The sun was just setting over Skyhold and the Inquisitor's crew had returned from a very long day in the Hinterlands. Lady Lavellan had decided that they were strong enough to conquer the Fereldan Frostback and conquered was she indeed. Iron Bull retreated to the tavern while Sera and Varric went to rest their weary limbs. Our inquisitor decided to wash off the grit before meeting Bull for a drink in what he called a celebration. Bull simply laughed when she explained this to him.

"While you wash off the evidence of our amazing victory I will wear it in proud display!" He roared.

"Best tell the tavern," replied Varric. "They're going to need more than soap to get that stench out once he's done."

"He may earn himself a new nickname while he's at it." Sera smiled, a thousand names already reeling in her head.

"Yeah, names like Iron Bull: Dragon Slayer of Thedas."

"Quite a mouthful, Bull," spoke the Herald.

"Stinky Bull more like," Sera giggled.

The Inquisitor smiled in thought as she wiped dirt off of her legs with a rag. She was thinking about their little exchange of their return to Skyhold. She loved them, all of them Bull, Sera, Varric, Cassandra, Cole, Cullen, Leliana, Josephine—oh maker especially Josephine—, everyone was dear to her in this fortress. To think it was only a few months ago that Cassandra was accusing her of the explosion and the opening of the Breach, and now it was her who was dubbed the title of Inquisitor. Granted, she was more of a figurehead in this huge operation; the Advisors did more work than they like to give credit to themselves, Lady Lavellan only went out into the field to speak for them and decide the priorities.

Sighing, she stood from the brass-colored tub. She was thinking about work again when she should be thinking about celebrating the dragon slaying tonight. The Inquisitor grabbed a towel to dry her body. Something on the towel caught her eye. Lifting the corner up to examine it, she laughed. "Why, they even embroidered the inquisition emblem on the towels." No doubt done by one of Vivienne's connections in Val Royeaux. Quickly, she fitted herself with a clean pair of clothes and dashed out toward Herald's Rest.

Bull was quick to spot in the back of the tavern. Lavellan quietly sat down next to him with her familiar smirk.

"Inquisitor!" Bull said a little too loudly, giving clue to how much drink he's consumed already. "Come have a drink!" He poured the dark liquid into a mug for her. "To killing a high dragon like warriors of legend!"

Its smell was as pungent as Iron Bull himself. "What exactly am I supposed to be drinking, Bull?" Her light Dalish accent innocently questioned.

"Maraas-Lok."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means drink! How are we supposed to celebrate a dragon killing when the slayer of dragons herself won't partake of the fruits?"

"To killing a high dragon like warriors of legend, then!" She caved. Bull's natural morale boosting was working its magic. Who knew that the Iron Bull would be an excellent drinking buddy? As she lifted the mug, she could see the approval in her friend's eyes before the lip shielded her vision from him. The liquid went down her throat fighting as tough as the beast they fought today. Her eyes watered while she sputtered and coughed trying to regain herself.

Bull couldn't help but laugh. "I know, right? Put some chest on your chest." His eyes glazed over as he recalled the battle, a smirk on his lips as he described it to the young elf. "That little gurgle right before it spat fire? And that roar. What I wouldn't give to roar like that. The way the ground shook when it landed. The smell of the fires burning…Taarsidath-an halsaam. You know Qunari hold dragons sacred? Well, as much as we hold anything sacred." He poured more of the drink into the Inquisitor's mug. "Here, your turn."

"That thing you just said. You shouted it during the fight, too. What does it mean?" Lavellan blinked away her tears, her voice recovered.

"Oh, Taarsidath-an Halsaam? Closest translation would be, 'I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect.'"

"You shouted that while it was breathing fire at us?"

"I know, right?" He grunted, cuing her to take another drink with him.

The second drink was only slightly easier. The Inquisitor didn't cough for as long, but the tears still formed and a blush was growing on her cheeks.

Bull shook his head and smiled. "Yeah! The second cup's easier. Most of the nerves in your through are dead after the first one." He leaned in closer. "Ataashi. 'The Glorious Ones.' That's our word for them. Ataaaaaaasheeeeee."

"Oh? And why do the Qunari think of dragons that way?"

"Well, you know how we have horns? We kind of look more…dragonly…than most people. Maybe it's that," he shrugged. "But a few of the Ben-Hassrath have this crazy old theory. See, the tamassrans control who we mate with. They breed us for jobs like you'd breed dogs or horses. What if they mixed in some dragon a long time ago? Maybe drinking the blood, maybe the magic. I don't know. But something in that dragon we killed…spoke to me."

"It's a shame we had to kill the dragon."

"Damn good fight. Dragons are the embodiment of raw power. But it's all uncontrolled, savage…" Bull poured yet another drink. "So they need to be destroyed. Taming the wild. Order of chaos. Have another drink."

Lavellan did as directed and surprisingly only coughed once this time as the drink went down. A warmth radiated from her body and made her glow. The two laughed together.

"Nice! To dragons!" Bull roared, swallowing his drink whole.

Completely drunk now, The Inquisitor lifted her mug. "To finding the biggest, baddest things in the world and showing them that we're badder."

"Anaan!"

The Inquisitor didn't even remember the walk from the tavern back to the great hall, all she knew was that she was following the starlit sparkles in her drunken stupor. She was on her way to visit Josephine, whose name she probably wouldn't be able to pronounce due to her current state. Lavellan fumbled with the first door, but discovered its tricks and easily marched through the second one—or was it already open? Regardless she met her destination. There she was. Sitting at her desk writing a few letters last minute this late at night.

"Oh, there you are my little Antivan princess," The Inquisitor sang. "Here I am, I've slayed the dragon and I have come to rescue my one and only…" She paused, trying to find the word. "Love. My one and only love."

Josephine raised an eyebrow. She placed her quill into its holder and capped her ink well. It looked as if she wasn't going to get anymore work done tonight. "It seems as though you're the one that needs rescuing, oh dragon slayer." The ambassador stood and walked out from behind her desk.

"I…no it. It is how the fairy tales go. The knight in shining armor is the one who slaves—slays the dragon and recks—rescues the princess. It's a happy ever after." Speech was difficult thanks to the multiple drinks.

"Darling," Josephine took another step towards the elf. She was now close enough to see the drunken blush on her face and smell the stench of drink on her breath. "Who did you go drinking with tonight?"

"None other than The Bull of Iron," She giggled in the arms of Josephine.

"Ugh, I'll kill him," She rolled her eyes but turned her attention back to her love. She placed her hands on each side of Lavellan's face. "We best get you someplace where you can't hurt yourself or break anything."

The elf leaned her cheek into her hand. Her cool fingertips felt soothing against her heated skin. She closed her eyes and was quieted by Josephine's touch. This moment made the Ambassador pause. Even though this elf smelled strongly of alcohol, and could hardly compose a sentence or maintain balance, she was still as charming as ever. The Inquisitor pulled one of her hands from her cheek down to her neck, which was even warmer. She hummed in pleasure. "Bull gave me a drink I swear was made from the blood of the dragon we slayed. The first sip, I could feel it clawing its way down my throat. Tell me, princess, am I breathing fire?"

"No, Lavellan, but you're burning up from drinking, please come with me."

They were in the Inquisitor's chambers now. It took a little persuading but Josephine was finally able to get her into bed. She had sent someone to bring up some food while Josephine herself fetched some cold water for the Inquisitor to drink and cool her forehead.

Josephine was placing a wet rag on her brow as the two waited for someone to get back with some food. "So, my knight, tell me about the dragon battle."

The elf's eyes were closed, but she smiled wide, teeth shining. "Well, it was me, Varric, Sera, and Bull today. So we get there and Bull insists that he goes down there to distract the beast while we go after it from afar. Oh, he was amazing, Josephine. He climbed up on the tail and for a while couldn't be shaken off, but then the dragon decided that she was going to take flight. Varric and Bianca were amazing, too. I've never seen so many arrows in my life; Sera, Varric, and I pumped so many arrows into the beast that you could hardly see the dragon when we killed it! Haha!" She sighed, opening her eyes. "It's too bad we had to kill it though."

"We live in a strange time, Lavellan. Blights, wars, rifts, dragons. Perhaps one day we will understand everything better, even dragons."

There was a knock at the door. "That must be your food, Inquisitor." The woman stood to retrieve it from the person. "Thank you, that should be all for tonight," Josephine said softly. Barely disturbing the bed, she returned with the platter.

"Smells great," the elf inhaled. "Are you going to have some too? You must be starving after working so hard tonight."

"I suppose I could have some. But you must eat most of it. I hear that the best way to combat drunkenness is having a full stomach…however it's mostly done before drinking. Maybe it will still work."

So they ate until they were full and sleepy. Lady Lavellan spoke more of dragons and other creatures that her and her comrades have encountered so far on their journey. The two cuddled together for warmth under the blankets. Skyhold was always so cold, even when the fireplace had been lit all day.

"Is this dragon the most majestic of creatures that you have encountered in all of Thedas?" Josephine whispered, a warm puff of her breath brushing against Lavellan's face.

The other gave it a thought. "No," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The most majestic creature has got to be you, Lady Montilyet."

"Oh," the Ambassador giggled. She caressed the Inquisitor's face with her cool hands again but this time she placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Good night my knight in shining armor."

The sunlight filtered in through the giant windows of the chamber. The young elf rolled over and opened her eyes to an empty bedside. Frowning, she lifted herself out of bed. Her head throbbed in protest. A groan was pushed from her throat, which was sore from last night's drinking. The Inquisitor turned to make her bead, when she noticed an arrow with a note tied to it lodged in the headboard, obviously Sera's workings.

The letter was a crude drawing of what looked like Iron Bull with stink lines, a dragon with her head chopped off, a tower with Lady Montilyet in it, and the Inquisitor below the tower with a sword in her hand. Sera, of course, was wearing the dragon head and giving a middle finger. Under the drawing was a small message saying "Knight in shining armour, yeah? Wait until the rest hear about this." Lavellan rolled her eyes, she was never going to hear the end of it. Below the message was a p.s. "Here are some new nicknames for the Bull. Lemme know what ya think, right?

Stinky Bull
Iron Turd
Iron Poo Smelly Bull
and my personal favorite: Bull Shite"

A soft laugh escaped the Inquisitor's lips as she finished the note. Another thing in the room caught her eye. There was a small breakfast and a nicely folded note on an intricate platter. This had Josephine written all over it. The elf decided to eat as she read. The ambassador's handwriting was so pleasing to look at alone.

"Lavellan, my love,

Last night was charming, however do try to avoid drinking with Iron Bull again. I hope you enjoy the breakfast. I'm afraid rumours of you and I have reached the Montilyet household and they seem to be asking numerous questions about you and the Inquisition. I have arranged for us to meet my mother and father, but you shall need to be prepped before we leave. Fighting that dragon seems a hundred times easier than meeting my parents now, hm?

Your Antivan Princess,
Josephine"

The inquisitor almost choked on her eggs when she read the bit about meeting Josephine's parents. A heavy feeling greeted her stomach and she reached for a bucket.