Rasler Trevelyan, leader of the Inquisition stood on the balcony of his quarters overlooking Skyhold fortress and the surrounding mountains. A cool breeze had picked up, blowing through his short brown hair, causing him to shiver slightly in the cold. He didn't mind the cold, not really. At least if he was feeling it meant that he was still alive-which was a miracle considering all that he had been through these last months. He had gone from Rasler Trevelyan: youngest son of Bann Jasper Trevelyan and constant disappointment to his father-to Rasler Trevelyan: Inquisitor and last hope for all Thedas. When he was younger, he used to wish for a title that would bring him fame and fortune. Now he often found himself wishing he had longed for a prize winning horse instead.

So many people depended on him and looked to him as their savior. Countless people entrusted their lives to him, placing complete faith in him that he was the answer they were looking for. It was not the responsibility that scared him and kept him from sleep on so many occasions, it was the fear that he would fail them. He feared that if he made one wrong move one misstep- the entire world would collapse on itself, killing all of the people who looked to him to protect them. His father used to tell him that responsibility was not a thing one should take lightly, and someone in a position of power may have wealth beyond his wildest dreams, but all of it came at a price. You must always appear strong to your enemies, even stronger to your allies. One moment of weakness was all it took for them to turn on you, and soon you would be nothing more to them than one more promise that was never kept.

Rasler hated it when his father was right.

A small knock on the door interrupted his reverie. His heart swelled as he recognized the soft tapping of Josephine Montilyet; the one shining light in his world that seemed to be constantly surrounded in darkness. He had only just returned from The Storm Coast not hours ago, and she had no doubt heard of his return. He had thought to go and see her but the hour was late and he did not wish to disturb her.

Their relationship had only recently gone public. After her surprise engagement to Lord Otranto had ended with Rasler challenging the man to a duel and Josephine's very verbal disapproval in the middle of the square, there was little chance that they could remain private with their affairs any longer. Neither of them found themselves protesting this too much, they were simply happy to be able to be with one another.

He opened the large oak door, smiling as Josephine's delicate frame came into view. She wore a silk nightgown, her normally perfectly done hair thrown up in haste as she rushed to greet him. Rasler thought that these times were when she was most beautiful; when she was not the ambassador to the Inquisition and was simply the woman that he loved.

"Hello my Darling." She said warmly, stepping through the door into his awaiting arms. He wrapped his arms around her kissing the top of her head, her sweet scent greeting him like a breath of fresh air after nearly a fortnight away.

"I have missed you Love."

"I have missed you too Darling." She responded pulling away to kiss him gently.

Love was something new for Rasler, he had only been in love once and it had ended with his heart being shattered when she had chosen his brother over him. Rasler swore that he would never love again, and he had not spoken to his brother since the incident nearly ten years ago. However when this woman had walked into his life, he felt the carefully constructed walls that he had built begin to fall.

She gently pulled his head towards her and kissed the scar below his eye so softly, that she seemed afraid that it might hurt him. There was so much anger and hatred in the world it was relieving to be in the presence of someone who was filled with so much love and kindness. Her brown eyes stared so deeply into his eyes that Rasler was afraid that he would drown in them.

Josephine was a novice wen it came to love, having never experienced it for herself before. She was not a stranger to the act of love, she had had her share of partners when she had been a bard, but it had been just that-an act. She had never been with a lover who truly treasured or valued her, it was all about the game. Rasler was unlike any man she ever met, for he looked beyond her physical beauty-seemingly into the depths of her soul. He understood her in a way that no one else had before.

He was a beast on the battlefield, easily able to strike down opponents even when he was outnumbered two to one. He was quick to end the life of those who had committed unspeakable acts of evil, never flinching when he removed the head of the accused from their body. But the other half of him, the half that she had fallen in love with was kind, considerate and gentle. He took pity on those wrongly affected by the wrongs of the world. Rather it was recruiting a man who was out of work into the Inquisition so that his family may be moved to Skyhold and be fed, or running into burning buildings to save a helpless child like back at Haven, Rasler put the well being of others above himself. And when he was with her she knew that she was in the safest place in all of Thedas.

He was nothing like she had expected when he had fallen from the Breach. She hated to admit it but she was among those who had thought him to be dangerous, maybe even responsible for what had happened. But it was soon apparent that this man was not capable of the disaster that had happened, and had put himself in danger every day to try and set things right. He was unlike any man she had ever met before-in more ways than one.

While they had spent countless nights together, many of which had lasted into the morning, Rasler had never pushed the issue of intimacy. She was not used to such respect from men when it came to the bedroom, she had never spent more than five minutes alone with a man without him pawing at her clothes. But with Rasler it was different, he was content to just hold her until they both succumbed to exhaustion, a fact Josephine truly appreciated. But as their relationship progressed she found herself longing for him. There was so much destruction in the world and tomorrow was not guaranteed for any of them. When she had heard of his return this evening she had come to see him, certain that tonight would be the night that they gave themselves completely to one another, even if she would have to be the one to initiate it.

Rasler gently pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear with his finger. She smiled at his touch.

"What are you thinking my love?" He asked gently.

"Do you love me?"

"With all my heart." He answered truthfully.

"Then will you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Then I want you to make love to me, as if it is just the two of us remaining in this world." She traced her finger along his jawline, gently brushing the light stubble that had blossomed along his face. He closed his eyes savoring the gentleness of her touch. "Just for tonight, let us pretend that there is no Corypheus, no civil war. We are not nobles, nor diplomats; we are not even the Inquisition." She placed her hand on his chest over his heart, feeling the sturdy thumping against her palm. "I just want you to be the man I love, and I-the woman you love." Her voice dropped to a whisper, averting her gaze. "I do not want us to die without knowing each other."

Rasler felt his heart swell. He placed a finger under her chin, gently lifting her head to look at him. Her eyes were misted as she lifted her eyes to his. He gently ran his thumb along her soft lips, feeling for her a love that he never knew existed.

"I swear by whatever Gods may exist, I will not let you die. If it takes my life to ensure that you are safe then I will use my last breath to protect you."

"I do not doubt your words Darling, but survival will mean little if I cannot share it with you." She put her hand behind his neck, pulling him into her. Their lips were almost touching as she continued speaking in a voice barely above a whisper. "Please, my love. Just for tonight, let us forget the world and all of its troubles and simply love each other."

Rasler needed no further prompting. He grabbed her waist and pulled her into him, covering her lips with his. Josephine moaned softly as he gently nibbled her bottom lip.

Josephine pulled away and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, gently trailing kisses up his neck. Slowly she slid the fabric from his shoulders, revealing his muscular frame-and the years of battle that his body had seen over the years. His chest and his shoulders were broad and strong, the result of years of training with a sword and shield. His arms and torso were rippled with muscle causing a slight blush to rise on Josephine's face. Various scars lined his body, the trophies of his numerous battles. Some of them old, many of them new. She traced her fingers over a particularly gruesome mark on his chest right above his heart-a souvenir from Haven. Her own heart wrenched as she thought of how close she had come to losing him. She gently pressed her lips to the scarred skin, eliciting a small sigh from him. She began kissing her way up his chest to his neck, leaving a trail of kisses along his jawline. She put her lips close to his ear finally whispering the words she had been both longing yet dreading to say for fear of rejection. "I desire you."

"And I you." Came his response. She took his hand and lead him not towards the bed, but towards the fireplace where a blazing fire filled the room with warmth and light. She wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, parting her lips slightly allowing his tongue entrance which needed no further prompting. His tongue danced over hers as she took the lead, pulling him down onto the soft rug with her. She could feel his erection press against her leg as he gently climbed on top of her.

She gently bit her lip as he gently slid her night gown up her thigh. Her skin was soft and smooth beneath his calloused fingers, sending shivers up her spine as his rough skin traced over her. He took his time slipping the gown off of her, each second sending waves of anticipation through her. She lifted her arms as he slipped the material off of her, leaving herself fully exposed to him. She suddenly felt very self-conscious at finding herself suddenly so vulnerable.

He reached his hands behind her, gently pulling out the pins that held her hair up, releasing a cascade of raven hair that fell down to her breasts. Rasler felt his heart skip a beat as he stared down at her. He had never seen her with her hair down, and here like this-with her deep olive colored skin glowing in the firelight and her hair flowing around her- Rasler found himself speechless staring down at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes looked away shyly, filling his chest with love and affection. He moved her hair away from her shoulder, gently placing his lips to her skin. She gasped slightly as a wave of pleasure coursed through her. Slowly, gently, he trailed his fingers up her flat stomach, gently cupping her breast eliciting a moan of pleasure form her. His mouth made its way down her her neck, gently taking her other breast into his mouth while his thumb moved in slow circles around the other.

Josephine's skin felt like it was on fire, a fire that had nothing to do with the heat radiating from the blaze in the fire place. No one had ever touched her like this before, but then she had never before been intimate with someone she loved so deeply before. Here in his arms, she felt all of her self doubt wash away. Not only did she feel safe and loved in his arms, but she felt wanted, needed even. She moaned her appeal, running her hands through his short brown hair. The sensation coursing through her body was unlike any she had experienced, and before she fully realized what was happening, his kisses began slowly making their way down her stomach.

Rasler's touch remained almost painfully gentle and he kissed and licked his way down Josephine's stomach, stopping just short of his destination. He gazed into her eyes and gave her a smile that threatened to send her over the edge right then and there. His mouth went to the inside of her thigh, giving a small bite that caused a gasp of surprise from Josephine. His tongue moved up her thigh to her wet center gently kissing her most sensitive area.

"Rasler." Josephine whispered breathlessly as his tongue began gently moving over her sensitive nub of flesh.

Rasler groaned his response, savoring her taste. He had longed for this for so long, and he was aching for her, but he was determined to take his time and build up her pleasure, to make her feel his desire for her. She was not some tumble in the hay; she was the woman who held his heart and despite how long he had longed for her, his own pleasure could be put on hold to ensure she felt everything he desired to make her feel.

She felt her pleasure mounting and she knew she would not last much longer but she was determined to make this moment last as long as possible. With great effort she gently pushed his head away, grabbing his hand and pulling him up to her. Her hands began loosening his breeches as she kissed him, letting his tongue enter her eagerly waiting mouth. He groaned softly as he sprang free and she gently took him in her hand, softly stroking his throbbing manhood. He slowly rocked himself into her hand, his breathing growing heavier as his own pleasure mounted.

She slowly guided him to her entrance, her wetness telling him she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He placed his hand over hers, stopping just before he entered her. Her eyes searched his, a mixture of desire and anticipation reflecting in the deep dark pools that he had fallen in love with. He slowly eased himself into her, causing both of them to gasp as he filled her. He waited for her to adjust to his size, pressing his forehead to hers before slowly rocking into her.

Josephine moaned softly, her nails digging into his back as he thrust himself into her. This sensation was new to Rasler, he had never made love to a woman before. He had taken many women to bed, his noble status making it easy to acquire any woman he desired. But the desire never rolled over into the next morning, and more times than he could count he had sneaked out of the room while they slept never to be heard from again. But it was different with Josephine, his desire for her went so much deeper than physical love, he loved her from the bottom of his heart. And here, with her, he found himself experiencing more pleasure than he had ever felt with anyone before. His pace quickened, but not too fast for fear of hurting her.

She let out a yelp of pleasure as she felt herself spilling over the edge, followed moments later by his own release. It took all of his strength to keep himself from collapsing on top of her. His arms were trembling as he supported himself above her as he slowly and gently pulled himself free of her. He rolled onto his back pulling her in top of him, her head resting on his chest while he ran his fingers ran through her hair. They lay quietly for several moments intertwined with each other, panting slightly as they both lay lost in their own thoughts.

Josephine propped herself on her elbow, tracing her finger over his chest smirking slightly. "You know My Lord, news of your prowess on the battlefield has spread across Thedas, gaining us many enemies. But I wonder how many more would flock to our cause if they heard of your prowess in the bedroom."

Rasler gave her one of those smiles that she found irresistible. "I imagine many more would join us if they heard of our Ambassador's persuasive negotiating methods."

Josephine kissed his forehead. "I love you my darling."

"And I you." He responded taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "Shall we move to the bed?"

Josephine settled back into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "Let's stay as we were are, just for tonight. The fire is so warm and I am so happy. I wish for this moment to last forever."

"Does this mean we can ignore our duties come morning?"

Josephine laughed softly. "Well, maybe just for tonight."