Her Cave and A Mentor's Discussion
Once all was seen to, Varric simply stood and reached toward Ardyn. She moved to him, naturally, without hesitation or fear. His huge hand rested oh so gently on her tiny shoulder, and they were gone from the audience chamber.
[Cave Shadow Step]
Half a breath later, they were both in her network of caves. She smiled broadly at the casual use of magic. She naturally stepped away from him and began puttering her things away.
She pulled her Everwear Bag over her head—a gift from Varric, an instant treasure to her. The Moonpetal Gems came to her hand an instant later. She smiled again, magic forever stimulating a hint of wonder within her that sparked and jumped when magic was expressed.
She placed the Moonpetal Gems prominently next to the large black and gold bed Elsa created for her, resting them on a nightstand that was a huge petrified tree stump. The stump was polished smooth and had veins of twinkling silver minerals running through it.
She smiled at the gift from Elsa, remembering how the Tortoise humanoid had demanded to create it for her. She had never known such kindness, first from the Serpent Lord and then from the Great Tortoise. She frowned as she found she did not truly know how to react to it all.
She then went to cleaning and collecting. Her cave system was vast, and she and Elsa had only affected a small corner of it. She now had fields, animals, and several places she could sit and be quiet.
Her favorite place had become a collection of rocks covered in soft blue moss that sat cozily around a small pond. She had sat there already, thinking about her current situation and her feelings for Varric. It was there she had decided, once and for all, that she was not worthy of such a magical being. Seeing him in his audience chamber only solidified this belief for her.
She began collecting the fruits and veggies that had magically sprung up. Elsa had told her they would do this three times a day for her, to ensure she ate properly. She could not help but smile at the concern they had for her. It was also new, and she wondered how long it would last. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself for doubting unsolicited kindness.
She looked down at the sparkling red fruit in her hand and thought about how she had truly become a horrible person.
Varric watched it all, a smile blooming on his lips and his heart warming the entire time. He wanted her like this always. He wanted to enjoy and revel in her pure, seemingly untouched joy. It was slowly and steadily changing something within him.
Not really changing him, but shifting him to a different alignment, causing him to see her as unique and vitally important in his life.
He cleared his throat, and she paused, her eyes going wide as she looked to him. She had been having all these random thoughts, never realizing he was there the entire time.
"I am sorry, My Lord. I made an erroneous assumption in thinking you would just leave to other important matters. How can I help you?"
Her desire to help him made him smile; her continued insistence on calling him 'Lord' made him actually frown. He blinked several times as he tried to think of ways to break her of the bothersome habit.
He cleared his throat again.
"I want to talk to you, Ardyn. I need you to understand how important you are to me." Her eyes went wide again, and her face flushed red.
"Im…portant… My Lord?"
He smiled gently. "Yes. Very. You have become extremely important, and I want you to understand just how much."
Her eyes fell to the floor, and she took a step back. He frowned, thinking things were not going as he had planned. He reached for her, and she quickly jerked back, as if she thought harm was about to come to her.
Varric froze as he felt genuine, intense fear from her for the first time. Tears welled in Ardyn's eyes, and she began to hiccup as she tried to speak.
"I… am… so… sorry. I… please… forgive… me… I… didn't… mean…"
He backed away, wanting her to know he meant no harm. "Calm yourself, my precious moonbeam. I am the one who should apologize. I should have given you more time. You already know how I feel, so we will leave it there for now. Get some rest, sleep. I will return for you right after the magical hour of night and show you something special." Before she could respond, he was gone.
She ended up crumbling into a heap of tears on her bed.
Varric appeared at his mentor's door, perplexed by Ardyn's reactions and mad at himself for not understanding humans better.
Elsa's voice reached him, melodious and terrifying at the same time.
"Come in, my dear student. I sense you decided to take things into your own hands before speaking with me. Come, let's talk."
He rolled his eyes even as a wall of vines rose around him. She was such a show-off. When the vines lowered, all that was left were small leaves and colorful petals.
[Nature's Pull]
Varric now stood before his massive teacher in her full Great Tortoise form. She sat in an even more enormous pool of water. Only the top of her mountain-like shell and her extended head and neck could be seen.
A lush forest grew at the top of her shell, and various types of vines and greenery flowed from it to cover her shell with plants and blooming flowers.
It was a testament to her close connection with nature.
Her large head was extended out from the water and across a stretch of shore. Her wide, round sky-blue eyes pivoted to him and calmly watched. Varric sat in a huff, like a child preparing for a lecture, and he waited, impatiently.
She laughed. It was a melodious, earthy, and ethereal sound, as if someone made music with an ancient earthen pot.
"Why are you always so petulant and dramatic? It is not becoming of the great Lord of the Serpent Clan."
He said nothing and merely pursed his lips and waited to hear what he had come for.
She smiled in response and mercifully gave him what he wanted.
"I believe she is too damaged to try to reach her head-on, Varric." He sat up a bit straighter when he heard his full first name.
"Let me show you what I saw today. See this and know that we both have to give her time."
A swirling mass of foliage rose from nowhere and circled in front of him. He focused hard, determined to remain calm and be thoughtful, but when the torrent stopped and a clear pool of green reflected the sight of Ardyn's scarred back, anger rose too quickly within him.
He physically felt and heard something break within him, and his immediate vicinity trembled. Unable to overcome his master's power or intent, his anger remained contained.
He calmed ever so slightly as he watched Elsa's green healing light cover and consume Ardyn, and all of the horridness was removed from her back.
He let out a breath he had not realized he was holding, his claws digging into his scaled flesh.
"How do you suggest we handle this, Teacher?" He stood and began to pace, his hands clasped behind his back. "I mean, I just tried to tell her of her worth, and she seemed to think I would eat her." He stopped, his hands moving quickly, as if he wanted to cast a spell or signal a raid. "I mean, as patient as I thought I have been, she thinks I want to eat her." He shook his head and began pacing again. "No, that's not right. She was just as surprised by her actions as I was." He pursed his lips and sighed. He turned to her as if waiting for instructions.
Elsa stifled a laugh. 'It's "Teacher" now, is it? How quickly he submits when it comes to her well-being. He is truly changing for her, and how discombobulated she causes him to become.'
"First of all, calm yourself. Do not make this about you. This is what we will do. I will train her during the day, and you will show her love and kindness at night. Together, we will show her a constant, genuine care that she has never known.
"We have to give her time to understand that we are both genuine and we act not out of pity or some strange obligation, but because she is truly important and special to us. It is like when hatchlings come forth from time to time but do not have all the memory. We are going to have to allow her brain and muscle memory catch up to what her instincts are telling her."
"It may take time, though. I think she has been treated poorly her entire life."
The whole while Varric had been nodding thoughtfully. His head froze mid-nod at Elsa's final statement, and his expression darkened.
"And what will we do to those who have done this to her?"
The room was instantly oppressive. Elsa's intent rushed out like a river drowning a hapless village.
"We punish them."