Chapter 3

There were books everywhere.

Bathed in soft candlelight, floor to ceiling bookcases lined the walls of the large study, so packed and overflowing with leather bound tomes that they seemed to spill all over the huge wooden desks in the center of the room.

Shepard had to resist the urge to touch everything as she drew closer, opting instead to be careful and watch, momentarily mesmerized by the sight in front of her. Some sort of mechanical contraption was whirring away on the table closest to her, powered by a flawlessly drawn transmutation circle underneath that bathed it in soft blue light. And on the table next to that lay a complicated looking chemical array, bubbling and distilling a glowing purple liquid.

Shepard leaned forward to get a closer look, already impressed by the display. She was familiar with alchemy of course, but her knowledge was limited to the protection circles she drew into her skin before each battle. She had to learn to draw them herself because she didn't always have the luxury of a practitioner at hand, but this…this was way above her head.

There were leaves of parchment in tidy stacks on one table, lined with small, curved writing or illustrated with images of plants and circles. Some of the latter were crossed with a scratched note beneath the image, proving that her future wife not only had impressive knowledge in her field, but also experimented and tried to further it.

Shepard had just extended her hand to grab one leaf and take a better look when she heard a thud and a muffled groan which sounded disturbingly similar to 'Oh no'. She tensed, her hand returning to her sword, thumb already releasing the blade from its sheath by an inch as she hurried to the only other door in the room. Clicking it open as quietly as she could, she hurried through the short hallway beyond with long strides, her body falling effortlessly into the fluid battle grace. But as soon as she reached the next room, her stance deflated and she blinked at the scene before her.

A pair of buttocks swayed and wiggled in the center of the chamber as their owner bent over a transmutation circle drawn on the floor. The circle was at least eight feet in diameter and emitting blue wisps of light, looking way more complicated than the ones in the study. But as fascinating as that was, Shepard just couldn't find it in herself to pay attention.

She'd caught a glimpse of a crest as the asari bent over further, hands connecting with the stone floor now but being very careful not to touch the drawn lines, and Shepard relaxed, sword clicking back into place as she took a leisurely look at her future wife, not feeling guilty at all about staring.

Sadly, T'Soni was wearing a lab coat and the fabric hit the mid of her thighs, obscuring the view, but it still stretched beautifully around her well-rounded posterior as she tried to reach the orb levitating in the center of the circle, suspended a foot from the floor in some kind of blue bubble. Shepard sighed, momentarily conflicted. Should she step forward and gallantly help her out, or continue to enjoy the view? Well, if I put it that way…

Grinning, she slid her eyes over the delicious form in front of her one last time, opening her mouth to make her entrance, but before she could speak a pulse tore violently from the orb, knocking her a few feet back and making her stumble.

"Goddess!" She heard as she regained her footing, followed by a yelp, and when she looked up she saw the asari lifted into the air, suspended by the same bubble of light that held the orb. Clenching her jaw, Shepard jumped into action, doing the only thing she could think of.

Releasing her sword from her belt, scabbard and all, she threw it at the orb like a spear, hoping that the speed would prevent it from being caught. It hit the bloody thing perfectly and knocked it out of balance and onto the etching on the floor, making the whole drawing fizzle out. She offered a silent prayer of thanks to whoever was listening. Even when the asari fell unceremoniously on her ass, making Shepard twitch.

Straightening her back proudly, Shepard prepared for the onslaught of gratitude that was no doubt incoming, but the asari never even turned to her, let alone jumped into her arms for a hug. A tragedy, deepened further by the fact that Shepard had already come up with a humble and yet sexy comeback. Please my Lady, I'm a soldier, it is my duty to protect.

She was even more disappointed when instead T'Soni scrambled forward to the orb and examined it with careful hands. "Oh no." She said. Then after a few more moments of taking in the brand new cracks on the stone-like exterior, she repeated. "Oh no."

Momentarily at a loss for words, Shepard shrunk a bit, not liking this new development at all. Liking it even less when her fiancé spoke again, still cradling that murderous orb like it was a newborn kitten.

"What did you do? This was a priceless artifact, one of a kind!" She said, pain lacing her tone. "I told you not to come in when I'm working."

Shepard cringed. Right, she has no idea who I am. And I just killed her orb. Fuck. This is not how it was supposed to go. Clearing her throat once, she ventured a careful: "I offer my deepest apologies, my Lady."

The asari froze on the floor, her head tilting comically slowly to the sword next to her before she shot up to her feet and whirled to face Shepard, tense and wide-eyed.

Shepard was about to explain herself but when their eyes connected the words stuck in her throat, making her let out a strangled huff of air. Well, she knew good things were in store for her when she first caught sight of Benezia T'Soni, guessing correctly that her daughter couldn't be far away, but sweet Maker, she didn't expect this!

She is stunning.

Forcing herself to pull it together, Shepard clicked her jaw shut, until she was sure she could string a meaningful line of words together. She needed to be on her best. She'd already fucked up enough.

"C-Commander!" T'Soni said, hand flying to her collar to straighten it then shooting down to hold the remnants of the artifact after she almost dropped it. Blush spreading across her cheeks, she clutched the orb closer, pushing it to her breasts. Yep, definitely Benezia's daughter.

"I'm s - I mean I didn't know…" T'Soni started, fidgeting in place, her eyes connecting with Shepard's only to dart down again under the pretext of rearranging her hold on the artifact. Did her eyes just linger on my cleavage? Shepard's face froze somewhere between her previous mortification and a newfound amusement and she was glad the asari wasn't looking at her anymore. Better to spare her that sight.

"Welcome… to my home. And yours, too now, I suppose." T'Soni continued and winced, blush spreading across her cheeks as she struggled to continue.

Relieved that she didn't seem to be in trouble anymore, Shepard relaxed a little, still feeling guilty about her less than impressive entrance. And coming to her fiance's lair unannounced. And to the castle a day early.

She shrunk back a little, the uncomfortable feeling in her chest only growing because it seemed that her future wife was shy. And dorky. Shepard smiled at her in what she hoped to be a friendly and encouraging manner.

She's not what I expected at all.

After all, her future wife was more than a hundred years old, raised in luxury with servants answering her every whim – and Shepard expected a healthy dose of ego to come with that background. She may have even indulged in a couple of 'taming of the shrew' fantasies on her long trip, but this…

She's adorable. I must be careful not to tease her too much. Her grin broadened before she forced herself to push down the urge.

"I hope you had a nice trip, Commander…That it wasn't long or tiring, I mean. I have… I admit I wasn't expecting you so quickly." T'Soni spoke again after a long moment, then her eyes widened and she hurried to continue.

"Not that you're not welcome! You are! Like I've already said… obviously." She said, muttering a barely audible aside to herself, a pained expression on her face as she locked eyes with Shepard only to let them slide downward again. Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."

She finished and blushed again, obviously embarrassed with her admission. Shepard decided to take mercy on her, resisting a ridiculous urge to hug her.

"I'm glad to hear it, my lady, because the prospect of meeting you had me absolutely dizzy with excitement." She bowed, glad she'd found her voice again, her eyes never leaving the asari's. "I hope my eagerness hasn't inconvenienced you." She said, feeling entirely too nervous about the answer even when she had a good idea what it might be.

"Not at all. I'm happy to have you."

Shepard froze, a disquieting twinge of excitement coiling in her stomach, but the asari was already talking again.

"In the castle." She cut off, then shifted on her feet, trying so hard to make her face seem impassive that it was absolutely endearing. She has the most expressive face I've ever seen.

"And please call me Liara. If we are to be - I would appreciate if you would call me by my first name," she said. And it seemed that her earlier annoyance with her own bumbling made Liara a bit more steely, grounding her and helping her focus. Her back straightened and her shoulders squared, revealing that same graceful dignity that Benezia practically exuded earlier that day. It's almost like she's hiding behind it.

"Only if you do the same." Shepard said, tension leaving her already. She was making progress. "Or you could call me Shepard like everyone else does. Either is fine."

Liara nodded regally, but after the silence stretched between them once more, she grew nervous again. Shepard jumped in with the first thought she could muster up to keep their rhythm going. And even though she'd rather forget the incident ever happened, her guilt was still nagging at her.

"About before…I'm really sorry for ruining your artifact. I just…I thought it was attacking you so I reacted. Poorly and impulsively." She said, clasping her hands behind her back, but Liara didn't seem angry.

"There's no need to apologize. If I had been in your position…I understand completely. And who knows, I may be able to repair it yet. I already have a few ideas how to go about it." She ventured with a careful smile in Shepard's direction, and Shepard felt that same tendril twisting low in her stomach again. She couldn't help but smile back, but it still seemed like she was better off while Liara avoided her gaze, because now she had trouble enduring her full attention without blushing. The reaction startled her, but she pushed the thought away to be examined later.

"Thank you." She said, smiling wider. "I have no doubt that you'll be able to do it if it is at all possible." She spoke, holding Liara's gaze so that she could make sure the asari knew she was honest. But to be fair, she had doubts she'd be able to look away even if she tried. And why should I try? "I've seen your sketches in the study." Shepard said. "They were very impressive."

The asari blushed again at the compliment, but it seemed that the change of topic was what really got her excited. Her eyes lit up immediately and she seemed to forget hiding behind her shield as she spoke eagerly. "You are familiar with the Art, Com…Shepard?" She said and her blush deepened, ripening into a lovely shade of purple.

Mesmerized for a moment by the sight, Shepard just mumbled noncommittally, afraid that her lack of knowledge would stifle Liara's interest and force her back into her shell.

"Of course you are, I should have guessed." Liara's smile widened even further. "The first idea about using circles as an aid was the work of human genius, after all. The asari don't have much use for it because they wield the power naturally, but I've always been fascinated by the science behind it." She gestured to her chest as she spoke and the fractured orb came dangerously close to falling, catching Shepard's amused gaze. Liara wasn't deterred, only redirected. "Actually this particular piece was imbued by the famous Paracelsus. It cost me a fortune to acquire but it was worth it. Even broken, it is priceless because the enchantment was drawn in the very center of the orb." She finished dramatically, then faltered at Shepard's blank look.

"You haven't read his work?"

Ah well, she had to notice sooner or later. "Sadly, no. I only have some limited skill with the defensive circles."

Liara nodded, looking a bit disappointed. "Of course, with your background, it must have been very useful. Still, I can't blame you for not reading it. It's a very dry nine volume tome, no matter how brilliant. Only a couple of scholars have taken an interest and tried to make sense. I've written a few papers on the subject." She said with a hint of pride and Shepard wondered if Liara wanted to impress her even further, but then the asari deflated and mumbled something eerily similar to 'though barely any practitioner acknowledged it'.

She'd looked so frustrated and disheartened that Shepard felt the ridiculous urge to slap some sense into the collective theoretical alchemist's community, a bit surprised by the sheer strength of the emotion. She had no idea who these people might be or where to find them, but some smacking around was in order.

Liara sighed then smiled sadly, foot scuffling against the floor as her eyes dropped. "I'm sorry. Everyone else finds all of this terribly boring too, but I just never learn." She said quietly.

"Oh no!" Shepard said, drawing closer before she could catch herself. "I enjoy listening to you, it's just that I'm so unbelievably out of my league." She said, smiling because she couldn't fight the urge when she saw Liara's blue eyes round in an obvious display of hope. "But I could work on it. Maybe borrow a couple of your books for a start? I've always loved reading, but lately I haven't had much time for it. Maybe this is just what I needed to start again."

"You enjoy reading?" Liara asked solemnly, like that fact was more important that anything Shepard had said tonight. Judging by the pile of books in her study, Shepard could see why – it was their first tangible connection, something to build on.

She grinned and nodded.

"That's excellent." Liara grinned back and this time Shepard didn't feel an immediate response in her stomach. It was more like being slammed in the chest by a krogan... with a krogan. I need to make her do that again.

"I wouldn't be so cruel to take advantage of your offer and make you read Paracelsus," Liara started, a teasing tone slipping into her voice for the first time, and Shepard had to resist an urge to bounce. "But you are free to use the library anytime you want. You might find me there, too. Occasionally." She said as an afterthought, that delightful blush warming her face again.

"You should probably store your books there, too, because it's the perfect environment for preservation. If you have any with you, of course."

Still giddy with how well their encounter was going, even with that rocky start, Shepard answered without thinking. "Only one. Like I said, not much time for it on my trip."

Liara perked up in interest. "What was it?"

It took Shepard a moment for the question sank in, but then she froze. "I beg your pardon?" She said, trying to buy herself some time.

"The book you were reading. What was it?" Liara repeated, looking a bit confused at Shepard's reticence.

Shepard debated for a moment, but then decided to go with the truth. She didn't know if it was because she couldn't resist the temptation of coaxing another blush out of Liara, or if she was just suddenly very interested in letting her fiancé know she'd be very open to that particular relationship. Either way, she didn't want to examine the feeling further.

"Vaenia." She said finally, her voice catching a bit as she prayed she hadn't made a mistake. Vaenia, after all, hardly seemed the type of book her Liara would value very highly.

Her risk paid off when Liara let out a strangled sound, purple filling her cheeks with a vengeance after a brief respite. Sweet Maker, was her crest darkening, too? As Liara continued to sputter, Shepard fought of a grin and schooled her face into the most innocent expression she could muster.

"I see you've read it then." She said just when Liara seemed to catch some semblance of control, her timing perfect.

"No! I've heard of it, that's all." Liara said, looking anywhere but at Shepard. "Not that there's anything wrong with… that kind of literature, but - but I think we could both agree that the work doesn't have much literary value."

Shepard couldn't help but push a little more, not even trying to suppress a grin. "Perhaps, but it has illustrations."

Liara shot her a pained look, completely aware that she was being teased, but Shepard could swear she still caught an unwilling, shy smile threatening to break out at the corner of her lips. She opened her mouth to extend Liara the same generous offer of borrowing all of her reading material, but before she could, a loud bang echoed through the hallway from which she entered. Someone wasn't shy about making a lot of noise.

"Code red!" She heard Aethyta yell from the study.

"I…what?" She said eloquently after being yanked so mercilessly from her very enjoyable conversation.

"Code red!" Aethyta repeated slowly, like she was talking to a varren, but with a hint of urgency sneaking into her tone. "The dragon has left the cave!"

Liara looked at her in confusion, but Shepard finally realized their time was up. She didn't want to leave, but she knew she couldn't dawdle. Acting on an impulse, she extended her hand and, after a moment of hesitation, Liara lifted hers to accept it.

Shepard looked at her squarely, her thumb brushing Liara's knuckles as she lifted her hand. "My Lady, I'm enjoying your company more than I ever could have hoped for, but I'm afraid I have to leave." She bent and pressed her lips to Liara's fingers for a moment too long before pulling away with surprising reluctance. Her lips tingled even as the contact was lost and she thought she heard a quick intake of breath, but she couldn't tell whose.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening." She said finally, hoping that her voice sounded normal. She didn't feel normal. At all.

Stealing one last look, she turned around without waiting for an answer, but she could swear she heard a faint 'As am I' following her. Heart in her throat, she stormed through the hallway, then the study, flying through the door Aethyta kept open for her, not stopping until they turned a few corners and she finally felt she was safe from detection.

"So…" Aethyta started, watching her with careful eyes. "How'd it go?"

"Good." Somehow, Shepard wasn't in the mood to share. She felt strange urge to keep the encounter close to her chest a little while longer.

But Aethyta wasn't letting her go so easily. "What did you think of her?"

Shepard smiled involuntarily. "She is…" Smart. Shy. Absolutely stunning. "Interesting. She is interesting. I look forward to talking with her again."

Aethyta looked at her strangely before she spoke, a careful undercurrent in her tone. "Well, you won't have to wait long." She said as they continued walking to Shepard's room, the Commander's step noticeably bouncier. "Although, I'm not sure how much time for talking you're gonna get because the nobles will swarm you just for the chance of kissing your ass. Maybe during the bonding dance, but…"

Shepard froze in her tracks so suddenly she ran the risk of toppling over. "Dancing? You said Liara and I will be dancing tomorrow night?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Aethyta scoffed. "Of course you will. It's tradition."

"But I… but I thought the custom was abandoned two thousand years ago. I thought it died out!" Shepard hissed, feeling awfully close to yelling.

"We're asari, du… Shepard. If the dance wasn't done two thousand years ago, it just means that Benezia's mother was a bit of a rebel. Or that she married a turian. There's quite a bit of grinding, so turians aren't really the best - "

"And Benezia? Did she do it?"

"She never bonded. Officially." Aethyta ground out, then sighed heavily. "Look, I understand your people are prudish and boring, but a bit of groping and you'll be done. It doesn't mean shit. And there's no way you're getting out of it. You're a human marrying a T'Soni, so you can bet your pale ass they'll make you jump every single hoop. You're lucky you don't have to slay a legendary beast like in the old days…"

"Yes!" Shepard almost cried out in relief. "Can I choose? I'll just do that instead! I can do that, right? Right?"

When Aethyta just kept looking at her evenly, Shepard's shoulders slumped until she took in a deep breath and squared her jaw, like she was going into battle.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," she grabbed Aethyta's shoulders, "you're gonna have to teach me how to dance."