Bethany Hawke looked over the outfit her sister had sent her.
It was… Well, it was a pure replica of the one Flemeth had worn… Well, except for the headdress, or feathered pauldrons anyway.
The main difference was the color. Instead of the subdued red/purple, it was instead a brilliant scarlet, with Silverite pins keeping the brigandine underneath the silk together.
The metal gauntlets and leg armor were also of Silverite.
It was a frankly dashing contrast, the red and silver.
As she began putting it on, she was even surprised to discover that it fit perfectly.
Sister had kept her old measurements it would seem.
She hadn't grown any taller since she'd been taken away to the circle, so it fit like a glove… Except for one part.
She blushed when she looked at the result of her chest section being about 2 numbers too small.
Isabella would have a field day with that.
As she stepped out of her room, Grand Enchanter Orsino was there waiting for her.
"You look stunning my dear… And dramatic. Our new Viscount has a taste for such it would seem."
"She sure does… Jokes and Dramatics… That's pretty much what my sister lives for."
Orsino nodded, then motioned for her to follow her, which she did, the pair making their way down the hallways, past glaring Templars in their armor.
She could feel their angry stares from the darkness of their helmets.
"You'll have an… Interesting job forwards. The Templars protest that you are not the best pick as Court Mage is not entirely without reason…"
She nodded.
"I am well aware of my shortcomings, First Enchanter."
"Good. It is only when you know how far you are on a path, that you know how much further it is to travel. You are a skilled mage… But I'd say you'd have several more years of training before qualifying as any sort of Archmage. Regardless, you have not been given that time. Any advancements in your studies will have to be done on your own, during the time when you are not doing your job at the Viscount's Keep."
"What… What sort of things will I be expected to do?"
"It can vary greatly. Some Court Mages will spend their entire careers doing nothing more than doing paper pushing, doing nothing else but managing contact with their respective circles, and all that requires. Others are constantly at work enchanting items, weapons, and armor for their Royal families, while others, in turn, are taken on campaigns, or expected to constantly solve magical problems if the monarch would rather deal with such himself, rather than involve the Templars. Others are expected to stand around and look pretty, as a living curiosity. It all depends on the whims of their master, and where they are stationed."
Bethany considered that.
If she knew her sister well enough, she guessed that what her duties would entail would in large part be what they had been before the Templars had found her and taken her to the Circle.
Only now without the need to hide.
Well… It would mean she would have a lot of free time to study at least.
In between running around, and dealing with whoever Daemona wanted to kill this week.
"I am glad you're getting out of here now though… Things are not going to improve I fear."
"What do you mean?"
Orsino glanced at the Templars they passed, as they continued their walk out towards the courtyard. To freedom. Such that it was.
"Meredith's death has put everyone on edge, and there have been… Accusations… One of our mages was put through the wringer because Meredith spoke to him aggressively the night she died."
"I don't think there has ever been a time when Meredith didn't speak aggressively."
"True enough I suppose… Regardless, the Gallows is going to continue to be in lockdown for the foreseeable future. There's going to be Seekers coming here to try and chase the truth… Though what they could possibly find that hasn't already been discovered I don't know. Most likely, if they don't find any obvious suspects to accuse, they'll just find someone in the circle to pin the blame on and execute them. Maker knows there are plenty here they might want to silence for any number of reasons."
Bethany considered that… then had an epiphany.
"Do… Do you think that would be you?"
Orsino gave a sardonic smile.
"Most likely. My disagreements with Meredith haven't exactly been under wraps. Never mind that 4 witnesses can attest to where I was on the night of the murder… If the Seeker decides they want a scapegoat, it will most certainly be my head on the block. The Templars who have been questioning me have made that abundantly clear."
If he feared the prospect of possibly being executed, he didn't show it.
"I'm… Sorry to hear that."
"It's not much we can do about it, I'm afraid. Regardless…"
They stepped into the light of day, as the dark corridors of the Gallows were replaced by the grey of the courtyard with its many, many statues of people crying or being subjugated.
She had found some measure of peace at the circle… But if there was one thing she would not be sad to see the end of, it was these… And the Templars who formed up ranks from the bottom of the steps down to the floor, and went all the way towards the harbor.
Several hundred men and women in plated steel, glared at her as she and Orsino made their way down to the actual ground level and began walking towards the harbor.
It was a message.
They were really not appreciating that her sister had effectively gone over their heads to allow her to escape the circle.
The truth was though, it worked.
As she walked she suddenly felt small, tiny, inconsequential in the face of hundreds of people who wanted nothing so much as to kill her and Orsino.
The walk towards the harbor was a silent one, and only upon reaching the boat, headed by a high-ranking Templar named Thrask, commanding a team of rowers, did Orsino break the silence to bid her farewell.
She did likewise, and stepped on the boat, a longship.
Thrask gave a command, and the sailors began to row, leaving the island in the center behind.
"I'm sorry about that display."
Thrask spoke in a somber tone as he leaned up against the mast.
"My brothers and sisters are so angry right now that they refuse to see sense… They see your appointment as a personal insult. A shame really… Hawke from my experience is a sensible woman… Far stronger than Dumar, but not the kind of bonehead that Dumar's predecessor was. We should be mending the relationship between the Keep and the Gallows, not deepen it."
"That's… Quite sensible of you. I wish you would be the next Knight Commander… That would make everything easier."
"Unfortunately, I doubt that is likely to happen, anytime soon. Our superiors in Orlais are livid that Meredith was assassinated, and will most certainly appoint one of their own to succeed her after the investigation is over with, rather than appoint a local Templar."
As he spoke, Bethany looked back towards the Gallows, as the boat left it behind.
It was strange… The Circle had in many ways been a nightmare… Templars who obviously hated her on principle, resented the protection being a noble had compared to other mages, Friends who ended up becoming tranquil for the smallest of reasons, and the abuse they and the other mages suffered at the Templars' hands… But despite all of that, it had been a… Home to Bethany. She had spent longer here than any other place she could remember.
She had made real, genuine friends, had for once in her life not had to hide who and what she was, and been allowed to study and practice magic openly…
There was a melancholy leaving that behind for a new, uncertain future.
It would be a different future than the one she had left behind years ago, one with a lot more prestige and power behind it… She supposed she would see for herself real soon what exactly it entailed.
"Ser Thrask… Who do you think actually did kill Meredith? Orsino said… Well, he assumed that the Templars might just pin it on a Circle Mage if they don't find the actual killer."
"Did he now? It's unfortunate that I have to say that he is not wrong on the matter. It will entirely depend on whoever the higher-ups decide to send to actually do the investigation… However, if there there is no lead, I find it unlikely that they will simply let the murder go."
So frank he was, this Thrask. He was a good man and a good Templar… She wished more of Kirkwall's Templars were more like him.
The crew eventually made their way to Kirkwall's enormous port, where she saw a rather large delegation of men in gleaming armor was waiting for her.
One in particular who was standing right by the edge looking down at her, made her gasp… Not because of any particular, outstanding feature of the knight in question(There were several of them, along with plenty of guardsmen), but because of the armor he was wearing.
"Stonehammer's Gift! The legendary, enchanted armor that King Endrin gave as a gift to the victor of the first Grand Proving in 1200 Ancient!"
The surprise, and glee at seeing such an incredible set of artifacts managed for just one moment to completely blow away the worries of what was awaiting her up in the rest of Kirkwall.
The others gathered looked down at her, or at the Knight, but the knight himself just sighed.
"Well hello to you too Bethany."
For a moment, the shock of hearing the voice from behind the visor took her completely aback, then a bubble of joy took hold.
"Carver! Is that you?"
"So it would seem."
The only son of Malcolm Hawke unlatched the fastening of his visor, and put it up, showcasing a slightly older version of the young man she had last seen the day she had been escorted out of Gamlen's house by the Templars.
"Welcome back Sister… Much has happened while you were gone."
I
"How did you manage to find the Stonehammer's Gift? And all the pieces as well?"
Carver leaned back in the seat of the palanquin.
Andraste it felt wrong to ride in something carried by other people.
He wasn't some Orlesian Noble, too important and delicate to walk on his own two feet!
He'd gladly have walked all the way back to the Keep itself, just as he'd walked down… But his big sister had been adamant… She wanted Bethany to feel like a true Princess after all her suffering, and so a Palanquin it was.
"Oh, we found bits and pieces of it here and there… You know Daemona, always finding things and keeping them. It took 2 years actually, before we found out it was something more than just a random set of Enchanted armor with a theme."
"I see… Have you discovered its secrets? The set is enchanted, what does it do?"
Apparently, his sister had picked up an inquisitive, curious side to her while being locked in those damned Gallows. Good for her.
"Now you're starting to sound like Merril… But to answer you, it makes me stronger, extremely healthy, and increases my senses and reflexes."
"Wow! That's amazing! Have you guys found more interesting artifacts as well?"
For once he smiled.
Enjoy it, a voice inside his own skull told him.
"Have we gotten artifacts since last we saw you? We've got tons of them. Old Tevinter Blades, Arms, and Armor from Orlesian Royalty, Knives from long dead Carta Bosses… We even got old Ser Isaac's armor, found that on a trip to Markham."
"Ser Isaac's? The one from the horror tales All the bards sing?"
"Same one apparently. A makeshift suit that one was. We picked up quite some rare and strange things. Isabella found some legendary dagger while we were off on some Orlesian Manor party, and Daemona won it later in a game of cards. Still uses it as her main weapon even now."
It felt so… Nice to be able to talk to a sibling, and not constantly have to endure quips.
"I'm looking forward to seeing it. It sounds like you've been on so many adventures since I went away… Though to be honest, I'm not too broken up over that part. I much prefer hearing about adventures than living them."
"You should talk to Varric then. I'm sure he could recount all our stories… With his usual flair. As for the stuff, it's all in the hidden vault at our manor. For now anyway… Sister is considering putting it all up in the Viscount's Keep as Display."
"You mean like the one the Other Daemona- I mean, the Hero of Ferelden's museum in Denerim? The one with all the Artifacts her party gathered during the Fifth Blight?"
"Something like that… Though I'd guess it's probably just her wanting to show off to the other nobles… And pretty up her home. The Keep belongs to her now, you know."
"It's… Still hard to believe… That our sister is the Viscount."
Carver didn't answer.
He knew what he wanted to reply to that comment, but he didn't see any way to do so without just sounding awkward.
Thankfully, his sister continued.
"I always knew we were from Nobility, but… It's hard to believe we're now royalty.
"Tell me about it. Sister made me a Duke yesterday, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."
Bethany stared at him slack-jawed.
"A Duke? Like, an actual real Duke? That's the same as a Teyrn! Where are your lands?"
"The Planasene Forest, source of all of Kirkwall's lumber, and the key to her great navy."
"That's… That's great Carver. You'll be one of the most important people in the land! Though I must admit I didn't know the western forest had a… Duke…"
He'd wondered how long until she spotted their big sister's little jape at his name.
"Duke… Carver… of the Planasene Forest… Oh wow… That's such a bad pun."
"Our glorious Viscount everyone! Anyway… It's a good title. The region has never had a true overlord. The entire thing is basically a giant patchwork of Barons, Comtes, and Countess, all living far away from their lands, and enjoying life in Hightown."
The spiteful tone as he said it was pretty obvious, but then again, he'd never been big on hiding his emotions.
"I'm guessing you're not going to follow suit."
"...No. it's… It's great to see you again Bethany, it really, really is, but… I'm not going to be around for much longer in Kirkwall. Daemona wants me to build a city up north to serve as a spot dedicated to harnessing the Forest's wood and shipping it off to Kirkwall. Once I've moved and set myself up there… I won't be coming back here. Not on a permanent business anyway."
Bethany tried to hide the feelings of sadness at hearing those news, but he had no problems seeing through her strong face. She was his twin after all. He knew her expressions better than anyone.
They remained in silence then for a long, long while as the glorified wooden box was transported through the city with all its guards.
He would not buckle on that decision though.
The fact was he HAD to leave.
He remembered once during their first year, that Varric had compared him to Gamlen in the usual manner him and his sister loved to do to make him look stupid.
If things continued as they had though, that damned comparison would end up becoming more apt than the Dwarf could ever have realised.
During their first year in Kirkwall, he'd been his sister's scowling, angry shadow.
Playing sidesaddle basically.
He'd followed her on every adventure, acting as his sister's not-too-savvy sidekick, and he'd not even been mature enough to figure out that was the dynamic Daemona had wanted him to keep playing. For the rest of their lives if she could.
Then the whole mess with Bethany and the Templars had come crashing down.
And after that… Well, he'd gone back to being Daemona's shadow again, just quieter, if no less bitter.
And the fact was, he was just so... So tired of it.
In his younger years, he had liked to imagine things would change, he'd grow older, stronger, more mature, and he'd finally get some respect out of his lot in life.
He hadn't.
The dynamic he had with all of his sisters' little personal circle wasn't all that different than it had been all those years ago when he stepped unto the docks of Kirkwall.
He and Anders hated each other's guts, Fenris was still brooding alone in his manor, Isabella was still treating him like a puppy, Aveline did not respect him enough to let him lead the life he wanted, Varric was his sister's right hand, and Sebastian… Was Sebastian. He got along with him fine, but that was because the man was bland as milk.
Out of the gathering, the only person he had an actual, working relationship with was Merril.
She was the only one he genuinely, honestly had had a developing relationship with that hadn't stagnated from day one.
If he stayed here for another decade, it wouldn't change anything. He'd still just be the other, younger Hawke.
He really had become Gamlen.
And if he didn't take steps to get away from Kirkwall, he'd remain so.
He'd stay a while yet. Daemona still had her Coronation, and he was going to help out with the Elvhen Exodus from the city. He was Merril's friend after all. He'd stay by her as her Clan's great mission in Kirkwall came to an end.
And after that, he had an… Offer he wanted to give. And then he would leave for the northwest. Alone or not.
His younger self would have balked at the idea of just taking the gift his older sister had given him without some snide anger at it.
He would though. He needed to get away from this city and make something off of himself. And if his sister gave him the means to do so, he would take it.
Better that than to just remain the younger Hawke forever.
I
"Bethany!"
The hug the younger Hawke received from her big sister was considerably stronger than the one she received from her brother. Probably due to Daemona not wearing any heavy, cumbersome plates.
"Hello, sister… It's so good to see you again."
"Maker, it is, isn't it? I become Champion and then Viscount, and you get to leave the Circle! Things really are coming together, aren't they? Oh, and Carver becomes a Lord, that's pretty important too."
Carver just rolled his eyes, but Daemona could not have cared less. Not when Bethany was finally here!
"Look at us now! We came to Kirkwall as a bunch of coinless and friendless refugees, and now we're royalty and the court mage! Mother would be so proud of us!"
"She would, wouldn't she… I still remember how proud she was in the letters she sent me of how you were doing in Hightown…"
"Yes… Mother couldn't shut up about that… Or try to get us suitors."
She laughed at that.
"Why would we need those, when we both have someone lined up."
"Oh please… You can rightfully claim to be better than me in most regards sister… But you're no closer to… Well…"
"Woo? Seduce? Conquer? Or my personal favorite-" "Conquer, fine, let's go with conquer. You're no closer to conquering Varric than I am wooing Merril."
"Oh, and the little brother hits hard, that doesn't happen too often."
She had expected that to make Bethany smile, as their dynamics usually did but it did not.
Instead, Bethany, still with that sad look on her face asked:
"What about the rest? Isabella has been in regular contact with me through letters and books, but I haven't heard about most of the rest. It would be nice to hear what they're up to and what's been going on with them."
"I see… Well, Aveline's been doing pretty well for herself. Got married, and became Captain of the Guard. Which means I'm now her direct boss. It's about what you could imagine. Fenris… Well him and Anders are about the same as when you left. Both angry, and scowling, and living isolated from everyone else except when I come to pick them up for a job or the like. Varric is still the same old lovable Rogue he's always been, you're caught up with Isabella, but you might not have heard the final bit of great news… She's a privateer now, working for Kirkwall as captain of her own War galley! I'll take you down and show you the ship later, it really is a gem! And Sebastian… Actually, have you ever met Sebastian before the Deep Roads expedition?"
"...No… I can't say I remember someone with that name. Is he a new friend of yours?"
"Yes, he is… Anyway, he's a nice guy, really into Andraste, and is an Exiled Prince of Starkhaven. I've promised to help him regain his throne and install him as the new Monarch in the big fancy chair… I'll introduce you to him later."
"A prince! Is… Is he handsome?"
She chuckled.
"Why he is! It's one of his most positive traits."
I
Hawke was in a pretty good mood as she sat down beside him on the stairs of the Throne Room.
The woman pulled out a couple of simple cups and a wine bottle from her cloak. Good wine too, judging by the smell and the coloring as she poured him a cup and handed it to him.
"So, Sunshine is finally out. That's good to hear, that poor girl has deserved to feel the wind on her skin again for a long, long time now."
Hawke nodded, seeming deep in happy thoughts.
"So, what did you want to chat about Hawke? You made it sound urgent."
"It is. Well… Okay, it's not actually that urgent, I need some time to set it all up, but I've been thinking about how to handle the Coterie."
"Oh, just the Coterie, and here I thought it was something difficult."
"Well… Okay, when I said Coterie, I really meant the entire Criminal underworld in Kirkwall. Them, the Carta, and the various Ferelden refugees who've been forced into crime. Been thinking a lot about those… I would have started with Athenril… But my old boss left for New Arlathan ages ago."
"Which left you with me."
"I don't know many others with friends in the Coterie and the underworld."
Varric considered that.
"So… What exactly did you have in mind here Hawke? Like you said, I have a lot of friends in all the corners of the city… Friends I'd rather not get stabbed in the back if you catch my drift."
"Oh don't worry about that Varric. I don't want to murder all of them. I want to put them to work for the city. And by that, I of course mean me personally."
"Ah. Soo… For covert shit, or do actually want them to go legit? I can work with both, to be honest."
"A bit of both, but I mostly had in mind actual, legit work. See Varric, I've been thinking about how to clean up Kirkwall… And a lot of it will be about rebuilding the city from the literal ground up… Take control over Darktown, the tunnels beneath the city, make the streets safe and orderly… But there will still be the question of what to do with all the smugglers and other scoundrels like I used to be. If I just leave them around, they'll find some other criminal enterprises once the old ones become untenable. That's what happened with the Carta right? The Wardens beat them black and blue during the Fifth Blight, and exposed their big tunnel network… So they had to completely remodel their operations… But they DID remodel them."
"True enough… They shifted hard over to assassination amongst other things. As all the skulls you've left in your wake can testify to. So… What did you have in mind?"
"Well to put it bluntly I need miners. I'm Setting up half a dozen Silverite mines with lots of rich ore, but It'll take time to gather the kind of massive crew of diggers I want… Unless I tap into a massive source of unemployed labour. I'm going to hire legitimate stonemasons for my road, but mines are the same with skilled labor or without it. All I need is men willing to dig with pickaxes for coin."
"Huh… An interesting idea… Though how many would bite is a different story. I'm sure somebody will, but… The underworld isn't exactly full of people willing to put their necks on the line in the open, you know? Not without guarantees anyway."
"Oh, I know. I'm not some Paragon of Virtue Varrick. I'm willing to give a royal Pardon to anyone willing to work for me. I'm not picky."
"Good to know. Then I know what I have to work with. There will be those whose willing to take that pardon… But there will be the usual bunch of those too proud to do it. Wouldn't be dwarves without stubborn pride overwhelming good sense… Also, lots of Coterie and Carta who won't take it based on previous interaction alone. Both are scared shitless of you, after all."
"I'd be surprised if they weren't. It's been a while since Carta bothered me. Not since the business with Harrowmont."
Varric nodded, recalling said business.
He was pretty sure he knew where the rest of their conversation would be heading.
Hawke wanted to establish a spy network of some kind, and she wanted to use his contacts and friends to help her do it. A sensible move for any Kirkwall politician who actually wanted to rule.
He'd help her with it too. He knew himself that well.
He wasn't actually sure how he personally felt about all of Hawke's plans for "cleaning up" the city… He was a Kirkwaller at heart, and he loved this shithole of a city, warts and all.
If Hawke actually cleaned it all up… And she made it stick, what would replace it?
He didn't know. Nor did he know how he felt about it either way.
He guess he would find out in time. For right now though, there was another question he'd been wondering about, which seemed now was as good a time as any to ask about.
"So… Hawke… There's been something I've been meaning to ask you about."
"Fire away then."
He took a sip of wine first.
"I've been meaning to ask… You seem… Really into all of this. When I first heard you'd become Viscount, I figured you'd take real advantage of it, sit back in your chair, enjoy the luxury, and have some fun. You know, like you did after the Deep Roads expedition. Instead, you pretty much did the exact opposite. You really believe in this new vision of Kirkwall, don't you?"
Hawke, who was taking her own sips of wine, nodded.
"Oh, that will come later, trust me. I have no intention of living some droll, austere lifestyle. It's just that Dumar left me such a mess to clean up, I need to actually solve it before I can sit back and enjoy my cake and wine you know? I'm not the kind of woman who can put unresolved things on the back burner, and go about my day, pretending it's not a problem. It's just that now, the task I have to deal with is far, far greater than "Figure out what screwup the Templars made this week" or "Where is the Blood Mage who killed somebody today hiding?". Gonna be a while before I can relax, you know?"
Varric nodded, feeling a grin that matched Hawke's own on his face.
"Yeah, that does sound like you. Half the city has been talking about how you've become this noble reformer, who only lives for Kirkwall now."
"They should see the Keep once I'm done redecorating it then. It's gonna be one, big, glorious, aggrandizing monument to myself and you guys. Like a Dragon's treasure hoard."
She pointed to the spot over the door.
"My nobles have suggested I should literarily stuff the Arishok's head and mount it above the doorway there… I… Kinda found that to be in incredibly poor taste."
"Yeah, that's not really your style… Speaking of the Qun… What… About the little thing you took from Tallis?"
Hawke, in an uncharacteristic moment of seriousness, lost her smile and became much more stoic.
"Not sure. It's a very, very important bit of information… But I can't really make use of it more than once. Not to mention that if I do use it, I'm pretty sure I'm going to become the Qun's number one target for assassination. You heard about that Dwarf from Ferelden who purportedly cracked the secret of Gaatlok?"
"The one who is now living in permanent hiding?"
"Yeah. I have no interest in living like that. The Carta and Coterie have stopped sending assassins after me, cause I have killed every single group they sent to a man. The Qunari though… They aren't the kind to stop trying. If I'm going to make use of it… I'm going to have to be smart about it."
Varric nodded. Hawke had made her choice back in the day when she'd killed Tallis and taken the list of all their spies in the south.
It had been a massive risk, but given the Qun had never sent agents to retrieve it, even when the Arishok had been alive, it was safe to assume they did not know that this little tidbit of information was stored safely in Hawke's mansion.
Which was just fine with Varric. The less he was involved with the Qunari in the future, the better.