"… the poor recruit ran out into the dining hall in nothing but his knickers." Cullen was saying with a grin on his face as they all continued to drink, play cards, and listen to him, "And this… profound silence fell over the hall as seventy mages and thirty templars all turned to stare at once. Then a slow round of applause began, and spread until every soul was on their feet. A standing ovation."

Josephine stifled her laughter as she asked, "What did he do?"

Cullen's grin grew wider, "Saluted, turned on his heel and marched out like he was in full armor."

The table broke into a round of laughter, with Solona slapping her thigh in mirth as she remembered what had happened. She wiped her eyes as she raised a hand at Cullen, and the man bumped her hand with his, "Yep… that's how I remembered it too."

"That's how you know it's true, I could never put that in a book. Too unlikely." Varric said, as he looked at Alex, who grinned and pointed at him, "I think it's the professional storyteller's turn to tell one."

The dwarf grinned in delight, as he always did love to tell stories, before looking at Marianna and Carver, "I think I can manage that. Did I ever tell about the time we broke into Chateau Haine?"

Marianna and Carver let out bouts of laughter as she said, "Of all the stories you could tell about me, you had to choose that?"

Carver looked down at his sibling and nudged her shoulder, "Well, that was quite an adventure, and definitely better than that time you had to help Aveline with getting a husband."

Marianna laughed again, "True enough. Very then, Varric. Do tell the story."

Varric grinned again, "It started, as most capers do, with a trap…"

"And then Hawke looks up and says, 'Looks like the Duke… has fallen from grace'."

The table erupted in laughter again as Marianna covered her blushing face with a hand, before wiping the tears of mirth falling from her eyes, "Well, you have to admit, I said that in the most bad-ass way I thought possible."

"That's how Duke Prosper died?" Josephine said, looking at Marianna, "You know, that's almost perfect for him.

"I think we need another round of drinks." Alex said as she drained her tankard for the fifth time.

Cullen nodded, "I'll get them." He said as he went around the table to kiss Alex on the cheek, before heading towards the bar, "Don't start without me."

"Deal us another hand, Josephine!" Daylen said, the liquor starting to have an effect on him as his face reddened, and the Ambassador blinked. "Oh, of course. Cards, sorry!" She shuffled the cards again and distributed them, "Cole and Maxwell took the last hand. Is everyone ready to ante up?"

Max grinned and clapped Cole on the shoulder, "We're in! We could buy Cole some more cakes with that last winning."

Dorian smirked, "That's because I let you win. But let's see how your luck is with my next hand, yes?"

Cullen returned, bringing more liquor for them all and setting it on the table before he sat down, looking at his cards. Dorian had an almost smug look on him as he took his cards, while Marianna and Carver frowned. Alex's cards were just as nasty and she withdrew from the game, watching them all as one by one they lowered their cards, with Josephine having the highest cards again.

"And the dealer takes everything!" Josephine said triumphantly, sweeping an arm at the pile of coins on the table and making Alex grin, "I win again."

Cullen smirked at her, "Deal again. I've figured out your tells, Lady Ambassador."

Maxwell and Daylen covered their mouths and went "ooohhhh" at the challenge, and Marianna and Carver shook their heads, as Solona grinned and muttered out, "Oh, he is going to regret that."

Josephine smiled sweetly at him, "Commander! Everyone knows a lady has no tells."

He chuckled as he leaned back on his chair smugly, "Then let's see if your good fortune lasts one more hand."

"Oh, no." Alex said as she lowered her cards and gave them to Josephine, "I'm not losing any more coin to Josephine. But I do have to watch this." She said as she smiled at Cullen, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Iron Bull slump his head down at the table, clearly and obviously drunk after finishing a barrel of Golden Scythe all by himself.

The others withdrew from the game as well, leaving just Cullen and Josephine to play. But soon enough, it seemed that Cullen ran out of coin, and piece by piece, he began losing parts of his clothes and armor, until… to everyone's shock and amusement, Cullen sat on his chair, visibly naked, folding his hands over his bits in an effort to cover himself after losing far too many times against the Ambassador.

Josephine grinned wickedly at him, while Varric was giving him a smug look. "Don't say a word, dwarf." Cullen muttered out to him, causing Varric to burst out laughing, "I tried to warn you, Curly."

Josephine smiled at him again as she said, "Never bet against an Antivan, Commander.", and Solona laughed out loud, raising her tankard as a salute to the woman, "Yep. I learned that the hard way with my Antivan friend, Zevran. Lost my knickers far too many times against that man. I could have sworn he was selling them at Denerim as 'relics of the Hero of Ferelden.'"

The table laughed again at the fate of the commander, but soon Cassandra shook her head, "I'm leaving. I don't want to witness our Commander's Walk of Shame back to the barracks."

Dorian smirked, "Well, I do." And Alex raised her hand eagerly like a school girl, causing the people around them to laugh again, "Me, too!"

Cole smiled a little, as if he was delighted, "It comes off! I didn't know it came off."

Cullen scowled as one by one, their companions left the table. Cassandra and Daylen walked off together, as did Marianna and Carver. Solona patted Alex's shoulder as she walked away, shaking her head in amusement, and Maxwell and Dorian helped Cole put his money in his pockets properly, the dark-haired mage urging the boy to lend him some. Blackwall and Josephine left together as well, and from a distance, Alex saw the Warden hold the Ambassador's hand, but she didn't pull it away. Soon enough, only Alex, Cullen and Iron Bull were left at the table, with the Qunari snoring away.

Cullen scowled at Alex, as if telling her to look away. She smirked and crossed her arms on her chest, putting her feet up on the table in a relaxed manner as if to say she wasn't leaving. She felt herself grow warm at the sight of his bare chest, broad shoulders and muscled abdominals, and she made a show of licking and biting her lip at him, knowing full well the effect of it whenever he saw it.

And saw it he did, his amber eyes widening at the seductive action, and he blushed hotly as he pressed his hand harder to his crotch to hide the hardening effect of her seduction. Finally realizing that she wasn't leaving, Cullen growled a little before standing up, covering his pieces with his hands, sprinting hurriedly to the barracks, his deliciously bare and muscled bottom jiggling and shining in the candle light as he ran. Iron Bull chose the moment to wake up, and he raised his hand in a salute to the Commander's rear end before lumbering off drunkenly.

Alex stood up from her seat and headed to Varric, who was looking at the fireplace. He smiled up at her, "I'm glad you decided to join us tonight. It's too easy to mistake you for the Inquisitor."

"I enjoyed this." She said, smiling down at the dwarf, and his smile grew into a grin, "See? That's what I mean. It's easy to forget you're not just an icon or symbol, like those statues of Andraste holding bowls of fire. At least it is for me. You up for another game when this is all over, Inquisitor?"

She grinned at him as she nodded enthusiastically, "I wouldn't miss it."

"Good!" He said, "It'll take me a while to talk Cullen into it. Maybe I'll work the 'revenge' angle."

"Or the 'redemption' angle." Alex said as they turned to head out of the tavern, "A guy like him would definitely fall for that. Soldiers like him want to keep their 'honor' intact."

"Hmm… that could work." Varric said, "Any other suggestions, Inquisitor?"

"Whoozzat? Did I win?"

Alex and Varric blinked when they heard the voice, and they both bent over to see someone under the table, also drunk, directly under Cullen's chair.

"Maker's breath, SERA!"