Chapter Text
Amatus,
The strangest series of events befell me the other day. I was in Dock Town with an acquaintance trying to find clues about who led the most recent slave riot—to recruit, of course. To nobody’s surprise, the leader seems to be dead or well hidden, and no one seems to be willing to indicate which.
On a side note, you will be happy to hear that your friend Fenris and his Hawke made quite a commotion in multiple cities here on their way to the Anderfels, cutting down slavers and inciting riots and the like. I haven’t heard of them since but I’m sure they’ll bring just as much chaos on the way back.
Anyway, we’d given up for the day and my acquaintance insisted on buying some fish from an old elf who may have been around since the founding of the Imperium. I understand he’s something of a fixture there and a generous one when he can be, but life for the soporati and liberati is a difficult one, especially in these parts where riots are being quelled at one end of the dock and slavers are selling replacements at the other.
You know this and you don’t need me to remind you anymore than I already have.
Despite the hardening of my appetite from all that Southern food, I was not prepared to partake in such a location. Luckily or perhaps otherwise, the decision was literally taken out of my hand by a wily stray cat who took off with it. I must admit, I was quite enamoured to find that it looked just like you back in the day—long unkempt black fur, a little roughed up, and such bright eyes. It was uncanny and it made me miss you even more terribly than usual.
I was hoping to get a better look at the creature, but it disappeared down some alleyway before anyone could stop it.
So imagine my surprise when I returned home and found a stowaway in my carriage. He sauntered into the house like he owned the place and immediately tried to shred my curtains. It took the servants hours to catch and bathe him. I don’t think this house has ever been so lively.
The cat comes and goes as he pleases but seems content to call this place his home.
So I have a cat now, or rather, a cat has deigned to live here for the time being.
I’ve decided to name him Lord Inquisitor.
When I hear the staff chasing him around the house, it almost feels like Skyhold again.
Your Dorian
--
Inquisitor Mahanon,
You can start with some pleasantries like I hope you have been well. Is that too detached? I don’t know. My head still hurts from the last meeting. Were our meetings at Skyhold this tedious for him? Maker forgive me, what did we put him through? But at least those meetings had resolutions. These just go around in circles. Ugh.
Right. Please write something to reassure him. I know he worries. Maybe start with good news. The red lyrium clean up seems promising with Dagna’s help. Don’t tell him that progress is slow for everything else. Say it’s progressing. No, progress is progressing? Say it’s moving along. It’s not as fast as I was hoping but there has been less pushback lately, which I am taking as a positive sign.
Unless it means someone’s scheming.
I should write to Leliana after this. Please remind me. And also Ellana. I must thank her for sending me that serial and her thoughts on it. It was the only thing that kept me sane this month. I’ve heard that someone’s writing a story based on the Inquisitor’s romance. I should ask Dorian about it. Or would that be too awkward? Let’s not.
Wait, whoever that writer is must have been with the Inquisition or how else would they know? Unless it was all the rumours about his mistress in Val Royeaux? Another thing to ask Leliana. You can add that to the list.
What? No, I thought that meeting was pushed back to tomorrow. What do you mean this is the other meeting about the Circles and Templars? Andraste preserve me, if one more Grand Cleric calls me ‘dear’ today…I need to punch something before this meeting.
Oh, uh, just finish the letter with well wishes.
With the Grace and Benediction of the Maker,
Divine Victoria
--
Dear Varric,
Hello from Skyhold! I hope you’re doing well! Thank you for writing to me and for taking care of my home while I’m away, that was very kind of you. I hope the plants won’t give you too much trouble!
The people here are very nice. Well, most of them. I suppose it’s the same everywhere. The good news is, I haven’t offended anyone yet, I don’t think. I was a little afraid this castle would be fancy with extra knives and forks but most people seem to eat at the tavern where everything is served with a single spoon. No accidental stabbings with those!
Mahanon is always on the go, isn’t he? Oh no, should I be calling him by his title? The Inquisitor? Is it rude if I don’t? I don’t think he minds but is it a Chantry thing like the Divine? Should I have been calling Hawke the Champion of Kirkwall this whole time? I’ll have to apologize to him later.
I admit, I was a little hesitant about the Inquisitor when you introduced us and I’m still very embarrassed about the way I cried in front of him. It’s just been so long since I’ve spoken to another Dalish. And in Elven! His Elven is very good, isn’t it? I feel awfully out of practice. I remember meeting Clan Lavellan in the Free Marches before back, well, back before everything. I don’t think I ever met him though? Sometimes Josephine asks me about what gifts to send to them. Isn’t that lovely of her?
At this point, I think the Inquisitor and I have agreed to disagree about some things. He’s nicer about it than Fenris or Anders but not as nice as you or Hawke or Isabela. Maybe it comes with practice. He does see the importance of the mirror though! Or, maybe it’s the voices in his head? I’m not sure if he can tell the difference sometimes. Either way, I’m so glad I kept it! I’ve learned so much about it from him!
A doorway!
Varric, it’s a doorway! My people used to walk through mirrors into a place of many paths! I hope I get to see it someday!
The voices in the Inquisitor’s head told him there was lyrium involved (I was right!) so I’ve been working with Dagna. She’s also very nice! And very good with lyrium! I really hope I don’t let them down.
Your friend,
Merrill
--
Amatus,
Your cat is a menace and a thief. He stole half the carvings you sent and hid them around the house. I found two under my pillow just last night.
You will be pleased, however, to hear that the Lord Inquisitor is a bit of a do-gooder. I was told he followed Sanna on her rounds and brought her to see a few more patients. He sat there and howled like a demon until she followed him to see the strays.
A feline full of promise, yes?
If this cat had access to spies and an army and Ambassador Montilyet, I wager Tevinter would have already abolished slavery and the Black Divine would be advocating for animal rights.
Sanna sends her regards, by the way.
As I’m sure you know—
(The letter is cut short by an inky paw print and a large blotch of spilled ink)
A menace!
Running late—write more next time.
Dorian
--
Freckles,
Glad to hear Daisy’s settling in. Are you still at Skyhold or have you resumed running around Thedas? I could ask one of my guys but it’s more fun guessing. Honestly, I don’t know where you get all that energy from. Either way, hope you’re doing well. Last I heard, your clan’s been moving northwest along the borders of the Plains, but you probably already heard from Nightingale.
When you get the chance, can you tell Sparkler and Ruffles to lay off the real estate war for a bit? It’s romantic and all, buying property to meet with you and Keeper (you know I’m a sucker for that shit), but it’s drawing a lot of attention. People are starting to ask me if they’re preparing to get married or divorced and I can only be asked so many times before I’m obligated to make something up.
Besides, while I appreciate the renewal of interest in the Free Marches’ real estate by foreign nobility, we’ve been so busy clearing out Meredith and the red lyrium from the Gallows that we haven’t had too much time to build new villas for the rich tourists in Kirkwall yet.
Don’t worry though. Ruffles may have won the fight for that villa Sparkler was eyeing but I’ve got you covered here in our lovely Kirkwall. Hell, I have a few options for you to choose from. There’s a nice mansion in High Town right by Hawke’s if you wanted to be neighbours. There’s also a manor just outside of town that’s available that might be more to your liking. It might be haunted if the flying paintings are anything to go by but I think that adds to the charm.
There’s also talk of a development project happening out on the Wounded Coast if you’re looking to invest in some wounded and coastal scenery. I’m pretty sure most of the qunari and bandit bodies have been cleared away.
Let me know which appeals to you and I can get it sorted with Sparkler. I’ll throw in security and cleaning details too to sweeten the deal. Viscounts can do that, can’t they?
Your friend, biographer, and realtor,
Varric
--
Dooorian,
Nonquisitor asked me to write to you with all the stuff he wanted to say. Misses you lots. Wish you were here. Something about an Inquisitor cat he never met? Mewha (scratched out) Meow-non!
(Drawing of cat with a glowing paw)
Wanted to say more but he’s asleep now.
- Been Rough.
- Found a little butt of a city? town? on the way back down from Antiva.
- Dog’s arse middle of nowhere not on the map.
- Rift was in the alienage.
- It was very bad.
- Too many demons. Piss!
- Stupid people went and did stupid things like closing the gate. No warning!
- Nonquisitor and us to the rescue! Not many left to save (scratched out)
- Stupid piss arse nobs can get off.
- Chargers agree.
(Drawing of Mahanon breathing fire or yelling at fancy-looking people while closing a rift. There are dead demons everywhere. Sera is standing on top of a dead Pride demon and flipping the people off.)
- Some survivors going to Skyhold. Others staying, why?
- Promised to be nice to them, duh.
- Chargers are best. Found this tavern on the road.
(Doodle of a quaint looking tavern.)
- Creepy tried adding honey to his wine.
- Didn’t help.
- You or Ell would know how.
- Nonquisitor can sleep it off.
You should send him something nice.
(Doodle of Mahanon asleep on a table and Bull passed out on the floor.)
--
My Dearest Ellana,
I hope this letter finds you in fine spirit and health. I am told that Inquisitor Mahanon is currently on his way back to Skyhold after resolving an unfortunate incident involving a rift in an alienage.
It makes my hands shake with anger to think about how coldly the decision was made to throw away so many lives. I will not get into detail as it is quite upsetting and I’m sure you can imagine what happened. Our soldiers are currently escorting the survivors back to Skyhold. We have offered them temporary shelter and jobs here until they can be relocated to safer places. I’m glad we are able to do at least this much for them.
The strangest thing happened when our reinforcements returned to apprehend those responsible. They have gone missing as have the rest of the elves. What remains of the alienage now stands empty. Perhaps they simply moved onto other places. I hope that is the case. Leliana is looking into this as I write. It is most worrying given the timing, but I’m sure we will find answers soon.
In the meantime, please send my regards to Keeper Deshanna and young Linea and the others. I have asked the messenger to pick up some supplies for you on the way. It’s nothing extravagant but I hope you find it helpful.
My darling, I know you were worried that distance would cool our passions but I find myself catching glimpses of you in every corner of Skyhold. My gallant Emerald Knight. My Lady Ellana. I will stop before Leliana starts teasing me again.
While we still have a moment of calm, I would love to come see you again soon. For a week, maybe? It shouldn’t be too hard to get away. The difficult part will be trying to get Inquisitor Mahanon to rest for a week. It would do him good to see his clan in these trying times and I’m sure you’re anxious to see him. I will do my best to convince him.
Love,
Josephine
PS – I’m glad you found that article speculating about Lord Pavus and my illicit affair as amusing as we all did. Have you had a chance to look through the proposal we sent you? You have far more experience than either of us along those routes. Any feedback is always appreciated but of course, feel free to decline. We are merely considering different possibilities at this stage.
--
Mahanon,
I heard about what happened. Calling it a travesty and a crime doesn’t do it justice. Amatus, I cannot stress enough how the fault lies in those who gave the orders and not you.
How I wish I could be there with you right now to tell you those words in person but we have yet to come up with any non-lethal teleportation magic. Perhaps that will be a new pet project for me to consider but that doesn’t solve the problem of being apart now.
Futile as it may be, allow me to share some good news in an attempt to lift your spirit. Maevaris and I have started the Lucerni, a little faction in the Magisterium who are deeply passionate about curbing the rot that festers in Tevinter and utterly inept at politics. You would not believe how many times “fire” has been the proposed solution to ingrained societal problems.
I don’t know if it’s a bigger challenge keeping them safe from themselves or from the rest of the Magisterium. At least professional assassination attempts are somewhat predictable and well-coordinated. But this is a start. It’s more than I expected, to be honest. Given a few years and several miracles, they may become passable politicians yet.
Now, I’m sure you thought about your dear cousin at the mention of fire—in fact, I wager some of these Juniors may be on par in terms of skill and eloquence with Ellana when she was a child and that would be a compliment. You will be amused to know that her serial is currently on hiatus because the author fell off a roof and injured themself while attempting to do research on the difficulties of fighting on rooftops.
Another interesting thing of note to distract you: I have sent one of my servants to the prestigious Minrathous Academy for the Arts—one of the Alexius’ kitchen boys. The one you held hostage when we first met, in fact. Simpler times, yes?
Your cat was looking particularly regal and I had the urge to memorialize the moment. Unfortunately, painters take time to commission and even more time to travel so I asked if any of the staff had any skill in art and this boy came recommended by the others. Needless to say, I was quite impressed.
I have included the piece with this letter. Tell me, does he not look just like you? Or am I simply going mad from your prolonged absence?
Your Dorian
(On a separate tag attached to the string tied around the letter) Note to the scout reading this: You. Yes, you. Kindly go buy some candied dates or dried Orlesian peaches for the Inquisitor with the coin included here.
(The second parchment contains a sketch of a fluffy black cat with long fur, a crooked tail, and a regal mane looking deeply unimpressed.)
--
Inquisitor,
As you have no doubt heard, our beloved Empress is no longer with us and the nation is in mourning. We can expect great changes in Orlais as Emperor Gaspard takes the throne and the Marquise stands behind it. For the time being, my duties in the Imperial Court will remain as they were for the foreseeable future—a wise move on the to-be Emperor’s part.
As you can imagine, the Orlesian Court is in an uproar and dear Duke Cyril sends his sincerest apologies again for having to cancel the luncheon he invited you to on account of the late Empress’ funeral.
Through the turmoil, the colleges and fraternities of enchanters remain steadfast in their insistence that yet another round of elections must be held. My dear, the debates you avoided in Skyhold cannot hold a candle to the month-long passive-aggressive arguments the Aequitarians and the Lucrosians get into. I will spare you the details but know that the intricacies and nuances of drawing magic circles are infinitely more interesting than the parchment quality of voting cards.
Cordially,
Vivienne
--
Dearest Cousin,
How many rifts can there be left in the world? And why do they only ever get reported when you’re trying to rest?
I know why you’re anxious to close them but you left so quickly I didn’t have time to tell you about how your nug is being coveted by our beloved healer. Apparently he has a natural talent for sniffing out useful roots so you don’t have to worry about us losing him any time soon.
I also didn’t get the chance to tell you that I spotted Blackwall? Rainier? This was a while back when we were near Markham. He was with some other Grey Wardens doing whatever Grey Wardens do in the Free Marches. I don’t think he noticed me, but he seemed well. Very purposeful. The beard still makes him look very sad though.
In any case, I’m glad you stopped by even if it was only for a little while. It’s always a relief to see you safe and whole. Grandmother’s still laughing at the cat portrait Dorian sent. I think she might ask him for another. Nea sends her love and her displeasure. Were we like that at her age?
Come back home soon.
–E
(Dalish trail marker for safety and hospitality)
--
Mahanon of Clan Lavellan,
Have you run out of rifts to close and problems to fix on the surface? What do you mean you’re taking a trip to the Deep Roads? They’re everything you hate: cold, dark, damp, cramped, and utterly full of darkspawn.
Maker, by the time this letter gets there you’ll already be down there, won’t you? We really need a better way of communicating. Send word to me as soon as you’re out. Please.
I’ll be here pacing.
Dorian
--
Inquisitor,
Here’s a fun one for you. A certain Comte de Bayard recently returned to Val Royeaux singing your praise. He claims that during his stay here, you shook his hand and cured him of a chronic ailment that once plagued him. This seems to have reignited an age-old feud, and now Comtesse Elodie is telling people she was given a lock of your hair and it not only keeps her night terrors away but gives her skin a lovely glow.
How would you like us to address this issue?
Josephine strongly advises against escalation and our valiant Commander has pre-emptively declined to participate.
–Leliana
--
Inquisitor Mahanon,
You’re not going to write down every word I say again, are you? This is meant to be a letter not a transcript. I should start with an apology for not writing sooner. Tell him that the recent upheaval in Orlais has destroyed my will to—no, stop, that was a joke. Tell him it’s kept me busy.
I suppose they did only promise to uphold the truce until Corypheus was dealt with. I still don’t know if Gaspard’s push for more rights for elves is a blessing or a curse for us. It aligns with what we’re trying to do but I can see how agitated the people are becoming, and it’s not hard to see who’s behind the push. Also don’t tell him that.
When I said I wanted to respect traditions, I meant values, not the way we treat—stop, you better not be writing that down. Ugh! Why is this so hard? There’s trouble brewing and I just want to tell him I’m worried but also reassure him that whatever happens, he will have me at his back.
Actually, that’s pretty good. Keep that part. Tell him that he has weathered everything so far and I have no doubt that he will also come out of this triumphant. Yes, that’s good.
Also ask if he’s seen Dorian’s cat. Of course he has but ask anyway. It’s small talk.
Sign it off as Cassandra, not the usual one you use.
With the Grace and Benediction of the Maker,
Divine Victoria
--
Amatus,
I saw three Inquisitor impersonators on the streets today. One was a human with two perfectly normal hands who was shouting about Andraste’s lovely bosom. One was an elf who dipped their hand in green paint and was telling people that the end of all things is imprisoned on Satina. And one was a dwarven woman, also shouting about Andraste’s ample bosom.
I think you would’ve found them quite amusing.
Less amusing is that I was on my way to meet with my father again since he happened to be in town. It went well, all things considered, but he did find out about us, which means he got the satisfaction of being right —which then makes you wonder if it was a haphazard guess on his part or if he noticed something back in Jader.
He didn’t comment on it. He merely asked if I was happy, to which I said yes, obviously (I would be happier in your company but we are neither here nor there). And he said “good, I’m glad” and that was it. We had dinner, discussed magic and politics, and he went on his merry way.
Good.
He was glad.
Mahanon, even as I write this, I wonder if I’m going to wake up and realize it was all a fever dream. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing though, waking up next to you in Skyhold. These days, I often wake up to your cat trying to suffocate me with his stomach. A vast improvement, however, coming from the beast who used to hiss at me if I so much as looked at him wrong.
Also, what’s this I’m hearing about talks with the Inquisition? I hope it’s nothing more than idle gossip. You’d think with the unrest in Orlais, they’d have more pressing things to worry about.
I’ll have to find an excuse to come down south soon. I wonder how the Lord Inquisitor feels about travelling out of Minrathous? Perhaps I will take him to meet my mother in Ventus and see how he fares.
Also, you still have to tell me what you found down in the Deep Roads. “Lyrium stuff” and “nug royalty” are not valid explanations for anything no matter what Sera says.
Your Dorian