Mage's Pride 14

Chapter 14: Family Reunion

Denerim was still the same bustling, noisy city it had always been, and Cassandra realized that a part of her had missed the place she'd called home after the Blight. Anora met them at the gate to the palace, a frown on her face. "Dear husband, is there a reason that we've received such… Unlikely visitors?" she demanded, tapping her foot.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alistair replied with a shrug. "Caden, go with your mother. Cassandra and I will see what this delegation wants." The boy nodded, a brief look of disappointment flitting across his face before he followed Anora inside. The King and the Hero headed for the main meeting room, and the guards at the door bowed as they entered. And inside the room, seated at the large table, were two people. One was the Templar who'd told them to return to Ferelden, and the other was the Champion of Kirkwall herself.

"Thank you for-" the Templar started, before Cassandra cut him off, looking squarely at the mage when she spoke..

"You have a lot of nerve coming here, Templar pet."

"Cassie, remember your temper," Alistair cautioned. She rolled her eyes and sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"Why are you here?"

"We came seeking asylum." The two Wardens stared dumbstruck at them.

"Asylum?" Alistair asked after a minute. "But… Your sister rules Kirkwall and Starkhaven. What in the Maker's name do you have to run from?"

"My husband," Hawke said as she stood. And now Cassandra saw that she held something in her arms: A small bundle that was wrapped in a white blanket emblazoned with the Vael family crest.

"You've had a child?" The Champion nodded, though she seemed sad.

"Yes. A little boy, to carry on the Vael name. Sebastian was very proud."

"I sense a "but" coming," Alistair ventured, folding his arms across his chest.

"He doesn't want the baby to be a mage," Carver offered, also looking bothered. Cassandra was still confused as to why they were here, and she didn't like feeling this way. Something was amiss, and they were stalling on the reason.

"Andraste's flaming knickers, just spit it out!" she ordered. Both Hawke and Carver pulled back, and the baby whimpered a bit before his mother rocked him gently.

"A mage cannot hold a title, cannot stay with their family. If Corbis turns out to be one… Sebastian offered to make a deal with the ruling families for him to stay on the throne." Hawke hugged her son tighter, and Cassandra felt very uneasy about whatever this "deal" was.

"But he'd still be a mage," Alistair argued gently. "So how-"

"Sebastian would Tranquil him," Carver stated, jaw clenched tight. The Hero's eyes widened, and her chest felt tight for a moment. A child. He wanted to Tranquil a child. And his child. Had the world gone mad when she wasn't looking?

"Maker have mercy," the King whispered.

"So you came to Ferelden in the hopes that we would shelter you? I don't know what they teach in the Free Marches, Champion, but that would start a war between Denerim, Kirkwall, and Starkhaven. Wouldn't it?"

"Actually, I just want you to take Corbis." The shocked looks on everyone's faces made the Champion frown. "What?"

"Let me get this straight: You want me to take your son and disappear back to wherever I've been, in the hope that your husband will not lay siege to my country trying to find him? Are you mad?!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Hawke demanded, tears in her eyes. "I… I cannot let Sebastian do that to my son!"

"Then just kill him, like you were going to kill those children before I stopped you." Her cousin's eyes widened, and Cassandra knew she'd struck a nerve.

"He's my son!"

"What, just because those children weren't your flesh and blood, it made it all right? Somewhere they have parents. Parents who want them to live and become good people. As it is, that woman your husband shot in the back won't get to see her daughter grow up. You stole that from both of them. What makes your son more special?"

"You've never had a child, have you?" The women stared at each other, eyes narrowing. Hawke was treading on dangerous ground, but she didn't care.

"I'm tainted, Champion. It's practically impossible for me to have a child. But what difference does that make?"

"When you hold your own child for the first time, you swear to the Maker that you will die before you let any harm come to them. I never liked the Tranquil, even when I saw them every day. No, they aren't mages, but they aren't people either. They're shells. When I first met Anders, and agreed to help him with his friend… When I saw the drastic change from mage to Tranquil…"

"Karl. But why were you going to help Anders break him out of the Circle?"

"We weren't," Carver revealed.

"I was hoping that Anders might see that Karl was better off in the Circle, and leave him there. But when we got there, and he was already Tranquil… It was too much, both for Anders and for me."

"For you? Don't make me laugh!" Cassandra shot back. "If it had been too much, you would have supported Anders. Karl had been Harrowed, and making him Tranquil was illegal no matter how you look at it. Your precious Knight Commander was a paranoid lunatic even back then."

"Be that as it may," Hawke said with a shake of her head. "It would kill me to see my son turned into… That. No more laughter, no more happiness, not even any more crying. A child doesn't deserve that, and I'm not waiting around to see if he is a mage. Because once his powers manifest, it'll be too late, and I'll lose him. Please cousin, help me! Help me save him."

"Cassie, she's desperate," Alistair added, coming up beside her. "No one else would take in a potential mage and keep him safe. And besides: He is family."

"I know," she admitted, sighing heavily. "But I'm not about to strip another child from his parents. And I might regret this, but it's the right thing to do." She stared at Hawke, who seemed confused. "You're coming with me. Both of you."

"What?!" the siblings asked, shock clear on their faces.

"Look, if the baby disappears, or if just the Champion and the baby do, then that means that someone knows what happened, and Sebastian will keep questioning you until he learns the truth. If all three of you vanish-"

"You aren't worried he'll march an army here to find us?"

"If he does without telling me, he risks open war," the King replied, eyes narrowed slightly. "And with this whole Mage-Templar thing going on, I doubt he'd risk that. No, he'll send someone to ask when the last time we saw you was, and what you were here for. But without proof of our involvement, he can't do anything."

"So once you leave Denerim, I'll find you on the road and lead you to my home. But Andraste as my witness, if you harm anyone there, I will personally roast you alive and leave you for the wolves." By the dark light in the Hero's eyes, neither of the Hawke siblings wanted to test her threat. "Now get your things and prepare to depart. The sooner we get you out of here, the better I'll feel."

"Should I tell Anora?"

"Alistair, the less she knows, the better. I'd rather not have her use this against me if she ever feels I'm a true threat to her." He kissed her forehead, smiling mischievously.

"I'm sure you could take her, sweetheart. After all, you did defeat her father. And he was an actual warrior."

"We'll just leave to get our things," Hawke said softly, edging towards the door. "And cousin… Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I still have to convince the other mages that you deserve to stay with us. And with it being the Champion and her Templar brother, it's going to be an interesting conversation."
* * *

Every adult mage at Soldier's Peak was staring at the newcomers. Some seemed apprehensive, others annoyed, and some didn't know what to think. "Are you insane?!" Anders' voice thundered above everyone.

"You're the one who didn't want me killing them," she reminded him, smirk firmly in place.

"Yes, but… Cassie, Hawke hates her own people. And her brother is a Templar. They're the ones we've been fighting against this past year."

"We won't cause any trouble," the Champion promised, clutching the baby to her chest. Carver placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He felt uneasy, especially since the Hero had made him leave his weapon with the blacksmith for "safe keeping". But here they were surrounded, and if one of the mages chose to attack…

"Then why are you here?" That was Merrill's voice, and she stepped forward, a man at her back. Hawke felt her eyes widen as she realized the Dalish girl was pregnant.

"Merrill, if anyone will understand, it'll be you," she pleaded. "Sebastian wanted to turn my son Tranquil if he's a mage. Please, I have nowhere else to go." Shocked looks and murmurs made their way around the room, and Anders came up to Cassandra.

"His own child?" the healer whispered. She nodded, shivering a little

"According to my cousin, yes. I couldn't let any harm come to an innocent. I'd be a hypocrite otherwise. I'm sorry I didn't send word ahead of our arrival, but I just wanted to get here as fast as we could."

"Starkhaven will send out search parties."

"They won't find us, Anders. Even if they do, we can deal with them. This is a sanctuary for us, and I won't let anyone violate it." The door to the meeting room creaked open, and they all turned to stare at Deborah, who ran straight to Cassandra, arms out.

"Mama!" she cried, throwing herself at the Hero, who caught her and swung her onto her hip, smiling. "You're back!"

"I'm back." Hawke and Carver seemed confused as the little girl shifted her attention to them.

"I thought you said-"

"This is the little girl whose mother you killed," Anders explained, wrapping his arms protectively around his two ladies. "We're raising her."

"I'm sorry," Hawke said, hanging her head. "You do sort of know what I'm going through then."

"I'd give everything I am to protect her," Cassandra told her. "But I would do the same for anyone here as well. We're all family at the Peak, and we all fight for each other. If you're going to stay here, we expect the same from you two as well."

"But… I'm a Templar," Carver pointed out. "The enemy."

"Templars are only the enemy if they wish to subjugate or harm us," Alain wisely stated. "I saw enough good Templars in Kirkwall to know that we should not judge them all by their armor."

"Besides, we can use you in our lessons," Petra added. "Having our students know what to expect from the Chantry will be immensely helpful. The King did his best, but he wasn't here all the time."

"Wait, King Alistair is a Templar?"

"Sort of," Cassandra told the younger man. "He never took his vows, and never became addicted to lyrium, but he knew all their abilities. Petra's right about helping though, and maybe you'll start seeing that we're not as dangerous as you think."

"What about me?" Hawke asked softly. "What can I do to help?"

"You're a healer, right? You can help in the infirmary," Anders offered with a sigh. "That way I can keep an eye on you."

"I'm not going to jeopardize our refuge. I swear that before the Maker."

"We'll see," the healer shot back.

"Baby's name?" Deborah piped up, smiling slightly. Hawke appeared startled, but then smiled as she walked closer, giving the little girl a good look at her son. He had his mother's blue eyes, but his silky hair was dark, much like his father's. Sucking on his fist, he stared at the little girl, and as she smiled, he gurgled and smiled back.

"Corbis. He was named after his great-grandfather, who was Prince of Starkhaven. What's your name?"

"Deborah. I like you!" Cassandra smiled at her cousin, who nodded.

"Well, that's as much a seal of approval as you get around here. I'll show you to your quarters, and then we'll discuss your exact obligations while you're here." She handed Deborah to Anders, who still looked uneasy.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Cassie."

"Me too."
* * *

A few weeks had passed, and the Hawke siblings were getting used to life with the mages. Alistair had sent a letter telling her that Starkhaven was demanding help in searching for the "kidnappers" of the Champion and Viscount of Kirkwall, but Ferelden's official policy was "sorry, we've got our own problems to worry about". In the days that had followed her return to the Peak, Cassandra had grown increasingly bothered by something, and took to locking herself in her private study, high at the top of Avernus' old tower. Not even Anders was allowed in when she was working, and the entire school was becoming concerned. Finally, Hawke could stand it no longer, and walked up the rickety steps to the top, banging on the door until it opened. "What?!" Cassandra yelled, clearly frustrated at being disturbed.

"We need to talk."

"No, "we" don't. I'm in the middle of some research and want to be left alone." As the door started to shut, the Champion frowned and shoved Corbis at her cousin, who appeared startled as she took the baby. "What are you-"

"Distracting you," the blonde answered, pushing her way inside the room. There were books and papers scattered everywhere, and potions bubbling on a small hearth. "What is it you're so obsessed with? Everyone's worried."

"Everyone needs to mind their own bloody business." Cassandra glowered a bit, but finally sighed and sat down at the desk, still holding the baby, who looked up at her with his bright eyes. "You fight dirty."

"A trick I learned from you, I think," Hawke shot back as she pulled another chair up and sat down. "But why all the secrecy, cousin? I've heard the stories of the mage who used to work here. You're not… Please tell me blood magick isn't involved."

"Oh for the love of Andraste! No! I will never practice that foul craft, and anyone who accuses me of doing so is asking for a fireball right up their arse!" Corbis began crying at her outburst, and the Hero immediately rocked him gently, shushing him until he was once again calm. "You wouldn't understand," she finally said.

"Try me."

"You have a child of your own. I love Deborah like she is my real daughter, but… But it still pains me that I cannot have a baby. That for all the love I give to both Alistair and Anders, I will never be able to have a true family."

"But the King has a son. With the Queen."

"Yes, because Anora isn't a Warden. He got lucky, and Caden is a wonderful boy that Alistair cherishes above all else. But I will always be standing in the shadows, wishing that I had been the one to conceive him. That's what I'm doing up here." Hawke looked confused for a moment.

"You're trying to have a baby? Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need a man for that?" The Warden gave her cousin a sideways glance and rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to see if I can hold off the taint long enough to have a child. I… I already have a way that will guarantee conception."

"Oh? This isn't anything I've ever heard of."

"Considering how it's from the grimoire of Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, I doubt you have." The Champion's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh, so you've heard of her before?"

"I've met her. Twice. She saved my family when we were escaping the Blight, and then I apparently carried a piece of her… Soul in an amulet to Sundermount, near Kirkwall. She told me that it was in case the inevitable had happened." It was Cassandra's turn to look confused, but then the pieces clicked into place.

"That "inevitable" would be me killing her. Or at least a piece. Should have known that Flemeth wouldn't be that foolish to just stay in the Wilds with the darkspawn on her doorstep."

"You know, it's actually thanks to Flemeth that I'm here now."

"Okay, you're going to have to explain that a bit better." Hawke sighed and took her son back, rocking him gently.

"When she was released on Sundermount, she told me that we were standing on a "precipice of change" and the world was fearing a plummet into the abyss. But she said that I had to look for that moment, and when I found it, not be afraid to leap. "For it is only when you are falling, that you learn if you can fly" is what she said."

"Says the woman who could turn into a dragon," Cassandra shot back with a smirk. Hawke nodded and sighed heavily.

"When I learned what Sebastian wanted to do, I figured that this was my plummet. And so I leapt. Straight towards you, and everything you stood for."

"Even though I tried to kill you?"

"I suppose I deserved it, didn't I? After all, I was basically trying to murder children. I was blind to what the Knight Commander was doing, because I believed that she spoke with the Maker's authority. Anders was right about her, though: She was a lunatic, and corrupt."

"I heard that your group was forced to kill her. What happened?" Hawke shivered for a moment, and Cassandra stood and walked to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Take your time. I understand."

"She'd gotten her hands on an idol we'd found in the Deep Roads: A thing made of pure lyrium. But Meredith made it into a sword, and it drove her mad. She saw blood mages everywhere, and refused to stand down when Knight Captain Cullen ordered her to, for the good of the City. She attacked us, and the Templars, but we managed to stop her. But the lyrium… The sword shattered, and I think it took her soul. All that was left was a twisted, metal… Statue. I can still see the red light shining out of it. Knight Captain Cullen declared us saviors of Kirkwall, and I was made Viscount. But I don't really feel that I saved anyone, to be honest. After all, we'd killed innocent people in the name of the Maker. It was Anders who blew up the Chantry, not the Circle. Why did Meredith treat them as enemies?"

"Because it was the easiest thing for her to do. She might have been content with just Anders' death, but his actions gave her a reason to wipe out every mage in Kirkwall. No mages meant no blood mages, and no blood mages meant no Demons. The City would be safe, and she would be a hero to the people. You were an inconvenience, and she would probably have accused you of working blood magick had she been successful in killing you and your friends."

"I never wanted any sort of power!" Hawke argued, tears in her eyes. "I just wanted to protect people!"

"I know, and you did what you thought was right."

"But it wasn't. If you hadn't been there, I would have… Those children-" Cassandra suddenly wrapped the other woman in a hug, being careful of the baby.

"Those children are safe, and learning to master their powers. I admit, I was ready to kill you that day, but cooler heads prevailed."

"Anders stopped you. He said we needed to know the whole truth. But how was he even there? I killed him… Didn't I?"

"Trust me, that man is stronger than he looks. You didn't kill him, and I managed to rip Justice out of him so that he wouldn't do something so foolish as blowing up a major Chantry again. And now you're here with us, fighting for your son's right to exist as the Maker made him, not how Starkhaven nobility thinks he should be."

"Does it get any easier? Accepting what Fate puts in front of you?" Cassandra scoffed and stood, one hand on her hip as she grinned.

"We make our own Fate, dear cousin. The Maker gave us all free will, and I intend to make the most of that. Mostly by being a thorn in the side of the Chantry until they admit that mages are people too." Hawke nodded and stood, a look of determination in her eyes.

"Then let me help you. Together, we can fight this taint of yours back long enough for you to be a true mother. Let me give that to you, at least." The Hero nodded, a genuine smile gracing her features for a moment as she gazed at the notes and potions lying around the room.

"We have a lot of work to do. Let's get started."