"Well?"
Garrett, having gone through the plan for a second time now, forced himself to remain seated behind his desk, the epitome of patience and neutrality, allowing for those before him to speak up as they felt, to agree or disagree, to follow or leave as they wished.
He owed them that much.
Before him, he was frustrated to see many an unsure look on his companions.
Only Anders was smiling and nodding, a glow of satisfaction in his pale blue eyes.
Merrill, despite having said she trusted him, was twisting back and forth where she stood, swallowing loudly even as she bit her lower lip in nervousness.
Varric had his hands in his pockets, head bowed and forehead wrinkling in a frown.
Isabela looked like she was at war with herself, shifting from one foot to the other, eyes darting from one feature of Garrett's office to the next, eyes full of conflicting emotions.
Maric was sitting on his haunches, stoic, but a low whine of worry escaped the Mabari every time Garrett threw him a look.
Fenris, arms crossed over his chest, was glowering at Garrett, softly shaking his head.
At the back, by the closed door, Bastile, the ex-chevalier, stood rigid. The man disapproved heartily of the idea of allying with mages, yet Garrett knew he wouldn't fail his lord, for he had given him his honour back, and that was worth more than any misgivings the warrior might have.
The others, though...
Garrett took a deep breath. "I know this is...much to ask, and I'll only want volunteers. I won't try to sway you with offers of gold or whatever else you might desire, this is too great a thing for it to be worth it, no matter the reward. If you join me, if you'll help me, do so because you believe in this cause, because you believe in this plan."
Before him, his friends shifted, uncomfortable under his piercing gaze, by now, he could read them like he would a book.
I shouldn't use that against them though, they deserve to come out of their own free will, not fooled by some sweet words. Still, Garrett couldn't help but turn his question to one he knew would back him, desiring a positive snowball effect. "Merrill?"
They'd already spoken a lot about it, and Garrett knew exactly what she'd say before she opened her mouth, hands over her belly that had yet to show much sign of he pregnancy. "I...I don't like this. I'd...like to be somewhere else, safe outside the city with our child...but...if you do this..." And I will. "...Meredith will find me." She swallowed and raised her chin, offering a trembling smile. "I'll come with you, it's safer there and...Meredith might scare me, but that hasn't stopped me from fighting before, has it?" Her smiled turned a little braver. "It's time to end this, to stop having to look over my shoulder every time I go outside."
"Brave words, and words every mage in Kirkwall are ready to repeat." Anders replied, his teeth flashing white under his hood. "Well...except for the child part, I hope." A chuckle spread throughout the room at the joke, but it faded in a mere moment as Anders' face turned serious again, eyes on Garrett. "I will follow you, to the last drop of my blood...Meredith's reign of terror ends now. We will do this for every dead and tranquil mage, for Aveline, for the people of Kirkwall, for the world, for Justice."
Varric sighed. "I...don't know." He looked up at Garrett, grimacing. "I just..." He looked away. "Don't know." Garrett, taking a deep breath, forced himself not to speak, to let the dwarf speak once more. "I don't like this, Garrett, not your reasons for this, nor the plan...everything screams danger to me...and not the acceptable level either." A deep breath, and the dwarf pulled his hands from his pockets and straighted. "But...well I can't well let you go into the lion's den on your own, can I?" His eyes twinkled for but a second. "I'm with you, not for your cause, or for what your success might do, but for you." Garrett, breathing a sigh of relief, nodded in gratitude. Nodding back, Varric cleared his throat. "Don't waste this, Garrett."
"Shit..." Isabela muttered, giving Varric a look. "How the hell am I supposed to compete with words like that?" After sharing a smile with the dwarf, she turned to Garrett and shrugged. "Look I...don't have the words. Yet you've saved my hide too many times to count, you believed in me when you shouldn't, you gave me second chance, a new life..." The pirate drew a shuddering breath. "No way I'll abandon one of my crew." Garrett smiled, making Isabela sniffle and look away to hide her face even as she managed a broken laugh. "Even when he's an idiot."
Whining softly, Maric walked closer to the pirate, pressing his flank into her leg and making her smile and scratch his head. Even as she did so, the dog's gaze was on Garrett as he gave voice to a lone woof. There was no doubt that he wouldn't come, but the sound of agreement was welcome none the less.
Taking a step back, Fenris shook his head at them all. "No. You are all fools. No."
"Fenris..." Isabela started, only to go silent as Garrett raised a hand. Let him speak, he's earned that.
The elf was glaring at Garrett. "I have followed you for coin all this time, I have done you favours, and you have done me favours. I believe that while we don't like one another, we respect one another." Garrett nodded in agreement, assessing the man, tense under his calm eyes, wondering how far the elf would go. "But this is against everything I stand for. Allying with mages? Freeing them from templars? I don't care how temporary you make it sound, it's unacceptable." The man took a deep breath, hands closing into fists as he looked down at the floor. "I...you saved me from my former master, you freed me not just from being enslaved again, but from being hunted ever again." He looked up, eyes narrowed. "I will go to my place and stay there until this is over. You do as you please, I will not stand in your way, that is how much you have earned, but no more." He turned on his heel and marched past Bastile, throwing the door open with an angry bang.
I hope you're not lying... Garrett had always suspected Fenris wouldn't go along with his plan, the two didn't have the same connection as he did to the others. The promise not to interfere had been a nice surprise though. If I can trust it. Garrett turned his gaze to Bastile and gave a nod. Watch him, keep him in his home. The Chevalier nodded, then turned and marched out the room.
With a low whistle, Varric drew a long breath. "Well...that was awkward."
"I did offer a choice, Varric." Garrett rose from his seat. "But I'm glad so many chose to stay with me." He looked at them all, into their eyes. The passion in Ander's, the trust in Merrill's, the loyalty in Isabela's, the concern in Varric's, the calm in Maric's. It was touching, making him smile. "Thank you, all of you."
"Hey, no problem." Isabela chuckled, a sarcastic look on her face. "Was there ever any doubt?"
Garrett looked to her again, face serious. "Not for you."
Isabela blinked, then blinked again as a tear appeared in the corner of her eyes, her voice a hushed whisper. "Thanks..."
Realising he was embarrassing her, Garrett nodded and marched forward, head held high as he passed through the doorway and into the large chamber beyond.
Appearing atop the balcony overlooking the large marble floor below, Garrett was greeted by a cheer.
Below, the nobles of Kirkwall stood. Though none was in armour, many carried their swords, and now raised them high as Garrett spread his arms wide with content smile. "Brothers, sisters!" You have grown strong, loyal, brave. "You all know the plan!" You were nobles, now you are also warriors... "Once it's done, the tyranny of Meredith will be no more! Our hardships will end! Our city will once again prosper!" Drawing his sword, Garrett thrust it into the air, his chest tight with eagerness as it swelled with the feeling of power the nobles bellowed had endowed him with. "Kirkwall will be ours!"
The chamber shook with the roar of approval.
As you are mine.
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"It is done."
"He will come and help us then? With all his men and nobles?"
"Yes, here's the plan."
In the darkness of the Chantry's chamber for honouring the dead, one couldn't even see the heavily scared mage, and the envelope being handed to the praying First Enchanter was but a flash of white as it disappeared into the folds of the elf's robes.
"Thank the Maker...soon we will be rid of her, soon we can rebuild and heal."
"Yes."
"And the explosive? It's all set under the Templar keep, should Meredith get any ideas?"
"Of course."
"Excellent, this will be over quick then." Slowly, Orsino got to his feet. "Thank you, Anders, I know this isn't exactly what you wanted but...thank you, you are a hero."
"Don't thank me, I only do what is necessary."
"Well, thank you none the less." Orsino smiled at the other man, then glanced back. "I must go, lest they come in here to check up on me. Again, thank you." With that, he began to hurry towards the door at the far side of the chamber.
Behind him, Justice's face split into a cold smile.
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He saved me from Danarius, I'm free to go wherever I wish thanks to him, none will hunt me ever again.
But he didn't let me kill that monster, no, he wanted him alive for political reasons, in fact, he helped me for the same reason, to unify the nobles around him. Did he think I wouldn't notice? Or not care? To be fair, at the moment, Fenris hadn't cared, but now, when his world had been thrown upside down again, that piece of knowledge had soured into something bitter to bite away at Fenris' resolve.
Sitting in a chair atop the balcony overlooking the main chamber of his 'home', sipping the last bottle of some Tevinter brandy – Fenris appreciated the irony of enjoying the labours of what was rumoured to be made by Tevinter mages themselves – the former slave felt himself slowly grow numb as he struggled to contain his feelings.
Helping the mages...on that abomination's behalf, no doubt. Garrett's a fool. The only one here who seems to know the dangers of magic is Meredith, despite her being largely an idiot in all other matters.
Doesn't matter, not my fight.
Taking another sip from his bottle, Fenris grit his teeth. I don't owe him anything, I really should just go to Meredith and tell her everything...the mages cannot be trusted the way Garrett does.
Yet Fenris remained seated. He deserves better than me stabbing him in the back though. I've...killed enough allies.
It's not my fight.
Plus, he trusted me with the plan, gave me a choice...who else has ever done that, but him? No, I cannot betray that trust, I for my own sake as much as his, we both deserve better. I'll let fate decide what the future holds, let him play his foolish gambit, then see what I'll do.
He deserves that much for trusting me. For giving me a choice.
Below, at the entrance of the room, the front door swung open, then closed. Looking down from his vantage point with a sudden tightness in his stomach, Fenris saw seven men appear as they marched into the hall. While wearing no tabards or other signs, Fenris recognised them as Garrett's soldiers. And there was no mistaking the man at the front, his heavy plate armour shimmering in the light filtering through a window. Bastile.
Meeting Fenris' gaze, the ex-chevalier bowed his head. "Respectfully, Garrett has ordered me to stay here during the crisis." He met the narrowing of Fenris' eyes with a cool look. "Just making sure you stay here during the crisis, serah, don't mind us."
"I see." Fenris duly replied, shaking his head. So much for the trust, I was a fool.
"Don't." Bastile grunted, the men behind him tightening their grips on their sheathed swords. "We'll leave you soon enough, no need to fight about it."
Reaching back, the simmering resentment and anger he'd kept in check suddenly bursting forth, Fenris' found his sword. "Oh yes, there is."
Rising, blade held high, Fenris made his choice.
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"Meredith!" Cullen was gasping for breath as he jogged to catch up with the Knight-Commander.
Turning, the woman's eyes widened at the state of him. "Maker's breath, what happened!?"
Sliding to a stop, Cullen wiped a moldy piece of lettuce from his forehead, then a splatter of blood from his cheek. "Protesting happened." He took a deep breath, leaning on his arms. "Commander, there was a horde of them, just civilians...they pounced on a patrol of six men...tore them apart with their bare hands!"
The Commander took a step back, shaking her head. "Y-you cannot be serious..." She stopped, then straightened, clearly struggling to come to terms with the shocking news. "And you? How did you survive?"
"Commander, they did it just outside the keep...I rushed out with a company, drove the people off so we could recover the remains..." He swallowed, looking around the courtyard as he felt many a curious templar looking at the exchange. The worry was thick in the air, by now it felt like they were under siege, rather than simply garrisoning the keep...and he knew Meredith felt that too. "Only, they didn't scatter, instead they held back just out of range and...well they started to pelt us with rotten food." Cullen grimaced at the memory, there had been so much of it...and the shouts and curses that had followed were full of rage against those the people perceived – and not entirely unrightly – to be the cause for their troubles. "Then they charged us."
"Civilians...charged you? A whole company of templars" Meredith echoed, staring at him as if he had gone mad.
"I couldn't believe it myself." Cullen shook his head. "We cut them down as they came, a good two dozen of them are dead now, plus I don't know how many wounded, before they broke. But we lost another templar, and two more got injured." He took a step closer, so close he could feel Meredith's breath brush his face. "Commander, they didn't flee, they pulled back, but they're still out there, in the alleys, glaring at us."
Meredith took a step back, concern written all over her face. "We can lead another charge out and scatter them easily enough."
"Yes, we can, but..." Cullen, emboldened by need, gripped his Commander's arm, stopping her. "...Serah, they'll be back. Maybe more of them, maybe a lot more. And with this attack...it can't be safe for our patrols anymore...we'd have to send them out in company-sized contingents." He let the words sink in. "Meredith, can we do that? For how long can we keep that up? The whole city is against us, and they're desperate enough to be ready to fight us."
Meredith attempted a smile, but it was surprisingly nervous. "We are strong though, no amount of civilians can..."
"No, but this situation can't work, we can't be at war with the whole city!" Cullen snapped, his voice a loud hiss as he leant closer. "The Divine will have our heads if she learns we are waging a war against her subjects! All of rank will be dismissed and Maker knows what else! We can't do this anymore!"
Meredith stared at him for a long time.
Then, slowly, she nodded. "Very well...you're right, I...you're right."
Taking a step back, Cullen released his Commander, feeling a cold bead of sweat run down his back even as relief coursed through him. "We need Hawke, we need to give him the reins, he can calm this down..." It was dangerous words, and Cullen knew all too well how much it sounded like he was asking her to give in to the man and submit, something a templar like her would never do.
Yet, she nodded, looking away in shame. "Yes, I guess we do..."
Cullen, standing still, felt his heart hammer as he waited for the woman's orders.
Turning to look at him again, Meredith had her mask of stoic strength back on. "Go to him, tell him...we'll make him Viscount."
Bowing low, Cullen breathed out in relief. "I'll go immediately, Commander...thank you."
With that, he turned and begun to walk, glad that the situation was about to be saved.
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson, for still being there.