Bane slowly worked his way from the celebration. The defeat of Corypheus was significant, yet there only loomed in the Inquisitor's mind the prospect of the future. Not the least of which being Cassandra, who now was selected to become the next Divine. Her talk with him during the party only confirmed his fear; once she became Divine, their love would be at risk.
Perhaps at first Bane was merely interested in the challenge. It began as mere flirting for fancy; a game to see her reactions. When she confronted him about it and he admitted his attraction, he noticed right away the relief…and confusion. She had said that she did not expect him to court her properly. It could have been due to many factors. The war. Their duties. Corypheus. But he had long believed, and still did, that is was because he was Kassith, more commonly known as Qunari. He could hardly blame her apprehension. Brutal by necessity, hardened by years of mercenary combat, and brash by nature of his position, all on top of the fact that he was not of her race. That he was different. It would be strange for a human to believe that sort of relationship a possibility, as in fact it was for him once he started taking it seriously.
Yet, there was an attraction to her. Something he could not describe, nor found the need to. And it seemed the same for her as well. They came to the unspoken conclusion that despite racial, religious, and personal differences, that they loved each other and were willing to work to make it last. Now it seemed that they were coming to the end of the line.
He rested his large hand on the door to his quarters, taking just a moment to let it all sink in. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without Cassandra now. She had become more to him than he ever could have dreamed of at the beginning.
Divine.
"Inquisitor."
And just like that, it was her. Bane smiled as he turned to face her, attempting to mask the hurt he felt inside. The hardened vitaar, Qunari warpaint, helped, covering the more miniscule facial movements.
"Yes, Cassandra? What can I do for you?"
Her coy smile brought no small joy to his heart, "There is…something else I wanted to say." She walked towards the door and pushed it open, "May I join you?"
It was her directness which was also endearing. Bane motioned towards the opening, "You need not ask."
He followed her up the steps, through his quarters and onto the balcony overlooking the Frostbacks. The sun was beginning to set on Skyhold. Cassandra, ever gently, leaned on the chest of her lover as he wrapped his arm around her.
"We never took enough time to notice the beauty of this place." She said, "It is a shame."
Her words caused him to actually observe the sunset. The orange glow of the sun reflected upon the snow, rising beautifully above the sheer crags and peaks of the mountains. Skyhold was shadowed, yet decorated by this new light, adding a new depth to the landscape. A serene sense of calm settled upon the Inquisitor, one that he had not felt in a long while. For the time being, the troubling thoughts of the future escaped him and he was happy.
This is what she does to me. He thought, Lets me see the beauty in life. Appreciate everything. If only she is at my side.
Bane said nothing. There seemed very few words to say. They both knew that this was perhaps the last intimate moment in their relationship. Minutes went by as they watched the sun make its descent behind the mountains.
At last, he garnered the courage to speak, "Cassandra. We must-"
"We mustn't do anything." She said, cutting him off, "Let me have this moment. Please."
He nodded, slowly bringing the other arm around her, allowing her to merely lean against
him. She did not object, only sighed. They did not need to speak of it, she had given him her answer. She would become Divine. Their love would finish here.
"Bane?"
Coming back to himself, he looked down at her, "Yes, my love?"
"You're crushing me."
He loosened his grip on her. It seemed that the thought of losing her caused him to cling even tighter. As he thought of this, he took a deep breath, "Maraas."
She turned to looked at him, "What was that?"
"Maraas," he repeated, "It is my true name."
"Does it have a meaning? Like most Qunari words?"
Biting the inside of his lower lip, Maraas shook his head and walked to the edge of the balcony, "It does, but my parents never told me of it."
Cassandra also approached the balcony, leaning on the strong stone, "Maraas. It is a strong name. A proper fit, I think." She smiled, "But if that is your true name, then why are you called 'Bane'?"
Resting his hands on the stone, Maraas stared down into Skyhold's courtyard, "You know that I was a mercenary with the Valo-kas before the Conclave. As such, we are either given names by our leaders, or we give ourselves one. Something to protect us when we are off duty, and for others to remember us by when they're looking to hire."
"Which was it for you?"
He smirked, "I gave myself the name. Something all races could understand. I was the bane of any foe. At least, that was my reputation."
"You would be one for such theatrics." Cassandra smiled and folded her arms, "But why tell me this now?"
He turned and stood before her, "I have told precious few my name." He grasped her hands, "If you are to remember me, kadan, I wish it to be for who I truly am."
Confusion entered her eyes, "Kadan? What does that mean?"
Tightening his grip, he raised her hands up against his chest, "It means 'where the heart lies.'" He dropped his gaze at his feet, "Where my heart lies."
The emotion that filled her eyes couldn't be hidden, though she quickly looked away. Pulling her hands away slowly, she walked back inside, stopping in the center. Rubbing her brow, she sighed, "You're hardly making this easy, you know."
Standing behind her, Maraas felt his heart breaking, "Cassandra, it doesn't have to end now. We still have time."
"But don't you see?" Cassandra faced him, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "The longer we continue this, the more difficult it will be to leave you."
Wiping the tears before they fell, she looked away from him, "I do not think I could stand to leave you if it went on like this."
It was becoming too much. Reaching out, he pulled her to him, feeling her tremble ever so slightly. He knew that she did so against her will; Cassandra would never show such vulnerability, especially in front of him.
She shook herself free of his embrace, and faced the opposite direction, "I...will not hurt you more than I already have. I could not bear it."
The words brought an aching to his heart. Closing his eyes, he felt the tears begin to appear. It was not her fault and it pained him to see her punish herself over it. For so long she had spent her life caring for others. Now it was time for him to care for her.
Walking to her side, he tenderly placed his fingers under her chin, bringing her gaze to his. Ashamed of her actions, she turned her head and shut her eyes. Once again, he gently guided her head to see his. Giving a small smile, he leaned in and kissed her. He could feel her thinking about pulling away, but it was short-lived, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Holding her tight, he allowed for her to continue as long as she needed. After a reasonable time, they pulled away, and he rested his forehead on hers.
"No matter where you are, who you are, my heart will always be with you."
Her breathing was heavy, "As will mine, Maraas. Kadan."
His lips pressed smoothly against hers one last time, a small, chaste kiss, "I love you, Cassandra."
They separated and she looked up at him and took a deep breath before nodding. The tears had stopped flowing. Smiling at him, she gave his hand one last squeeze, then proceeded to walk back to the festivities.
Maraas slowly released a breath before sitting on the foot of his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he rested his arm upon his knee. Cassandra had been his moral anchor, a tether to grab hold of when the waters became too rough. A calming agent to his otherwise forceful hand. He would have to work hard to keep that part of him alive without her. Looking up, he gazed out at the sky, now beginning to be lit by stars.
He had lied to Cassandra. The meaning of his name was very clear to him. It was only now, in this moment, that it felt truly meaningful to him.
Maraas.
Alone.