As I could have guessed, the fact that I'd killed the most prominent members of the Polignac family became an open secret within a week. While the wives of the men we killed tried to trot out a few witnesses who'd claimed to see the entire thing, Brennan and Cullen had discredited the supposed 'testimony' in a single conversation with Elthina and Dumar.

To say that the Grand Cleric was irritated would be understating things, but with no proof and the city's authorities lining up behind my claims of innocence, she'd had to declare the whole thing a tragic accident.

She'd still summoned me one more time, tersely ordering me to stay out of sight for a while.

For once that was an order from her I was happy to obey, and I spent the next three weeks lurking about Varric's mansion. The only times I went out were in his company to the Hanged Man, or else when Elowen sent escorts to bring me down to the Alienage for various events. Some of those, like sparring with the Watch, turned out to be rather fun. Others, like being front and center during one of Caelia's fervent sermons, were a lot less so.

Still, it was good to see everyone again. To chat with Nethon, spar with Shina, get caught up to how Zatris was doing. I had lunch with Ser Emeric, helped him keep some of the Alienage's orphans entertained with Ser Hound. We had Ser Thrask and his wife over to the estate for dinner a few times.

Of my old companions it was Brennan who I spent the most time with. Who I vented to the most about my relationship troubles, whose house I stayed at once or twice. She listened to my uncertainties, and rather gently knocked me over the head for overthinking things to such an absurd degree. While she understood my fears, she pointed out that I had to be hurting Merrill by acting like I was.

In her opinion, I either had to give her a proper chance to express just what she wanted, or else find a way to, softly, let her down.

Since she had a rather good point I'd been trying to find enough courage to have that conversation when the status quo finally changed, about five weeks into our stay in the city, and just a few days off from Isabella had been originally supposed to arrive.

It began with someone walking in on me while I was changing.

Evelyn Trevelyan knocked once before entering my room, "Lady Maeve-by the Maker! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to see you!"

She abruptly seemed to realize she was still looking, her eyes fixated well below my neck. She yelped, and spun in place with another frantic apology.

"Not like there's much to see unless you like the scars on my stomach." I rolled my eyes, hands still working on getting the wraps around my small breasts. "And you're supposed to wait after you knock, you know. That's kind of the whole point of knocking in the first place."

The teen was resolutely facing the wall, but I felt pretty comfortable in guessing she was bright red when she replied. "Y-yes l-lady! Apologies!"

Snorting, I got my make-shift bra secured with a final tug, then reached over to grab a shirt. "Don't worry about it. I'm decent now. Mostly."

There was a hesitant glance over her shoulder, and sure enough her cheeks were crimson. Seeing that I was pulling a thick woolen shirt on had her turn around, finishing the motion just as I got it over my head.

"So," I drawled, "What's so important you had to barge in on me changing after my morning bath?"

Trevelyan cleared her throat, still looking horribly embarrassed. "Um, your presence is requested at the Viscount's Keep by the Knight-Commander."

I raised an eyebrow. "First time in a month she's wanted to talk to me."

"Not true." The girl said at once, seemingly recovering now that we were talking about her boss, even if she still refused to look directly at me. "The Knight-Commander would have preferred you to be far more involved in a few recent meetings, but the Grand Cleric has been insisting. She says the Templar Order is already being viewed unfavorably for being too pro-Elf in the city, and that you are a divisive figure in particular."

"Hard to argue with that." I replied, stepping over to lean a hip against my bed. "What changed?"

"The Viscount finally sided with the Knight-Commander, agreeing that your counsel is required today." She replied.

I frowned at her. "What's today?"

"Representatives from the new Divine, Justinia the Fifth, arrived last week." Trevalyan informed me. "To discuss the... growing theological troubles in this March, as well as the continuing situation in the Gallows. They've completed their own investigations and a full conference has begun."

"And they want me there?" I asked, shaking my head. "Why not Elowen?"

"The Baronness is scheduled to appear tomorrow and the day after." She reported.

Damn. I sighed, "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

Trevelyan vainly tried not to smile, finally meeting my eyes again. "I don't think so, my lady. Should I wait for you at the door?"

"Yeah. Tell Varric's people where I'm off to if you could. He's out at some Guild event, but they'll get a runner to him. I'll tell Merrill." I paused, then added, "And maybe change again."

She gave me a final nod, slipping back out of my room. Not really wanting to get into my armor, I went with my sword belt and a heavy cloak instead. A quick check of the hallway confirmed Trevelyan was gone, letting me pull my Dream-catcher out. Sitting down, I closed my eyes, pushing my mana into the little hoop.

I kept that up until I felt the first ache in my temples, warning me I was pressing into magical exhaustion. It wasn't ideal, I really needed Thrask or Emeric to hit me with a drain to clear out the lasts bits of mana, but it would hopefully hold up so long as no one with a Templar's training physically touched me.

Musing on going down to the Alienage to have that done, I had to dismiss it for how long it would take, and how suspicious it would look to Trevelyan. She probably already suspected, no need to confirm it.

With nothing else to do, I got up, making my way toward the bathroom that Merrill had taken over once I'd been finished.

To my relief she was just leaving, fully dressed, though still toweling off her her hair.

"Lethallan?" She asked, blinking. "Why are you wearing your sword?"

"Meredith finally called." I told her. "Apparently there's a religious conference I'm supposed to attend to give advice or something. I don't know. Trevelyan wasn't big on the details, and I doubt she really knows why either."

Her face immediately pulled into an unhappy frown. "Those people. Why do they want you there?"

"Probably as part of Meredith's grand plan to make me Kirkwall's... whatever the hell she wants to make me."

I really wasn't sure on that, and no one else was entirely sure either. Plenty of rumors though. The ones from the Alienage said that Meredith wanted me to be her General, to lead a combined Templar-Guard force to drive the Qunari out of the city since she couldn't lead from the front anymore. Rumors from the Templars said I was supposed to be Meredith's second in command, and bodyguard, when she led an attack on Starkhaven to install Sebastian into power instead.

The one thing both agreed on was that there was some kind of scheme to give me a swath of land outside of the city. Not really as a reward, but as a means to forestall the inevitable noble revolt over my appointment as Guard-Commander above Brennan, merging the city's various groups under a single leader. Dumar would give me the land under the agreement that the Alienage's population would be moved there, freeing up the space inside the city for Human settlement instead.

Personally I didn't think it would work, even if I had been willing, which I wasn't. But then I really had no idea why they wanted me for the job to begin with.

Sure, Meredith liked me, but Dumar knew full well that I had zero military training. He'd know I wouldn't have any talent for that kind of thing... maybe Meredith was trying to push it through. Some scheme of hers, now that she had more time on her hands.

Blowing out a tired breath, I went on, "Trevelyan says Elowen's supposed to be there over the next two days, so figure I'll be busy at least that long. After that, maybe we can get Varric to get the entire crew together at the Hanged Man again."

Merrill perked up a little, "I would like that."

I started to nod, hesitated, then, said more quietly. "And, um, maybe the night after that, just the two of us could do something."

"Just us? What could-oh!" Her eyes widened, her throat working in a nervous swallow. "Um. You mean, just us. You and me?"

"I... yeah. I... think we need to talk." I cleared my throat. "Just the two of us."

Teeth nibbled at her lip for a moment before she asked, more quietly, "...the good kind of talk, or the bad kind of talk?"

"...the... I don't know." I sighed, "I think the good kind, but I am... so incredibly not good at this, Merrill. I'm really not."

In spite of my hedging she actually seemed to perk up, smiling at me. "I know, lethallan. It's all right. We can, um, talk about it then."

"Thanks." I said, and meant it. "I'll see you tonight."

Nodding, she came in for a quick hug that I returned. We'd just begun to separate when she hesitated, then leaned in to peck her lips against the base of my left ear. That would have been enough, but a second later I felt her teeth graze the skin there.

It made my entire body shudder, her name coming out in a strained little growl, heat rushing to places it didn't need to be. "Merrill."

"Sorry!" She squeaked, separating from me so quickly she seemed to blur. "I don't know why I did that! I'm sorry, I... I... I'm going now!"

She darted past me before I could do more than sway a little, a hand coming up to touch the spot she'd kissed. The spot that, apparently, she'd nearly nibbled on before stopping herself.

I half considered going after her before giving myself a light slap on the cheek instead.

Later.

That was for later.

Right now I needed to focus on something besides how adorable-

A second slap didn't help, so I made my third one a bit sharper. The sting got my brain working again, my legs moving down the hall. I was still in a vaguely fugue state by the time I got to the stairs heading up to the exit, finding Trevelyan about halfway up them.

Meredith's squire paused to wait for me near the door, opening it on a cool, wet day.

She managed to hold her tongue until we were outside, "...did she finally kiss you?"

A fifteen year old girl asking about it was enough to finally knock some sense into me. Shaking myself, I gave her a flat look. "We're not talking about my love life. And aren't you supposed to be pretending Merrill doesn't exist?"

"Well, yes." Trevelyan admitted, "Please? I really want to-"

"Evelyn."

For a woman in full plate armor, she managed an girlish noise of protest rather well. "I... yes, lady."

"Thank you." I told her. "Let's just get this over with."

She nodded, and proved thankfully willing to drop something that was none of her business. Instead she simply played the escort, walking beside me down puddle filled streets as we left the Dwarven Enclave, entering Hightown proper.

While the rain had stopped sometime overnight, it was still gray, cloudy, and rather miserable, so there really weren't many people out and about. Most of the foot traffic had the look of servants being sent out to fetch things for their bosses, all of them moving with quick, hurried steps of people who really wanted to get back indoors as soon as possible.

I didn't blame them. By the time we were halfway there the two of us had started mimicking the same style of walking, our eyes flicking up at the clouds in the hopes that they wouldn't drench us again.

Darting across the plaza as fast as we would without actually running, we took the stairs up to the Keep two at a time. There proved to be a double-section of Guards on duty, though Brennan had shown the good sense to get awnings set up for them in case it rained again. While I didn't recognize any of them, they waved us inside, where we found Aveline manning a desk that had been set up near the doors.

The redhead glanced up on seeing us, nodding once. "It's about time. The Knight-Commander was just asking me to send someone to hurry you along."

Trevelyan winced, "I'll apologize to her when I have the chance. I thought she'd be in the Alienage today, so it took me longer than I thought to find her. Are they still in the Viscount's office?"

"Yes, hurry up. And you," She glanced to me, "Please keep your temper in check today. The last thing this city needs is a feud with the new Divine on top of everything else."

I crossed my arms, unable to to stop myself from getting a little annoyed. As far as I could tell, Kirkwall seemed the same as always on the street level, so I wasn't sure why everyone in power seemed convinced it was an instant away from violence.

I was especially not sure why everyone in power seemed convinced that I was going to be the one to light that spark.

It annoyed the fuck out of me though.

"So long as they keep their own attitudes in check." I replied rather tartly. "It's not like I asked to be summoned here."

Aveline tapped a finger on her desk, probably stopping herself from saying anything more than what she did. "I know, but that's precisely what concerns me. Go, you're already late."

Huffing, I set off, mostly remembering the way. My personal Templar escort followed me, correcting me when I made to take a left when I should have gone right. All told we made it to the doors in decent time, where I found a mixed group of Templars and Guards, along with a trio of of men in outfits I didn't recognize.

Their armor had been tinted dark, giving it an ominous look even without the black tabbards they wore. All three had enough knives for an entire squad on their belts, a short sword on a hip, and a bow slung over their shoulders. Cowls covered their heads, bandannas covering their faces. I'd have thought them rather pretentious mercenaries if not for the sigil of the Orlesian Chantry on their chests; the only color to be found on their outfits.

"Lady Maeve and escort." Trevelyan called in her 'official' voice. "Summoned by the Knight-Commander of Kirkwall for the Conference between the Divine and the City."

The men didn't speak. One of them merely nodded, holding one hand up.

"Lady," The girl whispered, "Your sword, and anything else you've got."

I grunted at the reminder, reaching down to unbuckle the sheathed blade, offering it to her. She took it, tucking it under one arm, then accepted the dagger I pulled out of my boot. When the silent man pointed at my other foot, I rolled my eyes but removed it, holding it upside down to prove there wasn't a second on inside.

He nodded once when I finished, then knocked on the door a single time before going through, shutting it behind him.

"I'll be here with your weapons, lady." Trevelyan promised, moving to stand next to the other Templars on guard, leaving me to wait for the door to open again.

It did after another minute or so, the silent man motioning for me to head inside.

They'd rearranged Dumar's office for the meeting. His old desk was gone, replaced with a long table. He sat at the head of it, with Meredith seated directly beside him, with Cullen on her right, and then Elthina in a power position in the center. To her own right were a group of Revered Mothers I didn't recognize.

Across from them were more old women, all wearing the same ridiculous robes and hats, with a single extreme exception.

Cassandra Pentaghast was seated directly across from Meredith, wearing the light armor I remembered from the early parts of Inquisition.

She wasn't beautiful in person. Not like Hawke or Isabella, and neither was she cute like Merrill. But she was... striking in a way that was hard to describe. The kind of person that no statue could do justice to, because no statue could move and breathe as she did. Could project an almost physical aura of personality. When her eyes snapped to mine I honestly felt more intimidated than I'd ever felt before people far larger and more imposing than she.

Hell. Even silent and sitting, the sheer force of her willpower dominated the room. I saw more than one person seem ready to speak on my entrance, only to nervously glance Cassandra's way before choosing to stay silent less they irritate her.

It was easy to see how she could have been the Inquisitor, if she'd simply wanted the job. Or how she might become Divine.

She eyed me as I cautiously approached the table, her accented voice cutting through the air. "You are the Knight Maeve?"

I blinked at the vague disbelief in her voice, trying not to sound small when I replied. "Um, yeah. That's me. What is this about?"

She frowned, then glanced to Meredith, who nodded once. "I see. Very well. You shall accompany me at once to answer my questions."

More blinking. Wait. Was this an interrogation? Why the fuck was the Hand of the Divine interrogating me?

Cassandra had already risen, and taken two steps towards the patio exit when she realized I hadn't moved.

"Knight." She said, her voice flat. "That was not a request."

My eyes went to Meredith, pleading for an explanation. She twitched her chin, telling me to go with the other woman without saying a word. Letting out a frustrated breath, I gave her a tired salute that made her tilt her head in approval, then I set off to follow the Seeker.

She'd started walking again the moment I'd gotten moving, leaving me hurrying to catch up with my shorter strides. Moving down the open patio outside, she led me past the space where I'd once met with Dumar, Elthina, and Elowen, after that singularly shitty night that had seen so many Elves killed.

On the far side was another little door that opened to a smaller, much cozier office. Someone had already gotten a fire going, leaving it toasty warm, and two chairs had been set up facing one another. There were even glasses of what looked like wine sitting on a table, along with an opened bottle.

Cassandra didn't take a glass, and neither did I, though I doubted our reasons were the same.

She stalked over to the far chair, sitting rigidly, while I eased myself down into the one across from her.

"You will tell me, exactly, what happened during the last Grand Tourney. From the opening ball until the final events." She instructed before I could say anything.

"...shouldn't you already know that?" I asked.

Cassandra...

...made a disgusted sound.

In spite of everything, my mood, the tense situation... I still squeed a little inside, even if I kept my expression rigidly neutral.

"I have heard several versions of those events." Her fingers drummed once on the arm of her chair. "I would know the truth, and you are apparently the only one who witnessed the majority of events from start to finish."

Tapping my own finger on my knee a few times, I exhaled, then leaned back in my seat. "All right, I guess."

And then I spent more than an hour recapping those events for her, from my point of view. Excising everything about Greg and I not being from Earth, naturally, and just going with the accepted narrative of him trying to mold me into an agent in the city so he could better fake his 'visions'. I told her how Hawke had exiled him, how the Wardens had threatened me, and then how they'd acted when I'd turned down their offer.

Cassandra interjected far less than I'd expected. Once or twice she stopped me with a raised hand, demanded clarification of what Hawke had said to him, or what the Dalish Warden had told me during her little threatening session, but then waved for me to resume.

She lost some of her stone-face when I got to Petrice's death, when I confirmed that we'd been in a strange, chaste little... thing I still couldn't really describe.

"There is wine if you need it." She'd said quietly, her honest sympathy reminding me that she was a closet romantic.

I shook my head. "No, I'm all right, but thank you."

"If you're sure. What happened after the Golem pursued the Knight-Commander?"

I told her how I'd spotted Brosca, and torn off in pursuit, running into more Wardens on the way. The vague details of the unpleasant chase, sans my use of magic, followed by how I'd managed to my hands on a bow to kill him.

"...and that was pretty much it, unless you want me to tell you how I nearly drank myself to death after." I finished.

"No, of course not." She seemed to consider me for a long moment, then said. "Our sources say that you found the Tome of Koslun. That you gave it to a pirate, who sold it to Tevinter."

I blinked. "There was an extra pirate in there, but yeah."

Her sympathy for my earlier story faded quickly, her eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"She's a friend who had a death mark on her head until she found it." I said, parroting what I'd told The Iron Bull. "I wasn't about to ruin her life even further by doing anything else with it. Besides, the Qunari are fucking evil. If the books ended up in the hands of their mortal enemies, I don't really see a downside."

"You hate the Qun?" She pressed.

"Any reasonable person should." I replied. "I mean, I try not to hate the individual people in the system, not unless they do something directly to me, but I sure as hell hate the system itself."

My language seemed to throw her off for a moment, it always did for people dealing with me for the first time, but she moved past it fairly quickly.

"I see." Cassandra regarded me for a few seconds, then gave me a new order. "Tell me of the attack on the Alienage by Maleficar, the one that occurred three years ago."

I sighed, did my best to get comfortable, and then relayed that unpleasant story. Again excising any mention of my magic, or of Merrill's presence.

That time it was a lot harder because she clearly wanted the blow-by-blow account as best I could remember it, and was far quicker to interject, to demand the exact details of how the battle lines had formed up and engaged. How I'd commanded, then fought once the engagement had fallen apart.

By the time I finished it was nearly noon, and a servant had come and gone to drop off a light try of salted meat and bread.

We hadn't taken a break to eat. Cassandra had kept up her inquisition in between quick bites of food, moving on to questioning my time in Ferelden, and then what I'd gotten up to as a privateer after Allistair and Anora had given Isabella a letter of marque.

It was mid-afternoon when she finally let me stop and call for more water, adding just a bit of wine to give it some flavor. Guzzling it down helped ease my sore throat, and let me giver her an annoyed scowl from my chair.

"I've been putting up with this for five hours now." I told her as she finally took a glass of wine for herself, sipping it. "What the fuck is this about?"

Cassandra grunted, a tone just different enough from her trademark noise that I could tell the difference. "The Knight-Commander warned me that you were uncouth. It seems she was correct about that."

"Yeah. You going to tell me or what?"

Her disgusted noise came out again, but she did actually answer the question. "There is a developing feud between Starkhaven and Kirkwall that is threatening to become a war. The Grand Cleric sent a plea to Most Holy to help calm matters before violence could break out between the faithful."

"Ah." I considered that for a moment, then shrugged. "All right, but why am I here?"

"A variety of reasons." She replied, "You were centrally involved in the events we have already discussed, events that have brought this city to the notice of many. You are viewed as a leading proponent of Elven rights, but in the Adrastrian tradition rather than the Dalish. A talking point in the Imperial Court, and in the halls of the Divine Chantry."

I winced, not at all pleased to be that well known. Especially not in Orlais. "...fuck."

Her lips twitched. "Yes. Ironic, you are not devout at all, are you?"

I hesitated, then had to say, "Not really. Part of me has always kind of wanted to believe, I guess, but the shitty things people do in the name of faith always stops me. Plus some of it is just so much nonsense that I can't bring myself to pretend."

"Nonsense?"

Hearing the warning note in her voice, and knowing how faithful she was, I clarified. "Why does the Maker favor Humans above Dwarves, or Elves, or Kossith, or anything else on this world? Don't we all have souls?"

A quiet grunt. "Ah, yes. That argument."

"You've heard it before?" I asked.

"Many times." She actually sighed, "Most often from Elves, or the occasional Dwarf who does believe. It is one I sympathize with, as much as it is possible for me to do so."

Huh. I honestly wouldn't have expected that from Cassandra, though maybe I should have. She'd never shown any sign of bigotry towards the various species of Thedas in the games, even if she could be a bit pig-headed when it came to the Dalish faith.

I shook myself a little, sipped my juice, and went on. "Point is that my faith is vague at the best of times. Most of what I did, I did because it was the best way to stay alive and help the Alienage. The Templars and the Chantry have the power in the city, so they're what I had to work with."

"I see." A finger tapped the side of her glass, then it rose to her lips before falling. "My prior point stands. I feel safe in stating that you are not pleased to be in the position that you are in, but that does not change the facts of the matter. Your long absence allowed rumors to flourish. Speaking with the Revered Mothers and the local nobility, it is taken for granted that your diversion into privateering was done on the Knight-Commander's behalf."

I had to blink. "I thought the leading rumor was that I fled in shame of my failures."

"It depends on the noble you question, and we questioned many before this conference began." She replied. "It is presumed by many that you were softening up the Qunari on her behalf, and that your return heralds an imminent attack on the compound. An attack that will be merely a preparatory action before Kirkwall marches on Starkhaven."

I let out a long, exhausted breath. "I'd heard a few of those, but not together like that. Did Meredith correct you?"

Cassandra... gave me a look of purest sympathy, and my heart dropped at once.

"...fuck me. She confirmed them?" I whispered.

"She did." Her glass shifted, "She admitted that she did not send you to prey on Qunari shipping, though she was certainly glad of your actions. As for the rest? Yes, she entirely plans to have you lead an assault on the Qunari within this city, to remove that threat before she marshals the city's forces to move on Starkhaven. There to displace the ruling Prince in favor of one more willing to obey the Chantry and the Order. You would be her second during that campaign, allowing Knight-Captain Rutherford to remain in Kirkwall to supervise the Gallows. After which you would take a new position as a leader of a combined Guard in this city."

I had to set my drink down so that I could run my hands over my face, then through my hair. "No. No way in hell am I getting involved in military campaigns."

Cassandra spoke as if I hadn't. "The Knight-Commander assures me that she can change your mind. That you would relish defeating the Qunari, that you agree with her that Starkhaven must rebuild their Circle. By force, if necessary."

"Well, yeah, the Gallows is an overcrowded, rebellious, hellhole. It really needs to have mages moved out of it, for their own sake as well as the city's." I admitted, "And Starkhaven should have been made to rebuild years ago. And I certainly wouldn't complain if the Qunari got punched in the nose, but that doesn't mean that I want to be involved in either of those things!"

My voice had risen a little at the end, returning the more natural scowl to Cassandra's face.

"Calm yourself." She ordered. "I sympathize, as I said, and I assure you that the Divine is no more interested in this... adventurism than you are."

Swallowing, I forced myself to take a few deep breaths, to relax. "...meaning?"

"Meaning that there will be no action taken against Starkhaven by Kirkwall." Cassandra said, extremely firmly. "Either openly or covertly. The Chantry itself shall handle the Prince's refusal, and will see a new Circle begin construction, under my personal supervision, as soon as I arrive there."

Oh. Good. Good.

"Good." I murmured, swallowing, "Um, and the Qunari?"

"That is... murkier." She admitted. "While the Divine has no desire for bloodshed, and the Grand Cleric here is absolutely opposed, the fact remains that the Qunari are powerful heretics who are a danger to all of the faithful. I have been empowered to either encourage or discourage the Knight-Commander in that matter, a decision I shall make once this conference concludes, and I have as many truths as required to make an informed choice on the Divine's behalf."

"Oh." I said. "Don't suppose you could tell me which way you're leaning?"

"No." She replied bluntly.

"...if you do, could you-"

She cut me off, clearly knowing where I was going with that. "Should I decide to allow the Order to move on the local Qunari, who the Knight-Commander involves in that campaign would be entirely her own choice."

I grimaced, shutting up.

That seemed to earn her approval, her voice warmed slightly when she went on. "I believe that is all for today. Tomorrow you shall arrive at the ninth bell for further discussion on the Qunari with myself and the Knight-Commander."

...fuck.

"...yes, messere. I'll be here."