Thwack! Thwack thwack! Her sword sang with each calculated blow, the training dummy losing more and more chips of wood by the second. Cassandra Pentaghast frowned as she continued her flawless chain of strokes, imagining Knight-Commander Martel's face on the dummy despite the passage of so many years since their duel. Everything he had done had nearly destroyed her life as well as the Chantry, and those feelings of resentment did not die even though he did. Still, she knew better than to hang onto that anger until it blinded her; Galyan had shown her that. Instead, it just pushed her to train harder, to be prepared to face any threat. There were no dragon-shaped dummies or anything even remotely comparable to an assassin, so imagining she was cutting down rogue Templars was the best she could do.
With an unconscious roar of defiance, she landed the killing stroke, decapitating the dummy altogether.
For a moment, there was only the sound of her panting, sweat dripping down her face as she glared at the head now sitting several feet away where it had landed. Then, there was a slow clap. Cassandra was a warrior, and her warrior instincts jumped into action the instant she was startled by the sudden noise. She spun around with her blade bared.
After all these years, Regalyan D'Marcall didn't even flinch anymore.
"Ah yes, another reminder of why I should be sure to make you laugh instead of make you angry," he grinned cheekily, even with the blade pointed at him. "And here I thought you were ferocious back when I first met you. You have only gotten stronger, haven't you?"
Cassandra blushed at the praise and the realization of her mistake. In complete contrast to her previous motions, she fumbled to sheathe her sword. "Galyan, don't scare a person so! Especially not in the middle of drills! You're going to get yourself killed!"
"I thought that applause was pretty low-key if you ask me." Galyan peered around Cassandra, noting the condition of her 'training partner'. "Hmm, and they say we mages are dangerous."
At this, the young Seeker snorted. "Not you. You couldn't hurt a fly. Instead, you'd probably try to resuscitate it, rehabilitate it, and then release it back into the wild."
"And THAT, my dear Cassandra, is why you find me utterly charming." His smile wasn't smug so much as it was confident. It should have annoyed her that he could presume such a thing despite their ten-year history of sporadic encounters and secret rendezvous, yet somehow it only eased the tension she hadn't known she had been holding.
"I do. You are far gentler than most of the non-mages I've ever met." When his eyes met hers, they were glowing at this confession. Galyan knew heartfelt praises were not in Cassandra's wheelhouse, and he would take what he could get with delight. The warrior stiffened and cleared her throat, completely aware that after not seeing him in over a month, she was not keen on starting some deep conversation. There just wasn't time. There never was.
"We make quite the pair, you know. I am harsh, you are gentle. I can slash people up, and you can stitch them back together." Cassandra turned to the training dummy, frowning once more. "I don't suppose your healing magic can work on inanimate objects? I'm sure the Divine is growing tired of buying me new training dummies. That's the sixth one this week…"
Galyan let out a chuckle. "Sorry, my dear lady, but I've got nothing. But Maker, SIX?! You have been a busy woman."
"Not so busy that I don't have a moment to spend sitting in the gardens. But do you?" The woman who a minute ago was the very image of honed violence now averted her gaze and bit her lip shyly.
The enchanter adored this about his lover. She was all hard edges 90% of the time, but there was still something soft and vulnerable underneath that she only showed a rare few people. He was one of the lucky ones. "I'll always make time for you, Cassandra. Come, let's walk?"
"Of course, Galyan."
But they knew the drill. Mages, no matter how respected, weren't supposed to take lovers at all for fear they might sire more mage children. Meanwhile, Cassandra was one of the most important figures in the Chantry for her role in guarding the Grand Divine; she could have no distractions, lover or otherwise. Still, they'd had many years to figure things out. With a tender smile, Galyan wove a camouflage spell, shielding the pair from any prying eyes. Then and only then did he reach out and take her calloused hand in his.
The spell lasted just long enough for them to find a hidden alcove of the garden, protected by the branches of a blossoming tree and the shadows of a stone wall. There they sat on the ground, with Cassandra leaning against her mage lover despite the sweat and uncomfortable armor she wore. Galyan didn't complain; he was too busy tangling his fingers in her long, deep-brown hair. Cassandra wasn't sure if he was using some kind of magic, or if the tingles along her scalp were simply her own body reacting to being touched after such a long absence.
She sighed. "So, what brings you here, Galyan? I know they don't just let you out of the Circle whenever you wish despite all you've done for them."
Galyan looked down at her and beamed. "You're looking at a future senior-enchanter! I'm being presented to the Divine in about an hour or so. I'll be in charge of teaching all of the healing courses here at the White Spire!"
Cassandra looked up at him wide-eyed. "I know your skill, but at your age? You'll end up the First Enchanter of the Spire before long!"
"Says the Right Hand of the Divine!" he teased, giving her a squeeze.
"I…hmph." There was no response to that. Oh, Galyan was so good at boxing her into a corner, that smart-aleck… Ever since the day she'd met him, he'd demonstrated a sharp wit that she could barely keep up with sometimes.
"What can I say? We are both supremely gifted individuals. And as you said, we make a good pair."
"I said we make QUITE the pair, but yes, I agree. If only we could both get into the fray again." He could read the hint of nostalgia in her voice, sense her gaze trailing off into the distance as she looked into the past. "It brought us together, but now we can hardly see each other. Really, we haven't been able to spend an entire day together since the day we defeated Frenic. Is this the Maker testing us? Showing us the one thing we want and then keeping us from ever truly having it?"
"Cassandra, that's not true." He turned her face towards his, bringing her attention back to his handsome features. His face had lost some of that boyish charm he'd sported back when they'd first met; twinkling eyes had grown calm though no less joyful, the once round face gaining more definition as the years passed, the hair of his goatee becoming fuller. All the same, she had noted the changes in herself, and realized with a start that they were getting older TOGETHER, like any couple would. It was unsettling, but it didn't make him any less attractive. Maybe it made him more attractive… "We have everything we could possibly hope for given our situation. We both work near each other. We can find excuses like this to spend some time together. Who knows, maybe it's better than being married because we don't spend so much time together that we get on each other's nerves!"
She snorted, nudging him in the ribs. "You get on my nerves enough the way it is."
Galyan winked. "I do my best."
"Well, you are more than proficient." She couldn't help herself. At his mock indignant expression, she burst into laughter. Despite the severity of her normal expression, Cassandra's face when she was happy seemed to glow. Galyan stretched out a hand before he knew what he was doing to caress her cheek. It had the immediate effect of stilling her laughter and making her blush.
"Have I told you yet today how beautiful you are, Cassandra Pentaghast?" His voice dropped to the low, seductive register that gave her chills. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he'd been taking a letter from one of the romance novels she enjoyed reading.
"You have not. But it is hardly necessary to do so." One hand moved to her left cheek, finding the fresh scar, still deep and angry, that cut across a large part of her face. He hadn't made a comment about it yet, but he was undoubtedly going to make an inquiry; when she'd taken a vicious blade to the face while stopping a would-be assassin last month, he'd been the one to try and heal it. Of course Galyan had sealed it proficiently, but it had taken too long to get to him. The scar would remain with her for the rest of her life, and there was nothing he was able to do to erase it.
He knew. He always knew. Taking her hand, he pried it from her face and planted a loving kiss where it once had been. "On the contrary, Seeker, I don't think you hear it often enough. Don't want you getting the wrong impression, thinking all your value lies in your sword and shield. You have many other charms, to be certain." Cassandra wracked her brain trying to come up with any other possible charm she possessed besides her prowess with a blade and couldn't come up with a one. Galyan could read it in her face. "For example, that fierce look in your eyes, the blazing passion with which you tackle everything. I was lost the moment I saw that in your face, despite the fact that you could have potentially slit my throat." This brought a small smile to the warrior's lips, and satisfied with the result, he moved his kiss to the corner of her mouth. "And your smile when you are truly happy, I treasure that more than any other sight in all of Thedas."
Oh, Galyan was being extremely cheesy, but in all the best ways possible. She'd read enough novels to know what this situation called for. Abandoning her composure, she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a proper kiss. It would have been scandalous, she thought vaguely as their mouths met, should they be caught carrying on in this way. But she couldn't bring herself to care, and judging by Galyan's response, he didn't either.
After a few moments, he finally broke away. It gave her no small amount of satisfaction to see that he'd lost his controlled demeanor somewhere during that kiss. "Maker, Cassandra, I want to stay here longer, but I've got to meet the First Enchanter soon and get ready for my presentation to the Divine. Heaven forbid I show up looking like this…" He looked down at his out-of-place robes (which no doubt had gotten some loose grass or dirt on them), and Cassandra probably didn't have to tell him she'd tousled his hair decently during that passionate outburst. Lovingly, she straightened it with her fingers.
"I understand. It was good to see you again, Galyan." It was always like this. Why did it never get easier each time he had to leave after visiting? Why did a pang of sorrow lodge itself in the pit of her stomach at the realization that their brief time together was cut short? Both knew this was their reality, had come to accept it. She supposed that didn't mean she had to like it.
"Don't sound so sad, Cassandra. We've still got time." Galyan got to his feet, then offered his hand to pull her up as well, enjoying the way her curious eyes begged for clarification. "Our group will be spending the night here after a celebratory banquet. Find me after the presentation right here in this spot, and I will let you know where my room is. I would certainly welcome a visit tonight…"
Her throat suddenly went dry as the blood rushed in her veins. Blessed Andraste, this was a treat they received even less frequently than their visits! "I will be thinking of little else for the rest of the day." That was an easy promise to make.
"And I as well. Kind of sacrilegious considering I'll be in the company of the Divine…" Cassandra's blush made him laugh once more. "Well, there couldn't be a better reward for this promotion." Leaning over for one last peck on her cheek, he began to walk away. "I'll meet you later then."
Cassandra's head swam with ideas of all the things they could do with this precious gift of time. No rushing, no fear of discovery, they could enjoy every moment… It was enough to send her pulse hammering. When she was finally able to set aside her muddled thoughts, she realized with a start that he was gone. She huffed in annoyance at her own ineptitude. She hadn't even remembered to congratulate him for this great honor!
Trudging back to the training yard, she reminded herself that there would be plenty of time tonight to congratulate him properly…