A/N: So this is my first time writing anything for Fanfiction in about 3 years but after DA Inquisition, I basically had no option but to try to put something out for this wonderful world.

I want to keep this short and sweet since most people will just skim this part anyway.

I hold no affiliation with Bioware and don't claim to own their characters or the Dragon Age world.

Chapter 1: The Lady Trevelyan

"Inquisitor Trevelyan? Quite the promotion from 'Mage Brat Erathine Trevelyan.'"

The gigantic room that Erathine Trevelyan occupied was drafty, to say the least, and had been since the Inquisition had first begun its occupation of Skyhold over 3 years before. Her chamber was even more airy when the doors to her beautiful balcony were left wide open, as they had been for most of the cool early Spring morning. She'd fist stirred when her bed companion had crawled from beneath the covers at dawn, but a gentle breeze tossing her white streaked bangs - a side effect of being stuck by a particularly powerful lightning spell during a scuffle with a mage a few months ago - and tickling her nose woke her again.

Era sat up, brushing her salt and pepper hair away from her face and squinting at the brightness of the sun as she looked at the large silhouette resting his elbows on the balcony, back to her. He looked so serene that way. Not that Bull ever seemed particularly troubled, but in this early morning light, he seemed truly at peace.

The small mage kicked the covers off her and grabbed her dressing gown from where it hung off her bed post to cover her lithe and naked form. Bull had all but forbidden bed clothes once he'd moved into the room permanently. He claimed they just wasted time - and fabric, since he had a tendency to tear things in his hurry - and he could provide all the warmth his Kadan needed.

"Admiring the sunrise?" she asked, slightly amused, as she came up from behind him and rested the small of her back against the stone railing so that she could look up at him.

The Iron Bull looked down at his love, his one eye softening at the sight of her, slightly mussed by the morning. "More like stalling, Kadan." His smile widened. "Besides, who needs a drab ball of light to admire when I have such a sexy thing as you."

Era giggled a little before leaning up to give him a kiss. He met her half way and it was an unusually tender kiss. Very gentle and loving. Bull was a hard man in many ways, even though he was such a personable guy, and he liked to be the boss in the physical aspect of their relationship since she, in so many ways, ran their lives, but this was not a dominant kiss. This was a goodbye kiss and it was between lovers.

Era pulled back a little and licked her bottom lip, steadfastly looking at Bull's chest, fearing she may come undone if she were to look into his eyes. "The Chargers must be waiting," she said, somewhat reluctantly. Her eyes landed on his piece of dragon tooth, hanging from his neck and mirroring her own half of the tooth and she moved to caress it's smooth, ivory surface with one hand and take hold of her own with the other. She hated to see him go, but this physical connection they had with one another, two halves to one whole... in a way, it did make the goodbye a little easier, but also, infinitely harder. "How long this time?"

Bull sighed deeply. "A month at least. Maybe a little more. It'll take us a week and half to get there if sailing is smooth and who knows what Varric's got in store for us in that City of Chains of his." He rested his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him so that he could kiss her forehead. "I wish you could come with me, Kadan."

The mage forced a playful smile. "Yeah, me too. Stupid Celene, holding a ball in my honor to commemorate the second anniversary of my victory over Corypheus."

"As well she should," Bull returned with a smile. "She'd better kiss the ground you walk on, too." He stroked her cheek softly. "I'd better get going, Kadan... but," he said, his longing tone turning into something more mischievous as his hand moved from her face down to the belt on her robe, not pulling it but suggesting at doing so. "It's going to be a long month in Kirkwall without you there to keep me company. Maybe a final peek before I go?"

Era giggled a little backing away from him so that his grip on the belt let it fall open and the slowly slipped it down her shoulders. Bull's face simultaneously lit up and slackened just a tad. After over two years and countless occasions of coupling, she still had such an effect on him - and she absolutely loved it.

After a moment of letting him admire her, she slowly pulled the robe back together and tied it shut once more. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, one hand pressed to her lower back, one cradling her head against his chest. "I love you, you know," he said, all playfulness gone from his voice.

The small girl felt even smaller in his gigantic arms and felt her eyes prickle at his declaration of love. How would she go without him for a month or more? She'd done it before, but each time, it seemed to get a little harder. But she pushed the thoughts back and forced a smile. "Maker, you make it sound like one of us is dying." She pushed back to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Goodbye, Kadan."

She tried to pull back but he held her in place. "Not goodbye. See you soon, My Era."

He pulled her in for one last kiss before turning and heading back into the room and down the stairs, looking back right before he disappeared. She waved, holding onto her necklace with the other hand as the last tip of his horn vanished around the corner.

~The Feeling of Fear~

Three days later saw a young girl nearly falling asleep at a meeting between the Inquisition's advisers and some local nobility. When Cassandra had taken her position as Divine Victoria, her place had been filled by Hawke as an in-field adviser of sorts, who was a match for Cassandra combat wise, but was not nearly so serious as the former Seeker. Thus, watching Hawke fold flowers out of her documents was all that was keeping Era awake. She was very talented at it. Era wondered if she were using magic to assist her.

Era hadn't even noticed that she wasn't even sitting upright anymore and had slowly sank down until her head was resting on her folded her arms until Cullen, who'd been making some announcement about troop movements or recruits or... whatever, said, "Excuse me, Inquisitor, are you feeling alright?"

She bolted upright in her chair, blinking blearily at Hawke across her before turning to look at Cullen whose brow was furled in concern. Taking a quick glance around the table proved that everyone was looking at her with similar expressions. That was a tad embarrassing. Era reddened, pushed her hair out of her face and cleared her throat. "Um, yes, Cullen. I'm quite fine. I didn't sleep well last night and I woke up a tad ill early this morning, but I feel better now. A good night's sleep would do me well."

At her side, Josephine patted her hand. "Why don't we adjourn for today?" the Antivan woman suggested and there was a murmur of agreement from around the table. Chairs slid back and people began picking up their documents.

They'd been there for maybe an hour and a half, but Hawke had already made quite the paper bouquet and began handing flowers to those around her with a cheeky grin. When one flower remained, she covered it with her gloved hand for a moment, and when she removed it, the parchment had turned from it's dull yellow to a bright red and the stem a virbrant green and she tossed the flower on the table in front of Era. "Feel better soon, Erathine," she said with a big smile before grabbing her staff from where it leaned against the back of her chair and heading out of the room.

Era smiled and picked up the parchment flower, looking at it. A pretty paper rose, to be sure.

Era liked having Hawke about Skyhold these days. Vivienne had gone back to being the first Enchantress for the Val Royeaux circle and having another powerful mage woman around was comforting, and Hawke was so much more personable than Vivienne was. Vivienne always seemed like she was about a hair's breadth away from scolding Era at all times, and while it wasn't so bad when Era had first begun her journey with the Inquisition and felt she was in constant need of guidance, it had become a bit of an issue when Era had been raised to Inquisitor. It had become the subject of many quarrels between the two women. Era had felt that Vivienne's constant reproves and remarks undermined Era's authority and Vivienne grew shorter with the younger woman, believing her to be foolish and arrogant for thinking herself above her sage advice. They'd remained friends after Vivienne's departure and still occasionally wrote to each other and had pleasant conversations at events they both attended, but it wasn't a close relationship. Hawke, however, never criticized and any advice she had for her was saved until they were alone together. And she was tons of fun, too.

Morrigan was also roaming around Skyhold, somewhere, claiming to have come back because the voices had told her she needed to - but not why, conveniently enough - but she was hardly a permanent fixture, and she was also quite occupied with Kieran and her new baby girl, Bellany. The half-elven one year old was quite the handful and Morrigan's lover was off and away again.

As Era left the room in which the meeting had been held, she was met by two very mischievous faces and suddenly, Era was very worried indeed. Dorian and Sera were friendly with each other and liked to spend time in each other's company. However, more often than not, they were sniping back and forth. With both their energies focused on her... oh, this was very bad indeed. Sera jumped a little, clasping her lithe hands together excitedly while Dorian just smiled at Era from where he was leaning against a door frame. "We know sumthin' you don' know," the blonde elf sang happily.

"Yes," Dorian agreed in his refined accent, a harsh difference against Sera's cockney lilt, "a little birdie told us. Or, more like a little spirit, anyway."

Era sighed and exaggerated an eye roll. "How many times have I told you guys not to use Cole as a source of gossip?" The two trouble makers shrugged in response and she shook her head with a good-natured smile. "Alrighty then, out with it, you too, since you're dying to tell me." She crossed her arms and waited.

"Well, you see, we," Sera started, gesturing between herself and Dorian as if Era wouldn't pick up who "we" was, "was in the tavern the udder night, right? And what should I hear frum the upstairs loft area where ghost boy haunts than the sound of him and your Cay-Dan or whatever talkin'. Healin' a hurt or whatever, right?" Era nodded, wondering what on Earth that could have to say about the Bull. "So I sneaked up on em, real close, an' you won't believe what I heard."

Era was starting to grow tried of the build up. "Get on with it."

Here, Dorian chimed in. "It seems your Bull went to Cole to get reassurance about your affections for him." Era's eyes nearly popped out of her head and she opened her mouth to protest. There was no way that Bull could doubt her love for him. They'd had virtually no problems in their relationship and most of them were just little squabbles or outbursts at the other's recklessness during a fight. But Dorian cut her off. "It seems that The Iron Bull wants to ask for your hand in marriage and was wondering if you'd feel the same... since it's never come up." Dorian smiled at her, his suave and arrogant demeanor not doing anything to cloak his amusement.

She mentally popped her eyes back into her skull for the second time. Bull wanted to ask her to marry him? That sounded strange. She'd never asked about marriage because she'd assumed it wasn't something he wanted to do and the commitment between them was enough for her. But if he wanted to...

Suddenly, her suspicion upon first seeing those two reared its head again and she narrowed my eyes at them. "Are you sure this is what you heard?"

"Cross m' heart," Sera said, actually crossing her heart.

"Josephine will plan a lovely ceremony," Dorian added.

Era didn't let her two companions see it, but the news that Bull may ask her to marry him had her overjoyed. She'd never given much thought to marriage because she'd never thought of Bull as a marriage type of guy. Being with him had been enough with her and if marriage weren't ever on the itinerary, as long as they were together, it wouldn't matter. But a wedding, officially being able to call themselves man and wife... well, every little girl dreams of their wedding and their dream husband, don't they?

Era returned to her room that night feeling light and fluffy and very eager for the month to be up so that she could see Bull again. Oh, she hoped that he would ask soon. As she climbed into bed, she idly wondered that, since he didn't technically have a last name, if she could convince him to take Trevelyan. She doubted it, but the thought of it made her giggle as she drifted off to sleep.

~The Feeling of Fear~

It was raining. Of course, it was always raining on the Storm coast. Blackwall and Cole were off to the side, having some conversation that Era couldn't make out, though Blackwall looked vaguely perplexed. But talking with Cole often had that effect on most people. She sort of wished that Varric or Solas were here to talk to the boy. It seemed like no one else had the patience to really get close to him and Era was too busy being pulled in every which direction to do much of it herself.

Her fellow mage sidled up next to her as she looked out upon the water, in the spot where she and Bull had first met. It had been quite some fight. She remembered how she'd balked at his size and marveled at his skill. She hadn't felt immediately attracted to him as some people liked to say she had when they spoke of the Inquisitor and her Qunari companion - that had all come later, with time and familiarity. One could hardly blame her for taking time though. She'd been sheltered, shoved into the Circle at Ostwick at 8 and had never seen his like before. He'd seemed strange to her at first, but now, he was beautiful. His differences made him so.

"Thinking about Bull?" Dorian asked knowingly, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at her when she turned to look at him.

"No more than you are," she sniped back playfully.

Dorian laughed. "Well can you blame me? That betrothed-to-be of yours is quite the man. Large and... well muscled. I only wish I'd gotten my hands on him before he got all smitten with you. Wouldn't even consider a romp with me after he'd gotten a taste of you."

Era's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You didn't actually proposition him after we'd been together, did you?" He stayed silent for a moment and Era let out a disbelieving bark of laughter before smacking his shoulder playfully. "You whorish twat," she accused.

"Well I didn't know it was going to be something serious!" Dorian said defensively, putting his hands up in surrender. "How was I supposed to? He'd fucked half the servants by that point." Era did have to concede to that point. Really, she hadn't been so certain she wanted something serious the first couple times they'd been together either. At first, it really was just pleasure, a pleasure that only the Bull could provide. But then she realized she wasn't just taking pleasure from the things he did to her, but from the man himself. And truly, more amazing than that, was the fact that he enjoyed her just as much as she enjoyed him, what with all his experience and her lack thereof. "But, once I saw how much he cared for you, I was sorry for even asking."

Era shrugged and smiled at him warmly. "You needn't be too sorry. I probably would have done the exact same thing, had you gotten to him first."

Dorian smirked and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you would have. We're two peas in a pod, after all, my dear."

Blackwall - Era never could stop calling him that, even after it was revealed that he wasn't Warden Blackwall after all, but Tom Rainier - and Cole were approaching them and so the two mages stopped speaking of the subject but still, Cole said, "She is not angry with you. She knows you would never try to hurt her."

Dorian rolled his eyes at her, but she thought she saw some tension melt out of his shoulders anyway.

But then Cole turned on her. "He'd never have said yes to Dorian or anyone once you were involved. He wants to marry you." Era blushed profusely and looked over at Dorian and then to Blackwall to gague reactions.

Blackwall looked surprised, having not been privy to the conversation that had apparently taken place between Cole and the Bull sometime before, and then even... mildly disappointed. Era felt somewhat guilty even though she knew she shouldn't. She'd known that Blackwall had admired her for a time but she'd have thought that would have faded after all this time, with her and Bull having been so involved. But he masked the disappointment and straightened up. "I believe congratulations are in order for the future Mrs. Bull, then."

Era gave an exasperated sigh. "He hasn't asked me... yet."

"He will."

The certainty with which he said it made Era feel very serene and peaceful.

~The Feeling of Fear~

That night did not stay peaceful for the young mage girl. Nightmares plagued her and left her tossing and turning in the unrest her dreams caused her. She ended up tangled and sweaty beneath she sheets, and if not for being in such a secluded part of the castle, she would wake others with the sound of her screaming as she dreamed of falling from cliffs and ominous threats.

She shot up in bed before dawn broke, sweat dripping from her brow as her stomach roiled uncomfortably and sent her careening across the room towards the chamber pot. She emptied the contents of her stomach into the pot with violent, gut-wrenching heaves. Her throat burned with the bile and her mouth tasted awful. She didn't yet have the energy to pull herself off the floor to go back to bed so she just laid down on the ground, pressing her overheated cheek to the cool stone of her floor for a while and began to drift off again, but she hadn't quite fallen asleep before she was jerked back into awareness by the sound of something crashing into her balcony doors.

Era pushed herself up off the floor, and headed to the balcony door, pushing it open hesitantly. There was nothing on the ground, but perched on the railing was a crow with a small piece of parchment strapped to its foot, which it moved to offer at the sight of her.

The Inquisitor took the note off the crow, expecting it to be something from Leliana, maybe. She favored crows as messenger birds. Or Bull?

However, as she unfurled the parchment, her stomach dropped through the floor and fear flooded through every cell of her body, freezing her blood in her veins. The scented vellum was familiar before she even began to read and the hand it was written in even more so.

"Lovely Erathine,

I've been so happy to have heard of your accomplishments, working with that foolish new Divine whose so fond of you and your... opinions. Was I the one who influenced your recommendation to search the wilds of Ostwick more thoroughly for apostates? If so, I'm rather flattered.

Also, congratulations on the Ball that the Empress of Orlais is throwing you. Inquisitor Trevelyan? Quite the promotion from, "Mage brat Erathine Trevelyan." Jokes aside, your deeds as Inquisitor are appreciated, even if you don't particularly want my appreciation.

However, there is still a debt to be paid and the hour draws near. Honestly, a Qunari mate? I would have expected better from you Era. A life's a life, though, and that's what you owe me. Don't worry dearest, I will know when it's time to collect my prize. You needn't concern yourself with notifying me of the special day. Congratulations again, Era. I've waited a long time for this moment.

My deepest love and regard,

-L"

By the end of the letter, Erathine was panicking. Her knees felt weak and she stumbled back into the wall to brace herself. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was hyperventilating, but she could barely hear it over the rushing of blood in her ears. No, it couldn't be true. It had to be a lie. She couldn't be...

She leaned over the edge of the balcony and began retching once more, this time out of sheer fear and dread and panic. When she finished, she looked at the letter again, her eyes rushing over the words that had already seemed to have burned themselves into her mind. No, no, no, no! she thought. She must have been holding the letter too tightly as the parchment began to rip. On impulse, she ripped it right down the center and then again and again until it was in tiny pieces and tossed the fragments of the ominous and threatening letter into the wind.

Era laid one hand on her stomach which still felt vaguely unsettled but the ripping up of the letter had been strangely therapeutic. That letter could only mean one thing. But Era couldn't believe it. Not yet. She pushed it from her mind and crawled back in her bed where she remained all day, appointments and schedules be damned. But she still couldn't shake the feeling of fear that gripped her the moment she'd opened the letter.

A/N: So that is the end of the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

I don't know how long or how in depth I'm going to go with this. I guess that kind of depends on the response I get to this first chapter.

Signing off -

Lass of the Lake