The Herald's party was allowed into Redcliffe castle without fuss, and a steward waited to greet them on their entry. He surveyed the group with stern disapproval.

"Announce us," Ellethir ordered.

The steward pursed his lips. "The magister's invitation was for Mistress Lavellan alone. The rest will wait here."

Ellethir's eyes narrowed. "Where I go, they go."

The steward sighed. "If you would wait here a moment." He turned on his heel and left, returning a few minutes later.

"You may be accompanied by two," he announced. Both Fae and Cassandra stepped forward at the same time, and the steward nodded his assent. "Very good. Come with me, please."

Alexius was sitting on the throne in the main hall, a smaller replica of the king's throne as was traditional for the arls, teryns, and banns; a reminder that they represented the interests of the Crown, and that their authority came from the King himself. Felix stood to the left of his father, and Fiona was also present, standing off to the right at the bottom of the stairs. The room was lit mainly by the large fireplace some distance behind the throne, casting shadows around the stone pillars that lined both sides of the thickly-carpeted walkway.

"My lord magister, the agents of the Inquisition have arrived," the steward announced.

Alexius stood. "My friend!" he said, arms open wide. "It's so good to see you again. And your… associates, of course. I'm sure we can work out some arrangement that is equitable to all parties."

Fiona stepped forward. "Are we mages to have no voice in deciding our fate?"

Alexius shook his head. "Fiona," he said condescendingly, "you would not have turned your followers over to my care if you did not trust me with their lives."

"If the grand enchanter wants to be part of these talks, then I welcome her as a guest of the Inquisition," Ellethir said smoothly.

Fiona turned towards her, evidently surprised. "Thank you."

Alexius sat back down on the throne. "Very well. The Inquisition needs mages to close the Breach, and I have them. So, what shall you offer in exchange?"

Ellethir smiled. "Nothing at all. I'm just going to take the mages and leave."

Alexius smiled back, interpreting her response as a joke to lighten the mood. "Oh? And how do you imagine you'll accomplish such a feat?"

Felix turned towards him. "She knows everything, Father," he said solemnly.

Alexius' smile faded. "Felix, what have you done?"

Ellethir's smile had also disappeared. "You wanted me here. Why?"

Alexius scoffed. "Do you know what you are? You walk into my stronghold with your stolen mark- a gift you don't even understand- and think you're in control?" He stood up again. "You're nothing but a mistake."

Ellethir made a face. "If I'm a mistake, what exactly was the Breach supposed to accomplish?"

"It was to be a triumphant moment for the Elder One, for this world!"

"Father, listen to yourself!" Felix pleaded. "Do you know what you sound like?"

"He sounds exactly like the sort of villainous cliché everyone expects us to be."

Fae turned to see Dorian approaching. She noticed that several Tevinter agents that hadn't been there before, had stationed themselves between the pillars.

"Dorian. I gave you a chance to be a part of this. You turned me down. The Elder One has power you would not believe. He will raise the Imperium from its own ashes," Alexius proclaimed.

"That's who you serve? The one who killed the Divine? Is he a mage?" Ellethir questioned.

Alexius smirked. "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 protested angrily. Behind her, Fae watched one of the Tevinter agents collapse back silently into the shadows. Their plan was already in motion.

"Alexius, this is exactly what you and I talked about never wanting to happen!" Dorian warned. "Why would you support this?"

"Stop this, Father!" Felix pleaded. "Let the southern mages fight the Breach, and let's go home."

"No!" Alexius hissed. "It's the only way, Felix. He can save you!"

"Save me?"

"There is a way," Alexius insisted fervently. "The Elder One promised. If I undo the mistake at the Temple…"

Felix shook his head sadly. "I'm going to die. You need to accept that."

Alexius scowled and looked away. "Seize them, Venatori! The Elder One demands this woman's life!"

In response, there were several slicing sounds followed by desperate gurgles as the remaining Tevinter agents fell, and this time, the Inquisition agents remained within sight, glaring up at the magister.

"Your men are dead, Alexius," Ellethir said, stating the obvious.

"You… are a mistake," Alexius growled. "You should never have existed!" He pulled a pendant out of his pocket. He whispered something unintelligible and it rose from his hand, sizzling and glowing ominously.

"No!" Dorian swung his staff in Alexius' direction. The magic that came from it mimicked the same glow and sizzle of the pendant, but it only served to make Alexius stumble a little. Then, a swirling mass appeared in the air, knocking everyone in the vicinity off their feet as a wave of force washed over them as the mass expanded. It hovered in the air a few moments longer, and then withdrew with a blinding flash.

Fae blinked a few times, waiting for her eyes to readjust to the light. There was a small pile of ashes on the ground below where the mass had been, and as she looked around, she realised both Ellethir and Dorian were missing from the room. She stood up shakily. "Where…?" she whispered. Her eyes drifted back to the pile of ashes. They had just been standing there a moment ago. It couldn't be…

The swirling mass reappeared, this time spewing black smoke as it spun and expanded. It disappeared behind the smoke, which dissipated impossibly fast on its own to reveal Ellethir and Dorian once more. Their clothes were ripped, covered in dark splotches and blood, and their faces were drawn.

Dorian rounded on Alexius. "You'll have to do better than that," he said lightly, his expression lined with exhaustion. Alexius fell to his knees, and said nothing.

"You failed, Alexius," Ellethir said, tears pricking her eyes despite the fury in her voice. "How forgiving is your Elder One?"

"You've won," he answered bitterly. "There is no point extending this charade. Felix…"

Felix kneeled down to meet his eyes. "It's going to be alright, Father," he reassured him.

Alexius shook his head. "You'll die," his voice cracked.

"Everyone dies," Felix reminded him, helping his father to his feet. Two Inquisition agents approached, and Alexius allowed them to escort him out of the main hall without another word, with Felix following in tow.

Fae hurried over to Ellethir. "Are you alright? What happened?" She was answered by a tight hug, Ellethir's arms surprisingly strong despite their leanness.

"Well, I'm glad that's over with," Dorian said cheerily. He made to leave, but the sound of many boots marching in their direction gave him pause. A dozen Ferelden soldiers entered the main hall, forming a guard on either side.

"…Orrr not."

A familiar voice echoed through the hall. "Grand Enchanter," King Alistair began, "Imagine how surprised I was to learn you'd given Redcliffe Castle away to a Tevinter magister."

Fiona gasped. "King Alistair!"

"Especially since I'm fairly sure Redcliffe belongs to Arl Teagan," Alistair finished, scowling.

"Your Majesty, we never intended…"

"I know what you intended. I wanted to help you, but you've made it impossible. You and your followers are no longer welcome in Ferelden," he said firmly.

"But... we have hundreds who need protection! Where will we go?" Fiona was visibly beginning to panic.

Ellethir walked to her side. "You'll be leaving here with the Inquisition."

Fiona looked relieved for a moment, but then thought better of it. "And… what are the terms of this arrangement?"

"Hopefully better than what Alexius gave you. The Inquisition is better than that, yes?" Dorian asked pointedly.

Fiona glanced back and forth between Ellethir and Alistair. "It seems we have little choice but to accept whatever you offer," she admitted.

"We would be honoured to have you fight as allies at the Inquisition's side," Ellethir announced.

"A generous offer," Fiona smiled gratefully. "But will the rest of the Inquisition honour it?"

"The Breach threatens all of Thedas. We cannot afford to be divided now," Ellethir said loudly for all to hear, and then continued in a quieter voice. "We can't fight it without you," she confessed sincerely. "Any chance of success requires your full support."

"I'd take that offer if I were you, grand enchanter," Alistair added. "One way or another, you're leaving my kingdom."

Fiona nodded. "We accept. It would be madness not to. I will gather my people, and ready them for the journey to Haven. The Breach will be closed. You will not regret giving us this chance."

"Thank you. We will depart as soon as your people are ready."