42

"Where in the name of Andraste's inverted nipples is she?!" Isabela demanded as she burst through the door to the Guard-Captain's office.

The gazes of a furious looking Aveline and a dozen shocked looking guards fell upon her.

Aveline straightened up in her seat. "You have your orders men, now clear out. I have a slutty pirate to deal with."

The guards filed past Isabela and out the door, one by one. When the last man had left and closed the door behind himself, Aveline turned to Isabela. "You have a lot of nerve, whore. I should give you a night in the brig after the way you just spoke to me in front of my men."

"Oh shut up, big girl. You'd have to catch me first, and we all know that you can't run fast enough when you're encased in armour up to your chin."

Aveline slammed her hands down and stood up from her desk. "What do you want, Isabela? I don't have time for your nonsense anymore! I would've thought you'd be halfway to Nevarra by now anyway, now that you have your long awaited ship."

"I have business to finish off, and you know it. I need to speak with Hawke. Where is she?!"

Aveline rolled her eyes. "She's left the Free Marches. I won't say any more than that to the likes of you. You promised me you would stay away!"

"I did! She came to me!"

Aveline sighed. "I know she did. I should have realised she would. She's had a reward out for any information on your whereabouts since the day you left."

Isabela paused, lost in thought. Why? So that she could kill me? Or send me to Par Vollen? No, if she'd wanted to hurt me, she's had hundreds of opportunities.

"A reward? Why?" she finally asked.

Aveline shrugged. "Because she's Hawke. She was worried about you, she wanted to see you, she had some idiot notion that there was something to salvage between you two… take your pick. Just because you stopped loving her, doesn't mean she stopped loving you."

"Did she... ever try to come after me?"

Aveline shook her head. "No, she didn't. She figured that if you'd felt even a fraction of what she did, you'd come back on your own. Poor, silly kid."

Isabela swallowed the lump in her throat.

"There was a group that came after you. A small militia of Qunari supporters that wanted to see you punished for your crimes. They set off after you, and it was the strangest thing. We found their bodies littering the trail down the Wounded Coast. They hadn't even made it to Ostwick. Every single man and woman was burned to the core. We never did figure out who did it..." Aveline gave a small, knowing smile.

Isabela's mouth opened, but no sound came out. She stammered. "I… didn't realise that… I thought she would've hated me."

Aveline put an irritated hand over her forehead. "Andraste's arse, you're a daft bitch. She's never hated you, she just hated what you did to her."

"I already apologised for stealing the damn tome. I even risked my own neck and came back with it, for Maker's sake! How was I supposed to know that insane Arishok would demand a duel?"

Aveline narrowed her eyes. "You really are a stupid whore. She wasn't angry at you because of the stealing, or the lying, or even the Arishok. She was angry at you for leaving. You saw what had become of her in that battle, and you just turned around and left. And after the way you spoke to her in that office, I can't blame her for turning into a bitter husk. You broke her heart, Isabela."

"I…"

"No, don't give me your excuses. Your smooth talking has never worked on me and it still doesn't. Because of you, she has become a different person, and not in a good way. She's angry, she's reckless, she's isolated. She's kept everyone who cared about her at arm's length for the last three years. Well... except for the lover who had her spread out on the Viscount's desk the other night, that is…"

Aveline watched Isabela's face closely as that information sunk in. The pirate flushed deeply, and Aveline smiled. "Jealous? I didn't think it was possible."

Isabela felt the jealousy tugging away at her like an impatient child. "When did this happen?" she finally ventured.

"At the anniversary banquet. The position she was in was very creative. I didn't know Hawke was capable of such flexibility. I think even you would've been impressed."

Isabela felt sick, and wanted to punch Aveline's amused face. Hawke had denied Isabela a kiss, and gone straight to her lover.

"Well… good on her, she needed to get a good hammering. Hopefully she's lightened up a bit now" Isabela said defiantly.

Aveline crossed her arms. "You used to be a great liar, trollop, what happened?"

"Shut up, griffon lips!" Isabela frowned and turned to leave. She'd heard everything she needed to hear, and more than she wanted to.

"Stop, Isabela" Aveline called out. Isabela turned around stiffly. The smile was gone from Aveline's face, apparently she was finished playing her game. "Are you in love with her?"

Isabela dropped her gaze and felt her cheeks grow hot, but didn't respond.

Aveline looked her up and down. "Well, I think that's my answer. She should be back in Kirkwall at the end of next week. I suggest you be very sure that she is what you want. If you hurt her again, I'll kill you."

"What happened to 'leave her alone'?"

"If there's even a small chance that she can know happiness again, I'll take it, even if it means she shares her bed with a harlot like you."

Isabela paused at the door. "Thank you, big girl" she said quietly, before walking out.