Farewells
16 Wintermarch, 9:39 Dragon
I spent the day practically attached to Ali, just making sure he was really there. At first, I was worried about how Lily would react. Since she had started saying "Da Da." I had sketched a couple of pictures of Ali, and Ali holding Lily, so she had a face to go with Da Da.
I needn't have worried. Once Alistair said "Lily Pad," she smiled and said "Dada, up!" Ali melted.
~oOOo~
"I'm really glad you didn't stab first and ask questions later."
Marnie smiled. "I've never been a princess stabbity-stab."
Alistair laughed. "I was a happy puddle of goo when she said, 'dada up.'"
"You did look adorably happy."
~oOOo~
17 Wintermarch, 9:39 Dragon
I am writing this down in part because I can't talk about it, but also because it represents the final moments of King Maric of Ferelden.
We entered the ballroom and I had to admit, after listening to Fenris, I thought there would be naked slaves, virgin sacrifices, blood cocktails…complete hedonism. But that wasn't the case. It looked like a typical formal event for nobility: everyone was wearing fancy clothes, drinking wine and eating small tidbits. The one thing that was different from other parties was the undercurrent of magic. My templar senses were practically tingling with it.
Maevaris gave us a warm welcome. She was an attractive woman with a kind, but mischievous smile. She was also an extremely powerful mage.
Like other parties, people were dancing. The music was different, not the complicated, slightly high-pitched Orlesian music. This sound was beautiful, haunting. I thank my stars that Leandra and Marnie were able to teach me to dance because it was easier to blend in on the dance floor; it also saved Mae's feet from being stomped on.
It took a while before I saw Zevran; I almost didn't recognize him. Yes, he'd covered his facial tattoo, but it wasn't that. It was the complete subservience in his posture, voice, and expression that made him seem like all the other elven servants. Not something I even imagined Zevran Arainai could do.
Mae and I left the dance floor briefly; that's when Aurelius Titus arrived.
To say he was a powerful mage would be like saying the Amaranthine ocean was wet. The only magic I have ever felt that was stronger was Archie. Yet there was something familiar about his magic. I had no idea what.
As soon as Titus walked in, he was surrounded by people trying to curry his favor or simply get him to acknowledge them. I looked at Mae. "How much different was his magic before my father disappeared?"
"You would never have been able to pick him out in a crowd."
It turned out that killing Titus was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. So much so, I had to wonder why no one had ever tried. Mae told me that people in Tevinter were so used to complicated covert power plays that they tended to overthink things.
Sounds like The Grand Game to me.
When I saw Zevran serve Titus a drink, I led Mae to the dance floor. It was a fast-paced song, so I could whisk her around and get closer to Zevran and Titus. I could tell when Titus felt the effect of the poison: he looked a bit confused. Then I watched his expression change from confused, to surprised, to pained and then into fear. It was the fear that worried me—would he lash out, use blood magic?
I closed in just has he fell to his knees; two men who I thought were hangers on, were his guards. One was looking around trying to find the threat while keeping everyone away from the now gasping magister. The other was using magic to determine what was wrong. When he shook his head at Titus, the magister fought the effects of the poison as he drew a dagger.
That's when I let out the biggest smite I had ever dealt. It flattened the magister and allowed the poison to finish its job.
Of course, at that point I was kind of exposed.
Mae helped us get out of the ballroom and the four of us boarded the waiting Qunari scout ship and went to the dead Magister's fortress.
It was chaos at Ath Velanis. Titus was dead, and the Qunari were shelling the outer walls. Everyone was running for their lives and didn't pay us much attention. We only had to fight a guard or two.
When we entered into the fort, I felt the pull of something – something calling to my blood, but it wasn't darkspawn and it wasn't the surroundings. It was something separate, but familiar, and powerful. I felt the tug of power so strongly, I followed it.
It led us to a thick oak door on the lowest level of the keep. It was the kind of door that would require gaatlok to break. Fortunately, Varric is a decent lock-pick. I entered the room first. The walls were lined with bookshelves. It looked like a library, save for the large metal sculpture of a dragon's claw, holding a large sphere filled with a red liquid.
It was a macabre sight and I had to force myself to see what my mind was trying to hide: the sphere was filled with blood. Vine-like tubes rose up from it and were attached to the arms and legs of the man suspended over it.
I realized that the source of the power I'd felt was not coming from the sphere, but from the man. I moved closer so I could see the face hidden behind the curtain of iron-gray hair.
It was Maric…it was my father.
Varric was about to put a bolt into the sphere, but Mae stopped him. She said it was a magrallen, which meant nothing to me. Then she explained that Titus must have been using it to augment his magic by manipulating the Fade.
It was powered by blood magic…it was powered by my father's blood.
I gasped. "For eight years!?"
Mae told me that my father was in a Fade sleep; she had a more complicated name for it, but the magrallen was keeping his body and mind connected, and his body alive. For all intents and purposes, my father had been living a fade dream.
Zevran, having climbed the rigging and verified that my father was alive, started to cut through the straps holding Maric aloft. When he cut through the first leather cuff all of the tendrils connecting Maric to the sphere suddenly snapped off. The sphere began to hum as the blood began to swirl within.
Mae told us to get away from the sphere; she assured us she could shield Maric and withstand the magical backlash, but she told us to 'get out and don't come back until I say so.'
Closing the door behind us, we stood in the hall to the side of the door and waited. Soon, we felt a long rumble, then a bright light shone under the floor at the same time as we heard the sound of shattering glass.
We waited until the sounds of falling glass subsided, then Varric couldn't wait any longer and opened the door. We ran in to see Mae crouched under a desk to protect her body from the falling glass. I looked up; Father was still suspended and surrounded by Mae's shield. I could still feel the pull of his blood...he was alive.
Once the last fine bits of glass settled, the four of us got my father down. I held his head in my lap as Mae laid her hands over his chest, trying to heal what she could. After what felt like forever, Maric took in a deep breath, coughed, then opened his eyes. He looked completely disoriented. He blinked a few times and then his eyes found mine. His voice was a rasping whisper. "Ali…Alistair?"
I was stunned. "You know me?"
"Yesss. I…I watched you in the….Fade."
"Let's heal you and get you out of here."
He slowly shook his head. "I'm be...beyond…but…there are thi….things you…you need to know." He closed his eyes and tried to swallow. Varric gave Mae his water flask, and she helped get some down Maric's throat.
I felt useless. I could only watch and wait.
His eyes opened again, he seemed weaker, but his voice was a bit stronger. "Your mother…Fiona…Grey warden…mage…elf. We loved you…wanted you…to…be free of…the throne. Blood…gr…great dragon. Calenhad drank…made him strong. It…blood runs…in Theirin line."
His eyes closed and he started coughing; his body was quickly giving out. Mae concentrated on his chest and throat.
Again I waited.
His eyes opened again. "Yo your…Join…ning 'spawn taint…gone. Falls…to the power of our blood. You will…live. Be…a father, grand...fa...father. Your wife…special. Lil…Lilly looksss… like you."
His eyes fluttered closed again. Then he opened them and looked into my eyes. For a moment, all that was him was present in his gaze. "Very pr…oud of you, and I love you… Always have, al…always will."
Before I could say anything, he let out his final breath, and closed his eyes for the last time. That familiar pull ended, like a door had suddenly shut.
I felt empty.
I pulled his body close and rocked gently back and forth. Tear-blinded, I kissed his forehead. "I love you, too. I'm sorry I was too late." Then I began to cry.
I cried for the King my country had lost, I cried for the father of my half-brother. I cried for the father I never knew.
I don't know how long I stayed like that, but I felt Zevran gently touch my shoulder. He spoke softly, "Alistair, let us take him from this foul place. We can create a pyre and send him to the Maker's side."
All I could do was nod. Zev had found a sheet that was now spread out before me. I laid father's frail body on the cloth and Zevran wrapped it around him like a shroud. I picked him up and we left. There was an inner courtyard far from the fleeing cultists and the attacking Qunari. Zev and Varric made as much of a pyre as they could with what was available, but since the fire was being set with magic, we did need too much, and it would burn hotter and faster the 'regular' fire. I laid my father's body on top and Mae set the pyre ablaze.
We stayed until the last embers cooled. I gathered his ashes into a spare pouch, which I then put into my pack. All I said was, "It's time to go home."
It was only for a few precious moments, but I will feel his love for a lifetime.
~oOOo~
Alistair held the parchments. Looking at them he said, "I'm glad I wrote down what happened. You needed to know, and I couldn't talk about it."
Marnie slipped her arms around her husband and hugged him tight.
~oOOo~
AN: Sorry for the delay. This was a surprisingly hard chapter to write. So, no darkspawn taint? That would explain Lily's appearance, Thank you to KoraKendalls, Melysande, and Judy for your reviews. Big, Big thanks to my Beta ElyssaCousland!