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Chapter 61 – Back to basics
'Johnny, a glass of your most bearable pink wine and a muzzle,' Makatza says simply as Isabela chatters next to her like a monkey who had just figured out where bananas grow.
The barman opens a bottle of wine and pours the glass in front of her, 'so what was that I saw earlier? You an' Fenris a thing?' He asks grinning as he gathered that's what Isabela was making a commotion about. 'As for the muzzle, you're more than likely to find one in 'er room than anywhere else.'
Makatza laughs and thanks him for the drink, 'Fenris and I are dating,' she says simply to him and he grins.
'That's a shame, I was gonna ask you out for a drink one of these nights,' he teases as she hands him a coin.
'What? And risk denying your extensive clientele your light, carefree attitude?' Makatza smiles as she sticks her tongue out at him. 'I wouldn't let Fenris know that, he's a little protective,' she whispers with a playful roll of her eyes. He clicks his fingers and winks at her as she turns to her friend who still hadn't shut up. 'Oh god! What? What is it!?' She snaps as she grabs Isabela by the top of the arm.
'You! That's what!' Isabela said simply as she dragged Makatza into a room. 'You and the broodiest elf in existence. You! Snogging it up-'
'We weren't snogging, we just shared a kiss before I left the room-'
'Ahah! That! That's what I mean, when did you two start sharing kisses?' Isabela says sarcastically. She leans against her dresser as Makatza sits on the bed and sips her wine. She looked her over with squinty eyes making her feel uncomfortable, she tilted her head this way and that before gasping loudly. 'You had se-!'
Makatza shot off the bed and clamped her hand over the pirate's mouth. 'Izzy!' She hissed going beetroot red. 'Oh god woman, you have the largest mouth in history!' Katza can't help but grin. 'I'm going to remove my hand and if you say anything above a normal speaking level I am never, ever going to tell you anything about it, okay?' She warns. Isabela almost exploded with excitement and nodded frantically. Makatza rolled her eyes and took her hand away, the pirate looked like she was going to screech so she grabbed a pillow and screamed into it instead.
She grabbed Katza's wrist and dragged her onto the bed. 'Tell. Me. Everything!' She said bobbing up and down on the mattress. 'Okay, hold up. Easiest way to do this. So you two?'
'Yep.'
'Recently?'
'Last night.'
'And did he...?'
'Oh yeah.'
'And you?'
'Uh-huh.'
'Last question.'
'Go for it.'
'Does he glow?'
Makatza looked at her best friend who was deadly serious and waiting for an answer, she smirks and begins to laugh. With a quick look over her shoulder she turns back to Isabela and gives her a quick nod. 'Sssshhh! That's all I'm telling you! Some things have to be private you know,' Makatza says simply as she covered her mouth.
'Oh Maker, so you two have been running around in secret doing this sort of thing,' she says inquisitively fanning herself with her hand. 'Damn, I taught you well,' she praises.
'Well, some things,' Makatza admitted with a blush.
'Hold on... so you've done things with him before last night, yeah?' Isabela raises a brow and steals some wine from her glass.
Makatza pulls a stupid face in embarrassment and smiles, 'yes, we've... explored. Last night was the... uh... full experience,' she smirks as she drowns herself in wine.
'So these other times, did he-'
'Um... yes... sometimes,' Makatza bites her lip and giggles. 'Why?'
'So you've known about the answer for months! You bitch!' Isabela laughs. 'Was it like everything you thought?'
'Better,' Makatza says wistfully. 'You can't say anything I don't want him getting all shy or annoyed because I've told you. I mean he knows I tell you things anyway but still, my point stands!' She prodded her until Isabela promised to keep it to herself. 'Anyway, I went to the Dalish yesterday to see father as I wanted him to be the first to know and then out of nowhere Fenris arrives, gets into a fight with a scout and headbutts him unconscious. Next thing I know I've told father that I'm dating Fenris-'
'Hold on, you two are actually dating, you're not just fucking about?' Isabela says in wonder.
'No, we're a thing, like a couple, that's why we told father,' she said slowly. 'What? Why? Did you think we were just gonna be screwing?'
'Well, not to be mean but I never saw him as that kind of guy. I mean it's obvious that he cares about you but I just didn't think he would want attachments. Nothing against you, sweetness,' she assures. 'It's nice to hear that he's not just playing you about,' she adds with a smile. 'Sorry, continue.'
Makatza smiles a little and decides to keep to herself that he has told her that he loves her, some things didn't need to be shared. 'So, I told father that we're dating and he punches him! He punched Fenris square in the mouth! Split his lip open, there's blood everywhere!'
'Holy fuck! What did Fenris do?'
'Nothing! He just held his nose and stood there, I on the other hand screamed at my dad till I was blue,' she says a little embarrassed at her behaviour. 'I cried.'
Isabela finishes Makatza's wine for her and nods a little, 'wow. I never thought I would hear the day that Fenris had some self control, you must be really changing him,' she says with a tease. 'Come on, I don't want to keep you from lover boy for too long,' she says as she gets up. 'Seriously though... I'm happy for you. He went from trying to kill you to trying to get into your knickers, that's one way to defeat your enemies,' she smirks making Makatza giggle as they left her bedroom and wandered back into the main room where Merrill had turned up and Aveline had gone. 'Don't say anything I want to see how long it takes for her to notice,' Isabela whispers.
'Hmm, okay, what's your bet?' Makatza asks.
'I give it a good hour,' Isabela laughs. 'Or longer. Twenty gold.'
'So anything before an hour I win?' Makatza asks for clarification.
'Yeah, but you're not allowed to kiss him,' the pirate grins, 'so you can't cheat.'
'Done,' Makatza nods shaking her hand as they enter the room properly. She had an idea and it was going to be rather funny, for her at least. She could only imagine Izzy's cursing. 'Merrill!' Makatza said giving the elf a hug tightly. 'Ooooh, I've missed you,' she says truthfully as she's embraced.
'Me too, Lethallan. Apparently somethin' has happened but nae one will tell me,' she whines.
'Oh don't worry, I'm sure it'll come apparent soon,' Makatza said winking at her, Isabela hisses at her from across the table. Makatza turned her attention to Fenris who was sitting on the table as he spoke to Varric in his chair and Garrett who leaned against the mantle. 'What was the condition again?' Makatza asked Isabela simply as she came over to greet Merrill.
'No talking or kissing,' she said simply as she glared at her for asking about the bet around the elf that they were trying to bet on.
'Fair enough,' she says with a shrug of her shoulder. 'Okay, that's understandable, I mean, it's not like I would or could do this or anything,' Makatza says as she has both Isabela's and Merrill's attention. She's standing next to Fenris who turned his head to smile at her and she simply reached up and pinched the tip of his ear sharply making Merrill gasp and clap her hands over her mouth. Fenris froze for a brief second before getting up and pulling her close into a deep kiss, a flush of red over his cheeks and ears.
'Okay! Okay!' Garrett said only able to take so much before pulling Fenris off her, 'that's my cousin, come on,' he says looking at the rather hot and bothered looking elf. He looked over at Makatza, 'what was that for?' He said as even he knew that elf ears were a rather sensitive spot.
'I won,' she said simply as she looked over at Merrill and Isabela, both of whom were in shock. 'Also that was kinda cruel to Fenris sooo... borrowing your bedroom!' She says in a massive grin as she grabs her lover's hand and drags him out the room.
'Oh come on! Katza! I don't need to hear that!' Garrett complained after her before pouting and slumping into a chair.
Varric laughs and makes his way over to where Merrill was babbling happily to Isabela who looked like she had sucked on a lemon. 'So, how much did you lose?'
'Twenty gold,' Isabela moans. 'And apparently my bedroom for a while.'
'What on earth did you bet on?'
'How long it would take Merrill to notice,' she says dryly. 'I said she couldn't kiss him or ask him to cheat or anything,' she sighs.
'Clever, Petal,' he laughs lightly. 'You didn't say anything about him kissing her, so well we all know what elf ears are like. I'm surprised he only kissed her,' he chuckles. 'Silly Riviani. You should know better. You're always making bets you can't win.'
-x-
'Note to self, half an hour before your dressmaker arrives don't have sex with a rather enthusiastic elf,' she said to herself as she looked in the mirror as she healed the rather large mark on her chest. She had promised herself a wash after the night and morning that she had had. Fenris had dropped her off at the estate and promised to visit later after she had seen Ewan and spoken to Leandra about what was going on. She didn't really want to spring it on her Aunt. She finished healing and looked over the rest of her body, there wasn't any other incriminating marks so she dried herself and put on some underwear and a house robe similar to the style that Hawke insisted walking around the place in. Pinning her hair up onto the top of her head she wandered into her bedroom and saw her puppies asleep on her bed, 'what have you two been doing all day?' She says as she rubs their bellies and gives them some well deserved attention. There was a knock at her door and she calls out, 'come in!'
'My Lady, a Lord Bavent is here to see you-' Bodahn began.
'Are you serious?' Makatza hissed in annoyance.
'Yes... would you like me to ask him to leave?'
'Well, I'm waiting on my dress maker, I'm not exactly ready for company. I just got out the bath!' She sighs. 'Hold on, give me ten minutes to whack a dress on and I'll have a brief conversation with him.' Bodahn does as she asks as she tears open her wardrobe and yanks out the first dress she saw pulling it over her head, she pulled her hair pins out and mucked around with her curls until she was presentable. With a sigh, like my day wasn't going to get bad enough with Ewan, now I have this toad to deal with, she mentally groaned as she shoved her inner wolf into a box. She secretly wished that Fenris was here to deal with him but that was unfair, she couldn't lean on him for things like this. After a moment's hesitation she left the pups where they were, she sighed as she left her bedroom and heard him clearly talking to her Aunt.
'Ah, Katza,' Leandra said greeting her as she came down to the bottom of the stairs. She kissed her Aunt on the cheek and forced herself to smile at Lord Bavent weighed down on her and brushed his lips against her hand.
'Lord Bavent! It's been a while,' she says brightly. Not friggin' long enough, she hissed in her mind. 'What brings you here?' Makatza asks, wondering why she has the luck of a swamp dragon. Leandra rested a hand on her niece's shoulder and made it very subconsciously clear that she wasn't going anywhere.
'I wrote to Lady Amell asking to escort you to Lady Emaline's ball but she has yet to write back, I thought a more direct approach would allow me an answer faster,' he says with a smile at Leandra who took his barb in good grace.
'I did in fact reply, Lord Bavent, I said that it she would be going with family and that there was no need for you to concern yourself,' she replied a little coldly. 'I understand that my niece is relatively new to the courts but have no fear we won't lead her astray.'
'Hmm. Oh yes, I remember reading a letter of some similar content, maybe I didn't associate it with you. Apologies. Well now that I am here, I wish to ask your niece's opinion regarding the ball, do you wish for an escort? It's not usual for young women like yourself to only be with family on such an occasion,' he says as he smiles at her ignoring the fury that rolled from Leandra.
Makatza could feel her inner dominance rise to her defence and bolster her, 'there is no need. I already have an escort,' she says simply. 'I thank you for your thought but I am afraid it is in vain.'
'You do?' Leandra says and then jumps on board, 'oh yes, that's right I nearly forgot. Yes, yes she has,' she nods as she holds Makatza a little tighter. 'Such a shame, oh look, Ewan is here, he is Katza's dressmaker,' Leandra says perkily as he's let in by Sandal. 'Ser Ewan, this is Lord Bavent, he is also attending the social event of the year!'
'Ah, an' you wish to ask for ze young lady no?' Ewan laughs as he nods and shakes his hand. 'Ze 'as been kept indoors if 'er blush on ze bosom when I measured 'er is anythin' to go by,' he jokes making Makatza's eyes widen in shock. How can he be so la di da about it?Has he got no god damn filter?!
Makatza clears her throat, 'ah-ha, Ser Ewan, if you could refrain about talking about my body while we're in company,' she said curtly. 'Lord Bavent,' she nods as she walks towards the stairs.
'Might 'ave to talk to some of ze other households zen,' he laughs with a shrug of his shoulders. 'Ah well, off we go. Till we meet again, Lord Bavent,' he says with a bow. Makatza has to resist stomping her way up the stairs hoping that the dress that he was carrying would fit and she would never have to see him again.
