T'was a beautiful night in Orlais, the stars watching over the Winter Palace where our tale takes place. The moon watched as the guests arrived and greeted in the gardens, and this is where our heroine makes herself known, Lady Inquisitor Serena Trevelyan accompanied by her council and among them the one who held her heart. Yet tonight, our heroine had to hide it and steel herself, as intrigue and foul intentions wafted through the air as all the other nobles, save for a few, knew of the plot our heroine intended to stop. Tonight an attempt was going to be made on Empress Celene's life, but that would not happen if Lady Trevelyan could help it. She was here upon the invitation of Duke Gaspard, the Empress' cousin whom was feuding with her over the throne. As Lady Trevelyan stepped away from the protection of her guards of the Inquisition, Gaspard greeted her with a polite bow, amazed at how the red of her formal-

"Change what I'm wearing," I told Varric who gave me a confused look.

"What do you want instead of the dress uniform?"

I told him exactly what I wanted and he agreed, picking up the quill again and writing.

Gaspard greeted her with a bow, he had heard that the Lady Inquisitor was quite the beauty, yet none of the tales he had heard did her justice. The moonlight seemed to illuminate her stormy grey eyes which were only enhanced by the silvery-white and red ballgown that clung to her figure before slitting at the thigh. Our Lady's long chocolate locks It was as if the Maker himself had sent her tonight to tempt and test the faith of men to their wives. Yet unknown to all, the heart belonging to the fabled Herald of Andraste was held by another, and the women need not have feared that she would lure their husbands away. "Inquisitor, it is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh," The Duke spoke once he had found his voice again.

"You must be Duke Gaspard," The Inquisitor presumed, rightly so, and the man chuckled, adding to her statement with his own follow up.

"And the rightful Emperor to Orlais,"

"Which Rightful Emperor?" The Inquisitor asked as if to test the Duke, or to dissuade him from making an advance on her "I keep on getting confused between the two," yet he did not desist in his advances.

"The charming, handsome one standing in front of you, My lady," he chuckled and the Inquisitor tried not to gag, as he took her hand in his own and kissed her knuckle. The Lady Inquisitor hid her disgust well and was thankful that her gloves protected her hair skin, untouched by battle, and now untouched by his unclean saliva. His offer to the Inquisition fell upon deaf ears, she already had the forces she needed for the Inquisition, and she did not wish to be allied with a man whom she did not give consent to undress her with his eyes. Whilst Gaspard was adorned in the finest clothes and mask, he-

"Make him fat and ugly," I suddenly interjected, now was time for my payback for all the drama I had to deal with that night. Besides, Gaspard probably wouldn't read the novel anyway, he didn't seem to be a man of romantic literature.

"What, why?" Varric looked at me confused "I may exaggerate, but I don't lie,"

"Well, we don't want the readers routing for him now, do we? And you've already painted me to be some sort of Princess so why stop there?"

"Yeah, good point, alright, what do you want him to be?"

I answered, Varric chuckled and he began to write again.

The Duke was not one whom the ladies of the court would swoon over for his looks, whilst Gapsard was adorned in the finest clothes and mask for the Masquerade, the mask could not hide his sweaty, hairless head or his lips that resembled a cat's anus and his face seemed to be stuck in the expression that he was permanently sucking on a lemon. Nevertheless, Gaspard left our fair Lady Inquisitor to her devices and her own little court of the Inquisition. After talking outside with some of the nobles and charming them to be in her favor, the Inquisitor made her way up the stairs and over to the palace gates where her Ambassador of the Inquisition, Josephine Cherette Montilyet had been waiting for her. "There you are!" she greeted, happy to see that our Lady had handled the Duke like a lady, not like the savage warrior she was famed to be "I just wanted to give you a heads up of what is to come when you get inside, the entire court will be watching you and, in turn, they will judge the Inquisition, if you can play The Game and win, we may be able to call upon some whom you've charmed as allies later,"

"I am aware Josephine, I just wish to get this over with so that we may return to Skyhold," Our Lady stated to her ambassador, hiding her nerves well and steeling herself for what was to come.

"I understand completely, Inquisitor, but I just wished to confirm," The Ambassador smiled "I shall be in the ballroom, head there when you are ready, the others are already inside and are awaiting your arrive,"

"Best not keep them waiting too long," Our Lady heroine smiled "Shall we?" she held her hand out to the Ambassador who accompanied her inside.