Doom Upon All The World

Chapter 3: Changed For The Better

He never thought his life would be so... lavish. He grew up in a small village with his family, tried to be a Warden, cleared his name through the Inquisition, and then built the life he never thought he'd be able to have. He thought himself worthless before. Nothing he did held any weight in the world. The Inquisition, the Inquisitor herself, changed things for him. She accepted him as a friend and an ally even after she found out what he'd done. He could not thank Lavellan enough for that.

Without her he would not be living the life he was. He was sure he did not deserve it but he couldn't help enjoying his new conduct. Everything about this new way of living was inviting and warm and entirely his now. They used to call him Blackwall, a name he took up to keep up appearances and his Warden title. He impersonated his mentor and failed all of those that trusted him. The moment he was pardoned he swore never to do that again. He started going by Tom after Corypheus was defeated. Tom Rainier. That was his name after all. Everything that belonged to him truly, belonged to him under that name.

Things were different now though. He was changed after the Inquisition. Changed by hope. Changed by kindness. Changed by love and mercy. Changed for the better. He was no longer that man that lied and hid to preserve the mask of a man that he wanted to be. He had responsibilities and people he had to look after, things he had to do. These things were more important than that life he tried to have. He was a guard now, a guard, a respected business man, somewhat a husband, and a father. He had his family to think about.

In all the years that passed as the Inquisition went on Tom never thought until near its ending that he and Lady Montilyet would be anything more than simple flirts. For a long time they exchanged simple tokens, things that showed their admiration for the other. Flowers, small notes, innocent favors, meaningful glances and the like were often given. Though their feelings were obvious, it was clear there would never be anything more. Josephine was of high nobility, incredibly well known and respected. Tom was not. He was a fraud, one that would never in his wildest dreams be worthy of such a woman. Yet here they found themselves falling in love.

After Corypheus was killed, they got closer. Josephine went back to Antiva, taking Tom with her as her guard. They began to have more than just a flirtatious relationship. Things were different being away from the others. She didn't care about status anymore. She would sacrifice it for love. A year passed and they were as close as they could be. Josephine was his muse. They would never be married because of his station but they didn't care. There, in the Montilyet estate with just each other, and Yvette at times, they were at peace with the terms of their relationship.

Things got more difficult when they found out she was pregnant. They hadn't talked about children or life beyond what they had because they didn't want to think about what they couldn't have. Nevertheless, they were overjoyed. Their world was spinning and they were twirling in each other's arms with it. In some crazy way, their situation made them happy. It was messy but it was theirs entirely. She gave birth to twins about seven months after they found out. They were shocked that not only would they be blessed with a child, but they would have two.

The first was a boy. They named him Philippe. His sister was born only moments later. They called her Claude. They looked nearly exactly alike. They both had thick strands of dark hair and gorgeous tan skin. They were the spitting image of their mother. The children were little bundles of joy. Claude was Josephine's little princess. She was teary eyed with joy every time she looked on her, thinking about the future the babe would have. Their children would not have his name. They would keep the name Montilyet in hopes of preserving some status in their lives. People would talk but they didn't care. As long as their kids were happy, they didn't even hear the cruel rumors.