Solas knew that among the Orlesian nobility, status and appearance stood above all else. After all, if there was anything famous about Orlesian culture, it was precisely the tales of internal struggles and each family's participation, at some level, in what was known as the Grand Game… Something no one had bothered to explain to Elentari when they took her to the chateau of Duke Ghislain. And he was going to find out why.
After the Herald left his room, the Dread Wolf took up the mask of the wandering apostate and went to visit Ambassador Josephine Montilyet.
Fen'Harel knew the Montilyets had always had strong ties to Orlais, until something happened to the family's fortunes that made it difficult for them to maintain the social standing they once had—and although the weight of the name survived, he suspected they were now only a modest trading house. How did he know? Well, because months earlier he had taken a look at Josephine's private correspondence out of sheer "caution," back when he was still mistaken for a simple elven messenger. At present, he no longer had that advantage… everyone knew he was the Inquisition's wandering apostate.
From what he had noticed then, before working for the Inquisition Josephine had been Antiva's primary ambassador to Orlais. That meant she knew the rules of the Game perfectly—and that, for some reason, she had not bothered to explain them to Elentari.
What in Orlais was known as the "Grand Game" was nothing more than the typical manipulations that had always been orchestrated among the nobility of any era and any world. He was an expert. The goal of these practices was to outmaneuver rival nobles. How? Simple. The most ambitious members of the aristocracy maneuvered within social circles to increase their own influence. The rules were simple: everything was possible so long as you were not caught.
But one had to be intelligent.
What still would not fit into his reasoning—purely for lack of information—was how the presence of the Imperial Enchanter could fit into this farce orchestrated by Leliana. Did they know each other? Did they usually work together?
He had no doubt the spymaster had participated actively in the Game when she decided to disguise her as a princess of the elves… and given that it had been the Imperial Enchanter who provided the opportunity for political disaster, he had to study her. Even if Vivienne had seemed offended by Elentari's behavior at the chateau, that gesture did not rule out the possibility of a silent alliance with the spymaster.
Fen'Harel knocked softly on the door of Josephine's office. He waited a few seconds before a woman opened it.
It was the ambassador's private messenger.
- Oh, good morning, Master Solas. - she said.
- Good morning.
- Do you have an appointment for today?
The question was a courteous performance; they both knew it. As was the pretense of seeming distressed by the refusal she was about to give him once he confessed he had no prior request to meet with the ambassador.
- Yes. - the Wolf lied.
That threw her off. Even if she knew it wasn't true, what was she supposed to say to the expert of the Veil and the Fade? It was not proper to say outright, you are a liar. So the Wolf went a step further when he added. - And it is private.
The messenger turned, uneasy, and looked inside—surely at Josephine. A few seconds passed and, at last, the woman allowed him in.
- What a pleasant surprise, Solas! - Josephine greeted him with a radiant smile, seated behind her desk. Fen'Harel inclined his head in a gesture of courtly respect. - Please, leave us alone for a moment.
The messenger excused herself and left the office.
Josephine's desk was enormous, and crowded with papers. He felt a keen curiosity. He could not deny that he would have loved to be granted the honor of reading each of those reports and helping her plan future strategies, but he knew that would not happen… because it was simply not his place. A shame, because at the moment the Dread Wolf had more leads on Corypheus than the Inquisition did. If only they knew his true identity…
- Please, have a seat. - she invited, with a gentle gesture.
Fen'Harel moved with confidence to the chair and complied.
- Well… - Josephine still held that smile at her lips. - I must apologize, because the meeting we had arranged completely slipped my mind.
The Wolf immediately caught the ambassador's tactical choice in continuing his game. With that innocent smile she was telling him, I won't fight this lie for you; let's see what you do with it.
Easy.
He would justify his presence without justifying his lie.
- I did not mean to inconvenience you, Lady Josephine... - he said with composure and a severe tone. - I assumed this matter should not wait for a formality. - He settled in his seat and leaned slightly forward. - Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Lady Vivienne… - He made sure the word pleasure carried disgust. - …who openly insulted me for walking freely through the halls of the Inquisition, emphasizing my condition as an apostate. - Again he made sure the seconds gained weight between them—and when he spoke again, his tone was somber. - Days ago I suffered a templar attack that nearly cost me my life. Then I was subjected to an investigation, whose verdict has meant the redefinition of my role within the Inquisition… - Now Fen'Harel rested both elbows on the desk, appearing wholly troubled by the details he was laying out. - And now I find a person of my own class demanding my confinement.- Another pause, even more eloquent. - Ambassador, what is happening? Should I be concerned? Have the organization's goals aligned with those of the Templar Order? Are my arcane domains being evaluated?
Josephine let a minimal gesture of surprise slip at what he had done. It was obvious she had not expected such seriousness and concern from the group's apostate, who had just pointed out a structural incoherence within the Inquisition.
- Solas… - she said his name softly. The Wolf gave her his full attention. - If the Inquisition had decided to align itself with the Templar Order, you would not be sitting here speaking to me with complete freedom…
- But would I be granted the possibility of dialogue? - he pressed. - Or would I end up locked away and the explanations would come later?
- We would never betray your willingness, Solas. - she assured him calmly. - We would never strike you from behind. - She paused, taking the chance to resettle in her seat, appearing uncomfortable—but in truth it was an empathic gesture toward him: if he was unsettled, she would match him in the feeling. - Our neutrality is not negotiable. That has been the condition of our existence from the first day. We are not the Chantry, nor the Templar Order, but neither are we the Circle of Magi, correct? - He nodded. - Lady Vivienne is a powerful ally, yes, but she does not represent the Inquisition in its entirety. - Fen'Harel nodded again, seeming slightly more at ease.
- Ambassador... - he murmured, feigning humility - forgive the presumption, but who is Lady Vivienne?
He knew perfectly well Josephine had a reputation for being charming, courteous, and eloquent in her negotiations—qualities typical of a diplomat—but also that she had a genuine sense of justice and honor. And honor could be a lever this time. He did not expect her to openly insult Vivienne (only to try to highlight her qualities), just as he was sure she would defend him as well if the situation were reversed.
- It is a shame your first impression of Lady Vivienne is this, Solas. - she said. - You are both exceptional mages. Let me give you some context, and then you tell me what opinion you form.
Perfect. Exactly what he had come for… information to understand Elentari's context.
Fen'Harel nodded.
- Madame de Fer, - Josephine began - began her life in the Circle of Ostwick, in the Free Marches. - The Wolf nodded again, attentive. - At nineteen she was transferred to the Circle of Montsimmard, and there she earned a reputation as an exceptional scholar…
- Then perhaps it would be wise to allow me arcane debates with her… - he played. Josephine smiled, catching the irony, and nodded.
- Of course. Surely you show her some of your exceptional points of view and you both are enriched by the exchange.
Now it was his turn to smile. The flattery did not escape him, and Josephine answered with a jovial laugh, assuring him she had meant to praise him and was pleased he had noticed.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned toward complicity—that space where two intelligent people exchange polite words with veiled intentions. Fen'Harel knew that, this way, he would get more from her than from anyone else, because it was the ambassador's natural element. Well, perhaps his too… though with so much war around them, sometimes he forgot which one flowed more naturally in him.
- Years ago… - Josephine continued, adopting a relaxed posture in her seat, almost intimate, as if he were a lifelong friend with whom she was used to trading rumors.
Ah. The Game. That waltz trained people knew how to dance without ever stopping smiling.
It was about being able to recognize your counterpart and mold yourself to the person in front of you, to extract as much information as possible from the exchange.
Fen'Harel straightened in his chair, smiled, and finally leaned back against the support, making it clear he was ready to give her his full attention.
They looked at each other, understanding in silence. Then Josephine changed her tone, and the air changed with her.
Let's play…
- Some twenty years ago, during an Imperial Winter Ball, - she continued - some mages from the White Spire and from Montsimmard were invited to attend the festivities to entertain the court with feats of magic…
- Yes? - he interrupted, with complicity. - I was not aware Orlesian nobles showed interest in magic. I thought it was a taboo subject among the shemlen.
- Your perception is correct, Solas, certainly. - she agreed. - Before Empress Celene came to the throne, magic was used only to entertain royalty and nobles, but not as part of the Game. It was not until Celene was named empress that the position of arcane adviser gained real weight within Orlais's politics.
- I suppose Lady Vivienne gained some practice in her time inside the Circle, did she not?
Josephine nodded, a delighted smile forming at her lips and that shrewd gleam in the gaze of someone who recognizes an interlocutor worthy of her. He was aware that pretending naivety before her or the spymaster was simply foolishness. A mistake he would not make twice. Both women were more than aware of his cognitive abilities.
- Of course. - she said. - Vivienne always proved skilled at the Game, something especially notable in a mage who was not born in Orlais. - He nodded. And now the ambassador's eyes shone… she was going to give him what he had wanted all along.
- During that ball, - she said - it is told that Vivienne managed to captivate Duke Bastien de Ghislain.
- Oh… - he murmured, feigning he had not expected the topic, though he had come precisely for it…
He wondered if Josephine had already anticipated it and had let herself fall into the trap while pretending to be an unwary little vermin—or if all of this was a coincidence. Of course, he chose to praise the ambassador's intelligence and underestimate coincidence. She was telling him exactly what she believed he wanted to hear.
- Duke Ghislain is the one who invited our Herald to a celebration, correct?
Josephine nodded.
Fen'Harel understood that she had already assumed, in advance, that he was there to learn details about the meeting involving the Herald. That only reinforced whatever conclusions the two women might have drawn when they had interrogated him the first time… And he had to admit it stung his pride slightly that the ambassador had managed to read him—because he was here only because of Elentari.
Fenedhis.
In any case, it did not matter.
- Well, I imagine this story becomes interesting… - the Wolf invited her to continue.
- It is said that Duke Bastien danced the entire night with Vivienne, clearly captivated by her—not so much by any magical display our Enchanter might have offered, but… her. - Josephine paused coquettishly and smiled at him. - The rumors even claim that Bastien snubbed several very influential nobles that day.
- From what you say, it is evident he was captivated.
She nodded, smile still in place. - Do you know what is most interesting?
He shook his head.
- Bastien, before becoming duke… was a trained Orlesian bard.
Well, well… now this was getting interesting.
If this story ended in a clandestine romance as he suspected, then Vivienne was not only good at the Game, she also knew the bardic arts… and perhaps, beforehand, the spymaster as well.
That made her, to him, dangerous.
- That is unexpected... - Fen'Harel teased. Josephine inclined her face with coquettish elegance at the compliment, and they both smiled.
He had forgotten how much he enjoyed playing this… the rhythm of ideas in these verbal games was a safe place for him, one that suited him, pleasantly.
And he had to admit it: the ambassador was exquisite. Not only for her eloquence, but also for the values she held as her banner.
- When Vivienne met him, - Josephine went on - he was already a respectable member of the Council of Heralds and Duke of Ghislain. Supposedly he had already left those habits behind… but you know—one never truly sets aside the taste of what is forbidden, do you agree?
So the duke was also a member of the Council of Heralds… Were they not the ones who arbitrated disputes involving titles in Orlais? How did it benefit—or harm—the Inquisition to have brought a Herald dressed as a princess?
- Completely. - he replied, and focused on a detail. There was something in the ambassador's words when she spoke of "the taste of what is forbidden" that stirred his curiosity, as if she herself had a past linked to the world of bards. Perhaps that was how she had met Leliana in those days.
Mmm… interesting.
- So our Imperial Enchanter is not only a prestigious loyalist mage… - the Wolf concluded - …but also knows the bardic arts. Indeed, that makes her an interesting woman, at the very least.
- Oh. If you manage to get along with her, Solas, you will find her exquisite.
- I will make my greatest effort to fail at that. - he teased with an elegantly malicious smile. The ambassador let out a delicate laugh.
- You, too, are a delight. - she flattered. He only smiled. It was not polite to scorn a gesture like that during the Game. - It is said that a few days later, Bastien visited her in Montsimmard accompanied by a small army of florists carrying entire armfuls of peonies. - Josephine paused; they looked at each other with complicit amusement. That gave her the opening to continue. - According to rumor, the duke's gift filled an entire floor of the tower and inspired at least two alchemists to divert their research toward the extraction of fragrances.
The Wolf let out a little laugh of disbelief.
The nobles' foolishness… he had almost forgotten.
Josephine laughed elegantly in return and continued:
- Before long, he invited Vivienne to several parties held at his estate in Ghislain. By the beginning of summer, she already had a suite of rooms in his house and conducted most of her Circle affairs by correspondence.
Oh… so besides being elitist and racist, the Imperial Enchanter was a hypocrite. What a surprise… She had enjoyed privileges most mages were never granted, and yet she had never lifted a single finger from her position of prestige to improve the living conditions of her own.
Simply… detestable.
- The romance, - Josephine went on - imagine, caused intense scandal at the time…
- Of course. - he conceded, but the last detail had soured his mood.
That hypocrite was the same one who had asked for his confinement—and the same tyrant who had killed a noble during Elentari's visit, after tricking her so that the act could be covered as a request of the Herald of Andraste before the rest.
- I infer the duke and our Imperial Enchanter continue to maintain a close bond, - he said - given that the invitation for her to join the Inquisition arose from a celebration at Bastien's chateau.
- Oh, yes. They remain good friends.
"Friends", yes. Of course.
Fen'Harel merely nodded.
- And what do you think of our Herald's intervention in the meeting? - he asked.
She smiled at him with a touch of complicity, but showed no sign that she knew of the disaster that had occurred.
- Well, we have added Lady Vivienne to our ranks. That always counts as a victory, Solas.
Yes—but they had dressed Elentari as an elven princess, insulted influential members of the Orlesian nobility in that way, and also made her look foolish before a member of the Council of Heralds. That would have a political cost for the Inquisition, and it did not sound like a victory…
- You are right. - he conceded, trying to make her say more. The ambassador said nothing. So he ventured. - Leliana handled the encounter very well.
- Certainly.
Clear and simple. She did not seem to be hiding anything. Then, as he had suspected, the maneuver had been orchestrated only by Leliana, and Josephine seemed unaware of it. Though he still could not rule out that she was covering it deliberately, only to preserve the image of a solid, cohesive Inquisition.
He had to push his luck a little further…
- I suppose that from now on our Herald can only be seen as a supremely capable representative of the Inquisition, is that not so? She knew how to move well in the terrain of politics. - he probed, aggressively. If Josephine knew something, she would be forced to correct him, because he had just become far too specific in the detail… But the ambassador only nodded, still smiling. He insisted. - The addition of a figure as prestigious as Lady Vivienne to our ranks only reinforces that perception.
Josephine nodded… once again.
Mmm… something did not add up in the ambassador's attitude.
For a moment he decided he would entertain the possibility that she truly did not know about Elentari's disguise. Which meant that Leliana, for some reason, had deliberately chosen to spoil the Herald's image before the nobles—but why?
- Yes. - the ambassador smiled. - And that will make my work easier with the most influential families of Orlais—to put pressure on the Templar Order and be able to demand their cooperation with the Inquisition if it becomes necessary.
Fen'Harel held his smile, but something grated violently.
"The most influential families of Orlais," Josephine had said… and those families were not a homogeneous block. Some tolerated a useful, functional Inquisition; others—the most devout—would only accept a clean, presentable, almost sacred armed branch. The same houses that that night had looked at Elentari with a mixture of curiosity, contempt, and hunger… the way one looks at an exotic object. And they had seen her dressed like a caricature… that is, like a Dalish princess invented by the shemlen.
A perfect mockery.
Perfect for those houses to close ranks… and for the templars to shut the door.
Oh… was that why Leliana had sent the Herald dressed as an elven "princess"?
With that gesture she had openly ridiculed the Orlesian nobles present, and at the same time made it nearly impossible for Josephine to secure the support of those families in time. Without that backing, the templar option became politically blocked. Which translated into something much more concrete… the spymaster had cleared the path for rebel mages to become the only viable source of power for the Breach.
But the question remained… Why? What did the spymaster hope to gain with that move on the board?
Without a doubt, Leliana was cold and calculating, and that was something he respected. What he had not anticipated was that she would play behind the backs of the other pillars of the Inquisition… and far less by undermining the ambassador's efforts.
Definitely, his attention needed to focus on Leliana and her purposes… perhaps not so much on Vivienne…
- Ambassador… - The Wolf rose, inclining his head in a show of respect. - I must admit my concerns have been removed. And I must acknowledge that this has been a very pleasant conversation to share. - Josephine also stood. -However, I have already taken more of your time than is prudent. It is time to return to my responsibilities.
Time to resume the game elsewhere…
…Time to plan a strategy to keep watch over Leliana.