Notes: The chapter title is lightly adapted from "Curse My Name" by Blind Guardian, about deposing a tyrannical, theocratic order.
Sorry about the number of "documents" here, but Thedas does not have Twitter, for better or for worse (mostly better, IMO).
This is the final chapter of Book Two, Spells of Power. Final chapters are always hard to get right, but I do hope this one does what it needs to. Book Three, Spells of Battle, will begin with Chapter 61.
Chapter 60: The Maker's Will They Falsely Claim
First Day, 1 Wintermarch Dragon 9:37.
Word buzzed around Kirkwall of the stunning and violent events the previous night—even more so when mages from the Circle began to show up in taverns, in the marketplace, and on the streets. Although some of the mages did try to correct misapprehensions, the correct version of events quickly became twisted, especially by longtime Kirkwallers who suddenly had very unpleasant memories triggered of another dark time.
"The Viscountess assassinated the Knight-Commander and most of the Templars!" an old woman declared in the Hanged Man. "Bathed the steps of the Gallows in their blood, I heard! The place is covered in red ice, including Meredith's body itself!"
"It's been getting bad for years between them," muttered a man. "One of them was always going to kill the other. Better for us that Hawke did it. It wasn't her people what went rampaging through Lowtown on Satinalia."
"But this is exactly what happened with Threnhold," the woman insisted. "He sent the guards to kill the Knight-Commander, I forget his name now. And he got took off and put to death for it."
"Murdered in his prison cell, you mean."
"Well, whatever happened, my point is, it ended up bad for us. We got weak Dumar who let his own son go to the oxmen and got betrayed by the Grand Cleric. And he died too, of course, but it was mostly our folk who suffered for all of it. It's always our folk that suffer."
"I agree. Better a bloody-handed mage who cares about Kirkwall than a Knight-Commander who was probably serving Kirkwall's enemies." He sighed, glowering at his stein. "Let's hope they let her stay. They got rid of Threnhold."
"It was Elthina who put Threnhold on trial. I don't think the Good Priest we got now will do that to Hawke."
"She answers to the Divine. Let's wait and see."
Caitlyn was not leaving the Keep, nor was Anders. They had the place under a full lockdown, with archers and mages stationed at the ramparts, ready to attack, in case people seeking to avenge Meredith tried another insurrection. However, some of her loyal vigilantes were out and about, listening for rumors, and when word of the overall thrust of gossip reached her by midday, she herself became uneasy—more uneasy, she supposed.
"I have not heard from Petrice," she said. Anders, Mal, and the family's loyal circle of friends were gathered there, all sitting tight to support each other. "I expect she is inside the Chantry."
"And she is very likely waiting to see what Justinia does before openly backing you," Anders said. "She wants to keep her position above all else, even if it ultimately means siding against you to do it."
Caitlyn sighed. "I know. This morning I gave the Divine's messenger a true account of what happened. She has one of Leliana's trained ravens in her possession, it turns out, which is good. For now, we have to wait. Word may reach the north sooner than it reaches Val Royeaux unless that messenger bird flies fast." She paused. "And because of that, we have to try to ensure that what spreads from Kirkwall is the truth, rather than distorted rumors. If war comes to our gates before Justinia even learns the news, as it might, we cannot have confusion or doubt festering in the city."
That afternoon, Caitlyn called the nobles, knights, and merchant folk of Hightown to the Keep to hear her explanation of the previous night's events. Couriers and criers stood by to take copies of her speech and post them to message boards throughout the city. As she surveyed the assembled crowd, she noticed that Petrice was among the people there, and she looked extremely nervous, as if fearful that her bet—betting the house, Caitlyn thought—to ally with Caitlyn had suddenly turned out to be a losing one after all. The nobles' faces were also filled with worry, even those of Comte de Launcet and Ser Marlein, her Council members.
With Mal beside her and Anders to the other side, holding the infant in his arms, Caitlyn began to speak. "I have called you here today to explain what happened last night at the Gallows. I swear by the names of the Maker and Andraste that what I say is the truth. The Guard-Captain and the Templars who are present can also vouch for the truth of what I say." Behind her, indeed, stood Aveline, Ser Keran, Cullen, Thrask, and a few others. She noticed that their presence seemed to calm and relieve a number of people.
Without waiting another moment, she launched into a narrative of the events, beginning with the provocations rather than the attack itself. She told the crowd of Meredith's involvement in the assassination of Mistress Selby and her apparent foreknowledge of the massacre, noting with grim satisfaction that the nobles appeared affronted and disturbed by this at once.
"There is a secret matter with which the Divine is concerned, so I cannot speak of it in great detail," she continued, "but what I can say is that a pair of Seekers came to Kirkwall a week after my daughter's birth to investigate Meredith for illegally smuggling an extremely dangerous substance, and found irrefutable proof that she was guilty of it. The Divine ordered her resignation yesterday... and Meredith refused, and then took my son hostage to try to shore up her defiance. My husband, my friends, and some volunteer fighters went to the Gallows with me to demand his release. It became violent." This was evasive but not false; Caitlyn did not want to tell them that Mal was a mage and that she had not gone to negotiate in good faith, but she was still uncomfortable telling an outright lie under oath. "Meredith's sword was made of the substance that she was importing, and she had also been taking potions of it herself. The sword and her body melded together, killing her, and that is the 'statue' you see at the Gallows. It is not her body covered in blood and sealed under ice. It is extremely dangerous and we do not want anyone touching it."
The Grand Cleric was the first to speak. "I believe I speak for many when I say that I am relieved to hear that this is what happened in truth," she declared. Several nobles nodded silently. "We have questions, however. I presume you have sent word to the Divine."
"I have, Grand Cleric," Caitlyn replied, "and by a very speedy means. Getting the truth to her was important, and we should hear from her soon."
Another noble spoke up. "Even if she deserved it, and it sounds like she did, there is a lot of concern about this," he said. "Threnhold sent soldiers to murder Knight-Commander Guylian. It ended poorly for him."
A chill shot down her back. But in the next moment, she felt Anders shift the baby to one arm and the gentle pressure of his free hand on her back. On her other side, echoing his father, Mal moved closer and took the fabric of her skirt in one hand. The gestures gave her strength.
"It did," she said, "but there were different circumstances in that ugly affair than the ones we dealt with yesterday. He was a greedy, corrupt tyrant, but the Templars were meddling in Kirkwall's trade policies as a favor to the Orlesian emperor. Everyone was wrong, including Divine Beatrix for using Templars to protect Imperial gold. Including Elthina, who turned the Chantry into a blood court instead of leaving Threnhold's punishment to a moot of nobles—your parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and even some of you yourselves." This, Caitlyn noted with satisfaction, made an impression on them, and she continued aggressively. "Including Meredith Stannard, who sent a threatening message to Viscount Dumar when he was crowned that he had better not cross her. What has happened now is very different. The Templars we fought and killed were guilty of capital crimes: murder, accomplice to murder, and treason. Their leader had also defied the Divine's specific order to her. And the Templars who stand in this Keep behind me have been true and honorable."
The nobles and wealthy folk murmured among themselves, mostly nodding in agreement and relief at this answer. Then another one spoke up.
"Are these Templars still keeping watch on all those mages we've seen out and about, then? No offense to Your Graces, of course."
"There is no Knight-Commander at present, due to the prior resignation of Cullen Rutherford in protest against Meredith," Caitlyn said, "and for the time being, at least, the Circle is self-governing with the honorable Templars there for support and protection. I'm not going to set maleficarum and abominations loose among you," she assured them, feeling guilt at the fact that some might reckon her a maleficar and Anders an abomination.
"What about the north?" a woman finally blurted out. "Is it war?"
"Probably," Caitlyn admitted. She wanted to be honest with them, and that included giving them her honest guess. "I do not know for certain, but most likely. We are prepared for this, and should it come to it, I fully intend to conscript the adult mages whom you have seen to fight for Kirkwall." She had decided that on the fly right now, but as soon as she said it, she became firmly resolved—and she also suspected that the mages would be glad to fight for their freedom, or at least the promise and possibility, against the theocratic north. "Are there other questions? No? Then Maker watch over us all," she finished.
"Mother? I need to know something," Mal spoke up that night, as they all sat in the family room before a crackling fire.
"What is it, love?" she asked gently.
He gazed at his parents and little sister with worried hazel eyes. "What's going to happen now? Is the Divine going to be angry?"
"I don't know," Caitlyn admitted, sharing a brief uneasy glance with Anders. "She ordered Meredith to quit, but she disobeyed, which was very offensive to the Divine... and she was guilty of a lot of other things too, as you heard today. I think the Divine will take all of this into account... as well as the fact that she would want Kirkwall to have a secure leader if war comes. She also isn't actually supposed to be taking sides in who rules nations, and that sort of thing has caused problems for the Chantry in the past. But... it is possible that she will still want me to step down." Caitlyn hated the thought, but she acknowledged it as a possibility.
"What will happen if she does?"
"Then I will do it. And we will all go to Ferelden to live with your uncle Carver. She's not going to hurt our family, Mal. If she wants me to resign, it'll be because she thinks that is best for Thedas, not because she wants to punish us, and your father and I will make sure we get to safety."
He curled against his mother. "I don't want there to be a war."
"No one does," she said quietly, "but sometimes it has to happen. War is always grave, but it can be... for a good cause. And this would be."
"I don't want any of us to die in it, though. And don't promise me that you won't. You can't promise that."
Caitlyn and Anders shared a wretched, sorrowful look. Not quite nine but all grown up, she thought. Anders picked up Jo Beth and carried her to the sofa where his wife and son sat, taking his place on Mal's right side. Caitlyn sat to his left. They both held him. "We can't," Anders murmured sadly, "you are right. But we can promise that we will do everything possible to stay with you and your sister, together, as a family. Everything. Just as we did last night."
Three days later.
"Your Grace! Militia wearing the livery of Starkhaven have been spotted north of the Vimmark Mountains, heading toward Kirkwall!"
Caitlyn, Anders, Aveline, Cullen, and Alain looked up from the map of Thedas that they had laid out across a table—a preparation for war, which, it appeared, had come to them at last.
"How far north of the mountains?" Caitlyn queried the messenger.
"Oh, let's see... by now, about two days' walk," he said.
"Walk?" she repeated. "It's not a cavalry?"
"No, Your Grace. About seventy or so of them."
"To cover that ground, they must have set out before First Day," she mused. "Sebastian must have sent them to annex Kirkwall if Meredith took over... and to attack if we still held it. More evidence that they were all conspiring to make war on me, but I will fight back. It may be difficult to reach them in time to prevent them from crossing the mountains, but they will not reach the city."
"Your Grace," Cullen spoke up, "with your permission, I volunteer to lead an offensive against them." He glared at the map in the area of Starkhaven. "I would like to send a message to Sebastian by defending Kirkwall."
A smirk formed on Caitlyn's face at that. Beside her, Anders also suppressed a chuckle. "Permission granted, then."
"I would like to send some battlemages to fight as well, as I expect there will be many who want to defend Your Graces," said Alain.
Caitlyn considered that. "So long as they understand that if they volunteer, they will be taking orders from Cullen, an ex-Templar. Don't choose any who have a problem with that. I won't tolerate insubordination in an armed force."
"And if Cullen leads," Anders began to say, "the Holy Smite..."
Caitlyn gazed at the former Knight-Captain. "If you do get mage soldiers, don't incapacitate them if you can help it—unless you have a betrayal, of course. I don't know how much good your Templar abilities would even be against a force of ordinary soldiers, anyway, so I see no need to use them unless a mage does present a problem."
"Understood, Your Grace."
She studied the map again. "Fight honorably unless the enemy forces you to use other means to save yourselves and your comrades. War is hideous."
They were in the family quarters again a few days later, spending precious hours together while waiting for word from Cullen's force. Caitlyn and Anders had come to an unspoken agreement to cherish their family time, because even if Justinia did not request Caitlyn's abdication, the days of peace would very soon come to an end. A knock on the door interrupted the pleasant moment, and with regret, Caitlyn rose to attend to it. It was Donnic Hendyr.
"There's a ship at harbor," he reported. "We've held it for now and haven't allowed anyone to disembark."
"An enemy?" she said, her heart thumping.
"We don't think so, but we wanted word from you about how to handle it. It came from West Hill in Ferelden and it's full of mages."
Anders jumped up from his seat at this, followed by Mal. They hurried to the doorway.
"Mages?" Caitlyn repeated. "Grey Wardens? Apostates?"
"Their leader says they came from the Circle at Kinloch Hold," said Donnic, "so... I suppose one could say they're apostates now. She would like to meet with Your Grace."
"What is her name?" Anders asked. "I might know who she is."
"She gave her name as Enchanter Petra."
Anders racked his brains before he remembered. "Maker's breath," he swore. "She was just a girl when I last saw her! Yes, they're from Kinloch Hold." He turned to Caitlyn in awe, his face lighting up. "Looks like they rebelled! It's happening!" He hugged her.
Caitlyn smiled, but the hug could not last long, as Donnic was still there. She broke away and faced him. "Bring Petra to the outer Keep. We'll meet with her."
Donnic bowed in assent and departed.
Although Mal wanted to meet the Fereldan mages, they both realized that the group would likely have an unpleasant story to tell, and he might not need to hear it. Although he had heard quite a lot already, they wanted to protect him from some things while they still could. They left Mal and Jo Beth with Charade before going to an audience chamber in the outer Keep to meet Petra. She was a pleasant-faced, short-haired mage in her early twenties, but behind that pleasant visage was a steely resolve.
"Welcome," Caitlyn said. "I understand that you come from Ferelden."
"Your Graces," Petra said. "It is an honor to meet you. Well... meet you, my lady. I knew your husband as the blond Healer who was always escaping."
"That's me, all right," said Anders. "You were quite young when I escaped for the last time... six and a half years ago."
"Yes, but we don't stay children forever, my lord," she said.
Anders and Caitlyn exchanged a poignant glance as they thought of their own. She cleared her throat and addressed the mage leader. "You are most welcome here. All I ask is that you provide me with a list of names of those who came with you. It will not be used to lock you back up. This I swear."
"Certainly, Your Grace."
"If you need lodgings and don't have much coin among yourselves, there is a building that was the location of the Kirkwall Circle. Is," she amended. "There are still mages there. But they are in charge of it, under my authority. The Templars don't run it anymore."
Petra hesitated. "The thought of going back to a Circle is not pleasant... and I did see a couple of Templars on the way to the Keep."
"The only Templars in town now are the ones who defended mages, who stood with us—or were not at the Gallows at all, such as those guarding the Chantry because they are loyal to the Grand Cleric foremost of all. The rest stood and fell with the Knight-Commander."
"Maker's breath," Petra exclaimed, glancing back at the door outside which her fellows were waiting. "It was rumored... but you really did kill all the Templars who stood with her!"
"We did."
"And you're still Viscountess of Kirkwall," she said in awe.
For now, Caitlyn thought grimly. She hoped that she was not about to lose her position, either to the order of Divine Justinia or, far worse, in battle. But she said none of that to Petra. "The Templars at the Gallows are there to protect the remaining mages from people who would do them harm... and to help against Tevinter slaver gangs. The mages themselves are running the place like an ordinary school now and answer to me. People come and go freely. You would not be prisoners... and mages have rights in Kirkwall. But I understand your concern, so if you don't want to stay there, you don't have to," she added. "About half did leave."
"I will discuss it with them," Petra said. "Thank you for the hospitality."
There was a pause before Caitlyn spoke again. "What happened?" she burst out. "This cannot be all of you."
"It's not," Petra confirmed. "We're about half the mages of Kinloch Hold. The Circle was grown again after the Blight, mostly from the ranks of the Mages' Collective. They didn't take well to confinement." She gazed back at the door. "I think all the former Collective mages are with us. A lot of the older Enchanters who survived the assault in 9:30 chose to stay, including our First Enchanter. But Your Grace asked what happened. In short..." She could not hide her smirk. "The Templars are divided too, and we took advantage."
Caitlyn called for refreshments to be brought to them as she and Anders sat down beside Petra. She already had a feeling that she would need some tea.
When they were sipping their beverages, Petra continued. "It seems odd to us, but the Templars of Ferelden were said to be lenient, relatively speaking."
"Some aren't," Anders interjected with a scowl.
Petra gazed sympathetically at him. "I heard about your history, my lord. Obviously the Templars who took you from her and your son were the worst sort. Though perhaps, after what happened, there were more like that than the people spreading that claim knew."
"The people spreading that claim were probably with the Templar Order, or were in the Loyalist Fraternity," Anders said.
He was getting exercised, and Caitlyn put a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him. Petra needed to tell them what had happened.
"In any case, after word of the events in Kirkwall reached Kinloch, it made the whole tower restless. The Templars held a meeting. It was meant to be secret, but it broke up, the door slammed open, Templars brawling with each other, fighting hard. About half of them declared that they were leaving, they were not going to wait for a 'weak Divine,' as they called Most Holy, to 'let another mage take over and murder them,' beg pardon—and they stormed out, saying they were heading for Starkhaven."
"Maker's flaming breath," Caitlyn exclaimed, exchanging a nervous look with Anders.
"Some of them tried to hurt us before they left, to kill mages who had annoyed or offended them at some point, I suppose since they knew they were joining a rebellion anyway. We banded together and fought them off, but almost all of them survived and presumably left for the north. Then... well, as the last of them were leaving, many of us mages just decided, collectively, that it wasn't safe there anymore."
"It was never safe there," Anders murmured. "When it wasn't overrun with demons, rogue Templars could hurt or kill mages at will."
"You're right... and we wanted the Void out of the place, if Your Graces will excuse me. We just stormed through the other Enchanters and the rest of the Templars. They tried to stop us, but no one was harmed. I think they didn't want to shed blood to make us stay, so they just stopped fighting. We weren't sure at first what we wanted to do, whether we would split up or stick together, but we decided on safety in numbers—and to come to Kirkwall to support you. We realized that you would be in for a fight with the northern cities, and we agreed it was our duty to help you, since we had made our escape ultimately due to your brave deeds."
"I'm glad that you did," Caitlyn said feelingly.
"I don't know if you heard yet, Your Grace," Petra said, gazing at Caitlyn, "but you are an inspiration to your fellow mages. Both of you."
"Thank you," she said, momentarily overwhelmed. Anders reached for her hand and smiled as she clasped his hands with hers.
When Petra had been escorted back out to tell the other mages that they were welcome in the city, Caitlyn turned to Anders with a grin. "Ferelden's Circle has rebelled, at least part of it. So has Kirkwall's. It will spread, and apparently a lot of mages will flock here. This is very good news—for mages, of course, but also for us personally. If this is already outside anyone's control—if they are already declaring their independence and coming here—then that's a reason for the Divine to let me continue to rule so that I can keep some order in place. Mages are leaving the Circles and coming here," she repeated in awe, cherishing the words.
"To serve you," Anders said, smiling lovingly at her.
She smiled back, proud of it as well. "To serve us," she corrected gently. "I might hold the title, but you have been beside me in this from the beginning, and you were right about almost everything all along. I couldn't have done it without you. We did it together, love."
He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Caitlyn fell into the kiss, letting him part her lips and devour her passionately. She threaded her fingers into his golden hair and held his head in place as she returned the kiss, giving him a gentle nip on the lower lip as they broke apart.
Almost ten years ago to the day that we first met, she thought, and we are still as much in love as ever.
Anders leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "So much has changed," he murmured, as she realized that he was thinking the same thing. "Several terrible losses... but also two children, rings and vows, a crown, a great victory, and the beginning of the revolution we had hoped and worked for."
The clatter of a horse's trot up the streets of Hightown slowed and then stopped, as Cullen Rutherford dismounted. He adjusted his armor and walked to the steps of the Keep, his fighters catching up behind him on foot, aided by the Haste spell. The group was barely diminished in size.
The new war room in the outer Keep held the detailed map on the long table. The map now contained numerous pins and miniatures. An impromptu meeting was taking place, necessitated by a piece of most important news that had arrived in Kirkwall shortly before Cullen and his force had. Caitlyn and Anders hoped to conclude it as soon as they could; they hated being away from their children. For now, they, Aveline, Alain, Petra, and Ser Thrask stood over the table, plotting.
"Your Graces!" he exclaimed when he was admitted to the room. He was nearly out of breath. "We have routed the Starkhaven militia."
"Good," Caitlyn said. She turned to Petra for introductions, though she supposed Petra might remember Cullen. "Cullen is one of my captains. Cullen, this is Petra, an Enchanter from Ferelden."
"I know who he is," Petra said, eyeing the ex-Templar. She placed her hands on her hips and faced him. "I don't know if you remember me, but I remember you. I was just a girl when we survived the demons and I heard from other mages that you had wanted us all dead."
Caitlyn had a surge of conflicting feelings: a spark of irritation at the younger mage for that statement in this place and time, true though it might be, but also sympathy and agreement with her position. She certainly would be put off to be around someone who had argued for her death. Anders smirked, while Aveline glowered in frustration. Alain and Thrask seemed to want to step away from the entire conflict.
"I remember you," Cullen said to her, not unkindly. "You were the mage that Wynne left in charge of the youngest apprentices. I saw you when I was freed from the demon and came down. I freely acknowledge that I was wrong and I'm glad that Warden Cousland did not act on my opinion. But... for what it is worth, which may not be much... I didn't mean you or the children with you. I meant the people who were trapped behind the demons' barriers."
"You still called for their deaths without even knowing who was still free."
"I was wrong and I am sorry. I'm not the same person I was then. I was afraid." At this, Petra's face softened a bit at last.
"The Circles as they currently are make everyone afraid, mages, Templars, and their families alike," Thrask remarked. "The entire system is built on fear."
"Well said, Ser Thrask, and that is why we are fighting. Petra, Cullen has left the Templars due to the late and unlamented Meredith's criminal conduct," Caitlyn interjected. "He defended the mages of Kirkwall against an Annulment order, and he serves Kirkwall as one of my military leaders now. My friends and allies... we have to try to get along. You are all here because you have something to offer to the war effort."
"War effort, Your Grace? It is definite, then?" said Cullen. "When the Starkhaven captain sounded the retreat, he did say that we could expect their prince to try again..."
Caitlyn glowered at Starkhaven on the map, a drawing of a large, rich city. "I fully expect Sebastian to attempt to take Kirkwall until it's too costly for him to try anymore," she said coldly. "Cullen, we are gathered here because we received the formal declaration of war today. And replied with our own."
"So it's official?" he asked rhetorically as Aveline passed him the scroll.
.
A Declaration of War in the Name of Andraste
Being a Resolution of Lord Chancellor Joffrey Orrick of Tantervale, Prince Sebastian I Vael of Starkhaven, and Margravine Reyna Arriata of Hercinia declaring the common purpose of Tantervale, Starkhaven, and Hercinia as the Alliance of the Faithful, and further declaring that a state of war exists between these Cities and the city-state of Kirkwall.
Whereas the so-called Viscountess of Kirkwall, Caitlyn Hawke, an apostate mage, and her husband, the Grey Warden Anders, a former apostate mage, committed unlawful and murderous acts against the Templar Order on 30 Cassus Dragon 9:36 and 1 Verimensis Dragon 9:37, ordering and participating in the assassinations of Templars, including the Knight-Commander of Kirkwall;
Whereas the Divine Justinia V has shown favor to the apostate so-called Viscountess, leaving grave doubt among the faithful as to whether the leadership of the Chantry will defend the true faith.
Be it hereby declared that, in the names of the Templar Order, the true faithful of the Chantry, and the Most Holy Andraste, Bride of the Maker, a state of war exists between the Alliance of the Faithful and the city-state of Kirkwall, which shall be extended to all who aid or ally with the present Viscountess of Kirkwall.
.
Cullen sighed heavily before passing the declaration back to Aveline. "I wish I could say this was a surprise. But... Kirkwall is allied with Markham and Ferelden. They cannot take Ferelden..." He gazed at Petra as something occurred to him. "Did the Fereldan mages revolt? That could be a problem."
"The Fereldan Templars revolted—half of them—to head north themselves, and some of the mages decided that the Tower wasn't safe anymore," Caitlyn replied before Petra could. "I have the names of the mages who came. Should the King and Queen request their return to Fereldan soil, I have little choice, as Petra knows, but that has not happened. Sebastian just does not think that Ferelden will stand with us when it comes to it, I suspect." She glowered. "As a Ferelden-born, I will be happy to see him proven wrong."
"What of Orlais? More to the point, I suppose, what of the Divine?"
"We're awaiting word from her still. But with war breaking out, and mages and Templars leaving the Circles to fight for whichever side they support, I rather doubt she will ask me to step down now with no obvious successor. Kirkwall would be in chaos, and the growing number of free mages would turn to any leader who could seize command." She glowered again. "And she'll need allies of her own if this unfolds the way I think it will."
The messengers from the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux traveled throughout Thedas, urgency and desperate hope in their winter-cracked voices as they carried their scrolls to Knight-Commanders, First Enchanters, Grand Clerics, kings, queens, princes—and one Viscountess.
Caitlyn and Anders were inside the inner Keep when they had word of the Divine's messenger. Mal was talking with his father about the details of a healing spell for sepsis, and whether it technically counted as blood magic due to some aspects of how it worked—a take that startled and rather shook Anders, Caitlyn noticed with mild amusement as she listened, nursing a happy and contented Jo Beth. Anders had cast that spell many a time.
"Hawke," Varric said, easing the door open. "Blondie. Mal. There's a messenger from the Grand Cathedral, and she's got an official-looking scroll."
Caitlyn instantly rose, her heart suddenly thumping. Were their lives about to be upended yet again? I'm about to find out, she thought.
"Father? Mother? May I—" Mal began.
"You may come if you want to," Caitlyn said, forcing a smile for him.
The family remained close as they entered the outer Keep. She ushered them into an audience chamber, along with the waiting messenger, and closed the door tightly. No one on the outside needed to see this before her family did.
"Your Grace," the woman said with a curt bow. She looked confused for a moment at the fact that there was no servant present to accept the scroll from her to then pass to Caitlyn. Despite the tension of the moment, Caitlyn suppressed a smirk. Kirkwall was used to their informality and disregard of some court conventions, and the messenger who had announced the order to Meredith was one of Leliana's and had understood this, but others were used to Empress Celene's protocol. Mal eagerly stepped forward and took the scroll from her instead, to the messenger's relief. He handed it to his mother.
With a hitch of anxiety in her chest, Caitlyn unrolled the long scroll.
.
An Inspired Proclamation of Her Perfection Divine Justinia V
Whereas, on 1 Verimensis Dragon 9:37, Meredith Stannard, Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, and twenty-five Templars who declared loyalty to her person, were attacked by assassins on the orders of Viscountess Caitlyn Hawke and Lord Anders of Kirkwall;
Whereas, the rulers of Starkhaven, Tantervale, and Hercinia declared war against Kirkwall for these acts, and did so in the names of the Templar Order, the Chantry, and the sacred name of Andraste;
Whereas, after the deaths of her loyalists, Meredith Stannard died in single combat against the Viscountess as the material of her sword, a red form of lyrium with sinister properties, consumed her flesh;
Whereas, this red form of lyrium had previously been found by Seekers in the Templar quarters of Kirkwall in the possession of Meredith Stannard and Templars who declared loyalty to her;
Whereas, in the hour of her death, Meredith Stannard confessed her purchase of an ancient artifact crafted from this red lyrium, found in the Deep Roads in an expedition well-known in Kirkwall, which she had reforged into the sword that consumed her body;
Whereas, Mettin, a former Templar justly expelled from the Order, and Samson, a Templar, led a violent insurrection attempt against Kirkwall on 30 Frumentum Dragon 9:36 which resulted in the deaths of more than eight hundred civilians whom their supporters murdered;
Whereas, red lyrium was found in Mettin's possession following this insurrection, although he had been expelled from the Templar Order more than a year prior, thereby indicating direct issuance of this lyrium to him from Meredith Stannard or indirect issuance from her through Samson, who wore armor that contained runes of red lyrium;
Whereas, a former Antivan Crow who became a trusted guard of Elissa Cousland, Warden-Commander of Ferelden and Hero of the Fifth Blight, found evidence further linking Meredith Stannard to the attack and to the assassination of one of Viscountess Hawke's Council;
Whereas, Meredith Stannard threatened the Annulment of the Kirkwall Circle of Magi without cause, not merely to dissolve the Circle and send innocent mages to other Circles, but to put every mage present to the sword, unless Viscountess Hawke abdicated her title;
Whereas, Meredith Stannard had declared her defiance on 30 Cassus of an inspired Divine order to resign her post peacefully, which was issued due to her proven unlawful importation of red lyrium;
Whereas, Meredith Stannard had previously shown callous disregard for the Viscountess's health and the life of her then-unborn child on 28 Matrinalis Dragon 9:36, earning a Divine rebuke for this conduct.
In consequence, Divine Justinia V, Successor to the Sunburst Throne, hereby declares that Meredith Stannard and the Templars who stood with her are posthumously stripped of all honors as Templars, and likewise the fugitive Samson whether he be alive or dead.
Divine Justinia also declares her disapproval of the attack ordered by the Viscountess and Consort of Kirkwall, and commands them to repent and seek absolution with the Maker for ordering such violence;
Divine Justinia nonetheless acknowledges the fear of the Viscountess and her family for their lives due to the conduct of Meredith Stannard and approves the fact that the Viscountess and Consort gave her loyalists a chance to recant their loyalty after a presentation of the evidence of her complicity in treason and murder, which all rejected.
With holy inspiration, Divine Justinia V declares that a war against Kirkwall for presently stated causes by the rulers of Starkhaven, Tantervale, and Hercinia would not be a just war and shall not have the solemn, grave blessing or armed support of the Chantry if waged. She prays that they withdraw their war declaration in consideration of the facts stated in this holy Divine Decree and that all the lands of the Chantry may come together to resolve the matter of the true and holy meaning of Our Prophet's words about magic. Finally, Divine Justinia condemns the unauthorized use of the names of the Templar Order, the Chantry, and the holy name of Andraste. Should these rulers persist in waging war, the Divine commands them to remove these names from their declaration or be declared rebels against the Sunburst Throne.
.
Caitlyn burst into a single giddy laugh. Anders reached for the scroll, which was still in her right hand, and began to read it himself even as she hugged the baby close, still smiling and laughing. It was apparent to Mal that, whatever the scroll contained, it was not too bad, so he broke into a smile himself as his father read it. The boy's smile grew as Anders' lips spread into a grin too.
"Well," he said, passing it back to her, still smiling, "that could have been a lot worse."
The messenger stood primly, observing this moment of happiness among the family without comment. "Her Perfection does expect Your Graces to atone," she said loftily. "Perhaps by saving at least as many lives as you took."
It is a last-ditch attempt to stave off a schism, Caitlyn thought with mild derision. She probably does disapprove of what we did, but she included that at least in part to show the northerners that she wasn't only condemning Meredith's Templars. "I understand," she told the messenger. "We were not happy about doing it, so that will be sincere. You may pass that to Justinia."
"I shall, Your Grace. Maker watch over all of you."
When she had departed to make her next stop, the Kirkwall Chantry, Caitlyn turned to Anders with a broad smile. Mal stood next to his mother, eyes sparkling. Anders muffled a laugh of glee as he wrapped his arms around them.
"We're staying!" sang Mal. "Staying!" He pranced around the family parlor, his staff in hand. Caitlyn smiled indulgently at him.
"That last bit was harsher than I expected from her," Anders remarked.
"Threatening the northern cities that if they persisted in claiming that they were fighting for the Chantry, they might face an Exalted March?" Caitlyn said. "That's what she meant, even if she did not use those words."
"She can still make that threat—for now," he muttered. "If she loses half the Templars, she won't be able to do anything of the sort."
"She might lose more than half the Templars, if the Fereldan Circle really did contain more of the moderate kind," Caitlyn said. "They saw half of them revolt, but we had to slay more than half."
Anders fell silent for a moment before glaring ahead defiantly and proudly at nothing in particular. "But we will have the mages, and as the Fereldans have now learned, they can overcome the Templars if they stick together. That was part of the problem all along, that we mages did not stick together. When we do, we win. They are about to learn that the hard way."
You are awfully optimistic about that, Caitlyn thought. The Fereldan Circle rebellion also happened because the Templars were divided, and some mages chose to stay behind—for now—nonetheless.
A knock sounded on the door. Anders rose to open it, revealing Leandra, Charade, and—to their surprise—Gamlen, who, even more surprisingly, was completely sober. Caitlyn welcomed them into the room as they sat down.
"We had word from Carver," Leandra said.
"You did?" Caitlyn said, a bit hurt. No such letter had reached the Keep.
Leandra noticed the look on Caitlyn's face and understood what it meant. "He said that he knew his letters would reach me, but that he wasn't certain yet... with the political situation being what it was..."
"He wasn't sure if I would still be at the Keep," Caitlyn said grimly. "That's fair. We only found out today that the Divine did not oppose that."
Leandra nodded sympathetically and passed the letter to Caitlyn. "He says that if the war goes badly, Warden-Commander Cousland has offered sanctuary in Amaranthine for the family. Anders did serve under her once, after all."
"That is very good of her," Caitlyn said, reading the letter with one hand as she nursed. "Let's hope we don't have to take her up on it, though."
.
I don't want you to worry too much about me, Mother, Carver had written, but the Warden-Commander informs us that she does not trust the new Warden-Commander of Orlais, Clarel de Chanson. She urges you lot in Kirkwall to have no communication whatever with this person or her officers.
.
"'You lot in Kirkwall'?" Caitlyn repeated, amused despite the warning.
"What's this?" Anders asked, leaning over to read the note.
.
She says that she has told them this already, though not specifically about this Orlesian, but the woman is a mage and she knows they are at war for the cause of mages, seeking allies. If you can pass this on to them, please make sure they understand not to have any contact with de Chanson.
.
"Well," Anders said, drawing away in shock, "she did warn me about the Orlesian Wardens when we were expecting Jo Beth, but this is very... specific. I suppose I had better write to her to tell her I received this new warning."
Leandra, who was not privy to the concern that was roiling the Fereldan Warden posts and Warden Stroud, sat next to her daughter with a smile.
"I'm so proud of you," she said, giving Caitlyn a brief hug and smiling at her grandchildren. "Your father and your sister would be too."
Caitlyn gazed down at the baby as her field of vision grew blurry.
Over the next few weeks, Caitlyn began making plans for the defense of Kirkwall. The alliance with Ferelden would be most useful if she and her allies could patrol the Waking Sea. Even if they could not stop an enemy fleet—and she hoped that the Fereldans could muster enough ships that they could—Kirkwall should at least have warning of it.
There was a lot of underdeveloped land between Kirkwall and the nearest Marcher city to the east, Ostwick—land that was ripe for a small settlement to support some farms and a watchtower. A lighthouse, Caitlyn thought. From a tall enough vantage point, it was possible to see the other coast across the Waking Sea from the shores close to Kirkwall. It would be foolish not take advantage of that geography.
She consulted with Anders and her closest friends before giving the order and handing it off to the planners and builders. Lighthouse Point, as she was already calling it privately, would be a crucial defense in the war.
As word of the Divine's support for the mage Viscountess of Kirkwall trickled across Thedas, apostates began to migrate to Kirkwall—some simply because they thought it the most promising place for living free, others because they wanted to fight in the war. Among the apostates were a few who had escaped from the Circles of the Alliance of the Faithful cities. It was not an organized revolt like in Ferelden, but there were escapees. After the fire and mass escape from Starkhaven in 9:31, that Circle had been under extremely tight control, and its First Enchanter Raddick was a hardline Loyalist who was harsher than some of the Templars, but a few Tantervale mages had made it out after one of them had smashed numerous phylacteries, including her own.
"It's tense," that Tantervale mage reported to Caitlyn, Anders, Alain, and Petra, who had become mage central command in Kirkwall. Caitlyn hoped Merrill would soon join this group, but that would be in Merrill's own time. "We're all afraid that the priest is going to order the Circle Annulled if enough mages try a rebellion like here and in Ferelden," she continued, "which is why there hasn't been one yet—but individually, we're afraid."
"We should attack Tantervale as soon as we have the numbers to do it, then," Anders said harshly.
This made the Tantervale mage blanch, clearly afraid that such an attack would provoke the Annulment she feared, but Caitlyn saw his point. We do not just want to defend ourselves, she thought. We want to stamp out these beliefs, and that means we have to conquer them.
"There was something else that made us want to leave," the mage continued. "A new Templar joined the Circle and he... well, the rumors about him were very, very bad."
Caitlyn and Anders exchanged a dark glance. They were each sure that they knew who the Templar in question was, but they wanted confirmation. "What was his name—or the name he gave himself, at least—and what was the rumor?" she asked.
"He called himself Ser Raleigh, never giving his surname, and the rumor was that he was Raleigh Samson, the one who took part in... in the massacre here in Kirkwall on Satinalia," she said quietly, looking down in reverence for the dead. "The one that the Divine cast out. They let him serve anyway if it's the same one. He had black armor. It wasn't like any other Templar's."
"That's the same one," Caitlyn growled. A small flame shot from her left hand. "The rumor is correct, though I'm curious... it actually made it to Tantervale's Circle? And Divine Justinia's decree? It wasn't suppressed?"
"Oh, it was," the mage said cynically, "both the rumor and the decree. But we wrote down copies of it and passed them around anyway."
"They tried to suppress a Divine Decree in the Circle itself?" Alain said.
"That doesn't surprise me at all, and it's a clue of what is about to happen," Caitlyn said.
After the brief meeting ended and they stepped into the outer Keep, the Tantervale mage's gaze shifted suddenly to a small knot of Templars gathered around Ser Thrask, the unofficial leader, albeit in an administrative capacity now. She gasped and brought her hands to her mouth before taking off running—toward the Templars.
"It's you!" she cried as a female Templar whirled around, bursting into a smile of disbelief and joy too. "It's really you! I had no idea you..."
"I joined them to protect other mages," the Templar said, smiling, tears in the corners of her eyes. "Even if I didn't expect to see you again, I could still do that... but..."
Caitlyn could not help but smile as the sisters, long separated, hugged.
A proclamation that Caitlyn and Anders had long expected circulated soon after this, originating not in Val Royeaux this time, but in Starkhaven.
.
A letter from the Holy Chantries of the States comprising the Alliance of the Faithful, being Starkhaven, Tantervale, and Hercinia at the time of this declaration:
The assembled Grand Clerics, priests, sisters, and brothers of the Alliance of the Faithful, with grave sorrow, submit that Dorothea of Orlais, the so-called Divine Justinia V, has betrayed her purported faith in the teachings of Andraste, Bride of the Maker, in the most profound and significant of ways, and has led the faithful of the Chantry into error and sin, risking the souls of countless mortals.
She has conspired with murderers, criminals, bards, heretics, and apostates to advance policies undermining the teachings of Andraste and to eliminate her opponents in the Chantry ranks who protest this.
She has confirmed an unfit priest as Grand Cleric of Kirkwall as a personal favor to a mage, who is known to have conspired with this priest to advance the priest's ambition prior to being granted a dispensation from Circle of Magi authority by this same priest.
She has hearkened to unsupported assertions against the Templars from apostates and fugitive outlaws, and has troubled the Order with investigations conducted by Seekers of Truth loyal to her personally, without the involvement of the Lady Seeker in these decisions.
She has dictated arbitrary policies to undermine Templar authority in one location, Kirkwall, without commissioning the creation of a Holy Encyclical to clarify doctrine for all the faithful.
She has refused to enact meaningful punishment upon the so-called Viscountess Hawke and Lord Anders of Kirkwall for contracting and conducting the assassination of the Knight-Commander of Kirkwall and twenty-five Templars who defended her, instead condemning the Templars posthumously. This stands in stark contrast with the actions of her predecessor, Most Holy Divine Beatrix III, who supported Templars against a past tyrannical Viscount of Kirkwall, Perrin Threnhold, and in contrast with the action of the exiled Grand Cleric of Kirkwall, Elthina, who conducted the trial of the deposed Threnhold for the same crime of murdering a Knight-Commander.
The Alliance of the Faithful express disapproval of these deeds. However, the gravest offense we charge to Dorothea of Orlais is one of deepest heresy: For nearly three years, she has granted legitimacy to the rule of Kirkwall by mages, defying Andraste's greatest command.
These heresies and offenses against Our Lady and the true faith are serious. It is with sorrow, regret, but dutiful righteousness that the assembled Grand Clerics, priests, sisters, and brothers of the Alliance of the Faithful hereby declare that Dorothea of Orlais, called Justinia, is an anti-divine and false shepherdess, unworthy of the title that has been bestowed upon her in error or in malice.
The Chantries of the Alliance declare that they no longer recognize the authority of the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux and shall not so long as the anti-divine Justinia or any who support her heresy claim to lead the faithful. They proclaim the establishment of the Orthodox Chantry to safeguard and enact the true doctrine of Andraste, Bride of the Maker, and announce the election of exiled Grand Cleric of Kirkwall Elthina as Most Holy Divine Fidelia, First of Her Name, of the Orthodox Chantry. Her Perfection Divine Fidelia blesses the holy war effort and prays that all the faithful will soon be reunited under her inspired leadership.
.
This momentous piece of news spread rapidly, along with the dark utterance of a few people that "the bloody mages have now blown up the Chantry." When she heard about this, Caitlyn realized that she would have to enforce sedition law again—but this was a war. There was no real choice, now that it meant spreading enemy propaganda during a time of war.
"It was righteous and proper of Justinia to seek a peaceful outcome, but schism was inevitable," Petrice declared cynically when the letter announcing the northern schism reached her and she promptly invited herself to the Keep to discuss it. "This is no longer purely a war between nations."
"I just hope it means that at least some of the traitors around Justinia unmask themselves and go north to join their compatriots," Caitlyn said.
"The Divine has Left and Right Hands, as we now know," the priest said, "and they should be able to protect her."
Caitlyn felt a pang. She had not had a word from Leliana since the day before First Day—the afternoon before she and Anders killed Meredith. She is busy, she thought, and, yes, likely angry with me for doing something that has sparked war across Thedas—and now a second schism. The thought of that hurt, but she hoped that in time, Leliana would also come to understand that peace likely had never been possible. It would be difficult for her; Justinia meant a great deal to her, Caitlyn knew, and she believed fervently in her mentor's wisdom. But no one was infinitely wise. She has Elissa Cousland, she thought, an idealistic voice too, but one of hard-eyed realism to temper it. Anders and I have certainly supported each other in that same way... though it has not always been clear who was the idealist and who was the realist!
"I hope you're right," Anders said darkly, holding Mal with one arm and Jo Beth with the other. Caitlyn pulled out of her own reverie at his words. "She didn't want to see how grave things were elsewhere."
"She is not in Kirkwall. She knows very well what surrounds her. Do you imagine that you know that as well as she herself does?"
Anders sighed heavily. "I suppose not. It is always harder for people outside a situation to know as much about it as those who are involved."
"Which is why only the families and friends of mages have been advocates on that subject until now," Caitlyn said. "But that is about to change."
As Wintermarch 9:37 turned to Guardian, Caitlyn and Anders reflected on the spring ten years ago in Lothering when they had first fallen in love. Their family had changed since then, in sad and in happy ways, and neither of them could have predicted the degree to which their material lives would change.
We have changed, too, she thought, gazing at him next to her on the sofa as he cuddled the baby. Some things that we used to be, we are no longer... but others are the same. We care about our family, our friends, and our people. We're leaders of our people now. And we still love each other very, very much. It's trite, but it's true.
She turned to Mal, who was seated in a chair next to hers, reading. He had recovered well from his scare at the Gallows. He would never be the innocent, sunnily optimistic child he had once been, but he was still his sweet, kind-natured self. Never change that, she thought.
Anders spoke up, sounding as if he had been lost in thought too. "Years ago, I promised your father I'd protect his family," he said, gazing at Jo Beth as she stared wide-eyed back at him. "A part of me has always felt that I failed him. Because of Bethany. And that it was a promise I would always be trying to fulfill without ever being able to say I succeeded."
She leaned against him to comfort him. "It is a lifelong promise," she said. "Some promises are, Anders. They have no end point during our lives. We made promises like that to each other too... and to the family we have created."
He considered, nodding. "You're right. And the promise we've made to help other mages is like that too. Even if we win, there will always be people who want to take that away. It's a lifelong duty."
"Yes, Justice," she said with a smile. "We must do our part, but victory means the right and power for all mages to defend their freedom. The lifelong duty becomes theirs as well. And they will want to, just as we have done. That's what we're fighting for."
"You're right about that too," he said, smiling, after a moment. "Come here." Shifting the baby to his left arm, he wrapped his right around her and drew her close.
Caitlyn closed her eyes in warm bliss as they began to exchange tender kisses. After a moment, Mal's voice startled both of them.
"If you two are going to do that, I'm going to my room," the boy announced, closing his book.
They laughed as he rose to his feet, his young face indicating tolerant amusement at his parents' propensity for sudden bursts of affection. "Good night, son," Anders said. "See you in the morning."
"We all should get to bed," Caitlyn said, rising to her own feet. "Tomorrow will be a busy day. Every 'tomorrow' is a busy day now."
Anders got to his feet, holding the baby. "Yes... and I can think of a good way to prepare for them."
She smirked at him and raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you show me?"
"I just think I will."
Late that night, as the baby Jo Beth slept peacefully in the nursery next to their bedroom, and Mal in his own room, Caitlyn and Anders finally drew apart from each other, gasping, sweaty, and tingling with the residue of the magic that they had used to send each other into the familiar, but still delightful, pinnacle of bliss. Anders propped himself on his elbows above her and climbed off gently, collapsing on the pillow next to her. That moment of separation did not last, as they immediately curled into a tight, nude embrace.
"So," she drawled teasingly, "this is your contribution to the war effort? To the fight for mage freedom?"
"It's my contribution to you," he replied, rubbing her shoulders. "Do with it as you choose, my love. But then you will be the one contributing it to the war effort, you know." He smirked as he turned her teasing back on her.
"Oh, you..." She smothered a chuckle but could not hide the smile.
"The cause means so much to me," he said, his tone more serious now, "but there are a few people who mean even more. They're all in these rooms. And one of them"—he rested his forehead against hers and gazed into her eyes in the darkness—"is right here."
Her smile softened as she curled comfortably into his arms. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"We can change the world together."
"And we will."
Notes: If Petrice survives Act II, she has a brief appearance in Act III in which she says that she is organizing opposition to cause a schism in the Chantry (and in fact says "Schism. It is inevitable, Hawke")—over what issue, she doesn't say, but presumably insufficient opposition to the Qunari, in her opinion. But here, she certainly contributes to causing it, just from the other side! And in this AU, this will get every bit as ugly as the Protestant Reformation did.
Book Three, Spells of Battle, will pick up where this chapter ended and track through the Mage-Templar War to the announcement of the Conclave of Haven. It is mostly compatible with Asunder events (though they occur "offstage"), since that occurs in Orlais. Again, this will begin with the next chapter of this same fanfic.
