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peopleofthedas2012-03-20 10:30 pm
i_paint_the_sky) wrote in peopleofthedas2012-03-20 10:30 pm
The Mistress, chapter 2/? (Rated M)
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swooping_is_bad and dragonage_fic
Title: The Mistress
Rating: M
Pairings: Starts with Cailan/Elissa, eventual Alistair/Elissa.
Summary: Elissa Cousland, the favourite of King Cailan, finds herself thrown from the political arena into something completely different as the coming Blight changes her world forever.
Read chapter one here
Chapter 2: The Rose Garden
The next morning Elissa's rooms, usually a place of much needed relaxation, were in chaos as her servants hurried to prepare for her journey home. Everywhere Elissa turned, there was clothing being stored, jewels being carefully packed away, and all accompanied by chitter and chatter and noise. As soon as she was dressed she hurried to get out of there. Unfortunately the hallway was also full of people, as everyone else prepared to ride off as well, be it to home or to battle – or both, in cases such a her father's. She walked swiftly through the halls, stopping onto to enquire about the King's whereabouts this morning.
“His Majesty is with the Queen and her father, my lady,” the maid said, the girl taking great care to not look her in the face. Elissa turned and walked away without even a thank you, knowing this news meant that she would not be able to see Cailan before she left and cursing that fact with every step. She knew she shouldn't leave court, she could feel all the gains of this last year slipping away, all the prestige and influence fading.
No, no. She breathed in deeply, trying to regain control of herself. There was no point in getting emotional about this. Everything would be fine, it had to be. She took another gulp of air in and let it slowly out. Better, better. As long as she did that, she would be –
A raised and all too familiar voice coming from a nearby room quickly ruined that attempt. “Eamon, you need to calm yourself. With the current situation, we must all focus our efforts on fighting the darkspawn. Everything else can wait.”
“But if Cailan would only see reason–”
“See reason about what?” Elissa said as she glided through the doorway.
Arl Eamon of Redcliffe spun about, his face flushed under his beard. His brother, Bann Teagan, was the first to recover himself. “Lady Cousland, it is a pleasure as always to see you.”
She smiled. “I'm sure it is.”
“Lady Cousland, please forgive us,” Arl Eamon said, his colour finally beginning to fade. “We did not mean to disturb you.”
“I am not disturbed in the slightest, I assure you,” she said, walking further into the room. “But I am curious as to what exactly could have caused you to make such a scene.”
The two men eyed each other and then her. Elissa was always cautious with the King's uncles, knowing that they held a fair amount of emotional sway with Cailan, not to mention great support among the Bannorn. But the entire court knew that earlier this year the Arl and the King had been in some sort of argument, even if no one had heard just what it was about. Cailan had definitely been in a foul mood though and hadn't called for her that night, nor any other that week. It was still only recently that the Arl had been received back in court. Instinct and the obvious told her these matters had to be connected.
For a moment, she thought Eamon might actually tell her what exactly was going on. It must be serious indeed. But just as it looked as though he was going to tell her, Bann Teagan interrupted. “My lady, we apologize again for our behaviour but please, pay it no mind. It is not something that affects you.”
The Arl looked back at his brother, then nodded. “Yes, yes, you need not worry yourself over us. We all have greater matters to turn our attention to.”
Elissa was disappointed, though not surprised. She had long known that these men did not exactly approve of her relationship with the King, nor any of the favourites before her. Perhaps they still felt lingering ties to the Queen's crown, even if it was no longer their sister who wore it. Or maybe they just objected to anyone else having sway over Cailan, she did not know.
“Will you be riding with the King?” she asked, allowing the subject to change gracefully.
“No,” Arl Eamon told her. “His Majesty believes that the Grey Wardens will be enough to win the battle, along with the other troops promised. But I shall be returning to Redcliffe and sending what men I can, though Maker willing they will not need to be called upon.”
Elissa nodded. “Then I wish you both a swift and uneventful journey.”
“To you as well, my lady,” said Bann Teagan.
The reminder of her imminent departure made her mood darken again. “Thank you, my lord,” she told him. “And perhaps next time when you have an argument, you will remember to close the door first.” Before either man could respond she turned and headed back out into the hallway. Elissa couldn't help smiling as she walked away from them. Surprisingly, that had improved her day, even if she hadn't learned anything too useful. Still, it was nice to know that she had the upper hand over them, for once.
There was a door leading outside to her right and she went through it, breathing in deeply as she stepped out into the garden. This had always been her favourite part of the Palace, even back in the days of King Maric, when she had been a little girl in ribbons and pigtails. She still enjoyed ribbons some days.
She walked along the path she had taken so many times, with friends, with family, with Cailan, but most of all with only herself as company. She took each turn with purpose until she ended up at a bench tucked away in the corner, surrounded by white rosebushes, tall enough to hide her from view once she was seated. She clasped her hands tightly on her lap and closed her eyes, taking a moment just to think. No, a moment to stop thinking, Maker knows she did too much of that. Around her the wind blew softly; above her, the sun travelled across the sky ...
“Pup? Are you out here?”
Elissa jerked and then jumped to her feet at the sound of her father's voice. “Over here,” she called out. A few moments later, Bryce Cousland came into view and she smiled at him.
“I had a feeling I'd find you in the gardens somewhere,” he told her, smiling back. He offered her arm and she quickly took it and let him lead her back out along the pathway.
“Is everything ready for us to depart, then?” she asked.
“No, not yet,” he replied. “It won't be much longer though. I wouldn't have expected you to be eager to leave here.”
Elissa sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. “No, I'm not. I don't want to go.”
Bryce turned his head to kiss her forehead. “I know, Pup, but we don't have much choice in the matter. Besides, I'm sure your mother is looking forward to seeing you.”
“Interrogating me, you mean,” Elissa said, with warmth. “Every letter I get from her is always filled with as many questions as she can cram onto one piece of paper.”
“You know Eleanor, she just wants to feel involved.”
“Yes,” she agreed, straightening her head, “but sometimes it just gets a little ...”
“Overwhelming?”
“Awkward.”
Bryce laughed. “I suppose that's only fair, when dealing with matters of such a delicate nature.”
Delicate nature. Yes, Elissa supposed it was rather delicate to help manoeuvre your daughter into the King's bed. “It will be nice to see Fergus again. Oh, and Oren must be getting so big now.”
“Children do grow up so fast, it's true,” he agreed. “And it's been too long since I saw him as well. If only this visit were for a more cheerful reason.”
Elissa stopped then, forcing her father to stop as well and look at her. “Are you worried about the battle?” she asked, her voice low.
Bryce's brow furrowed and he looked right into her eyes. “If I didn't, I would not be going. I have been in battles before and I know that so little of war is about glory, at least not until after the dead are buried and the histories properly shaped. But long have I served under Teryn Loghain's command before and I trust that he will lead us well again.”
She only paused a moment before rushing forward and wrapping her arms around him. He returned her embrace and the world seemed perfect, if only for a fleeting moment. “Still, we should enjoy our time at home, with family. And friends as well, since most of our sworn lords should also be there.”
“Such as?” she asked, her interest piqued as she finally pulled back and took his arm again.
“Arl Howe, Bann Loren, really almost everyone. Perhaps you should be happy you are otherwise engaged or else your mother would certainly be seeing prospective husbands at every turn.”
“Maker preserve me,” she said with a wry smile. “She may try and do it anyway.”
“Well then, darling girl, we should go and see about speeding things along, before you decide that you'd rather run and hide out somewhere instead again?”
Elissa scowled. “That only happened once and I didn't even hide all that well.”
Bryce wisely didn't say anything to that, instead turning them to walk towards the door. At the door, Elissa reached out towards a flower – a lily – growing there and plucked the blossom. She inhaled its scent deeply and held it against her breast. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt the great need for a memento, a piece of this beautiful place to take with her.
swooping_is_bad and dragonage_ficTitle: The Mistress
Rating: M
Pairings: Starts with Cailan/Elissa, eventual Alistair/Elissa.
Summary: Elissa Cousland, the favourite of King Cailan, finds herself thrown from the political arena into something completely different as the coming Blight changes her world forever.
Read chapter one here
The next morning Elissa's rooms, usually a place of much needed relaxation, were in chaos as her servants hurried to prepare for her journey home. Everywhere Elissa turned, there was clothing being stored, jewels being carefully packed away, and all accompanied by chitter and chatter and noise. As soon as she was dressed she hurried to get out of there. Unfortunately the hallway was also full of people, as everyone else prepared to ride off as well, be it to home or to battle – or both, in cases such a her father's. She walked swiftly through the halls, stopping onto to enquire about the King's whereabouts this morning.
“His Majesty is with the Queen and her father, my lady,” the maid said, the girl taking great care to not look her in the face. Elissa turned and walked away without even a thank you, knowing this news meant that she would not be able to see Cailan before she left and cursing that fact with every step. She knew she shouldn't leave court, she could feel all the gains of this last year slipping away, all the prestige and influence fading.
No, no. She breathed in deeply, trying to regain control of herself. There was no point in getting emotional about this. Everything would be fine, it had to be. She took another gulp of air in and let it slowly out. Better, better. As long as she did that, she would be –
A raised and all too familiar voice coming from a nearby room quickly ruined that attempt. “Eamon, you need to calm yourself. With the current situation, we must all focus our efforts on fighting the darkspawn. Everything else can wait.”
“But if Cailan would only see reason–”
“See reason about what?” Elissa said as she glided through the doorway.
Arl Eamon of Redcliffe spun about, his face flushed under his beard. His brother, Bann Teagan, was the first to recover himself. “Lady Cousland, it is a pleasure as always to see you.”
She smiled. “I'm sure it is.”
“Lady Cousland, please forgive us,” Arl Eamon said, his colour finally beginning to fade. “We did not mean to disturb you.”
“I am not disturbed in the slightest, I assure you,” she said, walking further into the room. “But I am curious as to what exactly could have caused you to make such a scene.”
The two men eyed each other and then her. Elissa was always cautious with the King's uncles, knowing that they held a fair amount of emotional sway with Cailan, not to mention great support among the Bannorn. But the entire court knew that earlier this year the Arl and the King had been in some sort of argument, even if no one had heard just what it was about. Cailan had definitely been in a foul mood though and hadn't called for her that night, nor any other that week. It was still only recently that the Arl had been received back in court. Instinct and the obvious told her these matters had to be connected.
For a moment, she thought Eamon might actually tell her what exactly was going on. It must be serious indeed. But just as it looked as though he was going to tell her, Bann Teagan interrupted. “My lady, we apologize again for our behaviour but please, pay it no mind. It is not something that affects you.”
The Arl looked back at his brother, then nodded. “Yes, yes, you need not worry yourself over us. We all have greater matters to turn our attention to.”
Elissa was disappointed, though not surprised. She had long known that these men did not exactly approve of her relationship with the King, nor any of the favourites before her. Perhaps they still felt lingering ties to the Queen's crown, even if it was no longer their sister who wore it. Or maybe they just objected to anyone else having sway over Cailan, she did not know.
“Will you be riding with the King?” she asked, allowing the subject to change gracefully.
“No,” Arl Eamon told her. “His Majesty believes that the Grey Wardens will be enough to win the battle, along with the other troops promised. But I shall be returning to Redcliffe and sending what men I can, though Maker willing they will not need to be called upon.”
Elissa nodded. “Then I wish you both a swift and uneventful journey.”
“To you as well, my lady,” said Bann Teagan.
The reminder of her imminent departure made her mood darken again. “Thank you, my lord,” she told him. “And perhaps next time when you have an argument, you will remember to close the door first.” Before either man could respond she turned and headed back out into the hallway. Elissa couldn't help smiling as she walked away from them. Surprisingly, that had improved her day, even if she hadn't learned anything too useful. Still, it was nice to know that she had the upper hand over them, for once.
There was a door leading outside to her right and she went through it, breathing in deeply as she stepped out into the garden. This had always been her favourite part of the Palace, even back in the days of King Maric, when she had been a little girl in ribbons and pigtails. She still enjoyed ribbons some days.
She walked along the path she had taken so many times, with friends, with family, with Cailan, but most of all with only herself as company. She took each turn with purpose until she ended up at a bench tucked away in the corner, surrounded by white rosebushes, tall enough to hide her from view once she was seated. She clasped her hands tightly on her lap and closed her eyes, taking a moment just to think. No, a moment to stop thinking, Maker knows she did too much of that. Around her the wind blew softly; above her, the sun travelled across the sky ...
“Pup? Are you out here?”
Elissa jerked and then jumped to her feet at the sound of her father's voice. “Over here,” she called out. A few moments later, Bryce Cousland came into view and she smiled at him.
“I had a feeling I'd find you in the gardens somewhere,” he told her, smiling back. He offered her arm and she quickly took it and let him lead her back out along the pathway.
“Is everything ready for us to depart, then?” she asked.
“No, not yet,” he replied. “It won't be much longer though. I wouldn't have expected you to be eager to leave here.”
Elissa sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. “No, I'm not. I don't want to go.”
Bryce turned his head to kiss her forehead. “I know, Pup, but we don't have much choice in the matter. Besides, I'm sure your mother is looking forward to seeing you.”
“Interrogating me, you mean,” Elissa said, with warmth. “Every letter I get from her is always filled with as many questions as she can cram onto one piece of paper.”
“You know Eleanor, she just wants to feel involved.”
“Yes,” she agreed, straightening her head, “but sometimes it just gets a little ...”
“Overwhelming?”
“Awkward.”
Bryce laughed. “I suppose that's only fair, when dealing with matters of such a delicate nature.”
Delicate nature. Yes, Elissa supposed it was rather delicate to help manoeuvre your daughter into the King's bed. “It will be nice to see Fergus again. Oh, and Oren must be getting so big now.”
“Children do grow up so fast, it's true,” he agreed. “And it's been too long since I saw him as well. If only this visit were for a more cheerful reason.”
Elissa stopped then, forcing her father to stop as well and look at her. “Are you worried about the battle?” she asked, her voice low.
Bryce's brow furrowed and he looked right into her eyes. “If I didn't, I would not be going. I have been in battles before and I know that so little of war is about glory, at least not until after the dead are buried and the histories properly shaped. But long have I served under Teryn Loghain's command before and I trust that he will lead us well again.”
She only paused a moment before rushing forward and wrapping her arms around him. He returned her embrace and the world seemed perfect, if only for a fleeting moment. “Still, we should enjoy our time at home, with family. And friends as well, since most of our sworn lords should also be there.”
“Such as?” she asked, her interest piqued as she finally pulled back and took his arm again.
“Arl Howe, Bann Loren, really almost everyone. Perhaps you should be happy you are otherwise engaged or else your mother would certainly be seeing prospective husbands at every turn.”
“Maker preserve me,” she said with a wry smile. “She may try and do it anyway.”
“Well then, darling girl, we should go and see about speeding things along, before you decide that you'd rather run and hide out somewhere instead again?”
Elissa scowled. “That only happened once and I didn't even hide all that well.”
Bryce wisely didn't say anything to that, instead turning them to walk towards the door. At the door, Elissa reached out towards a flower – a lily – growing there and plucked the blossom. She inhaled its scent deeply and held it against her breast. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt the great need for a memento, a piece of this beautiful place to take with her.