Of Pranks and Marriage Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age


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Cullen's question lingered in the air.

"Well, would the two of you please tell us how you managed to impose on my mother's kindness?" Evelyn demanded to know.

"Oh dear Inquisitor, your mother tells the story more vividly than Sera and I do," Dorian gave the elf a sideways glance, eager to infuriate Evelyn further.

Sera nodded eagerly, "she's a real talker that one!"

Of course! As if Dorian and Sera would ever give a full disclosure of their shenanigans, what would be the fun in that? Evelyn leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "And when will the Madame tell me?"

"During dinner I'd imagine. She's quite fond of me, and very eager to express my heroic feat in front of her dinner guests."

Cullen raised an eyebrow at his friend, "heroic feat? She didn't care much about my role in the inquisition."

Dorian waved him off. "Oh she doesn't know I'm a part of your inner circle."

"Clearly. She wouldn't be lobbying a match between us if she knew..."

The Commander jumped off the bed. "What! She wants you to marry Dorian?"

"Don't sound so shocked my dear Commander." He gave Cullen a wink, "I'm delightfully charming; all mothers want their daughters to marry me."

Evelyn laid a calming hand on Cullen's arm. "Don't worry, I'm not marrying Dorian."

"Well obviously!" Cullen responded while throwing his left hand up in the air.

The Tevinter mage smirked, "don't pretend you wouldn't have married me if you could."

Evelyn rolled her eyes as a response to Dorian's remark. "What I don't understand, is how my mother didn't know who the two of you were. Both of your names are heavily linked to the Inquisition after all."

"My Red Jenny contacts in your staff made sure none upstairs knew shite of your dealings."

Evelyn sighed as she sat down on Cullen's bed. "Well, I did tell you and Leliana to keep my family out of the loop… You two might be a little too good."

"Oh, we're the best," Sera boasted.

"How long do you intend to stay?" Cullen gritted his teeth as he inquired.

"However long Lady Trevelyan wants us to… and don't worry Commander. I'm not encouraging any of her ladyships whims. I'm simply a houseguest, eager to know the family of my dearest friend."

"Just behave; both of you…"

Sera and Dorian agreed, though Evelyn suspected a lot more shenanigans from the pair.

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At dinner later that evening, Lady Trevelyan was way into her story of how she met the 'gallant Lord Pavus' as she had titled him. "You should have seen him my dear, so chivalrous!"

"You don't say…" Evelyn answered coldly, sipping her spiced wine.

"Oh, but I do say!" Lady Trevelyan exclaimed. "The man saved the lives of Lady Ornacia and mys… you remember Lady Ornacia right? She used to come here all the time with her son… what was his name again dear?" She glanced over at her husband to get the right answer, but he didn't stand a chance against the velocity of her words. "I believe it was Eldric."

"No, it was just Eric, mother…"

"Yes that's it! Just imagine… hadn't you moved to the circle, you would have been long married into the Ornacia family!"

"Just imagine that." Dorian chimed in with a sly grin on his face.

"Don't worry Lord Pavus; Eric is married to a nice Ferelden girl." Lady Trevelyan huffed. "She moved here during the Blight. Oh… what was I saying?"

"I believe you told dear Evelyn how we met."

"Dear Evelyn, how friendly," Lady Trevelyan giggled.

The Inquisitor noticed Cullen tighten the grip on the cutlery in his hand. He sat opposite her at the dining room table. Next to him sat Dorian, while her mother and father sat on each end of the mahogany furniture. Sera ate in her bedroom; an elf was a bit too much for his lordship to handle at the table.

"As I was saying… Oh, yes! Lady Ornacia and I were attacked on our way into town. Someone shot an arrow at us, barely missed my head by an inch."

"An arrow, you don't say." Evelyn said dryly.

"Yes an arrow! Just an inch from my head. Then another one was fired, it would have gone straight through my heart, hadn't Lord Pavus deflected it with his magic barrier." She touched his shoulder as she thanked him – once again – for his bravery.

"It was nothing, I'm sure any gentleman would have done the same. Don't you agree, Commander?"

Cullen had just put a piece of salmon in his mouth and had to chew it before he answered. Lady Trevelyan waited impatiently for the retort. "Most commoners would come to the aid of women in need as well."

Lady Trevelyan seemed satisfied enough with his reply. She turned to her daughter next. "How long do you intend to stay this time my dear?"

"Not more than a week, I'm afraid."

Her mother seemed horrified. "Only a week? I would have at least expected you to stay for our spring salon."

"Your Spring Salon? That's almost a month away!"

"It's exactly a month today, Miss Evelyn," Dorian added cunningly.

"You know of my Salon?" Her ladyship gasped in excitement.

"Oh yes. Rumors of your wonderful salon goes far beyond the Free Marches."

Evelyn had to give Dorian credit. He had most likely never heard of the event until this very moment, but he sure knew how to please the nobilities.

"Then you must stay for the Salon Lord Pavus, you won't regret it."

Dorian raised one eyebrow and gave the Inquisitor a challenging look. "Of course I will."

"Wonderful!" Lady Trevelyan enthused, "you must stay as well Evelyn. How can you not, when we keep such good company?"

"I must hurry back to Skyhold, I have a lot of responsibilities I need to attend to."

"I'm sure they can manage without you. You've already taken care of that… thing. What else are there to do?"

"There are a lot of people who relies on me, mother."

"The Commander could go back and fill in for you? He seems capable enough to lead the Inquisition now that you've done your part; or maybe that nice woman we corresponded with, that Lady Josephine Montilyet. The transition from ambassador to leader won't be too difficult."

Dorian leaned closer to Lady Trevelyan as if he was about to confide a secret to her. "Lady Josephine is the heiress of the Motilyet family, madam, she can't be spared for long."

"You know the Ladyship?"

The mage glanced over at Evelyn, "only a little."

Lady Trevelyan sensed a hidden meaning behind his words. She gave her daughter a stern look, "you must stay here until the Spring Salon. I absolutely insist that you do so!"

"But the Inquisition needs me!"

"Maybe it needs you right now, but it won't last forever. Please think of your future my dear."

Lady Trevelyan's words started to rile Evelyn up. "And what kind of future do you envision for me? I'm a mage, the only place I can still be free is in the Inquisition."

"Well… it's not the only place for a mage to be free," Lady Trevlyan said as she obviously hinted to the freedom mages enjoyed in Tevinter. "Just stay until the Spring Salon. It's the event of the season you know."

Eager to change the subject, Cullen added the little knowledge he had of the event to the conversation. "As I recall, it's the social event of the year. A week filled with dinner parties, a grand ball and the main event; your salon at the end of the week where you watch the flowers bloom in your gardens."

Lady Trevelyan was baffled by the Commanders knowledge. "Yes, I guess Miss Evelyn told you."

"No your Ladyship, Marlowe Dumar told me." he replied courteously.

A sincere smile formed on her lips, "you knew the Viscount?"

"Our paths crossed more than once during my stay in Kirkwall."

"Oh, you lived in Kirkwall. It was to my understanding that you were from Ferelden."

"Yes I am… but I got the opportunity to transfer from the Ferelden Circle of Magi after the Blight."

"I see, no wonder you're so agreeable. Those years in the Free Marches did wonders on your manners."

Cullen knew it was as close as he would get to a real compliment from her Ladyship. He smiled and nodded, afraid to say anything that would ruin his sterling moment of proper conversation.

Evelyn slightly raised her glass in Cullen's honor. Dorian caught on and did the same; he leaned in and whispered, "Well played," to the Commander.

"Dreadful thing that happened to him." Everyone turned to Lord Trevelyan as he uttered his first words during the dinner. "He was a good man."

"That he was." Lady Trevelyan chimed in, "he would always stay the whole week. He was a dear friend of the Lord."

"And those filthy qunari swine killed him."

Lady Trevelyan made and uncomfortable movement in her chair. "Please my dear, we're entertaining guests."

"We're all humans here. Why should I keep it in?"

Evelyn glanced over at Lariana – the elven servant who attended to their drinks while they ate – she studied her feet as she fidgeted with her hands, clearly uncomfortable with his Lordship's words. Evelyn then let her eyes wander over to Dorian. Her father's words had silenced the always-humorous mage.

The Inquisitor gave his lordship a stern look, "common decency for one thing."

He scowled at her challenge, "and the other?"

"I see no superiority in being a human."

Lord Trevelyan abruptly rose from his chair. "The dinner was wonderful Lady Trevelyan, excellent menu as always. I will retire to my study…" he glanced at Evelyn, "feel free to stop by when you're ready to apologize for speaking up against me." He said sharply as he tossed the napkin he'd kept in his lap on the floor. He snapped his fingers and gestured to the elven servant to clean up after him.

"I'm sorry Lariana," Lady Trevelyan said to the elf.

"It's quite alright mam," the servant answered, almost too quiet to hear.

"How's your mother. Is she feeling any better?" Lady Trevelyan continued.

"It's too soon to tell mam."

"Just tell me if you need some time off to look after her. I'm sure we're all capable of pouring or own wine for a day or two." The female elf bowed as she left the room with the master's dishes.

Lady Trevelyan sighed. "I must… apologize for my husband. He was very close with the Viscount. It's not an excuse but…"

"It's nothing I haven't seen in Tevinter," Dorian assured her.

She gave him a meek smile, "though you don't share the same values. I'm sure it's not customary to keep your slaves in a lavish room."

"To be honest, Sera's not my slave."

"Oh, I just assumed that…"

"It's my bad, really, I didn't correct you. She's not even my servant, she's just my friend." He glanced over at the Inquisitor, it looked like he was about to spill all the beans and tell her ladyship everything. Evelyn knew nothing good would come from a full disclosure in Lady Trevelyan's current state. She therefore kicked Dorian in the shin so he would keep silent for now.

"I feel really embarrassed," Lady Trevelyan rose from her chair. "I think it's best if I go and check on my husband. I'm sure you won't apologize for your actions Miss Evelyn."

Evelyn shook her head. Lady Trevelyan leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, "my sweet girl. It's good to have you back." She stepped over to the door and let her hand rest on the knob for a moment, "I would be delighted if the three of you joined me for tea in the library when you finish dinner. Please bring your friend Sera."


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Thank you so much for reading, following and favoring! I especially enjoy your kind reviews! I hope you all will forgive me for the rather serious ending of the chapter. I'll keep it more lighthearted in the next one