Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Age series or any of the characters. I just love them. ^.^
**There will be spoilers for Dragon Age: Inquisition**
Title: Stay
Summary: Months after he disappeared, her heart is still broken. So determined and so distracted with trying to find Solas, Inquisitor Lavellan is blind to all else. But, when the commander of her army decides to finally reveal his feelings, will she finally be able to accept Solas' absence?
Author's Note: Welcome to my first video game inspired fanfiction! I suck at summaries and titles, so I apologize. Please don't judge me too harshly should I get some places/people mixed up. I love the Dragon Age series and just couldn't get this idea out of my head. I am sure that this has been done before and is super cliché, but nonetheless, I feel the need to write it. Anyway, this is meant to just be a cute little thing that fills the gap between the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition and the Trespasser DLC. Two years are said to have passed, which are generally unknown to you as the inquisitor. So, there will be spoilers of the ending of the game, not necessarily the Trespasser DLC.
I don't expect this to go on for too long. It will probably just end up being a few chapters. However, I always enjoy/welcome feedback and suggestions. Feel free to leave a review. Oh, and prepare for cheese, obviously.
Chapter 1 – Into the Wilds
"Then we'll head there. Maybe this time we'll actually find him."
Josephine sighed, her eyes darting down to the piece of parchment clutched in her hands. She could usually be seen with one these days, scurrying after the Inquisitor, attempting to coerce her into actually following and completing the full schedule that her title and the defeat of Corypheus awarded.
"If you think that's best," Josephine said with regret, "I suppose the meetings with the ambassadors can wait."
The Inquisitor spun toward her advisor, her dark locks bouncing against the top of her shoulders. "We have to find him. We have to find Solas."
It was always her defense, and she knew it. Ever since he had disappeared months ago without a word, she had made it her priority to find him, much to the disagreement of some of her advisors and companions. But, she had to find him. It was no longer for the Inquisition she searched. It was for herself and her broken heart.
They had met in such a whirlwind—the scenes of which flashed before her in the span of a second, causing a pang in her heart.
"I think Josie's only concerned that the ambassadors will grow impatient," Leliana jumped to the rescue. Her eyes darted from Josephine to the Inquisitor. "This will be the third time postponing the meeting, after all."
The Inquisitor sighed. "I'm sorry to keep putting you in this position, Josephine. I'm still not used to the politics of all of this. I trust that you can come up with some excuse to get me out of it."
"Dodging the ambassadors again, I see." The commander of the Inquisition's army ducked into the war room, closing the door behind him. The heavy wood groaned loudly on the old hinges. "I don't think any of us can fault that."
"Thank you for joining us, Cullen," Leliana greeted sarcastically, a small smile on her lips.
"Yes," Josephine agreed. "You have exquisite timing."
Cullen walked up to the large table with the equally enormous map spread out across it. "Sorry I'm late. There was a problem with one of the soldiers. It seems he thought that the celebration of Corypheus' defeat was still going on months after the event."
The Inquisitor smiled. "Good thing we have a capable commander to remind our soldiers that there is still work to be done."
Cullen returned the smile, lingering for just a moment. Then he cleared his throat. It was down to business. "So, what are we making an excuse for?"
"The Inquisitor has decided that it is in the best interest of the Inquisition to head to the Arbor Wilds immediately to search for any sign of Solas," Josephine informed, still crossing off some unknown items on the schedule.
"Well surely your spies, Leliana-" Cullen began, attempting to find another way.
"No," the Inquisitor cut in. "I have to go there."
"Is that really wise?" He had spoken before thinking better of it. Now, he noticed a veil pass over the Inquisitor's soft features. Without her saying a word, he knew that she was shutting down, growing defensive. If he had learned anything while serving the Inquisition, it was that the Inquisitor was stronger than she looked and quite immoveable when wearing that expression. She had possessed something similar when facing down Corypheus. "I mean," he added quickly, "our resources are still limited. It might be more beneficial to wait another month or two."
The Inquisitor shook her head. "It might be too late then. I understand that it might be difficult to spare the people and the supplies needed to go back into the Arbor Wilds. I won't ask anyone to inconvenience themselves for me—for what might be a dead end anyway." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, and moved slowly to the door.
"Inquisitor, there would be a whole slew of people vying to accompany you if you were to just ask," Leliana reassured. "You've done the entire world a great service in defeating Corypheus. You ask for anything and it is yours."
"No, I won't do that. Josephine, I leave the ambassadors in your capable hands. And, Leliana, I need you to continue searching for clues to Solas' whereabouts in case this doesn't lead anywhere. I know that it is an impossible task, since he apparently doesn't want to be found," she winced, "but he has to be out there. I'll go to the Arbor Wilds myself. Don't alert anyone. I don't want to disturb them." With that, the Inquisitor exited the war room.
The room was left in a tense silence for no more than a minute. It was broken by Leliana saying what they all were thinking. "Sometimes it is hard for us to remember that the Inquisitor is just a woman."
"Since the beginning, there's been so much asked of her," Josephine chimed in, "without any thought to whether or not she even wanted this."
"She was never given a choice," Cullen whispered. "She was thrown into this mess. The rest of us volunteered. She's had the fate of the entire world upon her shoulders. The rest of us can claim to understand and want to help alleviate her stress, but none of us can truly know what she has gone through."
Leliana laughed. "Hell, she slept for four days straight after dealing with Corypheus. That should have been indication alone. Let her have this one, but I don't feel comfortable letting her go alone."
"You're right. Josephine and Leliana, do as she requests. Keep the peace. Keep it quiet here," Cullen decided. "I'll go with her personally. She shouldn't have to deal with this alone."
xXx
Tanwen Lavellan ran her fingers through her brunette locks, brushing them up into a ponytail, showing off her pointed ears. She already donned her battlemage mail, which she wore out on each expedition. She didn't necessarily expect trouble, but even she was aware that heading out to the Arbor Wilds by herself wasn't the safest decision.
She turned from the set of drawers, her eyes catching on the open door leading out to the balcony. And, she stopped. Suddenly her haste could wait. She stepped slowly to the doors, lightly touching the frame as she passed through. Outside, the sun peaked through the clouds, casting rays of light upon the earth. But, she was distracted by visions of the past.
Solas…
And a kiss. A perfect kiss.
But, he had warned her.
She had pushed, and he had warned her.
Tanwen scoffed in disbelief.
"Everything alright?"
The voice interrupted her, but perhaps for the best. She pivoted to see Cullen joining her on the balcony.
"I knocked," he said with a shrug.
She smiled and looked away. "He tried to tell me."
The commander leaned next to her. "Solas?"
She nodded. "He tried to tell me right here, actually. 'It would be kinder in the long run,' he had said. But, I was so blind. I just thought that he was scared or shy."
"You had no way of knowing what he would do. None of us did."
"But, if I had listened to him instead of to my heart then all of this could have been avoided."
Cullen grasped her hand comfortingly. "At least you followed your heart. That's not something all of us can claim."
"'All of us'?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
He immediately released her hand, cleared his throat uncomfortably, and turned away. "Yes, well, I'm not all regiment and routine. But, we should go investigate this lead of Leliana's."
"Wait, 'we'? You're not coming along," Tanwen insisted.
Cullen smiled. "You honestly think that we would let you go off by yourself? Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."
His smile was contagious. A grin spread across Tanwen's face.
"Well then, commander, shall we?"