I'm so sorry for the long time in updating. I suffered from Too Much Storyline Syndrome, followed by Must Stay True to Canon At All Times Illness. It took several weeks for me to figure everything out.
Thanks to Kat, for reminding me that this is -my- story, and to write it in what ever order, with what ever storyline I see fit. And for kicking my ass when I struggle with homeschooling.
This is for Tara. Because Alistair is your favorite. And because I'm fairly certain we have giggled over Alistair and Cullen's endowments at least once. You're an awesome person and Mama, and never let anyone tell you otherwise.
This is a fairly short chapter, but the next chapter or so I intend to fully fill out Talise's backstory. And then we'll start hunting red templars and Corypheus.
Talise sat on the top of one of the towers of Skyhold, leather-clad legs dangling over the stone edge, leaning back on her arms. The wind toyed with the ends of her hair, whipping the chocolate dark, silken strands back and forth in the breeze as she almost motionless, her gaze tracing over the mountains before her.
"I knew I'd find you up here." Amelia's voice proceeded her steps, not quite as light as Talise's, but she stepped quietly.
The assassin did not lift her sky-bright gaze, but kept it firmly locked on the mountains, "I thought you'd be in the library with Valissia".
"We haven't had much time together since I got here, I thought to come spend some time with you." Amelia ran a hand over Talise's head affectionately, looking out at the view before them, but also giving Talise plenty of space. Long years of freedom had taught Amelia that Talise craved space and quiet to think in, as much as she did affection.
After a moment, Talise scooted slightly over, leaving enough room for Amelia to sit with her in between two of the stone merlons atop the tower. The storm mage eased onto the edge, slipping her booted legs over and kicking them slightly, leaning over and looking at the drop, "Maker… that is a long drop."
"It is.." Talise looked over at Amelia, her gaze inscrutable as always, hinting at secrets, but giving nothing away.
Heaving a sigh, Amelia leaned against one of the merlons atop the tower, "Alright, what is going on in that head of yours?"
"Lots of things", Talise sighed, her head drooping as she spoke, her fingers twisting the ties on her shirt back and forth.
"Talise, you have the affection of a handsome man. We are safely tucked in this tower, and little by little, we are winning the war. What is going on?", She was careful to keep her tone light, but Amelia did not look away from Talise, patiently waiting for the assassin to reveal what was bothering her.
"What happens after?", Talise flicked her bright gaze to Amelia, and then looked back out at the mountains, her feet kicking gently back and forth as she did so.
"After is too long to think about. Focus on the here and now."
"Who am I?"
Amelia blinked, her emeraldine eyes wide for a moment, "What do you mean?"
"Does he love me? Or does he love who I think I am?", Talise barely spoke the words, barely breathed them out, as if speaking the words would give tangible life to her fears. Her gaze darkened as she spoke, her fingers twisting the ties on her tunic into small knots.
"Ahhhh… I see." Amelia took a deep breath, nodding her dark golden head, "You've lived two separate lives for years now. And you're having a hard time reconciling them."
Talise cannot keep from wincing, as Amelia arrowed straight to the heart of her discontent, "Exactly. What if I put everything together, and he doesn't love who I am?"
"Cullen isn't some starry-eyed romantic with no understanding of how the world works little love. He knows what you do, knows how you do it. I don't think that will happen." Gently Amelia leaned over, nudging Talise with her shoulder for emphasis.
"And if it does?" the question seemed to hang in the air, Talise's voice soft, but trembling with emotion at the same time.
"I'll kill him", Amelia grinned as she spoke, but there was meaning there. She would fully repay anyone who harmed Talise, or Valissia.
With an irritated snort, Talise turned to Amelia, a frown marring her features, "I'm serious Amelia."
"So am I", Amelia turned, pulling one leg up to her chest and letting the other dangle over the edge of the tower, "Your fears cannot keep you back. It is not healthy to keep everything so separate. I am Amelia, I am a Daughter of the Storm, I am a mage. I like candy and books. I am all of those things, all the time."
"Chocolate is better than those sugar candy things." Talise's frown smoothed, but did not completely leave her features as she spoke.
Long tresses of gold and honey swayed as Amelia shook her head at her friend, "No. We're not having that argument. Be all of you, all the time. That includes…."
"No. No. No. That belongs to Jordan." Talise's eyes widen and she shakes her head violently no at Amelia's words, her skin turning even more pale than usual.
"Jordan is gone. He would not want that title to end. With it, you can protect all of us back home. Without it, we fall back on the mercy of the King." Amelia waited for several moments before speaking again, until the shiver that shook Talise's hands had passed.
"Alistair would not see us all torn from our homes." Once more a frown wrinkled Talise's forehead and drew her eyebrows together.
"Listen to me. Alistair is a good man, with a good heart. Who is surrounded by a bunch of men who will put their own wants and needs ahead of what is best for Ferelden. Nightreach is a prize now, a keep rebuilt by a bunch of commoners", Amelia shook her head at Talise, gesturing towards the courtyard at Skyhold for emphasis, "Like here. Except here is up in the mountains. There is no protection for Nightreach."
At Amelia's words, Talise nodded, one hand rubbing at the spot in between her dark eyebrows, "The Couslands have been eyeing it since the Storm Raiders took it over."
"Exactly. And that keep stood empty for hundreds of years. No one wanted it until we all rebuilt it. If you do not take the title Alistair gave Jordan, who knows who will claim it." Amelia leaned back against the merlon opposite Talise, and rested her chin on her knee.
"Amelia, the landsmeet will never accept me." Talise sighed, her fingers going back to tying the laces to her tunic shirt in knots again.
Sensing that she had the advantage, Amelia leaned forward, her gaze intense as she spoke, "Why not? The title is hereditary, you are the last living Montgomery. Alistair made Jordan to a Bann. And now Jordan is gone. Does he have any children we do not know about?"
Talise shook her head no, twisting her hair into a loose knot and leaving it on the base of her neck, "I have looked everywhere, but no. Either he was extremely careful, or extremely lucky."
"Then you're it Talise. You are the rightful Bann, and it's time for you to take your place." Even as she spoke, Amelia moved to sit behind Talise, combing her fingers through the assassin's dark hair with gentle affection.
"You're ignoring I'm also the Ghost of Ferelden." Talise answered darkly, her gaze going back to the mountains.
"Talise, you can be both. You can be the Ghost of Ferelden and Bann. You can be Talise and Ghost…" Amelia continued to run her fingers through Talise's hair, gently working tangles out of the dark, silken strands.
"You can be Ferelden and Rivaini", Valissia's voice interrupted Amelia's, the redheaded mage walking with a fair amount of caution towards the other two women, "Andraste's knickers… do you have to sit on the highest point in the keep?"
"Highest point is actually the Herald's room, I believe." A cheeky grin curled Amelia's lips as she looked over her shoulder at Valissia.
"We are not talking about the balcony in Christopher's quarters. We are talking about Talise. Amelia is right Talise, it's time for you to be all of you, at the same time." Valissia shook her head no as she eased down beside Amelia, keeping her feet well from the edge of the tower wall. As always, she was perfectly dressed, her fiery tresses twisted up in to a braid on the top of her head.
"Jordan was both Ferelden and Rivaini when he swore fealty to Alistair and took the title of Bann. Our fathers were all mercenaries, and they were knighted." Amelia nodded in agreement to Valissia, leaning back against the spirit mage.
"After dying at Ostagar." There is a bitterness to Talise's words that she could not hide, even a decade after the loss of her father.
Amelia sighed and bit her tongue for a moment, her fingers continuing their gentle path through Talise's hair, "If Alistair wills it, the landsmeet will accept you as Bann. It's not like you're proposing marriage to Alistair."
"I think if Alistair stood up and willed it, they would accept you as his Queen." Valissia leaned her forehead against Amelia's shoulder, sighing as she did so.
"That's going a bit far. Princess-Consort maybe." Amelia grinned, her shoulders shaking with laughter she tried to keep hidden.
"Why on earth are we talking about me marrying Alistair?" Talise turned, her eyes wide as she looked at the two mages, who both looked back at her, wearing matching grins.
"We got side-tracked." Amelia grinned unrepentantly.
"And you've seen him naked." Valissia added, biting her lip as soon as she said the words. The story surrounding Talise getting proof of a rebellion with Ferelden to Alistair had grown into near myth in the two years since it happened; but she loved nothing more than to needle the assassin about the true details.
"Just because I saw him naked, once, means he's suitable for marriage?" Even the knowledge that her friends were distracting her from her thoughts with talk of Alistair, did not keep the exasperation from Talise's voice.
"Ooooh! I've always wondered. Is he…" Amelia let the sentence hang, holding her fingers just an inch or so apart.
"No. He's hung like a damn horse." The battle between irritation and amusement ended quickly, and Talise snorted, starting to giggle as she answered Amelia.
At Talise's response, Amelia sighed theatrically, "Of course he is. Handsome. Well-endowed. It's not fair."
"You have Michel." Valissia laughed, her shoulders shaking with mirth at Amelia's overwrought, and faked sigh.
She shook her head no as she spoke, looking over her shoulder at Valissia, "I don't have Michel. We take walks together. And he brings me books."
"And you tied a pink hair ribbon around the hilt of his sword yesterday morning, and called it a favor. Don't think I didn't see you." Talise smirked, rising to her feet with an effortless sort of grace, her movements sending her dark hair tumbling down her back in disarray.
"Have you and he?" Valissia lifted a dark auburn brown at Amelia in question, her stormy eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"No. I am still as pure as the driven snow." Amelia frowned in irritation, "He wants to court me. Wants to do things right."
"And you?" Talise held a hand down to Amelia, and pulled the storm mage to her feet.
Amelia's green gaze darted to the courtyard, where the object of her lust was training soldiers, "Do you think if I showed up in his quarters naked he would make his move?"
"Iron Bull suggested Talise do that to Cullen once." Valissia laughed, dusting her skirts off as she stood.
"Ooh! Speaking of Cullen... is he….?" Distracted from the slowness of her growing relationship with the Orlesian chevalier, Amelia turned to Talise, holding her fingers apart for emphasis, clearly wanted more details.
Talise burst into giggles, shaking her head at her friends, who now both regarded her with the same curious gaze, "Amelia! You're incorrigible! I am not discussing my private life with you. Or Valissia."
"It's not far you know, you're both with someone, and I don't get details." Amelia's gaze slid back to Michel, although from her spot on the tower he was a tiny figure, she watched him with an avid look that gave away her thoughts.
"Have you at least experienced what it is Orlesian's do with their tongue that is so popular yet?" Talise grinned at Amelia, enjoying it as she turned the tables on Amelia.
"He's hinted at it. But he hasn't done it yet." Amelia gritted out the words, raking a hand through her golden tresses. She had been escorted back to the room she shared with Talise and Valissia, although neither of them was in it frequently, many times, her lips swollen from kisses, her hair mused from the chevalier's fingers, her body aching for his touch. Every time though, he had kissed her gently one more time, and tucked her safely within her room, "Can being deprived of a man's affections drive you insane?"
"Poor thing." Valissia giggled, her cheeks heating in a blush, "And no. You won't go crazy. Talise gets irritable though. Before her and Cullen… I could not stand to be around her."
"Hush it. Both of you" The smile she wore took the bite out of her words, and Talise walked to the steps that lead out of the tower.
"I will say it again… it's not fair." As Amelia stuck her hand in her pocket, her fingers brushed against a letter, and she remembered why she had come up to the abandoned tower, looking for Talise. The humor and mischief in her sparkling green gaze darkened, and she withdrew the folded letter, "I got a letter from Patrick this morning. You need to read it."
Her summer bright gaze, always so perceptive, took in the darkening of Amelia's features, and Talise reached for the letter, gently unfolding it. Her own features collapsed into a frown as she reads the words, holding the parchment so Valissia can read the letter over one shoulder, "Maker's hairy balls. Why this? Why now?"
"You know why. You're here. The Couslands have been wanting the keep and land since the Storm Raiders took it over and rebuilt all of it." Valissia answers Talise, cursing under her breath as she takes the letter from Talise and re-reads it, "So Fergus and Tegan Guerrin have been to Nightreach Hold. They're planning something."
"And that something puts Nightreach Hold under the control of either Highever, or Redcliffe." Talise's gaze darkened and she scowled at the letter, as if the parchment had personally offended her. The idea that her home, the home her father and his men had rebuilt from ruins, turning it into a home for all their children and men, provoked a dark anger from the assassin.
Amelia nodded in agreement, gesturing down to the letter Valissia held, "You have been avoiding this for months. But if you want to live a whole life, you cannot ignore this any longer."
"And it's time Talise. You need to pull all the pieces of your life together", Valissia resting her cheek on Talise's shoulder, curling an arm around the assassin's waist, "This is part of your life."
"Fine. Valissia, can you go find Christopher? The Herald and his advisors need to know what is going on." Talise's gaze lifted to Cullen's quarters, and she heaved a sigh, her teeth sinking into her lower lip, "I had hoped to explain this to Cullen before I made a decision."
"Jordan worked with him at the Conclave, and at Haven. I'm sure he knows little love", Amelia followed Talise's gaze, stepping up to stand beside her friend, "He probably did not say anything out of concern for you."
"It would be nice to talk about this with him before hand." Her booted feet stay where she stood, suddenly rooted to the stones of the rampart.
"Then stop keeping so many secrets Talise", Amelia turned, stepping back down the stairs towards the main hall of the keep, her fingers tugging through her hair, pulling at the tangles within her golden strands.