"What happened next?" Dorian asked. "Did you immediately tell your parents?"

"No," Apollo answered, still looking up at the stars. His elbows were leaning against the battlements, hands clasped together. A guard passed by, greeting him, and he nodded in return. "We managed to keep it secret for a few weeks, until Igor drove me to the edge. We were training, and his insults went too far . . ." He frowned at the memory. "Nearly burned him on the spot. All this pressure to do better and live up to the family name drove me mad."

Dorian looked at him for moments. Apollo glanced his way and grinned.

"Dreadful, I know," he said.

"Quite so," Dorian replied with a forced smile. "Reminds me somehow of home. With the family reputation to keep and all that. So what happened to you and your twin sister?"

"Must we really talk about this? I thought you wanted to have a good time?"

"I want to know more about you," Dorian said. "I hear snippets from our dear ambassador and I would've asked you right away if you had the time. This is the perfect opportunity now, so pray tell."

Apollo fidgeted and forced a laugh which Dorian found simply adorable. He waited as the other took a moment to share the rest of his story to him.

"Well," Apollo began slowly. "Mother howled like there was no tomorrow and Father reacted as I predicted — except for the part where he was utterly speechless. He had Clotilde and I dragged to the Circle the very next day, and when Adda took her vows she was forced to treat us like we were not family at all; even Igor who somehow changed. He became more sympathetic towards us. There were times they had to meet us in secret, but those times were so rare. They were closely watched. There were rumors that Mother planned to bribe the Senior Enchanter to let us visit home whenever she pleased, but it did not happen, so I suspect Father had something to do with it." He finished with a sigh. "We're quite an exciting lot, you could say."

Dorian's face fell as he finished. It hit him with pity and he could not help but only stare back at Apollo who looked away again and watched the stars for the second time.

"How is your family doing now?"

"Father has not been contacting me. Mother, Adda and Clotilde are showering me with letters, and there's an occasional message from Igor. Adda and Igor are training recruits and Clotilde is undertaking preparations to become a mentor to apprentices now." Apollo suddenly chuckled. "If you've been talking to Josephine, you must hear about distant members of our family causing quite a ruckus."

"So I've heard," Dorian said. "One of your distant cousins is demanding the Inquisition to fight his rival."

"I don't even know who he is, I never met him," Apollo chortled. "Funny how we're as good as disowned when everybody else learned my sister and I are mages."

Dorian shook his head in disbelief, recalling memories of his own. The two of them were so different and yet so similar in a certain way he could not explain. He found himself reaching out and taking the Inquisitor's hand to his own. Apollo turned to him in surprise, a small smile crossing his wonderful features.

"I am dreadfully cold," Dorian muttered. "I still don't understand how anyone can handle this horrible climate. Are you not cold?"

Apollo laughed, shaking his head. "Not so much. Would you like to return to your lovely armchair in the library now?"

Dorian scoffed. "I would, but you seem to enjoy it here."

"Anything to savor the quiet," Apollo said. "And there are no prying eyes. I've people knocking on my door all the time, so it's not entirely peaceful. Thought you might enjoy the silence up here as well, with just the two of us here."

Dorian rolled his eyes but returned the smile anyway.

"I would rather be somewhere more romantic, but this will do," he teased. "But I'm starting to like it here, and I am beginning to understand why you spend so much time up here . . ." He gazed down at the tavern below them. "It somewhat makes you meditative . . ."

None of them spoke for a long while, both of them listening to the faint music and laughter from the tavern, where light pooled from the windows and soldiers entered to retire for the night. Crickets could be heard, as well as the harmonious rustle of the trees. The moon shone on all of Skyhold and brought about a certain peace that Dorian began to admire. Truly, he can now see why Apollo frequented this spot. It was as if they were watching the whole world sleep from a safe distance.

"Thank you for telling me," Dorian finally began. He squeezed Apollo's hand.

"No," the Inquisitor said. "I'm the one who should thank you, for coming to meet me here. I've been wanting to spend more time with you and I had to take this opportunity. I know we do not spend as much time together anymore, and even if we do, it's during our missions. I wouldn't want you to think I'm forgetting about my promise to spend more time with you."

"Apollo, you are the Inquisitor. You have your duties. And I do still enjoy those times outside with you."

"Even if you complain about the heat, the cold, the rain and the stink every time we are out there?"

Dorian laughed. "Yes. Even if I complain about everything all the time. It would not be me if I do not find something to nitpick on every trip."

Apollo shook his head, grinning. "Perish the thought." He then stared back at him squarely, and seriously. "Listen. I know it has been hard on all of us, but I want you to know that I'm happy with you, and I'm thankful we met despite the circumstances. It has not been easy on all fronts, but . . . I will never trade what we have for anything. Even with all this chaos, this madness. I want you to know that, before . . . before . . ."

Dorian tugged at his hand and hissed, "Don't. Don't say that, nothing of that. We can't think of the future. What matters is now."

"I know that, but —"

He held Apollo's lips with his finger. "If you're going to say something, just get to the point. I don't ever want to hear about losing you."

Apollo paused. Dorian caught him by surprise again. To be fair, he was quite surprised with himself too.

"The future may be dark, may be bright, but we still have now. I can't think about a future without you, that's all I know."

Apollo's eyes softened. The vague smile was there, and Dorian now found he can easily read through his eyes.

"I love you," Apollo finally said. "Dorian, I love you. You matter to me more than you know and I will do anything to keep you from harm." He took a deep breath and held his face. "I'll always look forward to a future with you in it."

Dorian shut his eyes, lowered his head and grasped Apollo's hands on his face, tracing his fingers. He stifled a chuckle.

"I hate it when you make me tearful," he said.

"I thought you told me to get to the point?"

"I did, yes," Dorian chortled. He straightened up and immediately pressed his lips against Apollo's without further notice. There was a gasp but the other eventually leaned in and returned the kiss, and Dorian grasped his shoulders, his arms, his waist, then his face, wanting to feel every inch of him to make sure he won't go away and fade into the distance, to make sure he was not dreaming this. They slowly withdrew from one another, pressing their foreheads together.

Dorian opened his eyes.

"You have no idea how much I love you too, amatus."