PLEASE READ FIRST: To any followers who's read Chapter 3 this isn't an additional chapter I'm just moving this part of chapter three to an epilogue and I'm not sure how to do it without sending an alert. Apologies.
Leliana quietly walked down the stairs. She felt lighter and more content than she had felt for years, in one night she had finally accepted that some of her memories of the warden would fade they would change but would never entirely vanish. Certain truths would persist forever; she would never stop loving Amell and she would always cherish the short time they had been together. Leliana touched the leather armour over her chest beneath which Amell's letter was residing and found that she was finally ready to listen to Amell's words. Beginning to cry this time she allowed the tears to fall freely and proudly because Amell deserved them.
The bard walked through the hall creeping past the snoring Maibari and into the quiet kitchen. Leliana was the living memory of Amell not the champion. She blessed Hawke for reminding her of the person she was when she was with the warden; she had missed that warm and joyous person. Perhaps she would write a song about the Champion of Kirkwall, one with the happy ending.
She climbed up to the open window she had used to enter the estate and hesitated. A sudden feeling of hot dread crept over her at the thought of leaving Hawke and Amell forever. She could not leave without a memento of them, something to inspire her future happiness and guide her. Jumping down from the window she walked back into the house unsheathing one of her daggers.
Hawke hummed a discordant tune as she bounced down the stairs wincing happily at the tired muscles that disclosed last night's events. She was fully aware that Leliana had used her, she had made her intent evidently clear but during her short time in Kirkwall the champion had experienced a multitude of deceptions and none had left her feeling quite so fulfilled. The bard had shown her something that the mage had been yearning for, reminding her of a personal objective that she had ignored for too many years, it was time to stop chasing after insurmountable dreams and instead look to a future with someone who would love her. Hawke was not religious but Leliana was so she silently prayed to whoever was listening that Leliana would experience such love again and that one day she herself could deserve such a good person's devotion. It hadn't happened to the champion yet but now she believed anything was possible.
Happy and in the mood for mischievous she paused on the last step and jumped into the hall directly in front of her sleeping Mabari. The sudden sound of her bare feet slapping against the marble floor startled the dozy Mabari who stumbled clumsily to his feet in confusion. Feeling light-hearted she crouched low and affectionately pushed the faithful hound who accepted the mage's invitation to play by mirroring her stoop, he jumped and barked excitedly as she laughed and danced around him poking and pinching his body while avoiding his playful light nips at her hands and arms. Hawke was determined that nothing was going to spoil her good mood, she was going to tell Bodahn to turn away all and any visitors, take a long hot bath and go back to bed with her favourite book. Kirkwall can survive without its champion for a single day.
"Messere, Messere, robbery, robbery!" Bodahn yelled interrupting her plans as he ran screaming into the hall barging straight into their playfight. Hawke sighed and stood up dejectedly. Exasperated she waited for the dwarf's explanation patiently but when Bodahn frantically pointed back into the library his anxiety passed to the mage and she mirrored his horrid dread.
She sprinted into the library, the dwarf and Mabari close at her heels. Stopping before her beloved books her eyes hurriedly searched the library shelves running her fingers over the spines as she looked for any obvious spaces.
"No Messere behind you, your portrait!" Bodahn cried anxiously.
Turning her head sharply she followed the dwarf's indications to her painting or at least to the space where her painting had hung. Hawke mouth gaped open at the sight of the very large, very expensive and very empty ornate gold frame. Her surprise quickly turned to amusement and she chuckled in disbelief and admiration as she visualised the clever bard scaling the bookcases to cut her portrait away from the frame.
Good, she thought as she left the library dismissing Bodahn's concerns with a wave. Hawke had always hated the bloody thing, it didn't look anything like her.
So what do you think? Please let me know cause I'm not sure about it but I love R & R.
I can't take credit for the idea that Leliana's body was covered in scars from her torture it came from a beautiful Fanfic I read last year called 'Like a Burning City' by What Ithacas Mean (thank you to palomsky for the reference).
Also if anyone is interested I'm going to start a series of oneshots featuring this Hawke and her relationship with Isabela and the other female members of her companions (no, not like that it won't be a hareem hehehe). I'm planning on posting the first chapter in the next couple of days.
Thank you for persevering with my story and its irregular updates.