A Grave Mistake
AN at the bottom
9 Guardian, 9:34 Dragon
Sebastian is now the Prince of Starkhaven, and it is about time! A year and a half ago we discovered that Johanne Harriman was behind the murders and coup, but Sebastian couldn't decide between being a brother or being a Prince.
He stayed in this cocoon of indecision for a whole year. Alistair tried to appeal to his sense of duty. Aveline told him that a stable, well-governed Starkhaven was critical for the Free Marches. Varric told him to shit or get off the pot.
About three months ago, I'd had enough. I went to him at the chantry, and as Elthina stood nearby, I laid into him.
"Why are you being a coward? And don't give me the same tripe:" I aped Seb's brogue, 'I was jealous of my brothers and wanted what they had, and now they're gone.' Blah, blah, blah.
"The hard truth, Sebastian, is that your family isn't coming back, you cannot change the past, and Starkhaven hasn't been frozen in time while you hide here in the shadow of Andraste spewing cowardly nonsense! Your people are being ruled by a simpleton who was complicit in the massacre of your family, their rightful rulers!"
I was a relentless bitch.
The expression on Sebastian's face…he was shocked that I could deliver such a diatribe. Later Elthina described his expression as "if a butterfly had suddenly turned into an ogre."
Then he came up with another lame excuse: he didn't know if he was doing this because it's right or because of hubris.
I was about to tear my hair out, when Elthina of all people rallied to my side. "Only one who is humble worries about falling prey to hubris, Sebastian. Hawke is right. It is time your subjects had a sovereign that will care for them and lead them."
Sebastian and I looked to Elthina. We were both dumbfounded at her response.
He looked at both of us and slowly nodded his head. "Aye, it's past time."
It didn't take him long to retake Starkhaven.
And I still have no idea why Elthina sided with me.
~oOOo~
"Are you sure you want to keep reading?"
Marnie looked at the upcoming dates. "Hold me?"
"Always."
"Then, yes."
~oOOo~
1 Drakonis
9:34.
Yesterday, Bryn and Garron, based on information from Emeric, set up a raid on the home of Gascard DuPris, an Orlesian nobleman. Bryn, Garron, Aveline, and I carried out the raid.
We found nothing—like he would hide the bodies in his spare room! —and were left with an enraged Orlesian nobleman. However, this man was also a blood mage, I could practically smell it on him. I told Aveline this and that we should question him as he may know more about the crimes. She said that if he was a blood mage then it was a matter for the templars not the city guard.
2 Drakonis, 9:34 Dragon
Alistair told me about DuPris. I wrote to Meredith about it. Her response? 'Emeric has been reprimanded for causing this embarrassment' and that I should 'stay out of it.'
Yep. Wrong thing to say. If Knight-Commander Meredith tells me to stay out of something, I become like a mabari with a bone. Aveline wanted Emeric to stop his investigation because the DuPris raid was an 'embarrassment for the city guard.'
I went to see Emeric at the Gallows and he told me why he suspected DuPris. I told him that Alistair was convinced he was a blood mage, but he was not the mage we saw at the foundry.
I took Varric, Anders, and an irritable Aveline back to DuPris's estate. We rescued Lady Alessa, who DuPris had kidnapped as part of a blood magic ritual to trap this killer. DuPris says this man murdered his sister, along with Ninnette de Carrac, and Emeric's friend Mheren.
I told him that if he'd tracked the killer to Kirkwall, then he must know more about him. If he would tell us, then we could work together to capture the bastard before he struck again.
When he rejected our offer of help, Aveline moved to arrest him.
She might have been able to if we'd had Ali with us. He is the only guard with templar abilities, and she'd banned him from the case. We ended up having to kill DuPris, and whatever information he had he took to the void with him.
Later, I told Ave that Emeric had also been killed. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that the investigation was over.
Between Meredith and Dumar, Aveline seems to be running around in circles. I wish she would let me or Ali help, but she is just as stubborn as I am.
I fear that not being able to interrogate DuPris will turn out to be a grave mistake.
18 Drakonis
9:34
Leandra is dead.
She was murdered by the same man who had killed the other women; an insane blood mage named Quentin. Why did he do it? Because Leandra looked like his dead wife. Yes, that's what he said. He had… no I won't write about that…All I will write is that the City-Guard failed, and I failed. It was the mage who took Ninette, it was the mage I saw at the foundry, it was the mage that Marnie said Du Pris was looking for.
Leandra was a warm, wonderful woman. She welcomed me to the family with open arms. I will miss her. She was like a mother to me, and I've never had that before.
Marnie is inconsolable. She's blaming herself for not asking to meet Leandra's new suiter (who turned out to be Quentin). I told her that there was nothing she could have done. I told her to blame me for not challenging Aveline when we raided DuPris's estate. Perhaps if I had been able to question him we would have known more, maybe have found him in time.
I held Marnie in my arms as she sobbed. She wept for her mother, for Carver, for Bethany, and then she just sobbed until she began to have the dry heaves. At that point I asked Orana to get Anders. He gave Marnie something so she would sleep.
Later, Anders and I were having a much needed drink. Then Gamlen arrived. I'd already told him about Leandra (none of the details), but he was drunk and began to rant about how it was Marnie's fault. That she should have watched out for her mother. When he started to blame Marnie for Carver and Bethany, I punched him in the jaw and warned him to stay away from my wife.
Anders refused to fix his jaw.
18 Drakonis, 9:34 Dragon
Mother is dead.
19 Drakonis, 9:34 Dragon
Mother's pyre was today.
20 Drakonis
*ink spot*
21 Drak
~oOOo~
Alistair held Marnie close. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay, really. So, you were the reason for Gamlen's broken jaw?"
Alistair nodded sheepishly.
"Good. It was actually a blessing in disguise. He wasn't able to go to the Rose for a while, so he saved some money. Charade helped him sober up and use the money to fix up his house."
~oOOo~
AN: Thank you to Melysande for her review and to ElyssaCousland my wonderful Beta. Any mistakes are mine. BioWare, as usual, owns all.