Mother's beautiful.
Catching himself smiling, Garrett couldn't help but admire the regal look of the woman on his arm. While the Amell, now Hawke, heraldry in black and crimson red was somewhat too austere and sombre, Leandra had chosen to focus on the later colour, to get away from the 'funeral' look, as she had called it. The deep red of her silk dress flowed around her, reaching all the way down to the floor and going as high as the base of her neck, as well as covering most of her arms. It...as well as the somewhat gaudy, in Garrett's opinion, golden necklace and wristbands...had cost a fortune. Luckily, given his string of successes with expeditions to the Thaig in the Deep Roads, there was seemingly always more gold to dig out, as well as his growing clientèle of minor traders, wealth was streaming in faster than he could spend it. I could never imagine having such astronomical sums, it's...difficult to wrap your head around.
With Leandra in nearly all red, only a few ribbons in her dress black, Garrett had been the one chosen to pick the more sombre colour so they would not look too garish next to one another. So he ended up in a black long-sleeved tunic with golden embroidery across the arms and down the right side of his chest. To complement this, his black trousers also had golden embroidery at the end of the legs, a red sash tied across his waist in the Rivaini fashion adding the Hawke red as well as lending colour to an otherwise too sombre appearance.
Even Maric, walking at Garrett's left side...being unarmed set him on edge, so the dog would come with them, plus, he wasn't about to hide his Fereldian heritage, better to wear it as a badge of honour...wore a black collar with four rubies fastened to it. Garrett had only barely been able to stop his mother from fussing yet more over the hound...one could expect Garrett's to be patient with his mother dressing him up, but a proud Mabari, Garrett's or not, was a different matter.
Further to the left, Aveline and Donnic were moving side by side. Dressed in the orange and grey uniform of the Guard, they looked somewhat out of place next to the nobles. The pair also looked decidedly nervous and uncomfortable as they awkwardly hooked arms in a mimicry of Garrett and Leandra. Looks like they're about to march into battle. Garrett doubted they were nervous about facing all the nobles, making the reason for their appearance all too obvious. Why did I suggest we come here together? Knowing it was a crush or not, I don't like seeing this...
In the end though, Garrett was eager with anticipation, he was about to enter the Reinhart party, with all that it implied. He would be officially approved by all the nobles, he would have an opportunity to make connections, deals, to properly entrench himself in the society...such deals and connections were all too good to ignore.
The Reinhart palace was larger than the Hawke one, though the estate smaller...making for a huge central building, surrounded by a tiny plot of a garden, something most noble houses sported, houses built after Kirkwall's Hightown had grown more urban with the defeat of the Tevinters. Still had rooms for outer walls though, that fence isn't going to hold back anyone determined... Garrett dismissed the criticism, there were none as protective as him in Kirkwall, it seemed, or paranoid, as some surely said.
Having left the dressing hall behind and entering a gallery with artworks covering each wall, the small group was now approaching a huge set of double doors easily capable of letting them all in side by side, their shoes clicking against the marble floor as a pair of servants in the bright blue of the Reinharts' stood waiting at each side of the doorway.
Leandra's grip on Garrett's arm tightened, her voice an excited whisper. "This is so exciting!" Garrett looked to his mother again, finding the woman smiling broadly, nearly grinning, which he expected she would have if it hadn't been so inappropriate.
It warmed the heart to see. Was a long time since I saw her happy... Garrett found himself giving her a warm smile. "Yes, mother."
Noticing his tone, Leandra looked back to him...and her smile turned as warm as his.
That's when the doors opened.
Leandra let loose a tiny gasp of excitement before she'd even turned her head to see the room before them, and Garrett smiled at her eagerness to once more see the famous Reinhart ballroom as he himself turned to look at the hall within which nobles had gathered for centuries.
It was huge.
Garrett found his eyes widening, trying to figure out how the roof could even be supported when the walls were both far apart and high enough to swallow a Ferelden keep. How did they do this...? The walls were rounded off by white marble pillars, between which there were pale blue banners with black borders of the Reinhart heraldry, the golden oak-leaf of the Reinhart charge shining in the light of hundreds of lamps. It was different on the right side of the ballroom though, there, giant windows had been put in between the pillars, showing several balconies of great size as well as giving a good view of the city beneath, shrouded in night with only a few lights visible. The Reinharts had clearly used their palace being built in a slope to their advantage.
The ceiling and floor were both covered in paintings, not an inch of pale stone allowed. Various sections of the floor and ceiling had been created by lines of gold, to allow for various scenes through history, myth and nature to be displayed without mixing them.
The doors had opened atop a dais with wide stairs leading down to the main floor, giving the entering group a good view of the crowd, something Garrett eagerly exploited, gaze sweeping over the people before him.
There were many there, more than Garrett had imagined. The Reinharts had invited every minor noble, their friends, prominent figures and hangers-on alike, and though Garrett had guessed there would be many guests, what he saw inside the ballroom was enough to make a small army. Not a very good one though.
In a corner, Garrett saw the Viscount in his black office-robes surrounded by a dazzling amount of colourfully dressed nobles of what was likely to be minor houses. Like a flock of peacocks, trying to attract the attention of a potential mate, they had him surrounded, no doubt trying to offer their services for some office or another. Doing what I do, except they want power through legitimacy, I legitimacy of my power.
Dumar looked heartily tired of it, but smiled when he spotted Garrett at the stairs, even going so far as as waving, making Garrett dutifully smile back. The Viscount was exceedingly pleased with Garrett after the latter's report of the situation with Javaris and the Qunari gas, and that was understandable. The man didn't want more disturbances in an already tumultuous city...and as such Garrett's suppression of the information of where the gas had come from had put him in high regards with the 'ruler' of Kirkwall.
More nobles were crowding around an area seemingly designated as the dance floor, the men and women dancing there looked on by all too many people for Garrett's tastes. I know mother has given me lessons, but that was in the privacy of the home...better avoid that area. There was a buffet table at the far end too, long enough to reach from one end to the other, and covered with items that seemed more like artworks than actual food. Better follow mother's lead when encountering anything strange...
Near there, Garrett also noticed a man who, having noticed Garrett as well, paled. Garrett pretended not to notice the man though, smile pleasant as he kept his gaze sweeping the room. Ah, that Magistrate is still in office? His son still under house-arrest, I presume. Better send him a gift, one that shows friendly intentions yet at the same time reminds him that I know who he is...he could be groomed into a useful ally with time.
Besides that, there were plenty of servants, if their blue and black tunics and silver trays was anything to go by. And they were quietly moving between dozens of groups of nobles and other important people, carrying trays full of refreshments and treats. The Reinharts sure now how to write a guest-list.
Slowly guiding Leandra down the stairs, Maric, Aveline and Donnic all keeping behind the pair, Garrett caught sight of the hosts. Charles Reinhart had opted for the black of his heraldry like Garrett, a blue sash breaking up the darkness of what almost looked like a dark uniform...though neither uniform nor sash fitted all that well to his small and bent stature. His eyes were twinkling with intelligence like in the Council chamber though, and if Garrett wasn't mistaken, something resembling happiness as well.
The surprise was the woman at his arm that could only be his wife. Garrett had heard of the woman, but only when asking about her, mostly words like 'happy' and 'friendly' were used...but they had apparently forgotten to mention 'big'. In a blue dress that looked more like a toga, Madame Lowyn Reinhart was a head taller but also at least thrice the size of her husband width-wise. Her arms were the width of her husband's legs and her neck thick enough to make her round face seemingly rest atop rings of dough like a cherry.
The round face was split in a wide smile as she looked up at the newcomers though, her blue eyes big and delighted, her red hair seemingly bouncing in excitement. Well...friendly seems to fit the bill then...I better be careful though, could be a ruse. By now she was practically dragging her equally smiling husband to meet the guests. Or not.
Garrett, taking Leandra's gentle tug on the arm as a sign, moved to have them meet the hosts for a proper greeting. This ought to be interesting...
Only for a couple to interpose themselves between the Hawke's and the Reinharts. In the background, a flicker of irritation flashed across Charles' face, but Lowyn simply smiled and patted his arm, muttering something in his ear that made her husband laugh. Aveline and Donnic, apparently not about to be stopped by the new couple, simply skirted around the stopped Hawkes, the former giving Garrett a friendly nod before heading towards the Reinharts to make their introductions.
Garrett's attention had at first been on the Reinharts, to gauge their reaction to the rude interruption of the proper form to a noble's entrance, but seeing that well taken care of, he directed his gaze to those that had come into his path. De Launcet?
The athletically built Orlesian noble was dressed in a tight golden shirt and vest, his trousers a deep green. He was all smiles, his face, hair and beard immaculately cared for without having been oiled like some Orlesians did, it was the face of health. The woman on his arm, his wife, Garrett assumed, was a short little woman with mousy hair, blue eyes and a complexion that would probably have looked better without the frown showing between her eyebrows and the glitter of annoyance nearly completely hidden in her eyes.
"Leandra, so good to see you!" Guillaume was the first to speak, teeth flashing in a wide smile. "I've known you've been in town for some time now, yet this is the first time I've seen you! Your son is careful with his mother, eh?" Garrett caught himself frowning before the noble shot him a winning smile. "Of course, with all right, I too would guard such a jewel of a woman with my life."
"Guillaume, it's been too long." Leandra leant forward, giving the Orlesian a traditional kiss on each cheek. Garrett's mother was smiling, though looking somewhat surprised. "By the Maker, you've hardly aged a day since I last saw you, how do you do it?"
"Oh it's nothing, runs in the family." Guillaume chuckled. "And you have not lost any of your lustre, I must say, strong blood runs in our veins, no?" Next to him, his wife's frown deepened.
Leandra was not about to further insult the woman though, and turned her gaze to her. "Oh and sorry, but I do not think we have met? I'm Leandra Hawke."
"Dulci." The woman offered a curt bow, offering a polite smile Leandra's way. "I-"
"Yes, a fine woman, my wife." Guillaume grinned, arm coming around Dulci's shoulders. "From a fine Orlesian house, I suppose the Amells' were too fine a party for the likes of me though?" The last he asked with a hint of cheerfulness, eyebrows arched at Leandra even as his wife visibly tensed.
"Oh, I am sorry for running off as I did, Guillaume, it was not my intention to slight you." Leandra smiled, then chuckled. "Though I suppose it worked out for the best? I got my Malcolm and you your beautiful Dulci." She smiled, somewhat melancholy as her grip on Garrett's arm tightened. "Besides, this way you avoided the magic that is in the Amell blood, I'm sure your lineage appreciates that..."
"Oh that would have been no problem at all! I assure you, I would have gladly taken the risk of magic for your sake!" Guillaume grinned, then shot his wife a glance, Garrett was stunned that the woman wasn't visibly fuming, and shrugged. "But such are the hands of fate. In the end, I'm very lucky and things worked out for the best, eh, Dulci?" He leant down, giving the top of his wife's head a kiss. "We both have wealth, love and our children." He gestured at Garrett while smiling at Leandra. "Your own son is one impressive man, I must say, he's impressed everyone at court."
Leandra practically beamed with pride as Garrett inclined his head in gracious acceptance of the praise. "Thank you, I'm glad to have made an impression on such a difficult group to impress."
Guillaume tilted his head back in a laugh. "And so diplomatic!" He grinned when he looked back to Garrett, ignoring the bothered look of his wife as he spoke. "Really now, it's no secret what you have gone through, I'd say impressing some pampered nobles has been a minor task in comparison." He shook his head. "But let this pampered noble at least express his appreciation for your tact." The way Guillaume bowed was almost a copy of Varric's, making Garrett struggle not to chuckle.
"Where is your own son?" Leandra asked as Guillaume straightened, making the man's wife grimace. "I heard you had one? Emile?"
"Oh yes, he's...there." Guillaume nodded towards the buffet table far away. There Garrett could indeed see a man in his twenties with the hair of Guillaume as well as his broad shoulders...though despite his age, the boy was already growing bald, and his skin was sickly pale, his clothes failing to conceal that the broad shoulders were nothing but skin and bone, lacking any fat or muscle on them. His face held a mixture of Guillaume's and Dulci's features, yet his grey eyes were dull and nearly vacant as he visibly struggled to count the number of pastries on his plate. A...simpleton? "The poor boy...he has such a big heart, so much kindness in him..." Guillaume sighed, tone gentle. "He's a good man too, in his own way."
Dulci finally smiled, if only slightly, and tugged at her husband's arm, voice low. "Come, I think he needs us."
"Yes, you're quite right, love." Guillaume offered a curt bow in the direction of the Hawke's. "I hope to speak to you again, Leandra, and you, Garrett." With that, his wife pulled him away with a gentle but firm tug.
"Well...that was odd." Garrett whispered, guiding Leandra towards their hosts as he watched Aveline and Donnic move on. Beside him, Maric gave a little woof in agreement.
"I'm just glad he's doing well, and that there are no hard feelings." Leandra replied, equally as discreetly. "Me leaving my impending marriage to run away with an apostate was quiet a scandal, you know. I left him in the middle of that mess...can't have been easy."
"No easier than adapting to a life on the run with barely a copper to your name." Garrett replied, making his mother chuckle even as he raised his voice to speak to the now nearby Reinharts. "Charles Reinhart, it's a pleasure to see you again, I must thank you for your invitation. And this is your wife, Lowyn Reinhart, I presume?"
"It is!" The woman replied, sounding excited as she cocked her head to her side. "Has my husband spoken of me?" Before Garrett could reply, she continued. "He's spoken a great deal of you though, seems you've caused quite some commotion in the council meetings...well good on you! My husband always complains that they nearly put him to sleep, he could do with someone keeping him on his toes!"
Surprised with the frankness of the woman, as well as how it only seemed to cause her husband to grin, Garrett replied. "Well...I'm only trying to help, I'm sure my origin in Ferelden makes me see things differently than most of my fellow nobles...for good or ill."
"Oh I'm sure it's all good." Lowyn patted Garrett's arm with a broad smile, then directed her gaze to Leandra. "And Leandra...Maker, I came to this city after you'd left, yet it still seems like I know you, you left such a mark on this city!" She grinned, looking to Garrett with a conspiratory wink. "Did you know your mother was known as the finest singer in Kirkwall? No family could afford not to invite her to their party. She also played the violin and could recite enough poems to fill an entire afternoon!" Garrett held back a snicker at the idea of his mother doing such a thing back in Lothering even as his mother gave him a warning tug at the arm. "Will you honour us with song tonight, Leandra? I'd love to hear the legendary Amell voice."
"Oh, I don't think so, I haven't had practice in...Maker...twenty years? More?" Leandra sounded shocked as she spoke the words out loud, then smiled. "Besides, I'm a Hawke now, I think it's time for a new generation to take up the spotlight." She shot Garrett a look.
"If so, your son is doing a fine job at it." Charles chuckled, eyes twinkling as he eyed Garrett. "Heard you stopped a right old mess down in Lowtown, most nobles might ignore such news, but I don't, I know where my money come from, so don't think I'm not grateful, lad." He then cocked his head to the side, smirking. "Also...what happened to those Tal-Vashoth we discussed in Council? I've heard nothing of them raiding any more."
"I had the Red Irons mercenaries deal with them." Garrett shrugged. "I had a good enough relationship with them to get them to do it for free."
"For free?" Reinhart echoed, and though he didn't raise his voice, his arched eyebrows spoke volumes.
"Well...I invited them to celebrate our latest successful expedition into the Deep Roads and then asked for their help after a few drinks..." Garrett replied. "...they might not have been happy about it, but these mercenaries don't like going back on their word, even if it involves doing free work, their reputation is worth a lot in that line of work." It had cost Garrett some trust with their captain, but that was better than other nobles thinking he would clean up their mess with his own money.
For a second, Charles just stared at him...and then he smirked, finger pointing at Hawke. "You are one crafty man...we should talk later, a shrewd businessman like yourself is one I'd like to work with."
Garrett had to restrain himself even as the arm hooked into his squeezed on tight. Instead, he simply offered a curt nod. "That sounds interesting, let's set something up later."
"Yes, later, this is a party, after all!" Lowyn's arm landed on Charles' shoulder as the woman shook the smaller man, feigning a pout. "My husband always wants to talk money...even on days like this..."
"Of course not, my swan..." Charles reassured his wife, lifting her hand up to kiss it, considering their difference in stature, it looked somewhat comical, but Garrett couldn't see any falsehood in the twinkle of love in Charles' eyes, nor in Lowyn's as the gesture made her giggle. "...I will not tarnish your ears with talks of simple gold, leave that to me. This is a time for socialising, after all." He shot Garrett a look the Fereldian couldn't quite read. "Speaking of which, have you met my daughter?"
"I...what..." Garrett blinked, completely taken by surprise. He looked to Charles' little smirk, then to Lowyn's eager grin...and finally to Leandra, who was looking back, eyebrows arched expectingly. Ah, so when you spoke of Aveline only being a Captain. Yes, I see, it makes sense, given how we've barely entered the nobility again. With that in mind, I suppose...hmmm...feels wrong, though I guess that's the Fereldian in me. Logically...oh for goodness sake, it's not a proposal. "No, I haven't, I did not even knew you had one."
"I like to keep my personal life and private life separate as much as possible, I'm glad the others don't speak of my family behind my back though." There was a hint of an 'or else' in Charles' tone, but it swiftly disappeared as he turned his head and smiled with fatherly pride. "Cecei? Ah, there you are."
The woman appeared so quickly it had to have been arranged, irritating Garrett somehow as he turned his head to find the woman...and blinked in surprise.
Dressed in a pale blue gown, the woman was shorter than her father, nearly elven in stature, though curvier, despite the lack of fat one might have expected from a daughter of Lowyn. Her long blond hair hung freely down her back, a single diadem of sapphires holding it back. Is that one of the items I sold from the Deep Roads? I'd never have guessed Charles would buy such a thing! Though she held her head down, Garrett could spot dark blue eyes nervously glancing up at him. Charles' voice was amused, yet gentle. "Well look up and greet our guest, my dear."
"S-serah Hawke..." The woman looked up, mouth forming a nervous smile as she looked up at him while offering her hand. "...I'm glad to meet your acquaintance, I've heard much of you."
Somewhat unused to the gesture to say the least, Garrett took the hand and raised it up to his lips. Such odd gestures these noblemen have... "Then you have me at a disadvantage, Cecei." Whatever she read from those words, it made Cecei's smile decidedly less nervous.
"Well there's an easy way to fix that." Leandra said, the business-like tone of her brokering no arguing. "Why don't you two go and talk while I talk with Cecei's parents? I have a lot of catching up to do about the coming and goings in Hightown."
Cecei looked somewhat reluctant, but knowing there was no arguing, Garrett took her arm in his and started walking away, glad to at least be out of his mother's supervision as he spoke to the woman she was suggesting as his wife. Wife...Maker, where did this come all of a sudden? "So, Cecei...I...well..." With horror, Garrett realised he didn't know what to speak of. How does one speak to women one's supposed to...well...Andraste, have mercy, this is embarrassing.
Luckily, Cecei noticed his stumble and came to the rescue, her head cocked to the side as she looked past Garrett and down towards the ground. "Is that a Mabari, Serah? Your Mabari?"
Oh yes, the dog, thank the Maker. "Why yes it is." Garrett came to a halt as Cecei removed her arm and turned to face the dog that probably had twice the weight on the woman. "Maric, sit." Instantly, Maric obeyed, but not without giving Garrett a cold look. I know, you're not a pet, but bear with it, no scaring her.
Cecei leant forward a bit, staring at the dog. "He's big...are they all this big...?"
Errr... "Yes, more or less, there's always variation, but this is a fully grown Mabari."
"I've read a little about them, after I heard of you, I mean." Cecei cocked her head to the side, blushing slightly as she kept looking at the dog. "I heard it's rare to have a Mabari imprint on you, you must have something Maric here likes..."
"I consider myself lucky to have such a friend, yes." Garrett offered the hound a smile, which the dog reciprocated with a single wag of his short tail.
"And you named him Maric? As in the king...?" Cecei looked up at Garrett, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes before she turned them back to Maric. "I guess it's not an insult for Fereldians, because you honour Mabaris, yes?" Before Garrett could reply to the woman's surprisingly accurate guess, she continued. "I read each imprinting is unique, how did yours happen?" She shot up a nervous look. "I mean...if you don't mind me asking, Serah."
"Not at all." Garrett moved closer to Maric, hand moving down to scratch the dog behind the ear, the memory all too fresh, drawing a smile to his lips as the dog met his gaze. "We met at the camp of Ostagar, Maric spotted me with the Lothering militia and...well...jumped the fence to his pen, walked over to me and sat down with me, we've been together ever since."
"Just like that?" Cecei sounded torn between disappointment and amusement. "Wait...I read in the paper that Ostagar was a slaughter...how did you survive?" By killing other people to distract the darkspawn, making deals with Flemeth and still nearly being killed on multiple occasions. Cecei looked up...and pulled back at whatever she saw in Garrett's face.
Shaking his head, Garrett forced a smile. "Erm..through luck, pain and blood..." He gestured down. "Maric here saved my life...twice, at least, it was hard to keep track at the time."
Still looking somewhat shaken by whatever she'd seen, Cecei nodded. "I can see that...but Maric here saved your life?" She looked down to the hound. "Well aren't you a good dog?"
Instantly Maric nodded his head.
Cecei's eyes bulged. "D-did he just understand me...?"
"Didn't read that, did you?" Garrett chuckled, despite his attempt not to, and reached down to put a hand on Maric's head. "Mabari are incredibly intelligent. Yes, they don't understand everything we do...but then again, we don't understand all they do." Maric playfully snapped at Garrett's hand at that, mirth obvious in the dog's eyes. "Okay, fine, you understand more of humans than they do of you, happy now?" An affirmative woof was the answer.
That's when the atmosphere around them changed.
It was so sudden, it made Garrett's hair stand on end as he sensed a presence behind him while Maric let loose a low growl.
Before him, Cecei turned pale and bowed her head. "Serah...I'll speak with you later, if you don't mind." She inched backwards and into the crowd, a crowd that seemed intent on not looking at him all of a sudden.
Garrett turned around...and found himself face to face with Meredith Stannard.
The Knight-Commander was, unlike everyone else at the festivities, dressed in full suit of black plate armour, the sword strapped to her back bereft of all decorations save a single carving of Andraste in the hilt, the cross-guard marked with several notches from heavy use, a weapon for use, not ceremony. The woman's pale blond hair framing, crow-feet or not, a still handsome face might have made her beautiful if it wasn't for the drawn look of her, as if she was constantly disapproving of something.
"Are you Garrett Hawke?" Her tone, demanding and cold, was bereft of all warmth.
Behind her, Garrett noticed two equally armed templars stand...and suddenly he felt very naked without his sword. If she decides to arrest me or even kill me...there's none here that'll move to stop her. Next to him, Maric wisely didn't make a sound, though the dog moved up against Garrett's leg, making the man feel the tense muscles of the hound as it prepared to defend him at a moments notice. Don't... The dog didn't heed his mental command, muscles only tensing further. "I...yes."
To his relief, neither of Meredith's guards reacted, the pair looking almost bored as they eyed the crowd with thinly veiled sneers. Meredith should have told them to put their helmets on.
"Hmm...doesn't look as Fereldian as I had assumed." Ah, so she doesn't know of my brother in the order yet? Or...? Garrett wasn't sure, Meredith didn't seem like the one skulking about with information, yet she hadn't become the most powerful person in Kirkwall for nothing. "Though I read on our roster of recruits that we now have a Hawke among us, is that your brother?"
For a moment, Garrett considered lying, but that would have been pointless, and all too dangerous. "Yes, it is...I hope he's doing his family justice with your illustrious order?" Garrett threw out the empty compliment even as he felt a bead of sweat run down his back. She hasn't ordered me arrested...yet...so what does she want...?
"He's done very well for an initiate, yes, trainers speak well of his skills." Meredith dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. Well...that's good. "However, I'm more interested in you...I think I've seen you in my papers..."
Maker... Garrett struggled not to swallow. "Probably during my time as a mercenary? I helped your order in tracking down some Starkhaven mages?"
"Ah yes, that ugly business." Meredith shook her head. "Only one mage repenting for his crime – I of course put him in isolation for half a year as the order dictates – and the rest killed, along with many good templars...must have been quite a battle, you're lucky to have gotten out alive." She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at Garrett.
"I have a penchant for surviving..." Garrett noticed her eyes narrowing further, and swiftly added. "...and finishing my job, Serah. It was an honour to bring your mage back to the Circle."
"Yes, and dealing with those that turned forever apostate as well, I'm sure." Meredith nodded, a grim look on her face. "A good result." She paused then, eyeing Garrett with something akin to curiosity. "Also, you had an encounter with a Qunari mage...? He died, as I recall?"
"How do you know about that?" Garrett blurted, blinking in surprise.
"I have a vested interest in keeping all mages under surveillance, foreign as well as domestic, it's my duty." Meredith nearly hissed the last words, as if she'd found some implication in Garrett's words and didn't much care for it. "Also, we have that recent issue with that...mist? Caused a lot of hidden apostates to go mad and reveal themselves in an orgy of destruction, we were lucky you put a stop to it, or untold devastation could have occurred, we are in your debt."
Hundreds turned mad and went on an orgy of destruction. Garrett didn't dare say it, the correction in focus one he knew the Knight-Commander wouldn't appreciate. Instead he offered an unsure smile. "I'm glad to be of such assistance to your order, Knight-Commander."
"Yes, as any citizen would be, I'm sure." Meredith smiled, though it was a cool and sardonic smile. "Still, it's amazing to find one man in the centre of so many events, always resolving issues of such a...dangerous nature." She cocked her head to the side, studying him closely. "Considering the blood of the Amells, one would be surprised to find you moving against mages..."
Garrett's heart leapt into his throat. To imply he was mage-friendly and with cursed blood was an insult, and her tone implied he was somehow involved as an instigator of the events he'd resolved. Yet at the same time, she didn't look like she was taunting him, more testing, as if he was being interrogated.
Interrogated in the middle of a party, with witnesses and all...and she's going to get away with it. No noble was looking his way, there was no sign of the Reinharts, not even the Viscount...Garrett was on his own. Before him, Meredith looked grim, waiting for an answer that could well doom him.
Careful now... "I've been unfortunate in what I've been dragged into, yes, but fortunate in the way they've been resolved, so I consider myself lucky. As to the Amell blood, I'd appreciate some candour. It's the Hawke's now, and we have a family member in the Templars, as well as me who, as you say, has been of some service to the order...there is no basis to suggest otherwise." Or at least, none that you know of, I hope.
For a moment, Meredith just kept looking at him.
Then her grim look turned into a cool smile.
"As you say." She bowed her head the tiniest bit. "It's good to hear that your family is finally acting as it should, magic is like a weed, and we must all work together to root it out."
Garrett struggled not to grit his teeth, Maric beside him pressing up closer to calm him. "Yes, I'm quite proud of how my family has turned a new leaf, thank you."
Meredith's smile turned a little more genuine at that. "The light of the Maker reaches even the darkest corner." Wh-what!? What did you call my family!? "Good day to you, Serah, it's been pleasant to speak to you, but I must now talk with the Viscount on matters of importance." With that, the Knight-Commander turned and walked away, guards at her heels.
Knowing many were watching him, Garrett struggled not to glare at her back.
Inside though, he was fuming.
8
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8
Thanks to Abydos Jackson for being such a good little girl.