The next day came all too soon. While Jacquelyn's body was in far less pain after a good night's rest, her mind was still in turmoil. There was still a rage boiling inside her, and she knew that it would not be sated until she had sentenced Siara appropriately. She could not stand for such insubordination. But there were other things to attend to before she could deal to Siara. Dedrick needed sentencing, and Ser Barris had well and truly proven himself time and again to be more than worthy of becoming the Knight-commander of the Templars present at Skyhold.

She could feel Cullen's eyes on her as she ascended the throne in the main hall, glancing over to meet his gaze. Those brown eyes of his, usually so soft, held an edge to them. He was worried. Jacquelyn tried her best to ease his concerns with a smile, but she didn't have time to discuss things with him.

"Mayor Gregory Dedrick of Crestwood is present for betraying his own constituents," Josephine started almost as soon as Jacquelyn had taken her seat. Jacquelyn looked around to Josephine, hardly listening to what the woman was saying, watching the shrunken man before her. He seemed smaller than he had when they first met, as though the guilt of what he had done was eating away at him. And yet, there was defiance still etched on his face.

"The Mayor claims it was to spare the rest of Crestwood, but we only have his word," Josephine finished, Jacquelyn only now realising that she had missed a lot of what she had said. She briefly glanced at the ambassador, then returned her attention to the man in front of her.

"Does he have anything to say in his defence?"

"There's no cure for the Blight," Dedrick exclaimed, looking up from the ground, "but I couldn't convince anyone to leave a sick child or husband behind."

Jacquelyn's eyes drifted to a point behind Dedrick, where Siara had arrived. Cassandra stood at her side, clearly having been the one to bring the Blade to the hall. But Jacquelyn hardly looked at the Seeker, her eyes lingering on Siara. There was a coldness in the young woman's eyes, hatred aimed at Dedrick. It seemed that she didn't particularly buy what the man was saying.

"So you heralded the infected into one place and flooded Old Crestwood? Were no innocents caught in the waters?" Josephine demanded.

"Nearly everyone in the village had the Blight, I swear it!" Dedrick implored. "Have mercy. I couldn't tell the survivors I'd drowned their own families to save them - I couldn't!"

Silence fell over the hall for a moment, Jacquelyn just watching Siara. Her mind wasn't wanting to concentrate on the matters at hand, reliving over and over again how it felt when Siara's fist had collided with her nose. The pain. The anger. The shame at having been assaulted in front of her own people. She didn't want to be judging Dedrick. She wanted to be judging Siara. She wanted to see Siara squirm, not Dedrick. Siara's eyes flicked from the Mayor to Jacquelyn, raising her chin slightly in defiance. She knew what was coming. Jacquelyn hated that Siara didn't seem to be more afraid.

"You lied for ten years about your crime," Jacquelyn started, once more forcing her attention back to Dedrick, "and then you fled after you confessed your guilt. You attempted to avoid justice after committing an awful crime. You shall be exiled from Ferelden. I am certain that the crown will agree."

"I knew your coming meant the end," Dedrick muttered, "one way or the other."

Jacquelyn hardly paid attention as Dedrick was led out of the hall, her eyes lingering on Siara. Dedrick and his guards paused just beside Siara, and the elf muttered something to the former mayor. Fear flitted across the man's face before he was finally led from the hall, and a part of Jacquelyn almost wondered what Siara had said to him.

"Next we have - "

"Whoever you have planned can wait a moment," Jacquelyn interrupted. "I would like to handle this situation with Siara, first."

Josephine looked stunned, eyes darting from Siara, to Cassandra, Cullen, and then finally back to Jacquelyn. Jacquelyn wouldn't have been surprised if her advisors had met after she had gone to bed to discuss matters, and she found that it only irked her slightly. What would they have to discuss? Siara had been nothing but a thorn in their side, and now she had gone too far. It was time to end things.

Siara scoffed slightly at Jacquelyn's words, at how dismissive she was being of Josephine. She watched as the ambassador crossed over to the throne, whispering earnestly to Jacquelyn for a moment before stepping back and looking at Siara.

"Namasiara Adahlen, also known as the Blade," Josephine announced, her voice strong and steady despite how uncertain she looked. "Could you please come forward."

She looked almost as though she were a sheep caught in the crossfire, or something to that extent, and Siara just did her best to give her a reassuring smile. She stepped forward, head held high, but didn't get far before Cassandra grabbed her wrist. Siara turned to face her, confused.

"What?"

"Don't make things worse," Cassandra muttered to her.

"Relax, I have a plan."

"That doesn't reassure me."

Siara smiled, shrugging, then turned back to face Jacquelyn. She did her best to seem confident, almost indifferent to what was going on around her, doing her best to pay no attention to the whispering of the crowd around her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Cullen darting a look at Cassandra, but Siara didn't want to think about what he might have been trying to convey to the woman. The only thought in Siara's head was that she was deep in it now, and she had to do her best to minimise the damages. At least Jacquelyn's nose seemed to be in one piece, even though Siara wished that it wasn't. She suspected that if the Inquisitor's nose had been properly broken, she'd be in even deeper shit.

Her feet stopped at the base of the steps up to Jacquelyn's throne, the spot where Dedrick had stood not long before. The whispering in the room stopped, silence falling like a shroud over the room. For a moment Jacquelyn just watched Siara, and all the Blade could feel was her heart beating in her chest.

"Namasiara Adahlen, you stand accused of assaulting the Inquisitor, Jacquelyn Trevelyan," Josephine said.

"Your actions are reprehensible," Jacquelyn spoke, her voice hard. "I cannot tolerate these actions, and certainly not in light of - "

"Oh, cool it," Siara cut in, seeing Cullen bristle out the corner of her eye. If the room could have gotten any more quiet, then it did. The atmosphere changed, everyone waiting to see how the Inquisitor would react to Siara so brazenly interrupting her. But Siara wasn't done. She didn't wait as Jacquelyn took a breath, her cheeks beginning to turn red.

"I know what I did, as do most of the people here. We don't need a recap," Siara said. "And I have only one thing to say about it."

"Siara - " Cullen tried to intervene, stepping forward, but Siara just held her hand up to stop him, her eyes never leaving Jacquelyn.

"I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?" Jacquelyn's harsh frown vanished, replaced by a look of pure surprise, a murmur passing through the crowd.

"I said I'm sorry," Siara repeated, biting back the urge to snap at the woman. "I recognise that what I did was wrong. If a situation like the one we found ourselves in yesterday came up again, I would not repeat my actions. I realise that this does nothing to undo the damage that I have done, and as such, I will accept whatever punishment you bestow upon me without argument," Siara bowed her head slightly, looking at the ground at Jacquelyn's feet. "My fate is in your hands, Inquisitor."

The silence lingered for longer than Siara expected it to, which she could only hope was a good thing.

"In light of your recognition of your wrongdoings, I am inclined to show mercy," Jacquelyn spoke evenly, but sounded as though she was forcing the words out through clenched teeth. "You are to be sent to fight in the field for the Inquisition. Commander Rutherford shall determine where. You shall only return once I permit it."

Siara only bowed deeper, stepping back.

"Of course, Inquisitor," she said, then turned and left the room, feeling the eyes of everyone on her as she walked out with her head held high.