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Katherine Hawke stared on in horror, the red light of the magical explosion still washing over the Lowtown square.
“Anders…What did you do?” She could barely hear her own voice, so she had to wonder if even he had heard her.
The next few moments were a blur, and looking back on it, Katherine could never quite remember what had happened. Not really, anyway. Just that that night had changed her life, and not necessarily for the better. Her fellow companions argued behind her about what to do with the mage. She, however, could only stare at her lover, trying to think of what to say to him. Swallowing, and clutching tightly at her daggers, she slowly approached him. She still wasn’t sure what she planned to do when she got to him.
“That time you asked me to get ingredients with you…” she started slowly.
“I’m sorry to have deceived you, Hawke,” was the whispered response.
“…You fucking idiot.”
Anders gave a halfhearted laugh. He still hadn’t turned to look at her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you hated me now.”
“Andraste’s ass, I have no idea what to think. You…The Chantry…”
“But you know why I did it.”
“I do.”
“And I suppose the others want you to deal with me?”
Katherine sighed in response, clutching her daggers a little bit tighter. She ran her tongue across her lips in thought. “They do.”
“I won’t fight you, whatever your decision.”
“I think that’s the worst part, Anders. It makes all of this harder.”
“Wouldn’t it be harder if you knew that I would fight back? That Justice might fight back even if I didn’t?”
“Will he?”
“That’s not the point, Hawke.”
Katherine sighed. She knew that. But she just didn’t know what to say. She had known that Anders was adamant about mage rights. She even agreed with him on the matter. After all, what sort of sister would she be to Bethany if she didn’t? She had known he was getting antsy and irritated the more the Templars enforced their negative stances on mages. But if only she had recognized that her lover was going to go to such extremes…
A voice in the back of her head told her that it wouldn’t have mattered if she had tried to stop him. Anders was passionate, and he would have found another way, regardless of what she did to intervene. She had to laugh a little at the thought.
Yes. Regardless of what she did, Anders would have found a way to make his point. Perhaps that tenacity and that passion was part of what she loved about the great fool. And so she spared his life. Despite the friendships she lost because of her decision, and despite the fact that she was subscribing herself to the life of a refugee, she knew she’d always make the same decision. She would always choose Bethany. She would always choose Anders.
Katherine Hawke would always choose the mages.