Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Fuck that," he snarls. "You left us! You abandoned your family and all you care about is some stupid elf?!"

[NPCs]

Family? Oh gods. Their eyes. How could I have- "C-Carver?" His eyes dart to the other human girl and he swallows. "Bethie? I- what are you- why are you here?" 

Merrill flinches a little, shifting closer to Bethany. Does... What is this all about? Why is my savior so angry all of a sudden? How he does know Malcolm? Family?

[Varric]

"Well, we were going to try and speak to you tomorrow morning but.... well, plans changed," Varric says lightly.

[Bethany]

"Yes, evidently your taste in women continues to be terrible," Bethany says acidicly. 

[Carver Amell]

"Why did you do it?" he growls, taking another step forward. "Why did you leave us? Say it now, in front of everyone, in a Zone of Truth."

[NPCs]

"I didn't... I never met to just... I sent money and... I wrote, when I-" He winces. "Sometimes. I meant to visit again, at some point, it's just... things have been rather busy, what with... well, my engagement. Your mother and I... it was passion really. I liked her well enough, at first." Malcolm winces, this time because of Raynare gripping his arm tightly enough to bruise.

"I fail to see what this had to do with this- this brute's unwarranted attack on me!" the elf woman protests. "Can we focus on that, thank you very much!"

"Yes, quite so. In fact, perhaps this attack was not entirely by chance? It sounds like the boy has a grudge against poor young Malcolm," Elder Joris chimes in.

Elder Marethari frowns. "That seems rather unlikely but a possibility easily resolved. Carver, wasn't it? Did you know who Raynare was before this?"

[Carver Amell]

"No," he bites off. "I saw bullies and I protected the weak. As I am called to do, by the tenets of Vangal. A better god than the self-serving narcissism that my father-by-blood worships." He turns his back on Malcom, making a noise of disgust. "Are we done here?"

[NPCs]

"Saw- what do you... Raynare, what does he mean by that?" Malcolm asks, voice trembling.

She hesitates a moment, trying to figure out how to answer that in a way that isn't so very damning. "My dear, we might have been teasing Mo- ah, Merrill a b- teasing her, but we weren't- we didn't attack him or anything but he-"

"Say that you were hurting her," Malcolm demands. "Tell me you were honest when you told me you'd stopped that sort of thing."

"I... did stop," she says weakly, then brights as the ambiguous statement passes muster by a hair. For a moment anyway.

[Varric]

"Really? For how long? Five minutes? A day? Maybe a full week?" Varric smirks. "Please, that's such an old trick. Try harder girlie."

Raynare is silent.

[Carver Amell]

"It doesn't matter how long," snaps Carver. "I saw her and her friends bullying Merrill." 

[NPCs]

"Raynare...." Malcolm says helplessly, not sure what he's asking, what he's hoping she'll say.

She yanks away from him, glaring. "So that's it? You're just going to believe them, over me? Over your fiance?"

[Bethany]

"Uh, hello? Truthing spells? Face it bitch, you done fucked up," Bethany says with relish.

[Carver Amell]

"Bethany," snaps Carver. "You're better than that."

[Bethany]

Bethany gapes at her brother for a moment, then flushes and averts her gaze. You think me better than I am, ma'win. But... I love you for it. I love that you think I'm so good, even if I know better. 

[NPCs]

"I think that we've settled things well enough in regards to the charges of assault," Elder Marethari says in a quiet but firm voice. "Jorim? Aoisthal?" Jorim snorts and looks away but doesn't object and the other elder murmurs an agreement- evidently a man of few words. 

"Very good then. Might I invite you back to my home for tea?" She reaches out to pat Merrill's arm. "I think perhaps you should make use of my guest room for the next few months, little one." Merrill perks up, clearly pleased by the offer, though she then falters, glancing at Carver with a faint blush.