"I have a present for you both," Josephine says, as both the Inquisitor and Leliana arrive in her office. They look at each other and the Ambassador is aware that despite the fact that both women love Josephine fiercely, they do not spend a lot of time together.
She wishes she could rectify that but she hardly gets to spend time with either of them as it is, to get the three of them together like this for even a brief time has take days to coordinate. Perhaps if the world were not about to end her two lovers could get to know each other, love each other, as she loves them.
Until then, Josephine smiles and soothes any tension.
Herah smiles back, watching as Josephine comes to stand in front of them.
"Come and sit here my love," she says, taking the Qunari's hand and leading her over to Josephine's sofa in front of the lit fire. "You are first," she heads back to Leliana and kisses her gently. "You are next darling," she says.
"Do you want me to leave?" Leliana asks, glancing over at Herah on the sofa.
"Not at all, you will stay exactly there," Josephine says and Leliana smiles.
"If you insist Josie."
Herah chuckles from the sofa and then jumps when Josephine whistles. The door to the office opens and a large dark mabari hound omesme bounding in and straight up to Herah. She wags her tail hard, panting, tongue hanging out and Herah looks up at Josephine's eyes shining.
"You got me a mabari?" she asks, blinking hard.
"You wanted one, did you not?" Josephine asks, suddenly unsure.
"Yes, yes!" Herah is torn between the hound and the woman for a moment before jumping up and embracing Josephine. She wraps her arms around her and lifts her into the air, making the ambassador squeal. Leliana chuckles, petting the mabari when it comes over to sniff her, investigating the room.
"She doesn't have a name, and she's not quite old enough to have imprinted on anyone yet," Josephine gasps when Herah puts her down. "So you must keep her close."
"Josephine," Herah kisses her, long and deep and Leliana shifts towards them. "You are something else."
"Go sit with your hound," Josephine says pushing the other woman away. "I expect you to keep her clean and tidy. I will not have a dirty mabari hound in my rooms or yours."
Leliana laughs then and Herah smiles at the spy.
"What did you get Leliana?" she asks. "Cause I'm pretty sure you have enough pets right?"
"Plenty, thank you," the spy says. Josephine walks over to her and smiles.
"I got you something even better," she says softly, cupping Leliana's cheek. She leans forward and kisses her once more. "But I don't know what it will mean for us."
The door opens once more and Josephine steps away as Leliana turns to see what it is.
Who it is.
In the doorway is Neria Surana, in her warden's uniform, staff on her back, smiling shyly.
"Neria?"
The elf walks in slowly, smiling shyly and Leliana doesn't move for a long moment before dashing forward and kissing the Hero Of Ferelden, wrapping her arms around her slim frame and holding her tight. Herah stands once more and takes Josephine's hand, and they watch as both women kiss and Leliana starts to cry.
"How did you manage this?" Herah asks quietly.
Leliana pulls away from Neria, taking the elf's hand and dragging her over to where they stand by Josephine's desk so she can kiss the ambassador.
"Josie," she says, hugging the other woman, still holding Neria's hand. The mage smiles, blushing slightly and kisses Josephine on the cheek.
"It's an honour to meet you finally Lady Montilyet," she says. Leliana steps back, wiping away her tears. "And you Inquisitor."
"Herah is fine, really," the Inquisitor says, "we're all friends here."
"Indeed," Leliana says. "How did you manage this Josie?"
Josephine smiles.
"To be honest Leliana, I got lucky," she says, she leans into Herah as the Qunari wraps an arm around her. "The two gifts arrived together and well, I wanted to see you both smile."
Leliana finally lets go of Neria's hand to embrace Josephine again.
"This changes nothing," she whispers. "I promise."
"Do not make promises you cannot keep Leliana," Josephine says, kissing her on the cheek. "I will not hold you to anything."
Leliana nods, looks to Neria and the elf nods too.
"We'll talk, later," she tells the Ambassador. "Much later."
Herah chuckles as Neria blushes. Josephine simply smiles as they leave and sits down on the sofa. The mabari hound is already curled up in front of the fire but comes for fuss when Josephine sits down. Herah joins her, kissing her on the cheek.
"What will you call her?" she asks.
"I'm not sure, Treasure maybe, or something horribly Ferelden." Josephine laughs and settles into Herah's side. "You're a good person Josie, the best of us."
"For getting you a mabari?"
"For bringing the one woman Leliana loves as much as you here," Herah tells her. "Even though you know you could lose her."
Josephine sighs, a dark shadow passing over her face for a moment. Their relationship is intense, complex, but long-lasting. Herah knew that when going in but Josephine worries the other woman will not truly understand.
"Leliana and I will always be friends," she says, "no matter what. That she is happy with Neria, is preferable to her being miserable with me."
"You made her happy."
"I made her content. Happier than she was. Neria makes her happy."
Herah shakes her head, knowing the depth of Leliana's feelings for Josephine. Feeling them herself.
"And most important of all," Josephine says then, smiling again, "I have you."
Herah smiles back, kissing her.
"Thank you, my love," she says.
xxx
Later, much later, Herah is asleep and Josephine awake and wondering. She wonders about Leliana, whether this was the right thing to do. After all this time, after all the searching, to find Neria again, seeking her out in the Deep Roads.
She's not sure if the woman even found what she was looking for, the cure to the taint, but Josephine implored to her visit Leliana even if she hadn't. Even if it was just for a little while.
"Lady Montilyet?"
Josephine looks up to see Neria heading up the stairs of the Inquisitor's rooms, dressed in leather breeches and a cotton shift now. Josephine smiles and beckons her over to the sofa where they both sit, if a little awkwardly.
"It's Josephine, please, I insist," she says. "Can I pour you some tea Lady Surana?"
Neria nods and Josephine pours another cup of Antivan tea for the elf.
"Neria," she says. "You must call me Neria."
"I will."
They're quiet for a moment, Herah snoring lightly in the bed behind them.
"Is Leliana well?" Josephine asks. "Is she happy?"
"Delirious," Neria says with a laugh, a blush colouring her lovely cheeks. "She's still asleep but I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh?"
"I have not come to take Leliana from you."
"Leliana is not mine, she is-"
"She is no ones," Neria finishes, "I know. And I would not interfere with what you've built together. But we had an agreement, that when we were apart we would find companionship elsewhere if we could or wanted to. We were both happy with that. We still are."
"I know how Leliana feels about you, I would not want to come between you."
"That's not how it works," Neria tells her, taking a hand. "And to think that Leliana loves you less than she loves me does you a disservice. And her."
Neria is passionate in her words and Josephine wants to believe them, because oh she loves Leliana too, so very much. But she has also sat with the spy as she's spoken of Neria, of their time together, their loves together and she has never seen anything quite like it. The bright blue of her eyes and the way her face is animated. Her smile is wider, she open, honest about her affection for this elf and Josephine understands it well because she feels that way about Leliana and Herah.
"Are you staying?" Josephine asks.
"If you will have me in Skyhold. I believe I've found a cure but it needs some...experimentation."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No, just untried."
Josephine nods.
"It is not up to me, but Herah, she is the Inquisitor after all."
"I think it is up to Josie," Herah says from the bed, sitting up now. She nude from the waist up but doesn't hide it, never does. Neria blushes but doesn't look away.
"If you would have me leave I would go," she says. "You have all the power."
Herah laughs.
"That's certainly true," she says.
"You both know full well that is not how this works," Josephine says, "And you are welcome to stay. I have a room for you all prepared. It is yours for as long as you want it."
"Thank you, Josephine."
Another voice adds to the group as Leliana joins them, perching on the end of Herah's bed.
"Are you happy?" Josephine asks.
"Very, thank you."
"Then that's all I wanted," she tells her.
"I was happy with you too Josephine," Leliana says, "how can I convince you of that?"
"I'm not sure," she admits. "But I know that I am too tired right now to discuss it further."
"Come back to bed then," Herah tells her. "Let's all get back to bed."
The four women agree and Josephine kisses Leliana good night, telling her she loves her as she does so. She kisses Neria on the cheek once more and bids them both goodnight before crawling back into bed with Herah.
"She loves you and you make her happy," the Inquisitor tells her, "there is no discussion to be had."
"How can you be so sure?" Josephine asks, settling into her side and closing her eyes.
"Cause I know how she feels," Herah whispers. "I feel the same way."
Josephine doesn't reply but falls to sleep with a smile on her face.