Alistair
The Inquisitor had been something of a mystery to him. He would have traveled to Skyhold sooner if he hadn't had his hands full all this time. The war, the breach, everything that had happened had claimed his attention to the fullest and he'd been needed in Denerim. But he was of course kept in the loop about what the Inquisition was up to and had probably heard every rumor there was to hear about Ashe Trevelyan.
He thought of those rumors now as he stood before the woman herself with her hand still in his, measuring her with his eyes, finding himself fascinated by how she confidently met his gaze and held it with without faltering. He wasn't used to that, he was more accustomed to averted eyes and blushing cheeks whenever he did catch a woman looking at him.
But she was his equal, he supposed. The Inquisitor answered to no one, not even a king. She was in a league of her own and that intrigued him.
As he exchanged pleasantries with her, she claimed his full attention, which was a feat in itself considering how boring he usually found both people and meetings these days, but this one... He couldn't turn his eyes away from her. She was beautiful, yes, but not in a very obvious way. Her red hair was eye catching enough, deep like the color of blood, and she had beautiful blue eyes. But what really caught his attention was the way she carried herself. She looked sure of herself, at ease with her powerful position. She was quite tall, almost as tall as he was. As his eyes roamed over her body, he appreciated her curves – she was toned but not too skinny and she looked strong, as he'd expected. He'd heard she'd become a master with the sword during her travels. She seemed sharp as a blade herself, he bet nothing escaped her attention. And all of this was packaged into a woman barely out of her teens. She couldn't be more than twenty years old. It was an odd mix of confidence, maturity and youthfulness.
He could feel excitement welling up inside him and he kissed her hand again, letting his lips linger on her skin for an almost inappropriately long time. She laughed delightfully at what he'd just said and didn't pull her hand away from his, even as she lifted her head and swept her eyes over the people around them. He followed her line of sight and saw her stop for a fraction of a second on a man standing a few yards away before she turned her eyes back to Alistair. She still didn't let go of his hand and Alistair watched the other man curiously. He assumed that was the Commander. Alistair vaguely remembered him from his visit to Ferelden's Circle of Magi over ten years ago, and had of course been informed of his current position. Cullen Rutherford. The man looked different now. Above all, he looked like he wanted to run Alistair through with the sword he carried by his side, judging by the way he gripped its handle and stared furiously at him. Alistair didn't even have to guess why.
Very interesting.
He smiled to himself and stepped even closer to Ashe. Scandalous to do so in front of all these people, but Alistair had stopped caring about such things a long time ago. No one cared for what he wanted, cared about him. The only person who did that was himself and he would take what he wanted.
He could hear Ashe's breath catch in her throat as he leaned closer to her and there was no mistaking the darkening in her eyes and the small tug at the corner of her mouth. She was pleased by what he was doing.
She wants to play, too.
"Ashe, we have so much to discuss. Not just business, I would love to get to know you better, you are our savior after all." He spoke his next words louder, so that everyone would hear. Especially Cullen. "I want to have dinner with you alone tonight." Don't forget to ask nicely, she's not to be ordered around. "Would you do me the honor of accepting?"
Ashe smiled at him, her expression neutral but he was close enough to see how she held herself back, her lips twitching from the strain of not giving him a wider smile.
"The honor is mine, Your Majesty, I'd be delighted to join you."
Alistair kissed her hand for the third time in less than a few minutes and murmurs and hushed whispering broke out among the nobles who were packed into the hall to watch the King's arrival. He could see from the corner of his eye how Cullen took a step towards them, his expression even more murderous than before, but Ashe snapped her head around towards him and stared at him in warning and the Commander stopped. He turned his gaze fully to Alistair and stared at him with open hostility. He had guts, showing such obvious animosity towards the King. But Alistair was far from intimidated, more curious than anything else. If Cullen and Ashe were together, why would he be so angry? He guessed that they weren't. Alistair didn't care much either way. She would be his soon, whether she was involved with Cullen or not.
"You must be tired from the long journey through the mountains, Your Majesty. My people will show you to your quarters. I have some business to attend to and then I'm yours. All night."
Alistair didn't fail to notice how she didn't lower her voice one bit as she said that last part. He smiled at her again and nodded before following a steward out of the hall.
Ashe
Ashe watched the King walk away from the hall with a retinue of guards and servants. That had gone even better than she'd hoped. He was dead handsome, charming and a lot more forward than she expected. He certainly seemed to know what he wanted, and she hoped by the Maker that that was her. It was a wicked bonus that Cullen had been so provoked as well. She wondered what he would do now that she'd announced so boldly that she would be the alone with the King all night. She looked back at him. While most other people had started to leave the hall to go back to the usual business, he stood firmly rooted in place, staring after the King until he was out of sight.
"Inquisitor, meet me in my office after lunch. We need to discuss the trade routes I mentioned earlier," Josephine said and Ashe nodded her agreement. The ambassador left as well and Ashe started to make her way down to the kitchen. She noticed that she was starving now that the excitement had settled a little. She heard footsteps approach her rapidly from behind in the otherwise empty corridor. She didn't need to turn around to see who it was, she would recognize that clang of armor anywhere.
"What do you want, Commander?" she said and kept on walking.
A hand grabbed her wrist and he spun her around.
"Do you mind telling what in the Fade that was back there?" He looked so angry.
"What do you mean?" She tried to shake off his grip but he held onto her, hard.
"Don't play ignorant with me, Ashe. I know you too well, you always know exactly what you're doing. Do you want rumors to circle around of how you spread your legs for the King?"
"Wha-" Her outraged response was cut short when he yanked her to him. His face was right in hers and the adrenaline from the anger and from being pressed against him made her heart beat so loudly she doubted she would even hear what he had to say, but she did.
"I saw, along with everyone else, what was on his mind. He devoured you with his eyes, he kissed your hand but he might as well have kissed your lips. And you didn't stop him, you stood there like a love-struck little girl," he hissed at her.
"Don't you fucking call me that." She ripped her arm out of his grip and stepped back. He'd really pushed the wrong button now. "How dare you speak to me like that? Like I have to stand here and listen to your patronizing! I can't fucking help what the King says to me, or how he looks at me. What was I supposed to do, be rude to him, to the King of Ferelden, because my Commander thinks he's 'devouring me with his eyes'? Of all the stupid..."
"You didn't have to encourage him!" Cullen yelled. "He's been King for ten years and still hasn't taken a wife, he's too busy playing with his toys and now he clearly wants you to be one! He doesn't care about you, he just wants to get into your smalls."
"Oh, do you know him that well? Close personal friends, are you? Have you ever even met before? You're so fucking presumptuous!"
"I have met him before, yes. In the Circle at Lake Calenhad. He was there with the Hero of Ferelden, who was clearly in love with him. As soon as he became King, he cast her aside just for being an elf."
Ashe snorted. "Please, we've all heard that story a million times. Besides, why the fuck would I even care? You think I want him to sweep me off my feet, profess his undying love for me and make me his Queen?"
"I wouldn't be surprised."
She slapped him, hard. Cullen reeled back from the impact and stared at her, incredulous as he touched his cheek with his hand.
"I haven't fought every hour of every day for more than a year, giving my everything to the Inquisition, proving myself over and over again, for you to spew shit like that to my face. I will do what I wish, and you are not going to tell me what I can and cannot do. You can drop the act of being concerned about my feelings getting hurt or afraid of what rumors might spread. That's not your problem and we both know it. I don't care if you want to punch his face for looking at me like that, even if he is the King. I don't care about your reasons for hating him, Maker! I would even be flattered if it's because of me. But I won't tell you what to do, that's the difference between us. If you can't see that, Cullen, you can go fuck yourself."
He winced and she turned around and started to walk away again.
"Ashe..." he called after her, but she kept on walking and this time he didn't follow.
Cullen
That woman infuriated him. Why was she so stubborn, why didn't she listen to him? He sighed as he walked the other way out of the corridor, heading for his tower. He'd stepped out of line, he knew that. He shouldn't have tried to force her to see things his way, that was not the way to handle her.
What a brilliant, mastermind strategist I am...
He was going to have to change tactics. If she didn't turn down that leering fucker out of her own sense, he'd make her want something else more. Someone else.
He felt the rage build up in him again just thinking about how Alistair had looked at her. He had no right to waltz in there like he owned the place, looking at Cullen's Inquisitor like he already had her in the palm of his hand.
Cullen slammed the door to his study shut behind him and grabbed the half full bottle of wine from the shelf and took a large swig from it, and then another. He couldn't stop picturing that idiot's lips on Ashe and he snarled and threw the bottle with full force against the wall.
He came to a decision and left the office again, not caring about the wine and broken glass scattered across the floor. He headed straight for the kitchen.
When he arrived, he found Ashe sitting on one of the tables, eating and apparently sulking. She didn't see him enter and looked startled when his voice boomed out over the room.
"Everyone leave us."
The cooks looked up at him and knew better than to argue. They obeyed, and after the last one shut the door behind him, Cullen was alone with Ashe, who still looked surprised.
"Commander, what are you..."
Her words faltered when he walked swiftly up to the table she was sitting at and swept everything around her down to the floor with his arms; food, drinks, everything. He stood between her legs and put his hand up to her cheek, not quite touching her. Her mouth was wide open but she didn't pull away.
"I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have tried to tell you what to do. And I'm sorry I called you a little girl. I know damned well that you're a grown woman." He trailed his thumb along her jaw and he could have sworn she had stopped breathing. "Can you forgive me?"
She only nodded. He leaned in closer and his pulse raced. The scent of her was so intoxicating and he couldn't stop staring at her lips; slightly parted, for him.
"I know I can't tell you what to think or do. So I'll just show you what I think. Do you want that, Ashe?"
She swallowed hard and nodded again. "Yes," she whispered.
He pressed his lips to hers and fire tore through his veins when she responded and opened her mouth for him to explore. He pushed his tongue in and had to stop himself from ripping her shirt off when she let out a small moan. She kissed him feverishly and he gripped her hips hard and pulled her to him. He could feel the heat radiating off her skin and Maker, he wanted to lower his hand and stroke her between her legs, he wanted her to wrap her legs around his waist so he could grind his hard cock against her. He wanted to fuck her right there on the table.
But he forced himself to stop. He leaned back, leaving her lips swollen and red from the kiss as she panted and tried to keep her composure.
"If you want to play this game, if he wants to..." Cullen spit out the word. "... so be it. I can play, too. The prize is worth it." Before she could say anything, he claimed her mouth again and was rewarded with her hands tugging at him, trying to press him closer to her. But he wouldn't give her too much at one time, he had to leave her wanting more. He bit down on the skin on her neck and she moaned loudly, bucking against him when he licked the bite, circling his tongue around and around on her sensitive skin. "I bet you like it rough, Ashe... You might not like being told what to do out here, but in the bedroom, I'm sure you would like me to command you to do all sorts of filthy things, wouldn't you?"
She only moaned and gripped his arm harder in response. He chuckled low in his throat and he felt her shiver. He licked his way up to her lips again and kissed her hard before pulling back.
"Look at me, Ashe."
She opened her eyes, looking heady with desire, and met his gaze while licking her swollen lips.
"Go to the King tonight. But you're going to be thinking of me, and what I'll do to you when I finally have you naked in front of me. I will pleasure you until you beg me to stop. Think about that, Ashe. I'll give you everything you've ever dreamed of."
He took several steps back, still looking at her. It was fucking hard to distance himself from the disheveled, sexy woman who sat in front of him, her legs still parted, for him, her breathing fast and shallow, her eyes dark with lust, for him.
"Don't leave, Cullen... I want more. Now." Her tone was low but he could tell she was trying to sound commanding.
He laughed softly and shook his head. "Soon. Patience is a virtue, and with virtue comes great rewards. Great, great fucking rewards."
He smiled and he was the one who left this time.