DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins and am not gaining any profit from this story. All rights belong to BioWare.

Author's Notes:

There are almost NO Leliana/[anyone] fics out here! I felt the need to contribute as Leliana was my second favourite character and my favourite romance option for my female Tabris.

I welcome reviews and constructive criticism gladly (anything to improve my writing, or just feedback), but please be nice?

Anything in italics is Leliana's memory/flashback. I hope it's not too confusing. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

Leliana's Quest

"I lied to you, you know. About why I left Orlais."

"Why?" Tabris was slightly miffed at the revelation, Leliana was normally not one to open up about her past.

Leliana's mouth, normally light-hearted, frowned. "I didn't feel like talking about it then. What happened to me. Maybe it'll affect us, maybe not, but… You should know. I came to Ferelden and the Chantry because I was being hunted in Orlais."

Tabris looked sympathetically at Leliana and asked quietly, "You're a criminal?" Leliana's face fell to a look of despair and then hardened hatred. Tabris had never seen a mix of negative emotions in Leliana.

"I was framed. Betrayed. By someone I thought I knew and could trust. Marjolaine. She was my mentor and friend… She taught me the bardic arts. How to enchant with words and song. How to carry myself like a high-born lady, to blend in as a servant, the skills I learned I used to serve her. My bardmaster… and because I loved her."

She noticed Marjolaine taking a step so that she was standing right beside Leliana and then she felt Marjolaine hand on her shoulder. When Marjolaine lowered her face to Leliana's, her eyes widened in surprise. Then Marjolaine's lips descended on hers and she kissed her softly and tenderly.

"Marjolaine was a bard too?" Tabris inquired.

"She claimed to have retired. She married a noble and inherited his wealth when he died. To many, she was just a rich widow. I thought I knew her. My devotion to her blinded me to her… less than noble attributes. You can say it was my fault.

Leliana stared down at Marjolaine in confusion. "What's the matter with you, Marjolaine?" she demanded, sitting upright. Marjolaine glared at her as she pulled herself up.
But when she didn't respond verbally, Leliana added, "You're acting like you're trying to hide something."
"Must you know everything about me?" Marjolaine retorted, a pout, a threat, and a seduction. Her eyes gleamed through the darkness.

There was a man I was sent to kill I was to bring Marjolaine everything he carried I don't know who this man was. She gave me a name and a description and I hunted him down. I found documents on his body. Sealed documents."

"Important documents?"

"It turns out that they were. My curiosity got the better of me. Something told me I needed to know what was in those letters. Marjolaine had been selling all kinds of information about Orlais to other countries. It was treason. Some. I had always assumed Marjolaine operated only within Orlais. This was an unhappy surprise for me. My life as bard taught me that my loyalty should be kept fluid. My concern was not that she was a traitor, but that her life would be in danger if she were caught. Orlais has been at war with so many countries, it takes a…" Leliana's voice broke a little, but continued, "-harsh view of such things… as I later discovered."

" Marjolaine," Leliana snapped, walking quickly towards Marjolaine, with the letters in hand, "what are these? What stunt are you trying to pull? You can't be doing this, what if you're caught? You will die."
"What stunt?" Marjolaine asked.
Leliana rolled her eyes "Marjolaine!" she hissed.
"It's nothing to worry about. It's a thing of the past, which is why the letters needed to be destroyed."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Now stop worrying." Marjolaine chortled flippantly and pulled Leliana into embrace.
"I do not have to worry?"
"No, I have it all figured out." Marjolaine said lovingly, as she took the letters from Leliana's hands.

"What do you mean?"

"I should have left well alone, but I didn't. I had to tell Marjolaine I feared for her life. She brushed aside my concern, she admitted her guilt but said it was in the past. That is why the documents had to be destroyed she said. I believed her. I kept believing up until the moment they showed me the documents… altered by her hand, to make me look the traitor."

"She betrayed you."

"Yes, the Orlasian guards, they captured me. Did terrible things to make me confess and reveal my conspiriticsm. It was a traitorous punishment I endured.-

"Traitor" The guard whispered as he force fed her a drug. He put the bottle down and brought his mouth down next to Leliana's ear.
"It's a small price to pay," the guard voice was floating to her head, "I'd almost say you're getting the bargain of a lifetime here."
"Don't touch me…"Leliana began. Even in her intoxicated state, she girl had spent enough time warding off would be suitors to recognize the signs, even in her stupor. Something was decidedly wrong about this.
The guard pulled Leliana close, his lips bearing down on her own. One hand rose up to grab a breast. And abruptly, the guard doubled over in pain, both hands releasing Leliana and grabbing at his crotch, where she had kneed him.
"Crazy traitor!" screamed the guard, mustering the strength to give Leliana a very powerful slap, knocking her down. Years of training with Marjolaine gave Leliana enough alertness to partially snap out of her drug-induced state. She opened her eyes, and forced them to focus on the man in from of her. Even with her vision bleary and unable to focus.
"Damn you…" she muttered, her words slurred and poorly formed. Something tells her that she should be alarmed to find him standing over her, looking down with a unmistakably lusting stare, but her concentration was faltering again. He was rapidly losing his patience, but wanted to toy with her some more before he claimed his prize. His were like vulture's encircling and poised to dive onto the prey.

-And at the end of it, all that awaited me was eternity in an unmarked grave." said Leliana gravely.

"And you never sought revenge on Marjolaine for all this?"

"No. Survival was my only concern at the time. Those kills Marjolaine taught me were good for something at least. I broke free when I saw the opportunity. I did not seek Marjolaine out. If she thought I was coming for her, she would have me caught again."

Leliana escaped, badly beaten, but nothing that would leave lasting physical scars, and all she could think about was getting away from Orlais, away from Marjolaine. She stumbled on the path and fell biting through her lip to prevent any sound escaping. Only silent tears slipped from her eyes as she gazed back at the city of Orlais and taking one last look at the ornate home of the retired bardess she thought she loved.

"And so you came to Ferelden, to Lothering." Tabris spoke slowly, seeing how much emotion was behind her words.

"I was tempted to confront her. I was furious. Betrayed. But what could I do against her? And so I fled to Ferelden, to the Chantry, and the Maker. Ferelden protected my person and the Maker saved my soul. And that is the reason I am here. The real reason. No more lies between us, at least in this." Leliana looked Tabris in the eye for the first time since the narrative had started and saw the sympathy and empathy in her eyes.

"That you, for trusting me with this."

"It feels good to have this off of my chest. Thank you for listening and understanding."

FIN