need anything, just let the guards or Zev or Erlina know and we'll take care of it."
"I will introduce your guards to you tomorrow, so you know who we trust," Zevran continued. "And only Erlina and I will be bringing your meals. If anyone else tries to bring your food, do not touch it. If a guard tries to come in here and you have not been introduced to him, you know you can kill him on sight."
"So it's serious then," Elissa said. "You found out about some major plans." Zevran nodded at her in answer. "Will Teagan and the others be all right?"
"We believe so," Erlina said, her voice tired. "Zevran and I have checked Teagan's staff and they all have shown to be trustworthy so far. We plan to let Teagan know not to hire anyone new without our approval."
"Thank you both. For everything." Elissa smiled at both Zevran and Erlina. "And Alistair, thank you too. We owe you a lot."
Alistair stood as he shook his head. "I think we all still owe you, Elissa. Besides, this is supposed to be one of the perks of being king, right? That I have the power to make sure the right thing gets done?" He smiled at Elissa and Nathaniel. "You two get some sleep and we can talk more tomorrow. Or later today," he mused as he looked at the window. "It will be dawn soon." He turned to leave, and Zevran and Erlina followed him, promising they would return in the afternoon. They locked the door behind them as they left. Elissa barely removed her armor and climbed into bed before she fell fast asleep.
When she opened her eyes, the room was in shadow and the sound of a steady rain pounded on the roof, making the comfortable bed she was in seem that much more cozy. She rolled over to see that the other side of the bed was empty and looked up to see where Nathaniel was. He was sitting on the sofa speaking with Zevran in hushed tones. She sat up and swung her legs out of bed. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily as she stumbled over to sit in one of the chairs by the sofa.
"You woke just in time for afternoon tea, my dear," Zevran replied with a smirk. "Would you like me to pour you a cup?"
"Yes, please." Elissa stifled a yawn. "I guess I was tired." Even though she had slept a long time, she felt like she could happily go back to sleep.
"How are you feeling?" Nathaniel spoke quietly as he studied her face.
Elissa thought a moment before responding. "Really good, actually." She smiled. "I'm still tired, but otherwise I feel almost normal. And I'm not as itchy as I was." She thought ruefully of how covered she was with pockmarks and was glad that the outward signs of her illness would fade soon.
At her response, both men smiled. Zevran offered Elissa her tea, which she accepted gratefully, and she took a drink from her cup before setting it down and reaching for the fruits and cheeses that were spread on a platter on the table. While she ate, Zevran filled her in on what he had learned. Apparently, Vaughan had decided that since none of his attempts thus far had succeeded, becoming more bold was called for. As a result, he was starting to be careless. Zevran's contact in Vaughan's estate learned that the Arl would be writing a new false contract that very morning and would also be arranging to have someone claim to be a Howe and carry out the deed. The target this time was to be Alfstanna. According to Zevran's source, Vaughan was also planning on collecting a large amount of false evidence in order to present a case against Elissa and Nathaniel at the Landsmeet. Zevran also had reason to believe that he would attempt to hire assassins to try to infiltrate the palace.
With both Nathaniel and Elissa safely tucked away and accounted for, Alistair would be able to prove that neither of them was behind this or any of the other attempts. In addition, if proof of Vaughan's treason was not discovered before the Landsmeet, Zevran and Erlina were putting plans in motion to acquire the proof while Vaughan was attending the Landsmeet. Zevran refused to divulge the details on this, however, stating that he 'didn't want to spoil the surprise.'
After he explained why they were to be held in custody for the week, he introduced them to their guards. There were perhaps a dozen men in total, all of whom moved and spoke as if they were well-trained. Elissa thought that Zev and Alistair had chosen well. Zev told them about the guards' rotation schedule and reminded them that if anybody else was to come into the room, other than the known people they could trust, that they had express permission from Alistair himself to riddle the person with arrows. Nathaniel and Elissa indicated that they understood, and Zevran dismissed the guards.
"So," Zevran said as he rose from his chair after the explanations and introductions were finished, "all you need to do is amuse yourselves in this nice room with a lovely view for the next week, and we will come and get you for the Landsmeet. Leave everything else to us." He waved off Elissa's thanks and left the room, closing the door behind him. Elissa looked over to Nathaniel when she heard the lock turn in the door; he frowned slightly.
"I don't like sitting here while other people act on our behalf," he said after he had been frowning for a little bit. "I also don't particularly care for being locked away for our protection."
"Like the Circle of Magi?" Elissa noted. At this, Nathaniel's eyes widened.
"Good point," he muttered. "I guess we should be thankful that it's only for a week."
"Probably." Elissa stood then and smiled. "Come to bed with me and I'll do my best to distract you."
Nathaniel stopped and turned to her, his frown slowly turning upward and his eyes taking on that look. He walked to her and held out a hand, which she took. "Do you really think you can distract me for an entire week?"
Elissa smiled and shrugged. "I'm willing to give it a try," she said slyly. "I need to work on my endurance somehow."
Nathaniel laughed softly. "Well, we do want you to get your strength back, it's true." He gently tugged her hand and they started walking toward the bed together. "I rather like the way you think, sometimes."