#goldanna trevelyan

[shannaraisles]

Fidèle de la Cœur - Chapter 2

In Regency era Thedas, the second family of a deceased Bann are forced to uproot themselves and build a new life far from the place they called home. Invited to live in Kirkwall by the Viscount - an old friend of their dead father - the two Lavellan sisters discover two very different paths to understanding the merit of a truly constant heart.

A Sense and Sensibility/Dragon Age mash-up, in which Brandon gets the right girl, and no one gets married before they reach the age of twenty.

Last Chapter - OR - Read on AO3

Chapter Two

There was a soft kind of peace that could only be found in working alone in an otherwise empty room, Eralen had found. Her writing desk was piled with small gifts, each wrapped by her own hand, and now her pen scratched across paper, putting elegantly cursive words of thanks and goodbye to letters she had no idea when she would distribute. Still, it had to be done, and though it had been almost a month since the death of their father, both her mother and Lanise remained locked in their performative grief, leaving only Eralen to do what must be done.

The door opened behind her without ceremony, announcing the arrival of Lanise in the family's private parlor.

"What are you doing, Eralen?" the young woman asked bluntly, coming to stand by the desk. She picked up one of the wrapped boxes curiously.

"Gifts for the servants," Eralen told her absently, signing their names at the bottom of the letter and reaching for her blotting paper. She glanced up at her sister. "What is it?"

"Goldanna has demanded the keys to the household," Lanise informed her, each word a venomous flounce. "No doubt she wants to count the silver."

"You could try to be a little less hostile to her, da'len," Eralen said, folding the letter carefully. "I know she will never be our friend, but she is family, of a sort."

"I do not know how you do it," Lanise replied, her tone almost exasperated but for the fondness in her gaze. "Every other word from that loathsome woman's mouth is an insult or insinuation, and you simply sit there and smile at her. Doesn't anything she says upset you at all?"

Eralen let herself smile just a little at her sister's impatience with societal expectations.

"She is not the most pleasant company, I will agree," she said, "but we must live together for some time, until we find a new home that suits us all. I do not feel the need to antagonize her further."

"But, Eralen, you are even giving up your rooms for this odious brother who is arriving today," Lanise declared, outraged on her sister's behalf. "You should have stood your ground and refused, and yet you simply bowed aside without argument! Have you no pride at all?"

"You know perfectly well that I have pride enough for us all," Eralen said, still focusing on sealing her letter with melted wax. "Has it not occurred to you to be more civil to her? It infuriates her when I do not argue or fight back; she is looking for reasons to cut us off entirely, and I refuse to give her any."

She could feel Lanise staring at her, inwardly pleased with herself for startling her sister with such a petty motivation for calm good manners. They were like the autumn and spring - autumnal Lanise, with her wild winds of passion and occasional violent bouts of emotion, and Eralen, with her quietly growing warmth and slow blossoming of feeling. It was good to know that even the autumn could be surprised by the sudden strength of the spring.

"My goodness, Eralen, you are quite the dark horse," the younger Lavellan said, suddenly sounding much happier with the circumstances of the day. "What can I do to help?"

Eralen could not help a laugh escaping her lips as she finally leaned back in her seat to meet her sister's mischievous gaze.

"Weaponize politeness, da'len," she suggested. "And help me keep Goldanna and Mamae from being alone together. Mamae is liable to attack her with a darning needle if she speaks her mind once too often."

"And you would trust me to prevent that?" Lanise laughed as she spoke, knowing her own temperament well enough.

"I would hope that you could control yourself long enough to avert bloodshed, da'len," Eralen said. "Father may have been the Inquisitor, but we are not soldiers."

"Oh, how I long to be as free as he was during the war," her younger sister yearned. "Not to be so tight-laced as we must be to endure the expectations of society."

"When have you ever bowed to the expectations of society?" Eralen asked her in amusement, rising from her seat to gather her shawl from the back of the chair. "You take delight in passing the bounds of expected behavior."

"And you stay within those lines, resigned to a life lived without passion or desire," Lanise shot back.

Eralen's smile faded at her sister's words, understanding her point of view but stung by it, nonetheless.

"We each do as we must," she said softly, glancing toward the door as a gentle hand knocked. "Come in."

One of the servants, a robust human lad of around twelve, opened the door and nodded to them respectfully.

"Begging your pardon, miss, but Lady Trevelyan wants you both in the blue drawing room," he said, passing on his message in no doubt calmer tones than Goldanna had issued it. "Mr. Theirin has arrived."

"And she wishes to show us off as poor relations, I expect," Lanise sighed.

Eralen gave her sister one censuring look before smiling at the servant.

"Thank you, Tomas, we will be there shortly," she assured him, waiting until the door closed before turning to Lanise once again. "I know you are not happy with the state of affairs, Lanise, but please, for Mamae's sake if not for mine, be civil to Mr. Theirin. He is not his sister."

"He is likely worse than she," Lanise said, determined to dislike a man she had never even heard of before a month ago. She caught sight of Eralen's worried gaze. "Do not worry so, Eralen. You will find I can be quite charming when I set my mind to it."

"Of that, I am very aware." Eralen let her smile show again, sliding her arm into Lanise's as they moved to the door. "I love you with all my heart, da'len, but I do know you as well. Please don't go out of your way to break his heart."

"His heart?" Lanise's laughter preceded them into the hallway. "My darling Eralen, he is thirty years old! Were he to show such an interest in me, I would die of mortification. To think of being courted by such an old man ... it is too dreadful to contemplate!"

"Thirty is not old, Lanise," her sister admonished her, lowering her voice for fear of being overheard. "I think you have been reading too many romances again. Love is not a transaction many people are afforded in life."

"Yet it is the only reason I can see for marriage of any kind," the younger insisted. "I will not bend to society and wed for anything less than a love that matches my own heart."

"You are not the only woman in the world who hopes for love in marriage, da'len," Eralen said softly, squeezing her arm as they walked. "Do not assume passivity on the part of those who wish to find it in the course of their duty."

"Oh, I did not mean to say that you will not be happy in whatever marriage you choose," her sister hurried to assure her, but Eralen was shaking her head, her expression warning against continuing this conversation as they reached the door to the blue drawing room.

They entered quietly together, each nodding to Goldanna politely before taking a seat on the couch. Eralen opened the sewing basket set beside the seat, handing Lanise her embroidery hoop before taking up her own mending, unwilling to simply sit in silence and wait while Goldanna sniffed and judged them over the edge of her teacup. A short while later, their mother also entered, giving the lady of the house a chilly, thin-lipped smile in greeting before taking up a seat and sewing of her own on the opposite side of the room. It was not a comfortable silence, but thankfully, it was also not a long silence, as not more than a few minutes later, Orana entered, curtsying to the tense group of women.

"Mr. Alistair Theirin, ma'am."

The man who entered was tall and handsome, tawny haired, and looked exceedingly uncomfortable in his stiff collar and cravat. He also looked more than a little intimidated by the rising of the four women who awaited him, seemingly offering his expected bow more as an after-thought than anything, prompted only by the sight of four ladies curtsying to him in greeting. Eralen could not imagine how awkward he must be feeling - even if he were a carbon copy of his sister, this was not a comfortable situation to be walking into.

"Alistair, how wonderful to see you," Goldanna said, her voice almost cloying with the syrupy sweet tone she assumed for her brother. "Mrs. Lavellan, Miss Lavellan, Miss Lanise, may I present my brother, Mr. Theirin?"

"A pleasure, Mr. Theirin," Ellana said politely. "You are most welcome to Ostwick."

"My thanks, Mrs. Lavellan," he replied, his voice warm and easy despite his rather stiff presentation.

It was such a promising start. If only her mother had remembered that she was not the lady of the house any longer; but alas, both she and Goldanna invited Alistair to take a seat, resulting in icy glares shot across the room at one another. Eralen glanced worriedly at Lanise, hoping for some assistance in this awkward moment, only for her younger sister to poke at the growing glacier sharply.

"How do you like your view, Mr. Theirin?" the younger Lavellan asked, wielding the words like a blade.

Alistair paused, blinking in surprise.

"Very much, thank you," he said in answer. "Your stables are beautifully kept, Mrs. Lavellan."

The surprise that rippled through the room was unmistakable, the women exchanging fresh glances trimmed with both pleasure and consternation. Goldanna, in particular, was disturbed by his comment.

"Stables?" she echoed. "Alistair, your rooms overlook the gardens."

"Actually, I discovered I had been mistakenly directed to one of the family rooms, Goldanna," Alistair told his sister kindly. "I have corrected the oversight, and am very pleasantly set up in one of the guest rooms."

Despite herself, Eralen felt a smile make itself known on her face, charmed by the simple good manners and skills of observation that had led this man to keep himself from taking her away from the rooms she had lived in since she was a child. Her hopes were raised for liking him in that instant and, given the smiles on both her mother and Lanise's face, they, too, were inclined to like him in spite of his relations. Perhaps this visit would not be so very awful, after all.

[magicrobins]

Dragon Age Dual AU Worldstate

Long post, all under the cut.

Edits may be made as details are added or changed.

(I typed this the best I could remember us discussing the details a while ago.)

Shared with: @bxtgrl (Nat), @jellyfishlovesloki

Dragon Age Origins

Heroes of Ferelden: Namera Cousland (sword/shield warrior, Alistair romance), and Piras Surana (mage, Zevran romance).

Companion OCs: Sylvas Mahariel (dual-wielding/archery rogue, Tamlen Rendlin romance), Sarabeth Tabris (archery rogue, Leliana romance), Christian Amell (mage, Morrigan romance), Rendlin Amell (sword/shield warrior, Sylvas romance), Paige Brosca (dual-wielding rogue, no romance), Atlen Mahariel (dual-wielding rogue, Jowan romance), and Noah Talbot (two-handed warrior, Anora romance).

All companions except for Loghain are recruited.

Companion decisions: Returned Sten’s sword, defeated Flemeth for her grimoire, sent Marjolaine away, and helped Alistair find Goldanna.

Namera has a mabari, Konroy, and Piras got a mabari after Ostagar, Sammy.

Broken Circle: Sided with the mages, gained some Templar supporters, and managed to save First Enchanter Irving.

The Arl of Redcliffe: Helped Redcliffe prepare and fight, Piras used lyrium and the help of Circle mages to fight the demon in the Fade, Connor alive, not possessed, and Piras and some companions helped Jowan escape at night (Sylvas directed him to Atlen for protection).

The Urn of Sacred Ashes: Urn wasn’t poisoned, and word about its discovery eventually got out.

Nature of the Beast: Sylvas helped Namera and Piras broker peace.

Paragon of Her Kind: Rendlin had a son with Mardy, restored Mardy’s son’s birthright, Dagna left to study, defeated Branka and destroyed the Anvil of the Void, Namera supported Harrowmont, Piras supported Bhelen, and the choice was ultimately left up to Rendlin who surprised everyone by choosing Bhelen.

Stone Prisoner DLC: Matthias and Amalia both alive, and neither are possessed.

Warden’s Keep DLC: Piras gained the Power of Blood, Sophia killed, and Avernus allowed to continue research under more ethical restraints.

Denerim: Helped Sarabeth figure out and stop the city elves from disappearing, rescued Anora, and Namera killed Howe in combat, avenging her family.

Landsmeet: Loghain killed by Alistair, Alistair became King of Ferelden, and later married Namera, making her Queen of Ferelden.

The Battle of Denerim: Alistair took part in the Dark Ritual with Morrigan, only Grey Warden to die was Riordan, and Namera and Piras killed the Archdemon together.

New Grey Wardens: Sylvas, Christian, Rendlin, Paige, Atlen, Noah, and Jowan joined the Grey Wardens after the Battle of Denerim. Sarabeth joined the Grey Wardens in the beginning of Awakening.

Namera and Sarabeth belong to @bxtgrl.

Piras, Sylvas, Christian, Rendlin, Paige, Atlen, and Noah belong to @magicrobins.

The Golems of Amgarrak DLC: Namera and Piras helped Jerrik, however they both vocally objected to the idea of bringing back the creation of golems.

Witch Hunt DLC: Christian follows Morrigan through the Eluvian.

Dragon Age Awakening DLC

New companion OCs: Halin Andras (mage, one-sided Nathaniel romance), Hannah Caron (two-handed warrior, Jaden romance), and Jaden Kader (archery rogue, Hannah romance). Companion OCs from Origins returned with Namera and Piras, as well as Jowan, a canon character.

Piras is named Arl of Amaranthine.

All companions recruited and joined the Grey Wardens.

Oghren and Felsi reunited.

Both the Keep and Amaranthine were successfully protected after hard battles.

The only casualty of the battles: Justice was “killed” when Kristoff’s head is chopped off while defending Vigil’s Keep.

Piras and Namera side with the Architect against the Broodmother and allow him to live.

Zevran eventually returns to Amaranthine, and he and Piras marry at Vigil’s Keep.

Majority of companions stay with the Grey Wardens, though Velanna eventually leaves after believing she saw her sister.

Halin Andras, Hannah Caron, and Jaden Kader belong to @magicrobins

Dragon Age II*

*The timeline of DA2 is being edited to better fit in with the timeline of Origins. We have it to where the Hawke family were younger when they fled Lothering, and the Hawke siblings were indentured for more than just a year in Kirkwall.

Champions of Kirkwall: Derek Hawke (mage, eldest sibling, Fenris romance), and Vera Hawke (mage, Anders romance).

Companion OCs: Kenrick Lolani (two-handed warrior, Merrill romance), Stella Montgomery (dual-wielding/archery rogue, Isabela romance), Talia Fredericks (dual-wielding rogue, Sebastian romance), and Jaxton Montgomery (dual-wielding/archery rogue, Tallis romance).

All companions recruited, and all relationships are friendship.

Companion decisions: Carver became a Grey Warden, Bethany became a Circle mage, Bartrand lived, convinced Varric not to keep the lyrium idol, Isabela returned with the Tome, didn’t turn Isabela over to the Qunari, didn’t convince Merrill to destroy the Eluvian, didn’t kill Merrill’s clan, and Aveline married Donnic.

Mages fully supported.

Prologue: Both Bethany and Carver live, Bethany is gravely injured from the ogre attack, Vera and Derek join the smugglers, and Stella and Jaxton join the mercenaries.

Act 1: Derek and Vera sometimes disagreed when it came to letting mages go or returning them to the Circle, Saemus saved and returned to the Viscount, Kelder killed, the slaver Danzig killed, Derek and Vera both own the Bone Pit, Feynriel sent to the Dalish, defended Ketojan, left Bethany in Kirkwall, and took Carver to the Deep Roads.

Act 2: Gascard killed, didn’t side with Varnell, didn’t side with Petrice, Javaris was alive and well, helped with the raiders on the cliffs, freed Feynriel and allowed him to leave for Tevinter, and Derek and Vera killed the Arishok together.

Legacy DLC: Sided with Larius, defeated Corypheus, and found Malcolm’s Will.

Mark of the Assassin DLC: didn’t make Tallis angry, and Jaxton kissed Tallis.

Act 3: Met and let Zevran go, later aided by Zevran in the battle against Meredith, rescued Nathaniel, reunited Charade and Gamlen, handed conspirators over to Orsino, Derek disapproved and Vera approved of Anders destroying the Chantry, Anders was spared, Sebastian and Talia left for Starkhaven, vowing revenge on Anders and the Hawkes, the Hawkes and companions had to flee Kirkwall and go into hiding; to protect Vera, Derek solely took on the Champion of Kirkwall title; and Derek and companions spread false information that there had only ever been one Champion.

Derek Hawke, Stella Montgomery, and Jaxton Montgomery belong to @magicrobins. Vera Hawke and Talia Fredericks belong to @bxtgrl. Kenrick Lolani belongs to @jellyfishlovesloki.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Inquisitors: Aya Lavellan (dual-wielding rogue, Cullen romance), and Galen Lavellan (mage, Dorian romance).

Companion OCs: Elaith Lavellan (mage, Solas romance), Nova Adaar (two-handed warrior, Iron Bull romance), Lilya Avery (mage, Blackwall romance), Jacob Lombardi (archery rogue, Josephine romance), Ju-long “Striker” Trevelyan (archery rogue, Cassandra romance), Mordecai Bayley (dual-wielding rogue, Lace romance), Ricka Cadash (dual-wielding rogue, one-sided Varric romance), Ozera Herah (dual-wielding rogue, Sera romance), Rasha Andras (two-handed warrior, Arven romance), Arven Karaas (mage, Rasha romance), Ai Trevelyan (mage, Krem romance), Zhen Trevelyan (mage, Bailey romance), and Bailey Carrian (archery rogue, Zhen romance).

All companions are recruited.

Companion decisions: Dorian reconciled with his father, Blackwall left prison with his true identity revealed and eventually joined the Grey Wardens, Iron Bull saved the Chargers and became Tal-Vashoth, Cassandra discovered the Book of Secrets, Harmond was kept alive but forced to work for the Inquisition, Cole became more human, Solas freed his friend, Varric pursued the red lyrium source lead, Vivienne gained the snowy wyvern heart, Cullen was encouraged not to use lyrium, Aya and Galen did favors for the Du Paraquette family, and Leliana was inspired.

Exploring Thedas: Reached the inner sanctum of the Temple of Pride, helped the refugees, gained the allegiance of the cultists, closed the rift in the lake, claimed Griffon Wing Keep, investigated the dwarven ruins, rescued troops from the Avvar, kept Fairbanks’ nobility a secret and helped him defeat the Freemen, killed Imshael, and captured Suledin Keep.

Operations: Failed to save Clan Lavellan, Sutherland’s company was successful, Jecin and Celeste married for love, and both Johi and Charade were recruited.

The Wrath of Heaven: Aya and Galen claimed to not know whether they were chosen by Andraste or not.

Champions of the Just: Elaith sent to Therinfal Redoubt with a few companions under the disguise of an Inquisitor, offered the Templars a free alliance, and Ser Barris is alive and promoted to Knight-Commander.

In Hushed Whispers: Aya and Galen went to Redcliffe with a few companions, and offered the mages a free alliance.

Tension was high in Haven among the Templars and mages, many uneasy with the Inquisition allying with both groups.

In Your Heart Shall Burn: Cole arrived at Haven, and Aya and Galen both stayed behind to fight and distract Corypheus.

Here Lies the Abyss: Derek Hawke, Stella Montgomery, Kenrick Lolani, Jaxton Montgomery, and canon companions except for Sebastian and Anders arrived at Skyhold upon Varric’s request to aid in the trouble with the Grey Wardens; Derek, Stella, and Kenrick fell into the Fade with the Inquisitors, a few companions, and Stroud; Stroud chose to stay back in the Fade, telling Derek to find his cousin (Christian Amell) to lead the Grey Wardens because it’s common knowledge the Heroes of Ferelden and several of their companion Wardens have gone missing; Derek, Stella, and Kenrick had to pull Aya and Galen out of the Fade to get them to leave Stroud behind; the Grey Wardens are offered a free alliance to rebuild their strength and ranks; and Derek urges the Inquisitors and Leliana to find Christian Amell, who at that point was a high ranking Grey Warden.

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts: Christian Amell was found attending the ball with Morrigan and joined her and Kieran at Skyhold, Empress Celene lived and Grand Duchess Florianne both lived, Celene continued to rule and reconciled with Briala.

What Pride had Wrought: Galen chose to respect the temple’s traditions, Aya chose to follow the quicker route through the temple’s underground, Galen managed to get the alliance and help of the guardians, Samson and Calpernia were the Inquisition’s nemesis, Aya destroyed Samson’s armor, Galen talked to Calpernia and convinced her that her loyalty was misdirected, and Aya and Galen decided to share the price and drank from the Well of Sorrows together.

Doom Upon the World: Aya and Galen made no formal support for either Cassandra, Leliana, or Vivienne for Divine, not wanting to choose between their friends; Aya and Galen defeated Corypheus together while their companions and Inquisition forces fought off the demon horde; and Leliana was chosen as Divine Victoria.

The Descent DLC: The earthquakes were stopped, and the secret origin of lyrium was discovered.

Jaws of Hakkon DLC: Discovered and met Ameridan, shared the truth about Ameridan, killed the dragon, and Aya and Galen both gained a legend-mark from the Avvar.

Trespasser DLC: Iron Bull remained loyal, the Inquisition was disbanded at Aya’s order, and Aya and Galen vowed to redeem Solas.

Aya Lavellan, Jacob Lombardi, and Lilya Avery belong to @bxtgrl. Nova Adaar, Mordecai Bayley, and Ricka Cadash belong to @jellyfishlovesloki. Galen Lavellan, Elaith Lavellan, Ju-long “Striker” Trevelyan, Ozera Herah, Rasha Andras, Arven Karaas, Ai Trevelyan, Zhen Treveylan, and Bailey Carrian belong to @magicrobins.

Anything post-Trespasser can be discovered through asks or fanfics! <3

[shannaraisles]

Works In Progress, or Niamh Might Be Committing To Narrative Sometime Soon

Okay, I think I have control over my muse again. Possibly.

Burn With Me

Pairing: Sebastian Vael/Freya Hawke

Rating: Mature

Setting: Pre-game, into DA2

Premise: What if there was a fourth Hawke sibling who sacrificed themselves to let their family escape cleanly a few years before the Blight? Freya Hawke has been in Chantry hands for almost a full year, and still they haven’t managed to induce her to tell them anything about the mages she is protecting. Interrogation in Ferelden didn’t work; cruelty and neglect in Kirkwall didn’t work; it doesn’t seem as though kindness in Tantervale is going to work, either. So Elthina brings in her secret weapon - Sebastian Vael. Will he be able to get the information out of Freya Hawke, or will he realise that some bonds are just too sacred to break?

[Read on AO3]

Forget Me Not

Pairing: Knight Captain Rylen/Ksenia Trevelyan

Rating: Teen and Up, may venture into Mature later

Setting: Modern AU (Dear Friend universe)

Premise: Ksenia Trevelyan has spent her whole life trying to live up to her parents’ impossible standards. Finally at breaking point, she has abandoned her intense job at a prestigious university hospital in favour of taking a position as a small town family doctor several hundred miles away from her parents. She meets a friendly neighbourhood templar (policeman) named Rylen, who seems vaguely familiar, and strikes up a friendship with him. Very Hallmarky, predict-a-romance plot.

[Read on AO3]

In Adversity, Hope

Pairing: Bryland Cousland/Aislynn Theirin (both OCs)

Rating: Teen and Up, possibly straying into Mature as we go

Setting: Origins

Premise: It’s a what-if. What if Alistair had a twin sister? What if she was raised by the Couslands? And what if she and Alistair had an actually healthy sibling relationship that doesn’t involve ripping his heart out and stomping on it, or even anything to do with Goldanna at all? Aaaand then it morphed into ... what if I dropped this premise into my Hounds of Highever universe, where Dermot is the Warden, his little sister is sweet on Anora, and his little brother needs someone to rein him in a bit. Thank goodness Origins already has a plot.

[Read on AO3]

[shannaraisles]

Fidèle de la Cœur - Chapter 1

In Regency era Thedas, the second family of a deceased Bann are forced to uproot themselves and build a new life far from the place they called home. Invited to live in Kirkwall by the Viscount - an old friend of their dead father - the two Lavellan sisters discover two very different paths to understanding the merit of a truly constant heart.

A Sense and Sensibility/Dragon Age mash-up, in which Brandon gets the right girl, and no one gets married before they reach the age of twenty.

Next Chapter - OR - Read on AO3

Chapter One

The sonorous tones of a melancholy piano echoed through the family wing of Ostwick Keep, lending voice to a grief that must be heard and accepted. Servants kept to themselves, speaking in hushed tones out of respect for the family so recently bereaved, yet forced to be about their business thanks to the arrival of the new Bann and his wife. It seemed to those women who could no longer call this place home that no sooner had word arrived of the old Bann's death than the new Bann Trevelyan had arrived hard on its heels, greedy to take up his position of respect, authority, and wealth. 

Johannes, they could have tolerated without much issue. The piercing gaze of his wife, Lady Goldanna, was an insult that could not be borne, and yet must be ignored for the sake of peace. She had made it quite clear that she had never approved of her father-in-law's second family, and now she fully intended to see them out of the only home they had by filling it with her ostentatious tastes and offensive personality. That her in-laws were elven appeared to make her poor manners ever more unfriendly, a fact that the servants were very quick to note. Her announcement upon arrival that her brother, Mr. Alistair Theirin, would soon be arriving to spend the winter with them was simply one more headache for the household to absorb.

The Lavellan women - for such they would now be called, no longer entitled to their half-brother's family name nor expectant of any support from him - were forced to accept this unwelcome change so soon upon the tails of the former Bann's death, and each reacted to the pain and inconvenience in their own ways. Ellana, the now Widow Lavellan, a handsome elven woman no more than forty years of age, had given way to her grief so wholly since the death of her beloved husband that she barely stepped from her rooms, weeping inconsolably as though she might never look upon the world with dry eyes again. Her somewhat romantic and dramatic view of their new circumstance was transmitted to her younger daughter, Lanise, who now chose to spend hours in the music room, playing the saddest of music at the highest of volumes, determined to cloak the house in the mantle of her grieving sixteen-year-old heart. And then there was Eralen, the elder Lavellan daughter who, though as heartbroken and saddened by their loss as her mother and sister, showed the world a calm face and gentle manner, taking on the burdens of running the household, making Goldanna and Johannes welcome in their new home, and consoling her mother during the worst of her fits of grief.

"Mamae, there is no need for this," she said, watching as her weeping mother swept about her private rooms, tossing keepsakes and personal items haphazardly into an open trunk. "Johannes will not simply toss us out onto the street."

"Yet he was quick to arrive and take charge of the estate," Ellana snapped back at her daughter. "And sending that woman ahead of him to hurry us along! Vultures, the pair of them, taking stock and inventory, laying a price on every precious memory we have made here. I will not stay to be a stranger in my own home, I will not -"

Yet here she crumbled, collapsing onto the stool by her vanity, her tears renewed with a wail muffled only by the press of her handkerchief to her mouth. Eralen bit her lip, moving further into the room to lay a gentle hand on her mother's back.

"I will start making enquiries to finding us somewhere else to live," she said quietly, not knowing what else she could say in the face of her mother's distress. "But until we have somewhere to go, you will have to bear it, Mamae."

Ellana groped for her daughter's hand, pressing her wet cheek against Eralen's knuckles.

"What would we do without you?"

Eralen smiled faintly, bending to kiss her mother's hair. As she straightened, the sonorous music faded for just a moment, only to be replaced with a melancholy rendition of a song the late Bann had dearly loved. Eralen winced just a split second before her mother burst into tears once again, throwing herself fully into her grief for the loss of the husband she had loved. 

With an imperceptible sigh, the elder Miss Lavellan left her mother to her weeping, calling for Orana to bring Mrs. Lavellan a cup of tea and sit with her a while until she was calm again. As the young maid nodded and hurried away, Eralen turned her face toward the music room, steeling herself to enter the whirlwind of dramatic emotion that was her younger sister. 

Passing one of the drawing rooms, she paused at the sound of voices, tilting her head toward the cracked door to briefly overhear what her half-brother and his wife were discussing. 

"Really, my dear, three women can live comfortably enough on the annuity granted by the terms of your father's will without putting you to the trouble of overseeing such a thing yourself," Goldanna was saying. "Indeed, they will be quite set up for life. And, of course, when the mother dies, the girls will receive ten thousand between them, which is not a sum to be sniffed at."

"My dear Goldanna, I made a promise to my father that I would see them cared for," Johannes answered, but even Eralen could tell he was being persuaded by his wife's greedy reasoning. "What do you say to the occasional gift of fifty gold every now and then?"

"And what would they spend it upon?" was Goldanna's reply. "In their situation, it would be more an insult than a help, I am sure, and we must think of our sweet Henry's inheritance. I feel certain your Papa never meant for you to help them with anything so vulgar as money; indeed, you need only give them the assistance they shall need when it comes to their relocation."

"No, Fanny, I must be plain on this case. My stepmother and sisters may remain here at Ostwick for as long as necessary to secure them a comfortable living."

"Of course, my dear," Goldanna soothed her husband in syrupy tones. "Yet one cannot help feeling that they cannot be allowed to engage in polite society with us. Miss Eralen is, I concede, acceptable in appearance and manner, but your stepmother and Miss Lanise are simply out of the question. Such violence of emotion cannot be allowed to stand and taint our reputation with the memory of the former incumbent."

"Oh, I quite agree on that point -"

Forcing herself not to frown, Eralen continued on, anxiously sweeping her hands down along the soft wool of her dress. So Goldanna was already working to have them gone with no inconvenience to herself; that was no surprise. She was saddened by Johannes' attitude, however. She had thought her half-brother stronger of spirit than this, yet it seemed he would bow to his wife's will. They could not expect any assistance from him. It was disappointing. But they would manage. Eralen had kept the books and helped run the household for several years now; she could keep her mother and sister from living beyond their means somehow. 

She opened the door to the music room, a sympathetic cast to her gaze as she looked upon her sister, not more than four years her junior. Lanise's eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks glistening with tears as she watched her own fingers dance heavily over the keys before her. The music was beautiful, yes - Lanise had always had a gift for it - but the heaviness of emotion she instilled into it was enough to make anyone's heart break for her. 

"Lanise, da'len," Eralen began, moving into the room to catch her sister's attention. "Could you play something else? Mamae has been weeping since breakfast."

Lanise sighed tearfully, her fingers stilling on the keys, and for a long moment, the sisters simply looked at one another - one openly passionate in her grief, the other calm and composed in spite of it. Then the younger nodded, lowering her eyes to begin playing once again. This tune was no less melancholy than the last, though lighter in sound and complexity.

"I meant something less mournful, da'len," Eralen said, but she knew she was defeated before she began.

She loved the passion and fire in both her mother and sister, envying them the freedom to express whatever they felt in any moment. Yet in grief, they fed off one another, each one plunging the other deeper into more violent expressions of loss, until she herself felt inadequate in her own pain. No doubt Lanise thought her cold in many ways, but Eralen knew one of them had to keep a calm head in this trying time. If the conversation she had overheard was any indication, the sooner they were gone from Ostwick, the better things would be for all of them.