"We will have something else designed."
Lelianna's voice ripped her from her consideration of the Commander, and she tilted her head down in recognition, pretending she wasn't aware of how his eyes followed her as she put some distance back between them. "Thank you," she murmured, honestly grateful.
"Right. I shall confer with Madame de Fer and see if she has any suggestions."
Eminently practical, Josephine had already abandoned her defence of Evelyn's current dress, and likely already had a number of other options in mind. It meant more time wasted for fittings and consultations, but she refused to be such an obvious Chantry puppet. They needed her far more than she needed them.
"If that's all?"
"For now. There's not much we can do until we discover more about this assassination plot." Irritation shot through her at the thought of being so helpless, but a quick glance at the Templar beside her softened it a little, amused to see him still struggling to control himself. "I'm sure we've all got plenty to be getting on with."
"Indeed." Josephine smiled, and Evelyn wondered how she managed to remain so positive even after being overruled. "Until later, then."
The quick, assessing look Lelianna threw her suggested that she'd seen more of Evelyn's little game than intended, but she left the room without saying a word about it. Josephine followed, but the Commander remained, clearly hoping that Evelyn would leave first. When she made a point of lingering, he scowled and pushed past her.
"Commander." She touched her fingers delicately to the edge of his pauldron and smiled brightly up at him. "Could you spare me a few minutes of your time? I wanted your advice on how to approach the Fallow Mire situation."
He nods once, sharply. This time she leads him through Skyhold as she throws up ideas, surprised how civil he is when they aren't at loggerheads. He wants the soldiers freed as much as she does, and he is too chivalrous to put his own ego before the safety of his men.
She guides him through the gardens, careful to keep the conversation absorbing enough to keep him from paying attention to his surroundings. It isn't until they are inside the small Chantry that he realises the motivation behind her destination, and his lips press into a thin, hard line of disapproval. It just focuses her attention on the scar cutting across them, though she drags her eyes away with reluctance. If she wants to rekindle the hints of reverence he'd shown earlier, she does not have time to be distracted.
"Inquisitor. If you would excuse me, I need to return to my duties." He carefully kept his eyes averted as he turned to leave.
Instead of a response, she swept her elbow across the base of the statue, knocking the heavy silver candlesticks to the floor. The unexpected noise made him look back reflexively, and she sees the breath shudder out of him as he takes her in. Shadowed by the oversized icon of Andraste, given a golden halo by the few remaining candles behind her, he is lost at the sight of her.
This time, she will be not left wanting as he takes his pleasure and leaves.
His lips move helplessly, attempts at words she cannot make out. Instead she goes to him, all softness and light, and presses a hand to his cheek with feigned affection. Something in him breaks and he allows her the gesture, but doesn't move until she presses her lips to his, close-lipped and chaste.
He pushes her backwards, sweeping the remaining items off the lip of the statue, and suckles at the tender skin between shoulder and neck as his fingers flex helplessly in the fabric of the bodice. Half-seated on the statue, she appreciates the sight of him before her, revelling in the power of being above him. This, she thinks, is where he belongs, head bowed as he worships her body.
His head moved lower until he mouths kisses at the exposed swell of her breasts, though any further exploration is made impossible by the restriction of the corset. She allows herself to be pulled forward as he grasps at the laces, tugging them roughly until the material finally parts. Goosebumps race up her arms as he pushes the shoulder straps down, dragging the silky material against her bare skin. Despite everything, he is careful about it, and the contrast between this time and the last makes her smug with satisfaction.
Finally freed, the top half of her dress fell forward to pool at her waist, leaving her only in the ivory corset. His breath caught as he slid his hands down the sides of it and she revels in the pleasure his admiration brings.
He reaches behind her again to start the more difficult job of unlacing the corset, but what little patience she has is almost spent. She pulls his hands away as she mouths the word to a spell, and the rest of her clothing disappears in a sharp flash of light.
The display of magic is enough to make him remember himself and pull back, until she tugs him forwards, arching her back to display her freed breasts to best advantage. She'd left the necklace on, and the golden sun winks brightly at him.
For a moment she is worried it won't be enough. If he leaves her here, now, naked and rejected, she is not sure she will survive the embarrassment. It's a gamble, but she manages to keep herself still, eyes meeting his with defiant allure, and waits for him to make his choice. She is a far cry now from the stern, modest statue above her, red curls tumbling freely down her shoulders to half cover her nipples.
She is surprised when he pushes her backwards again, kissing her mouth firmly as his hands cup her breasts, thumb brushing roughly against her peaked nipples. He squeezes and kneads, exploring, and she shivers as the metal pieces of his armour press into her bare flesh.
She lets him do as he wishes for a few moments more before coiling a hand in his golden curls, pushing his head downwards with unspoken instruction. He understands her desire and doesn't fight against it, dropping to his knees with grace as his fingers tighten on her hips.
The sight of him on his knees before her, for her, sends sparks of electric pleasure through her.
The kisses he presses to the inside of her thighs tickle and it takes all her concentration not to squirm as he works his way upwards. He releases the grip on her thighs to part her folds with one hand as he strokes her with the other, circling her clit with practiced ease, making her gasp and tighten her grip on the fur at his shoulders.
He pulls his fingers back and meets her eyes as time stops for a second, before he replaces his hands with his mouth.
He is, she decides, far too good at this. The thought takes the edge off the pleasure as uncertainty creeps in, confidence melting away as he proves himself better at this game than she'd have ever guessed. For a moment she thinks about pulling away, but she is reluctant to stop it. He flicks his tongue artfully and she mouths a prayer to a Maker she doesn't believe in, tilting her hips desperately to try and make him give her more.
He obliges, and it isn't long before she can feel her orgasm burning up her throat, calves tense as she struggles to support her own weight. She throws her head back and forgets how she'd planned to pretend nonchalance, and cries out as she comes.
The Commander sits back on his heels, tongue flicking out to lick at the corner of his lips. His eyes, as he watches her, are molten gold, and she decides his venerations were acceptable.
He is still fully dressed, but naked and sated, she towers above him, drunk on the power of it. His face is blank, difficult to read, but she doesn't care; he has served his purpose.
He stood, still watching her with a strange expression, but she just stretches her arms up behind her and sprawls against the cold stone behind her, pretending total confidence in herself.
For a moment, it looks like he's about to speak, but in the end he just nods and leaves.
After he's gone, she shivers and wraps her arms around her chest, and wonders just how she is going to get back across the fortress without anything to wear.
A/N: going to be slow on updating this for a while, focusing on my other Cullen/inquisitor fic which this was a collection of studies for. :)