Devotion or Destruction?

A boiled egg war is so tempting right now…

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Chapter 2: Proposal

There were no windows in the guest room, she noticed because her skin was almost begging for natural light when she awoke. At first she was bewildered; where in Ferelden is this? For a moment she considered that she might be in a Dwarven Thaig and that Darkspawn were outside chattering away about spells and Templar's.

Then realisation hit her along with embarrassment; she was in the Circle of Magi, obviously, and those were mages outside her door on their way to breakfast. That also explained the lack of sunlight: the second floor was devoid of windows in case any mages became desperate enough to leap out. From this height they might just survive and that would be no good at all.

With remembrance came a flood of memories of the evening before and her return to the tower and the subsequent shock bomb that was dropped from Knight-Commander Cullen. He had asked her to become the First Enchanter of the Ferelden Circle, to replace Irving. It felt like blasphemy; who could possibly replace Irving? Certainly not her, sure she killed an Archdemon but that did not require any level of diplomacy – that required fighting to the death and living on desperation.

"… Ugh. First Enchanter Solona…" She felt like somewhere out there, Jowan was laughing at her. Her stomach growled, reminding her that it had been a long time since she last ate.

Maybe after breakfast things will make sense!

She was starting to see a pattern; how long before some random every-day-event actually did provide her with the clarity she hungered for? However, her musings were cut short by a gurgling whine from her stomach. She complied with the wishes of the gut and made her way to the 3rd floor for breakfast.

[Dining hall]

The hall was grand like Solona remembered and yet it seemed to be distinctly lacking in ambience. There were less bodies fighting for food and those that were there seemed so restrained, almost scared. Then she saw the source of their nervousness; Knight-Commander Cullen was in the room. She swallowed thickly, wondering whether he would instantly ask about the proposal of the night before.

She walked across the room, noting the hushed whispers of her identity; the Hero of Ferelden and the few knowing looks of peers she had left behind who knew her better as the rogue mage that aided a Blood Mage. Curiosity and condemnation, in the same room and a sobering reminder that she would have to work extra hard if she were to try and lead the circle toward any kind of future.

"Solona." It was Cullen. She heard the clank of his armour as he approached.

"Knight-Commander…" she addressed him, with a nod, before looking to the food.

"I trust you slept well?" he replied, in a dreadfully formal tone.

"Yes the bed was comfortable." She felt like one of the noble women she had seen at the Landsmeet, responding with restraint for fear of losing 'face' or standing in the eyes of others. She had sworn that it would never be her; she would never live such a life because it was not her. She was not a restrained noble; she was a mage who had been torn from normalcy a long time ago. A smile crept of her lips "However, I was plagued by very strange dreams."

"Strange dreams?" He rose a rust-coloured eyebrow "What do you mean?"

I can't believe I'm going to say this… she thought with grim excitement "Well… I dreamt that you and I were having wild se—"

"Y-You're the Hero of Ferelden aren't you?" a voice squeaked at her side.

Solona blinked, vaguely aware that Cullen was starting at her as though she had just grown a second head, but her focus was drawn to the mage at her side; a young boy no older than eight was gazing up at her with equal measures of fear and awe. She nodded slowly "Yes… I am Solona and I've been called that by a few people."

"Woooow!" he grinned widely, visibly impressed "You… killed an Archdemon!"

Solona nodded "I had help."

"I um. I was dared by my friends to come and speak to you, my name is Julian… Bye!" he dashed back to a small group of children, their faces were filled with fascination as the boy recounted his conversation.

Solona turned back to Cullen, who was still gawping "Um what were we talking about?" she knew full well.

"The proposal." He said, clearing his throat and steeling his gaze "From yesterday. Have you had any thoughts on it?"

There was a time when you would have surely ran away after hearing me say such a thing. She mused sadly but she knew that both of them had changed, they had been tempered by the events of the blight. She couldn't hold Cullen's current distance against him, the acts of Uldred had shaped his views quite strongly and he was no longer the 'naïve boy' he had once been – his own words in fact.

"Oh yes." She murmured "Your proposal to me." Was that a faint blush on his cheeks? Surely not.

"Well?" he asked.

"No… Unfortunately my strange dreams last night made me completely lose my chain of thought with regard to First Enchanterships." She looked up at him "But I did mean to say that my 'exploits' are not a sign that I would make a good First Enchanter. Are you sure that you would want to have to deal with me everyday? Argue with me over the way that mages are treated?"

"If I have to do such things with anyone… Better for it to be you." He murmured "I am sure you will do what is best for the Circle, what you believe to be best as you always have."

"Oh…" she looked down at the plateful of food she had been given "… Thank you, then, for the vote of confidence. Would you… care to join me for breakfast, Knight-Commander?"

"I cannot. There are matters that require my attention. I trust you remember where Greagoir's office was?" she nodded "I will be there, if you wish to discuss matters further."

"Very well. Until later, Knight-Commander." She replied.

He nodded at her and turned to walk off, the moment he left there was a visible slumping of shoulders from every single mage in the hall followed by the dim rumble of murmurs and whispers and conversation. She sat down at an empty table with her plate, suddenly she did not feel so hungry…

End of Chapter 2

Strange dreams of you and I making wild templar-mage sex in my tent – that's what Solona wanted to say! Perhaps she should have asked him to lick a lamppost with her?

- Drake