Chapter 84
As Eamon's talk drew to a close, the side door opened with the force of a bronto kick, hitting the wall with a deafening slam, and in strode Loghain flanked by his soldiers. His slow clap mocked the Arl's speech. "A fine performance, Eamon, but no one here is taken in by it." A sneer stretched across his pale face. "You would attempt to put a puppet on the throne and every soul here knows it. The better question is, who will pull the strings?"
Aedan and his party walked forward, stopping in the centre of the chamber; the three Grey Wardens stood side by side, with Alistair in the middle, and Leliana standing directly behind him, dressed in the robes of a Lay sister. Emma knew that the Grand Cleric of Denerim would be present, and she wanted this little display to suggest that the Chantry stood behind the future king of Ferelden. It was all about presentation.
"Ah! And here we have the puppeteer." Loghain started his tirade again. "Tell us, Warden: How will the Orlesians take our nation from us? Will they deign to send their troops, or simply issue their commands through this would-be prince?" He walked towards the throne, before turning to face them. "What did they offer you? How much is the price of Fereldan honour now?"
Aedan took a step forward. "The Blight is the real threat here, not Orlais."
That won a response from some of the nobles, with Bann Alfstanna leading the way. "There are enough refugees in my bannorn now to make that abundantly clear."
Arl Wulff joined in. "The south has fallen, Loghain! Will you let darkspawn take the whole country for fear of Orlais?"
Loghain turned to the Arl of West Hills. "The Blight is indeed real, Wulff. But do we need Grey Wardens to fight it?" He started pacing the wide hall. "They claim that they alone can end the Blight, yet they failed spectacularly against the darkspawn at Ostagar, and they ask to bring with them four legions of Chevaliers. And once we open our borders to the Chevaliers, can we really expect them to simply return from whence they came?"
Aedan spoke up. "You sold Fereldan citizens into slavery to fund your war."
Bann Sighard leaned over the wooden railing, his face indignant. "What's this? There is no slavery in Ferelden. Explain yourself."
Loghain turned to Sighard to answer the accusation. "There is no saving the Alienage. Damage from the riots has yet to be repaired. There are bodies still rotting in their homes. It is not a place I would send my worst enemy. There is no chance of holding it if the Blight comes here."
He looked at Aedan. "Despite what you may think, Warden, I have done my duty. Whatever my regrets may be for the elves, I have done what was needed for the good of Ferelden."
"Did you let Howe torture citizens for the good of Ferelden?"
Once again, Bann Sighard addressed the assembly. "Howe took my only son! The things done to him… some are beyond any healer's skill."
Loghain dismissed Howe's actions and demanded to know where his daughter was, Aedan attempted to turn the spotlight back on the Teyrn's crimes, but Loghain persisted. Anora stepped into the chamber. "I believe I can speak for myself. Lords and ladies of Ferelden, hear me. This Warden has slandered and defamed Fereldan's greatest hero in a bid to put an imposter on Maric's throne. I was kidnapped, and held prisoner."
Emma fixed the queen with a cold stare. "It seems betrayal runs deep in the Mac Tir bloodline. Perhaps I should call in your ex-handmaiden, Erlina, to get to the truth?"
Anora's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Erlina is still in my employment."
Emma smiled. "Not any more. When I told her there was a possibility of you betraying us, she vowed to come forward and speak the truth, if necessary. Fear of the Blight is a powerful motivator, milady."
As Anora stood there, frozen with panic and fear, Aedan offered her a way out. "Perhaps the Queen would like to revise her statement? I'm sure in all the excitement, you got your story wrong."
"I... Yes, of course. I meant to say that Howe kidnapped me and held me prisoner, and the brave Wardens rescued me."
The nobles had heard enough, and one by one, they aligned themselves with the Grey Wardens, all except for Ser Ceorlic, who always supported Loghain. Alistair stepped forward. "The people of Ferelden have spoken, Loghain. Step down gracefully." Instead of doing so, the Teyrn ranted about how they were all traitors, and after he finally ran out of steam, he asked for the terms of the duel to be set.
Alfstanna stepped forward. "It shall be fought according to tradition; a test of arms in single combat until one party yields. And we who are assembled will abide by the outcome."
Loghain looked at Aedan. "Will you be fighting the duel yourself, or did you have a champion in mind?"
Alistair moved in front of Aedan. "I'll be fighting the duel."
Loghain's eyebrows shot up, obviously surprised by the ferociousness of the man he'd referred to as a puppet. "Then let us test the mettle of this would-be king."
The tension grew as everyone drew back to allow the two warriors some room. Weapons were drawn, and the two men circled each other, watching for that tell-tale sign that announced an attack was forthcoming. It came first from Loghain who let out a mighty War Cry, and so the two were locked in battle. Emma rubbed her sweating palms against her armour. Damn! This was completely nerve-wracking; in the game, she'd been certain of her victory, but now, it was out of her hands, and she had to rely on Alistair's skill to win the day. Not that she doubted him, he was an extremely talented warr- Whack!
The sound snapped Emma from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Alistair hit the floor with a clatter of armour. Ah, fuck! Her fists curled up into balls and her whole body tensed at the thought of what would happen if he failed. Maybe she should have given him a pep talk. A reminder of what Loghain's betrayal had cost them, although that might have just pissed him off too much to concentrate on the fight.
Alistair climbed back to his feet and surged forward, slamming into Loghain with the force of a bull. That signalled the end of the fight because, after that move, Alistair allowed his enemy no quarter. When the Teyrn finally fell to his knees in surrender, Emma just about managed to stop herself from clapping.
A crowd gathered around the two warriors, including Emma and Aedan, who stood next to their fellow Warden. Loghain rose to his feet. "So there is some of Maric in you after all. Good." His eyes reflected the knowledge that he was about to meet his death.
"Forget Maric. This is for Duncan." Alistair looked over to Aedan and Emma, a question in his eyes; they both gave a slight nod, which he returned. Then, without any further ado, he swung the sword and decapitated Loghain.
Alistair readily accepted the position of king, and after Anora refused to swear fealty to him, he declared, "Put her in the tower for now. If I fall against the Blight, then she can have her throne. If not… then we'll see."
Anora stared at him in surprise. "You would give me a chance for the throne, after all this?"
Alistair smirked. "I said if I fall, Anora. If I fall, the throne will be yours. I won't kill you while there's a chance that can happen. Somebody has to treat this Blight seriously."
Anora gave a gracious nod. "That is uncharacteristically wise of you."
"Yes, well, don't let it get around. I have a reputation."
Aedan leaned over to Emma. "She has a real talent for making a compliment sound like an insult." She chuckled but nudged him to be quiet as Alistair addressed the nobles. He ended his speech with a request. "I would ask Aedan Cousland to take over as leader of my armies." Aedan looked up quickly, then glanced over to Emma who just grinned. "He's waiting for an answer."
"I could do no less, my King," Aedan formally replied.
After that, all the companions were shown to a large room to discuss the recent turn of events as they waited for Alistair to return from his talk with his uncle. Aedan leaned against the massive dining table. "So, when did you get around to talking to Erlina?"
Emma cleared her throat. "I… well, I didn't. It was a bluff."
Zevran applauded her. "I knew I could teach you something about playing cards."
Aedan laughed and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Very well played, Angel."
Thirty minutes later Alistair walked into the room; he received congratulations from his friends with a smile, but he was clearly distracted. When everyone quietened down, he spoke to them all. "Arl Eamon has left for Redcliffe. He's received word that the armies are almost ready to march and that we should follow as soon as we're ready." A solemn silence fell over the group, and Emma swallowed past a lump in her throat, scarcely able to believe that in a few days, they would be at war.