Landsmeet pt9

'How much Ferelden blood does Orlesian gold buy these days?' Loghain asked Aenian.

'The Blight is the threat here, not Orlais,' Aenian replied, loud enough for everyone in the throne room to hear.  The nobles needed to understand that it was the darkspawn that threatened them all, not Orlesians.  The old occupation of Orlais was thirty years past, long enough for grudges between neighbouring nations to heal, even if some, like Loghain, refused to forgive Orlais for their war crimes.  Aenian had learned from Arl Eamon that Loghain's mother had been raped and murdered by an Orlesian commander after his father, a freeholder called Gareth of Oswin, had refused to pay a tribute tax to the Orlesians and subsequently lost his lands for tax evasion and became an outlaw with his son after murdering the Orlesian commander responsible for raping and murdering his wife, Loghain's mother.

'We've been treated to many stories of the darkspawn in the past few weeks, but we still have no evidence this is a true Blight,' Bann Ceorlic said, ever the lapdog for Teyrn Loghain.  Given how far south in Ferelden his lands were, farther south than the Brecilian Forest, he ought to know better.  Aenian had heard stories of darkspawn raids all over Ferelden, including the lands surrounding the Teyrnir of Gwaren.  Ceorlic's lands were within the influence of Gwaren.  Either Ceorlic had been spending too much time in his estate in Denerim, or he was deliberately downplaying the darkspawn threat in his rash defence of the teyrn.

'If it's a story, it's a true one,' Arl Gallagher Wulff said to Ceorlic.  The large, grey-bearded, leather-clad noble addressed Loghain directly from the mezzanine he stood.  'The south is fallen, Loghain!  Will you let darkspawn take the whole country, for fear of Orlais?'

'The Blight is real, Wulff,' Loghain kindly told the haggard leather-clad arl.  Aenian understood that all too well.  Refugees had been flooding into Denerim and the other major cities farther north, like Amaranthine and Highever, fleeing the darkspawn since the Ferelden's disastrous defeat at Ostagar.  Thousands had even fled the country, some taking the land route through the Frostbacks to Orlais, a precarious journey with harsh winter weather, difficult terrain and darkspawn emerging from their underground warrens in the Frostbacks, embattling the avvar tribesmen who lived on the mountain range in the country's west.  It was a force of darkspawn that had originated from the northern Frostbacks that had sacked the West Hills, Gallagher Wulff's arling.  Still, others had fled by ship to cities like Kirkwall in the Free Marches.

'But do we need Grey Wardens to fight it?' Loghain asked the nobles of the Landsmeet.  '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?'

'You allowed Rendon Howe to imprison and torture innocents,' Aenian said accusingly.  Loghain had sought to tarnish the Grey Wardens by claiming they were collaborating with the Orlesians to retake Ferelden after losing it thirty years ago to King Maric's rebels.  It was only appropriate that the nobles in attendance of the Landsmeet knew what sort of snakes Loghain was allied with if he insisted on labelling the Grey Wardens as lackeys for the Orlesian Empress.

It was Bann Sighard who spoke on behalf of Aenian concerning the "late" Arl Howe's atrocities.  'The Warden speaks truly!  My son was taken under cover of night.  The things done to him...some of them are beyond any healer's skill.'  A couple other nobles had gathered the courage to speak against Rendon Howe, saying similar things, making accusations of intimidation, harassment and even outright violence against their bannermen by Howe and his thugs.  And there was also the excessive persecution of Grey Warden sympathisers, of whom a good number of nobles at the Landsmeet were.

The accusation of Howe's brutality stirred outrage and indignation among the nobles.  'Howe was responsible for himself.  He will answer to the Maker for any wrongs committed in this life.  As we must all,' Loghain had said, neither defending nor condemning Howe.

Loghain turned to Aenian.  'But you knew that.  You were the one who murdered him.'  The truth was that it had been Zevran who had killed Howe, but Loghain would sooner blame Howe's death on him regardless.  The Grey Warden was a more convenient target, and not to mention a former travelling companion of the former Antivan Crow before Zevran fled Denerim to find the Dalish and assist them against the darkspawn.  'Whatever Howe may have done, he should have been brought to the seneschal.  There is no justice in butchering a man in his home.'

And where was the justice after my mother was dragged out of her home and murdered, her head cut off by a mob of shemlen? Aenian thought.  He kept this thought to himself.  The humans cared not about the elves, he thought.  They only cared about themselves.  He wondered if Loghain could justify selling elves to slavery...if the shemlen nobles even cared, at all.

'Is there justice in selling elves to Tevinter?' Aenian asked Loghain.

Arl Eamon showed the nobles the ledger that Alistair had found on Caladrius' corpse, presenting the proof of Loghain's involvement with slavers.  He passed it along to a noble, who read it and saw Loghain's seal on it and gasped in horror.  Bann Sighard demanded an explanation from Loghain.

The nobles were murmuring amongst themselves at this latest allegation against Loghain.  'By the Maker,' one noble said, aghast.  'Oh Andraste,' a noblewoman uttered under her breath in shame for Loghain.  Most of the nobles present looked appalled, some of them even outraged at such depravity.  Aenian had indeed underestimated the humans.  He never thought that so many of them would be so disgusted by Loghain selling elves into slavery to fund his war against the Bannorn, of which many in attendance at the Landsmeet represented.  It made the Grey Warden wonder if the nobility representing the Bannorn felt any genuine sympathy for the elves who were taken away by the Tevinter slavers or were simply angry that Loghain had simply been conspiring with a foreign government for the sake of bringing in revenue for the country to continue his aggressive campaign against them, who had become increasingly hostile towards the throne in the months after the Battle of Ostagar where Loghain had retreated under questionable circumstances.

Loghain was cold when he admitted to this.  '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.  Despite what you may thing, 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.'

Aenian couldn't bring himself to believe a single word Loghain had said.  The teyrn had been willing to sacrifice every elf in Denerim's alienage for the sake of his senseless war efforts.  Aenian understood well enough the need for sacrifices.  He was a Grey Warden, after all.  What Loghain did, however, was unforgivable.  It went too far.  He now hoped with all his heart that Loghain would be executed for all that he had done.

Loghain asked Aenian what he had done to his daughter, of whom rumour had spread around the city that Anora was missing.  Some people were saying that Anora was murdered by the Grey Wardens.  Others said that Anora had been murdered by Howe and was rotting in his dungeons after the queen was last sighted paying the arl a visit.  Others insisted she was poisoned by the Crows of Antiva, or meeting the Nevarrans in secret, discussing important state business concerning both of their countries' former belligerent, Orlais.  Some even believed she had taken an army south to face the darkspawn directly.  Very little that was said was true.  Aenian had indeed thwarted a potential plot by Howe to murder Anora and frame them and Eamon for it, but aside from his companions, Eamon, Bann Sighard and his son Oswyn, Anders and Riordan, no one else knew the full truth.

'What have I done?  I've protected her from you.' said Aenian.

'You took my daughter--our queen--by force, killing her guards in the process.  What arts have you employed to keep her?  Does she even still live?'

'I believe I can speak for myself,' Anora announced to her father suddenly, removing her helmet as she stood next to Arl Eamon.  There were gasps and murmuring from the nobles, and even the palace guards were baffled.  Ser Perth was astonished that he had been unaware that the queen had been within his company, and he didn't notice.  Loghain was truly perplexed when he saw his daughter, the queen standing next to Arl Eamon, presumably disguised as one of the aging arl's retainers, and he failed to notice.

Queen Anora addressed the Landsmeet.  'Lords and ladies, hear me.  My father is no longer the man you know.  This man is not the hero of River Dane.  This man turned his troops aside and refused to protect your king as he fought bravely against the darkspawn.  This man seized Cailan's throne before his body was cold and locked me away so I could not reveal his treachery.  I would have already been killed, if not for this Grey Warden.'

'The queen speaks the truth,' said Aenian.

Loghain sighed.  'So the Warden's influence has poisoned even your mind, Anora?' the teyrn spoke, his voice soft and disappointed.  He harboured no loathing for his daughter, only worry for her wellbeing as he looked up at her as she stood next to Arl Eamon.  'I wanted to protect you from this.'

Loghain addressed the entire assembly of nobles.  'Lords and ladies, our land has been threatened before.  It's been invaded, and lost, and won times beyond counting.  We Fereldens have proven that we will never be conquered so long as we are united.  We must not let ourselves be divided now.  Stand with me, and we will defeat even the Blight itself,' he said loudly.  He was immediately replied by a few nobles that stood on the floor closest to him with promises of solidarity and support.  A few more nobles standing amongst them shouted support for the Grey Wardens, one of them even calling for the crowning of Alistair.  Aenian heard the former templar groan.

It was Eamon who spoke that saw a number of the nobles pledge their support for the Grey Wardens.  'Lords and ladies of the Bannorn, what has Teyrn Loghain done but divide our country with war and the senseless slaughter of your brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, when the darkspawn scavenge and pillage in earnest, unopposed because we have few enough forces to fight them?'  Gesturing to Aenian and Alistair, he continued, 'These two proud Fereldans have risked their lives uniting us, bringing us here and gathering others allies to help us fight the darkspawn, like the Dalish elves and the dwarves of Orzammar.'

'Don't forget the templars, your lordship,' Leliana said.

'And especially the templars, our noble defenders of the faith.  They have vowed to fight the darkspawn with us.  And was it Loghain who convinced them to do so?  No, it was the Grey Wardens.  They risked certain death by demons and blood mages to purge the Circle Tower at Lake Calenhad of the mages who had conspired to seize the Circle Tower through bloodshed and murder those who defend us from those who would abuse the fearsome powers they wield,' said Eamon.

'A compelling argument, Eamon.  My brother served as a templar, until he went missing searching for a blood mage who fled the Circle,' Bann Alfstanna said.  'If the Grey Wardens have the endorsement of the templars, then consider the Waking Sea Bannorn at the Grey Warden's command.'

Several more nobles spoke out on Bann Alfstanna Eremon's support for the Grey Wardens.  Some pledged their support for the Grey Wardens.  Others had voted in favour of Teyrn Loghain.  Arl Leonas Bryland and Bann Sighard both added their voices for the Grey Wardens alongside Alfstanna's.  Arl Gallagher Wulff also offered his support for the Grey Wardens.

One by one, more of the nobles had cast their vote.  Some supported the Grey Wardens.  A sizeable number of them supported Teyrn Loghain.  One of those nobles was Bann Ceorlic, who said plainly that Ferelden had no hope of defeating the darkspawn without Teyrn Loghain.

The seneschal's duty at the Landsmeet was to tally the votes of the nobles.  He was unable to keep track of the voting so he had requested those attending the Landsmeet to cast their votes again, one at a time, so that he could count them properly.  Once the nobles had voted, the seneschal counted the tally.  Aenian had heard a large number of nobles shouting their support for Loghain.  He might had gotten a lot of support at the Landsmeet, but he was worried that it was not enough.  Leliana had slipped down from the mezzanine to join Aenian and the others.  She had relayed a message to him and the others from Eamon, instructing them to get the Grey Wardens out of Denerim should the Landsmeet turn against them.  Loghain would want to have them both executed as they were a threat to him.  They understood, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice necessary to ensure Aenian and Alistair escaped.  Alistair had even added that he would lay down his life if it meant Aenian could escape.  The former templar felt certain that Aenian was the better leader than him.

'Don't say such a thing, Alistair,' Aenian told his fellow Grey Warden.  'I have faith that the Landsmeet will turn against Loghain.  And even if it didn't, what about Riordan?  I can't just leave him behind.'

'I would imagine Riordan would help you and Alistair escape, even if it killed him,' Morrigan told Aenian.

'I hope the Landsmeet doesn't go against you, Aenian.  I would hate to be killed by Loghain's soldiers,' Anders said.  'I wouldn't want to be forced to leave you guys if it means me saving my skin.'

'Coward,' Sten said to Anders.

'If it's death by one of Loghain's spearmen or an uncertain likelihood of survival, I would pick the more cowardly option, qunari,' Anders retorted, a little too proudly.

The voting was over.  Every noble had cast their vote.  Loghain was well-received, taking a sizeable number of votes.  However, a larger number of the nobles had voted in favour of the Grey Wardens.  It was astonishing to Aenian that the Landsmeet turned out in their favour.  The Grey Wardens had only won by six votes.

Loghain was outraged that the Landsmeet had voted against him.  It didn't matter that there were nobles who supported him.  Not enough had, and that was what infuriated the teyrn.

'Traitors!' Loghain called out to every single noble in the Landsmeet.  'Which of you stood against the Orlesian emperor when his troops flattened your fields and raped your wives?'  Loghain turned to Arl Eamon.  'You fought with us once, Eamon.  You cared about this land once.  Before you got too old and fat and content to even see what you risk.'  The truth was that Eamon was not fat, but it was true that he used to be more portly in the past, until his many months in a magic-induced coma that had him lose a great amount of weight.  Eamon had only regained enough of the weight he had lost that he was starting to grow a bit of a belly.  The arl couldn't have looked more hale than at this moment, more so than when Aenian had first saw him comatose in his bed after he had killed his demonically-possessed teenaged child.

'None of you deserve a say in what happens here!  None of you have spilled blood for this land the way I have.  How dare you judge me!' Loghain scathed, seething with barely suppressed fury.

Loghain's soldiers snapped to attention.  The teyrn ordered his men to arrest the Grey Wardens.

'Call off your men and we'll settle this honourably,' Aenian said to the teyrn.

Loghain called off his soldiers.  They halted, turned and moved back to Loghain, standing behind the teyrn.

'Then let us end this,' Loghain had agreed.  'I suppose we both knew it would come to this.  A man is made by the quality of his enemies.  Maric told me that once.  I wonder if it's more of a compliment to you or me.  Enough.  Let the Landsmeet declare the terms of the duel.'

It was Bann Alfstanna who explained the conditions of the duel.  '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.'

Aenian thought those terms were agreeable.  Loghain didn't look the sort to yield.  He would probably fight until the bitter end, to the death.  Aenian was ready to face him.

'Will you face me yourself, or have you a champion?' Loghain asked.

It was Alistair who responded.  He stepped forward as he announced he would champion the Grey Wardens.

'Then let us test the mettle of our would-be king,' Loghain said.  'Prepare yourself.'

The nobles and guards on the floor all stood back to create a space for the duel that was to be fought.  Loghain was already waiting for the challenger Alistair to step forward.

Before he did, the former templar had a few words to say to the others.  'Everyone, if I should be slain, I want all of you to get Aenian out of Denerim.  Get him to Soldier's Peak.'

'Alistair...' Aenian started to speak.

'No buts,' Alistair told the elven Warden.  'We need our allies to march against the darkspawn as soon as possible.  However, I would also expect our allies to be fighting against the teyrn's army should things not end well for us, but I pray that they wouldn't be forced to.'

'Alistair, you're going to win.  I know it,' Aenian said.  Vaughan barked in agreement.

'We'll get Aenian out of Denerim should the teyrn kill you.  Count on it,' said Anders.

'Somehow I doubt you would help us for long.  If anything, you would flee the first chance you get,' doubted Sten.

'Alistair, Aenian's right.  You're going to win,' said Leliana encouragingly.

'I'm going to do more than that.  I'm going to kill him,' Alistair promised.

The former templar walked into the empty oval-shaped space on the floor in the throne room where the duel would take place.  All around him and the teyrn nobles encircled around them for the best place to witness the duel.  Palace guards and Loghain's soldiers alike shoved past the nobles and stood in an oval in front of the nobles, to bar interference from anyone.

Aenian stood behind the palace guards, Vaughan in front of him.  If the guards were to attempt to arrest or kill him, they would have to get past the mabari first.  His other companions, Sten, Leliana and Morrigan, as well as the runaway mage Anders stood at either side of the elven Warden, ready to get him out of the royal palace at the first sign of trouble.

The teyrn and Alistair unsheathed their swords.  Several of the nobles gasped from behind the guards and up on the mezzanines, all watching with bated breath for the clash of steel between the two men.  Clad in the full suit of enchanted platemail armour of the Chevalier commander that he had killed in the Battle of River Dane, Loghain circled his opponent.  Alistair stood ready, always shifting the pacing teyrn so that he didn't present his back to him.  In his lighter templar regalia, Alistair seemed to have a slight advantage with mobility.  The former templar was mistaken when Loghain made the first move, moving with the speed of a leather-clad footpad instead of a bulky knight, years of acclimatising to the weight of the armour, enchanted to be lighter than it would had weighed otherwise enabled the teyrn to move with relative celerity, his heavy plate more of a second skin than a mere suit of armour.

Alistair blocked a downward stroke by raising his steel shield.  Alistair felt a slight vibrating on his left arm from the impact of the teyrn's sword on his shield.