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"Leto. My son. You cannot ask me to-"
"I will be fine, Mother."
And if he had to pretend that he wasn't scared to death, well then, Leto would take it. If that meant that his mother would be safe, he would take it, and he would thrive with it. Whatever Danarius was bound to do could not sully the fact that his mother and sister were going to be safe.
He would be fine, because they would be fine.
The rest? Well, he would deal with it later.
"What will we do without you, Brother?" Varania asked.
She was scared. It was easy to see in body language, hear in the way that she spoke. She was scared, terrified, even, and it showed. But she was free now; she had the luxury. Leto did not. He would not show - could not show - his apprehension over the whole situation. It would be better once Mother and Varania were gone. At least he would have that out of his mind. He wouldn't have to worry for them, then. But a part of him, even now, still expected Danarius to pull the rug out from under them, take Leto into the branding, and still keep ownership of his family.
That was only half of his worry.
He would hate when they were gone. He would love when they had gone.
"You will be free," he said simply, and that was much more than the rest of them had.
His choice.
"I can't allow you-"
Leto shook his head, and pushed dark hair behind a pointed ear. Be strong, Leto. "The decision has already been made." He reached out for his mother's hand, and pretended he did not feel the trickle of emotion into the back of his throat when she clasped his hand between hers. "You must go, Mother," he said softly. He turned his gaze onto his sister. "You have to keep her safe. Understand?"
Varania nodded quickly.
He needed to get them out of here before they started crying, or he may never be able to let go.
Leto wrenched his hand away from his mother's iron grip. "Go now, Mother. Varania. Stay safe."
"But Leto-"
He took a step back. If they didn't go now... "I will see you again."
Little did he know he wouldn't remember them.
"I love you, my son. I'm so proud of you."
"We'll wait for you, Brother!"
Leto took another step back, shoulders crashing into Danarius's men behind him. Irritation flared when they grabbed his shoulders, but better irritation than the alternative: the tears streaking down the two most important people in his life's faces. Leto lifted his chin and swallowed, turning back to face the guards. "... Ready," he said. It came out a whisper, and he would have cursed himself if his emotions weren't elsewhere.
Little did he know he wouldn't see his Mother again.
"Stay safe!" his mother cried.
He was here. What was the worst that could happen? (Don't think about it.)
Little did he know his sister would sell him out.
"I'll find you," he replied. "We'll be together again!" he called, as the guards surrounded him to take him to Danarius, and his family was lost amongst the bodies.
"Enough chatter," one of the guards said, fingers looping around the collar at his neck. As if he could run. As if he would run. "Move."
Little did he know they would never be a family again.
Fenris sighed, curling a little around his drink. The Hanged Man was loud around him, but his memories were even louder. Of all of the things he could have remembered...
"You're going to hate yourself in the morning, Hawke," Varric was saying.
"Don't be ridiculous! Just watch!"
"That's enough for you." Aveline swept Hawke's tankard away. "We need you lucid for the bandits later."
"Aveline!" Hawke made a wild grab for it, and mead slopped onto the floor. "I can handle it, give it to me!"
"No."
"Oh, here comes Mother Guard to end the party!" Isabela cried. "You're not having mine."
"I don't care about yours, whore. Do as you will."
Isabela gasped. "Such an insult! As least I don't have to pleasure my partners with man hands."
"Does this happen every time they get together?" Anders asked.
"Leave them be!" Hawke interrupted. "This is getting good!"
"You're abhorrent," Aveline said, fondly, to Hawke, and set his tankard down across the table. "Merrill, you watch that and make sure Hawke doesn't touch it."
"I'm on it."
"Merrill, not you too!"
Fenris watched them all silently. His mood was too far from their shenanigans to join in, but he watching, and always listening, and he found he was suddenly helpless to the smile that tugged at his lips as he took in his companions... his friends.
Maybe he had not gotten to be with his family again, but somehow, some way, he had found one regardless.