Chapter 4: Palace Intrigues (Sereda)
The previous day had been pretty boring for Sereda. She never liked feasts, even if they were in her honor. Her father, King Endrin, had been praising his only daughter all evening while Trian was rolling his eyes in displeasure and Bhelen was emptying one ale mug after another. As Bhelen was reaching for the seventh mug, Trian grabbed him by his shoulder. It's hard to tell if he did it to save his younger brother from a morning hangover or to show him again who the future king is here. At the feast, Sereda met the two Grey Wardens who accompanied Duncan: the young warrior Franco from Antiva and the elderly mage Quintus from Tevinter. In both she saw the same nobility and selflessness as in Duncan. While speaking with the Warden-Commander, Sereda discussed the incident at the last Proving: Duncan would like to use the Right of Conscription on Faren, which can allow the Grey Wardens to take anyone from a peasant to the king into the ranks of their order. Sereda promised to help him if possible.
The strangest thing happened after the feast. Sereda was about to go to her chambers and retire with Gorim after a long day, but Bhelen stopped her. The younger brother began to complain about Trian and his attitude towards others. And then he said he had overheard Trian give his soldiers the order to kill Sereda during tomorrow's campaign. She couldn't believe it. Trian has a bad temper, for which he is not loved by the deshyrs, and openly envies his more successful sister, but at the same time he is honest, and if he wanted to deal with Sereda, he would do it directly and challenge her to a duel in the Proving arena. But even though Trian was the heir, the Council could indeed have voted and crowned Sereda instead of him after their father's death. Is Trian really a threat to Sereda? Or did Bhelen misunderstand something? With this thought, Sereda fell asleep in Gorim's arms at the end of the day.
The next day, a small combined army of dwarves and Grey Wardens lined up near the entrance to the Deep Roads. All the commanders moved away from the warriors to discuss the plan once more.
- Trian and his party have already gone ahead, said Lord Pyral Harrowmont, the king's first advisor. - They will clear the way to the eastern passages for the Grey Wardens. The most dangerous darkspawn are in the eastern passages, we will not risk sending dwarves there.
- We Grey Wardens will be able to sense these darkspawn and defeat them, - Duncan replied. - Thank you for the warning, Lord Harrowmont.
The three Wardens immediately went into the tunnel.
- Bhelen, you will accompany your father and his party along the main road, - Harrowmont continued.
- OK. Good luck, sister, - Bhelen muttered with displeasure and went to Endrin's detachment. It seemed to Sereda that Bhelen was expecting to be sent into the thick of things with Trian. But Endrin is too protective of his youngest son.
- Sereda, I have a special task for you, - Endrin began his speech. - There is a door to the east of here that leads to an abandoned thaig. Your grandfather thought it held the long-lost shield of Paragon Aeducan, our great ancestor. According to the notes, the shield will appear if you step on two floor slabs in the main hall at the same time. Find this shield and claim the glory of House Aeducan!
- And one more thing, - Harrowmont added. - The door is opened with an Aeducan family ring. You didn't forget to put it on, did you?
- Of course not, - said Sereda. - I always have it with me. I understand, let's move on.
- May our ancestors protect you, my daughter, - said Endrin as Sereda departed.
In addition to Sereda and Gorim, there are two more dwarves in her squad. The first one is Frandlin Ivo, a member of the weak noble House Ivo, who seeks to prove himself in both campaigns and Provings. His shield had protected Sereda more than once from the arrows of the darkspawn. The second one is Ogg Arras, an archer from the warrior caste. Cunning and too curious for a member of his caste, but he knows how to use a bow well.
Getting to the door was easier than Sereda had imagined. On the way, they met only a couple of squads of genlocks, but all the darkspawn quickly died by the swords of three warriors and Ogg's arrows. The giant corrupted spider was harder to deal with. The spider immediately attacked Frandlin, but Gorim saved his squadmate by hitting the spider with his shield with all his might. After that, Sereda ran up and pierced the belly of the spider with her sword.
- Just a little more, and I would have gone to the Stone, - said Frandlin. - Thank you, Lady Aeducan! And thank you as well, Gorim.
Finally, the squad reached the door and saw that it was open. Near the entrance to the thaig lay two dead genlocks, both pierced with swords.
- Looks like someone has beaten us to the thaig, - Ogg said, inspecting the corpses. - These darkspawn are still fresh. The one who opened the door must be waiting for us inside.
- It's not good. Stay alert, - Sereda said.
- The door could only be opened with the help of a family ring, - Gorim noted. - Maybe it was found somewhere or stolen from someone.
- Or someone's ambitious brother wanted to take your glory, Lady Aeducan, - Ogg continued.
- Don't you dare talk about my family like that,- Sereda said angrily.
Sereda's squad crossed the bridge and saw five armed dwarves. One of them was standing near the ballista, and their leader, a grey-haired dwarf with a large nose, a small beard and a scar on his cheek, stepped forward.
- You've been out there for too long, - said the leader. - We were already afraid that the darkspawn had eaten you. You know, this shield is hard to find. So I was thinking, maybe you can tell me where he is?
The dwarf pointed at Sereda.
- Show some respect for Lady Aeducan, you filth! - Gorim shouted.
- I'm not talking to you now. Well, Lady Aeducan. Tell me, and we'll just kill you. If you don't tell me, the five of us will find a way to use your... assets.
- Don't waste time on them. Leave the one in charge to me. Attack! - Sereda shouted.
Ogg started the fight first, shooting a dwarf at the ballista who had no time to duck. Gorim and Frandlin attacked two warriors from the right flank, while Sereda grappled with the leader and another rogue. The leader rushed like a whirlwind, swinging his two swords. Sereda decided to take advantage of this, abruptly grabbed the second rogue and pushed him towards the leader, who accidentally slashed him with both swords. The leader got angry, pushed his dying squadmate away and crossed swords with Sereda.
- Who are you, damn you? Where did you get this ring? - Sereda asked.
- Soon you'll find out from the Stone! - replied the dwarf.
Sereda with all her strength struck with her hand with a shield on the arms of the leader, breaking one of them, and then pierced his stomach with a sword. He dropped the swords and fell to the ground.
- Who do you work for? Tell me! - Sereda shouted.
- Your brother! - shouted the wounded leader. - Your brother hired me! He…
Suddenly, he was forever silenced by an arrow in his throat. Sereda turned back.
- Ogg! He told me almost everything! Why?
- He was reaching for a sword to attack you again. By Aeducan's beard, I saw it!
Gorim and Frandlin defeated their opponents and approached Sereda, who picked up the family ring from the corpse of the leader.
- Now it's clear how they got here, - Gorim said.
- Before he died, their boss said he was working for my brother.
- Did Prince Trian plan all this? - Ogg asked.
- It's none of your business. A brother may also be a cousin. I have many cousins, Piotin alone is worth a lot, he is very ambitious. Let's go for the shield.
Finding the shield was very easy. Frandlin and Ogg stood on the pressure plates in the main hall, while Sereda took the shield from the opened sarcophagus. The shield itself did not look impressive—the smiths of Orzammar in Paragon Aeducan's era were not as skilled. What's more important is the meaning of this shield. Not Trian, not Bhelen, but Sereda will triumphantly present this shield to Endrin. Her father believes in her and she won't let him down. But if her father offers Sereda to become the queen, she will refuse and make Trian or Bhelen king, since she wants to be with Gorim more than to rule.
The squad hurried to the crossroads, where they were supposed to meet Trian's squad. However, instead of living dwarves, Sereda saw several fresh corpses.
- Must be darkspawn, - said Frandlin.
- Not typical of them, - said Ogg. - No bites, no scratches, obviously not their work.
- Sereda! - Trian, still alive, but dying from a large wound in his stomach, shouted with his last strength.
His sister leaned over him.
- Trian, what happened? Who did this?
- Bhelen... - muttered Trian. - That's all him. Fear him, sister...
Trian lost consciousness and slowly closed his eyes. Sereda started thinking. Now everything has come together. The mercenary didn't lie that he was hired by Sereda's brother, he just didn't have time to clarify which of the two. But Belen? How could he?
- Sereda, if it was Bhelen, then this is a trap! - Gorim said. - We need to run!
- It's too late, - Sereda said, looking at her father's group approaching the crossroads.
- Run, father! Quickly! - Bhelen shouted.
Endrin and Bhelen were the first to reach the crossroads. The king pushed Frandlin, who was blocking his passage, and knelt in horror before Trian's body.
- Oh no! What happened here?
- Looks like we're late. Bhelen was right! - shouted one of Bhelen's loyal warriors.
- Sereda! Tell me it's not what I think it is, - said Endrin.
- We have just come here, - Sereda answered.
- You have had just enough time to kill Trian, - Belen said.
- Before his death, Trian told me that you had killed him!
- What nonsense! I'd been with my father all this time. Stop lying, sister! All of Orzammar know about your rivalry with Trian.
- Your Majesty, the lady is innocent! - Gorim intervened.
- Gorim, you are loyal to House Aeducan and Lady Sereda, so you can't remain unbiased, - said Harrowmont, who had come up a little later and turned to Ogg. - Archer, tell me what happened here.
Ogg looked at Sereda and began to speak.
- Prince Trian and his squad came here earlier, exhausted from the battles with the darkspawn. Lady Aeducan stepped forward and gave the order to attack. Had no idea why, but I had to obey.
Ogg's words infuriated Sereda. He has always been strange, but how could he sell out to Bhelen after two years of fighting together?
- You lying bastard!
Sereda drew her sword with lightning speed and delivered a sharp blow, cutting off the head of the treacherous archer. A fountain of blood from his decapitated body stained Sereda's armor, but she no longer cared.
- Disarm the suspect! - shouted Harrowmont.
The guards took both the sword and the shield from Sereda, as well as the old shield of Aeducan.
- That doesn't prove anything yet. I would have done the same if I had been slandered, - said Endrin. - Frandlin of House Ivo, you are a good and noble dwarf. Tell us, was the archer telling the truth?
- Y-yes, Your Majesty, - Frandlin said uncertainly. - Lady Aeducan attacked first. Prince Trian had no chance of surviving.
- I would have killed you too if my weapons had not been taken from me! - Sereda was outraged.
- Can't you see that she's gone mad, father? - Bhelen said pretending to care.
- Do you have anything else to say, my daughter? - Endrin asked.
Sereda wanted to cry, but she had learned to suppress her tears long ago. Bhelen will only be happy if she bursts into tears.
- Father, Bhelen set me up! Please believe me!
- I really want to believe you, Sereda. But I cannot. All the facts... all the facts are against you.
- Tie her up! The lady will be judged by the Assembly! - said Harrowmont.
After Sereda was tied up, all the dwarves went to Orzammar.