Hello! I'm back again. Here, have a drabble. BioWare owns all, as per the usual.
She made eye contact with Dorian when he was all the way across the hall of Skyhold. Even from such a distance she could tell that he was up to no good. His lips were pulled just slightly upward on one side, the skew of it giving his face a mischievous look. She brought her gaze back to the couple in front of her, smiling as they continued to talk at her. They had something vital to offer the Inquisition, but exactly what it was slipped her mind in that moment, Dorian's expression was dominating her thoughts. She became irritated, though she kept that emotion from her face.
Josephine had been adamant about meeting with this group of Antivan nobility, something about the distance of travel and the bitter cold of the mountains among the other, less obvious reasons she listed for the necessity of a meeting. Eliana took Josephine's request as a sign that she needed a change of pace. Traveling all of Thedas to track down any lead she could find regarding Corypheus hadn't gotten her anywhere, so coming back to Skyhold was the next logical step anyway. After what had transpired at the Temple of Mythal, she'd run herself ragged to attack Corypheus before he could attack her, the memory of the last time he had had the advantage of surprise still fresh in her memory. She wouldn't have been surprised if Josephine had arranged this little gathering of nobles just to bring Eliana home. She appreciated the thought. Among her many duties as Inquisitor, she found these types of events to be her favorite. She had far better footing on the social and political fronts than on the front line of a war. That's what she had her Commander for.
Dorian was just in front of her now; she caught the flick of his hand as he talked animatedly to a squat man out of the corner of her eye. She braced herself. As much as she loved the man, she couldn't fathom why he seemed to have a particular interest in her that evening. He was usually capable of handling the nobles on his own at these sorts of functions, his natural charm winning any audience over, despite their potential prejudices against Tevinter. If he was feeling especially affectionate, Dorian might attach himself to her side for an hour or two, but for the most part they worked the crowd separately. On this occasion, however, he had a clear agenda and she didn't know why.
She felt his presence, the familiar thrum and almost whimsical feel of his magic giving him away, before he looped his arm around her waist to pull her close. He pressed his lips to her cheek in greeting.
"My dear Elia." The smile was evident in his voice, but she still felt slightly on edge. She smiled indulgently at the couple in front of her before turning to face him.
"Dorian," She stretched up and pressed a kiss to his cheek in return. "You have the worst timing in the world." She muttered in his ear. The couple had just mentioned their thriving trade business, one of the few that actually managed to maintain trade routes in and out of Kirkwall and the surrounding city-states. Trade in that region had been plunged into chaos due to an attack made by Starkhaven on the beleaguered City of Chains. Perhaps that is what Josephine had wanted? She wouldn't be able to know now, what with Dorian's interruption.
"It is kind of attractive, isn't it?" He replied, that smirk still on his face. She tried not to groan at his remark, laughing instead and glancing at the couple in front of them, trying to gauge whether or not they would continue to speak of their proud business. They just looked on; smiling politely and Eliana felt the moment lost. No matter.
"May I introduce to you my colleague and friend, Dorian of house Pavus in Tevinter." Eliana moved to take a step away from Dorian to allow him to stand alone, to show him off, but he kept his arm tight about her waist. She felt her irritation flare, but tamped down on it, choosing to wait and see what he had to say for himself. She looked up at him expectantly, your move.
"My dear," he drew out the word, glancing at their audience for a second before looking back at her. "Your presence was requested elsewhere, it seems. I am merely a messenger, shame as that may be." He grinned down at her, smile stretching wide. She laughed, but didn't move from where she stood. He couldn't be serious. This whole meeting had been designed for her and her inner circle to mingle with the Antivans and convince them to help the Inquisition. Why would she be pulled away? When she turned to begin talking with the couple once again, Dorian squeezed her slightly closer to his side, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
"Cullen wanted to see you." She faltered. Cullen rarely interrupted her work; he had grudgingly come to see that politics were equally as important as warriors when it came to fighting a war. She pulled away and looked back at Dorian, her eyes narrowed. He shrugged in response.
"He said it was urgent. He's in the war room waiting for you." Eliana weighed her options quickly, taking stock of what Dorian had said. She allowed herself a small sigh before she turned to her guests who were watching her with more than a little curiosity at that point.
"Please, excuse me. It seems I have some business to attend to elsewhere at the moment. I shall leave you in Dorian's capable hands." She looked up at her friend once more, trying to read his face for any sign of what this business of Cullen's might be about. Dorian simply quirked an eyebrow at her, it seemed her guess was as good as his. He then moved his attention to the Antivans, immediately launching into a question about their impressions of Skyhold and the frosty mountains.
Cullen paced the war room, calculating. He weighed options, crunched numbers, but none of it added up to an answer he would have liked. He cursed under his breath and turned sharply on his heel, wearing a path in the stone tile beneath his feet. When he met the wall, he stopped, running a hand through his hair and reminding himself to breathe. He then turned slowly and forced himself to walk unhurriedly to the war table. Maybe he had missed something. His mouth twisted at the thought, he had been meticulous. There was nothing left but to wait for the others.
He didn't have to wait long; the heavy doors of the war room creaked open shortly after he had thumped his hands on the table to lean closer to the pawns placed there, as if it would make the situation work to his favor. His head snapped up, eager for some company in this conundrum. These thoughts soon fled his mind, as well as any form of coherent response as the Inquisitor entered the room, her expression more than a little stormy.
She wore a charcoal colored dress that brushed the stone as she walked, the gentle swish at odds with her brisk pace. It was one of the more simple dresses he'd seen her in, the entire skirt a simple flowing fabric, hugging her hips before falling to the stones below. From her waist to her collarbone the dress was covered in an intricate pattern of beads swirling across the fabric. Cullen had to stop his eyes from wandering the patterns there, forcing his eyes to turn up instead. She was almost to the war table, her expression more intense up close. He lost himself in her face as she drew ever closer.
Her rose-tinged hair was pulled loosely off to the side of her head, near the base of her skull. A few strands had escaped and curled lazily toward her shoulder, but they never quite touched. She moved a hand to quickly push some hair that had been slanting across her forehead behind her ear. While her brows were drawn down and scrunched in irritation, her eyes were stunning. The kohl she wore made their color appear more silver than gray, the light catching there and making it nearly impossible to look away. His mouth had gone dry and he realized a little late that his jaw had dropped open as he took her in. She had nearly reached the table and he could feel her irritation permeate the air between them. He quickly stood up, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking away to try and gather his thoughts; they were reluctant in coming back.
"Cullen, what's this all about? Josephine went to great trouble to get these Antivan nobles here." Her voice was concise and to the point, as always. He swallowed, cursing himself for his weakness. She must really have no idea what she did to him.
"I've news, about Corypheus." Her fierce gaze dropped quickly. It switched to one of fear and then one of worry before settling into one of calculation.
"What is it?" Her voice was gentler this time, cautious. He bit the inside of his cheek, not convinced he was making the right decision.
"I sent word to the other advisors. I thought it best that we go through it together." Eliana narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything, standing back and crossing her arms over her chest. Cullen worked to relax, but her presence only seemed to agitate him more, though not in the worst way. To break the growing silence between them, he cleared his throat. She looked over at him, eyebrow raised expectantly, though her gaze wasn't as harsh as it had been when he'd told her to wait.
"You look, um, stunning, Ana." She shifted, turning towards him slightly and uncrossing her arms from her chest.
"You think so?" Her simple question made his chest fill with a warm feeling he had grown accustomed to associating only with her. He found himself at the same conclusion as he had reached earlier that evening—she had no idea what she did to him. He smiled and nodded, knowing that words would fail him in describing exactly how he felt about her and that dress. A little smile tugged her lips up and she did a little spin for him, revealing that the thin straps that held her dress around her neck were the only form of back the dress had before the skirt began around her waist. The skirt flared around her legs a little as she spun, the whole thing too magical for him to bear although he knew that no actual magic was occurring. What the woman did to him…
The creaking of doors interrupted the magic however, as Leliana entered the room, her keen eyes taking in the scene before her as a smirk pulled at her lips. Josephine followed shortly after her, the ever-present clipboard clutched in her hand. The Antivan woman walked purposefully toward the war table, her gaze expectant on the Commander.
"You said it was urgent, Cullen? I have nobles whose company I should be keeping in order to consolidate the Inquisition's good name in their eyes."
"Yes, please explain this urgency of yours. I was enjoying a rather tall tale of Crows that a young noble felt was worthy of my investigation." Leliana said as she walked toward the war table lazily. The three women turned their attention to him then, all their eyes expectant, though Leliana's held more mirth than anything else. Cullen rubbed the back of his neck again, praying to the Maker that he hadn't gotten this wrong.
"I'm sorry to pull you from your respective duties, but I received word earlier this evening that Corypheus has been found." Leliana's eyes lost their mirth and turned serious as she narrowed her eyes. Josephine paused in scratching out words on her clipboard to look up at Cullen, her face pale.
"Where is he?" Leliana's tone seemed neutral enough, but Cullen had heard it enough to detect the threat that lay there. He took the opportunity to break his gaze with the spymaster as he jabbed a finger down at the map on the table.
"There, the Brecilian Forest." He looked around at them quickly, trying to guess their reactions. Eliana had a hand to her chin, clearly calculating. Josephine just looked blankly at the map where his finger pointed. Leliana, however, looked skeptical.
"Impossible. I have scouts there, I would have heard." Her eyes were still narrowed at him. He pressed his lips together for a moment before he straightened up from the table.
"I had a report from a trusted recruit that there was a dragon sighted in the area matching the description of the one known to follow Corypheus." He placed his hands on the pommel of his sword, hoping to exude confidence in his information. The fact that Leliana knew nothing of this made him hesitant, however.
"What could Corypheus want in the Brecilian Forest?" Josephine's question broke the tension somewhat as she looked between the other two advisors.
"There is a clan of Dalish that travel through that region from time to time, I was there with the Warden during the Blight. I would assume that he would be after more elven artifacts after his loss at the Temple of Mythal." Leliana responded quickly, sparing a short glance to the woman at her side. She looked quickly back to Cullen however. "This cannot be true, though. I'm sorry Commander, but I would know from more than just the report of a "trusted recruit" if Corypheus were in the area." Cullen bristled at the jab, taking a step forward as he prepared to speak. Eliana cut him off however.
"Enough. We have better things to do than start an argument about Corypheus. Leliana, when was your last report from the area?" The Inquisitor still looked thoughtful, but her posture was much more relaxed than when Cullen had initially mentioned the darkspawn magister.
"I should have the most recent report in at this very moment. They always arrive around this time of the day." Leliana answered quickly, tucking her hands behind her back. Eliana gave a single nod.
"Perhaps you should go and collect it?" She tipped her head to the side as she said it, her question turning slightly more biting with the action. The spymaster inclined her head in deference and marched from the room, her pace quick. When the doors had clunked shut, Eliana stepped to the war table, flicking her gaze to Cullen.
"If your report is true," he hated that there was an if in that statement, but he returned her gaze as she continued, "What is the state of our troops? What would be our plan of attack?" She leaned forward onto the table, her hair dripping over her shoulder.
"It's not good." He replied, joining her in leaning on the table. He began to point out where they had their troops, most concentrated in the Arbor Wilds while the rest were spread thin. Josephine joined them and offered suggestions of political alliances they could lean on to finally end this threat to Thedas. They were all so consumed in strategizing that none of them noticed when the doors opened and Leliana slipped into the room, report in hand.
"Inquisitor." The simple word pulled the trio apart; Josephine stood back from the table, Cullen stood and brought his hands to his sword once more, the Inquisitor straightened and pulled at her dress, smoothing her fingers over the skirt.
"What news?" The question seemed to hang in the air, time stretching out as Leliana flipped a page of the report over and skimmed a few lines before looking up at the group before her.
"Nothing of Corypheus, it seems. The news of the darkspawn magister just seems to have reached the forest, though I know not how they have managed to escape it this long. Rumors have appeared of a dragon, but my agents say that the Venatori have been more active in the area as of late so I would guess they started the rumors. There appears to be no concrete evidence that Corypheus is there at all." The tension in the room dropped, it felt as though the room itself let out a breath it had been holding. Eliana took a moment to think, staring at the floor beneath her feet.
"While I would rather get the jump on Corypheus before he has the chance to recover from the Arbor Wilds, I don't think that there is enough evidence here to act now." Cullen struggled not to lower his eyes. He had done his duty, if the information was faulty; there was nothing he could do about it.
"That said, I expect follow up reports as soon as possible. From both of you." Eliana gave him a sidelong glance as emphasis. The two advisors gave short nods in affirmation. "Good. I believe we are done here." Josephine gave a short nod and an "Inquisitor." before she rushed from the room, her gait closer to a run than a walk. Leliana bowed and walked leisurely toward the door as Cullen moved around the table to follow.
"Commander, a moment, before you go." Her tone wasn't harsh, but his eyes snapped to Eliana's face, trying to read her expression. She offered him a small smile before turning to ensure that Leliana had left the room. The door slid to a close and its quiet thunk was the only sound that passed through the quiet room for a moment before the Inquisitor twisted to look at him, her skirt brushing the floor. Cullen tried not to brace himself, he knew he had nothing to worry about, but it was still there, knotting in the back of his mind.
"Cullen, Cullen, Cullen." She was smiling, but he was still nervous. "My dear Cullen. Thank you, for calling this meeting. Even though it interrupted some political dealings," she held up a hand as he opened his mouth to speak, "I would rather be warned of these things ahead of time rather than have Corypheus show up on our doorstep again." She took a step closer to him, looking up into his face.
"Although I know I should not have favorites among my advisors, I have to say I do have a favorite in this situation." She took another step towards him and he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"And who might that be?" He asked, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, it has to be Leliana." He laughed as she said it and pulled her closer still.
"That seems rather unfair." Cullen tried to keep his tone serious, but his smile betrayed him. Eliana looked up at him with mock scorn.
"But surely it's obvious. What would the Commander know about hiding dragons and darkspawn?" She rested her hands on his arms, wrapping her fingers around his gauntlets.
"Nothing. I know nothing of such things." He leaned his head forward, bringing his face closer to hers, his tone playful. She laughed and his smile changed to a grin, wide and happy. Then she pulled away.
"I should get back." She smiled but her eyes looked sad. He let out a small groan and took a step back, moving his arms back so that he clasped hands with her.
"As should I. It seems I may not need to prepare what little forces I have for an assault on the Brecilian Forest." She chuckled again and looked down for a moment.
"Actually, I promised some nobles that an appearance would be made by the Commander at some point during the evening." She bit her lip as she looked back up at him, her face unsure. Cullen groaned in earnest now, his face twisted in distaste.
"Ana, I do have things to do—"
"Yes, yes, I know. But will you at least accompany me to the hall? I'll let that slide as an 'appearance'." She swung their joined hands out to the side and back again, her eyes pleading. Cullen heaved a sigh as he looked at her, knowing he was powerless against such a gaze.
"I suppose I can spare a moment or two." A grin broke across her face as he agreed and he worked to keep a matching grin from appearing on his face. "However, if I am detained for too long, you'll have to pay for it later." Eliana threw her head back and laughed, shoulders shaking. He loved that he could make her laugh so easily, just that knowledge made his days infinitely better.
"I suppose I can agree to those terms." She replied, tugging him towards the door.
"I am serious. If I get eaten alive by those nobles, it's on your head." He was mostly joking, though the thought of having to socialize, having to mingle with the nobles made his palms sweat.
"I love you." Eliana said, glancing over at him as she looped an arm through one of his own.
"Is that supposed to be an apology?" He asked, his voice surprised. He really hoped that didn't mean that she intended to throw him to the nobles like a piece of meat to starving dogs. Politics was not something that interested him and it wasn't something that agreed with him either.
"No." She smiled up at him, snuggling close to his side. "It was supposed to be a 'thank you'." He smiled and reached for the door handle, hefting the door open for them both. As she passed, Eliana stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you Commander. I realize this is not your strong suit."
"That, may be the understatement of the year." Cullen said as he joined her outside the war room, pulling her arm through his own and wrapping his fingers around hers.
"Perhaps. I'll make time to make it up to you later, though." She replied and he chuckled. This woman would be the end of him for sure.