Chapter Ten

When she told Aveline that Anders could rot in his cell, this was very far from what she'd expected. The Gallows was originally built in the days of the Tevinter Imperium, and although the slaves got the worst that the prison could offer, some of the prisoners back then were also taken for political reasons - ransoms, political trade-offs, etc., and many were high-ranking officials. Those cells were actually better than most of the homes in Lowtown. She'd heard of the days where prisoners could bring their comforts of home, along with their servants and anything else they might need to make their "stay" more enjoyable, but the Gallows was so oppressive from the outside, she never dreamed that was the case here.

When they arrived at Anders' cell, Cullen dismissed the two guards on duty, telling them to wait just outside the holding area until he was done. Then he opened the door to the entrance of the cell, and allowed Evelyn to step through. Once she crossed the threshold, she immediately felt all her mana drain from her and caught her breath.

Cullen noticed her reaction and looked at her quizzically, then realized what happened, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I forgot that it would affect you...or that you were unaware, for that matter. All of the cells are protected, just in case," he smiled weakly at her.

"It's alright, I'm fine, it was just unexpected," she said as she looked in wonderment at her hands. She tried to cast a small fireball - nothing happened. She took a deep breath, "Right, let's get this over with."

Cullen led her down a set of steps to another door. It was much heavier than the first they had come through, "You're sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely, it's the right thing to do," she said resolutely.

Cullen nodded, "Alright, then," and he opened the door.

When they entered, Evelyn was shocked by the lavish accommodations. There was a fireplace going across the room to one side. Next to it, there was a bed with a couple of end tables. Off to another side, across from the fireplace was a writing desk and, in a separate area, a bathroom. The cell was at least as big and well furnished as the rooms at the Rose.

Upon realizing someone had entered his cell, Anders got up from the bed, closed the book he was reading, and made his way to the door. When he saw Evelyn and Cullen he stood still, "I thought you were my supper...," he managed, then, "Would you like to come in? I hadn't expected to see you...ever...actually."

Evelyn noticed how defeated and resigned he seemed, she managed a small smile, "Um...alright, but I'm not here to visit."

"Of course not, why would you be," then he looked at her more carefully, "Viscountess looks good on you, if you don't mind me saying it."

She looked at him more carefully too, "Thank you," she whispered back. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, immediately feeling that this was a bad idea, that she never should have come. She'd been pushing back too many memories and now the dam she'd built up over the last few months was threatening to break.

Cullen saw that she was having difficulty and stepped forward while he grabbed her elbow to detain her, turning his back to Anders. She looked up at him, and he could see the pain in her eyes, "You don't have to be here, you know," he said to her.

The tears that had formed in her eyes fell to her cheeks, "Yes, I do."

Cullen held on to her elbow another moment. She saw his jaw muscles flex, then he glanced behind him to Anders, then back to her. He gave her a long stare, then released her and turned back around, adopting a protective position behind her.

Evelyn brushed away the tears and took a deep breath. She managed a smile at Anders. Looking around she said, "So, one would almost think you've actually moved up in the world from your clinic in Darktown."

Anders smirked at her comment, "A comfortable prison is still a prison, Evelyn." When he said her name, she swore she felt Cullen tense up behind her, "Why are you here?"

Evelyn reached into her pocket and pulled out the two parchments. She handed him the list of charges, "That's the full list, I thought you'd like to know." She waited while he read through it.

When he finished, he folded it up and handed it back, then commented, "It could have been worse, I suppose."

Evelyn nodded, "It could have been...but then tell that to the families of those thirty-eight innocent people."

Anders huffed, "I highly doubt all thirty-eight could be considered innocent, especially those who were members of the Chantry."

She stared at him incredulously, "Even now, you can so casually brush aside your actions?," she shook her head in disbelief, "Have you no regret at all? Are you really that unfeeling? You're a murderer, Anders, or has that fact escaped you?"

Anders considered his answer, "I know what I've done. And I know who I am...mostly," he gave her a weak smile, "but I'd told you right afterwards...I...wasn't myself...and I hadn't been for quite some time. And now I'm having to pay the price for decisions I made long ago."

Evelyn caught his meaning, "And, do you feel like you're...you...again?"

"Yes, actually. I don't know if it's because of this prison, or because of what happened, but more myself than I've been in years."

Evelyn nodded, then continued, "There's more. Not all of the charges listed apply to you any longer. Some of them will be removed, if that's any consolation."

Anders furrowed his brow, "Which charges, exactly?"

"Any that make reference to an act that is illegal if committed by an apostate," then she handed him the letter, "Please forgive me for not telling you about this sooner. Before I received that response I didn't want to tell you, in case our request was rejected. When I received the confirmation that it had instead been granted, you were already here."

Anders looked confused and hurriedly took the letter she had presented to him. It declared that in honor of services rendered to the country of Ferelden, that he served the Grey Wardens admirably, and that he treated the refugees of Darktown while seeking no compensation of his own, the Divine had granted that he should no longer be considered an apostate, officially granting him his freedom.

After he read it, he folded it up and handed it back to her, smirking, "I appreciate it, but honestly, what does it mean now?"

"It means that at least your charges will be reduced, that's something, isn't it?"

"You still don't understand, do you? This is why we always fought, because you've never understood," he took a deep breath, "I appreciate the effort, I do, but that piece of paper is exactly what's wrong with Thedas. I shouldn't need a declaration that I'm free, it should be understood that I was granted freedom by the Maker. That's what I'm trying to change. Mages are locked up and taken away from their families simply because of who they are, when they have absolutely no power to change it."

Evelyn nodded, "I do understand, but that's not the world we live in, unfortunately. In this reality, you are a freer man in this prison than I am in all of Thedas."

"And that's why I'm seeking to change it," he said as he stood there, arms folded across his chest.

"I'm trying to change it also, but by working within the system, not against it. I never disagreed with your reasoning, just your means." Evelyn gave an exasperated sigh. This was the same argument they would always fall into and rehashing it, again, would do neither of them any good at the moment.

As she turned to leave, Anders spoke up, "Wait! Before you go, I may not have another opportunity to tell you. I do have one regret."

Evelyn turned around and took a step towards him, "And that is?"

Anders gave her a small smile, "I know my actions have caused you a great deal of pain and sorrow. I regret that you didn't heed my warning that I would break your heart when you had the chance."

Evelyn thought about that for a second. Was he so egotistical that he actually blamed her for the pain she felt? How dare he! At that moment she wished she had her mana. As it was, she could only do what non-mages did in this situation. She punched him as hard as she could.

Neither of the men were expecting it. Before Anders could react, she had already turned around and was heading out the door. Cullen briefly felt sorry for him. He made a questioning gesture at Anders who was rubbing his jaw. Anders waved him away in an indication that he'd be fine. He nodded at Anders and followed Evelyn out the door.