I've been dying to write/post this chapter since I started brainstorming for this story. I hope it makes all of you as happy as it made me as I was writing it.
If you would like a better idea of what Ellie and the rest of the ladies dresses look like, I have a Polyvore account under the same username (HalcyonHellion). Feel free to check it out or use your imagination. Your call :)
As always, any feedback is appreciated immensely!
Enjoy!
The Winter Palace was exactly as lavish and opulent as Ellie expected it to be. It seemed like every small detail within the grounds was meticulously kept and expensive or at least made to look that way. It was that sort over-the-top display that made Ellie hate Orlesian nobility and while she knew that it was paramount the Inquisition was present that evening, she dreaded being thrust into that kind of society.
The only person who was probably equally as annoyed with going to Halamshiral was Cullen. Ever since they had left Skyhold for the Palace, he'd seemed on edge. More so than usual, if that was even possible. Although Ellie had yet to see her Commander that evening at the ball since he and the other two advisors had arrived about half an hour before her.
While Ellie would rather be a million other places than at an Orlesian ball, she did count it as a personal win that she had managed to talk Josephine and Leliana out of making everyone wear those ridiculously awful uniforms. Why in the Maker's name they thought that was a good idea was beyond her, especially coming from two women who considered themselves fashion conscious.
After some deliberating between the three women, they finally agreed on a cohesive look for the members of the Inquisition. The men, who only consisted of Cullen and Dorian, would wear the original scarlet uniforms that were accented with blue and gold. With the exception of Ellie, the women would wear gowns which varied in individual style but were all the same deep blue that was found in the uniforms. As for Ellie, since she was the Inquisitor and was told with quite a bit of fervor that she needed to stand out as such, she would wear a rich, crimson gown.
Ellie hadn't worn a dress in a number of years and while it was by no means her first pick in attire, she still wanted to look good in it. She had insisted on a design that was a stark difference from the current Orlesian trend of massive hoop skirts and an abundance of unnecessary fabric. Ellie wanted something feminine and flattering but most importantly, she wanted something practical. Leliana had arranged for a drop location where Ellie and her party's armor and weapons would be if they needed them while they were exploring the Palace. But Ellie didn't want to bank on only running into trouble while she was donning her leathers so she made sure that the design of her gown gave her the ability to move quickly and gave her easy access to the blades that would be strapped to her thighs.
She worked with a tailor who was commissioned by Vivienne and after a few hours, not to mention copious amounts of input from her female advisors as well as Vivienne and even Dorian, she finally settled on a design. It took some persuading initially; Ellie thought the gown was a little too daring even for her. But after being convinced that she could somehow pull it off, she agreed to it.
Now, stepping out of the carriage and into the courtyard of the Winter Palace, Ellie couldn't help but feel like maybe her friends knew what they were talking about after all. As her and her three companions walked through the courtyard, Ellie felt as though all eyes were on her and not just because of her title either.
Her sleeveless red gown was relatively fitted. The light, structured fabric was tight on the upper half of her body which was needed because of how deep the neckline plunged. It was the one part of the gown that Ellie wanted to object to considering the slit stopped only a couple inches above her naval. But the opening was so narrow and the fabric was so stiff that it barely showed any cleavage; just the faintest amount to draw the eye but not enough that Ellie felt too exposed or indecent. The dress cinched at her waist, accentuating her curves, then gathered at the hips before draping down to the floor. Another long slit went from the bottom of the dress to her mid-thigh, which again was narrow enough not to be too revealing but gave her the access she needed to her daggers.
If only mother dearest could see me now, she thought dryly, almost laughing at the irony of how empowered she now felt in a dress after her mother was after her for years to wear one constantly. My, how time and circumstance changes things…
When the Grand Duke met them at the entrance Ellie was instantly put on alert with his blatant flattery and gloating, not to mention how he tried to deflect any blame for the civil war onto anyone but himself, the elven ambassador being his prime target. Ellie wasn't entirely happy that Duke Gaspard was their only way into the event tonight, making it necessary for her to play nice at least until they took care of the assassin lurking in the palace, but it was better than nothing. She wouldn't let Corypheus get the upper hand just because she had a strong dislike for dealing with pompous nobles.
Ellie sent her companions into the ballroom to start mingling with the crowds in order to procure some information. While she knew that Dorian and Vivienne would have no problem charming the guests, she was admittedly a little worried about how Cassandra would fare. Ellie needed to have some muscle in her party, but she still wanted people who would be able to blend in well. Blackwall certainly wouldn't enjoy this sort of thing, and while Iron Bull's skills as a Ben-Hassrath would come in handy, she doubted many of the guests would be willing to talk to a Qunari. Besides, even though Cassandra was skilled warrior, she was still Nevarran royalty. She would have to have some experience with these kind of functions, right?
After some poking around in the courtyard, Ellie decided it was a good time to head into the ballroom herself. While blending into the shadows was typically a speciality of hers, she was finding it a little difficult to do in outside lighting, especially since she was wearing bright red.
Perhaps we could have settled on a more discreet colour palette, Ellie thought idly as she opened the huge doors that led into the palace.
She didn't have too long to reflect on that, however, because she caught sight of a familiar figure walking towards her. Josephine lookedstunning in her dress that was quite classy and with the way she held herself, Ellie knew the ambassador was completely in her element here.
"Inquisitor, a moment if you please?" Josephine asked, her tone serious, "I must warn you before you go inside: How you speak to the court is a matter of life and death. It is no simple matter of etiquette and protocol. Every word, every gesture is evaluated for weakness."
Ellie couldn't help but smile at the Antivan's protective warning, "I appreciate your concern, Josephine. But I know what the Game entails. I'll be sure to stay on guard. Have you made sure that everyone has received the same warning?"
"Yes, and I'm not terribly worried about anyone. You picked suitable companions to be here this evening." Her expression changed ever so slightly then and Josephine leaned a little closer to Ellie so she didn't have to say her next words louder than a whisper, "You may want to keep an eye on the Commander, though. He is by far the least experienced with this sort of thing and his discomfort is showing, even though he's already attracted a bit of a crowd."
Ellie raised an eyebrow at that, "He's attracted a crowd?"
"A mostly female crowd, if you understand my meaning."
She understood the meaning quite well and Ellie couldn't help the pang of something in her stomach at the thought. She knew she had no right to feel the least bit jealous, especially after everything that happened with Fenris. Ellie had no claim on Cullen and she was cognizant of that. But even though she was fully aware she shouldn't be jealous, that long-forgotten ache still crept through her.
After assuring Josephine that everything would be fine that evening, she walked further into the building and ascended the stairs of the vestibule. Her silver eyes darted around the area, scanning for familiar faces. Ellie could immediately spot Vivienne gracefully moving through the guests, briefly chatting with all she recognized.
It took her a minute to find Cassandra, not used to seeing the Seeker in anything other than armor. Cassandra's gown looked beautiful on her, the royal blue making her skin appear more bronzed. Even though it was a formal dress, it still was every bit Cassandra, simple and strong with hints of indigo-tinted leather tactfully placed on the gown. She observed as the warrior shot down multiple men who were vying for her attention and Ellie had to stifle a giggle.
After gazing through the masked guests, she noticed there were some people she couldn't see just yet, though she knew they had to be there somewhere. Leliana was nowhere to be seen, at least not in that room. She hadn't managed to locate Dorian either.
But as Ellie's eyes searched the room, her breathing stopped dead in its tracks when she caught sight of a particular handsome, golden-haired man who was staring right back at her. She didn't even notice that she was practically openly gawking at Cullen as he stood across the way in his uniform. Ellie had always favoured the Commander's armor, how strong and authoritative it made him look. But as she drank in the sight of him in a formal, military-style outfit that seemed to make his chest and shoulders wider, his waist more narrow and give him an impossibly dashing and dignified air, she had to hold herself back from running to him.
Ellie was so caught up with his change in clothes that she didn't even notice that he was still looking at her. At least not at first. It was a few long seconds before she snapped back to reality and her eyes somehow landed on Cullen's face. His eyes had widened as they moved up and down her frame, his lips parted slightly.
And he was looking directly at her. He wasn't looking at Josephine or Cassandra or any of the other guests. He was looking at her, only at her. Usually Ellie would feel uncomfortable knowing someone was eyeing her like that, but this wasn't just anyone. This was Cullen and the expression on his face as his eyes were on her was something she wanted to remember for the rest of her life.
Suddenly she felt as though there was some kind of magnetic pull to him, her feet moving on their own accord towards him. Before she could get very far, though, someone cleared their throat right behind her.
"As devilishly handsome as the Commander looks this evening, it's a little too early for you to jump him, my darling."
Ellie instantly recognized the voice of her best friend, and though she really didn't want to, she stopped her advance towards the object of her attention. Her eyes lingered for a moment longer on the gorgeous man across the room before she begrudgingly tore them away and regarded the Tevinter beside her.
"Does that mean I'm allowed to jump him later, then?" Ellie retorted slyly, earning a burst of sharp laughter from Dorian.
"You may have to fight your way through the mass of other women after his attention tonight," Dorian admonished.
It was then that Ellie realized just exactly how many women the Commander had attracted. The sinking feeling returned to the pit of her stomach.
"Don't worry, love," her friend assured in a confident tone, "They are no match for you, especially with that dress you're wearing. You know he hasn't taken his eyes off you, right?"
Ellie, after being given the sliver of hope from Dorian, dared to draw her gaze back to Cullen's face. To her surprise, not to mention relief, the Commander was still looking at her, though his expression seemed to soften just the tiniest amount. From across the vestibule, they managed to lock eyes and Ellie couldn't help but curl her lips upward. When she did so, he matched it with his own crooked smile that Ellie adored.
"Come, my dear," Dorian interrupted, "I believe they're getting ready to announce you in the ballroom."
Her friend's interjection reminded Ellie where they were. Managing to rip her eyes away from Cullen once again, she linked arms with Dorian who led her into the next room. It was then that she noticed that they were indeed waiting to introduce the members of the Inquisition.
Upon entering the ballroom, she was greeted by the Grand Duke who was far too excited by the controversy of having the Inquisitor at his side. Ellie had to fight rolling her eyes. But she supposed that he was just using her as a pawn the same way she used him to get an invite to the ball.
She reminded herself that once they were presented formally to the Empress, she could really start getting to work. Between the Empress, the Grand Duke and Ambassador Briala she had plenty of leads to follow and snooping around for people's dirty secrets was not only something Ellie was good at, but it beat sticking around the ballroom.
Just a few more minutes of formalities, she reminded herself as she forced a grin when they announced her name.
Ellie felt like she was being sent on a wild goose chase. While she had stumbled upon some rather interesting information that could be used as blackmail and had gathered some incriminating evidence against the Grand Duke as well as Briala, they were no closer to finding the assassin. None of her companions who had been lingering around the courtyard had managed to glean anything useful so far either.
The Inquisitor sighed as she made her way back towards the ballroom. Both Josephine and Leliana had made it a point to advise Ellie that while she needed to poke around in the hidden corners of the palace, in order to keep her approval with the court, she couldn't completely disappear for the evening. She hated the fact that she had to take time out of her snooping to schmooze a bunch of nobles. But she also understood the reasoning behind it and she wasn't about to put her own personal comfort ahead of the Inquisition's purpose.
Stepping through the giant doors that led to the ballroom, Ellie started making her rounds, gracing everyone who greeted her with the most charming smile she could manage. She rounded one of the corners when she spotted an uncomfortable looking Cullen standing in front of a window. He was trying to be polite to the many women and men who had flocked to him, she could see that, so perhaps it was because she knew him that she could so easily sense his distress. The amusement of it almost drowned out her underlying anger at the amount of people pining after him.
Suddenly, the Commander's gaze met hers and while she normally would've felt embarrassed by being caught staring, the torment in his eyes gave her pause. It was almost like he was silently pleading to Ellie for help before his focus was torn away to address yet another masked Orlesian who was trying to claim his full attention.
But it was in that moment that Ellie came up with a wicked idea. It was something that was probably extremely ill-advised, and while she could justify it being for Cullen's sake, if she were being completely honest with herself, it was hardly selfless. Her mind glazed over the possible negative backlash it could cause but she dutifully ignored it. Instead, she made her way over to the floundering Commander with a courage she didn't know she could have around the handsome man, especially with hundreds of people watching.
With confident steps, Ellie casually sauntered up to Cullen who had yet to notice her walking up to him. As she came within earshot, she heard one of the women surrounding Cullen quite blatantly ask him if he was single. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Commander flush slightly at the lady's audacity as he stumbled trying to come up with a response. It gave Ellie the nerve she needed to go through with her plan and it gave her the perfect opening to do it.
Before Cullen had a chance to properly answer the noble woman's brazen question, his attention snapped to Ellie who was mere inches away from his left and closing the distance still. She offered him a coy smile when he looked at her with confusion.
"Hello, Cullen," Ellie's silvery voice chimed as she pressed herself lightly against his side. His amber eyes grew wide from shock but before he could question her, she clasped her hands around his shoulder and lifted herself up on the tips of her toes so she could tilt her mouth close to his ear. "Just follow my lead and play along," she whispered, her lips just barely grazing his ear and she felt him tense before she sank back to her normal height, keeping her hands perched on his shoulder though he remained unmoving.
"Oh my, are you the Inquisitor?" The feminine Orlesian accent sounded, "My apologies, I did not know you and the Commander were so... Close."
Ellie had to fight a smirk, her idea going exactly according to plan. "It's lovely to meet you, I see you've already had the pleasure of meeting my Commander," she replied, feigning a sweet voice despite her purposeful emphasis on the word 'my.'
The people around the Commander seemed to take notice of Ellie and her display towards Cullen. Hushed whispers and a muted gasps flowing through the small crowd, understanding settling over them as slowly they began dispersing. It was then that Cullen had apparently realized exactly what Ellie was doing and that it was starting to work. Following her advice to play along, Ellie felt a large hand hesitantly place itself around her waist, finally finding purchase just above her hip.
The Inquisitor watched as the Orlesian woman's eyes landed briefly on where Cullen's hand had become situated. "Yes, I see," she muttered quietly, "Enjoy the rest of your evening. Excuse me."
With that, the lady left and for the first time that evening the Commander didn't have anyone hovering over him. Ellie felt him relax ever so slightly but made no motion to leave her spot pressed up to Cullen's side.
If I leave right away, those vultures will just circle right back to him, she tried justifying to herself. While it was probably true, she couldn't help revel in just how good it felt to be leaning up against him with his arm wrapped around her. Yes, I think I can stay here just a bit longer.
"I suppose I owe you my thanks," Cullen acknowledged in a low voice.
Ellie stole a glance up at him, noticing the smile in his eyes, "You looked like you could use a break from your admirers."
"You know Leliana and Josephine are going to kill you for this," he said with a soft chuckle.
She fought a scoff, "You're probably right. I'm sure they'll have plenty of damage control to do from all the gossip. Plus I think they were trying to use you as bait tonight." Ellie looked back at Cullen and saw the slight grimace on his face at her words. "Considering just how attractive you are anyways and how well you apparently clean up, you can hardly blame them for wanting to."
Ellie had no idea what had come over her that evening. Between trying to make the court believe that her and Cullen were an item to actually admitting to him that she thought he was attractive, she didn't know she could be so bold around the man. She hadn't even had a drink yet.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the rosy hue that had crept up Cullen's neck. Instantly she felt guilty for what she had said. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "My intention was to alleviate your discomfort, not to add to it."
"No, it's not that, it's just..." Cullen paused to collect his thoughts before turning to look Ellie in the eye, "It's just different hearing it from you."
The corners of his mouth curled upwards into a shy smile and the possible intent behind his words sunk into Ellie's mind. It was her turn to blush and she couldn't seem to formulate any coherent reply. So instead she bit her bottom lip nervously, looking up at Cullen through her tinted lashes and she could almost swear that his grip on her tightened.
Ellie wished desperately in that moment that the rest of the guests in the ballroom could fade away. She wished that it could just be her and Cullen in the room together so she could say all the things her heart was dying to tell him in hopes that he might say that he felt the same way. But they were far from being alone and her work for the evening wasn't even close to finished.
It's going to be a long night.
And a long night it was. How babysitting the rulers of the Orlesian empire had become part of her job description, Ellie had no idea. But the Empress had been saved, the Venatori assassins were disposed of, and the Grand Duchess Florianne who was conspiring with Corypheus against the Empress had been killed. She had managed to accomplish everything they came to the Winter Palace to do, something she should have taken solace in.
Yet, as Ellie stood alone on the balcony gazing aimlessly over the courtyard, she didn't exactly feel like she was in good spirits. Her mind was racing, trying to process everything that had happened.
Ellie knew that the Grand Game was cutthroat, she knew how calloused the people who played it were. But to sell out your own family, not to mention the fate of the entire world, just for the promise of more power, Ellie couldn't understand it. Florianne was used as a pawn by Corypheus and the Grand Duchess was completely oblivious to it. The shameless coercion tactics that Corypheus used worked incredibly well and that thought made Ellie sick to her stomach.
But that wasn't the only thing that was weighing on her. She thought back to her impulsive decision to 'rescue' Cullen from the following he had accumulated that evening. Ellie could only imagine the scolding she would receive from the Commanders fellow advisors later. But that wasn't what was troubling her.
She didn't know where she had gotten the nerve to so publicly stake her claim on him when truthfully she had no actual claim on him at all. But it scared her. Ellie had never been one to show her hand so carelessly like that and she couldn't understand why she had been so desperate to do it earlier. Feeling jealous from all of the attention Cullen was receiving was a problem in itself. Becoming so bothered by it that she acted on it was a completely different story. Sure, when she had initially conjured the idea she tried to justify it with selfless motives. But deep down, she knew better than that. She needed to shake her infatuation with Cullen before she ended up doing something even more foolish.
It's more than an infatuation and you know it.
Ellie let out an aggravated sigh when she heard footsteps behind her.
"There you are," a familiar voice sounded as it approached her, "I've been looking everywhere for you. Are you alright?"
She peered over at the man who was the cause of her internal war as he leaned on the railing beside her. "I am. It's just been a long night."
"For all of us," Cullen replied, "I wanted to thank you again for earlier."
That admission made Ellie's head snap towards him in surprise, "You did?"
"If it weren't for that small reprieve, I may not have gotten through the evening with my sanity still in tact. It helps that you were the one to offer that." He gave Ellie a meek, lighthearted smile, but she was still reeling from her own anguish over her actions that she barely returned the expression.
Seeming to notice her inner conflict, he tilted his body towards her and gingerly placed his hand on her back. The contact sent sparks flying through her, heat radiating from where he was touching her. It was enough to pull her completely from her self-condemning thoughts and she lifted her eyes to meet his.
"At the risk of turning into a blushing fool," Cullen started softly, "I have to say that you look beautiful tonight. You're absolutely stunning, Ellie."
Ellie blinked, her face instantly reddened and she felt like her jaw was about to drop through the floor. Did he just say she was beautiful? Her moment of stunned silence caused Cullen to retract slightly.
"Thank you," Ellie sputtered out, realizing she didn't want Cullen to take her delayed reaction the wrong way. Willing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath and met the Commander's gaze again as she bit her lip. "Really, Cullen. Thank you."
The right side of his lips quirked up into a lopsided grin. His amber eyes quickly flashed towards the ballroom and it was then that Ellie noticed the music had changed, a new song just beginning.
"I may never get another chance to do this, and I'll warn you now that I'm terrible at this but," he pushed himself off of the railing and took a step back, his hand leaving Ellie's back. She instantly missed the sensation of his touch but then she saw that same hand of his extend towards her as he bowed slightly, "May I have this dance?"
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Ellie was left speechless. She would have guessed, given his life circumstances, Cullen didn't dance much, if at all. Judging by he lack of his presence on the dance floor that evening, she doubted dancing was something he was comfortable with. She didn't know what it meant that he was asking her to dance now, if it meant anything. But truthfully, she didn't care because he was right; they probably wouldn't get this chance again.
Smiling, Ellie accepted his hand and he led her to the middle of the vacant balcony. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist for the second time that evening. He held her close, closer than most dance partners would, as they began swaying to the music coming from inside the palace.
No words were exchanged between them as they danced. Even if she could find the right ones to say, their meaning might be lost given where they were and how little they could do about what might be said. When Ellie glanced up at Cullen, she could somehow tell he was thinking the same thing even though he smiled down at her. All she wanted in that moment was for the two of them to be far away from the Winter Palace, away from the nobles and away from all the danger they constantly faced. She wanted to be with the man in front of her, just the two of them, some place she could be free to show him just what he meant to her without fearing any reprecussions.
Not knowing how to express any of what she was feeling in another way, Ellie simply rested the side of her head against Cullen's broad chest, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent as she mirrored his rhythmic steps. She felt his lips press against the top of her head before he rested the side of his chin in the same spot. All of the unspoken emotions from the evening seemed to rest between them, silent confessions that could be only felt and not heard.
Ellie let her worries about everything melt away from her. She didn't want to think about the past or future now, not when the present was so perfect. Instead she focused on Cullen. On his deep, steady breathing, his comforting smell, the heat of his body held tightly against hers. She studied every single detail of that moment, hoping it was one that she wouldn't soon forget.