A/N: This is a story idea I had about a young Elissa/Nathaniel meeting for the first time, let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Dragon Age is owned by Bioware, I just fool around.
Elissa
My eyes opened as I looked into the morning light filtering into my room. I jumped out of bed with a squeal and started getting ready for my morning archery session. Today was the first day of the annual tournament my family held, and Father was letting me compete in the archery portion this year. Mother had been irritated that I, her fourteen year old daughter, would be competing in the tournament instead of being a proper lady and watching the competition from the family box, but she finally gave in when she remembered what she was like at my age.
I was the spitting image of my mother: dark auburn hair that only looked red in direct sunlight, pale skin that was currently lightly tanned from all the time I spent outside working on my archery, a straight skinny nose, large emerald eyes, and a small, full mouth that father often accused of looking impertinent. I was a little gawky but only because I had not grown into the figure mother swore would come. I was proud to be my mother's daughter mostly because it was mother that had first taught me to use a bow. So the Teyrna couldn't hold it against me that I wanted to compete. I wanted to prove to mother that I was just as good, could defend my home if needed and still be the lady she was training me to be when I was not practicing my archery. Once I was dressed in my leathers, chest guard, arm guard, and gloves, I grabbed my bow and quiver from the stand in my room and made my way to the archery yard to practice for an hour, maybe more if I could get away with it.
I passed through the corridors without too much trouble. The servants were already up and in a rush trying to get the ground ready for the tournament, as well as prepare the morning meal for my family as well as the Howe family, who were staying for the length of the tournament as guests. I hurried into the yard, thankful that it was still early enough and I was alone and began getting ready to start. I leaned my quiver of arrows against a nearby tree after taking out six arrows. I placed myself at an easy starting distance from the target in my stance, and lined the arrows up in a line, within easy reach.
My morning practices were never about speed, always my form. I had only been working on my skills with a bow for about a year now and I liked to cover the basics early to warm my body as exercise. I gripped my bow in my left hand, and pulled one of the arrows in the ground with my right. Putting the arrow in place on the string, and I pulled the string back to my cheek to site down the arrow to my target. I kissed the fletching of the arrow, as had become a habit for my morning routine, took a breath in and then as I started to release my breath, I also loosed the arrow. It hit the target but on the left side in the outer ring. Trying not to let my frustration get the better of me, I continued shooting, until all six arrows were in the target, the last two in the center targeting ring. Suddenly as the last arrow hit the target, I heard clapping behind me.
Nathaniel
I had gotten up early to practice for the tournament today. Father had begrudgingly let me compete this year, warning me to bring our family honor and not be an embarrassment. He had me train extensively over the course of the last four years, and didn't want to see all my training as a waste. I thought I was up early enough so I would be the only one practicing, but as I made my way into the yard I saw I was not the first. There was a willowy girl already practicing. Her hair would flash red occasionally as the trees blew in the wind. Her hair tumbled down to her waist, with the front portion pulled back in a messy bun to keep it clear of her bow. With her back to me, I couldn't see her face, but I was none the less intrigued by this female archer.
My own sister refused to have anything to do with weaponry, learning only what our mother deemed fit: leading a house, giving orders, playing the lute, dancing, singing, and a mild smattering in politics. She also did some needlepoint and painting, but I never could understand why those were necessary to run a house and entertain guests. However, this woman in front of me was currently not doing those things. She was practicing archery and if her last few shots were any indication, she was pretty good. As I watched her final shot, I noticed she would kiss the arrow before loosing it, which caused me to chuckle a bit before clapping at her performance. She spun towards me, and my clapping almost stopped when she turned in surprise and I saw a beautiful face framed by all that hair.
"You might have more luck with your shot if you didn't kiss the arrow right before your release," I found myself sneering. Why am I sneering? I should be flirting.
"And what would you know?" she asked me haughtily, her dark pink lips pursed in disapproval.
"I know a little," I said approaching her, my own bow and quiver left hiding by the door when I had discovered her outside.
"Just a little?" she quipped back, before turning to the target, her graceful stride liken to a dancer's, as she retrieved her arrows. "Show me." She commanded once she was back in front of me with her half dozen arrows.
Her tone caught me off guard, this was obviously someone used to having their orders followed without a second thought. Could this be the youngest Cousland spitfire I've heard so much about from Delilah? I tested the draw on her bow before taking one of the arrows from her open hand. I took my stance, drew and released the arrow. In my haste to impress the girl next to me, I had not lined things up properly and ended up missing the target entirely, hitting the stone wall behind and shattering the arrow.
"Blast!" I shouted, while her laughter at my expense began.
"Yes, a little, I see," she laughed beside me, one arm holding her side as she doubled over at my failed attempt to impress her.
"If you have no other advice to offer, I would like to get back to practicing," she told me, once her laughter had subsided, she held out her hand for her bow which I was all too happy to relinquish before leaving the practice yard and her bell like laughter behind. I went back to my guest room, mortified at what I had just done. My father was right. I was an embarrassment to the Howe family. I knew I would be back at the archery area later, so I put my bow and quiver near the door, and went to the dining room to break my fast.
Elissa
I couldn't stop laughing. He tried to tell me how to shoot and then he couldn't even hit the target himself. I found it all too humorous. When my laughter finally died, I retrieved another arrow from my quiver since he destroyed the one he shot, and took up a stance five meters behind my starting distance. Setting up the arrows, I continued practicing. But found my vision haunted by a young man with raven-black hair and silver eyes. I finally had to stop practicing as more and more of my shots got closer to the edge of the target. All because of a silly, attractive boy who thought he knew better than me.
I headed back to my room to get ready for the day. I grabbed some bread, cheese and dried fruit from Nan in the kitchen on my way to my room. The servants were prepared and a warm bath was ready for me, so I stripped and snuggled down into the warm tub. I knew mother would expect me to be presentable for most of the day, so I scrubbed well, applied vanilla and plum oil before getting dressed in the silver under dress and deep blue over dress mother had made for this week. I put on some light makeup to enhance my eyes and waited for the Niria, the servant who always did my hair on special occasions. This gave me a chance to eat the bread and cheese I had grabbed from the kitchen. Before I was done eating, Niria arrived and at my insistence on something I could still wearing during the archery competition she set to work on putting my hair into an elaborate, twisting braid that ran over my right shoulder.
Even though I had already eaten breakfast, I made my way to the dining room, knowing my mother would expect me to make an appearance. It seemed everyone was here, including my best friend Delilah, but I knew I had to greet mother and father first.
"Good morning mother," I said walking over to the table where mother and father were sitting.
"Darling, that dress suits you just like I knew it would," she glowed, giving me a hug. "But why did you do your hair so plain?"
"I needed something that I could still wear while competing this afternoon," I explained to her.
"Oh, of course," she remembered, waving one of her hands at her own forgetfulness.
"Good morning pup," father greeted me, pulling me into a hug.
"Father," I greeted him warmly. "Is everything ready for today?"
"I believe Fergus is seeing to any last minute details but yes I believe all is prepared. Why don't you go ahead and sit with Delilah, I know it's been several months since you have seen each other."
I turned toward my best friend, and she stood up with a little squeal running to greet me.
"Lalah!"
"Elie!"
We gave each other a fierce hug, giggling at our childhood names for each other.
"Oh it's good to see you. It's been too long," I said to her as I sat down in the chair next to her.
"I know," she agreed readily. "Maybe we can ask our parents if you could come back to Vigil's Keep with us when the tournament is over."
"Oh, I would love to," I said, missing my best friend.
"I don't think you've met my older brother Nathaniel," Delilah said, gesturing towards someone behind me. "He just got back from Denerim, where he's been training and studying for the last four years."
I turned in my chair in the direction Delilah pointed, and was met by the same black hair and silver eyes of the young man who tried to teach me about archery. He hadn't changed out of his leathers, and upon closer inspection I noticed he was in fact dressed as an archer would. He even had a bow leaning on the chair next to him. He was good looking, his black hair was chin length and pulled back to stay out of his face, he had a chiseled jaw, and full lips that were currently smirking at me.
"Oh yes, we met this morning. He gave me an archery lesson I'll not soon forget," I smiled at him with a little giggle. Nathaniel's smirk quickly became a glare as he watched me. "But it's nice to put a name to a face."
"Oh yes, I forgot you let your daughter partake in weapon training," Arlessa Narcisse Howe sneered. "I will never understand why you let her be distracted from the duties she will need to perform as a wife in the future."
"Forgive the impertinence Arlessa," I spoke up boldly. "But one can learn both."
"I beg your pardon, how can you possibly learn all that you will need to take care of an estate and add weapons training on top of it all?"
"Mother gives me a few hours a day that I can use for an activity of my choice, I spend it learning archery."
While speaking with the Arlessa, I noticed Nathaniel smiling at me, which surprised me greatly given his attitude earlier. My eyes flicked in his direction and he winked at me before going back to eating his breakfast. I could feel my cheeks warm slightly as I reached for a pitcher of water.
"My daughter is correct, I do allow her a few hours a day for an activity of her choice. And I think the reason she chose archery is my fault, since I was also an archer in my day," my mother confirmed for me, smiling in my direction. "Elissa, why don't you grab some food from the kitchen for Fergus, I'm sure he hasn't eaten yet in all the excitement of the day. He should be at the tournament grounds."
"Of course mother," I stood up to leave, and hurried back to the kitchen to have Nan prepare a basket for Fergus.
Nathaniel
I couldn't believe it when she walked into the room but she looked so different. Gone were the archery leathers and in their place was a young woman in a deep blue dress with her long auburn hair braided so it lay across her shoulder. She had been pretty before, but now she was absolutely lovely. I couldn't help but stare at her as she greeted her parents, since she was in fact the Cousland's youngest daughter. Then I grunted in pain at the squeals of delight emitted by both her and my sister. When my sister finally remembered to introduce me, I watched with a grin at the surprise that flickered through those deep green eyes before she made a joke about my archery skills.
At least we're both competing this afternoon, I can show her how good an archer I actually am. Hopefully I'll be far enough away from her, so she can't distract me further during the competition. I will make father proud of me.
I couldn't help but smile when she basically scolded my mother for her ignorance in the nicest possible way. When she glanced at me because of the smile on my face I couldn't help but wink. She's even cuter when she blushes. And just as she was leaving, I finally learned her name: Elissa.
I excused myself from the table after her departure, hoping to catch up to her. But after leaving the dining room, she was no where to be seen. Since I didn't know the castle that well, having not been here for more than four years, I headed back out to the practice yard to work on my archery. There would be plenty of time to see Elissa this week. I just had to be patient.
