A/N: Hi, everyone! Just a quick disclaimer; if you're looking for a Dorian/femInquisitor romance, this probably isn't the story for you. I love the flirty friendship between Dorian and the Inquisitor, so I tried to stay true to that dynamic. Hopefully, most of you feel the same!

"Dorian!" Inquisitor Trevelyan burst into the library so quickly she almost ran over the mage in question. "Dorian, I need your help!"

Dorian replaced his book on the bookshelf. "Dragons ravaging the ramparts, Inquisitor?"

"No. Worse."

Dorian's eyebrows knitted together. "Worse than dragons? Corypheus?"

"Worse."

Dorian took the woman by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Lynne, you're making me nervous. I have yet to think of anything worse than an ancient Magister-turned-Darkspawn who habitually rips holes into time and space in order to elevate himself to godhood, then rides away on a pet archdemon that could, potentially, start another Blight."

"When you put it that way, maybe this isn't quite that bad. But it's still pretty terrifying."

Dorian crossed his arms. "Well, don't keep me in suspense."

"You know how I would have been nobility if my parents didn't ship me off to a Circle, right?"

"A travesty, yes."

"Well, Josephine decided to reach out to my family for support-"

Dorian uncrossed his arms. "Maker, she didn't."

"Oh, she did."

"But you haven't seen them since you were a child!"

"And, truth be told, I didn't want to after they betrayed me like that."

"Understandable. But what do Josephine's negotiations have to do with me?"

Normally, Lynne would have loved the confused look on her arrogant friend's face, but right now her stomach felt too twisted up to properly revel in it. She took a deep breath. "Dorian, we're friends, right?"

"Right," he responded cautiously.

"My parents are on their way here for negotiations. Leliana believes the cost of their help will be a marriage. My marriage, specifically."

Dorian frowned and his eyes flashed dangerously. Good, so far he was on board.

"Leliana says my parents have their sights set on Fergus Cousland."

"The Queen's brother?"

"Yes." Lynne hung her head. "I've only met him once, and he was… Nice, but so much older than me. It would be like marrying an uncle."

When she looked up, all she saw on Dorian's face was understanding. "A fiery woman like yourself wouldn't do well in an arranged marriage."

"I know." Lynne's stomach uncoiled a little. He got it. Of course he did, after what his father tried to do to him. "But, my parents wouldn't be able to marry me off if I was already involved with someone living at Skyhold with me. There would be too many questions about my… virtue."

"But you're not with anyone."

"They don't know that. All I need to do is make them think I'm with someone. Someone close to me, with believable chemistry, preferably high-born…"

"Wait just a minute! Are you… Are you asking me to pretend I'm you're lover?"

"Well, if you have a problem with pretending, we could always work on giving it some authenticity."

"Oh no, no, no. Fake flirting won't get you out of trouble this time!" Dorian paced between the bookshelves the way he only did when extremely agitated.

The silence was deafening.

Lynne's hand tightened over her chest. Disappointing Dorian hurt worse than she expected.

Finally, he spoke. "How could you ask that of me? You know I had to resign myself to exile to get away from the farce my father wanted me to play. Why would you ask me to do the same?" He didn't sound angry, just sad. That hurt even more than silence.

"I'm not asking you to marry me. All I'm asking is that we give my parents a show. You be your usual snarky self, we flirt as usual, perhaps with some subtle physical reinforcement, and they draw their own conclusions."

"A lie of omission, then."

"For my freedom."

Dorian paused, seemingly considering it, then sighed. "But why me? Why not our dashing Commander?"

"The blushing, buttoned up schoolboy? He's endearing and all, but he wouldn't last five minutes with a lie like that."

"Ok, I'll give you that one. But what about our roguish, sharp-tongued merchant prince?"

"Varric said no. Something about how he would have to face the wrath of Hawke, whatever that means. I'm pretty sure that was real fear in his eyes, though, so I dropped it."

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "And why did you think I would say otherwise?"

"Because you understand my situation better than anyone, and people already think we're involved."

Dorian didn't quite seem convinced.

Lynne hated to do it, but it was time to pull out her Ace. "Our positive dealings with Tevinter are few, but Josephine does occasionally meet with lesser Magisters to discuss alliances. If you don't help me, she might 'accidentally' recount the time you hit on all of the women at The Singing Maiden using only lines from Swords and Shields."

"Tha- You-" Dorian sputtered. "It was a bet! And how do you even remember that, after all the drinks you had?"

Lynne shrugged. "It was that funny. As I recall, half the women in the bar swooned over you, until that soldier you, uh, had relations with one night got jealous and started reciting the female protagonist's lines. It was such a spectacle that Varric still won't let you pay for drinks." Lynne paused dramatically before adding, "I imagine such tales wouldn't help your social standing at home, though…"

"You wouldn't."

"Dorian, I'm a southern mage. I spent half my life in a Circle, and now my parents want to auction me off to the highest bidder. If the mage/templar war has taught us anything, it's that people who live in cages for too long do extreme things for freedom."

Dorian sighed. "And now you're playing the sympathy card, fully knowing it's difficult for me to resist. You're a monster, you know that, right?"

"Probably a contributing factor to the 'not currently involved with anyone' predicament."

Dorian smirked. "That and your taste in men."

"Hey, it's not my fault I have a thing for templars who wouldn't recognize flirting even if I sat in their laps and placed their hands on my bosom."

"Darling, I would pay to see Cullen's face if you did that."

Now that was an idea. "How much would you pay, exactly?"

Dorian raised an eyebrow, his eyes suddenly alight. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

The Inquisitor shrugged. "Call it an even trade?"

The Tevinter grinned. "Only if I'm there to witness it."

"Deal."

To be continued...

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