Sepia

Minrathous, Tevinter Imperium - Asami, Age 17

You wander the halls of the slave quarters quietly. So quiet. Your father would be furious with you if he heard you were spotted in this part of the estate. But you hadn't seen Zara in three whole days. She'd been part of your life everyday for the past thirteen years ever since your father had purchased her at a local ring. Intentionally, Magister Sato had purchased the elven girl to be trained for serving (she was beautiful, he could parade her in front of the rest of the magisterium). Unintentionally, Zara had become your best friend, you'd grown up together, Zara, just a year older than you. 

Your father however, had failed to notice the stolen glances. How the tips of your fingers grazed the other's when you passed in a room. The breath that rattled through your chest when Zara's hands lingered at your neck after she plaited your hair at night. When you no longer had to imagine how soft her lips were, what they tasted like, or how they looked with your lipstick smudged on them. How the first time, the meek elven girl had looked you straight in the eye, took your trembling hands in hers and parted your lips with her own.

You still haven't found Zara's room, she always came to you. You search on feeling guilty, an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

A few feet ahead a door bursts open and Riva, an older slave walks out of it, a wash basin in hand and a few wash cloths thrown over her shoulder. You flatten yourself against the wall and hope she doesn't see you, she will certainly tell your father. As luck would have it, she immediately spots you. Her gray eyes widen a fraction of a second before they narrow in recognition. 

You shrink against the wall as she rushes over to you. You wrinkle your nose at the smell coming from inside the basin. Foul. She ignores it. 

"She needs you." She turns on her heel and marches back towards the room she came from. Your heart in your throat, you slowly follow. 

As you step into the room, the smell from the basin originates from the room, permeating the air. The four bunks in the room lie empty, save one. Zara. 

You fall to your knees at Zara's side. Her hair and forehead are wet from sweat and her eyes are clenched shut. She still hasn't noticed you. You bring your hands to her cheeks and her amber eyes fly open.

"Asami."

"Zara... What's wrong? Are you sick? Why hasn't my father sent for a healer?" You fire off questions in flurry.

Zara says nothing. "Zara? Zara, come on. Talk to me." At this, Riva has come back into the room with fresh water and clean cloths.

"Tell her, Zara. She's your lover and a strong woman. You don't have to protect her from everything. You can't protect her from this, not any longer." Riva says, her Starkhaven accent as clear as ever.

Looking up at Riva, "I... I don't understand..."

"You will." 

"Zara, what's going on?" You press your face close to hers and realize she's crying.

Zara turns her face away from yours, "...I ... I can't."

Riva kneels down next to you, taking your hand in her small one. "A prayer? I know you are not Andrastian, Mistress Sato and Zara and I are elven. I once called myself Dalish before... well just... just before." 

Swallowing a lump in your throat, "Are you not still Dalish, Riva?"

Her eyes meet yours, "No. No, I am not." She grabs a hold of Zara's hand and begins to speak again, "Blessed are righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written."

You lift your head and find that Zara is staring back at you. Still looking at you she says, "Fuck the Maker's will."

"Zara..."

"I'm with child, Asami." She squeezes your hand just as you rip yours from hers.

"How... Why..."

Zara lets out a single mirthless laugh, "Your father is very proficient at creating this space between us. Figuratively and literally it seems."

You recoil even further at her words, "... He wouldn't..."

Zara stares at you a long moment before she looks away, "It seems this slave has a talent for bewitching the attention of Satos." She looks at you again, "I only ever wanted yours."

"How... how could he do this? I... I thought..." you trail off, tears falling freely.

"What? You thought he was a good man? No. He is a different man to you, Asami. A good man. We all wear different masks for different people."

"Why did you not tell me this before? I could have helped! I could have confronted him. This isn't right, Zara. I'm... I'm so sorry."

"Have you never wondered why you're not permitted to be here? Especially at night. I wish I was the only woman he frequented with. I wish I could protect them."

The gears inside your head turn at this, "Other women... but... what if they..."

"They have. If the child isn't, if it doesn't die in the ritual, he sells us."

"This baby... this child it'd be my... my... --" 

"Don't say that to me." Zara snaps. "I will be rid of this child, Asami. And then I will be rid of your father. I'm getting out of here and I'm never coming back."

You lock eyes with this woman. The woman you love the most. Her face crumbles and she starts to sob.

"I'm sorry, Asami. I... I love you. So much. But this..." Zara looks down at her stomach that hasn't even begun to grow yet. "... This will continue to happen if he succeeds with the ritual. And I thought I was strong enough for that, that I loved you enough for that." 

"Don't apologize, you don't ever have to apologize to me. Zara, I love you. I'm going to make sure you get out of here. That every woman here is safe, that my father pays for everything that he has ever done. It will never make it right but ... we will spill his blood." 

At your words, Zara pulls you into a crushing hug. You hug her back just as fiercely. You let out a sob and Zara burrows into the crook of your neck. This means that you're done now right? Nothing else can be hiding in the shadows right? That's all. This... is it?

--

Minrathous, Tevinter Imperium - Asami, Age 24

In the story, the girl lives. She escapes the slave hunter's blade. In the story, she's free. In the story, you never loved each other. 

"You know that the Council gets touchy when you keep them waiting, Magister Sato." Your thoughts are interrupted by your friend Felix.

You shoot a smile at him, "I'm surprised you're not spending your time with your father and Dorian. And do stop calling me magister, Felix. A bit too formal, yeah?"

"Anything to escape Magister Alexius for a day." Felix said as he opened the doors to the Council's outer offices. "After you, Asami."

"Thank you. You're his only child, he worries, Felix. He loves you."

Felix sighs sadly, "There are worse things than dying, Asami."

You stride through the chambers, stand square in the middle of the room, meeting the eyes of the Archon dead on, "Indeed."