Chapter 23! The ball is on!

Hermione and Solas will be having a chat in Elven, but like I mentioned earlier - it's not a complete language. Therefore I had to use English for the most part!

Disclaimer: not mine.

-o-

Chapter 23 - I Was Afraid They Would Run Out Of Punch

She definitely recognised that I am different, Hermione thought as they ventured through the servants' quarters. But Morrigan isn't just any mage, now is she?

Morrigan was most definitely not the average mage. And she would be coming with them back to Skyhold. That would be interesting, would it not?

Perhaps rather too interesting, Hermione thought as she threw herself into combat with a Venatori agent.

-o-

They returned to the ball, and Evelyn danced with the Duchess.

Hermione missed Solas. There had been no talk and all combat when in the servants' quarters, and she found herself rather tired of nobles, and in dire need of her Dread Wolf.

She even managed to avoid any conversations, and entered the room where Solas was.

She didn't quite know whether to laugh or be angry when she saw him. Not angry at him though. The swooning noble ladies, however? Maybe.

Are you serious? she thought. Nine ladies? NINE?

Not that she could blame them, really. Solas was undeniably intriguing. Magnetic, more like it, she thought as she contemplated what to do.

She had no idea what to do. So she walked over and stepped into the circle of ladies, right in front of Solas.

His eyes softened when he saw her, and she gave him a small smile, ignoring the puzzled, annoyed looks from the ladies.

"How are you, Lethallin?" Hermione asked in elven, confusing the ladies even further.

"Rather tired, I must admit," he replied in elven, and Hermione could swear she heard two ladies sigh. Again, she couldn't really blame them. Solas speaking elven – the way the words rolled off his tongue – was honestly something to swoon over. His mesmerizing voice, combined with the soft, beautiful language had quite the effect. It was like a caress, like every word was an endearment, and – probably in the ears of the ladies surrounding them, at least – a declaration of love and devotion. He could probably tell the ladies how much he fucking hated them all, and how he wished they would burn in Hell, and they would sigh and swoon until their heads spun.

"I think I just made it worse, Lethallin," she said – again in elven – while giving him a small smile. "Ir abelas, ma'fen."

"You made it worse? How could this get any worse?"

Hermione gave him an amused smile. "The sound of you speaking elven is quite swoon-worthy, Lethallin. Anyway, I was trying to figure out a way to help you out of this, but I am coming up blank."

"Is it true he is no manservant?"

Hermione gave the lady next to her a slightly annoyed look, and switched to English so that the lady would understand. "That is most certainly true. He has a vital role in the Inquisition, and without him, the task of saving the world will be a much harder challenge." Shit, she thought as she saw the stars in the lady's eyes. That did nothing to help. She turned to Solas again, and switched back to elven. "I'm here to make everything worse, it seems."

He shook his head. "The night will come to an end, eventually, will it not?"

Hermione chuckled. "Hopefully." Thinking for a moment, she concentrated, surrounding the ladies around her in a wave of magic. "You remember every moment with the fascinating elf," she said in English, "because elves aren't so bad, after all. But, you just realised that you really want to watch the dancing in the grand ballroom."

The ladies, all with excited expressions, immediately turned around and left, heading for the ballroom. Hermione proceeded with casting a light Notice-Me-Not-Charm on Solas. "There, love. Hopefully they will leave you alone now."

"Thank you, vhenan."

"No problem," she said, but then realised she had more tasks to complete before the showdown with Florianne. "I have to go. I have some more secrets to collect. I will see you soon."

"Soon, vhenan," he said softly, and Hermione wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him, and kiss him, nobles surrounding them or not.

She didn't, however. She gave him a final, soft look, and then walked away.

-o-

Hermione delivered the last secrets to Leliana, and then, finally, they ventured out in the royal wing, met Brialla, chatted with Florianne, closed a rift, recruited some mercenaries, and then ventured back to the Grand Ballroom.

It took Florianne a moment to discover them, and Hermione quickly grasped the opportunity to sneak up on the bloody woman. She didn't really feel like battling the power-crazed woman out in the garden, and hoped she would be able to sneak up on her before she escaped.

Hermione didn't want to use magic. Other than the pretend-rogue abilities, that was. There were too many people watching, and she had already made enough fuss, thank you very much.

Hermione didn't quite get to the Duchess before the Inquisitor revealed everything, however, and Florianne made her desperate attempt at an assassination.

Hermione stopped behind a pillar. Florianne had to pass by the pillar to get to Celene.

Fuck, she thought as she peeked out from behind the pillar. Carlisle, that's a very bad spot for you to be in right now.

Florianne was heading straight for them. And Carlisle was slightly in the madwoman's way, something that would probably not end well for the man without a mask.

If nothing else, Carlisle was out of view for the audience, thank Merlin.

Florianne closed in fast. Too fast. And she had her eyes on Carlisle.

Hermione reacted without thinking. She leaped out from the pillar, spinning around so she was in front of Lord Venece just before Florianne's dagger reached its target.

The dagger bounced off Hermione's protective shield, and Florianne's eyes widened at the sight.

And then, the Duchess shadow stepped.

Hermione spun around, grabbing Carlisle as she did, resulting in Florianne appearing behind Hermione instead. Hermione pushed Lord Venece hard, just as she spun around again, barely managing to avoid Florianne's attempt to grab her - something that could possibly result in a slit throat - and pretend-rogue-stunned the Duchess. She quickly proceeded with locking down Florianne's magic, stunned her again, and knocked her over the head for good measure.

She had the Duchess on the floor, even a knee on Florianne's chest when her companions appeared.

"I do not even know why we came," Leliana said with an amused voice. "We could have just chatted with the Empress instead."

Hermione grinned. "I was afraid they would run out of punch, so I decided to just get this assassination-attempt over with." Florianne groaned, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really? What does it take to knock you out, you bloody woman?"

I need to lock down her magic permanently, Hermione thought. And rather quickly at that.

On an impulse, she cast a Fidelius Charm, sealing the Duchess' magic away. The only way to unlock it was if Hermione lifted the charm, and that would most certainly not be happening.

She proceeded with stripping the bloody woman of every dagger – basically anything sharp she could find, including the collar of her armour – and gave her companions a jaded look. "Could you at least go and make sure there is some punch left?" she asked before turning to Carlisle. "Carlisle." No reaction. He was just staring at her from where he was sitting on the floor. "Carlisle!" she exclaimed, and he almost jumped. "Your belt, Carlisle, I need it. Please. And quickly."

He finally reacted, and she turned the Duchess over on her belly, placing her knee on the back of the bloody woman, taking the belt Carlisle was handing her, wrestled Florianne's arms behind her back, and tied her up – even cast a charm that wouldn't allow her to struggle out of her bindings – turned the Duchess around again, and manhandled her up to a sitting position, her back against the pillar.

"How convenient," Hermione said as she noticed the belt around the Duchess' waist. "I'll just borrow this, Florianne dear."

Not many minutes later, they had a furious, tied up Duchess sitting with her back to the pillar, and the sight reminded Hermione of a petulant child.

Hermione was sipping her punch, provided by an amused Leliana, and that was when she realised they had an audience. A rather noble audience.

Hermione sighed, turned away from the audience, and raised an eyebrow. "The whole 'staying out of the spotlight'…I didn't quite manage that, did I?" she paused to take another sip of her punch before looking at Florianne. "And it's all your fault. Why did you have to go and try to assassinate the Empress in public like that? You're surprisingly shit at The Game, honestly."

"Enjoy your moment of victory while it lasts," Florianne hissed. "Corypheus will come for you. He will come for you all."

"I suspect he will," Hermione replied, "but when he does, I'm not dancing with him." Florianne was probably about to hiss something overly dramatic again, but Hermione crouched down, fixing the Duchess with a piercing stare. "You better pray, you delusional woman, that Corypheus will not be the one to win this war. I have seen what future we are facing if that happens. And I promise you, Duchess, it is not the future you imagine. Here, let me show you."

Legilimens, Hermione thought, and entered the Duchess mind with force, filling her mind with every memory of the breach unravelling the world, the destruction, the red Lyrium, the horror, the agony, and the constant terror that future contained. Then, she withdrew from Florianne's mind, and just looked at her.

Fear. That was what Florianne's eyes were filled with. Fear. Dread. Terror.

"Pray, Florianne," Hermione said in a quiet, but severe voice. "Just pray."

-o-

"I just need a few minutes to clear my head," Hermione said a while later, and everyone just nodded as she got up to find a place where she could breathe for a moment.

She did find such a place in the form of an empty veranda, and managed a whole minute and a half of silence before she was alerted to a person approaching her. A magical person, if the signature was anything to go by.

"Hello, Morrigan," Hermione said without turning around. "Fancy meeting you here."

She heard a chuckle, and then the witch appeared next to her. "Indeed."

"You sense I'm different, don't you?"

Morrigan gave her a slightly puzzled look. "Indeed. Tis' curious, I must say."

"I'm not from here, so to speak," Hermione said, shrugging. "It's a rather long and complicated tale, however, and this is not the time."

Morrigan gazed at her. "A vast understatement, I sense."

Hermione chuckled. "You are quite correct." Contemplating what to say for a moment, she continued. "In case something happens to me, Morrigan, I have a couple of things you should know. A couple of things I strongly suggest you listen to." She turned to look at the golden-eyed witch before continuing. "One; do not drink from the Well of Sorrows. You will regret it more than you can understand. Two; Flemeth never intended to take your body. Not without consent. Three; Flemeth is rather keen on Kieran's spare soul. If you find yourself in a confrontation with her, let her take it. You'll keep your son, and she will keep the Old God's soul. We do need to find a way to take her out, though, but that's something to worry about another day. Four; Grand Enchanter Fiona is Kieran's biological grandmother. I am – other than Fiona, and now you, of course – the only person in the world that knows, and I suggest you keep it that way. Alistair doesn't even know. Fiona and Maric were in the Deep Roads, and there, in the never-ending darkness, they found some light in each other, something that resulted in Alistair. But Maric was the king, Fiona was the Grey Warden commander, an elf, and a mage, just to top it off. Maric loved Fiona, and loved his son, but couldn't exactly acknowledge him fully. Fiona has lived her whole life knowing she has a son who does not know who she is. And she has mourned it, mourned her lost son, she still mourns. Consider it, Morrigan. Consider letting her know that Kieran is her grandson. Other than that; welcome to the Inquisition, Morrigan."

Morrigan just stood there, staring, as Hermione turned around and walked back inside.

-o-

Hermione danced with Solas in the privacy of an empty veranda, kissed him, had some more punch, got five marriage proposals from various nobles, waved at Carlisle as she passed him by, and then they left the Winter Palace.