Lainey

"Eddie! Where are you?"

Lainey searched the wreckage of the temple, scouring every inch of the ruins until she spotted him falling out of a Fade rift. "Eddie!" She ran to him, turning him onto his back and checking to make sure he was still alive. "Maker, you're still breathing."

A large number of soldiers advanced on them. Lainey stood and took a protective stance over him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Identify yourselves!" one of them ordered.

"Are you with the Inquisition?" Lainey asked, then looked at the man who joined the soldiers. "Are you in charge of these men?"

He nodded. "I am Commander Cullen Rutherford. We are with the Inquisition. Who are you?"

"My name is Elaina Allread. This is my cousin, Edmund Trevelyan. Please, if you're with the Inquisition, my cousin needs help! I can't wake him and I can't help him here!" A glowing green light shined from Edmund's hand and she looked at it. "Maker's breath, Eddie... What did you do?"

A woman joined them. "Commander, what is going on?"

"We found these two just a moment ago." Cullen replied, looking at her. "Cassandra, they are the only survivors."

Cassandra looked at the soldiers. "Arrest them."

Lainey looked up at her. "We haven't done anything! You can't just arrest us!"

"Cassandra, perhaps it would be wiser not to-"

Cassandra cut him off with a glare. "Divine Justinia is dead, Commander. You say these people are the only survivors? Then they are to be detained and questioned."

Cullen sighed and looked at Lainey. He gave the order and the soldiers advanced, ready to detain her and her cousin.

"Miss, stand aside."

Lainey stood over her cousin, her hands ready to cast spells if needed. "Back off, Inquisition. You will not touch him."

The soldiers ignored her and Lainey took her foot, placing it firmly on the ground before taking her other and stomping down, causing the earth to shake beneath her. She twisted her foot, turning her heel outward, then shot spirit bolts at the soldiers as they stumbled backwards from the ground moving beneath them.

"She's a mage!" Cassandra said, glaring at her.

"I told you to back off!" Lainey yelled.

When the soldiers regained their footing, they lunged at her. Lainey parried their attacks, using her spells to deflect them. Cullen stepped forward, being the only Templar present, with his hand on his sword. "Lady Allread, stand down." He ordered.

"You have no right to arrest us! We haven't done anything wrong!" Lainey said, turning her attention to him. She readied herself for an attack.

"I don't want to fight you." Cullen said again, truly not wanting to hurt her. She was just trying to protect the man with her, her cousin.

"Then let us pass." Lainey said.

"I can't do that."

"Then you leave me no choice." Lainey retorted, casting a fireball at him. Her eyes widened when he raised a barrier using a technique only known to one organization. "You're a Templar..."

"I was, but I no longer belong to the order." Cullen said, advancing towards her. "That does not mean I will not use my knowledge against you."

Lainey was suddenly very fearful for her cousin's life and safety. She threw spell after spell at him, each time them getting deflected. 'Maker, please... Protect Eddie..!'

Cullen advanced, never once drawing his sword, until he reach out and grabbed Lainey's wrists and restrained her.

"No, let me go!"

Cullen pulled her arms behind her back and activated his Spell Purge technique.

Lainey felt her energy draining and her vision going black. She could see the shapes of the soldiers dragging her cousin away. "Eddie..."

Lainey sat up abruptly, shaken from her sleep by the memory of the day Edmund Trevelyan was named the Herald of Andraste. She put a hand to her head and tried to slow her breathing. 'Maker's breath...' She slowly got out of bed and opened her door, headed down towards the kitchens. She made herself a cup of tea, trying to calm her nerves as the memory resurfaced.

"It's not enough!" someone shouted, a dwarf named Varric.

Lainey knew her cousin's strength was waning, she left the Commander's side and hopped over the railing.

"Lady Allread, wait!" he called, hurrying after her.

Lainey ignored him and ran through the throng of people until she broke through the front lines. "Eddie, hold on!" She summoned her mana and surrounded herself with it, it physically manifesting in a spectacular array of glittering lights dancing around her. She ran to her cousin and put her hand over his, pushing her mana through the connection she made with him, and using it to build his strength tenfold. "Push, Eddie! Draw on my mana and use it to fuel that mark!" she instructed.

Edmund nodded, feeling her mana and drawing on its strength. He and Lainey stood together, staring up at the rift as it wreathed back and force. Lainey pushed more mana into her cousin and watched as the rift finally began to close.

"A little more..." Eddie said, sensing they were nearly through.

Those gathered stared in awe as the rift began to close, but when it finally did, the energy lashed back and knocked everyone off their feet. The last thing Lainey remembered was the rift closing, the blast back of energy, then her world going black as her mana completely drained from her body.

Alistair

Alistair walked into the kitchens, having risen early. He rubbed his neck, then looked up to find Lainey sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hands. "Oh, good morning, Lainey."

Lainey looked up and smiled when she saw him standing in the doorway. "Good morning, Alistair. Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. "I did, thank you. The accommodations are suitable."

Lainey smiled, then looked down at her cup of tea. Her smile faded a bit as she tried to shake the remnants of her memory. Standing, she turned towards the door. "I should get ready. Come find me when you're ready for that tour, if you're still interested." She flashed him another smile accompanied by a blush when she realized he was seeing her in her nightgown.

Alistair watched as she left the kitchens, her bare dainty feet barely making a sound on the stone floor. He stood there, wondering what was bothering her and wondering how such a curious creature ended up getting mixed up with the Conclave. She didn't seem out of her element; in fact this setting seemed very much her element. She was a noble, indeed from one of the wealthiest families in Ferelden, but at the same time she was incredibly humble. Where her cousin seemed to want to flaunt his influence and boast about the Inquisition, Lainey was soft spoken, kind, hard working, and Alistair couldn't help himself from already admiring her.

"Good morning, sire."

Alistair smiled as James joined him. "Ah, good morning, James. Up early too I see?"

"Habit since the Blight, same as you." James said, smiling. "I passed by Lady Allread on my way here. Seems she is an early riser as well."

Alistair chuckled. "Yes, it would seem so, though I wonder if she had a nightmare. I've seen that look she had so many times before."

James sighed. "She did seem upset by something. She wasn't nearly as cheery as yesterday."

The kitchen staff started to file in, one at a time, so Alistair guessed it must be getting closer to dawn. He sat with James for a bit, sharing a meal offered by the kitchen staff, before they made their way into the main hall. As they walked, Edmund and the advisors were filing towards the war room for a meeting and noticed them.

"Good morning, sire!" Edmund said.

Alistair looked up and smiled. "Ah, good morning, Inquisitor."

"I trust you slept well?"

Alistair nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Would you care to join us this morning? We can go over the first parts of our business, if you'd like?"

"It would be a pleasure to."

"Then once we are finished, you can go on that tour with Lainey."

Alistair felt himself blush a bit. "Lead the way, then."

Edmund smirked and led the way to the war room, enjoying seeing the King of Ferelden smitten. It was an interesting change from what he had heard about him. 'This will be fun.'