Bethany had remained silent while the rest of the Senior Wardens had been speaking. She had let Ciri and Inessa walk out of here because if anything else, she wanted them out and she wanted them safe. The rest of the people at this table were used to making risky chances with their own lives.
Her fingers rested together, brown eyes narrowing on Anders and Nathaniel first. She doesn't like the idea of them here, and it looks like she is about to speak, but she's drowned out for at least ten minutes while the others bicker back and forth. She knows why Alistair is angry - that they aren't here for the cause - but she wants to remind him that out of the Senior Wardens here, he and Oghren were the only ones who really had a choice. They chose this life. The rest of them did not. Nate was a Warden for life, and Anders was sticking with Nate. Herself - she'd give her life for the men at this table. But she wouldn't give it to the Blight.
And she certainly wasn't prepared to give her life to Ansburg.
She looked like she was about to speak when Alstair headed off, but as the Warden Commander was who he bumped into, her mouth shut automatically. Her eyes met Anders, then Nate's, before that smile returned. Sunshine and cheer. She could turn it on in a moment's notice. But the two of them had seen the cloud.
"Unlike Oghren, I need for nothing, Warden Commander. Nathaniel's deserved a formal promotion for years -- as has Anders and Alistair. Oghren..." And here she gives the dwarf a wry look, "Could use a good swat in the arse -- but a promotion would mean a raise in pay, and that would help with his drinking habit."
She smiles again, taking up her tea to sip it. "The only thing I would think would be a good idea, simply to build ties, is to have us have our own Chapter House in Kirkwall. With Nate as the Warden Constable."
Then she sat back, sipping her tea, and waiting. Watching. Brown eyes crinkling and her dimples flashing ever so slightly.
So much for Don't you give a piss what the others think, Oghren's got your back.
Anders' quick words stay the panic Nathaniel might have had about his marriage, about turning into his parents, about finally having something he has badly wanted, and earned, and being told he is selfish for taking it. Ciri and Inessa have run off, Oghren is demanding shiny things, Teren is looking for reasons for this to go wrong, and Nathaniel knows that arguing with any of them will make them even louder and create a scene in front of people he needs to respect him.
Thank the Maker for Bethany, calm and charming and clever Bethany. The building anger diffuses somewhat, and Nathaniel is able to find his footing on what she said.
The storm seems weathered, at least, and they might even have a solution that would allow him to continue helping the mages. Anders is relieved and it shows in his expression. For a brief moment his expression is wry - the Wardens, demonstrate enough faith in him to promote him? - but there have been enough worries packed into these last many minutes. Enough has overshadowed Nate's news.
"It would be especially handy, as Kirkwall has any number of tunnels that Darkspawn could emerge from." And he could keep working. He could help his people still. The Wardens would never be his people, that was what betrayal did, but the mages always would be. Even the greedy, maliciously self-absorbed ones like Vivienne. "What do you think, Warden-Commander?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Her fingers rested together, brown eyes narrowing on Anders and Nathaniel first. She doesn't like the idea of them here, and it looks like she is about to speak, but she's drowned out for at least ten minutes while the others bicker back and forth. She knows why Alistair is angry - that they aren't here for the cause - but she wants to remind him that out of the Senior Wardens here, he and Oghren were the only ones who really had a choice. They chose this life. The rest of them did not. Nate was a Warden for life, and Anders was sticking with Nate. Herself - she'd give her life for the men at this table. But she wouldn't give it to the Blight.
And she certainly wasn't prepared to give her life to Ansburg.
She looked like she was about to speak when Alstair headed off, but as the Warden Commander was who he bumped into, her mouth shut automatically. Her eyes met Anders, then Nate's, before that smile returned. Sunshine and cheer. She could turn it on in a moment's notice. But the two of them had seen the cloud.
"Unlike Oghren, I need for nothing, Warden Commander. Nathaniel's deserved a formal promotion for years -- as has Anders and Alistair. Oghren..." And here she gives the dwarf a wry look, "Could use a good swat in the arse -- but a promotion would mean a raise in pay, and that would help with his drinking habit."
She smiles again, taking up her tea to sip it. "The only thing I would think would be a good idea, simply to build ties, is to have us have our own Chapter House in Kirkwall. With Nate as the Warden Constable."
Then she sat back, sipping her tea, and waiting. Watching. Brown eyes crinkling and her dimples flashing ever so slightly.
no subject
Anders' quick words stay the panic Nathaniel might have had about his marriage, about turning into his parents, about finally having something he has badly wanted, and earned, and being told he is selfish for taking it. Ciri and Inessa have run off, Oghren is demanding shiny things, Teren is looking for reasons for this to go wrong, and Nathaniel knows that arguing with any of them will make them even louder and create a scene in front of people he needs to respect him.
Thank the Maker for Bethany, calm and charming and clever Bethany. The building anger diffuses somewhat, and Nathaniel is able to find his footing on what she said.
"That...might be a workable idea."
no subject
"It would be especially handy, as Kirkwall has any number of tunnels that Darkspawn could emerge from." And he could keep working. He could help his people still. The Wardens would never be his people, that was what betrayal did, but the mages always would be. Even the greedy, maliciously self-absorbed ones like Vivienne. "What do you think, Warden-Commander?"