"We have this, son. They just don't know it yet," she smiled with such certainty it caught in his throat. Cullen snorted at her assurance, but he didn't argue even while hacking through the frozen men to reach the slightly less dead ones.
"Find Myra. Save Alistair before...before anything happens to him. Please." Her eyes pleaded with him to leave her, to trust that the woman who ended a blight and did things even he could barely understand would be able to handle a few mercenaries.
Nodding limply at his mother, Gavin moved to do as commanded. Suddenly he sprung forward and wrapped his arms around his Mom. She smiled at the loving touch, her spent hand moving to pat into his shoulder when her fingers shot up and a spell launched off. It struck into the body of a merc who tipped his head back and screamed in agony.
For his father, Gavin managed a hearty shake of the head, both men armed and covered in blood. "I have her, Gavin. Don't worry," his dad whispered, groaning as Lana's waning body relied more upon him.
Lifting up his blade and slotting the shield on, Gavin broke into a run towards the palace steps. He didn't look back at his aged parents taking on what could be their last fight. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to obey his mother's command.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Father
She tried to pull her brother away, but Cailan was dead set on confronting their mother about the truth. His eyes burned with more passion than she'd seen in him in years, the wayward prince casting off his insouciant cloak while forced to confront the truth forced upon him.
In truth, Rosie wanted to follow. She wanted to be there beside him to ask her mother just what she was thinking. How could she be so sloppy as to...? Her eyes darted down to her fingers, the skin flexing tight enough to reveal her blue veins prodding below the paper white flesh. All her life she'd been told she had the skin of a princess. That it was her job to keep it soft, perfumed, white as milk, pure.
And in reality, she was as royal, as noble, as any of the other dozens of bastards running around on estate grounds. Her mother had barely a title to her name alone, and her father...
Rosie trembled, her shoulder sliding into the wall at the crushing reality on her chest. Her dad was hurt telling her the truth, every other sentence insisting that she and Cailan were his children, that he loved them more than anything, but how could that be true? He was faced with a choice to either disavow the brats of the wife the gentry forced upon him, or doom both the Queen and her children. Of course he did the right thing, he was always doing the right thing.
But...
"Nothing's changed, Spud. You're mine, Cailan's mine. You always will be."
Everything's changed, Alistair.
"Your Majesty?" a voice called behind her and Rosamund turned to find a man in unknown armor filling up the hallway. His voice rattled metallic inside a strange helmet.
"Yes?" she tipped her head in confusion, then noticed another in a very similar and alien uniform filing into place behind.
"You are required to come with me."
Rosie snorted at the man's certainty. She had no intentions of going anywhere. They had to find this...other father. Determine what he wanted, why he was suddenly poking back into matters better left dead. When Cailan was finished berating their mother, then the two could form a plan.
"I have other matters to attend to," she waved her hand at him and turned away. "If you will excuse me."
"Ma'am," an armored hand latched onto her wrist, Rosie freezing in place as she heard the sound of a sword leaving its scabbard. "You really don't want to do that."
"What are you doing?" she shrieked, attempting to turn to confront him. The sword's blade didn't bite into her neck, nor stab through her ribs, but it hovered right on the edge as a threat.
"We were under orders not to kill you, but he didn't say nothing about you arriving in one piece neither," the man said, his eyes darting over to the second behind him. "Don't make it harder than it needs to be, Princess."
A coup. Now? Rosie tugged on her arm, straining to break free. She spun on her heel, her mouth opening to scream for her father or anyone else in range, when the metal hand clamped against her face. Her lips banged into her teeth, swelling in an instant, while the breath stuffed back down her throat.
"We don't want none of that either," the man muttered, shaking his head while she glared. "I got this one," he said behind himself. "She ain't gonna make no more fuss. Tell 'em to round up the other, and then..."
A black blur whipped off the ground, Rosie's eyes barely able to track it when the second guard groaned in pain. The shadow latched onto his shoulders, twin pricks slicing deep into the neck gap. Blood spurted up like a fountain as the guard sunk to his knees.
The man holding Rosie noticed his fellow tumbled, and spun to try and confront the attacker. "What the fu-"
Lashing out, Rosie gripped onto the sword arm. She didn't have much of a chance to wrest it away before, but the dual attack threw the man off. He focused so fully on the Princess making a play for his blade that he forgot about the daggers. One stabbed deep into a gap at the back of his armor. Hissing in pain, the man turned, which was when Anjali drew her edge right across the gap of the helmet.
Blinded, the man screamed in agony as he tumbled backwards. Rosie scooped up his sword and moved to hold him off, when the assassin finished the job -- the slit throat silencing both of the attackers forever.
Panting with her blades dripping in blood, she turned to Rosie and dropped both. "Sapheela!"
"What in the Maker's name is going on?" Rosie gasped, her sword arm beginning to shake, when Anjali wrapped both of hers around to embrace her safe.
"I don't know. On my way to the room, I spotted the pus dripping pizzles collecting people. Whatever they want it cannot be good, so..." she tipped her head to the side as if fearing her conclusion might not be welcomed, "I came to find you. To make certain you were safe."
"Thank you," Rosamund whispered. She wanted to hug her back, to kiss her in gratitude and gratefulness but there were far bigger problems. "No crest, no emblem. I have no idea who they serve."
"The void when I'm through with them," Anjali hissed. The assassin backed out from her girlfriend's arms and kicked a boot into the guards.
Why now? The throne had been secure for years. No, decades and nary a peep from anyone attempting a play. Sure, people got upset at times with their more unconventional king, but as far as she knew no one was rattling sabers about it. As far as she knew.
As far as she knew, the King was her actual father and the throne was safe. What other truths had they been keeping from her under the guise of protection? Of it not something to concern their little Princess with?
"We need to get to Cailan," Rosie knocked her sword into the downed man and sneered.
"Why?"
"They mentioned gathering up another. It has to be him."
"What about the King?" Anjali folded her arms, barely blinking at blood clinging to her jaw. She must be used to its sticky feel.
Rosie's throat seized up. Saving the King, protecting him would be order one from anyone. Then her, the Queen and Cailan. Why didn't she rush straight to that? Was she so mad at him that...?
"He can handle himself surprisingly well, but Cailan... Anjali, he's with my mother."
"All right," she nodded, her fingers reaching over to grab up Rosie's. For a brief moment they gripped onto each other for strength before she released to pick up her dropped daggers. "Let's go save them both."
It was easier to work through the palace than Rosie expected. Anjali would peer around doorways and halls, the assassin quickly assessing the situation but it was the Princess who proved more valuable. She knew every back way in, using rooms to slide themselves behind guards so the assassin could pick them off at the back. Bodies littered their wake, which the traitors were likely to find eventually, but all that Rosie cared about was finding her brother and mother.
Rounding down the hallway to the Queen's apartments, Ro
sie was about to step right into the view when Anjali grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "What are you doing?"
"There's a good three guards down there," she hissed, her hot breath spitting into Rosie's ear.
Rosamund risked a quick look out to count, sure enough, three men standing right before the door she needed to get in. "Shite," she cursed to herself. "How did you know?"
"Heard 'em. They're not very subtle," Anjali shrugged. "It's a wonder they lasted more than a day as mercenaries, really."
"We're too late, if they've... We need to get inside."
"Why? Let's head back, find the King and..."
Rosie shook her head, "No, they're guarding someone. Maybe many someones who know things. We need to get in, talk to them. Alter the numbers a bit."
A pair of hands grabbed onto Rosie's cheeks and tugged her close for a quick kiss. When the pop of it evaporated from the air, Anjali snickered, "Your brain is magnificent at times. Very well, how do we get in?"
"That's..." Her brain had nothing, it was her heart doing most of the steering. Rosie turned to look down the hall and spotted one of the giant stuffed bears left haphazardly in the palace. "I have a very stupid idea."
Anjali followed her gaze and the assassin rubbed her chin in thought. "This should be fun."
By the time Rosamund got herself in place, she was dead certain how many ways this would fail. But they had no other choice. And, at least these monsters seemed to be under orders to capture her alive. What of Anjali? Would they kill her?
Ignoring the throb of her heart, Rosie struggled to shove the great bear forward -- right into the end of the hallway in full view of the mercs. She stayed tucked behind it, doing her best to be disguised by the mass of black hair. Okay, Rosie. Time to put on a show.
With her eyes screwed tight, she tried to make a feral roar flee from her throat. It plopped to the ground with a sad mewl instead. Groaning at the performance, aware that her heart was now screaming how much of a failure this idea was, Rosie began to inch the bear forward.
"What's that?" a voice shouted from the end of the hall.
Thinking of her dad, of all the times they'd be chasing each other around in his study playing Bear and Knight, Rosie tipped back her head and unleashed the most savage roar in her heart. It shot off the walls, bouncing straight to all three men who were staring in armed concern at a bear coming to eat them.
"Holy Andraste, is that...?"
"What's a bear doing in the palace?"
With her shoulder, Rosie jammed the bear closer. Its stuffed legs wobbled, the stand poorly sliding along on a rug. But it was all she had. Look at me, you fools. Fear what's coming for you. Opening her mouth wider, she let loose another roar growing closer to try and gobble the men up.
"Bear!" a voice shouted, "I command you to stand down."
"Shut it," another ordered, sound of metal clanging into metal reacting. They weren't fleeing in panic, nor quaking in fear. Their voices were...laughing? Damn it! Just, look at those big fangs.
Rosie managed to shove the bear another foot, when the beast suddenly froze in place. She glanced down at the platform and spotted a metal boot slammed right where the wood propping up the dead bear was. "Well," the man mused, his body odor wafting through the musty bear pelt to assault her nose. "This is fascinating. Huge claws coming to slash at me, eh? And those teeth. Gobble gobble me up."
The merc laughed with a great chuckle, no doubt turning back to chortle with his men, when a hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed onto Rosie. Yelping, she tried to scrabble away but there was no going. Her face scraped against the thick bear pelt as the man managed to haul half of her body out from behind her hiding place.
"Good evening, your Majesty," the merc snickered. "Having a bit of fun, are we?"
"What are you doing in my home?" she shouted, her wrist twisting in his tight grip. It burned where the rotten fingers bit against her skin, Rosie doing her best to keep her other arm hidden behind the bear.
"That's a bit of a long story. One you can get the whole shebang about once you come with me," he tugged harder, but she yanked back.
"No!" The bear rocked with her, seeming to dance upon its platform.
"No? Ah the little lady's being all spunky. We ain't a fan of spunky, are we boys?" he breathed across Rosie's face, the stench churning her guts. For a beat, his eyes burned into hers when he suddenly stood up and realized no one answered him. "Boys?"
Whipping his head back, the man spotted Anjali with one hand clamped upon the second man's mouth, her dagger slitting the throat open. The other was already dead at their feet. "You bi..." was as far as he got when Rosie lashed her sword forward. It bounded against the arm plating, causing the man to release his grip on her.
Shocked from being attacked without his men for backup, the merc struggled to unearth his sword from the scabbard. Sucking in a breath, Rosie slid out around the great bear and raised her sword to deflect the first blow. The man snarled at her even trying. Perhaps he noticed the sword she carried belonged to their order. Whatever it was, fire burned in his eyes.
Fingers gripped onto the blade, the man swinging it free to take her on, when out of the air silver blurred past their faces. A knife stuck deep into the man's eye, his head bouncing back against the wall. Gore slopped out of the wound, trickling across his face as he tumbled to his knees. While Rosie clung tighter to her sword, Anjali nonchalantly plucked her knife free from the dead man's skull. She had to cup her hand along the blade, popping the unearthed eyeball off the end. It clattered onto the floor, the iris glaring at nothing but the wall.
"That worked better than I thought," the assassin mused. "Bear attack."
"We needed a distraction and I thought they'd be too focused on the idea of someone trying to pretend a bear was coming for them than..."
Lips plunged onto hers, cutting off Rosie's unnecessary explanation. As Anjali drew her hands up and down her arms, she whispered, "I am never playing chess against you, Sapheela."
"Very few bear attacks in that game," she shrugged feeling light headed. They were bathing in the blood of traitors come to ruin her family and Ferelden, and she couldn't stop kissing this other woman by her side. Shaking it off, Rosie forced herself to focus. "We need to see what's going on."
Anjali shrugged but fell in line as Rosie lifted up her sword and kicked open the door to her mother's room. A dozen voices all cried in surprise as she breached what had always been a sanctuary for her. Rosie glanced around fast, a few candles left burning beside a dresser, but she couldn't see her mother or Cailan.
"Tess?" she gasped at one familiar face in the rough.
"Oh, my Lady, you're safe!" she ran out of the pile of gathered ladies and threw her arms around Rosie. "We feared the worst when they stole away with our Queen and the prince."
"Where are they, Tess? Do you know where they took them?"
"The great hall, that's where they're taking anyone of worth. Blessed Maker, are they going to kill them there?"
"I don't know," Rosie shook her head even while her heart grew dark. It made sense.
Her friend blubbered a moment against Rosie's bloody shoulder before she glanced back to find Anjali sliding around in the doorway. "I see you had help."
"Yes," Rosie nodded, "and I'm going to need more. Everyone they've locked off, Tess. I need you to start breaking them out."
"Why?"
"Cause a diversion. Keep the guards busy so I, so we can get to the Great Hall and free mother and Cailan. It's the only hope."
Her oldest friend narrowed her eyes, uncertain about the entire idea. "You want us to go against armed invaders?"
"Please, I know..."
"We'll do it," she said, volunteering everyone else beside her who nodded and cheered the idea. "This is our home, and they're just as likely to slit our throats as yours." That caused a few to blanch, realizing that this wasn't a walk in the park. Death was a good possibility.
"There are a few swords, weapons, armor you c
an borrow outside off three dead men," Rosie said jerking her head out towards the pile. "Oh, and more upstairs if you need it."
Tess tried to peek out, her eyes widening at all the blood. "What do you require from us?"
"Keep them guessing, keep them busy, and please, keep safe."
She nodded, her shoulders locking in tight. "I will, my Lady."
"Thank you," Rosie smiled, she glanced back at Anjali who was dancing on her toes. They had to get to the great hall and fast.
"And..." Tess spoke up, dragging Rosie back to her, "if I do not make it." She caught Rosamund in a tighter embrace and plucked her lips against the princess' cheek. Tears sparkled in her eyes, "you've been wonderful."
"Tess..." she touched her cheek stained with her friend's kiss and stumbled backwards. "I didn't..."
"Go," her old friend smiled. "Save your family. We have bigger fish to fry," the girl grinned.
Still cupping the unrequited kiss, Rosie walked into Anjali. The assassin placed her hand flush against Rosie's back, supporting her. She was smart enough to not draw attention to the moment, but did sigh, "I suppose I best watch my back and tea in the future."
Doing her best to file it all away for a much latter issue, Rosamund cried, "Come on. We need to get to the great hall, now."
#
There were less patrols working around the grand hall than Rosie anticipated. For having so many mercenaries scattered in the living quarters, why weren't more here? If they intended to horde all the nobility together they'd need numbers. This wasn't making any sense.
Through a doorway was the entrance to the grand hall, where she prayed her mother and brother were both sitting rather angrily but none the worse for wear. Anjali dug a hand into her shoulder, peering in through the gap to spy along the foyer edge.
"Fancy, lots of shiny bits around there."
"And not very helpful," Rosie answered for her.
"I assume it's open?" she asked, barely pausing for Rosie to nod. "Meaning the second we walk into it all those nasty mercs hiding around will spot us and unleash whatever arrows they have. You wouldn't happen to have any more bears, would you?"
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