Much like the last one-shot I published, this is something that wormed itself into my brain at night. My Dragon Age Inquisition character is a circle mage by the name of Evennia (yes, totally stole that name and cookies to those who know where from) Trevelyan and before the circles were disbanded she was a notorious runaway mage. Starting at the age of 17 she began to repeatedly escape the circle to travel to places like Denerim and Val Royeaux, Gwaren and even Kirkwall once but that's a story for another time. Halfway through I realised she's much like a female Anders from Awakening. Not intentional, I swear.
Anyway, this is a one-shot about one curious encounter she made during one of her breakouts featuring one of my favourite characters. The others are Fiona, Meredith and Anora. They will get a piece of the cake too but some time else. And, as always, none of this is mine. Save for Lynn and Kerin, totally made those two up. But Lynn's one hot piece of *** =).
„Tell me Inquisitor... have we met before?"
9:35 Dragon, outskirts of Val Royeaux
„I can't believe it"
Swiping the sweat off her forehead the blonde woman sat down on her bedroll with a frustrated look on her face. Kicking the dirt she huffed angrily and looked up to meet the eyes of her brown haired partner who looked about equally as frustrated as she did.
„Val Royeaux, Kerin. How in Andraste's name did she get this far?" she asked and pulled the heavy plate gauntlets from her fingers. With a loud clanking noise they dropped to the ground right next to the glowing vial that was engulfed in a dirty brown piece of cloth.
„She's had plenty of practice" he muttered in disdain and mirrored his female companion's movement, slowly piece by piece removing his plate armor. The woman snorted and tilted her head back to look at the clear night sky.
„It's a bloody sport for her. The Knight-Commander won't be happy to learn how far she went this time" she remarked and Kerin chuckled dryly.
„Not to mention that with crossing the damn borders she brought Orlais' templar order into this mess. Pray to the Maker we get her before they do"
And he was right. Should the templars of Orlais catch the notorious runaway mage then taking her back to the circle would be the least of their problems. Circle politics alone were bad enough but just as with fashion and art, Orlesians went overboard with everything and that included bloody circle politics. If they found her they would take her in custody and getting her back from that was an experience she really didn't want to make. Orlesians were ridiculous.
„Want to bet what she's up to, Lynn?" Kerin asked and she shook her head.
„All the nonsense in the world probably. Last time we found her getting smashed in a tavern. I am however concerned the trouble she could inflict in a city like Val Royeaux. Let's just hope she's not stepping on the wrong orlesian noble foot" she snorted and brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face.
„Hey, look at the bright side. At least we're getting to see some of the world other than that stuffy tower" he joked and earned himself a glare.
„I could very easily do without that. I'd trade it for no longer having to chase a stupid mage all over the world every few months"
Kieran laughed and made himself comfortable on his own bedroll.
„Tomorrow we'll get her" he said and shut his eyes closed. Yes, Lynn thought. Tomorrow we'll get to haul her sorry ass back to Ostwick again.
And find her they did. The moment Lynn spotted ruby red lips in the crowd and the phylactery lit up beneath her armor she knew she had found her.
And wished she hadn't.
The scene that unfolded itself in front of her eyes was so painfully familiar that she felt the urge to just turn around and walk away. If this would turn out anything like the disaster in Denerim, Lynn would strangle her before they could reach the circle.
„Well shit" Kerin breathed next to her. Lynn's mouth was pressed into a thin line as she began marching forward and inwardly braced herself for the political mess she was about to step in. And hopefully leave unharmed.
„How does she always do this? How does she manage to think of the worst thing possible and make it even worse?" he lamented against deaf ears because Lynn wasn't listening. Squaring her shoulders and holding her head high she stopped and fixiated the guard with the coldest stare she could muster.
„Release her" she demanded and flat-out ignored the black-haired woman who winked at her with the biggest idiot grin she had ever seen before. Oh she deserved to be locked away for the rest of her life.
„I knew you'd rescue me, Lyns. You're my knight in shining armor!" she chirped and Lynn growled at the unflattering name the runaway mage had given her during their first journey back to the tower two years earlier.
„This woman attempted to step into forbidden territory!" the guard answered and if that was possible, gripped the mage's collar even tighter which forced a sound of displeasure out of the woman's mouth. Good, Lynn thought grimly.
„I don't care what she did, you will release her now" she argued back and refused to give in to the itch to draw her weapon. She had been a kind, mild-tempered templar once. Before that blasted girl had begun her favourite sport of forcing her to chase her across the whole fucking world.
„I will do no such thing, woman. She will face proper punishment and afterwards you may do with her what you wish"
Lynn growled and took a closer step to the guard, hand on her hips and towering above him with Kerin walking up to the mage and cutting off any possible escape route. It wouldn't be the first time she escaped right after they found her. That was the thing with templar armor. Against cloth, plate lost.
„You will release this apostate on authority of the chantry this insant!" she called out, voice louder than neccessary and patience wearing thin.
„Yes sir, authority of the chantry. I'm sure it beats whatever authority you rely on to keep me suspended in the air for close to ten minutes now. You ruined a perfectly fine set of robes, mister"
„Oh shut up, Trevelyan!" Lynn groaned hand on her forehead. That blasted mage never knew when to shut up. Worse, she did. She just never cared.
„Sir, I need to remind you of the fact that you are currently obstructing two templars of the chantry in performing their duty. Actions like this have severe repercussions" Kerin tried his best to be diplomatic. He was far calmer than Lynn would ever hope to be which was the reason why they had been paired up with in the first place. Also, he stopped her hand from reaching the handle of her sword. Sensible boy he was.
„And if I let her go unpunished my superiors will behead me" the guard said vehemently and before Lynn would remind him of the fact that she was about to do the same, Trevelyan raised her voice looking at something behind their backs.
„Would you look at that. That's a beautiful woman if I've ever seen one. Had I known that earlier I might've skipped Denerim and gone straight to Val Royeaux" she said quietly and whistled in appreciation. Lynn saw the guard's eyes widen at whoever was approaching from behind and Lynn knew, she just knew this mess was about to be way above her paygrade. Kerin turned around and sighed in defeat.
„Shit" he whispered and Lynn knew it was time to face the music. She didn't know who she expected. A noble woman, the Knight-Commander of Val Royeaux, the Grand Enchanter... but it was none of them.
The figure that approached them was accompanied by two guards in armor even fancier than the one behind them was dressed in and it took her no more than two seconds to identify the crest on their breast plates. Shit indeed.
„Y- Your Highness!" the guard all but squeaked and dropped the mage in his grip right on the ground. Before she could do anything however, like getting on her feet, Lynn's hand shot out in an instant and gripped her wrist in a vice-like grip.
„Oh no you don't" she hissed and Trevelyan shot her a wide grin and wink before obediently standing still right next to her. The woman and her guards had come to a stop in front of the two templars. Dressed in dark blue silk and with a golden mask adorning her face it was hard mistaking the woman for someone else. Of course, the lion adornment on the mask was a dead-ringer as well.
„Your Highness" Kerin said politely and bowed his head, Lynn copying his movement if only because he usually knew how to talk to nobility and/or royalty being noble born himself. Also it had been him who had managed to appease Queen Anora when Trevelyan had run off to Denerim a year earlier. And almost set fire to the royal palace's curtains. Maker knew what she had done in a former life to deserve something like this.
„What is this commotion about?" her Highness, Empress Celene Valmont I, asked her gaze set on the mage who, in her usual manner, shot her a cheeky smile.
„We persecuted a runaway mage from our circle and caught her in the confinement of this guard who refuses to release her until she received proper judgement" Kerin explained patiently knowing that he and Lynn both were treading very dangerous territory here. Not to mention Trevelyan who was their wild card after all. He just hoped she would stay quiet.
„I see. Which crime has this apostate commited?" Celene asked the guard, the heavy orlesian accent grating on Lynn's nerves. Arrogance knew no bounds when spoken by an orlesian.
„Sh- She trespassed, your Highness. Onto palace grounds" he answered meekly and Lynn groaned, turning to glower at the mage.
„You did what?!" she asked through clenched teeth and squeezed just a little bit harder. Trevelyan winced and tried to wiggle free but there was no escaping Lynn's wrath.
„I was curious! Do you know how many books we have about Val Royeaux? And not a single one of them has any pictures! It's an outrage, really. I had to come here myself to know what the so-called gem of Thedas looked like. I even drew pictures for the children back in the circle. I think they turned out quite nicely"
Oh of ALL the things- Lynn groaned audibly and desperately felt like ramming her head into the nearest wall. That girl had the stupidest reasons for running from the circle.
„Do I understand you correctly Trevelyan, that you ran from Ostwick all the way to Val Royeaux to paint pictures because we don't have any in the circle instead of asking a Senior Enchanter to simply put a request in order?" Kerin asked awfully calm, but Lynn felt the aggravation roll off him in waves.
„Among others. I got two pictures done before this noble gentleman here found me and dragged me outside. That aside, this city is fabulous. It has nothing on Denerim, really. Look at the people Lyns, they're dressed in the fanciest dresses and wear those fancy masks and ribbons everywhere! Now that I know the way, I think I'll go here again next time" she muttered more to herself but Lynn had heard her and yanked her wrist hard at the mention.
„So Maker help me I will keep you in my own room. You will never see the outside of the circle again!" she hissed but the mage merely shot her a blissful smile.
„Don't make promises you can't keep" she chuckled and once upon a time Lynn might have blushed. But hardened from all the questionable offers and comments the mage had made her all the times they had been on the road she did nothing other than ignore her and address the empress again.
„Your Highness, this mage is a master in escaping confinement of any sort. I assure you, had we arrived a few moments later she would be long gone by now. It would be most unwise to keep her from us in favour of judging her. Rest assured that she will face proper punishment from our own authorities" she said and to stress her point yanked Trevelyan even closer than before while Kerin from behind already put her hands in lyrium shackles. The mage, absolutely undisturbed by the action – after all she was used to it by now – eyed the Empress from top to bottom and smiled at what she saw. She seemed to debate the matter for a moment before wordlessly ordering the guard to step back with a wave of her hand.
„Very well. She shall be yours to judge" she said in that sing-song most orlesians seemed to speak in and threw Trvelyan one last look. Who chose that moment to open her cursed mouth again.
„I have to say the books are very lacking. They don't do your beauty justice, your Highness" she said with a genuine smile on her face and rogueish twinkle in her eyes. While Lynn and Kerin grabbed the mage tightly and began the long march back to Ostwick, Celene turned around and walked away already thinking about the numerous obligations this day held. But even while doing so she wore the faintest of smiles on her lips.
9:41 Dragon, Winter Palace in Halamshiral
Inquisitor Trevelyan looked at the empress for a moment and then gently shook her head.
„I don't think we ever have, your Highness. I think I would remember such an occasion" she said, keeping Josephine's instructions ever-present in her mind. Celene stopped for a moment and seemed to contemplate something before giving a barely noticable shake of her head.
„Of course, Inquisitor. For a moment you reminded me of somebody" she answered and nodded at her, already turning away to reunite with Briala and Gaspard, the two squabbling children around the negotiation table.
„I do hope the children enjoyed the paintings"
Behind her, the Inquisitor choked on her wine and coughed audibly while Celene once again, as so many years before, walked away with the faintest of smiles on her face despite the trials she had to face.
I do hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think :) Also, good night everyone. It's way too late.