Fanfic: Blood Ties Chapter 26

[decantate]

SCHOOL IS LETTING UP YAY!  Thanks to valiasedai for betaing and everything else, particularly the advice regarding the pants.

SUMMARY: Your parents changed half of the world. What will you do with the other half? The consequences of Morrigan's ritual as seen through the eyes of Zevran and his children. The sequel to Blood Poison.
CHARACTERS: In this chapter, which is starting things up again, we have Urthemiel and Zevran's daughter, Surana Arainai.
RATING: K
WORDCOUNT: 411. Will be starting to ramp up higher again.
LINKY: Want to see chapters 1-25? Here they are!

 

It was the jerking motion of the two bodies that drew Surana’s eye, the way that the man in worn velvet shoved the elf into the hall. The King gave his judgment on each case and Surana watched the pair in the back as the crowd thinned. The human met her eye once; his shoulders sagged. The elf glanced her way as well. His head ducked, but she could see his slight smile. The way his back bowed despite his confidence reminded her of how her father once moved through Antiva City.

“Speak,” the seneschal urged once the two came to the fore. The human glanced at her again. “You have come to speak to the King. So speak.”

Surana looked up at Urthemiel. His face was blank except for a faint smile. His forearm was warm and solid beneath her hand. Her gaze returned to the elf; he bowed his head to her, eyes bright.

“This elf,” started the human with a glance flinched toward Surana, “Farrel, he is. He owns land near mine to the north of Gwaren. My flock went missing and he took them. The seneschal wouldn’t pass judgment and it was a mighty struggle to get Farrel all this way.”

“Indeed? And what say you, Farrel?”

Farrel’s eyes were a pale green and he looked only at Surana, bowing again. His smile was wide. “My family was starving. What was I supposed to do? Wallace is a rich man and it didn’t hurt him.”

Surana tightened her hand on Cavan’s arm and he held to his silence. “You admit to your crime then, da’len.” The people lingering in the hall fell silent as she spoke and Farrel’s smile faded. “Do you think that you can steal his sheep because I am your queen? I have done so much to see that the Elvhen can own land in Ferelden such as you do and for this you shame me. Cavan, what is the punishment to a theft such as this?”

The King laid his hand over the Queen’s. “Thirty lashes.”

“Give to him thirty lashings and see that he returns the sheep to Wallace.” She frowned down at the seneschal. “And say to our man in Gwaren that he is to not hesitate to give justice to our people in our Teyrnir. Elf and human the same sort of justice. We will visit to see that this is done. Give him this message.”

“Of course, my lady.”