The Herald's Rest was Josephine's favorite spot on campus. There were quite a few bars, restaurants, and even quaint little cafes dotted across Main Street, and quite a few of them had far more appropriate atmospheres in which she could work on her assignments, but she loved the Herald's Rest best.

She claimed it was because the booths were comfiest and the mulled wine was to die for, but her best friend and eternal antagonist Leliana knew the real reason.

"Josie, I don't understand why you won't just talk to her," the redhead complained. She took another sip of her wine and absentmindedly played with a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. "It's not like she'll bite… at least not yet I suppose."

"Leliana!" Josephine admonished, a blush warming her cheeks as she tried to ignore the smirk on her friend's face.

"What?" Leliana asked with a giggle, eyes alight with mirth.

Josephine Montilyet simply rolled her eyes and returned to her book. Before she'd even gotten halfway through the paragraph she'd been trying to finish for the past ten minutes, her eyes were wandering towards the bar. Again.

The two bartenders there were as different as night and day: one wiry and blonde, the other a brunette with a far more toned frame. Currently, the blonde was tossing raisins into the air for the other girl to catch in her mouth. She was missing quite a few of them, but judging by the way the blonde was tossing them ridiculously high and giggling every time one bounced off her companion's nose Josephine guessed that that might have been the blonde's intention. They worked the day shift, presumably after early morning classes, pretty much every day of the week. Both always left at five and together at that. Josephine knew exactly who they were, and knew that despite always getting into trouble with their boss they'd never be fired because they brought in hordes of business simply by showing up to work at all.

Skyhold University had a number of attractive qualities to both students and the parents of future ladies and lords alike, but the crowned jewel, their pride and joy, was their soccer program. Both the men and women's teams were undefeated, the men having held their title for the past six years and the women an astonishing nine.

The two bartenders, slackers and pranksters at work but an unbeatable duo on the field, were the starting strikers. They were pretty much celebrities on campus, and the owner of the bar let them get away with the most ridiculous of antics because he knew the bar would be packed every weekend (especially during season) with students eager to be served by an A-List student celeb. Josephine had met the proprietor before, she was in here often enough, and he'd told her so himself. 'As far as I'm concerned, they may not always deserve their paychecks but if it wasn't for them this place would be just another hole-in-the-wall college town bar.'

Josephine was sure the man had another source of income besides the bar, because there was no way the establishment would have lasted as long as it did before his star employees had shown up. After a bit of indulgent snooping she indeed found out that Varric Tethras, the owner, was in fact a semi-famous author. His works, mystery novels and some questionable romance serials, were quite popular in both Kirkwall and (surprisingly) Orlais. He was a storyteller in every sense of the word: charismatic, good with words, and deceptively charming. If he didn't like where a conversation was going he'd have it turned around before anyone even had time to sense that trouble might be brewing, and it was for that reason that not a single fight had broken out for as long as Josephine had been coming here for a calming mug of mulled wine. Possible offenders were given a drink on the house, a pat on the back, and then were promptly escorted off the premises with smiles on their faces. It wasn't until later that they remembered even wanting to fight in the first place.

Josephine was grateful for this, really… she knew that peace was not the go-to solution among the other bars her fellow students frequented. Places like Fade, the only hookah bar on campus, were infamous for the brawls that had to be broken up nearly every weekend.

The Herald's Rest was the perfect mix of quiet during the day, and lively on the weekends. Josephine was a creature of habit. She didn't appreciate changes in her routine, and ever since her previous study spot had been shut down for renovations she'd despaired ever finding a suitable replacement. But then the Herald's Rest had seemed to magically appear out of nowhere, practically falling into her lap wrapped up with a golden bow. It had everything Josephine could ask for in a study spot: good food, pleasant atmosphere, a fantastic view… but therein lay the problem.

Josephine sighed. She abandoned her book entirely to rest her elbow on the table and prop up her chin with her hand. Her longing gaze was forever trained towards the bar. Next to her, Leliana wasn't sure if she wanted to snort into her wine or roll her eyes. Goddess, how infatuated her dearest friend had become.

Three Weeks Earlier

Josephine needed a drink.

It was incredibly rare for the urge to cross her mind, but right now Josephine really needed a drink. A strong one. Preferably a warm one, for this September was easing into the first cold days of fall a bit too quickly for anyone's liking.

As she cursed very quietly in her mother tongue, she adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag. She cast a quick glance up and down the quiet street before turning her attention back to the e-mail that had single-handedly ruined her entire morning. Inquisitive, sharp gray eyes danced across the screen, the finely groomed brows above them drawn with irritation.

From: Papa

(Re) Subject: Winter break?

Josie, my love we've talked about this.

I know that you understand your responsibilities and take them quite seriously (perhaps a bit too seriously for a young woman as lovely as yourself), never doubt that. You work so hard to prove yourself and you make us so proud, but if you would just listen and see reason then maybe you'd be able to have a real social life.

Leliana is a lovely girl, but we didn't send you to Skyhold just for your studies and you know that. We need you to make allies, make connections for us that will help us through these tough times. You need a bigger social circle, not more projects and plans.

I'm sure that it's been hard one you, being away from home for so long, but perhaps this need for purpose would be abated somewhat if you visited us more often. The Otranto boy has been asking after you again, and his family will be staying nearby come the holidays.

My answer is no, and this is me telling you that your mother and I expect you to be here to meet Adorno this Christmas. That is all.

All my love, you stubborn girl,

Papa

Oh, how she wanted to rant, rave, bang her head against the wall… tear her hair out, break something. Her family was driving her absolutely mad, and this was the last straw.

She would most certainly not be spending this winter break at home if she was to be paraded around for yet another potential suitor. Adorno Otranto was three years younger than her, half as intelligent, and had no interest in bettering his own family's stature. He'd be of absolutely no use to her, and throwing gold at her family's larger problems wouldn't make them go away. The man was nice enough, but Josephine had had far grander plans for her break than entertaining him with false interest.

A harsh wind came billowing down the street and Josephine, in her thin cardigan and pencil skirt, shivered. She wasn't sure which bars would be open this early as it was only just after noon, and she wasn't sure if any of her usual cafés served anything stronger than bottled beer.

She took off in a random direction, rereading the email and deciding that it would be best to wait to write a reply until she was less agitated. She considered calling Leliana; perhaps the philosophy major would be willing to have a night-in and drink themselves silly. That was normally what she suggested when Josephine needed to let off steam. But no, lately Leliana had been bugging her about her love life, or rather her teasing her about her lack of one. No, Josephine needed to be alone for a while, re-formulate her plans and consider other options. So her first instinct had been right on the money: she needed a drink.

On a whim, Josephine glanced upward and saw an unfamiliar sign that gave her pause. The Herald's Rest, it read. The wooden signpost hanging above the door, quaint and old-fashioned, depicted a solider in light armor. The figure was striding forward confidently, with a dagger in each hand. Curious.

Josephine hummed quietly, peering into the windows. She couldn't see many patrons. The lights were too dim to get a good view of the interior from the outside. Normally, that sort of thing would deter Josephine from going inside but something pulled her to the entry way. The wooden door, polished and free of all grime (unlike other establishments that her friends tended to frequent, Josephine noted) swung open with only a little force and the Antivan was pleasantly surprised to find that the bar was much warmer and cozier on the inside than it appeared to be from the outside.

Warm tones, copper lighting fixtures, and a real fireplace made the place feel homey and slightly vintage. The bar extended along the entirety of the wall to Josephine's right, the counter made from a dark wood that looked almost like mahogany. There was an open kitchen towards the back of the building, cleverly hidden beneath a staircase that she only guessed could lead to a dancefloor or VIP section. The wall to her left was lined with booths upholstered with leather dyed a deep burgundy, so lush and inviting that Josephine immediately wanted to seat herself.

"Oi, Tadwinks! We've got a live one, yeah?" Josephine's ears perked and she turned her gaze back towards the bar. An elf, blonde and freckled all over, was looking in her direction with mirth in her eyes. There were darts in her hands, and when she cocked one arm back without so much as a glance towards the dartboard nailed to the wall, Josephine cocked a brow. "The first is on me if I miss, princess."

"Pardon?"

Without breaking eye contact, the elf tossed the dart and Josephine couldn't hold back the gasp that arose when the dart hit the bronto's eye on the dartboard, dead-center. The elf knew she was victorious from Josephine's reaction and grinned even wider, giggling madly. "Whoops, rotten luck for you. Or best luck, guess we'll see. Sit your tight little arse down, would ya? I'll fetch Tadwinks, she's better with the highborn ladies than I am."

Flustered and slightly indignant, Josephine very seriously debated leaving right then and there but at the same time she was intrigued. Words rolled off of her like water off a duck's back, and straight shooters like this quirky elf were always a welcome change from the straight-laced, stiff-backed nobles she normally associated with. If she felt at all insulted or uncomfortable, it clearly wasn't enough to make her leave.

As the elf returned the darts to their hiding place behind the counter, she danced her way down the length of the bar and gave one last shout of 'Tadwinks!' up the stairs before heading out onto the floor to plop herself down at one of the few occupied tables. Rather than seem disturbed by her arrival, the bar patrons (an elf, a dwarf, and few rough-and-tumble-looking gentleman) all smiled and gave her a warm welcome.

Josephine gave the group one last wary glance before taking a seat at the bar, admiring the polished wood. She was pleased to find brass hooks hammered into the wall beneath the bar top, and hooked the strap of her bag so that it hung from the hook and left her hands free. While she waited for this… 'Tadwinks,' to appear, she picked up the cocktail menu to get a feel for the establishment's typical fair.

Happy Hour – Every day from 4 to 7

Jar of Bees
Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and honey
The Iron Bull
Top-shelf West Hill brandy, Dragon Piss, blackberry juice, ginger beer
Red Lyrium Shot
Shot of Hirol's Lava Burst dropped in a glass of Grey Warden's Conscription Ale
The Inquisitor
A mug of black tea brewed with Ostwick Circle Whiskey, cinnamon, and a spoonful of honey
Antivan Fire
Antivan sugar spiced rum, muddled with passionfruit, and topped up with your choice of wine

She'd have to try the Antivan Fire for sure. If she'd finally managed to find a bar on campus that made the expense to buy real Antivan wine, and not just table wine from knock-off importers, then she'd be spending absolutely every weekend here. There was nothing she missed more about being home than the wine, and that was the truth. It was especially true when she was still miffed by the e-mail her loving father had sent her.

"What are you yelling about, Sera? You know I've been trying to get the upstairs sections cleaned," a new voice said. Josephine glanced towards the stairs and made an educated guess that the young woman descending them was 'Tadwinks.'

"Dwarfy's got other people to do that for you, idiot. There's a lady at the bar what needs a drink, so hop to it!" The grin on the elf's face was both deeply affectionate and teasing, and Josephine watched Tadwinks roll her eyes as she headed back behind the bar. The young woman carried herself like someone used to being watched, a trait Josephine knew all too well from her upbringing. Josephine might've thought the confident swagger in the girl's gait could have come from a place of narcissism, but that thought was gone from her mind in an instant when the bartender sent a gentle smile her way and leaned comfortably up against the bar.

"Haven't seen you in here before, first time?"

Josephine smiled back and nodded. "Indeed, and so far I am quite pleased with what I have found."

The bartender's grin widened. "And you haven't even had a drink yet." Josephine allowed herself a light laugh and the bartender turned to grab a coaster, placing it on the bar top between the two of them. "I see that you've found the cocktail menu, do you know what you'd like?"

She was tempted to try the Antivan Fire, really everything on the menu sounded delicious, but she'd come into the bar for an explicit purpose and figured that the bartender would know what drink best suited her needs right now. So she leaned in conspiratorially, and explained, "Well, you see I'm afraid I came in here because I received some… unfortunate news that's put me in quite a sour mood. I was hoping you could recommend an appropriate remedy. Nothing too strong of course, I'm not the type to get drunk before dinner."

The bartender had played along and leaned in as well, and Josephine caught a whiff of cinnamon and something earthy that was absolutely pleasant. The young woman's eyes were a warm, inquisitive brown, and the knowing grin she gave Josephine was kind and brought warmth to Josephine's cheeks. "I see… well I'm sorry about the bad news. You know, if you've got nowhere to be I've been told I'm a great listener." Before she could elaborate, the bartender had stepped away to grab a small ceramic mug, filling it from a solitary spigot that stood apart from the beer taps. When she returned to place the mug before Josephine, the Antivan was instantly drawn to the aroma of the steaming, red-as-blood drink she'd been served. "Why don't you take a sip and tell me all about it?"

"Oh my," Josephine began, raising the mug to her nose and inhaling deeply. The smell alone warmed her, more notes of cinnamon and what was perhaps vanilla filling the air. When she took a curious sip, that warmth traveled right down to the tips of her toes, and the luscious taste of red wine danced along her tongue. "Mulled wine?" she guessed, "So early in the year?"

Not that she was complaining, because by Andraste herself this was the greatest mulled wine she'd ever tasted. Probably because it was the only mulled wine she'd had in Fereldan that was made from Antivan stock. There were notes of nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, as well as hints of different berries and fruits. It was the perfect temperature, hot enough to tease the tongue but not at all enough to burn. There was something else as well, a kick towards the back of the palate that grounded it, something hard and earthy that was eased up by all of the fruit and decadence.

The bartender grinned again. "Absolutely. We specialize in hot drinks all year round, and the mulled wine is probably our best seller. The boss had to have a special tap made that keeps it the right temperature, an old mage friend of his enchanted it. We couldn't find any other way to keep it in stock back here."

"Please, do tell him he's a genius."

"If you're in here often enough, you'll probably get to tell him yourself," the bartender chuckled. "So, when you're done making love to the wine, care to tell me what's bothering you?"

Flustered, Josephine almost choked on the sip that she'd just taken, but she recovered and reluctantly placed her mug back down. "Oh, it's nothing really. I had been hoping to travel this upcoming break, but my family insists on having me home."

The bartender hummed, crossing her arms and leaning back against the counter. "Travel where?"

"Val Royeaux," Josephine clarified as she took another sip, thoroughly enjoying how warm she felt and how delicious the wine was. "I attended boarding school there and was hoping to… reconnect with some old colleagues."

The bartender cocked her head. "But winter break is a few weeks long. Surely your family doesn't need you home the entire time?"

"Try telling that to my family," Josephine joked.

"Sure thing," her companion joked in return, another grin lighting up her face. "Let me at 'em. I can be pretty convincing."

"You, convicing?" A voice was suddenly very close to Josephine's ear, and she flinched away. The blonde elf, Sera, had come back to the bar and had an arm draped along the back of Josephine's chair. "My arse. You're about as convincing as Widdle is a beanpole."

"And you're just about as useless as a mabari with a quill, Little Miss I-Don't-Feel-Like-Doing-My-Share-of-the-Work-At-All. Instead of just standing there insulting me, maybe you could go check on the other tables?"

"Piss off, love. And when you're done bring me back three bees, because I already did and that's what they want."

When the bartender rolled her eyes, Sera just stuck her tongue out. In lieu of a response to that, Tadwinks politely excused herself from her conversation with Josephine and turned to make the three drinks. Sera and Josephine watched for a moment, before Sera hopped into the seat next to Josephine and propped her arm up on the counter.

"First time, yeah? That's what she said." A self-satisfied chuckle. "Inky get you the good stuff? Word of advice, don't go for the Bull. Not completely sure, but the Dragon Piss might be actual piss. Can never be sure with Qunari, right? I mean, their women are woof, but half the shite they eat could kill ya, skewered or screeching." Josephine simply stared, unsure of how to respond, but it seemed that Sera hadn't been expecting one because she turned back around to face her co-worker again. "Tadwinks, hurry up! They'll be snoring by the time I get back!"

"It's been less than a full minute, Sera. Calm your tits." The bartender said, and to Josephine's surprise she turned with a full tray of three drinks already finished, each a beautiful golden color.

"You're the tit, tit." Sera said, taking the tray and sticking her tongue out again before scurrying away.

Josephine watched her go, taking another sip from her rapidly-vanishing wine, before turning back to the bartender and asking a rather blunt question she probably wouldn't have asked if she hadn't been enjoying her wine quite so much. "Is she always that rude?"

"Who, Sera?" At Josephine's earnest nod, the bartender laughed. "Pretty much. Just ignore her though, she's pretty harmless. Plus, she's my best friend. Known her since forever."

"Truly?"

"Truly, truly." Before Josephine had a chance to continue her line of inquiry, the bartender turned them back towards her previous conversation. "So, why did your family say no to you going? Surely holiday celebrations in Antiva aren't that crazy?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Josephine sighed. She placed her now-empty mug on the bar top and placed her elbows there as well, massaging her temples as the words of her father's e-mail came back to mind. "It is just… I had very specific reasons for wanting to go back to Val Royeaux, reasons I shared only with my younger sister. Somehow, and I can only imagine how, those reasons wound up reaching my father and he's adamantly against them."

The bartender's brow furrowed, eyebrows drawing together cutely as she pursed her lips. "You weren't plotting to kill an old classmate, were you?"

"Not at all," Josephine replied with another laugh, leaning back in her chair to give the girl a smile, thankful that she was keeping the mood light. "My plans were purely diplomatic, I assure you… but unfortunately, still against my father's wishes."

"I know what that's like," the bartender bobbed her head in sympathy.

Now it was Josephine's turn to cock her head, curious. "Do you and your father not get along?"

The bartender nodded. "Not a bit. My mother's the only one I really care about, her side of the family. My father's a prick, and he's got a few kids to choose from if he wants obedience."

Josephine was always saddened to meet a person at odds with their family; as frustrating as her parents were being, she could never resent them. They'd done so much for her, given so much, and the fact that they still had it in their heads that they knew what was best was only a symptom of parenthood, not a flaw in their character.

"But enough about parents and family troubles, tomorrow's Friday! There's only one more day til the weekend, right? Got any plans?"

The bartender with the kind smile and bright eyes had refilled her mug and was just so friendly, so easy to talk to… and the wine was warming her from the inside out. The truth was, she didn't want to talk about her family, or her responsibilities, or anything having to do with responsibilities at all. Right now, she just wanted to feel like a normal university student, and do normal university student things, like drink herself silly. She didn't have classes tomorrow anyway, so what was the harm?

So, she ran a hand through her raven-black hair and reached for her drink.

Present Day

"You don't understand, Leliana. I have talked to her, I just…"

"Just what?" Leliana was growing impatient. Not that the drinks weren't delicious and the atmosphere pleasant, but Leliana could only take so much of her best friend sighing dramatically and staring off into space. "I swear, I've never seen you like this. If you've already talked to her, then you know who she is and that she's clearly not going to be rude to you or anything like that."

Josephine did in fact sigh dramatically, for perhaps the fifth or sixth time since they'd got here. Leliana wouldn't understand, and would probably just tease her if she tried to explain. Ever since that day three weeks ago, she'd become completely enamored and had no idea how to handle it.

After leaving the bar that day it had only taken five minutes' worth of research to find out who exactly she'd spent three hours spilling her tipsy secrets to, and when she realized she'd been half-flirting half-whining to Skyhold University's star soccer player, she'd been mortified. No matter how much she tried though, she couldn't stay away. She'd wind up in the Herald's Rest three or four times a week, always bringing an assignment or two with her so she could appear busy, when in reality all she wanted to do was sit at the bar once more and pick up where they'd left off.

But by Andraste's grace, she was embarrassed!

By this point, she was sure that the staff all thought her a nutter, stopping in as frequently as she did. She knew for a fact that Sera found her suspicious, constantly eyeing her up with a pinched expression on her face like she'd just smelled something rotten. Varric, the owner, had also recently taken up the habit of teasing her with knowing looks.

"You know what? Enough of this." Leliana finally exclaimed, tilting back her glass and finishing her drink in one gulp.

"What are you doing?" Josephine asked nervously, not at all trusting her friend to not embarrass her.

"Ending the torture," Leliana murmured, lifting her empty glass up in the direction of the bar. Josephine chanced a glance and, to her horror, saw that Sera was nowhere in sight, which meant that the only available bartender who would be coming to check on them would be…

"Hello ladies, you need topping up?"

Josephine shot up in her chair, almost knocking over her drink. Leliana hid a smirk behind her hand before she fixed her trademark 'angrily-indifferent eyes,' on the bartender.

"Yes," Leliana replied, her voice even, but cool. "Some more of the mulled wine for me, and for Josie here… well one, the same, and two, how about your name? She's been in here practically every day for the past three weeks and she still doesn't know it yet."

Damn you, Leliana, Josephine cursed in her head. Damn you. Of course Josephine knew the girl's name, as previously stated she knew far more about her crush than her crush could have known about her. She fought the urge to shrink in her seat, and turned her gaze to the surprised eyes of the bartender. If she was embarrassed, Josephine couldn't tell. She merely looked surprised.

"Oh," she said, slowly. Then she turned her gaze to Josephine, and to Josephine's surprise, she smiled and held out her hand. "If you wanted to know, why didn't you just ask? You're one of my favorite customers after all. It's Evelyn, Evelyn Trevelyan."

Josephine, ever the lady, grasped the outstretched hand and fought the urge to swoon at the dashing smile being sent her way. "Am I? I can't imagine why, I've been keeping to myself as of late."

Evelyn just shrugged her shoulders, ending the handshake and grabbing both of their mugs. "Maybe it's because you're the prettiest," was all she offered before striding away. Josephine watched her go, dazed as butterflies danced in her stomach. Leliana watched the disgustingly adorable display with good-natured amusement, thankful that some level of the ice had been broken. "Or maybe it's because you like to gossip when you're tipsy!" Evelyn called back over her shoulder.

And now Josephine was hiding her face in her hands and Leliana was cackling like a madwoman.