Leliana bent down to kiss my forehead and I moved slightly and sighed but did not wake.
If only you knew what you mean to me, my love.
It's been so hard without you.
The sun had barely had a thought yet of rising and Leliana was already up and dressed, many things awaiting her this morning. She had limited time as she was needed at the tavern with our group by the afternoon so she would need to set things in motion as early as possible.
Leliana put the pen down on the desk and stood, blowing lightly towards the ink on the vellum in her hand to ensure it was dry.
She smiled as she read the poem in her head again, hoping it pleased me when I woke up and found it.
She speaks to me
And I listen
The words fall from her heart
With a quiver
She turns away then
I move to her
Bridging the gap
Reclaiming her gaze
Her soul
Fires awaken in those eyes
I have found her
She is truly mine
~L
Leliana folded the vellum carefully in half and tucked it a bit under the Andraste's Grace that lay across her pillow beside me, smiling at my still face.
Her elven 'friends' as she called them, had always kept a fresh supply of the flowers in her room ever since they had found out they were her favorite. Leliana loved the fact that every time she came into her room, she was instantly reminded of her mother and she would smile.
She could think of nothing better than to share those flowers with me.
Leliana sheathed all of her weapons and turned to look at me one more time before silently making her exit.
Knocking on the door roused me from sleep and I rubbed my eyes, answering in a groggy voice.
"Yes?"
An elf appeared in the doorway and I blinked through my sleepy eyes.
"My lady, I have... Oh, I am so sorry. I thought you were..."
Everything from the night before was slowly coming back to me and now I remembered where I was but Leliana was not beside me. The elf bowed before me, obviously embarrassed with finding me in bed.
"You are looking for Leliana?"
"Yes, my lady. I bring news from the Arl."
I looked around the room and saw no sign of her.
"I'm not sure where she is right now. What is the news?"
"The Arl has asked me to let Lady Leliana know that the meeting is set for early this afternoon."
I nodded, rubbing my eyes once again.
"All right. As soon as I can find her myself, I will let her know. Thank you."
The elf bowed slightly and then left the room.
My eyes felt puffy this morning and I bit my lip, remembering exactly what had happened last night.
All that crying.
I shook my head and pushed the covers off myself and stood up, stretching.
I felt as if I should neaten the bed a bit before I left and then I saw the flower and the vellum underneath it.
I stared at the pair of items on Leliana's pillow and froze. I could feel a knot rising in my throat and pain spread through my chest.
I did not lay a finger on that note but slipped my shoes on and made my way to the door, leaving the bed as it was and letting ignorance replace anything else that I was feeling at that moment.
"Detra, Eamon has been looking for you this morning."
Wynne approached me, carrying five books in her arms. They looked weighty and so I took a couple off the top of the pile for her, turning in the direction she'd been headed in.
"Oh you needn't do that, Detra. I can manage."
"It's fine, Wynne. I can catch up with Eamon in a few minutes."
We walked towards the library and I looked at the books.
"They have a lot of magic books in the library here? I am a bit shocked. Shouldn't these be kept from us common folk?"
"They are mostly history books and contain no spells, just some examples of types of ingredients at most. There is really nothing dangerous here. I can assure you that I did check."
I trusted Wynne's opinion. She hadn't been wrong yet.
"If you say so."
A few more steps towards the library and Wynne had more to say.
"Detra, I just want to say that I am sorry about your parents. I had no idea what had happened to them."
Still a sore subject but not as volatile as just a day ago, I simply nodded.
"Thank you, Wynne."
Wynne looked as if she wanted to speak more on the matter or perhaps another but we arrived at the library which pleased me as questions aimed at me were usually dangerous.
"Here you go, Wynne. I will see you later, before the tavern."
Wynne nodded.
"Yes you will and thank you again for your help, Detra."
I nodded and headed down the hallway towards my own room.
Deric was knocking on my door when I rounded the corner and he turned to me, happy to have found me.
"My lady, we have located three suitable dresses for you if you would care to try them on."
I had woken up for the most part and greeted Deric, not caring much that I was in my bedclothes.
"Morning. Just give me a moment to change. Where should I meet you?"
"Do you recall the fitting room from yesterday, my lady? We have the dresses up there right now."
"All right. I will be up soon then."
Deric bowed and I made my way into my room, changing quickly and then heading out again.
I saw Eamon on the way up the stairs and greeted him, informing him that I was on my way up to try on the new wardrobe waiting for me.
"Excellent. I will be in the study for a bit but breakfast should be served soon if you are interested, Detra."
I thanked the Arl and then continued up the stairs, seeing Deric in the doorway.
We greeted one another again and walked back into the familiar fitting room and the dresses on the bed caught my eye.
"Very nice." I said, touching the bottom half of a silken blue dress.
"Would you like to start with that one, my lady?"
"Yes I would."
I took the dress behind the partition, slid into it and adjusted it as needed.
From what I could tell, it looked appropriate so I walked back out towards the mirror to get the full view.
After several different poses, it was not the dress I'd thought it to be and looked to the bed.
"Let's try this red one next, Deric. This blue one is very much acceptable but I'd like to see that one."
There was a third dress as well but the hue of orange reminded me of a pumpkin and I wasn't sure I'd want to be seen in that. If the red one failed, I would simply wear the blue one.
Removing the blue dress was easier than putting it on. Deric brought me the red dress which felt even softer than the blue one. This one had a zipper in the back and I could slide into it just as easily as the first.
"Not bad either." I said to myself.
I moved towards the mirror again and noticed a strange look on Deric's face that I did not understand until I looked at my own reflection.
Oh my.
I looked amazing in the dress and it fit my curves as a leather glove would fit a hand. But it also accentuated some of my other assets as well, a bit too much in my own opinion. The dress was very low cut and quite a bit of my cleavage was showing.
I just stood and stared in the mirror for a minute or so, not sure what to do now. On one hand, the dress was very alluring. On the other hand, I thought it not suitable attire for a meeting that would decide the fate of Ferelden.
"Uh...Deric, do you think perhaps we could..."
I was not even sure how to go about saying it without embarrassing him so I let my hands do the talking, holding them around my bosom.
Deric was trying his best to avoid any glances and he nodded.
"Yes, my lady, we can try to... take care of that for you."
I turned back to the mirror.
"It is just...I am not sure that it would be suitable for meeting with nobles."
The more I looked at the dress though, the less offensive it became to me. Perhaps it would cause such distraction that we could get the male nobles to agree to all of our pleas. I laughed to myself about that and Deric looked at me and I smiled.
"See if you could perhaps raise it up a bit maybe? But if you cannot, it will have to do."
Behind the partition once again, I removed the dress, careful not to ruin it in the slightest. I had already decided in my head that I would wear the red one, regardless of any alterations and I felt slightly naughty for it, giggling again.
I dressed in my other clothes and left the fitting room, the elves already busy trying to possibly alter the dress.
Still the sight of myself in the mirror remained in my head even as I headed downstairs and searched for the Arl to tell him I'd found a that dress was suitable. I found Alistair first.
"Good morning! Did you try on your dress yet?"
"Yes I just finished with that actually. Did Eamon want to see me again?"
"Not that I know of. Other than your dress arriving, nothing had been going on this morning. So how does it look?"
My earlier thoughts in front of the mirror returned but I needn't tell Alistair that. If the elves could not adjust it, he would then see it for himself.
"It looks well enough for the tavern."
Alistair stared at me.
"That's it? You're not going to tell me about your shoes or talk about the dress for an hour?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I do that?"
Alistair shrugged.
"I thought that's what women did. Talk about shoes and clothes and their hair and have tea. You must have had nice things at home, right? Didn't you ever wear noble clothes? I mean, you are a noble."
Flashes of my past played in my head and I shrugged, not caring much for the snobbier side of nobility.
"Of course I had fancy outfits for certain events, but I did not always walk around in such. Father had me training most of the time so I was most at home in a suit of armor with a blade on my back."
"Ah, sounds like me. Ever since my Templar training, I haven't felt safe in anything but armor."
I laughed.
"Speaking of armor, the elves do a fantastic job of polishing my armor for me when they take it and yours is looking very dull, Alistair. Perhaps you could let them clean and polish it for you?"
Alistair looked cautious.
"Well how can I be sure I'll get it back and in one piece? What happens if it gets mixed up or lost or something worse? This armor is lucky for me and I can't part with it."
"What could the elves possibly do to it, Alistair? They don't use a hammer and chisel to clean it."
"Yes, well... I'd rather just be wearing it if it's all the same to you."
I shrugged.
"Be my guest, Alistair. I suppose it could come in handy as you'll be the last one they see on the battlefield and the rest of us will gleam in the sun, making easy targets."
"No, I think that..."
"Good morning." Eamon said as he walked towards us, interrupting Alistair.
We both resounded his greeting and he walked past us into the dining hall.
"Did you want to speak with me, Eamon?" I asked.
"Were you not able to locate Deric for the fitting?"
"Oh yes, we're all done with that but I was not sure if there was something else."
"Other than the fact that the nobles will be here in about three hours, I can think of nothing else right now."
"All right then. If you do need me, I will be outside."
The Arl nodded to me and continued on his path towards breakfast and Alistair turned to me.
"Where are you off to, Detra?"
"I thought that I might step outside for a change. I've been confined mostly to the estate and have only left to... Well, I have not enjoyed the outdoors at all lately and I'm going to rectify that."
"All right then. I'm going to go dig into breakfast so I'll see you later."
Alistair whirled back around.
"Hey... by the way, did you ever speak with Leliana last night?"
A quick 'no' passed my lips without even thinking.
"No? But why..."
"Alistair, I'm going outside now. I'll speak with you later."
I was not going to debate about Leliana with him in the hallway, or anywhere for that matter. Leliana was the furthest thing from my mind this morning and I would have it no other way.
Leliana had worked hard this day on locating her target and finally one of them was found. It had taken much coin and false information, but Leliana knew the assassin would respond to what she had fed to the town gossips in her easily believable way.
The redheaded bard that they sought would be in town tonight with the Grey Warden, meeting with several top officials, in the Chantry courtyard.
She knew the assassin would show, checking for vantage points and places of hiding several hours before the meeting and she would follow them from there and wait for opportunity to present itself to take care of this little problem.
Marjolaine would not win this time.
Leliana lay in wait at the market, near the Chantry, waiting for her prey to show.
This must be him.
Leliana did not take her eyes off the elf that blended just a little too perfectly, just enough so that the casual eye would overlook him and he was free to scout the layout. She knew the game; she'd played it for years and even better than this elf. She could tell he was new at it or only a couple of contracts in at the most.
Her mark's work done, she saw him making his way out of the area and Leliana adjusted her cloak and the basket in her hand and set off in pursuit of him, blending just as thoroughly with the other citizens of Denerim.
Leliana now stood outside of the Tailrace Lodge where the elf had entered and she forged a plan quickly.
She strode into the building, looking as if only interested in speaking with the bartender though in truth she was fully aware of her surroundings.
The bartender looked at her with disinterest until she pulled the cloak from her head and he saw her face.
"You..."
Leliana smiled.
"Hello, Baird. It is good to see you again."
After the bartender got over his initial shock, he leaned on the bar, closer to Leliana, his voice lowered.
"I can't believe...What are you doing here?"
"That, my friend, is a long story. But suffice it to say that I am here to soon slay Darkspawn, the same as the rest of Denerim."
Baird was still pretty speechless it seemed and Leliana needed to move quickly.
"I was wondering if I would be able to ask a favor of you if I could."
Baird could obviously nod and he did.
"Anything for you."
Leliana saw in his face the same man that she'd been sent to kill years ago in Orlais. According to Marjolaine, he was indebted to several landowners for gambling debts and they wanted him out of the picture so he would incur no more costs. It seemed they would never recover their losses anyhow. Death was a punishment they had all agreed on and Marjolaine, through reputation alone, had earned the contract. Marjolaine never cared for the reasons for the kill, she only cared for the pay and the thrill. The punishment fitting the crime also never mattered to her. The more violent, the better in her opinion.
It turned out that the story was all lies.
Baird, when confronted by Leliana, begged for his life and asked that she listen to his side. So earnest was his plea that she did and she decided for herself that it was the truth. She had heard enough lies to know the difference.
It turns out that the man who had paid Marjolaine to have Baird killed was the father of Baird's fiancé. He did not and never would approve of their pairing and would obviously go to any length to end their affair.
Now it was up to her to protect Baird and Leliana had returned to Marjolaine, insisting she return the clients money and somehow cancel the contract.
That is when Marjolaine had not yet been so corrupt and she had agreed. Of course only after a little insistence and naked, sweaty convincing on Leliana's part.
"Ah, my Leliana. You were always the romantic." Marjolaine had said after getting what she wanted.
True to her word, she had gone on to cancel the contract and return the funds the next day. Of course the girl's father was none too pleased but Marjolaine's warning had silenced him. Her quiet intensity was hardly questioned and if it was, that person was usually not seen again.
A month later, Leliana received word that Baird and Adara had eloped into Ferelden and she had wished them both well. At least in her head she had. She had seen enough death in her short life and this, she remembered, was the day she had seriously begun questioning her line of work.
"What can I do for you, Leliana?" Baird repeated.
Leliana returned to the present and wondered how long she had been gone, apologizing.
"You have a guest in your lodge, specifically an elf who has just returned a few minutes ago. He is not here for anything good and I need to find out what his plans are. I need to get into his room."
Baird's eyes widened.
"Is he... is he a ...like you?"
"Yes," Leliana answered, sensing Baird could no longer say the word 'assassin' after his experience.
"What do you need?"
Leliana peered behind the bar, searching.
"How about an apron, two mugs and some ale?"
Leliana knocked on the elf's door, adjusting the apron across her midriff.
"Yes?"
"Delivery from the barkeep." Leliana said, altering her voice to sound as a Fereldan.
There was a pause.
"I did not order anything."
"I am just following my order, sir." Leliana answered, as if she were truly a bored tavern wench, not caring if she came or went.
Leliana waited and the elf took the bait, opening the door.
Leliana had expected to strike immediately but there was not an ounce of recognition in the elf's face as he stared back at her.
''What is this? Ale for me?"
Leliana switched tactics.
"Yes. I have ale and much more." Leliana flirted, sliding past the elf into his room.
He spun to face her and she did the same.
"I was sent by our...mutual friend to see that you are taken care of before tonight's job," Leliana continued in a sultry voice, placing the tray of ale and mugs down on the table and readying the needle in her sleeve.
The elf who could have been Zevran's twin save for the dark hair simply stared back at Leliana.
Believe it.
Come on.
"Is that so? Then why don't you slip into something more comfortable?"
The elf eyed the cloak that Leliana was still wearing but she could not remove it without losing her grip on the needle and losing the upper hand.
Leliana moved towards the elf who backed off a bit.
"Lose the cloak." the elf said a bit too menacingly.
Leliana knew he was on to her and that it was time to act. It was only seconds before they both moved towards each other, grabbing and pushing.
The elf knew Leliana had something up her sleeve so he went for her wrists, holding on to them while trying to knock her to the floor but Leliana was more than a match for him, backing him into the wall and making sure his head made hard contact with the wall behind him. It was just enough time to allow her to sink the needle into his arm and deliver the poison before he pushed her away from him.
"What the... Did you just give me..."
The elf stumbled a bit and went down on one knee and Leliana used this opportunity to throw him into the chair and bind his arms behind him with the twine under her cloak, not without some kicking and struggling however.
Leliana stood back and observed the assassin, deciding whether it was worth explaining.
"Your employer is dead and I suggest you do not pursue the contract you were hired for."
The assassin that now sat bound into the chair before Leliana coughed, spitting a bit of blood onto the floor.
"Is that so? And how do you know that they are dead?"
"Because I am the one that killed her." Leliana said flatly.
The elf just simply stared back at her, slightly amused.
"You do in fact have a time limit as the poison you've been given will kill you in one hour if you do not receive the antidote."
The elf no longer looked amused after that and glared at Leliana.
"What is it that you want from me then?"
"I want you to cease and desist on this contract and not take my life. If you agree, I will set you free but do not even think of double crossing me. You will leave Denerim and never return."
Leliana crossed her arms, awaiting an answer and suddenly the elf erupted from the chair, charging at her. Before Leliana could even uncross her arms, she felt a sharp blade sink into her midsection and she cried out, the pain allowing the elf to push the blade further and he let Leliana collapse to the floor, now bleeding and gasping.
"What makes you think that you are the target, you Orlesian whore?"
Leliana made one last attempt to down the elf as he stood cleaning his dagger of her blood and she planted a kick straight between the elf's legs, causing him to buckle down against her. She struggled with him a bit but the wound in her stomach was leaking blood rapidly, weakening her and he simply threw her hands off of him, next planting his fist in Leliana's face, knocking her out cold.
The elf heard banging on the wall and complaints from the neighboring patrons and he hurriedly searched Leliana's person for the antidote and found it along with all the sovereigns she was carrying.
He drank the solution, throwing the empty vial down onto Leliana and then gathered his things. He turned to spit on the floor near Leliana, showing his disgust before darting out the door and locking it behind him to avoid the inevitable interest in his room that all of that noise would bring.
