Ashe
"Why does he call you Anders?" Ashe said and looked sharply at Adrian. She didn't like where this was headed.
Adrian opened his mouth to speak but Alistair intercepted him. "Because that's his name. I don't know what he's told you, but I'd bet half the kingdom that not a word of it is true. When did you even meet? He's been missing for years."
So what if Adrian... no, Anders, had lied about his name? He'd told her, back when they first met, that he was on the run. She could forgive him for being cautious, even though it stung that he hadn't trusted her more than that.
"Is it true? Is that your real name?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral.
That kind, handsome face behind the shimmering of the magic frowned. He looked sad, but not apologetic.
"Yes, kitten, it's true. I'm sorry I never told you, but I couldn't risk it."
Alistair stepped closer and put a protective arm out in front of Ashe while he practically growled at the man in the cell. "Stop calling her that, like she's someone you deserve to even look at. You're a bloody murderer."
Ashe stared at Alistair. "What do you mean, a murderer? He ran away so that he wouldn't have to..."
"So that he wouldn't have to what, Ashe? What did he tell you?"
"Please, your Majesty, give me a chance to explain to her myself, give us but five minutes alone, I beg of you." Anders looked pleadingly at Alistair, who only scoffed at the man.
"Not a chance. I'm not letting her out of my sight," he said. Ashe felt serious irritation rise and overtake her confusion.
"I think I get to decide that, Alistair. Leave us."
Alistair looked incredulous. "But, he – no, no way!"
Ashe bore her eyes into him and lowered her voice. "It's my decision."
"But he could be the one who... who killed Mahariel," Alistair said, almost choking out the name of his dead former lover. "I can't let anything happen to you, Ashe, it would kill me." His eyes were desperate, and his face filled with concern and Ashe felt herself relent. She even felt a bit bad about her words.
Why do you always have to be such a hard ass?
She should have been more sensitive to his loss and his concern. She took his hands in her. "I'll be fine, I promise. The barrier is still in place, and I'm the Inquisitor, remember?" She flexed her hand and let the green light from her mark sparkle dramatically. "It takes more than one man to take me down, and certainly more than one locked behind a magical barrier. And look at all these guards, Alistair, we're in their line of sight. I just need a few minutes. You can wait just outside the door, okay?"
Alistair looked like he was about to protest but then he clenched his jaw and nodded. He squeezed her hands before he let them go and he walked out the door. Ashe returned her attention to Anders, fixing him with her gaze.. "I want the truth, and nothing but, got it? Or I'll fry you," she said and flexed her hand again, green sparkles fizzing from her skin.
2 years ago
That day, it had been exactly one year since her father and her brothers beat that Templar to death right in front of her. One year in which she'd learned what felt like a lifetime's worth of experience about how people worked. Sadly, she had yet to succeed in talking her father into that she should still become a Templar, after what had happened. She was damned good with a blade, and Maker knew she'd rather die than become someones wife, doomed to a lifetime of gossip and embroidering and other equally useless things. She trained hard every single day - she was strong, disciplined. But her father was a stubborn ass and simply refused to listen to her. That man never did anything out of the ordinary, and she'd almost given up hope.
Ashe had just finished her training in the chamber next to her bedroom, where she kept her weapons and dummies. She'd removed her armor and placed it on the rack, sweat trickling down her neck, running along her slender back. She jumped when the door opened, wearing nothing but her tunic and some tights. In walked a tall, blonde man clad in a servant's uniform. She didn't recognize him. The man froze when he caught sight of her.
Ashe put her hands on her hips and watched him. He was handsome, no doubt about it. She could tell he had no business being a servant. Something about the way he moved, how he carried himself. "You new around here? Never seen you before," she said.
The man cleared his throat. "Yes, my Lady, my first day. I was told to clean this room, although I wasn't informed that the young Lady Trevelyan would still be in here," he said, his tone sure and direct, nothing like a servant's at all. And he didn't avert his eyes from her, scantily clad as she was.
"Seems unfair that you know my name but I don't know yours, especially since you're seeing me in little more than my undergarments." Her father would have her hide if he knew she didn't immediately cover herself up in front of the servant, which made her want to reveal even more of herself to this intriguing man, whom she was still convinced had no business being a servant. She pretended to scratch her shoulder while she carefully parted her tunic down the middle, revealing the outline of her breasts.
She felt perplexed when his eyes didn't shoot to the newly exposed flesh but kept on her face. He chuckled and stepped closer to her. He took her hand and brought it to his face and kissed it lightly. "Forgive me, my Lady. My name is Adrian. I just assumed that you wouldn't be interested. This estate has so many servants, it must be impossible for you to keep track of them all."
"Not really. I make it my business to know who walks in and out of these halls. Self-preservation, you might call it," she said and smiled. She liked this man.
"Ah, you're like your father then."
"By the Maker, I hope not!" she exclaimed and he laughed again. She liked the sound of that, too. "So, Adrian. Would you like to tell me what a man like you are doing here, playing the obedient servant when he so obviously is nothing of the sort?"
Adrian's smile froze and disappeared. He released her hand and took a step back. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, my Lady."
"I'm sure that you do, Adrian. You see, I'm not so much like my father after all. You came here looking for a job, yes? Then all he sees is someone beneath him. But I have the advantage of not thinking that anyone is beneath me, unless that someone is a scumbag, of course. So I see more than he does, than most people do. And it took me about two seconds of looking at you to see that you are anything but a servant."
He stayed quiet, and just watched her, his face filled with curiosity mingled with a deep frown. His lack of an answer confirmed her suspicion as clearly as if he'd admitted it out loud.
"Don't worry, I won't tell," she said. "But I want to hear more about you. Please, think of it as a favor to me. Giving the bored-to-death-girl a moment of excitement! And as I'm sure you can figure yourself, the favor of the only young, female Trevelyan in this household is not to be shrugged at."
"As you wish, my Lady. But whatever I was before, I have duties to attend to now, and..."
"Nonsense," she interrupted him. "Who do you report to?"
"Miss Seraphina."
"I'll speak with her, then. I'll tell her I want my room cleaned by the handsome new servant. She'll have a fit, I'm sure, terrified that I'll do something inappropriate, she always is. But I'll handle it," Ashe said and winked at him.
His guarded expression softened a little. "As you say, my Lady."
"Now, if you'll excuse me Adrian, I need some privacy. Unless you intend to stay and make this even more wildly inappropriate than it already is by watching me undress completely?"
Adrian smiled. "I think that's enough excitement for one morning." He bowed and walked out of the room and Ashe was more intrigued than she'd been in a long time.
Ashe, present day
Her heart was racing. She couldn't believe it, everything he'd just told her. She'd trusted him, she'd confided in him so many times, let herself be unprotected in his company, laughed with him.
"So it was all lies?" Her voice displayed strength and confidence she didn't feel.
Anders put his hands against the barrier. "No, kitten, I swear, everything I told you was true, just not... not my background."
"Your background? You mean how you murdered hundreds of innocent people?"
"Ashe, please. You of all people know what it is like, to have to take action when no one else will. Don't you think I've heard about the ruthless Inquisitor? How people cower in fear when they hear your name? How many lives have you taken along the way? I don't blame you, not one bit. You did what was necessary for the greater good."
Ashe spat on the ground before him and turned on her heel to leave.
"Ashe, please! There's someone out there who's after you, I can help you find him! I love you. Don't let this come between us."
Ashe stopped and listened to his words but she didn't turn around. She squeezed her eyes shut. "You always said I was like a sister to you. Do you still mean it?"
"I... yes, yes of course," he whispered. Ashe shuddered when she heard the falseness in his voice.
"You know you shouldn't lie to me, Adr... Anders. Send word when you're ready to tell me the truth. Until then, you can stay here and rot and the men who really, truly love me can help me instead."
She walked away to the sound of his protests, her heart pounding in anger and disappointment. The man she'd loved more than her own brothers... he could go hang himself for all she cared. Her thoughts turned to Cullen, to Alistair. They might not be perfect, and they might be fighting over her like boys, but they'd never been dishonest with her. And she found herself admiring that more than anything, today.