Chapter 77: The Last Goodbye
"It seems I win again, darling."
Andreas Trevelyan threw down his cards with an amused snort. He said nothing as Vivienne scooped up her winnings from their latest hand of Wicked Grace.
That is what I get for playing cards with a member of the Orlesian imperial court, he thought.
He chuckled to himself. What had started as a means to pass the time here in the Ghislain estate had turned into a fleecing. The mage had suckered him in perfectly…
…Just a friendly game darling, something to pass the time.
The inquisitor's brother shook his head.
He really should have known better.
He learned back taking a deep breath of the fine city air. When Vivienne had invited him to join her on this trip to the capital he had jumped at the chance. Skyhold was nice, but having grown up in a bustling city like Ostwick…
The remoteness of his sister's castle had been starting to get to him. Technically he was still a hostage, and should not have been able to leave, but Vivienne had proven to be quite…insistent when she wanted something.
He suspected that she had hoped to bend his ear on some matter that she wanted to put before Ana, some new plan to favor the mages and the recreation of the circle which to Vivienne was the first step in restoring true order to the magical world.
Ana's advisors, who administer Skyhold in her absence, were not too keen on the idea, but Madame De Fer was not daunted. She promised several concessions for the Inquisition if they allowed him to accompany here, generous concessions apparently.
In the end, the war council had relented, but not without taking steps to assure his safety. Two of the Inquisitions best warriors accompanied him as bodyguards. Vivienne felt his unnecessary, but Seeker Cassandra and Sister Leliana would hear none of it.
He was still the Inquisitor's brother, and he needed to be protected.
In the end, the mage had agreed. She still felt it unnecessary, but for the sake of the Inquisitor she bowed to the two women's wishes.
When they had first started out, Vivienne had promised him a full tour of the capital. He would need to wear a disguise, but that was a minor inconvenience. He arrived in Val Royeaux disguised as one of her retainers, a tranquil mage in the service of the Inquisition and a supporter of the loyal mages of Thedas.
Vivienne was met at the door of the estate by several servants, all with papers or reports for her to read and sign. Andreas found himself shuffled off to one of the guest quarters, at least until the mage's business was concluded.
She had visited just before the evening meal, apologizing for her neglect as his hostess, alas, she claimed, this could not be helped.
"You may be bored at first, and I apologize for that, but we must all do what we must, darling," she cooed, "I have a bit of business to take care of, but once that was concluded, I will show you capital as it was meant to be seen. "
Andreas accepted that explanation, and set out to find some way to keep his mind occupied while the mage attended to whatever matter currently held her attention.
He spent most of those early days in the Duke De Ghislain's library. What he discovered that both shocked and excited him.
He had smiled grandly.
Madame Vivienne had feared that he would be bored.
She clearly did not know what kind of person he was.
The Duke's collection of rare tomes was enough to make even the most jaded scholar drool. Several were extremely old, chronicles that dated back to the early days of the Empire, and the highlight of Drakon's expansion period.
Andreas buried himself in those books. Many likely considered too valuable to ever leave the empire. An elven page aided him in his search; the young man was amused by Andreas' interest in those books.
"Has the duke ever read them?" he inquired.
"Perhaps, Milord," the man answered, "But even if he has not, possessing such things are considered the height of status here in Orlais."
Andreas nodded, he could certainly understand that, though the thought of letting such knowledge go unread seemed a horrible waste to his scholar's sensibilities.
He shook his head.
What was the point of possessing such knowledge if you never shared it? If all it did was sit on a shelf and collect dust?
It all seemed terribly wasteful to him.
Day turned to night, then day then night again. He paused little in his work, only stopping to dine, and even then on glasses of water, and some fruit and bread.
He did not wish to stop, lest he forget something, lest Madame De Fer summon him and they be called away on some errand or another. He pushed himself hard, trying to soak up as much of the information as he could. He did not intend to leave any stone unturned. Any book unread or studied, soon his notepads were brimming with little facts and information for his perusal later. Some might even find its way back into the libraries of Ostwick, if he was lucky.
He might have been the first scholar in years to have access to these tomes. If he left here without exploring as many as he could he would likely never forgive himself.
On the fifth day or maybe it was the sixth, Madame De Fer finally came for him. The mage's eyes widened slightly at the sight of so many tomes surrounding him.
Finally she smiled.
"Well," she said, "Someone has certainly been keeping himself busy in my absence."
The Inquisitor's brother blushed.
"You have an impressive collection Madame," he said shyly, "I could not let such an opportunity pass me by."
He shifted his feet.
"I hope I have not over stepped my bounds."
She laughed dismissively.
"Think nothing of it, my dear," she said, "In the circle we are taught to prize wisdom and knowledge.
She smiled slightly.
"I am pleased to see that Inquisitor's family shares such opinions."
He nodded respectfully to her.
He was pleased that she did not think that he had imposed upon her hospitality.
The elven page who had been aiding him the past few days ran in and whispered in Madame De Fer's ear. The mage nodded and sent him on his way.
She smiled at her guest.
"I have just received word that your sister has returned to the capital," she informed, "I have also received word that she has something for me."
The mage's eyes sparkled with joy.
"Let us go and greet her, darling. I think you will find what comes next most impressive."
Andreas smiled.
"Is this why you chose to invite me, Madame?" he asked.
The mage smiled.
"What I'm about to accomplish should be noted for posterity, my dear," she said, "The triumph of will and magic over time."
She adjusted her Henin, and turned.
"It is not just a matter of the mind, but the heart as well," she added.
They made their way down the hall, Andreas' curiosity continuing to build.
Vivienne beamed triumphantly.
"This, my dear, is a true labor of love."
IOI
A few hours later Vivienne, Andreas, and Ana made their way down the corridors of the Ghislain estate, the mage turning down a hall that neither the Inquisitor nor her brother had been down before.
Ana glanced at her brother, she was not entirely pleased with him. Had Corypheus' agents learned he was on the road…?
It was foolish. It was dangerous. It…it was…
Ana sighed.
Since when had she become the eldest sibling?
"What were you thinking?" she murmured.
He did not meet her gaze.
"I was disguised and under the protection of your people. What was the harm?"
The inquisitor's eyes narrowed.
"And the excuse would have worked great on Mother if someone pissed at the killed you and left me to explain what had happened."
Andreas bowed his head, looking more like a sullen child than a twenty one year old.
"Sorry sister," he murmured, "I did not wish to anger you."
Ana shook her head.
"I'm not angry. I…I'm just…"
She sighed.
Words failed her, she wanted him to understand, needed him to understand.
This wasn't just some game, it was serious.
He needed to be more careful!
She would speak to Andreas about this later, first she intended to learn what Vivienne was up to. The Battles in the Exalted Plains had been hard, the final ones even more so.
Ana rolled her shoulder, trying to work the stiffness out of it. The high dragon they had fought in that sulfurous area of the Plains had struck her with its tail. The mage healers assured her she was fine, but still…
She shook her head.
At least the Exalted Plains were stable now, the Imperial army had managed to restore now that the fade rifts were closed and the Freemen sent scampering down whatever hole they had first emerged from.
Ana knew she should have been pleased; the Exalted Plains were a major victory! Still, it was just one of many that were needed.
The Venatori were still out there, and what was worse, she had still heard nothing of Solas, not since he had left after the death of his friend.
The Inquisitor pursed her lips.
She was worried about him. The Dales were not the safest place to be right now.
If anything happened…?
She tried not to think about it. Solas had been surviving on his own long before they had ever met.
If he could not take care of himself, who could?
She glanced at Vivienne; the mage was almost shivering with anticipation. She held a goblet in her hands, its contents churning and bubbling, the foul smell coming from its depths almost turning the Inquisitor's stomach.
Ana pursed her lips.
A lot had gone into that goblet, including what remained of the heart of a snowy wyvern, the very animal that Ana had killed just before making her journey back to the capital.
The fight had not been easy, not as bad as a high dragon, but still nasty. The creature's venom had pitted her shield; her enchanted blade still stank of the creature's blood.
Yet, Ana had followed the mage's instructions to the letter, the box she had sent along to keep the heart fresh until it reached the capital had done its work well.
Now the mage carried the fruits of that labor in her hands.
Ana would not deny that she was curious what all this was about. She had noticed a single note on the mage's desk back in Skyhold. It had mentioned something about age regression, and the need to keep the ingredients fresh until the very last minute.
Ana glanced at her brother.
"Do you know what this is about?" she asked him."
He shook his head no.
"You will see soon enough, Inquisitor," she promised, "And I must thank you once again for your hard work in this endeavor."
She led them up to a small alcove, it was large enough to have held a door, but all they saw was a blank wall.
Vivienne gestured, and the wall before them shimmered.
Both Ana and Andreas gasped.
They now found themselves standing before a door.
The mage smirked.
"I minor defensive spell," she said, mostly to keep prying eyes away.
"What about the servants?" Ana asked.
"There is a servant's door as well, unshielded, but then why would it need to be?"
The mage chuckled.
"The servants here more than know their place."
Vivienne pulled out a key and turned it in the lock.
She opened the door, quietly, and respectfully.
Both Ana and Andreas followed in her wake. They found themselves in a grand bedroom. The trappings of wealth and a grand life surrounded them.
Vivienne did not even stop to admire the view, she made straight for the bed.
An old man lay under the covers, his skin pulled tight against his face, a single frail limb poked out from beneath the covers.
Ana paused, she watched as Vivienne made her way around the bed, made her way to the old man.
She pursed her lips.
She should have known.
"Who is that?" Andreas asked.
"The Duke De Ghislain," Ana replied, "Vivienne's patron and lover."
Her brother nodded, likely still not understanding exactly what was happening.
Ana sighed.
She felt stupid for not putting one and one together before now.
One of the council of Heralds had been missing from the winter palace.
The Duke De Ghislain had not been seen at court in months.
Vivienne's favor for the council of heralds, or rather one of the councilors.
The potion of age regression, it was not for just any noble.
It was for the Duke.
It was for Vivienne's love.
Ana shook her head.
She should have known.
"Bastien," Vivienne whispered, "Bastien, my darling, I am here."
She gently raised his head, and put the cup to his lips. Slowly, carefully, she poured the contents down the old man's throat.
He accepted the draught, not even trying to resist.
When it was empty, she stepped back, a hopeful expression on her face.
The Trevelyans watched as well, unsure about what they would see next.
The old man coughed and opened his eyes; he glanced around the room, finally finding the face of his mistress.
The Duke smiled.
"Vivienne," he murmured.
"Yes," she smiled, "She kneeled before the bed and took his hand in hers.
"I am here now darling," she cooed, "It will be all right."
The Duke sighed.
"Yes," he murmured, "It will be all right, my love. It…it will be…be…all…"
The Duke closed his eyes; a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
His hand fell from Vivienne's own.
He slumped back onto his pillow.
Then…he was still.
The mage's eyes widened.
"Bastien?" she murmured.
No reply.
"Bastien? My darling?"
She took up his hand, pressed his fingers to her lips.
"No," she murmured.
Her hand went up and stroked his jaw fondly.
He…did not respond.
"No," she almost moaned.
Ana came up beside her. She was still not sure what happened, perhaps the potion had come too late, or the contents had been too strong for the man, either way, the result was the same.
She put her hand on the mage's shoulder.
"I'm…I'm sorry," she murmured.
Andreas said nothing; he simply stood where he was, bearing witness to the scene playing out before him.
There was nothing he could do; there was nothing anyone could do.
Time had won this battle.
As it always did…eventually.
IOI
Vivienne released her Bastien's hand. She was almost in tears as she leaned in forward, closer and closer to the man who had shared so much with her.
Vivienne kissed his forehead, much as she had done the day she had first left for the Inquisition, promising him that she would find a way to help.
She kissed his head for the last time.
He was gone.
Her Bastien was gone.
She…there would be so much to do. So many people needed to be informed.
She would do it all; it was what she owed him. It was her duty...
…But not now, not now.
For the moment, she remained at his side, keeping vigil over the man she loved...
…Outside the sunset over Val Royeaux…
…The end of another day.
The twilight had come, and with it…
Darkness.