Dellis yawned lightly as he woke, stretching groggily beneath the cotton sheets. His eyes fluttered open, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He was usually greeted by the sun streaming through the tall windows of his quarters, but the windows of this room were far smaller and allowed only the slightest bit of sunlight.
As he stretched, Dellis's arms spread across the width of the bed. He dared not even look to confirm what he already knew: Cassandra was not there. It came as no surprise to him that she had fled the room before he woke, though it hardly prevented the disappointment. With a sigh, Dellis threw off the sheets and began to collect his clothes. He hoped he could sneak back to his quarters to change into something fresh before anyone saw him.
It was far later in the day than Dellis had anticipated. The main hall of keep was bustling with activity, something Dellis realized would serve him well. He kept his head down as he made his way through the grand hall, hoping the cacophony of the servants would mask his presence. He managed to make it to his quarters with only a few passing pleasantries from the kitchen staff, none of whom were likely to remember what he had worn the day before.
Dellis had nearly managed to make it out of the keep before he was noticed. "Your Inquisitorialness, hold up."
"Your... what?" Dellis asked, stopping and turning toward Varric. "Does this mean you've given up on Squiggles finally?"
"Not on your life," Varric promised with a grin. "Been looking for you all morning. Where have you been?"
"I slept in," Dellis told him. It wasn't a lie, after all.
"Somewhere else, I take it," Varric told him with a small smile. "Anyway, Hawke was looking for you."
"She's back?" Dellis asked in surprise. He hadn't seen Hawke around Skyhold since a certain pirate had turned up.
"As of this morning," Varric confirmed. "Honestly didn't think we'd see her back here for weeks."
"I suppose I shouldn't keep them waiting." Dellis wasn't foolish enough to think Hawke had returned alone. He looked at Varric a moment longer, then sighed. He would much rather track down Cassandra, but he knew it would be better to find Hawke. Perhaps giving Cassandra some time alone to think would make the impending conversation easier.
"Good luck," Varric offered with a low chuckle.
Asking where Hawke was would have been a wasted gesture. There were only two places Hawke ever visited in Skyhold - the gardens, and the Herald's Rest. Isabela spotted him first, waving him toward their table with an enthusiasm that suggested she had been drinking for quite some time.
"It's about time you arrived, Kitten," she purred as he sat down next to her. "And here I thought Hawke and I would run the place dry."
"Good luck," Dellis told her with a laugh. "Cabot may be a cynical bastard, but he knows how to keep the ale flowing."
"Speaking of which, I think I owe you a drink," Hawke told him with a wink. "Rumor has it you did not return to your quarters last night."
"Maker's breath," Dellis sighed, rolling his eyes as Hawke slid a mug toward him. "Just how widespread are these rumors?"
"Wondering if Cassandra is ever going to look you in the eye again?" Hawke asked with a smile. Dellis grabbed the mug and slammed the contents down in one massive gulp. Even as he swallowed, he wasn't entirely sure what he'd just drank. "You worry too much."
"Clearly you don't know her very well," Dellis said under his breath.
"Relax, sweetness," Isabela urged, sliding over another mug.
"I'm surprised you're not taking advantage of this situation," Dellis scoffed, taking a sip from the mug. Bad Antivan brandy, perhaps?
"I told you to go for it," Isabela reminded him. She had encouraged him - rather bluntly - to pursue things with Cassandra on their journey together to Skyhold after he'd met her in Jader. "I don't imagine you took my advice...?"
"It was rather spur of the moment," Dellis admitted. "Besides, I don't think she would be keen on the idea."
"Always works for me," Isabela replied with a smile.
"That's how you know it wouldn't work for Cassandra," Hawke chuckled, taking a long swig from her own glass.
"Hawke, please tell me you didn't call me here just to embarrass me," Dellis sighed.
"Why would I do a thing like that?" Hawke asked, an innocent smile on her face. It faded slightly as she produced a letter from the satchel at her side. "Apparently Bethany has a reply."
"A re-? Oh." Dellis swallowed.
"I'm not angry," Hawke clarified as she handed it to him. "I'm rather curious what it says."
"Nothing you would disapprove of, I'm sure," Dellis insisted.
"You'd probably be surprised," Isabela laughed. "Hawke disapproves of just about everything. Templars, blood magic, small dogs..."
"That was one time, Bels."
"I hate it when you call me that."
Dellis chuckled lightly as the women argued, taking their moment of distraction to gently break the seal on the letter. Hawke had mentioned that her sister had gone into hiding after the circles fell. A wise choice, he thought, given the chaos that had surrounded the conflict. Bethany was a powerful mage, he knew, but even she would have been at risk.
Several weeks earlier Dellis had hesitated at the idea of sending her a message. Ever since Hawke had mentioned her after arriving, Dellis couldn't help but wonder if she were safe. It wasn't as if he still felt anything for her. Their relationship, fleeting as it was, was entirely in the past. He still couldn't help but feel some level of responsibility for the young mage, especially in his position.
"Is she still madly in love with you?" Isabela asked after a moment, interrupting his pondering. She squealed as Hawke kicked her under the table. "What?"
"Don't encourage him."
"You have absolutely nothing to worry about," Dellis assured her with a laugh. "The second half of the letter is for you, anyway."
"Really?" Hawke asked, quickly snatching the parchment away from him. "Give it here."
"Where did you even get this letter?" Dellis asked Isabela as Hawke buried herself in the note.
"A dear, dear friend," Isabela told him. "You'd like her. She seems your type."
"Is this one Varric mentioned?" Dellis asked. "Lady-"
"-Manhands," Isabela finished with a snort. "That's my girl."
"She's a friend of yours, you say?" Dellis asked skeptically.
"You could say that," Isabela replied with a smile. "An... unconventional sort of friend, maybe."
"Some days I'm surprised you have friends," Dellis admitted. "Others... I completely understand what you mean."
"Look, I know my opinion isn't worth much, but when I told you to go for it before, I meant it," Isabela told him. "The whipped cream suggestion was just for the look on your face." She paused. "Although..."
"No," Dellis told her firmly.
"It was worth a try," she replied with a smile. "Don't tell anyone I said something serious. I have a reputation to uphold."
"No one will hear of it," Dellis promised with a grin. "What is this stuff, anyway?"
"Whiskey," Isabela explained with a smile. "We brought it back with us."
"From where?" he asked, sniffing the liquid. It burned the inside of his nostrils.
"A little place we like to call The Hanged Man."
Dellis remembered the reference. "You were in Kirkwall?"
"I knew I liked you," Isabela laughed. "Tell you what, sweet thing. Once this is all over, Hawke and I will take you to the Blooming Rose."
"Varric told me about that, too," Dellis told her, unable to hide a grin. "I'm fairly certain that will be out of the question."
"We'll see about that."
Hawke and Isabela had kept Dellis busy for the better part of the afternoon. He had allowed himself to become enthralled by the pirate's tales of life at sea, and the recounting of their many adventures in Kirkwall. By the time their conversation was interrupted, Dellis hadn't even realized it was nearly sunset.
It was Scout Harding that finally broke up the friendly banter. She sauntered up to the table, as if invited, and cleared her throat. "Your Worship?"
"Good to see you, Harding," Dellis told her with a smile.
"I thought you might like to know that Lady Cassandra is back," Harding told him with a hint of a smile.
"Back?" Dellis asked. "She was gone?"
"All day, Your Worship," Harding explained. "Left at the crack of dawn with Cullen."
"You certainly make an impression," Isabela said with a soft laugh.
"Quiet," he growled at the pirate before turning back to Harding. "Did you see where she went?"
"Toward the keep," Harding told him, pointing to the main building. Unusual for Cassandra, Dellis thought. Unless she was hiding from him, of course.
"You'd better get moving," Hawke suggested with a smile. "I'm sure Isabela and I can keep ourselves busy without you."
"You can bet on it, Kitten," Isabela confirmed with her usual lascivious grin.
Dellis excused himself and made a beeline for the keep. His first destination was Josephine's office. She didn't seem to hear him enter, and her attention was drawn entirely to a piece of parchment. He softly cleared his throat so as not to startle her.
"Inquisitor!" she said, quickly snapping to attention. "My apologies. I did not hear you enter."
"It's quite alright, Josie," Dellis assured her with a smile. "I was just wondering if perhaps you had seen Cassandra."
"Unfortunately I have not," Josephine told him. "I have been rather engrossed with my work that I have scarcely had a moment to spare."
"Oh," Dellis said with a hint of disappointment.
"If she is here in the keep, you might check the tower," Josephine suggested. "She has been known to visit Leliana from time to time."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Dellis muttered to himself. "Thank you, Josie. You're a gem."
"You are most welcome, Inquisitor."
"Don't forget to eat something," Dellis ordered with a smile before turning to leave.
The winding staircase leading to the top of the keep's tower seemed longer than ever. His legs burned as he hurried to the top, paying no mind to the Inquisition agents that looked on at him curiously. Even Dorian give him a sideways glance as Dellis brushed past him toward the last set of stairs.
Cassandra's back was toward him as he finally reached the top of the stairs. Leliana faltered just long enough in their conversation to tell her they were no longer alone. Cassandra hesitated as she turned to face him.
"I thought I might find you here," Dellis told her. A quick glance at Leliana was all the cue the Spymaster needed.
"You two, follow me." Leliana ordered, pointing to the pair of agents across from them. The two looked at her curiously as she moved toward the stairs. "Now."
Dellis smiled slightly as the two men hurriedly followed Leliana down the stairs. As he turned back to Cassandra, the smile faded. "You look concerned."
"Why do you say that?" she asked.
"You have that same look on your face that you get when Josephine tries to dress you up for formal functions," Dellis replied, folding his arms across his chest. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably. "You didn't have to actually leave Skyhold, you know."
"Cullen asked for my help training the recruits," Cassandra explained.
"He asked, or you offered?" Dellis countered. Her hesitancy gave him his answer. "You know, it's not as though I asked you marry me."
"It was a moment of weakness," Cassandra explained, shaking her head. "I should have-"
"Stop," Dellis interrupted. He moved closer to her, so that there was no more than a few feet between them. "You don't need to do this, Cass."
She sighed deeply. "This infatuation is dangerous. Last night was a mistake that we must not repeat."
Dellis raised an eyebrow. "I think we'll have to disagree on that point."
"Dellis, please do not make this more difficult than it must be," Cassandra pleaded. He could see the pain in her eyes, and he imagined that this had been what she had come to speak with Leliana about.
"It doesn't have to be difficult," Dellis told her, placing a hand on her upper arm. She tensed at the touch, but did not back away. "We both know this isn't just an infatuation, and it's not a mistake."
"Dellis..."
"Cassandra."
She sighed deeply. "You will not let this go, I take it."
"Ask yourself, truthfully, if you really want me to let you push me away," Dellis challenged. She looked at him, silently. Finally, she sighed in defeat.
"I do not want to do this, Dellis," she explained, "but every moment of distraction on the battlefield could cost us our lives, or worse."
"If you had a choice in the matter, I'd say that made sense," Dellis replied. "But love isn't a choice. Love is a pesky little thing that worms its way into your heart whether you like it or not. It shows up when and where you least expect it, and it's not going to go away just because the timing is inconvenient."
"And you said you were not a poet," Cassandra said after a moment, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Just don't ask me to rhyme," he chuckled, letting his hand slide down to hers. "It is a bad idea, but I don't care, and I don't think you do either."
"I have spent so much time denying these feelings," Cassandra told him, lacing her fingers between his. "First I told myself that you were beneath me. Of course it was not true. Then I told myself that it was inappropriate. I, a Seeker, and you, the Inquisitor. And then I told myself it would be a danger."
"It might be dangerous," Dellis agreed. "But we both know our duty."
"Would you let me die if it meant defeating Corypheus?" she asked him softly.
Dellis faltered. He knew he would. There was no other choice. Saying it out loud, however, was another matter entirely. It was a possibility - a likelihood, even - and he didn't want to think about it. "You know the answer to that," he told her. "Don't... don't make me say it."
"I know you would do what was right," she told him with a smile. "I came here tonight to seek counsel from Leliana, about you. I wanted her to convince me to break away from you."
"I'm glad you didn't listen."
"I did listen," Cassandra explained. "She told me I was full of nonsense, and should not deny myself what little happiness I had found."
"I knew I liked her," Dellis grinned. "What do we do now?"
"Sleep," Cassanda suggested with a smile. "Soon we may have little chance for rest."
"My quarters are more comfortable," Dellis suggested with a grin. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but made no complaint as he guided her down the stairs of the tower.
A few heads had turned when Dellis and Cassandra exited the tower leading from his quarters together the next morning, and Dellis knew it wouldn't be long before they were fighting rumors in addition to Corypheus's forces.
"The servants will talk," Cassandra warned as they walked briskly toward the war room.
"That's nothing new," Dellis shrugged. They stopped in front of the door to Josephine's office. "It won't be long before Corypheus forces our hand. The Inquisition might not be around much longer."
"We will have time to talk of the future," Cassandra assured him, cutting off the conversation as she opened the door.
"Your Worship," one of Josephine's assistants greeted them. "The rest are waiting inside for you."
"Fashionably late, as always," Dellis grinned, taking the lead. He pushed open the door to the war room, Cassandra close at his heels, and his took his place beside Morrigan.
"Some day you'll show up on time," Cullen told him with a smile.
"Whatever you say, Commander," Dellis grinned. "So, has Morrigan filled you in in my absence?"
"We thought it would be best to wait for you and Cassandra," Leliana explained.
"T'would seem that Corypheus is more powerful than we first suspected," Morrigan began. "He seems to be able to inhabit the body of any tainted creature, Grey Warden or otherwise."
"What makes you say that?" Dellis asked with a frown. "There were no other darkspawn there to test your theory on."
"Tis the way of the archdemons," Morrigan told him flatly. "Kill the beast, and its soul inhabits the closest darkspawn."
"Unless the tainted creature is a Grey Warden," Leliana reminded her. "The Grey Wardens were able to destroy the soul at the cost of their own life."
As the two women argued over the finer points of archdemons and the tain, it hit him. "The Grey Wardens knew he could do this."
"How do you mean?" Cullen asked with a frown.
"Grey Wardens slay darkspawn, and Corypheus is a darkspawn," Dellis explained. "If he could be slain, why would they simply imprison him?"
"Perhaps for study," Cassandra suggested.
"That is possible, but the risk would have been too great," Leliana told him. "Think what you will of the Wardens, but they were not foolish."
"They must have known he couldn't be killed," Dellis continued. He sighed loudly. "How do you kill something that can't be killed?"
"Corypheus has a weakness," Morrigan told him. Everyone turned to look at her.
"How could you possibly know that?" Cullen asked with a frown.
"The Well of Sorrows holds many secrets, passed down throughout the ages," Morrigan told them. "More knowledge than I would have thought possible."
"The Well told you something about Corypheus?" Dellis asked.
"Corypheus's dragon is not truly an archdemon," Morrigan told him. "It is a dragon, and one in which he has invested a part of his being."
"Pride," Leliana scoffed. "The prideful always seek power."
"That pride can be exploited," Morrigan continued. "Tis likely he did so to emulate the gods of old, however if the dragon were to be slain, Corypheus's ability to leap into other bodies would be disrupted. He can be slain."
"So if we kill the dragon, Corypheus won't have enough power to reincarnate himself?" Dellis asked, turning toward Cassandra.
"You wish me to slay it?" she asked with a laugh. "I confess I have never before slain an archdemon."
"It's a dragon," Dellis shrugged. "If it were a normal dragon, would you be able to kill it?"
"Without breaking a sweat."
"So perhaps Cassandra will need to put some effort into this task, for once," Leliana suggested with a smile.
"But how will we find this dragon?" Cullen asked. "That dragon has to come and go from somewhere."
"What about the Deep Roads?" Josephine asked. "It is an archdemon-"
"Sort of," Dellis clarified.
"It is sort of an archdemon," Josephine corrected. "I could send envoys to Orzammar. Perhaps the King would-"
Josephine was interrupted by a flash of green light. Dellis yelped in pain as the anchor flared in his palm. Cassandra was quick to move to his side, but their attention was almost immediately drawn to the windows. The entire room was bathed in green, this time not from the anchor.
"The sky," Josephine said with a gasp.
"That's impossible," Cullen declared as he stared at the sky with the rest of them. "That's-"
"The breach," Leliana finished solemnly. "It has returned."
"I suppose that moves our time table forward," Dellis said with a sigh.
"And now we know where to find Corypheus and his dragon," Leliana added. "We return to the place where all of this started: The Temple of Sacred Ashes."
