Running OnEmpty: Slow Dancing In A Burning Room


"So why do I need to dress up again?" I followed Josephine around as we hoofed it through the market place of Val Royeaux. It was a rare thing to see the golden bumblebee that was my ambassador out and about in a place that wasn't Haven. The end of the month was drawing near and she had dragged me to Val Royeaux a few days before Madame De Fer's salon at the estate of Duke Bastien de Ghislain. Josephine had also taken the travel time to the city of beauty to drill me on the names of nobles and guests that would be at the party. I had full confidence that I would forget each and every one of the names by the time I got to the party.

"Well, we can't rightly send you to such an event with just your armor." Josephine tutted. "And as much as Harritt's work on armor is superb, he does not have the same patience for fine clothes." The shop we were in was lavish. Tall windows that towered over us with flowing, whispering curtains of a gauzy material, the sheer cloth allowed the sun to glitter through. The walls were gold and inlaid with silver around the windows, the shelves of boots and fragile shoes lined the walls before the back exploded with coats and dresses, blouses made of feathers, and skirts with chicken wire to defy gravity.

"Josephine... I don't really have the grace for a dress." I said, carefully keeping my hands to myself. As tempted as I was to touch the tinsel that floated past me from a dress, I didn't want to pay for anything I accidentally ruined with my paws. Josephine was at the far left end, the shopkeeper's gaze tight on me as I wandered over to my ambassador.

"I wouldn't be too concerned, Herald. You're quite lovely, if plain." She said kindly. My nose scrunched in amusement and took no offense to the awkward compliment. Josephine hummed, "I think a simple, pale gold and white, no?" A shrug accompanied the blink I shot her way. What would I know of clothes? Usually I looked for leather jackets that saved me from skidding, or boots that protected my ankles. Everyday wear back home had consisted of simple sundresses with cheeky designs and jeans that I rolled up, t-shirts too big and allowed for self air-conditioning.

A fancy ballroom dress was not my area of expertise.

"Here we are." Josephine pulled out a soft cloth and held it up to view it under my head. She smiled warmly. "Yes, I think this will do. Normally we would try to get something tailored, but we just do not have the time." She shot me a small, sour look. She had planned to have a dress tailored to my frame, as that was the way of Orlais, but what with being the Herald there was no time to stop and spend a day getting poked and prodded.

"Don't you try it on first? Or, I mean, me." I chirruped curiously. Josephine stopped and slapped me with a wide eyed look.

"What? Why?" She squeaked. "If you haven't bought it yet, you would be ruining it for anyone who could." Fair, that made sense. My shoulders hunched with my head ducked and dutifully, I followed the bustling ambassador. There was small estate we had rented for the time being, just past the market and through the courtyards of some restaurants. Up the stairs and through a smooth, swaying garden of roses and petunias, we came upon our door and shuffled in with our boxes.

The Iron Bull and Warden Blackwall were lounging on the patio. Blackwall stood as soon as he spotted us and moved over to help Josephine with the box she held. The Iron Bull looked over to me and I held my box tighter to ward him off. I could carry my box just fine, thank you. To the living space I went and dropped the box down on the table. Blackwall left the other one close, on the floor, and chuckled when I dropped down into an ornate chair, my head thrown back with a sigh.

"I thought women liked shopping?" Blackwall joked and took a seat across from me.

"Sure I do," I answered with a huff. My neck strained to bring my head back up. "But, I don't normally shop for... this. You know? Nice things. I buy what I absolutely need, not things to make other people think I look pretty."

"You look just fine." Josephine soothed as she walked past us and snagged up her itinerary. "This is merely so you don't stick out like a black-eye."

"I look fabulous, thank you." I deadpanned. The heel of my right palm came up and rubbed into my eye socket. "Besides, we also had to buy things for you guys, too."

"Why?" Blackwall tossed Josephine a sharp look. "I thought we were merely there as bodyguards."

"Yes." Josephine hummed, checking off a few things on her list. She stood near us and popped open the lid of the bigger box I had set down on the table. "And you are accompanying the Herald to an event at a well-respected duke's residence, you are part of the representation." I poked my nose over the box lightly and snickered when Josephine lightly smacked my face away. "The Iron Bull is well-known around Orlais and has built a honest reputation as loyal and powerful."

"Then why am I here?" Blackwall groused and leaned back in his chair.

Lightly, I kicked his boot with mine. "Because Warden Blackwall is a bit more of a respectable title than what Varric or Solas have, and it's not like we could have the Commander and Josephine gone from Haven." A heavy sigh came up from the bowels of his soul and he leveled me with a dark, but amused, look. I flashed him a grin and then reached into the box before Josephine could slap my hands away and presented Blackwall with a fancy, well-pressed shirt.

"Check it out, my guy!" I hiccupped happily. "We got you this. You'll look dashing, or at least, as much as we can make it while Bull is next to ya."

"Why does his proximity to me affect the way I look?" Blackwall eyed the shirt and with a cautious glance at Josephine, took the shirt I offered him. He kept it well away from his person, doing much the same as I did to avoid "ruining" the material. No one wanted a mad Josephine on their hands or down their throats.

Another grin popped across my face. "Because you're not shirtless with pecs that pop!" There was a victorious sound of The Iron Bull's choked swallow and I was shamelessly smiling at Josephine as she pinned me with a mild glare. Blackwall's face flushed pink straight to his ears and Bull had stood from his seat on the patio to lumber over to us. His shadow flooded over me and I tried to duck out of my chair as he neared us, snickering wildly.

"Please tell me you at least got me pants." He grumbled above me, his giant, missing-fingers-hand landing on my head playfully to keep me in my seat. Josephine cleared her throat and passed the second box over to Bull. My hand reached up to swat his away, but he was faster and smacked it mid-flight. "Thank you, Lady Montilyet."

"Of course, Iron Bull. It is as close to the color of dawnstone as we could find, perhaps just a touch darker." Josephine curtsied briefly and set down her check list once Bull and Blackwall's items were checked off. She turned her eyes up to me and I froze in my chair obediently, hands dashed down into my lap and my fingers laced together. "Herald, please remember that tomorrow we will be out at the spa all day, we need to clean off as much as that weathering as we can."

"Why dawnstone?" Bull rumbled, curious and confused. Josephine had turned her attention to Blackwall, as he was the other human that would need to be trimmed up and cleaned before the party. With a short turn, I looked up at him from my chair and leaned back against the armrest of it.

"You mentioned once that you liked the color." I replied. At his blank look, I gestured vaguely through the air with my hand. "Remember? When we were coming back up from the Hinterlands? Blackwall gave you some shit about it, because it was pink, but you thought it was pretty."

"You heard that?" He asked, his eye sharp on me.

I recoiled a bit, suddenly concerned that I had overstepped. "Well... yeah. I always listen to you guys. You're - you're my guys. Solas likes buttercup flowers and Varric prefers eagles feathers to corvid ones for quills, and you like dawnstone. Cassandra likes roses, Sera likes to put mustard on everything. Simple, right?" The more and more I rambled the less and less I felt like I was making sense to my hulking bodyguard. His gaze was intent on me for a long few seconds before it softened and he chuckled, shaking his massive horns and head.

"Yeah, Boss." He grinned at me. "Simple."

- 0 -

The next day was interesting. With Josephine's permission, Iron Bull was given the green light to disappear for the day. A grin was the last that we three saw of him before he disappeared. Blackwall and I were bundled up with Josephine and dragged from our rented estate to the other side of Val Royeaux. Apparently past the market and through a few winding paths, the city opened into a near-circular collection of shops and restaurants. The place was bustling and funnily, I clung to Blackwall, alarmed by that which sparkled around us.

"Honestly." Josephine huffed. "The Iron Bull is better behaved." Blackwall and I were behind her as she led us through the street. Above us hung bouncing willow branches and flowers of some sort that I couldn't recognize. The fragrance floated through the air and it brought to stark realization how out of place Blackwall and I were with the world around us. Occasionally I would get briefly separated and made a play of holding onto the back of Blackwall's tunic.

"That's not going to help." He griped. "We're both still liable to get lost."

"Shh," I tugged at the back of his tunic, "have faith we look vulnerable enough that someone would return us to the lost and found." Josephine sighed from in front of us. Blackwall smirked and I grinned, entertained that we were making Josephine so exasperated. It wasn't malicious, but Blackwall and I were uncomfortable in the situation we were place in. He, because being a Warden in the wilderness there was no need to keep his beard too trimmed or his clothes up to snuff. I was from a world were there was plenty of fashionable freedom, and though I went to get nails done now and again, or a haircut to help with fitting it in my helmet, a spa day wasn't usually in my routine.

"Here we are." Josephine sighed, relieved. Before us was a gilded, baby blue building with gold trimmings and high windows and giant pillars. It was reminiscent of the drawings and pictures I had seen of Roman bathhouses for the public. I could hear the water and the chatter of people intermingle and cautiously, Blackwall and I followed our ambassador, poking our noses around with the curiosity of puppies. Josephine left us briefly to gain the attention of an attendant and soon we were separated.

"Survive," I said mockingly serious to Blackwall, channeling Tropic Thunder. Blackwall snorted and shook his head, though it did nothing to hide the flash of worry that overcame his face. Josephine waved him off and took me by the elbow, then passed me off to a female elf attendant. The girl glanced me over with a critical eye and sighed, turned on her heel and expected me to follow. With a glance at Josephine, I popped into a dash to catch up.

"Here we are, Lady Herald." The woman opened a door and I slipped inside. There was an impossibly large claw-foot tub and porcelain everything. Marble floors that made my shined boots feel mucky and towels crisp and pristine that every grain of dirt on my body shuddered from fear. The woman smoothly glided toward the tub and I noticed it was full with petals of lavender that smothered the surface. She tested the water with a touch of her pinky and frowned.

"The tub will be cool enough to enter once we're finished." The woman murmured with a bow of her head. I remained quiet, not out of ego, but out of sudden displacement. I didn't know how to react to most of this and merely gave her a nod. With grace I wish I could emulate, she walked toward a low table, padded with towels and cushions. "If you would, my lady, remove your armor. I will be back once you are finished and we'll begin."

"All right." I answered nervously. The woman disappeared out the door and I cast a quick look around the giant room to make sure I wasn't spied on. Even before my clothes and armor were removed, I felt naked. The room had a high, vaulted ceiling and pillars that were supporting the roof at regular intervals. Between them were curtains of translucent cloth that glimmered with a sheen of pink and copper. The trees that surrounded the room were deeply emerald and swayed peacefully.

It did nothing to calm my nerves. Sighing, I started to strip. My leather armor was well-oiled and sturdy, with Harritt's careful hand, the studs were strong and the belts far from fraying. I had a hard time imagining myself transitioning from the hardened leather to a gentle dress. Soon my outwear was shucked from my body and with a flush across my face, I stripped my undergarments as well. Hastily, I snatched up a towel and winced as my sunburned skin was stark against the fluffy white towel. The female elf returned and nodded when she took note that I had done as asked. She laid me out on the table and kept a modesty towel over my breasts and lower torso. A shuddering sigh escaped me and shook my ribs as I breathed. The woman did not hesitate to start and smiled at me briefly.

"Lady Montilyet mentioned that this was your first time in a spa, yes?" Her voice was warm and careful and did as it was practiced to do; relax me. Gently, I forced the muscles along my body to relieve their tension. It had been an extremely long time since anyone, romantic or otherwise, had touched my body beyond my face and hands.

"Yes." I nodded. "Herald I may be, I'm still from the streets."

The elf smiled and took a cloth to my limbs to clean them. "So I've heard, my lady, but you hold yourself with grace."

I almost snorted at that and shrugged against the towels. My eyes closed to avoid small-talk, as I was already nervous as it was with her hands and the warm cloth clearing away some grime and dirt from my body. It wasn't long before I was dozing off as the massage started. My limbs had turned to mush under the woman's attention and I'm not sure whether or not my mouth had fallen open as I relaxed. There was a sense of peace that settled over me that I hadn't felt in all the months I was here.

"My lady Herald, if you would stand and move to the tub?" The elf chuckled as I startled awake and bolted up from instinct. Blushing hard to my ears, I chuckled and took my towels to head over to the tub. It steamed less and the smell of lavender wafted up to my nose. The woman came to my side and took the towels and I shivered at being exposed. With a careful touch of my foot and holding onto the rim of the tub, I dropped in. It was graceless and some water slipped over the side. Sheepishly, I grinned at the elf and she chuckled.

"You are not the first, my lady." The elf soothed. A hard bar of soap was produced and there was an hour spent soaking and my wild hair wrangled into domesticity. I hadn't realized how tangled it had gotten, not until I could hear the sound of scissors or shears from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see snips of my hair fall to the ground, ripped and ragged split ends, most likely. My hair was combed out and my limbs given another massage as the water cooled. Nearly half the day was passed and when I was presented to Josephine at the end of it, my ambassador's beaming smile made my heart flutter.

"Oh!" She clapped her hands together lightly. "Oh, my dear lady, you look so precious!" A barking laugh came up and ruined whatever image I presented, but Josephine laughed with me, flushed across her face. She leaned forward and picked at the soft toga-like dress I had been given in lieu of wearing my musty armor.

"That's a first, I've never been told I look precious." I turned to the elf woman who had my armor wrapped up in sturdy cloth and handed over to Josephine. The ambassador ducked a bit with the weight of my things and I chuckled, reaching for the things myself. "Here, let me have that, Lady Montilyet." She hesitated for a brief second before the awkward bundle of leather and metal was placed into my open arms. I hugged my possessions to my chest and bowed to the elf.

"Thank you for your services." Josephine bowed her head as well to the woman and escorted me out of the spa. I glanced around, looking for the other part of our party. Josephine caught my searching gaze and chuckled.

"Warden Blackwall was finished much earlier than you, my lady." Josephine murmured. We stepped out to the street and as the breeze of the late day passed us, I shuddered. The armor covered me from neck to toes, with only my face and ears exposed to the environment. The soft beige cloth that was wrapped around my body did little in the way of defending me against the elements. My limbs felt as if they would float away without the weight of my leathers.

"I should have realized that." I huffed. "He only had a beard to worried about."

There was a delicate snort from Josephine. "He had a bit more than just his beard, but he cleaned up quite well. Neither of you fussed as much as I would have thought."

"I am an adult, Lady Montilyet." I laughed. Walking around in just sandals was strange. My boots hung from my fingers and I did my best to keep them from brushing against my legs as we walked. Still, it was liberating to have the freedom of weightlessness after the day at the spa. The smell of fresh oil and the shine of my leather led me to believe that while I had dozed, my armor had been cleaned up as well. Didn't want to chance it, either way. We arrived at the estate a little before late afternoon and Josephine stopped at the door with a servant to have dinner brought to us.

"My lady." Blackwall breathed as I dropped my armor on the table. I grinned at him, surprised by his neat beard, slicked back hair, and plucked eyebrows. He was dressed down in a simple tunic and pants, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Bull was quiet at the end of the table, his good eye flickering over both of us.

"Look at us, I think they used our weight in soap to make us sparkle." I joked. Blackwall hesitated for a second, but chuckled. Bull relaxed and leaned back in his chair, his gaze still focused on our conversation. Blackwall sighed and ran a hand down his beard, scratching at the base of his neck.

"Aye, perhaps, though you were already lovely to begin with, my lady." Blackwall murmured.

"Thanks, though what's that say about you? You didn't take as long." I laughed, and then pulled at one side of my skirt before I sat down, Blackwall huffed but appeared pleased with a gentle smirk under his beard. "You know, I almost forgot what it felt like to wear a dress."

"I don't suppose you commonly wear one while you're hunting demons." Blackwall jested. Josephine came in from behind us and tutted as she spotted my armor on the table. Hastily, I reached up to take it off and set it on a chair next to me. She approved with a nod and then sighed as she glanced over us three, all of us waited at her expectantly.

"The event at the salon will take place early afternoon tomorrow," she started with a small huff, "We'll have to be up early morning to make sure you're all dressed and presentable, and Herald, we'll go over a few more lists of names that will be attending. Blackwall and The Iron Bull will be accompanying you, but only to the ballroom. Lady Vivienne has requested a private meeting."

"Lady Vivienne is a Circle mage, right?" Bull interrupted gently. His gaze jumped between my face and Josephine's. "Will anyone be with the boss during that meeting?"

"No." Josephine's lips pursed, her hands landing on her hips. Blackwall and Bull sat straighter. She sighed, "Lady Vivienne has assured me that it will only be her and the Herald in attendance."

"I wouldn't trust it." Bull countered with a tilt of his head. His heavy body leaned back in the chair, an arm hanging down one side lazily, but his good fingers were curled tight. "Lady Vivienne may not actually want to cause any harm to the boss, but that's not going to stop anyone else from taking advantage of it."

"Come with me, then." I interjected. Three pairs of eyes turned to me and I shrugged. "Not like, in the room. Just outside the door. Make a show of it, you know? The Iron Bull, just a massive Wall Of Fuck Off."

"Herald!" Josephine hiccupped, startled by my words. Bull and Blackwall barked in laughter and it only made her flush darker. Apologetic, I gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged lightly.

"I like that." Bull rumbled in amusement. "I can do that."

Josephine sighed again, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Very well. We'll have Blackwall stay in the ballroom to watch for intruders, and The Iron Bull will be at the door during the meeting."

"Great." I answered with a nod. "Doesn't sound so bad, right?"

It wasn't bad precisely, but I was vastly unprepared for what I had expected the next day. Parties, big or small, back in my world needed perhaps an hour or so to get ready, hair, makeup, clothes, shoes. Here, for this party, I wasn't even allowed to touch my hair. Josephine had called in servants to help and my awkward duckling anxiety from high school kicked in as they fussed around me. It was a woman and a gentleman, both dressed to the nines with gossamer cloth and embroidered coats, masks that glimmered, and hats that swayed with their moves.

The gentleman, or whom I assumed was a gent, set to getting my hair dressed up and piled onto my head. My neck felt heavy with the additional weight, pins and twisting strings of tinsel that glinted with the turn of my head. A trail of hair went down my neck and made me shiver as the tips touched the naked space between my shoulder blades. Once he was finished, the woman had taken over and trussed me up in my dress. I adamantly refused the corset because I didn't want to have an incident of passing out from breathlessness. She huffed, but with a hand wave from Josephine, the woman agreed and slipped me into my dress and elbow length gloves. Soon after, she painted my face with a light powder and eyeliner, much to my surprise.

I felt absolutely naked in the dress. It was nothing like what I had seen the citizens of Val Royeaux or even Orlais wear. It curtained from my shoulders down my chest, leaving a guess of my breasts and my back was bare down to the small space before my hips. My arms, for some reason, were more covered than anything else, and that was only when they were flat against my sides. The cloth was smooth and cold against my skin, gold and off-white. My skin in the mirror looked sunburned to hell and sun spots littered my shoulders. My mouth twisted a bit at the sight.

"You do look lovely." Josephine stood behind me, adjusting the laces down my sides (did I say my back was bare? It was bare and fucking hell I felt so naked).

I cleared my throat and nodded. "Y-yeah. Yeah, no, I believe you. It, uh. It feels nice. Thank you?"

"Of course." Josephine tied off the sides. She smoothed down the skirt, the length of it down to the floor (trimmed just a bit higher to avoid my graceless feet tripping on it), and straightened the blouse so that it didn't obscure my back. "There. Stunning."

"Yeah, sure." I swallowed, and glanced at Josephine through the mirror. "Josephine, can I ask something? Why is my dress different than the fashion I normally see?"

"Hmm? Oh." Josephine chuckled and moved in front of me, carefully pulling up my front and smoothing out my shoulders. "It is not your style. I follow the fashions of Orlais, but I do not wear them. I wanted you to stand out, to be a dove among the naysayers." She smiled at me and brought her hands up to my face, gentle so that the powder she had placed on my face wouldn't smudge.

"I guess mission accomplished?" I twitched in the dress and shifted to feel some comfort as it settled on my body. There was a mental crisis as I tried to realign my body with the movements needed for smooth cloth, rather than hard, unrelenting armor. I did feel lovely, as Josephine said, it just took some time to grow accustomed to it (again). She smiled and nodded, drawing a soft, beige shawl over my shoulders and wrapped around my arms. A servant slipped my feet into high, beige colored boots with slight heels and out the door we went.

The embarrassment finally struck me in the chest when Blackwall and Iron Bull laid eyes on me. My ears went red hot and I tried to keep my chin up as I walked to the curve of the street with Josephine, the carriage to take us to the salon pulling up quickly. Blackwall was dressed up to his Adam's apple in a black coat and trousers, a shield at his back and a brightened (new) sword at his hip. His hair was sleek back and his beard tamed. It made his face all the more intense.

The Iron Bull was harder to look at, he wore what Josephine and I had picked out for him, a deep pinkish red pair of pants with leather boots and his ankle brace, but as a shirt or tunic couldn't be pulled over his head, Josephine had somehow found a black vest to pull over his shoulders and hide most of his upper body. Desperately, I tried not to stare, because despite the vest covering more than his shoulder piece had, it drew a lot more attention to his muscles. Fuck, I'm gonna get caught. Eyes up, Jaime. Attracted to someone outside of my species. Is that allowed?

"What's up?" I attempted for casual, because I wasn't about to be caught staring, I already looked sunburned as it is.

Blackwall hesitated and then cleared his throat. "Nothing, my lady. You look lovely." Bull's chest rumbled with a chuckle off to my right and I felt renewed embarrassment flush through my stomach, a shiver of heat twitched down my spine. I shot him a sideways glare and hung onto the edges of my shawl to give my twitching, nervous fingers something to do.

"Hey, easy." The Qunari's amusement echoed through his words. "You look great, boss. You'll knock 'em dead."

"Probably solve a few problems if I did." My shoulders relaxed, Bull's sense of calm and humor soothed my ruffled feathers. Blackwall's sideways glances were making me itch with fried nerves and shivers. The carriage finally arrived and before the driver could step off, Blackwall stepped forward and drew the door open for Josephine and myself. Josephine, taking pity on me, allowed me to enter first in case she needed to catch me. Bull held out his hand and gratefully, I took it with a weak smile and stepped up to take a seat.

"It won't be a long ride, I promise." Josephine murmured with a smile, adjusting her customary attire. She had elected to keep her golden and royal blue clothes. She sat across from me and smoothed down her pressed dress. "An hour, at most." Iron Bull took the back of the carriage and sat facing out, watching the road behind us as Blackwall took the seat next to the driver. I was sitting with my back to Bull and poked my head out of the window as the carriage started to move.

"That was nice of you," I teased, "taking the back seat like that."

"Oh?" Bull glanced down at me, his good eye crinkled with amusement. "Why do you say that?"

"You're not going to accidentally knock our driver unconscious with just a turn." I grinned up at him. He barked a laugh and shook his head.

"Oh, thanks, Boss." Gently, he reached around and pushed my head back inside, careful of the decoration in my locks of hair. "Get back inside, there's only so much of you I can handle in a day, let's not waste it."

"Ass." I laughed and obeyed, settling in for the long ride.

- 0 -

After the hour of the most uncomfortable ride I had ever taken in my life (this one and the last), we poured out of our carriage into the crowded, circular pathway that led up to the chateau. Other carriages were parked all around and shaded by the plant life that swayed and bobbed around them, the horses nibbled at what they could reach.

Josephine straightened to attention and quickly set about dusting off our men, clearing their pants or vests of any lingering traces of dust or dirt. Pointedly, I kept my attention ahead of me toward the towering entrance of the chateau and waited for Josephine's signal. We marched up the stairs under the curious gaze of a few attendees that stood outside. The guards at the doors pulled them open simultaneously and greeted us with a strange salute and bow as we walked inside.

The place was an explosion of noise and a storm of colors. Much like the rest of Orlais, drapes of ornate cloth hung down pillars and covered the windows. People parted as they witnessed us coming and reflexively I pulled my chin up. A hard swallow went down my throat, burned and itchy, but I maintained the illusion of confidence. These people were a portion of who we needed to impress, as their support kept us afloat.

Iron Bull and Blackwall stayed a pace behind me, their shadows played close with mine as we wandered into the fray of decorated masks and giggling patrons. My hands gripped my shawl sleeves tightly and I smiled stiffly at any fake eyes that turned my way. Honestly, I couldn't tell a person from a statue unless they laughed or moved, it was all just lavishly adorned with riches.

"You doing all right?" Bull murmured from above my head. Deeply, an inhale grew in my lungs and I exhaled slowly with a nod. A poor attempt was made to relax my shoulders and I winced at the sudden spark of laughter that echoed from my left. I was thankful for the gloves that muted the emerald glint of the Mark.

"I'm treading water, at least." I answered with a glance up at him. His brow was raised with gentle concern, but with a look over my face, he nodded.

"Alright." His head tilted, horns menacing in the low light. "If you need a breather, remember, I'm your wall."

I relaxed at that, and smiled truly up at him. "Yeah. Thanks, Bull." Josephine ushered us along through the hallway to the main foyer that had the greatest collection of attendees. A fountain lay at the center and twin staircases that split off to the left and right, into other wings of the chateau. My lungs shuddered with an inhale, but I wrangled my confidence into place. I had Bull and I had Blackwall and Josephine was in her element. We could do this.

"Presenting Lady Welton of Ferelden, representing the Inquisition!" The servant called out as we entered through the main section. "Accompanied by Lady Montilyet, ambassador of the Inquisition forces, followed by Warden Blackwall of Ferelden, and Commander The Iron Bull of the Bull's Chargers Mercenary Company!" If we hadn't made an entrance before, we did now. The whole parlor turned to us nearly in unison and it was only the combined effort of Blackwall and Bull's hands at my back that pushed me forward.

Traitorous bastards.

I forced a smile to my lips and bowed my head as Josephine had taught me to do. Not a full bow, but enough to be deemed respectful. I was the Herald, after all, and my head had to be raised a smidgen higher than the rest (according to her). Another low exhale and we mingled, Josephine left with a touch to my arm to find Lady Vivienne (as the Herald, I couldn't go wandering around, lost, as it was more impactful to have them come to me). As she vacated my right side, Bull filled it readily.

"All these whispers." Blackwall muttered with a heavy look around the place. "You'd think the Herald sprouted three heads."

"Well, I would count the Qunari for three alone, what with his horns." I reflexively joked. Relief flooded me as Blackwall shot me a dead expression and Bull snorted, chuckling next to me. No one approached, though many of them looked insatiably curious. Seemed no one was brave enough to tango around the dark Warden and the looming Qunari.

"Guys," I murmured to them, "give me some space, yeah? I need to talk to these people and get a feel for the place."

"We'll be close." Blackwall answered with a careful glance over my face. He disappeared into the crowd with the Iron Bull and a sigh echoed from my stomach. The people around me relaxed and as I wandered over to the fountain to sit, I was approached by a pair of brightly plumed people.

"A pleasure, my lady." A man with a horned headdress and golden mask bowed to me. "We so rarely have a chance to meet anyone new. It is always the same crowd at these parties."

"I'm happy to be a novelty." I greeted with a bow of my head, trying to channel Josephine's grace into my bones. The woman next to him giggled appreciatively and curtsied quietly.

The man nodded, "So you must be a guest of Madame De Fer. Or are you here for Duke Bastien?"

"Are you here on business?" The woman added gently. "I have heard the most curious tales of you. I cannot imagine half of them are true."

I resisted the urge to shrug as was habit. "I actually haven't heard much of Duke Bastien."

"He hasn't been seen much at court lately." The woman dropped her chin mournfully.

"His business with the Council of Heralds often takes him from home for long periods." He tossed a look between his companion and I, "It can't be good for a man of his years."

"And of course there is the civil war!" The woman huffed through her frilled collar. "Bastien probably wishes to distance himself from the actions of his one-time son-in-law." I perked at the information and my back straightened. I had a vague recollection of the war that ripped through the land on top of the Breach's presence. Josephine and Leliana had not spent too much time on the politically doings of Empress Celene or her cousin Duke Gaspard, but I could at least remember names.

The man shook his decorated head. "Tearing up the Dales in a foolish bid for power? It will end in disgrace for Gaspard. Everyone knows it." Stay away from giving your opinion on anything, Josephine trilled from a memory. I cleared my throat and smiled, nodding absently and turned my attention to the woman, perhaps she was a safer option.

"You mentioned you've heard things of me?" I grinned a bit, softening the question. "What have you heard?"

"Some say that when the Veil opened, Andraste Herself delivered you from the Fade." The hat over her head and the mask obscured much of her face, so I couldn't tell if she was sincerely amazed by the story or found it a joke. I shuffled a bit on my feet, the shawl drawn tight over my shoulders as I hastily thought up something safe to say.

"Well, those storytellers may have gotten a bit carried away." I chuckled, playing the part of humility. I still didn't believe for a moment that their deity had delivered me as their salvation, but I couldn't rightly turn the idea down because it would undo what Leliana and Josephine worked so hard to build around us.

The woman giggled. "But only for the best effect. The Inquisition is a ripe subject for wild tales."

"The Inquisition? What a load of pig shit!" The crowd around me went deadly quiet as the new voice broke out above us. Alarmed, I look up to see another elaborately dressed man trot down the staircase with a heavy step, his pace lazy and confident. My eyes ignored most of his costume to narrow in on the rapier hilt that I could see just over his shoulder.

I was unarmed, but this type of footwork I was familiar with, and cast a subtle look around for my men. Blackwall I couldn't see, but Bull was already prowling around the outside of the pillars, his eyes nailed to the unknown threat. He stayed away in the shadows as I pinned him with a look, but hunkered down within charging distance. I prayed no one got run over by a rampaging bull.

"Washed-up Sisters and crazed Seekers?" The new man scoffed as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "No one can take them seriously." He stepped toward me and my spine starched at his proximity, the Iron Bull took a few steps around the pillar but continued to hold his position as I turned to follow the newcomer and keep my back away from him.

Blackwall was behind me as I turned, his gaze darkened with the promise of swift retaliation. The same sensation of easy and strange relaxation (or confidence) soothed my limbs and muscles as it had when I was surrounded by my companions upon meeting Blackwall. Nothing could seriously hurt me as long as I had them around. Gracefully, I turned on my heel fully to face the masked instigator.

"Everyone knows it's just an excuse for a bunch of political outcasts to grab power." The man faced me, his shoulders squared and his chin held high.

I matched it with a lowered chin, a profile of my body in case he lunged. "I never made any claims to holiness. What's your point?"

He laughed. "In front of all these people, you admit to being a pretentious usurper!" He neared me this time, taking careful steps to be within arm's reach of my body. I stiffened, surprised that it wasn't out of fear for myself, but the fact that I had seen Bull's shoulders square up and the shadow of Blackwall's passing form come up behind me.

The mouth beneath the mask grinned, triumphant. I worried that he had no idea how close he courted pain.

"We know what your Inquisition truly is." He murmured to me, eyes dark behind his mask. "If you were a woman of honor and not some street rat, you'd step outside and answer the charges." Bull came up behind him, appearing with deadly intent, his hand coming up to snag the instigator's hand as he reached for the rapier.

It wasn't needed, for as soon as the man had moved, in the split second it took my men to reach me and for my feet to step back, ice wrapped around the masked man's body and caged him. His head was freed from the prison, but nothing else could move in the winter's grasp. Bull and I shared a surprised look before his attention refocused and he left the masked man and came around to my side, hovering near my back to defend it. Blackwall's hand was on his sword as he took up my left side.

"My dear Marquis." A honeyed voice carried over us. With a look up, upon the other staircase stood Josephine and what I had to assume was Madame De Fer, poised with her hand raised and the glow of a spell around her fingers. Together they came down, Josephine inches from worry, but she remained at Madame De Fer's side.

"How unkind of you to use such language in my house... to my guests." The last word turned as icy as the prison that held the marquis. Blackwall kept his focus on the women as they came down the stairs and clung to my left side like static to discourage anyone else approaching. The shadow of Bull's horns crowned the shadow of my head on the floor.

Madame De Fer came down the steps and around the Marquis like a vision of gilded hell. Her attire was like nothing I had seen in Orlais, sleek and crested in silver designs and gold trimmings. The blouse was cut down the center and left little to the imagination of her figure, to the point that I flushed and kept my eyes to her face. I was confident, or getting there, but this woman was power incarnate.

I have such a long way to go.

"You know such rudeness is... intolerable." The word rolled off her tongue like a warmed growl. She faced the marquis and then held his face in an unrelenting grip, forcing him to look at her.

"M-madame Vivienne, I h-humbly beg your pardon!" The marquis seemed to shake in her hold and I wasn't sure if that was the freeze of the spell getting to him, or the stare that Madame De Fer used to smelt his bones.

"As you should." She answered coldly. "Whatever am I going to do with you, my dear?" Gracefully, she turned slightly on her heel to spare me a glance over her shoulder. Josephine appeared behind her and returned to my unoccupied right side. Lady Vivienne smiled slowly.

"My Lady," she addressed me and my back snapped to attention, "you're the wounded party in this unfortunate affair. What would you have me do with this foolish, foolish man?" She hadn't released his face and I could see fear flicker through the marquis' eyes. Death and torture and torment weren't my style, so I forced myself to relax and seem as gentle as I could manage with a bull at my back and a hardened Warden at my side.

"I think the marquis has seen the error of his ways." I replied softly, hoping she caught my meaning.

"By the grace of Andraste," Lady Vivienne swiveled back to the marquis, hand firm on his chin, "you have your life, my dear. Do be more careful with it." With a snap of her fingers, the spell was released and the marquis melted back into his bones, shivering either from fear or relief. Coughing, he beat a hasty retreat and glared a few daggers at me as he did. Lady Vivienne returned her eyes to me and smiled under her horned mask.

"I'm delighted you could attend this little gathering. I've so wanted to meet you." Her eyes scanned over the faces of Blackwall and the Iron Bull, both men unyielding in their positions of protection. With a shaking hand held up, I eased them away from my side and bowed my head to Lady Vivienne. Another smile graced me from her and she led me off toward another section of her home, a small, cool room with an open window and small desk off to one corner. Blackwall stayed with Josephine, but the Bull followed us until the door. He stopped and leveled Lady Vivienne with a heavy look and then glanced at me with a gentler one before the door closed.

She ignored the desk and walked toward the window. I humored the dramatic choice and followed her, taking the other side of the window and adjusting my shawl against the breath of cold that came in from the window as the sunlight faded.

"Allow me to introduce myself." She bowed her head briefly. "I am Vivienne, First Enchanter of Montsimmard and Enchantress to the Imperial Court."

"A pleasure," I murmured, and spied the marquis' carriage as it pulled away from the salon's pathway, "... is that marquis going to pose a problem?"

She chuckled. "HIs aunt is the Vicomtesse of Mont-De-Glace. Not a powerful family, but well respected... and very devout." She glanced out of the window only for a second. "Alphonse will be disowned for this. It's not the first time he's brought his aunt disgrace, but I'm sure it'll be the last."

I sighed, it was another issue that Josephine would have to make sure didn't explode back in our faces. Lady Vivienne caught my look with a tilt of her head that was similar to the gesture I had seen from Bull on occasion.

"After such a public humiliation, I expect he'll run off to the Dales to join the Empress' war effort." Her chin raised, her eyebrow ticked under the mask. "Either to make a good end or to win back a modicum of self-respect." So perhaps Josephine would have a little less on her plate to deal with than I originally thought.

A weak smile touched my lips and I bowed my head, "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Lady Vivienne."

"Ah," she smiled bright under her mask, lips full and painted, "but I didn't invite you to the chateau for pleasantries. With Divine Justinia dead, the Chantry is in shambles. Only the Inquisition might restore sanity and order to our frightened people."

One could hope, my thoughts grumbled.

Lady Vivienne shifted, "As the leader of the last loyal mages of Thedas, I feel it only right that I lend my assistance to your cause."

Confused, I asked, "You say you lead the last of the loyal mages. Loyal to whom?"

"To Thedas, of course." She smirked and brushed something from her wrist. "We have not forgotten the commandment, as some have, that magic exists to serve man. I support any effort to restore such order."

"You do realize we aren't sanctioned by the Chantry, right?" I hesitated. There was any number of things I could have asked her, but nerves got the better of me. I wondered how she, and not Fiona, had come to be in this position of power.

Lady Vivienne frowned, shaking her head. "The Chantry is leaderless. They're in no position to officially sanction anything. Besides, my dear, if there is one virtue the Chant of Light teaches us, it is forgiveness." A ruffled memory fluttered through my mind, a time back when I had mentioned the same thing to Bull, better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Oh, boy. That was going to bite me in the ass, wasn't it?

"Once the Inquisition has sealed the Breach, I'm sure the new Divine will not care in the slightest about official permission." She answered. It was truth, I couldn't assume that a majority of the Chantry was like Chancellor Roderick simply because Commander Cullen did have a point. The Mothers, Sisters, and Brothers that screamed the loudest at me were usually the ones that weren't important enough to be considered influential in the grand scheme of things. If they were, they'd be busy swaying their peers into supporting them, not shouting down the Inquisition on a daily basis.

"May I ask, Lady Vivienne, what could you bring to the Inquisition?" I posed the question to her lightly. I wasn't going to fool her, I stood on shaky confidence that I only barely commanded.

She shifted on her feet and considered the question for a second. "I am well versed in the politics of the Orlesian Empire, I know every member of the Imperial Court personally. I also have all the resources remaining to the Circle at my disposal." She paused for a heartbeat, the gentlest of smirks touching her lips. "And I'm a mage of no small talent. Will that do?" Within the span of seconds, I knew I couldn't turn her away. I had a mage, true, and it was more likely than not that I would drag Solas out with me than I would Lady Vivienne, but her knowledge would be essential to Josephine.

"I'm hard-pressed to assume that you threw this little salon just for me." I murmured thoughtfully with a glance over her horned mask. "Is this an extension of the Imperial Court? Will you be assisting us from there?"

A sigh, "Ordinarily, I would be happy to serve as a liaison to the court, but these are not ordinary times. The Veil has been ripped a part, and there is a hole in the sky." She straightened her back and for a moment I saw a flicker of uncertainty. Did she think she was losing my willingness to have her along? She continued, her voice strong. "It is now the duty of every mage to work toward sealing the Breach. And so I would join the Inquisition on the field of battle." A shiver ran down my spine at her conviction. She sounded much like Blackwall and Leliana, or any number of my people.

They had courage. They had a bite that followed their pride. They wanted to fight. Again, I felt something wilt in me, a shame that I worked hard to bury. She would have been a better Herald than I, perhaps like Blackwall would have been, as they were willing to face the destruction of the world. I smothered the thought, as it would do nothing to change the here and now.

"What do you get out of this, Lady Vivienne?" The question escaped me before I could filter it through niceties. Her dark gaze met mine with a solid pull, there was no hesitation, no falter in her belief that this was the path she was meant to take. It pulsed from her like the tide and the Mark under my glove hummed at the sensation. I gripped my hand in my shawl to silence it.

"The same thing that everyone would get facing this chaos." She murmured confidently. "The chance to meet my enemy, to decide my fate. I won't wait quietly for destruction." She was as I had imagined, strong, powerful, and an relentless force of will. Like Bull, like the Qunari, even if I turned her away, she would find another way to face the unraveling of her world. Not for the first time I wish I could mirror their confidence, their sense of self righteous duty.

Instead, I gave her a weak smile and nodded, "The Inquisition will be happy to have you, Lady Vivienne."

"Great things are beginning, my dear." She beamed at me. "I can promise you that."

I don't think that's a promise I can keep.


Note: Hola, guys. So this is gonna be the last update for the next two weeks. I have 2 birthdays coming up for family members this weekend and the next, but after that, we should be back on schedule (hopefully I don't fall into my same bad habit of letting a story wither out because I left it alone for too long).