The Winter's Queen [Magus AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Hullo, Isabela," adds Carver, with a faint smile. 

[Isabela]

Isabela gives Carver a flat look. "Great. What's this focus and how do we not die on the way in?"

[Tethras Clan]

Varric winces. "Ah, that's the... sticking point. The focus is, well, Hawke's corpse."

"What?" Zevran demands. "We just saw her, she's not dead, she's just-"

"Dead," Varric snaps. "She's a lich, Zevran. That means she's dead. All the way dead, not Mileen special temporarily sorta not dead. That's not here, it's just something that looks like her. And until it's killed, Hawke is suffering."

Zevran pales, sways, and stumbles back to lean against a wall.

[Isabela]

Isabela moves up behind him, quickly, wrapping her arms around his waist to support him. "Easy," she murmurs, shooting a glare at Varric. "Keep breathing. Deep breath in. Deep breath out." 

[Carver Amell]

Carver jumps to his feet. "My sister is this necromancer you've been talking about?!"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene presses themself flat against the wall, eyes wide, breathing rapidly through their nose, hugging their sketchbook to their chest. 

[Tethras Clan]

"No! Her body is the focus. The necromancer was some little shit. The head of the Memento Mori group. Hawke killed him but... the ritual was already started. It rebounded on her and...  killed her. So now her body is being piloted by an undead thing, her soul caught in limbo," Varric explains.

Wynne starts to correct some of that, then realizes he's simplifying for speed and other factors. Zevran doesn't fight Isabela, but he's not really responding at all right now.

[Isabela]

"Right," says Isabela. "I brought you the Oracle, and I'm being honest here, I really do hope you get this sorted out. Nyra's a great city. In the meantime, I'm taking Zevran to Glaley." 

[Tethras Clan]

Now he fights her, yanking his way free of her grip. "No! I'm not leaving her to be-be used. We have to.. free her," he chokes out. "What about M-Merrill?"

"...she's... gone too. Ghoul, I think," Varric says quietly.

[Isabela]

She hangs on as long as she can before he tears his way free. "Zevran, they're dead. They wouldn't want you to die too." 

[Tethras Clan]

"Well, they're dead," Zevran repeats. "They can't want anything, not like they are. So I have to... have to save them," he finishes, voice trailing off to a whisper.

[Isabela]

"Is this what love is worth?" she asks, quietly. "Your death, trying to save someone who isn't there to love you back? So help me, I'll drug you if I have to." 

[Tethras Clan]

Zevran takes another step back. "Help or leave, Isabela," he says quietly. "I won't betray the ones the love. If peace is all I can give them, so be it."

"I'd prefer we figure out a plan without more of us dying," Varric snaps. "If we move fast, before the lich can build up its forces, we might be able to take it out without too much fuss."

[Isabela]

Isabela stares at Zevran for a long moment. Finally, she nods, slowly. I can't do it. I can't leave him. Anyone else -- Varric, Hawke, anyone. But not him.

"Alright," she says quietly. "I will help. But after this, if we survive, my debt is paid. Understand?" 

[Carver Amell]

Carver scowls, standing. "Does this man have something over you, Isabela?"