Lord Seeker Lucius was dead. That shouldn't come as a great surprise to anyone. I was worried that the judgement ceremony would descend into farce if he was given a platform, but for some reason, the fight had gone out of him. He simply warned us that the wars would continue between the Chantry and mages, that we would never truly achieve peace. I glanced at Cassandra before making my judgement. The gesture she made told me what she expected.

I offered her the chance of performing the act, as a way of cleansing the Seekers of what had befallen them, but she insisted it was my right as Inquisitor, I had judged him guilty and therefore it was my right to carry out the execution. She appreciated the offer, though, but told me that, at heart, she didn't want to do it either, believing that somewhere deep inside, the man she had once respected was there, but the crimes he had committed against the very people he had been designated to lead must mean death.

After the execution was carried out, the body was placed in a coffin and carried outside, to be burned, the ashes then buried in an unmarked grave like the others. Well, I tried to remember all the judgements I had carried out and assured myself that Lucius was only the third. As the crowd dispersed, Cassandra gestured for me to follow to her quarters. As she closed the door after I walked in, I did joke, "People are going to assume things now."

"Well, I could do worse."

I glanced at her as I took a seat. "I'm sure there's a compliment in there somewhere. I take it you want to talk about…"

Cassandra brought over a bottle of ale each for us before sitting opposite me, gesturing towards the book in the middle of the desk. "This is our history, Uhtred. It has been passed down from Lord Seeker to Lord Seeker, since the time of the old Inquisition, centuries ago." She looked down and sighed. "And now it falls to me."

"And… it is good? Bad? You don't look best pleased, I'll admit."

She smiled briefly. "Oh, on the contrary, Uhtred, it's a delight. I'm riveted." I wasn't sure how sarcastic she was being, if at all. Then she smiled again and I knew. "Got you good that time."

"Well, it is your history so I could see at least some interest in it."

"I'm going to ask a stupid question, Uhtred. You know what the Rite of Tranquillity is, correct?" I nodded. I could have retorted with my own sarcastic reply, but I figured now wasn't the time. "According to Chantry doctrine, it is meant to be used only as a last resort on mages who fail their Harrowing, but can be saved from possession, or on those mages who commit crimes but are not chosen for execution. I know you have seen the outcome of being made Tranquil as I am aware of your relationship to Solona." She reached across to grab my hand. "I am sorry about that, Uhtred. What was done to her wasn't right. Like many things that happened in Kirkwall."

"Thanks, but it's in the past. What I am wondering is if you are going somewhere with this?"

"The base ideal is that it should only be used on those who cannot control their abilities… but, as you know, that has not always been the case."

I looked at the book then back at her. "Is that what the book says?"

"No. As a Seeker, I looked into… abuses. Mages made Tranquil as punishment." She paused before adding. "I was sent to Kirkwall to investigate what happened to Solona. That was the first time I had heard of your name outside anything Leliana had told me. However, by the time I arrived, you had already taken her home to Ferelden. I interviewed Meredith but, unfortunately, I was unable to discover anything untoward. It is a failing I regret."

"It's in the past, Cassandra. As I'm sure you are aware, the templar responsible was dealt with. Otherwise, what's done is done."

"Not necessarily, Uhtred. What you started in Kirkwall was only one match to the tinderbox that caused the mage rebellion to explode across Thedas. There is something far larger at stake than just the freeing of mages from Circles." She opened the book to a page she had bookmarked, tapping it with a finger. "It has been discovered that the Rite of Tranquillity can be reversed." I felt my eyes widen, leaning forward as she continued. "The Lord Seeker at the time covered it up… harshly. There were many deaths."

"Why?"

"Surely you must understand that it is dangerous knowledge, Uhtred. But it wasn't just that. With the shock of what happened in Kirkwall, the mages were in the ascendency. Chaos loomed on the horizon…" She stopped and sighed, now unable to meet my eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, my gut beginning to worry I was going to hear next wasn't going to be good, for any number of reasons.

"It appears we've always known how to reverse the rite. From the beginning."

I sat back, blowing out my cheeks. I should have exploded, but there was no point doing so at her. She didn't know. "So everything in Kirkwall was pointless then. The mages were always going to rise up with the secret revealed. The templars lost their leverage over them. Hundreds of Tranquil would be made reversed, and you could only imagine their reaction when turned back to themselves." I paused and then leaned forward again. "Solona…"

She nodded. "Yes, Uhtred, it's possible. Whatever the case, what happened in Kirkwall was merely a symptom of relations between the mages and the Templar Order. Hawke and yourself simply fanned the flames. That's not everything, though. Uhtred, you must understand something that I simply didn't know. I could never have known because…" She paused again, this time meeting my eyes for whatever was to come. "We created the Rite of Tranquillity."

"What?" I growled. I felt guilty, Cassandra almost recoiling at my tone.

She leaned forward to grab my hand. I let her, to assure her it wasn't her fault. "Remember how I've spoken about my service, I told you of my vigil, the months I spent emptying myself of all emotion? I was made Tranquil, and did not even know. Then the vigil summoned a spirit of faith to touch my mind. That broke Tranquillity, and gave me my abilities. The Seekers did not share that secret. Not with me, not with the Chantry." I didn't know what to say. All I knew is that I was furious. Not with Cassandra, she didn't know. She was as innocent as anyone else. But the lies and the secrets that infested these Orders… "There's more, Uhtred. Lucius was not wrong about the Order."

"How do you mean?"

"I thought to rebuild the Seekers once victory was ours. Now I'm not certain it deserves to be rebuilt. All I know is that we started the old Inquisition, and it led us down the path to where we are today. Power became its own master. Everything we did, we claimed to do it 'for the people' but we both know that was a lie. We enjoyed, revelled in our power over others. Even the Chantry could barely control us at times. Yet I sit here now and think if we are destined to repeat it?"

"Those who do not heed history are doomed to repeat it. An old friend told me that back on Skyrim."

"We have a similar saying here, Uhtred."

I leaned back in my chair, folded my arms, gave it some thought. "You are shaken by what you've read. An understandable reaction. But if you were to rebuild, what would you do? How would you do it? I mean, it seems many of your order were sacrificed by Lucius. Do you even have the numbers to grow again?"

"I can't be the only one remaining. We were always spread to the winds, and some may still be out there. I'm sure Leliana can help me in the remaining months of this Inquisition. We will find them, one at a time if necessary, and all of them will read this book and learn from the mistakes made. We can't have Orders full of secrets, like ours and the templars. Once we are together again, we would establish a new charter. The Maker's work, in truth."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "But what is the Maker's work, Cassandra? How can you so easily define it?"

She smiled at me again. "There is no way to know for certain when it comes to the Maker, Uhtred. That is why we must seek it out. Perhaps we lost our way because we stopped looking, focusing on the problems of men instead of focusing on the ideals of the Maker Himself."

"Search your heart and mind, Cassandra. The most important question I can ask here and now is what do you want?"

"If the Seekers of Truth are to be rebuilt, we must be better than what we were. That much is clear. We must not stray from the path of truth. We must retain a clear mind in regards to our objective."

"Then you have your answer, Cassandra."

She leaned back and released a deep breath, nodding to herself. "It's going to take a lot of work."

"I'm sure Leliana will be willing to help you out."

"I'll take advantage of her while I've still got her."

"Crisis of faith averted?"

"Oh, I'll always have questions but, for now, I am content. This book contains a past I was not aware of and which, in many ways, should be disheartening, and make me simply walk away. But I know that if I work hard and do what I know is right, then we can be better." She reached across to grab my hand again. "Thank you, Uhtred. The Inquisition still has a lot of work to do yet, but I feel like I may have an idea of what I will do once this is over."

Seemingly in a better place, I headed outside and after chatting with a few others, headed inside and up the tower to see Leliana. She was eager to enjoy lunch together, heading back to our private quarters, where Gawen had already set up a table and chairs for us out on the balcony, and after taking a seat, we were soon receiving plates of food. Nothing exotic, just enough to keep our stomachs full until dinner.

We discussed nothing of particular importance as we ate, generally just listening as Leliana told me a few stories of what her agents had been up to. Despite the fact what they were doing was serious, they were still able to have fun. One or two romances had blossomed as agents worked together. Others had found themselves in humorous but compromising positions.

It was only after we'd finished eating, Gawen and his helpers clearing everything away but leaving a bottle of wine for us to share, did the conversation turn slightly serious. "I've had a chat with Bethany, Uhtred."

I glanced her way. "What about?"

"Well, we had fun with Evie the other night, yes? I've offered the same to Bethany. She was… rather keen."

Chuckling, I added, "Of course she was. She gets a chance to be with me, and I know she would love to have some fun with you as well."

"Well, the opportunity it always there. Evie has also whispered that… she'd also like some time with me. Alone."

"Good."

"I knew you wouldn't mind, but she's slowly coming out of her shell."

"Can we turn the discussion rather serious a moment?" Leliana looked surprised, even a little concern, moving her chair to sit next to me, taking my hand. "Cassandra provided quite the revelation earlier today. About the Seekers. And the Rite of Tranquillity." I squeezed her hand, finally looking at her. "We can cure her, Leliana."

"How?"

"I don't know the details. I'm sure Cassandra will provide them when asked. But I have a feeling someone in this building already knows." I gestured with my eyes. "She would have to know. It's apparently one of the reasons why the whole war started. Hawke and I didn't help, but it appears the mages have discovered some secrets the Order never wanted discovered."

"By the Maker," Leliana replied.

"I want her cured, Leliana. I want Solona back. And I'm not the only one."

"Definitely. I will do whatever I can, Uhtred. Whatever you need."

I squeezed her hand again. "No-one will deny me this. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who dare stand in my way will find themselves thrown out of Skyhold."

"No-one will stop it, Uhtred."

"I hope so."

I took a deep breath. "I'm so angry, Leliana. And I'm so angry, I either want to go kill something or… burst into tears, just to release it. It's been how long now? Eight, nine years. Maybe even ten. All that time, she's been a shell of who she was. Will she even come back the same?"

"I don't know, Uhtred."

"I'm sorry, I know you won't have the answers. It was just a shock."

"You should talk to Fiona, find out what she knows, find out the truth. Then we can find a way forward and bring her back to us."

I turned towards her. "If she comes back, and she's what she once was…"

Leliana leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Uhtred, she always loved you. I know that for a fact. She followed you to Kirkwall, just because you asked her. She remained by your side as your friend all that time. Though she's Tranquil, she would be aware of everything you did for her. And if you bring her back? I think devotion would be the right word." She grabbed both my hands. "I want her back too. I want to see that sweet smile on her face once again, hear her laugh at one of your awful jokes, enjoy a hug and know it means something to her. And, yes, I would also like to enjoy the life we once had with her. I adored Solona all that time, as you know."

I hugged her tight. "We'll bring her back. I promise."

Letting her go, I set my mind immediately, heading towards the library. Fiona wasn't around, so I headed to her private quarters. Knocking on the door, I heard her say I could enter, walking in to see her small room, rather sparse, sitting at her desk. She glanced my way, curious as to my appearance. Shutting the door and locking it, she was surprised again as I took the seat next to her, opposite where I'd normally sit. Before she could ask a question, I placed a hand on her knee. "I know, Fiona," I whispered.

"Know what?"

"Why you rebelled. It wasn't just what happened in Kirkwall, was it?" Her eyes met mine, she gave it some thought, then they widened. "I know, Fiona," I repeated, "It's fine. I can understand why you couldn't tell me. But this changes things. Do you know how it's done?"

She gave it some thought again before she nodded. "Solona."

"Exactly. If this is true, if Tranquillity can be reversed, I want her back." The thought of it hit me hard again, feeling my throat go dry and my eyes well up, feeling Fiona grab my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Is it possible? Is it something we can do here?"

"We only know it is something that can be reversed, Inquisitor. As for how it is put into practice, we simply don't know."

"Cassandra may have information but I'm not sure if it applies to regular mages. And I'm not sure she's going to be exactly forthcoming about how it is done." I knew a bit more but it wasn't really my place to say just yet.

"Are you suggesting we should research the matter, Inquisitor?"

"Yes."

"We'll begin right away. I'll have some of my most talented people look into it." She stood up and headed to the door, only turning to ask, "One more question, Inquisitor. What will become of us once the Inquisition ends?"

"You mean the mages?" She nodded. "Well, one thing is clear. It can't go back to how it was. I believe mages should be left to govern themselves. Whether you reform the Circles into something else, or choose to pursue another path, I'm not sure, but having an organisation like the Templar Order watching you like hawks again simply will not happen. At least in my opinion. Just remember one thing though. You now have your freedom, and with that comes responsibility, not just to yourselves and each other, but to each and every one of us."

"Wise words indeed, Inquisitor, and words I hope we will all listen to after this."

I stepped on her foot again. Leliana simply kissed my cheek. "Let's try again, shall we?"

"I can't dance, Leliana. This is just a bad idea."

"You must try, Uhtred. If you don't dance during the ball, it will look bad on you and the Inquisition as a whole. Appearances are everything and, despite what you think or want, you are now nobility. You will be expected to dance and you will definitely be dancing with the Empress at one point. It is during that brief moment of privacy that she will speak to you."

I could have sighed, but managed to hold it in. "Okay. Just remember the timings. Count off in your head. And try to relax." I had one or two suggestive retorts, which definitely appeared on my face. "Later, Uhtred. For now, focus on what you are doing. Remember… 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. At least there will be music at the ball."

I stood on her foot at least a couple more times, but after a couple of hours, I at least had the tune in my head, so now it was just practice. "Will it always be that simple?"

"It should be. It's ballroom dancing, Uhtred. Nothing overly spectacular."

"Are your feet okay? Need me to rub them better?"

She gave me a look and kissed my cheek again. "Later. Now, it is time for more training. The art of the Game. Josephine and I are going to drill you so you know how to answer certain questions correctly. It is not just what you say. It is how you say it. Body language. Mannerisms."

"Will I have to wear one of those ridiculous masks?"

"Yes, but you don't have to wear one right now."

The questioning over the next couple of hours was rigorous. It got to the point where I said Josie should leave, and for every answer correct, Leliana would take off an item of clothing. She definitely considered the idea, and even Josie whispered something into her ear that certainly made me laugh, as she wasn't exactly quiet. It was put to me in rather simple terms. 'Just think like Orlesian nobility'. Easier said than done when it came down to it.

There were more lessons. Eating etiquette. Drinking etiquette. How I would have to introduce myself to others. Even the simple act of bowing or the shaking of a hand was a process. Honestly, it verged on the ridiculous, and after a few hours of this, I simply had to cry enough. Thankfully, Leliana relented, though warned that the time was approaching, and I needed to be ready.

I wasn't the only one undergoing all this training, though. Members of my inner circle, who would all be attending with me, were also undergoing it though not to the same rigorous standard. Evelyn was nobility but had spent her life in a Circle, so it was all rather new to her as well. But she seemed to enjoy the experience. Vivienne didn't need instruction, instead being one of those teaching the rest of us. She showed remarkable patience at times. Generally, everyone tried their best and seemed to enjoy the experience. Others, like Sera, hated every second, so she did receive gentle warning that she was not to embarrass the Inquisition while we were visiting the Winter Palace. Bethany took it all in her stride, making plenty of jokes at the expense of all of us, mentioning she was a simple girl from Lothering, so things like belching at the dinner table was expected.

Being representatives of the Inquisition, clothing had been ordered specifically for the occasion. Cassandra and Leliana had been searching the archives and found drawings of the uniforms once worn by the Inquisition of old, though ours would have updates reflecting the fact we were now living in the Dragon Age, and my own would have similar highlights given that I am the Dragonborn. We would look rather different to the majority of nobles at the Winter Palace, not that it concerned me too much.

The night of the mock dinner party, once it had finished, Leliana disappeared with Cassandra, giving me a gesture that suggested I speak to Evelyn. She was happy enough to follow me onto the balcony, offering her a drink, which she accepted, and we stood in silence, listening to the distant waterfalls. "Did you enjoy the other night, Evie?" She blushed immediately. She was coming out of her shell, but she was still embarrassed sometimes. I didn't blame her. Wrapping an arm around her, I kissed the top of her head. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I want to do it again!" she exclaimed, earning a loud chuckle from myself.

"Well, I like the fact you're eager. And Leliana has already said it definitely will."

"Good. I had a lot of fun. And Leliana is so… beautiful. And really sweet."

"She thinks the same of you, Evie."

"I'm guessing that wasn't the first time?"

There was a small bench nearby, taking her hand so we could sit down together. "No, it definitely wasn't. You obviously know Solona. Back during the Blight, the three of us were effectively in a relationship… Do you want to hear the details?"

"I'm here with you right now. I want it to last."

Placing a finger under her chin, I leaned down and kissed her. "And people wonder why I like you so much." That definitely made her blush. Leaning back, I wrapped an arm around her and let her get comfortable against me. "So, I met Leliana in Lothering. It was instant attraction from both of us. How we didn't end up fucking that very first night, I think it was the case while it was physical, we didn't know each other. But she was sent by the gods, far as I'm concerned. So we got to know each other, and we ended up sleeping together quite quickly. But I was wary about falling in love, because of Alexandra."

"Your wife?"

"Aye, I think I've told you about her before. I'd lost her a few months earlier, so in a way, I was still grieving. So while Leliana and I were physical, and I did really like her, I wasn't exactly ready to settle down and commit. Considering the situation we were in, doing so wouldn't have made much sense anyway.

We met Solona in the Circle Tower of Ferelden. Lot of nasty shit going on in there. That's where I met Commander Cullen the first time. He was still a member of the Templar Order. He was a lot younger then. Solona had taken part in the uprising, but she was a young woman, younger than yourself, and well in over her head. She was deathly frightened we were there to kill her. She looked to me as her saviour and protector. And she was instantly smitten."

"Oh, on that, I definitely don't blame her," Evelyn whispered.

"Solona joined us, as she would become a Grey Warden, and Leliana picked up rather quickly that Solona was interested in me. That's when I learned how open minded Leliana was. Solona was completely inexperienced but very eager to learn with me. We made love not long after she joined our little group."

"And Leliana accepted that?"

"Leliana joined in later on. First, I wanted to make sure she was absolutely okay with it. She always insisted she was, but part of me always thought I was taking advantage of her kind nature. But I learned in Orzammar that she simply accepted me for who I was. That's where I met Dagna. She wanted to leave the place, so I helped her get to the Circle Tower. Along the way, we… fucked."

Evelyn jerked back. "You didn't?"

I couldn't help grin. "Aye. First human male and, from what she's said, I'm still the only male she's been with."

"Humans can have sex with dwarves?"

"Trust me, I worried about hurting her when it came to being intimate. I just got her really wet." Evelyn thought that was amusing. "But we had good fun. I don't regret it. Anyway, when I returned to Orzammar, I walked in on Leliana and Solona pleasing each other. It definitely wasn't the first time it happened, and certainly wasn't the last. After that, sex generally involved the three of us. We were all very open-minded, experimented with different things, and generally had a lot of fun with everything else going on around us."

"Why did it stop?"

"Well, looking back, because I'm an idiot. I always had a thought in the back of my mind that Leliana was simply tolerating it. She'd told me more than once since that she adored Solona and didn't want it all to finish. But, I guess I was trying to prove something to myself, more than anything. I don't regret ending it, I wanted to be with Leliana. But even then, I still had sex with a couple of others you've heard mentioned."

"So then the Blight ends…"

"Aye. Leliana and I ended up in a villa in Orlais. We enjoyed six months together. Then she returned to the Chantry and I was left alone. I ended up back in Denerim, Aedan suggested I find something else to do, so he sends me to Kirkwall. On a whim, I headed towards Solona, wondering if she wanted to join me. She leapt at the chance.

Oh, that reminds me, I was temporarily Arl of Amaranthine for a while. And before the final battle, Solona offered herself. Thing is, I was still with Leliana at the time. So I turned her down."

"Sounds like you regret it."

"It was just circumstances. I did wonder about rekindling our relationship in Kirkwall, but I didn't want Solona to feel like some sort of consolation prize because Leliana left me. So we just became the best of friends. We spent so much time together. How we didn't end up sleeping together…"

"And then she was kidnapped…"

"Aye. She was taken from us."

"So Bethany?"

Sighing, I replied, "It's a somewhat sad story, Evie. She experienced so much loss, even before I met her. Then when we were together, we were madly in love, the sex was phenomenal, she's a brilliant mage, a beautiful woman, far more intelligent than I am… But Kirkwall destroyed her and our relationship. I never blamed her for leaving how she did."

"Hawke?"

"Always loved her in a way. Before Bethany left, it was simply affection for someone I spent so long with. After Bethany, I definitely had feelings of love, tempered by the fact I was committed to Leliana."

"You were intimate with her here though?"

I gave her a squeeze. "Honestly, some of the best sex of my life, Evie."

"I'm glad. I could see she really loved you in return."

"You're not the only one to say that."

"Whenever you were talking at the table, the way she'd look at you as you spoke, hanging on your every word, but the look in her eyes… Even I could see it and understand."

"So obviously I've had some lovers, and it all comes back to Leliana and her… love, I guess you could say. She was the one who sat me down and put it to me bluntly. She enjoyed the life we had during the Blight with Solona and she wanted to experience that again. I still question myself at times, wondering if I'm taking advantage, but knowing that she is also enjoying herself, I can take comfort in the fact that we're having fun and perhaps finding more love to add to our lives at the same time."

"I think Skyhold is becoming a place of love in general. Sera and Lace certainly seem to have some affection, though I'm not sure how Dagna fits into it."

"Oh, she's dropped one or two hints my way, trust me."

"I've seen a few other romances blossom. Well… I wouldn't call Bull and Dorian a romance exactly."

"Aye, I've heard rumours about those two. If they're having fun, good for them." I took a deep breath. "Anyway, that's my love life, Evie. A basic history but that's about it."

"So back to my original question, can it happen again and soon?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely, Evie. We'll leave you practically comatose by the time we're done next time."

"Oh, I love the sound of that."

Three nights before leaving, Varric organised a little event for us. Everyone was back from whatever task they had pulled them away from Skyhold, so for the first time in a while, the whole inner circle and my advisors were available. So we took over the tavern for ourselves and spent a night drinking, eating, and playing card games. It was easy to see the couples that had formed. Apart from Leliana and I, there was Sera and Evelyn, obviously, the pair thick as thieves. Whenever she wasn't with me, she was with Sera, the young elven woman accepting Evelyn would only ever be a close friend. Bethany was flirtier with each drink she consumed, leaving no-one around the table in any doubt about what she liked to do with me. It led to one or two comments in my direction from others. Iron Bull and Dorian definitely seemed interested in each other, and it was perhaps the first time they'd been so blasé about it. I'd heard rumour that the first thing Bull did upon returning from the Western Approach was seek out the Tevinter mage. While some were being partnered off, others seemed happy to be remain alone. Cassandra joined in with the games, and certainly enjoyed a drink, and it was fun to see Josephine really let her hair down for once. Whenever she was a hand of Wicked Grace, she certainly gave Varric a hard time about it. Blackwall joined in but stayed relatively silent. He didn't seem as sullen as always, and we did manage to provoke a few laughs, but he seemed to be a quiet man in general. It was only later that Leliana mentioned that he did look at Josephine out of the corner of his eye, and whenever he spoke to her, he changed his tone. Even Solas joined in with the cards but refused all alcohol as usual, and his usual friendly demeanour meant everyone wanted to talk to him about his life in the Fade, even though previous memories for most of us were not as pleasant as his own.

The games carried on for hours, as did the drinking, eventually sending the bartender to bed and we just served ourselves. Soon the table was covered in empty plates, empty bottles and plenty of cards. Slowly but surely, people eventually had to call it quits. Sera and Evelyn were one of the first to go, Evelyn giving me a friendly kiss on the cheek, Sera assuring me she wasn't going to take advantage of my lover. While that might have provoked reaction before, everyone was now aware of the arrangement I had. Leliana, Evelyn and Bethany were my three lovers. To my surprise, no-one gave a shit. Cassandra had shown concern, but Leliana had sat her down and explained everything. Anyway, I think she was starting to find herself distracted by Cullen. Considering he was a good looking man, honourable and brave, I didn't blame her for being interested. Josephine simply found it amusing, wondering how I wasn't exhausted all the time. I laughed and could only agree sometimes. Bull practically carried Dorian out of the tavern, so any idea that their relationship was a secret ended then and there, and I'd heard rumours about what Bull was interested in. Certain others hadn't, but it wasn't up to me to spread rumours and gossip. Eventually, the others slowly but surely headed out into the night though Leliana and I stayed until nearly everyone had disappeared, Varric and Josephine the last two to leave with us.

"Well, that is certainly a fun and relaxing way to spend an evening, considering what we are going to be doing soon enough," Josephine stated as we headed back to the grand hall.

"Certainly less danger involved. I'm just glad we didn't play for money," Leliana added.

"Am I hearing another baseless accusation against me?" Varric asked.

"It's a good thing people like you, Varric, otherwise you would have found a blade in you long ago."

"And once again, I am wounded, Your Inquisitorialness."

"Smartarse."

"You love me really."

Josephine had enjoyed herself enough that Leliana and I had to escort her back to her room. She thanked us before closing the door, and I'm sure she would have been asleep by the time she hit the bed. She'd be waking up in her clothes, with a sore head and stomach the next morning. Leliana and I headed into our own quarters, where we enjoyed a nightcap out on the balcony, Leliana leaning into me as we stared out into the darkness.

"I think after this mission to Orlais, we won't have many more nights like this," she said quietly.

"It's doubtful. This, Cullen wants to find Samson, we've got Emprise du Lion to investigate, red templar bullshit again, then hopefully all that will lead us to Corypheus." I took a sip before asking, "What should I honestly be expecting at the Winter Palace?"

"I'll be able to answer that the day we leave once all my agents have returned with the information I need. It'll take us two days to reach Halamshiral as you must travel by carriage. You cannot be seen arriving by horseback." I groaned, earning a gentle bump from Leliana. "I will be beside you. Cullen will be leading a small contingent of troops."

"Anyone else in the carriage?" She gave me a look I knew well. "We do have more than one, right?"

"I guess Josephine, Cassandra and Evelyn can travel in a second one," she replied, leaning up close to me.

"They are soundproofed as well, correct?" I whispered, leaning down.

"Oh, I've made sure of it since last time we were in one."

"And you said two days?" I asked before kissing her softly.

"Hmmm," she moaned lightly before pulling back an inch, "And there are dark curtains so no-one could possibly see in. Are you planning something, Uhtred Dragonborn?"

Running a hand down her back, I gently grabbed her arse and pulled her into my body. She laughed lightly as something would have prodded her. "That depends. I'm wondering if you could possibly know what I'm thinking in regards to this carriage ride?"

"Maybe reading lots of paperwork, going over plans…" She kissed me softly again. "Though we could do all that without clothing anyway."

"Maybe you could sit on my lap while we read things together," I suggested, my hands having now made their way under her dress, while she was slowly unbuttoning my shirt.

Conversation about the carriage ride and anything else about the Winter Palace ceased rather quickly after that. Though that doesn't mean we headed inside. I'm fairly sure some of the noises Leliana made over the next few minutes echoed across the surrounding mountains and valleys, and they would have known I was involved, considering she did shout my name more than once. Though it was a lot of fun, it did get cold eventually so we had to head back inside, snuggling under all the blankets, Leliana taking great joy in placing her cold little feet on me as she snuggled into me, complimenting me on my warmth as usual.

The next two days were all about our final preparations, to make me as ready as possible for what I was about to face. This wasn't a battle I could wade into with armour, sword and shield. It was going to take words instead of action. It was going to be a game of subtlety rather than brute force. I was going to have to go against any instincts I had about dealing with people and play their game, their rules, their way. I'll admit to privately thinking I was going to be out of my league, but with people like Josephine and Leliana to guide me, maybe, just maybe, it would end up being a success.