Chapter 7: Union
Skyhold was full of secrets. Even though they'd been settled here almost three years, there were still small rooms that had yet to be explored, secret passages, and narrow halls that had yet to be repaired because they were so out of the way. And then Leliana had her ways of hiding, and her spies deployed even within the walls of the keep. Combined with Theo's preoccupation with the tense politics, it was easy to sneak in his whole family and house them in a repaired yet distant wing of Skyhold.
Dorian had met the Trevelyans once before. They'd come to celebrate the victory over Corypheus, and make amends in the process for years of misunderstanding and lack of communication. It was the kind of reconciliation that Dorian knew he'd never have from his own family, so he cherished it for Theo. Though Theo wanted to keep this a small affair, Dorian had known that the Trevelyan family would wish to be present.
Besides, Skyhold was busier preparing itself for the arrival of Divine Victoria. Her duties in Val Royeaux kept the Divine busy, but Cassandra, the woman behind the vestments, would always be Theo's friend first and foremost. Dorian had been mortified when Theo had first let it slip that he'd asked the Divine herself to officiate for them, but over the last couple of weeks he realized that he wouldn't want anyone other than Cassandra doing it.
Still, it didn't help abate any of his day-of nerves. "I don't see how marriage will change the course of our relationship," Dorian told Theo. It was the morning of their ceremony, and Dorian was still lazing in their bed. "This bed will still be our bed. We've consummated our love for one another countless times."
Theo tied his hair back and flexed his left hand. The green mark didn't shine any brighter, but more often Dorian noticed him clenching his hand or shaking it out, as if it was paining him. Suddenly he wondered just how badly the mark affected Theo. How much the magic hurt, and how much that pain spread, and then he wondered if the sudden proposal and rush to solidify their union had anything to do with it. "You're not dying are you?" he asked Theo, his voice soft.
"Not that I know of." But Theo's equally soft tone, and the way he stared down at his hand, sent a chill through Dorian. "You're not backing out, are you?" he teased.
"Not that I know of." Dorian padded over to Theo, who'd chosen to wear the blue and gray Trevelyan colors over his usual favored greens. Dorian gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours." Theo glanced at him quizzically. "I'd like to up the anticipation. I want to see the look on your face when I walk in."
"You're not going to wear ten silk scarves are you?" Theo asked with a grin.
"Maybe later tonight," Dorian said with a wink as he disappeared down the stairs. He slipped through the halls of Skyhold, barely seen. By all rights today should have been a busy, bustling day, but Leliana and Josephine had managed to keep things relatively quiet. How those women were even human, Dorian had no idea. And how they managed to work such magic without being mages was even more impressive.
He should be primping and preening, but there would be plenty of time for that later. Right now he had to take care of the unpleasant task of writing to his father, letting him know the particulars of his impending state visit to the Imperium. Better to get it done now, when he was in a good mood.
Dorian headed up to his nook in the library and began writing. He tried several beginnings, only to crumple the parchment and incinerate it with a snap of his fingers. He probably should have thought to use a palimpsest, but at least burning the false starts helped work off the build up of nervous mana. At last he had something that was just enough to let his father know he was committed to returning to Tevinter, but only for the short term for the time being.
Suddenly he realized why this all meant so much to Theo. Dorian knew no one in Tevinter high society would take their relationship seriously. It didn't bother him; while he loved Tevinter fiercely, Tevinter society was an entirely different thing. Here in the south few people so much as batted an eye about anything other than the fact that Dorian was from Tevinter. But today this was about legitimizing their relationship for the entirety of Thedas to see.
For Theo, this was as much a risky move as it was a romantic one. Dorian wished he could sneak Theo into Tevinter with him. Having Theo at his side could make this so much more bearable. He took a deep breath before sealing the letter and taking it to be sent off. If Theo, the most powerful man in Thedas, was willing to take such risks, then so was he.
Cassandra looked ridiculous, and her expression clearly said that she knew it. The white, red and gold mitre looked slightly off balance on her head, and every so often she went to rest her hand on a sword pommel that wasn't there. She had managed to shoo away her acolytes and stood in the antechamber beside the altar in Skyhold's chapel. "Your Perfection," Dorian said by way of greeting, bowing low.
"Ugh." Cassandra shook her head. "If I could I would dispose of titles altogether. But I don't think the world is ready for that much change as of yet." She grinned. "There will be time for talk later, but I hope you are well, Dorian. I think often of you and the Theodane."
Most people referred to him as the Inquisitor in reverent tones or hushed whispers. But Cassandra had known him even before Dorian had. While she would always be Cassandra to him, he would always be Theo to her. "And we are grateful that you've come to join us," Dorian replied.
Her gray eyes were a bit softer than they usually were. She was a hard woman, all angles and edges, and just what the Chantry had needed to get back on track after the Conclave and the Inquisition. "I'd have killed him if he'd asked any other Revered Mother and he knows it. And I have other business that would have brought me here sooner rather than later." The way she said 'business' and the look on her face made Dorian's heart sink, just when he was starting to feel better after all.
But his spirits rallied once more when Theo entered through a hidden passage. Even though Dorian had seen him earlier that morning, something was… different. Then he took a good long look and realized that Theo had shaved, but also had his hair trimmed up and had a healer look at the wound running down his face. The stitches were gone, and while it was definitely going to scar, it wasn't the angry red gash it had been. He looked… almost like when they'd first met. Even down to the blushing cheeks and slight shyness in his green eyes. Of course the innocence would never be there again; he'd seen and been through too much. But just having this much of a glimpse of Theo like this made Dorian nearly choke up with tears.
And then, to top it off: "Do I look alright?" Theo asked, and bit his lip.
Dorian stepped forward to pull Theo into a crushing kiss but Cassandra held out her arm to block him. She was still quite strong, and Dorian suspected that she'd been training with her sword and shield whenever she could get a chance. "You can wait," she snapped, but the corner of her mouth twitched just a bit as she tried to suppress a smile. "We keep this short and sweet, like we agreed," she said, looking between Theo and Dorian, who both nodded as if they were still back in the early days of the Inquisition, and didn't dare question Cassandra.
Cassandra straightened her mitre and squared her shoulders before walking out. Theo flashed a suddenly nervous glance at Dorian when he heard startled gasps from the guests, who shouldn't have numbered above a handful. "I have surprises too, Amatus," Dorian said, giving him a quick kiss before shoving him out to the altar.
The Skyhold chapel was small and intimate, and nearly full to capacity. Dorian was used to all eyes on him, even in delicate situations, so he made himself relaxed. Across from him, Theo looked jittery, especially once he realized his entire family was there, smiling at him in the pews. His three older sisters were already teary-eyed, which made Dorian smile. For so much of his life, Theo had thought he didn't matter to his family. And now here they were. All of them: the Trevelyans, Bull, Krem and the Chargers, Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, and Varric.
I'll kill you later, Theo mouthed.
Ten silk scarves, Dorian mouthed back.
Half of their guests were Inquisition and only knew the Divine as Cassandra. They were relaxed, leaning back in the pews and grinning. The Trevelyan family, however, sat at strict attention. They were pious, faithful servants of the Chantry. To be in the same room as the Divine was an extreme honor. But to have the Divine herself presiding over their son's wedding ceremony had them all on edge, as if they were afraid of being struck down for breathing wrong. Dorian had to struggle to keep from grinning.
"Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written," Cassandra began. "The will of the Maker is a mystery to all. When I declared the Inquisition and then later named Theodane Trevelyan Inquisitor, I did not know just how much the Maker's will included him. I did not know that, when he chose to go to Redcliffe and aid the rebel mages, the Maker's will would include us meeting a great ally, and especially not that His will would result in Theodane meeting his greatest love. Aside from Andraste," Cassandra added with a slight smile.
Theo's eyes twinkled and he bit his lip to keep from laughing aloud. Varric's guffaws, however, could be heard easily. Bull and Krem's laughter sounded like poorly disguised coughing. The poor Trevelyans looked mystified.
Dorian barely registered anything Cassandra said after that. He stared at Theo the whole time, taking in his sparkling green eyes, blushing cheeks, and the way he lightly chewed his lip. His innocent look, even after all he'd done and endured the last few years.
Theo reached out and took his hand. Dorian blinked, caught off guard. "Dorian of House Pavus, will you take Theodane Trevelyan as yours in the Maker's sight until the Day of Exaltation?" Cassandra asked.
Dorian regained his composure and gave Cassandra a haughty glance. "I hardly think you'd be here if the answer was going to be anything other than yes," he told her. "I wouldn't be here if the answer was anything other than yes, and we all know it." At that their friends lost what decorum they'd had and burst out laughing. Even Theo's family was able to giggle a bit nervously. Being from Tevinter, and of course just being Dorian, had some perks. "And you, Amatus?"
"A thousand times, yes. Always," Theo said, staring into his eyes with an intensity Dorian had never seen before in all the time they'd been together.
Theo's hands were shaking as he slipped a simple golden band on Dorian's finger. It was simpler than just about anything else Dorian wore; but as a result it stood out. Dorian slipped a matching ring on Theo's finger, and Cassandra pronounced them one. "Kiss him already," Cassandra said, rolling her eyes.
Theo pulled Dorian into him, hands crushing the samite of his robes and his lips soft and intense on Dorian's. He smelled like soap and a little like pine, like the resin he used to polish his bow. Like waking up in camp, or in bed in the morning with the sun shining through the tall windows. Like something too good to be true, but so very real, and so completely his.
The guests rose as the two made their way past the pews and out into the garden. Dorian paused to take a deep breath of fresh air and steady his breathing in order to calm his racing heart. "Why did you go and do that?" Theo asked, waving his glowing hand toward the chapel. "My family. You even got Maranda to come. Why? And how did you do it without me finding out?" he added suddenly, but he was grinning from ear to ear, eyes shimmering with happy tears.
"Because I'm tired of you constantly surprising me," Dorian said. He ran his thumb over Theo's jaw. "I had to have a few things up my sleeve as well, Amatus." He looked down at his simple gold ring, and then at Theo, who'd changed his ring over to his right hand. "Something the matter?"
Theo shrugged. "Whatever Dagna may have woven into these seems to be making my hand hurt more." He shoved his clenched left hand into his pocket and forced a smile. "It's nothing I can't-"
"You let Dagna forge our wedding bands?" Dorian asked, incredulous. "You know full well she made our rings into some sort of scientific experiment!"
"I wouldn't have trusted anyone else though," Theo said. "She knows what she's doing. Then again, maybe she did nothing at all, and my hand is just acting up. Either way, I think it looks nice on you," he said with a shy smile. He ran his fingers over Dorian's hand. "Are you happy?"
"What sort of idiotic question is that?" Dorian asked, catching Theo's hand in his. "Of course I am, Amatus." He pulled Theo into another deep kiss. And he was. The relief in Theo's green eyes, the flush in his cheeks, and the warm sunlight shining down into Skyhold filled Dorian with giddy glee. Then the guests exited the chapel and joined them, laughing and hugging in the gardens. Theo shook his brother's hand and hugged his parents and sisters. He swung his nieces and nephews in the air and they shrieked with laughter.
Bann Trevelyan came over and offered Dorian his hand. "I've waited twenty-six years to see my son happy. Truly happy. Thank you," he said.
Dorian smiled. "Your son is a stubborn pain in the arse," he said. "But you already knew that."
Bann Trevelyan chuckled. "He takes after me in that regard, unfortunately. This isn't the plan I would ever have envisioned for him, but it's the one that suits him perfectly. A father can't ask for more than that."
Dorian just nodded and smiled again. His own life hadn't followed the path his father would have wanted, and rather than accept it and see to his son's happiness, Halward Pavus had tried to change him to fit Tevinter standards. And he was going to have to face the man again in less than a fortnight. He gazed around the sunny garden, filled with people who truly cared about him and his happiness, and then he caught Theo's sparkling eyes. He didn't want to leave, but just knowing that Theo would be waiting for him when he returned made it bearable.