A/N – Thank you for the lovely comments. I agree, there aren't enough fics with this pairing out there. That's one reason I am writing one. Still, the game is relatively new. Many of the femship community writers might just be late to it. I imagine those who picked a qunari are also in the minority among us. Those that preferred Sera, likely the majority of that minority. And I think the new filters suck. It's impossible to find anything anymore. You can put in a search for these two characters and come up with a page full of OC and Cullen. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy the continuation of this story. I've changed the rating because this chapter is borderline, and well, I'm a romance writer and it's bound to need a change eventually anyway.
Very Early morning, training quarter, sometime after the confrontation with Leliana
Cassandra yawned and stretched, her armor rattling a silver song in the silence. No one was up at this hour except the night watch, and she often used this time to walk and clear her head before starting the day. Whenever they were back at Skyhold, she allowed herself the luxury of relaxation. Soon enough they would be on the road again, and soon enough she'd be back in the thick of battle, protecting her allies from harm. Right now? It was her time.
"Well, now this is an interesting sight," she said to herself as she approached the training quarter. She was normally the only one who trained in the early morning, but someone else was here today as well. So much for some alone time to catch up on reading.
Malora Adaar, the demon nearly twice her size, was swinging her mighty hammer around and destroying their modest training facilities. Cassandra leaned against the wall of the tavern watching, wondering why the brute was up so early and why she was so upset. Malora wasn't wearing her armor, having traded it in for a simple pair of leather breeches and a sleeveless shirt, and her muscles gleamed with sweat rivaling the dew on the patches of grass surrounding them. Her horns, sharpened to a precise point, reflected the morning sun and her dark hair rustled with the force of her manufactured wind; every swing of her hammer disturbing the very fabric of space not dissimilar to the rifts she closed. Cassandra had to admit it was a rather alluring sight, despite her natural predispositions.
Still, if I let this continue much longer we will not have any training dummies to speak of.
The warrior pushed away from the tavern wall and approached Adaar, calling out her name as she got closer. The demon slowed her swings, her breath heavy, eventually losing enough momentum that she could safely release the mighty weapon. It clamored to the ground and she leaned against a broken post where a training dummy once stood, wiping her face with the bottom of her shirt. Cassandra raised an eyebrow at the show of muscle beneath it, wondering how it was that qunari became so chiseled. She had no doubts that the taller woman would make a much better tank than she did, but Malora had turned in her sword and shield for a hammer shortly after they'd met and taken on a damaging role instead. She'd never spoken a word about it; she'd just let Cassandra keep the role that was most comfortable to her.
"Well, I can see that you have something on your mind. Would you care to talk about it?" Cassandra ran a hand over the splintered wood of another training dummy, mentally arranging the tasks she would need to see to in order to get the area repaired. Everything was damaged beyond further use, and she made an additional note to stay on the right side of the Inquisitor's hammer.
"No," Malora replied, letting her shirt drop back down. She slid to the ground and rested her wrists on her knees, staring blankly into the distance.
Cassandra cocked her head to the side and studied the horned giant. It was hard to imagine that anything could affect her. When they'd met, she'd immediately believed that Andraste had blessed the demon, though she didn't know why. As the months wore on and the quiet qunari took on more and more of the world's burdens, she began to see the mysterious creature as a heroic figure; something out of a fantasy tale. Adaar was larger than life, and nothing could break her down. Her heroics at Haven had cemented it, at least for Cassandra. No one else was so brave. No one else was prepared to stand alone against a spirit that roared through the night with a dragon by his side. No one else could look upon that hideous aspect and keep a cool enough head to do what needed to be done.
Anyone else would have bolted like a coward and doomed them all… but not Malora Adaar.
No, not Malora Adaar. She stood fast and true and when the time came, she struck. She struck hard and fast and Cassandra remembered looking back for a split second as the mountain came down, whispering a prayer to the Maker to watch over the chosen of Andraste. The mountain swallowed Haven, and it swallowed Haven's hero. Something cracked in her heart that night, and it wasn't until the qunari had been found again that its steady rhythm returned.
So, what could possibly have brought the near-fabled storybook legend to destroy the training grounds in frustration?
"You know," she started, taking a seat next to the larger warrior, "we are not just comrades in battle." Cassandra folded her hands neatly, wrists over her own knees. "After all that you have done for us… after all that you have done for me," she said, thinking about how Adaar had made time during their travels to help her close up old Seeker cases and hunt down her targets, "I'd like to think of us as friends."
"Yea." Malora had finally caught her breath, but she still didn't really have anything to say to Cassandra.
The smaller warrior took a shot in the dark. She'd read enough stories to guess at what might be bothering the normally unshakable woman. "Does this have something to do with Josephine Montilyet?"
Malora looked at Cassandra sharply. "What do you mean? Of course not. Why would you say that?"
The human sighed and shook her head. This was worse than one of Varric's novels, and that was saying something. "You need not pretend with me, Herald of Andraste. I know that you did not order me to set sentries on the keep just to keep your fancy throne safe. Leliana is not the only one with a network, or with powers of observation."
"Leliana threatened me," Adaar said softly, looking at the ground and fidgeting her fingers.
"She did what?" Cassandra was confused. Adaar might need her recklessness kept in check, but an outright threat made on the Herald and Inquisitor? There was more to this. There had to be.
"She threatened me. Told me to keep away from Josephine. She's probably right. It was stupid anyway." Malora picked up some broken wood and tossed the pieces in front of her, one by one.
Ah, so that's what brought the mighty giant to her knees.
"And you are going to listen?"
"Of course. I don't need a knife in my back, and I've already wasted too much of the Inquisition's time with this."
"You can hardly stop talking to your political advisor," Cassandra remarked, watching the qunari's face. Malora was in true anguish. Her expression was pained, though she shed no tears, and her eyes were dull and lifeless. Whatever the rogue had said, it must have been profound. "What exactly did Leliana say to you? Be precise, if you can."
"I don't know," Malora said, looking to the sky. "I was so scared most of it didn't really register. She's never asked to speak to me alone before. She said something like Josephine's never been in love, she doesn't want her friend hurt, and I should keep my horns far away." The qunari scrunched up her face, trying to remember. "Yea, that was the gist of it. She made sure I knew there would be a knife in my back if Josephine got hurt.
Cassandra thought about it for a few moments, considering what she knew of Leliana, what she knew of Malora and what she knew of Josephine; piecing the scenario together.
Had Leliana been that blunt?
Probably.
Would Josephine have confided in her friend if she had feelings for the qunari?
Definitely.
Could Malora have completely misinterpreted Leliana's true meaning?
Most assuredly.
"You know what that tells me?" Cassandra turned the situation over in her mind one more time, looking at it from every angle, but the answer was still the same.
"That I'm in serious danger?"
"No. That tells me that Leliana is genuinely worried about her friend getting hurt. Do you know what that tells me?"
"That Herald of Andraste or no, I'm getting a knife in my back?"
"No," Cassandra sighed. This was harder than she thought. Were all qunari naturally so clueless or did Adaar have to work at it? "It means that Josephine must feel something for you as well. Otherwise, how could you hurt her?"
Malora thought about it for a long time in silence. It hadn't occurred to her to look at the situation that way. She had taken it at face value; Leliana was protecting Josephine from the big bad monster that had inappropriately developed feelings for her. It was only natural for the humans to stick together and band against the strange creature with the horns. It never occurred to her, not in her wildest dreams, that the lovely Josephine Montilyet might actually feel something for her too.
"That's ridiculous, Cass." Adaar shook her head. She was grateful that the human warrior at her side considered her a friend, but in the end, she was still an outsider. She may be the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, their general, and whatever other ridiculous titles they wanted to apply to her, but she would always be the outsider. She would always be 'that qunari' that led the Inquisition. She would always be one step removed from an enemy in their eyes. She shook her head again, violently this time, as if she could shake the very horns off its peak.
"Stop that," Cassandra said, getting to her knees and grabbing her friend's face in her hands. "What is wrong with you?" She didn't understand this at all. Adaar liked Josephine, and if it wasn't already clear how Josephine felt from her direction toward the qunari, Leliana's involvement proved it, so what was the problem?
"I wish I could do something about this," Malora said, waving a hand over her face, encompassing her horns and the visage she considered the bane of her existence, "but I can't."
Cassandra sighed. "I don't understand you, Adaar. What do you think people see when they look at you?"
"A monster."
"A… what? Let me tell you about monsters," Cassandra said as she let go of her friend and fell back onto the ground. "Monsters are what we are fighting against. Corypheus is a monster. That dragon that attacked Haven is a monster. The Templars and Mages that cannot put aside their petty quarrels for even a moment; that kill innocents in their war against one another, those are monsters. You," She laid a gentle hand on the qunari's forearm for emphasis, "you are no monster." She got to a knee and squeezed the arm affectionately. "You are my friend, and I do not wish to see you in pain. Here, take this." She reached into her pack and produced a small leatherbound book.
"I'm not reading one of your trashy romance novels, Cass."
"Skip the trashy parts. They're pretty blatant, so don't worry about it sneaking up on you. Read the rest. It could help. This sort of thing happens all the time in stories." She tossed the book into Adaar's lap and shrugged. "It can't hurt. And for what it's worth, I think she wants you too. Leliana is right; she is inexperienced, but that doesn't mean she hasn't noticed you. Don't stay away from her. You can take some time and gather your head but go to her and tell her how you feel. We could all meet the Maker today, and what will you tell Him when he asks if you ever gave the gift of love?"
Adaar gripped the book and looked at the ground. "Thanks Cass. I'll send some extra help to clean up this mess."
"Don't worry about it. We can handle it, I'm sure." Cassandra offered her hand to the larger fighter and helped her stand, craning her neck to look up. The sun was rising just behind the Inquisitor, and for a split second she could swear she saw the shadow of a mighty woman just over the qunari's shoulder. It was gone in an instant though, leaving her to wonder what it was she had seen, if she had in fact, seen anything at all. She stepped back and shook the feeling off, pointing to Adaar's discarded weapon. "Take your ridiculous hammer and go."
"Yea. See ya." Adaar picked up the heavy weapon, threw it over her shoulder, and quickly walked away.
"You forgot," Cassandra started, picking up the book, but the larger warrior was already gone. "Oh well. I wanted to look at this one again, anyway. I wonder if I have time for…" She sat down on a stump and opened the book to her favorite part, absently hoping that Adaar would take her advice and go see Josephine… otherwise she'd have to requisition a lot more training dummies.
Aimless patrol
So now what do I do?
Malora Adaar patrolled the perimeter, her heavy hammer slung loosely over her shoulder. She didn't often take a watch, being too busy travelling and working with the war council, but every now and then she relieved a sentry so she could pretend that her life was simple again.
How did I get to this point?
That was easy to answer. She had been foolish. Instead of spending her time in the tavern with Sera and Iron Bull like everyone expected, she had opted to claim a corner of space in Josephine's office. What an idiotic thing to do. Josephine had probably complained to Leliana and that's what prompted the whole 'talk'. Sure she was the 'Inquisitor' and by rights she could do whatever she pleased, but her presence was hard to ignore and it likely bothered the ambassador. How could Josephine get work done when a monster was lurking in the corner?
Malora heaved an exasperated sigh and looked at the sky. She should have never come here. She should have never joined up with that merc band. She should have just gone back to her homeland and studied the Qun. Sooner or later, she would have been accepted, right? At least she would be among her own kind, where everyone was a monster.
She moved the hammer to her other shoulder and quickened her pace. All was quiet, much to her disappointment, and soon the shift would be changing again. Maybe she'd go to the tavern tonight and see what Iron Bull was up to. It wasn't too late to start behaving the way she was expected to. A qunari mercenary belonged in a bar, not in a fancy office with a book in her too-large hands. Malora brought her free arm up in front of her face and balled a fist.
It's nearly as big as Josephine's head.
She chuckled at the thought and smiled, serenity washing over her as she recalled the ambassador's lovely features. Josephine was always smiling, whether she was pouring over her notes or negotiating agreements with other dignitaries. There was always a glow surrounding her, and her presence was comforting. Malora loved sitting in those offices and though she did in fact enjoy reading, most of the time she just listened to Josephine breathe.
I won't be able to go there anymore.
Leliana had made sure of that. She wondered what it was that she had done to piss the assassin off so badly. Malora hadn't made any untoward moves toward Josephine, certainly not any overt ones, anyway. She'd dropped a comment here and there perhaps, just fishing to see what the response might be, but she left it alone when the ambassador had blown her off. So what, then? Malora racked her brain, trying to come up with something, anything that might explain why Leliana was inserting herself into the situation. The qunari stopped short and slowly lowered the hammer to the ground as realization dawned on her.
Leliana is in love with her.
"Oh, fuck me," she said out loud, not really caring who heard. That had to be the answer. It was the only thing to explain the talk, the threat, all of it. Leliana was telling the warrior to back off because Josephine was her territory. She was asserting dominance. Malora felt tightness in her chest at the idea, and she gripped the hammer firmly in both hands, looking for something to swing it at.
That won't help.
The mercenary turned herald turned inquisitor closed her eyes and loosened her hold on the weapon again. No, that wouldn't help at all. She'd already destroyed the training area and it hadn't made her feel any better. Dwelling on it out here in the wild, all alone, was dangerous. There was really only one thing to do. She'd go see Josephine and let her know that she meant no disrespect and she would quietly detach herself from the offices. Then she'd get Cassandra and leave for a while. They could hunt rifts or go take care of a few minor issues Cullen had been grumbling about.
Malora attached her weapon to her back and signaled the patrol on the battlements that she was ready to be relieved. As soon as the sentry arrived, she made her way back into the keep and through to the diplomatic office.
"Josephine, do you have a moment?"
The ambassador smiled that charming smile and Malora thought her heart would break in two right there. "Of course, Inquisitor. I always have time for you."
The qunari took a breath and shifted her weight, leaning slightly toward the door. Maybe she could just bolt. That would be easy, right? She could just run straight out that door and never return, never address it. Of course, she'd also never be able to show her face in the war room again, but that was a trivial matter. She could send Cassandra in to deal with the planning and go back to just being a background figure, a nobody that appears when it's time to seal a breach, and conveniently disappears again when the work is done.
"Inquisitor?" Josephine's hands were folded on the desk and her smile had been replaced with a look of concern. Malora had been silent for too long.
"I, uh… Listen, Leliana pulled me aside and…"
"Ohhh, she is impossible," Josephine interrupted, leaning back in her chair and drumming her fingers agitatedly on the desk. The assassin's meddling knew no bounds. She made a mental note to do some meddling of her own. A few hints dropped here and there at the right bar table might be enough to spark something that would occupy Leliana's time and keep her out of everyone's hair.
The mercenary looked around the room nervously. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you that…"
Josephine interrupted her again, "Can we talk somewhere private?" She wasn't precisely ready to address this matter, but if the Inquisitor wanted to talk about whatever it was that was going on here now, she was not opposed.
"I, uh," the qunari stammered, "I guess we can head up to my quarters." Malora turned and led the way up the stairs, panic gripping her. Why did Josephine want to talk in private? Was she going to say something hurtful and she was afraid the big, bad monster would make a scene? Andraste, what little Josephine thought of her. Better to handle this matter quietly and away from any prying eyes. Better for the Inquisition. She gritted her teeth, white anger flowing through her blood. It was just another reminder that she was different, that she didn't quite belong. They couldn't even have a conversation in public.
When they arrived, she placed her hammer on the ground, took a seat on the couch and made herself as small as possible. She rested her massive hands on her knees and leaned backward, watching Josephine pace back and forth. After a few moments, the ambassador began speaking. "I am sorry that Leliana has gotten herself involved in all of this. Sometimes she treats me like a child, but I am fully capable of understanding our association, Inquisitor." She kept pacing, glancing every now and again at the stoic warrior.
"I know she's just trying to protect you. It's fine." Malora flexed her hands a few times and fidgeted on the couch. She regretted sitting down because it made her feel caged, but knew she might appear less intimidating if she were seated. Well, as benign as a seven foot tall horned demon could appear, anyway. No matter what, she wanted Josephine to be comfortable in her presence… to not be afraid.
"It's not that, it's… I mean… Nothing you have said has been… I did not think for a moment that your intentions were in any way romantic…" Josephine stopped pacing and looked down at the qunari, something igniting somewhere in her chest and rushing through her blood to settle in her abdomen. Malora Adaar was a magnificent sight, muscle subtly rippling with every movement of her body, and the ambassador's breathing shifted a little as her eyes roamed the exposed skin. Images crashed into her mind of what it would feel like to have those powerful arms wrapped around her, pushing her to the wall and holding her in place, that searing kiss cutting an electrical pathway through to her center. Now that she was alone with the tall woman, she could not deny the attraction. The sleeveless shirt and leather trousers were a decidedly good look on the warrior, and Josephine's gaze lingered on the sensitive skin just below Adaar's jawline, her lips tingling with the desire to taste it. She was often in close proximity to the qunari due to the nature of their work, but rarely was she afforded the opportunity to unabashedly study what lay beneath the heavy plate armor.
And what lay beneath the armor was solid, chiseled flesh. Malora's musculature was well-defined, much more detailed than even the powerful Cassandra who spent long hours training and sculpting her body. Perhaps it was just something unique to the qunari race, the mysterious metallic people that Josephine knew so little about. She wanted so badly to run her fingertips along those arms, to wrap her hands around those strong shoulders. A low pulse made itself known deep in her core, an insistent pull clouding her mind and demanding she submit to the powerful demon sitting before her.
Surely Malora felt it as well. The air was thick and she was certain her desire was tangible. Any minute now the qunari would be overcome with passion and stand, forcing her to look upward. Any minute now those hands would be roaming her flesh, ripping through her flimsy garments and claiming her. Her body would rise with the motions, an invitation deeper inside, her nails digging into that muscled torso and pulling them to the ground. She would lie down and give everything to Malora Adaar, the evidence of her arousal releasing with vivacity as the powerful warrior's body pressed her down on the cold stone and drove into her. Her fingertips were alive with electricity and she started to reach out, ready to…
"But we're still friends, right?"
The horned demon raised her eyebrows with the words, a simple question, demanding a simple answer… and Josephine's world shattered.
"I… Of, of course, Inquisitor. I am so sorry… I thought," Josephine cleared her throat in a feeble attempt to chase the lightning away. "I have to go…" The ambassador fled the room, looking back for a split second, hoping beyond hope that it was just a jest, that Malora would be pursuing her, would be ready to take what she had very nearly offered… but the warrior did not leave the couch. The mercenary averted her face, and Josephine felt her heart break in half. She had been right, and Leliana had been wrong. Malora Adaar had no interest in her, at all.
"Goodbye, Inquisitor…" she whispered as she left the room.
"Goodbye, Josephine," Malora replied. She waited a few moments to be certain that the ambassador had gone, and then she stood and lifted the couch over her head. Another thirty seconds went by as she let the weight of the furnishing strain her muscles, and then she threw it as hard as she could against the stone wall. The wood shattered and shards flew everywhere in the room, grazing her skin and leaving little splinters behind. The qunari didn't care. That pain was better than the pain she felt inside right now.
Malora fell to her knees on the cold stone floor, hanging her head. This was the way it had to be. These last few minutes proved it. Her imagination was out of control, and in another tick she might have done something she'd surely deeply regret. Being alone with the ambassador had been a huge mistake, a mistake she would never repeat again.
Oh, she is so lovely…
Josephine moved with such grace and elegance; even pacing nervously she was a thing of beauty. Malora couldn't help but run her eyes over that shapely body, partially hidden by billowing and brightly colored clothes. Her imagination ran wild with thoughts of touching that silky flesh and tasting the salt on Josephine's skin. She wanted so badly to reach out and pull the human onto that couch, to use her superior strength to lay the woman down gently beneath her; to cover her and hide her away from the rest of the world. She wanted to hear that voice in her ear, those ragged breaths, begging for more. She wanted to feel those nails along her back, desperately scrambling for leverage, pulling her closer. She wanted those legs to wrap around her waist, offering and accepting affection of the most carnal kind. She wanted…
She just wanted Josephine.
Malora shook her head to clear it and slowly got to her feet. She would have to put some distance between them, and the best way to do that would be to leave. There was so much yet to do anyway, and Cassandra was getting restless. It was time to go back out into the world and continue the task of drumming up support for the Inquisition. It would fade in time. Time and distance was all that was needed to put this idea of a romantic affiliation with Josephine Montilyet out of her head. Time, was all it would take.
Time… and maybe a few reckless fights.
A/N – Why? So I can write an entirely new story for them. I actually just finished the Josephine arc in the game last night and was totally blown away. I'm not even disappointed about Sera anymore. This one was so well-written and entertaining that honestly, I feel like the game itself has ended for me.
I've interpreted enough to get it started, and now I have the freedom to do something entirely new. Super excited. Please look forward to it.