"Alright." Nathaniel Howe bowed his head at their Commander.

"Miralena, you can't be serious!" Anders protested.

The red head glared at Anders. "I am serious. Someone needs to infiltrate Bann Esmerelle's estate and besides, his... history... tells me he's the perfect man for the job."

Anders snorted. "Then why not let me go with him?"

Nathaniel glowered. "I can do this myself Mage. I don't need a sitter."

Miralena nodded. "Besides that and the fact that one man can get in easier than two, I hate to say this but as the Commander It's too much of a risk to send me in where I could get captured."

Nathaniel nodded. "I'm expendable."

"The hell you are!" Anders exploded.

"Anders stop making a spectacle or we'll have you removed from the room." Miralena said in a clipped voice.

Oghren snickered. "Stop twisting your skirts, he'll be fine. Took four wardens to get him last time remember?"

Sigrun grinned. "Four? Good job."

Velanna uttered a slight sound of approval.

Nathaniel politely inclined his head. "Thank you. And do as they say Anders. Relax. Maker's breath you're annoying."

Anders huffed up as if to say something else, then deflated. "Fine. If you say so, fine." He turned his head back towards Miralena. "But if one thing goes wrong Commander, I'm the one that's going after him."

Miralena nodded. "That's a perfectly acceptable compromise, and nothing less than I'd have expected out of my team."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes and sighed. "Andraste's tits. You're like a mother hen." He muttered. Then he stood, and nodded to each of the Warden's in turn. "I'll be leaving shortly then, Commander. I need to get a few things ready though, so if you'll excuse me?"

Miralena nodded and waved her hand. "This meeting is over, you're all dismissed." And she narrowed her eyes and watched Anders follow Nathaniel out the door.

Anders was definitely following Nathaniel back to the dark haired man's room, trying to be nonchalant, and glad the other Wardens' rooms were on the other end of the Vigil. That not only meant that he wouldn't look suspicious going to the noble's room, it also meant no one would miss him from *his* room.

When they reached his room Nathaniel started sifting through his trunk for various vials of poison and the daggers he wanted to use, along with his lockpicking set.

Anders made a noise in the back of his throat. "Can I come in?" He was leaning in the doorway.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Yes, and shut the door."

Anders did as he was bade and then rushed over and enveloped the rogue in a hug. "Nate, promise me you'll be careful? Please?" He whispered into the other man's ear.

Nathaniel smiled a little. "I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it." He petted the mage's hair a little.

Anders pulled back a little bit and quirked a grin. "A kiss for good luck then?"

Nathaniel chuckled. "Needy are we? I'll only be gone for a week at most."

"Any time away from you is too long."

Nathaniel snorted. "You're a sap." But he tilted his head forward and captured Anders' lips in a gentle kiss. When he went to pull back to finish packing he found Anders' hands and arms tightening around him. "Anders, if you don't let me go, I will never get to my mission..."

"Not a convincing argument." Anders grinned and nuzzled Nathaniel's neck.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes again and pulled himself free. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back." he promised.

"Fine, fine..." Anders stood and watched his lover pack. "Please Nathaniel... remember to be careful..."

"Of course Mage. I'm always careful. One week. That's all, and I'll be back."

The Last thing Anders saw was Nathaniel's retreating back. That was three weeks ago.

"He said he would be back in a week!" Anders raged at Miralena, "It's been three you have to let me go after him!"

Miralena shook her head, "Not like this you aren't. I'm not letting you out of my keep until you tell me exactly what's going on and why you're more eager than the others to go after him."

Anders' breath hitched and he closed his eyes, "I'm not telling you that." He shook his head. "That's between him and myself."

Miralena raised an eyebrow, "I see. However, this is something that is affecting the dynamic of this team and the safety on my Wardens. You have an obligation to the others to tell me exactly what's going on. Now!"

"I don't have to tell you anything." He hissed. "Whether you authorize this or not I'm going to get him."

Her other eyebrow rose in surprise. "I see. Then I'll just call the Templar in and get this over with."

"You wouldn't turn me into them!" His face blanched. "I'll just get loose again." He threatened.

"Not if they make you a… what was the word…" She tapped her chin. "Ah yes. Not if I tell them to make you a Tranquil."

Anders made a strangled noise and started clenching and unclenching his hands, "Fine." A vein throbbed in his temple, "You want to know? By Andraste's flaming knickers you are a nosy woman." He took a deep breath… then another one before he finally said, in a small and quiet voice, "We're... lovers. There. I told you, can I go now?"

Miralena gave a little half smile, "I'd do the same for Alistair. But tell me why you don't trust any of us to go after him?"

"Of course I trust you to get him back." Anders said grudgingly. "But what I don't trust is your reasons. I want him back because I love him. You want him back so you can send him off on another suicide mission, I'd wager."

Miralena tapped her boot on the floor for a few moments. "This never was a suicide mission. Dangerous, yes, but I felt him capable of handling it. Obviously, there were complications, so if you want to get him out, fine. But we do it my way."

"Agreed." Anders said with some relief.

Not too long after the other's trickled into the room, Sigrun first, followed by Oghren and then Velanna.

Miralena nodded at each of them and then cleared her throat. "Now. As you are all well aware Nathaniel is not back with us yet. However, I have a plan." She pulled out a fancy cream and pine green dress with lace trimming and pearls all over it.

Anders raised an eyebrow. "For you commander? But I thought redheads can't wear green?"

She grinned at him and shook her head. "Not for me."

"For Velanna then?"

Velanna snorted. "Elf."

"But Sigrun is too short…" He trailed off, as he caught the grin on Miralena's face. "No. No no, Maker's breath, NO."

Oghren let out a dirty chuckle. "At least you're used to wearin' 'em sparklefingers."

Miralena muffled a laugh. "You wanted to rescue him; you have to deal with the plan, remember? Bann Esmerelle is hosting a party tonight, and you will be there. There's a wig, and makeup for you too. And we'll have to do something about that stubble…"

Sigrun and Oghren were howling with laughter, and Velanna's lips were twitching as she fought a smile.

"You will be going with a date, and I have just the man." Miralena grinned at the poor Mage again. "Ser Carroll? Would you come here please?"

Anders stared as the man entered the room. "A templar? Are you trying to get me killed commander?"

Carroll cocked his head to the side. "Don't worry. I've been bribed with cookies. These are better than the ones before."

Anders' shoulders slumped and he looked like he was just itching to shoot lightning at the poor Templar.

"Now, everyone but Anders, out!" Miralena clapped her hands and the other four left, still laughing. "Oghren I'll need to talk to you in a moment. I trust you remember Fort Drakon?"

Oghren let out a raucous laugh. "Do I ever! But the funny Elf isn't here, how'm I supposed to do that this time?"

Miralena's smile was slightly mysterious. "You'll be doing something else this time."

"If you say so Commander." Oghren belched and left the room.

"What was the point of them being in here?" Anders accused.

"I just wanted them to see the pretty dress you'll be wearing." She dimpled at him.

"You are an evil woman."

"I know. Now let's get started."

A few hours later Miralena hauled out a full length mirror and pointed to a spot in front of it. "Anders, stand there and let's have a look."

Anders stood self-consciously in front of the mirror. "Maker's breath, I look like a woman!" He was dressed to the nines in the pearl soaked dress, a wig with hair piled up in an elaborate fashion with ringlets tumbling down his shoulders, and his face was shaved smoother than it had ever been before. The make-up did a good job of hiding his masculinity and they used some thinly scraped waterskins stuffed into the dress to simulate breasts. They hadn't even tried to get him into the fancy shoes Miralena had brought out, his feet were simply too big, and the dress was long enough to hide his regular leather boots, so why bother? They had also forgone the dainty lady gloves and the arm poofs.

"That was the point. Now remember, stay quiet, and get in and out of there as fast as possible. And for Andraste's sake, try to walk like a woman or they'll know!" She tugged on a few points of his dress, trying to get it to sit right. "You're going to go in, be introduced and Oghren is going to make a scene. Take the distraction…"

"Wait… Oghren? A distraction?" Anders pulled at the dress unhappily as he looked quizzically at the Dwarf in the doorway.

"Don't be so surprised, mage, I've done it before. At least I don't have to wear the clown pants this time."

"Clown… what?" Anders shook his head. "No, nevermind. I don't want to know. But then I find Nate, yes. Then can I get out of this dress?"

"Yes, then you can get out of the dress." Miralena giggled. "Now off you go. This is going to be a long night, and it will get longer every minute you leave him there."

Anders sighed and scowled as Carroll held out his arm. "No. No. No. I refuse to play this game any more than I have to. I'm not even looking at you until we get there."

Carroll shrugged and went back to eating his cookies as they climbed into the carriage and set off.

Upon arriving at Bann Esmerelle's estate they were quickly introduced and left to mingle… though not for long. They hadn't even been there five minutes before Oghren swaggered in, naked as the day he was born and bellowing some sort of drinking song.

The ladies screeched and all eyes turned on him letting Anders mutter a quick prayer of thanks before ducking into a side hall and leaving Carroll confused and alone. He hitched up his skirts and started heading for the dungeons.

Not that it was that easy. He didn't want to kill any of the guards on the way so he… merely froze them. Temporarily. It would wear off, in a few minutes, and by then he'd be long gone. He stuck his fingers in his mouth to warm them back up; those spells always made his hands go numb.

When he dispatched the last of the guards and pilfered Nathaniel's stuff from an unlocked chest he searched through the cells for his lover. "Nate?" He called out softly.

"Anders?" A groan.

There, the last cell on the right! He hurried over and pushed the tools through the bars. "Here you go lover. Come on, let's get you home."

Nathaniel blinked up at him. "You're in a dress. Why are you in a dress?"

"Talk to the commander about that." Anders said. "Just hurry and get yourself out before those guards I froze thaw out!"

"Not until you tell me why you… Maker's breath, you've got breasts! And what… your hair?" Nathaniel picked his way out of the manacles and managed to get the cell door open. "Anders what in the Maker's name did they do to you?"

Anders glowered. "I refuse to answer that until we are safely home and in our own room."

Nathaniel looked like he wanted to protest more so Anders shoved the noble's armor into his hands. "Here, get dressed, we're getting out of here. Do you know any other way than straight from the ballroom?"

Nathaniel pulled his armor on quickly and nodded. "There's no way you'll make it without tearing that… contraption to shreds and getting it dirty beyond fixing."

"I don't care." Anders' face was stubbornly set.

"The commander might, if it's hers." Nathaniel's face grew thoughtful. "There's another way, but…"

"But what? And this dress couldn't be hers, it's not her color." Anders looked rather depressed, wondering if he really wanted to know what the rogue was thinking.

"Can you scream like a woman?"

"…"

"I'll take that as a no then." Nathaniel chuckled.

Anders opened his mouth to say something and thought better of it, instead pulling Nathaniel into a hug. "Nate… I…"

"I know. I'm alright. They didn't do more than rough me up a bit and keep food from me." Nathaniel nuzzled Anders' neck and then laughed, pulling back. "You even smell like a woman."

Anders rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll get dirty and sweaty when he get home and be back to normal. Can we just go?"

Nate grinned. "I'll hold you to that later."

Anders flushed and pushed past the rogue, determined to keep his mind on the mission. He didn't want to think about anything else until they were safe at home.

After sneaking through the dungeon they were nearly home free. They'd emerged outside of the estate in a field of some sort and started running.

The lone guard who was at the gate that night blinked at the duo running through the field. "Youngsters…" He sighed and raised his voice in a bored tone, "You youngsters better get back inside before they decide to send the Mabari out!"

Nathaniel looked back in alarm and started running faster, tugging on Anders.

Anders tripped on the hem of the dress and fell into a puddle, and instantly Nathaniel was tugging, pushing, shoving, trying to get the mage to move faster.

The guard blinked, this didn't seem to be like a normal tryst… "Ser! Stop shoving the lady, if she doesn't want to leave with you she doesn't have to!" He raised his crossbow, "Halt I said!"

Nathaniel shoved Anders out of the way, "Get out of here Mage… I can take care of the guard!"

.The guard saw the shove and took a deep breath to steady his aim. None of the guests would be getting snatched away if he could help it. Then he fired.

Anders heard the twang and pivoted in the dirt, throwing himself at Nathaniel, shoving the rogue out of the way.

Nathaniel's eyes widened in horror as he heard the meaty thunk and felt Anders fall against him. "Anders? Anders where are you hit? Answer me Mage!" He turned and pulled Anders onto him.

"It's…" hiss, "just a flesh wound. Pull the arrow out; let me cast some healing magic." Anders' face was pained. "It will only take a moment." He had his hands pressed to his left side, where the arrow protruded.

Nathaniel set Anders gently on the ground and braced himself. He closed his eyes and pulled the arrow out swiftly, so as not to prolong the pain any more than he had to. Then he turned and shrouded himself.

The guard stared in horror at the lady he'd hit and went running out into the field, desperate to help. He never noticed that the young man had disappeared, and he didn't notice anything more as the knife plunged into his back and he left to the ground. Nathaniel deftly stabbed him once in the temple to be sure he was dead, dropped out of hiding and returned to Anders' side.

"Are you alright Anders?" His voice was harsh and low.

Anders grinned cheekily up at him. "I'm fine Nate. See? No wound!" He tried to stand, "A bit woozy though. Can we go home now? I don't think I like this place."

"Of course." Nathaniel looked away from the bloodstained dress and concentrated on getting them home… one step at a time.