Cassandra Pentaghast spent a lot of time holed up in her room reading. Whenever she wasn't training in the courtyards of Skyhold, anyway. She hadn't the slightest amount of courage to confess her feelings for the Herald of Andraste, Lukas Trevelyan. Last week, she all but deflated when she spotted the male Rogue with Lady Montilyet. At first, she only felt a slight twinge of pain, but then her sorrow turned to rage. How could the Inquisitor lead her on like that?
As time passed, the Warrior managed to calm herself. She couldn't be around Trevelyan for long periods of time though, or else she'd act on her urge to beat on him with her fists. It was safe to say she lucked out when Lukas didn't drag her along for another adventure in The Emerald Graves. It wasn't that Cassandra hated exploring the land; she simply detested the ginger haired male's company. It was an enormous relief when he and his allies hadn't returned from their mission until nightfall.
When the Inquisition Soldiers announced their leader's return, the Seeker bolted to her room. It wasn't like he could face her anyway, but she didn't want to chance it. The Rogue had a way of buttering her- and others- up. His silver tongue rivaled that of his friend Varric Tethras. In fact, the con artists might as well be two peas in a pod. They were so alike. If Cassandra hadn't known any better, she'd assume the Human and the Dwarf grew up together.
A deep exhale fell past the raven haired female's parted lips. "Maker help me." She mumbled, shutting and locking the door behind her. Without much thought, the Warrior shedded her favorite heavy armor before setting it down in a neat pile on the floor. She changed into an indigo button-up long sleeved shirt, and some comfortable denim capri pants after kicking off her boots. "Phew." At least now, she could breathe.
The burning anger flared up again, causing her to snarl lowly. Biting her lower lip did little to silence the growling noises she made. I've endured far worse than this, and yet I cannot stare reality in the eye. Justinia… what would you do? The former Right Hand of The Divine thought while her brows furrowed. Her heart ached, and she had no one to share her feelings with. A strong woman like her wasn't meant to break so easily- but even boulders crumbled into gravel if a weapon struck them hard enough.
The Seeker ambled over to her bed to rest, eventually drifting off to sleep. She was plagued by a nightmare of the world ending at the hands of Corypheus. One by one, her comrades were slain in front of her. "No! Get out of the way!" Cassandra shouted, sprinting towards Trevelyan. She arrived at his side a moment too late; Lukas was impaled by a Dark-Spawn dagger the immortal Demon wielded. Blood spattered the Warrior's face and armor as she grabbed onto the ginger haired man's lifeless body. "Lukas? Get up. Get up now!" She screeched. Her heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. Why was this happening?
Anguished sobs wracked Cass's lithe frame. When she awoke sometime later, she realized she wasn't alone. Innocent cerulean hues stared back at Cassandra, studying her face. Warm hands head her steady, though she was shaking like a leaf. Under any other circumstance, she would have pushed the Spirit of Compassion away and insisted he mind his own business. But now she needed someone to comfort her.
Cole invaded the privacy of Cassandra's mind, trying to make sense of her feelings. "Fast, but excruciatingly painful. Sharpened knives take lives. Blood spills everywhere. You shout at him, but he's too far gone. He slips away forever. Crying, wanting, needing… the chance to tell him how you feel is also gone. This is what you fear." He paused, and shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry."
"What do you know?! Lukas won't fall to Corypheus! Nothing is set-"
"In stone." Cole finished, reaching for Cassandra to hold her closer to him. He embraced the beauty tenderly just as one of her former lovers had years prior. If he hadn't chosen to become more Human, he'd be even more clueless. Finally, he spoke Cass's thoughts as if reading a book aloud, "How do I kill something that strong? My nightmare could come true if I'm not careful. Maker, I can't handle this!"
The Seeker wanted to protest, but the words were lost on her. She'd waited years for someone to understand her complex emotions. The Rogue didn't need to ask questions, either; all of the answers were presented to him in Cassandra's mind. Perhaps there was hope for Cole yet.
"If I stay, my life will have no meaning. The chains that bound my hands were as heavy as my heart. I got captured just to save him, but in the end he died anyway. My scar is a remi-"
"Ahem." The raven haired woman cleared her throat, interrupting the blonde man as he narrated her past. "That's enough. Don't make me regret confiding in you." By now, she broke away from him and balled her hands into fists. Allowing the Spirit of Compassion to delve too deep into her past would do no good. After all, even Cass had her limits.
"You need time to heal. Yes. I'll come back later." With that, the young man seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving behind a very curious Warrior.
"Another time then." Cassandra stated firmly before shrugging her shoulders in disbelief. Hopefully, Cole wouldn't return- though, if he did, maybe talking about the past will give Cass the closure she needed.