Unspoken

(First part is written by my dear friend, Hemosnixuality, go check her out)

Tonight, was a night of the utmost importance as the balance of an empire hinged on how smoothly (or how unsmooth) this event went. The Inquisitor was surely to be in attendance but whether or not they would decide to sway in favor of Empress Celene or not had yet to be determined. Still, it was going to ever be the spectacle and Leliana knew she wouldn't want to miss it.

Working with the Inquisition had given her a new sense of purpose again, having long forgotten just what causes she stood for. It had been a long time since she had found happiness, but something told her that tonight would change all that. It was a gut feeling more than anything else, but something was drawing her here and she owed it to herself to find out what that meant. It could be nothing more than an overactive imagination or maybe it would be something she'd never expected. Either way, tonight was sure to be interesting.

Leliana makes her way into the ballroom and is taken by just how extravagantly elegant the decor is. Expensive jewels adorn every surface and the atmosphere reeked of high society, the elitist of the elite. It was not a crowd she ever saw herself with, but there are always exceptions to every rule. She would mingle for appearances sake, but her main goal for this evening was one thing.

Observation.

It was what she did best and what better time to pay attention than when everyone dropped their guards. It would allow her an almost unrivaled insight to the nobility and maybe (if she was lucky) something useful down the line. She would bide her time and make the rounds, smiling at every unfunny joke, pretending everyone was just oh so amusing... it was going to be such a delight.

Leliana had done a precursory skim of the attendant's when she first arrived, but none stuck out more than usual. Surely there would be someone around here who wouldn't be a total bore or sleaze. Maybe she would have better luck outside, plus it wouldn't hurt to get some fresh air.

Making her way out of the ballroom, Leliana heads down a hallway, but she doesn't make it far before something catches her eyes, or should she say ear. There was a sound, a voice, one that made her pause in her tracks. It sounded hauntingly familiar, but there was no way that it could be who she thinks it is. Surely it is just her mind playing tricks, perhaps taking in the arrogance as fumes to cause some sort of hallucination. She wants to just ignore it and continue on her walk, but something tells her that she'll regret it if she doesn't see it for herself.

Ducking down the next opening, Leliana follows the sound of the faint voice until it become far more prominent. The closer she gets, the more nervous Leliana becomes. She assumed that the voice would change once she was within earshot, but it has done anything but. It remains raspy, slightly deeper than the average pitch usually is for a woman. A sound that is a melancholy melody, playing her favorite tune in an abandoned town of yesterday. A tune that brings with it a flood of memories from the past, threatening to crash over her and drown her for good.

Her steps are quiet and precise that not even the floorboards creak beneath her feet. She stays towards the wall, keeping a hand on it at all times. It helps her keep focused as feeling the cool marble beneath her fingertips reminds her that she wasn't dreaming. There wasn't much space left to go before she would reach its opening and be face to face with an entity from her past.

Taking those precious few steps left, Leliana peers her head around the corner and sees her.

Leliana found herself holding her breath as she took in the woman before her, afraid that one wrong move would make this mirage come crashing down around her. Never again did she expect their paths to cross, much less at a place like this. It wasn't her world, at least it never was, so what in the world brought her here? Leliana has so many questions about everything, but there was one that gnawed its way to the surface above all else. One question that still plagued her mind to this day.

Why did you leave me?

There was no warning, no message left, she had just up and vanished overnight. It was like she had completely disappeared which left Leliana alone and confused. She had thought there was a connection between them, a spark, but she never was able to find out. Instead, she had to pick up the pieces herself and move on with her life like her heart wasn't absolutely shattered. It was this woman who tormented her dreams and now, here in front of her, she stood in the flesh and was very much real and not a figment of her imagination. It was the woman who stole her heart without even knowing it.

Morrigan.

Leliana doesn’t realize how long she was looking at the other woman, lost in that painful memory. Not until she noticed she has been recognized as well.

„I suppose I should not be surprised to meet you at a place like this.“

„Morrigan.“ She replies, not sure how to react, or what to say. Not sure how to feel about, looking in those familiar, yellow colored, almost golden glowing eyes again after the years that have passed.

The dark-haired woman looks at her in silence, her facial expression unreadable like most times. 

„What are you doing here in the Winter Palace?” The redhead asks to break the silence. She tries her best to keep her voice neutral but her eyes reflect her anger that sneaks up on her now.

“Perhaps this might surprise you, but I happen to be Empress’ Celene’s current advisor for the occult witchcraft”

The Bard raises her brows. She knows it could not be that simple and there’s far more behind her reasons to be in Halamshiral. Morrigan never does something without gaining anything from it. But it doesn’t matter at the moment, she has her own duties to take care of, she’s not here for the entertainment as much as she enjoys to visit Orlais once again. She decides she will find out Morrigan’s true intentions later.

“If you are her advisor you sure are aware of the danger the empress is in tonight, aren’t you?”

“Indeed, I am, tis the reason I shall return now. We may meet again later.”

With those words, Morrigan looks at Leliana for a brief moment then turns around to make her way upstairs, back to the balcony of the empress.

-

Leliana keeps her eyes focused on the witch until she’s out of her sight. She looks at the huge mechanic clock on one of those beautiful marble walls. It is time to return to the rest of her team so they can discuss what they found out while wandering around the palace, listening to conversations and whispers, talking to the noble people of Orlais.


After some discussing on who they should trust they eventually find enough evidence to unmask the assassin who is trying to kill empress Celene – It was not Briala and neither Gaspard despite the motives they both seemed to have to want the empress dead. I fact it was someone none of them expected: grand duchess Florianne.

When the Inquisitor confronts the grand duchess after defeating her in a fight in the garden of the winter palace, she admits she has been working for Corypheus all along.

Florianne has been arrested and the Empress is safe, at least for now. Celene agreed on working together with Briala and Gaspard instead of against them.

The Inquisition, quite pleased with the outcome of this event, enjoys the rest of the festive activities in the palace.

-

The bard makes her way to one of the many balconies of this enormous building to get some air.

The last sunbeams went down hours ago, the sky is dark, only a few stars are shimmering trough the cloudy night. Outside the only things you can hear mumbles and some muffled sounds from the music that is playing inside the castle walls. The bard enjoys the silence, leaning her elbows on the railing of the balcony, looking into the dark night. She still doesn’t know how to cope the most recent meeting with her past but at least she can return to Skyhold soon and leave all this behind her once again.

She gets torn out of thoughts as she hears steps behind her. They are slow, the rhythm oddly familiar. The maker has a strange kind of humor she thought to herself, slightly frustrated at this point, before turning around to face the visitor.

“I must say I am surprised you are not seeming to enjoy the party. Tis exactly what you liked about Orlais, is it not?”

Of course the witch was right. She did enjoy Orlesian festivities. People tend to talk a lot about really everything when they drink good whine and the bard loved to hear the newest rumors and deepest secrets of the drunk nobility. She loved to judge other people’s fashion sense and she still does even though she is not working as a bard anymore. But she is obviously not in the mood for anything like this at the moment.


“I don’t think this is any of your business, Morrigan.”

Morrigan is aware that she caused disappointment and anger by her actions, by leaving the group. But the instant rejection she experiences right now? It feels odd to see her former teammate acting like this. Of course even Leliana wasn’t cheerful and happy all the time, she had her quiet moments, she got angry or sad like everyone else does.

And yet for some reasons the witch could sense that the redhead has changed over the years. She doesn’t know why or how but she isn’t looking into the same bright blue eyes as she did in the past.

However, she is willing to find out what caused the change, what she missed since she left.


“Perhaps not, but the Inquisition might actually be my business from now on” She steps closer to lean her back at the railing of the balcony.


Leliana looks at her in disbelief. 


“What do you mean?” she asks pulling her brows together.


“Empress Celene decided, if we’re really up against this Corypheus, the Inquisition has a far bigger need of an advisor for powerful and dark magic than herself. She orders me to join the Inquisitor instead.”

Leliana’s jaw almost drops hearing those words. This cannot be real. Maker, what did she do to deserve this kind of torture? Didn’t she always stay loyal to the church? Will she really have to work with Morrigan again? This is the last thing she needs right now. Her heart literally cannot endure being stabbed with a knife again, she’s still recovering from the latest strike. She’s still picking up the pieces and she doesn’t know how she could possible handle having this woman around her again.

She’s aware how powerful the witch is and that her knowledge is indeed a big advantage for them but she just cannot let herself trust her again, not that easily at least and not right now.

“I see, well her choice makes sense, I guess”

Morrigan decides to end the conversation for now, they will eventually have to talk later at some point anyway.

“Well enjoy the rest of the night then, I will see you at Skyhold.”

And with those words, the witch went back inside to leave the redhead alone with her thoughts once again.