Justice had thought Alistair understood his rage, since he didn't have much of a complaint from his previous torture of one of Marjolaine's workers earlier. However his words had proven himself wrong over the matter, not that it made much of a difference now. Justice was going to see to it that everyone within the building would burn alive. His glowing white and blue eyes shifted from over his shoulder towards Alistair once they both had stepped out of the building.
"Madness?" He questioned and then looked towards a nearby tree. Justice extended his palm outward towards the trunk of it, setting the wood into a quick blaze, but the power of the firebolt had struck so strongly that the tree started to fall right in their direction. Justice cooled down his hand so that he could cradle his child better within his brisk march forward. "This is Kirkwall."
He stepped a few steps ahead just before the tree had fallen down against its mighty weight. The trunk had blocked the path of the front door and most of the windows; which prevented the main exit for anyone who could have possibly survived the glyph of paralysis spell. Justice did time it by watching his son beginning to move when the spell had worn off.
Baelfire was crying at first, and naturally so since the moment of not being able to control one's own body clearly had to be frightening. It was all that Justice could for the moment to cradle the boy against his coat; hoping that the scent of his familiar cologne would have calmed him down and masked away any alarming scent of blood that was splashed over him from previous endeavors.
"They all follow that woman—they chose the wrong leader." Justice excused himself, but he was still walking along with the elves who were still under his command. "I thank you for your time, but I believe our business is done for the moment…"
Back in Kirkwall, rather after Fenris had found Leliana and carried her there, the elf remained near the woman's side as she had slept. He tended to her bandages and treated to her wounds the best that he was able to; but only knew of what few healers have known from around the castle. For as long as the other mages around him had known, Fenris was considered to have still been welcomed there. So nothing was said for his current stay at the moment.
When Leliana had finally come to, she started off in slowly opening her eyes. When she had she a part of her had little recognition of where she was. That she had started to close her eyes once more. She almost felt her body slowly sink into the mattress, she was moments away from going back to sleep when she popped open her eyes again and lunged forward. With such quick movements brought her to widen her eyes and seal her eyes shut from the pain still in her lower abdomen. She whined some at this and began to wrap her arms around her center. Though when the bareness of her fingers had brushed against the softness of her own skin, her bare skin no less Leliana began to open her eyes once more and look down to see herself un-clothed.
"That's odd…" She whispered to herself still not noticing she wasn't alone in this room as she began to pull the covers up to look under them and see not a single garment was on her. Leliana's brow had knitted together at such confusion as she started to look up in the process of speaking to herself once more. "Where the heck am I—" Though she wasn't given the chance to finish her sentence as she saw at last Fenris in the room with her and upon seeing such a person brought the rouge to yelp with fright as she quickly drew the covers tightly back over her chest.
"F-F-Fenris…! W-What are you doing here?" She asked, shocked at seeing such a person… In a room no less… Alone with her. When she had finally looked around the room the design had slowly had registered in her mind that she was back at Kirkwall, her mouth had dropped some at the realization as she turned back towards the pillows and had thrown one in the direction of the elfs head. "You damn jerk of a pervert! Why the heck are you in a room alone with me while I have nothing on underneath this sheet!?" She shouted with a pointer finger pointing his direction in a excusing manner. "What were you trying to do, why am I back in Kirkwall!? I went all the way to Orlais to get Baelfire… But you….! You…" She exclaimed, but ended in whispering the last word that had left her lips. Quickly her mind began to drift to when she was in those lands, and no matter how hard she had tried to remember what happened, everything was just a blank state, well almost everything clearly she didn't remember Anders possibly being there but it was a possibility now in her thoughts since Fenris was here with her and it made her wonder more why Anders wasn't here in the room instead of him. "What happened? Where's Anders? Did you guys get Baelfire out safely as well?"
Fenris had to quickly dodge the pillow that was being tossed at him. Though the more he attempted to dodge the more that Leliana had seemed to strike at him. Fenris couldn't have her opening her wounds anymore than she already had due to such a struggle. He was half amazed that she managed to somehow still have the ability to fight against him for even this much. Still, that didn't prevent the elf from grabbing her shoulders and pinning her back down into the mattress.
"Calm down. Before you break another stitch." He spoke rather sternly. He would have continued to have spoken more but Leliana's quick questions had cut him off from even starting. He glanced down towards the mattress before looking back towards her.
"I don't know if he found Baelfire or not yet; we… had a disagreement and parted ways in the Arlesans." He explained and then nodded some; beginning to release his hold over her once he felt that she was going to stop thrashing around so wildly. "But he was close. I was going at a different route; heading towards the same goal, and that's when I found you."
Leliana's eyes had widened when she was forced down onto the mattress. With what little room that her arms could move, they had frailed in an attempt to grasp at the elf in her collision down. She felt the same pain again in her lower stomach from the impact, but the pain had also had come from her rash movements from before as well. It was like she had almost forgotten about her wounds within that moment of lashing out at Fenris and right now she was paying for the price for that.
"Your right… I'm sorry…" She responded as she slowly began to feel a nervousness of heat rush to her face, from being this close to Fenris. It was far too odd for her, that she tried anything to try and hide from him and her only way she believed to at this moment was to glance away. She thought if she didn't look at him then clearly he couldn't see her.
Leliana began to narrow her eyes though when Fenris began speaking about Anders. It was no surprise to her that the two argued. They had always argued, if they had always got along she would have to make sure they weren't sick mentally of physically. "That's normal for you two though… You argue then you make up… Right? … Unless it was something worse than the usual?" Once she found she was free from Fenris's grasp she slowly began sitting up more calmly this time while wrapping the blanket around her. "It was something bad wasn't it? What did he do Fenris?" Leliana felt her shoulders slouch in a lean in towards the elf as she asked this. "If he was close that means he probably did find Baelfire and that means I have to find them both." She stated as she attempted to stand up from the bed and take a few steps away from the edge without tripping over the trailing blanket behind her. "I have to go, do you have any idea where they could be now?
Fenris felt Leliana shifting from him and watched as she started to move away from the bed. He knew she was going to be stubborn, more-so from her mind over all other matter. He groaned slightly at the thought of this; for some reason women everywhere seemed to have this head-strong stubbornness about them. Adding insult to injury, Fenris was always mixed up among them…. or rather among such stubbornness.
Fenris reached for the blanket, ensnaring his arm across Leliana's front so that his hand grasped the joined knob of what cloth that kept Leliana covered. Simultaneously, he grasped one of her arms, just so that he still had a firm hold over her, but managed to reframe himself from bracing against the main injury that she had.
"You're not going in this condition." He warned, guiding her form to rest back against his firm stature for the moment. He tilted his head towards her left side and pressed his cheek against the side of her head so that hopefully some of his words would be spoken clear and past what denial this deranged woman had about her health.
"You've been poisoned with a toxin that has slowed down your body's ability of self preservation. Anders believes you are dead, and he is going on a rampage— one that would turn your heart black if you were to see it." He warned her and only after a moment later had he started to move back in front of her to coax the redhead back into the bed for the moment. "It would be in everyone's best interest if you to wait here for his return. He's sure to have his son by now… But if you leave, you'll endanger yourself on top of what's left of this city's morale."
Leliana's shock radiated through her, one would think this was because Fenris grabbed her and brought her so close to him. But it was rather from a different reason and that was upon hearing how Anders believed she was dead. It was true she could remember little of what happened, but she was just stabbed…. Wasn't she? She really didn't take the time to look over her body after the fact of waking up. As always her main concern was to find Baelfire.
"That's more reason to find him then!" She exclaimed in a slight pull against him. "My son needs me. Anders can't be doing whatever he's doing and watching Baelfire all at the same time, especially if he's on a rampage. Someone needs to stop him!" A little whine pushed through the rouges lips as she somehow amazingly hadn't given up yet against her fight against Fenris. If this was all a different situation Leliana would have reacted harder due to their closeness, but her weakness held such power back. "I'm sure if he just sees me—" Though she wasn't given the chance to finish her sentence then. Instead her shoulders had sulked forward as the center of her back pushed against the elf so much that it almost brought her to put all her weight on him. No longer could she grasp the sheets bound around her, as she slowly felt the fabric slipping from her fingers. But thankfully due to Fenris's wrapped arm around her kept it in place.
It was happening again, her strength was slowly slipping from her as before in Orlais. Just by having this reminder brought her to remember what exactly had happened in that city. She gritted her teeth some in the small fit of her tremble against him at remembering how close she was to finding her son and possibly Anders even. There was little she could do now. But it was still maddening. A part of her began to see what Fenris had meant… She did need to recover especially if she were to see the two important people in her life again.
"I hate it when guys are right." She muttered through her pursed lips as she slowly drifted her eyes from the spot which they were previously fixated on. "I'll stay… Only to get better. I promise." She swore while taking a glance towards Fenris as a half-smile had pulled to her lips. She hadn't fought him this time as she was set back in bed, actually she had invited the softness of the bed to her own and began almost curling to gather what warmth that was left there. She knew the elf had done a lot for her, for whatever reason. Knowing this had brought Leliana to part her lips as a silence was held for a few seconds before she spoke. "Thank you Fenris. I have been ignoring what you have done for me and that's very selfish on my part… If it wasn't for you I may not still be here once again." Glancing away to the door of the room Leliana couldn't help but hope Anders would rush through that door on news of her living, but none would come quickly enough. At least for her. "Will you go and find Anders though?" She asked peaking over to him through one of her slightly heavy eyes. "It's best if he knows right away of my survival."
"Leliana, don't ask me that; if I see that mage again, I'll probably to kill him." Fenris groaned and reached up to rest his hand against his forehead.
He paused briefly, looking back down at her through the separation his fingers provided and then lazily dropped his arm back his side. Fenris realized that it probably wasn't the most comforting thing to have said, but it was the truth and Fenris was not about to hide the truth of how he felt. From what he had seen of Anders recently, he practically regretted ever casting the vote to even have him spared. Focusing on tucking her in for the moment, he continued to try and reassure her of what he could.
"I have sent a messenger to him, so he should be on his way. He will return, and when he does, I will be gone. So just focus on getting better right now..."
It had been several weeks since then. Fenris had stayed near Leliana's side, making certain that she wouldn't attempt running off on her own. He also checked with the healers' medicines that were being used to purge the remaining poisons out from Leliana's body so that the process of actually getting heald could run more smoothly.
It wasn't as though Fenris was merely being nice to Leliana for just no particular reason; though, and he was certain that through his time that he stayed there—perhaps his actions had been noticed from such. What it boiled down to was that Fenris did not want Anders to have used the presumed loss of Leliana as his excuse to have lost all of his self-control. He also didn't want Leliana to have perished in nearly the same manner that Anna had; for no one deserved that.
Leliana had done what mostly Fenris asked of her. It was a bit difficult for her since she wasn't a patient woman and eventually Fenris would find this out very quickly if he hadn't already. To attempt to try and pass the time without being a harm to healing she had tried to convince Fenris of playing card games and even memory games with her. She needed some kind of distraction! Though when she could get out of bed without collapsing on the spot after a few steps… As counting every tile on the ceiling and memorizing every imperfection in the structure of the room gave Leliana the thought to do something else with her time so she wouldn't get bored out of her mind and possibly sneak out of the window when Fenris wasn't looking.
Setting down the third book she had finished in a blinded manner. Leliana rested her head back into the pillows as her eyes shifted up at the ceiling once more. "Might as well get up." She muttered to herself as she felt a slight tug on her lower lip from her teeth grazing across the soft flesh. It was far too difficult to keep her mind preoccupied so she wouldn't do something she shouldn't have. Knowing this Leliana quickly made a motion to swing her legs off the edge of the bed as her toes had brushed against the coolness of the tile below brought her soles rise up before eventually accommodating for the coldness and she had stood up slowly.
Leliana was still wrapped in a blanket as she had been for the past few days and practical weeks. She saw no point in getting dressed since she had to get tended to hourly and it got every irritating having to go from dressed to not multiple times a day.
Leliana didn't leave far from her bed but instead trailed to the vanity where she had looked at her reflection. One of her hands pealed from wrapping around her and began picking at the small fly away hairs that stuck up in a mis-placed manner before trying to brush her hair manually. This had cause a bit more of mat in the one area that she winched some before reaching out for the brush to begin brushing the comb against her crimson locks. This was why she hated not being able to do much, she was almost certain she looked like hell and felt it for not being able to be as active as she was weeks ago. It almost felt like being pregnant all over again with not doing much!
Once this had been done Leliana set down the brush and readjusted the blanket around her form as she stood up once more and trailed to the nearest window. Her shoulder had leaned against the siding of it as her emerald hues had examined the weather outside along with the few people walking along the streets. A part of her hoped she'd see Anders walking towards the building. It was almost turning into a daily ritual for her and with each day that had passed with him not coming brought more worry to her, making her wonder what was possibly taking him so long to return to her.
Fenris hadn't given much of a goodbye for his departure. When he had seen Anders approaching—or rather who he believed to have been Anders—the elf turned away from the pillar he was leaning against and turned to walk behind the main gardens that lead farther into Hightown. He could have only hoped that Anders/Justice hadn't rushed to confront him for any reason. If he did, Fenris knew that he would have ended up fighting him to the death, and that wasn't what his main intention was for this moment.
In a sense, it almost had felt like Fenris was attempting to coax Anders's anger into the direction against the Tevinters, and when Anders began to act like a Magister, it shunned away any hope the elf had for mages in general. All of the noble mages, the strong-willed ones, they were all gone from this world and whether directly—or not—Anders had killed them. Fenris couldn't remain here; not even for a second longer when Anders had approached.
The mage luckily had not seen the elf turning the corner and heading into the western section of Hightown. His focus had been on reuniting with Leliana and soon. The weeks of traveling had been the only thing that kept him going. He didn't want to dwell on the methods he used in order gain vengeance for his lover. The only thing he had wanted was to have seen Leliana again.
Baelfire had been resting in his arms through most of the trip. It was almost as though Anders hadn't even given the boy time to crawl or rest in a spot other than near him the entire time. With the babe still cradled into the crook of his arm, Anders continued to briskly walk into the Viscount Keep.
He bypassed the staff that attempted to greet him and spoke to him about the news of Leliana being alive but just at that point nearing her final detox stage. It was a surprise that the poison in her body had taken so long to leave her body, but it was for the better. He could at least focus on just having her healed completely.
When he had opened the door and saw her standing towards the window. Anders walked towards her within the longest stride he could manage between the few steps. Clutching to her in the opposite arm, Anders had rested his head against her own for the moment.
"Dear Maker… I thought I lost you…" He breathed and kissed along her forehead and the side of her head for what he could touch at the moment. Anders had to be cautious for Baelfire in his opposite arm, after all.
Leliana sighed as she shifted her eyes away from window and began looking at the details of the window seal. One of her hands reached out as if to draw along the lines scared into the wood as her mind wandered elsewhere within that moment. She didn't look behind her when she had heard the opening of the door, as she truly believed it to be Fenris and not whom she was waiting for all this time. "Another card game Fen—" She had started to ask curiously and began to shift her eyes from their fixation on the imperfections. Though she wasn't able to finish as she so desired, as the pulling motion brought the rouge to widen her eyes some and in the moment of it all she tightened her grasp around the blanket around her. Since she really didn't want to give the Elf even more a show than what he had gotten by taking care of her before.
At first Leliana didn't look up as her eye level was set to the attire of the one in front of her at first she didn't believe which she was seeing that she began to question it in her mind if it was really Anders in front of her. Slowly her sight had shifted down, seeing Baelfire their cradled in his arms. Leliana had to fight back the tears of joy at seeing saw a face she was longing for. A part of her hesitated to reach out towards the boy in one of her free hands as her fingertips had brushed across his features before looking up to Anders at last.
"A-Anders?" She questioned a bit hesitantly as his words and soft touches had reached her. She partly felt like she was in a dream which she was going to wake from, in the thought of this brought her eyes to close just to concentrate on nothing more than the brush of his soft lips and stubble against her own skin.
"Come now do you think I would go down that easily?" She teased a bit as she opened her eyes and looked down to Baelfire grabbing onto his small hand with her own. "I have far too much to lose." She whispered as her cranium shifted back up to the mage and gave a slight tilt. "I'm so sorry for allowing her to take him, I truly tried to keep Baelfire safe… I should have never taken him in the room with me to meet her when I didn't know who was waiting for me behind that door."
"No, no, it's fine. Don't apologize—I-… I'm—just glad you're alright." Anders mentioned as his eyes trailed back towards the window for the moment before looking back down towards her. However, he spent no grand amount of time holding on to her though as his eyes then shifted towards the bed. He released her and moved to pull away the sheets with the arm he still had free. "Get on the bed and hold Baelfire. Quickly, love. I want to have you restored to your full health."
Even then a million thoughts had been racing in his mind, but even as fleeting as they came most of them had left him. The only thought that remained dormant was knowing that Leliana was still alive. It worried him; though, to see her still walking about when she was inflicted with a stubborn poison. Rather, at least, she used to have been inflicted with such. Anders had mainly just arrived within the perfect time and with the perfect ability to have cured Leliana's ailment once and for all.
Leliana widened her eyes when she had felt the quick breeze of air brush across her skin when Anders had pulled away the sheets. Reflectively her arms had wrapped around her as if to hold the remaining heat inside her core. "I'm fine really." She tried to explain, the least she wanted was to worry Anders as he went through enough already in believing she was dead. Sure she was still in pain, but all that had seemed to diminish when she had saw Anders and Baelfire there before her. Or at least fogged her mind enough not to realize it.
It was apparent though the mage wouldn't back down and Leliana was eager to hold onto Baefire as it was. That her arms had slowly reached out as her hands gently scooped up the boy and brought her to the bareness of her chest and shoulder.
Once she had reached the bed she slowly sat at the edge, she turned Baelfire in a way so he could look at her. From this the little boy had reached out towards his mother and rested one of his tiny hands on one of her breasts and began fidgeting his fingers across her chest. She flinched some, as she was looking to Anders when she felt this and couldn't help but glance down to the boy in a half smile and tilt her head. Instead of pulling his hand away Leliana thought it to be sweet in its own way and she started to look down towards her abdomen to the two only gash wounds she could see. One was from the first initial stab in her lower back almost driving all the way through as the other was when Marjolaine had left and the man had to "finish her off" a part of her couldn't really recall that second wound but it wasn't as bad as the first one. "Anders…" She started off whispering as she reached for the mages hand before he hopefully begun his healing. "Thank you for worrying, I've missed you, ya know."
"Oh, I think I've missed you more." He responded back, coaxing her grip along with his own.
He knelt down towards the edge of the bed and attempted at gently pulling his hand away. Reaching across towards her lips, Anders had left a small and feathery kiss. Though while he was hovered there, his body had started to glow and once more reveal the cracks of light he normally displayed when either all of his control had been lost or for when he summoned the greatest of his powers.
Anders focused, though, channeling that energy into healing Leliana's wounds completely. The light pulsed from his body and filled her own in waves. The angry sore heat that Leliana had from the stab wounds was soon coaxed and soothed due to the healing spell that was swimming within her. Anders had only leaned back once the healing spell had completed. Only at that point had he tilted his head towards Baelfire and left a loving kiss on the top of his son's head.
Leaving his hands to rest over the healed marks, and resting his head more-so on Leliana's shoulder, Anders opened his eyes slowly and looked back down at his son. "…For the longest time I had thought I was regaining control over my sanity… but I learned recently of how quickly it can slip away. I can't lose you or Baelfire; not now, not ever."
Leliana smiled at the mentioning of Anders missing her more, her emerald hues went to their bound hands. She couldn't help but smile wider as her fingers slowly gently massaged against his in a soft slip when he pulled away from their grasp. As he hovered above her she slowly began to tilt her head back in a way to allow them more room for their lips to meet. One of her arms free from holding Baelfire had gently draped across Anders shoulders as her fingers had entangled in his golden tresses.
At first Leliana hadn't noticed Anders form of Justice coming through, it wasn't until she had started to peak open her eyes in a flutter that she saw the glowing cracks of his skin come through. The warmth of his energy soaring through her was relaxing to the sense. In response to this her body shifted back, while her lips only brushed against his as she took in all the air she possibly could at that moment. A part of her hadn't realized how much she was in pain until Anders had finally healed her. That when it was finished she had felt better than she had in so long these past few long weeks.
Leliana's arm still had been draped across Anders shoulders when he leaned against her. Feeling his rough stubble against her brought a small giggle fit to come pushing through her lips as her shoulders rose up to the sensation. She looked at the mage though when he began speaking, as a concern had started to fill in the core of her eyes when he spoke exactly of his sanity. A part of her wanted to know what had happened out there, but she didn't also want Anders to have to relive that moment if it was going to hurt him. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise." She swore as she slightly leaned back as her hand went to his jawline where her fingers had gently rubbed against his facial hair. "Well as long as the Maker allows me. Which I'm praying is forever."
It had been a few weeks since then, leaving Anders to continue with spending time with Leliana and his son. He had wanted to spend more time with them since Leliana had been through so much and Anders had to calm his fears of something to have ever happened to the remainder of his family. As far as spending time with them was concerned, their attention had taken up most of what Anders had put his effort towards.
His kingdom continued to suffer due to it. The land was in poor condition since it was filled mostly from the ports rather than farms. Kirkwall was a city that relied on traded goods, and no kingdom around wished to have made any trades with a land that chose a Mage—one who destroyed a Chantry and killed a Grand Cleric and it's previous leaders no less—to have been its ruler. Anders had known that he had needed to take this problem head-on and wrestle it to the ground, if need-be but for the moment he was complacent.
The mage remained at his desk, continuing to write ultimatums to the nearby countries. This particular group was for the King of Nevarra. He would have wanted to persuade the Arl in Nevarra's capital first, but the annoyance of Marjolaine's encounter completely derailed that line of action. So instead, Anders was going to have to address the big-wigs instead.
Only, Anders didn't know exactly how to do it. After writing dozens of letters, only to crumble them up and throw them to the waste bin, the mage was feeling as though he wasn't getting anywhere. He could easily see why Naomi didn't enjoy her position as Viscount—something of which she had easily handed over to the Starkhaven Prince when she had the chance. Being a King was very nerve-wrecking.
Walking through the corridors Leliana had ventured to one of the few places she knew she could find Anders. It was probably the least distraction he needed right now, but she had left the mage alone for most the day. So it was only fair to get a few minutes alone with him when she had some free time away from Baelfire. At least this is why she had tried to do, if not do other activity's for her own gain such as reading, singing and such. But all those were getting far too boring. At least for her taste.
As she neared the door, she began to open the door slowly until she finally had enough room for herself to slip inside. Once inside the room she leaned her back against the second door of the double doors while her wrapped hand still held onto the knob slightly open one as she slowly began to close it aside her. She was attempting to be as quiet as possible as she stood there watching Anders. Her curiosity grew as she noticed the crumbling noise filling her ears and with it brought the tossing of the paper aside to the growing pile.
Smiling some at this Leliana pushed herself off the door and began walking behind Anders in a tip toe motion as she carefully pushed aside the few crumbled notes aside with the tip of her foot. Her eyes shifted to the second paper which laid blank before him. A part of her was awaiting some kind of writing to be put down. When this didn't happen Leliana leaned down towards the mage and began to wrap her arms across his shoulders while her bosom rested against the back of him.
"By the looks of all those crumbled letters it looks as though you're thinking too hard." She offered as a small piece of advice as her fingertips had gently pressed against what fabric past his feathered cloak and to his chest where her rounded digits made a motion to massage at the area. "You've been in here for hours; you should really take a break, love."
The small troubled groan Anders had given partially tempted him to have lowered his head and press it to the desk. Though instead, it was the slight pressure from behind him that called to the mage, pulling himself backwards into the backrest of the chair and more-so into Leliana's embrace. He closed his eyes, as if to have been in thought when in truth his mind was running a blank.
"I want to, love. Believe me, I would wish nothing more, but my ultimatums are not going to write themselves." He sighed and reached up to trail his fingers through his hair. "I never should have been given this position. I can't do it… not peacefully, because they either fear me or wish to kill me."
He took in a light sigh and opened his eyes, looking back up at Leliana in the process. "How is Baelfire? Where is he?"
Of course not seeing his son near Leliana still had rang a few mild alarms to Anders, but not nearly as much anymore. Marjolaine was dead and most of everyone who followed her suffered the same fate or one close enough that they would never dare attempt to follow her path of terrorizing him in such a way again. So, ultimately there was hardly much for Anders to have worried over.
"Sure you can. You're a great man and a great ruler… Just right now times are tough but that's what makes us stronger in the end." She said, Leiana was hoping to lift his spirits some with this brought her hands to raise up in a cross of her arms over his chest as her fingers had worked at the nape of his neck. "You can always write them love letters, I promise I won't get jealous… Since you can be so romantic with your way of words." She teased. "Or you can gouge their eyes out, though that would be defeating the purpose of writing them wouldn't it?" She asked more to herself as she reached up tapping her chin lightly.
The mentioning of their son next had brought Leliana to smile briefly as she heard the concern right away in his voice, to ease his mind Leliana slowly slipped her hands from the nape of his neck and drew one hand away momentarily as she crept up from the side of the mage. "He's fine. He's asleep, being watched of course…" She reassured with a brightly smile smearing across her lips as she had scooted herself enough to sit on Anders lap as her hand cupped to his jawline. "You know I can help in trying to write what you need to have written." She offered chirpily. "I doubt Baelfire will be awake soon, he's exhausted. I think hes going through another growth spurt… If that keeps happening he'll be bigger than his daddy."
Leliana shifted some in a turn of her hips as she grasped one of the blank pages and feathered ink pens as she brought it to her lap... She had stared at the blank page blinking a few times, possibly as Anders had done before her... "Err... This is more difficult than it looks when you're actually thinking about it." She admitted as her emerald hues shifted to the corner of her eyes, glancing to the mage. "I think we should just run away from it all." She joked further. She knew this wasn't the best route but it had looked appealing when such times got rough along the way.
Anders smirked and scooted back, allowing Leliana to have gotten as comfortable as she could be for the time being. He smiled some at the thought of his son growing up so fast and strong. Though it did leave him to wonder of who Baelfire would end up taking after the most as far as his personality was concerned later. Surely, he would have been a ball of sunshine under most conditions of stress, and probably a bit of a worrier. Not much else Anders could have really concluded from reflecting the traits of himself and Leliana.
He was a little curious as to see what she would write to the King of Nevarra. Perhaps it would have been a better formal approach than the one that Anders had been giving. Since he was no better than a novice rogue when it came to writing any formal letters to royalty, Anders would have be greatly took the opportunity to have left his work in the hands of someone else to arrange particular events. The mage listened to Leliana's audible conclusion and tilting his head back towards her, Anders nodded to reveal that he couldn't have agreed with her more.
He smiled some and nuzzled his check along Leliana's as he started to question her lightly. "Oh, but then who's going to peel our grapes when we eat?"
It was a light joke, for he too had remembered a time when he wished he could fly away from everything. His eyes rested back to the paper; still thinking of what he needed to have said in order to have gotten the king into his negotiation-nest.
"Leliana, would you care to host a ball for Kirwall?" He started to ask, but didn't give any explanation as of yet. "I'm thinking of changing a few tactics."
Leliana had placed down the paper and pen on the table in her failed attempt to help Anders. Maybe if she wasn't actually holding it and looking at it something would come to her. Or so she hoped. Though when Anders made the small joke of the pealing of grapes she had given him a light push on the shoulders before leaning gently back into him. "Aren't you mister funny, ha, ha. See now if you just used that kind of funny attitude you might just win these serious people over… No one can resist someone that makes them laugh you know."
Reaching down Leliana grasped onto Anders hand and pressed her palm against his own until she had laced her fingers within his own and brought those own fingertips to her lips giving a brush of his fingers against her lips. She looked up some through her lashes at him when he began speaking to her of a Kirkwall ball. Almost upon hearing such words had brought her eyes to widen as her expression had brightened along with it.
"Would I?" She asked a bit stunned as she shifted her and his intertwined hands down to her lap. "I would love to!" Leliana was always big on such things and for her to host the gathering would be even more fun. In the back of her mind she had already began thinking of all the possibilities of what she could do to make this Ball elegant. How she could decorate, what she would wear, how would she dress up Baelfire. Now that would be an adorable sight to see. As she had always wanted to take her child to such an event, if she had even gotten the chance.
"Do you know when you would like it to be?" She asked a bit curiously so she would have some kind of time-frame to work off of.
"I was thinking to hold it more towards the middle of the month." He answered and glanced back up at the ceiling in thought over the matter. "You can pick the day and the theme, if you'd like. Though whenever it is, I'll probably end up working so don't fret over booking down anything for me."
Anders them smiled some and turned his head back towards Leliana. His arms moved towards wrapping more around her frame. He had then lightly kissed her nose before continuing. "Besides, I think that you'd have more fun without me hogging all of the spiked punch—and I'll probably be the one to spike it."
Leliana had widened her eyes some at the mentioning of how soon Anders had wished for this ball to be planned. It wasn't as if she believed she could do it in time, but it would be a lot to do in a short time span. "Alright." She chimed a bit cheerfully. "I promise it will be wonderful, as a ball should be." She responded with a nod of her head. Though as she had heard the mentioning of Anders working she had sighed some at this and brought both of her arms to wrap around his neck. "Well if your working I'll just have to drag you out to the party now won't I? I rather have you around after all, spiked drinks and all. As it would be boring without you."
As the days had went on Leliana had begun her quick planning of the ball which she was asked of, she had been more busy than not. Which she had preferred since sitting around became real dull really quick. It was the day of such the event, and Leliana stood in the Grand Hall which the Ball would have commenced. She was orchestrating where everything would go. Making it so all things were in order and not in the slightest out of place or crooked.
"Right over there." She informed with a point of one of her fingers to one of her few staff members helping her with this decoration process. Leliana watched intently and helped when she could. But seeing as the last of the silken banners had been hung. She found herself more drawn towards the arranged flowers which filled the room, and bringing them to different ends of the room. Last but not least the more elegant looking lighting fixtures were put in their rightful place, as Leliana had stepped back to finally see somewhat of a calmness come over the room she had also felt her nerves of fear for this event coming together correctly as planned slowly dwindle as she took an elongated sigh.
"Alright…" She whispered more to herself than to anyone else in the room as she stepped back in a few steps before twirling around upon her heel and walking up to Baelfire who was conveniently laying on his stomach upon one of the nearby rugs. Approaching the boy, Leliana scooped the boy up and had begun to carry him off to their room. Before she had left the area though she had turned to look at the few people standing in the room, giving a small smile. "I'll return, but if I'm not back soon go ahead and finish getting the rest finished?"
Once she had reached their room Leliana pried the young boys fingers from his hold around her and gently sat him down on the bed in an up-right sitting position with pillows to hold him in place just in case if he had tumbled sideways over. Baelfire had watched his mother intently as he sat their though, before him laid his mothers dress and due to the shimmering effect it had given off his wandering fingers had brought him in a lean towards the dress as his hands wound up in the fabric. Leliana chuckled some as she stepped close to the dress and leaned over to wrap her hand around Baelfire's small one as she gently pried his fingers off this piece of garment next. In response to this Baelfire looked up to Leliana, giving her a slight pout as if he wanted to cry. Upon seeing this Leliana reached over, grasping his set of clothing and handing it over to him. It was a small black suit that on the edges golden embroidery was sewn into it. This had fascinated him enough for Leliana to pull back her dress with the subtle colors of a yellowish gold that towards the end of its flowing trail had faded into a creamy white color. It had possibly taken her until the day of this Ball to actually decide on such a dress. Since she did like extravagant things, but she had to remember she wasn't in Orlais and she didn't want to over-do something that would put her in a different category than the rest.
Anders had stared at the mirror that was pressed against the wall of the dressing room he was in. He had spent his time still staring back at the thick whiskers that had accumuliated over the years. So much had kept from really paying much attention to his appearance, and now the thick whiskers were beginning to form slowly into something that was unruly. The mage hadn't trimmed anything since his last time Kirkwall. Deciding that it was time he began to take the other mages' advice on his appearance, Anders picked up the shaver and began to shave.
Much later, after getting washed and dressed, Anders had wet his hair and slicked back as much of his scraggily hair as he could into a smooth pony tail. He had to argue with the staff about wanting to have cut his hair. Shaving was his only compromise he would give to this first impression routine; though, he knew there were probably other areas about himself that he needed improving.
Anders wore the robes of the Viscount, but he didn't feel like he really had fitted out the fabric as he should have. The velvet was meant to have been looser than what his biceps and wrists normally allowed, but thankfully the slacks from underneath would have prevented any other possibly noticed problems. His only relief was that it was black, and he could pull it off as long as he didn't decide to do any square-dancing anytime soon.
He wasn't going to put such pressures on Leliana, though. For the most part, he wanted her to just enjoy her time and to hopefully make friends within the court. The purpose of the ball was to gather as many Arls and Arlessas into one room where he could hopefully to show that they still had leaders of the city.
Walking towards the door of his and Leliana's bedroom, he knocked on the frame before stepping inside. His eyes had traveled up at his head while attempting to adjust the crown on his head. He was pushing it back and then side to side before the front.
"Leliana, are you about ready? I think we need to be waiting in the thrown room for—" He stopped short when he lifted his head and saw the dress she was wearing. The bright smile beamed across his features, with more confidence than ever. "—on second thought, they may can wait a while."
During this time Leliana had gotten Baelfire dressed and spiffed up to say the least. What little hair he did have that was noticeable (since it was blonde) she had brushed back and attempted to keep it in place. But from his natural growth pattern it had just fallen back down to his normal pattern. After the second attempt she had stopped at trying to style his hair as she didn't want to frustrate the boy and had buttoned up the last of his buttons on his shirt. Leliana noticed Baelfire hated the feeling of this new fabric that his little hands pulled and yanked at any part he could grab. In an attempt to distract him, Leliana picked him up and rested him on a lower surface with a toy to keep his mind preoccupied, hopefully.
Since she still needed to fix her hair as well along with a light dab of makeup. With their being little time to do this Leliana rushed to her vanity sitting down to the stool and there she attempted to do what she could with her crimson tresses. Finding that her usual style would do and if a staff member was kind enough to come in and help her she would gladly accept, she was kind of regretting the 'slight' orders she gave to them, asking for them not to come in and help her as she had wanted to tend to herself and her son this day, when clearly this was a day unlike any other and she needed all the help she could get.
Finally after she was finished, Leliana stood up and trailed back to the edge of the bed. Peeling off her clothing as she had and tossing them to the opposite side of the room where they would be a hinder to ones walking. Her hands reached out for the dress as she held open the opening of the dress and stepped in, pulling it over her shoulders. She was too busy working at the fabric that draped across her upper forearms to hold the dress up that she didn't even hear the knocking at the door. If she had, she would have been quick to button herself up just in case if it were a staff member instead of Anders.
Just as she was buttoning the first button she began to turn her head some at the notion of the door opening Leliana tucked her arm across her chest to hold her dress up as she quickly turned to hide her exposed back. But as this 'stranger' or at least what looked like a stranger to her had come into the room brought Leliana's eyes to widened some since they didn't stop at the doorway. A small shriek passed through her lips as she took it upon herself to turn quickly towards the bed and grasp the two pillows with her free and toss them at once in the area of his head and stomach regions. Maybe she was still on edge? With what had happened it would only make sense.
She was about to order the person to get out, or push them out. But as she began her approach, the features of the one in front of her became clearer that in return she slowly felt a heat rise to her cheeks. Leliana was stunned that she had to look over the mage in shocked stare before looking up to his eyes then his missing stubble. It was most what surprised her that her hand extended out towards Anders cheek just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "What happened to your facial hair?"
Anders's eyebrows lifted some in the surprised shriek, and as Leliana moved towards the bed to grasp the pillows, he couldn't help but to have chuckled at how she fussed. Of course when the pillows started to sail his way, he lifted his arms to try and protect his head. Anders managed to block the first one, but the second pillow made a quick jab towards his stomach. Upon feeling it, even though it wasn't painful in the least, the mage had slightly bent over momentarily.
"Ow—Hey… Well, a 'hello' to you too, love." He teased upon straightening his back and finding that Leliana was approaching him.
The mage wasn't certain if she was going to push him out, but he would have complied to it if she had tried. It was understandable because she clearly didn't recognize him, but even so—surely if she had stepped closer she would have realized of who he was. He smiled some with this predicted thought had played out well for him in the end. Anders couldn't help but to have grinned more after hearing her question about his appearance.
"Is that all it takes for you to recognize me? I'll have to start telling the rest of the staff and noblemen to shave off everything." Anders teased and moved towards wrapping his arms around Leliana. "I figured I might would make a better impression to our guests if I didn't look like downtrodden hobo from the sewers, is all… So, for right now—sorry to say—but the thick manly-beard had to go."
His eyebrows lifted up again as he glanced up towards the ceiling. "Ever since I shaved it off though, I have been noticing a lot more drafts in this place…"
Leliana felt her lower lip pouting out some the more she had examined his missing scruff. It was one of the many things she had loved about him. But at least for a while he couldn't tickle her unexpectly. Looking over to her left she dropped her eyes down to Baelfire who was partly examining his parents and partly ignoring them as he was still playing with the toy she had given him. Leliana pointed to Anders, sighing as she spoke towards the child. "Look what your daddy did… I think he's trying to keep me on my toes or something." Baelfire had just looked in the direction which he mother was pointing and mumbled a little something which Leliana wouldn't have been able to catch anyways.
Looking back to Anders, Leliana had taken that same hand pointing at him and gave a light shove to his shoulder. "Don't be silly Anders… It's just… You look different… You're wearing…" She paused looking down to his robes to examine before she continued. "Viscount Robes, not to mention the crown had thrown me off guard too." She admitted a bit sheepishly as she shifted her eyes from him and directed them to the golden crown that Leliana playfully wiggled some with her first two digits.
Hearing him downgrade his 'manly beard' as he put it brought Leliana to roll her eyes some as she shook her head. "Don't say that about your adorable 'manly beard' I love it and right now I'm missing it." She admitted. "Though you do look a few years younger without it. Which may be a bad thing and make me look out be like a cradle robber." She joked as she draped her arms across his shoulders and pressed her chest against his more just so her dress wouldn't slip from its hold place.
Leaning in she closed her eyes as her lips puckered out slightly in a meet towards his. It was an odd sensation since she was use to always brushing against the rough texture of his facial hair, but she knew it wouldn't be permanent, so for now she had to deal with it.
When she pulled away, Leliana had reached back down holding her dress in place as she stepped back from Anders hold to finish her buttoning process and finalize getting ready for this Ball. After all they couldn't leave their guests waiting. That she had quickly stepped towards Baelfire, picking him up in his arms and then lastly shifting her attention to the side of the bed where her heels had lain and put those on last. Since she knew her feet were going to hate her after this, but looking beautiful came with a price. "No matter how much I would love to stay here with you, we better be going to see our guests. Don't you agree?"