Bhelen and I were always close. We shared the same blood, the same dreams, the same ambitions. We wanted to make Orzammar great again, to restore the glory of our ancestors and reclaim the lost thaigs. We wanted to end the caste system, to give every dwarf a chance to prove their worth. We wanted to ally with the surface kingdoms, to fight the darkspawn together and stop the Blight.
But we also had our similarities. Bhelen and I were both brave, both smart, both passionate. We wanted to make Orzammar great again, to restore the glory of our ancestors and reclaim the lost thaigs. We wanted to end the caste system, to give every dwarf a chance to prove their worth. We wanted to ally with the surface kingdoms, to fight the darkspawn together and stop the Blight.
We were both contenders for the throne of Orzammar, after our father King Endrin fell ill. We both had supporters and enemies among the nobles and the warriors. We both had to face the trials of the Proving, the ancient arena where dwarves settled their disputes with honor and steel.
The Proving was supposed to be fair, to test our skills and our courage. And it was. Bhelen and I agreed to compete honestly, to respect each other and our opponents. We wanted to show our father and our people that we were worthy of his legacy, that we could lead Orzammar with honor and wisdom.
We entered the Proving, determined to give our best and accept the outcome. We fought our way through the rounds, defeating every opponent who stood in our way. We reached the final match, where Bhelen and I faced each other with a smile on our faces.
He congratulated me on my performance. I thanked him for his fairness. He wished me luck. I wished him the same.
We were brothers. We were friends. We were partners.