Happy 2024!
~O~
The patient, attentive healer stood surveying the fidgeting lump on the bed, judging she would soon be up, based solely on the increasing number of pained noises she was making beneath the blankets. Fully armed and prepared with the necessary items for her care, as usual, Anders watched expectantly when Marian groaned again and pulled the blanket down and his pillow over her face, her voice coming out quiet and muffled. There was a plaintive tone to her plea, one that usually evoked his sympathy, but he felt it far less than usual on this occasion, his other, stronger emotions like a clenched fist in his gut.
"Can you please turn off the sun, love? I have knives stabbing me in the eyes from the light."
He couldn't stop his knowing smile. "Marian, the curtains are as closed as I can possibly make them, as they always are when you are in this state. Every time you ask me why I seldom drink, I want you to remember how you feel now, at this exact moment, and that is my answer. Here, sit up enough to take this, it will help."
Peeking out from beneath the pillow, she gave him a disgruntled glare, pouting up at him. "Will you stop giving me your 'I-told-you-so' look? It's not very nice when I'm clearly in pain." Pushing upright, she accepted the little shot of hangover cure he always mixed for her himself, followed by a glass of water.
Anders shook his head, his smile growing at the display of her foul mood and temper, something she frequently suffered after engaging in a bout of heavy drinking. "You want me to lie to you so you feel better about your bad choices? That's never going to happen, sweetheart, I will always be truthful with you, whether it's what you want to hear, or not. As I've told you before, drinking heavily is hard on the body, and the resultant suffering is the price you must pay for your actions. Without my help, you would be far worse off."
Setting aside the empty glass, she narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance. "I'd like to know what happened to my loving, compassionate healer. You seem to be a cruel impostor, clearly enjoying my misery. Just look at how you're gloating." She ran a hand through the tousled strands of her dark hair, turning away from him.
Pulling a chair up beside the bed, he sat down and crossed his arms over his bare chest, his expression losing all signs of his previous amusement as he allowed his true feelings to show. "Do you want me to kiss it better for you, or is that a task you would prefer the Arishok perform?"
When his question fully registered, she sucked in a surprised breath and turned a wide-eyed, incredulous gaze to him, unconsciously hugging his pillow against her breasts at the sight of the dark look he had fixed on her. "What are you talking about? I don't want the Arishok to kiss anything of mine! Why would you think otherwise?"
His eyes measured her, while he read her expression and gauged her sincerity. "Then would you like to explain to me how you came home yesterday with an abrasion up your neck, which you claimed was caused by his licking you? The last I knew, you were never previously near enough to the Arishok for him to even be able to touch you, much less lick you, so what changed, Marian?"
The anger on his face and the accusation of his words made her heart thump hard inside her chest. "I honestly don't know. Fenris was not permitted to accompany me into the compound, and I was taken to the Arishok's tent, where I was left alone with him, which has also never happened before. He asked about the taint, he could tell somehow, and something about my scent seemed to affect him rather strongly, as he spoke of it as utterly enticing. I...I never gave him permission to touch me, Anders. But he didn't ask, he just pulled me against him and did it." She shook her head at the memory, her brows furrowed.
"By the time I recovered from my shock over his actions and his positively astonishing offer of sex, which he claimed was permitted by the Qun, it was done. I fled from him immediately after. Surely you aren't suggesting that I invited or welcomed his interest in some way, because nothing could be further from the truth." She gave him a wounded look, the pain in her blue eyes cutting through his anger like a hot knife through butter, but his simmering jealousy wasn't as easily quelled.
Sliding onto the bed, he pulled her flush against his chest, tipping her face up to his while his golden brown eyes slid over her in a sullen, brooding look that made her shiver, even before he spoke. His voice was low and heavy with threat. "You belong to me, just as I belong to you, Marian, and you're mine to protect. I want to kill that giant oaf for daring to presume to touch you. Unless I'm with you in future, I don't want you going in there again, regardless of the circumstances. I hope you're hearing me, I cannot guarantee control of my anger where you are concerned, I would shed rivers of blood for you and damn the consequences. I need you to understand what I'm telling you."
Wide-eyed for an entirely different reason than before, Marian nodded. "I understand." Reaching a hand up, she caressed his stubbled cheek, a shivery flutter inside of her chest from the look in his eyes. "Anders," she whispered. "I love the way you're looking at me right now."
Sliding his fingers into her hair, he tugged it gently, a growing glimmer of desire tinting the possessive expression he wore. "I want to bury myself inside of you so deeply and so many times, that anyone who looks at you will see and feel the echo of me. They'll know your soul is carved with my name as surely as your body, and that mine equally bears yours." A moment of silence passed while their eyes remained locked, neither of them willing or able to look away. His voice fell to a soft murmur.
"I don't know if you've fully realized it yet, or even admitted it to yourself, but we can't be separated, Marian. Not ever. Our very beings are fused, an intermingled mosaic, joined together far more than what I experienced with Justice. What you and I are now, whatever it is that we've become together, there's no going back, no undoing this. Tell me you don't regret it, regret us."
"Of course I don't regret us," she stated in an emphatic tone. "I told you before that I will never regret us, and I don't say that lightly. I know we are forever, I wouldn't want to live a life without you in it, Anders. Please, would you lay all your fears to rest about us and our future together? Fate, love and magic have wed us irrevocably. I couldn't feel myself more bound to you than I do now, not even if we stood before all Kirkwall and said Chantry vows. I know that I can only draw breath in a world where you exist beside me, as my perfect match. Do you hear what I'm telling you? Because I fucking mean every word."
Some of the intensity in his eyes softened with his smile. "I do, sweetheart, thank you for the reassurance. I love you so desperately, it hurts, and the only way to soothe that ache is to make love to you all the time, as often as possible, constantly, and just be near you for all the rest of it." Her tender smile had him leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose.
"I don't feel any differently about you, we seem to have been made for each other. You're a hunger in me that's never able to be sated. I need your touch, need you loving me to be happy."
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips that made her sigh with a dreamy look when he lifted his head. "As much as I want to make love to you right now, I do still have a few more questions that I would like an answer to first."
She tilted her head. "About the Arishok? I already told you all of it, I was only with him for a few minutes."
Anders shook his head. "No, my question is about something you said before you fell asleep last night. You told me you ate orgasms from whores. What exactly does that mean?"
Marian laughed quietly and sat up straighter, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Fenris and I went to the Rose yesterday. I had to talk to one of the workers there about retrieving a sword that a spooked Qunari left behind, or Tal-Vashoth...or whatever it is that they call themselves." She waved a hand. "Anyway, we were waiting for Jethann to finish with a customer so we could speak with him, and I...felt them. Maybe more than just the two of them, but their pleasure was what grabbed me and wouldn't let go, I definitely felt the one man's orgasm fully. I got glowing eyes, glowing skin, all of it. That's why I said I ate them."
He pursed his lips, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear while he considered the possibilities of her being able to feed from others, so easily. "Did you actually come from it?" She blushed and nodded while he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Where was Fenris while this was happening?"
She bit her lip and winced, bracing for his displeasure. "He was...with me."
"With you, where, exactly?" He asked in a silky, menacing tone. "Was he touching you?"
She gave a nervous laugh and cleared her throat. "He wasn't getting me off, if that's what you're thinking. I asked him to hold me up, only so I wouldn't fall. I wasn't sure if my shaky legs would keep me upright, that's all. He only did what I asked, nothing inappropriate, and he tried not to embarrass me about it afterwards."
Releasing a loud breath, Anders raised a hand and massaged his temples, shooting her a less than pleased look. "Maker damn it, woman. Are you trying to make me insane with jealousy? It almost feels like your entire day consisted of some preplanned checklist- how to drive your lover completely mad, in a dozen easy steps. Was that your secret goal?"
She pressed her lips together, trying to hold in her rising amusement at his reaction, but when he narrowed his eyes and she saw the answering glint of humor there, she gave in to the laughter that was determined to burst forth. Making a chiding sound, he pulled her close and pecked a brief kiss to her forehead.
"You're lucky you're so adorable. I think I would actually really like to spank your tempting ass red, just this once. I was about to make love to you, sweet and slow, but I think you may have to settle for a hard, angry fuck now. The thought of you coming in the arms of that damned mage hater is even worse than the Arishok licking you. They could both use a fireball to the face, that would greatly improve my current mood."
Sobering at the realization he was genuinely upset, remorse filled her gaze while she reached for his hand. "I'm sorry, Anders. I didn't intend to make you jealous or angry with my actions. I was just trying to make the best of two very awkward and unfortunate situations." She sighed and dropped her gaze. "If you were with me, I'm quite sure things would have happened very differently."
Anders lifted her chin a moment later, bringing her eyes back to his. She was relieved that his anger seemed to have cooled considerably. "You make an excellent point," he murmured. "I really should have been with you. I made a vow to see to your care and protection, but I can't very well do that if we aren't together, can I? From now on, I'm going to be your shadow, Marian, your guardian spirit and defender. I hope this is something you're prepared to live with."
Grinning, she slid fully onto his lap, straddling him and wrapping her arms around him in an eager hug. Pulling back, she sought his lips, the warm press of his mouth and the tantalizing taste of his tongue against hers making her blood sing and her magic thrum with arousal. The confident touch of his fingers sliding down against her bare flesh made her gasp and press eagerly against him, seeking more.
His smile was amused when he leaned back enough to see her face, a hint of satisfaction brightening the molten gold of his eyes at what he beheld in hers. "Shall I take that as a yes?" He asked, in the deep tone that she loved.
"Yes, yes," she murmured. "A resounding yes to you being with me as much as possible. I couldn't want anything more than I want that, Anders."
"Good, then we are in perfect agreement," he replied, beginning to kiss her in the slow, thorough way that robbed her of all awareness beyond what he was doing to her, capturing her senses and holding them firmly under his power.
His fingers continued to build on the ache he had started inside her, sliding in and out of her slick channel, ghosting over her clitoris in a barely there touch that lit her nerves with raw sensation. Instead of teasing her as he often did, by purposefully delaying her climax to draw it out, he made her come instantly, taking her by surprise. He stared into her eyes when she came, her pleasure every bit as necessary and vital to him as bodily sustenance. He made her explode into a million tiny, ecstasy-laden pieces, scattered and drifting, her mind fuzzy and overcome. Only to begin kissing her, starting anew, putting her right back together so he could make her fly apart all over again.
After shedding his pants, the only clothing he wore, he laid down on his back across their bed. Holding his hands up to her, he laced their fingers together after she straddled him and sank down on his hard length, both of them shuddering when he was fully a part of her. Helping her begin the familiar dance that would lead them to their ultimate destination together, though no two instances of their coupling were ever alike, and each time held a similar wonder and anticipation as though it were the very first.
All her life, when she had felt so alone, isolated and sad because of what she was and how she had to hide because of her magic; so many times she had wished it gone, wished it away. But now it was called seductively forth by its only true mate, rising eagerly to frolic and glide against his magic, where it belonged, blossomed and bloomed, a burst of pure joy and acceptance in the place of her former sorrow. Her magic was nurtured, cherished and adored by his, just as he cherished her heart, her soul.
Tears rose in her eyes and spilled over, down her cheeks, when the realization struck her that true love had a face, and it was his, staring up into hers, offering her everything he had to give, all of him, holding nothing back. What she had always longed for, secretly craved, was fully realized in this incomparable man that had bravely battled death for her, and won. Her true defender and champion, the only man that had ever seen all of her, and adored every one of her sharp, broken pieces. When she was lost and so afraid, all alone in the dark, he answered her call. Became her hope. Healed her pain.
How could she even begin to deserve him, when he loved her with the blazing fire of a thousand suns? She would crack open her own heart, pour it out on the bonfire of his passion and bask in the shared flames of love they would create together. So bright and pure that even blessed Andraste and the Maker would envy them. When they came together in perfect harmony, she was caught between their pleasure and the epiphany of her realized dreams, fully found in him.
Pulling her down to him for a kiss, he wrapped his arms firmly around her, his lips gathering all the tears across her cheeks for himself, as something priceless and beautiful, another part of her to take into himself.
You are never alone, my darling, treasured love, I am with you. I'll never leave you, I love you utterly. You're my whole world, the most important thing in my life. When you feel weak, I will be there to catch you, carry you, hold you up in my arms and soothe your pain, to be your shelter in any storm. Angling her head so he could see her eyes, his own became misty with tears at the honest emotion that shone from hers. And you have always been the face of true love for me, Marian, the only home for my heart. I don't know what I may have ever done to deserve you, but I'm daily grateful for the precious gift you are.
I love you, Anders. She covered his face with soft kisses. Did you hear everything I was thinking? She lifted her head, smiling down into his shining eyes.
Yes. Your thoughts were in my mind, almost as though I were the one thinking them, but they were spoken with your voice. That's new for me. Perhaps something to do with the recent blood share? Have you noticed anything different in yourself?
She traced a finger over one of his eyebrows and down across his jaw. Maybe? I just find myself wanting you even more, missing you when we aren't together. You're constantly in my thoughts when we're parted.
He slid his fingers through her dark hair that hung down over her shoulder, his expression contemplative. "It almost seems we are being bonded ever tighter together, over time, and I don't know if that is due to your form of taint, or something that may be from your magic through blood. I wish we had more answers about all this."
Parting her lips, her eyes grew troubled. "I'm not sure how I feel about these blood powers and how they can compel. You don't think that I magicked you into falling in love with me, do you?"
Anders smirked, filling his hands with her full ass where she still lay stretched out on top of him, and squeezing. "Not possible. You're forgetting I was in love with you long before you saw me as anything other than a friend. More likely I put a love spell on you, my delicious Marian, so I might have constant access to my favorite vintage."
She laughed, making his smile widen. "I like the idea of that much more than the thought I might have forced you to do something, not of your own free will."
He shook his head. "Don't waste time thinking that, you could never do something so contrary to who you are as a person." He pulled her lips to his for a kiss, his brows drawing together in annoyance when a loud knock sounded on their bedroom door, interrupting them. With an amused smile over his grumpy look, Marian pressed a final kiss to his lips before she rolled off him and snatched up her robe. Tying it securely, she waited until he was similarly covered in his soft pants before she walked to the door and opened it.
"Mother?" she asked in surprise, immediately growing tense at the obvious distress on Leandra's face.
"Marian, I'm sorry to disturb you, dear, but Carver is here and he's very upset, but he won't tell me why. He insists that he needs to speak with you alone."
Reaching out, she squeezed her mother's hands reassuringly and nodded. "I'll be right there, just as soon as I'm dressed. Tell him I'm coming." Leandra went to deliver the message, and Marian closed the bedroom door and hurried to their shared dressing room, Anders already mostly dressed and ready when she got there. Her mind raced with worry while she threw on the first thing she came across, leather pants, boots, and a fitted sapphire tunic. After dragging a brush through her hair and giving herself a cursory glance in the mirror, she started for the library, Anders' warm, supportive presence right beside her.
Opening the door to see Carver pacing in front of the fireplace, his face grim and tense, she went straight to him and threw her arms around his neck, clearly surprising him with the hug, from the openly stunned look he gave her. His eyes were drawn down to where she gripped one of his hands in both of hers.
"What's happened, Carver, what do you need? How can I help?"
Meeting her eyes, unable to hide a brief flash of pain there, he stepped past her, walking to the far side of the room. "I'll explain everything, but first…" He went behind the partition that divided the room and emerged carrying an obviously wounded woman. Marian gasped when she recognized her, not a woman, but a girl…
"Ineria?" she called softly, reaching out to smooth wild strands of her blonde hair away from her face. Her brown eyes were dull and clouded with pain, and tears had made wet tracks down her cheeks. Blood stained her robes in large patches, but it wasn't clear exactly how she was wounded.
"Come lay her here, Carver," Anders said, in a calm, reassuring voice. She gave a pained cry when Carver carefully laid her on the couch. Crouching down beside her, Anders reached for one of her hands, smiling kindly. "Ineria? My name is Anders, I'm a healer. I want to put you to sleep for just a little while, so I can assess your injuries and heal you. When you wake up, you'll feel much better, alright?"
With wide eyes, she looked at Marian, then Carver, before nodding her consent to Anders. Her eyes slid closed when he cast sleep on her, his hands glowing with green healing magic while he worked over her. Pausing, he flicked his eyes up to Carver. "Wounds on her right arm and along her right side, up her ribs, caused by a sword. What happened?"
With rage on his face, Carver all but snarled his words. "An evil bastard named Alrik happened, he's a Knight-Lieutenant in the Order," he paused, his lips twisting in a bitter smile. "Or, I should say, he was. I killed him. Ineria was running an errand when she happened upon him forcing himself on a mage newly made tranquil, likely on his orders." Shoving a hand through his hair, Carver started pacing. "I had a bad feeling when I saw Ineria start down into the tunnels beneath the Gallows, so I followed her. Thank the Maker I did, when she screamed I was there seconds later, gutting that fucking bastard before he could finish her off for witnessing what he was doing. May he rot."
"You saved her life, Carver, and likely the lives of other mages, too," Marian said. "I can easily have his body disposed of, if that would be helpful for you. No one need ever know his fate."
Releasing a breath, Carver nodded. "That is exactly the assistance I was hoping for, Mari. If it were discovered I killed him, it would be trouble I don't want, and I would rather avoid it. I can't ever look at Ineria without seeing Beth." He met his sister's gaze, her eyes full of the same pain as his. "I'll never let anyone hurt her, anymore than I would ever let anyone touch you. Fuck the Chantry and fuck the Order, I don't give a shit about any of that."
Crossing her arms, Marian smiled. "Have I told you how much I admire you, Carver? I want to be exactly like you when I grow up."
Rolling his eyes, Carver smiled for the first time since his arrival. "You just miss having me follow you around like your faithful mabari."
Walking to her desk on one side of the room, Marian shrugged. "Yes, I do miss having you around, brother. But it seems you are doing important work where you are, so I'll try not to begrudge your absence too much." Sitting down and writing a quick note to Varric, she stepped out the door for a minute, speaking quietly to dispatch Bodahn to take it, before returning to the library.
Anders finally stood upright after he finished healing Ineria, the glow fading from his hands. He stared down at her peaceful sleeping face thoughtfully. "What do you plan to do with the girl now, Carver?"
Frowning, Carver came closer, also looking down at her. "If I had somewhere else safe to put her, I would, but for now, I think she will be far safer back in the Gallows, where both Cullen and I can continue to watch over her. She's only just fourteen, far too young to be out on her own without an adult caretaker."
Marian went and stood beside Anders, smiling at him. "Is she all better?"
Sliding a hand up her back to rest on the bare skin of her neck, beneath her hair, he sighed. "Yes, insofar as her body goes. I healed her quite slowly, so there won't be any scarring to remind her of it." His eyes turned sad. "But her mental and emotional trauma won't be so easily healed, something I know from experience. I discovered only recently that Alrik was the nasty prick that was responsible for making Karl tranquil. Apparently a sadistic bastard, liked to experiment on mages, see what it took to make them desperate enough to turn to demons. It's a relief to know he won't ever be able to hurt another mage."
Turning, Marian stepped into Anders and wrapped her arms around his waist in comfort, laying her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "Should I give Ineria some of my clothes to replace hers, Carver?" She gestured toward her. "Her robes are bloody and torn, she can't possibly return in those without raising unwelcome questions."
Carver's brows climbed. "You're right, I hadn't thought that far. If you have any robes that would fit her, that would be very helpful, Mari."
Anders smiled down at Marian. "Ready for me to wake her?" At her nod, he extended his hands, blue light spilling over the young mage. Her eyelids fluttered before her eyes shot wide open. Gasping, she jerked upright, looking around her wildly.
"You're alright, Ineria. You're with friends, no one can harm you here," Marian said soothingly, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ineria reached for Hawke's hand and clung to it tightly, growing calmer when she spotted Carver, and Anders gave her a kind smile.
"Thank you," she said quietly, speaking for the first time, looking at each of them in turn. "That was like the most terrible nightmare I could have imagined. I'm so glad it's over."
Marian squeezed her hand. "If you feel well enough, I can take you to get cleaned up and changed now."
Pushing to her feet, Ineria took a deep breath and smiled with determination. "I'm ready, thank you, Hawke."
Slipping an arm around the young mage's waist, she grinned. "Please, call me Marian, most of my friends do. How are your magical studies coming along? Still outdoing your friend, Poul?"
Anders smiled, listening to the girl start to chatter away eagerly, immediately put at ease by Marian's kind and friendly manner, as so many were. Releasing a weary groan, Carver sank down onto one of the plush chairs near the fire.
"I'm grateful to you for healing Ineria, Anders. You're far more skilled than any of the mages with healing talent at the Gallows. And this way, there will be no one to run tattle to the Knight-Commander about any suspicious injuries."
"I'm always happy to help whoever has need of me," Anders replied with a small smile, giving the youngest Hawke a long, thoughtful look. "I must apologize for misjudging you, Carver. I never thought you would go out of your way for a mage like you did, much less kill to keep one safe. You're a good person, much like your sister."
Sliding down in the chair more comfortably, Carver gave Anders an ironic smile. "There was a time when I would have been offended to be likened to Mari, but now I take it for the compliment it is." His smile faded and his lips tightened. "There's not a Templar I wouldn't kill to keep my sister safe, you know. I was even ready to put an end to Cullen on that very first night he caught Mari in that Lowtown alley, mistaking her for a lyrium thief, before she set him straight."
Taking the chair across from him, Anders gave Carver a curious look. "Is that how they met? Marian never mentioned how they happened to become acquainted, but I did wonder."
Carver smirked. "I don't know all the details, but I do know she and Cullen went to the Blooming Rose soon after they met, and spent most of the night there. That was when my arm was broken and I couldn't watch over her, before we came to see you. She said they were following leads on the lyrium thieves, but after that night Cullen started courting her, and he gave her the sword she's been using ever since." He raised his brows. "I guess you should really be grateful he took the news of her being a mage so poorly, at first. Or they would likely still be together, knowing Mari."
Anders smiled to himself. "Fate is sometimes very kind, as in my case, and sometimes cruel, as in Cullen's. Whatever powers may have brought us together, I daily bless them."
Pursing his lips, Carver shifted more comfortably. "Looking back, I would say it seemed to have worked out for the best. She's changed so much since the deep roads, but I can see she's happy with you. Probably the first time she's actually been happy since our father died." He sighed, then smirked at the healer. "Which means I don't hate you, so long as you continue to make her happy. Mother dotes on you too, which I suppose is another vote of confidence."
"I appreciate your support," Anders replied, smirking back. "Since I'm a permanent part of your sister's life, it's only sensible we get along. Anything less would wound her, which I will never willingly do."
With a thoughtful nod, Carver turned to stare into the fire, both men lapsing into a comfortable silence.
~O~
Marian walked over to stand beside Carver, both of them watching Anders and their mother chatting with Ineria, whose face was lit with a bright, happy smile while she spoke. After her bath and change of clothes, it was as though nothing untoward had ever happened to her, which made Marian sigh heavily, drawing her brother's gaze.
"You will try to watch her extra closely, won't you? She may look well now, but she's going to have to work through what happened, and that won't be easy. Having you to confide in will be a great boon for her."
"I will do the best I can for her, Mari, but I have to be careful. Templars are watched too, not as closely as the mages, but there are still eyes everywhere." He crossed his arms, turning more to face her. "I suppose Cullen's reasoning for insisting I join the Order makes sense, now that I have seen things from the inside."
With furrowed brows, Marian gnawed on her lip. "That's something else I wanted to ask… Do I need to conceal all this from Cullen, or do you intend to tell him what happened?"
Carver held her gaze while he considered. "I'll tell him, but probably not right away. If he's asked, he'll have deniability, and I can tell him the truth after any inquiry dies down."
She shrugged. "That's sensible, and I do agree that would likely be best. Then I will make no mention of any of this to Cullen, should he happen to speak of it."
"How long until the body is dealt with?" Carver asked, dropping his voice to a low murmur. Marian moved a step closer, speaking just as quietly.
"I have taken care of it, and it's already done. If you need to get back right away to allay any suspicion, you can do so without worry. I instructed his corpse be burned and any ashes discarded completely, so nothing can be traced, via magic or any other means."
After drawing a slow, deep breath and releasing it, Carver slipped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against him. "Thank you, sister, for all your help with this, especially for Ineria's sake."
Slipping her arms around him, she turned his half hug into a full one and smiled up at him. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Carver, nothing. Anytime you have need, come to me, or send word if you can't come. Alright, promise me?"
Carver smirked. "Still bossing me around, sister? Even now?"
She grinned and shook her head, her smile turning softer. "Not bossing you, loving you. I do love you, Carver, and I'm glad you're my brother. After what nearly happened to me in the deep roads, it's important you know how I feel. We always take tomorrows for granted, but bad things can happen, and we aren't ever guaranteed tomorrow." Her blue eyes turned sad, making him tighten his arm around her.
"I know, Mari," he murmured. "I feel the same, and I promise."
With tears in her eyes, she pulled his head down and pressed a kiss to his cheek, releasing him to walk back over to the others, discreetly blinking away the wetness in her eyes before she went to join them. Ineria grinned at her and slipped her hand into hers.
"Marian, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Alright," Marian replied agreeably, squeezing the hand she held. "What would you like to know?"
"It's just...Anders lives here with you? He's your boyfriend?"
She heard Anders' laughter in her mind and pressed her lips together to contain her own amusement at the curious girl's question. "Yes, I suppose you could call him that. We are in a committed relationship with each other. Is that what you wanted to know?"
With furrowed brows, Ineria looked between Anders and Marian, clearly confused. "Well, no, that isn't what I wondered about, exactly. It's that Anders is a mage, and you aren't. You're not scared to live with a mage in your home?"
With a gentle smile, Marian shook her head. "I'm not afraid of Anders, or any mage, Ineria. I suppose Carver didn't tell you that our father, Malcolm Hawke, was a mage in the Kirkwall Circle before he and our mother married?"
With eyes as big as saucers, Ineria looked from Carver, who shrugged, to Leandra Hawke who gave her a wide smile and a wink, back to Anders and Marian. "Your father was a mage? That's amazing! So, you don't dislike mages then, because of your father?"
Marian chuckled. "I don't dislike mages at all." She extended a hand and conjured an icy gust of air over her palm. "Because I am one. But I expect you to keep my secret, now you know."
Ineria's face lit with a huge grin before she squealed and launched herself at Marian, hugging her tightly, making the others laugh. "I won't tell anyone, Marian, I swear! Oh, I'm so happy that you're like me! You and Ser Carver and Knight-Captain Cullen are my favorite people in the whole world, and now Mistress Hawke and Anders too!" Releasing Marian, her brows rose curiously. "But...does the Knight-Captain know? I thought you were best friends, but does he not know?"
"He knows," Marian replied. "He didn't always, but he has for a little while, now."
Ineria smiled again and clasped her hands together. "I feel like I'm part of a very special, secret club. It makes me feel much less alone."
"You aren't alone, Ineria, you'll always have our friendship and support," Anders said, with a smile. "And I predict things are going to change dramatically for mages, during our lifetime. We won't always be held as prisoners for our Maker-given gifts. One day, we'll all be free to decide our own fates."
Ineria gave Anders a wistful smile. "I hope you're right, Anders. Sometimes, I speak with Ser Thrask, and he feels much the same about how mages are treated. He thinks we should have more autonomy, and much less intrusion from templars."
Anders gave her a surprised look. "Really, a templar feels that way, and spoke of it to you?"
Marian crossed her arms and nodded. "I have also spoken with Ser Thrask, though he has no idea I am a mage, and he expressed the desire for mages to have much more freedom than the Chantry permits. I wonder if someone close to him has magic? That often gives insight and sympathy to those who are not magically gifted."
"Perhaps we might try and speak with him together, Marian." Anders came and slipped an arm around her waist. "It's good to dialogue with anyone who believes in freedom for mages, and can be encouraged to support our cause."
"Thrask is a good man," Carver confirmed, then turned a gentle look to the young mage. "I'm sorry, Ineria, I wish we could stay longer, but we must get back if we are to avoid questions and suspicion."
Squaring her shoulders, Ineria nodded. "I'm ready. Will we take the tunnels back?"
Carver went and picked up his sword, sliding it into his back sheathe. "Yes, that's the only way to avoid detection."
Leandra pulled Ineria into a hug. "If you ever need anything, or a place to hide, come to us here, dear. We are always ready to help."
"Thank you," Ineria replied in a choked voice. "For everything. I'm so grateful to you all."
"Carver, Anders and I can accompany you both through part of the tunnels, if you like. I know there are sometimes unsavory sorts, and the occasional creepy-crawly, and you might like to have a bit of back-up."
He nodded. "I won't say no to that, at least for a part of the way."
Anders went and retrieved his staff and Marian's weapons, and the four of them went down through the cellar, setting out for the Darktown tunnels that led back to the Gallows.
~O~