What Duty Dictates - Part 4
Crossposted to SiB, Dragonage'verse Fic, and Dragon_Age.
Title: What Duty Dictates - Part 4
Rating: T
Characters: F!Tabris (Kallian), F!Cousland (Elissa), Alistair, Zevran
Pairings: Kallian/Nelaros, Elissa/???
Genre: Action/Romance/Intrigue
Word Count: 1500+
Summary: Alternate Universe. The Blight never happens. Kallian lives in Highever with her husband, Nelaros, and is lady-in-waiting to Elissa Cousland. Elissa has five months left to find a husband or her parents choose one for her. The Grey Wardens, Duncan and Alistair, visit Highever and dinner is served . . .
Parts 1-3 can be found here on FF.net
"How long have you been a Grey Warden?" Elissa asked him.
"Not that long, really," he said with a slightly sheepish look. "I've only been a full fledged Warden for six months now. So, I'm still in the process of learning things."
"Is it everything you thought it would be?" she only glanced at her dinner plate and shoved a bit of her food around with her fork. The Grey Warden next to her - Alistair was his name - was far too interesting for her to think of anything silly like eating.
He gave an odd pause and spoke slowly, "Not . . . quite . . . what I was expecting, no."
Alistair said nothing further and busied himself with the food on his plate. Elissa's eyebrow arched in curiosity. She knew that Grey Wardens were shrouded in secrecy and legend. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that there were things they couldn't say to those outside the order. Elissa wasn't going to press, but Alistair had caught her interest. Really caught her interest.
He was handsome, witty, polite, and had a nice smile. It also helped that he was taller than she. Elissa often found that most men were a bit intimidated by her height. They'd react either by being disinterested or felt they needed to push their ego to try and impress her. Alistair certainly didn't seem egotistical, nor was he trying to impress her in any way.
Elissa was about to ask another question when Kallian appeared in front of her with a tray. She purposefully caught Elissa's eye when she refilled her goblet for her. Her lady-in-waiting looked at the Warden next to her, looked back at Elissa, and then she waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Elissa almost spat her drink up and she felt her cheeks redden. Kallian quirked her lip in an all-too-smug fashion before turning away.
She was definitely going to have to talk to her about it later. It wasn't as if she was being too obvious about her interest. At least, she didn't think she was being obvious. Just because she was already trying to recall if she knew of any nobility who was married to a Grey Warden didn't mean a thing. It would be too forward to outright ask if he'd be willing to leave the order. Maybe, perhaps, she could ask if he'd like to visit again. To see more of the castle and Highever, of course. Or-
"No!"
It was Kallian that screamed the word out. Elissa looked just in time to see her lunge forward with the tray and block a dagger that was on a downward arch right for her father's chest. The blond haired elf that held the knife looked just as shocked as everyone else. He was even more shocked when the metal wine carafe Kallian had came flying for his head as she threw it. It didn't hit him, but it was just enough to make him back away and pause.
"Assassin!" Fergus shouted, and everyone was suddenly moving at once.
Her brother practically threw himself between their father and the assailant. Her mother also used her own body as a shield, draping herself in front of him to cover his chest. Elissa shot to her feet, the chair under her flying back as she kicked it, partially blocking one of the elf's escape routes. She saw Oriana grab Oren up into her arms and move away from it all quickly. She heard someone at one of the side tables shouting for the guards. The Grey Warden Duncan also got to his feet, weapon in hand and she sensed Alistair also doing the same.
The assassin was now blocked in at both ends by armed Grey Wardens and slowly being closed in on by herself and her brother. Various shocked voices sounded out as he took the only path he could. Nimbly he jumped up, passing dangerously close to Elissa's mother, and scrambled atop the table. Elissa tried to make a grab for him, but she missed. He might have gotten away fully, but Kallian was a step ahead of everyone else.
She had yanked out the meat cutting knife from the slab of roast pig on the table and backed up enough to get directly into the assassins way. Elissa felt dread as he landed on the floor and lunged forward towards her. It was suicidal, facing off against a trained and deadly assassin with nothing but a kitchen knife. Then Elissa took full measure of the way Kallian was holding herself and her eyes widened in realization.
As Kallian parried the lunge to the side, it was very apparent that her lady-in-waiting was no slouch with the blade. There was no panic in her eyes, she stood with the stance of a short blade fighter, and with tray in one hand and flimsy knife in the other she was successfully defending herself from the blows he delivered.
"Miss! Here!" Duncan called out and lobbed a long dagger over the table right to Kallian.
As it sailed through the air, she shouted savagely and threw both the tray and knife at the blond elf. It caused him to stop and step back just long enough for her to catch the blade in time. Now with the stronger and sturdier dagger in hand she went on the attack. She stood toe-to-toe with him, getting in his way when he'd try for the exit, keeping him from escaping.
By then, others who were armed made their ways around the tables and several guards came charging in through the door. In seconds the assassin was surrounded.
"Alive!" the Teyrn called out, now over his shock. "We need him alive!"
In a desperate move he whirled out of reached of one of the guards and lashed out at the least armored of them. Kallian dodged, but not fast enough. His blade cut a line down her bicep and Elissa heard her hiss in pain. It allowed him to get passed her. The move was in vain, however, as more guards came in and blocked the door.
The assassin stopped and looked around as they surrounded him again. He must have known he was caught, as his stance relaxed and he turned around to face Kallian. She remained tense, dagger still at the ready despite the blood soaking the cloth of her sleeve.
"Drop your weapon!" one of the guards barked.
The elf ignored him, apparently only interested in Kallian. He spoke with a thick accent in a rich tenor.
"And here I thought my greatest obstacles were the Grey Wardens," he chuckled once and shrugged a shoulder. "Another mistake. Another regret."
Raising his hand he held forward the dagger towards Kallian, showing her the metal of the blade.
"I said drop the weapon!" the guard bellowed.
It went ignored once more.
"The antidote is in my left pocket," he said, then gave an odd sort of smile before letting the dagger drop to the floor.
Elissa got around the table in a hurry. The blade being poisoned was no surprise, but letting Kallian know where the antidote was for it was confusing. For a moment she lost sight of the assassin behind the wall of guards. They closed in on him, and then it was Kallian who shouted.
"Don't let him drink that!"
Apparently her shout was too late. The assassin tipped a vial back and drank it's contents just as the words left her mouth. For some horrific moments Elissa thought he had drank the antidote, but something in the way he looked changed her mind.
The blond haired elven assassin seemed to only want to look at Kallian. He dropped to his knees and in his face was sorrow, regret, and most of all resignation.
"I am sorry Rinna . . . " he uttered just before his whole body started to convulse.
Everyone backed away. Bubble foam started to seep through his mouth and nose, his eyes rolled completely to the back of his head. In only a few seconds, he keeled over dead.
Title: What Duty Dictates - Part 4
Rating: T
Characters: F!Tabris (Kallian), F!Cousland (Elissa), Alistair, Zevran
Pairings: Kallian/Nelaros, Elissa/???
Genre: Action/Romance/Intrigue
Word Count: 1500+
Summary: Alternate Universe. The Blight never happens. Kallian lives in Highever with her husband, Nelaros, and is lady-in-waiting to Elissa Cousland. Elissa has five months left to find a husband or her parents choose one for her. The Grey Wardens, Duncan and Alistair, visit Highever and dinner is served . . .
Parts 1-3 can be found here on FF.net
"How long have you been a Grey Warden?" Elissa asked him.
"Not that long, really," he said with a slightly sheepish look. "I've only been a full fledged Warden for six months now. So, I'm still in the process of learning things."
"Is it everything you thought it would be?" she only glanced at her dinner plate and shoved a bit of her food around with her fork. The Grey Warden next to her - Alistair was his name - was far too interesting for her to think of anything silly like eating.
He gave an odd pause and spoke slowly, "Not . . . quite . . . what I was expecting, no."
Alistair said nothing further and busied himself with the food on his plate. Elissa's eyebrow arched in curiosity. She knew that Grey Wardens were shrouded in secrecy and legend. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that there were things they couldn't say to those outside the order. Elissa wasn't going to press, but Alistair had caught her interest. Really caught her interest.
He was handsome, witty, polite, and had a nice smile. It also helped that he was taller than she. Elissa often found that most men were a bit intimidated by her height. They'd react either by being disinterested or felt they needed to push their ego to try and impress her. Alistair certainly didn't seem egotistical, nor was he trying to impress her in any way.
Elissa was about to ask another question when Kallian appeared in front of her with a tray. She purposefully caught Elissa's eye when she refilled her goblet for her. Her lady-in-waiting looked at the Warden next to her, looked back at Elissa, and then she waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Elissa almost spat her drink up and she felt her cheeks redden. Kallian quirked her lip in an all-too-smug fashion before turning away.
She was definitely going to have to talk to her about it later. It wasn't as if she was being too obvious about her interest. At least, she didn't think she was being obvious. Just because she was already trying to recall if she knew of any nobility who was married to a Grey Warden didn't mean a thing. It would be too forward to outright ask if he'd be willing to leave the order. Maybe, perhaps, she could ask if he'd like to visit again. To see more of the castle and Highever, of course. Or-
"No!"
It was Kallian that screamed the word out. Elissa looked just in time to see her lunge forward with the tray and block a dagger that was on a downward arch right for her father's chest. The blond haired elf that held the knife looked just as shocked as everyone else. He was even more shocked when the metal wine carafe Kallian had came flying for his head as she threw it. It didn't hit him, but it was just enough to make him back away and pause.
"Assassin!" Fergus shouted, and everyone was suddenly moving at once.
Her brother practically threw himself between their father and the assailant. Her mother also used her own body as a shield, draping herself in front of him to cover his chest. Elissa shot to her feet, the chair under her flying back as she kicked it, partially blocking one of the elf's escape routes. She saw Oriana grab Oren up into her arms and move away from it all quickly. She heard someone at one of the side tables shouting for the guards. The Grey Warden Duncan also got to his feet, weapon in hand and she sensed Alistair also doing the same.
The assassin was now blocked in at both ends by armed Grey Wardens and slowly being closed in on by herself and her brother. Various shocked voices sounded out as he took the only path he could. Nimbly he jumped up, passing dangerously close to Elissa's mother, and scrambled atop the table. Elissa tried to make a grab for him, but she missed. He might have gotten away fully, but Kallian was a step ahead of everyone else.
She had yanked out the meat cutting knife from the slab of roast pig on the table and backed up enough to get directly into the assassins way. Elissa felt dread as he landed on the floor and lunged forward towards her. It was suicidal, facing off against a trained and deadly assassin with nothing but a kitchen knife. Then Elissa took full measure of the way Kallian was holding herself and her eyes widened in realization.
As Kallian parried the lunge to the side, it was very apparent that her lady-in-waiting was no slouch with the blade. There was no panic in her eyes, she stood with the stance of a short blade fighter, and with tray in one hand and flimsy knife in the other she was successfully defending herself from the blows he delivered.
"Miss! Here!" Duncan called out and lobbed a long dagger over the table right to Kallian.
As it sailed through the air, she shouted savagely and threw both the tray and knife at the blond elf. It caused him to stop and step back just long enough for her to catch the blade in time. Now with the stronger and sturdier dagger in hand she went on the attack. She stood toe-to-toe with him, getting in his way when he'd try for the exit, keeping him from escaping.
By then, others who were armed made their ways around the tables and several guards came charging in through the door. In seconds the assassin was surrounded.
"Alive!" the Teyrn called out, now over his shock. "We need him alive!"
In a desperate move he whirled out of reached of one of the guards and lashed out at the least armored of them. Kallian dodged, but not fast enough. His blade cut a line down her bicep and Elissa heard her hiss in pain. It allowed him to get passed her. The move was in vain, however, as more guards came in and blocked the door.
The assassin stopped and looked around as they surrounded him again. He must have known he was caught, as his stance relaxed and he turned around to face Kallian. She remained tense, dagger still at the ready despite the blood soaking the cloth of her sleeve.
"Drop your weapon!" one of the guards barked.
The elf ignored him, apparently only interested in Kallian. He spoke with a thick accent in a rich tenor.
"And here I thought my greatest obstacles were the Grey Wardens," he chuckled once and shrugged a shoulder. "Another mistake. Another regret."
Raising his hand he held forward the dagger towards Kallian, showing her the metal of the blade.
"I said drop the weapon!" the guard bellowed.
It went ignored once more.
"The antidote is in my left pocket," he said, then gave an odd sort of smile before letting the dagger drop to the floor.
Elissa got around the table in a hurry. The blade being poisoned was no surprise, but letting Kallian know where the antidote was for it was confusing. For a moment she lost sight of the assassin behind the wall of guards. They closed in on him, and then it was Kallian who shouted.
"Don't let him drink that!"
Apparently her shout was too late. The assassin tipped a vial back and drank it's contents just as the words left her mouth. For some horrific moments Elissa thought he had drank the antidote, but something in the way he looked changed her mind.
The blond haired elven assassin seemed to only want to look at Kallian. He dropped to his knees and in his face was sorrow, regret, and most of all resignation.
"I am sorry Rinna . . . " he uttered just before his whole body started to convulse.
Everyone backed away. Bubble foam started to seep through his mouth and nose, his eyes rolled completely to the back of his head. In only a few seconds, he keeled over dead.