"Lana, darling are you in?"

Leandra entered the estate and deposited her shopping on the nearest table. The house was eerily quiet. She looked in the study just off the main hallway for her daughter and up at the mini library she had created for herself. Hawke was nowhere to be found. There were two wine goblets spilt over the table.

"Lana?" Leandra called again, re-entering the main part of the estate. Still nothing. Her mother glanced up at the balcony at the top of the stairs, wondering where Lana could have gone. She seemed content enough to stay inside today and had rejected her mother's offer to go shopping together. Leandra called Hawke a few more times, even louder than before. Suddenly she heard someone moan nearby.

"LANA?"

Lana straightened up at once. She could have sworn she just heard her mother's voice. She can't be back this soon, Hawke thought to herself, her heart beating frantically. She glanced up at the beautiful blonde woman lying naked in her bed, moaning erotically, her legs spread wide while Lana pleasured her below with her tongue. Blight! She couldn't remember her name. The woman's hands were intertwined in Lana's hair as she lost herself in her orgasm. They had met in one of the Hightown taverns last night and she seemed up for a good time so Hawke invited her over today, knowing full well Leandra wanted to go to the market and they would have the place to themselves. The woman smiled down her, completely at ease. Lana gave her a strained smile back.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked, playing with Lana's hair with her fingers. Hawke shook her head then. She must have imagined it. She lowered her face and continued to pleasure the woman once more. After several seconds though, she felt strange and raised her head again. The woman stopped moaning and looked down.

"Don't stop!" she complained. Lana had frozen. "Hawke, what's the matter?" Hawke ignored the question, straining her ears to listen for her name. She was sure someone had called her. This time it was unmistakable.

"Lana, I'm back," her mother called from downstairs. "Are you here?"

"Shit!" Hawke shrieked quietly, springing out of bed at once. She bounded across the room buck naked, picking up the discarded clothes which she had torn eagerly from the blond woman not half an hour ago and bundled them up in her arms before throwing them at the wet, naked lady in her bed.

"You need to go!" Hawke hissed, "Now!"

"What?" the woman asked straightening up, looking offended. She slid out of the bed and walked towards Lana, her bundle of clothes in her arms. "I thought we were having fun."

"We were," Hawke lied (the woman wasn't really to her taste). "But my mother's home now. You need to leave, quickly!"

"Ah yes, Leandra Amell," the woman said, smiling, "How nice! She's friends with my mother. I always liked her. I'll get dressed and the three of us can have dinner together. My parent's make the best..."

Hawke's mouth fell open as the woman continued to talk and she cursed inwardly. What!? She had no idea she had just seduced a woman who had a connection with her mother. Nice choice, Lana, you stupid bitch. Way to keep your secret! The woman began to put on her shirt. Suddenly there were foot steps on the stairs and Leandra's calls sounded closer.

Step, Step, Step.

"Shit! She's coming up the stairs!" Hawke whispered frantically, waving her arms. "You need to go! Quickly!"

"Are you ashamed of me?" the woman asked angrily, clearly not grasping the sense of urgency coming from Hawke. The only piece of clothing the lady had on was a shirt, open at the front. Lana had ripped the buttons off in her eagerness and the other clothes had been torn to shreds. How in Andraste's holy knickers would she ever explain this to her mother? Oh, yeah this crazy naked lady just jumped in my window...and I just happened to be naked at the same time. Hawke cursed out loud this time. This was why she hated sleeping with nobles. A Lowtown woman wouldn't give a damn if you were ashamed of her. And she would at least have the decency to leave before breakfast the next day or get out as quick as she could when someone was about to catch her in a compromising position. This woman clearly had no concept of panic. She was a bit dim.

"No!" Hawke whispered quickly, "You just have to go. Now! Use the window!"

She ushered the woman towards the open window and tried to make her go quicker. Maker's Breath, get your naked ass out!

"But I'm in the nude!" the woman exclaimed angrily.

Step, Step, Step

"Sorry," Lana said, glancing over her shoulder. Leandra's footsteps were approaching. She turned back to the woman. "Just Go! Go! Go!"

The woman swung her leg over the window ledge, still staring at Hawke.

"May I see you again?" she asked. Lana almost strangled her.

"Yeah, sure, whatever!" she replied, not really listening. The woman leaned up and grabbed Lana's face, planting a goodbye kiss on her lips.

"Another time, my love," she said in her noblewoman voice in a way she deemed romantic. She slipped down the hedging on the side of the Estate to the ground below. Thank The Maker!

Step, Step, Step

Lana bolted over to her bed and jumped under the covers just as the bedroom door squeaked open. Leandra poked her head in.

"Lana! You're here!" she said confused, "Why didn't you answer me the first time?"

Lana groaned, trying to control her heavy breathing. "I was sleeping, Mother," she lied, putting on her groggiest voice. Leandra entered the room and walked towards her bed.

"At this time?" she asked curiously.

"I...I don't feel so good," Lana complained, staring up at her mother. "I think I'm coming down with something."

Leandra sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand over Lana's moist forehead. She frowned.

"You're burning up, darling" she said worriedly, "You have a fever."

Maybe because I've been having sex for the past half an hour, Hawke joked to herself. She closed her eyes, playing into her mother's concern.

"Ughh...I think I'm going to go back to sleep..." she moaned, "My head hurts."

Leandra ran her hands through her daughters long brown hair which was plastered to her face with sweat.

"Good idea, darling, "she said, smiling sympathetically at her, "I'll go get you some water."

Leandra left the room and returned moments later with a mug full of ice-cold water. She sat it on Lana's nightstand. Lana kept her eyes closed, trying to avoid conversation. Her heart was in her mouth. Leandra walked to the window and drew the curtains, putting the room into semi-darkness. Lana wondered if her mother could see the half-naked woman running through the streets below, in the distance. She felt her mother approach her bed again and lean down towards her, planting a gentle kiss on the head before leaving the room. The door shut tightly behind her.

As soon as her mother's footsteps could be heard descending the stairs, Lana opened her eyes and rolled onto her back, flinging her hands over her head and exhaling with relief. Andraste's Ass! That was a close call. She couldn't imagine having to explain that to her mother. It probably would have given her a heart attack. Lana chuckled to herself. She could only imagine how Isabela would react when she told her this story later.

"Let me get this straight," the pirate said, laughing her head off, "You threw a horny, naked noblewoman out your bedroom window and made her climb down the side of your house, carrying her bundle of clothes?"

Varric, Merrill and Lana were all in hysterics. Even the normally brooding Fenris was chuckling loudly. They were seated at a table in The Hanged Man, three large, empty pitchers of ale in front of them, surrounded by playing cards.

"I know, right?" Hawke said in disbelief, "Maker's Breath, I was absolutely shitting myself about getting caught, and all this woman wanted to do was meet my mother in the nude and have tea with her!"

Roars of laughter filled the table once more, Varric slamming his hand against the table, Merrill tittering politely, Isabela leaning back on her chair and Fenris with his head in his hand. Lana giggled along with them, shaking her head. Only she would get caught in that kind of situation. It was so typical. After several minute the laughter finally faded out, everyone wiping the tears from their eyes.

Varric and Fenris got to their feet then and walked to the bar to refill the pitchers. Merrill lay her head on the table, on the verge of falling asleep. She never could handle her drink. Isabela placed a hand on Lana's leg.

"Oh, Hawke!" she said, shaking her head, still chuckling, "I can't believe you...Thank you for giving me one of the best mental images ever!"

Lana laughed, "Come on, Isabela, I'm sure you've seen better images than that," she joked. The pirate leaned in closer so as Merrill couldn't hear her.

"Only when I think of having you at my mercy back in that cell in the brig," she whispered seductively."Do you remember...?" Her hand began to slide along Hawke's thigh then. Lana felt her breath catch as Isabela moved closer to her. The Rivaini raised her other arm and rested it on the back of Lana's chair. She stared deeply into her eyes, desire rising in her own. Lana stared back, feeling herself become enticed by the smouldering, amber eyes before her.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Lana whispered back, not breaking their stare. Isabela's smile widened.

"Because I want you, Hawke...You know I do," she replied, her eyes flashing dangerously. Lana reached down and placed a hand over Isabela's, which was still caressing along her thigh.

"And you know that you can't have me, Bela," she said quietly. "We've talked about this before..."

Isabela leaned her face in closer, glancing down at Hawke's lips and then back into her eyes. "Then let's not talk," she sighed, moving closer still, "Let's just..."

Without a seconds hesitation she placed her lips against Lana's very gently, immediately tasting that sweetness that she had been obsessing over since she had first kissed the woman. Lana felt herself respond, caressing her tongue along the Rivaini's slowly, tenderly, feeling her willpower drain as it so often did with Isabela. Every time she drank she had a hard job fending off the busty rogue, and this time she had been too entranced by the Rivaini's eyes to resist. That familiar conflict raged in her head of good idea vs. bad idea as she inhaled deeply, drawing breath from Isabela. She always found it hard to stop once they had started. Isabela learnt this after the time they had spent sharing a cell a few years back, when Lana had rejected her, then gave in once more before rejecting her again. The Rivaini decided used it to her advantage as she pressed her lips against Lana's for the first time in three years, feeling herself hunger for more of the woman, more than Lana was willing to offer.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat. Lana and Isabela broke apart and looked up at a shocked Varric and Fenris who had returned with the pitchers of beer. Isabela wiped her moist lips, looking sheepish as Lana dropped her eyes, embarrassed, and got to her feet.

"Excuse me," she exhaled, avoiding their questioning stares and rushing to the water closet. She shut the door tight behind her and leaned her back against it, closing her eyes and trying to catch her breath. Maker's Breath! She had done it again. She had stupidly invited Isabela in after keeping her at bay for three years and could feel that infuriating urge to just tear off her clothes like she had done with the noblewoman earlier and claim her right in that moment. Isabela was torturing her. And she was doing it on purpose. Lana still couldn't get her out of her head. As much as she tried to tell herself the attraction was only physical, she knew there was much more to it than that. As if she could do anything about it anyway. Even if Isabela was willing for a relationship, she could hardly bring her home to her family and introduce her as her lover.

Isabela was still the only person that knew Hawke was only sexually interested in women. All of her other friends just assumed she was a free spirit like the pirate, having fun exploring the hidden secrets of the female form while returning to men every once in a while. She had kept her sexuality a secret for so long that it was just easier not to tell anyone. She saw no reason to when all she was looking for was a one night stand here and there, never having any interest in relationships. Isabela was the only person she had ever possessed actual feelings for and she wasn't even sure how deep they went. But she knew it was no use. The pirate had closed her heart and thrown it to the bottom of the ocean, never to be found. And Lana didn't want to waste her time swimming around looking for it.

Taking a deep breath, Lana finally opened her eyes and exited the water closet. She walked back to the table to find Varric sitting alone, sipping his pint. The others had gone, Isabela too. Lana seated herself down opposite the dwarf and grabbed her mug of ale.

"What's going on Hawke?" Varric asked after a few seconds, his face lined with concern.

Lana placed her mug back on the table and looked up. "What do you mean?"She asked, acting as though nothing had happened. Varric leaned across the table, folding his arms. He stared at Hawke seriously.

"Look," he began, "As your friend, I feel like I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't bring this up."

"Bring what up?" Lana asked, knowing full well what he wanted to talk about. Varric sighed.

"You and Isabela," he replied. Hawke said nothing as she stared at the dwarf, waiting for him to continue. "She's a great girl, Hawke, and I know you two joke around and flirt a lot, winding each other up and playing games...But I think you're likely to get hurt in the end...By which I mean stabbed and let for dead."

Lana exhaled. "I know," she answered sadly, staring down into her mug.

"Then why?" Varric asked, not understanding.

"She kissed me," Lana said. "It was nothing."

"Hawke," Varric said sceptically, "I know the difference between a one way kiss and a two way...the first one usually involves someone pulling back and neither of you did. I also know the difference between a meaningless kiss and a meaningful one...and what I just saw looked to be much more than a simple joking tease between you two."

Lana took another sip of ale. "I know you mean well, Varric," she began softly, "And I know what it looked like...but it just appeared that way. There's nothing going on between me and Isabela. We flirt...but that's it. There will never be anything more between us."

"Are you sure?" the dwarf asked. Lana met his eyes. "Look, I'm only watching out for you, Hawke. I know you can take care of yourself but you and Isabela are very passionate when it comes to winning these games...it just seems like there is a lot of room for disaster here."

Hawke said nothing. She knew he was right. She smiled up at him.

"Thanks Varric, but you don't need to worry. I'll be fine."

The dwarf raised his eyebrows. "Don't you even want to know where Isabela went?" he asked.

"...Alright, where?" Hawke asked, acting as though she didn't care.

Varric sighed, his face reluctant to say. "She went upstairs to her room with a woman who came in when you were gone." He watched Hawke for her reaction. Lana didn't even flinch. She already knew Isabela was sleeping with other people. As was she.

"What's new?" she joked, ignoring the mixed feelings of disappointment and gratefulness. Varric chuckled, seemingly happy with her answer. Lana felt a little tug of jealousy inside her, though, which she neglected to mention.

"Alright Hawke, have it your way...Just be careful."

"Darling, I have great news!"

Hawke broke off her dirty conversation with Isabela at once, as her mother approached her in the Hightown market district. Isabela rolled her eyes as the newly reinstated noblewoman rushed up to her daughter and kissed her on both cheeks in greeting. Maker, she hated her! Leandra reminded her too much of her own mother back in Rivain. It would have been hilarious if Leandra had overhead the conversation she and Lana were in the middle of having. The phrase "Would you kiss your mother with that mouth?" entered the pirates mind as she saw Lana plant a kiss on either of her mother's cheeks. The pirate tried not to laugh and hovered beside Hawke, eavesdropping.

"What is it Mother?" Hawke asked, seeing the numerous shopping bags in Leandra's arms.

"We're having a dinner party tomorrow," she said excitedly, "I've invited all the nobles in Kirkwall. Maker, it will be great to see everyone again! It's been too long."

Lana's heart almost stopped. "A..a... dinner party?" she stuttered. Isabela began to snigger silently beside her. She could tell Lana was on the verge of having an aneurism.

"Yes, dear!" her mother continued. "I sent the invites out weeks ago and organised minstrels to come and play for us. Aveline will be there two. There will be dancing, decorations, the whole works! I'm surprised no one has mentioned it to you yet."

"I don't hang around in Hightown much, Mother," Lana reminded her.

"I suppose you don't" Leandra agreed, eyeing Hawke's tight breeches and jacket with dislike. She hated that Hawke spent most of her time in The Hanged Man. "I got you a new dress for the occasion. We must have you looking your best."

"Indeed," Isabela interrupted putting on her politest voice. She tried hard not to laugh. Of all the years she's known her, she had never seen Lana in a dress. There was just something about long skirts which got in the way of killing everything that crossed her path. "I'm sure your mother has a nice man lined up for you to meet."

Lana heard the mocking tone in Isabela's voice but she wasn't sure her mother did. The pirate was rather enjoying herself. Lana give her a 'shut up now' kind of look and prayed to the Maker that this wasn't true.

"I may have," Leandra said to her, acting coy, "There's been interest from many possible suitors in town."

Lana cringed. Oh Maker no!

"I can see why," Isabela said to Leandra with a smirk, looking Hawke up and down. It was hard for her to hide the longing in her eyes. Lana saw it linger there as she took in her appearance. She hoped her mother didn't. "You have a very beautiful daughter, Leandra."

Lana chuckled. She couldn't help it. Beautiful was definitely not the word Isabela would use to describe her in other company. It was much too polite for her foul mouth. She knew he Rivaini was doing it to wind her up though. Leandra continued talking, noticing nothing unusual. After all, she had never spent much time with Isabela. The only thing she could ever disapprove of was the fact that the woman never wore any pants.

"Thank you, Isabela," Leandra said, chuckling, "Of course I knew that already."

"Yeah, thanks Isabela," Hawke said sarcastically, nudging the pirate in the ribs discreetly. She heard her gasp a little as Hawke's elbow made contact with her. "I can handle my own affairs, Mother," Lana continued, feeling herself panic. Leandra reached out and patted her cheek affectionately.

"Oh, I know you can, darling. I'm just being a mother. Just meet with the lad tomorrow and see where things go. He's quite handsome."

Lana wore a reluctant expression. Her worst possible nightmare had just come true: formal dancing and a date with a man. Isabela sniggered at the sight of her, still massaging her ribs. Leandra could have found her the most handsome man in the world and it wouldn't have made her daughter feel any better about this. Unless the man actually had lady parts Hawke was never going to be interested. Leandra chuckled and kissed her daughter, bidding the two women goodbye and returning to the market stalls to buy more delicacies for the party.

"Can you believe this?" Lana asked Isabela ask they walked through the streets together and were safely out of earshot. The pirate laughed freely now.

"Don't worry about it. It won't be that bad," she said, "It's not like she's asking you to sleep with him or anything."

"It's worse!" Lana exclaimed, "She's expecting me to marry him!"

The Rivaini doubled over with laughter. The outrage on Lana's face was priceless. This party tomorrow would definitely be an entertaining watch. She had noticed that Leandra didn't think to invite her though. Bitch! Isabela glanced over at Lana as they walked through Hightown together. There was genuine apprehension on the woman's face as she thought of the pending party tomorrow and the start of a possible betrothal. There would no doubt be pretty noblewomen there who 'strayed' occasionally, serving as further punishment to Hawke who wouldn't be allowed to work her charms on them. Instead she'd be forced to talk all night with a young man who would never, ever have a chance with her even if he was the nicest, richest, most handsome, caring man in all of Thedas.

Isabela smiled and wrapped her arm around Lana's waist then. She just had a sudden urge to hold her. Hawke stopped outside her Estate and turned to the Rivaini, a pleading look on her face. Isabela caressed her sides a few times, comfortingly, smiling at her.

"Stop worrying!" the pirate implored, "You'll be fine, Hawke. I'm sure he'll be nice enough...and if he's not, he'll be dealing with Isabela."

Lana chuckled. She didn't doubt the pirate's declaration of protection. Isabela reached up a tucked a piece of Lana's brown hair behind her ear. Her hand slid along her cheek then and trickled off her chin. The pirate let out a sigh of contentment, feeling Lana's arms slip around her as well. They stared at her other, each smirking slyly at the other. Isabela leaned in to kiss her then. Lana felt herself instinctively do the same. Their lips brush together for a second, slightly parted, just about to get passionate when:

"Isabela!"

Isabela pulled back and both she and Hawke turned to see who had shouted. There was a woman standing a little ways away, smiling and waving at the pirate. She made her way over, strutting in her high shoes and fancy, low-cut dress.

"Lady Elegant," Isabela called, a huge grin on her face. Elegant held out her hands in a look-at-me kind of gesture as she approached. She didn't seem to care about the scene she had just interrupted.

"Nice to see you again," she said, "And you Hawke."

Lana forced a pleasant smile on her face. Maker she couldn't stand Elegant.

"Still up to old tricks, Bela?" Elegant asked, turning back to the pirate. Her eyes checked out Isabela's assets and she flicked her blond hair back, flirtingly. Lana felt like punching her.

"Let's go somewhere and I'll show you," Isabela said alluringly. She dropped her hand from Hawke's waist and took Elegant's hand, wedding ring and all, leading her away at once. Lana stared after her in disbelief.

"See you, Hawke!" Isabela called over her shoulder, waving her hand absentmindedly. Lana watched them run off together, furious that the Rivaini could just turn her feeling on and off like that. A surge of jealousy shot through her as she thought of Elegant. Isabela had played her once again and Lana had taken it like the fool that she was. Fuming, she whacked the wall of the Estate with her hand and pulled open the door roughly, walking inside.