Author's Note: Sorry this was a bit short, was originally going to have Josie shopping with Vivienne and Sera, but wound up deleting it when it turned out to be... stale I suppose. Also, the tavern drinking song is based on "Ploughing a Troll" by Miracle of Sound, a Witcher drinking song.

"Inquisitor!" Iron Bull called out when he saw Cantis in The Herald's Rest. "Decided to come down with a rest of us, huh boss?"

Cantis scoffed. "Come on, I've beaten you in as many drinking contests as you've beaten me."

Bull laughed, full and hearty, clapping him on the shoulders. "So, you and Ruffles are getting hitched, huh? Don't know why you'd want to tie yourself down, but to each his own I guess."

"Not all of us want to spend our whole lives going from girl to girl." Cantis laughed, sitting beside the Qunari. "Josie's the kind of woman you just gotta keep for yourself."

"Oooh, now you've got me interested." He laughed. "Though I'll never get you two. From what I hear, you're the type that don't like getting your cork popped."

Cantis rubbed his eyes, unsure of what to do with that. "I… don't want to know how you know that, but no. I don't. I love Josie, and that's all I want from her."

Bull shook his head. "I'll never get that, boss, but good for you. Nice to see you smile for once, spend too much time being all serious with all that Inquisitorial stuff." He looked at the Inquisitor, smiling. "So?"

"So?" Cantis trailed off, raising an eyebrow, dreading whatever that look meant.

"So when are you gonna have a stag party? Always wanted to see one, but the Qun doesn't really have any."

"Oh." He nodded understandingly, relieved that it hadn't been anything worse considering what else he could have asked. "I don't think I'll have one, honestly. I don't know, I'm obviously not one for… you know, women that make money off that, and I don't really drink that much."

Bull laughed, long and slow, throwing an arm around Cantis, pulling him close. "Boss, we are definitely doing this."

Cantis sighed, nodding. That tone said that this was non-negotiable. "Oh, erm… alright. What did you have in mind?"

Bull laughed wickedly. "Oh, you'll see. First of all, we definitely want some ladies over there, on some tables." Cantis groaned. He was utterly faithful to Josephine and uninterested in any of their services. But perhaps tradition was worth it, and he didn't think Bull would negotiate that. "And some barrels of beer over there. Do you think we can get a chocolate fountain by any chance? And you might want to give that bar tender a raise, I got a feeling that the Chargers might wreck the place."

"Oh god. What have I gotten myself into?"

"And a hey-ho! He was ploughing a troll! And god only knows how that key fit the hole! No burial mound and no rest for his soul, because a-hey-ho, he was ploughing a troll!"

Cantis groaned as their latest tavern 'song' came to an end. Each and every last one of them raunchier than the last. And he certainly didn't need such a lecture on fine points of making love to a troll.

"Alllrr-iiiight." Bull hicked, slamming his hand down on the table. "Someone… someone… next song guys! And a new drink for everyone… on me." He reached out, grabbing the latest redheaded 'dancer' that he had hired for the night. "And don't you go too far." She giggled in the way that they all did, surely that Bull had paid them to do.

It was odd, how different they were. Cantis and The Iron Bull were dear friends, having worked side by side for years now. Bull was there when the Red Lyrium came to haunt the Inquisitor, and Cantis had been for what could have been the first Qunari alliance ever forged if the day had ended differently. But they were two very different people. Cantis was the kind of man who took away from the politics of his noble family, who protected thee people around him at any cost, valuing food and smiles over gold and crowns. But Bull was a person to whom the whole world slotted into easy pieces, someone who both spied and worked in politics, but also led his men on the front lines by himself with such zeal that no one would dare fight them back.

And their ideas of parties were very decidedly different. The Inquisitor had hoped for an elegant affair, maybe fine food and some nice wines, perhaps share stories around a fire together as a family would. And with Bull's party, beer flowing out and into the floor, smutty songs sung out of tune and redheaded women barely wearing anything… Cantis was an observer at what should have been his own party.

Looking down at the glass of wine in his hands, the only civilized thing in the room, smelling the sickly aroma of cheap smoke, vomit and stale piss, not to mention something that was an awful lot like fish, he realized just how unhappy he was. Standing up, he politely excused himself and left the Herald's Rest. He had paid Cabot a good fifty royals to overlook what he was certain would happen tonight and to pay for any sort of repairs. He hadn't paid enough.

Soon, he got a bottle of fine Tevinter Wine from the stores and pulled a chair up on a balcony, out in the fresh air of the cold spring night. He breathed deeply, taking in the cold air that reminded him so much of Ostwick. Lifebringing, joy, a piece of life awakening in his chest. That was so much better, even just a moment later. A few minutes out here, some nice wine, then curling up with his fiancée… everything would be all better.

"And here I thought I wouldn't see any of you boys for days after tonight."

He turned, seeing the Divine Leliana standing behind him, a smile on Leliana's lips. She still wore those heavy robes that she had come with, but without that ridiculous hat, her simply hair fitting her so well.

"Oh, it wasn't my sort of thing." He explained. "Glad the others can enjoy it, but I'd rather this be my night."

"I could see that." Leliana nodded. "I was surprised you were doing it at all until I heard whose idea it was. Do you mind if I join you?" He shook his head, motioning to a free chair on the balcony, which she took in turn.

"Yeah," He nodded knowingly. "Bull and I have… very different ideas of fun, that's for sure."

"I can tell. You always were the civil one." She sounded amused at his distaste of such things. He certainly wasn't what he had expected when they had first met. He was the kind of man who enjoyed romance and literature instead of hunting and war.

"So how is Divine life treating you?" He asked after a moment, holding the bottle out for her, which she took all too readily. "Everything you had hoped for when you got forced into it?"

Leliana chuckled a little, setting the wine back down. "Oh, I don't know. It's… as interesting as they promised. And I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I'm making a real difference in the world, making the Chantry a better place for people from all walks of life. But it's also filled with so many people only looking out for themselves, who care nothing for the Chantry itself but rather for their own gain. If we open our walls to elves and mages and lovers of the same sex, then there's less money for those who have ruled the Chantry for so many centuries."

"I get that." Cantis nodded, drinking again. "That was a large reason why I lost my faith, stopped going to the Chantry. If someone had to be Divine, I'm glad it was you. I hope you succeed, for all our sakes."

"I will try. Mara makes it easier, at the very least." She smiled at the thought of her former Warden, her wife and soulmate. They settled into a comfortable silence, passing back and forth the wine until it was almost gone. At last, Leliana spoke again. "So, you and Josie are actually doing this, hm? I'm actually going to see her walked down the aisle?"

"Yeah." He nodded. The words brought an immeasurable joy to his soul, but he also knew that he should probably be careful around this, considering her opposition to their relationship. "Thank you again for agreeing to be the one to officiate this."

She smiled warmly. "Well, I think we can both agree that such a lovely woman as Josephine deserves nothing less than the Divine herself to oversee her marriage." She looked over to him. "Listen, Inquisitor. We… we both love Josie. Not in the same way, but she's… she's like my little sister, some of the only family I have left. And we both want what's best for her." He nodded silently, listening intently. "You know that I've never been the most forgiving with your relationship. But… I wanted to tell you that I've been… wrong. About you. I always just wanted to ensure that her heart was taken by someone who would treat it properly, someone who would love her the way she deserves. And you're the person who will. You always were, and I never saw it. I'm… I'm sorry."

Cantis reached over and laid a hand ontop of Leliana's tiny, fragile hand. "I think you summed it up perfectly," He said, his soft silver eyes meeting her bright blue ones. "That we both love Josephine. You only ever wanted what was best for her, the same as me. Do you remember when I duelled that Antivan lord for her, and we worked together to organize that? Because he was a murderer, and because she would be miserable for the rest of her life. I don't blame you for thinking the same of me, I'd be wary of anyone in the same position. I'm just grateful that she people who care so much about her to protect her this much. But I swear to you, I will take care of her for the rest of her life, and I will always love her."

"And for once I can finally see that." Leliana put an arm around his shoulder in a half hug. "And I know that she loves you just as much." She looked over, meeting his eyes with a rather harsh look, raising an eyebrow. "But you be sure that you take care of her. Properly. For her sake, and yours."

He chuckled, hugging her back. "Ah, we could have this conversation without a threat, hm? Well, noted. Thank you for looking out for us."