Ahnnie was invited the next morning to breakfast with the Madame. A servant woke her at the precise chiming of the eighth bell and led her down to a fashionable parlor room. There, the Madame sat waiting at a small table, stirring her hot drink with a dainty little spoon.

"Good morning, my dear," Madame Vivienne purred as she entered. "I trust you've had a good night's rest?"

The servant bowed before leaving, and Ahnnie walked up accordingly to the empty chair in front of Vivienne. "A very good one, thank you," she smiled as she sat down.

Vivienne nodded and brought the cup to her lips for a little sip. Finding it still lacking, she plopped a sugar cube into the drink and continued stirring. "What a curious thing you've done with your hair," she remarked a moment later.

Ahnnie held up a lock of wavy black hair. "Oh, I kept the braid on when I went to bed," she explained, then dropped the lock back down. "I used to do it before, occasionally. It's been a while since the last time..."

"It looks nice." Vivienne sipped her drink again, and this time found it satisfactory. "What it lacks is the proper attire to make it shine. I know a woman in the city, a fabulous seamstress; she can work wonders for your wardrobe."

"Thank you, Madame Vivienne. I will keep that in mind."

The Enchanter snapped her fingers after putting down her stirring spoon. "You must be thirsty. What would you like to start your day with, my dear?" On cue, a servant who had been standing sentinel behind her immediately came forward. "Tea? Chocolate? Coffee?"

Ahnnie perked up. "Did you say, 'coffee'?" she echoed.

"Indeed, I did. The finest grounds from Antiva."

Ahnnie fought the urge to shout with joy. Coffee! Thedas has coffee! Today's my lucky day! "I'll take coffee, please," she answered readily. "With steamed milk, if it's not too much trouble." She made a mental note for later to ask if sweet condensed milk was a thing yet. She missed the taste of cà phê sữa đá. Us Vietnamese need our coffee – it's in our blood.

"Of course not, my dear. It never is." Vivienne then turned to the servant and flicked him off, watching as he bowed and strode out of the room to fulfill the order.

He returned a moment later with the much desired coffee, settling it down before a delighted Ahnnie. Following close behind, another servant brought in breakfast: two plates of crêpes filled with cream and fresh berries, accompanied by twin saucers of a chocolate sauce.

Vivienne drizzled a little of the sauce in a criss-cross pattern over her crêpes before cutting into them daintily with her fork. When she looked up again, she noticed Ahnnie making a scrunched-up face upon sampling her coffee. "Does it need some sugar?" Vivienne asked, gesturing towards the sugar cubes.

Ahnnie shook her head. "I prefer it as-is in the morning," she explained. "It was just a little hot, and I drank too fast."

"Do be careful."

She kept that advice in mind as she cut into her crêpes, dousing a bit of the cold cream onto her scalded tongue. Next, she speared a berry with the fork and dipped it lightly into the sauce. When she put it in her mouth a moment later, she realized just how much she missed tasting such sweet flavors. Eager to be reacquainted with them, she cut a piece of crêpe and berry and dipped into the sauce again, munching happily away with careful sips of coffee between intervals.

"They were most charming, the stories you told last night," Vivienne said after a while. "Earth sounds like a very curious place."

Ahnnie waited till she finished chewing before replying. "It was my pleasure, Madame. I'm glad I could entertain with my experiences." She tilted her head in thought. "It's interesting, but they were just normal things to me back home. Here though, they're such novelties."

"I'm sure we could say the same of Thedas to people of your world."

"That's true," she conceded. "They do like to write stories about worlds like Thedas. They call it the 'fantasy' genre."

Vivienne laughed. "Fantasy! Why, is it because of the magic?"

"Yes." At this, the Madame laughed some more.

Her reaction was typical of the other Orlesians who had listened to Ahnnie the previous evening. For people who distrusted the unrestrained use of magic, they became awfully proud of it when they learned of its absence on Earth. Then upon hearing of the scientific and technological advances, they wondered in a fascinated vein whether or not it might be due to a subtle form of magic the Earthlings couldn't comprehend? As for America, the land in which the Otherworlder lived, they were glad to discover it was not the dimension of demons the Chantry made it out to be, but found it strange that its people chose who governed them rather than submit to a monarchy, 'as was only right'.

"Why, they are even more barbarous than the Fereldans," Comtesse Sabine had remarked. "At least their nobles preside over the Landsmeet; can you imagine a whole people choosing who sits on the throne, regardless of station or blood, with the power to overthrow that ruler whenever it so suits them?"

"Pure anarchy!" another noble had agreed.

"It's an Oval Office, not a throne," Ahnnie had to correct them. "There's a Congress, Senate, and House of Representatives sharing power with the President, and there's also a trial before he gets impeached, if it comes to that."

But the Orlesians would not be convinced; they thought the democratic system inferior to their own, and when Ahnnie explained the three other houses of power as checks-and-balances to one another, the only thing the were convinced of was America's lawlessness. They seemed to think that of any Earthen country with a history of revolution and independence; she was unsurprised to hear the same things said of Vietnam breaking away from French colonial rule and decided not to tell them about the French Revolution. Rather than taking offense, she was amused by their reactions, more interested in the sociological factor that played into their opinions than any concern over her own.

The Madame herself made many of her opinions known that night, most of them aligning with the general consensus of centralized rule, others more favorably aligned with the Americans', such as the civil and women's rights. And yet, no complete freedoms for the mages, Ahnnie noticed, though she kept it to herself.

But besides that, who exactly was Vivienne? What did being a Court Enchanter mean, and why did Duke Bastien allow her the liberty to throw salons in his home? That last question had been bugging her since the previous evening. The Chateau de Ghislain was the Duke's, but Vivienne had called it 'my house' when chiding the Marquis. It was confusing.

"Madame Vivienne, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you more about yourself," Ahnnie began. "I spoke a lot about myself at the salon, but I wasn't able to get to know you well. I find that very rude of me, especially towards my most gracious host," she added for good measure.

The Madame smiled wryly. "No need to strain yourself, my dear. There are no other nobles present; you may pause the Game to speak plainly with me."

Ahnnie smiled, though she still felt somewhat wary. "I couldn't help noticing your accent's not Orlesian. Where, exactly, are you from?"

"I am from the Circle, my dear," Vivienne replied. "One's country of origin rarely matters there. But if you must know, I was born in Wycome in the Free Marches. I was sent to the Ostwick Circle, but I transferred to Montsimmard while still an apprentice."

The Ostwick Circle! "I have a friend in the Ostwick Circle," Ahnnie beamed.

"Indeed?"

"Yes," Ahnnie nodded, but caught herself before she could reveal Evelyn's name, remembering only at the last minute that the mage was not yet free to openly associate with her. "She's a very nice mage," she said instead. "How did you wind up at court, then?" Hopefully, this change in subject was sufficient to keep the Madame from probing further.

"Nobody 'winds up' at court, my dear," Vivienne said in an amused tone. "It takes a great deal of effort to arrive there. I caught the eye of Duke Bastien de Ghislain, an advantageous connection that opened many doors. When the position of Enchanter to the Imperial Court became vacant, I was able to secure it."

"Ah, so you're Duke Bastien's wife?" That would make sense...

Madame Vivienne laughed, surprising her. "Of course not, my dear! Don't be ridiculous. Marriage is the business of alliance and inheritance. I'm Bastien's mistress."

Ahnnie blushed, completely taken aback. "O-oh," she stuttered, "so...is there a Duchess de Ghislain?"

"There was. Duchess Nicoline passed away from a fever a few years ago, the poor dear."

"Was she...jealous of you?"

"On the contrary, we got along quite well. Duchess Nicoline and I used to host musical salons together. She was a great patron of the arts." Madame Vivienne spoke so casually, she made being friends with the spouse of one's lover sound like an everyday affair.

"I see," Ahnnie nodded. Shit would have hit the fan if they were Vietnamese, she thought, remembering some choice incidents. Or of any other Earthen culture that practiced monogamy, for that matter – not that this was a norm for Orlesian culture, either. It was refreshing to hear the Duchess being so graceful about it, but...was she ever hurt? Didn't she love the Duke? And then...No way, did she have affairs of her own? It wouldn't be un-Orlesian to do so. Shaking that thought away, Ahnnie went on to her next point of curiosity. "So, um, what are a Court Enchanter's duties?"

The Madame took a sip of her drink before answering. "I am tasked with providing assistance to the Empress on arcane matters. Most of my predecessors restricted this to lighting lamps and doing parlor tricks; in such troubled times as these, however, I provide political advice to Her Majesty on the subject of the mage rebellion."

"It must be busy work."

"It is," Madame Vivienne agreed.

Then it occurred to her..."Will Her Majesty object to your absence from the Palace?"

Vivienne sighed. "To be fair, my dear, she has her hands tied with the civil war as of the moment. She has not consulted me on the mages in a while. I wouldn't be offering to assist the Inquisition if I were still required at the Imperial Palace, so you needn't worry about that."

Ahnnie sat back and digested this information with a long, appreciative sip at her coffee. "I must seem so nosy, asking all these questions," she teased.

"Oh, no, darling, it was my pleasure to answer them."

"If you don't mind, I just have one last one."

"Go ahead."

"What does 'Madame de Fer' mean?"

Vivienne gave her an amused smile as she speared a berry on her plate. "'Lady of Iron'."

"Đời tôi cô đơn nên yêu ai cũng không duyên. Đời tôi cô đơn nên yêu ai cũng không thành..."

Ahnnie stopped singing when she heard movement behind her. She froze, remembering that strange prickling of being watched – but turned around a moment later to see none other than Solas strolling down the gravel path. Relief flooded her instantly, followed by embarrassment. She turned back down her line of travel to meet up with him, smiling cheerily as they came face to face.

"It's a pretty cool garden, huh?" Ahnnie remarked, looking at the greenery around them.

"It feels quite warm to me," Solas interjected.

"Oh no, I meant 'cool' as in, uh..." She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think of an appropriate synonym. "'Impressive', 'great'...it's an Earth thing," she explained. "Sorry. Force of habit."

"It is all right, da'len," Solas chuckled, ruffling her head.

A warm and fuzzy feeling tickled her cheeks at his friendly touch. It then struck her that many of her companions tended to treat her like a child, as though she were not the young woman her age dictated her to be. Cassandra, for one, would not let her stay up on watch or fight in the Hinterlands, Josephine kept stressing rules and points of importance as if she were forgetful, Varric enjoyed teasing her, Blackwall tried to keep her out of trouble, and Solas called her da'len. Do I really look that young? she wondered, touching a hand to her cheek. Or, no...it's how I act...which, in turn, reinforced her physical appearance. But this time, rather than feeling shame, she felt warmed.

I'd forgotten how it feels like to be a kid, she thought. To have people who cared like that...Beaming up at Solas, she asked him when he drew his hand away, "Do you want to try a maze with me? I was heading for one just now."

"A maze, hm? Why not?"

They headed for the nearest one and entered its leafy corridor without hesitance. It was no surprise to her that she felt lost after a few minutes, but she didn't mind. She was doing this for fun, and if it was anything like the mazes she'd read about on Earth, then they would eventually be able to solve it.

"I heard that as long as you keep your hand on the right wall, it'll lead you to the exit." Her fingers brushed the hedge in response, tickling against the immaculately trimmed leaves.

"Hedge mazes are usually built for their novelty," Solas remarked. "They might be long, but they will never be impossible. There isn't any point in needlessly trapping one's guests, after all."

"True." It was still fun, though. She closed her eyes, seeing in her mind's eye the same maze around them but without hedges for walls...Cornfield mazes, right before Halloween...But the smell around her was that of fresh greenery and spring, not crisp apples and cinnamon, which dissipated the vision a moment later. She opened her eyes again to find herself almost within kissing distance of a green dead end. Alarmed, she whirled back around and saw Solas standing several feet away with a smile on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?" she admonished him playfully as she rushed back.

"The guy from The Shining died lost in a maze, though," she said after a while, thinking aloud.

"Hm?" Solas asked.

"A horror movie," she explained.

"...I see."

They reached the maze's center after a while, a circular clearing with a little gazebo in the middle. The elf and girl decided to take a break there and sat down on the white stone benches, the domed roof of the gazebo forming a circle of cool shade upon them.

"Horror movies often grossly exaggerate," Solas suddenly said, breaking the peaceful silence. "I'm not surprised many of their characters die; no one in their right mind would make the same mistakes as they do."

Ahnnie raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why, did you watch one?"

"In the Fade, yes."

What! A movie, in the Fade? Ahnnie leaned in closer, suddenly curious. "How did you do that? Was it in my dreams? Wait...did you enter one of my dreams?" she asked accusingly.

"No, I didn't have to do that," he denied. "You brought remnants of your world with you. While it is true that your memories played a part, your very presence brought some of Earth's essence closer to Thedas."

Her face beamed with excitement. That means home might not be so far away after all! But she didn't voice this, not in light of what she was still supposed to do. So she asked instead, "When did you notice this? What else did you see? Oh my god, it's been ages since I've seen a movie! Can I come along too?"

Solas gave her a sly smile in return. "Unfortunately, da'len, to be able to journey farther into the Fade, one must have a better knowledge of magic. Which, if I remember correctly, you rejected to acquiring."

Burn. "Well, I'd have you with me, right hahren?" she asked anyway.

"Do I look like I wish to rescue a helpless child whenever she falls into trouble?" he jested.

"You've done it before. Why not again?" All jokes aside, Ahnnie would not enter the Fade if Solas thought her incapable. She was not keen on honing her mana either, not after what happened. But on the topic of magic, a nagging question resurfaced in her mind. She tapped an index finger against the stone bench as she thought of how to broach the subject. "Say, Solas," she slowly began, "what do you think of our host?"

The elf settled his staff against the bench beside him. "Nothing of significance," he answered casually.

She looked at him. "Really?"

"Madame Vivienne is an advantageous ally – that is enough to content me."

I wonder if he knows...Ahnnie sighed, looking down on the bench where her hand rested. "I like how she's different from most Orlesians. Well, most Orlesians I've met anyway. Of course, she's still a bit snooty, but that's because of how she lives, right? She told me she's from the Montsimmard Circle, and..."

"If you're trying to make me feel better about her views on the mages, you may rest assured that I feel nothing from them."

She blushed. "So...you know already?"

"You were being very obvious, da'len," Solas mused. "It wasn't difficult to deduce what you were going to say. But thank you, anyway, for being concerned."

"You're welcome, I guess..." Dang, I've got to stop worrying so much! I'm making mountains out of molehills. "You're not being treated unfairly, though?" she asked, still unable to shake some of it off. "Everything's cool – er, okay?"

"Everything is...cool," he said, smiling amusedly. "I would be sure to tell you if it were otherwise."

"Okay," she nodded. "It's just that...well, her being a mage and all, and in her position, too...I mean, 'Court Enchanter' was just a useless position until the Empress needed her help!"

"Not all mages think the same," Solas pointed out. "And so it is with templars. Opinions are rarely as cut-and-dried as we believe them to be."

"I know...I just don't want it to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm fine, I assure you. Come now, stop worrying – we still have a maze to solve."

They then got up from the benches and plunged back into the maze. As Ahnnie expected, they were able to find the exit, but not before running into a few more dead ends that were easily negotiable. While still in the maze, Solas talked of the other things he saw in the Fade, which took her mind off her anxieties. She was back to being careless once they exited the hedges, and wondered if it wouldn't hurt to bear with a little magic just to see those coveted traces of Earth?

Maybe – I'll think about it.

He slinked about the stones, silent as a shadow, listening to the two men as they walked down the corridor. Clank, clank, clank...their armor heralded their presence with every step, so loud and conspicuous in the dark emptiness.

"Did you hear of the Chantry?"

"What about it?"

"They accepted those Inquisition soldiers."

"Blast."

He stalked after them, watching their great backs going up and down, up and down, down the long stone corridor.

"The Lord Seeker's been so pissed ever since."

A derisive laugh. "What, does he suddenly care now?"

A shrug. "I'd care too, if someone showed me up. What'd people think, seeing something like that? You know?"

"If he cared so much, he wouldn't have...ah, Maker's balls. Nothing the Lord Seeker's done has made sense, since..."

"Since what? What're you trying to say?"

"Nothing. Forget what I just said."

Clank, clank. Clank, clank.

"I wonder what he's going to do about it."

"Do what? He's ordered us out of Val Royeaux."

"But we're not gone yet."

"So you think..."

A meaningful silence.

"Yes. She's just a kid – maybe she can be influenced."

"I guess? But what sense does it make to..."

Another shrug. "I dunno. The Lord Seeker hasn't been himself lately. If he doesn't do that, Maker only knows what else he'll do."

He paused in his tracks. Her – they're speaking of her! The one whom people called "otherworlder", come to Thedas from a distant land beyond the Fade. He's seen her several times, out in the city. What a beautiful city. Why does it have to be so cruel? Can't things be easy for once? Her apprehension, so palpable he could feel it within him. What the hell? Who's following me? Is there someone following me? Careful observation, brown eyes piercing straight through him, only to fall away a moment later.

Maybe...if the big Seeker was going to do as the men said...maybe he would see her again? If that was so...

I must warn her, he thought, and slipped away.

Blade clashed against blade in a shout of ringing metal. The combatants jumped back briefly before rejoining to trade more blows, sparks flying between them. After a few more parries, their blades locked into a standstill, pushing indecisively against one another. Then they broke away, relaxing their stances upon the sharp clap of the Seeker.

"Very good," Cassandra nodded. "Now, one more time."

Ahnnie straightened up and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "Can't I have a break, Cassandra? Just one?"

"You're asking for a break now?" the Seeker asked. "That only proves you have been idle for too long. Go again."

Uuuuugggh, Ahnnie groaned, and readied her stance for another match with Blackwall.

"Seeker Cassandra is being cruel today," Josephine chuckled whilst looking over some papers in her hands.

"What do you expect?" the Seeker asked back. "Even I have not trained in a while. In fact, I will go against her in the next round. Just because we are far from Haven does not mean we can neglect our training."

Madame Vivienne picked up the glass of juice from the small table between her and Josephine, bringing it to her mouth for a sip. "How very true," the Enchanter mused. "I don't doubt that she has been taught well, but it is clear to see that she could benefit from more polishing."

I can hear you, Ahnnie thought as she blocked a swipe from Blackwall.

But the Madame had a point. Their time at the Chateau de Ghislain was leisurely and relaxing, like a long undue vacation, and threatened to soften the edge Cassandra had instilled in her. It was very close to living in the modern comfort that she had previously taken for granted; bathing was regular, food was plentiful, and most extraneous chores were done for her. She would also star in occasional salons, burdened by nothing more than how her clothes looked or what she had to say. Thus, it came as no surprise that she had become more complacent, more slack, and of course, a little more round.

Luckily for the Seeker (but perhaps not so luckily for Ahnnie), their time in Orlais was drawing to a close. With the Chantry having finally accepted their soldiers not less than two days ago, and the soldiers themselves now guarding the Grand Cathedral, there was no more of a reason to stick around in Val Royeaux. Arrangements had been made with a captain Vivienne was acquainted with and they would board the next ship for Jader within a few days.

While the combatants clashed, a servant arrived on the veranda bearing some mail on a silver tray. The Madame put down her drink to sort through the papers, mulling leisurely amongst the wax seals and titles while the swords danced in the foreground. She frowned upon coming to the next-to-last paper and looked up to hand it to Josephine. "My dear, this one is for you," she purred.

Lady Josephine looked up from her own papers to take the one from the Madame. The ambassador looked it over confusedly, pausing a moment upon recognizing the seal. With a tentative hand, she broke it and unfolded the letter.

A while later, Seeker Cassandra made her jolt with another sharp clap to end the training segment. "I'll grant you a five minute break now, and then I will go against you."

Ahnnie slapped her short sword back into its scabbard and made her way with Blackwall to the veranda's welcoming shade. "Only five minutes!" she mumbled to herself as she plopped down into a nearby chair.

Blackwall did the same, albeit in a less exhausted manner. He turned over to Josephine and gave her a polite smile. "Are you all right, my lady? You don't look so happy reading that letter."

Josephine struggled a moment to form words before letting out her breath in an anxious chuckle. "It is nothing," she assured him, but then remembered that it indeed was something. "Except for...um, Lady Ahnnie?"

Ahnnie turned over in her chair. "Yes?" she panted.

"And Lady Cassandra, I suppose," Josephine added. "Lord Seeker Lucius has asked to speak with the Herald of Andraste at the Seeker Headquarters..."

"What?" Cassandra snapped, storming over to the ambassador. "When?"

"Any time before we leave, actually," Josephine clarified.

Ahnnie frowned. "I thought he and the templars left Val Royeaux?"

"Well, apparently, they're still here..."

"What does he want?" Cassandra asked, her sharp eyes glaring.

Josephine looked down at the letter again and sighed. "I do not know," she admitted. "If we go by the letter, he wants to work out negotiations, saying it doesn't have to be this way between the Inquisition and the templars."

The Seeker paced about the veranda in thought. "Perhaps he has changed his mind," she muttered, "though why would he be so malleable all of a sudden? First the withdrawal, now this..."

"But there is just one thing."

All eyes turned back to Josephine.

"He wants only a small group to accompany her, and when it comes down to the actual talking..." Her dark eyes wandered over to Ahnnie. "...he wants to do it with her...alone."

The carriage trotted amiably down the city streets, but to Ahnnie, the thing was going too damn fast.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious," Blackwall assured her. "Dignitaries often ask to speak with each other alone. Happens all the time."

"But I'm not a dignitary," Ahnnie protested, a worried hand running through her hair. "I'm just...I don't know! A figurehead? A...what's it you call someone who has power only in name?"

"'Figurehead' is correct," Josephine said, "but let us not forget the power you do hold." She pointed to the girl's left hand. "Because of that and what our mission is, your image is closely tied to the Inquisition. Therefore, it is no surprise that important figures may wish to speak to you on occasion. Now, I may not be an expert on military leaders, but I believe the Lord Seeker's request so soon after the Chantry's acceptance of our soldiers to be no small coincidence."

"That is not what Lord Seeker Lucius would do," Cassandra cut in.

"Would the Lord Seeker have returned to Val Royeaux to make a show of the templars' withdrawal?" Josephine countered.

Cassandra frowned, then shook her head.

Solas put a reassuring hand on Ahnnie's. "Do not worry. I will be close by."

The girl looked up and gave him a helpless smile. "You won't be allowed in their headquarters, though. No one will be allowed to enter with me. I'll be alone..." The realization crashed into and swept over her like a devastating wave. The only time she had ever talked to someone important in private was with Mother Giselle. But this is Lord Seeker Lucius...the guy who wouldn't think twice about punching a helpless old woman...even if he wasn't the one to throw the punch, it still counted that he didn't care, for he would have reprimanded his man otherwise.

"Even so, I will be near," Solas interjected.

"Thanks," she said, even though she could see no use in his proximity if she was still going in alone.

"We will all be close by," Cassandra reaffirmed. "I believe it will only be a moment's talk–"

"But what if I have to make an important decision?" she interrupted.

"Tell him you will think about it," Josephine said, "and discuss it with us afterward."

"Okay..."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, allowing the rhythm of the carriage to overtake them. After a while, Cassandra drew aside the fancy curtain to peer out the window. "We are here," she announced, much to Ahnnie's dismay.

The carriage swerved into the open gates of an imposing stone fortress, the banners of which were emblazoned with the Seeker emblem. Men in dark armor stood guardian at the gateposts, and when the carriage stopped within the courtyard, a small group led by the dark skinned templar from before greeted the five of them.

"Knight-Templar Derlin Barris, at your service," he saluted.

Cassandra nodded in acknowledgement. "Seeker Cassandra," she introduced with a similar gesture.

Ser Barris looked the party over, his eyes catching onto Solas almost immediately. "I am afraid the mage will not be allowed," he said with regret.

"Of course," Solas smiled wryly. "I will wait here with the carriage, then."

Ahnnie reached out a desperate hand for the elf. "But..."

"You'll be fine," he assured her, returning her hand to her side.

The templar frowned, but then turned his attention to the girl. "Come; I am to take you to the Lord Seeker's office."

"The rest of us will accompany her along the way," Cassandra stated, stepping in besides the frightened Ahnnie.

Ser Barris nodded. "Of course."

And so they set off across the courtyard for the fortress proper. Ahnnie looked back over her shoulder, watching Solas grow smaller and smaller behind her. He noticed her gaze and gave her a reassuring wave before she disappeared under a great stone arch, and subsequently through a large oaken door, and then the courtyard was shut away from her view.

The click of the latch was a small, inconsequential sound, but to Ahnnie it felt like a great weight upon her soul. The group strode forward under the lead of Ser Barris, the only souls walking the torchlit corridors of nothing but endless stone and occasional tapestry.

"So I see the templars have not yet left Val Royeaux?" Josephine inquired a moment later, breaking the silence. Her lilting voice echoed eerily against the walls, causing Ahnnie to draw in closer to Cassandra and Blackwall.

"The Lord Seeker has not yet given us his command," Ser Barris replied.

"Forgive me, but he seems to have taken great liberties with the Order," Cassandra remarked.

"He has taken command," said Ser Barris. "Permanently."

Cassandra frowned. "If he feels there is a holy mandate..."

"That is what the Lord Seeker claims, and our commanders parrot him." Ser Barris sighed. "If I may speak plainly with you – the Lord Seeker's actions make no sense. He promised to restore the Order's honor, then does all these contradictory things?" His voice hardened. "Templars should know their duty, even when held from it."

There was a fire in his words that Ahnnie knew was both dangerous for him and yet would not be easily suppressed. So he has doubted, and has been persuaded...but what would happen then? What did he hope to come out of today's meeting? In fact, what should she aim for, and what did the Lord Seeker himself intend? It was all so confusing.

Ser Barris led them up a staircase, where they passed by two armed templars. The men took no notice of them, but something seemed a little...off, about them. Ahnnie frowned, not quite sure she was even being herself. She noticed Blackwall looking strangely at them as well, but...

"Here we are," Ser Barris announced. He had halted them in front of a door, and looked back uncertainly at Ahnnie. "Whatever you do...if you can convince the Lord Seeker...win him over, and every able-bodied knight will help the Inquisition seal the Breach."

She let out a steady exhalation to hide her nervousness. So he thinks I'm here to make an alliance. "I will try," she responded at length, smiling at Ser Barris. But that's a lot to ask for.

Ser Barris nodded and rapped on the wood. "The Herald of Andraste, here to see you, sir."

There was a period of nerve wracking silence. Then, from behind the door: "Enter."

The templar turned the knob and twisted it open. From the tiny slit, Ahnnie could see a dark stone room, dimly lit with torches.

She turned back around to look at Cassandra, Josephine, and Blackwall. "I'll just be a moment," she said, as if this were only a small errand she had to run. "I'll see you later."

Blackwall nodded encouragingly. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Don't be too nervous," Josephine chimed in.

Cassandra said nothing, only giving her a purposeful look with her sharp eyes.

And in I go, Ahnnie thought as she turned around and wedged herself into the room. The door shut behind her with a soft click, separating her at last from her familiar companions.

The gloom took some time to get used to, but once her eyes adjusted, she found herself in a small anteroom of sorts leading to a bigger main one. She walked up to it and saw a subdued blaze crackling away in a hearth to her left, with a pair of chairs sitting before a desk directly ahead. In front of that desk, standing with his back to her, hands folded, was none other than Lord Seeker Lucius. She recognized him by his hair, dark and slick like a raven's pruned back.

He seemed not to have noticed her approach, so she cleared her throat. "Lord Seeker Lucius?"

She was most unnerved to find that he did not acknowledge her, continuing to stand like a silent statue by the desk.

"L-Lord Seeker?" she tried again.

Still, no response...

Okay, this is getting creepy. Should she back out right now? It was starting to remind her of those dreaded horror movies. I don't want to be one of the dumb characters, she thought, but then reprimanded herself. Perhaps he was just trying to throw her off her guard. Of course, he would want to gain whatever advantage over her early in the talk. She was just imagining things, letting her thoughts wander, getting too nervous...

She took a deep breath and slowly walked up to him. To keep her mind elsewhere, she focused on Josephine's points of initiation. "Ah, Lord Seeker Lucius," she said, speaking too loud for her own good, "what a pleasant surprise. I had not expected to meet you again so soon..."

When she was within speaking distance of him, the Lord Seeker chuckled.

"Lord Seeker?" she inquired.

He suddenly whirled around and grabbed her by the collar with both hands. She yelped in surprise, struggling against his iron grip as he dragged her close to his face. Hot breath puffed down her jaw and neck, so close their noses practically touched, and his dark eyes bore into hers maliciously.

"Wh-what are you doing!? Let me go!" she screamed, completely alarmed. "Cassandra! Blackwall!"

"No one can hear you now," he groused, and began pulling her along to every backward step he took.

"Stop! Stop it! I – I demand you!" But no matter how she yelled or kicked or clawed, the Lord Seeker would not relent.

Lord Seeker Lucius chuckled again. "At last!" he exclaimed, before the room suddenly disappeared around her in a bright flash of green light...

...Where am I?

Swirling mist floated around her, a grey veil of smoky uncertainty. Ahnnie whirled around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Just a moment ago, she was in the office of the Lord Seeker. But now...

She appeared to be in a snowy wasteland, with a low-lying mist hanging on the ground and nothing but a cold crescent moon to light her way. In the distance, a dark shape like a tower pierced the monotonous landscape, its only window glowing like a guiding beacon in a mysterious sea. With a shiver, she made for it, unable to think of doing anything else.

But just when she approached its stone staircase, a dark shape stalked forward from the mist. Ahnnie paused, backing up a step.

"Is this shape useful? Will it let me know you?"

The mist parted to reveal a face she hadn't seen in a while. She paused, unable to believe who was standing before her eyes. "Maxwell?" she gasped, recognizing the handsome face of the youngest Trevelyan.

Maxwell smiled coldly. "Everything tells me about you," he said. His voice suddenly took on a different quality, like that of two people talking at once. Ahnnie knew then that this wasn't Maxwell. Horror movie trivia told her otherwise.

"You're not Maxwell!" she cried. "You're – you're a demon!"

The demon chuckled and began to pace around her. "Being you will be so much more interesting than being the Lord Seeker. When I'm done, the Elder One will kill you and ascend. Then I will be you."

I knew it! I knew something was wrong with the Lord Seeker! But she had no idea it was something of this magnitude. And now whatever it was wanted to take over her body? For...for an 'Elder One'? "'Elder One'?" she echoed. "Who or what is that?"

The faux Maxwell let out a laugh. "He is between things. Mortal once, but no longer." Then he suddenly blinked into nothing, as though he had never been there in the first place.

Ahnnie whirled around, not quite able to believe he was completely gone. Her eyes darted here and there, trying futilely to spy irregular shapes in the mist.

"Glory is coming," the demon rasped from behind her, and she jumped to face him. "The Elder One wants you to serve him like everyone else: by dying in the right way."

"S-stop this!" she screamed, backing away from Maxwell – Maxwell, but not Maxwell. "Get away from me!" She turned tail and fled for the stairs, scared out of her wits. If only this were a horror movie; at least movies were false. But this was real, all too real–

"I am not your toy!" demon Maxwell cried after her. She shut her hands over her ears, but his voice still boomed into them. "I am Envy, and I will know you!"

Her legs pumped up the steps as fast as she could get them and her hands scrambled for the latch. Once she was inside, she slammed the door behind her, locking and double-locking it with whatever mechanisms were available. Then she sank down to her knees, breathing heavily. Oh my god...Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."What the hell!?" she shouted to no one in particular. "Where am I, what is happening, what...what...?"

But perhaps she was glad there was no one to hear her; if they were anything like Maxwell, then she was better off alone.

Thud! The door suddenly shivered behind her from the force of a powerful blow. She jumped like a cat on fire and ran away from it, heading for the wooden stairs that beckoned to her as the only way out. It brought her to the top of the tower, a nondescript room of wood and stone that was devoid of any furniture. The only thing of note was a door set into the wall directly across from her, which she tentatively stepped towards.

"Wait."

Ahnnie froze, her body instinctively tensing. No. No, he can't have followed me in here, he can't...The voice was different, a single male voice this time, gentle even, but there was every chance it was a piece of deception meant to delude her. She suddenly remembered the short sword at her hip and gripped its hilt, slowly withdrawing it as she turned around.

Nothing. No one's there. Her heart hammered rapidly and she fought to calm it down, but to no avail. This is so much worse than a horror movie. I've got to get out of here. With a shake of her head, she drew out her sword and turned back around to make for the door.

"Mirrors on mirrors on memories," the voice suddenly spoke again. "A face it can feel, but not fake."

Ahnnie whirled around again, but like before, there was no one – not a soul! She was all alone in this room, yet she could hear a voice...! "What the hell do you want from me!?" she demanded.

"I want to help. You, not Envy."

"Ha...! Ahahaha!" She turned and turned and turned until she made herself dizzy, but there was no one there. Nothing. "Very funny, Envy! That's your name, right? You get a kick out of scaring people like this?"

"I'm Cole," the voice protested.

"Y-yeah? And I'm the Queen of Sheba!" Her hands began to shake. She gripped them harder around the sword in an attempt to keep them steady. "So what the fuck is this place, huh? Since you're so willing to talk now?"

"We're inside you. Or I am. You're always inside you."

Ahnnie laughed again. Any more of this, and she might just lose her mind. "Oh, really? Well why don't you show yourself, Cole?" she spat as she spun about. "Or are you too scared to–" She yelped and jumped backwards when she came face-to-face a scraggly young man standing upside-down on the ceiling.

He was a living defiance of gravity. Never mind standing upside down – his wide-brimmed hat sat atop his head as flat and level as if he had been standing normally. Messy blonde bangs threatened to cover his eyes, two drooping orbs of watery blue-grey. "It's easy to hear, harder to be a part of what you're hearing," he said. "But I'm here, hearing, helping...I hope."

Ahnnie blinked, somehow recognizing those eyes. Then she remembered – "You're the one who's been following me!"

The man – or, Cole – jumped, rising briefly from the ceiling before somehow flipping right-side up in another gravity-defying feat. She instinctively backed away when he touched the ground, holding her sword out in warning at him. "I was watching," he explained, stepping forward for every step she took back. "I watch. Every templar knew when you arrived. They were impressed, but not like the Lord Seeker."

"Or Envy," she corrected him. "Was he a demon even then? At that day in the Bazaar?"

"Yes," Cole nodded. "It twisted the commanders, forced their fury, their fight. They're red inside."

She gasped, her back suddenly bumping against a wall. Determined not to let him corner her, she thrust her blade further at his face. "Not another step," she warned him.

But he suddenly blinked away and reappeared right next to her. "Anyway, you're frozen," he continued, unaffected by her threats. "Envy is trying to take your face, I heard it and reached out, and then in, and then I was here." He pushed away her blade with a casual hand, though she was too stunned at the moment to care. "If it bothers you, I can make you forget. That helps." Then he frowned. "No, you need all of you right now to fight...maybe later."

A muffled thud echoed from the floor below; Ahnnie's breath caught in her throat when she remembered what she had tried to flee from. "H-he's coming," she stuttered, bringing up the sword again. "All right, Cole, if you're here to help, then how do I get out?"

Cole looked at the stairs, then at the door. "It's your head," he reminded her. "I hoped you'd know how to stop it."

"Great," she muttered, "just great!" The thud came again, accompanied by the sound of splintering wood, and her eyes frantically zeroed in on the door in front of them. "Through that door!" she pointed, and they both made a run for it.

But when she opened it, it was to find an angry figure glaring at her on the other side. If she was confused before, she was completely bewildered now, unable to think of why or how this person could have made it here.

"Mẹ nói với con như vậy phải không? Phải không?" the figure demanded, her old voice ringing sharply.

No way...Grandma?