The news reached her shortly after rising from bed, having just escaped from a rather awful nightmare, a recurring one involving horned Qunari, with slight variation each time. Apparently, the heads of eleven individuals were found outside of the Chantry this morning, impaled on spears and arranged around the holy building in a clear message of warning. They were identified as the Tevinter magister visiting the city from the Imperium, and his entire retinue of guards.
Sophia felt no particular love for Tevinter, and of course knew their magic-run leadership to be capable of despicable acts, but this was not good news, no matter how evil those men may have been. Even though they'd brought their own trained guardsmen, they could easily have been seen as under Kirkwall's protection, considering that they were in supposedly the most secure place in the city, that being the wealthy reaches of Hightown. Now they were all dead, and the Qunari were obviously guilty of the act. They were ancient enemies of the Imperium, and the show of force was clearly not without purpose. Sophia was quite certain of who had personally carried out the deed. Amalia had warned them, after all, that there was something she was planning to do, and that they needed to recognize it when it happened. Qunari warriors from the Arishok's army would have had difficulty reaching Hightown without being spotted. Yes, this had certainly been her doing. It was... not particularly subtle, but maybe that was needed. Reasoning with them clearly wasn't working, and while frightening religious fanatics was quite difficult, it was worth a shot.
There was little for her to do about it, at any rate. The heads were taken down, but of course word spread quite well, and Sophia had other plans for the day. She was meeting Aurora at Lucien's place around lunch time, though she imagined it would be a little more than a social chat. The two weren't exactly friends, and while they'd managed to work together towards a common goal recently, to say there was a solid amount of trust between them would have been a lie. And while Sophia was certain there were quite a few things they didn't agree on, she was relatively certain neither of them desired to be enemies. Sophia knew she didn't, not now, when there was so much else arrayed against her and the few trying to keep the city from falling apart.
Sophia left the Keep as noon approached, dressed in comfortable clothes. She had no wish to present an armed and armored appearance when trying to make friends. It was Spring, and a warm day, and Sophia tried to look more cheery than the metaphorical gathering storm clouds would demand, dressed in a two-layered sleeveless yellow blouse, with white trousers tucked into a worn pair of comfortable leather boots. The Orlesian braid had become basically an every day thing for her, and today was no exception, her golden hair twisting elegantly through itself to rest between her shoulder blades. She wasn't armed, not even tucking a knife into her belt or her boot. There were few places she felt more safe than with Lucien, after all.
Her walk to Lucien's house was uninterrupted and actually somewhat pleasant, and she found the door unlocked.
Lucien, it turned out, had spent much of the morning cooking. Well, not cooking, precisely. Baking might have been the word, if he felt comfortable assigning that level of skill to it. Heād over the years learned essentially most domestic skills, because he needed to be able to take care of himself without servants anymore, but baking was something heād not tried since his mother was alive, and the knowledge was a little rusty. Wellā¦ very rustyāthe first attempt had resulted in charred lumps of something, and the second had been salty enough that he flinched. This time, heād remembered to taste the dough beforehand, and not leave them in the small oven for too long. Honestly, that was probably the doing of the bakerās twelve-year-old daughter than anything, and heād been happy to let her boss him around until they passed her inspection. Her mother had laughed at him for that, but he didnāt mind. It was nice to see them smiling againāheād once been hired (but not paid, given their status as refugees) to deal with the gang that had taken the little girlās father.
Anna, the mother, was apparently content to view this as the paying of a debt, though he never would have called it that. Really, he was probably imposing, using so many of her ingredients to so little success, but in the end, she laughed him and his platter of pastries out the door with assurances that no, he did not need to clean up, she could take care of that herself, and get out of her kitchen before he burned it down. That, he was only too willing to do, and he shook his head to himself. Well, at least heād succeeded in the end. Talent or no, persistence could get you places, he supposed.
He left the door unlocked on his way into his house, setting the pastries on the end table between the two chairs, then hooked the kettle to the fire to make more tea. He had a feeling this wasnāt going to be the most cordial meeting in the world, but he wanted to do what he could to make sure it went as well as possible. Getting bossed around by a little girl and laughed at by her mother was actually quite a bit more fun than he was expecting. They were good people, the sort heād never have been able to meet if heād spent his entire life like he misspent his youth. He smiled at that, glancing up at the sketches heād replaced upon his walls. Heād have to add a few more, maybe. Right now, he had several of his friends in town, including the carpenters helping him with the barracks, the stonemason whoād done his fireplace, Rilien, Nostariel, Ashton, Aurora, Amalia, and of course Sophia as well. They were beside a few of his friends, living and dead, from the Academie, and his parents, who shared a frame. He never wanted to forget what he had.
By the time Sophia arrived, the tea was done and steeping in his motherās pot, and heād pulled a fresh canvas onto the easel standing at the back of the room. Heād be here if he was needed, but heād be happier if he wasnāt. āGood afternoon, Sophia,ā he greeted warmly, gesturing freely for her to make herself comfortable. His ringmail clinked faintly as he straightened and turned. āAurora doesnāt seem to be here yet, but I expect sheāll be along presently.ā She lived quite close to him, after all, though he wasnāt sure sheād appreciate him saying that, and so he did not.
Sophia returned the greeting in kind, taking a seat at the table and taking a moment to admire his work. She would have been lying if she said the sight of her own face on a canvas, even a simple sketch, didn't cause little flutters in her. Maybe it was due to the hand that had drawn her. In any case, she hadn't come solely to admire art, and figured some food might help, which Lucien had been thoughtful enough to provide for them. "Thank you for letting us use your home, by the way," she added. A neutral meeting place was a wise decision, and this was a rather comfortable setting, all things considered.
Well, she wasn't exactly looking forward to this herself either. Aurora walked slow, measured steps toward Lucien's house. Had she managed her regular gait, she would have already arrived, but as things stood she was taking things nice and slow. It gave her enough time to organize her thoughts, steel her resolve, and prepare her words. At least it was a pleasant day for a walk-- albeit a very short one. Lucien's house was hardly a stone's throw away from her own. Their own, apparently. Aurora found herself with a new roommate as of recently, and to say that Milly wasn't dictating her house would have been a lie. Aurora let her. The girl was stowed away in the Antivan circle for most of her life, the chance to actually decorate a house herself didn't come very often for that girl. She only wished that Milly's color palette wasn't so loud. Aurora liked bright colors, but trying to sleep under a coat of orange paint was a mite bit difficult.
Turns out, Aurora just so happened to forget to tell Milly where she was going today. Telling the girl that she was off to visit the Viscount's daughter, the same one who had wanted her in the Circle not too long ago, wasn't probably the best choice. Surely it would have been met with some resistance. Still, this needed to be done, and they needed to be on the same page. Kirkwall was becoming more chaotic as the days passed, it would be better if they saw eye-to-eye instead of wondering if the other was an enemy. Before she knew it, she found herself in front of Lucien's house. She raised a fist in order to knock, but hesitated for a moment. Nodding to herself, the beat against the door twice and waited for the portal to open.
āYou are more than welcome, of course,ā Lucien replied with a nod. He certainly didnāt want Aurora to feel forced to expose her own location, and an apostate waltzing into the Viscountās Keep or the Chantry didnāt seem the wisest course, either. Given the rumors heād heard about the business there that morning, it was quite for the best that theyād not chosen Hightown at all, reallyāthere was bound to be an uproar about what the Qunari had done. What Amalia had done, for those in the know. He wasnāt really sure how he felt about those actions, but that was a question for another time. For now, he was happy to offer up his home and a smidgen of his labor for a good cause.
A pair of knocks sounded from the door, and he moved to open it, swinging the wooden portal open to admit the second party in this discussion. āAh, good to see you, Aurora,ā he said, standing aside to allow her in and gesturing for the other armchair, the one he usually occupied. As there were only the two, it would be hers for the duration of the talk. āPlease, help yourself to anything I have. Iāll be just over here if you need something.ā He gestured to the canvas, and, true to his word, headed over towards it, leaving the two women to discuss whatever they felt they needed to.
Aurora nodded her thanks and stepped through the door. The first thing she saw was Sophia sitting in her own chair, with another empty one nearby. She assumed that one would be hers for the duration of the meeting. The next thing she saw was her portrait sitting on Lucien's wall. It caused her to pause and stare at it for a minute, summarily tugging at the length of her hair. Uncanny, Lucien was becoming quite the artist. She quickly shook her head and tilted it toward the empty chair. Right, she remembered what she came here for-- though she would find time to talk to Lucien about his painting skills.
She stepped around the chairs and took a seat in hers, drawing her legs up to sit cross-legged in the chair. There was a certain air of Amalia in the action, though Aurora herself hadn't noticed it. It was like the Qunari was beginning to seep into her unconsciousness. It wasn't a terrible thing. Aurora then rubbed her hands together and then sat them in her lap, turning her attentions wholly and fully on Sophia. Verdant eyes lingered on the woman for a time, sizing the woman up before she finally spoke. "You start, this was your idea after all," She said, allowing the woman to kick off the discussion. For all of her prepration, she had no idea where to begin.
"Hello to you too, Aurora," Sophia said, a little tiredly, but she hadn't expected a much warmer greeting than that. Courtesy was clearly not the apostate's strong suit. It wasn't lost upon her that Aurora's posture was rather reminiscent of Amalia, and that was in fact the first thing Sophia wanted to ask her about. She crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands on the top knee. "First, I just want you to know that I don't intend on trying to convince you of anything. We both know how this will turn out if we start debating magic. I'd just like to learn a little about what you've been doing since we met years ago."
She adjusted her seat slightly, taking a sip of the tea she poured for herself. "I've worked with Amalia a few times, going back a couple of years, and I noticed that you two are quite acquainted. Has she been... teaching you?" It would surprise Sophia, but it was the only explanation she could think for what she'd seen. They didn't exactly seem to have a purely friendship based relationship, and Sophia would have thought the Qunari stance on magic would have turned Aurora away from her, and yet they'd seemed rather close earlier.
Aurora couldn't hide the tilt of her head. She thought it was common knowledge by now. Then she began to think about it. Everyone who she thought she knew was closer to her than Sophia was. She'd have no reason to know that she'd been under Amalia's tutlege, and Ben-Hassrath does not tell anyone anything she deemed unimportant. That left Aurora nodding in the affirmative. "For some time now, actually. I asked for help, and she accepted. It's not been easy, but it has been worth it," she said. "I'm where I'm at now because of her," She admitted.
Now it was her turn. "I've noticed you've been more... lenient to me," And Milly, but she was not going to bring her up in the off chance Sophia hadn't put two and two together yet, "In regards to my lot in life. You said that you couldn't look past the affairs of apostates last time we met. What's changed?" Where the statement could very well been made out to be hostile, Aurora did a good job of keeping her tone leveled and in check in order for it to sound like a genuine question. In truth, Aurora was curious. Aurora fully expected an attempt to get her thrown back into the Circle if they ever met again. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
Well, Amalia would certainly have a firm teaching style, wouldn't she? If Aurora had been learning from her for years, that would explain a lot. Like how she seemed to be so much more in control of herself lately than when they'd first met, not nearly so prone to outbursts of emotion. It was very reassuring, and at least some measure of proof that Sophia had done the right thing in coming to try and make amends with Aurora.
Her question was fair, as indeed a good deal had changed for Sophia as well, to mature her, to rid her of her idea that everything was always going to be as simple as she wanted to believe. "I used to want to believe that everything was going to be black and white, that the right choice was always going to be as clear as day for me, and that all I'd need to do was make the better one. Actually applying myself here in Lowtown for years has taught me that things are rarely, if ever, that simple. I may not be willing to agree with your decision to flee the Circle, but I can see that you've clearly found your own way here, and that you're smart enough and good enough at heart not to endanger anyone around you."
Several times she'd gone out of her way, as Amalia had, to ensure that the right thing was done, even when it did not exactly serve a personal gain for her. If that wasn't a sign of a good heart, Sophia didn't know what was. "Not every mage is able to make such wise decisions. I have personally seen how apostates, when left without guidance, can be lured by false promises of demons, and become threats to everyone around them." She felt it was best not to mention Sparrow by name here, as the less people that knew about what she'd been through, the better.
"I believe the strength of the Circle is that mages are given the access to proper teaching that is needed, and oftentimes unavailable otherwise. I do not doubt that conditions for the mages, particularly here in Kirkwall, are not as they should be, nor are their personal freedoms. It may not be worth anything to you, but I would like you to know that when I take my father's place, I will work to rectify that." There could be cooperation between mages and templars. Sophia would find that way, when the power fell into her hands.
Aurora had her arms crossed and her lips drawn in a tight line-- giving her an even more Amalia-esque appearance. She nodded along with Sophia had to say, and even found herself agreeing with the woman. "I have seen mages give in to those illusions as well," she said, though she was not so comfortable to reveal that it was a run-in with one of these mages that pushed her to ask for help. She could still remember that poor girl morph into a hideous abomination almost like it was the other day. That had been her wake up call. The incident with the Qunari only reinforced the fact that she still had a lot more to learn. Even now, after she had passed Amalia's test, she was not done learning. Only now she had the strength to learn on her own.
"Mages need to be taught," Aurora agreed, but she continued, "But neither do they deserve to be locked up for the rest of their lives just because of what they are." Personally, she found the idea that the Kirkwall Circle of Magi is named the Gallows insulting. It was a prison, and the people of Kirkwall acknowledge this. As long as it's not them locked up in the Circle though, it's fine. Out of sight, out of mind. Still, this was not Sophia's fault, and she would not take it out on her. "I'm not saying spring every mage out of the Circle-- far from it. Many of them are not ready-- Even I wasn't when I escaped," She readily admitted. Aurora was an impetuous, headstrong girl with a delusion of freedom.
Even as she spoke, she did not shift under Sophia's gaze, nor did she figet. "There must be a better way. One thing Amalia has taught me is that while there is only one destination, there are many roads toward that destination. Mages can be dangerous if not taught well, but if given the opportunity, they can learn to suppress the whispers and false promises. They can be stronger than the demons they fight," She said with a resolute nod. Chained, but not collared, with the keys of their own accord. Then she smiled suddenly, "There is always only one choice. Yours. Black, white, right, wrong, it doesn't matter. It's how you choose that does."
Sophia wasn't so sure about that, but she did not disagree with the apostate, nor did she have any desire to argue semantics. As unhealthy for Kirkwall as the issues between mages and templars had become, the threat of the Arishok and his army had to come first for now. They may well all have equality in their graves otherwise.
"I'd like to be friends if possible, Aurora. If not that, then I want you to know that I bear you no ill will. There's more than enough evil people in this city for me to be enemies with. I don't need to start adding good people to that list, too."
"That sounds... Nice," Aurora said, her features warming. Why should she have the woman as an enemy if she could have her as a friend? It'd be nice to not have to worry about getting thrown in the Circle by the woman as well. Then her eyes drifted down to the table between then, and her eyebrows arched. "When'd Lucien learn to bake?" she asked, taking one of the pastries.
Though the knight had remained respectfully out of the conversation, hearing as little as possible by focusing on what he was doing, he did note the mention of his own name, and turned halfway to face them before replying, his tone more than a little wry. "This morning, believe it or not."
Sophia felt no particular love for Tevinter, and of course knew their magic-run leadership to be capable of despicable acts, but this was not good news, no matter how evil those men may have been. Even though they'd brought their own trained guardsmen, they could easily have been seen as under Kirkwall's protection, considering that they were in supposedly the most secure place in the city, that being the wealthy reaches of Hightown. Now they were all dead, and the Qunari were obviously guilty of the act. They were ancient enemies of the Imperium, and the show of force was clearly not without purpose. Sophia was quite certain of who had personally carried out the deed. Amalia had warned them, after all, that there was something she was planning to do, and that they needed to recognize it when it happened. Qunari warriors from the Arishok's army would have had difficulty reaching Hightown without being spotted. Yes, this had certainly been her doing. It was... not particularly subtle, but maybe that was needed. Reasoning with them clearly wasn't working, and while frightening religious fanatics was quite difficult, it was worth a shot.
There was little for her to do about it, at any rate. The heads were taken down, but of course word spread quite well, and Sophia had other plans for the day. She was meeting Aurora at Lucien's place around lunch time, though she imagined it would be a little more than a social chat. The two weren't exactly friends, and while they'd managed to work together towards a common goal recently, to say there was a solid amount of trust between them would have been a lie. And while Sophia was certain there were quite a few things they didn't agree on, she was relatively certain neither of them desired to be enemies. Sophia knew she didn't, not now, when there was so much else arrayed against her and the few trying to keep the city from falling apart.
Sophia left the Keep as noon approached, dressed in comfortable clothes. She had no wish to present an armed and armored appearance when trying to make friends. It was Spring, and a warm day, and Sophia tried to look more cheery than the metaphorical gathering storm clouds would demand, dressed in a two-layered sleeveless yellow blouse, with white trousers tucked into a worn pair of comfortable leather boots. The Orlesian braid had become basically an every day thing for her, and today was no exception, her golden hair twisting elegantly through itself to rest between her shoulder blades. She wasn't armed, not even tucking a knife into her belt or her boot. There were few places she felt more safe than with Lucien, after all.
Her walk to Lucien's house was uninterrupted and actually somewhat pleasant, and she found the door unlocked.
Lucien, it turned out, had spent much of the morning cooking. Well, not cooking, precisely. Baking might have been the word, if he felt comfortable assigning that level of skill to it. Heād over the years learned essentially most domestic skills, because he needed to be able to take care of himself without servants anymore, but baking was something heād not tried since his mother was alive, and the knowledge was a little rusty. Wellā¦ very rustyāthe first attempt had resulted in charred lumps of something, and the second had been salty enough that he flinched. This time, heād remembered to taste the dough beforehand, and not leave them in the small oven for too long. Honestly, that was probably the doing of the bakerās twelve-year-old daughter than anything, and heād been happy to let her boss him around until they passed her inspection. Her mother had laughed at him for that, but he didnāt mind. It was nice to see them smiling againāheād once been hired (but not paid, given their status as refugees) to deal with the gang that had taken the little girlās father.
Anna, the mother, was apparently content to view this as the paying of a debt, though he never would have called it that. Really, he was probably imposing, using so many of her ingredients to so little success, but in the end, she laughed him and his platter of pastries out the door with assurances that no, he did not need to clean up, she could take care of that herself, and get out of her kitchen before he burned it down. That, he was only too willing to do, and he shook his head to himself. Well, at least heād succeeded in the end. Talent or no, persistence could get you places, he supposed.
He left the door unlocked on his way into his house, setting the pastries on the end table between the two chairs, then hooked the kettle to the fire to make more tea. He had a feeling this wasnāt going to be the most cordial meeting in the world, but he wanted to do what he could to make sure it went as well as possible. Getting bossed around by a little girl and laughed at by her mother was actually quite a bit more fun than he was expecting. They were good people, the sort heād never have been able to meet if heād spent his entire life like he misspent his youth. He smiled at that, glancing up at the sketches heād replaced upon his walls. Heād have to add a few more, maybe. Right now, he had several of his friends in town, including the carpenters helping him with the barracks, the stonemason whoād done his fireplace, Rilien, Nostariel, Ashton, Aurora, Amalia, and of course Sophia as well. They were beside a few of his friends, living and dead, from the Academie, and his parents, who shared a frame. He never wanted to forget what he had.
By the time Sophia arrived, the tea was done and steeping in his motherās pot, and heād pulled a fresh canvas onto the easel standing at the back of the room. Heād be here if he was needed, but heād be happier if he wasnāt. āGood afternoon, Sophia,ā he greeted warmly, gesturing freely for her to make herself comfortable. His ringmail clinked faintly as he straightened and turned. āAurora doesnāt seem to be here yet, but I expect sheāll be along presently.ā She lived quite close to him, after all, though he wasnāt sure sheād appreciate him saying that, and so he did not.
Sophia returned the greeting in kind, taking a seat at the table and taking a moment to admire his work. She would have been lying if she said the sight of her own face on a canvas, even a simple sketch, didn't cause little flutters in her. Maybe it was due to the hand that had drawn her. In any case, she hadn't come solely to admire art, and figured some food might help, which Lucien had been thoughtful enough to provide for them. "Thank you for letting us use your home, by the way," she added. A neutral meeting place was a wise decision, and this was a rather comfortable setting, all things considered.
Well, she wasn't exactly looking forward to this herself either. Aurora walked slow, measured steps toward Lucien's house. Had she managed her regular gait, she would have already arrived, but as things stood she was taking things nice and slow. It gave her enough time to organize her thoughts, steel her resolve, and prepare her words. At least it was a pleasant day for a walk-- albeit a very short one. Lucien's house was hardly a stone's throw away from her own. Their own, apparently. Aurora found herself with a new roommate as of recently, and to say that Milly wasn't dictating her house would have been a lie. Aurora let her. The girl was stowed away in the Antivan circle for most of her life, the chance to actually decorate a house herself didn't come very often for that girl. She only wished that Milly's color palette wasn't so loud. Aurora liked bright colors, but trying to sleep under a coat of orange paint was a mite bit difficult.
Turns out, Aurora just so happened to forget to tell Milly where she was going today. Telling the girl that she was off to visit the Viscount's daughter, the same one who had wanted her in the Circle not too long ago, wasn't probably the best choice. Surely it would have been met with some resistance. Still, this needed to be done, and they needed to be on the same page. Kirkwall was becoming more chaotic as the days passed, it would be better if they saw eye-to-eye instead of wondering if the other was an enemy. Before she knew it, she found herself in front of Lucien's house. She raised a fist in order to knock, but hesitated for a moment. Nodding to herself, the beat against the door twice and waited for the portal to open.
āYou are more than welcome, of course,ā Lucien replied with a nod. He certainly didnāt want Aurora to feel forced to expose her own location, and an apostate waltzing into the Viscountās Keep or the Chantry didnāt seem the wisest course, either. Given the rumors heād heard about the business there that morning, it was quite for the best that theyād not chosen Hightown at all, reallyāthere was bound to be an uproar about what the Qunari had done. What Amalia had done, for those in the know. He wasnāt really sure how he felt about those actions, but that was a question for another time. For now, he was happy to offer up his home and a smidgen of his labor for a good cause.
A pair of knocks sounded from the door, and he moved to open it, swinging the wooden portal open to admit the second party in this discussion. āAh, good to see you, Aurora,ā he said, standing aside to allow her in and gesturing for the other armchair, the one he usually occupied. As there were only the two, it would be hers for the duration of the talk. āPlease, help yourself to anything I have. Iāll be just over here if you need something.ā He gestured to the canvas, and, true to his word, headed over towards it, leaving the two women to discuss whatever they felt they needed to.
Aurora nodded her thanks and stepped through the door. The first thing she saw was Sophia sitting in her own chair, with another empty one nearby. She assumed that one would be hers for the duration of the meeting. The next thing she saw was her portrait sitting on Lucien's wall. It caused her to pause and stare at it for a minute, summarily tugging at the length of her hair. Uncanny, Lucien was becoming quite the artist. She quickly shook her head and tilted it toward the empty chair. Right, she remembered what she came here for-- though she would find time to talk to Lucien about his painting skills.
She stepped around the chairs and took a seat in hers, drawing her legs up to sit cross-legged in the chair. There was a certain air of Amalia in the action, though Aurora herself hadn't noticed it. It was like the Qunari was beginning to seep into her unconsciousness. It wasn't a terrible thing. Aurora then rubbed her hands together and then sat them in her lap, turning her attentions wholly and fully on Sophia. Verdant eyes lingered on the woman for a time, sizing the woman up before she finally spoke. "You start, this was your idea after all," She said, allowing the woman to kick off the discussion. For all of her prepration, she had no idea where to begin.
"Hello to you too, Aurora," Sophia said, a little tiredly, but she hadn't expected a much warmer greeting than that. Courtesy was clearly not the apostate's strong suit. It wasn't lost upon her that Aurora's posture was rather reminiscent of Amalia, and that was in fact the first thing Sophia wanted to ask her about. She crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands on the top knee. "First, I just want you to know that I don't intend on trying to convince you of anything. We both know how this will turn out if we start debating magic. I'd just like to learn a little about what you've been doing since we met years ago."
She adjusted her seat slightly, taking a sip of the tea she poured for herself. "I've worked with Amalia a few times, going back a couple of years, and I noticed that you two are quite acquainted. Has she been... teaching you?" It would surprise Sophia, but it was the only explanation she could think for what she'd seen. They didn't exactly seem to have a purely friendship based relationship, and Sophia would have thought the Qunari stance on magic would have turned Aurora away from her, and yet they'd seemed rather close earlier.
Aurora couldn't hide the tilt of her head. She thought it was common knowledge by now. Then she began to think about it. Everyone who she thought she knew was closer to her than Sophia was. She'd have no reason to know that she'd been under Amalia's tutlege, and Ben-Hassrath does not tell anyone anything she deemed unimportant. That left Aurora nodding in the affirmative. "For some time now, actually. I asked for help, and she accepted. It's not been easy, but it has been worth it," she said. "I'm where I'm at now because of her," She admitted.
Now it was her turn. "I've noticed you've been more... lenient to me," And Milly, but she was not going to bring her up in the off chance Sophia hadn't put two and two together yet, "In regards to my lot in life. You said that you couldn't look past the affairs of apostates last time we met. What's changed?" Where the statement could very well been made out to be hostile, Aurora did a good job of keeping her tone leveled and in check in order for it to sound like a genuine question. In truth, Aurora was curious. Aurora fully expected an attempt to get her thrown back into the Circle if they ever met again. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
Well, Amalia would certainly have a firm teaching style, wouldn't she? If Aurora had been learning from her for years, that would explain a lot. Like how she seemed to be so much more in control of herself lately than when they'd first met, not nearly so prone to outbursts of emotion. It was very reassuring, and at least some measure of proof that Sophia had done the right thing in coming to try and make amends with Aurora.
Her question was fair, as indeed a good deal had changed for Sophia as well, to mature her, to rid her of her idea that everything was always going to be as simple as she wanted to believe. "I used to want to believe that everything was going to be black and white, that the right choice was always going to be as clear as day for me, and that all I'd need to do was make the better one. Actually applying myself here in Lowtown for years has taught me that things are rarely, if ever, that simple. I may not be willing to agree with your decision to flee the Circle, but I can see that you've clearly found your own way here, and that you're smart enough and good enough at heart not to endanger anyone around you."
Several times she'd gone out of her way, as Amalia had, to ensure that the right thing was done, even when it did not exactly serve a personal gain for her. If that wasn't a sign of a good heart, Sophia didn't know what was. "Not every mage is able to make such wise decisions. I have personally seen how apostates, when left without guidance, can be lured by false promises of demons, and become threats to everyone around them." She felt it was best not to mention Sparrow by name here, as the less people that knew about what she'd been through, the better.
"I believe the strength of the Circle is that mages are given the access to proper teaching that is needed, and oftentimes unavailable otherwise. I do not doubt that conditions for the mages, particularly here in Kirkwall, are not as they should be, nor are their personal freedoms. It may not be worth anything to you, but I would like you to know that when I take my father's place, I will work to rectify that." There could be cooperation between mages and templars. Sophia would find that way, when the power fell into her hands.
Aurora had her arms crossed and her lips drawn in a tight line-- giving her an even more Amalia-esque appearance. She nodded along with Sophia had to say, and even found herself agreeing with the woman. "I have seen mages give in to those illusions as well," she said, though she was not so comfortable to reveal that it was a run-in with one of these mages that pushed her to ask for help. She could still remember that poor girl morph into a hideous abomination almost like it was the other day. That had been her wake up call. The incident with the Qunari only reinforced the fact that she still had a lot more to learn. Even now, after she had passed Amalia's test, she was not done learning. Only now she had the strength to learn on her own.
"Mages need to be taught," Aurora agreed, but she continued, "But neither do they deserve to be locked up for the rest of their lives just because of what they are." Personally, she found the idea that the Kirkwall Circle of Magi is named the Gallows insulting. It was a prison, and the people of Kirkwall acknowledge this. As long as it's not them locked up in the Circle though, it's fine. Out of sight, out of mind. Still, this was not Sophia's fault, and she would not take it out on her. "I'm not saying spring every mage out of the Circle-- far from it. Many of them are not ready-- Even I wasn't when I escaped," She readily admitted. Aurora was an impetuous, headstrong girl with a delusion of freedom.
Even as she spoke, she did not shift under Sophia's gaze, nor did she figet. "There must be a better way. One thing Amalia has taught me is that while there is only one destination, there are many roads toward that destination. Mages can be dangerous if not taught well, but if given the opportunity, they can learn to suppress the whispers and false promises. They can be stronger than the demons they fight," She said with a resolute nod. Chained, but not collared, with the keys of their own accord. Then she smiled suddenly, "There is always only one choice. Yours. Black, white, right, wrong, it doesn't matter. It's how you choose that does."
Sophia wasn't so sure about that, but she did not disagree with the apostate, nor did she have any desire to argue semantics. As unhealthy for Kirkwall as the issues between mages and templars had become, the threat of the Arishok and his army had to come first for now. They may well all have equality in their graves otherwise.
"I'd like to be friends if possible, Aurora. If not that, then I want you to know that I bear you no ill will. There's more than enough evil people in this city for me to be enemies with. I don't need to start adding good people to that list, too."
"That sounds... Nice," Aurora said, her features warming. Why should she have the woman as an enemy if she could have her as a friend? It'd be nice to not have to worry about getting thrown in the Circle by the woman as well. Then her eyes drifted down to the table between then, and her eyebrows arched. "When'd Lucien learn to bake?" she asked, taking one of the pastries.
Though the knight had remained respectfully out of the conversation, hearing as little as possible by focusing on what he was doing, he did note the mention of his own name, and turned halfway to face them before replying, his tone more than a little wry. "This morning, believe it or not."