A/N –
Ash – So that's it, huh? She doesn't even come to you before the last battle to say good luck? Bummer. Well, at least I'm not missing anything. Still banging my head against trying to get the Sera romance to activate. Bullshit it's easier with a qunari.
And in regards to the reviews – you know my Mass Effect fic was like that too. Tens and tens and TENS of thousands of reads on that one and it still gets a few hundred weekly views, yet only a handful of comments. Granted, they were mostly positive so I'm not complaining, but still. Works that didn't get a fraction of the time and effort I put into that nearly 300k word monstrosity blow up with reviews. So, perhaps my stories aren't as entertaining as I think they are. Or they are just not terrible enough to comment on, but not good enough to comment on, either.
The other possibility is that no one knows it's here and folks like you are finding it on accident. The filters really are terrible. It should be Inquisitor (f) and Inquisitor (m) and then authors can further specify from there which particular race we are writing about. Right now anyone looking for a story featuring a male Adaar finds my fic too, and anyone who is just looking for a female Inquisitor/Josephine (and isn't picky about the race) may NEVER find it because of the way I classified it. Not fair to authors, not fair to readers.
Still, I write because I have a story to tell and it is my hope that someone might enjoy reading it. Feedback is gravy, but in the end, it's not why I do this.
Skyhold, late night
Josephine sat with a mug of cold ale in her hands, staring off into nothingness. It had been another hard day of training, with the occasional break to see to Inquisition matters. She had begun to look forward to the end of the day when she could retire to the tavern and have a few drinks with the other rogue trainees. She took a long sip and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the fiery liquid scorching her throat.
"You've become a permanent fixture here, Ambassador." Iron Bull sat down next to her, signaling for the barmaid to bring him a drink.
"Yes, it is good to relax after the long day. I have been missing out." Josephine took another sip of her ale and set it on the bar. "It is good to see you again. You know, next time we spar I will not be such an easy target."
"Ha, you weren't an easy target last time." He threw some coins on the counter and accepted his drink from the barmaid. "But Ambassador, I have to ask, why are you here?"
"I am here because Leliana asked me to help build the Inquisition. That is common knowledge." She turned toward him and shrugged.
"That's not what I mean and you know it. Oh, I get that Leliana asked you to come help us out, but as our ambassador and diplomat, not as a fighter. We've got more than enough rogues to go around. Why are you out here instead of in there?" he pointed in the general direction of the keep.
Josephine turned back to her ale and was quite for a long time. Finally, she spoke in a soft voice, "I want to be more like Sera."
Iron Bull let out a guffaw and slapped his thigh. "Oh ho, are you kidding me? Why on earth would you want to be more like Sera? Why would anyone want to be more like Sera?"
"Because… she is desirable."
Iron Bull looked intently at the Inquisition Ambassador. She was truly a lovely woman, even out of her normally decorated outfits. She had taken to tying her hair into a simple ponytail, and she wore the leather boots, trousers, and vest of a bard. The gear was well worn, but it was high quality. It had belonged to Leliana when she still walked the world. He tapped the bar thoughtfully, all the questions she had asked him as they sparred earlier that day returning to the forefront of his mind.
"Do qunari feel love?" She stabbed quickly and spun away, hoping to catch Iron Bull off guard.
"We do, but expressing it the way humans do is expressly forbidden by the Qun. Anyone who is caught doing so will be retrained, which is another way of saying they are locked up in solitary confinement and beaten until they promise to give up their evil ways." Iron Bull danced around the blades, bringing his sword to a defensive position.
"That is awful. Do all qunari follow this rule?" She circled him warily, watching for the slightest muscle to twitch.
"I did when I lived in my homeland, but not anymore, I guess. I doubt Adaar does, being Tal-Vashoth and all. Her parents came here to escape the rigid structure of the Qun. Those of us out here in the world need to take comfort where we can find it. We aren't bound by the laws of our homeland, though they would like to extend their reach here." He strafed and spun, bringing the sword level with her head.
"Do you know anything about her past?" Josephine tucked and rolled, easily avoiding the fatal slash. She got to her feet behind him, raising her blades again and waiting for him to recover.
"Me? Nah, I only just met her. I've heard some things, but her past was mostly just mercenary stuff. The usual things you humans hire us 'Oxmen' for. You likely know more about her than I do, Ambassador." He regained control of the sword's momentum and turned to her again, smiling. She was getting better.
"Perhaps." She lunged and twisted, going for the killing blow.
"You know, you could just ask Adaar these things. I know she'd be delighted to talk with you." He pulled a knife from his belt and deflected her blades, causing her to lose her balance and drop them. He let the sword fall to the ground and caught her around the waist, knife to her throat. "Good match, Ambassador."
"Good match," she replied as he released her from his grip. She bowed to him and picked her weapons back up.
Yes, she definitely had a motive for all of this and it wasn't a genuine desire to throw away her education and reputation to live a life like at the bottom like Sera. "You mean you think the Inquisitor is interested in her."
Josephine shrugged. "Maybe. She is quite attractive."
"In her own way, perhaps. What makes you think Adaar wants her?"
"They are always talking. Always on missions. There's no one else in camp that she spends so much time with."
"There's Cassandra," he replied easily. In fact, he thought that if there was anyone in the camp that might be able to give Josephine competition for Adaar's affection, it would be Cassandra, not Sera.
She shrugged. "Regardless, I think that if Malora can just see that I'm more than a stuffy, pompous politician, she could think of me as more than just a friend... Well, I'm building a troupe."
"You're doing what?" Iron Bull held back another guffaw. Josephine had clearly lost her mind.
"I'm building a troupe, a party. We're planning to go out adventuring. She'll notice me then, and respect me."
"All she is going to notice is that you have wasted time and energy and her Inquisition has suffered. Get a bath and put on your normal clothes before she gets back. Go to your offices and wait for her. Believe me; she won't be able to stay away for much longer. She's never been gone this long before. This has to be killing her."
"No. I've hidden behind my political lies and maneuverings long enough. It has cost me too much. I want to be out there in the world, I want to be by her side fighting."
"She'll never go for that, you know."
"And why not?" Josephine picked up her mug of ale again and drained it, motioning to the minstrel that they'd be starting their meeting soon and it was time to gather the rest of the bards.
"Adaar is a … complicated woman, even for a qunari. We aren't given to expressing our feelings in general, but you have to know that there is something there with you. Everyone sees it. You see it too. I don't know what went wrong between the two of you and I'm not going to pry, but I can pretty much guarantee that she is not going to let you leave the safety of this fortress, especially not after a threat on your life has already been thwarted once."
"She doesn't control me," Josephine said, an edge in her voice.
Iron Bull inhaled deeply and shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I meant that," he continued, but Josephine had already pushed away from the bar and left to meet with her bard troupe. He sighed and signaled to the barkeep for another, saluting Sera as she came down the stairs and joined the rogues who were leaving the tavern. That whole situation was a mess, and he wasn't sure there was anything he could do about it.
"Damn it, Adaar, you need to get back here and deal with this." He sipped the ale thoughtfully; wondering how to spin this in his letters back home.
Skyhold, late afternoon
"I just want it to be known that you are forcing me to do this."
"Duly noted, Inquisitor." Cassandra glanced at Adaar's arm, which was swollen and discolored. The mighty woman never complained, but she was holding it close to her side and it was clear that it pained her. "You must have that looked at by Solas. We can do nothing in the field if you cannot close rifts." She hated forcing Adaar to come back but she didn't really have a choice. Vivienne wasn't a rift mage and her skill in healing only went so far. They needed Solas to treat Adaar's injury. He knew more about the mark than any of them and he had already treated her successfully once when she had a far greater wound.
"Let's just get this over with," the horned giant said, entering the gates. "Have him meet me at the tavern. I will be waiting there for him." She pushed past Cassandra and strode purposefully to the alehouse, determined to stay as far away from the keep as possible.
"Darling, is that who I think it is?" Vivienne pointed to the far end of the training grounds, where Josephine was holding court, addressing a company of rogues.
Cassandra squinted at the location for a few moments, and then looked at Varric, eyes wide.
"Yup," he said, shielding his brow from the sun. "That's Josephine all right. And Sera. That's not a half-bad look on her, though that equipment has seen better days. Looks like Adaar hasn't noticed. She's really wrapped up in her own misery if she doesn't see that."
"Leliana wasn't kidding," Cassandra said to herself, crossing her arms. "Look," she said, pointing. The rogues had apparently finished their meeting and were heading into the tavern.
"Yea," Varric said, nodding. "Uh oh. Adaar has no idea what Josie has been up to, huh?"
"No," the warrior replied, a little guiltily. She could have at least warned the Inquisitor that Josephine might be outside on the grounds. "This is a disaster."
"Yup. You want me to go head her off?" Varric nodded toward the swiftly moving rogues.
"No. I need you with me. Vivienne?" She looked pleadingly at the mage, hoping she would help.
Vivienne let out an exasperated sigh, but nodded. "I will try to delay her, but you do realize that sooner or later Adaar is going to have to deal with this. You cannot shield her from pain forever."
"I know that," Cassandra replied. "I just need to sort out what has been going on here first and get a handle on things. Leliana will have more information for us. Just go cut that off before there is another incident. The tavern is not nearly as well-built as the keep."
Varric shook his head as the mage walked away, signaling Josephine to join her. "Josie looks pretty good in that bard getup. Maybe intercepting her wasn't the best idea."
"Perhaps not, but right now we need to find out what has been going on here. Come," she said, walking toward the keep. "We will stop off and send Solas to Adaar, and then meet everyone in the war room."
"You want me in the war room? You must be desperate, Seeker." He chuckled to himself and fell into step beside her as she led the way to Solas's room. She knocked lightly, then entered and gestured for him to gather his things.
"Adaar has taken a serious injury to her arm. She needs your help. Please go see her at the tavern."
"At the tavern? I would have thought she'd be in Josephine's office." he asked, picking up his staff and a small pouch of reagents.
Cassandra sighed. "She is at the tavern, and I will thank you to keep your comments to yourself."
"Very well. I will treat Adaar and report to you when I have more information."
"Thank you, Solas. Varric, let us convene the war council." She led the way over to the war room, taking note that Josephine's office was in a state of disarray and dust had begun to gather on the desk.
"Well, she sure has been shirking her duties, Seeker."
"Yes, I can see that. Hopefully Leliana can explain the situation." She pushed open the doors, touching the rune that would summon the advisors. She tapped her foot impatiently, resting a hand on her sword. Five minutes passed, and just when she was about to activate the rune again, Cullen entered, nodding to her.
"Cullen, it is good to see you. How fare the troops?" she asked.
"Morale is low," he replied. "The Inquisitor's long absence has caused minor talk. It is nothing we cannot handle."
"Damn it. Where is Leliana?" She looked around as if the assassin was hiding somewhere in the shadows.
"I was delayed," the voice came from somewhere behind her, and the sound of it made her heartbeat pause, just for a moment. She closed her eyes and shook it off as Leliana made her way to her customary spot behind the table. When she opened them again, they found the assassin's for a moment, and then she looked away quickly, toward the empty spot where Josephine would normally stand. Varric watched the exchange between the two with interest, suppressing a grin.
So I was right after all, Seeker.
"Josephine will not be joining us?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"No," Leliana replied. "I take it Adaar will also be absent?"
Cassandra nodded, looking back at Leliana. The hood had fallen over her forehead, hiding her eyes. Part of her was grateful that she wouldn't have to burn under that gaze, but another part of her wanted to get lost in it.
"I have sent Solas to heal her arm. I hope that he takes his time, but I fear once she is well enough to travel again she will take us back out."
"What exactly is going on with the Inquisitor?" Cullen asked. He was clearly in the dark about something big.
Leliana folded her hands into her sleeves and turned toward him. "She has some… personal… issues to work out."
"The same issues as the Ambassador?"
"You could say that," Cassandra answered.
"So this war council will be little more than discussing how to fix our internal personal problems," he said disgustedly. "We have barely been in operation for a year and already we are falling apart from within. If they cannot work together, we will need to find a new ambassador."
"I believe that we might be able to fix the problems, Cullen. It will just take time," Leliana said.
"Time that we do not have. Can you not see this board? We have at least thirty minor issues to deal with and several major ones looming over our heads, not to mention Corypheus is not sitting idly by while we dance around."
"What would you have us do?" Varric asked. "Just get rid of Josephine? See how Adaar takes that. Or maybe you want to get rid of the Inquisitor. Good luck getting your troops to follow then. 'Sorry, but we can't close any rifts anymore because we threw the Herald of Andraste out on her horns and it's likely Corypheus will hand us our asses on a platter, but keep fighting the fight!' Yea, that will work out well." He crossed his arms and glared a challenge at Cullen. He understood the man's concerns and shared them, but the fact was that they couldn't do this without Adaar, and Adaar wouldn't do this without Josephine.
"He's right, loathe as I am to admit it," Cassandra interjected, glancing at Varric. "What has the situation here been like with Josephine? Somehow we must get them talking again."
Leliana stepped into the shadows and leaned against the wall. "She has been spending the bulk of her time training with a group of other rogues, including Sera. That's been a… strange... development. At first I was convinced that Sera was just doing it to play cruel jokes on Josie. Perhaps at first she was. But it's turned into something different. I think they have become… friends. It is very odd. They have a group of a few other bards, including the tavern minstrel, and they train together, hold meetings, and communicate with other rogue troupes… I think Josephine has even been helping Sera with some Red Jenny stuff."
"That's… interesting," Cassandra said, shifting to try to get a better view of Leliana's face. The woman was nearly entirely hidden by shadows, and she found it slightly disappointing.
"Yes, it is," the assassin continued. "In any event, I have not really given her grief over it because she is safe enough in the fortress, but I fear she is getting restless. I have had agents eavesdropping on their meetings and they have begun to talk about taking their merry little band on the road."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "You will allow this?"
Leliana shrugged and the hood fell back slightly, revealing her eyes. "Josephine is a grown woman, Cassandra. I cannot keep her here against her will."
The warrior's heart skipped another beat at the sound of her name on Leliana's lips, and she hoped nothing showed on her face. Leliana's eyes bored directly into hers for a moment, and then the assassin leaned her head forward again, letting the cowl hide her face once more.
Cassandra mastered herself again and cleared her throat before speaking. "What would you have me do, Spymaster?"
Leliana chuckled at the name only Cassandra dared to apply to her. "Adaar must be informed. Regardless of how their personal interaction works out, she must be informed and decide how to proceed. We need an ambassador. If Josie truly will not return to her post we will find another one, but if at all possible we must convince her to return. It is clear she is only doing this to get Adaar's attention. Perhaps if we can correct the miscommunication between them, we can all go back to work."
"Yes," Cassandra replied. "Tomorrow we will hold council with her and remind her of her duty to the Inquisition."
"Very well. If you need me, you know where to find me…" Leliana glanced one more time at Cassandra from under her hood and disappeared into the shadows.
"Do you need anything from me?" Cullen asked, looking at the Seeker.
"You just keep morale up. Open some kegs; tell the troops it is on the Inquisitor's orders. Tell them she is pleased with how hard they are all working."
"It would mean more coming from her."
"It would," Cassandra agreed. "I will try to arrange an appearance. Varric?" She gestured to the door, signaling that he should precede her.
"See you later, Cullen," he said as he walked out the door. "So now what?" he asked as they moved through the hallway to Josephine's offices.
"Solas will likely only need a day to heal her. Tomorrow we will approach her and explain the situation."
"You really want to wait until tomorrow?" he asked, looking up at her. "Why?"
"Tomorrow," she said flatly, leaving the offices and striding purposefully out of the keep. He hung behind at the exit, watching her walk away and head toward her usual corner of the training grounds. Something was bothering the Seeker, and it wasn't just Adaar and Josephine's awkward romance.
"Oh Seeker, is this what I think it is?"
He crossed his arms and grinned wickedly. There wasn't enough paper in Skyhold for all the notes he needed to take.