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Slowly but surely but slowly
So far I have managed to write something on my DABB every day this month, although some days have seen more progress than others. Today is one of the "others" -- I fleshed out a little bit of one scene but have no really succeeded in adding much wordcount; on the other hand, I might have figured out something about the long-term plot. But I did come up with something I was pretty happy with yesterday and the day before. Have a long snippet, 700-some words (spoilers for DA:O):
Sera settled down in a chair behind the stone desk in the corner of the room. "At least now you see the truth: we must put a king on Orzammar's throne before we can make any progress here."
"Yeah, I agree. Unfortunately, we won't be able to just walk up someone and say 'you're my man' -- they'll want us to prove our loyalty first." Natia rummaged in her pouch and pulled out the papers that [name] had given her. "These documents prove that Harrowmont's been double-dealing some of the nobles. That might give us enough votes to swing the Assembly to Bhelen."
She held the sheaf of papers out, and Sera looked at them as if they were coated in poison. "Bhelen? I thought I made it clear that Harrowmont must take the throne."
Natia raised her eyebrows. "And I thought I made it clear that Rica's life might depend on supporting Bhelen. His man in the Assembly wasn't exactly subtle."
Sera's jaw tightened. "Threats, bribery, and outright lies. How likely is it that those documents are even legitimate?"
"Dunno, don't really care," Natia replied with a shrug, folding the papers back up again for safe keeping. "What does it matter to the Grey Wardens if the Orzammar nobility screw each other over? They've all done it and they'll all keep doing it."
"It does matter!" Sera gripped the arms of the chair and stood up, her knuckles white with anger. "It matters because my little brother is lying, treacherous scum, and I would see him facing justice, not wearing a crown! I'll find a way to protect your sister, but I will hear no more of this nonsense about supporting him."
Natia stared at Sera, her shouts still ringing in her ears, blotches of bright red on her cheeks and ears. "It doesn't even matter to you, does it? My sister, my nephew -- who's also your nephew, last time I checked -- the Wardens, the dusters, anyone else who might benefit from Bhelen's kingship. You've made up your mind and won't hear any arguments against it." She shook her head. "But what else should I expect from someone who takes heads first and asks questions later?"
Sera lowered her clenched jaw and glared at Natia. "I do no such thing!"
Natia snorted. "Tell that to the mages. Or the Lady of the Forest. Or that assassin who yielded to us just in time to get his throat cut."
"What?!" Sera's mouth fell half open. "But he-- he tried to kill me!"
"And damn near succeeded!" Natia stalked across the room, stopped from getting in Sera's face only by the desk that blocked her way. "He sure came closer than anyone else who's tried so far. Maybe we could have used him -- we need all the help we can get. But no, Lady High-and-Mighty always knows what's best, doesn't care about making friends or finding real allies. Sometimes I think you're just trying to blaze through Thedas as quickly as possible so you can get this death march over with."
Sera hissed in a sharp breath and slammed her palms against the stone desk. "Are you questioning my leadership?"
"Sodding right, I'm questioning your leadership." Natia gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. "Your leadership, you, and all of your ancestors while I'm at it. What has House Aeducan ever given us? A fool of a king who didn't recognize the vipers nesting in his own bed, a sour heir old before his time and too stupid to know who his enemies were, a bald-faced traitor, and you."
Sera settled down in a chair behind the stone desk in the corner of the room. "At least now you see the truth: we must put a king on Orzammar's throne before we can make any progress here."
"Yeah, I agree. Unfortunately, we won't be able to just walk up someone and say 'you're my man' -- they'll want us to prove our loyalty first." Natia rummaged in her pouch and pulled out the papers that [name] had given her. "These documents prove that Harrowmont's been double-dealing some of the nobles. That might give us enough votes to swing the Assembly to Bhelen."
She held the sheaf of papers out, and Sera looked at them as if they were coated in poison. "Bhelen? I thought I made it clear that Harrowmont must take the throne."
Natia raised her eyebrows. "And I thought I made it clear that Rica's life might depend on supporting Bhelen. His man in the Assembly wasn't exactly subtle."
Sera's jaw tightened. "Threats, bribery, and outright lies. How likely is it that those documents are even legitimate?"
"Dunno, don't really care," Natia replied with a shrug, folding the papers back up again for safe keeping. "What does it matter to the Grey Wardens if the Orzammar nobility screw each other over? They've all done it and they'll all keep doing it."
"It does matter!" Sera gripped the arms of the chair and stood up, her knuckles white with anger. "It matters because my little brother is lying, treacherous scum, and I would see him facing justice, not wearing a crown! I'll find a way to protect your sister, but I will hear no more of this nonsense about supporting him."
Natia stared at Sera, her shouts still ringing in her ears, blotches of bright red on her cheeks and ears. "It doesn't even matter to you, does it? My sister, my nephew -- who's also your nephew, last time I checked -- the Wardens, the dusters, anyone else who might benefit from Bhelen's kingship. You've made up your mind and won't hear any arguments against it." She shook her head. "But what else should I expect from someone who takes heads first and asks questions later?"
Sera lowered her clenched jaw and glared at Natia. "I do no such thing!"
Natia snorted. "Tell that to the mages. Or the Lady of the Forest. Or that assassin who yielded to us just in time to get his throat cut."
"What?!" Sera's mouth fell half open. "But he-- he tried to kill me!"
"And damn near succeeded!" Natia stalked across the room, stopped from getting in Sera's face only by the desk that blocked her way. "He sure came closer than anyone else who's tried so far. Maybe we could have used him -- we need all the help we can get. But no, Lady High-and-Mighty always knows what's best, doesn't care about making friends or finding real allies. Sometimes I think you're just trying to blaze through Thedas as quickly as possible so you can get this death march over with."
Sera hissed in a sharp breath and slammed her palms against the stone desk. "Are you questioning my leadership?"
"Sodding right, I'm questioning your leadership." Natia gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. "Your leadership, you, and all of your ancestors while I'm at it. What has House Aeducan ever given us? A fool of a king who didn't recognize the vipers nesting in his own bed, a sour heir old before his time and too stupid to know who his enemies were, a bald-faced traitor, and you."