9:29 Dragon

"Mother!" Josephine stamped down her foot. "I will not go back there!" And her voice was adamant. She was not going back into the Trevelyan castle. Not after what had happened so many years ago, and especially not after all that had happened with her bardship in the last year.

"Josie!" Her mother chastised. "You have come all this way to Ostwick, you must at least go to one ball."

"No!"

"Josie," Yves said quietly. "We won't make you do anything you don't want to, but you can't stay on the streets by yourself. Look: We'll stay only a while, meet some of the people. If you get uncomfortable, you and I can go find something to do by ourselves. Alright?"

Josephine sighed, unwilling to disappoint her parents. "Fine." She admitted and followed the rest of her family into the walls.

The moment she set foot into the halls, she instantly felt sick to her stomach. She remembered such trauma from so many years ago. The noise, the swords flashing and the blood falling...

"Josie?"

She swallowed hard and followed her parents. They introduced her again to the Trevelyan family, although there was one missing from their flock. A fact that no one commented on.

Then they led her into the main hall, where she froze once more. It was the same hall where the assassins had struck so many years ago. She could see where her mother had been struck in the back, where her father and Bann Trevelyan had fought by one another, where she had seen that brave young boy be cut up like a pig…

"Josie." She nodded again and sat at the dining table. Soon the servants came out with their plates of food… dead animals staring up at her… some of them still with their eyes intact… looking so cute and innocent… like that boy she had killed...

"Josie? Josephine?"

"Excuse me." She said to Bann Trevelyan. "Do you have… a restroom I can use?"

"S-sure." said the patriarch. "Just up the stairs, first door in the left wing."

"Josie!" Her mother called as she stormed off. "Josephine!" But it was of no use. She was gone. She couldn't stand to be here another moment.

In a blur, she searched frantically, but the words of the Trevelyan had slipped past her mind like a river flowing past. Where was it? What had he said?

She was losing control of herself, past trauma dug up by this place. Desperately, she noticed a garden on a balcony. Cursing herself, she ran for it and threw up in the bushes, coughing and crying, hating herself. She hadn't gotten ten minutes in this place without getting sick.

Very suddenly, she felt a hand on her back, rubbing a comforting circle. She wondered whose it was, but was too preoccupied. Whoever it was, they were reassuring and compassionate for her plight, and she needed the companionship at the moment, sick and vulnerable.

"Are you alright?" The voice belonging to the hand asked after a long time, after her sickness had died down and she was only crying, hating herself for being so weak. This must be some punishment, for the crimes she had committed while a Bard.

She turned a little, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. It was that boy from so many years ago, now aged so many years, but it was still him.

"Y… n-no." She admitted. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I-"

"It hurts," He cut her off. "Doesn't it? Being back here? The place where so much evil happened?" Josephine nodded emphatically. "I know the feeling. I've lived here every day for the last seven years, and it still hurts to walk these halls, to sleep here. Knowing that so much blood was spilled here."

Josephine nodded. "It's… hard."

"I know. It's alright, it can hurt. I won't judge you."

She smiled in spite of herself. "Do you even remember me?"

"Of course I do." He chuckled. "You're Josie, the cute little girl who thinks I'm boring."

Josephine giggled. "Goodness, you remember that?" He nodded. "I'm so sorry. I was such a petulant child."

"I thought it was funny." said the Trevelyan. "Are you going to be alright?"

She took a shuttering sigh, and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will." Then she glanced over. "What were you doing up here?"

Cantis thought a moment before answering you. "It's just… less awkward this way. My family's disowned me you see, and it's… easier if I'm out of the way when we have company over."

"They've disowned you?" asked Josephine in disbelief. "Why?"

He stood and gestured to the table where he had been sitting, a glass and a bottle sitting atop it. She sat opposite him, watched as he poured a glass and offered it.

"What is it?"

"White wine." He explained. "Finest in the Free Marches. Sorry, I've only the one glass, so if you want any we'll have to share." He offered it, and she took it with a brief thanks.

"It's lovely." And then she fluttered her eyes up at him, meeting his eyes. "So, what were you going to tell me?"

Cantis thought a long moment folding his legs and taking a drink of the wine, sharing as they traded each sip. "Well..." He trailed off. "Everyone in the Trevelyan family is expected to… follow a certain path. All the mages are sent off to the Circle at a young age, and everyone else is expected to either join a cloister or become a Templar."

"And you didn't?" Josephine mostly wanted to hear him talk, to take her mind off of what lay on the first floor, of the nightmares she would live through for weeks after today.

He shook his head. "No. As soon as they found out I wasn't a mage, everyone was clambering for the day I would join the Templars." He took a sip of the wine. "Instead, I joined the armed forces of Ostwick."

"Oh, really?" She asked. "Why? You look like an excellent Templar."

Cantis shrugged. "I probably would have been. Maybe even good enough to be a commander, if I tried hard enough. But… well… I don't believe in the Maker is all, and I couldn't bring myself to do something like that for the rest of my life." He waited for her response, but Josephine just nodded, understanding. How could someone do something where they would hate themselves every day for doing it? Especially something so permanent as being a Templar. "Besides, the Templars are essentially babysitters for mages, making sure they don't rebel or get attacked, and that just… doesn't seem important enough to me. Not as important as protecting the whole of the city as a guardsman."

"That's very brave of you." said Josephine. "I don't know if I could have done that, left behind what my family wanted for me so I could do what was best for me."

He smiled. "The way I see it, we're all ultimately alone in what we do. I love my family, I really do, even if they don't feel the same, but, in the end, it's up to me what happens to me, to ensure that I am the best off."

Josephine leaned forward towards Cantis, interested in what he had to say and eager to take her mind off of the ballroom beneath with it's nightmares. Not to mention her heart pounding in her chest as she felt his sweet scent…

"So what do you do?" He asked.

"Well..." She thought. "I still live with my parents, since I'm not of age yet. I was briefly..." A bard. A murderer. "A minstrel. But, it… wasn't for me, is all."

Cantis nodded. "I could see that. You seem… rather steady for that kind of a life."

"So..." Josephine took another drink, feeling a little lightheaded. Which was good, wasn't it? After all that anxiety. "Tell me something exciting from being a soldier!"

He chuckled and leaded forward. They traded stories well into night, hours passing as they told tales and sharing smiles and laughter with each other, finishing the first bottle of wine, and then another and another.

"Josephine!" A voice called, Yves'. "Josephine!"

"I'm out here, Father!" She called and Yves followed her voice.

"There you are." He said. "We've been worried sick about you."

"Sorry." She blushed. "I just… me and Cantis were talking and it was… easier than going back down there." Now she felt embarrassed. Her father would undoubtedly think that they were more than just talking, and if he found out how much wine the two of them had drunk…

"It's my fault." Cantis stepped in. "I suppose the time just escaped from us while I was telling stories. Forgive me."

Yves shifted his gave to Cantis, recognizing him after a moment and feeling awful for not noticing the man who had saved his daughter from the House of Repose so many years earlier. "My lord!" He said. "I was wondering why I hadn't seen you as of yet this evening. Ser Bann Trevelyan said you were away."

"Nope." He said. "Just up here, enjoying the moonlight." He smiled.

Yves approached the table and took Josephine's hand in his, assuming that the only wine glass belonged to Cantis, who was a good six years older than Josephine and more than old enough to drink. "Josie." He murmured. "Listen: Me and your mother are both worried about you. Not only just about how much being here hurts you, but how much worse it might get if you just run away from it."

"Father..."

"No one's going to make you do anything, Josie." He smiled. "But we would like you to come down, just for one dance. Then we can go home, and your mother will be satisfied."

Josephine sighed heavily, and nodded, standing with shaky knees.

"Here," Cantis stood. "I can walk you down, if that makes it easier."

Josephine nodded emphatically and he walked side by side with her. Once her father's back was turned, she reached over and grasped for his hand. Mostly for support, partially because she had been wanting to hold his hand all night. He smiled, but didn't resist at all.

Reach the ballroom floor, she instantly felt sick again, but he squeezed her hand and it lessened, just a little.

"Would it be easier if I danced with you, instead of making you pick some boy?" He asked, more than a little hoping that she would say yes, not just for her own comfort.

Josephine nodded, and not just for her own comfort. They took hands and met on the dance floor, starting a slow dance. She gave a shaky, uncertain smile to the boy who had saved her and he smiled in return, laying a hand on her back comfortingly.

"It's okay." He whispered with warmth. "I'm here for you."

Without thinking, only feeling the pounding in her chest, Josephine leaned up and kissed him. Cantis stiffened a little when he felt the warmth of her lips, terrified that someone was watching. Then he remembered his earlier sentiments and kissed her back.

They were both left wondering if this was real or simply the end result of three bottles of wine but, for the moment, it didn't matter. Warm heat tingled from each other lips, and they stopped their dance to concentrate on each other, Josephine's leg curling up behind her as she shivered and softly returned his embrace.

"Wow." He murmured when he pulled away, brushing her hair with his hand. "You're beautiful."

Josephine glanced up and froze. The room was still moving independent of their own little world, but at the top of the stairs was Bann Trevelyan, watching them.

"I should go." She said quickly, but was grabbed by him, seeing the fear in his eyes.

"Josephine," He said. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

"Nothing." She blushed. "But… your father, he's-"

Cantis leaned up and put a finger over her lips. "Hush. Remember what I said earlier. We have to ensure that we ourselves are taken care of before anyone else."

Josephine smiled, and leaned up again, kissing him deeply once more, well aware that the Trevelyan was watching her kiss his son, and found herself unable to care.

"Josie!" They jumped apart when they heard the voice, Josephine spinning around. Thankfully, it was neither her mother or father, but rather her younger sister, Yvette with a wicked smile on her face.

"Yvette!" Josephine cried. "How long were you watching."

"Long enough." Yvette stated. "Mother says we have to leave now… unless you're going to move in with your boyfriend." She held her hands together and made a smoochy face at Josephine.

"You will not breathe a word of this to anyone," Hissed Josephine. "Or your dolls are all going missing when we get home, and they won't be coming back."

"Oooh." Yvette laughed. "Big girl walking. Alright, I won't talk, but you should hurry before mother comes to find your herself." Then she turned and left.

"I'm sorry." Josephine said to Cantis. "I… was hoping we'd have longer."

He chuckled. "It's fine. See you here next summer?"

Josephine nodded. "I won't miss it. I promise."

But when Josephine came back the next summer, they told her that Cantis was gone. The Fifth Blight had just recently broken out, and they told her that he had been in Ferelden during it's start, visiting the Cousland family. Now he was missing and presumed to be dead.

She tried to enjoy the dinner, as now the halls no longer reminded her of death and trauma, but she found herself feeling empty. When another boy asked her to dance, it simply felt… wrong.

She found their balcony that they had sat on together, and wept.