AN: Written for a K-Meme prompt:
"Basically, either Inquisitor was promised in marriage before becoming Inquisitor or perhaps her family does so afterwards. Potential suitor is legit a good fit for her. Non-established relationship with Cullen."
This work is also posted on my A03 account. The link to which can be found on my profile. Please check there if you wish to see the link to the original prompt
This work has not been proofread or edited by anyone other than myself. I acknowledge and apologize for any errors still present
Leliana was cheating at chess again. For all the spymaster's talents at subterfuge, one would think the woman would be aware of her own tells. Yet, the way her left eye crinkled as she relaxed into the back of her chair after a move screamed her guilt. Cullen found himself smirking at Leliana's smug grin. He grasped his bishop in his gloved hand and picked up the piece to move it when the Inquisitor came barreling into the garden. Cullen turned his head just in time to see Trevelyan coming. The bishop slid between his leather-clad fingers and clattered back down to the board.
"Leliana?" Trevelyan called across the garden as she practically ran towards them.
"Inquisitor!" he said, rising from his seat in alarum.
The Spymaster smirked at him, seemingly amused at his gentlemanly ways before she inclined her head towards the Inquisitor. "Yes, what can I do for you, Inquisitor?"
"May I use one of your ravens please? I need to get a letter to Ostwick immediately."
"Oh?" the Spymaster replied, her accent sinking its teeth into her words. "Does this have anything to do with the news you received this morning?"
Trevelyan crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifting to her back leg. "You know perfectly well that it does, Leliana. Now can I use the damn bird or not?"
Leliana laughed and Cullen looked back and forward between the two women. Finally, he swallowed and offered, "It was not bad news, I hope?"
The Inquisitor's eyes flashed to him, widening as if she had only just noticed that he was standing there. Her eyes drifted downwards as two white teeth appeared from underneath her top lip and pressed into the full flesh of her lower lip. Cullen felt his cheeks flushing and realized that his regard had been fixated on her mouth for longer than could ever be considered decorous. She glanced up at him and Cullen felt everything else in the world disappear from around them. Their eyes were locked, as if by magic itself. The only other sensation he was aware of was the thundering heartbeat in his chest.
She seemed to consider his words before answering. "It, it is not bad news per se; just rather…unexpected."
"Of course you may use a bird, Inquisitor. My ravens are at your disposal," Leliana's voice broke through the blurred edges of his vision.
Trevelyan blinked; pressing her lips together disquietly and looked back to Leliana as she nodded her thanks and left. It took Cullen several seconds of steeling himself, but finally he managed to turn his gaze back to the Spymaster.
She smiled at him knowingly, "you look flushed, Commander. Are you sure you're able to finish the game?"
Fixing the Spymaster with a half-hearted glare, Cullen returned to his seat at last. He smoothed down the legs of his trousers as he settled before picking up his rook and making his move across the board.
"Odd to see the Inquisitor so worked up," he said absentmindedly, mostly to break the silence he found uncomfortable.
"Not so odd, I think," Leliana replied as she gleefully took his proffered pawn. "She received a letter from Ostwick this morning. Inside was a dried common myrtle, wrapped in a white ribbon."
Cullen blinked at her. "And?"
"You are unfamiliar with the custom? It is a tradition amongst the Marcher nobility, I believe."
"The Inquisitor is the only noble I've spent any length of time with, Leliana."
She shrugged and watched him carefully as he reached for his queen. "It means that Trevelyan's arranged marriage has been agreed upon."
His hand slipped and knocked over half of their pieces. His king, her rook and both of their queens clattered to the stone below. Leliana's gaze flicked between the scattered remnants of their game and his frozen flustered face.
"She…what?"
. . .
To her Worship, The Lady Inquisitor Trevelyan:
My Darling Daughter,
I understand your trepidation, dear, but I believe if you only met your betrothed, you'd find yourself as eager as your father and I are for this match. The young man in question is handsome, polite, titled, pious and did I mention handsome? For the Maker's sake, darling, he's a Prince! He's a better match than I was able to procure for even dear Philip even with Phillip inheriting your father's Bannorn. I understand your hesitation, I was hesitant at first when I was told I'd marry your father, but we've had many happy years together and your father is not nearly as handsome and amiable as the Prince.
And, I didn't want to have to pull this card, darling, but it is tradition. Now, we were willing to let such things slide with you, being the youngest, but you've had ten years to find yourself a love match and you're the Inquisitor now. Youngest or no, you will forever outrank your father and I and all of your brothers and sisters. You must marry and you must marry well.
But, I do know you, my stubborn girl, and I know that you will never be satisfied unless the decision is yours and as I said your word is of a higher value so, I propose this: invite the Prince to Skyhold and meet with him. I know that you'll be as taken with him as I was. And, as I know will dither around with such a decision, I already sent a bird to Starkhaven in your stead. He'll arrive within the fortnight. You'll thank me when you see him.
All my love,
Mother
Trevelyan groaned softly and let her eyes shift over her mother's gracefully looped handwriting for the fifth time. Maker's breath, she was twenty-eight years old and still her mother never ceased to embarrass her. She loved her mother, of course, but the woman was just insufferable at times. She sighed, put her mother's letter down and picked up the letter her mother had enclosed with her own, this one written in a neat, masculine hand.
To her Worship, The Lady Inquisitor Trevelyan:
My Lady,
You have done me a great honor twice over with your kind invitation. Firstly, to have the opportunity to see you after hearing of your praises from your mother, I confess makes my heart feel lighter than it has felt in many years. Secondly, to see the legendary Skyhold and the Inquisition do the Maker's work in person is a privilege I had not previously considered myself lucky enough to have. I shall arrive at Skyhold in a fortnight.
I anxiously await making your acquaintance, Lady Inquisitor. My the light of the Maker shine upon you.
In Faith,
Sebastian Vael
His letter was polite and not entirely unpleasant. While Trevelyan considered he might have been a bit too generous with praise and deference, he had at least made an attempt to be sincere. Her mind drifted to the Winter Palace and the hundreds of letters filled saccharine-laced lies that had been sent to her. Each suitor promising their devotion, requesting to serve at the altar of her beauty, Trevelyan could hardly stand it. Empty flattery was akin to an insult, in her mind, and to be pelted with it from every available Theodosian with a drop of noble blood sickened her. Though, Trevelyan could faintly recall that she had received no letters from Starkhaven until she received the one she held in her hand. That had to count for something, she supposed. It wasn't as if she was wholly opposed to the idea of marrying or even opposed to an arranged match. She'd grown up with the custom and Trevelyan was a practical woman. It was just that she had hoped…if only….
Sighing, Trevelyan put the letter back on her desk. Her personal desires mattered little, she knew. Trevelyan was conflicted. A part of her, a silly foolish part, had such hopes for things that were not likely to ever be hers and there was the other part, the logical and practical side of her mind that could weigh the benefit and the loss of everything and ensure that she came out successful. Yet, never before had these aspects of herself been so much at war.
At least, given his kind words, Trevelyan could meet him for herself and see if he was everything her mother's letter had promised
Okay so here's what happened.
I found this prompt on part...5 or 6 of the DA K-Meme back in I think early February and I LOVED it. I wanted to write it so bad and had a million ideas for it. But, there was already a ton of interest in it and I didn't want to step on someone's toes by barging in with my work. So I left the idea alone, sadly, and moved on to begin writing Freedom's Song. Then, the prompt gets reposted and I knew I had to jump on it. So that is why I'm starting a second long fic prior to finishing my first. In case people get grumbly. But, most everyone who reads my stuff is sweet and wonderful so I think we'll be okay.
Ahh. I do love this though. I'm so excited for it. I just hope work calms down enough for me to begin a regular posting schedule.