Kaiya stood at a window in one of the many, twisting halls of the Circle Tower. She looked out at the glistening water of the Lake Calenhad, sighing as she thought of how it would feel against her skin. Would the water be cold? Or warm, having basked in the sun all day long? She had learned to swim as a child, before she was taken from her older brother to the Circle. He had taught her in the same lake she looked down upon then, only miles to the north.

She had been raised by her older brother, Dairen. Their parents died whilst traveling to Denerim, murdered and robbed of all their goods. Dairen was a skilled blacksmith and had managed to keep their home and raise his baby sister with his trade. She was only 6 years old. That was also when she discovered her talent for magic. The Templars came for her not even days later.

Footsteps coming up the hall interrupted her memories. She turned her head, frightful to see who it would be. She was often reprimanded for staring out of the windows. Knight-Commander Greagoir would scold her, "It's a world not for you, and it's a waste of time to dwell upon it." The Knight- Commander's voice echoed against the walls of her skull and light scowl to her face. She'd often argued back that if it indeed was a world unfit for mages, then why did they build windows for them to look out of? She'd storm off with the retort, "To remind us we are not good enough to be a part of the world, just it's prisoners."

She didn't always think this extremely on the topic, but she ached to be free of the stone walls that surrounded her entire life.

A Templar by the name of Cullen showed himself to be the owner of the approaching footsteps. He caught sight of Kaiya and paused, not expecting to see anyone in the hallway. She smiled, thankful it wasn't Greagoir or Wynne come to usher her away.

"Hello Cullen," she greeted him warmly.

"Oh um, hello, Kaiya," Cullen replied, his words unsteady.

"I hope you are well?" she asked, turning from the window to face him. She nervously clutched her hands together in front of herself as she smiled to him.

Cullen could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks at the sweetness in her voice. He had to use all of his willpower to keep them from flushing a crimson red. "I am. As are you, I hope?" he managed.

She could see he looked uncomfortable but didn't act on it. "I am."

They stood for a moment, their pause filling the air. Cullen nervously broke the silence. "I was just making my rounds of the tower. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You aren't disturbing me. Really, I'm glad you weren't the Knight-Commander, or Wynne. They would be scolding me blind for wandering the halls," she said sadly. She suddenly grew apprehensive and shot him a worried look, "you won't mention you saw me here, will you?"

He felt bad at her wide-eyed question and shook his head, "oh, no. I won't," he smiled to her. "It's a bit silly, I think. Being reprimanded for looking outside."

"I, agree... but I understand my place," Kaiya said promptly. She bit her lip at her words. "I'm sorry, Cullen. I'll return to the dormitory," she bowed her head before rushing passed him back down the hall.

Before he could protest she was gone. He'd turned in time to see the ends of her robes fluttering behind her as she disappeared around the corner. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed it roughly. He looked back down the hall where she had run, recalling how she had looked that day. She wore blue robes, her hair tied up in a matching colored ribbon. She'd looked as lovely as she always did, he sighed to himself.

"Maker, give me strength," he said aloud to the empty hallway, shaking his head as if to shake away the memory of her. He turned and continued his rounds of the tower.

Kaiya couldn't hide the silly grin on her face at the fluttering of her heart as she hurried down the steps to the lower floors of the tower. The Maker had favored her, she joked to herself, having had the one Templar in all of the Circle that would turn their head at her dalliance be the one to find her daydreaming away. Her smile widened as she thought on the awkwardness of his words to her. It was obvious to her he'd been sweet on her. It chilled her to think someone thought on her that way; that it was Cullen that thought on her that way.

"Kaiya!" Wynne called to her as she caught site of the girl almost skipping back to the apprentice dormitories.

Kaiya paused just before the door and turned to face her teacher. She stood tall and walked to the elder mage, "yes, Enchanter?"

"You've been gone a while... where have you been?" Wynne asked with a hand on her hip.

"I was reading in the library," Kaiya lied. She hoped Wynne hadn't been in the library just then...

The white-haired woman peered at the obedient apprentice, knowing that was probably not the truth. Kaiya carried no books or scrolls. But she decided not to press the matter. "Doing your assignments, for once?" she smirked.

Kaiya smiled back. "Yes, Enchanter."

"We'll need to test the knowledge gained, then," Wynne stated as she relaxed her arms at her sides and turned to leave her student. "Go and get ready for supper."

"Yes, Enchanter," Kaiya bowed her head respectfully before turning back to do as she was told. She closed her eyes and sighed, quietly relieved Wynne didn't question her obvious fib. The Maker favored her this day, indeed, she smirked as she pushed open the door to her dormitory.