Hey all. So I decided to do something a little different and have Aria meet some other people outside of the Inquisition at least for this chapter. I may do a few depending on what you guys think.
Isabela leaned back in her chair in the tavern at Skyhold, lazily tracing her finger around the rim of the mug of her second pint. Her eyes wandered around the occupants of the tavern was surprisingly high since the sun had not yet finished setting.
She was restless. She was not accustomed to being in one place for very long and she had already been in the confining walls of Skyhold longer than she had expected. Hawke had promised her that they would only be a few days at the keep and they were now approaching their second week. The wedding of the fabled Hero of Ferelden had taken place nearly a week ago, and yet Isabela remained.
She knew that she was free to leave whenever she was inclined, but after nearly losing Hawke to a demon (or a giant spider, the details were still somewhat unclear) several years ago, she had since decided that Hawke was not responsible enough to travel anywhere on his own and refused to leave his side. Hawke had dared to suggest that she was ready to settle down, and it had taken nearly a week for Hawke to be able to sleep beside her without thoroughly searching her for any hidden daggers. Hawke knew her true feelings for him, and as far as she was concerned that was enough for the both of them. While some people were perfectly suited to a life of marriage, Isabela was not one of them.
The door to the tavern burst open and several small children came running in. Three boys followed closely by a very angry looking little girl. The boys seemed to be tossing a small doll between them and it was obvious from the look on her face that the doll belonged to the girl. Isabela recognized her immediately, she was the daughter of Josephine and Rasler Trevelyan. The normally well mannered girl was now quite beside herself and shouting angrily at the three larger boys. She recognized two of the boys as well. Prince Duncan, the son of King Alistair and Queen Anora, and Tevhen the son of Oghren and Felsi. The other boy she did not recognize, no doubt the offspring of one of Skyhold's numerous occupants.
The three boys had formed a ring around Aria and were now tossing the doll between the three of them in a rather unfair game of keep away.
"Give it back!" Aria shouted angrily, jumping to try and catch the doll as it was launched over her head.
"Is that anyway to talk to your prince?" Duncan said holding the doll over her head. Though only a year older, he stood nearly a head taller than Aria and was easily able to keep it out of her reach. "I could easily have you turned into my jester."
"No joke I tell would be as big of a joke as you, My Prince." Aria said as the poor doll once again sailed over her head.
Isabela chuckled at that. For such a young girl she had mastered the art of witty comebacks. Isabela finished her pint and rose to her feet wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She casually strolled over to the scene and grabbed the doll in mid air as it soared by her.
"It's very rare I get a headache before I get drunk, you boys however are causing one worse than any hangover I have yet received."
She handed the doll to Aria who shot the boys a smug look.
"Now, why don't you gentlemen go find something manly to do that does not involve tormenting a female of some kind. Although I fear your mothers will never be free of that turmoil. I see why some species eat their young."
"My father-" Duncan began but Isabela cut him off.
"Alistair is it? I have eaten things that frighten me more than your father, we go way back child. By all means run to him, as a matter of fact tell him I sent you. We have so much catching up to do."
Duncan's ears turned red, in the same way his father's did when he was uncomfortable or embarrassed. Which was surprisingly often. Duncan motioned for the others to follow him and hurried out of the tavern.
Isabela felt a slight tug on her tunic and she looked down to see Aria looking up at her with admiration. "Thank you."
Isabela smiled and bent down on one knee until she was eye level with the girl. "Listen Sweet Thing, I'm going to give you some advice that I did not learn until I was much older than you. Never let a man push you around, no matter who he is. As a woman you must be twice as smart and ten times as tough." Isabela untied the bandanna from around her head and wrapped it around the younger girl.
"There. Now if any more of those boys give you a hard time tell that you have been trained as a pirate and if they so much as look at something that does not belong to them that your Captain Isabela will be having a word with them."
Aria smiled at her and Isabela felt something stir inside her. She shook the thought from her head and patted the girl on the head.
"Now, pirates are always looking for something to raid. Why don't you start with the larder?"
Aria turned and skipped out through the still open door of the tavern almost colliding with the towering figure of Hawke. Hawke moved quickly out of the way to make room for the girl who waved as she went by.
Hawke entered the tavern and approached Isabela who rose to her feet.
"Did I just witness you being maternal?" Hawke said with that infuriating grin.
Isabela snorted. More likely you will see Varric put on a dress and dance the marigold."
Hawke chuckled slightly before becoming serious. "I'm sorry, I know I said that we would be here for only a few days at the most. I know you are restless and I promise that we will leave in the next few days."
To his surprise, Isabela smiled.
"You know, this place has started to grow on me."
"Like a fungus?" Hawke asked confused.
"It has..certain charming qualities that I find appealing. If you insist on staying longer, I would not be opposed."
Hawke smiled and kissed her forehead.
"But so help me Hawke, if you even suggest that I am ready to settle down again I will be on the first ship I can steal back to Antiva."
"You never let me have any fun."
They turned and left the tavern bantering all the way back to the Keep. Anyone who did no know them would wonder how they managed to live with each other. Those that knew them however, knew that their bickering was their way of saying "I love you."