The Wardens left under cover of night, out a side way that was guarded by the Guards Aveline trusted.
It wasn’t until morning that Aveline knew something had gone wrong.
Abigail awoke to someone pounding on the mansion door. Carver came to open it, grumbling, Abigail close behind.
Carver opened the door, and Aveline fair fell through.
“Aveline!” Abigail exclaimed. “What’s going on?”
“Abigail,” Aveline gasped, hanging onto the door. “They caught the Wardens.”
“What?” Abigail breathed.
Abigail followed Aveline out the door at her urging.
“They caught them trying to leave the city,” Aveline shook her head. “I posted Guards I trusted, but they were ready—there were Templars patrolling, and they cast a Silence on Velanna--”
“Oh no,” Abigail whispered. “They got all three of them?”
Aveline nodded. “They’re in custody now,” she said. “I’m stalling, but the Templars want Velanna, and they’re getting pushy about Nathaniel and Sigrun too.”
Abigail finished shrugging on her overcoat, and jogged to keep up with Aveline. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked. “My family hardly has any authority--”
“You have some,” Aveline snapped. “And even a little is better than nothing.”
“Is there anyone else willing to defend them?”
“King Alistair and the Ferelden nobility might,” Aveline said. “I sent out a messenger bird just a little while ago, but I don’t know how much good it’ll do.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Just be there while we talk with Meredith—any weight you have will help.”
“Are you sure? Bethany’s in the Circle, that will lower my family’s credibility in the eyes of the other nobles. One mage cousin is bad enough--”
Aveline sighed. “Abigail, I don’t know,” she said. “We just—need to try.”
Meredith was in full Templar plate armor, and her gaze was steely as she watched Aveline and Abigail enter the room.
“I see you have brought reinforcements, Guard-Captain,” she said, eyes flicking over Abigail.
“Knight Commander,” Abigail said.
“Lady Hawke.”
“I have heard there are Wardens in the city,” Abigail said. “What is this about arresting them?”
“These Wardens have committed crimes against Ferelden and the Chantry,” Meredith proclaimed. “As such, they are under Chantry jurisdiction.’
“Since when are Wardens Chantry jurisdiction?” Aveline demanded. “Legally, the Chantry holds no sway over any Warden, even criminals or apostates.”
“Incorrect,” Meredith waved her hand. “Divine Beatrix proclaimed that in extreme cases, such as maleficars or wrongdoing against the Chantry, the Chantry has oversight over the Wardens.”
“When did she do this?” Aveline asked, eyes narrowed. “I haven't heard of this.”
“It applies strictly to Templars and Seekers, not local Guard,” Meredith said. “You would not have needed to hear of it. As for when she did it...” Meredith produced a sheaf of parchment. “Here,” she slid the parchment across the table for Aveline to read.
Aveline scanned the parchment. “Divine Beatrix is dead,” she said. “Has this been challenged by Divine Justinia?”
“No.”
Aveline scowled and read through the parchment, while Abigail leaned forward.
“Are any of the Wardens apostates?” Abigail asked.
Meredith pursed her lips, her gaze level with Abigail’s. “One mage is among them,” she said. “A Dalish cast-off, I believe. That alone is enough to hold them.”
“What about the others? Why would you hold them if they’re not mages? What crimes have they committed?”
“These three Wardens were complicit in, and participated in the destruction of Amaranthine,” Meredith explained. “Nathaniel Howe was already wanted for crimes against Ferelden.”
“Then send word to King Alistair,” Aveline said, looking up from the parchment and folding her arms. “This sounds as if it has little to do with the Chantry. Ferelden and Warden authority supersedes yours.”
“It does not,” Meredith gave Aveline another sheaf of parchment “This documentation from Divine Beatrix and Lady Seeker Nicolene proclaims that all Warden mages must be recalled to the Circles upon the end of a Blight. Since there is no Blight, it is illegal for the mage to be outside of a Circle.”
Abigail flipped through the pages. She had never heard of such a thing—none of the Wardens had ever mentioned it.
“When was this--?” Abigail frowned.
“After Enchanter Surana fled the Templars,” Meredith explained. Neither Abigail nor Aveline missed that Meredith did not use Surana’s Warden title.
“Why was she being chased by Templars?”
“She was impelled to return to the Circle by the King,” Meredith said. “She did not. So the Divine ordered it formally.”
“And what of the other two Wardens?” Aveline rubbed her forehead and took the order from Abigail’s hand. “They haven’t anything to do with this.”
“They were sheltering the mage.”
“Templars hold no sway over non-mages.”
“Perhaps not—but it is possible they have information on other apostates, namely one spirit healer who has long been sought by the Chantry, and Enchanter Surana herself.”
“Yes—can you explain that part about Surana again?” Abigail asked. “Why would the King want the Hero of Ferelden to go back to the Circle?”
Meredith inclined her head. “The Lady Seeker under Divine Beatrix was the first who requested that Surana return to the Circle, as at the time her absence was causing...disruption. King Alistair requested she comply with the Lady Seeker’s wishes. Surana was said to have agreed, but she escaped Templar justice in any case.”
“Disruption?” Abigail shook her head. “Do you have any proof of this?” she asked. “Without proof, you can hardly just arrest Wardens on a whim.”
Meredith tapped the parchment. “The orders come from the Lady Seeker, and were ratified by Lord Seeker Lambert when he took charge.” she said. “And none of this was contradicted by Divine Justinia when she took over for Divine Beatrix.”
Aveline shuffled through the papers. She sighed. “This hardly gives you leave to arrest the non-mages,” she tried again.
For another three hours, they argued in circles around each other, until Meredith called for a break. Aveline and Abigail immediately went to see Anders.
“She said the King had told Surana to return to the Circle, and she refused,” Aveline said.
Anders shook his head. “No, that’s wrong—they threatened the King into ordering her back, saying they’d excommunicate the Theirin line unless they did what they wanted. Then she gave the Templars the slip, to come and warn us.”
Aveline began to pace. “Maker,” she breathed. “They—threatened the King?”
“That’s what Surana told us,” Anders said. “She didn’t have a reason to lie about something like that.”
“Why would they want her back so badly they’d threaten the King?” Aveline asked. “She saved Ferelden. They shouldn’t be hunting her down.”
“I know that as well as you do,” Anders said, and a ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know the whole story,” he confessed. “But after the Blight, King Alistair declared Surana the Arlessa of Amaranthine. The Chantry didn’t like that much, because mages can’t hold titles, even Warden mages who’ve saved everyone’s skin, I suppose. So the King backed down, and made someone else Arl. Then, Amaranthine was burned, and I suppose the Chantry took exception to that, too.” his mouth twisted. “I guess they didn’t want a powerful mage out and about and able to do as she pleased, so they threatened the King with excommunication if she didn’t go back to the Circle.”
“Then what?” Abigail asked. “She gave them the slip?”
Anders nodded. “Not sure how, but she got to us ahead of the Templars. We knew if they wanted her, they were going to come after me and Velanna, too—Lambert wasn’t happy about us at all.”
“Wait—the Lord Seeker knew of you?” Aveline asked.
“He wasn’t Lord Seeker then,” Anders corrected. “But yes, he knew about us. He came to Vigil’s Keep and everything.”
Abigail ran a hand down her face. “This is bad,” she said, exchanging a look with Aveline. “That—Aveline, this is very bad.”
Aveline nodded. “If we contact Lambert, but he already wanted the Wardens--” she sighed. Aveline shook her head. “I’m stalling as best I can, but I can’t keep this up forever,” she said. “We need more help.”
“Can you break them out?” Anders said. “Let them escape?”
“There’s Templars constantly watching them,” Aveline ran a hand through her hair. “I told you, I got a message off to Denerim, but I don’t know when it will arrive.” she shook her head. “This doesn’t make sense—as far as I knew, the Wardens and the Chantry weren’t this opposed.”
“It’s hardly something they’d want to advertise,” Anders snorted. “How would that look, the Chantry and the Wardens going at each other’s throats?” he shook his head. “Surana told us that the Lady Seeker had some ridiculous idea that the Wardens were trying to get control of the Ferelden government, and...” he rubbed the back of his head. “The fact that King Alistair is a Warden, and he made Surana an Arlessa, and that Queen Aeducan and Surana are allies...none of that really contradicted her.”
“That’s insane,” Aveline said. “What possible reason could the Wardens have for stealing the Ferelden throne?”
“That’s what we thought,” Anders growled. “But that’s why the Chantry is after the Wardens.”
“People think mad things during a Blight,” Abigail reasoned. “And the Chantry is used to having control over everything. If it looked like the Wardens were challenging them…” she shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know.” she shook her head. “I just know we can’t let the Chantry take them.”
Aveline managed to prevent Meredith sending the Wardens to Val Royeaux on the basis that if they had committed crimes against Ferelden, a Ferelden representative should be there to have a say. Meredith was displeased, but Abigail backed her, and this seemed to suit the other nobles as well.
Velanna was kept under constant Templar watch, away from Nathaniel and Sigrun, and prevented from having visitors under the suspicion that she was a maleficar. They could, however, visit Nathaniel and Sigrun.
“You can’t let them take Velanna to the Circle,” Sigrun pleaded when Abigail came to see her, reaching out through the bars of her cell to put her hand on Abigail’s arm. “They’ll hurt her, I know it!”
“We will do what we can, Sigrun,” Abigail told her, patting her hand. “But I cannot promise anything.”
Merrill and Anders were both distraught.
“Isn’t there something we can do?” Merrill pleaded with Aveline over and over again. “Some way to help them?”
“I’m doing my best,” Abigail promised. “But I can’t do a lot.”
Truth be told, Abigail was frightened for Velanna as well. She worried that Velanna would be hurt or even killed by the Templars while in their custody, and she wasn’t sure what she could do to stop it. Aveline’s Guards kept a close eye on the Templars, insisting on making sure there were Guards watching the Wardens as well as Templars, but even Aveline couldn’t watch everyone at once.
The Wardens were in Kirkwall’s prison for three months when the Queen of Ferelden arrived.
She made her presence known the instant her ship docked. She and her entourage immediately demanded a meeting with the Viscount, Meredith, Aveline and all other appropriate parties.
She was a regal, severe woman with blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She wore a metal chestplate and vambraces over a green riding dress, and though she did not have a sword, she wore a shield with Ferelden heraldry on her back.
“Your Majesty, I hadn’t realized you would become personally involved--” Viscount Dumar started, but Anora cut him off by raising her hand.
“These Wardens are under Crown authority,” Anora said, folding her hands. “As they have committed crimes against Ferelden, but have also been deeply involved in saving my country from the Blight, they must be let into Ferelden custody.”
“The mage--” Meredith started, but Anora cut her off as well.
“All three of them were under the command of Warden-Commander Surana, the hero of Ferelden and a Ferelden citizen,” Anora snapped. “They are our responsibility, not yours.”
“Enchanter Surana is wanted by the Chantry, as are any Wardens under her command,” Meredith said, folding her arms.
Anora hesitated, just for an instant. “And what is your proof of this claim?”
“This writ from Divine Beatrix, and this request from Lord Seeker Lambert,” Meredith pulled out the appropriate documents.
Anora gave a tight, small frown. “And why exactly do you want them?” she asked.
“The Chantry wants them for the crime of heresy, apostasy, and possible conspiracy against the Chantry,” Meredith put the papers on the table.
“Conspiracy against the Chantry?” Dumar gasped, disbelieving. “The Wardens?”
“That makes no sense,” Aveline threw up her hands.
“They saved Ferelden from the Blight,” Dumar said, blinking in confusion. “This—Knight-Commander, why have you not brought this to my attention before?”
“It was not necessary to bring it to your attention, as this is a Chantry affair,” Meredith said.
Aveline leaned back in her seat with a scowl, folding her arms. “That is a pattern with your people, is it not?”
“Excuse me?” Meredith hissed.
“The Kirkwall Templars have let four dangerous apostates loose in the past five years—some of which killed at least two of your own Templar recruits,” Aveline snapped, slapping her palm on the table. “Now we are supposed to believe you are sufficient to keep watch of three Wardens, one of which is a lifelong apostate?”
“Is this true?” Anora raised an eyebrow.
“It is a pattern for the Kirkwall Templars to be incredibly incompetent,” Aveline said. “Yes, that much is true.”
“That is hardly the issue here,” Meredith snarled, curling her hands into fists. “The issue is that of jurisdiction. Your Highness--” she addressed Anora with a cursory glance. “It is admirable that you take such interest in these threats, but you are not needed here.”
“Surana, and her Wardens, are Ferelden, and as such are our responsibility!” Anora exclaimed. “You cannot claim otherwise!”
“The word of the Divine and the Lord Seeker--”
“The former Divine!”
“Divine Justinia has never contradicted this order, therefore it is still in effect,” Meredith hissed.
“Why don’t we contact the Divine herself with this issue?” Abigail suggested, a thought striking her. “She can resolve this easily.”
All parties turned to her and began talking at once.
“We cannot trouble the Divine with--” Meredith started.
“Abigail, that will take too long--” Aveline said.
Anora held up a hand for silence. “Lady Hawke,” she said. “This is a drastic idea, but a sensible one. The Divine’s order would resolve this at once, you are correct.”
Meredith sat back in her seat, looking sullen. “We should not concern the Divine with such affairs,” she growled.
“When affairs such as this become so complex, we can only appeal to a higher authority,” Anora said.
They decided to send a missive to the Divine. The meeting broke apart afterwards, and Queen Anora came to meet Abigail.
“Lady Hawke, What stake do you have in this?” Anora asked, staring at Abigail, her dark blue gaze intense.
“Aveline—Guard-Captain Vallen—is a friend of mine,” Abigail said. “She wanted me to...assist.”
“Assist how?”
“By throwing my weight against the Knight-Commander.”
Anora sighed and looked away. “The Templars have been giving the Guards grief here, have they?”
“Yes. Why?”
Anora shook her head. “We have had our own conflicts with the Chantry. Ever since the Blight...” she trailed off. “The Chantry is supposed to be our ally,” she said, righting herself. “This nonsense with the Wardens has gone far enough.”
“You don’t blame them for Amaranthine?” Abigail asked, surprised.
“Of course I do. That was Surana’s decision, she admitted it freely. But it was either that, or let darkspawn overrun the entire area. It was already destroyed when she got there, but the Chantry will not hear it. The Lady Seeker at the time insisted that the Wardens, and Surana especially, would go the way of the Tevinter magisters if not put into check. The current Lord Seeker agrees.”
Abigail examined Anora’s face. “And you disagree?”
“Yes. I saw for myself the Archdemon and the army of darkspawn it brought—the Wardens are on our side, and Surana is an ally and friend we cannot afford to lock away in a Circle.” she closed her eyes rubbed her temples.
“So what should we do?”
“I suppose everything hinges on the decision of the Divine,” Anora breathed out heavily through her nose. “How I detest that this has spun so quickly out of control. Were it not for the Wardens, Fereldan would be no more, but the Lord Seeker sees only the threat a free mage might serve.” she shook her head. “I will remain here until this is resolved. I can do no less for the Wardens Surana chose to defend the land.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Abigail said, her tone earnest. “I greatly appreciate it.”
Although Aveline was not able to visit the Wardens herself, Anora was quite capable.
Anora breezed past the Templars to visit the Wardens, including Velanna. She informed Aveline that Velanna was alright, if scared and angry, which was a great relief for everyone to hear. She had fought the Templars when they first captured her, and she still had old bruises and cuts, but apparently they had not hurt her while she was in prison.
The Divine’s answer took a month to come through. Meredith and Aveline both got copies of the notice, as well as Anora and the Viscount. It was Aveline who brought the news. She turned up at Abigail’s house early in the morning.
Aveline looked haggard, her hair unbrushed and her eyes exhausted. Abigail furrowed her brow.
“What’s wrong, Aveline?’
“Abigail...”
“What is it?”
Aveline held out a piece of paper. “The judgment of the Divine came through,” she said, her voice soft.
Abigail read it. “Oh.”
Aveline nodded. “We’re to send them to Val Royeaux,” she said. “There’s nothing else I can do.”
“There has to be—there’s got to be something,” Abigail clenched the letter so tightly in her hand that she tore a hole in it. “We can’t let this happen.”
“There’s nothing we can do against the word of the Divine,” Aveline’s voice was still quiet, and she rested her head in her hands. “We can just—we can just hope that they will see...justice.”
“But they haven’t done anything!”
“Velanna being a free mage is enough for them,” Aveline snapped. “And the business in Amaranthine--”
“The Divine isn’t even Fereldan!” Abigail threw up her hands. “They hardly gave a damn when darkspawn were swarming over the countryside, when the Archdemon was tearing up Ferelden, now they suddenly care?”
“I don’t like it any more than you do!” Aveline snapped. “I was there at Ostagar, and I saw the ruins of Lothering, and I know the Chantry has hardly lifted a finger to help—but there is nothing I can do about this!”
“We have to rescue them,” Abigail determined. “We--”
“Oh, a brilliant move, get yourself locked up as well!” Aveline said. “We can’t do it, Abigail. I’ve looked for hundreds of ways—there isn’t one.”
“Are you sure?”
Aveline looked her in the eyes. “I am sure.” she said.
The breath left Abigail.
“Then...what do we do?”
Aveline looked away. “I don’t know.”
Anders was outraged when he heard. His eyes glowed a bright, Justice blue.
“The Divine would just...toss us away like this?” he growled, his voice echoing with Justice’s.
“Anders...” Abigail said, holding out her hands.
“Of course,” he hissed. “Of course, of course...mages, mages, always mages! Why bother with mages? Cursed of the Maker, fault of the Blight and the First Trespass...” he paced.
“Anders, don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Abigail told him.
“And why not?” he snarled. “They deserve to be punished for what they have done!”
“Anders, don’t,” Abigail said. “There’s no point to getting you locked up as well!”
“Isn’t there?” Anders snarled. “How do you know I’ll fail?”
“It doesn’t matter if you will or not!” Abigail said. “If you look dangerous to them, they’ll kill you or imprison you, same as the others—and you won’t help anyone else if you’re dead or locked up!”
Anders’ blue glow died. He leaned heavily against a nearby table.
“What do I do, then, Abigail?” he asked softly. “They’re my friends. What do I do?”
“I--” Abigail faltered. “I--”
He stared at her. “You don’t know, do you?”
“No. I don’t.”
Anora was silent, reading over the writ for the hundredth time.
“I will inform my lord husband of this immediately,” she said, her cold blue eyes flicking to Meredith’s face. “And we will inform Queen Aeducan and the Dalish Coalition of this...choice...as well. This will not be the last you hear of it. The Wardens are not only your concern.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Meredith did not so much as blink at the ice that radiated from Anora. “They are.”
“Your Majesty, why would the dwarven Queen care about the fate of the Wardens?’ Abigail asked. “Much less the Dalish...”
“Both the Dalish Coalition and Orzammar and Kal’hirol were allied with the Wardens during the Blight,” Anora explained. “Queen Aeducan is a personal friend of Surana’s. She will hardly be pleased to hear this.”
“Will she do anything?” Dumar asked. “We hardly wish to instigate conflict...”
“That will be dependent on Queen Aeducan,” Anora said, getting to her feet. “We will not keep you any longer than is necessary.”
They went to the Wardens for one last visit before they were transferred to Val Royeaux.
They couldn’t see Velanna, of course, but they could at least visit Sigrun and Nathaniel. Aveline managed to get the Templars away for a short visit.
Merrill was in tears, which soon made Sigrun start to tear up as well. Sigrun grabbed her hand through the bars.
“Velanna won’t ever let them take her alive, Merrill,” Sigrun choked. “You know she won’t.”
Merrill grasped Sigrun’s hand very tightly. “I know,” she whispered. “I know.”
“This isn’t fair,” Sigrun squeezed her eyes shut. “After the Architect and the darkspawn and—and everything, oh, Merrill, I can’t lose her--”
“It will—it will work out,” Merrill said. “I’m sure—I’m sure something good will come of this.”
Sigrun laughed and leaned her head against the bars. “That’s Merrill,” she said. “Always looking up.”
“I can’t give you any more time,” Aveline said, standing in the doorway. “The Templars are coming back.”
“Tuelanen ama na,” Merrill said, squeezing Sigrun’s hand one last time before pulling away.
“Atrast nal tunsha,” Sigrun said. “Be careful, Merrill.”
“Farewell,” Nathaniel said. “I hope we meet again.”
“I hope so too,” Abigail murmured.