Leliana's song

Prolouge

It was a gray morning when Leliana awoke from her sleep with a jolt. She smelt fire she lurched foward as she realized the castle was on fire. She jumped from her bed and put her dress on. She ran for her door as she neared fire exploded inward sending shards of wood everywhere. She squinted through the smoke to see a Mage walk in her hair long sleek and black she had a wicked and cruel grin on her face. Leliana backed away but tripped on her dress collapsing to the floor the mage raised her staff and began to cast her spell. Leliana screwed her eyes shut tight waiting for death but it didn't come.

She suddenly felt liquid hit her face she opened her eyes to see the Mage girl standing there, arms limp, an arrow through her chest. Her arm came up to touch the bloody tip pertruding from her collarbone. Before her arm even reached her stomach, another arrow pierced through her skull.

She collapsed to the ground at her feet, behind her stood a tall statuesque woman. She extended her arm out to leliana helping her up.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Marjolaine. We do not have time to speak. I must get you to safety."

"But, what about mother?"

"Your mother is dead, unless you wish to join her come with me." Marjolaine spoke. 

Marjolaine grabbed Leliana's arm roughly and pulled her quickly through the castle. Leliana felt tears well up as she ran pass all the burning rooms filled with Mages and Abominations murdering her family. She tripped as an Abomanation grabbed her by the foot and started pulling her down a hallway towards more Apostates. She clawed at the floor trying to get away she called out to Marjolaine. Marjolaine looked at her then took off running. Leliana tried to escape to no avail, she was dragged into a large room and tossed to a corner next to her mother and brother. Her brother was much younger but, he was always strong spirited.

Her mother cried and grabbed onto her, tears covered her cheeks.

"Mother, where is father?" 

"He has turned on us. He is not what you think."

"What do you mean mother?"

"Leliana. your father is with the Mages. He is an Apostate. I swear I didn't know. I am sorry! He plans to kill us all! He said someone named "The Architect" demands it." 

"But why would father betray us?"

"Because my sweet Leliana, you and your mother's blood will help bring my master to this world. Don't you want to help bring our new good to this world? His ruling could make me the most powerful man among Ferelden and beyond." His evil voice croaked.

"You can't do this, Father! I won't let you." 

Leliana's young brother charged their father but before he could even get ten feet away from Leliana's side, their father made him collapse to the ground. He started screaming and begging him to stop. He looked down at his son with pity in his eyes and said "I'm sorry, son. May the maker take you to his side." with a quick movement, the boy let out a shrill screech before his head exploded making Leliana's mother burst into tears.

Leliana began to hold her mother while she tried to scream at him to get up, Leliana was furious with the beast she once called a father. Leliana's father came over and grabbed her mother by the arm pulling her over and throwing her in a circle of blood. He raised his hands and the blood on the floor began to raise and swirl around. Leliana suddenly heard something slide across the floor and tap her foot. She looked down to see a dagger with a note attached to it laid at her feet. She saw Marjolaine in the doorway, crouched down she winked at Leliana. Leliana grabbed the dagger behind her back and turned to looked to her mother in the swirling blood cloud.

"Forgive me my sweet Casandra. I always did love you."

He raised his arms further, lifting her into the air. She began to scream as the other Acolytes slit their palms and cast some strange blood magic. Their very blood flew into the cloud and caused the ground to shake. Leliana charged at her father with the dagger; she got a hairs distance and suddenly:  *BOOM* the blood cloud of blood exploded, sending Leliana backwards along with the dagger as Leliana hit the wall, the dagger pierced into her shoulder, making her cry out. She opened her eyes to see the dust clearing all the Mages were dead and what was once her mother was now a large man floating in the air. He was The Architect. Leliana watched Marjolaine slip into the room. Leliana was pulled quickly to the hand of The Architect, he grabbed her by the neck. She struggled in his hand but could not get free. Suddenly, an arrow pierced his head making him drop Leliana he looked in the direction it came from. There marjolaine stood bow drawn notching another arrow.

"Foolish human, I am a god. Did you truly think that would stop me?"

"No, but I bet if I put the next one in your little puppet master's head it'd do the trick." 

"Clever girl. How do you figure that will work?"

"Well, you are tied to him because you aren't powerful enough to stay here on your own. He dies so do you."

"Do you honestly think that I'd let some scum like you stop my rising?"

"I'm not some scum. I am Orliasian Royalty and I am of higher class than you could dream to be Tevinter trash."

"YOU INSOLENT BITCH! YOU WILL HOLD THAT FOWL TONGUE IN MY PRESENCE!" 

"Hey Tevinter prick, why don't you shut up and die already?" 

Leliana ripped the curved dagger from her shoulder without blinking and lunged it outward, stabbing it into her fathers arm, causing The Architects arm to magically slash open. He howled in pain, as did her father, the both pf the grasping their injured arms. The Architect turned and sent Leliana flying at Marjolaine. He opened a portal and disappeared through it with her father. Leliana crashed into Marjolaine, sending her tumbling down. They slowly managed to get to their feet.

"Thank you for saving me, Marjolaine."

"Do not thank me. I saved you for my benifet, you now owe me a debt a life; a life where you work for me. Now, Leliana, one must always save themselves first and insure their own survival. Do not forget this, my dragonfly."

"How did you get through everything?" 

"I have a set of unique skills. I am a Bard and you shall be my apprentice, dragonfly."

"But my home-"

"Has fallen to ruin. Let us leave."

"To where?"

"Orlais. I have some buisness there." 

"Wow, Orlais."

"Yes. Let us leave. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Yes ma'am."

3 weeks later 

Leliana and Marjolaine walked down the golden roads of Orlais; fine silks, weapons, and armor filled stalls lining the roads. The beautiful scent of the foreign land was like flowers and sweet berries. The colors and attire of the people was extravagant and lovely but the shoes, oh, how the shoes struck the young lady. She ran her fingers through some of the silks, goosebumps running up her arm at their unbelievable softness. She longed her whole life to be here. Although, she wished her family were here. She thought of them and filled with rage. She hated her father and she would have revenge if it was the last thing she did. She looked to Marjolaine with determination and fire in her eyes. 

"Teach me to be an assassin, Marjolaine."

A grin took her face. "With pleasure, my dragon fly."

She grabbed Leliana's hand and began to run down the ally's. They both laughed as the wind caught their hair and Leliana knew this was where she belonged.