Nahalanee Aeuducan, these tattoos mark your status as princess, they are your birthright. These markings demand respect and fear of all lesser houses. Wear them proudly child.

If she had to take a guess, she might say the line scratched through her name in the memories was much like the line now scratched through her tattoos. Jagged and ugly, marred for all too see. Fitting wasn't it? It took a lifetime to build up the respect her name and those markings held, and only moments to destroy.

"Why did Morrigan not heal your face to leave no scar?" A familiar voice asked as it approached.

"Tis a reminder of her stupidity." Morrigan answered before Nahalanee could. "I will have you know, it is no small task healing a race with a natural resistance to magic. And if she is going to throw herself on every sword, spear, and mace we come across then she shall do so with consequences."

"What she said." Nahalanee rolled her eyes as she stared into the polished stone watching the Antivan approach from behind and begin weaving her hair into one long braid.

Morrigan gave a loud annoyed sigh as she rose and left the room slamming the door behind her. She never did like it when Zevran and Nahalanee got within sight of each other let alone arms reach.

"You know." Zevran said as he quickly tied off the braid with a piece of leather. "Had you called upon us to fight with you..."

"Zevran, don't." She sighed dropping her gaze to her lap. "You and Morrigan have been at my throat since the proving."

Zevran circled the dwarf and sat on the edge of the vanity letting the braid slide slowly through his hand as he did so. "And we will keep at it until you learn. You cannot go into such battles with untested swords."

"You know why I did it, and I would do it again if I had to." She raised her head and then turned it to the right to stare at the wall, and to hide the scar from Zevran's view.

"There may not be a next time if you keep doing such stupid things, Warden. " He grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look at him. "You are too valuable to take such risks. You may have a death wish, but the least you can do is wait until your work is done. Remember the last time you risked everything for your own glory? Would you see Ferelden fall and her people die for your dwarven Honor and pride?"

She pulled away from Zevran's grasp and quickly stood turning away from him. "Come on, we have a carta to take care of." She said as she walked out of the room. Zevran stared after her for a moment before following.

…

Nahalanee twisted the dagger in Jarvia's lifeless chest needlessly before pulling it out and wiping the blade on the dead woman's tunic. "Check the bodies, I will check the office." She said in a dark angry tone as she sheathed her weapons.

Once the rest of them were set about their task Nahalanee made her way to the backroom and deposited a few papers in the personal chest behind the door. Afterward she began rifling through the stone desk that dominated most of the room, papers about smuggling, mercenary groups, Carta cells, debts, and...Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the papers in the top center drawer. She flipped through the small pile of papers written and signed in her younger brothers hand, papers that mentioned both Trian and herself several times.

"Something wrong?" Leliana asked from the doorway

"No, not at all." She said and jumped up shoving the papers down the front of her tunic. "Meet me back at Harrowmont's, I am going to go see my dearest brother." She said as she bolted past the bard and disappeared down one of the tunnels.

She ran all the way to the doors of the diamond quarter then walked the rest of the way to the palace. In her mind she was going over everything she wanted to say, and everything she was going to say.

"It's done Vartag, now take me to Bhelen."

"I am surprised surfacer, you followed through."

"I said I would." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Despite what brother dearest might say, I am a woman of my word."

"Indeed." His eyes flicked over her shoulder as Zevran materialized behind her. "Does he always follow you around?"

Nahalanee turned and glared darkly at the Antivan standing behind her. "Apparently." She said in a less then amused voice.

"You do not expect an exiled princess to wander the city without someone to guard her body do you?" Zevran added as his hand slid down her blood splattered braid despite her obvious annoyance.

Vartag gave a disgusted grunt. "Follow me, and keep your weapons sheathed." He turned and led them through the stone halls to the room that was once occupied by her Elder brother Trian. He stood outside the door as Nahalanee and Zevran entered the room.

"Sister!" Bhelen all but yelled as Nahalanee approaching him. "How nice it is for you to come see..."Bhelen's words were cut short as he stumbled from a rather sudden and powerful left hook from the seething female dwarf.

"Hey you can't..." She heard Vartag protest behind her before the door was slammed shut. They all heard a thud and loud curse from the other side of the door as Zevran slid the bolt into place and chuckled.

"I guess I deserved that." Bhelen said as he wiped blood from his bottom lip. "You've gotten stronger since you left."

"Why?" She asked as she shook her left hand.

"Oh come on Nahalanee, you would have done the same thing to me and you know it. You wanted that throne just as much as I did, everyone could see it."

"Obviously I am the only Aeducan who cared of family over wealth." She said turning her back and crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe I should have let House Devrash knife you when I had the chance." She added in a low voice.

"What?"

"Nothing." She spun back around eyes narrowed.

"Why have you come here, obviously not because you missed me."

"Did you kill father? The truth Bhelen."

"I did not." He said his voice slightly pained. "He died of a broken heart over what happen to you and Trian." He let out a humorless chuckle. "Perhaps in a way I did kill him, but it was not on purpose."

She stared at him for a long time before she was satisfied and nodded. "I will be in touch." She said and whirled toward the door.

"Wait, that's it? You only came here to ask me that?"

"Yep."

"Wait!"

"What?" She turned to look at her now very confused brother.

"Don't think you can get out of this so easily sister. Remember it was you who planted the papers, you will help me get the throne or I will let everyone know what you have done."

"What would you have me do Bhelen, not much I can do until I check in with Harrowmont now is there. I knew you were always slow in the head, but even you can't be that thick."

Bhelen's eyes narrowed but he said nothing as they glared at each other.

"I will contact you when I have something. Now go back to your casteless whore and keep your mouth shut."

"Or what?"

"I may not be a princess anymore Bhelen, but I have not changed, remember what happened to those who dared to challenge me." She said as her left hand rested on the hilt of her dagger.

A flicker of fear crossed his face before he set it in a scowl, but he said nothing more as Nahalanee stalked out of the room with a suddenly curious Antivan in tow.