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An Unlikely Pairing (Dragon Age Inquisition)	By : Elvhennan Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 949 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Dragon Age: Inquisition. I do not own the fandom nor the characters and I make no profit off of this story.

Chapter List
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Now that it was done and the villagers of Crestwood weren’t in mortal danger, we sought out the cave Hawke had marked on the map for us. He was there waiting for us when we finally found it and he didn’t bother asking what took so long.
I informed him of the Wardens we’d seen on the road, he was already aware and confirmed they were searching for his friend. We entered the cave and found that further in it had been fortified, albeit humbly. This rogue Warden seemed to have cleared out some bandits. I reminded myself to thank him for that later.
His name was Stroud, and he revealed to us that he suspected Corypheus had somehow infiltrated the Wardens’ minds. Started something known to them as The Calling. They apparently heard it in their heads before a Blight broke out. I truly hadn’t the faintest idea what he was talking about, but Hawke sure seemed to. And he seemed to think it was very serious.
The more questions I asked, the more grave the situation became. ALL of the Wardens? Taking a stand against the Old Gods in the Deep Roads? Even Stroud admitted he was hearing it too, but having had experience with Corypheus when he was alive, well, alive the first time, he had had been suspicious and spoken out against this Commander Clarel’s plan. That was when they had branded him a traitor and thrown him out, leading him to contact Hawke. I reminded myself to thank him for that later as well, as the information was invaluable to the Inquisition.
Stroud, now having met the Inquisition, agreed to ride with Hawke back to Skyhold.
“Find Varric, tell him of this, he will get Cassandra,” were the orders I gave. “We have to stop back in Crestwood.”
I was suddenly thankful I’d left Cassandra behind to watch over the keep. This news would have Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine arguing within moments. Cassandra would cut through the bullshit and start working on a plan. She might not have attended War Councils, but in my eyes she was a good and trusted advisor, you know, for an Andrastian one.
Our return to Crestwood was happily greeted by the villagers, but turned grim at the mayor’s house. He’d left a letter, confessing to having drowned the refugees to save the healthy villagers from the Darkspawn.
Sera ripped it from my hands and read it for herself. Bull and Dorian looked somber, but she was enraged.
“He drowned them... in the muck?” she crowed in disbelief, brows drawn together and eyes narrowed. “Oh, ‘Mayor’ is having an arrow for tea!”
She threw the letter on the ground. I picked it up and stashed it in my pocket to present to the council. He’d run, knowing we’d figure it out eventually once all this was done, but the Inquisition had forces on their way to occupy Caer Bronach that very moment, he wasn’t going to get far.
The ride back to Skyhold was lacking in this group’s typical lighthearted conversation. Sera had her arms crossed in the saddle, the reins weren’t even in her hands, but she was on Dennet’s best trained horse and he was just keeping up with the other horses. Bull and Dorian were ahead of us, but there was no playful teasing about Vints or the Qun.
I was lost in thought myself. The mayor had made a hard decision. To sacrifice the sick, but very much alive, villagers to save the ones that could be saved or to let them all fall to the Darkspawn. The Blight made a monster of him, but something of a hero as well. And the Wardens? Ugh, I didn’t want to think about the Wardens. What could Corypheus want with them? Kill them all and unleash a Blight with no one to stand against it? March them into the Deep Roads to kill the Old Gods so that he’d be the only God left? Though Stroud had made it sound like that was Clarel’s idea, not Corypheus’.
We reached the castle at nightfall and stabled the horses.
“Drinks on those old Dwarves,” Sera said to Bull, shaking her coin purse fat with the loot of our recon expedition. He grunted and followed her towards the tavern.
“Do they ever bathe?” Dorian scorned.
He seemed to have said it more to himself than to me. I just gave him a weak smile and a sigh. A thief and a mercenary, my good friends.
We walked up the steps to Skyhold and the Council was there with Cassandra, Hawke, Varric, and Stroud.
Leliana handed Dorian a letter.
“This came for you.”
He took it and turned it in his hands. “I will pretend not to notice that the seal is already broken,” he said with all of his typical passive aggressive sarcasm, and took his leave of us, probably to take a bath.
The Council took our discussion to the war table and though I was exhausted I sat up for most of the night with them picking through the possibilities. The Venatori, the Templars, AND the Wardens, all working for Corypheus. It was a long night. We had very little information on where they would go or what they could be planning. The next step was to gather information as best we could. Until we knew more, there was nothing we could do but speculate. Not a fruitful meeting, but now we were all on the same page at least. Finally I told them of the events in Crestwood having to do with the mayor. Troops in the area would be dispatched post haste to locate him.
I was dragging my feet by the time I reached my bed and I fell asleep having removed only my belts and mail.
I awoke late in the morning, my body feeling rested, but my mind still troubled. Something that had arisen in conversation was whether Dorian might have insight on any old Tevinter strongholds, anything at all Corypheus might be using as a base of operations. I’d indicated that I would ask him about it.
Before I went looking for him I decided I should have a bath first. The tunic underneath my armor was positively rancid from the travel and the rain. There were natural hot springs below the castle, probably why it had been built here of all places. Some refugees and peasants had attached themselves to us in Haven, some showed up at our gates here, all of them knew armies and courts needed maids and serving boys. I brought my soiled clothes to the chamber where some of the girls did laundry in one of the springs.
“Inquisitor,” they said and curtsied. They were both elves.
“Ladies,” I said. The curtsies were simply a formality and I resisted the urge to tell them they weren’t required, they were only trying to be polite. “I was hoping I could leave this with you? I’m sorry it’s so.... mmm.” I just scowled.
They giggled. “It’s fine, Felicity probably doesn’t mind, do you?” One girl teased the other.
“Shut up,” said Felicity. “I’m sorry Inquisitor, my friend has NO RESPECT for your station m’Lord.”
“Oh, I just kind of fell into it really,” I admitted.
“See?” said the first elf to Felicity, “He’s not some fancy noble with a prickle in his breeches like that Cullen one.”
She turned to me directly, “Glad you’re still humble even though the round-ears sing your praises. I knew it weren’t like a Dalish to lose theirself in a court like that. Felicity here just thinks you’re handsome.”
Aaaaand I was mortified. Possibly more mortified than poor Felicity, whose face was had gone three shades more pale than it had been.
The first elf laughed. “If you’re going to have yourself a bath, maybe you’d like some company?”
“Uhm,” I coughed. “I uhh, don’t think that’s necessary.”
My face and ears were burning. I never knew what to do when women expressed an interest in me in such a way. Felicity was a pretty elf, perfect skin, dark silky hair, elegant curves, just the type that would make Cullen or Blackwall swoon, but it was that very femininity that made me feel off balance.
I was a warrior. I had been a warrior at a very young age. Gentility wasn’t exactly my strong suit. Women like her seemed... frail. I needed a more durable partner.
If I hadn’t been so awkward I might have been able to explain that to her but all I managed was to look at her and say “That is very kind. Thank you for the offer,” and bow before turning and walking out rather quickly.
I heard Felicity chastise the other girl as I walked away. I really hoped neither of them turned up while I was washing. The springs that were not used for laundry had stone pools carved around them, with steps inset into the sides to serve as seats. There was no one around this time of day and I stripped off my clothes to sink into the hot water. I sighed in relaxed pleasure and leaned my head back, eyes closed.
My legs were sore from riding and I massaged the tension from my thighs. Josephine had received some ridiculous gifts from nobles trying to procure favor with the Inquisition, not the least of which had been a crate of all different fragranced soaps. I’ll admit to having examined them all, trying to figure out if any one of them was the one responsible for making Dorian smell so divine all the time, but to no avail. Some of them were rather nice though and I had taken a few and asked Josie to write a letter of appreciation.
I used one now to scrub away the dirt and sweat that caked my skin. It had been shaped like a leaf and turned green from the mint leaves they used to scent it. I lathered it in what little hair I had and over my face. I dunked my head under the water to rinse it all off, feeling like a new person. And in much better shape to talk to Dorian.
I’d never wanted to impress anyone before, and I suppose I still didn’t, I just wanted Dorian to find me acceptable. I wanted... Gods I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted him. I’d had casual dalliances with a few passing merchants. Usually men, but the occasional well muscled woman had found her way into my bed. Whenever I took a human lover I saw it as a conquest, I would make them beg for me before I gave myself to them and I would never let them take me in return.
The image of Dorian in their place had kept me awake some nights. It was an almost unbearably attractive idea. To conquer not just a human, but a Tevinter Magister? To watch his smug smile and witty remarks turn to a furrowed brow and breathless pleading? It was enough to make me painfully hard.
But it didn’t feel quite right. I respected Dorian. I didn’t want to fuck him I wanted to please him. I wanted to bury my face in his neck and breathe him in. I wanted to study his every word and physical feature and memorize him. I wanted to possess him, have his respect in return, I wanted to call him Mine. I’d never kept anyone before. I conquered, and then I turned them loose, remaining untamed. Free.
It was against everything I’d always believed to even consider giving up that freedom to a Tevinter, but only taking Dorian out of spite or lust wasn’t any more appealing.
For now, I’d settle for him seeing I wasn’t an entirely savage elf from the forest, so I rose from the steaming pool and dried myself off before donning my loose linens and heading back to my quarters to put on some proper clothes. I selected a tunic sewn with Everknit wool, the green bringing out the gold in my eyes, and a pair of leather breeches.
Dorian was where I expected him to be, but in place of his usual book he was pacing with a letter in his hands. I assumed it to be the one Leliana had delivered to him upon our return, but he must’ve read it already.
“Anything interesting?” I asked.
“A letter regarding Felix, Alexius’ son. He went to the Magisterium, stood on the Senate floor and told them of you, a glowing testimonial I’m informed,” he told me, I noticed his voice was not playful today. “No news yet on the reaction but everyone back home is talking. Felix always was as good as his word.”
“Was?” I understood immediately.
“He’s dead. The Blight caught up with him.”
“Are you all right?” I asked him. It came out naturally. I had never expressed to Dorian that I cared for him, and maybe even I thought my feelings surrounding him were based in attraction or respect, but this was different. An old friend of his had died and I just wanted to comfort him.
“He was ill, he was on borrowed time anyhow,” he tried to act nonchalant, but I was learning to see through that.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t regret his death.”
“I know,” he sighed. “Felix used to sneak me treats from the kitchens when I was working late in his father’s study. ‘Don’t get yourself into trouble on my behalf’ I’d tell him. ‘I like trouble’ he’d say.”
Half a smile curled on his face as he remembered. “Tevinter could use more mages like him. Ones who put the good of others above themselves.”
“You make him sound like he was a better person than you,” I said, it was unusual for Dorian to speak so highly of someone that was not himself. I briefly wondered if he and Felix had been involved romantically, but thought it better not to voice that curiosity just now.
“What a mad thing to say, few people are better than I,” he retorted. I just cocked an eyebrow at him. “Very well, a better person, clearly, but not nearly as handsome.”
He paced a few steps. I was still shaking my head when he looked over at me and said “Thankfully, Felix wasn’t the only decent sport kicking around Thedas.”
It was all he said but his eyes bore into me. Did he mean... me?
“Well I’m glad you’re taking it well,” I cleared my throat. “Let me know if you need anything.”
It was his turn to cock an eyebrow at me. I turned to leave, not certain whether I’d made a fool of myself. I hadn’t meant it like that, I wasn’t about to take advantage of a grieving man. Unless, of course, he wanted me to. Did he want me to? I sighed, why did he have to be so hard to read?
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An Unlikely Pairing (Dragon Age Inquisition)