Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age. If I did I would have a lot more money.

Chapter 6

"Again."

I gritted my teeth in irritation, and I shut my eyes, imagining that what I was doing was actually useful and not at all stupid. Then, as carefully and precisely as I could manage, I dipped into a low curtsy.

"Much better! You learn quickly," Azriel exclaimed softly, obviously pleased. I sighed and started to rise. "Did I say you may stand up?"

I halted in an awkward almost-curtsy that made my leg muscles ache. Biting back a growl, I dipped back down and stayed there, doing my best to ignore the burning in my thighs. It was in that position that I waited. And waited. And waited. The burning was becoming unbearable.

Azriel had been giving me proper posture and walking lessons for almost a week. It was unbelievably tedious. It was like being in government class again, except worse. Much worse. At least in government class we learned useful things.

"In any society, a steady bow or curtsy is a sign of competence and discipline," Azriel began. He poured himself a glass of wine as he spoke, and he smiled at me where I stood frozen in a curtsy. "An unsteady one signifies a lack of both. You may stand up now."

Immediately, I shot up and sighed in relief. The burning was beginning to fade, but a faint ache still remained.

"Didn't you say you were going to teach me magic?" I asked, annoyed. Azriel had been making me curtsy and walk with books on my head all morning. It was ridiculous. The past few lessons were just as stupid too.

"You are not ready for such instruction yet," he replied. "Your magic has been suppressed. I theorize that it is because of your time spent in the Beyond. Eventually it will become available to you, but now you are simply unable to access it."

I raised an eyebrow. "You were able to make me access it before. Surely you've got something up your sleeve."

"How is your reading?" Azriel asked, changing the subject. I huffed and let the subject go.

"Bona," I replied flatly, using the Tevene word for 'good.' "Why?"

Azriel smiled thinly. He turned to a pile of books on his library desk, and he lifted a particularly thick and dusty tome and held it out to me. I took it and looked at the title, nearly dropping the damn thing in the process. (It was really heavy.) There was no title and no real defining characteristics, except that it was made of dark leather and was larger and heavier than an Oxford English Dictionary. The sight of it made me uneasy, and I sent Azriel a questioning look.

"You're not going to make me read this, are you?" I asked, dreading the answer. I've never been a fan of assigned reading, especially if the book is larger than a family bible and written in another language like this one was.

"This is called The Art of Magic," Azriel began, not yet answering my question. "It was written over a thousand years ago when the Imperium was at its peak in both power and wealth of knowledge. The author was a very powerful Somniari mage who detailed everything he had learned about the arcane arts. This book is extremely rare, and it cost me a great deal to have it translated from Ancient Tevene into Common. It is vital that you read this book. The knowledge inside will no doubt help you unlock your skills."

I groaned internally when he began to describe the book, and the only thing that stopped me from making the groan external was the fact that it was written in Common (which is basically English). The book felt like it weighed at least twenty pounds. Yay.

Suddenly, another much smaller book appeared on top of the magic book, adding to the weight. Air hissed through my nose in irritation.

"This book here will teach you what you need to know about the basics of the Tevene language," Azriel explained. "If you apply yourself, you will become competent with the language soon. It is not a difficult tongue to master when you are proficient in Common."

I sighed and bit back a complaint that I knew was trying to claw its way out of my throat.

"Before I dismiss our lesson, I must ask your age," Azriel said casually. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Are spells childproof or something?" I snorted. He gave me a chilly glare, and I sighed. "I'm eighteen.

"Hmmm…" he hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose that will have to do. You do look young enough to be sixteen."

My eyebrows came together in a confused frown. I set the books down on Azriel's desk."Why would I need to look sixteen?"

"For your coming-of-age ball, of course," he replied. "In two weeks, we will be holding a masquerade ball to honor your 'sixteenth birthday'. All of Tevinter will be invited. Well, all of it that's worth mentioning."

My jaw went slack with horror. "What?!"

Azriel continued on, seemingly oblivious to my panic, "This is an enormous honor, my dear Samantha. I have been away from public life for almost twenty years. Naturally, my old friends and associates would be curious to meet me and, more importantly, you. It will be your moment to shine!"

"But…" I floundered. I barely knew anything about Tevinter, or its society, or its dances, and or its culture, or even its table manners.

"But what?"

What was I supposed to say? That I was out of my depth? That I didn't know the first thing about dancing, or politics, or noble etiquette? That I was a poor American girl whose fanciest dance she'd ever been to was high school prom in the gym? All I knew about this sort of stuff was the crap I'd seen on TV. I knew nothing. But I wasn't about to let him know that. I was too proud.

"I don't have a dress," I replied.

Azriel smiled in a condescending manner, as though he'd expected I'd say something like that. It made my skin crawl.

"That is not an issue, my dear," he said, smirking. "A seamstress will be here within the hour. She is to take our measurements for new ball attire. Have no fear, child."

"I'm not," I lied. I was terrified. Fortunately, Azriel didn't seem to have caught my fib.

"Excellent!" He turned and strode past me. "The lesson is over for today. Selena will inform you of the seamstress's arrival."

And with that, I was alone in the library, and I let out a sigh of relief. It was morning, and yet the library, with its easterly windows, was as dark as a cave. That had to change. With a huff, I rushed over to the windows and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight burst into the library, illuminating the room for what must have been the first time in years.

I waved at the cloud of dust that had appeared when I disturbed the curtains, and I glanced out of the window. There was a large, wooden lean-to shed situated against the wall, right next to the window where I was standing. It lay inside a fairly small enclosure, hidden by walls of impossibly tall bushes that resembled cypresses. It all seemed like a sort of living quarters. But who lived there?

After a minute with no sign of movement, I sighed and pulled away from the window and began to search the bookshelves. The library was huge. If it didn't have a book that would help me with the whole ball situation, then I'd have to ask Azriel for help. Hopefully that would never have to happen.

I perused the shelves for several minutes before one particular title caught my eye. Artem Saltandi. Latin and Tevene were very similar, and I knew Latin well enough. Translated, the title read, The Art of Dancing.

Immediately, I pulled the leather-bound book from the shelf and thumbed through the rough pages. There were no diagrams or pictures that made it easier to understand, and the language was high level Tevene. My lips pursed. I needed to learn the language fast, or get help.

A loud, muffled whinny tore me from my anxious thoughts, and my head snapped up to see where it had come from. It happened again. I strode over to the window and glanced into the enclosure.

Leto had appeared there, atop a massive brown horse that kept huffing and whinnying and pawing at the ground. Both horse and rider looked to be drenched with sweat. Leto dismounted and tied his horse to a pole in the shade. Then, without warning, he pulled off his tunic, leaving himself in only a pair of light breeches.

My face burned, and I tried to look away but couldn't. I continued to stare, stunned. I had always known that Leto was physically powerful, despite not being huge like a bodybuilder. Nor was I unfamiliar with seeing topless guys. I had no excuse to stare at him like an idiot, but I still did.

The book I had been holding decided at that moment to slip out of my fingers and fall to the floor with a spectacular SLAM. Leto turned and locked eyes with me. My heart leapt into my throat and began to beat rapidly.

"Shit," I hissed to myself. My face went beet red, and I tried to run and hide. But I couldn't get my legs to move.

He looked as surprised as I was. He eyed me warily for a long moment. Then something in his gaze shifted, and he turned to face me fully. I mentally forced myself to keep my eyes locked on his, and not on… other areas. Leto crossed his arms over his chest as he stared back at me with a hint of challenge.

I swallowed nervously as I struggled to not ogle. He seemed to sense my struggle, and his lips twitched upwards. He thought this was funny. Damn, smirking bastard. Whatever trance I was in had broken, and I drew myself up to my full height. I flipped him off then shut the curtains, leaving the library in almost total darkness again.

"Ahem, my lady," came a small, mousy voice from behind me. I whirled around in surprise. It was Selena. "The seamstress has arrived, my lady."

I nodded, glad for the distraction. I set my new book under the last two books, and I followed Selena as she led me down the corridors to the room where the fitting would take place.

The seamstress was an old human woman, and she only spoke Tevene. Azriel did not bother to translate what they said to each other. From the few words I did understand, I knew they were talking about clothes. I zoned out and let the woman work on measuring me.

Unfortunately, my zoning out kept bringing up the image of Leto's shirtless body and lean, well-defined muscles. The image was burned into my brain and would not go away. It lingered at the edge of my vision when I tried to think about something else.

My cheeks burned bright red again, and the seamstress noticed. She smiled and gave me an oddly knowing look, and she patted my hot cheeks when Azriel wasn't looking. I flinched back and glared at her when she did so, but the seamstress just chuckled and muttered something under her breath. I ground my teeth together in irritation, but I said nothing.

It was over soon after that, and Azriel told me to follow him to the library. He said a few more words to the seamstress, and, after a quick curtsy, she left.

"What's this about?" I asked after I followed Azriel to the library.

Azriel made a beckoning motion with his hand to the shadows of the room, and Leto stepped forward, materializing out of blackness. He was wearing his black armor without the helmet this time, but I still couldn't stop the blush that bloomed on my face. Internally, I cursed him.

"I take it that you are familiar with my bodyguard?" Azriel inquired softly. I nodded in response. "He is my slave and one of the best fighters I have ever had the good fortune to come across. I bought him for only a few sovereigns, but he is worth at least two hundred. His previous owner had no idea of his value. Foolish."

"Why are you telling me this?" I interrupted.

Azriel sighed. "I wish you to understand that I do not part with this gift lightly."

"What gift?" My eyes flickered back and forth between Azriel and Leto, confused. Leto stood half-concealed in darkness, and he stared straight ahead, like a soldier waiting for orders.

"My bodyguard," he replied. "I bought him because a trusted seer told me of your arrival. Now that you are to join Tevinter society, you will need a bodyguard for both protection and image. So now, he is yours."

"You're assigning me a bodyguard?"

"No, dear child. I am not assigning him to you," he sighed in exasperation. "I am giving him to you. He is now your slave to command as you wish."

WHAT?!

I blinked. I blinked again. And again. I blinked a few more times and swallowed.

Slave? My slave? My mind rebelled at the thought. No, that couldn't be. No. Just no.

"Please tell me you're joking," I said after a moment.

Azriel frowned, his lips twisting in displeasure. "Why would I 'joke', as you call it? I bought him for the exact purpose of giving him to you. I would not 'joke' about such a thing. He. Is. Yours."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Azriel cut me off.

"Why do you object? This is a mighty gift."

"Because it's wrong!" I exploded, taking Azriel aback. Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I saw Leto turn and stare at me. "It's wrong to have slaves! It's wrong to own people!"

Azriel snorted. "So that is all? I expected more logical reasoning from a god of your caliber.

"Regardless of whether you want him or not, he is no longer mine. I wash my hands of him."

"Good!" I exclaimed, turning on my heel and striding out. "Now he'll be free at least!"

I did not make it far down the hallway before a pair of swift footsteps caught up to me. Leto slid to a halt in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

"My lady, please wait. You don't understand-"

"Oh I understand perfectly," I interrupted hotly. "And I'm saying no. Go, be free!"

A look of utter terror filled his normally stoic green eyes, and he dropped down to his knees before me. My eyes widened at the display.

"Please don't send me away! Allow me to serve you, I beg you," he pleaded.

"Why the hell would you want to be my slave?" I exclaimed.

"When I was sold, Magister Azriel brought my family under his protection," he explained quickly. "My mother is a runaway from another magister, and he has been searching for her ever since she escaped." He took a shaky, almost panicked breath, and he fixed me with a look that was both haunted and scared. It was a look that stole my breath away.

"If I do not serve you," Leto paused and gulped before continuing on slowly, his voice wracked with tremors. "If you force me to go free, Azriel will no longer protect my mother. She will be found and taken back to her old master. Please, I cannot let that happen. Her old master is an evil man, and he beat her for no reason other than he could. Please."

It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room, as well as my desire to fight. I couldn't breathe. The reality of what I had just stumbled upon seemed to resonate with me now more than ever. An exhaustion that was mine yet did not belong to me washed over my body. I felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as though I had been in situations like this one many times before. Too many times before. Yet… I could not recall them.

I broke eye contact with Leto and rubbed my face with my hand. So that was it, huh? Either own a personal slave, or let an innocent woman be returned to her abusive master. I sighed in frustration. Neither side was acceptable, but what could I do? What power did I have to make a third option? None. I wanted to march up to Azriel and demand how he could allow such a thing. But I was too far out of my depth, and this time, I knew it too. I would only make things worse.

"I… fine," I hesitated. "I'll… keep you, I guess. Would that satisfy Azriel?"

Leto nodded vigorously, his black hair falling over his vibrant green eyes as he did so. I was struck by how young he looked in that moment. He must have been younger than me. I had seen the predatorial darkness that had overshadowed his face, but that was not what I was seeing now. He looked almost boyish, far too young and innocent to be a trained killer. Yet that was what he was.

I nodded once and turned back toward the library. Azriel came into view as I entered the darkened room, and I stopped short in the doorway. Azriel's face snapped up when he heard me come back.

"I changed my mind," I said firmly, hoping my voice wouldn't shake. Fortunately, it didn't. "I accept your gift. Thank you."

My tongue felt sour the moment I said it, and I wanted to vomit. But it worked. A triumphant smile spread across Azriel's pale features. At least a life wouldn't be ruined because of me. Not today, anyway.

What Azriel said to me afterwards, I do not recall. I was in a daze as I made my way to the outdoors. I had to get out. The atmosphere inside had become stifling.

The sun's warmth hit my skin, and my spirit felt suddenly lighter. A light breeze blew my hair back out of my face, making me feel even more refreshed. I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding, and I smiled. It was going to be okay.

I felt eyes on me, and I stopped smiling and whirled around to see who it was. It was Leto. He was staring at me intently, as though he was trying to solve a puzzle. When I had turned to face him, he dropped his gaze and focused it respectfully on the ground. I frowned.

"What? Is something wrong?" He shook his head, eyes still on the ground. I huffed. "Please tell me you're not going to follow me everywhere now."

His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "I await your orders, Lady Samantha."

Orders, right. I was now the owner of a slave. A very attractive—No! Stop right there! Absolutely not!

My lips pursed as my mind crushed that thought before it could become one. It remained a fragment of a thought. Using every bit of my willpower, I forced that fragment back into the darkest corner of my head. Hopefully it would die there.

"So, you obey me now, is that it? What about Azriel?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Magister Azriel is no longer my master," he responded. "You are."

My mouth suddenly felt very dry. Whether it was from anxiety or something else, I couldn't tell. What was I supposed to do? I hadn't the faintest clue on how to keep a slave.

A slave. I felt sick again.

I did not lose my life for the cause of freedom just so I could own a slave again!

I blinked and shook myself. That thought had come completely out of the blue. It was mine, yet… not mine. The same was true for the anger that had accompanied it. I shook myself again. I had to focus.

"Um, what do you normally do?" It was a stupid question, but I felt it would be useful to know.

Leto straightened slightly. "Magister Azriel assigned me missions of various kinds. Some were assassinations, some were bodyguard missions. I have spied for him as well. I do whatever I am called to do, Lady Samantha."

"Anything?"

He nodded. An idea struck me.

"Don't call me Lady Samantha," I ordered. "You can call me that in public if it makes you feel better, but when we're just talking like now, you call me Samantha. Actually, wait…" I didn't like that. Azriel called me that. "Call me Sam. My name is Sam. Nothing fancy. Just Sam."

His expression turned sour as he focused on the ground, as though he had just been forced to swallow a cup of lemon juice without sugar or water. He did not speak, but I could tell that he wanted to.

I continued on, "You might be my…" I took a deep breath, "slave, technically, but you don't have to act like one. First, stop staring at the ground and look at me. It freaks me out when you do that."

Leto's intense, emerald gaze flickered up to my face. He was back to studying me again. This time, he wasn't hiding it. His gaze made my face grow hot again, and I had to focus hard on not stuttering.

"And second, speak. You staying silent like that freaks me out even more. Say what you want. I'll not punish you for it."

He was quiet for a moment after I finished, contenting himself to simply watch me with those wide, intelligent eyes of his. Then, he smiled. Actually smiled.

"You seem to be 'freaked out' by a great deal of things," he said, amused.

I smiled back in relief. Progress had been made.

"What can I say? I'm easily disturbed," I shot back teasingly. Then I sobered slightly. "But seriously, is that really what he had you do? Killing and spying?"

Leto scowled at me. "I was not trained to be a house slave," he hesitated, his mouth curling into hard, unpleasant lines. Leto sent me a questioning look, as though unsure. "Sam?" I gave him a reassuring nod, and his scowl lessened but did not vanish completely. "You have a man's name."

I shrugged. "My mom wanted a boy. Samantha is my official name, but I've always been partial to Sam. That's what Mom always called me." My voice grew quiet and trailed off at the end.

I realized that I had not thought about my mom or my friends even once since the first day I'd arrived in Thedas. My homesickness hit me like a truck. Anxiety and worry began to gnaw holes in my chest, making it harder to breathe, to think. My eyes began to itch, and I realized with growing horror that I was about to cry. In front of him.

I had to distract myself, had to think of something else. So I latched onto the first thought that popped into my head. It worked.

"Do you know how to dance?" I blurted, completely out of the blue.

My question startled him, but then he gave an unimpressed look that clearly said, "What kind of question is that?"

"Yes, I can dance," he replied, sounding just a tad confused.

"Would you teach me if I asked?" Maybe I wouldn't have to translate that book after all.

Leto cocked his head to the side, eying me in bemusement. "You can't dance." He said it in such a way that I instantly felt embarrassed for asking. It was clear that it wasn't a common problem to have.

I glared at him. "No, and I'll thank you not to say anything about that."

"My lips are sealed," he replied with a teasing smile.

A sense of relief flooded through me. "Good," I said, nodding. "I need to learn before that stupid masquerade ball that Azriel's throwing for me."

"Consider it done."

A/N: Well, it looks like Sam is starting to, ahem, notice Leto. Kinda hard not to. If he looks anything like Fenris, which he does, he's too handsome not to notice.

Leto might seem a little OOC, but that's because this is set before he lost his memories and was tortured enough to become the broody Fenris we all know and want to hug. So please bear with me! We'll meet Fenris soon enough. But not too soon.

Just in case anyone noticed, I cut out the parts that I teased last time where Sam (or Samantha) was out exploring. It felt a little out of place and unimportant, so it got the ax.

Anyway, compared to the next few chapters I have planned, this one was a little bit of a filler. Important things still happen in this chapter, but the next one is going to tell about the ball. We'll meet a few familiar faces, as well as a few unfamiliar ones. There will also be plenty of politics, plots, death, dancing, magic, and very good food.

And special thanks this time to SNicole25, 5 Coloured Walker, XenaHawke, Lexibarnett, and Tonks! Thank you all so much for your reviews!

Please click that little review button down there and tell me what you think! I love hearing feedback from you all!

Until next time...