"You are not the Herald," the man who came to greet them said, frowning. "Magister Alexius has agreed only to speak to the Herald."
"The Herald is otherwise occupied," Siara responded, perfectly calmly, as though she were completely in control of the situation. "I have been sent to represent her until a later date, when she shall take over."
"And they are…?" he nodded to Solas and Blackwall, who stood diagonally behind her, one each side.
"Here to make sure I do my job properly," a frown passed over the man's face.
"Name?"
"The Blade."
"Please wait a moment. I shall speak to Magister Alexius."
"Tell him the Inquisition won't take no for an answer," Siara called after him. "If Alexius won't see me and my associates, then the Herald won't see him later."
He paused, half turning to face her, clearly trying to work out how serious she was being. Then he nodded, continuing on his way. Siara sighed, running a hand through her hair. A slight frown passed over her face. Her fingers felt a lot colder than they should. It wasn't painfully cold, but they certainly felt cool on her scalp. Which was strange. They pretty much never felt cold to the rest of her body, unless she was in a really cold environment.
"You handled that surprisingly well," Solas told her, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Thanks. I guess."
"You think he'll listen?" Blackwall asked, getting a shrug in response.
"We'll find out. Probably. He wants to get to the Herald. If I'm the only way that's going to happen, then he'll talk to me. Hopefully."
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"You've never heard of me, have you Blackwall?"
"The Blade? Not as much as I've heard about the Blood and the Bow."
Siara looked at the floor for a moment, then glanced around at him.
"I know what I'm doing well enough that I haven't died yet," she muttered, "so trust me."
Blackwall was frowning, but he nodded. They didn't have to wait much longer before the man returned. He didn't even bother to walk all the way down to greet them, stopping on the stairs and motioning for them to follow.
"Magister Alexius shall see you now."
"How kind of him," Siara smiled, making her way up the steps. Solas and Blackwall looked at the guards that stepped over to follow them, but Siara didn't react. She'd been in this kind of situation before. And besides, she was a weapon. She was aware of where everyone was. Or she was reasonably confident that she was. And if she wasn't, then she could adjust when those hidden showed themselves. So she walked as though there was nothing to be concerned about. Alexius sat on the throne at the far end of the room, looking perfectly regal. Beside him was a younger man who Siara assumed was Felix. He frowned slightly when he was her and not the Herald. She just went back to watching Alexius.
"My Lord Magister, the agents of the Inquisition have arrived."
"So," Alexius said, not sounding particularly friendly at all. "You're the famous Blade. What brings you here?" he asked, forcing a smile onto his face. Siara bowed slightly when she got within suitable range.
"I'm here to represent the Herald of Andraste until such a time that she can represent herself and the Inquisition."
"You do understand that I said specifically that I would only speak with the Herald?"
"Unfortunately, the Inquisition doesn't want to risk anything happening to the only person who can close the Breach. That is why I have been sent. When I am confident that nothing shall happen to the Herald, and once she has finished with her current business, she shall talk with her yourself," her eyes met his, and she could see clearly what his intent had been. They'd been right to send Siara and not Jacquelyn.
The rage in Alexius' eyes said it all. He'd been wanting the Herald so he could kill her. Most likely. Which meant that now it was Siara at risk. Who knew how this man would react now that he didn't have the opportunity to kill the Herald. And why did he want to kill Jacquelyn? Surely he knew that there were problems that needed her to fix them. Unless he didn't want them fixed. Alexius' smile got more forced.
"Very well," he said. "I can understand your concern. Welcome, Blade. Shall we get down to business?"
It was at that moment that an elf mage came along.
"Are we mages to have no voice in deciding our fate?" she demanded. Grand Enchanter Fiona, Siara supposed.
"Fiona, you would not have turned your followers over to my care if you did not trust me with their lives."
Siara had to bite her tongue to prevent her from making some kind of smartass comment.
"I don't see any harm in letting her be here for the discussion," she said. "No decisions will be made until the Herald is here, at any rate."
Alexius nodded, seeming slightly displeased but unwilling to push his luck.
"Very well," he agreed. "Shall we begin our talks?" he leaned back slightly in his seat. "The Inquisition needs mages to close the Breach, and I have them. So, what shall you offer in exchange?"
"I don't know," Siara said, perfectly honestly, "and I'm actually far more interested about how you managed to get time magic to work."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I think you do. No one is going to be studying something as dangerous as time magic aside from the Imperium. The Circles would have been thinking it far too dangerous so would never have allowed it. The Imperium, however, has no such constraints on magic."
"Siara, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Solas hissed, frowning. Siara half glanced around at him, then looked back to Alexius, who was smiling again. That same, pressed smile from before.
"I honestly don't know what you're talking about."
"She knows everything, Father," Felix said, turning to face Alexius.
"Felix, what have you done?"
"Your son's concerned about you," Siara told him. "He's afraid you might be involved in something terrible."
"So speaks a nobody," Alexius snapped. "Did you really think you could turn my son against me?"
"If anyone's turning him against you, it's you. I've never even met him."
"You come in here, speaking on behalf of the Inquisition, and you think that you're in control? You, who doesn't even have a proper name?" he demanded, rising from his throne and walking to the first step, looking down on them.
"Siara… if you have a plan, now might be a good time to use it," Solas muttered, looking around at the guards. Siara ignored him.
"Two things. One, I have a proper name," Siara smiled, almost sickeningly sweetly. "Namasiara Ar tu na'din," Solas gave her a strange look, mildly confused, a small frown on his face, though he didn't say anything, "and two... who killed the Divine, Alexius? What do you know about it?"
"It was the Elder One's moment, and you and your precious Herald are unworthy to stand in his presence."
"Father, listen to yourself, do you know what you sound like?"
"He sounds exactly like the kind of villainous cliché everyone expects us to be," Dorian said, walking from the shadows. Alexius' face darkened, Siara not taking her eyes off him.
"Dorian…" he stopped next to Siara, giving her a quick nod, then looked back at Alexius. "I gave you a chance to be a part of this, you turned me down."
"I wonder why," Siara muttered.
"The Elder One has power you would not believe, he will raise the Imperium from its own ashes."
"That's who you serve?" Siara frowned. "That's who killed the Divine? Is he a mage? And how the hell will he raise the Imperium from its own ashes?"
"Soon, he will become a god. He will make the world bow to mages once more. We will rule from the Boeric Ocean to the Frozen Seas."
"You can't involve my people in this!" Fiona objected, Siara glancing a look at her. Dorian stepped forward.
"Alexius, this is exactly what you and I talked about never wanting to happen! Why would you support this?" Siara looked around as one of Alexius' guards fell to his knees before being dragged away, then fixed her eyes once more on Alexius. The plan was moving along nicely. Now if only it could hurry up a little. Something just wasn't feeling quite right.
"Stop it, Father," Felix implored. "Give up the Venatori. Let the southern mages fight the Breach, and let's go home."
Alexius turned to face his son.
"No," he said, "It's the only way, Felix. He can save you."
"Save me?"
"There is a way," Alexius turned and looked at the fire behind throne he had just vacated. "The Elder One promised, if I undo the mistake at the Temple…" he looked down at the small group of Inquisition members in front of him.
"I'm going to die, Father," Felix told him, in no uncertain terms. "You need to accept that."
"But you ruined my plans," Alexius continued. "There is no way for me to allow you to leave this place. Seize them, Venatori."
He looked around just as the remaining of his Venatori collapsed the ground, replaced with Leliana's people. Siara glanced around at them, then to Alexius.
"Stand down, Alexius. We don't want to have to hurt you."
"You… You should never have resisted…" he pulled a medallion from his pocket, a strange green glow around it. Siara frowned, getting into a position better for fighting. Dorian was already ahead of her, however, magic forming in his hands.
"No!"
The powers collided, Siara automatically twisting away slightly in an attempt not to be caught up in the vortex it created. It didn't work, however, and the next thing she knew, she was being pulled into it, with no way of stopping.