Dragon Age: Isekai

by Dragon Age Isekai

A person from the normal world is transported into the world of Dragon Age twenty years before the Blight of Dragon Age: Origins as a baby dwarf. How will her knowledge of the world affect the story going forward? Only time will tell!

8. Chapter 8: From Daughter to Father

Chapter 8: From Father to Daughter

Over the next few months after returning to Orzammar I busied myself with a few things. First, I met with several warrior houses and noble House, the ones I had the best relations with and who Faren believed had the most steadfast and talented men and women at arms. Second, I schedule several meetings with every Desher in the Assembly to gain their help and their discretion. Third, I began visiting the market and the surface districts much more. All of this was in preparation for the upcoming year.

While I was close to turning eleven, Father was coming up on his silver anniversary of being King of Orzammar. It will have been twenty-five years since Father took the throne of Orzammar. He was well loved by the people and easily the most respected ruler in generations. He had sired three children, all of whom were either respected, honored, or loved. Trian was highly respected, primarily with the nobles but also with the warrior caste. I was honored, obviously since I was named a Paragon and respected by all of Orzammar. Bhelen, while young, was well loved by the people since I had him in my care as often as Trian had me in his. People were wondering how amazing he would turn out if Trian and I had been such promising royals.

With such an amazing track record and reputation, I believed that all of Orzammar owed him a great debt. I intended to see that debt paid in full with a gift unlike any other; one that would bring great honor to the name of Aeducan, and start to fulfill my promise to the people of Orzammar.

Trian and I spent more time together while preparing the gift that it almost seemed like old times when he would take me everywhere he went. It was nice, and I admit that I felt secure with him nearby. He was still a taciturn man with a stern demeanor, but the harshness of his attitude was blunted somewhat from our time together. He was no longer so quick to anger or harsh in his judgments. He had some wiggle room in his mindset now. Not much, but some. I put Trian in charge of the planning, while I was in charge of rallying support. I had to admit his superiority in logistics, while he admitted my higher regard with the people.

My birthday came and went, with some fanfare and a bit of a surprise. Oghren and Branka's child was born on the same day! Everyone saw it as a good sign and I was delighted to have a 'nephew' I could share my birthday with. The baby was named Aedun, in honor of the Paragon Aeducan; the greatest warrior in Dwarven history.

A month before the anniversary, everything started to move into full throttle. Trian told Father that I was going to take him to scout a few possible trade routes leading down the mountain that might be worth carving out tunnels to. He let Father know that he expected the trip to take a few weeks, perhaps a month. The Deshyrs in the Assembly started requesting so many meetings with Father that they would keep him extremely busy for the duration of our trip. Slowly, over the last four weeks, supplies were gathered and prepared while scouts were sent out ahead.

The funny thing about being the ruler of a people is that you don't actually interact with them very much. You mostly interact with those who help you govern. In fact, you rarely even get to see your people or get out of the palace or even a few general areas. Father so rarely stepped outside of the Diamond District that it was more of an event than anything else. So when the day came to leave Orzammar, Father was none the wiser that Trian was leading us into the Deep Roads, not the surface. He was also none the wiser that ninety percent of Orzammar's warriors, young nobles, scouts, smiths, servants, and Shapers were going with us. He was also unaware of the speech that Trian gave to everyone assembled in front of the gate that led to the Deep Roads.

Trian sat upon his bronto that he was borrowing from House Orodum, gazing out upon the largest force of dwarves set for battle that had been seen in Orzammar since the loss of the great thaigs, "People of Orzammar. You have all answered my sister's call to collaborate in this great effort. You have answered the call of your Paragon to honor my father, your King, on his twenty-fifth year as ruler of Orzammar."

A cheer rang out across the crowd! The people loved their king and they loved his children.

"I am honored to command this great undertaking," he continued. "As your Prince, my priority is seeing the city and its people thrive. Sadly, I cannot claim to have been as successful in my efforts as my sister. For that, I apologize. By way of apology, I have volunteered to command this great effort to ensure as many of you come back home as possible. I thank you, as your Prince and in the name of my father, for your dedication to our King. Now, my sister would like to say a few words."

I doubt many people even heard much of anything after Trian said 'my sister' as a roar from the crowd erupted to drown them out. I actually felt bad for Trian. He had worked so diligently his entire life to be seen as a good and dedicated prince, then he raised the person who overshadowed him in only a few short years. He wouldn't let anyone see it, but I think it hurt his pride. I offered him a thankful expression as I pulled my bronto up beside his and waved to the crowd.

The cheering went on for some time before I was able to speak, "People or Orzammar… Lords and Ladies, warriors, smiths, servants, and all. I cannot tell you how much it warms my heart to see how many of you were willing to answer our call."

Another deafening series of cheers blasted us.

"I dare say that if King Endrin could see you all now, he would be truly humbled by how many of you are willing to undertake this with us," I called back. "Six years ago, I promised you that with the establishment of the Surface Caste, we would begin to take back our lost thaigs. I want you to take a moment and look around you. Memorize the faces that you can see and make note of this moment. I want you to remember it, etch it into your memories."

"This will be the moment you can tell your children about," I continued, trying to add an air of importance and gravitas to my tone. "You can tell your grandchildren about how you, your friends, your people, your Prince, and your Paragon on the very first step of the journey to make good on my promise. Your names will go into the Shaperate as heroes who dedicated the first step of reclaiming the Dwarven empire to King Endrin Aeducan! Your names will be written alongside those of nobles, royalty, and Paragons! You! The people or Orzammar, will be remembered for this day so long as dwarves live, as long as etchings remain within the stone! Follow your Prince! Head his commands! Today, we leave Orzammar, and when we return, we will have reclaimed Aeducan Thaig!"

I was told that the cheers in response to my speech were so loud that Father asked what all the ruckus was about. Luckily, those left in the city were able to convince him that a truly amazing spectacle was happening at the Proving Grounds.

Loghain had sent me instructions on how to get to Caradin's Cross, once the largest crossroads in the Deep Roads. It was southeast of Orzammar and connected the city with many of the lost thaigs. From there, signs and directions were readily available. The Deep Roads may have been mostly lost to the darkspawn, but the darkspawn didn't really care to ruin infrastructure. They were mostly focused on killing things.

The Deep Roads were wide enough for eight brontos with carts to ride side by side. Even as wide as they were, Orzammar's forces stretched back for a mile, and we weren't stealthy. Thousands of dwarves, most in armor, hundreds of brontos, carts, and equipment caused a thunderous echo through the Deep darkspawn knew we were here. It was true, the majority of the darkspawn were spread throughout the Deep Roads, and many more seemed to have begun the journey south, but even if this were just twenty percent of the total number of darkspawn that were around, we had our work cut out for us.

The journey to Caradin's Cross was a little over three days from Orzammar if you weren't being harassed by darkspawn. It turns out that it takes about five days if you have thousands of warriors ready and willing to cut down the darkspawn when they harassed the convoy. Darkspawn are brave when they're in groups with superior numbers than their opponents, but hesitate to attack when outnumbered. Still, that didn't mean that we didn't attract attention.

The convoy was led by House Orodum's cavalry, nearly three hundred armored brontos in tight formation. Trian and I were kept at the center of the formation, with Faren to my left. Frandlin Ivo had insisted that he also accompany me as a guard; we'd spent a great deal of time together now so I assumed it was this familiarity that warranted the insistence. That, or he simply wanted to be seen with me to increase his prestige. Shale walked along to my right, occasionally complaining about how the dwarves were crowding her, or lamenting that the brontos were the better company since they at least kept quiet. I found this amusing because, by and large, no one really said anything while we traveled unless it was to relay orders for a rest, for an attack, or to announce that we were either setting up, or breaking camp.

One interesting thing about the Deep Roads that I noticed was that there were the occasional series of buildings dotted along the way. Trian explained that they used to smaller towns; places people could rest off of the road for an evening. The towns survived by doing business with passing caravans and providing them with supplies like food, water, and shelter. Others were large inns and taverns. I admit, I had never considered that they would actually be there while playing the game, but it made sense. The distance between thigh was massive. It could be week to walk normally between Orzammar and the Aeducan Thaig, which would mean that rest stops and smaller towns would be a necessity.

Following the Oromud brontos were our warriors, then a thinner line of warriors on either side of the road flanking carts of materials, food, and supplies for the mission. Dwarven archers rode the carts, giving them an excellent angle to attack any darkspawn from. This middle part of the convoy was the largest and was attacked the most often. The warriors in charge of guarding it rotated between marching and riding on the carts to keep up their strength. At most, the groups of darkspawn numbered in the dozen or so, and were quickly put down. I had issued one command that all dwarves had to obey without hesitation; if a dwarf looked like they were about to be captured and pulled into the tunnel the darkspawn had come from, all efforts were to be made to either rescue, or kill, the dwarf.

Darkspawn did not reproduce, exactly. They were created by female dwarves, humans, elves, and qunari who had been infected with the blight and turned into broodmothers. These broodmothers spawn thousands of darkspawn throughout their lives. So allowing any dwarf to be taken alive was not something we could afford. Pikes and shields were the weapons called for withstanding the skirmishes; keeping the darkspawn at bay and minimizing the chance of blight infection was key.

The back of the convoy was made up of about two hundred bronto riders mixed with heavy infantry in case any darkspawn got the bright idea to try and attack the cavalry from behind. This kept the front and back of the convoy as solid as possible, protecting our supplies and our more vulnerable members.

Mixed into the convoy were three regiments of the Legion of the Dead; Orzammar's most intimidating and devastating branch of the dwarven army. Technically, the Legion of the Dead answered only to the monarchy; specifically, my father. However, when Trian met with their Commanders and informed them what we were planning, the Commanders argued among themselves which regiments would join us and which would stay to protect Orzammar. In the end, we received thirty percent of the Legion's troops to augment the small armies offered by the nobles and other castes.

When we reached Caradin's Cross on the fifth day, most every warrior had seen some action, including myself. I knew Caradin cross would have more significant resistance than anything we'd see thus far. That morning, Train, the representatives of the noble Houses, the Legion Commanders, Shale, Trianna, Faren, and I all met to discuss the battle plan. The Legion Commanders recommended shock and awe, charging in with the cavalry to disrupt what little organization the darkspawn might have, then follow through with Legionnaires so that the noble forces could retain their strength. The loss of a Legionnaire might be a harder loss than the loss of a member of the warrior caste, but fighting darkspawn is what the Legion of the Dead specialized in. With a bronto charge disupting the darkspawn, the Legion Commanders believed that they would be easily cut down.

No one was about to argue with the Legion Commanders, but Trian suggested that I help to lead the charge with my magic. The suggestion put most everyone in the meeting on edge. No one wanted me to be at risk. I did my best to assure them that I would keep my distance from any direct combat and use my magic to best assist where I could. I also explained to them that, as with the warriors of House Orodum, I'd had Dagna enchant the armor of the brontos with frost resistance. My warriors and brontos would be able to wade through the blizzard I would cast, and the Legionnaires could charge in as the storm dissipated.

The rest of the convoy would be on high alert, ready to strike at any forces that might try to flank or flee through tunnels we hadn't noticed, or reinforce the assault as needed if Trian gave the command.

We did our best to approach the crossroads stealthily, coming into formation a little over three hundred yards from Caradin's Cross. I was placed at the back of the bronto charge. I might be a part of the initial assault, Faren and the rest of my warriors insisted I be at the back so that they could take the brunt of the assault. I sat there, looking around at all of the determined faces. Frandlin was on my right, Faren on my left, both of whom had insisted they stay by my side in case something happened.

Then came Trian's call, "For Orzammar! For King Endrin! Charge!"

Short, sweet, to the point. We dug our spurs into the sides of our broncos and surged forward. The warriors of House Orodum roar with ferocity, and I wish I could say that my war cry was something worthy of joining them. But at eleven years old… I doubt it did anything more than be drowned out by those around me.

The closest warriors drew their bows, launching a volley at the entrance to the crossroads, in an attempt to take out the darkspawn manning a pair of ballistae on either side of the entrance. One of the monsters caught a few arrows and fell, but the other managed to pull the release and sent a bolt flying. The bolt miraculously sailed over the first several lines of cavalry before slamming him into the side of a bronto on the right side of the formation. The bronto and its rider fell to the wayside.

We continued forward, war cries growing louder and stronger. Once it looked like we were ready to burst through into Caradin's Cross, I stood in my saddle and lifted my staff high, calling upon my mana and summing a blizzard at the center of the area. Wind, snow, and ice swirled in a freezing flurry and the formation drove into it.

I could hear the sound of combat all around me, though the blizzard did have the drawback of obsurring everyone's vision outside of a few yards. The brontos were putting in heavy work, mowing down darkspawn in droves. The plan was to charge around the Cross' center pillar and move forward, crushing any darkspawn underhoof as we left the blizzard to let the Legionnaires mop things up. It should have only taken a minute or so to cross the distance, but that minute was the shout of 'Ogre!' coming from somewhere to my right.

Before I could react, something slammed into my shoulder and I was sent flying from my bronto. I hit the ground hard, my small body bouncing and rolling across the stone. There was a loud ringing in my ears that mixed with the raging of the blizzard's winds. I was on the ground, which meant I wasn't at all safe.

I forced myself to focus, summoning my mana to call up my rock armor just in time as a a darkspawn sword caught me in the shoulder. The sword rang off my rock covered pauldron and the force of the blow sent me spinning. Crying out, I planted my feet and focused my vision on the creature. It laughed and lunged at me. I quickly launched a Stone Fist spell, catching the creature in the chest and knocking it back on its heels. Before it could recover, I pulled the greatsword from my staff and charged, swinging through with all my might and lopping one of its legs off at the thigh.

The darkspawn dropped to the stone and I quickly buried my blade into its throat. No sooner had I killed the thing than a few members of the Legion of the Dead begane to surround me.

"My Paragon," a female dwarf said as she looked me over and the others formed a protective circle around me, "are you alright?"

I looked up at her and nodded, "I'll be fine. I just need to get back to my bronto and I'll join them for a second run."

"I don't think that will be necessary, My Lady," the dwarf explained as she looked around. "House Orodum's bronto charge seemed to do a great deal of damage. The Legion is mopping up the rest."

"That's good," I nodded and looked across the crossroads at what was going on. The Legion of the Dead was moving across the area, killing any darkspawn that remained somewhat alive. A few dozen cavalry chased down some fleeing monsters, but otherwise things had gone well.

Turning, I began to make my way back to the convoy, "One of my men's bronto was hit by a ballista bolt. I need to check on him."

"Forgive me, Paragon, but our priority is getting you to a healer," the Legionnaire stated.

I arched a brow as I looked back at her, "What? I'm fine. Just a little shaken up is all."

"My Lady, you're bleeding, your face is covered in blood," the Legionnaire explained, holding me in place. "Please, My Lady. Sit and wait for someone to come check on you. Battle can cloud the body to the extent of its injuries, but as the fervor fades, you'll start feeling your wounds."

I stared at the dwarf for several moments. She seemed so familiar to me. Reaching up, I wiped my brow and then looked at my hand. My gauntlet was covered in blood. She was right, my adrenaline was still telling my body to pump endorphins through me. A head injury had the potential to be much worse than what anyone could see on the surface.

I nodded in agreement, taking a seat out in the open with the Legionnaires continuing to surround me, "What's your name, Legionnaire?"

"Sigrun, My Lady," she replied, bowing her head.

"Sigrun?" I asked, looking up at her with a smile and chuckled. "Really? I don't suppose you'd stick close to me for the rest of this venture?"

"If that is your wish, My Lady, I would be honored," she smiled down at me.

I returned the smile and nodded.

Just then Faren and Frandlin returned on their brontos. Both of them quickly dismounted and ran to me.

"By the stone," Frandlin gasped as he dropped to his knees before me. "When I saw that boulder hit you, I thought you were dead!"

"What?!" I shouted.

"We had to continue through the blizzard," Frandlin explained. "Forgive us, but we didn't want to take the chance that our brontos might crush you or the Legionnaires in the confusion."

The endorphins were slowly starting to die down and the pain from my head was beginning to creep in. I pat the air to calm their concerns, "It's fine. I'm fine. We got through it. Could someone, please, get Trianna. She has more healing spells than I do. Have her see to any of the other injured first. "

"Begging your pardon, My Lady," Faren interrupted, "but if anyone heard that she prioritized anyone over you, they might just kill her. There are only a few injuries, but you take priority. You are our Paragon. You must accept that while we are your priority, you are ours."

I sighed, giving in to the logic, "Very well."

The convoy entered Caradin's Cross, filling the old crossroads and spreading out evenly along the roads that connected it in order to spread out the defenses. Trian was in a fury when he found out what had happened to me, but I did what I could to calm him down. It wasn't something that could be avoided, after all. Trianna healed my injuries, then moved on to the few others that had been hurt.

We made camp for the evening and Shale made it known that it was foolish of me to pick a fight with any kind of rock, let alone a flying one. Faren and Frandlin fussed over me as I dealt with the remaining pain from my injuries. Sigrun had helped me clean up after the injuries were mended.

I attended dinner with Trian, the representatives of the noble Houses, and the Legion Commanders. We discussed the success of the assault and I was told many times how brave I had been and how impressive it was that I had killed the darkspawn in singular combat. I suppose it was an impressive feat for an eleven year old, but if any more had joined the fight, I would have been done for.

We also went over the plans for retaking Aeducan Thaig. We had the layout of the area from old maps, but what we didn't know was where the darkspawn had dug tunnels. It was decided that the rear guard of bronto calvalry would guard the entrance to the thaig, while the Legion of the Dead would support the main army by stationing themselves at every tunnel we came across. With three regiments, I didn't think we'd lose too many Legionnaires to tunnel duty. Once darkspawn had a path to a place, they rarely made another one.

The next task was clearing streets. Darkspawn never seemed to take advantage of buildings to hide or take shelter in, so urban combat wasn't going to be as bad as it could be. Still, tight quarters meant the charging in the brontos wasn't going to be our best bet. We decided that the best decision was going to be cheking individual streets. If the streets were clear, we'd send a bronto charge down it in case there were any concealed darkspawn waiting to ambush patrols we might set up later. If we found darkspawn, then the plan was to shower them with arrows while they charged at us, because they would… then cut down the ones who managed to make it to the main force.

Trianna and I were being reserved for darkspawn spellcasters. No one would even listen to my protests about being separated from my cavalry unit. The moment that ogre hit me with that boulder, I was no longer going to be part of an actual fight. I was a bit disappointed that I was being relegated to support, though. I hadn't been training with Trian, Oghren, and Faren for all these years just to be told to watch and wait. I admit, it was a close thing between me and that singular darkspawn, but it would have been much more in my favor if I hadn't just been struck by a boulder and fallen nearly six feet off of my bronto.

Still, caution was going to be the word of the day. Slow, steady, purposeful. The evening before the push into Aeducan Thaig was filled with last minute plans and checking scout reports. Trian had asked to speak with me once things were settled, so that had to wait till just before I went to bed.

Faren, Frandlin, and Shale escorted me to Trian's tent.

As I arrived at Trian's tent one of the guards bowed, "Paragon Orodum, it is a pleasure to see you again, and to see you in such good health after Caradin's Cross."

I bowed my head and smiled, "Your concern is touching. I'm more happy that we've had so few injuries throughout the endeavor so far. Is Prince Trian in?"

"He is, My Lady," the guard replied. "However, he requests the audience be a private one between the two of you, and asks that your entourage remain outside for the duration."

That caught me by surprise, but I wasn't going to let it show. I simply gave a polite smile and nod, "Of course. If it pleases my brother, then I'm happy to acquiesce to his request."

I turned and looked at my friends, "It seems this will be a family meeting. I hope you don't mind waiting?"

"I see no reason to listen to this little prince," Shale protested. "But if you wish to see him alone, you only need to call if you need help."

"I doubt she will be in any danger while along with her brother, Lady Cadash," Frandlin said as if to remind her that we were family.

"Lord Frandlin speaks the truth, my Lady," Faren added. "Lord Trian has taken care of Lady Orodum since was only a few days old. If she is safe with anyone, it's her brother."

"Very well, very well," Shale grumbled. "But… if…" She looked down at me, the insinuation of her aid left hanging in the air.

I chuckled and bowed my head in thanks to the golem, "I appreciate your concern, Lady Cadash. I truly do. I don't think I'll be too long."

I excused myself and turned, walking into the tent as the guards pulled back the flaps. As the tent closed behind me, I saw Trian sitting at a small fire. He'd had a couple of chairs set out for us, as well as some cheese, meat, and nuts. I stood there watching him quietly, reminiscing on all the times he'd sat like this with me going over lessons, teaching me the ins and outs of dwarven politics, filling my head with the history of House Aeducan and stories of our ancestors. I had come to love my brother dearly, and realized just how much I missed spending time with him.

He must have known I was standing there because he reached over and pat the chair beside him, "It's rude to enter someone's room without announcing yourself. I would have thought that was one of the first lessons I taught you."

A giggle escaped me and I made my way Trian. I offered him a curtsy before moving to the chair, slipping into it. I grabbed a small piece of cold nug meat and ate it, "What did you want to speak about, Trian?"

"Before I begin," Trian mused as he stared at the fire, "I want you to know that what I'm about to tell you is not, in any way, a slight against you. Nor does it reflect any animosity on my part toward you. Do you understand?"

I didn't know why, but my insides tightened up as my spirits dropped when I heard what he said. I grew worried, and the tremor in my voice likely gave that away, "Trian? Is… something wrong?"

He turned to me and his smile was a mixture of pride and sorrow, "Do you know that every time I look at you, I cannot imagine having someone I could be more proud of? Even after the first few weeks that I began taking care of you I knew that one day you would change everything. I could see it."

The fire snapped and cracked beside us. Its heat was the only thing keeping me warm at this point because I could have sworn all the blood was running from my face as my imagination ran wild, wondering where Trian was going with all of this.

I could barely manage anything above a whisper, "I… I've only done my best to live up to your expectations, Trian. I wanted to make you proud."

He chuckled quietly, his shoulders bouncing with amusement, "Oh, I can't imagine being more proud of anyone. You are everything I imagined you would be, and more. You have done so much for our people that I honestly believe that they should think of a higher tier of title to grant you. There is no one in this world that I hold in higher esteem than you."

"Trian…" I whimpered, "you're scaring me. What's this about?"

"Our future," Trian said directly.

"What?" I cried. "Trian, please, tell me what you're talking about. You're starting to frighten me."

I must have looked terrified because he stood up and moved to my chair. He grunted as he lifted me up and hugged me. At eleven years old, I wasn't exactly scoopable anymore but Trian was plenty strong enough to lift me. He turned and sat down in my chair, placing me in his lap. It was actually reassuring to me to have him holding me like this again after so many years.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead where the scar from Caradin's Cross still remained, "Merida, once we have taken Aeducan Thaig, I'm going to be staying with a contingent of the Aeducan forces that came with me."

"What?!" I yelled so loud that one of the guards poked his head into the tent.

"My Paragon, My Lord," the guard queried. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Trian barked. "Leave us."

The guard bowed his head and slipped out of the tent. When Trian focused back on me, my eyes were beginning to well up with tears. He dabbed them away.

I tried to control myself and my volume, but the emotions were beginning to overwhelm me, "Trian, why? Why would you stay here? You're too important to Orzammar to stay here!"

He smiled softly and shook his head, "I'm flattered that you still believe so, Merida, but you're smarter than that. The preparation for this venture had me at more meetings with more nobles than had bothered to speak with me for the past two years."

I stared at him, not saying a thing, curiosity plastered over my face.

"If anyone wishes to speak to an Aeducan, they speak with Father," Trian explained. "If they want to speak to someone influential, they speak with you. I've been regulated to the person people see if the two of you are busy or won't see them. My future is not in Orzammar."

I shook my head in defiance of his words, "No! You're the future king of Orzammar! You're the heir of House Aeducan!"

Trian's gentle smile never wavered, his head shook softly, "Orzammar isn't destined to have a king when Father finally leaves the throne. It will have a Queen. You… are undoubtedly going to be the Assembly's one and only choice for the throne. Your intelligence, your powers, your way with the people, and the way you established the Surface Caste are all reasons they'll pick you over me. And do you know what?"

"What?" I whispered, hanging on his every word.

"I hope they chose you," he leaned back. "I wish they had placed the crown on your head the day you announced the success of the Surface Caste proposal. I don't think anyone, Father and myself included, has more love and concern for our people than you do. When you decided to take this first step, I agreed to help so that I could begin securing the thaig for you. I understand you're doing this for Father, and that's what I expect you to tell him. But I'm doing this for you. So that when you are crowned queen of Orzammar, the Aeducan Thaig will be ready to serve you. We'll be ready to help our queen retake the lost thaigs and reestablish the dwarven empire in your name."

I stared up at Trian in wonder. I honestly had not seen this coming. Trian had always been so stoic, so set in his path. He had the north star in his eyes where his goals were concerned. I could always tell when he was hiding his emotions behind his sense of duty and practical nature, but this came as a surprise to even me. The idea that he thought of me so highly, that he was doing all of this with the idea that he thought of me as his queen and was preparing to help me achieve my goals stunned me.

"Trian…" I muttered, my mind racing, "I… I don't know what to say to that…"

"You don't have to say anything," he pat my back gently, trying to calm me down.

I smiled sadly but leaned in to rest against him, curling as best I could with my head against his chest. I closed my eyes and hugged him close, "Brother. Safe."

"Indeed, sister," he comforted me with a firm hug. "You are safe with me."

I found out that all of the exertion over the past few days, and the effort of preparing for the next day's push into Aeducan Thaig had taken a larger toll on me than I thought. I had passed out in Trian's arms. Faren told me that Trian had held me for a while before he carried me back to my tent. He'd insisted on dressing me for bed, since it would be the last time he could. He tucked me in and stayed with me for about an hour before returning to his tent.

I woke up to the sound of the convoy preparing for this assault of Aeducan Thaig. Sigrun was sitting in my tent, waiting for me to get out of bed. She'd taken to helping me get my armor on in the mornings and eating breakfast with me, Faren, Frandlin, and Trian.

Sitting up from my bed I looked over at the Legionnaire and smiled, "Good morning, Sigrun."

She looked over at me and stood, "Paragon, good morning. Are you ready for today?"

I shrugged as I slipped out of bed, "Ready or not, we're committed at this point."

Sigrun helped me get dressed and armed. After that, we had breakfast and there was a final meeting between the leaders of the convoy. Within an hour of waking up, I was on my bronto and forming up with my men.

The thaigs of the dwarven empire were typically filled with darkspawn since dwarves regularly tried hunting through them for relics, historical documents, or remaining treasure. We went in expecting the absolute worst. The Legion of the Dead moved to the front of the formation, leading us into the thaig. A few darkspawn met them within the first few hundred feet but they were nothing that the Legion couldn't handle. They scouted the general area out, then opened their ranks to let Aeducan warriors march through, followed up by House Ordum warriors and brontos (I was still placed at the back of the bronto formation).

When pushed into the city for three hours with small skirmishes here and there. We hadn't found many tunnels, but the Legion did as planned and stationed a squad of Legionnaires at each of them. It was surprisingly light work until we came to the old noble quarter. This section of the city was separated from the rest by a bridge that ran over a flowing river of lava. As the recognition of where I was dawned on me, someone shouted 'horde!'

My bronto was several yards past the bridge when a veritable wave of darkspawn surged toward us. Aeducan warriors formed a shield wall ready to brace for impact as House Oromud warriors began to pepper the charging spawn from behind the defensive lines. I looked around and found that Trian was still on the other side of the bridge. To my shock, there were dawkspawn coming from that side as well.

I was the one in charge on this side. Trian would have to keep things handled over there.

I will mana to flow through me so that my voice could carry over the men, "Warriors of Orzammar! Hold fast! On my signal, let the brontos through!"

Frandlin looked at me, "My Lady, you cannot charge into the horde!"

"We have to break through their ranks and give our men the chance to push further forward," I barked. "We have our backs to a bridge that's full of warriors, and a river that will cook us if we're pushed back. We don't have a choice!"

My personal wards and buffs had been up since that morning, but now was the time for some offensive magic. I weaved a few instances of Walking Bomb on darkspawn a few ranks behind those actively engaged with our frontline. Since those were the monsters still being hit with arrows, I just had to wait for one to drop.

The first darkspawn finally fell to my spells, and it set off a chain reaction. Walking Bomb's primary effect triggered upon its death and the darkspawn exploded, causing magical energy to burst from it. The explosion killed several darkspawn around it, including another which had Walking Bomb affecting it. The domino effect happened in the span of two seconds, but in those two seconds, dozens of darkspawn exploded and died, causing a few moments of confusion and hesitation from the ranks of monsters that were close to it.

"Make a hole!" I cried out. "Bronto's, charge!"

"For the Paragon!" came the cry of hundreds of House Oromud cavalrymen.

We surged forward, thunderous hooves beating into the stone. We flew past the dwarven ranks and into the waiting sea of darkspawn. By the time my bronto broke through the dwarven line, the stone was covered in the blood and broken bodies of the monsters. This time I put myself behind my men, adhering to their wishes. Standing up in my seat, I cast a Blizzard as far out as I could while Trianna who rode by my side, summoned a Tempest.

The foot soldiers charged forward after the brontos pushed past them, cutting down the shocked and confused darknspawn that were left after the explosions, gaining ground that we made for them. They moved up a solid twenty yards before they began to reform their lines. As the lines were reforming, the cavalry turned in a wide arc to return back behind the warriors.

Trianna and I busied ourselves hurling spells to keep the horde from reforming too easily against our rear flanks. Normally this would be a job for a dozen mages, but the streets of the Aeducan noble district helped to funnel the darkspawn in such a way that we were able to handle the job ourselves. Between my Blizzard and Trianna's Tempest spells, a solid portion of the open street was covered in dangerous magic.

Frandlin, Faren, Trianna, Sigrun and I regrouped with the other bronto cavalry. Shale was busy at the front lines, literally crushing the darkspawn underfoot.

"Get back in formation!" I commanded, looking around quickly to assess the situation.

We'd gained twenty yards, and forces from the other noble houses were pushing through, including House Orodum's scout forces led by Orta. Some of the Legion of the Dead were beginning to push over the bridge as well.

As the cavalry reformed I turned my bronto so that I could move toward the dwarves joining us. The leaders that made it over looked to me for my orders.

"Scouts and archers, move to the sides and take cover where you can," I shouted. "I want long arcs, weaken them as they try to get to us! Heavy infantry will join the line and reinforce the front. Give your brothers some time to breathe!"

One of the Legion Commanders waved at me, "Do you want us to push through, Paragon?"

I shook my head and pointed to a series of alleys we had managed to push past, "No, Commander. I need you and your men to work through the alleys; make sure there aren't any shrieks or cloaked darkspawn waiting to ambush us. If you can, use the alleys to flank the enemy and use hit and run tactics. Make them fear being too close to the buildings. I want them funneled into our magic and brontos."

The Commander understood the gravity of what I was asking him to do. The alleys would be dangerous. The combat would be in tight quarters and they would likely take heavy losses if groups of darkspawn were there waiting to ambush anyone. But that was what the Legion of the Dead was for… they served Orzammar as they did because each one of them had already had a funeral and considered themselves dead already.

"It will be done, my Paragon," he bowed his head before turning and barking orders at his soldiers.

I pulled the reins on my bronto to guide it back to the cavalry formation, looking to my friends for support, "Prepare for another charge!"

The order was passed forward to the front line with a series of relaying shouts.

Sigrun's face was set and determined, seeing that I was trying to keep my mind off of having sent stone knew how many dwarves to their death with the order I'd given the Legion Commaner, "Don't second-guess yourself, My Lady. The strategy is sound, and someone needed to do it. It's good that you sent the Legion. They'll know how to handle it."

"I hope so," I growled at myself. On my signal Trianna summoned another Tempest as I brought forth a Blizzard.

Another series of Walking Bomb incantations went off, and we charged forward once again.

The battle in the noble district lasted seven bloody hours. The rest of the day was spent clearing the rest of the city with the occasional skirmish here or there. The day was long and arduous, and no one ended it without some kind of injury.

The surviving leaders, and the replacement leaders for those who died, met after camp was set. It was a somber meeting. We'd lost half a regiment of Legionnaires, and a little over two hundred warriors. Close to a thousand dead; around five percent of our total number.

That was the bad news.

The good news was that we'd cleared Aeducan Thaig. The losses we suffered were nothing compared to the darkspawn dead. Rough estimates put the total at around seven thousand dead darkspawn, with a good number of ogres among them.

The new Legion Commander who was field promoted after the battle in the noble district said that we should be proud of the work done that day. I would have been more proud if I could have heard that praise from his predecessor.

The next few days were all about cleaning up the bodies of the darkspawn, basically all of which were thrown into the lava rivers. While the men cleared the darkspawn dead, the Legion of the Dead scouted the tunnels. Trianna focused on using her magic to heal who she could while I helped seal the tunnels the Legion of the Dead had found with my magic to mold the stone, but making sure the walls were more reinforced this time around with cross sectioned wrought iron bars.

On the third day, Legion scouts reported finding a broodmother down one of the tunnels that hadn't been sealed yet. Apparently it was trying to flee the area, albeit slowly. Trianna and I were asked to help kill it since we could use magic. I suggested the overkill option by bringing every remaining warrior of House Orodum, as well as a full regiment of Legionnaires. Apparently two thousand soldiers was more overkill than they preferred, but the number of darkspawn guarding the broodmother proved me right. We only lost a handful of Legionnaires to the creature, but that was worth the price of killing a broodmother that could spawn thousands of her ilk if left alone.

On the fourth day, I took the morning to retrieve the Shield of Aeducan as the forces who weren't going to be staying in the thaig prepared to leave. True to his word, Trian stayed, along with his men and a few dozen nobles, along with their forces, retainers, and households. Those who would remain would clean up Aeducan Thaig and get it up and running to become a functioning city once again. One of the Legion regiments decided to stay as well; to protect Trian and those who remained, and to create a new base that was well outside of Orzammar that they could operate out of.

The way back to Orzammar took a few days less than the trip to Aeducan Thaig. That was mostly because we weren't being attacked by darkspawn. We could have made better time, but we stopped at every tunnel entrance that wasn't dwarven made and sealed it the same way we did the ones in Aeducan Thaig. The remaining full regiment of Legion of the Dead were split along the interspersed inns and towns that we passed so that they could help clean them up, prepare them for merchant caste and warrior caste families so that the route to Aeducan Thaig could be secured. The last regiment, which had taken the most casualties, escorted us the rest of the way home.

We arrived back three days before Father's Silver Anniversary. Orzammar was abuzz with our return, but the Deshyrs and nobles knew better than to say anything about what we'd accomplished. Instead, those who needed to, prepared for the anniversary celebration. I had already done what I needed to do on the way home, so I took those three days to sleep, rest, and stood for a fitting for my artisans who were preparing a new outfit for me to wear for the celebration.

On the day of the Silver Anniversary, I arrived at the palace at the time Trian typically would. I wore a black gambeson coat tailored to resemble a courtier's dress, with a brass symbol of House Aeducan clasped to the right sleeve cuff, and a brass symbol of House Orodum clasped to the left sleeve cuff. The rest of the gambeson sported polished steel studs with the symbols of House Aeducan and House Orodum. In my hair, I wore golden thread weaved into my braids.

I greeted Father and Mother as they left their bedroom.

Father stopped in his tracks and gave a clap, "Merida! Oh, I'm so glad you were able to make it back in time for the anniversary!" He moved in to wrap me up in a firm hug which I happily returned.

"Where's your brother, Trian?" he asked, glowing with fatherly pride. "This is a day the whole family should be together."

I smiled, stepping back, "He's at home right now. We've been working on your anniversary present."

"Oh!" Father chuckled. "You shouldn't have bothered with all that. Having all of my children with me would be present enough."

"Nonsense," Mother chimed in. "If they've gone to the effort, you should be grateful. Now, weren't you going to go grab Bhelen so we could have breakfast?"

"Ah, I did promise to bring him to breakfast this morning," Father remembered. "Forgive me, Merida, but I'll see you at breakfast, yes?"

I bowed my head, "Of course, Father. Tell Bhelen I got him a present that I'll give him tomorrow after the celebration has died down. That might put some pep in his step."

Father laughed as he went to fetch Bhelen.

I looked at Mother, who smiled at me, "I take it you were successful?"

I nodded and joined her as we walked to the dining room, "We were. Not without losses, of course. But it's done and the Legion is securing the route to and from even as we speak."

"You weren't injured, I hope," Mother asked.

"Nothing too bad," I bent the truth a bit with that one. "Nothing permanent, anyway. I'm here, though, and that's all that matters."

"What about Trian? Why isn't he here?" she asked, a bit of concern growing in her voice.

"He decided to stay in Aeducan Thaig," I reassured her. "He… wanted to get it up and running."

"He wanted to get out of your way, you mean," Mother observed.

I paused in our walk and looked up at her, surprised that she had seen through my explanation and Trian's motivations, "...Yes…"

She stepped up to me and rested a hand on my cheek gently, "Oh, Merida. I hope you know he wasn't angry with you. Trian wants what's best for Orzammar and her people. He was sure he was what was best for the city for a while, and acted accordingly. But I could see it in him when he realized that was no longer the case. He changed, but it might have taken his mother to notice it."

She moved her hand to the small of my back to softly guide me to continue walking, "He understood that you were Orzammar's future early on, and instead of working to be the best Prince he could be, he worked to make you the best Princess you could be. Him staying in Aeducan Thaig is his way of saying that you're ready to take on the role of Orzammar's next leader, and that you no longer need him. If I know Trian, he's likely preparing the city to serve you."

I couldn't believe how accurate she was in her estimation of the situation. Her insight and understanding into her children was astounding. She had always been insightful, but I hadn't ever considered how well she knew us. As a queen, Mother wasn't able to spend as much time with us as a normal mother would. Meetings, diplomacy, and other responsibilities kept her away from us a majority of the time. Still, she had somehow managed to get to us so well over the years.

I chuckled quietly, "It's like you were there…"

We entered the dining room and sat down, continuing our discussion for a few minutes until Father arrived. Bhelen sat next to me and we talked throughout breakfast. Father tried dragging the meal on in an attempt to delay the festivities. He knew this would be the quietest, most relaxing part of his day. I didn't let him, though. With Trian gone, I was responsible for keeping on schedule.

I had him, Mother, and Bhelen prepared to leave the palace by eight that morning. Father mentioned how strange it was that he hadn't received any well-wishers or guests so far. I tried assuring him that everyone was probably preparing their gifts for such a large anniversary. Aeducan warriors formed behind us as we exited the palace to a completely empty Diamond District.

Father looked around, paranoid. He knew something was up at this point, "Merida?What's going on?"

I smirked up at him, "I told you, Father, everyone's preparing your gifts. I'm going to give you mine first, though."

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"Just follow me," I said as I led them toward the entrance to the Diamond District. Instead of leaving the district, I guided my family to the stairs that went up to an overlook which you could see most of Orzammar from.

I approached the guard rail of the overlook and waved my arm for my family to approach. When Father stepped forward, his gasp of surprise was drowned out by all of Orzammar cheering for him. Every single citizen of Orzammar, apart from my family and the guards who escorted us, crowded into the market district to present themselves to their king.

I allowed the cheers to go on for a few minutes before raising a hand, calling for silence.

The cheers died down and I stepped forward, "People of Orzammar! You have all worked together to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of King Aeducan's rule!"

More cheers rose from below.

I turned and looked at Father, still keeping my volume high enough for those below to hear me, "Not only have we all come together to cheer for you, My King, we have also worked together the last few months to give you a gift from each and every one of us. Ever merchant, every smith, every warrior, artisan, and servant, every member of the Surface Caste contributed to this gift in one way or the other. On behalf of every dwarf in Orzammar, on this, your Silver Anniversary, I grant you the gift of Aeducan Thaig! Ready and reclaimed by your subjects!"

The roar of the dwarven citizenry was unlike anything I had ever heard. The look on Father's face was something I'll never forget.

Before he responded, I continued, "And what would Aeducan Thaig be without an Aeducan to rule it? In your name, Prince Trian Aeducan has taken his rightful place in Aeducan Hold, and has begun leading the effort to reestablish the thaig's industry and commerce. The road to the Thaig has been secured by the Legion of the Dead, and all of Orzammar contributed to its reclamation. All in your name! In the name of King Endrin Eeducan!"

The roars echoed throughout the city.

"And as proof of this great undertaking…" I motioned for one of the guards to approach an item wrapped in cloth. I took it and unwrapped it, holding it up for the people, and Father, to see. "I present to you the Shield of Aeducan! Wielded by Paragon Aeducan himself, kept in Aeducan Hold, and only obtainable by one who wears an Aeducan signet ring!"

The roar was at a fever pitch. Father took the shield and seemed lost for words. For the rest of the day I escorted him through the festivities. We went through raucous market celebrations, games, and attended one of the fiercest Proving tournaments I'd ever seen. We stopped at several impromptu feasts and spoke with dozens and dozens of Orzammar's citizens.

People begged Father to accept gifts that their family had bought or made for them. Father accepted every gift, with the guards taking them and holding onto them. Father enjoyed the appreciation of his subjects through late afternoon. The guards watched over him the entire time while I was asked to speak with people as well. I tried my best to speak with who I could while still making the day about Father. In fact, to make sure my time speaking with others didn't take too long, I volunteered to take care of Bhelen so I could always use the excuse that I had to keep him with Father and Mother.

When we finally returned to the palace, there was a massive dinner waiting for us with family, friends, the Deshyrs, and other nobles waiting for us. We feasted and made merry for a few hours before everyone had finally left. By that time I had already put Bhelen to bed, and was ready to go home myself.

However, Father had asked to see me. Tired as I was, I wouldn't refuse his request. I came to Father and Mother's quarters and knocked at the door.

Mother opened it and welcomed me in, "Merida. Thank you for coming. Your father was hoping you'd join us."

"I can't refuse when Father asks for me on his anniversary," I smiled as I entered their chambers.

"So dutiful," Father said from the sofa. He'd made himself comfortable.

I approached him and lowered myself into a curtsy, "Father? You wished to speak with me?"

"I did," he replied as Mother sat next to him. "Or rather, we did, I should say."

I looked between my parents curiously, "May I ask what for?"

Father nodded and leaned forward, "Merida, your mother and I have been speaking about Trian's decision to stay in Aeducan Thaig."

"His decision seems to have been more of a surprise to me than it was to Mother," I offered.

"Your relationship with Trian made it a surprise," Father chuckled. "Frankly, the decision surprised me as well. Thankfully, your mother is more astute than either of us when it comes to the hearts and minds of our family. However, that isn't the point. The point is, I concur with your mother's intuition and your brother's decision."

Father stood and moved over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. His expression was a mixture of affection and resignation, "In light of Trian's decision, I have decided to name you my heir."

My eyes widened in shock, "Father…"

He interrupted me, "Understand that this doesn't guarantee you the throne. And does not grant you rule over Aeducan Thaig. What it does do is make you the head of House Aeducan until Bhelen comes of age if I should pass before then. It also signals to the assembly that I would name you as the next ruler of Orzammar."

"As you know," Mother added, "the Assembly chooses the ruler of Orzammar after the current ruler's passing to the stone. For the past few generations, an Aeducan has been chosen. In light of your accomplishments, and with the love our people have for you, we have no doubt that you will be chosen to rule after your father."

"Naming you as my heir shows how much faith I have in your future leadership," Father smiled. "My daughter, I am so proud of you. And I'm so very thankful. You've brought our people together in a way I never could to make good on your promise to retake the lost thaigs… and you rallied them all to dedicate that first step to me. I cannot thank you enough."

We talked for a while longer until I started to nod off. Father asked some of the guards to escort me home. When I finally got to bed, I slept hard. The social and emotional drain on top of my physical exhaustion from the mission to Aeducan Thaig which I still hadn't recovered from, knocked me right out the moment my head hit the pillow. We had all achieved our goal. We had surprised Father and recovered Aeducen Thaig.

That first step had been a doozy.