Leilana bowed to the image with reverent respect before pressing on past lavish oak wood doors to enter into a small chapel of the cathedral.
This chapel was void of worshippers, clerics, and souls who would pry into her confessions she was about to have with the Chantry's new divine leader.
Cassandra, dressed as the Divine, rose from her prayer before a statue of Andraste at the central, back area of the chapel. She didn't turn to acknowledge Leliana, who stealthily stood beside her to hand her a sealed parchment containing Anri's instructions for her.
As silent as Leilana had entered the chapel, she was gone, leaving Cassandra alone with their Shadow Master's instructions.
Checking to ensure she was alone, Cassandra opened the seal and read her instructions that ended with "... play dead."
Certain of what she needed to do, she held the parchment over a candle and watched it burn into ash. Her will to be Divine Victoria was no longer with any doubt: Thedas was still facing destruction and trouble. One bigger than the threat with Corypheus. Only this time, she had the power to bring lasting peace through her Shadow Master's plans.
She had trusted Anri with leadership once, and he had never disappointed her. Rather, he showed her what a true leader looked like. So she would do what she must as one of the Shadow Hands of World Order.
When the parchment's ash was dust in the wind, she retired to her personal room and secretly performed her Rite of the Unseen Hand, which had empowered her faith in Andraste and the Maker and her devotion to Anri. Once her part was confirmed, she sent a message to the drop point location that it had been marked within the scroll. Her message was a raven feather: the confirmation of her devotion.
Leliana left Val Royeux to travel north, carefully picking her way across the volatile Neverran/Tevintar border. She followed her bird's lead to reach a mercenary band's encampment on a hill. From the secrecy of shadow, she delivered Iron Bull his orders. He performed his devotion rite. She left him to do his work.
Dressed in unmarked leather armor, Charter, a young human rogue named Rector, and a dwarven rogue called Harding were gathered at the old Skyhold site, abandoned and sinking back into its forgotten age. But the Herald's Rest Inn and Inquisitor's Hall still held their comfort and majesty.
To the outside passerby, they would see three old scouts reminiscing about the Inquisition's glory days and saying their final farewells.
Fortunately, no one was around to look closer at the truth as Leliana appeared from the shadows to stand in the old Inquisition Halls before her proteges standing next to the Inquisitor's old throne.
Like Iron Bull and Cassandra, all three were handed their duties and proved their devotions to the Shadow Sect. They acknowledged Leliana and Anri as their leaders and their roles as the Shadow Web of Truth.
When they left the old stronghold, illusions were cast upon their lives to ensure everyone believed they had returned to the mundane. They continued to wait for orders and gather resources for their time to strike.
Leliana spent a lot of time traveling Thedas to receive Shadow Sect devotions, but to the outsider she was aimlessly on an adventure. Carefully and quietly, she snuck across the Tevinter border, assuming another identity with an inconspicuous group before breaking away at an opportune moment and slinking along the back alleys of Minrathous to reach Dorian's mansion via directions she had discovered from a handful of servants and merchants along the way.
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Within the deep heart of night, she stood next to Dorian, who was dressed in silk enchanter robes, sipping brandy within a lavish dark-red leather armchair in his drawing room, where every wall contained high bookshelves stocked with lore, politics, and information regarding magic.
"Good to see you again, Leliana. Would you like a drink?" He cordially greeted her as he sipped some of his drink, then formally rose to acknowledge his old friend.
"No time. Anri entrusted me to personally deliver this to you. If you need me, Anri will know where to find me. Our work begins." She bowed and disappeared into the shadows, taking her leave before others could see they were together.
Dorian lovingly stroked the tiny parchment scroll like it was his prized treasure. His heart raced with longing to read his lover's words for him, even if they were instructions for their new sect.
He carefully pocketed the scroll and left his drawing room, taking a short walk down marble halls with watercolor paintings of historical events among banners for the empire. All his servants were dismissed from his private quarters to ensure absolute peace and quiet.
Dorian stepped into a small office containing a lavish redwood table, various high bookshelves, and a section of stone wall with a long banner of the former Inquisition heraldry hanging over it. He tenderly pushed aside the banner to reveal the wall's blank surface. With a spell, he changed the stone to form a door, which unlocked to allow him entry into his secret chamber.
Unlike his well-furnished drawing room and office, his chamber was free from obstructions, with a lone giant mirror propped up at the far end between elven goddess statues. It was luck that drew him to an undamaged Eluvian during his first raids against one of Briala's former cells. And further luck, when the key was something he had already possessed - his previous mentor's time-bound amulet that had been surrendered to the Inquisition.
However, the Eluvian only gave him access to a room within the Crossroads. One that had no other exit or entrance, so it became his hiding spot away from the political noise.
Inside, he eased onto the lone armchair and read Anri's words for him.
My love,
Once again, it's up to us and our friends to save the world. Such a truth brings me sadness, as I was hoping that one day you and I could live out our days together in peace.
Dorian scoffed at the thought of Anri's naive wishful thinking, but it was his lover's hope for peace that tamed his own cynical outlook and kept him fighting the good fight.
I can already hear you say, "Such is the way of things."
He chuckled. Anri knew him well; he continued reading...
If we give up hope for peace, we have already surrendered the fight. Unlike others, we know the consequence of not doing anything and the end of all that is good and right in this world. So I hope you continue to be my pillar of support as I will forever be for you.
Inspiration ignited within Dorian as he continued to read Anri's organization plans: his vision and future. In short, Anri was determined to save Thedas from Solas's world destruction plans and at the same time redeem the old friend's misguided vision.
Solas, who was once part of their Inner Circle as an adventuring mage with a keen interest in the Fade, ended up being an awakened ancient elven mage called Fen'Harel. A powerful being who had severed the Fade as an act of revenge, now intent on restoring what was lost. But he faced strong opposition with Anri's determination to retain what was present and ensure the Thedas they knew existed with a future.
Two elves who held the fate of the world for different reasons.
Dorian was aligned with Anri's desire to see fate's pendulum swing in favor of Thedas's future, with the Shadow Sect being the hand that moved it.
He continued to read the letter and felt both conflicted and excited by Anri's offer to him.
Compared to the Inquisition, Anri desired for Dorian to lead the Shadow Sect with him as his partner in a dual hegemony: one that would keep the North and South aligned. They would be known within the sect as the Northern and Southern Architects. Dorian's authority would naturally match Anri's.
"I'll be in Tevinter in a month to personally hear your answer. I miss your touch."
"Ha! If he harbored doubts that I'd say no, I would need to give him a good spanking."
The Shadow Sect had now established its organization and roles. Success relied on everyone to play their parts in what would, no doubt, be a long game.
Dorian rose and heaved a reluctant, filled sigh as he set the letter on fire to hide evidence, then left his secret areas and returned to his bed for a decent night's rest. He was going to need it.
His last thoughts before lapsing into a deep slumber were what kind of stylish matching outfit he and his Amatus would wear when they were next together.