Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/4333509. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Category: F/F, F/M, M/M Fandom: Dragon_Age:_Inquisition, Dragon_Age_(Video_Games) Relationship: Cullen_Rutherford/Female_Trevelyan Character: Female_Trevelyan Series: Part 1 of The_Misfortunate Stats: Published: 2015-07-13 Updated: 2015-11-20 Chapters: 3/? Words: 4443 ****** The Misfortunate ****** by lainfiquette Summary Caiohme is someone who has the worst luck ever.... ***** Chapter 1 ***** The Misfortunate – Chapter 1 Caiohme’s Point of View -- She was scared when the light erupted from her palm. Terrified as her mother dragged her by her arm and nearly threw her down the cellar stairs. She had often been banished to the cellar for transgressions she had committed, her mother swore she was the cause of all that was wrong. So when the light in her hand erupted and she was forcibly dragged to the cellar stairs, she wondered what she had done this time. At eight years old, Caiohme Trevelyan was a frail girl of eight, all skinny limbs, too short for her age, with violet eyes that seemed to swallow her face and a frequent inability to hide her tears. Her hair was the color of leaves in the autumn, a brilliant burnished red that seemed to bring her mother’s ire on her more and more as she got older. Often when she wasn’t being banished to the cellar for a transgression, her mother would pull the hair in anger at her for any mistakes she made. Oh and she made plenty of mistakes. The light from her hand was just the newest. Her mother told her on a regular basis what mistake she was. And how if she didn’t exist everything would be better. Caiohme was scared of her mother and hated herself for being the mistake that she was. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she had been locked in the cellar. She knew she was very hungry, but she had learned long ago not to cry for food. That would often bring fists or implements against her skin that left her bleeding and begging for forgiveness. So she whimpered in the darkness as the hunger began to fade to be left with a thirst that dragged at her throat. After a while it was hard to sit up, and her thirst made her delirious. So when the cellar finally opened, it revealed a man in shiny armor, which she was sure she was imagining. “Get up princess.” She looked up at him as she attempted to crawl to her feet, but her legs failed her and she fell flat to her face. The man in the armor roared in laughter as she looked up at him, her nose bleeding profusely from its impact with the stone floor. He walked down the stairs to her and wrenched her to her feet by her arm, causing her to cry out in pain as he wrenched her arm from the socket of her shoulder. He ignored her cry as he began to drag her towards the stairs. She stumbled as she attempted to walk and then caught herself against him. The next thing she knew and she felt a wave of something come over her and she felt herself fall into darkness. ____________ When Caiohme awoke later, she felt pain between her legs as well as liquid. She moved slightly, but a weight held her down. She looked around her bewildered but she couldn’t move, nor could she make out anything around her. The weight on top of her moved slightly. “Awake princess?” She heard the same voice that had called to her in the cellar and shivered as she felt his breath on her face. He grinned as he saw she was. “Good, that will make this so much more fun.” _____________ Simon’s Point of View ----- A tall youth, in the awkward stage between manhood and childhood sighed as he stepped from the carriage that had brought him to his parents’ estate. He was a tall athletic man of around eighteen with grey eyes, coal black hair, and darkly tanned skin that spoke of his parentage better than any title ever could. He was a mirror of his mother in appearance, though where her eyes were usually narrowed with bitterness, his had small crow lines beginning to develop in the corners from humor. Currently, though, the young man was anything but smiling. His elder brother had written to tell him of the disappearance of their sister. He strode into the main house ignoring the servants’ attempts to gain his coat and gloves from him. He walked at a brisk pace into the library that his elder brother had made into his study. He stopped and settled on the couch before his brother’s desk as his brother turned to face him. Only a few years older, his elder brother, his older brother had dusky skin like him and smoky grey eyes like him, but that’s the only thing the two brothers appeared to have alike with each other. His elder brother’s hair was a white blonde that was shocking against his dark skin, a wrinkle of constant worry seemed to hover between his brows, and he was built broad and blocky. “Simon, I see that you have received my letter.” His elder brother stood from behind his desk to approach him. “Edgar, how did the harpy get her hands into her and out of this house before anyone else knew what was going on?” Simon asked his elder brother as Edgar leaned against the front of his desk. “Unfortunately, I was away on business. Seems that mother dear has been keeping an eye on her for a while. Wish she’d just sent her to the Chantry when she was born. Unfortunately, the city guards won’t arrest her. Claims she had “no idea” the Templar was no longer part of the order. I call nug shit, but there’s no way to prove differently. Well at least not with any power I have.” Edgar said with a sigh as he gestured towards the documents piled on the table in front of Simon. “They did arrest said Templar though. He’s been raving since he has been getting regular lyrium from whoever his supplier was. The Knight Captain at the Ostwick Circle has his hands busy as it is. When he heard that the Seeker Trevelyan was getting stationed here, I think he started looking at his own ranks to clean house.” Edgar said this last part with a conspiratory grin with Simon. “That bad, huh? So he’s given you no clues about why this Templar was expelled from the ranks?” Simon rubbed his chin in thought, the reason he was here was due to the Reverend Mother Beatrice of the Ostwick asking for him personally to be stationed at the Chantry. This action, he understood from the Seeker order was due to the large number of missing children in the area. It was believed that the disappearances were caused by maleficar operating in the area. So he was here to investigate and to stop any further trouble from popping up in the community between the Templars and mages. Which included the apostates in the area. He also realized it was likely a banishment by the Order for his views about apostates and Templars. “The Knight Captain? Hardly, you’d think the Templar Order were Grey Wardens with as many secrets as they try to hide around here.” Edgar laughed slightly at that as Simon nodded. This did not bode well towards his investigation. “And no news on our sister from the imprisoned Templar?” Edgar’s face grew stormy at that. “I have no doubt he took her. It’s sick listening to him to talk about her and …. Let’s just say, I almost hope if you do find her she’s dead.” Simon stared at his older brother. Their younger sister was ten years younger than Simon and twelve younger than Edgar. They both doted on her where their father ignored her while their mother either openly punished her for any mistake or also ignored her. “I will find her, I will find Caiohme. I swear Edgar, Maker help that Templar for whatever he has done to her, for he will get none from me.” Simon said, his voice quiet but like steel as Edgar nodded. ***** Chapter 2 ***** Chapter Summary Caiohme finds herself in a stone room, Simon learns about her captor. Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter 2 Caiohme’s View ----- When Caiohme woke again, there was no weight on her, but a collar was hooked around her neck that glowed slightly and was chained into a stone floor. She laid on a pallet against a stone wall and the room was dimly lit by light coming from a small window well above her head. She was naked and covered by an old itchy blanket. She whimpered slightly as she moved, her head looking for some place she could relieve herself and saw a small chamber pot in the corner. She attempted to stand from the pallet but fell over, shooting pain running from her legs to her spine. She cried out as she fell, and then began to crawl towards the chamber pot. Mother would punish her if she had an accident on the floor. She whimpered as the cold stones dug into her legs and palms, and then attempted to lift herself from the ground again. This time she was successful, though it caused her to cry and sob in pain. She limped slowly to the chamber pot and stood over it the best she could, using the wall for support as she cried from the burning pain that crept from her body as she relieved herself into the pot. As soon as she had finished relieving herself, she moved slowly from the pot, as far as her body would allow her to move before she sank to the ground. She shivered slightly as she sat against the cool wall and wanted the blanket she had been covered with, but she couldn’t reach it nor did she have the energy to try to get it. She whimpered softly as she looked around the room, seeing a set of stairs that led upward that she would be unable to maneuver. As she looked towards the stairs, she saw a light and then heard footsteps as someone walked down into the stone room. She watched the man as he walked towards her, beginning to remember that she was now somehow under his care and what he had already done to her. She whimpered as he came closer attempting to curl into herself and make herself smaller. “None of that, princess. I brought you some food and water.” The man said softly as he set the food on the ground near the pallet and then walked over to her. He bent over and grabbed her arm, dragging her to her feet and then drug her towards the pallet when her legs refused to support her. He haphazardly threw her on the pallet and then threw the old blanket on top of her. He picked up the plate and set it by her. “Now princess, you will eat and drink all of this, do you understand? You will also not get sick after eating and drinking said items. If you do, I will have to punish you, and we don’t want that do we?’ She nodded and shivered at his words, her eyes watching his movements. She flinched as he patted her cheek tenderly, waiting for some type of violent action from him. “That’s a good princess.” He nodded and walked away and back up the stairs, locking her by herself in the dimly lit stone room. She sighed in relief and slowly began to eat and drink the food he had left her. _____________ Simon’s Point of View ----- Simon walked into the cell where the Templar that had taken his sister was kept. The man’s skin was sallow and hung from his face, and his grey eyes were distant. Simon had finally gotten the Knight Commander of the Ostwick Circle to admit why the Templar had been expelled. The Templar in question had a fancy for child mages. Once it was discovered that he was molesting mage children he had been expelled. Also, to further the abuse against the children, they had all been made tranquil. The Knight Commander had said something about it obviously being their fault for contributing to the corruption of a Templar. Simon had nearly taken the man’s head off at the moment, the idea that children were at fault for being raped by an adult was ludicrous even if they were mages. After his discussion with the Knight Commander, he then went to discuss the issue with the First Enchanter, who had told him though she did not agree with the reason, she felt that tranquility was best for the children. She believed that anyone who went through such a traumatic experience was sure to be more open to corruption and possession. Furthermore, to her point of view, as tranquil they were in essence dead. Which had further infuriated him to no end. Now he stood in the cell of the Templar that had taken his sister and all he wanted to do was beat him until he was dead. With his fist, just so he could feel the man’s bones break against his hands. Instead he stood there and studied the man, who to him was a monster, wondering how he could get the information he needed from him. “She was the sweetest of them you know, but I had to trade her for it. It wouldn’t stop singing to me.” Simon flinched as the Templar spoke while staring directly ahead. “Who did you trade her to?’ Simon asked quietly hoping the monster would give him the answer he desired so he could leave from the cell. “Some maleficar in the woods. They use them, I don’t know what for, but they don’t care what condition they’re in. Hell, they don’t even care if they’re mages, but mages are the sweetest.” The monster turned his gaze towards Simon and grinned. “I see the Seeker has come to do some seeking. I’ll trade you what I know if you give me a drink.” Simon shivered, he knew the monster was talking about lyrium, not water. “How about you give me the information I need and I’ll see what I can do.” Simon said watching the monster, waiting for the information he so direly needed. “They live east of here in the caves. Maybe they’re still there. Now the drink.” Simon shook his head and left the cell. “You said if I gave you the information, I’d get a drink.” The monster yelled as Simon headed up the stairs. The monster continued to bang against the cell doors as Simon left the prison. Chapter End Notes It's a fairly short chapter, I will probably flesh it out more. ***** Chapter 3 ***** Chapter Summary Caiohme escapes from her prison, Simon makes a decision, and two new people are introduced into Caiohme's life. Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Chapter 3 Caiohme’s View---- She didn’t know how long it had been since he had come. The instances between food and water had become longer and long. She loathed when he came and used her, beat her, and threw he against the ground like a discarded toy. She hated when he came and bathed her, laughing at her flinch from the freezing water, laughing when she whimpered as he scrubbed her skin raw, pink and scratched with little flecks of blood against her now alabaster skin. Any color she had had in her skin had faded as she continued to live in the dark of where ever she was trapped. He would laugh at her bloody fingers where she would try to pull the bolt from the floor that held her collar. She loathed him but his presence meant food and water. She didn’t know how long she had been attempting to pry the bolt from the floor that held her collar, she was sure it was coming loose, but it was hard to tell with her bloody sore fingers. She had to stop to rest every few minutes, laying on her side down against the frozen stones in her cell. She would breathe in and out, counting her breaths before she would turn back on her stomach to pry more at the bolt. Her throat hurt from the lack of water, water that she hadn’t had in at least a day. It had been even longer since she had food, but her stomach had long since stopped growling. Once she had realized he had stopped bringing her food regularly, she stock piled as well as she could, but there was only so much she could do. She continued to work at the bolt, ignoring the pain in her fingers and how light headed she felt. So when she started to smell the smoke she thought nothing of it. It was just a game her head was playing on her. It was when it got hard to breathe and she couldn’t see clearly that she began to panic. When the heat hit her skin, deeper terror than could ever have been caused by the man in armor, sent the magic she didn’t even know how to use into a barrier around her. At the same time she ripped loosened bolt from the ground, breaking her fingers in the process. She wasn’t sure what was going on but the green light encasing her kept the flames from licking her flesh as she looked for a way to escape from the inferno the blazed around her. She only saw one way out, and hoped whatever the green light was, it would stay around her. The heat of the floor was nearly unbearable as she crawled along it to the stone stairs, the smell of her own burning flesh making her mouth both water and her stomach turn towards being sick. She ignored both sensations as well as her burning flesh as she continued to crawl up the stairs and into the burning shack. The heat was unbearable, but her violet eyes sparkled with hope at seeing the snow in the darkness outside the blaze around her. She crawled out, leaving pieces of skin behind and then fell into the cold snow. The green light stayed around her as her heart picked up pace even more, she couldn’t stay here. He would find her, he would be back. She crawled from the burning cottage, through the trees, dragging herself away from him. She didn’t care at that moment that she was likely going to die. ____________________ Simon’s Point of View----- He slammed the former Templar against the cell bars, ignoring the monster’s laugh and then harsh echo of pain. He had seen the burnt out cabin and the trail of blood that led into the woods, days old. The man had sent him on a witch hunt for innocent people, yes the people in the caves to the east were apostates but they had been confused when he had arrived and demanded they give up the child that had been sold to them. When they had shown him into their home, there was a child, but it was clearly their own. He had apologized for his behavior, before telling the family they had nothing to fear from him. He explained he was looking for his younger sister. He could tell they were afraid he would report them to the Chantry, but he explained that he understood that was no place for a family much less a child. He knew in his heart he could no longer follow the Chantry or even attempt to protect the Templar Order after what he had learned recently in his investigations of the monster he was currently confronting in the cell. He was to be released soon, the Chantry said they had no proof of his misbehavior other than his lyrium addiction. The tranquil children in Ostwick Circle told another story. When Simon had asked what had caused children of nine to eleven to be turned tranquil, he was told corruption of a Templar. He had nearly taken the head of not just the Knight Commander in that moment but the Senior Enchanter. It had only been that the tranquil children were in the room that had stopped him. They had already had enough done against them. Instead, he requested their transfer to another Hasmal Circle, one that he personally knew the Knight Commander in, who took care of not only his Templars, but his mages and tranquil as well. They had agreed to his request only after he threatened to stay and investigate their Circle for more such issues. It was two days later that the apostate family sent him a message that they had found something that would be of note to him in an area they collected herbs for potions. They had led him to the burnt out cabin, he found the cell under the cabin, burned black, and then found the trail of blood that led outside. But there had been no trace of Caiohme, and he was sure that if she had escaped she was dead. Eaten by wild animals after she had frozen in the aftermath of the fire and cell she had escaped from. Now he was just angry. It was like a fire burned in him, the same fire that the former Templar had set in the place where he had trapped Caiohme. He didn’t think when he pulled the sword from his hip and cut the monsters head from his shoulders. The Chantry would not be letting this monster go. He ripped the Seeker emblem from his armor and threw it down on the decapitated body. __________ Revas Lavellan’s View He found the human child in the woods, naked, silent, and not moving. Burns covered the majority of her flesh, bloody as seeping against blackened skin. Her broken fingers were tipped in blood, bones sticking out from the tip of the bloody swollen flesh. Her ribs stuck out against the burns and as he knelt to look at her, he saw the collar around her throat. He growled in anger that anyone could treat another living being as so, and sad that one so young was dead before she knew the joy of living. He started when he saw her chest lift faintly and breathe in. Except she wasn’t dead. He unwrapped the cloak from around his neck as he laid it on the ground beside the girl. He picked her up gently as he could, but she fought weakly against him. She rasped incoherently at him, her throat likely damaged by the same fire that had burned her flesh. “Da’len, you are safe.” He whispered quietly at her as he laid her on his cloak. Her flesh was freezing against his, and he was afraid he would lose her to the cold before he had a chance to get her out of the elements. At his words she stopped fighting against him, her eyes flickering slightly open to reveal violet eyes. She blinked at him momentarily before she passed back out. He wrapped her in his cloak and picked her up as gently as possible before deciding where he should take her. His cabin was too far he decided which left only one place he could safely go with her. He turned in the direction of the small community that rested on the outskirts of Ostwick City, the place was rarely considered by the larger Ostwick City unless one wanted to fill desires that they wanted kept for the most part on the down low. He thought wryly, that though Ostwick considered it their Red Light District, the city in no way or form policed it, it was all done from within the community itself. A small mercenary group had taken their home base in the community and policed it, always leaving people behind when they went on campaigns to make sure that the community stayed safe. He trudged the two miles in the snow, shivering at the breeze, and stopping every few minutes to make sure the child in his arms still lived. He was impressed with her, truth be told. He had no idea where she had come from, there was no fire anywhere in the area she had been. That she was alive after such burns and had escaped her captors also impressed him to no end. He still feared for her life though, the combination of the burns over the majority of her body, her low body weight as well as body temperature did not bode well for her surviving. He would try though. ------- Bear’s View----- Bear saw the old Dalish healer as he chopped wood at the outskirts of the community. It was uncommon for the healer to come to what the Ostwickians called “the District” outside his schedule. Whatever had brought the healer must be serious, as nobody expected the healer until two days from now. He dropped his ax when he was that the healer was carrying something. He ran towards him and stopped. The healer held out his burden, fear lacing his eyes as Bear took it in his hands and then realized that he was holding a child. “Please, Bella’s.” Bear nodded and held the child closer to him, feeling a soft breath against his bare chest, a touch of frozen flesh against his that got too warm when he chopped wood for Bella. He shivered as he nodded and started walking towards Bella’s House of Companions. Dalish Healer hurried in front of him to push the door open, a blast of warm air hitting Bear as he walked into the room. A dwarf girl of about fifteen looked up when they walked in, her brilliant blue eyes falling first on the healer and then on him before she gasped and jumped up. “Healer Lavellan!” She ran down the hall as Bear and Lavellan followed after her. They stopped in the room the Dalish Healer used for conducting checkups of the prostitutes in the District, something he did weekly without fail. “Where do you want the child, Doc?” Bear asked as he waited for the man to look around the room before pointing at the only regular bed in the room. Bear set the child down as carefully as he could, but he could hear the whimper of pain that rasped from the child’s throat. “Should I light the fire?” He asked as he turned to the empty fireplace in the room. He stopped when he saw Lavellan shake his head no. “Can you get Emerson?” Bear wrinkled his brow in confusion until he saw Lavellan begin to pull the cloak back from the child’s body. He thought he was going to be sick. “Yeah, Doc, going now.” He stepped from the room and then ran out of the building. As soon as he was out the door, he lost whatever was in his stomach. He had seen a lot of bad shit when he was a mercenary, but this, this took the cake. He wiped his mouth grimly and then ran towards where the mercenary base was located. Chapter End Notes Once again, short chapter. Next chapter will start being more standardly written and less so from perspectives, though there will still be perspectives from time to time. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!