Moonlight Serenade

A Sequel to Crimson Favour - Before the fall, there were no distractions, no time. In their flight, only the comfort of need and sorrow reign. Sebastian x F!Hawke.

This fan fiction might contain spoilers, canon and also non-canon endeavours and history. In response to a prompt and a sequel to Crimson Favour and the last of the Courtship trilogy, the prince of Starkhaven and his Champion, betrayed, are forced to forge a new path.

Author: Illusionary Ennui

Disclaimer: If it's not in the Dragon Age games, codex entries, or the wiki, it's mine. All else, hail to Bioware.

Chapter Word Count: 4,140 (so far)

Chapter Rating: M/E

Chapter Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Strong Language, Romance, NSFW.

Beta: Lywinis

Edited: 07.08.2011 - Minor editing...

Moonlight Serenade

Betrayed, so hopeless

Naught by need and desire

We hold and forget

Trembling, Maria Hawke stares at the blood marring her shaking hands - the blood of a murderer, the blood of a blood mage, and the blood of a mad woman. Her dark eyes washed with the crimson flood. Inside, the tempest of turmoil howled, unable to focus amid the pain of betrayal. Tears streamed down her ruddy cheeks, her throat raw with her heartbreaking sobs. A weight settled around her, embracing her and she turned toward her lover, breathing in the familiar smell of oiled mail tainted by drying blood.

Sebastian Vael urged her to abandon her place on the slick cobblestones but Maria only fought him while she wallowed in distraught. She cried into his neck, burying her face in the cradle of his neck. Anger began to stain her sorrow and her small fists beat on his shoulder, trying to push him away - after all she had done, all the pain she had wrought, why did he treat her with such gentleness?

The prince weathered her frantic behaviour, accepting her unwarranted pounding with a loving will. Sweeping her up in his arms, Sebastian trapped her within his embrace and carried her from the field of battle. Across the water on a borrow boat, their companions stole through the darkening night. All the while, Maria fought against the blackness poisoning her mind, her fists clutching her lover's blood-splattered mail.

Alone, Sebastian broke away from their companions and slipped towards Hightown, his cautious strides leading him to the Amell estate. Maria stifled her choking cries in the leather of his jerkin, her half-hearted blows no longer troubling the concern gentleman holding her. Once inside, however, she tried to pull away, pushing on his chest to disengage herself from his grasp. Grabbing her wrist, he stopped her flight and threw her over his shoulder, her weight making him teeter a bit with his fatigue. Even as she struggled and squirmed, Sebastian turned his head to notice the odd stares he warranted from the household and sighed. Assuring them of his well-meaning intent, the royal archer instructed Bodahn and the little maidservant, Orana, to draw a bath and send up a bit of food.

With barely contained emotion, Sebastian trudged up the stairs and into their now shared chambers, the door kicked shut behind him. Hefting her off her perch, he laid her down their bed, ducking a wild swing as he crawled atop her and latched onto her flailing hands. Pulling her into his chest, he kissed her forehead as her sobbing reached its peak, the emotional pain matching the physical fatigue.

The little mage wanted to scream and tear out her hair, to give herself some form of pain to focus on beyond the wounding of her soul. Anders, her friend, used and abused her for his own gains, for the will of Vengeance, the spirit so warped by his mind to become a demon. How could she have allowed him, one of her own kind, lead her into such destruction, made her apart of so much death? For that matter, how could she have been to blind?

"What have I done?" she whimpered, her face shining in the firelight. "The Void take me, this is all my fault! How -"

"Don't you dare!" Sebastian demanded, shifting to pin her hands above her head. Fury tinged his words, but restraint kept it in check. "Don't you ever believe that... that murderer's insanity was ever your doing. You've made mistakes. You've done questionable things, but this is no fault of your own. He fooled us all - you only tried to help him, to aid the oppression I have now seen. That man poisoned whatever hope you may have had for the mages, even after defending them. My only wish is that I had had the strength to do the deed myself and spared you the task. "

Sebastian shook above her, his grip tightening as he bore down on his lover. His speech did little to dissuade the anguish in her heart, the despair too great to heal so readily. Her soul, bleeding and broken, fluttered in tatters within the storm of her shattered mind. But, blanketed in his warmth, she cried herself to sleep in his arms, the bath and food long forgotten.

Water splashed onto the cold stone tiles, the heat of the fire unable to warm the coldness brewing with Maria's heart.

"I will not!"

"You cannot stay," Sebastian spat, his teeth grinding as he tried to reign in his displeasure. "One step outside that door and you put your life at risk. I'll drag you from this place myself, for not even the Maker would keep you here - Kirkwall is lost to us."

Maria frowned and argued that she risked her life for every one of those people, each of them now keen to tear her apart. Nevertheless, the prince fought her tooth and nail, unwilling to lose her to the madness brought by a dead man. Unable to see past her blinding sorrow, unable to see beyond the fault that was not her own, she battled him for retribution that was her due.

The truth blinded him.

"I shall not let you throw away your life for this," he growled in finality. "You cannot make me watch the woman I love die for another's sins."

Her face burning scarlet, Sebastian witnessed her fall to her knees beside her abandoned bath, his harsh confession breaking her into fragile pieces. Yet, he refused the gentleness of usual rapport for her sake - she needed to understand his side. Instead, the rogue spun on his heel and stormed out of their chambers in oppressive silence, closing the door with firm hand. Stomping down the stairs, he traversed the great hall and found himself in the library, his shaking hands gripping tight to her desk.

Releasing his control, wrath filled him. In a fit of rage, he swept his hands over the cluttered surface, throwing books, parchment, and ink bottle into a flurry of devastation. Digging further into the consuming ire, calloused palm levered under the edge of the desk, lifting it up to flip the writing table on its end. The wood cracked as it smashed against the wall, crushing the broken glass of the ink bottle into finer shards.

"Blondie really fucked up this time," a voice chimed, empty of emotion but forced mirth. "It's a good thing Hawke put him out of his misery - you would have done far worse, I'd imagine."

"That murderer does not deserve your sympathy," said Sebastian. Frowning, the troubled prince leaned against the cool stone wall while ignoring the crunch of glass beneath his boots. Even now, he rejected the notion that Anders was ever human, so corrupted by his own depravity and his demon - an abomination, through and through. The possessed mage no longer warranted that courtesy, not with so much blood to be laid at his feet.

Taking a deep breath, the royal archer twisted to confront Varric only to see the remorse in the dwarf's amber eyes. He, too, must have felt the pain wrought by Anders's folly. Sebastian bowed his head in apology and walked up the stairs to the upper part of the library. The, he picked up a decanter of Antivan brandy and two glasses from the side table. Upon his return, the prince offered his fellow rogue the second glass and poured a good measure for the both of them. Their glasses clinked, the liquor gleaming gold in the flickering firelight. Slumping into the heavy armchair set before the hearth, Sebastian drained most of his portion with an undignified air as Varric moved to stand beside him.

"So, what're your plans now, Your Highness?"

"I have much to do, Varric," he answered over the half-empty glass, darkening blue eyes narrowing on the flames dancing in the hearth. "But, I shall tell you no more, for her sake as well as mine."

Ink still staining his fingers, Sebastian sent off the last of his correspondence. With any luck, some loyalists holding any respect for his slain family would answer in due time. Young Walter gathered up discarded quill and blotted parchment from the writing desk, repaired since the prince's outburst, at his master's beckoning. The prince bowed his head in thanks to Bodahn's charge, grateful for the boy's aid during the household's uncertain future. A fleeting thought for the child's welfare diverted his more pressing thought, his plans leading them all onto separate paths.

Only prayer, Sebastian deliberated, might offer him some relief; however, after so long, his life full of loss and heartache, he questioned the Maker and His designs - how could He approve of this chaos? What good could come of all this pain? Biting his lip, he banished the pondering - treading so close to blasphemy, the once devout brother found himself torn.

No time for such dark thoughts, he thought, rising from his chair. Joints cracked with the effort, too many hours spent pouring of his letters. He stretched and yawned, rolling his shoulders to alleviate the stiffness of his muscles. A week past the initial pandemonium and the rogue felt the fatigue as though it had been yesterday. Although, it may have been due to the many nights spent sleeping in the great armchair, intent to maintain a reverential distance between Maria and his self.

During the sunlit hours, the prince forged into the viper's nest, bribing comrades with borrowed coin, proceeds from bits and pieces of the now unwanted estate, and writing away promises - for her, he would brave the politics and take a crown if only spare her from the coming storm. Yet, every night, Sebastian watched his broken mage sit before the fire, empty and lifeless, silent and sorrowful. Sucking in a poignant breath, he left his worrying contemplations in the depths of the library, banishing them from his mind for the moment.

His boot-steps echoed in the empty estate, the stillness rather ominous as if mirroring its mistress's mood. From the kitchen, he took up the modest tray of their dinner after offering Orana a small smile of thanks. Sebastian carried it up to Maria's bedchamber, not bothering to announce himself - she had not spoken since that morning, both possessed by the resentment of loss, nor did she acknowledge him.

Sebastian set the laden tray beside last night's meagre portion, her own fare untouched. He frowned, his concern growing for her - a week without eating, just as many days with little sleep, the nightmares too great for either of them. He knelt at her feet and covered the hands lying in her lap. Blood-shot eyes wavered to him for a mere fraction of a second but she summoned no smile to comfort him. Catching one pale hand in his own, he kissed the pallid flesh, his thumb rubbing the dry skin.

"I pray, my love, that you might eat something," he said, though with little conviction. He knew too well that she would not heed him, but the request poured from his lips with ease. A gentle hand cupped his face in response, a loving caress and nothing more. Yet, his appeal went unanswered. Staring up at her, he felt his heart take flight with the woman before him: her hair lank and unkempt, dark circles marring beneath her eyes, her whole being worn and limp.

The sooner he spirited her away, the better.

Another month rolled by, many days spent in silence, but Sebastian convinced Maria to eat enough to sustain her through their impending journey. A fortnight into their travels, they joined a company of Starkhaven militia under the command of a Captain Mathieu Briggs who welcomed them with a roguish smile but courtly manners. Without ceremony, he offered the services of his men for their prince's protection. Dispatched by Sebastian's pleas to one of the Vael family loyalists and a good friend of his grandfather, Commander Karson Connleth of Julsrin Keep, the captain and his company marched across the plains to meet the royal archer's part without delay.

Riding in silence, she rode at his side, her gaze thrown down onto the leaf-strewn road. Shafts of dappled light from the fading sunset, captivating patterns of red and gold floated beneath her horse's tired hooves but they passed unnoticed. Weighted by her heart's faltering beats, she kept her thoughts to herself, afraid to betray her truth thoughts. She would cause him ruin, of that she was certain, yet here she sat, absconding to Starkhaven in the rightful heir's company.

"Hawke?"

Dark honeyed eyes glanced toward Fenris's emerald stare, wary of his own unease. To think that the Tevinter elf cared enough to spare her a kind word, she could not fathom her own worth. Only a sense of obligation kept her there, a mere shell of a woman blinded by a love she knew she did not deserve. She decided to stay as long as Sebastian had use for her, but the moment he cast her aside, duty would demand the only thing left.

As if he read her thoughts, the warrior's piercing glare grew shadowed and she turned away. She could not bear either of their concern. Somewhere within the poisoned depths of her soul, the last part of her broke and tears threatened to once again consume her.

Sebastian's horse nudged hers and a warm hand enclosed upon her clenched fist, the reins of her mount loosening in her grasp. Strong fingers pried the leather straps from her hands, a soft smile on his lips. Her head snapped up to meet the prince's vibrant blue gaze. In those eyes, the ice imprisoning her heart melted with their fire.

"We'll camp just up ahead for the night."

All around her, Starkhaven soldiers, dressed in their kilts and fly plaids of navy, evergreen, and stone-gray tartan, set up camp post-haste. With precision, the cooking fire blazed as the last of the sunlight disappeared behind the treetops of the Forest of Min. The men's brogues sounded in the night, calling to one another polite conversation. It baffled Maria that they willingly committed treason by coming to Sebastian's aid - were they mad?

"Milady, why so sad?" Captain Briggs asked, catching her off-guard.

"With merriment, you chance the hangman's noose," she mumbled. Slumping in her seat, she studied Briggs with wary expression.

"His Highness risks as much for us," one of the men, the captain's second in command she believed, "Besides, Goran is no true Vael and a mindless tyrant at that."

"Watch yourself, Alton," Briggs warned as he shook his head. "'Til His Highness takes the throne, we must tread carefully. Now if you don't mind - Oh, for the love of the Fair, Anderson, that tent will catch fire if you don't - excuse me, dear lady."

Sighing, she left the soldiers to their tasks, instead wandering to the camp's edge. Reassured by a passing soldier that her lover accompanied one of the patrols, Maria slipped beyond the clearing and into the trees, starlight and moonlight lighting her path through the thickening summer foliage. The petite master caster sought the sound of rushing water and relished the prospect of a bath, praying that her havoc-ridden mind would calm with the touch of the wellspring's waters.

Maybe then she might break free of the chains.

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders, working the sore muscles as he finished checking the perimeter with a handful of his soldiers. Satisfied both with the security of the camp and his trust in the men, the rogue bid them a fond good night and took his leave to search for his beloved mage. Not finding her in their tent, the furs of their bedding devoid of her warmth, his skills led him outside their ring of firelight, beyond the tree line.

It was her voice, drowning out the cacophony of crickets and screeching owls, which drew the prince to her, captivating him. His cautious steps brought him to the overlooking falls of the rock-strewn pool, the stone worn to smoothness over the years. Near him on the rise, a clear stream that wound through along the forest floor cascaded in a wide sheet onto the woman below. Aglow with the moon's silver light, Sebastian could only stare in awe at the naked mage, her scars glinting. He worked his way to down the rocky precipice to the pool's edge and stripped himself of his garments. His skin pebbled at the touch of the cooling air as he laid out his clothes over a tree limb. From around his neck he took off the pouch containing Maria's favour. Pulling out the crimson fabric, he unwrapped his grandmother's engagement ring from its confines, the bit of silver now threaded on a leather cord. Knotting the ends, he slipped over his head and nodded in gratification and the lingering thought dominating his mind.

Sliding into the water, silent as an unmoving brook, Sebastian listened to the solemn song. No words uttered from her lips, but a clarion warbling tore itself from her throat, moving and beautiful. He felt her tense as he wrapped her in his arms, bringing her back against his chest. The ethereal song stuttered to a halt, her voice cracking as his cold lips brushed along her ear. With the gentle guiding of his hands, the prince turned her towards him, beholding her countenance filled with conflicting sorrow and joy. Dispossessed of reason, Maria threw herself into his waiting embrace and pressed a desperate kiss to his mouth.

"Help me forget," she begged, the words vibrating against the yielding flesh. Reality crumbled around her, the desire for an anchor in the tempest of her life proving greater than she had imagined.

"No more distractions, then," he whispered as an arm snaked beneath her knees. Swinging her up into his arms, Sebastian carried her from the pool to set her feet onto the bank. Collecting the sheet Maria must had nicked from their tent, the royal archer gripped her hand tight and led her deeper into the forest. Naked as they traipsed on light feet, he brought her to a lovely glade, the location a great secret from his childhood. He smirked in triumph as his lover gaped in wonder as fireflies danced in the moonlight, pleased by his choice. The blanket snapped in the cold night air as he spread it across the soft grass. Taking Maria in hand, he laid her down upon their earthen bed and then placed an adamant kiss on her parted lips.

"Tonight, let me give you my strength."

Their tongues writhed between them and Sebastian won the battle for control. Her blunt nails dragged down the rippling muscles of his stomach when his questing hands grabbed for the flesh of her backside. Maria arched into her lover, her hips brushing his with teasing form. A small hand traced the line of hair down his chest, her fingers curled around the hardening length. The rogue groaned in pleasure, her warmth and diligent strokes denying him her pleasure. Asserting his dominance, Sebastian dragged that wicked hand from him with a sigh. Intertwining his fingers with hers as he trapped both her hands on either side of her head, the prince trailed languid kisses up her jaw to suckle that spot just below her ear to make her squirm and her breath quicken. Grinning, he licked a line along the pale column of her throat, admiring the cushion of her breasts against his chest and the ring beating on his ribs as it dangled from its cord.

However, his own body worked against him. Capturing her quivering lips, Sebastian culminated her pleasure with a bold rhythm of his fingers between her folds, eliciting a gasping moan as a reward. Unable to hold onto the thin thread of his need, he hooked her trembling thighs around his waist. The prince then settled on his knees at the apex of her heat, aching with anticipation. Over the rush of blood, a single thought burned him.

"Do you love me?"

Maria, quaking with the beginnings of her own release, blinked up at him in shock. Like a heady fog lifted, she felt something inside her break. Within that emptiness, her hatred for herself vanished as she realized her answer. Enveloped by him, death would never ease her pain, only his embrace could save her.

"More than life," she cried in truth, a sob wracking her entire body. "I'm so sorry, Sebastian. I -"

"I love you, too," he smiled, his mouth slanting over hers to silence the unneeded explanation. Sliding his hands along her sides, he gripped her hips and entered with a quick motion, reeling as she arched up from the ground. She sought purchase on his body to anchor against the strong, erratic thrusts with each driving snap of the man's hips. Clutching him to her after she shifted to brace his back, her fingers fisted in his short auburn locks in an attempt to stave off the tightening coil within her.

A wild hand tugged at her hair, bowing her spine to grant him a newer angle, his other hand hitching a thigh up higher on his waist. Her bare foot pressing on his back, Sebastian grinned as he reared up, feeling his lover undulating around him and throbbing with her release. Hearing his name crooned from her lips in ecstasy, he forged towards the edge of release, renewed by her heady cries. Drawing her flush to him, she rotated her hips to bring him into the spiral with her, her own strength fading fast. Still, she rocked against him and he rewarded her with claiming bite to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, tumbling after as his hot seed filled her with his exhilarating pride.

Slick with sweat, Sebastian collapsed in a boneless heap atop her only to roll onto his back, his spent member twitching with the lingering effects of his release. Steadying his breathing, he stroked the length of her spine in absentmindedness, comforted by her weight moulding about him. Indolent fingers sketched patterns on his chest as her head sought the pillow of his shoulder. Together, they lay entangled in one another's embrace, content to gaze up at the stars while the fireflies continued to flicker all around them. A fleeting thought of the Maker's plan crossed the rogue's mind but it vanished in light of a more important endeavour.

Removing himself from her warmth, Sebastian sat up and pulled her into his lap. The royal archer leaned away and pulled the leather cord over his head. Taking it in both hands, he widened its circle and slipped it over Maria's head, smiling as the little bit of silver settled between her breasts. His smirk broadened when hesitant fingers touched the thin band of interwoven silver.

"This is my promise," he vowed, capturing her mouth in a deep, drowning kiss. "Even though this world might not allow me to give you all that you deserve, I shall give you everything I am. Know that I love you, Maria - that is all that truly matters."

Haloed in the moonlight, her joy overwhelmed him as the fear and despair once possessing relinquished its iron hold. Tears glinted in the silvery glow, but these were not tears of sorrow. Buying herself his welcoming arms, Maria whispered a prayer to his hot skin. Her words sounded incoherent to his ears, but it was wish - a wish that the Maker would choose to give them a fighting chance. The mage knew she may very well be forced to abandon him for his own sake; however, until that day, she pledged to fight with every breath to prove herself worthy.

"'Tis a blessing I shall cherish," she assured him with a gentle smile. Locking her forearms around his neck, she matched his reverent fervour with tenderness. "Mad as a box of frogs, my prince, but I'll love you 'til the Maker takes me from your side."

Some time near dawn, the horizon afire with orange and pink, Fenris found the lovers deep in slumber, wrapped in one another's arms. A clawed hand rose to stifle an unruly grin and embarrassed chuckle at the sight. Fenris noted the leaves and twigs poking through the matted tangles of Maria's hair as well as in Sebastian's lighter mess. Muddy dirt also stained their skin, rubbed into a fine layer during their exertions. The elf, respectful of their privacy, tossed his cloak over their naked forms before returning to camp. Musing while he walked, Fenris sighed. Starkhaven would just have to wait a bit longer for the arrival of its rightful ruler.

Fin.

Author's Note: So ends the Courtship Trilogy. I must apologise for taking so long - I never meant to make a trilogy, but it just happened that way. Also, I will admit there are references to the future of Blessing in this work, so don't be surprised... granted, if you read Blessing. I hope you've enjoyed it and the OP is pleased with the fill. In addition, Alec Newman is a rather decent vocalist, this song inspiring the title: http: /www. youtube. com/watch?v=6u6NWirBO-M&NR=1

I offer thanks to Lywinis, my darling beta, the prompter, the ladies of the SSG, and of course, all of you, dear readers.

Any road, here was the prompt: "I've never known a woman like you. I wish...Never mind. We cannot afford distractions now." A time where theycanafford distractions plz. Post!Campaign, sided with the mages (required to get that quote).