[Dragon Age] Letters To Henry

17 - Brave Faces

"You look beautiful, Seeker."

Lady Pentaghast watches her reflection smile at his words as she continues to smooth her hands down the light cotton sleeves of her black blouse, she catches his eyes in the reflection seeing that he is perched on the edge of the bed waiting for her to finish getting ready but it watching her every move. The Seeker looks back at her reflection again, hoping that she did look okay and no one was going to notice that she had managed to avoid wearing a dress. Cassandra liked wearing black; she knew that it suited her and highlighted her colouring and figure, but she had settled into wearing lighter colours that complimented the Inquisitor's wardrobe more often than not because she felt more comfortable and like she didn't stick out, she liked them to look like they were together. He always told her she looked beautiful and she knew she could parade around in an old carpet and he would still proclaim she took his breath away. Today however she could see he was the one matching her dark attire with his funeral outfit.

"You look very handsome, my Lord Inquisitor." Cassandra replies directing her eyes to his again seeing him nod before dropping his head, she watches him place his hands on his dark leather-covered knees trying to find something to occupy them and stop him fidgeting.

Lady Pentaghast removes her eyes from her unhappy Inquisitor, feeling like she is watching him going through a whole range of emotions this morning every time she looks at him. She hears him climbing to his feet behind her, the quiet noise his booted feet make when they come into contact with the stone and the sound of the bed move as he stands. Cassandra can't help but smile when she hears him approach her when his hands move to her waist she glances over her shoulder at him again.

"You always look beautiful." She watches him nod and give her the best smile he can manage, she lets him wrap his arms around her waist as he places his chin against her shoulder. She directs her eyes back into the mirror and she lets them settle on his face, he looked tired and his nightmares in the early hours of the morning had been worse than ever. But, he was still her Inquisitor and since they had left the vial locked tightly in a small box inside their trunk he had remained that way.

"So you tell me." Cassandra smiles at him when he looks at her once more. "Would you mind helping me with this?" The Seeker motions to the locket that she has left on top of the dresser, the locket that contains her picture of her brother Anthony and her Blue Star flower that the Inquisitor had retrieved from under a sleeping Dragon for her. It was one of the rarest flowers in Nevarra, a small blue star-shaped one that no matter how long ago it had been picked it remained alive and fresh. It gave off a brilliant blue glow that she had spent many a quiet moment admiring whenever she thought of him.

"Of course." Lord Trevelyan nods, he reaches his hand out to take the locket from the wooden surface where it lays waiting. Cassandra watches him undo the usually fiddly clasp with his nimble fingers before wrapping it around her neck; he glances at her reflection to see if she is happy with the position. Lady Pentaghast places her palm over the locket holding it in place giving him a smile and a nod. The Seeker feels him attach the two ends carefully together, being sure to not catch any of her hair at the back of her neck. When he is done he leans down to press a gentle kiss over the placement of the chain making her flush under his mouth.

"Ashton.." Lady Pentaghast begins when she feels him place his hands on her shoulders, stroking them beneath his fingers. "I think we should keep the vial with us today." The Seeker adds watching him catch her eyes in the mirror again, looking confused at her request. "Something feels wrong, and maybe we should keep it with us just in case." Cassandra whispers when he drops his eyes from hers and slides his hands down to her arms.

"But we agreed it's dangerous." The Inquisitor replies looking up from the floor to her. "I'm dangerous when it's around me and the last thing I need today is to have any emotions I'm trying to control heightened." He adds with a slight shake of his head, she watches him bite at the cut on his lip.