Chapter 6 – A Toast for Ferelden
Dinner that night was a huge and bustling affair, the main hall teeming with nobles, their guests and high-ranking soldiers. The castle's dining room has been converted into a buffet, with tables pushed into the main hall to accommodate the large number of guests now clambering for one of the many seats.
Serena traveled down the buffet table behind Oren, both of them piling their plates high with bits of roasted lamb and chicken, deviled eggs, fresh berries and cream, and smoked salmon. Serena leaned forward, taking in the delicious smell of the thick gravy Nan had made from an old family recipe of hers. Adding a large helping of it to her mashed potatoes, she saw Oren beside her, grinning as he popped an extra roll in his mouth before moving right past the grilled vegetables.
"Ah, ah, hold it, kiddo," Serena said, putting a hand out to stop Oren. "You're at least going to have some potatoes. They're not even green." She gave him a serious look. "No excuses. Oriana would kill me if I let you get away with eating just rolls all night long."
"You're as bad as Mother, Sena," Oren said, making a face. Serena reached over and spooned a small pile of mashed potatoes onto Oren's plate. "Gravy helps," she whispered to him. "Really. They're delicious, just try them." Oren rolled his eyes, picked up another fluffy roll and dropped it on his plate. "I'll save you a seat by me, Sena," Oren called, disappearing into the main room.
"Can I sit on your other side?" a voice murmured into Serena's ear. Serena grinned as Dairren appeared at her side, his own plate filled with delicious foodstuffs. She noticed his plate was also completely devoid of vegetables. Boys, she thought with a sigh.
"Shall we?" Serena led Dairren to the main table, weaving between the many bodies now packed into the rooms.
"You know, I think there might be more people here now than at your mother's last party," Dairren remarked, following Serena through the throng of people.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Serena replied. "It feels like the whole northern army is in here. Although everyone is a lot less drunk than at Mother's last party..."
"Sena! Auntie Sena! Over here!" Oren stood on his chair, waving his hands frantically from across the room.
"Is that your nephew, my lady? He is very... excitable."
"That's certainly one word for it," Serena said. "You should have seen him earlier today. He was trying to convince me there were ghosts in the castle talking to us through cracks in the walls. It was completely ridiculous."
"And you fell for it?" Dairren asked.
"Only for a little while!" Serena protested. "I mean, I knew it wasn't ghosts. I was just... humoring him."
"He sounds like a riot," Dairren replied, grinning at Serena. "I hope I have five just like him."
"Oh my... five Oren's? That poor woman..." Serena sat down at the table next to Oren, coaxing a chair over for Dairren.
"What poor woman?"
"Your future wife," Serena teased. "Whoever she is, she's going to have her hands full." Dairren rolled his eyes, placing his plate down on the table. Oren leaned around Serena, staring openly at Dairren, his face curious. "Hi. Who are you? I don't think I know you."
"I'm Dairren." He glanced at Serena for help, who simply smirked. He was on his own. "I'm… a friend of your Aunt's," he finished lamely.
"He's Bann Loren's son, Oren," Serena added, taking pity on Dairren. "You remember him, right? Fergus was his partner for battledore last year, when they won the tournament. Dairren and his family are here visiting for a few days."
"Battedore is boring," Oren replied. He made a gesture of someone whacking an invisible ball with a racket, and then waiting around wearily for awhile, and then hitting it again. "All you do is hit at that little funny ball over and over."
"You don't like anything unless it has a sword or a bow involved, Oren," Serena said, poking him in the stomach. She turned to Dairren, rolling her eyes. "Well, I thought you were quite magnificent out there with my brother, for whatever it's worth..."
"So, are you my Auntie's boyfriend?" Oren interrupted. "I think she needs a boyfriend. All the knights are leaving and she won't have anyone to fight with outside. Sena is really good with her knives. I've seen her. But Mother says she should have a boyfriend like a proper lady." He paused, looking back and forth between the flushed faces of his aunt and Dairren. "Are you two okay?"
"Dairren is an old friend, and we will leave it at that," Serena said, ruffling the boy's dark hair. "Now stop being nosy and eat those potatoes." Oren stuck his tongue out at her, scrunching his face up.
"You know, perhaps I was being a bit ambitious... I'm sure one of him is enough," Dairren murmured to Serena. "Or perhaps I will ask the Maker for a girl... Say, Oren, about how old are you?"
"I'm nine, but I'll be ten real soon," Oren replied, his mouth full of mashed potatoes. "My birthday is a week before Sena's."
Serena counted quickly in her head. "Oh goodness, that's only three weeks from now, isn't it?" The boy nodded enthusiastically. "We'll have to plan something special for you, then. You don't turn ten every day, you know."
"Do you want to come to my party, Ser Dairren?" Oren grinned, his small eyes sparkling with excitement. "Last year I had ponies! But I think I'm too old for that now. If Sena teaches me how to shoot, I could have a shooting game at my party. You will come, won't you?"
"I would love to, Oren. Thank you. We shall have to see how these battles go in the south, though. I hope I will be able to get back in time." He regarded Serena. "I'm not sure if I told you, but I am to be your father's squire these next few weeks."
"Oh." Serena felt her smile falter slightly. "Well, my father couldn't ask for a better one, I'm sure..." She tried smiling again and feeling it forced, just looked down into her plate glumly, her appetite quickly disappearing. "Are you... are you leaving with Father tomorrow?"
Dairren nodded, watching as Serena as she seemed to fold into herself at his words. "We ride out in the morning." He knew he should have told her sooner... But seeing her now was killing him enough. He couldn't have born to have his entire time here with her tainted with thoughts of what could be.
Serena felt an intense longing well up inside her. Was everyone leaving her then? First her father and her brother, then Ser Samuell and the other knights she practiced with, and now Dairren, too? And despite all their assurances, it seemed like this was a true Blight after all, as they were taking every able bodied man in the entire Bannorn to the south. She began to regret more and more that she was to stay here at the castle.
Even though he couldn't possibly be aware of the underlying meaning of their conversation, Dairren watched as Oren sensed his aunts unhappiness and scooted closer to her, resting his small head at her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Sena. We can have ponies again, if you want."
Dairren caught her other hand in his, squeezing it gently. "It will be fine, Serena. It should only take a few weeks, at most, and I promise we'll be safe."
Serena looked up into his eyes, and he saw the unshed tears that sparkled there. "You can't promise that, Dairren. You know you can't promise me that."
"I can try," he murmured. "After all, I have someone to come back to." Serena gave him a watery smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"You had better keep writing to me," she whispered fervently. "I don't care if darkspawn are piling into your tent- you better write me to let me know you're alright."
"I will, of course. I will write you every day, my lady." He put emphasis on the last two words, looking into Serena's eyes seriously. She nodded, smiling gently. She glanced around, hoping nobody had noticed their little scene in all the commotion from the banquet.
The feast continued on for well over an hour before Serena saw her father stand and clear his throat, immediately commanding the notice of the entire hall. Hushed silence followed as people put down their utensils and cups, waiting, as rapt in attention as she was.
"My dear friends, as we all know too well, our lands have been threatened once again by an external force. After four hundred years, the darkspawn have returned to Thedas, this time in the very lands we call home."
Serena looked around the hall; familiar faces seemed to pop out at her. There was the Grey Warden, Duncan, looking solemn, his brow furrowed in meditation. A few seats down sat Lady Landra and her husband, Bann Loren. Iona appeared at the Landra's side, her blonde hair shining in the light from the chandelier above.
Down a few seats from her sat Ser Samuell with some other knights of Highever. She saw Ser Samuell glance over at her and wink, his dark hair falling iover his forehead. It was rare she saw him with a helmet. Nearby, Ser Gilmore and the other guards staying behind were smiling and nodding their assent at her father's words.
Glancing towards the back, she saw Arl Howe near the end of the table, sitting with his commander. They had matching expressions of grim acceptance, as if they were attending someone's funeral rather than a celebratory feast. Serena stared hard at Howe, memorizing his features. There was something off about that man, she mused silently, and she would be damned if she wouldn't figure out what it was.
"We shall ride out," her father continued in his carrying voice. "Many tonight, the rest of us joining in the morning, as we head south. We merge with King Cailan and his army, as well as the fabled Grey Wardens, in an effort to protect what is ours. Our families, our lands, our freedom!"
At this point, much of the hall cheered and raised their glasses. Bryce Cousland beamed across the hall, his voice rising again over the cacophony.
"As our ancestors did centuries ago, we shall drive them back! And tonight, as we spend our last hours together for now, we shall toast to a united Ferelden, a land free of the darkspawn corruption!" More cheers erupted all over the hall. It felt like the very roof would blow off with the force of their exhilaration. Serena raised her own glass, as did Dairren, and even little Oren beside her, although she doubted he understood what was going on and was simply copying everyone in an effort to belong.
"To victory!" her father shouted.
"TO VICTORY! " came the thunderous response. As if they were all part of one creature, each person in the room drank from their goblet, cheering and whooping wildly.
For a moment, Serena felt completely caught up in the exuberance of the moment. She leaned into Dairren's shoulder, smiling up at him again. He grinned back and put an arm around her, squeezing her quickly. "To victory," she whispered to him, her fingers snaking to intertwine with his, and Dairren saw that this time the smile touched her eyes.