Skyhold itself was never quiet. The rooms were filled with the faithful, the fighters, and the nobles. The throne room itself was never truly empty until long into the night.

Vivienne would despair if she knew that Liethe often preferred to forego the shiny, shiny clothes she and Josephine spent hours debating over for far more modest ones just to be able to move from one room or another without getting dogged by the great and good of Thedas but sometimes The Inquisitor just wanted to stand back in the shadows and observe. Sometimes, she just wanted to do her own thing.

Everyone in her "inner circle" knew her on sight, of course, but the nice thing about the shiny clothes was that when she got out of them, most people utterly failed to realise it was her. People she had met not an hour ago as The Herald of Andraste would completely skip past her and write her out of their universe as Liethe Lavallen.

It was nice, in a way, to know that some things remained unchanged in the upheaval of The Conclave.

She mused on this as she moved down from the undercroft, her newly fitted armour draped over an arm and zig-zagged past nobles and dignitaries who would have no doubt fawned over her in the shiny clothes and whom unapologetically wrote her out of the universe now in her leathers and red scarf.

What she didn't expect was a noble to stuff his coat at her as she passed with a rough 'Take this to be cleaned and do be careful, it's wyvern leather.'

Liethe realised suddenly that these people had seen her ears and clothes and had immediately written her into their universe as "servant". A fact not helped by the recently cleaned and fitted armour draped over one arm. As if he realised she was loathe to take it, the noble barked 'Take it, girl! I don't have all day.' An opportunity presented itself to her in that moment and she couldn't refuse it. Gently she took the coat.

The woman beside him fanned herself and bemoaned 'Look at the state of this place Harold. Why, it is hardly fit for purpose!'

Liethe blinked and glanced around at the scaffolding and masonry works still being undertaken in the hall. She liked the scaffolding. It showed that they were moving forward, despite the set-backs they'd been handed.

'Cynthia, my dear, The Inquisitor employs skilled Orlesian craftsman. I have no doubt that soon this hall will look absolutely splendid and it will have been by an Orlesian's hand.' Harold replied. 'What I want to know is, where, by the maker, is The Inquisitor? Her throne stands empty! I was sure that she would be here to greet us.'

Oh she was, but they hadn't realised that. Liethe couldn't let that comment slip by. 'The Inquisitor is a very busy woman, ser.'

The two of them stared at her, still deeply under the impression that she were a servant. 'And what would you know?' Harold demanded brusquely. 'You are a mere servant.'

'Certainly more than you, ser. The Inquisitor values everyone who stands with her against Corypheus, be they Templar, Mage, noble, or servant. She understands implicitly that nothing would get done here without the hard work of people smaller and more unseen than her. And she treats her servants with absolute respect.'

Both nobles stared at her as though she'd grown a second head. 'Clearly that is an oversight.' Cynthia bemoaned with another wave of her fan. 'Something that we will discuss with her when we are introduced. What is your name, elf? I shall see that your cheek is punished.'

'It's Liethe.' She replied and spied Cassandra approaching from the main doors. Once the Nevarran had locked eyes with her, she began to make a beeline for the group.

Ah well, the fun couldn't last forever, she supposed.

'Seeker Pentaghast!' Harold greeted. 'It is an honour to meet the right hand of the Divine!'

That piece of flim-flam went right over Cassandra's head. Just as the nobles had done to Liethe, Cassandra wrote them out of her immediate view. 'The horses are all set to go.' She informed her.

'Seeker Pentaghast, we must speak to The Inquisitor immediately regarding the conduct of her servants.' Cynthia interrupted and jabbed a hand at Liethe.

Cassandra looked from the nobles, to Liethe's award winning smile and back. She seemed confused. Liethe guessed that the ruse couldn't go on much longer. 'The Inquisitor is well aware of your concerns regarding her servants.' She held out the coat. 'Because I am The Inquisitor.'

Harold spluttered. 'Seeker-'

'This is The Inquisitor.' Cassandra agreed. 'Did you not know she was Elven?'

The noble took his coat back mutely, he spluttered half-apologies and looked like he was about ready to fall through the floor in embarrassment.

'Enjoy everything Skyhold has to offer, unfortunately I can't stay to continue greeting you in person.' Her smile was almost sly. 'And must I remind you to treat the servants with respect? I'm sure you will.'

She turned and strode away, Cassandra followed her with an angry frown on her face. 'Did they seriously think that you were a servant?' The Seeker demanded.

'They saw the pointy ears and ordinary clothes.' Liethe shrugged.

'I will be sending Josephine a report on this. She will be furious.'

But at whom? The nobles for openly disparaging Skyhold and it's servants or at Liethe for going along with it?

Both, more than likely.

The two made their way to the stables, Liethe's armour was carefully tucked into a satchel on her Hart. When she turned back, Cassandra still looked upset. 'Something on your mind?'

'Why did you go along with their assumptions?'

'I'm The Inquisitor, Cassandra. Most people want to hide their prejudices away from me. I can't fix what I don't know is happening.' Liethe replied as she ran a loving hand down her Hart. 'I sincerely doubt that Harold and Cynthia will be much of a problem for Josephine and maybe - just maybe - they will be nicer to the servants for a time. Creators know that without them nothing in Skyhold would get done. They don't deserve to be treated as less than because some stuck up twit decided to throw his weight around.'

'A very compassionate response, Liethe.' Cassandra replied approvingly.

She smiled at Cassandra as the frown smoothed out into admiration. 'Just remember that when Vivienne and Josephine come banging down my door to stuff me in another shiny outfit for nobles, would you?'