Moonpriestess30: My days are filled with nursery runs and terrible twos, getting tricky finding time to write but I've almost finished my short story.


Chapter 196 – Discretion

'Y'know it doesn't matter how many times I see this place, I still wanna nick something,' Isabela grins as she lounges on a sofa. Merrill giggles and looks up from where she was lying on the floor. Katza came into the room passing them each a bottle of wine, she had extended an invitation to Aveline but she had refused. There was one more guest here this evening, Varania. Katza was insistent to the other two that they be nice, she wanted the woman to fit in and she was doing a wonderful job at the Orphanage.

Makatza gives Varania a bottle and flicks Isabela around the head once her hand was free. 'Don't steal anything you salted tart,' she says amused making Varania giggle. 'I can see you eyeing up that dragon's tooth.'

'It's just so pretty! It's literally got a dragon carved into it... pleeeassee?' She whines as she stares pleadingly at it.

Makatza sits heavily onto a pouffe and shakes her head, 'no, papa carved it. It's his, I couldn't give it to you even if I wanted to,' she grins. 'Fenris insisted I take the evening off before the trial tomorrow,' she explains as she takes a sip from her own bottle.

Merrill smiles, 'an' that involves gettin' a wee bit pissed?' She teases.

'Always,' Makatza laughs. 'I'm just dreading the thought that they find her guilty and then I have to have her killed.'

Varania pipes up, 'executed,' she corrects. 'And from what I have heard, she tried to murder you. I feel that you are well within your rights.'

Isabela nods, 'got agree with Ginger here, she's lucky that she's getting a trial. Anyone else would have just straight up shanked her,' the pirate laughs. 'I'm surprised that you've managed to keep Fenris from just hunting her down.'

Makatza gives the woman a look, 'you know as well as I do that he's not some animal that I have to leash,' she says bluntly. Varania and Fenris still had a rocky relationship but he was at least civil to her even when Makatza wasn't around.

'Oh I bet you have to keep that animal leashed in the bedroom,' Isabela drawls making all three of the other women choke on the sips of wine that they had taken in the moment of silence. 'Have you done it in your Office yet? On that large desk? Between appointments?' She teases.

Makatza's face flushes red and she clears her throat, 'I don't think that Varania wants to hear about how her brother is... romantically,' she says tactfully.

Varania and Isabela share a look and the pirate grins at Katza who instantly feels terrified. 'Actually, I've told Ginger loads about you two. Romantic styles. All your horse riding and hunting wyverns. The times he's saved you, and the times I've caught you two going at it,' she cackles. 'Really brings a different side to her brother. Also means she can rip the shit out of him when she sees him.'

'Oi, you've only caught me once!' Makatza retorts.

'I caught ya loadsa times,' Merrill chips in making Katza look at her in horror.

She covers her mouth ignoring the other two who were laughing. 'What?! What do you mean?!'

'Well ya never lock ya doors an' generally ya sneak off when ya at the Hanged Man, the first couple of times I was worried ya were feelin' ill. So I followed ya an' it turns out he were makin' ya feel better an' needed nay help,' she says bluntly with a smile. 'An' there be times when I come over ta try an' see you an' yer both busy. Like the other day, ya were in the kitchen bent over the tabl-'

'AHH!' Makatza says slapping her hand over Merrill's mouth. She was bright red with embarrassment. 'Oh fucking, Andraste's garter belt are you serious? You've all caught us?' She asks getting a few nods in reply. 'Varric? Garrett? Anders? Oh, Maker, please tell me not Sebastian too?' Makatza panics.

'Oh yeah. Though for Sebastian it was totally his own fault. It was very clear what you and lover boy were going to be doing but he wanted to ask you about this book or something, and he kinda caught the... entrée,' Isabela laughs, 'never seen that boy drink so much. Yeah, it turns out that when you're distracted you don't pick up on scents and sounds well. And you're very, very distracted.'

Makatza groans and covers her face with her hands as she giggles, she kinda just had to embrace it really. It's not like she hadn't caught Isabela going at it with Garrett. 'This doesn't bother you?' She asks Varania who was drinking and had a smile on her face.

'No, like Isabela said, it makes him seem so different. Romantic, caring, loving. It takes away the cold harshness that he wears. Plus it is very clear that he loves you, he is happy and that is all I want for my brother,' she says smiling.

'Aye, wanting your sibling to get his end away, you really are the perfect sister,' Isabela jokes making them all snort in giggles. 'Besides, you've got an admirer yourself, Ginger,' she teases. 'Matthew, from the stables. He's always coming past to see you.'

'He's sweet,' Varania blushes.

'Oh please, he's the personification of the visible panty line,' Isabela states.

'What in Thedas do you mean by that?' Katza grins as she had begun to plait Merrill's hair, exciting the elf with attention.

'Unsightly, uncomfortable but unfortunately supports you and covers all the shit you want to hide,' she teases.

Varania pouts, 'he's not that bad looking. Yes, he carries a little bit of weight and his hair isn't all there-'

'Oh, sweetie nothing wrong with a man that has got more cushion for pushin', I'm just ripping into you, that's all. It's all banter,' she assures making Varania relax a little.

'If she starts annoying you, just slap her,' Makatza says simply. The girls spend more time just chatting and drinking, relaxing around each other as the evening went on. It got to a point where Makatza was trying to teach the others how to do a crab, a common position for her contortion that she hadn't done in what felt like years. Varania was surprisingly flexible, Merrill couldn't understand how to put her arms and Isabela, for all her skill couldn't hold it. 'I can't believe you can't get this, you're on all fours all the time,' Makatza giggles.

The pirate swore from her position, her breasts were at the mercy of gravity and there was a lot of muffled bitching. 'I can't do it!' She complains falling to the side. 'If there's not a man behind me it's just not worth it!'

'Do I even want to know what she's going on about?' Garrett asks as he enters the room and sees his girlfriend fall heavily onto her back with a lot of noise. Varania, Merrill and Katza were all snorting and laughing at her.

'Garrett!' Katza laughs as she gets to her feet to say hello and gets tripped by the pirate who grabs her ankle playfully. 'Woop!' She squeaks as she falls towards the champion. He catches her easily and holds up the drunken mess.

He pats her on the head while supporting her, 'you gals having fun?'

'What are you doing here?' She grins as she hears Merrill and Isabela squabble over what was left in one of the bottles.

'We came to get a few bits that's all, we'll be out your hair soon enough. Uncle says he's got a Dalish game that we'd like to try out. Apparently Fenris is quite bad at it and I'm keen to play a game that the damn elf doesn't win all the time,' he grins.

'They're definitely lying to you,' Makatza laughs as she looks up at him.

'I resent that accusation,' Fenris says as he had finally dealt with the wolves and was now able to join the rest of them without fear of being tackled.

'Fenris!' Katza says in drunken glee as she abandons her cousin and hugs Fenris tightly.

'Oh, I see, I'm second fiddle to the elf,' Garrett mutters as he walks over to where Isabela was lying to say hello. Makatza hung off Fenris' shoulders all giggly and he was coping with it well, it had been a while since she had been drunk. Usually after a glass she fell asleep, it was clear her nerves about the trial was burning through the alcohol quite happily.

Fenris grunts as she climbs into his arms, making him carry her as she hugged him, 'and what have you been doing this evening?' He asks with a slight sarcastic tone. He could see that Varania was here and he wasn't sure on how he felt about that.

Makatza laughs and looks over at the other women. 'I was trying to teach them how to do the crab,' she reveals. 'Varania can do it! Just like you! Isabela and Merrill can't, they're shit,' she teases.

'Hold the fucking donkey!' Isabela laughs from the floor. 'Are you serious? Fenris can do it? I can't but that broody bastard can?'

Makatza sticks out her tongue at the pirate, 'he's very flexible-'

'Oh we've heard... and seen in some cases,' Isabela laughs. Makatza goes bright red and wriggles to be put down so she can silence the woman. After a brief playful fight they lie over each other. Isabela looks at Varania and grins, 'maybe Matthew would like to see how flexible you are,' she teases, passing the buck onto her. Fenris and Garrett had been talking quietly but the elf's ears perk up.

'Matthew, whom is Matthew?' He asks bluntly.

Varania goes bright red and throws a pillow at Isabela, 'he comes to see me sometimes-'

'He's her beau!' Merrill says sweetly as she leans into the red headed elf, who's face matched her hair.

'He's not! We just sometimes share lunch together!' Varania protests. Makatza laughs and looks over at Fenris, she knew that expression. It was strange to see it on his features when no-one was talking about her. She sits up straight and points it out to Isabela with a whisper in her ear and they begin to laugh.

Fenris clears his throat, 'how... well do you know this... Matthew?' He asks not really knowing why it bothered him that a man was coming to spend time with her. Garrett realises what Katza and Isabela were in tears about and holds a hand over his mouth so he didn't give the game away. 'Do you know him?' Fenris asks Garrett and wonders why the man looked like he was trying to hold in laughter. 'What? What is going on?' He asks the room.

Makatza takes pity on her confused lover and Varania was beet red, 'it's nothing, it's just very sweet to see that you're protective of your sister,' she teases as she gets up and walks over to him. 'It's endearing.'

'What? No! I am not protective of her-' Fenris begins to protest, a little red in the cheeks and annoyed at himself that he had subconsciously began to care. 'I just do not think seeing random men who could send her to the Gallows should they find out she is a mage-'

'Awww, look at you,' Katza grins as she looks over at the girls who all apart from Varania were laughing. 'You're all worried for her, it's okay, it's a good thing,' she reassures. Fenris' expression went from painful to plain desperate. He did not like the way he was feeling and he certainly didn't wish to discover it while in a room of drunk people, and Garrett. 'Give us a minute,' she says to the others and takes him by the arm and gently leads him into the corridor where they couldn't be heard. 'What's the matter?'

'I... did not think I felt anything towards the woman but contempt. The idea that a man would be getting close to her,... potentially harming her,' he rubs his eyes with his fingertips and heavily sighs as he bows his head. 'I do not need this feeling.'

She smiles softly and places her hands on his shoulders, 'there's nothing wrong with worrying about someone. She is your sister at the end of the day, Fenris. She does love you and deep, deep, deep down you have feelings of affection for her. You know as well as I do that even if memories are stolen, emotions aren't,' she says quietly. Fenris exhales heavily and looks at her with a slight nod. 'I'll get the girls to lay off, but don't be afraid to speak to Varania about this guy. Just don't be an asshole about it,' she laughs.

'And how would I do that?' Fenris asks reaching up and playing with a loose curl.

'Hmmm, by being you?' She teases making him roll his eyes. 'What I mean is, don't demand her to do things in your way, just advise her and reassure her that she can come talk to you if she needs help or advice.'

Fenris raises a brow and gives her a look, 'I thought you were supposed to be drunk,' he says amused.

'I am! Totally gone! But I can give advice like no-one's business!' She laughs as she leans up and kisses his cheek. 'Oh also, apparently everyone has caught us having sex,' she adds her face going a little pink. 'Everyone. Even Sebastian,' she winces.

Fenris raises a brow, 'not that I care about the Prince but I do not think I like the idea that he may have seen you. How? Were they purposely trying to do so?'

'Well apparently where we're not so discreet about what we're doing means that people have just assumed and well, shit happens,' she laughs. 'As long as papa hasn't caught us-'

'Nay lethallan, I be far too careful seein' as I live with ya,' her father says coming down the corridor. 'I like ya, lethallin,' Silvanus teases as he looks at Fenris. 'An' I wish to have wee babes runnin' around but I dinnae wanna know how they be gettin' 'ere. Like every father ma daughter be still only a wee girl and will remain as such,' he chuckles.

'Dear Maker above!' Makatza cried burying her face into Fenris' chest. 'Can the fade tear open and swallow me now?!'

'Babes?' Fenris asks shocked.

'Aye, da'len, I ain't be getting any younger,' he grins.

'I need more wine!' Makatza says ignoring her grinning father and walking back into the room to find some and bury this moment under a bottle of alcohol.