Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.


"I'm not a damsel and there is no distress"
― Carrie Jones, Need

Prologue 2:Valerie Cousland


"Maker's breath, girl!" Eleanor Cousland breathed in exasperation as she tried to braid her daughter's light blonde hair."Stop moving and hold still!"

"How can I possibly hold still when you keep on tearing out my hair?" Valerie Cousland whined, wincing when her mother tugged at her hair again. She gave a yelp and suddenly jerked her head away, nearly knocking the Teryna off balance as she quickly slammed her hand against the wall to keep from falling over. Leonard, Valerie's pet mabari hound, barked loudly at the sound of Eleanor's hand hitting the wall but soon laid back down when he saw no one was hurt. Eleanor heaved a very irritated sigh and gave her daughter a miffed look.

"I am not tearing your hair out, girl, I am braiding it so that you do not look like some sweaty, dagger wielding battle maiden!" Her words caused Valerie to narrow her eyes and cross her arms in a defensive pose. She hated it whenever her mother complained about her skills on the battlefield and expressed her beliefs that this, along with Valerie's often non-ladylike behavior, was the reason why her daughter wasn't able to land herself a proper husband yet. In Valerie's opinion though, the only problem regarding the topic of marriage was that all of the men she'd met so far were nothing but a bunch of cads who had no respect for women whatsoever and simply expected her to be a good little wife without any protests or questions.

"You were a battle maiden once too, mother." It was true; back in her younger days, Eleanor was indeed a very adroit fighter and she still was, but nowadays she rarely let that side show, especially in front of other nobles.

"Yes, darling, I was, but unlike you, I enjoyed dressing up and acting like proper nobility. I traded in my blades for the life I have now, but you clearly have no intentions of doing so at all."

"Like it's my fault all those stupid noblemen aren't pleased with who I am and who I will always be." Valerie muttered bitterly."I've already made it abundantly clear that I am not going to be some soft, obedient, little bimbo just because that's what they are looking for in a woman."

"Watch your language, girl!" Eleanor admonished. Her expression softened slightly when she saw the look on her youngest's face, though, and a sigh escaped her lips. Valerie uncrossed her arms and raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Why do I even need to get all dolled up tonight anyway?" Her question caused Eleanor to sigh again like she was afraid to answer.

"I told you already, Lady Landra Loren and her son Dairren are coming to my spring salon tonight and-" The Teryna never got to finish what she was saying as the very mention of a noblewoman coming with her son had caused Valerie's head to snap up and her eyes to become rather hostile.

"Did you just say Lady Landra?" She demanded, making her mother sigh again.

"Yes, darling, and I-"

"Is coming to your spring salon tonight?"

"Yes, I-"

"With her son?"

"Yes, and darling please listen, Dairren is a very nice young man-"

"Nice, my arse!" Valerie shouted angrily, her lips forming into a nasty scowl."Mother, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not interested in any of your dearest friends' caddish sons!"

"Not all of them are like that, darling." Eleanor sighed softly. This wasn't the first time they'd had this type of conversation and it most definitely wouldn't be the last."Some of them are perfect gentlemen like your father. I remember how smitten I was when my parents first introduced me to him and when he finally proposed, I felt complete and I want the same for you; for you to find a nice young man with whom you'll fall in love and have children with. I just want what's best for you, my dear girl."

"I know you do Mother," Valerie said gently,", but you can't decide what's best for me. Neither can Father or Fergus or anyone else. That's my decision and getting married to some nobleman who doesn't want me for me isn't what's best for me at all."

"I suppose not." Her mother gave a small nod."But please darling, could you at least try to get to know Dairren? Maybe he's the type of man you're interested in."

"Mother-" Valerie groaned.

"Please Valerie, for me?" The blonde had to resist the urge to sigh at the pleading glint in her mother's eyes, looking as if she might cry. She heaved a sigh and took her mother's hands in her own, nodding.

"Okay mother, I'll try for you." Eleanor made a small sound of relief as she threw her arms around her daughter, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, darling." The Teryna whispered.

Smiling sadly, Valerie tapped her mother lightly on the back and couldn't help but think that she might regret this later on tonight. If only she knew just how right she was at that exact moment.


"Is she always like this?" Valerie's question was said in a soft whisper to the young man sitting beside her, her hazel eyes flickering toward the young man's drunken mother for emphasis as the intoxicated woman babbled nonstop with Eleanor. Turning to Valerie, Dairren gave her a tired smile and let out a sigh.

"Only when she's had too much to drink." He brought his hands to his forehead and rubbed his temples."Like she has tonight as you can see."

"Hmm." Valerie leaned in and rested her chin on her fist, remaining silent for a moment before turning to Dairren."So about-"

"Let me guess." He interrupted her."Your mother convinced you to try to get to know me in hopes that you and I might eventually marry." It was a statement, not a question, and a very accurate statement at that. Valerie gave a terse nod in reply and grinned dryly, eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Your mother gets on your nerves about marriage too?" Dairren scoffed as if the question was a mockery of some sort to him. That was more than enough to convince Valerie that he too had been pestered about finding a suitable spouse by his mother and so far rejected every potential candidate for that position. Well at least that meant he could empathize with her in this case.

"You have no idea." His words were whispered in a rather bitter tone which Valerie herself had also used on more than a few occasions whenever speaking with her mother on the subject of getting married. She ran a hand through her blonde tresses that were each neatly braided by her mother and then tied up together in a chignon and smoothed out the wrinkles of her long-sleeved blue dress that even she, despite her intense dislike for the proper noble's fancy dress code, had to admit did look rather nice on her. Her hazel eyes glinted with weariness over having listened to Lady Landra's aggravating chatter for the past two hours or so, though it felt like a century to both her and Dairren.

Dairren groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment when Landra started boasting about her son's good looks. Valerie held back a laugh for his sake, instead letting her eyes flicker in a quick glare at her mother who just sat quietly with her hands folded on the table and listened to Landra chattering like some cockatoo, a pleasantly fake smile plastered across her face as usual. Suppressing a sigh, the blonde cleared her throat and excused herself, ignoring the glance her mother shot her as she left the table.

As soon as she was far enough from the table, Valerie might as well have fled the room, giving a roll of her eyes at the sight of two half-asleep guards by the door suddenly straightening up and nodding respectfully at her when she passed. She may have been nobility, but she extremely disliked the idea of being served, instead opting to do most things on her own, and felt very miffed whenever the servants or guards acted in such ridiculous awe over her mere presence as if they were seeing the prophetess Andraste Herself. It was such a nuisance sometimes, but she could do nothing about it other than try ignoring it. Unsuccessfully most of the time, one might add too.

She hardly noticed it when she got outside for some fresh air and leaned against the wall, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. The feeling in her gut from only a few hours ago saying that she would regret the promise she made to her mother about agreeing to get to know Dairren was absolutely right; this was officially the worst night of her life. Perhaps it was even worse than the day of Fergus's wedding to Oriana six years ago during which she was forced to dance with her father's friend, Arl Rendon Howe's, youngest son Thomas, who like his father, was an annoying lecher. Much to her relief, she and Thomas hardly saw each other anymore, the last time being when Thomas ran into her at the Denerim fair a little more than two mere months ago, during which he spent over an hour flirting with her and refusing to leave her alone. The boy was four years her junior and she'd made it very clear that she wasn't interested in him at all, but like his father, Thomas remained blissfully ignorant and lecherous at all times.

Valerie brought her hand to her head and rubbed her temples with her fingers to rid herself of the headache that she'd gotten tonight from Landra. There was no doubt in her mind that Dairren and some other people would probably have to pour the intoxicated woman into a carriage on their way home after the salon seeing as Landra wasn't even able to so much as stand up properly without help from someone else and that was just after a few drinks at the beginning of the salon. One could only imagine how she was still not passed out from being so inebriated tonight.

Closing her eyes, Valerie leant her head back against the wall and took a deep breath like she was readying herself to go back inside where the salon would continue for a few more hours. Maker help her as she knew he already had so far. She slowly opened her eyes, heaved another sigh, and turned to leave. Just when her fingers wrapped around the doorknob, however, the sound of a very familiar voice grabbed her attention.

"Milady?" She didn't have to turn around to know it was Ser Rory Gilmore, one of the knights in service to her father and a good friend of hers who she'd grown up with in Castle Cousland. With all of the stress she often received from her family, especially her mother, Valerie sometimes felt like the red-haired knight was the only real person she could talk to freely and without reservations. He didn't judge her for being cross with the noble life she had to face and listened to whatever she had to say whenever she wanted to say it. There were also more than a few times during Valerie's dagger practice sessions when she would confess to him how tired she was of all the noble qualities her mother expected her to meet and just wished she could live a different life in which she actually felt truly needed and loved for who she really was, but she honestly doubted something like that would ever happen.

With a sigh, she turned on her heel and gave him a small smile that clearly showed just how tired she was from everything that was happening tonight."Hello, Ser Gilmore." Her words were slightly muffled by her hands as she lowered her gaze to the floor. The knight frowned, taking a few steps closer to her. She slowly looked up when he spoke to her softly.

"Are you alright, milady?" There was great concern in his voice."Should you not be at your mother's spring salon tonight?" She gave him a dry smile in response.

"Yes, but I came outside because I thought some fresh air would help relieve me of this awful headache I've received tonight during the salon." He raised a slightly amused eyebrow at this.

"Is this another one of the Teryna's attempts to marry you off to the next suitor?" She bit her lip and nodded.

"Exactly."

A slow and very small smirk crossed his lips."The sad eyes bit again?" This caused her to laugh quietly as she nodded."Who is it this time?"

"You remember Bann Loren and his wife Landra?"

"Do they not have a son by the name of Dairren?" Valerie gave a nod at his question, a humorless chuckle escaping her lips.

"The thing is...Dairren isn't the problem. It's his mother Lady Landra who's the real nuisance. She's quite drunk, I'm afraid, and won't stop trying to convince me to marry her son. Apparently, Dairren is just as apathetic of the idea of marriage as I am and it's not the first time his mother has done something like this from what I understand."

"In other words, your mother has once again failed to find you a husband?" The amused look on Ser Gilmore's face made Valerie giggle softly and he smiled widely at her before a brief silence fell between them that the knight eventually broke by clearing his throat rather uncomfortably.

"May I ask you a question, milady?"

"Of course." She said, cocking her head to the side slightly."What is it?"

"Why do you reject all of the other noblemen who have asked for your hand? Surely not all of them are be that bad." She hesitated to give him answer, biting her lip and staying silent for a moment before finally answering.

"Well no, not at all of them are that bad. Dairren, for example, seems like a nice man but I prefer him as a friend."

"And what of the other potential suitors?"

"I admit I've been interested in a few of them, but that interest always faded when I realized that they were really just like the others. They expect me to get married and never pick up another weapon again and just act like an obedient little wife of theirs who wears pretty dresses and has no say in her husband's decisions regarding their marriage and children and Maker knows what else. Not to mention the rest of them are simply...uninterested in someone as fierce-tempered and strange as I am."

He frowned at her, but it quickly became a smile."You are not strange, milady. Fierce-tempered, perhaps, but certainly not strange." She chuckled at his words, arching an eyebrow.

"How do I know you're not just saying that to make me feel better?" He grinned a little in response.

"As a knight, I can tell no lies, milady, and what I just said is no lie."

She studied him for a moment then took a step closer to him."Why do you always call me that?"

"Call you what, milady?" She rolled her eyes at the slightest hint of teasing in his tone.

"Milady? Why do you always call me milady?" She demanded, folding her arms over her chest and looking a little bit impatient.

He somehow managed to avoid flushing and looked at her as calmly as he could manage before answering."It is out of respect for someone of your, ahem, status, milady." Her eyebrow rose at this and she pursed her lips together in the slightest hint of vexation. But just when she had opened her mouth to speak, a guard from inside the castle opened the door and informed Valerie that her mother was requesting her presence back at the salon at once. Doing her best to stifle a groan, Valerie sighed and told the guard she would be there in a moment. Ser Gilmore watched her slowly turn back to him as the guard nodded curtly and closed the door. A small, almost sad smile crossed Valerie's lips.

"I guess we'll have to talk another time then, Ser Gilmore." The knight gave a nod of agreement.

"Yes, milady." He murmured.

Valerie sighed again and started to head back inside, but just as she was beginning to open the door, she suddenly turned around and rushed back to Ser Gilmore. The knight opened his mouth to ask her if something was wrong, but the words died in his throat when she quickly placed a kiss on his cheek then hurried back inside in a flash, leaving him standing there in shock. After a second of stunned silence, Ser Gilmore placed a hand over the spot on his face where she had kissed him and gave a rather goofy grin. He suddenly found himself looking forward to his next conversation with Valerie Cousland.


As usual, remember to review, leave constructive, but no flames!

Name meaning:

Valerie - Strong/Healthy/Fierce one

Next up: Prologue 3:Regina Surana, Natasha Amell