All Work and No Play

A/N: This was the first idea I had bugging me during my play through of DA:I. I played as an Elven Inquisitor, so I wondered how it would feel for an elf being revered the way that the Inquisitor was when they were seen as the Herald. And after already having the idea, I found the Wicked Grace cut scene, which completely cemented the idea for me, plus inspired likely further chapters. This will probably be a number of one-shots, which will be interconnected largely by the progression of the relationships between the Inquisitor and her companions. We'll see how many I come up with.

Obviously, Female Lavellan Inquisitor (not that it matters for the story, but she's a dual weapon rogue), with eventual Cullen/Lavellan romance (I broke my own rule about cross race relationships with that one – I couldn't help it! They're just so cute together).

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and in no way linked to BioWare or the Dragon Age series. All characters are used without permission.

1: Revered

"How about a drink, Boss?"

Inquisitor Ellana Lavellan hated those words. She could tolerate them on occasion, when she knew that Bull had "acquired" (translation: likely stolen) a few barrels of liquor, and the drinks would be with the Chargers in a hidden corner of the Keep, but on this occasion, they were standing in front of the Herald's Rest (the name of the tavern another thing she hated), which was Ellana's least favourite place to be.

She knew the moment she walked in that all conversations would cease, and that every patron would turn to watch her, their eyes filled with a reverence she felt she did not deserve. She had thought that now she was the Inquisitor, and not simply the Herald of Andraste, that things would have improved (and if she was totally honest, they were better – there were now people, like Cullen, who treated her with respect, as opposed to reverence), but most of the people in Skyhold still treated her as some sort of deity. And she hated it.

Even her advisors and companions were not immune to this treatment of her. It was partly for this reason she largely kept the company she did. She had taken to avoiding those she knew to be devotedly Andrastian – Cassandra, Josephine, Vivienne, Leliana, and Cullen (though it pained her to avoid him); even Varric and Sera were strangely worshipful towards her on occasion. Blackwall and Cole were tolerable, but Iron Bull and Solas had their own faiths, so treated her no differently than they would any other commander, and while Dorian believed in the Maker, he had told her that Tevinters did not believe Andraste to be the Bride of the Maker, so they "didn't feel so bad about killing her".

She had taken the three of them on her most recent mission, scouting in the Fallow Mires, and now that they were back, she was ready for some relaxation. Spending the night being gawked at did not sound anything of the sort. She should have slipped away when Solas did, as there was no way of refusing Bull. The smirk on Dorian's face made her believe he knew exactly what she was thinking.

It was worth a shot. "Bull, I'm exhausted, I'm dirty and I just want to have a bath and go to bed."

"Aww, c'mon, Boss," said Bull, practically manhandling her towards the door (easy enough for him, given he was close to three times her size). "Just one drink. I'll bet the Commander is in there."

Ellana flushed. Bull and Dorian never tired of teasing her about her obvious attraction to Cullen, especially since they knew she was utterly confused by her feelings towards the former Templar.

She sighed, "Bull, please. You know I hate going in there, I…"

"Nonsense," the Qunari laughed. "Everyone loves the tavern." And with that, he really did manhandle her into the inn, Dorian following after them, still smirking.

The reaction of those inside was immediate, and exactly what she had expected. There were probably fifteen soldiers, and as many civilians, inside, and every single one of them stopped talking and stared at her. The adoration was written on their faces; some even seemed to have tears in their eyes.

Bull apparently chose to ignore the reactions, and loudly called to several of the Chargers, sitting in their usual corner. He dragged her towards them, and she was thankful that they at least acknowledged her with a nod, tip of their mug or smile. The venerating looks of the other patrons followed, however. Ellana could feel them on her as she crossed the room.

A mug of ale was shoved into her hand by someone (probably Bull), but all she could focus on was the silence filling the rest of the room. The laughter of the Chargers seemed almost out of place, and it made the feeling of being watched even worse.

She slammed the mug down. She'd had enough. "I can't deal with this right now. I have to go."

Dorian gave her a look of understanding, but Bull tried to argue. "Boss, I know it's uncomfortable, but you being here might make it better…"

"No, me being here just makes it worse. I'm done. I'm going to bed." She stormed from the tavern; and ran straight into someone large and armoured, landing firmly on her arse in the doorway.

"Maker's breath! Watch where you're going…" came the voice of the Commander, causing Ellana to flush again. "Oh, my apologies, Inquisitor. I didn't realise it was you"

A gauntleted hand was offered to help her up. Ellana almost refused out of pride and stubbornness, but realised that would delay her departure even further.

"Thank you, Commander," she mumbled, as he pulled her to her feet. She noted that Cullen was accompanied by Cassandra and Varric, not really the people she wanted to see in her current state of mind.

"Is something the matter?" the Seeker asked, a look of mild concern or confusion (it was hard to tell emotions with Cassandra) on her face.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," she seethed. They were blocking the doorway with how they were standing. She just wanted them to move.

Cullen frowned. "Are you sure..?"

"I said I'm fine!" Ellana finally snapped. "Get out of the way!"

At their leader's order, the three jumped to the side and let her through. Ellana could not help but notice the look of hurt on Cullen's face. Guilt crept in to do battle with her anger. As she stormed off to her room, she wished that she had taken her ale with her.

Cullen watched the Inquisitor's departing form, and he could not help but feel disappointment. His feelings towards her were…complicated. When he had first met her, he had been uncertain, distrusting. Could she have been involved with the death of the Divine? The distrust turned to acceptance as she proved herself in battle, as well as winning favour with both Cassandra and Leliana. Cullen took his cue from them. And like many others, his admiration grew for her following the battle at Haven. He was never certain if she was truly the Herald of Andraste, but her actions spoke volumes that he could not ignore. He had been the first to stand by Mother Giselle when the priest had pushed for Lady Lavellan (he did not yet allow himself to call her by her first name, even to himself) to become the Inquisitor, and his respect for her grew every day.

His attraction to her had grown too. It had started off simply enough. She had flirted with him, but she flirted with everyone. He hadn't thought much more of it, until he found himself staring openly at her during one war council. Thankfully, Lady Lavellan had not noticed. Unfortunately, Josephine, Leliana and Cassandra had. Most embarrassing. He had tried to explain it away – he had been tired, staring into space, and that the Inquisitor just happened to be filling that space. They hadn't believed him.

And it had only gotten worse. When they had arrived at Skyhold, he found himself actively seeking her out on occasion, if only to watch her while she sparred with Cassandra. Waiting on the battlements for her to return from missions. Being excited by the prospect of a war council meeting because it meant seeing her in close vicinity (that was hardly a change – he'd always enjoyed the meetings – but now he had further reason to enjoy them). He hadn't felt like this about anyone since his time in the Fereldan Circle, discretely watching Neria Surana before she was taken by the blood mages. He wondered, perhaps, if he had a penchant for elves.

If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had only agreed to come to the tavern that night with Varric and Cassandra with the hope that Lady Lavellan would be there after her return from the Mires. He had been with some of his troops when she had returned, so had not been able to greet her, as was his usual want.

He wondered now at her outburst. Perhaps he had crossed a line somewhere. He had tried to keep any attraction to her secret from the Inquisitor herself. After all, she was Dalish, and proudly so. He doubted she wanted to associate in any romantic way with him, so there was no point in her finding out he had any sort of intentions towards her. But the anger she displayed made him wonder.

"What was that about?" he wondered, aloud.

"You mean you can't guess, Curly?" asked Varric. The dwarf frustrated Cullen to no end, with his continual smug behaviour, as if he knew more than anyone, and his comments did little to quell the fear that he himself had be the cause of the Inquisitor's ire.

"No, Varric," he said, evenly. "I confess that I am not as aware of every happening in Skyhold as some."

Varric was not dissuaded, his grin widening. "Look at the facts. We have an Inquisitor clearly upset, and recently preferring the company of a Tevinter mage, and elven mage and a Qunari. We have a tavern full of common folk, which is strangely quiet given the amount of people in it."

Cullen still wasn't sure what was going on, but Dorian had arrived at the door and filled in the blanks. "She's sick of the whole 'Herald of Andraste' rubbish. The people here treat her as a thing, an idea, not a person. Can you imagine what that's like for someone like her? A Dalish elf who has spent most of her life having only fear or disdain directed at her by humans? And now they worship her." The mage lazed against the doorway and narrowed his eyes at the three outside. "None of you help with that, by the way."

Varric sighed. "You're not wrong there, Sparkler."

Cassandra nodded her agreement. "I confess, I find it hard not to treat her as the Herald. Not after all that I have seen and all that she has done."

"She's our Inquisitor," Cullen stated. "Should we not treat her with the respect she deserves?"

"Respect is not the problem," Dorian countered. "That is the problem." He motioned to the crowded tavern, where conversations were just restarting.

"She wants to be treated as one of us, not above us." Cullen finally understood. Of course it would be hard for her, being revered as she was by the masses. And entering a room, only to have all conversations stop would be disconcerting to anyone.

"It'll be a hard habit to break," Varric said, quietly. "The people love her."

"And no one is asking them to stop," Dorian snapped. "Just treat her like a woman and not a bloody idol! Venhedis!" And with that, the mage stormed off in the same direction as the Inquisitor.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Of course, it will be so easy for us to change how the people of Skyhold treat the Inquisitor."

Cullen was thoughtful for a moment. "The people will take their cue from the soldiers. And the soldiers will do as they are commanded."

The Seeker raised her eyebrows. "Why Commander, it seems you have an idea?"

He nodded. "I do."

In the days following her outburst, Ellana largely kept to her quarters. It was as much out of embarrassment as anything else. She knew she had been unfair to Cullen, Cassandra and Varric, and the behaviour she had shown was hardly proper for someone who was meant to be a leader. Still, being confined to her room meant she did not have to deal with the adoring looks.

She spent much of her time on the balcony, watching over the Keep. She noticed that Cullen, Blackwall and Cassandra seemed to be meeting frequently in the training yard, joined by Varric and even some of the Bull's Chargers on most days. They did not appear to be sparring or training, but standing and having discussions, which seemed to be heated. Ellana supposed they were coming up with new drills for the soldiers and were arguing over the training schedules. Though, on several occasions Sera also joined them, which Ellana found particularly bizarre. She knew for a fact that Sera had no formal training (and was distinctly proud of this), so the Inquisitor wondered at what the other elf would be doing associating with the soldiers.

Of course, after two days of this, staring out the window became quite tedious, and Ellana was ready to leave her quarters even if it meant facing her adoring public, so she was more than happy to see Varric at her door, asking if she would come with him to investigate some red lyrium deposits he had heard word of in the Hinterlands. A trip to the Hinterlands and back would give her a week or so out of Skyhold, and while it would mean time with Varric, he at least seemed to realise that she hated the way she was seen and generally tried not to treat her too differently.

So, along with Iron Bull and Dorian, she and Varric headed to the Hinterlands. As they were leaving the stables with their mounts, she caught sight of Cullen in the training yards. He offered a small smile, which she returned, unable to stop the flushing of her cheeks.

Her companions were sure not to let her forget the reaction either.

As soon he was sure that the Inquisitor had left, Cullen jogged back to the courtyard where Blackwall and Cassandra had been told to gather the soldiers, as well as Leliana's scouts and the Bull's Chargers. Training them on how to act around her had proven difficult with her still at Skyhold (even if she had been keeping to her room), so when Varric had concocted a plan to get her out (a mission which should not pose too much danger to her), all the advisors had agreed to it.

Sera was already there too, dressed in some of Lady Lavellan's spare clothes, a wig of auburn horse hair covering her short blonde locks. The resemblance to the Inquisitor was passing at best, but they had agreed that it would make it easier for the troops to act accordingly if they had someone to act towards. Sera, being another female elf and of similar size to Lady Lavellan, was the obvious choice.

"So, Cully-Wully," Sera cooed. "Are you gonna to be able to keep your hands off me while I'm dressed like this?" She made some kissing noises.

He chose to ignore her (especially the new nickname she had chosen for him – and he had thought "Curly" was bad), but couldn't help the blush that crept across his cheeks. He distracted himself by addressing the troops assembled. "Inquisition! For the next week, in addition to your combat training, you will enter into training with Warden Blackwall, Seeker Pentaghast and…" He did not know how to title the elf. "And Sera. The purpose of this training is to ensure that when our Inquisitor returns, she is treated with the respect that she deserves."

There were looks of confusion throughout the crowd. Cassandra joined Cullen at the front. "For too long we have treated our Inquisitor as if she is not of this world."

"Well, she's the Herald of Andraste, isn't she?" one soldier called.

"She is, but she is also a woman, an elven woman," Cullen countered. "How many of you were at the tavern the other night? How many of you silenced yourselves and gawked at her when she walked in? Do you think she felt comfortable when that happened?"

A murmur spread through the crowd, making it clear that most had at least heard of the events at the tavern. Cullen motioned for Krem to come forward as well.

"This is Krem, second-in-command to the Iron Bull," Cullen announced, for the few who might not know. "Ser Krem, please tell us how you act towards the Inquisitor when in her presence."

Krem shrugged. "She's the Boss. We treat her with respect, but she likes a joke, so we have fun with her too. Managed to get her proper drunk a few weeks back. Bloody elves can't hold their drink."

"And does her being the Herald of Andraste change anything?"

"Course not. Heralds still like a drink, I'm sure. I reckon even the Maker Himself needs one from time to time."

A few of the soldiers chuckled, which was good. Krem's blunt manner was having the effect Cullen hoped, breaking down the barriers, showing that it was possible to show the Inquisitor respect and admiration, without elevating her.

"Sera will act as the Inquisitor for the purposes of this training," Cullen stated. "Krem and the Chargers will assist as needed. You will all participate in this training for at least an hour every day for the next week. Any questions?"

One brave solider spoke up. "I'm sorry, Commander, but isn't this a bit over the top? An hour of extra training every day just to learn how to act around the Inquisitor. Seems like, I dunno, a bit of a waste of time."

Cullen glared. "The Inquisitor is instrumental to our success. We owe it to her to see that she is comfortable here. If you think it's a waste of time, then best hope your fellows are fast learners."

The trip to the Hinterlands took longer than expected, due largely to Ellana's usual habit of finding those who needed help. She didn't mind though. They had been successful in finding and destroying several red lyrium deposits, as well recruiting two more agents. And then Bull had convinced her to take on a fully grown dragon. Thankfully, Dorian managed to daze it, allowing her to take out its legs. Varric landed a brilliant bolt shot to its eye, while Bull hacked off its head. They had left most of the remains at camp, to be transported back to Skyhold, but Bull had insisted on taking the head with him, he had it strung over his back. The smell was starting to get a bit ripe, so Ellana was happy to see the Skyhold gates.

"Bull, please dump that head somewhere and have a bathe," she sighed.

"Are you kidding, Boss?" he laughed. "I have got to show this to the Chargers."

She was a little disappointed that Cullen was not at the gates to meet them, as he had done on many occasions. The fear of being roasted alive by a dragon had caused her to think about him a lot, and she had come to the decision that maybe she shouldn't be confused by her feelings towards him and should just see where things went. Dorian had dropped several hints that Cullen might return the feelings in any case.

Bull was clearly headed towards the tavern, and she noticed that Dorian and Varric seemed to be herding her in that direction too. She sighed, not knowing which would be worse: the argument she would need to have with them in order to get out of being force to "have a drink", or having to deal with the usual reaction from the tavern patrons.

Dorian must have read the expression on her face. "You know that even if you try to argue, we'll get you in there anyway. Best just to accept the inevitable."

She sighed again. "I hate you all, you know."

"And we love you too, my dear."

Bull was a good way in front of them, so she heard the noises from the tavern. There was a cheer as he likely held the dragon's head aloft. Even when the door swung shut again, the music and laughter seeped through into the night.

Ellana came to the door and placed her hand against it, resigning herself to what was to come. Dorian rolled his eyes, pushing past her and opening the door.

She closed her eyes and awaited the inescapable lull in sound which followed her wherever she went, but it didn't come. She slowly opened her eyes. The tavern was practically full, soldiers and scouts mostly drinking together, with a few civilians. Many of them caught her eye and offered a smile, or raised their mugs to her. One of Leliana's scouts walked passed with a "Welcome back, Inquisitor", while an Inquisition soldier gave her a toothy grin, and said "Nice work with the dragon, ser."

She made her way through the crowd in a daze. Those she made eye contact with acknowledge her with a smile or a nod, but for the most part, the patrons carried on with their own conversations. She wondered if she was perhaps still at the Hinterlands camp in a dream. This couldn't be real. Only a week or so ago, she had entered the same pub and had to run from the unbearable feeling of veneration, but now, now it was great.

She couldn't help it. She laughed. She pushed her way forward again to where Bull was showing off the dragon's head. "Bull, get that filthy thing out of my pub, right now! Varric, get me a drink. It's been a long trip back." She climbed onto a table, calling out to the crowd. "So, who wants to hear how I killed the dragon?"

The crowd cheered, beer splashing to the ground as mugs were raised to her.

Cullen stood back, watching the Inquisitor as she animatedly told her story, with frequent interruptions from Varric and Dorian. Iron Bull just stood back in the corner, laughing heartily. He couldn't help but smile at the gleeful grin on her face. In his mind, it made everything worthwhile.

In the end, it hadn't been that hard. Cullen wasn't sure what had been the bigger factor: the Chargers relentless insistence that even "the Boss" was allowed to have fun, or the fact that it had been near impossible to treat Sera with any form of reverence. Many of the troops had dissolved into laughter when Sera had tried to impersonate the Inquisitor's more dulcet voice tone. (Sera had apparently been offended by that, and had refused to act as the Inquisitor again until those involved apologised – and Sera's version of an "apology" was letting her prank them).

Still, he had held his breath when she entered the tavern. After all, it was one thing when the "Inquisitor" was a classless rogue with a horse hair wig. It was another thing altogether when faced by the real thing. He was proud of his soldiers and the influence they had had on the civilian inhabitants of Skyhold.

The Inquisitor finished her tale with a flourish, and the crowd cheered once more. She beamed at them, before spying Cullen in his hiding spot. Her grin widened, and she jumped from the table she was standing on, making her way towards him.

"Inquisitor," he greeted.

"Commander," she returned, grin not fading.

"So that's what really happened with the dragon?"

"Absolutely."

He crossed his arms. "The Iron Bull screamed like a child and ran away, dropping his axe. You then picked up the axe, which, from recollection, is practically the same size as you, and used it to hew the dragon's head from its neck, while Dorian and Varric cowered behind rocks."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you calling me a liar, Commander?"

"Of course not, Inquisitor. I wouldn't dream of it."

She erupted into laughter. "I can't believe they let me get away with that, Bull especially, since it was his idea to go after the bloody thing." She smiled at him again. "If you want the absolute truth, yes, it was Bull who actually chopped of its head. I did manage to hamstring it though, which allowed him to do so, so I figure I had as big a part in it as he did."

Cullen chuckled. "Your version made for a better story in any case. Varric best watch out, he may have a competitor."

She gave him a sly look. "So, Commander, I have a question for you. Last time I was here, I couldn't even enter the tavern without the whole lot of them staring at me like I had two heads. And now, suddenly, all these soldiers have accepted me as one of them. How do you suppose that happened?"

"I couldn't guess, Inquisitor," he lied.

"Really? Because to me, it seems almost as though someone commanded them."

He swallowed, uncomfortably. He had hoped (foolishly, perhaps) that she would not make the connection between the new behaviour of the soldiers, and himself. "I…uh…I don't know what you mean, my Lady."

Her face became serious. "Well, that's good, because I'd hate to hear that Inquisition time and resources was wasted on something as silly as making me feel better about myself."

He coughed. "Well, I…"

She laughed, the grin returning, and before he realised what was happening, she had stood on her toes, kissed his cheek, and whispered, "Thank you, Cullen."

He watched as she danced her way back to the corner where the Chargers were sitting. His hand went to his cheek, to the place she had kissed him, and he murmured to himself, "You're welcome…Ellana."

A/N: Gah! I swear it wasn't meant to be that sickly sweet! Cullen and Lavellan just sort of hijacked the story. As I said at the start, I may or may not expand on this. If I do, it will likely be expansions on in-game cut scenes, such as the Wicked Grace scene. We'll see how much love I get in the reviews as to whether I do ;)