She was absently fidgeting with her braids again as she stared out at the rain. Rowan sat as close as possible to the window and watched the rain fall against the window. It was so Maker-forsaken wet and soggy outside that Alistair and Rowan cobbled together some money to stay at an Inn. Morrigan had sneered at their soft weak will and said she would remain near their camp. In what form she didn't say, but it was implied that she would merely take a form more suited for the weather, and more importantly, away from people.
Rowan looked up from her thoughts in startlement at a particularly loud thunderclap and watched as lightning streaked across the clouds. She sighed deeply and cupped the side of her face in boredom. Her lips, usually quirked in a teasing smile, were now pouting and Alistair secretly found himself thinking she was adorable when she pouted. Maker preserve him if she ever pouted at him. He most likely would wind up giving her whatever she wanted.
"I think I might have some playing cards in my pack. We could play Castle Siege, if you'd like? Or Wicked Grace?" Alistair chuckled for a moment. "Although ah... not for penalties... as I've heard some people do." He looked back at Rowan to see her reaction, but only saw her pout intensify. Please stop doing that, he thought. It does things to me.
But for some reason, it felt right being with her, talking to her, learning about her. Sometimes he daydreamed what it would be like to know all about her, maybe having grown up with her in the same village and just having her in his life. More and more his thoughts would bend towards her and wondering about her.
Rowan let the weight of her head fall on her shoulder in utter boredom and took one of her braids between her pouting lips and adorable nose and made a mustache. Alistair loved that she had this unspoiled playfulness that she somehow still retained. She mostly only let her guard down this much around him. Rowan gave 100% to her new life and duties as a Grey Warden, but she didn't let that define her. She was still very much who she was at Kinloch Hold, and Alistair loved seeing new facets and snippets of memories of her time there. Maybe her could ask her about it tonight since they were mostly trapped with each other.
Rowan sighed in resignation and gave Alistair an answer after thinking about it. "I suppose we could play Castle Siege. Did you want me to cut the cards? Which color would you like?" She rested her arms on the table and leaned toward him as he reached down towards his backpack. Alistair liked that she perked up a bit. And playing cards was a perfect way to get her to open up more and talk with him.
He loved her voice and was always trying to make her speak more. Rowan was always watching and gauging the world before she spoke, and sometimes Alistair spoke too much just to draw her into conversation. He knew he sometimes sounded like a fool blathering on all the time, but it was worth it to see her smile or laugh or just talk to him. She had a very sweet voice that he loved listening to. She could probably recite the entire history of magic or Thedas, and while he would probably fall asleep, he would fall asleep with a smile on his face because it was her voice. He also loved when people spoke to her for the first time because her voice contrasted and played havoc with people's expectations of what a Grey Warden was supposed to be.
When Alistair was brutally honest with himself, he felt sorrow that such a sweet, studious woman like Rowan had been forced to join such a grim, militaristic fellowship. She belonged somewhere safe, pouring over books or tending to her garden, with someone who treasured every moment with her. Not facing darkspawn, demons, and bandits. Sometimes he felt bad for feeling so lucky that she became a Warden.
Alistair felt himself smiling at her. "My dear lady, I shall cut the cards since it was my suggestion and I offer you first choice." Rowan flashed a small smile in response and he suddenly felt his heart speed up and lose a beat. He blinked at what just happened and tried to concentrate on shuffling and cutting the cards. Maker, he didn't want her to think he was some bumblebrain who couldn't even shuffle cards. He calmed himself and gave the cards his utmost attention, even added a few dramatic arches in his shuffle, then began to deal the cards.
Rowan had her chin in her hands as she watched the cards being dealt. The firelight and sconces cast her face in light and shadows, and he could see the faint purple smudges of exhaustion under her eyes from the weeks of traveling and fighting ghastly spiders or bandits. As much as Alistair would love to stay up as long as possible to talk to her and distract her, he decided that it would be best to play only one game and have her get some sleep.
"You're not falling asleep on me, my lady, are you? You've been very quiet this evening." Please talk to me, he thought. "Also, please declare your color." He quickly glanced at his cards, checking to see what suits he had and arranging them in order.
Alistair heard the small smile in her voice as she answered. "No. Not falling asleep yet. Just very bored. If you had asked me last year if I would be bored outside of the Circle's walls and seeing rain in wide open spaces, well.. I would have looked at you in disbelief." She sighed, quickly glanced out the window at the dark deluge and then back to her cards, arranging them as well. "Perhaps if it wasn't pouring so hard and wasn't so muddy."
Smiling to herself, she added almost to herself, "I always pictured a warm, gentle rain in a beautiful meadow full of flowers, with the sun playing Hide-And-Seek behind the clouds and giving everything a golden glow. And perhaps a nearby cottage with a veranda to run to, and a table set for a summer luncheon. With good company to while away the golden afternoon, or good books to get lost in."
Rowan's voice sounded tired as she absently played with the card edges against her lip and talked about her daydreams. It sounded truly wonderful to Alistair. He could almost see it, see her there in a golden summer afternoon, delighting in the brief reprieve from the summer heat with a gentle rain. He could pictured her lifting her arms up in delight and smiling as she reveled in that moment. And now he wished that for her with all his heart. And he wished he could also share in that alternate never-moment. He wished there was a world where Rowan had a normal life with that perfect moment.
She sighed and brought her attention back to her cards. "Let's get this started. I shall play the Red." Rowan looked over her cards one last time and in soft, sing song voice, added, "Red for the Wyvern Kings. Red for hearts. Red for roses. Red for my name.." She looked up at Alistair and placed the first card down, smiled, and added, "And red for my hair."
Alistair looked down at her card and saw that she had just declared war with the highest card she could use, The Wyvern King. She had come out with staves blazing so to speak. He smiled in anticipation. This was going to be fun.