A/N - Fluff alert. Mentions of Aggressive!Male!Hawke. Merrill cameo.
Varric,
Glad you're still alive. Now that demons have stopped falling out of the sky, you have to come see me. I've settled into a home of an old acquaintance in the Free Marshes. [Nathaniel Howe, remember him?] Be sure to bring the Inquisitor and whomever it is, he shares a bed with. I know what you're thinking, and no, I'm not planning anything...Hawke's ruined that sort of fun, the bastard. Besides, I heard rumor that my advances would be wasted on Trevelyan..?
-Yours, Isabella
Rivanni,
If you aren't planning on sharing pillows, I'm deathly curious about what it is you are planning. [But you're right about Trevelyan.] The Inquistorness was a bit weary about a social visit - a nobleman that hates being sociable, imagine that - but he's agreed to set sail with me in the morning. See you soon. And for my sake, try not to hold a grudge against him for sending Hawke to Weisshaupt. He's angsty enough most days.
-V
"Rivanni, this is Salvatore Trevelyan, the Inquisitor. You may also know him as..." Varric began to introduce.
"The asshole that sent Hawke to babysit the Wardens in Weisshaupt." Isabella finished curtly, her hands on her hips.
Varric hung his head with a sigh. "And there it is.." he grumbled to himself.
Salvatore lifted his chin slightly, his orange-red hair gleaming in the sunlight. "Your boyfriend could've refused." he stated, his gruff voice grating through the awkward silence. "Actually surprised he didn't."
"Me too." Isabella agreed. "But then again, Hawke never could say no to adventure."
"Ain't that the truth." Varric huffed half-heartedly.
"Why have you summoned me Isabella? Hoping for a duel maybe?" Salvatore asked.
"If I wanted to duel you, believe me, we'd have started already."
"Then why am I here?"
Isabella remained silent a moment, merely blinking her dark eyes at the green ones of Trevelyan. She appeared to be studying him, with a slight frown creasing the corners of her lips. Her gaze darted to the man standing beside the Inquisitor. "You're his lover then?" she asked bluntly, her eyes combing him down.
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes." Dorian answered plaintively.
Isabella's frown righted itself into a smirk. "Actually it is my business Sweet-Thing, as it turns out. I'm Isabella." she extended a hand, which Dorian shook.
"Is that so? Dorian Pavus.." Dorian replied with a curious up-tilt to his words.
"My...Do your mustaches catch on fire when you kiss one another? All that friction must be exciting." Isabella mused, glancing from beau to beau.
"Ha! You planning on a writing a dirty novel?" Dorian asked, crossing his arms. "I hear you and Varric made a game out of writing smut about your friends..What was it called again?"
"Friend-fiction." Isabella said, smirking at the dwarf.
"Ye-ah, those were the days.." Varric sighed nostalgically.
Isabella reverted her attention to the steely gaze of Trevelyan. "You really ought to lighten up Sweet-Thing. I'm not keen on wasting anyone's time, especially my own. You're here for a business transaction, so follow me." she announced.
"A business transaction?" Salvatore repeated, keeping even pace with her, though his gaze had drifted onto Varric.
"Hey don't look at me, I'm just a clueless middleman." Varric said with the makings of a chuckle.
Isabella led the trio of men into her abode, a modest cabin on the outskirts of a city. They were greeted by a Mabari with red markings, who growled aggressively until he caught sight of Varric. The ears of the Mabari rose from their slouched position, his stubby tail instantly began to wag and he barked in greeting.
"Cleaver. Nice to see you too boy.." Varric said rubbing his knuckles against the Mabari's skull.
A wide-eyed female Dalish appeared, her markings as dark as her hair. Her pale face brightened considerably. "Varric!"
"Daisy! Shouldn't you be with the Dalish?" Varric asked, gladly embracing the elf.
Salvatore didn't hear the Dalish's response, he was far more focused on how Isabella instructed the Mabari to leave the room. His roguish eyes had noted her mouthing 'look after them'.
"Honor to meet you Merrill, I'm Dorian." Dorian said, lulling Trevelyan out of his conspiring thoughts.
"Salvatore Trevelyan.." the Inquisitor introduced with a repressed sigh, shaking the elf's hand. "So this 'business transaction', has to do with your people?"
Merrill appeared confused. "What? No...You haven't told him?" she whispered needlessly to Isabella.
"All in good time Kitten." Isabella replied, her features clouding.
"Rivanni..." Varric warned.
"Relax Varric. Come on, they're in the next room..." Isabella said, swaggering ahead of everyone.
The walls of the room were hastily adorned in drapery of the Champion of Kirkwall and the Grey Wardens. The Mabari Cleaver sat in the middle, and either side of the warhound's flank were two raven-haired children. On closer examination, they were clearly twins, a boy and a girl, roughly two years old with the same tanned skin as their mother.
"Maker.." Varric whispered in a horrified awe. "Isabella! Does Hawke know?!"
Isabella shook her head no. "And it's going to stay that way too. VARRIC. Swear to me."
Varric was clearly aghast, struggling to keep his voice level. "You're about to sell off his children and you expect me to...?!"
"Not children...his son..." Isabella interrupted haughtily. "And I'm not doing this for coin! It's just better for everyone this way, alright? Trust me.."
"I don't understand," Dorian mumbled. "You invite us here, and expect us to adopt your son? Just like that?"
"You don't even know us." Salvatore agreed.
"I don't need to. Varric doesn't swear loyalty to just anyone. Besides that, I know how argumentative my Bitter Brute can be, but Hawke marched off to Weisshaupt without so much as a sneer, right?" Isabella responded nonchalantly.
While Dorian and Salvatore shared a silent look, Varric spoke out. "And how do you think Pierce's going to react when he finds out you gave away his son to the Inquisitor?!"
"At worst, he's going to be upset I kept his daughter." Isabella stated.
"Why are you keeping her and not him?" Merrill asked softly.
"Because Kitten, one bitter brute is enough for all of Thedas. A daughter stands a chance of softening Hawke up a little.." Isabella answered in a practiced way.
"Rivanni." Varric growled.
"Argh stop scolding me damnit! I can't raise the two of them Varric!" Isabella snapped, her composure comprised at last. Vulnerability streaked her furious face. "Maker's ass, I shouldn't even be attempting to raise the one...Hawke and I aren't parent material.." Isabella sighed wearily, running her fingers down her cheek. "I left their birth to chance, you know. When I realized my condition, I kept to the sea, risking miscarriage day by day." Isabella shook her head with a grim smile, her gaze primarily on the children. "Little snots are stubborn like their father. Had to be born. Nevermind Hawke and I are addicted to adrenaline, last thing either of us needs is a tether..." Isabella reverted her gaze to the adults she stood beside. "A life of constant travel, with two parents who welcome danger, is no life for a child - you can't tell me otherwise. But if I gave them both away, I'd never forgive myself."
"There isn't anyone else you could...?" Dorian began.
"Course there is." Isabella interrupted. "Aveline would adopt the runt in a heartbeat. Thing is, I want his adoptive parents to be as untouchable as Hawke. Who better than the Almighty Inquisitor?"
Salvatore stepped reluctantly into the room, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the boy. Both twins gawked up at him curiously, their eyes ocean blue like Hawke's. Salvatore hunched down beside the boy, observing him keenly. "What's his name?" he asked, with a brief glance over his shoulder.
"Artemis you aren't actually considering...?" Dorian stammered.
"Pains me to admit it, but I'm shit at names. Been calling him Pierce Junior. Named the girl after the Hero of Fereldan." Isabella responded.
"Pierce Pavus the first..." Salvatore mused, scooping the boy into his muscular arms.
"Well Pierce Trevelyan does sound rather ridiculous.." Dorian begrudgingly concurred with an annoyed sideways glance at the tanned vixen he stood beside. "But Artemis, you know we've never discussed..." The rest of Dorian's argument died on his tongue, the instant he took a good hard stare at his lover cuddling the boy. Pride quelled in the pit of Dorian's soul, as he watched PJ pluck at Salvatore's whiskers, inspiring the most heart-warming of laughs from the famed Inquisitor. It was a beautiful sight, one Dorian was not likely to forget, if they left the Free Marshes empty-handed. Dorian sighed audbily, the last remnants of his argument shadowing his words. "Oh Artemis.."
A soft smirk inhabited Isabella's mouth. "I know that look.."
Dorian glanced at her futilely. "What look is that my dear?" he wondered.
"The same look I see anytime I glance in a damned mirror. The grimace of defeat due to that insufferable L word..." Isabella said.
"Love, Rivanni?" Varric piqued, chortling.
"Yes," Dorian answered for her, slowly revolving his gaze onto Salvatore and PJ. "That's the one.."