Four

Asariel 9:37 Dragon

"Congratulations."

Valerie had said it with tears starting to form in her eyes, about all she could force out of her mouth when he had managed to break free for a moment and try to talk to her. She placed her glass down and quickly excused herself from the dining hall, rushing away and up the stairs back toward her room.

Magister Arrentius scooped Cassius up shortly after, and with his arm draped around the young man, he went about introducing him to this relative and that vassal, with Cassius offering kindly greetings and accepting their well wishes with grace.

Andria, his newly betrothed, had been separated from him most of the evening, making her own rounds among the young ladies and the lordly wives. Cassius felt somewhat in a daze as he tried to pay attention to what was being said, all the while his eyes glancing around the room to see if the magister's oldest daughter was coming back. He wanted to, needed to speak to her.

She didn't return.

As the evening dragged on, Cassius finally found a free moment to excuse himself from the hall, finding his way out to the back patio, where the humid nighttime air offered little relief from the whirlwind of activity inside. It was dark, moonless, overcast. He couldn't see it, but he could hear the rolling waves of the Nocen nearby off the coast.

He walked to the staircase, where the porch descended down to the ground level and off toward the beach but stopped, resting against the spherical stone bollard at the top of the stairs. Cassius stared out into the darkness.

Tonight, he was bestowed an honor nearly unimaginable, the chance for a first-generation Praeteri to marry into an Altus family. It was rare, in part because Altus bloodlines didn't want the optics of marrying down a class, much less two classes. Typically families brought Laetan blood in only when they couldn't find a suitable Altus match, or if a bloodline had become too intermixed among common families of the Imperium. To step down another class to the Praeteri, unproven lines of mages, was almost unheard of.

But at the same time, Cassius was conscious of most of his lord's business and he would have been at least passingly aware if the magister was seeking suitors for his daughters. He had known of the few matches Magister Arrentius had tried to negotiate for Valerie, although those negotiations never advanced beyond passing comments between this magister or that.

No, Flavius had chosen his second daughter specifically for Cassius, had chosen to make this match above any other possible options.

So why did Cassius feel like the world had been turned over on top of him?

He knew why, although it was a feeling he could never vocalize, to anyone. His lord had made this match for him and he was bound to accept it. He understood that, no doubt as well as Flavius' heir did.

"So this is where you went."

Cassius turned his head to see Andria standing inside the doorway back into the house, her hands folded properly in front of her. She carried a small smile across her face.

Andria was different from her older sister. Where Valeria had a contentious streak, pushing boundaries and stretching the status quo of what Tevinter expected her to be, Andria had a more subdued personality. When she had been faced with her lot in life, to someday be married away in her father's name, she had not only accepted but embraced the role.

Andria was courtly, well-mannered and kindly. She had very much followed in her mother's image and example in that respect. Andria was devout, somewhat ironic as she shared the root of her name with the southern prophet who had led to the schism of the Chantry, and well-read. She was a polite conversationalist and knew when to speak and when to listen as any magister might expect of his wife and mother of his children.

She was slightly taller than Valerie and slightly thinner in build with a lighter complexion. Where Valerie chose to spend much more time in the sun, Andria spent most of her time indoors and out of the heat, with a pale tone to show for it. Her hair was long and straight, unlike her sister's curls, and dark, without the subtle undertone of red that Valerie had inherited from her father. Unlike her sister however, she had light blue eyes inherited from her mother, distinct from Valerie's brown taken from her father.

She was four years her sister's junior. When he had come to Magister Arrentius' household for the first time seven years ago, she had been just eight, nearly nine years old. In the time since, she had blossomed into a young woman and was very much showing the same kind of soft and refined beauty her mother had had in her youth.

"May I join you?" she asked from the doorway. She was the magister's daughter. She needed to ask no permission, especially not from him.

"Of course," Cassius said.

She stepped down from the back door and walked to him and Cassius extended his hand out to take her by his side as she came within his reach. It felt odd, to hold her hand like that, although he knew that while it might be the first time, it would be the first time of many more to come for the remainder of their lives.

"You look beautiful tonight," Cassius said, feeling it an appropriate compliment to bestow at the moment. They had little time to chat after the announcement before being pulled in separate directions. She had been wearing a modest white dress trimmed with a light blue lace that matched her eyes. A thin silver chain dangled from her neck with a small teardrop gem of aquamarine.

She had dressed perfectly for the role of the young betrothed that she had been cast to play tonight.

"Thank you," she said softly. "You look very handsome."

"You're too kind," Cassius said in return.

They exchanged smiles as an awkward silence fell between them in the moment following. What could he say to the young woman he had attended dinner with as a younger sibling but who now stood before him as his wife-to-be?

"This all happened so suddenly," Andria said to break the silence. "I am honestly still reeling from it all. I can't imagine what it's like for you."

"A surprise," Cassius offered, "but a pleasant one. I am honored by your father and honored to be able to take your hand in marriage."

Andria smiled and blushed, moving her fingers in the palm of his hand.

"How long have you known?" Cassius asked. No doubt, outside of Junia, she was perhaps the only one who had known what would play out at dinner. He knew Flavius well. He would not have simply sprung the betrothal on his daughter. If nothing else, Flavius loved and cherished his daughters, so much so that he would never give them away without their approval and consent.

"About a month," she said. "It's been hard for me to keep it secret. I didn't tell anyone, not even my sisters. Father wanted it to be a surprise. I hope you're not upset."

Andria was so kindly, that Cassius did not doubt that she would put his own feelings ahead of her own, even in this moment. No doubt if he quietly objected to her now, she would seek out her father and ask him to reconsider on Cassius' behalf. But Cassius had no reason to object. This marriage was a great honor. To reject it would be a slight so great that no honorable man could be expected to turn it away.

He was honor-bound, duty-bound, to accept it.

"Of course not," Cassius said.

Andria smiled and dipped her head for a moment, reddening a little.

"I'm happy to hear it," she said and swallowed, building up her courage. "I know marriages in Tevinter are chiefly political matters, to build bonds between families, to further bloodlines. But I am lucky enough to be engaged to a man whom I also love deeply."

Cassius was surprised by that too. Andria was in love with him? She had alway been polite and kind to him, but no more than to anyone else that he had recognized. That was simply her personality and demeanor. He had detected no hint of deeper feelings, beyond the bonds he had formed with all of Flavius' daughters like sisters.

"I had no idea," Cassius said.

"As I intended," Andria admitted. "It would have been improper of me to express my feelings like that. I'm of age now. I know I have to set aside my personal feelings and be open to accept whatever role my family needs of me. That's my duty as a daughter of an Imperial magister. And yet, my mother and father knew my heart, even as I tried to hide it from them."

"Well, thank you," Cassius said, realizing how odd that sounded as soon as it left his lips. "I mean, I regret that I hadn't realized how you felt before now. If I had ever been insensitive in my ignorance, please accept my humble apology."

Andria smiled again and squeezed his hand. "You've always been a perfect gentleman to me. And it only further proved that I was right to admire you."

Now Cassius could feel himself blushing, matching the redness of his betrothed. "I apologize in advance for asking, but when was it that you first fell in love with me?"

Andria giggled to herself, perhaps feeling embarrassed by having to tell the story. After she swallowed down her giggle, she smiled again. "Do you remember when our family was out riding and we got caught in that thunderstorm?"

He did.

It was a little more than two years back. They had taken the horses out riding, the entire family — Flavius; Junia; the five girls Valerie, Andria, Kordelia, Servilia and Flavia; and Cassius. They had taken the horses on a leisurely trot down the shore to the north of the estate, where they could enjoy the sight and sound of the beach.

The weather had been spotty early in the day but had cleared somewhat in the early afternoon, enough for the magister to commit to the outing. However as they had ridden out farther from the estate, the sky once again clouded over, more so than earlier, as thick, dark rain clouds began to amass overhead.

By the time Flavius had grown pessimistic about the weather and decided to turn them back, it was only a few minutes before the first raindrops began to fall. And what started as raindrops quickly turned into a downpour, with a backing of thunder and lightning growing closer and louder.

And it was one of those errant lightning bolts and loud thunderclaps that had spooked Andria's horse, causing the mare to shriek, buck and then take off down the coastline. It was a miracle that Andria wasn't thrown from the saddle and seriously injured, but she screamed, holding on tightly as the horse sprinted away.

As soon as it had happened, Cassius had put his heels into his horse's flank to give chase, standing low in the saddle as he pushed the horse hard to close the distance with the driving rain smacking his body like stones as he rode through the torrent.

When he had finally come alongside the frightened horse, he had found an equally terrified Andria white-knuckled around the reins, her arms and legs clutching the horse as tightly as she could just to try to keep from falling, the wild-running horse bumping and thumping her with each wide gait.

Cassius had pulled close enough to grab the reins on her horse, giving them a tug in hopes of snapping the mare out of its terror and getting it to stop. But the horse, frothing at the mouth and wide-eyed with fear, didn't slow, jerking its head hard back against his pull.

Instead, he reached for her. "Andria!" he shouted over the noise of the storm. "Take my hand!"

The frightened girl, bawling but tears barely noticeable mixed with the streams of rain running off her soaked hair and down her face, shook her head nearly as wildly as the horse she sat pinned to.

"Andria! Please! I won't let anything happen to you! Please, take my hand!" he called out a second time. She turned her head toward him with wide-eyed terror as the two horses ran in tandem next to each other, his extended hand stretched out toward her saddle. Cassius nodded, thrusting his hand toward her again.

She let go of the horse, reached out, grabbed his arm, wobbling as she tried to stand in the saddle with the wild horse still running beneath her, and then swept her leg over, leaping toward him. Cassius leaned and nearly fell himself as he let go of his own reins in order to catch her, guiding her to the seat in front of him as he regathered the fallen reins in his hands and pulled up his horse back to a gentle run, then a trot, then a stop.

He remembered the way she spun, facing him, with her arms wrapped around his neck, afraid to let go, as he watched her horse continue to speed down the beach and off into the storm until it was so far away he couldn't see it through the sheet of driving rain.

He had covered Andria with his coat, trying to shield her from as much of the rain as possible as he turned his horse and trotted back to the rest of their family.

It had become one of the stories Magister Arrentius told people like legends whenever he spoke about Cassius to others.

And, apparently, it had become the legend at the center of Andria's heart, too.

"I'll never forget how safe I felt in your arms after you rescued me," Andria said now as they stood on the patio behind her father's manor. "I wanted to feel like that for the rest of my life. I wanted to hold you again and never let you go."

Andria stepped in, wrapping Cassius in her embrace once more. His arms fell around her, too, as she rested her cheek upon his shoulder and shut her eyes, falling into complete and total comfort against his body.

"And now, I never have to."


Asariel 9:41 Dragon

Cassius sat in the padded chaise in front of the open doors to the balcony, basking in the cool midnight breeze as he looked at the sliver of moon in the sky and listened to the waves.

Dawn would be approaching soon. He had tried to encourage everyone to return to sleep after Valerie had roused the entire house, but had failed miserably as the family spent hours with him upon his return. He expected most would miss breakfast, himself included, as they slept well past the sunrise.

His return had been a surprise to them, but they, in turn, had a surprise waiting for him.

"Are you coming to bed?" Andria asked as she approached behind him, resting her fingertips lightly on his shoulders.

"Yes," Cassius said as he reached across his chest, resting his fingers atop her fingers on his right shoulder. "Just taking a moment to decompress before I try to sleep."

He had always given himself a few moments of quiet to relax, to order his muscles to stand down at the end of the day and prepare his mind for sleep. In his youth, in his early days in the Circle, he had been troubled by nightmares and the danger of demons they presented from across the Veil. There had been more than one close call, thrusting him awake from his dreams to find his bed wet with sweat and urine from the vivid dreams.

The other acolytes had not been kind. He had not returned the favor, even when the students from Altus bloodlines awoke to piss-soaked sheets from their dreams from time to time.

Enchanter Marianna had taught him about calming and preparing his mind for sleep. The young, blonde woman was Praeteri herself, third generation, just one generation shy of her family being able to claim the title of Laetan, and had been tapped to stay on as a teacher for the younger students in the Circle. She had a way of connecting with children at their level. And, unlike many of the other teachers, she was kind and compassionate. She had been his favorite instructor.

He wondered, sometimes, whether she was still in the Circle or if she had moved on to other pursuits. Had her family ever cross that final barrier and rise to that next rung of society?

After she had taught him those meditations, his dreams calmed and he found himself sleeping more soundly afterward. His performance in the Circle had improved, as well, as he was more well-rested, more at peace and less scared of his own gifts. He owed her a great debt for such simple methods that had unlocked his advancement.

Andria circled the chair, slowly lowering herself onto the cushions between his legs, leaning back into his chest as she joined him looking out the open door.

Cassius found that as she snuggled in front of him, his hands instinctively wrapped around her and came to rest on the burgeoning bump of her belly.

Five months, she had said.

He had been away from Asariel for five months on assignment with the Venatori. Valerie joked that he had left her sister with quite the going-away present. Kordelia snickered. Servilia and Flavia chuckled as they exchanged glances between one another, both unsure exactly what their older sister meant and both too young yet to understand why they were laughing.

Cassius asked why she hadn't written to inform him. Magister Arrentius chimed in to remind him that not only was he out of contact, he had chosen not to for fear that Cassius would abandon his commision and try to return home. Cassius was needed in the war effort. His second daughter was well-kept at home with her mother and four sisters in his absence.

Cassius found he couldn't disagree with his patron's logic.

"What should we name our son?" Andria mused as she shifted, snuggling deeper into his body as she closed her eyes and let the breeze overtake her. "I was thinking we should name him after you. Cassius II."

"No," Cassius disagreed politely. His name was nothing worth memorializing. Their child would carry his blood but he would grow up an Arrentius, heralding his Altus lineage and burying his father's lowly blood under the name.

If their child was born a boy, a direct-line grandson of the magister, he would rise to the top of the succession tree the second he took his first breath.

Assuming he carried the gift in his childhood, he would also be first in line to inherit Flavius' seat in the Magisterium, once he was old enough to sit it.

Both prospects would no doubt chafe the young lord Marinus. As Flavius' oldest, closest, mage relative, he currently carried the distinction of being next in line to the Magisterium.

Unfortunately there were no guarantees when it came to magic.

Not only had Flavius birthed five daughters, none of them had inherited the gift. Therefore, none of them could take his seat in the Magisterium.

The Imperium prioritized men to women in its halls of power, but there were no prohibitions against women occupying the seats. The safest, easiest transitions of power were from a father to his son. Things became more complicated when sonless fathers were forced to choose between their daughters or their brothers, uncles or nephews. Families had been sundered and blood feuds that had endured for centuries had started when a magister chose a successor outside of his or her direct line.

There was little complication for Flavius Arrentius, however. He did not have to make that choice. None of his five daughters had inherited the gift of magic and therefore none of them were eligible. That had left Marinus as the most reasonable successor. As the oldest and only son of Flavius' younger brother, he presented the best choice of stability for the family in the future.

However, should one of Flavius' daughters conceive a son, that would almost certainly change the magister's calculus.

Yet even Cassius knew that odds were stacked against the child of a first-generation Praeteri and an Altus Soporati, especially one from a family that was showing signs that its well of magic may now be completely tapped out.

But the gift was unpredictable. There were many stories of Altus children who never developed magic going on to birth children who did, and then those children continued to birth more mages in an unbreaking chain for generations beyond.

Whether their child could reverse the fortunes of House Arrentius or not, well, it would take several years after the child's birth to find out.

"What if we were to name him after your father?" Cassius offered instead. "He's given me everything. He's given me you. To give him a boy, and better yet to name that boy in his honor, I could think of no greater gift to give to him."

Her father had been plagued by the nickname "Five-Daughters" given to him by the other magisters and political antagonists in Minrathous. They bandied it like a dagger, to poke and cut at his situation and to constantly remind him how fast his star was fading. The Arrentius line had been in decline for generations and now, in some respects, teetered on the brink.

"Flavius?" Andria said testing it on her tongue. Cassius could tell from her voice that she was scowling at the prospect. "I don't know."

"Or, we could combine the two options," Cassius offered. "How about Cavius or Flassius?"

Andria smacked his hand on her stomach lightly. "Now you're just being ridiculous."

"I don't know," he said. "Flassius sounds pretty good to my ear."

"It sounds lewd is what it sounds," Andria said, giggling to herself before turning the conversation. "I hope the time away hasn't turned you Flassius. I've been waiting a long time for you to come home."

Andria rubbed her hand down his leg, craned her neck and puckered her lips. Cassius fulfilled that request by planting a kiss on her.

"I suppose baby names can wait for another day," Cassius said as he lifted from her lips and as Andria's hand reached around the small of her back where she sat between his legs. "And here I thought I was winding down for sleep."

"You'll sleep wonderfully tonight, my love, I promise."