Author's Note: So I came across a glitch where, if you kill a High Dragon, sometimes her dragonlings will stop attacking you and just follow you around. I felt super bad, because I had just killed their mother, so I had to write this.
"Inquisitor," Josephine put her hands on her hips. "What is this?"
"A dragon." Cantis smiled, saying the words as though they were an everyday occurrence, and that it wasn't abnormal in any way, shape or form that there was a baby dragon in his bedroom.
She sighed, lifting a hand to rub her eyes. Oh, he is impossible. "And what is it doing here?"
He smiled a little further, patting the bed beside him, and the dragonling scrambled up onto the ornate Orlesian bed beside him. "She lives with us now."
"She?" Josephine asked in disbelief. "Don't tell me you've already become attached."
"Oh, come on Josie." He scratched the top of the tiny dragon's head, and it purred, throwing it's head back in happiness. "The poor girl needs us." He turned to her. "After we stopped that dragon that was attacking the Blades down on the Storm Coast, this poor girl just followed me around like a lost dog. I think I killed her mother." Evidently, he must have stopped petting the dragon while he was talking, because she forced her head under his hand, rubbing against his palm, and he continued petting.
She sat on the bed, slunk away from where the dragon lay, cowered away a little. "And you just decided to adopt her, without consulting any of us?"
Cantis shrugged. "Hey, Bull thought it was a good idea."
Josephine gave an exasperated sigh. "Amore, Bull thinks that ice cream in beer is a good idea."
He threw his head back and laughed, giving his shoulders a nonchalant shrug at that. "Well, you've got me there." He turned to her, giving those big, sad eyes that he knew she couldn't resist. "Come on Josie. I killed the poor thing's mother, and we're the only people that'll take her in."
She sighed again, heavy and tired. He had done a lot of things over the last few months, but this easily took the top. "Why doesn't Bull take her in?" She offered, although she knew it was futile. Once he set his heart on something, it was hard for anyone to change his mind.
He shrugged again. "He probably will, if you say we can't keep her." He continued scratching the scales of the dragonling's head. "But I think we both know that he can't take good care of... anything, except the Chargers. Do you really want him taking care of a baby, even if it's a baby dragon?" He turned and raised an expectant eyebrow at her. "He'd probably feed the poor girl ice cream in beer."
Josephine shook her head very slowly. "Of all the things you've ever done..."
"Don't tell me this is what makes you leave me?" He laughed. "I've done far, far worse, and you know it."
"If you have, I haven't heard about it yet."
"Remember that time I went back in time?" He raised an eyebrow with a goofy smile across his face. "Or how about that time I blew a gigantic hole in the sky and caused an apocalypse?" She rolled her eyes. "Or maybe even that time I challenged a master duellist to keep my girlfriend out of a loveless marriage?" He leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss that made her smile, before the dragonling lurched in her lap and insisted he continued petting.
"Amore Mio," She giggled, holding him close but her body instinctively shifting away from the dragon in his lap. "You make an excellent point." She kissed him on the cheek. "And I love you so much."
"So does that mean we can keep her?"
Josephine gave him a weary, loving smile. "My love, if I didn't leave you over that mess with Ortranto, I'm not going to leave you over this."
Cantis smiled widely, cuddling the dragon in his lap. "Thank you, dearest Josie-Posie." She giggled at the nickname that was sweet as sugar. "Now I guess we just need a name for the girl."
"Hmm," She couldn't believe she was actually considering this, but here she was. "I don't know. Something... earthy."
He turned his head, looking the dragonling over while he thought. Her scales were iridescent, coloured like emeralds, and they shimmered in the sunlight. It had to be something bright, strong. Not ash, or aspen. Something noble...
"Her scales look like Veridium." Josephine offered, and inspiration struck.
"Vera." He said, knowing it to be perfect the moment he thought it, and the dragonling stuck her head up, her glimmering eyes meeting his. "Would you like to be a Vera?" She made a tiny meep and leaned up, licking his face, making him laugh. "Alright. Vera it is, then."
The dragonling, now named Vera, scooted forward in his lap, and stretched a paw out to Josephine, touching her leg. "Oh," She stammered, uncomfortable. It was adorable how fast her Inquisitor had fallen in love with the girl, and she didn't seem dangerous, but she still had nightmares of that Lyrium dragon at Haven. "H-hello there, sweet heart." She gingerly reached out a hand to pet Vera, who leaned into her hand, smiling with a single fang hanging out, rubbing herself against the palm.
"She likes you." He laughed, resting his head against Josephine's shoulder. "Maybe she thinks you're her new mom."
"Oh good." Cantis had never heard Josephine so sarcastic, and he laughed at it. "It's a very good thing I love you, you silly, silly man."
"I love you too." He laughed, kissing her on the cheek. "Now, only one question remains."
"Oh?"
"What do you suppose you feed a dragon?"