It was three weeks after Wynne left that Knight-Commander Meredith as well as a contingent of Kirkwall Templars arrived at the Grand Cathedral. They were there at Lambert's behest, and with the growing tension from Gaspard's army, no one turned down a few extra sword hands.
He met Meredith at the White Spire. He didn't dare bring her to the Grand Cathedral, for fear the Nightingale would overhear.
“Knight-Commander,”
“Lord Seeker.”
Meredith's eyes gleamed red in the dull light, and Lambert had to suppress a flinch. She was waxen, her hair dull and her cheeks sunken, but her eyes were fever-bright. Her use of red lyrium was economical, but he worried about the side effects. They all knew the stories of Bartrand Tethras. However, the side effects of normal lyrium withdrawal occurred much quicker than any red lyrium madness, and with the hostility from the mages, they needed every edge they could get.
“You still have no access to ordinary lyrium?” he asked.
“The dwarven Queen has begun to reign in most of the smugglers,” Meredith explained with a scowl. Her voice reverberated faintly, and he grimaced.
“Have you found any?”
Meredith shook her head. “Not enough to be useful. It appears many of the miners and smugglers are...occupied with something,” she frowned. “I suspect that the Queen is mustering an army.”
Lambert's frown deepened. “More of her paranoia?” the Queen's decisions had been defensive as of late, bulking her military and pulling back from trade relations with the surface. Rumors of the Dalish doing something similar had filtered in as well, but he couldn't be sure. There was never a clear direction in which the heathens would jump.
“Quite possibly. Either way, we are having quite a difficult time acquiring any lyrium.”
“Your stores are empty?”
“The Kirkwallan stores have been empty for months,”
“And the other Circles had little to spare, I assume.” Lambert's mouth twisted.
“Of course.”
Lambert sighed and ran a hand over his face. 'Then we must move quickly,” he said. “The Divine is becoming weak to these mages,”
“What do you mean?” Meredith asked. “We knew that from the beginning.”
Lambert shook his head. This was true. “She will likely try to hamstring any attempts to deal with them before the problem becomes too large to solve,” he reasoned. “Is Elthina prepared?”
“She has always been prepared,” Meredith's tone was arch. “She knows what must be done. The only question is, when do you plan to do it?”
“Not while she still has control of the Grand Cathedral,” Lambert said. “And the Divine's death could make Orlais dissolve entirely—with no clear line of succession, that would be a problem.”
Meredith frowned. “A very difficult one to solve.”
“True enough. It is also quite likely the Nightingale suspects.”
Meredith looked at him sharply. “You cannot let her rally against us.”
“I know. However, I know that the Seekers are loyal to me, and your people at least, are loyal to the Seekers.”
Meredith nodded.
Lambert stood up and began to pace. “We cannot let this go on. Justinia will do little to quell the mages, or the actions of the dwarves and the Dalish. It is her lack of force that has lead to this situation with the mages in the first place. If she had been willing to use more force, then the entire situation in Kirkwall might have been avoided.”
“Will the clerics support Elthina?” Meredith asked. “I know of many, but--”
“Enough will,” Lambert nodded. “If Leliana and Justinia are both removed--”
“What about Seeker Pentaghast?”
Lambert's face soured. “She will likely have to be removed as well,” he said. “As much as I regret it, her loyalty is to Justinia, not the greater good of all.”
“What do we do now?” Meredith asked.
“Killing Justinia at this time isn't an option,” Lambert said after a long moment's consideration. “Changing Divines while Celene is still missing would be disastrous. However, we cannot let the mages do as they will. Many enchanters are coming to Val Royeaux to beg favor from Justinia, and there is some experiment in the Western Approach that I do not trust. We must cut off the Circle of Magi, first and foremost.”
“Eliminate the Enchanters,” Meredith nodded.
“The Grand Enchanter will come here,” Lambert said. “As well as several others. She is one of the most dangerous. She is a link between the Wardens, Fereldan, and the Circles.”
Meredith shook her head. “She should have been killed long before now.”
Lambert nodded “Quite possibly,” he agreed. “But we could not afford to move too quickly before now. It is possible I can gain some kind of alliance with whoever is in charge of Gaspard's army now, however.”
“You think that rabble will gain a leader so quickly?” Meredith was dubious.
“It is because they are a rabble that they will gain one. They--”
He was cut off when something made the walls shake. They both fell silent and looked around.
“What was that?” Meredith breathed.
“Gaspard's army,” Lambert snarled. “His forces were approaching Val Royeaux when I last checked--”
“Wait—is it possible that the mages are responsible--?” Meredith asked.
Lambert got to his feet and charged out the door, ignoring Meredith. She followed quickly, and they soon joined a crowd of people who were leaving the Grand Cathedral to see what was going on.
“Stay here,” Lambert snapped at her. “Guard this place. I will see what--”
Another shake, and a rock from a catapult sailed right into the tower of the Cathedral.
Lambert was frozen for a minute as rock and stone rained down around him, then he cursed and dashed to the walls. On the wall, he quickly located the captain of the guard.
“What is it?” Lambert demanded of the captain. “What's going on?”
She pointed one shaking finger out over the walls.
A force approached the gates of Val Royeaux, flying under an unfamiliar banner. There was no mask or lion upon the flags that were raised. Instead, a black bird flew on a red background. Lambert, for a moment, was floored. “Who...?” he breathed.
“It's the Grand Duke's people,” the captain muttered. “Got to be, no one else is that big, but it's someone else who's leadin' them.”
“Those are Gaspard’s forces?” Lambert peered over the wall. “Do you recognize the heraldry?”
The captain shook her head. “That's no noble or noble house that I know of.”
“I thought their forces much smaller than that,” Lambert stared out over the walls, his eyes wide.
“No, never,” The captain shook her head. “Lord Seeker, what do we do?” she asked. “The military is—well most of them are in that, we can call on the mages and the Templars, but them and the guard both can't stand up to that--”
“Are there other allies you could call upon?” Lambert asked. “Extra forces?”
“They'd take days to get here, and our alliances haven't exactly been so sound with the Queen missing and all!” the captain was pale.
A missile from a catapult struck the wall further down from them and blasted a hole in it.
“Andraste's ass, can we get some artillery out here?” the captain bellowed as both she and Lambert struggled to stay on their feet.
It was then that First Enchanter Vivienne De Fer, official mage to the court of Her Radiance the Empress Celene Valmont I and First Enchanter to Montsimmard Circle, came striding right past Lambert, her staff in hand.
She was a very tall woman, made taller by her headdress that resembled a pair of dragon’s horns. She was dressed not in plain robes, but a long Orlesian-style coat and leggings. Her whole ensemble gleamed silver, as if she wore armor, not cloth.
“Lord Seeker,” her tone was imperious and brooked no argument as she stared out at the forces attacking the walls. “Do tell me who I should be aiming at.”
“First Enchanter, do not get involved,” Lambert snapped.
She looked at him, dark eyes contemptuous. “Perhaps this is not your country, Lord Seeker, but it is mine, and the country of my Empress,” she said. “Who should I be aiming at?”
“You are a mage of the Circle,” he reminded her through gritted teeth. “Not a citizen of Orlais.”
She gave a tinkling laugh that gave Lambert terrible flashbacks to the Orlesian court. “My dear, I believe you misunderstand the situation quite drastically,” she said. “A poor quality in a Seeker. Now, please tell me, who should I fend off before they knock the walls down and kill the Divine?”
She looked at him, and he said nothing. The silence stretched on. She gave a disappointed little tutting sound and rounded on the captain of the Guard.
“Guard-Captain,” she asked her. “Perhaps you can tell me.”
“Gaspard’s forces are mostly there,” the Captain’s voice was somewhat shaky as she stared at Vivienne and pointed out over the walls. “Madame de Fer--”
“Thank you, darling,” she said with a gracious smile. Around her staff gathered a globe of white light. “Now, if you please, step back,” she glanced at Lambert. “And Lord Seeker—I would request you not interfere. Do not think me so clumsy as to damage the city or any of our own people.”
Before Lambert could say anything, she raised her staff, and fire poured down on Gaspard’s troops.
Madame de Fer's smile grew wider, and gained a predatory edge. The fire spread out, driving the soldiers back—they had no mages who could counteract the spell, and apparently had very little enchanted armor. Of course, Celene and the forces who answered directly to her controlled the majority of enchanted items and lyrium supplies, and those supplies would have been cut when the military was.
Madame de Fer raised her staff again and sent a more concentrated blast of fire slamming down on one of the enemy siege engines, lighting the whole thing aflame. She did the same thing with a nearby catapult, and another, and the soldiers began to retreat.
The fire had not so much as scorched the walls.
Lambert couldn’t help but stare at her. He had heard of Madame de Fer’s legendary skill, but had never seen it for himself.
“Now darling,” she said, leaning back on her heels. “Do tell me if I have made a mistake.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lambert growled.
“Beggin’ your pardon, Lord Seeker,” the Guard-captain said, turning to stare at Lambert, her eyes huge. “But she was bloody right to do so!”
Lambert turned on her with a growl and she quailed.
“Look, that spell did more damage than any one of our heavy artillery!” she said, voice hitching in fear. “Don’t see your Seekers doing anything like that, do I?”
Lambert glared at Madame de Fer, who simply inclined her head.
“Guard-Captain,” she said. “Will you be requiring my services any more?”
“N-no,” the Guard-Captain said. “No, thank you very much, Ma’am. We can take it from here. Gave us a chance.”
Madame de Fer smiled. “Do let me know if you need more help, darling,” she said. “There is no need to go letting those ghastly artillery machines loose on the walls of our fair city, is there?”
“No,” the Guard-Captain smiled tremulously.
Vivienne swept away without so much as a backwards glance. Lambert followed her and grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks.
“You should not have done that,” Lambert said, tightening his hold on Madame de Fer’s arm.
She stared at him, then at the hand on her arm, raising one eyebrow. He did not let go.
“My dear, this behavior is quite less than gracious,” she said, her voice silky and very dangerous. “I would think it more becoming of a Lord Seeker to pay such attentions to his enemies, not his allies.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You are no ally. You are a charge of the Circle.”
Vivienne smiled at him, and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. “Then, my dear, you are committing quite a waste of resources,” she said. “Why should you relegate me to doing nothing while the city falls apart around Her Holiness? Would you truly allow this war to tear apart Val Royeaux because you are too afraid to use the power granted to you to use?”
“Magic is not meant to be used like that,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows further. “Why, darling, I am surprised at you,” she said. “Surely you recall how many spells of that nature are taught in the Circles? I am a Knight-Enchanter, after all.”
“They are not meant for--”
“If they are not meant for combat, perhaps they should not be taught in the first place,” her tone was still as light as ever. “Perhaps I should mention that to the other Enchanters...” she said thoughtfully. “Do you think, Lord Seeker? Perhaps rebellion would be quelled if less violent spells were taught. Of course,” she added. “All magical curriculum are approved by the Chantry.” her gaze caught his, and he saw steel in her eyes. “So I am uncertain why I would have been taught such things unless they were meant to be used.”
He let her arm go.
She was right, in a sense. But she was also by no means the healer or cannon fodder that was meant to be created by the Circle.
She, even with her undying loyalty and spotless record, was as dangerous as any magister in her own right. He could smell the ambition on her, see that cold steel in her eyes--
“Might I perhaps leave your charming company, Lord Seeker?” she asked him. “There is a great deal of work to be done, after all.”
“Yes,” he told her. “Of course.”
He watched her go, and his stomach churned.
Vivienne de Fer was described by all as one of the most loyal mages to the Circle. She was skillful, controlled, scoffed at the very idea of using blood magic, and was in fact so dedicated to repelling demons that the only time she ever interacted with a spirit was to make it return to the Fade.
Montsimmard, under her watch, was a very safe and secure Circle. Hardly a possession or even a failed Harrowing to hear of.
However, meeting Madame de Fer in person made Lambert uneasy. This was not a woman who would ever be swayed, cowed, or told what to do. He had a nasty suspicion that she had many nobles wrapped around her finger, her claws sunk deep into the Orlesian court.
She would be a problem. It did not matter how loyal she was, she would need to go. Her very loyalty doomed her, as she would doubtless not understand the necessity in the Lord Seeker's decisions.
Vivienne felt cold as she returned to the Grand Cathedral, feeling the Lord Seeker's eyes on her back.
Vivienne had come to Val Royeaux to speak to the Divine. This business of dissolving the College was counterproductive at best, and only lead to the destabilization of Orlais and indeed a great deal of southern Thedas. She had no idea why Justinia, a stabilizing and moderate element, would do such a thing. It made no sense, and in any case, stood to bolster the rebels' cause, adding to their fantasy of being downtrodden and threatened. The Circle pushed the mages, and the less enlightened of the mages pushed back.
Upon meeting the Lord Seeker, however, she felt she knew who she could blame.
She had never approved of the appointment of Lambert to the position of Lord Seeker. She thought him heavy-handed and boorish, much more used to the repulsive machinations of Tevinter than the civilized south.
His distaste for even the most useful of magic only confirmed her suspicions. She decided that she would most certainly make friends with the Guard-Captain, who had a more favorable view of things. Lambert's paranoia could not be allowed to put the city or the Divine in jeopardy.
If Lambert wanted to throw away a resource that was handed to him, that was his business. However, she would not allow his short-sighted fears of more foolish mages to endanger the citizens of Her Majesty's city.
Vivienne shook her head as she retreated to the Grand Cathedral. She needed to find someone more sensible, and she needed to speak to Justinia.
She could not find Justinia, but located Cassandra Pentaghast instead.
“Seeker Pentaghast, my dear,” Vivienne smiled when she saw her, and Cassandra gave a stiff smile in return. They had met several times before, when Justinia had attended the court.
Vivienne found Cassandra a bit brash, but a logical person, quite devoted to Most Holy and to the tenets of her own order.
“First Enchanter,” Cassandra inclined her head.
“Is the Most Holy safe?”
“As safe as she can be, for now,” Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose. “We have little military forces with which to draw on, and the Empress is still missing--”
“Have no fear,” Vivienne assured her. “I can lend my aid to protect the walls, and I am sure the Templars and battle-mages of the Spire will be eager to help.”
Cassandra's face darkened. “The Lord Seeker would disapprove,” she growled.
Vivienne gave a delicate scoff. “Then the Lord Seeker is being foolish. This is a time for pragmatism. Even the Grand Enchanter and her get would place their own survival over their trivial complaints.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Cassandra said.
Vivienne shook her head. “If only Celene had disposed of Gaspard sooner,” she said. “He had too much ambition, too much power. I warned her that this would not end well. Gaspard—and everything else--”
“It is difficult, I know,” Cassandra said. “I am pleased you are so willing to cooperate with us, even after the College was disbanded.”
“I am still here to contest that decision, my dear,” Vivienne said. “Disbanding the College will only lend fire to the rebels among us.”
Cassandra raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Is that so?”
“They believe they are the oppressed and downtrodden—and so you have responded by doing something they will see as oppressive.” Vivienne explained. “Of course, most people will do anything to put the blame somewhere other than themselves.”
“I see,” Cassandra heaved a sigh. “The Divine has called in several Templar contingents, and I believe the Lord Seeker has as well. Do you believe you can coordinate with the Spire mages and find those who can help?”
Vivienne nodded. “I will,” she promised. “I must warn you, I myself am no healer or defensive mage.” she gave a small, dangerous smile. “I am most effective when attacking directly.”
Cassandra was startled into a small laugh. “I see we have that in common, at least.”
“Do you know who the aggressor is?” Vivienne asked. “The army marched under an unfamiliar standard. The Captain of the Guard was certain it was Gaspard's army, but not marching under him.”
“We are searching,” Cassandra said, her eyes narrowed. “No one knows that particular heraldry.”
“A new player, I see.”
“Perhaps.”
“You are willing to let the mages endanger us all?” Lambert snarled.
Justinia, Cassandra, and Lambert met in one of the more guarded rooms of the Cathedral. It was a small, cramped room, made more claustrophobic by the high emotions of those within.
“Lord Seeker, please,” Cassandra said. “We have precious few other forces! We have no other options--”
“The Templars,” Lambert said. “The Seekers, the Guard--”
“Will not be enough!”
Lambert slammed a hand down on the table. “That is not for you to decide!”
“No,” Justinia's voice was hard. “But it is for me to decide. And I have decided to trust them.”
Lambert shook his head. “You cannot trust a mage! You were almost killed by one not six months ago!”
“And if we do not gain the aid of every possible ally, we will all certainly be killed by Gaspard's allies,” Justinia said.
The door opened. “I believe the Lord Seeker is letting his experiences in Tevinter cloud his judgment,” Vivienne came striding in, utterly calm. “Your Holiness, the Spire healers are currently coordinating with the healers of the Royal Hospital, and the First Enchanter is locating the best candidates for defending the walls as well as attacking Gaspard's forces. We will make no military move without your leave, however.”
“Thank your, Enchanter de Fer,” Justinia said with a relieved sigh. “Tell the First Enchanter she has military authority over her mages, although the Knight-Commander of course has the final word over who may be allowed to leave the Spire.”
“Of course, Your Holiness.”
“You cannot be serious,” Lambert growled. “The mages are too dangerous!”
Vivienne turned to him. “Lord Seeker, if you wish this city to fall into ruin, then by all means, refuse the help of the mages,” she said. “But if you wish for this place to stay standing--”
“The mages are too dangerous,” Lambert insisted. “What will happen once one becomes possessed, because they have too much freedom?”
Vivienne did not roll her eyes, but she managed to look incredibly derisive all the same.
“Do you scorn healers and defensive mages?” she demanded. “Those who can rebuild shattered walls? You cannot allow the city to fall simply because you will not use the resources available to you.”
“We cannot be so desperate--”
“Lord Seeker,” Justinia snapped, uncharacteristically harsh. “The matter is closed. The mages will help, as will the Templars, and anyone else we can scrape up until we locate either Celene or Gaspard.”
Lambert glared at her. “Do we have any word from the other allies of Orlais?” he demanded.
Justinia sighed. “None so far. King Alistair has said he will remain neutral until Orlais has a leader again, and everyone else is too far away.”
“Most of our allies are too distant to help,” Leliana came in as well, bearing a sheaf of parchment. “In one way or another.” she glanced at Lambert for just a moment. “Most Holy, we have found who is leading the army.”
Everyone leaned forward, interested at last.
“Who is it?” Justinia asked.
“A commoner, a chevalier named Madeline Dubois,” Leliana explained, setting the sheaf of parchment on the table. “She has proclaimed herself the new general and claims that since there is no clear line of succession, she should be able to claim the throne by force.”
“Is there no contest from others of Her Majesty's family?” Vivienne asked. “Duchess Florianne, perhaps, or...?”
Leliana shook her head. “None thus far.”
“Hm,” Vivienne tapped her chin. “This complicates matters. That a commoner sees enough chaos that she believes she could take the throne...”
“It matters little to you,” Lambert informed her. “If Celene is gone, you are no longer the official mage to the court.”
Vivienne laughed. “My dear, you have spent far too long a time away from the Game if you believe a mere physical absence of a player precludes that player from participating,” she said. “No, those who act now react to her absence. The board has not been reset.”
“Very true,” Leliana agreed, and Lambert turned his glare to her.
“In any case,” Justinia said in a pointed manner. “How are we to defend the city? Madame de Fer, the mages...?”
“We will be ready,” Vivienne promised.
Lambert scowled. “Most Holy--”
“Enough, Lambert,” Justinia said. “We can hardly argue over this when the city is threatened and our allies are dangerously few.”
Lambert gave a stiff bow. “As you wish, Most Holy.” with a last glare at Vivienne, he turned and left.
Justinia sighed, watching the door swing closed behind him.
For the next two weeks, Justinia was on constant guard. Lambert desperately wanted to put his plan into action, but had no time and no way of doing it that wouldn't plunge the city into even more chaos.
Gaspard still had not returned to claim his army back from Dubois.
General Dubois was intent on declaring herself Empress, but apart from the military, there was little popular support. Common opinion was that she was a bloodthirsty mercenary, which was truthfully probably the most likely option.
Word of Gaspard and Celene was still absent, and Wynne had not returned either. They all remained in a frightening limbo where everything was uncertain. Lambert eagerly desired to push his plans forward, but in his correspondence with Elthina, she advised against it.
Elthina's opinion was that a change in Divines would surely push the south into even more chaos, and quite possibly split the Chantry in half. Elthina maintained that the mages and the clerics that did not necessarily support the Seekers would be useful; they only needed more time with which to get them on their side.
On the other hand, if Justinia died now, it could be blamed on any number of things. The mages, Dubois' army, the siege of Val Royeaux—there were a wide variety of causes and possibilities.
Still, however, Elthina desired that they at least hold off until a proper defense of the city could be mounted. Lambert had to admit that she had a point where that was concerned; he had no alliance with Dubois, and had had none with Gaspard, meaning that if Justinia died and his own forces were forced to clash with the mages or Justinia's people, they would leave themselves open to attack.
Clearly, the solution was to find General Dubois and make peace with her. If he had her army, then any problems with the Chantry and Justinia would be solved. All that would be needed was to remove Justinia herself.
Lambert stole out in the dead of night to locate the supposed general. A warrior of many years, she had staked out a tent on the battlefield to watch the siege. He was mildly impressed that she chose to be a participant in the fighting, rather than hide behind her rank, the way Celene and Gaspard did.
He soldiers spotted him and drew their swords as he approached.
“I am here to make an alliance with the general,” Lambert said, drawing the hood of his cloak back.
The soldiers glanced at each other.
“Who is that I hear out there?” came a woman's voice from within the tent. Dubois came outside, and the soldiers stood back.
She was an older woman, easily Lambert's age or older, bearing a mane of shaggy steel-gray hair and deep lines carved around her mouth and eyes. She had long scars, like the clawmarks from an animal, that raked down one side of her face and bisected one eyebrow. Her armor, though old, was well-cared for. Over her back was an enormous broadsword.
She merely raised her eyebrows at him.
“Well,” she said. “Who is this?”
“You are General Dubois.” he said.
“I know who I am, fool, I asked your name.”
Lambert snorted. “Would you be so impolite to future allies?”
“Those who come to my tent in the dead of night? Yes. I would.”
They stared at each other until at last Lambert said “I am Lord Seeker Lambert.”
Her eyebrows threatened to retreat into her hairline. “Well, goodness, let me lay out the good china, shall I?” she laughed. “Come in, Lord Seeker. I was expecting you.”
He followed her into her tent. Inside was fairly bare, a stand of armor in one corner, a weapons rack on the opposite side. She took her sword off of her back and sat down on a nearby chair. She began to sharpen the blade, though it did not seem to need it.
“You were expecting me?” he asked, watching her sharpen her blade.
“I was expecting one of you people to come to me,” she drawled, looking down at her sword instead of at him. “Why are you here, Lord Seeker?”
“I have a proposition for you.”
She paused for a moment, then continued to sharpen her weapon. “What could you possibly offer me?”
“The Divine is compromised. She must be replaced.”
She put her sword down. She got to her feet and began to pace, prowling the tent like a leopard, and he watched her closely.
“Ah, deicide.” she said, her tone airy and light, belying her tense posture. “What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Why should I care about the squabbles the Chantry gets up to? The way I hear it, you lot are halfway split already, what with the mages and all.” her lip twisted.
“I mean to stop the problems with the mages,” Lambert said. “Justinia is too soft on them. She does not understand the problem and refuses to do so. She will doom us all to demons, or the fate of Tevinter, if she is not removed.”
Dubois nodded. “And the only way you can remove her is death, et cetera, et cetera. What do you want from me?” she stopped pacing and turned to face him fully.
“Join with my cause. Support the Templars and the Seekers and when Justinia is killed, we can appoint a new Divine with little trouble.”
“What would I get out of it?”
“The support of the Chantry,” Lambert said, raising an eyebrow. “You cannot be laying siege to Val Royeaux if you did not have higher goals—and our support would mean a great deal to those goals.”
Dubois sighed and examined her hands. “Chantry aid would help a great deal in establishing myself as Empress,” she said.
“Ah, and where that is concerned...you do not expect Celene or Gaspard to return and challenge you?” he looked her over. “Or perhaps you want them to, and relish the challenge?”
“We lost contact with Gaspard months ago,” General Dubois said with a disdainful sniff. “He went chasing Celene, leaving us with no leader. Such a fool, I thought, could surely never be Emperor. And such a cowardly Empress could by no means remain Empress. So I intervened.”
“I see.”
Dubois looked him dead on. “And the mages? What is your quarrel with them?”
“Surely you know how dangerous they are,” Lambert said, narrowing her eyes. “Kirkwall alone--”
“Oh, yes, yes, some idiot blew up a Chantry. Who in the world cares? Kirkwall's on fire every other week, you know that.” she sighed. “And don't give me that rot about demons and whatnot. A mage is about ten times more useful than a Templar on a battlefield.” she nodded towards the Val Royeaux walls. “The Spire's certainly shown us that. Why, if your bloody Circles didn't have such a tight leash on them, I'd go out recruiting every halfwit who can throw a bit of fire around. Demons?” she scoffed at him. “What does it matter as long as they're pointed in the right direction?”
Lambert blinked, honestly baffled, but quickly recovered. “I need not explain my reasoning to you,” he said. “Simply know that if left unchecked, the mages will become like those of Tevinter. It is simply a fact that all mages will want for more and more power, and will do anything to get it.”
Dubois picked at her nails. “Unlike yourself, who aims to kill Her Holiness?”
Lambert bristled, and Dubois looked at him, bushy eyebrows raised.
“Don't fool yourself, Lord Seeker,” she said, her expression dark and mirthful. “All of us here are sinners who want for power. You're no exception.”
“Do you think the mages would help you secure your seat as Empress?” Lambert demanded. “They would only be out for themselves.”
“True, true,” Dubois agreed. “Certainly true.” she tilted her head back and considered. “If we help you,” she said. “Will your new Divine back my rulership? Would she make me Empress?”
“If that is what is needed,” Lambert agreed without hesitation.
“Hm,” Dubois tapped her lip, thinking. “That would certainly get the peasants on my side, wouldn't it?' she grinned. “The word of a Divine goes a very long way.”
“It would. The word of a mage would gain you nothing.”
Dubois considered for a moment. “Very well,” she said. “My forces are your forces. Now, what is it you wish us to do?”
“Pull back on actively attacking the city,” Lambert advised. “We will take care of it from within. Allow more resources to come in, and more of my Templars and Seekers will be there to take care of the Guard when the time comes.”
Dubois nodded. “So, when do you plan to kill the Divine?”
“Give us a week to prepare,” Lambert said. “I must ensure everything is in the correct order.”
“And when she is dead?”
“The new Divine will come, and will be appointed, and then you may take your place as Empress of Orlais.”
Dubois grinned, and her teeth flashed in the light. “Alright, Lord Seeker,” she said. “You have a deal.”
Dubois' forces pulled away from Val Royeaux, as she promised. Lambert sent word to Elthina, and began the preparations. It would be quite a simple thing to kill Justinia; what would not be so simple would be avoiding the retaliation of the Nightingale and her own forces.
Lambert knew of how dangerous Leliana especially was. He needed to deal with her before he dealt with anyone else.
Before he could, however, there came another stumbling block. More Templars were called to help Val Royeaux, but not all of them were loyal.
One such Templar was a man named Ser Barris.
Ser Barris had something of a silver tongue and was not involved in any of the nastiness that surrounded Meredith and many of the other Templars loyal to the Seekers, but Lambert suspected he was also very loyal to the Divine.
Barris became a silent, everpresent, and very polite shadow, and it made the back of Lambert's neck itch.
Meanwhile, Justinia met with her left and right hand. Their news was not good.
“The Lord Seeker still has his own machinations,” Leliana said.
Justinia pinched the bridge of her nose. “I thought as much,” she sighed. “What is he planning?”
“Our fears were accurate—as far as we can tell, most of the Templar order as well as the Seekers are loyal to him, not to you.”
Justinia sighed. “And what do you believe he has planned?”
“I believe he plans to kill you.”
“Are you certain?” Cassandra leaned forward, her face white. “Are you absolutely certain? Perhaps--”
“You know better than that, Cassandra,” Justinia said. “No, this is merely the logical conclusion.” she closed her eyes. “He has made his feelings about mages and my decisions known.”
Cassandra leaned against a table and shook her head. “Leliana, are you sure?” Cassandra asked. “How do you know this is what Lambert planned?”
“General Dubois sent us a message early this morning,” Leliana said. “The Lord Seeker came to her several nights ago with a proposition. Ally with him, and support him in his plans, and he would support her takeover of the throne.”
Cassandra's eyes went wide. “And his plans included...?”
“The assassination of the Divine,” Leliana said, and her fists clenched.
Cassandra went silent for a moment.
“Why did she tell us this?” Justinia asked.
“If we agree to be her ally, and support her rise to the throne, she will protect us from Lambert,” Leliana explained.
“I assume she had conditions.”
Leliana nodded and closed her eyes. “She would only agree if you would proclaim her Empress,” she said. “And if she got mage assistance as well.”
“So we must gain the allegiance of the mages, to gain her allegiance,” Cassandra said. “And what if we do not?”
“Then she allies with Lambert, continues to attack the city, and will not stop until we are all dead. Lambert has promised that his new Divine will give her the divine right of leadership.”
“We must reconvene the College,” Justinia decided immediately. “There is no other way to gain the allegiance of the mages.” she shook her head and sighed. “Dissolving it was a foolish decision.”
“We should first speak with Enchanter de Fer,” Cassandra said immediately. “She is the most loyal, apart from Enchanter Wynne.”
“And we don't know when Wynne will return,” Leliana said. “We might have to wait until she does in order to effectively gain an alliance.”
“I am sure Madame de Fer's support would go a long way in helping with that,” Justinia said. “Find her, and speak to her.”
“Ser Barris is here as well,” Leliana said.
Barris was their contact within the Templars, and their primary means of knowing what happened within them, as Cassandra had been for the Seekers.
“Has he said anything?” Cassandra asked.
Leliana shook her head. “No, but he would be useful in assuring the mages we mean them no harm.”
“An excellent point,” Justinia agreed.
“If we can get the college of Enchanters on our side, we will have aid against the Templars,” Leliana said. “Barris surely knows those who are sympathetic, but--
“Leliana, listen to yourself!” Cassandra exclaimed. “We do not need to fight against our own people! If we find a way to remove Lambert from the picture, surely--”
“They are not our own people anymore,” Leliana said, her voice cold. “They are Lambert's.”
“What about our own contacts among the Templars?” Cassandra demanded. “Ser Barris and those loyal to him--”
“He alone cannot save the Templar order. Your Holiness, this has gone almost out of our control. We need to gain the allegiance of the mages again, otherwise they are likely to reject us entirely and cleave the Chantry in three.”
“They are going to do that anyway,” Cassandra insisted.
“No, perhaps not,” Justinia said. “Enchanter de Fer was quite cooperative, and she holds no loyalty to Lambert. She has a great deal of sway in the College, and there is Wynne, of course...”
Cassandra sighed and sat down. “To see the Seekers come to this...” she clenched her fist. “Is there nothing more forthright we can do? Surely the Seekers and the Templars must know that Lambert is mad to go against the Divine.”
“After the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry, many of them will see me as being too lenient with the mages,” Justinia said. “The sentiment only grows with time. I'd thought that dissolving the College might ease things—but it seems only to have made them worse.”
Cassandra and Leliana found Barris and spoke with him.
“Seeker Pentaghast, Sister Leliana,” Barris inclined his head.
Leliana smiled.
“Ser Barris,” Cassandra said. “What have you learned?”
He shook his head. “The Lord Seeker is paranoid,” he said. “He has true counsel with very few, apart from Commander Meredith.”
“Has he spoken to you at all?”
“No. He does not trust me. What have you learned, Seeker?”
“The Lord Seeker's plans are worse than we anticipated,” Cassandra said. “He plans to kill the Divine.”
Barris let out a breath. “Are you sure?” he said.
“He tried to ally with General Dubois behind our backs,” Leliana explained. “And the terms of the alliance would be that she would aid him, in exchange for her becoming the new Empress of Orlais.”
“What do we do?” Barris asked. “I hope you contacted Dubois--”
“We did,” leliana said. “For her to support us instead of Lambert, we need the allegiance of the mages. Dubois sees no other benefit.”
“That will be difficult,” Barris said.
“It will.”
“How do you plan on doing it?”
“Do you know Madame de Fer, of Montsimmard?”
“I know of her. Why?”
“If you meet with her, you might go a great way towards repairing things between mages and Templars,” Leliana explained.