Chapter II: Recollection And the Future.
The room they had been escorted to was bigger than the room he had grown up in at Castle Cousland and could be put into three sections. On the left, upon entering the room, was the bedroom area. It had a large bed, a tall cabinet, two four drawer dressers, and two nightstands. On top of one the dressers was a mirror and, in the corner, next to it was a stool.
In the middle area was the lounging/sitting area, which happened to be the largest of the three sections. The closest furniture to the door was a leather couch, two leather chairs, and a small, rectangular red oak table that reached up to a person's knees when sitting down on said couch. On the opposite side of the entryway was a small balcony that had before it and to its left a small round table, and four wooden chairs.
Across the room from the bedroom area was the dining area, which happened to be the smallest section. It had a long black table, six black chairs that were pushed underneath it, and in the corners were smaller tables that were no doubt meant to hold plates, pitchers, and glasses.
All in all, it was not the room Aedan had expected them to be staying in when they had been taken out of the large dining hall. Morrigan didn't complain and had entered the room with Legion right behind her.
That had left Aedan to handle their armed guides, who spoke to him as if he understood a single word they were saying to him.
When it was made abundantly clear he didn't understand a word they were saying, they spoke to him slowly, as if he were an imbecile and would somehow understand them then. Never before did he want to throat punch someone so badly until then.
They had left shortly after that, closing the door behind them and chuckling as they did so. Aedan had watched them leave, a small frown etched onto his face, before he turned around and entered the sitting area.
He saw Legion already making himself his bed on one of the leather chairs, and would have told him to get down, but then he remembered what had happened a few seconds ago and decided not to.
Even if I wanted him to do so, he wouldn't destroy it. Aedan thought as he walked towards the bedroom area. Legion had been trained to be an indoor dog just as much as he had been trained to be an attack dog.
The thought made him frown, but it wasn't because he didn't approve of the indoor training. No, it was because it made him think of his mother, the one who told him that if he was going to have a dog then he would need to train said dog not to pee and poop on the furniture.
He's all I have left of her, Aedan had realized as he sniffled and started to tear up, which caused him to quickly glance around the room before setting his sights on one of the corners. He did not want Morrigan to see his tears.
Eventually he will be gone and then I will have nothing of her except her eyes. He told himself as a few tears slowly trickled down the sides of his face. The thought of Legion dying made him think of his parents and his last moments with them.
They had found him where Ser Gilmore believed him to be, in the kitchen, on the floor, and not far from the servant's exit. His mother was the one that had spotted him first and had gasped at the sight of him as he said to them.
"There… you both are."
His father grimaced and had tried to move only to almost face plant into the stone flooring.
"Father!"
"Bryce!"
They called out to him at the same time as they quickly rushed over to him.
His mother got down onto both of her knees next to him, while he got down on one and kneeled next to him. Aedan didn't notice it at first, but there had been a trail of blood that led from the doorway to his father.
"How bad is it, Bryce?" His mother questioned, worry on her face, and fear in her eyes.
"Bad," his father answered. "Howe's men… they… found me first… tried to cut me down and-ah! Managed to get me good…"
"I will make Howe pay for this, Father." Aedan promised, his voice filled with anger and rage. "I swear this to you, he will pay for this treachery."
"He will, but first we need to get out of here." His mother said as she looked at him. She then looked back at his father and said to him, "come on, Bryce. The servant's passage is right here."
His father looked at his mother sadly. "I'm sorry but I don't think… I don't think I will be able to do that."
Aedan shook his head and felt tears swelling in his eyes. "No, don't say that, Father. We can get out of here; I will carry you out of here if I have to!"
"Unless there is a healer in there, I'm afraid it doesn't matter, pup." His father said solemnly. "Plus, I doubt I'd even get that far without… without my intestines spilling out!"
The pain in his father's voice rocked him, and as he tried to think of some sort of way to help his father he continued to speak.
"Someone must find Fergus… tell him what has happened." His father winced and clenched his hands. "I'm sorry… I wish I could go… I truly do."
"You can, Bryce." His mother said, her voice filled with emotion. "You can, you just have to try."
"Eleanor… the castle is surrounded. Even… even if my injury wasn't so… severe you would still need to move quickly. I would… only slow you down." His father said.
"I'm afraid the Teryn is right." Spoke a voice from behind, which caused Aedan and his mother to turn and see walking into the room Duncan and Legion.
"Howe's men have surrounded the castle and are putting everyone to the sword. His intentions are clear, there are to be no survivors." Duncan stated as he came to a stop beside them.
His mother looked at him with furrowed brows. "You are Duncan, correct? The Grey Warden?"
"Yes, your ladyship." Duncan answered. "I was going to make my way to your rooms to see if you were still there when your mabari found me. It seemed he wanted me to find you."
Aedan and his mother looked at Legion who had barked in response.
"Can you… is there something you can do about Howe?" Aedan asked as he looked back at Duncan.
"Not here," Duncan said with a shake of his head. "Howe has too many men around him, trying to get to him would be suicidal. Flight is our only option."
It was clear what he was trying to tell Aedan, but that didn't stop him from frowning at the warden.
"Whatever we do, we must do so now. It won't be long before they find us." His mother said, breaking the stare down that was going on between him and Duncan.
"I agree." His father said before groaning and looking at Duncan. "Duncan, you are… you have no obligations to me, but I… I ask you… I beg you, take my wife and my son… get them out of here."
"I will, your lordship, but I'm afraid I must ask you for something in return." Replied Duncan, making Aedan snap.
"What do you want from us? Our ancestral home is being sacked, our people being raped and killed. We have nothing that we can give you!"
"On the contrary you do." Duncan declared before looking back at his father.
"What is it… you want?" His father asked.
"I came here for a Grey Warden candidate, and I must leave with one." Duncan told them with a solemn look in his eyes.
His father understood what he was saying as did Aedan, but that didn't stop him from voicing his objections after his father voiced his understanding.
"I cannot become a Grey Warden. If Fergus dies and my father dies, then I am the next in line to become the Teryn of Highever. I cannot be a Grey Warden when my family's line is at stake."
"If the Darkspawn isn't stopped then it doesn't matter who becomes the Teryn of Highever and who does not. I'm sorry, but what is happening here pales in comparison to the evil that is loose in this world." Duncan rebutted as he looked at him.
Aedan gritted his teeth at that and while he did Duncan turned his attention back to his father. "Your lordship, I will take the Teryna and your son to Ostagar to tell your eldest and the King what has happened. Then, your youngest joins the Grey Wardens."
"So long as justice comes to Howe… I agree," his father said as he met Duncan's eyes.
Duncan nodded in response before standing up and looking at Aedan. From that look alone it became clear to Aedan that he was waiting to hear his thoughts on the matter.
"... I'm sorry, but my duty is seeing vengeance bestowed upon, Howe. I cannot become a Grey Warden." Aedan said after a couple of seconds with a frown.
"Your duty…" His father started before suddenly coughing blood up. "Your duty is to the people of Highever… to Ferelden! If… if what Duncan fears is true then we will need every… Grey Warden to stop it."
His father grimaced before continuing. "Our family… always does its duties first. The Darskpawn must be defeated first… you must go for your own sake and… for Ferelden's."
Those words shook Aedan to his core and stopped him from making any protests. He remained silent, and as he kept quiet his mother spoke.
"Bryce, are you… sure about this?"
"Our son will not die to Howe's treachery." His father promised as he looked at his mother. "He will survive, my love… and make his mark on this world."
His mother nodded and then looked at him. "Darling," she said, her voice hitched, "go with Duncan. You will have a better chance at escaping."
"Eleanor." His father said as Aedan kneeled there, completely paralyzed by her statement.
"Hush, Bryce." His mother said as she looked at him. "I won't abandon you, I will kill every bastard that comes through that door and buy our son time."
Snapping out of his stupor, Aedan shook his head and yelled. "No, no I won't leave you! I will stay and fight with you! I will… I will find a way for us, for all of us to get out of here!"
"Darling, if you stay you will die, and I cannot go with you. My place is by your father's side, in life and in death and beyond." His mother told him.
"I don't care, I will not leave you!" Aedan screamed, tears falling down his face. "If you stay, I stay."
"I am sorry, Aedan but you must come with me. The Darkspawn must be defeated." Duncan said as he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Fuck the Darkspawn and fuck the Grey Wardens!" Aedan shouted at him. He then turned his gaze back to his parents and said in a much quieter voice. "I will not leave my family behind."
"Then you leave me no choice, but to invoke the Rite of Conscription." Duncan declared in a resolute voice. "I'm sorry, but I hope that one day you can forgive me for this."
Before Aedan could say something or do anything Aedan felt a metal fist hit the back of his head. Everything faded into black after that with the last thing Aedan seeing was his mother.
She looked at him sadly and mouthed the words, I love you, my son.
"Hello, Thedas to, Aedan!" Came Morrigan's voice, snapping him from his memories and causing him to look and see that she was glaring at him. "Finally, you've been standing there for the past minute staring at the wall."
"Sorry, I was… I was just thinking about something." Aedan apologized as he blinked and shook his head.
At this, Morrigan raised a lone eyebrow and said rather curiously. "Oh, and what is it you were thinking about?"
"Legion," he answered. "I was just thinking about how old he is. He'll be turning five years old soon."
It wasn't the truth, but neither was it a lie. It was a half lie, half truth
"I see, and what were you planning on doing when he turns five? Make him a cake?" Morrigan teased.
"The last time he had some cake he shat green poop for a solid week. I don't want to see that again." Said Aedan.
"And I did not want that image in my head, but now I have it." Morrigan said in response with a disgusted look. "Thank you, my love, for telling me that. I truly wanted to hear about Legion and his poo."
Aedan laughed at her sarcasm and said, "sorry."
A moment of silence passed after that, one that lasted for a good couple of seconds before being broken by Aedan.
"It's a miracle Legion survived everything."
"It is," he heard Morrigan agree. "Although there are times I consider it to be more of a curse than a blessing. I still remember those gifts he would bring me."
Morrigan shuddered at the thought of them, and Aedan genuinely laughed at that.
"Sometimes I think he did it just to vex you." He said.
"Yes, well he succeeded if that was his intention." Morrigan huffed as she crossed her arms.
Aedan smiled and said after a couple seconds. "I'll leave the bed to you and Kieran and sleep on the couch."
She looked at him and said in response. "You do not need to do that, Aedan. The bed is obviously big enough for the three of us."
While that may be true, Aedan didn't know if that was the best idea. He had been told by his fellow wardens that he moved a lot while sleeping. The thought of rolling over, and possibly suffocating Kieran in his sleep was something that terrified him.
"I move in my sleep, Morrigan." He told her. "It would be better if I—"
"Rolled off the couch instead?" Morrigan finished in a questioning tone. She shook her head and said, "if you're going to roll off of something then it might as well be the bed you roll off."
Aedan stared at her, and she in response avoided meeting his gaze. He looked at her for several long seconds before smiling slightly and saying, "very well, if you insist."
After that he began to take off his armor and it wasn't long after he started did Morrigan walk over to him and help. He didn't say anything to her, and neither did she say anything to him. The two removed his armor in silence.
Once it was off of him, they climbed into the large bed and slowly drifted asleep. Only awakening later on when their son began to cry.
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Steffon had a hard time falling asleep and his wife couldn't blame him at all.
How could he sleep after today's events? He still had a hard time believing it was all real and wanted to believe that it was some crazy dream.
"A man and woman stepping out of a mirror with a dog in tow and a baby in their arms?" Steffon said to his wife earlier after they returned to their rooms. "Were I not there to see it, I would've doubted it to be true."
That wasn't the most shocking thing though, well it was, but what had also shocked him greatly was what his king had said and tried to do.
He had grown up with Aerys and had known him for almost his entire life. They had played together, trained together, gone to the brothels together, and had even fought together. They had done so much together and his king, his cousin, had accused him of plotting against him.
It had hurt more than he thought it would, and were it not for Tywin stepping in, Steffon wondered if he would be in a black cell right now.
I know he has changed over the years and that his time as a prisoner has affected him, but to think he would accuse me of treachery. He frowned at the thought, and wanted to believe that it wasn't real, but he couldn't.
Aerys had accused him of plotting against him and there was nothing in the Seven Kingdoms that could change that.
Author's Note: This chapter will more than likely have three parts, although I haven't really settled on its name. Originally I was going to just call the chapter King's Landing for it will have several POV's, but I decided against it. I don't know, for now the chapter's name will be this. Although, it may change down the line, we'll see.
Another thing, I never got the whole, "Rite of Conscription" in Origins. I know what it does but what I mean by that is in the beginning of the human noble, you can be all against becoming a Grey Warden and all that and then Duncan will just be all like, "Alright, well I play my Rite of Conscription card." And then your character just goes with him.
It's like he pulled out the Uno reverse card or the get out of jail free card and you become obligated to do that. It was probably the only thing that bothered me in that game. Anyways, that is my little rant, thank you for reading.