The entire room was quiet as Eriana's inner circle listened to her and Garen as they explained what they had found when they broke into the jail. The two rogues had returned only a few minutes after Sigrun got back, just as the sun was beginning to set over the city. Luckily, no one had stopped by to see them just yet, but with all the chaos in the city, that didn't surprise Eriana all that much. She told Theo to wait a bit longer before he let anyone else in; she wanted to make sure her Wardens understood the situation before they talked to anyone else. Oghren was the first to respond when the pair finished their report. "Too bad the blighter was already dead; I wouldn't mind having a go at him myself, you know, crack his skull for him," the dwarf grunted.

"Because beating him senseless is far more important than finding out who hired him," Nathaniel snarked, rolling his eyes at the dwarf. Oghren shot the injured rogue an obscene gesture, eliciting a few nervous chuckles from around the room.

"Are we sure he wasn't acting alone? You really thing he was hired by someone?" Brendan said crossing his arms, trying to refocus the young Wardens.

Eriana nodded. "Yeah, we found a contract with his things, and his tattoos indicate that he is a Crow, which makes two Crows who have taken out a contract on me in the last year," she said with a sigh, running her hands through her hair. "The contracts is specifically for me, so it's a new one, not the one from during the blight."

"The fact that we have a new contract out on you is not what concerns me the most," Garen said. "What concerns me are these things we found on him." He passed around the copy of the flyer they had found with the dead assassin's things. "Sigrun and I saw a few of these around the city when we first got here, but they never stayed up for too long. The guards tore them down as soon as they went up. The commander seems to think that they are a diversion…"

"They are."

"But I don't agree."

"Why not," Anders asked.

"Look, the only way this would work as a diversion would be if whoever was behind this knew that the assassin would fail; we would have never found these fliers if the guy had survived. Why would you hire someone to do a job you know will fail? This isn't a diversion, it's a message, a warning."

Eriana stopped for a second, mulling over what the other rogue was saying. "Meaning what, though; what is this supposed to be saying?" She asked.

"Learn your place, elf, or we will put you there."

Eriana took a deep breath. "You don't think whoever's behind this is just trying to cover his tracks, to make this look like an isolated attempt on my life?"

Garen shook his head. "I think whoever's behind this likely knows you well enough that they won't expect you to take things on face value. I think this was meant to scare you into leaving or resigning your position, not to kill you."

"Garen, you weren't there the last time," Nathaniel said. "We had to kill several nobles who were very intent on assassinating Eriana, and I don't think was entirely based on her race. They hated her for taking over my father's property and power; her being an elf wasn't a factor. It is safe to assume these two things were connected, the use of the Crows suggests that. And if they are, then this was an assassination attempt, not a warning. Plus, the arrow was poisoned. Why would you use a poison arrow if you didn't intend to kill?"

"Regardless," Eriana said with a sigh, "It's a threat. Whether it's about my race or something more personal; whether it was a warning or a genuine attempt, it's still a threat, and we'll need to be vigilant both here and back home to make sure nothing else happens. But I'm not worried about the why right now, we can deal with that later. What we need to focus on is our public reaction to this. We have to go with whatever conclusion Alistair and his guard present us with. What we've talked about here doesn't leave this room, got it?" Her Wardens nodded. "Okay, so we need to be surprised when Alistair and the city guard come to us and tell us what happened. Brenden, let Theo know that Nathaniel is awake, and he can let people in now. I expect the King will be paying us a visit any time now."

She was right; not more than twenty minutes after she gave the order, Alistair showed up, a full company of guards in tow. Motioning for his guards to remain outside, he entered the room to find Eriana sitting at Nathaniel's bedside, his hand resting in hers as she wiped his forehead with a damp cloth. Anders was at the other side of the bed, checking his vitals and rearranging potions. Brenden and Oghren were sitting in front of the window, keeping watch on the whole scene. Garen and Sigurn were there too, but they were hidden in the shadows, just out of sight. "Ana," Alistair said, rushing to her side, "Are you alright?"

Eriana nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Thanks to Nathaniel," she whispered, stroking his hand gently, never looking away from the rogue's face.

Alistair glanced down at the young nobleman. "Is he going to make it?"

"Yes, he just woke up moments ago, but he's still so weak. Oh Alistair," she said, finally bringing her bright blue eyes up to meet his. "Alistair I was so afraid. I didn't think he was going to make it. If we hadn't caught the poison…" she sobbed and turned away from the king. Behind his back, Anders stifled a laugh as the King comforted the tiny elf.

"Nathaniel's strong, Ana, I know he'll be just fine."

The elf looked back up at the King. "Alistair, what happened? I was listening to your speech and all of a sudden, I was being thrown to the ground and Nathaniel was lying there beside me, bleeding to death."

"There was an archer in the crowd who tried to kill you. Thanks to your mages, we were able to catch them. That was quick thinking by the way."

"Mages?"

"Nathaniel told us to paralyze the crowd if someone tried to attack you during one of these events," Anders said. "He had us practice it on the chickens back at the Keep."

Alistair smiled, "Well, it was a good plan. I'll have my guards remember that. Like I was saying, we managed to catch the guy and brought him in, but when my men went to question him, he was already dead. They said the guards left for a moment to investigate some disturbance, and when they came back, the guard they left behind was unconscious and the attacker was dead." Eriana sighed. "They didn't find anything in the cell, except for a small broken vial, so they think he was poisoned. Or that someone broke in to kill him while the guards were away."

"So we'll never find out why he did this?" Eriana asked, her face dropping.

"Well, we have some idea," the King said, handing her one of the fliers. Eriana pretended to read over it.

"What is this?" She said, handing it over to Brenden and Oghren.

"It's a flyer calling for your removal as Warden-Commander because you're an elf. We've been finding these around the city for the last few weeks."

"Wait," she said, her voice trembling with fear, "are you saying he did this because I'm an elf?"

"That's what we think, yes. According to the people who were standing around him, he shouted, 'Learn your place, knife-ear,' before he pulled out his crossbow." Alistair sighed and stroked her back. "It's strange that this has suddenly become an issue, no one protested this until just a few weeks ago, and only then has it been these flyers. It looks like it's only a handful of people in this group."

"I see," Eriana said quietly.

"Eriana, I know this is upsetting, but please realize that not everyone feels this way. It's just a few fringe people." He tilted her head up so he could look at her. "This says nothing about how well you're doing as Warden-Commander or Arlessa of Amaranthine. Listen, we have already put extra precautions in place to keep you safe for the rest of the week's festivities, and we've increased the security on your rooms."

"Thank you, Alistair, but are you sure it's safe for me. I mean, if one person felt strongly enough to act on this, surely there must be others who agree with him. What if they try to kill me, too?"

"That isn't going to happen," Alistair said softly, taking her hands in his. "And if someone tries, we'll be ready this time. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

Eriana took a deep breath, as if she was trying to settle herself down. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little shaken up about this. I mean I should be used to this by now, you know, people trying to kill me; I just…" She turned and glanced down at Nathaniel. "If he had died trying to protect me, I would never forgive myself."

Alistair pulled her into a hug. "He's going to be fine, Ana. He has the best mages in Ferelden taking care of him."

Eriana nodded and glanced back down at Nathaniel. "Alistair, do you think your men could help us get him up to my rooms? I think I'd feel better knowing he's close by. Besides, it gets really drafty down here in the barracks. I know this poison really well; it was the one the Crows used on me when they attacked Zev and I. And I know for a fact that it gives you really bad chills as its working its way out of your system. I think he'd be more comfortable up in my quarters where it's a bit warmer than he would be here."

"Of course, Ana, whatever you need."

Eriana gave a weak smile as the King got up to make arrangements to have Nathaniel moved. Once he was gone, everyone in the room relaxed a bit. Eriana sat back down on the edge of Nathaniel's bed and glanced around the room. "Well, do you think he bought it?"

"Are you kidding," Anders said, "I almost bought it, and I knew you were faking. Well, except for the part where you mooned over Nathaniel; that nearly made me laugh."

Eriana rolled her eyes. "Hush, I needed to make sure he believed I've been here the whole time," she said. "Now, I need a warming balm and any other potions I may need over the course of the night. I think I might be safe skipping most if not all of the fair tomorrow, so I won't really need to be anywhere until the tournament in two days. We will need to meet tomorrow with all the Wardens to discuss what happened today." She stopped for a second and frowned. "Brenden, I need you to send a message back to Amaranthine to Keenan and Garevel, explaining to them what happened. They're privy to everything, so make sure the message is secure."

Brenden nodded and disappeared to prepare the message as a group of men arrived to move Nathaniel. "Look weak," she hissed, getting up to collect the medical supplies she would need for the night.

"No problem," Nathaniel said. "I think this poison is starting to get to me." Eriana smiled down at him and gave him a quick squeeze on the shoulder. Then she nodded for the soldiers to move him to her quarters.

It only took a matter of minutes for them to get Nathaniel situated in her room. Eriana thanked the guards as they left, leaving the two rogues alone. Garen and Oghren were still down in the Warden compound, and wouldn't be up for a while. Eriana picked up a couple of blankets and turned around to attend to Nathaniel when she heard a loud thud coming from the empty sitting room. Spinning around, Eriana grabbed her daggers and moved between Nathaniel and the door.

"Commander, it's just me," Niko Amell said before he pushed the door open and peeked in the room. "Please don't kill me."

"Maker's Breath, Niko" Eriana said with a sigh of relief. "How on did you get in here? I locked the doors, and you're crap at lock picking."

Niko grinned, "I came in through the window." Eriana glanced toward the open window, silently wondering how the mage managed to scale the seven or eight stories so quickly. "I flew, as a bird. I met a chasind mage in the wilds who taught me how to transform into animals."

"That can be a very useful skill." Eriana said, "But you didn't fly up here to tell me that; what's going on? Has something happened?"

Niko sighed and rolled his eyes. "No. Petra and Anders sent me to make sure you ate something. After you left they realized you probably hadn't eaten all day, so, yeah, well, here I am."

"He's right," Nathaniel muttered from the bed. "You've not eaten anything since breakfast."

Eriana threw her hands up. "Seriously? I had someone try to kill me today in front of several thousand people; Nathaniel, you were poisoned by the bolt meant for me, and we uncovered another possible conspiracy against me, and all you all care about is me getting my dinner? Are you all obsessed with my eating habits or something?"

Niko up his hands up defensively. "I'm just the messenger. They were going to have food sent up, but Sigrun pointed that it would look better to have the order coming from you, that you wouldn't like it if it appeared we were coddling you. Anders also asked me to remind you that you are still recovering and that it's his job as your healer to look out for your health when you are too distracted to. Please don't hurt me."

Rolling her eyes, the elf slid her daggers back into their sheaths and made her way to the door to summon a servant. "Tell them I'll eat something, okay, and that I appreciate the fact they're looking out for me." Niko nodded and after transforming into a hawk, flew out the window.

Eriana didn't eat that much, just enough to satisfy her promise to the mages. She honestly wasn't hungry; once she slowed down enough to really start to process what had happened, she was simply too upset to eat. It wasn't that someone tried to kill her; it was Nathaniel. He could have easily died today in an effort to protect her, and that fact shook the young elf to the core. Too many men in her life had died in defense of her life, and she wasn't about to let another. After feeding the rest of her dinner to Ramoth who had spent the day curled up on a rug in her room, Eriana crawled into bed beside Nathaniel who was already beginning to shiver as the poison moved through his system.

"Nathaniel," she whispered, putting his head into her lap. "Please don't scare me like that again."

The rogue opened his eyes to look up at her. "What do you mean?"

"When I first saw you, lying there, that arrow sticking out of your chest, I was terrified. I thought I was going to lose you." She pushed his hair back, looking down into his stormy eyes. "I was so relieved when I realized you were going to be alright. That wasn't an act, you know, back there when we were talking to Alistair. I don't think I could bear it if something happened to you."

Nathaniel smiled and patted her on the arm. "Thank you, Ana."

"I mean it, Nate. If you had been seriously injured back there, there was no way I would have been able to leave you; you know that right?"

"I'm glad it didn't come to that. You needed to go after that guy, and it would have been a shame if you had missed an opportunity to examine the body. The bolt caught me in the shoulder, so no permanent damage done. Anders says I'll be fine once the poison is cleared from my system, he was able to close the wound and get the antidote into my blood quickly enough."

Eriana smiled and eased down onto the bed beside him, shifting beside her fellow rogue so his head rested on her chest. She could feel him begin to shiver violently, so wrapped her arms around him doing her best to keep him warm. "You know, I kind of got to skip this stage with I was poisoned with this stuff."

"Really? How did you manage that exactly?"

"I was unconscious on account of massive blood loss. I wasn't fortunate enough to have a healer close by, so Zevran had to stop my bleeding the old fashioned way, with poultices and potions. Plus, the poison nearly killed me. We didn't realize I was even poisoned until it started getting hard to breathe, so I was fighting both blood loss and the effects of the poison at the same time." She sighed. "You know, I never really considered it until just now, but the fact that both assassins used the same poison makes me think the attacks are connected and genuine attempts on my life, even though Zev was the intended target of the first attack. Quiet death is not cheap and blighted hard to make, someone paid these guys a great deal."

"I know," Nathaniel whispered. "It must have been nerve-wracking for him."

"Hum?"

"For Zevran. It must have been nerve-wracking watching you fight both the poison and the wound with no support. I can imagine it would have been terrifying."

"He handled it well, but he was scared. I could see it in his eyes." Eriana glanced down at him. "You know, I only saw that look on his face once before."

"When was that?"

"At the gates of Denerim just before Loghain and I left to face the archdemon. He was one of the few people who knew what happened when a Warden kills an archdemon, so he knew there was a chance…"

"That you weren't coming back."

Eriana nodded as she closed her eyes. "But you're coming back," she muttered as she let herself drift off to sleep. "I know you're not going to leave me."

-0-

The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully for Grey Wardens. Eriana skipped the fair, claiming that she had been up most of the night monitoring Nathaniel, but there was no getting out of attending the tourney that lasted the next three days. She spent most of those three days in the royal box sitting the King and Queen and Cousland brothers, watching as the nobles and knights of the land competed in various events. She couldn't help but cringe as she watched the archery competition, knowing that she or Nathaniel could have easily claimed the prize. However, Nathaniel was still feigning injury, and Eriana's bow was broken in the attack. If she didn't had more pressing matters to be upset over, the loss of her bow would have distraught her. It was the weapon that she used during the final months of the blight. It was made specifically for her by Dalish craftsmen who took into account her smaller frame and tiny hands. All other bows just felt cumbersome and awkward in her hands, and she wasn't about to embarrass herself by competing in front of all of Ferelden using an unfamiliar bow. So in the end, she simply watched as others competed, content to sit in the stands and talk to the nobles as the tournament progressed.

The landsmeet went off without a hitch as well. Eriana got to stay on the second tier in a place of prominence for the duration of the session as she was an acting arlessa. The meeting was little more than a formality since most of the nobles prefer to conduct official business during the normal spring session after they had all had a chance to meet with their vassals at the beginning of the planting season. Of all the week's events, Eriana was most at ease at this one. Only nobles and their personal guards were in attendance, and for once, she wasn't the center of attention, just one of many among the Ferelden nobility.

The last event Eriana was expected to attend was the ball, an event the elf definitely wasn't looking forward to. The ball was being held in the Landsmeet chambers, but this time, Eriana was expected to mingle down on the floor with the rest of the nobility. The royal dais was removed and the musicians were placed in the balcony to give the guests more space on the floor. (Nathaniel, Sigrun, and Garen would also be in the balcony, but no one outside the Wardens knew this particular fact.) Eriana was given strict orders to say in the open, and, under no circumstance is she to go under the overhang where Nathaniel couldn't see her. And the worst part of the whole event was the fact that Alistair and Anora had forbidden her to wear her armor, so she was forced to wear a dress.

"It's a ball, Eriana," Alistair said to her with a sigh. "You can't go to a ball dressed in your armor, and don't try to pull that I'm the Hero of Ferelden stuff with me. We both know you hate to be called that, so you can't use it now to get what you want."

Eriana growled at him. "If I can't use it to get my way, what good is it?"

In the end, she acquiesced to his request and wore a dress. It wasn't a dress a typical Ferelden noblewoman would normally wear. Most Ferelden nobility usually wore tight, fitted dresses made of rather heavy uncomfortable fabric, but if she was going to be forced to wear a dress, she was going to be comfortable in it. In the end, she chose a dress Leliana picked out for her before she left for the deeproads. It was a long, cream-colored dress that was accented with elaborate blue ribbons and embroidery that matched her eyes. The shoulders and sleeves were open, allowing the warm honey color of her skin to shine through. The light weight fabric flowed around her body, accenting her curves alluringly but still managing to be light and airy. While the rest of the women at the ball appeared overly tailored and made up, she was effortless, ethereal, especially with the help of one of Anora's maids who fixed her hair, pulling part of it back off her face to accent her delicate ears and letting the rest fall in soft waves down her back.

"It's not too much," she asked, turning around to Nathaniel once the maid left. "I mean, the overall effect, does it look alright?" Nathaniel didn't say anything, he just kind of stared at her, an unreadable look on his face. "It's terrible, isn't is, I look foolish."

Nathaniel shook his head like he was trying to clear his thoughts. "Um, foolish wouldn't be my exact choice of words." He got up and stood behind her, turning her so she could look at herself in the mirror. "Stunning, gorgeous, breath taking, yeah, but not foolish."

Eriana glanced at him over her shoulder and noticed a familiar look in his eye. "Why, Mr. I Don't Have Romantic Feelings for Elves, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were attracted to me."

Nathaniel smiled, "I never said I didn't find elves attractive; I just felt wrong acting on those feelings, remember?" He kissed her on the temple. "Although I can't say the same about the other men you'll be seeing tonight; I'm pretty sure most of them would be more than willing to act on their feelings. Eriana, you look stunning, like an Antivan princess."

Eriana looked back at her image in the mirror. "I always assumed I'd wear something like this when I married Zev. I think Leliana had that in mind when she picked this out." She sighed and turned back around, glancing over her shoulder at the way her blonde hair fell on the elaborate embroidery that decorated the back of the dress. "I'm glad I could put it to good use regardless. Now, let's get this over with."

They walked out into her sitting room where Oghren and Brenden were waiting to accompany her to the ball. Brenden let out an audible gasp when he saw her. "Ah, damnit," Oghren growled. "I'm going to have to break about a dozen kneecaps tonight, aren't I?"

"Thanks," Eriana said, smiling at Brenden as she took his arm. He would be escorting her to the ball since he was her second in command. Only the three of them were officially attending the ball; Brenden because of his position in the Wardens and Oghren because he had been with her and Loghan when they took down the archdemon. Together the three Wardens made their way down to the Landsmeet chambers, and Eriana waited nervously as the herald announced their names and her three titles to the room. There was a collective intake of air as the three Wardens strolled in, every eye in the room on the blonde elf. Eriana shifted uncomfortably as she felt the stares of those in the room; Brenden patted her on the arm as he led her into the room.

Fergus Cousland was the first the approach them. "Ser, do you mind if I claim the first dance with this lovely young woman before her line of suitors grows too long?"

"Not at all, Your Grace," Brenden said, handing Eriana over to the teryn and making his way over to the drink table with Oghren.

Fergus smiled down at the young elf as he took her arm and led her out onto the dance floor. "You look lovely tonight, Eriana," he said as they began to move around the dance floor. "I'm sure my brother is absolutely dizzy at the mere sight of you."

Eriana laughed, "And yet here I am with you."

"Yes, well being the older brother and the second most powerful man in Ferelden does have a few perks," he said with a dashing smile. "But I must confess, I have ulterior motives." Eriana raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Yes, I wanted to firmly establish my presence here and then disappear while avoiding the flock of women who are constantly hovering around me these days. The easiest way to make sure everyone sees me is to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room and hope they stop looking at you long enough to notice me."

Eriana laughed, "You are too kind, Fergus. Has it been that bad."

"It's nearly constant. It seems I can't go anywhere without some girl throwing herself at me or some father mentioning his lovely daughter to me.

Eriana gave him a sad smile. "I suppose that comes with the territory. I'm sorry; I know it can't be easy for you."

Fergus sighed, "I know it's been two years, but I'm just not ready. The hurt is still too raw." Eriana nodded, knowing exactly how that felt. "You remind me of her tonight, Eriana. Oriana was wearing something very similar the day I first met her."

"Fergus, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's a good memory, one I cherish. She was an effortless beauty, just like you." The music around them sifted to a slower beat, and Fergus drew her closer as they in turn slowed to match the music. "I also wanted to thank you."

"For fending off all your would-be suitors? I can do this all night you know as long as you do the same for me," she said, looking up at him with a sly grin.

Fergus laughed, "No, as much as I'm enjoying this, I'd rather not anger every eager young nobleman in Ferelden, including my little brother. I'm afraid you'll just have to fend for yourself tonight." Eriana chuckled as he lifted her effortlessly and spun her around. "Actually, I wanted to thank you for allowing Aedan to work with you in Amaranthine. I think it did him some good. I've seen a real change in him over the past few weeks."

"He was a huge help, really. I learned a great deal from him. I think we're on the right track now."

"Well, Saul Barret should be a huge help with that, too. He is one of the shrewdest businessmen I've ever met. My father and I have both offered him numerous jobs, but he was always content with running the inn. If you put him in charge of your commerce, I guarantee you, you will see the arling's income at least double by this time next year."

"What made him change his mind and give up the inn?"

Fergus shrugged, "You I suppose. You and Gloria. She was very insistent that they move to Amaranthine to work for you, and there's no sense arguing with her once she sets her mind to something. That's why she'll do such a good job for you."

"So all I have to do then is keep the darkspawn in check while my arling runs itself?"

"Not quite," he said with a laugh. "But it should be easier now that you have the Barrets along with Garevel and Nathaniel." Fergus looked as though he was about to say something else when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" Alistair asked. "You've been kind of monopolizing the guest of honor."

Fergus bowed and handed the elf over to the King after giving Eriana a soft kiss on the hand. "I suppose I must. You are, after all, the only man in the room with enough power to force me to yield this lovely creature's hand. Ana, thank you for the dance."

Eriana smiled and thanked Fergus before turning and curtsying to the King. Every eye in the room turned to follow the young King and his elven friend as they glided around the dance floor. After she finished her dance with Alistair, Aedan and Tegan were waiting for their turn to guide her around the floor. Eriana spent the next hour being passed from nobleman to nobleman. She was extremely grateful to her Warden stamina and the light-weight dress she was wearing because without them, she would have been completely spent by the time Brenden reclaimed her hand. "I thought you could use a break," he whispered into her ear. "You're just too nice to turn anyone down to get yourself something to drink."

"Thanks," she whispered up to him as they walked over to the small bar that had been set up. "Would you mind opening a fresh bottle," she asked the barkeeper as he reached for a bottle of wine. "One with the seal still on it, please." The barkeeper looked up at her, slightly offended. "It's not that I don't trust you," she said taking a glass from the newly opened bottle, "I just don't trust anyone, that's all."

Eriana and Brenden walked over to the side of the dance floor to watch the other couples dance as the Wardens finished their drinks. As Eriana was polishing hers off, someone grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

"Well, Cousin," Shianni hissed, her eyes blazing with anger. "I suppose I'll just have to catch you now that you've taken a break from throwing yourself at all theses shems. Your father is fine by the way, not that you've bothered to check since you've been here."

Eriana hushed her cousin and pulled her back into an alcove. "Shianni, what is the matter with you?"

"Only that you've been here for a week, and you've yet to grace us with your presence. You've not even bothered to check on your father; you've been too busy whoring yourself out to those dirty shems."

Eriana handed her empty glass to a passing waiter before turning back to her furious cousin. "When exactly have I had time to come visit? You know how busy I've been."

"You could have made the time. You should have made the time, Cousin."

"Stop calling me that."

"Why, are you ashamed of me? Is that why you've avoided us this week because you don't want your new shem friends to know where you're really from? Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure they know you're an elf."

"I'm not ashamed of you, you twit. Maker's Breath you were at the ceremony, Shianni; you saw what nearly happened to me. Do you really want everyone to know you're my family? I'm trying to keep you safe. This is for your safety, not mine. Someone tried to kill me this week, and I'm pretty sure that they'll try again. Only a hand full of people know that I'm from Denerim and even fewer know that I still have family," Eriana hissed. "If the people who are trying to hurt me found out about you two, you'd become a target. If they don't think they can hurt me directly, they'll go after those closest to me."

"Is that why you've stayed away?" Shainni asked, her anger abating slightly.

Eriana nodded sadly. "I was planning on visiting once all this died down. We're staying another week or so, and I was going to come to see you then, once it was safe."

"What about Soris; is he safe with you?"

"Yes, for now, but I have a feeling that he won't be in Amaranthine much longer." Shianni looked up at her surprised. "I think he's fallen for a woman, a human woman who works for the Couslands. It wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to move to Highever to be with her."

Shianni laughed. "Good for him; he deserves to be happy." Her smile faded. "So you will come to see us then?"

"Of course," Eriana said. "I've missed you all. But you need to ask everyone to keep quiet about my past, for your safety. I can't risk the chance of someone using you all to hurt me. If it got out that Ada is my father, someone might use him to get to me, and I can't let that happen."

Shianni crossed her arms across her chest. "But that doesn't explain why you were all over those shems out there."

Eriana grinned. "Shianni, you've been a member of the landsmeet for a year now, surely you understand how politics work. I have to be friendly with the nobility. Do you realize how insulted those men would have been if I had turned any one of them down? For the sake of my arling, I have to keep solid relationships with all the members of the landsmeet. And sometimes that means dancing with them." Shianni sighed and nodded. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah, co…Commander," Shianni said with a grin. "We're fine. I'll see you later in the week."

-0-

A young waiter waited in the wings as the group of noblemen stood around, talking animatedly. Only after the nobles began to disperse did the waiter approach his employer. "I hope you bring me news," the noble said, glancing down at the waiter.

"I did. I was listening to the Warden Commander speaking to Bann Shianni, and I found out an interesting piece of information." The waiter paused looking up at the noble. "Did you know that they were related?"

"The Commander and the Bann of the Alienage are related? Interesting."

"That's not all. Apparently, the Warden Commander has a father, the old man who lives with Bann Shianni."

"Really? I always assumed that he was the bann's father." A smile spread over the noble's face. "Now, that is a valuable piece of information." Since the last attempt on the Warden had failed, the noble had been trying hard to figure out a new way of getting at the elf. An outright attack against her wouldn't work now; she'd be expecting it. No, if they were going to hurt Ms. Eriana Tabris, they would have to do it indirectly. The noble handed the waiter a small pouch of coins. "You have done well. Let me know if you discover anything else." The waiter bowed and left.

"Maybe, just maybe," the noble thought, "I may have finally found a chink in that knife-eared bint's armor." The noble's eyes traveled across the room until they landed on the elf as she spun around the room in yet another nobleman's arms. "And now I may have just what it takes to knock her down once and for all."

-0-

Well, summer is over, and I head back to work this week. Summer was much busier than I had anticipated. I had hoped to finish this over the summer, but I didn't get nearly as far as I had hoped. Let me know if you guys like where this is headed and if you're interested enough for me continue.

Thanks to those of you who took the time to read and review. I'll try to get around to responding; I've just been so swamped. Anyway, enjoy!