You are not the same. Dragon age oneshot - ESP/ENG

english version

It was a hot afternoon in Skyhold. The air was hot against the skin, and the sun slowly burned those who dared to step out of the shadows. Leliana watched the empty courtyard from the tower window; there would be no training for the soldiers today. The crows didnt want to caw that day either, even they were miserable in the temperatures. She took off her gloves and laid them on the table, on top of the many reports she had yet to read.

"What an uninteresting day". She had to get to work, but she couldn't escape the laziness and tiredness of such a day. She sat down at the desk, leaning her back against the wall, and began to go through the papers. It wasn't more than half an hour before one of her agents prostrated himself before her with some nervousness.

"Lady Nightingale, important news."
"What is it?"
"You have a visitor. She's downstairs, waiting to come in."
"A visitor...? Who is it?" Leliana frowned, her work didn't usually give rise to visitors; much less unexpected ones.
"She has insisted on being unannounced."

Leliana's face tensed, victim of the intrigue that had so suddenly formed in her head. She stood up, bracing herself for any surprises. What was all the mystery about?
The agent gave a subtle bow, and disappeared down the stairs to let the mysterious guest know she could go upstairs. Leliana kept her composure, cool, nerves would do her no good. She listened carefully to the footsteps coming up the stairs, a woman? she wasn't wearing armour, at least not a heavy one, it would echo. She waited patiently, not taking her eyes off the entrance. And then, she appeared.

She.

The hero of Ferelden.

There she was, standing just a few feet away. The grey warden was looking at her fondly and wearily, with a look that screamed "At last". Leliana felt her heart stop for a few seconds, then pick up its pace twice as fast. She went to her almost without thinking, opening her arms to wrap them around her. Lady Nightingale embraced her beloved for more than ten seconds, silently taking in the fact that this was indeed real. When they finally parted, the hero rested her hands on her lover's cheeks; both admired each other as if time was slipping through their fingers.

"You're here... How?"
"Did you like the surprise?"
"I can't imagine a greater gift than this."

However, something didn't quite fit in her head. She was travelling far away from Ferelden, when had she decided to return? And more importantly, why?
They both sat at her desk, holding hands and staring at each other. It had been so long, but the love between them had never left them. Leliana offered her a tour of the fortress, and made it her business to show her all her favourite places: the armoury, the library, the secret corridors... The hours passed and the sun began to set, the two women were now sitting on one of the benches in the garden.

The sky turned purple, and beside the crickets the murmurings of those who prayed near them could still be heard. The hero of Ferelden gazed at her lover with sweet, sad eyes, melancholy stirring her. It did not take the master spy long to realise.

"Tell me what's wrong, my love"
"I was thinking about the nights in the camp. How long has it been now?"
"A long time, indeed" she said curious to know what ailed her lover.
"Do you miss it?" the grey warden fixed her eyes on her.
"What exactly, the mud, Alistair's cheese, or Oghren's breath?" she said with a chuckle "What do you miss, my dear?"

The warden smiled and looked back up at the clouds. She had already given that question much thought, and she knew what the answer was. She missed the fights between Morrigan and Alistair, she missed Zevran's accent and the stoic Sten. She missed many things, but there was one more important than others... "You."
Leliana didn't know how to respond, she laughed subtly and looked at her companion. "I've missed you too. But you're here now". Silence fell for a few moments, the two lovers were reunited but things had changed.

"The Inquisitor and I have been corresponding these past few months," the warden began "She's worried about you, and I certainly am too."
Leliana frowned. "About me?"
"She has described me a Leliana I don't know. I could not believe it. But I know that recent times have betrayed you."
The spy-master shook her head. She rose indignantly from the bench and began to fidget nervously, frustrated. "What's this all about?"

The warden watched her from the bench, her hands resting on her knees. Then her gaze fixed on the floor again. The events the inquisitor had related to her regarding her lover had unsettled her. She was not the Leliana she had known ten years ago: sweet, vibrant, human. At what moment had she reached this point? Was her absence the fault? She stood up and approached the redhead, who had her back to her. She took her hands gently, and when she looked back up at her, she saw a frightened Leliana. She caressed her cheeks lovingly, and took all the time in the world to run over every inch of her face: her lips, her eyes, her eyelashes, her freckles. She was still there, behind that cruel and lethal image that had been built around her.

She kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry" said the spy. A moment of weakness, after so long. "So much has happened. I don't know how to clear my thoughts, I don't know what to feel." The two embraced, Leliana rested her head on her chest, and the warden stroked her hair lovingly.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. You've had to suffer through all this alone."
"It's not your fault," Leliana said, "You had important matters to attend to."
"There is nothing more important than you in this world, my love."

They both smiled, and finally kissed without a thought for the eyes that might see them. There was peace, and time stood still, to let the lovers enjoy that moment that reminded them of quieter times