The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Bethany]

Beth's head snaps up even more, mouth dropping a bit as she stares. "Bells?" she gasps out, her mind trying to picture the woman before her as something other than she is. In the back of her mind, something about this niggles just a little harder.

[Marian Hawke]

"Hi," she says, blushing faintly. "Surprise, I'm about forty percent less dead than maybe you were lead to believe?"

[Haliel Lightsong]

"Surprise?" Lightsong says weakly. I mean, Mister Varric said he told her that Bells was alive, just...

[Bethany]

She- it's like she came back from... "You... you... the way you talk about me..." she says slowly.

[Marian Hawke]

"Uh," says Bells, blanching. "I just-- I mean, I feel like we really connected even though it was such a short time--"

[Bethany]

Beth narrows her eyes at the other girl, noting not just the wince but also Lightsong's mix of guilt and relief. "Really... what's your name? Your real name? Who are you? Why do you care so much about me and Car? Why put yourself in this position, why risk J-J-" Her voice cracks, her gorge rising, and she has to stop and keep from retching as memories force their way forward.

[Marian Hawke]

"Beth," she whispers, swallowing hard. "It's safer if you don't know. But I'm your friend, I swear it."

[Bethany]

"No, no I can't just-" Beth forces the objection out despite her distress, glaring weakly at the merikos something. "I need to trust you and I- I can't-"

[Marian Hawke]

"You can't tell anyone," she begins. "Okay? I'll tell you my real name but... nobody can know, nobody in Nyra. I'm not-- I'm not supposed to be here, I'll get arrested."

[Bethany]

Bethany's eyes widen slowly, growing big enough to seem to swallow her face. "You- but- but you- you wrote that- you said you had a new family and- and-" She turns her head to Lightsong, body tensing as she starts to reevaluate Lightsong and 'Bells' relationship for a second time.

[Marian Hawke]

She blinks, baffled. "What? No, I think you have the wrong idea," she says, awkwardly.

[Bethany]

"I- I still have the letter- all of them. Well, I mean, in my room, I- but you wrote- you said that that you and a new family and that- that- with your new job and new family, that you'd being staying for sure and-and then you stopped writing back and-"

[Marian Hawke]

"Beth, I don't have a new family. I don't have an old family. I don't have family at all."

[Varric]

Clearing his throat, Varric asks curiously, "these letters... did you send them officially? By your mother or... her staff?"

[Bethany]

"No? Well, at first, but she... Lord zi'Amell- Gamlen, that is, he... disapproved, so I bribed a servant to take them to a messenger service."