Chapter 54: Such Is the Game (Leliana)
Aedan and Leliana have easily managed to find the house where Marjolaine was hiding. She didn't change the house she rented since Leliana had completed her last assignment. There were two Qunari mercenaries in the house, whom Aedan and Leliana quickly and easily killed. After that, they hid the corpses and began to look through the papers on the table.
- This is interesting, - said Aedan, showing Leliana one of the documents. - Your ex worked with Howe!
- What? - Leliana asked in bewilderment. - I should have expected it, though. Prior to that, her Ferelden partner was Harwen Raleigh. Compared to him, even Howe isn't that bad.
- The same Raleigh whom Maric himself stripped of all titles for excessive cruelty to the captured Orlesians?
- Yes, that's him.
- Why did you say "was"? I don't know what happened to him after the war.
- He teamed up with Marjolaine to restart the war between Orlais and Ferelden. And he… he was the one who tortured me when Marjolaine betrayed me. I escaped from captivity and killed him.
- Well, one less bastard. And now we will do the same with Marjolaine.
They both heard footsteps.
- Time to hide! Let's set up an ambush! - Leliana said.
She and Aedan hid in two opposite rooms. Marjolaine entered the living room, accompanied by two strangers - a man with a large hammer on his back and an elf archer. Marjolaine seemed to Leliana the same as she had been two years ago, beautiful but cold.
- Quiet! - Marjoline said. - I hired two Qunari to guard the house, but they are not here. Is there something wrong.
- You shouldn't have trusted the Qunari, - the elf replied.
- I've known them longer than the two of you, Shaevra. They couldn't just leave. These enemies of yours, the Couslands, are they really dead?
- I personally left Fergus as fodder for the darkspawn, - the man said. - And his younger brother and sister, apparently, died with the king at Ostagar.
All three heard a rustle from the room where Aedan was hiding. Leliana prepared the bow.
- Shaevra, check the room, - the man ordered his companion.
No sooner had the elf entered the doorway than she was immediately cut in half by Aedan. He started a fight with a man, and Marjolaine ran for her bow to the room in which Leliana was. The young Orlesian hid and stunned Marjolaine with a vase as soon as she entered the room and turned her back. She ran out of the room to help Aedan, but there was no need for it - the young Cousland snatched the hammer from the opponent's hands and used it to crush his leg. The stranger screamed in pain as he fell to the floor.
- Your name is Paedan, right? Tell me what you did to my brother, you son of a bitch!
- Your brother… was a weakling… I hit him with a hammer and left him in the Wildls. And you, too, will die like him!
Aedan swung his hammer with all his might and crushed Pedan's skull, avenging his brother.
- Maybe, but you won't live to see it, - he said, and turned to Leliana. - Well, have you killed Marjolaine?
- We'll interrogate her first. Bring a chair and ropes.
The Fereldan and the Orlesian quickly found all necessary things and tied Marjolaine to a chair. Then Aedan poured a bucket of cold water over her. The bard immediately regained consciousness.
- Leliana! I knew that you would come for me, - said Marjolaine. - Forgive me for the mess, I try to be a good housewife, but you see the conditions in which I have to live. In this country, everything is saturated with the smell of wet dog. It is everywhere: in hair, in clothes. Ugh!
Chatter the enemy, distract them from the main topic. Leliana knew the strategy her former mentor used.
- Why are you following Leliana? - Aedan asked.
- Your friend is very practical, he does not seem to like small talk. I don't understand it, but I respect it.
- You slandered me, because of you I went to jail, Raleigh tortured me. I thought you had stopped following me. But I was wrong, - Leliana said. - Why do you want me dead?
- Dead? What nonsense? My dear, I know you, you could handle any warrior, even three Qunari. I sent them for you to come to me.
- I can see right through you. You're lying!
- Do you want the truth? You will have it. You know what you can use against me. And for my own safety, I can't let you live. Did you seriously think that you could hide from me by changing your haircut and wearing the attire of a Chantry sister? You almost didn't communicate with anyone, didn't even try to make new acquaintances. It was not at all your style, but I continued to watch you, even got used to the fact that you were not up to anything. Then you suddenly left the Chantry. For what? Tell me.
- Do you think it's only about you? No. I was scared by your note, but I left Lothering not only because of you.
- It's not all about you, - Aedan added. - Leliana is helping us stop the Blight.
- She deceives you, - said Marjolaine. – Pretends to be a nice and friendly girl to gain your trust! I taught her this.
- I am not you, Marjolaine, - Leliana said. - And I left so as not to become you.
- But you are me. You can't run away from this. Nobody understands you the way I do. Do you know why you so easily cheated, manipulated, used people? Because that's the Game. It brought you some special pleasure. You can't change this, and you can't get away from this.
- You, Marjolaine, do not know anything about me. I made the mistake of not killing you then, but I won't do it again.
Leliana paused, remembering what she had said to Raleigh before he died.
- I won't kill you. I'm not that selfish. I forgot to introduce my friend. This is Aedan. Aedan Cousland. Your partners took his home from him.
The Orlesian took a step back and handed the knife to Aedan.
- Tell me, - he said. - How exactly did you help Howe?
- I have nothing to hide, - said Marjolaine. - I got Howe the plans for your castle, and his troops knew all the nooks and crannies.
- Fortunately, they didn't know one.
- Nothing personal, Cousland. In Orlais we call it the Game.
Aedan stepped closer and put a knife to Marjolaine's throat.
- Then I'll tell you what, Orlesian. Whatever happens after death, tell my father, brother and sister-in-law that you've lost your Game. And that Howe will be next!
With a wave of his hand, he slit the woman's throat and threw the knife to the floor.
Having taken all the jewelry from the house in order to frame the murder as a robbery, they left.
- Do you want to talk about it? - Aedan asked.
Marjolaine is dead and she got what she deserved. But I… I was hurt by her words. What if I'm really a bad person?
- You know, the fact that you ask this question already says a lot. Bad people never doubt their actions.
- You don't know me well enough if you think so.
- Marjolaine chose her fate. And you can choose yours. You have joined the Chantry and then us for a reason. You want to help people. It means you are a good person.
- Thanks for the kind words. And for helping me. I... I...
Leliana found no other words and kissed Aedan. He immediately pushed her away.
- I'm sorry, I love someone else, - he said.
- Yes, I shouldn't have. I heard about you and Anora. Do you still love her?
- Yes, even despite what her father did. We will be together, and I will achieve this at any cost. In any case, it's time for us to go to the tavern. Let's take Sereda and Zevran and go to the Pearl together. My old friend Christof must be there.
Leliana followed Aedan. She did not expect to see the heart of a romantic under the guise of a serious warrior and decided to help him the same way he had helped her.