"So - Are we not going to talk about it?"
"Talk about what, Varric?!" IIyana screamed, unable to believe what he was suggesting. "Demons are pouring out of that fucking rift, and you want to talk about me and Solas?" She gave him a nasty glare and cast a barrier over them both before fade-stepping towards Cassandra to strike one of the demons dead.
"I guess that's a no?!" Running around the perimeter, Varric set off a rain of arrows to protect Dorian who was busily casting spells to ward off the hoard of monsters coming his way. "But you can't avoid it forever!"
"She loves avoiding!" Dorian interjected as he ducked out of the way, giving Varric an appreciative smile.
Meanwhile, Cassandra's sword sliced through one, then two demons before the breach erupted and another hoard crawled out from the Fade. "This is not the time or place to have this discussion."
"I hear you, Seeker. But Chuckles looked rather pathetic earlier when I -"
"Chuckles?" IIyana came to a sudden stop- in the middle of the battle - to give her friend a razor-sharp stare. If Varric didn't love her so much, he would have trembled in his boots. "What the hell happened to BDM?"
"It's a work in progress," Varric replied, rolling out of the way to avoid the rogue who magically manifested.
"What the hell does that mean," IIyana demanded as her spell struck the rogue dead, the body slumping forward with a thud. "You didn't hurt him there, did you?"
"No! That's just dirty."
Cassandra growled from behind. "We can use some help over here!"
Satisfied with Varric's answer, IIyana turned back to trap the rest of the hoard in an electric prison while Dorian flamed them alive. Working as a team, the group quickly took out the demons and the rest of the rogues and warriors - a trap graciously provided by Duchess Florianne. A trap IIyana would have seen if she hadn't been so damn distracted. She raised her hand to close the rift but once again, her mind began to drift.
She thought of Solas, her advisors, what she's learned about Briala and Gaspard while investigating the Royal Wing, and her hand wavered. As if the rift sense her weakening, it sent a surge of power straight through the opening.
"Focus, IIyana!" Dorian shouted loud enough to break through IIyana's fleeting thoughts. "They're breaking through."
IIyana snapped back to the present and the anchor ripped through her hand. She cried in pain, managing a small gasp, taking control of her mind to focus on her task. The harder she fought for control, the more powerful the rift became.
It was as if it sensed her vulnerability.
Suddenly, a warm hand slid over hers and pressed warmly. "Breathe," Solas soothed into her ear.
His aura caressed her gently until her ragged breathing calmed. As if by second nature, she leaned into him for support, bringing the rift to a close. He continued to soothe her with words of encouragement, then love words, and when the rift finally exploded, the world faded away until all that remained was him.
I miss you. And I love you. This was the phrase she'd tried to push aside all evening and now they were bursting at the seams. She'd heard them from every fiber of her being, from every corner of her heart, and from the aching cry of her soul.
"IIyana ..." Solas rasped.
As if she came back to her senses, IIyana snatched her hand back.
Cassandra stepped forward, ready to intercept if needed. "Leave her be, Solas. Haven't you done enough?"
"Stay out of this -"
"We have to hurry. The Duchess ..." IIyana's voice trailed off as she whirled around and headed in the direction of the ballroom. She was intensely aware of the quiet sounds of the night, the crickets, the wind blowing - Solas clenched jaw; Cassandra's fury; and Dorian and Varric's divided loyalty. She counted the steps that will lead her back into the Grand Ballroom, and her pace quicked, her steps purposeful.
"IIyana ... wait."
She ignored his plea and quickly darted inside the double doors.
"Now is not the time, Mage," Cassandra warned from behind. "Whatever you have to say, you can wait."
Solas forced himself to stop. Breathing hard with the effort to keep his control in check. Cassandra was right, now was not the time. Reluctantly, he agreed and followed the rest of the party inside.
IIyana nearly screamed in frustration when she ran straight into Cullen, whose arms wrapped around her tenderly, his lovely brown eyes shadowed with concern. Arms she once found comfort in but were now laced with lies and deceit.
"Thank the Maker, you're back. The Empress is about to make her speech -"
"Why didn't you tell me Solas would be here tonight?"
He blinked, clearly thrown off guard. Her name escaping his lips.
"Anything for the Inquisition, am I right?"
"No - IIyana. That is not - wait! Listen to me. Damnit IIyana, will you please listen to me?"
"So you can lie to me again?"
"No - that is not the reason why I kept that from you."
She shook her head lightly. "It doesn't matter, Cullen. Nothing matters anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to complete."
Cullen didn't get a chance to reply because the doors opened to their right opened and the Duchess walked out with Gaspard. Together, the pair made their way to stand behind Empress Celene who was waiting to address the crowd.
IIyana felt Solas' aura as he entered the room from behind, while Leiliana and her spies advance towards the edge of the room, awaiting their orders. Before the Empress could speak, IIyana separated from the crowd, capturing the Empress' and Florianne's attention.
The Duchess stared at her coldly, her lips tilting into a dangerous scowl. "Inquisitor," she said acidly. "You really are full of surprises."
"I seem to recall you saying, all I need to do is keep you out of the Ballroom long enough to strike. I believe those were your exact words."
The crowd murmured in shock, equally as surprised at the Inquisitor's accusation as her brother and cousin. "Florianne! What does she mean?" Gaspard sputtered.
"It means she tried to frame you for the murder of a Council Emissary," IIyana explained and toss the blood-stained Chalon family knife unto the marble floor. It landed with a thud, the sound echoed deadly into the room.
Florianne scoffed. "This is lunacy, Inquisitor. Do you imagine anyone believes your wild stories?"
Celene's eyes narrowed. She recognized the knife. She'd personally had it commissioned for her sister to gift it to her daughter. A daughter who was now spewing lies to the court.
"You tried to have me killed in the gardens, knowing full well it will start a political war," IIyana continued.
"No one will take your lies seriously!" Florianne stated.
"That would be a matter for a judge to decide, Cousin."
The Duchess snarled at her Celene. "You would believe such filth over me? Someone who, until now, has never heard of you?"
"Let it go, Florianne," Celene pleaded. "I do not wish to make more of a scene that we already have."
"You and your ridiculous obsession with propriety," the Duchess snarl. "It was what made this evening so easy to plan. All I had to do was play the part - act accordingly, responded appropriately - for you to trust me. You are naive Cousin, and there is no room for fools like you in this new world." She leaped forward. "For Corephyeus!" She commanded. "Kill them. KIll them all!"
IIyana saw a flash of steel and her hand reached out to cast a barrier over the Empress. But she was too late, the Duchess's knife struck flesh once, twice, and the Empress fell to her knees. Pandemonium broke as rogues manifested from thin air and began killing guests. IIyana saw Gaspard fall, his hands grasping at the arrow in his chest, and then hands pushing her down.
"Get down!" Solas commanded. He cast spell after spell, keeping the killers at bay while he shielded her with his body and barrier.
Leiliana and her agents stormed the ballroom and fought their way towards the center of the room. "Go!" she commanded. "Before the Duchess escapes."
Solas pulled IIyana to her feet and the two of them sprinted after the Duchess. Cassandra, Dorian, and Varric met them in the hall and they headed out the main doors, taking the steps that led into the courtyard surrounding the Palace. The Duchess waited for them at the main gates, arrows drawn and ready.
"I should thank you, my dear Inquisitor," The Duchess gloated. "You played your part very well - both Celen and Gaspard destroyed in a single blow. The Council of Herald will devour one another and while they do, Corypheus will come. The Empire will fall and Thedas with it."
"What a pity you won't live to see it," IIyana promised.
The Duchess laughed. "You didn't think I've come this far without an escape plan, did you? Your death will be the crowning jewel of my victory tonight."
She released her arrows as her agents rushed forward to carve a path for her escape. IIyana and Cassandra threw themselves into the heat of battle as Solas, Dorian, and Varric protected them from the rear. They fought their way through twirling daggers, archers, swords and mallets.
Realizing she'll soon be defeated, Florianne slipped out of the entrance gates and IIyana sprinted after her. She pulled the night air deep into her lungs as she tried to keep up.
Damn - the woman was fast.
Floriane rounded the corner with IIyana steps behind her. She dodged the arrow flying her way, at the same time, she released a double spell that hit Florianne straight in the chest. The Duchess let out a howl before falling back, her face scraping the pavement as she landed.
"There's nowhere left to go, Florianne."
"There is always a way," she said, the blood from her wound trailing down the side of her cheek, down to her lips. "I will be greatly rewarded once I bring your head to Corephyus."
"You are only a pawn in his little game. If you stop now, you may still live."
"And let you win? Never."
The Duchess lunged forward, too quickly for IIyana to deflect, and slammed their bodies to the ground. IIyana became tangled in her skirts, and before she could gain momentum, strong hands wrap around her neck, cutting off her circulation and her connection to the Fade.
"What's the matter, Inquisitor? Has the Maker turn his back on his Herald?"
She raised her fist and slammed it into Florainne's side, earning her a brief reprieve before her head was slammed into the pavement - hard. Pain shot through her head and her temples began to throb. She thought she may have been bleeding. The hands around her neck tighten, squeezing into her windpipe. Maniacal laughter rang in IIyana's ears as she clawed desperately.
"After I am done with you, I will come for your Commander."
IIyana felt a surge of energy shot through her and she fought desperately to escape.
"Or perhaps your Elven lover. I've seen the way he watches you."
The harder IIyana fought, the tighter the hands became. Soon, darkness slowly crept into her vision, clouding her senses, and she could feel herself begin to fade. Hands that had wrapped around the Duchess' wrists began to loosen, go limp, until they fell to the ground in defeat. IIyana's only thought as she lay dying was how she wished the eyes staring down at her were not full of malice and hate. But instead blue - with love.
A gut-wrenching roar filled the night air and Florainne suddenly fell over, blood from the knife piercing into the woman's chest splattering all over IIyana's delicate pink dress. Air suddenly filled her lungs. Familiar arms wrapped around her, gentle hands touching her face. She heard his tearful plea for her to breathe and she bid his command. Gradually, her swirling mind began to slow and everything came back to focus - the night sky, the stars, his soft voice.
His blue eyes. So tender and loving.
"Yana." Solas' voice shook with relief. His magic calming as it continued to seep into her.
She managed to say his name, though hoarsely.
"Once again, you will never take such risks again."
She whimpered a reply, tears flooding her vision at the memory of when they are in the Fade.
"The last time you did something this stupid, I told you I will have you chain to my side," he whispered as he stared into her green eyes. "And yes, I will gladly chain myself to you."
" ... love ... you ..." she tearfully gasped.
His lips brushed against hers. "I love you, too, m'yana."
They sat for a while, neither speaking, as he healed her injuries. Then he led her back inside.
As the evening came to a close, IIyana was able to slip away after leaving the politics to her advisors. She walked passed the traumatized guests, what remained of the royal guard, and followed the path leading to Celene private garden. As promised, the bench hidden away beneath a cluster of trees provided the privacy needed to be alone. She'd been directed here after speaking with Morrigan, who informed her that she'd been named Celene's liaison to the Inquisition. Celene had wished to offer whatever aid needed in gratitude for saving her life ... and for supporting Ambassador Briala's position to the throne.
She barely had time to close her eyes and stretch out her legs before footsteps trailed after her. Releasing a frustrated sigh, IIyana winced as her neck muscle stretched painfully. Although Solas had healed the extent of her injury, it was still sensitive to any movement. She will never get his haunted eyes out of her mind when he found her nearly half-dead. His concern and love for her were overwhelming and all that mattered at the moment was for her tell him how she felt.
She opened her eyes to greet him, surprised to find that it was Cullen walking towards her.
"There you are. Everyone's been looking for -" Cullen came to an abrupt stop when he saw the bruises on her neck. He hadn't seen her since Celene's attack, had been informed of her injury but not the extent of it. "Maker's breath, IIyana. What the hell happened?"
She tried to tell him that she was alright but he'd began pacing. Frustration seeping into his voice as he vented. "Damnit! They had one job. One Job. And that was to protect you. How in the hell did they let this happen?" He brushed his hair through his golden locks, his face strained with stress. "I should have been there. I should have been there to fucking protect you."
"Cullen."
He shook his head. "I gave you my word that this will never happen again." He began pacing again, mumbling to himself. Reperminding. Internalizing. Blaming.
Unable to bear his pain, she grabbed his arm to stop him. "And it didn't. I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about."
"You don't sound very convincing."
"I'm sorry to worry -"
"You have nothing to apologize for, IIyana." He made a choking sound, somewhere between relief and regret. It was a while before he spoke again. "I should have told you about Solas."
"You did what you thought best."
"It wasn't my decision to make."
"It was what the Inquisition needed."
His eyes swept over her. "That's not true. You are more than the mantel you carry, IIyana."
She glanced up at him. He could tell she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. The only other time he'd seen her like this was the evening he'd found her on top of the battlements. "Forgive me, IIyana."
He didn't know if were the fact that she could have died or that she appeared so damn fragile and vulnerable. Or the fact that she was gazing up at him with so much trust in her eyes. Perhaps it was the setting, of the two of them alone in the shadows, away from all the chaos. Or maybe he was just tired of fighting his attraction to her. But whatever it was, he couldn't have stopped the gravitational pull that had him reaching for IIyana and pulling her against his chest.
His lips descended on hers. Once, twice, a third time.
"Inquisitor, I -"
Both IIyana and Cullen stiffened at Josie's voice.
Then she felt Solas' aura crashed into hers.
The silence that followed was pressing, the air charged with emotions she couldn't name. Her pulse drummed loudly, painfully, as she slowly pushed away to look at Josie. But nothing could have prepared her for the howling pain of regret that plunged straight to the pit of her belly as her