"Rory! Rory, wake up!"
Ser Roland Gilmore woke to the sound of Kalissa Cousland's voice, and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was her beaming smile. This can't be real, he thought to himself. Roland reached out to touch her face, but she darted away before he could.
"Hurry, Rory, we have to get ready for the tournament!"
He suddenly remembered why he was in Denerim and not Highever and began to pull on clothes as Kalissa threw them onto his bunk. "What do you mean we have to get ready? How did you get the Teyrn to agree to this?"
"They didn't. I didn't tell them." Her lips curled up into a coy smile and her eyes shone like gems, and just looking at her made Roland's heart pound in his chest. Maker, she is so beautiful, he thought to himself, if only I could…
"Heads up!"
Roland snapped back to reality just in time to see a pair of gloves flying towards his face, and he barely dodged them. Apparently Kalissa was throwing armor at him now. "How exactly do you plan to participate?" He asked as he donned his chainmail armor, "as the daughter of the Teyrn of Highever, you'll be expected to sit with the King and Queen and watch the tournament."
"That's easy," Kalissa offered, "you tell my parents that I am horribly ill and unfit to be walking around the castle. Meanwhile, I walk around in this lovely dress with a hot towel pressed against my face." Roland hadn't even noticed what she was wearing until now. It was silky blue dress that the Teryna no doubt had made in Orlais, and the gown made Kalissa look absolutely stunning. Roland found it difficult not to stare.
"When they see me, they will realize how 'feverish' I am and order me to stay in bed," Kalissa continued, "I will beg them to allow me to watch the tournament, but then agree to rest at their insistence. Then, I'll be free to do as I will the rest of the day."
Roland checked the last of the buckles on his armor and shook his head. "Lis, that's a good plan, but if your father found out I was involved, he'd have my hide." Or worse, he'd think I was bad at my job and take me away from you, he thought to himself.
"But you're fighting in the tournament today," Kalissa retorted, "and these useless palace guards can't keep me from sneaking out." She reached over and smoothed down one of his stray hairs, and Roland felt his breath catch. Why did I fall so hard for the Teyrn's daughter?
He took her petite hands in his armored ones and looked into her brown eyes. "What if you get hurt?" He asked, voice full of concern. "I know they use practice swords in these things, but you are…"
"Not a man?" Kalissa's eyes began to blaze with fury.
"I was going to say not particularly large," he offered. "You have been well-trained by your mother, and you are certainly one of the best fighters in Highever, but some of the best soldiers in all of Ferelden are here for this tournament." Roland squeezed her hands. "I couldn't bear to see you hurt."
Kalissa's eyes softened a bit, but she drew back from Roland. "I appreciate your concern, but I need to do this, for me. I need to find… I'll handle everything myself, Ser Gilmore. If my parents question you about this, you are welcome to say that you knew nothing of my plan. Good day to you, Ser." She nodded to him once she reached the door, and then she was gone.
Roland stood there for a few seconds and then grunted in frustration. He'd known Kalissa for almost eight years, growing up together and practicing together at Highever, and she never called him "Ser" unless she was upset. It was infuriating the way she stayed so calm and polite when she was angry. Sometimes Roland hated her, hated the effect that she had on him. It didn't help that he'd been in love with her for as long as he could remember, or that being her assigned bodyguard of sorts made him tauntingly close to her at almost all hours. But it was no use thinking about all that now. He still had to make Highever proud at the tournament, so Roland grabbed some food from his pack and began to gather his gear.
Kalissa left Roland's quarters and headed straight for her own room, burying herself in the blankets once she got to her bed. A little voice in the back of her mind told her that the dress would wrinkle if she lay like that for much longer, but Kalissa did not budge an inch and instead let out a long sigh. She felt a little guilty for getting upset with Roland, and especially for calling him "Ser Gilmore" when she knew how much he hated it.
"Knock, knock," Kalissa heard her father's voice, followed by the creaking of the door. "How's my favorite pup?" She responded with a rather unladylike groan and slowly sat up to face her parents.
"Today is a big day," Eleanor exclaimed as she smoothed out the wrinkles in Kalissa's gown, "surely you won't be staying in bed for all of it?"
"Oh, Eleanor, don't be silly," Bryce smiled, eyes twinkling, "our little pup would never miss the tournament… unless you are thinking about withdrawing altogether?"
Withdrawing? Kalissa's surprise became impossible to hide, and she glanced quickly at her parents, bewildered. Did Rory sell me out already? "How did you..."
Eleanor's bright laugh echoed through the room. "Nathaniel Howe saw you enter the tournament yesterday under the name 'Ser Kalis,'" she began, "and he thought it would be wise to let us know."
Am I hearing this correctly? Kalissa searched her mother's eyes and thought she saw a glimmer of pride. "Are you saying that you will let me… participate?"
"Not in that dress! You will completely ruin the silk and have nothing to wear to the ball tonight." Her mother laughed again and squeezed her hand. "And try not to beat the men too badly. I think it will hurt their pride. Bryce, would you please get her leather armor out of that chest?"
Kalissa giggled and hugged her mother tightly. She could hardly contain her excitement. "Thank you both so much!"
Bryce, armor in hand, couldn't help but smile when he saw his wife and daughter both so happy. He knew he was truly blessed by Andraste to have such a beautiful family. "Well, pup, I think you'd better get ready," he said as he handed Kalissa her gear, "make the Couslands proud today."
Roland barely made it out of the castle before he saw Teyrn Bryce and Teryna Eleanor Cousland headed his way. Afraid they would question him about Kalissa, Roland quickly dodged behind a pillar to stay out of sight.
"Do you ever wonder if the other nobles were right?" Roland heard the Teyrna ask, "Did we raise her too much like a son?"
"Eleanor, I would not have raised her any other way," the Teyrn replied, "I find our daughter to be superior in every way to the other noblewomen, the Queen included."
"Bryce!" She quickly chastised, "let us not speak of Anora in that manner."
"As you wish, my dear, but you should know that Kalissa is just like her mother," he soothed, "beautiful, strong, and brave."
"And unwilling to fall in love with any man that can't best her in the ring," the Teyrna smiled and shook her head.
Roland's mind reeled at those words. Is that why she's doing this? Is that why she wanted to enter so badly? To see if any man could best her? To fall in love? It quickly became clear to Roland that in order to win Kalissa's heart, he would have to defeat her in the tournament.
If only she were an easy opponent.